Author: Donna Reid

EEFHT Quarterly
Newsletter

Winter, 2013
Volume 1, Issue 1

Welcome!
Welcome to the first edition of the EEFHT Quarterly—a newsletter designed to provide you, the patients of the East End Family Health Team (EEFHT) with an update on what is happening in your Family Health Team and to provide you with tips for living a happy, healthy life. Our professional team of healthcare providers is here to work together at ensuring you receive the best comprehensive care. These health professionals have a wide range of skills, knowledge, expertise and experience and are here to help you reach your optimum health—you can access these providers by booking an
appointment at the front desk or calling 705-235-6900.
Ringing in the New Year
New Year's resolutions can be a great opportunity to make positive changes in your life, but they are notoriously difficult to keep.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s day is a strange time. With the festivities over, many of us fall into an introspective mood. We take a hard look at our lives and think about the year ahead. Feeling full of the inspiration that the start of a new year can bring, we make New Year's resolutions. Only most people break them as early as the second week of January.
It doesn't have to be this way. New Year's resolutions can be a kick-start for turning your life around if you make them wisely, anticipate the pitfalls, and have strategies in place for sticking to your goals. Start by making your resolutions smart. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Making your resolutions smart, will make them easier to achieve! J

Inside this issue
Shoveling Up a Storm 2
Benefits of Physical Activity 2
Beating the Winter Blues 3
Upcoming Events 3
Weedless Wednesday 3
Heart Health Month 4
Heart-Healthy Recipe 4

Shovelling Up a Storm!

Who doesn’t like waking up to the beautiful site of fresh snow falling gently from the sky and a layer of fresh, fluffy snow on the ground?
With that beautiful snowfall comes shovelling. Shovelling can cause stress and strain on your body and even place stress on your heart. However, it can have great cardiovascular benefits if you are prepared.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when shovelling:
Warm up and stretch before shovelling.
Wear warm clothing.
Take breaks and drink water to stay hydrated.
Push the snow instead of lifting it, and be sure not to overload the shovel. If you have to lift, bend your knees and lift with your legs (not your back), and avoid twisting or throwing snow over your shoulder.
Be mindful of symptoms that may indicate stress on your heart, like difficulty breathing, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness or nausea. If they occur, stop shovelling right away and seek medical attention.

A shovel’s handle is the appropriate length when you can slightly bend your knees, and hold the shovel comfortably in your hands at the start of the shovel stroke.
A bent-handled shovel can reduce bending compared to a traditional straight-handled shovel.
A smaller blade may be better than a larger one because it avoids temptation to pick up a pile of snow that is too heavy for your body to carry.
Canadian Physiotherapy Association
www.physiotherapy.ca

Tips for choosing a shovel that’s right for you:

Better health
Stronger muscles and bones
Improved fitness
Better posture and balance
Higher self-esteem
Continued independent living in later life
Weight control
Feeling more energetic
Reduced stress

The Canadian Physical Activity guidelines suggest at least 20-30 minutes per day (or 150 minutes per week) of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity for adults 18 and over and 60 minutes per day for children and youth, ages 5 to 17, to achieve measurable health benefits. For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate-to- vigorous-intensity physical activity to 60 minutes per day most days, or 300 minutes per week to reach their optimal health. “More physical activity provides greater health benefits” (Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, 2012).

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Tip: You don't have to go somewhere special to get exercise. Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of taking that parking spot nearest to the building, park a bit farther away. Adding extra steps to your life will help your heart, your lungs, and your attitude. J

Are you feeling down in the dumps by the end of January—after months of cold, grey skies and snow, snow and more snow? You may have what we call the winter blues.
We know the weather can affect our mood. Sunlight breaking through the clouds can lift our spirits while a dark, gloomy day can make us feel blue. There are fewer daylight hours in the winter months, making days seem shorter. Shorter days along with the freezing temperatures tend to leave many people feeling mildly depressed over the winter. Perhaps you feel overtired, experience frequent mood swings and become easily agitated. If this sounds like you, here are some things you can do to help beat these winter blues:
Get More Sunlight
If you feel low in winter, get outside as often as you can, especially on bright days. Sitting by a window and letting that sun shine through can also help.
Physical Activity
Many people find that they sleep more during the winter months. Find a winter activity that you enjoy, such as skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice hockey or just enjoy the fresh snow on a nice winter walk. Keeping active during the winter keeps your mood and spirits up. So what are you waiting for? Get outside and exercise the winter blues away.
Nutrition
It’s also important to eat well during the winter. Winter blues can make you crave sugary foods and carbohydrates such as chocolate, pasta and bread, but don’t forget to include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet. Be aware of your eating habits, and limit the bad stuff. You will look and feel much better!

Beating the Winter
Blues!

Upcoming Events
Chronic Pain Management Workshop
When: February 7th, 2013
2:00pm- 4:00pm
Where: East End Family Health Team
Who: Everyone is welcome

Patients wishing to attend may register at the front desk or call 705-235-6900 or 705-235-6923

Weedless Wednesday
Weedless Wednesday is January 23rd, 2013. Weedless Wednesday can be an inspiration for those trying to kick the habit. The idea is to promote a “one day at a time” approach to quitting smoking, a concept appealing to many smokers who may be discouraged at the thought of an entire week — or lifetime — without cigarettes, but who may be able to cope with one smoke-free day. Plan to quit for the day and kick start the process of quitting completely! There are a number of resources available for anyone who wants to stop smoking, simply ask your health care provider.

Even though the winter blues can bring us down, these shifts in mood generally do not affect our ability to cope with daily life. Some people, however, are vulnerable to a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. For them, the shortening days of late autumn are the beginning of a type of clinical depression that can last until spring. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. Symptoms related to SAD include: appetite changes, low energy, fatigue, tendency to over sleep, difficulty concentrating, irritability, avoiding of social situations, feelings of anxiety and despair. If you have had symptoms of SAD for two consecutive winters, you may wish to consult a health professional or get more information from the Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.com).

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February is Heart Health Month

Think about your heart health and the hearts of your family members and friends. Unhealthy behaviours continue to put Canadians at risk for developing cardiovascular disease, hypertension and having a stroke. A striking 9 out of 10 Canadians over the age of 20 have at least one risk factor for heart disease. These include: high blood pressure; diabetes; smoking; stress; physical inactivity; not eating enough fruits and vegetables; and being overweight or obese. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and represents a significant threat to our health (Health Canada, 2012).
Heart Month aims to make us aware of these statistics, and to inform us of different lifestyle strategies we can all adapt into our lives to avoid being vulnerable to these deadly diseases before our time. These strategies include eating healthy, increased physical activity, choosing to be smoke-free, drinking less alcohol and managing/reducing stress.
More individuals with risk factors for heart disease and stroke are identified in Canada each year. Take action this Heart Month to protect the health of your heart.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/minist/messages/_2012/2012_02_01-eng.php

These are very tasty, very vinegary, and very healthy! Roasted chick peas are a great low fat alternative to potato chips. Once you get this recipe down, you can experiment with spices to create different flavours. Skip the vinegar and sprinkle with chili powder and cumin for a tex-mex version or try dried curry power to spice them up!
Salt and vinegar roasted chickpeas
Ingredients:
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well 4 cups white vinegar 3/4 tsp sea salt (any type of salt really, I just like sea salt) 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Add the chickpeas, a pinch of salt, and 4 cups of vinegar to a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil then remove pot from heat. Let the chickpeas soak in the vinegar for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large baking sheet with tin foil.
After 30 mins drain chickpeas but DO NOT rinse. Place chickpeas on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Make sure the chickpeas are evenly coated.
Roast chickpeas for 45 minutes at 425F, shaking them up half way through for even roasting. Keep a careful eye on them after 35 minutes of cooking to ensure they don’t burn! The chick peas should be toasted and crispy when they are done so depending on your oven you may have to adjust the time. These are best eaten within a few days. They tend to get a little soft with time so DO NOT store them in an air tight container.
-Hillary Deyne, Registered Dietician

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