FOCUS ON WELLNESS – Guidelines Call for More Exercise, Fewer Calories

The revised Dietary Guidelines have put an even greater emphasis on the need to manage weight to prevent obesity and chronic disease.

Struggling to lose weight? Don't exercise enough? You're not alone. According to the latest research, almost two out of three Americans are overweight or obese, and one half don't get enough exercise. And that puts them at greater risk of chronic disease. In response, the government's Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has revised its recommendations. It now places more emphasis on strategies to manage weight. The national guidelines are generally for healthy people and are not for those on restricted or special diets. Here is a summary:

Physical activity

There is no doubt that exercise can help control weight and lower risk of disease. Just be sure to check with your doctor before you start any exercise program. Here are the recommendations:

· To reduce your risk for chronic disease: Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week. "Moderate" exercise is any physical activity that uses as much energy as walking two miles in a half hour.

· To manage body weight or prevent weight gain: Sixty minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise most days of the week.

· To sustain weight loss: Sixty to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day.

· All physical activity programs should include: Cardiovascular, strength training and flexibility exercises.

Healthy eating

To prevent weight gain, most adults need to eat less and exercise more. Reduced portions and balanced, regular meals are essential. New guidelines focus on:

• Eating a variety of foods

• Lowering total calories from fats and sweets

• Increasing nutrient-rich foods.

Specifically: Carbohydrates Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, beans, low-fat dairy and grains. Cut down on your intake of processed carbs from sweets and refined flour products.

• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Loaded with nutrients, they are also helpful for weight loss.

• Get more whole grains. Whole-grain foods are rich in nutrients, including protein, vitamins and minerals.

• Choose low-fat dairy by replacing whole milk products with fat-free or low-fat alternatives.

• Include more legumes (beans, lentils, split peas). These foods contain carbs and protein, and are rich in fiber and other vital nutrients.

• Avoid foods and beverages with added sugars, including corn syrups and other sweeteners.

Fats

Aim to keep your fat intake to 30 percent or less of your total calories. This is the equivalent of 66 grams of fat (about 600 calories) on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet. No more than 10 percent of your calories should be from saturated fats. Follow these tips for reducing fat and cholesterol:

• Cut down on high-fat meat and dairy products. Eat only lean cuts of meat and trim away excess fat and skin from poultry.

• Avoid fried and "fast" foods. These tend to be prepared in oils made of saturated (animal) fats.

• Avoid snack foods and baked goods that list saturated fats as one of the first ingredients. Also avoid those made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or vegetable shortening. These are sources of trans fatty acids, which raise your risk of heart disease.

• Choose healthy fats. Use olive oil or canola oil. Eat small amounts of nuts and seeds, fatty fish (such as salmon and sardines) and avocado.

Sodium and potassium

Keep salt to less than 2,300 mg of sodium (about one teaspoon of table salt) per day. Avoid foods with added salt. Eat more fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy.

Alcoholic beverages

If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

• For men: Up to two drinks per day

• For women: Up to one drink per day

• Those who should not drink alcohol at all: Children, teens, women who may become pregnant, pregnant and lactating women, people on medications that can interact with alcohol and those with substance abuse problems

Written By Jane Harrison

DASH Diet to Lower Blood Pressure

What you eat has a lot to do with good blood pressure control. Find out what delicious foods to include in your diet to help combat high blood pressure.

Want to lower your blood pressure? Try the DASH eating plan, short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

If your first thought is that the DASH is bland and boring, think again. The DASH is as much about adding tasty, nutrient-rich foods as it is about limiting fats and sugars.

What the studies say

Two large studies, both supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, have offered proof that DASH works.

The first study looked at the effects on blood pressure of eating a varied, wholesome diet versus the typical American diet.

· Results showed that compared to the typical American diet, blood pressure could be lowered by eating combinations of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

· DASH eaters also ate reduced amounts of fats, red meats, sweets and sugared beverages.

· Noteworthy is that blood pressures were reduced on the DASH, even though this first study did not restrict sodium intake.

The second study then looked at the added effect of a reduced sodium intake on blood pressure as people followed either the DASH eating plan or a typical American diet.

· Results showed that reducing sodium lowered blood pressure even further for those already on the DASH eating plan. It also lowered pressures for those on the typical American diet.

The biggest benefits were seen in people on the DASH eating plan who also lowered their sodium intake.

How the DASH works

Experts believe the DASH works for these reasons:

· By choosing fruits and vegetables, you’re more likely to cut out high-sodium, processed foods.

· The DASH diet is rich in calcium, potassium, fiber and magnesium. A lack of these nutrients is linked to high blood pressure.

· DASH is low in saturated and trans fats, which are known to raise blood pressure.

· Instead of supplements, the DASH focuses on combinations of healthy foods, which work together in your body to help lower blood pressure.

So what exactly IS the DASH eating plan? Specifically, it includes the following:

Daily servings:

• Seven to eight servings of grains, from mostly whole grains

• Four to five servings of vegetables

• Four to five servings of fruit

• Two to three servings of low-fat dairy foods

• No more than two servings of lean meat, poultry and fish

• Two to three servings of fats and oils

Weekly servings:

• Four to five servings of nuts, seeds and dry beans

• No more than five servings of sweets

Fitting the DASH into your lifestyle

You can work these DASH nutrient-foods into your meal plan in these ways:

Up your vegetable intake

•  Add a variety of veggies to lunch or dinnertime salads and soups.

•  Have cut-up veggies such as carrots, colored peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and celery for snacks, with a low-fat yogurt dip.

•  Increase vegetable portions of casseroles and stir-fries while decreasing meat portions.

•  Add beans/legumes to salads, soups and casseroles.

Go whole-grain

•  Choose whole-grain breads, cereals and pastas.

•  Instead of white rice or potatoes, experiment with brown rice, quinoa, barley and bulgur.

Go nutty

•  Sprinkle nuts into whole-grain cereal, yogurt or salads.

•  Add natural peanut or almond butter to whole-grain bread with sliced banana.

•  Snack on small amounts of nuts and dried fruit.

Do it with dairy

•  Use skim or low-fat milk in smoothies with fresh fruit and 100 percent juice.

•  Add skim or low-fat milk to coffee for lattes.

•  Choose low-fat yogurt for breakfast or snacks.

•  Use low-fat cheese on whole-grain bread, sprinkled on salads, or topped on a baked potato with broccoli.

DASH isn’t just for people with high blood pressure. It’s an overall healthy, wholesome, high-fiber eating plan than can also help reduce cholesterol levels and aid in weight loss.

Taken from myOptumHealth.com

5 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Medication

Hypertension strikes one in three American adults. Learn the top lifestyle strategies that can make a real impact on lowering your blood pressure.

About one in every three American adults has hypertension, or high blood pressure. Medication is often prescribed, but that’s not the only solution. There are many lifestyle strategies that have also been shown to have an impact. For some, weight loss combined with exercise and a healthy eating plan may even reduce or eliminate the need for medication altogether.

Your doctor can help you decide whether to take a combined approach (medication plus lifestyle) or whether to try following these healthy lifestyle strategies first:

1. Increase exercise. Aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure and can also help with weight loss. It doesn’t take a time-consuming workout in a gym to reap the benefits, either.

• As few as 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week has been shown to be effective.

• Aerobic activities such as walking, biking, swimming and water aerobics often produce the best results.

• Before you start an exercise program, ask your doctor what type and amount of exercise is right for you.

2. Cut your salt intake. One teaspoon (2,400 mg) is the maximum recommended daily amount. Reducing this to two thirds of a teaspoon (1,500 mg) can make a big difference.

• Check labels of food and over-the-counter medication for their sodium content.

• Use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods.

• Avoid processed foods such as canned and frozen ready-to-eat foods, cheeses and luncheon meats.

3. Eat a healthy diet. Follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) guidelines. This has been shown to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, even without other interventions.

• The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. It restricts intake of saturated fats, red meat and sugar.

• The increased fiber, potassium, calcium and magnesium from these foods are all thought to play a role in reducing blood pressure.

4. Lose weight. For every two pounds of weight loss, you can lower your systolic pressure by one point and your diastolic pressure by 1.4 points.

• Gradual weight loss of one to two pounds per week is most effective.

• Keep a food journal to track exactly what and how much you eat.

• Choose foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats and refined sugar.

• Watch your portion sizes.

• Do not skip meals. Eating three meals a day plus snacks is essential in weight management.

• Aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily, which will fill you up and curb your hunger.

5. Limit alcohol. Drinking a lot of alcohol can raise blood pressure.

• This means no more than one drink a day for women, two drinks for men.

• One drink is the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or two ounces of hard liquor.

• You can also help yourself to relax and cope better with stress from your busy life with these techniques:

Simplify. Try to cut out activities that eat up your time but deliver little value. Learn to say “no.” Clean out your house, car and garage of things that you no longer need. Let go of the relationships that complicate your life more than they add.

Take a deep breath. Making a conscious effort to deepen and slow down your breathing can help you relax.

Exercise. Physical activity is a natural stress-buster.

Get plenty of sleep. Being sleep-deprived can make your problems seem bigger than they really are.

The key is to discover what works for you. Choose your strategies, take action, and start enjoying the benefits. You can lower your blood pressure and help prevent other chronic diseases at the same time.

 

How to reduce your risk

To prevent complications, follow your high blood pressure treatment plan as directed by your doctor:

• Take all medications as prescribed. Never stop taking a medicine without talking to your doctor first. Blood pressure medication can cut your risk of heart failure and other complications in half.

• Reach or maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, lose weight. A weight loss of just 10 pounds can help lower blood pressure.

• Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Studies show that the DASH diet helps control high blood pressure. The diet is rich in vegetables, fruit and low-fat dairy. Foods high in saturated and total fat and cholesterol are limited.

• Limit sodium (salt) intake. Eating a diet low in salt can help keep your blood pressure in check. Keep sodium intake to less than 2,400 mg per day.

• Get active. Work up to 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Check with your doctor before you start or increase your level of exercise.

• Avoid alcohol. Drinking too much or too often raises the risk for high blood pressure.

• Don’t smoke. If you do, quit.

Taken from myOptumHealth.com

Strawberry Spring Salad

What better menu choice for spring days. Enjoy this light and fruity springtime salad.

3 T White wine vinegar

3 T water

1 T honey

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3 Cups quartered strawberries

1 bag (10 oz.) Italian-blend salad greens (about 6 cups)

4 tsp. toasted pine nuts

Directions:

Combine first six ingredients and stir well with a whisk. Combine strawberries and greens. Add vinegar mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with nuts.

Yield: 4 Servings

Nutrition facts:

Calories: 110 Fat: 4/5 g

Carbohydrate: 14/3 g Sodium: 76 mg

Protein: 4/5 g Fiber: 3/5 g

What to know about Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, it’s critical that you follow your prescribed treatment plan. Here’s why.

If you’re among the one in three Americans who has high blood pressure (hypertension), take note: it’s not something you can afford to ignore.

High blood pressure typically has no symptoms. Since symptoms can be strong motivators, it can be tough to make lifestyle changes or see the need for treatment when you feel fine. But here’s why you need to follow “doctor’s orders.” High blood pressure is a “silent killer” and not treating it can have serious consequences.

What high blood pressure does to your body

Blood pressure is the force of blood that travels through your arteries. If pressure is too high, it can damage your blood vessels and organs in your body. The higher your blood pressure is, and the longer it stays untreated, the greater your risk for serious medical problems, including:

• Heart failure. High blood pressure puts extra demand on the heart. Over time, the heart grows bigger to make up for the extra work and it eventually weakens. Heart failure occurs when the weakened heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. High blood pressure is the biggest predictor of heart failure. One study found that 90 percent of people with heart failure had high blood pressure.
• Heart attack. High blood pressure can damage the arteries that carry blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. If these vessels become narrowed and damaged, a blood clot can form and lead to a heart attack.
• Stroke. The biggest risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure. High blood pressure can damage arteries that supply blood to the brain. A clot can form and block the artery and prevent blood flow to the brain, causing a stroke. High blood pressure can also cause arteries in the brain to burst. This also results in another type of stroke called hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke.
• Kidney damage. High blood pressure can damage the arteries that supply the kidneys. This leads to kidney damage and kidney failure. This is especially dangerous because kidney damage raises blood pressure even more.
• Vision problems. High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels that supply the eye. The blood vessels can burst or bleed, causing blurry vision and blindness.
• Memory loss. High blood pressure can restrict blood flow to the brain. If too little blood reaches the brain, the brain cannot work well. One study found that this may lead to memory loss.

Taken from: myOptumHealth.com

We found this sweet golden brown and white, 40lb, boxer mix in our front yard this morning. She was with a black Rotty, but it got away before we could get it. This one came right up to us and is the sweetest dog. We hope to find its owner soon. It only will eat dog food. How amazing. The dog is full grown and has an excellent temperment. I would guess that it is a fairly mature dog. It will be sad to see it go, but it deserves to have its owners back.

Stress Management Strategies

FOCUS ON WELLNESS – Stress Management Strategies

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate. Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress · Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress. · Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely. · Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. · Avoid hot-button topics – If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion. · Pare down your to-do list – If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them. Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life. · Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. · Be willing to compromise. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground. · Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. · Manage your time better. If you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount of stress you’re under. Stress management strategy #3: Adapt to the stressor If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude. · Reframe problems. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time. · Look at the big picture. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere. · Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. · Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. Adjusting Your Attitude How you think can have a profound affect on your emotional and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true. Eliminate words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must." These are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts. Source: National Victim Assistance Academy, U.S. Department of Justice Stress management strategy #4: Accept the things you can’t change Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change. · Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems. · Look for the upside. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes. · Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation. · Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on. Stress management strategy #5: Make time for fun and relaxation Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come. Healthy ways to relax and recharge Go for a walk. Spend time in nature. Call a good friend. Sweat out tension with a good workout. Write in your journal. Take a long bath. Light scented candles Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea. Play with a pet. Work in your garden. Get a massage. Curl up with a good book. Listen to music. Watch a comedy Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. · Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. · Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress. · Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike. · Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Taken from: © HEALTHGUIDE.ORG, Understanding, Preventing, & Resolving Life’s Challenges