Staying Healthy Tips For Women

1. Eat a well balanced diet every day. Eat more high fiber and low fat foods. Eat less fats, red meat and sugar.

2. If you smoke, quit. We all know smoking is bad for our health. It causes many forms of cancer and cardiovascular problems. The sooner you stop, the better.

3. Take your vitamins. At the very least, a multi-vitamin should be a part of your daily regime. Be sure you also get enough calcium and B vitamins. Consult your doctor for specific needs.

4. Exercise daily. If you can go to a gym for your workout, great. If not, take some time at home and/or work and make it part of your daily routine.

5. Drink plenty of water every day. Eight 8oz. glasses per day has always been the recommended measure of water to consume. Not only does it hydrate your body, but it also washes away impurities in your system.

6. Protect your skin. Use sunscreen when swimming, lounging around the pool, gardening, mowing grass, etc. Sure, that tan looks nice, but the ultraviolet rays of the sun will
age your skin at an accelerated pace. It can also cause skin cancer.

7. Learn to avoid and relieve stress. You've probably heard it, and yes it's true, stress can literally kill you. Spend some 'me' time in order to relax and relieve stressful times in your life.

8. See your doctor annually for a thorough physical exam.

The Benefits of Soy Products

Soy products are becoming more popular, and for good reason... they are good for you. These are some benefits of eating soy bean products:

1. They are complete protein
   
2. They contain little or no fat.
   
3. They contain no cholesterol
   
4. They contain no lactose
   
5. They are free of antibiotics and steroids which are found in animal protein
   
6. They are free of parasites often found in animal protein
   
7. They are more easily digested than animal proteins
   
8. They are a source of other nutrients including saponins, isoflavones, and phytosterol
   

As you can see, soy is an excellent substitute for meat and dairy animal products. Not only does it benefit vegetarian diets, it also benefits any diet. It adds needed protein and reduces your intake of harmful fats and other elements contained in animal products.

Keep Those Core Muscles In Shape

There are 4 important areas of the body resposible for framing the posture which give you overall strength for all physical activities. These areas are:

1. abdominals
2. obliques
3. lower back
4. glutes

Strength in these areas give you the ability to walk, move, and do all of the physical activities you do everyday. If they are not kept strong throughout your life, as you age into later years, you can find yourself a stooped over old man or woman some day!

The secret is stretching.

You should work these core muscles with your regular exercise at least twice per week for 10 to 20 minutes, working those of the top and front of the truck of the body, which includes those in the abdominal area. In doing so, you also strengthen the back all the way up the spine, the hip and thigh areas.

After your regular daily workouts, end it with these core muscle stretching movements. It can relax any muscles you may have 'overused' and enhance your overall flexibility.

It is important to do these exercises slowly, rather than doing rapid, bouncing routines. Do stretching motions slowly in static positions, not like running or jumping.

When your body stiffens from sitting at your computer, sewing, reading or other such extended, almost motionless tasks, use slow stretching (static) exercises to work out that stiffness. When you do this, both your muscles and connective tissues become more flexible. It lengthens these muscles that have become contracted.

Tips To Lower Your Blood Pressure

Having high blood pressure can not only damage your heart, but it can also damage your blood vessels and lead to stroke and kidney failure.

Everyone should have their blood pressure checked at least once or twice per year by your doctor or health clinic. Many hosptials are also known to have special health monitoring days every now and then where you can have this checked for free. Another alternative is to use one of the blood pressure self check stations you find at your local pharmacy. When you donate blood your pressure is checked too.

If your diagnosis is on the high side, these are some tips to lower your blood pressure:

1. Stop smoking. Smoking restricts your blood vessels and can increase your heart rate. When your heart beats faster, it causes an increase in your blood pressure.

2. Lose weight if you are overweight. Too much excess weight causes your heart to work harder and faster, which can make your pressure rise.

3. Reduce sodium in your diet. Check food labels and do not add extra salt to your meals. Salt can make your blood pressure rise if you are already having problems with it.

4. Exercise regularly. 30 minutes of exercise should be a part of your daily routine. This is not all that difficult to do either. Walk, go to the gym, swim, and bicycling are some good examples of things to do.

5. Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol can increase your blood pressure. If it does, it is advisable that you do not drink alcohol at all. If you must drink, limit it to one drink per day.

6. Keep stress under control. Stress can literally kill you! Try using deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga or visualization. If none of these work, talk to your doctor about it.

The sooner you make changes in your lifestyle to reduce your blood pressure, the better. If these adaptions to your life make no difference at all to your levels, your doctor will advise you to take blood pressure medication. When this happens, you will most likely stay on these types of medications for the rest of your life.