Weekly Wellness
Issue 188
Featured Article
Fitness Tip
Move Your Feet to Avoid a Fracture
A new study shows that if you walk four or more hours a week, your risk of a hip fracture is 40 percent lower than if you do not exercise! Walking improves your balance and reaction time, so you are less likely to fall and risk injury. For extra bone protection, try walking faster. This increases the impact on the bones in your hips, legs and feet, and they get stronger. So if you do fall, you will be less likely to break something.
Nutrition Tip
What is the safe amount of sugar in grams to eat?
There is no appropriate number of sugar grams applicable to everyone. The number of grams of total carbohydrate, including sugars, which you should consume, is based on your individual calorie requirements, blood glucose and blood fat levels. Check with a local certified diabetes educator or your doctor for an individual assessment and counseling about what is right for you.
Nutrient of the Week
Cinnamon Bark
Cinnamon Bark is a very mild herb that is well tolerated by a broad variety of people. It is a pungent, sweet and hot tonic that increases general vitality, warms and energizes the body as a whole, counteracts congestion, stops diarrhea, improves digestion and relieves abdominal spasms. It increases circulation to the joints and kills bacteria and viruses. It has been shown to regulate blood sugar and insulin. Cinnamon relieves minor pain and reduces monthly cramps.
Quick Recipe
Wholesome Fruit Salad Crackers
6 ounces *cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces vanilla yogurt
24 whole graham crackers (plain or chocolate)
Fresh fruits of your choice: raspberries, kiwifruit, mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, mangoes, grapes, etc.
In bowl, mix cream cheese with vanilla yogurt until smooth, and then spread to one-quarter inch thickness on graham crackers. Decorate cracker with berries, grapes and other fruits in a pattern. Recipe makes 8 to 10 servings.
*Use non-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese to reduce fat and calories.
Tidbit(s)
Obesity Rates
Obesity rates have nearly doubled in the past 10 years, according to a study conducted by the Managed Care Center of UCLA. The study found that obesity-related health complications include diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. In addition, an individual's healthcare costs raised 36 percent and medication expenses by 77 percent. Obesity is costly to your health!
Food Fixes
Put your jellies into a squeeze bottle to make it easier to put on bread. Make sure to cut the hole bigger on the nozzle. See also: Jellies and Toppings (recipes).
Keep a can of evaporated milk on hand in case you run out of your favorite liquid coffee creamer. Just add some extract to the contents of one can, mix, and refrigerate.
Stick a piece of bread in with brown sugar to keep it from getting hard - just be sure to change it before it molds!
When you unwrap a stick of butter or margarine, refold the wrapper messy side in and put it back in the fridge. You can use these later to grease a cookie sheet or cake pan.