Your Lungs and RESPIRATORY system

Your Lungs and RESPIRATORY system

What's something that you do all day, every day, no matter where you are or who you're with?
(a) think about what's for lunch tomorrow
(b) put your finger in your nose
(c) hum your favorite song
(d) breathe
It's possible that some kids could say (a) or (c) or that others might even say — yikes! — (b). But every single person in the world has to say (d). Breathing air is necessary for keeping humans (and many animals) alive. And the two parts that are large and in charge when it comes to breathing? If you guessed your lungs, you're right!
Your lungs make up one of the largest organs in your body, and they work with your respiratory system to allow you to take in fresh air, get rid of stale air, and even talk. Let's take a tour of the lungs!
Locate Those Lungs
Your lungs are in your chest, and they are so large that they take up most of the space in there. You have two lungs, but they aren't the same size the way your eyes or nostrils are. Instead, the lung on the left side of your body is a bit smaller than the lung on the right. This extra space on the left leaves room for your heart.
Your lungs are protected by your rib cage, which is made up of 12 sets of ribs. These ribs are connected to your spine in your back and go around your lungs to keep them safe. Beneath the lungs is the diaphragm (say: dy-uh-fram), a dome-shaped muscle that works with your lungs to allow you to inhale (breathe in) and exhale (breathe out) air.
You can't see your lungs, but it's easy to feel them in action: Put your hands on your chest and breathe in very deeply. You will feel your chest getting slightly bigger. Now breathe out the air, and feel your chest return to its regular size. You've just felt the power of your lungs!
A Look Inside the Lungs

From the outside, lungs are pink and a bit squishy, like a sponge. But the inside contains the real lowdown on the lungs! At the bottom of the trachea (say: tray-kee-uh), or windpipe, there are two large tubes. These tubes are called the main stem bronchi (say: brong-kye), and one heads left into the left lung, while the other heads right into the right lung.
Each main stem bronchus (say: brong-kuss) — the name for just one of the bronchi — then branches off into tubes, or bronchi, that get smaller and even smaller still, like branches on a big tree. The tiniest tubes are called bronchioles (say: brong-kee-oles), and there are about 30,000 of them in each lung. Each bronchiole is about the same thickness as a hair.
At the end of each bronchiole is a special area that leads into clumps of teeny tiny air sacs called alveoli (say: al-vee-oh-lie). There are about 600 million alveoli in your lungs and if you stretched them out, they would cover an entire tennis court. Now that's a load of alveoli! Each alveolus (say: al-vee-oh-luss) — what we call just one of the alveoli — has a mesh-like covering of very small blood vessels called capillaries (say: cap-ill-er-ees). These capillaries are so tiny that the cells in your blood need to line up single file just to march through them.
All About Inhaling
When you're walking your dog, cleaning your room, or spiking a volleyball, you probably don't think about inhaling (breathing in) — you've got other things on your mind! But every time you inhale air, dozens of body parts work together to help get that air in there without you ever thinking about it.
As you breathe in, your diaphragm contracts and flattens out. This allows it to move down, so your lungs have more room to grow larger as they fill up with air. "Move over, diaphragm, I'm filling up!" is what your lungs would say. And the diaphragm isn't the only part that gives your lungs the room they need. Your rib muscles also lift the ribs up and outward to give the lungs more space.
At the same time, you inhale air through your mouth and nose, and the air heads down your trachea, or windpipe. On the way down the windpipe, tiny hairs called cilia (say: sill-ee-uh) move gently to keep mucus and dirt out of the lungs. The air then goes through the series of branches in your lungs, through the bronchi and the bronchioles.
The air finally ends up in the 600 million alveoli. As these millions of alveoli fill up with air, the lungs get bigger. Remember that experiment where you felt your lungs get larger? Well, you were really feeling the power of those awesome alveoli!
It's the alveoli that allow oxygen from the air to pass into your blood. All the cells in the body need oxygen every minute of the day. Oxygen passes through the walls of each alveolus into the tiny capillaries that surround it. The oxygen enters the blood in the tiny capillaries, hitching a ride on red blood cells and traveling through layers of blood vessels to the heart. The heart then sends the oxygenated (filled with oxygen) blood out to all the cells in the body.
Waiting to Exhale
When it's time to exhale (breathe out), everything happens in reverse: Now it's the diaphragm's turn to say, "Move it!" Your diaphragm relaxes and moves up, pushing air out of the lungs. Your rib muscles become relaxed, and your ribs move in again, creating a smaller space in your chest.
By now your cells have used the oxygen they need, and your blood is carrying carbon dioxide and other wastes that must leave your body. The blood comes back through the capillaries and the wastes enter the alveoli. Then you breathe them out in the reverse order of how they came in — the air goes through the bronchioles, out the bronchi, out the trachea, and finally out through your mouth and nose.
The air that you breathe out not only contains wastes and carbon dioxide, but it's warm, too! As air travels through your body, it picks up heat along the way. You can feel this heat by putting your hand in front of your mouth or nose as you breathe out. What is the temperature of the air that comes out of your mouth or nose?
With all this movement, you might be wondering why things don't get stuck as the lungs fill and empty! Luckily, your lungs are covered by two really slick special layers called pleural membranes (say: ploo-ral mem-branes). These membranes are separated by a fluid that allows them to slide around easily while you inhale and exhale.
Time for Talk
Your lungs are important for breathing . . . and also for talking! Above the trachea (windpipe) is the larynx (say: lair-inks), which is sometimes called the voice box. Across the voice box are two tiny ridges called vocal cords, which open and close to make sounds. When you exhale air from the lungs, it comes through the trachea and larynx and reaches the vocal cords. If the vocal cords are closed and the air flows between them, the vocal cords vibrate and a sound is made.
The amount of air you blow out from your lungs determines how loud a sound will be and how long you can make the sound. Try inhaling very deeply and saying the names of all the kids in your class — how far can you get without taking the next breath? The next time you're outside, try shouting and see what happens — shouting requires lots of air, so you'll need to breathe in more frequently than you would if you were only saying the words.
Experiment with different sounds and the air it takes to make them — when you giggle, you let out your breath in short bits, but when you burp, you let swallowed air in your stomach out in one long one! When you hiccup, it's because the diaphragm moves in a funny way that causes you to breathe in air suddenly, and that air hits your vocal cords when you're not ready.
Love Your Lungs
Your lungs are amazing. They allow you to breathe, talk to your friend, shout at a game, sing, laugh, cry, and more! And speaking of a game, your lungs even work with your brain to help you inhale and exhale a larger amount of air at a more rapid rate when you're running a mile — all without you even thinking about it once.
Keeping your lungs looking and feeling healthy is a smart idea, and the best way to keep your lungs pink and healthy is not to smoke. Smoking isn't good for any part of your body, and your lungs especially hate it. Cigarette smoke damages the cilia in the trachea so they can no longer move to keep dirt and other substances out of the lungs. Your alveoli get hurt too, because the chemicals in cigarette smoke can cause the walls of the delicate alveoli to break down, making it much harder to breathe.
Finally, cigarette smoke can damage the cells of the lungs so much that the healthy cells go away, only to be replaced by cancer cells. Lungs are normally tough and strong, but when it comes to cigarettes, they can be hurt easily — and it's often very difficult or impossible to make them better. If you need to work with chemicals in an art or shop class, be sure to wear a protective mask to keep chemical fumes from entering your lungs.
You can also show your love for your lungs by exercising! Exercise is good for every part of your body, and especially for your lungs and heart. When you take part in vigorous exercise (like biking, running, or swimming, for example), your lungs require more air to give your cells the extra oxygen they need. As you breathe more deeply and take in more air, your lungs become stronger and better at supplying your body with the air it needs to succeed. Keep your lungs healthy and they will thank you for life!
by: Laura Inselman, MD

Eating Meat Comes with a Higher Risk for Developing Cancer

Eating Meat Comes with a Higher Risk for Developing Cancer
A reuters article appearing on MSNBC.com cites a new study that, for the first time, shows a definite link between meat consumption and certain types of cancer, including colorectal cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer.
The study involved five hundred thousand individuals between the ages of fifty-one and seventy. After an eight-year period, 53,396 individual diagnoses of cancer were made.
In such a large study, focusing on this particular age range, that number may not seem significant. However, the researchers were able to able to find high statistical correlations between meat (particularly red meat) consumption and the incidence of the aforementioned cancers.
To use one example, those individuals whose processed meat consumption placed them in the top twenty percent of meat eaters...had a twenty percent higher risk for developing colorectal cancer and a sixteen percent higher risk for developing lung cancer.

Counting calories versus exercise to lose weight?

Counting calories versus exercise to lose weight? 

According to a recent news article, more people rely on calorie counting versus exercise to lose weight. In fact, twice as many dieters opt to count calories instead of heading to the gym. Among women, the tendency to eschew exercise in favor of calorie counting is even more pronounced. Roughly half of female dieters focus on food intake as opposed to exercise, compared to one-third of male dieters who do this.
Is calorie counting more effective for weight loss than engaging in physical activity? Reducing caloric intake is certainly recommended for achieving practical weight loss goals. However, most fitness experts would agree that a healthy and sensible weight loss strategy should include some level of physical exercise.
Aerobic exercise can allow a dieter to expend additional calories while improving cardiovascular fitness, while anaerobic exercise can allow an individual to expend calories and increase lean muscle tissue, which can also lead to an increased ability to burn calories.

HOW HARD IS IT TO CUT BACK ON CALORIES AND MAINTAIN A NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED DIET ?

HOW HARD IS IT TO CUT BACK ON CALORIES AND MAINTAIN A NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED DIET ?
Actually, though many would assume that a calorie restricted diet would preclude good nutrition, this may not be that difficult.
According to a recent article, Eric Ravussin, of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has observed study volunteers reduce their calories by as much as ten to thirty percent and yet still maintain a diet that is nutritionally balanced.

HOW MANY PEOPLE GO TO THE GYM ON A REGULAR BASIS ?

HOW MANY PEOPLE GO TO THE GYM ON A REGULAR BASIS ?

According to a recent survey (cited in a 2006 BBC News online article), only twelve percent of the general population possess a gym or fitness club membership. Without a doubt, the vast majority of adult individuals fail to get the recommended sixty minutes of exercise per day. This is despite the fact that, in a recent survey conducted by Glaxosmithkline Nutritional Healthcare, fifty-nine percent of respondents expressed the realisation that exercise plays a greater role in personal health than calorie counting.

DO YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE WHEN YOU DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT ?

DO YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE WHEN YOU DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT ?

The answer to this question is actually multi-faceted. And here it is: yes, no, and maybe. The truth is, many people can effectively lose weight initially simply by reducing their daily calorie count. And cutting calories may allow an individual to continually lose weight for weeks or months until a desired weight level is reached.
But, for many individual's, particularly those whose weight loss goals border on the ambitious, cutting food intake and daily calories may not be enough to rearch a desired goal.
This is because the body has a very annoying habit of adusting its metabolism to match energy expenditure against energy intake. In other words, if you eat less, your metabolism may slow down. On a very basic level, this allows human beings to survive longer when food resources are scarce. However, in a modern world that includes dieting, this fact of human biology can significantly impair one's ability to shed pounds.
For this reason, many, if not most, dieters will find it beneficial to integrate a regimen of physical activity into their overall dieting plan. In doing so, they can establish a more optimal environment for weight loss by creating a daily need for additional calories while actually consuming fewer calories.

Can Sitting too long make you fat?

Apparently it can according to an article that I read on the Abc News website (linked below). Amazingly, scientists who conducted a test using a radioactive tracing substance found that when animals were sitting down, fat did not get burned but, instead, became stored in adipose tissue. Even worse, prolonged sitting had the effect of drastically suppressing levels of the enzyme, lipase, which is essential to the body's ability to get rid of dietary fat. These results came from animal studies, of course. But---when the same study experiment was extended to human volunteers, scientists found the same results: metabolic rate was reduced; lipase levels were suppressed; good cholesterol (HDL) was lowered.
So, how do you counteract the effects of being sedentary, particularly if you are heavily engaged in sedentary activities (work, school, and recreational activities such as video games). Move your legs. Literally. If you are engaged in sedentary activity for prolonged periods, get up once in a while and walk around. If your work is sedentary, get up once in a while and actually take a walk. And, if you don't get much physical activity from sport or recreation after work or school, consider taking walks before your day begins or after it ends. Diet, of course, is always important. But, as we can see, physical activity and maintaining one's health and fitness is equally important.

Red meat and the effect on the incidence of breast cancer

Well, the results of the study cited in this following article are not particularly appetizing (that's a pun, albeit a bad one).
What does the study say? That, for older women, even consuming small amounts of red meat can significantly and dramatically increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The increased risk was actually pegged at 56%, which should be enough to make a lot of people, not just women, begin to evaluate what percentage of their protein intake actually comes from red meat consumption.
Of course, not everyone agrees with the results of this research. One individual referred to it as rubbish. As you'll see in the article, he is the chairman of a butcher's guild.

Substituting Grape Juice and Grape Seed Extract for Wine

Most of us know that drinking a glass or two of wine a day is a great way to lessen the risk of heart disease and cancer, while lowering cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, too much wine can cause bodily damage over time and is not healthy for those with alcohol issues.
Fortunately, a new study suggests that you can substitute grape juice for wine with the same healthy effects, without the added alcohol. The study was funded by Welch's Foods Inc. and reported that eating both red grape skins and seeds, or taking grape seed extract was just as healthy as partaking of wine. Welch’s Food Inc. is a branch of the National Grape Cooperative Association.
However, not just any grape juice will do. Grape juice must have a high level of polyphenols to offer health benefits. Grapes offer resveratrol and proanthocyanidins, both of which offer cardiovascular and heart benefits.

Weight Training for Health

Weight Training for Health

Do you do 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a few days a week to keep your health in check? Even if you do, cardio isn’t enough to keep you healthy and strong as the decades pass. New physical activity guidelines from the American College of Sports and Medicine and the American Heart Association encourage Americans to strength train in addition to getting regular cardiovascular exercise. They suggest at least two training periods a week to work out the major muscle groups.
From my own perspective, I would certainly agree with this. Resistance training, a.k.a. strength training can payoff in a lot of different ways: burning more calories and reducing body fat, allowing one to add more muscle tissue which results in a heightened ability to burn more calories and reduce body fat, and stronger bones (resistance training improves bone density).
Of course, not everyone is cut out for hitting the barbells and dumbells (a variety of factors, including age and level of infirmity, could affect whether nor not this type of activity is suitable for an individual). Fortunately, strength training doesn’t necessarily have to mean bodybuilding or lifting free weights (i.e. anaerobic activity). Strength training can involve the use of machines and various resistance activities that work toward a similar goal, which is to make sure that the major muscle groups are "worked out" sufficiently.
Cardiovascular exercise is a definite must. But as research continues to indicate (and validate what strength training enthusiasts have known for decades) muscle training is also needed to keep a person strong, fit and healthy.

Study of Cardiac Event Sufferers - they rarely change unhealthy eating Habits

According to a recent study of over five hundred individuals with heart disease, most did not change their eating or exercise habits after they had serious heart events such as heart attacks, chest pain, or irregular heart rhythm.
The University of Massachusetts Medical School performed a one-year follow up study on five hundred and fifty five heart patients; researchers questioned heart patients about their diets and used the Alternate Healthy Eating Index to measure heart healthy food consumption. For instance, the surveyors asked about the number of vegetable and fruit servings consumed per day, how many servings of white or red meat were consumed per day, and trans fat consumption.
The study found that most individuals were not consuming enough fruit or vegetables daily, in fact statistics indicate that only about twelve percent of the heart patients were eating five or more vegetable servings per day and only about 7 percent were eating at least four servings of fruit per day. Even more disturbing was the fact the trans fats made up over three percent of all calories consumed daily; current health guidelines advise less than one half percent of daily calorie consumption should be in the form of trans fat.
Additionally, the study indicated that only about twenty percent of all cardiac patients go to cardiac rehabilitation programs. Researchers pointed out that most cardiac rehabilitation programs tended to emphasize exercise over healthy diet.
Consequently, even if a patient had completed cardiac rehabilitation there was no guarantee that the patient was consuming a healthy diet.
Researchers stated the study indicated that more effective methods are needed delivering information to cardiac patients with regard to the importance of regular exercise and healthy diet.

What is a Sonogram?

What is a Sonogram?
A sonogram, also known as an ultrasound, is a computerized picture taken by bouncing sound waves off organs and other interior body parts. A wand called a transducer is glided along the outside of the body over a centralized area or organ. As it glides, it introduces sound waves into the body. These sound waves bounce off the intended area and back into the transducer, which feeds the information into a computer. The picture then appears on a special computer screen. The sonogram is most often used to monitor a pregnancy.
Because the sonogram uses sound waves and not radiation, it's completely safe. In addition, a sonogram can offer details X-rays can't. It's painless and in just about every case, the person receiving the sonogram will not be inconvenienced or made to feel uncomfortable in any way. Even more important, the sonogram is safe for the unborn child. Thanks to a sonogram, doctors can discover a tubal pregnancy early and take the proper measures to ensure the mother's safety.
A sonogram can also detect a multiple pregnancy, giving the doctor as well as the parents enough time to prepare. Birth defects can now be discovered early. Thanks to the sonogram, parents can even learn the sex of their unborn child months before the baby is due! Many parents appreciate knowing their baby's sex ahead of time so they can get the baby's room ready or shop for gender-appropriate clothes and toys.
A sonogram isn't used only to monitor a pregnancy. It can also identify the causes of pelvic bleeding and discomfort, find the source of menstrual problems, identify cysts and locate cancerous cells. A sonogram isn't just for women, either. It can also be used to help treat prostate and other cancers in men.
There is not too much preparation involved for a sonogram. It's all dependent on the area to be examined. For instance, those who are having an abdominal sonogram may be asked not to eat or drink anything for 24 hours so their doctor can better examine the stomach. A pregnant woman is usually asked to drink lots of water before her sonogram, as it helps the doctor to see the fetus a little better. Loose, comfortable clothing should be worn in order to make the procedure run a little smoother. Other than that, read all the instructions provided by your doctor.
The most important thing to remember is that a sonogram is routine, safe and painless. While you might be nervous before such a procedure, you'll wonder what you were so worried about when it's over.