Yes, health can play a huge part in your training and conditioning for a race.  It is common that beginners especially find that their knees might not be up to the challenge.  Even experienced runners might find that after upping their mileage things can go wrong.

Regardless, I am still aiming to complete a half marathon this year.  For those of you interested in learning more about marathons, check out the infographic below.

At the very top of the graphic is a male symbol on one side and a woman symbol on the other.  Between them is a list of the top 11 leading causes of death in the US. It should be no surprise in this age of rampant obesity that heart disease ranks number one for both men and women. Although suicide is eighth on the list for leading causes of death for males, it doesn’t even rank among the top ten causes for women’s deaths.  Another observation was the fact that accidental injuries were much more frequent causes of death for men than for women.

Losing weight should be a priority for anyone who is substantially overweight.  A person with a Body Mass Index (or, BMI) of greater than 25 should be watching his or her diet carefully, since this measure can affect key health markers that put people at risk for a variety of serious medical problems.  Being overweight can affect everything from your sense of self esteem and home security to the way you are treated by strangers, so why not improve your life with a diet? Which diet is the best?  Let’s look at this infographic comparing a few of the major diets currently getting a lot of attention in the media:

Here below is a video that seeks to shed some light on the truly disturbing side effects of these so-called legal marijuana products and their effect on the mental and physical health of people who get themselves entangled in the snares of these chemical substances.  No one should ever try using these items, for any reason.  If you or someone you know has been using this, have them regard the video below.

It would be interesting to see how 2011 stacks up against the figures from two years ago.  Still, this should be pretty close.  You will notice that the antidepressants most frequently prescribed are typically newer ones, such as Lexapro — an SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) that is newer than Zoloft and Prozac, but in the same class.  Most commonly prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.

“These medications have been authorized to be prescribed for anxiety, which is a very broad field,” says a Las Vegas specialist in psychiatry. “Paxil started that for social anxiety disorder, so even extreme shyness can be treated with these drugs. Once you start down that road, you find more and more things. If you have a nice hammer, you find more and more nails.”  Many stores like the flowland counter culture outlet are providing alternative, holistic medicines.

Here’s a look at what America’s prescriptions are like:

In our day-to-day lives, we do not often like to think about things like financial stress, the need to clean, or even medical and health risks, but unfortunately, we should.  As we grow and age we become at risk for different types of medical issues, and it is imperative that we be ahead of the game.  The best way to help lower your risk of becoming seriously ill from a medical illness or disease is to be proactive and regularly make appointments for check ups at your doctor’s office.  Yearly or twice a year visits to the doctor for a check up are so important to stay ahead of the game and make certain that you are not at higher risk for certain illnesses or diseases.

Starting even in your twenties there are risks that you may not even be aware of.  As time passes and the years fly by, there are still more risks of different types that you need to be sure to have checked out often.  I found a wonderfully illustrated infographic that reveals what risks both men and women face medically during each decade of their life starting with the 20s through the 60s.  Make sure that you know your risks and that you are properly being evaluated and checked for these risks.

Exercise

Not only does exercising help to work out your heart, but it also helps to relieve stress which can be a contributing factor to hypertension.  Make sure to exercise daily even if it is a simple thirty minute walk.  If you feel like you do not have time to go to the gym, or if you are hesitant to just start walking around your neighborhood, then check out the fitness channels on direct tv.  There are many fit and health channels that have great shows for you to workout in your living room. You will feel better and help your heart significantly by doing this.  If you happen to be overweight, then losing weight can help to possibly reduce your blood pressure too.

Garlic

Is an incredible natural healer.  It has been shown to help reduce high cholesterol levels, it acts as a natural antibiotic, and it can help with hypertension as well.  Those with mild-high blood pressure will see the most benefits from taking garlic as a daily supplement.

CoQ10

CoQ10, or Coenzyme Q, is an amazing vitamin like supplement that you can take in order to help your heart, liver, and other vital organs.  It is constantly being studied as a method to reduce migraines, slow the production of Parkinson’s disease, and more.  This supplement can also help to reduce your blood pressure.

Remember that all of these methods are not 100% guaranteed to help reduce your blood pressure, but they are great ways to try to lower it naturally.  Talk to your doctor prior to trying any of the above methods.

Exposure to UV rays is like triggering the reward button in the human brain, similar to when someone is treated to something with a high level of sugar or given a drug.  The public warnings against tanning have cost the government millions and it appears as though they can never be as effective as intended since an addiction to a reward is much more powerful than a threat about a potential negative outcome.  Just like the extensive government campaigns against smoking that plastered disturbing photos of cancer damaged lungs right on packs of cigarettes but didn’t decrease cigarette smoking or cause an adverse reaction by frequent smokers.

Any addicted person is accustomed to getting a certain dosage of their vice within a certain time period.  Does this mean that if routine tanners went to a less superior tanning salon that didn’t provide their standard dosage of UV rays that they would then crave that stimulus?  This is a serious concern for medical professionals because it means that getting these people to quit a dangerous act is more than just getting them to feel socially accepted with pale skin.  Monitoring brain activity and scanning for how the brain reacts to this type of stimulus will be critical in future research.  Utilizing what we know about the areas of the brain that are connected to addiction can help clarify exactly what is going on in the mind of the user.  Science and innovation are key.

I have witnessed patients who have had tumors removed from their lungs from smoking and gone right back to smoking a pack a day because they are still addicted.  Is this the future of tanning bed related skin cancer cases?  People come in for surgery with beautiful bronze tans, have a lump cut out and then go straight back to the tanning salon?  Addiction is such a powerful driver and I believe that we will only encounter more cases such as this of modern technology instigating new, dangerous addictions.