Health and Well-Being

This series of articles, written by APH VisionAware peer advisor Audrey Demmitt, R.N., discusses techniques for eating well, exercising, sleeping, and more from a blind and low-vision perspective.

Person walking with a guide dog

Move Your Way to Better Health and Well-Being

by Audrey Demmitt, R.N. We have become a sedentary society as we engage more with technology and less with physical labor. Healthcare professionals say sitting is the new smoking! Physical inactivity is causing heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions at alarming rates. Our bodies need to move and stretch to maintain physical […]

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husband and wife standing on beach. he has his arm around her.

Stress Management and Relaxation

by Audrey Demmitt, R.N. The American Heart Association has found positive psychological characteristics like optimism, mindfulness, and gratitude are associated with more favorable cardiovascular health, while greater psychosocial stress, pessimism, and depression are associated with poorer health. Health practitioners have long recognized this connection between the mind and body, and there is a growing body […]

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Bedroom with Bed with Comfy Pillows

Good Quality Sleep is Essential to Your Health

by Audrey Demmitt, RN “Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do to reset the health of your brain and body.” Matthew Walker, Ph.D. SleepFoundation.org, Scientific Advisor (NY Times) Sleep is a basic requirement for life, and the quality of sleep matters. Poor sleep is linked to poor health since it affects nearly […]

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salad and salmon plate

Eating Your Way to Health and Well-Being

by Audrey Demmitt, R.N. Healthy eating is the cornerstone of healthy living. Food provides the fuel, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and water our bodies require to function well. A balanced, nutritious diet can be like medicine to our bodies, helping them to heal and fight illness. You alone are responsible for eating healthy foods which can […]

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three people stand close and laugh, the sun shining bright overhead

Social Connectedness Improves Health and Well-Being

by Audrey Demmitt, R.N.  According to Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, loneliness has been rising for years and is now considered an epidemic. This public health concern profoundly impacts the health and well-being of individuals and communities. As researchers study loneliness and social isolation, we learn more about how social connectedness promotes physical, mental, […]

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