Skyway Wellness

02/15/2024

Wednesday Wellness Tip #21 - Love your liver!

Everything you eat or drink, including medicine, passes through the liver.

Ray Chung, MD, medical director of the liver transplant program at Massachusetts General Hospital, says keeping your liver in good shape is all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Don't drink a lot of alcohol, which can damage the liver and lead to the swelling or scarring that becomes cirrhosis, which can be deadly.

Eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise. This helps keep your weight under control, which helps prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition that leads to cirrhosis.

Watch out for certain medicines. For example, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can hurt your liver if you take too much.

Learn how to prevent viral hepatitis. It's a serious disease that harms your liver.

Get tested for viral hepatitis. Because it often doesn't cause symptoms, you can have it for years and not know it.

Don't touch or breathe in toxins. Some cleaning products, aerosol products, and insecticides have chemicals that can damage your liver.

Be careful with herbs and dietary supplements. Some can harm your liver.

Drink coffee. Research shows that it can lower your risk of getting liver disease.

A healthy liver should only have a small amount of fat. Too much fat in your liver may harm your liver and is associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and shortened life span.

Show yourself, and your liver, some love!

Check the link below for additional information.

https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/ss/slideshow-keep-liver-healthy

02/07/2024

Wednesday Wellness Tip #20: Next week, try going Meatless on Monday.

Reducing your consumption of meats, especially red meat, can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. You don't have to quit eating meat entirely but going without meat 1 or 2 days a week can have a noticeable benefit on your overall health. Not only can going meatless at least once a week have a positive effect on your health, it can also save you money with the rising price of groceries, especially meat products. To ensure you get adequate protein you can instead eat beans or legumes.

Fun Fact: Meatless Monday is not a new idea! These days it is mostly used as a way to improve health, but Meatless Monday has been around since WWI, when citizens were asked to forgo eating meat at least once per week in order to save much needed resources throughout our country.

For more information on how you can make Meatless Monday a part of your routine, and read more about the health benefits, visit the following link.

Meatless meals are an easy way to eat healthfully and save money.

01/31/2024

Wednesday Wellness Tip #19: Start your day with positive affirmations!

Saying positive self-affirmations can be a great way to start your day. Positive affirmations can reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. They can be used at any time of day, such as morning, night, or in times of stress.

Some affirmations to try:
I love myself.
My possibilities are endless.
I can make a difference.

What are some other affirmations you could use? Drop a suggestion in the comments.

For more information about positive affirmations and how they can effect your wellbeing, visit the linked article.

What are the benefits of practicing positive affirmations? There are many benefits, including a stronger sense of self and overcoming fear and self-doubt.

01/24/2024

Wednesday Wellness Tip #18: Give someone a compliment!
Today, Wednesday January 24th is National Compliment Day
There are many mental and physical health benefits to giving someone a compliment!

1. Giving compliments increases your happiness.
2. Giving compliments makes you grateful.
3. Giving compliments strengthens your interpersonal relationships.
4. Giving compliments increases your stress resilience and physical health.
5. Giving compliments creates a ripple of positivity.

For more information, read the full article on Case Western Reserve University's website.

Chances are, you’ve had days where things don’t seem to be going your way—but then you receive a compliment from someone that turns your day around. While compliments may seem simple, they can have a large impact on you and the people around you, creating a ripple of positivity.  But why is t...

01/18/2024

Wednesday Wellness tip #17 Feeling stressed? Try 4-7-8 Breathing. Deep slow breathing can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep by triggering your body' s relaxation response. Visit the following link for for information.

Find out what you need to know about 4-7-8 breathing, and discover the pros, cons, risks, and benefits, and how it may affect health.

01/11/2024

Wednesday Wellness Tip #16: Take a break from sitting!

Many of us work at a desk or spend a lot of our time on the couch watching TV or looking through Facebook. Sitting for extended periods of time increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is recommended that you take a break from sitting about every 30 minutes.

If you work at a desk, try a standing desk.
Stand while you talk on the phone or watch TV.

For more information, read the following article from the Mayo Clinic.

Sitting for long periods — such as in front of the TV or at a desk — appears to increase risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

01/04/2024

Wednesday Wellness Tip #15: Get to know your food and drink nutrition labels.

Reading the "Nutrition Facts" on food and drink labels helps you make healthy choices for a balanced diet.

These labels break down the amount of calories, carbs, fat, fiber, protein, and vitamins per serving of the food. Pay attention to the serving size listed on the label, it may be for the entire package or just a portion of the package of food or drink.

For more information visit this article from the CDC on how to read a Nutrition Facts label.

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well/food-labels.html

12/28/2023

Wellness Tip #14 - Set a SMART goal!

As the year comes to a close, many are setting New Year’s Resolutions or goals. To succeed, set a SMART goal!

SMART is an acronym for:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Realistic
T - Time-bound

For example, if you want to increase your physical activity, a goal might be to walk for 15 minutes three days each week in your neighborhood. This goal states specifically what you will do - walk for 15 minutes three days per week. It is measurable - the minutes you will walk and the number of days. It is attainable (for others, starting with five minutes may be more attainable). If you aren’t currently walking or moving in other ways, this can be a realistic start, for others, starting with five minutes may be more realistic. The goal has a time element. Your goal should clearly answer what, where, when and how. Compare this to someone saying, “I’m going to start exercising.” Check out this article from BetterUp on goal-setting. Here’s to your health!

https://www.betterup.com/blog/smart-goals-examples

12/21/2023

Wednesday Wellness Tip #13: Brush your teeth twice daily and floss at least once a day!

Your overall health is impacted by your oral health. Poor oral hygiene may contribute to certain diseases and health conditions such as endocarditis, cardiovascular disease and may lead to pregnancy and birth complications.

Brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing at least once per day and using mouthwash after brushing can lead to good oral health. For more information on how your oral hygiene can effect your overall health, visit the following article by the Mayo Clinic.

Find out about the connection between your oral health and overall health.

12/13/2023

Wednesday Wellness Tip #12: Every BODY needs water

An average daily water intake for most adults to maintain a healthy body is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day for women. This is a guideline and your individual needs may differ based on your activity level, health concerns and even the weather!

Suggestions to meet your daily water intake needs:
Drink a glass when you wake up
Carry a refillable water bottle
Drink a glass with every meal

For more information on how essential water is for your good health, visit the following article by the Mayo Clinic

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256

11/29/2023

Wednesday Wellness Tip #11: Skip the soda (and the sweet tea!)

This 16.9 fl oz Coca-Cola (what comes in a 6-pack) has 55 grams of sugar. This is the equivalent of nearly 14 teaspoons! The American Heart Association suggests that women consume no more than about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams and men consume no more than about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar per day.

Increased sugar intake can lead to higher blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, and put individuals at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.

Check out this article by Harvard Health Publishing for more information on sugar intake and its effects on the body.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar

11/22/2023

Wednesday Wellness Tip #10: Practice Self-Care

As we enter this holiday weekend, remember that Self-Care is NOT selfish. Take time to care for your mental and physical health. Self-Care can be anything from taking a morning walk to bowing out early from that family Thanksgiving meal.

For more tips on practicing Self-Care, contact us at Skyway Wellness and check out the following website from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others.