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Red and Processed Meats Increase Colon Cancer Risk

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Red meat_bunch-of-steak-801548-mIf you eat a lot of red meat or processed meat, you may decide to think twice before the next time you partake. This is because research has shown that a diet high in red and processed meats is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. This post offers you a focused and updated outlook on some of the reasons for this association.

So, what are we talking about? Red meats include beef, pork, veal, and lamb. Processed meats include hot dogs, bologna, sausages, salami, ham, bacon, hamburger patties, and tinned meat. Colon cancer has been found to be more common among people who have a high daily intake of these kinds of meats. A high intake is considered a daily consumption of red and processed meats that exceeds 5 ounces (about 140 grams).

Why are red and processed meats linked to colon cancer?

1.  Cancer-promoting compounds in the meat:

The harmful substances in these meats are mainly animal-based proteins and heme. Animal-based protein may amplify the expression and activation of cancer-causing genes. Furthermore, red meat, but not veggies, contains heme iron that causes oxidative stress and facilitates the production of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, which have been linked to cancer of various organs including the colon.

2.  Cancer-causing agents generated from cooking the meat:

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3.  Cancer-causing aspects in digesting the meat:

Undigested proteins in the large intestine can increase bacterial fermentation and produce bacterial metabolites, disrupting a balanced and healthy colon cell lining and causing inflammation. The resulting damage to the large intestine significantly increases colon cancer risk.

There still remains much to be learned about exactly how red and processed meat consumption causes colon cancer, but there is some good news for meat lovers, which is that some meats are not linked to colon cancer. These include poultry meats (e.g., chicken, duck, and turkey) and fish (especially salmon, which may even reduce colon cancer risk). As for red meat, it is suggested that bison could be a healthier alternative to other red meat.

 

Reference: Kim E, Coelho D, Blachier F. Review of the association between meat consumption and risk of colorectal cancer. Nutr Res. 2013;33:983-94.

Image credit: By koosswans

Coffee or No Coffee: Is Coffee a Cardiovascular and Cancer Risk?

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

coffee-4-1-1418496-mDo you drink coffee? Are you a heavy coffee drinker? As for me, I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.

Some folks consider coffee the best thing ever on the planet, in contrast to those who see it as “black-brown water” and can pass it up. Well, let’s have an update on what’s in coffee and what it does to our bodies, with an emphasis on heart disease and cancer concerns.

What’s in coffee?

coffee-1084158-m_heartCoffee is a mixture of multiple chemicals. The main ingredient is caffeine, a so-called psycho-stimulant drug. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, alleviates fatigue, and increases mental alertness by blocking the effects of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called adenosine. Coffee also contains antioxidants and some vitamins and minerals that are health beneficial. However, cafestol and kahweol, found in unfiltered coffee, are cholesterol-raising substances.

Hmm, so far coffee seems not so bad overall, right?

Does coffee contribute to heart disease or cancer?

To date, coffee consumption has not been found to be associated with a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease. However, coffee consumption is associated with increases in several cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure and blood homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a common amino acid (one of the building blocks that make up proteins), and a high level of homocysteine in the blood is linked to early development of cardiovascular disease.

Most studies investigating the issue have showed no link between coffee consumption and cancer risk, but controversy exists. After analyzing 40 cohort studies on this subject, Yu et al. (BMC Cancer. 2011) suggest that coffee consumption may reduce total cancer incidence. Their analysis revealed that coffee drinking was associated with a reduced risk of bladder, breast, pharyngeal, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, hepatocellular, leukemic, pancreatic, and prostate cancers.

How much coffee is too much?

For adults consuming moderate amounts of coffee (2-4 cups/day, providing a maximum of 300-400 mg/day of caffeine), there is little evidence of health risks; instead, there is some evidence of health benefits, including lowering the risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well as Type-2 diabetes.

How much coffee intake is suitable can vary greatly among individuals, depending on

-          Age: Children, adolescents, and the elderly may be more vulnerable to coffee, particularly its adverse effects.

-          Current health condition: People with hypertension certainly should take precaution not to drink too much coffee.

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-          Pregnancy: If you are pregnant, be cautious and limit caffeine consumption to less than 300 mg/day (or <3 cups of coffee) to exclude any probability of spontaneous abortion or impaired fetal growth.

-          Medication(s) you take: Consult with your doctor about whether your prescription may negatively interact with caffeine, as some medications do.

-          Other issues: If you have difficulty sleeping at night, it may be best to stop drinking coffee after your morning cup, or at least have no more coffee after 2 pm.

Heavy daily caffeine consumption (i.e. more than 500 to 600 mg/day, equivalent to 4 to 7 cups of coffee) can cause insomnia, fast or irregular heartbeat, restlessness, muscle tremors, headache, and gastrointestinal problems.

Are there any alternatives to coffee?

Yes. If all you need from coffee is to wake you up and keep you going, here are some alternatives to coffee.

-          Tea, a healthier approach.

-          Chewing gum, as long as it’s not sugar-loaded.

-          Aromas around you.

-          A fan to cool the air.

In sum, taken as a whole, moderation is the key to coffee just like anything else. Although moderate coffee intake isn’t likely harmful, too much can clearly affect your health.

 

Image credits: By ChIandra4U and nkzs

Strategies to Minimize Risk and Prevent Pollution

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

warning---dirty-water-5-1102261-mYou probably heard of a recent incident concerning a chemical spill in the Elk River in Charleston, West Virginia. It affected nearby nine counties, and a “do-not-use” order left about 300,000 people in the area that were unable to drink or bathe in their water for more than a week.

This is a public safety threat, as the extent of potential danger remained unclear. Sure, federal government must reinforce laws and rules to protect the public from toxic substances. But an important question is – what can we learn from it? Today I’m going to talk about the top 7 strategies you need to know in order to prevent and cope with this kind of emergency situation.

  1. Be vigilant. Watch out for your water. See if there is any discoloration, sense if there is any unexplained smell or odor, and unusual taste.
  2. Report to authorities timely. When in doubt, contact a responsible organization about the concern whether it’s an environmental agency or a local government office.
  3. Let your water run for 30 seconds to a minute or so to flush out any trace of contamination from the pipes, especially when the water has not been used for several hours. Additionally, use a water filter.
  4. Have some bottled water in storage. I’m not a fan of bottled water due to the questionable purity and quality as well as environmental consequences. However, when it comes to tap water contamination, you do need a reasonably safe source of water for your survival needs.
  5. Pregnant women should take extreme caution. Anytime tap water’s safety is in doubt, use bottled water.
  6. Boil 10-15 generic tadalafil online mango leaves in a glass of the water. The powdered form is most cute-n-tiny.com order cialis online often used in coffee or tea. And don’t massage by yourself blindly, discount cialis prescriptions otherwise, it may take the counter effects. It is noteworthy that the men and women to recover from such issues, a sexologist offers all kinds of psychological advice along with carrying out a detailed diagnosis of the cause. viagra pills online

  7. Read Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), a written document from the manufacturer of a hazardous substance, which provides product users and emergency personnel with information about potential hazards and procedures for handling the chemical. Keep in mind that not all carcinogens (i.e. cancer-causing substances) come with a clear document. Therefore, just because you cannot find the MSDS for a particular chemical, it doesn’t mean it is safe.
  8. Always take other desirable measures or precautions (e.g. source reducing) rather than disposal when dealing with chemicals. If needed, safe-deposit chemicals and drugs. Never flush them in the toilet; do not throw in the trash either. Instead, bring the drugs to medical facilities and contact local office(s) for chemical management.

The bottom line is:

Environmental and public health is the responsibility of each of us as citizens. There are many toxic chemicals around us nowadays; it is paramount to know their hazards, protect the air and water quality, and plan your emergency response before it happens.

 

Image credit: By hisks

Love Your Body and Enjoy a Vibrant Life

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

man-with-a-megaphone-1-1378633-mFebruary is National Cancer Prevention month.  According to the American Cancer Society, “In 2014, about 585,720 Americans are expected to die of cancer, almost 1,600 people per day. …” Among them could be your loved ones or significant others. Thus, it is so critical for everybody to lower cancer risks and build up cancer defenses.

Here are the top 5 ways to defend your body against cancer, as a message from Cancer Prevention Daily:

  1. Nurture your body by maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.
  2. Move your body by being physically active.
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  4. Protect your body from tobacco smoking and cancer-causing agents (from UV radiation to environmental pollutants and toxic chemicals).
  5. Relax your body by reducing stress and having enough sleep.
  6. Care for your body by getting cancer screening tests and watching cancer warning signs.

Together, let’s make cancer prevention a health priority all-year-around, not just in February.

Image credit: By Ambrozjo

How to Love Your Heart

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

pink-ribbon-1380887-mFebruary is the month we celebrate and show our love, whether it’s to our sweetheart, a favorite football team at the Super Bowl, or someone else we care about.

But don’t forget to love your own heart, because February is American Heart Month and we still face a sober reality – that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States.

You have only one heart. The following 8 practices can help you keep it healthy and young.

  1. Quit smoking. Never start smoking or using any other tobacco product if you are not a smoker. Tobacco smoke can harm not only anyone who smokes but also others who breathe it.
  2. Know your critical numbers. Get screened or tested for your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar. Don’t wait until any symptoms show up.
  3. Maintain a healthy weight. Your weight is one of the important risk factors for heart disease. You need to calculate your body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height). A BMI under 25 is healthy; a value between 25 and 29.9 is overweight, and a BMI of 30 or higher means obesity. There are several online resources you can use.
  4. Keep a heart-healthy diet. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and other plant-based food, along with a balance of lean meat, especially poultry and fish.
  5. Exercise, exercise, and exercise. Being physically active is doable and enjoyable, and it leads to many health benefits.
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  7. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats; limit sugar and sodium/salt intake.
  8. Know your family history and other risk factors. While you cannot control your race, age, or family history, you do have control over your lifestyle and other important risk factors.
  9. Recognize common signals of heart trouble and do not ignore these warnings. Ask for a ride to a local hospital and get checked if you experience pain in your chest, back, shoulders or arms; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; or any other signs of heart trouble. Also be aware that the symptoms of a heart attack can vary from person to person.

Fortunately, lifestyle factors are mostly modifiable. Although it’s optimal to start building healthy habits and a healthy cardiovascular system at an early age, it’s never too late or too early to love your heart and safeguard it.

As a final point, the greater your risk for heart disease, the greater risk you likely have for cancer, because both diseases share several common risk factors. Protecting your heart can help you prevent cancer, which is a double-gain!

Let’s go RED, wear RED today, and spread the word!

 

Image credit: By Gioradi

Drug Overdose: When a Painkiller Can Become a Life-Killer

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

medicine-1-1034028-mIt happens often. Someone gets a headache, a back pain, or a muscular ache that seems non-stoppable and they head for the medicine chest for some Tylenol. But this person also starts suffering from a cold and, having already taken the Tylenol, then adds the popular over-the-counter (OTC) medicine NyQuil. However, what they don’t know is that NyQuil contains 650 mg of acetaminophen, which is the active pain reliever in Tylenol. In other words, they have unknowingly greatly increased their dose of the drug acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen is the generic name of Tylenol, and an active ingredient found in more than 600 drugs (both OTC and prescribed). In prescription drugs, acetaminophen may be labeled as APAP. Not being aware of how much to take this drug or not being aware of the presence of the drug in other medications being taken can lead to overdose and even a life-threatening situation. In the above example, Tylenol pills taken along with NyQuil could result in a deadly combination!

Today I’m going to help you understand how a painkiller might be a potential life-killer and will provide some overdose-prevention tips for your safety when taking medications, especially painkillers.

First, what is the safe dosage of acetaminophen?

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning for acetaminophen dosage in prescription combinations of higher than 325 mg. The statement said, “There are no available data to show that taking more than 325 mg of acetaminophen per dosage unit provides additional benefit that outweighs the added risks for liver injury.”

What is the consequence of a drug overdose?

Liver damage is a major outcome. Do you know that more than 900 drugs have been implicated in causing liver injury? As the FDA stressed, “limiting the amount of acetaminophen per dosage unit will reduce the risk of severe liver injury from inadvertent acetaminophen overdose, which can lead to liver failure, liver transplant, and death.”

The liver, which is located under the rib cage on the right side of your body, is your second largest organ. It is one of vital organs for essential metabolism and survival. Because detoxification takes place there by metabolizing and eliminating toxins from the body, the liver can be exposed to high concentrations of toxic chemicals and drugs. If it has to deal with too much or too many toxins, the result can be serious damage to the liver.

In general, liver diseases are linked to drugs and alcohol, and damage to the liver can occur ranging from cirrhosis (i.e., scarring of the liver) and other liver injury to liver failure or liver cancer.

What are risk factors for liver cancer?

  • Cirrhosis: Chronic alcoholism and hepatitis are the leading causes of cirrhosis.
  • Hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection: These chronic infections are linked to liver cancer because they often directly or indirectly lead to cirrhosis.
  • Obesity: Too much eating is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition where more than 5 percent of liver cells contain abnormally high concentrations of fat. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
  • Diabetes: This can increase the risk of liver cancer, especially in those who drink heavily or have viral hepatitis.

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What can you do to prevent acetaminophen and other drug overdose?

  1. Consult your physician first when taking any medication including OTC drugs.
  2. Read the label and instructions before taking any drug. Keep yourself informed.
  3. Avoid drinking alcohol when you take any medication.
  4. If you’ve reached your daily intake limit of acetaminophen-containing drug(s), use natural remedies to ease your pain.
  5. If you have any liver problems or a history of liver disease (e.g., hepatitis), use extreme caution about taking any medication or supplement.

Also, for those who are animal-liver-lovers, minimize the consumption of animal liver to avoid possible accumulation of toxicity in your own liver.

Remember, safety in medication is crucial because it helps avoid serious liver injury or illness and saves lives!

If you consider this post is helpful, please share. Thanks!

 

Image credit: by srbichara

How Can Sedentary Behavior Hurt You

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

sedentary1_nationalnursingreviewDo you know — Approximately 25% of all cancers worldwide can be attributed to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle?

In my last post, I show you how to stay physically active — an approach to keep your New Year’s Health Resolution alive. Today, I’d like to emphasize why sedentary lifestyle has deleterious health consequences; particularly, it increases your risk for several cancers.

Sedentary lifestyle_comboHow do you define sedentary behavior?

Sedentary behavior is characterized by spending a majority of one’s waking hours sitting or lying down. Sedentary activities are increasingly seen in our daily lives in modern society, ranging from leisure (e.g. watching TV, lying down to read, playing video or online games, and parking your body in the car for a long commute to work or road trip) to occupation, such as sitting all day in the office or working on a computer for several hours.

Distinctly speaking, just because you meet or even exceed physical activity recommendations, it doesn’t mean that you are “sedentary-behavior-free”. For example, if you exercise for 30-45 minutes a day but spend the rest of day in sedentary activities, only ~3% of your day is physically active. As recent studies suggest, sedentary behavior may be a novel health risk factor independent of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Also see Physically Active, Physically Inactive, or “Active Sitting Potato”: Where Do You Fit in? 

How does sedentary lifestyle increase cancer risk?

Emerging evidence points to a link between sedentary behavior and risk for several cancers. Scientific research has shown that sedentary behavior is associated with an increased risk for colorectal, gastric, breast, ovarian, endometrial, and prostate cancer.

Sedentary behavior can cause changes at the cellular and metabolic levels, which may contribute to the development of cancer. These changes include:

  1. Overweight or obesity, which is linked to several cancers. Obesity is also viewed as a condition of systemic inflammation.
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  3. Altered production of sex hormones, which plays a role in breast and prostate cancer.
  4. Higher blood sugar, which cancer cells use as a fuel to grow and proliferate.
  5. Lower vitamin D, which may increase a risk for some cancers.
  6. Increased chronic inflammation, which may contribute to some cancers. Specifically, increased inflammation-causing factors and decreased anti-inflammatory factors may lead to a higher cancer risk.

What is more?

Sedentary behavior (too much sitting) is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and for death due to other illnesses, leading to shorter life expectancy. On the whole, physical inactivity is one of important causes of most chronic diseases including cancer.

In contrast, physical activity can reduce the risk and progression of several cancers. Staying physically active primarily prevents and/or postpones many chronic illnesses, and gain longer life expectancy.

Related topic: 10 Strategies to Keep a New Year’s Resolution for Staying Active

What’s your practice for “sit less and move more”? Thanks for sharing!

 

Reference from B.M. Lynch: Sedentary Behavior and Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010;19:2691-2709.

Image credit: by nationalnursingreview.com; dailymail.co.uk; healthcureview.com; and howtoplaza.com

10 Strategies to Keep a New Year’s Resolution: Staying Active

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Yoga-1199543-mDid you make any New Year’s health resolutions? I assume many people have by now. A new commitment to being healthy can mean different things to different people – quit smoking, lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, or something else that will make for a healthier lifestyle.

Keeping up with your New Year’s resolutions once they are made can be the hard part. Having an ambitious New Year’s resolution but then falling off the wagon can be like getting in the car and driving along without a roadmap, then ending nowhere you want to be.

Today, I want to help you achieve your health goals by making one important change – Become More Physically Active. The following 10 strategies show you how to stick to a New Year’s resolution of doing just that.

1.      Be clear why you are doing it.

Sedentary behavior is an important risk factor for cancer and other serious chronic diseases. Why is staying active important to you? Is it because of an effort to lose weight? A measure to prevent obesity, heart disease, and cancer? A way to boost energy? Or a therapy to reduce stress? Knowing why you are doing something means you will more likely stick to it.

Evening Jogger_4488221416_fe9be2eb7a_n2.      Set a realistic, attainable goal.

One physical activity guideline for adults is to aim for moderate exercise or activity 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.  If you are rarely physically active, you may start with breaking it down to 10 minutes each time, 3 times throughout the day. You should choose activities that fit your abilities. If you cannot run, consider jogging or walking faster when you are going somewhere on foot.

3.      Set a time for it. Make it your priority.

If it’s hard for you to find time, do it the first thing in the morning before the rest of your day starts. Then you’ll feel good when you are done.

4.      Have a system and make it work.

It could be “walk 20 minutes a day, do it after dinner, repeat it each day, reward myself at the end of month”. Or it could be “sign up a fitness program or a yoga class AM or PM, walk up-and-down stairs more during the day, and garden during the weekend, then repeat.” You get the idea.

5.      Little moves add up and small steps count.

With modern technologies and today’s lifestyle, we sit more and move less, as I have discussed in previous blogs. You can incorporate “sit less, move more” choices into your everyday life with little effort. For example, you can:

  • get off the bus or train a stop or two earlier to walk home or to work.
  • walk up stairs without using the elevator or escalator.
  • park the car farther away from stores, malls, or buildings you are going to.
  • spend more time on active interests, such as gardening or golfing.
  • walk to nearby stores instead of driving.
  • clean the car yourself.
  • do more chores such as vacuuming the house.
  • play more with the kids.

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6.      Do it as much as you can and as often as you can.

There is no such thing as exercising too much as long as your health condition allows it. The opportunities are endless.

7.      Try something new and make it fun.

Whether it’s learning a dance, practicing yoga, or joining a community sport team, find something that motivates you and excites you. Make it fun, not a burden.

8.      Exercise with the season.

You can plan monthly or quarterly actions or activities. With the Winter Olympic Games around the corner, enjoy ice skating, skiing, and other outdoor activities. With cold weather in winter, you can choose some indoor exercises, fitness program(s) at the gym, walking in the malls, or visiting museums. In the spring and fall, hike and/or bike while getting pleasure from nature’s beauty. In summer, swim at the local Y or go to the ocean and do beach activities.

9.      Review, Revise, and Reward.

Having a written goal and taking action toward it are initial steps. Re-examine your goal from time to time to see if it is effective and the steps toward it are attainable. If not, revise it. If you’ve made progress, celebrate it and reward yourself.

10.  Get support from family members, friends, fitness buddies, classmates, and even online pals or social media.

Share your plan with people. Letting others know your goal publicly can increase the chance that you stick on it.

Conclusion

Overall, you don’t need to struggle or make a huge change in your lifestyle in order to boost your physical activity. Consistently following these strategies, you’ll see the results. To become a healthier, fitter, happier, and better you, also integrate more fruits and vegetables into your diet and drink a lot of water. In due course, you can reap considerable benefits.

 

Image credit: By shed; and Thoursie

The 100 Posts and a New Year Pledge

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

New Year-1435613-2-mCancerPreventionDaily presented 100 posts by the end of 2013, a small milestone to celebrate!

I am grateful for this journey, i.e. being a part of the cause to fight cancer. Thank you for letting me write this blog for you, thank you for reading and sharing.

While we’re starting a new year or a new beginning, let me recap what this blog is all about – Help You Prevent Cancer and Optimize Your Health. Our cancer prevention blog does so by making efforts to address your concerns and solve your problems. 

What’s your challenge of cancer prevention? Do you want to know how to prevent cancer? Or what causes cancer? Do you know what cancer risk factors are in your daily life? This is where you can find sound scientific information with decoded technical terms, get a clear message, and benefit from the awareness, strategies and solutions.

Do you consider using “shoot two birds with one stone” as a valuable strategy to fight both cancer and cardiovascular disease? You can find concrete guidance and effective tips here.

Are you overwhelmed with lifestyle changes? You will get help with easy, small steps towards big long-term rewards, one step at a time, and you can make it happen!

If you are a fan of cancer prevention, an enthusiast of healthy lifestyle, or you have New Year’s Resolution for cancer prevention, you’ve come to the right place!

Have a healthier and happier 2014!

 

Image credit: by ba1969

Coping with the Holiday Stress

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Family-unity_istock-photo-17507571Here we are in this festive Holiday Season full of beauty, joy, love, and cheer. But do you know that medical research shows that one of the clinical triggers for heart attack is holidays like Christmas and New Year’s day? Evidence also indicates that stress management can reduce the risk.

Holiday stress can come in various forms and levels, and from a wide range of activities, including gift shopping, cooking or baking, entertaining, partying, and traveling. Today, I’ll provide 30 strategies that can help you cope with stress during the Holidays and into the New Year.

First, understand stress versus your needs

Stress is a fact of life, even during the Holidays. It occurs when things seem to be going wrong or there’s too much to do and not enough time. One basic way to deal with things when you feel overwhelmed and stressed out is to set priorities and put things in perspective. Keep these points in mind this Holiday season:

  • Materials or gifts might bring you a moment of sensation or joy, but cannot fulfill your inner happiness.
  • Meeting outside social obligations and expectations might seem important, but it can’t replace time for family, friends, and fun.
  • Adjust your standards and any unrealistic desires so as to find happiness or contentment through satisfactory alternatives. Refocus on the “haves” instead of the “have-nots.”

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Here are 30 easy ways to reduce holiday stress and change your mood:

  1. Have a dinner with your friend(s).
  2. Go for a long walk on a new route.
  3. Delegate family duties, such as cleaning or baking, to make it a teamwork time.
  4. Give yourself a time-out period. Just take a break.
  5. Go on a tour to see Christmas lighting decorations.
  6. Buy yourself a treat. It could be flowers, a delicious dinner, or whatever makes you feel special.
  7. Take a hot bath.
  8. Laugh, laugh, and laugh! You can easily find reasons to laugh and lighten up by going out to a bookstore and locating a humorous book, finding humorous pages online, or watching a funny video. Or, you can just laugh for no reason other than it makes you feel good.
  9. Watch an inspirational movie.
  10. Meditate.
  11. Start a gratitude journal.
  12. Take a yoga class. It surely reduces stress.
  13. Listen to music and dance with the beat. “Dance like nobody is watching.”
  14. Get a massage or spa treatment, a manicure or a pedicure, whatever you prefer.
  15. Breathe deeper, taking long, slow, deep breaths.
  16. Write a letter to an old friend.
  17. Call up an old friend out of blue to catch up or tell a joke.
  18. Read a magazine.
  19. Take a trip down memory lane by looking through those old photos.
  20. Try a new fitness movement or a new class at the gym.
  21. Go for a bike ride (by yourself or with your family).
  22. Work in your garden, decorate with a signature plant.
  23. Re-arrange your surroundings (a room or the office) and keep it clutter free.
  24. Go shopping or window-shopping to see what’s new in the marketplace.
  25. Visit a pet store or maybe buy a new pet for yourself.
  26. Create or try a new recipe.
  27. Volunteer to help a neighbor, a friend, or your community.
  28. Take a nap
  29. Have a good night’s sleep.
  30. Go outside and gaze at the sky or stars at night.

And one more for good measure: Learn to say NO. Don’t let “Yes” and “Yes” overwhelm you. Trust that people around you, at home or work, will understand when you say “No” once a while.

Choose whatever works best for you out of these de-stressing techniques. Think up your own additions to the list. Finally, remember these important “3Fs”:

The Holiday Season is a time for Family, Friends and Fun.

 Have a wonderful and safe Holiday!

 

Image credit: iStock