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How Diet And Exercise Can Change Your Life

We have all heard how important it is to maintain a healthy diet and to exercise regularly to achieve an overall healthier lifestyle, but many of us have no idea why. Of course monitoring calories, carbohydrates, and so on can help maintain a healthy weight as well as help those who are trying to lose weight achieve their weight loss goals, but there are many benefits than that.

For starters, when a person actively attempts to diet and exercise regularly, they tend to be conscious about what they eat a s well as the activities that they participate in. For example, the person who may have gone out with friends for happy hour a few times a week will most likely indulge in a few alcoholic beverages and an appetizer or two to tide them over. The problem with this is that alcohol has many empty calories and chances are the appetizer will not be on the healthy side either. That being said, a person with an active diet and exercise regimen will not necessarily skip the alcohol completely, but they may limit their intake to just one drink that has fewer calories than most like a light beer or a rum and diet coke.

Another way having a healthy lifestyle can change a person’s life has less to do with the person that is living the lifestlye but rather the people that are influenced by it. Studies have shown that children often follow their parents when it comes to the things that they eat. So, when parents make it a point to ensure that their children lead a balanced diet, those habits will carry on for their lifetime.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: diet, Health, Weight loss

Coping With Sleep Deprivation

Unfortunately, many people have temporary or chronic sleep deprivation and do not know how to treat it. Lack of a restful slumber can result in cognitive, social and other troubles. There are simple routines that can help people that have trouble obtaining a good night’s sleep.

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Re-Decorate For Slumber

Some rooms are not decorated with sleeping in mind because of too many distractions. Electronics including computers should be removed from the room. Room colors should be calming and not include bright reds or oranges.

Create a Ritual

A simple bedtime routine can help ease your body and mind for sleeping. Decide to read a book, drink some tea or whatever helps prepare you for bed. This ritual should be followed daily and at the same time. A stable bedtime will train the body for sleeping at the right time.

Say No to Pick-me-ups

Limit the amount of cola, coffee and other caffeinated drinks in the evening that keep people awake. Nicotine and alcohol products are stimulants that should be avoided. Some types of fast-paced loud music should be avoided that may alert the body.

Avoid Naps

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Persons that can not sleep at night should avoid sleeping through-out the day. If an individual withholds sleep in the daytime, then they may rest better at night. Sleeping at night will reinforce nightly bedtime rituals and set the body’s nightly clock.

Silence Phones

Although we live in a tech savvy nation, it can lead to deprived sleep opportunities. All communication devices should be silenced to guarantee a disturbance-free rest. Most people will respect your request for no correspondence between certain hours.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: Sleep, Sleep deprivation, Sleep disorder

Health and Food Safety

More and more consumers are figuring out that many of the food products we buy and consume are unsafe. In the past, most our foods were grown in our country, by farmers that were still utilizing the farming practices of their grandparents. Times have changed. Food products such as meat producing animals are being fed contaminated feed. The fruits and vegetables that used to be so healthy for us, are currently doused in chemicals that are used as pesticides. The upswing of food born illnesses has many consumers wondering if modern technology is helping or hindering our health where food is concerned.

Outbreaks of food born illnesses are recorded and tracked by the government. Yet many times a patient will show up at the emergency room complaining of symptoms of food poisoning, only to be told they have a stomach virus and sent home. Only in the more severe cases are most patients tested for a food born illness. Unless an epidemic has already been noted, many cases of these types of illnesses will go unreported.

One of the more common food born illnesses is salmonella. Symptoms of this condition can include stomach pain, diarrhea and nausea. Fever may also be present. Salmonella is caused by eating undercooked meat products. Most patients can recover if they receive the proper treatment early on, but for those with weakened immune systems, young children or the elderly, the condition can prove to be fatal.

E. coli seems to be being diagnosed more often then ever. This is a bacteria normally found in animal feces that comes in contact with meat products. It can also be caused by watering methods that are not regulated for safety, such as watering the young plants with water that contains sewage. Symptoms of E.coli can include severe diarrhea with very painful stomach cramps. Often times there is blood in the stool.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: Food, Food safety, healthy food

Women and Heart Attacks

Heart disease has become the number one killer of women and although most people know the basics symptoms of a heart attack, most women do not realize that in females the symptoms may differ greatly. The classic symptoms of a heart attack may include chest pain, pain that radiates to the arm or jaw, shortness of breath, breaking out in massive cold sweats, nausea and a feeling of great heaviness in the chest. These symptoms can be felt by both males and females alike, yet the symptoms in women can differ, which causes many women to not seek necessary treatment as quickly as their male counterparts.

Some of the symptoms a woman might experience when having a heart attack include feeling as if you have the flu. Nausea, fever and cold sweats are often times reported by women that have had a heart attack. Shortness of breath is felt by many also, along with becoming very tired. Being dizzy or faint is reported, along with a feeling of a very fast heart beat. The heart may feel as if it is thumping out of the chest. Many women also report that they felt pain in their back and a feeling of having heartburn or acid reflux. A tightness in the chest and a back ache were also often stated.

Many women do not realize that certain medical factors may contribute to having a heart attack. One factor is being overweight. Other contributing factors can include having diabetes, suffering from high blood pressure, smoking, having high cholesterol levels in the blood, a history of family heart disease, suffering from headaches and even food allergies. All of these or any of them alone or combined, can increase a woman’s chance of having a heart attack.

Some ways to reduce a woman’s chance of having a heart attack include losing weight if necessary, stopping smoking, exercising on a daily basis, eating a healthy diet and having regular check-ups with your doctor.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: Chest pain, Heart disease, Hypertension

Participating in Medical Research, The Pros and Cons

If you suffer from a disease or condition, you may be asked to volunteer to be included in a medical research study for new medications or procedures. Deciding to participate in a study is not something that should be taken lightly. There are a variety of questions that should be asked beforehand, along with doing your own research before applying to be a candidate in a research study.

Many patients that volunteer for these types of research studies have a disease or condition that has not been eliminated by the normally prescribed medications for that specific disease. They become desperate to find a medication that will allow them to live a normal lifestyle and help them feel better. Many times it pays off, yet other times they are in the group that is chosen to receive a placebo drug instead, and will not have any positive or negative effects from the study trials.

Most studies give half of the volunteers the actual medication that the research is being done on, and the other half of the group receives a placebo drug. After the required amount of time, both groups are asked to list any side effects they felt they had because of the new medication. Most times the volunteers are not told whether they received the medication or a placebo until after the study is finished. Data is collected and the outcome of both groups is entered in the research information.

Helping others that suffer from the same condition or disease is another reason many people will agree to participate in a new drug research study. The need to be part of a team that is trying to find a new drug that will eliminate the side effects of the disease prompt many to volunteer.

The decision to participate in a research study should be thought out and not made in a hasty way. Volunteers are allowed to ask questions, so don’t be afraid to ask if you have concerns about the side effects or risks that you may encounter.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: Health, Medical research, Research

Latest Research May Help Those Suffering from Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s Disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that is being diagnosed more often now then ever before. At the current time, there is no known cause for the disease, nor any cure. There are several treatment options available that may relieve some of the symptoms, although many of the drugs that are prescribed for Crohn’s, work for some patients and make others worse, so it often takes trying several different treatment options to find the drug that is most effective.

Some of the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease include, weight loss, diarrhea, weakness, lack of appetite, bleeding in the bowels and severe intestinal cramping. Depending on where the disease is located in the intestines, the patient may suffer from malnutrition and be extremely underweight, which in turn can cause more health problems. Anemia can be quite common in those suffering from Crohn’s, due to internal bleeding and the inability of the body to absorb much needed calories, vitamins and nutrients from the food they consume.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease are two diseases that cause the patient to have relapses and ongoing medical issues. The two disease’s cause inflammation, which affects the intestines and colon. Over a million people in the United States have been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, with a lesser amount being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

Recent studies have shown that probiotics may offer as much relief from the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease as the often prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, without the harsh side effects that most of the drugs have. Scientists are currently trying out a new type of probiotic that is normally found in yogurts and cheese.

Researchers have genetically developed the new version of the probiotic and are currently testing it in patients that have Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis and even colon cancer. When tested in lab mice that had several different types of colitis, the new probiotic was given and the mice showed improvement within thirteen days. In most, the progression of the disease was stopped in approximately ninety five percent.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: Crohn's disease, Disease

What is the Significance of Genes?

The study of human genome captures the spotlight in the world of science and medicine today. Experts pursue the research of some of the most mind-boggling living material, the study of human genes. Although the knowledge of genes has been around for some time, their functions and effects have been largely unknown. As new discoveries will reveal the more exact purposes of genes, it will be important for individuals to have a basic understanding of genes themselves and their role in the human body.

What are human genes and why are they important to understand? Genes are the basic biological unit of heredity. Genes can determine simple traits such as eye color and hair color. They also manipulate more complex functions such as how much oxygen is carried in a person’s blood. It is also reported that genes influence and play one part in such things as a person’s over physical strength. Genes, which are located on chromosomes in human cells, are made up of DNA and carry specific instructions for protein production. A human can any where from 30,000-40,000 genes in their physical make-up. Genes (including their specific sequence and activity versus inactivity)along with the proteins they produce determine what a specific cell can or can not does well as what kind of cell it is overall. This means genes are extremely influential to the human body. An error in a gene can mean health problems and disease while normal genes equal optimum health and stronger immunity to disease.

As scientists study genes, their function and relationships, humans will better be able to determine the best way to approach and treat human health issues. They will also be able to determine better errors and disease in plants and animals. The study of genes can alter the future for health and medicine. Genes will play an essential role in improving human life.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Gene, Human

Know Your Genetic Rights

With a break-through study in genetics, the Human Genome Project, has answered many pressing medical and scientific questions and has the potential to solve many more complicated issues. This foundational work will be the catalyst to changing health medicine and medical technology in ways previously-unknown.

It also opened doors for potential problems and more questions. With such personal identifying information available, challenges can arise if some seek to use genetic information in inappropriate ways. For instance, should a company hire a potential employee that is prone to a particular cancer and is likely to be less productive over time and cost the business more money through health insurance than another employee? Or can an insurance company increase premiums for those with a particular genetic sequence that is “less healthy” than others with healthier genes?

Thankfully, these and other questions have been resolved and answered in the 2008 GINA legislation (Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act) that is now law in the United States. It is important as advances continue to move forward with genomics and as the public becomes more involved, that individuals have a clear understanding of their personal rights. Be aware of what is appropriate under law and what is not when it comes to your personal medical and genetic information.

Under GINA, health insurance companies and employers are prohibited from using a person’s genetic information as a result of genetic tests as a means of discriminating against them. Insurance companies are not allowed to set policies and prices to a person’s gene code, and employers are not permitted to make hiring decisions based on a potential employer’s genetics. It is also important to note that insurance companies and employers are forbidden from asking for a person to take a genetic test.

Americans can be grateful for advances in human genome without fearing for risks in their personal lives, such as losing health insurance or not being hired for a job.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Types of Motion Sickness

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Kinetosis is a condition in which a person becomes ill from either motion, the realistic simulation of motion such as scenes in video games, or watching movies with a lot of action. Kinetosis is known by several other names, the most common of them being motion sickness. It’s also called Travel Sickness, and has more specialized names depending upon what activity causes it. Airsickness, seasickness, space sickness and simulation sickness are all forms of kinetosis.

The most common symptoms of kinetosis are feelings of nausea, dizziness and fatigue, sometimes underscored by a headache. If the symptoms get bad enough, the individual experiencing them may vomit. Unfortunately, unlike a case of the flu, vomiting from kinetosis will not lessen the nausea any. As such, it’s quite possible to vomit more than once from the same case of motion sickness.

There is no official scientifically proven reason for what causes kinetosis. However, the commonly accepted speculative reason is that when your brain sees something that indicates motion but your inner ear does not feel the shifts in the fluid associated with balancing and moving, your body gets mixed signals about whether or not you are actually in motion and the result is feeling ill. It can also work in reverse–your body can be moved around so that your inner ear detects the motion, but if your eyes are covered or viewing what looks like a still image, your brain gets mixed signals that it is both moving and holding still.

On average, around 65 percent of people typically experience kinetosis in moderate to extreme motion situations, such as riding on a boat on choppy water or riding on theme park rides. Around 30 percent are more sensitive and can get ill even floating on calm waters. It is impossible to get motion sickness if you have a genetic condition that prevents your inner ear system from functioning.

Filed Under: General, Health Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Ear Nose and Throat, Health, Inner ear, Motion sickness, Nausea, Shopping, vomit

Is There an Addiction Gene?

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Through the Human Genome Project, scientists hope to learn more about the billions of individual genes that are found inside every person. While the human genome has a specific structure that we can begin to understand, how those genes react with each other and how they affect individuals varies from person to person. By learning more about the human genome, scientists hope to teach us more about ourselves…both the good, and the bad.

Many scientists believe the “addiction gene,” Tetrahyroisoquinoline (or THQ), is a reality. Some people who inherit the gene go on to act out addictive and potentially self-destructive behaviors. If you are addicted to cigarettes, you may simply be acting out a hereditary instinct. There may be no way to change genetics (at least, not right now), but there is a way cigarette addicts can get help.

Electronic cigarette cartridges look like a 5-pack of cigarettes, a mini version of what you might buy in a convenience store. Electronic cigarettes also have another major difference that distinguishes them from store-bought brands: they won’t kill you. Unlike cancer-causing cigarettes, which are stuffed with chemical agents, electronic cigarette cartridges contain only a small amount of nicotine and water vapor. Smokers will puff away on a cigarette that looks and feels just like the real thing, but they won’t be compromising their health by doing so.

Cigarettes are dangerous; if they weren’t, every single pack wouldn’t carry a warning from the Surgeon General. Addiction may, in fact, be a genetic trait, and the Human Genome Project may be successful in further isolating and identifying the problem. In the meantime, turn to products that will help you kick the habit, and start a new chapter in your life.

Filed Under: Biotech, General, Human Genome Tagged With: Biology, Cigarette, Eukaryotic, Gene, Genetics, Human genome, Human Genome Project, Substance dependence