Healthy Habits: Six Steps You Can Take Each Day For A Healthier You

 

Whether it’s a resolution to be lose weight and get in shape or you want to prevent an illness later in life, there are some simple steps that you can take that will lead to a healthier body inside and out. Keeping a journal can help you see your progress after you start caring for your body.

 

More Water

Since the body is made primarily of water, the cells will need a way to rehydrate through the door. Keep a water bottle on hand so that you get plenty of water in your diet. Eliminate sodas because they can pack on additional pounds and add sugar that you don’t need. If you need flavor in your water, then add a small amount of lemon.

 

Exercise

This is the most important thing you can do for your cardiovascular health. Do something during the day that will raise your heartbeat. This will get the blood flowing to areas of the body that might not see that much blood flow, especially if you sit for long periods of time. Take a walk during lunch, or take the stairs instead of using the elevator.

 

 

Dental Care

You only have one set of teeth, so you need to take care of them in any way you can. Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss at least once. You should also visit your dentist once every six months for a routine check up to monitor any cavities that might develop, say the professionals at Eastgate Dental Centre.

 

 

Eat The Right Foods

Instead of packing chips and sweet treats for lunch and in the cabinets at home, try to create healthy snacks. If you have children, then make them fun so that they will enjoy eating healthy. Celery with peanut butter and raisins will look like ants on a log, and most children enjoy carrots with ranch dressing. Try to include a different fruit or vegetable every day.

 

Find A Buddy

While you’re reaching your goals of getting healthy, you might feel discouraged at times. Find a partner who you can call when you want to give up on your routine or someone who you can exercise with so that you have support.

 

Visit Your Doctor

One of the things that you want to do is get a physical. Your doctor can do blood work to determine if there are any concerns that you should watch for while exercising. You can also discuss the proper weight that you should be at and any help the doctor can offer in the way of medications.

When you make the decision to change your lifestyle, you will see a noticeable difference in your health. This can be a benefit in that you will likely live longer, and you will be able to do things with your family that you might not have been able to do before getting healthy. Continue the changes, and you can see a difference in the way you look and feel.

 

Categories: Healthier, healthy habits, Steps

5 Steps to Handling Any Medical Emergency Confidently

 

 

Emergency medical situations can happen anywhere, at any time. Even if you and your loved ones are in the pink of health, there is always a possibility that an accident could occur. Being prepared is the key to surviving an emergency situation, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the appropriate response before disaster strikes.

 
1. Remain Calm

This is the most important step in dealing with any urgent medical situation. If you allow yourself to panic, you lose the ability to think logically as your emotions dominate the situation. Even if you think you can’t handle the circumstances, you must do your best to center yourself and access a calm state of mind.

 

2. Assess the Situation 

Take a moment to assess the situation. Is the area surrounding the victim safe for you to enter? Is the victim in a precarious position, necessitating that they be moved from potential hazards? You must also determine whether moving the victim could further aggravate their condition. Check to see if the victim has a detectable pulse and is breathing. If you are trained and prepared to perform CPR, now is the time to decide if this is needed.

 

3. Call for Emergency Help

It is essential that you call for emergency medical help as soon as possible. Experienced pre-hospital care providers, such as 911 Industrial Response Inc, possess the tools and professional qualifications to deliver lifesaving onsite medical interventions.

 

4.Stay in Contact with Emergency Help

The dispatcher who answers your emergency call may need to stay on the line with you until the medical response team arrives. It is essential that you don’t hang up, and make sure that you follow all instructions given to aid the victim.

 

5. Follow Emergency Personnel’s Directions

Once the medical response team arrives, they may have instructions for you to follow in order to help them deliver lifesaving procedures. If you know the victim, be prepared to provide as much medical history information as possible. If you have been performing first aid or CPR, the medical responders may instruct you to keep doing so while they prepare medications and/or equipment.

Considering your response to a medical emergency before it happens allows you a mental rehearsal of sorts, enabling you to prepare a strategic reaction plan. Approaching the situation with calm and confidence will ensure the best possible outcome.

 

Categories: confidently, handling, medical emergency, Steps

Four Steps to Take for a Healthier Home Environment

 

Nowadays, people are more concerned about their health than ever before. It may surprise many people to find out how many things around their homes could potentially have a negative impact on their health. Things that we come into contact with regularly and use to live our daily lives could actually be hurting us. Let’s take a look at some simple things you can do to make your home a healthier environment for you and your family:

 

Dust Regularly

The dust that is around your house could potentially aggravate the allergies of the people living there if it is allowed to build up over a period of time. Dust can also contain various hazardous chemicals such as pesticides, fire retardants and lead. While it may be hard to believe, chemicals can become part of your house dust, even if they have not been used in your home for several decades. The most effective way to eliminate this dust is to remove your carpeting because allergens and dust can be easily collected by it. Replace it with non-vinyl linoleum, tile, cork or wood flooring.

 

Get Your Home Tested

Radon and lead paint are both serious dangers that should not be ignored. Brain damage and birth defects have been known to be caused by exposure to lead paint. Radon is a gas that is radioactive and causes cancer. When lead paint starts to disintegrate, the chips turn into dust, which in turn goes into the air. People living in the house breathe in this lead paint dust and this is how they are exposed. Radon gas comes from rock and soil breaking down under a house. This is why having your home tested for dangerous substances is of the utmost importance. According to a home safety tester, you can have a paint chip test performed by a lab for about thirty dollars. Radon test kits can be bought for about twenty dollars, and are well worth the cost for the safety and peace of mind they offer.

 

Don’t use Pesticides

Instead of using harmful chemicals to kill pests, use baited mousetraps, glue traps and other items that will not harm you. You should also wash dishes, tables and counter surfaces of any food debris to prevent attracting bugs.

 

Use a Water Filter

Even if you live in an area that supposedly has healthy drinking water, there could still be toxic chemicals in trace amounts. A filter will help you avoid them. If you suspect your tap water is unsafe to drink, an expert from Kamloops Septic Service advises discontinuing its use and having it tested immediately. Ensuring that you and your family consume only clean water is crucial to creating a healthier home environment.

 

These are just a handful of ways to make your home healthier. With some research, you can find other methods of controlling your home environment to keep you and your family healthy for many years to come.

 

Categories: Healthier, home environment, Steps

Five Steps to Having a Healthy, Quick Recovery After Surgery

 

For many people, recovery from surgery can be a very timely and mentally taxing process. It can take weeks and sometimes even months to fully recover from a serious surgical operation. Many people who undergo serious surgical procedures often go through dramatic lifestyle changes that can sometimes cause mild depression and anxiety. However, you do not have to succumb to this. It is possible, for many people, to rebound and get back to a state of normalcy after surgery. Here are five steps to have a healthy, quick recovery after surgery.

 

Be Realistic

One of the first things one must do to have a healthy and quick recovery after surgery to have very realistic expectations about your limitations and capabilities after surgery. If you were someone who spent every day in the gym, this probably can’t happen immediately after surgery depending on the type and severity of operation you underwent. Follow your doctor’s orders in regards to what activities will be sanctioned during your recovery phase. Ask your doctor to give you a realistic, detailed timeline or schedule of your recovery phase. This will allow you to reach certain milestones in your recovery.

 

Stay Physically Active

As mentioned before, a huge break in physical activity can be very daunting to people who were physically active before surgery. However, it is very much possible to engage in different forms of exercise while recovering. With the assistance of a physical therapist and a hospital-based exercise physiologist, you can still remain active. A physical therapist will help you maintain muscular flexibility, mobility and endurance during recovery. An exercise physiologist will run a battery of tests on you and subsequently make a list of recommended exercise activities. This could range all the way to low-impact activities, like swimming, all the way to moderately high-impact exercise like running.

 

Learn How to Meditate

Recovery from a major surgery can be mentally anguishing. Often people need surgery for life-threatening illnesses. If you find yourself in this situation, it wouldn’t hurt to take a class in meditation. Learning how to meditate will help you become calm, relaxed and how to cope better with the recovery process.

 

Spend time with Loved Ones

Spending more time with family members and friends will create a much needed social support system that will expedite the recovery process. Many home care experts report that individuals who surround themselves with supportive individuals during the recovery phase may have a faster, easier recovery than those who do not.

 

Pick up a Hobby

Another good way to heal after surgery is to pick up a hobby. Many people learn a variety of things while away from work and other activities. This includes taking classes that teach drawing, sewing, knitting or learning how to play a musical instrument.

 

There are a variety of things you can do to heal and have a much faster and healthier recovery process. The key is to remain positive, focused and determined to move forward as your body normalizes after undergoing major surgery.

 

Informational Credit to Harrison Medical Center

 

 

Categories: healthy quick recovery, Steps, surgery

5 Important Steps To Take After A Personal Injury

If you’ve been injured at work, in a household or automobile accident, or in another incident, it can be difficult to know how to proceed. And if your injury is serious, you might not have the presence of mind to take the steps you need to protect yourself. Read on for five important steps to take after a personal injury.

 

Seek Medical Attention

It’s important to see your doctor even if you think your injury does not warrant medical attention. If you’ve been in a car accident, you might have internal injuries or other trauma that is not immediately apparent. Your physician can advise you on how to best proceed with treatment.

 

Contact Authorities

In the case of an auto accident or workplace injury, as well as other incidents where other individuals or businesses are involved, you’ll want to contact a police officer. He or she will come to the scene and document the incident, providing a report that will be necessary if you plan to seek compensation for medical care and other expenses related to the injury.

 

Document the Incident

If you’re able, it’s important to take pictures of the scene of the accident and take notes about your initial impressions, injuries, and symptoms. If you’re not able to do so, enlist a friend or family member to help you. Taking this step as soon as possible after the incident can help ensure that your recollections are accurate and detailed.

 

Gather Information

In addition to your own documentation and photos, you’ll want to access the police report once it’s available. Eyewitness testimony can also be useful in piecing together the facts of the incident and establishing who, if anyone, is at fault. Again, if you are not able to take this step because of a debilitating injury, enlist a trusted family member or friend who can help. An individual who witnessed the incident is the ideal proxy.

 

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

According to the Law Offices of Michael C. Cohen, personal injury law firms can help determine whether an individual or business is culpable for your injury. A competent and experienced firm can help establish fault and guide you through the process of recouping your medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs resulting from the injury.

 

While the time immediately following an injury can be confusing, taking these steps will help ensure that you and your family are protected in the case of a serious accident.

Categories: accident, family member, incident, Injury, injury nbsp, medical attention, nbsp, nbsp contact, personal, personal injury, Steps

Walk Your Way to Better Health

There’s a form of exercise that doesn’t cost a penny or require any fancy equipment, can easily fit into your everyday life and that almost anyone can manage. It’s called walking, and we’ve been doing it for three million years now.

And since May is National Walking Month, now’s the perfect time to start aiming to walk a little bit more every day.

A health ticking time bomb

Inactivity is the world’s fourth biggest killer, which is worrying as Britain has become a nation of couch potatoes. The average British adult walks just nine minutes in a day. That’s probably how long it would take to walk from the couch to the fridge a few times and to get from the car to the house. It’s no wonder we’re the fattest nation in Europe.

This means bad news for our health, as not getting enough exercise is connected with everything from diabetes and obesity to cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Benefits of walking

While taking the leap from the couch to the running track may be too extreme for some, almost everyone can enjoy the health benefits of walking whatever their fitness level. If back or joint pain is putting you off doing any exercise, walking could actually ease your symptoms while strengthening your bones to prevent osteoporosis and back pain.

Psychologically, walking’s great for clearing your head and working through issues, and will also help you get a better night’s sleep if you find it hard to nod off. It also makes us feel good. Walking, like all types of exercise, floods our bodies with endorphins which are an instant pick-me-up.

It will keep you out of your GP’s waiting room too. Walking has been shown to reduce your risk of diabetes, stroke and dementia. If you’re trying to keep your weight down, walking’s a great way to burn calories and get some aerobic exercise. Why not key your details into the British Heart Foundation’s calorie counter to estimate how many calories you could burn to motivate yourself?

Easy ways to walk more

Chief medical officers recommend that we get 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week through activities like walking. Make a few of these lifestyle changes and you’ll easily manage that.

• Walk to work

If you can walk to and from work, do it. As summer finally arrives, there’s nothing better than a stroll in the sunshine to soak up some vitamin D and unwind after a stressful day.

If you live too far away to walk, you could at least take public transport most of the way and get off a few stops early to incorporate some walking into your commute.

• Lunchtime walking

Ditch your lunches at your desk and take a stroll during lunchtime. Meet a friend for lunch in a café or sit in the park if the sun’s out. You’ll actually feel like your brain’s had a rest and you’ll come back to your work with newfound gusto.

• Ease up on emails

Got something to say to a colleague? Don’t send them an email or instant message. Actually get up, pop over to their desk and have a chat with them. It may be a radical move for some, but all those steps really add up.

• Get a pedometer

Just being aware of how many steps you take in a day by using a pedometer has been proven to motivate people to walk more. Why not set yourself a challenge and reward yourself if you manage certain number of steps in a month? You’ll soon be spotting lots of opportunities to clock up those steps, like taking the stairs instead of the lift and volunteering for tea rounds.

• Rethink your weekends

Go for a longer weekend walk instead of sitting at home. Britain is blessed with stunning coastlines, rolling hills with rewarding views and swathes of lush, green countryside. So why not shake up your weekend routine and head outdoors for some healthy fresh air and a walk with your nearest and dearest?

British walking group Ramblers is trying to encourage us all to walk more and take pleasure in walking. You can follow their maps or join one of their walking groups nearby you if you need a bit of support and encouragement.

• Get a dog

While we would never suggest that you get a dog unless you are 100% committed to taking care of it long-term, people with dogs tend to be fitter because they’re forced into taking it for short walks twice a day, even when it’s dreary outside.

• Up the ante

If you’d like to push yourself a bit or try something new, try picking up the pace, swinging your arms  and go power walking or even racewalking, which is actually considered an Olympic sport. If you’re starting out on a treadmill, why not increase the incline to make your legs work a bit harder?

Do you walk to stay fit? How do you fit it into your lifestyle?

Categories: Benefits, Better Health, Easy Ways, exercise, lifestyle, staying fit, Steps, Tips, walk, Walking, work