A healthier you : Rooftop Views

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A healthier you

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Americans said they feel unhealthy (physically or mentally) about 6 days per month. www.cdc.gov/hrqol/findings.htm
In other words, for almost 11 weeks out of the year we aren’t feeling 100%. There are simple ways to improve our overall health and start feeling our best, every day.

America’s #1 Health Problem – Stress
Whether you are troubled with work, family, friends, yourself, finances, economic hardships or world peace, you need to focus on alleviating some of your stress on a daily basis. Stress can contribute to hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, ulcers, neck or lower back pain and can cause life threatening diseases.

Solution: Take regular exercise breaks, a 30-minute walk at lunch, or after work, can refresh and relax you. Take time to calm yourself, regain perspective on what's important or even figure out a solution to the problem. Try to identify what triggers your stress and avoid it or find a specific way to cope with it if it occurs frequently.
For more tips on managing your stress visit: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/mentalhealth/stress/167.printerview.html
www.mayoclinic.com/print/coping-with-stress/SR00030/METHOD=print

DRINK WATER!
Mild dehydration is one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. An estimated 75% of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. The body is made up of two thirds water and dehydration symptoms can become noticeable after 2% of water volume has been lost. Symptoms include headache, off and on blurred vision, decreased blood pressure, dizziness and even fainting. The average adult requirement is 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water per day, however, you may need to consume more due to exercise, climate and illness.

Solution:Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Keep a bottle of water in your backpack, purse and with you at work. Every time you walk by a water fountain, take a drink. And if drinking glasses and glasses of water seems to get boring there are other foods such as juice, fruit, milk and soup that can help keep you stay hydrated and alert throughout the day.
For more information on the importance of drinking water visit: www.wikihow.com/Drink-More-Water-Every-Day www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

Exercise
The dreaded word exercise. Exercise doesn’t have to be feared or a burden on your every day life. In fact you burn extra calories every day while doing chores without realizing it; so keep it up! By cooking dinner for 30 minutes, you burn 78 calories, even better, doing garden or yard work for 1 hour burns 320 calories, unfortunately riding on the tractor doesn’t count. Don’t think you burn a lot of calories in a day? Keep track of your exercise with a pedometer, 10,000 steps a day equals 5 miles or approximately 500 calories.

Solution: Start a new exercise regimen and set weekly and monthly goals. For example: choose push-ups and walking the first month and then every month after add another exercise. Keep a look out for local 5k walks and runs; you can benefit your health and contribute to local charities. Got kids with a lot of energy? Going for a walk around the block as a family after dinner or on the weekend will help you and encourage everyone in your family to be health conscious too. Note: Before starting any new exercise program, always check with your doctor to ensure you are physically ready.
For more information on getting your exercise routine started visit: www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200013
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/basics/059.html

Sleep

A recent survey found that more people are sleeping less than six hours a night, and sleep difficulties visit 75% of us at least a few nights per week. (Harvard Health Publications) Chronic sleep loss can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure and weaken your immune system. The average adult needs 8 hours of sleep a night; however for some that number may vary due to genetics, daily habits and the quality of your sleep.

Solution: In order to help you get a better night’s rest, more consistently, consider the following: Avoid caffeinated products (coffee, tea, chocolate) late in the day; avoid excessive alcohol consumption; don’t smoke; goto sleep and wake around the same time every day;eat right – avoid heavy and spicy meals before bedtime, a light snack before bed can prevent hunger throughout the night; exercise regularly – if you exercise in the evening be sure to do it 2-3 hours prior to bedtime. If you have a chronic problem with sleep, please see your doctor for more help.
For more information on healthy sleep habits and sleep disorders visit www.helpguide.org/life/sleeping.htm
www.sleepfoundation.org/site/c.huIXKjM0IxF/b.2421167/k.238/Helping_Yourself_to_a_Good_Nights_Sleep.htm