Wellness Tips

Working Out with a FriendResearch shows that working out with a family member or friend can help you lose weight faster. Some speculate that the competition of working out with another person motivates people to workout harder and, perhaps watch their diet more carefully. In addition, there’s no doubt that one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t miss out on working out just because you don’t feel like it is to schedule work out sessions with someone else in advance.

Working out with a friend helps to:• Keep you motivated• Boost your self-esteem• Helps you work out at your best• Helps to keep an eye on you to keep working out• Helps to build strong relationships

CALENDAR OF EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

August Health WorkshopCholesterol: What You Need to Know

Friday, August 17Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Gathering HallLunch will be served

Walking Club Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays

Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Stop in & check out our health resources!

Questions?Stop by the Health & Wellness Department

or call Deanna at 530.723.2343.

August is Cholesterol Awareness Month

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August 2012

Why is Cholesterol Important?High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. In fact, the higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the US.

How Does Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease? When there is too much cholesterol (a fat-like substance) in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup causes ‘hardening of the arteries’ so arteries become narrowed and blood fl ow to the heart is slowed or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart, you may suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a por-tion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack.

Many people are unaware that their cho-lesterol is too high. It is important to fi nd out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels less-ens the risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of a heart attack or dying. Cholesterol lowering is important for everyone–young, middle age and older adults, women and men, and people with or without heart disease.

What Affects Cholesterol Levels?A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels including:

Diet: Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main cul-prit, but cholesterol in foods also matters. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.

Weight: Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight will ben-efi t your cholesterol levels and will make you healthier in the long run.

Physical Activity: Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physi-cally active for 30 minutes on most, if not all days.

What Do Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean?Everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every 5 years. It is best to have a blood test called a “lipoprotein profi le” to fi nd out your cholesterol numbers. This blood test is done after fasting and gives information about your total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol (the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries), HDL (good) cholesterol (which helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arter-ies), and triglycerides (another form of fat in your blood).

Source: US Dept of Health and Human Services

Ancho Chile SauceIngredients4 Yellow onions, diced 2 Dried ancho chiles, stem and seeds removed 1 tbsp Séka Hills olive oil 1/8 tsp Cumin 2 cups Water 1 tsp Agave nectar Salt

DirectionsIn a medium hot pan add oil and onions, season with salt and slowly caramelize onions until lightly browned and very soft – about 20 minutes. Add chilies, cumin, agave nectar and water. Simmer for 20 minutes, then puree in a blender. (Add more water if too thick). Strain through a fine mesh strainer.

Ancho Orange DressingIngredients2 tbsp Ancho chile sauce 1/2 cup Orange juice Juice of 2 limes 1/8 cup Séka Hills olive oil Salt to taste

DirectionsPlace all ingredients in a bowl except oil. Whisk to combine, then while whisking slowly drizzle olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt.

Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers (mild heat) originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico.

Powerhouse Chef Recipe Corner

Check your Cholesterol LevelsAsk your physician to check your choles-terol levels. The information below will help you gauge whether your numbers put you in a high risk category for high cholesterol and heart disease.

Total Cholesterol Level CategoryDesirable: Less than 200 mg/dLBorderline high: 200-239 mg/dL High (Bad): 240 mg/dL and above

LDL Cholesterol LevelsOptimal: Less than 100 mg/dL Near/above optimal: 100-129 mg/dL Borderline high: 130-159 mg/dL High: 160-189 mg/dL

The Spice AdvantageJazzing up your food’s flavor may give your meal fat-blocking powers. People who ate fattening meals that contained a total of 2 tablespoons of spices — including black pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon and oregano — had 30% lower levels of triglycerides afterwards than those who skipped the seasonings. Spices may slow the digestion of fat, reducing the post-meal triglyceride spike that can lead to heart disease over time.

DIA

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ES & YOUEvery 30 seconds,

diabetes causes the loss of a lower limb.

Warning signs of foot troubles: Very cold legs or feet

Swelling in the foot or ankleRed, blue or black foot discoloration

Pain in the legs while walking or restingIngrown toenails

Open soresWounds that won’t heal

Contact your physician immediately if a sore or other foot problem does

not begin to heal within 1 day.

Avocados Besides being an excellent source of healthy fat, these creamy green fruits (yes, avocados are fruits) can stress-proof your body. They’re rich in glutathione, a sub-stance that blocks intestinal absorption of certain fats that cause oxidative damage. Avocadoes also contain more folic acid than any other fruit. Try to stick to a single serving (about ¼ of an avocado) thinly sliced. It can go a long way on salads or replace mayo on sandwiches and burgers.

Exercise Your Intelligence Many activities aren’t just fun, they’re also some of the best ways to increase your brain power. For example, dancing uses a bunch of brain systems including planning, coordination and judgment, while meditation has been shown to affect parts of the brain associated with learning and memory.Fun activities to exercise your intelligence could include studying a musical instrument or foreign language, meditation or yoga, playing a game of chess or other challenging board game, taking a dance class, learning how to paint, taking college-level or advanced courses, or learning to juggle.

Al Dente When cooking pasta so that it’s still firm (al dente), the noodles have a lower glycemic index, meaning it doesn’t raise your blood sugar as much as if it were boiled longer. As a result, the sugars release into the bloodstream more slowly, which may make you feel more full longer.