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6 tips to loving your body more.

Do you despair when comparing the way you look with the way you feel you should look? Do you constantly pick yourself apart and dissect every imperfection? Many people struggle with a negative body image. This can impact your mood, which in turn can trigger overeating episodes. Consider these tips for loving and accepting yourself more.

  • Recognize that you are more than your body. Write a list of your strengths and best features, and add to it often. Put a few self-affirming messages (“I’m strong and resilient!”) on your mirror. Having positive self-esteem can help us manage negative thoughts about our bodies.
  • Make a list of people you admire — from your parents or children to political leaders or world figures. Do they have perfect bodies? Does it matter? Or are there other characteristics you admire in them? You probably have some of these same characteristics, so give yourself credit for them.
  • Exercise regularly. You’ll tone your body and boost your self-esteem. In fact, a study showed that women who worked out on a regular basis rated their bodies as more attractive and healthier than did women who weren’t as physically active.
  • Appreciate the body you have. Think of it as a gift. Recognize all the things your body can do. Show it some respect by eating well and getting enough rest.
  • Focus on your health instead of thinking only about your appearance. If you’d like a healthier body shape or weight, set small, realistic goals and work to meet them.
  • Surround yourself with friends who don’t focus on body size or appearance. Encourage one another to focus on healthy habits instead of appearance.

Choosing to view your body in a positive light — no matter how flawed you’re used to seeing yourself — is important to your weight-loss success. To feel good about what you’re accomplishing by improving your health, it helps to feel good about your body.

Strategies to help control eating trigger.

Identifying the situations that trigger poor eating habits can help you develop strategies to overcome them. Do any of these areas trip you up? Try these simple solutions to inspire healthy changes in your everyday life.

Activities

When you watch TV or read, do you always have a snack at hand? Do you eat at your desk while you work or while you’re preparing dinner? It’s all too easy to take in excess calories without realizing it. To change your habits, keep track of everything you eat — and where and when you eat it — for a few days. It can be eye-opening! Once you become more aware of your snacking, you may find it easier to stop the nibbling or substitute other behaviors for it.

Favored foods

Are there some foods that you can’t eat in moderation, such as cookies or potato chips? Do you find that the sight or smell of certain foods tempts you to overeat? Keep exposure to these foods to a minimum. Don’t keep tempting treats at home — if it’s in the house, it’s in your mouth! However, don’t deny yourself your favorites, either. Portion out a small amount — but not when you’re overly hungry, so you’ll be more likely to take more. Split a favorite treat with a friend when eating out, or buy yourself a small portion every couple of weeks.

Time of day

Are there certain times of the day when you’re more susceptible to overeating? Do you crave a snack after work or a late-night bowl of ice cream? Identify your vulnerable times of day. If hunger is a factor, keep yourself well-stocked with handy healthy foods, such as mandarin oranges, walnuts or whole-wheat crackers. If eating at certain times is simply a habit, find a substitute, such as a cup of chamomile tea or a relaxing bath.

Social settings

Do you eat more when you’re around certain people? Do you snack anytime your partner does? Do social outings lead to nonstop noshing? Social eating patterns can undermine weight-loss efforts. Recognize where and when social influence plays a role in your eating habits and decide what you want to change. Keep in mind that you can affect when and what others eat as well — take the lead!

Physical factors

Does skipping breakfast cause you to lose control of your eating? When you’re tired, do you turn to junk food for energy? Following your meal plan — including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks — can help keep hunger under control. Regularly getting a good night’s sleep helps with weight management, too.

Emotions

Do certain feelings cause you to snack — boredom, loneliness, stress or anxiety? Do you use certain foods to self-soothe? Learn to separate food from mood. Monitor your mood and strive to distinguish true hunger from emotion-driven eating. When emotions are high, use other coping strategies, such as calling a friend or taking a walk.

 

How to track your eating habits.

Research suggests that one of the best ways to change unhealthy eating habits is to first keep track of them, which makes sense considering most of us underestimate what we actually eat in a day. By identifying patterns of unhealthy eating choices in the record you keep, you can begin to change them.

Create a food record that includes the following items:

  • Date and day of the week. Also note the exact time or the general time of day — such as morning, lunchtime or evening.
  • All foods you eat and drink. Be specific on the types and amounts, and include details such as added fats, sugars — like butter, honey and other sweeteners — and beverages.
  • Portion sizes. Measure or estimate the size in volume, weight or number of items.
  • Your location when you eat. Write down where you are, whether it’s in your car, at your desk or on the couch — and whether you’re eating alone or with someone else.
  • What you’re doing while you eat. Pay attention to what else you may be focused on, such as watching TV or socializing at a restaurant.
  • Your mood. How do you feel — happy, sad, stressed out?

 

To make your food record worthwhile, be honest and record every bite of food you eat. If you don’t record everything, you won’t have an accurate picture of your intake. For the most accurate results, try to record your food intake within 15 minutes of the time you eat. Use a daily food journal to help keep you accountable.

Mayo Clinic fitness tips.

Want to get the most out of your regular physical activity? Try these recommendations, based on national guidelines, medical research and Mayo Clinic expertise. After all, a well-rounded fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health.

Make it functional. Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to help you do everyday activities safely and efficiently. These exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work or in sports. By doing functional exercises, you gain awareness of how your body coordinates and supports movement. Being more aware of your body’s movement patterns helps facilitate balance, strength, flexibility and endurance. This type of training can be done at home or at the gym. Exercise tools, such as fitness balls, kettle bells and weights, can be used as part of your training.

Count cardio in. Aerobic activity, or cardio, gets your heart pumping and helps move blood to your muscles and back to your lungs. This helps you use oxygen more efficiently. Walking, bicycling, swimming, dancing and water aerobics are all examples of cardio activities. Including a variety of them will help keep you from getting bored and can help you live a longer, healthier life.

Focus on flexibility. Stretching increases your flexibility, improves range of motion of your joints and helps your blood circulate well. It can even help you improve your posture and manage stress. Although many people think of stretching exercises as an afterthought or as a quick chore on the way to the “real” workout, stretching is a powerful part of any exercise plan. You can stretch anytime, anywhere — in your home, at work or when you’re traveling.

Strengthen your muscles. Regular strength-training exercises can help you preserve and enhance muscle mass at any age. Strength training also helps you strengthen your bones, gain less body fat and protect your joints, which can help lower your chances of injuring yourself. Strength training can be done at home or in the gym, using just your body or a variety of equipment. With the right technique, you may see improvements in your strength and stamina in just a few weeks.

Find balance. Often overlooked as part of physical fitness, balance exercises are helpful at any age. As you age, balance becomes more and more important to maintaining your independence. Nearly any activity that keeps you on your feet and moving can help you maintain good balance.

These key principles create a well-rounded fitness program that can boost not only your fitness, but also your health and quality of life!

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be hard.

Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard, practice these easy fundamentals:

  • Spread servings throughout the day. Include at least one serving from most food groups at each meal.
  • If you’re hungry, eat! Starving yourself can be counterproductive, as it can set you up for overeating later.
  • Make pleasure a priority. Losing weight may require you to cut back on some of your favorite foods, but don’t sacrifice enjoyment. Be sure to include the flavors, colors and textures you love.
  • Plan by the week. It’s more efficient than day by day. That way, you can also be sure to have the right foods on hand.
  • Eat ‘real’ food. Limit or even avoid processed foods, such as many canned and most boxed and convenience foods. Processed foods often include unwanted fat, sugar, calories and salt — as opposed to whole foods, including most frozen fruit and vegetables, which haven’t been changed from their natural state and are loaded with nutrients.
  • Count ‘add-ons’ in servings. Don’t forget to include anything you put on or add to your food — such as dressings and dips for vegetables and fruits, as well as cream, milk or sugar in coffee or tea.
  • Be flexible with yourself. Every food doesn’t have to be a source of excellent nutrition. The point is to choose foods that promote good health and are good calorie bargains most of the time.
  • Look for shortcuts. Buy pre-cut veggies and fruits, and shredded low-fat cheese for quick, healthy meals.
  • Tomorrow is another day. If you didn’t get enough veggies Monday, add extra Tuesday and Wednesday. Try not to get stuck on exact servings each day.
  • Beverages — including alcohol — count. When considering calories, don’t forget to count the liquid form. Although some beverages, such as juice and milk, contain important nutrients, they also have a lot of calories. Water is still the best choice when it comes to satisfying thirst and cutting down on the urge to snack.

How to track your eating habits

One of the best ways to change unhealthy eating habits is to keep track of them, which makes sense considering most of us underestimate what we actually eat in a day. Identifying patterns of unhealthy eating choices in the record you keep, you can begin to change them.

Create a food record that includes the following items:

  • Date and day of the week. Also note the exact time or the general time of day — such as morning, lunchtime or evening.
  • All foods you eat and drink. Be specific on the types and amounts, and include details such as added fats, sugars — like butter, honey and other sweeteners — and beverages.
  • Portion sizes. Measure or estimate the size in volume, weight or number of items.
  • Your location when you eat. Write down where you are, whether it’s in your car, at your desk or on the couch — and whether you’re eating alone or with someone else.
  • What you’re doing while you eat. Pay attention to what else you may be focused on, such as watching TV or socializing at a restaurant.
  • Your mood. How do you feel — happy, sad, stressed out?

Be honest and record every bite of food you eat. If you don’t record everything, you won’t have an accurate picture of your intake. For the most accurate results, try to record your food intake within 15 minutes of the time you eat. Use a daily food journal to help keep you accountable.

Ways to make new habits stick.

All of us approach the process of personal change a little differently. But anyone can take a cue from these key principles as you work to adopt new habits.

  1. Build confidence. Focus on strategies that play to your strengths and your skills. Consider how you have succeeded in the past, and build your plan from there. Past experiences — good or bad — are learning opportunities and should be seen as a useful tool in tackling new goals with optimism.
  2. Create a routine. An eating or activity schedule can create a better sense of control. Make sure your schedule is one that truly works for your life and not one you can follow only for the short term. That’s why it’s important to set realistic goals — the more successful you are, the easier it will be to stay motivated.
  3. Focus on what you’re adding to your life. Try not to fixate on what you’re giving up, whether it’s certain foods, habits or a little extra TV time. Focus on things like the delicious, healthy meals you are eating and how energized you feel after a workout. Celebrate success as you notice even the smallest positive changes in how you look and feel; it will give you the momentum you need to keep going.
  4. Make your program your own. Take a day off from exercise, or enjoy one of your favorite foods once in a while. The more you make your program work for you, the less likely you are to rebel against it. Figure out what it takes — within reason — to make your healthy lifestyle pleasurable and sustainable.

By following these principles, you can enjoy a lifetime of healthier living — and a healthy weight!

Lack of sleep and sitting all day damages the brain

If you are sleep-deprived or if your job has you sitting all day, your brain is being damaged. If both apply to you, that is a double-whammy that no brain can withstand. Regularly getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night can cause the same long-term brain damage as alcohol abuse. Sitting at a desk all day or spending hours watching television damages the brain in a way that can increase the risk of dementia.

Recent research found that getting too little sleep causes the brain to literally eat itself. Specialized brain cells called astrocytes are more active in brains that are sleep-deprived. Astrocytes act like miniature vacuum cleaners, sucking up unwanted cellular debris. While normally this is good, when the vacuuming goes on too long, the astrocytes begin sucking up portions of the brain’s connections called synapses.

Sedentary behavior such as prolonged sitting has been found to be associated with thinning of the medial temporal lobe of the brain. This portion of the brain is crucial to the formation of new memories. Thinning of the medial temporal lobe can be an early sign of cognitive decline and dementia.

 

Published June 18, 2018 by Dr. Daniel Thomas, DO, MS

Functional fitness: Is it right for you?

Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to help you do everyday activities safely and efficiently. Find out what it can do for you.

Do you live to exercise? Unless you’re an elite athlete, you probably answered no to that question. Most people, in fact, would say they exercise to improve their quality of life.

What is functional fitness training?
Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do at home, at work or in sports. While using various muscles in the upper and lower body at the same time, functional fitness exercises also emphasize core stability. For example, a dead lift is a functional exercise because it trains the muscles used when you pick up an object from the floor. By training your muscles to work the way they do in everyday tasks, you prepare your body to move efficiently in a variety of common situations.

Functional fitness exercises can be done at home or at the gym. Gyms may offer functional fitness classes or incorporate functional fitness into boot camps or other types of classes. Exercise tools, such as fitness balls, kettlebells and weights, are often used in functional fitness workouts.

What are the benefits of functional fitness training?
Functional exercises tend to be multijoint, multimuscle exercises. Instead of only moving the elbows, for example, a functional exercise might involve the elbows, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles. This type of training, properly applied, can make everyday activities easier, reduce your risk of injury and improve your quality of life.

What are examples of functional fitness exercises?
Functional fitness exercises use multiple joints and muscles at once to train your whole body. Examples include:

  • Dead lift
  • Assisted lunge with press
  • Resisted squat with overhead press

Are functional fitness exercises for everyone?
If you’re over age 40, haven’t exercised for some time or have health problems, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. Similarly, women who are pregnant should check with their doctors.

It’s also a good idea to start with exercises that use only your own body weight for resistance. As you become more fit and are ready for more challenge, you can increase resistance by using weights or resistance tubing or performing movements in the water.

The functional fitness payoff
As you add more functional exercises to your workouts, you should see improvements in your ability to perform your everyday activities. That’s quite a return on your exercise investment.