Chicago North-Northshore-Downtown Loop | January & February 2012 | Vol. 7
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Healthy Lifestyle Publication
Your Path to a
Healthy Life!
When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied. Herophilus
feature
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2 2 the healing power of laughter
hospice and palliative care
4 A Healthy Start for 2012 a new year upon us, this is a good time to start new healthy habits and take inventory of your life.
When most of us think of health care we tend to think of health insurance or the ability to pay for the treatment of a major illness. But health care is not just a hot political topic, but the act of taking care of your health. It’s maintenance and prevention. It’s being proactive instead of reactive. It’s not waiting until something is wrong before you get help. Health care is also not limited to just our physical bodies, but also our mental and spiritual health, our relational health, our financial health and our occupational health.
By Janel Dear
3. Keep a prayer journal. This is a good way to put all those anxieties, or desires on paper. It’s also a great stress reliever.
1. Get a therapist. If you can’t seem to shake those holiday blues from last year, be proactive and consult a professional. Just as we get a yearly checkup for our physical health, it is wise to do the same for our mental and emotional health. 2. Take more risks or try something new.
Physical Health
Financial Health
3. Pick a dominant health issue or concern and address it head on. Instead of a long list of resolutions, pick one the most urgent matter and focus on it. 4. Exercise and diet. This is a popular one for the new year, but make it a reachable goal by removing one bad item from your diet and get your body moving.
Relational Health
1. Get the toxic folks out of your life. If the person is more of a liability than an asset, you may need to reevaluate the role of that person in your life. 2. Learn to say no. By setting (and keeping) healthy boundaries you greatly enhance your relationship experience. 3. Forgive 4. Get to know your neighbors. 5. Volunteer in your community.
Spiritual Health
1. Take a weekly day of sabbath. This is the one day where you turn everything off and tune everything out. If you can’t do a whole day then try at least an hour a day. 2. Schedule a personal retreat to your favorite place. This can be as simple as the chair in your living room or a beach in the Caribbean. The goal is to have a place where you can reflect and reevaluate what is important in life.
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Mental/Emotional Health
3. Face a fear and overcome it. Just pick one that’s been a challenge and take steps to defeat it.
2. If you smoke, quit. The American Lung Association www.lungusa.org has several tips to help you quit.
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4. Fasting. Fasting from one meal or one favorite activity for a period of time is not only good for your health, but also for your soul.
The new year gives us a “tabula rasa,” the Latin word for clean slate, to start over and make a commitment to good health. Here are a few areas and suggestions to help you get started on your road to becoming the best version of you in 2012. 1. Make all health related appointments. By doing it the same time each year makes it easier to remember. Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
total omega
massage for holiday stress
4. Dream big and pull out that bucket list. Commit to checking off a few more this year and even adding a few more.
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1. Get your credit report. Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTS) you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from all three reporting agencies every 12 months. You can check for inaccuracies, fraud or just to know your financial health. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com. 2. Work on that emergency fund. Most experts recommend at least 6 months of living expenses. 3. Set financial goals to create wealth. Most of the time we focus on getting out of debt, but the more proactive mindset is to look at ways to create wealth. There are a plethora of books on the subject, so get started today. 4. Eliminate debt. One surefire way to hinder wealth creation is continual debt creation. Dave Ramsey has a simple way to start with the “Debt Snowball” at www.daveramsey.com 5. Create or update your will and create a living will. There are several templates online that can help you create your legal documents before you submit them to your attorney. Legal Zoom www.legalzoom.com is a great place to start.
Occupational Health
1. Update resume whether you are looking for a job or not. 2. Use social media to your advantage to network and keep in touch with those who can help you in career. 3. Sharpen interview and negotiation skills. 4. Learn a new skill in your industry to keep you competitive. 5. Turn that business idea into reality and write a business plan. 6. Get organized. The worse thing is to be presented with an opportunity of a lifetime and you’re not ready for it. Now the rest is up to you. Happy New Year!
a green valentine
9 red velvet cheesecake