January, 2002

January is National Eye Care Month

Have a complete eye exam every 1 to 2 years. Most eye diseases can be treated if detected early. Read more tips like this one.

www.healthylivingonline.org/newsletter/200201/eyecare.html

January: Glaucoma Awareness Month

The disease is called the 'sneak thief of sight' because it strikes without obvious symptoms.

www.healthylivingonline.org/newsletter/200201/glauc.html

Join our message board discussion:

Gotten your eyes checked lately?

http://forums.delphiforums.com/healthyliving/messages?msg=7169.1

Just in Time for New Years
Top 10 reasons not to diet




1. Diets don’t work. You lose weight and gain it right back, often regaining more than you lost (weight cycling).

2. Dieting is dangerous and causes many deaths and injuries every year.

3. Diets are expensive and without value.

4. Dieting causes fatigue, lightheadedness, saps your energy and strength.

5. Dieting disrupts normal eating, causes bingeing, overeating and chaotic feeding pattern.

6. Dieting increases food preoccupation, so half your day or more is spent thinking about food and weight.

7. Dieting diminishes women, subverting their dreams and ambitions, keeping them playing the anticipation game. There’s a lot more to life than this.

8. Dieting stunts the growth and development of young people, mentally, emotionally and physically.

9. Dieting increases size prejudice, makes people more judgmental and critical of themselves and others.

10. Dieting lowers self-esteem, feelings of well-being. Instead, accepting and respecting yourself as you are brings confidence, health and a sense of wellness and wholeness.

January is:

• Cervical Health Awareness Month
• National Birth Defects Prevention Month
• National Volunteer Blood Donor Month
• National Glaucoma Awareness Month
• Jan 20 - 26 Healthy Weight Week

January Birthdays, Anniversaries and/or Milestones:

Birthdays:

1 - Holly aka Jalex®

1 - Lilysdogs

20 - Anne Ballard

Recommended by: Suze

About 100 million Americans will venture down a well-traveled path paved with bold and sometimes hastily conceived New Year's resolutions. Find out how to make the right kind of resolutions and then how to keep them.

Recommended by: Anne

Most cultures mark the passing of the old year and arrival of the new with some sort of renewal ritual or celebration.

It seems a natural thing to look at the past year and assess what could stand improvement, and what was successful in our lives. For most of us at Healthy Living, finding what needs improvement comes a whole lot easier than the successful part!

Learn how to make your resolutions successful and realistic.

Recommended by: Suze

Resolve to stop dieting, stop focusing on weight, stop weight-obsessive thoughts. Decide it’s time to get on with living your life to the fullest and forget "waiting to be thin."

Recommended by: Suze

Chances are, you're among the many people who eat more fat than they need. Here are some ways to lower your fat without losing flavor.

Recommended by: Anne

In western countries, most people are constantly bombarded by TV shows, commercials, movies, and magazines that idealize thinness. The images of lean models and stars are identified by many with beauty, success, and value. There is intense pressure, both real and imagined, to imitate these physical ideals, a goal that most find difficult or impossible to achieve.

Learn how to love your body, improve your self-esteem and find acceptance.

Recommended by: Puzz

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found naturally in dark-green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and whole grains. It plays an important part in the development of the fetus' spinal cord and brain.

Learn why Folic Acid is so important if you are pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant.

Recommended by: Suze

As the US population ages, there is risk of a growing number of the problems traditionally associated with "old age," including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis. However, there is increasing evidence that a healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay many of the illnesses of aging.

Here are suggestions from the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter to help you do that.

Recommended by: Suze

What is normal eating? How does it promote Wellness? How does it differ from dysfunctional eating? Learn the answers to these and other questions.

Char's Journal

Follow Sheryl as she describes the sites and splendor of Chicago dressed up for the Holidays

Here is an excerpt:

We finally got the car parked and walked to Houston's restaurant for dinner. We got there and there was hardly anyone there. It was 5:30 which is early for dinner in Chicago, so there were plenty of tables. I chose this restaurant because one day I stopped in on one of my walks and decided to try it out. It's kind of pricey for lunch but not bad for special occasions. I tried their home-made veggie burger and it was wonderful, so I've used that restaurant for special occasions several times. The restaurant is really dark inside, so it's a bit disorienting during a workday, but last night it was perfect.

I would have liked to have been seated in a booth, but they gave us a table. It was in a corner, so that made it okay. I ordered the veggie burger again with couscous (their couscous is wonderful, too! They put mint, raisins, tomatoes and peanuts in it. YUM) Mac tried a fish sandwich. Both of us enjoyed our meals, except I don't think Mac was very crazy about the couscous. He likes it plain.

We left there and it was raining. Fortunately, it was much warmer than we had anticipated, so the rain didn't really bother us much. The worst part of the rain was that my glasses kept getting spots on them. I could have used some windshield wipers on them!

Recommended by: Anne

Holly and Julie's Hellacious Journey

Read this journal of two bright and witty women who share everything from alien husbands to job woes.

Julie:

I'm trying to make a decision at work. A job posting has come up that would be next logical progression for my career. Upside: I know I could do it, and do it well; plus it would be good for my career. Downside: It's in Montreal, I would have to work for a person who I know is not as technically competent as I am (that sounds awfully conceited but it is true), it says it carries a 50% travel requirement (I don't think it will) and I would have to leave here.

DH is all for me applying for it, saying that he and the dogs are portable. :-) He thinks Montreal would be an adventure, and a chance to learn a culture that is different from the one we know now without having to travel far. Plus it would be a good step toward going to France if we want to someday. I'm not particularly enamoured with Montreal, but in all fairness I've only been there a couple times. What I hate more is the thought of leaving everything here - I love the house, we love the community (for the most part), I love my job, and I love working for the boss I have now. It's classic "Who Moved My Cheese" stuff where you have to deal with change.

I talked to my boss about it, and asked for his thoughts. He said that he often suggests that people apply for jobs even if they aren't seriously considering them because it does show an interest in moving upward. And that he would not take it as a negative thing if I applied, and then in the final analysis decided to turn it down. Overall, he suggested I go for it, and clarify any questions I have later in the process.

What to do, what to do.

Holly (Jalex):

(((Julie)))

Ok, I've nothing more intelligent to say today than what I said yesterday!

Any time I've made a "grass is always greener" decision, I have regretted it. I leapt from Mike to the BDC and mostly regretted it. I leapt from the BDC back to Mike/Vince and I will regret that for the rest of my life...

If you are content where you are, I would stay. I am not you. I am older and more jaded. The combination of a job you enjoy, a supportive boss and an ideal setting for your home is just too good to be true IMO.

Having said that, you are young and ambitious (woohoo!) and talented and so what if you don't like Montreal? Someone will snap you up in a second if you decide to leave, I'm sure. And you CAN go home again. You just have to go home to Mike and not Vince...ha ha.

Will you be making New Years Resolutions? Take our poll and join the discussion!
forums.delphiforums.com/healthyliving/messages/?tid=7158

Do you have suggestions for our newsletter? A particular Journal entry that moved you? Something in a buddy journal that warmed your heart? Send your suggestions to newsletter@healthylivingonline.org

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