By Brandon Grant, Northern Health men’s health coordinator;
Meghan Mcquhae, Northern Health men’s health
program practicum student; and Jasmine Ford, Northern
health men’s health program practicum student.
We’re all repeatedly told that physical activity is an
important part of a healthy lifestyle, but if you’re
like me, tuition and rent take priority over an expensive
membership to a local gym. So how can
we add activity into our daily lives cheaply (or better
yet, for free) and easily? Getting active doesn’t
have to cost money or take time away from having
fun.

The World Health Organization recommends 150
minutes of weekly activity for an adult - that may
sound like a lot but when you break it down you’re
looking at about 20 minutes per day of either cardio
or weight training. The efficiency of these exercises
depends less on the amount of time and more
on the quality of the activity.

If you need something more stimulating than running,
try dancing. Dancing while you do the laundry
or dishes is a great way to get your heart pumping.
If dancing is not your thing, you can try using
everyday household items to help you get active.
Instead of expensive weight sets, it’s cheaper and
just as effective to use cans of soup to do your bicep
curls. If you find you’re already way too buff for
cans of soup, try using your pickle jar, or if you’re
really tough, try using your laundry soap. The key
is repetition, so count to twelve on one side and
then repeat on the other.

When Friday night rolls around and you have a
hot date, try to get active together! No, not THAT
way - try taking a romantic walk around scenic Fort
George Park or a bike ride along the Ancient Forest
Trail. If you don’t have a special someone in
your life, try getting together with your friends and
forming a sports team of your very own! It’s easy to
find local fields and parks which can serve as your
own BC Place. Make sure to avoid mid-season injuries
by wearing protective gear for the more physical
sports.

In my house, everything is a competition for who has
to take out the trash or do the dishes. Next time you
and your roommate, spouse or sibling are about to
battle it out in an epic game of rock-paper-scissors, instead
try making the contest physical. A race around
the block or even competing to see who can build
a snowman the fastest provides some much needed
physical activity.

Physical activity is just one component of leading a
healthy lifestyle; remember to also eat healthy and
follow Canada’s Food Guide. If you don’t have a
sweet tooth for plants, try freezing a bag of grapes
for a refreshing snack or sprinkling your apples slices
with cinnamon and lemon juice. Daily physical activity
and healthy eating have been shown to improve
your overall health and as a bonus it makes you look
and feel great! So get out there and get active, your
wallet and your jeans will thank you.

For more ideas on living healthy, check out the
Northern Health blog at blog.northernhealth.ca and
follow us on Facebook!

hen you look at yourself in the mirror, what
do you see? Someone who’s confident and
happy with their appearance? Or would you
rather be that attractive person from a TV
show, movie, magazine, or billboard?
Media images have a huge impact on how we view
ourselves, and some people unfortunately go to
extreme lengths to try to copy the mainstream media’s
image of perfection. These images can even contribute
to eating disorders in both females and males.
Yes, males are affected this too! Even though fewer
males than females face eating disorders and selfesteem
issues, it’s important to recognize that men can
have these problems too, and that their challenges are
different.

It’s no secret that healthy eating and regular physical
activity are keys to a healthy lifestyle. However, there’s
a growing trend of males going to extremes. Overdieting
is when a person pursues an overly strict eating
pattern to develop their body in a specific way. This can
include drinking too many protein shakes or taking too
many other supplements.

Likewise, taking exercising to extremes involves
pushing the body to an unsustainable level on a regular
basis, which can lead to injury and burnout.
If you’re thinking about changing what you eat or how
you exercise, consult a physical activity coordinator or
your doctor. You could even call a dietitian at 8-1-1.
Men, like women, can also develop anorexia (an eating
disorder that makes people obsess about their
weight and try to lose weight by refusing to eat), and
bulimia (binge eating followed by purging).

More women than men suffer from anorexia and bulimia,
but it’s still a problem that needs to be addressed
for both sexes. Also, the statistics for men may be
higher, since many men are reluctant to talk about this
problem.

Some signs that you or someone you know might be
suffering from these conditions:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Obsessive focus on food
• Not feeling “good enough” (feeling that they’re not
living up to standards set by themselves or others)
• Not feeling in control of their lives
• Feeling depressed, angry, anxious or alienated
• A history of troubled family or social relationships
• Having difficulties in expressing their feelings
• A history of abuse

Northern Health’s mental health and addictions team
is available for anyone, male or female, who needs help
with an eating disorder. Their contact information is
available on northernhealth.ca. You can also talk to your
doctor if you feel you’re not on the right path.

Finally, people come in all shapes and sizes, and not
everyone with washboard abs and giant biceps is as
healthy as they look. A balanced diet and regular exercise
is the key to great self-esteem and confidence!
For more information on proper physical activity and
healthy eating, visit blog.northernhealth.ca.

After wrapping up a long day of hitting the books, many college or university students enjoy downing a beer or two to unwind. Besides affecting your studying ability for the next day, those drinks might have more of an effect on your body than you think.

Some studies have suggested that there is an association between moderate alcohol use and life expectancy. In these cases, the association has shown that those enjoying moderate amounts of alcohol live longer than non-drinkers. However as Dr. David Bowering, Northern Health medical health officer, points out, the key word is association, meaning the correlation between moderate drinking and living longer has to be taken with a grain of salt. For example, drinking alcohol is typically done in a social setting, and it is known good social networks lead people to live longer, so it is questionable if it’s actually the alcohol that is making the difference, or the socializing around the alcohol consumption.

Combining an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise is not good in the first place, but adding alcohol into the equation causes the unhealthy factor to go off the map. Alcohol is a toxin in our bodies, but what else does it carry with it? Taking beer as an example, there are a lot of extra calories and carbohydrates in a can of beer comparable to other tasty treats we enjoy.

A six-pack of light beer that has about four per cent alcohol content has 100 more calories than a banana split. Drinking a six-pack of dark beer at 5.1 per cent is equivalent to more than three apple fritters when it comes to calories. Even though a lot of us pay attention to our diet, a lot of times we do not take into consideration the sheer amount of extra carbs and calories in beer. Let’s be honest, if we were to eat a banana split or three apple fritters, we would be thinking hard about either modifying our diet and/or getting to the gym to work it off. People typically don’t take the same steps after enjoying a beer as a treat.

A table with more details on the calories and carbs in beer is on the left page.

On a positive note for people that enjoy alcoholic beverages, Dr. Bowering says that if you do live a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet and regular exercise, having an alcoholic drink is one of the simple pleasures in life you might choose to enjoy.