Sunday, April 22, 2012

How can drugs affect YOUR health??

The majority of people around the world are using drugs. Drugs are meant to be used with proper care. There are a variety of different types of drugs out there. There are perscription drugs, hallucinigens, amphetamines, and even alcohol is considered a drug. I will go more into detail here about these drugs in a little bit. What most people don't realize is how much these drugs can have an affect on a persons' body. Even drugs that are perscribed by doctors can have a affect if they are abused. Next, I will list different types of drugs and how they can affect a persons' health.

Marijuana

There are a number of marijuana smokers out there. Some believe it should be legalized, but the government thinks otherwise. Marijuana can distort a person's perception, troubled thinking and problem solving, and an increased heart rate. Marijuana can really effect your brain and a loss of memory may occur. Also this drug is smoked, therefore, it can really hurt your lungs.

Perscription drugs

These drugs are meant to provide benefits such as pain relief, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants. A loss of appetite may happen while taking these kinds of drugs. That itself can open a door to a bag of new health problems. Also these drugs can be addictive and tolerances are grown to these drugs so people will need to take more doses to get their fix.

Cocaine

This is one of the most abused drugs on earth. People who repeaditly use cocaine can experience irregular heart beat, heart attack, respitory failure, chest pain, strokes, seizures, and nausea.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are mainly used by people who like to go on something they call these days a "trip." When abusing this drug, you may experience increased blood pressure, loss of appetite, dizziness, dry mouth, sweating, nausea, numbness, and tremors.

Heroin

Heroin is the known as the most dangerous drug and can be fatal if abused. It is known to be the drug with the most overdoses. Some effects can be kidney disease, change in skin texture, and can cause a hepititas C infection.

Here is a link that goes more into different kinds of drugs and their health related affects:
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/sa/a/drug_effects.htm

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Eating Disorders

While we have mostly focused on different ways to eat healthy, the food pyramid, exercise, and obesity it is important to look deeper into the issue at the psychological effects. It is important to realize that many people who do not feel good about themselves, or are obese feel there is only one way to lose weight. This is important to look at how and why they feel this way because some people cannot lose weight no matter what they do.

According to research it is important for doctors, and dieticians to to talk to their patients about healthy weights, and BMI`s(Body Mass Index). Many people that struggle with eating disorders just want to be like "every other skinny person." Dieticians and doctors are doing their best to catch these issues before they get out of hand.

Below are some statistics about eating disorders

-only 1 in 10 men and woman get treated for their eating disorder
-Anorexia is the third most common illness among adolescents
-86% of people are said to have an eating disorder before they are 20 years old
-Women are much more likely then men to develop an eating disorder
- Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives

So What Percent of People Fall Under Each Category?

• 4% for anorexia nervosa
• 3.9%  for bulimia nervosa
• 5.2% for eating disorder not otherwise specified

Eating disorders are a very serious thing that we need to start to control more. Today we see society has become a place with many obese people, but many adolescents and young adults live by high standards. It is essential to be who you are, and live a healthy lifestyle by working at it rather then forcing yourself to do it. 

How Much Exercise Should You Get Each Day?

So when people talk about exercise there are a variety of different things that come to mind. There are different exercise plans for different people and we will talk about those in this post.

Exercise should start at a very early age and continue throughout your life. Exercise is not only important for adults but also elderly people. You must stay in a physically fit and healthy position to live a happy life. So lets talk about the minimums of exercise each age group needs to receive.

Children as mentioned in an early blog post are a very important group to keep physically fit. Their exercise plan should consist of:

- At least one hour of physical activity each day
- At least three days a week
-  It is necessary to concentrate on bone strengthening and muscle strengthening activities

Next is the group of more general adults. This would consist of people ranging from 18-45. Their plan should have at minimum;

-2.5 hours to maintain health, otherwise 5.5 hours to see benefits
- muscle strengthening activities at least two days a week
-vigorous exercises is key to seeing benefits faster, the more vigorous activity you do the more your results will show

The next group is older adults. This group normally consists of about 50 years old and above. They try and maintain physical health so they do not have as many health effects. Their list includes;

-Try to follow adult list of moderate activity as it accommodates the person
- The goal is to maintain balance and try to keep as fit as possible
- Balance activities are the key

While these three main groups have a more detailed exercise plan, there are a variety of plans out there for people to follow that have a little bit more regimen to them. It is important to also look at different exercise plans if you have certain health issues. While researching specific exercises plans that accommodate people with health issues, there are a variety to choose from. It is so important that everyone sets time out of their day to exercise and stay physically fit!

Below is an image of a exercise chart you make on your own that includes everything you need to stay in shape and eventually see an outcome! You can Google a variety of different exercises that fit each category and you personally.







New vs. Old Food Pyramid

The original food pyramid had a chart for daily recommended servings of milk, meat, vegetables, fruit, and grains depending upon gender, age, and activity level.


The new food pyramid now has one set curriculum for a 2000 calorie diet for everyone. It uses the groups grains, vegetables, fruits, fats, milk, and meat and beans in a horizontal format.
While both of these food pyramids look like they have almost the same food groups, there are some differences. We will list below some major difference we found between the two different food pyramids

-The original food pyramid contains an area for fats, oils, and sweets the new pyramid just states to to cut out butter, margarine, ect.
-The new pyramid advises to choose food that is low in sugar, and different types of fats
-The  new pyramid has a dairy section but only calls for no-fat or low fat dairy products where as the old pyramid was not as strict and called for a variety of different dairy
-The old pyramid called for 6-12 ounces of protein while the new only calls for 5.5 ounces daily
-While fruits and vegetables were mixed in the original food pyramid, the new pyramid has a section for both and advises variety.
-The old pyramid was not specific about grains as long as you were consuming them, while the new food pyramid says half should be whole grains

So it is pretty clear that obesity has become a huge issue today as many foods are being cut out that used to be in the original food pyramid. It is important to follow the different rules and tips when looking more into the food pyramid because it will help you live a more healthy lifestyle. It is a researched fact that many diseases come from excessive and unhealthy eating.



Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Uhh Ohh.... Time to Talk About Diet Plans!

Diet plans.. the idea is something everyone talks about, but who really does them anyway? There are so many different pills you can take that are advertised that do not even need a diet plan. But why not take these pills? There are so many different side effects with these, and they will only take the weight off while taking the medicine. I don`t know about you but i am pretty sure i would not want to take a diet pill on a daily regimen that only helps for an extended period of time.

What are some "effective" diet plans out their today that are said to work?

-Atkins`s Diet
Atkins`s Diet Information
-The Zone Diet
 Zone Diet Information
-Vegetarian Diet
Vegetarian Diet Information
-Vegan Diet
Vegan Diet Information
-Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers Information
-South Beach Diet
South Beach Diet Information
-Raw Food Diet
Raw Food Diet Information
-Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean Diet Information
-Paleo Diet
Paleo Diet Information

All of these diets are effective, top ranked diets today but you have to be willing to follow them with very close rules so you will get the benefits you should. All of these diets have a different regimen and aim for different things. It is really up to you to chose which diet you prefer. It is important to look into the specific rules of each diet before you choose one. You need to choose according to what will fit into your lifestyle the best! There are links under each diet that direct you to more information about the diets.

Remember to:
-try your best
-set effective goals along the way
-follow the routine
-do not give in and it junk food
- and most importantly, MAKE IT HAPPEN!

How Does Obesity Effect Your Body?

Obesity is a huge issue in today`s society, that is constantly growing. We have so many fast food stops, unhealthy goods available at grocery stores, and we look around and see obese people everywhere. One big issue with obesity is that; children`s obesity rates are the quickest rising rates in the United States as far as health issues. It would be very beneficial for adults to live a healthier lifestyle so their children can look up to them and be healthy as well.

But what exactly does obesity do to you? Obesity has so many side effects dealing with psychological issues all the way to bodily effects. I decided it would be most beneficial to talk about bodily effects on them.

Effects:

-high blood pressure
-diabetes
-heart disease
-joint problems
-sleep apnea
-respiratory problems
-cancer
-metabolic syndrome

Many people will look at this and ask, "Cant you get these symptoms from other things?" The answer to that is yes, but it is important to realize that being obese makes you more vulnerable to develop one of these issues.Although these are more serious bodily effects there are also little things which include;

-constant sweating
-feeling sick
-bloated
-loss of breath
-unable to sleep
-very tired all the time
- cannot deal with any physical activity

So after looking at all of these different symptoms its important to ask yourself, "Is this really how i want to live my life?" Of course the answer should easily be no. It is important to look at different exercises,workout plans, and diets that will help avoid obesity.


Thursday, April 12, 2012

First Post!

In Composition 1 we were assigned to get into groups and inform people of issues in society in a more traditional way rather than a paper. Our group decided to write about an issue that is huge today in society and that is, ways to live healthier. Many people worry about their weight, health, and healthy eating today while some just do not care. Our goal is to persuade healthy living to more people so we can overall be a healthier society.