Wellness for Life

How to effectively use a step counter (pedometer):    1. Place the step counter on your waistband or belt so that it is above your knee. 2. Walk 50 steps and check that the step counter.  If the counter recorded a number below 46 or above 54, try repositioning the step counter and resetting it, then check it again. 3. Wear the step counter during the day.  4. For the first week that you have the step counter do your regular activities.  You should write down your daily step counts and at the end of the week you will have an idea of your ... Read Full Story

Your diet is one of the most powerful influences on heart disease.  Reducing the consumption of foods high in saturated and trans-fats, and eating more high-fiber vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains can significantly improve the health of your heart. Did you know that on average, approximately 50 percent of the calories we consume are void of any nutritional value? Look at the Nutrition Facts label on the foods you buy. The general rule of thumb is that foods providing 5 percent of the daily value (DV) of fat or less are low in fat, and foods labeled as providing 20 percent or more ... Read Full Story

Tip # 1: Color Your Plate Like A Box of Crayolas: The substance that gives foods ( fruits and vegetables ) their color are called phytochemicals. Many consider these phytonutrients (e.g., bio-flavinoids) essential in helping to fight cancer. Tip # 2: Antioxidants Most phytochemicals are known to have antioxidant activity. There is much talk today about antioxidants. Here is the simple low-down on Anti-oxidants and Free Radicals. Free Radicals are oxygen molecules with an extra electron. We breathe these in all the time. Physically speaking, this electron configuration causes damage to the following: 1. Cell membranes (allowing things to go in that shouldn't enter, ... Read Full Story

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense can do a lot to stop any tragedies from happening. Pumpkin Safety Tips Pumpkins and jack-O-lanterns are a fun part of the holiday festivities. In order to keep this activity a safe part of every Halloween celebration, consider the following tips: • When it comes to carving pumpkins, have your children draw the face and scoop the seeds. Leave the actual cutting and ... Read Full Story

Calcium supplementation has long been known to help the development of bone growth in the early years so that older men and women have a lower risk of suffering from osteoporosis . Bone loss is a normal natural occurrence that happens from the age of 25 to 27 onward. In order to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and older years it’s important to have a higher bone mass density when the body is laying down large amounts of bone, between the ages of 12 and 24. Read Full Story

Twitter This!Why is it that it’s so easy to say you’re going to do something and so difficult to follow through and actually make it happen? The key is to cultivate self-discipline and persistence however, that’s sometimes easier said than done, right? Here are a few tips to become self-disciplined and persistent – tips to [...] Read Full Story

A Cold or The Flu? What to do? The symptoms are confusing, but here’s a simple test: high fevers, body aches, extreme fatigue and a constant dry cough are likely to be flu, according to experts at eMedicineHealth. The common cold generally consists of; a runny or stuffy nose, a mild fever, and coughing. In either case, antibiotics are not the cure for these virus caused illnesses, because antibiotics cannot fight viruses. In fact, taking prescription medications weakens their effectiveness for when you really need them; so reserve them for only bacterial infections. Often, what you need to ease the symptoms of colds and ... Read Full Story

Foods That Trigger The Stress Response: 1. Refined Sugar 2. Salt 3. Caffeine 4. Chemical Additives 5. Processed Flour Not only do processed foods and junk foods contain empty calories, they also contain substances that excite the nervous system to release an adrenaline-like substance. Needless to say, if you are already stressed, eating these foods are like throwing gasoline on the fire! 1. Processed sugar and processed flour have this effect. 2. Caffeine- Of course the big substance that tips the scale, is a substance found in caffeine that really excites the nervous system. This, most likely is the reason WHY people drink coffee ... Read Full Story