Tips for a Healthy Spine – For Women
In honour of Mother’s Day and all of the wonderful women and caregivers out there here are a few tips to help maintain a healthy spine for women:
- Exercise – I can’t emphasize how important this is for our joints, muscles and our spine. Even walking 30 minutes per day helps create gentle motion in our muscles and joints. Doing strengthening exercises just using our own body weight (such as SUP classes!) helps create joint stability and alleviate unnecessary compression. Stretching, especially for the hips for ladies as we have a larger angle between our hips and our knees than men, is an excellent way to maintain mobility.
- Posture: Here are a few tips for the ladies with purses – try wearing them on your dominant side to create balance between postural muscles. If you’re going to wear high heels – try platform to lessen stresses on the spine.
- Diet: If you don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from your diet try supplementing. Other ways to have fun consuming essential nutrients is with baking and add ingredients like flax ground meal powder or pumpkin seeds or even black beans (see recipe below). Especially for the ladies calcium and vitamin D are so important when it comes to muscle and joint health.
- De-Stress: As an active woman with many roles it is so important to take time out for yourself and de-stress. Even if it is only for a short period of time. Suggestions of different ways to achieve this is to try a yoga class, take an Epson salt bath, or try deep breathing techniques and meditation.
- Regular check-ups and physicals. When you have pain – don’t ignore it. Many times we are last on our own list. However, if something is wrong with yourself, it will be difficult to take care of others around you.
Black Bean Brownies
Makes 16
No one will ever guess the secret ingredient in this recipe: black beans!
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the blade and gently stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 brownie/about 2oz/60g-wt.): 160 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 50mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 4g protein