by Chris on September 7, 2010
Photo credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=659 Salvatore Vuono
Your mind is racing. Your chest feels tight. You want to scream. You just don’t know how to deal with the anxiety. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t felt that way before. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to handle the everyday stress that results in those anxious feelings.
- Prepare- Nothing says “stress” like waking up at the last minute in a mad rush. Consider instituting a routine that places you awake and alert with plenty of time to get ready. Also, take a few minutes to prepare mentally for your day.
- Early Morning Exercise- Starting off your day with a workout gets your blood pumping. Working out not only gives you more energy, but it also puts you in a better mood. Never mind the fact that getting in shape just makes you feel better all around. However, try to stay away from end of the day workouts. The last thing you need is to rev up your engine right before bed.
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by Chris on July 29, 2010
Photo credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=809 Francesco Marino
I remember my younger days, seeing those otherwise skinny guys with the big pot bellies and remarking how I’d never be that guy. The guy looking like he swallowed a basketball and got it stuck in his stomach.
And then I discovered beer.
Fast-forward a few years and a few hundred beers and say hello to my growing beer-belly. Like millions across the world, I’d really love to tone up my midsection but realistically there’s no way I’m going to stop drinking beer. So in analyzing my options, I decided the only logical solution was to kiss the darker beers goodbye and begin exploring the world of light beer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s scary territory. I’m used to full-bodied beers packed with flavor and calories, like Fat Tire and Newcastle. [click to continue…]
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Photo credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=987 graur razvan ionut
Have you ever heard the saying, “fish is great brain food”? Well, while there’s little solid evidence to support the aphorism, there’s no denying that eating fish positively affects your health. In fact, nutritionists generally agree that you should eat at least 2 servings of fish per week. Here are some of the biggest reasons you should add fish to your diet.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids- Many types of fish contain the magical oil known as omega-3 fatty acids. Ok, so it isn’t magic, but it offers your body many proven benefits. Perhaps the main benefits of omega-3 are that it plays a large role in keeping your arteries free of blockage and lowers your blood pressure. In turn, your risk of heart disease and stroke drops. They also help reduce inflammation in your body. As a result, you stand less of a chance of developing arthritis, diabetes, and cancer. Some even speculate that omega-3 might actually aid in brain development. Fish especially high in omega-3 are salmon, tuna, and trout.
- Low Saturated Fat- Good fat, bad fat- what’s the difference? The omega-3 found in some fish is a type of polyunsaturated fat, a good fat. On the other hand, saturated fat causes problems if you eat too much of it. While your body does need small amounts of saturated fat, you want to limit it to less than 10% of your caloric intake. Unfortunately for you carnivores, most meats are packed with high levels of saturated fats- but not fish. So when you choose fish over beef, you’re cutting out the artery clogging saturated fat.
- Vitamins- Many varieties of fish also meet daily vitamin requirements. One serving of salmon, for instance, gives you 100% of required vitamin D and 50% B12. Canned fish such as sardines contain soft, digestible bones that provide your body with much-needed calcium. Other fish like halibut provide you with almost a quarter of your daily dose of magnesium, which helps calm you and keep you regular.
- Protein Packed- Substituting fish into the rotation a few days a week allows you to get away from some of the more standard, fatty sources of protein like beef. Fresh fish contains complete protein sources with all the amino acids your body needs to maintain a healthy metabolism. With an up and running metabolism, your body will use the protein as fuel for weight loss.
- Versatility- Bake it, grill it, sear it- you can pretty much cook fish any way you want! You can even roll it up raw with rice- sushi anyone? Just do yourself a favor and stay away from the fryer. Frying fish counteracts the health benefits you want to obtain from your fish.
- Warning- While eating fish offers many benefits to your health, consuming fish in exorbitant amounts can lead to mercury poisoning. Luckily, you mainly only have to worry about mercury in larger fish such as shark and swordfish. Albacore tuna also presents a possibility for mercury poisoning and should be eaten in moderation. However, more common fish such as salmon, catfish, and canned light tuna have minimal levels of mercury, allowing you to indulge with little worry.
With so many health benefits, you can’t go wrong with fish. What type of fish do you prefer and how do you like it cooked?
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According to the Mayo Clinic, about 20 percent of Americans deal with some type of ear ringing. The medical term for this condition is tinnitus. Now, tinnitus itself is NOT an ear disease. It’s more appropriate to classify it as a symptom for some other issue. Think of the ringing as a warning bell.
Of course, there are many reasons your ears could be ringing, and if the ringing persists, it’s best to go see your doctor as soon as possible. He or she will be able to examine you more closely to identify why your ears are ringing and to come up with a plan for treating the root cause before it becomes something more serious.
Here are some of the most common reasons for tinnitus.
- Stress—Stress is actually one of the most common causes of tinnitus. A lot of people who are stressed out don’t even realize it because stress doesn’t always manifest itself in ways we all know (e.g. muscle tension, anger, anxiousness, etc.). Sometimes, stress shows up by causing a ringing in your ears. It’s important to pay attention if the ringing occurs on a regular basis, because stress can lead to serious health problems, such as a heart attack. Stress management can help reduce your stress and reduce or eliminate the ringing in your ears.
- High or low blood pressure—The ringing in your ears could be linked to your blood pressure. Experts believe that high or low blood pressure could cause tinnitus. If you suffer from ringing in the ears, get your blood pressure checked immediately. High blood pressure puts your life in danger, so don’t ignore it and assume it will get better. It won’t. Listen to those warning bells in your ears.
- Exposure to loud noise—If you’ve ever been to a loud concert, you’ve probably experienced at least mild tinnitus. Repeated exposure to loud noise can cause this ringing to become a regular/permanent condition. But that’s not all. Loud noise can cause serious damage to your ears, causing your hearing to suffer. The solution? Wear ear plugs, and stand back from loud noise whenever possible.
- Allergies—Your allergies or your allergy medications could be another possible culprit behind your ringing ears. When mucus builds up in the middle ear, the pressure starts to increase in your ears. Once that happens, you’re prone to an ear infection, and an ear infection equals, you guessed it, ringing ears.
- Inner ear disease—Your tinnitus could be caused by Meniere’s Disease. This inner ear condition causes dizziness, vertigo, severe ear pressure, and, of course, ear ringing. If your ears continue to ring on a regular basis, visit your doctor to determine if this inner ear disorder is the cause.
Have you ever experienced ringing in your ears? What was the cause of it? Share your experiences by leaving a comment.
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Eye health is something we all need to take very seriously. Whether you’ve always had perfect vision or you wear glasses or contacts, everyone needs to get an eye exam on a regular basis. Your eyesight can change at any age, and if you ignore it or are unaware of the changes, problems can worsen and the health of your eyes will suffer.
Thankfully, there are some easy to identify warning signs that let you know it’s time for an eye exam. Here are 6 signs you shouldn’t ignore.
1. It’s been at least two years since your last eye exam—Experts recommend that you have your eyes checked at least every two years. This even goes for those people who have always had perfect vision (dang you!). In some cases, it’s necessary to get your eyes checked even more often. A good example of this is if you’re over the age of 40, because vision tends to change rapidly as you age.
Don’t put your eye exam off any longer. It’s a critical part of maintaining your health. Schedule a full eye exam as soon as possible.
2. You have trouble focusing—Occasionally, we all deal with blurry vision or difficulty focusing. This is especially true after a long day where you put a lot of stress on your eyes. That’s not what this is about. This is for people who regularly run into trouble focusing their eyes. If you have blurry vision on a regular basis, you need to take it very seriously. Schedule an appointment to get your eyes checked out immediately. The sooner you act, the more damage you can possibly prevent.
3. You have headaches on a regular basis—If you get a lot of headaches, it could definitely be a sign of an eye health problem. You could be straining your eyes without even realizing it. That’s because our vision changes slowly over time. You may have had 20/20 vision at your last eye exam, but now you could have declining vision and not even realize it. This causes severe eye strain and headaches. Get your eyes checked to make sure this isn’t the source of your headaches.
4. Your eyes get tired easily—Again, infrequent eye strain isn’t that big of a deal. However, if you’re eyes are getting tired on a daily basis, it could be a sign of deteriorating eye health. Do your eyes hurt when you move them? Have your eyes suffered fatigue for a period of a few days? If so, you need to schedule an appointment to get your eyes examined ASAP.
5. You find yourself squinting—I’ll never forget when I first started squinting regularly in the 6th grade. Up to that point, I had passed all eye exams each year with flying colors. Then, I suddenly had to squint to read the chalkboard. It was a tell-tale sign that I needed to get my eyes checked out. Do you find yourself squinting more and more often? Go get your eyes checked.
6. Your frames are outdated or scratched up—Eyewear fashion is constantly changing, so if your frames are out of style, it’s probably been a while since you last had your eyes checked. You can also look at the general condition of your frames for clues. If they’re scratched up, chances are that it’s been a couple of years since you had your eyes checked and bought a new pair of glasses.
When is the last time you had an eye exam?
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The hardest part about losing weight is to stay motivated. Usually the results are very slow to notice, so day by day you stop seeing the point in going on.
This is when turning to people for help is a great idea. It is always more fun to try to achieve your goals together with someone. Both the feeling of being supported and the contest spirit keep you encouraged and motivated.
But what if there’s no one nearby to share your weight loss goals with? That’s when social media communities are there to help. Here are the three absolutely free web-based tools to help you achieve your weight loss goals:
1. SparkPeople
SparkPeople promotes “a new approach to weight loss” which is basically nothing new but sounds useful: join support groups and help each other lose weight.
Besides support groups and strong and active community, the site also offers quite a few tools to help you track your meals, monitor your weight and keep an eye on your progress:
- Personalized diets;
- Calorie counter,
- Customized fitness programs,
- Expert Q&A section,
- Motivation program, etc.
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Most people take their eyes for granted. They don’t pay much attention to eye health, assuming that as long as they can see, everything is all right. That’s a dangerous assumption to make. The truth is eye care is just as important to maintaining your health as anything else. And if you don’t give your eyes proper attention, you could develop vision problems and other eye issues.
Thankfully, it’s easy to take care of your eyes. It doesn’t take much time at all. Here are 5 simple tips for ensuring your eyes stay in optimal health. [click to continue…]
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Photo credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/photos/broccoli-floret.jpg
I think it’s safe to say that the average person’s diet sucks. Whether you’re binge burger eating or riding the latest dieting fad, chances are your diet lacks some vital components. Here are a few foods you should consider adding into the mix.
1) Salmon- It’s no secret that salmon holds the title of healthiest meat. The reason? Omega-3 fatty acids. With heart disease topping cause-of-death charts, Omega-3 fatty acids offer a way to lower your chances of heart-related problems. Salmon contains more Omega-3 fatty acids than most other fish choices.
Some people fear mercury poisoning when it comes to eating fish, but don’t let it stop you from eating salmon. Like everything else, moderation is the key. So whether you throw it on the grill or pop it in the oven, make sure your personal menu places salmon near the top of the protein section. [click to continue…]
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by J.M. on April 20, 2010
Credit: BigStockPhoto.com
I’m a freelance writer. I also do a lot of Web development work outside of my client projects. I’ve been known to be a bit of a workaholic at times (although I’m much better about it these days). No matter what kind of work I’m doing, that means I’m spending long hours parked on my ass in front of a computer. Sometimes it’s in my office. Sometimes it’s in my living room. Sometimes it’s at the library or while out for coffee. But the ass-planting is fairly consistent.
Exercise and Excuses in Freelancing
When you work at a desk job (as many freelancers do), you have to make a more conscious effort to get moving at other times during the day. That’s tough for me personally. I do have a fitness center right here at my community, but I like to workout around 4am when I get up and the fitness center doesn’t open until after 6am. So I bought an exercise bike to get around that. [click to continue…]
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