Small Changes For Health

Week 12: Stress-Break

Small Changes — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:00:11 +0000

We all have stress in our lives, and stress affects each of us differently. Recent studies have linked stress to the following negative health problems: high blood pressure, heart attacks, heart disease, peptic ulcer disease, migraine headaches, alcoholism, poor blood sugar control, depression, and weight gain. In addition to these serious health problems, stress can make you feel anxious, uptight, and angry. Learning to identify and manage the stressors in your life can increase your energy, give you peace of mind and improve your overall health. So don’t let stress control your life; take control of your stress by taking a break from it.

Your Small Change: For this week, make sure that you take a 15-minute break every day to do something that you enjoy.

More Information

The first step to dealing with stress is to recognize when you are stressed. Some early signs of stress may include tension in your neck or shoulders, clenching of your wrist, or anything else that feels abnormal. Once you learn to recognize your signs of stress, you can begin to cope and deal with your stress. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the best way to deal with stress is to change how you react to stress. Below you will find some great ways that can help you change your reaction to stress and reduce your stress levels.

Tips for dealing with stress

Don’t worry about things you can’t control, like the weather.
Prepare to the best of your ability for events you know may be stressful, like a job interview.
Try to look at change as a positive challenge, not a threat.
Work to resolve conflicts with other people.
Ask for help from friends, family or professionals.
Set realistic goals at home and at work.
Exercise on a regular basis.
Eat well-balanced meals and get enough sleep.
Meditate.
Get away from your daily stresses with group sports, social events and hobbies.

Source: American Academy of Family Physicians

To find out just how stressed you are, please visit the MayoClinic.Com and take their free “Stress Assessment” quiz.

Week 11: Meatless Meals

Small Changes — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:33 +0000

Protein is an essential nutrient needed to build muscle and even more importantly to make thousands of enzymes used in virtually every body function. In the American diet, the traditional source of protein comes in the form of meat (beef, pork or chicken). Meat is a great source of protein and other important nutrients like Zinc, Iron and Vitamin B12, but it is also good source of some not so great for you nutrients like saturated fat. Research suggests that people whose diets contain a large amount of meat are at increased risk for high cholesterol, heart disease and cancer. There are several other sources of good quality protein besides meat, such as fish, beans, nuts, nut butters, and even whole grains, like quinoa. Fish and the other plant-based sources of protein have several advantages over meat. Fish for instance is lower in fat and calories than meat (unless it is fried of course), and certain fish like salmon, anchovies, or sardines can provide a great source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Plant-based sources of protein, like beans, nuts, and whole grains, provide fiber and antioxidants, and nuts also provide heart healthy fats. With all these health benefits in mind, this week’s change focuses on consuming more meatless meals.

Your small change: For this week, consume at least two meatless lunches or dinners.

More Information

Have you ever considered becoming a vegetarian, but were hesitant because you did not think you had enough will power to give up your beloved milk, cheese, shellfish or hamburger? Well there is good news… becoming a vegetarian does not mean you have to give up every animal-based product. There are varying degrees of vegetarianism and probably one type to fit your diet profile. Read the following handout (put in a link to the vegetarianism handout) to find a vegetarian diet to fit your lifestyle and learn more about a healthy vegetarian diet. Although you may not think so, a diet that includes more plant-based protein is actually a healthy and balanced diet. It is often lower in saturated fat, cholesterol and contains more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and heart healthy fats. So consider taking steps today to eat a more vegetarian based diet.

Week 10: Cleaning Your Home

Small Changes — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:00:17 +0000

“A clean home is a healthy home.” Sounds like something your grandmother would say, right? Well, every once in a while, grandma is right. A clean home is a healthier place to live. Now your home does not have to be pristine or germ-free, but keeping up on cleaning your home regularly can lead to fewer breathing problems for those that suffer from allergies or asthma and lead to fewer infections. The spring is a great time to clean those areas of the house that we may not get to clean every week, like the basement, windows, baseboards, closets etc. For your small change this week, it is time to think spring and tackle a spring cleaning project.

Your small change: For this week, complete one spring cleaning project.

More Information

Cleaning has gone green. You may have noticed recently the slew of new “green” cleaning products out on the market, Clorox Greenworks, Method and the old stand-by Seventh Generation. All of these cleaners tout using environmentally-friendly ingredients that are less toxic to the environment and to those people with allergies, asthma, or young children. But which ones are really worth their money? The Green Guide (a website developed by National Geographic) has tested several green home cleaning products ranging from all-purpose cleaners to bathroom cleaners. For list of their product reviews, click here. Scroll down to Cleaning Products.

If you checked out the Green Guide’s buying guide, you may have noticed that Heinz White Vinegar received a “best” rating from the Green Guide for all purpose cleaners. Who knew that plain old white vinegar could do such a good job of cleaning? Home-made green cleaners are simple to make and usually involve some combination of vinegar, baking soda and water. For a list of homemade green cleaners ranging from all-purpose cleaner to furniture polish check out this article from the Green Guide.

Week 9: Buy Seasonal Produce

Small Changes — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:00:29 +0000

Buying seasonal produce is not only a smart change to make for your health, but also a smart change to make for the environment. Buying produce when it is in season means that you will be buying produce that is at its peak of ripeness and freshness; thus it should taste its best. Seasonal produce is also better for you. Generally seasonal produce is often local produce too, and therefore only has to travel a short distance to reach you at the grocery store. Produce that has to travel thousands of miles to the grocery store, is often picked weeks before you buy it at the store and in that time important nutrients (vitamins and minerals) can be lost. In addition to seasonal produce being better for you, it is also better for the environment. Eating seasonally can vastly decrease your foods carbon footprint.

Your small change: This week, buy at least one seasonal fruit or vegetable at the grocery store.

More Information

You may think that in the cold winter months there is no seasonal produce available. This is simply not true because every fruit and vegetable has its season. Though you may not be able to buy local produce grown (from Missouri or Illinois) in the dead of winter, you can buy produce that is grown in California and Florida. Buying produce grown in the United States may still have to travel a great distance, but the last time I checked California was closer than Chile. So even if not exactly produced in your home state, there are still seasonal choices that can be made in every season. For a seasonal produce guide check out this cool tool at Epicurios.com.

You can also check out this great harvest calendar from the Missouri Farmer’s Market Directory.

Week 8: Increase your Daily Activity

Small Changes — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:39:58 +0000

Finding ways to make your everyday living more active is one of the smallest changes you can make to improve your health. Increasing your daily activity by taking the stairs instead of the elevators; walking into the bank instead of using the drive-thru; cooking a meal instead of relying on a frozen entrée or take-out; or doing household chores like vacuuming and cleaning the kitchen on a regular basis, have all been proven to improve the health of inactive people. For example, a study conducted on inactive young women showed lower total cholesterol, increased HDL or “good” cholesterol, and improved resting heart rate with 2 minutes of stair climbing a day for 5 days a week on a public access staircase. With this study in mind, the small change for this week focuses on increasing daily activity through stair climbing. Stair climbing can benefit everyone and stairs can be found almost everywhere. Why wait for elevators when there are stairs? See you in the stair well!

Your Small Change: Make sure that you walk up at least three flights of stairs 5 days this week.

More Information

Many people make excuses for why they can’t be more physically active. Excuses include being too tired, not having the time, and/or not having the money. The truth is that getting more physically active does not take any extra time or money. One can increase his/her physical activity just by living their everyday life. Think about just increasing the activity you do in your day-to-day routine. Instead of taking five minutes to find the closest parking spot, take the first spot you see in the back of the lot and walk a little farther. You have saved time by not looking so long for a spot, and you got some extra physical activity in the process. It really is that easy. Taking the stairs is also another great way to increase activity, and one that you can easily do at work. So, start increasing the physical activity in your life today by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Here are some other ways to increase physical activity in your daily life:

Activity	Calories Burned
Washing and waxing the car by hand	300
Walking into the gas station to pay	5
Washing and chopping vegetables for 15 minutes	10-13
Gardening and mowing for an hour	360
Shopping at the mall for an hour	145-240
Walking the dog for 30 minutes	125
Walking to a colleague’s office, standing, and talking for three minutes	6
Walking up three flights of stairs	15
Changing the channel manually	3
Standing and talking on the phone for 30 minutes	20
Ironing and vacuuming for an hour	152

Source: Health Magazine July/August 2002