Not a Blog: Adherence to Low-Risk Practices – Diet Santé Optimal Health.

Santé Optimal Health.

The previous study quoted(last blog) on 20,000 Swedes changes the conversation about risk factors and risk behavior in health. The study concentrates on adhering to low-risk practices rather than focusing on which risk factors we have.

Is it difficult to adhere to a low-risk diet or, in other words, is it hard to eat healthy?

In the study, the foods with a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health were scored high; for example: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, reduced-fat dairy products, whole grains and fish. Non-recommended foods including red and processed meat, fried potatoes, solid fats, full-fat cheese, white bread, refined cereals and various other meats were scored low.

As you might have guessed, the participants who consumed the beneficial foods had better cardiovascular outcomes. This seems pretty straightforward; we should look to choose foods with a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health and avoid or limit those that do not. Making these healthy choices may seem harder than ever due to today’s fast paced lifestyle, but Registered Dietitians can help sort this out for you.

Optimal Health has the programs and staff to help you add a low-risk diet to your lifestyle, contact us today.

Our health professionals can guide you to Optimal Health!

Contact us at: (506) 855-6784 or e-mail: info@sanetoptimalhealth.ca

http://www.360healthmanagement.com/

We are not superhuman but we can get close! Santé Optimal Health.

We are not superhuman so we cannot prevent every heart attack, but we can prevent 4 out of 5 heart attacks and that is something worth pursuing.

A new study that followed more than 20,000 men for 11 years has shown that 4 out of 5 heart attacks may be prevented through a combination of five low-risk behaviours: a healthy diet, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, being moderate in alcohol consumption and not smoking. Having all five low risk factors gives you the best chance, but for every single low risk factor you achieve, you decrease your chance of having a heart attack.

 

Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer of men and women in Canada so it is important that we understand what we can do to prevent it. While it is essential to know your heart health risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and so on, we should also look at how many low risk factors we have or can attain. 

What low risk factors can I add to my life today: healthy eating (and what is considered healthy now?), daily physical activity (how and how much?), maintaining a healthy weight, being moderate in consuming alcohol, not smoking?

 

Next week we'll look in more detail at low risk factor number one - healthy eating – and debunk the myth that it's difficult to accomplish. In following weeks we'll look at the other four factors, so stay tuned.

 

Optimal health has the programs and staff to help you add a low risk factor, contact us today.

Our health professionals can guide you to Optimal Health!

Contact us at: (506) 855-6784 or e-mail: info@sanetoptimalhealth.ca

www.360healthmanagement.com

Changing My Habits – The payoff - redefine your reward! Santé Optimal Health

 

I know what triggers the behavior I want to change: when I’m watching TV and food is advertised I get hungry and snack, I worked hard this week and I have a beer because I’ve earned it. I know I want to change the behavior but I want the same payoff or reward.  I associate a glass of wine or munching chips as a reward and I feel relaxed or satisfied or ….

I need to redefine what a reward is and come up with healthy alternatives; maybe its 10 minutes on a video game or time with a book or some healthy pleasure that I don’t get to do much. Very simply I need to find a healthy alternative that will give me the same feeling or because of the particular trigger give me the same results.

I substitute rice crackers (low sodium) and a healthy dip for chips and slowly over time I transition to vegetables like carrots and celery. I substitute sparkling water with lemon for a wine or beer. While these substitutions may not have exactly the same feeling, part of the reward and good feeling comes from the awareness that I am doing something healthy. I connect this reward back to the reasons I’m trying to change; playing with your kids, graduations, weddings, grandkids…

We have the health professionals: kinesiologists, registered dietitians etc. that can facilitate this transition, contact us today to make an appointment.

Our health professionals can guide you to Optimal Health!

 

Contact us at: (506) 855-6784 or e-mail: info@sanetoptimalhealth.ca

www.360healthmanagement.com

Changing my Habits- Step Two! Sante Opitmal Health!

Once you have examined how you eat, when you are eating and the habits you want to change, you can then try to understand the reasoning behind it. Why do I eat chips at night while watching TV, when I already had a great supper? Why do I want a glass of wine at the end of a hard day?

The answer to “why” will provide insight into cues that bring on this behavior; in order to change the behavior, you first have to understand what triggers it. For example, my reward for hard work is a glass of wine or beer at the end of the day or perhaps it is a particularly decadent chocolate treat, but I deserve it. Is this a reward or a habit? Is it just out of habit that I eat chips while watching TV?

If this is something you see the value in changing, what is the payoff for changing? You might sleep better at night because alcohol disrupts sleep patterns; you may consume fewer calories by substituting chips for a healthier alternative. By controlling your weight, not only will you have more energy, there will also be less chance of developing a heart condition or diabetes. Make the connection to what it really means for your health; you can play with your kids, enjoy your child’s graduation or wedding and you can remain healthy enough to also enjoy time spent with your grandchildren. Ask yourself, what is the most personal reason for making this change and what path am I on if I don’t make the change?

Next week we will discuss making a plan for the trigger.

We have the health professionals to guide you to Optimal Health!

Contact us at: (506) 855-6784 or e-mail: info@sanetoptimalhealth.ca

www.360healthmanagement.com

                                     

Is A Banana Unexamined Worth Eating?

 

Have you ever started a diet or exercise program and not been able to continue it? Why should you make healthy changes and what is the best way to begin doing so? Over many years, we have been trained to seek food for survival; however, although that instinct is still present, it is unnecessary.  Food is no longer just about survival but has become more about meeting our needs.  Food is often used to comfort, to celebrate and to support; we can very easily fall into the quickest and easiest way to satisfy our hunger.

 

One of the first steps to begin changing our diet is to simply examine what we are currently eating, when we eat and why we are choosing certain foods. Before beginning any dietary changes, it is beneficial to make notes on what you eat, when you eat it and why you eat. There are many reasons why; it could be due to hunger, comfort, or your own personal reasons. When you examine this process, you will start to become aware of what you are doing and the reasoning behind it.  When you make changes to your diet, you will also have to change the behavior associated with eating.

 

If you are looking for detailed advice on the healthy way to eat make an appointment with our Registered Dietitian.

www.360healthmanagement.com