|
NEWS AND UPDATES
Caregiver Nutrition
American Heart Association: Replenish Introduction
Stress can affect eating habits in different ways. Some people will eat anything they can get their hands on, particularly carbohydrates. Others tend to go into a "starvation" mode and not eat much at all. These are both normal reactions, as our bodies behave differently when we are chronically stressed. However, neither of these responses will help relieve stress or contribute to a healthy body and mind.
Maintaining good nutrition habits is tough for anyone, but it's especially difficult for a caregiver. Often your loved one is on a special diet or has a particularly selective appetite. There may be other family members to feed, and your time and energy are certainly limited. But you've still got to eat right. Good nutrition is a habit that you have to consciously cultivate. It begins at the grocery store. Learn to read labels. Start buying foods that benefit your body and mind. If you don't bring it home, you can't eat it.
You can train yourself to eat right, one food at a time. Your goals should include foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium (salt), and lots of fruit and vegetables every day, whole-grain/high-fiber foods, lean meats, poultry, fish (at least twice per week), and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. You should also use monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Also, cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars and salt. If you're not going to eat much, at least eat smart. Foods that have a lot of "bang-for-the-buck" include deeply colored fruits and veggies (e.g., spinach, broccoli, carrots, berries and peaches), whole-grain/high-fiber foods (e.g., whole-wheat, oats/oatmeal and brown rice), oily fish (e.g., salmon, trout and herring).
Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber — and they're low in calories. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help you control your weight and reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease by lowering your blood pressure. Eat deeply colored vegetables and fruits because they tend to be higher in vitamins and minerals than others, such as potatoes and corn.
How to Prevent Stroke
http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/what_you_can_do.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
You can help prevent stroke by making healthy choices and managing any medical conditions you might have.
Eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high blood cholesterol. Limiting salt or sodium in your diet can also lower your blood pressure.
For more information on healthy diet and nutrition, see CDC's Nutrition Web site.
If you know your weight and height, you can calculate your BMI at CDC's Assessing Your Weight Web site.
For more information, see CDC's Physical Activity Web site.
For more information about tobacco use and quitting, see CDC's Smoking and Tobacco Use Web site.
Women and Stroke
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WOMEN
National Stroke Association
Women are twice as likely to die from stroke as breast cancer –
However, women in a recent survey believed breast cancer is five times more prevalent than stroke and 40 percent of women said they were only somewhat or not at all concerned about experiencing a stroke in their life.
Did you know?
The survey was commissioned by HealthyWomen, the nation's leading independent health information source for women, in partnership with National Stroke Association and the American College of Emergency Physicians. Conducted by Harris Interactive in 2010, support for the survey was provided by Genentech Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group.
For more information on Women and Stroke, visit http://www.healthywomen.org/healthcenter/stroke
How to Talk with Your Healthcare Providers
http://www.caringinfo.org/LivingWithAnIllness/AdvanceCarePlanning/HowToTalkWithYourHealthcareProviders.htm
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Talking with your doctor or healthcare providers about your end-of-life wishes is a discussion to have before a crisis occurs. Chances are that he or she is waiting for you to start the conversation.
When you discuss your concerns and choices:
You may ask your doctor specifically:
Grieving a Loss
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
Grief may be experienced in response to physical losses, such as death, or in response to symbolic or social losses such as divorce or loss of a job. The grief experience can be affected by one’s history and support system. Taking care of yourself and accessing the support of friends and family can help you cope with your grief experience.
Click here to see answers to frequently asked questions:
http://www.caringinfo.org/GrievingALoss.htm
Definition: Cholesterol
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-cholesterol/DS00178
By Mayo Clinic staff
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that's found in the fats (lipids) in your blood. While your body needs cholesterol to continue building healthy cells, having high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease.
When you have high cholesterol, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke.
High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) can be inherited, but is often preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can go a long way toward reducing high cholesterol.
Dog Walking May Lead to Big Health Benefits
http://www.arthritistoday.org/news/health-benefits-dog-walking063.php
By Jennifer Davis
6/11/10 A new study has quantified the health benefits of dog walking, and they’re surprisingly substantial, including a lower risk of high blood pressure, a trimmer waistline and fewer chronic conditions.
“The big one is that people who did not own dogs had over three times the odds of being treated for diabetes than those who walked their dogs,” says study author Cindy Lentino, an exercise scientist at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, D.C.
For her study, Lentino looked at the general health of 916 middle-aged adults who fell into three categories – non-dog owners, those who own dogs and regularly walk them and those who have dogs but don’t walk them. She found that regular dog walkers had a lower body mass index and fewer chronic conditions and depressive symptoms than their counterparts. They also sat less every day, used less tobacco and had more social support.
The study was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, in Baltimore.
Lentino says her results indicate dog walking is something medical and health professionals should include when talking about activities that promote a healthy and active lifestyle.
“There’s definitely something special about dogs. They are inherently active animals,” Lentino says. “Dogs give owners a sense of purpose in that they need to be walked and humans need exercise, so I think that is the key. “
Other experts agree.
“I think it makes sense because you are doing more activity. You will be healthier and leaner,” says Bashir Zikria MD, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in Baltimore. “You are getting upper body work by holding the dog and a lower body workout by walking, and best of all you get social interaction. “
Dr. Zikria says dog walking also solves one of the most difficult parts of an exercise plan – starting it.
