I’m so happy I FINALLY remembered my username and password! I look forward to blogging about health and wellness again! I will be modifying the look of the blog, so content might be jumbled around while I’m working on this 🙂 Thank you for your patience.
As the audience, are you interested in any particular subjects?
Sunrise on the Isle of Palms, SC – Sep 2013
I recently completed a short continuing education course called “Happiness – The Evidence Behind the Emotion”. (The author is Cynthia Saver, RN, MS.) I LOVED the content, and everything she wrote about made complete sense! That’s always a good thing, right?! I chose this specific course because everyday I wake up, my goal for the day is to be happy!
She states that there are two dimensions of happiness – transitory happiness (present benefit) and enduring happiness (future benefit). For our day-to-day well-being, happiness plays a crucial role! (I couldn’t agree more!) You’re probably asking how you measure happiness? Well, it mostly involves questionnaires such as Authentic Happiness from The University of Pennsylvania, Flourishing Scale, Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, and The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire.
We could probably all agree that happiness produces physiological changes, but are we actually born happy? There is definitely some evidence of genetic influence. Believe it or not, there is a happiness formula and a sustainable happiness model – see below! All in all, the formula and model are trying to let us know that happiness is under our own control, for the most part. Obviously, there are some things you can’t control.
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HAPPINESS FORMULA
H = S + C + V
Source: Seligman and Happiness
SUSTAINABLE HAPPINESS MODEL
Source: Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change
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So, what exactly makes us happy? According to some researchers, some possible factors are age, religiousness and spirituality, money and marriage. As for behavioral strategies, researchers find that you can take charge of connecting socially, keeping a positive attitude, being grateful, tending to your body, leaving baggage behind, being kind to your mind, pursuing goals, and living a meaningful life for increased happiness.
I hope this article helped, and that YOU find your happy place 🙂
Certified Health Education Specialist – Practice questions/answers from November 8th
Please see the post from November 8th – Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) – Preparing for a CHES exam – Questions from a practice exam. The questions and answers are from: The Health Education Specialist: A Companion Guide for Professional Excellence 6th Edition purchased from National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC).
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Question 1:
The three key domains of evidence-based health policy include:
a. process, content, outcomes.
b. process, impact, outcome.
c. formative, summative, impact.
d. impact, surveillance, outputs.
Area of Responsibility VII. (Page 173) Competency 7.4.2. Communicate and advocate for health and health education/Engage in health education advocacy/Develop an advocacy plan in compliance with local, state, and/or federal policies and procedures.
Brownson, Chriqui and Stamatakis (2009) describe three areas of policy development:
Question 2:
Smoking bans are an example of which of the following strategies:
a. Health-related community service
b. Health-related educational
c. Health policy and reinforcement
d. Health communication
Area of Responsibility II. (Page 53) Competency 2.3.3 Plan Health Education/Select or design strategies and interventions/Select a variety of strategies and interventions to achieve stated objectives. Mandate actions through laws, regulations, policies, or rules. Such actions are justified on the basis of “the common good”; that is, they are actions implemented to protect the public’s health (McKenzie et al., 2009)
Question 3:
The highest level of classification in Bloom’s taxonomy is:
a. Analysis
b. Synthesis
c. Application
d. Evaluation
Area of Responsibility VI. (Page 147). Competency 6.2.6 Serve as a Health Education Resource Person/Provide training/Use learning theory to develop or adapt training programs. Table 6.4 – Taxonomy and Skills Demonstrated. Lowest to Highest – Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation.
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Hope you did well! 🙂
November is National Diabetes Month
Source: Support Diabetes Awareness
Dr. Mario Trucillo, Managing Editor of The American Recall Center, kindly asked me if I would help raise awareness and write a blog in regards to an increasing illness in our society…DIABETES. (The American Recall Center – Life with Diabetes: What to Know From Diabetic Bloggers.) I am always honored to promote health information on my blog 🙂
There are a few types of Diabetes – Type I, Type II, and Gestational. All of them are very important to discuss, but I would like to focus on Type II because it is preventable.
You might ask, “What exactly is Diabetes?”. Basically you have too much glucose (blood sugar) in your blood. Glucose is an important source of energy for your muscle and tissue cells. It is also your brain’s main source of fuel, as well. Diabetes can lead to serious health problems. It can affect your eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves…most of all, your quality of life. If you experience symptoms like frequent urination; thirst; hunger even though you’ve eaten; extreme fatigue; blurry vision; weight loss; cuts/bruises that health slowly; tingling, pain, or a numb feeling in your hand(s) and/or feet, you should contact your doctor.
By taking simple, positive steps – change your diet, increase your physical activity – you can prevent this disease. Educate yourself and your family. There is a lot of information on this disease – on the Internet, magazines, informational pamphlets in stores, etc… For some quick references, I linked some sites and recent articles below. Below, I also included an infographic, which is a quick and clear graphic visual of Diabetes information.
If you need more information, PLEASE contact your doctor.
Quick links:
National Diabetes Education Program
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Article from November 13, 2013
Prevention magazine – Diabetes
For those that are preparing for the next CHES exam, here are a few questions from a practice exam. (From: The Health Education Specialist: A Companion Guide for Professional Excellence – 6th edition) Try to answer the questions without looking at notes, study guides, etc… I will post the answers within the next week. If I get positive feedback from posting questions, I’ll post some more within the next month. So, let me know if this helps! Good luck, prospective exam takers!
Question 1:
The three key domains of evidence-based health policy include:
a. process, content, outcomes.
b. process, impact, outcome.
c. formative, summative, impact.
d. impact, surveillance, outputs.
Question 2:
Smoking bans are an example of which of the following strategies:
a. Health-related community service
b. Health-related educational
c. Health policy and reinforcement
d. Health communication
Question 3:
The highest level of classification in Bloom’s taxonomy is:
a. Analysis
b. Synthesis
c. Application
d. Evaluation
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrzugz_zumba-fitness-live-workout_music
Do you like to dance? Do like to dance to funky, diverse music? Zumba is the answer!
I first discovered Zumba at a women’s health expo in Tacoma, WA in January 2009, and loved the energy! Eventually I tried it at the local YMCA, and was hooked! The classes last about an hour, and the music consists of Latin and International flair. I NEVER dread going because I LOVE to dance and LOVE music! AND…you burn calories! 🙂
What are you waiting for? It’s simple…join the party!
To find a Zumba class near you – http://www.zumba.com/en-US
Book: Spontaneous Happiness – Andrew Weil, MD
I love to peruse the clearance section at bookstores! I came upon this book, flipped through it, and immediately felt it should belong to me. (Plus…$5! Couldn’t pass it up!) The first paragraph of the inside cover said – “Everyone wants to be happy. But what does that really mean? Increasingly, scientific evidence shows us that true satisfaction and well-being come only from within.” Y-E-S! This is exactly what I needed to read!
There are so many meaningful points throughout this book! It’s broken up into three sections – Theory, Practice, and Putting It All Together. In the latter section, it gives you an opportunity to test your knowledge. Dr. Weil has designed an eight-week program where you can assess your well-being, lifestyle, and set attainable goals. Personally, I haven’t done the program…yet!
EVERYONE should read this book! It just makes sense!
For more information, please visit the following sites: www.drweil.com and Spontaneous Happiness
As you can see, I’ve been completely slack about blogging! I’m not sure why?! But…all I can say is…I’m B-A-C-K! Thank you to my sweet cousin for giving me that little extra push 🙂
I’m SO excited to introduce you to my first guest blog! Jillian McKee contacted me a couple of weeks ago after she stumbled upon my blog, and asked if I would post a health blog. I did NOT hesitate…YES, YES, YES! I’m so honored, Jillian! Please read her blog on proper nutrition for cancer patients…
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The Right Diet for Cancer Patients
Healthy eating is so important when it comes to the health and vitality of a person’s body. As a cancer patient, your immune system is compromised and does not protect you from illness like it once did. Because of this, healthy eating is so important and can really help to improve the overall quality of life on a daily basis. To begin, it is important that you understand what a healthy diet can do for you and what to ask your doctor the next time you go for a visit. Proper nutrition can make a huge difference to you and your health.
The very first benefit of proper nutrition and a healthy diet is that it can greatly improve your level of energy throughout the day. Healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, contain a myriad of vitamins and minerals that can do amazing things for the body. After traditional cancer therapy, you are probably left exhausted and in pain. Healthy foods and the proper diet will help to ease you back into your normal daily routine so that you do not have to feel tired simply because of the type of treatment you are going for.
Healthy eating is also great because it helps in the healing process of the body. The same vitamins and nutrients that give you energy are also working to improve wellbeing and the body’s ability to heal itself. While nutrition is not a cure for cancer, it can definitely aid in the healing that traditional therapy provides. Healthy eating will help you to feel more energetic and vibrant throughout the day so that you are not so tired all the time.
If you would like to begin incorporating healthy eating into your life, it is first essential that you speak with your doctor. Only your doctor knows what is best for you depending on your current state of health and your past. Discuss with your healthcare provider how you would like to start eating more healthily and if they can help you to devise a meal plan according to your recommended daily calorie intake. Your doctor will more than likely be happy to work with you to better your health and complement your traditional treatment using a healthy and nutritious diet.
After you begin to incorporate the right foods into your diet, you will find that you have an increase of energy and feel more vibrant each day. Whether you have mesothelioma or are in remission for another type of cancer, it is important to see the benefits that the proper nutrition can do for you. As with anything that is relating to your health, you will want to speak with your doctor to ensure that a healthy diet is right for you.
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For more information on Jillian McKee and her posts, please visit:
The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance’s Google + page.
Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog at http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog
Most Americans don’t incorporate enough fruits and vegetables into their diet…including ME! Yup! So, a couple of months ago, I purchased an OSTER MYBLEND. I LOVE it! It is VERY easy to use, which is a huge plus for me! Basically, I purchased a few bags of unsweetened fruit and/or fresh fruit and threw it in the freezer. I try to have a supply of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries. I usually make my smoothies with orange juice, but you can choose whatever you’d like. So far, my favorite mix is orange juice, blueberries, and strawberries. Sometimes I’ll throw a banana in. Basically, the sky is the limit with what you can make! (Recipes from Oster.) Definitely worth it…highly recommend!
Please note: I was not paid to review this product. This is my personal opinion.
Here is USDA’s MyPlate daily fruit recommendations – click on this link.
*Whole Health ~ The Simple Way* 