Women’s Health Week Is May 8-13

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 12, 2011) -- In recognition of Women’s Health Week, the University of Kentucky Health & Wellness office offers the following information to help everyone stay healthy, strong and fit.

Stress

Mental health is defined by how successfully we function in life in general and how satisfied we feel about our day-to-day circumstances, according to Patricia Farrell, of WebMD.  In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we must not only consider eating well and exercising, we must also keep our mental health in good standing.  The main culprit diminishing the quality of our mental health is a term most people are very familiar with: stress.  If stress is not properly managed it can lead to high blood pressure, depression, debilitated immunity, obesity, diabetes, headaches, and heart disease.

Are you suffering from stress?  Some signs and symptoms of stress include lack of sleep or too much sleep, irritability, inability to concentrate, memory problems, anxiety at work, overall anxiousness during daily activities, and change in eating habits.  Since stress, worry, and anxiousness are all a part of our daily lives, it is almost impossible to think of life without them. However, to save you from future sickness or present pain related to stress, you can take action now to combat stress. 

Bring some peace into your life by creating more time in your day through some of the following strategies:

• Ask for help with juggling your workload, whether it be asking your significant other to run errands for you or having your parents take the children for an hour.
•  If your children are old enough, allow them to participate by helping you with certain activities; this will not only relieve you, but it will also teach them to be more independent and take more responsibility.
• Another way to reduce stress in your life is to set aside some time for yourself each day for spirituality, personal reflection, or just quiet time.  This time could really rejuvenate your mood and help you gain some perspective on how stressful issues you experience now will likely not matter one, five, or 10 years from now, which could save more time in the long run.

Although it may sound difficult, make the extra effort to relieve yourself from the stressors of life before it is too late!

Glycemic Index

While trying to lose weight, eating the right foods and getting enough valuable nutrients for your body are just as important as the exercise you perform.  Because spring weather is so invigorating, many people take up running as their exercise of choice during the months of April, May and June.

As you may be aware, there are three main components of food/nutrients for the body: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Carbohydrates take up the biggest chunk in your diet, being 65 percent of your daily food intake. For runners, protein is usually around 25 percent of the daily food intake, and fat should be around 10 percent. Carbohydrates are fuel for the body, and since runners burn a lot of energy while running/training, getting enough of this nutrient is vital for optimal performance.

One way to look at carbohydrates is to note their glycemic index. A glycemic index, or GI, relates to how the body’s blood sugar and energy stores react to a specific carbohydrate. For example, white bread is very high on the GI list (upper 90s out of a total rating of 100), causing a spike in blood sugar and a quick burst of energy, with a longer energy slump afterward. What endurance athletes want are foods that are low on the GI list, because this means the food will make the blood levels more consistent throughout the day, as well as provide lasting energy. It is important to remember that the GI list is not a list of what to eat and what not to eat, but just a helpful tool to use when you want to get the most energy as possible before an athletic activity.

Here is a list of high and low GI foods:

Low

Whole wheat pitas, rye bread, Special K, All Bran, oatmeal, Wheat Thins, yogurts, strawberries, cherries, grapefruit, barley, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, most green vegetables, whole wheat pasta.

High

White bread, waffles, donuts, corn flakes, rice chex, vanilla wafers, rice cakes, ice cream, pizza cheese, watermelon, pineapple, instant rice, cornmeal, baked beans, fava beans, brown rice pasta, parsnips, potatoes.

Exercise

Physical activity is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, however, it is difficult to determine how much exercise is actually recommended for a person, mainly because there is such a wide variety of information provided by the media, Internet, and various weight-loss or exercise books. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three different categories, or modes, for physical activity that adults should use to stay healthy. The first recommendation is to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week along with weight-bearing activities two days a week. Moderate-intensity aerobic activity includes walking at a fast pace, a slow jog, biking, hiking, dancing, walking up stairs, or any activity that increases the heart rate for an extended period of time. Weight-bearing activities revolve around weight lifting, or any exercise that focuses on using major muscle groups against a force or resistance (legs, core, arms).

The second recommendation that qualifies as appropriate physical activity is getting 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week in conjunction with weight-bearing activities two days a week. The vigorous-intensity aerobic activity in this second option includes fast jogging, running, and strenuous biking or swimming. The CDC’s third option is simply a mix of options one and two. Even though the CDC has specific time intervals that classify how much exercise you need, any length of exercise or physical activity you participate in is much better than doing none at all.