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Protecting the Environment, Protecting your Health
Blog
Springing it from the pipe: the drinking water you pay too much for
| Posted on September 9, 2018 at 2:32 PM |
comments (25)
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 As the bottled water industry grows exponentially in our
Island, so are the lies and deception consumers are fed. Many Jamaicans are being
misled to believe that the highly priced bottled water they are consuming is
actually natural spring water. According to a recent study done by Food
& Water Watch company titled "Take Back the Tap," about 64
percent of bottled water comes from municipal tap water sources.The study further went
on to reveal that the beverage industry has capitalized on
bottled water sale as a profit centre, and to replace stagnant soft drink sale.
In 2016, bottled water sales surpassed soft drink for the first time as the
largest U.S category by volume. The
marketing hype of drinking several gallons of bottled water a day to be in good
health, is one of their latest marketing strategies What most people purchased
as natural spring water, is basically filtered piped or tap water. The bottled
water industry has promoted its product as the way to good health and a clean
diet, as a result targeting health conscious individual. In addition, many
skeptics believed that they also subtly suggest that bottled water is superior
to tap water during their campaign and advertisements. This is the reason
several persons tend to avoid drinking water from the tap and stock up on
bottled water.  It’s not that I am
saying that drinking water will not improve your health, but misleading people
to think that they are paying for naturally pure water is totally unethical.
Furthermore, the health implications of drinking bottled water when
compared to drinking tap water are mind boggling. Various studies have revealed
that, bottled water have been supplemented with certain mineral such as Sodium
and Potassium, causing increase levels of these elements that are harmful for
people at risk of cardiovascular diseases. Increase temperatures of bottled water when left in a
hot car or other environment, is responsible for the release of antimony from
polyethylene terephthalate plastics used for water bottles. Antimony is a
regulated contaminant that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even chronic
health effects in drinking water. Additionally, over consuming certain minerals like
Fluoride can harm our bodies. For instance, levels of fluoride above 1.5 mg/L
would increase our risk of dental fluorosis, despite its benefits in protecting
us from tooth decay. It is a concern that bottled water contains fluoride
levels that are 12% to 218% of the recommended daily intake, much higher than
that of tap water (0% to 62%) Needless to say, that plastic bottles don’t do good
for our environment either. Most times these products end up in our drains,
rivers and oceans. This creates a myriad of environmental health challenges in
our country such as flooding and solid waste management issues. A 2017 study
calculated that 18 trillion pounds of plastic has been produced globally
between 1960 and 2015, 79 percent of which (about 14 trillion) has accumulated
in landfills or natural environment including in our oceans. In conclusion, deceiving the public to think they are
purchasing one thing while being sold something different is never acceptable
and is totally unethical. Where does your bottled water comes from? Comment below |
Sleep Paralysis; the spirit in your dreams
| Posted on August 21, 2016 at 8:09 PM |
comments (24)
|
 Ever woken up from a bad dream, only to realize you
are pinned down to your bed and cannot move? I bet you have,
this feeling of being out of control is known as Sleep Paralysis. Many
Jamaicans would claim they have been held down by evil spirit while others said
they have even seen ghosts. According to an article written by the NHS Choice;
“sleep paralysis is the temporary
inability to move or speak that happens when you're waking up or, less
commonly, falling asleep.” So in essence, your brain has woken up but your body is still in a state of
sleep, which normally cause the muscles to be paralyzed. Despite, the muscles
of the body being briefly paralyzed, you are still able to breath and even see
in some cases. It has been noted in several research that sleep paralysis has been
experienced by majority of the population at some time in their live. Researchers have even went on to say that most
of these occurrences take place while the individual is sleeping on his or her
back. Sleep paralysis may even cause individuals to experience hallucination,
this is reason they may have sense ghost or evil spirit in their presence. This
terrifying but harmless experience can last from few seconds to even minutes. Wondering what could possibly cause such dreadful experience? Here are a
few causative factors;
Sleep paralysis
is also being rumored to be linked to mental illnesses such as bipolar and stress
therefore, it’s important to check with your doctor if you have any of these
concerns: To reduce and eliminate the occurrence of sleep paralysis is to have a
healthy sleeping life and to take care of your personal health through regular
exercise and a proper diet. Have you ever experience sleep paralysis? |
Five biggest mistakes we make when trying to lose weight
| Posted on January 10, 2016 at 6:12 PM |
comments (22)
|
 As the reality of the New Year sets in, many
Jamaicans are eager to drop all the pounds they have packed on during the
festive season. Needless to say though,
a lot of us will be in the same spot as we were last year or even the year
before. Within a month or two many of us would have lost all hope in
accomplishing our weight loss goal, mainly because we have made the very same
mistakes year after year. Against that back ground, here are the five biggest
mistakes we make when trying to lose weight;
According to a research done by the University of
Copenhage, a person who works out for 30 minutes a day will lose 40% more fat
than someone who works out for a longer period. Shocked? Don’t be, this is
because the longer you work out, your body will resort to using your muscles to
fuel your workout. Remember fat is the fuel use to keep the muscles in the body
active hence, the less muscle in the body the less fat you will burn at the end
of your work out. In addition, the body reads exercise as a stressor, therefore
when the body is stressed it will produces cortisol. Elevated cortisol due to
long periods of exercise may lead to an increase in blood sugar levels, retention of
fat around the mid-section and slowing down of the immune system. In essence it’s best to do short high
intervals work out for a maximum of 45 minutes a day.
Working out six to seven days a week does not give
the body adequate time to rest. Rest plays a very crucial part in muscle
recovery. Remember when you are working out you are not building muscles but
rather tearing them down. This means that the body will need time to heal and rejuvenate for
your next work out. Another important part of resting the body is getting
adequate sleep. Ever noticed after a good night’s rest, how flat your tummy
looks? This is because during sleep your body produces hormones that burn fat. According to a research published by Annals of Internal Medicine,
getting less than seven hours of sleep can undo the benefits of dieting. As
outlined in the study; 50% of weight loss by dieters who got adequate sleep were fat, while dieters who cut back on sleep loss less fat. The study even
further explained that dieters who did not get adequate sleep were hungrier; they
were also less satisfied after meals and lack energy to exercise. In summary
working out 3-4 times per week and getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night should
do the trick. 
Not eating enough food to provide the body with
sufficient energy will put the body under stress and by extension slows down
your metabolism. This action also sends
the body into survival mode, this means it will hold on to the existing fat and
slows down the process of burning it so you won’t lose energy. It does this to prevent itself from starving and also providing energy to operate the vital organs. This very same
reaction can take place when you restrict yourself from eating certain food;
hence letting the body becomes deficient in certain nutrients. As stated by a dietitian
who works at the Western Regional Health Authority, “No food is bad”. Just make
sure you are eating in moderation while focusing on eating healthier, which is eating
more natural foods. If you eat healthy 80% of the time you will only need to
work out 20% of the time. This means that what you put in the body is four
times more important than any work out.
Did you know that often times when you feel hungry
you are actually thirsty? Drinking water is one of the easiest things you will
ever do to lose weight. Drinking water aids in digestion of food, the proper
functions of organs and also makes you feel full so you will eat less. Not
drinking enough water can slow down your metabolism and hence reduces the
burning process. There are countless reasons why drinking enough water is a
vital part of any weight loss program, but more so it’s very important in the
body’s daily function. Remember water is life.
Ever heard the saying, will power is a diminishing
resource? All of us at some time in our life have set out to accomplish some
dreams, but over time that level of will and determination fades in the
distant. One factor that could combat such a thing when trying to lose weight
is doing physical activities that you love. Dancing, Kickboxing, Running whatever
that is convenient and not burdensome for you to do.
Most importantly it is vital to listening to your
body, do not over-exercise, over-eat or vice versa, but rather do everything in
moderation.
Once you practice these five steps listed above you
will realize that losing weight is not so difficult and burdensome after all. Do you currently find it hard to lose weight? Leave your
comments and share your experiences. |
Hand foot and mouth disease; should you be worried?
| Posted on October 10, 2015 at 6:19 PM |
comments (25)
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 With the recent buzz in the media about the outbreak
of hand foot and mouth disease in our schools, Jamaican parents are frantic
with fear and hoping that their children do not contract the disease. One of
the latest news published by the Gleaner mentioned that there were approximately
313 reported cases of the disease from a total of 98 schools in the island. The only four parishes that have not yet been
affected are Trelawny, Hanover, Clarendon and Manchester. But what is this
hand foot and mouth disease? Should you be worried? As outlined on the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention
website, Hand foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually
affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. However, it can
sometimes occur in adults. This disease should not be confused with foot and
mouth disease or otherwise called hoof and mouth disease that only affects
cattle, swine and sheep, as these two diseases are not related and are cause by
different viruses. Early symptoms are usually fever, loss of appetite,
sore throat and malaise, a day or two after the fever a child will start to develop
painful sores in the mouth as well as small red blisters around the mouth, palm
of the hand, sole of the feet, elbows, knees, buttocks and other parts of the
body such as the genitals. These blisters may turn in ulcers which most times
are painless. The thing that parents should pay attention to though, is that the
painful sores in the mouth may result in dehydration and weight loss in their child as it would be difficult for him or her to swallow. This disease most times only last for about a week
however, it is during this time that the illness is most contagious. The infected
individual can spread the virus when they cough; sneeze and the droplets are
inhaled by people around them. A person can also get infected by touching an
object contaminated with the virus such as toys, door knobs and then touch their eyes, nose and mouth. The virus can also spread through blister fluid and
stool from an infected person hence, to help others from getting infected, you
should stay home while you are sick and keep children at home until their fever
and blisters have healed.  This will help in the transmission but not totally
eliminates it as, the virus can still lives in a person body for weeks even
after symptoms disappear. This means that it’s very important to seek medical advice
as to when it’s safe to send your child back to school or when you can return
to work. The hand foot and mouth disease as no treatment or vaccine, this
disease is caused by a virus and antibiotic does not work against viruses. To
relief symptoms doctors may prescribe a mouth wash or spray that numbs mouth
pain and over the counter medications to reduce pain and fever. Children
however, should never be given aspirin as it may result in other complications.
Here now are things you can do to help protect yourself
and your children from getting hand foot and mouth disease; wash your
hands often with soap and wash especially after changing diapers and using the
bathroom, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid
close contacts with an infected person such as hugging, kissing, sharing of
utensils and disinfect frequently touched areas for example door knobs and toys.
Remember your health is your responsibility so be
healthy today, for more information on hand foot and mouth disease please visit
your nearest health facility. Are you prepared for the hand foot and mouth disease? |
Nutraceutical; the hidden truth to a perfect health.
| Posted on May 3, 2015 at 7:37 PM |
comments (26)
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 My first encounter with this word was about five
years ago in college. My lecturer had given us a paper to write on the
difference between pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, which would include
their pros and cons. What was astonishing to me then was why this approach to
health care was not as popular as the pharmaceutical approach? Many have theorized that the drug industry is a very lucrative business and has the power
to control the health care industry and the media. Adding to that point, there
have even been reports of pharmaceutical companies manipulating doctors and
even pharmaceutical representatives in promoting their drugs. Some even have said that
the pharmaceutical industry by no means is in the business of health, healing,
cures or wellness but rather disease maintenance and symptom management. In
other words, if all our illnesses were to be cured and the population had
optimum health, there would not be the need for the pharmaceutical industry, which
reiterates the point that they do not intend to cure diseases. With that in
mind, nutraceutical which is a "Food, or parts of food, that provide medical or
health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease,"(DeFelice, 1989), maybe very foreign to many Jamaicans, more
so the multifarious health benefits that are attributed to their products. Against
that background, here is a list of some common foods and their health benefit
that we should incorporate in your diet.   It is important to know that a lot of our
pharmaceuticals are manufactured using synthetic product e.g. minerals obtained
from stones. Stone was never apart of man’s diet hence, some of these product
do not benefit us in anyway but rather a placebo effect. To couple with that
point, most nutrients used to make pharmaceutical products are extracted from
it source and added with other nutrients and by-product such as enzymes which
may not result in the same effects or benefits as it would in its natural form. In
conclusion, my intention is to solely educate all Jamaicans of the benefits of
taking a holistic and natural approach to their health. Healthy environment = healthy food =
healthy people take your health in your own hands today. Do you think you could survive without pharmaceuticals? |
Corset waist training; the health risk associated with achieving the hourglass figure.
| Posted on March 8, 2015 at 8:13 PM |
comments (25)
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 With the recent increase of corsets wearing by
celebrities in Jamaica and around the world, many young women including myself
have fallen prey to the delusion and false sense of true beauty in our society
today. It’s our aim to achieve that hourglass figure portrayed on our
television screens and fashion magazines by some of the biggest names in the fashion
industry. But is it even safe or realistic for all women to look like Kim
Kardashian or even Amber Rose? In doing my
research on this topic it’s staggering to see the number of young women who
were convinced that their waist were much smaller after couple hours of wearing
this cinching garment. On the contrary there were equal number of medical personnel who were saying these garments don’t work, while reiterating the innumerable
health effects associated with wearing a corset waist training garment. In trying to
squeeze into a corset, you could potentially harm the major internal
organs that reside in that region. It has been agreed by many medical practitioners
including Dr Jan Schroeder, Professor of Fitness in the Department of
Kinesiology at California State University that Corsets do not result in a
permanent loss of fat in the midsection but rather a re-distribution of the fat
and organs, to give the appearance of a smaller waist. It’s important to note also that tightening
the abdomen and torso could affect lung function by restricting the amount of space
available for the lungs to expand into the abdomen and fill with air thus,
oxygen or carbon dioxide will not be inhaled or expel respectively resulting in
the person becoming short of breath.  According to an articles posted by Life
by Daily Burn, Dr. Ball was sited saying ,“If you genetically don’t have an
hourglass shape, you can exercise all you want, but you might not end up with
an hourglass figure.” So if your skeletal system do not have an hourglass structure
it’s impossible to obtain such figure from wearing a corset. As young women we need to find our inner beauty and
embrace it. If you want to be a size six just focus on eating a clean diet
until you achieved your goal weight. Diet and exercise is not our issue in this
society today but rather the will power and perseverance we need to accomplished
what ever our desires maybe. First develop these two skills afterward
everything will fall into place. Remember there is only one of you therefore,
love and value your unique you. Do you think wearing a corset slims the midsection? |
Three health tips you should consider for 2015
| Posted on December 31, 2014 at 1:53 PM |
comments (21)
|
As the clock ticks and
we approach the New Year, many Jamaicans are elated and fired up, knowing that
they have another chance to pursue and achieve all their aspirations that did
not materialized in 2014. With that said, the team from Jamaica Health Tips
Online would like to share with you Three health tips you should make a part of
your New Year’s resolution list. 
Do you think it’s important to make New Year’s resolution? |
Fight Against HIV AIDS
| Posted on December 26, 2014 at 9:49 AM |
comments (21)
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 Most Jamaicans don’t know that a person doesn't actually "get" AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). People sometimes get infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), and later they might develop AIDS. You can get infected with HIV from anyone who's infected, even if they don't look very sick and even if they haven't been tested and confirmed HIV-positive The semen, blood, vaginal fluid, and breast milk of people infected with HIV has enough of the virus in it to infect others. Most times the HIV virus is transmitted by: · Having sexual intercourse with someone who is infected; · Being born infected because the mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of a woman who is infected. · Sharing a needle with someone who's infected; Things Jamaican’s should keep in mind Your risk of getting HIV or passing it to someone else depends on many factors. Do you know what they are? Here are a few health tips. 1. Use a condom 2. Abstaining from sex 3. Talking about HIV with your partner 4. Getting tested It’s simple as ABC (A: Abstain B: Be faithful C: Use A Condom |
Healthy Resolutions for 2012
| Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:49 PM |
comments (24)
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 For many Jamaicans New Year's resolutions are linked to health - we say we are going to stop smoking, get healthy and lose weight - but so many Jamaicans with these good intentions fall by the wayside before January is over. So, why do we Jamaicans find it so hard to stick to our resolutions and how can we make 2012 any different? January can be pretty unwelcoming. When the pleasures of Christmas and the New Year celebrations are gone, after all the seasonal treats, money is as tight and our clothes gets even tighter. What will we do? We promise ourselves that next year we change everything. We say we are going to join a gym and work out 5 times a week and we will cut off junk food and only drink water.It’s a pity we don’t stick to it. With such dramatic goals, we are usually setting ourselves up to fail. But, always remember it can be done...  Here are some things to think about as you make your 2012 resolution.* Find out what changes you want to make and write them down.· * Don't be scared of the list you wrote, just tackle them one by one.· * Be realistic and honest with yourself· * Try to make your goals ambitious and specific.· * Try to get a friend or family member as a partner for motivation. What are your health related new years resolution for 2012? |
Working-Out at Home or Gym Membership
| Posted on April 18, 2011 at 8:45 PM |
comments (84)
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 Which is better for Jamaicans, to spend the money for a gym membership or just do a workout at home? Then let's take a look as there are some pros and cons for each.Benefits of Gym Membership Now for Jamaicans there are quite a few reasons why a gym membership can have its benefits. First it’s a great way to hang out with friends and family members, and having a gym partner is a great way to stay motivated. It is also s great way to get out of the house especially for persons who work from home. Gyms also offer a variety of classes such as Karate, YOGA and other exercises. At the gym one can also receive personal training and advice on what to do so you can be more effective. Gym Membership cons  One of the few bad things about the gym when compared to home workout is that the gym will cost you money. For most gyms in Jamaica this is usually a monthly fee, however more gym are having special discounts which allow persons to sign up for a longer membership.Which do you prefer? Working out at the Gym or working out at home? |