Healthy Living Tips

MikeA July 1st, 2010

Foreword By The Editor

This article, authored by Victor Dashiago, celebrates the growing and cooking of vegetables, particularly oil-cooked vegetables, specifically for vegetarian dishes. If you enjoy it, please also include the author’s ‘bio’ in your reading, which can be found in the last paragraph and is headed About The Author.

Mike Alexander
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Summer Is Here

With hotter temperatures arriving, I’m really getting excited about the vegetable garden. Truth be told, there really does seem to be something more beneficial about growing your own vegetables free of all the harmful sprays commercial farmers make use of. This article will hopefully shed some light on healthful vegetarian dishes and what to watch out for in your nearby super market. Keep in mind that my own preferences might be different from your own, so feel free to replace with your own goods.

Most Important Ingrediant

One of the most important ingredients when making vegetarian dishes is also the most overlooked: the type of cooking oil to be used when cooking your vegetable dishes. If you were to question a hundred individuals about what type of oil they use when cooking, you would probably get a hundred different answers.

My favorite is the Canola oils. Being low in those awful fats that the medical profession says to stay away from, it offers an enjoyable alternative for the health mindful family. Peanut oil is another favorite of mine, but that is starting to climb up there in terms of fat content.

Keeping Costs Down

True, the majority of these oils are more expensive then say your basic store brand oil, but the benefits outweigh the extra cost. Anyway, the taste of those cheaper oils often leaves much to be desired. Like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. My personal recommendation is to keep searching for sales in your local grocery store. Increasingly, shoppers today tend to be coupon-minded, and it can truly make a big difference in keeping the costs lower. Sometimes your larger stores such as Bobs and Costco have specials. Regrettably you may have to buy a gallon to get that special deal.

Summary

Preparing vegetarian dishes involves far more than simply thinking about fresh vegetables. We occasionally go all out to buy fresh or organic produce, and neglect the other ingredients, which may be a harmful oversight in the long haul.

I hope that you continue with your vegetarian way of life. There is practically nothing better then a fresh vegetarian dish on a summer day.

About The Author

We have some of the Best Vegetarian Recipes that you have ever seen. Take a look at our free recipe site and Vegetarian Recipes Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

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MikeA June 30th, 2010

Foreword By The Editor

This article by Jeff Smith covers a new and so far little known alternative to the more traditional methods of fighting nicotine addiction. It’s known as the ‘Green Smoke’ electronic cigarette. He has a site devoted to the subject so can rightly claim to be someting of an expert on the subject. If you want further information, be sure to follow the links he provides in the About The Author paragraph.

Mike Alexander
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Problem Smoking

Image by mlibrarianus via Flickr

A solution to the biggest problems for smokers may be found in the arrival of the Green Smoke electronic cigarette. It seems to almost eliminate the need for smokers to quit smoking. Although it delivers a measured dose of nicotine, the e-cigarette is not remotely as unhealthy as a standard cigarette. And it’s cost effective.

Normal smoking has very little going for it. Apart from serious health issues it has many other negative characteristics. It causes the smoker to be treated almost as a pariah. It infuses his or her clothes and furniture with very unpleasant odors. And it doesn’t improve the smokers breath, either.

Patches And Inhalers

Nicotine patches and inhalers may be a sort of solution but if the smoker is not inclined to quit, these types of remedies are really not particularly effective. Whatever the remedy to help smokers give up the habit, there are very significant drawbacks for them. Probably the majority of smokers would prefer to continue smoking if it were not for the health and cost factors. They could live with (literally) the other problems. Up till recently, there were really very few if any real alternatives. But now with the arrival of e-cigarettes, there is hope on the horizon.

Smoking And Health

The first thing to say about electronic cigarettes is that they are healthier. A lot healthier, most users would say. That’s because in reality they are not really cigarettes at all. They just look like them and give the ‘smoker’ a similar sensation. They are not one hundred percent without adverse health attributes, because they deliver a measured quantity of nicotine. That is not very good for you. On the other hand electronic cigarettes deliver no other toxic substance.

That’s very important. Indeed it’s a crucial part of the attraction of e-cigarettes. Normal cigarettes and the associate smoke are estimated to contain over four thousand chemicals, including ammonia, tar and carbon monoxide. Many of these are injurious to health. Some of these chemical, as we all know, are seriously hazardous to human health.

How Electronic Cigarettes Work

It’s simple and ingenious. When the ‘smoker’ inhales, the action triggers a tiny battery powered heating element. This vaporizes the water/nicotine mixture in the cartridge. The tobacco flavored smoke is then breathed in by the user. The heating element is activated only when the smoker draws on the e-cigarette.

The cigarette is made up of two separate parts. One is the battery unit. This is screwed to the other part; the cartridge. This disposable cartridge contains the heating element and the atomizer and the Nicotine and flavored water mixture. When the cartridge runs out, the smoker just unscrews it from the batter part and disposes of it. A replacement cartridge can then be instantly screwed back on. Thus the smoking sensation is very close to that of smoking a normal cigarette.

Your initial Green Smoke electronic cigarette kit contains a number of items. A lithium-ion electronic cigarette battery. A battery charger kit, which includes a wall socket and a USB connection. A pack of tobacco flavored nicotine cartridges. (Other flavors are available including menthol, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, strawberry and apple.)

About The Author

Learn more about the Green Smoke electronic cigarette. Stop by Jeff Smith’s site where you can find out all about the e cigarette and what it can do for you.

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MikeA August 27th, 2009

Foreword By The Editor

The following article by Oliver S. Daniel is basically a summary (though unbeknown to him) of the general principles behind this blog (Healthy Living Tips). There are only one or two areas where our thinking on the broader issues of good health might diverge ever so slightly but they are of a  trivial nature only. We have never met but I am pleased and proud to include such an excellent and well-written article on this website about this subject.

Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

What Is Health?

Way back in 1946, there was a statement made by the World Health Organization “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Now, everybody has the right to a healthy living lifestyle; a life free of diseases, illnesses and infirmities. And disease, illnesses etc. are most often directly caused by violations of the principles of healthy living.  The problem with people in these hectic days is that they want a gun-shot treatment; get rid of the symptoms that is causing the disease or the illness and get along with life, make money, eat junk food and start the cycle over again. You have to forgive them for they do not know what they are doing to their bodies. When they are ill they simply go to a physician, take a pill and that’s it. They do not bother to find out the real cause of their illness or disease.

Most modern diseases are lifestyle related and many of them can be prevented by following some of the basic principles of healthy living. These are very simple and can be abundantly had if you spend a fraction of time each day looking for them. They are Air, Sunlight, Rest, Exercise, Nutrition, Water, Temperance and Trust. They are all easily available and don’t cost much. Practically all of them can be had free of cost and you do not even have to take the trouble of making a search for them.

Air

Air is a free blessing from heaven. What we are doing all out to pollute it is a different question. But right now it is still relatively pollution free and can be had free of cost. We can live for about three weeks without food, three days without water but hardly three minutes without air. It is calculated to electrify the whole system of our bodies. A good respiration soothes the nerves; it induces sound sleep; and it stimulates the appetite and aids digestion.

Sunlight

One of nature’s best of healing agents. The exposure of our skin to direct sunlight, unfiltered by the myriad of lotions and powders that are available, will help the body in producing vitamin D. In the United States of America, over 20,000 people die annually from lack of vitamin D and insufficient exposure to ultra-violet rays.

Rest

All mammals require rest for their bodies to function normally and efficiently during the daytime.  And sleep is an indispensable way of getting the rest that we need. Even God needed rest! The average recommended number of hours of sleep per night is eight.

Exercise

Every muscle in our body requires exercise or it will go into disuse and then degenerate into uselessness. Similarly, the heart is also a muscle and it also requires exercise so that it can pump the blood around your body efficiently. Also exercise stimulates the production of a chemical called serotonin. This serotonin makes you feel happier and less stressed. The best exercise for healthy living for ordinary people is walking. If there is anything that reduces blood sugar it is walking. The many benefits of walking can only be experienced if you practice it. Walking gives all round health. It is well known that exercise burns calories and burning calories makes you lose weight. For healthy living you have to lose a lot of calories. The kind of lifestyle that we live nowadays only helps to accumulate calories and not lose them. If you are overweight, exercise will help you achieve your ideal weight.

Nutrition

You are what you eat. In today’s world a vegetarian diet is the best and safest diet. It goes without saying that vegetarians are 50% less likely to develop heart disease and they have 40% of the cancer rate of non-vegetarians. It has also been found that vegetarians have a stronger immune system and are less prone to ordinary illnesses such as influenza etc. And to beat it all, vegetarians, on average, live some 10 years longer that non-vegetarians.

Water

Another God-given gift and just like the air that we breath we are actually going out of our way to pollute it. It may interest you to know that 97% of the water on the earth is salty and found in the oceans. Of the remaining 3%, two thirds are frozen in the polar ice caps and glaciers of the world and even the remaining is found mainly as groundwater, leaving only a small fraction above ground and in the air. And just think of the ways we are trying to pollute it that it is now become a normal activity to get water from the ground, bottle it and sell it.

That water is essential to life can be seen by the simple fact that the human body is about 60% water in males and 55% in females. Lean muscle tissue contains 75% water by weight; blood 95%; body fat 14% and even bone contains 22% water. Every day we lose about 2.5 litres of water which must be replenished to prevent dehydration. The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of water for an adult male is 3.7 litres and that for a female is 2.7 (that is for those above the age of 18). Water acts as a solvent, a temperature regulator, a lubricant and a means of transportation in the body.

Bathing is another activity that is required for a healthy living. A healthy skin in itself leads to a healthy body. A warm bath makes your muscles more flexible, the intellect is brightened, the mind and the body alike become invigorated and every bodily facility becomes livelier.

Temperance

This applies to all factors in our daily lives: work, sleep, food etc. Abstinence can be defined as “the act or practice of refraining”. Apply this to all factors that affect our health. Temperance in diet is rewarded with mental, physical and moral vigor. It also aids in the control of our passions. We must always be in control of our bodies and not the reverse.

Trust

Worrying about our present conditions. Nowadays we do not worry about the conditions of others, and worrying about our future leads to an intemperate lifestyle and not healthy living. This in turn leads to stress and stress in turn leads to cardiovascular diseases, cancers, lowered immunity and psychiatric problems. Among possible physiological mechanisms, stress may induce hypersecretion, reduce acid buffering in the digestive tracts and the stomach, impair gastroduodenal blood flow and affect healing and inflammation. Trust alienates worries; trust in others and more importantly trust in God.

Summary

Simply by following the above principles of healthy living we can lead a healthy lifestyle free from many of the diseases and illnesses that people so frequently experience these days. We can lead a normal life mentally, physically, spiritually and socially. Getting the above ingredients in all their abundance is bound to raise your well being and that of those around you.

About The Author

Oliver S. Daniel is a freelance writer of a variety of articles and can be reached at jayasingh.daniel@yahoo.co.in. His web site is called Oddjams and he blogs at oddjams oddities.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oliver_S._Daniel

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MikeA April 2nd, 2009

Foreword By The Author

Regular exercise is an essential element for a long and healthy life. Not only that but a good exercise regimen will stay with you for the rest of your life and enhance your appearance, build self-confidence and improve your mind. People who are physically fit, regardless of their age, both look and feel good.

You should try to balance your physical activities with a reasonable amount of rest. Many experts in the field of aging now believe that regular exercise along with the proper amount of rest may actually add years to your life span. In fact, results from a number of tests indicate that agility and muscular strength, even in the elderly, can also be enhanced with the right balance of these two factors.

Do some kind of physical activity every day and complement it with some type of structured exercise, such as a 30 minute brisk walk, at least two or three times a week.

Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

Stress Management

There are different types of stress: mental, emotional and physical. Emotional stress seems to take the greatest toll on the average person.

Not that all stress is bad. In fact, life would be extremely uninteresting if it were not for the challenges we face every day. However, too much, too often, with no effective or appropriate outlet, does not allow the body and soul to recuperate. You might consider a typical week and see if you can identify the things that might be causing you anxiety or stress. Once identified, they can more easily be attacked and eliminated.

Stress can be a killer. A life filled with stress can wreak havoc on your body and contribute to, if not cause, a number of serious illnesses such as heart attack, stroke, asthma, gastric problems, menstrual disorders, ulcerative colitis, angina, irritable colon, hypertension, ulcers, headaches, etc.

Stress relief in the form of relaxation therapy is probably the best way to manage the problem.

Sleep

Getting proper sleep and learning to relax are both valuable in maintaining a healthy body and mind. Sleep is an absolutely vital component in everybody’s life but as one gets older, the actual amount of time needed for sleeping tends to lessen (this is not the case for everyone, however).

The quality of the sleep one gets is equally important. Proper ventilation, a pillow of just the right height and consistency, an even and comfortable temperature and a minimum of interference in the form of sound or flashing lights is important. Clearing one’s mind of thoughts about tomorrow, or what you did today, or particularly of thoughts about your problems, can help you relax more easily and slip into sleep mode with a minimum of fuss.

Sex

Of all the instinctive desires that people are subject to, sex is probably the most consistently persistent. Yet it is only in recent times that this basic human need began to be fully understood and accepted. Now that it’s importance is at last recognized, at least by some, its rightful place in human affairs has been accepted. No longer are people expected to fight against its influence over their lives. Despite remnants of various religious, social, and moral misgivings, most people are no longer critical of others, or themselves, for the part it plays in their lives.

There can be no successful stress management regime without an understanding and acceptance of the need for satisfaction and control of this basic instinct. Indeed, it is now generally accepted that a healthy sex life is absolutely essential for a long and happy life. If the person does not have a partner, or they or their partner are in some way disabled, then masturbation is a perfectly acceptable and valid alternative for satisfying this need.

A healthy libido is one of the surest indicators of overall health. It ‘rears its head’ in childhood (much to many people’s chagrin), develops into a raging torrent of demand by early adulthood, then enters a slow decline over the following years. It never leaves though and, despite everything that was previously thought, many older people have a satisfying love life until the day they die of old age. Indeed, there is a train of thought developing among some health professionals that an active sex life, whether alone or with a partner, is a very important component of longevity.

Laughter

People are naturally attracted to someone with a good sense of humor. Everyone is capable of developing a good sense of humor by associating with and surrounding themselves with pleasant and light-hearted people. Laughter is now well known to be a tonic for the soul and can be one of the best ways of improving your mental outlook.

To get the most out of this facet of life, try to think with a positive attitude and see the funny side of things. Also, read humor, watch humorous entertainment and associate with funny and witty people as often as you can.

Food

Eating the right amount of tasty, nutritous food is really important to your health, as is the variety and the balance of different types of food. Eating healthy foods and avoiding those high in fats, sugar, sodium and cholesterol will help to lessen the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and other problems. Remember too, that we are what we eat, as the saying goes. What that simply means is that our intake of vitamins and trace elements etc, all of which are essential to health, come from the food we eat.

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MikeA March 26th, 2009

Mind And Body

Healthy living, when the aim is to have a long and enjoyable life, has every bit as much to do with the mind as the body. Debate still rages about the effects of positive thinking on the ability of the body to heal itself. Nonetheless it is generally recognized that an optimistic attitude and a reasonable degree of self-esteem have been associated in an overwhelming number of studies with physical wellness and health that leads right into old age.

Prevention Or Cure?

^ Laughter: The Best Medicine ^

“So what is covered here?”, you might ask. “Are you offering tips on how to stay healthy or is the focus on remedies for the ailments that might bother us?”

Well, the answer is: both of the above… and lots more. In the case of prevention, I offer tips on how to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and look after the needs of your mind and body. As far as remedies go, I suggest natural solutions that might be considered first, particularly for relatively mild conditions or those for which medical science has yet to provide a convincing treatment.

What About Conventional Medicine?

Does this mean I am skeptical about conventional medicine, as provided by your doctor?

Absolutely not! It’s just that I think equal weight should be given to all forms of healing, at least until such time as intelligent assessment deems one to be superior to another. I am aware of some of the pitfalls that can come from an almost religious belief in what some call ‘mumbo-jumbo’ cures. But similarly, I am also skeptical about relying wholly on one answer from one person who has been trained to look in one particular way at all ailments—over-prescribing of antibiotics is a good example of what can go wrong with such a narrow outlook.

Advances in modern medicine are truly amazing. Nevertheless, any doctor, if he’s honest, will admit that there is still far more to learn about how the body and mind work than the sum of all knowledge currently available. So far, they have only scratched the surface.

A Long And Enjoyable Life

So why do I think I’m qualified to offer health tips? Am I a physician? No, but I’m now almost 70 years old and I think I’ve learned a thing or two in my long life. I’ve made many mistakes, including some made during the course of my marriage of 45 years and bringing up a son and a daughter. However, both our offspring are now in their forties and seem settled happily into their own lives so we can’t have done too badly. My wife too is still with me and putting up with my funny ways but we are still able to laugh at (and with) each other. We’ve experienced hardship and setbacks, including in my case, ill-health (I had a devastating stroke 15 years ago) but we’ve also experienced travel and adventure and can still enjoy each other’s company.

I joined the Royal Marines at 15 and from the age of 18 served most of the next six years in the commandos, eventually becoming the youngest sergeant in the corps. Fitness and survival skills were paramount for me then but went into decline over the following years. However, my stroke, which left me crippled, was a wake-up call and I now do a 10 km walk every other day and a one hour relaxation session in the intervening days. The result is that I feel almost as fit and healthy now as I did in my younger days (not taking my disability into account, of course).

Product Reviews

You will find brief reviews of various products I think you might be interested in, and which are related to the subject matter, peppered throughout this site. Where they appear, there is invariably a link to the actual product as well. This does not mean I have personally tried the product in question (frankly, that would be impossible anyway) but that I wish to draw your attention to it. By the same token, the inclusion of such a review does not amount to a recommendation either but rather a referral for your consideration.

In closing I would like to stress that I’ve tried to make navigation of this site as straightforward as possible. Simply browse the menus in the right sidebar or, for current posts, scroll below here to view them. Also, I very much hope you will support the advertisers by reading about their products. After all, they make it possible for me to run this website.

Mike Alexander

Tags: diet, healthy remedies, long life, mind and body, positive thinking, preventive care, self healing, staying healthy, stroke

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