Center for Medical Services

How to keep your immune system strong

💙Eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can, every day.
The micronutrients they provide ensure you aren’t missing key nutritional components, like zinc and vitamin A, that your immune system needs to fight off invading microbes. Note that most supplements are not superior to the nutrients you can get from food.

The fiber from fruit and vegetables can help your gut’s microbiome produce important compounds for a healthy immune system.

💙Stay physically active with walks and exercise.
Studies show the immune system is very responsive to exercise. Exercise and immune regulation are interrelated and affect each other. Exercise changes immune regulation by affecting cells and has anti-inflammatory effects.

💙Sleep for at least seven hours a night.
When the body does not get enough sleep, the immune system is negatively affected.

Sleep loss reduces natural killer cell activity, which increases the risk for cancer and viral infections; generates production of inflammatory cytokines, which increases the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disorders; and reduces production of antibodies, which increases the risk for infections.

💙Minimize stress.
Stress of all sorts—psychological and physical—directly weakens parts of your immune system, increasing risk for infections or reactivation of viruses inside you. Shingles, a painful rash that arises from the reactivated chickenpox virus, often flares up when people are experiencing chronic stress.

Stress can also cause "patrols" in your immune system—certain cells that tell the immune system to wind down an attack—to fail. When this happens, too much inflammation can occur. Hives are one example of a stress-induced breakdown in the immune system’s patrols.

💙Drink less alcohol.
Alcohol disrupts immune pathways that can impair the body’s ability to defend against infection, contribute to organ damage associated with alcohol consumption, and impede recovery from tissue injury.

💙Do not smoke.
Smoking exacerbates pathogenic (disease-causing) immune responses and/or reduces immune defenses.

What is causing my back pain, and how can I remedy it?

Common reasons for back pain include muscle strain, disk damage, and some health conditions, such as scoliosis and osteoporosis. Options for treating it include applying a warm or cold compress, acupuncture, and medications.

Back pain can result from injury, activity, and some medical conditions. It can affect people of any age and for different reasons. As people get older, the likelihood of developing lower back pain increasesTrusted Source due to factors such as previous occupation and degenerative disk disease.

Lower back pain may be relating to the bony lumbar spine, disks between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and disks, spinal cord and nerves, lower back muscles, abdominal and pelvic internal organs, or the skin around the lumbar area.

Pain in the upper back may be due to disorders of the aorta, tumors in the chest, or spine inflammation.

How you wash your hair and the products you use can go a long way toward maintaining smooth, shiny hair. Follow these simple tips from dermatologists to maintain healthy hair.

1. Wash oily hair more frequently. How often you wash your hair should be based on how much oil your scalp produces.

If your scalp is oily, you may need to wash it as often as once a day.
If you have chemically treated hair, your hair may be drier, so you may want to wash it less frequently.
As you get older, your scalp makes less oil, so you may not need to shampoo as often. But if you see flakes in your hair, you may not be shampooing enough. This can lead to dandruff and other scalp diseases.

2. Concentrate shampoo on the scalp. When washing your hair, concentrate on cleaning primarily the scalp, rather than washing the entire length of hair. Washing only your hair can create flyaway hair that is dull and coarse.

3. Use conditioner after every shampoo unless you use a “2-in-1” shampoo, which cleans and conditions hair. Using a conditioner can significantly improve the look of damaged or weathered hair by increasing shine, decreasing static electricity, improving strength and offering some protection from harmful UV rays.

4. Concentrate conditioner on the tips of the hair. Because conditioners can make fine hair look limp, they only should be used on the tips of the hair and not on the scalp or length of the hair.

5. Choose a shampoo and conditioner formulated specifically for your hair type. For example, if you color your hair, use a shampoo designed for color-treated hair. If your hair is damaged or chemically treated, consider a “2-in-1” shampoo. Regardless of cost, many shampoo and conditioner brands provide the same benefits.

6. Protect hair when swimming. Protect your hair from the damaging effects of chlorine by wetting and conditioning your hair before swimming. Wear a tight-fitting swim cap and use a specially formulated swimmers shampoo and deep conditioner after swimming to replace lost moisture.

5 Tips for Feeling Healthy Inside and Out

TRY THESE EASY CHANGES TO BOOST YOUR MOOD AND YOUR HEALTH.

❤️1. EXERCISE IS THE BEST
The best way to feel happy, healthy and fit is to exercise. There is no substitute. Research shows that exercise will boost your mood, help you to sleep better and increase your self-esteem. This is partially due to the release of endorphins in your body as you workout. Endorphins decrease our sense of pain and increase our happiness and sense of pleasure.

If you want your mood to go up, increase your exercise. Working out doesn’t mean 60 minutes or 0; all or nothing. Working out to a ten minute app on your phone is still exercise. Start somewhere.

❤️2. PUT GOOD FOOD IN YOUR STOMACH
Ninety percent of serotonin is made in your gut. Serotonin is the chemical that makes you happy. That means, whatever you are putting into your body, could impact your mood. Do your best to stay away from frequenting antibiotics, processed foods and high sugar and carb diets. If you’re a coffee fanatic, make sure to research science-based facts about its benefits, before you start investing in coffee makers. Healthy habits like taking walks, doing yoga, avoiding “toxic” people and eliminating negative self-talk will all help to minimize stress.

❤️3. FIND TRUE PEACE OF MIND
How do we find true peace of mind? Try making a list of your values and see if you are actually living them. Are you worrying over little things in your life? Are you overscheduled? Your kids overscheduled? Take a look at your day-to-day worries and see if there are a few things you can easily cut out, that will give you more free time (and more peace of time).

❤️4. DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS
A great way to feel healthy is to stay in tune with your body and its needs. When we compare ourselves to others, we focus our time and energy on trying to be something that our body and mind might not actually want us to be. As we compare ourselves to others we are giving ourselves a very unrealistic and skewed perception of reality. This can decrease confidence and even lead to depressive symptoms. Instead, work on becoming more self-aware. Reflect on your values, your goals, your current life situation and begin creating a realistic plan to get you where you are trying to go.

❤️5. DRESS YOUR MOOD UP
Of course, there are days when you want to cuddle up in yoga pants or sweats and just relax. Quite frankly, I think you should do that. However, don’t let this dress style be your only style. I know that the day-to-day routine can be boring or nothing exciting might be going on, but dress up anyway.

At least twice a week, wear something that makes you feel pretty or handsome. The way we dress and feel in our own skin makes an impact our confidence and our attitude about our day. There is nothing like a new dress, a great hair day, or a nice suit to lift your spirits.

Dress up your body, dress up your mood.

Top 5 Benefits of Sport on our Health

Specialists keep stressing the fact that sport directly improves our health. It influences our mental health, in addition to many other positive impacts it has on the human body. Physical exercise not only maintains the body shape, but also plays a major role in prevention against diseases, memory loss, cholesterol or diabetes. We are nowadays accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle which has harmful effects on health. Therefore, it is essential that we, current and future generations, continue to give priority to doing sports as it keeps us healthy.

So, why is sport good for you? We have drawn up a list of the true long-term benefits that sport provides when practicing it on a daily basis:

❤️1. Sport protects against cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death. By remaining inactive, the risk of developing one is multiplied by two. Training the cardiovascular system through physical activity can protect and strengthen the heart for the long term. It helps reduce the risk of clotting and to rule out the risk of a heart attack by avoiding high blood pressure.

In addition to this protective role, physical exercise is also recommended for people already suffering from cardiovascular disease, as long as it is adapted to their physical condition. Some tests must be performed beforehand by the doctor, who can then recommend exercises adapted to the patient’s medical conditions.

❤️2. Sport prevents cancer and metabolic diseases
Even in good health, sport allows a person to prevent the risks associated with cancer, especially breast cancer for women, reducing the risk by 40%, and prostate cancer for men, reducing the risk by 50%.

Metabolic diseases such as diabetes or cholesterol, which are signs of deficiencies or disturbances in the body, can also be combated or regulated with sport. Daily exercise from 30 minutes to 1 hour a day would be enough to avoid a metabolic syndrome. This is a minimum to be followed, keeping up a sustained activity would be even more effective.

❤️3. Sport prevents cognitive decline
Memory, sleep, stress: physical activity also has a distinctly positive influence on cognition, thanks to better oxygenation of the brain and muscles. Indeed, the more muscles are used to exercise, the less energy they will need to perform their work in the long term.

Another confirmed hypothesis is that sport brings joy and satisfaction to people: it reduces anxiety and depression, it provides as well a feeling of well-being to the individual.

❤️4. Sport strengthens bones
The consequence of moderate and regular physical activity is simple: it solidifies the bones by improving their densification. During physical effort, bones are subject to slight shocks and pulls. They are then increasing their ability to repairing themselves and to become stronger. However, a real effect would only be visible after several months of physical training, as bones renew themselves very slowly.

❤️5. At any age its importance to move (children, adults, seniors)
Sport is recommended at all ages and involves all generations. We were previously referring to bones, which become more and more brittle with age. Without regular practice throughout one’s life, we have a greater chance of fracture. For the elderly, it is important to move regularly. Of course, there are specific recommendations for people aged 65 and over.

The youngest are the most likely to practice intense sports. From the age of 40-50, the type of sport you should practice must be adapted. In this case, preference is given to softer sports that promote stretching of the muscles, such as fitness or swimming. Walking is also a good way to keep in shape.

Eat a combination of different foods, including fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Adults should eat at least five portions (400g) of fruit and vegetables per day. You can improve your intake of fruits and vegetables by always including veggies in your meal; eating fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks; eating a variety of fruits and vegetables; and eating them in season. By eating healthy, you will reduce your risk of malnutrition and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

⛅️What should be a balanced breakfast?

Primarily, you're gunning for a trio of protein, fiber-packed carbohydrates and better-for-you fats — but feel free to add in as many veggies and fruit to the equation as you'd like. Avoid subbing protein or fiber-rich carbs for more fat, or vice versa; you need all three to truly get your day started right.

Regardless of what your pantry looks like right now, follow these nutritionist-approved guidelines to make breakfast more enjoyable and fuel-filled:

🔹Watch for added sugar: Your favorite breakfast may taste savory, but sugar tends to silently hide out in things like granola, oatmeal, bagels, cereals and bars, as well as coffee, tea and juice. Reach for unsweetened products if you can (including non-dairy milk for your cup of morning joe) and keep sugar counts as far below 10g per item as possible.

🔹Power up on produce: Breakfast salads are in! Add leftover veggies or fresh greens to eggs or whatever else is on your morning plate. The added punch of fiber can help you feel fuller (and more satisfied) for longer.

🔹Lean on lean protein: Bacon is tasty but is best in keen moderation. Choose lean cuts of fish and poultry, beans, legumes, unsweetened dairy products (like yogurt!) and eggs rather than processed deli meats.

Not sure where to begin? Add these tasty ingredients to build a nutrient-dense breakfast that will give you long-lasting energy.

Some tips to enjoy life and relax:

💙Do something you loved to do as a kid. Run through the sprinklers, hang from the monkey bars, or make a mess with finger paints.

💙Do something you've always wanted to do. Bake a soufflé, build a tree house, or learn to knit. If you're not sure how, take a class or look for a local group dedicated to the activity.

💙Watch or listen to comedy. Via video, podcast, or website. Or get a laugh the old-fashioned way - through the comics section.

💙Therapeutic massage. A massage can relieve muscle tension, stimulate the body's natural painkillers and boost your immune system. It can also help you feel less anxious and more relaxed.

💙A nature break. A blue sky, lush bushes, a scenic lake. Walking in - or even just looking at - nature calms our nerves and relieves mental fatigue. In one study, workers with views of nature were happier with their jobs than workers with similar jobs but no nature view.

Simple tips for self-care👩‍⚕️:

🔵Live Healthy, eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and avoid drugs and alcohol. Manage stress and go for regular medical check-ups.

🔵Practice good hygiene. Good hygiene is important for social, medical, and psychological reasons in that it not only reduces the risk of illness, but it also improves the way others view you and how you view yourself.

🔵See friends to build your sense of belonging. Consider joining a support group to make new friends.

🔵Try to do something you enjoy every day. That might mean dancing, watching a favorite TV show, working in the garden, painting or reading.

🔵Find ways to relax, like meditation, yoga, getting a massage, taking a bath or walking in the woods.
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❤️Be always healthy and in a good mood.