Archive for October, 2009
Trick-or-Treat-Give Me Something Good to Eat
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It’s that time of year again, the beginning of the season for consumption of all things sweet. Halloween marks the start of the holiday season that extends until the beginning of January. The tendency to overindulge in sweet treats rises, the sugar rush ensues, and waistlines expand. Considering the rise in childhood obesity, here are some ideas to curb the sugar rush, and still keep the kids happy and healthy.
For the ghosts and goblins that come knocking: Select dark chocolate options for trick-or-treaters. Dark chocolate has health benefits such as antioxidants. Give out granola bars, 100% fruit chews, and yogurt or carob covered raisins. Look for the fun or mini size candy options for the ghouls and goblins; the smaller the better. Or, avoid candy altogether and hand out coloring books and crayons, glow sticks, or stickers.
And for your little pumpkins, avoid all unnecessary sugar on the day of Halloween. Omit soda, fruit drinks, certain cereals and other sugary stuff since you know they’ll be eating candy. Feed them a healthy meal before they go out roaming the neighborhood. The hungrier they are, the more candy they will eat along the way. Get them exercising! Throw in a Thriller mix and have a little zombie dance party. Also, have them walk from door to door.
Do you have any tips for healthy treaters?
Meatless Monday
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What’s for dinner at your house tonight? How about a meat–free dish? Just by reducing animal protein in your diet, you could lessen your risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. Many people have found that reducing animal protein consumption can help with low energy and sugar cravings. You can also improve the health of our environment by preserving natural resources like water and fossil fuels.
Join a growing number of people all over the country in the Meatless Monday movement and pledge to eat meat-free once a week. What will you eat in place of your meat entrée? Try incorporating more vegetables into your meal, which are high in fiber and will make you feel full and satisfied. Beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds are also a great meat alternative. They are high in protein, iron and magnesium and contain little to no saturated fat.
You’ll also reduce your carbon footprint by cutting back on meat just once a week. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, the meat industry generates nearly 1/5 of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide. Our precious water resources are exhausted daily and the demand continues to grow. Approximately 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. This total far surpasses the amount of water needed for vegetables and grains.
People are confused about how to start making improvements to their health, let alone make sizable changes to the environment. Start with what you put on your dinner plate. Start today. You don’t have to become a vegetarian to make a difference. Michael Pollan recently stated on the Oprah show: “Even one meatless day a week — a meatless Monday, which is what we do in my household — if everybody in America did that, that would be the equivalent of taking 20 million mid-size sedans off the road.”
Need recipe ideas? Check out Meatless Monday’s recipe page. Just think about the health message you’re starting today and how you can extend it for the rest of the week. Go meatless and the possibilities are endless!
Don't Wait to Hydrate!
Posted by: | CommentsWhere your health is concerned, Dr. Kim knows the importance of your drinking a sufficient amount of water each day. His positive repetitive stress is on “Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!” For humans to survive, they need air and water (in that order). An astonishing 75 percent of people in our country are mildly and chronically dehydrated, even though drinking enough water would appear to be as visceral as breathing in enough air. (Most individuals are not breathing enough either, but one issue at a time.) Your good health established by your drinking water, and plenty of it. Drinking plenty of water helps every cell, tissue, and organ in your body and keeps all its systems functioning. Water is the essential element for saliva and the fluids surrounding the joints. Water balances the temperature and metabolism of the body, and keeps the blood circulating. Staying well-hydrated has been shown to improve nutrient absorption and toxin removal, and to reduce heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, headaches, and even back pain.
Athletes are particularly at risk when it comes to functional challenges created by dehydration. “Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are,” said Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, health, and Human Services. A high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts, according to researchers at Indiana State University. In fact, eighty percent of football players displayed symptoms of dehydration during pre-season physical examinations.
Confused about how much water is enough water? Chiropractors, like most health care professionals, recommend a minimum of eight, 8-ounce glasses of water daily for many patients, but for our patients who are athletes, or for individuals who are overweight or exercise or work where it’s hot, we recommend even more. There is a fairly uncomplicated way for you to be sure that you’re drinking an adequate amount of water. Your urine color is a good indicator. If it comes out a light, pale yellow, it’s an indication that you’re well-hydrated!
