By
Cynthia K. Klinowski, RN, MSN
The old adage that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is sage
advice. There is no doubt that to stay
healthy is the ideal. However, as human
beings we are all unique, and many of us may fall short of doing all that we
can to practice good prevention—especially disease prevention. Regulatory bodies encourage us to practice
preventive health care by supporting programs for immunizations, screenings and
the reporting of communicable diseases.
But in the long run we are personally responsible for our own bodily
health and well-being.
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| Health (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013) |
Your good health is more than a matter of proper
diet and exercise. Genetic or
environmental factors may predispose you to certain diseases or chronic
conditions. Behavior and habits in the
face of such factors can directly contribute to managing such undesirable
conditions. Regardless of what you may
think, you have a great deal of power
over many aspects of your health.
Remarkable improvements to your physical and mental well-being can occur
when you take control. You can take action. You can
change behavior. There is much you can
accomplish by simply doing a little bit.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that
health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
The inclusion of well-being
seems to
expand the idea of health to include a sense of appreciation for
life. The concept of well-being,
however, is being addressed by many persons and health care professionals
around the country as inseparable and therefore essential to health and
wellness
.
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| United Nations World Health Organisation logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Wellness is considered an enhancement of health and
well-being. It has been defined as a
process of living healthier and growing in appreciation of yourself, others,
and your environment. Wellness is taking
care of oneself, or self-care. Mothers
have been talking about it for centuries.
The prevention of sickness with “spring tonics” and the use of folk
medicine and home remedies are part of all families and cultures.
Taking care of yourself includes taking measures to
increase community and environmental health.
In today’s complex society, many new scientific findings concerning
treatments, nutritional needs, risk factors, and disease prevention are
announced of a routine basis. Sometimes
these announcements are “cure-alls” and do not accurately represent the facts.
Taking care of yourself today requires knowledge and
commitment. It is more than remembering
Mother’s admonition to “Put on that sweater or you’ll catch pneumonia.” Wellness is an active approach to health
which is based on physical, mental and social principles. This includes such activities as eating
healthful foods, exercising, reducing bodily and environmental risk factors for
chronic disease, and taking care of one’s financial resources. Wellness can also be thought of as the ability to maximize one’s state of
being, whatever that state may be. Remember that wellness is an individual
commitment it is never too late to make that commitment to feel better and
increase your enjoyment of life.
If you find you need an Assisted Living Facility,
Nursing Home or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will
consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts and
ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping
people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about.
We look forward to reading yours.
Cynthia K. Klinowski, RN, MSN, is a co-owner and
senior medical officer of several Assisted Living Facilities in Florida and a guest blogger for
SeniorFacilityFinder.com.
Bob Gregory is an advocate for
Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated
to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide
their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or
other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com
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