Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

Why Wine Should Be Part of Your Diet

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Wine is an alcoholic drink that a lot of people love to consume on a regular basis. In fact in some countries in Europe, it’s normal for them to drink wine as part of their daily meals particularly during dinnertime. At adult parties and gatherings, this is also a staple.

red-wine

There’s a different taste to wine, notably the red wine, that people including the seniors simply love. It has a subtle effect when drank and most of all, studies have shown that it provides certain health benefits.

The Benefits

While wine contains alcohol, the grape’s antioxidant properties are more dominant in the drink. These are resveratrol found in the skin and proanthocyanidin in the seed. The highest levels of resveratrol are in the red wine.
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Exercise in the Morning Provides More Benefits

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exercising
There are very good reasons why we should exercise in the morning. Experts agree the first part of the day is the best time to do some physical fitness activities.

Firstly, a person has much willpower when he or she starts his day. Whereas if one decides to workout at night, he or she may no longer have the stamina because of the stress and workload during the day.

Secondly, research has shown that people won’t be tempted to munch on those sweet treats after a morning exercise. It’s not true that working out will make you hungry.

Thirdly, a morning fitness regime can boost one’s mood and confidence and research from the University of Vermont shows this positive mood effect can last up to 12 hours. For this reason, there’s a good chance the sunshine you bring can influence other people.
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Avoid Those Tanning Beds

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Artificial tanning has been controversial for as long as I can remember. They give excellent results, and many people have been quite satisfied with having a tan all year round. Tanning beds have been given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration, but it seems that the issue is not over. Indeed, there is new research that shows that tanning beds are not as safe as they are being purported to be.

The World Health Organization recently released the findings of a study showing that indoor tanning machines can cause skin cancer just as much as the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Naturally, this piece of news has caused quite a stir in various sectors. Federal health officials are now running around like headless chickens calling for hearings and investigations. Of course, if WHO turns out to be correct, the FDA is going to be in hot water. After all, they gave the thumbs up on these machines!

While I love to have a good tan and can’t get enough of the sun, I do not understand why we keep on insisting that tanning beds are as safe as can be. If we need to lather on sunblock to protect our skin when out in the (natural) sun, why can’t we think of tanning beds in the same way? Ask your dermatologist, he or she will probably tell you the same thing. No matter how you look at it, exposing your skin to things that will darken it is going to do some harm.

If I were you, I’d stay away from those tanning beds.

Bad Times Equals Good Health

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home-cooking-365-703552They say that without hard times, we cannot become better people. If you think about it, there are a lot of sayings from way back that run along a similar vein. No pain, no gain. You have to go through the fire to reap the benefits. You have to be polished and sanded to become a shiny gem. The list could go on and on.

But what about the economic crisis that we have been experiencing all over the world? Could it bring about something good as well? According to researchers, life expectancy increased during the time of the Great Depression – by 1.9 years to be exact. On the other hand, a 5 percent rise in the GDP lowered life expectancy by one or two months. Other studies have yielded similar results, not only in the United States but also in other countries.

So why is this the case? One possible reason is that people tend to drink and smoke less during a recession. More so, people also tend to eat out less and cook at home more. Another possible reason is that people tend to bond together and help out each other more in times of need. This level of social cohesion and support may actually help promote better overall health, hence the increase in life expectancy.

It does make sense, and you probably have had similar experiences in the past several years. Bottom line? Take control of what you can – your lifestyle and health habits – and make the best of the situation!