Category: English

Commonly referred to as an individual’s emotional or psychological well-being, mental health is a term that has no one official definition according to the World Health Organization. Most experts believe that mental health is measured by an individual’s ability to remain capable and competent, handling normal levels of stress, maintaining happy and healthy relationships and his/her ability to lead an independent life. Another sign of mental health is being able to quickly recover from difficult situations, which may include both physical and emotional.

While individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness often require a greater need for mental health promotion, even those who have not been diagnosed still need a certain amount of the same. The truth is that everyone has mental health needs, including those who have no illness. Mental health promotion may be given in the way of encouragement, love, support, understanding, etc.

If an individual believes that he/she is suffering from a mental health illness, a psychiatrist should be consulted for a professional evaluation. In some cases, a regular discussion with a professional may be enough for individuals to overcome their issues and return to a positive mental health status. For others, medication may be required or even hospitalization in extreme cases. With the proper treatment, many individuals who suffer from some type of mental health illness can often live a happy and healthy lifestyle. The first part of overcoming any type of illness is to recognize the problem early, whether that recognition comes directly from the sufferer or from those closest to him/her.

It is important to realize the difference between a positive mental health status and one that may be indicative of an illness. Every life has stressful situations, tears that must be shed and boundaries that must be overcome. However, the best way to measure mental health is by assessing an individual’s ability to handle these situations appropriately. There is no one universal symptom or sign of a mental health illness, but is best described as an individual’s inability to operate or deal with everyday situations in a healthy and productive manner.

The information in this article is to be used for informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice. Anyone with questions regarding mental health must consult their physician for further information, a diagnosis and/or treatment regimen if one is deemed necessary.

Pennsylvania has a moderate rate of increase in diabetes hospitalizations, accounting less than 1 per cent over the last two years, however, diabetes is a serious problem in this region. An amount of 8 per cent of adults of this state is affected by diabetes, which is 1 per cent above the 7 per cent people affected throughout the country. Moreover patients from various counties in Western Pennsylvania have high rates of end-stage kidney disease, one complication of diabetes.

The above mentioned situation alongwith the continuos growing rate in diabetes hospitalizations which increased 9 per cent in the past five years to 23,725 during 2004, make them create a new health program to reduce health care costs through a initiative of health coaches.

According to a study from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, hospitalizations generated more than $673 million in hospital charges last year alone, although 40 per cent of these are paid by health plans.

The main idea of this new iniciative is to lower the health care costs associated with employees with diabetes and to keep them out of the hospital, but on the job at same time.

This iniciative will start in January, and will provide “health coaches” to 4,200 diabetic employees at 10 companies in the region, under a program that will be launched by the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health, a coalition that includes human resources and benefits executives from 62 area companies.

In the new program, employees who volunteer to participate will have counseling sessions with pharmacists about using diabetic medications. Health coaches will check patients are getting the tests needed to monitor their condition and are following recommendations about diet and exercise.

Types Of Diabetes

There are two types of diabetes, and they really are two quite different diseases. In type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes, insulin injections are needed. But in type 2, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes, most people can keep their condition under control with just diet and medication. This type of diabetes is actually much more common than the insulin-dependent type.

How do I find out which type of diabetes I have?

Your doctor will tell you what type of diabetes you have and what you need to do. You can also ask your doctor to refer you to a Diabetes Education program. There, trained health professionals can teach you about diabetes and insulin.

What Is Insulin?

Insulin is classified according to how long it works in the body. There are five different types of insulin, ranging from short to long acting. Some insulins are clear in appearance, while others are cloudy.

Types of insulin
The five types of insulin include:

1. Rapid onset-fast acting insulin
2. Short acting insulin
3. Intermediate acting insulin
4. Mixed insulin
5. Long acting insulin.

Diabetes And Healthy Eating

Healthy eating, combined with regular physical activity and weight control, is important to manage diabetes.

People with diabetes should eat mainly high fibre carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain breads and cereals and vegetables and fruit. They should also reduce their intake of fat, especially saturated fat. Limiting the serving size of your meals is often required to maintain a healthy body weight. It’s also a good idea to see a dietitian who can help develop a healthy eating plan.

Healthy eating helps a person with diabetes to:

1. Maintain general good health
2. Control blood glucose levels
3. Achieve normal blood lipid (fat) levels
4. Maintain a healthy blood pressure
5. Maintain a healthy body weight
6. Prevent the complications of diabetes.

No Special Diets Required

Healthy eating for people with diabetes is no different than for everyone else. People with diabetes do not need to prepare separate meals or buy special foods, so relax and enjoy healthy eating with the rest of your family.

It is quite natural for any child to dislike new kind of food right away. It may take 10 or more tries getting a child to accept a new food. It is essential for parents to behave patiently if you want your child to eat right and healthy. For overall growth and development, parents should offer kids foods from each of the food group.

Some ways to develop your child’s healthy approach towards eating

– Cut down on the amount of fat in your family’s diet. Include low fat dairy products, lean meat, fat free cereals or breads.

– Avoid restricting sweets or desserts. Fat, salt, sugar have a moderate place in our diet. Don’t curb them completely. Just teach your child to take small portions of it.

– Make or keep wide variety of healthy foods ready at home to be eaten as snacks. Do allow occasional indulgence of chips, colas and cookies.

– Eating slowly helps to detect hunger and fullness better. Encourage your child to eat slowly.

– Eating meals together with family helps children. Meal time with family can be pleasant with free flowing, light hearted conversations about the day, etc.

– Activities like shopping for food and preparing meals are fun time for children. Both, parents and children learn about each other’s food preferences and enjoy the time spent together.

– Eating meals and watching TV at same time makes it difficult to pay attention to the hunger and may lead to overeating.

– Sending children to bed without eating food may give them the impression that they will have to go hungry. So they may try to eat whenever they get a chance. Avoid using food as punishment.

– If your kid is having lunch at school, find out more about the lunch program. If you pack your child’s food include variety of foods. While dining out, pick healthier items.

– If you as parents eat healthy nutritious food, your child tends to learn and pick up similar eating habits. Set a good example by eating variety of nutritious foods and snacks. Teaching your child healthy eating practices early in life will help develop an approach to eating food with right attitude.

My Dad got me into martial arts, back when I was twelve, as a way to get me away from the video game console and out doing some exercise. I’m grateful for that, in a lot of ways. Martial arts has made me a lot more fit, and giving me confidence and a career, actually. My Dad kept on with it as well, and it’s started to take a toll on him. Where we used to do sparring matches, and throws and joint locks, he’s just gotten to the point where he’s enough older that he doesn’t enjoy being thrown on the mat abruptly.

I looked at Wing Chun videos for him, and he moved into that style. However, even that’s starting to take a toll on him. His blood pressure medications sometimes make him dizzy, and he doesn’t heal from bruises as fast as he used to (for that matter, I don’t either. I marvel at the videos my Dad shot of me when I was a teenager. Oh, to have the resilience I had then with what I know now…)

So, Dad and I are looking for something we can do together that’s got martial arts application, but won’t give pulled muscles, bruises, or force us to explain to my stepmom or my wife why the furniture has been re-arranged or broken. We settled on Single Fan Tai Chi Chuan.

Tai Chi has a number of divergent forms; they’d be called schools in other martial arts. The four dominant ones are Yang, Sun, Wu and Chen forms, and they’ve all got their adherents. If you’ve ever seen Star Trek: The Next Generation, where Worf is doing a “Klingon Martial Art” in slow motion, you’ve actually seen some of the Yang form of Tai Chi. The Wu form is compact, short motions, the Sun form is about swift movement, and the Chen form is about explosive movements, with Wu and Chen most important for using Tai Chi as a martial art rather than as a form of exercise.

Anyway, my Dad needed to get something easier on his joints, so we did single fan Tai Chi, which was developed by Wang Ju Rong, and uses a fan as an exercise instrument, and incorporates elements from all four of the Tai Chi forms into one whole form of motions.

Starting out, we both felt kind of silly, because we’re sweating and working our way through the forms, with a pair of news papers taped to wooden dowels to simulate the fan. It’s very slow – and you really feel the burn. Breathing deeply, you feel it in your abdomen, and diaphragm, and by the end, your calves are just burning. It’s a great way to improve flexibility and breath control. My Dad was grimacing from some of the more explosive movements, because it made his bad elbow hurt, but we quickly slowed it down to keep that from happening again. All in all, it was a good thing to do, and I’ll try to keep up with it, though I may not have time with all my other martial arts commitments. I tell you, the biggest hassle in my life is that there are all these cool martial arts I can study, and not enough hours in the day to do it!

The woman golfer has a myriad of questions on how to develop the correct golf swing as does most any amateur. The questions from woman golfers center on a myriad of topics such as; how to hit the golf ball farther, how to develop a more repeatable golf swing, how do I hit half shots with my wedges, what are good putting drills? The list can go on and on in relation to the woman golfer and how to improve their golf swing. An area that is now presenting more and more questions from the woman golfer centers upon golf fitness. Questions such as; what are good golf flexibility exercises, and how can golf fitness exercises help me drive the golf farther? These and many more questions are arising in relation to golf fitness and the woman golfer.

It is well known on the LPGA tour the number of players utilizing golf fitness programs to improve their golf game. Annika Sorrenstam has publicly stated the benefits she has received in her golf game from golf fitness training. One area that always appears to be a concern for the woman golfer is distance. How to hit the golf ball farther and Sorrenstam does hit the ball a long way, and utilizes golf fitness training. A simple connection can be drawn between increased driving distance, women golfers, and golf fitness exercises. The bottom line is this; golf fitness exercises can benefit the distance of drives for the woman golfer.

The questions that need to be answered are how and why. First off an understanding of increased distance, the golf swing, and the woman golfer needs to be addressed. Driving distance is contingent upon clubhead speed. The faster the clubhead is traveling at impact with the golf ball. The golf ball will travel farther, an easily understood concept.

Clubhead speed in the golf swing is contingent upon two components. Component number one is golf swing mechanics. The biomechanics of the golf swing in and of themselves create clubhead speed. It centers upon physics and the coiling/uncoiling of the body during the golf swing. In relation to improving clubhead speed and golf swing mechanics. The more efficient the woman golfer performs the mechanics of the golf swing. A greater amount of energy can be developed and transferred into the golf ball as a result. First and foremost for the woman golfer; the development of efficient golf swing mechanics can improve driving distance.

The second component of increasing clubhead speed is the body. Remember, the body is the implement swinging the golf club. It is the woman’s body executing the biomechanics of the golf swing. In addition it is also the body generating power for the golf swing. Power is the ability of the body to generate the greatest amount of force in a short amount of time. Increase the ability of the body to generate more power within the biomechanics of the golf swing. An increase in clubhead speed can occur. How does the woman golfer increase power outputs of their body? This is where the implementation of golf fitness exercises can be a benefit. Golf fitness exercises can increase the power outputs of the body. Power golf fitness exercises increase the ability of your muscles to develop more force within the golf swing.

How do golf fitness exercise achieve this outcome? Golf fitness exercises develop the body around the golf swing: Very different than ordinary fitness training or aerobic classes. Golf fitness exercises develop the required flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power within the body for the golf swing. This allows the body to execute the biomechanics of the golf swing correctly. In addition, golf fitness exercises can improve the swing in areas such as clubhead speed.

This is accomplished with golf fitness exercises training the body in the positions, movements, and physical requirements of the golf swing. This allows for the proper levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power to be developed within the body. Improving the capacities of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power can improve the ability of the body to perform the golf swing and increase distance.

To summarize, the questions surrounding women and developing the correct golf swing are many. How to improve the golf swing through golf fitness exercises is one of these questions, and one specific area within this topic is distance. Increasing distance is contingent upon increasing clubhead speed. Improving clubhead speed centers upon golf swing mechanics and the body. Improving the efficiency of the golf swing mechanics will allow a greater transfer of energy into the golf club, thus improving clubhead speed. The second component of distance lies within the body and its ability to generate power. Increasing the power outputs of the body will enhance clubhead speed. Power outputs of the body can be improved through golf fitness exercises. These exercises differ than normal gym based exercises in that they develop the body around the swing. This allows for the proper levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to be developed within the golf swing.

Sean Cochran

Technology has played a role in our health. We are surrounded by wireless phones and computers and while they play a tremendous role in increased productivity, they also create an imbalance in positive and negative ions in your bodies system. When you sit in front of a computer all day you are bombarded with positive ions coming at you from your monitor and wireless phones anywhere in your vicinity. This makes you feel tired and sluggish and you can lose some of your concentration. It can be difficult to sit there for long periods of time. To undo this phenomenon, you need a boost of negative ions to put you back in balance

Have you noticed that when you are in the mountains near trees and a waterfall, or paddling down a river or just walking on the beach with the water lapping around your feet how much better you feel? This is because you are bombarded with an abundance of negative ions. This gives you that comfortable peaceful feeling we all seem to crave these days. No wonder people flock to these crisp clean air destinations to get some much needed down time.

Being that most of us are bound most of the year to our jobs and home, we tend not to experience enough of natures natural balance. And to make things worse, we are living in an environment that is far more toxic today than our fore fathers. Everything we eat, drink and breathe is more toxic than it was even 20 years ago.

An ionic foot bath is a great way to restore that feeling of well being and detox at the same time.

It works by filling a plastic tub of clean water, add sea salt, which is high in minerals, place the array and your feet in the water and the array will put out positive and negative ions. This travels through your body attaching itself like a magnet to oppositely charged toxins and mucus and excretes it through the pores in your feet. If you’ve never seen the results of a foot bath then you will be amazed at what you see. What started out as clean water will become very dirty indeed. The color of the water determines what area of the body is detoxing.

How to read your water:

Black or brown water is the liver.
Orange; means the joints.
Dark green; the gallbladder
Yellowy green; kidneys, urinary tract,
White foam; Lymph nodes draining
Red flecks; blood clot material
Black flecks; heavy metals

With the liver and kidneys taking a heavy load of toxins it is not unusual to see a lot of people with brown and black water for several foot baths. But don’t be surprised one day if you develop a urinary tract infection and your water turns green. People with arthritis will often have orangey water.

If you leave the array in the water for the allotted time you will see some color change because it will react with the minerals in the water, but placing your feet in the water changes the consistency and you will have mucus, foam and or flecks in the water, sometimes so heavy that you cannot even see your feet. Just the array in the water may be colored, but will remain clear.

Some of the benefits of ion footbaths are;

1) An enhanced the immune system
2) Assists in recovery time from injuries and surgery
3) Can relieve pain and joint stiffness due to arthritis
4) Improves sleep pattern
5) Remove heavy metals
6) Removes blood clot material
7) Improve liver and kidney function
8) Increase your energy

Detoxing is a normal function of the body but when it gets overwhelmed and pain or disease sets in, then we must do what we can to help the body unburden itself and ion foot baths help you do that.

Anything you can do to relieve your body of toxic build up will be beneficial to your health.

I hope this helps!

How many times have your brain felt so sluggish that you can’t even think clearly? How many times have you felt so tired that even climbing a single flight of stairs takes a lot from you? Or how about those times when you felt so unpretty that even your best outfit can’t lift your mood? You’ve tried every known trick to stay fit and scoured every shelf in the health and beauty aisle for that wonder product that could revive you but still to no avail. Why not try looking at home and the produce section of your grocery? What am I talking about? I’m talking about detox.

Detoxification is not merely sweating buckets on the gym or starving yourself with a water diet. It is a wholistic approach to health and beauty. It encompasses everything from diet, fitness, and your sense of well-being. Try it for a weekend and start the new week with a renewed and more revived you. Detoxifying your way to health and beauty is possible with a few things which you could conveniently find in your home. With a loofah or brush, scented candles, aromatic oils, herbal tea, and a free, me-time weekend, you’re all set to rejuvenate and renew yourself.

Start on a Friday by eating light (think salads and fruits) and drink lots of water the whole day. At night, slowly dry-massage yourself with a loofah or brush with slow and long strokes. Move in one direction: upward and towards your groin. Refresh yourself with tea or water then soak in a bath of warm water and drops of aromatic bath oil. Light some scented candles while gradually adding cool water within a half hour until your bath becomes slightly cold. This is the beginning of your new health and beauty routine. This process is done for the stimulation of the blood vessels. Dry yourself and dress warmly for bed.

Begin the next day by drinking hot lemon water. Go for a walk while breathing deeply. Give yourself a steam bath or go swimming. You could also ask your partner or therapist for a massage. Again, end your health and beauty detox regimen with a dry-massage brush and bath. Spend your Sunday, doing the whole process but add another activity. Make a list of people or things, such as your work, that are toxic to you (read: bad vibes). Assess how you should deal with them to lessen their toxic effect. After this, pamper yourself or do meditation exercises.

Be reminded though that you may experience excessive sweating, slight headaches, and skin rashes. These are signs that your body is releasing toxins and that they are temporary. Detoxifying is effective, safe, and inexpensive enough to be part of your weekly health and beauty routine. Just remember to avoid this during your period, pregnancy, and sickness. Lastly, talk to your doctor if you encounter any problem while detoxifying.

Detox by Bruce Fife to Detoxify Body, Stop Disease, Reverse Aging, and Improve Health

All the wealth in the world is useless if you’re unhealthy. You can’t enjoy your life if your body is weak and unable to function properly. You can miss all the wonderful things offered by our world today. Too exaggerated? Well, not likely. As much as you want to enjoy your life to the fullest, your body is constantly bombarded with harmful chemicals.

Where do these chemicals come from you might ask. In you don’t know it yet, your body is loaded with harmful chemicals that came from the food you ate, the beverages that you’ve drank, the things you use to put up with your daily hygiene, the smoke from cars and cigarettes, and many more. Every day you are exposed to these harmful chemicals found all around you.

Although the body has a natural way of healing itself, and freeing itself from these harmful chemicals, sometimes it can’t handle the process alone. Most especially if the body already has acid build ups. If you lived an unhealthy lifestyle for many years now, you can expect that you have developed acid build ups, whether you like it or not.

It’s high time that you detoxify your body, and the time to act is now. Don’t postpone it for later, otherwise you’ll find yourself experiencing many symptoms of diseases and other illnesses.

If you don’t want to develop further any dreadful disease or illness, why not purchase a book by Bruce Fife. The second edition of his book on body detox costs no more than $20. If you want to start detoxifying your body, buy now, and you’ll get help from the expert.

Fife’s book has gained high ratings in many consumer reviews. The book is able to impart what detox does to your body. Regimens are usually followed to help you get rid of harmful and toxic substances from your body. As you know by now, toxins can be inhaled from the air that you breathe, and from the foods that you ingest. Some toxins are also produced inside the body, and if the body is not properly functioning, these toxins can’t be ousted which later on can cause certain body problems.

The book contains complete information as to how you are to go about your home detox program. The body’s system for natural detoxification needs some sort of support in order to function properly, and this home detox program can greatly help in restoring the body’s health, stop certain diseases that you now have, and reverse the signs of aging that you’ve been experiencing all this time. The body is rejuvenated, and you’ll be alive and kicking once again.

A diet which consists of all-natural foods is also featured in the book, including fasting among its chapters. The book teaches you how to go about fasting and other natural way of body detox.

There are however certain drawbacks on the book, like the author being a vegetarian. Some of the issues regarding eating only toxin-free foods which most people think as impossible and being a vegetarian himself were reflected in some of his biased discussions in some chapters of the book.

If you want to try complete home body detox, purchase the book. You’ll get a lot of help and important information.

How do I choose a detox method?

If you are trying a detox for the first time, it is best to take a gentle, gradual approach. The detox diet plan is a basic detox diet that many people recommend.

Detox diets can target the different organ systems involved in detoxification: the skin, liver, kidneys, colon, lungs and lymph system. A natural health care practitioner can design a program that suits your needs by targeting specific organ systems. For example, a person with a skin condition may benefit from a program that addresses the liver, intestines, and skin.

Other forms of detox include juice fasts, macrobiotic diet, colon cleanse, and liver flush. If you can’t go without meat, at least avoid red meat, and consider steering clear of dairy and wheat for maximum benefits.

If you are a heavy smoker or take drugs regularly, it will be a huge shock to the system to give up at the same time as detoxing. Take one step at a time – giving up your particular vice will be a detox in itself.

Headaches?

Food additives, sugar, alcohol, caffeine withdrawal, constipation, hormonal imbalance and exposure to irritants such as pollution, perfume or after-shaves are all causes of headaches that can often be relieved by detoxification.

Sauna

Saunas enhance circulation and oxygenate the tissues. They open the nasal passages and assist the sinuses to drain. A major eliminative organ, most people’s skin is very inactive. Many do not sweat. This may be due to synthetic or tight clothing that does not breathe. Sedentary living and sun damage also inactivate the skin. Hundreds of chemicals affect the skin from lotions, soaps, and creams to deodorants. Others are cleaning solvents, detergent residues and chemicals from bathing water.

There are tons of detox diets out there. Typically they involve 1 or 2 days on a completely liquid diet and another 4 or 5 days adding brown rice, fruit, and steamed vegetables (all organic) to the diet. After a week of eating only these foods, you gradually reintroduce other foods – except for red meat, wheat, sugar, eggs, and all prepackaged or junk foods – into your diet.