At the beginning of each new year, there is a lot of talk about getting healthy. Millions of people set goals to improve their health and fitness. The problem is that many people don’t know what the signs of health are and how to tell if they are healthy to begin with. The good news is that there is no one thing that determines how healthy someone is. Rather, it’s a variety of factors that come together that point to someone being reasonably healthy or not. Knowing some of those signs can make a world of difference in striving for good health and fitness.

Flu and cold season is quickly approaching and there isn’t a soul looking forward to it. While even the healthiest of individuals can be hit hard with the symptoms of the influenza virus and bacterial infections, those with autoimmune diseases are at even greater risk. Research has shown that inflammation, which is caused by the immune system becoming overactive, increases in the winter. Results from one study conducted on the correlation between seasons and human health revealed that genes promoting inflammation were increased in winter while genes suppressing inflammation were simultaneously decreased in the winter.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Americans make more than 405 million long-distance trips per year. This means that millions of people are often away from their routine, including making their diet and exercise a priority. The good news is there are things that one can do to stay healthy, even while doing a lot of traveling.

With a focus on providing comfort and compassion, home health and hospice care gives patients a chance to control their quality of life. To learn more, we spoke with Dr. John Berges, medical director of home health for Gold Coast Home Health &
Hospice in Fort Lauderdale.