How Healthy Is Your LifestyleWritten by 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 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 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: greater number of good lifestyle habits, greater 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 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 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 health impact of various lifestyle activities, a new Computerized Lifestyle Assessment (CLA) program, developed by Addiction Research Foundation and 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 way and a printed report at 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 CLA program, call (416) 978-8989 or contact 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 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 beginnings of diabetes, hypertension and a potential heart problem.
| | Beauty Basics - Eight Tips For Naturally Beautiful HairWritten by Ololade Franklin
Looking for a more natural approach to hair care? Here are some tips to help your hair look and feel its best.1. Avoid shampoos that contain sodium laurel sulfate, or sodium laureth sulfate. These chemicals are synthetic detergents that are used in dishwashing liquid and other cleansers. They are valued because they lather well, but they are very harsh, and can dry out your hair. Instead, look for shampoos made with decyl glucose, or decyl glucoside, which are much gentler. 2. Give yourself a hot oil treatment to deep condition your hair. Warm oil penetrates hair shaft making hair more flexible and giving it shine. This can also help to prevent split ends which result from dry hair. 3. Eat right and consider taking vitamin and mineral supplements to encourage healthy hair. Several vitamins and minerals have been shown to help hair growth and condition including biotin, vitamin E, vitamin B, vitamin C and MSM. 4. If you are an African American, or if you have extra curly hair, avoid brushing your hair. Use a wide toothed comb, or your fingers to work with your hair. Brushes can destroy African American or extra curly hair by shearing it out of scalp.
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