It’s only the beginning of May and our weather has hit astronomical heights.  As it heats up and we remain on the go- it’s more important than ever to stay hydrated and cool down during these excessive temperatures to ultimately, prevent dehydration.

Fluid is essential; it has several roles: it helps move nutrients and waste through the body,  aids in regulating blood pressure and body temperature as well as, lowers your risk for dehydration and heat stroke while serving as a protect ant to your joints and organs.

How to make sure your getting enough? Everyone is a little different; intake varies between infants, teens, adults, elderly folks and even breastfeeding mothers.  It may also depend on your gender and level of physical activity.
It’s best to keep in mind that your total fluid intake can include water as well as, milk, coffee, tea and juice.  Some fruits and vegetables also contain high amounts of water. A good goal would be 8-10, 8 ounce glasses daily (total of 64 to 80 ounces per day). Remember to drink more fluids when you are very active and out in hot weather.

Tips to incorporate more fluids:
- Carry a water bottle with you.
- Choose water when you are thirsty; avoid soft drinks when possible.
- Limit caffeinated beverages to 3 cups per day.
- Take sips during meals, snacks and throughout the day at work or while you are out.
- Soups, milk, vegetable fruit juices can also help meet needs.
- Don’t like plan water? Add fruit slices to it to “spice it up” (strawberries, lemon and lime are some of my favorites).
- Eat your water; snacking on water-filled foods like watermelon.

Signs of dehydration; some tell tale signs of dehydration may include: headache, dizziness, increased heart rate, thirst, dry lips and/or mouth, flushed skin and dark yellow, strong smelling urine.

Want more healthful tips like this? Visit the Duke Raleigh Hospital Blog!

Friday Nights starting June 24th and continuing through August 26th

Location: Base of Captrust Tower, North Hills Expansion

Local bands/acoustic acts will play on stage in the pocket park at the base of the Captrust Tower from 5:30-7:30pm on Fridays in June, July, and August.  These local musicians add ambiance and a sense of community to the North Hills expansion and create a place to relax and mingle on Friday evenings.  In 2008 and 2009, attendees gathered to listen to family friendly and familiar original songs.

This year’s Midtown Emerging Artists Series includes:

June 24 – The Will McBride Group

July 1 – Bubonik Funk

July 8 – Erik Smallwood

July 15  - The Jackets

July 22 – Old Avenue

July 29 – Nick Driver – Official CD Release!

August 5 – Jordan Okrend

August 12 – David Dyer and the Crooked Smile Band

August 19 – Brett Harris

August 26 – Jo Gore and The Alternative

View all 2011 events here!

Presented in Part by:

LoneRider

and SweetWater

Do you know your numbers?

By Heidi Doyle, PA-C

Do you know what your blood pressure is?  How about your cholesterol level? Sugar level?  These values are important predictors for heart disease, vascular disease and diabetes.  Each year in the United States, approximately 1.2 million people will have a heart attack and almost 800,000 people will suffer from stroke – that’s equal to a heart attack every 34 seconds and a stroke every 40 seconds.1,2  Keeping your blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels well controlled can significantly reduce your chance of heart attack, stroke and death.  However, many people do not obtain routine physicals and do not know what their readings are.  Often, a person with elevated numbers will have no symptoms and without proper screening can go undiagnosed for years.  By knowing your numbers, you can take charge of your health and significantly reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.

Blood pressure
Over 74 million adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.3 Your blood pressure reading consists of two numbers.  The first (systolic) is the pressure in your arteries while the heart is contracting or pumping the blood into the vessels.  The second number (diastolic) is the pressure in your arteries while the heart is at rest, in between contractions.  Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or less.  When blood pressure is elevated, the heart must work harder to pump the blood to the rest of the body causing enlargement of the heart and potential heart failure.  Additionally, the linings of the blood vessels are damaged leading to increased plaque formation and inflammation within the arteries.  This increases your risk of heart disease, vascular disease and kidney disease.  For every 20 point increase in systolic blood pressure or every 10 point increase in diastolic blood pressure, your risk of cardiovascular disease doubles.4 So, just going from 120/80 to 140/90 can make a big difference in your risk.  Many things can cause blood pressure to rise.  As people age, the blood vessels naturally become more rigid causing elevations in blood pressure.  Consuming salt, being overweight or inactive, some over-the-counter medications/supplements and excessive alcohol intake can also increase blood pressure.  Also, if your family members have high blood pressure, you are more likely to have high blood pressure.  Lowering blood pressure with medication has been shown to reduce stroke by 40%, heart attack by 25% and heart failure by 50%.4

Blood sugar
Blood sugar (glucose) is the most basic form of energy for all the cells in the body.  The food you eat is eventually broken down into glucose for use by your tissues.  Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin which allows the sugar to get from the blood into the cells.  However, when something goes wrong with either the production of insulin or the use of insulin in the cells, blood sugar levels rise and this can be dangerous.  Elevations in blood sugar levels cause damage to the blood vessels in the body, especially the small vessels connected to the kidneys, eyes and nerves. Most new cases of kidney failure and acquired blindness are a result of diabetes.  In addition, having diabetes puts you at drastically increased risk for heart attack and stroke.  Type 2 diabetes, formally known as adult onset diabetes, is when the cells become resistant to insulin.  Although the pancreas is making plenty of insulin, the cells in the body are not responding to it and therefore not allowing sugar into the cells for energy.  This sugar then builds up in the bloodstream eventually causing diabetes.
Measuring blood sugar is a simple laboratory test.  Normal fasting values are between 70 to 100 mg/dL. Values between 100 to 125 mg/dL are considered pre-diabetes and above 126 mg/dL are consistent with diabetes.  Some people with diabetes have symptoms of increased thirst, increased urination, fatigue, blurry vision and weight loss.  However, many people have no symptoms, especially early in the disease, and are unaware of their illness.  It is estimated that diabetes affects almost 6 million people in the United States, 7 million of whom are not yet aware of their condition.5  Each year, an increasing number of people are found to have diabetes.  Just in 2010, almost 2 million people in the U.S. were newly diagnosed.5 Having a family history of diabetes and being overweight are the two biggest risk factors for elevated blood sugar values.

Cholesterol
Cholesterol and triglycerides are types of fats (lipids) that circulate in your blood.  Your body needs some cholesterol to maintain its cells and overall function. Your liver makes much of the cholesterol your body needs to do this.  We also consume cholesterol in many of the foods we eat. However, too much cholesterol can be dangerous leading to increased risk for heart attack, stroke and vascular disease.  There are several different types of cholesterol, but the two most commonly measured are LDL and HDL.  LDL is the “bad” cholesterol (think ‘L’ for lower).  Excess amounts of LDL can lead to increased plaque formation and inflammation within the walls of your arteries.  HDL is the “good” cholesterol (think ‘H’ for higher).  Elevated levels of HDL can help reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease.  Triglycerides are essentially free fats within the blood.  Elevated triglycerides also cause increased plaque buildup within the arteries which increases the potential for cardiovascular disease. The plaques that build up within the artery walls can be unstable and the walls of the artery become inflamed.  If a piece of plaque breaks off and blocks a smaller artery leading to the heart, a person will experience a heart attack.  If an artery to the brain is blocked, that will cause a stroke.  People with high levels of cholesterol generally do not have symptoms.  The only way to know if you have high cholesterol is to have your blood checked.
The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) sets guidelines for cholesterol levels.  For most healthy adults, LDL levels should be below 130 mg/dL.  However, if you have certain conditions such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, your goal may be lower.  For men, HDL levels should be above 40 mg/dL and for women the goal is above 50 mg/dL.  Triglyceride levels should be below 150 mg/dL.

What is your risk?
Many factors can increase your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.  These include being overweight, smoking, eating an unhealthy diet and being inactive.  Family history also plays an important role.  If your parents, grandparents or siblings have these conditions, you are at greater risk of developing them as well.  Early detection of changes in blood pressure or levels of sugar and cholesterol can significantly reduce your risk of suffering a major event such as heart attack or stroke.  Delaying diagnosis will allow more damage to occur within the blood vessels possibly causing irreversible damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes plus the skin and nerves of the legs.  By knowing your numbers you can take charge of your health.  Work with your health care provider to find out your numbers and improve your overall wellbeing effectively reducing your risk for serious illness.

1. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute accessed on May 2, 2011 at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/HeartAttack/HeartAttack_WhatIs.html
2. American Heart Association accessed on May 2, 2011 at: http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/Impact-of-Stroke_UCM_310728_Article.jsp
3. American Heart Association accessed on May 2, 2011 at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/About-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002050_Article.jsp
4. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute accessed on May 2, 2011 at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/express.pdf
5. Amercian Diabetes Association accessed on May 2, 2011 at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/

What is it?

Amazing Athletes is a sports-based fitness program specifically designed for all children (18 months to 6 years old). The primary age group is 2 ½ to 6 years old.  The program is very fun, dynamic and unique!

What will your child learn?

Amazing Athletes coach the basic fundamentals of nine major ball sports (football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, tennis and golf). They also teach key developmental skills such as hand-eye coordination, gross and fine motor skills, cardio, muscle tone and speed and agility. They have a specific curriculum that they work off of, so it’s not simply throwing a ball around for 35 minutes – there are specific goals they’re trying to reach with the kids. Amazing Athletes is very aware of the developmental skills children need to be learning at this age, and will work those milestones into the curriculum.

Why should you sign your child up?

This class helps build confidence, improves coordination, promotes teamwork and sportsmanship and helps enforce a healthy and active lifestyle. With the rapid growth of childhood obesity, this is a great way for parents to get their children active at an early age. There are numerous studies showing the direct correlation between children who are active at a young age and their overall health when they are adults. In addition, there is no other class offered in the RTP area that allows your child to learn nine sports all in one class!

How long are the classes?

The classes are 35-40 minutes each and are held once a week. The program is year-round. We have some children start the class when they’re 18 months old and stay in until they’re 6. There are four classes each month.

Saturday, May 14th at 8am – 3pm

Location: Six Forks Rd. front parking lot

A wonderful opportunity to see over 100 cars representing more than 40 years of British motoring history.  Cars will be parked in the lot along Six Forks Road in front of Coquette and Cameron Clothing.  Car club enthusiasts will venture from all over the Triangle and beyond to enjoy the cars, live music, stay in the Renaissance Hotel, and enjoy the wide variety of restaurants and shops that North Hills has to offer.   Now in its third year at North Hills, the car club has experienced great success by moving and maintaining this event at North Hills.  Over 115 antique cars were on display in 2010, and North Hills patrons enjoyed a little piece of history parked right in their midst.

View all 2011 events here!

Go Ask Mom will be hosting the open play area during that time when North Hills Kids pulls out its large, colorful foam blocks for kids to climb all over and build with. The blocks are set up under tents in the Commons area (next to Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s).

But wait! There’s more planned for Wednesday! We’ve added a couple of more details since we last wrote about it. So we’ll start with those first. Here goes …

1. The Chick-fil-A cow will be there from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. with cow hats for the kids. He was a big deal last year when he stopped by our event!
2. We’ll have coupons to REI, while supplies last, plus a contest for two kids backpacks and two kids stainless steel water bottles, thanks to REI, a North Hills merchant.
3. Lynda Loveland, Go Ask Mom blogger and co-host of Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM’s Bill & Lynda in the Morning, will stop by to say hi around 11 a.m.
4. Stroller Strides – Midtown Raleigh will provide a FREE Stroller Strides workout class at 10 a.m. This class is great for moms with stroller-riding kids. It’s a fabulous workout and designed for people of all fitness levels.
5. We’ll have a contest for two family four packs to the Magic Wings Festival at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. This annual festival, a popular one at the museum, is May 21.
6. Master Deputy Sheriff Karen T. Muhammad with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office will be on hand with her cruiser for kids to see. She also will be offering parents FREE child identification cards, which record your child’s vital information. She’ll be there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
7. FREE snacks – juice boxes, water, Goldfish, fruit snacks and bananas – while supplies last.
8. And we’ll have some sticker crafts and coloring pages to keep the kids busy. They’re welcome to get crafty there or take it all home in a bag.

So call your friends, alert your playgroup. We’d love to see you there!

Saturday, April 2nd

8am Registration – 9am Walk Begins

Location: Lot B, North Hills Expansion

This walk will be held for the first time at North Hills.  It is a short walk that raises funds and awareness for Kidney Disease.  It will be held in the parking lot directly beside Brueggers, at the Corner of Six Forks and St. Albans St. Visit www.kidneync.org for more information and to register your team today! It only takes a short walk to help someone take a lifesaving step!

View all 2011 events here!

March, April and May Submissions – Auction and Festival June 11th

Location: Throughout the North Hills Property

Plein Air 2011 Application

This event was a tremendous success in its first year, and grew to be a signature North Hills event in 2010.  Artists of all ages will be invited to set up around the property to paint scenes at North Hills that will be judged during a Saturday festival event.  The June festival will be an “arts festival” format featuring works from the area artists for sale and display, a silent auction, fun and relaxing live music, as well as food and beverages.  One of the great elements of this event will be the “quick paint” competition where artists will line up at easels and paint for an allotted time period with the crowd watching.  These paintings will be judged by the same panel that reviewed all of the submitted plein air artworks.

View all 2011 events here!

Get out your calendar, it’s time to start planning your North Hills event fun for 2011! Here’s what we have in store for you:

Midtown Farmers’ Market – Saturdays from 8 am-12 pm starting April 16th and continuing through November 19th

Midtown Music Concert Series – Thursdays from 6-9pm, April 28th through August 25th

North Hills Kids – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9am – 1pm, April – September

Triangle Kidney Walk – Saturday, April 2nd

Antique British Car Show – Saturday, May 14th from 8:30am – 3pm

Plein Air Art Competition – Painting and Submissions: March, April and May; Auction and Festival: June 11th

July 4 Family Celebration – Saturday, July 2nd

Emerging Artists – Friday Nights from June 24th – August 26th

Making Strides – Saturday, October 1st

ADA, Step Out: Walk to STOP Diabetes - Saturday, October 15th, 9am

Halloween Bash at the Farmers’ Market – Saturday, October 29th

Free to Breathe 5k for Lung Cancer – Saturday, November 5th, 9am

North Hills Tree Lighting – Saturday, November 19th

www.facebook.com/NHRaleigh

Location: Bruegger’s Parking Lot B, Expansion Side

The American Diabetes Association will hold their signature fundraising 5K walk for the first time at North Hills in 2011. This walk raises awareness and funds to STOP diabetes locally.  Please visit http://main.diabetes.org/stepoutnorthhills to learn how you can Step Out in North Hills.

View all 2011 events here.

Clearly the 24/7 urban-style retail and office environment has been embraced by the Triangle for its rich amenities and quality of life that appeals to all ages.  As more stores, restaurants, residents, and office workers become part of the integrated development, improved ease of access from side streets and highways is expanding the radius for those who now think of this strategic beltline location as “My North Hills.”   “My North Hills” is different for each person, yet similar in the simple concept that most of our everyday needs and wants can be found within an easy walk, in a setting that draws us in with its welcoming feel and attractive appearance.  While North Hills has already become an economic engine for North Carolina today, the outlook for the future couldn’t be stronger.

Saturday, November 19th

Location: North Hills

The North Hills Tree Lighting is bigger and better every year, but one thing remains the same.  We work hard to keep the traditional “Magic of Christmas” in the mix.  Our program for 2011 will include a mix of live music and your favorite Christmas carols, Victorian carolers, a trackless train, horse and carriage rides, and helpful elves.  Jolly Ole’ Saint Nick will make this visit to North Hills a fond memory that will be treasured for years to come as he lights the most magnificent tree in town!

View all 2011 events here!

Saturday, October 29th

Location: Midtown Farmers’ Market

We are excited to celebrate Halloween at the Farmers’ Market again in 2011.  Festive Music, pumpkin painting, crafts, a masquerade parade, kiddie costume contests, seasonal foods, and hot cider are just the beginning.  Our vendors will dress in costume and display their own pumpkin related creations at each tent.  Once the market has closed, Trick-or-treat throughout North Hills will begin.

View all 2011 events here!