25 percent of Vietnam’s population have heart disease, high blood pressure – sggpnews

Posted on by

The information was released by Chairman of the Vietnam Stroke Association Professor Nguyen Van Thong at a scientific seminar lately.

Worse, more young people suffer high blood pressure for recent years. According to a statistics, nearly 60 percent of people with high blood pressure have not been detected and over 80 percent of patients have not received treatment.

The Southeast Asian country has around 200,000 new cases of stroke yearly and 80 percent of them have high blood pressure.

Professor Thong said that hypertension is a chronic disease which is generally progressive. These lifelong conditions, which include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and asthma, can be managed with simple lifestyle changes and patients have to stay on blood pressure medication forever. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.

Some people stopped taking drug when their blood pressure returns to normal, they may feel that they no longer need the medication. They dont know that normal blood pressure means the medication is doing its job; halting medication will allow blood pressure to rise again, putting the person at risk for stroke and other complications of hypertension.

Others dont record their blood pressure daily and they are passive in preventing complications from elevated blood pressure.

Former head of the Internal Medicine ward of the National Traditional Hospital in Hanoi Dr. Nguyen Thi Van Anh said that western medicines work quickly in treating high blood pressure but they have unwanted side -effected such as rash, coughing, dizzy, breathing difficulty. Eastern medicine considers health as a balanced state versus disease as an unbalanced state as well as detoxify and strengthen peoples liver, kidney and other organs. Eastern medicines work slowly but they are safe and help to keep blood pressure stable for long time.

Therefore, the combination of Eastern and Western medicine in treatment will help control well blood pressure and improve uneasy symptoms of the condition even prevent complications including stroke.

Effective blend of western and eastern approaches is often the optimal solution for recovering from a number of illnesses.

By Minh Vuong - Translated by Uyen Phuong

Read the original:
25 percent of Vietnam's population have heart disease, high blood pressure - sggpnews

The flatten the curve allowed many people and. – Elemental

Posted on by

The flatten the curve allowed many people and. groups to create awareness about going into a quarantine, This preparatory approach supported. work environment and communities, the importance of the confinement fighting the viral pandemic have the positive outcome overcoming the health risk, the health approach has been a greater way to. reversed the diseases, save lives and avoid contamination and spread diseases.

You have contributed positively for the new accessible scientific research advance on the data system that can be easily be access by anyone. ttps://www.who.int/data/gho

Theres few ways to fight diseases during quarantine we can. learn more about prevention at center for diseases control and prevention https://www.cdc.gov

The certified health holistic. coach highlight. the awareness of health control on pos quarantine, After the preparations two important stage allow the population adapt to the world where face shields can be a potential futuristic et Voil..

During and pos-confinement theres phases as people adapt gradually creating healthy habits, protecting, monitoring and securing the lifestyle, the health standards, new world regulations and safety guidelines, healthy consciousness starts at home, you create healthy way, share with your loved one and you make the difference with the community. Rusiane Almeida Author Unveiling the Pure healing, alternative medicine guide to share on the way.

The clear goal is prevention, maintaining the hygiene as well practicing Detoxification periodically. boosting the immune system in such caring way.

the confinement ongoings addresses the basic environment standards, the home, the cleanliness and the. recycling, keep home sanitation wearing the gloves as a protective way sorting wastes recycles.

Cleanliness is next to godliness said the proverbs and next way is keep the natural cleaning product DIY homemade citrus avoid the heavy duty cleaning allergic products. These simple environmental tips can be a great way to start to share with your friends and neighbors as these three simple steps. will help overcome any Viral Pandemic as a Pro achieving the successful post quarantine.

1- Antivirals herbal citrus, roots combination of tea, water and juices mixed with the exercise routine.

The periodically juicing vitamin and minerals immune system boost, reduces probability to contract flu and virus, the body needs electrolytes add fruits and roots balance water PH as well hydrates the body, avoid excessive intake of water, keep it naturally, healthy habits must be developed with the home exercise routine simple as jogging, biking etc healthy weekly routine are essential speaking about exercise, always check your blood type choose the exercise activities match your genes. These herbs and roots have antiviral properties E.g( ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, spearmint, astragalus etc..) enjoy your toner.

2- Boosting serotonin practicing proactive social distance

Theres many ways you can manage the stress and fear of pandemic situation practicing proactiveness as a person, boost your wellbeing sharing kindness, be sincere with compliments and build friendly rapport with others. Be positive and relax during stressful events is the healthiest way to build a strong immunity, we need each other as the acknowledgment of the positive social environment, always give space for people in the line, greetings as reinforce the healthy way to maintain the etiquette mannerism for social distance, be kind with others, Smile boost serotonin. A day without smile is a day wasted.

3. Activate first aid cleaning supply, sterilized maintaining cleanliness of personal objects.

Have the cleaning supply accessible can save time and headaches, separate all the basic accessories and not share personal belongs keep essentials sanitized, sterilize safely clean, avoid microwaves during sterilization. Verify cleanliness of personal belongs (cellphones, wallets, jewelry, sunglasses computers, headphones, clothes sleeves, cosmetics, pencils, coins, cards etc) reduce unnecessary handbag items. Have more than one cleaning supply, at home, car, computer desk, keep the Sam approach inside home as outside home keep pocket wipes. Keep in mind the sanitation, the abstract microscopic bacteria, fungus, flu and virus must be eliminated from the proximities.

The best way to practice sanitations is creating effortless ways to deal with environmental changes. Easier and practical, if you need further assistance you can always hire a healthy coach to improve and incentivize new healthy lifestyle. Be healthy and positive.

Read the rest here:
The flatten the curve allowed many people and. - Elemental

Marquis Donates Thousands of Organic Caffeine Beverages to COVID-19 Front Line Heroes – PR Web

Posted on by

Marquis Donates Thousands of Organic Sparkling Beverages to COVID-19 Front Line Heroes Nationwide

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) June 16, 2020

In response to the worldwide pandemic, Marquis, a healthy lifestyle brand, has donated over 18,000 cans of their signature blend of organic caffeine beverages to health, public service and community-based organizations nationwide whose members are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. The businesses were selected based on Marquis outreach marketing program that invited their fast-growing sales force and customer base to nominate deserving healthcare and service workers.

We are really inspired by all those on the front lines literally sacrificing their lives every day to help and protect the rest of us, said Christopher Lai, CEO, Marquis. Our core brand value is about empowerment, and so we listened to the voice of our Marquis community to identify where and how we could help the most.

Marquis shipped pallets of their beverages to more than a dozen companies, schools and organizations blanketing the United States, with the list including: Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Albertsons Companies, Simply Pure Ltd., the Brooklyn Hospital Center, Banner Health, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, CiboDivino Marketplace & Caf, Lawrence Police Department, the LAPD, the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Stations, Southaven High School Special Education Department, WhidbeyHealth Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Health, the Memorial Hermann Health System, and more.

Theres so many courageous healthcare professionals, service providers and educators who are working tirelessly around-the-clock, so we wanted to make an impact and donate our plant-based caffeine beverages that could refresh and recharge them, without the typical crash or jitters, said Danny Huang, President, Marquis. In challenging times like these, were reminded how its so important we all work together to rise above.

Learn more about Marquis at https://drinkmarquis.com/

###

ABOUT MARQUIS: Marquis is a healthy lifestyle brand on a mission to empower people to be their best, from the inside out. Available in major retail chains nationwide, Marquis is certified USDA Organic and contains zero sugar and zero calories. Their organic caffeine comes from yerba mate, green coffee and green tea, and is certified Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Vegan and affiliated with 1% For The Planet. Marquis is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). Visit https://drinkmarquis.com/ and connect @drinkmarquis

Share article on social media or email:

Read the original post:
Marquis Donates Thousands of Organic Caffeine Beverages to COVID-19 Front Line Heroes - PR Web

Malta’s Got An Obesity Problem – Here’s How Health Authorities Are Planning On Tackling It – Lovin Malta

Posted on by

Malta was recently reminded that its citizens are some of the obese people in Europe after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson casually brought it up in a quip.

However, obesity is a serious problem that the islands health authorities are trying to fight. Lovin Malta spoke to Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci to see what Maltas doing to beat the growing problem.

In 2013, one-third of Maltese 15-year-olds were found to be overweight or obese; in 2017, over a quarter of Maltese adults were found to be obese.

For Gauci, this excess weight is a factor that could potentially reduce ones own positive life experience and wellbeing. Even though the Maltese population enjoys a high life expectancy (82.4 years in 2017), obesity can seriously affect this.

We wanted to develop a multi-factorial approach to the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) seeking to address the many challenges being experienced to maintain a healthy weight across the population through tackling common risk factors, Gauci said.

As it stands, Maltas initiatives are inline with the policies outlined in the Healthy Weight for Life Strategy (2012-2020).

Back in 2012, the government had launched the strategy, highlighting the importance of healthy eating and including a number of measures primarily focusing on areas related to nutrition and physical activity.

Then in 2015, the development of the Food and Nutrition Action Plan (FNAP) provided a more detailed framework when it comes to eating good food.

Obesity has a multifactorial origin with the obesogenic environment resulting from a combination of influences which promote obesity within individuals and the population. These include lifestyle factors such as nutrition and physical activity patterns, cultural and environmental factors, social, economic and infrastructural factors, Gauci said.

Maltas health authorities had placed childhood obesity as a priority area during the Maltese presidency of the EU where they called for an European-wide approach though council conclusions.

However, Gauci said the approach Malta was taking was multi-faceted.

Besides the aforementioned strategies and some other healthy lifestyle initiatives, preventative measures within the community have also been rolled out in schools, workplaces and institutions.

Authorities also promote certain local assets, such as the Mediterranean diet.

Were reaching out to children at an early age, promoting water consumption, healthy snacking, physical activity and to reduce or break up sedentary time in pre-school children, Gauci said. Evidence has shown this programme to be successful in preventing obesity and promotes an ethos that encourages a healthy lifestyle.

She mentioned the EU-funded Lunch Box campaign, an ongoing project that features a programme with three different characters Karmenu, Ganni and Bettina explaining the importance of healthy eating and physical activity aimed specifically at children between the ages of five and 10.

After the play, parents are given a recipe book and a drawing book full of fruits and vegetables to give to their children.

In August 2018, Maltas Parliament adopted Legal Notice 266, regulating the provision of foods and drinks in schools.

After consulting with the Advisory Council on Healthy Lifestyles, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Education agreed thatonly foods that meet the criteria can be sold in schools.

The schools no longer permit any advertising or accept sponsorships of food products not in line with established criteria. Similarly, such an environment with a focus on healthy food was also in place for Mater Dei by June 2019, Gauci said.

Some Maltese health professionals were given training in delivering high-level multidisciplinary training in the prevention and management of obesity, with the support of the Ministry for Health and European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) and the WHO.

Different programmes are aimed at the general population, and at individual people.

The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate has also been offering free weight management programmes for adults over many years.

These are held over a period of 12 weeks and include both a nutritional component and a physical activity component. These programmes have helped many people to lose weight and are expanding year over year, she said.

Another programme, the School Fruit Scheme, also encouraged young children to try different fruits and vegetables within a learning environment.

Infant and young child feeding practices have a direct influence on the health status of children, Gauci said. Exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months may reduce the risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence.

This, among other facts such as allowing breastfeeding in the workplace, was promoted via the Breastfeeding Policy and Action Plan for 2015 to 2020.

Another two sets of food guidelines were rolled out in 2017 and 2018, targeting younger age groups up till the age of 12.

In order to address the obesogenic environment in Malta, system-wide environmental interventions are needed to support educational and behavioural initiatives already in place in order to create supportive environments, Gauci said.

Weight and food consumption in Malta are monitored, as well as any new societal issues that suddenly affect peoples weight. This forms the basis of whether actions need to be stepped-up.

However, when the next leader tries to use Maltas weight problems to promote his own policies, lets try and collectively make it out of the worst spots and show the world how Malta can truly be active.

Read the rest here:
Malta's Got An Obesity Problem - Here's How Health Authorities Are Planning On Tackling It - Lovin Malta

Take a fresh look at our lifestyle in the new normal – The Star Online

Posted on by

THE coronavirus pandemic is set to continue until such time when a World Health Organisation-endorsed vaccine is found, which could be at least 18 to 24 months away. In the meantime, we have to protect ourselves by following the governments mantra to practise social distancing, wash our hands with soap regularly and wear a mask when we go out.

I believe that one pertinent aspect that has been missed (or that has not been given the emphasis it deserves) is on building up our immune system by leading a healthy lifestyle. For now, our immune system must adjust unassisted to this deadly enemy until a vaccine is found. So can we not give serious attention to boosting that system?

Under the new normal, our lifestyles have to be modified to be healthier to reduce the risks of contracting Covid-19. How do we do so? Besides exercising, eating healthy food, reducing stress and having a good nights sleep, we must break unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol.

I have no doubt that every single Malaysian adult knows all of the above.

But knowing is one thing and putting it all into practise is a daunting challenge requiring discipline, effort and time. For instance, we all know the incredible benefits of exercise, which can improve nearly every aspect of our health including increasing the production of hormones that make us feel happier and help us sleep better and yet, most of the time, we are unwilling to commit time and effort to exercising. Or we continue to indulge in excessive drinking or eating junk food.

Healthy individuals can keep Covid-19 away if they keep themselves in good shape by staying active and positive.

Physical good health can also help mental faculties. It has been medically proven that the mind and body are intrinsically linked. Seniors, for instance, can thwart or postpone the onslaught of dementia if they stay healthy.

Even after Covid-19 is long gone, just as the onslaught of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003 disappeared, the threat of another novel coronavirus looms. So lets be prepared by continually staying strong and healthy. Lets do whatever is necessary to ensure that our immune system is in the best shape possible. As the saying goes, God helps those who help themselves.

Let our overall health, energy and vitality shine through. We should make fit and healthy our fashion statement in the new normal.

POLA SINGH

Kuala Lumpur

Original post:
Take a fresh look at our lifestyle in the new normal - The Star Online

New ‘FIGHT’ club encourages healthy lifestyle | News – Evening News and Tribune

Posted on by

CLARKSVILLE The first rule of this fight club is that you can talk about it. In fact, you are encouraged to.

The Southern Indiana FIGHT (Friends Intent on Getting Healthy Today) Club is a new program from Clarksville Parks and Recreation thats designed to help area residents lose weight and feel better about themselves. The free, Facebook-based fitness group was created to encourage residents to look for ways to live a healthier lifestyle.

Its partly because of the COVID-19 outbreak, said Ken Conklin, of Clarksville Parks & Recreation. With people being stuck at home with nowhere to go, a lot of them are snacking and eating more than usual, some people are calling it the COVID-19 pounds.

With that in mind, many are searching for ways to get back in shape and shed those extra pounds.

Looking around you see that there are a lot of different options for people to lose weight, but they can also be expensive, Conklin said. This is very inexpensive.

The programs goal is to motivate residents with various health challenges, in-person fitness classes, healthy eating and cooking demonstrations, as well as other related special events.

The clubs first event will take place Friday night. The Glow Walk in the Park will be from 9 to 10 p.m., weather permitting, at Wooded View Golf Course. After the golf course closes, FIGHT club members will be invited to walk the courses first nine holes a 2.5-mile stroll and enjoy the evening. Participants are required to bring a flashlight and are encouraged to wear glow-in-the-dark items. Glow-in-the-dark necklaces will be given out while supplies last.

Other events are in the works, according to Conklin.

The program hopes to use its Facebook page, of which there are nearly 300 members so far, as a way to keep members motivated. Group members are encouraged to post updates about their personal successes and struggles with staying healthy.

Everyones starting to share their stories, its pretty amazing, Conklin said. Were hoping [the club] gets people outside, gets them social, once the pandemic is over, and gets them healthy.

The clubs name has also been a source of amusement, since it plays off of the title of the 1999 movie Fight Club about underground fighting that starred Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.

With our FIGHT Club the first rule is you do talk about fight club, Conklin said with a laugh.

To sign-up for the club, or for more information, go to ClarksvilleParks.com, the Southern Indiana FIGHT Club Facebook page or email FightClub@ClarksvilleParks.com.

More here:
New 'FIGHT' club encourages healthy lifestyle | News - Evening News and Tribune

More local health and wellness products being produced during coronavirus crisis – KEYT

Posted on by

Health

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - More local health, wellness and beauty products have been created during the coronavirus crisis. At the same time demand has gone up.

Some small business, including some considered home or cottage start ups are in the marketplace now.

They are producing products including hand sanitizers, skin creams, lip balm and lotions.

The Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Markets is one place where you can find these products weekly.

Some of the items are made from beeswax.

Hive and Body products creator Eli Cole said, the bee products " can help a wide range of skin conditions from psoriasis, to dry skin, eczema and also anti inflammatory properties of sore muscles, joints and arthritis."

Some products like bee pollen and honey can be ingested, others are applied to your skin. "It's all from nature," said Cole. He said there is no need to reinvent the wheel, "nature has the answers."

More people are considering healthy lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 crisis as we move forward.

Cole is selling his products in conjunction with San Marcos Farms which sells local honey.

Coronavirus / Lifestyle / Money and Business / Santa Barbara- S County

Link:
More local health and wellness products being produced during coronavirus crisis - KEYT

Mother’s Day Special: Experts reveal what kids can do to take care of their moms and their health – PINKVILLA

Posted on by

Mother's Day Special: We asked 4 experts to share some tips on how kids can help to improve their mother's health.

Mother's Day which is celebrated every second Sunday of May will be observed tomorrow i.e. May 10. This year the celebrations will be different and less grand as we are following lockdown guidelines. However, that doesn't mean we cannot make our moms feel special on this day. Aside from gifts, meals and fun activities, kids, on this day and every day, should do certain things and must take efforts to take care of their moms and their health. It is a known fact that our mothers hardly take care of their own health and constantly look after us and family. But we kids should also take care of mom's health no matter what. We have asked four experts to help us with some lesser-known tips on how we can take care of our moms and improve their health.

Diksha Chhabra, Certified Fitness Expert and Nutritionist, Founder of Diksha Chhabra Fitness ConsultationDiksha Chhabra said, "This Mother's day let's turn the tables and put mothers under the spotlight by becoming the caregiver and support to them. We grew up seeing our mom's making sacrifices for us all through their lives but it's high time they get the feeling of love and concern for their health and wellbeing." She gave three tips for kids.

Encourage them for Healthy Meals:The first and foremost step towards dieting is getting rid of all the harmful, junk food that leads to high cholesterol, sugar levels, hormonal imbalances, and blood pressure. Women are prone to develop health issues due to bad eating habits twice compared to men. Encourage your mother to eat healthy by eating and cooking healthy with her. She will love your companionship and will be more disciplined towards her meals.

Make sure she hydrates:If mom is in charge of the kitchen, you can be in charge of constant intake of water, healthy juices, and detox drinks not just for her but for yourself and everyone in the family. These simple detox drinks don't require much time and exposure to fire. So kids of all ages can bring this habit to practice.

Keep her micronutrients in check:Women after the age of 35 start depleting essential minerals like Calcium and Iron. Also, 2 out of 5 women are suffering from vitamin deficiency due to poor nourishment. As a child, ensure that mom is taking her daily dose of prescribed supplements for an active and healthy lifestyle.

Nora Bali, Mom Blogger, A Classic MomNora Bali, a professional digital content creator who shares chronicles her candid life stories in her channel A Classic Mom, also shared her inputs on healthy choices kids can make for moms.

She said, "Inculcating good habits in kids is a mandate for mothers that they follow very religiously. You can see me talking about it in a fun and playful way in my YouTube videos A Classic Mom. Mothers like to be always right for their kids and they make sure that they teach them and raise them to be disciplined and healthy.But this Mothers Day lets have the kids do some real work for moms. So, kids, we all know how deeply you love your mommies! It is time to prove it now and the sooner you do that the better it is for your mothers health. We all want an upbeat and joyful mom in the house, dont we?"

Groove with her: Helping your mom to be in shape is the best thing you can gift her. So, plan a fun work out session every day and make sure you get her to move and exercise. Start small, dont go overboard with an intense workout regime. Some of the days you can plan some dance songs and groove with her. It will help them express themselves better and bring out the happier person that they are. You will be surprised to see they have an inner child that is waiting to come out and dance.

Music Therapy: You must have heard this before Music is the best healer. Music also helps you to be in an upbeat mood throughout the day. So, make a playlist for your mom with her favourites and some soulful music of her choice and play it for her when she is doing her chores. You take the initiative of playing it for her and connect to the speaker so that she can hear it wherever she moves in the house and after that, she will do it on her own when you are not around. Trust me on this.

Read with her: Reading is the best exercise for the brain to be active and refreshed. Take out 20 30 mins a day when you can spend with your mom sipping your favourite drink and reading. Read novels and she can read her news or enjoy flipping some magazines. It is a great bonding exercise. Trust me it will make both of you very happy people.

Nutritionist Jinal Savla, founder & owner of Healthy Palate

Jinal also shared some simple and effective ways as well. She said," Kids can assist mothers in cooking up some healthy dessert or in simple household chores like cleaning & washing vegetables so that moms can take some time out for themselves during the quarantine. They can also engage their moms in a fun dance or aerobic workout with themselves to keep their mommies fit. They can also prepare some DIY face masks & pedicure scrubs to pamper their moms during this difficult times & make them feel special.

Mr. Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach- Integrative Medicine

He has some important points for mothers as well as for kids. He said, "Mothers are the pillars of our families and generation. I always see mothers prioritizing their families before them as a result of which their health tends to deteriorate over the years taking the shape of diseases like PCOS, diabetes, anemia, obesity, thyroid, hypertension, and even cancer.

Put yourself first. This is in no way being selfish, this just means taking out that ME time for yourself and your body, even if it is just 15 minutes a day. Giving yourself that undivided attention is actually going to help you remain calm and help maintain your emotional health."

Healthy eatingOften, it is believed that healthy eating is not probable in a chaotic lifestyle. However, that is not true. All one needs is a modification in approach and a firm choice to be a fit and healthy mom. Introspect at every point whether you are feeding your immunity or feeding disease. You can certainly be a super mom and also meet your health goals at the same time.

Express your feelings, dear moms.Women, by nature, love to share and express their challenges. A failure to express and speak out results in the emotional internalization of things, which is one of the prime causes of stress eating. Make the right choice. Heal your emotions with feelings and tools that work for your mind and soul like deep breathing, yoga, nature walks, positive affirmations, not with food. Kids reading this, please make an effort to communicate with your mothers. Communication and compassionate listening are the biggest healers.

Maintain your timetable and stick to itThis is with respect to eating, sleeping, working out too. So many moms keep shuffling their eating timings. Let skip their morning and noon meals and then finally consume a heavy dinner. No matter how far we might have come in terms of evolution, our dinners still have to be light. It is important to develop a habit of eating meals and going to sleep at the same time. Everything in us works according to a rhythm.

Where would we be without our moms? Its time to appreciate everything she does for us, click here to write her a love letter. #DearMom

x Your comment has been submitted to the moderation queue

See the article here:
Mother's Day Special: Experts reveal what kids can do to take care of their moms and their health - PINKVILLA

Tips to maintain a normal blood pressure reading – The Straits Times

Posted on by

People with hypertension should take the medicines prescribed and adopt a healthy lifestyle to keep the condition in check.

Professor Tan Huay Cheem, chairman of the Singapore Heart Foundation, offers some tips:

Choose a balanced diet Maintaining a healthy weight is important in keeping blood pressure under control. Increased body weight raises blood pressure and possibly the need for higher doses and more drugs to control the pressure.

Choose a healthy and balanced diet that includes carbohydrate, protein, fruit and vegetables in meals, as they provide the necessary fuel for daily activities.

Reduce salt intake Reduce your intake of salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, while increasing that of fibre and potassium, lean protein and high calcium from foods such as low-fat dairy.

The daily consumption of salt a day should be less than 5g (one teaspoon) as recommended by the World Health Organisation. However, in the National Nutrition Survey 2020 conducted by Health Promotion Board (HPB), Singaporeans were found to consume 8.3g daily.

Dietary salt occurs naturally in fresh food. It also comes from salt added in cooking, as well as preserved and processed food.

Choose fresh food over preserved food, look out for HPB healthier choice symbols such as "lower in sodium" or "no added sodium" and always reduce the use of additional salt and sauces in cooking or at the table. Exercise regularly Regular physical activity is important. The Ministry of Health's recommendation is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, or at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five to seven days a week. Drink alcohol in moderation Alcohol should be consumed in moderation. It adds to calorie intake and can cause weight gain.

The recommended amount is one can of beer, one glass of wine or one shot of hard liquor a day, and drinkers should keep at least two alcohol-free days a week.

Here is the original post:
Tips to maintain a normal blood pressure reading - The Straits Times

The Key to Handling Stress and COVID-19 SF Gate – msnNOW

Posted on by

Provided by SF Gate

By Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP, Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD, Michelle Williams, ScD, Ryan Castle, William C. Bushell, PhD, Kimberly Brouwer, PhD, and Paul J. Mills, PhD

Although COVID-19 is very easily transmitted from person to person, the risk of subsequent hospitalization and death primarily affects people who are already at risk because of old age, infirmity and/or chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, autoimmune illness, obesity, and heart disease. All of these chronic illnesses are associated with measurable low-grade inflammation in the body. The chronic low-grade inflammation that develops with advanced age has become known as inflammaging. Most people with chronic illness unknowingly have low-grade inflammation. Recent research points to a second finding: these same disorders are often accompanied by persistent low-grade anxiety and depression.

All of this as a background increases the danger for a person when acute illness strikes. In addition to the elderly and chronically ill, COVID-19 is causing acute respiratory illness and stroke sometimes leading to death in seemingly otherwise healthy younger individuals. The transition from SARS-CoV-2 infection to diagnosed COVID-19 is typically accompanied by a cytokine storm. Cytokines are proteins that are major drivers of inflammation, and their rapid increase, or "storm is one of the bodys immune responses to acute threat.

In addition, studies have connected pro-inflammatory cytokines to the stress response; they regulate well-known stress hormones such as ACTH and cortisol. Three major systems are involved: the immune system, the central nervous system and the endocrine hormone system.

In the face of these connections, we are coming forward to suggest that complementary practicesdeep breathing, yoga, and meditationcan play an important role during this pandemic. These practices have been confirmed by hundreds of scientific studies to bring down over-activity of the autonomic nervous system, calm the mind from anxiety, reduce the stress response, regularize heartbeat, and lower blood pressure. Together, all of these diverse benefits are associated with reducing the invisible presence of chronic low-grade inflammation, especially if added to good sleep, exercise, and proper diet.

We dont fully understand how the immune response, linked to stress and inflammation, can turn lethal. As a response to cuts, wounds, invading pathogens, and other threats, prior to antibody formation, the body first responds with inflammation as a normal yet crucial healing function. But it has long been known that inflammation is paradoxical. Acute inflammation can over-react, harming or even killing the patient. (Instances of strokes and heart attacks among young COVID-19 patients might be linked to micro-cytokine storms in the brain and heart.)

The threat from low-grade chronic inflammation was not discovered until recently but seems to be widespread. It is unaccompanied by the swelling, burning, and redness of the skin that marks acute inflammation and therefore goes undetected by the patient or physician. Preventing and addressing chronic low-grade inflammation and its significant adverse consequences are urgent issues, even more urgent during a pandemic. There seems to be every reason to make the public aware how deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and other healthy lifestyle practices can help during this crisis and long afterwards.

Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego

Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD, Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School/MGH

Michelle Williams, SM, ScD, Dean of the Faculty, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Kimberly Brouwer, PhD, Professor and Chief, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Division of Global Health, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, at the University of California, San Diego

Ryan Castle, Executive Director of the Chopra Library

William C. Bushell, PhD, medical anthropologist and research director of the Chopra Library

Paul J. Mills, PhD, Professor and Chief, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, at the University of California, San Diego

Read this article:
The Key to Handling Stress and COVID-19 SF Gate - msnNOW

Growing Inclination toward Healthy Lifestyle to Propel Growth of Nonalcoholic Beer Market – TMR Research Blog

Posted on by

The nonalcoholic beer market expects to witness an upward trajectory in the growth rate during the forecast period. Growing awareness about the need for preventing alcohol consumption to avoid its ill-effects is the prime factor for growth generation in the nonalcoholic beer market. In addition rising coronary heart disease and hypertension cases due to alcohol consumption may further trigger the growth of the nonalcoholic beer market. Based on distribution, the nonalcoholic beer market is classified into offline and online channels. Offline channels include supermarkets and hypermarkets. Online channels include e-commerce sites. The online segment is expected to witness a surge, as people will prefer social distancing and avoid unnecessary crowding at markets due to the threat of novel coronavirus disease.

Get SampleCopy of this Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=6442

Production of nonalcoholic beer variants by beer manufacturers to benefit the nonalcoholic beer market

To expand their product segment and spin the web of an expanded consumer base, beer manufacturers like Carlsberg, Budweiser, and Heineken have jumped in the production of nonalcoholic beers. The launch of nonalcoholic beer named Kirin Greens Free by Japans oldest brewery, Kirin, is a classic instance.

Acquisitions and collaborations are a common scenario in the nonalcoholic beer market. For instance, Scottish beer manufacturer Brewdog has collaborated with Lamb of God, an American heavy metal band to release a new non-alcoholic beer named Ghost Walker. Such collaborations ramp up the public relations activities and help in better promotion of nonalcoholic beers. Hence, such trends are expected to be constantly highlighted during the forecast period.

In addition, stringent age limit norms and considerably high taxes on alcoholic beverages in some regions may also prove strong factors for the growth of the nonalcoholic beer market.

Check Table of Contents of this Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=6442

Some cultures and religions prohibit alcohol consumption. Hence, regions with significant influence of such cultures and religions can also prove to be growth multipliers for the nonalcoholic beer market.

Like Loading...

As Head of Marketing at TMR Research, Rohit brings to the table over a decade of experience in market research and Internet marketing. His dedication, perseverance, and passion for perfection have enabled him to achieve immense success in his field. Rohit is an expert at formulating new business plans and strategies to help boost web traffic. His interests lie in writing news articles on technology,healthcare and business.View all posts by Rohit Bhisey

See the article here:
Growing Inclination toward Healthy Lifestyle to Propel Growth of Nonalcoholic Beer Market - TMR Research Blog

Come on, get appy: How to get the most out of health apps – The Gardner News

Posted on by

Its no secret that apps can turn your phone into a valuable tool for health and fitness. But with hundreds of thousands available, finding a good one can seem daunting.

It doesnt have to be.

Choosing an app does need to involve more than clicking and downloading, experts say. But you can take steps to improve the odds of finding something safe and helpful. You just need to keep in mind one factor that cant be unlocked online: self-motivation.

If youve never explored the world of apps, you might not know what youre missing. Dr. John Higgins, a sports cardiologist at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, said they can be particularly good at motivating people to get up and move.

Higgins, who wrote a paper evaluating apps for The American Journal of Medicine, said they also can help people eat right and learn about specific diseases. When synced with a wearable monitor or tracker, they can improve exercise routines and give people valuable data to share with their doctor.

For kids, he said, apps can teach good habits. For older adults, they can help monitor medications, provide brain training and help them avoid things that we know are unhealthy for them, you know, like sitting and surfing the web or watching movies all day.

Studies have shown apps can be great at helping people lose weight, especially by allowing people to monitor what they eat, said Lora Burke, a professor of nursing and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Burke, who led the writing of a 2015 American Heart Association report that evaluated app technology, said the information provided by a food-tracking app can be an eye-opener. Everybody thinks theyre eating less than they are, she said. Seeing calories counted and graphed can leave new users amazed.

Such apps work, Burke said, because better health starts with behavioral change. And self-monitoring is at the core of that change.

The person needs to become aware of their behavior and what could be improved, she said. And then they need to monitor their behavior to see how its changing.

And here is the trick to making any app work, she said: It is only helpful if you use it.

It doesnt make you exercise, she said. It just tells you if youve done 2,000 steps or youve done 12,000 steps. Youre the one who has to do it.

People also need to use caution when selecting one. The Food and Drug Administration considers mobile apps aimed at encouraging a healthy lifestyle to be generally outside the scope of its regulation. Some experts have raised concerns about the way apps share personal data.

Others question their safety. Researchers found dozens of examples of apps gone bad for a review in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Farah Magrabi, associate professor at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, was senior author on that 2019 study.

The most egregious errors were those that harmed patients, she said. For example, one app that was supposed to support women undergoing breast cancer surgery was found to increase anxiety and depression. Another intended to reduce alcohol consumption actually increased heavy drinking. The review also found a melanoma app that gave incorrect diagnoses and a bipolar disorder app that wrongly advised patients to take a hard shot of liquor an hour before bed.

To protect yourself, Magrabi said, dont rely on ratings. Studies have shown that app ratings are not correlated with quality or safety.

Instead, she said, stick to apps from or approved by credible sources such as health care providers, health organizations or government agencies. (Britains National Health Service has such a list at nhs.uk/apps-library/.)What else can help? Check to see how fresh the app is. A 2019 BMJ study found apps not updated within the past six months tended to raise more safety concerns.

Higgins suggested doing a little research about an apps creators. A diet app developed by a registered dietitian would be more useful than one developed by someone whos not, he said.

Burke said anyone syncing an app to a device thats being used to guide treatment, such as a blood pressure monitor, should have that device examined for accuracy by a healthcare professional.

With fitness trackers and weight loss apps, she said, stick with known brands that have been around a while.Burke and Higgins both said taking an app for a test drive to find out whether it fits your needs can help you find a good match. Many offer trial versions.

Apps, Burke said, can be friendly buddies and little coaches. But youll need commitment.

Dont get discouraged, she said. Because changing behavior is very difficult. Its a challenge. But these things actually can help you by giving you some feedback on the changes you are making in your lifestyle habits.

Read more here:
Come on, get appy: How to get the most out of health apps - The Gardner News

The Intersection of Psychology and the LGBTQ+ Perspective – Pepperdine University Graphic

Posted on by

Art by Elizabeth Brummer

The rainbow flag of the LGBTQ+ community celebrates themes of diversity, inclusivity and unity, encouraging kindness and acceptance. Yet for many queer individuals, their coming out experiences are anything but liberating.

With statistics showing LGBTQ+ youths being at an even greater risk for mental health struggles and queer youth suicide rates five times greater than their heterosexual counterparts, understanding how to support this community has never been more important.

[Its hard to] have to be the explainer, junior Grace Ramsey said. To just kind of always have someone give you this really, really blank look when you tell them about this super, super significant facet of who you are.

Bridging the Gap Between Societal Standards and Self-Acceptance

As a member of the asexual community, Ramsey said explaining their sexual orientation to others can be a challenge. Ramsey said if their orientation is brought up in conversation, they feel obligated to explain it; otherwise, others wont fully understand.

With explanation comes justification, because most of the time, people are like, Well, are you sure have you really just not met the right person yet?' Ramsey said.

Asexuality was only recently removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and is now recognized as a sexual orientation rather than a dysfunction. Ramsey said because theres such a conflation between love and sex in society, people forget that sexual and romantic attraction are vastly different.

No one understands what its like to not feel sexually attracted to other humans, except for other asexual people, Ramsey said. They cant wrap their minds around the fact that an asexual person could want to have a romantic relationship.

As Ramsey initially came to terms with their identity, they found the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), an organization that helped them to feel less alone. For many in situations similar to Ramseys, talking to a specialist can be beneficial.

Taking the time to get counseling and reflect on how that has shaped me has been imperative in my understanding, senior Chase Manson said. Knowing when to just not give up to ask for help thats really important.

Manson said his journey with mental health has been an ongoing process. Manson said there are difficulties in the gay community, specifically regarding confidence.

I think in the gay community, there is a tendency to demonize ourselves sexually because were not, like, good enough, and that can lead to body image issues that can lead to depression, Manson said. [There can be] misinformation about what a healthy lifestyle looks like.

Ever since he was outed as opposed to coming out on his own terms, Manson said finding his tribe, or friends who are also part of the LGBTQ+ community, has allowed him to find confidence in his identity.

I was able to relate to someone and have a friend who I could talk to about this stuff, Manson said. That, to me, has really shaped not only my mental health journey but also my personal journey.

Many people perceive coming out as a one-time occurrence. Pepperdine counselor Esther Lee said the exploration of ones identity is not a singular decision its a continuous process.

Feeling different can be really difficult, Lee said. Ive heard from many students that it was difficult for them to have no environment that validated or normalized their experiences.

Self-acceptance of ones orientation can also become a resilience factor, Lee said.

When individuals are committed to their identity exploration, and when theyre open to understanding who they are, it can become a strong resource it can become their strength and resource, Lee said.

Some closeted individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, however, may not feel safe to receive the help they need.

[Having] a part of yourself that affects the way you see the world that must be hidden from other people really causes high levels of depression and anxiety, Psychology Professor Steven Rouse said.

As the faculty adviser of Crossroads, Pepperdines LGBTQ+ club, Rouse said organizations like the Trevor Project and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are helpful resources for those who are struggling. Even so, some individuals might not feel comfortable seeing a specialist.

A lot of people avoid going to counseling because theyre afraid that its going to be an experience thats going to actually increase their level of distress and increase their level of self-hatred, Rouse said.

History and Relationships of LGBTQ+ Mental Health

Diving deep into the background of the DSM, Rouse said the DSM-1 was created in 1952 and included homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disorder. During this time, Rouse said, research revealed that personality tests of gay and straight men could not be differentiated.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a comprehensive manual of all identified mental health disorders. It defines and classifies disorders and is used in the field by practicing mental health professionals. The most recent DSM is the DSM-5, which was published in May 2013.

In the DSM-3, which came out in 1980, the change was made so homosexuality was only a disorder if a person was attracted to members of the same sex but didnt want to be. A few years later, the DSM-3-R came out in 1987, and at that time, it was removed as a disorder.

Nearly three decades have passed, yet efforts to curb fluidity of sexual identities persist.

For many of those 30 years, there were many therapists who claimed to be able to change sexual orientation either under the name of reparative therapy or sexual orientation change efforts, Rouse said.

Ramsey said even within the LGBTQ+ community, there have been disagreements over recognition for each group. They said they have received comments over whether the A for asexuals within the LGBTQIAP+ acronym should be removed.

[People have said] its not a sexuality its a lack of sexuality, so we shouldnt be included in the community as well, Ramsey said. So it can be hard because sometimes theres not even a safe place for us in the LGBTQ+ community.

Lee said while the LGBTQ+ population is at a higher risk for emotional distress and mental disorders, many of these stressors come from external sources. Hate crimes, stereotypes, biased language and other microaggressions are just a few causes of declining mental health within the queer community.

If friends and loved ones are struggling to accept who they are, then, you know, those individuals might experience loss and grief because its such a loss of the relationship and trust, Lee said.

Speaking to Spirituality and Sexual Orientation

With mental health already a challenge, navigating religious rules, sexual orientation and external judgment can be a difficult journey for those in the queer community.

One of the biggest lies that the American church has told queer Christians is that they have to choose between one aspect of their identity or the other, Rouse said. Once a person comes to the realization that their sexual orientation is not something thats changeable a lot of people start then moving away from their Christian faith.

Rouse said finding a way to live a life that glorifies God while understanding the reality of their sexual orientation can be very challenging. Ramsey said as a Christian, they have learned to find strength in mindful meditation and prayer.

A big part of my mental health journey has been remembering that, you know, God loves me regardless of what other people say, even people who claim to have the same religion that I do, Ramsey said.

Overall, Ramsey said they have felt supported by the Pepperdine faculty and resources on campus such as the Counseling Center.

Manson said he is a big believer in mentorship and finding a spiritual or relational adviser.

If you know s
omeone who is openly out or lives their life in a way that you find inspiring, talk to them gay or straight, Manson said. They have very good insightful knowledge that you can use to apply to your life.

_________________________________

Email Savannah Welch: savannah.welch@pepperdine.edu

Follow the Graphic on Twitter: @PeppGraphic

See the original post here:
The Intersection of Psychology and the LGBTQ+ Perspective - Pepperdine University Graphic

Podcast: Preserving mental, physical health while isolating at home – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Posted on by

Visit the News Hub

Healthy diet, exercise can help those adhering to pandemic's stay-at-home orders

Public health sciences expert Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, says those confining themselves to their homes can take steps to stay mentally and physically healthy, the most important of which involves being kind to oneself. Colditz and psychiatrist Jessica Gold, MD both of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis offer advice about how to lower stress levels and stay healthy during the pandemic.

A new episode of our podcast Show Me the Science has been posted. At present, we are highlighting research and patient care on the Washington University Medical Campus as our scientists and clinicians confront COVID-19.

The St. Louis region and most of the United States are under stay-at-home orders, meaning that aside from reporting to essential jobs that require attendance, and trips to the grocery store, drug store or other necessary errands, most people are spending more time at home than ever before.

This weeks podcast features experts in maintaining ones physical and mental health while isolated. Washington University public health sciences expert Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, studies how small changes in behavior can have a big impact on health. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect all of our lives, he has been writing about the need to stay home and maintain social distancing, as well as the potential pitfalls of ignoring those measures.

This week, we also hear from Jessica Gold, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry, who works with college students and young adults. She says stress caused by the pandemic, combined with emotional and social implications of stay-at-home orders, contribute to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder for many. Gold offers strategies that might help some people avoid those complications.

The podcast, Show Me the Science, is produced by the Office of Medical Public Affairs at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

[music plays]

Jim Dryden (host): Hello, and welcome to Show Me the Science, a podcast about the research, teaching and patient care, as well as the student, staff and faculty, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, the Show-Me state. My name is Jim Dryden, and Im your host this week. Weve been focusing these podcasts on the COVID-19 pandemic and Washington Universitys response. And this week, were talking with some experts who speak to the problems that are faced by those of us who are pretty much confined to our homes these days. Things like anxiety, depression, even substance use or overeating. Graham Colditz is an epidemiologist and public health expert at Washington University.

Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH:We can still exercise outside and keep distance, but the work-from-home model of sitting down for 12 or 18 hours a day is sort of the exact opposite of the healthy lifestyle that we clearly aim for.

Dryden:He says that as necessary as distancing is, its also stressful. And he has some ideas about things that might help us lower those stress levels to keep us as healthy as possible while we try to wait out the pandemic. Well also speak to Jessi Gold, a psychiatrist who works with a number of college students and young adults.

Jessica Gold, MD: There are higher rates of people using crisis text line and calling crisis hotlines right now. And its not for suicide, but its for this, like, anxiety, worry, concern thing.

Dryden: She has some ideas about maintaining mental health during these shelter-at-home days. But first, Colditz says one of the biggest stressors many of us face is that when were fortunate enough to work from home, many of us actually put in longer hours.

Colditz: And your work day is expanded because some of your colleagues are sharing childcare with their partners. So one works in the morning; one works in the afternoon. And then, they clean up e-mail at night when kids are asleep, and you get the e-mail when theyre cleaning up. Yeah, to me its made the work day as long as youve got a colleague whos awake, you can be getting an e-mail that you wouldnt have been getting. One of the things Ive done for some time is try to leave my cellphone at home alone on its own on Saturday because if my wife and I are out, and the kids want to contact us, theyll call their mom anyway, right? Theyre not going to call me first. And so Im not tempted to look at e-mail messages and things. Making that effort to disconnect is key.

Dryden: Some people, including some who currently live in my house, have spent a long time trying to stay healthy by going to the gym, swimming at the Y, taking yoga classes, that sort of thing. All of which are kind of bad ideas now. What are some better ideas?

Colditz: The keeping distance, obviously, is key for protection of our overall population and crushing the curve. The goal of staying active still has to be respected, maintained, but we have to adjust how we can do that. We can still exercise outside and keep distance, but the work from home model of sitting down for 12 or 18 hours a day is sort of the exact opposite of the healthy lifestyle that we clearly aim for. And so finding ways to build the standing, moving around, whether you put a timer on to go off every 30 minutes, move around, stand up, put activity back into their life, replacing the trip to the gym.

Dryden: Your research often focuses on how some seemingly smaller things can, over time, have big effects on health. And I wonder what sort of effects you think this quarantine might have? If we dont get sick, thats a good effect. But what about some of the negative effects? And other than standing, how might we mitigate some of those?

Colditz: Sure. So the other challenge that we have is call it the social isolation. People are using the term social distancing, but we really want physical distancing and social engagement, cut off from the media for our mental health. It really pays off to disconnect from all of that flood of news from time to time. And then the other issue really comes back often to diet, the other part of the balance. So if were sitting at home and doing all of this, do we start munching more? Were sitting beside the refrigerator or around the corner from the refrigerator, and suddenly access to food and snacks that we dont have at work is there at home. And can we still structure this so were starting the day and stopping the day? Ive got co-workers who put a timer on to run, to exercise at 4:00 PM so they actually can stop the day to transition. Otherwise, the workday, the work night, the weekend are just seven continuous days. So life builds some pattern back to actually give us some better mental structure for surviving this really dramatic change in the way we live that happened literally overnight.

Dryden: Is it a problem if somebody has not gotten into a pattern yet?

Colditz: If you look across 100 of your peers either in the city or across the country, not everyone has got to a new work set of habits and environment. So my read is this is going to be a continually changing environment. So again, can you think, instead of talking to someone on the phone, you can go outside and go for a walk and talk on the phone so you get exercise and the call done? In the first week you might never have thought about that. Change up some of these strategies so were getting the work done, staying healthy and working to ultimately get past this pandemic.

Dryden: Not to share too much, but in my family, our daughter is home from Chicago waiting this out. And my wife is in the house all the time; Im in the house all the time. We like each other, but its an awful lot of time to spend together.

Colditz: The cabin fever in the way you describe with too many close family members in close quarters just for more than we can bear. Again, is that an opportunity to break the habit? Maybe you used to walk with your dog and your partner. And now, all of a sudden, youd rather
take a walk on your own. Absolutely, finding ways to build boundaries and structures that are going to be quite different from the five days at work and two days at home when youre at home 21 days in a row.

Dryden: And one of the first things that you said was, Be kind to yourself. Is that the foundation of all of this?

Colditz: In fact, we think it really is. Were all thrown into this with, Ill say, almost zero preparation, no training program to do this. And so you can see news anchors in their living rooms. Everyones adjusting. Relaxing a little on our expectations is really an essential first step to opening the potential adjustment and modification to how were living, how were working.

[music plays]

Dryden: Graham Colditz says its important to remember that were all going through this together, and none of us have done anything quite like this before. That can cause us stress and anxiety according to our next guest.

Gold: Im Dr. Jessi Gold.

Dryden: Lets start from the idea that were basically all a little more anxious now, and you include yourself in that. Can you give me an example?

Gold: Anxiety comes from the unknown, and absolutely everything is unknown. And we dont have answers to anything. And I cant answer any question that anyone asks me like, When is this going to end? or When can we leave our houses, and when will my family be able to talk to my family in person? or like, When will people stop being killed by this virus? All these questions, I dont have answers to any of them. So when did I know that I was affected? I think I have a lot of friends and family that are on both coasts, so I think I started to realize I was affected when I noticed they were affected. Worrying and concern for what they are experiencing, what they might experience, the kind of stuff that they might be seeing and just kind of not sleeping as well and needing to voraciously stay up and read and look at social media in a way that felt unhealthy to me. Even though I like social media, and Im often up and reading social media, I did feel like I had probably entered a hyper overdrive state of needing to do it. And that was about when I was like, Oh. Yes, this is affecting me too.

Dryden: I assume that translates into a lot of secondary emotions, that anxiousness, like anger, sadness. Underlying chemical changes like higher levels of stress hormones. What can we do?

Gold: Try to figure out what you know works for you. So sometimes people have already thought about that because they went to therapy before, or theyve thought through it before, and they just havent thought about it in a while. So stopping and thinking about what were their coping skills in the past and even writing them down. So writing down what those things are that help us so we can go to them when were feeling really anxious or angry or sad. Like some people like mindfulness. So that really just means, kind of, getting out of your head and out of the emotions and getting more into the moment of like, What am I feeling right now? What am I seeing right now? Exercise works. So if youre a person who likes to exercise, you can definitely do that. You have to keep distance from people, but you can still go outside right now. There are a lot of exercise things that are using virtual you can go do classes online, or people are giving free yoga classes online and things like that which are pretty cool. Some people journal. Those are just a couple of skills that work for people.

Dryden: Wondering whether you think that come June or July, well have a lot more clinically depressed, anxious, obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatically stressed people who were sort of triggered by this pandemic.

Gold: I mean, I think so. We dont have a lot of evidence to go off of from past pandemics. So what we know is not super applicable. But what we see would suggest that there should be some sort of aftermath. There are higher rates of people using crisis text line and calling crisis hotlines right now. And its not for suicide, but its for this, like, anxiety, worry, concern thing. But I think we dont have that kind of evidence to build off of. We can just make assumptions that we will have higher rates of all of it.

Dryden: You work with college students. Are there special problems associated with them heading home during this pandemic?

Gold: Their roles do shift when they go home, and kids do really like going to college to get away, and going home and being home for a long period of time does make for a really different situation. And I think people forget about that when they think about how easy it is. Like, Oh, we just sent them home, and theyre home, and thats all. But it is really different for people.

Dryden: How much do people miss the interactions that they used to have several times a day in the office?

Gold: Yeah. I mean, we definitely take that for granted. Walking down the hallway and saying, Hi to a co-worker, that was just something you did because thats what you had. But I think people who are like, I am an introvert still do so much socializing that they dont even realize. You see people in class even if you dont talk to them. You see the mail man. You see people when you go check out at the grocery store. And I think we take all of that for granted, and maybe we wont anymore. It would be a nice aftermath of this if we then go to restaurants, and people are putting their phones down in conversations. We have so many day-to-day social interactions that we dont even realize we have.

Dryden: What do you see as the biggest risks for us, the biggest mental health risks from this entire experience?

Gold: Self isolation. Isolation is a risk. Loneliness is a risk. Coping skills. So falling back on poor coping skills like substance use, eating disorders would be something that would be at high risk of being something that people would turn to because its a way to control something: I cant control the outside world, but I can control what goes into me. Alcohol. Im sure youve heard people being like, Im just home. I just want a glass of wine after work now. And a lot of people are drinking a lot more.

Dryden: Im assuming youre seeing your patients by Zoom or FaceTime or something now. Are you seeing an uptick in problems in the patients that you are seeing now?

Gold: Its mixed, actually. So for a while, it was like people were in this phase, I need to do food and safety. Which is like, How do I figure out my food? How do I get safe? And how do I not die of this disease? And from my college kids, it was also like, How do I figure out online classes and getting my stuff back from school and living at home with my parents? So these immediate things. And now, were getting to the phase where some of that is getting handled or has been handled. And now, people are starting to settle more into like, Oh, now Im maybe anxious or sad. Or Oh, whats that feeling? And so theres more of that coming out. There are also some people that are actually doing amazing with being in isolation. People who actually have pretty bad social anxiety and maybe would have done better with online classes, but never would have chosen it. So people who Ive been a little bit surprised have done quite well. So I do have a group of people like that.

[music plays]

Dryden: Both Gold and Colditz say making small changes during these next several weeks can have a big impact on our physical and mental health. Both say trying to make a schedule is very important, as is making sure to move around regularly even if its just getting up from the computer to take a quick walk. Show Me the Science is a production of the Office of Medical Public Affairs at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The goal of this project is to keep you informed and maybe teach you some things that will give you hope. Thanks for tuning in. Im Jim Dryden. Stay safe.

Washington University School of Medicines 1,500 faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals. The School of M
edicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, ranking among the top 10 medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

See more here:
Podcast: Preserving mental, physical health while isolating at home - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Report Offers Insights on Cancer Death Rates and Importance of Prevention – Cancer Health Treatment News

Posted on by

New Report Offers Insights on Cancer Death Rates and Importance of Cancer Prevention

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, published in the journal,Cancer,offers both positive and sobering findings. The US cancer death rates continued to fall from 2001 to 2017, yet incidence among women nudged slightly upwards for many common cancers in recent years.

A companion paper,Healthy People 2020, measuring Americans progress on national health goals shows that adults have not met targets to improve key lifestyle factors linked to cancer risk, including drinking too much alcohol, obesity prevalence and smoking.

Together, the papers highlight the immense toll of cancer in the US and the importance of adopting healthy lifestyle habits that can protect against the disease. AICR research shows strong evidence that eating a mostly plant-based diet and practicing other healthy lifestyle habits can lower the risk of developing many of the most common cancers.

The status of overall cancer death rates and new cases

This years Annual Report showed that overall cancer death rates decreased 1.5 percent per year on average from 2001 to 2017, decreasing more rapidly among men than women. Overall cancer death rates also decreased in every racial and ethnic group during 20132017. These trends could reflect improvements in detection and treatment, the paper notes.

Yet, the rates of new cancer cases have slightly increased or remained stable for many types. From 2012 to 2016, the most recent data available, incidence rates for all cancers combined were overall stable in men and increased slightly in women.

Among men, the stable trend was largely driven by no overall changes in common cancers, such as prostate and esophageal. Incidence decreased slightly for five cancers, including colorectal, and it increased for another five cancers, with the highest increase seen in liver.

The slight rise in incidence among US women was led by the increase of eight common cancers. As also seen among men, liver cancer showed the greatest increase in incidence for women. Rates of breast, kidney and oral cancers also increased. There was a decrease in incidence of four cancers, including ovarian, and no change in rates among several other common cancers, such as colorectal. Breast cancer incidence rates increased among women in every racial/ethnic group.

On average for both men and women from 2012 to 2016, there were 448 individuals who developed cancer for every 100,000 individuals.

Americans arent meeting goals for healthy lifestyle habits to lower cancer risk

In the related paper, researchers sought to track the progress of Americans towards national health objectives set by the federal government. This effort, called Healthy People 2020, sets measurable goals with 10year targets that guide disease prevention efforts.

Using data from national health surveys, the researchers measured goals related to four common cancers: lung, colorectal, female breast and prostate. For risk factors, the paper focused on cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity and excess body weight. According to the report, and AICR research, these factors account for a high proportion of potentially avoidable cancers.

Healthy People 2020 targets were not met for reducing obesity prevalence, reducing excessive alcohol use and decreasing cigarette smoking. Heres a breakdown of why each of these lifestyle factors matter when it comes to reducing cancer risk:

Obesity.AICR research shows that obesity and having excess body fat increases the risk of at least a dozen cancers, including postmenopausal breast, colorectal and esophageal. Aside from not smoking, staying a healthy weight is one of the most important steps people can take to lower cancer risk and it isAICRs number one Cancer Prevention Recommendation.

Alcohol.AICR research shows thatalcohol increases the risk of six types of cancer. For example, even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer, which is why AICR says it is best not to drink alcohol for cancer prevention. If you do choose to drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than two drinks a day if you are a man and one drink a day if you are a woman.

Physical activity.AICR research shows strong evidence that being physically active lowers the risk of breast, colorectal and endometrial cancer. Being active also can support weight management, which plays a key role in cancer prevention as previously mentioned.

Smoking.Smoking cigarettesis the leading cause of premature, preventable death in the U.S. and it is the leading cause of cancer worldwide.

The annual report is a collaborative effort among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the National Cancer Institute; the American Cancer Society; and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

For the latest research on how lifestyle factors affect the risk of cancer, visit ourLearn More About Cancersection.

This announcement was originally released on April 15, 2020, by the American Institute for Cancer Research. It is republished with permission.

See the original post:
Report Offers Insights on Cancer Death Rates and Importance of Prevention - Cancer Health Treatment News

Boomer Naturals and Tommy Bahama Partner on New Co-Branded Wellness Collection – PRNewswire

Posted on by

LAS VEGAS, April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --(OTC:BOMH)Boomer Naturals, a health and wellness company, has partnered with iconic lifestyle brand Tommy Bahama, on a co-branded collection of wellness products. The Tommy Bahama+Boomer Naturals collection features CB5, the breakthrough new plant-based, doctor-formulated alternative to CBD. This partnership brings together two companies dedicated to relaxation and healthy living, combining Tommy Bahama's legacy of style, quality and comfort with Boomer Naturals' commitment to health and wellness.

Tommy Bahama+Boomer Naturals CB5products are a patent-pending plant-based blend that contain no CBD or THC and all ingredients in CB5 are on the FDA's GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) list. Created to enhance a healthy, relaxed island lifestyle, the Tommy Bahama+Boomer Naturals wellness products are designed to help alleviate issues like pain, difficulty sleeping and anxiety. CB5 products come in different sizes, flavors, and applicationsincluding Tinctures, Gummies. Pain Relief Roll-on and cream as well as two products for Pets.

"We are very excited about the partnership with Boomer Naturals and the opportunity to extend our brand into the wellness category," said Doug Wood, CEO of Tommy Bahama. "Our collaboration with Boomer Naturals and their proprietary CB5 formula allows us to offer wellness products to our guests that promote health and well-being. It's one more way Tommy Bahama can help our guests to live a relaxed and healthy lifestyle."

"Tommy Bahama and Boomer Naturals are a perfect fit and we are proud to partner with such a well-respected brand," said Mike Quaid, CEO of Boomer Naturals. "Our goal at Boomer Naturals is to help people live a balanced and healthier life, and we think that's something Tommy Bahama's guests are interested in, too. They enjoy life and want to live it to the fullest.Our line of Tommy Bahama+Boomer Naturals CB5 products will help them do just that."

Tommy Bahama+Boomer Naturalswellness collection is currently sold at Tommy Bahama retail stores and online at tommybahamawellness.com.

About Boomer NaturalsBoomer Naturals is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boomer Natural Holdings, a publicly traded company (OTC:BOMH).Boomer Naturals is a full-service wellness company that provides products and services to enhance well-being and increase quality of life. Established in 2019, Boomer Naturals has created an all-natural doctor formulated alternative to CBD, known as CB5. Boomer Naturals products can be used to help overcome symptoms associated with physical, mental, and emotional well-being challenges. Product lines include CB5, Golf CB5, Pet CB5, SKIN Sunscreen, Masks and Hand Sanitizers and medical grade skin care. Boomer Naturals products are available online at BoomerNaturals.com, Boomer Naturals retail stores, and the finest golf shops and resorts across the country. For more information, please visit http://www.boomernaturals.com.

SOURCE Boomer Naturals

http://www.boomernaturals.co

Follow this link:
Boomer Naturals and Tommy Bahama Partner on New Co-Branded Wellness Collection - PRNewswire

Dr. Walter Willett Wants You to Eat Plant-Based for the Planet – The Beet

Posted on by

The man who has been called the most influential nutritionist in the world by The Boston Globe is on a mission to get you, me and everyone to eat a mostly plant-based diet, forour personalhealth and the health of the planet.

He is Dr. Walter Willett, and he is one of the world'sleading plant-based advocates, and he answered The Beet's questions of how we can all have an impact on this Earth Day. Among hismany titles, Dr. Willett isProfessor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, former Nutrition Chairman at the Harvard School of Public Health, author of Eat, Drink and Be Healthy,and author or co-author of over 1,700 scholarly articles. But don't let any of thatget in the way of his clear and plain-spoken message. He is the warm and caring granddaddy type,who wants to read you a story about the importance of your ability to change the fate of the planet and your own personal health through the food choices you make.

For Earth Day, Dr. Willett answered The Beet's questions ranging from, "What difference does one person make?" to the outcome of our planet's climate crisis, to "How can we get people to change their diets now" for the sake of the environmentand their health. My favorite line: "Almost everything important does start with one person,and everyones efforts will be needed to shift to the healthy and sustainable diets that we need."

Willett is the grandson of a dairy farmer, a soft-spoken scientist and a little bit of an outlier when it comes to his fellow researchers. Never one to "toe the line," he has challenged perceptions of trans fats and won over the establishment to his view (they are poison, metabolically speaking) and now he is challenging those who think that it's fringe to eat only plants and to avoid animal products.

He has made it a life's work to ever so politely speak out about inconvenient truths, as he did last fall when invited totake the podium at a health conference at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. I sat on the floor in the back of a packed room, taking notes onmy laptopand expected to hear another version of the same message that had been delivered by leading light after leading light of the plant-based medical world:That eating a plant-based diet helps save cardiac patients, reverse severe cardio-vascular symptoms and enlist good bacteria in the gut to fight inflammation and lower the risk of death.

Instead, Dr. Willett went rogue, talked about sustainability and specifically- how our food choices now will impact whether we can feed the planet later. The world's population is growing at a rate faster than the number of burgers we can feed it and that if--my words here--we don't all FHB on themeats and change them over to veggie burgers on thegrill, the entire planetis going toheat up to the point where we won't be able tosustain any healthy lifestyle, and not in the distant future, but soon. If we continue to eat the way we are, not only will we all meet an early grave from the diets that are slowly killing us, butour grandchildren's world will be unrecognizable. Okay, those weren't his exact words but that was the message I heard loud and clear; We have to change the way we eat today if we want to survive as a species for the nextseveral hundreds of years.

I wanted to hear it again and bring it to The Beet. He kindly made time for a last-minute Q and A the day before the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. So consider this your personal version of the full Dr. Willett. Uncensored and too busy to mince words. Here is his Earth Day message, delivered patiently, as if he would tell the same bedtime story to us kids as many times as we ask him to. We just have to listen. That and change the way we eat. Now, today, and in the future. For our own sake and the sake of the planet.

Dr. Willett:"We have documented that eating for planetary health can also be eating for our personal health, so this can be a double win.Broadly, this means shifting toward a healthy plant-based diet; I emphasize healthy because donuts and coke are also plant-based, but obviously not healthy. A healthy and sustainable diet will be primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy, and other legumes. While being a vegan is an option, our diet can also be good for planetary and human health if we chose to include small to modest amounts of dairy, fish, and poultry and occasionally red meat.

Dr. Willett. "Our biggest challenge is probably simply habit and inertia. Some have suggested that a healthy, sustainable diet is more expensive, but we have seen that it can actually cost less because animal-sourced food are relatively expensive.

Dr. Willett. Our planet is currently on a path to disaster because of climate change and other environmental impacts of our current activities. We must make many changes quickly to avoid this, including a rapid shift to all green energy, but we cant succeed unless we also change our diets and how we produce food.

Dr. Willett. In general, earth-friendly foods are also healthy foods, but there are exceptions because grains and sugar have relatively low greenhouse gas impacts. Thus, foods made with refined starch and sugar are cheap with modest environmental impacts but very unhealthy. Also, much of the worlds population eats diets that are mostly starch because of poverty; these may have a relatively low environmental impact but they are nutritionally deficient in many ways. This is clearly not acceptable.

Dr. Willett. The direct connects are not so clear. However, COVID-19 has exposed the terrible state of nutrition in America; most of the factors that increase risk of dying, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, are largely due to poor quality diets that are also having a devastating effect on the environment. We desperately need to shift to diets that are healthy and sustainable rather than the largely animal-based, overly processed foods that we are eating.

Dr. Willett. Almost everything important does start with one person, and everyones efforts will be needed to shift to the healthy and sustainable diets that we need. We must start with our personal diets as we wont be taken seriously unless we do so, and then we can influence our wider circles, whether that is our family, our circle of friends, where we go to school, our worksite, the organizations we belong to, or the political world in which we live. We are obviously coming up to a critical election, and we must do everything possible to elect leaders who commit to putting the brakes on climate change and environmental degradation more broadly.

Dr. Willett:I want to be able to pass on to our children and grandchildren a world that is healthy and just. We know there is path to achieving this, but it will require all the efforts that we can muster.

That's it for today. But here is another quote that Dr. Willett offered on a different day. Take this with you as you think about your own personal choices and your responsibility to yourself, your loved ones and your planet:

"No single food will make or break good health. But the kinds of food you choose day in and day out have a major impact." -- Dr. Walter Willett

That impact is hopefully enough to keep us all eating healthy, for our own personal wellbeing and the wellbeing of the planet. Happy Earth Day.

Continued here:
Dr. Walter Willett Wants You to Eat Plant-Based for the Planet - The Beet

The coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity to go back to the basics with health – ABC News

Posted on by

If the uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic has you feeling powerless, maybe a reminder that lifestyle can profoundly shape your health is just the antidote you need.

From the food and drink we choose to how active we are, we can claw back some control by going back to healthy basics, says public health advocate Sandro Demaio.

"It's critical that people take care of their physical and mental health at the moment," says Dr Demaio who is also CEO of VicHealth.

"A lot of things we do to maintain our connection and routine have gone out the window."

A healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking, limiting the alcohol we drink and getting nourishing sleep might not sound exciting but they are proven cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle, Dr Demaio points out.

And there's not a superfood or yoga pose that can compete with this approach.

It's true that to prevent infection with coronavirus, hand washing and social distancing are our best defences until a vaccine arrives.

But it pays to remember the basic pillars of good health help fend off a range of chronic diseases every bit as unwelcome as COVID-19. These include heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Refocusing on a healthy lifestyle can also leave us in better shape to face the corona crisis in the shorter term by boosting our immunity and supporting good mental health, Dr Demaio says.

Moderate to vigorous exercise such as brisk walking and cycling, for instance, can bring about several positive changes in your immune system, including enhanced movement of important immune cells through the body.

Although these changes are temporary, each exercise session represents a boost that reduces the risk of infection over the long term.

There are many ways to continue an exercise program even when you are physically distancing.

A healthy diet too can enhance immunity by providing essential vitamins and minerals and by encouraging a wide range of good bacteria in your gut.

Recent research has shown these bugs play an important role in supporting the body's immune response to infection and can even boost your mood.

Eating a wide range of plant-based foods seems to be helpful in nurturing the right bacteria, along with natural yoghurt and fermented foods like Korean kimchi and German sauerkraut.

The Dietitians Association of Australia has tips for planning our pantry during the pandemic while LiveLighter suggests some recipes you can make with your staples once you're stocked up.

Good sleep is also vital for immunity and it helps our mood and our ability to cope with stress as well. The Sleep Health Foundation has a fact sheet with useful tips.

While you might be tempted to reach for alcohol to help you cope, it can increase our susceptibility to infection. It can also interfere with sleep and make you more prone to anxiety and depression.

There are healthier ways to manage stress than alcohol (such as relaxation and meditation). And Dr Demaio suggests if you must keep beer and wine in the house, storing it in a cupboard rather the fridge can help minimise impulsive drinking.

"Now more than ever we need to remind Australians how important it is to stay healthy, despite many of us understandably feeling stressed and anxious," says Ms Melissa Ledger, who oversees the LiveLighter healthy lifestyle program, funded by the Western Australian Government.

"We know that the healthier we are, the better off we are to manage infections like the common cold. It's possible it will also help us with this current virus, although it's too early to say," she says.

"That's one of the great things about making changes or maintaining healthy routines at the moment. It will keep you healthy now and for the long-term too."

The current pandemic won't last forever and "if we let unhealthy habits become normal, it's really hard to kick those habits later on," Ms Ledger says.

If you're a smoker, health experts are also keen to point out it's not too late to reduce your chance of a severe COVID illness if you quit now.

As well as the huge long-term payoffs, some important benefits can kick in within four to six weeks.

"Your airway inflammation will be improving, you will be less likely to have an acute heart problem or a common or garden-variety pneumonia. So your need for acute hospital care will diminish," says Professor Matthew Peters, head of respiratory medicine at Sydney's Concord Hospital.

The fact many of us are grappling with daily routines that have been turned on their heads actually provides an opportunity for change, Dr Demaio says.

Many of us are working from home, often for the first time ever. And with the commute wiped out, we may find ourselves with more of something that's often one of the biggest barriers to adopting healthier lifestyle: time.

"Everyday life is so busy for most people. And very often your own health is the first thing to fall by the wayside.

"The good news is at the moment, with so many events and activities cancelled, many of us have more time than ever."

Using this time to work on your cooking skills could help you eat better once life goes back to normal.

(Unsplash: Kevin McCutcheon)

Using this time to work on your cooking skills could help you eat better once life goes back to normal.

Unsplash: Kevin McCutcheon

He urges us all to use any bonus time we have at the moment to stop and take stock.

"Ask yourself, 'what can I afford to do, what do I have time to do [now] to improve my own health?'"

If you can develop some basic cooking skills, for instance, you'll find it easier to whip up a quick and healthy dinner when life gets busier, he suggests.

And as plenty of us are discovering, starting the day with a walk or run we once didn't have time for, can reap profound rewards in other ways too.

"A lot of people are now doing exercise before work instead of sitting in a bus or car. What they're finding is their back pain has disappeared, or their diabetes has improved. Small changes like that can be a game changer."

Both Dr Demaio and Ms Ledger stress that while you don't want to let healthy lifestyle slip off your radar, it's important to be kind to yourself.

"Now's not the time to be rapping yourself over the knuckles for something you're not doing for your health," Dr Demaio says.

"Cut yourself some slack and focus on small sustainable steps."

Even simply sitting on a couch reading a book, enjoying the chance to learn a new skill or catching up with a friend or relative for a video call, can be important in boosting mental health and wellbeing.

"Jump on a video call over dinner or coffee so you can see the faces and the laughter. Those non-verbal cues are really important not to miss out on," he says.

"There is a big opportunity in this crisis to rethink some of the basic things that are driving [our] disease risk in the longer term. To actually end up with a society that's healthier because of the disruption."

The outbreak of coronavirus in Australia has created a public health emergency like no other and unleashed a financial wrecking ball right through the Australian economy.

View post:
The coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity to go back to the basics with health - ABC News

Don’t forget your heart’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic – Idaho Press-Tribune

Posted on by

The current pandemic is of particular concern for patients who have heart disease. Heart disease patients are at higher risk for being sicker with COVID-19. By protecting yourself, not ignoring symptoms, and taking care of your heart at home, you can safely navigate this current pandemic.

The first step for heart disease patients is to protect themselves from the current pandemic by following stay-at-home guidelines, practicing social distancing and washing hands. If you have heart disease staying home may save your life.

Dont Ignore Your Symptoms

Secondly, make sure you report to the emergency room or your cardiologist if you are experiencing chest pains, shortness of breath, or have questions regarding your heart health. Most offices are using telehealth, and hospitals have systems in place to protect patients coming in with non-COVID-19 issues. Dont put off symptoms that may be a sign of impending danger.

Take Care of Your Heart at Home

Third, being stuck at home may be an ideal time for you to make lifestyle changes to help your heart. Exercise, eating healthy and not smoking are critical in keeping your heart healthy. It has been shown that a brisk walk 30 minutes a day can help heart disease patients live longer.

With so few distractions, it is an ideal time to begin exercising regularly. The walk should be brisk enough that it would be difficult to hold a conversation on the phone. Remember to keep your distance from others while outside.

Do you LOVE local news? Get Local News Headlines in your inbox daily.

Thanks! You'll start receiving the headlines tomorrow!

With limited access to restaurants and shopping, now is an ideal time to practice eating better. Healthy eating can reduce your chances for worsening heart disease. Reducing sweets, reducing processed foods and learning to cook healthy meals should become part of your stay-at-home daily schedule.

We recommend visiting the American Heart Associate website for recommendations for heart-healthy eating: heart.org.

If you smoke, make the stay-at-home order your excuse to never buy another cigarette.

Smoking is dangerous in so many ways and is particularly dangerous for your heart. Call your doctor for help, replace smoking with a healthy habit, and make this pandemic your time to quit.

Though this is a difficult time, we can find ways to make positive changes in the way we live and turn this pandemic into our time to be heart healthy. By protecting yourself, reporting worrisome symptoms, and making healthy lifestyle changes, you may save your life now and live longer.

Read more from the original source:
Don't forget your heart's health during the COVID-19 pandemic - Idaho Press-Tribune

Why Your Life Hangs on This Essential Business – Thrive Global

Posted on by

Dont you just love the current pandemic gobbledygook? Reading too much of it can be harmful to you. Phrases like social distancing, flattening the curve, frontline warriors, and quarantine, just spin up frightful emotions.

One thats caught my attention is essential business. Today, its all about opening these essential businesses as quickly as possible. In this, my 31stdaily emotional education piece, I will focus on an unusual essential business, yet one thats always been quintessential and indispensable for living well. I believe our lives hang on this essential business.

This cardinal essential business is self-efficacy,believing in your confidence to deal with various circumstances and situations in life. This essential business was first described by psychologistAlbert Bandura, Ph.D. in 1977.

Your belief in your ability to perform in difficult situations and to produce specific goals influences the energy you expend towards reaching for those goals.Self-efficacy influences how you feel about yourself and helps shape how successful you will be in achieving your lifes goals. Your belief in your ability to succeed in a particular situation, how you think, act, and how you feel about yourself in the world are pretty essential, wouldnt you agree? Wouldnt you prefer to be motivated and committed to a lifelong healthy lifestyle, feel non-anxious, non-depressed, be socially connected, happy, filled with self-acceptance and have an optimistic outlook on life?Youll find these by keeping your self-efficacy essential business open 24/7.

From exercise to eating, smoking cessation to self-management of chronic disease, and alcohol use to pain management, self-efficacy is certainly an essential business, one that need remain open and at the forefront of our lives now during COVID-19, and always. It is at the forefront of ourhealthy behaviors. And like most of life, it rests on the notion, the link is what your think.

You can easily spot those with strong self-efficacy, especially during the challenges COVID-19 bring. They recover from any setback and disappointment quickly, they see opportunity during adversity, and they continue committed to achieving their goals regardless of the obstacles the pandemic has presented.

People with a weaker sense of self-efficacy are those who are avoiding any challenging undertakings now, are focused on the negative, and are losing or have lost confidence in their ability to get through the strains of this time.

Self-efficacy isnt something you are born with. The good news is its a psychological skill you can build. Here are the four ingredients youll need;

1.Personal mastery experiences your past successes improve your belief that you can do it again. Hey, Ive done this before with success.

2.Vicarious social modeling seeing others who are similar to you succeed will help. If s/he can do it, I can do it.

3.Social persuasion who doesnt like compliments, high-fives, encouragement, and other positive reinforcements?You rock!

4.Physiological responses the way you perceive and interpretyour moods, physical reactions, and stress levels will impact how you feel about your abilities in a particular situation. Yes, the link is what you think.

Heres a quick 10 item scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, that you can take right now to measure your self-efficacy tank.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 4:

1=Not at all true, 2=Hardly true, 3=Moderately true, 4=Exactly true

The higher your score, from 10 to 40, the greater the probablity that youll stick with your goals, have favorable emotions, be more optimistic in your outlook and create more satisfaction in your daily lifeand see this COVID-19 time filled with opportunities to continue growing.

Here are someguidelinesto grow your essential self-efficacy:

1.Challenge your negative self-assumptions Is my thought true? Would a kind and helpful person say this to another person? If not, what makes me say this to myself? What do I get out of thinking this about myself? If I make myself feel badly, or abandon a healthy lifestyle by thinking this way about myself, hows that helping me now? Make a list of at least five of your strengths and createother ways to manage your thoughts about living better now.

2.Ensure early success and celebrate every step forward choose activities that you know for certain youll be successful in, then slowly move up the ladder, each time, achieving more and more to build your self-confidence and the I can do it attitude. Too many easy successes though may lead you to give up when you do bump into failure. So enthusiastically set challenging, achievable, realistic goals, and enjoy the process of moving forward.

3.Watch others succeed in the activity you want to take on better if they are similar to you, so neighbors, friends, co-workers, family members, all can give you the boost in your self-efficacy level. Be careful, though, not to compare yourself to those who are way ahead the compare and despair syndrome can be a killer. And remember, everyone began as a beginner.

4.Find a supportive, affirmative voice experienced fitness and health coaches, emotional educators, physicians and others in health care are skilled in helping people find appropriate self-encouragement. Be on the lookout for positive feedback to strengthen your self-efficacy.

While government and the public fight about whats an essential business and whats not, protest about how soon an essential business should reopen, your life hangs on this essential business. Keep it open 24/7.

Go here to read the rest:
Why Your Life Hangs on This Essential Business - Thrive Global