My Health

I have to say that reading the self-assessment for preventative health practices in my Women's Health text this week, I had to suppress a tinge of exasperated humor. Not because any of the suggestions lacked merit, but because, as is typical, (and understandably so), most of the "tips" are geared more towards 18-22 year old demographic. Not a 31 year old, married-with-one-five-year-old, sedate and tame mom. The paraphrased list in question:

1. Are you eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and veggies?
No. I make my son eat his veggies though before he gets to have a cookie. Hehehehe...life's not fair.

2. Do you engage in moderate exercise at least 4 times a week?
I clean house, I regularly haul groceries up the steps to our apartment, and I always take the stairs on campus because I have an elevator phobia. So, yes.

3. Do you sleep enough to not feel tired during the day?
Ha! I grab sleep at every opportunity, and I usually feel alert. Any leftover lethargy gets taken care of by a trip to Starbucks.

4. Do you use tobacco or drugs?
I have never smoked, but I regularly use over-the-counter drugs, in the form of ibuprofen and aspirin. See, I have this little problem called age, and it causes all kinds of aches and pains!

5. If you drink alcohol, do you limit your intake?
Absolutely. Er, frequently. Sometimes. Probably.

6. Do you use protection when engaging in sex?
I'm married, with progeny. What's sex?

7. Do you find ways to reduce stress such as hanging out with friends?
See question number 5.

8. Do you practice good safety habits like wearing a seat belt or helmut, while riding a motorcycle?
Religiously. Texan drivers are too freaking insane for me not to buckle up.

9. Do you use nonviolent methods of conflict resolution?
Sometimes I use heavy-handed sarcasm, but other than that, I'm peaceful.

10. Do you seek preventative care routinely?
Well, I get my yearly oil-n'-lube from the OB/Gyn, and I had my first mammogram just a few weeks ago, so I suppose so.


So, that's it. See what I mean? Some of the questions are relevant to my situation, but a lot of them made me chuckle. Of course, it sounds like I don't take the issue of preventative health very seriously. Actually, I do, and I'm not really a lush who never eats her vegetables. I think my health is one of the few things I have an ability to influence, and I do what I can to keep myself in good health, both physically and mentally. Overall, I'd rate my preventative practices as decent, but there's room for improvement. If I, and many others, were to make an effort to eat and exercise better, it would go a long way in helping to solve our health care crisis (Alexander & LaRosa, et. al., 2007, p.55). Furthermore, it is my opinion that Americans are in poorer health than their European cousins for three reasons: they eat bigger portions, they walk a lot less, and they don't drink enough red wine.

For myself, I live in the mid-cities region of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, and our apartment complex is right down the street from two grocery stores, a video store, and numerous other shops. I have to admit, it does give me a profound feeling of superiority to walk to the doughnut store across the street, rather than drive. ;)

Sources:

Alexander, L. L., LaRosa, J. H., Bader, H., & Garfield, S. (2007). New Dimensions in Women's Health (4th ed.). Sadbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Image retrieved from http://www.mayyoubeforeveryoung.com/

Image retrieved from http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/images/jmiles/2007/12/18/1012red-wine-posters.jpg