Posts Tagged ‘lifestyle choices’

Lifestyle Choices That Can Ruin Your Life And How To Avoid It

May 1st, 2012

With the holiday season upon us people spend even more of their time thinking about others and doing for others rather than for themselves. That is what is expected during the holidays of course but what about the rest of the year?

For most people life seems so hectic taking care of all that must be done to survive that they entirely forget about taking care of their body. The body becomes a forgotten factor until and unless a medical appointment bearing bad news brings it front and center. As long as the body continues to carry people around while they take care of everything but it, it is forgotten altogether.

The result of this lifestyle is a time in history where lack of fitness and weight issues and diseases and conditions related to it dominate the medical field. Those bodies that were forgotten are left for doctors to resolve the problems created from a lifetime of not placing the self first. The problem with that result is doctors can’t cure the conditions created by a lifetime of neglect.

A lifestyle that lacks regular exercise and controlled weight over time creates issues of diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers including colon cancer, heart problems, asthma and arthritis. On the other hand a lifestyle that includes regular care of the body through consistent exercise and controlled weight enjoys highly reduced risks of developing these life destructive diseases and illnesses along with a lesser incidence of issues related to depression and anxiety.

While you are running around this holiday season thinking of everyone but yourself don’t forget to start caring about the self. If you have not taken care of yourself they way you should be through a regular exercise routine and reducing weight to safe level that is within normal ranges, know that it is never too late to start doing so.

Unless a real disability prevents it there is no such thing as an impossible case and everyone has the ability to not only reduce their weight to normal levels but they also have the ability to engage in regular exercise. If you have spent time ignoring your body believing that you are an impossible case due to prior failed efforts to improve your health through exercise and weight loss, the truth is that you likely did not sustain an effort to improve your weight and take care of the needed regular exercise requirement long enough to realize the results that will occur with a constant regular effort over time.

In this fast paced society that expects everything to happen overnight the reality about the human body is that it makes changes slowly. Achieving a total fitness result and or weight loss takes months to years to achieve. But with the real need of every human body to engage in regular exercise, if you fulfill that need, you will eventually not only experience reduced weight and a fit body but you will be able to sustain that healthy reality forever.

There is control over your reality when it comes to your body and everyone not only has the ability in them to do it but also the body chemistry that will make it happen when the effort is consistent over time. Make time for yourself, make time for your body, and enjoy a life that avoids being forced later to spend time buying prescriptions and visiting the doctor regularly to take care of the problems that neglect of the self created.

If you don’t make time for yourself now, you will end up being forced to make time for yourself later when you are forced to face the consequence of neglect of the self. Make the right decision now and start a schedule of regular exercise and weight loss management and you will have a happier life and a better life guaranteed. Now that’s a goal worth taking time out for!

Medical Malpractice Suits: Death By Medicine

February 11th, 2012

A recent report has found that Americans are more frightened of dying at the hands of their doctor than they are of a plane crash. The overwhelming majority of those who participated in the survey said that information about malpractice suits and medical errors would be the single most deciding factor in trusting a healthcare provider. These people must have heard that medical errors cause more deaths in the United States every year than car accidents, AIDS, or breast cancer.

In fact, for the airline industry to parallel medical errors in mortality rates a 280-person jet would have to crash every day of the year. This would account for the over 100,000 people who die annually due to complications in medical care, not to mention the nearly 2 million who are maimed and disabled. This malady is called iatrogenic disease, a disease that is a direct result of medical care. What is causing this epidemic? Many agree that the cause is over-treatment. More medicine is administered than necessary, people are hospitalized unnecessarily, and doctors prescribe drugs instead of healthy lifestyle choices. This is a major problem and it shows no signs of stopping.

In the ten year period between 1983 and 1993 the incidence of death by medical error, or iatrogenic disease, jumped 260% overall and 850% among patience receiving outpatient care. These statistics could only be an indication of the true numbers, because medical error is not often recorded on death certificates. Some people blame the increased number of deaths on a greater number of prescriptions, but the number of prescriptions issued has increased less than 40% in 10 years, compared with the 260% increased death rate. Instead, some doctors blame increased usage of anesthesia, especially among those receiving outpatient care.

Medical malpractice insurance rates have been skyrocketing, causing a small crisis among doctors who must be insured in order to practice. They complain of medical malpractice lawsuits going out of control, large cities awarding record settlements, too many people filing claims. Well can you blame people for filing claims? Doctors must be held accountable for their prescriptions, and if a doctor writes you a prescription that hurts you they deserve to be taken to court! This is truly an epidemic, and it must be stopped by holding irresponsible healthcare providers responsible. One in five Americans has experienced medical errors directly or has a family member who has suffered a medical error. If you feel you have suffered unnecessarily at the hands of a doctor, seek legal council and work it out with a lawyer.

Lowering Cholesterol Without Medication

January 12th, 2012

Lowering cholesterol without medication is a topic of great interest to many people looking for a side effect free way to be more proactive in their battle against high cholesterol. Chances are if you are taking the time to read this article you are a health conscious individual concerned about heart disease and/or you’ve been told by your doctor that your cholesterol levels aren’t quite up to snuff, and have decided to do something about it. Whatever the reason you are interested in learning more about lowering cholesterol without medication I welcome you, and hope you will be able to gather some honest information to help you achieve both your short and long term goals.

When your cholesterol is above generally accepted cholesterol levels it is caused by either your liver producing too much cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia), a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and/or lifestyle choices such as inactivity and smoking. If your high cholesterol is being driven by familial hypercholesterolemia you should talk with your doctor about your options. On the other hand if your challenges are simply a byproduct of a high saturated diet along with lifestyle choices, lowering cholesterol without medications is a realistic and achievable approach. Let’s take a few minutes to walk through a few safe and effective ways to knock cholesterol down for the count.

*Lower you saturated fat and cholesterol intake: By simply reducing saturated fat intake down to below 10 percent of daily calories consumed and cholesterol down to 30 percent of total calories consumed you could expect to reduce total cholesterol by as much as 30 percent in a matter of weeks.

Foods low in saturated fat include fat free or low fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, skinless turkey breast, whole grain foods, and fruits and vegetable. Look for buttery spreads and other heart healthy products that are low in saturated fat and contain no trans fat. If you happen to run across a product with a heart healthy label stating it contain cholesterol busting plant stanols and sterols consider it as a substitute for your present brand.

For those trying to lower cholesterol without medication organ meats are a definite no-no. A three ounce serving of liver contains 330 mg or cholesterol or five times as much as lean roast beef.

Soluble fiber is another heart healthy option worth considering. Soluble fiber sources such at oat bran, oat meal, apples, pears, oranges, brussels sprout, and carrots bind with cholesterol in the intestines and politely escorts it out of your body.

*Besides diet saying no to cigarettes, exercising 30 minutes a day (5 or more days a week), and keeping your weight under control, are additional tools in your toolbox of cholesterol busting tricks.

Additionally, some attempting to lower cholesterol without medication have found natural cholesterol reduction supplements to be that extra boost that allows them to achieve their cholesterol goals. These supplemental formulas are safe, as well as affordable, and can be a valuable tool in your cholesterol lowering toolbox, allowing you to achieve each milestone a little faster.