The City of Dublin

Wellness Wonder Foods

Dr. Megan Amaya

If you haven’t been to the City of Dublin’s Farmer’s Market lately, you are missing out on the plethora of wellness wonder foods. The Market, held every Wednesday through October 27th at the Dublin Community Church on West Bridge Street in downtown Dublin, is the ideal spot to pick up some of the great-for-you-foods from local farmers. You really can’t choose anything at the Market that isn’t low in fat, low in calories, and high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Next time you are there, pick up one (or as many as you can!) of the following wellness wonder foods – the best foods out there for your body.

• Berries - they're full of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and loaded with antioxidants that help prevent cancer and heart disease. Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries contain a compound that fights carcinogens and blueberries help to delay the onset of age-related loss of brain function. Add berries to yogurt or salads.

• Broccoli – broccoli can help prevent cancer and ward off heart disease. It contains a compound that reduces the risk of breast cancer and other estrogen-sensitive cancers, like cancer of the ovaries and cervix. Broccoli also contains other protective vitamins like beta-carotene, which help prevent cancer and heart disease. Cook, stir-fry or steam broccoli with a variety of spices and heart healthy olive oil.

• Tomatoes – tomatoes ward off certain kinds of cancer, prevent eye degeneration and cataracts, and help maintain mental function as we age. Tomatoes contain lycopene and antixodants, which boost immune function. Studies have shown that men who eat more tomatoes or tomato sauce have significantly lower rates of prostate cancer. Cooked tomatoes are preferable, since heat allows more antioxidants in tomatoes to be made available to the body.

• Red Grapes – you’ve heard it before: a glass day. What am I referring to? A glass of red wine a day can keep your heart healthy. Because of certain antioxidants found in red grapes, grapes boost heart health by acting as free-radical scavengers, and help blood vessels remain open and flexible. Snack on frozen red grapes for a sweet treat, or heat organic red wine with cinnamon sticks and a few whole cloves.

• Garlic – even with its potent smell, garlic is packed with antioxidants that can help fend off cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging. It can keep the heart healthy by lowering cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure, and fighting free radicals. Garlic has potent anti-fungal properties and can help treat asthma and yeast infections. Try roasting whole heads of garlic until soft, and spread on warm baguette slices or puree roasted peppers with garlic for a fast sauce.

• Spinach – lutein, an antioxidant found in spinach, can help protect your vision. People who eat spinach are less likely to develop cataracts and macular degeneration, the two most common causes of vision loss. Stir chopped, fresh spinach and crushed walnuts into steamed brown rice, or lightly wilt baby spinach leaves and toss with olive oil.

• Carrots - carrots are loaded with a potent antioxidant called beta-carotene. Beta-carotene provides protection against cancer, especially lung, bladder, breast, esophageal and stomach cancers; heart disease; and the progression of arthritis. Cooked carrots have considerably higher levels of antioxidants than uncooked because heat breaks down the active compounds and makes them more available to the body.

• Soy - helps prevent cancer, lowers cholesterol, wards off osteoporosis and lessens the effects of menopause. Studies have shown that the compounds in soy can help prevent breast, colon and prostate cancers. Additionally, soy can reduce both overall cholesterol levels and LDL (low-density lipoprotein or "bad") cholesterol levels, without affecting the levels of the good cholesterol (HDL). Add cubed soy to pasta sauce, spread soy butter on a whole-wheat pita instead of peanut butter or toss soy sprouts on a salad or in stir-fry dishes.

• Whole Grains - your morning bowl of oatmeal may be a more potent source of phytochemicals than you think, as long as it's whole-grain variety. Vitamin E in grains is a potent antioxidant that plays a role in preventing cancer, especially prostate cancer. Other studies have found that it can boost immunity, slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, treat and possibly prevent arthritis, prevent sunburn and treat male infertility. Grains are also rich in a potent antioxidant that can help protect against breast, colon and liver cancers.

If you’ve noticed that all the best foods in the world are plant-based, you are on to something! A bulk of our daily diet should be from plant-based foods, or unprocessed foods. Try to get as many antioxidant foods, and plant-based foods in your diet every day. Visit www.dublin.oh.us/community/market for more information on the Farmer’s Market. Come fill up your bags and enjoy the bounties of the season. 

 

A Well-Rounded Fitness Routine

Dr. Megan Amaya

Have you recently given any thought to your exercise routine (or lack thereof)?

While I recommend participating in weekly, moderate exercise at a minimum, you should give your entire exercise program some consideration. Yes, there is a lot of information on exercise out there – enough to make your head spin.

An effective routine doesn’t have to be difficult, though, especially when you can work with a trained professional, such as the fitness associates on the Dublin Community Recreation Center Fitness Floor or a DCRC personal trainer (www.dublin.oh.us/fitness). They can help you design a fitness routine that includes all of the important components you need:

1. Moderate exercise. New guidelines indicate you should accumulate 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week to reduce your risk of long-term illness. Moderate exercise can be any activity that raises your heart rate and increases your breathing rate, but that still allows you to hold a conversation.
2. Vigorous exercise. Along with moderate exercise, you should accumulate 60 minutes of vigorous exercise a week. This will decrease your odds of developing a chronic illness even more. Vigorous exercise can be any activity that dramatically increases your heart rate and breathing rate. You know you’ve reached this level if you are unable to hold a conversation very well.
3. Twice-weekly strength training. This is also referred to as weight training, but not in the body-building sense. You should to lift enough weight to feel a good amount of resistance after 12 repetitions for every major muscle group. Strength training keeps bones strong and muscles tight. You will also want to strengthen your core muscles.
4. Flexibility. Although experts have changed their tune about the importance of stretching, one thing is still clear: stretching is an important component of any fitness routine. Stretching your major muscles two to three times a week can help decrease the risk of injury, and keep your range of motion healthy, which will allow you to perform everyday movements easier.

It’s a lot, I know. That’s why it’s important to speak with knowledgeable experts who can help you plan a valid fitness routine. The fitness associates and personal trainers at the DCRC will design the cardio and strengthening exercises you need, and will set up a weekly schedule you can use to help you reach your fitness goals.

 

Ideas to Help you Stick to your Exercise Program

Dr. Megan Amaya

When people start exercise programs, they often begin with the wrong mindset. They may sign up for that hour-long spin class, take a step aerobics class, or expect to be able to run three miles. Except for the exception-to- the-rule-type person, most people need a more realistic approach to beginning and maintaining their exercise program.

The first step you want to consider is the type of exercise you want to do. You want to enjoy what you are doing, right? Enjoying exercise can be a very motivating technique. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing, why would you stick with it?

A great place to start would be to look at all of the exercise programs at the Dublin Community Recreation Center (DCRC). Do they offer an activity you are interested in trying, or one you have done before that you remember enjoying, such as a group fitness class?

Do they offer an activity that fits your desired level of intensity, such as hiring a personal trainer who can work with you? Is there a certain skill you want to learn, like tennis? Something you can do with a friend? Choosing an activity you enjoy will help you stick to your exercise program. To see a complete listing of fall activities, check out the City’s online program listing (www.dublin.oh.us/recreation). You may stumble across an activity you hadn’t even considered (badminton, anyone?)

A second important component to your exercise program that you will want to consider is setting goals. Goal setting gives you a plan, which is as important to people who are new to exercise as to those who are competing in marathons. A goal can be as simple as signing up and participating in a City recreation league, such as the softball league, or deciding you want to be able to run three miles on the local trails (download a map at www.dublin.oh.us/maps).

Goals give you a plan, and help you progress in your exercise program. Try setting weekly, short-term goals to keep you on track. Aim for goals that are specific, measureable (i.e. number of days per week or time), attainable and realistic, and can be accomplished within seven days. Don’t forget to evaluate your goal after the seven-day period to see where adjustments need to be made. Increase your exercise or back it down a bit. You don’t want to make goals that are too easy, or ones that are not attainable.

A third item that is important to your exercise program is monitoring your exercise, or recording what you are doing. You can use an activity log, diary, online program, or even just a piece of notebook paper to do this task. Monitoring your exercise can help you stick with your program, because it gives you a place to write not only what you did and how long you did it for, but also how you felt about it, and how it made you feel (physically and mentally). At the end of the week, you can look back at all of the progress that was made, and make adjustments to your goal.

The last, and certainly not least important, component to consider is overcoming barriers. It’s doubtful any of us have not been side-tracked by something that causes us to fall off the exercise bandwagon, whether it’s for a few days or a few months. By identifying our exercise barriers (children, work, lack of motivation, injury), we can think about ways to overcome them in advance of them happening. We will then be prepared for the day when that particular barrier interferes with our exercise.

Although we may need to take time away from exercise, we have already set the wheels in motion when we return.