If you have traveled to Las Vegas before, you know better than anyone just how much there is to explore, and how large the various casinos are. It can take you a full day just to explore the hotel you are staying at, never mind explore the strip and all the other properties, casinos, restaurants, shopping, and attractions available. What this means is a whole lot of time spent on your feet and walking around. This is exhausting on the best of days, let alone if you have any sort of health issues that cause pain and inflammation.

If you happen to suffer from arthritis and you’re thinking of booking a trip to Las Vegas, the thing you want to keep in mind is that it is possible to visit and have a good time. It comes down to managing and coping with your pain and inflammation in a way that doesn’t interfere with your trip or keep you sidelined. Here’s a look at various tips and tricks you can use while in Las Vegas on holidays.

Talk to Your Doctor Before You Leave

A great place to start is with speaking to your doctor or physical therapist before you leave. As soon as you book your holiday, go ahead and book an appointment with your medical provider. Talk to them about what your plans and expectations are while on holidays and ask for any tips or advice. They may prescribe medication or speak to you about over-the-counter remedies. They can also provide you with exercises that can help, and other pain management techniques.

Because they know you and your medical background best, they can tailor their tips and advice to your specific case.

Be sure that whatever medication you are bringing with you is packed in your carry-on luggage. You don’t want to run the risk of your checked luggage being lost in transit, along with your medications.

Learn Where the Nearest Pharmacy Is

Another way to prepare yourself before you arrive is to research where the nearest pharmacy is to your accommodations. You never know when you may need more or different medication or even advice from the pharmacist.

Las Vegas is also home to marijuana dispensaries. Marijuana has been shown to offer relief from the inflammation and pain associated with arthritis. Again, you may want to find out where the nearest and cheapest dispensary is in relation to your hotel. You can learn more here about the cheapest dispensaries in Las Vegas.

Be Smart with Your Travel Dates

Another tip is to book your trip for non-peak travel times and days of the week. What this means is that the airport will be much less busy, giving you plenty of areas to sit and relax. It also means less time spent standing in long line-ups. You can also check with your airline about booking an aisle seat, which will provide you with more room for stretching your legs.

If your arthritis is particularly bad or you’re having a flare-up, you can also call the airline in advance and arrange for wheelchair assistance or help boarding the flight early. While you are actually on the plane flying to your destination, be sure to do regular leg exercises in your seat. You can do leg lifts, raising and lowering your toes and your feet.

Stick to a Healthy Diet

One of the things Las Vegas is known for is the rather vast amount of food options. Not just a lot of options, but also huge portion sizes. All-you-can-eat buffets are the norm in this vacation destination, and they can tempt you to veer away from your normally healthy diet.

Rather than be tempted by all the goodies, sweets, and salty foods, be sure that you drink lots of water, keep the caffeine and alcohol consumption at a minimum, skip the sugar-filled snacks and desserts, and avoid processed foods. All of these can increase inflammation, which will result in even more pain.

Cut Down on the Walking in Las Vegas

Another tip is to cut down on the walking all together and use other transportation whenever necessary. Las Vegas offers plenty of car rental providers, cabs, and even public transportation to get you around. There is no need to walk more than is necessary. You can save the walking for the actual casinos and hotels as you explore them on foot.

Use Heat and Ice When Needed

When packing your suitcase, you may want to throw an electric heating pad and cold compress in the suitcase as well. Both of these can help soothe affected areas at the end of the day. You may even want to use these techniques to start your day if you wake up sore and stiff. Topical pain creams are great to apply immediately following the use of a heat or cold pack. These topical creams are also very portable, making them easy to throw in your toiletries bag.

Make Sure You Keep Moving

This tip may seem counter-intuitive after telling you to slow down and avoid walking too much, but in reality, there is a fine balance you need to achieve. You don’t want to push yourself too much and exhaust your body by over-exerting it, but at the same time, staying still and doing nothing can make arthritis much worse. When you are inactive for long periods your muscles tend to tighten up, which will cause additional pain. This is why gentle stretches can also be useful, as they will prevent your muscles from tightening up.

Enjoy Your Vacation by Nipping Arthritis Pain in the Bud

While it may seem like a big destination like Las Vegas will be impossible to explore and enjoy if you suffer from arthritis, the fact is that there is plenty you can do to help manage and cope with the pain and inflammation. In fact, if you’re on top of things and make sure to follow all of your doctor’s advice, and these tips, you may be able to keep the pain at bay for your entire trip.

When you become a parent, your child’s health and happiness becomes your number one priority. It’s our life’s mission to keep them safe, and ensure they have the best start so they’re able to go off into the world and become productive members of society. However, raising kids is never easy, we all make mistakes and with often conflicting information it can be difficult to put advice into practice. This post aims to give you tips that are achievable in the real world, and will all contribute to a healthier family. Read on to find out more!source

Eat together as a family

One of the most beneficial things you can do for your family’s health is to eat together most nights a week. There are lots of reasons for this, the first being that home cooked food tends to be healthier than anything you can order in or convenience food. You can sneak in extra vegetables, you can limit salt and sugar and you know exactly what’s gone into it. When your children see you filling up on delicious, healthy meals they’re likely to mirror your habits in time, and dinner time is a great chance to set an example to them. Another reason that eating together is good for your family is that it’s a chance to spend quality time together. When you and your partner are off at work all day, your youngest is in nursery and older kids are at school it means you’re all going your separate ways for most of the day. Eating dinner together is a chance to catch up, to keep bonds strong. It’s so beneficial that studies have shown that families that eat together regularly tend to have less instances of teenage pregnancies and substance abuse. It’s all down to the fact that this time together means you’re likely to be closer and have a better relationship with your kids. This can mean there’s more of a chance they’ll open up and speak to you about any issues instead of giving straight into peer pressure. We all know that kids and teens can be fussy with food, so it’s worth coming up with a repertoire of meals that you all like. Big, one pot meals like stews, bolognese and chilli are family favourites and can save you on the washing up! Utilise your slow cooker, this can save you both time and money as you can use cheaper cuts of meat which become tender when cooked low and slow. Add some potatoes, veggies and meat to the pot in the morning, and by the evening you have a tasty and healthy home cooked meal that you’ve not had to slave over.

Find ways you can all get active

This day in age, it can be more difficult to encourage kids to be active. Before, pure boredom would have meant they’d be up playing in the garden or out on their bikes, skateboards or roller skates and burning calories. However, these days, kids have access to the world at their fingertips and getting them away from their screens can be a struggle. The best thing you can do is find exercise that’s genuinely fun. If your kids are younger, take them to a trampoline park or take them to events that have bouncy castles- this kind of activity can be incredibly tiring but lots of fun! Parks, games such as frisbee and sports you can play as a family can also be a fun way to get you all active. Even days out where you’re doing a lot of walking counts. You could go on family bike rides or hikes with your dog, have water fights in the summer, make up fun games and combine family bonding time and activity into one. If kids see exercise as boring or a slog they’re not going to want to do it. So find ideas that are genuinely enjoyable and get them up and moving.

Utilize health monitoring technology

There are so many health tracking apps and types of technology these days. Things like fitness trackers are good, they can keep you motivated and give an accurate insight as to just how much you’re doing. Best of all, there are trackers that are designed specifically for kids. As you can all add each other and see your activity, a bit of healthy competition can push you all to do even more. Using gadgets like smart scales that can sync your weight to an app is another way you can keep track of the health of your family. Your aim should be to ensure you’re all within your correct BMI range, and if you’re not, take steps to get there in a healthy way. While health checkups at the doctor are always going to be essential for your young family, there’s plenty you can do at home in between visits to make sure you’re all on track.

Work on a good sleep routine

As parents you’ll be well aware of how tricky bedtime can be when you have kids and teens. We know the importance of a good night’s sleep and how crucial it is for their growing bodies, but getting them to sleep when they should can be an ongoing issue. However, it’s something that you’ll need to continue working on and being firm with. Come up with a regime that works for you as a family, with young children this can involve a bath and story routine before bed. With teens, it can involve cutting off the wifi an hour before bed and encouraging reading instead. Research has well established that looking at screens prior to going to bed can affect the body’s ability to wind down, this is because light is a powerful ‘wake up’ cue to the brain. The light emitted from screens in particular can prevent melatonin (the sleep hormone) from being released properly. Set a time each day to go to bed and stick to it, letting them stay up for the occasional extra half hour means they’ll always try their luck and ask you! If they know it’s simply not an option and bedtime means bedtime, they should eventually get into the habit of going to bed when they’re asked.

Focus on relaxation

It’s easy to think that children don’t have a care in the world, and so relaxation exercises are pointless. But it’s simply not true, the world can actually be very stressful and scary for kids and teens. From pressures at school to friends and budding relationships, undergoing physical changes and much more it can leave them feeling stressed and anxious. Think about it, as adults we’ve settled into a routine, but when you’re young you’re forever learning new things, going to new groups, trying new hobbies, meeting new people and generally undergoing change all the time. As adults we know when we’re getting stressed and have coping techniques to remedy this, but children and teens won’t be aware of this. Teach them relaxation techniques, from breathing and meditation to taking a relaxing bath. Journalling can be useful as well as exercise, and also letting them know they can speak to you and open up about anything bothering them. Recognise the signs of stress, it could be nail biting, going quiet or being over emotional. Help them to understand these signs in themselves and show them ways to deal with these feelings of stress or anxiety.

Take some training or a qualification

Would you know what to do in a medical emergency if one of your family members was hurt, collapsed or was suffering with a serious illness? We’re lucky to live in a part of the world where the emergency services and healthcare is excellent, but in some scenarios it’s worth knowing how to respond instantly until they arrive. In the case of choking or extreme bleeding for example, every second counts. Sign up for a first aid course, these are courses you can take which specify in first aid for children. There are also courses aimed at children and young people which they can undertake themselves, and can give you peace of mind knowing they have some basic knowledge in this area. If you wanted to go a step further you could even study for a formal qualification. Things like online fnp programs can be studied in a flexible way- part time and from home so are ideal for parents. Many people take online courses as a way to improve of change career, but it could be something you do just because you’re interested in it- and because it benefits your family. Studying can also be good for your own mental health, as parents are own goals are often overlooked and we can feel like we’re stagnating. Study helps to build our skills and keep us sharp.

What kind of things do you do to ensure your family is kept happy and healthy?

Dementia is a cruel disease that leaves many thousands of families in turmoil each year. Not only does it affect the person with the diagnosis, but it also turns their loved one’s lives upside down too. Watching your loved ones change gradually is sad – when the loved one is your parent, it’s devastating. All of a sudden you find yourself in the position of being a parent to your mother or father. Learning to cope with this transition is paramount to your wellbeing and sanity, there are several steps that you can take to make looking after your mom or dad with dementia a little easier for all involved.

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Be patient

Although it may be frustrating at times, hearing the same sentence multiple times, you must be patient. Taking yourself away from the situation by having a step outside or going to make some hot cocoa, refresh and reset you. Remember that your loved one doesn’t understand that they are repeating themselves, and try to redirect conversation rather than shut it down. Use what your loved one is saying and stem off from this to a new subject.  As your loved one’s brain becomes more affected, they will lose abilities and inhibitions. This often leads to complicated, and previously unseen, behavior. This can also be hard to manage, so it’s essential that you seek help from the correct places to prevent letting off steam in a way in which may cause distress for your loved one.

Accept help

Many adult children do not like the thought of their parent being looked after by someone else and take on the sole responsibility themselves. If you are living with your mom or dad with dementia, it would be extremely beneficial to you both to consider contacting aged care facilities to see if they offer a respite service. Even once or twice per month can make a huge difference, so you can take some much needed time for yourself. If you do not live with your loved one, you can still often find yourself in despair and guilt, and it is vital to talk to someone you trust about this. For you to be most helpful to your mom or dad, you have to be mentally, physically and emotionally ‘well’ too. If somebody offers you help to sit with your loved one for an hour while you go to the store, accept graciously, and do it!

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Safety

Roles have reversed; instead of your mom or dad worrying about your safety, you are worrying about their safety. Dementia often causes people to get confused and wander, leading to people getting lost. This terrifying situation could be made a little better by attaching a GPS tracker to your loved one, so you can locate them and find them if needed. Alarming the doors is also a good idea, to alert you before they even get to the street. If your mom or dad are at an increased risk of getting lost, it’s also an excellent idea for them to have alert bracelets on with all of their details on, as well as yours.

Caring for a parent with dementia can be extremely demanding. You love them dearly and want to do what is best for them, but you must also take care of yourself. Following these steps can help, but if in doubt – ask for help. You absolutely deserve it.

Getting older or watching someone grow old is not always easy. To some, though, those golden years are still enjoyed as they are able to stay active and retain a good mental health – but it is, unfortunately, not necessarily in our control.

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There are a few things you can do or encourage your loved one to do that will increase the chances of maintaining their bright minds so that they’re able to share their stories for longer.

Here is a handful of the best ways to boost your brain power so that you or your loved one can stay healthy for longer.

First: Exercise is key

You probably saw this one coming; a healthy amount of exercise is really good for your brain. While you should try to get any form of exercise done a couple of times a week, there are a few forms of exercise you might want to focus on to make sure your brain is getting a proper workout.

Think about the stuff you need to put your mind into to master. Dancing, for example, high-intensity aerobics, tennis, yoga, and all forms of exercise where you need to balance more. This is great for your bone strength as well, by the way, so you might be able to enjoy both a healthy mind and a strong and able body when you’re a bit older.

There should be many opportunities to sign up for dance, yoga or aerobics classes in your area if you’re looking for something for a family member or a friend. Have a search online, and you might be able to expand their social network as well.

Next: Think about what you eat

Food and exercise go hand-in-hand, and especially when it comes to taking care of our brain as we age. It can be tough to change an elderly person’s habits, though, and you might want to have a chat with their carer, such as Seniors Helping Seniors, about implementing more brain-boosting food in their diet.

Healthy fats are great to keep your mind healthy so consider salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel as well as vegetables that are high in healthy fats. Berries and particularly blueberries are also great for this purpose, by the way, and it should be easy enough to talk them into eating more of this.

Remember to have fun

Even though food and exercise are important, one of the most important things you can do for their mental health is to be there for them and have fun together. We tend to give up a bit if we age without having anyone to keep us company – which makes a lot of sense if you think about it.

Make sure that they know that they are loved and appreciated by coming together as a family as often as possible. Play games together, watch movies and do your best to make sure that they laugh as often as possible.

That way, you’ll keep them around for longer and they’re able to stay both happy and healthy.

Being healthy is the only full and lifetime job that doesn’t have remuneration as one of its perks. As we are all unique individuals that require constant good health from infanthood to adolescence, and from middle age to senior citizens. Hence, our wellbeing mentally, physically, academically, psychologically and spiritually is primarily one of the key concerns of every person.

When our well-being isn’t well catered for it is likely to result in antisocial, moody behavior and keeping to ourselves. In essence, it’s important for parents to be friends with ourselves as this helps us to understand our weaknesses and peculiarities that differs from others.

As custodians, there are many ways we can be healthy kids, but for the purpose of this piece, a few of them will be critically examined.

Good Sleep

Sleep is one of the mysteries fundamental to the survival of human beings. Hence every person should have at least 8 -10 hours of sleep on a daily basis. There’s no gainsaying that the chances are that most of us tend to find solace in television programs like cartoons/animations which makes them detest bed time sometimes. However, the truth is that a fixed sleep time should be spelled out; this will ensure that we are aware of the golden general rule for sleep and we will not attempt to break the rule except on rare occasions on holidays, or weekends.

For both adults and kids, the importance of sleep cannot be overemphasized; a sound sleep re-energizes us, improves our metabolism, and helps us think well. Insufficient sleep time, on the other hand, gives us headaches, affects our productivity at work, and other activities and makes us withdrawn and contribute less towards family life.

Refrain From Dieting

Diets can significantly increase the risk of developing an eating disorder during life. Instead, people with weight problems should move more and be offered healthier food – in unlimited quantities. This would be better than fad dieting or having a dramatic change in their eating habits.

Spend Time With Family And Friends

The foundation of a family is founded largely on support; nobody can exist in isolation; we are designed by nature to coexist and cohabit in a defined location or surroundings with others. Hence, it can sometimes be challenging to live a long happy life without the support of other members of the family. Support is a confidence booster for everyone and spending time with family is great for your health. So why not reach out to loved ones by giving them a call and arranging a time to spend together.

Eating Healthy Foods

The popular saying “You’re what you eat” comes to mind here, while it remains a pure fact that we must not excessively monitor the types of foods we eat as this will drive us crazy. However, for the bulk of the time, it’s important we aim to eat the right types of meals carefully, which positively adds to our wholesome composition as human beings.

The healthy types of foods we should add in out food timetable should include fruits, veggies, cereals, carbohydrates, Vitamins, and protein. The types of foods that we should try and avoid include junk foods such as pastries, ice cream & foods with a high concentration in fat and oil. Junk foods can cause a lack of required body nutrients, and high consumption increases chances of fats in the body which is unhealthy. Try not to make your healthy eating a boring task, rather think of alternative ways to make healthy eating fun.

Routine Medical Checks

The regular monitoring of our wellbeing is essential and shouldn’t be left until there’s a total health breakdown or an emergency due to some form of terminal diseases or complications. We should make it a duty to have a routine medical check. Whether monthly or quarterly depending on which of the options suits them most. There are many available medical insurance plans such as the medicare supplement that will ensure your family’s health is in good condition.

Some of the benefits of routine medical checks include early detection of diseases, prevention of such disease from developing into a delicate or advanced stage which could be life threatened. Also, regular medical tests reveal our health status which is necessary to maintain status-quo is passed. Upon check-up, any required steps will be advised if there’s a need to procure medications to help stabilize your health.

Drink Enough Water

The importance of hydration cannot be overemphasized, because water is required to aid digestion of meals in both adult and children alike. How much water an individual should drink varies, however, there are specific times for consuming water in order to get the desired result, such times include early mornings (A glass of water & before going to bed at night).

Exercise

Exercise is a medically recommended way to ensure we stay healthy, fit, and intellectually sound. There are many types of activities we can partake in to develop or explore different physical attributes within us. They include walking, swimming, aerobics, athletics, football, table tennis, basketball & other numerous forms of physical activities which helps to ensure our fitness and sound health. Exercise can make us feel happier, too, when it becomes part of our routine.

Zero Addiction To Technology

While it’s a fantastic reality that most of us this day and time are highly intelligent, all thanks to advancement in technology. However, it should be said that too much clinging to gadgets such as televisions, phones & iPads when we should be sleeping will definitely affect our mental health. Nowadays, the addictions to gadgets for many people begins from a young age, but luckily for the elder generation, they did not experience this.

Conclusion

All in all, installing the above healthy habits within our children can ensure they grow up to be healthy and responsible adults. Healthy diet, exercise and family time can all help to develop children and give them the best start in life.