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Managing Stress Workbook

By 26th June 2019

If you are having difficulty coping with the demands in your life, you are experiencing stress. Everyone has stress. While some challenge is healthy, too much stress creates problems in our lives and if you’re overly stressed for too long, it can put your health at risk. If you have too much stress, your body will let you know in different ways, and you may:

  • Have difficulty concentrating
  • Feel worried and fearful
  • Feel “wound up”—sweaty palms, pounding heart, and tense muscles
  • Feel irritable toward others
  • Feel tired

Check out this helpful Stress Workbook from the VA for more helpful tips!

Men’s Health Screenings At Any Age

By 26th June 2019

Men need certain health screenings as they age for preventative medicine, and to be alerted to potential health risks.  Check out the infographic below to learn more.

Stay Active As You Get Older

By 26th June 2019

Keep Moving for Optimal Health

Physical activity is good for people of all ages. Staying active can help:

  • Lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer
  • Improve your strength and balance so you can prevent injuries and stay independent
  • Improve your mood
  • Feel better about yourself
  • Improve your ability to think, learn, and make decisions

Before you start…

If you have a health problem like heart disease, diabetes, or obesity, talk to your doctor about the types and amounts of physical activity that are right for you.

Aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activities.

  • If you were not exercising before, start slowly. Begin with 10 minutes of aerobic activity and gradually build up to doing 30 minutes at a time.
  • Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic activity on most days of the week.
  • Choose aerobic activities – activities that make your heart beat faster – like walking fast, dancing, swimming, or raking leaves.
  • Tell your doctor if you have shortness of breath, chest pain, or unplanned weight loss.

Do strengthening activities 2 days a week.

  • Try using exercise bands or lifting hand weights. You can also use bottles of water or cans of food as weights.
  • Breathe out as you lift the weight, and breathe in as you lower it. Don’t hold your breath – holding your breath can cause unsafe changes in your blood pressure.

Do balance activities 3 or more days a week.

  • Practice standing on one foot (hold onto a chair if you need to at first).
  • Stand up from a sitting position without using your hands.
  • Learn tai chi (“ty chee”), a Chinese mind-body exercise that involves moving the body slowly and gently.
  • Sign up for a yoga class, or try following a yoga video at home.

Heart Healthy Foods Shopping List

By 26th June 2019

Shop Smart & Stay Healthy

When it comes to your heart, what you eat matters. Follow these tips for heart-healthy eating:

  1. Eat less saturated fats. Cut back on fatty meats and high-fat dairy products. Limit food like pizza, burgers, and creamy sauces or gravy.
  2. Cut down on sodium (salt). Read the Nutrition Facts label and choose foods that are lower in sodium. Look for the low-sodium or “no salt added” types of canned soups, vegetables, packaged meals, snack foods, and lunch meats.
  3. Get more fiber. Eat vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains to add fiber to your diet.

Take this list with you the next time you go food shopping.

Vegetables and Fruits

Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. Buy vegetables and fruits that are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.

  • Fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots
  • Leafy greens for salads, like Romaine lettuce, spinach, and kale
  • Canned vegetables that are low in sodium
  • Frozen vegetables without added butter or sauces, like broccoli or cauliflower
  • Fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, pears, and peaches
  • Canned, frozen, or dried fruit without added sugars

Farmers markets are great places to buy vegetables and fruits that are in season. Search for a market near you.

Dairy

Look for fat-free or low-fat options.

  • Fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
  • Fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt
  • Fat-free or low-fat cheese
  • Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese
  • Soymilk with added calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D

Breads, Cereals, and Other Grains

For products with more than 1 ingredient, make sure whole wheat or another whole grain is listed first in the ingredient list. Look for products that say 100% whole grain.

  • Whole-grain bread, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas
  • Whole-grain hot or cold breakfast cereals with no added sugar, like oatmeal or shredded wheat
  • Whole grains, like brown or wild rice, quinoa, or oats
  • Whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta and couscous

Protein Foods

Choose a variety of foods with protein.

  • Seafood: fish and shellfish
  • Poultry: chicken or turkey breast without skin, lean ground chicken or turkey (at least 93% lean)
  • Pork: leg, shoulder, or tenderloin
  • Beef: round, sirloin, tenderloin, or lean ground beef (at least 93% lean)
  • Beans and peas, like kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), split peas, and lentils
  • Eggs
  • Unsalted nuts and seeds
  • Nut butters, like almond or peanut butter
  • Tofu

Fats and Oils

Cut back on saturated fat and look for products with no trans fats. Choose foods with unsaturated fats like seafood, nuts, seeds, avocados, and oils.

  • Margarine and spreads (soft, tub, or liquid) with no trans fats and less saturated fats than butter
  • Vegetable oil (canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, or sunflower)
  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • Lower-calorie mayonnaise
  • Salad dressings that are oil based

Avoid coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils, which are all high in saturated fat.

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