BOOK REVIEW
There is a general push in health care toward wellness and prevention to contain costs. Health care organizations are no longer interested in just treating patients. Businesses are no longer interested in paying for high-priced employee medical plans. The push is from both sides of the fence to get patients to care about themselves, their lives, and their health. A new book, “100 Smart Choices: Easy Ideas for Living Healthier and Happier” is Michael Rosen’s 2008 wellness guide, offering tips that any person can glean to take charge of their own health.
Tips to hang on to
“100 choices” are not easy to master. Taking just a percentage of those changes and making them daily habits, however, will increase your health exponentially.
Changing your eating habits is the easiest choice to make. Food choices account for most health issues later in life, like high cholesterol, clogged arteries and a stomach full of undigested foods. The body can only work so hard to eliminate what we put in. Smart choices include adding proteins like eggs and meat, and reducing sodium intake. Others include increasing servings of vitamins and minerals, and creating a fiber rich diet. All of these things are important, especially adding fiber.
Fiber will latch on to fats and take them out of your body, helping to reduce constipation, bloating and weight gain. If you aren’t familiar with foods that are rich in fiber such as fruits, vegetables and breads-do what I do and grab a daily fiber supplement. I picked up chewable tablets with a good taste at Walmart for less than $2. That lasts me through the busy work week when I’m eating junk food all day.
Eating well-along with exercising- is a smart choice that works. As for staying hydrated, adult women should have eight to 10 glasses of water per day and adult men should have 12. Remember, the body is made of water and it is the summer so you must stay hydrated, especially if you plan to exercise off the excess weight you have.
Exercise is key for adults to maintain health, wellness, energy and youth. Honestly, the body needs exercise to stimulate the brain and the muscles. A work-out helps you stay flexible and allows your brain fire smoothly so you can make clear and conscious choices. However, lack of sleep can impact your exercise and thinking. Red Bull or 5 Hr Energy drinks taste good but aren’t a substitute for eight hours of sleep. Sleep, exercise, and mental stimulation are healthy solutions.
I’m guilty of using my morning coffee and my afternoon Coke to keep me running. All of these drinks will leave deposits. They leave behind ingredients that may be harmful to your body. You don’t want to trust your health to the next study that shows the effects of caffeine as “good or bad.” You have a choice of what experience your body has, so limit the pick-me-up drinks and increase the healthy habits.
Positive thinking can impact the choices you make to live a healthy life. Remove negative or defeating thoughts. Eliminate anger over issues you have held on to. Get rid of toxic people. Yes, there are ways to cut your mother off. Practice mine: “I’m not going to talk about this. I’ll call you back, mom.” This helps me love my family but eliminates the negativity that can seep in. This actually works for me and my mom, and helps us maintain a good relationship.
It helps me keep privacy and make my own choices. Then I call back the next day and we start off with a new conversation. You can’t change your family out the way you can with friends.
So practice managing the people in your life for better relationships.
Angelic Jones is a freelance writer for Austin Weekly News.
CONTACT: ajoneswrites4u@excite.com
