|
MARCH IS
NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH:
Small Steps Towards a Healthier You | |
Making small changes in your diet and lifestyle can improve your health as well as trim your waistline. Here are some suggestions from the experts:
* Start each day with a nutritious breakfast.
* Get 8 hours of sleep each night, as fatigue can lead to overeating.
* Eat your meals seated at a table, without distractions.
* Eat more meals with your partner or family.
* Teach yourself to eat when you're really hungry and stop when you're comfortably full.
* Reduce your portion sizes by 20%, or give up second helpings.
* Try lower-fat dairy products.
* Make sandwiches with whole-grain bread and spread them with mustard instead of mayo.
* Switch to cafe au lait, using strong coffee and hot skim milk instead of cream.
* Eat a nutritious meal or snack every few hours.
* Use nonstick pans and cooking spray instead of oil to reduce the fat in recipes.
* Try different cooking methods, such as grilling, roasting, baking, or poaching.
* Drink more water and fewer sugary drinks.
* Eat smaller portions of calorie-dense foods (like casseroles and pizza) and larger portions of water-rich foods (like broth-based soups, salads, and veggies).
* Flavor your foods with herbs, vinegars, mustards, or lemon instead of fatty sauces.
* Limit alcohol to 1-2 drinks per day.
####
| |
|
Get the Latest Updates On Our
Facebook Page
| | ##### | |
|
|
National Endometriosis Awareness Month
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive organs and pelvic area. It affects approximately 5.5 million girls and women in the U.S., and approximately 70 million worldwide. The most common symptom of endometriosis is pain in the pelvic area. For many women, this pain can be severe and debilitating. This pain occurs most often, and is the most relentless, before, during and after a woman's menstrual cycle. Other symptoms of endometriosis include pain during ovulation, heavy or irregular menstrual periods, pain during and after sexual intercourse, pain during urination and bowel movements, low back pain, diarrhea and constipation, abdominal bloating, bowel obstructions, digestive problems, fatigue, and, in 30-40% if women with endometriosis, infertility.
There are several commonly held theories about the cause of endometriosis, but currently, there is no clear medical understanding of what causes the disease. Also, there is no cure. In an effort to avoid reliance on narcotic pain medications and invasive surgical procedures, more and more endometriosis patients have been turning to acupuncture to help to alleviate the pain associated with the condition.
How Can Acupuncture Help?
The focus of acupuncture treatment is the "qi" (pronounced "chee") or the life energy of the body. It is believed that when the qi is out of balance, blocked, or stagnated, illness and pain result. Pain and illness can also cause the imbalance of the qi, as the chicken and the egg are interconnected, and one will always come first. The process of acupuncture, of the placing of needles into the acupuncture points corresponding with the location of the disharmony of the qi will restore the qi to balance and allow it to flow freely again, thereby alleviating the symptomatic problems.
Acupuncture can be particularly effective in the treatment of conditions like endometriosis, where causes and cures for the disorders are unknown. Acupuncture treats the symptoms the body is experiencing. The acupuncturist will take a history of the patient and her experience with endometriosis, and will determine a course of treatment specific to the patient.
In patients with endometriosis, the goals of acupuncture are to ease the symptoms caused by the condition by improving circulation of the blood, stabilizing your hormones, and improving the flow of qi in the body. Of added benefit, acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkiller, into the body, promoting feelings of health and alleviating pain.
#####
|
|
Instead of This, Try This...
Everyone has one-that special dish that brings you immediately back to your childhood. Maybe yours is crispy fried chicken or creamy mac & cheese or savory meatloaf. Comfort foods are notoriously high in calories and saturated fat, but don't despair-here are some lightened favorites to make them a better choice for good health, while keeping the traditional flavors intact.
Hamburger Buddy
CHICKEN POT PIE
LOADED TWICE BAKED POTATOES
HAMBURGER BUDDY
MEATLOAF |
|
