Preventing Skin Cancer

Types of Skin Cancer
There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinomama and malignant melanoma. Most cases of skin cancer in Canada are either basal or squamous cell carcinomas. These skin cancers tend to develop later in life on areas of skin that have been exposed repeatedly to the sun, such as the face, neck, or hands. Basal and squamous cell carcinomas progress slowly and rarely cause death because they usually do not spread to other parts of the body. These cancers are easily removed by surgery.

Malignant melanomas are different. They account for about 5% of all skin cancers, and are the type most likely to be fatal. Unlike other skin cancers, they occur earlier in life and progress rapidly. They may develop on almost any part of the body. The occurrence of skin cancer has been increasing in Canada at a fairly constant rate over the past 30 years. In 2005, there were roughly 78,000 new cases of basal and squamous cell carcinomas reported in Canada, and about 4,400 new cases of malignant melanomas.

Causes of Skin Cancer
One of the main causes of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet radiation, or UV rays. UV rays are invisible, and are produced by the sun and tanning lamps. Most often, skin cancer is the result of overexposure to the sun. UV rays cause skin cancer by creating changes in the cells of the skin. In some cases, the UV rays cause direct damage to the cells. Tans and sunburns, for example, are both signs that UV rays have damaged the skin. In other cases, UV rays cause skin cancer indirectly, by weakening the immune mechanisms in skin and the rest of the body. Many studies of skin cancer show links between malignant melanomas and an individual s intolerance to sun exposure. The studies indicate that people who have suffered severe and frequent sunburns during childhood are at greater risk of developing skin cancer. The features most closely associated with intolerance to sun exposure include fair or freckled skin, blue eyes, and light-coloured or reddish hair. Minimizing Your Risk Most people can prevent skin cancer by avoiding overexposure to the sun and other sources of ultraviolet light, such as tanning lamps. To avoid the harmful effects of UV rays, you should:
"Select shaded areas for outdoor activities. "Wear a broad-brimmed hat and clothing with a tight weave, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and gloves, if you have to spend long periods in the sun. "If you cannot cover up, use a sunscreen lotion with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15. Make sure it has both UVA and UVB protection. Apply liberally to exposed skin 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and re-apply 15 to 30 minutes after sun exposure begins.

You should also re-apply sunscreen after vigorous activity that could remove the product, such as swimming, toweling or excessive sweating and rubbing. "Avoid overexposing yourself to the sun without protection, especially between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the summer months. "Avoid the use of tanning lamps.
"Be aware that certain medications can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays. Consult your doctor if you have questions about your medication. The precautions listed above are especially important for babies and children, who are at greater risk than adults because of their more sensitive skin.

In addition:
“Never let infants or young children play or sleep in the sun in a playpen, stroller, or carriage.” Never let young children stay in the sun for long periods, even when wearing sunscreen. "Get your children used to wearing sunscreen lotion. Pay particular attention to the areas that are most exposed, such as the face, lips, ears, neck, shoulders, back, knees, and the tops of their feet. "Provide teenagers with sunscreen lotion if they are going to be outdoors for extended periods during the summer. Make sure they understand the importance of using it. "Advise teenagers to avoid using tanning lamps. The best way to detect skin cancer in its early stages is to examine your skin often. See your doctor right away if you notice any of the following: "abnormally dark or discoloured patches or spots "bleeding, crusting or change in the colour, size, or shape of a mole.

Tips for a Healthy Life

What you eat and drink can make a significant difference in your overall health. Eating five or more fruits and vegetables a day and less saturated fat, can improve your health, reducing your risk of cancer and other chronic disease.

Your parents, grandparents, work and home habits and environment, as well as your lifestyle, all help to determine your health and health risks. These factors may put you at an increased risk for certain diseases or conditions. You can focus on changing any negative behaviors you do have control over, such as your diet, activity level or quitting smoking. Make as many healthy changes for your body as you can.

More than 60 percent of men and women do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. For adults, thirty minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week is recommended. It does not take a lot of time or money, but it does take commitment. Start slowly, work up to a satisfactory level, and do not overdo it. Develop one routine or try something different every day. Find fun ways to stay in shape and feel good, such as dancing, gardening, cutting the grass, swimming, walking, jogging, etc.

Job stress poses a threat to the health of workers and, in turn, to the health of organizations. Balancing obligations to your employer and your family can be challenging. Protect your mental health by engaging in activities that help you manage your stress, at both work and home, such as spending time doing your favorite hobby, exercising, reading or something else you enjoy, that will also reduce stress and keep you mentally healthy.

Routine exams and screenings can help save lives. Based on your age, health history, lifestyle and other important issues, you and your health care provider can determine how often you need to be examined and screened for certain diseases and conditions. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases and cancer of the skin, prostate and colon. When problems are found early, your chances for treatment and cure are significantly greater, so get those check-ups.

Overcome Baby Blues & Postpartum Depression

Baby Blues
Being a new parent can be exciting and wonderful. Every day brings a new experience as you watch your baby grow. As your baby changes, so does your body as it heals from
giving birth. This takes time. As you heal, you may notice some feelings of sadness. Your hormone levels go up and down, and this can cause you to feel emotional. This is
common. It is called the baby blues.

Get as much rest as you can. Try to sleep when your baby sleeps.
Ask your provider about support groups for new mothers.
Talking with other new mothers can really help.
Don’t be afraid to ask family members or friends for help when you need it.

Postpartum Depression
Many new mothers experience the baby blues for the first 2 or 3 weeks after giving birth. When the symptoms do not go away, however, this can be a sign of postpartum depression, which is a medical illness. If you have any of these signs, call your health care provider:
You cry often
You feel anxious or find yourself worrying a lot
You have problems sleeping
You are either not hungry or eat too much
You have trouble focusing
You are worried you might hurt your baby or yourself
You have no interest or find little enjoyment in your usual activities

Breastfeeding and Nutrition Tips for Healthy Breast Milk

Breastfeeding
Your breasts start getting ready to produce milk in the first few weeks of your pregnancy. Sometimes women think if they have small breasts, they will not be able to breastfeed, but that is not true. Women with small breasts can breastfeed just as well as women with large breasts.

The science of breastfeeding: How your breasts make milk your breasts have mammary glands that make milk. Hormones cause cells in these glands to push the milk into milk ducts in your breasts and under the areola. When your baby’s gums press on your areola, milk is released.

A healthy start in life Breast milk has natural antibodies that help protect your baby
from illness. The first milk your breasts produce is called colostrum. It is thick and yellow, but after a few days, it will change color and look more like milk. Your baby knows what to do Just like your body knows how to grow a baby, your baby knows
how to breastfeed. It comes naturally to him. Offer him your breast an hour or two after giving birth. Your first breast fluid is colostrum, which is rich in antibodies and proteins (and exactly the right food to start your baby off in a healthy way). Because it is thicker, there is less of it than you will produce later on.

Don’t worry! It is very rare that a woman’s breasts don’t produce enough milk for her baby. If you have any doubts, ask your health care provider at your baby’s next appointment.

Nutrition Tips for Healthy Breast Milk
Eat a healthy diet.
Eat about 500 extra healthy calories a day. It takes more calories to make breast milk.
Drink lots of fluids, especially water.
Limit drinks with caffeine.
Do not smoke, drink alcohol, or take street drugs.
Check with your provider before taking any medications.
Get some exercise.
Get as much rest as you can

Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby. But if that is not possible, ask your baby’s health care provider to tell you which infant formula would be best for your baby.

Mix and store formula safely:
Use only sterilized bottles and nipples.
Follow directions carefully when mixing formula.
Do not water down formula.
Store mixed formula in the refrigerator and use within 48 hours. Do not keep half-finished bottles. Bacteria can grow in them.
To warm a bottle of formula, put it in a pot of water and heat it on the stove. It must be warm but not hot.

Signs of Labor and how to take relief from labor pain

Childbirth is usually healthy and safe. Although giving birth happens naturally, the actual experience is different for every woman.

Friends, family, and even strangers will tell you what birthing was like for them. One woman may tell you she was in labor for 32 hours. Another may tell you her labor lasted 6 hours. Just remember: no two births are exactly the same, and each one is special.

When your body is preparing to give birth, it can be hard to tell if you are really in labor or just getting ready for labor. Here are the main signs to watch for: Signs your body is getting ready but may not be in labor yet (early labor)

The baby feels lower in your pelvis.You are having contractions, but they are not regular or they stop when you move around. These are called Braxton Hicks contractions.

Signs you are probably in labor (true labor)
• Your contractions are becoming more regular and stronger over time.
• Your water breaks. It can be a trickle of water or a fast flow.
• Contractions get closer together and do not stop when you move around.
• You have pain in your lower back that goes around to your stomach. Women feel labor pain in different ways. For some, it feels like menstrual cramps; for others, like strong
• pressure in the abdomen; and for others, like back pain.

If you think you are in labor, call your health care provider right away.

Labor is when your uterus contracts to push the baby out through the birth canal.

• Your cervix (the opening of your uterus to the vagina) begins to dilate. This means it stretches to give your baby room to move into the birth canal. During a contraction, your abdomen feels tight, and then it relaxes. Soon it feels tight again, and then it relaxes again. This happens again and again as your baby moves further down in the birth canal.

• Your cervix is fully open now. Your contractions get stronger and closer together. As they become more intense, they help you push the baby through the birth canal, and the baby is born.

• The placenta separates from the uterus. Sometimes you need to push a little to help it pass.

Pain Relief during Labor
Every woman has a different childbirth experience, but most will agree that labor hurts. Because of that, it can be scary. It is hard work, but as we have said, your body was designed to do this.

So even though you will have pain, think of it as healthy pain. After all, you are pushing this little per- son through your body and out into the world. Isn’t it amazing that you are able to do that? We think so. And so do medical scientists. Natural pain relief Scientists and health care experts have discovered different ways to reduce the pain and make a woman more comfortable during her labor. Some natural techniques are listed below.

Deep breathing, Changing positions, Music, Massage

Make your Lifestyle Healthy

Those who don’t make time for their health will sooner or later have to make time for their ailments.

It’s hard to be happy or successful if you are, quite literally, sick and tired all the time. Living a healthy life provides the energy to do what you want to do and what you need to do to live a great life. The following simple tips have been compiled to remind you of the key principles of healthy living.

1. Exercise regularly. Even a short walk and taking the stairs each day can help. The more activity you do the healthier you will be. The healthier you are the more energy you’ll have. Ideally, engage in some form of appropriate, strenuous exercise at least 4-5 times each week.

2. Eat a balanced diet. As with exercise, a healthy diet will help provide you with the energy and zest you need to lead a really great life. There are many good sources of nutritional information available but in very simple terms, eat more fruit and vegetables, and fewer foods that are high in fats and salt.

3. Minimise caffeine intake (and ideally avoid altogether after about 4.00 p.m.). As well as coffee, this includes tea, and most of the soft carbonated fizzy drinks that also include large amounts of sugar.

4. Avoid excessive alcohol. Although moderate amounts of alcohol have some advantages for health and wellbeing, excessive alcohol consumption is definitely not good. So stick to the safe drinking limits of 2-4 standard drinks for men, and 1-2 standard drinks for women, with at least 2 alcohol free nights each week (note: a standard drink is much smaller than most people think!).

5. Ensure you get enough sleep and rest.
Most people realise that diet and exercise are important for health but many don’t realise how crucial good sleep is. If you don t wake up refreshed and energised most mornings then seek help for this very treatable problem (see Sleep Tips handout). In addition, regular meditation or relaxation can provide enormous benefits for most people, as can taking time out on a regular basis to
engage in pleasant and enjoyable activities.

6. Address the pressing issues in your life. If you have problems at work, problems with your partner, or anything that might cause you to feel stressed or worried, sorting them out is vitally important. If you are depressed or anxious, seek professional help. Remember, there are effective solutions for these problem.

Make Health Good: Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease that is BEST MANAGED BY YOU, with support from your family, friends, and healthcare team.

Research tells us that patients themselves are in the best position to know what they need to manage their health. There are 8,760 hours in a year, and only a handful of hours are spent with the healthcare team. So knowing what to do, and doing it, is essential to maintaining your health. Most persons think of diabetes as a disease of high blood sugar, but for many persons it is associated with high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Controlling all of these factors is important to reduce the risk of developing the major complications of diabetes:
blindness, foot disease, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. In fact, the major cause of disability and death in diabetes is heart disease and stroke. For many persons with diabetes, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol and not smoking are the most important steps that they can take.

Screening for complications is important to determine whether you already have eye, foot, or kidney disease. If you do, you may need to have more frequent follow-up visits, new, medications, or other treatments.

The following health tips summary is a guide to the essentials of diabetes care.

Each person with diabetes is unique.

Smoking: If you smoke or use tobacco, STOP! Please talk to your healthcare team about what steps you can take. Benefits start immediately. Influenza in season: Get a YEARLY vaccination. Being vaccinated last year doesn’t protect you this year. Getting a flu vaccination doesn’t give you the flu.

Pneumococcal vaccination:
Once in lifetime. However, if you were vaccinated more than 5 years ago, talk to your provider about whether you need a second one.

Nutrition and Exercise:
Following an appropriate diet and exercise are cornerstones of diabetes management. Work with your healthcare team to develop a plan that is right for you!

Make Healthy Diet

The keys to healthy eating are variety, balance and moderation. Be sure your family eats a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grain products. Also include low-fat and nonfat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish and legumes (lentils and beans).

Drink water to quench your thirst, and go easy on the salt, sugar and saturated fat. Good nutrition should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle that also includes regular physical activity. To maintain weight, both kids and adults must balance the calories they eat with the calories they burn through physical activity.

If you eat more calories than you use up in physical activity, you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you use up, you lose weight. Make a commitment to helping your family eat sensibly and move more often.

Here are some tips for healthy eating to help you get started.

Try to keep track of your children’s meal/snack and physical activity patterns so you can help them balance the amount and types of food they eat with the amount of physical activity they perform.

Encourage your family to eat at least 5 servings of brightly colored vegetables and fruits a day. You can start the day with 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Slice fruit on top of cereal. Serve salad with lunch and an apple as an afternoon snack. Include vegetables with dinner.

Leave the candy, soft drinks, chips and cookies at the store. Substitute them with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and low-fat or nonfat milk products.

Your child will soon learn to make smart food choices outside your home as well.
Serve children child-sized portions, and let your child ask for more if still hungry. Don’t force children to clean their plates. Try measuring food items to learn to estimate the amount of food on a plate.

Choose a variety of foods. No single food or food group supplies all the nutrients in the amounts that you need for good health. If you plan for pizza one night, balance your meal with salad, low-fat or nonfat milk and fruit.

Eat Smart!
Sharing meals is an ideal way for the family to spend time together. Whether you’re eating at home or eating out on the go, it’s important to eat smart.

Be consistent. Establish a family meal routine, and set times for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Eat together whenever possible. Take charge of the foods your children eat. When you serve a meal, your child can choose to eat it or not; but don’t offer to substitute an unhealthy alternative when your child refuses to eat what you’ve served.

Restrict children’s access to the refrigerator and snack cupboards.

Turn off the tv during meals, and limit kids snacking when watching tv. Serve a vegetable or fruit with every meal and at snack time.

Reward your kids with praise and fun activities rather than with food.

Involve your children in meal planning and food preparation. They are more likely to eat what they help to make. While shopping and cooking, teach your children about the food groups and the importance of a balanced diet. Throughout the day, choose the types and amounts of foods you need from the five food groups.
Teach your children how to read food labels and use the 5%-20%guide to Daily Values to make better food choices

Limit foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars, and make sure to get enough fiber and calcium.

Use low-fat cooking methods such as baking, roasting and grilling, and choose healthy fats when you use them, such as olive or canola oils. Serve water, low-fat or nonfat milk with and between meals. Only children under two years always need to drink whole milk.

Teach your children how to make wise food choices away from home at school cafeterias, restaurants, and vending machines. Teach them to pay attention to both the quality and quantity of their food choices. More food is not always better for them; appropriate portion sizes need to be understood.

Get Moving! Physical activity is good for children and adults.

It strengthens muscles, bones and joints, and it gives children the opportunity to gain confidence while having fun. Children need at least 60minutes of physical activity every day. Playing hopscotch, tossing a ball back and forth, and dancing are some good ways for your child to be active. Some children are good athletes,
but all need many opportunities to be active, including but not limited to sports.
Be a physically active role model and have fun with your kids. Adults need at least 30minutes of daily physical activity. Walk with your child at every available opportunity if possible to school or to the store on errands. Take a family walk after dinner instead of watching tv or playing computer games. Plan active weekends. Include biking, hiking, skating, walking or playing ball. Take a trip to the park, skating rink, zoo, or swimming pool. Offer to join your child in his/her favorite physical activity, or enroll your child in a group exercise program.

Include children in active chores such as dog walking, house cleaning, car washing, and yard work.

Limit inactive behavior such as television watching and computer time. Do physical activity with your kids during commercials, such as marching in place or stretching. This helps reinforce the importance of movement in your child’s life.

Avoid using tv as a child sitter or pacifier. Offer active alternatives to screen time jumping rope, playing hide-and-seek or running an errand. Children love when you are active with them and involve them in what you do. Keep tv’s out of children’s rooms. Give your children gifts that encourage physical Activity active games, sporting equipment, or a Frisbee.

Assemble snacks at home in small baggies and use foods such as nuts and seeds, low-fat cheese and fresh veggies and fruits, rather than buying less healthy and more expensive prepackaged and processed snacks. Use your food budget wisely. For the price of a large bag of chips and a box of cookies, you can
buy a lot of apples, bananas, carrots, potatoes, peppers and other healthy foods.

How to make your child’s teeth healthy

Tooth decay is 5 times more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever in children. Tooth decay of baby teeth can affect children’s growth, lead to improper alignment of the teeth when the mouth is closed, and result in significant pain and potentially life-threatening swelling in the mouth.

Approximately 70 % of all tooth decay occurs in about 20 % of our nation’s children.

Your child’s teeth start to form under the gums before your child is born. A healthy diet during pregnancy can help to get your child’s teeth off to a healthy start.

Teething usually starts during the first four to seven months of your child’s life.

The first molars are next and then the eye (canine) teeth are next. By age 2 ½, your child should have all their baby (primary) teeth.

Your child’s permanent (secondary) teeth will start to come in around 6-7 years of age. Again, timing can vary and is normal.

Signs, symptoms, and treatment of teething:

Cause:
Mild irritability, crying, low temperature (not over 100° F), and excessive drooling can cause the infant to want to chew on something hard. The gums around here the tooth will come through (erupt) will be swollen and ender.

Treatment:
Gently rubbing or massaging the swollen, tender area with one finger (be sure to wash your hands first) can help ease the discomfort.

Cause:
A cool teething ring may also ease the discomfort.

Treatment:
Consult your health care provider if symptoms persist.

Causes:
Tooth decay is a result of the overgrowth of bacteria that normally occurs in everyone once a person has teeth. Infants do not carry these bacteria until their teeth began to grow in. However, a mother may introduce these bacteria to the infant’s mouth prior to the infant beginning to teeth. It is the overgrowth that causes the problem.

Treatment:
Because bacteria can be passed on from your saliva or other family member’s saliva, practice good family dental health by brushing and flossing at least twice a day and visit a dentist regularly.
Use a clean, moist washcloth to clean your baby’s gums daily.
Once your baby has teeth, use a SOFT toothbrush with only water to clean the teeth.

Your child’s first dental visit should be scheduled after the first tooth comes in and before 12 months of age. Follow your dentist’s recommendation for dental follow-up visits.

Follow your dentist’s recommendation for fluoride supplements.
Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle containing juice, milk, or any other sugary liquid.
Babies that are breastfed can develop tooth decay as well. Therefore, it is as important to maintain good mouth care for ALL babies.

Encourage drinking from a cup as soon as possible, usually by 1 year of age.

During the toddler years until he/she has learned to spit, continue to brush you child’s teeth with a small, soft toothbrush and water only (NO TOOTHPASTE).

By around the age of 2, brush the child’s teeth after breakfast and before bedtime.

Once you are sure that your child can spit (and will not swallow the toothpaste), you may start to use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on a soft toothbrush to brush your child’s teeth. This is usually between the ages of 2-3.

Children younger than 4-5 years old have not developed the coordination to adequately clean their own teeth so caregivers should continue to provide oral care. Begin flossing when two of the child’s teeth begin to touch.

Supply a healthy, well balanced diet which will supply all the nutrients your child needs to grow and maintain good heath including good dental health.

Provide healthy snacks and avoid high sugar foods, starchy foods and sticky foods. When your child does eat these foods, be sure to brush afterwards to remove any food particles left on the teeth.

Some healthy snack choices include: fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, cheese, meat slices, nuts, and whole grain cereal. Keep treats for desserts and not in-between meals.

How to Maintaining Excellent Health

Drink plenty of water. Much of our body and brain are made up of water. You need water to stay hydrated, to flush out toxins, to assimilate nutrients from food, and for your brain to function properly. Drinking plenty of water also keeps your skin from becoming dry and prematurely wrinkled from dehydration. How much water do you need a day? Rule of thumb is to drink one half of your weight in ounces each day. For example, if you weighed 130 pounds, you would need 65 ounces or approximately two quarts of water a day. If you do strenuous exercise or work, you will need even more water.

Coffee, tea, and soda are not substitutes for water. They actually are dehydrating and if you drink them you will need more water. Even fruit juice is not a substitute for water because it comes from a food source and is not a true solvent.

Drinking tap water is better than not getting enough but it is best to drink water which has been purified naturally or through reverse osmosis or distillation. Only some of the bottled water meets these criteria.

I have a habit of carrying a bottle of water wherever I go and I drink at least one half of my weight in ounces every day.

You need a little sunshine
It is true that you can get too much sun but we need some sunshine. Ten to twenty minutes of daily early morning or late evening sun is beneficial.

Sunshine gives you vitamin D which you need so your bones can absorb calcium. Without enough vitamin D our bones can become brittle and break. It is unnatural to spend all of our time indoors. We need fresh air and a little sunshine to maintain excellent health.

Several years ago I worked in a high rise and I was getting very little sunshine. I had a blood test and learned that I was low in Vitamin D and I was starting to experience some bone loss. Since that time I have been taking a vitamin D supplement and I try to get a minimum of 10-15 minutes of early morning or late evening sunshine several days a week. I have checked my level of vitamin D periodically and it has been normal.

Exercise is important.
Our bodies need movement and physical activity. Proper exercise slows down our physical deterioration. We need three types of exercise: Flexibility, aerobic, and strength training.

A. Flexibility exercise.
As we age our bodies become stiffer. Yoga, swimming, tai chi, or just doing stretching helps us to maintain flexibility.

a. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise.
Walking, biking, jogging, dancing, and sports which help you to stay in your working heart rate for 20-30 minutes are beneficial to your heart. Charts are available to determine the working heart rate for your age bracket.

b. Strength training exercise.
This exercise keeps your muscles firm and strong. It also keeps your bones strong when combined with proper nutrition. This type of exercise includes weight lifting (it can be light weights), calisthenics, and machines which provide resistance.
Unless we are an athlete or compete in sports we do not need to spend a large amount of exercising. Like anything else it can be overdone and then the returns diminish. Moderation has its benefit. My personal exercise program does not require a lot of time. I spend twenty minutes a day taking a fast walk for aerobic benefit plus five minutes jumping on a small trampoline (rebounder). I do five minutes of yoga a day plus five to ten minutes on an inverter table for stretching & flexibility. I exercise for ten to fifteen minutes twice a week with light weights for strength training. If your diet is good, a mild to moderate exercise program is sufficient to stay fit.

4. Don’t smoke or abuse alcohol and drugs.
If you are serious about maintaining excellent health, it is important to stop smoking or to never start. Alcohol and drugs destroy brain cells and have many other detrimental effects on our bodies. If you do drink alcohol, moderation is best. If you are an alcoholic then it is probably not possible to drink in moderation. I smoked from the time I was sixteen years old until I was twenty two. I am so grateful that I gave it up. I drank socially until I was in my late twenties and then I decided to quit drinking. I believe that my health today has benefited from giving up tobacco and alcohol.

5. Eat well.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are among the most important foods you can eat. The greater the variety of colors, the better because they contain different types of antioxidants. Antioxidants strengthen your immune system and slow the aging process. Fresh produce is best, frozen is second best, and the least nutritious are canned fruits and vegetables.

It is beneficial to eat some raw foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. They contain enzymes which are frequently destroyed when the food is cooked. Enzymes help with digestion and increase our energy. Eating a salad with one or two meals a day is a great habit. When you eat raw food, know your sources to avoid bacteria contamination. Whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts are beneficial. Raw nuts, seeds, fruit, and vegetables contain energy in addition to vitamins and minerals. Fast foods, food high in sodium, saturated fat, transfatty acids and sugar are best avoided or reduced. Following some of these simple and common sense health tips can increase your chances of living a healthy and enjoyable life. I have been a lacto-vegetarian (includes diary but no eggs, fish, chicken, or meat) since I was in my thirties (over 30 years). For the past two years I have been vegan (includes seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes but no meat or diary).

Make your life lifestyle Healthy

Good health is an important element for a happy life. Apart from exercise, have you thought about any other methods to promote your health? According to the World Health organization, health is not just being free from disease or infirmity. It is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, we can strengthen our body’s resistance and prevent ourselves from contracting diseases more effectively. Here are some guidelines to help you practice a healthy lifestyle:

1. Keep working and resting hours regular.
2. Be optimistic and keep a positive attitude towards life.
3. Share your feelings with someone when you feel distressed.
4. Eat according to the ‘Food Pyramid’ and keep a well balanced diet including grains and cereals, fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meat. Eat less sugary, salty or oily foods.
5. Maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene.
6. Exercise regularly.
7. Don’t smoke, take minimal amount of alcohol and refrain from substance abuse.
8. Have regular health check-ups and seek medical advice at the earliest sign of ailment.

Practice a healthy lifestyle, then you will have the strength and energy to tackle problems and thus lead a better quality of life.

Advice for long period air travellers

ONE thing to watch for when travelling on long-haul flights is pain or swelling of the legs. This could be Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the legs or pelvis, of the body. Blood clots form in veins, where the blood flow is sluggish or has been traumatised. DVT may affect air travellers in any class of the aircraft or passengers in any other form of transport if they sit down for a long time without taking exercise. The incidence of DVT is low in physically active subjects. To prevent DVT
during long-haul flights, passengers are advised to:
• Exercise both legs periodically;
• Walk around the cabin from time to time;
• Drink plenty of fluids;
• Avoid heavy alcohol consumption; and
• Wear loose fitting clothing.

How to improve your vision?

PALMING
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths.
2. Find a flat table to sit at, lean forward, place your elbows on the table, and close your eyes gently.
3. Now, place the palm of your left hand over your left eye, your fingers on your forehead, and the hollow of your palm directly over the eye, but not touching it. There is still room to blink. The heel of your hand rests on the cheekbones.
4. Then place the other hand over the other eye with the fingers crossing over the fingers from the other hand. The palm should be over the eye and the heel of the hand resting on the cheekbones.
5. Make sure your elbows are low enough so that your face and the weight of your head are resting in your palms so that there is no stress on the neck.
Palming gives you the opportunity not to try to see, but to just focus on relaxing your mind and eyes simultaneously. Even though we recommend that you do this for only three minutes, palming can be done for as little or as much as you like throughout the day as a way to relax your eyes and calm down from the tensions of daily life.

SCANNING
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths.
2. You can stand, sit or move around your environment.
3. As you look at objects, let your eyes glide over them as if you were painting them with your eyes. Continue to breathe deeply and easily.
4. As your eyes shift from object to object allow them to move easily without staring and continue to breathing and blinking. They should move in a relaxed manner without any tension. Make sure to release any release any tension in the moth or the jaw.

FIGURE EIGHTS
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths.
2. Either stand or sit with your feet shoulder width apart with your hands at your sides. Do not cross your hands. Let your knees bend slightly.
3. Imagine a figure eight approximately ten feet from you lying horizontally (lying in the shape of an infinity sign)

EFFORTLESS FOCUS
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths
2. Choose a point to focus your attention with great effort towards the point. Then relax your focus and look at it effortlessly. Be aware of the difference in how you look with effort and without effort. Notice how your peripheral vision expands when you look with ease.

NEAR AND FAR FOCUS
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths.
2. Either sit or stand with feet shoulder width apart. If you are standing bend your knees slightly.
3. Hold your thumb six inches away from your eyes directly in front of your nose.
4. Gaze easily at the thumb and take a deep breath. Then focus on a distant object at least ten feet away and take a deep breath. Change this focus every breath. Feel the muscles in your eyes change as you shift your focus.

EYE MASSAGE
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths.
2. Sit quietly and relax, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent.
3. Close the eyes gently.
4. When you press each point, be gentle. Don't use too much force and avoid putting pressure on the eyeballs.
5. Put your thumbs below your eyebrows and above the inside corners of your eyes and place the other four fingers of each hand on your forehead. Press your thumbs into the point for four breaths.
6. Use the thumb and index finger of either hand to massage the bridge of your nose. Press the point and then squeeze with an upward motion. Press and squeeze four times for four breaths.
7. Place your middle fingers on your cheek bones, directly below the center of each eye.
Massage the center part of your cheek for four breaths.
8. Massage a point starting at your temples right below the eyebrows and level with the outside end of your eyes. Then place your thumbs on the inside end of the eyebrows and massage. Move to the middle of the eyebrow and massage. Then massage the end of the eyebrow. Lastly, massage right below the middle of your eye. All these exercises can either be done at a separate time in the order given or incorporated into your daily life activities.

ZOOMING
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths.
2. Place your thumb out at arm's distance from you on your midline
3. As you breathe in move your thumb slowly towards you as you focus your eyes on it.
4. When you get three inches from your face move your arm away and begin again.


SUNNING
1. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths.
2. Sit or stand in a place where the sun is shining on you or under a full spectrum light source.
3. Close your eyes gently.
4. Move your head slowly from side to side so that you go from an area of shade into an area of light falling on your closed eyelids. Remember to continue to breathe easily and deeply. Feel the light on your eyelids; visualize accepting the light energy.
5. Alternate between five breaths of sunning and two breaths of palming.

Exercise for life

Taking a daily walk is a good way to help control your weight. Walk to the store. Walk to the movies. Walk to the park. You’ll be surprised at how good it can make you feel. If walking is not for you, pick something you like. Swimming, Biking, Tennis, Jogging. Try to do it for 30 minutes most days of the week. You’ll look better and have more energy to do the other things you enjoy.Be sure to ask your doctor about other exercise that is right for you.

Also ask what foods you should include in your meal plan.

Your doctor may also change the amount of medicine you take. Or put you on a different medicine. This may help lower your glucose level. There are also medicines that help lower glucose.

Breast self-test at home

BEFORE A MIRROR
• Firmly press your hands down on your hips to tighten your chest muscles
• Look carefully for any changes in the size, shape, or contour of your breasts
• Check for anything unusual discharge, puckering, dimpling, or changes in skin texture.

LYING DOWN
• Lie flat on your back and place your left hand behind your head and a pillow under your left shoulder
• Use the finger pads of the 3 middle fingers on your right hand to make overlapping dime-sized circular motions to feel your left breast
• Apply 3 different levels of pressure light, medium, andfirm with your finger pads to check the breast tissue
• Use each pressure level to feel for lumps before moving to the next spot
• Start by your armpit and move down to just below your breast Use the same circular motions using an up-and-down pattern to cover the entire breast area
• Repeat on your right breast using your left hand

SITTING OR STANDING
• Raise your arm slightly
• Use the same circular motions with your fingerpads to examine each underarm.

Report any lumps or changes to your doctor.

5 Steps to Improve Your Health

1. Stay smoke-free

Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke are major causes of premature death from heart and lung diseases, stroke, and cancer - Canada's number one killers.

If you smoke, think about quitting now. It's never too late to stop - no matter how long you've smoked, or how often you've tried to quit. When you stop smoking, your risk of heart disease drops rapidly. After a few years, it's almost as low as if you had never smoked. You can join the five million Canadians who have quit. Ask your doctor about ways to quit smoking, or contact the organizations listed below.

If you don't smoke, don't start. And everyone should avoid exposure to second-hand smoke - a serious hazard with the same health risks as smoking. It's especially important for children and people with asthma and respiratory problems to be in a smoke-free environment.

2. Eat well to stay well

Healthy eating helps you feel great, stay well and control your weight. A healthy diet also offers protection against heart disease, stroke, cancer and other serious diseases. Follow these tips adapted from Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating:

" Enjoy smaller portions of lean meat, fish or poultry, trimming away any visible fat;

" Plan your meals with the main focus on vegetables, fruit, and grain products such as rice, pasta, bread, and cereals. Choose more whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and cereals. Include some servings of dark-green and orange fruit and vegetables every day; " Reach for lower fat milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese in the dairy case (1 per cent or 2 per cent butter fat, or skim); " Cut back on fats like butter, oil and margarine. Prepare food using as little extra fat as possible;

" Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine. Prepared foods are high in salt. More than two alcoholic drinks a day raises blood pressure - a serious risk factor for both heart disease and stroke. Alcohol should be limited to a maximum of two drinks per day and coffee to four regular-size cups.

3. Make physical activity a part of your life Want to protect your health, achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, have more energy and relieve stress? Regular physical activity does all that and more. It helps your heart, lungs and blood vessels work better, and controls your cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

It's easy to get more active. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way. Walk to the neighborhood store instead of driving. Use a manual mower to cut the lawn.

Do something physical that you enjoy. Brisk walking is a good start. Swimming, skating, bicycling, and dancing are great activities. Anything that gets you moving and raises your heart rate counts.

Begin slowly and work up to a more vigorous level. Try to include at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on most days of the week.

If you have a heart condition or other medical problems, take medications, or have been inactive for a long time, talk to your doctor before changing your level of activity. Ask about special exercise programs.

4. Know your blood pressure
You've never felt better. How could high blood pressure be a problem? Unfortunately, you could have high blood pressure and never know it because there are no obvious symptoms. It hits men and women of all ages and occupations. Tense people can have normal blood pressure; calm people can have high blood pressure. The only way to know for sure is to have your blood pressure checked by a health professional.

High blood pressure is a serious health problem that can lead to heart disease and stroke. But it's controllable. If your blood pressure is high, follow your doctor's advice faithfully.

Here are some tips on keeping your blood pressure healthy:

• Have your blood pressure checked regularly;


• Stop smoking;


• Get regular physical activity;


• Drink less alcohol or stop completely;


• Maintain a healthy body weight;


• Use less salt.

5. Relax and enjoy life

Take time for pleasurable activities and to enjoy the company of friends and family.
Do you often feel tense, driven or irritable? It's time to identify the sources of negative stress in your life, and to take steps to reduce or manage them.

Breast Cancer Prevention and Risk Factors

Breast Cancer Treatment Can Be More Successful When Started Early

Most breast cancers cause no symptoms.
When breast cancer is detected before it has spread, the 5-year survival rate is 97%.
If cancer has spread to underarm lymph nodes, the survival rate drops to 79%.

If it spreads beyond the lymph nodes to other organs, the survival rate is 23%.

Breast Cancer Prevention
Breast-feed your baby. Some studies show that breast-feeding lowers breast cancer risk.

Take aspirin daily. New evidence suggests that a daily low-dose aspirin tablet (81 mg.) may reduce breast cancer risk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of daily aspirin therapy.

Research is continuing on whether the drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene may be effective in preventing breast cancer among women at higher risk. Talk to your doctor about the risks.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Any woman can develop breast cancer. None knows what causes breast cancer.

However, women are at higher risk if they:

• Are obese.


• Do not get enough physical activity.


• Consume more than 1 drink of alcohol per day.
  Smoking.


• Have gone through menopause. Breast cancer is more common among post-menopausal women.


• Risk increases with age.


• Are on estrogens or hormone replacement therapy, or take birth control pills.


• Were ever prescribed DES (diethylstilbestrol), or if your mother took DES while she was pregnant with you.


• Began menstruation early (before age 12), or went through menopause late (after age 55).


• Never had children, or first full-term pregnancy after age 30.


• An injury to the breast does not increase breast cancer risk. Neither does having breast implants or terminating a pregnancy.


• White women are more likely to get breast cancer, but black women are more likely to die from it.


• This may be due to lack of access to state-of-the-art medical care and delays in following up on abnormal mammography findings.

Make sure your doctor knows if you:
Ever had breast cancer yourself. If you had cancer in one breast, it is more likely to develop in the other breast. Have a close relative (mother, sister, or daughter) who has ever had breast cancer. (However, most women who develop breast cancer have no family history of the disease.)