General Well Being

[Lilith]

After recently having pneumonia and then a relapse (that little bug was pretty antibiotic resistant), I have decided I can not wait to have a more healthy body. If the Avian Flu comes anytime soon I fear I'd be a goner. I've started doing things like taking vitamins and just today started echinacea too. I want to have a better immune system as well as overall better health. What I'd like to know is what things you guys have done or currently do that you truly feel has had an impact on your life/body being healthier. The ads promise everything and I am not dumb enough to fall for them. I would rather do things as naturally as possible but I need to make some positive changes. Please tell me of your experiences.

[Scarecrow]

I've started walking 1 to 2 miles five times a week and I have lost 15 pounds. It has helped with my blood pressure and diabetes. Doc say I need to lose another 20 or 30 pounds. :rolleyes:

I have taken Vitamins A & E, plus an aspirn a day for the last 5 years, don't know if that helps or not.

[Lilith]

I've debated the aspirin regimen too. I have a cupboard full of baby aspirin in an effort to encourage Mr. Lil but mayhaps I should look into it as well.

[Lilith]

btw Scarecrow Grats on the 15 down!!!!

[wyndhy]

the cure all for it all, of course...drink lots of water. :p:D i know it sounds cliche but it is the best de-toxer. keeps all sysytems operating optimally. if i make the effort to drink more water (not even the "recommended 64oz's., just a few glasses a day, ) i feel tons better, as soon as i start slacking, i feel that too.

and doing something that gets my heart beating hard for a little while acouple times a week, even if it's just dancing with the kids or vigorous sex or some energetic cleaning (i'm such a housewife :D ). all i take is a daily multi, and that's only if i remember to. i don't eat all that well, but not terribly either. i smoke. i bite my nails. and yet, i'm rarely sick and i just got a work-up for some heart things (so i had to do all those crazy tests) and apparently i'm textbook healthy.

[fzzy]

From what I remember in college courses Lil ... the aspirin thing works great for men .... 1 baby aspirin per day or 1 regular one every other day ... has to do with keeping the cholesterol moving and not clogging things up, ... but because women metabolize differently, it's not nearly as effective for us ... but then for me ... college was a LONG time ago and the medical opinion could have drastically changed since then!! :)

[bare4you]

I have totally changed my diet to include more fruits, veggies, and less meat. I still love the great steak that only our bovine friends can give us - but not nearly as often. I have also been a regular at my local fitness club. An hour of pain several days a week is a little price to pay for an over-all healthier body. I have also started taking multi-vitamins again (ones especially formulated for cholesterol). Too bad they don't make them chewable like the ones for kids!

[gekkogecko]

I have decided I can not wait to have a more healthy body.

Healthier body? That's understandable?
Hotter body? Is that possible?

All I can really say is that the reason so many different regimens/plans/what have you are out there, is that different people are different. What works for someone else may or may not work for you. So, find something that does, then stick with it.

[Oldfart]

My quack put me onto a regimen of exercise, portion control and low alcohol.

I'm down about 10kg (22lbs) and my blood pressure's a lot better.

Obviously the more exercise, the better.

[osuche]

You really need to exercise at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes minimum ~~ the more often I work out, the better I feel. Cardio releases endorphins...you don't need to lift weights if all you want is better health.

Vitamin E reduces cholesterol and also helps brain function...I recommend taking a complete E with BOTH tocopherols and tocotrienols for best results.

I also take echinacea when I feel a cold coming on (2 pills/dose and 2 doses/day) and keep taking it for 5-7 days until I feel the danger has passed...then I get off the stuff.

I also drink LOTS of water (minimum 10 glasses per day, 12 if I work out) -- this seems to keep my system cleaned out.

I drink green tea, and I am a big believer in the antioxidant power in green tea...I also htink red wine is good for you. Of course, maybe I am just rationalizing there. :D

[rabbit]

1) Exercise, especially cardio. Very important.

2) Vitamins

3) Diet...eat what you want but in moderation

4) Wash your hands ( a lot of people do not do this nearly enough)

5) Love others...acts of kindness are important for your spiritual health.

[imaginewithme]

Mr. IWM went to the doc recently and was told he was pre-diabetic and to loose some weight by watching what he ate and exercise, take the baby asperin a day and a multi vitamin. He started walking a couple miles a few times a week and stopped drinking soda and lost and has kept off 25 lbs in what seemed no time. Dr. told him one little debbie snack would take 5 miles to walk off...YIKES. He feels so much better just from taking better care of hisself.......(and might I add, looks great!)

I PLAN on getting into some kind of routine myself to shed off some more of this weight I gained in the last year and just to feel healthier.

[Mercury_Maniac]

Coca-Cola, Beer and Pizza....its working for me :)

[lizzardbits]

4) Wash your hands ( a lot of people do not do this nearly enough)
AMEN brotha!
WASH WASH WASH, every chance that you get, wash your hands! That is simplest way of preventing the spread of germs. Can't wash? Hand sanitizers, albeit harsh for you hands if they are chapped, are a good "Bandaide" until you can wash your hands. Dry Chapped hands? There are great antibacterial lotions out there.

I am almost obsessive/compulsive about washing hands, espcially after doing some experiments in Micro-Biology! In the college that i was at for this class, the toilets, and their handles, had fewer types and counts of bacteria than our computers' keyboards!

I am one of those that adhere to proper hand washing techniques everytime.

here is what the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/op/handwashing.htm) has to say
Stanford University's rules of proper handwashing technique (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/EHS/prod/researchlab/lab/handwashing.html)

[Loulabelle]

I am soooooo with you all on the hand washing thing!

Like Lizz, this too comes from studying microbiology way back when. It's fucking scary stuff! When I worked in the bank I used to hate handling that horrible filthy money all the time. Yuck!

Since having two cats in the house I'm now even more aware of the importance of good hand washing.

Especially important for junk food fiends who eat with their fingers a lot!

[Coaster]

I've been doing 3 mile walks 3 times a week for about 5 yrs now..... along with the vitamins, niacin for it's cholesterol lowering.... lost 12 lbs.... still need to drop 15-20.... heart disease runs in my family so I NEED to do this stuff and need to cut my food portions more. I'm now working on the bicycle more as I want to do a cross the state fund raiser this June..... 180 miles!

[osuche]

I'm now even more aware of the importance of good hand washing.

Especially important for junk food fiends who eat with their fingers a lot!


Now...you shouldn't make so many assumptions about Lil's diet. :D

[WildIrish]

I have decided I can not wait to have a more healthy body.



You can have mine. :D

[cowgirltease]

Be well my friend. :)

[Lilith]

I want to thank everyone who contributed their ideas and well wishes in this thread. I definitely agree that added water intake, excercise, handwashing and the like are all preventative ways to gain a better grasp on health. I appreciate you letting me know what is working for you.

[maddy]

Something you might want to consider is Airborne... developed by a teacher... might need to be a staple in your medicine cabinet :)

[Lilith]

I wondered if anyone had tried it. It's in the stores here and I'm certainly considering it. I go back to school Monday and am seriously concerned about relapsing yet again. One of the problems I face is that my portable has been wet in the past and I am sure it is coated in mold spores. I'm not usually an allergic person but this may be an extreme.

[WildIrish]

Being in the business, I'm well aware of what steps must be taken once it's established that mold is present in an a work environment. There are plenty of professionals that perform air quality testing, and surface testing for every known allergen and condition known to mankind, but they're not cheap. Because of the cost, and the high price that comes with being officially informed that such a condition is present...not many business/landlords/etc jump to extend the offer of an investigation. Nevertheless, it's your right as an employee to be able to work in a healthy environment. That's why OSHA exists. Before you go to your superiors on the record and officially report your concerns, I suggest conducting your own (less conclusive yet still informative) test. Home Depot sells home testing kits that detect the presence of mold.

For $9.99, you will know for yourself whether or not there's a presence of mold.

I understand your reluctance to stir up trouble, but please remember that it's your right to not be subjected to a hazardous environment...and it's the kids' right too. How mad would you be if you learned that your children's classrooms had mold? I know I'd be at the principal's office the next day demanding action be taken. Now obviously if the test comes out positive you can't tell the parents about it, but you can tell the administration that there's exposure..."If any parents find out about this, there will be lawsuits...count on it. And I can't afford to be held liable because I know about it." We live in a litigious society, and most of the time I think suits are frivoulous...not in this instance. The health department could shut down the school and demand EVERY classroom be tested!

Sorry, I don't mean to seem aggressive, but mold is a serious issue. And on a personal note, I don't want you sick.

[wyndhy]

i recently heard a radio programme in which they examined the reasons we get sick (or don't). stress was the single biggest contributing factor as to why we catch various bugs. women are way more suseptable than men and even more so if she is caring for a son/daughter who requires more care than the average child (terminally ill, behavioral issues, etc).

think about your life and all the changes - from the good and the not-so-good - in it lately ... i think i can see why you're getting sick. perhaps just the good old methods of immune system boosting will get you by till you adjust, and things settle down some.

(((hugs)))
a healthy new year to you, lil! :)

[Lilith]

Thanks for the hugs and good advice. WI~ like I told you, I'll start bitching in 3 years when I have tenure and begin my evil plot to take over the public school system ;)Wyndhy~ if stress is the culprit then I'm just fucked because teaching is a super high stress field. I know that teachers on average suffer from more immune disorders like lupus and fibro myalgia than any other profession. I should look at a yoga class maybe or meditation. Thanks!

[Cheyanne]

When I first became employed at the local school district, I caught everything that the kids had - didn't matter what it was - that first year it seemed I had one thing after another. Even whooping cough! I was told by other teachers that it takes about 3 years for your immune system to kick in and in that third year it isn't too bad. Well, I am on my third year, and I haven't gotten ill (I don't count the time I ate the school lunch and went home sick about an hour later).

It this were me, I would report my concerns to my direct supervisor / principal in writing. This isn't only your health issue, but a health issue for the kids as well. I would hope that tests would be ordered to determine if there is mold or some other alergin present.

On another note - we have 1st year teachers using Airborne and they swear by it.. there is another over the counter cold medicine - can't remember the name right off the top of my head, but it decreases your symptoms and in some cases reduces the length of time of the cold - our Science department recommends that.. lol

[maddy]

Zicam is the other one that Chey mentions (I think). I picked up some airborne at the store last week in the event that I felt even the slightest bit of a bug on my flight yesterday. But alas, no bug was biting so I didn't need to use it.

[Lilith]

I may try the Airborne. The pneumonia I had was bacterial and not viral so it's not taken care of by ZiCam.

[wyndhy]

an interesting article with quite a few every day things you can eat to boost your immune system. herbal supplements, too, but i'm not crazy about taking stuff like that.

http://www.whatreallyworks.co.uk/start/articles.asp?article_ID=183

funny...she didn't say anything about drinking more water. :D