While driving to work today, I heard at least three commercials advertising products designed to make you: thin, skinny, or slim. Is it just me, or does anyone else remember hearing kids called this on the playground as a taught or putdown? Perhaps you had a grandma or certain relative that would comment on how skinny you were getting. But also recall their plan was to “put some meat on your bones,” not congratulate you.
Somehow these are now desirable traits, and companies spend a great deal of money to convince you that their product, plan or pill will help you achieve this. Unfortunately, they are missing the point. People simply want to buy a “look,” not improve their health. To be healthy does not require you to be skinny, however many healthy people have lean, trim figures as a result of their efforts. Your state of fitness has more to do with how your body functions than what the scale says.
There are many ways to be thin and only a handful of those ways are healthy. If you only try to be skinny, and neglect improving your health and fitness, you have sold yourself short. One of my favorite mantras has always been: “Focus on the fitness, not the fatness.”
The more you work to eat sensible, participate in weight bearing exercise, and challenging your heart and lungs with cardiovascular training, the greater your health and fitness improvement will be. This will not only affect how you look, but how you feel, for the duration of your life.
Just looking skinny or weighing less, should not be the goal. Instead consider making your goal to lose body fat through targeted exercise and nutrition changes, to increase lean muscle by adding weight bearing exercise, to improve endurance by challenging your heart and lung function with cardio-based exercise, or to reduce or eliminate medication by changing your habits.
This positive activity will also increase your metal attitude as well as your self- esteem. When you improve your health and change your weight due to consistent healthier habits, you will walk with a little spring in your step. You will feel so good about what you are doing for yourself that others can’t help but notice the change in how you carry yourself.
This is about you taking a proactive approach to your habits. Caring more about how healthy and fit you are, than how much you weigh. When you change your focus you can begin to change your life.
If you find yourself overscheduled, overwhelmed and burned-out, or you have struggled with health, fitness, wellness or life-balance issue in the past, it is time to shift your focus. Spend more time on prevention and less time dealing with the preventable symptoms or conditions caused by unhealthy living.
When you learn the supreme importance of valuing yourself, you are empowered to take responsibility for your choices and thus, take control of your outcomes. When you begin to embrace this connection, you can being to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.
Embrace the Get REAL Body Image approach, and learn to value your body as well as what makes you unique. I call this learning to love the skin you are in, while making targeted changes to improve your future. By taking a Get REAL approach, you can learn to embrace moderation and let go of “all or nothing” patterns that drive yo-yo dieting and weight cycling.
I challenge you to see the REAL beauty you have within and begin to let that shine through. By changing your focus and attitude, you can begin to improve your external appearance for the better. Always focusing on becoming the best you, you can be and letting go of unrealistic goals and stereotypes.
Having learned the difference between struggling to be what you were 10 years ago, and enjoying a healthy life at the place you are now, I can relate to the struggles that REAL people have; thus, I speak with empathy and authenticity.
By changing your focus to improved health and fitness and releasing the goal of just being skinny, you will gain the perspective to uncover and implement REAL lifestyle changes to move you toward your goals of improved wellness and self acceptance.
"Wellness Matters"
Lisa Schilling RN, CPT
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The “Top Ten” Nutrition Secrets for Athletes
Athletes have greater demands placed on their bodies and as a result they must taken greater measures to ensure they meet those demands. Student athletes are at even greater risk for deficiencies due to the growth and hormonal changes also taking place. This is a top ten look at ways you can tackle nutrition head on!
1. Take a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Ensure adequate amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B Complex, and Folic Acid. Consider Vitamin C that is esterized, Vitamin E with mixed tocopherols and a vitamin and mineral supplement that has been chelated.
Look for minerals as amino acid chelates. Important minerals to consider would be Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium and Selenium.
2. Remember, a meal is eating two or more nutritious foods at one sitting. At a minimum, it should consist of a complex carb and a protein. Aim for two different colored fruits or veggies at each sitting. Eat upon waking up, after exercise and take in health nutrition (100-300 calories) every three to four hours.
3. Drink water all day long. Hydrate more on hot days or when sweating a great deal. Avoid caffeine in the evening, and use it wisely prior to workouts, games or practices.
4. Practice your KISS: “Keep It Simple Stupid.” Having multiple food options is not necessary to constitute a meal. People tend to eat more, the more options they have, so keep it simple, basic and as natural as possible.
5. Add more nutritional value to common foods. Consider products such as whey protein powder, flaxseed meal and wheat germ as non-flavor health additives to your recipes, cereal, yogurt and smoothies. Pureed fruits or veggies can also be snuck into regular recipes. Gear your mind toward adding more nutrition to each eating episode. Think of healthful additions to round out meals.
6. Look to add more fiber through complex carbs and fruits and vegetables. Fiber acts like little brooms, sweeping out the digestive tract. Carefully evaluate the first five ingredients listed to ensure the actual “whole grain” content.
7. Think more brown and less white. Try whole grain options in your bread, crackers, pasta, and flour. Choose brown rice over white and dense carbs over light and airy. Food = Fuel, what do you want to fuel your body with?
8. For a mental boost, try a baked potato with the skin before bed (3 hours after last meal). It helps the body raise your serotonin level. It creates an insulin response, which has an effect on the movement of the amino acid tryptophan from your blood into the brain. Choose any non-protein toppings and eat the skin.
9. Plan grocery shopping with a protein to balance principle in mind. For every 15 grams of carbs you eat, try to eat 7 grams of protein (P2B Ratio). Create easy to grab snack and take along meals for easy access. Make several servings ahead of time and freeze in individual serving sizes. This saves time when in a crunch. Often those easy to grab – shelf stable foods will clog up your digestion, reduce your performance and decrease your fitness status.
10. Make it easier on yourself, by planning ahead when you have time. Have your go-to nutritious snack combinations either written down or thought up, for always ready snack ideas. As always, plan ahead. Prior preparation prevents poor performance!
"Wellness Matters"
Lisa Schilling RN, CPT
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com/
1. Take a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Ensure adequate amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B Complex, and Folic Acid. Consider Vitamin C that is esterized, Vitamin E with mixed tocopherols and a vitamin and mineral supplement that has been chelated.
Look for minerals as amino acid chelates. Important minerals to consider would be Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium and Selenium.
2. Remember, a meal is eating two or more nutritious foods at one sitting. At a minimum, it should consist of a complex carb and a protein. Aim for two different colored fruits or veggies at each sitting. Eat upon waking up, after exercise and take in health nutrition (100-300 calories) every three to four hours.
3. Drink water all day long. Hydrate more on hot days or when sweating a great deal. Avoid caffeine in the evening, and use it wisely prior to workouts, games or practices.
4. Practice your KISS: “Keep It Simple Stupid.” Having multiple food options is not necessary to constitute a meal. People tend to eat more, the more options they have, so keep it simple, basic and as natural as possible.
5. Add more nutritional value to common foods. Consider products such as whey protein powder, flaxseed meal and wheat germ as non-flavor health additives to your recipes, cereal, yogurt and smoothies. Pureed fruits or veggies can also be snuck into regular recipes. Gear your mind toward adding more nutrition to each eating episode. Think of healthful additions to round out meals.
6. Look to add more fiber through complex carbs and fruits and vegetables. Fiber acts like little brooms, sweeping out the digestive tract. Carefully evaluate the first five ingredients listed to ensure the actual “whole grain” content.
7. Think more brown and less white. Try whole grain options in your bread, crackers, pasta, and flour. Choose brown rice over white and dense carbs over light and airy. Food = Fuel, what do you want to fuel your body with?
8. For a mental boost, try a baked potato with the skin before bed (3 hours after last meal). It helps the body raise your serotonin level. It creates an insulin response, which has an effect on the movement of the amino acid tryptophan from your blood into the brain. Choose any non-protein toppings and eat the skin.
9. Plan grocery shopping with a protein to balance principle in mind. For every 15 grams of carbs you eat, try to eat 7 grams of protein (P2B Ratio). Create easy to grab snack and take along meals for easy access. Make several servings ahead of time and freeze in individual serving sizes. This saves time when in a crunch. Often those easy to grab – shelf stable foods will clog up your digestion, reduce your performance and decrease your fitness status.
10. Make it easier on yourself, by planning ahead when you have time. Have your go-to nutritious snack combinations either written down or thought up, for always ready snack ideas. As always, plan ahead. Prior preparation prevents poor performance!
"Wellness Matters"
Lisa Schilling RN, CPT
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com/
The Nutrition Prescription - Nutritional Considerations for Student Athletes
The needs of the student athlete are unique. Because of the increase in training (physical activity) during sports seasons, the student can become run down and susceptible to illness if they do not properly monitor nutrition. What do athletes want?
• To go fast
• To be strong
• To build muscle
• To sharpen skills/gain an edge or advantage
• To have energy/feel good
• To increase stamina/improve time
• To be healthy
Without changing their pre-season diet during the training period, the athlete will not get the maximum results from their effort. A student, who goes from relative inactivity to training for a sport, will find themselves struggling if they do not increase their calories and choice of fuel. The body will get energy from where ever it can.
If you are not meeting the body’s needs through your food choices, it can take what it needs from your bone and mineral stores. This creates an unhealthy condition in your body. Student athletes are still growing and their bodies are changing. During this important time emphasis must be placed on proper fuel.
Fuel=food. If you had a Ferrari you would be sure to fuel it with top quality fuel not junky fillers and questionable fuel sources. But most students don’t consider what they are fueling their bodies with. Garbage in garbage out!
Don’t think you must give up your favorite foods, but consider what you can add to create nutrition at each eating episode. Your focus needs to be adding more nutrition, more high performance fuel. This will give you an edge on the competition and allow your body to perform at its maximum.
Solid nutrition allows you to build muscle the way putting Miracle Grow™ on plants helps them to thrive. It is about giving your body the fuel it needs to really grow. At this time of growth and development, nutrition is a major factor in your overall performance and wellness.
Problem: Not drinking enough water, if any at all.
Solution: Keep options handy! Plan ahead! Find ways to disguise the taste with “cool” pour in flavors or flavored waters. Nothing beats plain and natural water. Water is to your body like oil is to your car’s engine. It keeps things running smooth.
You would not run your car without oil, but you often choose to run your body without the vital water your cells need to thrive. Get a special bottle to keep your water in or other way to remind yourself to drink. Fill a two-liter bottle with water daily and don’t stop until it’s gone.
Problem: Skipping Breakfast.
Solution: Breakfast does not have to be a heavy meal. Look at it as your “Metabolism Booster!” Think of it as simply adding nutritious calories, versus eating a morning meal. If you were told you could take a purchased supplement every morning and it would increase your performance, endurance and metabolism, would you? Well you can, and it is called breakfast.
Bottom line is: if you want to have that performance edge, you will start fueling your body every morning. This can be a variety of easy to eat portable snacks, fortified cereals or even a meal replacement type shake, but read the label for content first. Look for balanced nutrition, low sugar & good protein content.
Ideally look for a simple carbohydrate source and a quick digesting protein source. Your body goes all night without food, this slows your metabolism, which lowers your optimal body functioning. It is only when you consume nutritious calories that your body starts to rev up for the day. No AM fuel, equals reduced performance.
So eat to win, and train your body with your nutrition and water intake, the same way you train your muscles with weights or your lungs with cardio. Proper nutrition and hydration will make your body perform at its peak production. That should be the goal of any true athlete. Treat your body like the machine it is! So in the morning ask yourself do you want to be a Ferrari or a Pinto, the choice is yours.
Problem: Lack of consistent protein and sporadic eating with long gaps without food. (Avoid gaps of more than 3-4 hours without food and aim for a protein source each time) Protein is essential for muscle growth, energy, red blood cell formation and strength. It keeps blood sugar stable and sustains energy levels.
Solution: Plan ahead! Keep several protein snack options handy in your locker, gym bag, car or purse. If it is not handy, you won’t eat it. Examples: peanuts, peanut butter crackers, trail mix, beef jerky and protein snack bars. When available drink milk, eat yogurt, cheese sticks, cheese and crackers or eggs. Adding any of these options to what you already eat is a start. Consider building meals around these foods.
Problem: Not knowing how to fuel your body. “What to eat” &“When to eat it.”
Solution: There are two main times of day to take in simple carbohydrates: first thing in the morning and after your practice, training or a game. Breakfast because your body needs to raise your blood sugar from going so many hours without food and when you're done with a heavy workout because this starts the recovery and muscle growth process.
A hard workout depletes stored glycogen (sugar), so your body will want to replace it. A little insulin spike (from the carbs or sugar) can help increase protein synthesis immediately after a workout, but be sensible in your choices. Rapidly digestible proteins, such as whey protein powder, some simple carbs and some complex carbs are an ideal combo for post workout nutrition.
Problem: Lack of vital nutrients from multiple food groups (Aim for at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal). It is something you will have to do intentionally. Look for these foods and don’t rely on corn and peas because they are “starchy” vegetables. Your body uses each food group differently and they are ALL needed for balanced nutrition.
Solution: Keep several options in your cabinet at home and pack any that are portable, apples, carrots, cauliflower and other easy to keep items. Dip is ok, cheese is ok, dressing is ok, just get the nutritious food your body needs. Consider it a training supplement!
Problem: Too much caffeine.
Solution: Use it wisely. Caffeine is a legal drug. Caffeine draws water from your body’s cells and thus will dehydrate you. Consider how much you take in and ways to cut back. Energy drinks may be cool, but they pack too much caffeine and calories for any health benefit. In fact too much could be hard on your heart and actually decrease performance.
Taken too close to bedtime and your mind will continue spinning while your body may be tired. Sleep is when your body rejuvenates its cells and replenishes your vital stores. Lack of proper sleep will also decrease performance and make you more likely to get sick. Being run-down from lack of sleep also slows injury healing.
Treat your body better than you treat your "stuff." You only get one and if you want it to look good, run well and stay strong, then fuel it well!
Wellness Matters 2010
Lisa Schilling RN, CPT
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com/
• To go fast
• To be strong
• To build muscle
• To sharpen skills/gain an edge or advantage
• To have energy/feel good
• To increase stamina/improve time
• To be healthy
Without changing their pre-season diet during the training period, the athlete will not get the maximum results from their effort. A student, who goes from relative inactivity to training for a sport, will find themselves struggling if they do not increase their calories and choice of fuel. The body will get energy from where ever it can.
If you are not meeting the body’s needs through your food choices, it can take what it needs from your bone and mineral stores. This creates an unhealthy condition in your body. Student athletes are still growing and their bodies are changing. During this important time emphasis must be placed on proper fuel.
Fuel=food. If you had a Ferrari you would be sure to fuel it with top quality fuel not junky fillers and questionable fuel sources. But most students don’t consider what they are fueling their bodies with. Garbage in garbage out!
Don’t think you must give up your favorite foods, but consider what you can add to create nutrition at each eating episode. Your focus needs to be adding more nutrition, more high performance fuel. This will give you an edge on the competition and allow your body to perform at its maximum.
Solid nutrition allows you to build muscle the way putting Miracle Grow™ on plants helps them to thrive. It is about giving your body the fuel it needs to really grow. At this time of growth and development, nutrition is a major factor in your overall performance and wellness.
Problem: Not drinking enough water, if any at all.
Solution: Keep options handy! Plan ahead! Find ways to disguise the taste with “cool” pour in flavors or flavored waters. Nothing beats plain and natural water. Water is to your body like oil is to your car’s engine. It keeps things running smooth.
You would not run your car without oil, but you often choose to run your body without the vital water your cells need to thrive. Get a special bottle to keep your water in or other way to remind yourself to drink. Fill a two-liter bottle with water daily and don’t stop until it’s gone.
Problem: Skipping Breakfast.
Solution: Breakfast does not have to be a heavy meal. Look at it as your “Metabolism Booster!” Think of it as simply adding nutritious calories, versus eating a morning meal. If you were told you could take a purchased supplement every morning and it would increase your performance, endurance and metabolism, would you? Well you can, and it is called breakfast.
Bottom line is: if you want to have that performance edge, you will start fueling your body every morning. This can be a variety of easy to eat portable snacks, fortified cereals or even a meal replacement type shake, but read the label for content first. Look for balanced nutrition, low sugar & good protein content.
Ideally look for a simple carbohydrate source and a quick digesting protein source. Your body goes all night without food, this slows your metabolism, which lowers your optimal body functioning. It is only when you consume nutritious calories that your body starts to rev up for the day. No AM fuel, equals reduced performance.
So eat to win, and train your body with your nutrition and water intake, the same way you train your muscles with weights or your lungs with cardio. Proper nutrition and hydration will make your body perform at its peak production. That should be the goal of any true athlete. Treat your body like the machine it is! So in the morning ask yourself do you want to be a Ferrari or a Pinto, the choice is yours.
Problem: Lack of consistent protein and sporadic eating with long gaps without food. (Avoid gaps of more than 3-4 hours without food and aim for a protein source each time) Protein is essential for muscle growth, energy, red blood cell formation and strength. It keeps blood sugar stable and sustains energy levels.
Solution: Plan ahead! Keep several protein snack options handy in your locker, gym bag, car or purse. If it is not handy, you won’t eat it. Examples: peanuts, peanut butter crackers, trail mix, beef jerky and protein snack bars. When available drink milk, eat yogurt, cheese sticks, cheese and crackers or eggs. Adding any of these options to what you already eat is a start. Consider building meals around these foods.
Problem: Not knowing how to fuel your body. “What to eat” &“When to eat it.”
Solution: There are two main times of day to take in simple carbohydrates: first thing in the morning and after your practice, training or a game. Breakfast because your body needs to raise your blood sugar from going so many hours without food and when you're done with a heavy workout because this starts the recovery and muscle growth process.
A hard workout depletes stored glycogen (sugar), so your body will want to replace it. A little insulin spike (from the carbs or sugar) can help increase protein synthesis immediately after a workout, but be sensible in your choices. Rapidly digestible proteins, such as whey protein powder, some simple carbs and some complex carbs are an ideal combo for post workout nutrition.
Problem: Lack of vital nutrients from multiple food groups (Aim for at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal). It is something you will have to do intentionally. Look for these foods and don’t rely on corn and peas because they are “starchy” vegetables. Your body uses each food group differently and they are ALL needed for balanced nutrition.
Solution: Keep several options in your cabinet at home and pack any that are portable, apples, carrots, cauliflower and other easy to keep items. Dip is ok, cheese is ok, dressing is ok, just get the nutritious food your body needs. Consider it a training supplement!
Problem: Too much caffeine.
Solution: Use it wisely. Caffeine is a legal drug. Caffeine draws water from your body’s cells and thus will dehydrate you. Consider how much you take in and ways to cut back. Energy drinks may be cool, but they pack too much caffeine and calories for any health benefit. In fact too much could be hard on your heart and actually decrease performance.
Taken too close to bedtime and your mind will continue spinning while your body may be tired. Sleep is when your body rejuvenates its cells and replenishes your vital stores. Lack of proper sleep will also decrease performance and make you more likely to get sick. Being run-down from lack of sleep also slows injury healing.
Treat your body better than you treat your "stuff." You only get one and if you want it to look good, run well and stay strong, then fuel it well!
Wellness Matters 2010
Lisa Schilling RN, CPT
http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com/
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
How Tracking Your Fitness, Can Change Your Fitness Level
Being unhealthy is not just an information problem, it is a motivation problem. If I can change how & what people think about, I can help them change their lives. Just teach them what to do, and I have only added to list of things they already know they "should" be doing. Don't "should" on yourself! Change the way you play the game.
Learning more about what is happening to your body, on a day to day basis, can be just the motivation some people need to make the critical difference. There are many products available to help you track your fitness, so many that it can be overwhelming. One simple product would be a pedometer. These devises are cheap and effective. They track the number of steps you take. The recommendation for good health is 10,000 steps a day. By creating an awareness of your daily movement, you can begin to see your progress and then make choices based on that information.
Another tool would be a heart rate monitor. They can be used to see if you are working in your target heart rate zone as well as assessing your recovery heart rate. Knowing this information can push you to work smarter not harder. Heart rate monitoring is important for making improvement in the way your heart and lungs function.
Products such as the BodyBugg and GoWear fit are comfortable, convenient, continuous body-monitoring products that can measure physical activity and calories burned with a high level of accuracy. Different from the above products, these are lifestyle and calorie management systems.
What are these contraptions, and are they worth it? As one user stated, “Absolutely, it is worth it! It is not super cheap, but the long term cost of extending your life is worth it.” When you consider the other things you spend money on such as haircuts, manicures, tanning, eating out, and health and beauty products, the price of $100 to $300 is not that unreasonable IF you use it to change your life.
How do they work? Well, you wear them as an armband. They have sensors that gather information and measure the calories you are burning. This information can then be uploaded to your computer and saved in your online profile. When you login, you are able to see exactly how many calories you burn during specific activities. It also keeps a running total to let you know the number of calories you have burned for the day.
You will know how many calories you need to burn to counteract your calorie intake. Knowing exactly how many calories you burn in real time, can guide you to make smarter decisions. Having this information makes your efforts more convenient and easier to understand. It allows you to make informed choices about your own health. This is something that many people find difficult to do on a consistent basis.
Knowing how close or how far you are to your goals, allows you to make more plan-focused choices. You are in control and will get instant feedback on the results of your choices. By taking the information you have gathered, you can decide what further choices need to be made in order to meet your daily goals.
Most people know what to do, but simply don't hold themselves accountable to do it. The instant feedback provided by this technology can make your weight loss and fitness efforts more tangible. You can stay on track without wondering if what you are doing works or not.
Before you decide to buy one of these devises consider that you must be very consistent and take the time to enter your foods in the on-line menu. If you want to improve your eating habits, it is necessary to keep track of the calories you are eating. It can be time consuming, but knowing the results of your efforts should make it worth it.
On average it takes about 5-15 minutes daily, depending on your speed with the menus. When you eat the same things often, it will become even easier. You can track only exercise or calories burned, but the nutrition aspect gives you the best picture of your progress.
The bottom line is, if you need accountability and something to help you see the fruits of your labor, then I highly recommend you try one of these devises to help you stay on track. The instant feedback and accountability could be the difference that makes all the difference! "Wellness Matters"
Learning more about what is happening to your body, on a day to day basis, can be just the motivation some people need to make the critical difference. There are many products available to help you track your fitness, so many that it can be overwhelming. One simple product would be a pedometer. These devises are cheap and effective. They track the number of steps you take. The recommendation for good health is 10,000 steps a day. By creating an awareness of your daily movement, you can begin to see your progress and then make choices based on that information.
Another tool would be a heart rate monitor. They can be used to see if you are working in your target heart rate zone as well as assessing your recovery heart rate. Knowing this information can push you to work smarter not harder. Heart rate monitoring is important for making improvement in the way your heart and lungs function.
Products such as the BodyBugg and GoWear fit are comfortable, convenient, continuous body-monitoring products that can measure physical activity and calories burned with a high level of accuracy. Different from the above products, these are lifestyle and calorie management systems.
What are these contraptions, and are they worth it? As one user stated, “Absolutely, it is worth it! It is not super cheap, but the long term cost of extending your life is worth it.” When you consider the other things you spend money on such as haircuts, manicures, tanning, eating out, and health and beauty products, the price of $100 to $300 is not that unreasonable IF you use it to change your life.
How do they work? Well, you wear them as an armband. They have sensors that gather information and measure the calories you are burning. This information can then be uploaded to your computer and saved in your online profile. When you login, you are able to see exactly how many calories you burn during specific activities. It also keeps a running total to let you know the number of calories you have burned for the day.
You will know how many calories you need to burn to counteract your calorie intake. Knowing exactly how many calories you burn in real time, can guide you to make smarter decisions. Having this information makes your efforts more convenient and easier to understand. It allows you to make informed choices about your own health. This is something that many people find difficult to do on a consistent basis.
Knowing how close or how far you are to your goals, allows you to make more plan-focused choices. You are in control and will get instant feedback on the results of your choices. By taking the information you have gathered, you can decide what further choices need to be made in order to meet your daily goals.
Most people know what to do, but simply don't hold themselves accountable to do it. The instant feedback provided by this technology can make your weight loss and fitness efforts more tangible. You can stay on track without wondering if what you are doing works or not.
Before you decide to buy one of these devises consider that you must be very consistent and take the time to enter your foods in the on-line menu. If you want to improve your eating habits, it is necessary to keep track of the calories you are eating. It can be time consuming, but knowing the results of your efforts should make it worth it.
On average it takes about 5-15 minutes daily, depending on your speed with the menus. When you eat the same things often, it will become even easier. You can track only exercise or calories burned, but the nutrition aspect gives you the best picture of your progress.
The bottom line is, if you need accountability and something to help you see the fruits of your labor, then I highly recommend you try one of these devises to help you stay on track. The instant feedback and accountability could be the difference that makes all the difference! "Wellness Matters"
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Are You Spending Tomorrows Happiness Today?
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.
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.
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!
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