News Flash - January 2006

In this Edition

1. New Years Message from Lysaght Peoplecare 2. Tackling Those New Years Resolutions 3. Important Dates for 2006

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New Years Message From Lysaght Peoplecare

The celebration of New Year is one of the oldest of all holidays we still celebrate to this day. It was first celebrated in ancient Babylon approximately 4000 years ago where the celebrations lasted 11 days in total and aligned with the first days of spring. Although we have lost much of the earlier significance of celebrating the beginning of the season of growth and rebirth, these themes are still celebrated through our modern day version of our 'New Year resolutions'.

.......and so now that the New Year has finally arrived, we are presented again with the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and begin the year with renewed enthusiasm and fresh optimism. It is with this thought that all the staff at Lysaght Peoplecare would like to wish our members a productive year of new opportunities, happiness & above all excellent health.

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Tackling Those New Years Resolutions

1. Quit Smoking

Not only does it make you smell bad, stain your fingers and teeth, destroy your taste buds, and cost hundreds of dollars a year, it can cause a variety of diseases such as cancer which can kill you and others around you. If you would like to quit smoking but don't know where to start, have a look at the links below for organisation that will support you.

• Quit Now

• Action on Smoking and Health Australia

• Asthma Australia

• Tobacco in Australia: Facts & Issues

• Australia Council on Smoking & Health

2. Eat Healthy Food

More than 10 million Australian are overweight, so it is not surprising to find that eating healthy food is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a healthy diet, and the key to success for those millions of Australians who made a New Year's commitment to shed extra kilos.

• Heart Foundation - Healthy Eating

• Nutrition Australia

• Weight Management

• The Gut Foundation

• Active for Life

3. Drink more water

Millions of Australians don't drink enough water each day. If you feel thirsty then you are already dehydrated. Drinking 2 litres of water a day helps flush toxins from the body and keeps your cells healthy. So lets grab another glass.

• Are you Drinking Enough Water?

• Australian Drinking Water Guidelines

• Dehydration - A Danger in Summer

• Water Tanks and Dam Safety

• Fluid for Optimal Hydration

4. Drink less alcohol

While many people use the New Year as an incentive to cut down on their alcohol intake, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available.

• Are You Drinking Too Much

• How To Drink Less

• Australian Alcohol Guidelines: Health Risks and Benefits

• Alcohol - Department of Health and Ageing

• Alcohol - Better Health

5. Do more Exercise & Physical Activities

All the evidence points towards a link between longevity and fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.

• Getting Started - Setting Goals

• Tips for Becoming Active

• How to Keep Your Blood Pressure Healthy

• Physical Activity and Health

• Tips for Active People

6. Learn a New Skill, Hobby or Sport

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep. Challenge your mind in the coming year, and your horizons will expand.

• Tafe

• Hobbynet Online

• Education Network Australia

• Australian Institute of Sport

• Australian Sporting Directory

7. Regular Professional Checkups

One of the most valuable things we can own is good health. But many of us often neglect the regular check ups that screen us for deadly diseases such as cancer and Diabetes. Did you know that over 1400 Australians die each year from skin cancer. So if its been a while since your last check up make it a priority to visit your GP regularly this year.

• General Health Assessments - Database of Health services around Australia

• Skin Cancer Check

• Breast, Bowel, & Cervical Cancer Screening

• Prostate Checks

• Diabetes Check

• Glaucoma Check

8. Stress Less

Feeling stressed is more than dealing/coping with difficulty. It can also cause physical illness. But fortunately there are many strategies available for dealing with stress and keeping it at a manageable level. If you feel stressed more often than normal then chances are you need help. Check out some of the links below for a start, and talk to your doctor.

• Breathing to Reduce Stress

• Stress Affects us in Many Ways

• Anger - How it Affects People

• Meditation - Dealing with Stress

• Stress can be a Serious Illness

9. Do Something Good

Go on! Do something really noble. You'll feel good about yourself and you never know when you might need help yourself.

• Give Blood

• Signup as an Organ Donor

• Donate to a charity

10. Enjoy Life

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500s:

1. Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by the next month. Even so, they were starting to stink, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odour. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

2. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty someone could actually get lost in it! Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater."

3. Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

4. There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house in those days. This posed a real problem in the bedroom, where bugs and other droppings could really mess up a nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence. The floors were dirt, and only the wealthy had something other than dirt, from which came the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until when the door was opened it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway to prevent this, hence the saying a "thresh hold."

5. In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

6. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

7. Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

8. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."

9. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock people out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

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Important 2006 Dates