Monday, July 14, 2014

Layers of health

When hearing the word health, several "pieces" come to mind.  Some might say that health is the absence of disease or that it is the physical and emotional well-being of a person.  Even with various definitions, health involves multiple aspects.  The School and Community Health class felt that health could involve aspects such as working out, diet, lifestyle, sleep, and spiritual state of mind.  Which aspect of health (listed or not) is the most important to maintaining health?  Explain why it is the most important.

8 comments:

  1. The most important aspect of maintaining health is a lifestyle that incorporates working out, diet and sleep. It's not just one of these aspects that is more important that another because they all contribute to good health. Being able to live a lifestyle where you put all of these things first will help you get there. According to the British medical journal health is defined as the ability to adapt and to self manage. They continue to say that health may very well be a set of dynamic features and dimensions that can be measured. It it just as important to be able to deal with the health problems that you do have and manage them, as it is to live a lifestyle that promotes good health. If you do not manage the issues you have, your health will deteriorate further.

    British Medical Journal
    BMJ 2011;343:d4163
    M.Huber and Colleagues

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    Replies
    1. Rance, that is a great point (being able to manage health problems that might arise). Even with a very healthy lifestyle, ailments of some sort are sure to arise. It is important to be able to handle these situations in a positive manner.

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  2. There are several different components that impact overall health; however, I believe that nutrition is most important. All activity and human functions are fueled by nutrition. Without nutrition or fuel it would be impossible to function or move---like a car without gasoline. Diets low in unhealthy fats, sugar, and complex carbohydrates can facilitate the prevention or reversal of many diseases and disorders such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Proper nutrition also promotes efficiency of the body; athletes perform better when eating a healthier diet. Human survival and function is dependent on adequate nutrition. Without the macronutrients and micronutrients provided by the good we consume, our bodies would cease to function. Evidence of this is provided in the side effects of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa. "You are what you eat" is a very factual phrase. The body will respond to what you ask it. If you eat quality food in correct quantities your body will remain healthy and maintains proper vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol. However on the other hand, if you eat poor quality foods excessively your body will respond with the the same survival response by storing fat and increasing blood pressure and cholesterol and work of the heart. Nutrition is the essence of life and how we can promote healthy decisions and in term a healthy lifestyle.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25011369/?i=4&from=importance%20of%20nutrition%20on%20health

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  3. I believe the most important component of one's overall health is their psychological health. Mental health is going to affect every other aspect of a person's life such as social, work, and physical health. If a person is socially awkward they will likely have a hard time getting out and making new friends. This can lead to depression and the person becoming even more introverted. If a person's mental health is bad enough it could begin to interfere with their work which could lead to financial struggles and make one's life even harder. A person's suffering from these problems would also be likely to struggle to work out and maintain their physical health, which could lead to the person developing life threatening diseases. Studies show that people who work out have overall better mental health, which can only be done if the person is in the right mental state to want to work out and either maintain or make themselves better. Overall each person must want to be positive and seek out good things for them or their overall health will decrease and they will run into health problems in all other areas of their lives.


    http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0091743512003945/1-s2.0-S0091743512003945-main.pdf?_tid=c06890e8-0b94-11e4-9ca4-00000aab0f27&acdnat=1405369604_2ac71503f1878c788906efb288a29ee5

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  4. I believe the most important aspect to overall health is psychological well being. The body will follow the mind. Our mind is so powerful that a person can will themselves to be sick. Not having a healthy state of mind can lead to depression, anxiety, stress, mood state and self esteem issues; all of which will effect your body in a negative way. Exercise is a great way to avoid psychological health issues. Exercise can aid in releasing the stress and addressing self esteem issues. It also releases endorphins, which will aid in the mood state of a person. Overall, living a healthy lifestyle can increase mental health, which inadvertently will carry over in the body.


    http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/32/2/111.full.pdf+html

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  5. I believe the most important aspect of health is a mental well being. One should be in a positive state of mind and get away from the negative mindset. I think it is best to start your day with happy thoughts; it’s a great outlook on a healthy lifestyle. The article from Everyday Health states to, “Make the commitment to think differently about yourself and make happiness the first thing of the day.” Your mind is stress free, which leads to positive outcomes. When your mind is in a good place, your body comes next. Physical health is very important, but your mental well being should come first.
    http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/things-you-can-do-this-week-to-be-a-happier-person/

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  6. The psychological aspect to living a healthy lifestyle is the most important in my opinion. But there are many components that lead to achieving a healthy life. These include having a well-balanced nutritious diet, exercising on a regular basis, getting the correct amount of sleep each night, reducing your stress levels, getting rid of any bad habits you have made. To be able to obtain that state of health it is all psychological. It has to be mind over body. If an individual has a positive mindset they are able to create their healthy lifestyle goals and maintain them as well. A healthy mind is part of a healthy body. "Whenever you feel physically fit you automatically feel happy." By engaging in physical activity it can sculpt the mind into having a positive outlook on multiple levels of your lifestyle.

    http://www.drhealth.md/health/psychological-emotional-health/

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  7. I believe that lifestyle places a huge roll in being healthy. Lifestyle consists of your social activities, the way you choose to handle situations and it can alter your sleeping, eating, and spiritual styles. If you live a very busy lifestyle with limited sleep and always eating out, drinking coffee, and have no social life, that can cause you to spiral into a unhealthy way of living and open you up to issues like depression, sleep apnea, and more. Sometimes lifestyle can affect the type and when health care is accessed in terms affecting the healthy outcome of a human being.

    McKenzie, J., Pinger, R., & Kotecki, J. (2010). Introduction to Community Health. Sudbury, Massechusettes: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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