6 Tips for a Healthier Life

April 12, 2021

Did you know that April 5th – April 11th is National Public Health Week, or NPHW for short. April 7th is also World Health Day. If we have learned anything from the last year, it’s that public health affects everyone, not just our own health. Over the course of the week, we have shared a tip every day to help you make better choices to be healthy not only for yourself, but for yotur family and your community. In case you missed any of the tips, we’ve put them all into 1 easy spot. To join the conversation, check out our Facebook page and tell us your thoughts on each tip!

 

Tip #1- Juice for Kids

Dr. Jody Navitsky from our Pediatric Department gives us the first healthy tip about juice. Many families are used to giving juice to their children and feel that all natural juices are healthy for their kids. In reality, juice is a larger sugar load that isn’t accompanied by fiber to help digest sugar and causes blood sugar spikes. When you eat the whole fruit, such as apples and oranges, your body sugar rises slower which can help towards preventing diabetes. 

 

Tip #2- Mental Health

We asked Janet Peterson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in our Behavioral Health Department to share a few tips for maintaining good mental health. 

There are several things we can do to maintain good mental health. Those things include watching our diets, getting enough exercise, and getting enough light/sunshine for Vitamin D, and staying up to date with doctor’s appointments. Other helpful ways to help boost your mood are staying connected with others, asking for help when you might be having a rough day, getting enough sleep, and laughing. They do say that laughter is the best medicine! To learn a few tips about grounding and calming down when you are feeling anxious or stressed, check out the “5 Simple & Neat Grounding Techniques” blog article!

 

Tip #3- Exercise

The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity throughout the week. Some activities include; brisk walking, bike riding, dancing, tennis, hiking, and other similar activities. Vigorous activities include swimming laps, heavy yardwork, jumping rope, and running. Being active can help to reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions that might impact your health negatively. 

 

Tip #4-Toothbrush

Toothbrushes are something we use every day, have you ever thought about how often you should replace them, especially for children? The answer is every 3 months or when the bristles start to fray, whichever comes first. Toothbrushes can have a big impact on how effective tooth brushing it. So go check those brushes and start replacing them for better oral health! You can find more helpful tips here!

 

Tip #5 – Breastfeeding

Susan Alward, our Certified Nurse Midwife in the Women’s Health Department here at StayWell gave us a few reasons why breastfeeding is beneficial for both baby and mother. 

The importance of breastfeeding ensures that your baby has a good head start to a healthy life. Babies benefit from breastfeeding with stronger immune systems and a lower risk of illnesses while moms benefit with a lower risk for certain cancers and some find it easier to lose weight after birth. You can check out this Healthline Parenthood article to learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding. 

 

Tip #6-Wash your hands

The last tip we have is something StayWell and the world have talked about a lot in the last year since Covid-19 made it’s entrance, but it’s just as important today as it was a year ago. Wash your hands and help to stop the spread of germs and viruses!

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds, and if you touch public spaces you should wash your hands more frequently. If you can’t wash your hands with soap and water, use a travel sized hand sanitizer to disinfect! For a full list of how germs spread and the best times to wash your hands, check out the CDC website. 

 

The StayWell Health Center Team