Alignment Enhances Wellness

“Alignment” is our theme for the week and the definition is: the correct position or positioning of different components with respect to each other or something else, so that they perform properly.  When it comes to wellness, the concept applies to many things.    
Consider eating and activity.  When calorie intake equals calorie expenditure, there is alignment, and we maintain our weight.   The Law of Thermodynamics, the only scientifically proven method for reducing weight, is all about getting out of alignment by expending more calories than are consumed.  While most of us know this, the problem for most Americans is that they tend to overestimate how much they exercise and underestimate how much they eat - a sure formula for weight gain.  The good news is that this issue is easily resolved through some simple measurement and tracking techniques.

We also need alignment in our rest.  Too much sleep can make us sluggish (seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?), cause headaches, and exacerbate back pain.   Increased risk of heart disease and death are also correlated with oversleep, according to WebMD.  Getting too little sleep is far more common, however, and results in fatigue, inability to concentrate, impaired decision-making and delayed responses, and weight gain. 

To really be well, we need alignment in other things too, such as work and play, strength training and aerobic exercise, and the composition of our diets. While it sounds overwhelming to achieve all this balance, our bodies have wonderful feedback mechanisms built in.  We get numerous indications that we’re out of alignment.  Sounds like a good topic for another time…

Eat Less, Lose More?

The idea that the less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose has been around a long time. So has the opposing starvation mode theory. In the early 2000s we in the weight loss industry used to talk a lot about starvation mode, the idea that eating too little slows down the metabolism, because the body feels starved by the calorie restriction. The theory was that less weight, not more, would be lost.

According to Weightwatchers.com, the latest research suggests that with severe calorie restriction, weight loss is slowed, but not halted. While we may expect eating 500 fewer calories a day to result in a one pound weight loss per week, we cannot assume that a 1500 daily calorie reduction will mean three pounds lost. Researchers believe that the greater calorie restriction causes the body to become more metabolically efficient, needing fewer calories to perform basic body functions. So while weight loss continues, the rate is not as high. The good news is that they also find that this slower metabolic level is not permanent, once weight has stabilized.

It’s not necessary or even advisable to restrict calories to the point of chronic hunger in order to lose weight. Dramatic dietary restrictions are difficult to maintain and are typically associated with bouts of overeating, hampering weight loss efforts. To lose weight, strive for cutting 500 calories/day, and combine this with exercise most days of the week. There are lots of ways to accomplish this; the key thing is to make dietary and exercise choices you can live with for the long haul. Think of adopting a healthy lifestyle, not dieting.

False Ideas about Fat

There are many misconceptions about obesity, such as most people can’t lose weight.  The problem most Americans have is not losing weight, it’s keeping it off.  However, just because most people aren’t successful maintaining a healthy weight doesn’t mean it can’t be done. 

Just as the alcoholic in recovery knows it will take a daily effort for the rest of his life, so too must the overweight commit to daily weight management.   Think changing your lifestyle, not going on a diet.  Examine the choices you make, both in terms of what and how you eat.  Too many healthy calories will still cause weight gain.  Start today making healthy choices.  As you do, start to see yourself as someone who makes healthy choices (even if you’re not actually experiencing good health yet).  Congratulate yourself every time you make a healthy choice that you wouldn’t have made in the past.  When I was a Weight Watchers leader, one of my favorite things to celebrate was when we chose to pass up food: the bowl of candy in the office, the banana bread a co-worker brought in, or our toddler’s half-eaten ice cream cone.

 

As you make healthy choices and change your thinking, your health will improve, most likely along with your mood and self-esteem. Then you can start to see yourself as a healthy person.  With that identity, making healthy choices just becomes what you do naturally, because that’s who you are.

In Wellness Terms, the “F” Word is “Fat”

In my world of wellness consulting, “fat” is the bad word no one wants to hear.  We don’t want be fat, eat fat, or have our fat measured.  We’d rather not look at it on our plates or in the mirror.  And perhaps most of all, we don’t want to be called “fat.”  So health experts use the word “obese” instead. 

Whether the term is fat or obese, we occasionally need to talk about it, so let’s begin with a definition.  When most people learn that they’re considered obese, they’re surprised.  “Obese” sounds exceptionally big.  With 60% of the American population weighing above their healthy weight limit, we’re used to seeing big people.  To be obese, a person must have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.  For someone 5’5” (male or female), that would mean weighing over 179 pounds and over 202 pounds for someone 5’9”.  It’s about 30 pounds above the upper end of their healthy weight range.  According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, “An individual is considered morbidly obese if he or she is 100 pounds over his/her ideal body weight, has a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.”

There are many other false ideas about overweight and obesity that I’ll cover in the next few weeks.  Let me offer you one related new finding to keep you with me:  obese people are much more likely experience pain than thinner people.  A survey in the journal Obesity attributes this to arthritis, back and other musculoskeletal ailments, inflammation, and depression, all painful conditions.  Join me next time: the news does get better!

Closer to the Goal

I recently heard a variation of the adage, “practice makes perfect.”  It went “practice makes progress.”  This new version appeals to me because perfect sounds very intimidating and something we may never achieve (or sustain anyway), whereas progress can be experienced daily.  I also relate to practice and progress because they are what creating new habits is all about: practicing a new behavior until it’s effective and part of our routine.  
  
While it helps to focus on progress rather than perfection, it’s still not easy to stay on track in our practice.  One technique I like to use is this: when I’m considering a choice, I ask myself if the action will bring me closer to my goal.  Choosing fruit rather than a cookie brings me closer to my weight and cholesterol management goals, while skipping my exercise session would not.  I’d like to point out that sometimes the answer is neutral; the choice wouldn’t move me in either direction.  In that case, if it’s something I really want to do, I ease up and do it.  
   
An important aspect of my wellness coaching is helping people make these choices and learn to be flexible and compassionate with themselves while making progress. That’s why I call my business Nurture You. If the thought of being nurtured is attractive to you, give me a call!
 

The Watery Truth

There are six nutrients - protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water.  There are myths and misconceptions about all of them, and water is no exception.  Perhaps the most common fallacy about water is that we need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to be healthy.  According to the Berkeley Wellness Letter November 2011 and the British Medical Journal (BMJ), there is no evidence to support this claim.  The eight-glass rule of thumb is widely promulgated by health experts as well as the bottled water industry, but where it began no one knows.

Now that you’ve swallowed that one, here are a few other beliefs about water that can be shed: Kidney function does not improve with drinking lots of water, nor does water help the kidneys eliminate toxins.  Drinking the recommended amount of water does not improve overall health or your organs’ function, lower blood pressure, improve concentration or skin tone, or prevent headaches.  It will not promote weight loss, but it might help with weight management if you replace caloric beverages with water.

Water is still good for you; it’s inexpensive and available, so don’t give it up.  How much you need depends on many factors such as your overall health, level of exertion, the climate you live in, and your diet.  Fruits and vegetables, stews and soups all provide water, as do other beverages such as coffee and tea.  (No, the caffeine in them does not negate their hydrating effect.)  The best guide for how much to drink for most people except the elderly is thirst.  (Older folks don’t tolerate the heat as well and may not be able to rely on their sense of thirst.)  If your urine is light, you’re drinking enough.

Alzheimer’s Disease vs. “Normal” Memory Loss

As baby boomers age, many people are becoming more aware of Alzheimer’s disease. They are particularly concerned as they notice changes in their ability to recall names and facts or occasionally misplace things. When do we need to be concerned about ourselves or a loved one? Here’s a list compiled from the Alzheimer’s Association and www.alzinfo.org that differentiates a normal decline in memory from signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Typical Age-Related Changes vs. Signs of Early Alzheimer’s Disease

1. Sometimes forgetting names or appointments (but remembering them later)  vs. forgetting recently learned information or significant dates; asking for the same information repeatedly.
2. Making errors in the checkbook from time to time vs. having trouble managing monthly bills or maintaining concentration or taking much longer to do things than before.
3. Sometimes needing help operating electronics or making a wrong turn vs. experiencing difficulty remembering the rules of a favorite game, finding a familiar location, or remembering how you got where you are.
4. Having trouble finding the right word vs. finding it difficult to follow a conversation or calling objects by the wrong name.
5. Misplacing things occasionally vs. putting things in unusual places, such as placing the car keys in the refrigerator.
6. Making a poor decision now and then vs. using poor judgment when dealing with money or failing to keep clean or groom oneself.
7. Becoming set in one’s ways or occasionally feeling blue vs. being confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious; having rapid mood changes; or becoming easily upset outside of one’s comfort zone.
8. Feeling the cold more vs. dressing regardless of the weather.
9. Canceling a date with friends vs. withdrawing from social situations, watching TV for hours, or sleeping excessively.

Hopefully, this puts your mind at ease. However, if you’re noticing behaviors on the right-side of the chart, don’t panic. Remember that information is power. Experts have learned that getting an early diagnosis can make a significant difference, so don’t dismiss your concerns. Make an appointment with the family physician today!