Exercise and depression has been the focus of many scientific studies. This research has repeatedly shown that exercise really does help depression.

In fact exercise has been shown to be as helpful in reducing depression symptoms as...

• antidepressants 
• individual psychotherapy 
• cognitive therapy 
• group psychotherapy 

In the book, it is explained, "Our cardiovascular system, endocrine glands, muscles, and bones still function best when the body is challenged by regular bouts of exertion." (p. 5)

You can, in fact, walk away from depression!

Walking is one of the best exercises for helping depression. But exercise and depression research has found that other exercises also work to help depression.

Exercise Helps Depression Quickly

Exercise and depression research has demonstrated that exercise helps depression quickly.

One exercise and depression study showed that the improvement in mood begins just ten minutes after you start exercising. Mood was found to continue to get better for up to twenty minutes. Another exercise and depression study found depression had improved after participants had walked on a treadmill for thirty minutes a day for only ten days. Antidepressant medication usually takes at least two to three weeks to begin improving mood.

More lasting change in mood was found to have occured after study participants exercised for just two to three weeks. 

Exercise and depression research follow-up studies have found that the improvements in mood lasts for months.

An exercise and depression study in which participants walked daily for seven weeks found that the decrease in depressive mood and the improvement in vigor continued after five months.

Another exercise and depression study which compared exercise alone, medication alone, and exercise plus medication found lasting improvements after six months in participants who had exercised without medication.

When the participants continued to exercise the on going improvement was even greater. This study concluded that medication may produce quicker relief but exercise yields more long term benefit.

As has already been seen, however, medication may not even be faster. Certainly, exercise has fewer side-effects than medication.

Exercise and depression research shows almost anybody can benefit from exercise. It works with...

• children 
• college students
• minority women
• older people

• increased positive mood
• decreased negative mood
• improved vigor
• less anxiety
• less depression
• less anger
• less fatigue
• less confusion
• less stress
• improved motivation
• improved self-esteem
• less cynical distrust
• increased feelings of coherence
• increased feelings of social integration
• improved mental functioning

So, it's time to take action. The first thing I encourage you to do is talk with your doctor.

You shouldn't start a new exercise program without first making sure it is OK medically. Although exercise has few side-effects, there are some precautions which you may need to take.

For example, when taking certain medications, you are sensitive to sunlight. Thus, you should, in this example, avoid walking in the sun.

All-in-all, its best to be safe and talk to your doctor first.

Once you have been cleared medically, decide on which exercise you want to do. You may even want to pick several so that you can add variety to your routine.

On Monday you can walk, on Tuesday ride a bike, on Wednesday go to the YMCA and swim, and so on. Such change will make your exercise more enjoyable.

Also, having someone else exercise with you can make it more fun.Having another person exercise with you can help provide this support.

The next step is to set aside or schedule a time to exercise. You may want to exercise daily. Or you may want to exercise less often.

As a minimum, you need to exercise three days each week for thirty minutes.

Caution--don't start off at this level. Start slowly and gradually increase. At first you may want to exercise for just ten minutes...then move up to fifteen...then twenty...keep increasing until you reach your goal.

Article Extracted from : http://www.depression-help-for-you.com/exercise-and-depression.html

Exercise and depression has been the focus of many scientific studies. This research has repeatedly shown that exercise really does help depression.

In fact exercise has been shown to be as helpful in reducing depression symptoms as...

• antidepressants 
• individual psychotherapy 
• cognitive therapy 
• group psychotherapy 

In the book, it is explained, "Our cardiovascular system, endocrine glands, muscles, and bones still function best when the body is challenged by regular bouts of exertion." (p. 5)

You can, in fact, walk away from depression!

Walking is one of the best exercises for helping depression. But exercise and depression research has found that other exercises also work to help depression.

Exercise Helps Depression Quickly

Exercise and depression research has demonstrated that exercise helps depression quickly.

One exercise and depression study showed that the improvement in mood begins just ten minutes after you start exercising. Mood was found to continue to get better for up to twenty minutes. Another exercise and depression study found depression had improved after participants had walked on a treadmill for thirty minutes a day for only ten days. Antidepressant medication usually takes at least two to three weeks to begin improving mood.

More lasting change in mood was found to have occured after study participants exercised for just two to three weeks. 

Exercise and depression research follow-up studies have found that the improvements in mood lasts for months.

An exercise and depression study in which participants walked daily for seven weeks found that the decrease in depressive mood and the improvement in vigor continued after five months.

Another exercise and depression study which compared exercise alone, medication alone, and exercise plus medication found lasting improvements after six months in participants who had exercised without medication.

When the participants continued to exercise the on going improvement was even greater. This study concluded that medication may produce quicker relief but exercise yields more long term benefit.

As has already been seen, however, medication may not even be faster. Certainly, exercise has fewer side-effects than medication.

Exercise and depression research shows almost anybody can benefit from exercise. It works with...

• children 
• college students
• minority women
• older people

• increased positive mood
• decreased negative mood
• improved vigor
• less anxiety
• less depression
• less anger
• less fatigue
• less confusion
• less stress
• improved motivation
• improved self-esteem
• less cynical distrust
• increased feelings of coherence
• increased feelings of social integration
• improved mental functioning

So, it's time to take action. The first thing I encourage you to do is talk with your doctor.

You shouldn't start a new exercise program without first making sure it is OK medically. Although exercise has few side-effects, there are some precautions which you may need to take.

For example, when taking certain medications, you are sensitive to sunlight. Thus, you should, in this example, avoid walking in the sun.

All-in-all, its best to be safe and talk to your doctor first.

Once you have been cleared medically, decide on which exercise you want to do. You may even want to pick several so that you can add variety to your routine.

On Monday you can walk, on Tuesday ride a bike, on Wednesday go to the YMCA and swim, and so on. Such change will make your exercise more enjoyable.

Also, having someone else exercise with you can make it more fun.Having another person exercise with you can help provide this support.

The next step is to set aside or schedule a time to exercise. You may want to exercise daily. Or you may want to exercise less often.

As a minimum, you need to exercise three days each week for thirty minutes.

Caution--don't start off at this level. Start slowly and gradually increase. At first you may want to exercise for just ten minutes...then move up to fifteen...then twenty...keep increasing until you reach your goal.

Article Extracted from : http://www.depression-help-for-you.com/exercise-and-depression.html

1. Introduction

   • Eating healthy consists of consuming a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy oils, low fat dairy and lean animal or plant-based proteins. This balance is outlined in the United States Department of Agriculture's healthy foods pyramid. This pyramid acts as a basic guideline to eating in such a way that you promote a healthy body. Of course, this pyramid can be altered to fit your lifestyle (such as that of a vegetarian), but the same principles apply in getting the right mixture of carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein needed for the body to function correctly.

   Weight Control

   • When eating a balanced diet, one of the first ways that your body benefits is through weight control. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2006 alone, over 72 million Americans over the age of 20 were considered obese. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) score of 30 or more. Eating healthy helps prevent obesity in several ways. First, those who eat healthy tend to take in less calories during meals. Second, eating healthy ensures higher amounts of fiber (such as those found in fruits vegetables and whole grains). Fiber gives your body the sensation of feeling fuller longer, which reduces the overall intake of food during the day. Finally, eating healthy influences your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories each day.

   Heart Health

   • A healthy diet replaces unhealthy fatty foods packed full of LDL (bad) cholesterol with foods that are full of HDL (good) cholesterol (such as olive oil or salmon). High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood create plaque buildup in the blood vessels. This can lead to arterial hardening and heart disease. HDL cholesterol removes bad cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver, where it can then be processed and removed from the body. A healthy diet is also high in fiber, which can help control the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.

   Blood Sugar

   • Eating healthy also benefits your body by helping control your blood sugar levels. This is mostly achieved through eating healthy forms of carbohydrates. Eating foods full of sugar and other unhealthy forms of carbohydrates can quickly cause the levels of blood glucose to rise in your circulatory system. Although your cells need glucose to create energy, too much glucose can result in insulin resistance, known as diabetes. Insulin is an important hormone that unlocks the cell's ability to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. When the cells become resistant, they no longer can absorb the glucose from the blood. This causes the glucose levels to rise above healthy levels in the bloodstream, resulting in serious damage to the blood vessels.

   Disease Prevention

   • Eating healthy also helps the body prevent disease. Healthy foods, especially vegetables, tend to contain higher levels of phytochemicals. Pytochemicals are substances that increase your immune system's ability to fight diseases. Eating healthy also helps prevent conditions that promote disease. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, by eating less fatty foods and increasing the amount of plant-based foods you consume, you can actually prevent certain cancers. Eating healthy can also help prevent heart disease, diabetes, strokes and even Alzheimer's disease.

   • Extracted from ehow.com
     

Welding galvanized steel is common in the metal fabricating industry. Most welders will at some point in their career perform a weld on galvanized steel and encounter galvanize poisoning or "metal fume fever." Galvanize poisoning is a short-term reaction to overexposure of zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is produced when the steel's galvanized coating is heated and evaporates.

1. What is Galvanized Steel

   • Galvanized steel is iron that is coated with zinc. When hot-dipped, the zinc chemically reacts with the base metal to form a corrosion resistant coating. The outer layer of the coating is pure zinc and subsequent layers gradually change in composition until they reach the iron base metal.

     Between the zinc outer layer and iron base metal, zinc oxide is present in varying percentages of zinc to iron. The zinc oxide has the same chemical make-up as the white powder used by lifeguards to protect their noses against sunburn.

   Signs of Galvanizing During Welding

   • Proper prep work to remove galvanizing from the weld area will reduce your exposure to zinc oxide fumes, but some galvanize will remain in the weld area. Yellowish-green smoke, white powdery particles floating in the air and white residue around the weld are sure signs that zinc oxide is present while welding.

     Exposure to large amounts of the yellowish-green zinc oxide fumes will result in galvanize poisoning, commonly referred to as metal fume fever. The amount of exposure will have a direct effect on the severity of your symptoms.

   Symptoms of Galvanize Poisoning (Metal Fume Fever)

   • Signs of galvanize poisoning are similar to flu symptoms. The onset of metal fume fever begins shortly after the body is exposed to zinc oxide and the symptoms include a slight headache and nausea. With increased exposure, flulike symptoms begin to set in.

     Moderate zinc oxide exposure results in chills, shaking, slight fever, vomiting, and cold sweats. When the listed symptoms begin, it is time to stop welding and get fresh air. The symptoms can quickly become debilitating and you may need to go home and let the symptoms subside.

     Fatalities have been associated with extreme cases of galvanize poisoning. Therefore when metal fume fever symptoms begin, you should immediately avoid further exposure.

   How Long "Metal Fume Fever" Lasts

   • Metal fume fever is short-lived and the symptoms begin to fade within four hours of exposure and generally completely fade within 24 hours. Extreme cases of overexposure may see metal fume fever symptoms last for as long as 48 hours.

     Drinking milk can quicken the recovery process as calcium helps remove the zinc build-up from your body.

     There have been studies performed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the long-term effects of welding galvanized steel. No studies have shown long-term health problems due to continued exposure to zinc oxide fumes or repeated cases of metal fume fever.

   Avoiding Overexposure to Galvanize Fumes

   • Proper ventilation, avoiding direct contact with zinc oxide smoke, and proper pre-welding prep work will reduce the chances of your getting metal fume fever. Experienced welders that have had metal fume fever will tell you that drinking milk before, during and after welding galvanized steel will help eliminate the galvanize poisoning.

     There are specialized fresh air welding hoods available for welders who frequently weld galvanized steel.

      

     Article extracted from: 

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Introduction

• Eating healthy consists of consuming a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy oils, low fat dairy and lean animal or plant-based proteins. This balance is outlined in the United States Department of Agriculture's healthy foods pyramid. This pyramid acts as a basic guideline to eating in such a way that you promote a healthy body. Of course, this pyramid can be altered to fit your lifestyle (such as that of a vegetarian), but the same principles apply in getting the right mixture of carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein needed for the body to function correctly.

Weight Control

• When eating a balanced diet, one of the first ways that your body benefits is through weight control. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2006 alone, over 72 million Americans over the age of 20 were considered obese. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) score of 30 or more. Eating healthy helps prevent obesity in several ways. First, those who eat healthy tend to take in less calories during meals. Second, eating healthy ensures higher amounts of fiber (such as those found in fruits vegetables and whole grains). Fiber gives your body the sensation of feeling fuller longer, which reduces the overall intake of food during the day. Finally, eating healthy influences your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories each day.

Heart Health

• A healthy diet replaces unhealthy fatty foods packed full of LDL (bad) cholesterol with foods that are full of HDL (good) cholesterol (such as olive oil or salmon). High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood create plaque buildup in the blood vessels. This can lead to arterial hardening and heart disease. HDL cholesterol removes bad cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver, where it can then be processed and removed from the body. A healthy diet is also high in fiber, which can help control the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Blood Sugar

• Eating healthy also benefits your body by helping control your blood sugar levels. This is mostly achieved through eating healthy forms of carbohydrates. Eating foods full of sugar and other unhealthy forms of carbohydrates can quickly cause the levels of blood glucose to rise in your circulatory system. Although your cells need glucose to create energy, too much glucose can result in insulin resistance, known as diabetes. Insulin is an important hormone that unlocks the cell's ability to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. When the cells become resistant, they no longer can absorb the glucose from the blood. This causes the glucose levels to rise above healthy levels in the bloodstream, resulting in serious damage to the blood vessels.

Disease Prevention

• Eating healthy also helps the body prevent disease. Healthy foods, especially vegetables, tend to contain higher levels of phytochemicals. Pytochemicals are substances that increase your immune system's ability to fight diseases. Eating healthy also helps prevent conditions that promote disease. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, by eating less fatty foods and increasing the amount of plant-based foods you consume, you can actually prevent certain cancers. Eating healthy can also help prevent heart disease, diabetes, strokes and even Alzheimer's disease.

Article extracted from :http://www.ehow.com/how-does_6650058_eating-healthy-good-body_.html

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Benefits of exercise

Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. This article explains the health benefits that are linked to regularexercise, and offers advice about how you can be more physically active.

The health benefits of regular exercise

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that people who lead active lifestyles are less likely to suffer from illness and more likely tolive longer. Exercise not only makes you physically fitter, it alsoimproves your mental health and general sense of wellbeing. Some of thehealth benefits of exercise are described here.

• Exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease),including heart disease and stroke, are the biggest cause of illness anddeath in the UK. Inactive people have almost double the risk of dyingfrom heart disease compared with people who are active. So if you don'tdo any exercise at all, even doing a little more physical activity - forexample, walking each day - can help reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Doing exercise can also help to reduce high blood pressure (hypertension). You are more likely to have a stroke or heart attack ifyou have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is common - about halfof all people aged between 65 and 74 have it - but it has no symptoms.Exercise can help to prevent high blood pressure, and reduce it if yoursis already too high.
• If you need to improve your cholesterol levels, exercise can help. There are two types of cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein (LDL) andhigh-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL cholesterol is sometimes called"bad" cholesterol; HDL cholesterol is sometimes called "good"cholesterol. High levels of LDL and low levels of HDL increase the riskof heart disease.

Studies show that regular exercise such as brisk walking or running is linked to higher levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol. Being activehelps to increase levels of "good" cholesterol.

• Exercise can help to promote healthy blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes develops in at least one in 10 people, causing increased bloodsugar levels.
• Poorly controlled blood sugar levels can eventually damage your eyes, nerves, kidneys and arteries.

The more exercise you do, the lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Exercise is especially important if you are at high risk ofdeveloping type 2 diabetes, for example if you are overweight, have highblood pressure or have close family members with the condition.

Exercise is also good for you if you already have type 2 diabetes - regular physical activity can help control your blood sugar levels.

• You are more likely to have joint pain or lower back pain if you don't do any exercise. Osteoarthritis is the most common joint problemand affects nearly everyone over the age of 60. Regular, moderateactivity, especially walking, has been linked to a lower risk ofosteoarthritis.

Eight out of 10 people have lower back pain at some time in their lives, but people who exercise are less likely to suffer from it.

Osteoporosis (low bone density) is when your bones become brittle and prone to fracture. You can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosisby doing high-impact exercise such as running and skipping. This putsweight on your bones, increases bone density in younger people and slowsdown their degeneration later in life. But choose low-impact,weight-bearing exercise, such as gentle walking or swimming, if youalready have osteoporosis.

• Exercise can reduce the risk of certain cancers. You are less likely to develop cancer if you are physically active. There is especiallyclear evidence that exercise protects against colon cancer and againstbreast cancer in women who have been through the menopause. Some studiessuggest that physical activity may also help prevent lung andendometrial cancers.
• Doing exercise can help you to manage your weight. Excess calories are stored as fat, so you put on weight when you eat more calories thanyou use. Physical activity uses calories and so helps to create ahealthy energy balance. For many people, exercise is essential formaintaining a healthy weight.

You are obese if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or over. Obesity doubles your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.It also increases the possibility that you will develop joint problemsand some cancers.

Obesity is caused by an imbalance between your energy intake from food and energy output through activity and metabolism (the chemicalreactions going on in your body). You are more likely to be obese if youare inactive. Physical activity alone can help you lose weight if youare overweight or obese - the more you do, the more you will lose.However, combining exercise with a healthy diet will mean you loseweight faster.

• Exercise can both help prevent and treat mental illness. Leading an inactive lifestyle for long periods of time means you are more likely tosuffer from clinical depression. Some studies suggest that regularexercise is at least as effective for treating depression as talkingtreatments or medicines, with fewer side-effects than medicines.

You may also benefit from exercise if you have anxiety-related disorders, such as phobias, panic attacks or stress.

• You are likely to feel happier, more satisfied with life and have an improved sense of wellbeing if you are physically active. Introduceregular exercise into your routine and you should sleep better, loweryour stress levels and boost your self-image. It's also possible that itmay improve brain function in children and older adults.

Get started!

The average adult needs to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, on five or more days a week to gain the health benefitsdescribed here. However, many people should actually do more. Forexample, children should be active for a total of 60 minutes every day,including spontaneous play as well as organised sports activities. Manypeople need to aim for 45 to 60 minutes on at least five days a week toprevent obesity if they aren't making any dietary changes. If you usedto be obese and have already lost weight, maintaining the weight-lossmay need 60 to 90 minutes of activity on five days.

You don't need to spend hours at the gym or run marathons to be healthy. You can do three 10 minute or two 15 minute bouts to reach yourminimum of 30 minutes and this can be as effective as lengthiersessions. You might find this a more manageable target to begin with.

The easiest way to sustain an exercise habit is to incorporate it into your daily routine. One way to raise your level of physicalactivity is to cycle or walk to work instead of taking the bus ordriving. Use stairs instead of the lift, and spend more time gardeningor walking in the park - this will help to increase your energy output.

Sometimes it's hard to motivate yourself to be more physically active and it can feel like a chore. Start by changing the way you think aboutregular exercise. Remind yourself that it will make you feel better,and will probably improve the quality and length of your life. Mostimportantly, it can be fun!

Key points

• Regular moderate exercise will benefit your health in many ways, both physically and mentally.
• Exercise reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and cancer.
• Exercise reduces your risk of bone and joint problems.
• Exercise helps you manage your weight.
• Exercise helps prevent and control diabetes.
• Exercise helps you feel happier.
• To see most of these benefits, you need to do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on five days of the week.

General recommendations for prevention of insomnia include the following:

• Work to improve your sleep habits.
• • Learn to relax. Self-hypnosis, biofeedback and relaxation breathing are often helpful.
  • Control your environment. Avoid light, noise, and excessive temperatures. Use the bed only to sleep and avoid using it for reading and watching TV.Sexual activity is an exception.
  • Establish a bedtime routine. Fix wake time.

• Avoid large meals, excessive fluid intake, and strenuous exercise before bedtime and reduce the use of stimulantsincluding caffeine and nicotine.
• If you do not fall asleep within 20 to 30 minutes, try a relaxing activity such as listening to soothing music or reading.
• Limit daytime naps to less than 15 minutes unless directed by your doctor.
• • It is generally preferable to avoid naps whenever possible to help consolidate your night's sleep.
  • There are certain sleep disorders, however, that will benefit from naps. Discuss this issue with your doctor.