by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Dec 30, 2024 | Holidays and Special Events
I have always wondered about St. Valentine and who he was. I've heard some good things and some bad things. So, this year I decided to find out more about this mysterious person that is the inspiration for our February 14 celebration of Valentine's Day. Below are 10 surprising facts about St. Valentine.
Who was St. Valentine?
Well, that depends on who you ask, apparently. For example, according to History.com, there are about a dozen St. Valentines, one of which was a woman (Valentina). One of the main reasons there are so many St. Valentines is probably because the term “Valentinus” comes from the Latin for “worthy, strong and powerful.”
According to Wikipedia, we celebrate two different Saints' Lives on February 14. However, they are probably the same man.
- St. Valentine was a widely recognized 3rd-century Roman saint from the High Middle Ages, and his Saints' Day is associated with a tradition of courtly love.
- Saint Valentine was also a clergyman and he was probably either a priest or a bishop.
Some history sources state that St. Valentine lived in the Roman Empire and ministered to persecuted Christians. He was martyred and buried at a Christian cemetery on the Via Flaminia, which was close to the Ponte Milvio to the north of Rome.
The reason we celebrate on February 14 is because he was martyred on this day. St. Valentines Day is also known as “The Feast of Saint Valentine,” and has been celebrated since 496 AD.
Below are a few of the “Valentines” that can be celebrated throughout the year:
- According to history.com, the saint we celebrate on February 14th is known officially as “St. Valentine of Rome.” This Valentine is rumored to have been martyred by beheading by Pope Claudius II on 2/14/269 or 270 for marrying Christian couples.
- The Most “Beatified” of the St. Valentines was St. Valentine Berrio-Ochoa. Ochoa was a Spaniard of the Dominican order who lived and died in Vietnam in 1861. He died by beheading and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
- Pope Valentine, served for 40 days around A.D. 827.
- St. Valentine of Viterbo is celebrated on November 3. Catholic sources state he was martyred in 304 by Emperor Diocletian under the influence of Galerius.
- St. Valentine of Raetia can be celebrated on January 7. According to Catholic sources, Raetia was a bishop Christened “Valentine” in the 5th Century, who lived in the city of Raetia, Italy.
- St. Valentine (Valentina) was a virgin and was martyred in Palestine on July 25, A.D. 308.
- The Eastern Orthodox Church officially celebrates St. Valentine twice, once as an elder of the church on July 6 and once as a martyr on July 30.
References
History Channel This Day in History
History Channel – 6 Surprising Facts about St. Valentine
Wikipedia – St. Valentine
Other things you might be interested in:
Valentines Day Cards
Valentines Day Bookmarks
Who Was St. Patrick?
Who Was St. Patrick Activity Pack
St. Patrick's Day Recipe Cards for Kids
St. Patrick's Day Social Skills Activities
July 4th Activities Pack
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Nov 24, 2024 | Food Allergies and Special Diets, Getting Kids Moving, Nutrition and Health
How to Manage Childhood Diabetes
Diabetes is an inherited or acquired chronic disease pertaining to the inability of the body to metabolize carbohydrates.
There are two main types of Diabetes: Type 1, known as insulin-dependent Diabetes, and Type 2, also known as Insulin-resistant Diabetes.
Diabetes Type 2 is the more common type, and it was formerly known as Adult-Onset Diabetes since it was mostly diagnosed in the adult age group. However, with recent advances in medicine, it is now known that the disease is not limited to adults as it affects children and teenagers alike.
According to the American Diabetes Association, 34.2 million Americans or 10.5% of the population have diabetes, with nearly 6,000 youths newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes annually as of 2020.
This is a very alarming statistic since it is known that Diabetes kills more Americans every year than AIDS and breast cancer combined.
To learn more about insulin resistance, SymptomFind’s guide on insulin resistance explains the causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Diabetes in childhood is a growing concern in America and parents should help manage and prevent their children from having diabetes by making healthy lifestyle changes early in childhood.
Here are three recommendations on how to prevent and manage childhood Type 2 Diabetes.
1. Weight Management
According to the American Diabetes Association, 89% of adults with diagnosed Diabetes are overweight or obese. Obesity is a known major risk factor for developing Type 2 Diabetes. Teaching children how to eat a balanced diet with low glycemic index foods at an early age will help reduce the risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes.
A balanced diet will supply their body with the proper nutrition and low-glycemic index foods can prevent their blood glucose from rising too high. Low-glycemic index foods are still possible to find even on a budget. Our article on ‘Healthy Eating on a Budget’ talks about healthy meal planning for kids on a budget, which is definitely worth a read.
Here are examples of low-glycemic index foods that children could enjoy:
- Whole wheat bread
- Brown rice
- Soymilk
- Leafy green vegetables
- Apples, pears
- Squash, sweet potatoes
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- White bread
- White potatoes
- Breakfast cereals
- Candies
- Cookies
- Ice cream
- Chips
- Pineapples, Watermelon
- Portion Control
Portion control simply means controlling how much food is eaten in one sitting. Increased portion sizes are linked to weight gain and overeating. Parents can prepare their children’s plates with the proper proportion of different food groups. The USDA through Myplate.gov has simple guidelines online that can serve as a reference for parents interested in serving healthy proportionate meals at home, even on a budget.
By practicing portion control at an early age, this develops into a habit that children carry to adulthood, hence, lessening the risk of overindulging in carbohydrates that could lead to diabetes.
- Exercise Regularly
Exercise is good for our health and is a fantastic way to prevent and manage Type 2 Diabetes.
The 2018 study by Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans advises that children ages 6 to 17 years engage in 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous-intensity, muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week. The guidelines suggest that children ages 3 to 5 years should have at least 180 minutes of physical activity throughout the day.
By engaging in physical activity, the child burns calories and lowers blood glucose levels. Glucose provides the energy needed by the muscles to move, which in effect, lowers the blood glucose levels.
Here are the other benefits of exercise:
- Better weight control
- Lower blood pressure
- Stronger muscles
- Stronger bones
- Lean body
- More energy
- Better sleep
Type 2 Diabetes inflicts many children and teenagers.
Parents can help their children manage and prevent this disease by making the right lifestyle changes. For example,
- Starting weight management measures.
- Controlling the portions of what children eat.
- And exercising regularly.
If you think any of your children might be at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, please set an appointment with your pediatrician for proper evaluation and management.
Diabetes Tools Vector Created by photoroyalty – www.freepik.com
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Nov 17, 2024 | Food Allergies and Special Diets
Control your Sugar Level: The Best Bread for People with Diabetes
Eating balanced and organic food is one of the best ways to keep your diabetes in control naturally.
If you are new to diabetes, people might advise you against having bread because bread is high in carbohydrate.
But bread is a staple food in most households in the US. So, if you are wondering what you can have instead of bread, the answer is you DON’T HAVE to switch.
People with diabetes can have bread without any fear, if your doctor permits and more importantly, if it is the right kind of bread.
So, what types of bread are best for people with diabetes? What should you look for when you are buying bread from stores?
Today we will talk about the types of bread that normalize your blood sugar naturally. We will also share tips to choose the best bread for diabetics.
Food and Glycemic Index
Carbohydrate is essential for human health development. However, it also contributes to the elevated sugar level in the blood for it easily breaks down to sugar.
On the other hand, good carbohydrates that are low in glycemic index or GI are the best foods that keep the blood sugar level as well as other issues, such as weight gain, heart diseases, etc., under control without external medication.
What is the Glycemic Index?
GI is a way to measure the foods that increase or decrease your blood sugar levels, i.e. glucose according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
The GI reference point is scored between 1 and 100. The lower the score the better the GI. Foods that do not contain carbs, such as meats, do not have a score.
White bread scores around 71.
Therefore, people with diabetes are advised against eating white bread.
The best foods for people with diabetes have a low-glycemic score (<55). These foods include pumpernickel bread, whole fruits, non-starchy vegetables, such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and cucumber, legumes, beans, and pulses, corn, yam, steel-cut oatmeal, and millet.
Other foods that contain medium-glycemic index (55 to 69) include quick oats, wheat bread, couscous, brown rice, Basmati rice, wild rice, and pita bread.
Foods with high-glycemic-index (>69) that people with diabetes ought to avoid:
– Potatoes
– Bananas
– Popcorn
– White rice
– Macaroni
– Breakfast cereals
– All refined foods
– Processed foods
– Pineapple
– Cooking oil
How to Choose Low GI Breads?
You must consider certain things, such as the nutritional factors when purchasing your bread.
The more processed a food is, the higher is the carb or GI level.
Therefore, we suggest you opt for whole meal or stone-ground bread to control your sugar level.
Now not all stores sell this kind of bread. So, if you need alternatives, make sure you read the labels of the bread packages and check the nutritional facts, such as calories, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, and sodium level.
– Calories: If you plan to eat two bread slices, keep the calories <90 per slice.
– Carbohydrate: The amount of carbs a person can have depends upon your meal plan, your weight-loss aim, and your health condition. However, a bread that has carbs between 15 and 20 gm or less (including sugar content) per slice is recommended.
– Fat: People with diabetes should aim at having foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, and high in healthy or unsaturated fat. Plain bread without nuts and seeds do not contain many fats However, if you must choose something with fat, make sure the bread has zero grams trans-fat and less than 1.5 grams of saturated fat.
– Fiber: Fiber is an essential nutrient for people with diabetes and obesity. It has many benefits, such as slowing down the processing of sugar in the blood. It also decreases appetite or hunger, keeps you full and energetic for a long time, regulates your bowel movements, and minimizes cholesterol level. Make sure the fiber content is highest or at least three grams per serving.
– Sodium: Sodium can increase blood pressure and therefore, diabetic people must completely minimize eating food with high sodium levels. Ensure that each slice of bread has less than 150 mg sodium, for example.
Bread that Keeps Your Diabetes in Control
If you are baking bread at home, you can include ingredients like flaxseeds, chia seeds, nuts, wheat bran, oats, and millet.
You can replace these ingredients with your regular flour in 1: 4 ratios (1/2 cup ingredient vs. 1 1/2 cup flour).
Bread that you can include in your diet includes:
– Whole-wheat bread or brown bread
– Multi-grain bread
– Gluten-free bread
– Organic bread
– Sprouted bread (Contains no flour and is made out of sprouting grains, beans, and seeds)
– Sourdough bread
– Tortillas
Unless your doctor specifies, it is not necessary to stop eating bread. Make sure your bread is GI low, sugar-free, trans-fat free, and whole grain.
Author Bio:
Henna is a proficient writer who firmly believes in the age-old remedies and holistic medicine as a primary cure for several diseases. After graduating she embarked on a journey to find the truth about holistic and natural remedies.
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