Resolve to Embrace Healthy Habits in 2012

Many people will be thinking about their new year’s resolutions this week. With New Year’s Day falling on a Sunday, the start of a new week, it’s inviting to consider embracing a whole new lifestyle to kick off the new year. Unfortunately, many people set goals that are unrealistic and end up feeling discouraged.

Set yourself up to succeed this year by choosing one or two habits to implement that will improve your overall health. Perhaps it’s replacing soda with unsweetened iced tea or water. If an all-out switch is too lofty, start with just one day a week. You can always increase the days as you go. Here are some other possible habits you might consider starting with:

• Walking ten minutes (or once around the block) every day.
• Eating one serving of vegetables at lunch and/or dinner every day.
• Listing ten things to be grateful for every day.
• Keeping a food diary of what you eat.
• Incorporating one physical activity the family can do together every weekend, such as hiking, swimming, or Frisbee.
• Setting an alarm to remind yourself every 90 minutes to get up and stretch when at your desk.

Adopting small, simple habits will enable you to be successful, and success breeds success. Start with just one or two and once you have those down, add another or step those up. If you miss a day, don’t worry. Just start over. The point is not to be perfect, but to be on the path.

Did You Eat the Whole Thing?

It’s holiday time and food is everywhere. I believe in moderation in all things, so I don’t encourage people to eliminate the foods they really love. It’s a matter of portion control. When I joined Weight Watchers in 1994, one of my primary goals was to learn how much to eat. I grew up with three brothers who ate whatever they wanted, it seemed, and restaurant sizes were already starting to expand.

Does watching portion sizes mean you have to weight and measure everything? Well, when you can do so at home, it helps. But don’t become obsessed with it. WebMD and Weight Watchers have some great tips for estimating how much food you actually have on your plate. This is a great thing, because researchers have found that people tend to underestimate how much they eat, a sure recipe for weight gain! Use these comparisons to help you get started:

• 3 oz. meat = deck of cards, the palm of your hand or a cassette tape
• 2 oz. nuts or peanut butter = golf ball
• 1 teaspoon = a poker chip or the tip of your pinkie finger
• 1 tablespoon = your thumb from the end to the first knuckle
• 1 oz. chips = six large tortilla chips or 20 potato chips
• 2 servings of rice = light bulb
• 1 c. vegetables = a baseball or your fist
• 2 c. leafy vegetables = two tennis balls
• Baked potato = computer mouse
• ½ c. pasta = ½ of a baseball
• 1 serving waffle or pancake = CD
• 1 small muffin = a tennis ball
• ½ bagel = a hockey puck
• 1 oz. cheese = one die

For a great wallet-sized guide to portions, visit WebMD at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/wallet-portion-control-size-guide

If you’re not sure how many portions you should be eating a day, give me a call to schedule your personal consultation.

Stay Active During the Holidays

With the increased demands on us, it’s easy to give up exercise during the holidays. Who has time for trips to the gym or exercise classes when there is shopping, decorating, mailing, baking, and so forth to accomplish? People intent on enjoying their holidays do! Actually, maintaining your exercise program is essential to getting the greatest pleasure from your holidays.

Given the hectic pace, be creative in your approach. Rather than eliminate exercise, look for ways to modify your regular routine. Cutting the time in half is better than skipping it altogether. Take a walk during your child’s piano lesson. Try NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, to expend calories by building activity into your day. Stand rather than sit, and pace rather than stand. Return telephone calls on your cell phone while walking, ironing, or folding laundry. Park at a distance from the store, and make several trips to the car. Strive to take the stairs everywhere, and be less efficient at home to take the stairs more often.

Keep in mind that activity is an effective way to alleviate stress. Consider trying yoga, a wonderful relaxation technique. Besides the great physical benefits it affords, yoga harmonizes the body with the mind, enabling people to perform activities efficiently while enhancing overall satisfaction. Need something simpler? Take a brisk walk and spend quiet time alone or invite a loved one and talk out your stress. How about dancing? Music is a terrific mood enhancer, and the aerobic movement will energize you and release excess emotion after a stressful day.

Finally, when planning your holiday activities, include those that get you and others moving. Set up a caroling event or tree-trimming party. When dividing the tasks among family members, choose to decorate or go shopping. Volunteer for a local charity wrapping gifts, delivering gift baskets, or serving food. Make your family outings and events active. Walk off your holiday dinner and enjoy the lights, go skating, or clear the living room for dancing.

Whatever you choose to do, make it fun and have your best holiday yet this year!

Minimize Holiday Stress

Despite the celebrations and good intentions, the holidays are stressful for many people. Time demands, limited funds, unrealistic expectations, and family issues – all of these and more can turn what should be a joyous season into a hectic and even traumatic time. This year, make a conscious choice to create the holiday experience you want to have.

Start by being selective with the events you attend. Just because you’re invited to six parties, doesn’t mean you have to attend them all. Consider rotating your attendance; attend his employer’s party this year and yours next year. How would it feel if you went separately – you attend your work party while your spouse attends hers? Or simply just decline – whatever works best for you.

(scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Once you’ve decided on your priorities for the year, “pen” those on the calendar first, and plan everything else around them. Shopping, baking, and decorating can all be worked in; plan ahead so you can enjoy attending your son’s holiday concert.

Holiday time can mean cutting back on sleep as we strive to fit everything in. Avoid this temptation and maintain your sleep routine as much as possible. This will enable you to minimize stress, maximize your productivity, and maintain good judgment. Burning the candle at both ends only makes us unproductive as we waste time making errors and being indecisive.

Look for ways to save yourself time and effort. Order preprinted holiday cards and have your gifts wrapped by the store or at the charity booth at the mall to save time and do a good deed. Buy your holiday pies from the local bakery, or do your shopping online. As you work to accomplish what you need to, consider what tasks you can delegate. Don’t pass up any offers of help, and if others don’t offer to help, ask them to! If you can, hire some outside help for house cleaning or other chores you don’t need to do yourself. Remember that the holidays are for having fun, so be sure to allow time for relaxation.

Create a New Mindset for the Holidays

Can you envision a holiday season that is enjoyable and relatively stress-free and doesn’t leave you tired and carrying more weight than you started with? It is possible! Set an intention for the kind of holiday you’d like to have this year. As you move through December, examine your old traditions, habits, and beliefs, and see where you’d benefit from adopting new ones.

Begin by considering when the holiday season starts for you. Did it start at Halloween? Will it continue past January 1? What triggers the start for you – Thanksgiving, the day you put up your Christmas tree or other holiday decorations, or something else? If possible, begin your celebrating later in season; for example, bake holiday treats closer to the actual holiday. When do you consider the holiday to be over – when the special food is gone? If so, make less food and end the holiday earlier than you have in the past.

A successful strategy for many people is to avoid thinking of the holidays as one long season; rather, manage the season by going from event to event. In between events, stick to your routines as much as possible, and conduct yourself the way you would any other of time year. Eat regular, balanced meals; be active; sleep 7—8 hours a night; and take care of your health.

Another effective strategy is to set goals for yourself around how you want to handle managing your weight, incorporating exercise, managing your time, and minimizing stress. Take the time to consciously think about these areas, and set an intention in each area. Finally, during the holidays, avoid all or nothing thinking. Remember that ten minutes of exercise is better than no exercise and one hors d’oeuvres is better than five (and better than none if skipping them leaves you feeling deprived.) Aim for balance and moderation to maximize your enjoyment of the season.

The Second “No-Brainer” for Optimum Health

Last time we looked at the first of two universally held recommendations to reduce your risk of almost every known disease: not smoking. Have you guessed what the second is? It’s exercise. For years I’ve read a variety of wellness publications and repeatedly exercise appears the top of the list of things we can do to prevent illness.

When you think about it, it’s not too surprising. Aerobic exercise improves the ability of the lungs, heart, and blood vessels to deliver adequate amounts of oxygen to the cells to meet the demands of physical activity. So we’re back to talking about oxygen, the life force I wrote about last time. Quitting smoking and exercising both enhance the body’s ability to use oxygen.

Aerobic or cardio exercise also strengthens the heart muscle, which means the heart is able to pump more blood per beat, so it has to beat less often to supply oxygen to the body. This results in the heart working less hard, potentially enabling it to last longer. I like to compare the heart to a machine, such as a photocopier. The fewer copies run on a machine, the longer the machine lasts. So in a very real sense, aerobic exercise is strength training for your most critical muscle – the heart.

While volumes have been written about the benefits of exercise, one worth highlighting for its ability to lower our risk of disease is that it helps us maintain a healthy weight. Overweight and obesity are correlated to virtually every major disease and they make the heart work harder, exactly the opposite of our goal!

I love to be active and regularly incorporate aerobic activity, strength training, and stretching in my daily routine. Let me know if you need some help creating an exercise habit you’ll love so you can achieve your optimum health.

Two “No-Brainers” for Optimum Health

My clients commonly lament that health related advice is often contradictory or changes frequently. While I understand their frustration, I’m happy to report that there are two universally held recommendations that I have never seen contradicted or negated. Following these two pieces of advice will lower your risk of contracting virtually every major disease and most lesser known ailments, as well.

The first is to not smoke. Happily in Arizona some 84% of adults and 77% of teenagers already follow this advice. This still leaves about a million Arizona residents who smoke, however. Because oxygen fuels every cell of our body, smoking affects every single organ. Oxygen is our life force and smoking reduces the body’s ability to absorb oxygen, so it’s not surprising that smoking compromises our body function so tremendously.

According to stress management expert Kebba Buckley Button, smoking also causes long term brain damage and results in personality changes. Many non-smokers are unable to tolerate the second-hand smoke, limiting smokers’ social opportunities. While many smokers cite relaxation as a primary reason they smoke, Kebba points out that the economic, health, and social costs of smoking far outweigh any perceived benefit. She explains that her “breath work” techniques utilize the same slow exhaling that smokers practice, without any of the cost and risk associated with smoking.

This week I learned that in the summer of 2012 all ten Maricopa Community College campuses and the District office will be smoke- and tobbaco-free. Perhaps your workplace has already implemented such a program. If not, don’t wait. Think of the four million Arizona adults who are non-smoking with whom you’ll be able to socialize. Join me next time for “no-brainer” number two.

Toasting Your Good Health

The holiday season is upon us, and for many, alcohol will be part of the celebration. While I do some moderate drinking, I should point out that, from a health perspective, there are pros and cons to consuming alcohol. Experts advise that moderate alcohol consumption can have health benefits, but too much imbibing can quickly reverse any positive effects. Moderate drinking is considered to be one drink a day for women and two for men of all ages.

Generally health officials do not advise people who presently don’t drink to start. But if you currently enjoy alcohol, keep in mind that moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits such as reducing the risk of developing heart disease or dying of a heart attack and reducing your risk of strokes, gallstones, and possibly diabetes. However, excessive alcohol consumption has been correlated to serious health problems including: cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, and breast; pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides in their blood; sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease or heart muscle damage leading to heart failure; stroke and brain atrophy (shrinkage); and cirrhosis of the liver (mayoclinic.com).

If you watch your weight, do consider the calories. Drinks toting the highest calorie counts are: margaritas in a pint glass – 550, mudslides (4.5 oz.) – 417, Long Island ice teas (7 oz. +) – 380, white Russians (6 oz.) – 320, and the popular piña coladas (6 oz.) – 293. Your best bets include: rum (1 oz.) and Diet Cokes – 65, vodka (1 oz.) and sodas – 65, white wine spritzers (4 oz. wine) – 80, bloody Marys (5 oz. +) – 90, and light beer (12 oz.) – 103.

Finally, keep in mind that our alcohol tolerance declines with both age and increased stress levels. Many states have adopted zero tolerance policies toward those driving while impaired, so monitor yourself carefully this holiday while celebrating. Let’s keep it a truly happy and safe season!

Let's Do Lunch!

Next to breakfast, lunch is the most frequently skipped meal. Some people work through lunch, others never think about it (I can’t imagine it, but many people have told me this, so it must be true!), and a few misguided folks think skipping meals will help them lose weight. It’s important to eat regularly to maintain a healthy metabolism, give the body the fuel it needs, and avoid overeating later on.

If you work outside your home, bringing lunch to work is a great way to make healthy choices, always have what you enjoy, and stick to a budget. So just what can you bring that is healthy, easy, and enjoyable? There are no rules, so don’t be afraid to be creative – or repetitious, if that appeals to you. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Check your refrigerator and freezer for left-overs. Add some frozen veggies to left-over Chinese food and microwave it at the office. Soups, chili, and stew are easy to reheat and satisfying.

• Modify the classic sandwich by starting with whole wheat wraps, flat breads, or 100 calorie thin buns or bagel thins. Look for nitrite- free deli meats or make tuna, salmon, egg, or chicken salad with low- or fat-free mayo. Add celery, halved grapes, mustard, relish, onion, and any other seasoning that appeals to you and top the sandwich with your favorite vegetables. Spread on hummus or mashed avocado as an alternative to mayo or mustard.

• Assemble a variety of foods that cover the basic food groups to change it up a bit. Proteins include yogurt, hard and cottage cheese, nuts, hard boiled eggs, Edamame (soy beans), peanut butter, and legumes. Carbohydrate choices could be whole wheat crackers, breads, or rolls; low fat muffins; baked potato; or popcorn. Hand-held fruits and cut up vegetables add volume and nutrition. I like to cut carrots and celery into bite-sized pieces and add red grapes for a good-tasting, healthy alternative to chips.

• Make a salad to accompany any of the above or as the main event. Save time by buying already washed salad greens and other bagged vegetables and add grapes, dried fruit, shredded or feta cheese, corn or beans, nuts, or anything else that appeals to you. I frequently include Boca or Morningstar Farm soy burgers or Trader Joe’s meatless meatballs as a protein source on my salads. Look for low fat dressings or flavored vinegars as a topping.

• If you crave something sweet to complete your meal, look for the single-serving snacks, such as low fat pudding cups, 100-calorie packs, or boxed raisins. Be sure to read the labels so you know just what you’re eating.

Take the time for a healthy lunch and you’ll give yourself a productive, enjoyable afternoon.

Dining Out Well

Americans love to eat out. When I was growing up, we ate out less than once a month, and most of the time when we did, it was due to traveling. Today, according to greenanswers.com, the National Restaurant Association reports that "an average of one out of five meals consumed by Americans — 4.2 meals per week — is prepared in a commercial setting.” Is it possible to eat well, that is – healthy, while dining out? Yes!

There are several basic, common sense strategies you can use to stay well while eating out. First, don’t see it as a treat or special event, because as the data show, we’re don’t reserve eating in restaurants for special occasions. If you only dine out once a month or less, splurging when you do is not nearly the problem it would be if you ate out every other day, as most of us do on average. Try to order the kinds of healthy foods you would prepare yourself, in the quantities you would eat at home.

Pay attention to the extras: alcohol, appetizers, the bread basket, the bowl of chips, sauces, and desserts. How of many these do you typically include in your meals at home? The calories and fat from these add-ons really add up!

Avoid buffets where the quantities and calories are virtually unlimited. If you do find yourself faced with a salad bar or buffet, be sure to walk the entire length first. Plan out what you don’t want to miss and what you can easily skip that is common but “costly,” such as cheese cubes, crackers/breads, fatty meats, and fried foods. Fill at least half of your plate with vegetables (here common items are okay) and take just a tablespoon-sized taste of the salads and hot dishes, remembering that many small portions will add up.

Finally, whether you’re eating at home or out, I recommend the approach my father’s doctor suggested after his bypass surgery when Dad was put on a low fat diet. Once a week he could have one treat not found on the diet, such as an ice cream cone, and once a month he could have special meal where he could eat anything he wanted. Knowing he had this freedom to look forward to enabled him to stay on course the rest of the time. He really savored those special foods and meals, too.

More Small Steps to Wellness

Everyone has a lifestyle or manner of living, a set of habits they engage in every day. Some experts have estimated that up to 70% of visits to the doctor are lifestyle related. This is good news, because unlike genetics, lifestyle is something you can change. Here are some more of the small steps to wellness we started last week:

• Engage in physical activity four days out of five during the week and on at least one weekend day, for at least 30 minutes if possible. Exercise is essential to a long, healthy life, and with over 600 major muscle groups, you are designed for movement! Small steps: start with ten minutes a day. Walk the dog, weed the garden, or dance. Go swimming with the grandchildren, clean out your closet, or just stretch for ten minutes. Be sure to have fun and get moving.

• Set yourself up to succeed by having what you need in the house and handy. If it’s not in the house, you can’t eat it. That goes for fruit when you want it and ice cream when you’re trying to avoid it. Small steps: make a grocery list throughout the week. Shop once a week and prepare food ahead of time. Divide your snacks into individual servings for convenience during the week and to avoid overeating. Wash the grapes and cut up the melon. Hide the chips in the back of the pantry and keep the healthy snacks right up front. Keep a food scale and the measuring cups within easy reach, too.

• The holidays are coming, so plan ahead, beginning with Halloween. As you prepare for visits from little ghosts and goblins, be strategic at home and work. Small steps: buy candy you don’t like or can easily pass up. Use my “no eating food at work that you didn’t bring” rule and avoid all the bowls of candy located around the office. Bring your own healthy treat. Set a goal not to eat any Halloween candy and reward yourself with present such as a massage or new CD.

Remember to start small and build on each success for last results.

Small Steps to Eating Better

There are certain habits that consistently correlate with positive health indicators, such as a lower risk for disease or the ability to maintain a healthy weight. The good news is that these behaviors are not all or nothing. Here are a few ideas about eating well and small steps you can take to get you started in the right direction:

• Eat breakfast every day. Many people believe they don’t need or can’t eat breakfast, when really they never have had a habit of eating breakfast, don’t enjoy it, or don’t want to take the time for it. The brain needs carbohydrates to function properly, and the metabolism wanes without anything to fuel it, so the body physically requires that you eat within the first two hours of rising. Small steps: start the breakfast habit with a glass of juice or piece of fruit, a cup of yogurt, a hardboiled egg, or a cheese stick.

• Eat every four – six hours to keep the metabolism from dropping and help you avoid overeating later in the day. Studies show that eating regularly also helps to maintain a healthy weight. Small steps: keep healthy snacks handy, such as those just mentioned above or breakfast/granola bars, nuts, whole wheat crackers, carrot and celery sticks, or popcorn.

• Make healthy choices when dining out. Small steps: choose water, iced tea, or coffee rather than soda; select a side salad rather than fries; opt for grilled meats rather than sautéed, breaded or fried; ask for your salad dressing and sauces on the side and a take-home box right away; and don’t eat portions any larger than you would at home.

Choose one or two of the small steps to begin with. Once you’re comfortable with those, add another. Check back next week for more ideas.

The Tools of the Wellness Trade

Like any trade or hobby, there are tools that you can help you look, feel, and be your very best. Here are a few of my favorites:
- A food scale is so helpful for portion control. A good one will calculate both ounces and grams and allow you to weigh food directly on the scale or in a container. Keep it handy so you can conveniently and accurately measure an ounce of chips or nuts, shredded cheese, pasta, meat, cereal, and other food where the serving size is determined by weight.
- An extra pair of tennis shoes is great to have in the trunk of your car or at work. Replace your workout pair before you need to and stash the old pair so you can take advantage of that unexpected down time by going for a walk.
- Hand held fruits such as apples and bananas are excellent snacks and are quick to grab and go on busy mornings, when traveling, or heading out shopping.
- Exercise bands are light weight and easy to pack, an indispensible tool to have at your desk or on a trip. They come in varying levels of tension and take the place of weights, enabling you to stretch and strength train every part of your body.
- Individual serving-sized snacks are ideal for the kids, busy parents, and anyone who wants easy, accurate portion control. Choose snacks such as crackers or cereal bars for your glove compartment or to take to the movies.

Let me know if you need any help locating these tools. A critical step in being well is being prepared.

Change Your Thinking to Change Your Results

Many people today realize that the thoughts they hold have an impact on their results when it comes to professional goals or business results. They don’t seem to be as clear when it relates to their health or bodies in general. It disturbs me to hear people say that they “hate” their bodies or to have them run through the inventory of body parts they would change if they could.

Many overweight women struggle with finding something good to say about their bodies. A new approach might be to take the focus off of the body and onto behaviors. One of the key shifts I had when I successfully lost weight was to begin asking myself, "What would a thin person do in this situation?" Shifting my thoughts to those of a thin person led to changing my behaviors to those of a thin person, and those changes ultimately affected my weight.

Remember in The Secret how Rhonda Byrne said she can now eat anything she wants and still weigh 116? I think an important point that isn’t stated as clearly as it might be is that she no longer wants to eat the kind or quantity of food that would cause her to gain weight. She thinks like a thin person, buys clothes to fit a thin person, and eats the way a thin person does, savoring her food. Her behaviors are aligned with her thoughts, and thinness is the result. Next time you’re at a choice point, ask yourself what a thin person, an athlete, or someone you consider successful would do and emulate that behavior.

Supplementing Your Healthy Lifestyle

I am often approached by clients and readers with questions about supplements. With so much misinformation out there and the fact that the FDA does not regulate supplements, I’m glad they ask. I do take supplements, as recommended by my physicians. These include calcium, vitamin D, fish oil, iron (with vitamin C to aid absorption), and glucosamine. I encourage you to inform your doctor of any supplement you take, as there can be adverse reactions, side-effects, or conflicts with prescribed or over-the-counter medications.

Tufts University agrees with my suggestion to check with your health care provider and offers these other tips regarding the use of supplements:

• Be skeptical of claims on product websites that sound over the top, such as those in all CAPITAL LETTERS or with multiple exclamation points. If studies are cited, see if they have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. You can check for the study in the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database .
• Investigate the experts quoted. Are they independent researchers or physicians who are qualified to speak in the field being addressed – or are they paid for their endorsement?
• Use good judgment. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.
• Don’t assume that the product can’t hurt you, even if it doesn’t help you. The FDA warns that “dietary supplement manufacturers may not necessarily include warnings about potential adverse effects on the labels of their products.” Remember that claims that a product is “herbal” and “natural” do not guarantee its safety.

From the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter Volume 10G

Does Money Buy Happiness?

Yes, but not as much as you might think. This seems strange, since money gives people choices, allowing them to buy higher quality food; engage professionals to assist them, such as personal trainers or gardeners; and spend more time with family and friends. So why are happiness scores only a little higher for wealthy people and countries compared to poor ones? According to the Journal of Consumer Psychology, it’s because people don’t spend their money on things that significantly enhance happiness.

Here are the authors’ suggestions for spending money that will increase your sense of happiness:

1. Spend your money to do or experience things, such as on vacations, classes, or concerts, rather than to get more stuff. Memories and learning stay with us, but possessions require care and break, and the pleasure of acquiring them wears off.
2. Spend your money on others. Giving strengthens relationships and stimulates areas of the brain related to receiving rewards.
3. Indulge in many small pleasures rather than one large one, especially if you’re on a budget. As pointed out previously, the enjoyment of the large purchase wears off quickly, but the good feelings from little treasures can be extended over time.
4. Plan as much in advance as possible, so you have the joy of anticipation. Looking forward to an event is very pleasurable, even if the activity itself isn’t all you’d hoped for.
5. Consider how much the item you’re purchasing will affect your daily life and how it has affected others. Aim for things you will enjoy often, to enhance happiness. If you’re unsure how beneficial something will be, consult others; their experiences are typically a good predictor of how you’ll feel.

Source: University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, September 2011

Let’s Live to 100!

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the United States currently has the greatest number of centenarians in the world, estimated at 70,490 on September 1, 2010. That’s a lot of people, so why not you and me, too? While I know genetics play a role, life style and thought processes have an even bigger impact on life expectancy. This is why I do what I do and have the mission of helping you look, feel, and be your very best – for as long as possible.

There are several things you can do beginning today to increase your odds of becoming a centenarian and live well as you go. Strive for a plant-based diet as much as possible, emphasizing complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from fruits and vegetables. To stay energized and mentally sharp, include legumes (beans), nuts, seeds, and whole grains (look for the word “whole” before wheat in the ingredient list). Stick to the limit when drinking: two drinks/day for men and one for women, and don’t start if you don’t already drink. Exercise as close to everyday as you can and be joyful as you do! Movement is critical to your physical and mental health.

Perhaps the most beneficial thing you can do is to engage in right thinking. Praise often, forgive easily, and find something to be passionate about. Dr. James Rouse reported in the August 2011 issue of Science of Mind magazine that in a study of 1,200 centenarians, 92% worked over 60 years of their life. They had a reason to get out of bed each morning. Find yours and you’ll be on your way to 100!

Do You Need Help Achieving Your Wellness Goals?

During my five years as a leader for Weight Watchers, one of the most common mistakes I saw made was people refusing to recognize that they needed help. People would join and quit, only to rejoin later, usually with more weight to lose than they originally started with. Or they would sit in the back with their heads down, embarrassed to be there. Others would visit, but not join, and I’m sure there were countless others who never made it to the meetings at all.

For some reason, many people think they should be able to lose weight, start exercising, or adopt a healthy lifestyle on their own and that they must be a failure if they can’t. How odd that we’ll take piano lessons, attend a cooking class, or hire a CPA to set up our accounting records, but we won’t seek help to take better care of our most precious possessions, our bodies! We get expert assistance when new technology enters our lives, why not have a professional guide us in understanding the latest findings in nutrition and fitness?

As a wellness consultant and coach, I offer three things to my clients: education, encouragement, and accountability. While the Internet is a blessing, it can also be a detriment to your health, given the prevalence of misinformation and conflicting opinions presented. It’s my job to stay current and fact-based in the information I provide. The encouragement and accountability come in for those who know what to do, but have trouble achieving it. Another common mistake people make is to be unrealistic and set too many goals (or goals that are too lofty). Despite their best intentions, life carries on and they end up feeling like a failure for not meeting every last objective.

It is possible to look, feel, and be your very best! With the onset of cooler fall weather, now is the perfect time to nurture yourself and get the support you need. Visit Nurture You to get started today!

The Surprising Benefits of Potassium

If you’re one of the 31% of our adult population with high blood pressure, you probably know that it increases your risk of heart disease (the leading cause of death in the U.S.) and stroke (the third leading cause of death). You may also know that high sodium intake can raise your blood pressure. I wonder if you know that potassium can help you lower it.

Potassium is primarily found in foods high in nutrition, which means consuming a potassium-rich diet will improve your cardiovascular health overall. Unfortunately, most Americans eat only half of the recommended 4,700 mg of potassium each day. According to 11 studies involving over 250,000 people (that’s a lot of data!), adding three servings of a potassium rich food to their daily diet was linked to a 21% lower risk of stroke.

To lower your blood pressure and risk for heart disease and stroke, add these foods to your diet (the mg. per serving are listed in parentheses): medium baked potato with skin (925), 1 cup cooked spinach (800), 1 cup prune juice (710), 4 oz. cooked halibut (600), ½ cup canned white beans (595), 8 oz. plain yogurt (580), medium baked sweet potato with skin (540), 1 cup orange juice (500) – more than a medium banana at 420!, 1 cup winter squash or Brussels sprouts (495), 1 cup cooked broccoli (460, 1 cup cantaloupe or tomatoes (430), 1 cup carrots (410), 1 cup corn (380), 1 cup nonfat milk (380), and ½ cup avocado or cooked lentils (365). Source: Wellness Letter August 2011

Don't Compartmentalize Your Stress Relief

When I began my wellness coaching and consulting practice, I was surprised how frequently I had requests for stress management training. It continues to be a major issue for people, and I think our obsession with technology is not helping. If stress is an issue for you, keep in mind that compartmentalized stress relief such as the occasional weekend away is not effective with chronic stress. Within just a few hours of your return, it’s likely that you’ll find your stress level right where it was before your weekend jaunt. You’re best to focus on making small lifestyle changes such as these, instead.

• Take ten 10 minutes for relaxation and/or laughter daily – Take steps to physically relax. Go for a walk, play with your pet, or watch a few minutes of “I Love Lucy.” Light candles, play soft music, and soak in a hot tub. Consider various disciplines such as meditation, feng shui, and prayer, as these incorporate a variety of breathing techniques to alleviate distress and quiet the mind.

• Learn to say “no” – While we all have the same 24-hours in a day, some of us manage this resource more effectively than others. Learn to say “no” when appropriate and routinely ask yourself, “What is the best use of my time right now?”

• Incorporate exercise that involves consistent repetitive motion – Exercise that requires a fairly consistent repetitive motion can alter one's state of consciousness. Consider jogging, cross country skiing, swimming, hiking, and bicycling.

• Clear your clutter – Maintaining order in our environment can minimize the small, but continual stressors that clutter creates through wasted time, lost articles, broken objects, and physical hazards.

• Get it out – Develop a support system of family and friends with whom to share your problems and concerns. Use a journal to write down your frustrations and worries. Avoid rereading the journal if you find it reawakens the frustration and anger. If necessary, seek help from a therapist, counselor, or member of the clergy.

• Get to sleep – Most people need 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night. When we are regularly short of sleep, our ability to concentrate and our energy levels decline, reducing our effectiveness. We make more mistakes, become less proactive in our efforts, and end up in distress. Make getting enough sleep a priority. To sleep better, don’t eat or drink too much before bed and avoid late night activities that are mentally or physically stimulating. Stop listening or watching to news programs at least one hour before going to sleep. Finally, create a sleep-promoting environment that is quiet, dark, cool and comfortable.

• Learn to accept what is – This does not mean you can’t strive for better. It just means not to resist what has already happened. Say for example that you go out to the parking lot and find you have a flat tire. You could spend time and energy lamenting over the unfairness and inconvenience of the situation, or you could accept that the tire is flat and no amount of angst on your part will change that. Then you could direct your energy to adjusting your schedule and getting the tire repaired.

• Banish perfectionism – Richard Eyre (Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There) rewrote the cliché maxim – if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well – to read: “if a thing is just barely worth doing, then just barely do it.” Make your bed, but don’t obsess over it!

You Can Stop Overeating

Do you catch yourself overeating? I do - not as much as I used to, but occasionally I still catch myself feeling uncomfortably full after a meal. You’d think after being a lifetime member of Weight Watchers for 17 years I’d have it figured out by now, wouldn’t you? So why is it still so hard to avoid overeating?

Researchers have found that people are influenced by a number of external cues that result in overeating, even when they’re aware of the cues. The key is not to educate yourself to the cues, but to change your environment so the cues aren’t there at all. Here are some suggestions:

- Use smaller bowls and plates to eat from. The food looks like more and you’ll be inclined to think you’ve had enough.

- Rearrange your kitchen so that the healthy food choices are up front in your cupboards and the refrigerator. Put the treats in the back so you have to work to find them.

- Eliminate family style serving, where you place serving bowls of food on the table. I did this right after I joined Weight Watchers and it really helped with portion control. I typically put only salad on the table and reserve family style serving for holiday meals exclusively.

- Repackage bulk foods into single serving sizes. You and your family members will be more inclined to stick to a single serving, which is healthier for all of you and easier on your food budget.

- When eating out, look at your plate as soon as the food arrives, and ask yourself how much you’d eat if you were at home. Odds are there will be more than that on your plate. Immediately request a box and put anything more than you would typically eat in the box to enjoy later.

- Avoid serving too much variety at once. While variety is great in terms of nutrition, it tends to result in overeating. Studies show that people eat more M ‘n M’s when they’re presented with an assortment of colors than when they’re given an equal number of the same colored candies. It’s the same with Girl Scout cookies. It’s okay to buy a variety, just don’t put them all out at once. The two-cookie serving size will turn into four – one of each – if you put four kinds on the table. (Keep this in mind with Christmas cookies, too!)

Give these ideas a try and let me know what other tricks you have to keep your serving sizes in check.

Exercise Your Freedom to Choose

Saturday evening I ran into a former Jazzercise customer of mine from Sun City West, where I used to teach three times a week. Where were we? On the dance floor of one of the hottest dance spots in the Phoenix area – Eli’s. What a blast it was to see this “senior” shaking her booty on the dance floor!

This gal obviously chooses dance as one of her forms of exercise and based on her ability to keep going, it’s working for her. Like most of my class members from SCW, she has probably been Jazzercising for years and it shows. I would describe her as I would the others: energetic, a quick learner, physically fit, and happy.

Have you chosen a form of exercise that works as well for you? Don’t be put off by the word “exercise.” Any activity that gets you moving and you enjoy will work. Gardening, home renovations, dog walking, strolling the beach, rollerblading, tubing, or line dancing are some possibilities. How about yoga, volunteering at the food bank warehouse, cleaning your church sanctuary, taking your grandchildren to the park, playing softball, taking water aerobics, or learning tai chi? You might consider hiking, zumba, bowling, golf, raking the leaves, building a snowman, boogey boarding, or bicycling. That’s the beauty of exercise – the possibilities are endless and you get to choose what you do, as long as you do something!

Let my Jazzercise friend inspire and motivate you. You can look, feel, and be your very best starting today. Why not turn off the computer now and get moving?

New Jazzercise Class and New Inspiration

Since I last wrote I’ve been given the opportunity to begin a brand new Jazzercise class at a beautiful assisted living facility here in Phoenix. These folks have never done Jazzercise before, and I suspect many have not done much dancing. What a challenge and a treat it has been to introduce them to Jazzercise.

We meet for 45 minutes once a week. It would be a stretch for people in their 20s and 30s to become comfortable with these routines doing them just once a week; can you imagine how much courage and persistence it takes for seniors? Yes, I take it slower than I do with my typical, experienced customers, showing them the moves first and choosing simpler routines. And yes, sometimes they do confuse their right foot with their left or go backward when I go forward.

Still, they’re amazing! I’ve seen such progress in two months. The group stays with me more, taking fewer breaks. They’re adding arm movements to the feet movements (we always say to get the feet first). They’re starting to hear the music, which means they don’t have to focus quite so intently on my every move. They smile more often, and, most importantly, they keep coming back!

That really excites me because I know how good this is for them. Exercise just doesn’t improve cardiovascular condition, flexibility and strength; it also increases blood flow to the brain. This improves memory and reasoning ability and causes endorphins to be released, enhancing mood and relieving mild depression. It will lower their risk for countless diseases and build their confidence.

I love working with seniors! They have a great attitude and really inspire me. I hope I can do as well as they do when I get there. How about you?