Health Redesigned Blog

I recently posted an answer on Quora to the question, “Is 5000 calories a day too much for a sedentary lifestyle?” I shared it on Facebook and then had a fabulous follow-up question about counting carbohydrate calories from an amazing lady. I thought the two were too good not to share because it’s such a poorly understood topic. As a society, we are really good at overestimating our calorie output and underestimating our intake. We struggle to determine the appropriate amount of calories we truly need to meet our needs. (Hint- it’s likely much lower than you think.) Studies even show that by having a lower calorie intake, you’ll likely be setting yourself up for better longevity. So, how many calories do you really need? Here’s what I shared:

In most cases, you’ll need less than 2000 calories per day to support a sedentary lifestyle. To figure out how many calories you truly need, you can start by calculating your resting metabolic...

There is an increasing trend of doing short, high-intensity workouts. These workouts are referred to as HIIT or high-intensity interval training. It’s a form of anaerobic conditioning (without oxygen) that can deliver faster results than other styles of training. HITT workouts include doing repeated short bursts of maximal intensity or high-intensity effort. They come in all shapes and sizes, with varying exercises. The number of sets and repetitions can also vary from workout to workout. Generally, workout sessions are short and sweet, lasting less than 30 minutes.

HIIT workouts were intended to supplement training. They were never designed to be your entire fitness program. I love HITT when it’s done properly. It can deliver amazing results. HITT can yield significant changes to body composition in a relatively short period of time. The biggest problem with HIIT workouts is the way they are executed. If you do intense workouts day in, day out, by the end of a month or...

It’s that time of year when you start thinking about what to get for that hard to buy someone on your list. Here’s a list of must have’s for anyone who’s a foodie or anyone that wants to make an effort at eating better. Click the image to bring up the Amazon link for purchase information.

Vitamix 5200 Blender

This Blender is just what you need to do almost everything. It blends, chops, stirs, mixes, and grinds. I use mine just about every day. It can make smoothies, soups, sauces, spreads and probably some other “s” words. I like this model because it’s got enough features to adjust the blending speed without being overly complicated. The size is perfect- you can blend small or large amounts. My favorite thing about this blender is the durability. I literally choked when I saw the price of it the first time. However, when I consider that I was burning through other brands every year, I’ve actually saved money by investing in a Vitamix....

Checking your blood pressure may be one of the most important things you do today. As a nurse who works on an acute stroke unit, I see the impact of prolonged high blood pressure or hypertension, firsthand. It’s not pretty. The saddest part is that the damage from uncontrolled blood pressure is very preventable. Hypertension Canada states that 50% of Canadians stop taking their blood pressure medication within the first year of therapy.  Unfortunately, high blood pressure often has no symptoms, so it’s difficult to know when you have it. It can slowly creep up over time and you have no idea it’s been there. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. So what can you do to prevent irreversible damage?

Identifying Hypertension

The most important part of treating hypertension is knowing that you have it. “I feel fine,” is NOT an ok assessment of how your blood pressure is doing. Ever hear of the frog in the boiling pot of water? He...

It’s that time of year again. When the candy producers pull out all their marketing tricks to make you want to buy more treats. It’s all in the spirit of Halloween, but it’s gotten out of hand.

To start off- who’s got leftover candy from last year? Raise your arm high. Shout out loud and proud. I know you’re out there. What I want to know is, how much candy did you start with if you still have candy left over? And what do you plan to do with all of that candy? If you haven’t already bought your new stash for this year, consider giving it all away. Or throwing away your stale candy. But does it really go bad? Probably not for many years.

Consider that every treat or candy that you buy is just that. A treat. It’s not meant as an everyday indulgence. It’s not meant to be eaten all year. And what are you really eating? Wax. Food coloring. Sugar. Definitely not part of a healthy diet. Don’t be fooled by words like natural, fruit juice...