The new media buzz phrase seems to be the “obesity epidemic.” Long-term studies are now beginning to correlate the multifaceted damage that occurs as a result of being obese. This new “awareness” could also be driven by insurance companies who are forced to pay out more claims for preventable disease and conditions caused from lifestyle choices.
To me, this is the key issue, lifestyle choices. People routinely choose the short-term behaviors that result in long-term harm. It is this preoccupation with immediate gratification and comfort that causes people to suffer later in their life. Later always comes, but people seem able to block that out when making daily choices.
So far, the focus of dealing with this issue has been to educate those who find themselves suffering the consequences. This may not be the best use of time, money or resources. Most people understand that they need to move more and eat less. That is not the problem. The problem is that they just don’t want to.
The best measure to help more people improve their personal wellness is to help them develop a personal reason to make healthy changes in their daily lifestyle. Without this motivation, most people will not have the fortitude to maintain the changes for the long-term. By starting this process at an earlier intervention point, you increase the chances of seeing long-term positive results.
For each person, there is a unique reason that would cause them to make and stick to healthier habits. If this can be discovered and utilized as part of a wellness plan, the success rate would increase exponentially. Having a way to create accountability for following through with that plan is another key component to increasing compliance.
I foresee insurance companies, in the future, making people pay more for preventable conditions, and rewarding people who are making and maintaining healthier changes. How could this happen? Simple tests like, cholesterol finger sticks, Height/Weight/BMI analysis, along with body fat and muscle ratios. These can be obtained in a simple “health fair” type environment.
If you were held accountable for your progress toward your goal, and then ultimately the maintenance of your goal, would you be more likely to follow a wellness plan? For some that might be enough to get them looking for ways to create a healthier lifestyle, for others it still would not be enough.
If this started out as an optional program, to lower your insurance premiums, would that be enough to get you making a serious dent in your goals? Only you can answer that question. My challenge is for you to discover this, “What would it take to make you alter or stop your negative health habits and start adopting healthier ones on a consistent basis?”
When each person finds the answer to that question, they can begin move past previous roadblocks and move forward into the life they have wanted in the long term, not just short term. In the end short term pleasures will leave you just coping day to day instead of living a full and rewarding life. It is to step back and look at the big picture.
Most American’s are spending tomorrow’s happiness today, and suffering more and more in their future. Continue on the path of what feels good now, and your quality of life will deteriorate to the point you will need assistance with even your basic daily activities.
Until people realize the long term consequences of short term behaviors, they will not begin making improved daily choices. That is where the battle is truly fought, in your daily choices. What and how much will I eat? Will I make time to move and exercise today? Will I smoke or drink too much? Will I use drugs or other substances? Will I plan time for my personal relaxation or development? Will I devote time to developing meaningful relationships?
It is these daily choices that add up to the sum of your total wellness. Decide today what it will take to make that difference in your life. Then begin making the daily choices that will ultimately change your lifestyle for the better. Begin to expand your vision, because your future depends on each choice that you make today.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Putting Yourself Back on the List-Making Time for What Matters Most
With Mother’s Day approaching, I wanted to send a message to the mothers and grandmothers. It is time to put yourself back on the list. To allow yourself some time that is just for you. Too often, women feel it is their duty to care for everyone else in their life, while at the same time, neglecting the very one that keeps all the plates spinning, themselves!
Today it is time to reclaim your schedule. There are only so many hours in the day, and trying to add more things without taking something away becomes a burnout issue. It is good to visualize how you spend your time. Organizing a schedule is much like organizing a closet. There is room for only a certain number of items before it becomes too full to find anything.
So it is with your time. You need to visually see where all of your time goes. Whatever your issue is, it can be uncovered by keeping a detailed calendar or time journal. You can use this information to create changes that will allow you to chip away at problem issues.
You also need some room left to move things around. This is called margin. Margin needs to be built into your schedule. It is a REAL challenge to say no to back-to-back activities. Allowing a nonnegotiable time buffer between each activity will pay huge dividends when things do not go as planned.
No time for you? Then you need to prune from your schedule the activities that no longer bear fruit or reward you. They are there if you earnestly look. You must ask yourself, “Is this activity adding to my life, does it make a difference or is it really necessary?” Sometimes we continue an activity just because, we always have. Consider if an activity may have run its course in your life.
Begin this personal evaluation by creating a “What Matters Most” list. If an activity does not line up with your list, look for ways it can be removed. If an activity or duty does not bear “fruit” in your life, consider “pruning” it so YOU may grow! As your schedule is opened up, you may begin to add time for personal improvement activities that recharge your batteries.
Relaxation time and hobbies can help people become happier and more personally fulfilled. Freeing up time by dumping unproductive time-sappers will help you regain control of your life. You may then see the “fruit” of your better choices. Begin by doing what you can do—now. The roots you spread will affect your ability to grow.
Total wellness also includes your mental health. In order to safeguard your sanity, you must create healthy boundaries. Boundaries serve two main purposes. Just like a traditional fence, they keep out what you don’t want in your space, and keep safe what you do want in your space. For many different reasons, it is often difficult to set boundaries.
With the constant barrage of stimulus we encounter daily, it becomes necessary to filter the incoming information and emotions you are confronted with. Setting boundaries gives you the power to control the gate and allow into your life only what is useful and beneficial. It also gives you the authority to shut the gate on people, information, and behaviors that are harmful to you and your goals.
Creating personal boundaries is important when people make demands on your time. You need to have clear guidelines to measure against when deciding how to spend your time. By establishing your personal time boundaries up front, you will be able to make more beneficial and consistent decisions. You will have a clear-cut “yes” or “no,” based on whether the activity lines up with the criteria you have set for yourself. These should be based on your “What Matters Most” list and personal values.
It has been said that a man makes time for what a man wants to make time for. That is the truth. What does how you spend your time, say about you? Your challenge is to start creating a REAL desire for personal wellness improvement. When you really want it, you will figure out a way to make it work. Moms will sacrifice for things they want and for things they feel are important.
If you are not making time for yourself currently, then you are saying, by your actions, that you don’t feel you are important. It is time to realize that you will do everything, and care for everyone, better when you first learn to value caring for you own personal health. So start today. Put yourself back on the list and keep your appointments with your self-care activities. Everyone who loves you will thank you for it. “Cause if momma’s not happy, nobody’s happy!”
“Wellness Matters”
By Lisa Schilling RN
Today it is time to reclaim your schedule. There are only so many hours in the day, and trying to add more things without taking something away becomes a burnout issue. It is good to visualize how you spend your time. Organizing a schedule is much like organizing a closet. There is room for only a certain number of items before it becomes too full to find anything.
So it is with your time. You need to visually see where all of your time goes. Whatever your issue is, it can be uncovered by keeping a detailed calendar or time journal. You can use this information to create changes that will allow you to chip away at problem issues.
You also need some room left to move things around. This is called margin. Margin needs to be built into your schedule. It is a REAL challenge to say no to back-to-back activities. Allowing a nonnegotiable time buffer between each activity will pay huge dividends when things do not go as planned.
No time for you? Then you need to prune from your schedule the activities that no longer bear fruit or reward you. They are there if you earnestly look. You must ask yourself, “Is this activity adding to my life, does it make a difference or is it really necessary?” Sometimes we continue an activity just because, we always have. Consider if an activity may have run its course in your life.
Begin this personal evaluation by creating a “What Matters Most” list. If an activity does not line up with your list, look for ways it can be removed. If an activity or duty does not bear “fruit” in your life, consider “pruning” it so YOU may grow! As your schedule is opened up, you may begin to add time for personal improvement activities that recharge your batteries.
Relaxation time and hobbies can help people become happier and more personally fulfilled. Freeing up time by dumping unproductive time-sappers will help you regain control of your life. You may then see the “fruit” of your better choices. Begin by doing what you can do—now. The roots you spread will affect your ability to grow.
Total wellness also includes your mental health. In order to safeguard your sanity, you must create healthy boundaries. Boundaries serve two main purposes. Just like a traditional fence, they keep out what you don’t want in your space, and keep safe what you do want in your space. For many different reasons, it is often difficult to set boundaries.
With the constant barrage of stimulus we encounter daily, it becomes necessary to filter the incoming information and emotions you are confronted with. Setting boundaries gives you the power to control the gate and allow into your life only what is useful and beneficial. It also gives you the authority to shut the gate on people, information, and behaviors that are harmful to you and your goals.
Creating personal boundaries is important when people make demands on your time. You need to have clear guidelines to measure against when deciding how to spend your time. By establishing your personal time boundaries up front, you will be able to make more beneficial and consistent decisions. You will have a clear-cut “yes” or “no,” based on whether the activity lines up with the criteria you have set for yourself. These should be based on your “What Matters Most” list and personal values.
It has been said that a man makes time for what a man wants to make time for. That is the truth. What does how you spend your time, say about you? Your challenge is to start creating a REAL desire for personal wellness improvement. When you really want it, you will figure out a way to make it work. Moms will sacrifice for things they want and for things they feel are important.
If you are not making time for yourself currently, then you are saying, by your actions, that you don’t feel you are important. It is time to realize that you will do everything, and care for everyone, better when you first learn to value caring for you own personal health. So start today. Put yourself back on the list and keep your appointments with your self-care activities. Everyone who loves you will thank you for it. “Cause if momma’s not happy, nobody’s happy!”
“Wellness Matters”
By Lisa Schilling RN
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Embracing Your Exertion and Recovery Cycle- Using It to Achieve better Health
“Wellness Matters”
By Lisa Schilling
We don’t easily change our nature in life. So it makes sense that your fitness type should match your natural bent. It is also important to understand your approach to exercise.
For years, people have been told to workout long and steady, aiming for thirty to forty-five minutes in their target heart range. However, there is REAL benefit from doing short (less than one minute) bursts of intense exercise, recovering, and then repeating that pattern (interval approach).
In fact, this cyclic form of exercise can have tremendous health benefits. An interval approach involves giving an all-out effort over a short period of time—like a minute. This short burst hits the fat stores more intensely.
It floods the body with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefit during the recovery phase. Inflammation has been known to cause multiple problems in the body. This is another reason to utilize these anti-inflammatory types of exercise.
Exercise is good medicine; the changes that occur in the body during the exertion and rest cycle are restorative. History shows that our ancestors ran from predators, chased their prey, and then rested. Our physiology evolved according to these bursts of exertion and complete recovery. A cascade of healing occurs during the recovery phase.
Planning adequate exertion and recovery time is a vital part of any wellness plan. Building these contrasts into your schedule is essential to your long-term vitality. Understanding this cyclic approach is important. Too often we focus on the exertion side of the equation and neglect the recovery side.
People tend to look at the body as a mechanical object. But the exertion and recovery approach looks at the body differently. The circulatory, endocrine, and muscular systems are all cyclic in nature, and this type of exercise enhances the body’s circadian rhythm.
If you ask someone, “Can you go hard for one minute, then rest?” most people are willing to try it. If, on the other hand, you say, “Go hard for forty-five minutes,” there is a less than enthusiastic response.
This short exertion followed by recovery approach, challenges our physiology and puts the highs and lows back into chemical and circulatory responses. It also can deter adaptation.
Another aspect of the exertion and recovery approach is creating sharp contrasts. Contrasts help to build healthy rhythms in our bodies. Cycles such as complete darkness followed by complete light, or being hot followed by being cold, assist the body’s cyclic nature.
The prehistoric hunter-gatherer experienced these extremes each day. Today our artificial temperature control and lighting put restrictions on this natural physiology. To achieve better health benefits, we need to equally alternate these highs and lows.
Exercise affects heart rate variability (HRV), which is the measure of time between heartbeats. It should fluctuate with every respiration. A loss of heart rate variability has been identified as a risk factor common to all causes of death. When you are young and the heart muscle is flexible, there is variance in beat-to-beat measure. As you age, chronic disorders set in, and you lose your HRV.
What these short bursts of all-out effort do is help restore that variability. It can be like “yoga for the heart” and acts as a homeopathic dose of exercise. These bursts are not enough to trigger respiratory fatigue, but are sufficient to generate the anti-inflammatory responses during the recovery phases.
Utilize interval walking to see increased results. For interval walking, check your pulse and take note of it. Add a short ten- to thirty-second “sprint,” followed by slower recovery walking. (“Sprint” is a relative term based on your fitness level—consider your best attempt to flee if the house were on fire!) Gradually build back to your brisk walk. Take your pulse again.
When your heart rate has recovered to pre-sprint levels, you may sprint again. You will benefit from the elevated heart rate even when returning to the slower pace. Follow this pattern regularly, and you will get more benefit for your time of purposeful movement!
By Lisa Schilling
We don’t easily change our nature in life. So it makes sense that your fitness type should match your natural bent. It is also important to understand your approach to exercise.
For years, people have been told to workout long and steady, aiming for thirty to forty-five minutes in their target heart range. However, there is REAL benefit from doing short (less than one minute) bursts of intense exercise, recovering, and then repeating that pattern (interval approach).
In fact, this cyclic form of exercise can have tremendous health benefits. An interval approach involves giving an all-out effort over a short period of time—like a minute. This short burst hits the fat stores more intensely.
It floods the body with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefit during the recovery phase. Inflammation has been known to cause multiple problems in the body. This is another reason to utilize these anti-inflammatory types of exercise.
Exercise is good medicine; the changes that occur in the body during the exertion and rest cycle are restorative. History shows that our ancestors ran from predators, chased their prey, and then rested. Our physiology evolved according to these bursts of exertion and complete recovery. A cascade of healing occurs during the recovery phase.
Planning adequate exertion and recovery time is a vital part of any wellness plan. Building these contrasts into your schedule is essential to your long-term vitality. Understanding this cyclic approach is important. Too often we focus on the exertion side of the equation and neglect the recovery side.
People tend to look at the body as a mechanical object. But the exertion and recovery approach looks at the body differently. The circulatory, endocrine, and muscular systems are all cyclic in nature, and this type of exercise enhances the body’s circadian rhythm.
If you ask someone, “Can you go hard for one minute, then rest?” most people are willing to try it. If, on the other hand, you say, “Go hard for forty-five minutes,” there is a less than enthusiastic response.
This short exertion followed by recovery approach, challenges our physiology and puts the highs and lows back into chemical and circulatory responses. It also can deter adaptation.
Another aspect of the exertion and recovery approach is creating sharp contrasts. Contrasts help to build healthy rhythms in our bodies. Cycles such as complete darkness followed by complete light, or being hot followed by being cold, assist the body’s cyclic nature.
The prehistoric hunter-gatherer experienced these extremes each day. Today our artificial temperature control and lighting put restrictions on this natural physiology. To achieve better health benefits, we need to equally alternate these highs and lows.
Exercise affects heart rate variability (HRV), which is the measure of time between heartbeats. It should fluctuate with every respiration. A loss of heart rate variability has been identified as a risk factor common to all causes of death. When you are young and the heart muscle is flexible, there is variance in beat-to-beat measure. As you age, chronic disorders set in, and you lose your HRV.
What these short bursts of all-out effort do is help restore that variability. It can be like “yoga for the heart” and acts as a homeopathic dose of exercise. These bursts are not enough to trigger respiratory fatigue, but are sufficient to generate the anti-inflammatory responses during the recovery phases.
Utilize interval walking to see increased results. For interval walking, check your pulse and take note of it. Add a short ten- to thirty-second “sprint,” followed by slower recovery walking. (“Sprint” is a relative term based on your fitness level—consider your best attempt to flee if the house were on fire!) Gradually build back to your brisk walk. Take your pulse again.
When your heart rate has recovered to pre-sprint levels, you may sprint again. You will benefit from the elevated heart rate even when returning to the slower pace. Follow this pattern regularly, and you will get more benefit for your time of purposeful movement!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Learning to Love the Process
Building purposeful movement into your daily routine is a vital part of your lifetime wellness plan. Only you can decide what that purposeful movement will be. Find activities that you enjoy doing and schedule time to do it daily. This may be seasonal. You might walk inside or ride an exercise bike during the winter months and then perhaps you garden, work in the yard, or walk outside when the weather is warmer.
Create your plan to incorporate purposeful movement into your schedule, but branch out as new opportunities arise. Some people like routine and need repetition to stay on track. Others need to change it up regularly to remain interested. You may choose a variety of exercises to create your process. The main considerations being, to think about moving all the time, choose a style that works for you, and structure your day to accommodate it.
The traditional way people look at exercise makes it become a form of drudgery. Reawaken to the fact that you can move just for the FUN of it. It is important to create positive associations with movement. When you have a pleasant memory of movement, you are more likely to do it again.
It is vital that you enjoy the process, not just desire the outcome. Commit yourself to an active lifestyle and not just an exercise program. By using what you already know about yourself, you can improve your results.
Creating awareness about moving is essential. A pedometer is a tool that can help you monitor your daily movement. It can help detect the need to increase daily movement or provide maintenance feedback. A healthy goal is 10,000 steps per day. Start out by seeing what you log in a normal day, and then begin to purposefully add 500 to 1,000 steps per day until you reach your goal.
Research shows that you can shed sixteen to eighteen pounds a year by creating a daily habit of walking for half an hour in your target heart rate zone. This weight-bearing exercise also stimulates the mineral content to remain in the bone structure and thus reduces age-related bone loss, known as osteoporosis.
This kind of active movement triggers your survival response—meaning you often lose weight faster as your body feels it must lighten the load to facilitate future activity. The body was once trained to sense activity as a need to flee from danger. This caused it to release fat storage so you could flee faster and thus survive. It is important to stop associating exercise with just calories burned. I can see, if that was the only benefit you obtained from exercise, how defeating that would be.
Active movement does many things beyond burning calories. It releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it also signals your body to start working more efficiently. It turns off fat-storage hormones and signals the release of energy for you to complete needed tasks. You will also continue to burn calories at higher rate after you are done exercising. It basically unlocks the door to how your body functions.
When the body is in fat-storage mode, it tries to conserve energy. Because the body was once designed for the survival principle, it sensed long famines and would store fat for survival during that time. The body now sees a “diet” greater than seventy-two hours as a possible famine, and this triggers it to store fat and conserve your energy.
Through the release of fat-storage hormones, your body is hardwired for prehistoric survival. The only problem is, we do not live in the Stone Age and we have an overabundance of food choices. The simple act of initiating active movement can be enough to signal the body to release fat. It will then give you the energy you need.
When the body feels that its very survival is based on you being able to flee from danger, it will give you what you need to do that. That means having energy and getting leaner. When you look at it that way, the process of exercise is very worth your time.
“Wellness Matters”
By Lisa Schilling
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com/
Create your plan to incorporate purposeful movement into your schedule, but branch out as new opportunities arise. Some people like routine and need repetition to stay on track. Others need to change it up regularly to remain interested. You may choose a variety of exercises to create your process. The main considerations being, to think about moving all the time, choose a style that works for you, and structure your day to accommodate it.
The traditional way people look at exercise makes it become a form of drudgery. Reawaken to the fact that you can move just for the FUN of it. It is important to create positive associations with movement. When you have a pleasant memory of movement, you are more likely to do it again.
It is vital that you enjoy the process, not just desire the outcome. Commit yourself to an active lifestyle and not just an exercise program. By using what you already know about yourself, you can improve your results.
Creating awareness about moving is essential. A pedometer is a tool that can help you monitor your daily movement. It can help detect the need to increase daily movement or provide maintenance feedback. A healthy goal is 10,000 steps per day. Start out by seeing what you log in a normal day, and then begin to purposefully add 500 to 1,000 steps per day until you reach your goal.
Research shows that you can shed sixteen to eighteen pounds a year by creating a daily habit of walking for half an hour in your target heart rate zone. This weight-bearing exercise also stimulates the mineral content to remain in the bone structure and thus reduces age-related bone loss, known as osteoporosis.
This kind of active movement triggers your survival response—meaning you often lose weight faster as your body feels it must lighten the load to facilitate future activity. The body was once trained to sense activity as a need to flee from danger. This caused it to release fat storage so you could flee faster and thus survive. It is important to stop associating exercise with just calories burned. I can see, if that was the only benefit you obtained from exercise, how defeating that would be.
Active movement does many things beyond burning calories. It releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it also signals your body to start working more efficiently. It turns off fat-storage hormones and signals the release of energy for you to complete needed tasks. You will also continue to burn calories at higher rate after you are done exercising. It basically unlocks the door to how your body functions.
When the body is in fat-storage mode, it tries to conserve energy. Because the body was once designed for the survival principle, it sensed long famines and would store fat for survival during that time. The body now sees a “diet” greater than seventy-two hours as a possible famine, and this triggers it to store fat and conserve your energy.
Through the release of fat-storage hormones, your body is hardwired for prehistoric survival. The only problem is, we do not live in the Stone Age and we have an overabundance of food choices. The simple act of initiating active movement can be enough to signal the body to release fat. It will then give you the energy you need.
When the body feels that its very survival is based on you being able to flee from danger, it will give you what you need to do that. That means having energy and getting leaner. When you look at it that way, the process of exercise is very worth your time.
“Wellness Matters”
By Lisa Schilling
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com/
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What Does Your Waist Size Say About Your Health and Fitness?
Knowing where your body carries fat is important in understanding your risk of various diseases. People who carry their fat in the abdominal region (apple-shaped) have greater health risks than those who carry fat primarily in the hips and thighs (pear shaped). This type of visceral fat storage surrounds the vital organs and too much of it causes havoc in your body.
So what exactly is visceral fat? Your omentum is a fatty layer of tissue located inside the abdomen. It actually hangs underneath the stomach muscles and its main purpose is to store fat. Because the omentum lies underneath the muscles, this leads to the abdominal pooch or “pot belly.”
This kind of fat is inside the body. The kind of fat storage we see in pear shapes is subcutaneous fat. It resides just underneath the skin’s outer layer, thus making it less harmful to body functioning. When the omentum becomes so large and fatty it will actually start squishing and crowding the other internal organs.
Your visceral fat is a good indicator of how you deal with chronic stress. If you are under constant stress, your body releases high amounts of hormones into your bloodstream in the form of cortisol and adrenaline.
Your body has to deal with these excess hormones, and this is your omentum’s job. It takes these hormones from your bloodstream, and the hormones in turn step up the ability of your omentum to store fat. This results in a plump belly for you and internal disharmony.
The problem is that fat stored in this area is the first source of fuel for all of your internal organs, especially your liver. All of those added hormones throw off your metabolism by making you resistant to insulin, which means that sugar is floating around in your bloodstream instead of being used as normal by your cells.
This can result in tissue damage from chronically raised blood sugar. Your hormone balance is upset due to the abundance of inflammatory chemicals. This increased inflammation is due to fat being sent as a form of fuel directly to your liver, which in turn sends out the chemicals.
This creates inflammation throughout your system. It also causes “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels to rise by fueling your liver with its fat. So it is easy to see that having too much visceral fat is not only visually unappealing, but it is a serious health risk. Chances are if you have a rounded belly, or apple shaped body, your omentum is likely storing fat.
There are simple machines that can analyze body composition through bio-impedance. They are a noninvasive way to measure visceral fat levels as well as your fat to muscle ratio.
It is not as accurate as a CT-scan but it is much more convenient and accessible. It can be used to help you set goals. When you know what you are working with, you can begin to monitor your progress as you make changes.
Another more simple measure, which you can do at home, would be to determine your waist to hip ratio. You can use this as a guide to determine if you have increased risk for heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
To calculate your waist/hip ratio (WHR): Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement (in inches). For men, the waist is measured at the navel. For women, the waist is measured at the narrowest part of the torso—if not visible, use the navel.
General classification of increased risk is defined as the following: Men=(WHR) greater than 1.0, and Women=(WHR) greater than 0.8. An indication of increased risk and need for weight loss, is a waist girth of: greater than 35 inches for women, and greater than 40 inches for men.
A routine of intentional portion control and routine daily activity are enough to start making changes in these numbers. Along with the quality and quantity of food you take in routinely, how long, how often and how intense your activity is, will directly affect your outcome. A fatty omentum is a serious health risk factor that can be prevented. Start taking steps today to live a healthier lifestyle, for you and the ones you love.
“Wellness Matters”
By Lisa Schilling
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions/
So what exactly is visceral fat? Your omentum is a fatty layer of tissue located inside the abdomen. It actually hangs underneath the stomach muscles and its main purpose is to store fat. Because the omentum lies underneath the muscles, this leads to the abdominal pooch or “pot belly.”
This kind of fat is inside the body. The kind of fat storage we see in pear shapes is subcutaneous fat. It resides just underneath the skin’s outer layer, thus making it less harmful to body functioning. When the omentum becomes so large and fatty it will actually start squishing and crowding the other internal organs.
Your visceral fat is a good indicator of how you deal with chronic stress. If you are under constant stress, your body releases high amounts of hormones into your bloodstream in the form of cortisol and adrenaline.
Your body has to deal with these excess hormones, and this is your omentum’s job. It takes these hormones from your bloodstream, and the hormones in turn step up the ability of your omentum to store fat. This results in a plump belly for you and internal disharmony.
The problem is that fat stored in this area is the first source of fuel for all of your internal organs, especially your liver. All of those added hormones throw off your metabolism by making you resistant to insulin, which means that sugar is floating around in your bloodstream instead of being used as normal by your cells.
This can result in tissue damage from chronically raised blood sugar. Your hormone balance is upset due to the abundance of inflammatory chemicals. This increased inflammation is due to fat being sent as a form of fuel directly to your liver, which in turn sends out the chemicals.
This creates inflammation throughout your system. It also causes “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels to rise by fueling your liver with its fat. So it is easy to see that having too much visceral fat is not only visually unappealing, but it is a serious health risk. Chances are if you have a rounded belly, or apple shaped body, your omentum is likely storing fat.
There are simple machines that can analyze body composition through bio-impedance. They are a noninvasive way to measure visceral fat levels as well as your fat to muscle ratio.
It is not as accurate as a CT-scan but it is much more convenient and accessible. It can be used to help you set goals. When you know what you are working with, you can begin to monitor your progress as you make changes.
Another more simple measure, which you can do at home, would be to determine your waist to hip ratio. You can use this as a guide to determine if you have increased risk for heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
To calculate your waist/hip ratio (WHR): Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement (in inches). For men, the waist is measured at the navel. For women, the waist is measured at the narrowest part of the torso—if not visible, use the navel.
General classification of increased risk is defined as the following: Men=(WHR) greater than 1.0, and Women=(WHR) greater than 0.8. An indication of increased risk and need for weight loss, is a waist girth of: greater than 35 inches for women, and greater than 40 inches for men.
A routine of intentional portion control and routine daily activity are enough to start making changes in these numbers. Along with the quality and quantity of food you take in routinely, how long, how often and how intense your activity is, will directly affect your outcome. A fatty omentum is a serious health risk factor that can be prevented. Start taking steps today to live a healthier lifestyle, for you and the ones you love.
“Wellness Matters”
By Lisa Schilling
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions/
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The 35 Tips for Creating the Perfect “Affair” with Your Spouse:Building a Lifelong Love Affair
The reason that I called Part I of this article “How to Have an Affair with Your Husband,” is because that is one great solution to keep passion alive. Keep in mind this works for husbands as well as wives, but in this example I am using men.
Look at your relationship through the eyes of a “mistress.” What would they do if they were trying to impress your husband? How would they get his attention and what would they do to keep it? When you figure that out, begin to do it. Your husband will be so amazed and thrilled that the results could be earth shattering.
The 35 Tips for Creating the Perfect “Affair” with Your Spouse:
1. Find out what you spouse values. Is it your time, your attention, your validation, your respect, your service, or your physical attention.
2. Be sure to give them what they need, NOT what you would like to receive.
3. Most men value physical touch. Men need to have physical interaction with their wife on a regular basis. Not just interaction but passionate and enthusiastic interaction. That would seal the deal.
4. It is amazing what men will overlook if you take care of this aspect of your marriage.
5. Don’t feel self conscious about your body. Love who you are, be confident in yourself and love your husband passionately. That is what he wants more than a perfect body.
6. Respect yourself and the boundaries of your marriage. Don’t put yourself in situations that could lead to difficult temptations. Listen to you gut and do the best thing for you and honor your marriage.
7. Honesty and trust are two of the most valuable assets a marriage can have. Trust your husband and don’t give him reasons to not trust you. Be honest with how you feel and what you do.
8. Men need to feel wanted, loved, sexy and respected. Find ways to make your husband feel this way.
9. Validate and affirm your husband daily. Let him know, in whatever way he responds to, that you appreciate what he does and that is doing a good job.
10. Write down all the things that attracted you to you husband, all the things he does well. Read it regularly. Write down what you don’t like about your husband. Throw it away. If you start focusing on what you do like, instead of what you don’t, you will begin to get more of what you like.
11. Take care of yourself. Basic things like good grooming, exercise, good nutrition and caring for your skin and hair.
12. Men respond to the visual, give them something to think about. You don’t have to be skinny, you don’t have to be beautiful, just do the best you can with what you have and he will love it and you for it.
13. Invest in yourself. Have hobbies and outside interests, but not at the expense of time with your husband. Having things you love to do, makes you more interesting and a more equal partner. If your life is just about your husband and kids, it is time to develop some things that are just for you. Independence is very sexy.
14. Allow and encourage your husband to pursue hobbies and outside interests, but not at the expense of time with your family. Be supportive and not clinging when he engages in positive hobbies.
15. Don’t put up with being taken advantage of. At the moment you start to feel there is an imbalance, address it. Don’t let it fester and become a deal breaking issue.
16. Don’t nag or complain. He heard you the first hundred times. Ask yourself why this is still an issue and discuss possible solutions with him. If you have several issues that need addressed, make a list and be playful about expressing what you need done. Maybe even offer some incentives… If it does not get done, call a professional and give him the bill. He will soon get the message.
17. Call him or text him with provocative messages. Don’t stalk him, just remind him you are thinking of him in a provocative way.
18. Text him a suggestive photo of you. Note I said suggestive, not x-rated. You want to have him imagine coming home to you, not take care of things himself. Leave much to the imagination, don’t send anything you might regret later.
19. Meet him at an unusual time of day for some physical attention.
20. Look for ways to be passionate in unexpected places and times.
21. Have special signals that you can use in front of people that signal him what you are thinking of.
22. Sneak away together whenever possible to show affection for each other.
23. Write secrets notes to each other and put them in a pocket, lunch or car.
24. Surprise him with a special lunch or meal that is unexpected.
25. Plan a secret getaway, even if it is very short.
26. Wear sexy nightclothes versus the sweats and comfies, show him you care what he sees.
27. Purchase sexy underwear and be sure only he knows you have it on.
28. Tease him and deliver on it.
29. Treat each physical encounter as if it was your chance to make an impression on him.
30. Treat him to a massage regularly, especially hands and feet. This can be very sensual even when around others. Buy some warming massage lotion for more intimate encounters.
31. Spice things up. Keep menthol cough drops by the bed. They create a cooling sensation on the skin you touch with your mouth.
32. Go out on dates, where you fix up and can act like a dating couple.
33. Always smell good. Even before bed, spray a little on you and a little on the sheets. Don’t overlook the power of scent to create a passionate feeling. Maybe, buy him some good stuff too!
34. Take care of your skin. Exfoliate, use lotion and even self-tanner. You will feel better about how you look and it will show in how you respond.
35. And finally, look for ways to enjoy your time together. Make each moment memorable, even when it seems routine. Turn the spark into a flame and keep the fuel at the ready.
Marriage is a special bond that you share, but it requires commitment and energy if you want your investment to stand the test of time. Your partner knows more about you than anyone else. They have seen your flaws and love you anyway.
Think twice before you put that in jeopardy over an unknown, and often temporary, thrill. Invest in your spouse and you will reap the dividends all of your life. As well as setting a wonderful example for the generations to follow.
Look at your relationship through the eyes of a “mistress.” What would they do if they were trying to impress your husband? How would they get his attention and what would they do to keep it? When you figure that out, begin to do it. Your husband will be so amazed and thrilled that the results could be earth shattering.
The 35 Tips for Creating the Perfect “Affair” with Your Spouse:
1. Find out what you spouse values. Is it your time, your attention, your validation, your respect, your service, or your physical attention.
2. Be sure to give them what they need, NOT what you would like to receive.
3. Most men value physical touch. Men need to have physical interaction with their wife on a regular basis. Not just interaction but passionate and enthusiastic interaction. That would seal the deal.
4. It is amazing what men will overlook if you take care of this aspect of your marriage.
5. Don’t feel self conscious about your body. Love who you are, be confident in yourself and love your husband passionately. That is what he wants more than a perfect body.
6. Respect yourself and the boundaries of your marriage. Don’t put yourself in situations that could lead to difficult temptations. Listen to you gut and do the best thing for you and honor your marriage.
7. Honesty and trust are two of the most valuable assets a marriage can have. Trust your husband and don’t give him reasons to not trust you. Be honest with how you feel and what you do.
8. Men need to feel wanted, loved, sexy and respected. Find ways to make your husband feel this way.
9. Validate and affirm your husband daily. Let him know, in whatever way he responds to, that you appreciate what he does and that is doing a good job.
10. Write down all the things that attracted you to you husband, all the things he does well. Read it regularly. Write down what you don’t like about your husband. Throw it away. If you start focusing on what you do like, instead of what you don’t, you will begin to get more of what you like.
11. Take care of yourself. Basic things like good grooming, exercise, good nutrition and caring for your skin and hair.
12. Men respond to the visual, give them something to think about. You don’t have to be skinny, you don’t have to be beautiful, just do the best you can with what you have and he will love it and you for it.
13. Invest in yourself. Have hobbies and outside interests, but not at the expense of time with your husband. Having things you love to do, makes you more interesting and a more equal partner. If your life is just about your husband and kids, it is time to develop some things that are just for you. Independence is very sexy.
14. Allow and encourage your husband to pursue hobbies and outside interests, but not at the expense of time with your family. Be supportive and not clinging when he engages in positive hobbies.
15. Don’t put up with being taken advantage of. At the moment you start to feel there is an imbalance, address it. Don’t let it fester and become a deal breaking issue.
16. Don’t nag or complain. He heard you the first hundred times. Ask yourself why this is still an issue and discuss possible solutions with him. If you have several issues that need addressed, make a list and be playful about expressing what you need done. Maybe even offer some incentives… If it does not get done, call a professional and give him the bill. He will soon get the message.
17. Call him or text him with provocative messages. Don’t stalk him, just remind him you are thinking of him in a provocative way.
18. Text him a suggestive photo of you. Note I said suggestive, not x-rated. You want to have him imagine coming home to you, not take care of things himself. Leave much to the imagination, don’t send anything you might regret later.
19. Meet him at an unusual time of day for some physical attention.
20. Look for ways to be passionate in unexpected places and times.
21. Have special signals that you can use in front of people that signal him what you are thinking of.
22. Sneak away together whenever possible to show affection for each other.
23. Write secrets notes to each other and put them in a pocket, lunch or car.
24. Surprise him with a special lunch or meal that is unexpected.
25. Plan a secret getaway, even if it is very short.
26. Wear sexy nightclothes versus the sweats and comfies, show him you care what he sees.
27. Purchase sexy underwear and be sure only he knows you have it on.
28. Tease him and deliver on it.
29. Treat each physical encounter as if it was your chance to make an impression on him.
30. Treat him to a massage regularly, especially hands and feet. This can be very sensual even when around others. Buy some warming massage lotion for more intimate encounters.
31. Spice things up. Keep menthol cough drops by the bed. They create a cooling sensation on the skin you touch with your mouth.
32. Go out on dates, where you fix up and can act like a dating couple.
33. Always smell good. Even before bed, spray a little on you and a little on the sheets. Don’t overlook the power of scent to create a passionate feeling. Maybe, buy him some good stuff too!
34. Take care of your skin. Exfoliate, use lotion and even self-tanner. You will feel better about how you look and it will show in how you respond.
35. And finally, look for ways to enjoy your time together. Make each moment memorable, even when it seems routine. Turn the spark into a flame and keep the fuel at the ready.
Marriage is a special bond that you share, but it requires commitment and energy if you want your investment to stand the test of time. Your partner knows more about you than anyone else. They have seen your flaws and love you anyway.
Think twice before you put that in jeopardy over an unknown, and often temporary, thrill. Invest in your spouse and you will reap the dividends all of your life. As well as setting a wonderful example for the generations to follow.
How to Have an Affair with Your Husband-Building a Marriage that Lasts
To keep a marriage strong through the years, it requires constant attention. If you begin to let the responsibilities of life overwhelm you, you will forget why it was that you fell in love with your spouse in the first place.
This is when a spouse may begin to seek that spark from someone else, someone who sees what you used to see in them. Over time, a relationship can become stale as each trial and mundane responsibility begins to squeeze the passion from it.
Each person has a need for passion, a need for validation, acceptance and love. Although the level of need may be different, the need is always present. When those needs are intense and not being met in a persons current situation it can lead people to violate their personal values in order to meet that need.
This again goes back to level of need. Those who do not experience an intense need will have challenges understanding why someone else does. We all have areas of life that we experience intense need, however they are not the same for each person. That is why it is often easier to judge the behavior of others.
Because it would not be a problem for us, we judge others who struggle. When in reality there are areas we all struggle in, some are just more visible than others such as addictions, overeating or finance control. Many others are more hidden.
Do you know what your spouse considers an intense need? Do you know what you consider an intense need? Knowing these answers can help you to develop a stronger marriage. Most often when you give your spouse what they need, you are more likely to get what you need.
Deny your spouse an intense need for long enough, and their will be a breakdown in the relationship. This is why you need to do some self-discovery and pay attention to what your partner considers important.
Consider an affair. Why do they happen? Most often, a basic intense need is not being met by the spouse, for a prolonged time, and this leads the other spouse to seek a way to fulfill it. This is where we can see otherwise upstanding people, violate their personal values in order to meet an unfulfilled need.
I make no excuse for bad behavior, because there is always a point where an intervention could have taken place. It is one thing for a need to go unmet, but another to act on it outside the marriage. At the first sign of disharmony there needs to be a recommitment to understand each other and how, as a couple, you can better meet the needs of your spouse.
When this does not happen, we see very dire consequences. Of course, not all situations happen because of this, but a majority do. There is a percentage of people who, because of something that happened to them, are unable to function appropriately in a marriage relationship. That is an entirely different situation. What I am touching on is what I see happening to so many, once passionate, relationships.
Life enters and the fire goes out. Marriage is much like a fire, it takes constant tending or the flames can go out. You have to monitor the fire and if the coals start to burn down, you must throw another log on the fire. Without this attention, the fire will burn out. All fires need fuel to burn. Stop adding fuel to your marriage, and the same will happen to it.
The typical situation happens when a young couple start to develop a life together. They go from a fun dating couple with tons of passion and heat, to homeowners with bills, jobs and responsibilities. This adds a whole new dimension to the carefree time they had before.
Then to top it off, many start to have children. Children are a blessing, but they are also the biggest fire extinguishers you can create. Nothing saps romance more than a crying baby, fussy toddler or a disrespectful teenager.
Times like that call for an even stronger marriage to support the stress being put on each individual. Unfortunately what often happens is that this stress breaks the marriage. Couples stop trying to please each other and start complaining about their own needs not being met.
This huge disruption can cause a major division in the marriage. “Poor Me Syndrome” leads to feelings of not being loved, valued, accepted, or wanted. When each person turns inward the couple will grow apart.
To stop this from happening couples must be aware of the common stresses that will happen during marriage. Things like bills, money problems, family issues, children and mundane duties. You need to realize your breaking points and regroup before too much damage is done.
The solution is to reconnect with your partner and begin to find out what they really need. Then give it to them. You can’t make them give you what you need, you can only control you own actions. But when these things are given lovingly and enthusiastically, most often the receiving spouse will feel compelled to meet the others needs out of sheer gratitude.
Once again, please note I am talking about otherwise healthy loving relationships that have just lost their spark, not abusive or highly dysfunctional ones. That requires much more in depth counsel than I am touching on.
The reason that I called this article “How to Have an Affair with Your Husband,” is because that is one great solution to keep passion alive. Keep in mind this works for husbands as well as wives, but in this example I am using men. Look at your relationship through the eyes of a “mistress.”
What would they do if they were trying to impress your husband? How would they get his attention and what would they do to keep it? When you figure that out, begin to do it. Your husband will be so amazed and thrilled that the results could be earth shattering. In Part II I will share: “The 35 Tips for Creating the Perfect “Affair” with Your Spouse.”
This is when a spouse may begin to seek that spark from someone else, someone who sees what you used to see in them. Over time, a relationship can become stale as each trial and mundane responsibility begins to squeeze the passion from it.
Each person has a need for passion, a need for validation, acceptance and love. Although the level of need may be different, the need is always present. When those needs are intense and not being met in a persons current situation it can lead people to violate their personal values in order to meet that need.
This again goes back to level of need. Those who do not experience an intense need will have challenges understanding why someone else does. We all have areas of life that we experience intense need, however they are not the same for each person. That is why it is often easier to judge the behavior of others.
Because it would not be a problem for us, we judge others who struggle. When in reality there are areas we all struggle in, some are just more visible than others such as addictions, overeating or finance control. Many others are more hidden.
Do you know what your spouse considers an intense need? Do you know what you consider an intense need? Knowing these answers can help you to develop a stronger marriage. Most often when you give your spouse what they need, you are more likely to get what you need.
Deny your spouse an intense need for long enough, and their will be a breakdown in the relationship. This is why you need to do some self-discovery and pay attention to what your partner considers important.
Consider an affair. Why do they happen? Most often, a basic intense need is not being met by the spouse, for a prolonged time, and this leads the other spouse to seek a way to fulfill it. This is where we can see otherwise upstanding people, violate their personal values in order to meet an unfulfilled need.
I make no excuse for bad behavior, because there is always a point where an intervention could have taken place. It is one thing for a need to go unmet, but another to act on it outside the marriage. At the first sign of disharmony there needs to be a recommitment to understand each other and how, as a couple, you can better meet the needs of your spouse.
When this does not happen, we see very dire consequences. Of course, not all situations happen because of this, but a majority do. There is a percentage of people who, because of something that happened to them, are unable to function appropriately in a marriage relationship. That is an entirely different situation. What I am touching on is what I see happening to so many, once passionate, relationships.
Life enters and the fire goes out. Marriage is much like a fire, it takes constant tending or the flames can go out. You have to monitor the fire and if the coals start to burn down, you must throw another log on the fire. Without this attention, the fire will burn out. All fires need fuel to burn. Stop adding fuel to your marriage, and the same will happen to it.
The typical situation happens when a young couple start to develop a life together. They go from a fun dating couple with tons of passion and heat, to homeowners with bills, jobs and responsibilities. This adds a whole new dimension to the carefree time they had before.
Then to top it off, many start to have children. Children are a blessing, but they are also the biggest fire extinguishers you can create. Nothing saps romance more than a crying baby, fussy toddler or a disrespectful teenager.
Times like that call for an even stronger marriage to support the stress being put on each individual. Unfortunately what often happens is that this stress breaks the marriage. Couples stop trying to please each other and start complaining about their own needs not being met.
This huge disruption can cause a major division in the marriage. “Poor Me Syndrome” leads to feelings of not being loved, valued, accepted, or wanted. When each person turns inward the couple will grow apart.
To stop this from happening couples must be aware of the common stresses that will happen during marriage. Things like bills, money problems, family issues, children and mundane duties. You need to realize your breaking points and regroup before too much damage is done.
The solution is to reconnect with your partner and begin to find out what they really need. Then give it to them. You can’t make them give you what you need, you can only control you own actions. But when these things are given lovingly and enthusiastically, most often the receiving spouse will feel compelled to meet the others needs out of sheer gratitude.
Once again, please note I am talking about otherwise healthy loving relationships that have just lost their spark, not abusive or highly dysfunctional ones. That requires much more in depth counsel than I am touching on.
The reason that I called this article “How to Have an Affair with Your Husband,” is because that is one great solution to keep passion alive. Keep in mind this works for husbands as well as wives, but in this example I am using men. Look at your relationship through the eyes of a “mistress.”
What would they do if they were trying to impress your husband? How would they get his attention and what would they do to keep it? When you figure that out, begin to do it. Your husband will be so amazed and thrilled that the results could be earth shattering. In Part II I will share: “The 35 Tips for Creating the Perfect “Affair” with Your Spouse.”
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