It isn’t always easy to be motivated to get fit. It takes a lot of will power, time and energy but it will pay off in the long run!It’s important to always start a fitness program that you enjoy. Always consult with a personal trainer or a physiotherapist if you have specific injuries. Professionals can show you exercises that are appropriate for you. A nutritionist or a doctor can help you hone in on your diet and exercise regime.Staying hydrated is key and you should always stretch. If you like swimming, running or cycling you can intensify you’re workout by incorporating these into your already set routine -depending on your exercise program.Fitness can be boring if you do not challenge specific muscle groups. Remember to monitor your fitness level. Keeping a journal to track your exercise and diet along the way helps you stay on track. A daily journal can help you see where you went wrong or what you’re doing right. It can help to motivate you and see where you need to improve.Ask yourself:How frequent are you exercising? How long are you exercises? What type of exercises are you doing?Always make sure you feel comfortable working out. Go at your own pace. Sometimes classes can motivate you and improve your fitness level. Working out in a group or with a partner can be fun and can provide that extra bit of motivation. Proper technique and breathing is important with any weight training. Foam rollers are excellent and are great for muscle tension release and tightness in the legs and hips and other muscle groups. Rolling also aids with muscle exercise recovery.If you are beginning an exercise program take it easy. Develop your program and you will see improvements to maintain optimal health and fitness.Tips for keeping fit:1. Always remember to have fun!2. Obtain a physician’s clearance if you want to begin an exercise program.3. Continuous training. A gentle walk or a vigorous workout. You set the pace.4. Work out with a buddy if you want to start a fitness regime and need extra motivation.5. Don’t get yourself in a fitness rut.6. Foam rolling is great before and after a workout.7. Set achievable and attainable goals.8. Start small and go big.Happy workout!
Healthy Back to School Lunches
Children need a constant supply of energy, vitamins and minerals throughout their day to grow, play and learn. Providing healthy lunches and snacks that are appealing to younger tastes is a challenge for most parents. Parents want to send convenient, affordable, nutritious food that their kids will eat. By offering a variety of foods, a child’s growing body will get all the nutrients that they need while exciting their tastes buds.Children should eat balanced meals and snacks to provide lasting energy throughout the day. Snacks help children stay energized and prevent overeating at meals. Without enough energy from food, they may feel too tired and find it difficult to concentrate in class. To keep a child nourished and ready to learn, a snack should include a mix and match of 2 out of the 4 food groups and a balanced lunch should include at least 3 out of the 4 food groups as recommended by Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide.For example, a snack and lunch for a child between 9 to 13 years of age needs a total of 2-3 servings of vegetables and fruits, 2-3 servings of grain products, 1-2 servings of milk and alternatives and 1 serving from the meat and alternative group for their school day .To prepare a healthy lunch and snack that your child will look forward to eating, think like a kid. Use your imagination and the food guide for creative ideas. Packing a lunch and a snack needs some pre-planning. Involve your child in the planning and preparation. Not only will you spend quality time together, your child will learn about balanced eating and will be more likely to eat food they made themselves. Tasty Bagged Lunch Ideas Add interest and variety by trying the following ideas:
- Salmon or tuna whole wheat wrap with cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, white or flavoured milk and a plum
- Quartered chicken quesadilla made with sliced yellow and orange peppers, mushrooms & cheese with a side of grapes
- Mini-muffin eggs with spinach & onion on a whole wheat English muffin, green and red pepper slices & peach halves
- Grilled Turkey, apple & cheddar sandwich, carrots with dip & milk pudding
- Nut butter sandwich with banana and/or strawberry slices and steamed soybeans (edamame)
- Homemade sesame chicken fingers with plum sauce, sweet potato fries, vegetable sticks, milk pudding & melon slices
- Mini meatloaf muffins, thermos noodle vegetable soup, & pear quarters
- Bagel pizza with celery and carrots stick with a hummus dip, yogurt & mango slices
- Homemade mini burgers with couscous salad & orange wedges
- Turkey kebob skewers, whole wheat pita triangles with a tzaziki dip & raspberries
Nutritious Snack IdeasTry these easy ready-to-eat snacks your kids will love. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Yogurt with high fiber cereal and blueberries
- Apple slices and low-fat cheese cubes
- Sliced bell pepper sticks and baby carrots with cottage cheese, hummus or guacamole dip
- Banana bread with cheese strings or milk and kiwi
The beauty within Downsview’s history
Winding side streets are lined with sturdy brick bungalows, built during the suburban expansion after WWII. Major intersections anchor the plazas; the parking lots, strip malls and cavernous super markets that emerged as the fated corollary of suburbia. But there are also the concrete towers that rose from the ground to accommodate Canadian newcomers from around the world. And then there are cranes and sleek glass condominiums; the monuments of our present moment.But on Keele St., across from the imposing real-estate sales centre in Downsview Park, there is a red brick home with arched windows and sweeping gables. The “George Jackson House” represents another chapter in the history of Downsview.In 1827, newlywed Irish immigrants William and Jane Jackson purchased 200 acres of land for a £1 an acre. Immediately after their honeymoon, William and Jane packed their wooden carriage with tools, food and lumber. An oxen pulled them along a network of dirt trails that were woefully unsuited for their mode of travel. They got stuck in a ravine, just north of modern day Keele and Lawrence, and the newlyweds spent a restless night under the stars. The next morning a team of local farmers helped William and Jane complete their journey, launching them into their new lives.The land we now call Dowsnview was once a patchwork of enormous farms. The landscape was delineated not by concrete, glass and asphalt, but instead by potato, wheat and corn. The Jacksons’ diligently farmed their land. Despite setbacks – on one trek along the treacherous dirt trails, William toppled a wagon full of hay three times – the family prospered. For many years, William served as a Justice of the Peace and public school trustee.Near the end of the 19th century, William’s son George Jackson and his wife Sarah inherited the land, and they built the redbrick home with the sweeping gables. They parlayed the family fortunes and, like his father, George took up public service as both a school trustee and township Councillor.These are the biographical footnotes that invariably echo through time, but artifacts left behind by the Jackson family afford us a much more intimate glimpse into their lives. What is more, they leave us with impressions of family members who otherwise would have been lost in the fog of time.The daughters of the family, Alice and Bessie, kept a great deal of their school work. One essay, written during WW1, perhaps while they attended Weston High School, argues in favor of women’s’ right to vote. A passage reads “Woman’s property and person are protected by a man’s hand – but why is it necessary when she is able and willing to take her own share in the burden?” The essay continues, “[woman’s entitlement to vote] needs no further comment than the bravery, perseverance, enthusiasm and spirit shown in the present war”.The Jacksons’ lost control of the home in the 1960’s. It became a nursing home and then later an office building. In the 2000’s the flames of re-development threatened to engulf the red brick home, but in 2012 the structure was saved by a historic property designation. Today it still serves as office space, but the history of the Jackson family adorns the walls on the ground floor.Reading into this chapter of our community history raises more questions than answers. What was life like as a 19th century farmer in Downsview? What other chapters of our community history are missing, and how can we recover them? What will remain of our way of life in 120 years? There are no definitive answers to these questions, but one thing is certain. History is a lot like Downsview; the only certainty is change.