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Welcome to the OKinHealth - Healthy Tips Page We invite you to also visit our specialty natural health care pages such as:
Healthy Tips Some of these health tips are courtesy of: the Healthy Heart Society of BC, hearts@work , Stanford Heart Network, OKinHealth members, and other health care advisors. The 'OKinHealth' recommend you also check out any health Tips with your Doctor or Naturopath. We are not responsible for any information provided on this page or any OK in Health web site page. A Golfing Workout Walking to Improve your Risk Profile Recognizing a Stroke - 3 FAST Questions Go Veggie... Smoking Eating before Exercise Vegetarianism is a plant-centered dietary style that excludes meat. This may include a number of variations: Lacto-Vegetarian – Eats only vegetables, grains, fruits, and dairy products. Some of these dietary styles may be combined. For example, a lacto-ovo-vegetarian includes dairy products and eggs as part of his or her plant-centered diet. For many people, a well-balanced vegetarian diet, high in micronutrients and fiber and generally low in saturated fats, is quite healthy. Although a plant-centered diet is recommended for nearly everyone, some people do not respond well to a diet in which there is no animal protein. Making a Splash Iron and Calcium Supplements Sport drinks? Never Too Late to Start Exercising Vitamin C Exercising in Cold Weather Low Fat Brownies Mold - What to do? Frosting s for Baking Kale Pizza Dried fruit Exercise injuries Breakfast Label Reading Pilates for One Juice Serving Soda Did you know that most sodas contain about 6 teaspoons of sugar per 8 oz. of drink? Instead of soda, try tea without sugar or plain water with a slice of lemon. Maintain Long-Term Weight Loss A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (July 2005) reports that once you've lost weight, keeping it off actually gets easier with time. The article identified 6 important behaviors: 1. Get active and stay active; 2. Eat a diet low in calories and fat; 3. Don't skip breakfast; 4. Hit the scales at least once per week; 5. Maintain a steady eating pattern; and 6. Catch 'slips' before they turn into bigger problems. Fad diets Did you know that an English undertaker published the first diet book in 1864? Since then, hundreds of fad diets, most promising quick fixes, have come and gone. For long-term weight loss, our registered dietitian recommends forgoing fad diets. Step by step lifestyle changes will benefit your weight, your health, and your quality of life! Smoking & Body Weight Many women cite potential weight gain as a reason to avoid quitting smoking. Although smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers, smoking appears to cause fat to move to the abdominal area. This further increases the risk of heart disease. You can avoid potential weight gain and help your heart by increasing physical activity as you quit smoking. Irish Tradition Soak pine cones in your favourite herb oil appropriate to the season. Place on radiators or over heat sources in home/workplaces. The aroma will gently and delicately waft through rooms, bringing well-being and pleasant fragrances to all. From Patrisha, from Dublin, Ireland. Getting Into an Exercise Routine When starting an exercise program, many professionals recommend trying to schedule your workout at the same time each day. This helps build the habit of making exercise a regular part of your life. Olive Oils Storing Olive Oil According to our registered dietitian, you can keep an open bottle of olive oil for several months. Store it away from light and heat, in a tightly sealed container. If you store olive oil in the refrigerator it will turn cloudy, but this will not affect its flavor or quality. Substituting olive oil for other fats can be a heart healthy cooking strategy! Fish and Intelligence A recent study indicates that women who eat more fish during pregnancy raise their child's intelligence. However, this finding balances against the fact that some fish contain mercury. Mercury can reduce infant intelligence. If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, don't let mercury scare you into avoiding all seafood. Be sure to discuss safe fish consumption guidelines with your doctor or Naturopath Doctor Cruciferous Vegetables Please pass the cruciferous vegetables. This vegetable family includes kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. They seem to be linked to reducing cancers, preventing cataracts, fighting heart disease and regulating blood pressure. Try to include this group of vegetables in your diet at least 2-3 times per week. They are best when raw or lightly cooked. Incline Walking Did you know that you could significantly increase the number of calories you burn on the treadmill by increasing the incline? If you walk at about 3.5 miles per hour at no incline, a 150-pound person will burn about 275 calories per hour. The same speed at a 7.5%incline burns roughly twice as much. Dining Out When dining out, remember the budget rule. If you spend a lot of your fat budget on French fries, consider saving on other parts of the meal. You might choose low-fat complements such as a grilled chicken sandwich (hold the greasy sauces and cheese), and vegetables. Spending too much of your fat budget on one meal can lead to a high daily or weekly fat intake. Vary your workouts The average person stops making good progress after repeating the same workout for 4 to 6 weeks. Consider making monthly or bimonthly changes to your routine. This can challenge your muscles and make improvement more likely. How to Graduate from Walking to Running Are you bored with walking but intimidated by running? Slowly add some running to your workout. For example, walk 4 or 5 minutes, and then run for 1 minute. Repeat the pattern several times. Once you feel more comfortable, try to increase from 1 minute of running to 2, and then from 2 to 3. Eventually you will be running much or all of the time. Health in the News Have you ever read or heard about new and amazing health research findings? Be careful. Don't immediately accept them as proven facts. A single research study does not always provide reliable evidence. Continue to look for more studies. Are most of them for or against the early report? Greens Have you heard of arugula? It is a green, leafy vegetable that contains about 20 times more beta-carotene and vitamin C, and 8 times more calcium than iceberg lettuce. When making green salads at home, consider opting for dark green leaves, such as arugula, romaine, chicory and thinly sliced kale. Substituting these greens in salads and on sandwiches creates a more nutrient dense meal. Stress Management A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "how heavy is this glass of water?" Answers Called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it." "If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. "In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." Finding an Exercise Buddy Looking for someone who shares your fitness enthusiasm? Check out the notice boards at your athletic club or classified postings at work. Post a message on the OIHIC message board. Alternately, volunteer for or participate in a fun run or charity walk. These are great ways to meet others with the same or similar fitness goals. Useful Fruit Labels and how to know when you are buying Organic or GMO Fruit. As much as we may dislike them, the stickers or labels attached to fruit speed up the scanning process at checkout. Cashiers no longer need to distinguish a Fuji apple from a Gala apple, a prickly pear from a horned melon, or a grapefruit from an ugli fruit. They simply key in the PLU code - the price lookup number printed on the sticker - and the market's computerized cash register identifies the fruit by its PLU. The numbers also enable retailers to track how well individual varieties are selling. So, a conventionally grown banana would be 4011, an organic banana would be 94011, and a genetically engineered banana would be 84011.
Sense of Smell and Food Choices Did you know that your sense of smell can affect the health of your diet? Smell accounts for 90% of your ability to detect the flavor of food. Those with a decline in the ability to smell often eat foods containing higher amounts of fat and sugar. Energy at Any Age The benefits of exercise occur at any age! A Stanford University study of mature adults found that those who engaged in regular exercise had better moods, improved sleep, and more energy. For many people, these positive results help them continue to exercise. ALWAYS carefully rinse off the tops of canned sodas or foods !, to wipe off pasta packaging, cereal boxes, and so on. Almost everything you buy in a supermarket was stored in a warehouse at one time or another, your country or another and some have rodents and may carry the Hanta virus and other bacterias. Most of us remember to wash vegetables and fruits but never think of boxes and cans. Symptoms of a stroke are sometimesdifficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: Ask the individual to SMILE. Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (ie. It is sunny out today) If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. Kayaking for Fun and Fitness Going camping this summer? Consider renting a kayak at the lake or beach for family fun and fitness. Whether you're rowing solo or tandem, you can burn over 300 calories per hour while enjoying a beautiful summer day. Don't forget the life jacket. Music Improves Exercise Does music motivate you to move your body? Those who listen to enjoyable music while working out perceive less exertion and often find exercise easier to do. Consider adding some kind of music to your routine - pop, rock, classical, jazz, country, or whatever you enjoy. Do Not Workout in the Smog Exercising outdoors when air quality is poor can be hard on your lungs and heart. Watch the air quality reports and avoid outdoor exercise when it's hazy. Instead, opt for indoor gyms, fitness centers or malls that properly maintain air temperature and quality. Blueberries Blueberries are an excellent source of plant nutrients thought to play a role in fighting cancers and chronic disease. One cup of fresh blueberries contains only 87 calories, no fat and 1/3 of the vitamin C you need per day. They are also a good source of fiber. Use a handful as a snack, or add to your whole grain cereal, waffles or yogurt for a delicious breakfast. Pasta Sauce Did you know that some jars of pasta sauces contain up to 32 grams of fat per serving! Use the Nutrition Label to compare brands. Consider choosing tomato-based sauces vs. cheese-based sauces, opting for one with 3 grams of fat per serving or less. Exercising for a Better Mood If you're feeling down, consider adding exercise to your to-do list. Research shows that exercise has the ability to improve mood and reduce depression. Even if you are seriously depressed, exercise can still be one of several interventions recommended by your physician or mental health professional. Exercise is not a cure all, but it releases endorphins, often creates a sense of accomplishment, and thus improves well-being. Alzheimer's Disease Do you know the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease? They include: Running Shoes Research indicates that all running shoes lose about 30% - 50% of their shock absorbency after 250 to 500 miles of use. Type of shoe, brand or price doesn't seem to make much difference. Remember, the real investment you make is in your health. The shoes are a means to your ends. Protect feet, knees and back by periodically replacing older shoes based on your mileage and overall use. Home Safety The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that U.S. hospital emergency rooms treat 8,000 to 10,000 people each year for injuries related to furniture that tips over. Children receive the majority of these injuries. Keep your family safe. Make sure that heavy televisions are close to the floor or set far back into the furniture on which they sit. Use braces or anchors to secure furniture to walls. Keep watch for climbing children. Sleeping Position Did you know that sleeping on your stomach can aggravate back pain? The best sleep position is on your side with your knees bent. In addition, check to be sure that your pillow allows your neck to remain straight. A strained neck can cause poor posture, aggravating back pain during the day. 3 point, 3 week, home treat for the inner & outer You Twice weekly: Lymphatic Cleansing Treatment. Fill the bath with very warm water and sprinkle in two mug-fulls of EPSOM SALTS, available in a large container at your local health store. 20 to 30 minutes is all it takes to unblock your lymph nodes, clearing your body of unwanted toxins. Once weekly: Total skin Treatment. Massage a high quality absorbent oil, such as almond etc., into your skin from head to toe. Soak yourself in a warm bath for 20 to 30 minutes. You may like to add some lavender, favourite music and soft lighting to complete this nourishing treat. Once in three weeks: Hair & scalp Treatment. Take some time to work plenty of good quality absorbent oil into and over your scalp, massaging well. Wrap and leave to soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Shampoo and condition Help for aging bones It's never too late to begin! Recent studies involving mature men and women found that regular weight training improved hip-bone density. Weight bearing exercises significantly improved bone strength, reducing the risk for falls and fractures in later life. The Bread Test The loaf should feel heavy and look dense. Black is beautiful. Put your fingers and thumb around the top of the loaf. If you can squeeze the loaf from the outside more than an inch towards the centre with very little pressure, it fails the test. Read the label. If the bread contains white flour, sugar, hydrogenated fat or salt, it fails the test. Foot health Many foot problems result from poorly fitted shoes. A few buying tips: Try shopping for shoes in the middle of the day, as feet tend to swell most at this time. Strive for about a 1/2 inch of space between the end of the foot and the tip of the shoe. Wear the type of socks or stockings that will be worn with the shoes. And finally, consider having both feet measured. Feet can vary in size. Fat Content Can Be Misleading When you see a product in the grocery store labeled 98% fat free, don't be fooled. According to the Food & Drug Administration, that percentage refers to the percentage of fat by weight, not by calories. For example, a slice of 89% fat free deli meat means that only 11% of the weight of the product is fat. Although this sounds low, over 50% of the calories may come from fat -- making it a high-fat choice as far as your body is concerned! When selecting low fat foods, ignore the advertising hype; look for grams of fat or the percent Daily Value for fat on the nutrition label. Healthy Schools School-based programs can significantly impact the health of young children. If you are a parent, consider becoming a PTA member. PTAs can encourage schools to include healthy lifestyle curriculums, promote physical activity, and offer more nutritious food choices. Monounsaturated Fat Monounsaturated fats are the type of fats that tend to lower blood cholesterol, especially LDL or the 'bad' cholesterol. Good sources of monounsaturated fats include olives and olive oil, canola oil, nuts and peanut butter. Strength Training The health benefits of strength (resistance) training include increased bone mass, increased muscle strength, and improved quality Fiber There are two main types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber has been associated with lowering blood cholesterol. It is found in oat bran, beans and other legumes, psyllium, prunes, apples and pears. Insoluble fiber, found in fruits, vegetables, dried beans, wheat bran, seeds, popcorn, brown rice, and whole grain products, is typical of the course material we think of as roughage. It helps keep the bowels regular and may also help prevent certain types of cancers. Both types of fiber, when taken with plenty of water, aid in weight control and the regulation of blood pressure. Garlic Since 1986, responsible medical journals published 31 studies on how garlic affects blood pressure and cholesterol. Many suggest that garlic lowers both. Experts recommend roughly 1-4 cloves per day for heart-healthy benefits. The final word on garlic awaits even more research, but eating modest amounts seems safe and probably good for us. Try adding garlic to salads, pastas, rice dishes, soups, potatoes, and even sandwiches. Eye Protection During Sports Do you participate in sports that involve a moving ball, swinging stick, or physical contact? These include sports like hockey, tennis, racquetball or baseball. According to the International Federation of Sports Medicine, the use of protective gear significantly reduces eye injuries in sports. Be safe, not sorry. Buy and use sport appropriate goggles or a facemask. Make eye protection a priority while you play. Lots of Diets Did you know that 65 million Americans go on a weight loss diet each year? And that as many as 48 million Americans are on a diet on any given day? Try on this idea: Dieting is not the solution for being overweight or obese. At best, diets are only a very temporary fix. Adopting gradual, but sustainable improvements to your eating and exercise habits are what can last you a lifetime. Fructose Fructose occurs naturally in fruit, along with many other healthy nutrients including vitamins, minerals and fiber. Current nutrition guidelines indicate most people should be eating more fruit. However, when used as an additive in candy, drinks and baked goods, fructose isn't any better for us than its chemical cousin, sucrose (regular sugar). Fructose provides just as many calories and can have a laxative effect if consumed in large amounts. So, eat your fruits, but try to avoid added fructose. Fast Food Did you know that a plain fast food hamburger may be a better nutritional bet than a chicken sandwich? One plain patty, with bun but no cheese, provides about 260 calories and 9 grams of fat. A fried chicken sandwich has almost 500 calories and 23 grams of fat! When dining out, consider opting for plain items, such as burgers. Hold the cheese and sauces, or opt for grilled (not fried) chicken sandwiches with mustard instead of a rich sauce or mayo. Interval training mimics the behavior of our hunting-gathering ancestors better than continuous exercise that maintains a constant pace for 20-40 minutes. Interval training can be defined as short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of rest. Periods of high and low intensity are repeated several times to form a complete workout. Weight management is about managing a healthy body composition, staying at your ideal body weight, balancing stress and adding life to your years and years to your life. Long-term health should be the ultimate goal of any exercise or weight management program."- Tracy Holly Addressing Muscle Soreness The smartest way to address muscle soreness is to avoid it. When starting a new training program, or upgrading an existing one, go into it gradually. Take several weeks, even longer if necessary. Should you experience soreness along the way, give your muscles a day or two of rest to recover. Stay Safe on the Basketball Court Do you know anyone who plays basketball? Avoid injuries on the court by wearing the proper shoes. Good basketball shoes increase shock absorption and supply appropriate traction. They help reduce the amount of stress normally transmitted to the knees. Gaining Weight As hard as this is to believe, some people have trouble gaining weight. If you are trying to build muscle, add calorie dense snacks between meals. Examples include dried fruit, nuts, protein powders between meals,peanut butter and bananas. An extra 400-500 calories per day is usually all most people need. Get plenty of rest each night. Avoid smoking. Motivating Yourself to Exercise A good way for many people to maintain or increase exercise is through finding an upbeat workout partner. Almost everyone does better with encouragement than with negativity, and many people do better if they have another person working with them. Encouraging each other can positively affect your attitude and increase your desire to come back for more. Persistence is an amazing thing You don't have to be the best or the smartest, but if you keep working at something and don't give up, it's incredible what you can accomplish."- Cory Holly Spaghetti Squash A 1/2 cup of baked spaghetti squash contains only 25 calories and is a good source of nutrients. Try topping cooked spaghetti squash with warmed tomato sauce or salsa, and enjoy as a healthy side dish or snack. Icing for injuries Icing many types of injuries aids the healing process. But, using ice improperly can actually do more harm than good. Use these precautions when treating injuries: Do not leave the ice pack on an injury after the skin becomes numb. Never fall asleep with ice on your skin. Don't use ice on open blisters or wounds. If an injury does not respond to self-treatment within 24 hours, see a doctor Lower Fat Baking Looking for a way to lower the fat in baked goods while maintaining moisture? Try pureed fruit. Experiment with pureed prunes, pears, figs, peaches and applesauce. All will provide flavor and moisture with fewer calories and no fat. Some of these health tips are by courtesy of your Healthy Heart Society of BC, your local hearts@work coordinator and Stanford Heart Network! and also sent in by OKinHealth members and other health care advisors. The OKinHealth recommend you also check out any health tips with your Doctor or Naturopath and our not responsible for any information provided on this page or any OKinHealth web site page.
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