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health & nutrition

health

Helpful Websites
  • National Institutes of Health:  ​www.nih.gov/health-information
  • Mayo Clinic:  www.mayoclinic.org/
  • HealthFinder, Your Source for Reliable Health Information:  healthfinder.gov/
  • Harvard Health, Trusted advice for a healthier life:  www.health.harvard.edu/
  • MedlinePlus, Health Information from the National Library of Medicine:  ​medlineplus.gov/​
  • CDC:  www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/preventivehealth.html​

Elements of Health

Like the other aspects of a well-balanced life, your health consists of a daily consistency of activities, including:
Proper nutrition (see Nutrition, below) - eat from the 5 food groups:
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Protein - lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, and beans
  • Grains - bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, etc.
  • Dairy - milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
Drink several glasses of water a day; more during hot, dry weather.
Exercise - aerobic and weight lifting; find something you enjoy doing!
Maintain your ideal weight; here is a site to calculate your BMI:  www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
Get adequate sleep.  Here's a link to a handy Sleep Calculator:  sleep-calculator.com/
Avoid harmful substances (drugs, cigarettes, etc.)
Control stress; prayer is the best method.
Aim for about 10 minutes of sunshine on sunny days (vitamin D and mood-lifter).
Laugh often.
Social relationships provide many health benefits; we were not created to be alone.
​

nutrition

Choose my plate website:

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CAlorie counter


Mediterranean diet

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Healthy Eating with the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
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oldwayspt.org
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FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

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Fruit Macro

Close-up colors and textures
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Dragonfruit

Beautiful tropical fruit colors
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Pasta + sausage + veggies

Tastes as good as it looks!

exercise & fitness

Exercise Equipment for the home

No need to pay expensive gym membership fees; there are plenty of fun and useful tools for exercising in the privacy and comfort of your own home.  Take it from me, a former exercise-hater; equipment makes all the difference in getting in a daily workout.  Most can be purchased for under $100 on amazon.com or kohl.com, and can be stored in a medium-sized home closet.  
Note:  information provided here is geared toward those 50+ years young.

Some examples:
Mini Trampoline - great fun and excellent exercise, just jump up and down!  Beginners should find a door jamb or something else to hold onto for safety.
Bosu ball (my favorite) - fun source of all sorts of exercises such as balance, core strengthening, stepping on/off, arms and abs
Hand weights - 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 pounds; heavier for pros
Ankle weights - 2, 3, 5 lbs.; sit on bench and lift legs singly or both at one time
Bench
Kettlebell - (10 lbs. recommended) for arm strengthening
Yoga mat - prevents slipping and great to use on hard flooring
Foam roller - comes in various lengths and diameters, good for helping with back pain
Core sliders - just step on them and move your legs around for great stretching exercise

To be continued...

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Types of exercise

Exercise takes many forms; here are a few types:
  • Stretching - forget the yoga (based on Hinduism), just STRETCH!  I like to come up with my own exercises rather than follow others' regimens.  
  • Weight lifting - dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, etc.  Builds muscles in arms.
  • Core - Those 50+ probably know all about "middle-age spread"; here's where core strengthening comes in.  Try an ab roller.  I recommend rolling out in front of a wall to stop yourself.  Be warned, it's hard, so take it very easy at first.
  • Aerobic - Walking comes to mind as the best for us seniors.  Also to get some great aerobic exercise indoors/all seasons, just jump on your mini-trampoline!  I do not recommend jogging--it's hard on the joints.
  • To be continued...
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  • Home
  • Blog
  • Christian
  • Misc.
  • Health & Nutrition
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Tech
  • Music
  • Christian Meditation
  • Contact Me