Healthy B.P.M.

We know the benefits of fitness for us, but how often do we consider the benefits of exercise for our children? It isn’t necessary to have a formal workout routine for them (unless that fits your family structure). What’s important is that they spend less time with the Playstation and get moving. Here are some stats from the CDC. Daily participation in school physical education among adolescents dropped 14 percentage points over the last 13 years — from 42% in 1991 to 28% in 2003.

In addition, less than one-third (28%) of high school students meet currently recommended levels of physical activity. The most important lessons children learn, begin at home.In our busy hectic lives, it can be hard to work in playtime with our children. To properly grow and learn, children need to be active. We can help by playing with them. Here are some ideas and benefits:

Most of weight loss and fitness is just plain ol common sense which some seem to be lacking. I have 14 basic common sense steps you can take to take the pressure off and enjoy your life in the meantime. Here’s the first 7 and the second set will come tomorrow.

A family friend suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. He’s okay now but what worried the doctor was his age. He’s just 37. More and more young people are suffering from strokes today and the reasons are the same: sedentary lifestyle, smoking, unhealthy diet and stress.

A stroke happens when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot or bursts. Nerve cells in the brain die when deprived of oxygen which is why getting a stroke can debilitate.

The most important thing in treating a stroke has to do with timing, Getting to the hospital at the right moment is essential. Being aware of stroke symptoms is also a must.

Also read How To Prevent, Recognize And Find Hospitals To Treat Strokes

stroke

There are trigger mechanisms all around us and these affect the way we eat and live.

1. Surroundings Trigger:You could stop mindless eating by being aware of what you are eating and where you are eating it. That means you sit at the dining table and eat, not munch mindlessly in front of the television, computer screen or while you read a book. Good food for thought by Mark.

2.Food triggers and Health:Tackling food triggers is a good idea as it could put an end to obesity problems. It could help migraine too. Ever noticed how some foods can start that head throbbing sensation….so what’s the solution? Eat in moderation and eat sensible. You might be able to battle your headaches with a good diet Stay away from chocolates sundaes, MSG and salami to stall those headaches. Read this fantastically researched article for more.

Emotional Triggers:Definitely a diet alone is not enough.According to Maria, finding your emotional trigger is as important as cutting down on binge eating. What makes you lose track of your food habits? It’s not just the food trigger; it’s in your emotional trigger mechanism as well. Stay away from emotions that ruin your diet plan.

food trigger, emotional trigger, diet, weight loss, migraine

The Size Police come in all shapes and sizes. You meet them in your extended families, in schools, in potential employers….and expectations of the perfect body are flaunted in gossipy magazines and Hollywood drama. Everyone secretly wants to be be perfect looking. Yeah I know they say “I’m happy with my body….” but there are moments when you wish or at least give up on wishing that you were perfect.

How do you deal with the Size Police?

Now if you are a certain size- be it fat or skinny- think about whether you are healthy or not. If not, then you have to work on yourself. Even if you are healthy, there is nothing wrong with leading a sensible enough healthy lifestyle. The point is your size is your problem. And if someone talks to you about the way you look like it’s a random topic(like the weather), I’d say pay no heed.

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Are you shy? Are you proud of it or fed up?

When you are shy:

-Making friends is an effort and it doesn’t come naturally unless you feel really close with someone.

-You want to be invisible in a crowd.

-Doing presentations is a pain. You never get to make the most of an opportunity and prefer to disappear into the background.

-Going to large family functions becomes an obstacle to your happiness.

-You feel isolated and yet you prefer that.

-You prefer to eat alone.

Coping with shyness is an important part of growing up. What can help shy people:

1.Meditation: Looking inward is the best remedy. By realizing your own potential, looking outward becomes easier.

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Working moms have it hard. I liked the way Kelly came to the defence of working moms in her post I’m fat because mommy works. But being a bit of a juggler myself, I think that working moms have a guilt syndrome that they can never quite escape from.

Moms have it in their head that:

-They have to nurture and love their kids. That’s only natural.

-They want to do it by themselves and don’t really trust the help that they get.

-They want to make the money and if they give up their jobs they mope about it or feel worthless.

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This is a great article This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It). It’s the story of how your personality develops from the way you reflect on what happens to you. Different people have different life stories and the way they narrate it determines how far their personalities have changed for better or worse.

What’s your life story? This is a neat six word memoir which I had to share with you:

“Eight thousand orgasms. Only one baby.” – Neal Pollack

You could submit your six word memoir here.

Thinking of your life as a story or a fable really helps you deconstruct your life’s pitfalls and peaks. It’s therapeutic…try it out.

life story, therapy, writing, six word memoir, personality development, narration

Part of leading a healthy lifestyle has to do with being in control of your life. When you are not, you tend to see things falling apart.

One way to be in contol of your life is to quit your addictions. Easier said than done. Meera has written a great post about how she quit smoking for good. She tackled her problem using logic. When you smoke you spend an hour or two on your cigarrettes. That realization changed her approach.

Sometimes having kids is an opportunity to change. If you assume responsibility as a parent then quitting habits like drinking could help. Living with parents on a high could cause stress in children and lead them to pursue binge-drining habits or experience mental trauma later on. Read this.

control, self-control, bine drinking, smoking, addiction, stress, trauma, childhood problems

Yesterday I talked about what burnout is really all about. Sometimes it could be the multitasking you do, sometimes it could be the kind of relationships you are in, other times the kind of compensation you get for the time and energy you invest in your work. All these things can contribute to the level of stress in your life and the happiness quotient you experience.

I would advice any stressed out person to read this excellent article Set Limits at Work to Beat Burnout.

Four ways to beat burnout:

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Job burnout is a common problem that people have to deal with nowadays. Says Shannon in her blog Random Mutterings:

“Work-related stress over long periods places a relentless strain on the body and mind, leading to emotional and physical fatigue. The end result, if not corrected, is burnout. Burnout produces feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, cynicism, resentment, anger and failure, and results in stagnation, deterioration of quality of work, decreased creativity and reduced productivity.”

Burnout happens when you do more work than necessary and you have impossible deadlines to catch up with. If you feel that your job limits you and lessens your own personal space, you get that listless feeling that is burnout. Some jobs can add to the stress, especially if it’s mandatory to put in long hours. Check this link out.

How do you deal with burnout? More on that tomorrow.

burnout, stress, lifestyle, health, work

Why would you rather work from home?

-If you have kids, you can watch them grow up right before your eyes and not pine and pine for them while you are at work.

-You can work in your pajamas.

-You can talk on the phone, have your tea as you like it and spend some time on cooking a wholesome meal. If you like multi-tasking this is fun.

-You don’t have to commute- a nightmare of stress for many.

-You are your own boss; so you are accountable to yourself.

Why should you never work from home?

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What goes on in the mind of a fat child? Check out this post on Angry Fat Girlz.

As parents we can teach our kids some things:

-Go easy on criticism-criticizing others(think about the names kids call their fatter or skinnier counterparts) and taking it. It isn’t easy not to take yourself seriously but once you learn to laugh at your defects life becomes easier. A lot of young kids who are anorexic or have weight problems have a problem with criticism.

Some parenting tips:

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This being Asthma awarenss month I thought I’d talk about this condition and the way that more and more people are suffering and losing out on the quality of life because of it.

In the United States alone, asthma prevalence among children has increased by an average of 4.3% per year. As is it is with most problems, low-income populations, minorities, and children living in inner cities have had to experience higher morbidity and mortality due to asthma.

Asthma can ruin your life if you don’t take corrective steps

-Asthma can lead to decreased physical activity.
-There are more chances of the asthmatic being on sick leave.
-The possibility of death by asthma cannot be ruled out.
-Asthmatics have even resorted to abstinence from sex and so they have a decreased quality of life.

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Sometimes taking simple tests helps to prevent major future repercussions. A simple blood sugar test, measured after a person has fasted for at least eight hours, can indicate whether you have diabetes. Research(read Finding Whether Diabetes Lurks ) says:

“Readings above 126 milligrams of glucose per tenth of a liter of blood indicate diabetes; anything below 100 is considered normal. Intermediate levels reflect impaired glucose metabolism or pre-diabetes”.

How often do you get that medical check up? This article on men’s health Are Routine Check-Ups Really Necessary? indicates how frequently check ups are needed.

More on screenings you are better off taking here.

Something that stops me from all those doc visits is fear but it’s always better to save time by detecting problems earlier on. How many of you get those tests done?

longevity, blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, check-ups, health, lifestyle