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Steps To Optimal Living

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 28, 2009

At every age of our life cycle, many factors come together to create our health and well being. Mental health is just one of these important factors and often is a result of the combination of them.

Until recently, our health care system had been primarily a disease-care system, but now there is an evolutionary progress toward a disease-prevention one. In February of this year, the Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, is convening a "Summit on Integrative Medicine and Health of the Public," emphasizing features that combine the best therapies of traditional medicine with alternative medicines such as meditation, acupuncture, yoga and herbal remedies.

This seems difficult for some of us to digest because we have been conditioned to think of medical care as old or new drugs or surgical procedures. This type of life-long conditioning can make us not give enough credit for the state of our health to our lifestyle or the simple daily choices of how and what we eat, how much we exercise, how we respond to stress or the quality of our relationships with family and friends.

All scientific studies confirm that these are as significant to our health and well being, as are the resources of our traditional disease-oriented healthcare systems. The positive proof and message is we are much more in control of our health than was previously believed!

In keeping with our Coalition's focus on health and wellness, the Sun City Center for Mental Health and Aging is sponsoring Dr. Kevin O'Neil as our guest speaker on Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. in the Florida Room at the Atrium. Dr. O'Neil is a gerontologist and medical director of Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. His subject will be "Six Steps to Optimal Living."

The seminar is free and open to the public. Wine and cheese will be served following the speech. We hope to see you there.

Loys Rafferty is a psychologist and author. She contributes this column on behalf of the Sun City Center for Mental Health and Aging. She can be reached at (813)634-0902 or by e-mailing raffbob@aol.com.

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