Cardiovascular Health & Nutrition Education Resources -- 2008 Update

This morning, as part of preparing for tomorrow's stroke clinical pathway subcommittee meeting, I updated my inventory of patient/client and family education tools and resources on cardiovascular health. Here is Part 1 (original PEN and PEN-recommended resources) of the inventory. I'm going to continue working on it over the next day-and-a-half.

Image credit: Colored vegetables by christing-O

Dietitians of Canada's PEN resources (subscription required to access resources):

• Heart Healthy Eating: Cholesterol
• Heart Healthy Eating: Triglycerides
• Heart Healthy Eating: Recipes
• Heart Healthy Eating Sample Menu
• Low Sodium (Salt) Eating
• Low Sodium (Salt) Food Choices
• Low Sodium (Salt) Cooking
• Low Sodium (Salt) Eating Out
• Low Sodium (Salt) Eating Resources
• Reading Food Labels for Sodium (Salt)
• Increasing Your Potassium Intake
• Potassium Content of Selected Fruits
• Potassium Content of Selected Vegetables
• Increasing Your Fibre Intake
• Sources of Fibre
• High Fibre Recipes

Resources recommended by PEN (external sites; PEN subscription not required):

• 5-to-10-A-Day (encourages Canadians to eat more fruit and veggies)
• Omega-3 content of fish, shellfish, fish oils and nuts (table of values for professionals' use but may be helpful in answering clients' questions about which are "best" to eat)
• DASH Eating Plan
• Too much sodium in your diet can contribute to high blood pressure
• What is your blood pressure?

You say you want a resolution....

...Well, you know
We all want to change ourselves
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change ourselves

(Adapted from the famous Beatles lyrics) 

Credit: Happy New Year 2008 (UFO) by heritage futures

Two days into 2008 -- how many times have you heard, read or said the "R" word? When you're asked about your New Year's resolutions are you at a loss? Excited to share them? My usual response it to say I don't make them; I set goals and objectives on an ongoing/as needed basis -- usually whenever I have to work on my professional development portfolio.

Over the years, I've become more reactive than proactive -- by necessity to cope with a busy, unpredictable schedule over which I have limited control. Such is the nature of direct patient care. But this is not necessarily good or bad, right or worng -- or so I've convinced myself. It's just the way it is. Sometimes the most important thing I can do every day is show up at work, identify the priorities and deal with them. But I'm getting off track....

This year I think I may embrace rather than avoid resolution-making because I've read some excellent resources during this Season of Self-Improvement. Here are my favourite New Year's posts, which are inspiring me to make goal-setting and behavior change manageable and meaningful.
7 Essential Tips
Fresh Starts and Modest Changes 

Do you have any food resolutions? To tell you the truth, I hadn't thought of creating any until I read this post. I'd like to adopt/adapt all of them but according to Leo, I should just focus on one. I'll let you know which one I choose in a future post. I'd love to hear your food resolutions in the comments section.

But whatever resolutions or goals you or I set, perhaps we can begin the process by keeping in mind the 100-Mile Diet authors' words:

Take time; go simply; choose connection over consumption; live deeply in the place you find yourself. Remind yourself to care.
From the 100 Mile Diet blog post of December 24th, 2007