INITIATIVES / WELLNESS / HEALTH & WELLNESS TIPS
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NUTRITION
Fill half your plate with fruit and vegetables first. Focus on whole grains and lean protein to fill the rest. Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose foods with healthy fats, like olive and canola oil, nuts and fish higher in omega 3 fatty acids; limit red meat and foods that are high in saturated fat; and avoid foods that contain trans fats. Drink water and other healthy beverages, and limit sugary drinks and salt. Know the super foods (nuts, avocados, quinoa) and replace unhealthy items in your diet with them. Most important of all is keeping calories in check, so you can avoid weight gain, which makes exercise a key partner to a healthy diet. WATER
Water is essential to good health. To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. Simple ways to increase your fluid intake: • The basic equation for determining how much water you should drink is by dividing your body weight in half. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you would need 100 ounces of water per day if you're not doing anything strenuous. If you're working out, hiking, at a high altitude or outdoors a great deal, you're going to need to add to those 100 ounces. • Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag. • Replace sugar-sweetened beverages with water or low caloric beverages. • Add a lime or lemon wedge to your water. This can help improve the taste and help you drink more water than you usually do. EXERCISE
Choose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. Fitting activity into a daily routine can be easy - Try these tips to add more activity to your everyday routine, at home, work or at play! • Join a walking group in the neighborhood or at a mall. • Find a friend or neighbor to exercise with, join an exercise class that is right for you: swimming, bowling, tennis, dancing, whatever you most enjoy. • Car washing, lawn mowing, dog walking or room tidying - make those chores part of an exercise plan for all the family. • Replace a coffee break with a brisk 10-minute walk. • Take part in an exercise program at work. STRESS REDUCTION
Learn to relax and stress less. Stress can damage long term health and trigger or aggravate existing disease. The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As a result, the person becomes overworked and stress-related tension builds. Prolonged stress is harmful to the body and can worsen pre-existing conditions, such as asthma. It can also lead to a number of health problems, such as, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Ways to reduce stress: • Yoga • Deep Breathing • Meditation • Tai Chi Too much stress can: • Suppress your immune system • Increase your blood pressure and increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, arrhythmias and sudden death • Decrease wound healing • Cause digestive disorders • Can worsen asthma, liver disease and the list goes on…. ASSESS YOUR HEALTH
Know Your ABC's - such as blood pressure, cholesterol (including LDL & DHL) and Hemoglobin AIC (indicator of blood sugar) How is your weight? Determine your BMI and waist circumference. BMI is calculated based on a person's height and weight. A BMI of 18.5 - 24.5 is considered healthy, 25 - 29 overweight, 30 or greater obese. Desired waist circumference is calculated by height in inches divided by 2. (Ex., A woman who is 5'4" should have a waist circumference no greater than 32 inches.) Stay up to date with your screenings and vaccinations. Do you use tobacco? If yes, come up with a plan to quit. Do you get enough exercise? ACSM recommends 150mins of moderate to vigorous activity per week. MEDITATION
Defined as a state of relaxed concentrated attention on some object, a mantra or one’s breathe. State experienced where the mind is free of thought and liberated from restlessness. A state of inner peace, calmness and harmony with oneself and the environment. Deep breathing is the simplest path to inner calm. Can be done anywhere, even for 5-10 minutes. Breathing is controlled by the voluntary and involuntary nervous system forming a bridge between the inner and outer self. Learn belly breathing Place hand on belly button feeling it rise with inspiration and pushing it in with expiration. FOR PARENTS
Lead by example: • Change the dynamics of the household • Go shopping together and shop from a list • Read food labels and teach your children to do the same. • Cook together • Look for shortcuts to simplify meals • Adapt to the seasons • Exercise together • Stop bringing junk food to the house! ZIKA VIRUS
Most people do not need to get tested for Zika Virus, even if they traveled to a place where Zika is spreading. Contact a health care provider to discuss Zika testing if: • You are pregnant and spent time in a Zika-affected area while pregnant. • You are pregnant and, while pregnant had condomless vaginal, anal or oral sex with a man who spent time in a Zika-affected area. What you need to know • While the mosquito that transmits Zika is not in NYC, it has a relative in the area; as of now, that mosquito is not thought to be a good transmitter of the virus. • The recommendation is that pregnant women and women of reproductive age should not travel to countries that have Zika. • Men should wait at least 2 months before having sex without a condom; women should be tested if they want to get pregnant and wait at least 2 months from exposure to conceive. To learn more about Zika Virus, please visit nyc.gov/health/zika MEN'S HEALTH
Men are often reluctant to go to the doctor, even when they are sick, unless it is an emergency, and even then it can be a struggle. The reality is that annual checkups play an important role in a man’s long-term health. Regular screenings can provide an important look into a man’s health and can detect and even prevent certain diseases before symptoms are event present. Yearly screenings are well worth the time and effort if they can help you decrease your risk of fairly common diseases that could result in serious illness or death.
Men statistically have shorter life spans than women and are also, perhaps not coincidentally, less likely to have visited a doctor within the past year. That does not mean that men must accept declining health as a certainty. Actively maintaining healthy lifestyles, which includes regular doctor visits, can improve quality of life, and even possibly extend life expectancy by detecting and attacking disease before serious harm can be done. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS, GUYS Taking control of your health may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s important to KNOW YOUR ABCs. Your doctor can tell you, based on family history and other factors, if you need to be screened for Cancers specific to men, like prostate or testicular cancer, as well as skin, colorectal, and other types of cancers. Dental and eye exams are also vital for long-term health, vitality and quality of life. Some tests may seem uncomfortable or embarrassing, but is one day out of the year worth compromising your long-term health? The chart below clearly states when screenings are needed, so check it out- or print and keep a copy close at hand. To keep it simple, make all of your annual appointments at the same time each year, so you won’t forget and can get them all over with relatively easily. WOMEN'S HEALTH
TIPS FOR WOMEN'S HEART HEALTH
KNOW YOUR NUMBERS, LADIES
Taking control of your health may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s important to KNOW YOUR ABCs. Your doctor can tell you, based on family history and other factors, if you need to be screened for cancers specific to women, as well as skin, colorectal, and other types of cancers. Dental and eye exams are also vital for long-term health, vitality and quality of life. Some tests may seem uncomfortable or embarrassing, but is one day out of the year worth compromising your long-term health? The chart below clearly states when screenings are needed, so check it out- or print and keep a copy close at hand. To keep it simple, make all of your annual appointments at the same time each year, so you won’t forget and can get them all over with relatively easily. Some health issues that are common to both men and women affect women differently. Although the symptoms may be similar, the effects of the condition and the care necessary can differ significantly for women.
Several health issues and their effects on women are listed below. Breast Cancer Some of these conditions might affect women differently than men. Almost 12 percent of women in the United States are at risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime. Male breast cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of existing breast cancer cases. Alcohol Abuse As many as 5.3 million women in the United States abuse alcohol, putting their health, safety and general well-being at risk. While men are more likely to become dependent on, or addicted to, alcohol than women are throughout their lifetime, the health effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism (when someone shows signs of addiction to alcohol) are more serious in women. These health effects include an increased risk for breast cancer, heart disease and fetal alcohol syndrome, in which infants born to mothers who drank during pregnancy suffer brain damage and learning difficulties. Heart Disease Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Although heart disease is also the leading cause of death for men in the United States, women are more likely to die following a heart attack than men are. In addition, women are more likely than men are to experience delays in emergency care and to have treatment to control their cholesterol levels. Mental Health Women are more likely to show signs of depression and anxiety than men are. Depression is the most common women’s mental health problem, and more women than men are diagnosed with depression each year. Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability in the United States. The condition affects almost 27 million people, and affects more women than men. Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections (STDs/STIs) The effect of STDs/STIs on women can be more serious than on men. STDs/STIs often go untreated in women because symptoms are less obvious than in men or are more likely to be confused with another less serious condition, such as a yeast infection. Learn more Stress According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, stress is on the rise for women. Women are more likely to report having stress, and almost 50 percent of the women in the survey, compared to 39 percent of the men, reported that their stress had increased over the past five years. Stress also has unique effects on women. A recent NICHD study found that stress might reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant. Learn more Stroke More women than men suffer a stroke each year. Although many of the risk factors for stroke are the same for men and women, including a family history of stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, some risk factors are unique to women. These include: • Taking birth control pills • Being pregnant • Using hormone replacement therapy, a combined hormone therapy of progestin and estrogen designed to relieve menopausal symptoms • Having frequent migraine headaches • Having a thick waist (larger than 35.2 inches), particularly if post-menopausal, and high triglyceride (blood fat) levels Urinary Tract Health Women are more likely than men are to experience urinary tract problems. For example, urinary incontinence affects twice as many women as men due to the way the female urinary tract is structured. Learn more Leading causes of death in females for 2013:
beat the heat
As temperatures rise, it’s important to protect yourself and help others who may be at increased risk from the heat, including vulnerable individuals such as seniors and those with chronic health problems. When possible, use air conditioning to stay cool, go to a place that has air conditioning if it is not available at home, drink water at regular intervals, and limit strenuous activity, especially during the hottest parts of the day.
To help New Yorkers beat the heat, New York City will open cooling centers are often opened at senior centers, NYCHA facilities, and parks. Call 311 or go to nyc.gov/oem to find the nearest center, including accessible facilities. CHECK ON THOSE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO THE HEAT:
ADDITIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY TIPS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST THE HEAT:
For more information, visit nyc.gov/health/heathealth. FACTS ABOUT HEAT ILLNESS: Heat illness is serious. Prolonged exposure to the heat can be harmful and potentially fatal. The added stress caused by heat can also aggravate heart or lung disease even without symptoms of heat illness. The risk for getting sick during a heat wave is increased for people who:
Know the warning signs of heat stress. If you or someone you know feels weak or faint, go to a cool place and drink water. If there is no improvement, call a doctor or 911. Call 911 immediately if you have, or someone you know has:
IMPROPER FIRE HYDRANT USE: The improper opening of fire hydrants wastes 1,000 gallons of water per minute, causes flooding on city streets, and can lower water pressure to dangerous levels and hamper the ability of FDNY to fight fire safely and quickly. Properly used “spray caps” reduce hydrant output to a safe 25 gallons per minute while still providing relief from the heat. To obtain a spray cap, an adult 18 years or older with proper identification can go to his or her local firehouse and request one. ENERGY-SAVING TIPS: During periods of intense electrical usage, such as on hot, humid days, it is important to conserve energy as much as possible to avoid brownouts and other electrical disruptions. While diminishing your power usage may seem like an inconvenience, your cooperation will help to ensure that utilities are able to continue to provide uninterrupted electrical service to you and your neighbors.
For more information on coping with the heat, visit: www.nyc.gov/beattheheat or view NYC Emergency Management’s Beat the Heat video here. MISC.
Health is a state of physical, mental and emotional well being. Health is not absence of disease. Disease is absence of health, and health involves happiness and intelligence in every cell of the body. Inside each of us is the perfect health – we just have to find it. Strong ties with friends and family bolster immunity, improve mental health, improve recovery and extend life. Spend your days doing what you enjoy. Pursue interests and hobbies. Connect with your spirituality. Express your creativity. |
