What is your resolution for 2021?
Maybe you plan to exercise more, eat better, perhaps you want to quit smoking, or possibly like many people these days your goal is to manage stress and relax more.
Henderson’s pharmacy
Speak with the team at Henderson’s Pharmacy for free advice to take a fresh look at healthy changes you can make to keep your resolutions
The New Year offers a fresh chance to become healthier by quitting smoking, being more active and eating a well-balanced diet. The staff at Henderson’s Pharmacy are available to support you. Speak with your pharmacist at Henderson’s Pharmacy for advice to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Make this the year you become tobacco-free with support, products, and advice on dealing with cravings. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health, which makes quitting smoking an ideal New Year’s resolution. It’s also a popular one – thousands of smokers resolve to quit every year. In fact, some smokers like the resolution so much, they resolve to quit again the next year – and the next… And that’s the problem: it’s not the stopping that’s the hardest part, it’s the not starting again.
If your goal for the new year involves weight loss or a healthy diet, the team at Henderson’s Pharmacy can offer advice on nutrition.
John Henderson, Henderson’s Pharmacy
Did you know your pharmacist at Henderson's Pharmacy in Thorold can offer personalized nutritional and medication support?
If you have a chronic health condition and are making healthy lifestyle changes, a Therapeutic Nutrition service at Henderson’s provides personalized support and medication management.
EAT RIGHT – ADVICE FROM PHARMASAVE – MEDIRESOURCE INC.
The way to feel healthy and happy is to eat a balanced, healthy diet – then your metabolism will function properly and you won’t feel overly hungry. And, with the help of some physical, you should be able to reduce your weight by 5% to 10% over six months or so – which is a realistic goal and a good pace for those who need to lose weight.
If you weigh 160 pounds, 5% of your weight is 8 pounds – imagine eight one-pound bricks of butter. That’s quite a bit to take off your body!
But that leaves us with the question, what is a balanced, healthy diet? Here are some more general guidelines for how to eat the right amount to achieve and maintain a healthy weight – and overall good health:
Fruits and Vegetables
Eat more! The odds are very good that you don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. And, no, that sugar-filled beverage with “10% real fruit” doesn’t count. At mealtime, try to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. You need variety; try an assortment of different fruits and vegetables each day. Keep things interesting with a variety of fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits and vegetables. The more colour you see on your plate (green, red, yellow, orange), the better the range of nutrients you will be getting.
Starchy Carbohydrates
Believe it or not, you probably need to eat more of these. The catch is that you don’t want to add fat to your diet at the same time. Baked potatoes are fine. Mashed potatoes are OK, but are usually made with butter and consumed with gravy, so watch out. Potato chips are not the best thing and should be avoided. Corn, oats, pasta, rice, unsweetened breakfast cereals – all are fine. Those nice, crunchy whole-grain products such as oatmeal, quinoa, and whole grain bread, rice or pasta are the best kind. In addition to being a great source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, they will keep you feeling full longer.
Protein Foods
The key words here are “less” and “fat.” You should probably eat a bit less of these than you do – you don’t need large amounts to meet your nutritional needs. Try to choose plant-based protein foods such as beans, lentils and tofu, more often: these are often lower in fat and provide more fibre. Choose lean cuts of meat and lower-fat dairy products when you can. But beware! People often compensate for the lack of fat by adding salt or sugars. Get some variety to keep interesting – it’s easy to get bored with chicken six times a week. Try to have fish once or twice a week.
Fats and sugars
Of course, these are the things that taste so good… but we eat far more of them than we need to. We also eat more than we used to – nearly 20% more fat per person than in 1980, and twice as much added sugar per person as in 1980. Our soft drink consumption is seven times what it was 60 years ago. If our parents were happy with less fat and sugar, we can be too. And make sure you don’t make up for less of one by having more of the other. Add spices and herbs if you want more flavour.