Proactive Health: Make the Healthy Choice “Hacks” -Eating and Exercising

Lifestyle choices can help to keep us from getting sick or hurt, having a flair up of a chronic condition, and/or in the event of an illness or accident, heal quicker or stronger. Below are a variety of “hacks” which make the healthy choices of eating and exercising easier ones.  Next week we’ll be focusing on sleep.

Eating

• Drink More Water: If you’re dehydrated, you’ll feel hungrier, so drinking more water will make help to curb your appetite. Use a water bottle or mason jar as your drinking glass so you’ll know how much water you are consuming.

• At the grocery store purchase items that are healthy, easy to prepare and that you enjoy. Consider a healthier pasta noodle; baked corn tortilla chips; dark chocolate; baked spicy sweet potato fries; whole grain bread instead of white; quinoa or brown rice instead of white rice. In short, don’t bring junk home so you’ll be less tempted. Plan a shopping list

• Stock up on healthy snacks such as fruits (apples, bananas, grapes); nuts; homemade trail mix; Greek yogurt; hard boiled eggs etc.

• Frozen is fine: A healthy alternative to fresh foods, you can even buy pre chopped veggies so you’ll always have them on hand and they wont go bad as quickly as their fresh alternatives. Do avoid frozen foods packed in sauces and syrups.

• Going out to eat? Select a restaurant that has calories and fat content as part of the menu and order accordingly.

• Eat cold greens instead of warm ones.

• Trying to eat more protein? Add chicken to pizza; use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise; mix in liquid that forms on top of yogurt; choose quinoa over rice.

• Boost veggies in your diet by ordering veggie pizza; add fruit to cereal or oatmeal; butter toast with avocado; add canned veggies to canned soup; have a smoothie instead of a bowl of cereal.

• Make smoothies in a Mason Jar-less clean up

• Use a crock pot, cook large and freeze.

• Make Mason Jar Salads  Buy prewashed greens

Exercising: Skip the gym and incorporate physical activity into your daily life.

• Schedule “walks and talks.” Instead of a meeting in the office, or  having a lunch date with a friend, arrange a time where you can take a walk and talk.

• Volunteer for jobs- like being a guide in a Museum , delivering flowers or books in a hospital, feeding and/or walking dogs, taking grand kids to the park, gardening-which keeps you moving. In addition to the physical benefits you get an extra boost from having a sense of purpose.

• Call a friend and star gaze

• Watching TV? Stretch. Clean the house between commercials. That way you don’t sit for too long and you get some exercise and a clean house

• Take up drumming

• Use Kinect or other video games that require you to move

• Play (Ping Pong, shoot some hoops, climb a tree, hopscotch)

•  If you’ve been sitting for a while, take a Kripalu Yoga break  (they only take 5 minutes) or consider one of Lee Holden’s short Qigong videos, which are less than 10 minutes. 

• Garden

• Wash your car

• Walk or ride a bike to work, use public transportation

• Get a dog, which will get you outside no matter the weather

• Use a standing desk

• Go dancing

Take a Break: Create Guiltless Pleasures for you & your Valentine(s)

Since Valentine’s is not far off, what fun to enjoy guilt free pleasures for yourself and a Valentine or two. If your first though goes to chocolates, here are some recipes to try. Given my husband’s wheat and dairy allergy, I tend to look for gluten free options that are just as appealing to those of us who don’t have to be on a restricted diet.

             This is gluten free and vegan and not made with nasty ingredients. 

• Peanut Butter and Cranberry Protein Bars: Yes there is chocolate. 

 • Fruity Chocolate Almond Bark  

 • Flourless Fudge Cookies from King Arthur Flower 

But there are lots of other guiltless pleasures-other than desserts- you can create or indulge in such as:

• A favorite movie, book or even comic book. Have you seen the new Lemony Snicket on Netflix?

• A massage

• Playing a game-board game, golf, soccer or whatever strikes your fancy

• A walk

• An evening snuggled in front of the fireplace or even one outside. If you are doing a fire outside, using a fire pit can help to keep the snow all around it from melting and turning into an ice skating rink. Learned that one the hard way.

• Listening to music/playing music/singing

• Collecting things

• A Kripala Yoga Break

• Planting something or caring for in door plants

• Sex

• Flying a kite

• Sketching, painting, doodling

• Bird watching

• Make something

Not interested in today’s activity, go to the Take a Break Pinterest Board. and pick out something else.

Proactive Health: Foods That Make a Difference

With many concerned about the future of the Affordable Care Act, now more than ever it’s important to practice “proactive health,” measures that will keep you healthy and reduce the need for insurance. This week features foods that have been shown to make a difference.

While there is much to be learned from the “Blue Zones” studies, one very important point is that many of these areas, where people live to incredibly old ages, not only have significantly less disease then in the US but also less health care. In other words, being healthy does not equal having health insurance.

There are nine common characteristics of those cultures where longevity is common place. Three of the “Power Nine” pertain to diet, with the leading one being eating “plant slant.” Meats are eaten, but they are generally lean and in small portions-sort of like a side dish. Interestingly, in Loma Linda, Ca, the US’s only Blue Zone, Pesco-vegetarians in the community, who ate a plant-based diet with up to one serving of fish a day, lived longer than vegan Adventists.

While drinking alcohol moderately 1-2 glasses per day seems to be a common characteristic (not in Loma Linda, which has a strong 7^th Day Adventist culture) in July 2016 a longitudinal study found that alcohol can cause at least seven types of cancer with heavy drinkers most at risk. However, even those who consume low to moderate amounts were also found to be at increased risk. 

Check out Blue Zone recipes, which all take less than 30 minutes to assemble. The ones I’ve tried have been good.

Choose food that help to boost immune function.  Five micronutrients—vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc—play roles in maintaining immune function. While these are heavily touted in supplement form, there is no evidence that such supplements have more benefits than following a healthy diet. Rather than popping pills to get these micronutrients, you're wiser to use various foods to boost your immune system. Micronutrients Have Major Impact on Health: Foods to Boost Your Immune System 

Foods to boost your immune system
Micronutrient	Food sources
Vitamin B6	Chicken, cereals, bananas, pork loin, potatoes with skin
Vitamin C	Tomatoes, citrus fruit, sweet peppers, broccoli, kiwi fruit
Vitamin E	Sunflower seeds and oil, almonds, safflower oil, peanut butter
Magnesium	Whole wheat, legumes, nuts, seeds
Zinc	Oysters, beef shank, Alaskan king crab, turkey (dark meat)

Inflammation is considered to be an underling factor for many diseases. More and more the research is showing that the key to reducing inflammation comes from the kitchen not the pharmacy. Foods that inflame include: refined carbohydrates (e.g. white bread and pastries); fried foods; soda and other sugar sweetened drinks; red meats and processed meats (hot dogs, sausage) and margarine (shortening and lard).

Foods that combat inflammation include: tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale and collards); nuts; fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines) and fruits (strawberries, cherries, apples and oranges). Foods that Fight Inflammation Harvard Women’s Health Watch 

Study after study indicates that one of the healthiest diets to follow is the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish and healthy oils. Use the handy chart to understand how to follow this diet.

Finally there is chocolate, which does have some very healthy properties, particularly dark chocolate. Since I adore chocolate, that’s a good thing. However, portion control is key. Heart Healthy Benefits of Chocolate Cleveland Clinic 

Take a Break: Make Paper Hearts Bouquet

Valentines is about two weeks away, and if it’s anything like Vermont’s winter weather where you live, it’s nice to have some color in the house. What could be brighter and warming than the reds, pinks and other colors associated with the holiday of love.

So start with the basic Paper Hearts Bouquet. It’s very straight forward but mix up the hearts in your bouquet with paper heart rosettes-video tutorial below.

Not interested in today’s activity, go to the Take a Break Pinterest Board. and pick out something else.

5 ways to hold on to optimism

While the march in Washington and around the country set a clear message about the importance of the ACA and a host of other issues, the reality of the new presidency and the risks are becoming crystal clear. This is a good article to help you not "fall down the rabbit hole."

5 ways to hold on to optimism — and reap health benefits

POSTED JANUARY 20, 2017, 9:30 AM

Beverly Merz, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

In these turbulent times, it may be a struggle to maintain a glass half full view of life. A poll just released by the Associated Press on New Year’s Day indicated that most Americans came out of 2016 feeling pretty discouraged. Only 18% feel things for the country got better, 33% said things got worse, and 47% believe things were unchanged from 2015.

However, 55% of those surveyed said they expect their own lives to improve in 2017. If you are among this majority, it may serve you well. A growing body of research indicates that optimism — a sense everything will be OK — is linked to a reduced risk of developing mental or physical health issues as well as to an increased chance of a longer life.

One of the largest such studies was led by researchers Dr. Kaitlin Hagan and Dr. Eric Kim at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Their team analyzed data from 70,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, and found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic. The most optimistic women had a 16% lower risk of dying from cancer; 38% lower risk of dying from heart disease; 39% lower risk of dying from stroke; 38% lower risk of dying from respiratory disease; and 52% lower risk of dying from infection.

Yes, you can acquire optimism.

Even if you consider yourself a pessimist, there’s hope. Dr. Hagan notes that a few simple changes can help people improve your outlook on life. Previous studies have shown that optimism can be instilled by something as simple as having people think about the best possible outcomes in various areas of their lives,” she says. The following may help you see the world through rosier glasses:

1. Accentuate the positive. Keep a journal. In each entry, underline the good things that have happened, as well as things you’ve enjoyed and concentrate on them. Consider how they came about and what you can do to keep them coming.

2. Eliminate the negative. If you find yourself ruminating on negative situations, do something to short-circuit that train of thought. Turn on your favorite music, reread a novel you love, or get in touch with a good friend.

3. Act locally. Don’t fret about your inability to influence global affairs. Instead, do something that can make a small positive change — like donating clothes to a relief organization, helping clean or replant a neighborhood park, or volunteering at an after-school program.

4. Be easier on yourself. Self-compassion is a characteristic shared by most optimists. You can be kind to yourself by taking good care of your body, eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Take stock of your assets and concentrate on them. Finally, try to forgive yourself for past transgressions (real or imagined) and move on.

5. Learn mindfulness. Adopting the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment can go a long way in helping you deal with unpleasant events. If you need help, many health centers now offer mindfulness training. There are also a multitude of books and videos to guide you.

Take a Break: Try Chair Yoga

New research has shown that Chair yoga is particularly helpful for older adults with osteoarthritis. In addition to reducing pain and improving quality of life, it also a way to avoid medications. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 

Chair yoga refers to a yoga poses that are modified so you can do them in a chair. Below are a variety of videos to try.

From Kripalu Yoga breaks- All are less than 6 minutes and are done in a chair

• Stretch and Twist with Jurain Hughes 

 • Relax, Open and Energize with Jurian Hughes 

 • Yoga Hands with Allison Gemmel Laframboise 

                                                 Yoga for Seniors: Chair Sun Salutations 

Not interested in today’s activity, go to the Take a Break Pinterest Board. and pick out something else.