ROSSVILLE
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
HEALTH MINISTRY
NURSES: Ann Macha, Linda Brown
(E-MAIL)
Remember the blood pressure clinic the last Sunday of the month.
From the Health Ministries Team
Health Matters
from your Health Team
(Your Health Ministries Team)
One of the most important things you can do for your sweetheart and yourself is to
work on becoming heart healthy. One of the best ways to take care of your heart and the
heart of those you love is to cut back on the salt intake. Some "painless" ways
to cut back on your surplus salt are:
* Cut way back on salt or omit it from recipes. It is often unnecessary
in baked goods that call for margarine or butter.
*Divert attention from salt by adding interest with colorful garnishes,
fun pasta shapes and colors, and new textures like those from brown or wild rice.
*In cooking, season foods with lemon or limejuice, wine and/or vinegar.
Be creative with herbs, Use fresh ground pepper, onion, and/or garlic.
*Balance high-sodium foods with low-sodium foods at a meal and balance
a high sodium meal by having other meals low in salt.
* Take your salt shaker off the table to remove a source of temptation.
*Be aware of hidden salt in fast-food items such as french-fries and
milk shakes.
*Switch "shakers". If you occasionally use salt, put it in
the pepper shaker, which has smaller holes and put the pepper in the salt shaker.
*If ketchup or mustard is in the recipe, skip adding any salt. Decrease
the amount of these
condiments that you use in a sandwich.
*Rinse water-packed canned fish such as tuna or salmon in a strainer. A
minute of rinsing can reduce the sodium levels by about 80%.
*Use more reduced-sodium foods. These products contain at least 75%
less sodium than the usual version of the food. Food termed "low-sodium can contain
no more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving. A serving of a "very
low-sodium" food has 35 milligrams of sodium or less.
*Use more fresh vegetables as opposed to canned vegetables. Fresh
vegetables cost a little more but are so much better for you.
*Avoid processed foods and cold cuts.
How to reduce your risk of heart disease:
1. Quit smoking permanently.
2. Control blood pressure and have it checked regularly.
3. Exercise at least three times a week for 20 minutes or more.
4. Eat a balanced diet reduced in fat, cholesterol, and sodium
Half of all heart attacks occur in people who do not have elevated
cholesterol. The new culprit scientists are working on is called inflammation.
Inflammation is the body's internal cleaning process. When you cut your finger, it swells
and becomes red--that is the inflammatory process protecting you from germs. The same
reaction may occur inside our arteries for years and years as a result of many infectious
processes that our bodies have been exposed to. Some of this may be related to cholesterol
plaques.
Studies indicate a new molecule called C-reactive protein appears to
predict risk of heart attacks and strokes in apparently healthy men. The body sends this
protein in response to injury or foreign substance. Scientists believe that there is a
correlation between high cholesterol, high C-reactive protein, and heart disease.
So what can be done about this? Do the routine items listed above to
reduce your risk of heart disease. Scientists also know that aspirin reduces infection.
Low doses of aspirin seem to be sufficient. However, one should check with your physician
before taking aspirin on a daily basis.
Gum disease is an infection that is being closely studied as to its
correlation with heart disease. A theory is that gum disease fuels a slow-burning
inflammation that damages blood vessels. So perhaps in the not-too-distant future. Another
piece of advice would be to floss daily.
SLOWING DOWN
The CareNote, "Slowing Down and Finding God in Your Busy Life", is the focus for
this month. The author, Sharon Robinson, quotes Carl Jung who said, "Hurry is not 'of
the devil", it is the devil". Have you been exhausted lately? Have you been busy
doing various activities from the time you get up until you go to bed at night?
Ms. Robinson offers five principles to help us slow down:
1. Realize that less is more. Most of us have too much junk. We need to learn to pay
closer attention
to how our outer environment affects our inner environment, and choose to simplify the
externals in order to amplify the spiritual.
2. Make time for quiet. Probably the ultimate luxury for modem faith pilgrims is quiet
time. A luxury? It depends on one's priorities.
3. Practice the prayer of quiet. In this type of prayer, our goal is to love and to yield
to the Spirit, to
accept living in the Light which cleanses and heals.
4. Be with and for others. When we learn the prayer of quiet, we can serve others to the
best of our
ability, the Lord having enhanced both our ability and our desire to serve.
5. Let go of fear. At quiet, prayerful moments we can admit the fears that compel
us to scurry about
in search of false security and resolve to leave these fears behind and simply trust in
God.
Someone once said, "Not to make a decision, is still making a
decision." Whenever we do not make a
decision to slow down or to take time for prayer, quiet time, or meditation, we have made
a decision.
If you' are unhappy or stressed with too much "hurry and busyness", you do have
options. We all do. Of course, it is not easy, but it is possible to change our
habits, activities, priorities, and attitude.
Another aspect to remember is to live in the moment. Thinking or
worrying about the past or the
future, is very draining and non-productive. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Finish each
day and be done
with it ... You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
forget them
as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely."
Finally, reflect on the importance of using all your senses when you
make time for quiet or in ordinary moments. In your "quiet" time or even during
moments in your day.... really, see the tree, a blade of
grass, the moon and the stars, really hear the wind, the birds or a favorite song, really
smell the air or the coffee, really feel the sun on your face or a hug from
someone, or really taste the apple, slowly savoring it's sweetness. And use your
mind to visualize and imagine serenity and peace.
May we all take time to be filled with the peace of God. Help us all to see God at work in our everyday activities, and to ask Him to guide us in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
CareNotes, AbbeyPress, 1992
Health Matters
Our emotional dimension is one of the important, aspects of wholistic health, and is very important toDepression is one of the leading illnesses in America. One in five Americans will be
affected by depression
at some point in his or her lifetime. It causes more days lost from work and greater use
of health care
services than other chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes or hypertension) with the
exception of
chronic heart disease. Experts state that depression is increasing, and if the current
increases continue, the World Health Organization projects that it will be the second most
common disease by the year 2020.
Unfortunately, there is still a stigma for many people who seek mental health services.
And depression
still is misunderstood. People think it has to do with adjusting to a life event or that
persistent sadness and irritability is dismissed as normal teenage moodiness. Too often,
older people think it is a natural part
of aging. The symptoms of depression vary widely in severity, and depression produces some
or all of the following:
* Anxious, "empty" mood, or persistent sadness
Do We Really Need Vitamins?
So far, it has been determined that we need 13 vitamins and 10 minerals for our bodies to function properly. If you are eating the recommended number of servings from each of the five food groups on a daily basis, you will likely get all the required vitamins. However, most of us do not eat that well all the time. That is why many doctors recommend a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement to help make up for the nutrients you may be missing in your diet. There is also evidence to indicate that some of the vitamins and minerals may be beneficial in levels even higher than found in the multivitamin tablet.Antioxidants are a term that is widely used now days in magazines and health publications.
Antioxidants are chemicals found in the body that are believed to scavenge the body for free radicals. Free radicals are chemicals that we believe are responsible for cellular changes that lead to cancer, heart disease, cataracts, and other diseases. So antioxidants are chemicals we feel protect us from certain harmful diseases.
Vitamin E (recommended daily dosage 200-400 international units) - important in that it has been shown to boost the immune system and help prevent cataracts. It has also been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. It also acts as an anticoagulant blood thinner. So if you are planning elective surgery, please tell your surgeon you are taking vitamin E. He may want you to refrain from taking it for a week or so.
Vitamin C (250-500 mg) is needed to help with healing and it may prevent or delay cataracts. As with any vitamin supplement, too much is not a good thing. Long term use of high-dose chewable vitamin C can erode tooth enamel.
Vitamin A (5,OOOIU) is an antioxidant believed to protect us against cancer.
Folic acid (1000mcg) is necessary to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida
Vitamin B12 (1000 mcg)is a vitamin that can be hard to be absorbed from our diet after we reach age 50. It also helps keep us mentally sharp.
Vitamin B6 (3mg) helps to lower our risk of heart disease and heart attacks.
Calcium is needed to build strong bones, maintain strong teeth, and to reduce our risk of osteoporosis or brittle bones. Calcium requirements are now 1,000 mg for adults up to age 50, and then 1200 mg for ages 51 and older. Women, please understand, you must try to get as much calcium as possible in your bones at an early age, like teenagers' By the time women are 30, they are beginning to lose bone density. By menopause, your bones are rapidly losing their strength. Calcium does us no good unless we get an adequate supply of Vitamin D which enables your body to use calcium. You can get this by going outside 1O minutes daily and getting sunshine. If you can't do that, then drink milk fortified with vitamin D.
Magnesium is another mineral essential for bone and dental health. Men need 350 mg and women need 280 mg daily. This is found in whole grains, and dark leafy greens.
Take supplements with a full glass of water or with a meal. They are much more easily absorbed. Do store vitamins in a cool, dry place in their original bottle. Keep all vitamins away from children.
WALK IN THE WAY
Do you need a little extra motivation to get out there and walk or exercise, as you should? Your health ministry team would like to help you. We are organizing a walking program. You will set your own personal goal and keep track of the number of miles that you walk each month. Your personal goal will involve choosing to follow one of six biblical journeys from a list. At the end of each month, all participants' miles will be tallied on the group's journey as we follow Paul's first missionary journey. The goal is to see how long it takes us to make Paul's journey. If you are interested in joining us on our journey, please contact Ann, Linda, Dean, or Dale for more information.