PTT Health Tips

• ProTaiTai

  26 Jul 04, 18:47

  being busy working women, we often neglect or do not have time to keep fit....
  let's share the simple tips to help keep out body, mind and soul in top condition....be it personal health tips or articles you found....
• FireIce

  26 Jul 04, 18:51

  10 Hollywood Training Tips
  
  Celebrity trainer Michael George sculpts some of the best bodies in the movie business. He knows how to help an actress shape up for a role in as little as four weeks. Even better, he knows how to help her stay slim and sexy when the cameras aren't rolling. Here are some of his secrets:
  
  1. To get an actress camera-ready in a short amount of time, George gets down to business! His prescription, "a strict diet, five days of weight work per week and six days of cardio."
  
  2. George's diet philosophy: "For weight management, follow a structured nutritional plan that provides for five small meals per day versus two or three large meals per day. Fuel your body efficiently by eating small meals every two to three hours. This will allow your metabolism to operate at an optimal level."
  
  3. George trains his clients using a technique he calls Intergrated Motivational Fitness. He created this concept to prevent the boredom that often leads people to drop out. To keep it interesting, he suggests doing a different cardio activity every day of the week: "On Monday, you could take a step or low-impact aerobic class, a great way to gain balance and agility skills. Tuesday you could find yourself working the machines -- 15 minutes on the treadmill, 15 minutes on the StairMaster, 15 minutes on the bicycle. Wednesday is your new activity day -- try aerobic boxing, a great way to burn calories and build strength at the same time. Thursday you participate in a sports league or pick-up game, such as basketball or volleyball. Friday it's taking a swim, a low-impact high calorie-burning workout that refreshes as it works. Saturday you take that Power Yoga course, burning calories, gaining flexibility and giving your mind a chance to quiet down. Sunday you take it outside. Go mountain biking, hiking or walking with the family."
  
  4. According to George, one of the added benefits of building variety into your routine is that it turns a regular workout schedule into cardiovascular crosstraining. By constantly trying new activities, you'll not only beat boredom, you'll also target a greater variety of muscle groups and see results even faster.
  
  5. To make ab exercises work harder, George gives them a little something extra. For actress and new mom Reese Witherspoon, George recommended that she lift her legs in the air and cross them at the ankles to make her crunches even more effective.
  
  6. Instead of plain old squats, George had actress/singer Jennifer Lopez do these "squat raises" to tone up her legs: With feet shoulder-width apart, bend knees slightly and lower your body until you're almost sitting. Rise back up and onto your toes. Do two sets of 25.
  
  7. Part of the arm workout George designed for actress Jennifer Aniston is a move you may remember from gym class. To do basic arm circles, hold your arms out at shoulder level and do small circles for one minute in each direction. Do three sets.
  
  8. George may be most famous for sculpting Meg Ryan's buff biceps. Here's how you can get yours into similar shape: Try 12 regular bicep curls with eight-pound weights, then do 12 side bicep curls with five-pound weights (keep your elbows against your rib cage, but turn your forearms out and lift to the side).
  
  9. George grew up a chubby and rebelious kid with bad eating habits but later learned the power of the mind-body connection. He shares this passion with his clients. "Fitness combined with spirituality changed my life," he says. "Learning how to take care of my body and mind through consistent exercise, proper nutrition and a sound spiritual path has added a profound quality to my life. Before I turned to athletics and fitness I was on a path of total self-destruction. Health and fitness literally saved my life."
  
  10. If you're ever under the weather, or too tired to workout, don't give up. Simply take your usual workout down a few notches. If you've got a head cold that's on the mend, George recommends a light workout of walking, stretching or yoga. If you're jet-lagged, try swimming. If you have PMS, avoid high-impact exercise and try cycling or walking on a tredmill instead.
• FireIce

  26 Jul 04, 19:12

  Exercise @ Work
  
  Office work can be very stressful to city dwellers who have no time for outdoor exercise. Prevent burn out and injury.
  Here are exercises you can do five times each while standing or sitting at your desk.
  
  Lower Backache & Pressure
  
  -Inhale and slowly bring your head toward your knees. Let your hands drop to your ankles. Hold for 5 seconds.
  -Inhale and slowly unwind, return your head to its normal upright position.
  -Exhale and stretch your arms toward the ceiling.
  
  Upper Back and Shoulder Tension
  
  -Lift your hands to your shoulders while keeping your elbows down and pushing your shoulders back.
  -Hold for 15 seconds
  
  Wrist Tension and Stiffness
  
  -Put your palms together, chest high (as if in prayer).
  -Slowly push your palms together while lifting your elbows slightly and hold for five seconds
  -Rotate your hands, fingertips pointing to the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and release.
  
  Neck and Shoulder Tension
  
  -Inhale. Slowly turn your head to the right. Feel the strain in your neck muscles. Hold for five seconds.
  -Exhale and return your head to normal position.
  -Repeat the same on your left side.
• FireIce

  26 Jul 04, 19:13

  Saving Soles: The How & Why Of Foot Care
  
  If you're like most people, you don't pay enough attention to footwear and foot care.
  
  Most of us walk around in shoes that have lost their shape and need new heels. We tend not to realize that the "savings" we realize from neglecting what we walk in represents a false economy. Posture, spinal problems and back pain can all be affected by shoes.
  
  Here are some simple things that you can do to improve your quality of life, inexpensively, from the bottom up:
  
  * Regularly reheel your shoes, especially if you wear out the heels at an angle.
  
  * If you do wear out your heels at an angle, consider using "leveler" inserts, sold inexpensively at shoe repair shops.
  
  * Buy cushion inserts and replace them when they wear out.
  
  * Use shoe trees when storing your shoes, to help them keep their shape.
  
  * Rotate regularly between different pairs of shoes.
  
  * Select footwear appropriate for the activity.
  
  * Consult with a podiatrist (foot doctor) or at least your primary care physician, if you experience any problems with your feet.
  
  Taking good care of your feet is one of the best investments you can make in your good health. This is one area in which a few dollars well spent can save you hundreds or even thousands in medical bills down the road.
• FireIce

  26 Jul 04, 19:16

  Are You Depressed?
  
  If you experience five or more of these symptoms for more than 2 weeks, or they're severe enough to interfere with your daily routine, seek professional help:
  
  -A persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
  -Sleeping too little or too much
  -Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain
  -Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
  -Restlessness or irritability
  -Persistent physical symptoms that don't respond to treatment
  -Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
  -Fatigue or loss of energy
  -Feeling guilty, hopeless, or worthless
  -Thoughts of death or suicide
• FireIce

  26 Jul 04, 19:17

  Headache And Your Bra
  
  They may look sexy and slip in just right under your slinkiest evening dresses, but brassieres with thin straps could cause headaches and lead to serious nerve damage.
  
  Physicians at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say wearing thin bra straps too tightly is dangerous for women. If a strap is so tight that it digs into the shoulder, it puts downward pressure on the cervical nerve. The cervical nerve runs from the neck to the shoulder and is an important component of the nerve system. Damaging it can cause frequent headaches, neck pain or numbness. Over time, it can cause pain that radiates from the shoulder all the way down the arms and into the hands.
  
  Tight bra straps are especially hazardous for full-busted women, but all women are susceptible. Swimsuits with spaghetti straps and shoulder-strap purses worn for several hours at a time are other culprits.
  
  The solution is to find a good-fitting undergarment, say UT Southwestern physicians. Shop for support bras with wide straps. This distributes the weight more evenly.
  
  So the next time you get a headache -- check your bra.
• FireIce

  26 Jul 04, 19:21

  P M S
  
  Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the oldest and most common afflictions known to women and, secondarily, to men. "When my wife has PMS, she's not the only one who suffers!" For most women, symptoms are usually mild -- fatigue, irritability, anxiety and bloating. But for some, PMS is not mild, it's debilitating -- causing severe depression, panic attacks, and even violent behavior.
  
  Advice in the past has been less than helpful because of the large range of symptoms of a nonspecific nature. Physicians have prescribed progesterone to alleviate symptoms, but double-blind studies by the NIH show that the hormone is no better than a placebo. Over-the-counter drugs are also of little value.
  
  So, what does work?
  
  Exercise:
  The one remedy that seems to help is exercise. When women do moderate exercise five times a week for at least 30 minutes a session, their symptoms are significantly reduced. Because long, steady exercise causes a release of endorphins, it makes sense to keep the level "pumped up," so to speak, during the last two weeks of the cycle. Continuous production of endorphins appears to diminish the PMS symptoms.
  
  Eat small frequent meals:
  It's been shown that occasional small sugar snacks are effective in relieving the milder symptoms. To avoid fluctuations in blood sugar levels, don't skip meals. Eat small frequent meals instead. Eat the same amount of food you normally would, but spread it out. Have three small meals and mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.
  
  Limit simple sugars and include fiber:
  It is better to limit simple sugars than to try to avoid them. It's okay to have some sugar, but don't have it on an empty stomach, for that could trigger a binge. Instead, have a dessert with your meal. It sounds strange, but it's better to eat dessert during the middle of a meal than at the end. Having something sweet at the end of a meal may lead you to want more sugar. If you eat the sweet mid meal, the craving is satisfied. Be sure to include fiber and protein with each meal to slow the digestion and absorption of the sugar.
  
  Limit caffeine and alcohol:
  Some women experience alcohol intolerance during the last two weeks of their cycle; they show signs of intoxication with only two drinks when it usually takes five or six to produce the same effects.
  
  Reduce sodium:
  Finally, sodium is not as big an issue as it once was, but if you're bothered by fluid retention and breast swelling or tenderness, then limit your sodium and avoid adding salt.
• FireIce

  27 Jul 04, 18:40

  Daily calcium
  
  To get the recommended 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium per day, women should consume three servings of milk products (1portion=1 cup/250 mL of milk, 6 oz/175 g of yogurt or 1 oz/45 g of cheese). If you don’t like milk products, you can replace each of the three portions with a 300 mg calcium supplement and try other sources of calcium.
  
  Sleep stealers
  
  Beware of factors that rob you of a good night’s sleep: Arguments before bedtime, caffeine, sugar, vitamin C and intense exercise.To relax, take a hot bath, drink a cup of herbal tea or a glass of milk and read. A drop of lavender or orange oil on your sheets can also help bring sweet slumber.
  
  Growing bones
  
  Gardening is a great exercise for building bone density because of all the bending and lifting. Taking care of your flowers just once a week can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
  
  Calcium intake and age
  
  A woman in her 20s needs about 1,000 mg of calcium a day. By her 30's a woman’s bones stop growing, so it’s wise to build a reserve of bone and calcium that’ll be needed in the future. Exercise can help. Women in their 40's can start to lose bone density. Dairy foods, leafy green vegetables, fish, and even non-dairy products that are fortified with calcium help to boost calcium-intake.
  
  Cut the caffeine
  
  Your chances of developing an irritated bladder can double if you’re drinking more than four cups of caffeinated coffee each day. Caffeine in tea, chocolate and cola are also irritants.