It has been seven weeks since you made your New Year’s resolutions. How are you doing? Are you on track and enjoying your new lifestyle or are you feeling discouraged that you aren’t succeeding. Don’t give up. Push the restart button.
Get Active
A change of activity can be refreshing and invigorating and good for your health.
The Public Health Agency of Canada’s new guidelines for physical activity suggest adding exercise into your day in 10-minute intervals. Start slow and build your activity to 30 minutes and then 60 minutes of moderate daily physical activity for adults and at least 90 minutes of physical activity for children and youth.
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I set my stove timer for 10 minutes, put on some wrist weights and began walking from one end of the house to the other. I went up and down the stairs to our second storey from the basement, swinging my arms as I walked.
I was amazed at how I began breathing faster. I guess that is a sign I need to do more physical activity. I was able to do almost 10 circuits in the 10 minutes. I did stretches also and felt more energetic and alert after exercising.
On slippery winter days, this is a good way to get moving. Keep your water bottle handy.
Look for ways to build more physical activity into your daily routine. Fill the laundry basket only half full and make more trips.
Do the same when bringing in the groceries. When you go to town, park your vehicle, go for a walk and then do your errands.
TYPES OF EXERCISE
There are two types of exercises that need to be included in an active lifestyle: aerobic activities and strengthening activities.
Examples of aerobic activities are brisk walking, dancing, biking, climbing stairs and swimming. The continuous movement will make you feel warmer and breathe deeper. With moderate aerobic activities, you should be able to talk but not sing.
With vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, your heart rate will increase significantly.
Aerobic activities benefit your heart, lungs and circulation.
Strengthening activities help to keep muscles and bones strong and prevent bone loss. They will also help improve balance and posture.
Strengthening exercises can be divided into two types of activities, bone strengthening and muscle strengthening.
Physical activity that puts tension or muscle force against the bone helps to make the bones stronger.
Muscle strengthening activities such as lifting weights or pushups increase the strength, endurance and mass of the skeletal muscles.
Always include warm up and cool down stretches. Being active every day is a step toward achieving a healthy body weight and reduces the risk of falls by maintaining strength, flexibility, balance and co-ordination. Regular weight-bearing physical activities can help reduce the rate of bone loss that is associated with osteoporosis.
Take the stairs:
•Climbing stairs burns twice as many calories as walking. You could potentially lose 2.7 kilograms of weight over one year by climbing two extra flights of stairs every day.
•It increases leg strength and aerobic capacity and helps maintain bone density.
•Climbing stairs can improve the amount of good HDL cholesterol in the blood.
Source: Stairway to Health, Public Health Agency of Canada
EATING ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
My brother, Ron, and his wife, Mary-Ellen, are determined to keep off extra pounds. In addition to daily walks, Mary-Ellen makes creative and healthy meal salads for lunch.
MARY-ELLEN’S MEAL SALADS
Using at least one item from each of the following groups produces a nutritious, tasty and creative salad:
•greens -lettuce, spinach, mixed spring greens;
•fresh raw vegetables -cucumber, celery, radish, avocado, peppers, carrots, snow peas, green beans, shredded cabbage;
•fruit -berries, oranges, apples, plums, peaches and/or dried cranberries;
•cheese -low fat cheese chunks or graded cheese, feta cheese, cottage cheese;
•protein -hard-boiled eggs, cold meat, ham, chicken, shrimp, salmon, tuna, pork or beef;
•nuts –almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts;
•seeds -sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, ground flax seed.
•wash the greens and dry in a salad spinner, place a layer of greens on a plate and add a variety of chopped vegetables;
•add fruit or cheese on top or set off to the side;
•add a shelled and quartered hardboiled egg or pieces of cold meat, shrimp or freshly grilled chicken;
•garnish with nuts and seeds;
•eat without dressing or add your favourite low calorie dressing.
LOADED WITH VEGETABLES SOUP
This is a quick and filling soup loaded with lots of vegetables. It makes a great winter lunch when served with a crusty bread or biscuits.
1 tbsp. canola oil 15 mL
1 c. carrots, sliced 250 mL
1 c. sweet potato, peeled and diced 250 mL
1/2 c. onion, diced 125 mL
1 garlic clove, minced
4 c. vegetable juice 1 L
1 c. water 250 mL
1/2 c. celery, diced 125 mL
1 c. broccoli flowerets 250 mL and peeled stems, chopped
1/2 c. zucchini, diced 125 mL
1 1/2 c. cabbage, finely sliced (optional) 375 mL
1/2 -1 tsp. dried basil 2 –5 mL
1/2 -1 tsp. dried oregano 2 –5 mL
fresh ground pepper to taste
salt to taste
8 -10 fresh, washed spinach leaves
Prepare carrots and sweet potatoes and stir fry in oil for two minutes. Add onions and garlic, sauté until translucent. Add vegetable juice and heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Simmer until carrots and sweet potatoes are tender. Add celery and broccoli. Simmer three minutes and add cabbage and seasoning.
Heat for four minutes. When hot, ladle into bowls. Take two spinach leaves, roll and cut into thin slices. Float the leaves on the top of the hot soup and serve.
Serves six to eight.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
