Health and Wellness

The mind is the strongest obstacle to wellness. It is constantly running, worrying, thinking about the past and the future. It wants to solve problems, judge, label, and conceptualize everything. This causes us to miss the most precious thing we have in this world at any time... this very moment.

Concerning health and wellness, the first thing your mind does is to tell you that it's too hard. "Exercising is painful and hard. I'm too busy for it. I'm not flexible enough. I have back pain. Eating right is too hard. I feel like I'm losing all of the foods I love. Why should I take supplements? They're too expensive and are all snake oil anyway. Meditation? Are you kidding me? How is that going to solve my problems? I'm too busy. Plus I don't know how to do it or where to begin."

• You can lose weight while enjoying plenty of food with 30 percent fewer calories. Eat foods with a lot of bulk and volume, such as oatmeal. Oatmeal is loaded with dietary fiber.
• It takes about 33 minutes to burn 100 calories walking at 2 mph; 26 minutes at 3 mph; and 17 minutes at 4 mph.
• For your hearts sake, use naturally unhydrogenated oils such as canola or olive oil. Also with margarine, choose a liquid or tub. The softer the margarine, the less hydrogenated it is.
• If you are over 65, insomnia can lead to significant cognitive decline. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid daytime naps, caffeine, and eating after dinner.

• To maximize your bodys intake of iron, take calcium tablets between mealsor at least not with a meal containing iron-rich foods.
• There is no easier or tastier way to get the calcium you need for the prevention of osteoporosis than yogurt. One serving contains nearly as much calcium as a supplement pill.
• A cup of skim milk is almost as high in potassium as a cup of fresh orange juice. The milk has 407 mg; the juice has 496.
• Research showed that hip fractures occurred less often in those whose diets contained the highest amounts of vitamin K. Good sources are spinach and Brussels sprouts.

• Alzheimers was found to be four times less likely to occur in those who enjoyed a wide range of physical and mental activities.
• Women who ate fish even just a couple of times a month had a 20 percent lower risk for dying from heart disease over a 16-year period than women who ate it less often.
• Antibiotics cannot cure a cold because a virus causes it. But if symptoms persist, check with a physician. You may have a bacterial infection.
• Getting enough calciumat least 1200 mg dailycould help prevent colon cancer.
• The American Dental Association recommends replacing toothbrushes every three to four months to help avoid gum disease and decay.
• Sauting food in a tablespoon of olive oil instead of butter will spare your arteries 6 gm of saturated fat. Olive oil is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and reduces your risk of both heart disease and cancer.
• Adults over age 45 should be tested for diabetes every three years. It is a leading cause of blindness and the leading cause of kidney disease.
• Asparagus is natures number-one source of folic acid, which not only prevents birth defects, but may also reduce levels of homocysteine (the so-called mystery factor of heart disease). Women who drink alcohol have an extra need for folic acid.
• Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, which has been the focus of much scientific attention in recent years. Lycopene protects against cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Jo-Emily Magsig, Health Education and Promotion BCBSMT