HEALTH

1 The 5 Smartest Things You Could Ever Do 5 Essential Rules for Living a Healthy Life2What We’ll Learn • What wellness is, and isn’t. • The importance of knowing and quantifying your health status. • The importance of paying attention to what you eat. • Why exercise is important to a healthy life. • Why sleep is important to your health. • The importance of quitting smoking to a long and healthy life. 3Wellness Ill-Defined Wellness isn’t… • Crystal healing • Flower remedies • Miracle cures • Magic elixirs • Zen meditationSource: Wellness Councils of America and the American Journal of Health Promotion 4Wellness Defined Wellness is the process of being aware of and actively working towards better health. 5 Rule #1 Quantify Your Health Status6Quantify Your Health Status • Do a personal assessment (do I smoke, am I overweight, etc.). Be honest with yourself. • Engage in screening tests and HRAs. Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Journal of Health Promotion. 7Why Assess Health Status? • Today’s four leading causes of death are all preventable. • Persons with healthier lifestyles live anywhere from six to nine years longer. • Persons with healthier lifestyles prevent disability by up to nine years. 8Benefits of Quantifying Your Health Status Quantifying your health status… • Will help you identify areas in your life you can improve upon. • Can reveal health risk factors you may not have been aware of before. • Gives you a baseline to compare your current behaviors to healthy behaviors. • Empowers you to set goals for improving your health and well-being. 9Tips for Quantifying Your Health Status • Assess yourself right away. • Engage in preventive screenings. • Take part in an HRA. 10 Rule #2 Pay Attention to What You Eat11Food in America Today • Fast food is everywhere and Americans are eating it up. • Spending on fast food has increased exponentially in recent years. • The fast food industry is growing at an alarming rate. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 12Why Should You Be Concerned? • Poor nutrition increases your risk for a number of life threatening diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. • Obesity and overweight cause 300,000 deaths annually. 13The Benefits of Healthy Eating Good nutrition… • Lowers your risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis. • Helps you lose and maintain a healthy weight. • Gives you healthier, stronger bones. • Allows you to look and feel better about yourself. 14Tips for Eating Healthier • Control your portion sizes. • Take the fat out of fast food. • Learn how to shop at the supermarket. • Pay attention to caloric intake. 15 Rule #3 Exercise Every DaySource: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 16Exercise in America Today • Almost 170 million Americans don’t get enough healthy physical activity on a daily basis. • Approximately 42 million Americans aren’t active at all.17So Why Should You Be Concerned? • Not being active damages your heart and other major organs—cutting your life short. • Not being active can lead to diabetes—a major cause of blindness and limb amputations.18Benefits of Being Active • Regular physical activity: • Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease. • Reduces the risk of developing diabetes. • Reduces the risk of colon cancer. • Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, puts you in a better mood, and fosters a sense of well-being. 19Tips for Getting Active • Commit yourself. • Set goals. • Schedule exercise during your day. • Exercise with a friend. 20 Rule #4 Protect Your Sleep At All CostsSource: National Sleep Foundation and Power Sleep by James B. Maas, PhD 21Sleep in America Today • One-third of the population is sleeping less than six hours per night. • Roughly 40 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. • 27% of adults have dozed off at the wheel.22How a Lack of Sleep Affects Us For millions of Americans, fatigue is more than a daily annoyance—it’s a life-altering condition that affects our health and drains ambition. Consider this… • Sleep apnea increases your chances for high blood pressure. • A lack of sleep can lead to dangerous and even deadly outcomes. 23Benefits of a Good Night of Sleep Sleep is as important to your health as good nutrition, water, and exercise. A good night of sleep… • Helps you wake up well-rested, ready for your day. • Improves your mental well-being. • Will help you react more quickly, and help prevent accidents. 24Developing Good Sleeping Habits 1. Keep regular bed/wake times when possible. 2. Develop and use a regular pre-sleep routine. 3. Protect sleep time; minimize other demands. 4. Avoid working in your bedroom. 5. Use relaxation techniques.25 Rule #5 Quit SmokingSource: US Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics 26Smoking in America Today • There are about 46 million smokers in the United States today. • Americans have consumed 17 trillion cigarettes since the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking in 1964. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 27Consequences of Smoking • Smoking dramatically increases your risk for a number of different cancers. • Smoking cuts your life short. 28The Benefits of Quitting Smoking • Reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. • Adds years to your life. • Improves the social aspects of your life. • Saves you money.29Tips for Quitting Smoking • Set a quit date. • Quit with a friend. • Avoid situations that tempt you to light up. 30What We’ve Learned • What wellness IS and ISN’T. • Why it’s important to quantify your health status. • Why eating healthier is important your health and well-being. • How exercising can add years to your life and improve your health. • Why sleep should be protected at all costs, and how a lack of sleep can be damaging to your health. • The importance of quitting smoking to a long and healthy life.