Tag Archives: healthy food

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

HOW TO FIGHT STROKE AND OTHER HEART DISEASES (GUEST POST)

Cardiovascular diseases include all the diseases of heart like coronary heart diseases,  stroke, heart failure and congenital heart disease,  etc. Coronary heart diseases also include congestive heart failure,  angina and heart attack. Circulatory system diseases are hence a part of this category.

Every year thousands of people die each year die due to these cardiovascular problems.  The highest numbers of death reports are due to coronary heart disease followed by stroke.

The different types of heart diseases are as follows:

  • Coronary heart disease:

This type of disease include blockage of the vessels that carry blood to the heart. The major risk factors are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inactive life style,  unhealthy diet, tobacco use and ageing.

  • Stroke:

Strokes are the result of disruption of the blood to the brain. This is either due to vessel rupture or due to blockage. This sometimes causes chest pain or angina.  Most stroke victims can wind up in a coma.

  • Cardiomyopathy:

It is also called heart muscle disease; it results in stiffening of the heart muscles that result in the less efficient pumping of the heart.

Heart failure

Heart failure does not mean that heart is no longer working. But it means that the heart is pumping and supplying oxygen to the body at much slower rate.

  • Rheumatic heart disease

Heart and its valves are damaged due to a rheumatic fever, caused by streptococcus.

  • Congenital heart disease

These are the malformation in the heart structure or function since birth: holes in heart, abnormal chamber/valves of heart.

  • Peripheral arterial disease

This is caused when fat and cholesterol deposits results in the buildup of plaque in the arteries supplying blood to the peripheral areas.

The decrease in the blood flow to the heart causing heart attack or stroke have the following symptoms:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain or discomfort in arms, shoulder, neck and jaw
  • Feeling weak
  • Fatigued

The symptoms seen that of heart problem in women are slightly different from males. They may have the following symptoms:

  • Indigestion
  • Fatigue or nausea
  • Sleep disturbances or insomnia
  • Shortness of breath

How to fight cardiovascular diseases?

  • Quit smoking or at least start with small initiatives
  • Exercise
  • Eat healthy
  • Lower stress

Heart disease can be prevented up to a large extent (about 50%) by quitting tobacco use and also through taking medications ordered by your physician, correct diet, and exercise.   Aspirin is recommended as an immediate medicine to take if you think you are having a heart attack.  Some doctors put their heart patients on a low-dose aspirin daily regimen.

  • Eat healthy(heart-healthy foods)

Boost your omega 3 fatty acid count from the food items like salmon, walnut, canola oil, cod liver oil, whole grains, and flaxseeds. This will help you fight heart problems better.

  • Get proper sleep to relax your mind and body
  • Avoid stress triggers as these are lay a lasting impression and can bring a person down to depressive stage. This further can be a big risk for heart.
  • Medicines like Crestor 10 mg are well recommended by doctor for cardiovascular diseases. Crestor is manufactured by IPR Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical giant contains Rosuvastatin as an active ingredient in it. Crestor acts by interfering in the synthesis of cholesterol and steroids. Crestor is an ideal drug for the treatment of heart diseases and is the fifth highest selling medicine in U.S.A.

Our thanks to Meggie Haneckow for submitting this article.  Stay heart healthy at work, play, and home.  If you have a chance to exercise at work, take advantage of one way to keep your heart at its top performance!

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General Safety Issues

BOOSTING TRUCK DRIVER SAFETY PERFORMANCE (GUEST POST)

Most companies in every industry agree that it’s crucial to have a safe working environment. But assessing safety and maintaining it across the board and over time can be challenging in certain types of businesses.

For instance, freight transportation outfits—the companies that hire truckers to haul food, fuel, livestock and other goods all over the country to ensure that store shelves are stocked and tanks stay full—often have a tough time keeping tabs on the behavior of drivers on the road. Are the trucks running well? Are drivers well-rested and alert? Are routes hazardous or being hit with dangerous weather? A fleet management company must find ways to answer these questions to ensure that drivers are working safely.

Instinctively, you may look at ratings provided by the U.S. Transportation Department, but these don’t seem to accurately reflect a company’s highway safety performance. According to Bloomberg, a Wells Fargo Securities study indicates no correlation between a company’s official safety scores and the number of accidents on its record. The federal scores don’t just rate accidents; they also consider things like paperwork violations. But they don’t factor in wellness considerations such as how much exercise a driver gets or the food choices she makes.

Among the 28 safety management components identified by the Federal Motor Carrier Association are driver’s training, communication between managers and drivers, on-board safety monitoring, fatigue management (hours driven versus break time) and driver health, wellness and lifestyle. These considerations are separate from vehicle maintenance and inspection issues.

Here are a few tips for improving safety in these categories:

Driving Time

Common sense tells you that if someone drives for too many hours without a break, he’s likely to fall asleep at the wheel or at least become drowsy and slow to respond to traffic and road hazards. Unfortunately, traditional paper logs for documenting driving time and breaks make it easy for drivers to make mistakes or even intentionally fudge the records to wedge in more distance and improve performance. But safety suffers in this situation.

To improve the accuracy of driver logs and remove this burden from drivers, consider installing an EOBR (Electronic On-Board Recorder) on each vehicle. This device automatically records drive time; some will even alert drivers to stop when they’ve been on the road for too long. This device can also help spot problems on the road and notify drivers of other problematic issues.

Vehicle Condition

When a vehicle is on the road, managers can’t easily determine how it’s operating and what condition it’s in unless the driver phones in with a problem. But it’s not too hard in most cases to give the truck a checkup when it stops at the warehouse or hub. Make a point of adding a routine check to these stops. Doing the check when products are being loaded or unloaded means this important safety process can get done without incurring extra down time.

Driver Health

Forgetting about the importance of exercise is often easy when you’re sitting in a truck all day. It’s also tempting to stop at fast food places instead of choosing wholesome food. After all, eating in a sit-down restaurant or walking a mile or two takes time, and most drivers want to complete deliveries as fast as possible. But making smart food choices and fitting in daily exercise is a matter of good health and safe driving.

Consider starting an employee education program to remind drivers that bad habits like smoking and overeating can negatively affect their professional performance. You can also encourage healthier behavior to improve safety by offering specific ideas for healthy ways to eat and exercise on the road.

The safety of long-distance truck drivers is ultimately up to more than just the drivers themselves. Trucking companies need to ensure certain health and safety measures are observed throughout all phases of travel. It’s a natural inclination to want to accomplish as much as possible for the least amount of money, but the safety of individual truckers and others on the roadway is too crucial to be relegated to a secondary concern.

Danielle is a student of the Kelley School of Business, majoring in marketing and supply chain management. In her relatively short time dealing with operations and logistics, she’s witnessed far too many accidents and seen the effects of unhealthy driver lifestyles. By raising awareness of the issues that lead to these problems, she hopes to help decrease truck driver safety performance over time.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

WHERE ARE MY KEYS? NON-DRUG THERAPIES FOR MEMORY CARE (GUEST POST)

Where Are My Keys? 5 Non-Drug Therapies for Memory Care

So much of your daily life depends on your memory skills. Little things such as remembering where your car keys are or where your car is parked are typical functions that most people encounter every day. It’s amazing how much space the brain has for storing memory. However, as you age, your ability to remember things can begin to decline. The great news is that the brain is similar to a muscle and there are exercises you can do to prevent it from having memory gaps. The following are some helpful tips to exercise your brain:

1. Exercise

Physical activity keeps blood flowing to the brain and also produces chemicals that help to protect it. The health of your brain is extremely important for maintaining a good memory and exercise should be a part of your daily plan. Instead of staying indoors and watching TV, go for walk or jog. The outdoor scenery can energize your senses and boost your memory. Since music improves your memory also, put on a headset and play your favorite tunes while you work out. Research has even shown that people who are physically and mentally active have a lesser risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. For those who have a mild case or are at risk for developing the disease, physical activity has been known to delay and even improve symptoms.

2. Socialize

Humans are social creatures that weren’t meant to be alone. Healthy relationships with family and friends can stimulate the brain, especially when laughter is involved. There are a number of ways to stay active and even meet new people by joining a club, volunteering and scheduling time with a favorite friend. Pets can also add value to your life and boost your brain’s ability to think.

3. Get Enough Sleep

The brain stores its long-term memories during the dreaming phase of your sleep and getting at least seven to eight hours of rest is important each night. Sleep also helps keep the memory keen and helps you function properly throughout the day. This is especially helpful for students and individuals that need to utilize their brain for studying and preparing for exams.

4. Eat a Healthy Diet

There are a number of healthy foods that can help enhance your memory. Omega-3 fatty acids, berries, whole grains, eggs, green leafy vegetables, brightly colored fruits and nuts can all speed up the brain to work faster and with efficiency. Eating the foods on a regular basis will also help prevent memory gaps.

5. Mentally Challenge Yourself

Finding mentally challenging tasks can keep your memory in top shape. Playing chess with a friend, putting together a puzzle, reading and cooking meals are important activities that can aid your brain function. For those in an assisted living center, you’ll find a number of activities available to help seniors stay sharp. You can even find continuing education classes for learning a new skill set or to just be computer savvy. If you are searching for a memory care program in an assisted living in Atlanta, then you may find these following non-drug treatments:

  • Reminiscence Therapy uses long-term memories to spawn interaction among the residents which acquaints them with one another and helps their caregivers to know and understand them better. This treatment validates who they are and their accomplishments.
  • Cognitive Stimulation Therapy uses games of association, memory, and concentration in a group setting. This treatment stirs the residents to communicate their memories in story form.
  • Five Sense Therapy explores the new research in physiology that suggests the mind is not in the brain but travels the entire body on convoys of hormones and enzymes, actively making sense of the complex wonder we index as touch, taste, smell, hearing, and vision.

Whether you’re a senior looking to lessen memory gaps, a student studying for a test or someone who just wants to stay mentally on the ball, there are a number of exercises you can do that will help to enhance and sharpen your brain power.

Kelly Dennie enjoys researching and seeking non-drug alternatives for diseases and overall health improvement. Dogwood Forest, an assisted living in Atlanta, has learned that through clinically proven non-drug treatments Alzheimer’s disease can be deferred by an average of six years. Their living environment is built around this medical science break through in the fight against dementia.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

FIVE HEALTHY TREATS FOR KIDS OR THE “YOUNG AT HEART” (GUEST POST)

 

Sent to us by Joyce Del Rosario

Kids tend to be picky eaters and finding foods they actually want to eat throughout the day, while still ensuring that they get the nutrients and vitamins they need, can be quite a challenge.  Some adults are picky, too, so these ideas might tickle their taste buds!

In addition to this, most children don’t eat much in one sitting so you have to plan numerous smaller meals throughout the day, which makes it difficult to think of new and interesting things to serve at snack times.

Snacks, despite being merely a supplement to the main meals, should still be a good mixture of vegetables, protein, vegetables and whole grains.

The key to getting kids to eat healthy is to present the food to them in a fun and appetizing way. Here are five excellent ideas for healthy and delicious snacks that your kids will enjoy.

Popsicle smoothies

Popsicles are sure to go down smoothly with even the pickiest of eaters, but rather than serving the store-bought varieties that are generally full of sugar and preservatives, you can simply make a batch of your own at home.

This is also a good way to keep snacks on hand for those days when you just don’t have time to look for the right ingredients to whip up something edible for your young charges.

You can make your smoothies in a popsicle tray, but if you don’t have one, an ice tray or even small cup and popsicle stick (or teaspoon) will work just fine.

You can make different varieties, although its best to stick to using sweeter fruits that kids will enjoy, such as grapes, apples, pears and peaches. You can even add some yogurt or natural fruit juice to the mix.

Once you’ve blended everything, just pour the liquid into the mold add the popsicle stick and pop it into the freezer to use for the rest of the week.

Orange jelly smiles

Orange jelly smiles can be made with oranges or grape fruits and are full of vitamin C, calcium and fiber, making them a perfect afternoon snack. Just squeeze the orange juice from a couple of fresh oranges, add a little jelly and then pour it back into the orange halves.  Once the jelly has hardened in the refrigerator, you can slice them into thinner pieces (hence the name orange jelly smiles) and serve them on a plate.

Ants on a log

This is a fun snack that will have your kids eating their vegetables without complaining, it’s also a simple one to make and doesn’t require much pre-prep so you can have it on a plate and in their bellies within a matter of minutes.

Just wash and slice a few celery sticks and spread some cream cheese over them. Then add a few raisins to the top and serve on a plate. The name itself is half the fun as kids are very visual, so make sure you spark their imagination by explaining that it looks a bit like ants crawling on a log.

You can also do this with peanut butter instead of cream cheese, depending on what your children prefer.

Hummus or white bean dip with whole grain crackers

Kids tend to love dips, so making a great hummus or white bean dip is a great way to eat their beans, and in combination with a few whole grain crackers, you couldn’t wish for a healthier snack.

You can use either canned beans or dried beans, depending how quickly you want to prepare it. Using dried beans involves soaking and boiling them beans in advance, so you’ll need to plan ahead of time. Canned beans work just fine, though, and kids won’t know the difference.Cook the beans till they are soft, and add some roasted garlic, lemon juice, spoon of olive oil and some salt. For kids you’ll want to make sure that the garlic taste is not overpowering.

Once you’ve added all the ingredients you can let them cool and put the mixture through a food processor or blender to finish off the dip. If you don’t have whole wheat crackers, you can always use a piece of toast or bagel for an equally delicious snack.

Popcorn

Popcorn has gotten a bad rep as a junk food, mainly because of its popularity at movie theaters and fairgrounds. However, it actually has a number of health benefits and if prepared properly, is known to contain antioxidants that can prevent cancer and heart disease. It is also rich in fiber which clears the digestive tract and prevents constipation.

If you choose to serve your kids popcorn as a snack a few times a week, avoid the microwavable kind, which often contains additional calories, grease and other flavorings and chemicals. To enjoy the benefits of popcorn, go for the natural type that can be made in the pan and use oil and salt sparingly. 

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

TOP FIVE TIPS FOR A SPRING HEALTH KICK! (GUEST POST)

During the winter months, taking care of your weight is a hassle. The cold makes it difficult to exercise and you need to have plenty of food to maintain the body heat. Coming off the winter season, you will have gained a few extra pounds that will be clinging to you. The best to get your weight on track is by improving your overall health. Follow the best tips for a perfect spring health kick and you will be able to cut down the excess flab.

1. Get Up and Start Moving

The lack of physical activity during winter has to be compensated for. Exercise is the foremost way to get a spring health kick. As the weather improves, exercising becomes easier. The lungs won’t hurt and you won’t face shortness of breath. You don’t have to sweat it out at the gym. You can complete a daily regimen with a 20 to 30 minute walk. If you have the time, take short power walks or runs several times a day. Exercise gets your blood up and running through the body. Improved blood flow takes care of a number of health problems as well as keeping your skin and hair healthy.

2. Stop Smoking and Drinking

Smoking is extremely harmful to your health. Since most of the winter months are spent indoors, smoking regularly will have caused major damage. Quitting cigarettes is the perfect way to get some fresh air into your tired respiratory system. Alcohol is fattening and can wreak havoc on your digestive system. When intoxicated, you are bound to overeat and the slow metabolism makes it nearly impossible for the food to digest properly.

3. Keep Healthy Food in the House

You decide to eat healthy for a change. When dinner time comes along, you find there isn’t much in the way of healthy food. This is a problem faced by many people. They don’t have healthy food in the house. You are not going to change your eating habits unless and until you have the options in front of you. It is time you filled your fridge up with fruits and vegetables instead of soft drinks and chocolates.

4. Sleep Well

People usually sleep longer when the weather is cold. Now that the season is changing, you have to adjust accordingly. Alter your routine to ensure that you get sufficient sleep. Proper sleep ensures that all your body’s systems are working fine. It is a precursor to an overall healthy lifestyle.

5. Have Breakfast

Last, but not the least, starting having breakfast daily. Go for a light and nutritious meal. Make sure you don’t leave your home on an empty stomach. When you don’t eat for an extended period of time, your body slows down the metabolism causing problems with digestion. Since you haven’t eaten for quite a few hours, you are bound to eat more than the usual meal to compensate for it.

These are the 5 top tips for a spring health kick.

Allan has been blogging about nutrition and healthy living for quite some time. He has published many articles on prominent health blogs. Allan’s favourite topics include health covers, diet and low impact exercises.  

Please follow these important tips for a healthy lifestyle  from our friends in Australia. pb