What do You Define as Being Healthy?

I used to work in healthcare as an executive assistant. During orientation to the hospital, I was asked what health means to me. While in a room full of healthcare professionals, I said “looking and feeling great within myself!” Needless to say, I had some skeptics; these professionals are trained to believe that to be healthy is to be in a state that is disease-free. However, as an aspiring nutritionist, my interests lie in health promotion rather than treatment. Thus, despite having been exposed to countless situations during my three years in the industry that should have altered my definition of health to a more technical one, I still believe that these are the two most important components in describing my own health as well as the health of others.

It goes without saying that looking and feeling great are words of vanity but let’s dig a tad further. In fact, looking and feeling great are physical manifestations of eating well and living and active lifestyle, which are the two most often cited protective factors for the two main chronic diseases: cardiovascular diseases and cancers (among others).

In short, abiding by some simple tips below will not not only leave you looking and feeling great, but will also decrease your risk of acquiring preventable diseases:

1. Eat a well-balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates. A ‘foodie’ will have a diet rich in SUPERFRUITS, which are delicious fruits that are packed with compounds that will fight against cardiovascular diseases and cancers in addition to other notable ailments.

2. Engage in an appropriate amount of fitness (by “appropriate” I mean you should listen to your body – don’t overdo it!) Find a workout regimen that you enjoy, whether it be a typical gym workout, ballet, or pilates, etc. What I enjoy doing to stay fit: yoga.

3. Drink water! Although this one is obvious, it is somehow constantly overlooked.

4. Be fresh obsessed: attempt to (whenever possible) choose fresh over frozen or preserved food.

5. Eat out in moderation! I know cooking can be difficult in the busy modern lifestyle, but you will be able to best manage what you are ingesting. Fact: there is a ton of hidden salts and fats within foods at restaurants.

6. Eat slowly! Eating too quickly will lead to the inadvertent consumption of astronomical amounts of calories (stop and think of how many times you’ve been “stuffed”!)

Keeping true to my mandate on this site, part of feeling great is treating oneself (but be sure to do so in moderation!), as a treat here and there will aid in sustaining an otherwise healthy diet.

Above is a definition of health that works for my purposes. Take a pause and think what yours is and what you can do to attain and sustain it!

Just a Pinch of Salt May be Too Much

March 21st marked the beginning of World Salt Awareness Week 2011, coordinated by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH). In order to take a stand against the over-consumption of sodium and the detrimental effects caused by it, WASH's mission is to decrease the dietary intake of sodium worldwide. This year's prevention efforts are aimed at men's health and salt, while previous years have improved awareness in the following areas: salt and overall health, salt and eating out, and salt and children's health. Although I believe that salt awareness should not be confined to one week out of the year, this week a very appropriate time to think twice about personal salt habits and attempt to make some sustainable changes in your diet.

Why is salt so bad?
Sodium is a naturally occurring element, existing in water and milk. In these dosages, it is helpful not harmful as sodium is required to maintain equilibria in your body's fluids. However, it is the over-consumption of sodium through salt (sodium chloride) that is a major contributor to high blood pressure which is in turn a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and heart failure as well as kidney disease.

Some simple ways to minimize your sodium intake:
1. Instead of adding salt in "for flavour," try using spices and herbs while cooking as well as at the table. Pepper, vinegar, lemon, hot pepper sauce can make for tasty alternatives. My favourite herb: cilantro. (For the foodie, just throw out your salt shaker. I have!)

2. Avoid processed foods! Fresh foods are generally more expensive, but choosing fresh over processed foods will significantly reduce your dietary sodium intake.

3. When reading nutrition labels, make sure you are not only looking at calories and fat information. Fact: Canadian and American dietary restrictions suggest that healthy adults should not consume more than 2300 mg of sodium per day.

4. Buy low-sodium or sodium-free products whenever possible.

5. Make informed choices: ask for or look online for nutrition information when eating out. Have an iPhone, iPad, or an iPod touch? Download the "fast food" application for quick access.

6. Feeling peckish? Enjoy fruits and vegetables over other snacks. In addition to containing less sodium, they also contain more potassium (which is a protective factor for high blood pressure).

Now, I ask you to think of how many times you have added just a pinch of salt to food and felt okay about it. I won't even begin to hypothesize a number. With this number in mind and all of the information above, I hope you feel the pinch next time you are about to add just a pinch of salt!