Make a Resolution to
KEEP Your Resolutions
Happy New Year. Here’s wishing you a prosperous 2015! If you’re like 50% of the American population, you’ve probably made a new resolution or two. A resolution that you intend to keep for the entire year. Maybe it’s trying out a new diet, buying a gym membership, quitting smoking, or doing volunteer work. Hopefully you set a realistic goal for yourself. Unfortunately, most New Year’s resolutions head out the door before the end of January. Among the New Year’s resolutions crowd that sign up for a new gym membership, it is estimated that 80% drop out by the second week in February.
Word to the wise, don’t pay for an annual gym membership unless you are 100% committed to using it! To help keep you on your 2015 goal, here is a list of things you can and should do to help make your resolutions stick:
- Make a plan and set an actual goal – Be specific about what you want to accomplish and make a plan as to how exactly you intend to accomplish it.
- Don’t try to take on more resolutions than you can handle – According to the American Psychological Association “Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.
- Track your daily progress – According to Time Magazine, “a study from the University of Washington found that the more that you monitor your performance, the better you’ll do at sticking to your goals.”
- Make a Pros and Cons list - Remind yourself why you are doing this and what the result could be.
- Share your plan and goals – Tell your friends and family members and don’t be afraid to ask for help!
- Reward Yourself – Rewarding yourself doesn’t mean you should purposely fall off your resolution wagon. For example, if you chose to go on a specific diet, reward yourself with a night out at your favorite restaurant. Just be sure to order healthy food that’s not going to impact your diet negatively.
- If you slip, don’t quit! – If you happen to forget about your resolution for a day or if circumstances temporarily prevent you from following it, don’t give up on your goal! One slip up isn’t going to prevent you from achieving your goal. It may make the process slightly more difficult, but it’s better than giving up altogether.
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Health News
Age Old Questions Answered!
Can CARROTS really help improve your eyesight?
According to this article in the Washington Post, the answer is “not really”. Apparently, the “carrots help improve your eyesight” theory stems from a story of wartime espionage where the British concocted a story about their WW II pilots nighttime vision being improved by a high-carrot diet in order to prevent their enemies from uncovering the fact that they were making use of a new technology called “RADAR”. See how the whole story unfolded here:
www.washingtonpost.com
Can a flu shot actually give you the flu?
As we approach the peak of flu-season, we thought it important to address the age-old question – Can a flu shot give you the flu?” The simple answer is no. The influenza vaccine is made from inactive flu viruses and it cannot give you the flu. However, because the vaccine can trigger an immune response in your body, you may experience some mild flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches or a low-grade fever.
According to the CDC, everyone 6-months of age and older should get a flu vaccination every season. Particularly if you are at high-risk of serious complications should you get the flu. There are certain exceptions however. People with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine can’t get the shot. Be sure to consult with your healthcare professional if you have any concerns about taking a flu vaccine.
Keep in mind that a flu vaccination takes about 2-weeks to ramp up. So if you plan to get the vaccine, don’t wait until you’ve developed symptoms or someone in your household or workplace has already caught the flu.
Get all of your flu vaccination questions answered here: cdc.gov
Flu Vaccine Provider Map: http://vaccine.healthmap.org/
Science "Care" Corner
Family Caregiver Distress Assessment Tool
The holidays may be over, but as a caregiver, an end to the holidays doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s any less stress in your life. Too much stress can lead to anger, depression and even poor health. Take this free stress test from CaregiverStress.com to see how you are holding up:
Calculate the Costs of Long-Term Care
As the options for long-term care continue to grow, so to do the prices. Use this handy long-term care calculator from AARP to see what costs you can expect in your area.
Download Our FREE Caregiver Quiz!
How to pay for home health care
How to find a quality agency
What to look for in outside support services
Check out all of our resources and helpful tools here
