FC Member Blog

Wellness Messages

BY jbisonaroll jbisonaroll | 10-13-2008 | 9:59 AM

This blog is written by a member of our blogging community and expresses that member's views alone.

Living a healthful lifestyle pays big dividends in one’s well being- Wellness Works!!
It is said that one’s mental health comes from a balance of love, work, and play in one’s life. Have you gotten out your balance scales lately?
Just what is Wellness, anyway? Wellness is a balanced integration of mind, body, and spirit in the pursuit of enhanced health and well being. “Try it, you’ll like it!”
Physical activity is not exactly a panacea for whatever ails you. Failing that, however, it is about the next best thing!
Stress is a killer! It not only results in job, marriage, and personal “burnout”, but is thought to contribute to immune system suppression, cardiac sudden death syndrome, other cardiac dysfunctions, fatigue, depression, and more! Relax.....let it go....... Live….
Instant stress relief! Stop, take several deep breaths, hold each one for a few seconds and then let it out slowly. Notice the relief of tension when you exhale...
Eating a diet low in fat is probably not best done all at once, because such sudden changes seldom become ingrained habits. However, as one alters their eating habits over time, high fat food becomes less and less appetizing, and one may find oneself actually craving healthy food! Imagine that!!
Wellness is more than just the absence of disease. Wellness represents an “enhanced” state of health and well being, and provides a big cushion between you and disease. It feels good too!
A number of studies have suggested that optimism and having a positive attitude are health habits, just like good diet, exercise, etc.! Have you done an attitude check lately?
Research shows that walking turns out to be a really good form of aerobic exercise! You can get most of the health benefits from walking 30 minutes or more daily as you do from more vigorous kinds of exercise. No more excuses--- DO IT!!
As we all know too well, the hassles of life can often get you down. One way of keeping that in check is to have a “Passion”. Have something that you really just love to do, something that you “live for” or “live to do”. It gives you something to look forward to as you endure the hardships of everyday life. What’s your pleasure?
“Wellness” includes being a nonsmoker. “Wellness” includes using alcohol only in moderation, if at all. “Wellness” includes eating right by eating light. “Wellness” includes getting lots of exercise. “Wellness” includes keeping stress at a tolerable level. “Wellness“ includes having some balance in your life. “Gosh, this sounds like work!” So why should we do all these things? Do them because you want to feel good!
Robert Ornstein, Ph.D. and David Sobel, M.D. wrote a book a few years ago called “Healthy Pleasures”. Through their research, they contend that experiencing simple pleasure helps us maintain and improve our health and well being. This no doubt operates through the reduction of stress, just as laughter does. Have you let yourself experience much pleasure lately?
A study conducted at Stanford University showed that sedentary people over age 55 (who are those most likely to have problems sleeping) who then began exercising reported that they slept an average of 1 hour longer each night, and that they fell asleep in half the time compared to those who remained sedentary. Have you been getting your physical activity?
Keeping our weight under control is something many of us struggle with. Here is a tip: Eat Slowly! When a person eats slowly, they usually eat less than they otherwise would, enjoy it more, and feel satisfied. It's a “win-win” thing to do!
It has been found that anger and hostility play a role in the development of heart disease. A longitudinal study published in the journal CIRCULATION in 1996 using VA patients who had no known heart disease showed that men who have high levels of ongoing anger were 3 times more likely to subsequently be diagnosed with heart disease. The lesson for us is to let go of our anger, relax, and perhaps take things a little less seriously…
An often overlooked health habit is that of practicing safety. Using seat belts, never driving when impaired by alcohol, drugs, or sleepiness, using bicycle helmets, having fire extinguishers readily available at home, being careful with poisonous substances, etc., are all habits which contribute to health and well being. Are you safe?
One way to reduce the stress we feel in our lives is to teach ourselves to become sensitive and pay attention to the many “little pleasures” we happen upon each day. Notice and enjoy things like the wonderful feel of a hot shower, a walk outdoors, a sunset, the peaceful sounds of birds chirping, the look and fragrance of a rose, the taste of our food, or even time alone when driving to work. Truly experience the pleasant sensations these things bring...
Guess what? Broccoli.... is an extremely nutritious food! It is good for us. It helps prevent colon cancer, etc. Broccoli is high in vitamins A, C, & K, has lots of potassium, calcium, and fiber. We should eat lots of it and encourage our patients to do so too (unless medically contraindicated)! We have heard of the peach festival, the Okra Strut, and so on. Perhaps there should be a “Broccoli Bash”?
Some animals and lots of people fatten up and gain weight over the winter months. You know...., no more mowing the lawn or long walks, lots of indoor sedentary activities and holiday overeating. Wait! That doesn’t have to be you! Just keep eating a healthful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, eat sensible food portions, and.... be sure to continue getting lots and lots of exercise! Life is good....
We often refer to someone who is bright and cheerful as Mr. or Ms. “Sunshine”! This has some basis in fact. For a great many people, the amount of sunlight they are exposed to has an effect upon their mood. The more sunlight, the better they feel! In these Fall and Winter days of shorter daylight time, spend as much time as possible in the sunshine! Perhaps a walk at lunchtime....
Reducing your stress helps prevent cardiac problems! A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine described results from patients having CAD with ischemia who were given either 4 months of stress reduction training, 4 months of exercise, or usual care, and were then followed for 5 years. Compared to usual care, people given stress reduction suffered one fourth as many adverse cardiac events during follow up, and less than half as many as those given exercise training. What to do? Relax, take it easy, take a few deep breaths.....
Physical activity is good..... It makes us feel good, and it is good for us! Some often overlooked alternatives include water aerobics, water walking, water running, and just plain swimming. These are especially good for people who have orthopedic impairments. Most communities have a pool available at a community center, health club, or YMCA. Go for it!
Christmas holidays. Good times.... How about “All I want for Christmas is to not gain weight”! OK. You got it! Just keep exercising regularly, enjoy the festivities, and be very discriminating about what and how much you actually put in your mouth.... savor it, enjoy it, and eat it very slowly.
It has been said that we Americans must stop living “cardio logically incorrect” lives. This refers to our great propensity to experience stress, be overweight, eat too much, get no exercise, smoke, drink too much, and live and work at a frenetic pace. The New Year brings us another opportunity to correct any of these that are a problem for us. No silly “New Year’s resolutions” necessary here. Just quietly go about doing whatever is necessary to fix it, and keep doing it.....
Here is more about the benefits of walking.... A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at a large group of retired elderly (ages 61-81) nonsmoking men who were followed for 12 years. After adjustment for all known risk factors, those who walked less than 1 mile/day were 1.8 times more likely to die from any cause than those who walked more than 2 miles/day. Before adjustment for risk factors, the death rate from all causes was more than twice as high in those who walked less. So......, let’s encourage all our patients (and ourselves!!) to get walking! Every day!
A strong body of medical literature tells us that people who enjoy social support are healthier overall, live longer, recover faster from injuries and illness, experience less stress and depression, and so on. This likely has to do with better immune system functioning under those conditions. For the sake of your health and well-being, be sure to nourish and cherish your relationships with others!
Numerous studies have shown that for overweight or obese persons, even a modest 10% loss of body weight produces major improvements in blood pressure, lipid profile, and reduction in overall cardiovascular risk. Further, people can enjoy quite good health in spite of being “overweight” if they exercise frequently and eat a healthy diet, get enough rest, etc. Please mention these facts to your overweight patients; they need all the encouragement they can get...