Health – Ultalife Blog

Are You Taking Care Of Your Body Before You Have A Problem?

How often do we think we are saving money only to find out we have done just the opposite? For instance, how often do we hesitate to do the regular maintenance on our cars—at 25,0000, 50,000 miles…..and then wind up with a bigger, more expensive, problem that could have been prevented? I followed the (wrong)advice of a mechanic who did a big repair on our van. He said nothing else needed to be done until 100,000 miles—all the regular maintenance had been done. Turns out, he was 100% wrong, but I only found that out when we had to pay over $2,000.00 for repairs and a complete transmission overhaul.

Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, but we must take care of them and not wait until we have a major health problem. Sometimes we are downright silly!! We will spend 5.95 or more on a dessert at a restaurant. We will buy candy bars and other snacks and are not concerned what we pay for them!! These foods are not promoting health. Yet we often don’t want to pay a small price for HEALTH!!

How about your KIDNEYS? Are you taking care of them?

Do you ever consider how important your kidneys are to your overall health? Most of us don’t think about our kidneys as long as they are functioning correctly. They are vital organs!! Did you know the kidneys process about 2.2 pints of blood per minute? They filter wastes (up to two quarts) from the blood and send it to the bladder. Their function also helps to regulate your blood pressure and balance acidity and electrolyte levels.

Here are some simple ways to protect and support your kidneys:

Continue reading Are You Taking Care Of Your Body Before You Have A Problem?

Trying To Lose Weight And The Scales Won’t Budge?

Need to lose weight, but your dieting efforts are producing little to no results. Most of us make dieting/losing weight a big process–a complete change. Sometimes we just have to make a few simple changes to start getting good results.

We know the right foods to eat and despite our good eating habits, the scales just won’t budge. You might just need more activity or small changes in your diet to increase your metabolism. Here are a few easy ways to tweak your efforts and start getting the results you want:

Continue reading Trying To Lose Weight And The Scales Won’t Budge?

My Favorite Fruit–Or Is it A Vegetable?

Summer in the United States begins on June 21, 2018. Is the time of year the children are off from school—we plan fun in the sun activities and vacations. When I think of summer, one word comes to mind—WATERMELON!! It has always been my favorite fruit and I eat it for breakfast whenever possible. AND it is good for us! It contains 92% water and is nutrient dense.

You notice I called it a fruit. Others say it is a vegetable in the squash and cucumber family. In fact, in 20017 Oklahoma made it their state vegetable.

Continue reading My Favorite Fruit–Or Is it A Vegetable?

Does The Summer Heat Put You In Danger?

We look forward to the warmer weather after a very cold winter, but the extreme heat can cause problems. Health problems related to HEAT can range from minor to medical emergencies. Read our blog article, You Could Be At Risk For Heat Exhaustion for more information.

Let’s consider those of us who are older—We are at great risk for getting a heat-related illness –and if we have a chronic illness, our risk is even greater. As reported by The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, hypothermia is the failure of the body’s heat regulating mechanism to deal with a hot environment. After being in heat for long periods Hypothermia can cause heat fatigue, sudden dizziness, cramps, and heat stroke.

Continue reading Does The Summer Heat Put You In Danger?

Signs Of A Heart Attack In Women

I was 60 and in good health. I was not super skinny, but my weight was under control. I had eaten healthy most of my life. I exercised. I could not be having a heart attack…and yet I was. All my friends and family were surprised, yet I have a strong family history of heart problems on my dad’s side. I had thought my healthy lifestyle would protect me.

Now I know that I had had several warning signs over the year before, but I didn’t recognize them. A few times when working hard or exercising, I would break out in a sweat and feel very nauseous for 30 minutes or longer. And that is how it all started 9 years ago. I had gone to my church to help with a Fall Festival when I suddenly broke out in a sweat and start feeling extremely nauseous. An older lady in my church saw I was not feeling well and asked me to come inside and sit with her. That terrible sick feeling was just getting worse, but I had no chest pain or pain down my arm so I would have never guessed a heart attack. My friend recognized what was happening and called 911. I spent 8 days in the hospital following what they called a significant heart attack.

I don’t want another lady to miss the signs of a possible heart attack and possibly wait too long to get help so here are some of the warning signs for a woman from the American Heart Association.

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 or get to a hospital right away!! Don’t wait—you just might save a life-YOURS.

Nourishing Your Body, Mind & Spirit.

Are you an UltaLifer? Learn about the many supplements designed to make you stronger and healthier!

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Use My Mouthwash for What??

Next time you see your mouthwash on sale, you might want to pick up an extra bottle. Just be sure it is sugar free and alcohol based.

Growing up, mom had me use mouthwash for three things. Of course the first use was as a mouthwash. I also had to gargle with it before leaving the house if it was cold and flu season –I am not sure this was effective, but at least I had sweet smelling breath. The other use was as a treatment for dandruff. We would soak a cotton ball in mouthwash (listerene) and dab it on the scalp—wait a few minutes and then wash and condition as usual—and it worked!! Continue reading Use My Mouthwash for What??

She Had Arthritis–Check Out What Her Doctor Told Her!

I had a conversation with a nurse today, who told me about one of her friends. This friend was very overweight, crippled with arthritis and had several other health problems. One day her doctor called her and asked her to come to his office that same day. She struggled to get out of bed and dressed. With her severe arthritis, hurrying was not an option. When she arrived, the doctor told her he had just been at a seminar and he thought he had the answer to her arthritis and problems walking—and something to help with other health problems also.

She was excited—wanted to know if it was an injection or a new medicine! Could she get started that same day? The doctor told her she must start walking every day—4 times a day. The woman was dismayed—she was expecting a magical cure. She had great difficulty just getting from her bed to the bathroom. The doctor said—that is fine. Just get someone to help you and walk a short distance inside your house 4 times a day and increase the distance just a little as you are able. The woman followed the doctor’s suggestion and it was slow progress—but progress!!

Today she is the picture of health—has lost weight—other health conditions improved—and she still walks 4 times a day—outside with her dog! My friend saw her recently and said she is beautiful and obviously very happy. She has even started her own business! Her dog seems to have an internal clock because he comes to her and barks 4 times a day for their walk.

We often think we must do big things to get fit and improve our health while just STARTING is the answer.

Keep watching for our blog posts. In a few days you will see an article on Walking With Arthritis that is based on info from Mayo Clinic and the Arthritis Foundation.

Nourishing Your Body, Mind & Spirit.

Are you an UltaLifer? Learn about the many supplements designed to make you stronger and healthier!

Click Here to check out all of our great products

Can Walking Really Make A Difference?

Walking is probably the easiest way to begin an exercise program. You don’t need to join a gym or buy fancy equipment—just a pair of good supportive shoes! It’s easy on your joints and can be done anytime of the day or night. You can walk outdoors….in a mall…on a treadmill in your house. I used to work in a dental office which had a big circular path through both sides of the office. At lunch time, when there were no patients, two of us would power walk around and around.

How much do you need to walk? 10,000 steps most days of the week is recommended—that is approximately 5 miles per day. You say you are just starting to exercise? First, check with your doctor. Then start out moderately—Rome wasn’t built in a day!! If you can only do 2000 steps to begin, that is great. Keep on doing the 2000 steps and as you are able, add another 100 or 200 steps. Build gradually. Using a pedometer to count your steps is a good idea—and many phones have a health app that will count your steps.

How fast should you walk? It is generally recommended to walk about 3.0 miles per hour (or more) if you are able. 3.0 miles per hour would mean you would walk a mile in 20 minutes. Walk faster if your goal is to lose weight. Web MD recommends walking briskly a total of 300 minutes per week. If you walk 5 days of the week, that is one hour per day. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you cannot possibly walk for an hour. Divide the time up into 2 or 3 sessions per day—and remember any walking is better than none!

Can you walk if you have back pain? Again, always consult your doctor and get his approval. Most doctors will recommend physical therapy for people with chronic lower back pain….and in some cases walking can be just as effective. You are not doing a marathon—just try to walk 20-40 minutes two or three times a week. Web MD

Walking is good for your overall health—can help you lose pounds—can help to keep you limber—can improve your mood—prevent or manage many health conditions such as heart, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.—strengthen your bones and muscles. For those with osteopenia or osteoporosis, weight bearing exercise is recommended—walking is perfect for that!

Watch for our blog article next week on the many benefits of walking if you have arthritis

Nourishing Your Body, Mind & Spirit.

Are you an UltaLifer? Learn about the many supplements designed to make you stronger and healthier!

Click Here to check out all of our great products

Would You Know If Someone Was Having A Stroke?

As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed today, I saw information shared by one of my friends on the signs of a stroke. Would I recognize the signs or know what to do if one of my friends or family was having a stroke? Would you?

I read the article, did a little more research and have compiled basic information we all need to know. Please read and share this information with everyone you know.

If you suspect someone is having a stroke act F.A.S.T.

F – FACE DROOPING—Has the person’s face fallen on one side—ask the person to smile. Ask them to stick their tongue out—does it go to either side?

A – ARM WEAKNESS—Ask the person to raise both arms

S – SPEECH DIFFICULTY—Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence

T – TIME TO CALL—If you see even one of these signs, call 911 immediately.

Continue reading Would You Know If Someone Was Having A Stroke?

Shape Up In 2018!

One easy weight loss trick I learned years ago is to eat at least 5 fruits/vegetables in a day. Think about a typical day for you. Do you sometimes get to the end of a day and have included few, if any, fruits or vegetables in your diet? When I realize that is happening to me, I have to re-evaluate my eating habits. Adding at least 5 servings is a healthy thing to do and it fills me up…so hopefully I won’t eat so many of the empty calorie snacks.

Here are some great reasons to start eating more fruits and vegetables:

Continue reading Shape Up In 2018!