Health and fitness go together, just like milk and cookie, cake and tea, coffee and cream. They make a great team – one that can help us live a longer and better life. Thus, it is essential that we find out as much as we can about how to stay healthy and fit, a task that many people should not but take for granted.These days, you can notice a number of negative changes in the world we live in. The air isn’t is as clean and clear as it once was centuries ago, the water contaminated in many parts of the globe, the forests destroyed and nearly bare. Our way of living isn’t as pure as we need it to be, and technological advancements, many though they may be, cannot save us from the consequences of our own actions. As the earth continues to deteriorate, so do the threats to our health and fitness keep on growing. It is up to us to do something about it, and it is our responsibility to ensure the well being not only of our own selves but also that of future generations.And so we should pay attention and patronize activities that promote health and fitness. When it comes to staying healthy and fit, one of the most common concepts involved is proper diet. The number of obesity cases continue to rise every year, particularly in North America, and contrary to what products marketed as weight loss solutions claim, pills or supplements cannot put an end to obesity and other weight-related problems. Instead of relying on advertising baloney, we should create a plan made of tried and tested methods and do everything we can to achieve our goals. One of the best ways to go about this is to make a personalized menu. Every human anatomy is different; your body’s needs are different from mine. Consulting a nutritionist is a good idea; he or she can tell us which foods to avoid (excessive eating of oily and fatty foods is always a no-no) and which to stock up on (good carbs, lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and grains, to name a few). Commitment is necessary, as well as patience; it can take weeks before our bodies adjust.Proper diet alone cannot assure our health and fitness. We also need regular exercise. There are different kinds of exercise, but one type of training that is considered all-encompassing by health experts is cardiovascular training. Exercises that fall under this category can be used not only to lose weight but also to build muscles, in addition to its primary purpose of strengthening one’s cardiovascular functions. With or without exercise equipment, we can perform cardiovascular training exercises. Simple activities and sports such as walking, sprinting, jogging, running, cycling or biking, swimming, and many others are common forms of cardiovascular training.Some people tend to overdo things. This is why many of us feel incredibly tired at the end of the day. This is where adequate rest and sleep enter the picture. It is equally important that, while we stay active, we also give our body ample time to recharge and rejuvenate. This way, we can enjoy all our activities better, stay focused for longer periods of time, and feel young and vibrant always. Aside from this, we should also try to maintain a sunny disposition, something that seems so simple yet can do so much. By being happy, we can fight off stress – a known cause of a number of diseases and disorders – and live life beautifully.

Let’s begin with a good health definition in general. The WHO health definition (World Health Organization), albeit from 1948: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Assuming that’s true, what’s the definition of physical health and does good health naturally mean that “all natural” is good, especially as it applies to food?What’s the definition of physical health?Is there one?Based on the WHO health definition as it applies to physical health, is it safe to say that simply because everything is working as it should in the absence of disease or infirmity (weakness or ailment), that we’re not necessarily in good physical health?What do you think?I personally believe there is more to being healthy in the moment. On the other hand, I also believe that because we are only guaranteed the present, if you’re healthy, don’t take it for granted. Enjoy it while you can.I also believe the state of our physical health depends largely on our personal health plan. In other words, it depends on how well we take care of ourselves on a regular basis. That includes:

Eating habits

Exercise habits or lack thereof

Sleep habits

Spiritual habits

General living habits
Without seeming as though I am a pundit, expert or zealot about any of the aforementioned, that I am personally the definition of physical health, the definition of spiritual health, or anything that resembles the definition of good health, in a nutshell, what I’m saying is all the bullet points have a bearing on our physical health.What do you think?It’s about good healthOne dictionary provides this definition of health:”The general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health.”The ancient Roman poet Virgil said, “The greatest wealth is health”.I couldn’t agree more but I am a bit troubled by the amount of over-emphasis placed on physical health, as if it is mutually exclusive from the other aspects of health.I believe health is about:

Physical

Mental

Emotional

Spiritual

Financial
The “soundness and vigor” in which we pursue and maintain these factors has a direct and indirect effect on each and every one of the factors.Furthermore, I find it troubling that the word wealth is so overly associated with money and financial wealth.It’s not to say that I don’t see the importance of physical health and financial wealth. They are both key components of overall health but they are not stand-alone concepts.What are your thoughts?All NaturalThe “all natural” phenomenon, especially as it applies to food, is one of the biggest marketing ploys ever. If it’s not a scam, it’s a joke.It means nothing!There is a HUGE difference between organic and all natural. Don’t confuse the two and by all means don’t fall for the propaganda that leads you to believe they are one and the same. They’re not.Organic, at least as it applies to food, is highly regulated. It actually means something. However, keep in mind that just because it’s organic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy.All natural can mean pretty much anything. As far as the food we eat is concerned, it is not regulated. It is a highly misleading tag.Don’t be fooled.I’m not saying don’t enjoy it. I’m not saying all natural is bad. I’m simply saying it’s about as superfluous term as there ever was. There is no depth to it.My formulaFor me, it all boils down to a few simple concepts and principles beginning with:

Honesty

Respect

Best Effort
These are indispensable. They cost nothing and should be applied at all times.Next are the 5 F’s:

Food – Not just what we eat but includes anything we consume physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If we are what we eat, this says it all.

Fitness – Includes all the 5 bullet points mentioned above

Finances – Affected by the previous two and affects the previous and next two

Fulfillment – It’s about completion and includes all the bullet points mentioned

Fun – The importance of how it affects health and is affected by it is often overlooked
I have tagged the 5 F’s as the components of a bulletproof life.To sum it up, all the above is important but the proper balance is the key. I believe too many of us are simply out of balance. Furthermore, there is not a one-size-fits-all balancing act.Last but not least, from the late, great Redd Foxx:”Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.”Agree? Disagree?Leave comments.

Charcot’s foot is one of the many problems which might occur in those with diabetes mellitus. The higher blood sugar levels that stem from all forms of diabetes have an affect on numerous body systems including the eyesight, renal system as well as nerves. In long standing cases, particularly if there has been an unsatisfactory control of the blood sugar levels, you can find problems with the nerves supplying the feet. This will make the feet in danger of issues as if something fails, you don’t know it has gone wrong as you can not really feel it due to the harm to the nerves. This might be something as simple as standing on a rusty nail and that getting contaminated and you are not aware that you’ve stood on the nail. Should it be a blister or ingrown toenail which gets infected and you do not know that it is present on the foot unless you have a look. This is why foot care can be so necessary for those with diabetes and why it will be provided a great deal of emphasis. A Charcot foot is the destruction occurring to the bones and joints if you have an injury and you do not know that the injury has happened.

A way of looking at it could be to consider this way: pretend that you sprain your ankle horribly and you also are not aware that you have simply because you do not experience the pain from it. You then carry on and walk around on it. Picture all of the additional harm which you do by walking about on it. The earliest you may possibly discover that there may be something wrong happens when you take a seat and look at the feet and you observe that one is a great deal more swollen compared to the other foot. This is exactly what occurs in individuals with diabetes who develop a Charcot’s foot. There may be some destruction, such as a sprained ankle or maybe a progressive failure of the arch of the foot and as no pain is sensed they carry on and walk around on it. It should be apparent simply how much more injury that gets done to the original injury prior to the problem is finally observed because of the swelling. At times there is not much swelling, but the Charcot’s foot is picked up from the difference in temperature between the two feet as a result of inflammation related process in the damaged foot that generates more warmth.

The development of a Charcot foot really needs to be dealt with as a bit of an urgent situation since the further it advances the much more serious it’s going to be and the more challenging it can be to handle. The individual definitely needs to quit all weightbearing without delay or at least obtain a walking support so that the damage is protected. For the not too major instances and those conditions which were serious and have improved a really supportive orthotic in the footwear is required to support the feet and the injuries. Sometimes surgical procedures are required to straighten the subluxed and dislocated bones. By far the most critical situations can end up with the foot and/or leg required to be amputated as the trauma has been doing an excessive amount of impairment.