WALK TO KEEP FIT

WALK TO GET FIT OUR BODY

In today's fast paced life, people are leading a very unhealthy lifestyle. The increasing rate of health diseases, stress levels, lack or inadequate sleep are caused due to the fast paced life style. People get so engrossed in coming up in life that the forget their health. There is a popular saying 'If wealth is lost, something is lost, but if health is lost, everything is lost". It is the apt time that people start concentrating on their health and well being.
Walking is the most safest start towards exercise routine. Particularly for obese people walking is the most recommended start. To start with always stick to a comfortable speed in which you do not gasp for breath. One should never start to jog immediately take time and seek appropriate medical advice before jogging.
Walking on hills is good. The uphill provides cardiovascular benefits and the downhill is known for reducing the blood sugar levels. Walking on hills may not be possible for all of us due to the location constraints. This can be achieved by using some specifically made Treadmills which allow to simulate the required inclination.
Walking helps burn fat, boosts the energy levels and decreases health risks. Many people whose life style is sedentary or who are obese have very low fitness levels due to lack of exercise. Walking is the ideal exercise start for these kind of people. Walking enables to workout at a steady, which is required to burn fat effectively. To burn fat we need the body to be permanently in fat-burning mode during the whole exercise, walking is a constant and gradual activity so it achieves fat-burning mode very effectively even if the person lacks some fitness.
Walking has many health benefits, It can reduce the risk of many diseases like heart attack, stroke, depression, colon cancer, constipation, osteoporosis, and impotence etc. It helps cure sleeplessness.
Listed are some of the benefits of Walking:

• Helps overcome depression.
• Helps fight against stress and aids in relaxation.
• Helps over come sleepless nights.
• Helps to increase the body activity and provides flexibility.
• Helps toning the body.
• Helps to burn fat.

SOURCE:http://www.healthtips.in/walking.asp

WOMEN HEALTH vs WOMEN WEIGHT

WOMEN HEALTH vs WOMEN WEIGHT

A majority of women are more concerned about their weight than overall health, says a recent US poll. The new poll has found, it is not health related issues that's weighing down most women, but weight-related ones - even among the 26 per cent of respondents whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is in the normal range.
Of the 1000 respondents, just one-third said they didn't like their physical condition - despite the fact that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of ailments like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
"So many women think more about the number on the scale than whether their blood pressure or cholesterol is normal," an American daily quoted registered dietitian Keri Gans, a spokesperson for the American Dietic Association, as saying. "They really don't think about disease risk as much as they do about their weight," Gans added.
The survey also revealed that women exercise for a median of just 80 minutes per week, which means that half the women do even less exercise. A mere eight per cent of the women surveyed said that they eat the minimum recommended servings of fruit and vegetables (five a day) and a full 28 per cent said they consume those five servings just once a week or less.

SOURCE:http://health-tips-women.blogspot.com/

SOURCE:http://health-tips-women.blogspot.com/

THE HEALTHY WAY TO SWIM

• Healthy Swimming
  Summer time means fun in the sun, and plenty of fun and games in the water - but did you know that germs could contaminate swimming water? Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are spread by swimming in contaminated recreational waters such as: pools, water parks, lakes, and the ocean. Germs causing RWIs can be killed by chlorine, but it doesn't work right away. It takes time to kill germs, and some are resistant to chlorine and can live in pools for days. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself and your family from RWIs.
  Swimmer's Ear
  "Swimmer's Ear" is an infection of the ear and/or outer ear canal, which can cause the ear to itch or become red and inflamed. More common in children and young adults, movement or touching the ear can be extremely painful. Reduce your risk of getting Swimmer's Ear:
• Dry your ears after swimming.
• Check with the pool staff about the chlorine and pH-testing program at the pool. Those with good control are unlikely to spread Swimmer's Ear.
• Avoid swimming in locations that may have been closed because of pollution.
• Avoid putting objects (e.g. fingers, cotton swabs) in your ear that may scratch the ear canal and provide a site for infection.
• Swimmer's Ear can be treated with antibiotic eardrops - contact your doctor if you think you might have Swimmer's Ear.
  Swimmer's Itch
  "Swimmer's Itch" is a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to infection caused by certain parasites found in contaminated salt or fresh water. You may experience tingling, burning, or itching of the skin. Small reddish pimples may later occur and could develop into blisters. Swimmer's itch cannot be spread from person-to-person, and most cases do not require medical attention. If you have a rash - try not to scratch as this may cause the rash to become infected. You may try the following for relief:
• Cool compresses .
• Anti-itch lotion; calamine lotion .
• Corticosteroid cream .
• Apply a baking soda paste to the rash .
• Children are more likely to be affected because they swim, wade, and play in the shallow water (where the parasites are most often found) more than adults, and they do not towel dry themselves when leaving tswimming in areas where swimmer's itch is a known problem.
• Do not attract birds by feeding them in areas where people are swimming.
• Avoid swimming near or wading in marshy areas where snails are commonly found.
• Towel dry or shower immediately after leaving the water.. To reduce the risk of swimmer's itch:

SOURCE:http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cfocus/cfhealthtips03/focus.htm

Tips on Managing the Heat

Tips on Managing the Heat
The risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke rises along with the temperature and humidity. Heat illnesses occur when the body's cooling mechanism becomes overloaded. When the heat starts to rise - slow down. Regardless of your activity level, drink more fluids - your body needs water to prevent dehydatrion during warm summer days. Stay away from liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar. Stay indoors or in shaded locations; wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing; and limit your outdoor activity to morning or evening hours when it is cooler outside .
Signals of Heat Emergencies
Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop well after dehydration occurs. Those most prone to heat exhaustion include the elderly, those with high blood pressure, and children. Some symptoms of heat exhaustion include: cool, moist, pale or flushed skin; muscle cramps; heavy perspiring; nausea and sometimes vomiting; weakness; dizziness; dry mouth; and a headache. Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation. It occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. Heat stroke can occur within 10-15 minutes of the first symptoms. Signs of heat stroke include: very high body temperature (above 103 degrees); hot, dry, red skin; no sweating; nausea; dizziness; confusion, disorientation, hallucinations; or loss of consciousness.

Treatment of Heat Emergencies
If you feel you are suffering from heat exhaustion, it is important to get out of the sun and into a cool place; loosen clothing; drink water/fluids (be sure to avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages); take a cool shower, bath or sponge bath; and rest.

Heat Stroke is a medical emergency - have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim. Get the person to a shaded area; cool him/her rapidly using whatever methods you can (immerse in a tub of cool water, place in a cold shower, spray with cool water from a garden hose); do not give fluids; if convulsions occur, keep the victim from injuring himself; call the hospital emergency room for further instructions if medical assistance is delayed in responding.

SOURCE:http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cfocus/cfhealthtips03/focus.htm

Stay Healthy During the Summer

Stay Healthy During the Summer

Staying healthy during the summer months requires more than just eating the right foods. Below is a partial list of things to do that will help you stay cool and healthy during the hot summer months.

• Drink plenty of water. It is very important to drink water. Your body needs water to prevent dehydration during warm summer days.
• Take special care to make sure infants and toddlers drink enough water.
• They can become dehydrated much more easily than adults.
• If you have asthma or other respiratory problems, keep a careful watch on the daily air quality reports. Also, don't forget to take your inhaler or other medication with you when you go out.
• Take a rest or nap. Don't push yourself beyond your physical limits.
• Wear Sunscreen. Sunburn is painful and unhealthy. Use a sunscreen that is right for your skin.
• Stay Cool. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing to help you stay cooler.
  Wear Sunglasses. Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun's UV rays.
• Maintain your energy level by limiting your intake of fat and sugar; focus on carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.
• Before leaving for vacation pack a few items (calamine lotion, baking soda) that will help with itchy or painful insect bites.
• If you have allergies and plan to be traveling/vacationing, find out which plants will be pollinating in your vacation spot .
• Know your body. If you are feeling ill, see a doctor. An average of 400 people die each year in the United States due to extreme heat.

SOURCE:http://www.mamashealth.com/summer/sumhealth_tips.asp

Why won't women prevent breast cancer?

The results are in and clear -- taking pill a day for five years can slash the risk of breast cancer. But high-risk women are still reluctant to do it. The cancer specialists who have been comparing the drugs raloxifene and tamoxifen rushed out updated findings to a meeting on Monday, showing that tamoxifen lowers the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women by 50 per cent, compared with 38 per cent for raloxifene. Overall, both drugs saved lives, they told the American Association for Cancer Research meeting. "I think we need to reassess why we are not using these drugs more broadly and why we are not prepared to reduce the risk of breast caHortobagyi of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. ncer by more than 50 per cent in women who are high risk," said Dr. Gabriel

"These drugs are inexpensive with side-effects that are modest." Five years of either pill costs around $8,500, compared with $50,000 to more than $200,000 for chemotherapy to treat breast cancer, said Hortobagyi. But it is the side-effects that have scared women away from the drugs. Tamoxifen raises the risk of blood clots, of uterine cancer and of cataracts."The way this came out some 15 years ago is that tamoxifen increased background risk for endometrial cancer about three-fold and that scared the hell out of just about anybody," said Hortobagyi. But he said the absolute risks are very low -- a tripling of an extremely rare cancer like uterine cancer still gives a woman a risk of less than 1 per cent -- compared with a risk of 4 per cent for breast cancer in a given five-year period for the women taking part in the trial."People don't understand how small the risks are," said Dr. Judy Garber of Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. For women with a high risk of breast cancer who have not yet reached menopause, the risks from tamoxifen are "minuscule," she said. Now that the trial shows raloxifene has even fewer risks, and almost the same efficacy, Garber said she would recommend it to older women. No-brainer "Tamoxifen in pre-menopausal women is really a no-brainer," said Dr. Scott Lippman, also of M.D. Anderson. The group to win over, the cancer experts agreed, are the primary care physicians and obstetrician/gynecologists. They will be the ones counseling women on their breast cancer risk.
"In the same way they are discussing a pap smear or a mammogram, they need to be discussing these options with their patients," Hortobagyi told a news conference at the meeting. Breast cancer is the No. 2 killer of women in the United States after lung cancer, with 40,000 deaths a year. Globally, it kills more than 460,000 people a year. "The number of people dying of breast cancer is unacceptable," Lippman said. About two-thirds of breast cancer cases are called estrogen receptor positive, meaning they are fueled by estrogen. Both tamoxifen and raloxifene are selective estrogen receptor modulators, or SERMs, and interfere with estrogen. Both tamoxifen, sold by AstraZeneca under the brand name Nolvadex, and raloxifene, sold by Eli Lilly and Co under the brand name Evista, were originally designed to treat cancer. Research found tamoxifen could reduce the risk that a woman who had cancer in one breast would have it come back in the other. Then tests showed tamoxifen could prevent cancer for women at high risk because they had mothers or sisters with the disease, they had a history of suspicious looking breast lumps or they had a precancerous condition called ductal carcinoma in situ. "The risks were zip in comparison to the benefits to me," said Martha Smith of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who took both drugs and who has not developed breast cancer, a disease that killed her mother and sister.

SOURCE:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/Why-wont-women-prevent-breast-cancer/articleshow/5835377.cms

Women Health Care

Women health care in most cases takes a back seat because of the multitude tasks she has to undertake. Health care for women means extra nutrition and care especially when they cross the age of 30. They should follow specific diet tips and develop a healthy eating habit. Diseases that are common in women are anemia, anxiety, depression, osteoporosis, migraine, weight gain and weakness. They are the ailments which begin with simple symptoms but might go to extreme degrees if adequate attention is not provided. So if you could only try to follow the health tips for women before it gets too late for everything then you can ensure a healthy you.
There are various health magazines for women and women health websites giving a number of healthy tips for women. Women's health care practices will indeed improve if they put a stern eye over the health tips offered by the various sources. So let us have a look over the simplest of ways and try to remain healthy and happy. With the tips you will be highly benefited and you will slowly find the changes in you and your health.
Health Tips for Women You should drink lots of water. At least 8 -12 glasses of water consumption should be done by an adult. Develop a healthy eating habit and live more on fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, and food rich in fiber, shoots, seeds and cereals. Increase your protein intake and also have more of carbohydrate in your diet. Calcium rich diet is also essential for women as they tend to suffer a lot from osteoporosis after menopause. You should do some, yoga, exercises and work out a daily basis, so that you can stay in shape as well as fit and healthy. These will surely help you to remain active for a long time.
Working Women Health care Doctors and fitness experts all over the world recommend balanced diet high in proteins and low in fats and carbohydrates. Diet containing enough vitamins and minerals improve immunity and mental performance. Drink lots of water. Fresh fruit juices are good for health. Beverages like tea, coffee and fizzy drinks must be avoided. Even if you drink tea or coffee try to avoid the consumption of sugar. Exercise regularly. Go for morning walks, jogging, cycling or climb stairs to stay active. It keeps you fit and decreases stress and anxiety. Keep a check on your weight to ensure that you stay fit. Devote your time to pursue your hobbies to get relief from stress and anxiety. Regular health checkups will warn you timely about health complications. Sleep for 8 hours to stay fresh the next day. These are the health tips which should be followed by working women to stay healthy.

SOURCE:http://sitagita.com/health-and-wellness/health-tips-for-women/