References:
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The River of Life
What is blood? Blood is a connective tissue that supplies oxygen and nutrients to every cell in the body. It also carries away waste products and regulates body temperature. Blood is more important than most of us realize and is capable of revealing tons of aspects of our health. It consists of two different components: cells and plasma. The cells float in the plasma, which is the liquid portion of blood.There are approximately 5 liters of blood contained in the human body, which ends up equaling about 7% of a persons body weight. Every year millions of people worldwide, about 16 million to be exact, are in need of blood transfusions. People may need a blood transfusion for various reasons such as: severe blood loss, anemia, or cancer. The Center for Disease control estimated that as many as 35,000 people die every year due to hepatitis received during blood transfusions. There are also about 500,000 illnesses related to this fact. There are also deaths due to human error of giving people the wrong type of blood during their transfusions. However, regardless of the deaths that occur annually because of blood transfusions there are also deaths because of the fact that there is a demand for blood and some patients simply do not receive the blood type they need due to the unavailability of it. Why is this important? Scientists are currently researching ways to create a synthetic blood that will forever change the world of blood transfusions. Synthetic blood offers many advantages compared to actual blood. One of the biggest advantages is that it's universally compatible with all people regardless of their blood type. Other advantages is that unlike real blood, synthetic blood can be stored up to longer periods of time and more importantly does not need to be refrigerated. Blood transmitted diseases such as hepatitis can be prevented and in some cases synthetic blood can deliver oxygen to organs even faster than actual blood. The question is, how is this groundbreaking discovery going to be created and turned into everyday use for clinics and hospitals. The answer is stem cells from bone marrow as well as human embryos. Stem cells are cells that are able to differentiate into any type of cell. If development of synthetic blood is successful then the blood demands in various countries will all be satisfied. Clinical trials with humans are said to hopefully be in the near future. So the next time you see blood, before you put the bandaid on, think about its importance. One day you may be the one who has part of this innovative discovery flowing inside of you because blood is indeed the river of life.
Monday, November 19, 2012
This Thanksgiving, Give Thanks to a Healthier You
Most of us, like myself, give ourselves permission to indulge
around the holidays when it comes to feasting. However, during the holiday
season, which lasts roughly six weeks, most of us manage to gain on average one
pound each. This one pound may not sound like a lot but pounds begin to add up
throughout the years. In order to assure that you’re not included in the
majority of people gaining weight, there are lots of tips in order to maintain
a healthy you. For example, try to get some exercise before the big meal.
Friends and family can gather together and toss the ole pig skin around. Your
metabolism is elevated for one to two hours after exercise, which means you
burn calories quicker. The harder you exercise, the more calories you burn. The
next mistake that most of us make is that you don't eat anything before the big
meal, whether it's to save room or to save those few extra calories. Therefore,
make sure you eat breakfast and maybe even throw in a small pre-dinner snack.
It's very important to eat breakfast for several reasons. One reason is to help
take the edge off the hunger, which can help stop you from snacking on all of
the appetizers which can be sneaky calories. Another reason is that eating in
the morning helps to keep your metabolism up to speed. When our bodies don't
get the nutrients we need, our body goes into starvation mode to conserve
energy, which means our metabolism slows down and we burn fewer calories. Also
remember to keep your plate colorful. Vegetables are key, and no mashed
potatoes do not qualify as a very healthy vegetable. Sweet potatoes are a food
that is very rich in vitamins and nutrients but loading it with sugar and
butter negate these benefits. When it comes to pie, I won't ask you to pass but
if you can, go with a slice of pumpkin pie. A slice of pumpkin pie only has
about 350 calories. Some pies, like pecan pie, can have up to 750 calories per
slice. So this season, don't feel guilty about all the food you've consumed.
Save yourself from the crash diet that begins after the holidays are over.
Spend your time celebrating family, friends, and life. Happy Holidays!
References:
The Skinny On Holiday Weight Gain
8 Steps To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
References:
The Skinny On Holiday Weight Gain
8 Steps To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)