Socialization: It is something that kids tend to forget because of the high tech gadgets that keep coming out today. Because of the PSP’s, the online games, the TV programs of today; kids just don’t seem to go out of their house. It’s not bad. But if kids do this every day and neglect daily social activities like hanging out with other children, playing basketball, biking or football, they neglect their physical and social growth.

Remember the phrase: “No man is an Island”? To simply put it, nobody can live alone; nobody should be isolated from the people around them. We need each other to survive and grow.

We were born as social beings. From the day that we came out from our mother, she was already holding us. No baby would survive without his or her mother. That goes for everyone as they grow old. We learn through other people.

Confidence is a key factor in person when it comes to his life because this is what they use to approach and talk to people. Without confidence from the start, the social growth of the person will decline. Confidence is especially grown and then built up when people talk.

How do we live longer?

It’s as simple as being a person that people can talk to, and a person that is able to talk to people. Our elderly needs people around them because they gather support from them. There cases when you will see a 60 year old healthy person die faster than a 80 year old who has problems with his or her breathing or has a goiter.

Elder people get tremendous moral support from their spouse and relatives. Usually when one is sick, his or her spouse will be taking care for him/her, in turn giving them a longer life and an increase willingness to live.

When support comes from a relative, a spouse, or just a simple group of friends, a great deal of Self-Esteem being drawn from them. They give a sense of “Fighting Spirit and a will to live”.

Most of the time, social engagements would be found stronger than any medicine because it drives the human mind to feel happy and good about him.

*Every day we see people getting health conscious. Good health is only a part of living a healthy life.  But we should never forget that a key to a longer life, is being able to socialize, and being sociable.

Health + Science

Life of the Party

Social Phobia

Limiting food intake in a fast paced environment is never easy to do. May it be a simple McDonald’s hamburger, eating around two to three slices of a pizza from Pizza Hut or a spaghetti take out meal. It is never easy to not finish it as soon as it served in front of you.

Every day we know we eat unhealthy food but we ignore it because of the “better” things we need to attend to. I for one admittedly had done it before and gained weight continuously over weeks. But then again, I found a way to eat these tasty foods without even causing you to gain weight as fast as it does. It even gives you a feeling of being full already even before finishing it.

Every time I eat, I start out by drinking two glasses of water. This gives me a feeling that my tummy already has something in it, so the food cravings is lessened.

In eating fast food meals like burgers and pizzas, instead of eating and finishing it as soon as it is served to you, eat it halfway first, and then eat the other half of the piece later for at least twenty minutes. Basically, initially eating gives you a feeling of fullness after 20 minutes because of the blood sugar rise it induces and tells your brain “Hey you don’t need to eat anymore”. Only then you’ll feel that your stomach has something in it already.

Like our parents always say, chew your food slowly. Slow chewing helps you in terms better of digestion. It also gives you the same sense of fullness when eating large amount of meals.

Protein intake is a good substitute in our daily routine. Meats are not the only protein source we have. We also have hard boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, vanilla ice cream, almonds, peanut butter and low fat yogurt are among the other source of proteins we can look into. These things are not that hard to hand carry during office days.

We can also bring fruits as substitutes for takeout meal. Fruits are a good source of vitamins and minerals.

Steamed foods are another good option. Not only because it retains the natural smell and taste, but helps you from gaining weight, and helps you in preventing ulcers, heart diseases and cholesterol levels from shooting up.

We always have different options on the food we take. All we need to do is to look for it.

Remember this: “Too much of good tasty food is bad. Never forget to eat right.”

Foods that have protein

Benefits of Steamed Cooking

The Seven top tips to Feel Full

What is anger? It is a normal human emotion that everyone feels and is healthy at times.

Anger on the other hand is dangerous when it gets uncontrollable and out of hand. Ideas flow inside your head that are so overwhelming that it may sometimes control you already. We may not know it but there are different varieties of anger which range from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. We humans respond to anger naturally aggressive most of the time. It is a common reaction to being threatened, afraid and an attempt to defend ourselves. Anger has been with humans for as far as we know we exist.

It may be caused by people around you, or it may be caused by you because of your own personal problems.

The myth to “Let it all hang out” is a very destructive myth in a sense that we use this as an excuse to lash out and create violence. Aggression only escalates the anger and invites a lot more problems in it.

How do you manage your anger?

First thing to do is identify and dissipate your anger before things get out of hand.

Relaxation techniques are some of the keys that can help you get through this powerful emotion.

Here is an example of relaxation technique called deep breathing

Sit with a relax posture then put a hand on your chest and another on the stomach.

• · Breathe with your nose and you should feel the hand on your tummy and your chest move along with your breathing.
• · Use your mouth for exhaling, squeezing the air out and constricting the abdomen. The hand on your tummy should be pressing down but the other stays moving a little.
• · Do this routine continuously and intake as much air as you can. As you exhale, count one to five to relieve stress.

Differentiation of Controlled Anger and Repression should be identified immediately. Repression is an anger bottled up and denied as it is. Which is very dangerous in a sense that it gathers its’ energy until it explodes. Controlled Anger however is the understanding and acceptance of anger that has been stirring in our mind. With the acceptance comes the understanding that if we let it grow, the consequence is far larger than what we know that may happen.

Remember that Anger is very hard to contain. However, we should learn to control our own reactions in order to live healthily among other people. A healthy mind is a healthy person.

Buddhism Anger Management

Controlling anger before it controls you

Stress relieving

Water Therapy is as good as any vitamins can give you. It might be the one thing that people would overlook most of the time because water is tasteless. I have been offered a lot of products on how to make you look good, how to be healthier, and other stuffs that relates to health. I can tell you from personal experience that nothing beats the effects of water in the body.

As we may have known already during our grade school years, water makes up 60% to 70% of our body. Water is the biggest component in our body and is essentially more crucial than anything else. Life as we know it is incomplete without water.

With today’s society, the basic water is sometimes forgotten because of the colorful flavors of the drinks we intake which makes our health a little more unbalanced. I’m not saying it’s bad. But we should look into going back to the basic content of our body; Water.

What is Water Therapy?

To simply put it, it is a natural treatment, controls disease and keeps yourself hydrated throughout the day.

How do you do water therapy exactly?

It’s drinking 1.5 liters of clean water a day. Easiest way of cleaning water would be boiling.

The best way to start is to drink water first thing in the morning right after you get up from bed.

In water therapy, after drinking a glass of water, food or drink intake should not be done for at least an hour. Breaking down the 1.5 liters of water into glasses every two to three minutes help in order for you not to have a hard time on it. The 1.5 liters of water cleans your body through toxins released through sweat and urinating if done regularly.

It is strictly observed that there are no alcoholic drinks took the previous night.

What are the Benefits?

A healthy glow of the skin is the thing that would be commonly seen, a good body temperature especially for the tropical and hot areas, it aids in cleaning the waste stuck inside our body, cure for constipation and weight loss.

Anemia, dysentery,arthritis, headache, rheumatism, meningitis, cough, gastroenteritis, bronchitis, breast cancer, kidney stones,leukemia, obesity, sinusitis and Hyper acidity are some of the ailments that Water therapy can cure.

The great thing about this treatment is its natural and it does not have any side effects in it.

Benefits of Water Therapy

Benefits of Water Therapy-India

For some it is a stress reliever. For some it’s a way of socializing. And for some, it’s just plain addiction.

But if you are a smoker, did quitting ever crossed your mind? Do you feel like you may have been reading on the effects of smoking but still can’t stop? Then again, the biggest question is, DO YOU want to stop?

Have you ever read the warning “Smoking is hazardous to your health” but still ignored it?

Haven’t you seen the pictures of the effect of smoking but didn’t bother anyway?

Personally, every year I see smokers get younger and younger. I see children as young as twelve years of age smoking. This is alarming knowing that children have small lungs, and that being our fault. This was the reason that made me quit smoking. Yes I smoked and told children that it’s not healthy. But as it is said over and over again, change starts when you yourself start.

The effects of smoking are as harmful as it comes not just to you but to the people around you. Second hand smokers suffer the most because they inhale the carcinogen YOU exhaled.

These are some of the problems that smoking cigarettes bring:

• cancers of the lung, oral cavity and esophagus
• Gum disease
• Lower Athletic Ability
• Wrinkles
• Breathing Problem
• Heart disease
• Chronic bronchitis
• Lowering of sexual Arousal

Children exposed to smoking are at the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and severe asthma.

Yes I know you seen the lowering of sexual arousal. For men, this simply means it blocks the coronary artery which deprives blood flow and in term, deprives erection. It has the same effect on women as well in terms of blood flow.

How do you stop smoking?

• Set your mind and tell yourself that you want to quit
• Quit one stick of cigarette at a time
• Go to the doctor to get medications
• Learn to handle nicotine withdrawal physically and mentally
• Accept the challenge

As I surf the internet, listen to the radio and write this article about its’ effects. I can’t help to think about my own father that smokes at least one pack of cigarette a day. My mom kept on asking him why he doesn’t stop. He always answered “Just because”. We wanted him to stop but it’s his personal choice that always gives the period to the sentence.

At the end of the day, it’s your choice. But remember to ask this question to yourself: “If I smoke, can I tell and prove my future child that smoking is bad?”

Steps to help you break the smoking habit

How smoking can affect your sex life

I was quite nervous when I stepped in a bikram yoga studio, not far from our house. It was my first time to try out a yoga class – and I had to choose bikram over the other styles of yoga.

Aside from learning mind-boggling postures that is already itself pretty hard to learn, bikram is practiced in a room with a temperature of at least 105°F with 40% humidity.

The instructor was very gracious in answering all my questions before commencing class. And I became calm for a moment. However my calmness was short-lived upon seeing my yogamates clad in itsy-bitsy bikini-like yoga outfits. Most of them looking fierce with toned arms and abs.

I let out a deep breath to remove the jitters that I was feeling.

Being one of the first-timers for that class, they assigned a space for me – right smack in the middle of the gazelle-like creatures who seemed like experts in the practice of yoga.It was quite daunting.

I rolled out my yoga mat, and placed a big towel over it. At the head of my mat, I strategically placed another small towel that I plan on using to wipe bucket loads of sweat that I will be creating during the class. Alongside it, a bottle of water for hydration. The class wasn’t starting yet and I was already sweating.

The first posture that we did when class commenced was the Standing Deep Breathing or Pranayama in Sanskrit. It was a bit awkward for me at first, since there was a breathing technique while in posture.

I took in a full breath before going into posture and continuously exhale while achieving the posture. After a while, I felt lighter and the breathing became natural.

There were 26 postures in all that we did for a full 90  minutes. The postures were not as back-breaking as I thought it would be. I just had to control my breathing during the poses and I had a very light and healthy snack an hour before my first bikram session. I didn’t want to faint or feel dizzy in the middle of the class. Because I have heard about people who was so nervous in anticipating their first class – that they forget to eat and hydrate well just BEFORE the session. I didn’t want that to happen to me.

It was also very purifying in the last postures, as I feel beads of sweat form almost everywhere on my body. I started to feel cleansed and purged of all the toxins that have been lurking inside me.

I was expecting that I would feel tired after my first class, but instead I found myself brimming with energy for the rest of the day. And I was already looking forward to my next class!

Official Site

In this present time of ours, working out and getting fit at the gym is as hard as it gets for office people. With a back hunching, muscle tightening, joint locking, and mentally tiring day at work, all we can do is come home, eat, spend some time with the family, and finally, get some sleep. Sooner or later, we just find ourselves gaining 10 pounds, 20 pounds, 30 pounds…and WOW! It’s shocking right?

It’s as if we do not have any other choice than to do our everyday routine for almost thirty to forty years of our working life.

But then again, as intelligent as humans can be, we find ways to get things done. This is not a work out that will replace the ones we do at the gym, but it does regulate your blood and stimulate your muscles.

What do I mean?

If you really want to exercise, you can still do it even at the office. You just have to use your resources.

What do you need to work out?

• Your office chair
• Two bottles of water or if you can, bring a dumbbell at work.
• Water for you to drink
• And yourself.

Below are some of the things you can do to exercise in the office:

1. Walk around the office for 3-5 minutes. If you need to go up or down two to five floors from where you are, use the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. Stretching variations:
   1. Neck Stretching- Tilt your head slowly to one side for ten seconds each.
   2. Shoulder Stretching-Pull across the chest and then apply pressure around rear part of the shoulder for ten seconds. Do the same for the other arm.
   3. Upper Back Stretch: Interlock your fingers with the palm facing away from your body. Put it over your head and then stretch outwards.
   4. Lower Back Stretch: Sit at the tip of the chair and then put both of your hands on the right arm rest of the chair and then gently twist to the right. Apply pressure with the use of the hands. Do the same for the left side of your body.
   5. Calves Stretch- Stand and then bend your knees slightly stretching the Achilles tendon.
   6. Leg Extension- Sit forward then stretch one leg in front of you. Do a circle motion with your ankles to loosen your joints as well.
   7. A few exercise variation while in the office:
      1. Dumbbell Curls: The easiest work is the dumbbell curl. You can simply get a full bottle of water or dumbbell in if you have one in the office. Simply straighten your arm and curl it to your shoulder for twenty times each.
      2. Shoulder Shrugs- Twisting your shoulder disks front to back, then vice versa.
      3. Assisted push up- Place yourself in a push up position with your upper body on the chair (or on your desk) and your feet on the floor. Do this for ten repetitions at for at least twice a day.

1. Ab Exercise: Sit on the tip of your chair. About 25% of the chair is only being occupied by your back end.  Put your hand on the arm rest of the chair for support. Then lift your legs up and down to work on your lower ab.

The office life is very tiring mentally. But never let it get to you and your physical health. People suffer from obesity and are having a hard time coping up with it. Physical fitness starts with the question “Do I want it?” If the answer is yes, everything has a way. Remember that the first step is the hardest. But the next ones are fulfilling.

Office exercise

The Office workout

I have tried and tested numerous vitamins and supplements that are claiming to be the magic cure-all and prevent-all to every sickness there is possible. And I think that relying on capsules, soft gels and tablets as my (almost!) main form of nutrition is definitely not very healthy. Instead, I did my best to achieve a balance in eating sensibly and eating right.

However there is one supplement that I did not let go off and would highly urge other people to try. And that’s taking Omega 3 supplements daily. There are numerous brands of Omega 3 supplement out there in the market, but I am vouching for Nutrition House’s Omega 3 Extra fish oil supplement.

What exactly are the scientifically proven benefits of taking Omega 3 supplements?

1. Improve Brain function. This is one of the main reasons why I started to take Omega 3 supplements. I wanted to improve my memory and my focus. Aside from teaching myself new things in my work, I also tutor my preschooler at times. And I wanted my brain to function in its optimal level as possible!

2. Perk Up my Psyche. I am not depressed or emotionally unstable. However, this is another health benefit that I read up on Omega 3’s. My daily serving of java helps me jumpstart my day everyday. But I noticed that after being on this supplement for a month, I can extend my work and play days longer without being grouchy. Even if I am bombarded with different kinds of stress every day.

3. Lose the Fat. Omega 3 fish oils have been studied and have shown to help lose weight and burn that unwanted fat. I already do exercise everyday to keep my weight and keep myself healthy. Having said that, a supplement that helps me burn fat and lose weight through reducing my hunger pangs and increasing my metabolism, would not be a bad addition to my diet and my well-being!

4. Preventing all that can be prevented. Taking in Omega 3 supplements has been said to reduce your risk for hypertension, arthritis, stroke, depression and joint pains. It has also been scientifically proven to boost your immune system on top of that. Omega 3 has an overall encouraging results in prevention of a myriad of diseases and afflictions. There are no adverse side effect of taking in Omega 3 supplements everyday.

Aside from taking supplements, you can get it from several servings of tuna, sardines, herring, pecans, walnuts and flaxseeds weekly. The most recommended supplement dosage is taking in 300 to 500 mg of it daily. But if you would need more than that, I would highly suggest that you seek your physician’s advice first.

Official Site

]]> http://www.thehealthauthority.com/weightloss-product-reviews/the-good-in-omega-3/feed/ 0 http://www.thehealthauthority.com/health-and-fitness-tips/banana-eating/ http://www.thehealthauthority.com/health-and-fitness-tips/banana-eating/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:05:34 +0000 Eric http://www.thehealthauthority.com/?p=1869

Bananas are as crucial as anything can be in our daily lives. A Banana a day is better than the Apple at keeping the doctors away as I have always said.

I can give you five reasons why this is better than the Apple.

• It contains five times as much Vitamin A and Iron
• It has two times more carbohydrates than Apple has
• Bananas have Three times more Phosphorous
• It contains Phosphorous and natural sugars(Good ones)
• It is much cheaper.

A banana is an efficient Brain Booster food. A study on 200 students at a Twickenham school was conducted by Bananasavers.com. The students ate bananas at breakfast, breaks and lunch.  Studies show that the Banana’s potassium content helped the students gain better alertness.

If you are a smoker and want to quit, eat a banana. Bananas contain Vitamins B6, B12 potassium and magnesium that aids a person in nicotine withdrawal both physically and mentally.

Feeling stressed? A banana is an effective and better stress reliever than chocolates. It contains tryptophan and amino acids that relaxes the mind and in turn, make you feel happy.

Bananas are energy boosters being a great source of vitamins and minerals. Whenever you are working out, running, or just plainly feeling that nappy noon time, a banana can save your day.

Potassium is crucial whenever you are working out. I for one eat a banana because of its large Potassium content. Lack of Potassium can lead to serious problems like Hypertension which can cause you to black out during work outs. It’s a very dangerous thing to happen especially when your body is around weights.

Bananas contain a good source of iron. Making it suitable to people who are having Iron deficiency or Anemia. High in iron, it is suitable for hemoglobin production.

Ulcer problems are not a big deal for this fruit because of its soft texture and smoothness. It reduces stomach irritation by creating a protective coating against acids that are harmful in our stomach. The protease inhibitor content eliminates bad bacteria that cause ulcers.

Eating a banana aids in creating good bowel movement because of the pectin and hydrocolloid content it has. It also restores lost electrolytes from diarrheas.

Bananas are quick cures when it comes to hangovers because of the lightness to the tummy, and it also restores blood sugar levels. A great way to recover from night outs.

For Further Reading:

Health Benefits of Bananas

Banana Health benefits you might not know about

Potassium Deficiency

Bananasaver.com

I know I am going through a lot of stress when I become agitated and I get easily irritated. My mind is also mush when I know that I am going through a lot of stress.

But what is stress in the first place? And is stress all bad?

Stress is actually our bodies and mind way of reacting to the stimulus presented to us. And being stressed is not all bad, even though it feels bad. Stress is a normal reaction that we all go through to cope with what is thrown to us. It is almost impossible not to live without stress right?

However, too much of stress everyday is definitely harmful to our health. We all know the typical signs of being stressed out. How about those small signs that we take for granted?

1. Your Skin. How does your skin look? Is it duller than usual. More oily now than when you were a teenager? Is it drier? Are you having skin-breakouts here and there? Our skin is the most visible and largest part of our anatomy. And when you are under stress, your body will produce hormones that is supposedly will help you cope with the pressure that you are going through. The downside is this overproduction of hormones stimulates the production of sebum, and will lead to breakouts and acne.

2. Hair Loss. Ever wondered why there are clumps of hair in the shower drain right after you take a bath? And see more hair than usual stuck in your comb and hairbrush after you brush your hair? Constant worrying will weaken your hair and can even stop your hair from growing. Stress hormones interfere with your hair’s strength and growth.

3. Craving for sweets and junk. Too much stress hormones in our body, will prompt you to crave for anything sweet and salty. This is our bodies way of getting that needed extra energy boost when your body is going through tense situation.

4. Sneezing and Colds. When you find yourself always sneezing, almost always with a cold and have more sick days than work days in a week. Your body is at an all-time low. The stress you are going through is more than your body can handle. And your immune system weakens with too much stress.

Now that I told you about these little seemingly minute signs of stress. What do you do about it?

I think the key thing is BALANCE. Prioritize on what you need to do. Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, and not just make up on weekends. Drink supplements of fish oil and omega-3 if you’re not getting enough from your diet. And exercise in as little as 30 minutes a day, just a simple walk around the block or two will do wonders for you.

And remember to chill out when you need to!

Official Site