Month: January 2016

Are You Living Your Healthiest Lifestyle?

eating salad

Now is the time of year when many of us will consider changes we can make in the New Year that will have life-changing results. Let’s face it: each and every one of us has had a resolution that we hoped would increase energy, improve sleep, and reduce stress. Some of us will shoot for large goals like quitting smoking or losing fifty pounds. It should be noted that if you do smoke or are significantly overweight, you should certainly take steps to reverse these. However, your healthiest lifecycle often involves smaller, more innocuous alterations.

Six Small Changes You Can Make to Live More Healthy

 

  • Eat more legumes. In one study, it was shown that “for every 20-gram increase in daily legume intake, there is a 7 to 8% reduction in mortality hazard ratio.” The Hope4Cancer® Institute in Mexico has included full spectrum nutrition as part of its Seven Cancer Treatment Principles as nutrition plays a major role in staving off disease and improving recovery.
  • If you have a sweets craving, eat fruit instead of candy. Fruit has a number of different vitamins and minerals that can improve health and will have a lower impact on blood sugar than if you opt for the cookie or brownie. It also has much needed fiber, which many people don’t get enough of with their diet. A small piece of dark chocolate is also a good option.
  • Learn how to cook. Did you know that a single meal eaten at a restaurant could have as much salt as your recommended daily intake? Plus, just think about the money you would save not eating take out all of the time. Financial adversity is a significant source of stress for individuals.
  • Drink a glass of alkaline water before your meal, so you don’t eat as much. Eating food with high water content like soup can also help here.
  • Stay off the hoverboard. You will avoid lighting your home on fire, and you will be less sedentary overall. Walk instead when you need to go a short distance. The less sedentary life you live, the less likely you’ll die from any cause.
  • Meditate for twenty minutes every day to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and strengthen mental health. If this sounds difficult, you can start with a few minutes every day to start a routine. There are a number of apps and YouTube videos available as well to assist you as you embark on a meditation practice.

When considering your healthiest lifestyle, your best strategy may be to think small. Try these tips to feel better, lower stress, improve sleep, and reduce your mortality rate.

Ways You Can Raise Awareness about Cancer

raise awareness

The chances are you or someone you know has been affected by cancer in some capacity. Each year, about 1.7 million people will be diagnosed with cancer. It’s estimated that 600,000 cancer patients will die from the disease. It can have an enormous effect on families and friends as well who must provide support in this difficult time.

Let’s take the holiday season that we’re currently celebrating right now. If you are suffering from cancer, you might not be of the best health to really stick with the same routine and event schedule then you have in the past. If you are a family member or friend, you might have to halt plans to make sure your loved one is taken care of. Cancer has a social, health, and economic impact. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates that the total healthcare costs for cancer is $88.7 billion.

Given the ramifications of a cancer diagnosis, you might be wondering how you can help others understand the importance of early screening, cancer research, cancer treatments, and other issues related to cancer care. This can be a loaded issue. As a disclaimer, you should be aware of the fact that some organizations don’t directly impact cancer research. For example, pink ribbon support does not always lead to support in real research … it just keeps helping pharmaceutical companies pursue their financial agendas. If you really want to impact cancer research and raise cancer awareness, you really need to look at the organization before you commit time or money.

How Can You Raise Awareness to Help People Become Aware of Symptoms, Screenings, and Treatments?

 

  • Organize or participate in a walk or some other philanthropic event supporting a cancer cause.
  • Wear your support through a ribbon, hat or other garment.
  • Use social media as a way to reach more people. Link back to articles, videos, and other media.
  • Seek sponsorship from local businesses for a billboard or ad. Reaching out to the media may be another way to get exposure.
  • Start a challenge to get your friends and family to share with others they know to raise awareness and support a cause. The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS was a viral challenge campaign that worked tremendously.

As a cancer research and care organization, the Hope4Cancer® Institute supports awareness to ensure individuals and their friends and families understand the symptoms and treatments available for various cancers. By creating awareness, you can help save a life. Please look at these and other methods to help the general public understand why and how cancer has affected our society.