Archives for July 2014

Staying Healthy on the Road

July 30, 2014 By Monica Hughes

Traveling at any point in the year is a great excuse to simply give into relaxation and fast food. It may feel relaxing for the time being but the result and the recovery could be catastrophic. Many people donâ€™t even think about the consequences of such actions. Whether it is a vacation or business trip, our minds are sort of programmed to believe fun or business will take up too much time.

Making a commitment to exercise while traveling will have more benefits than letting it slide. Continue a workout routine to keep getting your body in shape. Working out while traveling also gives you the boost of endorphins that your body produces. You will be able to feel better naturally and be able to enjoy a vacation all the more or have a better focus in a business meeting. Here are a few things to remember when desiring to exercise while on the road:

1. Make a commitment â€“ Making a promise to yourself and keeping it is very important here. Taking the opportunity to keep yourself healthy, even when you are â€œtaking a breakâ€ from everything else in your daily life not only boost your health but your confidence as well.

2. Make it constant â€“ One of the ways to ensure that you will work out is to plan ahead. Give yourself a schedule. Setting aside a time each day to exercise even with a busy schedule will keep at least on part of your life constant while you are away from home. A good rule to follow is to never skip more than one session. Skipping something more than once makes it all that much easier to do it again and to get back on track

3. Make an effort â€“ Eating more than fast food while on the road will take some conscious effort and possibly extra planning. When itâ€™s possible, choose to eat items with proteins and veggies. Obviously, time and travel are unpredictable and sometimes unhealthy food is the only option available. Make an effort the next you eat to make up for it, or pack healthy snacks until you can find something better. Also, take extra care of your intake of fatty foods if you plan on drinking while out.

There will always be struggles to overcome in any workout regime and working out while traveling is no different. Making the decision is to do so is the first step in any workout routine.

Stressed Women and Weight Gain

July 28, 2014 By Monica Hughes

According to research, going through a stressful situation will cause cravings for less-healthy, high-fat foods. Ironically, stress also causes women to metabolize these types of unhealthy meals much more slowly. It is a lot harder to want to eat healthier foods when the stress of the day weighs down. This especially happens when there is no energy for making a healthy meal and fast food becomes the quickest option.

On average, women who are under stress can gain up to 11 pounds per year than a woman not under stress and eating the same thing.

For more on health and stress studies, visit cnn.com

Chikungunya Reaches the U.S.

July 26, 2014 By Monica Hughes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first case of Chikungunya; a debilitating tropical disease that is spread by mosquitoes. Until last Thursday, the disease had only about 25 to 28 cases that were brought back to the United States from foreign travels. This is the first case where the disease has been thought to be transferred from a mosquito within the country.

The disease causes joint pain and stiffness, and it was merely a matter of time before the virus would reach the U.S. The CDC will be monitoring for any new cases in the coming months. It is recommended that you take precautions against mosquito bites.

For more information visit cnn.com

Cardio or Weights?

July 25, 2014 By Monica Hughes

In all honesty, it really depends on what results you want to have. There are advantages to both cardio and weight training workouts but putting the two together will change your body shape the fastest and most efficiently.

Brain-eating Amoeba Kills 9-year-old Girl

July 23, 2014 By Monica Hughes

Earlier last week, 9-year-old Hally Yust was infected with a brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri. This fresh, still water amoeba is a rare form of infection with only 34 reported infections in the past nine years.

The parasite enters through the nose and will eventually work its way through the nervous system and brain and has devastating effects. Symptoms emerge about five days after the infection has taken hold ranging from headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and death. Over the past 50 years, of the 130 reported infections only three people have survived.

Even though the as Naegleria fowleri will cause severe damage, it is not the biggest danger in summer water activities. It is unpredictable whether or not someone will become infected even if exposed to it. The amoeba also cannot be contracted through drinking water contaminated with the parasite. The safest bet is to avoid swimming in warm, still, fresh bodies of water. Use nose plugs if you do and try not to stir up the bottom sediment.

See full story at cnn.com