Aspire, Perspire, Nourish Yourself

©Andre Rodriguez

February is a month in which Family Day is celebrated in several provinces of Canada. Alberta led the way in 1990, when Premier Getty introduced Family Day as an extra day or holiday for families to spend together. His hope was that having the day off to spend with loved ones would strengthen family values.

If you’re a Canadian and observe this holiday, what do you do on Family Day?

We hope you consider making the day a physically active one. Teaching your kids the value of exercise and healthy eating will reap benefits now and in the future.

Active Family Fun

In Canada, so many activities in the winter are weather-dependent. On snowy, cold days it feels wonderful to curl up on the couch with a bowl (or two) of popcorn and watch re-runs of your favorite family movies. That’s fine and good. We suggest you upgrade this event by taking a brisk walk around the block before or after your movie marathon! The walk can include a lively discussion of what movies you’d prefer to watch or which sequel you liked best.

On warmer, sunny winter days, hikes in the neighborhood park, and then drinking hot chocolate upon returning home is another great activity. On the occasional Family Day we’ve even managed to ride our bikes on a paved path. Dressed in what seemed like a thousand layers, we’d come home drenched in sweat.

In Alberta, skiing is a popular activity on Family Day. In fact, it’s one of the busiest times on the ski hill since the day coincides with more days off school because of Teacher’s Convention falling within the same week. A long weekend in the mountains, skiing during the day and walking along Banff Avenue after dinner, is a nice family time tradition.

In Toronto, skating in Nathan Phillips Square is a fun family activity. Going downtown is always an adventure with subway rides and walking along Yonge Street. After such a long active day, kids are surely tired and ready for restful sleep.

5 More Ways to Move for Family Groove

Looking for other ideas for active family fun? Give these a try:

© Indigofish | Dreamstime.com - Winter Football Photo

1. Play games.

Outdoor games like football, soccer, capture the flag, and tag are fun in the snow or on grass. Invent your own twist by adding new rules for the game or playing them on cross-country skis or skates.

Indoor games like Twister or musical chairs, especially with younger kids, will get your family laughing and moving at the same time.

If you are a Wii family, check out this article in Parents.com that reviews “9 Action-Packed Wii Video Games“.

2. Sign up for fun run/walk.

Even in February you’ll find races that are family friendly events. For instance, Ottawa has the Winterman Somersault Event, on February 15, 2015, which includes race distances from 3 km to a full marathon and marathon relays. There is something for everyone in the family! The post-race activities are also fun to attend.

3. Sign up for group ski or skating lessons.

If you’ve always wanted to learn to ski or skate, do it with the family. Group rates are cheaper and you can support each other during the learning process. Be prepared, though, your kids may be such keeners that their skill level may progress more quickly than yours.

If skiing or skating is not your thing, then take group lessons for some other activity like horseback riding, tennis, or squash.

©Natalia Bratslavsky

4. Explore on foot a different part of your city.

Many cities in North America are thriving, multicultural centers. Plan a family outing in a part of the city you normally don’t visit. Park the car and walk through the neighborhoods, exploring for novel shops, eateries, and interesting landmarks.

5. Visit or volunteer at a local organic farm.

©Bobby Aback

This activity will take some planning and could be right up on your family’s bucket list. There are many organic farmers in North America and across the world who offer volunteer opportunities for people who want to learn about organic farming. Check out the “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms” (WWOOF) website for information on these great opportunities.

Get Creative

We know there are a ton of other ways to get your family active so get creative and involve them in making the choices. Create a bucket list of activities from which to choose and keep it as an ongoing list for future Family Day plans, summer vacations, or weekend events.

For summer activity ideas, read our past blog on ethicalDeal “5 Ways to Get your Kids More Active This Summer”

Recipe of the Week: Herbed Turkey Breast

Heart-Healthy Living

©Mamz

February is Heart Month in Canada and the U.S. Today, as we write this post on February 6th, is National Wear Red Day, which is a day to raise awareness for heart disease in women.

http://www.freeallimages.com/national-wear-red-day/

As one of the leading cause of deaths throughout the world in both men and women, heart disease gets a lot of attention for good reason.

This topic is near and dear to our hearts (no pun intended). Our father, who would have celebrated his 89th birthday today, had heart disease and passed away 20 years ago. We know that through more exercise and better eating habits he could have prolonged his life.

What is Heart Disease?

© Travelling-light | Dreamstime.com - Heart Disease Concept Photo

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease “is a simple term used to describe several problems related to plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries, or atherosclerosis.” However, heart disease is often used as a catch-all term for other related diseases, such as Arrhythmia, Heart Attack, Stroke, Heart Failure, Cardiac Arrest, and many more that are due to issues like poor blood flow, build up of plaque in arteries, blockages, and/or electrical and valve malfunctions in the heart.

There are other diseases and health conditions that are also linked to heart disease and include high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. All of these may increase your risk for heart disease.

There is a lot well-researched information on all of these diseases and health factors, and we encourage you to delve deeper into that information, especially if you have a family history of heart disease. See our references below for good resources.

Focus on Heart Health

http://beatingheartcenter.com/a-healthy-heart-is-a-happy-heart/

We want to join the awareness-raising effort on heart disease this month from the wellness perspective. Instead of talking more about the disease, we want to focus on those things that we can do to be more heart-healthy. For example, our lifestyle behaviors — what we eat and what we do — are two things we can directly control in our lives that may prevent heart disease.

Lifestyle Behaviors

Numerous studies show that regular physical activity lowers the risk of heart disease. The Guidelines for Physical Activity for Americans were developed based on a rigorous review of many of these studies. The US National Library of Medicine also cites numerous studies on the benefits of physical activity for health.

There is no question that getting exercise is one of the most important factors you can control to reduce your risk of heart disease. The evidence shows that adults who are physically active between 150 and 300 minutes per week obtain substantial overall health benefits. Moreover, the more active you are, the greater the health benefits.

Getting Active

DSCN8169 Some of you will look at the number of minutes and say, “What? How can I fit that into my busy day?” Three hundred minutes are just 5 hours per week. We all have 1 hour per day, even in 15-minute increments, to get active! Most of us are willing to stand in line for a Starbucks latte for 15 minutes! So, get that tall instead of venti latte to-go and walk for 15 minutes.

Doing anything that increases your heart rate above the resting level and that gets the oxygen and blood pumping through your system will do. Take 15 minutes to do jumping jacks, skipping rope with your kids, walking stairs in your apartment building. As an aside, there is a fabulously-fit lady in my building who walks the stairs every day – twenty-two flights, and she climbs them more than once!

Every bit of movement adds to the 300 plus minutes you need to achieve substantial health benefits. Browse through our earlier blog posts for exercise routines to get you going.

Eating Well for Your Heart

Obesity is another important area of research related to heart disease, since it leads to a number of other health issues, such as diabetes, that compound the risk of heart disease. Aim for a healthy weight, and in particular pay attention to your abdominal area. Excess fat (abdominal adiposity) in this area increases the risk of heart disease.

As we’ve suggested in past posts, eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is the best way to get the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

Heart-Healthy Foods

For added potency for heart health, include these foods into your regular nutrition:

Celery – High in potassium, zinc, vitamin E, and arginine; these nutrients help regulate blood pressure. Just 4 stalks a day can make the difference.

©Paulbrian

Avocado – As a nutrient dense fruit, it contains vitamin A, a number of B vitamins, niacin, folic acid, potassium, and amino acids. It improves circulation, lowers cholesterol, and dilates blood vessels. Aim for at least 1/2 per day.

Natural Almonds and walnuts – Both high in mono-unsaturated fat, they are known to protect arteries from damage. Even 1 ounce per day can help.

Bananas – High in potassium and low in sodium, this fruit balances blood pressure.

Green vegetables such as Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and cabbage are high in minerals and fiber.

Other Lifestyle Behaviors

On a last note, we want to remind you that smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are both behaviors that have been linked with increased risk of heart disease.

During the month of February, assess your heart-healthy behaviors to determine your risk for cardiovascular disease. Then, take steps to create a heart-healthy life!

References: