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Balancing Act Archives |
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August, 2006: Family Snack Smarts |
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July, 2006: Cooperative Co-parenting |
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June, 2006: Street Proofing Teens 101 |
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May, 2006: Harmony is in season: Harmony is in season: Warm Weather Activities To Bring The Family Together |
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April, 2006: Caregiving: Sensible Steps To Success |
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March, 2006: Healthy Eating In A Fast Food World |
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February, 2006: Stress Busters to Stay Lighthearted |
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January, 2006: Brain Gain in Life's Later Years |
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December, 2005: Holiday Budget Planning |
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November, 2005: Combating Childhood Obesity |
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October, 2005: Eating Away at Colds and Flu |
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September, 2005: Avoiding the Aches of Osteoarthritis |
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August, 2005: Growing Older, Eating Wiser |
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July, 2005: Nutrition Tips for the Healthiest Summer Ever |
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June, 2005: Long-Term Care Facilities/Nursing Homes - How Do I Choose the Right One? |
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May, 2005: Nutrition and Your Baby: Introducing solid food to the menu |
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April, 2005: When Baby Comes Home For The First Time |
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March, 2005: Stepping into the Role of Stepparent |
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February, 2005: Pumping Fitness into Your Day |
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January, 2005: Remedies for Financial Holiday Hangovers |
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December, 2004: Time Out: Making the most of the holidays |
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November, 2004: An Ounce of Prevention: Type 2 Diabetes |
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October, 2004: Dealing with Peer Pressure |
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September, 2004: Long Distance Caregiving |
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August, 2004: The ‘Be-tween’ Transition, 2004 |
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July, 2004: Easing into summer vacation |
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June, 2004: A family-friendly balance for working fathers |
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May, 2004: Communication Tips to Help Young Minds Grow |
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April, 2004: Tips for Making the Tax Season Less Taxing |
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March, 2004: The Dieting Merry-Go-Round |
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February, 2004: Keeping Your Financial Future in Check |
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January, 2004: Here Comes the Flu |
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December, 2003: Communicating with your Teen |
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November, 2003: Eating for Energy |
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October, 2003: Work-life Balance: Making it Work for You |
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September, 2003: The Homework Zone |
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August, 2003: Health Hints to Ease Your Family in to the Fall Season |
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July, 2003: Stay Alert and Stay Safe - Streetproofing your kids |
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June, 2003: Summer Activities for Stay-at-Home Kids |
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May, 2003: Helping Older Relatives Stay Active |
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April, 2003: Spring-cleaning: For the home, the family, and you |
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March, 2003: Choosing a Summer Camp |
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February, 2003: Baby couch potatoes: Tearing your kids away from the TV |
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January, 2003: Resolution Solutions |
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December, 2002: Holiday Stress Blasters |
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November, 2002: Beating the Winter Blues |
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October, 2002: Making the most of family mealtimes |
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September, 2002: Generation Relations |
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August 2002: Vacation Relaxation |
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July 2002: Swimming Safety |
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May 2002: Stuck in the Middle. The Sandwich Generation |
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April, 2002: Supporting Your Child's Social Success |
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March, 2002: After the Spring Break ... Take a Break For Yourself |
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February, 2002: Keep those loving connections alive |
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January, 2002: Ringing in a Balanced New Year |
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December, 2001: Holiday Safety Tips |
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November, 2001: It's Flu Season |
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October, 2001: Halloween Safety Tips |
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September, 2001: Back to school |
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Healthy
hints to ease your family into the fall season
Autumn is on the horizon and families everywhere are bracing for a return to
school, work and hectic schedules. The sudden change to fall activity however
can quickly sap energy levels leaving both parents and kids tired, stressed and
even prone to illness. Plan ahead with the hints below to ease the transition;
you can ward off fatigue and anxiety, and keep your family in good health.
Get to bed earlier. By the end of the summer your children
may be used to later nights and sleep-ins. Help kids readjust their internal clocks:
initiate an earlier bed and wake-up time a couple of weeks before school starts.
Most experts agree that children and teens require a minimum of nine hours of
sleep to stay healthy and alert at school.
Eat well. Make sure the family gets up early enough to have
a balanced breakfast. The hype around breakfast being the most important meal
of the day is all true. A balanced breakfast is the ultimate brain booster: studies
show it improves concentration, attitude and performance in young and old minds
alike, and can reduce trips to the doctor’s office. For all meals and snacks
it’s best to steer clear of fast and processed foods—which tend to
be high in fat and sALT, low in essential nutrients and fibre—and follow
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.*
Give your immune system a boost. Make sure everyone is up to
date with required vaccinations. Create a chart noting immunization dates to remind
you when family members are due for their next shot. Immunizations can greatly
reduce the risk of illnesses—such as whooping cough, measles and chicken
pox—that can leave victims bed-ridden for weeks.
Wash your hands. It seems simple, but it’s one of the
most effective ways to ward off colds and the flu. Teach children to wash their
hands after they use the washroom and before and after every meal. For situations
where a sink is not close at hand, carry moist wipes or antibacterial gel.
Get to know the school nurse or health representative. Ensure
medical contact information is current and that the nurse is aware of any medical
conditions or allergies your children have.
Take a breather. It’s easy to get so overwhelmed by
work, studies, after school sports etc. that you forget to take a time out. Stress
weakens the immune system so releasing excess anxiety with a ‘stress blaster’
is a great way for you and your family to stay healthy. Take a 20-minute walk,
meditate, read the newspaper or listen to music. Discover an easy activity that
lets you relax and re-energize and encourage your children to do the same.
Need more information on health-related issues? WS
NurseLine® can
help. You can receive a personalized telephone consultation from a
Registered Nurse (RN) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call your
EAP (Employee Assistance Program) to see if you are eligible for WS
NurseLine at 1.800.387.4765 for service in English, 1.800.361.5676
for service in French.
This newsletter is meant for informational purposes only and may not necessarily represent the views of individual organizations.
*For Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating visit: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/onpp-bppn/food_guide_rainbow_e.html.
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