Struggling to Quit Smoking?
Or supporting a loved one who is?
This special issue of Vibrant Life will show you:
* the 4 different types of smokers
* How To:
- conquer cravings and withdrawals
- manage stress without cigarettes
- avoid weight gain when you quit!
For your free copy:
Visit: lifestyle.org/freeoffers
Enter Free Offer Code: HTSS-M-F-401
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or "COPD" is a lung disease often caused by smoking. More than 11 million people have COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Actress Loni Anderson, made famous from her role in the hit sitcom, "WKRP in Cincinnati," and nominated for two Emmy awards and three Golden Globe awards, has been a passionate spokesperson on COPD since 1999 as both of her parents suffered from the disease. She strives to create awareness, especially to young people on the dangers of smoking.
Pulmonologist Dr. James Krueger helps us understand COPD while Terry Ridgeway shares his own personal experience with the disease.
Watch Now: lifestyle.org/shows/copd
I lost my mom to this terrible disease.
How to Be Less #Lonely
Random Acts of Kindness
One way to feel less lonely is to lose yourself in the service of others. Volunteer for a good cause or do kind things for the people in your life. Nothing improves a social connection quite like offering to help.
Quality Over Quantity
If you’re surrounded by people but still feel alone, you may want to shift your focus from quantity to quality.
One authentic conversation with someone close to you does more for your emotional wellness than lots of small talk with several acquaintances. Similarly, instead of just texting a friend, give them a call or - better still: make plans to meet up for lunch.
Professional Help
If you suffer from social anxiety, depression or other mental health issues that make you want to isolate yourself from social situations, seek professional help. A therapist will help you work through your challenges and give you the support you need to reconnect with friends and family.
Social wellness plays a huge role in your physical and emotional health. Therefore, anything that improves your social relationships, including doing random acts of kindness for others, having a long conversation with a close friend, or seeking professional help to deal with social anxiety, is also good for your physical and mental health.
lifestyle.org/why-loneliness-is-a-greater-health-risk-than-obesity
What Happens in Your Body When You’re Lonely?
Experts believe that being socially isolated triggers a never-ending fight-or-flight response in the body, making the body feel like it’s constantly under attack, raising cortisol levels and causing inflammation.
Inflammation is a good thing when your body is fighting disease but too much weakens the immune system and leads to severe illnesses.
With regard to mental health, loneliness causes you to miss out on the mood-boosting benefits of social company. This can lead to depressive symptoms, creating a self-reinforcing loop whereby being alone makes you feel depressed and being depressed makes you want to be alone.
On a behavioral level, loneliness makes you likelier to engage in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, workaholicism, alcoholism, etc. And since you’re not accountable to anyone, you feel you can do whatever you wish. Unfortunately, doing whatever you want is rarely good for your health.
For help on How to Be Less Lonely:
lifestyle.org/why-loneliness-is-a-greater-health-risk-than-obesity
Everyone knows the health risks of obesity, how it leads to a myriad of harmful health conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke - and worst of all, death.
However, few people know that being lonely and socially isolated is much worse for physical health than being obese or smoking 15 cigarettes a day, an astonishing fact backed by research.
Studies show that loneliness and social isolation increases the risk of early death by more than 80%, heart disease by 29%, stroke by 30% and dementia by 40%.
Almost half of all Americans say that they feel alone and isolated.
Although you might assume that this pretty much only affects older people who have limited mobility and fewer opportunities for interaction, It is also affecting young people between the ages of 18 and 37.
For More:
* What Happens in Your Body When You’re Lonely?
* How to Be Less Lonely
Read: lifestyle.org/why-loneliness-is-a-greater-health-risk-than-obesity
Only 21% of the people in the United States are getting enough calcium.
Many people who are at risk for calcium deficiency are unaware of their situation. Some of these people include:
* post-menopausal women
* folks with lactose intolerance
* irritable bowel syndrome
* vegans
In addition, the body only absorbs 20-30% of dietary calcium. To get enough calcium you need to eat lots of high calcium foods or take calcium supplements.
THE FOODS
High calcium foods can be split into two main categories: dairy and non-dairy sources.
Dairy sources include:
* milk
* yogurt
* cheese
Non-Dairy sources include
* poultry
* lean meat
* seafood
* legumes
* nuts
* seeds
* soy products
* Chinese cabbage
* spinach
* kale
* broccoli.
Foods fortified with calcium such as fruit juices and cereals are also good sources (but be careful consuming fruit juices because of the high sugar content if you have pre-diabetes or are diabetic).
Your body needs Vitamin D to absorb calcium. This means that in addition to high calcium foods you also need to add Vitamin D rich foods like egg yolks and fatty fish to your diet; mushrooms and Vitamin D enriched foods are good sources, too. And remember, sun exposure is a great way to get your daily allowance of Vitamin D. Lastly, discuss with your doctor if taking a Vitamin D supplement is a healthy option for you.
SUPPLEMENTS
Calcium supplements are an easy way to get enough calcium. This way you don’t have to agonize over your food choices and grocery shopping.
Calcium supplements contain compounds such as calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate and calcium lactate. These are the ingredients that you will see on the labels.
Talk to your doctor before deciding on a calcium supplement. This is important because different compounds have different amounts of calcium and will interact differently with prescription medication.
Boosting your quality of life for years to come simply by strengthening your bones and teeth.
How do you feel when you get home after a long day?
Relieved?
Or more stressed?
There are environmental choices you can make to ensure that your home is a place of rest and revitalization.
DESIGN CHOICES
Having too many prints/pictures in your home can make it difficult to create a pleasing thematic design. However, you can successfully mix multiple prints if you follow the 60-30-10 rule. The dominant print should take up 60% of the home décor, the secondary print, 30% and the accent print only 10%.
SMELLS
Life stinks!
Toddlers, pets and messy teenagers can leave your home smelling more like a frat house full of sweaty athletes rather than the soothing oasis you’d hoped for. Although you might get used to the smell(s), this doesn’t mean they’re not stressing you out on some level.
Fresh flowers, scented candles and essential oils are all easy ways to get rid of bad smells, even those that you no longer notice. It’s a lot easier to unwind in a room that smells like fresh lavender than one that smells like dirty socks.
LIGHTING
A badly lit home is stressful. Natural light has a way of making you feel happier and boosting your energy. So, if your home has windows, use them! However, if your home is not as well-lit as you would like, invest in a couple of nice lamps.
COLORS
You might be drawn to bright colors like yellow and red but that doesn’t mean they’re the best colors for your home. It’s much easier to unwind in a blue or white room than a red or yellow one. There’s also scientific evidence that calming colors can reduce your blood pressure and make you feel sleepy.
We all want a relaxing home where we can unwind after a long day. With the above tips, you can change a stressful home into one that brightens your mood and replenishes your energy.
"If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one." Dolly Parton
Change your focus from exercise to physical activity.
"Exercise" conjures images of planned, structured, repetitive bodily movements whereas physical activity is about moving the body.
Which one would you rather be doing?
There’s a reason why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has physical activity guidelines rather than exercise guidelines. It’s because research suggests exercise may not be enough to offset the adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Most people, including those who go to the gym every day, need to move more.
When you are no longer focused on calories, little things like parking farther away from the entrance or taking the stairs become more enjoyable. Every minute you spend on such activities counts towards the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week - and you don’t need to do any extra work to figure out how many calories it is.
Make Physical Activity Fun
Not everyone enjoys exercise, in the strict sense, but almost everyone can find a physical activity that makes them feel good. Whether it’s walking the dog or a bike ride with the kids, you should choose something rewarding and enjoyable enough for you to want to do it again!
Not sure where to start?
Think of something you used to enjoy as a child - then try it!
See how you feel about it as an adult.
Find Something You Look Forward To
The benefits of physical activity go far beyond weight management. Try to find a benefit that has nothing to do with losing weight. Focus on getting stronger, relieving stress, better sleep, flexibility, endurance - or simply seeing what your body is capable of.
This approach makes it a whole lot easier (and fun) to stay motivated when the pounds aren’t coming off as fast as you’d like.
lifestyle.org/decoupling-exercise-from-weight-calories-food
