Balance Your Health

Make Health Prevention a Priority

No matter your age, no matter your life stage, no matter your health, you can take steps to prevent getting sick. Granted, you can't change your family history, or your age, or your race, but you can take honest and real disease prevention steps to maintain good health or improve your health.

For instance, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. That does not mean you and I have to die of heart disease. If you have a family history of heart disease there are things you can do today that will move you onto a healthy lifestyle which is your first defense against heart disease. In case you haven't heard, many chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes may be preventable even if you have a strong family history. There is even evidence that some cancers can be prevented with good health habits such as being physically active, limited how much alcohol you drink, and eating your vegetables and fruits.

You have read these prevention tips. They're in every magazine, announced on every health radio show, and proclaimed at least once a week on Oprah. I think they're worth repeating especially if you are not paying attention to them or know someone who could use this advice. Join me in my efforts. To stay healthy and lead a productive life you need to:

• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Ask your doctor if you should be screened for diabetes.
• Maintain good nutrition. You need calcium and vitamin d.
• Get immunized.
• Protect yourself from the sun.
• Practice good hygiene such as washing your hands and brushing and flossing your teeth.

There are more steps you can take but just making these a part of your daily routine, a part of your life and what ever you do, you are off to a good start for a promising future.

To your success.

Ruthan Brodsky

Risk Factors and Your Health

Keeping up with a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of developing health issues isn't always easy especially when you're dealing with your own specific health issue. Let's say your back goes out and you are in severe pain. Eating vegetables won't be on the top of your must do list.

This is understandable and it makes sense. On the other hand, dealing with a health issue doesn't give you a license to go overboard with eating greasy fast food or becoming a couch potato. So what do you do?

Well or not well, you are still the captain of your ship – your body. I found that when I am dealing with a health issue, or a dilemma of one kind or other and growing more anxious because I can't figure it out, I need to take a time out. Taking a time out doesn't mean I'm going to get better or solve my problem but it does mean that I'm taking control of managing my health and managing my problem. Sometimes, just managing a health issue or a family crisis or business problem is all we can do simply because we do not have control of all the factors that went into making the problem in the first place nor those that can solve the problems.

When I take a time out to deal with a health issue it is my way of reminding myself to focus on wellness to prevent complications of the health issue I already have or open myself to new health issues. My reasoning is it is always better to prevent illness rather than try to cure or treat it.

Some risk factors I can't control such as my heredity, the fact that I'm female, and my age. On the other hand I can modify other risk factors by exercising, not smoking, maintaining a good weight for myself and eating those vegetables. What I always keep in mind is that some diseases are risk factors of other diseases and I don't want to get near that progression. For example, diabetes puts a person at a high risk for heart disease and stroke.

My time out helps me make keep to my goal for a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes it's the bathroom scale that reminds me of my goals. Whatever it takes to keep me in line is worth the effort.

By the way, please check out my relatively new blog, Secrets to Health and Aging. I will be integrating this Balance Your Health blog into that blog so please begin your subscription now. Go to Secrets To Health and Aging and on the top right either subscribe by email or by RSS feed using the orange icon.

The plan is for this to take place by June 1 of this year.

To your good health,

Ruthan Brodsky

Slow Food and Mindful Eating Are a State of Mind

Slow Food advocates believe that food was meant to enjoy and to taste. Those who manage weight loss programs also boost the notion of slow eating as an approach to satisfying the need to feel full and have that full feeling stay with you over a longer period of time.

Slow Food is not a new concept. It started in the 1980's and has become an international development with several organization most of which also promote local foods, focus on organic farming, saving varieties of fruits and vegetables that are in danger of going extinct and healthy eating styles.

Here are 6 guidelines from the Slow Food movement that will help you stay healthy and increase the probability of you losing weight.

Oranize Your Preventive Health Goals

There will be lots of people jumping on the band wagon of health care reform because there is funding in the bill to develop a health care system that keeps us healthy rather than one which only treats us when we become sick. Granted, the system works well when you are ill or injured. I for one, however, have been a proponent of staying healthy. I've told my physicians I am the captain of this ship – this body, this mind, this spirit – and he or she are the navigators. They help me map out my life course by measuring what I am doing correctly, what needs correction, and where to avoid running into the rocks. I always thought it was a lot more fun to stay healthy and certainly a lot less expensive.

I am not used to the government agreeing with my thinking but I am ready to go along with the ride. In the in between, I am betting you will see more hype about organic foods, vitamin supplements, natural creams, and how to take care of yourself with natural products. Read the ads and information carefully before purchasing anything. They will be marching to the tune of how to cut or cover the cost of doctor visits and prescriptions and grow your own garden all of which will save money.

The good news is that you also are the master of your health! When you are ready to make changes work contact your physicians so they also know your health goals. Make a list of what you would like to accomplish for a healthier you in 12 months. Go over that list with your professional health team. Your goals may include losing weight, growing longer nails, doing aerobic exercise 4 times a week and working on your muscle strength twice a week.

Your first step in planning for change is to know your numbers especially if you want to improve those numbers. What is your blood pressure, blood sugar or glucose, cholesterol count and body mass index BMI. Keep track of your screening history, your medications and your immunizations. Have a conversation with your doctor and find out what are the best numbers for you. Work out a plan to get to those numbers.

Do you have health care goals? Do you know how to take care of yourself and avoid popping pills which may have side affects. Tell us what you are doing to maintain your health. Just type your responses in the comment box.

 

To your success at balancing your life.

Ruthan Brodsky

Do You Really Need All Those Prescription Pills?

I have a friend who had liver damage because she took a medication for 18 months without her physician ever checking for possible side effects. As a result she underwent liver surgery. As a result of her hospital stay there was an infection and now she has MRSA, a very severe bacteria infection that is difficult to reach even with antibiotics. Her story brought me to this topic along with the fact that most of our co-pay costs are rising according to our insurance bills.

There may be some medications that we can avoid if we make some healthy life changes. Making those changes would make life more simple, probably give us a better quality of life, and for sure cost us less money.

I am not knocking the pharmaceutical industry. The golden age of biology has revealed the genetic code and yielded miracle drugs that save tens of thousands of lives. Because of pharmaceutical hype and laziness on our part, millions of us are popping prescription pills for innocuous conditions when making simple lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and changing our diets, would probably be more effective and certainly cheaper.

As a result millions are taking in sometimes highly toxic drugs with major side effects. The US leads the world in developing new drugs yet we ranked a very mediocre 29

There may be some medications that we can avoid if we make some healthy life changes. Making those changes would make life more simple, probably give us a better quality of life, and for sure cost us less money.

result millions are taking in sometimes highly toxic drugs with major side effects. The US leads the world in developing new drugs yet we rand a very mediocre 29  in life expectancy. We pop a pill and figure that will solve everything. I think our life expectancy numbers give a more accurate picture of just how healthy we are. I am convinced that losing weight and exercising would reduce the heart attack risk enough so that many would get off their medications.

What are your thoughts on this conclusion?

To your health success.

Ruthan Brodsky

 

Healthy Habits for a Healthy Lifestyle - Does It Matter?

I have friends and close relatives who claim that living a healthy lifestyle is not going to keep them living longer. They would prefer to enjoy the life they know, which includes smoking, no regular exercise and little green anything in their food. They do not want to go through life disciplining themselves and not enjoying what they have now.

My friends and relatives are not altogether wrong.

Is Aerobic Exercise the Best Exercise For You?

Aerobic fitness or cardiovascular fitness is the ability of your heart and lungs to supply your muscles with enough oxygen so you aren't winded or fatigued when you climb stairs, walk a few blocks, or take out the garbage.

This is the second in a series of what exercise is best for you. The first talked about exercising to prevent disease.You can read it here.

In this post about aerobic fitness you need to work out if not more often then for sure more intensely. You need to push your rate to between 60 and 90 percent of its maximum rate. You can calculate that by subtracting your age from 220.

Jogging can push your rate into that aerobic zone but it is often viewed as too demanding because of the stress it places on the hips, knees shins and feet. However, brisk walking with arms swinging can also get you to your aerobic rate especially if you're walking on hilly ground with lots of ups and downs.

Low-impact aerobic dance is another alternative. You usually can increase the intensity by increasing the arm movements you make at or above shoulder level. Arm movements make the heart pump blood against gravity.

Step aerobics also works. This exercise involves stepping on and off a low bench while moving your arms, usually in time to music. Swimming can help you reach your aerobic rate but overweight people may have to work even harder to get a good workout since their extra body fat lets them float more easily. If water is your favorite place to be, try rowing or kayaking. You might as well have fun while you are exercising.

During the winter months snowshoeing and cross country skiing are wonderful aerobic exercises. The new high tech snowshoes are surprisingly light and easy to maneuver.

A good way to make sure you get in your aerobic exercise is to find a friend and exercise together. This is probably the most simple but the most effective way to enliven an otherwise routine jog or brisk walk.

If you have suggestions for other ways to reach your aerobic rate, type your suggestions in the comment box. Sharing tips is always a good idea.

To your success at a balanced health.

Ruthan Brodsky

Boost Your Immune System

Most people don't realize that the skin is one of the more vital components of your immune system. The skin not only forms a wall against intruders but it actually alerts the white blood cells if the you cut yourself and bacteria enters your wound. That is why, if your skin is whole and unbroken it's almost impossible to pick up an infection from a toilet seat.

Most of the infections we have get inside when we inhale them or swallow them. They make their way into the blood and move rapidly through the body. All of which is why we are told to wash our hands because it is our hands we put on our face and touch our nose or mouth which starts the infection.

The other interesting fact is that the immune system has its own circulation system call lymphatic vessels which allow the white cells to reach the intruders. Other parts of the immune system include your tonsils, adenoids, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, appendix, and some areas of the small intestine and bone marrow.

A healthy diet helps you maintain your immune system. All those parts need nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals and fatty acids which is why malnourished people are prone to getting sick. There are many theories but not much proof yet that a particular nutritional supplement will boost your immune system. However, being deficient in a vitamin such as the B vitamins for seniors. Even extra vitamin C has been shown to have minimal or no effect on the immune system.

On the other hand, people who exercise have a better immune system than those who are sedentary. Even so over doing exercise isn't going to do much good and may even cause injuries. It makes sense. Regular aerobic exercise is good for the heart. Weight-bearing exercise builds bone and muscle. Your body will function better with exercise which means your immune system will also be in better shape.

The best effort you can take is to eat a varied, balanced diet of fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy products with small amounts of meat and fish. Getting enough sleep is also helpful and of course, don't smoke.

No secrets here!

To your well balanced and healthy lifestyle,

Ruthan

How Your Immune System Fights Disease

...but it still needs your help.

Your immune system is critical for your good health so paying attention to it is important. Chances are, however, you probably haven't given your immune system much thought. The ads talk about building up your immune system as if you were growing muscles. It is not that simple.

How Much is Too Much Pain Reliever?

Especially after the death of Michael Jackson, most everyone is aware that pain relievers and sleep medications can be dangerous by themselves or interactive with other medications. The degree of toxicity often depends on how big a dose of the over the counter medicine.

For instance, low dose aspirin is often recommended because it can reduce platelet clotting in the blood and protect against heart attack and stroke. However, too much aspirin may reduce your body's levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron and zinc which means you may want to take these supplements to make up for the loss.

The general rule is to not take an NSAID for more than 10 consecutive days without a doctor's supervision. Besides, if the pain lasts longer than 10 days you should be consulting with a doctor. I have friends who take Motrin on a daily basis without regular checkups but I think they are foolish and yes, I do let them know.

A good rule is to follow the suggested dosage on the label and only take more if your doctor says it is okay. It is also a good idea to take aspirin after eating because it is less likely to irritate your stomach. And be sure to talk to your doctor about negative interactions between the pain relievers you are taking and your regular medications.

One of my next tasks is to figure out if the store brand of the  pain reliever is equal to the brand name product. Anyone have ideas on this topic?

To your success at a well balanced life

Ruthan