As we entered in to 2014, many of us made resolutions in order to better ourselves in some way this year. Changes to health are some of the most common resolutions made and as a way to help you keep up your healthy lifestyle changes, or perhaps to give you direction on healthy changes to make, here are a few healthy suggestions from our great partners!
Porter Regional Hospital’s healthy suggestion for the New Year is that each person become their own health advocate and use the tools available to empower their best health.
A great first step is to find a physician you can talk to and establish a medical home to ensure you get the “must-have” medical tests and exams that may save and lengthen your life.
And remember, when you’re healthy, everyone benefits- you, your family, and even your community, it’s a big win for all!
From Sharon Sporman, Regional Executive Director of Wellness: God in all His wisdom designed the body for movement…SO MOVE.
- Ergonomically it is not good for us to sit- if you have a desk job, get up and move periodically. Your brain, back, and body will love you for it.
- And although the training and accomplishment of running marathons is great for mental wellness, confidence builders, and certainly cause for celebration, it is not sustainable for most on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
- Stay active. The body IS designed to sweat- push yourself to those limits.
- Fuel yourself with good nutrition, good mental practices/knowledge, and God’s love and love for others.
From Lori Granich, Registered Dietitian and Bariatric Dietitian at Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer: This year, focus on smaller, more attainable goals. This will keep you motivated because you will be reaching goals sooner. You are much more likely to stick with a goal if you can feel a sense of accomplishment along the way.
Get more sleep. When you are tired, you reach for food (especially carbohydrates) to pick you up. Getting a good night’s sleep is often underrated, even though it is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our bodies.
The number one way to stay well is to keep a close eye on your body and be aware of any changes or trends. Many times, such as in the case with cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, regular monitoring and checkups can ensure that any disease is caught at the onset and early treatment is provided before more complications ensue.
Mammograms and self-checks are the most effective way to monitor for breast cancer. Take advantage of many discounted screenings, such as the $99 Mammogram specials in May and October at the Women’s Diagnostic Center of St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart and Valparaiso. Also, those with a history of heavy smoking may benefit from a $98 a Lung cancer screening available at the hospital’s main campus in Hobart or at the Valparaiso Health Center. Coronary Health Appraisals, PAD screenings, and free blood pressure screenings are available to examine your cardiovascular health, and blood sugar and blood profile screenings to monitor for diabetes and other conditions.
Stay on the forefront of good health by participating in these and other health screenings, classes and programs available at St. Mary Medical Center. For more information, call 1-866-836-3477 or visit www.comhs.org.
From Dana Jones, Nurse Manager for NorthShore
Switch to whole grain pastas and breads as well as substituting white flour with whole wheat flour in recipes. Whole grains provide more antioxidants, fiber, essential fatty acids and minerals that their non-whole grain counterparts. Not only do whole grains give a longer feeling of satiety after eating, but also has been linked to reducing cholesterol, preventing certain types of cancers, and prevention of type II diabetes.
Porter County Parks and Recreation
Use nature as a motivator. Try and get out into nature at least one to two times a week. It will not only improve your physical health, but your mental health as well. Our trails at Sunset Hill Farm are a perfect place to start!
Lakeshore Bone and Joint Institute
‘Tis the season for snow and ice, which means more slips and falls. Hip, wrist, elbow, and ankle fractures, to name a few, can all be the result of a fall. Caution should be used when walking on icy surfaces.
In the unfortunate event that one does fall, causing an injury, the physicians at LBJI can evaluate and treat the injury, using the latest technology. LBJI has on-site X-ray, MRI, and DXA (Bone Mineral Density) scanning machines. The physicians use their expertise and experience to provide the utmost care.
In addition, any patient over 50 years old who has a fracture should have a DXA scan. All females ages 65 years or older, and males ages 70 years or older, should have a bone density (DXA) scan every two years.
Care for your vision. Schedule routine eye exams to identify issues before they become worse and to maintain good eye health, getting the most from your vision.
Also, regular use of eye protection while working and playing sports can prevent up to 90% of ocular injuries.
Anytime Fitness of Michigan City and La Porte
Join Anytime Fitness and make this a fit year! Embark on a journey that will help you become healthier and happier. If this is your first time in a gym, it can be overwhelming but don’t let that stop you from reaching your goals! Here are some tips to getting started:
- Explore Anytime Health, which has tons of recipes, workouts, and advice for anyone beginning or advancing in their fitness journey, as well as tools to track your progress!
- Choose a good goal. Decide want you want to accomplish. Typically it takes 9-15 months to create a real habit so prepare your mind and embrace that this is the first day of the rest of your life!
- Start small. Attainable goals do not happen overnight. Commit to a minimum of days that you get to the gym and anything extra is amazing. Make a commitment that you can live with.
Be a smarter runner! Every Tuesday, Extra mile offers Tuesday Tune Ups, free seminars to help you run your best! The classes focus on injury prevention, strength training, nutrition, and sports psychology.
Bickford Assisted Living and Memory Care
The best way to be healthy and have a longer life is to give up soda and drink more water!
Be patient! As geared as we are toward instant gratification, healthy living does not happen overnight.
Be positive! Set small and attainable goals and empower yourself to create a healthy change in your own life.
Fitness begins with nutrition! One of the most popular diet trends is eating Paleo, a set of dietary guidelines that is based upon the Paleolithic period of histroy. Paleo followers eat real meat and natural foods that come from the environment, with no refined carbohydrates, dairy, legumes, and processed foods allowed. The Paleo lifestyle will help you lose weight, clean out your system, regulate your hormone levels, and allow you to perform at the peak of your abilities.
Keep your resolutions list simple and short. Have small, realistic goals that will be reached throughout the year. And believe in yourself! This is the first step to setting the goal.
"Enjoy what you do and you'll never work a day." That goes for exercise too! You should always take something positive away from your daily workout. Whether it be a sense of accomplishment, enjoying the people that you're around, or just loving what you do find something that you truly enjoy. If you love it you'll stick with it and THAT is the key to a healthy life!
Porterfield Family Chiropractic
Good Health starts at the dinner table! How many times have you heard you are what you eat? So make sure you read labels and you watch what you put in your mouth. Cut down on the overly sugary beverages and drink more water! Look into trying different recipes including Paleo recipes - you might just be surprised at how good a very nutritious meal can taste. Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. At the very least, try to get away from the heavily processed foods.
By adding chiropractic in addition to improved nutrition and you'll start noticing more improvements in your life and you'll probably find that you have more energy to get a workout in. Chiropractic is natural and works very well with your body in trying to help it perform at its best.
Life Care Center of the Willows
Change is not easy, and we tend to shy away from change because we’re happy and comfortable right where we are. Change is not something to dive into—it must be thoughtful, meaningful, personal, planned and realistic. One way to set ourselves up for success in creating positive change is to cultivate patience with ourselves and allow enough time to reach our goals.
