Healthy Living

Women & Heart Attacks: Signs Of A Heart Attack Aren’t The Same For Women As They Are For Men

Guest Writer — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:57:13 +0000

Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men experience when having a heart attack?

You know the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest and dropping to the floor that we see in the movies.

For women, it is often much more subtle.

That’s why it is vital that awareness is spread for both the signs of a heart attack and the increased risk for women.

Wear Red Day

Friday, February 3rd, was national Wear Red Day.

Everyone got out their favorite red T-shirt, dress, or sweatshirt to raise awareness for heart disease in women.

In 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) created Go Red for Women – a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health. AHA created this day in order to raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women in the United States.

What A Sleep Study Is Like: Things I Wish I Knew Before My Sleep Test

Suzie — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:01:12 +0000

I used to do pretty well in school, but I failed my sleep test.

I recently spent the night at a Sleep Center to participate in a sleep study to see if I might have obstructive sleep apnea.

This information might help you if you plan to have your own sleep study, or polysomnogram.

Reasons For A Sleep Study

My doctor (a general physician) has wanted me to have a sleep test for about a year.

How To Make A Heating Pad Using Socks – DIY Microwave Heating Pad Instructions

Lynnette — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:32:29 +0000

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 to make a heating pad yourself!

As you probably know, microwave heating pad is great to use whenever you need to apply some indirect heat for pain relief, comfort, or warmth.

Here’s when to use ice vs heat for soreness, aches and pains.

Awhile ago, I was given this microwave heating pad as a gift. I fell in love with the simplicity of it (just some rice inside a sock-like casing) and I got to thinking… “I could probably make one of these myself.”

Depending on your sewing abilities (mine aren’t so good), you could also make one of these other styles of microwave heating pads if you’re feeling really creative!

I decided to try my hand at the very basic sock-looking one.

Here are simple instructions for making a microwave heating pad yourself…

Too Much Sodium In Your Diet? Here’s How To Painlessly Reduce Your Salt Intake

Lynnette — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:34:48 +0000

We are all aware that too much sodium in our diet can lead to high blood pressure, which greatly increases the risk of having a stroke, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease.

Studies have also shown that, over the long term, a higher consumption of salt is associated with more cases of stomach cancer and could even lead to osteoporosis.

But salt is difficult to avoid — especially since manufacturers add it to most foods in the form of sodium chloride in order to “improve” the taste.

Good news: Just by modifying your eating habits a little bit, you can drastically reduce your salt intake!

Here’s how…

Antioxidants: The Real Truth About How They Work & How Effective They Are

Lynnette — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:06:54 +0000

Maybe you’ve heard that antioxidants have the ability to prevent cancer from forming in the body or possibly even reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. At least, that’s the implication perpetuated by some aggressive companies in the health industry today.

In fact, if you have perused the shelves of your local health food store lately or noticed a few of the more heavily-publicized herbal supplements on the Internet, then you’ve probably discovered that most of them happily promote the fact that they contain high levels of antioxidants.

Of course, this isn’t surprising since antioxidants in recent years have been shown to fight harmful, potentially disease-causing processes in the human body. Scientists have even proposed the idea of antioxidants playing a vital role in the treatment of neurological afflictions like Parkinson’s disease and preventing several types of cancer.

So naturally, the dietary supplement industry was understandably eager to create antioxidant-rich products and announce their potential “miracle” cures to the public. After all, with so many scientists and researchers clamoring over the promising initial findings about antioxidants in the news, sales of antioxidant supplements would be brisk and inevitable. Marketing such products is relatively easy.

But although numerous clinical studies and trials have been performed to date, the question still remains years later: Are antioxidants effective at treating or preventing disease or not?

Below we take a hard look at the real facts about antioxidants and confront some of the more sensational claims concerning antioxidants in order to reveal:

The truth about how antioxidants work
The role of antioxidants in combating disease
Just how effective antioxidants really are

Lose Weight Fast: 8 Simple & Surprising Tips

Lynnette — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:05:57 +0000

With endless advice on which foods will help you lose weight and which foods you should avoid, it’s hard to know where to begin.

Every year millions of us try to lose weight, but we often don’t succeed because the diet plans are too hard to follow, or we lose focus.

So what does work?

By listening to the latest scientific research, you might stand a better chance of succeeding.

Try the following weight loss methods and you could lose weight more easily than you’ve ever done before.

Health Benefits Of Blackstrap Molasses

Lynnette — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:16:50 +0000

Blackstrap molasses is a health food which seems to get little attention.

You don’t have to look very hard to find a magazine article touting the wonders of green tea or apple cider vinegar. The same cannot be said for blackstrap molasses.

Yet, while it may not be very popular, it holds its own as a valuable source of nutrition!

Here’s more about the health benefits of blackstrap molasses…

How To Feel Great and Live Longer By Adding Goji Berries To Your Diet

Jay — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:49:14 +0000

Goji berries are one of the rising stars of the health community. More attention is being paid to the healing properties of this cranberry-like fruit than ever before.

Given its status in Asia as a potential reason for extended life expectancies, it’s no wonder that products containing Goji berries are arriving on the market each and every day.

Why Is The Goji Berry Considered A Superfruit?

Dieticians and food experts take many approaches to classifying different foods as Superfoods. What makes the Goji berry stand out is its high concentration of antioxidants.

The United States Department of Agriculture determines this antioxidant level using their Oxygen Radical Absorbence Capacity (ORAC) scale. Goji berries have a score of 25,300 on the ORAC scale while common fruits you may eat such as apples only have a score of 218.

Here are 3 more exciting health benefits of Goji berries:

CT Scan Radiation: Some Eye-Opening Facts About CT Scans

Lynnette — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:34:14 +0000

I recently read an article entitled Over Exposed in Good Housekeeping that really struck a chord with me.

I haven’t had a CT scan (yet), but I’ve had an MRI, and I’ve often wondered about the lasting effects of having such tests — in terms of radiation. For the record, MRI scans do not expose you to radiation.

These are some of the key points about CT scans that jumped out at me:

CT scans save lives by helping doctors diagnose serious illnesses and injuries. But they can also cause cancer. Even CT scans which provide low-dose exposure to radiation can ultimately lead to cancer.
Scientists at the National Cancer Institute predicted that about 15,000 Americans would die of cancer from the CT scans given in a single year.

Printed Yoga Mats – Personalized With Your Own Photo

Lynnette — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:00:58 +0000

Ever since I saw Jennifer Aniston give Oprah this photo yoga mat as a gift on the Oprah show, I’ve been completely intrigued by it.

Oprah’s has a photo of her beloved dogs on it.

Jen and Oprah aren’t the only celebrities who use the YogaMatic yoga mat.

Ellen DeGeneres uses it too!