Initiative: The Holistic, Preventive Approach to Stress                      Management 

QUALITY LIVING THE WELLNESS WAY

By Gloria Blume Thompson MD
Wellness Nation Rising Educational Project
Director, WNR Preventive Medicine

The 10 Step Holistic
A Preventive Approach to Stress Management

1. INTRODUCTION

Do you sometimes feel there is just not enough time in the day, and that you just can’t do it all?  

Stress is at an all-time epidemic level in our society today, according to the American Stress Association.

Stress is everywhere it seems these days with the news on television, radio and in newspapers, assuring us the world is upside down. It can be hard to turn off.

But the constant exposure to stressful thoughts and feelings can be detrimental to your health: mental, physical, financial, spiritual, if not avoided or managed effectively, studies reveal.

The object of this discussion will be to emphasize four important basic holistic and pro-active stress management steps, called the BEDS Approach to Wellness as the way to take care of our health, increase energy, nutrition, physical fitness, and productivity as well as avoiding or reducing the effects stress may be playing in your life. 

•    Why do I feel this way?

Hectic days can leave you feeling pretty stressed out.  Even the best laid plans get sidetracked as life gets busier and busier, and the stress affects your quality of your life. Multi-tasking, dealing with work, family, and health, home, financial and social demands, with so many things to attend to, so many reasons can pop up to make it easy to let good intentions slide.

Sometimes when too busy, some people report feeling out of sorts, can’t concentrate, feel irritable, tired, and can’t figure out why, or what to do. The 4 step BEDS Approach is a simple checklist that can help you to think about the four basics of life, to figure out what step you may have missed, and what you could do proactively, daily, to enhance your health and restore your sense of well-being. These 4 steps will help to get you back on track, and back to your best self productively.  

BEDS program is simply a brief approach to wellness ways that many can use to answer the question:  why am I feeling this way?
It’s about actively questioning yourself as you move down the short list, checking for a lack of this (exercise) vs. too much of that (caffeine).  

The 4 holistic, proactive, steps to health-promoting activities attempts to:

  •    Increase awareness of prevention as the way to protect and strengthen our physical body, immune system, mental and spiritual health,
  •    Prevent, unnecessary, health problems from happening in the first place,
  •    Decrease the risk of cancer, heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, depression, anxiety, and other worrisome, possibly preventable problems.
  •    See first what we need to do for self, to make our days better.

4 Steps to Pro-active Stress Management the BEDS Way:

1. Restore B- Bed rest		Affirmation: I am calm and relaxed
2. Renew E- Exercise		Affirmation: I take action and I do it now
3. Refresh D- Diet		Affirmation: I make good decisions
4. Rescue S- Be Social, in Service		Affirmation: I release all fears and doubts

1. Did you get good night’s sleep? Rest well last night, or were you restless?

One of the best things you can do for your own mental health, looks, and lifespan is to get a good night’s sleep. Meaning deep REM sleep, for more than 6 hours the experts say. A good night’s sleep is essential for maintaining a peak state of health. Day time alertness, work performance and a social life depend on it. Studies have shown that people who suffer from sleep deprivation, insomnia, who do not get sufficient rest, 6-8 hours suffer from foggy thinking, accidents, sluggish metabolism, and other health problems.

Inadequate sleep also puts you at risk for metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. According to a study from the University of Chicago, even a few nights of poor sleep can do damage. Researchers say that healthy study participants who got only four hours of sleep for four nights became more resistant to insulin — and insulin resistance is seen as a common precursor to developing diabetes.

2.    Did you exercise in the gym or take the stairs, walk, dance, garden, today?

Too many Americans are not getting regular, consistent physical activity and are too sedentary.

Regular physical activity can he fun, and very beneficial to your health.  Strive for a minimum of at least 30 minutes a day.

Staying active allows you to live more, play more ! Try to find something you like to do, example, walking, yoga, dancing,  tai chi, gardening, housework, taking the stairs, parking a little bit further away, tennis.  All are excellent sources of increasing physical exercise. Moving more can be downright therapeutic, improve your mood, energy levels, quality of sleep, weight control, heart health, and muscle tone and strength, weight loss and self-esteem. What’s there not to like?

However, jogging, fast walking, carrying heavy items, and standing for extended periods of time can all increase stress on the knees. It is important to choose the right kind of exercise and to limit activities that aggravate your knees.  A personal trainer or gym operative can help you choose the most appropriate form of exercise.

3.    Did I get heart healthy nutrition in my diet today?

With many chronic diseases tied to a bad diet and lack of exercise, we know we should be doing more, but so often, caught up in work we  just grab some chips and soda as if that’s going to run this great complex and mysterious machine that is our body. Our body has precise needs, and it wants to live.  Better to try a plant-based diet like Mediterranean, or Weight Watchers diet or Atkins or make appointment with a Nutritionist (ask your medical professional for referral.

•   Learn to read package Nutrition labels: look for carb content and anything above 20 % carbs leave it on shelf.  Strive for a low glycemic index diet that includes plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. They have the fiber, vitamins and minerals the body needs to stay strong and also, to strengthen the body’s immune defense system goals of shutting down harmful bacteria and virus body invaders.
•    Investing in fruits, vegetables, walking and water can help your weight loss goals. And strengthen your immune system. Remember, eating healthy organic foods, and staying active can pay dividends and save your money in your pocket.
•   Diets lower in animal-based foods, red meat, is more health promoting and is associated with less environmental impact according to a recent report from the HHS guidelines Washington Post feb. 20, 2015
•    There is a saying that if the physicians of today will not become the Nutritionists of today, then the Nutritionists of today will become the physicians of tomorrow.

4.   S- Socials, Spiritual - I release all fears and doubts. I believe in myself.

Say to yourself: I have already worried about that. I have no power to control that, example the weather, or war in Syria. I have to calm down, release it or turn it over to a higher power. If a worry persists then you may want to discuss it with a professional Therapist.

Do I have healthy coping methods or strategies that help me relax after work. Socialize with pleasure and travel for fun.  Also, many of us do not take the time for private activities to let our creative spirit flow: you may be good at creative work works. Can you write a story, song or play, learn to play an instrument, etc.

S:    Study, read, work hard, try to keep up in your professional field and attend your annual conferences when possible.

5.  Meditate did I have my quiet time today?  My hour of Power.  My Self-Rescue Time

Say to yourself: I have already worried about that. I have no power to control that, example the weather, or war in Syria. I have to calm down, release it or turn it over to a higher power. If a worry persists then you may want to discuss it with a professional Therapist.

•  Build a quiet, tranquil sanctuary space in your home. Unplug from technology and relax. Focus; listen to music, read biblical or your tradition’s sacred scriptures for inspiration. Affirm the positive in peace, quiet, stillness. Forgive yourself for immature reactions.
•    Meditate and try to follow the advice in the Serenity prayer, “Grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, and the wisdom to know the difference.

6. Visualize the new you asking in 2015, what are my appearance goals?  My weight goals and plans and what do I want my image to look like, to my loved ones. What are my work/ employment goals?
 

List what goals you think you can attain this year.

7. See your medical professionals including doctor or dentist regularly, and as needed. Be a friend to your body.

8. Get Involved: give back to community as a Resource. Volunteer, help out as able, in an area you are passionate about. For example, an environmental group, mentoring group, sports. Someone needs you.

9. Build self-esteem:  Accept yourself as the special and unique, well-meaning person, of purpose and passion, that you are.

10. Keep a gratitude diary. What has gone right and what are you grateful, appreciative for? See your life in a good way often shows you have done things and have had some great times with good people.

In summary,
We have covered the four basic steps to the BEDS approach to quality living the wellness way, for stress management and coping.  You work so hard in the course of your life, but anyway you deserve the best quality of health. When you feel tense, out of sorts, go back to the list and see which step may have been missed.  And make corrections.

Our goal, regarding modern diseases like hypertension, diabetes, stroke, stress and many others, maybe you can prevent it with small changes in your lifestyle, and outlook, and staying positive, optimistic, supportive of self, and staying well by combining conventional and alternative therapies.

Always follow up with your own physician for more fine-tuned advice and therapy as needed.

This course is designed for general knowledge and is in no way meant to replace your regular health care providers. Be sure to always get a regular checkup with your doctor and discuss with him or her any natural health treatments you are interested in using. Most natural health therapies can be used in conjunction with treatments suggested by your medical doctor.

BEDS: the Holistic, Preventive Approach to Stress Management ©2015
10 Question Quiz (True or False)

True or False according to the text: 1. Stress can be due to constant exposure to external, but news worthy events that you cannot control. 2. BEDS is a simple self-questioning approach to wellness ways that can help to access the cause, and reduce stress in your life 3. Seek first what we can do for self to make our own health stronger and block risks is an objective. 4. Eating right and moving more is a basic part of the plan that can protect and strengthen our physical body, immune system, mental, and spiritual health and save our money. 5. Exercise can be therapeutic even if it’s enjoying dancing, gardening, housecleaning, parking at a distance, walking more. 6. We should strive for 30 minutes a day for exercise at least 3 times a week. 7. Some physical conditions that are possibly preventable include diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers, arthritis and strokes 8. Daily affirmations can help us feel confident, renewed and relaxed. 9. One of the best things you can do for your looks, and good mental health is get a good night’s sleep. 10. Accepting yourself or re-building yourself, as a special, unique, person of purpose and passion, friendly, and flexible, can build on your confidence, self-esteem and also pay self-investment dividends.

BEDS: THE HOLISTIC, PREVENTIVE APPROACH TO STRESS MANAGEMENT

Bibliography

B- BED Mayo Clinic.org: Wellness Solutions for Insomnia
E- Exercise Mayo Clinic.org: Healthy Living/ Fitness
D- Diet American Heart.org: Heart Healthy diet
S- Social (avoid or reduce stress) American Stress Association.org

Can Diabetes Be Prevented?

Old saying: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Did you know that over one-third of the entire U.S. population has diabetes Type 2, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention? Approximately 8.1 million do not know it.
Could you or a loved one have signs of this epidemic disease?

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that affects the way the body uses food. You can be born with it (Type I) or acquire it (Type 2) Today we will discuss type 2.

Normally, the body turns those carbohydrates we consume, example, healthful fruits and vegetables,into sugar for energy. In the bloodstream sugar is carried to muscles and into cells throughout the body. There, insulin, a protein-hormone, helps to turn the sugar from food into energy you need for the body to use in its work to power your success and vitality.

But, when you have diabetes, something goes wrong. The body makes little or no insulin, or insulin cannot get blood sugar into the cells. As a result, without insulin, the body‘s cells don’t receive the fuel delivery it needs. As a result sugar (carbohydrates) just piles up higher and higher in the bloodstream, and can stay way too high. Symptoms develop.

2. What problems might it cause?

Diabetes is a silent disease. You may feel unusually tired and thirsty. You can lose weight without even trying or gain weight. You have to urinate more often. You may have blurred vision. These are some of the warning signs of diabetes. Other diseases can give similar signs and symptoms, like thyroid problems.

That’s why if you or someone you love is at risk for this disease or have any of the warning signs, you need to see your health care provider right away, and get evaluated, tested, and treated. Other diseases may give similar signs and symptoms, like thyroid problems.

• Over time, high blood sugar can cause serious damage to many parts of the body.
• High blood sugar can cause dental decay, heart and kidney problems, blindness, and the loss of a foot or a leg to surgical amputations.
• Heart disease is the number one killer in this country and diabetes can cause a heart attack. A silent heart attack.

3. How can I prevent it?

No one knows what causes diabetes and much research is ongoing.  While researchers funded by the American Diabetes Association and others continue their work to find a cure, you can do things now to lower your risk by: getting healthier habits and lifestyle.

• Keeping your weight under control. The body has normal ranges for everything. Know your ideal weight and join those of us engaged in the struggle to achieve ideal weight.
• Eating right- eating a low fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables helps your body to stay healthy and do what it does best, fuel your success and independence.Eating right- eating a low fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables helps your body to stay healthy and do what it does best, fuel your success and independence.
• Plenty of water- consider a glass of water with lemon instead of a soft drink.
• Staying active. Getting daily exercise, try walking for an hour a day or dancing, yoga, golf, gardening or any activity you love.
• Have regular blood sugar evaluations by your medical professional.
• Learn to read food package labels to check amount of sugar in the product. If it is high (greater than 20%) maybe leave it on the shelf.
• Your doctor can refer you to a nutritionist for a fuller discussion of your diet and label reading to see where you could make changes.
• Remember, prevention is better than cure and a lot less expensive. Save on calories, saves on money.
• Avoid stress. Stress is associated with overeating of comfort foods, sweets and sugary drinks
• Spirituality- have faith in God, pray, meditate and seek Divine Guidance for direction in your life.

The good news is that you can control your diabetes and live a healthy, happy life.

Having a holistic-care prevention plan in mind allows you to be more pro-active about your health and reduce risks.

Diabetes Knowledge Quiz

True or False according to the text:   1. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.   2. The carbohydrates (sugars we eat) are carried to the cells and turned into energy to fuel our activities and success.   3. Common signs of diabetes generally include fever, chills, runny nose, and night sweats   4. Which of the following is considered the leading cause of death in the United States?   A. heart disease B. breast cancer C. scurvy D. lung disease E. colon cancer   5. Having a personal holistic-care prevention plan in mind allows a person to be more pro-active about their health and life   6. A diet with high sugar intake may be associated with diabetes, and all below except   A. dental decay B. obesity/ overweight C. infections difficult to heal D. kidney disease E. stomach ulcers   7. Eating the right foods, vegetables and fruits, can help to stabilize your blood sugar-control, and medications may be avoided   8. Eating a diet low in fat with plenty of fruits and vegetables can help avoid diabetes and its complications, for example kidney disease.   9. Prevention strategies includes active lifestyle changes like walking more, yoga, dancing, and swimming and avoiding stress where possible.   10. Asking for a Nutritionist referral has not been found to be helpful in diabetes education strategies.

Prevention and Exercise are King

 1. While most of us are probably aware of the powerful benefits of regular exercise, we're clearly not all persuaded. Statistics continue to reveal the society’s selfie, that we as a nation, are too overweight due to poor diets, sedentary lifestyles and inadequate physical activity.

Many diseases we have are considered to be food-related and preventable or improved by small increases in our physical fitness activities.

Definition of Wellness
Wellness is more than an absence of disese, it s a feeling, and expanded idea about health.
Prevention means taking steps to help yourself and others by acting in a way to protect not only your health, but the health of your family, and the health of the environment. The future quality of your life and the next generations life can depend on it.

Physical fitness is defined as the ability to carry out, and do our daily tasks with energy, vigor and alertness without undue fatigue and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and activities and also, meet unforeseen emergencies according to Janice Thompson, PHD, exercise physiologist. Author of Fitness Today.

Motivation
Along with healthy, nourishing nutrition, physical activities,  go a long way to help us cope, stay  strong, fit, and reduces stress according to Dr. Mimi Guarneri, Cardiologist and Founder of the Scripps Center in New York.

That is what we want, isn’t it? Who doesn’t want to save money and feel better, too? Maybe we should plan a way, and say to ourselves every day:

I want to eat fresh, healthy, nurturing foods that are good for me and my family. and also to move more.  I want to eat  foods that do not spike my blood sugar and drop it an hour later, leaving me feeling confused, hungry and tired, irritated, and out of focus.  That is not a power look..

Healthy carb foods of the living- soil to table variety, works to keep our blood sugar level stable, sustainable for hours, and do not usually cause insulin resistance or spike our blood sugar like cakes, sodas, and cookies and other sugary sweets can.

2. Even light exercise like walking more, and developing an active lifestyle, can provide many health benefits to us and to our families. These include: reducing our risks of a long list of serious diseases like: heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, arthritis, certain cancers, dementia and depression.

Living with these often preventable diseases can be costly and challenging, even if controllable.

3. Exercise benefits our emotional health, social health, as well as our physical well being

The top 3 things that exercising regularly does is: exercise

•  Can Increase our sense of well-being, and feeling great, with less chance of medical diseases

•  Can result in building stronger muscles, and maintaining a developing  firmer looking body.

•  Good nutrition and exercise work together and helps to boost and support our powerful, internal circulating security team, the immune system army, on guard, actively on duty 24-7, as they act, stop, frisk, deter and eliminate disease pathogens who would damage your health:

as we cooperate with the divine covenant providing resources of care, and daily choosing to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetable produce, drinking plenty of water and walking more, we can be empowered and reap the benefits of being a part of a healthier, fitter-looking America.

Moving more by choice, benefits our overall sense of well-being, physical confidence and mental optimism as you accept yourself as a special, unique individual, capable of choosing what’s right for you and executing your plans.

4. Physical activity is perhaps the most powerful medicine available;

Healthy food and physical activities work together to strengthen our immune system when we give it what it needs. Immune system elements which circulate all the time in the bloodstream, like macrophages, T-cells B-cells, stop invaders, and attempt to deal with them, and eliminate them

•  You can help the good guys in their fight to protect your health by simply eating right and working out more and avoiding stress.
•  As we work out and move more, then we raise our vital signs: blood pressure, pulse, breathing, and temperature all go up.  and return to normal levels on the cool down.

So, how much activity is enough for you?

According to Surgeon General 30 to 60 minutes a day is associated with significant reduction in disease risk and allows people to maintain a healthful body weight.

But to answer this question you must determine what your fitness goals are and how you can achieve them.

Always follow up with your doctor or medical professional on this subject, and have a conversation based on your own personal situational circumstances. He/she knows your medical conditions and lab work best.

5. What are some of the common daily health-building activities people enjoy to stay fit?
These activities include: dancing, tennis, walking, taking the stairs more, swimming, housework, sports,
gardening and  growing their own fruits and vegetables organically without pesticides, oh, so many ways to get it in.

6. According to the health and wellness website, Lets Move.gov

A person should strive to be physically active for 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week,  for six out of eight weeks.

So, to reap the full range of life-extending, heart-protecting, sleep-promoting, obesity-thwarting benefits of exercise, we need to engage in some regular fun, activity we like, and do it consistently.

You could start with 15 to 30 minutes a day of your favorite activity of choice and increase over time.

For example, some people (like me) set a timer for 10 minutes (microwave timer) before work or school, and dance to songs my d. j’s playing on the radio. Be Happy! Plan on it.

7. Surgeon General says don’t smoke because

Smoking may compromise your lung powers to breathe, cause shortness of breath and reduce your ability to exercise, walk a distance, or climb steps. Do we need that?

8. If you cannot exercise every day for an hour, do something, do what you can even if 10-20 minutes.
Remember good health is largely a matter of choice. You can develop your own personal, fun, action plan to stay healthy and fit. Let’s just find ways to move more because we want to be healthy, fit, and feel good.

9. According to the website: Let’s Move!.gov

“Lets move is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let's Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices.”

The strength of America depends on providing healthier foods in our schools, and helping children learn to stay physically active for life for preventions sake.

10. Planning to garden, or to visit the local farmers market more regularly and eating a variety of delicious, healthy, colorful foods can help Americans save on our colossal health care expenditures and help the environment, and be blessed from the benefits of the choice of a healthier lifestyle.

By Gloria Blume Thompson MD Professor of Prevention Education
at Wellness One Nation Nonprofit, a  501-c-3 Foundation
glocare@aol.com
Aug 4, 2014

Prevention and Exercise are King

10 Question Quiz (True / False?)

1. According to statistics Americans are overweight/ obese mainly due to poor diets, sedentary lifestyles (sitting too much), inadequate physical activity 2. Even light exercise, like increased walking help to reduce our risk of certain diseases like: Heart disease, diabetes high blood pressure, depression and dementia 3. Exercise is great as it benefits our overall feelings of well-being, confidence and optimism as you accept yourself as a special, unique individual, capable of choosing what’s right for you. 4. Physical activity is perhaps the most powerful medicine available that can strengthen our immune system when we feed it what it needs. 5. Common daily activities that can help us in our goals to prevent disease and stay fit include dancing, taking the stairs, parking at a distance, swimming, brisk walking, gardening, sports, and housework. 6. According to the Let’s Move.gov website on Physical activity: You should strive to be a active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week for 6 out of 8 weeds. 7. Smoking is a good habit for staying well, for healthy breathing, and living longer 8. If you cannot exercise for one hour daily you shouldn’t bother at all 9. We can help our children grow up well by providing healthier foods in our schools and helping kids learn to be physically active for life. 10. Gardening, and planning to visit the local farmers market more regularly, and eating a variety of healthy colorful foods, can help America and the world better their health and also, reduce our colossal health care expenditures. Gloria Blume Thompson MD glocare@aol.com Aug. 4, 2014.

Prevention and Exercise are King Answers 1. T 2. T 3. T  4. T 5. T 6. T 7. F 8. F 9. T 10. T

Prevention-The Best Health Insurance Policy

 How The Well-being of Our Natural Environment Is Connected to our Health
 

• A sense of urgency for change regarding environmental issues and health care reform is currently percolating through America and abroad.

The world's penchant for consuming trees and farmland is a huge problem affecting climate change and our own health. Deforestation of trees as well  as automobile emissions result in a ton of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2),being released into the atmosphere annually, decreasing the quality of life on the planet, affecting millions of lives. Senator Al Gore calls the greenhouse effect “the most serious effects we have ever faced.” (Newsweek, 6/92)

• There is no escaping the fact that we need to do something to show we care about the environment before it irreversibly deteriorates. Human existence and nurturing depends on the viability of farms and trees and meadows for psychological health, as well as emotional and physical.

Too often, it seems that the basic eco-system that sustains  our holistic well-being,  and our sacred health-generating environment  is being disregarded, contaminated (air, water, food) and polluted for profits. Often, and through ignorance, the resulting unhealthy environment causes many people to make choices that lead to living with chronic diseases involving diabetes hypertension strokes heart attacks, self esteem issues from childhood obesity.

The natural intelligence of this planet is not inferior to scientific knowledge.

• This planet came with many safety sensors in the oceans, air and water to monitor its work. vs. your needs. For example,  we eat carbohydrates from farms: fruits and vegetables which supplies natural energy to  fuel the work of  our body cells and our life’s work. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, fiber, sugar and water your body uses for energy.

The carbon dioxide (Co-2 ) we breathe out from consuming the carbs is then picked up by trees and  oxygen O2  is released from trees back to us, in the circle of life.  Trees act as natural (Co-2) buffers and filters designed to keep the air clean as well as keep our blood-oxygen level in vital range of values.

• Many people can eliminate or reduce the number of their diet-related health diseases, like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, and  show they care about the environment at the same time, by simply eating God-given foods and walking in his meadows and parks. Participation in your favorite sport activity, whether, tennis, golfing, swimming or dancing for half hour a day helps because health benefits are there.  Walking more and taking the stairs requires no special equipment. Try to build a healthy attitude in your activities of daily living.

• Loving ourselves, eating fresh and healthy, promoting local sustainable agriculture, and being active can help reduce chronic diseases, and save money, and trees and farmers, as we conserve a natural way of life.

Ways you can  help the living earth stay viable, sustainable and healthy.

• Wellness Warriors, when eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree.

• Celebrate the farmers who sow the seed and harvest the yield for you.

• Eat natural foods from the natural environment to sure up wellness as nature intended you would in your quest for longevity, success, and happiness.

• Live simply and in moderation on the earth. Encourage your next generation to become more eco-friendly also.

• Re-cycle what you can, like cell-phones, old computers and tv’s. as well as paper. 

• Plan your trips so you save gas and drive less

• Use canvas and re-useable bags to shop

• Take action to become more educated about wellness and environmental issues (frequently offered by your local community college and pick a nonprofit to help   

• Remember, Without health  you have no wealth.

How The Well-being of Our Natural Environment Is Connected to our Health Questions T / F   1.  Natural intelligence is inferior to scientific  knowledge. 2.  Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas is controlled by keeping trees in place. 3.  Eating right and walking can help sustain our natural environment. 4.  Sustainable agriculture is important to our health and the health of our environment        5.  Promoting local sustainable agriculture may increase the supply of fresh foods to improve our health 6.  Being active, walking or enjoying your favorite sport can go a long way to reducing risks of chronic health problems 7.  Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, fiber, sugar and water your body uses for energy. 8.  Re-cycling old technology gadgets can help sustain a living planet. 9.  Regular exercise can increase or cause many health problems like diabetes. 10. Trees release oxygen and take up carbon dioxide.

How The Well-being of Our Natural Environment Is Connected to our Health ANSWERS 1. F 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. T 6. T 7. T 8. T 9. F 10.T

Prevention-The Best Health Insurance Policy

• When you practice prevention, you save your money, the environment, and the farm.

  • Prevention means to anticipate and forestall,
to block, deal with , taking advanced measures beforehand

  • Increasing Your Health, Stamina, and Longevity
Pro-actively Through Personal Power, Personal Responsibility.

  • One of the most important challenges we all face today is planning for our futures, including the costs of our long term health care

Prevention means being practical, day to day, choosing to take steps to stay healthy but not letting our wallets dissappear. Practicing prevention medicine gives us a opportunity to keep healthy or regain a better state of wellness by choice.

Prevention & Wellness

•    Is the easy and best way to take care of our good health. It is simple measures that we all can take right now that can help to enrich the quality of our state of wellness and our sense of well-being in these often very stressful times.

•    Eating right is one of the most critical things we can do to improve, safe-guard, and maintain our health and wellness for the future, according to research studies done by Health and Human Services.

•    Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day is like taking out an insurance policy that you expect to pay off in later years.

•    Only fresh foods from the garden are low caloried, high powered, nutrient packed and works to keep our health refreshed and repaired. Produce from the farm communicates natural healing messages and capabilities to your cells that may helps you to live longer, more disease free. Eat a salad of mixed greens and other vegetables daily empowers the body mind and spirit.

•    Inside the body fruits and vegetables empower the immune system. The immune system is your internal army. This army is a wellness army which circulates through all blood vessels. And also acts like powerful sentries that stand guard outside the cells to prevent harm by viruses and bacteria and may prevent a cancer from starting.

•    A lifestyle that includes fruits and vegetables, walking and water, is a health program associated with a lower risk of chronic health diseases, like heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, arthritis, strokes, and certain cancers.

•    Including a diversity of all colors of fruits and vegetables in your diet can also assist your goals to shed those unwanted pounds and increase your sense of well-being: looking good and feeling great.

•    Thank goodness fruits and vegetables are everywhere because, anyway, like our ancestors, you are never excused from your Creator’s table. After all, you are not children of strangers, but of a God who knows you, loves you and provides daily for your health and welfare. Nourishing food will eternally come fresh from the soil of a farm, the laboratory of sunshine. Eat fresh and stay healthy.

•    Regularly, be sure to include dark green, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, whole grains, dried fruits, berries, beans, tomatoes, and carrots when eating to maintain your health.

•    There are plausible biochemical mechanisms for the protective effects of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins A, C, E, B, and folate, fiber, carotenoids and other antioxidants, and much, much more.

•    Each of these substances may play a role in reducing the risk of developing a diet –related, costly, medical problem. More likely, it is a combination of these and other, unknown factors that confer protection.

•    A lifestyle, in which you increase your personal responsibility to take charge of your health and welfare, increases your personal Power-Health and Wellness factor to take your health up to the blessings level.

•    Diabetics have to be cautious with all sources of sugar including fruits and vegetables, as well as pies and cakes as their bodies do not process sugar well.

•    Wellness is more than health. Wellness is a feeling. It is feeling great, having energy to do the things you want. Wellness brings more benefits of prevention in your life, like lowered medical costs and good reports from the doctor because of what you did, and not what the doctor’s prescription pad did. All medications do have their side effects.

•    Sure, learn to read food labels for processed food on the shelf, to try to stay out of harms way, but mainly, increase the quantity of the garden-grown in your diet. To stay healthy, try to eat more produce from the farm, just like all of our ancestors did.

•    Fruits and vegetables have a lower glycemic index. This means that they work by releasing glucose slowly over time and not by causing your blood sugar (glucose) to spike up and down like those unhealthy, genetically illegal, sugary soda’s and snacks that are giving so many of our children obesity and adult -type diabetes.

•    Besides controlled release of natural sugars from stomach to bloodstream, fruits and vegetables also release energy, fiber, water, minerals and vitamins, as above, which the body needs.

•    Making healthy choices can do wonderful things for you. Healthy habits may enable you to hold on to your eyesight longer and your teeth, limbs, memory and wallet.

Wellness is well-raised health, its well- behaved health, so even when things are going tough, it stays stable.

In summary, I encourage you to:
•    Increase your awareness of prevention as a way to invigorate
and take care for your health.  It will always be your number 1 asset.
•    Eat fresh whole and unprocessed foods, and make fruits and vegetables a part of your healthy lifestyle plans.
•    Consult a nutritionist for diet analysis. They can evaluate your diet journal and give great advice (your doctor can refer you, or go to American Dietetic Association.org).
•    Partner with your doctor for a health risk appraisal.
•    Be Well! Learn, Prevent!

PREVENTION AND WELLNESS QUIZ

1. In our bodies, the fruits and vegetables we eat will release all below except: a.   fiber b.   water c.   natural sugars d.   vitamins and minerals e.   saturated fats 2. Choosing a healthier lifestyle can reduce my risks of expensive chronic diseases including: a.     Heart attacks b.     High blood pressure c.     Diabetes d.     High cholesterol e.     All of above 3. All statements are true concerning the concept of Prevention except: a. Good health is largely a choice b. Personal responsibility for quality of health care is not encouraged c. Prevention means to forestall, taking advanced measures beforehand d. A daily plan that involves fruits and vegetables, walking, and water is a good preventive strategy of choice e. Prevention practices can aid our dental health 4. A diet that includes eating more fruits and vegetables daily can a. help you shed unwanted pounds b. assists your immune system to disarm harmful foes c. is expensive and unnecessary, as the body can take care of itself d. releases nutrients your body needs for daily energy power e. to the bloodstream for circulation to the cells 5. To maintain and improve a healthy lifestyle, we can ( all except), a.  develop an active lifestyle b.  plan sit down meals with our families c.  watch serving size d.  choose fruit as low calorie dessert e.  disregard reading package labels and counting calories 6. To help manage harmful stress in our lives we can a.    use alcohol to smooth out our problems b.    Exercise for quick relief c.    Optimize your diet d.    Make the Principle of Love your motivating factor instead of materialism e.    Learn to say No, Thank you to unworkable commitments 7. An optimized (healthy diet) to maintain your health might include all below except: a.    dried fruits, berries, cantaloupe, pineapple, apples and oranges b.    beans c.    sugary cereals d.    tomatoes, carrots, cabbage e.    lean meats 8. Wellness is more than good health a.    it is a feeling of  mental, physical and social well-being b.    It is having the energy you need to do the things you want c.    It   must come from prescriptions and pills from your physician d.    It comes from an active, healthy lifestyle and puts the benefits of prevention in your life e.    leading an active lifestyle 9.  Wellness is managing daily activities and regular habits to improve the quality of one’s lifestyle to better your health.  (T/F)   10. Eating right, exercising and avoiding unworkable stressors, is like taking out an insurance policy that we hope will pay off later.  (T/F)

PREVENTION AND WELLNESS Quiz answers 1.    D 2.    E 3.    B 4.    C 5.    E 6.    A 7.    C 8.    C 9.    T 10.  T

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