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Healthy Springtime
Spring has finally arrived here in the NEK, and back home in Lamoille County, I am very happy to say. The chickens and goats are as thrilled as I am and watching them does my mind and body good. This time of year is a relief from the hardships of winter and most people you talk to are anxious to get their “Spring Cleaning” done. Well, spring cleaning is more than cleaning up branches from last October’s storm, raking up the yard and getting rid of the trash. It is also a time for planning for the seasons ahead and it can pertain to how we manage our health as well. I talked about ‘Health Patterns’ last week, telling you how your lifestyle, events occurring in your life and how you handle them have an impact on your health. I will go through some of them today and make some suggestions on how Spring cleaning in different areas of your life can have a positive impact. We will finish Spring Cleaning through Health Patterns next week.
Health Perception and Management:
It would do well to start with this pattern as it helps to know what you think about your health, if you think about it at all! Are you healthy? Do you wish to be healthy, and what does ‘being healthy’ mean to you? When was the last time you had a health check-up? “I don’t like going to the Provider’s office” is something I hear often. It amazes me how well we take care of our cars oil changes, tire changes, tune-ups so they can continue to get us around town…somehow we have lost the connection to giving our bodies a tune-up/check-up to make sure all is running well. Sometimes Fear keeps us from asking questions and finding out answers we don’t want to hear, “you have high blood pressure, your cholesterol is high”, etc. Keep in mind, hearing what needs tuning-up lets you also know what YOU can do about it, but without gathering the information first, how can you know what needs to be addressed. This would be like NEVER checking your gas or oil gauges! If Insurance concerns keep you from the office, make sure you keep track of the community health screens that come through your town. This Spring clear out those ideas that keep you from managing your health well.
Nutrition/Elimination
This is a difficult one for a lot of us; we love our coffee, chocolate, donuts, potato chips, fill-in the blank ________. I want to spend lots of time in future articles talking about nutrition as I believe it is so very important to our health. Much like good gasoline and clean oil is good for your car. Today, for your nutrition spring cleaning, look around your pantry and your kitchen. What kind of fuel are you using, and what kind of performance are you demanding from your body? If you are a busy bee, have more than one job (and that includes minding children), or very active, clean out the fillers in your pantry and start thinking about good fuel for your body. Spring also changes our cravings fro food… I no longer crave butternut squash soup and Kale or heavy foods. I want salad greens and fresh fruit, lemon tea instead of hot cider. Change over your pantry as you do the clothing in your mud room!
Activity/Exercise
Spring is a time of such energy! We are getting over cabin fever and most of us can not wait to get outdoors and get active. It is time to get rid of Winter habits that may have had us in front of the screens too long- this includes your computer, TV and video game screens. Clear out those thoughts that tell yourself you can’t exercise because you are not fit enough. The surest way to become more fit is to start moving. I say ‘more fit’ because I think when we try to approach a new activity and think “I have to jog five miles” and we never have, it is an insurmountable task and we fail before we have started. I always tell patients, “Start walking five minutes every other day, and increase it by five minutes each week if you can”. The difference in approach may help you adopt new behaviors where exercise is concerned and get you on your way to good health. Every minute makes a difference, and don’t forget to enjoy the scenery while you are out there!!
Sleep/Rest
With the longer days I find my internal clock is tuning into the earlier sunrises this last month. The occasional sunrise I get to enjoy is lovely, but only when I get to sleep early enough in the evening. Sleep hygiene is a term used for a list of things you can do to improve your sleep. Spring cleaning in your bedroom includes removing things that distract you from sleeping, yes, these include the TV, the notebooks, bright lights. The idea is to tune your body into sleep mode when you get into bed. Exercise is great for sleep; any fresh air for any length of walk will do…but do it earlier in the day not just before bedtime. Clean out the caffeinated beverages and nicotine. Alcohol can make you fall asleep, but generally disturbs the sleep cycle and results in ‘broken sleep’ through the night. Go to sleep when you are tired, don’t push into your second wind, you will hear all about that TV show tomorrow or catch the updates online! Better sleep gives you more stamina to work towards better health.
Better health requires effort, as does everything! I hope these ideas start you on the path of thinking about your health and making efforts to improve it. Until next week, Enjoy the crocuses!
“HEALTHY YOU” is a weekly column prepared by health care providers and staff at North Country Hospital and Health System. Please call Nancy Goss, NCH Community Relations, 334-3225, for information or to suggest a topic for this column. |
