Health

Everyone has a bad habit, whether it be biting their nails or something more serious like smoking, and most people come to a time in their lives where they want to quit, but they may need a bit help and support. For some people, it looks like their friends saying, “Hey, you’re biting your nails again, stop.”, but for others, it looks like treatment programs and major lifestyle changes. Here the focus will be on bigger addictions that might take a little bit more to overcome. Now the question is: why do they want to overcome these addictions? Here are six reasons to quit that bad habit.

No more “walks of shame”.

Anyone who has a major bad habit has their own walk of shame whether it be picking up cigarettes or staggering home drunk. For a lot of people, this is the worst part of their addiction, and they’d be more than happy to have this disappear forever. Quitting the habit will take care of that. One doesn’t have to do this walk of shame anymore; it can save a lot of pride, and pride is an important thing in life. So is self-image, so if the walk of shame is gone and self-image is restored, the overall quality of life will be better, and that’s something that is worth the work.

One can save money.

Saving money is another important aspect. Money is another important thing in life, and while money can’t buy happiness, it can take away stress. More money and less stress are two reasons why one should consider quitting their bad habit. Cigarettes or alcohol or drugs can burn a hole in your pocket in the long run and having that extra saved money can help one start a new hobby. 

One may be healthier.

There are a lot of health risks that come with habits like this. When one gives up the bad habit, they give up some pretty major health risks. A longer and better life may be in store once one takes the first steps of breaking the habit.

Relationships will improve.

There’s probably more than one person in one’s life who doesn’t approve of those habits and once the habits are gone the relationships may improve markedly with those people. Especially if those people are close friends or family, it may be worth it.

It can be doable.

Stopping an addiction can be easier than one would think with the right tools. There’s everything from self-help books to twelve-step programs or quitting alcohol through an Allen Carr program. It still takes a lot of work, but it is more doable than people realise.

One will have more free time.

Now there’s a lot more free time, so what does one do with it? There’s a handful of hobbies that one can consider getting involved in from sports to music to crafts. With all the new free time the world is at one’s fingertips–time to explore!

 Dried fruit has been around for centuries, as the art of preserving certain fruit was a good way to make sure that people were still able to enjoy fruit even in the colder seasons. By drying fruit, water was removed, and this prevented microbes in the fruit from growing. Drying fruit under the sun is still the most common way of preserving it, although other methods, such as forced drying in dehydrators, is also being used today. If you’re thinking of purchasing dried fruit for your food business or food establishment, there are some considerations and factors you need to think about. Let’s find out what these are so you can choose the best dried fruit for your needs.

The available fruit

Not all fruit is dried, but a lot of fruit can be dried. This includes apples, blueberries, apricots, cranberries, figs, dates, grapes (which can result in dried grape variations such as sultanas, currants, and the ever-popular raisins), papayas, mangoes, plums (which results in prunes), and pineapples. These are only the most common and popular ones, however, and more fruits are being experimented on as innovations come up.

The specifications of dried fruits

Most dried fruit can be 100% fruit, which means that they contain no additives. But there are other dried fruits which can be comprised of only 61% fruit. Additives such as sulphites may be added to the dried fruit so their flavour can be retained. Sulphites are also effective at retaining the colour of the fruit, preventing the fruit from browning. Be careful, however – some individuals may be sensitive or allergic to sulphites, so if you are serving dried fruit or producing dried fruit products, sulphites should be added to the list of ingredients. Sulphites can often be found in fruits such as dried mangoes, apples, pineapples, and apricots. Another additive or preservative, which is potassium sorbate, is usually found in prunes and dried figs, although most individuals aren’t allergic or sensitive to it.

Other additions

Sometimes, a small quantity of oil is added to various dried fruit, which includes raisins, dates, and cranberries. The oil can help with the preservation of the fruit’s flavour and may also prevent each piece from sticking together. The oil doesn’t really make a big difference when it comes to adding fat to the fruit, and most individuals don’t have any problem with it either.

When you are choosing dried fruit for your business, make sure to get it from a good wholesale dried fruit supplier. A good supplier will be able to offer traceability and transparency – which means that they can tell you exactly where the fruit is coming from and how it is produced. It’s better to go for quality every time.

CAPT Martin Lloyd Sanders is a valiant captain that works hard to protect his countrymen, a war hero and an officer at the US Public Health Service. In a recent interview, he discussed the health problems faced by US veterans that few people know about. It is worth noticing that while most people tend to talk about PTSD and similarly discussed conditions, statistics show that many other health problems are common among US veterans, including those discussed below, which are not that well-known.

Autoimmune Disorders

These are diseases that happen as the immune system is attacking healthy tissue. Martin Lloyd Sanders mentions that these are disproportionately common with veterans and the main culprit is stress. While post-traumatic stress disorder is often discussed and is a really serious mental health issue, it is not the end of the suffering noticed by veterans. PTSD causes damage that will cause various symptoms, including the development of autoimmune disorders.

Hearing Loss

The possibility that a US veteran will suffer from some type of hearing loss is much higher than people believe, according to CAPT Martin Lloyd Sanders. This is because of the nature of the job. Military personnel often stands close to firing guns, jet engines or is exposed to explosions. Military service is officially listed as a high-risk occupation for hearing. Dampened aural sense is just the beginning, with numerous other symptoms being prevalent because of exposure to vibration and extreme noise. Ear ringing, for instance, is something that many veterans report.

Lung Problems

Lung problems are common among veterans because of where they were stationed and is more common for those that were deployed overseas. For instance, soldiers stationed in Iraq, at Balad AFB, reported that air was filled with smoke that was coming from the waste disposal burning of the base. Various items were burned there, including paint, metals, medical waste, chemicals, plastics and munitions. Unfortunately, being close to such a burning pit often causes serious lung problems. Smoke toxins led to various eye, lung, skin and even cardiovascular problems.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Commonly referred to as TBI, traumatic brain injury is a very serious health issue affecting head trauma recipients. Something like this can happen following any object hitting the head, explosive blasts, and heads striking objects, like in car accidents.

In veterans, TBI is often caused by roadside explosive blasts as they were deployed in active war zones. Even if the soldier sits at a large distance, pressure waves caused by explosions will cause damage to brain tissues. Contrary to popular belief, the brain is much more delicate than people say and constant exposure to explosions can lead to TBI.

Final Thoughts

US veterans are faced with numerous health problems and unfortunately, the help offered to them is much less than what it should be. People like Martin Lloyd Sanders fight to make a change but this is hard to do since most people do not even know about the high risks mentioned above, which is just a part of all that could go wrong in a war zone.

Back pain affects more people than many of us realize. Most of us experience back pain at some point, whether it’s through an accident or injury or through the simple act of bending and tying a shoelace and thereby straining our backs. But if your back pain has become chronic, you need relief from the pain. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help you deal with back pain, and they’re worth a try if you want to feel better, even if only temporarily.

• There is a vicious cycle when it comes to back pain: when you don’t sleep enough, you can get back pain. But when you have back pain, you can’t get the sleep you need. So, what should you do? One thing you can do would be to find a good position for sleeping. You can try to lie on your side rather than on your back. But if you feel better sleeping on your back, you can put a pillow underneath your knees. Pay attention to your mattress as well; a firm mattress is better for back pain.
• You should also watch your posture. The truth is, slouching isn’t good for you. And if you slouch all the time, your back pain can only become worse. If you have to work at a desk, keep your back straight and avoid slumping. Keep your shoulders in a relaxed position with your body leaning against your chair’s back. For further relief, put a pillow or small rolled up towel in the area between your chair and lower back.
• If your back pain has become too intense, you may certainly be tempted to rest and lie down. In the past, many doctors recommended bed rest when it came to back pain. But not anymore – today, doctors say that too much bed rest (more than 48 hours, for instance) may result in worse pain or complications. The best thing you can do is begin moving around again – you can try being more active with activities such as swimming, yoga, or simply
• See a chiropractor. The thing with chronic or regular back pain is that if it goes on for too long, it can begin drastically affecting your quality of life. But although you can take medication for it, such as over-the-counter pain relievers, often, this is not enough. Perhaps further issues need to be addressed, and this is where the help and expertise of a chiropractor can be very useful. A Cirencester chiropractor such as one from Dyer St. Chiropractic can give you an assessment and examination and provide you with a plan for treatment, whether it’s through manipulation, massage, mobilisation, a home exercise plan, or even medical acupuncture. With proper professional help, you have a better chance of addressing your back pain once and for all.