Warm Weather

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:50:25 +0000

Warm weather is fun. But fun in the sun can be overdone.

To make sure your warm weather enjoyment doesn’t turn into dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion or worse, here are some vacation and summer health tips to keep you safe and healthy while you’re working, playing or vacationing in a hot climate.

7 SUMMER HEALTH TIPS

1. Drink plenty of water. When heat and humidity are high, you can quickly become dehydrated. Your body’s thirst mechanism isn’t very accurate and becomes more unreliable with age. By the time most of us feel thirsty, we’re already slightly dehydrated. It’s especially important during warm weather to drink 8 glasses of water a day.

2. Protect your eyes and skin. Wear sunglasses and sunscreen to protect your eyes and skin from the sun’s dangerous UV rays. Sunburn abuse can lead to skin cancer. So wear protective clothing and sunscreen with at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. For sunburn relief, aloe vera gel or cool white vinegar can help ease the pain.

3. Beat the heat. As temperatures rise, your body works overtime to stay cool. Any outdoor activity in high heat is physically stressful and can lead to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Wear light, loose fitting clothing and don’t overdo it. A complete nutritional profile that includes vitamin B, Zinc and antioxidants like C, E and carotenoids will boost your immune system and help fight stress, airborne allergens and toxins.

4. Balance activity with rest. Sunshine and warm weather offer a whole smorgasbord of activities. But don’t push yourself beyond your physical limits or let overexertion squash your energy. Schedule time to rest, relax and take a nap when necessary.

5. Don’t sweat it. One fact of heat is sweat. Even walking to your car in extreme heat can cause those little salty beads to pop out under your arms and on your face. Since sweating causes you to lose precious minerals, keep your electrolytes in balance by getting plenty of minerals from fresh fruit, vegetables and health supplements.

6. Overcome grill overkill. Nothing says, “fire up the grill” quite like warm weather. However, the chemistry of carcinogens produced by grilling can increase cancer risks. Studies suggest that following grilled meat with antioxidants such as vitamins C, E and carotenoids may offer protection against harmful grilling carcinogens.

7. Eat smart and healthy. Vacations and summer picnics can be a huge temptation to pig out. Don’t fall for it. Too much junk food could destroy your summer fun. Keep your energy up by limiting sweets and fatty foods and focusing on fresh summer fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy lean protein.

Source:bellaonline.com

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Health Tips for Kids 9 to 15 Years Old

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:55:44 +0000

Start your day with breakfast.
Breakfast fills your “empty tank” to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night’s pizza! See also: Breakfast on the Fly

Get Moving!
It’s easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Snack Smart
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups — a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are okay for occasional snacking.

Work up a Sweat
Vigorous work-outs — when you’re breathing hard and sweating — help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

Don’t Eat Too Much of One Thing
You don’t have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these nutrients.

Get
Fit With Friends and Family
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.

Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. (See: Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit). Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.

Join in physical activities at school.
Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structured activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically
fit.

Foods aren’t good or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part — or food — is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods
fit together. Balancing your choices is important.
Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don’t forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don’t eat a third.

Make Healthy Eating and Physical Activities Fun!
Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous — try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You’ll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals — don’t try changing too much at once.

Source:fitnessandfreebies

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Warm Weather

Health Tips for Kids 9 to 15 Years Old