Health

Preventing Sports Injuries

When participating in sports activities, it is important to know how to prevent any injuries that could possibly happen. Taking precautions in how you warm up and what you do with your body while playing the sport is a good way to prevent any injuries that could happen.

Make sure you warm up your body. Warming up before you work out or participate in a sport is very important to do to not injure yourself. Stretching your muscles and getting them warmed up helps the blood flow to the muscles, causing you to be less likely to suffer from any injuries.

Don’t over do it. Knowing your physical limit of your body and muscles is very important when playing a sport, especially when starting out. If you over strain your muscles, there is more of a chance of injury. If your body is not used to using certain muscles or bending certain ways, it could strain or tear them. Starting out slow is a good way to make sure that you are not over doing it.

Drink plenty of water. Keeping your body hydrated while exercising helps keep your mental and physical fitness from significantly reducing, which will help prevent any injuries from happening. While playing a sport or exercising you need to drink more water than you normally would to make sure to stay hydrated.

Wear the appropriate protective equipment. The protective equipment that is required for all sports are required for a reason. They help protect you from certain injuries that you might receive if you were not wearing the equipment. Making sure that you wear the equipment and wear it properly while participating in the sport is important to protect your body from any harm.

No one likes to have to sit out of a game due to an injury. Doing whatever you can do prevent an injury from sports will reduce the likelihood of getting an injury. Making sure you warm up, not over straining yourself, stay hydrated, and wear the appropriate protective equipment are important ways to prevent any injuries.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches are one of the most common type of headaches people suffer from. They can cause people to have to stop doing their daily activities and rest to give it time to go away. Some people also suffer from chronic migraines, which means they get them on a regular basis. Today we will be discussing what a migraine headache is, and some ways to help manage it.

What is a migraine headache? A migraine headache is a more intensified headache, which causes sensitivity to light and sounds. It may cause nausea and constant pain in the head and neck as well.

What causes a migraine? There are many causes of migraine headaches, and today we will be listing the top 5 reasons people suffer from migraine headaches:

  1. Excessive amount of stress. When having a lot of stress in your life, it causes strain on your brain and may cause migraines.
  2. Lack of sleep. Sleep is a very important part of helping your brain and body function. Without sleep, it causes a lot of tension on your brain and may result in migraines.
  3. Hunger or dehydration. Our body relies on food and water to help it survive, without the right amount food and water it may cause excessive migraines.
  4. Excessive caffeine or alcohol. Drinking too much caffeine or alcohol can cause migraines due to withdrawals. If a person drinks a lot of caffeine or alcohol on a regular basis, and immediately cuts it all off, it will cause the body to go through withdrawals and a migraine may occur.
  5. Hormones. Hormonal changes in women tend to cause migraines. Women are more likely to get migraines than men are due to the estrogen in the body during menstruation.

How to treat a migraine headache? Avoiding migraine triggers can help keep the migraines away all together. If you suffer from chronic migraines, it may be more difficult to stay away from triggers. Taking pain-relieving medications help to take all or a big majority of the pain away. Some other things to consider in helping keep migraines away are stress management, improving sleeping habits, and managing your diet.

If none of the at-home treatments are helping and you do feel as though you may suffer from chronic migraines, it is important you visit with your primary care provider to see what steps you can take from here to help improve or take away the migraine headaches completely.

5 Ways to Stay Motivated

Motivation can come and go for most people, and it is very important to learn how to stay motivated in times where you need to keep your mind focused on the tasks at hand. There are many ways to train yourself to stay motivated, but today we will be covering five of them.

  1. Don’t beat yourself up. Some days you may need a little bit of a break, or you run out of time. You may not get to all of the tasks that you were wanting to. It is important to remember to not be too hard on yourself, the tasks that were unfinished can be finished when you are able to get to them.
  2. Remember your goals. While you are having a hard time staying motivated, a good way to get back on track is to remember your goals. It will help you remember why you need to do these tasks, and will help you want to get them done faster.
  3. Take breaks. It is important to give your mind and body a break at times. It will help you clear your mind, and feel refreshed.
  4. Track your progress. Keep a list of what you need to get done, and check it off as you go. Doing this can help you realize that, even though it may not feel like it, you are getting the tasks done.
  5. Reward yourself. Give yourself a set amount of tasks to complete, then reward yourself in some way. Take a short break, make yourself a snack, or watch a show. This reward system will help keep your motivation up to complete the rest of your tasks.

Doing these five things can help slowly build the motivation you feel as though you have lost back up. It may take a little bit of time to get back to being motivated, but it can be done. Whether your list of tasks is small or large, any of these tips can help you get your tasks done.

Good and Bad Fats in Food

When it comes to fats in food, they are not all bad. They may have a bad reputation, but some fats are good to have in your diet in moderation. It’s important to know which fats are good to be included in your diet, and which fats are best to stay away from.

What are Bad Fats? Saturated and trans fats are harmful for your heart and body when consumed in big portions. They raise the cholesterol in your body to a unsafe level for your heart. Consuming too many bad fats can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. These bad fats should be avoided or rarely eaten.

What are examples of Bad Fats? Saturated and trans fats are solid at room temperature. There are foods that are also cooked in these fats that are not healthy to eat regularly. Some examples would be:

  • Butter
  • Beef or pork fat
  • Shortening
  • High fat dairy foods
  • Lard
  • Fried foods

What are Good Fats? Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered to be more “healthy” fats. These fats, when eaten in moderation, can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by improving the blood cholesterol levels in the body.

What are examples of Good Fats? Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature. Some foods have omega-3 fatty acids in them, and they are also good fats. Examples of good fats would be:

  • Peanut butter
  • Almond butter
  • Avocados
  • Vegetable oils (olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil)
  • Peanuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans
  • Fish (salmon, trout, sardines)
  • Tofu

Healthy fats are a good part of your diet, but it is important to eat them in moderation. While monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are better than saturated and trans fats, they are still high in calories. Substituting the good fats for the bad fats is important if the opportunity is available. Choosing which fats to eat will help your heart stay healthy, and improve your quality of life.