Parents want their children to grow up healthy, happy and ready to succeed in life. But, childhood obesity is undermining children’s health. According to Statistics Canada, almost one third of Canadians aged five to 17 are overweight or obese. 
 
Many of the physical problems associated with being overweight or obese as a child – such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis - may not appear until adulthood, but the social and emotional problems start early. Some overweight kids are bullied at school. They often have low self esteem and suffer socially resulting in a higher likelihood that they will experience depression.
 
TIPS FOR PACKING A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
Get your kids to help you so that healthy lunches are a family affair.

• Get out the cookie cutters – not for cookies, but for sandwiches. Kids love food in shapes. 
• Serve sliced meat rolled up into tubes and offer the bread separate. Tuna salad can be offered with crackers.
• Use leftovers. If your child liked last night’s beef stew, serve it up for lunch in a thermos after heating it up in the morning.
• Breakfast for lunch? Pancakes or a sliced boiled egg can be a hit too (remember to put in an ice pack though).
• Fruits and veggies are always a part of a nutritious lunch. To make them more fun, include a dip.

 
TIPS FOR BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
On average only 4% of Canadian children take part in enough physical activity.  Children need physical activity to build strength, coordination and confidence. All of these characteristics lay the groundwork for leading a healthy lifestyle in the future.

• Children should participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
• Limit the amount of screen time your children have. In fact, if they are younger than 2 years of age, the Canadian Paediatric Society does not recommend any screen time at all.  If they’re between two and five years of age, the recommendation is one hour per day – that’s right, just one hour!
• Be aware of the opportunities your community offers to help your family stay healthy.

 
Physical activity is more than just organized sports. It can include everyday activities like walking the dog, planting a garden, playing tag, building a snowman or tobogganing, and even household chores like sweeping or shoveling the driveway.  Be your child’s role model and set a positive example by being physically active as a family.
 
 
The Temagami Medical Centre and Family Health Team ...
committed to keeping you as healthy as possible!

Muscle strength is important for bone health, balance and just being strong enough for daily activities, such as climbing stairs or carrying groceries.
 
Regular muscle strengthening has also been shown to help manage blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels, as well as prevent and control heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 
 
Did you know that every decade from the age of 30 we lose 3 to 5% of the muscle mass we naturally have, which causes us to lose muscle function?  The good news is that it’s never too late to get started, even if you’ve never picked up a weight in your life.
 
One of the most talked about reasons for strength training in women is the prevention of osteoporosis.  For most women, bone loss increases after menopause when estrogen levels drop sharply.  In fact, in the 5 to 7 years after menopause, women lose up to 20% or more of their bone density. 
 
Machines are a great option for working on strength because they control the movements, especially if you haven’t trained before – you can work hard with good control. The following machine exercises are ideal for strength training in older adults because they strengthen the biggest muscle groups:

• Seated rows
• Lat pull-down
• Shoulder press
• Leg press
• Assisted chin-up

Aim for two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise.
 
While having big muscles might be what some of us are looking for, it’s the strength that really matters when it comes to functioning well into our older years.  Strength training enables us to maintain a level of strength so we can continue to do the things we love.
 
If you haven’t already done so, stop by the fitness centre in Temagami to check out the new universal weight machine.  Membership is available at a cost of $20 per month for adults, $15 for students and $12 for seniors.  The fitness centre is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 
Preventative Health Care…
the Easiest Way to Protect Your Future!

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by viruses and can lead to serious health consequences.  There are a number of different forms of the virus, but the most common types of viral hepatitis in Canada are hepatitis A, B and C all of which are contagious.
 
How Do You Get Hepatitis?
The Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is spread through contact with the feces (poop) of an infected person either directly (person to person, including sexual activity) or indirectly through food or water that’s been contaminated with the virus. Spread through infected blood or blood products has also been reported. There is no medication available to treat Hepatitis A but most people recover on their own. 
 
The Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses are spread through contact with contaminated blood, but Hepatitis B is also sexually transmitted. Both viruses can lead to serious liver damage, liver cancer and the need for liver transplantation. In Canada, about 600,000 people are living with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. 
 
What are the Symptoms?
Not everyone who becomes infected shows symptoms. Regardless of the type of hepatitis virus infection, the symptoms are similar:

• Fever
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• Fatigue (feeling tired)
• Loss of appetite (not feeling hungry)
• Stomach pain
• Dark urine
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Joint pain

 
What Can You Do To Reduce Your Risk of Infection?

• Wash your hands properly before and after preparing and eating food;
• Practise safe sex (such as using a condom);
• Do not share personal materials that may come into contact with blood (such as needles, razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, etc.)

 
Changing behaviours that increase risk is key to protecting yourself from infection and to preventing the spread of infection to others. 
 
Know Your Status – Get Tested
Preventative Health Care – the Easiest Way to Protect Your Future!