Monday, November 24, 2014
First half hour after sleep can be a predictor of your entire day
Many years ago I read that the first 30 minutes after awakening are the most important. That first half hour and what you do during that time will be a predictor of how your day will go.
I am reminded of this when I sleep through my alarm and have to rush around to get to the office or an appointment on time. I inevitably spill my coffee or burn my toast, and vow to make better use of that first half hour in the future.
Every day I receive an email from DailyGood.org with uplifting messages and thoughts. I try to read that email during that crucial first half hour because I want to start my day on a positive note.
Just in time for our Thanksgiving holiday was this appropriate message from Oxford clinical psychologist Mark Williams. He suggests the “10-finger gratitude exercise,” in which once a day you list 10 things you’re grateful for and count them out on your fingers.
I tried this exercise for the past couple of days, and it’s surprisingly fast, simple, and satisfying. “I live in peace, I have loved ones, I have my health, I enjoy my job” ….well, you get the point.
A quick search on the internet about the health benefits associated with an attitude of gratitude should be enough to convince anyone to practice being more thankful every day.
The “10-finger gratitude exercise” seems like a pretty good way to start. I am grateful for the opportunity to wish a happy and healthy Thanksgiving to all!
Alice Facente is a community health nurse for the Backus Health System. This advice should not replace the advice of your personal health care provider. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.healthydocs.blogspot.com or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
Monday, November 17, 2014
Food is a healthy way to bring family, friends together this holiday season
Thanksgiving is without a doubt my favorite holiday. Why? Well, besides being the official start of the holiday season,
Thanksgiving is all about FOOD. No
fancy clothes, no gifts, no whimsical mascot (sorry Santa)… Just food. And LOTS of it.
Don’t get me wrong, it can still be stressful; especially if
you are tasked with hosting the family feast. This time of year, every woman’s health and foodie magazine
features a sparkling holiday spread amid an immaculate and impeccably-appointed
home. Bombarded with all of this
imagery, it’s easy to feel like we won’t measure up if we don’t spend hours
DIY-ing the perfect centerpiece or baking those adorable cupcakes made to look
like turkeys.
Isn’t it amazing how the media can make us feel inadequate
about almost anything?
To some extent, I think many of us fall into this trap at
the holidays. We feel that somehow
the world will end if we don’t nail that Martha Stewart Living cover
photo. (C’mon, you know there is
no WAY she does all that stuff!)
Ironically, sometimes it’s the “epic fails” that create the
best memories. My mom and I still
laugh about the year we spent nearly an entire day making beautiful gingerbread
cookies and as I so proudly brought them to the table, I tripped over the dog
reducing our picture-perfect pastries to sugary shrapnel. On the plus side, the dog was quick to
apologize by gladly helping us clean up the mess.
A friend of mine says her favorite Thanksgiving was the year
she forgot to take the turkey out of the freezer until the day before. She spent the better half of that night
with her husband, laughing as they thawed it with hair-dryers and watched holiday
movies.
It’s stories like this that remind me that although we fuss
over the details, the holidays are not really about the food or the decor, but
the experiences. The food certainly
enhances those experiences, but it’s the feeling we get from being together
that becomes a part of us.
So when you embark on that pumpkin-shaped seven-layer cake
with spiced rum ganache, don’t worry if it doesn’t turn out quite as
pumpkin-shaped as you had hoped.
With all that sugar and butter, I’m sure it will still be
delicious. And even if it’s not,
it’ll make a great memory.
Whatever you place on your table this holiday season, I hope
you gather around it in love and laughter. Because if you ask me, a meal eaten among friends and family
in genuine companionship and gratitude provides more nourishment than all the wheatgrass
on earth. And no calories, of
course.
Jennifer
Fetterley is a registered dietitian for the Backus
Health System and Thames Valley Council for Community Action. This advice should not replace the advice of your personal
healthcare provider. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.healthydocs.blogspot.com or e-mail Ms. Fetterley or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
Monday, November 10, 2014
The myth of multitasking
It’s a phrase that we hear in job interviews, write on
resumes and read on job descriptions — ability to multi-task. It’s almost as
if your career hangs in the balance if you aren’t able to do several things at
once.
But let’s take a moment to focus — literally. As it turns
out, multitasking is not as productive or efficient as once thought, according
to recent research.
This is the best news I’ve heard since they proclaimed dark
chocolate is good for you.
It seems like the older I get, the harder it is to
multitask. This inability to keep
up with the constant barrage of emails, phone messages, blog posts, deadlines,
mandatory meetings, etc., has made me feel inefficient and disorganized.
Not so, says
Jim Taylor, PhD, writing for Psychology Today. Dr. Taylor reports that a summary of
research examining multitasking on the American Psychological
Association's website describes how so-called multitasking is neither effective
nor efficient
These findings demonstrate when you shift focus from one
task to another, that transition is neither fast nor smooth. In fact, this
constant shifting can take up to 40% more time than single tasking — especially
for complex tasks.
Whew! I feel vindicated.
Here are six tips to increase productivity and avoid
multitasking.
• Prioritize:
Learn to organize tasks into distinct categories and levels of
difficulty. Tackle the most
important things on the list first.
• Focus: Put all
your attention to the task at hand. Do one thing at a time and see it through to completion.
• Limit distractions:
Close your door, block off a chunk of time that you are unavailable, and
limit your ability to interact with others except for emergencies. When I was faced with an impending
deadline, I used to tell my kids, “Don’t interrupt me unless your hair is on
fire.”
• Unplug: Silence
cell phones, don’t read or reply to e-mail or Facebook postings, and turn off
the radio or TV.
• Don’t procrastinate:
This may be the hardest thing of all. Seize the moment and plunge right in. Once you’re on a roll, it will be
easier to continue.
• Reward yourself upon completion of a major task: Something small, but satisfying, should
be your reward, whether it is a walk around the block, reading a chapter in a
favorite book or 15 minutes of mindful meditation.
Since I read that it’s healthy, I am rewarding myself for
completing this health column by eating an ounce of dark chocolate.
Alice Facente is a community health nurse for the Backus
Health System. This advice should not replace the advice of your personal
health care provider. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.healthydocs.blogspot.com or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
Monday, November 03, 2014
Early detection of prostate cancer is key
Every year I sign up my husband for a prostate cancer
screening. Just like every other
man, he hates to have it done, but he knows I won't budge on this issue. He has a family history of prostate
cancer, putting him at a higher risk.
Current screening methods include a simple blood test for
the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and a digital rectal exam. PSA is a protein that is produced by
the prostate gland. It is present
in small quantities for healthy men, while higher amounts can indicate prostate
cancer or less serious conditions such as infection.
There has been much recent debate surrounding yearly
prostate screenings. The Cancer Treatment Centers of America explain the debate
this way: previously, men over 50 were advised to be screened for prostate
cancer once a year. However, these
annual screenings may lead to men having to make a difficult decision about
treatment, when in fact, it may not be necessary. Some treatments for prostate cancer can result in stressful
side effects like urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction.
The debate becomes confusing when the same experts report
that the 10-year survival rate for prostate cancer diagnosed in the early
stages is 98 percent. But how can
you identify and diagnose prostate cancer unless you do the screening?
The experts conclude that not all men who are diagnosed with
prostate cancer will need to be treated immediately; some will be advised to do
nothing except "watchful waiting." The bottom line is that deciding whether to have yearly
prostate screenings, and what to do with the results, is entirely up to you and
your doctor.
The American Cancer Society website informs us that a risk
factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as
cancer. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a
person's age or family history, can't be changed. But risk factors don't tell
us everything. Many people with one or more risk factors never get cancer,
while others with this disease may have had few or no known risk factors.
Some common risk factors for prostate cancer include:
• Race: Studies show that African American men are
approximately 60 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer in their
lifetime than Caucasian or Hispanic men.
• Age: The risk of developing prostate cancer increases with
age.
• Family history: Men with an immediate blood relative, such
as a father or brother, who has had prostate cancer, are twice as likely to
develop the disease. If there is another family member diagnosed with the
disease, the chances of getting prostate cancer increase.
• Diet: A diet high in saturated fat, as well as obesity,
increases the risk of prostate cancer.
• High testosterone levels: Men who use testosterone therapy
are more likely to develop prostate cancer, as an increase in testosterone
stimulates the growth of the prostate gland.
So, come on ladies, encourage your husband or significant
other to sign up for our annual free prostate cancer screening this Saturday,
Nov. 8, at the Backus Hospital main lobby conference rooms. Call 860-892-6900 to make an
appointment. Then you can do like
I do, and treat him to a nice restaurant meal as a reward. Who knows? You might
end up sitting at the table next to my husband and I.
Alice Facente is a community health nurse for the Backus
Health System. This advice should not replace the advice of your personal
health care provider. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.healthydocs.blogspot.com or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
