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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Healthy supplements make diet pills obsolete!
Armand Dupuis

Diet Pills

Taking diet pills is definitely not an effective weight loss strategy, because as soon as you stop taking them, all the weight you lost will return with a vengeance, because…

Most diet pills are nothing more than drugs which act as appetite suppressants, and the side effects can be devastating or even deadly so it’s not a good way to lose fat.

Most of them will usually act as effective appetite suppressants, which means that you won’t be hungry and will stop eating. Of course you are going to lose some weight, but…

When you are not eating, you are on a starvation diet, and your body responds by slowing down your metabolism, because it is being deprived of essential nutrients which it needs to survive.

Eventually, you have to stop taking the pills or you’ll die. When you do stop, your hunger will return with a vengeance, because your body is trying to replace the nutrients it’s been lacking, and just look at the…

Side Effects of Diet Pills

Many of these diet pills are addictive and some of the side effects are high blood pressure, liver irritation, headaches, dizziness, sexual difficulties, increased heart rate, diarrhea, and even death, plus…

Guaranteed, you’ll regain all the weight you lost and then some, because now your metabolism is much slower than before, so in other words…

Diet pills make you gain weight in the long run, and also, just look at the harm to your body from both the starvation and the side effects.

That’s too high a price to pay for temporary weight loss. Instead…

Replace Diet Pills with Supplements
For healthy weight loss!

Healthy supplements are much better than diet pills for healthy weight loss. Also, supplements make a safe appetite suppressant without slowing down your metabolism, and… Make Diet Pills Obsolete!

People take diet pills in order to stop eating, but eating is required for survival. The reality is that you need to stop eating the junk foods, however…

That’s a lot easier said than done, as you are craving food because your body is asking you for nutrients which is not in the food you’re eating. The reality is that…

You can never satisfy your cravings, without giving your body “what it is craving”.

Healthy Supplements Satisfies Your Cravings

When you take the right kind of supplements, your body becomes more nutritionally satisfied, which greatly decreases your cravings, so you’ll lose some fat, without slowing down your metabolism, and you won’t regain all the weight you’ve lost.

But here’s the problem…

Not all Supplements are Created Equal

In order for your supplements to be an effective appetite suppressant, you need to take only “Quality Supplements” that your body can actually absorb, because…

When you take most vitamin and mineral supplements for example, it’s common knowledge that your body will only absorb about 4 to 5% of the nutrients in them.

It doesn’t seem to matter if you buy your supplements from a drugstore, a health food store, or if they are prescribed by a doctor.

What’s the point in spending money for supplements, if your body can’t absorb them, or if the nutrients you body is lacking is not in them to begin with?

Most people take lots of supplements, but they are still craving food all the time, and that means…

The supplements which you are taking are not making you nutritionally satisfied; otherwise you wouldn’t have all those cravings and keep gaining fat.

Breakthrough Super Supplements

In the Slim and America Weight-Loss Project, we only recommend supplements which are absorbed by the body, otherwise what’s the use?

Over the years we’ve come across a variety of different supplements which will affect different body functions, and just recently, we’ve come across a line of super supplements which act as effective appetite suppressants, because…

They are being fully absorbed by the body, and therefore making the body more nutritionally satisfied, otherwise, the cravings would remain.

Not only are our students who are taking these supplements eating a lot less, but they are also reporting a lot more energy, and a lot more stamina to get through the day.

The net result is…

Faster weight loss

Faster and safer weight-loss results are now possible without slowing down your metabolism, so that more effective fat burning takes place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Weight loss that stays off!

Everybody is different, so the trick is for you to find the supplements which will give you the best results. Today there are many supplement manufacturers who have top quality products, however…

There are many others, who make misleading claims for products that are not only totally useless, but some can also be very dangerous to your health, so how can you know for sure what’s best for you?

The answer is simple: if the products solve your problem, “Great”, if not, they’re a waste of money and you should get your money back.

If you take a good comprehensive general supplement and are eating at least reasonably healthy, you’ll become more nutritionally satisfied and it should take a lot of your food cravings away, otherwise you are not absorbing them and they are a waste of your hard earned money.

Becoming more nutritionally satisfied is the only way to get rid of food cravings in order to lose weight permanently.

Diet pills on the other hand, work exactly the opposite and slows down your metabolism 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so…

Only a natural weight loss system together with healthy and effective diet supplements is the answer to staying permanently slim, fit, and healthy.

Isn’t your health your greatest asset?

Not only is losing weight in a healthy way, “real easy” once you know how, but more importantly…

The weight stays off!!!

What’s the point in losing and regaining the same 20 or 30 lbs. over and over again? That’s what happens when you slow down your metabolism by taking diet pills, instead of losing the fat the right way to begin with,.

Why Not Lose It 4 Life

Only by following a safe and easy system like the Slim America weight-loss program, will you be able to burn the fat much faster, and lose the weight for the rest of your life, so diet pills are just not an option.

About the Author

Armand Dupuis is a Personal Trainer, Lecturer, Teacher, & Permanent Weight Loss Specialist, who has been a Serious Researcher into Human Consciousness for 5 Decades.

Mr. Dupuis has presently specialized his Teachings, into a powerful permanent and “free” Weight Loss System, and Information is available on his Web Site.
http://www.slimamericaweightlossproject.com/ga

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Healthy Eating Summed Up
Dr. Jamie Fettig

Eat food that is:
1. Fresh
2. Pure.

The benefits of junk food are not worth the hidden price you have to pay.

Remind yourself “why” you are eating healthy daily

These Myths are NOT true:
Eating Cholesterol does not increase your cholesterol levels
Salt does NOT cause High Blood Pressure
Eating Fat does NOT make you fat
All refined carbohydrates are hazardous to you
Artificial sweeteners of all kinds are not good for you
All vitamins and supplements are NOT created equal

Diet Food really does taste bad. True Healthy food is good.

Healthy food is easier in the long run.

Junk food really is bad for you

About the Author

share all of these in more detail in my free e-course. Go to http://www.HealthyEatingDiet.com to get the full e-course. Dr. Jamie wants to help give you Permanent Results with his “non-diet.” He is also giving you dozens of valuable free gifts to “ethically bribe” you into helping him make his new book, “The Ultimate Non-Diet” a #1 best seller. For details on the book go to: http://www.TheUltimateNonDiet.com/free

Tags: Artificial Sweeteners, Author, Best Seller, Cholesterol, Cholesterol Levels, diet food;, Dozens, Dr Jamie, e-course, Eating Habits, Eating Healthy, food;, Free Gifts, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, Healthy Food, high blood pressure;, Jamie, Junk food;, Myths, NOT cause High Blood Pressure, Refined Carbohydrates, Vitamins And Minerals, Vitamins And Supplements —

Healthy Eating Myths Shattered
Dr. Jamie Fettig

Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you need to know first to fully understand blood pressure, as well as helping you to understand about many other things in your body: The difference between average and normal.

Average is a mathematical statistic. Dont let that big M word scare you. All average means is that you add up all the totals you have and divide by the number of totals you added. This gives you an average of the group of numbers.

Normal is what is right for an individual, or what is common or appropriate for each particular person.

What the medical profession does is make the average normal. They measure a bunch of peoples blood pressure, divide the added totals by the number of people they measured, and come up with an average blood pressure. And then they say this is the normal blood pressure for everyone.

I will let you in on a little secret. If you had the blood pressure I have at this exact moment, you would probably pass out. If you had the same blood pressure standing as you did sitting, you would probably pass out. Your blood pressure changes all the time, all day long. Your normal blood pressure needs to be different than everyone elses. You need the right blood pressure for you at the right time. If you had the average blood pressure all the time, you probably would be dead by now.

So what do you do with this? Take all the numbers the doctors give you with “a grain of salt.” Just because their charts show that you should be in this range does not mean you actually should. You are different than everyone else. Your normal might be outside of the range of average that they go by and still be perfectly healthy for you.

So your high blood pressure might very well be normal for you. And if it is actually too high for your normal, salt really has nothing to do with it.

Again the medical profession came up with a theory and never really tested it before they released it as truth on the world. Someone said that salt attracts water, and blood has water in it. So if you get rid of some of the salt in the blood, then there will be less water in the blood as well. And if there is less volume of blood, the pressure will have to be less. That was their theory and they began telling people to eat less salt thinking it would lower peoples blood pressure. No real tests, no real studies, and yet believed to be true by many.

Here is the real proof it is garbage. Try and find one person whose blood pressure decreased because they quit eating salt. You will be very hard pressed to find one person. Because eating less salt does not lower your blood pressure. Just like a Diuretic, medications that cause you to release more water than your body wants to from your blood through your kidneys, is often prescribed to attempt to help lower blood pressure. And again, I dare you to try and find people who this has helped.

You see, the body is so much smarter than we are. Many more internal factors go into what your blood pressure is than how much water you have in your blood. Your Blood pressure is a function of your blood vessels, the stuff in your blood, the muscles in and around your blood vessels, your heart, and so much more. If you force water out of the body, your body will compensate in other ways to keep your pressure at your unique normal. Your body knows best where your blood pressure should be. And until you change one or some of the internal factors (and medications do not count) your body will do everything in its power to keep things where they are at.

Want something that is free and easy that decreases the blood pressure significantly for many people who actually do it? Drink Water. It often is as simple as that and here is a perfect example of why. Imagine some really thick ketchup and trying to suck it through a straw. Versus if you put a bunch of water in the ketchup and mix it up and suck the ketchup through the straw. Does it take more or less pressure to suck the watered down ketchup through a straw? It takes less pressure. Similar with your blood. If your blood is thick and sludgy because you are dehydrated, your body will increase your pressure to force the blood through the little itty-bitty vessels and capillaries.

Actually, your blood pressure is more than this. And drinking water does so much more than make your blood thinner so it flows through the vessels easier. Whatever the reasons, drinking water often lowers peoples blood pressure.

About the Author

Go to http://www.HealthyEatingDiet.com to get the full e-course. Dr. Jamie wants to help give you Permanent Results with his “non-diet.” He is also giving you dozens of valuable free gifts to “ethically bribe” you into helping him make his new book, “The Ultimate Non-Diet” a #1 best seller. For details on the book go to: http://www.TheUltimateNonDiet.com/free

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