Spring Cleaning

                                                       

Spring into Cleaning up your Health

This winter has been brutal, snow since November, arctic blasts lasting weeks on end. It has been never ending, but March brings hope that warmth will soon be on its way. Spring cleaning is a great way to start off spring, but spring cleaning does not solely involve your house or garage. Many forget that spring is the perfect time to clean up your habits to improve your overall health. Here are some tips to jump start your spring cleaning to improve your health:

• Visit your local farmer’s market. By adding colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet you can increase the amount and types of nutrients your body receives. Benefits to incorporating fruits and veggies into your diet include: lowering your blood pressure, lowering your cholesterol, lowering your risk of eye and digestive problems, and increasing the amount of fiber in your diet to keep you satiated. Not only can you find healthy produce at your farmer’s market, but you are also supporting local businesses.
• Schedule your annual health screens and checkups. This does not only include visiting your primary care physician, but also, your dentist. Checkups allow you to develop a relationship with your physician, and provides education regarding important numbers that every adult should know. This includes blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, blood sugar, and body mass index. Depending on your age and health status, your physician can provide you with a time line of when important medical screens should occur, which will help prevent illness.
• Clean out your medicine cabinet.
  • Check expiration dates, medicines that are past their shelf life are not as effective.
  • Look at what the pills in the bottle actually look like. Check to see if the color, consistency, or odor has changed. Are they stuck together? If you notice any of these changes, dispose of them.
• Get outside… It’s SPRING! The best way to improve your health is to get active! Walk your dog, take your kids on a bike ride, register for a 5K or try something new altogether. Staying active and taking in the great outdoors will help improve your mood and beat those winter blues.

Spring is a great time to improve healthy habits. Take advantage of the sun shine and warmer weather, it is well deserved after 4 months of shoveling snow!!!

-Heather Finnegan, DPT