Where do you rate on the scale?  Take the quiz and find out!

Cigarettes cause lung cancer.  Too much sun causes skin cancer.  Obesity can cause a whole slew of problems, including heart disease and diabetes, two of the biggest killers.

The more modern medicine learns about our bodies, the more advice we get about how to be as healthy as possible.  It can be difficult to keep all these guidelines straight, though, and some of us are more successful than others!  How do you rate on the scale?

1) How often do you drink coffee?

1. Never
2. Occasionally
3. My blood is half coffee

2) How much attention do you pay to the nutrition panel when you shop for groceries?

1. I only buy whole fruits and veggies, and items with fewer than 5 ingredients.
2. I try to avoid artificial ingredients, but don’t stress about it too much.
3. Nutrition panel?  What’s that?

3) Which option best describes your attitude toward eating meat?

1. Animals are friends, not food.
2. Everything in moderation.
3. Veggies are for sissies.

4) How much water do you drink every day?

1. So much my friends think I’m part fish
2. A couple of glasses, more on hot days or when I’m more active
3. Does diet soda count?

5) How many times a week do you go for a run?

1. Every day, rain or shine
2. A few times a week, or when the mood hits me
3. Only when I’m being chased

6) How often do you wear sun block?

1. I wear UVA sun block every time I go outside.
2. Only if I know I’m going to be in the sun for a while.
3. Tanning is the skin’s natural sun block!

7) How many cigarettes do you smoke a day?

1. I would rather die first!
2. I’m more of a social smoker.
3. I can’t count that high!

When was the last time you saw your doctor?

1. Last week
2. Within the last year
3. You’ll have to ask my mom.

Tallying your points: Give yourself 3 points for every A, 2 points for every B, and 1 for every C.

21-24 points: Health Nut

You are healthy to the point of paranoia.  You religiously avoid processed foods, especially those with trans fats and artificial ingredients, and you drink the recommended 8 glasses of water — at least! — every day.  You are quick to lecture people on the merits of UVA sunblock versus UVB (only UVA protects against the radiation that causes skin cancer), and heaven forbid you are ever caught enjoying life’s risky pleasures, such as coffee or (gasp) meat!  Your other home is the gym, followed closely by the doctor’s office.  You may be the healthiest person around, but you are going to give those closest to you a stroke from the stress!

17-20 points: Reasonably Healthy

You have figured out the perfect balance: You take all the right precautions with your health, but you don’t fixate on it so much that you can’t still have fun.  You know that coffee, cigarettes, processed foods, and too much meat aren’t good for you, but you don’t let that stop you from enjoying them on special occasions or when you get a craving.  You try your best to drink enough water, exercise regularly, and see the doctor for routine visits, but you don’t stress about it too much if you don’t always succeed.  Your goal may be to live a healthy lifestyle, but not at the expense of your mental health!

13-16 points: Room for Improvement

You have some idea of what is good for you and what is not, but you could stand to put your health first a little more often.  Drink more water and eat fresh produce whenever possible.  When eating processed foods, look for alternatives that contain no trans fats or artificial ingredients; products with fewer than five ingredients are best.  Try to increase your activity levels as much as possible (you can never be too active), and be sure to see your doctor for a yearly physical, so that you can catch any problems before they get too serious.  Regarding sun exposure, only UVA sun block actually blocks the radiation that causes skin cancer, but don’t forget that you still need about 10 to 15 minutes a day of sun exposure (sans sun block) for proper vitamin D production.

8-12 points:

You break every health rule known to man, and don’t give a hoot, either.  You may be happier not having to worry about how healthy you are, but your body will pay the price!  You could benefit from some small changes to your lifestyle: Cut back on coffee and/or cigarettes, find healthier substitutes for your favorite foods (such as alternate brands that use fewer artificial ingredients), and find ways to sneak fresh produce into your diet.  Even if you aren’t the exercising type, find little ways to increase your activity level, such as going for a short walk once or twice a day and taking the stairs whenever possible.  And for heaven’s sake, see your doctor once in a while!

Shelly Towns manages online marketing strategy for Angie’s List, which collects ratings and reviews on local contractors and doctors. Whether you’re looking to find a local doctor or vendors that provide house cleaning Dallas services, Angie’s List provides you with the resources to find the best. Shelly is a published author and spends most of her time thinking about SEO and viral content.

Post image by lululemon athletica

It can take a lot of time, energy, funds, and mental anguish to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Sure, those exercise DVDs can get old and walking or running can only go so far toward accommodating your fun-loving personality. Going to the gym or repeating the same neighborhood routes can cause mental fatigue that works against your motivation to lose weight and stay healthy. Weight loss doesn’t have to be boring, so try some of the following ways to have fun with your active lifestyle.

Borrow a Page from the Playground

Play tag at the park or even in your own front yard if there’s enough space. If you have kids, they’ll enjoy chasing you and being chased, so it’s a great way to spend some quality family time while keeping your weight in check. You can even call your friends and schedule some time to play tag with other adults, too. Another option is to grab a friend (or a bunch of friends) and play basketball, soccer, or tennis. Competition is always fun, and you can raise the stakes by making the loser pay for or make a healthy lunch like Greek salad or grilled chicken stir fry.

Get Out There

Pack a healthy picnic lunch, then take a bike ride, go hiking, or canoe/kayak for the rest of the morning. Being out in the sun and fresh air makes everything seem like more fun, and you’ll definitely enjoy seeing some beautiful scenery, especially if you choose to go somewhere you haven’t been yet. All of these activities can get your heart rate up while improving your mood and making you smile.

Just Dance

If you’re frustrated and stressed, turn on some of your favorite music and dance it out. If you’re not a dancer, you can find some inexpensive DVDs to help you learn exercise moves that mimic dancing. Once you learn some moves, you can improvise whenever you need to get rid of stress, so don’t even think about eating that cookie.

Check Out Power Yoga

Power yoga, also called Ashtanga, vinyasa, or flow yoga, gets your heart rate up and keeps it there to help you lose weight. This type of yoga emphasizes strength and flexibility, keeping chanting and meditation very minimized and making sure that you lose fat and build muscle. It’s easy to find a class near you because power yoga has become a popular way to get exercise and maintain a healthy weight, but be sure to read difficulty level descriptions carefully so you’ll know which level is best for you.

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Here are the six significantly damaging dietary habits you may not realize you have got. See how each of these habits affects your body.

1. Eating too much: Restaurant portions and pre-packaged servings have increased considerably in size during the last decade or so, so it is very easy to be overeating without thinking you are consuming any more than you have always done.
2. Eating at strange times: Random eating habits or constant grazing are usually accompanied by a poor nutritional value of the food being consumed, simply because it is convenience rather than routine defining what you are eating. And too often that means processed snacks, junk food and cheese.
3. Confusing the issues of nutritional health and weight loss: Too many men who aren’t noticeably porky assume they are eating well simply because they are not putting on weight. This isn’t necessarily the case and an increase in nutrition levels will considerably boost their feeling of general well-being and raise the immunity capabilities of their bodies.
4. Substituting nutrition through food with supplements: Satisfying your nutritional needs through a balanced diet will always be much more beneficial than eating rubbish and popping vitamin pills. Good whole food affects you in all sorts of ways other than simply supplying, say, vitamin A or fiber, and it’s this holistic rather than targeted approach to nutrition the body needs to stay truly healthy.
5. Believing what it says on the tin: Too much food sloganeering is relative rather than subjective. Simply announcing something as “a healthier option” is meaningless – healthier than what? A tub of lard? “30% fat free!” can also be interpreted as “70% fat”. Always read the whole of the label.
6. Misunderstanding nutritional guidelines: There are so many conflicting eating plans and apparently scientific pieces of dietary advice out there, beyond basic guidelines such as can be found in this book, it will be impossible to find out what is precisely right for you without getting yourself checked out by a professional.

About Author:

I am nsmukundan. I own a health blog called healthmango.com that covers health, fitness, diseases and more. Healthmango.com offers 100% revenue sharing program, so anyone can write and earn.

If you were reluctant to take your vitamins as a child, you may want to rethink your actions as an adult.  Vitamins and minerals are extremely important in keeping your body functioning properly. Since food doesn’t always contain the nutrients you need, supplements are often a great option.

Vitamins and minerals can also help reduce the appearance of cellulite. Saturated fats and toxins found in heavily processed foods make cellulite worse. If you want to diminish the appearance of cellulite consider these supplements:

• Ÿ Vitamin A. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps to prevent skin damage by the use of free radicals. The promotion of healthy skin will make the appearance of cellulite less obvious.
• ŸVitamin B Complex. This complex of vitamins helps to stimulate your body’s ability to metabolize the nutrients it needs to create healthier, stronger connective tissue for the skin. This strong tissue will help reduce the fat and excessive fluid buildup in the areas with cellulite.
• Ÿ Vitamin C. This vitamin is also an antioxidant, which will help prevent damage to the skin. It also encourages the production of collagen. Collagen will lead to firmer skin, which will reduce the appearance of cellulite.
• Ÿ Vitamin E. This vitamin is similar to vitamins A and B when it comes to antioxidant value. Vitamin E is a common ingredient in many skin care products.
• ŸCalcium. This mineral has been proven to help the body eliminate fat more easily. Eliminating fat will help reduce cellulite by improving the way your body deals with excess fat.
• Ÿ Potassium. This mineral will help to balance the body’s electrolytes and eliminates excess fluid buildup.
• Ÿ Amino Acids. Amino acids can be found in many foods. They help to promote the production of collagen in the skin. Amino acids help to strengthen connective tissues, making them better able to deal with the fat cells and excess fluid buildup that causes cellulite.

Many vitamin and mineral supplements are great for your overall health and well-being. These supplements will help nourish your skin and prevent or reduce the build up of unwanted cellulite.

Veronica Davis is a freelance writer for businesses online and internet business columnist for Examiner. She writes about an array of beauty-related topics to include cellulite and other problems women are likely to face.

Ten top tips that will improve your digestive health and will help you to stay more healthy. All the ten tips are easy to follow but will produce great effects.

1. Take zinc if you are stressed: It will strengthen the stomach lining against any excess stomach acid.
2. Don’t drink milk to soothe a stomach ulcer: It will ultimately make it worse – opt instead for a specially formulated antacid.
3. Reintroduce the good bacteria to your gut: Do this after a course of antibiotics, as the antibiotics will have killed them off as well.
4. Don’t eat standing up: It will cause you to eat faster, chew less thoroughly and swallow more air, all of which are overtures for indigestion.
5. Dislodge trapped wind with a warm drink: It will expand the intestine and shift the trapped air pocket.
6. Don’t worry if you don’t “go” every day: Only sixty percent of the population have a daily bowel movement. Only if it gets less than three a week should you be alarmed.
7. Chew your food thoroughly: It will stand a much better chance of being efficiently digested.
8. To avoid constipation drink plenty of water: Stools should be 75 percent water and lack of it in the system is the most common cause of constipation.
9. Get a colonic irrigation: It should be compulsory for any man over the age of thirty, as it will shift the layers of crud lining his digestive tract and allow it to function properly again.
10. Eat live yoghurt regularly: It will maintain the necessary levels of friendly bacteria in your gut.

About the author:

I am nsmukundan. I own a health blog called healthmango.com that covers health, fitness, diseases and more. Healthmango.com offers 100% revenue sharing program, so anyone can write and earn.

I have just discovered a new cool weight loss and fitness contest by Celsius at Ultimate Fitness Partner

In cas you don’t know Celsius is a calorie and fat burning drink. Studies show that drinking Celsius 15 minutes before exercise may reduce body fat and build lean muscle. To take part one needs:

• To create a short video inspiring others with your personal success story and upload it to Youtube;
• (OR) Take before/after photos demonstrating your weight loss progress;
• Register at the site and send in the video or the photos.

Prizes include:

• Trip to Los Angeles to meet Mario Lopez (Total package worth up to $2500)
• Great home gym (or $600 in cash towards your gym membership)
• Weekly prize: A Year’s Supply of Celsius for Trainers or Gym Owners or Gym Managers. 6 people will win 2 cases of Celsius Per Month for 1 year.

Here is a sample for you to get inspired!

Fitness is important, not just when you’re into sports or a professional player, but also because it’s an essential aspect of a healthy life. When you’re not fit, you have trouble moving around efficiently and going about your daily routine without succumbing to fatigue even though you haven’t exerted yourself.

The trouble with getting fit however is that most people associate it with hours of exercise; they either don’t have the time or they’re not inclined to sweat it out just for the sake of fitness. What people don’t understand is that fitness comes to those who are smart and know how to take every possible shortcut to get there. So if you’re looking for fitness, here are five smart ways to achieve it:

• Power workouts work: It’s a myth that you have to spend hours doing intensive training if you want to get fit; those hour-long and longer workout sessions are for those who’re involved in professional sports or too obsessed with exercise. For the rest of us, it’s enough to spend as little as 10 minutes, three times a day spaced at random intervals, doing squats, lunges, stretches, or any other workout you can get done with little or no equipment. The other option is interval training – work out for just 15 or 20 minutes, but make every minute count. Instead of exercising at the same pace the entire time, sprint for 30 seconds, walk for next one minute. Repeat this cycle for as long as you can, and watch your weight go down and your endurance go up. It works with any kind of cardio exercise where you can vary the pace.
• Do what is convenient: Most people fail to exercise because they cannot wake up early enough to work their workout into the start of the day. And because they don’t consider any other time suitable for exercise, they neglect it altogether. If you want to get fit, work out at your convenience. Exercise when it’s convenient for you, not according to preconceived notions and times.
• Watch what you eat: If you work out, you’re bound to eat more whether you’re hungry or not; this is because your mind tricks you into believing that since you’re now working off the calories, you’re entitled to eat more of them. Resist this temptation because it’s the shortest way to gain weight even when you’re exercising regularly.
• Boost your level of activeness: This requires conscious effort at first, and after a while, it becomes a habit. When you move around constantly without staying sedentary for long periods of time, you boost your metabolism and contribute to faster weight loss and higher fitness. Get up and walk every half hour if your job requires that you stay seated; take the stairs instead of the elevator; park your car further away so you have to walk a longer distance; avoid taking your car if you’re going just a few blocks away – there are so many things you can do to become more active.
• Give up your excesses: And finally, if you want to become really fit, give up smoking and drinking too often; while the occasional drink does no harm, smoking and alcoholism drain your body of nutrients and leave you feeling and looking older than you are. So kick those habits first before you start your journey to fitness.

This guest post is contributed by Paul Hench, he writes on the topic of masters in public health. He welcomes your comments at his email id: paul.23hench@gmail.com.

Today’s post here is the call for help. Let’s all do at least something: donate or spread the word.

Here’s the forum thread which tells the whole story. I know the person who has started it, so I trust him and I want to help.

Here’s the site you can go to donate or help the family in any other way you can: Got-Marrow.org

Rachel is very fortunate, because she’s fighting cancer for the third time, before even hitting her 25th birthday. She’s beaten it twice already, and is prepared to beat it again. Then there’s the fact that she has medical insurance, so she only has to worry about a small portion of the cost of the surgery. Her part? The co-pay is $80,000!

I guess that’s the part where her luck doesn’t seem so hot.

Her cancer, after a seven year remission, was found to have spread to her bone marrow. So now, her only hope is a bone marrow replacement.

Let’s all spare one minute of our time to help the family! Nobody can help everyone but everyone can help somebody!

Our kids are growing – no, really growing. Big. The statistics are scary and so is the outlook for the future if they continue. A 2006 NHS study found that 16 per cent of children aged 2 to 15 in England were classed as obese, an overall increase of 5 per cent since 1995.

It is not just the children, entire families are eating too much processed food that is high in fat, sugar and salt, not eating their five serves of fruit and veg a day and not doing enough physical activity. In many developed countries, we are developing health and social problems at a rapid rate.

The health outcomes are already being seen, as those with bad eating habits and low activity levels as children continue these patterns into adulthood. They move from tooth decay and asthma as a child to increasing the risks of heart disease, strokes, osteoarthritis, some cancers and diabetes as grown ups. Most recently, there has been an alarming change with increasing cases of type 2 diabetes being found in adolescents. Also known as mature onset diabetes, this disease is typically developed by adults through bad eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle over a long period of time.

In a society that glorifies thinness, many of our overweight children are mocked or ridiculed by their peers, they often have low self esteem and some experts say bad diets actually adversely affect behaviour and learning.

So what can be done? Do you put your overweight 10 year old on a diet? The short answer is no. Children should not go on diets. However, you should make sure they eat a balanced and nutritious range of foods. In particular if your child has diabetes, you need to watch and manage what they consume, but they can eat the same normal healthy foods all kids should be having. They don’t need to stand out or feel different.

All children need a diet that helps them develop and grow, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lots of carbohydrates for energy, calcium for bones and teeth, some protein and a moderate amount of sugars, good fats and salt. Food pyramids are a good way to find out what your child needs to eat and in what proportions.

If your child is overweight because of eating too many bad foods, then starting to eat properly should make them start to lose weight. But what about physical activity?

Exercise is good to tone muscles and keep kids fit and healthy, teaches a range of skills – physical and social and helps to develop strength. Recent research by the EarlyBird Diabetes Study though, suggests low activity levels do not necessarily make a child obese. In fact, it may be because they are overweight, they play less sport. Is it the chicken or the egg…

Either way, any attempt to improve diets and increase physical activity should include the whole family. Make healthy, delicious meals part of normal family life. Get the kids involved; grow your own fruit and veg in the back garden or on an allotment, let the kids help prepare and cook some tasty treats and meals. Sit down together to eat and plan meals ahead of time with everyone having input.

Apply Aristotle’s “everything in moderation”, but remember not all food is equal. Everything in moderation does not mean eating everything in the same amounts. It’s a nutritional balancing act for you and your family.

Guest Post: Midge is an active blogger and interested in the areas of woman’s health with many opinions on the topics of fast weight loss the promotion of healthy food as a best course of action.

We all love a good takeaway, some of us perhaps too much! We know that a takeaway meal is quick, delicious alternative to home cooking or the centre piece of a night in with friends and family, curled up on the sofa with a good film.

We know there are a multitude of choices out there from traditional favourites like pizza and curry to more adventurous options such as Caribbean or Thai food. We know that it is easy to get hold of with proprietors dotted all over cities towns and villages in the UK waiting at our beckon call in the form of a phone call or mouse click.

What we perhaps don’t know is takeaways can be both a healthy and tasty treat. The obesity crisis has been hammered into us enough by the government and countless weight-loss themed TV shows, anyone gorging on gallons of gloopy green curry on a regular basis will be well aware of the effects on their waistline.

Those of us with a sensible approach have nothing to worry about, a Indian feast with all the trimmings is perfectly acceptable once in a while. Problems arise however when spring rolls and onion bahjis become staple food groups. Despite what you may think, you can enjoy a guilt free takeaway. I recently popped into my favourite Nottingham takeaway and was delighted to find a whole host of healthy haute cuisine! Below is a guide to making informed choices when you next patronise your local take-away restaurant. Tuck in!

Indian

The effervescent curry is Britain’s most popular dish, a irresistible combination of succulent slow cooked meat marinated in aromatic herbs and spices served with rice and light, fluffy naan-bread. The downside is that most Indian food is cooked with Ghee, a substance more fatty and calorific than butter. An effective way to sidestep this belly busting ingredient is to opt for tandoori dishes, these are oven cooked and served dry, massively reducing the fat content. Choose tomato based sauces  such as Madras or Rogan Josh over creamy curries like Kormas.

Chinese

Another threat to the non-elasticated trouser is the Chinese, a fellow stalwart of the British high-street. Many dishes include the infamous MSG additive that gives sweet and sour sauce it’s artificial orange glow. If you need a tape measure longer the great wall of China to reach around your waist then ditch the batter-encrusted starters and special rice for black bean sauces and grilled meat dishes , hot and sour soup also makes a tasty low calorie starter.

Pizza

This is all about restraint as you have a lot more control over portion size, ingredients and side dishes, pick an XL and you will soon be buying clothes of a similar size. Rather than a stuffed crust, deep pan meat feast with extra cheese and every imaginable extra, stay true to the pizza’s Italian roots  and go for a smaller thin crust option with toppings like chicken, tuna, onions, peppers and olives. Swap fat drenched starters like garlic bread for a side salad and your 2 litre bottle of pop for a diet or sugar free alternative.

The takeaway is a British institution and I almost insist upon an exotic, glutinous banquet every month to accompany a good football match or the latest horror film. If you find yourself relying on the takeaway on a more regular basis however, you would be wise to take heed of these tips and alter your choices slightly. If not your weight in pounds may soon contain more digits than the phone number of your local Ruby Murray!

Peter is an seo who likes writing about the enjoyment of food, and in particular the takeaway and fast food industry.