health

American Heart Month

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I hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s Day. The red hearts of love were all around.

The American Heart Association has designated February to be concerned with another heart, the muscle that keeps you alive. If you haven’t had your cholesterol or blood pressure checked for a while now would be a good time to call your doctor for an annual checkup. If you have heart disease in your family there are many things you can do to reduce your risks.

Fortunately, heart disease is one of the health issues where your lifestyle can make a big difference. My father had a heart attack at age 52 (he survived it) back in 1978. The whole family learned how to eat better and exercise more. My husband has controlled his blood pressure through diet and exercise for years. It is very prevalent in his family and he works hard to avoid having to take medicine to control it.

No matter what your age it is important to know your numbers for cholesterol and blood pressure. This month start to learn all you can to adopt a healthy lifestyle. That way your heart, the muscle that keeps you alive, can enjoy many Valentine’s Days to come.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Decluttering Expired First-Aid Supplies

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When I write my tip newsletters I write about things I have done and know that they work for me. I also write about things that I may not do all the time so I will research the subject online. Cleaning out expired first-aid supplies is one of those.

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I printed out a list of supplies from the Mayo Clinic. Then I went and checked my first-aid kit. I keep my supplies in a clear plastic shoe box on a shelf in the hall closet. While checking the dates on the antibiotic cream and the anti-itch cream I found that both were expired. Yikes! I threw them out and put both on my shopping list. I will replace them this week.

I keep my prescription medicines in the kitchen pantry in another clear shoe box. I will check those meds to see if I need to dispose of any old ones. My newsletter mentioned some of the ways to properly dispose of old medicines. The Whitehouse website has more information.

If you have any other ideas on what to keep in a first-aid kit and keep it current, then please let me know in the comment section. Thanks.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Groundhog Day

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It’s Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil, the official groundhog, has seen his shadow. Six more weeks of winter. I’m tired of looking at snow, brown grass, leafless trees, and gray skies. Six more weeks seems like a long time. Let’s hope Phil is wrong.

If you want to find out more about Groundhog day or see pictures from today’s celebration then check out this site. http://www.groundhog.org/

As I was researching info for my monthly newsletter (if you’re not signed up to receive it then please do so on the right sidebar) I found out that February is a month of observances for health awareness. Since we supposedly have six more weeks of winter and four of those are in February then it may be a good time to make some of those annual check-ups with your health providers.

This Friday is “National Wear Red Day“. Wear red to support women’s heart disease awareness. It’s the number one killer of women in the United States. There are lots of ways to reduce the risk of heart disease for yourself or your loved ones. Now is a good time to start.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Mental Clutter

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Early this week I had a bad cold. I’m in the sixth week of radiation treatment for breast cancer and I’m beginning to feel the fatigue I was told would happen. Because of these two things I had a hard time focusing on writing my weekly newsletter and this blog.

Even though logic tells me the above excuses are legitimate the negative thoughts began creeping into my brain. You know the kind; thoughts about how you always procrastinate, you’ll never learn to be organized, you’re a failure. These are the kind of thoughts that make you feel down about yourself. Lose your confidence. Lose your enthusiasm. These are mental clutter!

I recognized these thoughts as such and worked at decluttering them from my brain. I talked about it in my weekly newsletter. (If you aren’t receiving my free newsletters then please sign up on the sidebar.)

Here are the four steps I use to clear out the mental clutter.

1. Recognize when mental clutter is starting to accumulate.
2. Acknowledge that these negative thoughts are only clutter and not the truth.
3. Visualize the thoughts as physical clutter and clear them out of your mind.
4. Repeat the process as often as necessary.

If you have other ways to clear out the mental clutter please post a comment. I know I would appreciate any tips you have and I’m sure my readers would also.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Renewed Dreams

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As 2008 comes to a close I’m looking back on the past year to see what has been accomplished and what hasn’t. My tendency, like most people, is to focus on the negative or what wasn’t done as opposed to the positive. We all look for excuses for our so called “failings”. Then get mad at ourselves for using them. Life is always throwing curve balls so many of these excuses are legitimate. I know I am too hard on myself. Are you?

The end of the year is a good time to absorb the meaning of the words in the serenity payer.

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.”

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

There are many times where we don’t have control over our lives. There are also many times we do.

At the beginning of 2008 I made the decision to pursue my dream of writing by combining it with a long running interest in home organization. I set up this blog and started a website. I write a weekly and monthly newsletter. My goal was to write e-books with more in-depth information and sell them. Things were going according to plan until June when I was diagnosis with breast cancer. A big curve ball!

So my plans and goals for 2008 were force to be changed. A legitimate excuse. I have tried to keep up the newsletters but the e-books have not been completed.

I have finished the chemotherapy and currently am in the middle of radiation treatments. I will have a ninety minute IV drip of a targeted drug (Herceptin) every three weeks till next July. So 2009 will continue to be somewhat controlled by health issues. At least there is an end in sight.

So my plans and goals for 2009 will have to adjust to what did and did not happen the past year. I’m sure many of you have had to deal with curve balls in your life this past year. Whether it is health issues, economic issues, or any other problems you didn’t expect, remember that a new year is upon us. It’s time to renew our dreams and have the courage to change what we can to make them happen.

Happy New Year.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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