Health Series Archives - Page 25 of 29

March 27, 2018

Individualizing Health and Taking Responsibility

Individualizing Health

When it comes to your health, it’s important to remember the you part of it! When you select a doctor or go on a treatment plan, make sure you are getting care specific to what you need and respond well to. This is also important in your daily wellness practices. While there are some overarching principles regarding good health, there’s no one-size-fits-all.

Diet

There are some basic diet rules out there: get enough vitamins, keep a balance of macronutrients, eat your veggies, stay away from refined sugars, etc. But not all bodies react the same way to the same foods. You may find that you don’t digest some foods well. You may find that a Mediterranean diet helps reduce inflammation, or that red meat makes you sluggish. Heck, if peanut butter makes you gassy, you need to know that so that you don’t gobble it down right before a hot date! Some studies even show that your genetic makeup might determine the best diet for you.

Specific medical conditions may also require specific dietary protocol. For instance, if you are a diabetic, you know all too well the importance of monitoring your glucose levels and carb intake. So if you deal with the “dawn phenomenon,” for instance, you may need to make dietary adjustments, such as fewer carbs early and late in the day, or eating an earlier dinner. If you’re at a high risk for osteoporosis, make sure you consistently take in enough calcium. People on blood thinners may need to avoid green vegetables, because of the high vitamin K.

Small ailments

We by no means suggest taking our advice instead of seeing a doctor! There are some small ailments, though, that you may find you’re able to relieve in ways particular to you. Someone with chronic shoulder tension may find acupuncture useful; someone else may find that medicinal CBD Fix provides relief; someone else altogether may require muscle relaxers from the doctor.

Pay attention to your body: you may notice that certain activities, foods, or interactions cause negative reactions. Too much sugar may give you a sore throat, or you may simply burn easily in the sun. These little things are important to notice and take care of. Your best friend may never get a sunburn, but if you turn into a lobster in 10 minutes, slather on that sunscreen silly!

Individualized medicine

There is actually a branch/style of research in medicine known as “individualized medicine.” This practice stems from the idea that “people vary in their circumstances, preferences, and in their optimal path to full health.” In individualized health, a patient is compared to other patients with similar characteristics. By comparing someone with people who are more or less like the patient, any aberrations stand out in stark contrast. At the same time, these subsets are becoming clearer and clearer, making it easier for doctors to notice any trends that might be specific to people with a patient’s particular characteristics. Major research clinics like Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic employ individualized medicine as part of their research and treatment.

March 21, 2018

Arranging an Intervention for a Loved One

When a loved one is going through addiction, it can be difficult to witness. The chances are they won’t recognize they have a problem. Denial is part of the battle. As a family member who cares about that person, you can do nothing, or you can proactively seek assistance. With the help of an interventionist, addicts can finally make positive steps to regain control of their lives.

Addiction is an illness that needs to be treated, not kept under wraps. It can affect anyone, regardless of age and background. If you don’t want to stand by while your family is torn apart, it’s time to take action. With the knowledge of an expert, arranging an intervention will lead your loved one down a path to receiving immediate help. If you’re wondering how to kickstart things, here are some useful steps to guide you through the intervention process:

Is Intervention the Right Thing to Do?

It’s time for an intervention when your loved one constantly denies addiction being an issue in their life. An interventionist will use their leverage as a professional to step in and encourage someone to get help. Attendees of the intervention meeting include the addict you’re trying to help, family, and friends. You’ll all have a chance to explain how the situation is affecting your life. An outsider can help put things in perspective. When the affected individual sees how their behavior is affecting others, they’re more likely to act.

Get in Touch with an Interventionist

A professional can be of great help in facilitating this process. By being transparent about the situation when you speak with them, the interventionist help you can avoid common mistakes along the way. Otherwise, you’ll risk pushing your loved one away. A good interventionist will discourage you from letting emotional baggage interfere.

Devising a Plan

Your plan should involve about six to eight family members, if possible, especially those who can contribute valuable information. Those who care about the individual will show up, which, combined with the experience a professional brings, will assist with the logistics of the intervention. Knowing they have a large support network who cares makes a big difference. With a detailed plan in place, the interventionist will help family members remain calm and confident in the outcome.

Interventions are known to have a high success rate, as addicts often agree to treatment in the aftermath of a meeting. Interventionists work because they give people an opportunity to share their true feelings, free from bias, with an objective mediator present.

En Route to Recovery

Along the road to recovery, your loved one might overcome addiction using medical marijuana. It’s still somewhat controversial, but this is a natural alternative that can reduce opioid cravings and alleviate anxiety. Be certain to check the legal status of the drug and its extracts in your state. Your local legislation covers not only the details for the consumption and possession of cannabis, but also the requirements for vendors and dispensaries in the industry. There are even specialist law firms that focus specifically on creating business plans for medicinal marijuana dispensaries to ensure that their operations fit explicitly within the letter of the law.

March 21, 2018October 17, 2020

How Do You Feel About Sexual Harassment is it Toxic to Health

As more and more cases of sexual harassment in the workplace are coming to the surface, it is evident that this behavior has been considered “the norm” for decades. If the employer does not effectively address the case for sexual harassment within its own workplace, you may need to take action with someone like a Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer, and they may need to get involved. It seems like there has been a lot of in-depth coverage on the harassers losing their jobs, but there has not been much media on how this behavior has left the victim emotionally, mentally, and physically. Sexual harassment in the workplace obviously puts a lot of emotional strain on a person at work, leaving him or her uncomfortable and distracted. These emotions can bleed into other parts of their life, having negative effects mentally and even physically. Sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-are-coming-to-the-surface

Mental Effects of Sexual Harassment

Victims of sexual harassment can experience long-term mental effects. Extreme depression can loom and play a part in the person’s personal life, causing severe results such as inability to sleep at night and toxicity in relationships. Stress and anxiety associated with sexual harassment interferes with performance in work life, as well as personal life. Those at the center of sexual harassment experience feelings of self-doubt and self-blame that can promote further depression. There is also a huge link between sexual harassment and post-traumatic stress disorder, which can cause the victim to relapse and re-experience the trauma. These feelings leave him or her with the tendency to avoid other people and situations where they feel vulnerable, having a negative effect on his or her confidence and demeanor.

Physical Effects of Sexual Harassment

Anxiety and stress is not all mental. The anxiety and stress of sexual harassment can cause physical problems, such as raised blood pressure and physical pain. Physical aches and pains, such as headaches and strain on the neck and back are results of any traumatic experience. Sexual harassment can also affect a person’s eating habits and make them question their physical appearance. There are healthy ways to lose weight, but unhealthy habits like binge eating or not eating at all can harm the body. It is obvious that emotional stress plays a part in every aspect of the victims life.

Sexual harassment has unlimited negative effects on the victims health and it is important to talk about these effects with your loved ones and even seek medical support.

March 20, 2018

4 Tips to Become a Happier and Healthier Person

Rather than being an exciting adventure, life can seem to be a drudgery. Day in, day out, people around the world simply survive rather than thrive. But wouldn’t you rather start thriving? Wouldn’t you rather take hold of your happiness? Would it not be amazing for you to start experiencing the thrill of life again? You are not alone. Because of the prevalence of this feeling, the matter has been looked into. There are a few bits of information that surface when examining the habits and conditions of self-described happy people. Here are but four tips to helps you start to see the sunny side.

Get More Sleep

There is an epidemic in many countries of sleep deprivation. This symptom is prevalent especially among college students and those with tight work schedules. But having a healthy sleep schedule is incredibly important to having a healthy and happy life. Sleep is when your body recovers from the day. After all, many people put tons and tons of stress on their bodies throughout the day. Some people engage in weightlifting and training. Others train for marathons. Still others are cramming for an exam. Some write papers that they need to catch up on. People who work in offices concentrate on a computer screen for hours. There are so many things that the body needs to recover from.

However, many of those people starve their bodies of the sleep that those bodies need so much. In addition to quantity of sleep, quality of sleep is also important. This has come more to the fore of public knowledge in recent times. And one of the biggest deciders of quality of sleep is the mattress that you use. Getting a better mattress can help you sleep better and longer.

Have a Steady Source of Income

One of the best recipes for peace of mind is having more money than you need. This provides you with a safety net for a bad situation. However, oftentimes people do not look out for this potential outcome. Instead, they would rather spend the money that they earn as soon as they earn it. While you may already have a job or two, why not consider getting another job that will help you with your income flow? There is a good tip that may help you with this. Instead of a boring paper portfolio, make your own website and set it up there.

In addition to creating that stream of money for yourself, it is always a good idea to be looking to the future. Though you may be comfortable now, that may not be so later. There are a few options here. First, many companies offer pensions to employees who stay with a company for a certain amount of time. This ties in nicely with the first suggestion. However, another suggestion is to invest in a retirement plan. This helps grant you peace of mind. This is because you have the option of investing in the now, since the future is already covered.

Take Smart Risks

This one may seem counterintuitive, but it is effective. One of the reasons that many people lose the thrill of life is that they have too much control. Once life becomes predictable, it becomes boring. Therefore, for your happiness, it is wise to invest in smart risks. These are risks that have the lowest possible chance of failure possible. However, this is while ensuring the highest reward possible as well. For example, while at a casino, play games that you can succeed at with a measure of skill. This is in contrast to relying on Lady Luck to bail you out if you get into trouble.

Change Your Space

Do you ever feel that time just speeds up and another year is gone? It is a common sensation. Well, there is a theory that can potentially explain this. Essentially, when your brain becomes used to its environment, it takes less concentration to function, which means nothing sticks out. So start that remodeling project that you were planning. Tear out some walls. Move some furniture around. Replace the flooring with something awesome. You should appreciate your new space. And your brain will thank you too.

And There You Go

These tips can really be boiled down into one singular theme. That theme is this: invest in yourself. Invest in your sleep. Invest in your future. Invest in your environment. These are the things that can improve the quality of your life. And, by improving the quality of your life, you can become a happier person. So sleep harder, work better, invest smarter, and live differently, and have a more fulfilling life.