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There is a small epidemic slithering through your workplace. It’s claimed men, women and managers without distinction or concern. The symptoms are well known, explained weakly over phone calls, typed lazily in private messages (fevers, it seems, destroy all need for grammar or coherency). It’s jumping from cubicle to cubicle; and your row is next. All of your compatriots are beginning to hoard tissues and calcium.

You, however, are not.

Because you’ve already taken all the necessary steps to protect yourself. Those last minute desperations are not worthy of your time.

Health is not a game of chance. It’s not determined by simple fate. While genetics and environment may dictate the major elements of your life, the little moments (such as the all too common office flu) can be instead determined by you. Self-care reigns supreme.

To prepare for any season–and keep yourself from suffering the indignity of coughs and headaches–you know you must keep your body physically fit and so you do what you must:

1. Exercise. It’s the most obvious suggestion and the one too often ignored; but exercising is essential to maintain good health. Devote at least one hour a day to movement. Challenge yourself beyond reaching for the remote. This is the best way to expand years and keep illnesses at bay.

2. Nutrition. That last piece of cake is tempting. It’s not, however, sensible. Understand that you need more than the indulgence of sweets. Offer yourself a well-rounded menu throughout the day. Choose vitamin-rich foods and refuse the ease of calories. Substitute healthy snacks for your typical fare and choose wiser alternatives.

3. Hygiene. There was a time when water was considered a vice and skin was to be kept earth-soaked. Now, however, such times are gone. This is a change you must embrace fully. Wash your hands; prevent cross-contamination; disinfect surfaces. Keep yourself (and your home) in proper order.

Self-care is not a tedious thing. It’s mere common sense. Understand that you must protect yourself by doing more than relying on luck. You must instead work for your health (and then reap the rewards).

It’s happening again: you’re shifting against the sheets, curling tight and then stretching out. You struggle for an angle that will please but find only frustration. The bed seems too hard; the pillow seems too shallow; and the air has gone stale with desperation. You can’t sleep. You try all the little tricks you remember from youth (pacing the floor, reading a book, drinking the horror that is warm milk) but they fail. And the hours slip slowly on, leading you finally into morning.

It’s going to be a long day.

This scenario is unfortunately common. The stress of ordinary obligations will force most individuals to experience nights of poor rest and long minutes. Just because this is suffered by the majority, however, does not mean you should simply accept it.

A loss of sleep is no less dangerous because it’s easily recognized. It’s instead an illness that can interfere with every aspect of your life. Without a (minimal) of seven solid hours, you will see a decrease in alertness and memory, an increase in stress and a heightened chance of injury. Your body will not function correctly; and these issues will feed into each other, creating a myriad of problems.

This is why it’s vital for you to discover the reasons for your lack of sleep. While the occasional rough-night is not of great concern, a repeating pattern is. If each week finds you restless, then you must make a change:

1. Determine stressors. Your family situation, your career: these can stir your thoughts and leave you unable to do more than think. Resolve the issues as quickly as possible to undo their damage.

2. Change habits. A too late meal, scrambling to finish assignments: allowing yourself distractions in the evening can force your body awake. Allow yourself to move gradually toward sleep, rather than simply declaring yourself ready.

3. Consult your doctor. If symptoms persist, then you must seek help. Don’t dismiss this as ordinary. The risks are high and the problem may be linked to other illnesses.

You must sleep but you first must learn how to sleep well.

You are not a worrier. You take pride instead in understanding the differences between the common cold and genuine illness. You do not panic at the first flush of a fever. You do not scramble toward the hospital when a cough suddenly appears. Your choices are deliberate and your responses are calm…. except when it comes to your children. When they offer a less than happy stare, you’re instantly prepared to consult every doctor in town.

This is, naturally, not sensible. You know that you can’t race to the emergency room for every scrapped knee and snuffle. There have to be boundaries. There have to be rules. And the knowledge that children attract illness as easily as mischief must be understood. Your son or daughter will one day be sick. That is not a question. The answer, however, may depend on the symptoms they offer.

There are warning signs all parents should learn to recognize. These represent potential problems that warrant seeing a doctor:

1. Fever. All children are susceptible to flushed cheeks and hot temples. You must be wary, however, if the temperature continues to climb. If a thermometer reads 102 (or above), seek out assistance immediately. Do not wait.

2. Sore throats. The strains of laughter or tantrums can agitate any throat. Should those agitations become persistent, however, then you should consult a physician. This can suggest possible infections or other illnesses.

3. Breathing abnormalities. All children become winded after hours of playing. Not all children, however, remain winded. Watch your son or daughter carefully to monitor how long it takes them to recover and if they suffer from gasping, coughing or other breathing difficulties.

4. Sleep loss. Nightmares are common and can force any child to have the occasional bad night. If your child is suffering from frequent sleep disruption, however, than the cause may be a greater problem–whether psychical or emotional. Help is needed.

Illness is a certainty for children. The severity of that illness, however, depends on how early it is caught. Look for these symptoms and understand their importance.

Reflections don’t lie and photographs tell no tales: the image they offer is one you don’t approve of. Your body is not what you wish it to be and your frustrations are higher than you ever imagined. A change is needed. So you toss out all your calorie-stuffed foods, force yourself to drink only vitamin-enhanced water and plunge into a strict regime of constant movement. You spend the week working hard, relishing the results you know will come. But seven days yield little more than hunger pains and you haven’t lost a pound. You give up.

This is an all too easy scenario to fall victim to. Your intentions are good but your expectations are skewed–and the result is a plan that can never succeed.

Weight loss is not an immediate process. It will not offer fast effects and easy days. It instead requires patience, time and an understanding that the human body is a fickle thing. It must be tamed through routine, not sheer will.

And this is why all attempts to diet (the word is offered only as a familiarity. Never follow the trends and supposed quick fixes) must be done sensibly. This is the only way to preserve your health.

1. Know what you want. Before seeking any type of weight loss plan, you must first understand your goals. Are you wishing to just lose those pesky five pounds? Or are you wanting instead make a radical change? Understand your needs and create a schedule that suits them.

2. Consult your doctor. Never attempt any major weight loss without informing your physician. He will explain all risks and precautions you must take. Know your health and what it requires.

3. Avoid the easy. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Marketers prey on insecurities, crafting diet plans that simply don’t work. Rely on sensible eating habits, exercise and lifestyle changes to guide you. Do not succumb to fad-diets. They can be highly dangerous.

If you’ve been looking to tighten your waist line or your budget, it can be overwhelming trying to think of all the many things you “should” be doing differently. For a softer, easier approach that will give you clear and consistent improvement, just try changing one thing: your lunch break. If you eat out at restaurants or other food service vendors, you are spending a lot more money than you probably realize. Spending $10 a day on lunch, five days per week can add up to as much as $230 dollars per month. With a little bit of planning, you can eat better food for far less money.
When you buy cheap fast food like burgers and processed chicken sandwiches, you are ingesting far more sodium, fat, additives, and calories than a homemade version of the same item. “Healthier” options like salads start in the $6 range at the cheapest fast food locations, and often have additives that you aren’t aware of that make it much less figure friendly than you probably realize. If you eat at a restaurant, there is a much more liberal application of oils and fats and the salad dressings are much more fatty than the average brands carried in the grocery stores. You’re spending 2-3 times more money and ingesting 2-3 times more calories than doing it yourself.
To make things easy, buy fresh or frozen chicken breasts on sale. Prepare them with marinades or rubs in flavors that you like. You can make them take on an Asian flair or give them bold Latin flavors. Think about what dishes you like in restaurants and you can find easy recipes to get the same flavors at home. Grill up several days’ worth of chicken and then the night before, slice them and add them to a salad mix from the store. Add nuts, cheese, dried fruit or anything else you enjoy. Keep salad dressing and crisp components separate until you are ready to eat. Fill up on the lean protein and extra greens. You will be full for far fewer calories and will save a bundle.

It’s the terrible temptation: you stand at the refrigerator, staring at its contents. There are shelves filled to sweet dangers, the foods you must not have but still want. You’re trying desperately to lose weight, wishing to improve the image that peers back at you each morning (it always looks so disgruntled). You want a better appearance and better health. The process, however, has not been easy. Your hours are spent hungry, with only occasional meals to satisfy. You want more than your diet allows, but you can’t risk the effects of indulgence. So instead you simply peer at all the things you can’t have and then discontentedly settle for an ice cube.

This assumption plagues too many individuals. A diet is believed to be a tedium, with all foods denied. It’s not. There are instead several delicious (and filling) items to sample–ones that won’t cause a sagging waistline or a guilty conscious. They will instead inspire weight loss and good health.

1. Peppers. For those craving flavor, hot peppers will offer everything you need… and more. Choosing these helps to stimulate the metabolism; which then increases energy. This allows exercise regimes to be extended and calories to burn away more efficiently.

2. Apples. You’re familiar with the cliches, the oft-sang platitudes. But apples truly do keep the doctor away. They’re laced with a mineral called Pectin, which acts as a buffer between fat cells and reduces the amounts absorbed. This helps to keep you satisfied without taking in more calories.

3. Citrus fruits. You may think the sharp taste of oranges (and its many siblings) is not for you. It should be. Citrus fruits help to dilute fat, allowing you to eat without worrying. They also help to increase a sluggish metabolism, provide energy and defend against the common cold.

It must be explained, though, that these foods are not to be eaten in excess. While they offer obvious advantages, they should still be taken in moderation; as all items should. They do not offer the freedom to indulge. They instead offer the satisfaction of being healthy (and full).

Many do not realize that eating tainted food can be life threatening. Unless you’ve worked in the food industry, you may never have been taught what is and isn’t safe in the kitchen. A little know how can save you.
Cold food must always be stored in a refrigerator with an air temperature no higher 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and food must be no warmer than 41 degrees. Produce does well in the lower 40’s but seafood should be kept in the lower 30’s. Your food temperature in the freezer should be below 0 degrees Fahrenheit unless it is being thawed for consumption. When thawing frozen food, the refrigerator (at 41 degrees or lower) is ideal, but can take time. If the food must be thawed more quickly, the item can be placed in a water bath that maintains both a constant stream of running water through it and a temperature below 70 degrees. If the temperature gets too high, ice may be added to the bath to bring down the temperature. Be sure that any item or surface that comes in contact with raw meat does not come in contact with any other food item, including cooked meat.
When cooking food, meats and proteins in particular, it is extremely important to heat food to a proper temperature and have it consumed very soon afterwards. As the temperature drops, it becomes dangerous, as food that is between 70 degrees and 120 degrees is a perfect breeding ground for illness inducing bacteria. 165 degrees Fahrenheit is a good guideline to stick to when checking the temperature on your meat, as that is a temp that will ensure the protein is safe to eat. Certain meats can be served at lower temperatures but if you won’t remember them all, then 165 degrees is the guideline to use. For those cooks who prefer that their meat is not overdone, remember that steaks, seafood, and roasts are safe at 145 degrees. Eggs, ground beef, and pork cuts can be served at 160 degrees, while poultry like chicken must always be served at 165 degrees, no exceptions.

You can’t always control whether you develop an illness for which you need medication, but you can control how much you spend. Generic medications can help with that, because they don’t cost nearly as much as the name brands. Some medications don’t have generic equivalents, though, so you’ll have to pay full price for them. If that’s the case with you, ask your doctor about free samples. He might be able to provide you with your medication that way, so you don’t have to keep paying high prices for what you need to keep you healthy. If you can’t get free samples, there are still more choices to help make sure you get your medicine.

One of the things you can do is get a prepaid card and load it with the right amount to pay for your medications, so the money will be there when you need it. You can also talk to the companies that make your medications. Some of them offer discount cards that are good for a year or more. You’ll be able to save money that way, and you can use the money you buy something else you need. Money can be very tight when the economy is bad, but you still need your medication.

Don’t be shy about asking for help from your doctor, the pharmacy, the company that makes your medication, and any charitable organizations in your area that help people with medical expenses. There’s no harm in asking, and you may just find some people willing to help you. Much of that will depend on your income level and the cost of your medications, but you won’t know whether you qualify for any help until you ask around. Some people don’t like to do that because they feel embarrassed, but there’s nothing embarrassing about saving money.

Does the American population seem to be getting fatter and fatter? It is. Today, 66% of Americans are either overweight or obese. At the current rate of increase in obesity, 100% of Americans will be obese by 2048. That 100% prediction is not too far off in the future.

With a dangerous health issue of such magnitude, it is easy to sit back and take a “laissez faire” attitude, but clearly, a more proactive approach is needed. Americans can no longer afford to look for easy answers or quick fixes. With so much contradictory information available about weight loss, it can be hard to decide on the best course of action.

More and more, people blame weight gain on genetics instead of lack of discipline with diet and exercise. Because the pharmaceutical industry aims to make as much money as quickly and easily as it can, it invents new “medications” to help those who believe they are “genetically predisposed” to be overweight.

Don’t fall for the hoax. The same industry that is ready to take your money for weight-reduction pills is the same industry that designs the chemicals in the foods you eat. It is a profitable circle of destruction. As foods are engineered to be more enticing—foods that you can’t stop yourself from eating as the food itself truly becomes an addiction, exactly like drugs and alcohol—have no doubt that a “medication” will be made available to help you control your weight problem.

You could have better luck managing your weight by checking yourself into an alcohol rehab program and asking to be fed only whole, organic foods. What could it hurt? The alternative is a never-ending cycle of dependence, a lifetime of genetically modified foods, diet pills, and the psychological nightmare of obesity.