The Health eCommunity

If it takes 21 days to develop a habit, I am 17 days away from getting at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day.

If it takes 21 days to develop a habit, I am 18 days away from getting at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day.

If it takes 21 days to develop a habit, I am 19 days away from getting at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day.

I find it kind of funny.  When I envisioned The Health eCommunity, I saw an app for the community.  Yet, I find myself handing out fresh vegetables, grown in a community garden started by this project, to my neighbors .  I wanted to make a difference and I wanted to "give back" to show an appreciation for a lifetime of blessings I did not earn.

Weight management

I did not know how difficult it is to manage your weight until I joined TOPS Club, Inc. 

It takes quite a bit of effort.  Consistently.  Constantly.  Don't be fooled by a person's size.  Whether small, medium, large, or anything in between it's difficult to control that number that pops up when one steps on the scale.  For that reason, I offer a tip of the 'ol hat to fellow travelers on this weight management journey.

Maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of obtaining optimal health.  Joining TOPS connects you with others and provides support resources to help reach and maintain your weight goals.  You don't have to go it alone...

They’re both likely to be harbingers of decline.  Read more as we discuss chronic disease and ways to fight back against it.

Do you know the name of the medications you're taking?

What is your relationship like with your prescription medications? Are you in tune with the medications you take on a daily basis? I must admit that I too have been guilty of this lack of knowledge in the past. Most of us are unaware of the consequences of being out of touch with this most important task of the day. Why is it so important? Some medications can cause severe adverse reactions, and some have known to be fatal when you are taking multiple medications prescribed by your primary care physician (PCP).

You can avoid becoming one of these statistics by becoming actively involved in learning everything you can about your medications. Ask your PCP to review your medications, with you whenever you have a doctor visit, use this time to ask any questions or concerns that you may have, your local pharmacist is also another great resource, if you’re purchasing over the counter medications (non-prescription meds) there’s always a pharmacist to ask for advice on what to purchase or how a new medication might affect what you’re already taking.

If you are hospitalized, you have an extra resource such as your nurse who can help answer questions since it is her/his job to educate you while in her care.

TOPS Club, Inc. is an affordable weight-loss program; compare it to Jenny Craig's.  Visit the TOPS website to find a chapter to join or create your own.

I like to think of personalized medicine or precision medicine in terms of Baymax, a lovable, personal companion robot from the Disney Animated film Big Hero 6.  Precision medicine takes the guesswork out of knowing if a particular drug will do for YOU what it was made to do.