PAGE2
FITNESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
DECEMBER 2, 1988
Twelve steps
to reducing
your stress
December is a month when
people run about frantically buy
ing gifts, gearing up for house
guests and a rush of activities.
Before you collapse from the
pressure and exhaustion of too
many extra demands, sit down,
put your feet up and relax.
Get in harmony with the season.
Here are some suggestions to
help you cope and enjoy this
special time of year.
1. Organize your time each
day so you can gel more done
with less stress. Make a lisl of
things to do and delegate when
ever possible.
2. Eat breakfast, especially if
you have a long, demanding
morning ahead. For high-energy,
long-lasting nutrition, try a
blender shake: banana, low-fat
milk and your favorite fruit.
3. Don 't do somethina because
you're expected to. If you please
yourself first, you 'II be better off
In the long run and so will those
who rely on you.
4. Be a perfectionist only when
It's required, not when it's a low
priority issue. (It's not neces
sary to Iron your underwear, for
example, or to spend an hour
wrapping each gift.)
5. Exercise regularly. This
may be hard to fit Into your
already busy schedule but the
payoff Is worth it: reduced ten
sion, Increased energy and en
durance to do more.
6. Before you go shopping for
gifts, know what you want;
decision-making In a crowded,
Avoid the urge to splurge for Christmas gifts
Ask yourself:
Who do I want to remember with gifts?
What price range is appropriate and affordable?
Howmuch, if any, savings can I use for holiday gifts?
How much of my current income can I afford to
spend on gifts? : . "
How much, if any, can I afford to buy on credit?
Would you consider taking a
loan at up to 24 percent interest
to buy things you will never use
or see again? That is exactly
what you do when you use a
Add a new twist to your
New Year's resolution
What will you do this year to
protect your health? As a new
year begins, make some resolu
tions. ..What can you do to
improve and protect your health?
Check the list. Choose that
aspect of your lifestyle stress,
diet, exercise where you feel
you have the best chance for
success and tackle that one first.
Then move on to other areas.
One achievement often gener
ates others.
PREVENTIVE HEALTH FACTORS
1. Not smoke 9.78
2. Avoid dependency on drugs 9.41
3. Never smoke in bed 9.24
4. Wear seat belts all the time 9.16
5. Never drive after drinking 9.03
6. Not be exposed to toxic substance or
radiation at job 8.94
7. Feel happy with life 8.53
8. Have smoke detectors in home 8.53
9. Not be exposed to accidents or injury on the job 8.43
10. Live where drinking water is acceptable 8.41
11. (Women) Examine breasts each month 8.36
12. Have friends, relatives, neighbors 8.31
13. Live in housing meeting health and
safety standards 8.27
14. Have income above poverty level 8.25
15. Exercise regularly 8.20
16. Drink alcohol moderately 8.15
17. Take steps to avoid home accidents 8.07
18. Feel happy with job 8.06
19. (Women) Have Pap smear test every one
to two years 7.92
20. Not eat too much fat 7.82
21. Keep close to recommended weight 7.71
22. Receive advice from doctor on health habits 7.67
23. Drive at or below speed limit 7.65
24. Have blood pressure reading annually 7.62
25. Inherit genes from parents for long life 7.62
26. Take steps to control stress 7.58
27. Have a fire extinguisher 7.54
28. Eat enough fiber 7.41
29. Get enough calcium 7.28
30. Not get too much cholesterol 7.15
31. Live where air is acceptable 7.12
32. Get enough vitamins, minerals 7.12
33. Have a dental check each year 7.08
34. Not eat too much sodium 7.04
35. Not eat too much sugar 6.90
36. Get seven to eight hours sleep daily 6.71
37. Get untroubled sleep 6.66
38. Eat breakfast daily 6.16
39. Drink no alcohol 3.15
40. Educate yourself and family
Our medical advisor suggest that you give special attention to
these factors.
noisy store can be tiring and
frustrating.
7. It waiting in line upsets you
because you re tired and rushed,
use the time to practice tension
relieving exercises: Starting with
your toes and proceeding up
your body, slowly tighten and
relax every joint and muscle. Or
simply use the time to relax
switch gears and allow your
thoughts to move on to some
thing more pleasant.
8. Keep meals simple and light
even when entertaining. Soup
and sandwiches served with
fresh fruit is nourishing and
always satisfying.
9. Take a walk-daily. It s the
best stress reducer of all!
Breathe deep and feel every
part of your body unwind.
10. Take a hot bath or shower.
Tensions can wash down the
drain.
11. Get plenty of sleep. When
you have a tough problem, think
about the pros and cons of it
and try to reach a decision before
going to sleep.
12. Look forward to tomorrow
and all that it has to offer. Above
all, take time to laugh and have
fun.
Extend your life Get your blood pumping
You can get hurt playing foot
ball, as everybody knows. But
according to a case reported in
the New England Journal of
Medicine, watching football can
be dangerous, too.
A year ago, an otherwise
healthy, 40-year-old man was
brought to the Massachusetts
General Hospital with a pulmo
nary ebolus, or blood clot, in the
arteries leading to the lungs. He
had gotten up on New Year's
Day and retired immediately to
his sofa to watch three consecu
tive bowl games. He arose from
the sofa only briefly, and went
right back to bed when the
games were over. This marathon
of inactivity nearly kinea mm.
credit card for Christmas gifts if
you cannot pay for them within
30 days. Credit is an expensive
way to buy things.
Unplanned or over enthusias-
Don't demand too much of
yourself, though. Changes made
gradually are easier and tend to
last.
We feel the last item on this
list is a very positive approach
to good health. Become inform
ed about health care issues
through responsible publica
tions such as this one, and learn
to effectively communicate with
your physician when the need
occurs.
The elderly
Christmas is promoted as the
most wonderful time of the year,
filled with family gatherings,
feasting and celebration, and
loving and giving. But for some
people, the holiday season can
be a very lonely time.
The "holiday blues" can hit
anyone, especially those who
become depressed with their
own lives when they do not
match the idea of the holidays.
Fortunately, he got to the hospi
tal in time.
This was an isolated case,
and watching football games is
not likely to lead to the hospital.
Still, long periods of inactivity
don't do anybody much good.
One reason for this is that the
blood tends to settle in the body's
nether regions. Movement of
the leg muscles helps to count
eract the force of gravity and to
keep the blood flowing back
toward the heart. If the muscles
remain inert, clots can develop
and move toward the heart and
lungs.
Pulmonary embolism is cer
tainly a danger of bedridden
mmobiiized patients, uui
tic Christmas spending can push
a family into serious financial
troubles, especially in January
when the bills start to roll in.
Here are a few ideas on how you
can control your Christmas
spending this year instead of
having it control you.
It's, not necessary to play'
Scrooge at Christmas. But do ,
set a limit for your Christmas
spending that you think is real
istic and fits your budget. Then
stick to it. Discuss it as a family
and try to get everyone's com
mitment. It may mean cutting a
few corners this year but if the
family supports one another,
you'll find Christmas every bit
as enjoyable and January much
more bearable.
Try setting limits on individual
gifts. Parents may decide to
spend X dollars per child and,
whether the child gets one big
gift or several small ones, the
dollar limit is the same for each
child.
One way to stick to your budget
is to shop well before Christmas
to take advantage of sales as
they come up. It also helps avoid
last minute pressures that result
in impulse buying.
Bargain hunting can be fun.
Interesting places to shop in
When giving
A major problem that recurs
year after year is the gift-buying
dilemma. This can also be
handled with the decision-making
process by starting well in
advance of the holiday season.
For close relatives and friends,
it may help to look for clues and
make notes during the year.
Many people young people
included are burned out over
a commercialized holiday sea
son that emphasizes expensive
gifts and lavish parties. The
home is the perfect place to
start a return to more traditional
values of the season by paying
attention to sharing and caring,
instead of receiving. Creating
hand-crafted gifts can signify
the giving of oneself and one's
time rather than the mone
tary value of a gift, even when
we don't have the time to sew or
to make elaborate things. The
follwoing list of gift ideas to
make at home is designed to
start you off.
1. Gift the gift of time. Create
coupons for free services make
very special gifts and are a good
option. Include an expiration
date to help ensure that they are
used. Sitting with a child, giving
a caregiver a break in caring for
an ill family member, chauffeur
ing, and errand-running are
things most people can do. How
about giving an infirm or elderly
person who can't get around
too easily several trips to the
market for groceries?
2. Often grandparents or a
relative away from home will
enjoy photographs of familiar
scenes and persons, or, younger
family members may appreciate
are sometimes
People who live alone are par
ticularly vulnerable.
The happiness of the holiday
season may have evaporated
for those older people who have
outlived relatives and friends,
are estranged from their fami
lies or are simply unable to be
with family. In such situations
the emphasis on "family toge
therness" may only serve to
deepen feelings of loneliness.
healthy people should be aware
of the problem, too. If you have
to spend long hours in an auto
mobile, stop now and then to
stretch your legs. On a plane
trip get up and walk around, or if
the seat belt sign is on, at least
wiggle yourtoes, flex your ankles
and bend your knees occasion
ally. Sports fans in the stands
are in no danger, so long as the
game is exciting enough to bring
them to their feet once in a
while.
But, if you're glued to your TV
set on New Year's Day or Super
bowl Sunday, unglue at half
time. Get on your stationary
bike, run around the room or
walk around the block.
clude bargain markets, and auc
tion sales, as well as art and
craft shows. Making gifts can be
fun and mean a lot to the people
who receive them. A gift of
service promising to do some
thing for someone is an alter
native to buying a gift.. . -
Plan ahead now for next year:
Keep track of your expenses
this Christmas. Divide by 12 and
put this much money away each
month in a savings plan for next
December. The money will earn
a bit of interest, too.
Can't afford to put that much
money away each month?Then
you probably can't afford to
spend the larger amount at
Christmas.
Keep track of your bills
Keep a running total at all
times, i.e., attach a file card to
your credit card and list all pur
chases when made (as in a check
book.)
Once a week, tally up all credit
card, check and cash expendi
tures for Christmas.
This weekly reminder of how
much money you have already
spent should help to dampen
your "splurge urge."
gifts: It's the thought that counts!
photographs of earlier genera
tions, accompanied by some
interesting or unusual written
family history.
3. Clip or share shoots from
your favorite plants. These can
be a nice gift. A lasting, growing
plant from a friend can be very
special.
4. Give a loaf of bread, a holi
day dessert, or an entire dinner.
Make up a fruit basket or "goo
die" tray. Or, put some favorite
recipes in a recipe box and tie
with ribbon or yarn.
5. Create a personalized
calendar including special dates
and photographs.
Have some
family fun
Practice favorite holiday tunes
and go caroling invite some
neighbors to go along.
Make decorating for the holi
days a creative event for the
whole family.
Let each member of the family
be responsible for suggesting
and taking the lead in planning
aspecialholidayeventorouting.
Spend a Saturday afternoon
working out together after
wards, find a restaurant that
serves healthy food for dinner.
Go skiing or roller skating.
On a cold evening, make pop
corn and apple cider and play
word games or a board game by
the fireplace.
See a play or enjoy a holiday
concert together.
lonely during the holidays
Some older people who are
able to spend the holiday with
relatives experience a "let-down"
afterwards when they are alone
again and life's routine returns.
Holiday loneliness can strike
even persons surrounded by
family and friends. People don t
have to be alone to feel lonely.
Being housebound, or suffer
ing from loss of vision, hearing
or ambulation can increase feel
ings of lonelines. When people
don't feei connected to others
or if they lack needed emotional
relationships they tend to expe
rience loneliness.
The lack of an intimate or
close relationship Is often felt
more acutely during the holi
days. A woman caring for a
husband afflicted with Alzhei
mer's disease stated, "At Christ
mas, the changes in Ted always
seem magnified, partly because
of how things used to be.
Although he is here with me,
he's not the person he used to
be and our relationship is no
longer husband and wife. It's
more like mother and son, or
nursemaid and patient."
The holidays can be especially
difficult for the bereaved, par
ticularly the first Christmas fol
lowing a divorce or death of a
spouse. All around are messages
saying we "should" be happy,
"should" be having a good time.
The contrast between these
"shoulds" and the actual feel
ings of the bereaved can inten
sify the pain of loss and loneli
ness. We also tend to approach the
holidays with great expectations.
Disappointment may result when
holiday joy is less than what we
hoped it would be the call that
was not received from a daugh
ter; the family conflict that
erupted; the spouse who drank
too much; or the children and
grandchildren who did not visit.
Planning ahead is one way to
combat loneliness and depres
sion. For older adults who will
be alone during the holidays, a
"family" may be created by get
ting together with others who
are in similar situations.
One 84-year-old man without
family ties said, "Too many
Mammogram
When word came of Nancy
Reagan's mastectomy, we
learned that the cancer had not
spread to her lymph nodes. A
small lesion like hers, confined
to a quarter-inch spot, means
an excellent prognosis. Mrs.
Reagan undoubtedly has been
having yearly mammograms as
recommended by the guidelines
of the National Cancer Institute
(NCI) and the American Cancer
Society (ACS).
Sadly, she is in the minority.
Data suggest that only about 1 5
to 20 percent of American
women age 50 and over have
ever had a mammogram and
The best flay to cheer yourself up
is to cheer somebody else up.
6. Small baskets or inexpen
sive coffee mugs filled with a
variety of goodies make wel
come gifts, especially because
they too can be personalized.
Small baked goods along with
the recipes can be included, as
well as special teas, coffees,
kitchen gadgets, etc.
7. Fill canning jars with home
made fruit preserves, jams, or
even granola. Decorate these
jars with padded lids and fabric
covers made from material
scraps. Attach a recipe on how
Tips for exercise equipment
Slopping Sn
art-
1. Always try out equipment
to make sure it is comfortable
and easy to use. Department
stores and sporting goods stores
generally have floor models that
you can test. If you buy from a
catalog or directly from the
manufacturer, try your selection
first at a store, a friend's house,
a local health club or tho Com
munity Center. This is especially
important for tall or short peo
ple who may not fit into some
machines.
2. Check construction. If a
machine is made of lightweight
sheet metal or has numerous
plastic parts, it may not stand
up to wear. Flimsy rowing
machines, forinstance, have been
known to collapse under the
weight of 175-pound users. Look
at display models to see how
people talk only about Christ
mases when they could be mak
ing the current season memor
able and enjoyable." Each day
during the holiday season he
does something which is per
sonally rewarding. At Christmas,
he is "Grandpa" to several
neighborhood children. Many
who are alone often find fulfill
ment in helping others.
Changing the scene and cre
ating a holiday celebration in a
new setting the beach or the
mountains can be an effective
antidote to the holiday blues.
One 70-year-old woman's rem
edy for loneliness is to keep the
pets of her neighbors and friends
who leave home for the holi
days. She finds that the animals
provide companionship. Another
woman experiences pleasure in
waiting until Christmas Eve to
open and read the Christmas
cards and letters she received
from friends.
We can help the bereaved by
encouraging them to identify
their needs and then make a
plan to fulfill these needs. Peo
ple who feel they're not an "all
right" person unless they do
certain things at Christmas can
often benefit from permission
to banish these "shoulds" and
plan something that will provide
comfort.
This may mean following fam
ily traditions or doing something
novel. One person may want to
be with family, another may need
some time alone to reflect and
remember, release anger or cry.
One widow stated, "I didn't
feel like celebrating that first
Christmas after my husband's
death. I wanted to be alone.
This was hard on my kids.
Christmas had always been a
time for family gatherings, but
they finally respected my wish.
Those days alone were tough. I
cried and cried, but it was also
the start of an emotional heal
ing for me."
People vulnerable to loneli
ness need a little more support
at this time of the year. A caring
touch by telephone, mail or in
person can be the best gift given
to someone who finds the holi
days emotionally difficult.
a great gift
that an even much smaller pro
portion is being examined with
systematic regularity.
If your own mother is in the
unprotected majority, the nic
est Christmas gift from you this
year might be your taking her
by the hand and accompanying
her to the nearest clinic for a
reassuring, safe mammogram.
Early detection of breast can
cer with mammography can re
sult in reduced mortality. Deaths
in women 35 and over can be
reduced by about 50 percent
through regular mammographic
screening of all eligible women.
to use the contents; label and
list ingredients.
8. Cover picture frames with
padding and fabric. Include an
appropriate photo, too.
9. Stuffed animals are wel
come gifts for nursing home
residents.
10. For the young person on
your list, perhaps a 4-H Summer
or OSU Summer Week gift cer
tificate would be appropriate.
For dates, times and costs, con
tact the Extension Office.
If you are thinking of buying exercise
eauiDmentforvourselforasAhnliiiau
gift, here are some tips:
they have stood up to abuse.
Usually the simpler the equip
ment, the fewer the potential
breakdowns. Bikes or other
machines that fold up are great
if your quarters are tight, but
they may be flimsy, so examine
them carefully.
3. Think twice about buying
bargain-basement equipment,
since it may turn you off to
exercise. A $99 exercise bike or
rower will probably be uncom
fortable, unsturdy, hard to use
and perhaps dangerous.
4. Check classified ads for
"used" equipment; much of this
has been used slightly, if at all.
Floor models are also usually
heavily discounted.
5. Avoid fancy trimmings, such
as computer indicators, which
add greatly to the cost.