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Category: Health

Free Health Screenings in Seattle

You can get a free cancer screening from the Seattle King County Public Health and the Washington State Department of Health through their county-and state-wide services if you meet the criteria. The Breast, Cervical and Colon program is a free health screening service for men and women between the ages of 40 and 64 who have no or limited health insurance, low-income or are unemployed.

Eligible men and women between the ages of 50 to 64 can receive colorectal cancer screenings. In addition to this screening, women may get a clinical breast exam, mammogram, pap test or pelvic examination. Treatment and case management services are available breast or cervical cancer.

To enroll in this program, you must contact the contractor working for King County. Her contact information is provided on the Washington State Department of Health's website or the Seattle King County Public Health's website. You may also call the Community Health Access Program (CHAP) at 1-800-756-5437 to find out if you qualify to receive one of these screenings and get a referral to a clinic near you.

Free HIV and STD testing

Contact the Center for MultiCultural Health by calling 206-461-6910 ext 217 for an appointment for free and anonymous HIV testing . Walk-in appointments are available for Tuesdays,10:30am – 12:00pm, and Thursdays,12:00pm – 1:30pm . The location of the center is 105 14th Avenue Suite 2C .

Free HIV and syphilis testing is available at the Gay City Health Project for men who have sex with men. The location is 511 E Pike Street and hours of the clinic are Tuesday-Friday, 3:00pm – 8:00pm and Saturdays, 1:00pm – 5:00pm.

For HIV and STD treatment call the HIV/AIDS Program 206-296-4649.…

Is There a Health Risk of Consuming Too Much Aspartame?

As obesity becomes an epidemic in a high proportion of the worlds developed countries, many people search for an easy way to lose weight. There is no easy way and many of the diet drinks that promise massive weight loss contain large amounts of aspartame. The dangers of aspartame are proven to cause different illnesses and complaints that could have drastic results. It is for this reason that before becoming a victim of the hype that surrounds the marketing of these drinks, a person must become aware of the dangers of aspartame.

Aspartame is an additive used in dry goods and carbonated beverages. The approval of this was given back in 1981 but since then it is proven that over 75% of adverse reactions in the foods that are eaten can be attributed to aspartame. There are a great number of complaints that are proven to be caused by this additive namely, joint pain, memory loss, vertigo, tinnitus, loss of taste, slurred speech, anxiety attacks, breathing problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, problems with vision, insomnia, depression, fatigue, nausea, rashes, headaches and migraines, dizziness, muscle spasms, numbness, weight gain and irritability.

The dangers of aspartame have become evident to the sufferers of these many health conditions but over time continued consumption has far more serious consequences. Continuing research is proving that aspartame can play a large part in the onset of illnesses such as epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson's disease, hypoglycemia, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease; to name just a few. It should also be noted that pregnant women, children and the elderly who are not in the best of health could become more vulnerable to any of these illnesses.

Further research has highlighted the dangers of aspartame and the damage it can have on the brain. Regular consumption of aspartame, over a long period of time, can result in a number of emotional disorders. Coupled with this the fact that the diet drinks that contain this additive can become addictive and result in acute depression, mood swings and schizophrenia. So if a person wants to lose weight the only way to do so is the natural way. Becoming a victim of the hype that surrounds the diet drink industry can ensure that you end up another victim of the dangers of aspartame.…

The Real Health Quiz

It is a common belief that the thinner you are the healthier you are It has been proved however that body size has nothing to do with how healthy you are. Healthy just depends on how well you take care of your body. However there are some people with weight issues that they need to watch and they need to watch their diet and exercise so as to keep their body healthy.

It’s a myth that if you exercise you will be healthy. If you exercise the right way you will be healthy. Exercising involves getting the whole body to respond to everything that you do. Exercising can be in different styles, to tone your body or to keep your body fit. Most physicians will always tell you to exercise so that your body can be strong enough to combat diseases and enjoy better health. How do we know how much exercise is recommended and what types of exercise are recommended? It’s time to visit your general doctor and find out.

Everywhere we look there is always a warning about our health and most of the time it depends on the kind of lifestyle that we live. The lifestyle that we choose will be a direct contributor to the diseases that we get. For instance, just from smoking you can get about two types of cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer and the same activity can accelerate the rate of some cancers such as breast cancer.

Being healthy or wanting to be healthy does not mean that you give up everything you love, you can stick to a low fat diet. This generally means that you watch what you eat. If you don’t want to eat the low fat foodstuffs of the shelf, just reduce the amount of servings of food you have every day. All along make sure you exercise at least three times a week. It is always fun to do things by twos and not by ones, so recruit a friend to join you at the gym, flaunt it and you will be amazed at how your body feels and you will be shocked to find out that exercise also relaxes your mind.

No matter how young and vibrant you are, you have to know if you are really healthy and get an annual checkup. Just because you feel nothing is wrong with you doesn’t mean you are A okay. You have to know if your cholesterol level is okay and if your bodyweight is average. Have the power to control your body, by maintaining the ideal weight and taking good care of it by taking time off to relax. Learn to have healthy eating habits, watch what you eat. No food will cause weight loss without some effort so it is healthy to have a meal that will keep you satisfied. Do not just eat anywhere, learn to restrict where you eat, make time for meals. Drink lots of water, this not only helps in digestion, but …

Fish Stew – Healthy and Flavorful

This totally simple preparation will make dinner seem elegant and flavorful.  It works with frozen fish fillets as well as fresh, and works surprisingly well in a crock pot.  All you need is rice or couscous and a salad.  Try a glass of wine with it too, yum!  It is a low calorie, low fat feast, using the intrinsic flavors of the simple ingredients to make a delicious dinner.  It’s so simple you can cook it on a weeknight.  If you do it in the crockpot on the weekend, you can take it out and heat it up several nights in a row.

4-6 fresh or frozen fish fillets, cod or something similar

1 quart vegetable stock, homemade or packaged

1 bunch scallions, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 T. olive oil

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

2 fresh lemons

Heat the oil in a sturdy pot or fry pan.  When the oil is hot, add the pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the stock to the oil mixture.

Put the liquid into your crock pot or stew pot.

Add the fish fillets and the scallions.

Slice the lemons, taking out the seeds.  Put the slices, skin and all, into the pot with the other ingredients.

Heat and then simmer until the fillets are cooked through and flake with a fork.  Frozen fillets will tkae longer, of course.  In the crock pot, allow several hours on high for frozen fillets , two hours on low for fresh.  On the stove, allow an hour for frozen filets and 30 minutes for fresh; make sure not to overcook and not to boil them too vigorously or they will fall apart.  Fish is delicate and needs to be cooked gently.

While this is cooking, cook your rice or couscous and make your salad.

When the stew is done, serve over the rice or couscous in bowls.

This is good with a glass of red or white wine!…

Health Benefits Of Eating Broccoli

I know many of you are going to say yuck, but one of the best vegetables you can eat to help keeps cancers and disease away is broccoli. Broccoli contains powerful antioxidants in it that help attack the free radical cells in our bodies that cause cancers and disease, but you have to eat the broccoli crown and stem without the cheesy dressing to get the maximum healthy benefits from it.

Broccoli is a green flowery vegetable that is a member of the cabbage family. The vegetable is usually steamed and served with butter, salt, and pepper, and most of the time with a cheesy dressing to make it taste a lot better. However, loading your broccoli up with butter, salt, pepper, and cheeses can actually make this vegetable bad for you. The best way to eat broccoli is steamed with fresh herbs and olive oil or just the way it is so you can receive the most health benefits from it.

The nutrients in broccoli are anticancer compounds known as sulforaphane, calcium, folate, vitamin C, and beta carotene, iron, phosphorus, vitamin E, potassium, protein, niacin, and vitamin K. These are also known as the antioxidants in broccoli that help prevent cancers and diseases because of there ability to create loads of healthy enzymes that help detoxify harmful cancer causing compound from our bodies. The main antioxidant in broccoli that really helps prevent cancers and diseases in the body is the sulfur compound because not only does it fight off the cancer causing cells, but it also helps kill the bacteria in the body that causes infections such as ulcers in the intestines, stomach, throat, and mouth. The other main nutrients are the calcium and vitamin C in broccoli because they help keep our bones, tissues, and muscles strong so we can move easily and freely without any problems such as joint pains and body aches. The vitamin C also helps protect our immune system so it can fight off illnesses better such as cold and flues. All the antioxidants in broccoli are beneficial to our bodies, but in order to get the health benefits from broccoli we have to eat all of the broccoli like I mentioned before such as the whole crown and stem of the veggie.

Some of the different types of cancers and diseases broccoli can help prevent are tumors, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, colon cancer, lung cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. The antioxidants in broccoli can even help keep us looking young and vibrant because they help fight off the free radical cells that cause aging.

Now I know some of you are still thinking broccoli is yucky, but would you consider eating it now that you know the amazing health benefits it could provide for your body? I know I would. Broccoli just contains way to many health benefits in it I simply can not refuse. Keeping our bodies in top shape and good health …

Children health lunch

Take care on child, not only in school education and in lunch food. Main thing is health but education watching is also important.

Whether you are sending it with kids or relying on what they will receive at school, lunch is an important meal.

Choose foods that will add to healthy, balanced diet. Check with your doctor, school counselor, health care provider or government for recommended nutrition guidelines.  The recommend food is an emphasis on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Use higher fat, salt, sugar and calorie choices in moderation. This may mean using fewer prepared or packaged foods. If you do choose a prepared lunch alternative, supplement this with a piece of fruit or some carrot sticks.

Remember avoid these hot food, cool drinks and ice-cream. Know you are child tastes- if they will eat any thing, give them lots of variety. Add some crunch to their lunch-and it dose not have to be potato chips. Try roasted nuts trail mix or a small bag of popcorn. If they have chips, try the backed variety.

Save money by packing your single servings. Purchasing prepared single- serving of snack food, puddings and pastas can save time. but the cost can add up. Invest in sealable plastic bags and small plastic containers in a variety on sizes and pack your own lunch- sized portions.

Kids like finger foods and they are easy to transport. Cut cheese in sticks rather than slices; slice apples in wedges. Try sending their favorite cut up vegetables with a small, sealed container of low fat dip. …

Make sure you have these numbers right to stay healthy

Are your numbers OK? I don't mean your bank balance, loan balance, blood pressure or cholesterol. I mean the number of actions that keep you going happy and healthy.

1 : the minimal number of sexual contact you should have every day.

It does not have to be vigorous sex that leaves your head spinning for minute and your heart racing for hours. It can be a quick passionate good-morning kiss, a bedtime touch, or a heart-warming short text message during work. These small gestures can be interpreted by both partners as love and elicit the same endorphins that relax us after good sex or good exercise.

2 : the number of laughs every waking hour.

A hearty laugh only takes 2 seconds. Frequent laughs through the day have been shown to reduce the incidence of coughs and colds. They also help to keep high blood pressure on check. It is often easier to laugh when you are relaxing with your friends and family. However, even laughing alone, at humor in print or on TV, gives the same benefit.

5 : the number of hugs per day you need to boost your health

Researchers found that subjects who felt loved by family and friends have healthier blood cholesterol levels and Body Mass Indices. Give and receive five hugs a day. Hug yourself if there is no one to give it to. To make up for the numbers,

you'd have to make time to see your friends and relatives, even in the midst of a busy work schedule.

8 : the number of hours of sleep at night

You might think it wasteful to sleep eight hours when you can get by with fewer. The fewer hours you sleep at night, the more frequent you lose your attention during the day. Insomnia is paradoxically a feature of people who think they can do with less sleep than others. Go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, even during holidays, is the basis of healthy sleep and treatment against insomnia and other sleep disorders.

10 : the number of blessings you count at the end of the day

Make a habit of counting your blessings and you will find that your days have been great in spite of the many times you frown, or swear or shout at yourself or others.

10,000 : the number of steps to walk, jog or run every day.

Exercise relaxes us. It also helps us to control our weight and hence enhance our self-image. Ten thousand steps per day is easy to achieve, if you become creative with it. Get a pedometer. Getting off public transport before you reach your destination, taking the stairs, parking your car two blocks away are all easy ways to get in your extra fifty or hundred steps. You might need to top it up with a short jog or run if your numbers are in the red by evening time. This end-of-day short run may …

Healthy Meal Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats, Fruit, and Milk

Grocery List

  • Quaker Steel Cut Oats
  • Honey (optional)
  • Cinnamon (optional)
  • A grapefruit/Grapes/an Orange/fresh Cherries
  • 1% Milk

Instructions

  • Follow directions on Steel Cut Oats container (If you want to add a bit of sweetness/flavor, you can use some honey and cinnamon).
  • Prepare a fruit serving and a glass of milk.

Lunch: Turkey Wraps, Fruit Salad, and Yogurt (serves 2)

Grocery List

  • Package of flour tortillas
  • 1 cucumber (6 slices)
  • 1 tomato (4 slices)
  • Bag of spinach
  • Oregano
  • 1 Avocado
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 Slices of White American cheese
  • 4 Slices of Smoked Turkey
  • Mayonnaise
  • Banana
  • Strawberries
  • 2 Kiwi fruits
  • 2 servings of Low-fat yogurt (less than 10 grams of sugar in each)

Instructions

  • Take 2 tortillas and place 2 slices of turkey in the center of each one. Put a slice of cheese on top of that followed by: 3 slices of cucumber, 2 slices of tomato, a handful of spinach, ¼ of an avocado (sliced), salt and pepper, a generous amount of oregano, and a small amount of mayonnaise.
  • Slice up a banana, strawberries, and 2 kiwis. Toss in a bowl and chill.

Dinner: Tilapia, Vegetables, and Soup (serves 2)

Grocery List

  • 2 filets of Tilapia
  • Olive Oil
  • Lemon Pepper seasoning
  • Bag of cut and peeled baby carrots
  • One batch of fresh asparagus
  • Kikkoman Spinach Miso Soup (2 packets)

Instructions

  • Rub olive oil on both sides of filets. Sprinkle Lemon Pepper seasoning to taste on both sides as well. Place on a broiler pan and broil for 5-10 minutes (or until inside of fish is flaky).
  • Rinse asparagus and carrots. Break off the hardest part of the stalk (about ¼-? of the length) and throw away. Put water in the bottom of a double boiler pan. Place asparagus and carrots in the top pan and steam on high heat for about 7 minutes. Season with a bit of salt.
  • For the soup: Follow instructions on package.

Healthy Mushroom Muffins

It is probably difficult to imagine using mushroom as a main ingredient in baking a muffin. For some, it sounds yucky. But the recipe that I will share with you is not only "out of this world”, but very delicious and very healthy as well. Hope you have the guts to try this.

Ingredients: 

  1. 250 grams of all purpose/plain flour
  2. 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  3. 1 cup of milk
  4. 4 oz of melted butter
  5. 60 grams of button mushroom, chopped
  6. 110 grams of brown rice
  7. 2 oz of grated cheddar cheese
  8. 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  9. 2 teaspoon of fresh chives, chopped finely

Procedure: 

  1. Preheat oven to 200 C.
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and baking powder.
  3. Add the mushroom, rice, cheese, parsley and chives. Mix well.
  4. Add the butter, milk and egg. Mix well.
  5. Spoon mixture in a 1/2 cup capacity muffin tray/tin and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Eliminate Your Health Club Bill

I'm a gym rat. While I don't have the rippling muscles or six pack abs to prove it, the last time I visited my physician she said that aside from my rising cholesterol I was in great shape. I can still run a mile in a respectable amount of time and my wife is not grossed out by the sight of me.

This gave me the justification I needed to gleefully whip out my credit card each month and shell out nearly $100 in dues to my super fancy gym. Grant it, the health club was amazing, there's no denying that. They had it all; Olympic-sized pool, racquetball courts, sauna, kids play area and even a health bar with feel-good snacks and protein packed fruit smoothies.

However, with a rising cost of living and recent shakiness in the economy, my wife and I had to find a way to trim that unnecessary gym bill from our budget but still stay in shape. We put on our thinking caps and found (5) FREE ways to stay fit which helped us eliminate our health club bill .

#1-Pick Up Games

Lace up your sneakers and head to the local area parks and recreation area and sniff out a good pick-up basketball or soccer game. Any true lover of team sports will gleefully invite you to join in the mix. Believe it or not, they actually want your company. They don't want to be the only one out there, hunched over, sweating and gasping for air. The great thing about basketball and soccer games is that the only piece of equipment needed for gameplay is a ball and in most cases it's already be there.

#2- Start a "Walk" Group

Walking is one of the oldest forms of personal conditioning. It's great because it's easy to do, you can go at your own pace and its low impact. Finding members should be easy. I suggest starting a team in your community made up of family and neighbors. Because it's a "walk" group as opposed to a runners group it is less intimidating .You don't imagine health nuts and extroverts in running their lungs out as if they are conditioning for a marathon, you envision regular everyday people. I suggest you go walking just after supper before dusk.

#3-Find a community pool

Nearly every neighborhood in America has a community pool. Most of them are outdoor pools but keep searching. If you look hard enough you'll soon find the FREE indoor community pool. I'm not naïve; I know there's a stigma surrounding communal pools. NEWS FLASH: Not all public pools are laden with parasites. There are hundreds of clean watering holes out there. Aquatics are the perfect substitute for aerobic classes at the gym. Naturally, there's nothing like having some buff trainer yell at you and push you to your physical limits but I'll take a pass. I'll achieve my target heart rate by swimming a few laps and doing underwater calisthenics.

#4-