After all, we know that the concept of being “healthy” means more than just getting to the gym or making the right food choices, or getting your yearly checkup. We know that to be healthy, we have to care about our mental health also. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” http://www.who.int/topics/mental_health/en/. The WHO has further stated that good mental health is an “integral and essential” part of a person’s overall health. Of course, achieving good mental health is not easy in today’s stressful world. But, many people overlook or neglect one key way of bolstering their mental health: having a strong social network. This means making and maintaining real connections with loved ones and friends, and not just online!

Coincidentally, Mother’s Day is just around the corner. While it is hard in the busy day-to-day to take as much time as we’d like to connect with our families, maintaining those connections is essential for good mental health. Mother’s Day provides a great excuse to reconnect or strengthen those connections we already have. So, skip the card, and pick up the phone, or better yet, visit. Sometimes a smile is the best connection of all.

Rachel Kent is an attorney living and working in San Francisco. She has a particular interest in health care and related law issues. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and hiking in and around the bay area. 

Despite these statistics, there is reason for hope. Current medications for asthma and COPD are more effective than ever before. Becoming an engaged and informed patient by learning about your medications and taking your medications as directed, avoiding triggers such as smoking or spending time around people who smoke, and becoming an active partner with your physician in maintaining good respiratory health are all critical. Taking charge of your asthma or COPD means not missing school or work and having little or no limitation in routine activities and exercise. If you are not achieving these goals, talk with your physician.

You would not pay for a car or a flat screen television without knowing all about what you were buying. You would do your research, learn the facts, and figure how to get a good deal. You would then go to the salesperson and discuss the purchase to make sure you got the best deal for your time and your money. While our health is so much more valuable than material purchases, we often invest far too little of our time and effort into staying healthy. We are far too passive when we meet with our doctors. We often expect or demand far less from our doctor than we do from salespeople. We usually get our cars serviced regularly to make sure they continue to run well. Yet, far too few of us get physicals annually to make sure our bodies run at least as well as our cars.

Breathing is something we all take for granted, but our lives are greatly dependent on it. Take charge today, take your medicines, avoid triggers, and let your doctor know if you are not doing as well as you think you should be doing. Become a strong partner with your doctor so every breath is your very best.

LeRoy M. Graham Jr., MD, FCCP, is Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine and Staff Physician at Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center, Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital, and Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, he is a partner at Georgia Pediatric Pulmonology Associates, PC, a private practice in Atlanta. Dr. Graham is a member of the ACCP Board of Regents and was recently named to the ACCP Diversity Task Force, also serving as chair of the Task Force’s subcommittee on education and research. The task force was commissioned to address health disparities attributable to respiratory disease. Dr. Graham is proud to be the founder and medical director of Not One More Life, Inc. (NOML), a not-for-profit (501c3) organization. NOML partners with communities of faith to provide free programs for screening, education, referral, and outcome monitoring to address the disparities in morbidity and mortality attributable to asthma and other lung diseases among urban minority populations.

Not so fast, I say, as long as we stay with chocolate candy. There’s an increasing amount of scientific evidence that chocolate is actually good for us. Consider this:

• A new Swedish study of more than 30,000 women followed for 10 years reported that those who ate at least 45 grams of chocolate per week (about two candy bars) had a 20% lower risk of stroke than those who ate less than 9 grams of chocolate per week (Larsson et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;58(17):1828-1829).
• A review of seven studies found that five of the studies showed an association between higher levels of chocolate consumption and reductions in cardiovascular disease and stroke risk (Buitrago-Lopez et al. BMJ. 2011;343:d4488).
• Several studies, including a 2010 German study of more than 19,000 people followed for more than 8 years, found that the 25% of people who consumed the most chocolate had lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart attack and stroke (Buijsse et al. Eur Heart J. 2010;31(13):1616-1623).

What is it about chocolate? Cocoa and chocolate are high in polyphenol antioxidants, especially flavanols. These compounds appear to have multiple beneficial actions, which include reducing inflammation, improving vascular health principally by reducing blood clotting, and lowering levels of “bad” cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (Galleano M et al. J Cardiovasc Pharma. 2009;54:483).

So, you may even help that special person’s health by giving chocolates this year. Stick to dark chocolate (more flavanols) and avoid confections with sugary, gooey centers. If you want to dress it up a bit, choose chocolate with almonds (a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids) or some other nut or fruit bark, and your gift will be a real hit. Have a happy, healthy Valentine’s Day!

Janet R. Maurer, MD, MBA, FCCP, is Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, and a clinical advisor at National Imaging Associates, where she is responsible for providing oversight to clinical teams and ensuring adherence to evidence-based guidelines. She is an active Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and active member of the American Thoracic Society (ATS). Her ACCP leadership involvement has included being a trustee of The CHEST Foundation; Chair of the AQuIRE Committee; and a member of the Quality Improvement and Health and Science Policy Committees. She has worked extensively in developing programs to help people stay well by developing healthy living habits and by learning to self-manage chronic disease.

• Whole Foods Market Recipes App. This free iPhone® app allows you to specify your dietary needs and search by ingredient. Recipes also list nutritional information and cooking instructions.

•  Choosemyplate.gov. This site’s SuperTracker gives you personalized nutrition and physical activity plans, tracks your food and physical activities, and provides tips and support to make healthy choices.

• Digifit App. This free iPhone® app is great for tracking workouts. It maps your route; gives you time, distance, and speed; and also tracks your weight, blood pressure, and sleeping habits. The app provides voice feedback, charts your overall workout stats, and allows you to share your fitness routine with friends via Facebook and e-mail.  Plus, you can integrate your iTunes® music into your workout.

• LiveStrong’s MyQuit Coach. This free quit smoking app helps with goal setting, gives helpful tips for quitting smoking, lets you track your daily progress and personal motivations for quitting, offers a community of people also working to quit smoking, and provides financial and health data to motivate you to quit. More than 1,000 people have reviewed the app in the app store, and it has received a 4.5 star rating.

• OneBreath®. Resources are available covering all nine prevention areas.

Which technology tools or Web sites do you use for help in meeting your health goals?  Be sure to share on OneBreath’s Facebook wall at www.facebook.com/onebreathorg.

1.    Take a 30-minute walk. Walking can help decrease your risk for type 2 diabetes, help you manage your weight, and lower your blood pressure. Here are some tips from the Mayo Clinic on how to get started walking for exercise.

2.     Check out quick and healthy recipes online for dinner ideas. The Cooking Light magazine Web site offers hundreds of Superfast 20-Minute Cooking Recipes.

3.     Try some simple desk yoga. Ladies’ Home Journal offers 10 poses that will help you relieve stress and keep you alert during your workday.

4.     Write down a few things you are thankful for. The Change Blog’s article titled, “How Gratitude Can Change Your Life” explains the benefits of recognizing and recording gratitude.

5.     Call a friend for a quick chat.

6.     Register yourself for a weekend dance, yoga, or fitness class.

7.     Get inspired by checking out a TED talk on a topic of interest.

8.     Drink a glass of water. WebMD outlines six reasons to stay hydrated.

9.     Listen to your favorite music at your desk on Spotify for free.

10. Check out the OneBreath^®  Healthy Resolutions contest.

What suggestions do you have for mood lifters during lunch? How do you keep yourself moving at work? Share your ideas at facebook.com/onebreathorg.

Eat fish. Research continues to show that people who eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, cod, and albacore tuna, have a lower risk for developing heart disease. Results of this recent study offer even more support. Add fish to your diet at least two times a week for a positive impact on your heart health.

Choose healthy foods when eating out. Choosemyplate.gov gives excellent tips on how to select healthy foods when eating away from home. You don’t have to give up dining out, but making healthier choices can trim your waistline and improve your overall health.

Plan your meals ahead. Planning ahead before you go to the grocery store will help you choose healthier options, such as fruits and vegetables; avoid junk food temptations; and even save you money. Check out these links for more information on meal planning:

• My Pyramid Meal Planner http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/
• How to save time and money at the grocery store http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=11628
• How to plan and prepare healthy and inexpensive family dinners http://www.ehow.com/way_5283311_healthy-inexpensive-family-dinners.html

Snack smart. Keep healthy snacks at your desk, such as almonds, low-fat cheese, whole-grain crackers, or carrot sticks and hummus. Having healthy snacks handy when a mid-afternoon lull sets in will make you less likely to reach for the candy dish.

Are you making any small changes in your eating and cooking habits to help you meet your new year’s healthy resolution?  Share your ideas at facebook.com/onebreathorg.

There are six ways to enter the contest, and you can enter multiple times.

1.      “Like” OneBreath on Facebook.

2.      Share your healthy resolutions on our Facebook wall. (https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/OneBreath/163703196974528)

3.     Become a member of OneBreath.org. Register here. https://onebreath.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=290

4.     Follow #onebreathorg on Twitter.

5.     Tweet your healthy resolutions and tag @onebreathorg and #healthyresolutions.

6.     Tweet about your healthy resolutions and encourage your friends to make their resolutions using @onebreathorg and #healthyresolutions.

We encourage you to tell your friends and family about this contest via Facebook post, tweet, or e-mail, or send a Healthy Resolutions e-card https://www.onebreath.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=364 to encourage healthy habits in 2012 and support OneBreath’s mission!

The winner will be selected randomly and will be announced and notified on OneBreath’s Facebook wall.
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