Weekly Health For November 4-10, 2024
Aries
Aries could see swings in energy this week. Your physical and mental health can benefit from including mild activity into your daily schedule, such yoga or fast walking. Consider your stress management since, if neglected, tension may affect your health. Maintaining a balanced energy level over the week will depend on eating healthy foods and drinking enough of water. Pay close attention to your body's demands and provide yourself with the rest you need.
Taurus
Taurus residents may discover they lack the drive to be active this week. You are free to slow things down if you are tired or bored with demanding workout. Your body will still benefit from light stretching or mild physical exercise without being overburdened. Give your diet first priority and steer clear of overindulgence. Little actions toward self-care will help you rebuild strength without taxing yourself too much.
Gemini
This week motivates one more for self-care and exercise. You could be excited to start a new exercise program or sign up for a group fitness session among friends. Meals high in protein will help you support your physical activity; scheduled exercise will increase your endurance. Your efforts should be persistent since now is the perfect moment to advance towards long-term health objectives. Your energy levels probably will stay high, thus use this week to lay a firm basis for your well-being.
Cancer
Now is the moment to bring equilibrium back in case you have been ignoring your diet or exercise. Along with adding some modest activity, increasing fresh fruit and vegetable intake will help you generally be healthier. Meditating among other mental relaxation techniques will help you to lessen any anxiety you might be experiencing. Little changes to your daily schedule will provide consistency and assist improved results in your health.
Leo
Leo natives are likely to be energised and at their best physically this week. Spend this time on exercises like a morning jog or a strength exercise that challenge body and mind. Your regular health practices pay off; hence, keep up your pattern to keep this vitality. If you find inspiration, try integrating a different workout into your program to keep things interesting and demanding. This week reminds us of how much benefits come from giving your health top priority.
Virgo
This week Virgo can feel tired or lacking in energy. This could follow from an erratic schedule or overworking. Restful breaks and attentive listening to your body are vital for rebuilding your strength. Emphasize drinking enough of water and consuming foods high in nutrients. By the end of the week, including modest exercise and enough sleep into your daily schedule can progressively restore equilibrium and make you feel rejuvenated.
Libra
Librans will find that their commitment to balanced living is paying off. You can be physically and psychologically energetic, which improves your contacts with people. Keep up your mindfulness and physical activities since they are helping your well-being rather successfully. If at all feasible, spend time outside; fresh air and surroundings will help your mental health even more. This week enjoy the results of your good decisions and keep expanding on them.
Scorpio
This week, Scorpio natives can feel both physically and emotionally strong. Use this time for light physical activity like a slow trek or a stroll in the park. Movement will raise your mood and rejuvenate your energy level. Being active makes you happy, hence these small deeds will help your health and mind. The week is perfect for renewing yourself by means of little, deliberate actions.
Sagittarius
This week gives your health stability and balance; there are no major obstacles foreseen. Cardiovascular health might be a goal, so take into account include heart-healthy foods and consistent physical activity including light jogging or brisk walking. This week offers a sense of peace and wellness; use this opportunity to strengthen good health practices. Maintaining this balance will depend on your keeping active and aware of your diet.
Capricorn
Particularly if they have been working very hard, Capricorn natives may have little stiffness in their shoulders and arms. Short physical activity breaks or stretching exercises can help reduce this soreness. Although time is limited, little changes to your daily schedule could affect your mood. Add light activity to keep your energy flowing; this will help you to avoid any stiffness and maintain your freshness.
Aquarius
Seeing everyday routines like walking or commuting as health-supportive activities would help Aquarius locals. Even if they are incidental movements, adding little steps to your daily schedule can have a cumulative good impact. Accept the small times of activity since they add to general wellness. This week consider regular chores as chances to enhance your mental and physical condition, so strengthening your link to your wellness objectives.
Pisces
Pisces might have a fresh confidence and self-assurance this week, which would help their health. Accept this increase in self-esteem since it improves your general quality of living. Keeping a good attitude and engaging in self-love will help your mental as well as your physical condition. This is a perfect moment to strengthen your mind and body, thereby promoting harmony and balance.
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Being the most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memories, thinking skills and behavioral abilities. These symptoms eventually grow enough to interfere with daily tasks. According to the Alzheimer’s Association over seven million Americans live with Alzheimer’s and that number is said to increase to 13 million by 2050. Nearly 12 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementia issues.
However, are there certain places that have more people affected by Alzheimer’s? According to the South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Texas has the fourth highest number of Alzheimer’s and second highest number of deaths from Alzheimer’s in the US. The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation states that the Starr County is where 26% of Medicare beneficiaries come from. It is a rural Hispanic centric county in the Rio Grande City.
National Institute on Aging explains that one of the biggest risk factors for Alzheimer’s is aging, most people develop Alzheimer’s when they are 65 or older with less than 10% cases happening before this. Other things include genetics, and research has shown conditions such as heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure could also be risk factors.
Researchers do not fully understand what causes Alzheimer's. They think it's due to clumps of proteins in the brain that damage brain cells. It's likely a mix of genes, how people live, and what's around them. However, one common factor that has been observed by the researchers is that many of these families come from poor economic backgrounds.
Being poor might play a big role because people in poorer areas often have worse air, drive more instead of walking, have more stress, and don't see people as much. She also mentioned that there might be bad things in the water, like arsenic, that can hurt the brain. The very hot weather in Texas could also be a problem, adding stress to the body. Finally, she noted that the large Hispanic population in the area might be more likely to get dementia for reasons we don't yet know.
To understand how financial backgrounds could affect Alzheimer's, a 2018 study done by the International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease showed that the number of people without jobs in a region didn't seem to change how much Alzheimer's affected lifespan. This study looked at different areas in Slovakia to see if things like how much money people have, how many people have jobs, and how much education people get affect how long people might live if no one ever got Alzheimer's disease.
However, they found that the amount of money a region had (GDP), the average pay people got, and how educated people were, did have an impact.
More education seemed to indirectly lead to a bigger impact from Alzheimer's on lifespan, which matches what other studies have found. Surprisingly, they also found that when wages and the overall wealth of a region were higher, Alzheimer's seemed to have a bigger effect on shortening lifespan. This is different from what other studies have suggested, where more money usually means less Alzheimer's.
Gardening Helps Slow Down Cognitive Decline
Gardening preserves cognitive function and may also help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Dementia, Parkinson's Disease, among others. A new study, which was conducted by researchers in the UK, showed that those who grew and nurtured plants as well as lived in greener environments slowed down their cognitive decline. Intrestingly, there is already enough empirical evidence that shows plants reduce stress and improve memory and recall.
It is because of this that many countries have care farms, which get their name from the way they serve people's impulses to work and connect with others. Speaking to the BBC, Henreitte Bringsjord, whose parents founded one of such farms, said, "My mum and dad loved farm work, and they thought about how hard it is for people with dementia to stop working and lose their social life. So, they wanted to help people with dementia become a part of life again."
The study, which was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, stated that nature can significantly increase physical activity and social connection while reducing stress, which has multiple positive knock-on effects such as blood pressure, blood sugar control and healthy weight. According to health experts, physical activities really have immense health benefits, but gardening surcharges those.
To test the same, researchers from the University of Edinburgh investigated if there might be a link between gardening and changes in our intelligence over our lifetimes. The study compared the intelligence test scores of participants at age 11 and age 79. All the participants in the study were residents of Edinburgh and were traced throughout their lifetimes. Of the 467 people tested, almost 31 per cent had never gardened, but 43 per cent regularly did. The results showed that those who spent time gardening showed greater lifetime improvement in their cognitive ability than those who never or rarely did. "Between the ages of 79 and 90, cognitive ability, including memory, problem solving, and word fluency, generally declined across the board, but the earlier advantage of gardeners endured", researchers of the study said.
Besides gardening, these are the activities that can also help you boost cognitive health.
1. Physical Exercise: Improves blood flow to the brain and promotes neurogenesis.
2. Mental Exercises: Engaging in puzzles, chess, and memory games enhances problem-solving skills and memory.
3. Reading and Learning: Reading diverse materials or learning a new language strengthens neural connections.
4. Playing Musical Instruments: Enhances cognitive processing and coordination.
5. Social Interactions: Meaningful conversations and group activities stimulate cognitive and emotional processing.
6. Mindfulness and Meditation: Reduces stress and improves focus and attention span.
7. Adequate Sleep: Supports memory consolidation and cognitive function.
8. Healthy Diet: Consuming foods rich in omega-3s, antioxidants, and vitamins promotes brain health.
9. Hobbies and New Skills: Learning new skills or hobbies keeps the brain active and engaged.
10. Cognitive Training Apps: Apps designed for memory and focus training can provide structured mental workouts.
ALSO READ: 6 Tips To Take Care Of Your Gut Health By Celebrity Doctor Steven Grundy
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John Cena, the beloved WWE wrestler and actor, has opened up about his skin cancer diagnosis. Being diagnosed with melanoma twice, he recalled getting a phone call twice as his doctors told him the biopsy for came out cancerous. The first spot had appeared on his pectoral muscle and a year later it was in a different spot on his upper trapezius muscle. He explains that this information was sobering and prompted him to change his life.
He has also now become the face of Ultra Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70 that moves to normalize the use of sunscreen among men. He admitted he always neglected sunscreen, but now he has added it to his daily routine. While there has been a rise in the number of cancer diagnoses, there hasn’t been a clear reason why.
Cena noticed that women talk about skin care and sunscreen more openly than men. He believes it can be harder for men to start these conversations. But he thinks it shouldn't be that way. "Men are becoming more aware of taking care of themselves," he says. "We just need to make it a normal thing." Cena wants more men to use sunscreen as often as women.
Studies show that women are much more likely to use sunscreen than men. However, by the age of 50, men have a higher risk of getting melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer, than women. At any age, men are more likely to die from melanoma. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020, only a small percentage of men (12.3%) always used sunscreen when outside in the sun for more than an hour, compared to a much larger percentage of women (29.0%). Younger men used sunscreen the least.
A recent survey done by Neutrogena also found that a third of people never go to a skin doctor for check-ups. Women were also more likely to be told to wear sunscreen every day compared to men. Cena believes that sunscreen is often linked to beauty in women's minds, which might explain why they use it more.
According to 2023 review published in the Cancer journal, in the US, the number of melanoma cases have increased by 40% from the years 2009 to 2019. The number of new cases that have been predicted to happen is 110,000, which is a drastic increase considering the 65,000 in the year 2011. The study says that there is a disproportionately higher risk of men developing cancer and by 2040, melanoma will be the second most common cancer overall.
Cena says he doesn't care if men use sunscreen for health reasons or to avoid wrinkles – he just wants them to use it. He compares using sunscreen to going to the gym for looks but getting healthier in the process. He says using SPF is "super easy," like brushing your teeth. His hope is that men will start keeping sunscreen next to their toothpaste and use it every day. Cena says his own life perspective changed after his cancer scares, and he wants to encourage others to be proactive about skin protection before it's too late.
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