Heyyy guys, whats up? If you are ever in need of a park, garden or zoo for a family outing or just in the mood for some outdoor activity to soak up the sweet Trini sun, below are a list of hot spots to enjoy your adventure. If you know any other places which I left out, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll surely include it. Thanks in advance... Do enjoy! Asa Wright Nature Centre
Located in the mountains, 7 mi (11 km) north of Arima, the Asa Wright Nature Centre is a 1,500-acre (607 ha) forested conservation area, home to hundreds of species of birds, native wildlife and tropical plants. The centre features numerous walking trails, a bird-watching verandah and restaurant. Guided tours are available.
Keep doing activities you enjoy throughout your life?
Regular physical activity will help you do these things. Physical activity is essential to prevent and reduce risks of many diseases and improve physical and mental health. It can even help you live longer—research from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine indicates that regular exercise can add up to five years to your life.
Physical activity also keeps you in shape so you can enjoy leisure activities and safely perform work and home chores. It offers great mental and social benefits as well. The Lancet released a series of studies that attribute positive outcomes to physical activity, including “a sense of purpose and value, a better quality of life, improved sleep, and reduced stress, as well as stronger relationships and social connectedness.
Physical activity reduces risk for eight conditions
According to the Centers for Disease Control, exercise can reduce your risk of:
Heart disease
Stroke
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Obesity
Depression
Breast and colon cancer
Osteoporosis
Cited: The University of Minnesota (2016)
Trinidad and Tobago is currently facing a diabetes epidemic, so you may want to watch what you eat and drink and how often you exercise. Checking up on your glucose and blood pressure levels more frequently should also be a priority. Why? Diabetes is the second leading cause of death in T&T, according to director of the Diabetes Outreach Programme with the T&T Health Sciences Initiatives (TTHSI). TTHSI is an initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health. On March 12, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain, the director revealed the results of a near ten-year study by TTHSI, which revealed this country was facing a diabetes epidemic. This was concluded after data collected between June 2010 and March 2011, from a study done on 2,124 patients at 31 of the 33 health centres and clinics attached to the South West Regional Health Authority, showed a steady increase in the number of people being diagnosed with the disease. The data also revealed that a very low percentage of patients monitored their glucose levels or had the haemoglobin AIC test; an important step in achieving long-term glucose control and minimising the risk of serious complications. Added to this, it was noted, diabetes as possibly the leading cause of blindness and foot amputations in Trinidad, according to the study. Heart disease and kidney failure were also among the most common complications that may be caused by diabetes.
The importance of having good control over blood sugar, a diet consisting of three portion-controlled meals, two healthy snacks and a light bedtime snack if necessary. The three meals would be breakfast, lunch and dinner, using the six food groups to include lean meat, fish, mostly eggs without yolks, low fat or skimmed milk, whole grains, bread, quick breads and cereals, vegetables, legumes and fruit. Meals should be spaced between two and a half and three hours apart, to keep blood-sugar levels stable throughout the day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it is important to avoid missing meals, especially on long days when a person may be away from home on appointments that can take several hours before having a meal. This can lead to low blood sugar with symptoms of extreme hunger, a weak feeling, sleepiness, nervousness or feeling faint.
Juices
Juice lovers can drink unsweetened juice or 100 per cent pure juice. However, to avoid blood-sugar spikes, a half-cup of juice, diluted with a half cup of water with ice can be used instead. La Borde said a diabetic person must try, though, to aim for only one serving of juice per day, especially if their blood sugar is not under control. She warned that drinks such as mauby syrups and fruit syrups, as well as soft drinks should be avoided as they contain regular sugar. She advised they should only be used if a person’s blood sugar level is going too low and needs to be quickly elevated.
Oils
When it comes to cooking oils, La Borde suggested healthy ones like canola or olive oil, which contain good fats that keep the arteries clear and control cholesterol. Regular vegetable oils can be used in smaller amounts. Never heat any oil until it smokes, as all the good properties are lost, she advised. She said soft-spread health spreads that have no trans fats and no cholesterol should be used. Fats that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils should be avoided or used very sparingly, as they have a degree of saturation and can clog arteries and increase cholesterol, and are in themselves trans fats.
Salads and fibre
She said a variety of salad-type vegetables, preferably raw, can be eaten with each meal or as a snack. She cited cucumber chow, seasoned and with little or no salt, as a good example. She said fibre is also important in the diet, as it slows down or controls blood-sugar spikes. “Remember you only have one body and it is your duty to make sure that it is healthy so that you may have a longer and enjoyable life,” said La Borde.
Snacks
Healthy snacks, she outlined, can include fruit, nuts, loose granola, fibre, cereals, plain popcorn (not microwavable), whole-grain and multi-grain muffins and crackers, low-fat, low-sugar yogurts, and raw vegetables with healthy dips like yogurt or low-fat cheese spreads low in sodium. La Borde reiterated the need for portion control, even when snacking, especially with fruits and nuts. And if a bedtime snack is necessary, La Borde warned that it should be light; a half-cup of oatmeal, six fibre crackers or a half-cup of high-fibre cereal with low-fat or skimmed milk. Sweeteners are optional. This should be consumed half an hour before bedtime. This, she said, would prevent your blood sugar from dropping too low during the night, which happens to a lot of people living with diabetes.
