Community Health Services of Union County, Inc.
Call Us: 704-296-0909
Healthy Tips for Choosing Produce
*Shop for vibrant colors: Choose an array of colorful fruits and vegetables; they get their pigments from antioxidants, such as the deep red, blue and purple of anthocyanin and the intense organs and yellows of beta-carotene.
*Buy in season and locally grown: Fresher produce has more nutrients and taste better.
Think Snacks: Grab bite-sized fruits and veggies like grapes and precut carrots, or those you can easily cut and store, such as apples.
*Embrace Broccoli: This and other cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, book choy and cabbage, are rich in sulforaphane, which scientists believe gives them anti-inflammatory power. Its potential for preventing joint destruction is being studied.
*Pass over pale lettuce: The darker the leaf, the more nutrient it has, including antioxidant Vitamins A and C, bone-strengthening Vitamin K and calcium.
*Stock up on avocados: Keep a ripe one at the ready to mash for a nutritious and satisfying mayo substitute or to slice into salads. Avocados are high in healthy unsaturated fats that may aid weight loss and reduce heart disease and stroke risk.
*Add onions: Vegetables in the allium family, which also include garlic, leeks and shallots, contain micronutrients that may ease inflammation and reduce cartilage damage.
12 Random Health Facts
*2,544 Number of Calories the average American consumes per day- that’s up from 2,039 calories in 1970.
*Amount of Calories you will save by chewing each bite of food 40 times is 12%.
*50 million is the number of Americans who have nasal allergies.
*Drinking at least a cup of tea, a day may reduce your risk for heart disease and heart attack. In a recent study, tea drinkers had slower rates of calcium buildup in their arteries, lower rates of the disease itself, and fewer heart attacks.
*We make around 1 to 1.6 liters of saliva a day.
*Our nose is our personal air-conditioning system: it warms cold air, cools hot air and filters impurities.
*We exercise at least 36 muscles when we smile.
*When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph
*Our eyes can distinguish up to ten million color surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man.
*Our heartbeats around 100, 000 times every day or about 30 million times in a year.
*A red blood cell can circumnavigate your body in under 20 seconds.
*It is believed that the main purpose of eyebrows is to keep sweat out of the eyes.
5 Nutrition Tips to Promote Wound Healing
We have all had a wound: a cut, scratch or scrape that breaks the skin. Most wounds on healthy people heal quickly when kept clean and free of infection, while other types of wounds are more serious, and often require medical intervention. These can include decubitus ulcers, also known as pressure sores or bed sores, which develop where bones are close to the skin — such as ankles, back, elbows, heels and hips — in people who are bedridden, use a wheelchair or are unable to change their position. People with diabetes also have a higher risk of developing foot ulcers that can take weeks or months to heal.
Food choices and nutritional status influence wound healing since serious wounds increase the energy, vitamin, mineral and protein requirements necessary to promote healing. Also, nutrients are lost in the fluid that weeps from wounds.
The Nutrition Tips
1.The first priority is to eat sufficient calories from a balanced diet of nutritious foods. Plan healthy, balanced meals and snacks that include plenty of foods from all the e food groups — protein, fruits, vegetables, dairy and grains.
2.Include optimum amounts of protein. Aim for 20 to 30 grams of protein at each meal and 10 to 15 grams of protein with each snack. A piece of cooked chicken, lean meat or fish the size of a deck of cards (about 3 ounces) contains 20 to 25 grams of protein. One egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 ounce of cheese each contain 6 to 7 grams of protein. One cup of low-fat milk or yogurt contains 8 grams of protein.
3.Stay well hydrated with water and other unsweetened beverages such as tea, coffee, 100-percent fruit juice and milk, which contains protein.
4.Some wounds may require a higher intake of certain vitamins and minerals. Talk with a registered dietitian nutritionist for an individualized eating plan with optimum amounts of calories, protein, fluids, vitamins and minerals for your specific needs.
5.For people with diabetes, controlling blood sugar levels is one of the best ways to prevent and treat a wound. Work with your physician and registered dietitian nutritionist to develop a personalized blood sugar management plan.