Archive for September, 2007
After receiving a ranking of seventh in the nation for childhood obesity rates, South Carolina has taken action to decrease these numbers and increase the amount of physical activity in the schools. Teachers are getting creative trying to fit in the required exercise by the state fitness standards.
The South Carolina state Health and Fitness Act is in its second year of implementation this past August. Now students are taking part in 90 minutes of physical education classes along with 90 extra minutes of physical activity each week. The students have organized physical education classes along with the newly active morning announcements “jump with the bell”. Along with the time requirements, the fitness act also requires a lower student to teacher ratio.
Although South Carolina seems to be moving in the right direction, many other states physical education classes are dwindling. The Centers for Disease Control says that in 2003 only 55.7% of students were enrolled in physical education classes and only 39.2% were actually active during that time. This has led to the tripling in teen obesity rates from 1980 to 2000.
The South Carolina Health and Fitness Act is focused on encouraging fitness in elementary students in hopes that these healthy habits will be instilled into their lifestyles through high school. Read more about the Health and Fitness Actand other states obesity initiatives.
September 12th, 2007
A great way to continue your healthy lifestyle with the chaos of your busy lifestyle is with “make ahead” meals. Through the hectic work-week into the usually just as hectic weekend, these pre-made meal ideas will help you stay on track. No more running through the fast food drive through on your way home from work because don’t have time to cook, or more so, you don’t feel like it.
Meals made ahead of time, as well as pre-planned, put you in control of your schedule. Planning and preparing these meals ahead of time rewards you with a way to stay on track and prepare healthy and well balanced meals.
There are a few ways to prepare your meals ahead of time. You can put them together early, then keep them refrigerated until they are ready to be put into the oven. Or you can completely prepare a meal, then freeze it until it is ready to be served. This pre-planning can be done on one day, which makes you more likely to eat healthy meals and practice portion control.
Read moreabout tips for pre-planning meals and also a few recipes!
September 10th, 2007
Q: My doctor says that my HDL (good cholesterol) levels are low. Is there anything I can do to boost them?
A: If your HDL levels are too low, it’s a good idea to try to increase them if you can. And while HDL is more influenced by genetics than LDL (bad cholesterol), there are some healthy things you can do to raise its level.
- Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise can increase HDL levels.
- If you smoke, quit. Smoking suppresses your HDL, but levels return to normal after quitting.
- Increase your intake of omega 3 fatty acids in fish like salmon, Spanish mackerel, herring, and bluefish. Shoot for two servings per week.
- As calories allow, include small amounts of nuts in your diet.
- Small amounts of alcohol, consumed daily, can increase HDL levels. However, more than one drink per day for women or two drinks for men can lead to serious health problems. Another concern is that even small amounts might influence your food choices, making it difficult to eat healthfully. Remember the phrase, “Resolve dissolves in alcohol.”
- Reduce your consumption of trans fats, found primarily in packaged and processed convenience foods and fried restaurant foods. Trans fats not only lower your HDL levels, but also increase LDL.
If, after implementing the above changes, your HDL levels still remain low, ask your physician if you should consider trying medication to boost it.
Bob Wright, Director of Lifestyle Education
September 7th, 2007
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