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Dr. Oz, Host of the Dr. Oz Show, Featured Speaker at Baby Shower Expo
Posted @ 02:26PM on 12/01/2011 by Ray - Health Wellness -
Give Gifts of Health and Wellness
Posted @ 10:26AM on 11/17/2011 by Ray - Health Wellness
Tis the season characterized by hectic holiday schedules, lengthy “to-do” lists, family gatherings and parties that include calorie-rich foods, and shopping and gift giving. Too often we put healthy eating and exercise “on hold” until January. Why not make this holiday season different? Be intentional and incorporate gifts of health and wellness into this holiday season. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Healthy Eating Gift Ideas:
Recipe cards: Share your favorite healthy recipes by filling a pretty recipe box with personalized recipe cards.
Healthy Cookbook or Healthy-Cooking Magazine Subscription. For busy families choose a cookbook with quick and easy recipes that are low in sugar and fat and have only a few ingredients. My favorites are those with photographs and nutrition analysis of recipes. Some of my favorite publications include Cooking Light, Clean Eating, Weight Watchers, and healthy editions of Fix-It-and Forget-It and Taste of Home.
Good-for-You Food Gifts that might include a Colorful Seasonal Produce Basket,
Homemade Granola, or a Healthy Decorative Snack Jar filled with packages of
healthy snacks (dried fruit, whole-grain snack bars, trail mix, nuts, baked chips, and
pretzels).
“Gift Certificate” for fresh, healthy home-made treats or to a specialty health food store.
Gourmet Spices and Herbs add new zest and flavor to family favorites. Given that most Americans consume a diet dangerously high in salt (sodium) a collection of No-Salt Seasoning Blends would make an excellent gift. One of my favorite spice/herb companies is Penzeys Spices ( www.penzeys.com).
“Gadgets:” My personal favorites include rice cooker (with a setting for brown rice), blender/juicer, small double sided grill, crock-pot, and salad spinner.
Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership. Buy local and eat healthy all year with a CSA membership that provides baskets of fresh, seasonal produce that can feed two to four people weekly.
Creative aprons for everyone to encourage everyone to get involved in food preparation,
Fitness Gift Ideas:
Heart-Rate Monitor is great for people at any fitness level. Using a heart-rate monitor while exercising ensures you are exercising at a safe and efficient level for you. In general, exercising at up to 70% or 80% of your maximum heart rate is recommended for fat-burning. Some monitors have a GPS (global positioning system) feature for walkers, runners, and hikers that want to track their mileage, pace, and location.
A pedometer is an inexpensive gadget that can be clipped to a belt or waistband. It measures the number of steps taken daily. A good fitness goal to start is 10,000 steps daily. Other walking-related ideas are walking sticks/poles to increase intensity and calorie expenditure, a MP3 player and ear phones for enjoying music or audio-books while walking.
For the workaholic: a FitDesk bike. ($200 to $290) pedal away while getting some work done. The FitDesk Space-Saving Semi-Recumbent X Bike has a spot for your laptop so you can type away while burning calories.
Exercise clothing, particularly outdoor clothes for cold weather exercise, is a great gift.
Stability/Balance Balls are inexpensive and versatile. Just sitting on the ball while working at your desk or watching TV can strengthen core muscles. Bouncing on the ball is a fun way to relieve stress. Be sure to purchase the correct ball size for your height.
Gifts for Children and Families:
Jump rope is recommended by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) for kids and fit adults. A 130-pound person jumping rope at a moderate pace for 30 minutes burns about 250 calories.
Basic Sports Equipment (balls, hoops, nets, bikes, scooters, Ping-Pong table) that allow families to have fun while getting in physical activity.
Gift certificate for one or more of the following: nutrition counseling; fitness or health coaching; gym membership; or a month of fitness lessons or classes (karate, yoga, Pilates, dance, etc.). Seek out licensed and credentialed professionals and programs in your area that would be a good fit for the person you are gifting.
Stocking Stuffers: BPA-free Water bottle to encourage water intake. Colorful, battery-operated toothbrush for dental health.
Gifts for Baby Boomers:
Resistance Bands with Instructional Book/Video for strength training. These are easy to use, take up little space, and prevent muscle loss.
Workout Video or DVD is like having a personal trainer on call. A wide variety of programs (Pilates to Zumba) and levels (beginner to advanced) are available.
Board Games, Puzzles, and Books promote mental fitness and are a great way to socialize. Frequent reading may reduce the risk of dementia.
Enjoy giving the gift of health and wellness this season!
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Summer Hydration Tips
Posted @ 07:43AM on 06/30/2011 by Ray - Health Wellness -
Staying Safe Together Pets and their Owners Maintain Bonds
Posted @ 07:32AM on 06/30/2011 by Ray - Health Wellness -
Natural and Organic Foods For Pets Too
Posted @ 07:22AM on 06/30/2011 by Ray - Health Wellness -
Women's Heart Health: Know the Signs of a Heart Attack
Posted @ 11:33AM on 03/30/2011 by brian - Health Wellness
February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for U.S. men and women. Unfortunately, a woman is statistically less likely than a man to survive a major heart attack. It’s important to know the warning signs and symptoms of heart disease. Did you know they are different for men and women? -
Focus on Family Health
Posted @ 09:27AM on 01/03/2011 by Ray - Health Wellness
Without question, obesity, especially in children, is increasing. Excess body fat increases the risk for chronic lifestyle-induced diseases. The number of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and hypertension is staggering. Sadly, children and aging baby boomers are battling the same lifestyle-induced disease. -
The Perfect Hormonal Storm
Posted @ 10:53AM on 04/01/2010 by Ray - Health Wellness
Chances are you may never have heard of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but chances are someone you know has PCOS. In the U.S., an estimated 5 to 10 percent of women (about 10 million) have PCOS. Although it was first discovered in 1935, PCOS was then considered an obscure reproductive disorder. However, today it is the most common female endocrine disorder, often resulting in infertility. -
Designer Foods: Health Benefit or Hype?
Posted @ 10:22AM on 03/01/2010 by Ray - Health Wellness
Americans are beginning to take to heart Hippocrates’ advice, “Let food be thy medicine.” New “designer” foods are arriving daily to grocery store shelves. Designer foods, sometimes called functional foods, are fortified or modified foods that are created for a specific medical or health purpose, for example, lowering cholesterol levels, promoting good digestion, and boosting immune function. -
Good Nutrition for Healthy Skin
Posted @ 11:22AM on 07/10/2009 by Ray - Health Wellness
