Physical Health Archives - Robards Healthy Lifestyles

Bumping Up Fiber

Healthy Living, Physical Health No Responses »

Aug 082018

Bumping Up Fiber

Information overload. New trends. Nutrition buzzwords. Fiber.

We need fiber. Good nutrition is a well balanced every-day diet. Fiber must be a part of that and will be, if we’re including plenty of variety of fruits, vegetables, and other helpfuls. Some eat legumes, some don’t. Living a healthy lifestyle, a nutritious lifestyle, can be easy, fun and exciting. This, of course, depends on you and me.

Add peas to your salad

The CDC says:

In their natural state, fruits and vegetables have high water and fiber content and thus are low in calories and energy density.

So, eating enough fiber-rich fruits and vegetable can aid in efforts to lose weight.

Put cherries in smoothies

Some of the other benefits of fiber in your diet are that it not only keeps you regular, it also helps you feel fuller longer. Fiber also helps control blood sugar and lowers cholesterol levels.

Bump up Your Fiber

Here are six tips to help you bump up your fiber:

Slice up raw veggies and keep them in to-go baggies to use as quick snacks;
Start your day off with a high-fiber breakfast like whole grain oatmeal sprinkled with pecans or macadamia nuts;
Steam veggies rather than boiling them. When buying frozen veggies, look for ones that have been “flash frozen”;
Add half a cup of beans or peas to your salad to add fiber, texture, and flavor; and
Eat lots of salads
Take fiber supplements that contain fiber-rich ingredients such as psyllium, oat fiber and rice bran, just to name a few.

Yes, eating a fiber-wise diet will help us have healthy lifestyles.

Some of this information came from the Center for Disease Control.

https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/rtp_practitioner_10_07.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium

https://www.cdc.gov/features/national-nutrition-month/index.html

The pictures of the peas, cherries and Chinese cabbage are from

https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/rtp_practitioner_10_07.pdf

Gearing Up For Fall Cleaning

Air Quality, Arthritis, Financial Health, Healthy Living, Mental and Emotional Health, Natural Health, Physical Health No Responses »

Aug 012018

Gearing up for Fall Cleaning

Time to Prepare for Fall Cleaning

It’s August. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to plan for what I want to accomplish when I do my fall cleaning. I have learned that I have to start planning early and writing things down so I can remember everything when it comes time to do it. So many times, I thought I would remember what I needed and wanted to do, but that didn’t happen.

Here are some things I will be doing: going through some old boxes I never unpacked, cleaning the stairs banister which goes up the stairs and along the loft are where my office is located, and around on the other side, makes this cool curve where there’s a little niche. I’ll be going through closets and drawers and getting rid of clothes we haven’t worn in a year.

Cleaning the Banister

I’ll wash walls and clear cob and dust webs. I think I’ll give myself a week (maybe two) to get this done. If that seems like a long time to some, to me, it’s not at all.

Cleaning Corners and Walls

For some of this, I’ll need to stock up on my cleaning products. Because I’m so sensitive to scents and chemicals, I’ll make sure to purchase my favorite non-toxic cleaning stuff. For the walls, I’ll use an all-purpose cleaner which is toxic free, has no bleach, no ammonia and no strong scents. It works really well for the banister too.

Learn About the Non-Toxic Cleaning Products I Use

Choose Now

This is therapeutic for me when I take enough time and prepare for it. Then I’m not stressed out and hurried over it. I have arthritis which acts up sometimes when I’m doing more than normal, like a special project, so I’m going to get my compression garments ready too. When my hands, arms or legs start to ache, I’ll put those on to help.

We’ve already been going through a lot of boxes and old papers around here anyway, and it feels so good to be cleaning everything out and getting some things in order. I’ve done garage sales and it will still be kind of hot when I do my fall cleaning, but I always have my ‘virtual garage‘ for those times.

I’m even thinking about doing some re-decorating. I’m getting so many ideas that I don’t have enough time to do all the things I want to do. I need eternity.

Well, I’ll keep you posted on how this comes along. Cheers. Thanks for reading.

Martha xoxoxo

Snack Bars Are Trendy

Healthy Living, Physical Health No Responses »

Jul 312018

Snack Bars Are Trendy

The snack bar market shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. They are considered an affordable comfort food therefore sales growth has not even slowed down during economic recessions. With so many snack bar choices on the market, each with their own purpose and different ingredients, manufacturers are now emphasizing the protein and fiber content for health benefits. If you buy snack bars, protein bars, fiber bars and to-go bars, here are some tips about what to look for:

Do you buy snack bars? If so, here are 5 simple tips for your next purchases. If you are looking for:

Fat into fuel bars: Look for a bar that has low sugar and boosts metabolism;
Muscle recovery bars: Look for a bar that has lots of protein and boosts nitrogen balance;
Hunger cravings bars: Look for a bar that has natural ingredients and messages the brain and hits the spot;
Bars that boost fiber intake: Look for a bar that has good fiber sources like psyllium husks and oats and promotes regularity; and
Healthy snacking bars: Look for a bar that has whole grains, fiber and protein boosts and is kid and parent approved to get everyone through until meal-time.

Go here to get access to more information about healthy snack bars and nutrition or contact me, Martha, at 505-750-7847 or marthapmintl@gmail.com.

Save Your Skin

Children, Good Friends, Healthy Living, Physical Health No Responses »

Jul 052018

Summer-time is a great time of year. The kid’s are out of school, families take vacations, and there are a lot of family gatherings, picnics, barbeques and games. There is swimming, fishing, boating, biking, hiking, gardening and so much more.

Along with all this fun in the sun comes the responsibility (everything has a price) to ourselves and our families safe from the dangers of too much sun exposure.

Get the EPA’s Guide to SunWise Behavior

The UV rays from the sun penetrate to the deepest layers of our skin. They can cause our skin to sag, age and spot. 95% of the rays from the sun that reach the earth are UVA radiation. Unlike UVB rays, UVA rays hit in a steady stream during each day. The critical hours for sun exposure are from 10 am to 4 pm.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. According to an article published by the New Mexico State University, “three types of skin cancers make up 99% of skin cancers.”

One in five Americans will have a form of skin cancer.

Some of the symptoms of skin cancer are:

What can you do?

Protect your skin with sunscreen.

Choose sunscreen that:

Has an SPF of 30 or more;
Is water resistant; and
Provides broad spectrum coverage.

Also:

Wear wide-brimmed hats;
Protect your eyes with sunglasses; and
Use sun unbrellas and wear long-sleeved shirts.

Have fun out there this summer, but don’t risk your health or that of your children and other loved ones to do it. Preach safe sun havits over and over again, and then practice what you preach. You will see the benefits.

Resources:

http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_i/I106/

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/symptoms.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/sunexposure/default.html

Picture credits: Beach scene : Gvictoria – Dreamstime.com; http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_i/I106/

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/symptoms.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/index.htm

Martha is owner of RobardsHealthyLifestyles.com, a health and wellness website that promotes healthy lifestyles, ideas and products for physical, mental and emotional, financial and natural/spiritual wellness. Martha’s work consists of opening accounts, presenting, speaking, mentoring and coaching and people building. You can reach Martha at 505-750-7847, by email at marthapmintl@gmail.com, on Facebook, here on LinkedIn, Twitter, or through her websites at RobardsHealthyLifestyles.com, here, here, or ProfessionalMentorsInternational.com.

Be Like a Sponge

Children, Healthy Living, Main Topics, Physical Health No Responses »

Jun 302018

The Holiday

The holiday is coming up next week and people are already shooting off fireworks around our house. It’s hot outside and many are outside at games, practices, celebrations and gatherings. Be safe next week.

Be Like a Sponge

Be Like a Sponge

During this time of the year we sweat more meaning we need more hydration. Like a sponge, water goes out, so water must come in. Drink lots of water. Always keep some with you and use healthy low sugar, electrolyte powder drinks in your water to replace lost electrolytes and give a lots of choices. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more water and remember that muscle cramping may be an early sign of heat-related illness.

Stay safe and use fireworks carefully and leave the big ones to the professionals.

And be like a sponge.

I would love to tell you more about how myself and my family stay hydrated.

You can contact me at marthapmintl@gmail.com , or call me at 602-243-5642 (Phoenix) or 505-750-7847 (cell).

How To Keep Walking

Children, Financial Health, Good Friends, Healthy Living, Mental and Emotional Health, Natural Health, Physical Health No Responses »

Jun 222018

I started walking regularly after we moved to New Mexico in 1989, and have been walking since. I’ve walked in many areas, states, situations. I’ve walked at malls, parks, airports, zoos, hospitals, hotels, motels, tracks, schools, college campuses – you name it.

I’ve learned to keep it consistent, and I’ve learned that I need to do things to keep me doing it. Here are three things that help.

Always find a way. Walking is an exercise that doesn’t take a lot of equipment, fancy clothes, or much planning, most of the time. You do have be cautious about safety, make sure you stay hydrated and walk within your own limitation, but for the most part, you can usually find somewhere and some time to walk.
Take nutritional supplenments. I take high quality nutritional supplements every day, and I drink energy B-12 shots to help me with my energy. This practice has helped me tremendously.
Pace yourself. You won’t always feel like walking at a fast pace. I don’t beat myself up if I’m a little too stiff one day and need to walk a little slower, but I still always try to walk every day. When I pace myself, I can do more in the long run. It never fails.

Start a walking program for yourself. Be consistent and don’t give up. You will see benefits.

I would love to tell you more about my own walking program.

You can contact me at marthapmintl@gmail.com , or call me at 602-243-5642 (Phoenix) or 505-750-7847 (cell).

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Kids and Too Much Sugar

Children, Healthy Living, Physical Health No Responses »

Jun 202018

Too Many Sugary Drinks Are Not Good For Us

According to an article in qz.com, new data presented last week at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, showed that American infants are consuming excessive amounts of added sugar. We know that processed sugar is bad for kids. Yet, the article says the study showed that toddlers are consuming at least some added sugar on a given day, and a broad increase in sugar intake.

One of the reasons for this could be that although we know that our children and grand-children should drink more fluids, it can be hard to get them to drink plain water. Most kids, and many adults, like a sweet taste. Sometimes it seems easier just to buy them soda or sweetened juice, thinking that they are at least getting fluids. Without really considering the dangers of sweetened drinks, we can be unknowingly causing them phyiscal harm.

If you have a hard time getting your kids to drink water and finding healthy drinks for them, here are three tips that might help:

Keep a glass jug of water in the refrigerator with fruit in it;

Buy your kids cool water bottles to carry with them and keep them full of cold water; and

Carry some no-sugar powered drink packets with you to add to water once in awhile for a lift-me-up.

I would be happy to show you what I use.

You can contact me at marthapmintl@gmail.com , or call me at 602-243-5642 (Phoenix) or 505-750-7847 (cell).

Coffee With Altitude

Healthy Living, Main Topics, Physical Health No Responses »

Jun 132018

Coffee Has Health Benefits

When you choose your coffee, choose coffee with altitude. Coffee with altitude is coffee that is grown in high areas. Generally where good coffee growers choose to grow their coffee, there are definite dry and rainy seasons with steady temperatures and soil rich in minerals.

How the coffee you choose is roasted is important too. More about that in a following article.

Coffee has many health benefits, some of which are:

Naturally occurring antioxidants;

Can boost metabolism; and

Contains essential micro-nutrients.

Drink coffee. Drink coffee at home and when traveling. When traveling to other countries, make sure your coffee is hot.

You can contact me at marthapmintl@gmail.com , or call me at 602-243-5642 (Phoenix) or 505-750-7847 (cell).

Put the System to Work

Financial Health, Healthy Living, Physical Health No Responses »

Jun 092018

Our digestive system is designed to work best when it is fed regularly. It still works some when we are not eating, but it works most when it is receiving and digesting (and getting rid of ) food.

It’s similar with a home based business model. Many home based business models are designed to work when they are worked. In other words, when you put in the work, the system works for you. Many home based businesses have certain steps to take to achieve success, and when you follow them regularly, you will succeed. If yours doesn’t, find one that does.

For our digestive system to work well, we need to put good, wholesome, nutritious food into it. When we skip meals, eat junk, then overeat when we do eat, it wreaks havoc on our digestive system. Likewise, if you give half-hearted attention to your home business arrangement, it will suffer. It will not produce what you expect from it.

The work has already been done for you. Our digestive system has already been designed. Follow the steps and you will succeed. If you are looking for a do-able ‘work from the luxury of your own home business’, I would be happy to show you what works for me. Trust the system.

You can contact me at marthapmintl@gmail.com , or call me at 602-243-5642 (Phoenix) or 505-750-7847 (cell).

Protect Your Thinking Ability

Healthy Living, Mental and Emotional Health, Physical Health No Responses »

Jun 082018

We all have the ability to think in various capacities. With that ability comes the responsibility to take in knowledge, analyze it, draw conclusions, remember it, use it again to make decisions, etc. There are things we can do protect our thinking ability. Here are three ways:

Be careful what knowledge you take in. Not all knowledge is accurate, so it is possible to analyze and mediate upon inaccurate knowledge. Do your research and only spend your valuable thinking ability on accurate, correct and good things.
Keep your thinking ability active. Keep learning, no matter how old you are.
Be willing to accept new ideas and adjust your thinking when necessary.

It is also possible for our thinking ability to be affected by stress, lack of sleep, mental and emotional distress, health and many other things. For instance, those of us with fibromyalgia may find ourselves coping with brain fog which affects our ability to think clearly. For that reason, it is also important to take good care of our health. Three ways to protect our thinking ability in this way are:

Get enough sleep. Most people need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep each night to be able to think clearly and wisely.
Control your stress levels. Excess and continued stress is dangerous and can interfere with your ability to think with a clear mind.
Eat healthy. Get the necessary nutrients your body and brain need to function at the best level they can. Take good nutritional supplements and eat balanced, nutritious meals. Take your time choosing and eating delicious and healthy food.

These are just a few examples of what you can do to protect your thinking ability. When you are looking for healthy, effective and unique nutritional supplements to help with that balance, I would be happy to show you about the ones my family and I use.

You can contact me at marthapmintl@gmail.com , or call me at 602-243-5642 (Phoenix) or 505-750-7847 (cell).

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