Saturday, October 31, 2020
Friday, October 30, 2020
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
BLOG 291 RELATIONSHIPS & YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY
BLOG
291 RELATIONSHIPS & YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY
Whatever
the goal(s) of your fitness journey, the adventure is mental and emotional. To
succeed, certain behaviors, priorities, and choices do change. These new habits
also affect our spouse, partner, best friend, siblings, parents, and so on. Our
attempt to change means what was done in the past will not continue. With this
change in ourselves, we find change in the dynamics of our relationships. We
want people on our “good side” as we fight this fight. As we assert ourselves
about what we eat, how we spend our time, and with the incorporation of
exercise, not everyone is as supportive or understanding as we wish they would
be. I’m sure you can relate to one or more the following scenarios.
We want
the people in our lives to be cheerleaders, not coaches. If we wanted a trainer
or coach, we would hire one. Picking apart what we are doing wrong is not the
feedback we want to hear.
We want
our network to participate. If we are dining out, let’s go somewhere friendly
to healthy eating. Eat a clean dinner with me, don’t make we cook separate
every time. It wouldn’t hurt you to hit the gym with me.
We want
the person to listen, not judge. This is an emotional challenge to us, so
sometimes we need to just hash out a bad decision. We don’t need criticism,
advice, or empathy, just acknowledgment that they are aware we are trying and
mama said there would be days like this.
We want
to do non-food friendly hang outs. We don’t have to meet for lunch or a drink
every time we see each other.
We
don’t want to be tempted. Please don’t offer bites or nibbles. Please don’t try
to convince me it’s okay this one time.
When
you see me exercise at home or the gym, I don’t need your input. I don’t need
you to laugh or question me.
We do
not want them to be the food police. Support is great but this isn’t your role.
I will let you know if I need law enforcement to catch me.
Communication
is the key. We can’t expect our relationships to know how we are feeling each
moment. It’s like when someone asks you if you are okay, you say you are fine,
and then you explode at them. We can’t expect more, less, or really anything
from someone close to us unless we openly and honestly express the message.
This is not to say it will be understood, but when you assert your goals to
others, you are also boosting your confidence that this journey is happening
and you are doing it. As part of your journey, change the way you communicate
to others as well. You will benefit physically and mentally from this.
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Monday, October 26, 2020
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Friday, October 23, 2020
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
BLOG 290 ACUPUNCTURE
BLOG 290 ACUPUNCTURE
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Monday, October 19, 2020
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Friday, October 16, 2020
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
BLOG 289 PROCESSED FOODS
BLOG 289 PROCESSED FOODS
We live in a world that has turned fast-paced, favoring convenience and time efficiency into priorities. We have learned to compromise nutrition for what is easier, and have created an entire new realm in grocery stores with an abundance of processed foods. And these products have quite the shelf life once you get home. Not exactly “fresh” by any means, but readily available and assessable for sure. So let’s take a look at how processed foods have bombarded our eating habits.
Not all are as bad as others and I found a good reference to consider. Here it is:
Processed food falls on a spectrum from
minimally to heavily processed:
- Minimally processed foods — such as bagged spinach, cut
vegetables and roasted nuts — often are simply pre-prepped for
convenience.
- Foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional
quality and freshness include canned tomatoes, frozen fruit and
vegetables, and canned tuna.
- Foods with ingredients added for flavor and texture
(sweeteners, spices, oils, colors and preservatives) include jarred pasta
sauce, salad dressing, yogurt and cake mixes.
- Ready-to-eat foods — such as crackers, granola and deli
meat — are more heavily processed.
- The most heavily processed foods often are pre-made
meals including frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners.
It seems as though the concept of eating food to nourish our bodies is lost. We have to look out for added sugars and sodium that’s for sure. It is odd that we are eating “altered” food. Food has become industrialized. Bottom line it’s about money: “First, most of the processed food created is not food in its conventional meaning. Food is our source of energy and nutrition, without it we can’t survive. However not all of the modern foods are created for that purpose. They are created to allure you, excite you and addict you to become a consumer of their product. The food companies’ goal, just like any other company, is to make more money” (http://www.myfoodandhappiness.com/processed-food-and-why-is-it-the-main-cause-of-obesity/).
The truth is that it is hard to avoid processed foods at some point in your eating be it beverages or condiments. Looking back, I ate plenty of foods out of a box, especially cereal. The more informed we are, the better choices we can make (purpose of my Blogs). Fresh is best and hey it might take a little time, but treat your body like a temple because you only get one and you have to live in it for the rest of your life.
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Monday, October 12, 2020
Sunday, October 11, 2020
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Friday, October 9, 2020
Thursday, October 8, 2020
BLOG 288 OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
BLOG 288 OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
Food is a battle many face on their fitness journeys, mainly because we have to
eat to live. Unlike other aspects of our lives that we can work to eliminate
that could be causing us problems, food is not a factor we can just get rid of.
Overeaters Anonymous is a program aimed to help with a number of eating
problems including overeating, undereating, anorexia, binge eating, over
exercising and bulimia. Let’s explore what OA has to offer and how it can help
with the battle of food.
When I scoped out the general website, there were 15 questions one could look at to see if OA might fit a description of what a person is looking for. These questions focused on eating behaviors. From there I was drawn to the Overeaters Anonymous Preamble: “Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength, and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology, or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer” (https://oa.org/newcomers/how-do-i-start/program-basics/twelve-steps/).
I do refer clients to OA for the support network. It is an additional resource on their fitness journey. As we know, honesty is uncomfortable but only when we are being true to ourselves can we start the process of becoming the best versions of ourselves. Collaborating with others and discovering their tools of success for themselves can be empowering to keep trying. This is a journey and seeking help is important, but not always easy to admit that it’s needed. OA can be that anonymous environment you might need to face food issues.
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Monday, October 5, 2020
Sunday, October 4, 2020
Saturday, October 3, 2020
Friday, October 2, 2020
Thursday, October 1, 2020
BLOG 287 JUICING
BLOG 287 JUICING
Juicing has become a popular craze among fitness
and nutrition fanatics. Having a juicer at home is just about as common as
having a toaster these days. The power of fruits and vegetables does wonders
for our internal health and it is unlikely to consume the recommended daily
totals (17 each). The reasons one might start to juice include weight loss,
lowering blood pressure, or detoxing. It is no healthier than eating the same
content, but a popular trend is a trend and jumping on board happens to the
best of us.
Personally, I like the texture and chewing action of eating. I feel satiated longer and feel that I’m getting more bang for my buck. Liquid doesn’t fill me up, at least not for long. So if I were to eat an apple vs. drink an apple you can see my point…. 5 min to chew an apple vs. 2 seconds to drink that sip of apple. And I do have to say from my research for this, there aren’t many claims other than being able to consume more fruits and vegetables per day that justify the benefits of juicing. So why so popular??
Adding to this, I watched a documentary called, “7 Days 2 Guys 1 Juicer”. In this film, Chad and Kenny were two obese middle-aged men, who for 7 days were put in a hotel to complete a 7 day juicing cycle. When they arrived the refrigerator was stocked with nothing but fresh produce. Not one item was in the freezer. From the gate, the men noticed how much work juicing really was with prepping the produce and then cleaning up after. This was quite the lifestyle change for them both, coming from backgrounds of fast food, no activity, and very little motivation to be healthy and make changes. Taken out of their environments, the men were forced to follow the plan precisely. They underwent withdrawal, headaches, and hunger pains.
According to the documentary, juicing dates back to the ancient Greeks who used pomegranate juice as a love potion. In the U.S., juicing was introduced in the 1920s when there was a new popularity to be vegetarian or vegan. In the 1970s, Jack Lalanne sold his famous juicer. Today, people in their 20s and 30s have created a $5billion business out of juicing. There’s a status associated with high end juice bars connected to yoga studios.
In the end, Chad and Kenny lost about 9 pounds each. I really anticipated a higher weight loss considering their past, which goes to show that juicing isn’t entirely weight loss oriented and the weight can be gained right back after stopping. Here’s the concept: “Doing the math, on average, an ounce of ‘mixed juice’ contains about 15 calories. If you need 1,400-1,500 calories daily to achieve weekly weight loss, you could drink a whopping 96 ounces of this juice (about 12 cups) each day and still stay in that calorie range, which should result in weight loss. On this sample juicing diet, you would, however, only be getting 9 grams of fiber (36% of your need) and 25 grams of protein (41% of your need) each day, which is far from ideal. This unbalanced nutrient intake would result in immediate muscle mass loss and an increase in hunger and food cravings. Other nutrients such as fat, vitamins and minerals would also be severely lacking. Successful and safe long-term weight loss would not be achievable on such a plan” (http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1800).
Obesity causes over 25 diseases, so we do want to make sure proper nutrition is in place, but the type that is sustainable. In a world that praises fat-free and all natural that comes out of a box, something isn’t right with our food. Fresh is always best. Have a juice here and there to compliment your eating. It can be a nice, cold, refreshing, sweet beverage. Take your fitness journey tips, use them to your advantage, and make those changes the best you can, each and every day!!!!