HealthyLife Articles

Category: Well-Being

  • Stranded In A Storm?

    WELL-BEING

    Image of young women looking out the car window.

    Whether you’re stuck in your car or at home or elsewhere, know how to extend your cell phone’s battery life, advises the Auto Club Group.

    In an emergency, do this:

    *  Turn the phone off. Only turn it on when you are expecting or making a call.

    *  If you’re in an area with no reception, turn off the phone to prevent it from constantly searching for service. Even with automatic power-save features, this function can take up to 30 minutes and it is depleting your battery.

    *  Limit use of the vibrate function on your phone. Use a ring tone because it uses less of the battery’s power.

    *  Don’t use extra features such as the Internet, WiFi, GPS, a camera, and a hands-free device.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Use Spirituality To Boost Wellness

    WELL-BEING

    Image of women sitting in open field reading a book.

    Good physical health involves eating right, exercise and getting enough sleep. But many medical experts believe good health goes beyond physical things. There is some evidence to suggest that healthy spirituality can be linked to overall well-being.

    First, think about what spirituality is to you. It is something that connects your mind and spirit to something bigger than yourself. It can be your religion, morals, or something you’re passionate about, such as music, art or nature. Spirituality differs for everyone.

    An important part of overall health

    The American Academy of Family Physicians says a person’s spirituality can play a role in how they feel physically. Things like positive thinking, religious beliefs, prayer, meditation and other mindful activities can help you feel better and even help prevent some health problems.

    Spirituality may also help you cope better with stressful events and illnesses. While spirituality alone cannot heal illnesses or injuries, it may help in supporting a person’s overall health.

    How to improve spiritual health

    Anyone can work to improve their spiritual health. Think about things in your life that help you feel peaceful, comforted, joyful or connected. Make time regularly to do the things that fulfill you spiritually:

    *  Go to a religious meeting or service

    *  Take a meditation or yoga class

    *  Play your favorite sport

    *  Read a book

    *  Take a walk in a peaceful place

    *  Listen to relaxing or inspiring music

    Good spiritual health can help you live a healthier life. When you have a healthy spirit, you may be able to deal with challenges, such as a chronic illness or stressful events. Though it can’t solve all of life’s problems, spiritual practices can help you feel better and manage some of life’s struggles.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Books And Bedtime Routine

    WELL-BEING

    Image of a mom reading a book to her young toddler.

    Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned bedtime story? Not an iPad app or a TV show before bed. But a real story, read in bed to a child by a parent.

    Seems that bedtime routines help kids sleep better, say researchers at Penn State in this NIH-funded study. They say well-established rules such as a regular bedtime and no caffeine drinks led to children getting adequate sleep for their age. In contrast, when parents and kids had electronic devices in the bedroom after bedtime, lack of sleep was more likely.

    Poor sleep could lead to behavioral problems, impaired learning and school performance, sports injuries, mood issues, and health problems such as obesity.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Forget Shouting

    WELL-BEING

    Image of 2 men talking.

    While many people try to steer clear of arguments with family members, two Vanderbilt University philosophy professors offer a better solution.

    Scott F. Aikin and Robert B. Talisse co-wrote Why We Argue (and How We Should): A Guide to Political Disagreement. The trend to avoid arguments with loved ones has more to do with how bad we are at arguing than how strong our beliefs are, according to Aikin. “The better solution would be to improve our skill at making arguments in ways that allow for better, more reasoned exchange.”

    Aikin and Talisse suggest the following:

    *  Remember that reasonable and intelligent people disagree about important matters. Keep this in mind even when your relative says something appalling.

    *  When arguing, be sure to acknowledge your family member’s good points.

    *  Be prepared to say what it would take for you to change your mind. Consider what evidence would make your view wrong.

    *  Know the weak points about your view. Be able to articulate what the best arguments against your view are.

    “Acknowledging the opposition’s good points and seeing troubles for your own side are too often taken to be a sign of weakness,” Aikin said. “But it’s that attitude that actually makes us bad at argument and makes argumentative exchange so unpleasant and dogmatic. Instead, these habits make exchanges more reasonable and productive.”

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • I Resolve …

    WELL-BEING

    Image of a memo with the note saying 'New year's resolution eat healthy!'

    Have your New Year’s resolutions to maintain a healthy weight started out strong? Only to fizzle about now?

    Get back on track with these points from the University of Houston Texas Obesity Research Center:

    *Document the evidence.Write down what and how much you eat of everything. Writing things down helps you to stay in control and remember what you are eating and doing every day.

    *Keep on moving.Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Daily physical activity significantly improves your body functioning, on a cellular level, and your body is better able to lose and avoid gaining weight.

    *Preempt the tempt.Avoid situations where you are going to be hungry and at risk for making high-calorie choices. Eat a small snack every 3 hours. The snack should include some protein such as a small piece of reduced calorie cheese or a small handful of nuts.

    *Tell a friend.Enlist the help and support of your friends and family. They may serve as a kind ear when you need to vent, or may have similar physical activity and eating goals as you.

    *Busy hands.Keep your hands and mind busy. The key is to keep busy and not spend too much time thinking about eating. Try knitting, wood crafts or card games.

    *Plan ahead.Anticipate and make a plan for what you will do in high-risk situations. Decide whether you are going to decline the chocolate pecan torte, have a bite or have a piece. If you decide to have a piece, plan in advance to eat a little less of something else.

    *Talk yourself into it.You have talked yourself into plenty of things before, why should this be any different? Tell yourself you can do it. Every day, think to yourself, “I am doing great,” “I can stick to my plan,” “I am maintaining a healthy weight,” and “I can stay on track.”

    *Practice relaxing.Stress is a prime cause of overeating. Prioritize time to reflect and relax every day.

    *Keep it real.Don’t expect dramatic weight loss immediately-not a realistic goal. Stay on track, keep focused and make small sustainable steps toward your goal.

    *Don’t despair.If you have fallen off the wagon, forgive yourself. And get back on again.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Miles To Go

    WELL-BEING

    Image of a glass of soda.

    Would you choose that soda if you were told how many miles you needed to walk to burn off the calories?

    You’d choose a lower calorie drink if you saw signs explaining how many miles you would need to walk to burn off the calories in that sugary drink. Research at Johns Hopkins, reported in the American Journal of Public Health, found that simply showing calories is not enough to change bad eating habits.

    But when calories are tied to miles of walking, then behavior changes.

    Teens who shopped in neighborhood stores in Baltimore were presented facts on signs about various soft drinks. Researchers found that the teens who saw the signs either bought lower-sugar choices or smaller bottles.

    A typical 20-oz. soda or sports drink has 16 teaspoons of SUGAR and would take 50 minutes of RUNNING or 5 MILES of WALKING for a 110-pound adolescent to burn off the calories.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Read The Labels, Again

    WELL-BEING

    Image of medicine bottles.

    Any box or bottle of over-the-counter (OTC) medicine lists its active ingredients prominently on the label. But are consumers using that information to make wise choices about taking two or more OTC drugs at the same time? Probably not, suggests a study in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing.

    A consumer who takes a cold medicine containing, for instance, acetaminophen, may see nothing wrong with taking an additional medicine that also contains acetaminophen. In other words, the typical consumer, who is unlikely to have any medical expertise, may very well believe that there is no danger in taking any two OTC medications at the same time-even medications with the same active ingredients.

    Avoid double dosing. OTC drugs are not risk-free. Read labels.

    FYI

    According to the FDA, more than 600 OTC and prescription medicines contain the active ingredient acetaminophen. Taking acetaminophen is safe and effective when you follow the label information. But you can get severe liver damage if you take:

    *  More acetaminophen than directed

    *  More than one medicine that has acetaminophen

    *  3 or more alcoholic drinks every day while using acetaminophen

    For more information, ask your pharmacist, doctor, or nurse.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Stranded In Your Car During A Winter Storm?

    WELL-BEING

    Image of an older Asian couple stretching.

    A fast-moving winter storm could strand you in your car. The cold can lead to hypothermia and frostbite until you’re rescued.

    A charged cell phone can be your lifeline for first responders, but until help arrives, Amica Insurance with advice from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers these tips to help keep you safe if you’re stuck in a winter storm:

    *  Always stay in your vehicle. You will become disoriented quickly in wind-driven snow and cold temperatures.

    *  Run the engine for about 10 minutes every hour to provide heat. However, be sure to slightly open a window to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

    *  Turn on the dome light at night when running the engine.

    *  After the snow stops, open the hood of your vehicle to indicate that you need assistance.

    *  Tie a colored cloth – preferably red – to your door or antenna.

    *  Be sure to move your arms, legs, fingers and toes to keep blood circulating.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Using This Credit Card May Be Bad For Your Health

    WELL-BEING

    Image of young women cutting up a credit card.

    High levels of credit card debt and the stress of having debt may be bad for your health, a study in Social Science & Medicine suggests. People who reported higher levels of stress about their debt showed higher levels of physical impairment and reported worse health than those with lower levels of debt.

    In the study, researchers asked people to rate their own health on a scale of very poor to very good. They rated how much they worried about their total debt. Researchers also asked how difficult it was for survey participants to do everyday activities such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. Participants also reported how many credit cards they have and whether they carry a balance from month to month.

    But it didn’t matter how many credit cards a person had, the big stress factor related to health was the ratio of credit card debt to their total family income-in other words, how much you owe compared with what you earn.

    “The stress of owing money, and knowledge that we’re paying high interest rates, may lead to increased stress resulting in worsening health,” said the director of Ohio State’s Center for Survey Research. Credit counseling is one way to reverse debt-stress.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine