Healthful Hints

  •  Walking 30 minutes a day is enough to prevent weight gain and even helps you to lose weight
  •  Smoking is the worst thing that you can do for your health.
  •  Buy whole foods – preferably fresh, but canned or frozen will do -- and use them in place of processed foods whenever possible.
  • Start each dinner with a mixed green salad. This will help reduce your appetite for more caloric foods, but it also will automatically add veggies to your meal.  Use a low fat or preferably fat free salad dressing.
  • When you need to pick up something, do a squat to the floor.  Instead of bending over in the usual way, which stresses the lower back, bend your knees and squat. This forces you to use your leg muscles and will build strength.  For extra exercise repeat the squat once or twice.
  • Instead of getting irritated when you're standing on a line, lift one foot a half-inch off the ground. The extra stress on your opposite foot, ankle, calf and thigh, plus your buttocks, will help firm and tone muscles. Switch feet every few minutes.
  • Eat a handful of walnuts before going to bed. Walnuts provide you with a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids along with the amino acid tryptophan -- a natural sleep-inducer.
  • Recent health studies have shown that up to 90% of type 2 diabetes is caused from unhealthy lifestyles including obesity, inactivity, poor diet, and smoking.
  • A study on high blood pressure, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, showed that over 70% of people taking blood pressure medication for high blood pressure were able to stop their medication and control their high blood pressure without medicine by making healthy lifestyle changes including reducing weight, improving what they eat, increasing activity and stopping smoking.
  • If companies would encourage all employees to simply start a walking program (30+ minutes of brisk walking daily), they could positively impact their employees’ health. Research shows that compared to sedentary persons, people who exercise regularly would have a:
    • 45% reduced risk of cancer
    • 60% reduced risk of diabetes
    • 48% reduced risk of heart disease
    • 62-65% reduced risk of hip fractures
    • 68% fewer strokes
    • 57% decreased rate of developing high blood pressure
    • 34% decreased risk of catching a cold
  • In a recent study completed at Tufts University, they identified the following foods as the healthiest to add to your diet:
    • Prunes
    • Raisins
    • Blueberries
    • Blackberries
    • Kale
    • Strawberries
    • Spinach
  • Be sure to read the label when shopping.  It is amazing what additives you may find in food products.  Don’t forget to check the calorie counts, too.  Often a product will advertize that it is lowest in sodium or sugar and then substitute a chemical that is even worse for you.
  • Drink plenty of water each day.  The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.  Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters).
  • 10 Symptoms to indicate a visit to the doctor is necessary:
  1. Unexplained weight loss – a loss of 10 % in 6 months without trying
  2. Persistent or high fever- over 102° for over 3 days or over 104°
  3. Shortness of breath
  4. Unexplained change in bowel habits – bloody or tarry stools, prolonged diarrhea or constipation
  5. Delirium – sudden confusion or disorientation
  6. Sudden, severe headache
  7. Sudden weakness, loss of vision or speech- dizziness or loss of speech or vision
  8. Flashes of light
  9. Feeling full or bloated after eating very little lasting over a week
  10. Hot, red or swollen joint
  • Handwashing is one of the single most important routines you can have to help reduce illness.  It is easy to do:
  • Wet your hands with warm, running water and soap. Lather well.
  • Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 to 20 seconds.
  • Scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
  • Rinse well.
  • Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel.
  • Use a towel to turn off the faucet.