Small changes can have big impact on overall health

Lenexa, KS (Oct. 6, 2008) –This October, during National Chiropractic Month, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is encouraging families to make simple changes in an effort to improve their overall health and well-being.

“Making small consistent changes are the keys to achieving better health,” says Dr. Frank Jimenez of Integrity Chiropractic and Wellness in Lenexa, KS and a member of the American Chiropractic Association. “Chiropractic, because of its focus on prevention, can play an integral role in helping Americans improve their health.”

Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to serve as primary care doctors, Dr. Jimenez notes. “They stress preventive protocols such as, dietary and nutritional counseling, exercise, rehabilitation and ergonomics.”

Dr. Jimenez and the ACA recommend the following health tips.
 Exercise daily
 Control your weight
 Commit to proper nutrition
 Avoid smoking or other tobacco products
 Use alcohol in moderation
 Control any chronic diseases or disorders (including high blood pressure, diabetes, or osteoarthritis).

Doctors of chiropractic provide drug-free, non-invasive treatment options for many types of pain and inflammation. For example, chronic back pain, neck pain, joint pain and headaches can often be reduced with the appropriate combination of chiropractic manipulation, rehabilitative exercises and lifestyle counseling – all of which are offered by doctors of chiropractic in a patient’s personalized treatment plan.

“Consumers also should know that chiropractic treatment is a covered benefit in virtually all traditional insurance policies,” adds Dr. Jimenez. “As many as 87 percent of all insured American workers have coverage for chiropractic services in their existing health care plans.”

A significant amount of evidence has shown that the use of chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective than traditional medical care, with many patients feeling improvement shortly after their first chiropractic visit.

This October, during National Chiropractic Month, talk with a doctor of chiropractic about ways you can achieve better health. “Doctors of chiropractic believe that prevention is the key to health and wellness. Discover how treatment by your local doctor of chiropractic can not only improve your spinal health, but also start you on the road to wellness.”

Dr. Jimenez is working in collaboration with the American Chiropractic Association to observe National Chiropractic Month. For more information on chiropractic or any of the tips mentioned above contact Dr. Jimenez at (913) 888-2066, visit his office website: www.integrity-chiropractic.com or visit the ACA’s website: www.ACAtoday.org.

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Are you concerned about the quality of the food your child is eating at school? Many parents are, and for good reason. School cafeterias have long been criticized for offering unhealthy choices like fast food and french fries instead of healthier fare. So what can you do to help your child’s school district shape up? Here are a few ideas from the experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Get the kids involved. Urge school officials to form a student council to examine the issue. Then have the kids themselves identify which foods could be replaced by healthier options.
• Persuade your district to make healthy eating fun, with contests that promote both physical activity and healthy eating.
• Suggest to your child’s teacher that he or she include daily exercise breaks during class time to cut down on children’s chair time. Taking a stretch break can help reduce stress and improve concentration — so they’ll do better in school too!

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Makes 4 burritos

The red and yellow cherry tomatoes combine with the pale green avocado for a gorgeous salsa. Spiked with lime and cumin, the flavors pop.

Ingredients:
Cherry Tomato–Avocado Salsa
1 1/2 cups quartered firm red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes
1/2 ripe avocado, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of salt

Burritos
4 whole-wheat flour tortillas (7 1/2″ diameter)
1/2 cup canned fat-free refried beans
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
To Make:
Salsa: In a small bowl, gently mix together the tomatoes, avocado, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Cover and set aside.

Burritos: Warm the tortillas in the microwave or a conventional oven according to the package directions. Cover with foil and keep warm.

Place the beans in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave on high power for 45 seconds, or until hot. Keep warm.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, water, salt, and pepper until well blended. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked but still moist.

One at a time, spread each warm tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of the beans and fill with 1/4 of the eggs. Top each with about 2 tablespoons salsa, reserving the rest to serve at the table. Roll up the tortillas, folding in the sides. Serve right away, with the remaining salsa.

Serving size: 1 burrito
290 calories, 32 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, 12 g total fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 6 g dietary fiber, 480 mg sodium

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Want to help your kids break the junk-food habit? Try offering them these seven healthy snack options recommended by the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases:

1. Fresh fruit
2. Canned fruit in juice or light syrup
3. Small amounts of dried fruits like raisins, apple rings, or apricots
4. Fresh vegetables such as baby carrots, zucchini slices, tomato wedges, or cucumber spears
5. Reduced fat cheese or small amounts of peanut butter on whole-wheat crackers
6. Low-fat yogurt with fruit
7. Graham crackers, animal crackers, or low-fat vanilla wafers

For more healthy and easy snack ideas, try my Fit Kids Eat Right snacks!

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WASHINGTON - Jan. 7, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing recommendations to the regions affected by severe winter weather and flooding in Western states. USDA is hopeful that this information will help minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses due to food spoilage from power outages and other problems that are often associated with severe weather events.

“Power outages can occur at any time of the year and it often takes from a few hours to several days for electricity to be restored to residential areas,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond. “Without electricity or a cold source, foods stored in refrigerators and freezers can become unsafe. Bacteria in food grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, and if these foods are consumed, people can become very sick.”

Steps to follow to prepare for a possible weather emergency:

• Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food.
• Make sure the freezer is at 0 °F or below and the refrigerator is at 40 °F or below.
• Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers after the power is out.
• Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
• Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.
• Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.
• Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.
• Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer.

Steps to follow after the weather emergency:

• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
• The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.
• Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after 4 hours without power.
• Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below when checked with a food thermometer.
• Never taste a food to determine its safety!
• Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for 2 days.
• If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer. If the appliance thermometer reads 40 °F or below, the food is safe to refreeze.
• If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe.
• Drink only bottled water if flooding has occurred.
• Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.
• Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches (for example, flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved. Follow the Steps to Salvage All-Metal Cans and Retort Pouches in the publication “Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency” at: www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/
  keeping_food_Safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp
• Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
• When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

FSIS has available a Public Service Announcement (PSA), available in 30- and 60-second versions, illustrating practical food safety recommendations for handling and consuming foods stored in refrigerators and freezers during, and after, a power outage. Consumers are encouraged to view the PSA at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news/Food_Safety_Videos/.

News organizations and power companies can obtain hard copy (Beta and DVD) versions of the PSA by contacting the Food Safety Education Staff in FSIS’ Office of Public Affairs Education and Outreach by calling (301) 344-4757.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

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Cutting calories doesn’t have to mean drastic changes in the way you eat! It’s actually the little things that add up! See how many calories you can easily cut out with these eight little changes:

1. Use mustard instead of mayo: 100 calories.
2. Skip the wine or beer with dinner: 100 calories.
3. Take the skin off your chicken breast: 100 calories.
4. Switch to fat-free salad dressing instead of regular: 100 calories.
5. Drink water or herbal tea instead of a soda: 150 calories.
6. Order your sandwich without the cheese: 200 calories.
7. Choose an English muffin instead of a bagel: 200 calories.
8. Have a turkey sandwich instead of tuna salad with mayo: 250 calories.

I already try to use skinless chicken breasts when and where possible, I have maybe one glass of wine a month, instead of regular mayo I use light mayo, I drink diet soda and or ice tea when I can I stay away from high calorie drinks and I love English muffins just as much as I do bagels so that is an easy compromise.

I really enjoy getting these things from Denise Austin she is equally as good as Dr Phil but she is more experienced in giving good sound nutritional advice. Most if not all of what she talks about is what I have learned and is tried and tested by many experts if the nutrition and weight loss field. That is why I post her tips here that I recieve in my email over on MSN mail.

Have a good one.

Joe

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Make a batch of these to freeze for easy breakfasts and snacks. If you don’t have currants — tiny, dried, sweet Zante grapes — substitute dark or golden raisins or snipped dried plums (prunes).

Double-A Applesauce Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups whole-grain pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium Golden Delicious apples, grated
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup currants

To Make:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat 18 muffin cups with cooking spray. (Don’t use paper liners.) In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, brown sugar, and oil until smooth. Stir in the apples, applesauce, and currants.

Pour the apple mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cups, filling them nearly to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until springy to the touch and lightly browned. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Per muffin: 100 calories, 19 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 2 g total fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber, 115 mg sodium

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If you reach for food when you’ve got nothing else to do, hold on! There are plenty of calorie-free ways to pass the time. Why not try one of these distractions instead?

• Call a friend and catch up.
• Clean your house, car, or desk.
• Relax with a pot of herbal tea.
• Take a bubble bath.
• Walk the dog, or just go for a walk if you don’t have a dog.
• Kick back — or dance — to some tunes.
• Get creative — paint, draw, stitch, strum! Whatever you do, find an artistic pursuit you enjoy!
• Crack open that book you’ve been meaning to read.
• Go out in the garden and pull weeds, prune, or plant.
• Volunteer! Get involved in helping others.
• Write a letter or an email to a friend.
• Dream! Use downtime to make plans for your future.

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Here is the latest weight loss and fitness carnival these are all great reads and I enjoyed reading them as well. My friend Cindy is in the Blog Mastermind Program with me and she has blossomed in her blogging skills since joining the Blog Mastermind program. Tupelo always has great articles and I have a new favorite with Weight Loss Dude as he puts himself out there through pictures of himself through his weight loss process. That takes guts for anyone to do that.

Flexibility Exercises posted at Weight Master

How to Count Calories posted at Strength for Her

Facing Fear with Deliberate Awareness posted at Tupelo Kenyon

Why I’m Not A Vegetarian posted at Weight Loss Dude

Michelle’s Corner- Tips to ward off weight gain at the office posted at IAmSoOverMe

Coffee and Fitness posted at Go Workout Mom

Being Present Through Sensuality posted at Tupelo Kenyon

A Healthy Career Change posted at ask the CareerCounselor

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Besides their abundance of vitamins, minerals, and feel-full fiber content, here’s another great reason to eat your five servings of fruits and vegetables every day: You’ll cut your cancer risk in half! The reason? Antioxidants! These powerful, naturally occurring nutrients boost your immune system and fend off cell damage! The Virginia Department of Health offers the following advice for squeezing in your five a day:

• When you get home from the market, cut up fruits and veggies into serving-size pieces. You’ll be more likely to reach for them if they’re ready to go!
• Have fruit or 100 percent fruit juice with your breakfast.
• Stock your kitchen with fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables so they’re always on hand!
• Munch on a fruit or vegetable snack daily!
• Add a side of veggies (steamed or cooked) to your plate at dinner.

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