Seasonal flu outbreaks are upon us, so be proactive in your efforts to avoid becoming sick. There is no way to prevent the flu 100% of the time, but there are steps you can do to reduce your risk as much as possible. If you want to avoid getting sick, these are the top seven methods you can do so:
Do not cover your nose with your hands while sneezing.
When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, not your hands. This will reduce the spread.
Get a flu shot if you haven't already.
Getting vaccinated is the best method to avoid getting the flu. To protect against three or four flu viruses, a flu vaccine is recommended each year. Antibodies are generated within two weeks of receiving the vaccine to prevent you from contracting the disease. If you are older than 6 months then you need to get the flu shot.
Whether you're pregnant or planning to get pregnant, it's critical to educate yourself on the precautions you should take to protect both you and your baby's health. There are numerous factors to consider, ranging from maintaining a healthy diet to developing a birth plan. To assist you, here are five suggestions for a healthy pregnancy.
1. Establish a birth plan
A birth plan is essentially a blueprint for how you want your labor and delivery to go. It covers topics such as who you want with you during labor and delivery, whether or not you want an epidural, what to do if issues arise, and other critical factors. You should share this plan with your doctors and any other friends or family members you wish to be present with.
2. Pregnant Women Should Take Prenatal Vitamins
When you're attempting to conceive and when you're pregnant, it's a good idea to take prenatal vitamins. They contain folic acid, calcium, and iron, among other vitamins and minerals. Their main purpose is to fill in any nutritional deficiencies in your diet and to aid in the healthy development of your baby. You can buy them through your doctor or over the counter at most drug stores. The supplements will assist you in having a healthy pregnancy and child!
What can you add to a wide variety of dishes, from cereals to salads, that are crunchy, satisfying, and tasty – as well as heart-healthy? The answer is nuts. While all nuts are packed with beneficial nutrients, walnuts may be especially beneficial for cardiovascular health, according to a recent study published in the journal Circulation that corroborates prior research in this area.
What is the purpose of the study?
The Walnuts and Healthy Aging research was a randomized controlled experiment funded by the California Walnut Commission. It followed healthy older persons in two towns. Researchers divided 708 adults aged 63 to 79 residing in Loma Linda, California, or Barcelona, Spain, into two groups for the study. For two years, one group consumed a half-cup of walnuts daily, while the other group did not.
After two years, the walnut group had somewhat reduced average levels of dangerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Notably, roughly a third of participants were taking cholesterol-lowering statins, indicating that both groups' average cholesterol levels were already within the normal range. According to the study, the cholesterol-lowering effects of walnuts may be more obvious among persons who have increased cholesterol levels. There is no way to tell if this is true based on current data.
"This latest experiment verifies what other research has discovered, namely that eating walnuts appears to lower cholesterol levels," says Dr. Deirdre Tobias, obesity and nutritional epidemiology at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. Additionally, the current research lasted significantly longer than previous walnut investigations. However, it is unclear whether foods were substituted for walnuts in the participants' diets, which could impact the amount of the advantages observed by the researchers. For instance, Dr. Tobias notes that substituting walnuts for unhealthy, ultra-processed snacks would probably have a bigger benefit than a lateral shift from healthy to walnuts.
A number of studies have suggested a connection between an increased risk of heart attack or other heart-related disorders and a diet heavy in calcium supplements. However, this association remains controversial. The National Osteoporosis Foundation and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology have identified no such association in more recent research.
According to other specialists, the association between calcium supplementation and cardiovascular disease may have been coincidental.
What do you do if you're too embarrassed to go to the doctor?
Here are some pointers for when you're feeling uneasy, bashful, or even ashamed at the physician's office.
Doctors are responsible for all aspects of our health, down to our birthday suits and the most personal mental and physical problems. It's all part of the work description for professionals who deal with sensitive facts all day, every day.
However, you may feel awkward being candid or vulnerable with professionals you visit just a few times a year — or with whom you have just met. This may prevent you from being candid during a doctor visit; according to some studies, up to 81 percent of patients suppress information about their health behaviors from doctors out of fear of being criticized or chastised.
Alternatively, you may choose to avoid scheduling an appointment in the first place. And this hesitancy may have a negative impact on one's health.
Common concerns
There are numerous reasons why you may be hesitant to consult a physician. For instance:
You disregarded the physician's advice. Perhaps you did not follow your doctor's advice to take drugs, exercise, cut back on alcohol, lose weight, or quit smoking.
You are aware of the stigma associated with a sickness or disease. Discussing sensitive health issues — such as sexual dysfunction, sexually transmitted disease, diarrhea, flatulence, or mental illness — can be challenging. "Certain people experience embarrassment or shame as a result of having a certain illness. They do not want the public to be aware of it "According to Dr. Salamon.
You are obese. It can be embarrassing to walk on a scale, particularly in a public area such as a doctor's office hallway.
You do not wish to undress. "Some people are reluctant to undress due to shyness or dissatisfaction with their body image," Dr. Salamon explains.
Q. According to my doctor, measurements such as my body mass index or other measurements are more predictive of my future health than my weight. What are these additional measurements?
A. What is the purpose of a doctor weighing you? Determine how much fat you have, particularly harmful fat. There are various clever and expensive methods for determining one's body fat percentage, but they are most useful in research investigations.
Your total body weight, of course, indicates not only the amount of fat in your body but also the amount of numerous other tissues — muscle, liver, heart, and brain, to name a few. Additionally, if you are taller, the total weight of your body tissues is likely to be greater.
As a result, scientists developed the body mass index, or BMI, a measurement based on a person's weight and height. Numerous studies have demonstrated that a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 represents a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 suggests obesity, and 30 or above indicates morbid obesity. Obesity is related to poor health and earlier mortality.
The BMI is calculated by combining your weight and height, as being overweight is proportional to your height. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand 6 feet 4 inches tall, you are not overweight; nevertheless, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand only 5 feet tall, you are significantly overweight – indeed, obese.
While BMI is a far more accurate indicator of health than weight alone, it is not without limitations. It does not do as well in assessing body fat in older persons as it does in younger adults. And it makes no distinction between belly fat and fat found in other areas of the body, such as the hips. Excess abdominal fat is more detrimental to your health than other types of fat.
As a result, waist circumference has been researched as a health indicator. It is measured around your natural waist, which is defined as the area between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, or around the belly button. It is a highly accurate method of assessing abdominal fat. Increased waist circumference is a major predictor of poor health and death earlier in life. However, standardizing precisely where to measure the waist circumference is difficult: two different health professionals may obtain somewhat different measures of your waist circumference.
Additionally, the link between the waist and hip measurements is utilized. A higher waist-to-hip ratio increases the likelihood of negative health consequences and early death. Regrettably, like the waist measurement, the hip measurement is difficult to standardize.
Your total body weight, of course, indicates not only the amount of fat in your body but also the amount of numerous other tissues — muscle, liver, heart, and brain, to name a few. Additionally, if you are taller, the total weight of your body tissues is likely to be greater.
As a result, scientists developed the body mass index, or BMI, a measurement based on a person's weight and height. Numerous studies have demonstrated that a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 represents a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 suggests obesity, and 30 or above indicates morbid obesity. Obesity is related to poor health and earlier mortality.
The BMI is calculated by combining your weight and height, as being overweight is proportional to your height. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand 6 feet 4 inches tall, you are not overweight; nevertheless, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand only 5 feet tall, you are significantly overweight – indeed, obese.
While BMI is a far more accurate indicator of health than weight alone, it is not without limitations. It does not do as well in assessing body fat in older persons as it does in younger adults. And it makes no distinction between belly fat and fat found in other areas of the body, such as the hips. Excess abdominal fat is more detrimental to your health than other types of fat.
As a result, waist circumference has been researched as a health indicator. It is measured around your natural waist, which is defined as the area between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, or around the belly button. It is a highly accurate method of assessing abdominal fat. Increased waist circumference is a major predictor of poor health and death earlier in life. However, standardizing precisely where to measure the waist circumference is difficult: two different health professionals may obtain somewhat different measures of your waist circumference.
Additionally, the link between the waist and hip measurements is utilized. A higher waist-to-hip ratio increases the likelihood of negative health consequences and early death. Regrettably, like the waist measurement, the hip measurement is difficult to standardize.
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