myPHR

If you are looking for a resource to find out how to start a PHR, find out what a PHR is all about or just find stories about why a PHR is a good idea I recommend myPHR.com. While you are there you will find Jakoter Health Organizers as a resource and be sure to look for my articles in the parents blog. I would love for you to comment or to hear your thoughts.

Thank you!

1. Start tracking your family’s health history before there is a problem. By keeping a running log of all health-related incidents (i.e. tetanus shots, flu shots, ear infections, prescriptions taken, etc.) for each member of the family, you’ll be able to provide doctors with a complete and accurate family medical history if needed.

2. Check out the family tree. Compile a list of diseases and medical conditions that are common among relatives in your family. Identifying illnesses you are at a higher-risk of contracting may spur the doctor to recommend preventative treatment or tests for early detection.

3. Record symptoms and health-related activities in a calendar. Having a time line of symptoms can help doctors identify trends that may impact diagnosis. For example, flu-like symptoms that occur at the same time every year may be an allergy rather than a cold. Migraines clustered around a menstrual cycle may be related to hormonal fluctuations. And more than four ear infections in a year could lead to more aggressive treatment than another round of antibiotics.

4. Journal symptoms as they occur. Don’t wait until the doctor’s appointment to try and remember every pain or abnormal feeling you’ve experienced since the last visit. Seemingly unrelated symptoms may prompt the doctor to try different tests or treatments than originally planned. Frequent urination, for example, may indicate a bladder infection. But excessive urination coupled with fatigue and persistent thirst, may be a sign of diabetes or another more serious condition.

5. Write out questions and answers. Again, don’t rely on memory to make the most of doctor visits. Write questions down ahead of time and then write the doctor’s response next to each question. The personal Q&A will be a handy reference later and can assist in communicating with family members or caregivers who might have similar concerns.

6. Keep health information in one place. Keep all health-related documents including family medical history, symptom journals, test results, immunization charts, list of prescriptions taken, insurance coverage, blood work, question/answer sheets, etc. in one organized binder. Having the information at your fingertips can be a real timesaver and it can also help ensure everybody involved in taking care of an ailing family member has the information to do so properly.

I always think about the peace of knowing that your personal health infomation is at hand anytime ready to be used in case of an emergency, basically organized. I also believe this peace would make a wonderful gift to your loved ones or yourself. But, as a read an article I realized that this sense of peace should and could be taken a step further.

Having your life in order is something we should all do but having our end of life written and plans set as to not make this a burden on our families is also the sense of peace that would make for a wonderful present that will have a huge impact in the future. Please read Mom’s Gift Is a Gift You Can Give Your Loved Ones, Too by Trisha Torrey. In the article you will be able to click on a link to help you find all the documentation you will need.

The Ultimate Gift, leaving your children with the sense of peace by giving them a plan of your wishes. Set up your DNR, Health Care Proxy and Organ Donor Status. Find information here. Sometimes the gift is just in the palnning.

Whats on your holiday wish list this year?

When giving a gift to someone with health issues a practical gift can truly be a life saving present.

Organizing your health as been made simple with Jakoter Health Organizer and the Medic Tag .

Fill in the blanks provided and keep your medical information updated.

Other great holiday gifts:

Achoo Allergy is a great place to shop for allergy people. Peanut, airborne you name it. They have a gift for you!

Mario Badescu Skin Care is the place for anyone with sensitive skin. Try the rose spray or the egg shampoo.

To Health and Happiness!

Be Healthy With Organic Food

Today’s society is vigilant towards consciousness for health and people are constantly searching for factors that are able to give them an edge for achieving to be healthy. We all know that healthy diet, constant physical activity regime, and sufficient rest have profound impact upon our entire vitality. Subsequently, there are an overwhelming number of groups who swear that organic food is extremely beneficial for the overall health of individuals.

How Are Organic Foods Produced?
Produced in organic farms, these foods are grown under stern supervision and guidelines and are packaged and grown without using any pesticides, man-made fertilizers, preservatives, artificial colorings and other chemicals. Non-organic products are subjected to various chemicals, which are usually not thoroughly studied so that their effects over the consumers’ body can be understood and contemplated. These chemicals may be linked to anything from some types of cancer to food allergies.

Benefits Of Consuming Organic Food
One of the main advantages of consuming organic food is that these food products are not at all subjected to any unreliable substances. Dairy and meat products prepared under organic principles are also free from any form of chemicals. Non-organic agricultural farmers usually subject the livestock to various chemical supplements designed for speeding their weight and growth. Further, cows in the dairies are given chemicals for increasing their milk productivity.

As per the guidelines for organic foods, the livestock is reared without using any antibiotics or growth hormones and are not genetically modified in any way. The benefits of organic foods are that the livestock are given only organic feed which is free from chemicals and supplements.

Another advantage of consuming organic food is its friendliness to the environment. The non-organic foods are treated through chemicals, which are responsible to change the landscape and contaminate the surrounding ground and water supplies. The ground in which organic food is grown experiences no changes. Making commitment towards using organic foods will make you healthy as the benefits of organic foods lie in enjoying natural whole foods free of chemicals.

As the benefits of organic foods are long lasting and varied to the environment, the decision for going organic is responsible and a healthy one.

In several countries, the producers of organic foods need to get an organic certification so that they can advertise their food products as organic. Chemical free food products are not able to cure any existing illness but are believed to reduce the risks of intoxication of the body, thereby leading to lesser health related problems. The market of organic foods has been fast developing, as the customers are becoming increasingly health conscious and aware about the after effects of pesticides and chemical fertilizers used in crops on their health.

Virtually, everyone may agree that organic vegetables, fruits, fish and meats are preferred to non-organic foods grown with insecticides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers. At present, non-organic food growers are allowed to make use of more than 1000 chemicals upon their crops, which may heavily lead to soil erosion because of over-farming to the dangerous toxics running off into drinking water.

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Please visit the following websites for more information:

http://www.organicfoodguides.com

http://www.herbalsupplementstips.com

Medical Information Organizing

Medical information organizing sounds agonizing! Well, really it is not as anguishing as it sounds. Just follow these steps and you will be well on your way to having your health organized in case of an emergency.

•  If possible grab an already made health organizer or flash drive to save time.

•  Once you do have your health organized, make the most of it!

o Make copies of your medication list and bring it with you to your appointments.

o Bring your questions to your healthcare visits.

o Keep your organizer/flash drive updated.

•  Take time to make yourself safe if something should happen.

Medical information you should keep organized.

Important Information – If you do just one thing do this page! Take it with you if you need to go to the emergency room or an acute care center.
Write/type your name, date of birth, health conditions, allergies, surgeries, medications and person to contact in an emergency and any other important information, so that if needed there is a one-page overview of yourself or loved one. Put anything you feel is important in…ANYTHING!!!

Medication – Write/type a list of the medications you are taking, what dose, when you take them and what you take the medication for for. The start date of the medication is also helpful.

Insurance Information – Write/type down your insurance company’s phone number, your group or policy number, address, and anything else pertinent to your insurance. If you have supplemental insurance that should be included as well.

Emergency Numbers – Write/type your important phone numbers, i.e. ICE (in case of emergency) Keep these updated!

Family History - Filling this out might be tedious, but once it is recorded, you will always have it for future reference. Make sure that you keep it updated.

Major Events – A major event can be a broken bone, surgery, or a trip to the urgent care center for any reason. Write/type your major events for easy reference.

Immunizations - Keep track of your last flu, tetanus and all immunizations. Your doctor’s office should still have records.

Appointments – Keep a running list of your appointments, (date, who, why and the results).

Questions & Answers – You know how everyone is telling you what to ask? Now give yourself a place to write/type it out before you get to your appointment. Make sure you get your answers. Write/type these out for reference as well.

Notes – Remember to date your notes.

Feel Charts – These can be headaches records, long illnesses, pain, moods, or even food charts. Remember to date your charts!

Blood Work – Diagnostic Test Results You can ask your healthcare provider for a copy! Highlight dates and anything unusual. The doctor’s office should still have a copy, but it is useful if you are referred to another office to have your own copy. Type the place and information in your flash drive if you are using one and/or place the hard copy results in your health organizer.

Remember this is your information, recorded your way, so that you can understand it.

September is National Preparedness Month sponsored by U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Ready Campaign, please visit ready.gov. Be prepared with your health as well as everything else in your life!