Getting and Staying Well – Healthy Habits that Endure

If you have been ill then naturally you want to get well. But you do not just want to get better, you also want to maintain your health once you reach that point. Let us look at some useful suggestions for getting well and from there, staying well.

To take stock of your health you need to speak up and make sure that you are heard! Ask questions of your healthcare provider in order to understand the health issues that you are facing. An informative question and answer session will make it possible for you to get better results.

Make an effort to always keep your appointments as scheduled. Every one of the visits you have with whatever type of practitioner you are seeing builds on the one before it and gets you one step closer to a better level of maintenance for your health.

Move your body however, whenever and wherever you can! Physical activity is important because the body was designed to move. Whether you walk, bike, dance, skate, work out at the gym or play a team sport, move your body often as this improves your health and makes you more flexible.

Massage is very therapeutic for your body and your mind. It can relax your muscles and joints and it is very good for the psyche. Get a massage as often as you can to relieve stress in your body.

Better nutrition is essential to helping you to get better and to stay better. You will heal faster if you provide your body with the necessary raw materials. Eat a healthy and well balanced diet every day. Commit yourself to eating the healthiest foods that you can afford. Buy local produce and start your own garden if that is a possibility for you. Eat as much “raw” fruits and vegetables as you can as this is the best way of getting nutrients into your body.

Drink more water. Your body is made up of mainly water. You lose water frequently through sweat, urine and tears so you need to replenish it every day. It is imperative that you consume enough water every day. If you eat lots of raw foods – not meats – then you’ll get a lot of your water requirements this way.

So many people do not get enough sleep every night. Are you one of them? Restful slumber is important for your health and well-being. It is rejuvenating and restorative for everyone. You need to get enough sleep every night so your body can make the repairs it needs to make. During sleep the body works to heal itself.

Cut back on the caffeine you consume. Just like other drugs, caffeine is a drug that affects your nervous system. You need to drink less coffee and fewer soft drinks. Caffeine as well as many of the other harmful ingredients found in soda pop has been linked to numerous health problems. Drink less soft drinks or preferably give them up all together.

Stop smoking to improve your health and to remain on the positive health track. The health risks involved in smoking are well documented. It is never too late to quit.

Drink alcohol in moderation. When you do so you can enjoy the health benefits but heavy drinking will negatively impact your health and the efforts you are making to get well and stay well.

Samantha

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Saving Face Every Day

When it comes to your face you need to take care of it because it cannot and will not take care of itself.

Here we offer you some face saving tips that can help you in your quest to save face today, tomorrow and every day!

There are three S’s that are considered to be an evil trio when it comes to your facial skin and the aging process. They include smoke, stress and sun. All of these factors can play a dramatic role in the number of wrinkles that you have on your face as well as the severity of them. If you smoke give serious thought to quitting. If you live with a great deal of stress then find ways to effectively cope with it. Always use sunscreen when you are exposed to the sun.

When it comes to sun protection, choose a SPF of at least 30. If possible avoid direct sunlight, particularly between the hours of 10AM and 4PM. A great deal of skin aging has to do with too much exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays. Not only do you need to wear sun block but you should use a quality antioxidant skin cream that will protect you from the acceleration of the aging process as well as the development of melanoma.

By doing these things your face should not age as quickly.

Exercise on a regular basis as this helps to maintain good circulation. It is recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. Moderate exercise is not only good for the skin but it also improves the health of your cardiovascular system, improves your immune system function, controls your weight and protects you from many age related and degenerative diseases.

Your teeth are not just there for chewing purposes or to give you a pretty smile.

Your teeth, as well as your jaw bone, works in unison to hold your facial skin in the correct position. For this reason you need to take good care of your teeth and gums. Make your oral health care a top priority in your life. Do what you can at home but also see your dentist on a regular basis.

Remember that the basics count for a lot when it comes to the health of your skin. Stay hydrated by consuming enough water every day. Do not allow your body to become dehydrated. In the same way get the sleep you need. Most people need in the range of seven to eight hours on a daily basis.

Eat a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds. Eat blueberries to help your face stay young. Blueberries are choked full of antioxidants that are able to fight free radicals that damage the skin.

Introduce flaxseed oil to your diet if you have not already. Flaxseed oil is one of the richest vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids and is important in keeping the skin well lubricated, supple and youthful in appearance.

Say no to alcoholic beverages (or at least cut back on them). Alcohol has a dehydrating effect on the body that can also affect the skin. It also adds toxins to a body that is already dealing with chemicals from the air and from food. If you absolutely cannot go without alcohol then choose red wine which contains some beneficial antioxidants.

Samantha

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The Importance of Caring for Yourself

When was the last time you put caring for yourself at the top of your priority list? How often does it make your monthly, weekly or daily to-do lists?

So many of us spend so much of our time and energy taking care of the needs of those closest to us that we somehow forget to care for the person who is with us all of the time- ourselves!

It is essential that you take care of yourself in every way possible. You can do that by incorporating some very basic self care strategies into your life. Here we look at a few ways that you can start caring more for your health and well-being right now.

Get Enough Sleep:

Sleep is such an essential part of being healthy. It makes it possible to cope with stress, to be productive and in general to function effectively on a day-to-day basis. When you are well rested you are able to face all of your responsibilities and tasks with more energy and vitality.

If you are not able to get enough sleep at night then take a power nap to re-energize yourself.

Proper Nutrition is a Priority:

A poor diet affects not just your physical health but your mental and emotional health as well. Studies have shown that stress hormones have a tendency to cause a person to put on weight. If your diet is unhealthy then your body knows that it does not have the right amount of nutrients for the brain to function at its optimum best.

The key to eating healthy is to plan ahead. If you have a hectic schedule then always have healthy snacks on hand. Examples of these include carrot sticks, whole grain crackers, fresh fruit and granola bars. These helps to prevent trips to the vending machine or the closest McDonald’s.

Exercise Regularly:

There are lots of forms of exercise. Find one that works for you and one that you enjoy doing.

Try walking, hiking, biking or playing ball with your kids in the yard. Exercise should not be a chore but should be fun. Even doing ordinary household tasks counts as exercise. Incorporate as much physical activity into your life as you can. Walk to the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, vacuum and rake leaves. Even 30 minutes of exercise per day can maintain your overall level of health.

Connect with Other People:

A significant aspect of taking care of yourself is to develop as well as maintain supportive relationships with family members and friends. You need to put effort into cultivating lasting relationships with those you can trust, those you can communicate with effectively and those with whom mutual support is a given. There are many ways to do this.

Share with others; do volunteer work, join groups. Most of all spend quality time with the people who mean the most to you.

Connect with Yourself:

Caring about yourself begins with having a healthy respect for yourself as well as exhibiting self-awareness.

What this means is that you have to stop being your own worst enemy. Become aware of the times that you berate yourself and put yourself down and then replace those thoughts and words with positive, self affirming and empowering ones instead. In order to connect with yourself you need to do nice things for yourself as well. Be kind, loving and thoughtful to yourself.

Go have a massage, buy something special for yourself, go see a movie or go enjoy some laughs with friends. Be good to the most important person in your life – you!

Becca

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The Purpose of Sleep- Why is it Even Necessary?

Some days you get enough of it while others days you do not. Some days you may look forward to it while other days you may be so busy that you wish you could just skip it. We are talking about sleep.

Love it or hate it we all must do it. In fact human beings are not the only ones who sleep. Have you ever noticed that your cat or dog enjoys his/her moments of slumber as well? All mammals sleep as do birds and reptiles.

The reason(s) why sleep is a necessity of life are not clear. Sleep is something that has not been studied at length and in fact sleep research is still considered to be in its infancy stage. What is clear is that sleep is important and so is getting the right amount of sleep on a daily basis.

Theories about Sleep:

Researchers have put forth a number of theories as to why sleep is an essential component of life. One theory is that sleep allows the brain an opportunity to regroup and process the experiences of the day. It also makes it possible for the brain to search for solutions to problems, properly organize ideas, memories and thoughts, and file away information that may need to be retrieved at a later date.

Another theory that has been proposed is that sleep may offer a type of “battery recharging experience” for the mind.

We often hear people talking about recharging their batteries. This theory is in line with that way of thinking. The brain does not need to work at as high a capacity during sleeping hours as it does during waking hours. It can then set to work exercising the essential connections for the neurons and repairing the ones that are damaged.

The body repairs itself when a person falls asleep. It goes to work to repair tissues, muscles, chemicals, as well as aging cells. It also helps the body to get rid of cells that have died off.

Still there are other theories that researchers are toying with. It has been proven that sleep gives the heart and the rest of the circulatory system a chance to slow down and rest. Heart rate is reduced by approximately 10 to 20 percent and blood pressure levels generally drop 20 to 30 percent during sleep. As well, energy levels can be conserved during sleep and the rate of metabolism also decreases at the same time.

For young children and teenagers, sleep is essential for growth. Growth hormones in children and teenagers alike are released in the body as soon as a person falls into a deep sleep.

Everyone has what is known as a circadian rhythm. This is a cycle consisting of day and night that is 24 hours in length. When a person falls asleep and wakes up is influenced by the circadian rhythm. In turn these rhythms play a role in the quality of sleep a person gets as well as how long they remain in a sleeping state.

That is why going to bed at the same time at night and waking at the same time the next morning is so vital to your quality of sleep. It allows your body and mind to get into an appropriate sleeping schedule.

Studies are ongoing but what we do know for sure is that a good night’s sleep is essential for health and well-being. Get your zzzz’s and you will find that it helps you to get through your day with a higher level of concentration, patience and a good temperament.

Becca

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