Here are 10 simple ways towards a Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability for you and your family:

1. Reduce overall consumption. Reuse what you can. Recycle items through proper waste management or giving away what you no longer need.
2. Load up on vinegar! It is recommended to clean your bathrooms, toilets, and even your laundry with water and vinegar, preferably organic coco sap vinegar. That is echoed by Greenpeace which warns people against cleansers with chlorine.
3. Go unplugged. Read articles on energy reduction and electric bill savings by simply unplugging telephone and computer battery chargers and water heaters, so you’d be diligent about pulling the plug. The result: 30% reduction in electricity consumption!
4. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs use 66% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10,000 hours!
5. Carpool, commute, or walk! You can lessen your daily carbon dioxide by 5.7 kg just by sharing a ride or commuting once in a while. If you’re not going that far, walk. It’s great for your health, too.
6. Disposable batteries not included. Greenpeace advises us to try to avoid anything battery-operated or to use rechargeable ones for those unavoidable items like remote controls and wall clocks.
7. Choose local products! According to Greenpeace, it’s not only good for the local economy, it will save energy because products haven’t traveled across the globe to get to you.
8. Bring your own reusable shopping bags and boxes.
9. Avoid throwing paper waste material down your toilet. It makes it difficult for proper waste water management.
10. Assess your cosmetics, toiletries, and your family’s personal hygiene products. We should follow these simple guidelines:

• Make sure that the product contains natural and non-toxic ingredients.
• That they have not been tested on animals.
• Packaging is kept to an absolute minimum.
• The company has an ethical policy towards its workers and organizations.

To check the hazard level of the ingredients in your current products, I highly recommend going to Environmental Working Group’s www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. You might be surprised!

Going green is only the beginning. Embracing a lifestyle of health and sustainability is a state of being that requires education and commitment. Although it has become trendy to be socially responsible, going green is not just about being cool and in. It’s about reassessing our values and finding our connection with the broader environment including the people and the issues that surround it. Find that deep-seated motivation and soon, going green will turn into truly being green.

As long as one is feeling well and able to do activities, like ballroom dancing, or fast walking, and has no medical contraindication, one should continue to do so, not only for physical fitness, but also and more importantly, for social and mental health.

The dress codes for dance events have a wide range, but however casual or dressy the event, you’ll want to choose clothes that are both easy to dance in and kind to your partner.

Ballroom dance shoes are lightweight shoes with eiher suede (chrome leather) or smooth leather soles. Shoes should be chosen not only for appearance but also for comfort, support, performance and protection.

Supplements include substances that are essential for human life — vitamins and minerals. This was explained by Dr. Oakes, who recently published a study analyzing the beliefs on and the reputation of vitamin supplements among grocery shoppers. But can supplements be defined as healthy substitutes for certain foods?

The answer is, “No.”

Often, when we take in vitamin supplements, the idea of skipping a meal or omitting certain foods in our diet becomes unforgivable. However, the truth of he matter is, the body becomes less efficient when supplement pills are taken in place of meals.

If so, why are women being told to monitor their intake of daily supplements? Perhaps, it is because too much of anything can be harmful, and replacing food with daily pills may often result in a lack of proper nutrition. Any national authority worth their salt would say that it is most healthful to get vitamins from foods rather than from supplements. But for whatever reason, many women apparently do not consume adequate amounts of certain minerals, such as zinc, calcium and iron, as well as the vitamin folic acid.

Perhaps, this increase in vitamin and mineral deficiencies was caused by the taking for granted of — important nutrients. Lack of calcium for example, may cause osteoporosis and even high blood pressure. To ensure you consume the recommended daily dose, look in your refrigerator for calcium-enriched foods instead of reaching for the pill box in the medicine cabinet. Take note: the body absorbs calcium in food much better than through a supplement.

Age fits in with supplement concerns as well. There is debate over the use of calcium supplements among younger women. Some experts suggest that calcium in supplements is not readily available for young women and is not used by the body. That said, there is stronger agreement that for older women going through menopause and taking home replacement therapy, a calcium supplement works well. Meanwhile, many elderly patients are often advised to consult their physicians before trying out new supplements, as they are more susceptible to vitamin and mineral toxicity.

It is a good measure to eat at least three (3) calcium-rich foods (cheese, low-fat yogurt, milk, etc) a day. Also, look for foods with added calcium such as rice, breakfast cereals, and calcium-fortified fruit juices.

For the lactose-intolerant, non-dairy sources of calcium include almonds, baked/steamed beans, Chinese cabbage, and the like. However, a supplement may be required to ensure your body gets sufficient amount of calcium. Relying on supplements won’t give your body all the nutrients it needs; accompanying a supplement with your meal will do you good.

Inasmuch as we should ensure that we do no get insufficient supply of the said nutrients; also keep in mind that there is such a thing as vitamin overdose. The body can only tolerate so much of one vitamin and consuming high amounts may have harmful side effects.

Understanding the benefits and disadvantages of supplements is key to maintaining a healthy body. Again, too much can be bad, while too little may be every bit as detrimental.

Whether or not you get sick with a cold after being exposed to a virus depends on many factors that affect your immune system. Old age, cigarette smoking, mental stress, poor nutrition and lack of sleep have all been associated with impaired immune function and increased risk of infection.

Keeping the immune system in good shape

Can regular exercise help keep your immune system in good shape? Researchers are just now supplying some answers to this new and exciting question. Fitness enthusiasts have frequently reported that they experience less sickness than their sedentary peers. For example, a survey conducted during the ’80s revealed that 61 percent of 700 recreational runners reported fewer colds since they began running, while only 4 percent felt they had experienced more.

Further research has shown that during moderate exercise, several positive changes occur in the immune system. Various immune cells circulate through the body more quickly, and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. Once the moderate exercise bout is over, the immune system returns to normal within a few hours.

In other words, every time you go for a brisk walk, your immune system receives a boost that should increase your chances of fighting off cold viruses over the long term.

Should you exercise when sick?

Fitness enthusiasts and endurance athletes alike are often uncertain of whether they should exercise or rest when sick. Although more research is needed, most sports medicine experts in this area recommend that if you have symptoms of a common cold with no fever (i.e., symptoms are above the neck), moderate exercise such as walking is probably safe.

Intensive exercise should be postponed until a few days after the symptoms have gone away. However, if there are symptoms or signs of the flu (i.e., fever, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, swollen lymph glands), then at least two weeks should probably be allowed before you resume intensive training.

Staying in shape to exercise

For athletes who are training intensively for competition, the following guidelines can help reduce their odds of getting sick.

1. Eat a well-balanced diet.

The immune system depends on many vitamins and minerals for optimal function. However, at this time, there is no good data to support supplementation beyond 100 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.

2. Avoid rapid weight loss.

Low-calorie diets, long-term fasting and rapid weight loss have been shown to impair immune function. Losing weight while training heavily is not good for the immune system.

3. Obtain adequate sleep.

Major sleep disruption (e.g., three hours less than normal) has been linked to immune suppression.

4. Avoid overtraining and chronic fatigue.

Space vigorous workouts and race events as far apart as possible. Keep “within yourself” and don’t push beyond your ability to recover.

How is cold viruses transmitted? Cold viruses can be transmitted in two ways: (1) Touching respiratory secretions on a person’s skin (ex: shaking hands) or on environmental surfaces (ex. doorknobs) and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth, or by (2) inhaling infectious particles in the air (like respiratory secretions from a cough or sneeze).

To better understand the condition, it’s best to discuss the organ involved: the thyroid gland. This small and lightweight organ, which sits just below the Adam’s apple, influences many of the body’s metabolic functions. It produces tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), respectively. The release of the T3 and T4 is triggered by the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone from the pituitary gland situated in the brain. There is a feedback control mechanism that regulates the concentration of the T3 and T4 in the blood and keeps them at a safe level.

The key to understanding hypothyroidism is the function of tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), respectively. The disease is the lack of or decrease in the production of the two aforementioned hormones. Both hormones influence the regulation of mitochondria inside and the ‘energy’ that each cell produces, ultimately the function of the organs. Generally, hypothyroidism slows down the body’s metabolism, which results in obesity to patients. Blood lipid tests often show increased levels of cholesterol and impaired liver function. The brain is not spared from this condition. Patients often complain of memory lapses or sluggishness in mental process or thought. This frustrates many and some become depressed since others may not understand that a once active and lively individual can become slow and weak due to low thyroid function.

Affecting children and adults

The most common cause of hypothyroidism is “Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis” which attacks and causes swelling for the thyroid gland. The process slows down the organ’s function thereby decreasing the production of hormones. Another cause is the failure of the pituitary to produce thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is called secondary hypothyroidism. This condition is caused by physical damage to the thyroid from irradiation (from cancer radiotherapy) or surgical removal (due to cancer). A genetic predisposition can also be considered because some infants are born with impaired thyroid function. Children with this condition are prone to developmental problems such as delayed growth and mental progress. The delay of the child’s physical attributes lead to features of cretinism, such as wide set eyes, thin hair, flat nose, abdominal protrusion, mental retardation, and stunting of growth.

Older children have delayed puberty and are at risk of infertility. Participation in sports and active play can become a source of anguish and frustration for these children because of frequent injuries such as joint stiffness, muscle pain, and “clumsiness”. Further, retarded bone development, fractures, and bone contusions can occur and may explain some complaints of bone pain despite minor bumps during play. Fatigue, lethargy and joint stiffness are common manifestations for adults. Early in the course of the disease, the skin becomes dry and hair tend to fall at an increased fate. The skin feels rough and doughy with obvious loss of elasticity despite application of lotion and moisturizers. Sufferers may also experience constipation due to decrease intestinal movement.

Take for example, cherries. In the old days, black cherries were used to treat gout, a very painful form of arthritis. It was observed in one study how a patient suffering from gout had the pain disappear by eating black cherries. Of course, this doesn’t mean we’re telling you to eat a bushel of black cherries if you do have gout. This only suggests that fresh foods amy help relieve pain and treat certain illnesses.

Another popular food that has healing powers is parsley. This natural breath-freshener has impressive nutritional and medicinal benefits. It’s a good source of antioxidant vitamins A and C, plus calcium, iron, and other vitamins and minerals. In traditional herbal medicine, bruised parsley leaves have been made into poultices for insect bites, contusions, and itchy or chapped skin; the leaves or seeds used to settle the stomach, decrease flatulence, and treat colic; and the leaves and roots employed as a diuretic.

Nicotine, the drug that is found in cigarettes, is highly addictive like cocaine or heroin. It gives you a pleasant feeling and acts like a depressant that slows down the flow of information between nerve cells. That makes it very hard to quit and stay smoke-free, as your body gets accustomed to effects it gets from nicotine.

Contrary to popular belief, nicotine does not affect your lungs alone. The drug can be found throughout your body, from your saliva to breast milk to vaginal secretions. It has been proven that smoking can cause lung cancer and heart disease, but to name a few, mouth, nasopharyngeal, esophageal, stomach, breast, colon, and cervical cancer are also related to smoking.

So, quitting is really a good idea but it is not easy. Yes once you stop or even cut down on smoking, you will have symptoms may be experienced within a few hours after your last cigarette and peaks 2-3 days later. They are

• Dizziness
• Depression
• Feelings of anger and frustration
• Sleep disturbances (insomnia, nightmares)
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Increased appetite
• Irritability
• Uneasiness (difficulty concentrating)

According to the American Cancer Society, benefits from smokers who quit can be seen within minutes. Your heart rate and blood pressure drops within 20 minutes. Conditions brought about by smoking, such as premature wrinkling of the skin, bad breath, stained teeth, gum disease, and yellow spots on your fingers will slowly correct themselves. Your sense of smell and taste will improve.

With proper support from professionals, friends, and family, surely you’ll be able to quit smoking for life.

Stop Smoking: 5 Day Countdown

5 Days Before your Quit Smoking Date
- Think about your reasons for quitting.
- Tell your friends and family you are planning to quit.
- Stop buying cigarettes.

4 Days Before your Quit Smoking Date
- Pay attention to when and why you smoke.
- Think of other things to hold in your hand instead of a cigarette.
- Think of habits or routines to change.

3 Days Before your Quit Smoking Date
- What will you do with the extra money when you stop buying cigarettes?
- Think of who to reach out to when you need help.

2 Days Before your Quit Smoking Date
- Buy a nicotine patch or nicotine gum.
- Or see your doctor to get a nicotine inhaler, nasal spray, or non-nicotine pill.

1 Days Before your Quit Smoking Date
- Put away lighters and ashtrays.
- Throw away all cigarettes and matches.
- Clean your clothes to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke.

Quit Day
- Keep very busy.
- Remind family and friends that this is your quit day.
- Stay away from alcohol.
- Give yourself a treat, or do something special.

With the usual chest x-ray, you can’t see coronary arteries. They have to be made visible using a special dye. The dye is delivered through a catheter that is guided from a blood vessel in the upper thigh all the way up to the heart. Once the catheter is in position, a dye is injected and it goes right into the coronary arteries. The x-ray is taken at the precise time the dye flows through the arteries. Later, the dye is excreted with the urine.

The angiogram helps to answer these questions: Are there problems in the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle? How many vessels are affected? How bad is the problem?

The result of the angiogram gives your doctor an idea of what to do next. Treatment can range from adjustments in medication, to widening of that affected vessel, to creating another pathway to supply the heart (bypass surgery). The results are discussed with he patient and his family, and a decision regarding treatment is made later.

Before the angiogram. Ask your doctor to explain the procedure clearly. Coronary artery disease markedly diminishes a person’s functioning. If treated, the patient would likely be able to do more physical activity, and look forward to more years of healthy living. If not treated, he will experience chest pain with less exertion. Prepare the patient’s medical records. Health personnel will ask you about allergies and kidney disease as they guard against complications from injection of the dye.

During the angiogram. The patient will be awake during the entire procedure. It is done in an x-ray room. Usually a local anesthetic is applied in the area in his leg where a needle is inserted. The catheter is threaded through this needle. He will feel pain when the needle breaks through the skin — just like when an IV line is inserted into a vein in your arm. But the passage of the catheter through the blood vessels is painless.

When the dye is injected, patients sometimes report a brief, warm feeling as it spreads through the heart’s vessels. Several x-rays are taken to follow the flowing dye. He will be asked to hold his breath and be perfectly still so that the images will be sharp. The entire procedure usually takes about an hour. Afterwards, the catheter is removed and the insertion site is pressed firmly for up to 20 minutes to stop bleeding.

After the angiogram. There is usually no need for hospital confinement. But the patient should not be exerting himself for at least a day. Occasionally check the puncture site to make sure there is no bleeding. He will be asked to drink more liquids to flush out the dye through his kidneys. There are no food limitations. He should be back to his regular activities by the second day. Possible complications include bleeding or infection at the site of puncture, allergic reactions to the dye, or problems in exerting the dye among persons with kidney disease. Any invasive procedure entails risk.

New heart imaging technologies are being developed. A new generation of CT scans is able to visualize the heart’s vessels without the need to inject dyes. Ultrasound can visualize the heart to some extent. Ask whether such non-invasive options are available.

Keep an open line of communication with your doctor. Do not hesitate to ask for a second opinion to ensure the diagnoses are correct and the options being taken are helpful and necessary.