Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Slideshow: Weight Loss - 24 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting on eMedicineHealth.com

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Thursday, October 7, 2010

HOW TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIVING

Health Benefits of Exercise

Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, non insulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress.

For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. However, if you are unable to do this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.

If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Beginning at a slow pace will allow you to become physically fit without straining your body. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do more strenuous activity.

Harmful Health Effects Of Smoking Cigarettes

The harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes presented in the list below only begin to convey the long term side effects of smoking. Quitting makes sense for many reasons but simply put: smoking is bad for health.

Harmful Effects of Smoking

• Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world die from diseases caused by smoking cigarettes - Smoking KILLS.

• One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age.

• Tobacco smoke also contributes to a number of cancers.

• The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood vessels.

• This can cause heart attacks and stroke. It slows your blood flow, cutting off oxygen to your feet and hands. Some smokers end up having their limbs

amputated.

• Tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and causes cancer. A 20-a-day smoker breathes in up to a full cup (210 g) of tar in a year.

• Changing to low-tar cigarettes does not help because smokers usually take deeper puffs and hold the smoke in for longer, dragging the tar deeper into their lungs.

• Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue of oxygen, making your whole body and especially your heart work harder. Over time, your airways swell up and let less air into your lungs.

• Smoking causes disease and is a slow way to die. The strain of smoking effects on the body often causes years of suffering. Emphysema is an illness that slowly rots your lungs. People with emphysema often get bronchitis again and again, and suffer lung and heart failure.

• Lung cancer from smoking is caused by the tar in tobacco smoke. Men who smoke are ten times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

• Heart disease and strokes are also more common among smokers than non-smokers.

• Smoking causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels which leads to heart attack.

• Smoking causes around one in five deaths from heart disease.

• In younger people, three out of four deaths from heart disease are due to smoking.

• Cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, prematurity, spontaneous abortion, and perinatal mortality in humans, which has been referred to as the fetal tobacco syndrome.

As mentioned earlier, this list can only begin to convey the harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes and its long term side effects. Next we consider reasons why smoking is bad for those around you in the effects of second hand smoke.

Obesity (Physical Health)

OBESITY

Script Summaries

Choosing a Healthier You

Zach is having trouble coming up with an idea for his “Healthier You” article. Jason suggests he talk to his father, Reverend Robinson who (at his doctor's urging) has been making changes in his own life to improve his health. Reverend Robinson shares how, despite challenges and setbacks, he remained committed to becoming healthier by incorporating one small change at a time. During his meeting with Reverend Robinson, Zach is inspired to try making some small changes to improve his own health. (Jason, Zach, Reverend Robinson)

Don't Just Sit There, Do Something!

Zach is spending the night at Brenda’s house while his parents are attending their high school reunion. He comes prepared for a “couch potato” evening of movies and video games. Brenda has other plans and helps Zach understand there are many ways to be active which don't involve "traditional exercise." Brenda and Zach help the audience explore the fun of finding ways to keep active in one’s free time. (Brenda, Zach)

What Are You Thinking?

Zach has been inspired by his talk with Reverend Robinson and has decided, along with Jason, to set some goals to move toward improved health. As the boys share their goals, it quickly becomes obvious that Jason has not heeded his father's advice to "keep it simple." Jason's lofty goals of winning marathons and permanently abstaining from sweets will surely lead to frustration and failure. Jason and Zach illicit the audience's help to make Jason's goals more manageable. (Zach, Jason)

A Course in Obstacles

Reverend Robinson is putting together an obstacle course for the community health fair. Several of the kids in the neighborhood have been collecting items for Reverend Robinson to use in his obstacle course. In turn, Zach and Brenda learn about common food and activity related obstacles which can be a hindrance to making healthier choices. (Reverend Robinson, Brenda, Zach)