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Simple as they seem, these suggestions require accepting and reviewing and following -- if you desire to maintain optimum health and stay at your highest level of physical fitness, mental alertness and creativity.
MoonDragon's Health Information: Aging
HEALTHFUL EATING
Regular meals keep the metabolic and digestive systems functioning at their most efficient levels.
Do not skip breakfast. Failing to eat because "you do not have time" or ill-advised reduction of calories per day can lead to poor health.
If you get hungry between meals, do not resort to fatty, salty or refined-sugar snacks. Instead, eat fruit, raw vegetables or whole grain snacks.
EXERCISE REGULARLY
Exercise that you enjoy is most likely to be successful and continued. Activities such as gardening, housework and particularly, walking, count.
Regular exercise increases your energy levels, helps to fight stress, boosts overall health, aids in fighting off a variety of illnesses and disorders, and promotes weight loss.
CONTROL YOUR WEIGHT
Even small amounts of excessive weight can possibly shorten your life or put you at risk for illness.
Extreme obesity is associated with many physical and mental disorders. If you need to reduce your weight, do so.
If you are underweight, consult with your dietician and design a dietary plan to maintain a healthy weight.
If your weight is ideal, work to keep it that way.
DRINK ALCOHOL MODERATELY OR NOT AT ALL
Alcohol abuse can cause serious diseases, reduce your life span and make your life miserable. Moderate consumption can be defined as drinking no more than 3 ounces of alcohol in any form on any day.
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Get the right amount of restful sleep (average 7 to 8 hours) each night.
Avoid taking business or private worries to bed with you.
Avoid getting caught up in suspenseful reading or television while relaxing in bed.
If you toss and turn on occasion and can not get to sleep, go to another room and do something productive.
MANAGE THE STRESS AND ANXIETY IN YOUR LIFE
Learn and practice relaxation techniques.
Be realistic so that you don't overreact to situations or circumstances. Remember, nothing is hopeless. Get help if you need it.
Exercise regularly and eat a nutritional diet.
Write about your concerns and feelings in a journal. Paint a picture. Find a method of releasing your stress and worries.
DON'T SMOKE
If you smoke, quit. It can be hard, speaking from personal experience, but it can be done if you put your mind and will into quitting. For me it was more the habit than the nicotine. I had to find other things to do with my hands any time I wanted to grab a cigarette. And, yes, those hard sugarless candies did help the first week of not smoking. I would pop one (or two) into my mouth every time I went to grab a smoke.
There is overwhelming evidence that smoking damages the human body and shortens life. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for many illnesses, particularly lung cancer, chronic lung disease, hardening of the arteries, heart attack, and damage to unborn children of pregnant women who smoke.
Anyone who smokes is at greater risk of problems with anesthesia during surgery.
Avoid second hand smoke.
DON'T ABUSE DRUGS
Evidence is mounting about the cumulative ill effects if drug abuse. This goes for both prescription and non-prescription as well as recreational (legal and illegal) drugs.
Common sense dictates avoiding drugs if you want to stay mentally and physically healthy. Try to find alternatives to drug use for health problems, if possible, such as dietary changes, herbal and alternative therapies. Even taking OTC pain medication, such as Ibuprofen or acetaminophen can have serious side effects such as gastric problems and liver damage. Too many people, especially as they age, get stuck on a serious merry-go-round of drugs, often taken 10-15- or more different drugs for different ailments every day. Not only is this very expensive, but often dangerous. Watch and learn about side effects, drug interactions and contraindications of anything you take... this includes herbal medication as well. Don't be afraid to ask your health care provider for alternatives to drug therapy for your health situation.
STAY INVOLVED
Communicate and visit with friends and family frequently. Take the initiative. Don't wait for them to call. Get out and socialize. Don't shut yourself in.
Stay active through work, recreation, church or religious work, volunteer work and community activities.
MEDICAL HELP
Get regular medical and dental checkups. This includes alternative medical approaches such as chiropractic, naturopathic, or other non-allopathic approaches to holistic health care. Use the resources available to meet your needs.
See a health care provider, midwife or dentist when you detect a change in your health or have a problem. Don't put it off.
Wear a medical identification bracelet or neck tag if you have any chronic disorder, have known allergies to medications, or take medications that emergency personnel would need to know about.
SAFETY
Use seat belts when you drive or ride in any vehicle. If you ride a motorcycle or a bicycle, wear a protective helmet or other safety head gear for your protection.
Practice good safety measures at home and at work to avoid accidents such as falls, and to prevent fires. Don't be afraid to ask someone to help you when doing something that could be hazardous or having someone professionally do the job and assume the risk. Don't become a safety statistic or a candidate for a Darwin's Award for stupidity in taking yourself out of the gene pool. Just because something sounded like a good idea at the time, doesn't mean it was.
If you are older and living alone, consider obtaining a "medical alert" system in the event you become ill or fall and cannot get to a phone for help. Make arrangements with friends and family that someone will check up on you every few days to make sure you are doing fine. Return the favor for someone else in the same situation. Be a good neighbor to each other. We have all heard about someone falling and unable to move, laying on the floor for days before they are discovered. This is something that can be avoided with a little pre-planning and friendly consideration.
If you have sexual encounters outside of a monogamous relationship, be sure to use safe sex practices to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
Avoid overexposure to sun, heat or cold. If you go outside, wear protective sunscreen, regardless of your skin type or color. Dark colored skin can sunburn too and skin cancer can occur when skin becomes damaged. This is especially important for fair skinned individuals. Use your common sense again.
NOTIFY YOUR MIDWIFE OR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IF...
You want additional information about making lifestyle changes.
HELPFUL PRODUCTS & FURTHER EDUCATION
Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements
-- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 2nd Edition
Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements
-- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 4th Edition
Prescription for Herbal Healing: The A-To-Z Reference To Common Disorders
-- by Phyllis A. Balch
The Complete Guide to Natural Healing
This is only a small sample of educational materials and products available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item.
HERBS, OILS, & SUPPLIES
Mountain Rose Bulk Herbs
Mountain Rose Aromatherapy Oils
Click Here To Visit Herbal Remedies Product Page
A Source For Medicinal & Ritual Herbs & Supplies
Aphrodisiacs Aromatherapy Bath & Body Care Bulk Herbs By The Pound Capsules, Tablets & Extracts Chinese Herbals Electronics Extracts First Aid Products Food Products, Mixes, Seeds, Snacks & More! Hair Care Products & Supplies Herbs & Oils, Kilo & Ton Hydroponics & Gardening Kava Products Kitchen & Housewares Mushrooms Musical Instruments Oral Care & Dental Products PC & IT - Computer Supplies & Assessories Skin Care, Cosmetics, & Gift Sets Smokes, Seeds, Cacti Spices, Salts, Sweeteners, & Seasonings Sports, Toys & Games Sweets, Candy, Chips & Snacks Stimulants Sedatives Teas & Coffees
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