Archive for April, 2010
Can I Prevent Cancer?
Can I do something in my life to avoid this dreadful disease?
Most of us would love to know how to prevent cancer completely. Unfortunately, no matter what we each do, no one can completely eliminate their risk for cancer of one type or another. Cancer is a fact of life. However, although zero risk is not a reality, there are many things that most of us can do to minimize our risk for developing many types of cancer. All it takes is thinking about it and deciding to take control of your fate, making important changes which can positively impact your health and your risk for diseases.
Some of the choices we make can help reduce our risk of getting cancer in the first place, while others help to ensure that, if we do get cancer, that the cancer has the least impact on our bodies and lives as possible. Both are versions of what doctors call cancer prevention.
The two most important types of prevention of disease are termed primary and secondary prevention. Both can be used to help minimize your chances of cancer getting the best of you.
Primary Prevention: The easiest form of cancer prevention to understand, primary prevention is simply steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting cancer in the first place. There are things we all can do that will decrease our chances of getting many forms of cancer. Cancers are caused by mutations, damage to genetic material (DNA) in our cells. There are several things that increase the occurrence mutations, including advancing age, genetic factors (ethnicity, family history, etc.), environmental toxins, and habits that expose us to toxins (smoking, drinking alcohol, etc.).
These things that are known to increase ones risk for cancer are known as risk factors. The more risk factors one has for a given cancer, the higher their chance of developing that cancer in their lifetime. These risk factors can be divided in two, into what we call non-modifiable risk factors and modifiable risk factors. Non-modifiable risk factors are those which we cannot change. They include family history, ethnicity, gender, age, and others. Modifiable risk factors are risk factors which can be actively changed. Some important modifiable risk factors for various types of cancer include smoking, chewing tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, low fruit and vegetable consumption, and unsafe sex. These have each been associated with increased risk for one or more types of cancer. Some, like smoking, profoundly increase the risk for many different forms of cancer as well as other diseases.
Risk factors are usually additive, meaning that the more risk factors you have, the higher your risk. Because we cannot change our non-modifiable risk factors, eliminating modifiable risk factors is our best chance to significantly decrease our chances of developing many types of cancer. Therefore, primary prevention is simply making changes to your life, your habits, your activity and your diet which reduce your modifiable risk factors.
Secondary Prevention: Secondary prevention does not help prevent cancer. Instead, it helps to make early diagnosis of cancer so that it can be treated at a stage when treatment has a chance of being effective. We all hear that there is no cure for cancer. While it is true that there is no general cure for all cancer, there are many forms of cancer which can be effectively treated if diagnosed early. Therefore, for many types of cancer, your chances of surviving cancer are greatest if cancer is caught and treated early. Secondary prevention aims to do exactly that. It doesn’t prevent cancer from occurring in the first place like primary prevention, it helps prevent cancer from becoming so advanced that it significantly impacts your life, causing disability and/or death. So what is it exactly? Secondary prevention usually entails screening procedures which help to catch early disease in their early stages. If we do not pay attention to our bodies and what they are telling us, we may ignore signs of disease until it is too late to do anything about it. By screening, we can catch things early.
Common examples of secondary prevention are mammograms for breast cancer, prostate exams and prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer, and colonoscopy for colon cancer. While there are not simple screening tests that are recommended for all types of cancer, these help to detect some of the most common types. For individuals at high risk for other types of cancer other forms of screening may be recommended. For example, smokers may benefit from periodic chest x-rays or other exams to detect signs of lung cancer. Again, these exams do not prevent cancer from its early stages of development, but they help doctors to catch the early stages before they would have otherwise been diagnosed. Treatment of early cancer at these stages is often much more effective than treatment of more advanced disease.
Between primary prevention and secondary prevention we can all minimize the chances that cancer will take control of our life. While no one can have a zero risk for cancer, each of us has the power to make a positive change in our health and reduce our risks. So take stock of yourself and your risks. Make definitive plans to change aspects of your life in a positive way. Cancer prevention is not perfect, but it is real and works if you fight hard to implement it in your life.
Daily Fish Oil Intake – What’s the Correct Dosage to Achieve Optimum Results?
One good food to include in your healthy diet is fish oil. We all know that they are healthy and that they give us omega acids that are really good for our health. However, not many of us are fully aware of the daily intake that a person should have. We should all know this so we can be able to tell the correct dosage to achieve optimum results for our health.
It has been said that it was during the early 1990s when omega 3 fatty acids were studied and since then, we never cease on discovering its full potential, including the daily fish oil intake that is ideal for a person who wants to lose weight.
Because there are still ongoing studies about the full potential of oil, no one has actually finalized and given a concrete finding about their information about the their intake. Nevertheless, varieties of agencies have stated their comments about how much a person must have daily.
One of them is the National Institute of Health, which said that for a person to grasp the wonderful health benefits of fish oil, he or she must take approximately 650 milligrams of omega 3 fish oil a day. On the other hand, the American Heart Association claimed that 650 to 1000 milligrams should be the correct value. Lastly, 300 to 350 milligrams is what the World Health Organization recommends and this is different among the rest. There are still more agencies who discuss and take their stand on the issue, but if you will observe closely, they seem to be giving somewhat the same estimate, and just differ slightly from each other.
However, more people seem to believe what the American Heart Association had said which is 650 to 1000 milligrams of daily fish oil intake as they have conducted more credible studies and trials before coming up with this approximation.
2 Totally Amazing Upper Body Strength Exercises!
Upper body strength is something that comes in many forms. For instance, on one hand you may have a guy that can bench press 400 lbs, but on the other hand you may have a guy that can do one arm one legged push ups! Both examples demonstrate an impressive level of upper body and core strength. The key though is that by being able to do both you are absolutely dominant. Check out the 2 following upper body drills I have included here for you.
Upper Body Strength Exercises For You!
1. Kettlebell Renegade Rows: If you have read enough of my other material you know that I am a kettlebell man. Kettlebell renegade rows are a tremendous upper body and core strengthening exercise that is sure to help you to achieve a whole new level of strength.
To execute this drill you will need the availability of a pair of kettlebells of equal weight and moderate intensity. Place the bells on the ground at about a shoulder’s width distance apart in length. Next, get into a push up position while balancing yourself with your hands up on the bells. From here execute a push up and upon the ascent of the push up simply row one of the bells up to your ribcage and return it to the ground. As soon as you return the first kettlebell execute a second push up and row the opposite kettlebell up to your ribcage. Once you have executed this movement on each side you will have completed a single repetition.
2. Seated See Saw Presses: Lifting heavy weight isn’t always the answer in developing strong muscles and this particular exercise will prove just that! For this exercise you will need a pair of light to moderately heavy kettlebells depending on your skill level.
Begin this drill by sitting on the ground with your legs spread out in a “V” for stability. Grab each kettlebell and hold it in the racked position with your fist just below your chin. Make sure that you are sitting up with good posture so that your back is straight and that your shoulders are retracted. Your abs should be tight from just holding the bells at the racked position. From here simply press one bell overhead and as it lowers press the second bell before the first one comes to rest at the racked position. Each press should be done in an up and down continuous motion like a see saw! As you do this make sure to consciously keep your legs as flat on the ground as possible.
If you haven’t already started to implement kettlebell drills such as this one into your upper body power exercises then you are missing out. Take time to learn more about these and other great kettlebell power drills by accessing the rest of my articles for free. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart!
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Optimize Your Health Today
For those of us wanting to lose weight and improve self esteem, it is important to set out on this path with some clearly defined goals in mind. This could be fitting into those old clothes in the back of the wardrobe for example. Keeping up with your kids as they race around the park. Or maybe a much more general goal, feeling better about life and living it more happily.
Once targets have been decided the next step is to work out ways to achieve them. This almost always involves a change in lifestyle – to achieve any significant and long lasting change in weight it is important to adopt a healthy diet and a realistic and enjoyable exercise plan. There are various different exercise machines on the market which can help with this. One well worth considering is a Chi Machine. This device was developed by Japanese doctor Shizou Inoue. He believed that oxygen was vital to health and indeed the right balance could cure any illness. The Chi Machine, it is claimed, oxygenates the body via “passive aerobic exercise”. This is said to stimulate the lymphatic system, which in turn is said to bring about a detoxification process. It is also believed that the machine helps to increase metabolism thus improving the efficiency of any diet and exercise regime.
To use a Chi Machine does not take a great amount of effort, and can form a relaxing start to the evening after a long day at work. The user should lie down on the floor with his or her feet in the machine’s “ankle cradle” – this then moves from side to side around 140 times per minute. The device allegedly helps users to relax and can prevent them from gorging on food. In general it is recommended that the Chi Machine is used for around ten minutes a day, either before or after exercise, or before eating. Specifically, the Chi Machine can, it is claimed, increase anabolic metabolism and decrease catabolic metabolism. Catabolic anabolism is believed by many to be a negative force that can lead to spiraling weight gain and ill health.
The key thing to remember is that long lasting weight loss can be reached only through adopting a good diet and exercise plan. The Chi Machine can form part of this.
Health Benefits of Omega 3 – Proven Benefits of Taking a Daily Fish Oil Supplement
The health benefits of omega 3 are very impressive once you start to read the scientific journals and what researchers have found out. Omega 3 provides health benefits for conditions such as asthma, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, skin problems, stomach problems and heart problems.
You can also elevate your mood, make you smarter, relieve anxiety and improve your memory. All of these have been proven by scientists and researchers. Millions of people all around the world are realizing the health benefits omega 3 supplements.
It isn’t a coincidence that fish oil dietary supplements are among the best selling nutritional products in the world today. They are very affordable and very effective in producing results if you find a high-quality product.
If you really want the most health benefits of omega 3 supplements, I suggest you look into a special blend of hoki and tuna oil. When these two fish are combined, they create a synergistic effect that has been proven by clinical trials to be up to 2 1/2 times more powerful than other omega 3 dietary supplements available today.
By doing your own research and discovering the secrets of high quality omega-3 supplements, you can get the best value for your money. There are a lot of overpriced dietary supplements out there, and once you learn how to compare them correctly, you will get the most value for your money.
The human brain is made up of mostly fats, and out of these fats almost half is DHA. EPA and DHA are the two essential fatty acids that are brain and body need for optimal health.
It has been shown that a lot of diseases form when we become deficient in these omega-3 fatty acids. The bad news is that the majority of people are deficient in EPA and DHA, so there is a good chance that you are one of them.
How to Get Rid of Allergies
Do you suffer from allergies like so many others on a regular basis? Though it seems that there’s nothing you can do about it? You have tried all sorts of medicines, ingredients, lotions, potions, you name it, and those allergies are still waiting on you? There are some people that are allergic to just about anything and there are some that are lucky enough to never have allergies.
Once the body detects these foreign substances (which are called allergens), it releases a chemical into the bloodstream (the most common being histamine). For those that suffer from allergies this is how to get rid of your allergies fast. Because the body will always react the same way to allergens every time, you can’t really do anything to permanently get rid of an allergic reaction. You can, however, prevent allergies from happening by avoiding allergens that affects you. If you’re already affected, you can get rid of the allergic symptoms instead. In the case of allergies, the saying “prevention is the best cure” really applies. When you have an allergic reaction your body goes into a defensive posture. Your body’s system reacts to the foreign matter, and then goes into the mode of protecting the body. What is happening is your immune system believes that there is a harmful agent that has entered the body, what you see as sometimes a rash, is actually the body demonstrating its way of protecting itself.
First, you should start by figuring out what triggers your allergic reactions. Everyone has different allergic reactions to different allergens, so it is impossible to treat someone’s allergy based on another’s reaction. If you sneeze uncontrollably when a cat, dog or other type of animal is near, then there is a very good chance you are allergic to that animal’s dander. This is not only limited to animals, it could also be the case with a variety types of foods. If you eat something and it causes your body to react in a way that is not normal, then you probably have an allergy to that food or something in that food.
I many cases, you may not be aware of the different sorts of allergens you have a breakaway to. So, if possible, try to identify which allergens you have a reaction to. The hard thing about allergies is that anything can be an allergen. It is only through personal experience one can begin to identifying the causes. An important and significant way you can accomplish this is by the process of elimination. When an allergic attack occurs, attempt to recall exactly what were you doing, who and what was surrounding you at the time of the attack. Things such as the type of detergent you washed your clothes in, if you change the types of foods you ate, if you were around any animals, a fragrance you tried on, or possible a different type of hand soap you may have used.
While trying to identify just what types of allergens you are allergic to, it would be very smart of you to have a ledger with you, and so you can keep a list of the common allergens. There are many sources available for you to locate allergens you are possibly allergic to, for example, the internet or medical resource books. In doing so, this process of elimination will be more convenient and resourceful for you. If you find that you cannot quite identify the types of allergens that you are possibly dealing with, you can seek assistance from medical personnel. You can also take an allergy test; try determining the types of allergens you are faced with. The test is very simple and does not require much assistance at all.
After you have discovered the type(s) of allergens you have, the next step is to remove the threat of that allergen. The easiest way to get rid of your allergens is to get away from the environment, animals detergent, or the identifying allergen. Example given, many people enjoy eating out, and sometimes try foods that you do not commonly eat. You want to try something differently and order something that you normally do not eat. This can be a disaster waiting for you. If you have an allergic reaction, you can then eliminate that particular food, as well as any other that’s related to that food.
You can then, if you are eating out at a restaurant, you can ensure that that kind of food will not be eaten. This will prevent a serious allergic attack in the middle of having dinner. The same applies with anything else that may potentially cause you an allergic reaction, such as, detergents, fragrances, flowers, or animals. The whole key is to learn what you are allergic to and do everything you can to avoid them.
Another way to avoid allergens is to ensure your place of residence is clean. Regular-house cleaning can minimize potential allergic reactions you may not be aware of. Changing the air filters in your vents can also reduce allergens the may float in the air. Allergens are not typically manifested in one place. Lastly, one of most common allergens that are always around is dust; regular house cleaning can create an allergen-free environment for both you and your family.




