Women's Health Tips for Heart, Mind, and Body

Women's Health Tips for Heart, Mind, and Body

Follow a Heart-Healthy Diet

There's an easy recipe if your goal is to keep away problems like heart disease and strokes.

• Eat more fruits and veggies.
• Choose whole grains. Try brown rice instead of white. Switch to whole wheat pasta.
• Choose lean proteins like poultry, fish, beans, and legumes.
• Cut down on processed foods, sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

When eating healthy, flexibility often works best, says Joyce Meng, MD, assistant professor at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at UConn Health. If you like to follow a strict diet plan, go for it. If not, it's OK. "Find what works for you."

Tricia Montgomery, 52, the founder of K9 Fit Club, knows first-hand how the right diet and lifestyle can help. For her, choosing healthy foods and planning small, frequent meals works well. "I don't deny myself anything," she says. "I still have dessert -- key lime pie, yum! -- and I love frozen gummy bears, but moderation is key."

Exercise Every Day

The more active you are, the better, Meng says. Exercise boosts your heart health, builds muscle and bone strength, and wards off health problems.

Aim for 2 and a half hours of moderate activity, like brisk walking or dancing, every week. If you're OK with vigorous exercise, stick to 1 hour and 15 minutes a week of things like running or playing tennis. Add a couple of days of strength training, too.

If you're busy, try short bursts of activity throughout the day. Walk often. A good target is 10,000 steps a day. Take the stairs. Park your car far away from your destination.

Montgomery exercises every day, often with her dog. By adding lunges, squats, and stairs to a walk, she turns it into a power workout. "I also am a huge Pilates fan," she says.

Visit Your Doctor

Get regular checkups. Your doctor keeps track of your medical history and can help you stay healthy. For example, if you're at risk for osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones, he may want you to get more calcium and vitamin D.

Your doctor may recommend screening tests to keep an eye on your health and catch conditions early when they're easier to treat.

Keep the lines of communication open. "If you have questions, ask your doctor," Meng says. "Make sure you understand things to your satisfaction." If you're worried about a medication or procedure, talk to him about it.

Cut Down Your stress

It can take a toll on your health. You probably can't avoid it altogether, but you can find ways to ease the impact. Don't take on too much. Try to set limits with yourself and others. It's OK to say no.

To relieve stress, try:

• Deep breathing
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Massage
• Exercise
• Healthy eating
• Talking to a friend, family member, or professional counselor

Create Healthy Habits

If you make the right choices today, you can ward off problems tomorrow.

• Brush your teeth twice a day and floss every day.
• Don't smoke.
• Limit your alcohol. Keep it to one drink a day.
• If you have medication, take it exactly how your doctor prescribed it.
• Improve your sleep. Aim for 8 hours. If you have trouble getting shut-eye, talk to your doctor.
• Use sunscreen and stay out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Wear your seatbelt.

Take time every day to invest in your health, Meng says.

It paid off for Montgomery. She says she overcame health problems, feels good, and has a positive outlook. "My life," she says, "is forever changed."

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World Homeopathy Awareness Week

 

Good Morning!

World Homeopathy Awareness Week

April 10th - April 16th The father of homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, who discovered the law of cure known as "Similia Similibus Curentur", is honored each year at the start of his birthday in order to bring awareness to this amazing form of medicine. Homeopaths, patients and supporters around the world celebrate this invaluable healing science that has transformed millions of lives. Homeopathy is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world. 

Homeopathy Works!

Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body's defense mechanisms and processes so as to prevent or treat illness. It stimulates a person's immune system and body's natural defenses. Homeopathy not only offers relief from temporary disorders but, can provide long term healing. 

Homeopathics are created by taking the remedy: a plant, mineral, chemical, or animal substance, diluting it in water and shaking it vigorously. The more it is sequentially diluted and shaken, the more potent the medicine. This is why minuscule doses are used.

"Like cures Like". Here are some perfect examples:

* A full strength dose of Ipeca will cause vomiting. 

In a very diluted dose, it becomes a remedy to control nausea and vomiting. 

* Coffee before bed will generally cause a sleepless night. 

In an infinitesimal dose, it is used to treat insomnia. 

*A large dose of sodium sulfate will characteristically provoke diarrhea. 

An infinitesimal or homeopathic dose can cure that same type of diarrhea.

In general, the first session with a homeopath is for him/her to get to know your genetic heritage, lifelong health history, body type, psychological type, and present symptoms. The homeopath will ask many questions which seem out of the norm from a conventional doctor, but you must remember, his job is to consider your "whole" person.

He will ask questions like:

1. What time of day is your energy highest and lowest?

2. What type of weather or temperature do you love, hate?

3. How are you affected by being in the mountains, seashore?

4. What foods do you crave, are averse to, irritated by?

5. What position do you sleep in?

6. What dreams do you remember?

7. How does motion or lying down affect you?

There are hundreds of remedies with homeopathy as well as other modalities that employ the same theory called the Doctrine of Signatures. Start by looking at Avoiding the Antidotes. These are the contraindications when taking homeopathic remedies. Check Determining Dosage to understand how to take homeopathic remedies. Match Signs and Symptoms in order to choose the Best Homeopathic Remedy. Homeopathy is a profound and great integrative therapy that can be used in conjunction with many other forms of health care.

Homeopathic remedies can complement conventional drugs. There are no contraindications and no known side effects. 

Avoiding the Antidotes

Homeopathic remedies are powerful remedies but they work in such small doses that they can easily be compromised! According to Classic Homeopathy, the following antidotes should be avoided:

Avoid heat, light, moisture. 

Keep homeopathic remedies tightly sealed in a cool, dark place. The steam in your bathroom may not be a safe place for them. Consider an area outside of the medicine chest.

Refrain from mint.

Mint or peppermint toothpaste, mint in your ice tea or mint chocolate chip ice cream should all be avoided during the time you are using homeopathic remedies.

Avoid Aromatics.

Menthol, camphor, tiger balm and perfume can neutralize homeopathic remedies. 

Don't touch.

Pour the remedy pills from the bottle into the cap. Then pour them under your tongue. The oil from your hands can affect them.

Not with meals.

Take one half hour before eating or one to two hours after.

Don't chew or swallow.

Dissolve homeopathic pellets under the tongue. They absorb quickly into the bloodstream this way. Homeopathic drops can be taken the same way or in a glass of water.

Avoid stimulants.

Avoid smoking, coffee and caffeine especially within 30 minutes of taking homeopathic remedies.