The Great Outdoors!

Did you ever stop and think about taking a walk or run outside instead of going to the gym? The outdoors provides a free place to exercise and great scenary. The outdoors can create better mental health for all of us. The external environment is great for exploring, for everyone! Little kids love to explore, and there is so much out there that adults don't even know about. It is amazing all the different species that exist in nature. Being outdoors also allows us to get more sunshine, which we all know is important. Even when it's cold we need to spend time outside.

A scientist at the University of Illinois found that children with ADHD benefit from being outdoors. The scientist found that the children with ADHD that spent time outdoors in a green environment were more focused and ready to learn when they returned inside. http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/franklin/consumernews/080708.html And yet, recess gets cut short and children are kept inside for the majority of the day.

A green environment is calming and reduces stress, increases the clarity of the mind, boosts energy and gives us longer attention spans! Many people have trouble finding time to get outdoors, but it should be a priority! We spend so much time indoors from one place to the next never taking enough time to enjoy our surroundings. Start getting outdoors more often even if it's cold. Make plans with friends to go on a hike or walk instead of taking the bus. It doesn't take much to be able to spend some time in the fresh air: good for the body and the mind!

Here are some sites that offer more information on the benefits of being outdoors.

http://stanford.wellsphere.com/recreation-article/the-benefits-of-exercising-outdoors/3989

http://www.backyardnature.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=389

Contact Lenses

There are so many things in our lives that can cause cancer and/or cause our bodies harm. Some of us just live our lives not knowing what those things are, or just not wanting to know. One thing that I knew was bad but didn't know how or why, contact lenses. I wear contacts and decided that I should do some research on how they affect my eyes.

In 2006 there was an outbreak of an eye infection in Singapore, that was related to a cleaning product by Bausch & Lomb. This infection, Fersarium Keratitis, is known to cause blindness and/or scar tissue. To read more about this: http://drbenkim.com/blog/2006/05/potential-dangers-of-contact-lenses.html

Contact lenses can cause dangers to the eyes, but if properly cleaned and worn the risk of infection is lowered. Our eyes are not something to mess around with. I personally never thought too much about how dangerous putting something in my eye could be, but now that I think about it and have done some reading, our eyes are super sensitive and they are not something I want to have get infected and damaged.

There are things that contact wearers can do: make sure that the contacts are made to allow adequate oxygen flow, clean them properly, follow instruction from the doctor, don't be cheap-put a new pair in when it's time, and just be aware. Do the research and ask questions to find out what contacts are right for you, I know I am going to!

These sites offer information on infections, Q&A, and preventative measures.

http://searchwarp.com/swa8056.htm

http://www.allaboutvision.com/askdoc/contact-lenses.htm

http://www.contactlenses123.com/Contact-Lens-Dangers.html

Heart Burn

Many people suffer from hearburn, I personally am not one, but many people I know are heartburn sufferers. What exactly is heartburn? According to Wikipedia, it is most commonly the regurgitation of gastric acid. Which I can only imagine would be quite painful and uncomfortable. If you are a person who suffers from heartburn check out this video, it is a bit long but gives great tips on how to naturally cure heartburn. http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?

Also heartburn is one of the many things that for some, can be avoided by small lifestyle changes. Changing your diet, incorporating exercise and quiting smoking are just a few changes a person could make in their life to reduce their risk of heartburn.

For some tums is not the answer, if that is your case or you know someone, try the natural remedies or make a few small changes to your life and diet.


Check out these sites for more info and tips!
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/best-treatment-heartburn-severe-mild-symptoms.html

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Caffeine, a drug?

Many of us know that caffeine is a drug but don't really think of it as a drug. Did you know that caffeine has some of the same effects on the body as LSD, alcohol, cocaine and crystal meth? Difference is? Caffeine is available very easily to all of us and is socially acceptable. Caffeine is considered to be the most widely used psychoactive drug throughout the world.

Caffeine, believe it or not, is like any other drug, addictive. Don't think you are addicted? Try going one day without your morning coffee, or afternoon diet coke. I know I can't, headaches and irritabilty begin taking over. As soon as I know I am going to have some tea or coffee these symptoms start to subside. Caffeine addiction affects everyone differently there isn't any real treatment for it, also because it is not illegal and can be found anywhere!

Although considered a drug, it is very rarely fatal unless one consumes high amounts of caffeine pills and goes into ventricular fibrulation. Although, the other side effects some of us know all to well: tremors, anxiety, insomnia, hyperventilation, and rapid heart rate.

I am not one to say that caffeine addiction is a bad thing, I just want people to be aware of substances being put in their bodies and know that even when you may think you aren't and and addict or don't have any addictions, just remember this one!

Check out this site to find out how caffeine affects the body and the amount of caffeine in different substances.

http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Caffeine.html

http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/caffeine_addiction.html

http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/caffeine_intoxication.html

Holiday Stress

Many people tend to get "stressed out" during the holidays. All of the food temptations, gift buying pressures and lack of cash flow all seem to play a part. Stress has a way of getting us down and making us more suseptible to colds and flus. How does one stay calm during these crazy times? Here are some suggestions: Make lists, prioritize, ask for help, start sooner, shop online, make certain activities more enjoyable, take care of you -be sure to get plenty of sleep and eat healthy! Also be realistic budget time accordingly, try too not fit too much into one day. Try spending time with someone instead of buying gifts. Make your own gifts, save money and get creative. Agree to not exchange gifts with some people. The holidays should be about fun and relaxation, not stressful and tiresome. Try some of these ideas to avoid getting yourself down this holiday season.



More tips:

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/timemanagement/a/holidaystress.htm http://www.thehappyguy.com/articles/holiday-stress-relief.html

http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/holiday-stress-relief

Seasonal weight gain - not your fault!

It seems that animals tend to all gain weight in the cold, winter months. This seems to be a survival technique, but is that the case for us humans? As the days get shorter, darker, and colder our bodies begin to crave sweet foods and carbohydrates, we also have more feelings of depression and fatigue. All of this combined is sure to lead to weight gain. Many people find that even though they are eating the same amount of food they still gain weight. But, we need balance calories in with calories out, so if you are still eating the same but not exercising as much, weight gain is likely to occur.
The cold weather is a sure deterrent for exercising. Here are a couple tips to keep your activity level up this winter: exercise with a friend, take outdoor activities indoors, exercise in small amounts, and add in a little more weight training.
Not only do we not want to exercise, but with the holidays we are tempted to eat worse too. Try these tips to minimize weight gain through extra calories: smaller portions, try just a small amount of everything, drink more water before eating, stock up on healthier foods, don’t deny yourself and don’t gorge – nibble. Keep in mind that cravings are just feelings. One important tip: get outdoors!! Decreased sunlight reduces our serotonin levels and makes us crave these foods, bear the cold and get some sunlight!


Check out these site for more information and helpful tips.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,428061,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/women
http://edisk.fandm.edu/ath/winterweightgain.pdf
http://news.top100.biz/health/The-winter-weight-gain-blues/?date=2008-10-15
http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/avoid-winter-weight-gain/cc3c8169c1903110VgnVCM20000012281eac____/weight.loss/weight.loss.coaches/michele.stanten
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/holidayweightgain.cfm **