Laughter Is the best Medicine!

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY~

Research shows that laughing can boost the immune system, helping the body to stay disease free and fight colds and the flu, and can help people with type 2 diabetes process sugars after meals. Above all else, It`s FREE!

So laugh ... smile ... go check out a funny movie or learn a new joke. Whatever it takes to put a smile on your face is what you should be doing right now.

It`s a totally free, simple way to boost your spirits and your health without the need for a prescription! Make it part of your morning routine, look into the mirror and smile back at yourself, do that as much as you can throughout the day, be careful, it is highly contagious. Allowing yourself to get swept away with overall good humor, is beneficial to the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, muscular system, central nervous system and endocrine system.

Dr. Joseph Mercola suggests that if you are facing an illness, having a positive outlook and a sense of humor will keep your body open to healing. If you are healthy, laughing will help to make sure you stay that way, and can add enjoyment to your work and home life and reduce your daily stress.

Of course, it can be hard to keep a positive outlook all the time. Simply taking the time to focus on the positive and be thankful for the good things in your life can help, but if you are struggling with negative emotions that you just can’t seem to overcome there are tools that can help. There`s a technique that Dr. Mercola recommends, it called the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which he commonly uses in his practice to help patients deal with all kinds of negative emotions. (http://eft.mercola.com/).

Smiling and laughing will also go a long way toward improving your health, so try it--you have nothing to lose! There are so many things out there to smile about and all you have to do is find one. Try something out of the ordinary like walking barefoot through the grass, taking time to watch the sunrise, close your eyes and feel the cool morning breeze across your face. Don’t overlook the joy in everyday things like talking to your kids and walking the dog. You’ll be amazed at how much brighter things can become when you look at them through smiling eyes. 

Start right now…smile for no reason and feel how much better you feel.

Contact Nancy @ my.healthiswealth@comcast.net

MAN UP!

Wellness Wednesday~

US Department of Human Resources encourages you to TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH

Men face unique health challenges, and one of the most dangerous is their reluctance to seek health care. In fact, according to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), men are 24 percent less likely than women to have seen a doctor in the past year.

The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

Men's Health Today

A snapshot of men's health in the U.S. shows that they sometimes experience different, but no less serious, health problems than women. Heart disease, cancer, and accidents (unintentional injuries) are the top causes of death for men. The most commonly diagnosed cancers among men include prostate, lung, and colorectal types. A recent Federal study shows that men die from heart disease and chronic liver disease at nearly twice the rate of women.

Prevention

Many of the major health risks that men face—such as colon cancer and heart disease—can actually be prevented and treated with earlier diagnosis. Screening tests can often find these diseases early, when they are easier to treat. For these reasons, it is crucial that men go against their tendency of avoiding health care and begin having regular checkups and screenings.

Five Manly Steps to Good Health

1. Get routine check-ups and preventive screenings (see link to Men's Health Guide in Resources below).
2. Be more physically active and make healthy food choices.
3. Get to your healthy weight and stay there.
4. Become tobacco free.
5. Drink only in moderation.
6. Manage stress

Men's Health Month is a chance for both men and women to increase their awareness of the potentially significant health problems that men face, as well as what steps they can take to prevent such problems. Taking care of yourself is part of being the best man you can be. There's nothing manly—or beneficial—about ignoring your health.

This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The response has been overwhelming with thousands of awareness activities in the USA and around the globe.

You Can Live to be 100!

Wellness Wednesday

 

Simple lifestyle changes can add years to your life, so start taking care of yourself now. You need to prevent or delay "unhealthy aging" that happens from poor health habits. Humana suggest some everyday habits that can help you live to a healthy 100.

EXERCISE

You hear it all the time…it doesn't have to be intense activity. The Centers for Disease Control suggests you can add years to your life by doing moderate exercise for about two and a half hours a week. You can do this with a daily 30-minute walk around the neighborhood. Or you could join the “mall walkers” five days a week.  Remember, exercise is important for heart health and flexibility as you age.

 

CHECK YOUR WAIST SIZE

Women are at greater risk for a heart attack and diabetes disease with a waist size over 35 inches. Your belt size is directly related to how long you'll live. A waist measurement of more than 40 inches for a man of average height means he has a higher-than-average risk for these diseases. Why is waist size so important? People with wider abdomens tend to have more fat internally in their organ system, which causes more pressure on your body and risk for damage.

ARE YOU STRESSED?

You can even cause damage to your health with a poor diet from "nervous eating."

Lack of sleep because of stress can harm your health. So can fatigue or being tired after being tense all day. People who are depressed, guilty, or anxious are more likely to have major health problems than people who have a healthy outlook on life.

EATING – IT`S NOT JUST THE CALORIES

Getting enough good calcium into your system is important for bone health. As you get older, more calcium may leak out of your bones, putting you at risk for osteoporosis - making your bones brittle and more likely to break. In addition to calcium, make sure you get enough fiber. High-fiber foods reduce your sugar load, are important for diabetes prevention, and appear to reduce the chance of colon cancer.

GETTING REGULAR CHECK UPS

You may not need a full checkup every year; but as you age, regular exams are more important. Screenings for such cancers as breast, cervical, and colon can catch those cancers early - when they can be cured. Your primary care doctor can also check for high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Any of these problems, if not treated, can reduce your life expectancy. Also, if you smoke, quit. It doesn't matter if you smoke or if you're regularly around second-hand smoke. Both can shorten your life.

 

 

Small Changes, Real BIG Energy

Wake Up Naturally to a More Energized Day

-- By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer for SparkPeople

7:00 a.m.: An infuriating alarm jolts you awake.
7:30 a.m.: After three snooze delays you finally turn it off and force yourself to jump out of bed.
8:15 a.m.: Two cups of coffee later, you're stuck in maddening morning traffic.
2:30 p.m.: You practically fall asleep at your desk.

"I got eight hours of sleep last night," you think hazily. "Why am I still tired?"

The answer may lie in your morning routine. Afternoon energy levels can be predicted by what you do when you first get up. A typical frantic start to the day can wake you up temporarily but leave you dragging later on. Low energy saps creativity, spontaneity, concentration and motivation. Not to mention the irritability and stress that it causes.

So why does the morning rush let you down? According to researchers at Duke University Medical Center, both sudden activity and caffeine kick-up your blood pressure and stress hormones, giving you a quick feeling of alertness and energy. But these adrenaline-producing tactics are short-lived. Once the mayhem is over, it's crash time.

It's much better to start the day by letting your body catch up to sleep-cycle cues that it collects. By coming out of "sleep" mode more naturally, you help your body get off to a more relaxing start to a more energized day.

Here are some ideas for how to set your body clock to "awake" without the shock of sudden activity that rattles the stress system: 

1. Wake up to music rather than an alarm.
2. Don't get up right away. While breathing deeply, loosen up and stretch your limbs out, from your fingers to your toes. Pretend you're a cat waking up from a nap.
3. Think of the most positive thing you'll be doing that day.
4. Get out of bed slowly. Ease into it.
5. Turn on more and more lights as you go through your routine, until every light you see is on.
6. If weather permits, step outside for a minute. Sunshine is one of the strongest ways to tell your body to wake up.
7. Do 3-5 minutes of easy activity. Emphasis on easy.
8. Eat breakfast! Foods low in fat and high in protein, fiber and carbs provide energy that lasts a long time. Try yogurt, fruit, whole wheat breads, and skim milk.

A key is not to oversleep or use the snooze button. It may be tough at first, but getting up at the same time every morning makes it easier to set a sleep cycle that won't make you feel tired in the middle of the day. 

Sleeping tips~

Researchers have recognized a variety of practices and behaviors—known as “sleep hygiene"—that can help anyone maximize the hours sleeping, even those whose sleep is affected by insomnia, jet lag, or shift work. Falling asleep isn’t my problem, I find myself waking up at 2 a.m. unable to go back to sleep without a lot of tossing and turning!!  Here are some simple tips for making the sleep of your dreams a nightly reality:

#1 Go to Sleep When you’re Truly Tired

Struggling to fall sleep just leads to frustration. If you’re not asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do something relaxing, like reading or listening to music until you are tired enough to sleep.

#2 Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Chemicals that Interfere with Sleep

Avoid caffeine for four to six hours before bedtime. (Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, and some pain relievers).My husband and I find that a warm cup of decaffeinate green tea before bed seems to help us relax and let go of the day.

#3 Don’t be a Nighttime Clock-Watcher

Staring at a clock in your bedroom (as I find myself doing), either when you are trying to fall asleep or when you wake in the middle of the night, can actually increase stress, making it harder to fall asleep. Turn your clock’s face away from you.

And if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep in about 20 minutes, get up and read or listen to slow/soft music. And keep the lights dim; bright light can stimulate your internal clock.

#4 Use Light to Your Advantage

Natural light keeps your internal clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle. So let in the light first thing in the morning (open your curtains). Don’t forget to get out of the office for a sun break (walk) during the day.

#5 Establish a Soothing Pre-Sleep Routine

Light reading before bed is a good way to prepare yourself for sleep. Its also a great time to read  with your children or grandchildren. A few other favorites of mine is taking a warm bath, watch television, or practice relaxation exercises.  Avoid stressful, stimulating activities—doing work, discussing emotional issues. If you tend to take your problems to bed, try writing them down—and then putting them aside till morning.

Some of these tips will be easier to include in your daily and nightly routine than others. Start with simple things like opening your curtain in the morning, maybe read a book in bed before retiring, your chances of achieving a better nights sleep will improve. That said, not all sleep problems are so easily treated and could signify the presence of a sleep disorder such as apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, or another clinical sleep problem. If your sleep difficulties don’t improve through good sleep hygiene, you may want to consult your physician or a sleep specialist.

Nancy Larson @ my.healthiswealth@comcast.net, or nlarson@co.delaware.in.us