Trick Body

Just do all these steps, and you'll understand about health simplify :

Choose many different healthy foods. Pick those that are lower in cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat (mostly in foods that come from animals) and trans fatty acids (found in some processed foods, margarines, and shortenings). Avoid “empty calories” as much as you can. These are foods and drinks with a lot of calories, but not many nutrients—for example, chips, cookies, sodas, and alcohol.

Calories are a way to measure the energy you get from food. If you eat more calories than your body needs, you could gain weight. Most packaged foods have the calorie counts listed on the labels.

The Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourage people to eat a suggested amount from five major food groups every day. If you can’t do that, at least try to eat something from each group each day. Lower fat choices are best. Make sure you include vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods. Eating the smallest amount suggested will give you about 1,600 calories a day, the largest number has about 2,800 calories.

A woman : 1,600 calories, if her physical activity level is low 1,800 calories, if she is moderately active 2,000-2,200 calories if she has an active lifestyle A man: 2,000 calories, if his physical activity level is low 2,200-2,400 calories, if he is moderately active 2,400-2,800 calories, if he has an active lifestyle The more physically active you are, the more you might be able to eat without gaining weight. Most people should have at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. Regular physical activity will help all areas of your life as you grow older.

Physical Therapists teach proper body mechanics as a core principle for preventing and rehabilitating back and/or neck dysfunction. Postural awareness should be incorporated into all of your everyday activities. Back and neck pain generally arise from repetitive activities that put abnormal stress on the back and neck over a prolonged period of time. Listed below are some guidelines that will help you protect you back and neck during regular activity.

THE ANATOMY OF GOOD POSTURE
- Maintain your spines' 3 neutral curves - cervical, thoracic and lumbar.
- Maintain your ear lobes above the center of your shoulders.
- Relax your shoulders.
- Keep the pelvis in neutral position.
- Keep your knees straight, but not locked.
- Have feet pointed forward.
- Distribute weight evenly on feet toward the balls of the feet.

STANDING
- Stand in a relaxed position.
- Stand as tall as possible, imagining a rope attached to the top of your head, lifting your head upwards.
- Maintain the neutral curves of the spine.
- When standing for long periods of time, shift weight and /or put one foot up on a stool, and after 15 minutes, alternate the foot up on the stool, and repeat as needed.
- Wear shoes with good arch support and well cushioned.

BENDING
- Avoid bending at the neck, chest or waist.
- When bending keep back in neutral - bend at hips and knees.
- Tighten the abdominal muscles to protect the lower back.
- Interrupt the bending posture frequently by standing and bending backwards when lifting is a repetitive task.

LIFTING
- Bend your knees and hips. Keep your back in neutral.
- Get close to what is being lifted with your feet apart for a wide base of support.
- Tighten the abdominal muscles.
- Lift with your arms and legs.
- Get help if you think it might be needed.
- Avoid overhead lifting.

WALKING
- Walk TALL.
- Wear comfortable, supportive shoes.
- Tighten abdominals.
- Keep toes pointed straight ahead.
- Let arms swing naturally.
- Breathe evenly keeping arms and shoulders loose.
- Watch where you are walking, observing uneven ground, curbs and stairs.

TURNING
- Avoid twisting motions of the spine.
- Turn feet as you turn to one direction.
- Keep feet and hips moving with the upper body.

SITTING
- Sit in chairs low enough to place both feet on the floor with the knees level with the hips; 90 degrees at hips, knees and ankles.
- Sit against the back of the chair and avoid slouching.
- If doing work at a desk, sit close to the desk and directly over your work. Avoid sitting without back support for any length of time.
- Avoid overstuffed chairs and couches which offer poor support.
- Use a chair with good low back support. Try a rolled up towel rolled 4-6 inches thick, placed between chair and the small of your back.
- Use lumbar support from a physical therapy department or medical supply store.
- If on the telephone, avoid holding the phone between your shoulder and ear.
- If at all possible, DO NOT sit for more than a half-hour at a time.
- Every half-hour, stand up with good posture and bends backwards 5-6 times, gently arching the back and walk around for a few minutes.
- When driving, get closer to the steering wheel to ease the strain on the back.
Use a lumbar support if needed.

ERGONOMICS
Ergonomics is how we fit our environment to our person. People come in different shapes and sizes. Analysis and modifications of your environment at home and work/school/recreational area may reduce/prevent musculoskeletal discomfort and pain.

TIPS FOR COMPUTER USERS
- Position screen 20-24 inches away.
- Top of the screen should be 5-15 degrees below your horizontal line of sight.
- Get paper holder to place the work right next to the screen.
- If you have a vision problem, consult your eye doctor.
- Sit with neutral spine.
- Get a comfortable chair that has a backrest that maintains the lumbar curve.
- Adjust the height of the chair and keyboard so your elbows are bent at a right angle. Forearms are parallel with the floor.
- Keep your wrists in line, in a neutral position.
- Take frequent breaks, stand up and walk around for a few minutes.
- Use anti-glare coated screens or anti-glare filters to decrease eye strain.