Healthbeat by Deirdre Cox Baker

The move to stress individual personal health over a current emphasis on treating illness makes good sense, and it appears to have traction in the new year.

A recent communication from Dr. Damon Arnold, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, suggests the holiday season is prime time to discuss health with family members.

Here are several recommendations from the health department:
1. Choose to eat healthy and be active. A balanced diet and moderate daily exercise are the goals. To reach these, choose to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, keep the amount of sweets in check, and continue to exercise and stay active. Try to dance at parties, or take a neighborhood walk to see the lights. You’ll have to watch your step this year, with all the ice.

2. Manage stress. Practice time management and try not to over-commit yourself. Look to family and friends for support.

3. Try to discuss family health history at gatherings. Sharing information can help others learn about diseases that can be inherited, and how lifestyle affects disease risk.

4. Check-ups and vaccines. Exams and routine screenings can help find problems early, when the chance is better for a successful cure or treatment.

5. Check your health behaviors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking.

The holiday season’s impact on this reporter’s desk has been dozens of e-mail messages that feature one list or another: Ideas to ward off weight gain; gift suggestions; 10 best ways to stay warm; how to avoid flu; steps to effectively wash your hands. You get the idea.

Today, my sister in Ohio sent me the list below, and I just had to post it. The original author is unknown, but the e-mail is a hilarious break from the seasonal list of do’s and don’ts. Please enjoy.

Holiday eating tips
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and all that eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies: Apple, pumpkin, mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry — January is just around the corner.

Mall walkers who use the local shopping centers as protected exercise space have a well-known early-morning routine, but I for one didn’t fully realize a person could also get some decent exercise while doing holiday shopping.

Granted, many folks have finished Christmas shopping by now, but I can say for certain that’s not everyone. This weekend there are sure to be some folks who spend most of the day at NorthPark or SouthPark malls. That’s also true on the days right after Dec. 25.

Try a couple of suggestions to get the most physical exercise out of that shopping experience:

1. Park at the far end of the lot. Walking to the door will give you a breath of fresh, very crisp air. One expert suggests doing the walk with lunges, or side squats. That would look silly, of course, but who cares? It burns extra calories.

2. When you’ve made a couple of purchases, put the bags on each arm and do bicep curls, overhead presses or lateral raises while idling in a store. Waiting in line? Stand on one leg and pump the other one back, knee bent or straight, to engage your glutes. Do not kick the shopper behind you.

3. Think about taking a lap between store visits: It’s a great way to window shop and you can rack up some serious interior mileage.

Any method we can come up with to get more exercise this time of year is a great idea.

My daughter and I approached a store in Davenport when, inexplicably, I tripped and fell straight down on the concrete. This occurred right in front of a startled family.

Intensely embarrassed, I bounded up, dusted off my knees, and smiled through the pain. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” I insisted.

Well, at least I didn’t die. Slips, trips and falls are the second most common cause of accidental deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health, Des Moines.

But many injuries from falling are preventable through simple safety precautions. These include:
1. Transition risks: Use special care when entering and exiting buildings or vehicles; use handrails or the vehicle for support as you transition from one position to the next.

2. Parking lots: Statistics show that almost 80 percent of slips and falls due to snow and ice occur in parking lots and on sidewalks, with more than 50 percent occurring between 6 a.m. and noon. That shows I was in good company, anyway.

3. North-facing entrances: When possible, avoid north-facing entrances to buildings. Unless properly cleared, these areas tend to remain icy and slippery.

4. Appropriate footwear: Appropriate footwear in inclement weather is a must. Rubber and neoprene composite boots and shoes will give more traction than leather or plastic. I probably didn’t have the right footwear on when I fell.

4. Unavoidable slick surfaces: If you must walk on a slippery surface, slow down, take small steps, and keep a hand free for balance. Bend your knees slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over your feet as much as possible. Bending slightly forward may help protect your head if your feet do slip out from under you.

5. Carry smart: Holding items can impair your balance. Don’t try to carry more than you can easily manage and still maintain balance. Slow down and watch for hazards. Use handrails where available. If possible, do not carry children while walking on slippery ground because a fall could put the child’s safety in jeopardy.

6. Indoor risks: Wet surfaces are a huge risk. When entering buildings, remove snow and water from footwear to prevent creating wet slippery conditions indoors. Mop and dry spills immediately. Place caution signage in problem areas until dry.

For an interactive reference about winter safety, visit this public health site.

I drove around today to several interviews for upcoming stories, and heard, again, all the horrible economic news on the radio.

Analysts said that while the unemployment rate might bottom out at about 10 percent — and not approach the Depression Era rate of 25 percent — it still seems that more and more people are losing their jobs.

Personally, I don’t expect much improvement until the new president takes office and we approach spring and summer months. In the meantime, the local Scott Family Y is offering itself as one helpful force for good. Below, you’ll see some sound suggestions on how to deal with uncertain economic times. For more information on the Y, check out the organization at this address.

Three ideas:
Physical exercise, even at moderate levels, can reduce the physical and emotional symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. Over the long term, regular exercise can ward against the physical and financial toll of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Experts agree that investing in health and well-being always offers a positive return.

Family strengthening is equally important. Make family time a priority and include children in discussions about how to trim budgets. Eating dinner as a family or enjoying a Saturday afternoon activity together can bring families closer and reinforce the idea that family members support one another in difficult times.

Connections to community bind people together, offer support and give people an important sense of belonging. Getting engaged in one’s community, volunteering to help others in need and enjoying friendship and camaraderie enrich lives and make individuals, families and communities stronger and more resilient.

Emptying out the Kleenex box? Sniffing up a storm? Driving your family mad with your winter-time cold?

It’s said that a cold lasts for a week if you treat it, for seven days if you don’t. Here are suggestions to help alleviate those cold symptoms, from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, found here online:

1. Drink plenty of fluids to keep your body hydrated during times of dry indoor air.
2. Hot soups (chicken, of course) clear nasal passages.
3. Herbal teas bring relief. Rose hip tea is full of vitamin C.
4. Eating foods heavy in garlic, onion, or horseradish may aide recovery as well.
5. To ward off spreading colds during the holidays, wash your hands frequently.

The winter weather seems to bring news of at least one person suffering a heart attack while shoveling snow.

Most heart attacks begin slowly, as mild pain or discomfort in the chest area. Some do happen quickly, in dramatic fashion, like when a person keels over clutching his chest.

Here are a few warning signs from the American Heart Association. It’s most important to get help as quickly as possible to minimize heart damage.

1. Chest discomfort.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

2. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.
Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

3. Shortness of breath.
This happens with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Chest pain or discomfort is the most common heart attack indicator for both men and women. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Call 9-1-1 no more than five minutes after experiencing the symptoms, the heart association suggests. It is the single fastest way to get lifesaving treatment.

Holiday activities come fast and furious these days so it’s no wonder folks like me keep forgetting what’s next on the “to-do” list.

What’s not on that list is time set aside for brain exercises. Apparently that’s one of the fitness trends on the horizon.

“It’s not a stretch to think we may begin hiring brain coaches in addition to physical fitness trainers,” said Asenath LaRue, a neuro-psychologist with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison.

Baby-boomers like me, and even people in their 30s, are very interested in brain fitness, LaRue said. She has a few general suggestions to get started:

1. Be physically active.
Regular activity — not necessarily planned exercise — seems to relate to brain fitness. Think in terms of gardening (or planning a garden this time of year), dancing and even cleaning the house.
2. Challenge your brain.
Calculate. Do word-search games and crossword puzzles. Attend lectures and concerts, tour museums. Mental gymnastics — that’s what they call it now.
3. Stay socially active.
Friends are good for your health, LaRue said. People who have active social networks hold up better cognitively than those who do not.

Scientists don’t know when such mental exercises have maximum impact. The theory is that the better developed our brain and coping skills are, the more likely we are to withstand brain changes that affect memory and thinking.

It’s like working out while you are healthy to help manage or minimize future problems like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The child-turned-teen in our household, now away from home for the first time in her 18 years, came up with typical illnesses from time to time.

I tend to be one of those mothers who thinks everything is fine, until proven otherwise. A cold in Kirstin is one example of why that philosophical approach led to bad maternal judgment.

She was about 13, in junior high, and had the sniffles for, oh, probably 4 weeks. A full month or maybe even longer. I kept buying tissue and telling her she had to get more sleep, for Pete’s sake.

Finally I took her to our very wonderful and patient family doctor, and was told that Kirstin had sinusitis. This presents symptoms very similar to a cold, but you have to fix it with antibiotics.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, or AAAAI, points out that stuffy noses and achy heads that last for more than 2 weeks are probably sinusitis. An estimated 31 million Americans develop sinusitis every year, which leads to 18 million physician visits and $5.8 billion in overall health expenditures, the AAAAI reports.

The association says that sinusitis can last for months or even years (gasp!) if not properly treated. Treatment, again, includes antibiotics, and also decongestants to relieve stuffiness.

So, don’t be like me if your child’s cold seems to go on and on. Keep an eye on the calendar and have the family doctor check it out if the symptoms remain the same for more than two weeks.

No, I’m not talking about green money. Most of us have a limited amount of cash these days as it is.

I am using “green” as in the color, the hue of many flower stems, grass, friendly frogs named Kermit, and a holiday dress I own (and might just fit in again.)

According to feng shui experts like Jami Lin, the author of an e-book, “ColorAlchemy,” the color green will be useful over the holidays as a way to de-stress. Green accent pillows, candles, tablecloths and ornaments are all calming decorations.

Red, on the other hand, excites and energizes. A red container filled with home-made cookies makes a good gift for the grumpy.

One low-cost green gift idea: Give your time. Make up a green card to explain this present, and show up, as promised, to donate quality time in any way that will help loved ones.
For more ideas about use of color over the holidays, see this Web site.