Category: Articles

Healthy Resolutions

Featured by Luke Brewster, posted in Articles

Here are some tips on resolutions to avoid and how to set yourself up for success:
Find more alternative tips at www.LetsChooseWellness.com!
Avoid: Making the general statement, “I want to eat healthier”, but not
knowing what that means or how that looks. For success: Review your
eating habits, or talk to a Registered Dietitian or your doctor to make a
plan. Start slow with one or two habits you can change to move toward a
healthier way of eating that will stay for the long term. Examples: Limit
soda to one can a day (if you typically have multiple), try adding a fruit or
vegetable to each meal, or set a goal to eat three whole grain foods a
day.


Avoid: Having a vague exercise goal. For success: Make a choice of
where you can start on a path of daily exercise and work toward a long-
term goal. If you currently do not exercise regularly, start slow. Make
your first goal to exercise 2-3 times a week and the work up to 5-7 times
a week. Start with a small workout first and then add on minutes. Make
sure to find something that is fun, and choose a variety of exercises. Go
for walks (with a friend or your dog), join a gym, try a free fitness app on
your phone, or take up a new sport like golf or swimming. The goal is to
get moving and the more you start to feel better, the more you will want
to keep going!


Avoid: Making too many resolutions that you won’t be able to keep. For
success: Remember that health is a year-round, long-term journey. Start
with small obtainable goals or habits to change and as those become a
normal part of life, then you can add more goals.
Remember, if you encounter a setback, don’t stop working toward your goal.
Make a fresh start the next day and keep reaching for your goals!

Flu & Cold Care

Featured by Luke Brewster, posted in Articles

CONSIDER EATING THE FOLLOWING FOODS WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLU OR A COLD:

Broth

Broth is one of the best things you can eat when you have the flu. Broth helps prevent dehydration, and the warm elements can help soothe a sore throat and relieve congestion. Choose chicken, beef, or vegetable broth.

Chicken soup

Chicken soup combines the benefits of broth along with additional ingredients.Cut-up chicken provides your body with iron and protein, and you’ll also gain nutrients from carrots, herbs, and celery.

Vitamin C–Containing Fruits

Vitamin C is an important nutrient to help your immune system. While supplements can help, your body can absorb nutrients like vitamin C more effectively from the foods you eat.Some fruits high in vitamin C include strawberries, kiwi, mango, pineapple, and citrus fruits.

Oatmeal

When you’re sick, a hot bowl of oatmeal can be a soothing, nutritious food choice. Oatmeal, like other whole grains, is also a natural source of immune-boosting vitamin E. It also contains polyphenol antioxidants as well as immune-strengthening beta-glucan fiber.

Vitamin E Foods

Foods such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and other leafy greens can also help boost your immune system when you have the flu. They have both vitamin C and vitamin E, another immune-enhancing nutrient.

Staying hydrated

It’s easy to get dehydrated with the flu. Not only do you eat and drink less and have an overall reduced water intake, but you also lose water with sweat when you have a fever. Not only are fluids important for your body functions in general, but they can also help break up congestion and stave off infections. When it comes to hydrating beverages, water is still the best choice.

FOOD IS WHAT GIVES YOUR BODY THE ENERGY AND NUTRIENTS IT NEEDS TO FUNCTION AND THESE FOODS MAY HELP KEEP YOU NOURISHED AND HYDRATED DURING AN ILLNESS

Diabetes Awareness

Featured by Jessica Wetzig, posted in Articles

There are several types of diabetes, but the most common are:

-Type 1

-Type 2

-Gestational Diabetes

No matter what kind of diabetes you or a loved one may have, it is important to remember that you are not alone and that there are treatment options available that will allow you to live a long, happy and healthy life.

Type 1 can occur in anyone at any age. It happens when the body does not produce insulin. Usually the body would break down carbohydrates that you have eaten in food and use that for energy. Then it uses insulin, which is a hormone, to get those nutrients into the cells. Type 1 is managed with insulintherapy along with a healthy diet and exercise.

Type 2 diabetes is more common, and it is when your body cannot use the insulin correctly. Sometimes this disease can be managed with a healthy diet and exercise, but for others, medication and insulin therapy are needed. The key component of managing this disease is exercise. It does not matter how you get started but you have to get up and start moving!

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. The exact cause is not known on why some women develop it and others do not. One theory concludes that the hormones of the placenta prevent the mother’s insulin from working correctly and make it more difficult for her body to use it properly, which is called insulin resistance. Another theory is that the mother’s body cannot produce enough insulin it needs throughout the pregnancy. This causes glucose to be unable to leave the blood and convert to energy; a buildup called hyperglycemia. Treatments for this type of diabetes include individualized meal plans, exercise, and sometimes daily blood sugar testing and insulin injections.

Dental Health

Nutrition & Dental Health

by Jessica Wetzig, posted in Articles

How is nutrition related to oral/dental health?

According to the American Dental Association, those who eat foods containing calcium and phosphorous are less likely to develop gum disease. Calcium is a prime ingredient for preventing tooth decay, especially for growing children.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (https://www.eatright.org) Foods for Optimum Oral Health are:

Calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese, and fortified soymilk help promote strong teeth and bones. Other sources of calcium include tofu (made with calcium sulfate), canned salmon, almonds and some dark green leafy vegetables.

Phosphorus, a mineral found in eggs, fish, lean meat, dairy, nuts and beans is good for strong teeth.

Vitamin C promotes gum health, so eat plenty of sources, including citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, potatoes and spinach.

The consumption of sugars has been associated with an increased risk of developing dental caries. Frequent consumption of acidic food and beverages is associated with an increased risk of erosive tooth wear.

According to the Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org), you can protect my oral health by:

To protect your oral health, practice good oral hygiene daily.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes each time. Use a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste.

Floss daily.

Use mouthwash to remove food particles left after brushing and flossing.

Eat a healthy diet and limit sugary food and drinks.

Replace your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if bristles are splayed or worn.

Schedule regular dental checkups and cleanings. Also, contact your dentist as soon as an oral health problem arises.

Avoid tobacco use.

Healthy Aging

Featured by Jessica Wetzig, posted in Articles

September is Healthy Aging® Month and the time to get started on better health practices and provides inspiration and practical ideas for adults, ages 45-plus, to improve their physical, mental, social and financial well-being.

To get you started on re-inventing yourself, here are some ideas from the editors of Healthy Aging® Magazine (www.healthyaging.net). Maybe you will find some that will help you think outside the box.

10 Tips for Rein­vent­ing Your­self dur­ing Sep­tem­ber Is Healthy Aging Month: 

  1. Do not act your age or at least what you think your cur­rent age should act like. What was your best year so far? 28? 40? Now? Pic­ture your­self at that age and be it. Some peo­ple may say this is denial, but we say it’s pos­i­tive think­ing and goes a long way toward feel­ing bet­ter about your­self. (Tip:  Don’t keep look­ing in the mir­ror, just FEEL IT!)
  2. Be pos­i­tive in your con­ver­sa­tions and your actions every day. When you catch your­self com­plain­ing, check your­self right there and change the con­ver­sa­tion to some­thing pos­i­tive. (Tip: Stop watch­ing the police reports on the local news).
  3. Have neg­a­tive friends who com­plain all of the time and con­stantly talk about how awful every­thing is? Drop them. As cruel as that may sound, dis­tance your­self from peo­ple who do not have a pos­i­tive out­look on life. They will only depress you and stop you from mov­ing for­ward. Sur­round your­self with ener­getic, happy, pos­i­tive peo­ple of all ages and you will be hap­pier too. (Tip: Smile often. It’s con­ta­gious and wards off naysayers.)
  4. Walk like a vibrant, healthy per­son. Come on. You can prob­a­bly do it. Ana­lyze your gait. Do you walk slowly because you have just become lazy or, per­haps, have a fear of falling? (Tip: Make a con­scious effort to take big strides, walk with your heel first, and wear com­fort­able shoes.)
  5. Stand up straight! You can knock off the appear­ance of a few extra years with this trick your mother kept try­ing to tell you. Look at your­self in the mir­ror. Are you hold­ing your stom­ach in, have your shoul­ders back, chin up? Check out how much bet­ter your neck looks! Fix your stance and prac­tice it every day, all day until it is nat­ural. You will look great and feel bet­ter. (Tip: Your waist­line will look trim­mer if you fol­low this advice.)
  6. How’s your smile? Research shows peo­ple who smile more often are hap­pier. Your teeth are just as impor­tant to your good health as the rest of your body. Not only is it the first thing peo­ple notice, but good oral health is a gate­way to your over­all well-being. (Tip: Go to the den­tist reg­u­larly and look into teeth whiten­ing. Noth­ing says old more than yel­low­ing teeth!)
  7. Lonely? Stop brood­ing and com­plain­ing about hav­ing no friends or fam­ily. Do some­thing about it now. Right this minute. Pick up the phone, land­line, or cell and make a call to do one or more of the fol­low­ing: Vol­un­teer your time, Take a class,  Invite some­one to meet for lunch, brunch, din­ner, or cof­fee. (Tip: Vol­un­teer at the local pub­lic school to stay in touch with younger peo­ple and to keep cur­rent on trends, take a com­puter class or a tuto­r­ial ses­sion at your cell phone store to keep up with tech­nol­ogy, choose a new per­son every week for your din­ing out.)
  8. Start walk­ing not only for your health but to see the neigh­bors. Have a dog? You’ll be amazed how the dog can be a con­ver­sa­tion starter. (Tip: If you don’t have time for a dog, go to your local ani­mal shel­ter and vol­un­teer. You will be thrilled by the puppy love!)
  9. Make this month the time to set up your annual phys­i­cal and other health screen­ings. Go to the appoint­ments and then, hope­fully, you can stop wor­ry­ing about ail­ments for a while.
  10. Find your inner artist. Who says tak­ing music lessons is for young school chil­dren? You may have an artist lurk­ing inside you just wait­ing to be tapped.  Have you always wanted to play the piano, vio­lin, or tuba? Have you ever won­dered if you could paint a por­trait or scenic in oil? What about work­ing in wood? (Tip: Sign up now for fall art or music classes and dis­cover your inner artist!)

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Featured by Jessica Wetzig, posted in Articles

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Prevent Blindness at https://preventblindness.org/ is a resource for child eye health. You can help raise awareness of children’s vision and eye health as kids head back to school.  The key message is that healthy vision contributes to children’s school readiness, ability to learn, overall healthy development and ability to reach motor developmental milestones and that vision screening and eye care are essential components of a Strong Vision Health System of Care.

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month Resources

Resources for Parents and Caregivers

We have no better opportunity to educate parents and caregivers on school-readiness, vision screening, injury protection, sports eye safety, and signs of eye problems than during August as kids head back to school. Here is an example of resources Prevent Blindness can offer for parents and caregivers:

-Getting children ready for school: https://www.preventblindness.org/getting-your-childready-school

-Signs of eye problems: https://www.preventblindness.org/signs-possible-eye-problemschildren

-Vision screening and eye exams: https://www.preventblindness.org/understanding-visionscreenings-and-eye-examinations

-Injury protection: https://www.preventblindness.org/protect-your-child-eye-injuries.

-Sports eye safety: https://www.preventblindness.org/sports-eye-safety

– Financial Assistance for Eye Care: https://www.preventblindness.org/vision-care-financialassistance-information

Summer Health & Sun Care

Featured by Jessica Wetzig, posted in Articles

One of the most important health tips during the summer months is to make sure you are consuming enough water to stay hydrated. Being adequately hydrated is essential for reaching optimal health and wellness. There are so many benefits that water provides for your body. Some of those benefits include regulating body temperature, protecting for your tissues and joints, preventing constipation, improving skin complexion and maximizing physical performance.

Below are a few ways to increase your water consumption:

• Keep a reusable water bottle with you

• Replace other beverages with water

• Drink one glass of water before each meal or at certain times each day. Set a reminder on your phone if you need to!

If you are one of those people that does not necessarily like the taste of water or easily gets bored only drinking water below are some tips to help you increase your water intake as well:

• Eat fruits and vegetables. These foods already have water in them so by eating more fruits and vegetables it not only increases your consumption of those essential vitamins and minerals but also helps you stay hydrated

• Try coconut water or sparkling water

• Add cucumber, strawberries, lemon or other fresh fruit or vegetables to your water for a refreshing twist

• Try popsicles or smoothies but make sure to watch the amount ofsugar you are consuming with these options

• Unsweetened tea can be a low sugar option to increase your water intake

Healthy Cooking

Men’s Health Month

by Jessica Wetzig, posted in Articles

Men need to pay attention to their own set of nutritional demands. Many problems caused in part by nutrition are common to both men and women, such as cardiac disease, obesity, and diabetes. In general, absolute nutritional requirements in men are greater than in women, simply because men as a population are larger and have more muscle mass than women.

Top Men Health Focuses:

1.Calories- men are typically taller, have more muscle mass and weigh more than women, so they typically require more calories. Visit www.myplate.gov to figure your individualized calorie needs.

2.Protein- men’s protein needs may be proportionally greater, especially if a man is physically active.

3.Nutrient Dense Diet- Quality nutrients are important to maintain men’s immune function and overall health, as well as preventing bone loss, eyesight loss, and muscle loss

4.Calcium- Calcium is as important for men as it is for women. Osteoporosis tends to be looked at as a “woman’s disease,” but men can be susceptible to osteoporosis too.

Basic eating principles for a proper diet

1.Eat a wide variety of foods: plenty of colorful vegetables, legumes/beans, fruit, grain(cereal) foods – mostly whole grain and high fiber varieties, lean meats and poultry ,fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, milk, yogurt,, cheese or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat.

2.Drink plenty of water.

3.Limit foods high in saturated fat, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, fried foods, sausage, and bacon. Replace high fat foods containing mostly saturated fat with foods containing mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Swap butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oil with unsaturated fats from oils, spreads, nut butters and pastes, and avocado.

4.Limit foods and drinks containing added salt, and don’t add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.

5.Limit foods and drinks containing added sugars, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks.

6.Limit alcohol. (Drink no more than two standard drinks a day, on average, and no more than four standard drinks on any single occasion.)

High Blood Pressure Month

by Annemarie Taylor, posted in Articles

The DASH diet was created to treat or prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This diet is rich in foods that are high in potassium, calcium and magnesium, which are nutrients known to help control high blood pressure. The diet limits foods that are high in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars which can cause hypertension. According to multiple studies the DASH diet can lower blood pressure in as little as two weeks. The diet is rich flexible and is rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. To learn more about the diet, recommended servings and what to eat, visit: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20048456 or talk to a doctor or dietitian.

The Mayo clinic also offers sample menus for people that are unsure on how to start the DASH diet. One sample menu is:

Breakfast

1 store-bought (commercial) whole-wheat bagel with 2 tablespoons peanut butter (no salt added)

1 medium orange

1 cup fat-free milk

Decaffeinated coffee

Lunch

Spinach salad made with:

4 cups of fresh spinach leaves

1 sliced pear

1/2 cup canned mandarin orange sections

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons red wine vinaigrette

12 reduced-sodium wheat crackers

1 cup fat-free milk

Dinner

Herb-crusted baked cod, 3 ounces cooked (about 4 ounces raw)

1/2 cup brown rice pilaf with vegetables

1/2 cup fresh green beans, steamed

1 small sourdough roll

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup fresh berries with chopped mint

Herbal iced tea

Snack (anytime)

1 cup fat-free, low-calorie yogurt

4 vanilla wafers

If you would like more menu ideas, visit: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20047110

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month

by Annemarie Taylor, posted in Articles

Irritable bowel syndrome is observed every year in April. IBS is a syndrome that affects the large intestine and is quite common around the world. Although it is considered a taboo subject by some people, IBS affects 25 to 45 million Americans.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a lifelong, gastrointestinal disorder, which affects the large intestine in our body. IBS is a chronic disease related to the large intestine and the cause of this syndrome is still unknown. IBS is characterized by abdominal pains or discomfort, bloating, cramping, and altered bowel habits (chronic diarrhea and/or constipation). However, this disease does not increase the chances of colorectal cancer.

IFFGD (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders) declared April as the awareness month for IBS in 1997. In this month more attention is given to the importance of health and awareness of IBS diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life issues. It is known that 15% of people have IBS, out of which 20% people seek medical treatment. Symptoms of IBS can occur early in life and some patients have symptoms as soon as they reach 30 years.

Lifestyle habits do not cause IBS. But minimizing excesses may help reduce or avoid symptom flare-ups. Things like lack of sleep and lack of exercise, prolonged stress, or irregular eating habits can worsen symptoms. Food common foods that can affect IBS are caffeine, fiber, nuts and chocolate. Learn more by talking with your physician about IBS.

What it’s not:

Is not caused by your diet, Is not caused by stress, Is not a risk for cancer, Is not a risk for colitis, does not cause malnutrition, does not get worse with age, and does not shorten life span.

What it is:

Is a long-term condition, symptoms tend to come and go over time, symptoms often change over time, symptoms can usually be managed so that you feel better.

Resources about IBS:

https://aboutibs.org/
https://www.wwmedgroup.com/
https://badgut.org/