Transcript from Stirred By Words Episode 003: Health
Chrissy Holm (00:05):
Do you love words? Are you passionate about diving into meaningful conversations? Hi, welcome to Stirred By Words, a podcast that focuses on words and questions that impact our daily lives. I'm your host, Chrissy Holm, health educator, writer, curious creature, and now podcaster.
Chrissy Holm (00:41):
Today, we'll start with a health tip. This week, it's dancing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aka the CDC, scientists have found that the areas of the brain that control memory and skills, such as planning and organizing, improve with exercise. They say dance has added dimensions of rhythm, balance, music, a social setting, and it can be fun.
Chrissy Holm (01:06):
So how do you get moving? Well, dance to this song here in just a second. But note, if you are driving or unable to get up due to limited mobility, move your shoulders, your hands, or whatever you have available.
Chrissy Holm (02:37):
All right, that was pretty fun. Some other ways to get dancing are to sign up for a dance class like Zumba and invite your friends to join. Find classes at your local community college, YMCA, dance studio. Try dancing at home by following along with a DVD or videos on YouTube. Go back to your listening apparatus and move.
Chrissy Holm (03:10):
Now it's time for today's word. Health. Dictionary.com has a few definitions and here are two. Number one, the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor. For example, good health and poor health. Number two, soundness of body or mind, freedom from disease or ailment. For example, to have one's health or to lose one's health.
Chrissy Holm (03:36):
When I was preparing for this episode, and I wondered what a powerful question I could ask, and I went back and forth on this for a few days, and then it just hit me. When you hear the word health, what do you think of and why is it important? When I hear the word health myself, I think of health as kind of that umbrella term for many things. I think of nutrition, fitness, motivation, sleep, mental health, physical health, community health, and the list goes on and on and on. But to me, health is ongoing and it's a living, breathing thing.
Chrissy Holm (04:08):
Now, why is health important? My degree in public health and experiences in coaching and writing about health tells me that making healthy choices is good for your mind, body, and soul. On the other side of the coin, I'm well aware that not everything can be prevented. There are also the social determinants of health. If you're unfamiliar, the social determinants of health, or SDOH, are the conditions and the environments where people are born, they live, they learn, work, play, worship, and all of those affect a wide range of health. And it could be functioning, equality of life, it can be outcomes, risks, any of those things. For example, safe housing, transportation, neighborhoods, racism, discrimination, violence, education, job opportunities and more. Overall, to me, health is important because it's really part of that human condition. Whether you have it, you don't have it, you want to improve it, or you just don't care, to me, health really spans birth through death.
Chrissy Holm (05:12):
Next, we'll hear from Martina Clark, author of My Unexpected Life: An International Memoir of Two Pandemics, HIV, and COVID-19. Martina wrote in this, "When I hear the word health, I think of something that other people have. I tested positive for HIV 30 years ago, before viable treatment was available. And I believed my good health was automatically stripped away. The irony is that for the first 15 years of the diagnosis, almost nothing could be attributed directly to having HIV because I remained healthy. Perhaps I had a worse bout of something here or there, but nothing was really HIV-related. My body was still functioning as it was meant to and without medications, until it wasn't. And even then when I did fall ill, my body responded well to the medications and I bounced back quickly.
Chrissy Holm (06:08):
Indeed, I had COVID-19 in spring 2020, because I'm a virus overachiever and that's caused more problems in a short period of time than HIV ever did. And of course, I'm almost 58, an age I never thought I'd live to see. So I'm dealing with aging, and HIV still isn't my biggest problem. Intellectually, I know this sounds unreasonable, but emotionally it's hard to shake the notion that good health is not mine to be had. So I guess, for me, the take-home message is that the power of words and the lasting impact of a diagnosis can be nearly damaging as the illness itself, albeit in different ways. Words matter."
Chrissy Holm (06:53):
Next we'll hear from Genesis, joyful growth mindset coach, digital creator, and wellness instructor.
Genesis (07:00):
When I think of the word health, I think of so many things. It goes beyond eating an apple a day, or staying hydrated, or exercising. Total and complete health encompasses mind, body, and soul. How are your relationships around you? How is, most importantly, the relationships with yourself? Are you living a life that is true to you that you feel you can bloom and be authentically yourself and are able to bring joy and service to others? Are you able to be courageous enough to see that any bumps in the road are minor and that you've overcome them and you can do it again?
Genesis (07:40):
Health is so much more than what we see on the outside. It's a lot of the internal work on the inside. It's your mindset, your perspective, your outlook on life. And there's so many different ways to use a variety of modalities and tools to help you. Health is not a one-size-fits-all. There is not one specific way for a person to get healthy. It's all tailored and dependent on what your needs are and what makes you feel healthiest. That's why it's so great to be able to explore all the different things to find what fits.
Chrissy Holm (08:25):
Today's Book recommendation is Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself, by Nedra Glover Tawwab. Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists on Instagram, Nedra demystifies this complex topic for today's world. In a relatable, inclusive tone, Set Boundaries, Find Peace presents simple yet powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life. Rooted in the latest research and best practices used in cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT, these techniques help us identify and express our needs clearly and without apology, and unravel a root problem behind codependency, power struggles, anxiety, depression, burnout, and more. Nedra describes what healthy boundaries really mean and how we can be successful at expressing our needs, say no, and be assertive without offending others.
Chrissy Holm (09:23):
Before we wrap up the show, I encourage you to ask yourself a few questions. When you hear the word health, what do you think of and why is it important? If it's important to you, how do you make it a priority in your life? If it isn't important to you, what experiences have you had that bring up these feelings?
Chrissy Holm (09:48):
Send me a message on Instagram with your thoughts @chrissy.holm. And if you're enjoying the show, subscribe and share with your friends. If you're not enjoying the show, send me some feedback. You can email me at contact@chrissyholm.com.
Chrissy Holm (10:06):
Thanks for listening to episode three of Stirred By Words. This has been your host, Chrissy Holm. Until next time, keep learning new words, keep dancing, always ask questions, and stay curious, my friends.
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