Tips And Essentials For Camping With Your Family

camping equipment Australia

We hope our guide will help you better plan your next camping trip so you can have a safe and fun camping experience with your family. We’ve put together this family camping checklist to make it even easier for you to pack for your next trip. Remember, this family tent camping checklist is all-inclusive—you probably won’t need every item on our list but we include all camping equipment for Australia.

Use our list of family campsites to browse through all the options and make sure you have everything you need to meet your family’s camping needs. Whether you decide to rent, buy or borrow your camping gear, you should be well-equipped and download the following list of camping gear and expert tips to make your next family camping trip a breeze. Oh hey, if camping is something of a new adventure for you and your family, we recommend you check out these super camping guides. If you’re thinking about camping but aren’t sure how your kids will behave in a tent, test drive at home.

Your kids will have a blast and will be begging to come back soon. Children love their toys and if you leave them at home it will go a long way. Leave toys that will make your kids miss camping, like portable game consoles.

There is a way to give your kids an exciting outdoor experience from time to time; through camping. Going camping can be a wonderful family adventure, but it can also be a nightmare. The trade-off is that camping in a tent isn’t as glamorous and not for everyone, although it’s probably not as bad as you might think.

For many, part of the fun of camping is that very little gear is required to enjoy the great outdoors. Packing can get a little tricky when it comes to spending a few nights outdoors with the kids. This category can be a bit tricky because you probably won’t have many of these things and will need to take them with you on every trip… which means you can’t just leave them in camping bathtubs so they are easy to take with you. and- go type packing.

If you are travelling by glamping you will get more amenities, but it is still nice to have a few essentials in the trunk. If we’re only talking about camping essentials and not glamping, make sure you have something big enough to accommodate your family. You will need the most compact and versatile camping kitchen equipment you can find.

If you are new to camping, this is the essential hunting and camping gear to build your outdoor shelter. If you can gather enough camping supplies, it will save you quite a bit of time when it comes to packing for your camping trip, because you can just grab a camping tub and know you’ve already packed everything. essentials. To be organized, go one step further and keep a list of all the camping supplies in each tub attached to that tub’s lid, with a separate list of all the items you need to take with you.

Cut the printed camping list apart and have the children collect the items. Ask each of your children to plan a field meal if they are old enough – this will get them hooked and they will have to write down the ingredients.

Before you leave, download this free Camping With Kids checklist to make sure you have everything you need. Make sure you think about what your family loves when you decide what to bring on a camping trip with the kids, and find ways to incorporate these things into your camping trip. I’ve put together a list of exactly what to bring on your next family camping trip to make sure your camping adventure is a positive experience for everyone. Now that we have this checklist for camping with kids, let’s take a closer look at each of the items to understand why they’re important and what options are best for your latest family camping trip.

This is what we need for family camping. If you’ve ever tried packing for a family camping trip, there are so many options, even simple items like sleeping bags and air mattresses, that it can be hard to figure out what you need. There’s nothing wrong with packing extra gear when camping in your car, but creating your family camping checklist (some of the gear your family has for specific needs) can make planning future trips easier. If camping is something you and your family plan to do regularly, I highly recommend buying individual camping gear and having it all tucked away and ready to go. I really wouldn’t go camping without renting or owning/borrowing the above equipment.

Camping with a tent is the cheapest way to camp with the whole family, and it also gives you more options for where to camp. Plus, beginner camping can be a fun way to keep your kids comfortable outdoors, especially if they were as sceptical of family camping as I was when I was a kid. Hiking with kids is a great way to bond with them and teach them important survival skills that they will use forever.

Hiking with kids can be both a challenge and a wonderful time, but with these tips, we’ll make camping with kids a carefree adventure. Whether it’s your first hike or your 20th hike as a family, these hiking tricks can change the way you get mad about going camping with kids. Whether it’s your first camping trip or your kids can’t get enough sleep in a tent, there’s always something new to learn about camping. Camping is a great pastime for the whole family.

 

 

The right amount of transdermal magnesium

The transdermal magnesium is also known as the topical magnesium, which is the best way to intake the magnesium if someone wants to take it. This is helpful and a safe way to overcome the deficiency of magnesium. These supplements are very affordable, convenient, and easy to use; it is beneficial for the people who are tired of using oral supplements.

The low intake of the magnesium among all the people of the word became the reason of the transdermal magnesium because the people know about the protein deficiency can be overcome by the meat and calcium can be the intake of the dairy products but no one knows that what the sources of intake the magnesium are. The minerals perform very importantly for the regulation of all the systems of the body and each mineral some specific tasks. Therefore, magnesium is also one of those minerals that are necessary to maintain healthy blood circulation, improve heart function and boost energy.

The best way to use transdermal magnesium

The transdermal magnesium range includes magnesium gel, magnesium oil, magnesium lotion, magnesium bath salt. These forms of magnesium are highly soluble that absorb into the skin very quickly. Due to the high solubility rate, the transdermal magnesium passes smoothly through the skin pores to the tissues and body cells and, therefore relief the starched muscles. The transdermal magnesium can be used at home very easily according to the precautions of the nutritionist. The person can apply them on the skin by themselves with any help.

Aromatherapy

The transdermal magnesium can be used often as it is not harmful, but the user has to be careful about the quantity of the product he applies at a time. To keep the quantity of magnesium oil in control, the user should use a spray bottle to apply the oil and massage it in the skin. It takes only one to two minutes to be absorbed in the skin. The magnesium salt or crystal is beneficial to use in the bathwater and footpaths in this the tissues of the skin rapidly absorb the magnesium and transfer it to the entire body. The duration of the baths should be the maximum period of 13 minutes.

The magnesium lotion and the gel can be used according to the preference and the direction of the precautions. The magnesium gel will not absorb into the skin completely so that you can wipe it out with the warm cloth after some minutes of use. The magnesium is considered to be used before sleep. This lotion is named as the night cream that is applied before 30 minutes before they sleep. 

The transdermal magnesium provides significant advantages as it provides the rapid intake of the magnesium that provides instant energy and relaxation to the tissues and muscles. It plays an important role in the production of energy to relieve the pain. The transdermal magnesium is essential to overcome issues of diarrhea, constipation and gastrointestinal irritation.

The transdermal magnesium should be used in a moderate way in the starting and then moderate the amount gradually. After the 3 to 4 months restoration, it can be used regularly based on the capacity of the individual user, and after the restoration, the user can come with the same level of the intake. The user should take the advice of the expert before and during the use of transdermal magnesium. If you feel any kind of reaction, consult the nutritionist. You must not use it with any recommendation and direction because you need a limited quantity of magnesium in your body.

 

Gender Selection and Religion

Sex selection refers to the practices of using different medical techniques in order to choose the gender of a baby. The term ‘sex-selection’ encompasses a number of methods. These include choosing embryos for the transfer and the implantations that follow, separating the sperm and opting to terminate a pregnancy. The topic of gender selection is quite relevant to discussions going on about gender and genetic technologies that may be used to choose one sex over the other.

Choosing the gender of a baby has a huge range of legal issues, social implications and ethical implications. A significant moral concern includes that gender selection for non-medical reasons may result in discrimination, often against females. 

There are three motivations for undergoing gender selection. These include:

  • Medical reasons, such as to prevent children from being born with x-linked disorders
  • Family balancing reasons, where couples choose to have a child of one particular sex, due to the fact that they already have children of the other sex
  • Gender preferences, which is often in favour of male offspring. This is a result of social, economic and cultural bias in favour of having male children due to certain policies that limit reproduction to only one child, such as China does

Catholic View

Catholics believe that choosing a gender is wrong and that it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are. The process of gender selection is done via separating sperm, meaning the male is separated from the female, and then both are separated from the abnormal group. The specific sperm group will be used to fertilise the eggs in vitro, while all of the abnormal groups are discarded. Catholics do not support sex selection due to their belief that God is the one who chooses the sex of a child and that discarding sperm is unethical.

Buddhist View

Buddhists really don’t seem to have much of an opinion on the topic. They generally have a fairly neutral opinion on the matter. They will say there is nothing that determines it right or wrong. The main issue in Buddhism is whether anything actually hurts a living being. They say if gender selection does not hurt anyone, then there is no reason why they need to be against it.

Jewish View

The Jewish perspective on sex selection is that they believe it is ok, but only in certain circumstances. Such circumstances would be choosing the gender for medical reasons, not for bias reasons. Jews have a belief that God wants all human beings to use all of their abilities to improve health as much as we can, so for medical reasons, it can be a good thing. The Jewish do not agree with IVF sex selection just for personal reasons. If you just want a specific gender, then it is classed as unethical in the Jewish community.

Middle-eastern and multi-religious populations have studied the negative attitudes against non-medical reasons for sex selection. Religion and educational status have a large impact on beliefs surrounding sex selection. People who want children of both genders have been identified as predictors of the decision as to whether it should be accepted or not. It seems there are many mixed views among different religions on what is right and wrong. Whether it comes to the point that all types of sex selection become legal or not, is still a mystery. It can be said, however, that it is clear that many religions will not be taking part in gender selection processes and procedures.

Mental and Emotional Issues of a Lawyer

Lawyers are tasked with a lot of responsibilities as part of their job description. Apart from defending clients in their legal battles to ensure they win, lawyers are also required to prepare for a case adequately. This involves long hours of research and providing all necessary paperwork for the case. Moreover, lawyers need to be there for their clients, to comfort them in their low moments and assure them all will be well. This applies no matter whether you are a privacy lawyer or a family lawyer.

Before one can practice law, they are required to have obtained a bachelor’s degree, law degree, and successfully pass the bar examination. Due to their educational qualifications, lawyers are paid well compared to other employees. A lawyer earns approximately $135000 yearly. Despite the considerable pay, a career in law can take a toll on the mental and emotional state of an individual. The psychological breakdown of a lawyer may come as a result of the workload they are required to carry, and lack of social life as a result.

Several factors contribute to the mental and emotional issues of a lawyer, as discussed below.

Initial Case Preparation

Once a lawyer has received a client who needs help in a legal matter, the lawyer needs to carry out thorough case preparation to ensure the client ultimately wins. This involves long hours of research with their paralegals and assistants, to ensure there’s an organised file. Lawyers face pressure during case preparation, especially when a serious crime like murder is involved. Lawyers have to ensure their clients win even in a tough civil suit. Moreover, limited time in preparing a case builds up intense pressure, wearing lawyers down and building up stress in their system.  

The Client’s Interest

One of the main factors lawyers are focused on achieving is the client’s interests. In most instances, legal requirements are not always in line with the client’s interests. This is because the client’s case may have little legal standing, thus posing a threat to its outcome. Clients entrust their case to legal professionals, and a lawyer’s inability to deliver and ensure their clients are compensated causes psychological turmoil on them.

Courtroom Pressure

In court proceedings, lawyers are required to be alert and in the right frame of mind to present their cases. The presence of a jury, media, and the judge may cause one to be anxious about their capability to deliver. High profile cases cause a lot of pressure on lawyers as they are required to be eloquent and straightforward in presenting their arguments, be present to object and ask the correct questions when given a chance. During the presentation, a lawyer can experience emotional exhaustion due to the expected verdict and nature of the case.

Work-Life Balance 

Researchers have linked a lack of work-life balance to stress and fatigue among lawyers. In fact, highly successful lawyers who work for large organisations, such as consumer lawyers, and spend most of their time at work do not have a work-life balance. This affects them both emotionally and mentally. Long hours at work separate lawyers from their families and cause burnout and stress. 

Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are the main causes of mental and emotional issues among lawyers. An increasing workload piling up on lawyers and unbalanced work-life can cause one to feel depressed about their current state of life, and anxious about the future. Lawyers are known to suffer from mental health issues which may lead to a feeling of hopelessness and even suicide.

Although lawyers are tasked with the responsibility of saving people from their problems and changing their lives, the efforts put into the profession takes away their work-life balance, leaving them at the mercy of their busy schedules. To save themselves from the emotional toll and mental health issues, lawyers need to seek the required medical help and learn to balance a professional life, social life, and family life.  

 

What to do if your water tank is making noises?

faucet water

A loud hammering or knocking sound might signal the time for you to worry about the condition of the water tank. Whether it is a fuel-powered or electrically powered device, you could wonder if this thing just blew up!

Such sounds may point towards a severe problem, but then it can be something minor as well. Jumping to conclusions without digging into what’s happening might lead to additional costs. So, make sure you first know the source behind the problem. 

kitchen sink water tap flowingThe main cause of noises is debris:

  • One of the most common things that may lead to noise is the debris. It could be the hardness of water that may lead to the deposition of salts on the walls of the heater if you don’t get it cleaned for a long time. 
  • These deposits might come out of the walls during regular operation, and when it touches/hits other parts of the tanks, it leads to noise. 
  • A sign of this being the case will be if the water doesn’t come out clear. 
  • It might also lead to the accumulation of debris on the surface of the tank.
  • Depending on the material, this debris may cause damage too. In case you have a steel water tank, ensure regular maintenance as a buildup of debris could corrode the tank over time and lead to safety hazards.

Flush out the debris, and the tank will go back to normal.

If the water pressure is fluctuating:

The relief valve is supposed to maintain the pressure (and temperature) of a hot water tank. This comes in action when the system’s liquid, gas or steam level exceed the allowed scale and prevents the system from any damage. When the valve stops to function correctly, this leads to a sizzling sound.

  • Your system might be underpowered; that is why it fails to maintain the desired pressure. Check out you’re the only house affected or if the area is facing a low voltage power input. Make sure to turn off the system to avoid any damage unless the power source gets back to providing the required energy to the tank.
  • A pressure balancing valve keeps the temperature of the water to a safe plus or minus three degrees regardless of the changes happening in the water supply. If this is malfunctioning, it may indicate that you need to see a plumber as it is more of a safety measure for hot water tanks

woman drinking waterIf your tank is making a ticking noise:

  • Loose pipe strap also leads to a ticking noise. Pipe straps hold the pipe that regulates the water that comes out of the tank and then goes to different parts of your house. So, when the water pressure influences the flow of water, this leads to the pipe’s collision with the strap resulting in noise. This can be easily solved by placing something in between the belt and the tube.
  • You may hear a hammering or knocking sound due to a sudden stop in the water flow. To deal with this problem, companies install air cushions in the plumbing lines. The primary purpose of the buffers is to deal with the expanded volume of hot water by pushing it back in, to avoid water wastage.

When these cushions get waterlogged, it leads to knocking or hammering sounds. To deal with the situation, you can drain the tank entirely and turn on the faucets so that the cushions can retain their original state.

If it’s not listed here:

If these problems are not present with your water tank, there might be water leaking from the tank and directly onto the burner assembly. In which case, you may need to see a plumber as this may damage the heater permanently if not addressed. Hot water tanks are a tricky business and so if you do not understand the problem with the help of a manual, then better get a professional.   
 

How To Prepare For Breast Surgery

prepare for breast sugery

The front of the chest is referred to as the breast, or the mammary gland to be more precise. Specialized surgery that is performed on the breast is known as breast surgery. Globally, there are several types of surgery procedures done on breasts either for aesthetic or for medical treatment purposes. Below are some of them:

Lumpectomy – This is a surgical procedure done to excise a lump of tissue from the breast, in most instances to treat breast cancer or a tumour.

Mastectomy – Is a surgical operation done partially or entirely to get rid of one or both breasts as a curative or preventive measure for breast cancer.

Augmentation mammoplasty – Also referred to as breast augmentation or “boob job” (street slang) is a breast surgical procedure performed to boost size, shape – for example through teardrop implants – curves and aesthetic appeal for a variety of other reasons.

Reduction mammoplasty – This is a breast reduction procedure that entails excision of extra adipose tissue, skin and other mammary gland tissues.

Mastopexy – Also known as breast lift, is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin, support and uplift sagging breasts.

Microdochectomy –  This is a breast corrective procedure carried out to remove a lactiferous duct that conveys nipple discharge. 

Other minor and more conservative surgical procedures include breast-conserving surgery, abscess-extraction surgery, breast biopsy and breast reconstruction surgery.

The actual appointment for breast surgery should be meticulously planned to enable one focus with undivided attention on breast surgery and getting healed afterwards. Given below is a brief checklist to aid in planning ahead and ensuring a smooth and quick recovery:

•   Make preparation for a chauffeur or someone to take you to and from your procedure and for any friend or relative to stay around for the first 24 hours after your surgery.

•   If you have small children, plan for their care during the first few days following your breast surgery. Help and support allow you to relax and start your recovery.

•  Strategically put anything you’ll require close-by, reachable or easily accessible to after the breast surgery.

•  Shop for enough read to eat, simple and fast-to-prepare foods, refreshments and healthy snacks. 

•  Gladly partake servings of a healthy and balanced diet 

•  Consumption of alcoholic drinks and beverages should be discontinued two weeks before the surgical appointment or as advised by your surgeon.

•   Smoking should be prohibited two weeks before and after the surgical procedure, to minimize exposure to chest infections and exacerbate scarring.

•   Refrain from extremely vigorous exercise the day before your procedure

•   Discuss with the consultant surgeon on post-operative dressing specifically the bra, pressure bandage or sports lingerie for extra support and appropriate positioning during the recovery process. In the case of implants, more support will be required to, during the purchasing of any lingerie, it will be important to take precautions and by well-fitting and bras that may offer much-needed comfort for the long agonizing hours of recuperating.

•   Any medicine being taken without a doctor’s prescription should be disclosed to the surgeon before undertaking the procedure. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen.

•   It is advisable to strictly adhere to the surgeon’s instructions as pertains to taking meals before and after the surgery.

•  Using antiseptic soap to take shower, a night prior to the appointed date of the surgery. It might be prudent and helpful because postoperative bathing may be inadvisable.

•  Using the appropriate nail remover, thoroughly clean all nail polish it is imperative for the Anesthetist to keep track of transmission and movement of blood in the system.

 •  Any natural or herbal drugs should not be taken unless recommended otherwise. Unpleasant anesthetic reactions may be experienced if supplements like St. John’s wort, ginkgo biloba, green tea extract, ginseng, and garlic continue to be used.

All There Is to Know About Magnesium Levels in Your Body

Our bodies need nutrients to function and regenerate cells. Without proper cell activity, it will be difficult to maintain health. Many health problems come from poor diet and stress. Magnesium deficiency comes with some symptoms, but you might not notice them immediately. When patients suffer from hypomagnesaemia (low levels of magnesium), there could be a range of health problems.

Normally, minerals and vitamins have required intake levels. One of the common causes of low levels of magnesium is inadequate dietary intake. We shall share some useful information that will help readers to avoid this magnesium deficiency.

Is Magnesium Intake Essential?

As a type of mineral, Magnesium occurs naturally in foods, the earth’s crust, and our bodies. When people don’t meet up to their recommended intake of magnesium, physicians rely on diagnosis to know their levels of deficiency. Patients with magnesium deficiencies might not have the symptoms until the condition lingers.

However, the risk of this deficiency includes death from heart complications. While it’s essential to consume diets that are rich in magnesium, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) varies with age and status. People mostly do go for the option of consuming magnesium oil that is either prescribed by the doctor or in general purchased over the counter to regularize the magnesium levels within one’s body.

Common Sources of Magnesium-rich Diets

Apart from dietary magnesium supplements, ensuring a healthy lifestyle can prevent a deficiency. The consumption of certain foods can balance your magnesium levels. They include nuts, spinach, cereals, bananas, and whole grains.

Other sources are salmon, milk, and beans. However, your over-indulgence of alcohol might prevent the absorption of magnesium from these food sources and increase the risk of associated diseases. Don’t forget to visit your physician for regular medical checkups too.

Cartwheel by the beach

Common Causes of Magnesium Deficiency

  • Dietary Factor

Many people can’t absorb magnesium from diets because of digestive problems. Also, it might be difficult for victims of celiac disease too. Generally, the effects of magnesium deficiency are similar to excess concentrations of magnesium. Both conditions require the ‘total serum magnesium test’ and diagnosis for physicians. Patients with diabetes and thyroid gland problems might show signs of magnesium deficiencies.

  • Stress Factor

Stress and anxiety can discharge your concentration of magnesium from cells into blood vessels. During this condition, victims often suffer from fatigue and mental exhaustion. Without having sufficient rest, your magnesium deficiency can trigger weakness of muscles (myasthenia) and other symptoms. It is wise to consider magnesium supplements for sore muscles in this case.

Common Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

  • Muscle Cramps and Tremors

Spasm and muscle weakness are common symptoms of magnesium deficiency. While these symptoms are severe in older adults, children might experience convulsions. Usually, muscle twitches and tremors reduce mobility. During this condition of a deficiency, the victim’s muscle nerves and cells will suffer from the hyperstimulation of calcium.

  • High Blood Pressure (HBP)

High blood pressure is another symptom of magnesium deficiency. Naturally, the required dietary intake (RDI) of magnesium helps to maintain blood pressure and blood sugar levels. When high blood pressure persists, it might lead to arrhythmia and irregular heartbeats. After the diagnosis, physicians might prescribe magnesium supplements for victims. This medication helps to lower blood pressure and prevent heart diseases.

  • Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder that affects both young and old people. Apart from magnesium deficiency, other factors might trigger this condition. Normally, the main symptom of osteoporosis is low bone mineral density. When people have weak bone mass, it increases the risk of fractures.

Since the body stores magnesium inside bones, bone mass reduction is expected during a deficiency. Seniors with osteoporosis need to combine the consumption of magnesium-rich diets and regular exercise. However, there’s no cure for osteoporosis, and pain management is often recommended for people with this condition. During this osteoporosis condition, patients might experience the depletion of calcium levels.

How Does Lifestyle Affect Fertility?

HOW DOES LIFESTYLE AFFECT FERTILITY?

Fertility is the ability to reproduce. Fertility differs from person to person and their way of life and their surroundings. Those who cannot produce a baby may take avenues such as IVF gender selection to help facilitate pregnancy. 

There are a lot of factors that affect your fertility, some might be in your control and some might be out of your control. Factors that are beyond your control include natural factors are medical issues that affect your ability to get pregnant.

Your choice of lifestyle also affects your fertility. Good Lifestyle choices lead to higher chances of conceiving and a bad Lifestyle leads to a low chance of conceiving. 

Both women and men may have fertility issues but the factors for it, however, may not be the same as the bodies are different and play different roles.

Following are some of the lifestyle factors that affect your fertility –

1.   Medical conditions caused by lifestyle 

Women

i.        Sometimes there may be ovulation problems that affect the release of the eggs from the ovaries. This is generally due to hormonal disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome also known as PCOS or PCOD or thyroid issues (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism) and hyperprolactinemia.

ii.        There may be uterine deficiencies or cervical deformities such as fibroids or tumors in the uterus. 

iii.        The fallopian tube may have a blockage or may have suffered some damage which is a result of pelvic inflammatory disease.

iv.        Endometriosis or early menopause also the reasons of fertility being affected.

v.         If a woman has medical conditions that prohibit her from becoming pregnant, she can again use IVF and find a surrogate to carry the baby. This also allows the parents to consider looking at baby gender selection.

Men

i.        Infections caused due to bacteria can affect sperm count, motility and quality.

ii.        Ejaculation can also affect fertility. If the semen enters the bladder instead of coming out of the penis, it is known as retrograde ejaculation which affects fertility. 

2. Lifestyle factors that affect your health

2.    Smoking – In men, smoking leads to lower sperm counts and the sperm that is produced may be irregularly formed. It also decreases sperm motility. In females, smoking can age the ovaries and decreases the supply of the eggs. It affects your cervix and fallopian tubes and raises the chances of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

3.    Obesity and malnourishment – Excess weight leads to hormonal changes that affect your fertility. It leads to low sperm count. Women who are obese underweight may have problems with ovulating. 

4.     Drugs and Alcohol – It is always advised against drugs and alcohol. It impacts male and female fertility greatly and negatively. Marijuana and cocaine can reduce the quantity and quality of sperm. Steroids can diminish the size of testicles.  Drinking alcohol before pregnancy may lead to ovulation issues and difficulty in conceiving.

5.    Stress – Stress greatly affects the fertility of both the sexes. Chances of conceiving may turn out less and the shape of the sperm changes. Stress also invites problems like high and low BP, diabetes, thyroid, changing metabolism, heart ailments, and almost all the millennial disorders. 

6.    Caffeine – The intake of caffeine can also prove harmful if consumed in great amounts. It affects the sperm count in men and also creates ovulation problems in women. 

7.    Physical activities – Excessive and intense physical exercises and labor leads to infertility in women and men. 

8.    Diet and sleep – If the diet is not proper and nutritious, it may lead to weakness and other medical conditions affecting fertility. If you also don’t get enough sleep, it stresses the body more, which may affect your fertility. 

9.    Safe sex – Unprotected sex with many partners can increase your risks to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) resulting in infertility in both the sexes. It also affects the DNA of the sperm and the egg. It also affects the health of the sexual organs. 

Positives of becoming a Wrestler

The Advantages of Wrestling

There are loads of benefits given to the wrestlers who devote themselves to the game. It is very clear that wrestling training creates a strong foundation, but in addition, it teaches lessons which may be translated into other elements of life after a wrestler’s career is finished.

It is Universally Understood

There probably are not many individuals on the planet who have not wrestled about or roughhoused with sisters and friends. The urge to test the strength and physical capacity is inborn — children all around do it for fun! Aggressive wrestling, in an official setting, is a game known in its most primal level.

Anyone Can Wrestle

Wrestling does not discriminate. Whatever your physique — weight or height — there’s a place for you. In certain sports, only particular body types have the ability to be successful. Weight groups guarantee fairness amongst the opponents, and that means you are not too little or too large to take part.

Most wrestling teams do not even cut their athletes from engaging for lack of talent or skill. Provided that you have the urge to be part of the group, that is where you belong.

Sports are a terrific way to set up and reinforce positive character traits and attributes. Wrestling, in particular, adopts and teaches a range of life lessons that might not be as strongly encouraged in other sports:

Self-Confidence

If you wrestle, you can not rely on anybody but yourself. You need to be liable for your own failures and successes. Due to this, wrestlers have to be confident in the skills they have. From the start, wrestlers learn how to rely on themselves, gaining confidence in and out of a wrestling match.

Discipline

At times, you need to do things which are not that “fun” to achieve your objectives.

Emotional Toughness

Wrestlers learn to function as both physically and emotionally tough. It requires an enormous amount of strength to pick yourself up from the mat when you are dropping, and it requires amazing willpower to eliminate that last pound prior to a weigh-in.

Sportsmanship

As a result of this, wrestlers grow more than only a feeling of admiration for each other — they create an admiration. They understand how hard it’s to win.

Opponents are constantly needed to shake hands after every game. Nonetheless, it is not unusual to observe foes become friends following the final whistle blows. Matches frequently end with embraces, and at times the failure will also inspire the winner!

Competitiveness

Every game teaches its athletes to become more aggressive. Yet, wrestling differs as your staff basically becomes your competitor. To be able to keep on the staff, you have to endure the practices. To be able to compete to get the group, you will want to beat everybody in your group who’s in your weight class.

Physical Exercise

The amount of athleticism necessary to be successful in wrestling is next to none. Though a lot of wrestlers do not begin as “natural athletes,” wrestling enhances balance, reflexes, endurance as well as strength and conditioning. Wrestlers are frequently quite lean and powerful because of their own body weight.

Wrestling will improve an athlete’s abilities in other sports too.

 

Self-defence

Body placement
The best way to restrain the opponent
The best way to shield against different kinds of attacks
Toughness

You will be confronted with many choices in your own life and becoming involved in wrestling is, possibly, among the best choices you can make! Remember that, like everything, what wrestling gives you is set by how much effort you are prepared to give wrestling. To be able to grasp its highest advantage, be ready to put forth 110% in competitions and training.

Run A Successful Cosmetic Surgery Business

pexels photo 935869

Cosmetic surgery has become an important branch of medicine. The aim of this article is to share the guidelines for setting up an ethical and professional aesthetic practice with the hope to act as a guidance for dermatologists. Dermatologists should have an integrated practice of clinical dermatology, dermatosurgery and cosmetic dermatology. Ethical practice is the gold standard for any medical field, especially with dermatologists, who should avoid doing unnecessary procedures. Proper patient counseling and addressing the patients’ concerns is imperative.

Cosmetic surgery has been defined as a branch of surgery and medicine that restricts itself to appearance enhancement by using surgical and medical techniques. This particular line of medicine focuses on maintaining or restoring physical appearance, as well as the ability to enhance physical body parts to the extent of the patient’s aesthetic ideal. Aesthetic procedures have become “need felt” and hence, this article aims to guide dermatologists how to set up a professional and ethical aesthetic practice.

Factors for Success

Place:

One of the most important elements of your a successful practice is the location. You should research the geographic location that you would like to practice in to determine the demographics of your patients. Be familiar with all hospitals, dermatology clinics and other aesthetic centers around.

Purpose:

Maintain a center of excellence in all aspects. One should have an integrated practice of clinical dermatology, dermatosurgery, and cosmetic dermatology. For example, if an acne patient comes to the clinic, you would require to treat the active acne and plan to treat the acne scars or post inflammatory hyperpigmentation subsequently.

Keep up to date with the latest and recent advances so as to offer your patients the best possible treatment available. Remember, cosmetic procedures are not just about appearance enhancing injectables or dermal fillers, but also about patients’ health and safety. Therefore, every case must be treated with professional competence and due care.

Practice and personnel:

Physicians should see their practices from the perspective of the patient.

Hence, take a walk around your clinic, observe each area, enter through the front door, sit in the waiting room, check the washrooms, sit and observe the front desk staff greeting your clients on the telephone and in person, your assistant clinicians, and the treatment rooms. As everyone’s time is precious, make sure patients are not waiting for a long time for consultations, procedures, and at the billing counter.

Front desk staff should be well groomed, have knowledge of general office principles and be proficient in phone etiquette and customer service. It is preferable if they are dressed in smart and trendy uniforms.

Efficient handling of appointments can be done when the reception staff is adequately counseled and trained to handle appointments. Allocate sufficient time for the procedures that have to be done. Especially in busy cities like Melbourne, time management becomes extremely important. For example, doing a laser hair removal for the lower limbs will require you to shave the hair before starting the procedure. Therefore, you should take into account the time needed to complete the laser hair removal and do not overlap with other appointments.

Patients:

Be an aggressive listener and communicate effectively. Have a non-judgmental attitude and watch out for any signs of body dysmorphic disorder. It is always better to avoid doing a procedure on the first consultation with the patient, as this would give them time to think and to prepare themselves.

Always address the concerns of the patient. This will instill confidence in the patient. Call them for regular follow up and monitor the progress of the condition.

Procedures:

Before doing any procedure, make sure you have explained adequately to the patient – the procedure details, alternatives available, risks involved, complications that can arise, the outcome expected, duration of treatment and expenses involved.

When one is beginning aesthetic practice, it is important to start with basic aesthetic proceduresgradually gain confidence and improve one’s skill. For example, learn and master the art of basic chemical peels or toxin injections rather than beginning with complicated or advanced procedures.

As with lasers, it is often a sensible practice to rent or share a laser on a monthly basis with a group of physicians/dermatologists so that the financial burden is reduced and one can build up the laser practice to ensure a steady flow of patients before investing in a laser for treatments.

Photography:

They say a picture speaks a thousand words; hence, good and standardized imaging is very essential. Good photographs help in monitoring the progress of a disease or condition help to communicate effectively with scientific communities during presentations and publications.

Professional skills:

There are many fellowship programs that are designed to equip you with the necessary skills for practicing cosmetic dermatology. Working as an understudy to a cosmetic dermatologist will also help you to gain experience.

Performing evaluation trials: New machines that come into the market that claim to be effective in various conditions can be tested by performing evaluation trials before being offered to patients. Using good imaging methods and other devices (e.g., chromometer, mexameter) we can assess the effectiveness of the machine.

Skin care products:

Many dermatologists have their own pharmacy so that the products they prescribe are easily available.

Equipment:

The first step would be to identify various vendors. Narrow down to a list of preferred vendors based on factors such as the cost of the equipment and spares, training provided by the vendor, credibility of the company, after sales services and annual maintenance, system performance, warranty and extended warranties.

Patient records:

It is essential to maintain a database of patient records. It not only becomes easier to remember past details of patients’ treatment and procedures but also helps in building a rapport with the patient. One can use electronic medical records (EMR) to access details of the patients. Numerous online systems are available to doctors that allow patients not only to book appointments online, cancel appointments but also to get SMS reminders of the time and date of their appointment.

Publicity:

One need not spend a fortune on advertising. Internet marketing and mobile advertising is the latest means of mass communication. However, this is a controversial topic and one needs to be ethical and follow guidelines defined by medical boards. An attractive and informative website is an important prerequisite. Ensure that all information is accurate and genuine.

Promote:

Tell readers, listeners, viewers what’s new in the world of cosmetic dermatology, so that any new technologies that have been introduced in the market recently can be conveyed to the consumers. Invite your audience to learn more by attending your online “Webinars” either through email, patient newsletter, social media or personal blogs etc. touch base with them. Tell them what’s new in your practice and in the world of cosmetic dermatology.

Problems:

Also, pay attention to your personnel. It might be a good idea to employ management techniques to boost worker productivity.

Have a conservative approach. It is better to undertreat the patient. Also, make sure the patients have realistic expectations. If a complication arises, treat the patient sympathetically and gently, rather than ignoring the patient. Offer to see the patient more frequently to allay patient fears. Corrective treatment may be offered free of charge.

Protection:

Property Damage Insurance coverage is a must following installation of the device.

Electronic insurance plan should be taken for the system-that covers all the parts and electronics of the device. Many insurance companies offer electronic insurance that may be cheaper than the annual maintenance charges (AMC) offered by the laser companies after the warranty period is over. While taking insurance it is important to specify which parts are covered and mention it in the policy. Fire and burglary insurance and insurance for mobility from one clinic to another also need to be done.

Preparing for Successful Cosmetic Surgery

In the following article, we explain the various suggestions that will help you get the most positive outcome from your cosmetic surgery and ensure that the experience is effective and pleasant, keeping in mind that your health comes first.

1. Prepare your thoughts and mind

Mental preparation is vital to an effective cosmetic surgery. You may look and may feel different following the process. For a lot of patients, this may have a positive influence on many aspects of your life such as; self-image, confidence, and social interaction. Family and friends may ask questions regarding your revived appearance and you want to learn how you are going to tackle these and just how much information you’d like to discuss. It’s essential to be mentally and emotionally ready for explaining yourself to different people and what this can mean in your daily life.

2. Do your research

Having cosmetic surgery should be an educated thought out A lot of folks are not aware that there’s a difference between a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon.

Many physicians have various methods of doing things and a few specialise in specific kinds of procedures. Prices can often differ between experts. Ensure that you are armed with the details before surgery and select a surgeon that makes you feel comfortable, confident and excited about the positive potential of your upcoming operation.

3. Schedule operation when you are healthy

To give your body the best chance of healing properly, try to schedule operation whenever you’re in optimum health. This can allow you to heal quicker, give your immune system the best possibility of a quick recovery and return to normal life as soon as possible.

Bear in mind some surgeries take a period of time to recover from, downtime or limited action then so schedule your operation when you’re in a position to have a rest from work along with your typical responsibilities. Recovery time will vary on the type of surgery, for example a breast lift may require more downtime than thigh liposuction though it may require more long-term exercise and rehabilitation.

4. Increase your vitamin and protein consumption

Protein was demonstrated to assist recovery and is essential in constructing new blood vessels and mending scars, mend damaged tissue and improve cell generation for wound repair. Premium excellent sources of protein include fish, poultry, beans or lean cuts of beef. It’s also important to make sure that you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals to help in successful healing. Ensuring that your body has sufficient fundamental components like vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium and zinc can assist rehydrate your path to healing.

5. Stay hydrated

On average it’s strongly recommended you drink between six to eight glasses of water every day, but this is particularly important before an operation, to help cleanse and moisturise your body. As fluid intake could be reduced daily prior to a few surgeries, keeping high fluid levels in the lead up to operation might help. To prevent complications during operation, make certain you don’t drink anything after midnight the night before your operation unless advised differently by your physician.

6. Avoid alcohol, smoking and specific medicines

Even though you might feel like celebrating your operation with some drinks with friends, then it’s strictly advisable to not consume alcohol for 72 hours prior to or after the operation. Most physicians will recommend avoiding alcohol for a week ahead of post operation to attain optimum outcomes.

While smoking isn’t recommended, should you smoke, then try to abstain for at least fourteen days before and after your process. Smoking decreases the ability of your body to recover wounds due to reduces oxygen circulation. Many prescription and common drugs are best avoided around the time of operation in order to prevent any complications or even counterproductive outcomes. Aspirin ought to be avoided as it’s a blood thinner and may encourage bleeding during the operation. If you’re on any necessary medications, talk to your physician to learn the most suitable plan of action.

7. Construct a solid post-surgery support community

Recovery after cosmetic surgery can be rough. You might be unable to resume normal activities for a little while. So it’s important you get a solid network of family and friends that can supply you psychological support, in addition to helping you with sensitive matters like driving, family activities, physical activity and other general entertainment. Ensuring you’re comfortable and well cared for will boost a complete and quick recovery and increase the positive possibility of your plastic surgery experience.

8. Have realistic expectations and ensure you are sure

It is important to have realistic expectations going into almost any cosmetic operation. Invasive operations may leave a scar, though there are lots of choices to help minimise scarring, but have you considered a non-invasive alternative? For example, a vaginoplasty can be a huge procedure that you may not be confident about, so you could perhaps consider laser vaginal tightening as an alternative. The results of every procedure differ and outcomes are usually determined by the individual patient, age, skin type and individual conditions.

Your physician must equip you with all the information regarding your process, including any complications or risks which may occur so that you may be completely prepared for any result.

Healthy Habits At Work

Health is the core of our everyday lives and should be a priority. Without good health, we would not be in a position to do anything. Taking care of chores, work and children would be hopeless if we fought with health issues all the time. Among the most common excuses, people cite for not being in great shape relates to not having the time or the ability to do everything it requires to be wholesome. This is very true of working professionals, being healthy is a bit of strategic business advice as healthy workers are more productive and happy.

1. Eat Properly

Many employees struggle to eat healthily and have the weak willpower to overcome temptations. You don’t have to totally forget about junk food: simply restrict its ingestion and consume moderately. What’s more, listen to everything you eat to your most important meals. Eat a great, filling breakfast in the morning. Lunch on fruits and salads, and prevent unhealthy, greasy meals. As much as you can, avoid eating lunch in your workplace. Leaving the workplace for some time will block you from overeating and supply you with a brief break. Avoid indulging in day snacks, like chips and lollies, as which will spell problem. Additionally, keep a healthful eating program in the evenings. Snack on healthy choices, including fruits, nuts, granola bars or healthful smoothies, which will keep you feeling fulfilled without providing you the lethargic feeling you get from eating crap food.

2. Limit your Caffeine Consumption

Lots of office dwellers can find it absolutely impossible to get through their day without consuming coffee. This is fine so long as you exercise moderation. Try to suppress your caffeine intake to a single cup of coffee daily to protect against a caffeine crash later daily. Additionally, you may omit the utilisation of cream and sugar in your coffee, and reduce those calories.

3. Maintain Decent Posture

Maintaining good posture daily demands conscious effort. Most workers, that use computers stare at their display for hours and gradually get drawn to it. This implies that they stretch forwards, which places pressure on the throat and the backbone. This may be averted with the support of specific desk exercises. The very popular one involves chin retractions – or creating a bogus double chin to encourage both the neck and upper back.

4. Take Breaks

We constantly need to complete our job so we can escape the office in time. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you ought to sit in your workstation for hours at a stretch, not let yourself a rest. You might believe that taking a rest will squander your own time, however taking a rest can really be productive.

Not taking a rest from work can make you emotionally lethargic, and lessen your imagination. Make it a point to escape from the desk every now and again for a couple of minutes. The point is to have a break; rejuvenate, and be effective.

5. Keep Your Desk Tidy and Organised

It’s very important to maintain your workstation tidy and clean. Up it five minutes before leaving for the day so you go back to some neat work space the morning after. Keep sanitising wipes in easy reach, and use them to wash the outside of your desk regularly.

6. Be Sterile

Becoming sterile goes a very long way in keeping you healthy. You are able to take the needed steps on the job also. Keep a bottle of hand sanitiser on your desk. When at the office, it might not always be possible to venture away from your desk to wash your hands. Therefore instant hand sanitiser is a great way to quickly get rid of germs.

7. Avoid Mingling With Ill Workers.

This is common sense but nevertheless significant. Avoid contact with workers, who could be ill or show symptoms of communicable disease. Clean your hands if you have been on their workstation. Additionally, let office administration understand about the ill worker if they are not already aware. If you are ill, it is ideal to stay home and recover so you don’t wind up spreading the disease to other people.

8. Learn How to Deal With Stress.

The majority of us lead busy lives that may get to us from time to time. Juggling several functions and duties on a daily basis can leave us tired, which is ordinary. After all, we are only human. But, we could make it easier on ourselves by learning how to deal with anxiety. You may constantly be stressed about work and other things such as trying to sell the property and doing no agent property sale for the first time. A fantastic way to beat stress? Do things. This may consist of spending time with friends or family, watching films, reading books and visiting the gym or even the spa. The concept is to relax your mind by taking care yourself and achieving a healthy equilibrium.

Remaining in great shape demands effort. Pass on the above tips as health solutions for your business. Fantastic health and fitness cannot be achieved immediately, which explains why it’s very important to incorporate particular habits into your everyday routine.

The Health Effects of Workers in the Metal Welding Industry

Fast Facts

  • Welding fumes cause pneumonia that could hospitalize 40-50 welders every year
  • An average of 2 welders die every year
  • An average of 9 welders suffer from asthma-related problems each year
  • Harmful compounds such as Chromium oxide(Cr₂O₃) and nickel oxide (NiO) are found in Stainless steel fumes
  • Welding Fume is carcinogenic to humans

Understanding the problem

Every industry has its risks and dangerous, with operators of the largest cranes facing risks associated with falls and anxiety and the welding industry facing other internal health risks such as those that will be discussed below. Harmful gases and very fine particles are carried off when the smoke given off by the welding and hot cutting process. These fumes can cause serious health problems when inhaled. Dangerous gases such as nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), argon (Ar), helium (He) and ozone (O₃) are present in the fume.

Respiratory problems, vibration issues, ear problems and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are the four of the leading work-related health hazards in welding. Here are some of the usual health conditions suffered by welders and how to manage the risks involved:

Respiratory illnesses

  • Pneumonia– Welders are very prone to lung diseases that can lead to severe and sometimes fatal pneumonia. While modern antibiotics can usually take care of the infection, an average of 40-50 cases still results to hospitalization every year. Of these cases, around 2 will be fatal
  • Work-related asthma–Around 9 workers suffer severe asthma annually that they are able to claim benefits. A recent study by HSE determined that welding fume could not be conclusively proven to cause asthma. HSE still advises welders to defend themselves and minimize the welding fumes by setting it to the lowest possible settings.
  • Cancers– Welding fume has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. This classification includes all welding fume although it is primarily associated with stainless steel welding
  • Metal fume fever – Many welders suffered from temporaty flu like symptoms after welding, particularly at the start of a working week. Myths like drinking milk before welding prevents you getting metal fume fever are simply not true
  • Irritation of throat and lungs – Dryness of the throat, tickling coughing or a tight chest are the common effects of fine particles in welding fume and gases such as Ozone when TIG welding stainless steels and aluminium. Severe contact to ozone can cause lung fluids.
  • Temporarily reduced lung function – Although the effects are not permanent, the overall lung capacity and peak flow are affected by prolonged exposure to welding fume. Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) can help you address the problem of fume if other preventative measures do not reduce it below the workplace exposure limit (WEL). Follow our RPE checklist to ensure you are giving your workers the correct protection:
  1. Disposable face masks can provide adequate protection for short jobs. Just like reusable respirators, these should be fit tested on each individual as one type of mask does not fit all
  2. Monthly inspection should be done monthly and records kept up to date.
  3. Though expensive, battery powered filtering welding helmets are the most cost-effective option for the long term protection of the welders.

 

Hand-arm vibration

Grinding and needle scaling tasks that are closely associated with the welding process also come with risks, in terms of hand-arm vibration. This is different to the crane industry with the vibration from operating frannas in that welding sees constant vibration day in day out. It is required by The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 to ensure that all risks are controlled, proper instruction and training should be provided to employees, and the actions being taken to deal with them.

An Exposure Limit Value (ELV) and an Exposure Action Value (EAV are included in the regulations, and are based on a combination of the vibration at the grip points on the equipment and the time spent gripping it.

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) and vibration-related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) disability can be prevented by compliance to with these regulations. Health surveillance can easily identify any issues early on especially when some employees may develop early signs and symptoms of HAVS and CTS even at low exposures. Proper precaution can minimize the problem. Though HAVS can be prevented, it is incurable.

HSE requires the compliance to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), which states that specific cases of HAVS and vibration-related CTS cases must be reported.

Noise

 

With the exception of TIG-Welding, electric arc welding and making welded mesh panels can cause harmful levels of noise. The project areas as well as many other tasks that welders take on are also particularly noisy. This list gives you a good idea of the noise levels related with different tasks within the welding process:

  • TIG – up to 75 dB(A)
  • Manual Metal Arc (MMA) – 85-95 dB(A)
  • Metal Inert Gas(MIG) – 95-102 dB(A)
  • Plasma cutting (hand-held up to 100A, cutting up to 25mm only – 98-105 dB(A)
  • Flame gouging – 95 dB(A)
  • Flame cutting – up to 100 dB(A)
  • Air arc gouging – 100-115 dB(A)
  • Deslagging/chipping – 105 dB(A)
  • Grinding – 95-105 dB(A)

 

Eliminating the noisy process altogether is the best way to manage the problem. Take for instance, by buying customized size material from supplier, you no longer have to cut the material needed once on site, though this may not always be feasible. Engineering controls, regular substitution, training and work scheduling and providing personal protective equipment (PPE) are the next best options.

Ear muffs, ear plugs or other hearing protection should be selected on the following criteria:

  1. It can noise exposure
  2. Comfortable to wear
  3. Suitability for the activity and working environment

 

If proper equipment is provided, it is vital your workers are given appropriate training to ensure they wear their protection in the correct way and at all required times.

Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD)

The manual handling carried out by welders in creating anything from metal welding such as wire furniture, that are repeated regularly or involve twisting and turning into awkward postures can be dangerous.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 regulates that proper equipment should be used to consider the health risks and safety of workers. This includes manual handling risks. Using the right tool will reduce the chances of:

  • Personal suffering caused by musculoskeletal disorders
  • Financial burden of sickness absence and increased insurance premiums
  • Reduced productivity
  • Restricting earning potential of employees unable to return to the same type of work

 

Health and Safety within the welding industry has improved considerably over the years, although it would be fair to say there is still a lot to improve on.

How Photography Can Enhance Your Health

Most of us deal with psychological or mental struggles at one time or another in our own lives. When it’s stress in the work, situational depression or nervousness, or full-on psychological illness, it will help to take the time to refocus and gain perspective. A tool you can use to help take your mind off things could be appropriate in your pocket right now and attached to a telephone… a camera. A camera can be a powerful tool even if it is just a phone camera and some simple photo editing apps.

It’s been shown time and again that imagination and art treatment are invaluable tools for psychological wellness. Photography is just one such tool you can use without visiting art college or being professionally educated. Modern technology offers easy-to-use options such as a number of automatic modes on point-and-shoot cameras, digital SLRs, and even camera phones can take great quality photos these days. Now anyone can shoot photos, and only by taking a photograph, you’re taking a little time to stop and study your surroundings through a fresh lens. This moment may be the moment that affects your daily life out of a negative to a positive, at least provides you with a temporary distraction and serene. You don’t have to be the best wedding photographer around, but maybe do some research and visit the popular wedding photo locations Melbourne and hold your own mini photo shoot for yourself, whether it is photographing a friend, an adorable pet or just the surrounding scenery.

Below are a few basic methods of getting the creative juices flowing:

Observe and take in the surroundings. Look around you, where you will be, from the bedroom into your office to a subway station. Use descriptive words as you observe the things around you, the delicate orange light of sunset coming through the blinds twisted white and black wires snaking across the ground. It might appear strange, but this really is a great approach to begin seeing art in everyday life. You will surprise yourself with the amazing little details your pickup but would usually miss just walking by.

Close your eyes. This one may seem counter-intuitive, but by focusing on what you hear and smell, you can detect new subjects to picture all about you, a fragrant flower, buzzing bees, or even a kid playing in the playground, or perhaps chirpy birds flapping in the trees above. Increase the health of all your senses by immersing yourself in the environment that you are in.

Decide on a colour (or shape). And look around especially for that colour. Maybe pick a color that’s prominent in your living area, which means it is possible to print any decent photographs and hang them on your walls. Creating a colour scheme or theme can create a cohesive look and truly create art. Surrounding yourself with your artwork will be able to help you feel good and motivate you to create more, therefore, print your photographs in creative ways and proudly display them. You can find fast printing Melbourne to instantly display your photographs, additionally, get creative with large format printing and produce something special.

Bring along a prop. Simply take a product on you, particularly something you relate to as calming or reassuring, and picture it in various places and manners. Don’t forget to change the angle and light of your shots to keep them clean.

Do not concentrate on the final product. While it’s wonderful to wind up with photographs you are able to enjoy and feel proud of, it’s really the procedure for shooting the photograph rather than the result that’s therapeutic. Going out of the house and to a location is a big step, as well as thinking and critically analysing the backdrop to your photos.

Stop and breathe. If you’re feeling stressed or stuck, place your camera aside and focus only on breathing for 10 minutes, then search around and begin again from a new and balanced location. You will see things which you missed only moments before. Your location may be too crowded or busy, it can be hard to pick a focus, so relocate to a quieter area where you can concentrate and fixate on your goals. Breathing is great for your health will refresh your cluttered mind.

By picking up a camera and using any or all these basic instruments and methods, you aren’t only being creative and present, but you’re in fact practising mindfulness, which reduces stress and helps make you balanced and prepared to undertake the remainder of your daily life. Photography can aid in bringing psychological health and happiness to your life and is a great hobby to take up. Displaying your photographs will remind you of the good times and further stimulate good mental health.

Driverless Cars For A Healthier Future?

Driverless cars are coming.

The technological imperative is powerful; if we have the technology, we need to use it. The economic imperative is even more powerful as many businesses see big dollar signs. Governments would like to be somewhat cautious, but they do not want to get left behind. We’re told driverless cars will be much safer, because human error causes over 90 percent of crashes. Human-operated cars affect health in three major ways; all negatively. How might driverless automobiles be better?

First, car crashes kills around 1.25 million individuals globally, 1,200 of whom were Australian, in 2015. The claims that driverless cars will kill fewer people are plausible, but unproven. Safety improvements will depend on the technology in the cars, which is currently being tested and developed. Safety also depends upon how the surrounding environments are engineered or re-engineered to keep things and people from getting in the way of driverless cars.

Secondly, automobiles kill people by creating contamination. Cars with internal combustion engines produce gases and particulates, which cause lung disease. Motor vehicles are also among the largest source of carbon dioxide worldwide, which causes climate change.

Third, automobiles kill people because we sit while we drive, reducing healthier modes of transportation like biking, walking, as well as taking public transportation. Public transportation is a healthy mode of travel because people generally have to cycle or walk, from and between channels and stops.

Small physical activity and too much sitting collectively contributes to the chronic diseases which kill many people on the planet. These diseases are usually heart ailments, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes. Driverless cars will do nothing to reduce the effects of automobiles on chronic diseases unless they are introduced in a manner that reduces the time people spend sitting in cars. More than 90 percent of the negative health impacts of automobiles result from the Effects on physical activity, sitting, and chronic illness. For instance, modeling found that if 10 percent of motorised transport in Melbourne was changed to biking or walking, improvements in disability-adjusted life-years for each 100,000 individuals (an indicator of amount and quality of life) would be -34 (worse) for road trauma (mainly because cyclists may not be protected from automobiles), +2 for lung ailments, and +708 for the mix of heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. Models for five different cities (Boston, Copenhagen, Delhi, London and Sao Paulo) supported the identical conclusion. Virtually all of the health impacts of automobiles are due to increasing dangers for quite common chronic diseases. Therefore it won’t matter whether people are sitting in driverless or people-driven cars.

Among the consequences of those findings is that the people planning for driverless cars should explicitly consider the health consequences of driverless cars. Injuries from crashes and air pollution are routinely considered in transport planning, but affects on physical activity and chronic diseases aren’t. Transportation planning goals and methods need to integrate chronic disease impacts generally, but particularly when planning a significant disruption like adapting driverless cars. Ideally, public health professionals will be in the table as questions are asked and conclusions are made.

The driverless future depends mostly on who’s making decisions about driverless automobiles, what accessories they will include such as 4wd bull bars or added on 4wd equipment, however, the results are likely to vary across states with different policies and car designs.

For example, will these companies custom design their cars, with the interior having a choice of fabric or leather car seats, or by adding a few extras, such as a car seat heater for comfort? The majority of the discussion so far has been about the technology’s ability to maintain driverless cars from running into each other and people on the roads — not the luxuries of the car.

The largest health impacts are likely to be based on how cities are changed to adapt driverless cars. It is apparent that designing cities to be ideal for “car 1.0” has been a long-term catastrophe for health and ecological sustainability. Roads designed to meet transportation goals of moving as many cars as quickly as possible are dangerous and unpleasant for pedestrians and cyclists.

Suburban-style improvements are based on the premise that people will drive anywhere they go. But building low-density home, the separation of homes from jobs and stores, and disconnected street networks inflict auto dependency. Urban design and land use policies which make these environments have become common worldwide and have been demonstrated to have numerous physical (chronic diseases), psychological (stress), and societal (isolation) health issues. People are just starting to brainstorm how cities can change for “car 2.0”. The range in dreams is enormous, with both massive implications for health. I’ve heard of two contrasting visions that could have very different health consequences. One vision assumes that driverless cars are considered as part of a wider concept of urban mobility that focuses on moving people rather than cars. The emphasis will be on active modes, with greatly improved accessibility to public transportation and corporate-owned shared driverless cars utilized as supplements to another (fitter) modes. There could be fewer cars, which are in use the majority of the time, so the demand for parking would be radically reduced. Think about what can be done with the enormous amounts of land now used for parking. Sidewalks could be enlarged, protected bicycle trails could be added to a lot of streets, and linear parks could be created.

However, we can waste the chance so that automobile 2.0 merely proceeds the errors and negative health and environmental effects that automobile 1.0 has been delivering for the past century. The critical difference lies in who’s making the decisions and what the standards for success are. Public health professionals should be one of the decision-makers, since the consequences are too important to leave to engineers and company leaders. The primary criteria should deal with how to use driverless car technology to make people’s lives better and make our cities healthier, more livable, more sustainable, and not to maximise profits.

 

Art Helps Mental Health

Barrier Breakers, a mental health emergency agency, held an art showcase over the weekend in which featured works by the agency’s powerful art therapy program for viewers dealing with many different mental health issues.

In 2016 Barrier Breakers obtained a grant from Keith Chenhall that enabled the bureau to present some pieces of artwork in the Cunningham Dax set in Traralgon. Starting with the screen, and with additional funding and assistance in the Latrobe Valley trust, Barrier Breakers managed to start its own art therapy program for many individuals in the area, to assist both individuals experiencing with mental health issues and carers from within the mental health industry.

Whist the Barrier Breakers art program was expected to run for one school term, the program was incredibly successful and gained enough funding, letting the program continue for another three school terms to continue assisting with students who needed the program most. The art program reached out to many regional artists, providing an invaluable way of support and treatment for many in the area.

The Barrier Breakers art expedition showcased the awesome results of this successful program, while both exhibiting the brilliant work of local artists within custom showcases, whilst continually increasing awareness of mental health problems faced by our younger students, neighborhood community, and overall society.

Barrier Breakers intends to keep the art program to promote emotional health and ease the talents of local artists, not only benefiting the students but also the local community who need it most.

A recent study of over 10,000 students discovered that only a one-hour visit to any art museum changed the way they felt and thought, which in result triggered many empathetic emotions amongst the students. Pupils who visited a museum not only revealed increased critical thinking skills, they also exhibited greater compassion towards how people lived before and expressed greater tolerance towards people different than themselves.

Millions of individuals deal with chronic health conditions and the stress, anxiety, and depression that accompanies individuals on a daily basis.

In The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature, researchers examined and reported on the findings of over 100 studies done on the effects of art on physical and psychological health. They discovered that no only art exhibitions triggered positive feelings. It was also reported that music and visual arts influenced individuals in these positive ways:

– Art let patients forget about their illness or mental health issues for some time, permitting them to concentrate on positive life experiences and reflect positively on what is in front of them.

– Creating art allowed them to keep the identity of whom they were before they got ill.

– Creative pursuits gave them a feeling of achievement.

– Art helped them express their feelings.

– Art reduced stress by lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

– By viewing professional art work at any exhibition gave the students a sense of creativity and a sense of foundation, allowing them to think about the positive effects art has on the mind, feelings, and memory.

Professor Semir Zeki, a neurobiologist at the University College London, found that only the act of viewing art gives mental pleasure and ease, similar to falling in love. Brain scans revealed that studying works of art activate a surge of dopamine in exactly the exact same part of the brain that registers intimate love.

It is hoped that with additional support from the neighborhood, Barrier Breakers can continue to foster the art program to help achieve the lives of a lot more people experiencing mental health difficulties as well as the carers of the business.

 

How your Home Impacts your Health

There’s currently growing scientific research to show that our environment affects our physical and psychological health in various ways. The association between our environment and our well-being is vital.

For instance, it’s suggested that looking at a gorgeous view ends in a dash of endorphins which consequently contributes to a sense of peacefulness and well-being, or even looking into second storey extension ideas may bring a sense of purpose and pleasure in knowing you will create a whole new space for memories. By paying attention to this location and space to us, we all can feel much better. Thus, living in a wholesome home can do much more than enhance our mood, it may influence our immune system and physical wellbeing as well.

As per a recent poll completed by Houzz, a well-designed kitchen may alter how you live and encourage a healthy lifestyle. It was discovered that more individuals are invited to bake and cook in the home, together with fewer takeaways being arranged in. Not only is it great for physical health but it’s fantastic for mental health as well. A well thought out kitchen not only fosters an interest in home cooking but also motivates children to get involved. This leads to more quality, family time.

Living in a cold, draughty, damp, poorly lit and badly constructed home not only feels gloomy, but it might make you less likely to care for it and invite your friends and family around. This reduces opportunities for social interaction, which may result in additional feelings of isolation and depression. Your recently improved dwelling can affect not just how you feel separately but the way you interact with other individuals. A serene, well-designed and organized home will motivate you to invite friends through which will improve the social side of your health and well-being.

Air Quality and Health

A correctly renovated house will most probably be ‘airtight’. But, it will also be well ventilated. Residing in a well-ventilated, moist free home contributes to better health all around.

The atmosphere inside an older house could be affected by damp, mildew and condensation. This is particularly true when we block vents up and close windows to maintain draughts at bay. This usually means that moisture-laden air cannot escape, which contributes to the creation of damp and mold. Moisture can quickly develop in a badly ventilated house from showers, kettles, bubbling pots and pans as well as our very own breath. Damp manifests in moist stains, mold growth and frequently a musty odor. If left untreated, it could lead to the corrosion of internal endings and lead to health issues, particularly in very young and older people and people with respiratory conditions like asthma. Domestic plumbing services can attend to leaks which can see the increase of mould or damp from growing in your home.

For optimal health, new air should always be flowing through our houses to replace rancid, moisture-laden atmosphere. Condensation, which can be exacerbated by poor insulating material, poor windows and insufficient heating, will be a thing of the past should you opt to retrofit your house.

Why renovate?

Renovate to Get a Custom Lifestyle:

Although one of the principal reasons why many individuals renovate is to raise the resale value of a house, there are different reasons as well. You might want to renovate your house due to a changing lifestyle, for example, additional space to accommodate a growing family via a home extension, or just to bring a feeling of spaciousness.

Maybe you’ve got a need to get a space with a particular function, such as an office or games room. Perhaps the chef in the household has determined that it is time to redesign the kitchen. If you like to entertain, then you may want to add an outdoor living area, like decks, lounges and patios. This increases the liveable area your house provides, which makes it leap in value. Whatever your distinct motivation, shifting your existing home to match your changing tastes and needs is a whole lot simpler than moving.

Reduce Maintenance and Utility Prices:

Other benefits of remodelling a house would be to achieve lower maintenance and utility expenses. Home repair prices often increase a fair amount when maintenance is postponed or ignored too long, but by beginning an improvement job when an issue first arises can save you from extra expenses. Replacing windows, doors or getting gas fitters to update what you have is going to provide greater safety and a greater degree of energy efficiency. When you replace obsolete and inadequate insulation using newer and more effective materials, your energy savings will be substantial over time. The inclusion of a sunroom can lower energy consumption and reduce the operating cost of your home.

Remodelling is a great way for homeowners to add greater functionality and attractiveness to a property whilst raising its value. By selecting the most appropriate job to improve your living area, a substantial part of the expenditure may be passed on to prospective owners in the kind of increased property values. However, the greatest reason you need to choose any home renovation job would be the pleasure you and your family get from living in an updated residence.

Living Near The Ocean Improves Your Health

There is a good reason your dreams of a relaxing holiday often include the ocean, or why many men and women think of retiring to the beach in a coastal style house. There is a feeling of wonder, calm, and serenity that comes from living around the water, or just by being around it. While the tourism sector and Florida snowbirds have known this forever, there is now research to verify that living near the ocean might actually enhance mental health. Using Wellington, New Zealand, the metropolitan capital as its case study, researchers from Michigan State University evaluated residents who lived in areas with views of either blue or green spaces. Coastal residents saw the Tasman Sea or the Pacific Ocean while inland ones were near parks or woods.

Some people who lived near the water reported psychological distress, however many other research studies have looked at the correlation between health and coastal living and have discovered that an uptick in mental health among individuals who live by the water, whether at beach houses or just a few miles away from the ocean. But Michigan State says it is the first to show an affirmative link between the two based on visibility of water out of an individual’s home.

The original intent of this research was to ascertain the impact of nature on depression and anxiety, especially in urban areas where there is less natural beauty. It is well recognized that having bodies of water or swaths of green area boosts physical and social action. And that being close to nature has a known stress-reducing effect, being in an open place and not around large mass amounts of people. Using Data in the New Zealand Health Survey, the investigators could compare mental-health data to where folks live. What they found is that there was no substantial advantage for people living close green areas, but there was for individuals who lived by the water in coastal homes. When they broke down demographics by age, gender and personal income, there continues to be an improvement in mental health among individuals as they researched them closer to the sea.

There are, of course, notable limitations to such a study, which the authors detail in length in their newspaper. For one, they notice that the blue spaces in Wellington are a much better representation of natural beauty than the town’s green ones, which are largely parks and sports fields. Moreover, would the very same results be true of other bodies of water, which aren’t oceans?

Still, the researchers assert that such findings might help identify some tangible ways to help treat mental illness, stress, and anxiety. In April, the World Bank and the World Health Organization held a meeting about how to make an international agenda for mental health, calling it a crucial issue on par with where HIV/AIDS had been 20 years back. They are ready to make important investments. The Authors of this study suggest that, if it is true that blue spaces encourage higher psychological well being, then communities could, as an instance, invest in more affordable housing near the water and effectively the ocean.

Or, if living with views of the water is not feasible, may we suggest beach holidays in a luxurious beach house, with beach style furniture — possibly could be covered by medical insurance? Either way, we know that the ocean is truly a wonderful place, as the open serenity, and the peacefulness of the water really does improve, relieve, and soothe stress and anxiety, and overall your health’s well being.

 

Tennis Can Improve Your Health

Singles, doubles, or against a backboard by yourself, tennis is a good activity that can keep you in shape if you are age 5 or 95. It keeps your cardiovascular and muscular system in top shape even as you get older. Additionally, you cannot beat a tactical mental game, which lets you enjoy the atmosphere of the outdoors – and with the tennis is close sight for us Melbournians we all sure are excited to start swinging the racquet. Below are some reasons why tennis is such a great sport for your bodies health.

Improved anaerobic and aerobic health

Tennis aids in the growth of numerous capillaries and capillary beds inside the muscles so that your muscles may get a better blood supply and circulation. This aids your muscles perform at a higher level and exhaustion in a slower rate. Additionally, it assists in maintaining cardiovascular health, allowing the muscles to use oxygen at a much better way and supply quick energy spurts for explosive energy and rapid, reactive motions.

Running, swinging, attaining, pivoting — tennis can be a real workout with the ideal opponent. It is a mid-afternoon game, and you can burn plenty of calories since you are always on the move. Singles tennis can burn between 400-600 calories an hour. That is not bad for a recreational game that is both fun and can be played by just about anybody. However, when running for long periods of time make sure to be wearing protective shoes. There are some great stores that sell tennis shoes in Melbourne if you are ready for some summer tennis action after watching the Australian Open.

Enhances bone health

Playing tennis is not great for your muscles; it has a beneficial effect on your bones also. Exercising regularly can improve your peak bone mass and may slow down the rate of bone mass reduction with time. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), bone mass peaks around age 30 and starts to decline after that. You can optimize your bone mass before that era through exercise, and continuing to exercise after 30 can slow the rate of bone loss. The NIH names tennis among the weight-bearing activities ideal for building strong bones.

Enhances flexibility, coordination and balance

Tennis demands the cooperation of the entire body. The feet maneuver you in the ideal place, the arms and hands position the racquet to create contact with the ball, and the chest and legs provide the capacity to send the ball flying across the net. These factors come together each time you hit the ball, and every shot takes flexibility, balance and coordination. Flexibility is fantastic since it can offer you a wider array of movement, help prevent injuries and also reduce muscle strain. Make sure you buy proper equipment from a tennis store to support your body during physical endurance.

Boosts brain power

Tennis requires the mind to be creative, and it entails planning, strategic thinking, agility and the coordination of different areas of the body. So the more you play tennis, the better and more powerful the neural links related to those kinds of actions become, and the better you become at them. Along with enhancing neural connections and growing new neurons, studies indicate that exercises that require plenty of thinking — like tennis — may actually improve brain function in ways that assist memory, learning, social skills and behaviour.

Improves discipline and social skills

Tennis makes you more educated because the skills necessary to master the sport take patience, commitment and time. That’s a whole lot of time spent practicing and focusing on getting better. Tennis will help you in attaining a better level of socialisation as you must interact with unique players.

 

Keeping Your Feet Happy and Healthy

Our feet drag us through thousands of steps daily. Yet we cram them into pointy pumps, pound them on the sidewalk, and frequently tend to them last in regards to self-care. Even if you’re known among your friends as having dainty Cinderella feet, or the tall woman who jokingly refers to her toes as skis, foot health is crucial. Find out more about the appropriate bottoms, hygiene, and other lifestyle options to give your feet the support they have been giving you.

10 simple ways to treat your feet right and pain-free:

1. Do not wear too-tight shoes.

2. Do not share shoes.

3. Do not share pedicure utensils with your pals.

4. Do not conceal discolored nails with polish. Let them breathe and treat the underlying matter.

5. Do not shave calluses.

6. Do not perform “DIY operation” on an ingrown nail.

7. Do try the Legs-Up-the-Wall yoga pose after a long day or a tough workout.

8. Do give yourself a foot massage or reserve a reflexology session.

9. Do roll a tennis ball below your feet.

10. Do soothe irritation with a vinegar foot soak.

If you are wondering if socks in bed is fine, as a hygiene item or for general foot health, here is the answer to your burning question: Yes, it is OK to wear socks to bed! However, keep in mind that cold tootsies might be an indicator of an inherent condition.

Perfect shoe fit

  •    The ball of your foot should fit comfortably in the widest aspect of the shoe.
  •    You need to have sufficient depth so that your feet do not rub the tops.
  •    Stand up with the shoes on and ensure you’ve got a half inch (about the width of your finger) between your longest toe and the front part of the shoe.
  •    Walk around in the shoes and be sure that you don’t experience any slipping or rubbing. If you are wondering about current footwear trends, fabric kickers, such as cotton slip-ons or canvas sneakers, are fine. Just do not wear them for jogging, hiking, or actions that require foot protection.
  • In terms of the minimalist running shoe trend, you don’t want to switch too quickly. These shoes are supposed to mimic barefoot running by inviting a forefoot strike (the front part of the foot hitting the floor first) instead of the heel strike that built-up or cushioned shoes promote. A recent research indicates this foot attack change can make some runners more effective, but transitioning too quickly from conventional to minimalist shoes could lead to calf or shin pain.

Things to do

  •    Do not ditch your regular shoes.
  •    Go for a couple of short runs per week in minimalist shoes and find out how you adapt.
  •    Boost your use of minimalist sneakers with time.
  •    Wear your heels like they are worth millions — sparingly

 

The “good shoes” checklist:

  • Replace your running shoes every 300 miles.
  • Nice shoes or boots can normally be fixed, but watch for cracking on the top part, softening in the bottoms, and harm to toe boxes.
  • Check heels for the exact concerns, in addition to for vulnerable nails, a sign you will need a new heel lift.
  • Check sandals for broken or loose straps.
  • Fix, recycle, or throw out when appropriate.

 

Maintaining foot hygiene

Bear in mind, treating the symptom is not going to fix the underlying cause. Rough and thickened skin round the foot comes as a consequence of poor shoe fit. In regards to callus removal, keep it simple and avoid gadgets. For extreme cases, visit the podiatrist or use podiatry instruments.

What about the unavoidable blisters?

If you are a runner, a gym rat, or you want to purchase new shoes (who does not?) you are probably no stranger to the blister. To stop ingrown toenails, cut nails straight across with pedicure instruments. However, don’t round the edges. For those who get a painful ingrown nail, then do not perform “DIY operation” on it — leave this to the professionals.

How can you get rid of foot odor?

Bathing daily and taking the time to wash the skin between your feet afterwards will help stop odor, and fungal and bacterial infections like athlete’s foot.

How to Keep Healthy with a Busy Lifestyle

Entrepreneurs should always have an eye on their company’s financial health, but it is also important to remain in shape yourself. When you have got investors breathing down your neck and aims to strike, that is not always simple though. There is plenty of help out there for busy people looking to stay fit, from the clinically medical to the profoundly religious, to hiring a business coach to manage your busy business. However, you don’t have to call a star nutritionist or a witch doctor just yet — there is some basic measures you can take to keep your mind and body a fighting match.

You are what you eat

If you have got a lot on, it’s easy to shun healthy choices. So a busy person or business owner will typically grab snacks, cake, anything that is quick, simple, processed and you’ll be able to consume quickly so that you can continue. Rather, keep your energy levels up and cravings at bay by eating a High-protein breakfast, grazing on seeds, nuts and fruits and drinking a lot of water. Soup can be a fantastic lunch choice, as it contains both food and water. Whatever you do, do not try to get by on coffee alone. Try to get some real food in your system rather than running on adrenaline, which a whole lot of business people do. It is mainly caffeine uppers and downers and that can be, in the long term, very harmful to your endocrine system, your adrenal gland can crash. A good deal of people in business can burn out because they keep pushing and their body gives way.

Keep on moving

Some people just can not get enough exercise, but on a cold rainy morning it can be tempting to hit the snooze button as opposed to wear your running shoes. Finding ways to fit it into your day is essential, though. Entrepreneurs are driven individuals who need to have an entrepreneurial kind challenge, which requires them to be fit. Needing to be in shape for an upcoming task can be a great source of motivation. As for the kind of work outs you should be doing, match your exercise with the strength of your job. If you’re in a really intense work period then do something like interval training, or even just going outside and running quickly between lampposts and walking for a little. It trains your body to deal with an extreme period of putting your body under plenty of stress and then learning how to recuperate from it.

Learn how to rest

Take some time to allow your body and head recharge. And if you are too busy to rest, perhaps consider some business coaching programs to lighten your load a little.

Get checked out

Nobody enjoys visiting the physician’s and it is especially easy to put It off in the event you’ve got a busy lifestyle, but ignoring signs of illness can have serious consequences. We can list lots of health issues that executives could have, but they will not know they have high blood pressure or high cholesterol unless they have it quantified.

Be happy

Emotional well-being is important. Some entrepreneurs tend to take on these bad habits of anxiety and worry, which can have very damaging effects on your energy and your health. It’s a genuine cognitive drain also, both emotionally and physically. Even really successful small business owners, there is always a fear of “oh I am not good enough”. I would certainly say pay attention and do everything you can to change those habits until they take a grip and take their toll. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that there is no point in working every of the day if it means ignoring your wellbeing. Running a business is among the most fun and energetic things anybody can do if you look after yourself.

 

Skin Checks are a Major Concern

With summer approaching fast, and with the heat rising in Australia, we are continuing to place our health at risk by neglecting to get our skin regularly checked for skin cancer. New Australian federal research shows 71 percent of Australians have not had a professional skin checks in the past year, and 39 percent of Australians have not had a professional skin care placing them at higher risk of dying from skin cancer. The Australian Government has now implements the TAL Spot Checker survey scheme, which found that while 71 percent of Australians recorded sun safety as extremely important, 26 percent found it somewhat important and 3 percent not that important, choosing to sunbake in the boiling heat with no skin protection, or better known as slip, slop, slap!

A total of 20 percent of Australians during the survey did not know how frequently they ought to obtain their skin checked by a local doctor or skin specialist. Sally Phillips, the TAL general director of health services, says we should get our skin checked at least once a year. One in four respondents in the poll of 1000 Australians said they had been too busy to receive their skin checked and 15 percent said they had not gotten it done because they did not want to invest the money. This is despite several services offering bulk billing services. At the 18-29 year-old age bracket 54 percent of respondents had never had their skin checked by a skin doctor.

A new set of pop up skin care clinics will be set up by TAL, Australia’s largest life insurance carrier, this summer at a few of the country’s most iconic places — Bondi Beach in Sydney, Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, Federation Square in Melbourne, Henley Beach in Adelaide and City Beach in Perth. TAL general director of health services Sally Phillips said Australians should obtain their skin checked once a year, this service will also allow for mole removal for people who need it most, and are worried their skin may be depleting at a fast rate.

More than 2000 people per day are treated for skin cancer in Australia, that is 750,000 each year. This amount would be significantly lower if people took simple steps to protect themselves, like committing to a regular expert skin check annually to assist in early detection. One in four respondents in the poll of 1000 Australians said they had been too busy to receive their skin checked.

Self-checking is a excellent first step in early detection of skin cancer, but we urge Australians to receive a professional check each year, and according to the Cancer Council Australia, two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some kind of skin cancer before they are 70. Nearly 14,000 people are expected to be diagnosed this year based on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Craig Sinclair, chair of the Cancer Council’s public health committee said not every Australian had to receive their skin checked once a year. “The significant thing is really for all people to take responsibility and keep an eye out for stains changing in shape, color or size and see a physician if something seems suspicious,” Mr Sinclair said.

“We don’t recommend people have yearly skin checks with their GP unless they’re somebody who’s at particularly higher risk. They may be somebody with a family history of skin cancer, somebody who has already had skin cancers removed or has a large number of moles on their skin or a lot of freckles.

“It should really be about self-surveillance and educating yourself about what to be aware of.”

 

Reasons to Consider going Vegan

For the animals

Preventing the exploitation of animals is only one of many reasons people choose to become vegan, but for most it remains the crucial element in their decision. Having emotional attachments with animals may form part of the reason, while many believe that all sentient creatures have a right to liberty and life. Specifics aside, avoiding animal products is among the most obvious ways it’s possible to take a stand against animal cruelty and animal exploitation everywhere.

For Your Wellbeing

A growing number of people are turning into a vegan diet for the health benefits: increased energy, younger looking skin and eternal youth are merely a few of the claims from passionate plant eaters. Eternal youth may be a bit of a stretch, but there are certainly many scientifically proven advantages to vegan living when compared to the typical western diet.

Well-planned plant-based diets are full of iron, protein, calcium and other essential minerals and vitamins. The plant-based sources of those nutrients are normally low in saturated fat, high in fibre and packed with antioxidants, helping mitigate some of the contemporary world’s biggest health problems like obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Think about how high protein vegan foods can benefit your health and wellbeing.

For the environment

From recycling our household garbage to riding to work, we are all aware of approaches to live a greener life. Among the very best things someone can do to reduce their carbon footprint is to prevent all animal products. This goes far beyond the issue of cow flatulence.

Why is milk and meat so bad for the environment?

The production of meat and other animal products puts a huge strain on the environment – from plants and water needed to feed the animals, to the transportation and other processes involved from farm to fork. The vast quantity of grain feed necessary for meat production is a substantial contributor to deforestation, habitat loss and species extinction. In Brazil, the equivalent of 5.6 million acres is used to grow soya beans for animals in the continent. This property contributes to growing world malnutrition by forcing impoverished populations to grow cash crops for animal feed, instead of food for themselves. On the other hand, substantially lower amounts of crops and water have to maintain a vegan diet, which makes the switch to veganism among the easiest, most pleasurable and best ways to lessen our impact on the environment.

For people

Like veganism is the sustainable alternative when it comes to looking after our world, plant-based dwelling can be a more sustainable way of feeding your family. A plant-based diet requires just one third of the land required to support a meat and dairy diet. With rising international food and water insecurity because of plethora of environmental and socio-economic troubles, there has never been a better time to embrace a more sustainable way of living. Avoiding animal products isn’t just among the easiest ways a person can reduce the strain on food in addition to other resources, it is the easiest way to take a stand against ineffective food systems that disproportionately affects the poorest people around the world. And with the ease of access by having fruit and vegetables delivered, there really is no excuse not to.

It is time to ask ourselves: if it’s currently possible to live a life that entails delicious food and beverage, delivers better health, leaves a smaller carbon footprint and avoids killing other animals – then, why don’t we?

Why Fitbits Are Good For Your Health

Fitbits are the largest fitness tracker available right now. And nothing compares to hitting 10,000 steps. Does everyone agree? The Fitbit is a fitness tracker, perfect for people who maintain busy life styles. Could you imagine everyone in the office wearing one? Talk about team management in the office! Here are some simple reasons why wearing a Fitbit helps your health in many different ways.

  1. Nothing feels better than attaining your measure goal. When your wrist begins vibrating, it is (nearly) like you won the lottery. Being able to see what you have achieved is a fantastic feeling, especially if you are trying to achieve certain health and exercise goals.
  2. You will sleep more. Wearing the Fitbit can get tiring, after all, you try to beat your step count day in and day out. This is a great device for people who have trouble sleeping – you won’t have trouble whist wearing the Fitbit.
  3. You literally never take it off; never. The new Fitsbits are waterproof, meaning you can shower with it!
  4. The Fitbit is great, as its “friendly” contest keeps you moving. The fact you can challenge friends and family on who gets the maximum steps is the very best and worst thing to happen, particularly if you are aggressive or competitive. You will walk around your house like a madman merely to find those last 200 steps to bet or achieve your Fitbit goal.
  5. If you do take it off and forget to wear it, life is over. That’s thousands of measures. So many floors; gone. Make sure to wear it everyday to keep count of the steps you take!
  6. You are more aware, especially if you are a busy bee. This Fitbit acts like a project management system; basically meaning it keeps track of your fitness, while you work away busily each and every day. Seeing stats of how many calories you are burning, how much action you are getting, your quality of sleep every night, how much activity your buddies are getting, really opens your eyes to the amount of exercise you are getting; and if it is not enough!
  7. You do not need to remember to log workouts, this matter somehow knows what sort of workout you do and monitors that also. It is such a clever health gadget, especially when we are all really busy and forget to push the workout button! Luckily for us, the Fitbit does it for us.
  8. Eight-hour workdays go so much quicker. Taking two, five-minute breaks and walking round the building, up and down the staircase, or perhaps around the block not only adds measures, but gets you away from a computer and gives you more energy and concentrate on work, and benefits your health is so many ways.
  9. With this Fitbit, you get more from your workouts. You can see if your heartbeat was in fat burn, cardio or summit mode, so you can see if you are pushing yourself hard enough, or if you will need to change things up.
  10. It is a one stop shop. Once the device is purchase, all you have to do is download your Fitbit app where you use Bluetooth to pair devices so you are able to monitor your water consumption, what you eat, your workouts, sleep, heart rate, weight, distance traveled, and much, much more. Rather than going between apps to remain on top of your exercise regime, it is all in one place. The Fitbit is convenient, and easy to use, and will benefit your health in many ways.

The Mental Strain of Being a Crane Operator

On a construction site where countless men climb over the skeleton of a construction 14 stories tall, just a few are prepared to scale the swaying 250-foot-high tower crane where Willie Steinberg sits, surveying everything.

For six months Steinberg was working here, hanging iron high above Fifth Avenue by placing massive columns throughout the place to teams of men standing on an open scaffolding that will eventually come to be a new King County office building.

Just one miscalculation and thousands of pounds of steel can plummet, killing employees, halting multimillion-dollar projects. Nevertheless, Steinberg, like most crane operators, functions without any device to tell him just how much weight he’s lifting, or precisely where his hook has shrunk. It’s all done based on texture, expertise and the say-so of a person on the ground below, radioing instructions.

People who believe the toughest aspect of his day is simply scaling the narrow ladder don’t have a clue, he explains. The mental strain of the occupation is ‘like being in all-day surgery’.

Public perception was on Steinberg’s mind since a tower crane collapsed at a construction site in downtown Bellevue, damaging several buildings and killing the resident of a nearby apartment building. A state investigation into the accident is continuing and has yet to determine a cause.

The operator of the Bellevue crane miraculously suffered only minor injuries, but his commitment to the task has been called into question because of his history of drug-related convictions.

Like many countries, Washington requires no special permit to operate a crane or slab scissors, no timetable for crane inspections without any regulations for replacing worn cables. Nor are there rules for the duration of time an operator may work before taking a compulsory break.

Steinberg’s crane, for instance, was built in 1984. He’s got no idea if its welds are checked since. Considering these truths, Chris Barron, a crane maintenance contractor for Jorgensen Forge, said that crane operators can do little more than create a cursory glance over their machines prior to lifting the tower and turning the ignition key. State inspections of the cranes are not required in Washington.

In his chair, high over the city, Steinberg cannot even see all the effects of his conclusions. He swings a lot of steel over work sites with only a vague idea of who’s underneath him or where they are standing. Everything is dependent on messages from the sign man below.

When the winds whip to dangerous speeds Steinberg shuts the crane off but stays in his perch. It takes a half-hour to descend the steel construction so he sits and waits, this is also through lunch and coffee breaks, relieving himself in a plastic bottle or paper bag if necessary, and carrying down the waste at night. He begins work at daylight and finishes after dark.

After graduating high school in West Seattle, he spent four decades as a roofer and warehouse employee, waiting to join Operating Engineers Local 302. His father, a surveyor, helped him into the industry. Initially, he worked on the ground, but was climbing cranes the first chance he got, working as an oiler to clean, lubricate and maintain the giant, steel machines. He would fill in when operators had a break, learning on the job, mainly by observation and practice.

On his first job, a 28-story construction in downtown Seattle, winds whipped around 85 mph and Steinberg sat in his cab, petrified. He’d never even been on the ground in gales such as that, let alone so high in the air. Old-timers had cautioned against descending in these weather, insisting it was safer to remain in the enclosed controller house. But Steinberg, grasping the vibration tower like a bug on a wall, didn’t care.

He has since worked through the Nisqually Quake and in jobs across Seattle, at condos and office buildings, the new federal courthouse, Safeco Field and Microsoft.

Crane operators are the sought after elites in building, with specialized knowledge and commensurate pay. They are easily able to earn six-figure incomes. But the pressure is severe. Though convinced after 15 years at work, Steinberg is never comfortable. The concentration he has to maintain is intense, the possible risk great. Stress is a constant.

At home in North Bend, Steinberg’s wife, Lynn, normally pushes away all thoughts about her husband’s job. She has never been close to his crane at work and when word came the week of the accident at Bellevue, she could not look at the TV news footage without getting queasy.

For the couple’s 11-year-old son, David, the effect was worse. Unable to sleep, he begged his father to stay home the following day. Steinberg demurred, he had been in the Seattle job website, as normal, by 6 a.m. the following morning as it is not a job but a lifestyle choice for him.

Although the mental strain is higher for crane workers than it is for those working in an IT service company, just as Steinberg has shown, you need to have a passion and love for the steel masterpieces in order for them not to completely cripple your mental health.

The Health Effects of Drug Stigma on Users

Many people take drugs. From our morning coffee to our evening wine, to the occasional line or puff for a good moment. Illicit drug use is an experience the vast majority of people undertake, and it is unproblematic. It is common amongst wealthy, university educated, business and privileged individuals.

The paper-thin line that separates legal and illegal substances is as confounding as it’s unkind; the legislation deems convicted illegal drug users criminals, therefore we treat them as such. We use demeaning labels, such as ‘junkie’ and ‘deadbeat addicts’, to separate them from the ‘finer’ people who take drugs.

Applying criminal penalties to individuals who have and use drugs causes much more harm than it prevents it. It makes criminals of people that aren’t, leads to the stigmatisation of people using medication, and creates barriers to treatment and rehabilitation. Our government won’t reshape policy to respond to evidence and data, outcries from alcohol and drug experts, and needless drug-related deaths. So what’s the basis of our drug policy?

What Needs To Change

In Victoria alone, there were four previous amendments to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 since 2010. Each change claimed to decrease or stop drug-related injuries locally. And yet there is no evidence that these interventions have been effective at reducing drug-related injuries.

Australia’s drug policy is flawed and outdated, and it’s dragging people who use drugs down with it. Drug use can be safer through regular dosages, transparent labelling and no contaminants. Drug use can be as positive as possible by decriminalising and de-stigmatising men and women who use drugs, instead addressing the drivers of problematic drug use. Drug use could be more ethical by taking drug profits from organised crime and funneling them into services such as schools and health care and promoting personal responsibility among people who use drugs. Drug use could be more honest if we provide drug and health instruction that educates the uses and harms of use of the drug.

The proof indicates that Australians love consuming drugs and getting off drugs is not necessarily an easy task; since 2014 we have experienced some of the highest percentages of recreational drug users on earth. At the exact same time, arrests are steadily climbing for the last decade to over 90,000 arrests per year. About two-thirds of those, over 60,000 arrests annually, are for cannabis usage.

The war on drugs is one fought with guns, jails, and awful deaths. It seeps into our daily lives with harmful truths and polluted products. However, what can the people do to fight that?

The Issue With “Coming Out” As A Drug User

A growing trend to ‘come out’ openly as a person who uses drugs is problematic as it suggests that there’s somewhere to ‘hide’ drug use in the first instance. A ‘normal’ person may hide their drug prices behind Wickr usernames and opt for delivery to their own homes, rather than having to conduct deals out in the open. Whereas street-based medication purchases and use are a phenomenon of poor and marginalised peoples’ lack of housing and lifestyle privilege.

Public admissions of drug use are an entitlement afforded to few and are often said after the actuality. Lists regularly circulate showcasing successful men and women who have used illicit drugs, suggesting mutual exclusivity, implying it’s not normal to succeed and also use drugs.

There is the uncertainty of challenging the stigma of drug use with personal declarations, but with little control over how that information is used, and possibly, against you. Honest admissions of drug use can create a lasting impact on a more controlled scale. Sincere discussions, at the right time, together with members of your loved ones, friendship circle, and drug treatment centres provide opportunities to conquer long-held misconceptions about illegal substances and the effects they’ve had on your life.

Using drugs is as varied as it is common, which is part of what makes the stigma of usage so harmful. Individuals that choose to use drugs, particularly if they are poor or have a disability, should not need to give justification for their use. Remedial advantages, enjoyment, and pleasure are well-documented side-effects of personal drug use, however harmful drug use is never encouraged.

 

Mental Health Well-being of Gay and Lesbian Youths

The legalisation of same-sex union in certain US states has been connected with a fall in the amount of gay, lesbian and bisexual teens that attempted to commit suicide, according to a new study.

The study, printed in JAMA Pediatrics (Journal of the American Medical Association), looked into the suicide efforts of sexual minority children in 47 states in the United States. It discovered that out of the 32 states that allowed the same-sex union, there was a seven percent decrease in suicide attempts. We estimated that, annually, same-sex union policies are associated with over 134,000 fewer adolescents attempting to commit suicide.

Julia Raifman, among the writers of the study, stated that the LGBTI community has its own set of health issues, which is “especially true” for teens. A number of the particular “health disparities” include depression, substance abuse, and sexually-transmitted diseases.

She told JAMA that lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers are almost five times as likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.

In the event that you or anyone you know needs assistance:

  • Lifeline on 13 11 14
  • Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
  • MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
  • Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
  • Past Blue on 1300 22 46 36
  • Headspace on 1800 650 890

The information researchers looked at was enormous. It spanned almost 763,000 pupils, 231,000 of whom were diagnosed as a sexual minority.

In the United States, as it is here in Australia, suicide is among the top causes of death among young men and women. According to the journal, almost three out of ten homosexual, bisexual and lesbian teens (aged between 15 and 24) had attempted suicide in 2015, compared to six percent of heterosexual students. For example, the link between depression and gay men is high as the stigma around sexuality remains.

But why is this?

According to the study, it is all about the stigma attached. In other words, denying same-sex couples the right to marry sends a message which they don’t deserve the very same rights as other couples.

The research showed policies preventing same-sex union constitute a type of structural stigma since they tag sexual minorities as distinct and refuse them legal, fiscal, health, and other advantages which are connected with the union.

Media attention and enhanced visibility of sexual minorities, which is connected with an increased social support network often accompany the advocacy for the legalisation of same-sex unions. The study said that same-sex union contributed to the greater acceptance of sexual minorities, which subsequently resulted in a larger feeling of self-worth.

This improved social support, such as a coming out support group, could translate into enhanced peer and behavioural approval of sexual minorities that have been proven to be associated with enhanced mental health.

By comparison, denying same-sex couples the right to marry could have a negative effect on households, as it might result in rejection. The study also discovered that resources dedicated to pushing for the same-sex union by the LGBTI community might be better spent on serving the mental health needs of community members.

Is it the exact same in Australia?

There is no comparison available, as unlike the USA, marriage laws have been dependent on the Commonwealth Government. So states cannot do it alone. (The ACT attempted to legalise it in 2013, but it had been overturned by the High Court, which ascertained that the land could not create its own marriage laws.)

It was found via the Australian National University that LGBTI individuals are not likely to endure any long-term consequences because of their sexual orientation. Dr. Richard Burns analyzed 5,000 individuals over eight years old and discovered that sexual orientation was not a risk factor for long-term emotional health issues.

Childhood sexual trauma, risky health behaviours, smoking, and a lack of positive reinforcement and negative social interactions pose more of a threat to a person’s psychological health than their sexual orientation.

Dr. Burns declared that LGBTI individuals are a lot more likely to encounter those risk factors than heterosexual individuals but stated sexual orientation itself did not pose a threat. Considering all the research we found that there is not any distinct psychological health risk for individuals who have a homosexual or bisexual orientation.

 

Australian Dietary Guidelines Tips for Better Eating

The recommendations from the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australian Guide to Healthy Eating can assist you to select foods for good health and to decrease your risk of chronic health issues.

If you’re carrying excess weight, then the Australian Dietary Guidelines may also help you lose weight when you combine it with some of our great health tip and make appropriate lifestyle changes. The guidelines encourage readers towards meals which are high in nutrients but lower in kilojoules. These options are nutrient dense but less energy compact and beneficial for both attaining and maintaining a wholesome weight.

People wanting to eliminate weight will also find that this Information is helpful for preparing meals and snacks. Observing the recommended variety of portions in the Five Food Groups and preventing the optional foods will create a slow but healthful weight loss for most people. But many people, especially younger guys and individuals who are taller than ordinary or more energetic, may need extra portions of the five food groups. Even simple things, such as choosing healthier options when ordering meals. Here are the main points!

Eating often

It is vital for weight loss control and particularly weight reduction, to recognise and act on the feedback that your body provides you, around when and how much you want to consume. However in addition, it is important to aim to get a normal eating routine of meals, or snacks and mid-afternoon meals.

A planned routine of eating is much more likely to contain the recommended variety of servings in the five food groups. A spontaneous, unstructured eating routine is much more inclined to include too many optional foods that means a lot of saturated fat, added sugars, additional salt and kilojoules at the cost of fiber and nutrients that are important.

Do not skip breakfast?

Breakfast skippers are more likely to be enticed by unplanned optional choices throughout the morning and big serves at another snack or meal. Just consider how yummy these big baked cakes seem at morning tea if you have missed breakfast!

Individuals who regularly consume a breakfast containing wholegrain bread or cereal, low fat milk or yoghurt and perhaps some fruit or veggies are a lot more likely to be eating well and get rid of fat than people who skip breakfast.

Eat with other individuals not TV

We also understand that people who consume with other people and consume at the dining table, are more inclined to eat often and eat well than people who consume independently or in front of the TV. Dining with others leads to a tendency to add more foods from the five food groups. As an instance, people frequently report that they cannot be bothered cooking veggies only for themselves.

Television watching is related to ingesting more optional options like take-away or fast foods and fewer foods in the five food groups. Additionally, it makes it far more challenging to recognise and react to our body’s signs about desire and satiety.

Fantastic meal preparation and making healthy decisions can occasionally be difficult but a few helpful ideas may make it simpler. Remember while sometimes more convenient, a well prepared, balanced meal is a much healthier alternative.

As soon as you know which the healthier options in the grocery store are, shopping may actually get simpler, faster and more economical.

  • Organize snacks and meals for the week and be certain you get all you’ll need.
  • Compose a list and keep it up.
  • Do not shop when you are hungry so you’re not as tempted by unplanned alternatives.
  • Focus on purchasing foods in the Five Food Groups and restrict optional foods.
  • Utilize your tag reading abilities to work out what are the best options and search for these whenever you go shopping.

Planning is the key to healthy eating based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines when adhering to a budget so make sure you spend the majority of your cash on the Five Food Groups. Consider at great lengths about why you’re purchasing optional Foods and just how much you actually must purchase. This is particularly important if you’re attempting to shed weight, since in the event that you don’t purchase it and take it home, it is a lot easier to stick with your objectives.

Lead Found in Drinking Water in Schools

Eight Hamilton schools and daycares were found to have too much lead in their drinking water through testing of individual taps in 2016. Eric Mathews, the city’s director of safe water, stated that it’s definitely a concern that has to be dealt with. Mathews said he’s thankful for provincial guidelines that need schools and child-care centers to flush pipes daily or weekly – based on the time of buildings – and test for lead concentrations in drinking water. Kids are a vulnerable population to lead exposure.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Elementary School had lead levels in drinking water over five times greater than the provincial standard of 10 parts per billion, showed evaluation results from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change acquired by the Toronto Star. The east Mountain school failed three drinking water tests of individual taps during an appliance repair service and air conditioning installation in July, 2016 – among them after the system was flushed.

Pat Daly, seat of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, is confident the 2017 results will show marked improvement. In St. Kateri, they shifted significant sections of pipes, piping and joints to the satisfaction of the public health department. As required, they are being flushed on a cycle every day and will stay so for a couple of decades.

In total, two from Hamilton’s 56 Catholic colleges failed lead tests. The other was St. Martin of Tours Catholic Elementary School in Stoney Creek, which had a standing water test above the provincial standard in July. Two from Hamilton’s 108 public colleges also were found to have too much lead in their drinking water.

École Élémentaire Michaëlle Jean in Binbrook had lead levels over double the brink while Queensdale Elementary School on the central Mountain failed a test after the machine was flushed. Reputation samples are more likely to reveal lead since they’re taken while the plumbing has not been used for at least six hours. A flushed sample is after the water has run for at least five minutes and then left unused for approximately 30 minutes.

Clearly we take the health and security of our students very seriously. Stacey Zucker, associate director of support services in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, said that they make sure they follow up and follow the regulations. She says the issue was dealt with at both colleges.

One Hamilton daycare is using bottled water while the emergency plumber handles the piping and hot water service repairs in one of its locations after status- and flushed-water tests demonstrated excessive lead levels. Today’s Family Early Learning and Child Care is having a filter in its Delta Adventure Camp website to wash fruit and toys. Kids do not drink the tap water in the camp, which is situated at Delta United Church in 47 Ottawa St. S.

CEO Marni Flaherty commented that they were completely on top of it. According to Flaherty, come up with recommendations and they will follow them. Over the last two decades, over 640 schools and daycares provincewide were found to have too much lead in their drinking water for both heating and cooling through yearly tests demanded by the 2007 provincial laws.

This is an important concern because lead is a toxic metal that especially affects fetuses and young children. Even low levels of exposure could lead to problems with intellectual development. The amount of failed tests is only expected to get worse as new rules about how samples are collected started coming into force in July.

Facility executives should always make sure that the elements in their buildings’ plumbing systems meet the local plumbing code requirements. However, with the increased concern over lead in drinking water, it may be helpful to know the sources of lead contamination and the particular demands of the various laws, regulations, and criteria associated with plumbing and lead systems.

Lead is a hazardous contaminant commonly found in plumbing systems of older houses and buildings with blocked plumbing and drains or a burst pipe. Occasionally newer buildings may also have a lead issue. There are 3 main resources:

  • Lead service lines linking the building plumbing systems into the public water supply system, which most often occur in buildings constructed before 1950
  • Lead solder used in aluminum piping systems, which mainly occurred before 1986
  • Lead-containing brass or galvanized pipes and fittings that are not certified to the NSF/ANSI 61: Drinking Water System Components-Health Effects standard

Additionally, products that don’t comply with the “lead-free” content demands of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), effective January 1, 2014, could also serve as a source of lead.

Health Benefits of Alcohol for Studying

As a college student, you hear plenty of mixed messages. Partying is fun, but studying is essential. You have a final tomorrow morning, but your hot neighbor is hosting a beer pong tournament. Whether you like a refined glass of red from a vineyard in the Yarra Valley Australia or are happy to chug the cheapest box wine you can find, we all know there’s several negative connotations around drinking. But, fear not,  there may actually be some positives! Alcohol consumption may prime particular brain regions to learn and remember better, a new study from the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research at The University of Texas at Austin finds.

wine yarra valley, alcohol, learning, find a tutorThe common view that drinking Is bad for memory and learning is not wrong according to neurobiologist Hitoshi Morikawa, but it highlights just one side of what ethanol ingestion does to the mind.

Typically, conversations surrounding memory and learning are focused on conscious memory, but Moriwaka’s results published last month in The Journal of Neuroscience found that while the capacity of short-term memory like an acquaintances name or the a definition of a phrase is diminished, alcohol may enhance subconscious ability to learn.

Morikawa’s study, discovered that multiple exposures to ethanol enhances the plasticity of synapses in a crucial area in the mind. It is supportive of current literature in neuroscience that purports an emerging consensus  that alcohol and drug addiction is basically a learning and memory disorder.

When we consume alcohol (or inject heroin, or take coke, or drop methamphetamines), our subconscious is changing, learning how to increase consumption. However, it does not stop there. We become more receptive to forming subsconscious memories and customs concerning music, food, even people and social conditions.

In a significant sense, Morikawa proposes that alcoholics are not hooked on the experience of relief or pleasure they get from drinking alcohol; they’re hooked on the constellation of behavioral, environmental and physiological cues which are reinforced when alcohol triggers the release of dopamine in the brain.

“People commonly think of dopamine as a happy transmitter, or a pleasure transmitter, but more accurately it’s a learning transmitter,” says Morikawa. “It strengthens those synapses that are active when dopamine is released.”

Alcohol, in this version, is the enabler. It hijacks the dopaminergic system, and it tells our mind that what we are doing at the moment is rewarding (and thus worth repeating).

One of the things we learn is that drinking alcohol is rewarding. We also learn that going into the pub, chatting with friends, eating certain foods and listening to certain sorts of songs are rewarding. The more frequently we do these things while drinking (and the dopamine which gets released) the more “potentiated” the several synapses become and the more we crave the set of associations and experiences that orbit around the alcohol usage.

Morikawa’s long-term hope is that by understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction better, he can create anti-addiction drugs which would weaken, rather than strengthen, the important synapses. And if he can do that, he would have the ability to erase the subconscious memory of dependence.

Essentially, he is trying to de-wire these learned associations, but this comes with a risk as these drugs could be misused as a brain controlling substance, but with the right guidance these drugs would remove the controlling elements of addictive drugs

hangover, english tutor, wineries yarra valleyHowever, we do not have to tell you there is no worse feeling than rolling into course really hungover with your mind totally fried and your stomach in a dangerously fragile state. And to be perfectly honest, hangovers kind of make you dumber.

A 2013 study conducted from Keele University found hangovers impair the ability to think clearly and do simple arithmetic. The analysis also found hangovers slow response time; a hungover individual in their 20s has the identical response time as someone in their 40s.

But given both sides of the research we tend to favour the positive factors!

We’re here to give you a bit of great information about alcohol as the academic year begins: When consumed in moderation, alcohol can actually improve your academic performance, so it might be time to find a tutor who is willing to shout a few rounds.

Here’s why you should not hate yourself for ducking by Happy Hour prior to a study session at the library.

1. Alcohol can enhance your creativity.

A hangover may leave you unable to consider a lot of anything, but a drink or two could be just what you will need to get the creative juices flowing.

One University of Illinois study polled 40 guys on their Study habits and discovered a guy was more inventive when he had a blood alcohol content of about .075.

As for real memory capability, participants’ memories were marginally better when they had not had anything to drink.

What you can take away from this: If you have a creative writing task to complete, sinking a few before seeing your English tutor to brainstorm ideas could help! But just a small bit of it. Do not get really drunk whilst studying, text somebody you shouldn’t, fail your test and blame it on us.

2. Alcohol can make you smarter.

As if giving you a spark of inspiration wasn’t sufficient, moderate alcohol consumption may also keep your mind sharp as time passes.

Another study conducted on alcohol in 2011 discovered ethanol helps the nerves in your brain “[protect] against the development of dementia in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”

Remember, though, it’s about moderation. Binge drinking is not great for your brain at all, in any shape or form.

3. Alcohol may even help you overcome that annoying cold.

Ever noticed you seem to get sick in the most inconvenient times ever? Like when you’ve got an exam right around the corner? Well, whiskey works wonders, especially for those who have a sore throat.

Whether your spent too much time yelling at that super loud Frat party last weekend or you feel a cold coming on, try adding a spoonful of whiskey into a cup of warm water and gargling with it to numb your throat a little. If you would like more of a soothing quality, add a teaspoon of honey into the mix.

Want something on the cooler side that is also packed with Vitamin C? Consider mixing up a whiskey cherry smoothie.

What are you waiting for? Grab your best Yarra Valley wine, finest Irish whiskey or best German beer and begin studying! A few drinks could be the difference between you be an A grade student compared to a B grade student!

 

Chris Bosh’s Eagerness to Play Leaves Heat at an Ethical Crossroads

Chris Bosh, one of the leading players in the N.B.A., has never ever caused trouble for his group, on or off the court. He has actually won 2 N.B.A. titles and been selected for the All-Star game an astounding 11 times. The Miami Heat, nevertheless, do not desire him to step on the court for them this season, or maybe ever again, asking him to hang up his basketball jerseys for good.

In one of the strangest and complicated standoffs in sports history, Bosh and the Heat are locked in a disagreement over whether he ought to be deemed medically fit to play after dealing with serious illness. With training camp scheduled to begin today, Bosh states he is ready to go, the Heat says he is not.

Bosh’s last 2 seasons have been derailed by blood clots. Bosh has suggested that he has worked with a personal physician to develop treatments that would permit him to play.

Bosh is owed about $76 million over the next 3 seasons regardless of whether he plays or not. So if the team is, in fact, keeping an eye out for Bosh’s welfare, it suggests an exception to what is possibly a more typical practice of pro sports franchises: pushing sports stars to play despite medical concerns.

The Heat announced their conclusion, mentioning a medical examination, after Bosh’s recent emergence from a self-imposed cocoon of silence to wage a public battle with the team’s medical personnel. Bosh has actually done numerous interviews with Undisturbed– his former colleague LeBron James’s digital platform for professional athletes– in which he has looked to make his case.

People with blood clots usually take blood-thinning medication, which is most likely one of the most daunting obstacles for Bosh. Athletes who are on blood slimmers are advised to avoid contact sports because of an increased possibility of internal bleeding and other problems. Even an elbow to the ribs might cause significant damage, stated Dr. David Forsh, the chief of orthopaedic trauma at the Icahn School of Medication at Mount Sinai in Manhattan.

Bosh experienced his very first known clotting issue in February 2015. He had cramps, convulsions and shortness of breath, although he attempted to conceal his symptoms, he stated. Bosh remembered one specific circumstance when he was in pain up until 3 or 4 in the early morning and the Heat were scheduled to deal with the Dallas Mavericks the next day. Bosh played because the Heat was already short-handed.

Bosh talked about the life of an athlete in his podcast, referring to the ‘one thing about athletes’ being that they neglect discomfort, or attempt to disregard pain, which he thinks is one of the worst things athletes can do.

Bosh was ultimately hospitalized, and tests exposed that an embolism in his calf had moved to his lungs, triggering a lung embolism– an issue that can be deadly. Bosh had surgery and invested nine days in a medical facility. He lost 20 to 25 pounds, he said, and missed out on the last 30 games of the 2014-15 seasons, giving his custom basketball uniforms a long rest.

Bosh has actually never openly articulated his specific course of treatment; however he most likely took blood-thinning drugs. He appeared in a TV commercial for one such medication, Xarelto.

Bosh was cleared by the Heat to return for the 2015-16 season openers. He played well through the first half of the season, averaging 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game prior to the All-Star break. But a couple of days prior to the All-Star basketball game, he woke up with a sore calf. He was quickly found to have had a recurrence of blood clots. He met several medical professionals, who informed him that his season was over and that his career was most likely ended as well, he thought.

Bosh also alluded to the stress between himself and the Heat’s medical personnel.

 

It has mostly remained a one-sided public tussle. The Heat, aside from erratic declarations, have not spoken in detail about Bosh’s medical circumstance, nor have team authorities said exactly what liability, if any, the franchise may have if something were to happen to Bosh on the court.

 

The Heat declined to comment when asked for this article. The players’ union have not returned a call looking for comment as of yet.

Samantha Brennan, a viewpoint teacher at Western University in London, Ontario, teaches a class on sports ethics that discuss the function of group physicians and the conflicts of interest that can arise– namely, clearing athletes to go back to the court, track or field before they are ready.

So what happens if an athlete, fully aware of the medical risks, demands to continue to play? Does the team have a moral duty to watch out for the athlete’s wellness? For the most parts, Brennan stated, threat taking is delegated, it is typically up to the discretion of the player. The challenge with lots of professional athletes, she said, is that they have actually invested a lot of themselves in their careers from an early age that it can cloud their judgment.

Eventually, Brennan mentioned that a professional athlete is an employee, and group authorities have the power to do what they want.

Dr. Jack Ansell, a teacher of medication at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine on Long Island, stated that he knew of a number of professional athletes who had handled blood-clot problems by taking blood thinners in between games.

Ansell, a member and former chairman of the medical and clinical advisory board of the National Embolism Alliance, has actually not examined Bosh and has no specific knowledge of his case. However Ansell said he believed that Bosh would need long-lasting blood-thinning treatment to prevent repeating embolisms. The difficult schedule of the N.B.A. would make intermittent treatment a challenge.

Rebekah Bradford Plath, a speed skater who completed at the 2010 Winter Olympics, developed a pulmonary embolism in 2012. While still on blood-thinning treatment, she resumed training. The risks were relatively minimal. Long-track speed skating is a non-contact sport, although falls do happen; Bradford Plath wore a helmet.

Last year, after having surgical treatment on her knee, Bradford Plath had a recurrence of blood clotting even though she was taking blood thinners at the time. After her doctor increased the dosage, she stated, the clot cleared.

Bradford Plath, who still takes blood thinners when she travels on planes, continues to train with an eye on the 2018 Winter season Olympics.

Inside the CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician Certification

The complex relationship in between information technology and health care postures an unique obstacle for the IT industry. On the surface, health care centers experience the same common IT problems found in any business: Printers go down, users forget passwords, workstations have hardware failures, and so on where business it solutions are on hand to help.

Healthcare-related IT, nevertheless, must also supply 2 mission-critical functions: error-free client care, and patient details privacy. Any software tester in a health care IT system can impact the treatment of a client and therefore should handle their responsibility with fantastic care and attention. And all gathered personal health details needs to be heavily secured, while remaining easily offered to healthcare specialists, sometimes at a minute’s notice, in order to assist in the important treatment of a client.

Handling electronic patient details is particularly crucial. This information goes through the Personal privacy Rule of the Medical insurance and Accountability Act (HIPAA) signed into U.S. law in 1996. HIPAA developed a number of requirements for the treatment and use of Protected Health Details (PHI).

This legislation was developed by the death of the Health Infotech for Economic and Medical Health Act (which is  the type of stretch made to wind up with the acronym HITECH, but hey, nobody ever stated government is subtle).

Both HIPAA and HITECH developed harsh civil and criminal penalties for healthcare specialists and institutions that violate arrangements of the act, whether an offense is devoted purposefully or inadvertently. These and other laws make maintaining ideal compliance a very important requirement for IT pros operating in health care.

The role of the healthcare IT technician integrates standard computing technology ability with the contextual knowledge needed to fulfill the rigorous requirements discovered in expert healthcare environments. It was with this mix in mind that CompTIA created the Healthcare IT Technician certification.

An Accreditation Service

The CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician (hereby abbreviated as HITT) certification constructs off of the association’s premier A+ computer professional credential by mixing in knowledge specific to using IT in the health care market. This consists of how to execute and support IT systems in healthcare centers; understanding healthcare-specific terms and practices; and, familiarity with istqb and regulatory requirements connected with electronic health record (EHR) systems.

CompTIA advises that HITT prospects must be A+ accredited, or have a minimum of 500 hours experience as a computer system technician, with some experience in an expert healthcare environment. That said, there are no prerequisites for taking the HITT certification examination.

The HITT test, which is presently only provided in English, consists of 75 multiple-choice questions, for which candidates have one hour to finish. The test passing rating is 650 on a 100-900 scale. Once earned, there are no continuous education requirements or recertification guidelines for keeping the HITT accreditation.

Here are the knowledge domains for CompTIA’s HITT accreditation examination, with an approximation of just how much examination content is dedicated to each domain:

● Regulatory Requirements (13 percent).

● Organizational Habits (15 percent).

● IT Operations (26 percent).

● Medical Organisation Operations (25 percent).

● Security (21 percent).

Takeaway meals are now ending up being normal for households

As we pick over the last of the turkey, the concept of healthy diet seems farther away than ever, however a study shows that lazy way of life means we are now eating takeaway or prepared meals a minimum of three times a week – and the pattern is worsening.

A study of 900 men and women also found that two-thirds of us cannot fulfill our five-a-day target when it comes to vegetables and fruit; with reasons such as “lack of time” are offered for not engaging with a healthier lifestyle.

It also indicates that families are now less likely to gather around the table for a family meal as we turn into a fast-food nation.

The survey was carried out among 901 men and women in Ireland from August to October of this year and discovered that one in five participants have prepared meals or processed food for their main meal a minimum of 3 times weekly. When fast food is likewise included, this figure increases to one in three individuals.

The study, which was carried out by The Wholefood Transformation, an Irish recipe box provider, found that 91% of participants wish to have a healthier diet plan made from real food, however nearly one in four admitted that they have their main meal at the table less than two times a week.

Of those questioned, 48% said time was the greatest challenge to cooking from scratch, following by 25% who said an absence of planning was the main concern, while the effort of shopping and sourcing ingredients was pointed out by 22% of participants.

The survey likewise showed a strong connection between cooking from scratch and reaching the five-a-day target of vegetables and fruit.

Two-thirds of those surveyed did not reach the target, however those who consumed the least amount of processed foods were four times most likely to succeed in reaching it.

David Wallace, founder of thewholefoodrevolution.ie, said: “Many of the processed food that we eat are bulked up with cheap ingredients that are void of nutrients and packed full of sugar or salt and highly processed ingredients active ingredients. These foods are not good for us. In fact, they are very bad for us.”

Advising using wholefoods and cooking from scratch, he said the five-a-day target needs to be a baseline, not the maximum.

Yet information from another site, justeat.ie, reveals that New Year’s Day is set to be the most popular day of the whole year for ordering in food.

Brand-new figures from Just Consume based upon orders put in 2016 revealed a huge rise in orders for brand-new cuisines.

So while Chinese, Indian, American, and Thai orders still multiply, orders for Malaysian food soared by 3,000%, while demand for Korean food rose by 900%. There was likewise development in demand for Nepalese and Vietnamese food, extensively viewed as much healthier options.

Simply Consume expects a 30% increase in orders this New Year’s Day compared to January 1 last. The data also shows that orders peak in between 7pm and 8pm.

 

People Taking These Medications Must Watch Out for Heat Tension and Heat Stroke Signs

Severe heat can be bad news to anyone. However with the gorgeous summertime coming our way, it’s difficult to in some cases resist that urge to hang around outdoors by the pool without the protection of undercover pool surrounds. Nevertheless, some people are more at risk when it pertains to heat diseases. Those most at risk consist of older people, young kids and those with persistent health conditions. The frightening part is, there are many people who are unaware they’re at danger of cardiovascular disease.

Dr Barnett stated, “People who may not even realise they are walking around with a cardiovascular problem and a day like today is a perfect day for that problem to flare into something that requires them to call an ambulance or can even kill them.” Pregnant females can also be impacted terribly by heat continued Dr Barnett, “Lots of studies around the world now show higher temperatures are strongly associated with an increased risk for pre-term births,” .

And for those taking medications, please be aware of the dangers. Individuals more affected by heat are those taking particular medications, such as blood-pressure-lowing medications, antidepressants and some allergy treatments, reports ABC News.  But understanding the indications can truly assist you avoid a disaster.

Early indications of heat tension

Heat-related illnesses vary from mild conditions such as heat rash or cramps, through to heat stroke, which can be deadly. The results of heat stress cascade, it is very important to understand exactly what the early signs appear like. Dr Barnett stated to ABC News that, “the skin can be cold and clammy. Loss of salt from sweating can produce cramping. Anyone showing these symptoms should be taken to a cool place, rested and given cold drinks [no alcohol]”.

 

Exactly what is heat stroke?

Heat stroke occurs when the core body temperature level rises above 40.5 C and the body’s internal systems start to close down. There can be liver, kidney, muscle and heart damage and really often, the individual’s nervous system is impacted, leading to delirium, coma and seizures. The skin might be dry with no sweating and a person may stagger, appear confused, collapse, fit and become unconscious. Every minute’s hold-up in cooling an individual with heat stroke increases the probability of long-term injury or death.

 

The following can assist you avoid heat-related illness:

Consume water, lots of it: By the time you feel thirsty your body is currently dehydrating, so keep having fluids even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol.

Gown conveniently: Loose, light-weight clothing helps your body stay cool. Light-coloured clothing reduces heat and sunshine.

Cool down: Take a cool shower or  bath if you’re feeling hot and flustered.

Prevent exposure: Stay out of the sun if possible. If not, use a t-shirt, hat, sunglasses and sun block. Sunburn will affect your body’s capability to cope with the heat. Consider a shady landscaping design to allow you to relax in your backyard without being completely exposed to the sun.

Look for air conditioning: If you do not have a/c in the house, spend the day someplace that does, like a library, cinema or shopping centre. If you do have an air conditioner in your home, make certain it has actually been serviced. Fans will also help you remain cool.

Keep your environment cool: Draw drapes, blinds and awnings early in the day to keep the heat out of your house. Or get external blinds installed in your home immediately.

If you or those near to you are suffering heat stress, call for help right away: Symptoms of heat stress consist of extremely heavy sweating, headache and throwing up, confusion, inflamed tongue.

Benefits of Hiring a Personal Trainer

The image of a personal fitness instructor screaming and pressing his clients up until they nearly collapse might scare some individuals far from employing a trainer, however the advantages of using a personal fitness instructor ought to be considered thoroughly. While some in the field provide “tough love” inspiration, individual fitness instructors normally deal with customers in a non-threatening way, helping them to accomplish specific physical fitness objectives, meaning you could be fit enough to fit back into those basketball shorts sooner than you thought. Comprehending the prospective advantages of a personal training instructor can help you decide if the monetary investment is worthwhile.

Objective Accomplishment

An individual fitness instructor helps you specify your physical fitness objectives. They take into account your current fitness level and discus what you want to attain through your exercises. While you might have some idea of the objectives you want to set, an expert has the ability to assist you break them down into smaller sized objectives that are specific and reasonable. The individual fitness instructor likewise assists assess your progress towards those objectives.

Individualized Exercise

An individual personal trainer will help you develop a particular exercise strategy; just for you, based on exactly what you wish to attain. The individualized plan normally offers you better outcomes than a general exercise plan. Since they know your physical condition and medical background, they’re able to make accommodations to the program to fit your requirements.

Guideline

An expert trainer teaches you the appropriate way to perform each workout movement in your regimen. They often show the movement and sees you perform it, meaning they can remedy any issues with your posture or method. Knowing how to carry out workouts effectively lowers your danger of injury. You also will have the ability to do the workouts by yourself at home or at the health club after getting expert physical fitness guidelines.

Inspiration

Motivation is frequently hard to maintain when you work out by yourself. Routine sessions with a personal fitness instructor enhance your motivation to continue with an exercise program. Even if you do not use an individual trainer for every session, knowing that you’ll meet with your trainer quickly will encourage you during exercises. You likewise get the satisfaction of showing your fitness instructor the enhancement you’ve made as your workout program proceeds, so when you aren’t with your personal trainer, put one of your old basketball shirts on and train as hard as you can, show your pt you CAN get back into your basketball team again.

Accountability

Another common problem is lack of dedication to a regular workout program. When you exercise on your own, it is simpler to avoid a session here and there or fall off the wagon entirely because there’s nobody to hold you liable for you actions. When you deal with a fitness instructor, they keep you accountable, making it most likely that you’ll stick to your training program.

Variety

An experienced fitness instructor teaches you a variety of workout techniques, which can keep you from getting bored. Likewise, if a specific workout does not work for you, the fitness instructor can alter it to one that matches you better and offers the same physical advantages. Fitness instructors likewise help you to make modifications as your physical fitness level enhances to ensure continued development.

Effectiveness

An expert individual trainer has the ability to make the most of your exercise time, which increases the efficiency of your workout program. This is especially useful when you have a minimal amount of time to exercise. For instance, if you have to cut your 1-hour training session brief one day, your trainer can complete a routine with you that burns the exact same variety of calories and supplies the same physical benefits in half the time.

Are Plus Size Women Healthy Or Unhealthy?

I was skimming through Facebook the other day and came across this really interesting read. It is quite insightful with the different angles of the topic being discussed and opening up avenues for discussion. I hope you find the read as interesting as I did!

The Truth About Whether ‘Plus-Size’ Women Are Actually Unhealthy

A plus-sized pear wrapped in measuring tapAshley Graham, the first plus size clothing model to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, looks absolutely gorgeous in the mag this month.

But yesterday, Cheryl Teigs, a 68-year-old former SI swimsuit edition cover model, made some pretty loaded comments in an interview with E! about Ashley’s weight and buying habits, including her online shoes purchases. “I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women because it’s glamorizing them because your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches],” she said. “That’s what Dr. Oz said, and I’m sticking to it. No, I don’t think it’s healthy. Her face is beautiful. Beautiful. But I don’t think it’s healthy.” She cautioned that you can see massive body transformation results if you’re not careful.”

She then went further on Twitter:

”To clarify re bodyweight. Being anorexic/bulimic/overweight all connected to health problems. I want all to be as healthy as they can.” — Cheryl Tiegs (@CherylTiegs) February 26, 2016

Is being plus-sized really synonymous with being unhealthy?

Founder of Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training, Michelle May, M.D. says, “Absolutely not. I do not agree with Cheryl at all—she’s completely inaccurate.” May believes that comments similar to Cheryl’s result in bias, stigma, and judgment towards weight

A recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that body mass index (BMI) is not a reliable way to measure someone’s health. Recent studies have indicated that almost 34.4 million Americans who are considered overweight by their BMI (score between 25 and 30) are actually healthy. The University of California-Los Angeles researcher also found that 19.8 million Americans considered obese (BMI of 30+) are also considered healthy. Staggeringly they also found that over 30% of those surveyed with a normal BMI range (scores between 18.5 and 24.9) are unhealthy.

This group of people often goes without having diseases diagnosed until they’re in advanced stages, since they believe they’re healthy, says Linda Bacon Ph.D., author of Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand About Weight; she is also a researcher at the University of California-Davis. Even when you see disease more among heavier people, it’s because of other variables correlated with a heavier weight, not the weight itself, says Bacon. For example, there’s a strong correlation between weight and poverty and a strong correlation between poverty and poor health, she says.

“What that tells us is that when we try to assess a person’s health simply by looking at them, we’re going to make major mistakes,” says May. You can’t—and shouldn’t—judge a woman’s health by how she looks in her plus size evening wear with womens boots or a swimsuit. Case closed.

 

You can find the full article here: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/ashley-graham-plus-size-model-is-she-unhealthy

For Obese Patients, There Are Big Health Benefits in Small Weight Loss

wight loss big benefits
In England, the obese population has risen from 15% to 26% in the past 20 years, with the proportion classified as overweight hovering at around 37%. Photograph: Garo/Phanie/REX Shutterstock

A story in the Guardian this morning has an article with claims that could benefit a large portion of our population. A recent study shows that obese people if they just lost just 5% of their weight, will see  ‘profound benefits’ through better control of insulin in the liver, fat and muscle tissues. Quite amazing when you think about this, and the benefits don’t stop there physically, it also improves your mentality; which aids in positivity when thinking about holidaying in amazing places like Apollo bay accommodation or relaxing beach cottages.

Even small reductions in bodyweight through personal training courses can have a profound impact on the health of obese people and their risk of future disease, researchers say.

Results from recent research found a 5% weight reduction in 40 obese males and females between the ages of 32 and 56 years was associated with significant increases in health through improved insulin control in the liver, fat and muscle tissues.

Lowered risk of both diabetes and heart disease where some of the changes noted. These two complications are in the top three of serious complications obese people face; cancer being the other.

Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University in St Louis, said that expert societies generally recommend obese people lose 5 to 10% of their bodyweight if they want to improve their health. But until now, there has been little research into the effects of losing 5% rather than 10%, which is tougher to achieve.
“It’s important to distinguish what benefits you get from 5% versus 10%, because losing 10% of your bodyweight is so much harder,” Klein said. “We were surprised to see really profound benefits in multiple organ systems simultaneously with only a small change in body weight. The biggest bang for your buck is with 5% weight loss.”

Of the 40 participants,, researchers monitored 20 obese people who kept their weight throughout the study and tasked another 20 with reducing their weight by 5% of their initial weight, then 10% and finally
The researchers followed 20 obese people who maintained their bodyweight during the study, and another 20 who were tasked with losing 5% of their weight initially, and then 10% and finally 15% at conclusion of the study. 19 individuals in the weight loss condition achieved a 5% reduction in weight. Only 45% if the weight loss group managed to successfuly lose the targeted 15% of their bodyweight.

Most improvements noticed in perceived insulin sensitivity of participants were recorded with the first 5% reduction in weight. For a person weighing 100kg, or 15 stone 7 pounds, that amounts to losing 5kg or 11lbs. The research can be found in the journal Cell Metabolism.

The obese population has risen from 15% to 26% in the past 20 years. Furthermore, approximately 37% of the population is classed as overweight. Only a third of men in England and about 40% of women have a healthy body mass index, defined as between 18.5 and 24.9. Increase in the obesity rates are not unique to the UK; Obesity rates have also reached 35% in the US and 28% in Australia

“This is an important message for healthcare professionals to get across to patients in that even if this weight loss might seem small in terms of patient expectations, it conveys a significant health benefit. Clearly if you lose more weight the benefits are even greater,” said Jeremy Tomlinson, professor of metabolic endocrinology at Oxford University.

Heart health dietitian Tracy Parker, who works at the British Heart Foundation, added: “This study is good news for people who struggle with their weight as it suggests that even losing a small amount of weight can have a positive impact on heart health.”

As little as 5% weight loss resulted in improved blood pressure, levels of triglyceride fats in the blood, and blood sugar which are all risk factors for heart disease.
Greater heart health was achieved by further weight loss. This research is an ample reminder of how grdual weight reduction to a healthy target has many benefits. A good method to ensuring healthy weight loss appears to be aspiring to achieve 5% weight loss each time

Weight loss is not the only lifestyle change that can be implemented to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Quiting smoking, reducing alcohol intake and increasing physical activity all aid to reduce heart disease risk.

Original story here: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/feb/22/small-weight-loss-brings-big-health-benefits-for-obese-patients

A World First-Australian Surgeon Inserts 3D-printed Vertebrae

The field of medicine has taken another leap forward. this report which was aired on the ABC in Melbourne shows that an Australian neurosurgeon has completed a world-first marathon surgery removing cancer-riddled vertebrae and successfully replacing them with a 3D-printed body part. the transcript of the story is below:

MATT WORDSWORTH, PRESENTER: An Australian neurosurgeon has delivered a world-first, successfully removing two cancerous vertebrae from a patient’s neck and replacing them with a 3D-printed artificial bone part. There was a risk the patient would die on the operating table during the mammoth 15-hour surgery, which first separated and then successfully reattached the skull to the spinal tissue with the new 3D-printed bone. Doctors say 3D-printed body parts will spearhead a new wave of medicine, allowing customised replacements of bones and organs. Conor Duffy reports.

RALPH MOBBS, NEUROSURGEON: The patient’s head is attached to almost like a GPS tracking system, which is this attached to that machine there.

CONOR DUFFY, REPORTER: At the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, a man’s life is in the balance as neurosurgeon Dr Ralph Mobbs reaches a critical stage of 15-hour surgery.

RALPH MOBBS: This is high-risk surgery. There’s no doubt about it. We’re operating at the top of the spinal cord and the brain stem. There are large blood vessels that feed the – feed the brain and all of those structures are immediately adjacent to where we’re operating.

CONOR DUFFY: It’s the first time in the world this operation has been attempted.

RALPH MOBBS: The surgery that we’re doing today is a particularly complicated and long and difficult surgery. It involves exposure at the top of the neck where the neck and the head meets. And it’s essentially disattaching the patient’s head from his neck and taking the tumour out and reattaching his head back onto his neck.

CONOR DUFFY: The patient, Drage Josevski, has a rare and particularly nasty type of spinal cancer called chordoma. The X-rays show Drage’s tumour is in a very dangerous position and is constricting his top two vertebra.

RALPH MOBBS: Without surgery and without treatment of this type of tumour, the outlook for this patient would be particularly nasty and a particularly horrific way of dying. It’s – there’s no two ways about it. He would gradually lose function of his arms and legs, gradually lose function of his capacity to breathe, eat. Let’s not take it too far further than that. It’s not a pleasant death at all.

CONOR DUFFY: Dr Mobbs custom designed this operation and used computer models to plan it out well before arriving in theatre. Surgeons have to enter through the patient’s mouth, remove the tumour as well as the top two vertebra and replace them with a titanium 3D-printed body part.

RALPH MOBBS: So this is the front of the neck where the tumour is being resected from and this is the space that we will have at the completion of the completion of the tumour resection. As you can see, it’s a large gap. But we’ve pre-planned the prosthesis to fit perfectly in place, like a glove, and that will form the stability for where the neck and the head meet so that his head won’t fall off.

ANATOMICS REPRESENTATIVE (Advertisement): Anatomics manufactures surgical implants from a range of materials and they include acrylic, titanium, and more recently, porous polyethylene.

CONOR DUFFY: The three-dimensional body part was designed by a Victorian company called Anatomics, who say this technology is for everybody, whether you wear size small clothing or plus size clothing. This new range of products are allowing surgeons to consider a whole new suite of operations that were once unthinkable.

How important do you think 3D-printed body parts are to the future of medicine?

RALPH MOBBS: Oh, huge, massive. I mean, 3D printing of body parts is the next phase of individualised health care. To restore bones, joints, organs with this type of technology really is super exciting. And, you know, Australia is supposed to be the smart country. Well, here is our opportunity to really take it out there and to keep pushing the boundaries on the whole 3D-printed body part business.

CONOR DUFFY: It’s only now, two months after the 15-hour surgery, that Dr Ralph Mobbs is about to deliver the news on whether the tumour was successfully removed and replaced by the 3D-printed body part. It felt like I was in a museum and art design class.

RALPH MOBBS: I must say that it was a delight to put in, because after spending 15 hours taking out a very complicated tumour, it was beautiful just to slot in the implant and to have it fit so nicely and to be able to reconstruct the space left by the tumour. The surgery went really, really well.

CONOR DUFFY: Drage has unexpectedly good movement in his neck and it appears the tumour has been removed. But there was a complication. Drage’s having trouble eating and speaking and that’s expected to take some months to heal.

RALPH MOBBS: The complications that you’ve currently got are all related to the fact that we’ve gone through your mouth and we’ve stretched your mouth open for many, many hours and it’s – the complications are related to the fact that there’s been a prolonged exposure through your mouth.

TANYA JOSEVSKA, DAUGHTER: Every day he gets better and better. I think his speech is improving. I know that there’s a long way to go with that. There is so much faith in this process that one day he may even be able to build museum custom showcases.

CONOR DUFFY: Drage’s daughter Tanya and his wife Lila helped translate during his interview with 7.30, reliving the longest day of their lives.

TANYA JOSEVSKA: It was just really hard for Dad knowing that that’s what he had to go through. And not knowing what the outcome would be, as he said, like, we didn’t know if he could die in the operation. We didn’t know what kind of complications could happen. I mean, the doctors explained it, but you never really know.

LILA JOSEVSKA, WIFE: I have a some gift for you.

RALPH MOBBS: Yeah? Oh, wow!

LILA JOSEVSKA: You saved life to my husband. And thank you very much.

RALPH MOBBS: Oh, thank you very much.

LILA JOSEVSKA: You make an amazing, amazing job.

RALPH MOBBS: Oh, thank you.

LILA JOSEVSKA: Thank you very much.

RALPH MOBBS: Thank you.

TANYA JOSEVSKA: He’s just excited to be around for my wedding and to, um, grandkids, to see his grandkids grow up and just be in our life. That’s why he did the operation.

MATT WORDSWORTH: Conor Duffy with that report.

 

How They Print Bones in 3D

Original Story found at https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2015/s4411612.htm

Plus Size Women Models Are Everywhere. But Where Are The Men?

clothes-2-1551378-1280x960When you think about the word ‘plus size’ or ‘plus size clothes’, what gender automatically comes into your mind? Is it a male or female? I am going to guess that the majority of you had a picture of a plus sized woman in your mind, am I correct? Well, in fact you are not alone, a large proportion of the population thought the same as you and many wonder if that means they need to order more womens shoes. It seems that men are being forgotten when it comes to ‘plus size’ advertising, and you may be wondering if they are just living it up in some lavish Lorne accommodation. You may see the occasional plus size guy in a movie, but when do you actually see the larger guy shown in admirable television advertisements and seen as fashionable? And why isn’t the term ‘plus size’ used for these guys? A study was undertaken to seek the answer.

 

So when is a male classified as ‘plus-size’?

This a very puzzling question. To be honest, there is no real clear-cut answer to this question. No real distinction between men and women. Many suggest that the answer is that a male is considered as plus sized when his weight exceeds the average weight of the male population.

According to the CDCP (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), the average waist measurements of American males is currently 39.7 inches, which equates to a pant size ranging between 38 and 40. By using this information, an informed conclusion could be that a male can be classified as ‘plus size’ when his waist size exceeds the average of 38 to 40 inches. In saying this, men are actually portrayed as being ‘larger’ when they are actually quite close to the average size of the countries male population.

 

Why the lack of ‘big bro’s’ modelling?

Contrary to what many believe, there are larger men in the fashion industry who are considered to be ‘plus-size’. They are just in very small numbers.

Why you ask. This has everything to do with the very limited ranges available to larger models to dress plus size including having to buy more womens high heels. If you compare the extensive range of plus size women’s clothing compared to male large size clothing, there is a very large differential. There are many plus size woman models who are releasing their own clothing lines, for lingerie, sleepwear and everyday clothing as compared to the very limited variety offered to larger men. Not to mention, men’s plus size clothes only get advertised when there are new clothing lines, which is a downside to the men’s large size clothing industry.

 

To read more about this interesting topic, please feel free to click on the link below to the original article.

https://mic.com/articles/134032/female-plus-size-models-are-on-the-rise-so-where-are-all-the-plus-size-men#.vt01RxQrf