Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Health Tips for October 3

Health Tip: Quitting Smoking Has Immediate Benefits

Most people know that in the long term, quitting smoking offers enormous health benefits.

But within weeks -- and even hours -- after quitting smoking, your body has already shown health improvements.

The Canadian non-profit organization Tobacco Facts lists some of the immediate health benefits when you quit smoking:

* Within eight hours, the level of carbon monoxide in the body drops, while oxygen levels rise to normal.
* After two days, taste and smell is enhanced, and the risk of heart attack decreases.
* Breathing becomes easier within three or four days, because of increased lung capacity.
* After two weeks, no nicotine is left in the body, and blood flow is improved.
* Within three months, circulation and lung function are improved, and physical activity is significantly easier.
* Within nine months, coughing, congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath are significantly reduced.

Health Tip: Treating Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease is a condition whose name describes it perfectly: excess fat builds up in the liver.

This excess fat can cause inflammation in the liver, and this can eventually lead to dangerous hardening of the organ.

Although fatty liver disease cannot be cured, here are some treatments to help reduce or reverse damage, courtesy of the American Liver Foundation:

* Lose weight sensibly through a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise.
* Lower triglyceride levels through diet and exercise, or through medications.
* Do not drink alcohol.
* Diabetics should keep their disease well under control.
* Eat a healthy, low-calorie and low-fat diet.
* Exercise regularly.
* Have regular checkups and exams with a doctor who specializes in liver diseases.

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