For so many years America has been warned about being overweight/unhealthy but still today the majority of Americans (all age groups) are obese, up to 2/3 of our country.

To the point it affects so many people in the U.S. that even our politicians have to ban certain drinks or foods to the public since many can’t make the better choice on their own for the healthier decision but instead too many people are taking foods/drinks that are high in sugar/calories or fat or carbohydrates not in moderation which in time, in large amounts, causes preventable diseases like cardiac (blockages in the vessels), endocrine (Diabetes II) with many other diseases as a ending result, in time. 

No matter if you are in a high or low income bracket, there are affordable foods that you can have in your diet while gradually increasing to 30 minutes of exercise daily or every other day in your life, of course in time.  It’s just like watching TV, you just have to fit it in your life and in time it will become a regular part of your activities of daily living with not making you feel as if this is a burden.  If you want to live a longer life, help decrease disease in our country then make a move whether young, mid-age or even older.  It is like a wound that our society over generations allowed to happen, in time (in particular the food industry creating the choice for you).  At first America didn’t know any better but now in this era we have the knowledge and know what is right and wrong.  The ending result is 2/3 of our country is obese now,  do we want to continue making this wound larger to a point that disease overtakes our mental awareness in allowing us to become healthier?  We already have caused a large number of obesity but like all wounds, time heals most wounds (If not completely than to a degree, referring primarily to the older age group, either age group it would show improvement, and in America the wound is a large one).  We are now in a technology that knows what foods high in fat, high in sugar, high in carbohydrates, high in calories on a daily basis-in large amounts-for yours meals and snacks can cause. The ending result is obesity but we are a stronger nation in all colors, races, ages, and sexes with knowing the key in what to do.   Do you want a better fit body, family, and even country? Then take the action NOW for the healthier choice.  Be a part in playing a role not just for yourself but the next decade & generation to be healthier by being a mentor in the right direction for health, which will help Americans in their lives all around (including our health care system, decreasing the people in it=patients).  I and so many others want the ending result of living healthier; which will only decrease the spread of disease caused by being obese to reach a lower percentile which is gradual but would impact all in a positive path, only if our society takes action with better eating and routine exercise by everybody.  The people making up America are so vitally important in helping to decide where the health of the present and future is going for our people in America.  Should it take our government to make the move (finally after so many years)?  Slowing down the obesity epidemic by performing preventative measures, getting into physical activity and preparing time to make healthy meals, can improve your life with contributing to the effort to improve our society overall.  You can even involve family, friends, colleagues, and join the outcome in time to a community of people with a health conscience, making our home a healthier America: less disease/more quality to life.  I hope you take part with me and take a peek at my website healthy usa.tsfl.com.  I lost 22lbs already and I’m not obese by the body mass index.  Join me and go to healthyusa.tsfl.com.  No charge, no fee, no gimmick, no donations and no hacker.  It’s just you obtaining information about how to live your life healthier, even your family or friends, if their interested.  You can get involved in being healthier with you possibly spreading this great news to make a healthier USA for all age groups.  Thank you for your time and I hope I have spread some light on someone.  When I made this a routine in my life it got so EASY. 

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.“

Gail Devers(born November 19, 1966) is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team.

Like all organs if your diet is not healthy you’ll effect their functioning, including your eyes.  Take for example the ingredients you include in the foods & fluids you eat.  Just like how some drink from one up to three thousand cc’s of water a day to help prevent dehydration in their tissues if they work out daily from a gym to running miles outside OR take someone who simply includes calcium in their diet for their bones.  Well what is good for the eyes and what can you do to help both your eyes?

Get an annual comprehensive dilated eye exam, know your families eye history since many eye diseases are through heredity, eat an eye healthy & well-balanced diet rich in salmon, tuna, dark leafy greens, colored vegetables and fruits, wear sunglasses with UV protection and avoid smoking (which effects the body everywhere, including the eyes).

What ingredients do we need in our dieting that is so vital for the eyes to stay at their healthiest level?  Well Lutein and Zeaxanthin (Pronounced loo’teen and Zee’-a-zan-thin)-Powerful antioxidants naturally present in the macula (the part of the retina that is responsible for central vision).  Remember damage to the retina causes some degree of lack of vision to 100% blind.  Lutein and Zeaxanthin are critical for helping to filter out harmful blue light, which can damage the macula.  These vital antioxidants cannot be produced by our bodies on their own, so they must be obtained through diet and/or supplements (ex. Ocuvite Supplements in the store).   Another ingredient we need in our diet is Omega 3 Fatty Acids which is a family of fatty acids that help protect our eyes by keeping them healthy.  Omega 3 is an important structural lipid in the retina and helps support proper function; and is vital for the health of your eyes as you age.  Lastly it helps promote healthy tear production necessary for healthy and comfortableeyes.                                                                                                                                              Other Nutrients Antioxidants Vitamins C and E, Zinc and beta carotene. They help protect eyes from oxidative stress (Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance between the systemic manifestation of reactive oxygen speciesand a biological system’s ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage and oxidative stress can cause disruptions in normal mechanisms of cellular signaling.  It is thought to be involved in the development of many diseases.)

What Your Diet or Daily Health Habits May Be Missing:

–Many dark leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables (including orange foods) are rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin.  We all heard about carrots (to get Beta-carotene)                             

–Oil-rich fish such as tuna and salmon along with nuts and fortified eggs are an excellent source of omega-3s.  Omega-3s:  A family of fatty acids that help protect the eye to keep it healthy, another important nutrient for your eyes

Unfortunately, many of us do not consume enough of these eye-healthy foods in our daily diets. What should you have in your diet to eat per day to equal the amount of Lutein and Zeaxanthin you should have daily:   5 cups of  broccoli, 6 cups of corn, 1 ounce of salmon or 4 ounces of tuna.  A lot of vegetables in cups but if you mix your foods in the 4 food groups that are healthy for the eye or just simply take supplements that your doctor recommends for eye health you won’t be eating cups and cups of vegetables if you don’t like the taste.

*Other foods high in omega 3 are halibut, spinach, collard and kale.

VITAL NUTRIENTS FOR GETTING THE EYES HEALTHY.                      

Related Macular Degeneration, Cataracts, Dry Eye Syndrome and more. *

Factors that also influence how our eyes turn out are:

–Being overweight or obese is a factor that increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease (macular degeneration) or even glaucoma.  If  you’re having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor or go to my website with Dr. Anderson available to help you understand how the body works with calories/sugars, carbohydrates, starches, fats, and sugars; with understanding how portions of meals work with digestion and how it can put weight on the body.

–If you do a lot of work daily on a computer or on any one thing, your eyes may forget to blink or get very fatigued, so attempt to do every 20 minutes looking away from the computer or one thing your focused on for hours (like at work) for 20 seconds.  This helps your eyes in reducing eyestrain (it is an actually an exercise for the eye).                                                                                     –Clean your hands and your contact lenses properly.  This is to avoid local infection in the eye.  Always wash your hands before putting in and taking out the contact lenses.  Follow your doctors and contact lenses website in keeping your eyes healthy and safe with using their service for your lenses.                                                                                                                                       –Practice workplace eye safety as their organization policy and procedure states but also use common sense with wearing eye goggles when doing work around the house that puts you at risk for eye damage (like weed whacking, painting, using saws etc…)

How do you go about this if you need help in knowing what good foods of all the 4 food groups are, with knowing how to lose weight permanently without going on diets for 3 or 6 or 24 months than gaining it all back again including knowing how the body works with 3 meals a day as opposed to 6 small meals a day (one of them being a meat and vegetable meal that is lean in fat and green in vegetables with other colorful veggies added to it if you want) and understanding how the average American eats (especially with fast foods on a regular basis) with disease?  Did you know you get a physician (Dr. Anderson) and a health coach (me a RN 25 years plus) for FREE?

Go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and there you will learn the answers to all these questions you have and if you decide to become a member after viewing over what we have to offer to you with the viewing for no charge, no prescription, no obligation, and no hacking site!  Our country needs to live healthier and you can get started through this site and eventually become independent or even stay with us but you make all the choices, no one else.  You might be so happy with what you see you’ll even spread the good cheer and pass on the knowledge to family and friends making our country healthier.  We have to start somewhere.  Our health care system is in a disaster but gradually improving and lets add to improving it for us now and ten years from now and for future generations to decrease the amount of disease and illness in our country with giving our government a reason to decrease the price in our health care system (including insurances).  I hope you take a peek at healthyusa.tsfl.com and come aboard with me and so many others in trying to get healthier for themselves including helping others in America and far.  By the way I have lost 22 pounds and love the food.  Take a look, it doesn’t cost you anything. Why not?  Please if you have any diseases or illnesses on your mind with questions that you have let me know in my comment section and I will personally try to make it the next article if not sometime that week.  Thank you for reading my post.

Let’s get healthier in America!  We need to decrease disease and illness with decreasing our expenditure in the health care system (including insurance prices).  One way in doing that is getting healthy, if we all took part it would decrease or lower our disease and illness percentage more in America.  To do that we have to become better in our diets and health habits for us now, our children later and future generations who will have a harder economy to live in then.  Let us all learn about diseases and illnesses and how to prevent them.  Go to my blog striveforgoodhealth.com and for free learn each day about the ones I discuss.  Today’s article is on the EYES.  Take a peek daily;)

References:  1.)

http://www.ocuvite.com

“Every citizen who stops smoking, or loses a few pounds, or starts managing his chronic disease with real diligence, is caulking a crack for the benefit of us all.” 

Mitch Daniels (born April 7, 1949) is an American politician who is the president of Purdue University and former Governor of Indiana. A member of the Republican Party, he served two terms as governor from 2005 to 2013.)

The crisis is clear. Chronic diseases are crushing healthcare.

Our healthcare system is good at treating short-term problems, such as broken bones and infections. Medical advances are helping people live longer. But obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. The population is aging. We need to do a much better job managing chronic diseases.

Chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and Alzheimer’s disease take a heavy toll on health. Chronic conditions also cost vast amounts of money. The trends are going in the wrong direction:

Obesity increases the risk of developing conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. The rate of obesity in adults has doubled in the last 20 years. It has almost tripled in kids ages 2-11. It has more than tripled in children ages 12-19.

Without big changes, 1 in 3 babies born today will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

Average healthcare costs for someone who has one or more chronic conditions is 5 times greater than for someone without any chronic conditions.

Chronic diseases account for $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare. That’s nearly $7,900 for every American with a chronic disease.

These chronic diseases drive healthcare costs at an alarming annual rate:

Diabetes: $174 billion/year.

Lung Disease: $154 billion/year.

Alzheimer’s Disease: $148 billion/year.

The Human Cost

The human cost of chronic diseases cannot be ignored:

Chronic diseases cause 7 out of every 10 deaths.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are the leading causes of disability and death in the US.

About 25% of people with chronic diseases have some type of activity limitation. This includes difficulty or needing help with personal tasks such as dressing or bathing. It may also mean being restricted from work or attending school.

Today, Americans suffering from chronic diseases face rising healthcare costs. They also receive lower quality care and have fewer options.

Health insurance co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses continue to rise. In many cases, choices and care are limited.

The disabling and long-term symptoms that often come with chronic diseases add to extended pain and suffering. This decreases the overall quality of life.

We must face the epidemic of chronic diseases. If we don’t, the human costs will continue to soar. We might even face a lack of available or affordable care when it is needed most.

The financial and human costs of chronic diseases can no longer be ignored.

There is a way we can prevent this and it would be keeping your weight ideal for your height within the therapeutic　body mass index range (calculate it for free online).　 If you need to lose weight you’ve come to the right blog.　 Do it through diet, exercise balanced with rest and practicing routine healthy habits that prone you to having a healthy body overall which prevents disease.　 So many diseases are due to these factors not practiced daily =　 good diet with exercise, healthy habits and a therapeutic weight for your height.　 If we had most of American citizens living this way certain diseases would be decreased terribly helping our country out with this economy of ours　with　the health care　system.　 If you need assistance in reaching these　healthy　practices 　 Do you want a better fit body or even an overall healthier family including grandchildren　to　even our country than take the action NOW.　 For your goal in playing a part in living healthier and spreading the good news would benefit you and all around us.　 Also, for the next decade & generation to be healthier will help Americans holistically in their lives all around (including our health care showing a spread of disease in lower percentage due to healthier dieting and activity choices by our people, who are so important in helping to decide where the health of the present and future of the US citizens lies.　 Should it take our government to make a move (finally after so many years)?　　 I know I wouldn’t want them making the last move in our society and if you want to take part in joining me (at almost 50 y/o) than go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and be a part of making our home a healthy USA.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Disease Overview: Costs of Chronic Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm. Accessed July 24, 2007. 

American Diabetes Association. The Dangerous Toll of Diabetes. American Diabetes Association Web site. Available at http://diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/dangerous-toll.jsp. Accessed May 18, 2007.

Partnership for Solutions. Chronic Conditions: Making the Case for Ongoing Care, September 2004 Update. Partnership for Solutions Web site. Available at http://www.partnershipforsolutions.org/DMS/files/ chronicbook2004.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2007. 

Mensah G, Brown D. An overview of cardiovascular disease burden in the United States. Health Aff 2007; 26:38-48.American Diabetes Association. Direct and Indirect Costs of Diabetes in the United States. American Diabetes Association Web site. Available at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/ cost-of-diabetes-in-HYPERLINK “http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/cost-of-diabetes-in-us.jsp”us.jsp. Accessed September 20, 2007.

Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 2007. Alzheimer’s Association Web site. Available http://www.alz.org/national/documents/ Report_2007FactsAndFigures.pdf.

“Civilization, the orderly world in which we live, is frail. We are skating on thin ice. There is a fear of a collective disaster. Terrorism, genocide, flu, tsunamis.”

ZygmuntHYPERLINK “http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/z/zygmunt_bauman.html” Bauman(87 y/o and born 19 November 1925) is a Polishsociologist. Since 1971, he has resided in England after being driven out of Poland by an anti-semiticHYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Polish_political_crisis” campaign.

Those bugs that are common in fall and the winter.

HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT:

Both influenza and the common cold are viral respiratory infections (they affect the nose, throat, and lungs).

Viruses are spread from person to person through airborne droplets (aerosols) that are sneezed out or coughed up by an infected person, direct contact is another form of spread with infected nasal secretions, or fomites (contaminated objects).  Which of these routes is of primary importance has not been determined, however hand to hand and hand to surface to hand to contact seems of more importance than transmission.  The viruses may survive for prolonged periods in the environment (over 18 hours for rhinoviruses in particular=a common virus for colds) and can be picked up by people’s hands and subsequently carried to their eyes or nose where infection occurs. In some cases, the viruses can be spread when a person touches an infected surface (e.g., doorknobs, countertops, telephones) and then touches his or her nose, mouth, or eyes. As such, these illnesses are most easily spread in crowded conditions such as schools.

The traditional folk theory that you can catch a cold in prolonged exposure to cold weather such as rain or winter settings is how the illness got its name.  Some of the viruses that cause common colds are seasonal, occurring more frequently during cold or wet weather.  The reason for the seasonality has not yet been fully determined.  This may occur due to cold induced changes in the respiratory system, decreased immune response, and low humidity increasing viral transmission rates, perhaps due to dry air allowing small viral droplets to disperse farther, and stay in the air longer.  It may be due to social factors, such as people spending more time indoors, as opposed to outdoors, exposing him or her “self” to an infected person, and specifically children at school.  There is some controversy over the role of body cooling as a risk factor for the common cold; the majority of the  evidence does suggest a result in greater susceptibility to infection.

The SIMPLE COMMON COLD:

The common cold (also known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, head cold) or simply a cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract which primarily   effects the nose.  There are over 200 different known cold viruses, but most colds (30% up to 80%) are caused by rhinoviruses

This means you can pass the cold to others, so stay home and get some much-needed rest for yourself and not passing it on to others for the contagious period at least.

If cold symptoms do not seem to be improving after a week, you may have a bacterial infection, which means you may need antibiotics, which only kill bacterial infections not viral.

Sometimes you may mistake cold symptoms for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or a sinus infection (bacterial). If cold symptoms begin quickly and are improving after a week, then it is usually a cold, not allergy. If your cold symptoms do not seem to be getting better after a week, check with your doctor to see if you have developed an allergy or inflammation or the sinuses (sinusitis).

Influenza is commonly referred to as “the flu”, this is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses.  The most common sign or symptom are chills, fever, runny nose, coughing, aches and weakness to headache and sore throat.  Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the COMMON COLD, influenza is a more severe illness or disease caused by a different virus.  Influenza nausea and vomiting, particularly in children but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as “stomach flu” or “25 hour flu”.
The flu can occasionally lead to pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, even for persons who are usually very healthy.  In particular it is a warning sign if a child or presumably an adult seems to be getting better and then relapses with a high fever as this relapse may be bacterial pneumonia.  Another warning sign is if the person starts to have trouble breathing.

Each year, 10% to 20% of Canadians are stricken with influenza. Although most people recover fully, depending on the severity of the flu season, it can result in an average of 20,000 hospitalizations and approximately 4000 to 8000 deaths annually in Canada. Deaths due to the flu are found mostly among high-risk populations, such as those with other medical conditions (such as diabetes or cancer) or weakened immune systems, seniors, or very young children. There are 3 types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. Type A influenza causes the most serious problems in humans and can be carried by humans or animals (wild birds are commonly the host carriers). It is more common for humans seem to carry the most with ailments with type A influenza.  Type B  Influenza is found in humans also.  Type B flu may cause less severe reaction than A type flu virus but for the few for the many can still be at times extremely harmed.  Influenza B viruses are not classified by subtype and do not cause pandemics at this time.  Influenza type C also found in people but milder than type A or B.  People don’t become very ill from this Type C Influenza and do not cause pandemics.

The common cold eventually fizzles, but the flu may be deadly. Some 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized and 36,000 die each year from flu complications — and that pales in comparison to the flu pandemic of 1918 that claimed between 20 and 100 million lives. The best defense against it:   a vaccine once a year. 

References for Part 1 and 2 on the two bugs The FLU and The COLD:

1-Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia” 2013 website under the topic Influenza.

2-Kimberly Clark Professional website under the influenza.

3-Web MD under “COLD, FLU, COUGH CENTER” “Flu or cold symptoms?” Reviewed by Laura J. Martin MD Novem ZygmuntHYPERLINK “http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/z/zygmunt_bauman.html” Bauman(87 y/o and born 19 November 1925) is a Polishsociologist. Since 1971, he has resided in England after being driven out of Poland by an anti-semiticHYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Polish_political_crisis” campaign.

4-2013 Novartis Consumer Health Inc. Triaminic “Fend off the Flu”

5-Scientific American “Why do we get the flu most often in the winter? Are viruses virulent in cold weather? December 15, 1997