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Health
8 Risk Factors For Back Pain
Ways To Improve Your Health That Have NOTHING To Do With Your Weight
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases says risk fac- tors for back pain can include:
1. Growing older. Back pain often starts when a person is in their 30s or 40s.
2. Minimal physical activity. 3. Being overweight or obese.
4. Having a family history of back pain.
5. Having a chronic illness, such as arthritis or cancer.
6. Having a job that involves a lot of lifting or twisting of the spine.
7. Having poor posture. 8. Being a smoker.
With all the information out there about how to live a so-called healthy life, you wouldn’t think it would seem like such a huge undertaking.
Here are ways to treat your body better than ever. The result? More energy, a stronger immune system, and a very real sense of well-being.
Enjoy Your Java
Fellow coffee-lovers, this
one’s for you. Numerous
studies have shown that the
pick-me-up, which can act
as an antioxidant, has
many perks aside from en-
suring you actually make it
from your bed to your desk.
Researchers from the Na-
tional Cancer Institute found that both caffeinated- and decaffeinated-coffee drinkers had a lower risk of death from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, and infections.
And, in addition to protecting the body from breast cancer recurrence, boosting liver function, and reducing the risk of diabetes, there’s also the positive impact coffee may have on your brain. One study, conducted by the University of South Florida and the University of Miami, discovered a link be- tween coffee/caffeine intake and a reduced risk or delayed onset of dementia.
Switch To Meat Raised Without Antibiotics
While we don’t know the full impact of preven- tative antibiotic use in animals on our health, we do know it’s unnecessary for healthy animal meat and product production. “We have excellent exam- ples of animals raised without preventative antibi- otics, so why consume meat from animals raised on them?”
Get Sweaty
Physically speaking, regular exercise has been shown to keep your brain sharp. And then there’s the emotional aspect: Exercise pumps up your endor- phins, quickly putting you in a better mood. Even more power- ful, it’s been touted as one of the most natural ways to reduce de- pression and anxiety.
Oh, and if you’re feeling gen-
erous, the smell of our sweat when we’re feeling up- beat may help make others happy, according to research published in Psychological Science.
Eat With Friends
Just in case you
needed another rea-
son to sign up for
brunch, the simple
act of offering and
sharing food has been
shown to strengthen
relationships. Plus,
sitting across the
table from a health-
conscious person could rub off on you.
Go For More Plant-Based Foods
It’s not about be-
coming a vegan so
much as choosing
whole foods derived
from nature (i.e.
whole grains, fruits,
seeds, and beans) as
opposed to “foods”
that have been chem-
ically processed, such
as those made with re-
fined ingredients and artificial substances. This shift can boost heart health, help manage Type 2 diabetes, and lower your risk for chronic illnesses.
Why? Plants lay the foundation for health by helping the body perform all of its basic functions. They identify and move nutrients around, break them down into usable parts, and help eliminate the unwanted, unusable stuff. Think of plants in their whole-food form as your foundation, and then accessorize with high-quality animal meats and products.”
Swap Out Artificial Sweeteners
The fake stuff you’re
sprinkling into your coffee
or tea isn’t doing your body
any favors. For one thing,
its extra-sweet taste — sev-
eral hundred times sweeter
than the real stuff —has
been shown to turn on
sugar cravings, and artifi-
cial sweeteners can confuse
the way your system responds
to actual sugar, ultimately affecting insulin and blood-sugar levels. You’re better off enjoying nat- urally sweet foods in their whole-food form and leaving the chemicals in the chemistry lab.
PAGE 8-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2015