Wellbeing means
more than just good physical health. It is also about the quality
of the environment in which we live, our opportunities, our
lifestyles and social interactions and the accessibility of
the services we need.
The human body has many ways of protecting itself from harmful
aspects of our environment, and it has many mechanisms for healing
itself from within. We are fortunate to live in a society where
we have many skilled professionals to help us maintain good
health, but that necessitates our co-operating with the treatment
recommended or provided and seeking that help in the first place.
More than that, we can do a great deal individually to take
responsibility ourselves for our wellness.
There are many relatively simple techniques and practices we
can learn and carry out which will allow and encourage our bodies
to carry out their normal healing functions, and when we learn
to do this we will achieve optimum health for ourselves.
The first stage is to learn to take control of our own bodies
and minds and integrate them. Then we can and assess what action
we can take to allow and encourage our own positive health and
lifestyle.
Each of us is a unique child of the universe and has the gift
of a body, mind and spirit. That spirit is our essential oneness.
Our strength lies in integrating our whole person, that is our
body, mind and spirit, with a clear focus and a resolve to allow
the wellness within us to flow freely. Each of us has a body
which is a miracle of creation, and a well of healing which
we can learn to draw on. We can learn to allow that wellness
to flow freely through us.
Try and maintain
your normal sleep routine, including number of hours. Adequate
sleep will enhance your energy levels, ability to concentrate/recall
information.
Eat breakfast
and don't skip meals. Eat helpful snack food including -
fruit, whole meal sandwiches, low fat muesli bars, smoothies,
dried fruit and nuts, vegetables and dip, whole meal/low
fat cakes and slices
Attempt to
drink one to two litres of water every day. Avoid excess
tea/coffee and cola based drinks. Although a mild stimulant,
caffeine actually impairs your ability.
Taking deliberate
rest breaks during times of high mental stress (such as
exam periods, heavy work loads) enhances your energy levels
and your ability to concentrate on and retain vital information.
Get up, stretch your body, walk around, go outside to re-oxygenate
yourself and grab a drink.
Exercise is
vital at any time to aid general health and well-being.
By simply going for a walk, you will feel more refreshed
and give your mind a chance to take in what you have learnt.
When at work,
ensure adequate lighting and ventilation, that your chair
is at the correct height, and that your desk is at approximately
at elbow level for writing, to optimise your working conditions.
Nurture yourself
during this busy time with a daily treat, remembering to
laugh often, taking a walk or doing a workout in the fitness
club, listening to good music or having a massage.
Lifestyle Tips
Here is kohsamui.com guide to some of the positive lifestyle
steps that help lower your risk of heart disease. Just a few
simple lifestyle changes can have a positive effect on your
risk of heart disease, and on your general health too, whatever
your age. It's not a question of altering your whole way of
life, or giving up everything you enjoy. Small changes can make
a difference.
They're neatly summed up in 3 golden rules:
Rule 1: Eat Sensibly
Making a few changes in your diet can help bring down your cholesterol.
And nowadays healthy eating doesn't have to mean dull eating.
Here are some suggestions. Try them one at a time or all at
once. Over time, though, the more of these suggestions you can
combine, the greater the benefits for your heart.
Cut down on saturated fats & go for lower fat options instead
For instance, you could try switching to
Grilling, instead of frying
Low-fat dairy alternatives,
like skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and low-fat yoghurts
More lean white meat like skinless
chicken
Start enjoying more of the food that can actually help lower
cholesterol
Here are a few pointers:
Try to eat fish twice a week. Great for your cholesterol level
are oily fish like mackerel, sardines, salmon and trout. If
you're not a fish-eater (and even if you are), increase your
intake of unsaturated fats by eating more unsalted nuts and
seeds. Rapeseed oil, walnut oil and flaxseed oil are also a
good source of unsaturated fat.
The more fibre in your diet, the better for your cholesterol
level. All these foods above are particularly fibre-rich, and
you could find they're tastier than the processed equivalents:
whole meal bread, rye bread, oat cakes, wholegrain cereal, brown
rice, whole-wheat pasta, potatoes, and pulses like beans and
lentils
More Food Tips
Check food
labels for fat content before you buy.
Snack on fruit
and raw vegetables in place of crisps or chocolate, and
do your best to eat the recommended five portions of fruit
and vegetables a day.
Eat more soya-rich
food, like Soya milk drinks, Soya yoghurts and tofu. It's
been proven that eating just 25 grams of Soya protein a
day, as part of a diet low in saturated fats, will actively
reduce cholesterol levels.
Use more garlic
in your cooking. Or if you don't like the smell, try garlic
tablets or capsules. Garlic contains something called allicin,
which is thought to contribute to a healthy cholesterol
level.
If you don't
eat oily fish on a regular basis, consider taking a fish
oil supplement containing omega-3s instead.
Keeping your
alcohol intake to a moderate level really does help. While
a glass or two of red wine can have a positive effect on
your health, you're at greater risk of heart problems if
you regularly drink a lot, or if you binge drink.
Don't panic
if you can't bear to give up all your favourites at once.
If crisps or biscuits or takeaways are what you're used
to, making your changes gradually gives you the best chance
of long-term success.
Rule 2: Exercise regularly
Getting a bit more exercise is one of the very best prescriptions
for a healthy cholesterol balance. You don't need to spend
hours at it Heart experts recommend that we all do 30 minutes
aerobic activity on at least five days a week.
'Aerobic' means anything that makes you slightly breathless
and raises your pulse rate a notch. So we're not talking the
Olympics. And you don't need to get your half-hour in all at
It doesn't mean running marathons, unless that's what you
enjoy
If you like jogging or running or working out at the gym, that's
fine. Go for it, but there are lots of other everyday activities
that are just as good from your heart's point of view. A brisk
walk is as beneficial as jogging and kinder on the joints. Any
walking helps, with a daily walk of 20 to 40 minutes producing
the most beneficial changes in blood fat.
Cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, gardening - they all count,
too. Some people prefer exercising indoors, dancing to a CD,
say, or playing ball with the kids, or even energetic housework.
Whatever you choose for your half-hour a day will do you
a power of good. So...
Choose something you'll enjoy
and do it regularly.
If you're not used to physical
activity, start gently and build up gradually.
If you have any medical problems
or you're at all concerned, check first with your Doctor.
Build your half hour's exercise
into your regular daily routine. On top of being great for
the heart, you might find it helps relieve the stress and
tensions of the day as well.
Rule 3: Stop smoking
Lots of people have managed to quit, but many are still trying.
Roughly a quarter of us still smoke. Cigarettes are addictive,
so you may well need help to give up. And there's a huge amount
of support available online.
It helps to do some preparation
For instance, set yourself a firm date for stopping. Then stick
to it - even if you've still got some cigarettes left in the
pack. Think beforehand about the moments in the day when you're
most likely to smoke (with your morning coffee? after a meal?
in the bar after work?) Plan how to avoid those danger situations
for a while. If part of your pleasure is to do with actually
holding the cigarette, think about replacing it with something
else. Simple, everyday things like worry beads or a pen or pencil
can substitute the feeling of a cigarette in your hand and help
to reduce the craving.
Help is at hand
Some people find the side-effects of stopping smoking can be
eased through yoga, Pilates, aromatherapy or acupuncture. Others
find that talking helps most, whether to family and friends,
to your Doctor. For those who can't face the 'cold turkey' of
quitting nicotine, there's a range of nicotine patches, gum,
lozenges, inhalators, microtabs and nasal sprays to give controlled
doses of nicotine while you wean yourself off the physical addiction.
You'll find one that helps you. Talk to your pharmacy team and
they'll advise you on the type and strength that's right for
you, and how best to use it.
What's certain is that once you stop smoking, your heart
and your health will benefit from day one.
Here are some facts that might help you decide:
Within 20 minutes of your last
cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal.
After 8 hours, the levels of
nicotine and carbon monoxide in your blood are halved, your
oxygen level is normal, and your risk of a heart attack has
dropped.
After 24 hours, carbon monoxide
has been eliminated from your body; and your lungs start to
clear out mucus and other smoking debris.
Inside 3 days, the nicotine
has gone from your body, and your sense of smell and taste
are on the mend. Breathing gets easier as your lungs clear,
and hour energy levels rise.
Between 3 to 9 months, lung
function improves by up to 10%. Your circulation and breathing
improve still further.
After 5 years, your risk of
a heart attack has halved.
After 10 years, your risk of a heart attack is the same as someone
who has never smoked.
Sticking to just one of the golden rules will help, but following
all 3 will have a greater impact.
Dentists
Dr. Supaporn
Dental Clinic: Dental Clinic Dr. Supaporn located in
the Natien Center at Chaweng for all your dental needs.
healthy and
fun yoga cafe: located in fisherman's village,this unique
venue offers daily yoga and dance classes, organic fusion
cuisine, juice bar, art house movie nights and has a Natural
Therapy Centre upstairs.
