Bulldog Wellness
March 2023 (Volume 1: Issue 3)
"Man is What He Eats" - Lucretius
“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.” – Hippocrates.
There is no doubt about it, what we eat is important to our health and well-being! Unfortunately we live in a fast paced society, making unhealthy fast food meals and junk food part of our lives. The aim of National Nutrition Month is to bring awareness to the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. This month is a good time to reflect and reset if needed, set some healthy goals related to your nutrition.
1) Drink more water – water helps in nearly every aspect of our health. Eight glasses of water a day is a good goal.
2) Opt for color – adding color to your plate can give you a healthy boost (bright greens from vegetables to red from fruits).
3) Pack your lunch – this provides a couple benefits, one is avoiding fast-food grease, and the other is controlling your portion size.
4) Move your body – Nutrition doesn’t end at what we eat, exercise is an important component of health. Try a new activity like Zumba or spinning, or just set a step goal for each day.
Nutrition Quiz
Want to test your nutritional knowledge? Go to the link below to take the quiz…you may be surprised at some of the answers. https://cydnotter.com/national-nutrition-month/
March is National Kidney Month
CKD is common in the US with more than 37 million American having CKD. You may be at an increased risk for CKD if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney failure. Early on there are usually no symptoms because these organs are able to do enough work that you feel well. However as kidney disease gets worse a person may develop symptoms such as edema (swelling), often in the legs, feet or ankles. Advanced symptoms can include chest pain, itching, muscle cramps, headache, fatigue, nausea/ vomiting, and loss of appetite. Kidney disease can also cause heart disease, and increase your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
Discuss your kidney health with your provider, early disease may not have any symptoms so testing may be the only way you know and your provider can decide how often you should be tested. Is there a way to prevent CKD? Glad you asked - yes!
- Make healthy food choices -- cut back on salt and added sugars
- Make physical activity part of your routine -- try to be active for 30 minutes most days
- Aim for a healthy weight
- Get enough sleep -- Seven to eight hours each night
- Stop smoking
- Limit alcohol intake
- Explore stress-reducing activities
- Manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease
Old-Fashioned Ham and Cabbage with Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp butter or oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced (peels left on)
- 1 small head green cabbage, chopped
- 1-1 1/2 cup(s) diced ham
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 3/4 tsp coarse salt + more for tasting
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper + more for tasting
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 2 32-ounce containers unsalted chicken stock
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1-2 Tbsp all-natural chicken bouillon
Instructions:
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat butter or oil to medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot and saute until just starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic.
- Add potatoes, cabbage and ham and stir to combine. Stir in thyme leaves, salt, black pepper and celery salt.
- Add the chicken stock and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Place lid on pot and reduce to a very low simmer. Allow to cook 30-35 minutes, until potatoes and cabbage are soft. Stir in bouillon.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
https://thehealthyepicurean.com/old-fashioned-ham-cabbage-potato-soup/
March Days
March 3 - Employee appreciation day (1st Friday in march)
March 7 - Purium begins (Jewish holiday)
March 9 - Popcorn lover’s day
March 14 - Pi Day is
March 15 - Ides of March (1st day of spring in roman calendar & the assassination of Roman Emperor Julius Caesar)
March 23 - Ramadan begins (Islamic Holy Day)