Walking to Better Health

Since I started at Sea Mar, the one solid and on-going project that we had was the Wednesday Morning Walking Group. We first walked outside, and there was only 1 or 2 patients that would join ou 3 person health education team. But when it got rainy, and as more people caught wind of our project the group moved into the Vancouver Mall, and gre to a regular size of 6-8 people, occasionally attracting as many as 11 participants.

It's really great to see all these otherwise sedentary patients of ours get out and walk several miles with our health ed team. Studies show that walking for as little as 10-30 minutes a day for 3-4 days a week can seriously improve your health. Having an hour walk with a health educator and get nutrition and exercise advice as you're walking, can have an even more significant impact.

An average American walks only 2000-4000 steps a day, while an average Japanese person walks over 10,000. Maybe that's one of the reasons why the rates of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are so vastly different between our two cultures. 66.5% of Americans are overweight, but only 24.7% of Japanese people are overweight (according to BMI measurements). Can it be due to our differences in lifestyle? Can it be in part due to the overwhelmingly sedentary lives that we lead in the US?

I found that out for myself, as I got a car this week, I walked a THIRD of the number of steps I averaged while car-less. That really encouraged me to keep walking to work, instead of driving. It saves me gas too!

Just food for though, pick up those walking shoes and take a stroll after dinner, it will boost your metabolism and improve your overall well-being! In the meanwhile, enjoy these photos from our walking group!

Our walking group founders have lost a significant amount of weight since September, and are on their way to walk off a even more pounds!


Even dogs are welcome at our walking group.


Walking at a quicker pace can really improve your cardio-vascular health.

Our health educator Eric focuses on balance and strength at a mid-way break.

AmeriCorps Greetings

Last Friday our entire AmeriCorps team was finally all at the same place at the same time. It is currently almost 2/3 mark in our year of service, and I thought that instead of a Tasty Tuesday recipe I'd post out team photo. Updates will come soon. Well, as soon as I end the battle with this cold!

Love, M.

Tasty Tuesday!

Zucchini Bread


Ingredients:

• 1 Cup all purpose flour
• 1 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons granulated while sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 large eggs (try using squash, banana, or applesauce instead!)
  
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups grated zucchini

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Stir the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. When cominbed, mix in the oats. Make a well in the center of the ingredients. Whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the well. Combine lightly, then stir in the zucchini. Do not overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, mounding it up in the center. Bake for 60 or 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack covered with a clean dish towel to prevent indentations. Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes longer before slicing.

The bread can be served warm or at room temperature. It keeps well and makes good toast, too.

Tasty Tuesday!

Lemony Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp

From Epicurious.com


Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 3/4 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, divided
• 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 lb medium shrimp
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Directions:

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed.

Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture and briskly simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender but still al dente (it should be the consistency of a thick soup), about 18 minutes. (There will be leftover broth mixture.)

Stir in shrimp and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, zest, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste. (Thin risotto with some of remaining broth if necessary.)

IRIN Global | HEALTH: Poor struggle to access diabetes care, says study | Global | Thailand | Health & Nutrition

IRIN Global | HEALTH: Poor struggle to access diabetes care, says study | Global | Thailand | Health & Nutrition

It's funny how I spend day in and day out talking to people about getting their diabetes under control, only to go home and think of it as an American Epidemic. Well, it is. However, what I sometimes forget that diabetes doesn't discriminate. Diabetes, similar to all other diseases and chronic conditions does not care where you live or who you are. And, the reality is, diabetes really is the disease of the poor.

Think about it.

Joe has diabetes - why?

Because he has a poor diet - why?

Because he can't afford a meal that's full of fresh fruit and veggies? Because there's no grocery store that sells fresh fruit and veggies? Because he can now buy a large Little Caesar's Pizza for $5 and not think about cooking after a 12 hour work day? Because he's grown up eating junk food? Because McDonald's makes diabetes cheap? Because all there is to eat is white rice, processed grains, fake unsatisfying sugars and starches?

Or, is it because there's no education? Because diabetes and hypertension are silent killers and don't get you until it's too late? Because your blood sugar can be 3 times the normal level and you will not feel any symptoms?

Why isn't there education? Because who cares about preventing disease when there's so much money to be made in treating it. Because there's not enough money in the budget for the poor people to get healthy. In any country.

"Poor diabetes management is in part due to the shortage of trained medical staff (such as ophthalmologists, nephrologists, dieticians) to deal with disease complications"

I guess that's where we come in. At least we have a ton of free services for our chronic care patients. But, even they don't seek care. All that the man diagnosed with diabetes hears from our chronic care coordinator is "you're fat, you're sick, you need to stop eating hamburger", but what we really need to say sometimes is - although you now need to take your health into your own hands, it's not your fault. Look around you. Become not only an active participant in your health, but your health care, your community, your world. Good thing that they have universal coverage in Thailand now.

It's Washington's turn.

Tasty Tuesday!

Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rice vermicelli
• 8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)
• 8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half
• 1 1/3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 leaves lettuce, chopped
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped peanuts

Directions

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
2. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.
4. In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.
5. Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and hoisin sauce mixtures.