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There are three very important aspects to looking after your body: getting enough rest and sleep, eating well, and taking exercise. Your body is a temple for your brain, mind, spirit, soul, or whatever word you prefer to use. Your body is the thing that allows you to exist, so it deserves your attention and respect.
Yet, most of us treat our bodies like it’s a combination of an amusement park and a garbage dump. We have bad habits that destroy our health and ultimately our happiness.
In America, 41.9 percent of adults have obesity. Black adults had the highest level of adult obesity at 49.9 percent. Hispanic adults had an obesity rate of 45.6 percent. White adults had an obesity rate of 41.4 percent.
That is a lot of people that are choosing not to give their body what it needs, craves, and deserves for peak performance.
Take Care of Your Body!
True wellness is the intersection of physical and mental health. You cannot have one without the other, but today’s fast-paced lifestyles often means that mental health falls to the wayside.
So how can you stop that from happening? One way is by focusing more on self-care: intentionally making space to take care of yourself each day.
Keep these tips in mind to keep your body in top condition:
Consult Your Doctor
Your doctor is an expert on health. They went to school for a long time to master their field. Many people avoid going to the doctor, but this is a mistake.
If your illness requires you to see a doctor, go to your doctor’s appointment prepared to supply him with a good description of your illness. Inform the doctor of all over the counter medication you have taken. Along with any prescribed medication you take daily.
Provide him a clear description of your symptoms. When did the symptoms appear? When or what makes the symptoms worse? Did any measures you tried at home decrease the symptoms? A good description of your illness can help the doctor better understand your condition, and aid greatly in the doctor’s treatment plan.
- There are plenty of serious problems that have no obvious symptoms, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and mild to moderate type-2 diabetes. You cannot detect these types of issues based on how you feel. However, your doctor can diagnose such things.
- See your doctor once a year or as recommended by your doctor.
Monitor Cautionary Body Signals
The following is a list of the top reasons people decide to visit their doctor:
- Chest pain or heart related pain should always be considered an emergency. A doctor should be seen as soon as possible.
- Pain that is unusual, in severity and duration. Also, it is out of the normal that you have ever experienced before.
- No pain relief with over-the-counter medication or a notable increase in discomfort.
- Dizziness or visual disturbances.
- Speech irregularities.
- Nausea and or vomiting that is unrelieved by over the counter medication within 4 hours.
- Diarrhea that does not subside within 8 hours or shows increase in liquidity.
- Notable Blood in stool.
- Temperature over 101.0 degrees.
- Symptoms that are out of the norm, those appear to be chronic and unrelieved, and have become worrisome.
- A cold, flu or stomach problems that seem to be getting worse, ever though you are getting rest, fluids, and over the counter medications.
- A sore throat, that is more painful than you have ever experienced. One loses the ability to speak because of laryngitis.
- Sputum that is overly thick, and odd in color. Such as gray, yellow or green or blood tinged. Sputum that is odorous.
- A cough that is chronic.
- Any injury due to an accident, bone breaks, burns, etc. One should always seek emergency medical care.
- Increase and unusual bruising, skin discolorations, lesions that will not heal, unexplained lumps. Any moles should be assessed by a doctor.
Effortless Ways to Dress Classy
Do you want to dress well like a celebrity but don’t have deep pockets? A temple should be well cared for on the inside and the outside. Your clothes protect and honor your body. Give your body the respect it deserves and show others that you respect it.
Here are some tips for you to take a quick look at:
- First, know your own figure and your own style. Don’t follow trends that don’t suit you. Most clothes look great on models like Kate Moss, but don’t look as good on us normal women! Remember how many items you bought on impulse last season? And you did not even wear them!
- Look at your closet and make a list of things you already have and you really want to keep. Then make a list of the things that you really want and do you have. Buying from a list will keep you focused and minimize costly impulse buying.
- Buy the best quality of clothes and accessories that you can afford. They’ll simply look better, last longer, wear less, wash better and as a result, you will save more money than buying lots of inferior-quality pieces that will only last a few wears.
- For big items like suits, dresses, coats: buy classic styles. These will stand the test of time and not date as much as clothes bought from the latest trends. Whereas for small items like bags and accessories, buy the most trendy, fashionable ones so you look up to date and go for the brightest colours (they will not make you look fat!).
- Buy on sale whenever possible. You can grab the same piece for half or even less money just a few months after the celebs. Nobody will tell you that its out of fashion, just for a few months. You can grab yourself some good bargains on the last few days of the sales in famous shops like Harrods and Harvey Nichols. And buy online, on eBay if you are Internet Savvy.
- Swap small items like hats and bags with your best friends (of course, those with good taste only). There is no point in spending a lot of money on something you are only going to use once (Well, it will be embarrassing if you wear the same clothes to your important parties). So, share them with your friends.
Ladies, dressing well does not have to cost a fortune. Simply take a little time and a bit of thought to plan for your need, and treat buying your clothes like an investment.
Focus On Nutritious Foods
Health, energy, and nutrition have become the primary focus today. Everywhere you look there are ads for nutritious foods, energy drinks, buys for the health-conscious shopper. But unfortunately, today’s fast paced world leaves very little time for you to devote to yourself, even enough time to exercise. Day to day routines can be so hectic and exhausting; you’re too tired even to think about being active after a hard day of working.
Side Effects of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are highly popular right now, and the temptation is to pop open a can of energy so you can do more, be even more on the go, get that much more done in a single day. But energy drinks aren’t really healthy or very good for your nutrition. They are notoriously filled with sugar and caffeine, both things that your body doesn’t need. So where does that leave you?
Energy drinks are different from sports drinks. Most energy drinks simply provide lots of sugar or caffeine. Sports drinks are intended to replenish electrolytes, sugars, water, and other nutrients and are usually isotonic (containing the same proportions as found in the human body). –Wikipedia, Energy Drink, May 2006
Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea
As more and more consumers are becoming health-conscious, the market is slowly beginning to change. We do not have to consume sugary, high-caffeine energy drinks any longer. Zsenso iced green tea and Zsenso iced peach green tea, made of rare Chinese green tea leaves, may be your healthy alternative to standard energy drinks. After trying these delicious iced green teas, you may never go back to sugary energy drinks again.
An article in New Scientist magazine (20 March 2004) mentions that numerous studies suggest that green tea protects against a range of cancers, including lung, prostate, and breast cancer. –Wikipedia, Green Tea, May 2006
Zsenso iced green tea and Zsenso iced peach green tea, made of rare Chinese green tea leaves, can be a health-friendly alternative to sugary, highly caffeinated energy drinks. Look for Zsenso iced tea products in your area, or purchase Zsenso iced green teas online.
There is nothing more important to your health than your diet. The food you eat becomes your body. Your cells and organs are made from the food you eat. Eat nutritious food if you want to have a healthy body.
Enough Sleep Equals Productivity
In today’s fast-paced society, sleep deprivation is very common. People nowadays seem to be so tied up with work spending many hours at the office. At home, even as they lie down in bed, getting rest is such a challenge. They cannot get their mind of their work and other matters that float inside their head.
A simple rule is to go to bed eight hours before you must get up. That gives you a little time to read, ponder the world, or do whatever else it is you do in bed before falling asleep.
Sleep is very important in the development of one’s body. Health experts and research have already shown that lack of sleep adversely affect people mentally and physically. Lack of sleep makes one so tired and confused, which also increases the chances of making bad decisions and taking unreasonable risks.
Medical studies show that extreme cases of sleep deprivation may result in hernia, weakening of muscle tissues, and other problems usually related to physical overuse. Conversely, getting enough sleep boosts one’s immune system and concentration while enhancing one’s overall physical appearance. Studies also point out that people who get enough sleep are more productive compared to their stressed- and burned-out counterparts.
Keeping the Sun Fun
Wearing sunscreen is an important part of keeping summer fun from coming back to haunt you later. Not only can sunscreen keep you from burning, it can help prevent skin cancer later in life.
Too much sun exposure allows UV rays to reach your inner skin layers. You know this as sunburn. This can cause skin cells to die, damage, or develop cancer. However, you can reduce your risk of sun damage and skin cancer by staying in the shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter.
Your best bet to protect your skin is to use sunscreen or wear protective clothing when you are outside—even when you are in the shade. Experts also offer the following tips on keeping yourself safe with sunscreen:
- Sun protection is important for adults and essential for children-these harmful effects of UV rays are cumulative. Make sun care part of your daily routine.
- If your skin begins to turn red, get out of the sun.
- Sunscreens are not just for a day at the beach. Use sun protection for outdoor winter activities as well.
- Try to schedule outings before or after the peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The sun feels good, and it is good, within reason. Nevertheless, avoid spending time in the sun in the middle of day during the summer.
Avoid Holiday Stress
The holidays usually provoke pleasant feelings and happy times. Unfortunately, they can often also be a major source of stress. It is very easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of shopping, decorating, baking, parties, and visiting with family and friends. There is so much going on around us and so many obligations we feel we need to fulfill.
How do you keep your head above water in all this commotion?
Firstly, there is no one solution, nor does the same thing work for everyone. Start by taking a deep breath. The important lesson here is to pace yourself, and to make sure you are taking care of yourself along the way. Too often we find ourselves getting run down or sick at this time of the year. Then, when we are down, how do we enjoy the holidays?
Some tips to help you have a happy holiday season:
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Eat healthy meals (while at parties, eat smaller portions).
- Get as much exercise as you can.
- Say “no” occasionally. You do not have to be all things to all people.
- Avoid excessive alcohol.
- Spend time with fun people.
- Borrow some holiday cheer and spread it around.
- Laugh often.
Following these tips is sure to enhance your holiday spirit, and lessen your stress. Lighten up and enjoy yourself this holiday season. Afterall, you deserve it!
Caring for Your Body
Quickly realize that in large part, you are in control of your health, not your doctor. And taking control of your health doesn’t really depend on whether or not you have medical conditions.
Taking control means developing habits and discipline.
The most important thing you can do is educate yourself. Learn about your health problems and how you can take care of your body. What do the latest studies say? The Internet is an excellent place to research health issues. Sometimes just finding different ways of doing things can help.
So, how do you view your body? Are you as healthy as you could be? What would be better about your life if you were healthier?
It only makes sense to give yourself a nice location to spend the rest of your life. Treat your body with love and reverence. It is the only one you’ll ever get!
