One area where exercise is key is weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories, so, when you increase your activity, you burn more calories. Trips to the gym are great, but not always possible. When you have a busy day, keep in mind that a 5 mile run or a 30 minute yoga class isn’t the only way to engage your body. You can still up your fitness just by making a few simple changes by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, revving up your household chores, or taking a brisk walk during your lunch break.
Another amazing benefit of exercise is the impact it can have on your health. No matter what your weight is, being active can help fight off disease and illness. For example, regular exercise can help to prevent or manage stroke, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, insomnia and more.
Besides all of the physical benefits, consistent exercise can also help you to improve your mood. This happens because exercise and physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that can make you feel happier, more relaxed, and less anxious. Exercise can also help you to feel better about your appearance and increase your confidence and self-esteem. The benefits are endless!
Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, boost your health and have fun. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
Spread your activities throughout the week. If you want to lose weight, meet specific fitness goals or get even more benefits, you may need to ramp up your moderate aerobic activity to 300 minutes or more a week.
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To begin with, if you think you are gluten sensitive it is recommended that you have yourself tested for Celiac Disease. This is important to distinguish between true gluten sensitivity and symptoms that may be caused by other medical situations. The symptoms that you may be experiencing for gluten sensitivity include: abdominal pain, stomach upset, bloating and diarrhea, after ingesting any products that contain gluten.
There have been concerns among the medical community that many are adopting a gluten free diet without confirmation that they may suffer from Celiac Disease. By adopting the diet, the diagnosis may never be confirmed and individuals may have the disorder without knowing it. Physicians now recognize gluten sensitivity as a real problem so there is a better reception of the symptoms and potential diagnosis than in the past. Going on a gluten-free diet without diagnosis may cause problems in that your body may not have the required antibodies to confirm the test, due to the lack of gluten your system. A gluten-free diet without diagnosis can potentially return the body to a normal condition within three to six months, however , if the patient suffers from the disease it will be hidden.
Diagnosis for Celiac Disease is a simple blood test and will confirm whether you have the disorder or sensitivity. Celia Disease causes the lining of the small intestines to become inflamed and damaged and can make it more difficult for the body to have nutrient absorption. Without diagnosis and treatment this can lead to weight loss and malnutrition.
Gluten sensitivity does not damage the intestines and there currently isn’t a medical test to confirm the problem. You should let your primary care physician know about the symptoms. The symptoms themselves may be as drastic as those that suffer from Celiac Disease and may also include headaches and fatigue.
The importance of diagnosis can assist in the appropriate diet alteration that is needed.
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The researchers that created this scenario are from the Sante Fe Institute, San Diego University and John Hopkins University. The purpose of the study was to find out the timing of healthy attitudes via the internet searches in the Unites States. The results of the study were interesting; they found that as an average, the searches were 30% higher in the beginning of the week (ie: Mondays) than later on in the week and the lowest number of average searches occurred on Saturdays.
The study was conducted from 2004 through 2012 with a consistent pattern, week after week and year over year, comparing the searches for healthy topics on a daily basis. John Ayers, of SDSU and lead author of the study stated "Many illnesses have a weekly clock with spikes early in the week. This research indicates that a similar rhythm exists for positive health behaviors, motivating a new research agenda to understand why this pattern exists and how such a pattern can be utilized to improve the public's health."
Joanna Cohen, professor at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-author of the study said "We could be seeing this effect because of the perception that Monday is a fresh start, akin to a mini New Year's Day. People tend to indulge in less healthy behaviors on the weekend, so Monday can serve as a 'health reset' to get back on track with their health regimens."
Benjamin Althouse, Sante Fe Institute Omidyar Fellow and study co-author stated "It's interesting to see such a consistent and similar rhythm emerging from search data. These consistent rhythms in healthy searches likely reflect something about our collective mindset, and understanding these rhythms could lead to insights about the nature of health behavior change."
The paper that was published on the study included the important aspect, "understanding circaseptan rhythms around health behaviors can yield critical public health gains. For instance, government-funded health promotion programs spend $76.2 billion annually and their cost-effectiveness can be improved by targeting the population on weekday(s) when more individuals are contemplating health habits."
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A study by Hengyi Rao, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, assistant professor of cognitive neuroimaging in neurology and psychiatry in the division of sleep and chronobiology has shown some specific results regarding the salience network as a brain pathway that is related to guidance in decision-making. The response of the brain in brain scan analysis for sleep loss allowed a predictive guideline for the team to measure the increased fat intake potential of an individual following reduced sleep.
"This study is the first to link [such] changes in regional brain function with actual food intake after sleep deprivation," Rao said. The findings have been reported in Scientific Reports. The authors of the study detailed the three sections of the salience network that are all located at the front portion of the brain. These are collectively involved in the interpretation and onset of sensory perception, emotions and mental strategizing.
The members of the study were nonsmokers and indicated that they had a routine nightly sleep between 6.5 and 8.5 hours per night. None of the members of the study suffered from any ongoing psychological complications or particular sleep problems or disturbances. The study group was requested to spend five consecutive days (which included four nights) in the sleep laboratory. They began with a full nights rest totaling to nine hours of bed time, followed by brain scans to record the results of normal network following a full night’s sleep. The next step of the study involved random selection of thirty four members to participate in the ‘sleep-deprived’ group for the second night. This equated to keeping them away all night, while the remaining participants received eight hours of sleep.
Brain scans were again conducted and all of the participating members of the study were allowed to watch TV, move about, play board or video games, read and eat as little or as much as they wanted. Food was ordered from an available menu and all food intake was recorded. The results of the study included the fact that the sleep-deprived participants consumed approximately 950 extra calories after their forced situation of remaining awake all night. When the content of the calories were broken down, those that had gone through sleep deprivation consumed less carbohydrates and a lot more fat than those who had received a good night’s sleep. The sleep-deprived group also showed a greater salience network function increase.
A survey conducted by ‘Traditional Medicinals’ is showing that there has been a significant increase in the use of natural remedies. Over 35% (one-in-three) of Americans are reporting that they actually do more today in the process of taking care of themselves via natural remedies than they did five years previously.
Some of us grew up with Grandmothers or Mothers that were very involved in the integrative approach, the United States has lagged behind Asian, European and even Canadian cultures in the use of natural remedies. In the U.S. there is a lacking of actual educational materials regarding natural remedies, although it does seem to be improving. Almost 39% (two-in-five) of those people that don’t already make use of natural remedies for their health and wellness would feel motivated to increase natural remedy use if they knew more about the subject.
Blair Kellison, CEO of Traditional Medicinals stated, "Habits rooted in nature like spending time outdoors have a profoundly positive impact on mood and spirit as well," We also found that more education is needed in order for more Americans to look to nature to improve their overall health."
Of the top cities in the United States that were surveyed, those people in San Francisco and Atlanta seemed to take the most control of their health and indicated that this aspect made a difference in their overall sense of well-being.
Fielded by Kelton, the survey also included the information that, while the average American spent almost one month (28 days) feeling unwell within the last year, those that spent a least one hour outdoors each week did report feeling more healthy than those that didn’t go outside (84% compared to 65%).
The trend to adopt natural, alternative and integrative treatments has been on the rise. This can be exhibited by the adoption of integrative approaches in the medical field that were previously not considered.
Always consult with a physician or primary care representative before making any changes to your dietary and physical regimen.
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