Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Blog 1: Health Concern of Interest to Me
The health concern that is of personal interest to me at this point in my life – midlife - is to “age gracefully”. I come from a healthy set of genes so I have not experienced many health issues to date - so I’m more focused on primary prevention methods to aid in my future health. What does that mean to me? It means that I wish to stay active and practice sound nutrition to maintain good health in order to perform the activities that I love – such as snorkeling, hiking or gardening. It means that I wish to continue to challenge my intellect by continuing formal and non-formal education in all areas of interest to me. It means that I wish to grow old with my partner and know the joy of my grand kids. Health and wellness to me translates to overall health – mental, physical, intellectual, and spiritual.
For generational viewpoints, I presented the question of health concern to my mother who is turning 70 this year and to my sister who is a year older than I. I also asked my daughter who is nearly 19 years of age. My sister responded with nutrition and weight control as well as diabetes and breast cancer. Good nutrition is a primary prevention method to controlling her other 3 concerns. My mother practices secondary prevention methods by adhering to medical advice and uses daily medication to keep her cholesterol at a manageable level. She also exercises 3 times a week at her local Curves facility to maintain flexibility. Finally, my daughter who is in young adulthood practices primary prevention by eating a balanced diet (mostly vegetarian), dancing flamenco and salsa for physical and spiritual well-being and practicing safe sex. Strangely, our lives and health viewpoints align with textbook definitions of health at each stage.
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sherra,
ReplyDeleteI am envious of your good health! I congratulate you because although genetic factors play a great role in this, lifestyle choices are also very important in this accomplishment. I think that it is extremely important to maintain good balance in your life in order to be healthy. I think that knowing that you have predisposition to a certain disease sometimes creates a sense of priority in this aspect, and sometimes you as well as your healthcare providers begin putting emphasis on this forgetting to evaluate the overall well being. Good for you for considering all aspects of your health.
Ana
You are very lucky to come from good genes and not have too many health concerns, but you are also lucky to be surrounded by people that also care about their health and are doing whatever they can to prevent illnesses. I think it is great the you are concerned with every aspect of health. Many people do not think of emotional and spiritual health as being a part of their health.
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