DS-U & Your Health

1/17/2013 Ten Healthy Resolutions You'll Love

If you think you're in for another rigorous regimen of dieting and exercise, think again. These resolutions — backed by scientific research — offer delightful and sometimes surprising ways to improve your health — from lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer to reducing pain and improving brain health. Source AARP Health. Check them out >>

1/7/2013 Making Achievable New Year's Resolutions‏

Make your New Year's reolutions achievable. Start with smart food choices (I really need to do more of that) and make fitness a priority. Stay with cardio (that would be dance fitness) if you want to maintain to avoid any substantial weight gain, but you'll have to step up your game if you want to "trim down". And, it may require you to pay for some "Boot Camp" or a "Personal Trainer." You gotta know that if you spent a sizable sum of money (in fast food and Friday/Sunday restaurant dates) that resulted in an "increased waistline" that you'll likely spend as much or more to reduce it. But of course, this is not anything most people don't already know. The key is not cutting corners when it comes to health and fitness. -Kathleen Evans

1/1/2013 Top 6 Exercise Excuses and How to Beat Them

You know you should be exercising. You also know that physically active people are healthier. They're less likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. They sleep better, feel happier, and have more energy. Of course, a fit body looks great, too. So what’s keeping you from working out? Whether it’s too little time, not enough energy, or just hating to exercise, we have an answer for every excuse in the book. Get ready to get motivated. Source WebMD.com. Read more >>

10/01/2011 - October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Encouraging News about Breast Cancer - More and more breast cancer is being detected early while the tumor is small and limited to the breast. Currently, two thirds of newly diagnosed breast cancers show no signs that the cancer has spread beyond the breast. With prompt and appropriate treatment, the outlook for women with breast cancer is good.

Risk Factors - Simply being a woman and getting older puts you at risk. The older you are, the greater your risk. No woman should consider herself too old to have a regular screening. Specific Risk Factors Include: Female Gender, Hormonal Factors, Increasing Age, Earlier age at first period, Genetic factors (BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes), Family History, Later age at birth of first child, Later age at menopause, Having no children, Dietary and environmental factors, Personal History of breast cancer or previous breast biopsies. Having one or more risk factors does not mean you are certain or even likely to develop breast cancer. On the other hand, not having risk factors does not mean you are "safe". Most women who develop breast cancer do not have a strong family history or fall into a high risk category.

Desirable or Optimal Levels
-Total Cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dL.
-Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol): Less than 100 mg/dL.
-High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol ("good" cholesterol): 40 mg/dL or higher.
-Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dL.

Early Detection - The key to early detection is screening: looking for cancer in women who have no symptoms of disease. The best available tools to diagnose breast cancer include:
-A Regular Screening Mammogram (or X-Ray) of the breast.
-A Clinical Breast Exam by a doctor or nurse.
-Monthly Breast Self Examinations.

Warning Signs and Symptoms to Have Checked Include:
-A lump or thickening under the skin.
-Skin dimpling, puckering, swelling, irritation, or distortion of the breast.
-Spontaneous nipple discharge.
-Any change in the size, shape, or color of skin.
-Inverted nipple that is a new occurrence.

Sources: www.cancer.org | WellnessWorks, 2011 | Jennie Stuart Medical Center.

08/01/2011 Weight Loss Benefits of Line Dancing

Line dancing is a moderate way to burn calories and reduce weight. In terms of calorie expenditure, about 15 minutes of line dancing burns about 75 calories. Over 12 months, line dancing workout uses up a total of 27,375 calories per year: the equivalent of 7.8 pounds of body weight. A line dancing workout doesn't just help you to lose weight, it also improves blood circulation, and helps develop leaner thighs and tighten butt muscles.

How to Lose Weight Fast by Doing Line Dancing - In order to increase weight loss, by line dancing, it's important to follow a nutritious eating plan, which includes a good range of minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. Why? Because a well-nourished body responds faster to weight loss. In addition, diet studies show that motivation is improved when you record your weight and body measurements on a week by week (using a regular weighing-scales) and record your general fitness progress.

Does Line Dancing Suit You? For effective weight reduction, fitness experts recommend that the best type of exercise plan is the one that most suits your individual lifestyle - not necessarily the type of exercise program that burns the most calories. Source: Calorie Counter

07/01/2011 - Line Dancing can be magical and transforming.

It can breathe new life into a tired soul; make a spirit soar; unleash locked-away creativity; unite generations and cultures; inspire new relationships or rekindle old ones; trigger long-forgotten memories; and turn sadness into joy, if only during the dance.

On a more physical level, line dancing can give you a great mind-body workout. Researchers are learning that regular physical activity in general can help keep your body, including your brain, healthy as you age.

Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow. And line dancing that requires you to remember dance steps and sequences boosts brain power by improving memory skills. Source: AARP Health. Read more >>