Category Archives: Healthy Living

NewsPeopleAs the Body Coach Joe Wicks speaks out about the cost of buying expensive healthy foods, Liz Connor hears some top tips for eating well on a tight budget.

Tuesday, 18th August 2020, 11:45 am

From organic produce to fancy superfood supplements, leading a healthy lifestyle can seem intimidatingly expensive and time-consuming to many of us especially if you follow certain food bloggers on social media.

Its something that personal trainer Joe Wicks has spoken out about. The Body Coach, who says he was born into a working-class family, said its more convenient to live a healthy lifestyle in some parts of the country than others, because of the types of food on offer.

I dont think it is just overeating, I think [the] economic situation does have a big impact, he told the PA news agency.

Commenting that low-income families struggle the most, he said: It is difficult for some families with a lot of children who want to eat healthy, and they live on a street where it is all fast food and 1.99 for a family meal.

Some healthy food products can certainly be expensive, but there are also ways to save money at the supermarket and still eat nutritionally-balanced meals that will leave you feeling full and energised.

Here are a few nutritionist-backed tips, after the Government revealed its new strategy to tackle obesity and get the nation fit and healthy last month.

Maximise on pulses.: Pulses such as beans, lentils and peas are a cheap, low-fat source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. They also count as part of your government-recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables.

Youd be surprised at how affordable and how far beans and pulses can stretch, says nutritionist Jenna Hope, who believes they are a great dietary source of protein, B-vitamins and fibre. To get more for your money, try buying the dried varieties.

Utilise frozen fruit and vegetables.: Your five-a-day dont have to come from expensive organic veg shops with fresh, loose produce.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are often just as nutritious as fresh, so theyre a good alternative when thinking about cheap dinner ideas, says Rob Hobson, nutritionist at Healthspan.

Frozen fruits can be added to healthy breakfast smoothies and puddings, while vegetables such as peas, cauliflower and sweetcorn can be added to many different dishes, including soups and stews.

Eat canned fish.: Cant afford fresh salmon from the fishmonger? Canned fish is a great cheap way to get your omega-3 fix, says Hope. Omega-3 is a fatty acid that plays a key role in brain functioning, and gut and bone health in the body.

Try opting for canned salmon and mackerel rather than the fresh varieties, she adds, as these can often work out several pounds cheaper.

Plan ahead.: Hobson believes that the best way to manage your food budget is to map out what youre going to eat across the week that way, you wont be tempted to rely on oven chips when youre stuck for inspiration.

Think about how you can use leftovers the next day and turn them into another interesting dish too, Hobson adds. For example, a pot of chilli can be used as a lunch filling to make Mexican wraps. Simply add sour cream, grated cheese and a little avocado.

Utilise the whole vegetable in cooking.: Root-to-stem eating encourages you to use every edible part of plant, including the leaves, skin, seeds and stalks.

For example, you could use cauliflower leaves and carrot tops in soup, roast the seeds of a butternut squash with salt and oil for snacking, and use vegetable peel to make homemade stock, says Hope.

According to Hope, the less you throw away, the further your weekly shop will go and not only is it great for the environment, but it will save you money in the long run too.

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Body coach Joe Wicks: Family finances impact on healthy living - Yorkshire Post

Regardless if you're a fan of working from home, it's the norm for many for the foreseeable future, and we've all started to adjust to new routines. That means sleeping in a few extra minutes because your commute is gone, only planning Zoom outfits from the waist up, and creating makeshift desks in whatever room has the fewest number of distractions. But unlike the ergonomically designed workspaces in an office, home workstations can be less-than-optimal for your posture.

"Poor posture creates excessive pressure and stress on your spinal joints and muscles, which leads to tension, fatigue, and pain," Wilson Wang, DC, a chiropractor in Seattle, told POPSUGAR. And because working from home blurs the line between work and living spaces, it's easier to work longer hours. "That is diminishing our opportunities for movement, which is healthy for our joints and muscles and relieves stress," Wang explained.

Added Nora St. John, MS, NCPT, education program director for Balanced Body: "For many of us, working from home may mean using a laptop on the dining room table or the couch, which often puts our body out of alignment for extended periods of time. This can lead to pain in the neck, shoulders, hips, or lower back."

If your back is feeling especially achy these days, there are ways to relieve some of that pressure and save yourself long-term discomfort. Ahead are eight ways to combat bad posture while working from home, all from the comfort of where else? your home.

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8 Simple Ways to Improve Your Posture While You're Working From Home - POPSUGAR

Recently in the Living Our Faith feature, we asked readers to respond to the question: What are you doing to maintain your mental health during the pandemic? The following are some of the thoughtful responses.

This column is part of our ongoing opinion commentary on faith, called Living Our Faith. Find this weeks reader question and get weekly roundups of the project in your email inbox by signing up for the Living Our Faith newsletter.

What I missed most from being safe at home was interaction with other people. So two weeks into the stay-at-home order, our Sunday school class of 50- to 60-year-olds learned how to Zoom. We meet virtually each Sunday for our time of Bible study and fellowship. Just talking to each other about what we are feeling and how we are dealing with things is really helping us. Our faith is strong and we know we are not alone as we go through this pandemic.

Danita White, Grand Prairie

On March 10, I weighed 190 pounds and decided to lose weight through consistent exercise and a revised food plan, in conjunction with the addition of supplements. I visited with a dietician who addressed a food plan consisting of fish, vegetables, fruits, protein drinks and the noted supplements. She developed a training program consisting of cycling, treadmill walking-running, weight training, crunches, etc., (all at home, in my garage I converted into a workout room).

I dropped to 168 pounds and have now stabilized between 172-174, which is my ideal weight. There are no words to describe how wonderful I feel. I occasionally have a glass of wine, but my desire for alcohol has completely faded. Reading books and listening to motivational speakers on YouTube have contributed to extraordinary physical and mental well-being.

J.D. Gonzales, Dallas

Im not sure I would call what were doing as maintaining mental health as much as I would call it moving forward or just maybe just plain living day-to-day. We have kept up our routines with household chores, TV starts with the evening news during the week unless theres a sporting event and a walk each day.

We keep up with events and people through emails, phone calls, Zoom. We have tried new things like a Zoom wedding, online courses and connecting with family and friends with Zoom. We like to travel, which isnt happening now so instead, I plan what Ive named field trips each week. Its a trip by car, somewhere close that we havent been, it gets us out for a few hours and we see something new.

I think what has helped us through this difficult time is trying new ways to keep moving forward with our lives and keeping connections with family and friends. Speaking of connecting, I have written letters and emailed people I havent been in touch with lately, thats been fun. I set a goal of 3 per week since being at home, think of it as a holiday card list without the holiday.

Perri Brackett, Lewisville

I have cooked a lot of healthy food, trying new recipes, and grown a big herb garden, pickling cucumbers we grew in the garden. I have wanted to write a country western song and have put pen to paper to try to start that. Reading a lot of books, Zooming with friends and bicycling. Reading a lot of political commentary and learning more about implicit bias and the history of systemic racism in the U.S.

Elena Bourke, Plano

We received a number of responses from members of the Bahai Faith to a prior question about what people of faith can do to heal racial division. The following is a thoughtful example.

As a Bahai, I believe the fundamental truth that humanity is one, but it is not enough simply to believe this in our hearts, we need to create the moral imperative to act, and to view all aspects of our personal, social and institutional lives through the lens of oneness and justice.

It requires the participation of Americans of every race and background, for it is only through principles of love, reciprocity and inclusive participation that new moral and social directions can emerge. We should also remember that our diversity is our strength, and it is simply beautiful, like a garden with flowers of different kinds, colors and perfumes.

The role of religion as an enduring source of insight concerning human purpose and action cannot be overemphasized in this process. All faith communities recognize that we are essentially spiritual beings. All proclaim some version of the Golden Rule, to love others as we do ourselves.

On a practical level, we are trying to ensure that each person we engage feels welcome to participate in our community activities. Some might attend devotional gatherings and eventually engage with us in study and service. Some families may first associate with us by engaging children or junior youth in their respective activities of childrens classes and junior youth groups, characterized by twofold moral purpose, to develop their inherent potentialities and to contribute to the transformation of society, through service to the community and engaging in social action and more involvement in the community life.

Kambiz Rafraf, Dallas

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What are you doing to maintain your mental health during the pandemic? Your responses. - The Dallas Morning News

All around the country, kids are heading back to school or getting used to virtual learning. Everyones summer pretty much went by in a blur; most parents are either jumping for joy or dreading getting back to the daily grind of normalcy.

As parents, we are making sure we get mental learning underway with our children, but lets not forget the physical activity. Science supports that physical activity enhances brain function and cognition, both of which improve academic performance.

Once school resumes on campus, keep the kids active when they get home. Instead of heading straight for the television, encourage your child to play a game of catch with a friend, skip rope, shoot some hoops, ride a bicycle, dance or even play a game of hopscotch. Join in on activities with your child. This will benefit you along with your child. Watching their parent make healthy choices and give their kids an opportunity to talk about their day will reduce childrens anxiety and stress levels. After working up an appetite, create a healthy meal together in the kitchen. Homemade pizza is an easy go-to. Start with a whole wheat or cauliflower crust, add tomato sauce and then choose some healthy toppings such as cheese, spinach, veggies and leaner meat options. Serve a slice with a tossed salad and you have a quick and healthier dinner option.

If your childs school resumes online, keep the same mindset keep kids active. Take 5-10 minute breaks between class subjects and do different exercises, stretches or activities. Reach out to your childs P.E. teacher to get some at-home activities that are age- appropriate. Throughout the day, help keep your childs energy levels up, which will improve the mind and mood. Reinforce a healthy atmosphere by incorporating a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack daily. Healthy foods include whole grain waffles or eggs, baked chicken nuggets or ham and cheese wraps, pieces of fruits/veggies or granola bars.

Exercise is beneficial for cognition because it increases blood and oxygen flow to the brain and also creates increased levels of norepinephrine and endorphins, resulting in a reduction of stress and an improvement in mood. With the uncertainty of these days, this is really important to your childs daily routine.

Just like you, your child doesnt need to log 30 to 60 minutes in the gym or in a specific exercise class. A game of tag here, a bike ride there are both fine. Short bursts of activity, with periods of rest in between, are actually the way our body was designed to move. Its not a bad idea to join your child in a game of tag or a trip around the block on your bicycle.

When the entire family works together, fitness and health are both fun and doable. For help keeping your family healthy, please refer to the Healthy Kingsport website at http://www.healthykingsport.org.

Healthy Kingsport is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a community that actively embraces healthy living by promoting wellness, enhancing infrastructure, and influencing policy. Aiesha Banks is its executive director. She can be reached at abanks@healthykingsport.org.

Originally posted here:
Keep your kids active and healthy as they head back to school - Kingsport Times News

When Ned Lamont shut down Connecticut on March 20 to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the governor threw Bonnie Belcamino-Jones and Jennel Ricard a curve.

"We were all stunned. What on earth do we do now? But day-by-day we realized, we can do it! We just have to do it in a different way," says Jones. "We never imagined so many things could be provided virtually."

Note to readers: All of The Bulletins coverage of coronavirus is being provided for free to our readers. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to The Bulletin at https://www.norwichbulletin.com/subscribenow.

Director of Employment Services for The Arc Eastern Connecticut south region, Jones leads vocational programming for about 100 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at The Arcs Groton facility. Ricard, based in Norwich, ensures health and safety and program integrity as deputy quality assurance officer of Day Services. The well-being of close to 200 people is in her hands daily. Both women have worked at The Arc Eastern Connecticut for about 10 years.

"I heard a lot of parents say they didnt think, for their child, virtual services could work. And it was the complete opposite," Jones says. "Once we started doing things that caught the persons attention: music, graphics, anything that caught the eye, really, it made people stop and pay attention. I think parents were surprised. I think group home leaders were surprised."

Before long, The Arcs virtual programs were offering two to five activities daily, five days a week, with a new theme each week. Private cooking lessons, karaoke, educational videos, read-aloud stories, sing-alongs, gardening kits, Word and other computer skills as well as Sign lessons led to an approximate 90% attendance increase almost overnight. "We do Zoom, Zoo Room and Google Duo," says Jones.

"Virtual programming allows us to be more person-centered," Ricard explains. "It lets people choose their time of day. People who are struggling behaviorally have a choice in service hours."

"For people with social anxiety, people with autism who cant tolerate a lot of noise and large crowds, "Jones says, "virtual can work better. Weve noticed a lot of engagement with people who would not engage in a large crowd."

Team members are having fun too. "The team really wants to be here," Ricard says. "Theyve really missed being with the people we serve in person."

Kathleen Stauffer is chief executive officer of The Arc Eastern Connecticut. For information on The Arc, go to http://www.TheArcECT.org. For more articles by this author visit http://www.kathleenstauffer.com

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Healthy Living: The Arcs virtual programs are a response to coronavirus - Norwich Bulletin

When we talk about healthy living, one part of the body that is often overlooked, no pun intended, are the eyes.

Jody Holton

We are very concerned with our weight, nutrition, fitness, aches and pains but lets not forget our vision.

Some people have vision issues from an early age. I got my first pair of glasses in the first grade.

My eyes got better over the years until I approached middle age and presbyopia set in. Now, at 64, I cant drive, read or use the computer without wearing my progressive lens glasses.

With the school year starting, now is a great time to have your childrens eyes checked. Have they complained of headaches, hold their reading materials too close, sit really close to the TV/computer screen or have said they have trouble seeing the blackboard at school?

These can be clear indicators of vision problems.

How about you? Do you have increasing dependence on you readers? Have several pair around the house? Cant thread a needle?

Or as my husband announced one day, We need to move the sofa closer to the TV. Yes, all red flags that you need to get your eyes examined.

Especially as we get older, we must take care of our vision. Poor or deteriorating vision can be caused by a variety of issues.

Some medications can cause blurred vision. Diabetes, not controlled, can cause blindness. A sudden loss of vision or double vision can be caused by a stroke. Older folks should be checked for glaucoma, which damages the optic nerve and causes blindness.

There are also eye safety issues that we all need to be aware of.

No. 1 is wear sunglasses! Yes, not just to look glamorous, as we age our eyes become increasingly sensitive and subject to damage from the sun, especially light-eyed people.

Protect them. Always wear sunglasses when you are driving or will be spending anytime out in the sun.

They do not have to be expensive; they just have to be dark enough that you can look in the mirror and not see your eyes. Of course, if you wear prescription lenses for nearsightedness, please get prescription sunglasses.

When you are working in the yard or on a DIY project, wear safety glasses or your own glasses. Protect your eyes from flying debris or droplets of chemicals.

If you wear contact lenses, clean or change them as prescribed. Dirty or contaminated lenses cause eye infections.

Throw away eye makeup after 3 months. Yes, even that expensive mascara grows bacteria and can infect your eyes. Never, ever, share eye makeup with another person. You are inviting eye infection by doing that.

If you smoke or use tobacco, stop. Tobacco use means a dramatic increase in incidence of macular degeneration as well as raising your risk of developing cataracts and aggravating uncomfortable dry eyes. It also builds up plaque in your bloodstream and weakens arteries. This not only raises your risk of a heart attack, but it can damage the retina and cause vision loss.

Like everything else in life and health, use common sense. When you have your yearly health checkup, include an eye exam with that.

Take care of your eyes; I want you to keep reading my column. Stay healthy, my friends.

Jody Holton writes about health for Port Arthur Newsmedia. She can be reached at jholton3@gt.rr.com.

Original post:
HEALTHY LIVING with Jody Holton August is National Eye Health & Safety Month - Port Arthur News - The Port Arthur News