Being Healthy for Busy People

Today’s show was inspired by one of my twitter followers, Pratik Patel, otherwise known as ppatel on twitter.  He wanted to know how to speed up his metabolism. Like Pratik, many people would love to kick their metabolisms into high gear, but some think it’s a losing battle.  They feel like their metabolisms are working against them because they believe they are doing everything right, such as eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis.  So, the goal of today’s show is to give some ways to boost your metabolism. References used while researching this show are WebMD and kidshealth.org.

We all visit the doctor at some point in our lives, no matter how well we care for our health, whether it be for a check-up or to treat a medical condition.  When we do go, having a positive experience is very important for obtaining the best treatment possible.  Unfortunately, when many people need to choose a doctor, they are unsure how to select the right one.  So, they often just pick the closest one that takes their insurance and is accepting new patients.  And once they’ve selected a doctor, they don’t know how to take an active role in their own healthcare.  Neither that patient selection process nor that passive relationship with the doctor is optimal.  So, today I’ll discuss some considerations when selecting a health care practitioner, how to improve communication and when to seek a second opinion. Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia and about.com. The video podcast for this week is: * Traveling, Eating & Staying Healthy The blog posts for this week are: * Study: Ditching & Keeping Off the Abdominal Fat * Holiday at the Office: Fight the Feeding Frenzy! If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review. It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners. Thanks for listening, everyone!

Going on vacation is one of life’s greatest pleasures.  For some, it’s a time to escape from the stress of work and home life and relax.  For others, it’s a time to explore new places and experience different cultures and cuisines.  Whichever type of vacation you prefer, it is only enjoyable if you’re healthy. Getting sick, definitely ruins a vacation. Since I’m passionate about health and I love traveling, I want to make sure you’re healthy when you travel, so that you can get the most out of your vacation.  So, in this episode I will go over what you should eat and drink when traveling to a foreign country, especially when you are in a rural or undeveloped area. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes. References used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encylopedia, independenttraveler.com and worldworx.tv.

As you all know, today’s fast paced world can be very stressful.  It pulls us in a million and one directions, and we’re always rushing to meet an unending string of deadlines and the expectations placed on us by our employers, friends and even our families.  I know that it can often be hard not to get anxious or stressed.  As if it wasn’t bad enough that all that pressure is zero fun, on top of that, chronic stress negatively impacts our overall health.  It can lead to sleep problems, depression, anxiety, chest pain, high blood pressure, burnout, the inability to enjoy life, etc.  That is why it is important to minimize stress whenever possible.  Because we’re all striving for a contented life, where we’re happy, healthy and free of chronic stress, aren’t we? So, what should you do if your days are consistently stressful?  Well, the first thing you need to do is learn to manage your stress.  One excellent way to do that is through meditation.  Meditation helps to dissipate tension and bring a sense of calm and inner peace.  Since meditation is such a useful tool for managing stress, I am dedicating this show to the practice of Meditation.  I’ll cover what meditation is, its benefits and some tips on how you can start meditating on your own. Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia and Mayo Clinic. The video podcast for this week is: * Being Healthy While Eating Out The blog posts for this week are: * Study: More Protein, More Muscle? * Don’t Neglect Your Nails! If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

Dining out is fun, but choosing the right foods can be challenging for people trying to eat healthy.  While most people can make nutritious choices when eating at home, they often let healthy eating habits slide when eating out and order items that are high in fat, calories, sodium and cholesterol.  And it doesn’t help that many dishes offered at restaurants are prepared in a manner that makes them even higher in fat and calories than the same dish would be if it were prepared at home.  However, despite these challenges, eating a healthy meal when dining out is still attainable.  You just need to make sound nutritional choices and know what to order and what to avoid. So, since most people enjoy eating out, but struggle to be healthy while doing it, I’m dedicating not only this show, but 12 more shows to what foods to choose and what foods to avoid when dining out at certain types of restaurants. A new “Being Healthy While Eating Out” show will come out monthly for a year.  Each episode will be released on the 4th Sunday of each month. This episode will focus on general tips that will help you to eat healthy no matter what cuisine you will be enjoying. Announcement: Being Healthy for Busy People, my audio show, is a Podcast Awards finalist!  Daily voting will run till November 30th.  If you have time, please go and vote for my podcast under Health/Fitness as many days as you can!  Thank you! If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes. References used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encylopedia, American Heart Association and NPD Group.

Every year, millions of office workers complain of on the job aches and pains.  According to WebMD, one study reported that over 50% of employees who used computers for at least 15 hours a week, reported musculoskeletal problems in the first year of a new job.  That is a very high percentage, don’t you think?  So, since many of us can relate to these aches and pains, I’m dedicating this show to preventing and managing aches and pains that occur as a result of office life. As promised, here are shows #8 and #11: “Watch That Posture! Stand Tall!” and “Heading Off Neck Pain!“. Announcement: Being Healthy for Busy People, is a Podcast Awards finalist!  Daily voting will run till November 30th.  If you have time, please go and vote for my podcast under Health/Fitness as many days as you can! Thank you! Some references I used while researching this show are WebMD and Mayo Clinic. The video podcast for this week is: * Olive Oil The blog posts for this week are: * Study: Eating Blueberries for Antioxidants? Skip the Milk. * What’s It Going To Be? Tap or Bottled Water? If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

When people think of olive oil, they almost always think about the Mediterranean diet.  That’s because olive oil is a key ingredient in many recipes from the Mediterranean region.  However, because of it’s wonderful taste and amazing health benefits, olive oil is also growing in popularity outside the Mediterranean.  That is no surprise because olive oil has a way of enriching and complimenting dishes, such as fish, pastas, meats, salads, soups and so forth.  It really is a wonderful ingredient to add to almost any dish.  So much so, that olive oil has become a staple in my household. So, today I’m going to share the health benefits of olive oil that led me to fall in love with it and use it in so many of the dishes I prepare.  I’ll also cover some important tips I learned in regards to choosing and storing olive oil.  And of course, the show wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention a couple tasty ways that you can add a little more olive oil to your diet. Announcement: Being Healthy for Busy People, my audio show, is a Podcast Awards finalist! Daily voting will run till November 30th.  If you have time, please go and vote for my podcast under Health/Fitness as many days as you can! Thank you! If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes. References used while researching this show are WHfoods and Wikipedia.

I’m happy to announce that Being Healthy for Busy People was a finalist in the health category of the Podcast Awards!  That’s two years running and I owe it to all of you.  Thank you so very much!  For anyone interested in voting for the podcast, voting opens at podcastawards.com on November 13 and runs until November 30.   Every person is allowed to vote once every 24 hours.  Thanks again everyone! With winter approaching, the prospect of going indoors to exercise because of cold weather have some people bummed.  They are just not gym people.  But cold weather doesn’t have to mean the end of outdoor exercise.  With a little planning and preparation, running, cycling or walking can be done during cold weather.  That’s why, with winter just around the corner for much of the world, it’s time to talk about how to safely and effectively work out in cold weather. Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia, Mayo Clinic and weather.com. The video podcast for this week is: * Exercise Intensity The blog posts for this week are: * Study: Swine Flu Combo Drug Treatments * Spinach: If It’s Good Enough for Popeye… If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

Most people who are trying to get fit or lose weight, understand that aerobic exercise is a key component of reaching their goals.  The question isn’t: “Should we do aerobic exercise?” It’s: “How intensely should we do aerobic exercise?” The answer that we usually hear is that working out at a moderate exercise intensity enables us to get the most out of our workouts. If you’re not exactly sure what moderate exercise intensity is supposed to feel like, you’re not alone.  Many people don’t truly understand how exercise intensity is measured.  Today, I’ll remedy that by teaching you why it is important to exercise at a certain intensity and how to measure it, so that you can get the most out of your workouts. Here is the Karvonen formula as I promised: (MHR-RHR)*intensity)+ RHR = Target Heart Rate Announcement: Being Healthy for Busy People, my audio show, is a Podcast Awards finalist! Thank you to everyone who nominated my show.  I am very excited about being a finalist!  Daily voting will begin on November 13th and will run till November 30th.  If you have time, please go and vote for my podcast under Health/Fitness as many days as you can!  Thank you! If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes. References used while researching this show are sparkpeople.com, Mayo Clinic, and about.com.

Today’s show was inspired by a trip that I took to Beijing, China with David about 3 years ago. I was reminded of the trip a few days ago when I was looking through some of my photos and came across some of the many photos we took during that trip. It was a wonderful 10 day trip and we had a fantastic time visiting places, such as the Great Wall, The Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Beijing Zoo, etc… Being who I am, the one thing from the trip that really stuck in my mind, besides the amazing historical sites, was our walk through what I believe was the Temple of Heaven Park.  As we walked through that impressive park, I noticed that there were a bunch of people in the middle of the park performing slow dance-like flowing movements.  When I asked our tour guide what they were doing, he told us that the group of people were practicing Tai Chi. The graceful images of those people gliding through different poses made an impression on me. So, when I came back home I started researching Tai Chi. I was interested to find out what the practice of tai-chi was all about and how it could be beneficial to one’s health. So, in this episode I will share with you my findings. I will go over what Tai Chi is, the health benefits it provides and how to get started. Some references I used while researching this show are the medicinenet.com and Mayo Clinic. The video podcast for this week is: Cranberries, Not Just a Holiday Treat! The blog posts for this week are: Study: Do Copper or Magnets Relieve Arthritis? Thanksgiving: Does Turkey Make You Sleepy? If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review. It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners. Thanks for listening, everyone!

Well, we’re past Halloween and that means that the Holiday season is officially underway!  Besides family gatherings, or maybe because of them, one of the most central fixtures of the holidays seems to be food.  While there are many foods that stand out during this season that I could talk about, there is one berry that seems to make it into most of the season’s traditional holiday meals.  Can you guess which one I’m talking about?  That’s right!  Cranberries!  That is why I am dedicating this episode to the wonderful world of cranberries. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes. References used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia and whfoods.com.

It is normal to occasionally feel sad or unhappy with a situation.  Life can be stressful and overwhelming at times and can lead people to feel sad.  Things like breakups, losing a job, getting a pay cut, having an argument with a friend or spouse are all examples of things that can bring on sadness, pain or grief. However, these negative emotions usually fade with time.  But with depression, those feelings can linger for weeks, months or even years and are more intense than just the normal blues. Depression is not uncommon though.  It is estimated that about 12 million adults suffer from depression in the United States alone.  That is quite a few people affected.  So, today I will go over how depression is different from normal sadness, what symptoms to watch for, the different types of depression, who is at risk and ways to prevent and cope with depression. Some references I used while researching this show are the Mayo Clinic, MedicineNet.com and kidshealth.org. The video podcast for this week is: * Laughter Is Contagious, But In A Good Way! The blog posts for this week are: * Study: Coffee and Tea May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes * Diabetes Awareness Month: Exercise to Control Those Sugars! If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

Since this show comes out 6 days before Halloween, I want to wish those of you that celebrate Halloween, an early Happy Halloween! To commemorate what I consider a fun occasion full of costumes, trick or treating and for those that enjoy it, scary movies; I’m dedicating this show to something fun, happy and pleasurable.  And since this is a family friendly podcast, I am talking about the pure joy of laughing.  So, today my goal is to convince you that you need to laugh more and give you tips on how to bring more laughter into your life. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes. References used while researching this show are about.com and helpguide.org.

You just started exercising and you felt great, so you dramatically increased the intensity and duration of your workout.  While doing that you felt a dull pain.  Over the next few days the pain recurred intermittently, but it wasn’t bad enough to interfere with your exercise.  So, you pushed on, ignoring the pain.  As time passed, the pain got to the point where you felt the pain during and after your exercise as well. This is an example of an overuse injury, specifically tendinitis, which is one of the most common sports related injuries.  Now, in previous shows I covered other types of sports injuries, such as muscle soreness and cramps (show 40) and sprains and strains (show 44).  But in this show I am going to talk about tendinitis.  I’ll tell you what it is, who is at risk, ways to prevent it and what to do if you get it. Some references I used while researching this show are the New Wellness Encyclopedia, Orthopedic Physical Assessment and emedicinehealth.com. The video podcast for this week is: * The Benefits of Rooibos Tea The blog posts for this week are: * Study: Olive Oil May Fight Alzheimer’s * If the Shoe Fits, Buy It: Choosing the Right Shoes If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

I was introduced to rooibos 7 years ago when David and I were celebrating our first anniversary at a fine restaurant in Palo Alto, California.  After we finished our delicious meal, we decided to cap our celebration with some tea and a shared dessert.  Our server suggested that we try their loose leaf rooibos tea to match our dessert.  So, feeling adventurous, we went for it.  And that night we fell in love with the sweet, soothing herbal red tea.  Since then, we have been drinking it nightly, which those of you who follow me on twitter know already.  I am a HUGE fan of rooibos because not only does it taste great, it is also caffeine free, making it an ideal nighttime drink. So, today my goal is to introduce you to this wonderful herbal, red tea that not only tastes heavenly, but is also very healthy to drink.  So, sit back and enjoy the show! If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes. References used while researching this show are rooibos.com and Wikipedia.