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NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
Resolutions for a Healthy New Year
You’ve resolved to live a more
healthy lifestyle in 2007. But where do you start? The American
Medical Association has some advice on the most important
resolutions to make -- and keep -- for a healthy New Year.
The AMA offers these resolutions for 2007:
1. Avoid Smoking -- the leading preventable cause of death -- as
well as exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS). Released earlier this
year, the U.S. Surgeon General reported that there is no risk-free
level of exposure to SHS, and the California Environmental
Protection Agency estimates that SHS kills 50,000 Americans each
year.
2. Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables: As recommend by the USDA Food
Guide Pyramid, eat about two cups of fruit and two to three cups of
vegetables daily to reduce your risk of developing heart disease,
cancer, stroke and high blood pressure.
3. Cut Back on Salt: Limit your salt intake to one teaspoon per day
(if you are 50 years of age or older, cut back to about half a
teaspoon per day) to help lower blood pressure and decrease your
chances of getting heart disease or having a stroke.
4. Limit Fat in Your Diet: Eat a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and
trans fats to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of developing
heart disease.
5. Check Cholesterol: Have your blood cholesterol checked regularly
by your doctor and keep your cholesterol level under 200 mg/dl to
reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
6. Reduce Amount of Soda You Drink: Per capita soft-drink
consumption has increased by almost 500 percent over the past 50
years. Limit your consumption of regular soda pop and other
sugar-sweetened drinks to help you avoid weight gain and obesity,
and to also decrease tooth decay.
7. Check Blood Pressure: Have your blood pressure checked regularly
by your doctor to help reduce your chances of heart attack or
stroke. If you have high blood pressure, make sure that you keep
your blood pressure under 140/90.
8. Get a Colonoscopy: If you are 50 or older, ask your doctor about
getting a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer to improve your
chances of early detection.
9. Get a Mammogram: If you are a woman 40 years or older, get a
mammogram every one to two years to help detect breast cancer early
and if diagnosed, improve your chances for survival.
10. Protect Your Skin from the Sun: Use sunblock (with an SPF of at
least 30) or protective clothing when you’re in sunlight for a
prolonged period. If you frequently get a suntan or sunburn, have
your doctor check your skin regularly to detect early signs of skin
cancer.
“These resolutions are just a few of the things you can do to make
positive, healthy lifestyle changes. In 2007, continue to look to
the AMA for a wide range of health information and continue to turn
to your physician for the highest quality of care for you and your
family,” said Dr. Davis.
WINTER RECIPES
Winter Vegetable Roast
Ingredients:
1.4kg mixed root vegetables such as carrots sweet potato parsnips
celeriac turnips squash or salsify and pumpkin
50g shallots skin removed and root intact
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g spicy sausages such as merguez twisted in half and cut in two
125g vacuum packed chestnuts
Method:
Peel and cut the vegetables into rough chunks keeping the sweet
potato and pumpkin in larger pieces as they cook more quickly.
Cut the shallots in half lengthways if large. Place all the
vegetables in a large roasting tin drizzle with olive oil season and
toss well.
Cook on the top runners of the roasting oven for 20 minutes, add the
sausages and return to the oven for 15 minutes stirring
occasionally.
Finally add the chestnuts and cook on the middle runners for a
further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are golden brown.
Add salt to the vegetables only just before roasting as it draws
liquid out of the vegetables making successful roasting more
difficult. Any seasonal root vegetables can be used in this recipe
but make sure you use a good mix of pale and colorful vegetables.
WINTER HEALTH
Control your Asthma in Cold Weather
(NC)—For people living with
asthma, winter is a time to be aware of conditions that could
trigger asthma symptoms. The key to enjoying the winter season is
to keep your asthma controlled.
Here are a few tips to help manage asthma in cold weather:
• Get the flu shot. An influenza vaccine is one of the most
effective ways to protect yourself from the virus during the
winter months. For children and adults living with asthma, it is
especially important since the flu and colds can trigger symptoms.
• Speak to your doctor. Your
physician is a key source for information during the winter
months. Download The Lung Association's
Asthma Action Plan and take it to your doctor. Follow the plan for asthma management,
and notify your doctor immediately if your or your child's asthma
worsens or if you or your child becomes ill during the season.
• Be prepared. Make sure you are ready to handle an asthma
episode before it happens. This includes making sure that you
and/or your child has the proper medication on hand at all times.
• Bundle up. You know that you need to dress warmly in the
winter months. When outside in the cold weather, deep breaths
evaporate moisture within the airways. This cooling and drying of
the airways can be a trigger for an asthma attack. Make sure that
you have a scarf covering your face to prevent inhaling cold air
through your nose and mouth. Be aware of the worsening signs of
asthma. Know your triggers. Even people with asthma should be able
to spend time outside in winter if their asthma is under control.
Be prepared. Follow your written action plan. • Breathe easy
indoors. Most Canadians spend up to 90 per cent of their time
indoors, making indoor air quality an important health concern,
especially during the winter months. For the 2.5 million Canadians
living with asthma, poor indoor air quality can lead to serious
health problems and play a significant role in triggering asthma
symptoms. More information on ways to clean up the air inside your
home during the winter season is available online at
www.on.lung.ca. Click on Air Quality and on the PDF "Breathe Easy
Indoors During The Winter".
Credit:
www.newscanada.com
A SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT & POEM
Beautifully wrap a small box....leave the box empty!
Then give it with this poem:
This is a very special gift
that you can never see
even if you open it
Can you guess what it could be?
The box is very tiny, but
The gift is very big!
It's bigger than a bread box
It's bigger than a pig!
The gift would fill this room
It's bigger than the sky
It's all packed up in that little box
You'd never guess, so don't try
This box is filled with love
and a silly laugh or two
So don't open it...hold it close
It's from my heart to you!!
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