Health & Wellness
Health Benefits of Kale
Kale is related to the cabbage family along with broccoli and brussel sprouts. They are classified as cruciferous vegetables and are thought to decrease tumor growth in cancers such as Bladder ,Breast, Colon, Ovary and Prostate. Researchers have found 45 different Flavonoids, giving it anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer benefits.
A great way to incorporate Kale into your diet is in a cool, refreshing summer smoothie. Try this recipe with fresh local raspberries.
Raspberry Kale Smoothie
- 1 cup Frozen Raspberries
- 3-4 Kale Leaves
- 2 dates
- 1 – 1 ½ cup Water or Almond Milk
- 1 Banana
- 4-5 ice cubes
Blend and enjoy!
Weight
Balance Your Food Intake
Balance your food intake with your daily activities and energy needs to maintain a healthy weight. Strict weight control diets don’t work in the long run. Most people who lose weight typically gain it back along with a few extra pounds. Instead of dieting adopt long lasting healthy habits such as eating well and keeping active.
Be realistic
Be realistic about your body weight. You can’t change the shape you were born with.
Make small and gradual changes to your eating and activity habits. Pick one eating and activity change and stick with it for several weeks before adding a new one. Small steps work better than giant leaps to improve healthy living habits for the long term.
- Have a balanced breakfast every day. Eating breakfast is linked with having a healthy weight.
- Skipping breakfast may lead to snacking and greater food intake later in the day.
- Follow Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide and choose the number of Food Guide Servings recommended for your age and sex.
- Limit your intake of foods and beverages high in calories, fat and sugar, and low in nutrients
- Be aware of when you eat and why. Listen to your body and eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.
Walking
What is it?
Walking is easy on the joints and gets your heart pumping. It’s easy to do, inside or outside and costs almost nothing.
What are the benefits of walking?
- Improves cardiovascular fitness by strengthening your heart
- Improves bone health
- Lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease
- Reduce stress and symptoms of depression
- Improves physical ability and reduces risk of physical disability in older adults
Who should/can do it?
Walking is great for any age and any skill level!
How to do it safely?
- Proper footwear is a must!
- Invest in a walking or running shoes with good ankle and arch support and a cushioned sole.
How often can you/should you do it?
- Brisk walking counts as a moderate intensity activity. It should make you feel warm and slightly winded, and increase you heart rate.
- Follow the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Aim for 150 minutes or more each week of moderate to vigourous intensity activity if you are an adult, or 60 minutes a day if you are under 18 years of age.
- You can accumulate 150 minutes per week or 60 minutes daily by doing 10 to 15 min intervals of brisk walking a day.
Goal Setting
- Work up from a low intensity to higher intensity by increasing your stride length and your speed.
- Start out at your normal walking pace and gradually increase the amount of time that you walk, the speed at which you walk, or both on a daily or weekly basis.
- Every try speed walking? A good walking speed is 4.5-6.5 km per hour (2-4mph). Once you hit 6.5 km/h, it gets more difficult because it feels like you should probably turn it into a run. Doing a proper speed walk can help at higher speeds.