Hypertension: Top 4 Lifestyle Reasons Why You Have High Blood Pressure

We need blood pressure, but a growing number of us have hypertension. For some, there is a family history of the condition making us more prone to develop high blood pressure. However, a great many people suffer from the condition because of their poor lifestyle choices.

Here are the top four lifestyle reasons why you have high blood pressure, each of which is a facet of our modern lifestyle:

# 1. Poor Diet: Modern convenience and fast foods form a big part of the diet for most us. They make our life easier by saving time in shopping for ingredients, preparing and cooking our food. On the other side of the coin, they have high sodium content; contain a large amount of saturated fat and trans-fats. Sodium, as we know, causes our blood pressure levels to shoot up rapidly to an alarming level. The high fat content contributes to the problem indirectly by causing us to pile on the pounds. We are also addicted to carbonated soft drinks. Recent research suggests that both the regular and diet varieties contribute to weight gain and indirectly affect out condition.

Improving our diet will have immediate beneficial effect on our condition. Moving to a healthy balanced diet that is low in sodium and saturated fats, but is high in fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meat is the first step in reducing your hypertension naturally. Replacing sodas with cold fresh water will also have beneficial effects that will be noticeable within just a few days.

# 2. Lack of Exercise: In our modern society, leisure activities increasingly involve sitting down to watch a movie, TV or play a computer game. Labour saving devices have reduced the amount of daily exercise we take without even being aware of it. This may have given us more free time, but it has added to our sedentary lifestyle. We spend so much time in these sedentary leisure activities that it is difficult to find time to exercise. Our bodies were made to be active otherwise we put on weight.

Taking regular exercise need not involve joining a gym or buying any special equipment. Just thirty to sixty minutes aerobic exercise each day is all that we need. This type of exercise gets our heart pumping and our lungs working to a better capacity. Brisk walking is the easiest and most convenient form of this type of exercise. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator will also help. Cycling and swimming are also good forms of exercise. The benefit, in the form of reduced hypertension, kicks in soon after completing the exercise and last for almost twenty-four hours. Regular exercise coupled with a healthy balanced diet is the best way to avoid the next lifestyle factor causing high blood pressure…

# 3. Obesity: Often, obesity is the consequence of the combination of having a poor diet and not taking sufficient exercise. Being overweight increases the risk of developing hypertension as well as type 2 diabetes. These lifestyle related and potentially life threatening conditions are often found together, each contributing to the other in a negative way.

Losing weight is an excellent way of lowering your high blood pressure. The best way to achieve this is by having a healthy balanced diet and taking regular daily exercise. Getting to and maintaining the ideal weight for your gender and height could add years to your life expectancy.

# 4. Stress: In the right context, stress is a good thing. Nature intended it as a survival mechanism, which we call “fight or flight”. This focuses the brain and gives you extra energy so you can either fight off or escape the cause of danger. Our modern lifestyle often uses the same mechanism, only that it is ongoing over a much longer period of time than nature intended. This contributes to your hypertension.

The best way to reduce your stress levels is to learn to relax. Twenty minutes deep relaxation each day has an immediate, but short-lived, beneficial effect on your hypertension.

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Funny Videos Kids Love and How To Make Them

Making videos can be lots of fun and is something that everyone can enjoy. The hardest part of making a video is having the right equipment. Well you are in luck because all you really need is a camcorder to record your onscreen antics. The primary thing you must remember is that any video recording device will do. There is no need to go out and purchase an expensive camcorder. You can use your cellphone or dust off Mom or Dads old camcorder from the attic and you are in business. The other must have item is an IMAGINATION! That’s right you can come up with a new idea or borrow an idea and make it your own. It may seem like a hard thing to do but many kids are making videos and making money all while having good clean fun here are some things to consider and the most important factor:

Video Recording Device

This device can be a cellphone with video recording capabilities. You can also use an old camcorder or a flip camera. Many digital cameras have video recorders built-in and are a great tool you can use to get started. You can also borrow a video recorder and give it back when you are done.

Plot

The great thing about making these videos is that you can just hit record on the camera and go. Some of the funniest videos I have seen are made on the fly just letting the video capture video and then something funny happens. The other way to make a video takes more time but really takes the fun to a whole other level. Ideas for these types of videos are everywhere. Many times you can just spoof an existing movie, artist or famous movie character and add your own twist and create a funny video. Some of the best ways to get started making theses videos is by picking your favorite song and dancing to it. The best thing is that you and your friends can participate.

Props

Props in a video is a great way to spice up the short clip. You can use everyday household items. I find that dressing up in my parents clothes is so much fun. Wigs are a great way to create characters and put a smile on peoples faces. You can go to a costume store or your neighborhood pharmacy to find inexpensive props to add to your video. I find that wearing silly glasses with colored lenses are great. I also recommend putting on your Halloween costume or mask to make your video more realistic.

Actors

This is where you can really shine. You can become “famous” by starring in your own homemade video. You can be the main character in your video. I find that it can also be fun to include your friends and family to act in the video. Now I know that some of us would rather be behind the scenes and that is perfectly fine. I have made multiple videos where I was behind the scenes putting the whole show together and I have someone else in the actual video. I prefer to be behind the scenes controlling the way the final product comes out.

Showcase

Now that you have recorded your video it’s time to show it off. This is the best part when all your hard work comes to life and you get to let others see. Some kids only make videos for their family and friends. You can just plug your camcorder to the TV. I like making videos and posting them on my website. Also if you don’t have a website you can just post the video on one of the many video sites out there like YouTube. You never know your video can go viral and you really can become internet famous and the best part is you had fun doing it. So what are you waiting for? Go out there and have fun. Create videos and use the tricks and tips I have given you here to put smiles on peoples faces especially yours!

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Success at Work: Techniques: Computer Literacy

It’s hard to believe that there are people in today’s workforce who don’t know how to use a computer. In today’s society, being computer illiterate is equivalent to being functionally illiterate. Obviously no one reading this article is computer illiterate, but maybe you know someone who thinks they can avoid computers and still be successful at work.Let me tell you a story about a good friend of mine back when I worked at Motorola. The company moved the manufacturing of automobile alternators offshore, resulting in his transfer to my department. Although he had about 20 years with the company, this was to be his last stop before being booted out the door.He was assigned to me as an Electronics Technician, and the first assignment that I gave him was to lay out a small printed circuit (pc) board. It was a tiny circuit for a tester, so computer drafting was not required. He could just sketch it out on paper. After several days, he came back to me explaining that he didn’t have the technical ability to lay out a pc board.An Electronics Technician that couldn’t lay out a simple pc board? Don’t all Electronics Technicians make little hobby circuits at home? At least all the technicians I knew did.I explained that he needed to draw outlines of the components and then use the schematic to draw lines between the components connections. Then, maybe rearrange the components if that would result in fewer crossing paths. I also explained something much more profound, how to deal with the complexity of technology.Many people, when they come into contact with technology, consider themselves too stupid to deal with it. Technology is only for geniuses and geeks. Sometimes technology is too complex, but it’s not because people are stupid, it’s because the technology is poorly designed.For example, take software, like a graphics program, spreadsheet or database. Is the intended user of the software a computer programmer, or an average person? These applications are intended for use by an average person. If an application is too complex for the average person, the application is at fault – not the user.Why are most computers and software applications too complex for the average person? Because they are designed by programmers who are under pressure to get the product out the door. Does the application have simple, easy-to-use help files? Software developers consider help files even less important than application usability.- The bottom line is, people are not stupid – computers and software applications ARE too complex.In today’s world, where workers are required to use computers and technology, how can they deal with the complexity? Back to the story about my friend at Motorola.After receiving my instructions, he successfully completed the pc board layout. I then introduced him to Computer Automated Engineering (CAE). I showed him how to drag electronic components from a library, use the mouse to draw circuit paths, make the computer simulate the function of the circuit, and then make the computer layout a pc board for the circuit.He was able to easily master complex technology because he now understood that he wasn’t stupid. Computers ARE complex. When he needed help, he studied the help files or asked someone for help. Eventually, his CAE skills became known and I lost him to another manager. “His last stop before being booted out the door?” I don’t think so. There’s no way Motorola is going to let this valuable employee get away.Even though it’s the programmers fault that computers and software are too complex, that doesn’t relieve you of all responsibility. You must make an effort. Like my friend at Motorola, you must study the help files or ask someone for help when you need it. Not only must you study the help files, but you must also be willing to “try things”.Many people fear that if they click on the wrong thing, the computer will blow up and they will be blamed for it. A properly designed software application prevents the user from making a fatal mistake, either by making it impossible, or by providing a warning message. A properly designed application lets the user “back out of” or reverse any action. One of the best ways to learn is to “try things”. If the computer blow ups because you made a mistake, you’re using improperly designed software.When you’re learning how to perform a function with a computer, if you expect you may need to perform that same function again, take notes. No one will think you’re stupid if you take notes. But if you keep asking over and over again how to perform the same function, they will think you’re too stupid to take notes.When I worked at Motorola, I used a technique called “strokes” to make symbols appear and move around the computer screen like magic. Some people called me the “Electronic God”. How did I get so good? I tried things. I failed. I studied. I tried again. I understood that technology IS complex. So what?In today’s society, being computer illiterate is equivalent to being functionally illiterate. Make the effort to study the help files and to “try things”. Don’t get discouraged or blame yourself if you don’t succeed on the first try. The computer won’t blow up if you make a mistake. You can’t be successful at work if you fail to embrace computers and technology.Copyright(C) 2004 Bucaro TecHelp.Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.

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