Regardless of all the media hype, you need stress in your life! Does this surprise you? Without stress, life would be dull and unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge, and opportunity to life. We need a degree of stress to operate, to meet a challenge or goal, to laugh, to love, to live.
Tag: Life-Style
Daily Exercise Matters
Picture this scenario: It’s lunchtime, and you’re taking a brisk walk with a coworker. You know the exercise will help you think more clearly and concentrate better when you get back to work.
Cancer risks during each decade of life – Women
Women are diagnosed with more new cases of cancer each year than men. However, men have more cancer mortality. For both genders a lot of these cases are preventable. The American Cancer Society estimates that out of the 555,000 Americans who will die of cancer this year, approximately 170,000 will die because of tobacco use, and 19,000 will die of causes related to excessive alcohol consumption. In addition, approximately one-third of the cancer deaths are related to poor nutrition, obesity, inactivity, and other lifestyle factors and could be prevented. A healthy lifestyle lowers your lifetime risk of cancer dramatically. Research suggests that only about 20 percent of all cancers are caused primarily by genetic factors.
The most common-occurring cancers among women (other than skin cancer) are those of the breast, lung, and then colon. The order changes when you consider cancer deaths. In females, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, followed by breast and then colon cancer. Although most people fear cancer, few people realize that an individual’s risk of certain types of cancer changes with each decade of life.
20s
Most women during their 20s are thinking primarily about their career and finding a life mate. Cancer is usually not a primary concern. However, cervical cancer is a foremost risk during this decade. Most women are familiar with the Pap test, the most widely used screening test for cervical cancer. It can detect precancerous changes in cervical cells; these can be treated before aggressive cancer develops. The American Cancer Society recommends annual Pap smears to screen for cervical cancer when women become sexually active or at age 18 (whichever comes first).
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Sleep Connection
Left untreated, sleep disorders can reduce your daytime productivity, increase your risk of accidents, and put you at risk for illness and even premature death.
'Tis a Gift to Be Simple
For the past three years I have worked 70 to 90 hours and seven days a week,” says Kenneth, a West Coast financial executive. “Although I complained about it, I secretly enjoyed it. Working long hard hours was contributing to the rapid growth of our company. It also showed I was an important person. People were impressed that I worked so hard–often until midnight.”
What? Me Worry?
At precisely 6:00 a.m. the alarm clock rudely buzzes. Lori groans involuntarily as she fumbles for the switch to turn it off, then rolls on her back and forces her still-groggy mind to contemplate the day. Rain is softly pelting her window. Its gentle sound sparks a fast and furious flow of thoughts…
Oh, no. . . the last time it rained, there were traffic tie-ups all over the interstates. I won’t make it to work on time! Last week Madeline gave me the most hateful look for arriving a few minutes late. . . just my luck to have a boss who doesn’t like me! If there was ever a layoff at work, my name would be at the top of the list. And then how would I pay the mortgage? What would I tell the children? How would I feed them?
Unresolved Stress: Calm Behind The Storm
Scott had recently turned 45 years of age and was the owner of a prosperous retail business he had spent the past 20 years building. Then, seemingly without warning, Scott sold his retail business and the night before their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary informed his wife that he wanted to live as a single man.
Killer Cocaine
There is a very common notion among people across the world that addictive drugs are substances that make people feel drunk and sleepy, and interrupt their natural senses. Though this may be true especially for alcohol, this simply is not the case for cocaine, a very dangerous drug commonly used.
Cocaine is a white powder that comes from the coca plant grown in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. Coca plants were initially reserved for use by Inca royalty. The rest of the population eventually used coca plant leaves for mystical, religious, social, and medical purposes. They exploited its stimulant properties to ward off fatigue and hunger, enhance endurance, and to promote a sense of well-being.
The invading Spanish forced the Incan people to work hard in the fields. But the Spanish quickly learned that their captives could barely do work in the fields without chewing on the coca leaf (then referred to as the “gift of the gods”). Eventually the coca leaves were harvested and distributed to the Incan workers three or four times per day.
With the use of this magical plant, the Incans were able to do much productive work. Soon the use of cocaine became so common that the leaves were used as money; distances were measured by how far one could travel before having to stop and replenish the leaves.
Get Closer to Your Kids
A young woman named Cynthia vividly recalls one of the high points in her life. It took place when she was 12 years old. Her father promised to take her with him on a business trip to San Francisco. For months the two of them talked about the trip.
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Escaping Addiction's Cycle
A woman tells of her ex-husband, who became hooked on painkillers and muscle relaxants for years. “He could not hold a job, and we lost our house, our credit, and our friends. We tried counseling and drug treatment centers, both in-patient and out-patient, but nothing worked.” The man continued his addiction, becoming creative in finding doctors from out of state and even out of the country who would ship him pills.
Finally, for her own sanity and the safety of their two children, the woman left him. Here is her description of her husband’s life after she and the children departed: “He fell in and out of jobs and lived on the streets, with friends, or in homeless shelters. All this finally caught up with him, and he died of hepatitis C. He had not seen his children in three years and owed more than $50,000 in back child support. He died broke and alone.”