The role of stress and one’s working environment in the disease process cannot be understated or underestimated. Yet, little attention is often given to such factors in preventing as well as reversing health conditions.
Recent research has drawn an interesting link between one’s risk of heart disease (and death) and working for a poor boss. This connection is discussed in more detail in the following article. (more…)
Two to three centuries ago, the American population was quite healthy overall.
Fast forward two to three hundred years, and, despite being one of the technological leaders of the world and being the top national spenders on medical care (spending a very large proportion of its GDP on medical bills), th US today is very heavily diseased and chronically ill. What’s gone wrong? (more…)
Do you do volunteer work? If you do, then good for you! Many of us, perhaps even most of us, have thought about volunteering our time for needy people or needy causes. But, somehow, excuses and reasons always crop up. ‘Next time’, or ‘one day’, are typical thought processes.
Besides helping others who are in need, volunteerism also gives ourselves a big boost. And we’re not just talking emotionally or mentally, but in terms of physical health, too. The wise men are correct - when we give, we receive, too. (more…)
No man is an island, and humans are social, emotional creatures. Here, an interesting study describes how caring for a sick spouse helps to boost one’s longevity.
Whether it is because it makes us feel useful, or it makes us happy, or it gives us a purpose in life, or some other reason, this gives us evidence of a very tangible health benefit of loving, sharing, caring and giving. (more…)
Cancer, without doubt, is a much feared and potentially debilitating disease. Often, cancer sufferers, especially those who undergo conventional cancer treatment, are, sadly, scarred for life.
And a recent study conducted by researchers from the Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam has revealed that survivors of the disease experience more difficulty finding or staying in jobs, as compared to those who have never had the ailment. (more…)
We all know that smoking increases one’s likelihood of getting a host of serious diseases, and that it shortens lives. What a recent study has further revealed is that its negative effects impact people of all social classes.
In addition, it found that the adverse effects of smoking do not spare either females or rich people. (more…)
Religion – there is possibly no other topic which can evoke as much discussion and debate as it. And a recent study, termed the “The relationship between religion and cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality in the women’s health initiative observational study”, has found that people who attend religious services regularly for a sustained period were one-fifth less likely to die from any reason, as compared to those who did not.
The study, published in Psychology and Health, looked at the health status of over 90,000 women for a mean period of over 7 years. Data from the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-term study which followed women aged 50 to 79 years from 40 different locations in the United States, was used. (more…)