Living Healthy Forever

Brush your teeth

2007-09-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best advice comes from your best friend or, in this case, a fellow Health reader. Barbara Haug of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, says she brushes her teeth right after dinner instead of at bedtime. “I can be a compulsive snacker in the evening,” she says, “but I don’t like messing up freshly brushed teeth.”

Step it up

2007-09-01T19:00:00.002-07:00

“Get a pedometer and start walking,” says University of Colorado obesity expert James Hill, author of The Step Diet. To keep the weight off forever, the goal is to take 11,000 to 12,000 steps (around 90 minutes) a day. “You don’t need to do it all at once,” Hill explains. Start with 2,000 steps a day, or about 15 minutes of walking. Add another 5 minutes (500 steps) each week. You can find supercheap pedometers at drugstores and big-box retailers to help you keep count. There are lots of other sneaky little ways to add more steps to your day, too: Use a cordless phone and walk while you talk, or get up and walk during TV commercials.

Try the 3-hour rule

2007-09-01T19:00:00.001-07:00

The secret to losing weight comes down to keeping your metabolism alive and active,” according to fitness guru Jorge Cruise, author of The 3-Hour Diet. How do you do that? By eating every 3 hours, give or take 10 to 20 minutes, he says, which translates to three moderate meals with three snacks (100 calories each) between meals. Though other experts say there’s nothing magic about 3-hour intervals, eating small, frequent, portion-controlled meals and snacks can keep your blood sugar level steady, your energy up, and keep you from overindulging.

Fitness - Exercising for a healthy heart

2007-08-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

When you have coronary artery disease, it is very important to exercise regularly. If you aren't already active, your doctor may want you to begin an exercise program. Even if you can only do a small amount of exercise, it is better than not doing any exercise at all.
Key points:
Talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Your doctor may do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and possibly an exercise stress test to assess how much activity your heart can safely handle.
Start an exercise program, such as walking, cycling, or jogging. Exercise for at least 30 minutes on most, preferably all, days of the week. Studies show that exercise effectively reduces the number of fatal heart attacks in people with coronary artery disease.1
A complete exercise program consists of aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching.
After you start exercising, stop your activity immediately if you experience chest pain, feel faint or lightheaded, or become extremely out of breath.
Set goals you can reach. If you expect too much, you are likely to become discouraged and stop exercising.

Safe Sex

2007-08-31T06:21:00.000-07:00

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread by sexual contact involving the genitals, mouth, or rectum, and can also be spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus before or during delivery. STDs, which affect both men and women, are a worldwide public health concern.
While most STDs can be cured, some cannot, including HIV (which causes AIDS), genital herpes, and human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause genital warts.
STDs can be spread by people who don't know they are infected. Always use protection every time you have sex, including oral sex, until you are sure you and your partner are not infected with an STD.
If you are in a relationship, delay having sex until you are physically and emotionally prepared, have agreed to only have sex with each other, and have both been tested for STDs.
Abstinence as prevention
Completely avoiding sexual contact (abstinence), including intercourse or oral sex, is the only certain way to prevent an infection.
Discuss safe sex with your partner
Discuss STDs before you have sex with someone. Even though a sex partner doesn't have symptoms of an STD, he or she may still be infected.
Questions to ask someone before having sex include:
How many people have you had sex with?
Have you had sex without a condom?
Have you ever had unprotected oral sex?
Have you had more than one sex partner at a time?
Do you inject illegal drugs or have you had sex with someone who injects drugs?
Have you ever had unprotected sex with a prostitute?
Have you ever had an STD, including hepatitis B or hepatitis C? Was it treated and cured?
Safe sex practices
Some STDs, such as HIV, can take up to 6 months before they can be detected in the blood. Genital herpes and the human papillomavirus (HPV) can be spread when symptoms are not present. Even if you and your partner have been tested, use condoms for all sex until you and your partner haven't had sex with another person for 6 months. Then get tested again.
Watch for symptoms of STDs, such as unusual discharge, sores, redness, or growths in your and your partner's genital area, or pain while urinating.
Don't have more than one sex partner at a time. The safest sex is with one partner who has sex only with you. Every time you add a new sex partner, you are being exposed to all of the diseases that all of their partners may have. Your risk for an STD increases if you have several sex partners at the same time.
Use a condom every time you have sex. Latex and polyurethane condoms do not let STD viruses pass through, so they offer good protection from STDs. Condoms made from sheep intestines do not protect against STDs.
Use a water-based lubricant such as K-Y Jelly or Astroglide to help prevent tearing of the skin if there is a lack of lubrication during sexual intercourse. Small tears in the vagina during vaginal sex or in the rectum during anal sex allow STDs to get into your blood.
Avoid douching if you are a woman, because it can change the normal balance of organisms in the vagina and increases the risk of getting an STD.
Be responsible. Avoid sexual contact if you have symptoms of an infection or if you are being treated for a STD or HIV. If you or your partner has herpes, avoid sexual contact when a blister is present and use condoms at all other times.

Pap Test

2007-08-31T06:18:00.000-07:00

A Pap test is done to look for changes in the cells of the cervix . During a Pap test, a small sample of cells from the surface of the cervix is collected by your health professional. The sample is then spread on a slide (Pap smear) or mixed in a liquid fixative (liquid-based cytology) and sent to a lab for examination under a microscope. The cells are examined for abnormalities that may indicate abnormal cell changes, such as dysplasia or cervical cancer.
It is important to have your first Pap test within 3 years of starting to have sex or by age 21. You may be able to stop having regular Pap tests after you are 65 to 70 years of age, if you have had 3 normal Pap tests in a row, and you do not have a high risk of cervical cancer. Women who do not have a uterus may not need a Pap test if the uterus was not removed because of cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer. You may need more frequent Pap tests if you have more than one sex partner or have had an abnormal Pap test in the past. Talk with your health professional about how often you should have Pap tests.

Staying Healthy: If You are 55 or Older

2007-08-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

Alternative Medicine
From acupuncture to vitamins, there's a lot to learn about non-traditional forms of medicine that can enhance your health and well-being.
Healing Touch influences a person's physical or emotional health without anyone physically touching the person. The aim of healing touch is to focus (or channel) healing energy to restore natural health. read article
Naturopathic Medicine is based on the belief that the body can heal itself naturally. Naturopathic medicine attempts to improve health, prevent disease, and treat illness by promoting the use of organic foods and exercise; encouraging a healthy, balanced lifestyle; and applying concepts from other areas of complementary medicine read article
Birth Control
Hormone replacement therapy was part of a large set of clinical trials called the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). The HRT portion of these trials showed a small increase in the rate of breast cancer among the women taking a combination of 0.625 mg of estrogen plus 2.5 mg of progestin daily. WHI data has also shown an increased rate of cardiovascular disease and dementia with HRT use. read article
Perimenopause is the process of change that leads up to menopause. It can start as early as your late 30s or as late as your early 50s. How long perimenopause lasts varies, but it usually lasts from 2 to 8 years. You may have irregular periods or other symptoms during this time. read article

Health Health Health

2007-08-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

You can Find litle but very important hints about stayin healthy in this blog....