The Flu - How Health Practitioners Arm Themselves Against It

What approach do many health practitioners use to arm themselves against the flu and other 'bugs' that go around?

In summary, the strategy many use is to support their immune systems carefully during 'flu seasons.' Here's how they do it:

As these seasons also correlate with times when their sun exposure is reduced, they often supplement with vitamin D3. Then, to make certain they both absorb the D3 and convert it to its active form so their bodies can use it, they make sure they have enough saturated fat (yes, saturated fat! It's not the demon it's been made out to be - in fact it plays a vital role in the body's nutritional state and functioning. Good sources are coconut oil, cream and butter.

Then, at the advent of flu season, many start taking a combination of the roots of the herbs Echinacea Purpurea and Echinacea Augustifolia. These add immune strength and support internal cleansing. For many, these two strategies alone are sufficient.

However, health practitioners encounter stresses and can get run down, too. Then if feeling like they're starting to come down with something, many add the herb Andrographus and the herb St. John's Wort.

These strategies are non-prescription with no side effects, and available over-the-counter or online.

The only caution is about using St. John's Wort over a length of time if you are also taking SSRI's - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These are used to raise serotonin levels, and since St. John's Wort also raises serotonin levels, these levels may become too high. In certain susceptible inpiduals (those being treated for bipolar disorder), serotonin levels that are too high can trigger a manic state. But for short term usage such as is described above, there is usually no problem.

But there's one additional strategy they use that's absolutely crucial, and one that's often overlooked. They know to address it because they understand that their immune system functioning and their emotional state are closely linked. In fact a state of emotional stress can virtually shut down the immune system.

You likely already know that neglecting your food diet would make you much more vulnerable to 'catching' the flu. Bad eating habits and poor nutrition have lots of negative payoffs, and susceptibility to infection is a big one. That's why we pay attention to when we eat, how much we eat, and the quality of our food.

Far fewer of us pay attention to another kind of diet - our emotional one. We take in toxic messages from others and feed ourselves negative ones on a regular basis without even thinking about it. We we don't realize that when we ignore, neglect or abuse our emotional diet, we are instructing our bodies in how to operate.

Attacking yourself (or allowing yourself to be attacked) with emotionally toxic or abusive messages translates to instructions for your immune system: "Attack Self!"

So keep your immune system strong and in top functioning condition by feeding yourself lots of positive, affirming messages, and invite others to do the same.

You can bolster your physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being with free expert, insider tips to guide you. You're invited to subscribe and request your topic at http://www.betterhealthbytes.com/Ask-About-Health.html.

And if you'd like to sample three of the most fundamental, life affirming messages there are, go to http://www.emotionalnutrients.com

Then scroll down and click on the emotional nutrient audio sampler.

It's free.

What You Should Know About Joint Surgery And Recovery

In the US, as people successfully live longer and more active lives, the joints in our bodies literally wear out and need replacing. No matter if it is a shoulder, hip, knee or some other joint that needs replacing, a more common and successful surgical procedure is joint surgery. As technology has improved and techniques have been refined, recovery time has dropped significantly, however there are still some things you will want to know about recovering from surgery.

Because joint replacement surgery is very invasive no matter the type of joint being replaced, you will have to spend a few days in the hospital. This means you will need to expect to have a hospital stay which may last as much as a week or more depending on the surgery. If you are having hip replacement, expect your hospital stay to be longer than if you have an ankle or knee replaced. Fortunately, with the advances medical science has made with equipment and techniques, extended hospital stays are usually not required.

Once home, you will spend a few weeks going back and forth to physical therapy to carefully build up the muscles around the joint to bring back the strength. You will be required to do exercises at home as well, but physical therapy with a professional is where you will get most of your work done. Unless your job is physically demanding, you should be able to return to work after a couple of weeks. If it is, you may need to consider a change in career or you may need a longer recovery time. However, if you have knee joint replacement surgery instead of a total knee replacement, you may be able to return to even a physically demanding job in just a few short weeks.

You may not be able to do the things the same as you did before or you may experience a full recovery depending on the type of surgery you have. Even though the recovery and therapy process does involve a certain amount of pain, after the process is complete, the pain should diminish significantly and after a few months should be virtually gone. Unfortunately, joint surgery isn't an instant nor a magic process and effort will be required to bring yourself up to where you have as much mobility as possible. However, after recovery, you should be able to get a lot more quality out of your life than before.

How Does Alcohol Affect the Body?

Thank God it's Friday! That's what you generally say when the weekend is only a day away. So it is Friday night, and you are probably thinking of going to the bar to have a few drinks with your friends, and relax. Though you have every right to go out and unwind, there are certain things you need to know about alcohol and exercising.

So, you are heading to the bar on Friday night and you are probably planning on exercising on Saturday. Before you rush out to meet your friends at the lounge and guzzle your alcoholic drinks, here is what you need to understand.

Studies have shown that even small amounts of alcohol may cause a boost in endurance and strength; however, these benefits do not last at all. In fact, the side effects associated with drinking alcohol, easily surpass its benefits. Regardless of how you approach it, alcohol is a poison that can truly hurt your organism, if you abuse of it.

How Does Alcohol Affect the Body?
In the long run, alcohol can decrease your endurance, strength, aerobic capabilities, muscle recovery time, ability for your body to burn fat, and even your muscle growth. Alcohol can also cause a severe deterioration of your nervous system in the long run.

As soon as alcohol enters your blood system, it has the potential to damage your blood cells. People who abuse alcohol often are subject to the inflammation of their muscle cells. As time goes on, these damaged muscle cells can perish, resulting in less functional muscle movements. If you drink alcohol, your muscles will be more in pain than usual, post your high intensity workout. This means that you will take much longer than usual to recuperate.

Alcohol's effects are not just limited to your muscles, and nervous system. Drinking alcohol also affects your heart and general blood circulatory system. More specifically, if you drink alcohol often, you will begin to notice a slowdown in your endurance capabilities. Every time you drink alcohol, your blood vessels get dilated, causing your body to lose heat. This loss of body heat, in turn causes your muscles to become cold. Cold muscles are slower to move, and have difficulty contracting. Your high intensity workout routines will become inefficient, when you have alcohol in your bloodstream.

Drinking alcohol also negatively impacts your digestive system. Basically, alcohol causes your body to release insulin, which makes fat loss extremely difficult. So if you consume alcohol very often, you should know why you have difficulty losing weight. Also, your liver works a lot harder when you drink alcohol. This causes your liver cells to become seriously damaged in the long run.

Your kidney is not spared either, when you drink alcohol. Because alcohol is diuretic, a large amount of alcohol puts undue stress on your kidney. During the diuretic function, hormones are secreted, which will cause you to retain water. If you are looking to lose weight, you want to avoid water retention.

Conclusion
If you should drink alcohol, make sure you consume it in absolute moderation. Never drink before you work out, as alcohol will impact your muscle functionality and impair your balance.

Lose Weight Fast Without Exercise - Few Tips That Can Help You

Many people want to lose weight fast without exercise, and fortunately for them, there are different steps they can take to achieve this. This is a great option for those people who do not have the time to get to the gym or exercise due to one reason or the other. In following the simple steps below, they will be able to achieve their goals in the shortest way possible.

It is recommended that they take breakfast as it is one of the most important meals of the day. It will provide them with the energy all through the day. They are also advised to focus on water after breakfast because it is healthier as compared to soda or juice. Soda does not contain any calories and neither does it hydrate the body. With water, the body will be hydrated enough to keep it energized and functional. Apart from that, the individuals will enjoy other benefits like reduction of toxins in the body.

The other way to lose weight fast without exercise is to keep a track of what they eat. It is advised that the individuals walk around with a notebook, where they will jot down all the foods they consume, including water. Research has indicated that people who do this will eat less food as compared to those who do not have the notebook.

It is also advisable for the people who want to lose weight to eat five or six small meals instead of the usual three large meals a day. With the small meals, they will be able to keep the hunger pangs away and still keep the body energized all through the day. The other important thing is that they will end up consuming fewer calories with the 6 meals a day as compared to eating the 3 large meals.

To lose weight fast without exercise you must control temptation.

The other important tip when it comes to lose weight fast without exercise is to downsize the size of plates and cups. If they reduce the size of the plate, they will serve less food and end up consuming less. The vice versa is true, even when they are not hungry. They can replace the larger plates with salad plates and the big cups and coffee mugs with smaller ones.

It is also recommended that they get rid of the 'oversize' clothes from their closets once they have lost weight. This will be a good incentive in helping them maintain their ideal weight. Apart from that, they are encouraged to look for a weight loss buddy, who will give them the support needed to lose weight and keep it off. These buddies can be found online and in real life.

Most people end up adding weight because of their emotions. This must be avoided as it will only make it difficult for them to lose weight. They should get help as soon as they can so that they deal with their emotions to avoid over eating. With all these in mind, it is easy for them to lose weight fast without exercise and keep it off.

What Are The Benefits Of Using A Personal Trainer?

Life has changed drastically over the last couple of years. People are no longer as active as they used to be in the past and this is attributed to the nature of work they do. It is for this reason there is an increase in the number of people who have health complications. There is an increase in the number of people who complain of having no muscle tone and an even larger number of those who claim they do not have any energy left. Additionally, there is a large number battling with weight issues. It is for these reasons that personal training has become important.

The training is led by personal trainers and there are several benefits associated with hiring them. Sometimes people choose to undergo training because they have a special event that they want to look and feel their best for such as upcoming weddings, a product launch or even surgery. Different techniques needs to be used in each of these situations in order to see desirable results and it is for this reason that you need to find personal trainers capable of tailoring the program to meet your needs. Among the major benefits of hiring these trainers is the dedicated service you receive. They focus on your needs and fitness objectives and from there offer you services that meet those objectives.

Motivation is very important when exercising and yet, this is an aspect that is missing in gym settings. However, by choosing personal training, you are assured of receiving scheduled appointments, programs that are personalized and the encouragement that is needed to ensure that you dedicate your time and attention to the matter at hand. Note that the program is always tailored to fit in well with your schedule and for this reason, your chance of getting the most out of the training is also increased.

Personal trainers are also dedicated and focused on the matter at hand and for this reason they do not leave anything to chance as far as delivery of these services is concerned. In this regard they draw up a program for you and the routines you need to carry out and on top of this, they also demonstrate how you are supposed to carry out each and every exercise. They also monitor your progress, weights and reps and record this in accordance to your ability and the strength displayed. With personal training you can rest assured that you will not have to deal with guesswork as far as your health program is concerned.

There are hundreds of personal trainers in the market and so you need to find one that meets your needs. It is always advisable to research and compare the services offered by different personal trainers. Get referrals and talk to these people to find out if the personal trainers are as reputable as they claim to be. Before signing up to use any of these services, it is also advisable to ensure you get certifications and qualifications of the trainers. More importantly, make sure that the personal trainers are known to offer the best techniques. Once all these factors are taken into consideration, getting the most out of personal training becomes easier.