Did your mom enlist you in the “clean plate club” at an early age? Do you get your down-home cooking skills and your growing waistline from her? Well, recent research says that women learn their eating habits (and so many other good things) from their mothers. Here’s why it’s so important to teach our daughters healthy eating habits.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Like the old adage “like mother, like daughter” says, women can pick up many eating habits by watching their mothers in the kitchen.

Investigators found that low-income African-American women often learn from their mothers to be “grateful” for the food they are given, but may get few lessons on which foods are healthier than others.

Specifically, discussions with 21 women between the ages of 25 and 65 revealed that women were often taught that food was scarce, and they should eat everything they are served - a practice that could lead to overeating. And while some mothers told their daughters that they should eat more vegetables because they are “good for you,” other daughters received no such information.

Girls watch their mothers closely, and these findings demonstrate that women have a great opportunity to provide their daughters with life-long healthy eating habits, “by their own positive example,” study author Dr. Diane Baer Wilson told Reuters Health.

“Habits become behaviors when they begin early, when they are routinely observed in parents, and seem to be valued by an authority figure,” she said.”Parents can use their influence to model positive health habits for children, including healthy eating and exercise,” added Wilson, who is based at the VCU School of Medicine in Virginia USA.

During the study, Wilson and her team reviewed information gathered from four discussion groups with the women. Two of the groups included women between the ages of 25 and 45, and the other two groups were made up of women between the ages of 46 and 65.All study participants were members of the African Methodist Episcopalian church, and lived in low-income communities in South Carolina.

Although there were many similarities between the older and the younger women, theresearchers discovered important differences, as well. For instance, younger women were more likely to say that they eat differently now than their mothers did, noting that their busier lifestyle and added conveniences like microwaves often discourage them from cooking large meals three times per day, as their mothers did.

Younger women also indicated that they learned about the importance of healthy eating and its relationship to diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure at an earlier age than older women. In many cases, women also picked up their attitudes about their bodies from their mothers. For instance, older women said they were often taught by their mothers to be happy with their bodies, and their mothers only rarely spoke about wanting to lose or gain weight. However, some younger women reported that their mothers dieted, or were concerned that their daughters looked too thin.

This study may not be 100% in its findings but it is just common sense that we mothers should provide the very best role model for our daughters. Make sure that it exists in our daily approach to children’s nutritional needs.

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Holiday season is upon us and that means many of us will be traveling during the holidays. Some of us will be facing hours upon hours of sitting in cramped airplane seats. This creates a serious potential health risk.

Concern about deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially life-threatening disorder in which blood clots form in the deep veins of the body, particularly the legs, has been growing in recent years after several cases were attributed to long flights. DVT can lead to a pulmonary embolism (PE), when a clot breaks free and lodges in a lung. If the clot is large enough, it can cause sudden death.

In an airplane, the dehydration caused by the dry air may thicken blood. In addition, the low cabin pressure, combined with immobility in cramped seats, may cause blood to collect in the legs. As a result, DVT has been dubbed “economy class syndrome.” The potential for the problem is greater when in-flight airline personnel keep the seat belt sign lighted and discourage passengers from moving about the cabin due to air turbulence.

Who Is Most Susceptible?

*People with cancer, chronic heart or respiratory failure, or an inherited or acquired predisposition to clotting, obesity or varicose veins

*Those who recently have had major surgery, have been bed-ridden or have suffered a blow to the leg

*Women who are pregnant, who’ve recently had a child, who are taking contraceptives or who are undergoing hormone replacement therapy

*People 40 years and older may also be at increased risk

Approximately 4 percent to 5 percent of high-risk individuals may suffer DVT on flights of 10 hours or more. Swelling, tenderness, discoloration or redness in the lower legs may be signs of DVT. Unfortunately, however, there are often no symptoms at all.

What Precautions Can You Take?

Low-to-medium risk patients may prevent DVT with compression stockings, while a single dose of heparin, a blood thinner, may work for high-risk individuals. Consult with your physician if you are concerned about DVT and to discuss how to best reduce your risk. In addition, you can:

*Walk around the cabin every 15 to 30 minutes if possible during flights of three hours or longer

*Do some simple stretching exercises while seated

*Sleep only for short periods-up to 30 minutes at a time

*Limit alcohol and caffeine, which may contribute to dehydration

*Bring your own water bottle, or request water if your flight has a beverage service

*Walk briskly through the airport during layovers

In-flight Exercises

Ankle turns: Lift your feet off the floor and move your toes in a circle, one foot moving clockwise and the other foot moving counterclockwise. Change direction and repeat.

Foot lifts: Place your heels on the floor and bring your toes up as high as you can. Then put both feet back flat on the floor. Then pull your heels up while keeping the balls of your feet on the floor.

Knee lifts: While keeping your knee bent, raise your leg while tensing your thigh muscle. Repeat 20 to 30 times, alternating legs.

Shoulder rolls: Raise your shoulders and then move them forward, downward and then backward in a smooth circular movement.

Arm bends: Start with your elbows on the armrests and your hands pointed forward so that your lower and upper arms make a 90-degree angle. Take turns moving your left and then your right hand toward your chest and back, and continue for 30 seconds.

Knee to chest: Bend slightly forward. Fold your hands together around your left knee and pull it toward your chest. Hold this position for 15 seconds and let your knee drop slowly. Change legs and repeat.

Forward bends: Place both feet on the floor and pull your abdomen in. Bend slowly forward and “walk” your fingers along your shins to your ankles. Hold for 15 seconds and sit up slowly.

Upper-body stretch: Stretch both arms over your head. With your right hand, grab your left wrist and pull it slowly to the right. Hold for 15 seconds and change arms.

Shoulder stretch: With your right hand, grab your left elbow and pull your outstretched left arm slowly toward your right shoulder. Hold for 15 seconds and change arms.

Neck roll: Relax your shoulders, let your head drop to your right shoulder and roll your head slowly to the front and then to your left side. Repeat five times.

Take the time to prepare yourself and your body for the many rigors of holiday travel. Travel safe and enjoy the trip.

(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Nobody likes pain. Whether it’s acute pain, like you get when you break your leg, or chronic pain, like you have with a lasting illness, we just want it to go away so we can get on with our lives. Being in pain can affect nearly every part of your life. As if the pain itself isn’t bad enough, it also can cause:

*Sleep problems
*Problems working
*Tiredness
*Negative emotions, such as loneliness, sadness, worry, anger and irritability
*Inability to enjoy simple pleasures
*Lack of involvement in activities you once enjoyed, including social and physical activities

If you’re in pain, it’s important to talk to your doctor about how to control it. There are medications and other things that can help you feel better. Whatever the source, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get help controlling your pain.

Pain Medication

Even though medicines are available to help all kinds of pain, some people are afraid to take them. Some of the mistaken ideas people have about pain management and medicines are that:

They’ll become addicted.
People, and even some doctors, worry that drugs used to treat pain are addictive. The truth is that your risk of getting addicted to these drugs is low when you take them properly and under a doctor’s care.Reports about addiction to OxyContin, a powerful morphine-like narcotic to relieve moderate to severe chronic pain, is a case in point. Even though the drug can be a safe and effective pain medication when properly prescribed and used as directed, it also is a “drug of abuse,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA recommends taking your medication only as directed and not increasing or decreasing your dose without talking to your doctor; not breaking or crushing pills; protecting your medication from being stolen; never sharing your medicine with others; and throwing away leftover pills after your doctor takes you off the medicine.

Taking morphine means the end is near.
The amount and type of medicine you take depends on the level of pain you report to your doctor. Doctors prescribe the mildest medication you need and will recommend stronger medications, such as morphine, only when necessary . Taking morphine does not mean death is near. It merely means that your pain level requires something stronger to help you feel less pain. Morphine will not shorten your life.

Pain is part of life.

Many times people resist telling the doctor about their pain because they feel it is just part of the illness that they must live with. This prevents many people from getting pain relief through proper pain management. That results in needless suffering.

Talking to Your Doctor

Even though many studies have shown that most people resist talking to their doctors about pain, it’s the most important step you can take to get relief. Tell your doctor:

*Where it hurts
*When the pain started
*What you have been doing to deal with the pain, such as taking aspirin or practicing relaxation techniques
*If the pain is constant or it comes and goes
*If anything makes the pain go away or makes it worse
*How the pain affects your daily life

Also be sure to ask your doctor these important questions about taking medication for your pain, so you’ll know what to expect on a daily basis:

*What types of medication can I take for my pain?
*What are the side effects of each drug? How long will they last?
*How should I take this medication?
*How long should I take this medication?
*Could this medication interact with any other drugs (or vitamins or supplements) I’m taking?
*Are there things I should avoid eating, drinking, or doing while taking this medicine?
*Should I try alternative medicine, like acupuncture or massage?
*What should I do if the pain gets worse? Should I call you?
*How much does the drug cost? Can I take a generic version instead?

Rating Your Level of Pain

One good way to tell the doctor how much pain you are in is to rate the pain on a scale of zero (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). This system lets your doctor and you track pain to see which treatments work and which don’t. There also are other ways to evaluate your pain. For instance, ZAP (Zero Acceptance of Pain) is a cancer pain assessment program developed by the Association of Cancer Online Resources. If your pain does not get better with medication, ask your doctor about seeing a pain specialist or pain clinic in your area.

Other Pain Management Tools

Besides medication, there are other things you can do to try to manage your pain. People in pain might find themselves battling not only pain, but fear, anxiety, and depression too. Anxiety and stress can lower your tolerance to pain. These activities can help reduce your stress and pain levels:

*Getting regular physical activity
*Joining a support group
Going for counseling
*Practicing relaxation techniques
*Meditation: relaxing both mind and body through quiet reflection such as prayer, yoga, or deep breathing
*Muscle Relaxation: releasing tension from muscles by practicing a series of quiet movements that involve tensing and relaxing muscle groups
*Massage: moving muscles and soft body tissues to relieve stress, tension, and pain
*Guided Imagery: refocusing your attention and redirecting your mind and feelings away from your actual situation by imagining yourself somewhere else, usually a peaceful, beautiful setting
*Hypnosis: developing a trance like state of deep relaxation in which your mind stays restfully alert and open to suggestion. This therapy can distract you from pain or alter your perception of it.

Pain Management Standards

Helping patients properly manage their pain is important to every doctor and health professional. Hospitals and other health facilities are equally concerned that patients don’t suffer pain needlessly.

Managing your pain takes patience and perseverance. Don’t give up. People who actively take charge of trying to control and manage their pain feel better than those who don’t.

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It is no secret that eating fruit is good for you and has plenty of health benefits - but what are they? Generally, people who eat more fruit as part of a healthy diet are less likely to develop diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer, and they provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to fight other infections and repair cells, too.

Most people want to be as healthy as possible. We want to be able to enjoy life without the constraints of illness and disease, and live a long, and active life. Eating fruit every day as part of a balanced diet is just one of the ways we can improve our health, and give our bodies a helping hand in living to a ripe old age.

Why Fruit?
These days our bodies need more vitamins and minerals than ever before. This is because we work longer hours, are exposed to more toxic fumes from pollution and are under more stress than we used to be. Eating fruit every day is a simple way of providing your body with these nutrients to ensure you are well equipped to deal with the stresses of daily life, and possibly protect you from illnesses in the future.

A diet involving regular amounts of fruit will provide your body with antioxidants to help prevent free radicals from attacking the body.

Free Radicals
Free radicals are molecules that are produced when our bodies react with oxygen. They react with other molecules within cells and can damage their proteins, membranes and genes. The damage caused can lead to the onset of disease, in particular Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer. It also contributes to the ageing of our bodies.

The following external factors also trigger the production of free radicals in the body:

* Pollution
* Sunlight
* Smoking
* Alcohol

This means we are exposed to more free radicals than ever before.

Antioxidants
The body also naturally produces antioxidants, which fight free radicals and help prevent premature ageing and the onset of disease. These antioxidants neutralize the free radicals and stop them attacking our healthy cells. Because we are exposed to more and more free radicals every day, we need more antioxidants to neutralize them.

Fruit is a great source of antioxidants. Eating them regularly will stop free radicals attacking and mutating our cells.

Other Health Benefits
Fruit is also paced with dietary fibre, which helps to keep your digestion system running properly. Not only will this help expel waste products more efficiently, but it can also help prevent colon and bowel cancers as well, as there will be fewer toxins exposed to that area for less time.

How Much Fruit Neutralizes Free Radicals?
You should eat five portions of fruit or vegetables each day as part of a balanced diet. This should give you a mixture of all the nutrients and vitamins necessary to ward off free radicals.

The fruit can be consumed in a number of ways - in smoothies, on its own as a snack, on pizza or dried on breakfast cereal. There is a very wide variety of fruit for you to chose from, so you needn’t eat the same fruit each day (in fact, it’s better for you if you eat a wider range of fruit as possible, as different fruits have different combinations of minerals and nutrients in them).

Below is a list of the health benefits of eating five portions of fruit or vegetables a day:

* Reduced risk of a stroke and other cardiovascular diseases
* Reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes
* Reduced risk of developing certain cancers, including mouth, stomach and colon or bowel cancers
* Reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease
* Reduced risk of developing kidney stones and osteoporosis

Eating fruit as part of your daily diet will make you feel better, look better, and be more active and healthy. Any fruit will do, dried, frozen, fresh or tinned. Why not eat fruit instead of chocolate or crisps as a snack, or enjoy it dried over your breakfast cereal? It’s easy to enjoy fruit as part of your diet, and much healthier too.

(6 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Life as a couch potato is more deadly than smoking, according to long-term research, which found more people in Hong Kong, died from lack of physical activity than from tobacco consumption.

The study of Hong Kong residents aged over 35 who died in 1998 found a lack of physical activity caused more than 6,400 deaths a year, compared with just over 5,700 from smoking.
Relatives of 24,079 people who died in 1998 were questioned about the amount of leisure-time physical activity the deceased engaged in during the decade before their deaths.

The research was carried out by the University of Hong Kong and the Department of Health.
“We calculated that about 20 percent of all deaths in Hong Kong people aged 35 and above could be attributed to a lack of physical activity. This amounted to 6,450 deaths,” said Lam Tai-hing, head of the university’s department of community medicine.

“Deaths due to physical inactivity exceeded those due to smoking — 5,270 in 1998,” he said.
Physical activity was defined as any form of activity or exercise outside work.
“Over half of the people in Hong Kong do not have enough physical activity. We can even say that they are grossly inadequate,” Lam said.

Just 29 to 36 percent of the men who died had been active at least once a month, and 30 to 36 percent of the women.

The professor said smoking and lack of physical activity were both deadly.
“There are many people who do not smoke, but they also have very low levels of physical activity. So the message to them is: it is fine if you do not smoke. But if you do not exercise, then you are (still) at high risk,” Lam said.

For inactive adults, the risk of dying from cancer increases 45 percent for men and 28 percent for women, the researchers found.

The risk of dying from respiratory ailments soars 92 percent for men and 75 percent for women, while the rise of dying from heart disease rises 52 percent for men and 28 percent for women.

Lam said even moderate increases in physical activity were beneficial to health.
“You do not have to do a lot… if you cut down your sitting time by half an hour and walk — and you do not need gyms or stadiums to do this — if you do a bit more walking and do a little bit more house cleaning, these would be beneficial,” Lam said.

What is that old saying “Use it or lose it?” I think that that this famous quote applies to your good health. Get out and  “use it!”

(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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