Edition 10 Volume 16

A River Flows Through Us
Seniors Tip: Dietician Approved Tips to Help You Get on a Healthier Plan
Joke or Quote of the Month:Don’t Cry
Heart Healthy Recipe:Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Did You Know? Take Your Multivitamin to Control Diabetes

A River Flows Through Us

This morning my wife asked me what I thought was the most important life lesson I had learned in my 62 years on this planet. It got me thinking about rivers and the power of water. As always, nature holds all the lessons if we know where to look.

From the time we are born we chafe against boundaries, resenting our parents’ restrictions, social norms and even traffic laws. After all we are born free, why should we ever be in chains? Yet, the mightiest river in the world would be nothing without its banks. No matter how much water it holds, its power comes from being channelled within its limits. If they were gone all that water would spread out until it evaporated to nothing.

So it is with us.

As I have grown older, I discovered that my most important life lesson has been to recognize and accept my limitations.

Yet, far from being depressing, this has freed me.

Losing our illusions, without giving up our dreams is a necessary watershed on the path to maturity.

Young people suffer from the illusion of infinite possibilities. There is a time for unrestrained idealism but if we don’t outgrow it, it leads to dissipation of our energy and lack of focus. Like an unrestricted river, our life force becomes scattered and wasted.

Accepting myself as a limited human being, embracing my faults and loving myself as I am does not lead to complacency but allows me to concentrate my energy and dwindling time on what I believe matters. Nothing so concentrates the mind as realizing our own mortality. It frees us of the burden of caring what others think or whether we are following the crowd.

Knowing our limitations frees us to be compassionate in a world that sorely needs compassion. It allows us to rise above pain and disappointment, personal losses and the drag of the past to love and be at peace with ourselves.

I discovered too that while age and experience is essential to attaining wisdom, these are no guarantees. There are young fools and old fools but old fools lack an excuse.

I find myself for the first time, free of anxiety about what I will do with my life and giving myself permission to simply live it.

I no longer feel compelled to judge the value of life by doing but by being.

A cure to feeling washed up is to ponder a river flowing. Watch the power of the water between the banks, and how obstacles increase its power on its way to the sea.

And remember that even the mightiest river flows downhill.

Article by Alan Atkins, CPCA

Heart Healthy Recipe: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Makes 6 servings. The addition of sweet potato adds a very orange colour and sweet healthy flavour to a homemade favourite. With a few added veggies and a breadcrumb topping, this casserole has all the tasty components of a great weeknight side dish.

Ingredients-1 small sweet potato (about 250 g/8 oz), peeled and chopped, 375 mL (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, 30 mL (2 tbsp) soft, non-hydrogenated margarine, 45 mL (3 tbsp) enriched, all-purpose flour, 425 mL (1 3/4 cups) 1% M.F. milk, 175 mL (3/4 cup) shredded light, old cheddar cheese (18% M.F.), 5 mL (1 tsp) Dijon mustard, 125 mL (1/2 cup) frozen peas, corn or diced carrots. Breadcrumb Topping Ingredients-60 mL (1/4 cup) seasoned breadcrumbs, 10 mL (2 tsp) soft, non-hydrogenated margarine, melted.

Directions-Place sweet potato in microwaveable bowl with 60 mL (1/4 cup) of water. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 4 to 6 minutes or until very soft. Drain and mash with potato masher until smooth; set aside. Meanwhile, in pot of boiling water, cook macaroni for about 8 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain well and return to pot. In saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat and stir in flour. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until thickened. Slowly whisk in milk and cook, whisking occasionally for about 8 minutes or until starting to bubble around the edge. Whisk in cheese and mustard until smooth. Whisk in sweet potato and add peas. Pour into macaroni mixture and stir until well combined. Breadcrumb topping: In small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and margarine. Scrape macaroni mixture into 2 L (8 inch) glass casserole dish and sprinkle with breadcrumb topping. Bake in 190 C (375 F) oven for about 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (250 mL/1cup) – Calories: 285, Protein: 13 g, Total fat: 9 g, Saturated fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 12 mg, Carbohydrates: 40 g, Fibre: 4 g, Sugars: 8 g, Sodium: 311 mg, Potassium: 288 mg

Recipe Developed by Emily Richards, PH Ec. Reprinted with Permission from The Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Seniors Tip: Dietician Approved Tips to Help You Get on a Healthier Plan

Healthy eating isn’t what it used to be. Between the advice your bestie dishes out over brunch and the conflicting information from Dr. Google, it can be hard to sort out fact from fiction. “A registered dietitian can help you wade through the nutrition information you find to personalize an eating strategy that works for you,” states Desiree Nielsen, a registered dietitian in Vancouver.

While nutrition fads may come and go there are a few sensible steps that can help anyone wishing to eat healthier and surprisingly, they don’t involve cutting out your favourite foods. “One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is getting too rigid with their diets,” says Nielsen. “I prefer to focus on positive, additive changes that feel good and eventually crowd out less healthy habits.” With that in mind, why not challenge yourself to introduce these healthy eating tips, one at a time?

Get to know seeds

Seeds, the often-overlooked cousins of nuts, can boost nutrition in our modern, nutrient-deficient diets. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, which supports immune and skin health. Hemp seeds are protein-rich; chia and flax seeds introduce soothing soluble fibre and anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids to the diet. Add seeds to salads, smoothies and morning oatmeal or look for products, such as Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola (6 grams protein, 5 grams fibre per serving), that feature seeds.

Power up with plant protein

After decades of being told that plant protein is incomplete, research is revealing reasons to embrace it. “We used to think that you had to combine plant proteins at a single meal, but that is no longer valid,” says Nielsen. Plant based protein is economical, versatile and loaded with fibre to help you feel satisfied and feed the growth of beneficial bacteria that protect your health and fight inflammation. Try swapping lentils for ground beef in favourite recipes. Replace salt-filled luncheon meats with baked tofu or add roasted chickpeas to a salad for protein-rich crunch.

Fill half your plate with produce

Fruits and vegetables are packed with water and fibre, which Nielsen says will help you fill up without over-consuming calories.

Simply double the portion of fruits or vegetables in your favourite recipes. In addition to filling fibre, fruits and vegetables contain anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that help protect you from chronic disease.

Article by www.newscanada.com

Did you know? Take Your Multivitamin to Control Diabetes

For people with diabetes, taking a multivitamin every day can mean much more than a little protection against the common cold. Research is finding that multivitamins can be the first line of defense against many different types of infections, including respiratory infections and influenza.

“Once a person with diabetes gets an infection, it’s much harder for them to get rid of it, and it can lead to dire consequences, even death,” says Registered and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist Debra Spector. “And since some diabetic patients don’t normally respond well to treatment, prevention is key.” Taking a special diabetes multivitamin — usually found in the diabetes section of a drugstore, not the vitamin section — allows a diabetic person to be proactive with their health, and avoid nutrient deficiencies that can lead to problems. The year-long study among 130 patients, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that the incidence of infection was much lower among diabetics who took a multivitamin versus those who did not. Infection occurred in only 17 percent of diabetic patients who took a multivitamin versus the 93 percent who took a placebo. The study also found that regular multivitamin usage reduced the rate of minor urinary tract and gastrointestinal infections in people with diabetes.

Because of the nature of the disease, it’s not uncommon for diabetics to experience nutrient deficiencies. Diabetes medications and frequent urination can lead to the loss of vital nutrients that protect the body.

“Since there are many health risks that can result from vitamin and mineral deficiencies, I encourage my diabetic patients to find a multivitamin supplement with more potent levels of important nutrients to meet their needs,” says Spector.

“It should contain Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), an important nutrient that most ‘regular’ multivitamins do not have.

I like Multi-betic Diabetes Multi-Vitamin since it has 23 important nutrients, including ALA, designed to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, support vision and promote nerve function.”

Learn more about Multi-betic and other diabetic products at www.diabeticproducts.com

Article by NewsUSA

Joke or Quote of the Month: Don’t Cry

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Dr. Seuss