Posts Tagged ‘Healthy Lifestyle’

by Alicea Glover

September 21

5:23 pm

How to Prevent the Common Cold

It’s that time of year—the time of year when you want to rush into your office and shut the door to keep the germs out; the time of year when you want to stand at least five feet from everyone you talk to; the time of year when you’d rather tap fists instead of shake hands to say hello. Instead of going to those extremes, we’ve got something else that can help you ward off disease… I’m talking about exercise! It is believed that moderate exercise and physical activity throughout the week can reduce the number of colds you get in a year.

You may already know that exercise helps prevent the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, but did you know it can also help you ward off the common cold? The answer is yes! According to the Harvard Medical School, a healthy lifestyle is the single best step you can take toward keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Regular exercise keeps your body strong, alert and ready for battle! According to the publication, exercise contributes directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.

So as the temperature begins to change and we enter cold & flu season, remember these healthy lifestyle practices to help you defend against the common cold:

Don’t smoke.
Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
Exercise regularly.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Control your blood pressure.
If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
Get adequate sleep.
Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category

Source: “How to Boost Your Immune System,” Harvard School of Medicine

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle.

by Alicea Glover

July 2

1:49 pm

2 Comments

The Thrill of Being Healthy

When I tell people that I have cooked a healthy meal for dinner the response that follows is usually along the lines of, “I bet that’s nasty.” But I beg to differ. I love living a healthy lifestyle. I love opening up a cook book to any page and trying to change a heavy, greasy dish into a much healthier one. Does it always taste like mama’s classics? No, not all the time but in general it turns out to be quite tasty. Just knowing that it’s healthier for me makes me feel better too. There are several healthy cook books and online sites with great healthy recipes to try (See Jessica Lynn’s last post for a site she uses).

Here are some tricks I use to make my meals healthier:

Use wheat noodles, pasta or bread. Panko is great for adding some crunch to meats and vegetables.
Spray your cooking pan (lightly) instead of dredging it with oil
Use non-fat sourcream or yogurt to keep food together (in most cases these items can be used instead of an egg)
Buy low sodium items and refrain from adding salt to your food.

Another thrilling part of living a healthy lifestyle is all the new activities yous get to try and people you get to meet. I never thought that I would start the day with a Sun Salutation I learned in yoga, bust out some Zumba moves when I’m out dancing with friends, or challenge my friend in Spinning. There are so many activities and fitness classes that it’s hard to get bored with your workout. Recently, I’ve decided to start back up with boxing and to enroll in a beginners ballet class to help with my flexibility.

Who said being healthy isn’t fun?

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle.

by Bob Wright

March 3

2:23 pm

No Comments

A Screening that Can Save Your Life

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, what is number two? Colorectal cancer - surprised? While other cancers, including breast and prostate, get more press; colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the US, expected to cause almost 50,000 deaths in 2011. The good news is that many of those deaths could be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle and following screening guidelines. According to the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR), there is convincing evidence that several lifestyle factors increase the risk of colorectal cancer including obesity, inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, and high intakes of red meat and regular consumption of processed meats – sound familiar? For detail recommendations regarding these risk factors check out AICR’s website.

What might be even more impressive is the opportunity that screening provides to prevent colorectal deaths. It is estimated that as many as 60%, yes that is 60% of colorectal deaths could be prevented if all men and women aged 50 years or older were screened routinely. According to the Centers for Disease Control, most colorectal cancers develop from precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum. Screening tests can find these precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancers. So in this case screening not only can catch the cancer early so it can be more effectively treated, it literally can prevent it from developing in the first place. Unfortunately many people are not getting the screening soon enough to get the full benefit. Please check out the American Cancer Society for their screening guidelines. If you are overdue for the recommended screening for colon cancer or any of the cancers listed, please do and your family a favor and make an appointment to get them done. Since March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this is the perfect time to address this important and potentially live saving issue.

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle.

by Adam Martin

November 7

10:35 am

No Comments

Napa Valley Here I Come!

Napa Valley welcome sign 300x203 Napa Valley Here I Come!

You can rest assured that while you’re reading this blog I’m hiking the trails of Marin County California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Hilton Head Health is open 365, but that doesn’t mean the staff won’t take an occasional vacation. I’ll be spending the next five days in the San Francisco Bay Area and Napa Valley. It’s my first trip to the Northern California Coast so as a cultured young tourist I feel obligated to visit a few wineries during my jaunt. Therefore, I figured what could be a better topic for this blog than to review the heart healthy, resveratrol packing and flavonoid fighting powers of vino. But, brace yourself because like any responsible health educator, moderation must also be conferred!

The studies that support red wine for heart health have determined that antioxidants called polyphenols help protect the lining of the vessels in your heart. These antioxidants can come in two forms: flavonoids and nonflavonoids. Flavonoids are also found in oranges, grape juice, apples, onions and tea. However, it’s the nonflavonoids like resveratrol that are getting the most attention by scientists. They seem to be the key ingredient in red wine that may prevent damage to your blood vessels, reduce your bad cholesterol and prevent blood clots. I apologize if you’re a white wine drinker; it seems that the fermentation process of the grapes and more importantly grape skins used to make red wine is what gives the red wine its polyphenomic potency.

Here’s the catch, you have to drink in moderation or not at all. Moderate drinking is defined as on average two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. A drink is defined as five ounces of wine. Keep in mind that if you have heart complications or are expecting you should consult your doctor. Finally, wine isn’t a caloric freebie and may also influence your ordering decisions, so if you’re trying to watch your waistline you may need to reduce your consumption below the recommended amounts. Cue the Bobism, “Resolve dissolves in alcohol!”

Who’s been to Napa Valley and which wineries should I visit?

This entry is filed under Fitness, Healthy Lifestyle, Nutrition.

by Beth Leermakers

September 14

10:13 am

No Comments

Watch Out for All-or-Nothing Thinking

All-or-nothing thinking often creates stress and sets people up to fail at their healthy eating and physical activity goals. Many people conclude that they are a “failure” if they don’t follow their eating and/or exercise plans perfectly. Several times a week I encourage our H3 guests to try to avoid this extreme thinking.

I recently realized that I wasn’t practicing what I was preaching. I am the volunteer Rescue Coordinator for a high-kill animal shelter in Darlington, SC. This job entails spending several hours every day communicating with animal rescue groups to save dogs and cats who would otherwise be put to sleep for lack of space. Burned out by the constant pressure, time demands (there are no days off), and the emotional ups-and-downs of this often heart-breaking rescue work, I was tempted to quit altogether. Can we say “All or Nothing,” boys and girls?

Then one evening I acknowledged that I enjoyed the interactions with the rescuers and would really miss them. However, I was over-burdened by taking on too many administrative tasks. In a moment of clarity, I realized that perhaps I could ask for help with some of those tasks so that I would have enough time and energy to focus on what I enjoyed the most (and was the best at). I could step back a little without walking away. Lo and behold, another volunteer offered to take on some of the time-consuming tasks and share the burden. I will now be able to continue making a difference while still having time to take care of myself.

If you’re feeling over-burdened by work and/or family demands, ask yourself if there is some way to step back a little (perhaps by asking for help and/or delegating) so that you can take better care of yourself physically and emotionally. Remember: living a healthy lifestyle is all about balance and moderation!

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle.

by Cheney Maddox

August 19

10:30 am

1 Comment

Ask the Expert with Director of Education, Bob Wright

Q: I haven’t been participating in a regular exercise program or consuming a healthy balanced diet. However I have “normal” results for cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose. What are the effects these habits could have on these numbers down the road later in life?

A: Bob Wright, Director of Education:

That is great question, and it reminds me of guest who I was meeting with recently. He admitted that he hadn’t been behaving very healthfully and was very concerned about the results of his blood work. When we reviewed the results he was very relieved that they were not as bad as he had expected. He took a big sigh of relief and commented that he must be one of the lucky ones whose habits don’t affect his health. While I was also happy for him that his results were positive, I had to point out that he wasn’t out of the woods yet.

With your health, it not only where you are now, but which way are your habits facing you. The fact is, that his lifestyle had not caught up with him YET, and likely would if he kept living the same unhealthy way. The tendency is to not be concerned about our health until we lose it , then react, and do what we can to get it back. I strongly encouraged him to be proactive and take steps to improve his lifestyle before he developed the risk factors that would show up on his lab work. The best time to get concerned about your health is BEFORE you HAVE to get concerned about your health.

Have a question? The healthy lifestyle experts are here to help! Email cmaddox@hhhealth.com with your question and check back every Thursday for our feature column.

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle.

by Beth Leermakers

July 6

3:51 pm

No Comments

Make Time for Your Healthy Lifestyle: Schedule Your Priorities

“Lack of time” is one of the most common reasons people give for skipping their exercise and making unwise food choices. At the end of a long day filled with work, family, and other responsibilities, finding the energy to exercise can be challenging, if not impossible. Tasks that seem Urgent—meeting work deadlines, doing household chores, paying bills, dealing with crises—often crowd out important matters such as physical activity and healthy meals.

To make time for your healthy lifestyle, you first have to identify what behaviors and activities are most important to you. Think about important behaviors in these areas:

- Physical Activity

- Eating

- Stress Management/Relaxation

- Sleep/Rest

- Social/Relationships

After you’ve identified the important behaviors/activities, schedule these first, before you fill in your time with other tasks. You will probably need to block out time for physical activity, healthy meals, and relaxation.

For example, you may choose to block out time for exercise from 7 to 8 AM. You may designate a lunch hour and then choose not to schedule meetings during that time. After you’ve scheduled your priorities, then you can fill in your other responsibilities around them. By doing this, you will be more likely to have time and energy for the activities that truly matter to you.

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle, SELF.

by Cheney Maddox

May 12

12:12 pm

3 Comments

What does fitness mean to you?

As television sets made their way into living rooms across America in the 1950’s, President Dwight Eisenhower decided to take a stand against the decline in physical activity by establishing the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. This council was created to raise awareness on the importance of regular physical activity.

Later on in 1983, the President’s Council declared May as National Physical Fitness Month, challenging every American to make physical activity and sports something to try every day – whether it’s playing on a softball team, training for a race, walking the dog or just watering the garden.

What does fitness mean to you? Fitness is not running a marathon or lifting heavy weights, fitness is being able to perform physical activity and having the energy and strength to feel as good as possible.

Unfortunately to many people, fitness has become a chore. Exercise is a dreaded activity – even though it is what our bodies were essentially made to do. Physical activity is not only a necessity for a strong body and clear mind, but it also helps to prevent obesity related diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Here at H3, fitness is one of the three core elements to our successful Healthy Lifestyle™ program. Without this component, you will have a hard time reaching your end goals. Here, fitness comes in the form of sunrise beach walks, beach boot camps, biking tours, kayaking adventures, dance classes, tennis camps and more. Fitness doesn’t have to be miserable – it’s meant to be fun and enjoyable.

Fitness means different things to different people, but really it comes down to being able to live your healthiest life. From staff to Guests, listen to what they had to say about what fitness means to them.

This entry is filed under Fitness.

by Cheney Maddox

May 3

2:23 pm

1 Comment

A Healthier Pizza Night

In a cooking demonstration by H3 Chef Marvis Hinson last week, she made the following statement, “Whenever I eat homemade pizza, I am satisfied after one slice, but when I order out from the local pizza joint, it takes half the pie.”

A proclaimed pizza lover, I jump at the chance to hit up the local pizza joint. However, this comment struck a chord, and had me craving a pizza pie. So, instead of dining out on Friday night, I decided to experiment and create my own pizza masterpiece.

Turns out, she was right! Not only was I more satisfied after just two slices of my homemade veggie pizza, I had fun in the process. Turning the time in the kitchen into a get together with friends kept me from snacking, but also gave me a chance to catch up on the week’s events.

Here are a few reasons why you should opt out of delivery:

- Making your own pizza is fun! Perfect for a weekend activity, and if you have kids, they will love getting to help personalize their own pizza. Cooking the pizza yourself makes you appreciate it more when it’s done. I think that’s why we feel satisfied after just a bit.

- Eating healthy can still taste good. Our homemade pizza included a crispy whole wheat crust and three servings of veggies!

- When cooking at home, not only can you limit fat and calories, but more importantly hidden sodium! Here at H3, we recommend limiting sodium to 2300 mg for a typical adult eating 2000 calories daily. If you are on a lower calorie diet, limit accordingly. For example, someone on a 1600 calorie diet, limit to 2000 mg and 1200 calories limiting to 1800 mg sodium.

Look at these nutrition facts from America’s most popular pizza delivery:

One slice of Supreme Pizza from Pizza Hut = 1000 mg of sodium (380 calories, 18 g of Fat)

One slice of Meat Lovers from Pizza Hut = 1270 mg of sodium (440 calories, 23 g of Fat)

Each of the two slices above hold half the sodium content for your daily intake – eat two of each and you have put yourself over that limit!

- You can personalize your own pizza and add your favorite toppings! When building my pizza Friday, I re-created my usual veggie pizza from my favorite local pizza joint. It turned out perfect – adding the same toppings made it feel as though I had ordered out!

Ready to make your own? Read more for tips to building your ‘best’ pizza pie. Read the rest of this entry.

This entry is filed under Nutrition.

by Amber Shadwick

March 3

4:04 pm

1 Comment

YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION, WELL YOU KNOW…

Jamie Oliver, an impassioned chef, TV personality and best-selling author, is determined to take action on exploiting the high statistics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in this country. His new show will help invite viewers to take a stand and change the way America eats, in our kitchens, schools and workplaces. This new, thought-provoking series, “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” debutes FRIDAY, MARCH 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

Jamie will start his healthful initiative in Huntington, West Virginia, “the unhealthiest city in America”. Jamie says, “The time is right for people to rediscover the sense of pride, satisfaction and fun you can get from cooking for the people you love… I want to prove that turning around the epidemic of obesity and bad health doesn’t have to be boring or dull in the slightest. Wonderful stories will unfold in Huntington, and hopefully this will inspire the rest of the States.”

The “Food Revlotuion” series is slightly based on Jamie Oliver’s U.K. series: “Jamie’s Ministry of Food” and “Jamie’s School Dinners”. The first series displayed successful grass-roots efforts, thus resulting in improvements in school lunches. “Jamie’s School Dinners” resulted in a total overhaul of the school dinner program in the U.K.

“Food Revolution” in America, hopes to help turn attention to helping people of all ages eat more balanced meals and cook with fresh ingredients, not only at schools, but at homes, workplaces and even restaurants. Challenged by ingrained unhealthy habits and government bureaucracy, embedded by local naysayers, and welcomed by some of the most surprising guests,“Food Revolution” will display how in just a few short months Jaime transforms Huntington as a template for the entire country!

Reference: http://www.jaimeoliver.com

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

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