Why are Fruits and Vegetables so expensive?

Obviously we all know that fruits and vegetables are an extremely valuable part of a healthy diet, especially since this is often times one of the items we fail to get enough of. Considering we should be having 5-9 servings a day, many of us fall short of this recommendation. But it is easy to justify cutting them short when we look at the cost of them. Is that extra cost really worth the added health benefit? At least they seem expensive, but are they as costly as we think? I think many of us have a double standard sometimes when it comes to these food items. While it is hard to drop $1.50 for a red bell pepper, yet $3.00 for a bag of potato chips (that we can sometimes eat in one setting) seems like a bargain. The cost per serving isn’t that much different, and the nutritional value is vastly different. And of course we all know that disease can be very costly, so realize the cost of those veggies is an investment into your healthy future!


Tips for getting produce:

1. Fruits and veggies should take up at least a third of your meal plates. So they need to take up at least a third of your shopping cart, so it is okay if they take up a third of your bill.
2. The more colors of the rainbow in your cart the better selections you have made. The better the variety the better your overall nutrition.
3. Look for produce that is in-season and grown close to home, this helps keep price down. 
4. Think shelf-life. Some produce keeps better than others, so plan your meals accordingly.

Stress Signs and How to Reduce Them

Scientific evidence suggests that to much stress lowers immunity, which can lead to many physical symptoms as well as emotional problems. Here is a list of a few sign that may be stress related, anyone recognizing these signs should see a doctor first to rule out organic causes like viruses or serious illness. The irony of stress is that the very things that will make you feel better--exercise, self-care, eating a healthy diet--are usually the last things you want to do.

Stress Sign: Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The colon and how it responds is connected to and controlled by the brain through nerves. That's why when we're worried or anxious; we can experience anything from nervous butterflies to cramps or diarrhea.

What you can do: Exercise, even something simple as going for an easy 20 minute walk, can help you burn off stressful energy while also helping to keep bowel movements and sleep patterns more regular. Increasing foods higher fiber to your diet can also help improve how your intestines work.

Stress Sign: Frequent Colds

Stress will lower our immunity, so we are less able to defend off viruses and bacteria. Research shows that subjects who reported higher levels of stress were twice as likely to catch a cold as their less-stressed counterparts.

What you can do: Build a routine of social stress management techniques (an after-dinner walk, weekly coffee with friends, etc.), and remember to stick to it whether you "feel" like it or not, particularly during times of stress.

Stress Sign: Heart Palpitations

Stress can give you heart palpitations that may feel like your heart is racing or skipping beats. Check with your physician to make sure it is not a heart problem.

What you can do: Multiple studies suggest exercise or meditation in which you progressively and systematically tense and then relax every muscle group in your body or, practicing yoga or tai chi type movements on a regular basis can reduce the frequency of your palpitations.

Stress Sign: Chest Pains

It is not uncommon for women--even young women--to have stress-induced chest pain.

What you can do: Talk to your doctor about whether this is a sign of something more serious. Additionally, don't underestimate the power of just being somewhere quiet or listening to music. Self-care is not selfish care.

Get Regular Health Check Ups

So what benefits are there of keeping regular visits with your primary care physician for routine check ups? If you feel healthy, why waste the time and money to go to your yearly check up?


Lets look at a few reasons:

• Many disease processes can be found early with a gradual decline or change in simple tests. While obviously most of us are fearful that by going in to the doctor they will find one of these problems. But we have to be honest and realize by not knowing does not make the problem go away. Plus most often the sooner the problem is found the more treatable it is and can often not cause us any long term damage to our health as compared to if we wait.
• For some of us knowing that a doctor is going to ask us about our health habits can be a motivating factor to make sure we are trying to maintain a healthier life style. Just as most of us probably would not think of showing up at the Dentist for our 6 month check up and not having brushed our teeth in that time.
• Studies suggest that maintaining a relationship with your physician may reduce non-urgent use of emergency department. Which shows when we keep a good and regular relationship with our physician we become more knowledgeable about our health.

Keeping regular physician check-ups has lots of potential advantages to our health.

Another new concept to consider is to add to your yearly physician physical with a yearly physical from your Physical Therapist.  Understanding the amazing importance proper exercise and movement have to health it seems almost common sense that you would add a yearly check up with the health care provider that specializes in exercise and movement - a Physical Therapist. 

• They can assess gait speed and balance if you are elderly and starting to be at risk for falls.  These tests can determine your risk of falling. If you show to be at increased risk, the Physical
  Therapist will show you balance and strengthening exercises to minimize that risk.
• They can assess functional movement and assess general fitness and give you exercises and mobility tips to enhance your current health and fitness.

Keeping regular scheduled visits with health care providers to make sure you are maintaining and enhancing your health is key to living a healthy and vibrant.

Nutritional Note on Breakfast

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Often times those who are trying to lose weight are told never to skip breakfast. Some newer research has found that eating a big breakfast can just add calories to your day and that actually skipping breakfast can be a way to reduce calorie intake for the day. So let’s take a closer look at what we really know about breakfast habits and how they impact nutrition and weight loss.
We know that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight. We also know from data collected by the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) that over 90% of successful dieters usually eat breakfast (Successful means that they have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for a long period of time – not a crash diet and then yo-yo back again). Successful weight management is a lot more then just eating breakfast. The NWCR shows those that eat breakfast regularly (the successful dieters) also exercise more regularly. So eating breakfast is more likely a common trait among those that maintain a healthy weight. So saying no to extra portion sizes and desert has as much to do weight management as also saying yes to breakfast. But just eating breakfast does not instantly make you a regular exerciser and a healthy, disciplined eater.
So as long as your total intake over the course of the day is balanced, nutritious and allows you to maintain a healthy weight, you can be flexible on the first meal of the day. But if you are struggling with your weight or find it difficult to control the quantity or quality of your food choices, thing about changing your breakfast habit to see if it makes a difference. Healthy quick breakfast choices can be: hard-boiled egg, whole grain toast with peanut butter, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal or whole grain breakfast bar. In the end it doesn’t matter what the latest guru or fad that has worked for others. What counts is what works for you.

Seven steps to go from 0 to 30

Most of us know that the recommended amount of cardiovascular exercise should be 30 minutes, 5-6 times per week. We know it has benefits in helping maintain a healthy weight, reducing stress and giving us a better-looking midsection. Some of us also know it can boost the body’s immune system, by increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria, so we are less likely to catch the flu or a cold. Not to mention it reduces risk for stroke by 27%, diabetes by 50%, high blood pressure by 40%, mortality from breast cancer by 50%, colon cancer by 60%, Alzheimer’s disease by 40%, and decrease depression as well if not better then the best medications on the market.


Unfortunately though, for some of us finding five extra minutes a day may seem impossible. Or walking five minutes at a moderate pace seems like more work then worth it. So how does one go from nothing to 30 minutes?

Here are 7 steps to make it happen in a healthy way:

1. Set Goals – Decide what you want to accomplish with your exercise program and find a program that will help you meet your goals.

2. Get Ready – Assess your current level of fitness and understand how to exercise safely by meeting with your physician and physical therapist if needed.

3. Do what you enjoy and do it with others. You need to find activities that you enjoy and doing it with others will help you stick with it.

4. Make it a Priority – You need to hold yourself accountable to your goals and make a commitment that the time spent exercising is non-negotiable. Self-care needs to come before you can properly care for others.

5. Start Slow – Variety & Keep it simple. Many of us want to get our fitness back quickly, but realize we probably did not get out of shape quickly. Also trying to get fit faster often will lead to injury. Gradually add appropriate increase to activities as fitness improves over time. Going from 0 to 30 minutes probably needs to start with 5 minutes.

6. Log activity – This is an important step to make sure you are reaching your goals from step #1. Also it holds you accountable to make sure you are doing step #4. Lastly it helps measure that you are doing it correctly by slowly adding challenge as your fitness increases in step #5.

7. Celebrate progress – As you achieve your goals from step #1 reward your hard work and then set new goals to work toward.