A lot of things affect our ability to get a full night’s sleep.  Stress, relationships, responsibilities, work, bills, worries, parenting, travel, illness, health all have differing degrees of affect on each of us and our mental and physical well being.  You may not be able to control or eliminate all of these factors but you can create an environment that promotes a more restful night.

Research on sleep loss has told us that even one night with less than 7 – 8 hours of restful, full sleep cycle completion can have profound affects on our health. Get less than 6 hours and next day you are hungrier, have decreased insulin resistance and therefore are pre-diabetic, are more likely to catch a cold as a result of decreased immune system function, have an increased risk of injury or being in an accident, had less tissue repair overnight as growth hormone and testosterone secretion was decreased, your autonomic nervous system will be out of balance and your body will feel the same as if you were over-trained, you will be more emotional and less approachable, your alertness, decision making and memory will be decreased as a result of decreased cognitive function.

Less than 6 hours of sleep per night over 10 – 14 years has been shown to increase the risk of stroke, obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and death.   Research suggests there is the potential for loss of brain tissue, decreased ability to improve perceptual and motor learning processes and decreased hormone function.  Considering what one night of sleep loss does to the body, long term will have an even greater affect on your energy levels and therefore the decisions we make regarding our health and well-being.

We now know that a full night’s sleep allows our bodies to heal, repair, grow and create a better overall level of health and wellness.  Lack of sleep and therefore proper recovery makes it very difficult to achieve any training results.  In order to make changes the body must be working at or near optimal.  The goal should be to create an environment that allows for a full 7 – hours consistently each night.  Below is a list  that is not difficult, overly time consuming, expensive, or requiring a special talent.  A restful, full night of sleep and a fully functioning body can enhanced by…

1.  Create a bedtime routine that is the same every night.  Light pleasure reading, music, relaxation tape, a warm bath (unwinding activities) that occur at the same time each night.
2.  Don’t eat of drink large amounts less than two hours before bedtime.  Avoid foods that create upset stomach for you and decrease fluid intake later in the evening to avoid repeated trips to the bathroom.
3.  Avoid exposure to light from electronic displays 1 – 2 hours prior to bedtime as they can suppress melatonin by up to 22%.
4.  If you do get up at night avoid bright lights.
5.  Avoid caffeine and nicotine as they are stimulates.  Alcohol may help you fall asleep but it prevents restful and meaningful recovery.
6.  Regular daily exercise/physical activity increases the quality of sleep.  You should finish higher intensity exercise at least 2 hours prior to bedtime.
7.  Stop anything that requires high mental focus at least 1 hour prior to bedtime.  If you find it difficult to turn the brain activity down, create a list for the next day as this often is enough to put the mind at ease.  Journaling at the end of the day is a great way to slow the body and mind.
8.  Make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet and comfortable place for YOU.  What ever works best for you is what you should do.  Special PJ’s, the proper pillow for you, ear plugs, humidifier, mattress, extra blankets, full/dark curtains – make it work for you.
9.  Limit daytime naps to 1 hour or less and no naps after 3pm.
10. Control pets that are in the house.  Can be as simple as closing the door or having kennels.
11.  Find a relaxation technique or a stretching routine that helps you to unwind.  There are so many options here from tapes to body movements to breathing exercises.  With a little practice they can make all the difference.
12.  Control health and wellness issues.  This should be obvious but it shocks me how many of my clients negatively affect their bodies and still expect things to work normally.  This can include drinking when you have gout, not eating on time when you have diabetes, eating spicy food, the list is endless.

For the most part all the above relate to mental and physical well being.  Take care of the body and mind and sleep should be yours to enjoy.  Not surprisingly the list on how to avoid sleep disorders is almost exact to the above.  Small changes to lifestyle habits in diet, exercise, daily routines, a positive outlook and a little planning can help you get the restful sleep your body needs.  If you have tried all of the above with little success and you regularly experience difficulty with sleep, repeatedly feel tired after getting 7 hours of sleep or have reduced or impaired ability to perform regular daytime activities it may be time to call your doctor.  In cases where sleep is disordered it is suggested that you keep a sleep diary to help find the correct solution for you.  This list makes it sound easy – and it is – if you don’t have a sleep disorder.

If you need help, seek it, sleep is vital to optimum health and body functioning

The brain is a 3-pound organ in our body, which, like any other organ, can be healthy or unhealthy. Uniquely, the brain is intertwined with our mind, emotions, behavior and the functions of all other organs. Fortunately, simple actions in daily life can have a great effect on maximizing brain health and minimizing degenerative brain diseases.

Find the article here

In an earlier newsletter we introduced the Canadian Sport Centres Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) program by giving a short overview of all of the stages.  The LTAD focuses on the general framework of athlete development with special reference to growth, maturation and development, trainability, and sport system alignment and integration.

Last week we defined Physical Literacy and discussed the importance of the development of movement and sport skills in the early stages of a child’s life.  Previous research has demonstrated that without the development of these fundamental skills, many children and youth choose to withdraw from sport and turn to more inactive and/or unhealthy choices during their leisure time.
Fundamental skills are typically broken into three movement categories including stability, locomotor, and manipulative.  The developmental process involves a sequence that sees stability skills develop first, followed by locomotor skills and finally manipulative skills.  Within each category there is a typical progression amongst the skills and between categories of skill development.  In other words gross motor skills develop prior to fine motor skills, rudimentary to mature form of a skill.
Stability skills include body rolling, dodging, balancing, bending, stretching, twisting, turning, swinging stopping, rocking, push, pull, rise, collapse, sway, spin and shake.
Locomotor skills include walking, running, jumping, hopping, galloping, sliding, skipping, leaping, chasing, climbing and fleeing.
Manipulative skills include underhand throw/roll, overhand throw, catching, kicking, striking, punting, dribble with feet and hands, volleying, trapping.

Phase one of the development of these skills is called Active Start and is for 0 – 6 year old’s. This stage is simply getting fun activity each and every day and not being sedentary for more than 60 minutes except sleep times.  A quick look at the stability skills above will indicate that our introduction to physical literacy starts at the very earliest moments of life and never stops its slow yet rapid progression.  In the first year of our life we will have some kind of interaction with almost all of the skills from all three categories.  Movement education, early gymnastics, combo sport programs, dance, skating, skiing, and swimming classes are excellent for this group.

Phase two as we are defining it includes the FUNdamental stage and the Learn to Train stage.  These two stages take us from age 6 to about age 11 or 12 and should see the child have basic competence is all fundamental movement skills and a good introduction to sport skills.   In other words FUNdamental movement skills and FUNdamental sport skills equal Physical Literacy.  It is also very important that these skills be developed before the onset of the adolescent growth spurt.  The basic movement skills of 3 activities provide the base for all other sports…Athletics: run, jump, throw; Gymnastics: agility, balance, coordination, speed; Swimming for water safety reasons and for balance in a buoyant environment.

The Canadian Sport for Life lists the fundamental skills for these stages as follows…

Travelling Skills: boosting, climbing, eggbeater, galloping, gliding, hopping, ice picking, jumping, leaping, poling, running, sculling, skating, skipping, sliding, swimming, swinging, wheeling…

Object Control Skills: Sending: kicking, punting, rolling (ball), strike (ball, puck, ring), throwing.   Receiving: catching, stopping, trapping.  Travelling with: dribbling (feet), dribbling (hands), dribbling (stick).  Receiving and Sending: striking (bat), striking (stick), volleying

Balance Movements: balancing/centering, body rolling, dodging, eggbeater, floating, landing, ready position, sinking/falling, spinning, stopping, stretching/curling, swinging, twisting/turning.

Exposing children 6 – 9 years of age to 9 – 12 years of age to all of these skills increases the childs ability to participate in sport and activity with success and fun.  Maybe more to the point, without this stage a child will never be able to compete – even on the community playground.  This is the start to a lifestyle that includes regular activity and healthy choices…

This list of skills is the same for children with a disability, again to increase their ability to participate in recreational and sport activities.

The FUNdamental stage is critical to create the foundation of many advanced skills.  Skill development during this time period is best achieved with a combination of unstructured play and quality instruction from knowledgeable leaders and coaches.  Children should be introduced to a wide variety of activities and sports.
The Learn to Train stage is the most important stage for the development of sport specific skills as it is a period of accelerated learning of coordination and fine motor skills.  It is often a time when children will enjoy practicing skills on their own.  It is CRITICAL to note that this period should include the greatest variety in activity and sport.  Specialization during this stage can often impact the child’s ability to compete at the highest levels later as they do not develop a full bag of skills if they specialize to early.

More information can be found at ltad.ca or ask me to see many of the Canadian Sport Centre’s resource materials.

Stroke is a sudden loss of brain function.  It is caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain (ischemic) or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain (hemorrhagic).  A TIA (transient ischemic attack) is a mini-stroke that has a temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain.  The symptoms clear within a few minutes or hours.  A TIA is a warning sign for the increased risk of a full stroke.

The brain has 100 billion specialized cells (neurons).  Everything that we do is ultimately controlled by the brain.  The lack of blood flow in the affected area leads to death of these brain cells.  Once a neuron is damaged it cannot repair itself and brain cells do not duplicate.

The effects of the stroke depend on the area of the brain that is affected.
There are five key warning signs for stroke.  Sudden strength loss or numbness in the face, arms or legs, sudden difficulties with speech, sudden vision problems, sudden severe and unusual headache and sudden dizziness with loss of balance.  It is important to recognize these signs and seek medical attention as soon as possible.  The damage caused by a stroke can be minimized if emergency procedures are started within 3 hours of the onset of the stroke.  There are very strong clot-busting drugs that can greatly reduce the death of neurons.  Knowing this seems to make very little difference as only 20 – 25 % of people having a stroke seek medical aid within this 3 hour window.

Risk factors for stroke are the same as heart disease.  Factors such as age, gender, family history, Ethnicity, and previous history of TIA or stroke can not be controlled.  However, many factors such as hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, smoking and stress can be controlled.

Go to www.heartandstroke.ca to learn more.  Early intervention can make all the difference.

This is a good time of year for parents to become familiar with the Canadian Sport Centres Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) program.  This program will assist us to understand how we can help our children to get the most out of their sports and activities.  Too many of our children are sitting on the sidelines not participating in regular activity or sport.  On the other end of the spectrum to many children are specialized into one sport far to early in the human development process.

The LTAD focuses on the general framework of athlete development with special reference to growth, maturation and development, trainability, and sport system alignment and integration.  The report states that the need for LTAD arises in part from the declining international performance of Canadian athletes in some sports and the difficulty other sports are having in identifying and developing the next generation of internationally successful athletes.  It goes on to say that participation in recreational sport and physical activity has been declining and physical education programs in the schools are being marginalized.  The movement patterns and skills that we learn from birth to approximately age 12 are invaluable to our later success whether are a weekend warrior or a high level athlete.  We all know the importance of regular physical activity, so I ask – why are we not finding ways for our children to participate on a more regular basis?   Regular activity is most important in the early years so that each child can develop the basic fundamentals of movement…these basic fundamentals make it so much easier to participate in activities at any age.

The LTAD consists of 7 stages.  The first 3 encourage physical literacy and sport for all:
1. Active start    2. FUNdamentals    3. Learning to train

Physical literacy – refers to competency in fundamental motor skills and fundamental sport skills

The next 3 focus on excellence:
4. Training to train    5. Training to compete    6. Training to win

The final stage encourages life long physical activity:
7. Active for life

This model is designed to identity and develop international level competitors for Canada.  It is very important to note that another goal of this model is to create skills that allow each and every Canadian to continue life-long participation in sport or to at least remain active for life in a variety of physical activities.

The first three stages of this model are for ALL children as having base physical literacy skills are important for basic health and wellness.  We will cover these skills in another newsletter – at this time it is important to note that these skills are used each and every day in all of our life stages.  I see rehab clients each day that struggle with these basic skills as a result of not being active and participating as children or at least getting proper instruction during this first developmental stage.  It is almost impossible to measure but I am sure this lack of physical literacy skills leads to some of the injuries and pains we have later in life.  Not having these skills also makes it much harder to recover from an injury – I have clients who tell me they can’t “feel” what I am asking them to feel…

The middle three stages teach young athletes how to train, then to compete and finally to win.  These stages are based on the athletes developmental age rather than chronological age and also includes proper recovery plans based on training age and biological parameters.  For the most part we specialize our athletes in one sport way to early in their young lives and then make another mistake by trying to train them as little adults.  Young athletes require coaches and trainers that understand growth and development and ensure proper loading and intensity for where they are on their own development path.  I see far to many young athletes who have incorrect movement patterns and then are trained with high intensity and heavy load and if I am seeing them it means they are in pain and injured.

The final stage is obvious as the more active we are the better health and wellness we achieve…all the skills and patterns we learn early allow us to feel comfortable participating in a wide variety of activities.

Over the summer we will look at a number of aspects that make up the LTAD program and see if we can learn from Canada’s top sport scientists…

Summer is here, or will be shortly and with that we increase our outdoor activities.  More time outdoors means more sun exposure.  We all need a small amount of time in the sun without sunscreen so that we can produce vitamin D.  This statement is supported by the World Health Organization, however the WHO also states that overexposure to UV rays greatly increases the risk for health issues. Somewhere in the middle there is a balance between enjoying the healthy benefits of being in the sun and overexposure.

It is estimated that 20 minutes in the sun without sunscreen (10 minutes per side) was more than enough to get all the healthy vitamin D benefits.  Darker skin colors may need a little more exposure to receive the same benefits, nevertheless, skin cancers do occur with this group and unfortunately they are often detected at a later, more dangerous stage.

Research has proven that vitamin D intake prevents breast, prostrate and other kinds of cancer at rates 30 times higher than melanoma occurs. Vitamin D also is important in preventing the incidence of multiple sclerosis, especially for us Canadians who live in more northerly latitudes, where we get less exposure to the sun’s beneficial ultraviolet B rays.  Other autoimmune diseases, like type 1 diabetes, are similarly affected.  Recent expert panels have concluded that to prevent fractures, older adults should aim for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels that are higher than 75 nmol/L. To guarantee this level, adults need at least 2,000 IU a day of vitamin D.

The WHO states approximately 130,000 malignant melanomas occur globally each year, substantially contributing to mortality rates in fair-skinned populations. An estimated 66,000 deaths occur annually from melanoma and other skin cancers.  Worldwide some 12 to 15 million people become blind from cataracts annually, of which up to 20% may be caused or enhanced by sun exposure according to WHO estimates. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence suggests that environmental levels of UV radiation may suppress cell-mediated immunity and thereby enhance the risk of infectious diseases and limit the efficacy of vaccinations. Over the longer term, UV radiation induces degenerative changes in cells of the skin, fibrous tissue and blood vessels leading to premature skin aging, photodermatoses and actinic keratoses.

Health Canada suggest that the level of ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the earth’s surface depends on a number of factors.  The UV rays are strongest between 12 and 1pm when they have the shortest distance to travel.  UV intensity is greatest in the spring and summer based on the angle of the sun.  In areas where there is a decrease in the thickness of the ozone layer the UV increases.  Cloud cover can greatly affect the amount of UV radiation received at the earth’s surface. Clouds that are dark and heavily burdened with water can absorb up to 80 percent of the radiation. High thin clouds do not significantly affect the amount of UV radiation that will reach the surface. Scattered clouds can actually increase the amount of UV radiation at the surface of the Earth due to reflection.

The intensity of UV radiation also depends on which pressure system is influencing the weather. A high-pressure area results in a thinner ozone layer whereas a low-pressure area is characteristic of a thicker ozone layer.  Fresh white snow reflects about 85 percent of UV radiation while other bright surfaces such as sand, concrete, and water, reflect less. If skiing on a spring day at the end of March, for example, the UV index may only be 4, but due to reflection from the snow, the skier may experience a UV index of 7.  UV radiation increases with altitude because there is less atmosphere to absorb the damaging rays.  At an altitude of around 2,000 metres the amount of UV radiation can be up to 30% higher than at sea level.  UV is strongest at the equator where the UV index can reach about 12. In Canada, the UV index reaches its maximum in southern Ontario and is the least at the North Pole.

The SunSmart program in Australia lists the following ways to protect yourself and your family from overexposure…Shade, clothing and hats provide the best protection – applying sunscreen becomes necessary on those parts of the body that remain exposed like the face and hands. Sunscreen should never be used to prolong the duration of sun exposure.  Limit time in the midday sun as the sun’s UV rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.   Watch for the UV index as this important resource can help you plan your outdoor activities in ways that prevent overexposure to the sun’s rays. Use shade wisely, seeking shade when UV rays are the most intense, but keep in mind that shade structures such as trees, umbrellas or canopies do not offer complete sun protection. Remember the shadow rule: “Watch your shadow – Short shadow, seek shade!”

Wear protective clothing, a hat with a wide brim offers good sun protection for your eyes, ears, face, and the back or your neck. Sunglasses that provide 99 to 100 percent UV-A and UV-B protection will greatly reduce eye damage from sunfrom the sun.  Use sunscreen applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15+ or higher liberally and re-apply every two hours, or after working, swimming, playing or exercising outdoors.  Avoid sunlamps and tanning parlours as sunbeds damage the skin and unprotected eyes and are best avoided entirely.

The take home message is to use common sense…some sun exposure is important for our vitamin D levels but too much exposure has many risks.

This article was first used in the newsletter last year and is still very pertinent today.  The beginning of May marks the 1/3 point in the year.  Yup, that means that 4 months have already passed us by.  Got me thinking about how I have utilized my time and resources to this point in the year.  So,
this week I am suggesting a quick glance back at the previous 3 months.  It is a good time to review the goals lists and the action plans that we laid out at the beginning of the year.  Hopefully, you are well on your way.

This is also a great point to do a time review…Martin Rooney (a high end strength coach) suggests that TIME is our greatest life gift and it is totally free.  In a recent article he wondered if we were spending our time or investing it.
Are we spending time in front of the tv, searching aimlessly on the internet, exercising without a purpose (just going through the motions), eating what is easy instead of what is correct for our body and hanging with people who are not helping to move us forward.  Are you spending time with no real hope of a positive return.  A truly successful life is not created just by spending time, it is created when we invest our time.

When we invest in something we expect a return…so invest your time in yourself wisely and purposefully.  Invest time in your exercise plan, what are your training priorities for the next 3 months, 1month, 1 week, tomorrow. Maybe this is a great time for a fitness test or a gait and movement assessment.
How are you currently investing in your nutrition.  Having good quality food available at the right time can often lead to much healthier choices.
Invest in your recovery and sleep.  Down time is critical to manage stress and sleep is the only way for our bodies to completely heal.  Take the time to plan each…there are even a number of devices that will measure the quality of our sleep.  Waking rested and healed can only increase our productivity.

Invest quality time with family and friends.  These bonds have such significance for our overall life that time spent here can continue long after the initial experience.
Invest in your network.  Strong relationships with our customers, employees, clients and colleagues can save a great amount of time when we are focused on the most important priorities.  This time should include all those we put in our fortress at the beginning of the year.

Invest time in activities that force you to stretch beyond your current comfort levels.  Continuous growth is from challenging activities helps us to develop our full potential.  To become our greatest self and then use our skills to make the world a better place.
Invest in your future by setting goals, having a purpose and taking step one in the action plan today.

Are you spending time or investing it…are you getting healthier…taking time now can make time later so much more rewarding.

Cancer is a group of 100 + diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.  Cells typically grow, work, reproduce and die based on information provided by the genes within the cell.  If this information becomes mixed or inaccurate the cell behaves abnormally.  Groups of abnormal cells can be malignant tumors that invade healthy cells and change the healthy cells information.  Cancer has four major classifications based on the type of affected cell.  Carcinomas are cancers that develop from epithelial cells that line the surface of the body, glands and internal organs.  Sarcomas start from connective tissues such as bones, tendons, cartilage, fat and muscle.  Leukemias arise from the cells in the blood and lymphomas from the immune system.  Most cancers are carcinomas and include breast, prostate, lung, colon, and cervical.

It is estimated that there will be 187600 new cases of cancer and 75500 deaths in Canada utilizing 2013 stats and 16200 new cases and 6300 deaths in Alberta.  Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death in Alberta for both men and women even though Prostate and Breast are both more frequently diagnosed.  Statistics show that 2 in 5 Canadians will be develop cancer in their lifetime with 1 in 4 dieing from cancer.  Those 50 years of age or order will show 88% of all new cases and 60% of the deaths.  Mortality rates have dropped since 1994 for most cancers with 63% of Canadians diagnosed with cancer will survive at least 5 years after the diagnosis.  The most rapid decrease in mortality is in children and adolescents.

The Canadian Cancer Society states that at least 50% of all cancers can be prevented with healthy living and policies that protect the public.  The Society lists the following Steps To Health to reduce your risk: 1) be a non-smoker and avoid second-hand smoke, 2) eat 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables every day.  Limit alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks per day. 3) ensure you get enough Vitamin D.  4) be physically active on a regular basis: this will also help you maintain a healthy body weight. 5) protect yourself and your family from the sun and do not use tanning beds or lamps. 6) know your family history with cancer and follow cancer screening guidelines. 7) visit your doctor or dentist if you notice any change in your normal state of health. 8) be aware of how hormones can affect your health and increase your chance of cancer, especially the stress hormones.  9) follow health and safety instructions at home and at work when using, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials.

For more information go to the Canadian Cancer Society web site at www.cancer.ca.  There is so much valuable reading on this web site whether you or someone you know has cancer or not.  Other options include…www.cancer.org, www.cancerconnection.ca, www.fightback.ca

Two weeks ago we discussed the need for regeneration or recovery after our workouts to allow the body to heal and repair.  This recovery time allows us to reap the benefits of all the hard work we put into our workouts

What we did not talk about was recovery from all the other things that occur in our lives.  Work, family, friends, community all take a share of the time we have each day.  In our world today we fill our schedules so full that there is very little time to relax and recharge.  Even if we do take time off we still have our cell phones and computers just in case.

Each week we need a minimum of a 24 hour time period with no work…I bet there are a bunch of us who can’t go 12 hours without doing some kind of work.  Even if we love our job there is still stress and our body needs time away to properly reset.  Too much stress of any kind leads to fatique and decreased efficiency…no matter how much we love our job or get off on the excitement.  Being there every day is stress.

The same can be said for family, friends and community work.  We Need a Break…all of us would see better relationships if we found more balance and down time in our schedules.  Sometimes it is more important to say “NO” so that we have the energy to do our best.  Balance means that we don’t have to rush, that we have the time to lie in the grass and discuss what shapes the passing clouds create, we make time to listen to the stream, to read a book just for the pleasure, to listen and talk to each other.  Our children need time away from us and we need time away from our children.  Our children need to see that we have other interests and passions…it helps them to grow and find themselves.

Our children need the most recovery time…they require unstructured, unsupervised play to grow and mature properly.  Yes unstructured and unsupervised…the more the better and our children fall way short…we have them into so many programs we run them from place to place.  When was the last time your child spent an hour or more in their room by themselves playing or outdoors with a couple of friends in the park or amongst the many treed areas we have in our city.

We all need to take a collective breath…to stop…to recharge…to enjoy what we have. How can we/you take the initiative to plan the down time for you and your family.

Stress, is a normal part of everyday life and is important for us to learn and grow.  However, in our world today many people are stressed far beyond the body’s ability to deal with it.  Chronic stress leads to depression and possibly serious mental and body illness.  High stress loads often lead to poor health and wellness choices leading to an increased risk for disease and illness.

Stress has been linked to dementia and six of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.  Fear, depression, anxiety, anger, hate, resentment and worry cause a series of reactions in the body that lead to the release of cortisol and other stress hormones.  Prolonged elevation of cortisol can lead to decreased sleep, insulin resistance, diabetes, weight gain, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, damage to brain neurons, high blood pressure, cataracts, a weakened immune system and damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

In his book “The Power of Positive Thinking” Norman Vincent Peale gives numerous examples of how stress and a negative outlook on life affect our day to day health and wellness.    WebMD states that stress causes American industry 300 billion annually and Statistics Canada lists our cost at 1.7 billion annually for lost work time and another 2.7 billion less to the economy as a result of an inability to balance work and life issues.
The science and the stats lead to the questions – How is your stress level? And what are you doing to control it?  So many of us go blindly through our days with little or no focus on the body and what it is trying to tell us.

Full schedules that demand we go at 110% 10 to 12 hours a day at the office, a high intensity workout that drains what little energy we had left, road rage, poor and meaningless relationships with those closest to us, worry about money and the future, fear of violence and terrorism, anxiety over old age, down time that usually involves only the TV and an average of 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night – does all or some of this sound familiar.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has combined with the Canadian Mental Health Association to create a resource that defines stress, explains the stress response, gives ideas to prevent stress, provides strategies to cope with stress and has a very complete resource guide to all the help you may need.
Click here to find

February is Heart Month, the goal of which is to increase awareness of heart disease and stroke.  In fact, since 1956 the Heart and Stroke Foundation has raised and invested more than $1.3 billion in leading-edge heart disease and stroke research.  Over this time the research and development has allowed for a reduction in the death rate from cardiovascular disease by 75 percent, 165000 survivors last year alone.  However, heart disease and stroke are still the leading cause of death and hospitalization in Canada.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer in Canada with 1 in 3 deaths related to heart disease as more than 50 000 strokes, 75 000 heart attacks and 40 000 cardiac arrests occur each year.  Another 8 million Canadians are affected at this time and costing the health care system at least 18 billion dollars a year.  In fact, heart disease and stroke is the leading cause of hospitalization in Canada, resulting in 1,000 hospital visits each day.

It is reported that 9 out of 10 Canadians has at least one risk factor for heart disease and 40% have at least 3 risk factors (these numbers are up by 30% since I first wrote this article 6 years ago).  Heart disease and stroke is the number one killer of women.  Risk factors like gender, age, ethnic background and family history we cannot control.  However there are a number of things that we can do to prevent heart disease or at minimum decrease its effect.  The Heart and Stroke Foundation research has shown that 80% of premature death from heart disease and stroke are preventable.  These simple decisions will have a positive effect on all risk factors for heart disease.

1)      Stop smoking and avoid second hand smoke – this really is a no brainer – there are so many options today to help eliminate this nasty habit – check with your physician and get started today.

2)      Eating a healthy diet – this is achievable with some simple thought – number one – if you put it in the shopping cart someone is going to eat it – if the bad stuff is not available you have to make a different choice.  If you can rip the top off and heat it you probably don’t want it.  Timing of meals and portion size are just as important as what you are eating.  The more natural, the more real the more you want it.

3)      For those who are overweight or obese start your weight loss program with some help.  There are a number of ways to lose weight healthy, but the most important factor is that you must be able to continue what you are doing to lose the weight.  Fad diets typically do not work because you can not maintain them for the long haul.  Eating sensibly with regular exercise will always create long term success.

4)      Get control of the stress in your life.  Stress is a major contributor to heart disease.  There are many people in the world who will tell you that they are not stressed – yet their body will tell a different story.  Feeling run down, waking and not feeling rested, lack of motivation, poor work results, fear, depression, anxiety, anger, hate, resentment and worry cause a series of reactions in the body that lead to the release of cortisol and other stress hormones.  Prolonged elevation of cortisol can lead to decreased sleep, insulin resistance, diabetes, weight gain, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, damage to brain neurons, high blood pressure, cataracts, a weakened immune system and damage to the gastrointestinal tract.  Stress has been linked to dementia and six of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.  How much down time are you planning into your weekly schedule – total down time that allows the body to relax and rejuvenate.

5)      Control alcohol intake – science will tell us that a moderate amount of alcohol is actually good for the heart, but too much and you get negative results.  The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends no more than 11/week for females and 16/week for males.

6)      Have a regular yearly physical with your physician.  A full yearly physical is preventative medicine as the regular tests can alert a problem early making the solution much easier.

7)      Control any illness or current disease to the best of your ability.  A good example would be diabetes – the choices you make every day about how you control and maintain your health with diabetes will go a long way to determining if you will have heart disease.

8)      Regular physical activity or exercise.  Every day should involve some type of activity.  It can be as simple as a walk around the block.  The latest research is showing that three 10 minute sessions in a day are just as effective or maybe even more so than 30 sustained minutes.  Everyone, absolutely everyone that cares about their long term health can find 30 minutes every day.  Find something you like and take someone along with you.

A look at our kids today will tell us how important the above eight ideas are as 40% of teenage girls are physically inactive, more and more of our children are obese at the elementary school age, 15 – 29 year old men and women make up the largest group of smokers and 30% of men and women in their 20’s are overweight.  It is time to turn off the tv and the computer and get outside and go for a walk, build a snowman, play tag, make physical activity fun.

Our generation is being watched – what is it that we are modeling!

The Heart and Stroke Foundation website at www.heartandstroke.ca has loads of valuable information to help you and your family create a healthier lifestyle.  Please check it out!!