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Healthy eating is about making realistic changes. It is not about punishing yourself. Take one step at a time and soon you will be on your way to changing your eating habits for life.
* Eat plenty starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and breakfast cereals.
* Aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
* Eat fish twice a week and include oil-rich fish such as herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna.
* Eat less fatty and sugary foods.
* Reduce the amount of salt in cooking and at the table.
* Use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.
* Choose reduced fat spreads, low fat cheeses and low fat yogurts.
* Shop when you are not hungry – make a list.
* Empty your cupboards of high fat, sugar and salt foods such as biscuits, cakes, crisps and pastries.
* Read food labels – checking the fat content.
Remember to check with your doctor at Belize Medical Associates for a healthy eating plan that suits you.
Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
There are a number of symptoms associated with UTIs. With bladder infections, symptoms may include:
* frequent urination
* burning or pain during urination
* the feeling of having to pee even though little or no urine actually comes out
* pain in the lower abdomen
* pain above the pubic bone (in women)
* a full feeling in the rectum (in men)
* bloody or foul-smelling urine
* mild fever
* a general feeling of shakiness and fatigue
A kidney infection may involve more serious symptoms, including:
* high fever
* chills
* nausea and vomiting
* abdominal pain
* cloudy or bloody urine
* pain in the back, just above the waist
If you have any symptoms of a urinary tract infection, you’ll need to go to a doctor at Belize Medical Associates right away. http://belizemedical.com/urinary-tract-infections/ http://belizemedical.com/urinary-tract-infections/The symptoms won’t go away if you ignore them – they’ll only become worse. The more quickly you begin treatment, the less uncomfortable it will become and the quicker you will recover.
Eat Healthy
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” There’s more truth to this saying than we once thought. What you eat and drink and what you don’t eat and drink can definitely make a difference to your health. Eating five or more fruits and vegetables a day and less saturated fat can improve your health and may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Have a balanced diet, and watch how much you eat.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Those who are overweight or obese have increased risks for diseases and conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Eat better, get regular exercise, and see your health care provider about any health concerns to make sure you are on the right track to staying healthy.
Get Moving
More than 60 percent of men and women do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. For adults, thirty minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week is recommended. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money, but it does take commitment. Start slowly, work up to a satisfactory level, and don’t overdo it. You can develop one routine, or you can do something different every day. Find fun ways to stay in shape and feel good, such as dancing, gardening, cutting the grass, swimming, walking, or jogging.
Be Smoke-Free
Health concerns associated with smoking include cancer, lung disease, early menopause, infertility, and pregnancy complications. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among those who are middle-aged. Second-hand smoke – smoke that you inhale when others smoke – also affects your health. If you smoke, quit today! Medications and other forms of support are available to help you quit.
Get Routine Exams and Screenings
Sometimes they’re once a year. Other times they’re more or less often. Based on your age, health history, lifestyle, and other important issues, you and your Doctor at Belize Medical Associates can determine how often you need to be examined and screened for certain diseases and conditions. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, and cancers of the skin, cervix, breast, and colon. When problems are found early, your chances for treatment and cure are better. Routine exams and screenings can help save lives.
Get Appropriate Vaccinations
They’re not just for kids. Adults need them too. Some vaccinations are for everyone. Others are recommended if you work in certain jobs, have certain lifestyles, travel to certain places, or have certain conditions. Protect yourself from illness and disease by keeping up with your vaccinations at Belize Medical Associates.
Manage Stress
Stress poses a threat to the health of workers and, in turn, to the health of organizations. Balancing obligations to your employer and your family can be challenging. What’s your stress level today? Protect your mental and physical health by engaging in activities that help you manage your stress at work and at home.
Know Yourself and Your Risks
Your parents and ancestors help determine some of who you are. Your habits, work and home environments, and lifestyle also help to define your health and your risks. You may be at an increased risk for certain diseases or conditions because of what you do, where you work, and how you play. Being healthy means doing some homework, knowing yourself, and knowing what’s best for you… because you are one of a kind.
Be Safe – Protect Yourself
What comes to mind when you think about safety and protecting yourself? Is it fastening seat belts, applying sunscreen, wearing helmets, or having smoke detectors? It’s all of these and more. It’s everything from washing your hands to watching your relationships. Did you know that women die frequently from illnesses, homicides and motor vehicle incidents? Take steps to protect yourself and others wherever you are.
Be Good to Yourself
Health is not merely the absence of disease; it’s a lifestyle. Whether it’s getting enough sleep, relaxing after a stressful day, or enjoying a hobby, it’s important to take time to be good to yourself. http://belizemedical.com/tips-for-a-healthy-life/ http://belizemedical.com/tips-for-a-healthy-life/Take steps to balance work, home, and play. Pay attention to your health, and make healthy living a part of your life.
Here are some tips for a healthier New Year!
*Prevent violence by setting good examples
*Make sure immunizations are up to date
*Provide your child with a tobacco-free environment
*Read to your child every day
*Practice “safety on wheels”
*Do a “childproofing” survey of your home
*Monitor your children’s media
*Help Kids Understand Tobacco, Alcohol, and the Media
*Pay attention to nutrition
*Be involved in your child’s school and your child’s education
*Make your children feel loved and important
Courtesy of Belize Medical Associates, Dr. Victor Rosado & the American Academy of Pediatrics
http://belizemedical.com/tips-for-a-healthier-new-year/http://belizemedical.com/tips-for-a-healthier-new-year/
What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease.
How do people get Syphilis?
Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to the babies they are carrying. Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.
How is Syphilis diagnosed?
Blood tests such as the VDRL or RPR available at Belize Medical Associates Laboratory are ways to determine whether someone has syphilis. Shortly after infection occurs, the body produces syphilis antibodies that can be detected by an accurate, safe, and inexpensive blood test. A low level of antibodies will stay in the blood for months or years even after the disease has been successfully treated. Because untreated syphilis in a pregnant woman can infect and possibly kill her developing baby, every pregnant woman should have a blood test for syphilis.
What is the link between Syphilis and HIV?
Genital sores (chancres) caused by syphilis make it easier to transmit and acquire HIV infection sexually. There is an estimated 2- to 5-fold increased risk of acquiring HIV infection when syphilis is present.
Ulcerative STDs that cause sores, ulcers, or breaks in the skin or mucous membranes, such as syphilis, disrupt barriers that provide protection against infections. The genital ulcers caused by syphilis can bleed easily, and when they come into contact with oral and rectal mucosa during sex, increase the infectiousness of and susceptibility to HIV. Having other STDs is also an important predictor for becoming HIV infected because STDs are a marker for behaviors associated with HIV transmission.
What is the treatment for Syphilis?
Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year.
Persons who receive syphilis treatment must abstain from sexual contact with new partners until the syphilis sores are completely healed. Persons with syphilis must notify their sex partners so that they also can be tested and receive treatment if necessary.
How can Syphilis be prevented?
The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis, is to abstain from sexual contact or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.
Avoiding alcohol and drug use may also help prevent transmission of syphilis because these activities may lead to risky sexual behavior. It is important that sex partners talk to each other about their HIV status and history of other STDs so that preventive action can be taken.
Transmission of a STD, including syphilis cannot be prevented by washing the genitals, urinating, and or douching after sex. Any unusual discharge, sore, or rash, particularly in the groin area, should be a signal to refrain from having sex and to see a doctor a Belize Medical Associates immediately.
Seven Secrets of Super Driving
When you drive defensively, you’re taking control of the situation and keeping your eyes open for aggressive or inattentive drivers who might cause an accident. Here are seven easy things you can do:
1. Think safety first. Avoiding aggressive and inattentive driving tendencies yourself will put you in a stronger position to deal with other people’s bad driving. Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. Always lock your doors and wear your seatbelt to protect you from being thrown from the car in a crash.
2. Be aware of your surroundings. Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions far ahead of you. If a vehicle is showing signs of aggressive driving, slow down or pull over to avoid it. If the driver is driving so dangerously that you’re worried, try to get off the road or highway by turning right or taking the next exit if it’s safe to do so.
3. Assume the worst. Assume that drivers will run through red lights or stop signs and be prepared to react. While driving, imagine that other drivers (especially truck drivers) don’t see you when you are making your way into their path. Also, keep an eye on pedestrians and pets along the road.
4. Stay cool, calm, and collected. It’s best to avoid making eye contact with aggressive drivers. As hard as it can be, ignore any aggressive facial or hand gestures. And don’t race aggressive drivers – you run the risk of inciting their road rage. Other drivers do stupid things. The best drivers don’t get mad or try to get even.
5. Get the authorities involved. If you see an aggressive driver or trouble ahead, get to a safe place to pull over and call authorities or the police. Any information you can provide – a description of the vehicle, its license plate number, the direction it’s going – will be helpful. If an aggressive driver crashes or causes an accident, try to stop safely a good distance from the scene. Wait for the police to arrive so that you can tell them about the aggressive behavior you witnessed.
6. Don’t drive if you are under the influence or very sleepy. Alcohol, illegal drugs, and some prescription medications affect a person’s judgment, including the ability to make important braking and steering decisions on the road. That means you’ll be less able to react quickly and drive defensively. Sleepy drivers can be just as bad as intoxicated drivers, so make frequent rest stops or let a friend drive if you’re tired.
7. Don’t take risks. When in doubt, don’t pass. And keep a safe following distance. That way you can avoid a collision, stay in your lane, and not get rear-ended if the driver in front of you slams on the brakes.
FUN IN THE SUN
Here are a few tips to help you enjoy a fun and safe summer.
The strap should be securely fastened, and you should not be able to move the helmet in any direction. If needed, the helmet’s sizing pads can help improve the fit.
Safer sex
Safer sex includes hugging, kissing, and massaging. It also includes using condoms properly and any activity which avoids contact with semen or vaginal fluids.
Safer sex lowers the risk of getting HIV (the virus that leads to AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections. It also lowers the risk of pregnancy.
Condoms are the best protection against sexually transmitted infections including HIV and unintended pregnancy.
Make sure you use condoms of a high standard. If you’re travelling abroad take quality condoms with you – you won’t necessarily be able to get at your destination.
Remember that it can be easy to forget about safer sex once the drink starts flowing. Also, being drunk makes it more difficult to use condoms properly.
HIV
The 3 most common ways of catching HIV are:
* By having penetrative vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner without using a condom.
* Infected blood getting into one’s body by sharing drug injecting equipment.
* From an infected mother to her baby.
HIV cannot be transmitted by everyday social contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, coughing or sneezing.
Everyone is at risk if they don’t take measures to avoid the virus.
Issues
People choose to express their sexuality in different ways and should be free to do so without fear of discrimination or prejudice.
Consider the rights and responsibilities of you and your partner(s) and how these might affect your sexual health.
Young people and safer sex
Our role is not to tell young people what they can and can’t do. But it is our role to provide information and advice, and to encourage responsible behaviour based on informed opinions. Our aim is to ensure young people are aware of the facts and where they chose to have sex, to help ensure they practice safer sex.
Remember, Belize Medical Associates does testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Helping Yourself, Helping Others
What should I do if I am sexually assaulted?
* Find a safe environment – anywhere away from the attacker. Ask a trusted friend stay with you for moral support.
* Preserve evidence of the attack – don’t bathe or brush your teeth. Write down all the details you can recall about the attack & the attacker.
* Get medical attention. Even with no physical injuries, it is important to determine the risks of STDs and pregnancy.
– To preserve forensic evidence, ask the hospital to conduct a rape kit exam.
– If you suspect you may have been drugged, ask that a urine sample be collected. The sample will need to be analyzed later on by a forensic lab.
* Report the rape to law enforcement authorities. A counselor can provide the information you’ll need to understand the process.
* Remember it wasn’t your fault.
* Recognize that healing from rape takes time. Give yourself the time you need.
* Know that it’s never too late to call. Even if the attack happened years ago, they can still help. Many victims do not realize they need help until months or years later.
How can I help a friend who has been sexually assaulted?
* Listen. Be there. Don’t be judgmental.
* Encourage your friend to seriously consider reporting the rape to law enforcement authorities. A counselor can provide the information your friend will need to make this decision.
* Be patient. Remember, it will take your friend some time to deal with the crime.
* Let your friend know that professional help is available.
* Encourage him or her to call the authorities, but realize that only your friend can make the decision to get help.
What can I do to reduce my risk of sexual assault?
* Don’t leave your beverage unattended or accept a drink from an open container.
* When you go to a party, go with a group of friends. Arrive together, watch out for each other, and leave together.
* Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
* Don’t allow yourself to be isolated with someone you don’t know or trust.
* Think about the level of intimacy you want in a relationship, and clearly state your limits.
How can I protect my child from sexual abuse?
* Communicate, communicate, communicate.
* Speak to your children using the proper names for their body parts. Armed with information, children are better able to report abuse to you.
* Teach your children about safe and unsafe touches, as well as what is appropriate physical affection.
* Let your children know that respect for elders doesn’t extend to an adult that has made your child uncomfortable. It’s OK to say no and it’s OK to leave the situation.
* Trust your own instincts. If your instincts tell you something is wrong, follow-up.