D 6 n n Sunday, January 17, 2016
Special advertiSing Feature
HealtHy living
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tulsaworld.com/healthyliving2016
simple ideas for living happier this year athletes, the best ones try to find activities outside of their sport that help them stay hungry, engaged and excited. Find things that help you create balance in your life.” Johnson suggests: • Don’t check email after 8 p.m. • Go on a date night or family night • Exercise at a time that fits your schedule • Walk during lunch • Schedule a massage once a month
(BPT) — Saving money and staying fit are traditional New Year’s resolutions, but overly packed schedules and the materialistic focus of modern day life are inspiring a new goal for many people: to live happier in 2016 and beyond. “To make 2016 the happiest year ever, think about how you rest, eat and move,” says Matt Johnson, health and performance expert and president of On Target Living. “I am a believer that mental health is directly related to physical health. For most of human existence we have viewed the mind — the head — different from the physical body of the neck down. New research is showing they have everything to do with each other. If you want optimal physical health, you need optimal mental health and happiness. When people are happier they tend to improve all aspects of their life.” Johnson offers six surprisingly simple, yet profoundly effective ways to boost mood and overall happiness in the new year:
5. Fuel happiness from within.
“I believe we have more behavior and mental health issues than we should, and a big part of this is the lack of proper nutrients,” says Johnson. “The most important nutrient when it comes to brain health and mood is omega-3s.” The experts at Nordic Naturals encourage people to add omega-3s to their diet. In fact, America is one of the most deficient countries when it comes to omega-3s, with an estimated 91 percent of people not getting enough. Adding omega-3s to your diet can be a game changer for your mental health.
1. Make sleep a priority.
Getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night is critical for the body to produce hormones that trigger happiness, explains Johnson. “I am a big fan of always going to bed with a positive attitude,” he says. “If you go to bed angry, worried or stressed, that tends to come back the next day. Do what you can before bed to reset your mood. Read, take a bath, exercise or talk face-toface. Try to avoid screen time.”
2. Make more time for family.
“Over the last 20 years, family time has vanished. Sporting events, projects, work and technology have swallowed this time,” says Johnson. “As the author of the cookbook “Target to Table,” I think family faceto-face time is the most important part of a
Courtesy photo
Work-life balance is important for overall happiness. Making time for family and friends is an important element in healthy relationships and personal well-being.
6. embrace gratitude.
Thinking of the things you are grateful for can have a dramatic effect on your satisfaction and overall happiness. Do this healthy family relationship and happiness.” ing TV, this will set you up for a feeling of daily as you wake up or make it a converJohnson suggests planning family dinner emptiness. These things are fine in short sation you have with your children right two to three times a week. “When we start periods, but too much will take away what before bed. to eat dinner as a family in the home, our life is giving us.” “Telling yourself you are grateful for health and happiness will follow,” he notes. your health, family, friends, job and life 4. Achieve work-life balance. gives you that pat on the back we all need,” 3. carve out white space. With the expanse of the Internet and Johnson says. “I also think we don’t tell White space is time you dedicate to mobile commuting, workers are now conpeople how much we appreciate them yourself to refresh, unplug and rejuvenate. nected more than ever before. But this This could be making time to do yoga, enconnectedness can get out of control when until they are gone. I encourage everyone joy a hobby, read, meditate or take a bath. answering emails 24/7, so work-life balance to write a handwritten letter to one person each year who made a huge impact in their “People who have hobbies and acis important for overall happiness. life. They may not know or maybe you don’t tivities that give them balance tend to be “We all want to be successful, but tell them often enough. My last letter was happier,” Johnson says. “If your hobby is with anything you need proper balance,” to my Mom. She is the glue in our family.” texting, checking social media or watchsays Johnson. “If you look at professional
Routine medical screening saved CTCA worker’s life By Stefanie Forney
‘Mother Standard’ of care to our patients, so I was blessed to be on the receiving end of that care. It made a huge difference in my journey.” A moment in time can change your life The Mother Standard of care is based on forever. the philosophy of treating patients as you Often it’s found in the big moments would your own loved one. The Mother — getting married or the birth of a child. Standard of Care allows CTCA physicians to Sometimes it’s tucked among the ordinary offer patients evidence-based treatments things on your to-do list such as running to attack the cancer, combined with scienerrands, even having a routine medical tifically supported integrative therapies to screening. help strengthen the immune system, ease Tulsan Amy Barger planned to get the side effects and improve quality of life. colonoscopy her doctor recommended but Barger had surgery followed by 12 decided to put it off until the week after her rounds of chemotherapy at CTCA. daughter’s wedding in 2011. She lost her hair during treatment but Barger had made the effort to take care of was able to continue working. herself, exercise regularly and live a healthy “Some people struggle with hair loss, but lifestyle, so you can imagine her shock to learn that she had stage three colon cancer. it didn’t bother me because I worked at a place where I looked like everybody else,” “I had no symptoms indicating I had canBarger says. cer,” says Barger. “You just never know what At her medical oncologist appointments, you will find out.” she also met with a registered dietitian and Because Barger already was working as naturopathic practitioner who offered opa surgery scheduler at Cancer Treatment tions to help boost her immune system. Centers of America (CTCA) in Tulsa, she was “I’m an overcomer so I knew this was familiar with the demands cancer makes something I wanted to beat,” says Barger, on a person — witnessing the struggles of who has two grown children. “I wanted patients as well as her own family. to enjoy grandchildren someday so I just “I wanted to work here because my dad suffered with cancer,” Barger says. “I watched pulled up my bootstraps and said, ‘Let’s go get this thing.’” his journey and saw what a challenging She now has one grandchild and one on disease it is. “I feel like it was a huge blessing to be at the way. Now, Amy is very active and is a regular CTCA,” she adds. “At CTCA, we deliver the Special Sections Editor
Tasty Tip: Start your day with a glass
of water and juice of half a lemon to revitalize your body and mind. Water is needed by every cell in your body, so get a jump-start on staying hydrated throughout the day. Lemon juice, which is rich in vitamin C, helps boost the immune system and assists the liver as it detoxifies the body.
ABouT This secTion healthy Living was produced by Tulsa World’s Advertising Department. For more information, call 918-581-8519.
Courtesy photo
Amy Barger (left) with a friend at the end of the 2015 Tulsa Run. participant in the Boot Camps offered at the CTCA fitness center. She says she took being able to exercise for granted until she got cancer and couldn’t. “I had to work through a lot of bone pain for two years after my chemo and had a goal of being able to run the 15K Tulsa Run post cancer treatment,” Barger says. “I am happy to say this year was my second successful Tulsa Run post cancer treatment!” Barger has follow-up appointments every six months, and she will be the first
to encourage others to get their routine colonoscopy screening. She also wants those with cancer to know that cancer does not define you. “Cancer made me a better person,” she adds. “I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, and I don’t take anything for granted. “I feel like God put me here and because of my journey, I can sympathize and encourage others who are going through this. I pray every morning that I would be a blessing to someone,” she adds.
Double-check medicine labels for acetaminophen (BPT) — You know when cold and flu season has arrived. The temperature drops, and you can hear sniffles and sneezes everywhere you go. You see over-the-counter (OTC) medicine aisles at pharmacies and grocery stores fill with people buying cough syrup, throat lozenges, and nasal sprays to get relief from their fevers, coughs, congestion and more. Many medicines used to treat cold and flu symptoms can contain common drug ingredients such as acetaminophen. Recent research shows that consumers don’t always know the potential risks of double dosing on medicine or that taking two medicines with the same ingredient could be harmful. That’s why it’s important to read and follow the label every time you take a medicine. Acetaminophen is found in more than
600 OTC and prescription medicines, including many that treat cough, cold, and flu symptoms. It’s safe and effective when used as directed, but there is a limit to how much you can take in one day. Taking more than directed is an overdose and can lead to liver damage. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set a maximum daily dose of 4,000 milligrams of acetaminophen in a 24-hour period. To help you ensure you are taking acetaminophen safely, the Acetaminophen Awareness Coalition, a group of healthcare providers and consumer organizations dedicated to ensuring the safe use of acetaminophen, advises cold and flu sufferers to follow these safe-use steps: 1. Always read and follow the label. Never take more medicine than the label
says. Taking more acetaminophen than directed is an overdose and can lead to liver damage. 2. Know if your medicines contain acetaminophen. It is important to check the active ingredients listed on the labels of all your medicines to see if they contain acetaminophen. • On over-the-counter medicine labels, the word “acetaminophen” is written on the front of the package or bottle, and is highlighted or in bold type in the active ingredient section of the Drug Facts label. • On prescription medicine labels, acetaminophen is sometimes listed as “APAP,” “acetam,” or other shortened versions of the word. 3. Take only one medicine at a time that contains acetaminophen.