Newsletter

Showing posts with label Healthy Eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthy Eating. Show all posts

Monday, June 12, 2017

Celebrate Men’s Health Week & Month Throughout June

Make it all about the fellas during June, when Men’s Health Month takes center stage — an especially June 12-18, when Men’s Health Week takes over the calendar.

The purpose of the week and month are simple, and laudable: heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

Men aren't always the best about taking care of themselves. Sure, plenty are good about diet and exercise, but when was the last time your dad, husband, brother, son (you get the idea) went in for an annual physical? If the answer is “I have no clue,” then do a little nudging to get that doc visit on the calendar right away.

A regular doctor’s visit, even if there’s nothing wrong, is a great way for men (and women) to make sure they’re staying on top of screenings. For men, especially those over 50, that’s the time to make sure that testosterone and Prostate Specific Antigen, or PSA, levels are checked through bloodwork (the best way to get early signs of prostate cancer or other trouble), schedule a colonoscopy if one’s needed and even keep tabs of little, but important things, like tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough boosters.

Still on the fence? Use this handy checklist to see where you’re all caught up, and what might need some attention.

Since it began in 1994, Men’s Health Month has been out there trying to get men to take care of their physical and mental health through screenings, health fairs and other education/outreach activities. A big part of Men’s Health Week is Wear Blue Friday, which takes place this year on June 16, the Friday before Father’s Day. Break out those blue scrubs!


Men (and women) often put the health of others before their own, or as we mentioned earlier think they’re doing great because they’re crushing it at the gym and eat clean. But cancer and other killers strike the young and healthy, so it’s important to get that annual physical take care of, and pay attention to little signs that the body may be sending out. Good health is as much about prevention as it is about diet, exercise and work/life balance. Do your part, and it’ll all come together!

Monday, November 14, 2016

The importance of American Diabetes Month can’t be overstated

November brings us to the holiday rush, Thanksgiving travel — and American Diabetes Month. Just thinking about heavy holiday meals should be enough to bring our focus around to diet, exercise and this health concern. Fewer health issues in the country are more relevant right now than diabetes. From adult to childhood diabetes, type 1 and type 2, from the links to diet and the quality of our foodstuffs, diabetes is getting a lot of exposure right now.

And it needs to get a lot more still. Because it is a disease which strikes one out of eleven people in America. It is responsible for more fatalities annually than AIDS and breast cancer combined. There are more than 200,000 cases of juvenile diabetes diagnosed annually. All told, 86 million Americans are at risk for diabetes.

These are daunting and relevant statistics, but they only tell part of the story. That is why this year the theme for American Diabetes Month is “This is Diabetes.” The emphasis is on the real-life stories of Americans coping with, struggling with and oftentimes triumphing over diabetes. There will be:

  • testimonies about the experience of being first diagnosed;
  • the scary process of beginning a treatment regimen; and
  • first-hand accounts about changes in diet, lifestyle and a general reshuffling of priorities.


Not only will it be great time to recognize our 29 million fellow citizens struggling with the disease, but we can all learn something to utilize in our own lives and help us to make better choices.

There are dozens of outlets to help contribute to the campaign against diabetes this November. From buttons to yard signs to posters, to social media platforms and community events. And of course, like all the events on our calendar commemorating the fight against diseases and disorders, we are hopeful the day will come these days on the calendar will open up again. That will mean a cure has been found. So to that end, research is always an important element and will always be a priority.

This November, explore the many avenues to lend your own voice and listen to the voices of others!


Monday, September 12, 2016

Fruit and Veggies – More Matters


May I have the rest of your pomegranate? Do you know of an organic orchard nearby? Do you think the grocer will give cut me a deal on the price if I offer to buy the leaf spinach by the bushel?

Chances are, you haven’t asked any of these questions in the recent past. But let your thoughts ramble a bit in this direction, for September is Fruit and Veggies – More Matters Month. It’s time to push the fruit and vegetable initiative, proclaiming the healthy, sustaining benefits of these healthiest of the food groups. And also following up the talk by incorporating them into our diets.

We all have hopefully heard by now that eating vegetables and fruit is good for us. An apple a day, and all that. But then, why do all too many of us refuse to follow through on this sound wisdom? The explanations are myriad: time, budget, lack of comprehensive knowledge and the fact that many of us very much wish kale tasted like chocolate brownies. Increasing consumption isn’t necessarily easy, at least at first, but it is most definitely rewarding.

Let’s get specific here: did you know fruit and vegetables are tremendous preventative agents against disease, including cancer and heart disease? Did you know many of them are high in fiber, hence a lovely way to keep your digestive system at ease? From the vanity angle, did you know a diet high in fruit and vegetables improves skin pallor, the sparkle of the teeth in your smile and the luster of your hair as well as your muscle tone? The case for kale is beginning to become a stronger one!

But many of us believe all that, know we should up our fruit and veggie intake and maybe even have tried to make a point of that in the past. And it didn’t work. So what now? As with so many things, education makes all the difference. All forms of fruit and veggies are good in some ways, so if you’re an on-the-go type, and don’t have time to be haunting produce stands twice or more weekly, remember that there are many nutritious brands of frozen vegetables. Boil some water, drop in the broccoli and in 10 minutes, voila! — nutrition on a plate.

Eat Healthy Hack: Learn what fruits and vegetables are in season. The taste of a sweet potato changes markedly in October from those withered specimens you might find in May. If you’re one to claim you don’t like veggies, maybe you’ve all too rarely been having them at the optimal time of year.

Another Pro Tip: Find what you like. You don’t have to choke down carrots if that’s a no-go for you. One of the best things about vegetables and fruit is the amazing variety of options. Try some different stuff and you are sure to find plenty that appeals to you!

Whatever the case, take advantage of an official month to kick-start your fruit and vegetable consumption. Like any other new behavior, it only takes a couple of weeks to settle into a habit. Your body, not to mention your primary care physician, will thank you.
           
P.S. There’s a LOT going on in September, with awareness campaigns for a single day, a week or even the entire month. Here are some links to areas you may find of interest!

    World Heart Day