Health tips

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. 2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. 3. Maintain a healthy weight � not too fat, not too thin. The weight that�s right for you depends on your sex, height, age and heredity. 4. Eat moderate portions. (The recommended cooked meat portion is 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards.) 5. Eat regular meals. Skipping can lead to out-of-control hunger, and overeating. 6. Reduce, but don�t necessarily eliminate certain foods. The key is moderation. 7. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits you need to know what�s wrong with them. 8. Make changes gradually. Remedy excesses or deficiencies in your diet with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. Source http://www.bluemountaineagle.com/news/local_news/tips-for-healthy-eating/article_c736a81e-5af9-11e0-8b0c-001cc4c03286.html

Memorial Health System in Springfield, Ill., embarked on a journey several years ago to improve its employee engagement. In a 2004 survey of employees at Memorial Medical Center (the health system�s flagship hospital), employee engagement scored in the 30th percentile nationally. As a result, making Memorial Health System "a great to place work" was established as one of the health system�s three strategies. Over the next five years, the system steadily improved in this area, and in 2010, the hospital scored in the 94th percentile for employee satisfaction. The system has been named an "Employer of Choice" for three years, and its affiliate, Memorial Physician Services, earned the award twice before the system applied as a whole. Brad Warren, senior vice president and chief people officer, and Brian Tieman, system director, employee relations, say making engagement an organizational imperative was a key driver in the system's success. Here they share six tactics...

There are many tools for lowering cholesterol naturally that you may want to consider if you have high cholesterol. Many people go on crash diets or change all sorts of things about their lives, taking drastic measures to lower their cholesterol. You do not need to do any of these things to lower your cholesterol, however. Using natural products, changing your lifestyle gradually and introducing healthier foods are some of the best ways of lowering cholesterol naturally. Cholesterol is a type of fat made by your liver. Some of that fat comes from the food you eat, while some of it is already in your body. All of the foods that come from animals have some form of cholesterol in them, whereas plant foods do not have cholesterol in them. Foods that are high in saturated fats can raise your cholesterol level considerably, so having a balanced diet is really the best way to approach the cholesterol situation. Not all cholesterol is bad for you, however. Some cholesterol is necessary for goo...

Although many television viewers are bombarded with advertisements for medications that claim to relieve or prevent digestive discomfort, some recommendations from Fox News may help people control these conditions without medical intervention. Individuals who experience uncomfortable sensations in their chest and throat after they eat may suffer from heartburn. The news organization suggested that people who have these symptoms should avoid eating in large quantities, along with fried foods and carbonated drinks. Those who suffer from disruptive bowel activity may benefit from increasing their fiber intake. However, the news source noted that individuals who have irritable bowel syndrome should only consume fiber from natural foods, not dietary supplements. Apples, beans and citrus fruits are all healthy sources of fiber. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 70 million Americans have digestive diseases. Certain foods and medications may exacerbate symptoms of the...

Some of you may have eaten eggs over the Easter weekend so I thought I'd post ten health benefits of eggs (and it doesn't count if they were chocolate eggs!) 1. Eggs are great for the eyes. According to one study, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneraton due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Both nutrients are more readily available to our bodies from eggs than from other sources. 2. In another study, researchers found that people who eat eggs every day lower their risk of developing cataracts, also because of the lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs. 3. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids. 4. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, there is no significant link between egg consumption and heart disease. In fact, according to one study, regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks. 5. They are a good source of choline. One egg yolk has about 300 micr...

Regular consumption of fish can reduce the risk of various diseases and disorders. Selected research findings indicate the following: Asthma - children who eat fish may be less likely to develop asthma. Brain and eyes - fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids can contribute to the health of brain tissue and the retina (the light sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye). Cancer - the omega 3 fatty acids in fish may reduce the risk of many types of cancers by 30 to 50 per cent, especially of the oral cavity, oesophagus, colon, breast, ovary and prostate. Cardiovascular disease - eating fish every week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by reducing blood clots and inflammation, improving blood vessel elasticity, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood fats and boosting 'good' cholesterol Dementia - elderly people who eat fish or seafood at least once a week may have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Depression - people wh...

Between premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and female endocrine disorders like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), women can have it tough. But thank goodness the natural products industry in constantly evolving with new research, new discoveries and new ways to help aggravate, thwart and prevent women�s health woes. NewsMax.com listed a few natural supplements that are good for women with PCOS�s many symptoms. The list included chaste berry for fertility, buckwheat and omega-3s for polycystic ovaries, saw palmetto for testosterone reduction, ginseng for menstrual irregularities, and biotin (a B vitamin) for improved glucose tolerance and management of insulin resistance. On a separate note, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found high intake of B vitamins�specifically thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) only sourced from food�significantly lowered the risk of PMS in women (Feb. 23, 2011). Researchers conducted a case-control study nested within the...

If you spend two or more hours a day in front of a computer, you might suffer from computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms include headache, inability to focus, burning or tired eyes, double or blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain. Computer screens are the culprit. Our eyes don�t process screen characters as well as they do traditional print. Printed materials have well-defined edges and screen characters don�t. Our eyes work hard to remain focused on screen characters and to temporarily relieve stress, our eyes drift and then strain to refocus. The constant muscle flexing causes fatigue. Keep in mind that computer screens aren�t the only screens that matter � most of your electronic toys, such as cell phones and PDAs, also cause eyestrain. 1.Use proper lighting Most office settings use bright, often harsh lighting. The more light the better, right? Unfortunately, that�s not true, but the solution to harsh bright lights is simple. Knowing that the bright lights are hurting you i...

There are so many books on nutrition and so much information on how to eat well. Hopefully these 10 tips will help sort out the best information out there and direct you towards books that focus on the type of information you truly seek about healthy eating. But there is one fact that you can not get around if you want to continuously make good decisions about what you put in your mouth. You must do meal planning. Planning your meals is critical to a healthy eating program because it places you in fewer situations where you eat desperately. When we eat in a desperate state - we eat too much and not the right foods (primarily fast foods). Meal planning is essentially like a teacher preparing their lesson plan for the next day or upcoming week. Look ahead a day or two and figure out your schedule and when you are going to fit nutrition into your day. If you know you have a lunch date then plan for a healthy dinner and think through your lunch suggestions so you can avoid restauran...