Health tip

8 Ways to Stay Healthy

** Everyone should read this article, have really good, common sense advice**

1. Give blood
By Dr. Mark Liponis, Parade

About five million Americans require blood transfusions every year, and there is always a need for blood. Yet it's estimated that less than 10 percent of eligible donors actually give. The good news is that donating blood also may make you healthier. In a recent long-term study of more than a million Scandinavian blood donors, giving blood was found to be linked with a lower risk of cancers (liver, lung, colon, stomach and throat) in men, with risk dropping as blood donation increased. Blood donation also may reduce the risk of heart disease in men, although it's not yet clear why this may be true. And there's no harm in women giving blood, either. You'll also get a mini-checkup when you give blood, since you'll have your blood pressure checked, and you'll be interviewed about your health history. What could be better than helping to save a life while improving your own health in the process?

2. Wash up
It sounds simple, but maybe that's the reason people don't take it seriously. Washing your hands frequently is one of the best ways to protect yourself from infectious diseases. Since many infections are transmitted by touching things—doorknobs, other people's hands, railings, telephones, desktops, and other objects that carry disease—hand-washing is important for people of all ages, especially children. A 2005 study showed that hand-washing cut children's risk of pneumonia and diarrhea in half. Soap and running water are all you need, and if those aren't available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers also are effective.

3. Drive less
The good news about surging gas prices is that traffic fatalities have dropped because fewer drivers are on the road. Recent research from both Harvard and the University of Alabama at Birmingham found a drop in traffic fatalities with the rise in gas prices and predicted that 1,000 lives could be saved each month if gas prices stayed at $4 or above per gallon. Driving less also could give you extra time for healthier behaviors, such as walking. Try giving up driving one day a week (or at least one day a month). Walk to at least one place you might normally drive.

4. Sleep in
A patient once told me, "Doc, I can sleep when I'm dead." I reminded him that it might happen sooner than he expected! Burning the candle at both ends may make you more productive, but it won't make you healthier. Over half of American adults experience some difficulty sleeping or don't get enough sleep on a regular basis. Sleep disorders have been linked with serious health problems such as high blood pressure and heart attacks. Sleep deprivation also may be an important factor in weight gain and obesity. While it's best to get the sleep you need every night (ideally seven to eight hours), it's also possible to make up for lost sleep by taking a quick nap in the afternoon or sleeping in on the weekends.

5. Go fishing
Want a simple way to cut your risk of a heart attack or stroke? Eat fish. There are few things you can eat that give you so much bang for the buck. Eating fish just twice a week may reduce the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac death, and eating fish more than once a month may reduce the risk of stroke. The American Heart Association recommends eating oily fish at least twice a week. It's best to eat smaller fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines. (Fried fish should be avoided because of the unhealthy kind of fats found in fried foods.) Chunk light tuna also is fine because of its healthy fat content and because it typically has lower mercury levels than albacore or tuna steaks.

6. Don't ask for antibiotics
If you're suffering from a head cold, sinus infection, earache, bronchitis or the flu, don't assume your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics in some cases can make things worse. A study reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases estimated that 142,000 emergency-room visits each year are due to adverse reactions to antibiotics, ranging from rashes to life-threatening allergic reactions. And for the common cold, flu, and many minor infections such as bronchitis, antibiotics don't seem to help. Overuse and overprescribing of antibiotics also has led to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria that have become a serious public health concern, especially in hospitals. Your doctor is the best one to judge whether your illness needs an antibiotic. It's better to be cautious and not assume an antibiotic is necessary.

7. Have a shot
Protect yourself by getting current on immunizations. Some, like tetanus, need a booster every so often. New vaccines also have become available, such as the shingles vaccine and human papillomavirus vaccine. Shots like the pneumonia vaccine and the annual flu vaccine also have been shown to prevent potentially serious infections. Ask your doctor which vaccines are recommended.

8. Check it out
An ounce of prevention is always the best medicine, so don't neglect your annual checkup. Avoid putting off important screening tests like a colonoscopy (beginning at age 50 for most of us), PAP smear and mammogram (for women), bone-density test, blood pressure, cholesterol and other blood work. Prevention means being proactive, so invest this small amount of time in your health.