General Health Articles

In the News Proper Way to Apply Mosquito Repellant

Tis the season for mosquitos and other flying insects. One way to protect yourself and your loved ones is by learning the proper ways to apply mosquito repellant.

• Apply repellants only to exposed skin or clothing. Never put it on underneath your clothes. 
• Use just enough to cover your body and for the amount of time you need it… over applying will not protect you any more than typical application.
• Do not use repellants AT ALL on infants under two months.
• Do not apply repellant on wounds, cuts or immediately after shaving.
• When applying to your face, spray the repellant in your hands and then apply it to your face. Use sparingly around your ears.
• Do not let young children apply the repellant themselves. Put it in your hands and apply it for them.  Children put their hands/fingers in their mouth too often.
• Do not use near food and wash your hands immediately after applying and before eating and drinking.

Healthy Living Healthy Women: Decade by Decade

Women of all ages need to make sure to stay healthy and most experts break down women’s health routines by their age.  Here are some different checks and measures that should be met as women age, through their 60s.

In your 20s…

1. Kick your unhealthy habits.  Sure, we all drank too much, ate too much, and maybe smoked too much during our college days, but those days should be left at college. Many habits that you form in your 20s stick with you throughout your life, so let go of the bad ones!
2. Plan for an annual physical.  Schedule an annual check-up into your life and stick to it.  You will thank yourself and will be assured that you are doing as well as you feel.
3. Get your fill of calcium and vitamin D.

In your 30s…

1. Keep an eye on the scale as many women begin to deal with weight struggles in their 30s.
2. Get your sleep – all eight hours – if you can!

In your 40s…

1. Get a mammogram.
2. Have a diabetes screening done, as your chances of having Type II diabetes is more common in your 40s.
3. Try to get at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise in per day.

In your 50s…

1. Pay attention to your heart and your risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure.
2. Schedule a colonoscopy.
3. Get the flu vaccine every year.

In your 60s…

1. Have a bone density test done.
2. Make sure to increase your intake of vitamin B12, which helps to produce healthy red blood cells.
3. Inquire about getting a shingles vaccine and be careful of your risk factors for catching pneumonia.

Fitness for All Diet and Fitness at Work

You are there at least 8 hours a day (if not longer) so why not try and do everything you can to change your diet and fitness routine while you are there? Here are some simple ways to lose weight at work.

• Don’t miss breakfast.  We have heard it all before, but to lose weight make sure you are packing a powerful protein for that first meal of the day.
• Pack your lunch.  When you pack your lunch, you are in complete control of portion sizes, if you go out to lunch you are more than likely to overeat and have unnecessary calories.
• Walk on your lunch break – or at least half of it.  Instead of taking your entire lunch hour eating, take a half an hour to eat and a half an hour to get out and exercise.  Try a brisk walk to help you lose weight and burn stress, too.
• Keep a food journal.  That way you are determining how many calories you are taking in during the day.  Many people fail to realize how many calories they are ingesting in a single day until they start writing it down and logging it.
• If possible, leave your car at home.  People who walk or bike to work have a lower risk of being obese.  If you take a bus to work, get off a few stops before your stop and walk the rest of the way.  If you must take a car, park at a parking lot away from your building and get some extra cardio in before your workday even starts.
• Wear a pedometer.  During the day, shoot for 10,000 steps or approximately 5 miles.  Use the stairs instead of the elevator a few days a week or walk to a coworker’s desk instead of sending them an email.
• Walk around during the day.  While your boss may frown on you doing this many times during the day, if you get up a few extra times a day you will burn more calories than staying sedentary for your full eight-hour shift.
• Get a headset and pace in your office when you are on the phone.  Many people who work in an office don’t realize how many hours they spend on the phone… utilize this time by burning some calories while on the phone.

Healthy Living Health Benefits of Massage Therapy

For more than 125 years, experts have been researching the benefits of massage therapy, and besides the obvious stress-free feeling that people have following a massage, there are plenty of other benefits to this ancient healing procedure.

One major benefit of massage therapy that researchers have found is that people who get massages on a regular basis have noticed a decrease in their blood pressure. 

Massages also help to alleviate the pain of those who suffer from migraine headaches. 

Massage can also reduce your heart rate, increase blood circulation and lymph flow, relax your muscles, improve your range of motion, and increase endorphins. Some other physical benefits of massage therapy include relieving muscle tension and stiffness, alleviating discomfort during pregnancy, reducing muscle spasms, promoting deeper and easier breathing, enhancing the health and nourishment of your skin, and improving your posture. 

Massage therapy, while a physical act, is not all about physical benefits. There are plenty of mental benefits that having a massage can give you. 

Some of these mental benefits include promoting mental alertness, relieving mental stress, reducing levels of anxiety, improving motor skills, creating body awareness, and fostering a feeling of wellbeing. 

While this article only touches on a few benefits of massage therapy, both physical and mental, there are plenty more out there that researchers are learning about every day. 

So, go pamper yourself!

In the News Heart Health Month – Part II

(Continued from Part I…)

• Advanced age - Your risk of developing and dying from a heart-related illness increases as you age, with most deaths occurring in the over 65 age group, so staying as healthy as possible through exercise and diet is the best way forward.
• Gender – Men are more at risk of having a heart attack than women, and having one earlier, too.
• Heredity risk - You have a higher chance of developing heart disease if other family members have it. You may want to get your DNA tested for any hereditary risk, then (of course) discuss the results with your doctor.
• Smoking – Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to develop heart disease. It’s time to kick the habit!
• Low physical activity - Leading a sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors for developing coronary heart disease, but you don’t have to be an elite athlete to increase your activity levels as extra protection.
• Being overweight - Overweight people are more likely to develop heart disease. Excess body fat around the stomach and abdomen areas is particularly dangerous and can also lead to high blood pressure.
• Stress - Your physiological response to stress could be a leading risk factor for having a heart attack. Look for healthy ways to deal with the stress of your everyday commitments, such as mindfulness and meditation.
• Poor diet - What you eat affects your health. Eating nutrient-rich foods (such as fruits and vegetables) and limiting your red meat and sugar consumption is a good place to start.