When we hear the word health, the first thing that often pops into our minds is physical health but mental health is just as critical to our overall well-being. Mental health is “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (WHO, 2014.). According to a 2007 article published in American Psychologist (Keyes, 2007), mentally healthy adults reported the fewest missed days of work, low levels of helplessness, having clear goals in life, high resilience and high intimacy, the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease, the lowest number of chronic physical diseases, the fewest health limitations of activities of daily living and lower health care utilization.
Category Archives: Physical Well-Being
One out of three Americans has prediabetes and 90% don’t even know it. Could you be one of them?
November is Diabetes Awareness Month so what better time to talk about diabetes and prediabetes. According to the CDC more than 30 million Americans have diabetes and one in three adults has prediabetes. Ninety percent of those with prediabetes don’t even know it. The consequences of diabetes, both physical and financial can be dire. People with diabetes are at increased risk of dementia, hearing and vision loss, heart disease, kidney failure, lower leg amputations, depression, dental decay and tooth loss, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, bone fractures and nerve pain. As if that wasn’t enough, in Vermont diabetes is one of four chronic health conditions that is responsible for fifty percent of all deaths. Not only do people with diabetes suffer physically but they also suffer financially. People with diabetes spend up to 2.3 times more on their health care costs than do their healthy counterparts. Continue reading One out of three Americans has prediabetes and 90% don’t even know it. Could you be one of them?
Water….a critical nutrient that we may not be getting enough of
When we think of good nutrition we often think about food but we don’t often think about water. In addition to proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, water is one of the six essential nutrients. The adult human body is approximately sixty percent water and we cannot live without it. Water plays a key role in every body process including regulation of body temperature, joint lubrication, removal of waste products, delivery of oxygen to body tissues and is essential in the formation of saliva which starts the process of digestion (Cross, 2018). Continue reading Water….a critical nutrient that we may not be getting enough of
Nutrition: Let’s get back to basics
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” – Michael Pollan
Eating too many eggs will raise your cholesterol. It’s safe to consume eggs everyday. Saturated fat cause heart disease. There is no evidence that saturated fats increase one’s risk of heart disease. Carbohydrates are fattening. Maintaining a diet high in complex carbohydrates may be protective against weight gain. Organic foods are healthier. There is no difference in the nutrient content of organic and conventionally grown food. And on and on and on….. Continue reading Nutrition: Let’s get back to basics
Sleep….the missing ingredient in your well-being?
When we think about well-being, specifically physical well-being, often the first things that come to mind are physical activity and a healthy diet. While these two elements certainly do contribute to our physical well-being, sleep is also essential and may be the piece that many of us are missing. More and more research is coming out about the importance of sleep and the connection between sleep, health and disease. Even just a few nights of sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on our body, mind and spirit. Continue reading Sleep….the missing ingredient in your well-being?
Physical Well-being
When you think about your physical well-being, what comes to mind? Do you feel vibrant and energized? Do you have a spring in your step? Do you feel strong and confident that your energy will enable you to tackle the day ahead with ease? Or, do you feel run down and sluggish? Are you dragging yourself through the day with thoughts of how much you have to get done and when you’ll be able to get home and get back in bed? Do you feel like you run out of energy to do the things that really matter to you…the things you enjoy doing just for you, that add joy and meaning to your life?