healthy lifestyles

Families get free vouchers to lead healthy lifestyles

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:23:00 PST

Families in England are being offered £250mn worth of free vouchers in a bid to encourage them to lead more healthy lifestyles, it has been announced. The money-off tokens, which will give discounts on healthy foods and activities, are being rolled out as part of Change4Life’s “Great Swapathon.”

Parents will also be offered access to nutritional advice and recipes as an incentive to make healthy changes in their family’s food and fitness habits. About 4mn £50 voucher books will be available through the News of the World newspaper and ASDA supermarkets while 1mn will be handed out through local businesses.

Opens Arms employees lead the way for healthy lifestyles

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 04:19:00 PST

Open Arms wants South Georgians to live healthier lifestyles, and they are leading by example.

The 13 staffers at the advocacy center for abuse victims are starting a healthy living project to improve their mental and physical health.

Open Arms Street Outreach Liaison Roman Hopper said "We're trying to get each other healthy and we want to live a long life. So it starts now. So we are trying to promote and help each other to get better physically."

They not only plan to lose weight and get in better shape. They want to improve their family, financial, and spiritual lifestyles.

And they hope the entire community join them.

Olive Branch Senior Center champions healthy lifestyles

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:11:00 PST

The Olive Branch Seniors Center was recognized as the December Health Champion for being an advocate for healthy lifestyles in DeSoto County. At the presentation made by the DeSoto County Community Health Council were Beth Jullien (left), Carolyn Reddish, Dee Dempsey, Mayor Sam Rikard, Council member Joyce Haslip, Council chairman Jim Robinson, center director June Sneed, Jean Cain and Lynda Cain.

The Olive Branch Senior Center is promoting healthy lifestyles in DeSoto County and has been recognized for its effort as the December Health Champion by the DeSoto County Community Health Council.

When the doors of the center are open each day, you will find local seniors exercising through line dancing classes, aerobics, Wii fitness, as well as treadmills, elliptical equipment, and stationary bikes. There is no cost to the seniors since this service is provided through the city.

“It is an honor for the senior center to receive this award,” said June Sneed, center director. “Our goal is to encourage seniors to make healthy, active living a part of their daily lives. We hope to continue providing the necessary tools to ensure that.”

Staff at the Olive Branch Senior Center also encourages healthy lifestyles by holding monthly seminars to teach everything from diabetic recipes and heart health to prescription medication education. The center is also an educational facility for Alzheimer’s support groups and professional caregivers. Staff and senior members will participate in the first Desoto County Alzheimer’s Walk on May 7.

“The Olive Branch Senior Center provides many opportunities for the ‘young at heart’ to stay active, be healthy, and socialize with others,” said Jim Robinson, chairman of the Community Health Council. “It is an outstanding asset to the health of the Olive Branch community.”

The DeSoto County Community Health Council is a component of the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi’s “Get A Life!” initiative to fight childhood obesity. To learn more, go to cfnm.org or call (662)449-5002.

Peggy Linton is the community development director for the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi and a member of the DeSoto County Community Health Council.

Volunteers on 'healthy lifestyles' mission in Yorkshire

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 04:03:00 PST

A LOTTERY-FUNDED programme in Yorkshire has been hailed as a trail-blazer for other projects tackling health inequalities across the country.

Altogether Better has 16 projects in the region that recruit and train thousands of volunteer health champions who seek to influence family, friends and contacts in their communities to lead healthier lifestyles.

Its ultimate aim is to mobilise health champions across England to play a key role tackling health problems facing the country including inequalities which have continue to grow despite vastly increased NHS spending.

The approach, which fits closely with the Government's Big Society agenda, has been highlighted in the coalition's public health White Paper which says it has grown to become a movement. It says the initiative has enhanced pathways to education, paid employment and enterprise through voluntary action and wider civic participation.

Projects focused on hard-to-reach groups include work with elderly people in Bradford, healthy-eating schemes in Leeds, a scheme with isolated communities in caravan parks on the East Coast, prisoners and Muslim taxi drivers.

The community health champions network in Sheffield has recruited 130 champions who have put in more than 10,000 hours voluntarily and supported more than 5,000 people to make lifestyle changes. More than 40 champions have gone on to obtain paid employment.

The five-year programme was launched in 2008 with £6.8m in funding from the Big Lottery and involves a collaboration of voluntary and public sector individuals and organisations that recruit and train volunteer community health champions.

Programme director Alyson McGregor said the evidence demonstrated benefits which went way beyond improvements in health and mental wellbeing.

"The approach has a far wider impact and the programme fits in very neatly with the coalition government's Big Society agenda," she said. "We hope that our national profile will help to inspire our local council leaders and national government policy makers to unlock the full potential of our entrepreneurial communities.

"Our 12,000 community health champions have already reached 60,000 people in Yorkshire and we are making progress in giving a voice to champions from all over the UK."

Bradford GP Shahid Ali, primary care clinical lead for the regional health authority, said that the programme could potentially make huge savings on the current £70bn annual bill for looking after people with long-term medical conditions.

Mark Gamsu, programme director for health inequalities and local improvement at the Department of Health, said that the gap in health inequalities had been steadily widening between the country's rich and poor. "We must reverse the trend," he said. "Community health champions are part of the solution and they should not be on the margins of health delivery services."

Champions to inspire city

In Sheffield, champions are aiming to do at least 100 hours of volunteering over six months. They are working with 11 "host" organisations across the city, backed by three city-wide organisations, MIND, HomeStart and Sheffield Wildlife Trust.

Focussing on healthy eating, physical activity and mental wellbeing, the scheme aims to be working with more than 4,000 people by September next year.

Media urged to promote healthy lifestyles

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:53:00 PST

An Anaesthetist, at the Juaben Government Hospital Dr Henry Brenya-Sarpong, has invited the media to join in the campaign to promote healthy lifestyles among the people. They should find space to educate the people on the need to avoid unhealthy eating habits and social lifestyles that fuel hypertension and other diseases.

Dr Brenya-Sarpong said this when speaking at a health forum organized by the Juaben Development Association at Asante-Juaben. He said out-patients department (OPD) attendance at the various facilities could go down significantly and the life span increased, if the people paid particular attention to their health. He said it was time more importance was attached to preventive health care to reduce diseases.

The nation, he said, could simply not afford to lose its productive workforce through preventable diseases. Dr Brenya-Sarpong recommended that people take in more water to rid their bodies of toxins, eat more fruits and vegetables and to also exercise their bodies regularly.

They should stay away from fatty foods, to check clotting of the arteries and allow for free flow of blood to all parts of the body. Nana Akrasi Sarpong, an Executive Member of the Association, appealed to the government to ensure the allocation of more funds to the health sector.

Scottish convenience stores launch healthy foods drive

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:35:00 PST

Scottish convenience stores launch healthy foods drive.
Hundreds of corner shops are to offer deals on healthy foods in an effort to encourage Scots to start the new year with healthier lifestyles.

The move is part of the Scottish Grocers' Federation's healthyliving programme, which aims to offer healthier food choices in local stores.

Shoppers will be able to buy fruit, vegetables, porridge and fish under the programme this month.

More than 250 stores, many of them in low-income areas, are taking part.

Scottish Grocers' Federation chief executive John Drummond said: "Convenience stores understand they have an important part to play in encouraging people to eat a healthier diet.

"This unique event will bring local shops together from across Scotland to offer their customers a range of healthy eating promotions throughout January, a time when many of us are reflecting on changes we need or want to make in our lifestyles and resolving to follow through on those changes."

Scotland's diet
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said the new year was a great time to start taking steps to become more healthy.

She continued: "This programme will make a huge difference to the availability of affordable, healthy food in our local shops. We want to make it easier for people to make healthy choices.

"This is an opportunity for customers to get more choice from their local stores and for retailers to become an integral part of their communities by helping to improve Scotland's diet."

The healthy eating promotion comes as the Scottish government prepares to launch a marketing campaign to encourage Scots to think about how much alcohol they drink and consider cutting down.

Memorial weight management class planned

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:31:00 PST

Memorial Healthcare will offer its 10-week Healthy Lifestyles class Jan. 18.
The education and support program, led by a registered dietitian, will run each Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

This program uses evidenced-based information on nutrition and weight loss methods. A professional, accredited team of experts will help identify personal strategies for specific needs and lifestyle. Through participation in the course participants will learn a variety of skills including learning how to read food labels, how to shop in the grocery store, and how to add activity into your lifestyle.

They also will learn about how carbohydrates affect sugar levels and how to monitor fat intake and more.
“This program offers flexible individual food choices; no special products are required,” said Kerri Smith, registered dietitian and program coordinator at Healthy Images. “This program is targeted to individuals who are seeking an understanding of their individual nutritional needs and choices.”

In addition, a “Biggest Loser” competition will be held for those interested individuals with cash prizes distributed at the end of the 10-week program.

All classes will meet at Memorial Healthcare’s new Outpatient Rehabilitation Center located in the Woodard Station at 317 S. Elm St. The cost is $50 per person. Pre-registration is required. Call 729-4509 today to reserve your spot or for further information on Memorial’s Healthy Lifestyles weight loss program.

Healthy lifestyles goal of new program

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 04:30:43 PST

The University of Missouri Extension Healthy Lifestyle Initiative will begin surveying Camden County residents in January to find out what they are interested in to develop a healthier lifestyle.

The HLI, a committee of extension and community members, is working to create healthy communities that support the availability of healthy, affordable, locally-produced food and safe, accessible physical activity.

In 2010, the Camden County University of Missouri Extension office received funding to develop a collaboration of community members that are working toward those two specific goals.

The Camden County HLI will be distributing a community-wide survey to assess the needs of the community. The survey will be available from Jan. 3-23, 2011 and is designed for residents of Camden County (Lake of the Ozarks) ages 18 and older. The survey is available as an online survey or a printed paper survey. The online survey is available at http://extension.missouri.edu/camden. At the top of the page there is a link to the Camden County Healthy Lifestyle Initiative survey.

The paper copies of the survey will be available at various locations in the county, including the Camden County libraries and the Camden County University of Missouri Extension office.

The survey results will be analyzed at the University of Missouri and the data will be reported back to the Camden County University of Missouri Extension office. The information from the survey will help the Camden County Healthy Lifestyle Initiative group assist local stakeholders in creating policies and environments that will support healthy lifestyle choices. The data will also be made available to the public and will be useful to many organizations as they plan health and wellness activities.

For more information, printed survey locations, or for copies of the printed survey, please contact Melissa Bess at the Camden County University of Missouri Extension office at 573-346-2644 or bessmm@missouri.edu.

Dell Awarded CEO Cancer Gold StandardTM Accreditation

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:39:22 PST

Dell has received CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ accreditation, recognizing the company's commitment to reducing the cancer risk of its employees and their families by encouraging healthy lifestyles and promoting early detection through screenings, and by providing quality care, including access to cancer clinical trials, when a cancer diagnosis becomes a reality.

William C. Weldon, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs who created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading health non-profit organizations and professionals. Today, nearly two million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.

"We are pleased to recognize Dell's efforts in the fight against cancer, starting with improving the health and wellness of the company's own employees," said Weldon. "CEO Cancer Gold Standard certification is further testament to Chairman and CEO, Michael Dell's leadership and to the company's well deserved reputation as an employer of choice."

The CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ calls for companies to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials. Harvard Business Review recently highlighted the CEO Cancer Gold Standard, as an example of a high quality, signature program that can boost the overall effectiveness of a broad spectrum of workplace wellness initiatives.

Source:
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer

Fast-food: free of statins to counter the damage of this food

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:36:15 PDT

British researchers suggest in a recent editorial published in the American Journal of Cardiology, distribute free tablets statins (drugs against high cholesterol levels) in fast-food restaurants, to counter the negative effect of hamburgers and Other products with low dietary consumption in these facilities. This proposal is quite provocative, given the one hand the fact that statins have a drug status, they must be prescribed by a doctor, and secondly it seems far preferable to fight against food type fast food rather than accompany mitigating its effects.

However, Darrel Francis and his colleagues at Imperial College in London took the side to say that "everyone knows that food fast food is bad, but people continue to eat because it tastes good. We 're genetically programmed to prefer foods high in calories and unfortunately the fast-food chains continue to sell unhealthy food because it relates ". Noting this, they propose to make to limit the negative effects.

Some statins are modest cost (the equivalent of one packet of ketchup), to the point of consultation across the Channel to have them prescribe more expensive than the product itself, they note. These drugs are also generally safe, the side effect rate is very low, could therefore have a wider circulation ... if they were not on prescription and distributed only in pharmacies. The authors suggest that paradoxical "in fast-food restaurants, people can take all they want condiment unhealthy, but statins are beneficial for heart health, should be prescribed. Considering that the benefit of taking a statin is similar in magnitude to the negative effect of a meal with a hamburger-type Quarter Pounder with cheese (Royal Cheese in France) and a milkshake, they consider that the drug could counteract the negative effect of meals for the cardiovascular system. Even though, as they still, it will never replace a healthy lifestyle.

Control Inflammation with Cold

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:37:23 PDT

(Basic Healing Principles) Control Inflammation with Cold For controlling inflammation, use the cold compress.
This is a local application using a cloth that has been wrung out in cold water. The cloth should be folded into a broad strip and dipped in cold water or ice water. The compress is generally applied to the head, neck, chest, abdomen and back.

The cold compress is an effective means of controlling inflammatory conditions of the liver, spleen, stomach, kidneys, intestines, lungs, brain, pelvic organs and so on. It is also advantageous in cases of fever and heart disease. The cold compress soothes irritations of the dermis and inflammations of external portions of the eye. When the eyeball is affected, the cold compress should follow a short fomentation.

Foods That Require Careful Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:39:02 PDT

Get to Know Healthy Kitchen Practices Example: Foods That Require Careful Cooking. Certain foods, especially if they are not properly cooked, cause indigestion. Some people react unfavourable to certain foods like beans, cabbage, onions, cucumber, radishes and seafood.

Fried foods as well as rich and spicy foods often cause abdominal discomfort and gas, and aggravate the existing condition.

What are some other important considerations?

• Excessive smoking and intake of alcohol can also cause stomach upsets.

• Constipation may interfere with the normal flow of ingested matter through the gastro-intestinal tract, resulting in gas and abdominal pain.

• Drinking too much water with meals, insomnia, emotions such as jealousy, fear and anger and lack of exercise are among the other causes of indigestion.

To Lower Blood Pressure, Be Faithfully Vegetarian

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:53:00 PDT

Get to Know Vegetarian Principles Example: To Lower Blood Pressure, Be Faithfully VegetarianVegetables are also good for the patient of hypertension. They should preferably be taken raw.

If they are cooked, it should be ensured that their natural juices are not burnt in the process of cooking.
Vegetables like cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, onion, radish, cabbage and spinach are best taken in their raw form. They may be cut into small pieces and sprinkled with a little salt and the juice of a lemon added to them so as to make them more palatable.

How Fibre in the Diet Lowers Cholesterol in the Blood

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 23:51:00 PDT

Get to Know Basic Diet Concepts: The Example of How Fibre in the Diet Lowers Cholesterol in the Blood The amount of fibre in the diet also influences the cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol can be lowered by taking diets rich in fibres. The most significant sources of dietary fibre are unprocessed wheat bran, whole cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, rye, legumes such as potato, carrot, beet and turnips; fruits like mango and guava and green vegetables such as cabbage, lady's finger, lettuce and celery.

Oat bran is especially beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol. Expect effects of 8 to 15 mg/dl after consuming 30 g of oat bran each day for 30 days.

Getting to Know the Basic Concepts of Human Nutrition

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:47:00 PDT

Getting to Know the Basic Concepts of Human Nutrition: The Example of Potassium

Potassium deficiencies are associated with breathlessness, fatigue, insomnia and low blood sugar. Potassium is essential for healthy heart muscles. Nuts and unrefined grains are good sources of potassium.

Calcium is a natural sedative. Deficiencies can cause fatigue, nervousness and tension. Dairy products, eggs, almonds, and soyabeans are rich sources of calcium. Magnesium is known as nature's tranquilliser and is associated with the prevention of heart attack.

Deficiencies may lead to excitability, irritability, apprehension and emotional disorders. Magnesium is also necessary for absorption of calcium and potassium and is foundin many fruits, vegetables, seeds, dates and prunes.

To stay young, take lecithin.

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:44:00 PDT

To stay young, take lecithin. Besides reducing the cholesterol level in the blood, there is mounting scientific evidence to suggest several other benefits from lecithin. It has been suggested that its intake in sufficient amounts can help rebuild those cells and organs which need it. Lecithin helps to maintain their health once they are repaired. It may mean that a deficiency of lecithin in the diet may be one of the causes of ageing and that its use may be beneficial in retarding the ageing process.

Edward R. Hewith in his book, The Years Between 75 and 90 says," with older people the fats remain high in the blood for from five to seven hours and in some cases as long as 20 hours, thus giving the fats more time to become located in the tissues. If lecithin is given to older people before a fatty meal, it has been found that the fats in the blood return to normal in a short time, in the same way they do in younger people."

Use the Recovery Diet: The Example of the Recovery Diet for Tonsillitis

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:39:00 PDT

After the acute symptoms of tonsillitis are over, the patient should adopt an all-fruit diet for further three or four days. In this regimen, three meals of fresh, juicy fruits such as apples, grapes, grapefruit, oranges, pears, pineapple, peaches and melon may be taken. The juice of fresh pineapple is most valuable in all throat afflictions of this kind. After the all-fruit diet the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet on the following lines:

• Breakfast: Fresh fruits, or grated raw carrot or any other raw salad, and milk. Prunes or other dried fruits may be added, if desired.

• Lunch: Steamed vegetables, as obtainable, and whole wheat chapattis. Vegetables likes bitter gourd and fenugreek are especially beneficial.

• Dinner: A good-sized raw salad of vegetables as obtainable, sprouts seeds as mung beans and alfalfa seeds, whole meal bread and butter or cottage cheese.

Raw vegetable juices are also valuable in the treatment of tonsillitis. Juice of carrot, beet and cucumber taken individually or in combination are especially beneficial. Remember to use three parts carrot juice to one part beet and one part cucumber.

Recognize the Problem with Conventional Treatments, The Example of Tonsillitis

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 23:36:00 PDT

The treatment of the tonsillitis on the lines of modern medical system by means of ainting and spraying is both harmful and suppressive. It does not help to rid the system of the toxins, which are the root of the trouble. In fact it forces these toxins back into the system, which may cause more serious trouble later on. The correct way to treat the disease is to cleanse the system of toxic waste through proper dietary and other natural methods.

To begin with, the patient should fast for three to five days by which time serious symptoms would subside. Nothing but water and orange juice should be taken during this time. The bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm water enema during the period of fasting. A cold pack should be applied to the throat at two-hourly interval during the day. The procedure is to wring out some linen material in cold water, wrap it two or three times around the throat and cover it with some flannelling.

The throat may be gargled several times daily with neat lemon juice. Gargle made from the fenugreek seeds is very effective in severe cases. To make such a gargle, two tablespoonful of fenugreek seeds should be allowed to simmer for half an hour in a litre of water and then set aside to cool. The entire quantity should be used as a soothing gargle in a day with beneficial results.

Colour Therapy: A Basic Guide to Putting Colour in Your Health

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:34:15 PDT

Are you suffering nervous tension, ulcers, sexual disorders, hay fever, colds, or even cancer? Consider colour therapy. This evening is an ideal time to begin putting your tensions away by enhancing your environment with the colour green.

Green gently relieves tension and mildly sedates the body. It strengthens eyesight. Being highly medicinal and depressive, green is of great help in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. How can be sure to get benefits of green.

One method of colour therapy is simple: Just be sure to eat green foods. Eat any of the green vegetables and fruits such as gourds, spinach, plantain, lettuce, pea, green mango, gooseberry, pears, and beans.

The cord blood, what is wrong?.

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:36:02 PDT

The cord blood, what is wrong?. Following numerous requests for mothers to collect the cord blood of their children for preservation, the Biomedicine Agency wishes to clarify the situation.

She said the current interest in cord blood for use altruistic rather than personal. Indeed, if the child has a blood disease, it inject its own blood stem cells mean he reinjected the same disease. There is therefore no therapeutic benefit to preserve cord blood for this purpose.

In contrast, cord blood can save the lives of patients with serious blood diseases like leukemia or certain genetic diseases like sickle cell disease.

Cord blood is a therapeutic resource for the patient when he finds no donor bone marrow match. The hematopoietic stem cells are present in the bone marrow and cord blood.

Also a real hope for patients because the character more immature immune cells contained in umbilical cord blood reduces the risk of immunological complications in the transplant patient. These cells are more easily accepted by the patient's body. The requirement of compatibility between graft and recipient is less important.

In France, in 2008, about 1 444 patients transplanted, 246 were transplanted with cord blood. The Biomedicine Agency does not stop there, she decided to increase the number of units of placental blood in the French registry. His goal: increase from 10 000 units of cord blood being stored at 30 000.

Source: Biomedicine Agency.

Deaths from measles fall by 78% worldwide.

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:36:16 PDT

Deaths from measles fall by 78% worldwide. Thanks to mass vaccination campaigns, death from measles has fallen by 90% since the year 2000 in almost every region of the world except south-east Asia. And globally, deaths associated with this disease have fallen by 78%.

This figure, though encouraging, is still not high enough: every day, in fact, measles claims another 450 victims. The WHO is also concerned about the risks of a resurgence of the disease. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases. It can rapidly take advantage of any slowing down of our efforts, points out the Organisation’s Director General, Dr Margaret Chan.

However, the vaccination of around 700 million children worldwide has helped to save the lives of 4.3 million children in less than 10 years. The more limited progress achieved in south-east Asia, where mortality has only fallen by 46%, is mainly due to poor results in India: three quarters of the children who died from measles in 2008 were Indian.

And metropolitan France has little to boast about either: the vaccination coverage rate is 90% by the age of 24 months for the first vaccination – whereas the WHO recommends 95% coverage if the disease is to be eradicated… so France, and other European countries too, are not exactly at the top of the class!

E-cigarettes reliable but not reduce the danger.

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:39:00 PST

E-cigarettes reliable but not reduce the danger. Many technological developments of any change in human life. If you’re a hardened smoker, the idea of smoking an e-cigarette at the bar must be very attractive.

E-cigarettes are electronic cigarettes that mimic real cigarettes: they look the same, taste the same and, most importantly, they allow you to “smoke without smoke”. But are they really completely harmless? Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, “electronic cigarettes contain 2 to 3 times more nicotine than traditional cigarettes”, states the DNF (France’s non-smokers’ rights association). And, more seriously, no consumption limits are specified. Overdosing, undesirable effects, contraindications are all risks you need to look out for!

The association deplores the deliberate vagueness that surrounds these infamous electronic cigarettes. It believes that “putting this product on sale on the French market would be tantamount to allowing the concealed promotion of a supposedly clean and harmless form of smoking”.

One airline was planning to offer its customers this option from September. The aim, of course, was to enable “passengers to have the nicotine they need without breaking the law”. But this is not so simple as each electronic cigarette needs marketing authorisation from the AFSSaPS (the French Health Products Safety Agency) before it can be put on sale. And it is worth recalling that at present, the WHO does not consider electronic cigarettes to be an aid to quitting smoking.

If you are really a heavy smoker, try it this way! but do not feel that this technology is good technology. Everything is still very dangerous.

Exercise is good for the heart

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:26:00 PST

Exercise is good for the heart. The heart is the important thing is owned by our bodies. maintain the best possible and do not ignore it! Another is to never give your age. Thinking of taking up a sport again? That’s an excellent idea as it’s one of the best ways of staying in good health. No matter what age you are, exercise is always highly recommended. But with two provisos: moderation and regularity.

If we don’t make good use of our body, it will grow weak – just like a car that has been left standing for years and that goes rusty and the engine is ruined. But it’s never too late to dig out your trainers – quite the opposite in fact. The important thing is to take a few basic precautions.

For example, suddenly deciding to enter a marathon is not a good idea. Nor is acting like Tarzan. Unless of course you want to put your life in danger…

It’s best to begin with a medical check-up, even if you’re feeling fit and healthy because you need to spare a thought for your heart! As we grow older, the heart finds it more difficult to cope. If you are over the age of 40, for example, your doctor will probably arrange for you to have an effort electrocardiogram. This is very important for determining the pace of exercise your heart is able to cope with. Next, before each exercise session, find time to warm up – this is an essential part of the exercise process.

Cycling, swimming, exercise classes… the choice is yours. But it’s worth remembering that half an hour of walking each day is sufficient to keep your body in good shape. It improves blood circulation, protects the arteries, prevents cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure and has a direct effect on weight. Exercise also slows down the ageing process … in particular the development of osteoporosis, which one woman in three is at risk of getting after the age of 50. So exercise has nothing but positives to offer. But don’t forget that sport and exercise should first and foremost be about enjoyment!

Life lessons have taken all your efforts, now if you want to keep healthy? do it wisely and loved it.

A few simple steps to keep your memory in good condition

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:21:26 PST

A few simple steps to keep your memory in good condition. What had been a high fear of losing parents is a very important memory. Therefore, keeping it well is a very valuable thing. Exercise is good for our cardiovascular system – and it’s also good for the mind! It has been found that for women aged 70 and over, an hour and a half spent walking each week increases cognitive performance and wards off degenerative diseases.

So ladies – let’s get walking! Because, according to a study by Jennifer Weuve of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, verbal memory, attention and concentration are all considerably improved by exercise. Working with her team she closely monitored 20,000 women between the ages of 70 and 81 and came to this conclusion.

There’s no need to run or even to walk briskly in order to preserve cognitive function. With just an hour and a half a week spent walking, women aged 70 and over saw their risk of cognitive decline reduced by 20% compared with those who spent less than ten minutes on this sort of exercise. Which is definitely excellent news as finding a way of walking for an hour and a half each week is hardly rocket science!

Bill & Melinda Gates wants to fight cholera

noreply@blogger.com (healthy love) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:10:54 PST

Africa accounts for more than 90% of all cholera cases reported worldwide and 15% of fatal cases. Although the frequency of acute diarrheal disease - which is transmitted mainly by ingestion of food or water contaminated - has dramatically declined in most parts of the world, outbreaks continue to occur so with alarming frequency in Africa. Several reasons for this: poor water and sanitation, mass movements of population and weak health services.

Therefore, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a three-year grant of 4.9 million U.S. Agency for Preventive Medicine (AMP), to create a consortium to support prevention and control of cholera in Africa. The GPA and the Network of African Field Epidemiology (AFENET) will be key members of the consortium, which will include several internationally recognized organizations in the field of health. The consortium will establish an African Network of cholera surveillance (Africhol) to strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response in at least eight African countries.

"Access to safe water and the development of health systems represent the best strategy to prevent long term," says the press release. Unfortunately, most endemic areas can not hope to achieve all the necessary investments in the near future. In this context, the new generation vaccines offer the greatest potential for disease control in the medium term. Moreover, the actual number of cases remains largely underestimated due to poor surveillance systems and an insufficient description of the disease. "Our objective is to assess the burden for countries and donors may decide to give priority to the prevention of cholera - whether by vaccination or improved water quality and health - or d ' other health issues, "says Dr. Brad Gessner, scientific director of the GPA.