Beech Tree News Network

According to Sangram Singh, “Maintaining good health should be the primary focus of everyone” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/good_health). Good health information helps us make good choices. Most people want to be healthy, but we need information. Some health-related information I’ve read recently included the following:

·       BMI:  The United Healthcare spring/summer magazine Renew included an article (page 7) about body mass index or BMI. Interestingly, three suggestions were made for lowering one’s BMI. First, sleep more. Second, skip empty calorie drinks. Suggested healthy beverage choices were fruit-infused waters, milk or low-sugar fruit juices. Third, use a smaller plate – those who do tend to consume fewer calories. These suggestions are reasonable.

·       Infused Water:  While infused water has the benefit of being full of flavor, it also has no calories, making it a very powerful tool in your efforts to lose weight and gain better health. One infused water recipe I found is below. Other combinations of ripe fruits and berries would likely work, too.

Orange-Kiwi Infused Water

ü  2 cups of water or sparkling water

ü  2 cups of ice

ü  1 orange, sliced

ü  2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

Combine all in a large mason jar or a jug and drink immediately or let sit in fridge for 1-4 hours to soak in additional flavor (http://spryliving.com/slideshows/10-infused-water-recipes/).

·       Tea:  The May issue of Spry Living magazine had a summary of various tea benefits. Green tea has been shown to lower heart attack and stroke risk. Hibiscus tea is packed with vitamin C and is caffeine-free. Matcha tea provides heart healthy antioxidants and has more caffeine than black tea. White tea has antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols which are good for the brain and skin while being lighter in caffeine than other teas. These teas are believed to provide even more health benefits yet unconfirmed. I’m a tea lover, but have much to learn about teas’ health benefits.

·       Plants and Pests:  The spring issue of The Modern Woodmen contained information about plants that help keep insects away. Lavender projects a scent that mosquitoes (definitely a health hazard), flies, fleas and moths don’t like. Basil also repels mosquitoes and flies. Pots of lavender or basil might be placed on the patio or near house entrances. In the garden, marigolds repel mosquitoes and some plant-eating bugs. Petunias also repel a variety of insects and bugs that eat vegetable plants. So, marigolds and petunias are beneficial to vegetable gardens. I have a pot of lavender on my patio and will be testing its effectiveness.

·       Preventing Alzheimer’s:  The June issue of the Living Fit in Bowling Green magazine included an article, “Prevention: The New Frontier in Treating Alzheimer’s”, that reported eight lifestyle choices that can help protect the brain. Three of those were (1) get regular exercise, (2) sleep better, and (3) eat well. This advice sounds familiar. Exercise and sleep are critical to health. And we continue to learn more about healthy eating with new research. Fruits and vegetables are important because of the vitamins and antioxidants they provide. The authors (Mary Nestor and Sarah Budde, RN) explained that “Sugar and refined carbohydrates, including pasta, white rice and potatoes, all contribute to chronic inflammation – a precursor of disease” (page 10). For information about the other five healthy lifestyle choices, please see the original article. If healthy choices can prevent or delay the onset of this disease, we certainly need to learn more.

Maintaining good health should be a priority. Jack Osbourne said, “You can’t take good health for granted,” and Anne Wilson Schaef said “Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/good_health). Since health information is critical to our choices, new information is always welcome. After all, having a good health “savings account” would be amazing.