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Vaccines for Adults
From approximately 2 months to 6 years of age, it is recommended by healthcare professionals that children get a variety of different vaccinations in effort to help protect them against disease. Among some of the most common include chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis (both A and B), whopping cough, pneumococcal, polio, rotavirus, tetanus, and of course influenza. But in today’s day and age, it’s not just the young ones that need to get their immunizations, as many vaccines can also be beneficial to adults, too. Below is a look at some of the vaccines that are recommended for adults, why you need them, and how they work. Influenza This…
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The Effects of Diet and Exercise on the Skin
Having a healthy diet and getting regular physical activity is important for your overall health and wellbeing, as it can help reduce your risk of things like heart disease, diabetes, and even help you to maintain a healthy weight as well as boost your mood. However, diet and exercise can also have an effect on the skin – both positive and negative – all depending on the types of foods you eat and how much physical activity you’re getting. Diet and the Skin I always recommend patients eat a healthy diet – particularly diets that are low in carbohydrates. This means avoiding things like white bread, white rice, and white…
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Benefits of Chamomile
Chamomile is something that individuals will commonly drink in tea-form if they happen to have some trouble falling asleep at night – however, the benefits of this daisy-like plant go beyond just fighting insomnia, and some of the ways it can improve certain ailments may actually surprise you. Muscle and Joint Pain If you suffer from muscle and joint pain, things like anti-inflammatories and Epsom salt baths are often the go-to choice for relief – and while these can certainly have significant benefits in reducing pain, submerging 1 cup of dried chamomile in addition to 1 quart of Epsom salt and 5 to 6 drops of lavender essential oil can…
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Conditions That Can Mimic a Heart Attack
If you’ve ever suffered from chest pain, the thought of whether or not you’re in the midst of a heart attack has probably crossed your mind at least once. When it comes to who’s at risk of having a heart attack, there are many factors that come into play, such as age, hypertension, tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and there being a history of heart attacks in your family. That being said, it is possible for even the healthiest of people to have heart attacks, as you may not even be aware of certain conditions that could increase your risk. For example, there is a certain condition known as…
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Anxiety
A staggering 260 million people worldwide (and an estimated 3 million Canadians and 40 million Americans) age 18 or older say they suffer from (or have suffered from) anxiety at one point or another in their lives. Anxiety is characterized by feelings of worry, fear and nervousness – and while we all experience passing worries to a certain degree – such as being afraid of heights or having a fear of spiders – anxiety is much more complex than that and may even reach debilitating levels when left untreated, such as affecting a person’s ability to work and maintain relationships. The good news is that anxiety, once diagnosed, is both…
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Metabolic Syndrome and the Vitamin D Link
Metabolic Syndrome is characterized as a variety of different health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), and low HDL levels (also known as the “good” cholesterol.) Combined, these conditions put you at an increased risk of developing diabetes and can also significantly increase your risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack, which can be fatal. As for what causes metabolic syndrome, the number one cause is living an unhealthy lifestyle. For example, if you consume too many calories or eat foods that are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and sodium, if you’re not getting regular physical activity,…
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Alcoholism Awareness
When you think of the word addiction, you most likely correlate it to the use of illicit drugs (such as heroin or cocaine) or abuse of prescription medication (such as opiates, including fentanyl.) However, addiction is not just limited to drug use. Alcohol can also be addicting, which is why the month of April is dedicated to raising awareness on alcoholism – a very real disease that requires intervention. Without it, your life could be in jeopardy. Alcoholism can affect anyone. While experts have tried to pinpoint certain factors on the disease, such as race and socioeconomics, none of these have been found to be a direct cause. That being…
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Magnesium and the Vital Role it Plays in Your Health
In order to achieve optimal health, the body needs minerals. One of the most important minerals that you can give the body is a macro-mineral known as magnesium. Unlike trace minerals (such as iron and zinc) which are only required in small amounts, macro-minerals like magnesium are required in larger doses. Unfortunately, more than 60% of individuals get less than the required daily dose of magnesium. While much of the minerals that our bodies need can be obtained from the foods we eat, there are also instances where you may need to take a mineral supplement – especially if you are mineral-deficient. Below is a more in-depth look at magnesium,…
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How Important are the Kidneys?
The kidneys – two bean-shaped organs that are located in the renal system – come with a wide range of important responsibilities and vital functions, including removing waste products from the body by passing urine, balancing the body’s fluids, releasing hormones that help regulate blood pressure, control the production of red blood cells, as well as promote strong and healthy bones through the production of vitamin D. However, when the kidneys don’t function as they should, this can cause them to develop significant damage could and lead to kidney disease. Diagnosing kidney disease can sometimes be difficult as it is often silent – meaning that much of your kidney function…
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How Certain Foods Can Benefit Your Health
Healthy eating isn’t necessarily a difficult thing to do once you get the hang of it, but are you aware of all the different ways in which certain foods can actually benefit your health? Below we take a look at the four main groups (vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives) and break down which foods within those groups are considered to be some of the healthiest, along with the many ways in which they can help you achieve an overall better quality of life. Vegetables and Fruit: In the old Food Guide, it was recommended that we get anywhere between 7 and 10 servings…