A healthy salad?

"Most people consider salads a healthy meal.
Use caution when ordering your salad. Adding
croutons, cheese, eggs, nuts, fried meat and
high calorie dressing will transform a salad
from a healthy meal to a high fat, high calorie
unhealthy meal."
That salad that you thought was healthy and would help you maintain your weight has now turned into something that can make you gain weight.

Source: from the internet: A Health Tip a Day

Maintain your muscles

Researchers have found that eating potassium rich
fruits and vegetables may reduce muscle mass loss
that occurs with aging.
Just another reason to take potassium rich Matol/KM daily.

Check out some of the other reasons at http://www.yourpath2health.com

"Happiness is a butterfly which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."
Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Optimists Creed

The Optimists Creed
Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Letting Go!

The following quote was in my local newspaper as the daily cryptoquote
"Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong. Sometimes it's letting go" by Sylvia Robinson

We must all learn to let things and sometimes people go, to pass on out of our lives. This can be a very painful time in a persons life. There are things that happen in our lives that just must be let go for our own mental and physical health. Keeping hurts bottled up can cause high blood pressure and stress, which in turn can lead to heart condition and many health issues.

Personal experience has taught me that letting go takes time and effort. You might need to find a friend, or a professional to help you deal with the issue.
I have found that exercise and writing in a journal helpful.

If you have found a special way to deal I would appreciate hearing from you.

Spare the oil.

Using an olive oil sprayer is a great alternative
to adding small amounts of oil to a dish. A two
second spray will distribute about ½ teaspoon of
oil versus the 2-3 teaspoons you may pour out of
a bottle. This will save you approximately 100
calories.
Source: The Internet

Canada's fattest and fittest

We’ve got the lowdown on Canada’s fittest and fattest cities – how do you measure up?

Western Canada
British Columbians, give yourself a pat on the back – you are one of the nation’s fittest provinces. Vancouver ranked the lowest out of all the Canadian cities, with only 12 per cent* of their population suffering from obesity. This is great news, not only for the fitness and well-being of Vancouverites, but also since all eyes will be on the city in two years, as they host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

The rest of the major western cities did not measure up to the healthy examples Vancouver has set. Sixty-two percent of Edmonton residents are either overweight or obese, and Saskatoon is just as alarming at 64 per cent. Regina and Winnipeg rank slightly below, closer to the national average, with 58 per cent of their populations being either overweight, or obese.

Central Canada
The news doesn’t get better as we move across the country, into our central provinces. In fact, the fattest city in all of Canada is located in Ontario. Hamilton residents had the highest amount of both overweight and obese residents - 74 per cent. Kingston wasn’t far behind, with about 70 per cent of its population being overweight or obese. Both Toronto and Montreal were moderately lower with each sitting at 51 per cent. On a positive note, only 15 per cent of Torontonians were dubbed obese. Sherbrooke was similar to Toronto and Montreal, with 52 per cent of its residents being overweight or obese.

Eastern Canada
Halifax residents can take pride in knowing they are the healthiest on the East Coast – only 18 per cent of these residents are considered obese. This is good news, especially when compared to Saint John, where an alarming 7 in 10 citizens in this city are either overweight or obese. St. John’s is equally as shocking with 71 per cent of its population being in the overweight or obese category.

How does your province measure up?
Here’s a chart with several provinces and their estimated population and per cent of overweight or obese residents.

Province	Estimated Population	Overweight/Obese
British Columbia	4,413,973	59.0 %
Alberta	3,497,881	60.9 %
Saskatchewan	1,006,644	68.1 %
Manitoba	1,193,566	62.5 %
Ontario	12,861,940	58.6 %
Quebec	7,730,612	56.3 %
New Brunswick	751,250	64.4 %
Nova Scotia	935,573	59.7 %
P.E.I.	139,089	66.5 %
Newfoundland	508,099	71.0 %

*All data courtesy of Statistics Canada. Source: Regional differences in obesity. Statistics Canada, http://www.statcan.ca/english/studies/82-003/archive/2006/17-3-c.pdf, June 2008.

Why are we so fat?
Over the last 30 years, there has been a dramatic rise in obesity. Our culture shift is primarily due to the fact we consume foods which are too high in energy density, yet with little nutritional value. Fast food is at our fingertips. All it takes is one easy phone call to have a greasy meal delivered directly to your door step. This becomes especially tempting for those who believe preparing a healthy meal takes too much work. Movies, television, video games, and yes, even the internet, have made us lazier. We are more likely to spend our free time catching up on our favourite TV programs than putting in an hour at the gym, or going for a walk around the block.

The statistics are undoubtedly shocking, and there is a necessity for change. Carrying extra fat around your tummy, bum, or thighs is more than just a nuisance - it’s a serious health hazard for many Canadians.

Body mass index (BMI)
Body mass index is a simple calculation that is used worldwide to measure ones health. It is important to remember that BMI does not take muscle mass, or bone density into consideration. For example, a muscular fit person may have a high BMI, but not actually be overweight.

To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared, then multiply that number by 703. The equation would look like this: (pounds) / (inches2) x703.

Source: Sympatico MSN By Lisa Felepchuk

Hyperactive children and food additives

Parents who suspect that artificial ingredients in food are affecting their children's behavior can now point to some cold, hard proof. A carefully designed study released Thursday in The Lancet, a leading British medical journal, shows that a variety of common food dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate — an ingredient in many soft drinks, fruit juices, salad dressings and other foods — causes some children to become more hyperactive and distracted than usual.
The study prompted Britain's Food Standards Agency to issue an immediate advisory to parents to limit their children's intake of additives if they notice an effect on behavior. In the U.S., there's been no such official response, but doctors say it makes sense for parents to be on the alert.

Meanwhile, the food industry is awaiting further research. "We take our responsibility to consumers seriously and will study the research finding in great detail," says Cathy Cook, spokesperson for the International Association of Color Manufacturers.

The Lancet study is the first to nail down a link between artificial ingredients and hyperactivity, though the connection has long been suspected and was the basis for the Feingold Diet, which eliminates all artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives and was popularized in the 1970s as a treatment for ADHD. Though such a diet alone is not a proven treatment for ADHD, some clinicians routinely advise parents of kids with ADHD to stick with a more natural diet." I'm not maniacal about it, but I tell parents that your kid will do better if they are on a diet that is free of additives and junk food," says psychiatrist Edward Hallowell, author a several books on ADHD. "I urge them to eat whole foods; they'll be healthier anyway."

Now that a link has been found, researchers will be looking to confirm the British study and build upon it. "My guess is that if we do similarly systematic work with other additives, we'd learn they, too, have implications for behavior," says Dr. James Perrin, professor of pediatrics at Harvard. "My friends who study the food industry say we have about 70,000 new products a year, so children are facing tremendous numbers of new opportunities for things that may not be good for them." The study, he says, is one more reason to cheer the movement toward organic and natural foods.

Personal note:Now is the time to pressure the food industry to eliminate the preservatives, color and cut aback on the salt and sugar added to our food. We must strive to eat a healthier diet consisting of more fresh food and less processed foods. If the public is not buying the processed food the industry will be forced to change their processing methods. The health of our children is at stake as ADD and ADHD appears to be on the rise.

Article taken from Natural Health Newsletter , September 13,2007

Probiotics and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

50 million North Americans suffer from IBS. It affects people of all aged and wolks of life however women represent 70% of IBS suffers in Canada.

There are numerous specific uses for probiotics which I have listed in February 10,2008 blog but I feel bare repeating:

Probiotics can help in the prevention and treatment of:

• Restoration and maintenance of healthy intestinal flora
• Enhancement of immune system functions
• Urogenital and vaginal infections
• Inhibition of pathogenic and putrefactive bacteria
• Diarrhea, including Travelers’ and antibiotic induced diarrhea
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis
• Constipation
• High Cholesterol
• Lactose intolerance
• Dermatitis

Clinical research in the health benefits induced by lactic bacteria (good bacteria) have shown that probiotics can make a real difference in these conditions. Either by helping to achive a remission or a marked improvement in symptoms with no significant side effects. If you are being treated by a physician for any of the above disorders it is not recommended that you stop taking the prescribed medication but discuss supplementation with them.
When choosing a probiotic make sure they contain between 2 and 25 billion active cells of lactic bacteria per capsule.
Matol Viva 24B Probiotics has 24 billion active cells per vegetable capsule with 9 active probiotic strains identified and rigorously selected after a complete literature review of all clinical studies done on probiotic health benefits. Also contains a specific culture that targets the prevention of vaginal and urogenital infections in women.

The addition of a probiotic supplement for those suffering from high cholesterol would be highly beneficial.
To learn more or to purchase Matol Viva 24B Probiotic https://www.yourpath2health.com

Todays quote:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

John Wesley

Drinking fluids with meals.

A Health Tip:
Avoid drinking fluids with meals. Fluids will dilute
your natural digestive enzymes. It is best to drink
fluids either 30 minutes before a meal or 30 minutes
after a meal.
Drinking a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal will make you feel full, you will not eat as much. Great way to curb your appetite and help with weight loss.