The brain is a major organ in the body that has many functions. It is important to keep the brain a healthy functioning part of the body both mentally through continued learning and physically with proper nutrition. The brain controls sight, hearing and respiration, as well as many other functions (Medical, Surgical Nursing in Canada, 2006). Let’s take a look at what we can do to keep our brains healthy.

Did you know?
The human body is made up of 56-64% water. Water provides the basis for blood pressure and body temperature regulation. In addition, it is the base of digestive juices, sweat and urine, and the fluid found within joints.

With the summer months approaching you may be beginning to plan summer activities for you and your family, things such as soccer, baseball, running, hiking, and much more. Activities like these can be fun, yet draining on the body. It is very important that when having fun in the sun during the summer months we pay attention to our bodies needs and stay hydrated.

Water has been and will continue to be a topic in the media and in this month’s Be Well. Our Manitoba growers had an early spring and seeding is well on the way. Then the rains came. Typically after seeding, a nice rain is always appreciated but the past downpours have led to drowned out plants and perhaps the need to re-seed. Time becomes an issue and tough decisions are made by growers on what to do next. If you would like to follow a few of our growers and their experiences, check out www.facebook.com/manitobacanolagrowers. They have been talking about the weather, weed concerns and how the crop is handling it all for the last bit.

There are many questions revolving around supplements. Here are a few answers for you.

Question: Do I need to take supplements?

Answer: This is a question unique to each person. Ideally, nobody should need to take supplements. If you were to eat the way the Canadian Food Guide advises, in the proportions that they advise, you should not need any supplements. The Canadian Food Guide is the ideal way to maintain a healthy diet for a “normal” person. “Normal” meaning that you do not have any ailments which prevent your body from using the vitamins and minerals in food properly. No supplement will EVER take the place of food. In other words, the vitamins and minerals you receive in food are made for your body to digest and utilize. It is natural and in the form your body needs. What most people don’t realize is that the food that a certain vitamin/mineral is in is never on its own. It is surrounded by other vitamins/minerals that perfectly complement each other in ways that are not fully understood yet. What we do know is that in supplement form, the targeted nutrient is not surrounded by the same nutrients in the food and therefore may be less effective.

We all have busy schedules that can keep us from stopping and taking the time to have a healthy meal. This can lead to snacking in times of hunger which usually happen to be easy convenience foods. Habits like this can causes excessive intake of salt, sugar and fats. Planning ahead can help avoid this, and allow you to make healthy food choices even when we are short on time.

I love spring! The warmth of the sun, the coolness of the air and of course the first signs of spring are everywhere. For me, this is a time to think about my garden – flowers and vegetables. It is also a time for our farmers as they are busy getting ready for seeding. It is such a time for reflection and truly a time of regeneration.

Supplements

There are many questions revolving around supplements. Here are a few answers for you.

We all have busy schedules that can keep us from stopping and taking the time to have a healthy meal. This can lead to snacking in times of hunger which usually happen to be easy convenience foods. Habits like this can causes excessive intake of salt, sugar and fats. Planning ahead can help avoid this, and allow you to make healthy food choices even when we are short on time.