Patient Education
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MY
WHOLE PERSON LIFESTYLE: A Checklist Use this checklist to
evaluate your involvement in order to achieve the objectives stated. THE “FIVE FINGERS” SHAPING
WELLNESS: Body. Mind. Spirit. Social. Nature. Name: Date: Please rate your
involvement: Not
done Little Moderate Great WEIGHT AND FITNESS
MANAGEMENT (Body Care) S3A5F2E S3 Sugar - avoided except in natural food........................................... £........ £........... £............. £ Salt
- avoided except in natural food.............................................. £........ £........... £............. £ Seasoning
- herbal seasoning, e.g. ginger, garlic............................. £........ £........... £............. £ onions, thyme, capsicum, pimento
(for taste & medicine)................. £........ £........... £............. £ A5 All
Vegetables* - for Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants............ £........ £........... £............. £ All
Fruits - for Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants....................... £........ £........... £............. £ All
Legumes & whole grain - for Total Protein**........................ £........ £........... £............. £ All
Vitamin & Mineral supplements (multi + c&e + ca/mg***) £........ £........... £............. £ All 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.................................................. £........ £........... £............. £ F2 Fats - avoided except for “good fats” e.g. olive,
canola & fish oils... £........ £........... £............. £ Fibres
- Yes - Fruits............................................................. £........ £........... £............. £ - Vegetables..................................................... £........ £........... £............. £ - Whole grains & Legumes................................ £........ £........... £............. £ - Ground Provisions........................................... £........ £........... £............. £ E Exercise (e.g. walking or
aerobics over ½ hour and 3 days..weekly) £....... £........... £............. £ TEMPERANCE AND
SAFETY MANAGEMENT (Body) S3A2D Do these or be: S3 Sexuality - confine to stable
spiritually-based monogamous relationships.................................................................................. £........ £........... £........ £ Smoking
- avoid.......................................................................... £........ £........... £........ £ Seat
belts - regularly worn........................................................... £........ £........... £........ £ A2 Alcohol - infrequent mild social drinking or avoid............................ £........ £........... £........ £ Annual
or more regular medical checks on:- eyes teeth....................................................... ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ breasts cervix..................................................... ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ prostate blood pressure......................................... ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ cholesterol........................................................................ £........ £........... £........ £ D Non-prescription Drugs -
avoid..................................................... £........ £........... £........ £ Not done Little Moderate Great STRESS MANAGEMENT
(Mind, Social, Nature, Spirit) R4E2S2TE2D R4 Relaxation
exercises (deep breathing and muscle relaxation).......... £........ £........... £............. £ Recreation
and entertainment...................................................... £........ £........... £............. £ Romance
alive in marriage (e.g. affection, dating).......................... £........ £........... £............. £ Relief
through humour.................................................................. £........ £........... £............. £ E2 Engagement (creative hobbies)................................................. £........ £........... £............. £ (intellectual
development: e.g. reading).................. £........ £........... £............. £ Exercise..................................................................................... £........ £........... £............. £ S2 Social
Support: Friends........................................................... £........ £........... £............. £ Extended
Family............................................. £........ £........... £............. £ Groups
in Community or Church, etc................ £........ £........... £............. £ Social
altruism (helping others).................................................... £........ £........... £............. £ T Think ahead - Planning for: Goals Family............................................................... ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ Growth Marriage........................................................... ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ Time Work................................................................ ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ E2 Environment
(nature, enjoyment, love and care)........................... £........ £........... £........ £ D Devotional discipline (e.g. scripture, prayer, listening)................. £........ £........... £........ £ (praise
and worship).................................. £........ £........... £........ £ CONTEMPLATIVE
SPIRITUALITY (Spirit) Leaving Behind Self and Loving - LBSL L Loving God (loving, adoring, praise,
worship)................................. £........ £........... £........ £ B Believing in His Power............................................................ £........ £........... £........ £ Grace............................................................. £........ £........... £........ £ Love.............................................................. £........ £........... £........ £ S Surrendering Letting go............................................................. £........ £........... £........ £ Letting God.......................................................... £........ £........... £........ £ Forgiving.............................................................. £........ £........... £........ £ L Listening Bible Journals.............................................................. ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ Prayer Retreats:............................................................. ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ Silence - Self.................................................................. ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ Fasting - Group............................................................... ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ Prayer partner Spiritual Director................................................. ££..... ££........ ££..... ££ * 5 portions of fruit or vegetale daily.
1 portion of vegetable = 1/2 cup (cooked). 1 portion of fruit = 1 orange or
apple ** Soy products (e.g tofu) and combinations of
legumes and grain (e.g. brown rice & peas, peas & corn) are substitutes
for meat. *** 1 glass skim milk or low fat soy milk daily
to aid calcium intake Copyright © Dr. E. Anthony Allen EASY TO LEARN RELAXATION METHODS Progressive Relaxation Techniques - This has to do with both the psychological and somatic component of anxiety. Muscle tension is also related to psychosomatic disorders. Here the rationales for relaxation training are:- a) An inner peacefulness. b) Symptoms related to muscle tension will lessen or disappear. c) When the body is relaxed, it is impossible for the mind to be anxious. One can use relaxation techniques in a casual manner, with strong uses of suggestions to one’s self. STAGE I - Breathing Exercise (1) Close your eyes. Pause for a few seconds. Breathe in deeply through your nostrils to the count of four until your lungs are filled with revitalising oxygen. Hold to the count of five. (2) Breathe out Carbon Dioxide and tension through your mouth to the count of seven. (3) Repeat four times. STAGE II - Muscle Relaxation (4) Recognise that you have control over your own muscles by doing exercises such as clenching and relaxing your fist. Assess the difference in sensations and the relationship of these sensations to your actions. (5) Realise that this conscious relaxing is possible for all muscles in the body. (6) Understand that you can put your mind in touch with all muscles by doing exercises like tensing and releasing the forearm. (7) Become aware of background sensation, for example feeling of one’s shoes, or the pressure of the seat against your buttocks. Focus on these sensations, and you will be able to realise all that you were not consciously aware of before. Use this awareness with all muscles as you relax them. (8) Attempt to relax yourself as much as possible in your own way. After a period of time, ask yourself if you are relaxed. This demonstrates again that you ultimately have control over your muscles. (An alternative method of progressive relaxation is to tense and relax each muscle group in turn, a number of times, until a fair degree of relaxation is achieved.) (9) Establish the degree of flaccidity (or looseness) in your right forearm as a means of establishing your degree of relaxation. For example, raise your arm and see how loosely it falls. Use this technique to do further self relaxation to further establish how easy muscle control can be. (10) Move to the next step, even if relaxation is only partial. The reason for this is that if you have been chronically tense, you will not usually achieve full relaxation on the first few trials. (11) Come to as complete relaxation as possible by relieving the tension in each muscle group, moving from lower limbs, upper limbs to head, neck then torso. Any convenient sequence can be used. (12) After you have relaxed each part of your body as best you can, count to 10 or 100 while relaxing your whole body further with each count. Think of your body feeling heavier and heavier and more relaxed. (13) Use a guided fantasy, like relaxing in a chair in the sun by the beach, to help yourself prolong the relaxation. Use whatever fantasy is more relaxing to you. (14) During the exercise, tell yourself that you are feeling warm and pleasant, calm and at peace with yourself and the world while going deeper into relaxation. (15) After an interval of five or more minutes - as long as you choose - count to three and open your eyes after telling yourself that on opening your eyes you will feel relaxed and contented. (16) Verify your own state of relaxation and mood. Repeat the whole progressive relaxation exercise if necessary, and as time allows. You can take five or more minutes - as long as you choose - for the whole exercise. As a follow-up, you can use this breathing and muscle relaxation exercise three times daily and at nights for optimal results. It can also be done at additional times if you feel tense. You can also do the breathing alone at any time. E. Continuing Monitoring Techniques for Relaxation (1) Realise that the sensation of muscle tension (exhibited in cramping, crawling, etc.) is a part of a feedback mechanism telling you that your mind is anxious and your body is tense. (2) From time to time, attend to different muscle groups in your body, including the scalp, to check if you are relaxed. (3) If the sensations of tension are felt, consciously relax as many muscles as your current activity will allow. You can do this monitoring of relaxation while walking, driving, sitting or doing any other form of activity. In some situations you can focus on the muscles of the face, head and shoulders - this will lead to an automatic relaxation of the rest of the body. (4) After a while, you will become more relaxed without much conscious effort. MAKING AND USING YOUR PERSONAL JOURNAL FOR HEALTHY LIVING Every animate or inanimate object or activity in life comes into being through a design. This applies from the galaxies to the particles within the atom; and from the act of creation of the universe to the simplest human act. As one looks around, every thing manufactured that you see has had a written design, either in terms of its manufacture, or sale. “To fail to plan is to plan to fail.” One of the best things that each of us can do for ourselves is to seek as much as possible to plan various aspects of our lives. Long-term planning and creativity are two unique activities that separate humans from animals. The parts of the body that have the greatest relative representation in the brain are the mouth and the hands (especially the thumb and index fingers). The purpose of a journal is our own way of maintaining a daily dialogue with ourselves as a way of aiding our survival and growth. It is one of the best aids to creative thinking. HOW TO START All that a journal requires is a single book or loose-leaf binder with sections, or a number of smaller notebooks for the different aspects of your life and thoughts. One can use special “code” language for very personal issues that one may fear disclosing to others. The advantages of a journal far outweigh the consequences of it being discovered by anyone. Most problems that people have are likely to be experienced by others. At the same time, it makes sense to keep one’s journal in a safe place. Because the journal is for one’s own personal use, the quality of one’s penmanship does not matter, nor does the literary style in which one’s thoughts are expressed. DAILY USE Try as much as possible to make daily entries in the journal and also to review previous entries. Thus, this will require setting aside time for daily reflection where one reviews the last 24 hours and projects to the hours ahead. PURPOSES OF A JOURNAL A journal can be used for the following purposes:- 1. Recollection and reflection on the events of the day 2. Expressing our emotions and thoughts 3. Writing down our prayers and what we think God is saying to us through such mediums as His sacred writings, others, events, His Holy Spirit and your own dreams 4. Planning, problem-solving and evaluating 5. Noting insights gained and inspirations acquired, e.g. words of wisdom, new learnings, etc. 6. Documenting the little and big things (miracles) God does for us from day to day. This helps us to gain encouragement for ourselves and others. LIFE PLANNING Planning would have the following aspects:- Ø What events / circumstances / relationships are causing me pain and concern at this time? Ø What do I think are the underlying factors contributing to these? (the real reasons) Ø What goals do I wish to set in relation to the events / circumstances / relationships? Ø In what direction do I wish to steer my life in these areas? Ø What strategies can I develop to achieve these goals, e.g. who, when, where, how and with what? Ø What spiritual resources can I use to ensure that my directions are appropriate and to give me the inner strength and other resources needed to achieve my goals? PROBLEM-SOLVING Ø With regard to problem solving, what are the possible options that I could pursue in arriving at a solution (include even what appears far-fetched or not immediately attainable) Ø What would be the likely consequence(s) / outcome(s) of each option? Based on this, what would I choose to be the first option I would attempt, as well as back up options? EVALUATION Ø How well has my strategy been working? Ø Do I need to change my goals or to review my problem-solving options? In what way? Ø What am I learning from my experiences? What have I learnt from other sources – books, persons, media, etc. and God? AREAS OF LIFE FOR JOURNALLING One can either sectionalize one’s journal or keep separate journals for areas such as the following:- Ø Personal growth, including personality weaknesses and strengths, self-esteem, ways of relating to others Ø Whole person wellness Ø Spiritual growth Ø Family life Ø Work and career Ø Finances Ø Civic consciousness and community involvement MAKING YOUR JOURNAL INTERESTING One can make journalling more exciting by doing things such as art, poetry, song writing and making illustrations / diagrams. Be playful! Try even if you do nonsense. This uses the right section of your brain the creative part while writing words uses the logical, or left, side. Use your whole brain! CONCLUSION Love yourself, use the journal a little at a time and as you wish. These are just some suggestions. It is very interesting to periodically review the journal. One may be pleasantly surprised at things written years past. Hopefully you will be gratified with the growth achieved. Discover the strengths you never knew you had! BEING FRIENDLY TO THE ENVIRONMENT The promotion of a healthy environment is critical to the survival of individuals, families, organizations, communities and our nation. Indeed it is critical to the survival of our planet. At all these levels, from the individual to the nation as whole, we need to take responsibility for the well-being of ourselves and others. These are some practical steps that each individual, family, community and business public sector, or human service organization, can take to make for a friendlier environment and to avoid the danger of a damaged environment. Remember the “4 R’s”: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and REFUSE A. REDUCE : - purchase less things you don’t really need. Buy products that will last, to avoid over consumption and excessive waste. - use less food wrappings such as aluminium foil and plastic wrapping, which often produce toxins in their making. Wash foods wrapped in plastic before use. Change your kitchen habits – use glassware, or china food containers instead. - use less aluminium vessels in cooking. Pyrex, ceramic or iron vessels are good alternatives. - conserve water. Check hoses and faucets for leaks regularly… and fix them. Less water also means greater reserves and less fossil fuels required for use with water pumps. - conserve water also, when conducting daily practices - by using water saving showerheads and toilets and faucet aerators - when gardening, choose to grow plants that require minimal water. - lessen petroleum costs - car pool, walk, cycle, or use public transportation. - lower long-term transportation costs - consider fuel efficiency when buying a car. - lessen unnecessary transportation costs - service cars regularly and keep tyres properly inflated to control emissions and to maintain good mileage. - reduce bad disposal of waste - read and follow disposal suggestions for substances such as oil, anti-freeze, gas and harmful chemicals. - lessen indoor bacteria growth by checking and cleaning vents and air ducts regularly. - keep storage items in steel cabinets, rather than in the open, because of dust generation - archival material is best kept away from main working area - replace shag carpeting or rugs with short pile carpeting - reduce stagnant indoor air by installing air vents in all rooms. - lessen pollution intake by making sure that vents carrying air from the outside are above ground level, thereby preventing the entry of carbon monoxide fumes from vehicular traffic, among other things. - reduce the use of harmful chemicals (such as chlorine and corrosives) as much as possible. The less chemicals, the better! - use the following agents instead: ammonia (general household cleaner), baking soda (deodoriser for rugs, refrigerators and rooms), mineral oil, olive oil, beeswax, linseed oil, lemon oil or paste wax (furniture polishers), non-chlorine bleaches (general household cleaning and laundry use), club soda (stain remover), salt (cleansing exfoliant in the kitchen), mild soaps with no perfumes or artificial colourings, vinegar (general cleaner to remove mineral deposits, clean glass and remove mold). - take careful note of the suggestions for disposal of chemicals, which are frequently found on the container. - in cases where these instructions are not provided, dispose of chemicals using a sink/drain, rather than pouring directly into the ground, which could possibly affect underground water supplies, as well as nearby vegetation - contact the manufacturers of the chemicals to ask for disposal suggestions. - minimize electricity consumption. It is produced, most often, by the burning of fossil fuels. - watch the light, television, stereos, computers and other electronic equipment. - use fluorescent lightbulbs. - household equipment that generates heat (such as clothes dryers and water heaters) and cold (such as refrigerators and air conditioners) use the most electricity. Iron clothes in one sitting. Set the refrigerator as low as possible, and open only when necessary and briefly. Buy refrigerators with separate freezers, if possible. Avoid self-defrosting refrigerators. - keep rooms with air conditioning closed. - use renewable energy. It will pay back for itself and save future costs. - use a solar water heater - use a biogas generator. - use wind energy where this is possible. - avoid overexposure to radiation elements - avoid being too close to electrical appliances (such as those mentioned earlier). - avoid too long a sitting at the computer. - avoid too many unnecessary x-rays – radiation is involved. - if possible, avoid living or working too close to overhead power lines. - reduce domestic consumption costs by buying in bulk. This saves both money and packaging. - maximise the use of artificial lighting and cooling / heat. - lessen noise pollution by not being near or contributing to noisy environments (keep within noise pollution acts). - reduce water contaminants – ensure that water is as free as possible of micro-organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, lead and other chemicals – use a filter designed specially for this purpose. Do research on this. Drink bottled water where necessary. Don’t trust all public water supplies. Ensure that the bottled water is monitored according to safety standards and appropriately labelled. B. REUSE - buy and use reusable items, where necessary. - use plastic or other containers over and over again - as much as is possible. Take along your own plastic bags to the supermarket - donate, rather than throw away old articles. - use cloth napkins and dish towels instead of paper. Consider using cloth bags at the supermarket. Paper requires the use of many trees. - use washable mugs instead of disposable styrofoam, plastic or paper cups. - use cloth, instead of plastic diapers. The disposal of these vast amounts of used plastic diapers requires large spaces in landfills. The excretions from the diapers are therefore not properly treated and may cause related diseases. The use of 100% wool felt has been found to be effective diaper covers to hold in moisture - use instead of plastic. C. RECYCLE - practice composting – i.e. using natural organic material from trash to reduce evaporation and keep soil moist. - recycle newspapers, glass, aluminium and plastic (using bins) to limit solid waste. Recycling also limits the use of energy for manufacturing the materials you use, which in turn will reduce fossil fuel usage. - return glass, plastic and aluminium articles to manufacturers, or lobby for this to be done on a more nation-wide level. - use recycled paper, whether for stationery, computer or copy paper when possible. Millions of trees will be saved. - use rechargeable batteries, rather than using and discarding those others. D. REFUSE or AVOID - refuse products that are not proven to be friendly to the environment. Though they might be less expensive, the long-term benefits of eco-friendly products are immeasurable. These include unleaded gasoline and phosphate-free detergents. - stop junk mail – write to the senders asking them to desist. - avoid oil-based paint. It is toxic and produces environmentally unsound by-products in its making. Also, when cleaning up from painting, wash items in sink, rather than outdoors where it will be taken directly into the soil. - avoid pesticides and herbicides. - whenever possible, use predatory animals, such as cats, instead of pesticides to control insect or rodent problems - learn about and use “organic” means of pest control such as inter-cropping to build plant resistance - use the least toxic pesticides, if this method is absolutely necessary. - avoid CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons) products in aerosol sprays, your air conditioning. Have your refrigerator, car A/C, etc. serviced with an agent that recycles CFCs. - refuse food products, such as meat, fruits and vegetables that have been treated with hormones, antibiotics, ripening agents, irradiation, colourings or other additives. - use fresh, unprocessed foods as much as possible. - seek out organically-grown plant and animal food produced on special farms. - use fresh fruit juices and herbal teas rather than processed drinks. - minimize the use of non-biodegradable substances such as Styrofoam, plastic and rubber. These clog drains to cause flooding and also pollute the rivers and sea for centuries! Styrofoam and plastic, specifically, are made of substances that contribute to depletion of the ozone layer. - refuse to be ignorant. - inspect food labels for information on genetic enhancements. - lobby to force companies to provide such information. - share your concerns about the environment with friends, family, church members, schoolmates and work colleagues. - ask your union and employer for regular indoor air tests to be conducted. - report any physical maladies you may think to be attributed to the air, or other environmental elements, in your building. - collect information about indoor air from the respective authorities. - refuse to stand idle - plant trees and shrubbery to get ample shade to make your house energy-efficient. - wash fruit and vegetable thoroughly (though not excessively) to remove pesticides and herbicides. Peel fruit if you suspect it to be waxed. - support environment-conservation policies at both national and international levels. - turn your environment crusade into a community, church and political effort. Pressure governments, industries, institutions and communities to carry out and facilitate all the methods mentioned. - organise or support projects against ‘evils’ such as improperly disposed industrial waste, air pollution, nuclear waste, land mined, oil spills, ‘sick buildings’, improper solid waste management and destruction of marshes, mangroves, forests and wildlife. - invest your money in organisations that are friendly to life and nature. - “hunt the dump.” Attack litterbugs! Clean the beaches. Protest. - plant trees and encourage tree planting campaigns, they have the added benefit of providing shading in areas of increasing temperatures. - insist on open green spaces, botanical gardens and re-forestation in your cities. - lobby for parks and forest reserves. - ensure proper protection in the workplace and farms. - lobby for the use of renewable energy nationally and for tax and tariff` incentives for component importers, manufacturers, producers and users. Remember the 4 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse. Let us all: “Live simply, so that we may simply live.” Evaluate Yourself How about trying this? In pencil to the left of each item, put a ‘T’ or ‘F’ for ‘True’ or ‘False’. Calculate the percentages of ‘Trues’ of the total items. What resolutions can you make to improve the health of yourself and others through better environmental health practices? EXERCISE ENQUIRER Why § The main goal of exercise should be fitness! The other benefits of muscle tone, endurance and weight loss will automatically fall into place. § Exercise is the easiest way to get your ideal shape and weight. What § First, do what you enjoy § Determine what is your main motive for exercise at any given time: - Weight reduction or calorie-burning – use cardiovascular or aerobic exercise daily. - Toning muscles or building strength-weight training, calisthenics three times weekly. - Improving joint or muscular flexibility – stretching, yoga, tai chi. § For all types of exercise, the most effective way of gaining results is to do several sets of repetitions (reps), increasing the amount of reps as one gains endurance. How much § Don’t go beyond your comfort level of breathing, pulse rate and muscle soreness. § For persons who are sedentary, over 40 or recovering from illness and unsure what level to begin with, check your physician. § Gradually build up as endurance level rises. § When sore, do light exercises the following day and continue with routine the day after. § Gain complete rest between exercise sessions. When § Start a routine. Begin three days per week, then gradually move into daily, as your comfort level allows. § 40 minutes a day is good. How § Make a weekly schedule and stick to it! § Change routines so as not to get bored. For example between calisthenics, walking, swimming and tennis. § Incorporate music into your routine using appropriate tempos to suit your exercise pace. § Warm up and cool down, before and after for five minutes by going shower and stretching. § Ensure that you consume enough fluids. § Find a partner or small group with whom to work out. § Walking with one’s beau can build a marriage! § Make exercise as important a priority as anything else! It will help to give you more time in the long-run to do everything! Where § Try to sneak exercise into everyday routines, e.g. lift chairs when moving them, instead of sliding or pushing. § Park farther away from the office, or come off at an earlier bus stop, and then walk. |
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