By the time you read this, Christmas will have passed and thoughts naturally turn to the New Year ahead.
What do you want in 2017? What is of highest priority in your future plans? Do you want to travel more, work less, see more of family and friends? Learning to relax and meditate may be high on your list.
Whatever your goals, to get to them you need good health. Even if your health is not the best, there is always a chance for improvement. That is, assuming you will do the things required to obtain and maintain good health.
Good health is defined by the World Health Organization as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ The Merriam-Webster dictionary’s first definition reads, ‘The condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit, especially freedom from physical disease or pain.’
I like the last one, because it includes the spirit, so hard to define and yet so much a part of who we are. You can be capable of running a marathon, but if your spirit is sickened or in pain, you are not healthy. Many could benefit from thinking ‘AA’ — for ‘attitude adjustment’ — and realize how important that can be in how they live their lives.
I asked a couple of medical professionals to describe what they felt would be important for everyone to consider, health-wise, going into a new year.
“Make a resolution to get your screenings done,’ said Dr. Kristine Charles. ‘Find out what testing you may need and make the appointments for mammograms, Pap tests, colonoscopies, etc. Do them now before a problem shows up and it becomes urgent.”
Dr. Roy Love said the best thing people can do is to be as active as they are able. “Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of exercise five times a week,” he said. “Trying some yoga for exercise and relaxation is good advice also.”
Another insight from a medical provider reminded us that the new year is a time of reassessment.
Keep your plans simple — if you haven’t seen a doctor in awhile, make an appointment. Then, follow through with the advice and direction you receive.
Schedule your screenings. If you smoke, get the help you need to stop. If you are due for the shingles vaccine, get it and save yourself from pain later.
Doing a couple of simple things can have a positive effect on your future health. Pick out one or two that you know you have a chance to succeed in following. That way, you won’t get discouraged.
There is so much that you can’t control regarding your health. You can’t change your parents or your genes. But you can control what you eat and drink and how much you move.
I truly felt grateful when I got news just before Christmas that a friend’s biopsies were negative for cancer. My friend had already been treated for cancer and a new growth had shown up at the time of a recheck appointment. Her outcome was good, owing partly to the fact that she did her testing as recommended.
Here’s to better health in 2017!
