Archive for the 'General Health' Category
It goes without saying that obesity is becoming a health crisis in America. There used to be a time when major news outlets would report on something having to do with obesity or a new diet fad and we, as viewers, would be greeted with the obligatory shot of hefty Americans, face out of view and only the backside visible, trudging along the streets. The sad fact is that the shots are becoming increasingly visible through a multitude of news outlets, and we as viewers can increasingly relate to the imagery we are seeing flash across our TV screens.
As an increasing number of Americans become overweight we’re left the asking ourselves whether this is due to our poor food choices or a lack of exercise. Undoubtedly both factors contribute to obesity, and fixing either one or the other will go a long way towards diminishing your waistline, but a recent study says that one of these culprits is a bigger villain in the other:
“Dr. Boyd Swinburn and colleagues at Deakin University, Melbourne, presented their findings last year at the European Congress on Obesity in Amsterdam. The ever-growing amounts of food Americans eat comprise, according to Swinburn, virtually the sole cause of the alarming increase over the past 3 decades in overweight in the U.S. The researchers looked at 1,399 adults and 963 children to see how many calories they burned daily, and compared these figures to estimates of what their daily calorie needs should be to maintain a healthy weight, based on their height and weight (30 years ago and now).” (Source Health.yahoo.net)
Given the information coming out of this study looking at our diets might be the first place to start to improve our overall health. BCBSNC has a great set of guidelines that you can click here to assess if you are overweight and if you are leading a healthy lifestyle.
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We all know the detrimental health affects that can be experienced when someone is dealing with grief in their life. There’ve been many studies that have shown a specific correlation between a poor state of mental well-being and an increased risk for decreased state of physical well-being. This potential decrease take a physical well-being can be addressed by focusing on methods to cope with the whenever grief you may be experiencing in your life as outlined by the American Academy of Family Physicians:
· Communicate with others about what you’re feeling, and don’t be afraid to ask loved ones for help.
· Try to stay on top of daily responsibilities to avoid falling behind and feeling overwhelmed.
· Try to get regular exercise, eat healthy foods and get plenty of sleep.
· Don’t drink alcohol, which ultimately can make you feel more depressed.
· Push yourself to return to your regular routine as quickly as possible.
· Avoid making major decisions just after a loss.
· Allow yourself to feel the typical symptoms of grief, which may include sadness, crying, anger and numbness.
BCBCNC has a great checklist that can be found by following this link that outlines why depression is a serious health problem and what you can do about it. The list and information provided is a great resource, and a great place to begin if you suspect that you, or a loved one, might be suffering from depression.
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Eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy may have just met their newest enemy in the form of the humble grape. It seems that the much talked about compounds known as Resveratrol, which is found in red wine and grapes, now has some scientific evidence to back up its ability to inhibit the growth of new blood vessels in the eye. This type of blood vessel growth is associated with the eye diseases like the aforementioned age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
According to health.yahoo.net research has shown the beneficial effects of resveratrol:
“Previous research has shown that resveratrol can decrease the effects of agingand act as an anti-cancer agent. In this new study, researchers found that resveratrol inhibits harmful blood vessel growth in the eye. They also identified the specific pathway through which the compound achieves this effect and found that specific inhibitors could reverse the angiogenesis-blocking power of resveratrol.
The study appears in the July issue of the American Journal of Pathology”
Of course anything that’s good for the health of your eyes is ultimately good for the health of your body. Health insurance providers such as Blue Cross NC know the importance of overall health and well being, so this study should be of great interest to the Health community as a whole. If you find this study to be interesting that I suggest you do more research on resveratrol, as there have been many very interesting studies done on this one particular compound.
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