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Doctor's Office - Feature Article
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Marriage is Good for Health
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that married adults are healthier than divorced, widowed or never married adults.
The study examined health status, health conditions, and health related behaviors according to marital status. Interestingly, while the results show that married adults are generally in better health than unmarried adults, the reasons for their better health cannot be determined with the data collected.
Some of the more interesting findings:
Married adults are less likely than other adults to be in fair or poor health, and are less likely to suffer from health conditions such as headaches and serious psychological distress.
Married adults are less likely to smoke, drink heavily or be physically inactive. However, married men are more likely to be overweight or obese than other men.
Adults who live in cohabiting relationships are more likely to have health problems than married adults and more closely resemble divorced and separated adults.
The association between marital status and health is most striking in the youngest age group although it persists throughout the age groups studied.
eContent Matters - Dec. 2004
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Quick Workouts When Short On Time
With so much to do at the holidays, it's winds up being too easy to skip your workout. But all of the extra calories and stress that you endure at this time make exercise more important than ever.
A focused 20-minute workout can be enormously effective in burning calories and blasting away the stress. No matter how short your exercise time, you should not skip the obligatory warm up and cool down stretches.
If you enjoy cardio workouts, try exerting yourself at varying degrees for two minute intervals. For example, alternate every two minutes from moderate effort to two minutes of harder effort. You can do this for any type of cardiovascular exercise-walking, running, cycling. Don't push too hard or you could injure yourself. Listen to your body.
If you're weight training, alternating the muscles you are working not only builds the muscle, but helps build heart rate as well. Try going from lunges to squats, one arm rows, press-ups, lateral shoulder raises, and bicep curls, followed by abdominal work. You should work slowly, doing one set repetitions of each exercise, but move quickly from exercise to exercise.
With either workout, you should not perform such intense routines more than once in 2 days.
Article City - Dec. 2004
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Tips to Avoid Overeating During Holiday
Whether you are currently on a diet or not, overeating is a common holiday-related problem. With an abundance of food and drink available at parties, family gatherings, and at the office, we often overeat. Overeating can be a double threat, as many people overeat as a way of coping with the increased stress or feelings of depression during this time of the year.
There's no need to deprive yourself this time of year-after all the food is part of the fun. If you employ a few smart strategies, indulging in holiday goodies does not have to mean a lot of excess guilt and weight. Here are some tips:
On the day of a party, don't skip breakfast and/or lunch in order to "save up" for the party. You'll wind up consuming way more than if you had eaten normal meals throughout the day. A light, nutritious meal just before the party will also ward off the tendency to overindulge.
By all means, sample all of the foods you like-just keep portions under control. The smaller your portions, the more variety you get to enjoy.
Remember, parties are for enjoying the company of friends and family, and good food enhance enhances that atmosphere—not the other way around.
Pay attention to what you're drinking. Alcoholic calories add up fast, especially with eggnog. Have ice water every other drink.
Have a polite "no, thank you" ready when dinner party hosts insist on seconds.
Be conscious of the "little" opportunities for overeating, such as the office cookies. If this is a weakness for you, add an extra 10 minutes to your workouts to compensate.
ARA Content - Dec. 2004
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