It's Women's National Health Week!

Here are some tips from https://www.womenshealth.gov/ on how to be your healthiest self!

It's National Minority Health Month!

Learn more at: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/NMHM17/

Mediterranean Diet to Lower Cholesterol #HeartMonth

"A Mediterranean diet is based on the typical eating habits in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. It includes dairy products, fish and poultry more so than red meat. Fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts, seeds and olive oil also make up a Mediterranean diet, as does low to moderate amounts of wine."

Read more: http://news.heart.org/mediterranean-diet-with-virgin-olive-oil-may-be-recipe-for-good-cholesterol/

Exercise May Help Black Americans Lower Blood Pressure Risk

Read more: http://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2017-01-30/exercise-may-help-black-americans-lower-blood-pressure-risk

September is Fruits & Veggies Matter More Month!

Why do fruits and vegetables matter more?

1. They replace ‘bad’ foods. Fruits and veggies replace foods that are high in fat and sugar, and provide important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
2. They may decrease risk of disease – some research has shown that eating an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables daily may reduce the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers.
3. They add fun to your plate – fruits and vegetables can provide a pop of color and different textures to a meal. There are dozens of fruits and vegetables to choose from. Including a variety helps prevent boredom and keeps your healthy plate exciting!
4. They help lose or maintain weight because they:
• Help you eat less. Eating raw or crisply steamed cooked vegetables requires more chewing, which may slow the pace of eating, helping to decrease intake at a meal.
• Are low in calories. Most are low in calories compared to the same volume of other foods. 
• Help you feel full. They have a high water and fiber content, which helps you feel full and may help to delay feelings of hunger between eating occasions.

(From MSK Office of Nutrition)

The 3 Foods to Avoid for a Healthier Gut (and Why It Matters)

Read more from Greatist then check out the 13 foods you SHOULD eat for a healthy gut at Health.com:

1. Probiotic Foods
2. Yogurt
3. Kefir
4. Miso paste (warning: VERY high in sodium!!)
5. Kombucha tea
6. Sauerkraut
7. Sourdough bread
8. Tempeh
9. Pickles
10. Cultured soy milk
11. Kimchi
12. Kvass
13. Chocolate

If you see some of your favorites on here, try to eat them in the coming week. While you're at it, why not add in a new food as well?!

Learn About the "Salty 7"

Check out the "salty 7" and learn which processed foods contain the most sodium:

5 Heart Attack Symptoms Women Shouldn't Ignore!

Read more here!




From Self.com

Optimism for Health!

Happy Friday!

Can optimism make you healthier?? Read on...

Have a  wonderful weekend! :-D

All You Need is LOVE

Love is good for your health!

Read more here



[Thanks to Jaime for this blog post suggestion!]

Some Fun New Chicken Recipes to Try!

Chicken 5 Easy Chicken Dinners (read full list of 19 here)

1. Lemon Garlic Chicken Zoodles
2. Hummus Crusted Chicken
3. Greek Chicken Fried Rice
4. Pistachio Crusted Chicken Salad
5. Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake

Time to Get Challenged!

Happy American Heart Month!

What better way to show your love for your body, your heart and your health than kicking off another Bates Family Health Challenge??  We'll begin our next challenge this Sunday, February 21st! This challenge is all about YOU and feeling your best. Our weekly goals have been updated a little bit. Here's a review:

The challenge is based on 5 weekly goals:


1. Get Veggies!- Eat at least 2 lunch or dinner meals per week that do not contain meat. Meat = ANY animal products (pork, beef, chicken or fish).

2. Get Fit!- Get your heart rate up at least 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes each session.

3. Get Moving!
- Limit television watching to less than 2 hours per day.  Fitness shows, dvds, or gaming systems that are being used for working out do not count towards television hours.

4. Get Heart Smart!
- Aim for a low sodium and low sugar diet. Eat 1,500mg or less of sodium per day.  Limit the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance. According to the American Heart Association, that’s no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons of sugar) for most American women. For men, it’s 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons).

5. Get Hydrated!- Drink between 11 (gals) and 16 (guys) cups of fluids (WATER, low-fat milk, decaffeinated coffee/tea) per day.

Each week, challenge members should fill out the survey indicating how well they met the weekly goals.  Results will be posted on the blog to help us determine where we can get stronger and give more support as a family.  Tips, articles, exercises and recipes will be posted each week to keep us all on track.  Anyone wishing to submit a posting for the blog, please send it to me!

Are you ready to Get Challenged??

Healthy Cold-Weather Snacks To Warm You Up

Find the info at Women's Health:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/cold-weather-snacks?cid=NL_WHRecipes_-_02102016_HealthyColdWeatherSnacks&smartcode=YN_0005319885_0001541968

Healthy Slow Meals

It's slow cooker season up north. Here are some delicious meals to let cook while you're snowed in.. Even if you're not, they're healthy (and delicious) meals for any time!

Read more:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/how-to-lose-weight-using-a-slow-cooker?cid=NL_WHRecipes_-_10282015_HealthyMealsYouCanWhipUpwithaSlowCooker&smartcode=YN_0005319885_0001531034

1 Box Of Quinoa = Healthy Meals For The Week!

This one's for you, Ma (I couldn't help it! ;-)):

Monday - Breakfast Quinoa
Tuesday - Quinoa Veggie Burger
Wednesday - Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
Thursday - Almond-Cranberry Quinoa Cookies
Friday - Quinoa Pizza Crust

I can't wait to try them all!

Read more at self.com.

Health Benefits of Coloring

According to the Mayo Clinic, coloring can help us focus and stay in the moment. Hear more: http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-benefits-of-coloring/?linkId=20720384

Processed meats do cause cancer - WHO

"Its report said 50g of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%.

Meanwhile, it said red meats were "probably carcinogenic" but there was limited evidence.

The WHO did stress that meat also had health benefits.

Cancer Research UK said this was a reason to cut down rather than give up red and processed meats.

And added that an occasional bacon sandwich would do little harm."

READ MORE: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34615621

#Take On Cancer

Go to http://takeoncancer.org/ to take a quiz and learn about how to reduce your risk for certain types of cancer.

Knowledge is everything!!

Today is National Walking Day!

Find out how to get fit safely and effectively from the American Heart Association:

Getting healthy on National Walking Day!

Burn Calories and Have a Trimmer Thanksgiving

Staying fit this holiday is as easy as 1...2....3! Check out the links below and pick at least one tip you can try!

• Click here for a pre-Thanksgiving workout from Women's Health magazine
• Go to Greatist.com to find 20 ways to stay fit and health on Turkey Day
• 10 tips from WebMD for a thinner Thanksgiving