"Spring Exercise"
Now that spring is here, it's a great time to get outside and get healthy. There are plenty of ways to use nature as your friend and get a workout that promotes all-around health. These ideas are not just for women trying to lose weight; they are for all women to guard against obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and other health pitfalls. These tips also bring you closer to nature and the great outdoors when the weather is ideal.
One of the easiest ways to get the heart pumping is to walk. Walking or hiking is a low-impact, aerobic exercise that temporarily increases the heart rate to exercise and strengthen the cardiovascular system. It thereby helps to keep weight at a healthy level and protects against diabetes.
Walking can be done almost anywhere, including on your neighborhood streets, on park trails, along a reservoir, or on boardwalks. A great way to keep up with a walking regimen is to join a local walking or hiking club. Read more......
"Going Green: Healthy Spring Eating"
Earth Day is April 22nd, so now is the perfect time to bring healthy, environmentally-friendly food to the table. So many foods contain chemicals such as preservatives, hormones, artificial flavors and colors, and a host of other ingredients that can harm both the consumer and the environment.
A positive goal is to purchase and consume the most natural foods and create healthy, simple meals that do not harm ourselves or our surroundings. (Okay, I admit it is hard to follow this plan all of the time, but even following these tips one or two times a week can make a huge difference.)
Although it can be time consuming and expensive to purchase all organic foods, a good start can be made by shifting to foods that are in and of themselves natural. Look for items in their purest forms, such as plain (unsalted) nuts, especially walnuts and almonds. Avoid highly processed nuts that contain salt or sugary coatings. This will ensure that nothing unnatural has happened in their packaging process. Also seek nuts in recycleable containers such as glass jars.
Look for products made with whole grains (pastas, breads, rices, etc.) These are the most healthful for the body, and no unnatural bleaching has occured.
In terms of beverages, seek out natural 100% juice products. Juicy Juice brand makes all whole-juice products that contain no extra sugars. The more intense the color of the juice, the more nutrients it contains. Again, seek out beverages in recycleable glass containers if possible, or opt for biodegradeable cardboard (orange juice containers.) Read more....
"What is Hay Fever?"
Spring brings budding tree leaves, flowers, and fresh grass. It also brings hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, to thousands of women yearly.
But in simple terms, what exactly is hay fever? It is basically an allergy to one or more of the pollens that are spread from spring to mid summer. Pollens are produced by trees, flowers, and grasses. Earlier in the spring, those women who are affected by tree pollen will have allergic symptoms. Women allergic to flower and grass pollens tend to suffer from late spring to early summer.
A way to gauge the amount of pollen in the air is with the pollen "count." This is a measurement of pollen grains per cubic meter of air. The pollen count can vary with the weather, with it increasing during humid or windy weather, and decreasing when rain comes and washes pollen away. The general threshold for pollen symptoms is 50 or more. Read more....
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