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Veterans Whole Health Education Handouts

Search below for Veteran whole health education handouts from the different areas of the Circle of Health to support your Whole Health journey.

Add your selections to the fields above to search the Veterans’ handouts.

An Introduction to Family, Friends and Co-workers: Connecting for Whole Health

Loving and supportive relationships with others can have a protective effect on our bodies when we experience stress.

Topics:Family, Friends & Co-workers

An Introduction to Food and Drink for Whole Health

Making healthy choices about what you eat and drink is a powerful way to care for yourself. Food and drink give our bodies the fuel to work properly, stay healthy, and fight disease.

Topics:Food & Drink

An Introduction to Mindful Awareness

Mindful awareness is at the heart of Whole Health. Mindful awareness allows you to focus on the present and what is most important to you.

Topics:Mindful Awareness

An Introduction to Personal Development

Personal development focuses on different ways you can grow in different areas of your life. What can you do to make your life better?

Topics:Personal Development

An Introduction to Recharge for Whole Health

“Recharge” sounds like something you do with your cell phone or other electronic devices. “Recharge” for people is very similar. It refers to sleep, rest, and relaxation, which give you energy.

Topics:Recharge

An Introduction to Spirit and Soul for Whole Health

Spirituality includes determining our meaning in life and connecting with someone "bigger than us." Research has found that religion and spirituality may affect a range of health issues.

Topics:Spirit & Soul

An Introduction to Tai Chi and Qigong for Whole Health

Tai chi and qi gong are mind-body practices that have been used for thousands of years to promote health. Both target the energy of the body via focused breath and movements.

Topics:Moving the Body; Personal Development

An Introduction to the Power of the Mind

Your mind and body are not separate from each other. Your mind affects your body, and your body affects your mind, perhaps more than you realize.

Topics:Power of the Mind

An Introduction to Moving the Body for Whole Health

Physical activity prevents and treats dozens of diseases. Learn what type of movement works for your lifestyle and goals. It doesn't have to be "exercise."

Topics:Moving the Body

An Introduction to Yoga for Whole Health

One of the main goals of yoga is to help people find a more balanced and peaceful state of mind and body. Yoga provides many physical health benefits as well.

Topics:Moving the Body; Personal Development

Assessing Your Surroundings

Your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, stress levels, and brain chemicals are all affected by your environment.

Topics:Surroundings

Autogenic Training

Autogenic training is a relaxation technique that uses the power of the mind to relax the body. You can also think of it as a form of self-hypnosis.

Topics:Power of the Mind

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a process that uses your body’s own signals like heart rate and body temperature to bring about healthy changes.

Topics:Power of the Mind; Moving the Body

Breathing and Health

Relaxed breathing has many health benefits, reducing anxiety, stress, and even blood pressure. Practicing breathing exercises can help you breathe in a more relaxed way more of the time.

Topics:Power of the Mind

Carbohydrates and Your Health - Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load and Blood Sugars

There are 3 basic building blocks that make up the foods we eat: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. You need all 3, including healthy carbohydrates.

Topics:Food & Drink

Change Your Habits to Sleep Better

You can make some changes that may help you sleep longer and better. The key is to find what works best for you. Try to change the habits that you can, one at a time.

Topics:Recharge

Chaplains

Chaplains are part of the health care team. They are trained to help with the religious, spiritual, psychological, and social needs of patients, families, and hospital staff.

Topics:Spirit & Soul

Compassion Practice

Extending compassion to yourself and others can improve your health and well-being.

Topics:Family, Friends & Co-workers; Mindful Awareness; Personal Development

Coping with Grief Following a Death

Grief is very individual. The way you grieve will be influenced by many things, such as who died, how a death occurred, your personality, culture, age, and gender.

Topics:Family, Friends & Co-workers; Mindful Awareness

Counseling for Insomnia

For many, maintaining healthy sleep habits is not enough to overcome insomnia. A counselor trained in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can help.

Topics:Recharge

Create a Gratitude Practice

Gratitude means feeling thankful or being willing to show appreciation. It can improve your health in many ways.

Topics:Personal Development; Mindful Awareness

Deciding How to Be a Healthier Eater

How do you know what way to eat to support your health the most? The bottom line is, you are the one who has to decide what it means for you to eat healthy.

Topics:Food & Drink

Deciding What You Need for Spiritual Health

Spiritual health means different things to different people. Learn about ways you might enhance your spiritual health.

Topics:Spirit & Soul

Eating to Reduce Inflammation

Many chronic diseases can be prevented or reduced if you focus on eating some foods and not others, otherwise known as an "anti-inflammatory diet."

Topics:Food & Drink

Ergonomics: Positioning Your Body for Whole Health

To avoid pain and strain, position your body the best way possible during your daily activities.

Topics:Surroundings; Moving the Body

Finding Balance

Being healthy includes balancing the different parts of your life. Studies indicate that poor balance can lead to poor health.

Topics:Personal Development; Mindful Awareness

Forgiveness

Practicing forgiveness can help you let go of anger, sorrow, or other emotions that can harm you.

Topics:Personal Development; Power of the Mind

Get Moving: Adding Physical Activity into Your Routine

An active lifestyle decreases the risks of long-term health problems. Moving regularly decreases inflammation in the body, and inflammation is at the center of many diseases.

Topics:Moving the Body

Healthy Tips on Eating Out and Grocery Shopping

Learn how to eat healthier meals at restaurants and grocery shop for healthy meals at home.

Topics:Food & Drink

Hints for Encouraging Healthy Sleep

Good sleep is important. You can improve your sleep habits through methods such as sleep therapy, music, breathing exercises, and evening food choices.

Topics:Recharge

How a Healthy Gut Makes for a Healthier You

Gut health relates to practically all systems of the body. A good balance of helpful bacteria in the gut lessens your chances for health problems in all body systems, not just your stomach.

Topics:Food & Drink

How Do You Know That? Beliefs and Your Health

Beliefs affect your health in many ways. One study found that participants with a strong sense of purpose—a reason for getting up each day— lived longer.

Topics:Spirit & Soul; Power of the Mind

How to Eat a Mediterranean Diet

A Mediterranean diet is one that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and fewer meats and sweets. Eating a Mediterranean diet is a good idea for many reasons.

Topics:Food & Drink

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy, or clinical hypnosis, can improve your health by helping you relax and focus your mind.

Topics:Power of the Mind

Introduction to Surroundings for Whole Health

Your surroundings can have a major effect on your health. Even when you are not thinking about it, your surroundings are impacting how you feel.

Topics:Surroundings

Laughter Heals

Laughter actually makes us healthier and helps the body in many ways.

Topics:Personal Development; Power of the Mind

Mindful Awareness Practice in Daily Living

Find tips for practicing mindful awareness and four different mindfulness exercises you can incorporate into your daily routine, even while commuting.

Topics:Mindful Awareness; Personal Development

Precautions with Using Mindful Awareness Practices

Anyone can benefit from mindful awareness practices. However, there are some things to think about before you start doing one.

Topics:Mindful Awareness

Probiotics for Specific Conditions

This handout lists specific probiotic strains helpful for certain medical condition. Use it together with your health care provider if you will be taking probiotics as part of your medical treatment.

Topics:Food & Drink

Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Progressive Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation involves tightening and relaxing specific muscles to reduce stress and help relax. Another option, progressive relaxation, focuses on relaxing each muscle group.

Topics:Power of the Mind; Moving the Body

Relationships and Health

Relationships matter to our well-being. In fact, having strong relationships affects our body in positive ways.

Topics:Family, Friends & Co-workers; Mindful Awareness; Personal Development

Seated Meditation

Meditation can help people handle stress better, improve concentration, and gain more awareness. It can also relax your mind and body and help you deal with pain.

Topics:Power of the Mind

Spiritual Anchors

A “spiritual anchor” is something that helps keep us grounded, connected to what matters most, and able to cope with the challenges that life brings.

Topics:Spirit & Soul

The Healing Power of Hope and Optimism

Hope is about leaving room for something good to happen. Optimism is about having hope, trusting that things will work out.

Topics:Personal Development; Mindful Awareness

The Health Benefits of Pausing and Taking Breaks

Pausing in a healthy way can help us handle the challenges life gives us with greater skill. The key is to find a healthy balance between activity and inactivity.

Topics:Recharge; Mindful Awareness

The Low FODMaP Diet

The FODMaP diet is a form of elimination diet that focuses on certain types of sugars that should or should not be consumed. It is a first-line treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.

Topics:Food & Drink

Too Much Bad News: How to Do an Information Fast

Hearing bad news hurts our mental health more than listening to good news helps our mental health.

Topics:Surroundings; Power of the Mind

Toxins and Environmental Inflammation

A toxin is something that can be harmful to your body. One way that can happen is if it causes inflammation. Too much inflammation can lead to disease.

Topics:Surroundings

Toxins and Your Health

A toxin is something that can be harmful to your body. People can come into contact with a toxin by breathing it in, eating it, or having it touch the skin.

Topics:Surroundings

What Matters Most? Exploring Your Values

Values come from our true selves. They are the answers that come from asking ourselves “What matters most to me?”

Topics:Personal Development; Mindful Awareness

When Your Food & Drink Could Be Causing You Problems - Elimination Diets

An elimination diet can help you find out if certain foods are keeping you from feeling your best. It involves avoiding a food or a group of foods for a short time and seeing if you feel better.

Topics:Food & Drink

Whole Health Food, Drink, Activity and Symptom Log

Use this log to record your eating habits, other health behaviors, and how you feel. Jot down everything you eat and drink for a week or two.

Topics:Food & Drink; Moving the Body

Whole Health: It Starts With Me

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and enables YOU to take charge of your health and well-being and live your life to the fullest. It starts with YOU.

Topics:Mindful Awareness

Workaholism

Workaholism can affect physical and emotional health, including sleep problems, obesity, depression, and low self-esteem.

Topics:Surroundings; Mindful Awareness

Spanish Whole Health: Adoptando la Salud Integral

Los Veteranos que practican las destrezas de Salud Integral reportan mejoras en la commicación con sus proveedores y experencias más positivas con la atteción médica.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Alma y espíritu: prácticas para crecer y conectar

La espiritualidad se expresa de muchas formas. Puedes pertenecer a una religión, pero no es la única manera de explorar tu espiritualidad. Quizás cuando más te sientes conectado con tu espíritu es cuando realizas actos de servicio o te encuentras rodeado de la naturaleza.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Alrededores: los entornos físicos y emocionales

Todo lo que nos rodea tiene un gran impacto sobre nuestra salud física, mental y emocional. El ambiente en que te encuentras afecta el funcionamiento de los genes que controlan nuestra salud y tiempo de vida. Cuando reflexiones sobre tus entornos físicos y emocionales, piensa en cuáles son tus lugares favoritos y por qué.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Comida y bebida: cómo nutrir y alimentar el cuerpo

Si en algún momento has escuchado la expresión “Eres lo que comes”, es porque todo lo que consumes pasa a formar parte de tu cuerpo. Una buena alimentación puede mejorar muchas áreas de tu vida y, además, ayuda a prevenir problemas de salud en el futuro. A continuación, puedes explorar varias maneras de incorporar este plan a tu Programa de Salud Integral.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Componentes del Bienestar

Los componentes de salud y bienestar proactivo te ayudarán a reflexionar sobre tu salud integral. Todas las áreas en el círculo son importantes porque están conectadas.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Cuerpo y movimiento: cómo obtener más energía y flexibilidad

Un estilo de vida activo ayuda a prevenir muchos problemas de salud, mejora tu estado de ánimo y alarga tu tiempo de vida. Por lo tanto, al mantenerte activo puedes lograr las condiciones necesarias para hacer las cosas que más te gustan e importan. A continuación, se discuten algunas ideas que debes explorar si deseas incluir este programa en tu Plan de Salud Personal.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Desarrollo personal: destrezas para mejorar la vida personal y la vida laboral

La decisión de trabajar con tu desarrollo personal abre las puertas hacia un estilo de vida pleno. ¿Cómo puede verse esa plenitud? Significa que puedes gozar de un estado mental más social, optimista, agradecido y resiliente. Tienes la oportunidad de aprender destrezas nuevas, encontrar balance y nuevas formas de ayudar a los demás. Estas prácticas mejoran tu estado de salud y te ayudan a vivir por más tiempo.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: El poder de la mente: sanación y fortalecimiento

El poder de la mente impacta muchos aspectos de nuestra salud, como la manera en que manejamos el estrés, cómo trabajamos con nuestras emociones y pensamientos, y cómo la mente y el cuerpo se afectan mutuamente. Por esta razón, existen herramientas que ayudan a usar del poder de la mente a favor de nuestra salud.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Introducción a la Atención Plena

Salud Integral es un enfoque hacia la salud que te empodera y capacita con las herramientas necesarias para tomar control de tu bienestar y vivir al máximo. El camino hacia Salud Integral comienza contigo y se nutre del poder que lcanzas al conocerte a ti mismo y de todo aquello que te ayudará a vivir en salud. Una vez tengas unas ideas sobre cómo quieres mejorar tu vida, tu equipo puede ayudarte con destrezas, apoyo y el seguimiento que necesitas para alcanzar tus etas.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Las relaciones: familia, amigos y compañeros de trabajo

Existe un viejo refrán que dice, “En el refugio que nos damos uno al otro, vivimos”. Las relaciones juegan un papel muy importante en nuestra salud. Desde tu familia y amigos, hasta tus compañeros veteranos o equipo médico, muchas personas pueden apoyarte a través de Salud Integral.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Recargar: la importancia de dormir y refrescarse

Cuando pensamos en nuestra salud, muchas veces nos enfocamos en todas las cosas que tenemos que hacer. Sin embargo, hacer pausas, relajarse, reducir la velocidad y encontrar tranquilidad también son factores importantes para nuestro bienestar. Aquí hay varios elementos que debes explorar si quieres trabajar esta área con Salud Integral.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Recursos del Salud Integral para Veteranos y Veteranas

Una lista de una página para recursos de salud integral, salud mental, salud de la mujer, biblioteca de salud para veteranos y prevención del suicidio.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Respiración y Salud

Salud Integral es un enfoque hacia la salud que te empodera y capacita con las herramientas necesarias para tomar control de tu bienestar y vivir al máximo. El camino hacia Salud Integral comienza contigo y se nutre del poder que lcanzas al conocerte a ti mismo y de todo aquello que te ayudará a vivir en salud. Una vez tengas unas ideas sobre cómo quieres mejorar tu vida, tu equipo puede ayudarte con destrezas, apoyo y el seguimiento que necesitas para alcanzar tus etas.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Salud Integral comienza conmigo

Salud Integral es un nuevo enfoque del Departamento de Asuntos de los Veteranos (VA, por sus siglas en inglés) que busca ofrecer servicios para apoyar tu salud y bienestar. Salud Integral se centra en todo aquello que es importante en tu vida, no solo en tus enfermedades o condiciones.

Topics:Spanish

Spanish Whole Health: Viviendo la Salud Integral

A través de Salud Integral, el Sistema de Salud de Veteranos del Caribe busca capacitar, equipar y proveer tratamientos a los Veteranos y Veteranas con el fin de que puedan tomar control de su salud y vivir al máximo.

Topics:Spanish