Anthony Lee's Blog

Posted by Anthony Lee

The start of a new calendar year is a common time for people to make changes to their lives. Among these changes are those related to health. It is widely known that a healthy lifestyle can prevent so many diseases. If you are thinking of making such resolutions, here are many suggestions to consider:

• Limit portion sizes per meal.
• Cut down on fast food and junk food.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Drink more water.
• Reduce consumption of coffee and alcohol.
• Quit smoking and/or avoid starting to smoke.
• Schedule periods of exercise, no matter how small, into your daily lives.
• Walk more frequently, especially when stairs are available.
• Engage in leisure activities with physical movement.
• Sleep seven or eight hours each night.
• Reduce stress by cutting down on unnecessary activities.
• Be organized with finances and other important matters.

Of course, there are many other resolutions you can make. In addition, they can be made for any new year or, better yet, at any time. The important thing is the willingness to make such lifestyle modifications.

Posted by Anthony Lee

Besides poor dietary habits, many people may have health issues because of a lack of exercise. Often, there are two components to the problem. One may not exercise because he or she feels too lazy to do so, or one may not exercise because he or she doesn't have the time. I myself have a way of getting around both issues. I'd like to pass along the following advice.

If you don't want to schedule sessions of exercise, such as regular gym visits or periods of time designated for running, what about incorporating exercise into your daily life? There are many ways to do it, including the following:

• After driving to a place, park far away from the entrance to give yourself extra distance to walk.
• Walk or ride a bicycle if the distance you need to travel is relatively short.
• Take the stairs, not the escalator.
• Take a walk after lunch, especially if you have a stationary desk job.

These are just a few examples. I'm sure there are more things you can do that involve doing physical activity without noticing it. If you can do these things and eat a healthy diet, then your health could improve dramatically.

Posted by Anthony Lee

A healthy diet is very important for good health, but it can be a challenge to follow this advice. Furthermore, there is a worrisome trend. Many people consume little to no vegetables as part of their regular diet.

This food group, and fruits for that matter, have so many benefits. They provide various nutrients that are often not found in other foods. They also lower the risk for certain cancers, aid in bowel movements with its fiber content, and even help reduce consumption of fatty foods just by taking up space in the stomach. If these foods are so good for you, why don't people eat enough of them?

I'm willing to conjecture a reason or two. Perhaps the biggest obstacle in vegetable consumption is taste. It's not that they are distasteful. Rather, they often lack taste. It's easy to turn to tasty but often unhealthy food because of it.

Interestingly, I myself had a challenge eating vegetables while growing up, but I found a way around it. I simply combined foods. I took a bite of vegetable, a relatively tasteless food, simultaneously with a piece of meat, which I usually find tasty. That way, I could have the best of both worlds of taste and good nutrition. Maybe you can consider this, if it might help.

In any event, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help a great deal.

Posted by Anthony Lee

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) requires chest compressions to propel blood forward when the heart is not pumping at all. For this to work, the compressions have to be done quickly, approximately 100 per minute.

Recently, there has been talk of a rather amusing aid to help one perform effective chest compressions: the famous disco song "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees. It's not the title of the song that helps. It's the beat. If you perform one chest compression for each beat of the song, you will be doing this component of CPR at the correct rate.

Even if you are not familiar with the song, just remember that chest compressions must be quick. Consider a rate of 100 per minute as a goal to shoot for.

Posted by Anthony Lee

Whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, or any other special occasion, the holidays are a time to celebrate friends, family, and life itself. For some people, it may be easy to forget about health risks that are very common during the holiday season. For example, the presence of large amounts of tasty food may worsen existing weight problems, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The holidays may also be a time for alcohol drinkers and smokers to continue indulging in their habits.

Speaking of alcohol, there are two dangerous consequences of excessive alcohol consumption. One is intoxication, which can result in passing out and automobile accidents. The other is pancreatitis, particularly when alcohol is consumed during binging. Given these two conditions, everyone should drink responsibly and have a designated driver for the evening.

Otherwise, enjoy the holidays.