Archive for January, 2010

Good Nutrition to Prevent Birth Defects

Monday, January 25th, 2010

As January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, what better time than now to discuss the importance of nutrition and good health during pregnancy.

One nutrient, folic acid or folate, is especially important when it comes to preventing birth defects. Folic acid is needed for the development of a baby’s spinal cord and brain. Neural Tube Defects (i.e. spina bifida and anencephaly) have been linked to inadequate folic acid levels in mom.

As a result, women of childbearing age need 400 micrograms (600 micrograms if you are pregnant) to help reduce the risk of Neural Tube Defects.  You can find folic acid naturally in foods such as citrus fruits, dark-green leafy vegetables, nuts, and liver. Folic acid is also fortified in foods such as grains, breads, cereals, pastas, and supplements.

In addition to folic acid, a healthy diet for pregnancy will also provide healthy amounts of calcium and iron, and eliminate alcohol. In pregnancy, calcium needs are 1,000 milligrams per day (1,300 mg/day if you are 14-18 years of age) and iron needs are 27 mg per day.  Good sources of calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, and foods supplemented with calcium such as calcium-fortified juices. Good sources of iron include red meat, fish, and poultry, spinach and leafy greens, oatmeal, and fortified breakfast cereals and iron supplements. A Registered Dietitian (RD) can help if you are not sure if you are meeting your nutrient needs for pregnancy.

For a healthy baby, avoiding toxic substances such as tobacco, cleaning solvents, lead, and mercury is also considered healthy practice for moms-to-be. Another danger is toxoplasmosis, a type of bacteria that can cause an infection and possibly harm your baby’s eyes, nervous system, skin, and ears. To prevent coming in contact with this bacteria wear gloves when working in the garden, and avoid eating undercooked meat and handling cat litter.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Nutrition | 2 Comments »

Employee Wellness Programs: Fitness

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Wellness programs take care of the health and well-being of employees within a company. Employee wellness programs vary from health screenings, education, nutrition advice, and fitness programs. All of these lead to a reduction in sick time, medical costs and make for a happy and productive workplace. Let’s explore the benefits of fitness and how you can apply it to the worksite and your own life.

Employees are the most important assets to any company. Encouraging your employees to incorporate fitness in their lifestyle will pay off in numerous ways. Fitness programs will lead to weight loss, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, and a more positive mood at the workplace.

There are many ways to integrate employee fitness programs for employees. You can take small steps by encouraging your employees to park farther away from the building, ride their bikes to work, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and walk on their breaks and provide them with a map of an on-site trail.

Once you get your employees on board you can offer bigger and better incentives. Become partners with a local gym and allow access for the employees. Bring in a fitness trainer to teach group fitness classes such as yoga, kickboxing, total strength, or dance. Instead of having meetings in your board room host a walk and talk meeting. Have your place of business host community wide walks for charity.

People spend more awake hours at work than anywhere else. Why not make the most of those hours by being productive and in good spirits. It does not take much time or money to incorporate employee wellness programs. But the company’s returns on investment will be greater than expected.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Weight Loss Tips

Monday, January 11th, 2010

Carrying excess fat is hard on the body.  The body’s organs and joints are placed under added stress and energy levels drop. There are many great reasons to lose weight, these tips may help.

  • Keep a food journal. Research shows that writing down everything you eat and drink increases awareness of portion sizes and frequency of meals and snacks. In turn, you eat fewer calories and you lose weight.
  • Cut 100 empty calories every day. To lose one pound, you need to burn 3500 calories. If you cut out 100 calories from your daily intake every day, in one year’s time you would lose 10 pounds.
  • Fill up on fruits and veggies. These are packed with nutrition, low in calories, and taste delicious. The current recommendation is to eat 5 to 9 servings per day.
  • Drink water, black coffee, or tea in place of soda, juices, and flavored coffees to keep liquid calories low.
  • Read labels and choose foods that are lower in fat and sugars. Choose high-fat and high-sugar foods rarely or on occasion. They are packed with calories and will impede your weight loss progress.
  • Eat or drink something every 5 hours. This will prevent you from getting too hungry and overeating.

Let these ideas guide your goal-setting. For example, you could set a goal to write down everything you eat for 4 days of the next week. If you do, you will likely notice your eating habits are much different on the days when you write down your intake. Be sure to plan healthy rewards for when you reach your goals. My favorite healthy reward is buying a new pair of earrings. What’s yours? (more…)

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Nutrition | 1 Comment »

Why is Physical Fitness Important?

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Would you like to have more energy throughout the day?   Would you like to feel better about yourself? Would you like to eat a cookie and not feel guilty? If these are questions you ask yourself every day, we have the answer; exercise! Yes, just a few minutes a day could lead you to a better quality of life.

Every day, you hear how important physical fitness is for you, but why is it important? And how much exercise do you need to do to see the benefits? There are numerous ways you can be physically active including walking the dog, dancing, biking and even doing household chores. According to the American Heart Association, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week will show benefits.

Many of us use physical fitness as a method for weight management. No matter what your weight, regular exercise aids in weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight. And, routine exercise reduces your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and several types of cancer, not to mention it may help reduce lower back pain. Sounds like you will be able to make that round of golf on Saturday!

Want more reasons why exercise is important? How about sleep? People who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and sleep longer compared to those who do not exercise regularly. Being well rested will boost your immune system and you will not have to worry about sick days anymore. Oh yeah, and if you are stressed and in a bad mood, get on the treadmill. Thanks to the chemicals released in the brain during exercise, feelings of depression, stress and anger are thrown by the wayside.

The bottom line is that many problems associated with aging such as disease, increased body fat, and loss of bone mass and strength are due to a sedentary lifestyle. There is no “magic pill” but improving your physical fitness level is the next best thing.

So are you convinced? The first step to any physical fitness plan is to consult with your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to begin exercising. Next, find an activity you enjoy doing and make exercise a joy and not a burden. We all have one life, why not make the most of it and let exercise help you live a longer and healthier one.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Fitness | 3 Comments »