#or blood fats that will lead to health issues later in life

[pickapea]

my job is reactivating and rehabilitating patients in post surgery care and one of the first things i tell them once they've tried to drink some juice and stand on their legs without throwing up is "every bite is a good bite" and i think that's a good sentiment for everyone

[panchakarmatreatment]

Diabetes Treatment: A Simple Guide

Diabetes is a common health problem that affects many people around the world. It happens when your blood sugar levels are too high. If not managed properly, diabetes can lead to serious health issues. But don’t worry, with the right treatment and lifestyle changes, diabetes can be managed effectively.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition where the body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it produces effectively. Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar from the blood into the cells to be used for energy. When there is not enough insulin, sugar stays in the blood, leading to high blood sugar levels.

Types of Diabetes

There are mainly two types of diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes: This type is when the body does not produce insulin at all. It usually starts in childhood or young adulthood.

Type 2 Diabetes: This type is more common and usually happens in adults. In this type, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it properly.

There is also another condition called gestational diabetes, which can occur during pregnancy. It usually goes away after the baby is born, but it increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

Some common symptoms of diabetes include:

Frequent urination

Feeling very thirsty

Feeling very hungry even after eating

Extreme tiredness

Blurry vision

Cuts and bruises that heal slowly

If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Treatment for Diabetes

The good news is that diabetes can be managed with the right treatment. The main goals of diabetes treatment are to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range, prevent complications, and improve overall health.

1. Medications

For type 1 diabetes, insulin injections are necessary because the body cannot produce insulin. People with type 2 diabetes may be prescribed oral medications or insulin injections to help control blood sugar levels.

It’s important to take your medications as prescribed by your doctor. Never skip doses, as this can lead to high blood sugar levels.

2. Healthy Eating

A healthy diet is key to managing diabetes. Focus on eating a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. It’s also important to control portion sizes and avoid foods that are high in sugar and unhealthy fats.

Some tips for healthy eating include:

Eating smaller portions more often throughout the day

Choosing whole grains instead of refined grains

Including more fruits and vegetables in your meals

Limiting sugary drinks and snacks

A dietitian can help you create a meal plan that works for you.

3. Regular Exercise

Exercise is another important part of diabetes treatment. It helps lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. 

Exercise can also help with weight management, which is important for people with type 2 diabetes. Being at a healthy weight can improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of complications.

4. Regular Monitoring

Monitoring your blood sugar levels regularly is a key part of diabetes treatment. This helps you understand how well your treatment plan is working and if any adjustments are needed.

You can monitor your blood sugar levels at home using a blood glucose meter. Your doctor will tell you how often to check your levels and what your target range should be.

5. Stress Management

Stress can affect your blood sugar levels, so it’s important to find ways to manage it. Activities such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation, or simply taking a walk can help reduce stress.

Complications of Diabetes

If not managed properly, diabetes can lead to complications such as:

Heart disease

Kidney disease

Eye problems

Nerve damage

The good news is that with proper diabetes treatment and lifestyle changes, these complications can often be prevented.

Conclusion

Managing diabetes may seem challenging, but with the right diabetes treatment plan and support, you can live a healthy life. Remember to take your medications as prescribed, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, monitor your blood sugar levels, and find ways to manage stress.

If you have any concerns or questions about your diabetes treatment, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor. They can provide you with the guidance and support you need to manage your condition effectively.

[prakashhospital1]

High Cholesterol in Young Adults

High cholesterol is commonly associated with older adults, but it's increasingly becoming a concern among young adults as well. This silent condition can lead to serious health issues if not managed properly. Understanding the causes, risks, and solutions for high cholesterol in younger populations is crucial for maintaining heart health and preventing long-term complications. For those seeking professional help, consulting a cardiology hospital in Greater Noida can provide specialized guidance and treatment options tailored to individual needs.

Causes of High Cholesterol in Young Adults

High cholesterol in young adults can be attributed to a variety of factors. One significant cause is poor dietary habits. Diets high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol can lead to elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol. Fast food, processed snacks, and sugary beverages contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels, especially when combined with a lack of physical activity.

Genetics also play a crucial role in cholesterol levels. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic condition where high cholesterol levels are inherited from one or both parents. This condition can cause high cholesterol levels from a young age, making early diagnosis and management essential.

Lifestyle choices are another contributing factor. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Additionally, a sedentary lifestyle, characterized by insufficient physical activity, is linked to higher cholesterol levels and weight gain, which further exacerbates the problem.

Risks Associated with High Cholesterol in Young Adults

Even though high cholesterol is often viewed as a condition affecting older adults, it can have serious implications for young people as well. Elevated cholesterol levels increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up in the arteries, potentially leading to heart attacks or strokes later in life. The earlier high cholesterol is identified, the sooner preventive measures can be taken to mitigate these risks.

Additionally, high cholesterol can contribute to other health issues such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and type 2 diabetes. Both of these conditions can compound cardiovascular risks and lead to further complications if not managed properly.

Solutions and Management

Addressing high cholesterol in young adults involves a combination of lifestyle changes and, when necessary, medical intervention. Dietary modifications are a primary approach. Reducing intake of saturated and trans fats, and increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help improve cholesterol levels. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and flaxseeds, can also be beneficial.

Increasing physical activity is another effective strategy. Regular exercise helps raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol while lowering LDL cholesterol. Try to get in at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intensive exercise per week.

For those with a genetic predisposition or significantly high cholesterol levels, medical treatment may be necessary. Statins and other cholesterol-lowering medications can be prescribed by healthcare professionals to manage cholesterol levels effectively. Regular check-ups with a healthcare provider or a cardiologist can help monitor progress and make necessary adjustments to treatment plans.

FAQ

What are the common symptoms of high cholesterol?

High cholesterol often does not present symptoms, which is why it's often referred to as a silent condition. To identify elevated cholesterol levels, routine blood testing is necessary.  In advanced cases, symptoms might include chest pain or shortness of breath, but these typically indicate more severe complications.

How can I reduce my cholesterol with food?

To lower cholesterol levels, focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Steer clear of meals like fried dishes, processed snacks, and fatty meat cuts that are high in saturated and trans fats. Incorporate foods high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, like oats, beans, and fatty fish.

Is exercise effective in managing cholesterol levels?

Yes, regular exercise is effective in managing cholesterol levels. Exercise has been shown to raise HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. Try to get in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such swimming, cycling, or brisk walking.

When should I see a cardiologist for high cholesterol?

Consult a cardiologist if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, have a family history of heart disease, or if lifestyle changes alone are not improving your cholesterol levels. 

Can high cholesterol in young adults be managed without medication?

In many cases, high cholesterol in young adults can be managed through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. However, if cholesterol levels remain high despite these changes or if there is a genetic predisposition, medication may be necessary. A medical professional can advise you on the best course of action.

Addressing high cholesterol early can significantly reduce the risk of future cardiovascular problems. By adopting a healthy lifestyle and seeking professional guidance young adults can effectively manage their cholesterol levels and promote long-term heart health.

[best-multi-speciality-hospital]

Women and Heart Health: What the Best Heart Specialists Want You to Know

When it comes to heart health, there are significant differences between men and women. Despite common misconceptions, heart disease is not just a male problem; it is the leading cause of death for women worldwide. Understanding these differences and taking proactive measures can greatly improve outcomes. At Preethi Hospitals, Madurai, our top heart specialists are committed to providing women with the information and care they need to maintain optimal heart health.

Understanding the Unique Aspects of Women's Heart Health

Heart disease often presents differently in women than in men. While men typically experience the classic chest pain associated with heart attacks, women may have subtler symptoms that are easily overlooked. These include:

Shortness of Breath: Women may experience unexplained shortness of breath, even without exertion.

Nausea or Vomiting: These symptoms are often mistaken for less serious conditions like gastrointestinal issues.

Back or Jaw Pain: Pain in these areas, rather than the chest, can indicate heart problems in women.

Fatigue: Unusual fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest can be a warning sign.

Sweating: Unexplained sweating, similar to a cold sweat, may be a symptom of a heart attack.

Risk Factors Specific to Women

Certain risk factors for heart disease are more prevalent or unique to women. Recognizing and managing these risks is crucial:

Hormonal Changes: Menopause and the associated decrease in estrogen can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Pregnancy-Related Complications: Conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hypertension during pregnancy can elevate the risk of heart disease later in life.

Autoimmune Diseases: Conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, which are more common in women, can increase heart disease risk.

Mental Health: Stress, depression, and anxiety, which can affect women more frequently, also contribute to heart disease risk.

Preventive Measures Recommended by Top Heart Specialists

Preventing heart disease in women involves a combination of lifestyle changes and medical interventions. Here are some preventive measures recommended by the best heart specialists:

Healthy Diet: Adopting a heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats is essential. Limiting salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Regular Exercise: Engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week can significantly improve heart health. Walking, swimming, and cycling are good exercises.

Quit Smoking: One of the main risk factors for heart disease is smoking. Quitting smoking can dramatically reduce the risk and improve overall health.

Manage Stress: Incorporating stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises can help manage stress levels and improve heart health.

Regular Check-ups: Routine medical check-ups and screenings are crucial for early detection and management of heart disease risk factors. Regular monitoring of blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar is necessary.

The Importance of Tailored Care

At Preethi Hospitals, Madurai, we understand that women's heart health requires a tailored approach. Our heart specialists are experienced in addressing the unique needs of women and provide personalized care plans. This includes:

Comprehensive Risk Assessment: Evaluating personal and family medical history, lifestyle factors, and specific risks related to hormonal changes or pregnancy.

Advanced Diagnostic Tools: Utilizing state-of-the-art technology to accurately diagnose heart conditions and monitor heart health.

Holistic Treatment Plans: Creating individualized treatment plans that include lifestyle modifications, medication, and regular follow-ups to ensure optimal heart health.

Empowering Women to Take Charge of Their Heart Health

Empowerment through education is a key component of our approach at Preethi Hospitals, Madurai. We believe that informed patients are better equipped to take proactive steps toward maintaining their heart health. Our heart specialists provide educational resources and support to help women understand their risks and the actions they can take to stay heart-healthy.

Conclusion

Heart disease is a significant concern for women, but with the right knowledge and care, it is manageable. At Preethi Hospitals, Madurai, our dedicated heart specialists are here to support women in their journey to optimal heart health. By understanding the unique aspects of women’s heart health, recognizing the risk factors, and implementing preventive measures, women can take charge of their heart health and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Prioritize your heart health today and consult with our expert cardiologists to ensure you receive the best care tailored to your needs.

[orthopedicdoctorinbhopal]

Orthopedic Health for Every Age: Tips for Kids, Adults, and seniors

As we age, our bodies go through many changes. From the growing pains of childhood to the aches and stiffness of senior years, orthopedic health is important for everyone at every stage in life. Whether you’re a parent looking for tips on keeping your kids healthy or an adult wanting to stay active as you age, here are some helpful tips on how to maintain good orthopedic health throughout your lifetime.

Also Read: Best Knee Replacement Surgeon in Bhopal

For Kids: As children grow and develop their bones can become weak if they don’t get enough exercise or calcium-rich foods like dairy products or certain leafy greens. To keep kids strong and limber it's important that they engage in regular physical activity such as running, jumping rope, biking, etc., while also eating a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins and minerals needed for bone growth. Additionally, parents should be sure their child gets adequate rest each night so that muscles have time to recover from any strenuous activities during the day! 

For Adults: Exercise is key when it comes to maintaining good orthopedic health into adulthood; adults should aim for 30 minutes per day five days a week doing something active like walking briskly around town or going swimming at least twice each month (more often if possible). Eating well will also help ensure bones remain strong by providing them with all necessary nutrients needed—this means getting plenty of vitamin D from sources such as fish oil supplements along with calcium found naturally in foods like yogurt & cheese! Lastly, make sure not to overdo it - listen closely when pain signals start firing off because this could indicate an injury requiring medical attention – consult with a bone doctor in Bhopal immediately if need be!

For Seniors: As seniors reach retirement age they may find themselves dealing with more frequent than before various joint issues due to decreasing amounts of muscle mass, which can lead to increased risk of falls/injuries—but there are ways to combat these problems including light weight training exercises combined with low impact cardio activities, designed specifically to target areas where strength has been lost (i.e. shoulders, arms, legs, etc.).

A diet consuming omega fatty acids found in salmon, tuna, sardines, walnuts, flaxseeds, helps lubricate joints, reduce inflammation, improve mobility, while avoiding processed sugars, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, saturated fats, altogether keeping blood sugar levels stable, thereby reducing the risk of developing diabetes-related conditions down the road. Finally, make sure to visit a local bone doctor in Bhopal regularly to check up on any potential issues early rather than later to prevent further complications from occurring later in life!

[doctorscga]

Embracing Healthy Aging: Your Guide to Living a Fulfilling Life

Aging is a natural part of life, and it's something that happens to all of us. But what if we told you that aging doesn't have to be something to fear or dread? Healthy aging is about making the most of your later years and living a fulfilling life. In this article, we'll explore the concept of healthy aging, its key components, and how you can embrace this phase of life with enthusiasm and vitality.

What Is Healthy Aging?

Healthy aging refers to the process of growing older in a way that allows you to maintain good physical, mental, and emotional health while actively participating in life. It's about aging gracefully, staying active, and enjoying a high quality of life as you grow older.

Key Components of Healthy Aging:

Physical Health: Taking care of your body through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and preventive health measures like vaccinations and health screenings.

Mental Well-Being: Staying mentally active through learning, problem-solving, and engaging in activities that stimulate your brain.

Emotional Health: Nurturing emotional well-being by maintaining social connections, managing stress, and seeking support when needed.

Social Engagement: Staying socially connected by spending time with friends and family, participating in community activities, and building new relationships.

Tips for Embracing Healthy Aging:

Stay Active: Regular physical activity is crucial for maintaining physical and mental health. Engage in exercises you enjoy, whether it's walking, swimming, yoga, or dancing.

Eat Well: A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can contribute to your overall health. Stay hydrated and watch portion sizes.

Get Regular Check-ups: Preventive health measures like vaccinations, screenings, and regular check-ups with your healthcare provider can help catch and address health issues early.

Mental Stimulation: Keep your mind sharp by reading, solving puzzles, playing games, or taking up new hobbies. Continuous learning is key to maintaining cognitive function.

Embrace Emotional Well-Being: Practice stress-reduction techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or mindfulness. Seek support when dealing with emotional challenges.

Stay Social: Maintain and build social connections. Spend time with friends and family, engage in group activities, and consider volunteering to stay socially engaged.

Quality Sleep: Ensure you get enough quality sleep to support your overall health and well-being.

Limit Alcohol and Tobacco: If you use alcohol, do so in moderation. If you smoke, seek support to quit as soon as possible.

Prevent Falls: Regular exercise can improve balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falls. Remove hazards from your living space and consider assistive devices if necessary.

Regular Health Screenings: Follow your healthcare provider's recommendations for screenings such as blood pressure, cholesterol, bone density, and vision tests.

The Importance of a Positive Attitude:

A positive attitude plays a significant role in healthy aging. Embracing your later years with a positive outlook can have numerous benefits. It can lead to increased resilience, improved coping with life's challenges, and a greater sense of overall well-being. Here are a few tips for maintaining a positive attitude:

Set Realistic Expectations: Be kind to yourself and accept that aging is a natural part of life. Set realistic expectations and focus on the things you can control.

Stay Grateful: Take time to appreciate the experiences, people, and opportunities you've had in life. Practicing gratitude can improve your outlook on aging.

Embrace New Experiences: Keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. It's never too late to learn, explore, or take up new hobbies.

Connect with Others: Building and maintaining social connections can bring joy and a sense of belonging. Spend time with people who uplift and support you.

Laugh and Have Fun: Laughter is a wonderful way to boost your mood and reduce stress. Don't forget to have fun and enjoy life's little pleasures.

Healthy Aging and Chronic Conditions:

It's common for chronic health conditions to become more prevalent with age. Conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis can impact your quality of life. However, it's essential to remember that many chronic conditions can be managed effectively. Here are some steps you can take:

Follow Medical Advice: Work closely with your healthcare provider to manage your chronic conditions. Follow their guidance on medications, lifestyle changes, and treatments.

Adopt Healthy Habits: A balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management can help control chronic conditions and improve your overall well-being.

Educate Yourself: Understand your condition and learn about self-care strategies that can help you manage it effectively.

Seek Support: Don't hesitate to seek support from healthcare providers, support groups, or therapists to help you cope with the challenges of chronic conditions.

The Importance of Regular Screenings:

Preventive health measures are a critical part of healthy aging. Regular health screenings can help identify potential health issues early, allowing for timely intervention. Here are some essential screenings to consider:

Blood Pressure: High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Regular blood pressure checks are vital for early detection and management.

Cholesterol Levels: High cholesterol levels can contribute to heart disease. Monitoring your cholesterol and discussing the results with your healthcare provider is essential.

Bone Density: Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones, is more common in older adults, especially women. Bone density tests can help assess your risk.

Cancer Screenings: Regular screenings for cancers like breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer are crucial for early detection and improved treatment outcomes.

Vision and Hearing Tests: Regular eye and hearing exams can detect changes in vision and hearing and facilitate timely interventions.

For More Info:-

Cardio-oncology

Dementia doctor

Too many medications

Cost of nuclear stress test

[annessablackmun]

The Aging Feet - Dr. Annessa Blackmun on How to Keep Your Feet Fit and Active as You Grow Older

Blackmun Footcare

As we transition through different stages of life, our bodies, including our feet, undergo numerous transformations. Despite their pivotal role, feet tend not to be our primary focus when considering ageing gracefully. Dr. Annessa Blackmun, a seasoned podiatrist, emphasizes that as we age, our feet take center stage in preserving our mobility and independence. She acknowledges that special foot health challenges emerge with ageing and asserts the increasing importance of foot care as we grow older. Under the expert guidance of Dr. Blackmun, this article will delve into these ageing-induced challenges and offer useful insights to maintain the vitality and activeness of your feet, even in your later years

Understanding the Aging Process

Before we delve into the strategies for preserving foot health with advancing age, we should first comprehend the natural aging progression and its implications on our feet. As elucidated by Dr. Annessa Blackmun, our bodies experience numerous transformations as we age, which could considerably affect our foot health. These alterations encompass diminished blood flow, reduction in muscular mass, thinning of skin, and depletion of the fat padding in our feet. Dr. Blackmun points out that these factors collaboratively could lead to an array of foot complications such as reduced mobility, balance problems, and heightened susceptibility to foot injuries.

Common Foot Health Challenges in Aging

Several foot health challenges become more prevalent as we age. Here are some of the most common issues older adults may face:

Arthritis: Arthritis is a leading cause of foot pain in older adults. It can affect the joints in the feet, causing stiffness, swelling, and discomfort. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common forms of arthritis that affect the feet.

Corns and Calluses: Over time, the skin on the soles of our feet can thicken, leading to the formation of corns and calluses. These can be painful and make walking difficult.

Foot Deformities: Conditions like bunions and hammertoes tend to worsen with age, causing pain and making it challenging to wear regular shoes.

Balance Issues: Reduced muscle mass and changes in gait can lead to balance problems, increasing the risk of falls and injuries.

Dry Skin and Cracked Heels: Aging skin tends to become drier and more prone to cracking, which can lead to painful fissures on the heels.

Circulation Problems: Reduced blood circulation can result in cold feet, slow wound healing, and a higher susceptibility to infections.

Nail Changes: Thickened, discolored, or ingrown toenails become more common as we age, potentially causing discomfort and infections.

Tips for Maintaining Healthy Feet in Aging

Luckily, as Dr. Annessa Blackmun often advises, there are many proactive measures we can take to preserve the health of our feet and curb the issues that accompany aging. Emphasizing on this, Dr. Blackmun provides several insights and suggestions that can significantly contribute to the maintenance of foot health and the mitigation of age-related foot complications.

1. Regular Foot Care Routine: Establish a regular foot care routine that includes washing, moisturizing, and inspecting your feet daily. Keep an eye out for any cuts, sores, or signs of infection.

2. Proper Footwear: Invest in comfortable, well-fitting shoes with proper arch support and cushioning. Avoid high heels and pointy-toed shoes, as they can exacerbate foot problems.

3. Foot Exercises: Incorporate foot-strengthening exercises into your daily routine. Simple activities like picking up small objects with your toes or rolling a tennis ball under your foot can help maintain foot flexibility and strength.

4. Manage Arthritis: If you have arthritis in your feet, work closely with a healthcare provider to manage the condition. Medications, physical therapy, and orthotics can help alleviate pain and improve mobility.

5. Regular Check-ups: Schedule regular check-ups with a podiatrist or foot specialist to address any emerging issues and receive guidance on proper foot care techniques.

6. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight can put added pressure on your feet, exacerbating existing foot problems. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce this strain.

7. Stay Active: Engage in low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, or cycling to maintain overall fitness and foot health. Physical activity improves circulation and helps keep muscles and joints flexible.

8. Manage Diabetes: If you have diabetes, it's crucial to manage your blood sugar levels to prevent diabetic foot complications. Regularly inspect your feet for signs of neuropathy or ulcers.

9. Foot Massage: Treat yourself to a soothing foot massage occasionally. It can help improve circulation, relieve tension, and reduce foot pain.

10. Moisturize Your Feet: Keep your skin hydrated by applying a moisturizing lotion daily, especially to dry areas like the heels.

11. Elevate Your Feet: Elevating your feet when sitting can help reduce swelling and improve circulation, particularly if you have circulation issues.

12. Use Orthotics: Custom-made or over-the-counter orthotic insoles can provide extra support and cushioning for your feet, reducing pain and discomfort.

13. Maintain Good Hygiene: Keep your toenails trimmed straight across to prevent ingrown nails. Proper hygiene can also help prevent fungal infections.

14. Avoid Smoking: Smoking can reduce blood circulation, which can negatively impact your foot health. Quitting smoking can have a positive effect on your overall vascular health.

15. Be Cautious About Home Remedies: While home remedies like soaking your feet in warm water with Epsom salts can be relaxing, be cautious about DIY treatments and consult with a healthcare professional if you have serious concerns.

Caring for your feet, as Dr. Annessa Blackmun often instructs, forms an essential component of preserving mobility and independence in our advancing years. By gaining an understanding of the typical foot health challenges that come with aging and adopting a proactive stance towards foot care, you can ensure an active, comfortable lifestyle even into your later years. Dr. Annessa Blackmun underscores the importance of consultation with a healthcare specialist, particularly a podiatrist, for personalized guidance to maintain the vibrancy and activity of your feet as you age. Your feet, the pillars that have borne you throughout your life, deserve your devoted care and attention.

[laocommunity]

Breaking the Taboo: Health Risks for Men Born to Mothers with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Breaking the Taboo: Health Risks for Men Born to Mothers with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Breaking the Taboo: Health Risks for Men Born to Mothers with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that affects one in every 10 women of childbearing age. The condition can cause various symptoms such as irregular periods, acne, and weight gain. However, many people don't realize that PCOS can also affect their offspring, particularly male children. According to the latest research, men born to mothers with PCOS are at high risk of developing metabolic and reproductive problems later in life. Understanding PCOS PCOS is characterized by high levels of androgens or male hormones, which can interfere with the growth and release of eggs from the ovaries. The condition can lead to anovulation or the failure to ovulate regularly, which can affect female fertility. PCOS can also cause insulin resistance, which can lead to elevated blood sugar levels and increased risk of diabetes. The disorder is usually diagnosed through physical examinations, blood tests, imaging studies, and clinical history. The Link between PCOS and Male Health Although PCOS is often associated with female health, new research has found that men born to mothers with PCOS are more likely to have several health conditions, including obesity, insulin resistance, low testosterone levels, and poor sperm quality. These health issues can affect their fertility, sexual function, and overall quality of life. One study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has found that men born to mothers with PCOS had significantly lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that binds to androgens and reduces their availability. The study also found that these men were more likely to have insulin resistance and abdominal fat accumulation, which can lead to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Another study published in the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease has found that sons born to women with PCOS had a higher prevalence of obesity, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance. PCOS and Epigenetic Changes Researchers believe that the link between PCOS and male health may be due to epigenetic changes or modifications in gene expression that occur in response to environmental factors such as maternal PCOS. These changes can affect DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression, which can alter gene activity and affect health outcomes. Studies have shown that maternal PCOS can affect the fetal and postnatal environment, including the fetal and postnatal growth, hormone levels, and metabolism. These changes can affect the offspring's health even in adulthood. Breaking the Taboo Despite the growing evidence of the link between PCOS and male health, the topic remains largely taboo. Many men and healthcare providers are unaware of the risks associated with maternal PCOS, and few studies have explored the topic. Therefore, breaking the taboo and increasing awareness about the potential health risks of maternal PCOS is crucial. Men born to mothers with PCOS should have regular health checkups, including tests for metabolic and reproductive health. Healthcare providers should also be aware of the link between PCOS and male health and provide appropriate care and counseling to their patients. #PCOS #MaternalPCOS #MaleHealth #Epigenetics #InsulinResistance Summary Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects one in 10 women and can also have health consequences for male offspring. Sons born to women with PCOS are at high risk of developing metabolic and reproductive problems later in life, including obesity, insulin resistance, low testosterone levels, and poor sperm quality. Maternal PCOS can cause epigenetic changes that affect gene expression and health outcomes. Breaking the taboo and increasing awareness about the link between PCOS and male health is crucial to improving health outcomes for affected individuals. #HEALTH Read the full article

[bigapollohospitalspectrainpatna]

Heart Attacks Rising in Young People: Take Action Now

What is a cardiologist?

A cardiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the heart and blood vessels. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders of the cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels.

Introduction

Heart attacks, traditionally associated with older adults, are increasingly affecting young people.

This alarming trend necessitates immediate action to understand and address the underlying causes.

Statistics and Trends

Studies and reports have shown a significant rise in heart attacks among young individuals in recent years.

According to the American Heart Association, the incidence of heart attacks in people under 40 has been steadily increasing.

The World Health Organization highlights that heart disease is now the leading cause of death globally, affecting people of all age groups.

Risk Factors in Young People

Sedentary Lifestyle: Increased reliance on technology and decreased physical activity contribute to a sedentary lifestyle, which is a significant risk factor for heart disease.

Poor Diet: High consumption of processed foods, sugary beverages, and unhealthy fats contributes to obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels.

Smoking and Substance Abuse: Tobacco use and recreational drug abuse significantly increase the risk of heart attacks in young individuals.

Stress and Mental Health: Elevated stress levels and untreated mental health conditions can lead to hypertension and increased risk of heart disease.

Contributing Factors

Childhood Obesity: The rising prevalence of childhood obesity increases the likelihood of developing heart disease later in life.

Genetic Predisposition: Some individuals may have a genetic predisposition to heart disease, making them more susceptible to heart attacks at a younger age.

Urbanization and Pollution: Environmental factors, such as air pollution and exposure to toxins, can negatively impact cardiovascular health.

Importance of Early Detection and Prevention

Raising Awareness: Public education campaigns should emphasize the rising risk of heart attacks in young people and promote healthier lifestyles.

Regular Check-ups: Encouraging routine health check-ups can help identify risk factors early and facilitate timely interventions.

Healthy Lifestyle Promotion: Promoting regular physical activity, a balanced diet, and smoking cessation can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks.

Mental Health Support: Recognizing the importance of mental health and providing accessible resources for stress management and treatment of mental health conditions.

Policy Changes: Implementing policies to improve urban planning, reduce air pollution, and regulate the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages can contribute to better cardiovascular health.

Collaboration and Research

Multi-disciplinary Approach: Collaboration among healthcare providers, policymakers, educators, and community organizations is crucial to combat this issue effectively.

Research Investment: Allocating resources for research on heart disease in young people can help identify new risk factors, diagnostic methods, and treatment options.

Long-term Studies: Conducting long-term studies to track the impact of interventions and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention strategies.

Empowering Individuals

Personal Responsibility: Encouraging individuals to take control of their health by making informed lifestyle choices and seeking medical advice when necessary.

Education and Support: Providing accessible resources, such as educational materials, online platforms, and support groups, can empower individuals to make healthier decisions.

Conclusion

The rising incidence of heart attacks in young people necessitates immediate action.

By raising awareness, promoting healthier lifestyles, improving mental health support, and conducting research, we can address the underlying causes and reduce the risk of heart attacks in this vulnerable population.

It is crucial for individuals, communities, healthcare providers, and policymakers to collaborate and take proactive steps to ensure the well-being of young people and prevent future heart attacks.

Which is the Best heart specialist in Patna and the clinic near me in Patna?

Dr. Neeraj Kumar is an accomplished cardiologist with mastery in painless and obtrusive cardiology and is now connected with Big Apollo Spectra Hospital in Patna.

He has more than 9.5 long periods of far-reaching experience in coronary, valvular, and primary mediations.

He is a functioning individual from proficient bodies like CSI and IAE and has distributions in a few PubMed and other presumed diaries.

Dr. Nishant Kumar Abhishek has been prepared for the administration of heart patients with different cardiovascular issues. He has over 5 years of experience in cardiology. He is an advisor cardiologist at Big Apollo Spectra Hospital in Patna.

[allcalculator]

Calculate your weight concerning height with BMI calculator

What is an Ideal weight?

Maintaining a normal weight helps you have a better cholesterol and blood pressure balance, which can lead to a reduced risk for heart disease in later life. Nobody can get an ideal weight because many factors determine whether someone may be at risk of being overweight or obese. 

AllCalculators.net BMI determines your weight range based on your height and gender alone. It does not account for how much muscle or fat you have. If you are low in weight, it is due to malnutrition or starvation. If your weight is below 18.50, take immediate action to prevent serious health problems. 

What are the results of BMI?

Underweight – being underweight is a sign that you are not eating enough or you might be ill.

Healthy weight – you can maintain a healthy weight and maintain your food and diet.

Overweight – diet and exercise are the best way to lose weight if you are overweight. 

Obese – it also refers to being overweight; you can lose weight by exercise, and in some cases, you can also take medicine.

What are the risks of being overweight?

Being overweight increases the risk of several serious diseases and health conditions. It may cause high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, gallbladder disease, low quality of life, mental illness, body pains, stroke, etc.

What are the risks of being underweight?

Being underweight is also a risk factor that may cause,

Malnutrition, decreased immune function, potential complications, increased mortality risk, growth and development issues, and osteoporosis.

Does the calculation depend on a person's age?

Yes, the result of this BMI calculation is based on the person's age and gender, whether you are a child or an adult. In this BMI, there is a difference between normal weight vs. underweight children, adolescents, and adults.

The AllCalculators.net BMI chart for children and teens differs from the one for adults. Kids grow at various rates as they have a higher proportion of lean muscle mass than fat tissue. The BMI chart for teenagers has lower cut-offs than the one for adults. They have a separate chart to determine if a child or teen is normal, underweight, or overweight. 

The chart used for adults differs from those used for children and teens as it considers their average height. Older people have lower BMI because they have lost muscle mass over the years. The AllCalculators.net BMI calculation is for adults who are aged 18 and older. 

[bunnylouisegrimes]

It’s A Wonderful Afterlife (NOS4A2 Fanfic)

A/N: I’ve had this story idea in my head for awhile, but I got to writing it yesterday and the day before yesterday. Basically, this one is the story of Rose’s transformation into a vampire. It’s gonna cover some heavy topics such as nearing the end of your life and terminal illness, so be warned, but there’s a lot of happiness in the middle and near the end. Hope you all enjoy!

It’s A Wonderful Afterlife

A NOS4A2 Fanfic

By: Bunny Louise Grimes

As the years went by for Rose, very little had changed in terms of her personality. She had remained shy and introverted (unless in the company of those she deeply trusted), she had remained both gothy and girly, and she had remained nerdy. Her love for her toys, her games, her writing, her art, her vampire husband, and her children had never waned. Fifty years of marriage and a set of dhampir twins later, and from the inside, she was as young as she had been on her wedding day.

Physically, she had her differences.

By the time she reached 57, grey hairs were starting to show in ways they hadn’t before. She had never been the type to dye her hair, but in order to preserve its beauty that she so cherished, from then on out, she dyed her long hair the closest shade of matching brunette she could.

Her height was as short as before, her weight was roughly around the same spot thanks to her vigorously making sure she never went past 200 pounds, and her eyes were as hazel as before, with the exception of holding an aged look. Her face and skin had shown the obvious signs of age, but such a thing was inevitable. It was nothing a little makeup couldn’t help make look better.

Charlie still found his June Rose to be as beautiful as he always found her. He had asked her on and off since their consummation on their wedding night, where he took her virginity and kept it within him to turn her into a vampire just like him one day, if she was willing to grow an older human. She always told him she did; she wanted to see how long this “human” thing would go. She wanted to experience humanity till the end, when the next chapter in her life would have to begin and vampirism would take the lead.

But by the age of 75, when she looked as though she was older than Charlie (when he wasn’t in desperate need of souls), and looked to be a grandmother to the children of Christmasland rather than mother, and her parents and brother had moved on to the other side from their own respective health issues, things were beginning to be odd. It was a whole seven months after her 75th birthday when something wasn’t right.

The first sign was the weight loss. Rose had always been a bit plump, but both she and Charlie noticed her normally soft potbelly was slimmer and smaller. They also noticed her thighs and arms were slimmer. This confused them, and they kept it in mind, but they figured it could be the result of age rather than a sickness.

The second sign was the pain in her abdomen and middle back. Within a few weeks of noticing her fat going down, she had pains in these areas on and off, and they would pick up in intensity and frequency some days.

The third sign was the general sickness she felt. One moment, she would be playing with the children, the next, she would be feeling extremely nauseous and fatigued. She would have to throw up in the bathroom and it would take a few minutes for her to recover. Charlie and her both knew that this went beyond weariness from play due to elder age. This was an apparent illness, and something was physically wrong.

However, Rose was also unusual not just in her gastrointestinal area, but her mind as well.

Forgetfulness and misplacing something was nothing noticeable, as she did it all the time. But she suspected something wasn’t right when within those same few weeks, she was slowly starting to forget things that just happened. Both her and Charlie would be watching an episode of one of their shows, and by the time commercials ended, she was struggling to remember quite a few details of what happened before them. It took her a moment to connect the events together. The same happened when she would read, and every once in a while, she would have to slowly read the same paragraph three times.

The turning point came when she and Charlie were discussing things in bed, and she was struggling to remember certain conversations they had and she had with the children only a month ago that she remembered a week before. A few details Rose brought up were nonexistent, and Charlie had to correct her. That night, she decided that between these small forgetful spells and these stomach issues, it was clear she needed to go to a doctor as soon as possible. He agreed and promised to take her in the morning.

The next day, they left Christmasland for the appointment Charlie made for her the moment he woke up. They explained to the doctor all of Rose’s physical and mental symptoms. The doctor nodded; how he nodded made her nervous. When she was younger, she was a nurse, and through her medical knowledge, she could guess what these symptoms meant, but she wanted to trust another medical professional’s judgement, as these things could be nothing rather than something, but as obvious as it sounded, it was always better to be safe than sorry. She had seen that nod before when in the presence of both patients who were relieved to find their serious symptoms were nothing and those who were about to have the news of terminal illness broken to them. Like a coin flip, it would be heads or tails: heads would be another day to live, tails would be a death sentence.

A series of nerve wracking scans and tests with Charlie by her side later, and the diagnosis was clear. The moment the doctor came back to their room, Rose, like a bloodhound, smelled the sullen seriousness in his face and tone of voice. She recognized that face and voice from her nurse days; the coin was tails. He was about to give her the date and method of her execution before slamming his gravel down.

Rose had always imagined that she would go out thanks to her heart or some sort of diabetes related sickness, given bad hearts and diabetes ran in her mom’s side of the family, and her obesity she tried to control would certainly be a contributing factor. Genetics were a hell of a double edged sword: they could give you the most beautiful set of eyes and hair with skin to match, but they could also give you the worst odds of illness you could think of.

This time, it was not Rose’s heart that would fail her, or the development of diabetes. It was two things that were just as genetic, but aruguably worse. She recalled her mother telling her that Rose’s great aunt had died of pancreatic cancer, and it was a miserable way to go. She also remembered her mother telling her that Rose’s great grandmother was suspected of suffering from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to death.

Well, it was no surprise to Rose when she learned that these two things were her method of execution. Not only because she suspected they could be possibilities, but because the facts were simple: if she was somehow strong enough to survive the painful destruction her body would suffer from the cancer, the synapses in her brain would be eaten away, just as if she was bitten by a zombie from one of her stories, and much like a zombie, not much would remain of her but a dead shell. She would be a burden to her husband and children, and they would have to watch her go from being a loving, wonder filled woman to a sickly, miserable, pain filled stranger who wouldn’t even be able to remember herself, her lover, or her children.

Both her and Charlie took this news with with equal sadness. The future was bleak, and they knew that. Not even chemotherapy treatment was worth it.

“My grandfather suffered from esophageal cancer, and he did not fare well with chemo thanks to his genetics,” she explained to the doctor. “Given that I am half my mother, and she is half of him, my odds are not good, are they?”

“Well, you certainly have a better chance than your mother, but yes, he is a direct blood relative, so the odds are there. If you wish to go through chemo, we can get you started on it, but if you don’t want to risk it or have any treatment, you’ll have roughly a year left to live. Since cancer and dimentia do have a connection, as it spreads throughout your stomach and body, your mental decline will come rapidly. I estimate that you will go through the final stages of both illnesses simultaneously, and it will, to put it lightly, be painful for all parties involved.”

Rose nodded. “I don’t think I want to risk it. I don’t think there’s much of a point to go through all of that, only for my mind to fail me. Not to mention, wouldn’t chemo worsen it?”

“It can, yes,” the doctor continued. “Since the state of Colorado offers the End of Life Options Act, we can administer physician assisted suicide, if that is what you would prefer, but there will be a few things you’ll need to do.”

Had Charlie not been in her life, Rose would’ve agreed to do such a thing in these circumstances, although, if she hasn’t met him, she most likely wouldn’t have been in the state of Colorado and instead stuck back home in Ohio, where no such laws would exist. She knew that with the choice of transforming into a vampire, suicide wasn’t needed.

“I’ll need to think on that,” Rose lied.

“I understand, as this is a lot to take in. Please contact me as soon as possible when you have come to your decisions.”

Father and Mother Christmas departed the hospital and stepped inside the Wraith. The drive back to Gunbarrel was at first silent, but Charlie needed to pull over to a secluded area. Rose could see the tears in his brown eyes.

“My beloved...” He hushed, his deep voice breaking. “You’re so sick...”

“I know,” she said softly. “I wanted to give my humanity the best run I could, and I did. But I’m not going through this shit. I’m going out on my own terms, only I won’t have to die. I’m becoming a vampire, and going into the next chapter of my life.” She turned to Charlie. “You don’t need to cry, baby. You have the power to prevent my departure from this world. I already talked to each of my family before they went, and they knew I was going to be immortal as long as I could be, but I could still contact them through my new psychic powers. If you and the kids are more sensitive to spirits, that must mean I will be too. Hell, we’ll make it look like I chose to die without treatment or assisted suicide to the doctors. I’ll be alright. Everything will be alright.”

“Yes, I know,” he sobbed, wiping his eyes. “It’s just... the idea of you dying... the fact is, you had been dying, and you are dying. I know that’s humanity, but when you have something like this... you are not only dying in the human sense, but the clinical as well.”

The gravity of Charlie’s words slapped Rose in the face, just as the news of her diagnosis in the first place had moments ago. Even though she had another chance, unlike so many others in her place, there was still a sadness to be had. This chapter in her life was done, and she could either do one of two endings: continue down a horrible road until salvation was given to her and everyone was left scarred from their experiences, or embrace salvation now. Rose knew that she was going to avoid that horrible road and jump straight to the awe inspiring transformation that would mark the next chapter, but it was a shame her human form had to suffer like this, and that it was even an issue. In addition, 75 was decently young for elderly death. If she were in her 80’s, or especially her 90’s, this was expectant, but 75... it seemed a bit too soon.

She began to cough, and Charlie handed her his white handkerchief. Her eyes widened when she saw blood splatter, and that’s when her own tears poured from her eyes. She gave it back to Charlie and buried herself in his chest. The two held onto each other and wept for a good twenty minutes before deciding they needed to head back home.

Before they exited the car to greet their children, Rose suddenly smiled as she held Charlie’s hand. “Tomorrow,” she said. “I think tomorrow is a good day to celebrate my last day of humanity, and then I’d like to transform. If that’s okay with you.”

A smile formed on his own face. “Whatever day you are ready, my love. I will fuse your innocence back inside of you whenever you desire.”

They broke the news to the children, but they handled it well. They understood the severity of the situation regarding their mother’s health, but were excited and viewed the positive side, that their mother was to be an immortal vampire much like them and their father. When their mother told them she would like to celebrate the last day of her humanity tomorrow and transform into a vampire tomorrow night, they knew that much was to be anticipated for. Their father assured them that tomorrow would be a day to never forget.

While the other children ran upstairs to go to bed, excited for what tomorrow would hold, Millie, Lorrie, Nicholas, and Holly stayed behind. They ran over to their mother and hugged her.

“Even though you’re not gonna be a human anymore,” Lorrie began, “it doesn’t change a thing.”

“We always knew you’d be a vampire like us one day,” Millie added. “We hope you’ll be healthy and happy again real soon.”

“I will, babies,” Rose reassured them. “I will.”

“If we’re half human...” Nicholas spoke up.

“...That means we’re the last pieces of your humanity, right?” Holly finished.

“Yes, it does, babies,” Rose smiled wider. “I suppose it does.”

The twins beamed at each other in pride.

“But just because I’ll become a vampire doesn’t mean I still won’t be myself,” she clarified. “We’ll all still be just as we were, just with me having some physical improvements. It’ll be just as if I will always human.”

They nodded and knew it was time to get ready for bed with the others. They raced each other up the stairs, their parents tagging behind. When everyone was ready, Charlie and Rose bid the little ones good night before snuggling close to each other in their own bed.

Sleep could not come quick or easy for Rose, as her worries and anxieties mixed with her excitement kept her awake, but somehow, she found herself asleep. While Charlie slept, he dreamt of how the party would look for his beloved: the balloons, the streamers, the cake, the lights, the roses everywhere, the unicorns, the glitter... everything to honor his lover’s life and everything that represented what she was and would always be to their family.

When he awoke the next morning, Rose was still asleep. Letting her get her much needed rest, he snuck downstairs. The children had all woke up at the same time he had. They all snuck down the steps and they paused, amazed at the sight that awaited them downstairs...

When Rose opened her eyes and rubbed them, she turned next to her to find Charlie missing. She went to the bathroom and left her bedroom to check on the children. They were not in their very large and ever expanding bed. She noticed that the living room was dark, but all sorts of odd shadows filled it. She went down the steps and turned the lights on.

“Surprise!” Everyone cheered.

Rose gasped. Her eyes were filled with wonder as she saw what her living room had become.

Rainbow lights and glittery streamers filled the ceiling. Colorful balloons and roses of all colors were everywhere. In the center of the coffee table was a cake with candles that became aglow once she turned the lights on. A wonderfully designed unicorn figurine with roses in its mane and tail set on the cake.

“Oh... oh, it’s beautiful!” Rose cried, tears of joy filling her eyes. “Oh, I’ve never seen anything like it before!”

Charlie beamed and pulled a pink dress over her nightgown. She hugged him and kissed him on the lips, cheeks, nose, and forehead.

“How did you all do this?” She asked.

“I dreamed it, like I do everything... well, not everything, as you are far too beautiful to be dreamed from me.”

She blushed and hugged him even tighter. “You are the sweetest man I’ve ever known. I am so happy to know you, be with you and have all these little ones to raise with you.”

The children rushed to her and she gave them as many hugs and kisses as she could give.

“Look outside, and you’ll see the party goes beyond this room,” Charlie said.

Rose opened the front door and was taken aback. Christmasland was covered in more roses, balloons, glitter, and rainbow lights. Amongst it all, the rainbow unicorns from Charlie’s zoo played in the snow together, free to roam from their usual enclosure.

“It’s all in your honor, my dear.” Charlie laid a kiss on her head.

She could speak no words, just gaze in amazement as the children ran outside to play. Charlie and Rose did the same, and for the rest of the day, they played and occasionally stopped to eat. Rose did her best to keep it together, but surprisingly, no ill feelings or forgetful spells came to her. Perhaps because her body knew that it was only one last day until her body would be immune to all ailments, so it needed to use the last of its strength. Or because happiness was her best medicine in the moment. She couldn’t tell which.

By the end of the day, they had gathered back inside, she blew the candles on the cake, and they began to eat some of it. The time had come where they needed to go to bed so that their mother’s transformation could occur. She read them her favorite bedtime stories before they all got too tired to stay awake. She and Charlie kissed them all good night and closed the door, knowing that would be the last time they’d ever see her in her old form.

When they entered the room, the couple closed their door and the fireplace kicked on thanks to Charlie’s abilities. Rose laid on the bed and sighed.

“Today is one of the best days of my entire life,” she said. “I have you and the babies to thank for that. You have made my human days very special, and you will make my vampire ones the same.”

Charlie laid next to her. “You have made my days very special, and you have made the babies’ days very special. We have you to thank for that.”

They exchanged a kiss before Rose sat up. “Well now... are we ready?”

“Are you ready is the more important question.”

“I think I am,” she said. “Words cannot describe how wonderful this day has been from start to finish. It is a day I will cherish forever. And before my sicknesses get to me... I shall end my humanity and ring in my new vampirism on the happiest note possible.”

She looked at herself in a mirror nearby as she slipped her dress off. “Oh, my dear human body. You have seen so much since the moment I was born. And yet, here we are. You won’t be the same ever again, and you will be improved in ways unimaginably amazing, but I hope you know how much I appreciate you. Even when I’ve experienced self hatred, I was always thankful for you. I hope you love this new form.”

She turned back to Charlie and laid back down. “I guess this means I’ll get to eat people with you guys. The right ones, of course. And fangs, nails, a new body temperature... That should all be an interesting experience. And I can’t wait to see what using similar if not exact abilities like you will be like... this will not only be the next chapter in my life, but will be a bonding experience that will bring us all closer together, I think.”

“I agree, my love,” he said. “I agree.”

The two snuggled close together.

“Thank you for doing this, sugar pop,” she sighed. “What would I do without you?”

“What would I do without you is the bigger question,” he chuckled. “I will always love you.”

“I’ll always love you too.”

He leaned into her ear. “Are you ready at this moment?”

“Yes.” Her voice had some nervousness in it, but the confidence outweighed it in ways immeasurable.

“Lift up your chin so I may see your neck.”

She did as she was told. Charlie gazed upon it and his fangs came jutting out, an energy boiling within him.

“Good bye, old life,” Rose whispered with peace. “May our memories live on for all of immortal eternity.”

“Welcome to your new summer to blossom, my June Rose.”

Charlie slammed his fangs down upon her neck, an energy force emitting from the two bite marks. She gasped and her eyes widened. A foreign, but comfortable and oddly familiar sensation came over her. She clutched onto his back as blood dripped down from the bite marks. They glowed a white-blue color.

As the sensation consumed her, she felt as if she was traveling back in time. Every few seconds was another year she felt healthier and younger. It took her a moment to register that’s what that was, but when she saw her face in Charlie’s eyes... she could confirm her wrinkles were fading.

She looked at the arm she could see most clearly. Her wrinkles had dissipated and the fat had returned. She was sure her other arm looked the same. When she looked at her hand, she saw her nails gaining a yellow tint. She felt them increasing in length. Once they reached the same length as Charlie’s, they stopped. She couldn’t see her feet or legs, but she could feel the same effect happening to them. Her legs and feet (and especially her thighs) gained back the weight they had lost. She noted that her pallor was now matching Charlie’s, based on how her arm and hand looked.

Her breasts, always large, plumped back to their youthful size. Her stomach had also returned to the cushiony potbelly Charlie always loved to rest his head on. As embarrassing as it sounded, she felt her privates tingle and somewhere above them, a burning sensation occurred. She thought about it, but considered that her fertility must’ve been returning. She was miserable on and off when experiencing menopause, but she supposed as a vampire, she’d be able to withstand any pains she might experience if she had periods again. In addition, she was sure Charlie would still find her menstrual blood as delicious as he did before when she was human.

Through the reflection in Charlie’s eyes, Rose could see her wrinkles had completely faded. The aged look her hazel eyes held flooded with a new look of old youth meeting for an eternal kiss after years of departure. Her face returned to how she looked on their wedding night, only a bit more pale. She grunted as her white teeth gained their own yellow tint and increased in sharpness. A group of fangs came out from behind these new teeth. Once this occurred, blood filled her mouth and trickled down her throat while ice cold breath emitted from her nose and mouth like a rabid animal. A warmth in her stomach made her feel as if she had drunk the finest coffee or hot chocolate rather than blood.

My God... this is why vampires crave this stuff... it’s got flavors in it that we can’t taste.

The dye in her hair had faded, exposing the natural grey. But it quickly disappeared as her natural brunette took over. At long last, she felt she could embrace her natural hair again. Even its volume, thickness, and waviness returned.

Rose had to fall back further at the sheer force from her insides. The blood that fell from her neck returned to the permanent bite marks and absorbed back inside of her. Cold chills consumed her. Her eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and touch nerves sharpened. The cancer cells in her body exploded like little stars until they were gone entirely. Every healthy cell underwent a metamorphosis that strengthened them and kept them permanently superhuman. Because of this, her immune system had reached powers impossible for the human body, destroying anything abnormal. Any sickness would be identified and wiped out instantly thanks to her new antibodies. Even her asthma had been erased from her lungs. From within her brain, the synapses snapped back together like a puzzle, and her memory was the clearest it had ever been.

I’m healthy again... Thank God, I’m heathy again...

Once her body was complete, a new sensation took over her back. She tried to jolt forward, but Charlie was still on top of her. He stepped back, as every ounce of innocence was back inside of her now. She lurched forward and leaned down. She could see her new legs and feet and her other arm, just as the other one.

Her back felt heavy. Something was weighing her down... something was coming out of it... something...

Unable to control the scream that came from her, two large masses of bone, muscle, and skin came from her back, perfectly ripping her nightgown, and extended to reveal... bat wings. Through the light in the room, the veins had looked like their own art piece to Charlie.

As quickly as the pain came, it left Rose and she laid back down, gasping and skiddishly feeling the new wings. Just like one’s arms or legs, she found she could move them like any other appendage. She flapped them, noticing they were larger than her. A small gust of wind filled the room.

“They’re... beautiful...” Charlie marveled.

Unable to speak, Rose stood up and stumbled. She found that her wings and heavier weight added some balance issues, but within thirty seconds, she had adjusted. She walked over to the mirror to look at herself more closely. Her toenails clacked against the wood, just as Charlie’s did. She looked just as she did when she was young; this time, she was pale, colder, had sharper senses, had vampire teeth and nails, a vampire bite mark on her neck, and very large bat wings on her back. She curled them up and extended them out comfortably. She flapped them a few times, and she found herself being lifted up into the air through the force of such gusts.

“Woah!” She cried. She let her wings die down and she landed as gently as she could on the floor.

She turned to Charlie, who stared at her with twinkling eyes.

“I guess I’m gonna need to make holes for these bad boys in all my clothes, huh?” She laughed. Her voice had largely remained the same, but this time, there was a youthful strength to it.

Charlie chuckled and beaconed her back to bed. “I suppose we shall. You look absolutely stunning, just as you always have. Only this time, your inner beauty is emanating from you. We shall see all of your abilities in the morning, especially since I’m sure the children would love to see you and your new talents as well. I’m quite surprised that scream didn’t stir them. But I believe your body needs a rest after the amount of change it had to go through.”

She nodded and crawled back into bed, right next to Charlie. They cuddled up next to each other. Her wings curled back up in a way that was comfortable. He rested his chin on her head and she nuzzled her face in his chest. Their combined warmth made sure they wouldn’t feel cold while sleeping. Rest had come easy for the both of them, and they found themselves sharing a pleasant dream.

Tomorrow would be the day the children would awake to be gifted with their healthy vampire mother, but even so, she would still always be the mother they knew and loved. For Charlie, she would always be the wife he knew and loved. For Rose, her new chapter had begun, and the dawn of a new era was ready to last for the rest of their eternity.

[thejosh1980]

Little Wing

(Trigger warning: animal/pet death)

Today, right now, I am sat at the spot where Mijo felt his last sunrise, just 24 hours ago.

He was 28 weeks old, he spent 20 of those weeks with me, and my family. He was my family. He was thrust upon me by my wife and mum, who knew Mijo would be the kind of birthday present I'd want, but could never ask for.

When he arrived he was unexpected. Straight from the car, into my bedroom, onto my lap, what a surprise, it was love at first sight. Those eyes, that tail, that round belly, the fur, I was all in. I had to say goodbye to 4 beautiful pets whom I loved dearly when I left Germany, so then and there I made a quiet, whisper promise to Mijo;

“I'll never ever leave you”...

We began like any other Daddy and cat story, playing, eating, talking to each other. We may have made a few messes on the bed learning to potty train, but I couldn't really fault him, he was perfect. He loved cuddles, got under our feet all the time, talked to us a lot and wanted to be a part of everything happening around the house.

He meowed very loudly too. Sometimes he'd meow from the next room sounding lost and worried. That's when I started to realized something was very different about him. It took about 2 weeks, but then I realized, he was totally deaf!!!! No vacuum cleaner, loud bangs, claps, or door slams could get his attention. When he meowed loudly, it was either because he had to, to feel himself meowing in his head, or he was missing us and could smell us, but not hear us in the next room. I had never had a cat who couldn't hear me call their name, so this was going to be a challenge.

Mijo accepted that challenge...

In a short time I figured out how to clicker train him, using a torch. I love training cats. Most folks think it's impossible, but I've taught cats to fetch, sit and come on command in the past.... So, pretty soon I had him jumping up, over and across chairs and tables on cue. I also learnt a way to “call” him; assuming he could see me, if I knelt down and tapped my leg, he'd come a running. Every time. We had it all figured out.

Grab a harness and a lead, and off we go, walking around the garden. This wasn't a cat, this was a dog. He had very little fear, I mean, he couldn't even hear the birds making a racket or the car driving by or the dog barking next door. He was fixated on me.

I bought him a blow up boat, to use in the pool, to help him get used to floating on water. It was a huge boat for his little size, but he'd hop in, and I'd “treat” him while he got used to the motion. The plan was to build him up to a real boat, or canoe or SUP. I could imagine him walking on water.

He was also great with other cats, so I could take him to visit his cousin and they'd play all day (if we'd let them). He'd come with me to visit other family and then... well, then the real adventures started. Mijo and I could go to the river, the park and the beach. We also went for coffee at the busiest part in the local village, and he took it all in his stride. We took bike rides too, as he sat in a special backpack I had for him. I could hold him while skateboarding or put him on my shoulder as I walked around. He was chill, happy to see and smell his silent world.

When Alex or I came home, and he'd be in the bedroom snoozing or gazing out the window, we could come in, take off our shoes, put our stuff down, maybe run to the loo, then we could snuggle up with him, cause he hadn't heard us arrive. He would just be waiting... He'd just wait for someone to step close enough, blow on his ear, feel a vibration and then he'd meow a big BIG hello, purr and snuggle. He was a no pressure cat... But always ready for hugs and pats.

Besides being deaf, he just didn't seem like any other cat I'd had or even met...

But isn't the way it is with all pets? They're all unique.

He loved Alex. He always had a hard decision between my lap and hers, or sleeping close to one or the other. We had a son to take care of, to love and to enjoy. At the beginning, Alex wasn't sure about having a cat, she'd pretty much always been a dog person, but it didn't take long for Mijo to wrap her around his little paw. She was hooked.

We thought he was going to be grow up to become a big boy. You know, Maine Coon sized 5-6 or maybe 7 kilo. We had high hopes for a dog-like cat, big enough to take on the world. We wanted to show him the world too.

After he had his snip (desexing) in mid March, he wasn't very well, and it really traumatized all of us, we just weren't sure why he took it so badly. He was in a lot of pain, even though the operation itself was quick and really good, with no issues. He would spend the day, in his “bread loaf” position, with his nose to the ground. It was like he was conserving all his energy for when we came home or wanted his attention.

Eventually, after a few weeks he bounced back, back to being his usual self, for a while. He actually lost a lot of fur during this time, most likely due to a reaction to the antibiotics and pain killers. Where his collar and harness were, he lost all his hair. It only took a few days, a bit too quick to realize what was going on, he rarely wore the collar or harness after that. It meant we sometimes lost him in the house without his bell on to tell which room he was in, so I'd be running around turning on and off the lights to get his attention and a meow.

It was our fun game of “Mijo Polo”.

We had noticed he wasn't eating as much, and he wasn't as playful. In fact, all his toys were being ignored, and he rarely chased anything we teased him with. When we took him for playtime with his cousin, he wouldn't last as long play fighting. Something was up, we thought he'd bounce back by now.

Overall, he was a very chilled cat, having just had an operation and now with, ringworm, a tooth problem (one adult tooth was causing him problems and needed to be pulled) maybe that was why he wasn't too interested in food. Surely it wasn't bacteria, an infection or a virus in his blood.

In early May, Mijo developed ringworm, which, by the way, isn't a worm but rather a fungal infection. The vet already had us on anti fungal cream day and night. It's very unusual to get ringworm; it's all around us, but a strong immune system, actually, a decent immune system, would fight off any infection naturally. Cats generally just lick it all off their fur. Humans sometimes get it, from a scratch or a wound. It's in the soil, it's in the air.

When we got the treatment for the ringworm, we also gave him an appetite stimulant, to encourage him to eat, but it made little difference. As nothing changed, we went back to the vet a few days later, and did a hypothyroidism test; the results were borderline.

What could be going on?

At the time of his desexing operation, he was 1.7 kilos, a week later he was down to 1.5 and eventually 1.45 kilo. His body was growing a little, but his muscle and fat wasn't.

We talked to the vet and decided, even though his ringworm was infectious, the tooth had to go, sooner rather than later. It seemed logical that it was his biggest barrier to fulfilling his dietary requirements and his well being. We wanted him fattening up, growing up, and being his usual self again, ASAP. We needed to get him back on track towards good health, enough was enough.

On Monday 17th May I dropped the little guy off at the vet for the day. A check up and a tooth pull.

Before any cat gets an anesthetic, they run a simple blood test to determine if the cat is well enough. During the day we got a call that the operation couldn't happen, and that he'd have to stay in over night or longer, with meds to help him, because his red cell blood count was low. 10%. Most cats need around 40%, if there's any complication with the tooth pull, his blood may not clot.

It's official, he was very unwell.

I was at school when I got the news. I was in shock. Our little boy was that unwell? But he does eat (a little), he does walk on the lead with me, he's eating his treats... was he that unwell?

Suddenly we had to decide on some expensive tests to figure out what was wrong with him. I mean, the red blood cells were being eaten up by the white ones, but why?? We arranged the suggested tests and they kept him in over night.

I was very distraught. How can my little guy be so unwell yet behave well? With that blood count, he shouldn't be able to walk, he should be so lethargic that he can't keep his head up!! He should be in a coma.

All in all, theoretically, he should be dead.

So was it dwarfism, hypothyroidism, mycoplasma??? And and and?? Tests... Blood being taken.. Our boy in the vet over night, alone, worried, scared??? Will he make it through the night? I didn't sleep well...

On Tuesday afternoon the vet let us bring him home. His blood level was down to 9.1%. The idea was that, at least at home he'd have cuddles and love, and that might help his immune system. He was lethargic but not completely terrible. I would need to bring him in on Wednesday for another blood test, to see how he was doing.

On Wednesday, it didn't go well, Mijo had gone from 9 to 8.1% blood level. It was now becoming almost impossible to get any blood out of him. I saw how difficult it was 2 weeks earlier when he had the hypothyroid test, they had to try on both legs and his neck to get a half mil of blood! He was a champ and barely complained. But now, I couldn't imagine the pain he went through with even less blood.

He's been that sick for how long?? Why hadn't we noticed?

We were panicking.

The vet suggested we meet with a mature, more experienced doc, on Thursday. We should be able to figure something out, we had to. Each day = less blood = more chance of...

Well, I am a hopeful guy. I realize, I live on hope. I spent years hoping certain people in my life would change, or love me in a way that I feel some love. I always hope things will change for the better. I don't know why, but it's ingrained in me to feel hopelessness or hope... I think I'm never in the middle... or is that called acceptance? OK, maybe I do feel that too, eventually... But it takes a long long time...

I have videos of Mijo on Thursday 20th, he's cleaning himself in the sun, meowing and purring, happy to see me, walking around the garden with me. Full of life and adventure.

At lunch time, Mijo and I go to the vet. He is his usual cute self, always curious at the vets, and now there's a the new guy he's meeting, what an adventure.

Before he opens the cat box he said something along the lines of “Well, because his blood levels are so low, today is really about deciding if he goes to heaven or not...” I'm not sure, but I know I heard words like “heaven” and “euthanasia” early on in the consultation. Shock was setting in. I barely heard anything else he said, luckily we had Alex on the speaker phone.

Turns out, not only is our little guy deaf, he's an anomaly.

Any cat with 8.1% should be comatose. They should barely be able to walk. They certainly can't pee or poo without help and don't drink or eat much. Mijo came out of his box and sniffed around, was alert and ready to meet the new guy!!

The vet was stumped. He had never seen this before, in over 30 years...

We didn't know he was so sick, because, he was, overall, a well behaved cat. His weight he lost, sure, but he was now at least stable. He was eating, it just took a lot of creativity sometimes to spark his interest (mostly warming up meals and giving him treats).

The vet tried to explain to me, but I'm sure Alex on the phone understood it clearly, that we had very little time, well, no time. We had 3 choices that day. Go to a specialist an hour's drive away, give Mijo steroids and hope he had mycoplasma or Immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) or, lastly, euthanasia.

Wait???? What does that even mean??

The specialist would give him a blood transfusion, and some special custom drugs which should help him. The vet said it could cost in the 10s of thousands, and may help Mijo for a few weeks, but it's not a solution that we are sure would be long term or not.

Giving Mijo steroids would give him a fighting chance, or not... Basically it could cure or kill him. Because we aren't sure what is the cause of the low blood count, it could be IMHA, mycoplasma or something else, but it's a best educated guess at this rate. If it is the wrong choice, he may die quicker than expected.

Euthanasia, no explanation needed.

We decided on steroids. According to the vet, there was a 50/50 chance it would work. If the cause of the blood cells killing off each other was for or against steroids, we'd know soon enough. Still shocked I tried to understand it all. I'm so grateful Alex was on the line and knows this stuff through experience and study.

The idea of taking Mijo an hour's drive north to the specialist, to a cubicle, a place where we may not be with him 24/7, on the off chance that he wouldn't make it and die alone, we couldn't fathom that.

Mijo took the steroid injection like a champ, he always did injections well. He was given some antibiotics to also help. The vet said, that by Saturday we'll know if it was the right decision. We'd know if he would be getting better...

It was decided that on Monday 24th we'd go back in for a blood test to actually see if the steroids were working (cause apparently one can't really tell with Mijo's behavior, the cheeky monkey).

Mijo and I came home, and well, he ate, he was purring, sitting on my lap. The usual deal. When I went out to get the washing in, he tried to go out too, something we, as parents, have been very protective about. He doesn't go out alone, he doesn't go out without a lead or a bell. He's not an easy cat to find if he runs off, not that he has ever tried. He deaf, he can't hear cars or other dangers out there.

I promised him I'd take him out to that side of the house/garden that afternoon...

So we did, we went out, we sat down, he explored. He was well, good, better, best. He was my boy. He trusted me, I trusted him. I'm always amazed how well he walks by my side, like a dog, with loose leash... Taking my steps as cues when to walk, and when to stop.

We also met the neighbor's dog, which was a first, both were not really interested in each other... But still, Mijo knew there's a lot to live for...

Overnight he went great... Woke up with him on my chest relaxing waiting for me to get up and feed him, luckily I have a wife who had to get up for work at that moment. I remember she sang him a lullaby and held him like a baby. It was really sweet to see how much love they had for each other. Rock-a-bye Mijo...

We wanted to him feel as much love as we could. We felt that, if the steroids and antibiotics were doing their part, and we did ours, there's nothing he can't beat. And he sure felt the love...

I held him while doing some singing exercises, close to my chest. It was something we hadn't done before, and he purred. He'd look up and meow every time I stopped making vibrations. He felt it, I felt it, it was a connection.

We spent a lot of time, reading, relaxing and sitting on laps. Alex and I cuddled him, told him we loved him. He was really fighting. He was eating. He was a little more playful than in recent weeks. He wanted to live. We could feel it...

He went from eating half a packet to 1.5 packets a day, plus dry food. He always wanted treats, and I was always glad to oblige.

By Saturday he was wonder cat! Kneading... Purring... Chasing toys... Eager to hang out...

We'd overcome the problem! He was getting better. There's fight, love and life left in him. He was amazing. If it hadn't been for his ringworm (which was also healing very very well) I'd say he was perfect, especially once he put on another few grams...

We had 4 awesome days, loads of energy and love. He was never alone in the house, and rarely alone in a room. We wanted him to know, to feel, that we loved him so deeply and that all we want was him in our life, for adventures and cuddles.

On Monday morning, his appetite went down... He didn't really eat much...

We all left for the day, work and school. I think we were all worried, but he'd been so good and improved so so much, that we were sure he'd be fine. We have the blood test booked for the afternoon, I'm sure he'll pep up by then. The injection could be wearing off too...

Mijo and I went in to the vet, and his test came back at 14%!!! Damn, that's 6 points!! The vet expected 3 to be a big improvement. In fact, if he had 3 or less, euthanasia may have been the only option... Happy days! He was well. He's going to live! He'll be fine.

We're not out of the woods yet, but we are in the right direction.

All that love we lavished on him, not just in the past days, but the past 4 months. The adventures, the friends he'd made (both human and animal) the smells and sights he'd seen, the vibrations he felt, it was all coming together... He was a fighter with a lot of love to give...

We were over joyed. Really, I couldn't have been happier when I got the results. I gave a “whoop” and threw my fist in the air (I've never done that before in my life!).

We changed to tablet form steroids, as they'll be better long term, keep up the antibiotics and off we go...

But we all know, that often people and animals, when they know they are dying, they give it one last shot. And that was it... We didn't realize until Wednesday, that he wasn't actually going to get better...

Mijo stopped grooming himself, he slowly ate less and less... He became more and more lethargic, he started to sit in the “bread loaf” position with his nose on the ground, as he did after the snip, resting. We thought it was the change in steroids, and as I was at school and the girls at work, we just kept thinking he'd pep up eventually.

When I left for school Wednesday morning, he was alert, but lethargic. When I came home early to check on him, he had really changed again.

His belly was a little bloated, but he had hardly eaten. He had trouble walking, it seemed like it was a mix of muscle degradation/pain and confusion. His meowing changed to a high pitch cry, similar to that of a young kitten. He also stopped eating, he wouldn't even touch any of his tasty treats. He searched for any bit of sun to stand in, but he was looking so uncomfortable, his posture had changed, half sitting, half standing. I was grateful, when I carried him to his water bowl, that he drank a lot. He also went to the toilet, I held his tail so he didn't make a mess on himself.

We spent the afternoon outside, as the sun started to set. He loved the sun, I wanted him to feel warmth... I held him, talked to him. I don't know now many times I asked him to please hold on, please fight and that I loved him. He looked more comfortable in the sun.

I did film us walking around the pool. I am forever grateful for technology, so that I could just put my phone down, touch a button and record a moment. As we walked and talked, oblivious to the camera, I recognized a change in his breathing... I may have missed it previously, but for sure, his breath was becoming more and more labored. Every 3 or 4 breaths, he just had to try harder... His eyes were changing too... But I was sure he could recognize me, the way the vibrations from my chest reached his body and the way I smell. He would react from time to time, shifting or clawing at me.

He often touched my chest with his paw. Reaching out...

Mum and I went to the vet late Wednesday afternoon, the earliest we could. I explained it must be the change of steroids. No, it wasn't. They were the same type, it was just that he wasn't able to fight anymore. We discussed the specialist, called them and made a plan to go in first thing in the morning. I arranged for a friend to come with me, and Thursday morning bright and early, we were going up to get Mijo cured. Transfusion, drugs, you name it, we were going to do it. We had to, we told him we'd make him better.

There and then, Alex and I decided to trade in our honeymoon, you know from the wedding we had 13 months ago and still haven't done the traditional thing of a week or two away somewhere. We decided the money we had aside for that, would go to Mijo's specialist costs, because without Mijo, our honeymoon, whatever and whenever we decide to do it, wouldn't be worth doing, if he wasn't around.

I made a firm plan on how to help him through the night. We would hold him in shifts... All 3 of us... If one showered, the other held him. Dinner time, we shared the responsibility, not that we ate much anyhow. We cuddled, we talked, we purred, I would blow gently on his head... He was feeling love and he was fighting...

Because he hadn't eaten all day, we decided to try feeding him with a syringe, with success. With the tablets we were putting into his stomach, I felt he needed something else down there too... With a small syringe, he took it well, lapping up a tasty liquid treat.

When it was bed time, we put pillows around the bed, incase he fell, because he was very wobbly on his feet. He would cry out at random times, possibly from pain, but I think more from confusion. He sometimes wanted to get away from us, as we know, pets know when it's time and usually disappear, isolate.

We barely slept. I managed about 3 hours... But it was tough.. He wouldn't stay still, and eventually we put him in his little bed, near our bed... Of course he didn't stay there long.

At 4am I heard him crying... I found him under the bed... Alex woke up too... His breathing had changed a lot... Every breath was labored. He wasn't getting enough oxygen.

I laid on my back, and Mijo laid on my chest. This was how it often was, especially when I was reading... We did that until around 7am... Alex taking turns, holding him, talking to him, loving him. Mijo could barely hold himself up, he just laid in our arms... Breathing... His eyes began to glaze over...

We discussed our options, we felt the specialist was now a long shot. We didn't think he'd make the drive, he was near the end. Our little man had little fight left... And we wouldn't forgive ourselves for him dying in a foreign place. There were a lot of tears and back and forwards, including mum coming in for cuddles with the little guy at 5am...

Alex called the emergency vet, and we planned to go in at 8:30... Mijo's time had come...

When the sun comes up, if the blind is open in our bedroom, the sun shines right on through to Alex in bed, Mijo was in her arms, while she drank coffee as the sun rose.

Sometime later I took the little guy out to the pool, where we walked and talked, cuddled and loved, around and around, in the morning sun. I talked to him about all the adventures we had, riding bikes, visiting people, the beach and the river. I spent most of that hour, holding him, looking to his eyes... He gazed up, I just hope he knew it was me. I just knew he felt the vibrations of my words.

We both told him, it was OK to let go now. We were ready. But he kept on fighting for each breath... I think he was just like his Dad, always hopeful..

He last moments at home, where in the chair I'm sat in now. It gets the best light, first thing, even though it's inside the “catio”. Alex had sat down while I was walking outside, I seem to do better when I walk, and I brought him in for cuddles with her in the sun... He was bathed in sunshine, in Alex's arms... It was beautiful...

Actually getting in the car and going to the vet, was tough, but it really hit me when I walked in. I held the little guy, and just burst into middle-aged-man tears and sobbing... If you were there, you'd know I was my mother's son, cause she was sobbing too... I couldn't look anyone in the eye... I didn't understand what was going on, or about to go on...

I think I was in another place...

We went into a consult room, and I just laid the little guy down, not thinking of using the blanket we had... The vet explained the procedure and took him away for his catheter and first injection, some anesthetic? I don't know, but apparently it was the right thing, it helped with his pain.

I couldn't even look Alex or Mum in the eye... I just cried...

I still had hope...

When they came back, Mijo was wrapped in a soft blanket, what a great idea...!! He was quieter, more peaceful... The vet left to give us a moment...

He was still breathing, still fighting... I put my ear to his face, and heard him...

I kept making sure his eye lids closed from time to time. I remember back when Catalina, my little girl in Germany, needed to be anesthetized for a check up. The vet put some put liquid drops in her eyes and made her blink, so her eyes didn't dry out... So for Mijo, I did that every once in a while... I didn't want his eyes to dry up... I wanted him to be able to see me, because laying on that table, he couldn't hear me.

I begged Alex not to bring the vet back in for the final injection... I think I may have screamed something at her... I don't know... I wasn't me... I was trying to hold him in my arms, without moving him... I was trying to give him another chance...

I bawled...

I don't know if I have ever cried like that before... I thought I'd be all cried out... I thought all my tears had already left the building the previous hours and days... But there was more... a lot more... and more to come...

I know that Alex and I held hands over his body... I felt the love... I felt his warmth... his breathing... I know I cried tears onto him, there were tear drops on his lips...

I looked him in the eye as much as I could, but mostly, I cried...

I felt the liquid go into him, I felt it go around my hand into him...

I don't know much about what happened after that... I know I didn't want to leave him, I had promised him I would never do it. I regret not holding him once more... I know that at that moment, I felt the life drain out of me... I felt hope die...

I walked out, not knowing what to do, and flopped down on the grass outside... I never sit on grass, but Mijo liked it...

I managed to drive home...

That was yesterday...

Since then I've tried to rest, tried to come to grips with what has happened, tried to connect with a few friends, I've tried... I'm still trying...

This morning I got up wanting to do some sport, washing, then study and take on the day with confidence... It's a new day, I should take that opportunity to get back into my routine... It took all of 1 minute, from bed to bathroom, to be bawling... Except for the time I manage to calm down enough to type this blog, I've been crying... It's now 10am... I was awake at 6:15...

We are running out of tissues..

I felt so bad this morning, I wanted to plead with Alex not to go to work, because I just can't today. I just can't. We have discussed how she copes in these situations, and I know that's how she copes, by going to work, so I kept my trap shut. I just want her to hug me all day, so I can feel her warmth.

I cried so much on the drive to drop mum off at work this morning, she started crying too, and contemplated not going to work... She wanted to be there for me, but I told her, honestly, I don't think I'd be much company today.

I don't know the grieving process, we haven't learnt that in counseling school yet, but I do know, I'm feeling very lost... I feel very numb...

I can't explain it, and maybe that's why folks can never really explain how they feel after someone close to them, or their pet, has passed. We are just lost.

I also feel that I am grieving for my other losses in my life. It's a bit like, it's a culmination of all the others before him, plus him on top, making me feel pain like I have never experienced before.

Grief is just love, with no place to go... Alex and I talked about that quote last night. I used this quote to help me through leaving my 4 pets in Germany, I know I have to find a new place for my love, but for now, I just can't.

I know I couldn't have gotten through this without the support of my Mum and Alex...

While Mum cries at the drop of a hat, she is solid and thoughtful and loving. Alex is strong and experienced in these matters. She knew what to say, and when, even if I did yell back… Both have a lot of time and patience for me.

I know Alex and Mum feel bad, maybe even guilty, for choosing him. Mijo was a present, to give me joy and love and comfort. And he sure did, in multitudes, to all of us. I would never have gotten a cat back then, I didn't feel Alex or I were ready, we were still working through our issues with our pets in Germany.

Alex and I decided that we want Mijo home with us. He was only on this earth for 6.5 months, we expected him to be with us for 10+ years. Taken too early. Once he's cremated we'll have him in a little urn. He was so small, but if there's a little left over, we will either plant a tree with his ashes or sprinkle him down by the river, the first place he went to that was close to water.

The past day or so, I have shared what happened with some friends, classmates and family, and everyone has been so thoughtful and caring. Thank you, it's really helped to know you're all out there, thinking of the little guy. He would have loved to meet you all.

He was perfection. If someone else had gotten him, realized he was deaf, they may not have given him the adventures and life he had. Mum considers him a rescue cat...

So here I am, in the chair, his last chair in his last moments at home.

I can still smell him on my shirt. When I walk around the house, dazed, I sniff my shirt. He had a wonderful smell. The smell of love and adventure. I hope that smell lasts a life time.

I miss his warmth, his meow, which was damn loud!! I miss, that sometimes he'd get lost around the house... Or he'd lose me, around the house. He was gentle, and only bit me once, by accident, piercing my thumb a little. I miss the fact he had 1 tooth growing forward, directly out, making him a tri-toothed kitten with a protruding top lip! He took on the world without fear. I've never experienced anything like it in a cat. My girl Catalina did sit on my shoulder as I walked down the street in Germany, but Mijo, he let me go skateboarding with him, played guitar with me (he'd chew the strings) and one time, I even vacuumed his tail.

All trust. No fear.

Back when he lost all his hair around his neck and stomach after his snip operation, we were pretty concerned. Funnily enough, it grew back pretty quickly, but it grew back white, not grey. He had a ring around his neck and kind of marks on his back wrapping around to his belly. Alex googled it, and actually found out, cats can often have their hair grow back white after trauma or experiencing extremes of temperature if their hair was cut short or fell out.

About a month ago, I sent my dearest of friends, Sandra, a photo of his regrowth, and she commented looks like “little angel wings”...

Fly on little wing, fly on...

RIP Mijo Angus

12-11-2020 – 27-05-2021

Thanks for reading,

Josh

[xhxhxhx]

Rick Perlstein, Reaganland (Simon & Schuster, 2020):

AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, a separate anti-liberal backlash was taking root. It was spurred by summer after summer of race riots, and its political base was not business but middle-class homeowners, who blamed civil rights and the War on Poverty for a civilization-threatening breakdown in law and order. Business was largely on the liberal side of this issue—like the author of a 1966 article in the Harvard Business Review predicting “riots and arson and spreading slums” if “the businessman does not accept his rightful role as leader in the push for the goals of the ‘Great Society’ (or whatever tag he wants to give it).”

No, business’s backlash, its emergence as a [class for itself], came a little bit later, in response to a new, and different, sort of liberalism—one whose buzzwords were “environmentalism” and “consumerism,” and which, unlike Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, placed corporate power squarely in its sights.

Date its origin to the summer of 1967. Around the same time Congress was responding to middle-class constituent anger over black riots by voting down a modest bill funding rodent control in the slums, a remarkable hearing was held by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, chaired by Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington State. Magnuson had been approached by a Seattle physician who described a “chronic, unrelenting procession of burned and scarred children” in his work at Seattle Children’s Hospital, caused by the sort of flammable fabrics that had supposedly been outlawed by the Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953. That law, however, had been written by industry lobbyists. Back then, Commerce Committee members were classed by what industry they served: “textile senators,” “trucking senators,” “railroad senators,” “tobacco senators” (the leading tobacco senator was the former president of the Tobacco Institute). They sponsored protectionist laws written by their benefactors—like the Wool Products Labeling Act, which banned manufacturers from selling a product as wool if it contained a single strand of recycled or synthetic fiber; or bills fixing prices for legacy companies. The process was so corrupt that when Chairman Magnuson hired a young lawyer in 1964 named Michael Pertschuk to run the committee’s portfolio of consumer products legislation, the fellow he replaced congratulated him on all the price-fixed products, from audio equipment to toasters, that he soon would be getting for free.

This all would soon be a thing of the past.

Magnuson had been a fisheries senator and an aviation senator. After almost losing his seat in 1962, however, he reinvented himself aggressively as a new kind of liberal legislative entrepreneur: a consumerist senator. He put Pertschuk to work toughening up the limp Flammable Fabrics Act. A textile industry lobbyist replied “blood would run in the halls of Congress” before his industry let it pass. But the hearings Pertschuk staged in July of 1967 were a masterpiece of legislative melodrama. The Seattle doctor testified: “In all honesty, I must say I do not consider it a triumph when the life of a severely burned child is saved.… Death may be more merciful.” A beloved CBS News commentator told the story of his eleven-year-old daughter, burned nearly to death when a cotton blouse that met federal safety standards combusted when a match was dropped on it. A representative of the Cotton Textile Council boasted of the “admirable” results produced by its standards committee. The square-jawed and stentorian Magnuson replied:

“How often does your standards committee meet?”

“Regularly, Senator.”

How often, Magnuson followed up, before they’d received his recent letter warning them of impending congressional action?

“Ten years,” the lobbyist admitted.

The amendments passed the committee unanimously, then both houses, virtually unchanged. President Johnson signed the bill with Magnuson by his side. The following day he signed the first update to meat inspection law since the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, with Upton Sinclair, the novelist whose 1905 exposé The Jungle had inspired it, standing next to him. A landmark “truth in lending” bill went to conference six weeks later. The former senator Paul Douglas, a New Deal economist who had lost his seat in 1966 largely because white Chicago factory workers turned their back on him because of his advocacy for a failed bill outlawing housing discrimination, had been pressing for it since the 1950s, but was defeated in the Finance Committee session after session. Now, however, it passed the committee unanimously.

The floodgates opened: to laws fighting deceptive practices by door-to-door salesmen and moving companies, outlawing hazardous radiation from electronics equipment, closing gaps in poultry and fish inspection, demanding accuracy in product warranties, regulating cigarettes. “Consumer Interests: Legislative Derby Has Begun,” one Midwestern newspaper reported early in 1968. That headline appeared just as Congress voted to outlaw housing discrimination in a desperate response to the riots following the April 4, 1968, assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The version that passed, however, weaker than one killed in 1966, added near-police-state provisions limiting militant blacks’ freedom to travel. Riots had burned down Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. “Consumerism” sprung forth phoenix-like from the ashes.

Politicians discovered that scourging industry greed was the smart political play. It certainly was for Magnuson, who glided to reelection in 1970 with ads that bragged, “There’s a law that forced Detroit to make cars safer—Senator Magnuson’s law. There’s a law that keeps the gas pipelines under your house from blowing up—Senator Magnuson’s law. There’s a law that makes food labels tell the truth—Senator Magnuson’s law. Keep the big boys honest; let’s keep Maggie in the Senate.”

It heralded a remarkable shift in public opinion. In 1966, 55 percent of Americans had a “great deal of confidence in the leaders of major companies.” Five years later, the percentage was 27 percent. Between 1968 and 1970, the portion believing “business tries to strike a fair balance between profits and the interest of the public” fell from 70 percent to 33 percent. Wrote pollster Lou Harris, “People have come to be skeptical about American ‘know-how,’ worried that it might pollute, contaminate, poison, or even kill them.”

[...]

IDEALISTIC YOUNG LAWYERS FLOCKED TO the organizations [Ralph] Nader began forming [in the late 1960s]. The first product of these “Nader’s Raiders” was a 185-page report on the Federal Trade Commission, a notoriously toothless regulatory body that took, on average, four years to investigate every complaint, punishing the guilty with unenforceable orders to cease and desist. The monograph was couriered to 150 key journalists out of the back of a Raider’s Volkswagen. It called the FTC a “self-parody of bureaucracy, fat with cronyism, torpid through inbreeding unusual even for Washington, manipulated by the agents of commercial predators, impervious to government or citizen monitoring,” ridden with “alcoholism, spectacular lassitude, and office absenteeism.”

By then the president was Richard Nixon, who had to accede to the new anti-corporate mood just to maintain political credibility. He ordered up his own FTC investigation. It arrived at similar conclusions. So Nixon replaced the FTC director with the shrewdest bureaucrat in his administration, Caspar “Cap the Knife” Weinberger, who roared out of the starting gate with actions against dubious advertising claims of such blue-chip products as Hi-C, Listerine, Wonder Bread, and McDonald’s.

Nixon then signed a landmark mine safety law and the National Environmental Policy Act, establishing the first new independent federal regulatory agency since 1938, then added another with a law authorizing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That project was inherited from the Johnson administration, and at first, Nixon’s version was so mild that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed it. But the “creature that ultimately stomped out of Congress,” a historian recounted, was a “Frankenstein of Chamber members’ nightmares.” Federal agents had never had the authority to inspect individual businesses for health and safety violations. OSHA gave them the power to do it without warrants, then levy hefty fines with no avenue for appeal. Richard Nixon didn’t dare veto it.

Nor did he veto tough amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1963 that included something nearly unprecedented in previous environmental legislation: specific deadlines for compliance. It also enjoined the new EPA from considering costs in establishing ambient air standards—inspiring Robert Griffin, a Republican automotive senator from Michigan, to snarl that the 1975 deadline for limiting auto exhaust pollutants “holds a gun to the head of the American automobile industry in a very dangerous game of roulette.” The technology to implement the standards, he complained, did not exist. Democrat Edmund Muskie of Maine, the leader of senate environmentalists, responded, “This deadline is based not, I repeat, not, on economic and technological feasibility, but on considerations of public health.… Detroit has told the nation that Americans cannot live without the automobile. This legislation would tell Detroit that if this is the case, then they must make an automobile with which the American people can live.” The version that passed the Senate 73–2 was stronger than what had been debated in any hearing. A cowed GM lobbyist told the National Journal that “the atmosphere was such that offering amendments seemed pointless,” and that “I wouldn’t think of asking anybody to vote against the bill.”

The Senate Commerce Committee, that former redoubt of trucking senators, railroad senators, textile senators, and tobacco senators, became a regulator’s paradise. At confirmation hearings for a new FTC head, Frank Moss congratulated the agency for having “stretched its powers to provide a credible countervailing public force to the enormous economic and political power of huge corporate conglomerates which today dominate American enterprise. That is as it should be.” Then one of Moss’s conservative colleagues, Senator Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, asked the nominee to “become a real zealot in terms of consumer affairs,” tough enough that “these big businesspeople will complain.”

In 1971, Webster’s added the word consumerism to its Third New International Dictionary. A book called America, Inc.: Who Owns and Operates the United States? coauthored by the Washington Post’s consumer reporter and original Nader champion Morton Mintz rode the bestseller list for months. Children begged at bedtime to hear Dr. Seuss’s new book The Lorax, in which a pitiless capitalist “biggers” his business by harvesting every last Truffula tree, crying triumphantly, “Business is business and business must grow!” and leaving behind a barren hellscape. Gore Vidal published a cover article in Esquire touting Nader for president, and 78 percent of columnist Mike Royko’s readers who sent back a questionnaire he published said they wanted him as the Democrats’ presidential nominee. Another new independent regulatory agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was born. Congress passed bills requiring childproof packaging for poisonous substances, killing federal subsidies for a supersonic transport plane, restricting lead in house paint, and establishing safety standards for recreational boats. Nixon signed them—not because he was a closet liberal, but because, as his aide Bryce Harlow, a former lobbyist for Procter & Gamble, delicately explained to the American Advertising Federation, though “President Nixon profoundly respects the critical contribution made by industry to the vitality and strength of the American economy, if this respect were to over-influence his actions, I am certain that the fall of 1972 would bring a new and hostile team to the White House.”

Nader had by then established a permanent presence in the capital, based in a decrepit mansion which had been slated for demolition in the down-market Dupont Circle neighborhood, where, amid a shambles of borrowed third-hand furniture and wooden fruit crates stuffed with books and files, staggeringly devoted young Ivy League–trained Nader’s Raiders institutionalized their hero’s agenda. The neighborhood was pocked with similar offices. Common Cause, Friends of the Earth, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Nader’s own Public Citizen, Environmental Action, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and the Consumer Federation of America were all established in 1969 or 1970. Nader started six new organizations in 1971 alone, including Public Citizen, a membership group that raised more than $1 million from sixty-two thousand donors in its first year.

That was another new pattern. Throughout the seventies, pundits cast their eye on declining election turnout and agonized over voter apathy. But apathy at the polls did not extend to joining consumer and environmental organizations, whose memberships exploded, thanks in part to the same computer-based direct mail technology that Richard Viguerie employed. Nearly one hundred thousand households contributed at least $70 to not one, not two, but three progressive membership groups. Major foundations pitched in, too. Thanks to the shower of cash—and because most new consumer and environmental laws awarded attorneys’ fees to plaintiffs who sued to enforce them—lawsuits against corporations increased exponentially.

George McGovern considered Nader as his running mate. (He replied, “I’m an advocate for justice and that doesn’t mix with the needs of politics.”) Nixon vetoed the 1972 Clean Water Act, for its “staggering, budget-wrecking” $24 billion cost—but his veto was overridden with considerable Republican votes. In October, he signed a law establishing the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the third new regulatory agency in three years.

Then, however, following his landslide reelection, he proposed a radical right-wing budget that Newsweek described as “one of the most significant American political documents since the dawning of the New Deal,” intended to “pull the government back from the proliferating social concerns of the years from Franklin Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson.” Thanks to Watergate, he never got the chance. Senator Sam Ervin’s televised hearings had reverberated with accounts of briefcases full of corporate cash laundered through the Mexican subsidiaries of blue-chip firms like American Airlines, Goodyear, and 3M. In the midst of it came the first energy crisis, which a majority of Americans—and some senators—believed the big energy companies had cooked up to line their pockets. Pollster Daniel Yankelovich found that 70 percent of Americans believed big business controlled government through illegal bribes. And that was before spectacular revelations, following Nixon’s resignation, that the same slush funds companies maintained to bribe Nixon were also used to pay off foreign officials. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s chief of enforcement was gobsmacked. “Until two or three years ago,” he said, “I genuinely thought the conduct of business… was generally rising. But what can you say about the revelations of the last couple or three years?”

Under President Ford, government checks on corporate power expanded yet further. One of the first laws he signed was the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, which strictly enforced the pension promises companies made to their employees, placing thousands of company’s books under federal scrutiny for the first time. In 1975 he signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, a landmark law demanding that every American car manufacturer achieve a “Corporate Average Fuel Economy,” or CAFE, of eighteen miles per gallon by the 1978 model year. That meant every manufacturer had to redesign every car on the drawing boards. An automotive think tank estimated that it would cost manufacturers $60 billion to $80 billion, virtually their entire store of capital assets, and made the companies fear for their very survival. A group of automotive lobbyists approached the chief of staff of Edmund Muskie’s environmental subcommittee, Leon Billings, with a memo suggesting some ideas on the bill. Billings fashioned a paper airplane out of the document and sailed it straight over their heads.

This passage made me change my mind about Richard Nixon.

[doughyduo]

Does volunteering at a hospital make you worried about the health risks of obesity?

i mean, personally, i don’t want to be fat or have a girlfriend that’s really fat

i don’t personally think i would want the love of my life to be fat because it comes with lots of health risks and with things that would need to be addressed, and i don’t think i could do it

I’ve known a lot about the health risks about obesity since before i volunteered at the hospital though, even as far as the increased risk of increased visceral fat leading to the increase of estrogen levels which can put one at risk for pancreatic cancer, as well as a handful of other cancers, and everything else. pressure sores if you don’t keep active, blood clots, gallbladder disease, diabetes tends to suck too if you end up getting that

it’s a complex thing, but i generally dont support much in the way of weight gain in real life because ive seen some stuff outside of my volunteer work that really just like...you gotta be ready for some health sacrifices if you don’t take 100% care of yourself, and even then, you’re still gonna have some issues later in life. if you’re willing to accept those risks, go for it, but ive seen some people be miserable at their sizes and such. ill support the people who make the choice because generally, it increases self-confidence, which is extremely important to quality of life, but it is important to know what else will happen

anyways im rambling, the point is the hospital work didn’t make me more worried about the negative impact of obesity on an individual, but some prior research because i was actually interested in going to med school a while ago

[shelleycollinsna]

What are the benefits of eating healthy?

A healthy diet usually includes nutrient-dense foods from all significant food teams, including lean proteins, entire grains, healthy fats, as well as vegetables and fruits of lots of shades.

Healthy eating additionally implies replacing foods which contain trans fats, added salt, and sugar with more healthy choices.

Complying with a healthy diet has lots of health and wellness advantages, including structure strong bones, safeguarding the heart, protecting against condition, and also improving mood.

This write-up takes a look at the leading 10 advantages of a healthful diet plan, and also the evidence behind them.

1. Heart health and wellness

According to the Centers for Illness Control as well as Avoidance (CDC) Relied on Source, heart disease is the leading cause of death for grownups in the United States.

The American Heart Organization (AHA) state that virtually half of UNITED STATE adults live with some form of heart disease.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a growing problem in the U.S. The problem may result in cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, and also stroke.

Some resources report that it is possible to stop up to 80% of premature cardiovascular disease and also stroke medical diagnoses with lifestyle modifications, such as boosting physical activity as well as healthful consuming.

The foods people consume may lower their blood pressure and also aid maintain their heart healthy.

The dietary methods to stop hypertension diet plan, known as the DASH diet, includes lots of healthful foods for the heart. The program recommends the following:

consuming lots of veggies, fruits, as well as entire grains

selecting fat-free or low fat dairy items, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, as well as veggie oils

restricting saturated and also trans fat intake, such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy products

restricting drinks and also foods that contain sugarcoated

restricting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day-- ideally 1,500 mg daily-- and also boosting consumption of potassium, magnesium, as well as calcium

High fiber foods are also critical for keeping the heart healthy and balanced.

The AHA state that nutritional fiber assists improve blood cholesterol as well as decreases the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

The medical community has actually long recognized the link between trans fats and heart-related diseases, such as coronary heart problem.

Limiting particular types of fats may additionally improve heart wellness. For example, getting rid of trans fats lowers the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. This sort of cholesterol triggers plaque to gather within the arteries, enhancing the danger of cardiovascular disease as well as stroke.

Lowering blood pressure may also promote heart health and wellness. A person may accomplish this by limiting their salt intake to no more than 1,500 milligrams per day.

Food makers add salt to numerous refined and also instant foods, as well as a person who desires to lower their high blood pressure need to avoid these items.

2. Minimized illness risk

Consuming foods that contain anti-oxidants may decrease a person's danger of establishing toxic cells by safeguarding cells from damage.

The presence of complimentary radicals in the body raises the risk of illnesses, but antioxidants may help remove them to lower the probability of this condition.

Several phytochemicals located in fruits, veggies, nuts, and vegetables work as anti-oxidants, including beta-carotene, lycopene, as well as vitamins A, C, as well as E.

According to the National Institute, though humans trials are undetermined, there are laboratory and pet researches that link certain anti-oxidants to a decreased incidence of complimentary extreme damage.

Foods high in antioxidants include:

berries such as blueberries as well as raspberries

dark leafy eco-friendlies

pumpkin and carrots

nuts and also seeds

Having weight problems might increase a person's danger of creating illness and also related to poorer end results. Maintaining a modest weight may minimize these risks.

In a 2014 study, researchers located that a diet plan abundant in fruits reduced the risk of upper stomach tract illness.

They likewise located that a diet regimen abundant in vegetables, fruits, and also fiber decreased the threat of colon cancer cells, while a diet abundant in fiber lowers the risk of liver bad cells.

3. Much finer state of mind

Some evidence suggests a close relationship between diet plan as well as state of mind.

In 2016, scientists discovered that diet regimens with a high glycemic load may cause increased symptoms of clinical depression and also tiredness.

A diet with a high glycemic load includes lots of polished carbs, such as those discovered in soft drinks, cakes, white bread, as well as biscuits. Veggies, entire fruit, as well as whole grains have a lower glycemic tons.

If an individual believes they have signs of depression, speaking to a doctor or psychological health professional may aid.

4. Boosted digestive tract health and wellness

The colon has plenty of naturally occurring bacteria, which play important functions in metabolism and also food digestion.

Particular pressures of germs additionally produce vitamins K and B, which profit the colon. These pressures likewise may help battle hazardous bacteria and also viruses.

A diet plan low in fiber and also high in sugar and also fat changes the intestine microbiome, enhancing swelling in the location.

Nonetheless, a diet regimen abundant in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and entire grains provides a mix of prebiotics as well as probiotics that assist good germs thrive in the colon.

These fermented foods are rich in probiotics:

yogurt

kimchi

sauerkraut

miso

kefir

Fiber is a briskly accessible prebiotic as well as is bountiful in beans, grains, fruits, and also vegetables. It also promotes routine defecation, which may aid prevent digestive tract illnesses as well as diverticulitis.

5. Boosted memory

A healthy diet plan may assist maintain cognition as well as brain health and wellness.

A 2015 research identified nutrients and also foods that shield against cognitive decrease and mental deterioration. The researchers discovered the complying with to be valuable:

vitamin D, vitamin C, as well as vitamin E.

omega-3 fatty acids.

flavonoids and also polyphenols.

fish.

Among other diet regimens, the Mediterranean diet regimen includes most of these nutrients.

6. Weight reduction.

Preserving a modest weight may help in reducing the risk of persistent wellness issues. Having obese or excessive weight are threat factors for a number of problems, including:.

cardiovascular disease.

kind 2 diabetes.

poor bone density.

Lots of healthful foods, including vegetables, fruits, as well as beans, are reduced in calories than many refined foods.

An individual may identify their calorie needs making use of support from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-- 2020.

Preserving a healthful diet plan free from refined foods may aid a person keep within their day-to-day restriction without keeping track of calorie consumption.

Nutritional fiber is certainly vital for managing weight. Plant-based foods contain plenty of dietary fiber, which aids control appetite by making individuals really feel fuller for longer.

In 2018, scientists found that a diet rich in fiber and lean proteins take to weight-loss without the need for keeping an eye on calorie consumption.

7. Diabetic issues management.

A healthful diet regimen may aid a person with diabetic issues in:.

handling blood glucose degrees.

maintaining blood pressure and also cholesterol within target arrays.

avoiding or delaying complications of diabetes.

keeping a modest weight.

It is vital for people with diabetes mellitus to restrict their intake of foods with added sugar and also salt. They must also consider staying clear of deep-fried foods high in saturated and trans fats.

8. Solid bones as well as teeth.

A diet plan with ample calcium and also magnesium is essential for solid bones and teeth. Maintaining the bones healthy may minimize the risk of bone concerns later in life, such as weakening of bones.

The adhering to foods are abundant in calcium:.

low fat milk products.

broccoli.

cauliflower.

cabbage.

tinned fish with bones.

tofu.

legumes.

Food producers typically fortify grains and also plant-based milks with calcium.

Magnesium is abundant in many foods, and also a few of the very most resources consist of leafed eco-friendly vegetables, nuts, seeds, and also entire grains.

9. Getting a good night's sleep.

A range of aspects, consisting of rest apnea, may interrupt rest patterns.

Rest apnea happens when the respiratory tracts repetitively end up being obstructed throughout rest. Risk factors consist of excessive weight, alcohol consumption alcohol, and also consuming an unhealthy diet plan.

Minimizing alcohol and also caffeine intake can aid a person gain relaxed sleep, whether they have rest apnea or not.

10. The health of the future generation.

Youngsters find out most health-related habits from the adults around them, and also parents that design healthful eating and workout habits have a tendency to pass these on.

Eating in your home might also assist. In 2018, scientists located that youngsters that regularly ate meals with their families eaten much more vegetables as well as less sugary foods than their peers who ate at house less often.

In addition, youngsters who participate in gardening and also cooking in the house might be more likely to make healthy dietary and also way of living selections.

Brief suggestions for a healthful diet regimen.

There are plenty of little, favorable means to boost diet plan, including:.

exchanging sodas for water and also natural tea.

consuming no meat for at the very least 1 day a week.

ensuring each dish contains around 50% fresh fruit and vegetables.

exchanging cow's milk for plant-based milk.

eating entire fruits rather than juices, which include less fiber and often consist of added sugar.

avoiding refined meats, which are high in salt as well as may enhance the risk of colon bad cells.

consuming extra lean protein, which people may find in eggs, tofu, fish, and nuts.

A person may likewise gain from taking a food preparation course, as well as learning just how to incorporate even more vegetables into dishes.

Summary.

Healthful consuming has lots of health advantages, such as minimizing the threat of heart disease, stroke, weight problems, as well as kind 2 diabetes mellitus. It may likewise enhance an individual's state of mind and give them with even more power.

A medical professional or dietitian can supply pointers on eating a much more healthy diet regimen.

Source: What are the benefits of eating healthy?

[theprojectpets]

How To Make Sure That Your Pet Is Healthy And Happy

Pets come in all kinds of packages; some are big, some small, but no matter how cute or cuddly they seem, every single one of us wants our furry friends to be healthy and happy. However, not everyone knows exactly how to keep their beloved pooch as fit and trim as possible. Fortunately, we've got you covered! Check out this list of tips to ensure that your loving companion stays in tip top shape:

1) Feed Him Right - Dogs need plenty of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and water to stay strong and active. According to the ASPCA website, “The average American diet consists mainly of processed foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Most commercial pet foods contain too much corn syrup, refined grains and artificial ingredients such as preservatives, flavor enhancers and coloring agents." Try feeding your dog real meat instead of kibble, like chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish and eggs. Also make sure he gets his daily dose of fruits and veggies.

2) Exercise Them Regularly - If you're lucky enough to live somewhere warm during winter months, take him outside regularly for walks and playtime. He'll get more exercise from running around outdoors than sitting inside watching TV. Plus, regular physical activity helps prevent obesity-related health problems down the road. Remember, though, that even indoor activities count toward his total exercise time. For example, playing fetch counts as an outdoor workout because he's getting lots of fresh air while he chases balls through the yard. On the flip side, simply lying on the couch doesn't qualify as exercise unless he's actually moving around and climbing stairs.

3) Keep Up With His Vaccinations - Not surprisingly, vaccines work best when given before exposure to disease. But remember, it takes two weeks for antibodies produced by vaccination to reach peak levels in the bloodstream. So don’t wait until your puppy starts showing signs of illness to give him shots. Instead, start vaccinating well ahead of schedule so that he builds immunity early on. Be especially careful about giving boosters annually since many diseases, like canine parvovirus, require multiple doses over a long period of time.

4) Brush Them Daily - Just like human hair grows longer with frequent washing, fur needs brushingat least once per day to remove dead skin cells and dirt buildup. Brushing also stimulates blood flow which promotes overall good health. In fact, according to the National Canine Research Council, dogs who receive regular grooming sessions tend to have fewer medical issues throughout life than those whose coats aren't brushed often.

5) Provide Appropriate Grooming Care - A clean coat will help protect against fleas, mites and other parasites that can wreak havoc on your pup's body. When choosing a new home for your four legged friend, look for someone who understands proper care and maintenance. This includes making sure there are adequate supplies of food and water available, keeping floors swept free of debris, providing appropriate shelter and ensuring that the house has been properly cleaned prior to bringing your new family member into residence.

6) Get Rid Of Unwanted Hair - Even if you think your dog looks adorable with her fluffy tail or bushy eyebrows, she probably won't feel quite right without shedding hair. While most breeds shed year round, certain breeds may do so seasonally. For instance, huskies shed heavily during the colder months of the year, whereas poodles typically lose their hair during spring and summer. It's important to note, however, that excessive shedding isn't necessarily a sign of poor hygiene. Some pets just naturally shed more than others. If this is the case with your pet, be patient and try not to get frustrated. You'll eventually find a solution that works for both of you!

7) Take Advantage Of Your Dog's Natural Enthusiasm - Playing games together provides a great opportunity to bond with each other. Find fun ways to play such as tugging contests, hide-and-seek, chasing balls, wrestling and retrieving items. As you spend more quality time together, you'll see how much joy your furry pal brings to your everyday routine.

8 ) Make Sure He Has Access To Safe Places And Things - Dogs need plenty of room to run, jump and explore. They should always have access to safe places where they can rest, chew things up and make themselves comfortable. These areas include beds, crates, furniture and toys. Don't forget to provide safety gates to keep them out of trouble too.

9) Give Him Time Outdoors - Since puppies love being outside, take advantage of these opportunities whenever possible. Go hiking, swimming, running and exploring the neighborhood. The key here is to let him experience nature first hand rather than taking him to some boring park full of people and cars. By exposing him to natural surroundings from birth, you're helping shape his personality and teach him to become accustomed to different environments.

10) Encourage Socialization - Every breed develops differently but all dogs benefit greatly from socializing. In fact, it's recommended by many experts that all puppies be exposed to at least one person in addition to their mother and littermates within the first few weeks after birth. This helps prevent aggression issues later down the road when he becomes an adult. However, don't overdo it. Too much exposure early in life could lead to separation anxiety problems later on.