Posts Tagged ‘health’
Overcoming Work Addiction
Why are you so busy? Do you really have too much work? Is work so important to you that you’ll sacrifice just about anything in your life to get the job done? Even if it’s at the expense of your health and your relationships?
If you find these questions disturbing then see how you rate with these ones:
Do you work more than 50 hours a week?
Do you dream about work?
Do you feel that in order to succeed you must work late most of the time?
Are you a stranger in your own home?
Do you constantly miss family and social events because you’re always working?
Do you schedule and undertake more than you can get done in a 40-hour work week?
Do you get bored when you’re not working?
Is missing family and social events because of work unavoidable?
When on holiday do you constantly check your phone messages and email?
Your Score
The greater the number of yes answers, the closer you are to fitting the profile of a workaholic. If you’ve answered yes to more than half of the questions, it’s time to take stock before you lose your health, family and everything you hold near and dear to your heart.
Do a Stocktake
First, of all take a really good look at your job, what you do and the importance of your accomplishments. Are you appreciated for all those long hours you’ve put in? Does it really – I mean really – make a difference to your income? Let’s face it. In today’s economic environment, employees are often nothing more than expendable pawns. No amount of overtime and sacrifice will make a difference when a company has to make cutbacks.
Are You Having Fun?
Secondly, determine if you’re having fun at your job, long hours notwithstanding. If you’re not having fun and are popping antacids to avoid a stress-related ulcer, then you need to rethink all that hard work you’re putting in. Fun must be a high priority in your life and your job should be no exception.
Gary’s Story
In one of our coaching sessions, Gary told me he wanted to expand his social circle yet didn’t have time because he worked from 7.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. most days. He said he’d been doing this for years and that it was ‘the norm’ in his profession.
As I continued to question him about why it was standard procedure to work these ridiculous hours, he realised that those colleagues who succumbed to this belief were all very unhappy individuals. Most of them were divorced just like he was and had no-one to go home to. They used work as a way to avoid the loneliness.
Gary was divorced because he didn’t pay attention to his relationships. He would arrive home at 7.30 p.m. most nights and his wife wouldn’t bother communicating with him. She was busy looking after their two young boys and meeting their needs. At that time of night his wife was putting the kids to bed.
Gary would read them a story if they hadn’t already fallen asleep.
He was missing out on everything that was important to him.
Unfortunately Gary didn’t wake up to himself in time and got caught up with being ‘Mr. Important’ at work. He paid a heavy price with the divorce which followed.
Bringing Up Kids
In his book “Raising Boys”, Stephen Biddulph categorically states: If you routinely work a fifty five or sixty hour week, including travel times, you just won’t cut it as a dad.
He says: Your sons will have problems in life and it will be down to you.
The Final Word
If you seriously want to make changes to your life, then take action now. If it’s too hard to do by yourself, get a coach. If you’ve been a workaholic it can take awhile to break your old habits and to instill new behaviours. After all you’ve got everything to gain by working less and everything to lose by continuing the way you are.
About The Author
Lorraine Pirihi, principal of The Office Organiser (http://www.office-organiser.com.au) is Australia’s Personal Productivity Coach.
Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life.
We Offer a Broad Range of Services and Products including: Coaching for small business owners and professionals, keynote presentations and workshops, books, CD’s, DVD’s and on-line learning programs.
Take action today! Contact Lorraine to discuss your specific needs at lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
Will Your Personal Trainer Help You Achieve Your Goals?
Hiring a personal trainer can be a significant investment ? even with hourly rates differing vastly across regions and countries ? you are still paying a fair amount of money for the expert knowledge that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals and look after one of, if not, THE most important assets you have ? your body.
So how should you choose a personal trainer and what are the things you need to look out for, ask them and receive from them?
First and foremost, you MUST ensure your personal trainer is fully and properly qualified. This means they should hold, at the very least, the following:
A CPR certification ? if you do have any accidents or problems your personal trainer must know how to deal with them and ensure your safety to the best of their ability.
A recognised personal training qualification ? this obviously differs from country to country and there are only a few internationally-recognised qualifications. Most countries have a self-regulating body ? in the UK this is REPS (the Register of Exercise Professionals) and you should ensure your personal trainer is registered here before you even consider hiring them. If in doubt, ask your trainer which qualifications they have ? most won’t be offended but will be keen to show them off.
Once you are satisfied they hold the necessary qualifications, here are a few pointers to look out for. A ‘good’ versus a ‘bad’ personal trainer should:
1. Carry out initial health & fitness assessments. You should be asked to complete a PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness questionnaire) at a minimum and your trainer should perform some basic tests such as weight, blood pressure, perhaps body composition, girth measurements, lung capacity and aerobic fitness or strength. This is essential if you want to know whether what you’ve paid them has been worth it ? if you can’t see the progress or differences working with a trainer has made because they forgot to measure a baseline when you started with them, then although you may feel fitter, slimmer or stronger you won’t have hard facts & figures to prove it.
2. Discuss your goals with you and adjust any unrealistic expectations you may have. To get your business, a trainer may promise that you will lose half a stone of fat in 2 weeks or you’ll get the body of your dreams in a month even though you’ve never exercised before and are 3 stone overweight ? this does you no good. You will have unrealistic expectations & goals from the outset and will be much more likely to become de-motivated & disillusioned when you realise you haven’t lost a stone in a week. Whilst a good trainer will not discourage you from your ultimate goals, they should at least educate you on the realistic progressions you are likely to make.
3. Design a programme that is tailored especially to your needs and your body. This may sound obvious but I have seen plenty of trainers run through identical training sessions with every one of their clients. This ties in with the first point ? if they haven’t completed assessments & initial tests on you, then they won’t know what your individual needs are. You are paying them to provide you with a fully customised service ? that’s why it’s called ‘personal’.
4. Track your progress at every session ? you may not see them carrying a clipboard or doing this during the session but your trainer should know when they need to adjust your programme and what adjustments to make. If they’ve been winging your sessions and haven’t been planning & tracking your progress, how will they know what adjustments to make after a few weeks?
5. Show you how to exercise safely & correctly ? again this may seem a given but if your trainer gives you a programme and then just leaves you to it, they are putting you at risk and not only will you probably struggle to achieve your goals without their attention, you may even injure yourself. Similarly, even if they are supervising you, they should constantly be giving you tips, adjustments or even just positive affirmations that you are performing your exercises correctly ? not watching the sport on TV or chatting to other staff & clients.
6. Advise you on your diet & nutrition. Exercise is only part of the equation – a good personal trainer will ensure they are also taking a look at your dietary needs to compliment your training programme and ensure you are eating the right things, at the right times to achieve your goals.
All of the above are nothing however, if you don’t actually get on with your personal trainer! They may be the most highly qualified person you can find ? but if spending an hour with them (sometimes 3 times a week) is like spending an hour in the dentist’s chair or worse, then you probably aren’t going to get the full benefit of working with a trainer. They don’t have to be your best buddy, just ensure that you feel comfortable with them, can trust them and that you do enjoy your sessions ? in a masochistic kind of way!
Lea Woodward is a qualified personal trainer and director of activOne ltd in the UK. activOne provides personal training, diet & nutrition advice and massage therapy to private clients & corporate wellbeing services in the UK as well as virtual training to clients worldwide. Check out the website http://www.activone.co.uk or http://www.activone.com
It Turns Out Sunscreen can Cause Acne
Have you known that sunscreen can cause acne? Especially when summertime, you should be careful when using sunscreen. It is better if in certain times you are inside your home than go outside as you need to use sunscreen.
Here are some facts of summertime:
* Is it true sun can help acne? The actual effect is there are various results happen even sun can make the acne worse.
* Retinoids can remove the outer layer of skin so it becomes more susceptible to sunburn.
* Phototoxic rash (painful pink burn) often found in nose, arms and hands can be caused by antibiotics like minocyclin, tetracycline and so on.
* Sunscreen can cause acne. This is because sunscreen can clog your pores. You know that in order to get the effective effect of sunscreen, you have to cover your skin completely. Even the good sunscreen can cause this like titanium and zinc. The water resistant sunscreen also the same.
Home Gym Workout Routines
Home gym workout routines can take the hassle out of staying healthy. How often have you claimed your busy schedule as the reason you could not get to the gym? How many times have you skipped a workout you knew would make you feel better because the fatigue of traffic and the pace of a gym with trainers were too much for your work weary mind?
Well, say good bye to the excuses standing in your way because home gym workout routines are the answer for your busy schedule. The key to a successful home gym workout routine is scheduling yourself time.
Even though you are working out at home, you still need to hold yourself accountable to your own body. Setting aside a little time will make your workouts less stressful because you will already have that time framed for the activity.
Home gym workout routines can be tailored to meet your specific needs and available equipment. Try a treadmill workout routine to get yourself started and you can do that today. With a treadmill walking program you can work legs and even tone abs and arms.
You should always consult your physician before beginning any workout regimen, because they can help you tailor your routine to your health needs and abilities. Begin with moderate walking twenty minutes a day and this can go a long way to decrease your stress load, increase your energy level and tone your muscles.
The great thing about a treadmill workout routine is you can do it year round in any weather condition. A treadmill walking program can be done as you read the newspaper or make evening calls or it can be a time of complete peace and isolation. Adding small hand weights can afford upper body toning even as you walk.
Your body deserves your attention, and your schedule need not stand in the way. Try a home gym workout routine today to shake away the cob webs from your body and you’ll start seeing amazing results.
Copyright © 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.
This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html
The Truth About Hair Loss
It is normal to shed hair every day and the truth is we loose between 100-125 hairs on any given day. Hair that is shed falls out at the end of growth cycle. At any given time 10% of our hair is in what is called a “resting phase” and after 2-3 months resting, hair falls out and new hair grows in its place. Some people, however, experience more hair loss than is normal.
As we get older, both men and women experience some hair loss. It’s a normal part of the aging process. Called Androgenetic Alopecia, it accounts for 95% of all hair loss. Androgentic Alopecia often runs in families and affects some people more than others. In men it is often referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. It is characterized by a receding hair line and baldness on the top of head. Women, on the other hand, don’t go entirely bald even if their hair loss is severe. Instead, hair loss is spread out evenly over their entire scalp.
Hormones play the dominant role when talking about Androgenetic Alopecia. Simple put, both men and women produce testosterone. Testosterone can be converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. DHT shrinks hair follicles causing the membranes in the scalp to thicken, become inelastic and restrict blood flow. This causes the hair follicles to atrophy. As a result, when a hair does fall out, it is not replaced.
Needless to say, men produce more testosterone than women and experience more hair loss.
While Androgenetic Alopecia is the number one reason why individuals experience hair loss, it is not the only one. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, ringworm and fungal infections can cause hair loss. Certain medications such as blood thinners, gout medication, birth control pills and too much vitamin A can cause sudden or abnormal hair loss as can following a crash diet, sudden hormonal changes, chemotherapy and radiation.
Emotional stress, pregnancy, or surgery can also cause our hair to fall out and is usually not noticed until 3-4 months after the stressful event has taken place. Stress can cause a slowing of new hair growth because a larger number of hair follicles enter into the resting phase and no new hair growth is experienced.
Another way in which individuals experience hair loss is due to mechanical stressors on the hair and scalp. Wearing pigtails, cornrows or tight rollers that end up pull on the hair can scar the scalp and cause permanent hair loss. Hair products such as hot oil treatments and chemicals used for permanents can cause inflammation to the hair follicles which can also result in scarring and hair loss.
Note: Hair loss may be the early warning sign of a more serious disorder such as lupus or diabetes, so it is important to talk to your doctor.
Recommendations For Wellness
If you are taking prescription medications, talk to your doctor and find out if your medication is contributing to your hair loss.
Avoid mega-doses of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can cause your hair to fall out.
Exercise, do yoga, meditate or find some other practice that will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels.
If you are a women, have your female hormones tested. If they are imbalanced, talk to your health care provider about bio-identical hormone replacements.
If you wear pigtails, cornrows, use a curling iron, hair dryer or hot rollers, try changing your hair style to one that puts less pressure and stress on your hair and scalp.
If hot oil treatments or chemicals such as those used in permanents are causing inflammation to the scalp, discontinue their use, or reduce the number of times you are using them.
Use gentle shampoos and conditioners to avoid any unnecessary damage to your hair.
In men, herbs such as saw palmetto and licorice root help block the formation of DHT. The same holds true for supplementation with zinc. As an added benefit, studies show that these supplements can also help prevent prostate enlargement.
Massage your scalp with rosemary oil in an olive oil base. Both rosemary oil and massaging the scalp can stimulate the circulation in the scalp and promote hair growth.
Again, if you are experiencing hair loss, check with your doctor to ensure that a more serious disorder isn’t the cause.
© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2005. All rights reserved. Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. is the author of the books “Avoiding the Cosmic 2×4″ and “The Power Within”. It is it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive and clairvoyant that illuminates and enlivens her work. Let Dr. Louise help you bring health healing and wholeness back into your life. Medical Intuition & Energy Medicine Certification training classes are now forming. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or call (972) 475-3393 for more information.
Hair Loss Is a Cause for Concern
Losing hair is not only a cosmetic problem though it can’t be denied that it can bring down your self-confidence and self esteem to a worrying degree. Hair loss can be indicative of more serious problems as well. So, the sooner we do something about it the better it is.
Let’s begin by understanding what it is and how it is caused. Baldness or alopecia is a state of losing excessive hair. You must know that losing 50 to 100 hairs in a day is considered normal. It’s when you lose more than that you should sit up and take note of the problem. Baldness can be the result of heredity, certain medications or an underlying medical condition. Anyone- men, women and children – can experience hair loss. However, in most cases it is caused by today’s stressful lifestyle, long working hours, pollution, poor diet, combined with alcohol, drugs and smoking.
There’s not much you can do about factors like heredity, but you can correct the other factors and improve the quality of your hair. Remember, hair loss is not an irreversible process. Hair is a bi-product of blood. Therefore to treat the hair and scalp, you cannot obtain a good result by using topical lotions alone. You cannot feed the hair externally. If you could, the shampoo or conditioner would do wonders. It is logical therefore to take care of your scalp and the composition of your blood. The composition of your blood and state of your scalp determine the quality and growth of your hair.
Your overall diet affects your blood. You must supplement your diet with live enzymes to help absorb vitamins in the body. They are normally only found in raw fruit and vegetables and uncooked food. You should drink lots of water also. Never comb your wet hair and never use a thin comb. Also avoid hot air dryers; let the hair dry naturally.
Stimulating the scalp is another way to tackle the problem of hair loss. You should massage your scalp with a tangy lotion to increase the blood flow around the hair follicles. Nourishments reaching the hair follicles will stimulate the hair to grow much fuller, shinier and healthier.
If you are losing large amounts of hair, see a physician. Hair loss may be caused by some health conditions such as high cholesterol levels. Often the hair grows back when the cause is corrected
If hair loss occurs at an age when you can afford to let it be, you should let your hair loss run its course untreated and unhidden. However, if it happens when you’re still too young to go around with a baldhead you may either cover it up with hairstyles, makeup, hats or scarves or choose one of the medications and surgical procedures that are available to treat hair loss. But, before pursuing any of these treatment options, talk to your doctor about the cause and best possible treatment for your hair loss.
Joseph Then operates a Health Portal and covers a range of health issues like obesity, dieting, hair loss and more. You can visit him at http://www.thehealthyportal.com
Why We Need Motorcycle’s Jacket
Leather motorcycle jacket is one important apparel motorcyclists should have. leather motorc jacket is needed for every weather they ride. Motorcycle should use their leather motorcycle whenever they can.
Leather motorcycle jacket should be in your list when you will go on journey. a long motorcycle journey may need items like spare parts, clothing, tools and other items.
When the temperature is cold, motorcycle jacket can protect you from low temperature. In the opposite, when the temperature is hot, the motorcycle jacket can provide your skin protection. Motorcycle jacket can also help you from wind, dust, small rock and so on in the road.
Take for instance, when you are in the road with the speed of 65 miles an hour. You can be hurt with anything like rock or so on. Motorcycle jacket can protect your skin from hurt. Wearing jacket is always a good idea including for healthness.
Motorcyle jacket can be in various models such as venting, liners, brass hardware, silver hardware, multiple pockets, and more. classic style jacket maybe suitable too for you. For those who like the simpler look, maybe a scooter style jacket would suit them best.
Do you Get Enough Nutrition Form your Normal Diet?
Why take Vitamins?
Vitamin is micronutrient that has essence role to healthy life. Vitamin deficiency can cause unhealthy state and dangeorus. There is FDA’s Reference Daily Intakes recommendation, but the vitamin requirement may play a larger role in our dietary.
Researches show that take more vitamins than FDA’s Reference Daily Intakes recommendation, can reduce the risk of degenerative disorders and certain illnesses. Then it can improve the function of immune system, lets us get longer life and healtier.
Is your “Diet†adequate?
The word ‘diet’ usually is referred to food combinations that help you lose weight, but this actually is not the actual meaning of diet. Diet is what supplies the body with the antioxidant, vitamins, minerals and fiber it needs to sustain life.
Less amount of healthy nutrients, makes your body more vulnarable to illness and infection including Eyesight, memory, mood, energy level, lifespan and so on. So what foods become the best source of nutrients and how it functions to your body.
Supplement? What is it and should You be taking it?
Nutrition supplements are needed for 2 reasons at least.
* We often consume fast food and highly processed food.
* Normal diet alone can give us the maximum ammount of nutrition we need.
Supplement is nutrient that isn’t acquired thru normal eating habits including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and a host of other nutrients.
The rule is you know the nutrient ammount you get from the normal eating, whether it meets the RDI’s suggested requirements. If not, you should take a multi-vitamin every day.
The following are the values suggested by the FDA (“Daily Values†encourage healthy diets, by Paula Kurtzweil, member of the FDA’s public affairs staff)
• vitamin A 5,000 International Units (IU)
• vitamin C 60 milligrams (mg)
• thiamin 1. 5 mg
• riboflavin 1. 7 mg
• niacin 20 mg
• calcium 1. 0 gram (g)
• iron 18 mg
• vitamin D 400 IU
• vitamin E 30 IU
• vitamin B6 2. 0 mg
• folic acid 0. 4 mg
• vitamin B12 6 micrograms (mcg)
• phosphorus 1. 0 g
• iodine 150 mcg
• magnesium 400 mg
• zinc 15 mg
• copper 2 mg
• biotin 0. 3 mg
• pantothenic acid 10 mg
Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs)
(Based on National Academy of Sciences’ 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances)
Five Steps to Goal-Setting
What would you like to achieve in your lifetime?
Author Basil S. Walth once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?” These are words well spoken, because whether you’re working toward freelancing full-time or selling your novels, you need a roadmap.
Goals are indispensable. They provide direction, long-term vision and short-term motivation. They separate the important from the irrelevant. Goals also build self-confidence by helping you grow as an individual.
Olympic athletes, successful business people, and (hint?) bestselling writers are goal setters. You aspire to greatness too, don’t you? If you do, and you’re not already setting goals, now is the perfect time to start.
Five Things to Remember When Setting Goals:
1. Write Goals Down
Always jot down your goals-this is powerful. The process of physically seeing your goals helps crystallize them in your mind. This process also better enables you to commit to them.
Interesting Fact: A popular Harvard Business School study once found that only 3% of the population records their goals in writing. Another 14% have goals but don’t write them down, whereas 83% do not even have clearly defined goals. More interesting is that this 3% earned an astounding ten times that of the 83% group!
2. Make Goals Short, Attainable, & Measurable
Set attainable short-term goals that can be measured. This means setting quantifiable goals.
Here are some examples:
- Commit to writing a certain number of words each week
- Submit at least two articles a week
- Find two new markets each week
- Take at least one writing course a year
- Attend at least one writer’s conference a year
Make your goals attainable so you won’t get discouraged. The short-term goals above are attainable for me, but they may not be for you. Or maybe for you, my short-term goals aren’t challenging enough.
Goals are very individual. You have to set your own goals?remember, you’re charting your own course to success!
On the other hand, don’t set wimpy goals simply because you’re afraid to fail. Talane Miedaner, author of Coach Yourself to Success (McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 2002) notes: “People sometimes give themselves ‘weeny’ goals-they play it safe so they don’t fail?But the bigger the goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.”
3. Create Deadlines
Without deadlines, your goals are merely dreams. Set deadlines for both short- and long-term goals, and I promise, you’ll get there sooner!
Remember that deadlines can be flexible. Life changes and so do goals. Never be afraid to adjust the timeframe for a goal. What’s important is to keep moving forward.
4. Look at your goals everyday!
Visual aids are an effective way to program your brain.
Reading and re-writing goals are two very effective visual aids. By physically rewriting your goals and pasting them in places you regularly frequent, you make them more real in your mind.
I read an article in this month’s Shape magazine that inspired me. The author mentioned that before Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the bestselling book & Oprah Pick Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy (Warner Books, 1995) became a bestselling author, she pasted her name on the #1 spot of the New York Times bestseller list and posted it on her computer. Visual Aids like these give you that extra ammunition that will make a difference.
5. Make Goal Setting a Routine
Begin every morning with a “To Do” list. This will help you organize and better manage your time. Plus, your goals will be right smack under your nose every day. Do not get discouraged over any unfinished items. Simply transfer them to the next morning’s list.
The above said, keep your goals front and forward in your mind. Remember…you only get one chance to live your dreams!
In the words of Cecil B. De Mille: “The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication.”
About The Author
Jennifer Minar is a freelance writer in the health & fitness and writing markets. She is also the founder & managing editor of Writer’s Break (http://www.writersbreak.com), a web site and ezine for fiction and creative non-fiction writers.
Get a Health Screening Before You Start Training
So, you have decided to hire a personal trainer to help you with your workouts. If your trainer is reputable and following proper certified techniques he/she will probably ask that you go through a Health Screening exam before begging your program. Many people resist this essential part of their training program because they feel it is unnecessary or that it will be embarrassing for them, however, these worries are untrue and skipping your health screening can result in a lower quality program design or even an increased likelihood for injury on your part.
There are many reasons to perform a health screening, both for you and your trainer.
- To identify possible health conditions and risk factors that could place you at risk for certain activities
An analysis of your health history is often the primary tool for developing a safe exercise program. Generally a health history form will be filled out and will cover information such as your demographic (age, sex, occupation, etc.), exercise history, health risk factors, medications, recent illnesses and injuries, surgery history, and family medical history. Once your trainer has examined the results of your questionnaires it is possible that he/she will find a potential or underlying problem which can be a significant risk factor when starting an exercise program. In these cases they may recommend that you get a referral or clearance from your physician. This is for your safety and in many cases is required by the health club or the trainer’s insurance, so don’t blame the trainer.
Participating in a health screening with your personal trainer is very important and if he/she does not ask you to take one, you may want to consider the qualifications of your trainer. For more information on what to look for in your personal trainer please review the following article “Choosing a Personal Trainer”.
Author:
Gene Tewksbury – owner of The Fitness Almanac and The Fitness Super Store
