Live healthier this spring
Spring has officially arrived. Tulips are popping through the thawing soil, geese are flying overhead and children are in their glory running through mud puddles.
This season brings a sense of renewal, and in conversations I hear people longing to get back into the routine of a pleasant evening walk, bike ride or even warming up the deck chairs to read a favorite book. Spring brings with it the incentive to live healthier. It is a fresh start.
In the January 1999 issue of Canadian Living magazine, 99 ideas for living healthier were listed. Here are 10 suggestions that caught my eye:
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- Avoid elevators and climb the stairs.
- Buy an indoor plant, as they help to improve air quality by removing pollutants.
- Take a 20-minute catnap to rejuvenate yourself. Quiet time can work wonders. Try to get at least seven to eight hours sleep each night.
- Chew your food thoroughly to aid in nutrient absorption.
- Drink water throughout the day to replenish fluids. Fatigue is an effect of dehydration, so when you need energy, reach for the water jug.
- Delegate chores and say no to activities that cause overload.
- Eat vegetables that are orange or dark green to maintain adequate levels of beta-carotene and enhance your immune system. And when it comes to a diet, say no. Just remember moderation, not deprivation.
- Exercise to benefit from the correlation between longevity and the ability of the body to work effectively. Get the kids off the couch as well.
- Avoid clutter as it makes us less efficient and more stressed. Deal with mail daily, read newspapers as soon as possible after you get them, and then recycle or file.
- Laugh, as this increases oxygen intake and invigorates body cells.
Flagging fraud
Be aware of the red flags of fraud. Walk away from bogus offers. Toss out the mail or hang up the phone when you hear: “You have been specially selected…,” “You have won…,” “All we need is your credit card (or bank account) number – for identification only,” “Be your own boss! Never work for anyone else again. Just send in $50 for your supplies and…”
Remember, the smart consumer always looks at the total price before deciding. Check out the company and product before buying.
Stay away from telemarketers who want to:
- Send a courier service for your money.
- Have you send money by wire.
- Automatically withdraw money from your chequing account.
- Offer you a free prize, but charge handling and shipping fees.
- Ask for your credit card number, chequing or savings accounts number, social insurance number or other personal information.
- Get payment in advance, especially for employment referrals, credit repair, or providing a loan or credit card; or have you join a pyramid/multi-level sales scheme.
Contact the federal competition bureau for more information.
A birthday party
In my family, April is the birthday month, and we are often looking for new ideas to keep the celebrations exciting, especially for children.
For a successful party, allow the birthday boy or girl to help in planning. Decide together on the theme for the party, decorations, the date and time, who will be invited, what food will be served and the activities.
Birthday food should be fun, tasty and simple. Finger foods such as raw vegetables and dip are always a hit. Perhaps each guest would like to prepare their own mini pizza with the toppings that are supplied. Ice cream sundaes can be made using the same concept. Other fun foods are mini waffles, fruit with dip, bagel or muffins, cheese and crackers.
Juice boxes or water are two healthy choices that will not make a huge mess if they happen to get spilled. The most important thing to remember when preparing the food is that the birthday person like it.
Opening presents is a highlight of the party and sometimes it is hard to know which one to open first. Solve this problem by having guests pick a number out of a hat, which will dictate the order that their gifts will be opened. You could also do the unthinkable if your children are at the nonsharing stage – open the presents when the party is over and save some conflict.
Party activities:
- Take Polaroid shots of the birthday person with each guest as they arrive. They can take this photograph home from the party as a reminder of the fun they had.
- Videotape each guest arriving or doing an activity and watch the tape as part of the party. Children like seeing themselves on video.
- Present each guest with a plain party hat or paper lunch bag and a supply of stickers, crayons or markers so they can decorate their own hats and treat bags.
- Have a treasure hunt.
- Play pass the parcel. Individually wrap enough small prizes for everyone and put them in a larger box. Wrap the box in as many layers as there are kids. Turn the music on and have the kids pass the parcel, stopping when the music stops; each child should have a turn removing the paper. When the box is unwrapped, the prizes are revealed.
- Play freeze dance – have music going and when it is stopped each player has to freeze. If they don’t, they are out. This is similar to Hot Potato except there is no object to pass.
Birthday survival tips
- Supply each guest with the same treat bags.
- Childproof the play area and have all of the preparation done before the party starts.
- Set a time for the length of the party, never more than three hours.
