Jacksonville Urban League - Empowering Communities, Changing Lives

JUL HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE MOVEMENT:

Working to build healthy and safe communities to eliminate health disparities through prevention, fitness and nutrition as well as ensuring complete access to affordable healthcare for all people.

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JUL ANNOUNCES PRESCRIPTION SAVINGS CARD

Making Prescription Drugs Affordable to you, your family and friends... Read more…

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THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE PARTNERS WITH CONSUMER REPORTS

The National Urban League is excited about its partnership with Consumer Reports and has distributed to its affiliates, copies of the updated Consumer Reports Best Drugs for Less publicaton. This easy-to-read brochure is designed to help consumers understand their basic medication options and encourge them to talk with their health care provider abut the right drug choice for them. Contact Lisa Luca, Consumer Reports at LLuca@consumer.org for your copy.

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HEALTH TIP OF THE MONTH

BREATHING

The kindest most healing thing you can do for yourself is to take deep, full, belly-filling breaths under times of stress, whether they are physical or emotional. Breathing has many incredible benefits:

With pain, using your focus and intention when you take a deep breath can really intensify your own healing powers. Breathing, while holding certain stretches for two minutes, may relieve pain by stimulating communication in the cells between the central nervous system and the muscle tissues.

Dr Andrew Weil teaches another breath meditation known as the four-seven-eight practice where you place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, keeping it there during the entire exercise. Exhale completely, through your mouth, making an audible whoosh sound. Now close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for a (silent) count of four. Now hold your breath for a count of seven, then, exhale audibly through your mouth for a count of eight. Repeat this process four times. It's not important how fast you do this exercise but that you can keep the four-seven-eight ratio as you inhale, hold, and exhale. Try doing this exercise twice a day for awhile. You may find you can slow it down, increasing your state of relaxation, and focus.

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JUL HEALTH & QUALITY OF LIFE MOVEMENT

5 TIPS FOR LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

1. Eat a balanced diet

A balanced diet does not have to be a boring diet. As long as you are getting adequate proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fats, that slice of chocolate cake you're craving shouldn't do you too much harm. Enjoy your meals, chew your food properly and eat a variety of foods, including five portions of fruit or vegetables a day. Too much processed food or sugary food can make you feel sluggish.

2. Drink more water

Water is such a basic requirement and so key to survival, yet ninety percent of us don't drink enough! Six to eight cups a day is the recommended minimum. We can live for several weeks without food but only a few days without water. If you don't like the taste, mix it with juice, sugar-free cordial or make hot fruit tea. Vegetables and fruit contain plenty of water too. If your urine is darker in color than straw, drink more water!

3. Take time out to relax

Relaxation is very important to a healthy mind. However you choose to relax - deep breathing, yoga, fishing, having a bath, reading a book - try to chill out for an hour a day if you can. Mental exhaustion can cause stress, depression and anxiety disorders. Modern lifestyles can be hectic - if you're not working, you're running after the kids or racing around the grocery store or doing something else. Relax! Breathe deeply. Even fifteen minutes of this is better than none, but do try for an hour a day.

4. Get moving

There is no excuse not to exercise because there literally is something for everyone. Not everybody loves pounding the treadmill or pumping iron in the gym but anything that gets your heart rate up is a good cardiovascular activity. How about playing tennis, meeting a friend for a swimming session or taking up self-defense or a martial art? If you can't think of anything better, run up and down the stairs a few times. Feeling better now? Exercise releases endorphins, which cheer you up.

5. Cut down on smoking and drinking

Have you ever met a smoker who is glad they started smoking? Neither have I. It is the single most destructive thing you can do to your body. Drinking can be harmful if you consume alcohol in excess or binge drink but, like most things, moderation is the key. A glass of red wine has even been proven to be good for the heart. But too much can be devastating to your health.

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An affiliate of
The National Urban League
and United Way Agency

Funded by:
Department of Health and Human Services/ ACF / Office of Head Start
Funded in part by:
Early Learning Coalition of Duval County
and
The Jacksonville Children's Commission