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WELLNESS IS A LIFESTYLE

By MIMI DOUGLAS |

In the past, we relied on the family doctor to make us well when we got sick. Today, wellness is something we can do ourselves- to keep our bodies and minds healthy and disease-free.

Unlike physical fitness, which swept the country in the 1980s in the form of aerobic dance classes, running and other high’ impact activities, wellness incorporates more than just a good workout. It is a total lifestyle commitment to improved physical and mental health.

“Wellness is about preventing, not just detecting diseases, and improving quality of life,” says Greg Simmons, community health coordinator for Methodist Hospitals of Dallas.

Heart disease, the number one cause of death in the United States, can sometimes be prevented, according to Dr. Kenneth Cooper, founder of the cooper Wellness Program. Not smoking is at the top of Cooper’s recommended list for decreasing the risk of heart disease.

High blood pressure also needs to be controlled. To reduce high blood pressure, Dr. Cooper offers the following guidelines: lose weight, reduce stress, incorporate aerobic exercise into your life and modify your diet by reducing sodium and saturated fat, increasing potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber and limiting intake of alcohol to less than 2 oz. per day.

A high-cholesterol diet can lead to body cholesterol levels above normal, or over 200. The best way to increase the body’s “good cholesterol,” HDL, is through aerobic exercise. “Bad cholesterol,” LDL, comes from the food we eat, and therefore can be reduced through a change in diet.

Managing stress is necessary, but sometimes difficult for Type A personalities, who plan tomorrow’s schedule today. “In our society, we equate rest with waste. People don’t have hobbies anymore; we’ve converted leisure to work. The body is a machine and needs to rest, or it will wear down,” says Dr. Ira Korman, administrator of Zale Lipshy Hospital in Dallas. Relaxation is a key component to wellness, so just close your eyes, and go to sleep – eight hours worth, if you really want to do your body some good.

And you’ll sleep better and wake up more refreshed if you exercise – it’s not necessary to become a marathon runner; just taking on some form of activity, like walking three times a week for twenty minutes, will improve your physical well-being.

Simmons says he believes exercise is one trend that’s here to stay. And one of the newest ways to work out is water exercise – walking and aerobics – in a 4-foot-deep lap pool. Water is stress-free on joints, yet offers resistance and elevates the heart rate. And as we’ve known all along, swimming is one of the best all-round ways to keep fit.

Cross-training means participating in a variety of sports, such as swimming, jogging and biking. Each works different parts of the body without straing the same joints. Cross-training provides a safer overall workout, says Simmons, than one sport. Include both aerobic and anaerobic activities for the best results.

Step aerobics, an offshoot of cross-training, helps get the heart rate up faster and easier, says Simmons. The stepping motion has a greater overall impact on the body, but is not recommended for people with knee, hip or back problems.

Bicycling will continue to reign as a popular fitness activity with older adults, and for the younger, more nimble set, rollerblading is fast becoming the sport of choice.

Before, during and after exercise, especially in the Dallas heat, drink lots of water. Simmons says one to two cups of water after every 5-10 minutes of strenuous exercise will help the body maintain hydration. “Thirst is the poorest indicator of dehydration,” he says. “If you’re thirsty, it’s too late.” Insufficient hydration can cause muscle cramps, stress on the heart and nervous disorders.

How hard you exercise determines its effectiveness. Using Dr. Cooper’s formula, 205 – 1/2 of your age, you can find your maximum heart rate. He says 175-190 is the most effective rate during exercise.

Dr. Cooper says he works out in the evening, before dinnertime. Vigorous exercise acts as an appetite suppressor.

Three meals a day, with a priority on breakfast, is what the body needs to crank up and burn more efficiently, insists Dr. William E. Featherston at St. Paul Medical Center. Lunch and dinner should be lighter, he says with plenty of fiber. Whole grain breads, peas and beans are also important. Limit fat intake, reduce proteins and increase complex carbohydrates, he suggests.

The American Heart Association recommends a diet of 50-60 percent carbohydrates, 10-15 percent protein and no more than 20-25 percent fat. “All you need to remember is 4, 4 and 9,” says Simmons at Methodist of the three basic foodstuffs. For instance, if a slice of bread has two grams of fat, multiply two by nine for 18 calories of fat. Now, take 18 and divide it into the total number of calories the percentage of fat. Once you aw the rule, the new calculators grocery carts can be used to ike healthier choices at the supermarket.

Although adult wellness focuses on making positive changes in diet and fitness, well-ness in children focuses on healthy all-around development from infancy. Dr. Joel Steinberg, vice president/director of medical affairs at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, says pediatricians have always concentrated on wellness of children.

“In adults, decreasing fat in the diet is emphasized, but in children up to 2 years old, we’re concerned with growth, and don’t want to restrict them,” says Steinberg. Whole milk, for instance, is a key source of nutrition for the first two years of life. As children grow, not just eating the right foods, but developing healthy eating habits is important. Parents should sit down and eat with children, and use mealtime as a time to communicate-and with the TV off, stresses Steinberg.

Most young children are natu-rally active and get plenty of exercise. As kids get older, family activities, such as hiking and bike riding makes exercise fun and part of a healthy lifestyle.

Regular checkups are recommended for all ages. Adults can supplement visits to the doctor by taking advantage of the numerous area health fairs and screenings. St. Paul Hospital offers year-round cancer assessment screenings through its mobile screening vans. Women are given mammograms, and men screened for prostate cancer. Both are tested for oral, skin, lymph, breast and colon/rectal cancer.

Methodist Hospitals of Dallas holds health fairs and screenings for companies, senior citizen groups, churches, schools and civic organizations. Technicians test blood sugar and cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as conduct mammography screenings.

In cooperation with its medical school, Zale Lipshy Hospital offers low-cost mammograms for women. This month, the first of its quarterly “Saturday Series” will be held. The March two-hour seminar look at the diagnosis, treat-ment and causes of breast cancer. A panel including a plastic sur-geon, breast surgeon, cancer spe-cialist, psychiatrist and radiologist look at the emotional and physiological impact of the disease.

Humana Hospital-Medical City Dallas offers free blood pressure screenings each Monday, 10 a.m. -2 p.m. Its lunchtime “Meet the Doctor” series is also free. “Meet the Doctor” features dermatologists, opthamologists and other physicians discussing a particular area of health.

Companies are integrating wellness programs into the work environment, because healthy employees mean a better bottom line. For each dollar business spends on employee wellness, there’s an estimated $4-7 return. Health care costs go down, absenteeism decreases, productivity improves and there’s less employee turnover. In addition, having a wellness program in place assists in new employee recruitment.

If your company doesn’t have a wellness program, you can design one for yourself, along with the help of your physician.

If the word “exercise” doesn’t appeal to you, instead think about how to become less inactive. The first step to wellness can be as simple as walking around the block a few times a week. After a while, you may want to examine your diet-and determine how to eat more healthfully.

Wellness is an attitude, and it may take some time to completely adjust your body and mind to the idea. Once you get the hang of it, healthy habits will become second-nature.

For more information about Methodist Hospitals of Dallas health fairs and screenings, phone 214-944-8099. St. Paul Hospital of Dallas’ mobile mammogram unit can be reached by calling 214-879-6633. For specifics and other information on Zale Lipshy Hospital’s free seminars, dial 214-590-3155. Humana Hospital – Medical City Dallas offers a number of wellness programs and literature-call 214-661-7701 for dates and times. For information on child wellness, phone Children’s Medical Center of Dallas (214-920-2000).

Looking Good – Feeling Good



A wellness program can make our bodies run more efficiently. In addition, specific programs aimed at keeping individual body components healthy should be part of our wellness routine, too.

“There’s no such thing as a safe tan,” says dermatologist Dr. David Alkek. He says skin cancer in Texas outnumbers all other cancers put together, and can be prevented. Alkek recommends using a sunscreen everyday (many moisturizers now contain sunscreens), limiting exposure to the sun, and, when outdoors, wearing a hat. In addition, Alkek prescribes Retin-A for patients who have suffered skin damage-its peeling action actually erases some of the fine wrinkles brought on by too much sun.

Another skin disorder, folliculitis, an inflammation of the hair follicles, can be easily remedied, according to dermatologist Dr. Michael Maris, who is with Lucy Peters International. “A lot of women become irritated around the bikini line, upper thigh, and in men, the neck, from ingrown hairs,” he says. When pores become infected, the infection can spread from one follicle to another and it can be painful. With electrolysis, the problem can be totally eliminated. Unlike waxing, electrolysis damages the hair follicle beneath the skin so the hair will not grow back.

Although not on the skin surface, some varicose veins appear to be. While about half of the cases he sees are hereditary, Dr. Fathi Fam, a specialist in vein diseases, says many are not. To prevent the formation of varicose veins, Fam suggests the following: Get plenty of exercise and avoid very hot baths, too much sun and tanning beds.

Sunglasses should always be worn outside, says opthamologist Dr. Charles B. Key, to protect eyes from the sun’s harmful rays that can help lead to deterioration of eyesight, and hasten the formation of cataracts. Look for sunglasses with an ultraviolet filter, says Key.

Proper dental care means more than brushing and flossing two times a day. “Eighty percent of the teeth we lose today are due to gum disease,” says Dr. James Martin, dentist, “and it can be prevented.” Martin says that like other conditions, gum disease can be the result of stress, hormonal fluctuations, diabetes, menopause or illness. For healthy teeth and gums, he suggests the following: Eat well, get eight hours of sleep, exercise and take a stress formula vitamin with trace minerals and vitamin C. And schedule regular checkups and cleanings every six months.

Sometimes the way we’re built can cause problems that only surgery can fix. Plastic surgeon Dr. Neil H. Saretsky, who does a number of breast reductions, says that left alone, large breasts can put a strain on the back. Because of the long-term effects, breast reduction surgery is a legitimate medical deduction. All cosmetic and plastic surgery should be carefully considered by the patient, says Dr. Alfred Antonetti, plastic surgeon. “I always ask the patient, ’Who are you doing this for?’ Doing it for themselves is the only thing that counts.”

Dr. Jim Gilmore, a specialist in facial, plastic and cosmetic surgery, agrees. “We don’t want to seduce them into surgery. We want our patients to be happy with the results.”

After all, happiness is feeling good about yourself.

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