by Patricia Hagen

Jane Drummond, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and Dr. Dolores Gunn have a few suggestions for people considering New Year's resolutions.

Drummond encourages all Missourians to "Live like Your Life Depends on It" in the new year. Echoing the themes of the state's campaign to limit chronic diseases, she lists five resolutions she hopes residents will adopt:

1. Be tobacco free: Smoking is the No. 1 preventable cause of death. It is a risk factor for life-threatening and disabling diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Exposing family and friends to secondhand smoke also puts their health at risk.

2. Move more: Being active at least 30 minutes on most days of the week can reduce routine -- take the stairs instead of the elevator, take a brisk walk at lunch time, park farther away from the office or grocery store.

3. Eat smart: A healthy diet can help you maintain your weight at a healthy level. Meals and snacks that include plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products provide your body with the fuel you need to maintain your energy and health. Cut down on portion sizes, and avoid too much sugar and salt.

4. Get recommended health screenings: These include tests for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers; and blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which help detect problems early when they are treated more easily. Talk to your doctor about the screenings that are right for you.

5. Manage chronic disease. If you have a chronic disease, be sure to follow your health care provider's advice. Take all necessary medications on schedule and make lifestyle changes that can help reduce the impact of the disease. Prevent complications by taking charge of your condition and getting help when you need it.

As the director of the St. Louis County Department of Health for four years, Gunn has a pretty good handle on how we live and die. "Most of the things that ail us are inflicted because of our habits, our eating habits, our exercise habits," she says.

To prevent or lessen the effects of a variety of health issues, she narrows her recommendations to three:

No. 1: Eat five fruits and vegetables a day. "Healthier eating has a positive effect, preventing things like diabetes, obesity and heart disease," she says.

No. 2: Exercise regularly. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, updated in October, suggest several ways to get a healthful amount of exercise. They recommend moderate physical activity for 30 minutes a day, five days a week - or 50 minutes a day, three days a week. Or aim for 75 minutes of vigorous activity.

No. 3: Find out your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. "Most people have no idea," Gunn says. That's because hypertension, or high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol generally have no symptoms. People with these problems can feel fine and look normal, even when the numbers are too high. So it's important to have a health care provider check these numbers regularly, and if they're too high, take action to lower them. Hypertension and high cholesterol increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Gunn says she is concerned that the economic crisis will have a negative effect on personal wellness efforts. "More people are stressed, and when they're stressed they don't take the time to eat appropriately. They grab a burger, and they go," she says.

"I'm hoping that even though the economy is in a downturn, we can take advantage of that," Gunn says, suggesting ways to promote health, save money and help the environment. For example, instead of driving to a restaurant, take a healthful lunch in reusable containers to work. Or carpool with a coworker. "There are fewer emissions, and it's so much cheaper."

Hagen, a freelance journalist, has been writing about health and fitness for more than 20 years.

Article appears as published in the St. Louis Woman Magazine 2009/jan issue.