Wellness & Self-Management
Wellness & Self-ManagementWhat are the top five things you can do to stay healthy? Eat healthy , get active , get screened , quit smoking and watch your weight .
These health behaviors, like the ones you learned in your sixth grade health class, are the kinds of things that prevent a lot of chronic conditions from occurring. And when they do occur, it's these same health behaviors that can help minimize the level of severity and allow you to be as healthy as possible living with that chronic condition.
The good news is when it comes to wellness and prevention; we have a lot of control! The bad news is unhealthy behaviors become habits; and changing those habits can be hard.
For some people the concept of wellness is the total absence of disease and that you don't have to take medications. But one of the ways that one might think about wellness is that you are the healthiest that you can be given the health conditions that you're living with. Often the words “health” and “medicine” are used interchangeably. But the distinction is important. “Health” is the state of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing while “medicine” is the process that can help take us from being sick to being well.
You have an important role to play when it comes to both health and medicine. Your daily choices and behaviors allow you to maintain your health. But when you do get sick, it's your partnership with your doctor and your healthcare team that helps ensure your medical care is successful.
Quality health care happens when people take an active role in their own care, becoming partners with their doctor to create a more effective, trusting relationship that helps them stay healthy or determine the right care when they need it.
Regardless of what type of relationship you have with your doctor, there is a lot you can do on your own to manage your health like watching what you eat, getting exercise and limiting stress.
Learn more in the Quick Guide to Healthy Living from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. |
Tools:
My Health Counts! Daily Food Diary
My Health Counts! Exercise Log
is an online dietary and physical activity assessment tool
(from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health)
for adults from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health
(from the Centers or Disease control & Prevention) Calculate Your Body Mass Index (from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also available in Spanish (from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Calculate Your Body Mass Index (from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also available in Spanish Face the Fat--AHA Fat Calculator This tool helps take the guesswork out of eating fat and encourages smarter fat choices. (from the American Heart Association's (AHA) (from the Siteman Cancer Center ) Adult Preventive Care Timeline (from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Mental Health Screening Center (from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance ) |
More on wellness and self-management on the web: |
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Health topics from Medline Plus.
(From the National Institutes of Health)
(From the Centers for Disease and Prevention)
View and hear multimedia lessons on common health and wellness topics. (from healthfinder.gov)
Free interactive tools to check your health, get personalized advice, and keep track of your progress. (from healthfinder.gov)
Healthfinder.gov en español le ofrece la información más actualizada para que usted y sus seres queridos se mantengan saludables.
Manage Your Conditions and Make Changes in Your Life (From New Health Partnerships)
What you can do to maintain your health , Preventive Services for Healthy Living and Healthy Living: How Common Behaviors Affect Your Health (From familydoctor.org)
Develop a Physical Activity Plan for You (From the American Heart Association)
Food and Nutrition Information Center Interactive tools from the USDA. These Web sites help consumers and professionals with an array of interactive tools for dietary assessment and planning, checking personal health risks, testing knowledge, and evaluating needs.
Links to healthy recipes with calorie counts and nutritional information. (from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Heart Healthy Recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Healthy Weight, It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle! (From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
This booklet published by National Heart, Lung and Blood institute, contains practical, easy-to-use information for losing and maintaining weight - including tips on healthy eating and physical activity, other options such as weight loss medications and weight loss surgery, setting weight loss goals, and rewarding success.
Weight-loss success stories, Small Step tips, and other resources for maintaining and losing weight. (from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Games and activities to help kids take small, healthy steps. (from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Healthy Lifestyle! Designed for parents and caregivers to provide information to help you eat better, be more physically active and be a role model for your kids. (from The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service)
(From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
(From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) |
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