Ah – the holidays – a time of good cheer, getting together with friends and family and wading through a bountiful bonanza of tantalizing foods that can make your buttons burst just by thinking about them for too long. The holidays – which for all practical purposes now stretch from the end of October through the beginning of January – are often a time of strife for those trying to maintain or lose weight. (more…)
It may not be slim down season, but if you want to be healthier and happier, you should do it for you.
Outlined is a simple, four week challenge to jump start your journey to optimal health. The weeks build upon one another, so you keep adding goals, trying new things and learning what works for you and your body.
WEEK ONE: FINDING BALANCE
The theme of this week is is transforming your diet into a more balanced one. For most people this means cutting back on starchy carbs and eating more vegetables. Start off the week by observing the meals you normally eat. Write them down. After two or three days, go over your diet history with a highlighter and a red pen. Highlight the good stuff and make changes where you can. Also make notes of your hunger levels and energy so you can come up with an eating plan that works best for your body.
Also start reading labels during this week. The shorter the ingredient list, the better. Watch out for anything with added sugar. Sugar is hidden in all sorts of foods. Also watch out for any ingredients that you can’t pronounce or don’t recognize as a food. If you don’t know what it is, don’t put it in your body. To cut back on label reading time, eat more whole foods — whole foods are foods that don’t have labels — fresh fruits and veg, beans and grains from the bulk bins, good quality meats from your butcher.
WEEK TWO: SWEAT AND SLEEP
The theme of this week is working your body and getting adequate rest. Schedule some sweat sessions — at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time. Write these session in your calendar, make an alert on your phone, whatever you have to do to remind yourself. If you can get a partner to get sweaty with you, even better. Make sure you mix up the way you sweat — cardio, strength training, yoga, group fitness classes, walking, running, paddle boarding, biking — don’t let yourself get bored.
After all this added movement, make sure you give your body some R&R. You should be able to wake up in the morning, without an alarm, feeling rested. Everyone has a magic number. It will take a little experimentation to find yours. Record how many hours you sleep, and how you feel in the morning. Figure out what you magic number is and then aim to get that amount of rest each night.
WEEK THREE: FOODIE FINDS
Take time to menu plan. Get out some cookbooks or do an online search to find some recipes that work with your healthy eating goals. Try to pick things that have ingredients or flavors that are new to you. Keeping your eating plan exciting will help keep you on track.
Also make sure you are still keeping track of what you are eating, drinking, your energy levels and your sleep. Go over this record at the end of each week. Make notes about what went well that week and what you can improve on.
WEEK FOUR: SHOW YOURSELF SOME LOVE
None of these changes will be sustainable or meaningful unless you have self love. Treat yourself kindly and gently. Reward yourself. Schedule time to do things you love. Start a meditation practice. Use visualization. If you don’t think you are worth anything, your healthy habits won’t stick.
Gary Lupan, Ph.D., a cognitive scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says, “Just about every decision you make starts with a statement you tell yourself, even if you’re not conscious of it”. If you are having trouble sleeping, going to the gym or eating better, you can use this to your advantage by talking yourself into doing whatever you need to get done. (more…)
September is National Cholesterol Education Month. There is a lot of confusion surrounding cholesterol.
High cholesterol is a topic that gets a lot of press, whether it be about ways to lower it, the negative effects of many cholesterol lowering medications (like statins) or the dire need to optimize cholesterol and other blood fats to prevent disease. Luckily, cholesterol and other blood fats often respond very well to dietary and lifestyle interventions. (more…)
52% of US households have at least six detectable allergens, all of which can float through the air and find their way into your body (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology). These irritants include animal dander, dust mites, mold, scented candles, cleaning products, and cigarette smoke. Once again, these allergens probably won’t spark much of a histamine reaction in a healthy immune system, but when it’s hypersensitive they’ll set off a host of five-alarm symptoms. (more…)
Winter is (finally!) winding down and summer is right around the corner. Now is the time to shed that winter weight so you can take full advantage of the summer fun and sun!
We know this can be a daunting task, but we’ve got a couple ways to help you take that weight off! (more…)
Give the gift of health!
