Wellness Wednesday

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood, essential for building cells, hormones, and vitamins. There are two types of cholesterol.

The Risks of High Cholesterol

High LDL cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis, where plaques form in your arteries, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. According to the CDC, individuals with high cholesterol are twice as likely to develop heart disease.

Causes of High Cholesterol

Unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption, are

"But lurking behind every summer was a fall just waiting to happen.” -- Aaron Dries
 

How do you prepare to get back into the routine of the school year? These 6 tips can help you: How to Get Back Into The Working Mode. You can tweak these ideas to fit your job assignment.

Here's a little something comical to prepare you for The 5 Stages of End of Summer Break.

Since we remain busy with work and family for most of the year, everyone needs a vacation to relieve themselves from the daily stress of life. Adventure and travel encourage creativity, endurance, fun, and play. Travel is great for your mental health.

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca

1. A different environment may help you relax enough to be able to fall asleep, stay asleep and feel rested upon waking.
2. Travel reduces job burnout.
3. An escape from tedious or mundane routines allows you to see new sights, hear new sounds, experience the new to stimulate different parts of your brain and boost your mood.
4. Research supports the link between travel and happiness, by providing a mood lift.

Need some ideas for a close-to-home American Adventure?

1. Huron Clinton Metroparks
2. 103 State Parks in Michigan
3. Fairs & Festivals in August in Michigan
4. Publications such as Little Guide Detroit, Metro Parent, Detroit Metro Times, BLAC Detroit

“The opportunity to step away from everything and take a break is something that shouldn’t be squandered.” – Harper Reed

A major upside of teaching is the summer break - and we can utilize that time to reduce stress, increase our health and change some unhealthy habits we might have gained all while having some fun. This will first mean de-stressing yourself and here are some tips:

1. Wake up and take a walk first thing in the morning. Studies show that getting some sunlight first thing in the morning helps us maintain a good circadian rhythm and will increase sleep habits and reduce stress.

2. Read a book that has nothing to do with your teaching subject. Fiction can be great for this, and will help tap back into your creative side and get your mind going first thing in the morning.

3. Give gratitude every day. Recall our Wellness Wednesday about keeping a gratitude journal (https://dft231.mi.aft.org/resources/gratitude-journal-wellness-wednesday-november-8-2023)

4. Meditate, watch this one minute video that lists the benefits of doing this simple activity: 5 Amazing Benefits of Meditation

Chronic Disease Day spreads awareness to educate and advocate for people who live with a chronic health conditions. Many, but not all, chronic diseases can be prevented simply by practicing self-care. Improving and practicing a healthy lifestyle can likely reduce getting a chronic disease.

A chronic disease is a condition that lasts longer than one year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Seven out of 10 people suffer from a form of chronic disease.

What can you do to prevent getting a chronic disease?

• Eat a healthy diet. Eating the proper amount of fruits, veggies, grains, dairy and protein plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy weight. Limiting sugar and starch intake prevents obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
• Exercise. Increasing physical activity not only promotes physical health, it also helps balance mental health.
• Routine medical check-ups. Visiting your doctor regularly is important so there's early detection to address medical problems and finding a plan of action.
• Know your family medical history. Having a complete medical history of your family will help your doctor determine possible health problems you may develop.
• Rest. Getting adequate rest is a factor in how your body reacts to "life." Stress, depression and anxiety cause serious health problems, too.

Economically, chronic diseases have a significant impact financially in the United States. Because people with chronic disease illnesses live long lives, the cost to treat these illnesses becomes extremely expensive over the years.

Why does chronic disease cost so much?

• Patients require long-term treatment plans.
• People who suffer from chronic disease wait until "it's too late" to seek proper care.
• Personal health insurance lack policy guidelines to cover some chronic disease.
• Lack of education to prevent chronic disease is available.
• Preventative measures are not addressed by health care providers, leading to patients unable to address pre-existing based on medical history.

Wellness Wednesdays is one of the ways we are promoting well-being, which is the ability of individuals to address normal stresses, work productively, and realize one’s highest potential. We have to be aware of our mental health.

Some facts you may not know about mental health:  

Resources are available. Phone Numbers are at the bottom of this document:  

Drinking water is essential to a healthy lifestyle. --Stephen Curry

Here is why water is a key factor in self-care: Drinking Water is Part of Good Mental Health Care.  To learn more about this initiative from the United Nations, scroll down on the page from Share My Lesson: World Water Day.

We are stronger together when we hydrate ourselves.

“Trauma may happen to you, but it can never define you.” ― Melinda Longtin

We would like to recognize that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Signs,Symptons, Risks of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness for Men

Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder are serious, life-threatening conditions that affect people and their families every day.

Did you know that in the United States, approximately 30 million Americans will suffer from some type of eating disorder in their lifetime, which has the highest death rate of any mental illness? Yet, only one-third of individuals suffering do so in silence and choose to never receive treatment. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be challenging to receive an accurate diagnosis of an eating disorder. This is because the symptoms that occur do not always present themselves the same. These deadly diseases don’t discriminate, and therefore, sufferers could be of any age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and have any body type.

For more in-depth information, please check out this PowerPoint which lists 9 truths about eating disorders, along with warning signs, symptoms, health consequences and resources.

Eating Disorders 101 PowerPoint

Click here:  American Lung Association Learn About COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. This chronic lung disease causes air flow limitation (less air in and out of the airways) and breathing-related symptoms. It’s most common in older adults, but you can take action to look after your lung health at any age. There is no cure, but there are ways to manage and treat COPD.

Today we are providing several links so it can help you in understanding COPD.

• Protect Your Lungs Fact Sheet
• Are You At Risk Fact Sheet?
• Living Better With COPD
• COPD and Vaccines, What You Should Know