Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The little giant called stress


Our modern life today is full of hassles and bustles, frustrations and often times we do not have enough time to just sit and relax, reflecting on our day or our lives in general. Be it work whether as a student or someone who is working, we also find ourselves in demanding relationships that sap all our energy until we are left high and dry, be it deadlines that we have to meet, be it family that we have to think about, relatives, friends, health issues and many others. All these issues and more frustrate us to the core and we do not know how to deal with all these.

Sooner or later we find ourselves trapped in a rut that we cannot get out of. Our blood pressure rises, headaches creep in and eventually turn into migraines, our mood changes, we become irritable of every small thing, we constantly become too worried and this ends up affecting out relationships with those around us. They start complaining about our sudden change in mood, we retaliate and eventually end up pushing them away.

When we have no one to talk to is when we realize how lonely we are and this cycle never stops. Eventually we breakdown and find ourselves in the hospital and we are diagnosed with high blood pressure or some other chronic disease or sometimes Cancer. When we come to realize where it all started out, we find that all these are because of one thing called STRESS.

Stress is the body’s way of responding to events whether good or bad, it’s a normal physical reaction to events that make us feel threatened or frustrated. Our bodies can sense danger when we are about to face it and develop some protective mechanism to fight it/ deal with it.

Stress can be both a good thing and a bad thing depending on how we respond to it. It can actually help save our lives. When dealt with properly it can be very advantageous to us. It can help us rise to meet challenges that we would have otherwise never met if we were in the same relaxed mood throughout. But beyond a certain point, it becomes hazardous to our health, relationships with others and our life in general. The quality of your life begins to diminish and so does your productivity.

Therefore it is important to know how to deal with stress. These are a few tips on how to deal with it:

Keeping a journal:
Sometimes it actually helps to write down your feelings whether good or bad. It is a good stress reliever when writing your frustrations to yourself because that way you actually feel like you are talking to someone. You’ll often find that this helps you discover the things that bother the most and what does not. Then you are able to come up with ways of dealing with them.

Talking to a friend:
Talking is the best stress reliever. When you find a person or a friend who is willing to listen to whatever you have to say, talk to them and let them know what is bothering you. They might not be able to give you an answer or know what to say there and then but just releasing your frustrations to someone goes a long way in helping to solve the many issues that we encounter.

Learn how to just relax and meditate:
Stress is often known as the opposite of relaxation; therefore at times the best way to deal with it is by relaxing. Take some time out and just loosen up and unwind. It helps to just sit and do nothing sometimes. We often find ourselves in a rush because that is what we are used to. So just sit and do nothing. Take a book and read or just sleep or just meditate. This can do wonders for your stress level.

Get a hobby
Loosing yourself in your hobby can also do wonders as you get immersed into that specific activity. Connecting with others who also share your favorite hobby helps as you begin to develop a support network.

Knowing how to deal with stress can go a long way into helping us take care of our health and avoid certain health conditions like chronic and cancerous diseases. So take charge of your life and learn how to live positively. Remember how we react to situations is a choice we make and this will in turn determine how much stress we inject into our bodies.

Give stress wings and let it fly ~ Terri Guillemtes





Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Fun exercising tips

Now we all know how easy it is to exercise verbally, meaning we say it but we don't do it. Its time to break this habit and actually start doing something about it!!

Here are a few tips on fun exercising:

1.) Get a partner

The thing about exercising with someone or people is that there is more motivation. So grab someone and get on working with them, be it in a gym or joining a sports league. Again, find someone who can challenge you to be your best. You can even put up competitions and rewards for the one who is most consistent or looses the most weight. Keep the competitions short so that one does not dominate. But whatever works for the both of you, do it!!

If you live near the beach, take a walk or a jog there, to the park or an open place where it is safe to carry out such activities. You will definitely meet people who are either jogging, walking or stretching; this could serve as some form of motivation for you. So in case you don't have a partner, you have no excuse not to exercise. People are all around you...doing something.

2.) Try Sports

What is the one sport you enjoy so much, am sure you can find one or two people who enjoy that specific sport. This could be swimming, playing football, volleyball, tennis or whatever you enjoy most. Why not form a team or club with them and depending on your work or school schedule, you can set a time and date favorable to the rest of the team and play.

This way, you not only enjoy playing your favorite sport but also engage your body in some form of activity.

3.) Dance

This is one of the best ways to work your whole body. Dance dance dance till you drop!!! Depending on your favorite dance styles, you can definitely engage your body in some form of dancing.
You will not only be fit, but also loose weight without knowing it.
You can do this as often as you can and the enjoy the fruits of this as you have fun.

4.)  Get a work out video

They are all over the internet and they are fun to watch and follow. Most of them are done in teams so you don't have to feel lonely when you do not have a partner to join you.

5.) Music, TV or Audio

Some people enjoy workouts more when there is some music going on in the background, while either jogging, walking or doing simple workouts in the house. Some prefer some distraction from the TV, do what works for you and get on moving that body.
The results are sweet.


Whatever you do, start small and keep at it. Do this for a continuous 30-40days depending on the time most suitable for you and you will see it'll become a habit.
Remember  "Good health is not something we can buy, however it can be a great savings account" - Anne Wilson Schaef.





Monday, July 2, 2012

What causes cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which body cells become abnormal and divide without control. They in turn invade nearby tissues and spread through the blood stream to other parts of the body.
There are various possible causes and we shall have a look at a few of them.

1.) Genetics and Cancer

Some cancers run through the family, though they are not completely linked to the genes we inherit form our families. You can read a bit  more on: 

2.) Tobacco and Cancer

Cigarette smoking is one of the major causes of cancer mortality in the US. According to the American Cancer society, cigarette smoking accounts for 30% of all cancer deaths. It also reduces the mortality rate of human beings.
Some of the cancers caused by cigarettes are:
  1. Lung
  2. Larynx (voice box)
  3. Oral cavity (mouth, tongue, and lips)
  4. Pharynx (throat)
  5. Esophagus (tube connecting the throat to the stomach)
  6. Stomach
  7. Pancreas
  8. Cervix
  9. Kidney
  10. Bladder
  11. Ovary (a type called mucinous ovarian cancer)

3.) Diet and Physical Activity

Not only does being physically active reduce the chances of getting cancer, but also heart conditions and diabetics. It also helps to improve the immune system. This does not mean that we should force ourselves to run everyday, it basically means do what works best for you. It might be walking or it might be doing simple stretches that keep your body active. There are very many workout videos on the internet; get yourself one and get moving!! You can also look for someone to psyke you up in doing them; if you cant find any, psyke yourself up, after all its your life!!!

Its also important to check the foods we eat. A balanced diet rich in vegetables and proteins is good for our bodies. There are times when we have serious cravings for snacks and fast foods we definitely know are fatty. There is nothing wrong with cravings, only thing is we need to know how to control our cravings. We shouldn't always give in to them; we will definitely regret later.

4.) Sun and UV Exposure

The skin is the largest organ of the body and one of its main roles is in helping to regulate the temperatures within the body. Bad news is that, skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and anyone can get it. One of the types of skin cancer are:

The melanoma skin cancer - it begins with the melanocytes which are the cells that produce the skin coloring or pigment. Melanin helps prevent the deep layers of the skin from harmful effects from the sun. Although its curable, its advisable that we protect ourselves from this type of skin cancer and many others.

Some of the ways to do this is by:
  • Slip on a shirt: Cover up with protective clothing to guard as much skin as possible when you are out in the sun. Wear comfortable clothes made of tightly woven fabrics that you cannot see through when held up to a light.
  • Slop on sunscreen: Use sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen and reapply every 2 hours and after swimming, toweling dry, or sweating. Use sunscreen even on hazy or overcast days.
  • Wrap on sunglasses: Wear sunglasses with 99% to 100% UV absorption to provide optimal protection for the eyes and the surrounding skin.
More on these tips and also to know about the signs and symptoms of knowing whether you may be developing this type of cancer, visit: http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/SunandUVExposure/skin-cancer-facts

These are just some of the causes, not all. They are numerous and we cannot finish exploring them. All in all, lets do our part take care of ourselves and our loved ones. We can try and reduce the rate at which this disease is attacking many people in the world by following simple rules of healthy living and leaving the rest to God.
Remember it is also important to keep checking oneself for any signs and symptoms, because early detection leads to early diagnosis which in turn can lead to one being cured. There are various places one can go for constant check-up, we can try and keep looking for such places and post them here so that others can get to know about them.