healthliteracy

Snow melts, let’s move on from the Covid pandemic !

The latest big news 📰 on the pandemic when trusted expert, Harvard doc and occupational health specialist Dr. Stefanos Kales speaks we listen. He was the first to address the preventive power of face masks during the pandemic and now says let’s “move on”! check out his interview.
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Recently many parts of the globe 🌎 experienced extreme snow ❄️ ⛄️ even as far as the Middle East. Just like some endemic diseases, climate changes are here to stay. But as with all we learn and move on.

A couple of years ago our post on “snow literacy” proves current today. The earth 🌍 of extremes — floods, snow emergencies in winter months, more floods and extreme heat 🥵 causing fire 🔥 in summer months.

This year started with a big “snow ball” in greater Athens, and all parts of Greece which are unaccustomed to so much snow… although children live for “forced snow days” — the perfect ‘powder snow’ can turn into sticky mayhem that can make many adults very unhappy and life can suddenly become treacherous on the roads or in the home (power outages or worse fires 🔥). It’s the first time that the National road had hundreds stranded causing the government an unneeded headache and necessity to reimburse drivers.  Some narratives still show that our snow literacy  ❄️  ⛄️ is severely lacking.

There are many types of snow that one can find from places like the ‘National Snow and Ice Data Center’ (Types of Snow, NSIDC). We all can remember at least once making those wonderful snow angels so why ruin that pleasantry with a tragedy film of small-town America which received low reviews this past decade (Snow Angels from the New York Times Review).

Snow melts, hence ice, hence slippage and likely injury.  You need to sweep and shovel the snow, throw sand or salt on it as it melts, and at night when it is colder tread carefully (including appropriate shoes, and car tires) or not at all.  Avoid slipping, sliding, to prevent injury. Of course on the other hand, some physical therapists, orthopedics and sports doctors will have some extra work!

Question #1 — do most societies experience high violent crimes especially by teens and young adults due to CoVid lockdown?  as these years are the highest age of ‘sensation-seeking behaviors’ and the pent-up energy needs to be redirected into a more positive societal outlook? 

Question #2 — can parents afford to not go to work because their kids stay home? Why do kids with few symptoms COVID positive need to stay home 🏡 more  than 4-5 days? Focus on immunity building and as for the snow, some municipalities do not have enough snow plowing machines, and worse no salt to throw on the ice.

Question #3 — unrealistic expectations from some people — do you expect the government to actually plow your front door and sidewalk ? 😱 change policy and change thinking, buy a snow shovel and salt. Take some personal responsibility. This learned helplessness attitude needs to change.

Yes indeed, snow literacy should be one of the fundamentals of survival and overall health literacy AND yes 🙌 we need to move on from a “pandemic”, the data speaks !

One might think it was the Swiss Alps! Attica, Greece 2022
Photo by Rulo Davila on Pexels.com
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Can Control, Can’t Control this Season

10 sessions of 3 hours each in a small town via an educational after-school center for adults in their 20s through 60s is a perfect brief psycho-educational time frame to help gear up for life or holiday stress!

We learn self-appreciation, community growth and appreciation of what we have (see Rovaniemi) or what we can change, a foundation in Spirituality and better understanding the connection between physical and mental health. We may gain some weight from that yummy cake but hey so what? we need it for winter ”cushing”! What would Santa 🎅🏻 be like without that extra belly fat and heartfelt ”ho ho ho”? Loved this infographic RING 🥰 (from Brianna Vieria) along with our chocolate cake with apple garnish “ring”… apple 🍏 🍎 garnish for some extra fiber.

Back to what you CAN control 4 simple steps:

  1. Amounts of water you drink daily, and being aware of where it comes from!
  2. Your impulses with a little breathing work. Truly like this ”urge surfing” meditation to help us control the uncontrollable (over-eating, or reacting)
  3. Develop a can-do attitude by starting a list and giving yourself credit for what you have accomplished DAILY; with this a Gratitude list for what you have! Be grateful to God and more will come.
  4. Cleaner space – cleaner you…. once you get started room by room it feels and looks great 👍🏽 The Kondo method see Cleaning House 🏡 post-method is a smart move … and how about a 🌹 rose in winter? along with those chestnuts…

Thoughts – November!

Food for thought this November, happy month !

The birds ”stock up“ How about you?

Every year I have observed a pattern of birds (pigeons) eating olives whose Omega 3 nutrient is much needed for their wings and stocking up for winter survival. Fot sure each season has its foods (see last post!) and what about long-term survival?

Some food for thought from the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glascow, Scotland — we cannot have the earth as a “dumping ground” anymore a wake-up call for individuals, communities and governments to take action for the environment!
oh oh OH!

“Novembre” by Italian singer G. Ferreri

Hats off for Teachers

Someone once said that we underestimate the hours and personal time that teachers and doctors put in to care for their students and patients. October is health literacy month and if we want to have healthy societies we start by having good and trusting relationships with our caretakers and teachers. Take the time to thank them for all that they do!

Burnout is a common symptom now with Covid19 and we need to recognize it and do more self care! WHO recognizes the burnout syndrome as “an occupational phenomenon” (site link). It is normal to have “low moments” as long as we see the long-term benefits.

A few years ago we presented under the auspices of Eimai leadership institute Peacejam Greece on community issues including health literacy, and community affects of vandalistic style graffiti. Indeed we start with one child, one student at a time.

Teaching has its benefits seeing students become more confident and grow, makes it all worth the stressful moments ! However I’ll agree with fellow blogger about digital fatigue, this is why we need to work on mindfulness (stop and move away) as well as our daily doses of vitamin D (sunlight preferred), vitamin C with careful attention to not “over supplement”, some exercise even walking, and sleep as much as possible even power naps ! In thinking of self-care we thank our “angels”for guiding our lives to better health and a bit of “healing music”.

Let’s keep talking how tech can HELP and how they do not….or how much TIME they take from learning to live? Some food for thought….

The importance of light

One month in quarantine. There is light at the end of the tunnel with the Covid19 insanity and seemingly as some experts say there are some medications in the works (see Vox post). There are many side effects with some people, and individual differences with treatment (I do not want to talk vaccine as the nature of this disease transforming into subtypes is very concerning), and confusion of symptoms see blog post by Paleohacks.

Until then it’s important to keep up with keeping healthy in these seemingly “dark” hours, remember to follow the rainbow after the storm. Keep building immunity, walk daily at least 20 minutes in your home (loved this 15 minute video), on sunlit days at a distance, in your neighborhood away from that screen! With or without your pet or kids. Slow or fast, just keep it up!

You can see, learn, and run into amazing nature! Even people you know !

I am running-walking more despite the fact I have more online work staying up later, as we all lose our patience, gaining a few pounds /kilos! As each year we picked our chamomile — that wonder herb that can be even used as an antiseptic eye compress (see Spring pickings). This time closer to home as all are cleaner due to less traffic! It’s amazing to see how nature should be. We all need to do immunity building and social (physical) distancing.

A Poppy for your thoughts…

Sunlight makes our world function as it is important for plant photosynthesis, it increases our melatonin (the brain hormone Serotonin goes up and is important for mood and sleep), increasing doses of vitamin D for better health! Those of us who suffer from seasonal affective disorder understand this well. Some who do get enough light may need special lamps in darker winter months. And as experts recommend it’s the “blue light” that matters in light therapy.

Do you also know that sunlight disinfects? It is a Greek term called heliotherapy so it’s a good idea to hang out your clothes (even your shoes sole side up), sleep blankets, comforters, and pillows for a natural “bug killer”. My good ER doctor friend in the frontlines (🙏we pray for her!) and also has her own site healthyselfhealthyworld, uses it for her gear as we know those are sometimes scarce and it can be a risk.

I find myself doing leg exercises as I’m on hold for a half hour or more for calls or online purchases — it doesn’t work people, and no I cannot wait for one week for supermarket orders ! So take the risk with your “gear” (mask and gloves, antiseptic!) …. in the evening listen to immune building music 🎵 as it seems to work for many and that light from your candle can be a great source of inner peace and a “heavenly place” to pray or meditate.

Find your inner peace


These two weeks millions around the globe celebrate(d) Easter (Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox one week apart). As Jesus once said “I am the Light of the World” at no other time have we needed our faith — regardless of one’s religion — as prayer and meditation are beneficial to the brain and the development of neural synapses and emotional stability and expression.

Absolutely loved my friend Isabelle’s photo inside her apartment in Austria for Easter! It reminds me how city living especially needs strategic placement of real or artificial light.

One blogger talked about her experience in quarantine with a view of the NYC Empire building lit up red to symbolize the heartbeat 💗 of the city and keep people going in this Covid19 pandemic (Beautybeyondbones Easter post for 2020 on NYC’s Beating Heart).

Keep writing my friends to spread that light to the world.