How Healthy Is Your Lifestyle
Loring A. Windblad

Copyright 2004 by http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as misspellings and typos.

Compelling evidence shows that certain lifestyle behaviours can improve health, prevent premature death and may even prolong life. The problem is that people often drift along, continuing their unhealthy ways – maybe vowing to stop smoking or drink less “some day soon” – until a disease or health problem strikes and it may be too late to reverse the damage. Assessing your lifestyle and how it affects health before illness occurs is a wise precaution. (However, changing one’s lifestyle even after illness can sometimes improve health – for instance giving up cigarettes and exercising more after a heart attack.)
Why assess lifestyle risks?
Accumulating scientific evidence shows that a few simple lifestyle habits can directly improve health and decrease disease risks. Much disability and premature death from today’s foremost killers – heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, suicide and unintentional injuries – stem from everyday habits. Over half the premature deaths in North America are blamed on unhealthy behaviours such as cigarette smoking, insufficient exercise, excessive alcohol intake and a fat-laden diet. Only six per cent of premature deaths are considered avoidable through better medical care.
A California study has demonstrated that disease risks can be reduced by not smoking cigarettes, moderating alcohol use, eating breakfast, having regular physical activity, maintaining desirable weight, getting enough (7-8 hours) nightly sleep and having close social networks. The effect is cumulative: the greater the number of good lifestyle habits, the greater the chance of better health and a longer life. A recent Canadian study confirmed a lower chance of premature death by avoiding cigarette smoking, high blood pressure (related to obesity and insufficient exercise), adult-onset diabetes (due to obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise) and excess alcohol consumption. (However, some everyday influences are an unavoidable part of the environment, over which individuals have little control – such as air pollution or traffic noise.)
To evaluate your lifestyle, ask yourself a few key questions about everyday activities such as the amount of fat you eat, smoking and drinking habits – see checklist below – and evaluate which might be improving your health or perhaps damaging it. Consider seeking advice from a health professional about habits you wish to change.
Quick, easy computer programs help rate your lifestyle
To help people assess the health impact of various lifestyle activities, a new Computerized Lifestyle Assessment (CLA) program, developed by the Addiction Research Foundation and the University of Toronto, provides a practical, quick, confidential and easy method of evaluating lifestyle strengths and weaknesses. The computer program, which takes 20 minutes to run, asks detailed questions about 16 lifestyle activities, with graphic feedback along the way and a printed report at the end. Identification and feedback about risk activities that undermine health often lead people to improve their lifestyle and seek advice from a health professional. For details about the CLA program, call (416) 978-8989 or contact the publisher, Multi-Health Systems, at 1-800-268-6011.
The computer program asks questions about.
* substance abuse;
* health maintenance;
* preventive activities;
* social and intimate relationships;
* mental and emotional wellbeing.
The program feeds back information about:
* lifestyle strengths or activities to keep up
* areas of concern or factors that can threaten health
* risk areas requiring action to prevent disease
The final printout pinpoints health-harming behaviours, some of which may come as a surprise, others that may be known to the person who might be “thinking about” changing them. For example, a woman who thinks she leads a healthy life – doesn’t smoke, drink or take other drugs, eats a low-fat vegetarian diet and exercises three times a week – may have emotional problems stemming from poor social relationships and a perfectionist attitude. Or, a man who doesn’t smoke, drinks little alcohol and has good work and personal relationships may endanger his health by being overweight with the beginnings of diabetes, hypertension and a potential heart problem.
Curiously, computers sometimes elicit more personal information about sensitive lifestyle areas than a doctors interview. For instance, many people find it easier to report excess alcohol consumption to a computer than to a physician. Women, especially, seem more likely to confide alcohol, sexual and other problems to a computer than to a doctor. Computerized psychiatric histories sometimes spot problems missed by clinicians – such as suicidal thoughts, anxiety, depression or phobias.
Adolescent and student lifestyles especially poor. One recent study found that seven out of 10 people questioned were particularly worried about nutrition and half were also concerned about physical inactivity. A study of Queen’s University students found that over 80 per cent fail to get regular medical/dental care, and over half consume excess alcohol and have poor management of work-leisure time.
Study results show student health problems with:
* Alcohol:
* Cannabis:
* Cigarettes:
* Stress:
* Inactivity:
* Weight:
* Sex:
* Condom use:
Adolescent eating habits can endanger health. Many adolescents receive inadequate nutrition due to poor diets, irregular eating habits and eating disorders that stem from the wish to conform to society’s idealization of thinness. “Weight control” techniques such as self-induced vomiting and diarrhea are widespread. A recent U.S. National Adolescent Health Survey found 61 per cent of adolescent females and 28 per cent of adolescent males were dieting, 51 per cent often fasted, 16 per cent used diet pills and 12 per cent practiced vomiting.
Teens had poor dietary practices because of:
* Excessive preoccupation with physical appearance;
* Western society’s obsession with thinness;
* Eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia.
Lifestyle habits can improve health:
* not smoking tobacco;
* maintaining desirable weight (avoiding obesity);
* good nutrition (following Canada’s Food Guide);
* exercising regularly and sufficiently (at least 30 minutes three times a week);
* getting enough sound nightly sleep (7-8 hours);
* avoiding accidental injuries by taking safety measures (such as seatbelts and helmets);
* practicing motor vehicle safety;
* moderating alcohol use;
* avoiding other recreational drugs;
* getting regular dental care and medical check-ups as advised;
* fostering family, work and social networks;
* having safe and satisfying sexual relationships;
* avoiding or learning how to cope with excess stress;
* enjoining sufficient leisure-time activities and relaxation;
* getting any needed therapy for mental problems.
Lifestyle changes occur in five stages
Stage 1: Pre-contemplation – the health risk of a particular life-style activity is (largely) unrecognized, denied or trivialized.
Stage 2: Contemplation – admitting to a health risk and thinking about making a change “some day.
Stage 3: Preparation – motivated and ready for change “soon”, planning how and what to do, often setting an actual date.
Stage 4: Action – active steps to change behaviour – e.g., giving up cigarettes, walking to work instead of driving, drinking less – setting a specific schedule and definite goals.
Stage 5: Maintenance – long-term change achieved and kept up.
Just asking can make a difference. Surveys show that many people expect physicians or nurses to ask about and give advice or information regarding health. Given the chance, many people would like to discuss lifestyle concerns such as nutrition, obesity, alcohol,other drug use, family conflicts, elderly relatives, sexual problems and chronic pain – but often hesitate to do so unless asked.

About the Author

Loring Windblad has studied nutrition and exercise for more than 40 years, is a published author and freelance writer. Junes and Lorings latest business endeavors are at
http://www.organicgreens.us
http://junedawn.younglivingworld.com

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How Much Weight Will Be Lost On The Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet is one of the most popular eating plans to come along in quite some time. Perhaps the most common question people have before starting it is how much weight will be lost on the Atkins diet. That’s a fair question, but there is no direct answer. We can, however, take a look at one study where the average weight loss of 120 overweight adults was 26 pounds over the course of one year. This was then compared to the results of another proven diet, that turned out to have an average weight loss of 13 pounds.

Maybe this is all the evidence you need to start the Atkins Diet, but it doesn’t tell the entire story. The sample size was fairly small to draw any solid conclusions, but then again we are dealing with an average amount of weight lost. Another thing to keep in mind is that the findings imply they only counted those people who stayed on the diet for a full year. This could certainly skew the results upward. Also, it would be interesting to see how different the other diet plan was from the Atkins diet.

These are only the problems with one study, and the problems that should be caught with a critical eye. Dig deeper into the results and you will discover that even if the average weight loss was 26 pounds, it doesn’t say how much of that was fat, muscle or water. Of course, if most of it was fat loss, then that’s worth knowing. This really is an important piece of information as it can indicate how healthy the weight loss is.

If you are losing muscle or water weight, then there could be serious, long term health consequences. The problem is that you may be losing weight the whole time, never knowing that there is a figurative time bomb ticking away…or maybe not. More studies really need to be done to determine just what the long term results of the Atkins Diet are. So, it’s not just how much weight will be lost on the Atkins diet, but what kind of weight will be lost. This isn’t the kind of thing dieters should have to be guessing about.

Assuming the Atkins Diet is safe and effective, how much weight you can lose will be a direct result of how closely you follow the program. This sounds pretty obvious, but it is harder to do in practice. Far too many people think they can only do the part of the diet that appeals to them.

This usually means they eat a lot more meat and fatty foods, but cheat by eating more carbohydrates than the Atkins Diet allows. So, while they may be looking forward to how much weight will be lost on the Atkins Diet, they will only be let down in the long run. But it won’t be because they followed the program (though that’s what they’ll blame), it will be because they didn’t follow it the way they should have.

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Weight Loss For Teenage Girls What Is The Best Solution

Weight loss for teenage girls is a hot topic these days as so many teenagers are trying to look resembling their celebrity idols. What they fail to realize is that vastly pictures of celebrities have been airbrushed to make the woman look thinner and more radiant. Enter to that the bevy of hairstylists and other professionals on hand prior to the photo shoot and it is easy to see why girls are so misled. It is a pity that they couldnt see their favorite celebrity in all her morning glory i. e. without makeup or hairstylists as then they would get a truer picture.

So what type of weight loss for teenage girls is healthy? Some teenage girls need to lose weight and get more exercise. In fact about a fifth of the teenage population is severely overweight and that carries long term health risks. They are more likely to suffer cardiac problems, diabetes and a whole host of other illnesses.

Other teenagers are underweight with anorexia and bulimia for an issue amongst girls and boys. Regardless of your childs weight issues, never agreement their weight become a focus point. Life is too short to obsess over weight gain or loss unless it is causing a potentially serious health problem. Then you need advice from a suitably qualified doctor, not your friends and neighbors; regardless of how well meaning they may be.

All teenagers would benefit from a healthy lifestyle program. They need to eat better and exercise more. Dont forget that kids learn from their parents so if you are not fit, active and eating healthily then you cant expect your kids to be. The whole family should change their diet at the duplicate time as this is less later to cause teenagers to become obsessive over their weight.

Educate your kids about the different slop groups. Explain the different roles that carbohydrates, protein and fats make up in their body. Dont prohibit any particular food as that will immediately make it more attractive. But that doesnt mean that they can have candy and cakes every day. Suggest that these remain a animation for uncommon occasions.

Take your teenager shopping with you and allow them to pick out their meals based on some light ground rules such as lean meat and must include at least two fruit or vegetables. Teach them how to transact their own food so that they do not rely on pre – packaged or worse fast food pick ups.

Influence your teenagers involved in sports. Hopefully they will have played some form since childhood but if they havent yet found something they enjoy, encourage them to sign maturing for some classes. You may have to ” bribe ” them with the lure of a new outfit or night out at bowling or the movies ( skipping the soda pop and candy obviously! ).

Exercise is great for all of us and helps with weight loss for teenage girls. It also helps them to deal with their hormones and other aspects of growing up.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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Just what is the easiest way to lose weight, I hear you ask! Well, it is kind of simple really. You need to eat less and exercise more. But lets face it – if it were really that simple, we wouldn’t be a nation with the health problem of obesity.

I think member of the problem is that there are so umpteen diets out known and so many experts, who all seem to contradict each other; and we have ended up confused. We don’t know if we should be eating Cabbage all day long, or drinking Watercress soup or consuming only raw food.

Taking care of your weight will help your health even if you only lose a pound or two. Every pound you lose is a step in the right direction. Start with a small goal and celebrate your success. Too often, we dieters aim for mortally much and when the weight doesnt drop murder quickly we lose motivation.

You should begin by keeping a food diary. By writing down element you eat but also the mood you were in when you ate i. e. bored, happy, and sad, you will get to know your trigger points. A lot of us eat for something to do not because we are hungry. Keeping a diary also helps you to remember all right what you ate so you can see how many calories you are consuming.

Start every day with a unfeigned breakfast. That way you are less likely to snack on the things we all love, but drive our weight out of sight. Be sensible and keep like now from chips, cakes, biscuits and sugar in all its guises including diet soda pop. Fill up on fruit and vegetables aiming to eat more than the recommended five portions a day. Cut alcohol out for the moment as it not only contains empty calories but it lowers your inhibitions creation it more difficult to stick to a diet. If you can’t give augmentation altogether, so creator to drink two glasses of water for every alcoholic drink you have. This will help to flush the toxins out of your body.

Cut down on your sugar and salt intake by cooking your let on food rather than relying on take aways or packaged foods. Too very salt can hinder weight loss as it causes you to retain water.

Start exercising as well. You dont need to go to a gym. Walking, swimming, jogging and skating are all good examples of how easy it is to build animation into your day.

The secret to losing weight and more importantly to maintaining your new figure is to lose pounds gradually. Forget about faddy diets that fool’s paradise to lose ten pounds overnight – the weight you lose will be mainly water. And studies show you are likely to put back on even more weight than you lost. Don’t obsess about being on a diet as this will only make you hungry.

As the pounds drop off, your friends will soon be asking you what is the easiest way to lose weight.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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