A healthy lifestyle can help prevent chronic diseases and long-term illnesses. And maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not a difficult task, you just need to follow some healthy habits. Here some best health care tips that will help you stay happy and healthy in 2020.

Eat a variety of foods

To stay healthy, your need to eat more than 40 different nutrients. At least include one food rich in carbohydrates, such as cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread at every meal. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as they are the good sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Cut salt and sugar intake

A high salt intake can result in high blood pressure and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating too much sugar is also associated with weight gain and various diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, tooth decay, etc.

Drink plenty of fluids

Water is essential for the kidneys and other bodily functions. It helps lubricate the joints. Dehydration, which happens when the body is not getting enough fluid, can also cause skin disorders and wrinkling.

You need to drink at least 1.5 litres of fluid a day. We can also add fruit juices, tea, soft drinks, milk and other healthy drinks to meet the required amount of fluid in the body.

Keep your heart healthy

A healthy lifestyle is the key to a healthy heart. If youre a smoker, quit it now. Smoking is said to be the main causes of coronary heart disease. When you stop smoking, your risk of a heart attack may reduce about half that of a smoker a year later.

Staying active can also significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Just 30 minutes of physical activity, such as cycling, yoga, walking or jogging for 5 days a week may do the magic to your body. Follow a heart-heathy diet, by adding more vegetables and fruits in your daily menu.

Maintain a healthy body weight

Obesity and overweight increases the risks of a wide range of diseases, such diabetes, heart diseases and cancer. Remember the saying, we are what we eat. Eating more than you need can lead to excess body weight. So, be mindful while eating and stay more active.

Published : December 26, 2019 7:59 pm

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Best health care tips 2020: Follow these habits to keep yourself healthy through the year - TheHealthSite

In a time when often on-line communication is substituted with authentic connection, it is important to remember to nurture face to face connection because it is essential to your overall well being. Face to face social interaction with someone who you feel cares about you is the most effective way to calm your nervous system and relieve stress.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) research, interacting with another person can assist your brain in receiving a rush of helpful chemicals, such as oxytocin- a hormone that influences bonding and attachment, serotonin-a mood elevator and dopamine a motivator and happiness increaser. Supportive family, friends, and co-workers are a vital aspect of your life. A social support network is developed when life is going well. It provides the comfort of knowing that your friends are there for you if you need them. Here are some of Mayo Clinic healthy lifestyle stress management possibilities for nurturing your social network:

Volunteer. What you do to others, you do to yourself. Doing something that assists others has a positive effect on how you feel about yourself. The meaning and purpose you find in assisting others will develop a more expansive transformative life. Select a nonprofit or charitable organization that makes your heart sing and get involved. You will automatically mingle with others who share similar interests and values.

Join a gym or fitness support group. Integrating physical fitness into your day is key in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The mind, body and spirit are intrinsically linked. When you improve your physical health, youll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. You can also make friends while you exercise.

Ask for Help. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress research shows that asking for help is most often viewed as a sign of strength and good judgment. When you ask for help, you give someone an opportunity to feel valued and useful as well as keep yourselves engaged. What matters to people is far more important than what is the matter with people. What matters to people is what encourages engagement.

Call a friend or loved one now and arrange a time to connect. If you dont feel that you have anyone to call, reach out to acquaintances. Many people feel just as uncomfortable about making new friends as you do, so be the one to begin the connection. Reconnect with a long-time friend, invite a coworker out for lunch, or ask a neighbor to join you in an activity you both enjoy. Try to make it a regular get-together.

Smile and say hello to strangers you cross paths with. Making a connection is beneficial to both of you and you never know where it may lead if you are open to it!

Regardless which social networking avenue you choose, nurturing relationships is a wise investment while integrating skills such as:

Being a good listener. Listen for what is felt as well as what is said. When you really listen, you connect more deeply to your own needs and emotions, and to those of other people. Listening also strengthens, informs, and makes it easier for others to hear when its your turn to speak.

Being happy for others when they succeed and let them know by specifically telling them why you are happy for them in a face to face conversation.

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Making time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about what you are grateful for. Take time to express face-to-face how important friends and family are to you.

Be respectful of the other person and their viewpoint. Make maintaining and strengthening the relationship a priority. If a conflict does arise, focus on the present moment, on what you can do in the here-and-now to solve the issue. Disengage and move on if necessary.

Balance is key. The goal of building your social support network is to reduce your stress level, rather than add to it. Observe situations that seem to drain your energy. Limit as much as possible, people who are consistently negative and critical.

Sandy Block-Hansen, MS. St. Francis Healthcare Campus Family Footprints Coordinator. A Catholic Health Initiative Mission and Ministry program created to support, inform, and offer resources to parents in the role of parenting. She can be reached at sandrablock-hansen@catholichealth.net or 218.643.0475

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Nurturing face-to-face Connections | Health - Wahpeton Daily News

Alcohol consumption is very much a holiday tradition. Whether at parties, business events, or when entertaining at home, there is the expectation that some form of alcoholic beverage will be served. Then theres the social expectation that one will partake. Who hasnt grabbed a glass of wine to carry around at aparty?

But for those conscious of their health, what is the current thinking when it comes to alcohol? I can remember reading studies suggesting that a glass of wine every night was good for you. Is this still the case? Are there some simple rules of thumb that a conscientious person can follow? Well, sort of.

For some context, its important to know that alcohol consumption in the U.S is rising, especially amongwomen, minorities and older adults. A study published inJAMA Psychiatryexamined how drinking patterns changed between 2002 and 2013. They found that overall drinking increased by 11 percent. Combined with more alarming increases in high-risk and problem drinking, the researchers said their findings suggest "a public health crisis," given the fact that high-risk drinking is linked to a number of diseases and psychiatric problems, as well as violence, crime and crashes.

If that doesnt cause you to think twice, some of the most contemporary research suggests that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. According to a 2018 article in Live Science,drinking alcohol in moderation is more harmful than previously thought, according to a comprehensive study that analyzed information from millions of people in nearly 200 countries. The authors acknowledge that the findings contrast with most health guidelines, which say that moderate drinking is safe.

In what seems to be the middle ground, the Mayo Clinic says that moderate alcohol use has possible health benefits, but it's not risk-free. The Mayo Clinic notes that the evidence for moderate alcohol use in healthy adults isn't certain. The conclusion is that any potential benefits of alcohol are relatively small and may not apply to all individuals. They suggest that the latest dietary guidelines make it clear that no one should begin drinking alcohol or drink more often on the basis of potential health benefits. For many people, the possible benefits don't outweigh the risks and avoiding alcohol is the best course. They concede if you are a light to moderate drinker and you are healthy, you can probably continue to drink alcohol as long as you do so responsibly.

So, if youre a person who generally lives a healthy lifestyle and consumes alcohol in moderation, my quick takeaway is that you need not give up drinking altogether so long as you stay within reason. Whats reasonable? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's dietary guidelines recommend that if alcohol is consumed, it should be in moderationup to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men. Other common questions addressed on the CDCs website include:

What is a standard drink in the United States?

A standard drink is equal to 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. Generally, this amount of pure alcohol is found in:

12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content).

8 ounces of malt liquor (7% alcohol content).

5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content).

1.5 ounces or a shot of 80-proof (40% alcohol content) distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, whiskey).

Is beer or wine safer to drink than liquor?

No. One 12-ounce beer has about the same amount of alcohol as one 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. It is the amount of alcohol consumed that affects a person most, not the type of alcoholic drink.

So there you have it. Clearly, no one is encouraging anyone to start drinking for any health benefit, and the absolute means of preventing any alcohol-related problems, physically or mentally, is to avoid drinking altogether. However, what the experts seem to be saying is that the negative impacts of alcohol consumption can be somewhat mitigated if you live a healthy lifestyle and consume alcohol moderately. While its not your typical motivational message for inspiring healthy behavior, its a benefit that just might come in handy this time of year. A gift to yourself for all the hard work youve put in to stay fit. Happy Holidays!

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A health guide to drinking alcohol at the holidays - PhillyVoice.com

Gerry Jennings, a board member for Get Fit Great Falls, leads a group of novice cross-country skiers during Winter Trails Day, which is Feb. 2 this year.(Photo: Get Fit Great Falls)

Looking to feel better and have more energy in the new year?

How about adding a vegetable to whatever you are cooking? Or snowshoeing in the surrounding mountains? Or walking instead of driving to get where you are going?

Get Fit Great Falls has several ways to help with your goals of being healthier, and the best part is they are easy, affordable and fun. Thanks to continued funding from United Way, Get Fit has new events to pair with its ongoing efforts to help people get active and make healthy choices.

We are in the mindset of having a healthy lifestyle throughout the year, not just in January when you hit the reset button, said Erin Merchant, Get Fit Great Falls president. We want to help Great Falls residents make a behavioral change they can stick with rather than having a goal that only lasts a month or two.

Just Add a Vegetable is Get Fits latest idea on its mission to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Once a month, nutrition experts will spend the afternoon in the produce section at a local grocery store and talk to shoppers about adding a vegetable to whatever happens to be on the breakfast, lunch or dinner menu.

If they are making soup, they can just add some celery or carrots, said registered dietitian Susan Cooper. If they are making pizza, just add some mushrooms. Or maybe get creative and add chopped beets or kale.

We want people to focus on a simple change, to just add a vegetable to whatever they are making, she added.

So far, 2Js and Super One Foods have hosted Just Add a Vegetable events. Albertsons on 10th Avenue South will be hosting an event Jan. 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Abigail Lichliter and Clark Carlson-Thompson, Get Fit Great Falls volunteers, paint crosswalks downtown. The effort aims to make downtown more friendly and walkable.(Photo: Get Fit Great Falls)

Along with learning how to combine veggies with the foods they already love, people can learn how to shop smart to minimize food costs, how to meal plan to minimize spoilage and how to introduce veggies to family members who fear them. Shoppers also can enter a drawing for a basket of fresh produce.

Another way Get Fit can help with your health goals is its annual Winter Trails Day, which is coming up Feb. 1 at Silver Crest Winter Recreation Area near Showdown. This is an opportunity for people of all ages to try out snowshoeing or cross-country skiing for free.

It starts in the morning and goes through the afternoon, said Jody Murray, Get Fit board member and prevention specialist with Great Falls Public Schools. The guides are people who are good at it and love it.

All the equipment is provided, though people need to register ahead of time. Registration opens Jan. 22 online at http://www.getfitgreatfalls.com.

Its very popular and fun, Murray said. There are 1, 2 and 3-mile hikes, a beginning cross-country ski tour and a kiddie snowshoe loop.

Along with the snowshoe adventure, kids can get another helping of exercise through Fitness, Food, Family and Friends or F4, a 2-year-old program that brings active play and nutrition information to the HANDS after-school program.

Last year, Get Fit partnered with HANDS in 13 elementary schools to offer the 8-week program, which teaches students about nutrition along with fitness skills that can be incorporated into fun games. Everything necessary for the program fit into a tote that traveled from school to school.

Each week, the kids take home a worksheet with the moves of the week, things that strengthen their legs and strengthen their core, said Murray, adding those skills are then used in games at HANDS. The sheet also has nutrition information, everything from making sure you are drinking enough water to trying to eat new fruits and vegetables. It gives them something to take home and get their parents involved with.

Pretests and post-tests have shown the F4 program is working, with more than 85 percent of the students either showing improvement or staying the same in at least half of the tested skills. This program was possible thanks to grants from United Way of Cascade Country, Montana Federal Credit Union, Benefis Healthcare and the Great Falls Public Schools Foundation. Now, each school has its own tote so HANDS can offer the program several times throughout the year.

A big focus for Get Fit is on kids because we know healthy kids usually become healthy adults, Merchant said. And we see that reversed statistically. If you are obese as a kid, you are more likely to be obese as an adult.

Park Pals is another way Get Fit works to keep kids active. Through this summer program, exciting science projects and physical activities are planned every weekday at local parks. The Great Falls Public Schools food truck partners with the program so kids can get a free meal before or after they come out to play.

In 2019, we were able to recruit volunteers from the AmeriCorps Vista program to help with Park Pals, so we were able to expand our number of parks, said Merchant. Adding more parks last year means serving more students and hitting more demographics.

As part of the Building Active Communities Initiative, Get Fit volunteers transformed Davidson Plaza into a temporary active space which included a ping pong table, giant checkers, grass, plants and benches.(Photo: Get Fit Great Falls)

Get Fit volunteers dont just want to improve its programs to get people to be active. They also are working to improve the parks themselves by making them more accessible and improve other spaces around Great Falls through the Building Active Communities Initiative, or BACI.

A few years back, some of the leading experts in this statewide initiative held a free training in Great Falls.

The trainers walked us around downtown and pointed out to us places that could be better, more connected and turned into spaces where the community could gather and be active, said Kim Skornogoski, a Get Fit volunteer and United Way's marketing director. After that training, we continued to meet and build our team, bringing on different partners and coming up with ideas.

One of the groups first efforts was transforming Davidson Plaza into more of an active space during the downtown summer sidewalk sale.

We had ping-pong table set up and large checkers on the ground, Skornogoski said. We took a couple of parking spaces and created a seating area with grass and put grass in the plaza itself. We brought in bands. We basically brought in different elements of what would be part of an open, active space.

Throughout the day, they asked people what they would like to see in an active space in Great Falls. Now they are trying to bring those ideas to life.

Another big project weve done is the crosswalk painting, said Skornogoski. That does a number of things people dont even realize. It inspires traffic to slow down. It also connects spaces. And when spaces are connected, people are more inspired to walk between them.

Several local organizations are involved with this initiative to create a more vibrant downtown. Get Fit is hoping that by changing the environment, people will change their behavior and walk more. The business organizations are hoping for a more active downtown so people will shop and enjoy the great restaurants. Partners like NeighborWorks are hoping an increase in activity downtown will decrease the amount of crime in that area.

All of these people have different particular goals as part of their organizations mission, Skornogoski said. But by doing these things, we all are achieving our goals. Its been really fun, and all of our efforts have been really well received by the community.

More crosswalk painting, including school crosswalks, is yet to come. They also are planning morestudies on how walkable the community is to identify problem areas in
parks and downtown.

The other big goal is called wayfinding,Skornogoski said.The idea is if you have signage that points to the Rivers Edge Trail or a sign that says the C.M. Russell Museum is five blocks away, it will increase the use of those places and also encourage people to walk to them.

Like many efforts funded by United Way, Get Fits projects and programs are successful because of many organizations coming together to make things happen.

Its critical that we have so many great partners who are advancing the work together, she said. Get Fit is entirely volunteer-run, and we operate on a shoestring budget. For the last four years, United Way has provided around $5,000 in funding, which amounts to about half our costs for our different efforts every year.

Get Fit has brought many people together in the effort to create a healthier lifestyle in our community, and the efforts are working.

In the past, we never really measured how events like Summer Trails Day, Winter Trails Day and Come Out and Play with Abby Wambach were changing behavior, Skornogoski said. Now, being part of the United Way grants process, we are looking at the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in schools and seeing that investing in our kids is already paying off. Theyre eating more vegetables, getting more involved with sports and exercising more. Kids are actually changing their behavior.

United Way of Cascade County asks for money once a year. Money raised during its fall campaign supports 34 local nonprofit programs and United Ways community impact work. People can give monthly or one-time gifts through our website at http://www.uwccmt.org or can send donations directly to United Way at PO Box 1343, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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Looking to get healthy in 2020? These easy food, exercise tips will help - Great Falls Tribune

A HEALTHY living event is set to take over Lyndhurst Community Centre early next year.

Eco-living fanatic Jeannette Jones has organised the healthy lifestyle event, which will involve yoga, vegan and organic skin care, Indian head massage, rahanni and reiki healing, eco-cleaning products, and a local bee keeper selling products from a bee hive.

The Woodland Trust will also be there, while visitors can sign up to attend local walks in the local area and be shown how to help preserve the local countryside.

More than 40 stalls will fill the centre, with an aim to educate residents on how to live a healthier lifestyle.

Jeannette Jones, of Any Green Will Do, said: This event will show you ways to improve your physical, mental and environmental health, which I believe all three can help us be healthier in 2020.

Canine Concern, a registered charity that provides therapy dogs to support anyone of any age they visit, will also benefit from proceeds of this event. Some of these dogs and their owners will be available throughout the day if you would like to find out more about what they do.

We owe it to ourselves and the planet to sit up and take notice, the sooner we start and join together in our efforts the sooner we will see a difference.

It takes place on Sunday January 12 from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

To find out more, contact Jeannette at ecoliving2019@outlook.com.

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Healthy living event set to fill Lyndhurst Community Centre for a day - Daily Echo

The transformation of a former nightclub may offer area fitness aficionados a new arena.

The Reo Starplex Event Center & Roller Rink, which opened in mid-November at the former Reo Palm Isle at the intersection of Texas 31 and West Loop 281, joins two other roller skating venues in the Longview area.

Roller skating holds different associations for different generations. Some may connect it to their early social life as a place where the couples skates elicited giggles and elbow jabs from adolescents watching which boy had the nerve to ask a girl to skate with him for one special song. Others might remember the roller disco craze of the 70s while roller derby looms large in the recollections of others. In-line skating and skateboarding have dominated much of the most recent generations interest in human-powered wheeled sports and roller derby lives, but roller skating is making inroads in communities large and small, including East Texas.

The activity not only offers family and individual recreational opportunities but opportunities to get in shape. For fun or fitness, skating means a cardio workout as well as engagement of most of the muscle groups, says information from the Roller Skating Association International.

RSA International advises that some individuals can achieve a heart rate of 148 by moderate roller skating. Parents and grandparents who may recall bumps and bruises have options if they choose to introduce their youngsters to roller skating.

John Allen, owner of the newly opened Reo Starplex, said the rink offers trainers, for children and some adults, that allow newcomers to learn in a safer way. The equipment works on the same principle as walkers used by people who have had leg surgery or who have balance issues while walking. The trainers which are on wheels offer the skater a padded bar for each hand that allows for security and balance but places a buffer between the newbie and other skaters.

Today, kids need help and encouragement to stay in shape and live a healthy lifestyle. Roller skating provides a great way to exercise and kids get to do what they like to do more than anything in the world hang out with friends and listen to music. Kids may not realize that while they are socializing with their friends on skates, the activity itself is better than running the same distance, said information from RSA.

Allen, who also owns the Gilmer Starplex skating rink, said he tried offering lunchtime skating hours at that venue for those who wished to exercise in the middle of the day but response was minimal.

When asked if he would try a similar option in Longview if customers show an interest, he said,

Absolutely. I think if we do open up for lunch on the skating side that would be one of our key targets is to assist in putting together some type of activity for individuals that choose to go that route.

He emphasized the family nature of his skate arenas. The facility is large enough to offer entertainment for children and adults, and its location offers easy access from surrounding communities via Interstate 20, he said. The buildings historic appeal was also a draw for him, he said.

I just personally think the Reo with all its history is a perfect place for this.

The business opened as a nightclub in 1935 and hosted star musical acts during its lifetime, experiencing a number of format transformations.

The Reo complex also houses a comedy club and features a lunchtime buffet. Information on the new operation is available on the companys website and Facebook page.

The roller skating rink is open Thursday through Monday to the public. It features an arcade and concession stand. Prices for admission and skate rental vary. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are available for private events. Gilmer Starplex is open 7 days per week. Kilgore Skateland, a separately owned company, is open Thursday through Saturday.

Here are some more fun skating facts from RSA International:

Moderate roller skating will increase the skaters heartbeat to 140-160 beats per minute. Pick up the pace and youll likely top 180 beats per minute.

Studies have shown that roller skating provides a complete aerobic workout and involves all of the bodys muscles, especially the heart.

Roller skating is equivalent to jogging in terms of health benefits and caloric consumption, reduction of body fat, and leg strength development.

Roller skating is recognized and recommended by the American Heart Association as an aerobic fitness sport.

One hour of moderate roller skating burns 330 calories for a 143-pound person. If that same person roller skates vigorously up to 10 mph, he or she will burn up to 600 calories in an hour.

If someone roller skates one day, bicycles another, and swims or runs on another, the person will be getting all the fitness benefits that aerobics can offer.

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Reo takes on new life and new exercise option - Longview News-Journal

Compiled by Erica Wright

We asked Birmingham-area residents, Whats your New Years resolution for 2020?

Anna-Lisa Pflaum: Exercise regularly and meet new people because Im a freshman in college and I go to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina . . . Im not from there and its far from home. I used to dance for four or five days a week in high school and I dont do that now so Id like to get back on that grind and exercise more in the New Year as well.

Sarah Francis Adair: Meet as many new people as I can. I love meeting new people and making new friends. I went to Mountain Brook High School and Im at college now at UAB . . . so I just want to get to know a lot more people in Birmingham and get to know as many people as I can.

Autumn Sanders-Foster: In 2019, I started taking better care of myself and my health and my goal in 2020 is to continue with that by working with my trainer, Coko, and making healthy decisions because I truly made a lot of progress this year and I just want to build on that and continue living a healthy lifestyle.

Holly McCarthy: Im getting married in August 2020 in upstate New York so staying organized and finishing up planning. I would like to lose some weight so I can fit in my dress and look good on my special day and [I] just want to have a good time and enjoy life in 2020.

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Word on The Street - Birmingham Times