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Little things are important.
Put together some of these simple, healthy puzzle pieces
and you'll realize some healthy rewards for your family.
Drink more water
Water is fundamental to life. It is second only to oxygen
for human survival. Without water, you will die within five
days. Drinking adequate amounts of water helps you have more
energy, control your weight, and perform better mentally and
athletically. Water aids in digestion and absorption of
food, regulates body temperature, and removes wastes from
the body. Adults should drink between six to eight glasses
of water every day. Coffee and other caffeine beverages act
as a diuretic and can't be counted as part of your necessary
daily water consumption.
Get enough sleep
Sleep affects every human physiological and psychological
process. It permits the brain to consolidate the day's
learning into memory and improves the brain's ability to
learn repetitive skills. During sleep, the body does
maintenance work--replacing old cells, re-energizing organs
and muscles. To get a good night's sleep, establish a
regular bedtime and stick to it, don't exercise within two
hours of bedtime, and avoid alcohol, caffeine, and smoking
three to four hours before bedtime.
Start your day right
Your mother told you. Commercials preach it. Start your
day with a good breakfast and your whole day goes better.
Hunger decreases your attention span and ability to
concentrate. This is especially true for school children. A
good breakfast makes you more alert, more creative, and more
energetic. Skipping breakfast backfires because skipping
breakfast means you'll probably overeat at lunch or have a
really nasty mid-morning snack.
Wash your hands
It sounds trite, but it's not. Washing your hands is the
simplest way to control the spread of germs in your home.
Use warm, soapy water and wash your hands for at least 20
seconds, rinse, and dry them. You should always wash your
hands before eating; after using the bathroom; before and
after handling raw meat, poultry or fish; after blowing your
nose or coughing or sneezing on your hands; before and after
treating wounds; and after handling garbage and the litter
box.
Exercise your body
You don't have to go to a gym or run a marathon to get
the exercise you need. Have you given any thought to trying
yoga or Pilates? Yoga incorporates stretching, breathing,
and postures to lengthen, strengthen, and tone muscles.
Pilates is based on improving flexibility and strength
without building bulk using a series of controlled,
dance-like movements. Pilates helps alleviate back pain and
streamlines and lengthens the body. There are none of the
negative effects of high impact exercise from either yoga or
Pilates.
A picture of health
Here are some suggestions from Joni Troester of UI Health
Care's Counseling and Health Promotion Services you can use
to create a picture of health for your family:
Get a--
- Blood sugar screening
- Cholesterol profile
- Treadmill test
- Skin cancer screening
- Eye exam
- Colonoscopy
- Bone density test
- Pap smear
- Mammogram
- Prostrate screening
Call UI Health
Access, 384-8442 or 800-777-8442, to schedule a
screening.
Think about--
- Stopping smoking
- Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
- Moderate alcohol consumption (or none)
Find the time to--
- Laugh more often
- Read a book
- Spend time with a friend
- Make time for yourself
For more information
Listed above are several Web sites that offer additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI
Health Access.
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