Here are some staggering statistics about the health of U.S. adults today. The Department of Health and Human Services keeps longitudinal data on hundreds of health and wellness habits of U.S. citizens. Among their recent findings for the population are that 40% get no exercise at all, 67% are overweight or obese, 27% have high blood pressure, and 96% couldn’t say when they last ate a salad! Indeed, this may be the first generation of U.S. children who have shorter life expectancies than their parents due to the same issues of poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle, and lack of exercise.

    Although much of the blame can be laid on the individual’s lifestyle choices, there is also the complication that health care in the U.S. is only funded for curative and treatment options, and not for prevention or health education prior to acquiring an illness. Within this health care model, by the time the diagnoses are received, many may already be at an acute stage of disease which is more costly in medical treatments and interventions, and less likely to be medically effective, such as what happens in the late diagnoses of many cases of cancers. According to the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that supports health related research, in a given year at least half of the U.S. population did not receive recommended preventive care, such as cancer and cholesterol screenings, and blood pressure and weight checks.

    What can you do to maintain your health, participate in your own disease prevention program, and gain control over your personal health? This is a complicated question with many possible answers, but here are five easy avenues to wellness that you can start using today.

Get Eight Hours of Sleep- A healthy adult requires an average of eight hours of sleep per night for optimal mental and physical health. This is the time required for the human brain to rest and regroup, for the immune system to strengthen, and for cells throughout the body to be repaired and replaced.

Meditate- Numerous health and medical studies have established that daily meditation is a way to significantly reduce stress. Since stress is a major contributor to all types of disease and mental health issues, and stress significantly increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke, meditation is a viable alternative approach to stress reduction. Maybe best of all, the practice of meditation is free and available anywhere, anytime.

Drink Water- The body is 87% made from fluids and water. This means the human body is constantly in need of hydration. Drinking 8- 10 eight ounce glasses of water per day is mandatory to flush germs from the body, hydrate skin and cells, keep the blood flowing, prevent constipation, and keep all body organs healthy.

Regular Exercise- A daily exercise routine of at least 30 minutes greatly reduces the risk of a number of debilitating and possibly life threatening diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. In addition, exercise can produce endorphins that make you feel happier, reduce inflammation, and regular exercise contributes to gains in muscle mass that help you lose weight even when the body is at rest.

Spend Time with Family and Friends- Research has shown that being in a supportive relationship, and spending time with loving friends and family, can be instrumental in alleviating stress, feeling happier, and increasing both mental and physical health indices. People with more active social ties are less depressed, have stronger immune systems, and experience less fatigue. There are a couple of great reasons to socialize more!

    The summer is upon us and with the longer days and added sunlight, many people want to exercise outdoors. However, in many places, the sun, humidity, and heat can make people not want to exercise at all! Here are some helpful ideas to make getting off the couch easier and the thoughts of working out more appealing.

1. Choose the right time to exercise. If you are a morning person, get up earlier and hit the outdoors before the sun is overhead and beating down. If you are an evening person, make time to exercise right before sunset. These are the times when outdoor exercise will have the least amount of sun heat and you will be more comfortable exercising.

    

2. Change Your Exercise Routine. You may already know the benefits of cross training, and the added strength and stamina your body will receive from trying a new exercise routine. The summer is a great time to trade in jogging for doing laps in the pool, or for relinquishing indoor aerobics classes for outdoor roller blading.

    

3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. The most common cause of exercise related illness in the summer heat is the lack of hydration. It is mandatory to drink water before, during, and after any exercise sessions in the summer. If you are on a boat or in the sun for a prolonged period time, it is essential to hydrate, even if you aren’t exercising, as the sun will dehydrate your body at an accelerated pace.

    

4. Make Good Choices for Exercise Locations. If you can only exercise during the day when the sun is hot and the air is humid, then choose an exercise area that is shaded and cool. Air conditioned gyms, air conditioned rooms at home, and shaded outdoor areas will be easier on your body than exercising in the full sun.

    

5. Learn About Heat Related Illnesses. If you are planning on exercising outdoors in the summer, then you owe yourself the discovery of learning more about heat related illnesses and what to do if you experience any of the symptoms associated with these maladies. For example, if you start to feel dizziness, nausea, develop a terrible headache, or feel like you are going to faint, you will need to stop exercising, sit down, cool off, and hydrate.

    

6. Take New Classes. The summer months may be the time when you feel more energy, and you can take advantage of these energy spurts to learn new sports or to try something new. For example, maybe you would like to try ballroom dancing classes which will be indoors and air conditioned in most places. Maybe you would like to try handball, or indoor tennis, or even buy a Wii for indoor exercise sessions with a virtual hulahoop. The summer gives you an opportunity to explore and try new things.

    

7. Think Cool. The best way to get exercise and stay cool is to think about the cool places that surround your area. For example, you could get into a pair of waders and fly fish in the middle of a cool river, or you could do water aerobics in a pool. You could get a kayak and hit the rivers or go to the beach for a long swim.

    

8. Wear Sunscreen. If you are going to be in any amount of sun for any amount of time, you need to wear sunscreen. Put sunscreen on at least a half an hour before you exercise so the lotion can sink into your skin and not be removed by perspiration or water. Re-apply sunscreen every half an hour to get the optimal benefits. Sunscreen will protect your skin from aging, wrinkles, potentiality for skin cancer, and sunburn. There is nothing hotter than having a sunburn, so if you want to stay cool, use sunscreen.
   

    As spring is waning and the summer months are approaching, many travelers are opting for the economical transportation of traveling by car to their summer vacations. Those travelers with pets decide to either leave their pets attended by others at home or in a kennel, or decide to travel with their beloved companions. Some pets are willing and excited travelers while others may liken their driving experiences only to the dreaded vet’s visit. Whichever applies to your pet’s proclivity for traveling, here are a few tried and helpful tips for making traveling with pets an enjoyable experience for all.

It is estimated that there are over 150 million cats and dogs in the United States, and many people have millions of other pets, such as birds and horses. For the purpose of this discussion on pet travel tips, cats and dogs are the focus. Other pets, such as horses, need their own unique transportation systems and arrangements. In a recent survey of 6,000 pet owners, over sixty percent of the owners had plans to travel with their pets this year to places over fifty miles away from their homes. With so many pets and owners traveling together, here are some proven strategies for peaceful traveling.

1. Practice Traveling: If you have only transported your cat or dog to the vet’s office, then having several small trips planned before the vacation travel will prove beneficial. The pet gets used to being in the car for purposes other than medical, and you have the opportunity to make car traveling fun and stress-free.
   

    

2. Never Leave Your Pet Alone in A Car: Every year many owners leave their pets in the car while they go shopping or eat at a restaurant. Dogs and cats have different temperature systems than humans and cannot stand prolonged heat. Within a few minutes of summer heat in a parked car, temperatures can rise to over 100 degrees which is enough to cause severe physically stress your pet, and perhaps even cause death.
   

    

3. Feed Before Traveling: To help prevent car sickness, feed your pet four to six hours before leaving for the trip so digestion can take place. If you feed your pet at night, wait until your pet is done riding in the car for the night and then feed.
   

    

4. Hydrate: Just as humans need to be hydrated during traveling, pets have this need as well. Bring along a folding water bowl that can easily be filled with bottled water when you make stops. Do not try to give your pet water in the car or they might hurt themselves drinking while the car is moving.
   

    

5. Include Frequent Breaks: Dogs and cats need walking and bathroom breaks approximately every two hours during a car trip. Be sure to bring a leash for your pet as many states will fine you for having an unleashed pet. Put the leash on before you open the car door to ensure that your pet will be safe from harm or running away. Always keep your pet under control and away from strangers.
   

    

6. Use A Restraint System: Most pet owners will use a pet carrier or crate in the back of their car, but there are also a host of restraints and harnesses that can be employed for pet safety. Never put your pet into the back of an open car or truck as this practice is illegal in many states and can leave your pet open to being thrown out of the back or strangled if restrained.
   

    

7. Keep Heads Inside: Although many pets like to put their heads out an open window, this is a very dangerous practice. The eyes and ears of pets are delicate and unprotected, and they can be severely damaged by road debris and flying dirt or stones. In addition, your pet is at a greater risk for injury if they have their head out the window and the car has to stop suddenly or is struck by another car.
   

    

8. Stay Calm: Your pet has an inexplicable attachment to you and their family. If you are anxious, your pet will decipher that anxiety and become anxious, too. Even in the worst of situations, such as experiencing a car breakdown, having you remain calm may be the best thing to do for ensuring your pet enjoy their travels
   

    

9. Bring A Favorite Toy: Just as you may want to bring your snorkeling equipment with you on vacation, your pet may also want their favorite Frisbee or toy mouse for play. The fact that the toy will smell like home and be associated with fun and play will make it all the better.
   

    

10. End With A Reward: Your pet wants to know that they pleased you during the traveling, so make sure you end the trip with a reward such as a nice walk, a biscuit, a play time outside, or a good game of throwing a tennis ball.
    

     

Wear Identification: Thousands of pets every year are lost on their vacation trips with only a fraction of these retrieved and placed again with their original owners. Most lost pets end up in animal shelters. Be sure your pet has a collar, pet identification tag that includes your address and cell number, and information about their identification microchip, if applicable.

SUN CARE AND HEALTHY PREVENTION HABITS

    Now that the weather is turning warmer, and the sunny days are longer, many people will want to spend more time outdoors. The warmth of the sun, the newly blooming flowers, and the ability to be outside for several hours is alluring to most people. Although a little sun is a great source of Vitamin D for bodies, the stress that sun causes for skin can be very damaging. At the very least, sun exposure causes skin to dry and wrinkle, and at the worst, sun can cause skin cancer. None of us want to relinquish our time outdoors, but precaution can help to develop healthy skin care habits.

Here are some helpful tips for preventing dry skin and for exercising skin care while in the sun.

1. Wear a sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or more every time you are in the sun. Use a skin moisturizer with a SPF of 15 or more, and for those who wear make-up, choose brands with a SPF of 15 or more. For prolonged outdoor activities, use a sunscreen of 60 or more. Remember to reapply all sunscreen every two hours for the maximum benefit.

    

2. Cover your body when in the sun, during outdoor activities, and even on cloudy days. The sun’s rays penetrate clouds, and you still need covering and sunscreen. Wear a hat every time you are in the sun, and for prolonged periods, wear clothing with SPF in the materials.

    

3. Wear sunglasses every day during all seasons for protection of the eyes from sun damage. The most protective sunglasses are polarized and have UV protection. Never look directly at the sun as this may cause severe damage to the eyes.

    

4. Stay away from tanning parlors and prolonged outdoor tanning as these both lead to damaged skin, dehydrated skin, wrinkles, and possibly skin cancer. If you need to look tanned, opt for artificial tanning products, and spray tans. You also have the choice to be comfortable in natural skin without a tan.

    

5. Seek shade whenever possible or provide your own shade with an umbrella, tent, or other device if necessary. Being in the shade will keep you cooler, enable you to stay outside longer, and give your skin a natural protection from the sun. However, you will still need sunscreen even if you are in the shade.

    

Know the environmental risks around you, such as higher altitude, geographical proximity to the equator, and urban environments. Each of these factors allows your body to have less protection from the sun’s damaging rays. As global warming becomes more prevalent, every area on the globe will have increased sun exposure.