Health Is Wealth free essay sample

According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th edition, health means no illness or injury; the ability to cope with everyday activities; and a good mental and physical condition. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and does not only consist of the absence of diseases and infirmities. On the other hand, wealth is defined as abundance of valuable possession. Having said that, what I mean when I say health is wealth is our state of complete physical, mental and social well-being is our most abundant and valuable possession. Health is wealth simply because a healthy life is life in all its abundance, joy and fullness. Without health, life would be full of anxiety and fear towards diseases and injuries. With health on our side, life automatically seems to be full of happiness and laughter, and this will actually promote optimism in one’s mind-set. I will post the results of this after a month. (: HEALTHY LIFESTYLE = BETTER PERSON Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to watch out for their action, specifically their sleeping schedule, what they eat and their health. Central Idea: Most of us tend to get lazy with what we are doing and feel so negative about certain aspects of their life. This is why we should strive to live a better life by improving our habits. Introduction I. (Attention Getter) â€Å"Ugh, I hate the way I look, I hate feeling like this. Everyone is justbugging me. What’s wrong with me? † II. (Audience Adaption) Have you ever felt this way and wondered why you do? Do you wish you can live a better life than you do right now? III. (Purpose) I am going to help you all realize why you might feel like this and provide you some ideas for how you can improve your behavior. By doing so, you will feel a whole better than you do now. IV. (Preview) Today, I will persuade you all to make the decision to live a better and healthier lifestyle so you can forget about all of your negative feelings. A. First, I will convince you to start watching out for what you eat. B. Second, I will encourage you to start becoming physically active. C. Finally, I will urge you to watch out for your sleeping schedule. TRANSITION: The saying â€Å"you are what you eat† is true to some extent. Body I. What you eat really affects the way you live. A. Healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are very beneficial to your mind and body. All of the following are from Sharon Zoumbaris’s book Nutrition: 1. Proteins are the building blocks of our body, meaning they repair muscle, bone and tissue damage. They also help out your hemoglobin, or the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen around the body and provide you some energy. You can find protein in fish, meat and eggs. 2. Carbohydrates provide energy for the brain and muscle cells, so it really helps out with our cognition. This can be found in potatoes and rice. 3. Vitamins help prevent certain diseases. There are Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins since they are the most natural. 4. Water is the most important nutrient of all. It helps us function, cool body temperature, urinates wastes away and makes up part of our blood. B. Junk food should not be consumed as much as they are today because of their lack of nutritional value. 1. Also according to Sharon Zoumbaris’s book Nutrition, you are consuming empty calories, fats, sugar, and they lack nutrients, fiber and protein. This could be the reason why people feel the way they do about themselves, they are not getting the energy they need and not reaching their potential body mass. Excessive consumption of junk food can lead to obesity, diabetes and other diseases, which is not good for our health. TRANSITION: If you continue to follow that habit, just wait and see what will happen to your body. II. Engaging in physical activities also plays a huge role in how you act. A. According to Laura Larsen’s book â€Å"Fitness and Exercise Sourcebook,† 60% of the world population is estimated to not get enough physical activity to achieve recommendation; however exercising has many health benefits for everyone. 1. Everyone should exercise so they do not gain weight and stay in shape. In Tracey Tsang’s article â€Å"Kung Fu Training Improves Physical Fitness Measures in Overweight/Obese Adolescents: The ‘Martial Fitness’† she conducted an experiment on overweight adolescents compared to sham exercise like Tai Chi. They hypothesized that this will help them reach their peak and max aerobic capacity, muscle strength and endurance. b) Most traits that were recorded improved on most of the participants: Improved muscle strength and reached cardiovascular fitness 2. Health risks such as cancer, high blood pressure and stroke will be reduced from engaging in physical activities. It is recommended for everyone to exercise at least half an hour every day. B. As you keep exercising, you feel even better about yourself and everything around you. 1. You feel what they call â€Å"the runner’s high,† meaning your endorphins, or neurotransmitters in your brain, are released during exercise. 2. Endorphins push someone to keep going on with their exercise even though they are exceeding their limit. 3. They release epinephrine, serotonin and dopamine; all are chemicals in your brain that contributes to adrenaline, motivation, and well-being. First I explained why you should eat more healthy food rather than junk food and then explained why you should start working out regularly, now I will tell you about the importance of sleep. III. The amount of sleep we get really affects our behavior throughout the day. A. According to S. Chokroverty’s article â€Å"Overview of Sleep and Sleep Disorders,† sleep is defined as â€Å"the behavior of the person while asleep and related physiological changes that occur to the waking brain’s electrical rhythms in sleep. † B. In Kate Crowley’s article â€Å"Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Older Adults† in the Neuropsychology Review, patients with sleeping difficulties report decrease quality of life as well as higher rates of depression and anxiety. 1. We have a Circadian Rhythm, which is our biological clock in our hypothalamus, or a part of our brain, to let us know how long we should stay awake and asleep. Disruption of this rhythm could cause negative feelings. 2. Sleep is meant to restore the mind and body, so if this gets disrupted, you will feel sluggish, won’t think straight and also cause negative feelings. Sleep has two states: Non-Rapid Eye Movement and Rapid Eye Movement. 1. NREM is the slow-wave sleep, which accounts for 75-80% of sleep time. 2. REM is deep-sleep, letting us know we really fell asleep. 3. Sleep comes in many stages with the states occurring for about 90 to 110 minutes each. This is why we should have eight hours of sleep. Conclusion I. (Summary) Today, I have made my case about why you should live a healthy lifestyle. A. You now understand the effects of your body with healthy foods and junk foods. You have also been urged to start engaging in physical activities every day for thirty minutes. C. Lastly, you now have the knowledge about a good night’s sleep. II. (Motivation) I understand that not everyone has the time to do these things, especiallycollege students. But in the end, your health is more important than anything because thatis your driving force to doing things you can do. A. Start by setting your priorities straight: Figure out what’s most important to you first and then the less important things. For instance school and family is your top priority but you still want to go to the gym so you can stay fit so you find time to go around your other priorities. B. Use your planner! It will seriously save your life. You can set your priorities straight by using it so you know exactly what to expect that same day, week or month. Give yourself time to do your planned activities in a certain time period so you can sleep at the end of the day for the recommended time. C. Lastly, just know there are no excuses for why you should not care about your health. You will become sick if you completely neglect it so always think about that. Think about the consequences if you do not take care of yourself, it is not a great feeling. III. (Closing Statement) You will feel a lot better about yourself and everyone else around you when you take care of yourself. Next time, just watch out for your habits and I will guarantee you will appreciate everything you have done for yourself. Healthy Lifestyle Living a healthier life can not only extend your life, it can also improve the quality. Feeling physically better and having control over your own life can greatly increase your mental health as well. Although there are some aspects of physical and mental health that are beyond an individuals control, there are many things that people can do to improve their quality of life. Some things that can help people reach this goal is nutrition and meal preparation, exercise and physical fitness and maintaining regular check ups with doctors. Our bodies, like cars, need fuel to run. And like cars, the quality of the fuel that we use can affect our performance. Making sure that you are giving your body all the fuel it needs and the best quality fuel you can will improve how your body runs and feels. Our fuel comes from food and the nutrients that food provides. A number of government agencies in the United States (including the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Agriculture) have spent years researching proper nutrition and developing guidelines for food intake. They have come up with seven general dietary guidelines for healthy adults. These seven general guidelines are Eat a variety of foods to get the energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need for good health. Maintain a healthy weight, This can lower your chances of having high blood pressure, heart disease, a stroke, certain cancers, and the most common kind of diabetes. Choose a diet low in fat and cholesterol; this can lower your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. A diet low in fat can also help you maintain a healthy weight. Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products. These types of food provide needed vitamins, minerals, fiber, and carbohydrates, and are generally lower in fat to help you maintain a healthy weight. Use sugar in moderation, sugar has many calories and few nutrients and can contribute to tooth decay. Use salt in moderation, this helps lower your risk of high blood pressure. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Alcoholic beverages supply calories, but little or no nutrients. Drinking alcohol is also the cause of many health problems and accidents and can lead to addiction. While having a healthy diet can improve your overall health, it is important to remember that even healthy foods can sometimes make you sick if they arent prepared properly. Foods that havent been cleaned, stored, or cooked properly can become home to bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. Buy fresh products that have been stored properly. Many products such as dairy (milk, eggs, yogurt, and cheese), meat, poultry, and fish have a sell-by date printed on the label. Check the sell-by date on products before buying stores should not be selling products that have expired (and you should not be buying them) because it means the food may be starting to spoil. Similarly, dairy products and meats should be stored in refrigerated or frozen sections to prevent spoiling. Dont buy a product if it looks like it has been sitting out or doesnt appear fresh. When buying raw fruit and vegetables, buy the freshest available and wash them before eating; Dont choose fruits or vegetables that are starting to mold, and remember to wash them when you get home and before you eat them. Even if your food comes from a store that is clean or in a package that says pre-washed, you dont know who or what has touched them before you. Dont buy food, drinks, or medicines if the packaging has been damaged. While a slightly crushed box of cereal may not be cause for alarm, in general you dont want to buy packaged foods that have been damaged. Some types of food, for example canned or jarred foods, may start to spoil if the can or lid is dented. And sometimes people tamper with foods (or medicine) in the stores. A good rule of thumb is to never buy something if the package has already been opened. Exercising and staying physically fit are an important part of maintaining your health. Proper exercise and fitness can improve your health in many ways. It can: Improve the health of your heart and lungs (which lowers your chances of heart disease), Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure (which lowers your chances of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases), Maintain your weight (which lowers your chances of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases), Improve your strength and flexibility (which makes daily activities easier and lowers your chance of osteoporosis, broken bones, pulled muscles, and other injuries) and Improve your mental health (by lowering anxiety and depression and increasing feelings of control and well-being). The type of exercises you do and how often you do them can vary greatly from person to person, but all healthcare professionals agree that exercise is beneficial to everyones health. There are many different kinds of exercise (walking, running, swimming, dancing, and weight lifting, to name just a few), but three basic types of exercise. A good exercise program will include some combination of all three of these types of exercise; Cardiovascular exercise improves and strengthens your heart, lungs, and circulation and helps people lose weight. Cardiovascular exercise is any type of exercise that raises your heart rate to a target zone (determined by your age, weight, and health). Some of the most commonly discussed types of cardiovascular exercise include running, aerobics, bicycling, walking, and stair climbing, but could also include dancing, skating, skiing, martial arts, tennis, or any type of exercise that raises your heart rate. Strength training helps you by making you stronger and giving you better endurance (so you can do things longer). This makes day-to-day activities easier and reduces your chances of injury. While many people think of weight lifting when they hear strength training, there are many different types of exercises you can do to improve your strength (and you dont have to be a muscle-man or woman to do them. ) Some common strength training exercises include sit-ups, push-ups, and using nautilus machines, strength bands, and free weights. Exercises that increase your flexibility give you greater range of motion in your joints and make your body more supple, again, making day-to-day activities easier and reducing your chances of injury. Many people do specific stretching exercises to increase their flexibility but other types of exercise (such as dancing, yoga, and martial arts) can also improve flexibility. Prevention is the best cure is a popular saying among healthcare professionals. Hello everyone, Could I please get some feedback and revisions? This is a very rough rough draft of my essay. I would like to mention that the focus of my essay is strongly describing my decision making process in why and how I came to choose PT over other health care careers. I noticed that a lot of other peoples essays focused a lot on their actual experience and what they saw at the clinics they worked in, but no description of their actual decision making process vs other careers. Thanks a lot in advance everyone! J Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers. Exercise and living a healthy lifestyle is my greatest passion in life. While many of my friends were inside playing video games, I was always outside engaging in physical activity. I felt such a sense of accomplishment from just running to the park or riding my bike around the block. As I got older, I started to play a lot of sports and found such clarity and freedom from it. I believe that being an exceptional physically active individual all my life has led me to firmly want to pursue something related exercise and fitness. During my sophomore year of high school I had the opportunity to shadow a physical therapist at an outpatient clinic. My experience at this facility immensely ignited my interest in physical therapy. The energy and liveliness that I got from the atmosphere was so appealing to me. I loved every single thing from watching patients being stretched out to them running through a series of exercises. I also found the mixture of the patients that came in to be stimulating. There were all types of patients ranging from athletes to elderly people all of which had different injuries. One significant event that I experienced was observing manipulations and strategies performed by the PT. I was very amazed to see that how his bare hands could have such a healing effect. I was in awe because I was so naive to think that injuries were treated by only prescriptions and drugs. After my experience at this clinic, I was strongly certain that PT was what I wanted to pursue. I entered James Madison University knowing that PT was what I wanted to pursue, but also with an open mind to other possibilities. My interest of the human body was greatly augmented by JMU’s unique anatomy department. Their department offered students to work with dried cadavers. It was so surreal to me that I was able to touch and see actual bones, muscles, tendons and organs. I was able to take it to the next level and take a wet cadaver dissection course. My knowledge of the human body went above and beyond of what I expected it to be for an undergraduate student. This whole experience inspired me even more to want to become a physical therapist. However, during the last year to a year and a half I felt a little compromised. I had the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant for anatomy lab for a couple of semesters. I found myself absolutely loving to teach other people about the human body. I also found an extreme satisfaction and rewarding feeling from it all. At this point, I was strongly convinced that I wanted to become a professor in anatomy. However, I spent more time thinking about it and found that PT was what I truly wanted. Although I loved to teach, I realized that I enjoyed helping people more physically. I also realized that physical therapists have the best of both worlds of being able to teach and help people physically. After graduating from JMU, I felt that I knew of the PT profession on paper but not by experience. The little time I spent observing a PT during high school did not do it justice. My employment at Integrated Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy brought great light to see this profession for what it truly is. This type of medicine is quite different from all others because patients are not simply just given a pill, but with special techniques and strategies applied patients are healed. I adore the fact that the ways PTs are trained and educated to treat patients are extremely holistic and natural. This is something very unique to me that cannot be found elsewhere, and it has ultimately lead me to know that I truly want to be a part of that. I believe that my passion for exercising and living a healthy lifestyle has transformed into something even greater from my journey. I was once focused on wanting to be physically healthy for myself, however I desire to want that for everyone. I am determined to provide all of services help others grow and improve. I firmly believe that physical therapy is what I am called to do. I hope to find and be given the opportunity to pursue it.