Five self-health checks

Feeling anxious about your health? These five health checks "do it yourself" should ease your mind - and help you maintain control over his body

Eyeball it
In addition to overseeing his vision, there are some easy ways to keep tabs on your eye health. If the whites of the eyes are truly yellow, you may be suffering from jaundice caused by hepatic dysfunction. A milky white ring around the iris (the colored part of eye) is a sign of high cholesterol. To check for iron deficiency, pull your lower eyelid down slightly. If the inner covers are a very pale pink (not bright pink, as it should), this could be a symptom of anemia or low iron.

Eat well: The best way to keep your eyes healthy is to eat a mixture of fruits and vegetables, says Catherine Cervin, associate professor in the department of family medicine at Dalhousie University. Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain vitamins A, which are to promote eye health.

How low can you go?
When picking up the morning paper, you can easily bend to pick it up without bending your knees? If not, you may be prone to injury in the back and hips. If you have a good range of motion and are forced to make a sudden movement (eg shoulder check while driving) could risk muscle strain. Flexibility is helpful not only to reach the top shelves is a key indicator of health. While agility is partly determined by our genetics, we tend to lose with age.

Reduce stress: In order to remain flexible throughout life, stretching exercises. Always stretch before physical activity routine to avoid injury and promote circulation. To stretch the neck, try rolling your head in circles while sitting at a red light. While at your desk, take a break to lift the arms overhead, bending your elbows to touch the shoulders.

Breathe easy
Try this exercise to see if you are breathing properly. Close your mouth and breathe continuously through your nose for eight seconds. If you can not get eight seconds without feeling breathless, you're breathing through your mouth too. Since the normal reflex is to inhale through the nose, mouth breathing could suggest anything from allergies to sleep apnea. However, it also could be a sign of chronic obstruction, such as a deviated septum or persistent nasal congestion.

Reduce stress Cervin recommended counter nasal strips, which open the airways for the temporary relief of snoring and blocked airways. But unless you have a cold, you should consult with your physician to identify the root cause of chronic irregular breathing.

Check for a pulse
Take your pulse for one minute, motionless. An average resting heart rate is 60-90 beats per minute. The lower your resting pulse, the more fit you are. Then run down the field for two minutes, resting for a minute before you start taking your pulse. Your heart rate should return to rest in a minute of your shift. If a few minutes before proceeding with the pulse rate drops back to a normal range can mean not getting enough exercise. (Please note that caffeine, stress and anxiety raise your heart rate too).

Get moving: Cervin should arrive 30-60 minutes of activity at least five times a week. Start slowly and gradually the intensity and frequency of your workouts. You should be able to hold a conversation while exercising. Whatever your current level of fitness, be sure to get your pulse in the aerobic range - between 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. Measure your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.

Peek in your pee
Ok, may sound unpleasant, but has not taken a look at some point and has been a bit surprised by what they saw. Here is a decline of what is normal and when to have medical checks. In a healthy person, the urine should be clear and generally pale. A very dark yellow means you are dehydrated and need to drink more fluids. Orange and green are normal, believe it or not, and probably have to do with the supplements of vitamins or something you ate. B vitamins can also turn your pee a bright yellow for example. However, cloudy and odorous urine could mean an infection. And if your urine is dark tea color, consult your family doctor as this may indicate a liver problem.

Eat well: Drink plenty rarely feel thirsty, Cervin says, although often recommended eight glasses a day can stop for some.