|
All articles and commentaries
written by NotSoSnowWhite (aka Lori Roache) |
Welcome to the Notso's News MEGA issue. I'm finally back. It has been a hard couple of months here on the homestead, from a new job, to moving and even a hurricane. I'm back on my game now, though, so why don't you come on in, put your feet up and read the news while you're drinking the bottle of water that you should already be drinking anyway. |
KILLER February is Healthy Heart Month, so I thought I should include a piece to tell us exactly what it is that we're up against. Heart disease, also known as the silent killer, has affected many lives. It is known in the scientific world as one of the greatest causes of death in North America. When a problem with the heart occurs it is usually a result of a blockage in the heart's arteries that may reduce or completely cut off the blood supply to a portion of the heart. If not found, this can cause a blood clot to form and completely terminate blood flow in the coronary artery causing a heart attack. A vast majority of people have had this problem or know someone who has, so it is a topic that is close to a lot of people. Let's take a second to look at the risk factors that may contribute to the development of a heart problem. Some of the topics include; cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, being over weight and physical inactivity. Cigarette smoking has been called one of the biggest health risks in North America, let alone the effects on the heart. Those who smoke are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who do not. There is simply no safe way to smoke. It is interesting to note that although low- tar cigarettes may reduce the possibility of |
developing lung cancer, they do not lessen the
risk of heart disease. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension,
is another major risk factor. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted
by the blood against the wall of the arteries, but because blood pressure
is sometimes not a risk that exhibits a lot of symptoms, it is important
to see your doctor and get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis.
The last risk, being overweight and physically inactivity, is perhaps one
of the biggest factors that an individual can directly control. It
is also known that reducing these risk may help control the other risks
that are stated above. Eating healthier and developing an exercise
plan is ideally the path to follow.
Now that we have discussed the risk factors, it is possible to learn more above what we can do to prevent heart disease. The basics are: get plenty of exercise, maintain a balanced diet and do not put drugs or other such substances in your body. Here are some ideas to help with maintaining a balanced diet. It is known that total fat intake should be less than thirty percent of total caloric intake daily. That includes saturated, poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats. Eating fiber from fruits and vegetables will also lower your chances of getting heart disease. A good way to keep both fat and fiber in moderation is to make it a habit to read the labels of the food you buy. All food |
companies are now required to provide you with
a complete listing of fat, calories and other nutritional information on
their packages. Look for such words as total fat, sodium, etc. Once you
know the contents of your food, you can prepare your daily dietary plan
accordingly.
Would you know if you were having a heart attack? It is common for people
to dismiss heart attack symptoms. The Heart Association and other
medical experts say the body will likely send one or more warnings to let
you know that you are having a heart attack. Here are a few.
|
HOW TO KEEP EXERCISING
One of the biggest ways to facilitate and maintain weight loss is to exercise. In a recent poll only 25% of men and women, approximately, actually engage in some type of exercise. It is important, before you start an exercise plan, to identify what motivates you. For some its disease prevention and the desire to live longer. For others it is wanting to fit into more a more regular size of clothing. No matter what the reason is, you will not maintain weight loss control without the loving help of exercise. I know, you don't wanna. It is too hard, too boring. Well let me give you some ideas on how to keep moving on. 1. BE CREATIVE - Thinking of new and exciting ways to exercise will keep you motivated to continue, rather than just doing the same old routine day after day. 2. JOIN A HEALTH CLUB - Find one that is convenient and comfortable for you. This will make it more likely that you will stick to it. When you join a club, make sure you get someone to show you how to properly use the equipment. To stay motivated, find a buddy who is willing to suffer... I mean exercise... with you. Teeheehee. 3. MAKE SURE YOUR
4.BE REALISTIC - Make sure your goals are attainable. If you set your expectations too high, you will get frustrated and quit. Make it a challenge not an impossible recipe for destruction. 5.MAKE IT A PARTY - This item goes hand in hand with number one. You can do this by adding variety of faces to your exercise routine. Shake it up, try new things. You will learn what you like by doing this. Never give up. Trying to include family members and friends makes it a lot more exciting and much more motivating. 6. REWARD YOURSELF - There is no better way to sustain your want to get fit than instant gratification. Treat yourself, maybe a new skirt or pants, or maybe a trip somewhere. Make it interesting. It is a big accomplishment to lose weight, reward yourself. 7 SCHEDULED WORKOUTS - If you always exercise on the same day, time
etc, your routine will become a fixture in your life.
|
8.SKIP A DAY - Exercising obsession is as bad
as none at all because its physically and mentally counter productive.
Allowing your muscles to rest and rejuvenate is a crucial part of becoming
healthy. This also prevents burnout and loss of interest. So listen to
your body and if you are having an off day, take it easy and rest. Just
make sure that your off days don't outnumber your on days.
In conclusion, a mere 25% of people who are willing to exercise simply
isn't good enough. We all have to work together to encourage ourselves,
but just as importantly, to encourage the others around us. Lets get those
percentages up. Remember, though, that it is important to contact your
doctor before starting any new exercise plan. He/she may also be able to
help you set goals that you could reasonably attain with regular exercise.
Not enough of us exercise. Our countries are becoming increasingly obese.
Lets stop it now, give your body what it needs. EXERCISE.
Dieter's Prayer #4
Squiggles
|
The wind howled, the rain poured. On one unforgettable night, our world changed forever. Hurricane Juan is a name that has been burned into the memory of every Maritimer. It's fury was mighty, it's time not long, but one thing is for certain -- we will never forget. The comforts we once possessed seemed to wither with every flash of lightening. In only a couple of hours, our home once thought secure became an apartment in shambles. The bedroom that my best friend was sleeping in so peacefully |
only ten minutes earlier now was filled with shards of glass and insulation
that had come in from the darkness. The roof from the apartment building
adjacent to ours was ripped from its foundation and came hurtling through
my friends window.
The fear we felt that night was unmeasurable. We had first speculated that it was the baby's ( my niece's) room window that had blown in. Her safety above anything else was our first concern. The four of us huddled in fear on the couch, until the destruction of the window, when we decided to seek safer surroundings elsewhere. |
Our neighbors were wonderful and supportive and they allowed
us to comfort the baby and ourselves in safety.
As the sun rose early the next morning, the devastation that Juan had left behind was unmistakable. Trees and insulation covered the ground. Destruction was visible as far as the eye could see. The beauty of the day was also strangely haunting and eery. The sun shone with such brilliance that only the obvious aftermath belied the thought that the fury of the night might never have occurred at all. |
50+
This self proclaimed funny girl has many goals in life, one of which is to try skydiving. The maximum weight for skydiving is 200lb so she also took that as her goal. She is now even using weights to help her strength training. Maintaining healthy eating is the other way that she hopes to lose weight. Others consider her a wonderful and supportive friend who is always there when you need her. She is knowledgeable and wise and is willing to help others whenever needed. She has even developed a program within our 50+ group called EXERCISE BUDS, which allows you to exercise simultaneously with other 50+ers via message managers, etc. She says that |
if she could be anywhere else she would come
to Nova Scotia, Canada. (well you can come visit me, that is where I live.)
She is a valued member of our group and for this and much much more, Blanche
please stand up and take a bow, your are the Notso's News ( mega issue)
50+ spotlight.
Dieters get together
Sue's weight struggles started through her pregnancies and the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Her bipolar is something that she has to deal with on a daily basis, but thanks to a wonderful doctor who prescribed the correct medication for her, she is feeling so much better all the time. Her weight loss plan includes controlling her caloric intake. She is even participating in our group's summer blast off in which the goal is to lose 25 pounds before summer. Sue is the owner and fearless leader of Dieter's Get Together and is
a founding member of many other groups as well. It is through her
kindness and support that the group flourishes. She takes great pride
in the group and the members in it. She is so informative and willing
to help you at the drop of a hat. Her friendship is priceless.
Member's have said, "You
|
tons more, Sue you are Notso's News
( mega issue) Dieter's Get Together spotlight
EDITORIAL RANT - The Bottom Line Is every person who shops in plus size stores six feet tall? NO, then why are all plus size clothes made for people who would have to be that tall to fit into them. I hate the fact that once I find clothes that fit me everywhere else, I am standing on two feet of extra fabric. A girl just might have to wear stilts. Manufacturers of plus size clothes must think that bigger clothes should be cut with height proportionate to waist size. Way to go, smarty pants, now the clothes don't fit anybody. I would like to note that if MY height was proportionate to my waist, I would be approximately seven foot four (jolly green giant anybody). Since I am only five foot three, this creates a problem. People tell me to get it tailored. WELL, that's fine if this kind of
clothes was the exception rather than the rule, but since it is the rule
rather than the exception, it would be expensive. I am not made of money
as my mom would always say. Besides, why should I have to get my clothes
tailored anyway. The manufacturers/retailers have already jacked up the
price to rub in my face that my clothes took SOOOOO much extra fabric to
make, so why should I then have to receive injury on top of insult and
shell out yet further money to fix the problem that they created. It's
ludicrous, I tell you, simply ludicrous. And that's the bottom line, cause
NotSo said so.
|
So! What do you think. Please drop me a line and let me know. | My email address is:
RightHere |
Click here | to visit Not So's Archives | |
You are the | person to visit this page |