Health and happiness - lacking both

I can't remember the last time I posted, but I know I didn't say much. I've been quiet because it seems like all I do is whine and complain about my life.

I've continued to eat poorly and not exercise. The result is continuing weight gain. My last weigh in on Friday was 202 pounds. I feel and look like hell.

Then there are the hives that are occurring more frequently. I had a hive breakout Thursday night, Friday morning and Friday night, Saturday morning and Saturday night. No hives on Sunday. Then this morning was the worst one yet, with big, red welts from my knees up to my breasts, and both arms.

I went to the gym this morning when the hives started and were only a few splotches on my stomach. This whole hive thing started when I started slacking with my workouts and eating a lot of processed foods. My workout was good today, but the hives got worse during my my hour at the gym. By the time I was done with my workout I felt like my entire upper body was on fire, and I was an itchy mess.

The hives also started exactly one week after I was made my sister's permanent guardian on February 28. This means I'm responsible for her for the rest of her life. She's 73 and in spite of having a major stroke, she's in perfect health. Even her blood pressure, without blood pressure medicine, is normal. She'll probably live several more years. I have mixed feelings about this. I love her to pieces, but I know she's not happy, trapped in a body that doesn't work on one side, and unable to communicate through speech or written word. Her life isn't easy.

Strangely, when I take a shower the hives calm down and disappear in about thirty minutes. I thought maybe I was allergic to our laundry detergent. I switched to a no dye, no perfume, made for sensitive skin laundry detergent a few weeks ago. It hasn't made any difference.

The funny thing about not having hives on Sunday is that I spent several hours with my sister. She was having a screaming, crying fit when I arrived because of an incident that happened at the home with another resident at lunch. An old man fell, couldn't get up, and the caregiver had to call the paramedics to help him. He wasn't hurt, and was resting in his room when I arrived.

My sister was furious with the caregiver for not helping the old man when he was on the floor, but he weighs about 220, and is a big guy. He refused to try to help himself and he was wailing his arms, hitting anyone that came near him. Then my poor sister, paralyzed on one side, in a wheelchair, tried to help him, and another resident screamed at her to stop because she could get hurt. My sister was extremely upset about this incident. I arrived about an hour after it happened and my sister wanted to make sure I knew about it. I didn't get the information from my sister because she's impossible to understand, but I got it from another resident that tells me everything that goes on at the home.

The caregiver came in and tried to calm my sister down, but it made it worse. My sister screamed at her, crying the whole time. This was very stressful, yet I didn't break out in hives. I never break out in hives when I'm with my sister.

My sister finally calmed down and let me do her hair and makeup so we could go to the movies. We saw The Avengers in 3D, and it was really good. I think she like it. She always seems to enjoy going on outings. She put her one 3D glasses on and when I looked at her I realized they were on upside down, which was pretty funny.

I still haven't seen my regular doctor about the hives, but I don't know what she can do for me anyway. The doctor I saw six weeks ago prescribed a heartburn medicine, Zantac, because he said it sometimes had the side effect of preventing hives. I've never had heartburn and it certainly didn't help the hive situation. After I gave the doctor a two-minute overview of my life, he was positive the hives were stress induced. He told me I needed to learn how to relax. I wish it was that easy to not worry about stuff and just take each day as it comes. Unfortunately, I haven't figured that out yet.

I thought about taking an anti-anxiety drug, but after I read about the common side effects, there's no way in hell I'm taking that stuff. I'm not much for taking drugs anyway, and these anti-anxiety drugs sound downright scary. I know a few people that take anti-anxiety drugs, two of my nieces and a good friend, and although they seem relaxed about things and rarely get upset or worried, it's changed them in other, undesirable ways. I'm sure someone reading this will tell me they take anti-anxiety meds and they're fine, and I'm sure that's true for a lot of people. I'm just not willing to add another thing to my life the might cause me harm. I've done enough of that already.

So, I need a plan. I need to lose weight, get healthy and hopefully, stop the hive outbreaks. 

1. Cut out ALL processed foods, count calories.

I didn't realize how easily I'd fallen into the processed food trap. SmartOnes, Lean Cuisines, when I'm trying to eat healthy. Then I eat junk when I just don't care what I eat (which is often!).  Portion control? That hasn't even been on my radar.

2. Exercise

I have to workout almost every day. I feel better, I eat better, I work harder at trying to keep my weight under control, and exercise is good for me, mentally and physically. I can't believe how easily I went from a minimum of five days a week to one or maybe two days a week of exercise. That's just insane. It's back to my routine of "exercise isn't optional, it's a requirement".

3. Yoga

I have nine more sessions of yoga left on my prepaid card. I went once and although I really liked it, it made me nauseous. It was that stupid "put your legs in the air and pretend your riding a bicycle. That exercise always make me want to throw up. Next time I'll just skip that one and relax instead.

Well, I guess that's enough words for today. I'm making up for lost time. I'm taking the day off from work. I have some legal stuff to take care of for my sister. It's a gorgeous day and since my weekend was spent either working on paperwork for my sister (12 hours on Saturday, and 4 hours on Sunday) or time with my sister, I need a little me time. Perhaps a yoga class is in my future today.

The Many Health Risks of Sitting Down

See if you can answer this question: what common habit has been linked to higher rates of diabetes, depression, obesity and shorter life span? Eating junk food? Smoking cigarettes? Yes, but those aren't the responses we're looking for. You'll probably be a bit shocked to read this, but the answer is sitting down. Though lying around the house might seem harmless, evidence suggests that getting off your rear end can add years to your life.

Some Good Reasons to Stay Active

It's widely known that many people have a hard time leaving the couch, preferring to spend their free time parked in front of a TV or computer. Even still, the following numbers might come as a bit of a shock.

In the United States, roughly 50 to 70 percent of people spend at least six hours daily sitting down20 to 35 percent of people spend 4+ hours watching TV each day65 percent of Americans spend at least 2 hours per day watching TVOn any given day, a person in the US spends between 4½ and 5 hours sittingA survey conducted by Harris Interactive found that Americans spend 13 hours online each week

When you add it all up, that's a whole lot of sitting on your duff. But aside from wasting time better spent on physical activities, how harmful could all of this sitting actually be?

As it turns out, quite a lot. For starters, take the results of a massive, 17,000 participant survey released in 2009 by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The Pennington study reported that people who spent most of the day sitting were 54 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who rarely sat. A skeptic might scoff at these results, arguing that the comparatively poor health of the heavy sitters was caused by other factors, such as smoking and poor diet.

The Pennington team, however, wisely took such lifestyle decisions into consideration when conducting their research. What the Pennington doctors found when accounting for these factors is truly remarkable (and simultaneously unsettling); the strong correlation between sitting and heart problems remained unaltered. Even if a subject refrained from smoking and exercised regularly, sitting for long periods of time significantly increased his or her risk of heart attack.

Your cardiovascular system isn't the only part of your body that suffers from endless hours of sitting. A slew of studies have linked prolonged sitting to type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer. Of course, a higher risk of such notorious diseases often translates into a higher risk of premature death. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (a compilation of studies assembled the by Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Americans would live an average of two years longer if we reduced our sitting-down time to under three hours per day. By the same token, the average American could enjoy an addition years of life by capping his or her TV watching at two hours.

Exercise Isn't Enough

If you're like most office workers, your day probably consists of nearly eight hours of sitting by a computer monitor. This thoroughly sedentary activity is bookmarked by a seated commute to work via car, train or bus. When you finally do get home, you're immediately hit with a strong urge to watch TV or flip on your laptop. By the time bedtime rolls around, you've spent virtually all of your day sitting (or lying on your back, which has virtually the same impact on the body).

As stated above, those hoping to counteract the dangerous effects of sitting through exercise alone are in for a rude awakening. In addition to the report issued by the Pennington center, a 2007 study conducted by University of Missouri doctors also unearthed an unmistakable link between sitting and lower calorie burn off. The University of Missouri project compared two sets of participants; one group performed little in the way of traditional exercise, but spent a good deal of time walking, standing and generally moving around. The other set ran an impressive 35 miles per week, but were more likely to sit and lie down during their free time. When examining each group's rate of calorie expenditure, the results weren't even close; the group that seldom exercised burned off far more calories than the sitting-prone runners.

This is not to say that exercise is useless; quite the contrary, as the benefits of regular exercise could account for several articles on their own. The real lesson here is that spending hours on your backside can thoroughly undermine a seemingly active lifestyle. To avoid this problem, get off your rear and give these easy-to-follow tips a try:

Transmit Messages the Old-Fashioned Way - For most workers (this writer included), the fallback method for communicating with coworkers is email. The allure of email is that it allows for instant communication, without having to leave the comfort of your desk. Unfortunately, this also encourages workers to remain stuck in neutral in front of their computer monitors. Though it may require more time and effort, walking down the hall to your coworker's office or cubicle forces the body to get moving and stop sitting.

Walk or Stand During Lunch - Like most office drones, you probably eat lunch in the same position as you do work - firmly seated on a chair. If possible, try walking around outside during your lunch break. Even the simple act of standing in the break room represents a healthier alternative to sitting.

Try taking mini-breaks - Ideally, you should never sit for more that 40 minutes straight at your desk. While this might not be especially practical in a modern office environment, it is certainly possible to get away for a minute or two. Simply take a quick stroll around the office, or go refill your cup at the water cooler.

Stand When Possible - A little bit of standing can go a long way. While it can be tough to get work done while standing up, there are a few ways around this roadblock. For example, you can try taking phone calls while standing.

Michael Harris is a contributor to Natural Knowledge 24/7, a monthly newsletter focusing on health and wellness issues. This article, along with many others covering a wide range of subjects, can be found at http://naturalknowledge247.com/

Deer Antler Spray - What Can It Do For Your Health And Wellness?

Made up of natural ingredients, deer antler spray is known to offer plenty of benefits to the users. It can really have a positive effect on your health and wellness. Deer Antler Spray is a great alternative for you if you wish to lead a healthy life. In this article, we are going to talk in detail about the benefits of using this spray. You must pay proper attention towards the below mentioned article if you wish to know anything more about this topic.

Composition of Deer Antler Velvet Spray

This spray comprises in several nutrients that improves every aspect of the body. The velvet actually covers the cartilage and bone of the antler and it has minerals and vitamins more than 400 types. Dry and powdered antlers are easily found around the world. If you want you can easily order it online as well. But you should make sure that you purchase it from a reputed company.

Health Advantages of Using the Antler Velvet Spray

There are several nutrients found in the velvet of antler. The antler's tip comprises in nutrients for medical health maintenance. The middle part contains the vitamins and minerals for headaches and osteoarthritis. The base comprises in of different nutrients for the remedy of sexual disorders including infertility.

Some of the benefits are given below

Joint health

The deer antler comprises in chondroitin and glucosamine, which are really beneficial for stimulating the production of cartilage. It even has collagen and prostaglandin for relieving and lubricating in the affected joint area.

Athletic performance

Athletic performance enhances muscle development through its huge amounts of natural and protein growth factor. The deer antler even has potassium, selenium and phosphorous for the complete wellness.

Heart health

The deer antler velvet is quite rich in nutrients including potassium and selenium, which can really help if you are facing issues like lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

In the end, we can easily conclude that deer antler spray offers plenty of benefits to you in the long run. It can offer you a wide range of benefits if you are facing any such disorder. However, it is strongly advised that you talk to your doctor beforehand so that he can help you in knowing more about the benefits and features of this spray. Once you do this, you will be able to generate some fine results on the go.

All in all, this spray could really prove to be a great alternative for you as it helps you in generating some fine results on the go. It is meant to help you stay fit and healthy. You can even boost up your sex life once you start using this spray as it enhances your sex drive a great deal. Read this article at least once if you really want to make your life simpler and healthier. This spray won't ever disappoint you as it offers innumerable benefits to you. Have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself.

Deer antler velvet spray is going to help you offer deer antler velvet extract and deer antler velvet spray with ease. They are basically going to help you in raising the bar when it comes to your wellness and health.

Need to Review the Definition of Health by WHO in the Light of Research in the Parapsychology Field

The current definition of health by World Health Organization includes physical, mental and social dimensions of health. But even a cursory look at the current state of the world reveals that social health is conspicuous by its absence. There is severe unrest in almost every country.

Crime rate is increasing in almost every country. There is steady increase in alcohol abuse, drug abuse, human trafficking, child abuse (physical, psychological and sexual), terrorism, rampant corruption and breakdown of families. Not a day passes without reports of murder and rape.

All the advances in science and technology have not helped people to enjoy peace of mind and happiness. The reason is the neglect of spiritual development. Today's average man is running without knowing where he is going.

Leading psychiatrists while trying to manage problems like anxiety, depression and phobias have realized that man is not just a combination of body and mind but has a soul as well which survives the death of the body. Specialists in other fields have also realized that man has a spiritual dimension as well. Many reputed scientists including a few Nobel Prize winners are convinced about the existence of soul. Hence there is a need to redefine health and include the spiritual dimension of health.

We still do not know the exact cause of many diseases. Extensive research in the field of past life regression has revealed that many health related problems have their roots in our previous lives. Reincarnation is not a myth but a fact. Searching for reincarnation research or reincarnation proof will yield a long list of results.

Mere redefinition of health by itself will not solve all the problems. But if more and more people understand the cosmic law of cause and effect and realize that their actions come back to them they will certainly try to reform themselves. When leading doctors in every country start organizing seminars, radio talks and TV shows about the scientific evidence for the existence of soul and reincarnation people will certainly take interest in the topic. People will begin to understand that the purpose of human life is to grow spiritually and realize our true nature.

WHO should encourage every member country to accept the new definition of health which includes the spiritual dimension and modify the medical education accordingly. Doctors have to play an important role in helping people to enjoy sound health. In order to do this effectively doctors should first have comprehensive understanding of health.

Physical health cannot be maintained without taking care of psychological health and psychological health cannot be protected without tackling spiritual ignorance. Needless to say psychological disturbances lead to social problems.

Modern medicine has been a predominantly disease centered and treatment oriented system. There is a need to change this approach and give primary importance to prevention of disease and maintenance of health.

It is also desirable to combine modern medicine with Ayurveda in order to promote holistic health. Ayurveda which is at least five thousand years old gave the most comprehensive definition of health incorporating physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of health.

Ideally everyone should have some social responsibility. Doctors perhaps should have it to a greater extent as they are responsible for health. We are affected by what happens in our society. No one can be safe in his house if his neighbor's house is on fire.

Humanity has paid a heavy price for neglecting spiritual development. Another equally serious threat to world peace is religious fundamentalism. By promoting scientific spirituality we can counter both the threats and establish a new world order based on Truth, Right conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence.

I request all the like minded people to support an online petition requesting the World Health Organization to review the definition of health and include the spiritual dimension. This is the link- http://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/world-health-organization-review-the-definition-of-health-and-include-the-spiritual-dimension

Arun Kumar Suri is a pediatrician by profession. His website Healthy Family Happy Family is dedicated to various family issues with particular attention to child and adolescent health. The articles on the site look at the common childhood problems from different angles. It stresses the need to lead a balanced life giving equal importance to materialistic and spiritual aspects of life. You can visit his website at http://www.homebusinessandfamilylife.com/

Hiring Home Health Caregivers From Homecare Services

Hiring a home health caregiver for their elderly parents is not an easy task for most of the people and this is due to the availability of many such service providers. With the number of service providers, options are wider for people and therefore, they get confused when it comes to selection of an appropriate service providing agency. Since selection of a caregiver is something related to the safety of elderly people, their children should be careful in selecting a reliable and trustworthy health assistant. Some of the tips for selection of an appropriate home health care agency in this regard are discussed in the content given below

Collection of a set of references would be the first step to be taken when it comes to selection of elderly homecare services. As mentioned earlier, when there is wide range of options available getting reference from friends or relatives, who have already been benefited from such a service.

Some people are opting for individual home health caregiver for offering care to their lovable elders. But, rather than opting for an individual, it is better to approach a service providing home health care in this respect since individuals might not be in a position to attend the patient on his/her home due to illness or other reasons. On the other hand, when the agency is selected, even if one of the personnel is not in a position to attend the elderly person or patient at the home of their customers, they will be sending other certified home health aid for attending your loved ones.

These service providing agencies will be sending chore assistants for helping sick individuals in performing tasks pertaining to daily living like housekeeping, dressing, bathing, etc... Above all, these caregivers will be offering their service according to the need of the person, whom they are attending.

When selecting an elderly homecare service agency as compared to an individual caregiver, people can assure themselves that they have appointed a licensed personnel to offer the best care to their lovable elders thereby they can show their support to the elderly person or the patient, who will feel really happy about the steps taken by their family members in appointing the best caregiver for taking care of their medical and other requirements. Above all, when the service of an agency is acquired, they send only trained individuals for meeting the caring requirements of their clients. Above all, because of the regulatory requirements, the services offered by these service providers are supervised and controlled for ensuring that the best care is offered to people who are in need.

Dynamic Home Health Care provides professional, kind, and consistent visiting speech therapist at home helper services. For more information on visiting nurse, visit us.