Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Something to think about....
From Weight Maven's blog:
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”
It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night, and day after day. Remember to put the glass down!
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”
It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night, and day after day. Remember to put the glass down!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
He did it so well!
Get ready for a rant, Ladies and Gentlemen!! Normally, it would be me going off about our responsibility to the kids around us but Jamie Oliver did it so well, I decided to give you a break from reading and give you this TED talk to watch.
My favorite bits??
In the length of this video 4 Americans will die --- DIE because of the food they eat.
"The power of food has a primal place in our homes that binds us to the best bits of life."
"We spend our lives being paranoid about death, homicide, murder.....when heart disease, cancers, and stroke are BY FAR the biggest killers in America." And they are DIET RELATED diseases. YOU can do something about them. In fact, you do something about them EVERYDAY -- 220+ times a day you make choices that will either make you healthier.....or not.
But before I just transcribe all the bits of this video I like -- watch it. AND REMEMBER: it's not just about you. The choices you make today, as adults, are impacting EVERYONE around you. And they have the biggest impact on those most vulnerable -- the kids who are learning from your choices and values. What are you teaching them?
HT to Pete at Runblogger for point me in this direction!
My favorite bits??
In the length of this video 4 Americans will die --- DIE because of the food they eat.
"The power of food has a primal place in our homes that binds us to the best bits of life."
"We spend our lives being paranoid about death, homicide, murder.....when heart disease, cancers, and stroke are BY FAR the biggest killers in America." And they are DIET RELATED diseases. YOU can do something about them. In fact, you do something about them EVERYDAY -- 220+ times a day you make choices that will either make you healthier.....or not.
But before I just transcribe all the bits of this video I like -- watch it. AND REMEMBER: it's not just about you. The choices you make today, as adults, are impacting EVERYONE around you. And they have the biggest impact on those most vulnerable -- the kids who are learning from your choices and values. What are you teaching them?
HT to Pete at Runblogger for point me in this direction!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Normal
I've been thinking a lot about "normal" lately. If you were at my presentation last week at The Best Fitness Center in the World, you already know I talked about how our "normal" eating patterns are making us fat.
A couple weeks ago, I talked to a very interesting woman who is a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. She said this it is so "normal" to be on blood pressure medications and/or to have had a stent (or 4) that people do not make the connection that either of those things mean you have heart disease. Heart disease -- think about that! Heart disease in a large proportion of our population doesn't seem normal -- even though we are perfectly accepting of blood pressure meds (and yes, "just a water pill" counts, too) because it's "normal".
And here is another quote from Weight Maven:
Metabolically healthy people do not need to be on macronutrient restrictive diets. Metabolically dysfunctional people may need to follow restrictive diets, but their long-term goal should be to return the body to healthy metabolic function, and the primary way to do that is regular physical activity.
My contention is we've forgotten that moving is NORMAL. Sitting for hours on end is ABNORMAL (yes, I mean you! And only because I know what I do in a day....I work at an FC for goodness sake, I workout, and I keep a clean house....and I sit much more than I should! Research shows I'm not the only one!)
So you can tell yourself that you're active enough ... and if you're a triathlete training for an Iron Man, I will believe you. But if you're just about anyone else, maybe your kind of active but you could do with an additional boost to your activity levels (especially this time of year -- at least here in the Midwest).
Let's get back to Weight Maven's quote:
The goal of a "diet" and exercise should be to return your body to balance and health......not look better at the May wedding you have to attend. But that's not really how we look at weight, is it? And that, my friends, is why most of us return to our heavier-than-we-want-to-be selves once the wedding is done.
We looked great -- goal achieved -- back to our "normal" non-wedding selves.....and the weight. The weight comes back on because that is the "normal" we've chosen to put our energy into. We've chosen to believe we can be healthy without moving A LOT. We've chosen to believe that we can eat more than our body burns so the excess needs to be stored as fat -- and that nothing bad will come of it. We have created fantasies around our "normal" that many times turn into nightmares. Is this really the way you want to live? Which begs the question: What do you want to be normal for you?
A couple weeks ago, I talked to a very interesting woman who is a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. She said this it is so "normal" to be on blood pressure medications and/or to have had a stent (or 4) that people do not make the connection that either of those things mean you have heart disease. Heart disease -- think about that! Heart disease in a large proportion of our population doesn't seem normal -- even though we are perfectly accepting of blood pressure meds (and yes, "just a water pill" counts, too) because it's "normal".
And here is another quote from Weight Maven:
“If you’re inactive, you probably don’t need much in the way of carbs. But humans aren’t metabolically normal unless they’re active on a regular basis. So the healthy solution isn’t to go low-carb, it’s to increase activity level to the point where you need the carbs” (Amber at Go Kaleo)
The relationship between metabolic health and exercise is one primary focus of my blog here, so when someone else says so succinctly what I believe is an important and far too often completely and willfully ignored truth, I think it’s worth highlighting. …
Metabolically healthy people do not need to be on macronutrient restrictive diets. Metabolically dysfunctional people may need to follow restrictive diets, but their long-term goal should be to return the body to healthy metabolic function, and the primary way to do that is regular physical activity.
My contention is we've forgotten that moving is NORMAL. Sitting for hours on end is ABNORMAL (yes, I mean you! And only because I know what I do in a day....I work at an FC for goodness sake, I workout, and I keep a clean house....and I sit much more than I should! Research shows I'm not the only one!)
So you can tell yourself that you're active enough ... and if you're a triathlete training for an Iron Man, I will believe you. But if you're just about anyone else, maybe your kind of active but you could do with an additional boost to your activity levels (especially this time of year -- at least here in the Midwest).
Let's get back to Weight Maven's quote:
The goal of a "diet" and exercise should be to return your body to balance and health......not look better at the May wedding you have to attend. But that's not really how we look at weight, is it? And that, my friends, is why most of us return to our heavier-than-we-want-to-be selves once the wedding is done.
We looked great -- goal achieved -- back to our "normal" non-wedding selves.....and the weight. The weight comes back on because that is the "normal" we've chosen to put our energy into. We've chosen to believe we can be healthy without moving A LOT. We've chosen to believe that we can eat more than our body burns so the excess needs to be stored as fat -- and that nothing bad will come of it. We have created fantasies around our "normal" that many times turn into nightmares. Is this really the way you want to live? Which begs the question: What do you want to be normal for you?
Friday, February 1, 2013
Call to Action!
Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen:
What you do today matters! Just because we can't see the results of all of our actions, doesn't mean doesn't mean they don't exist!
How are you going to make the world a better place today?
(Can't see the video? Click here!)
Thanks, Erika!
What you do today matters! Just because we can't see the results of all of our actions, doesn't mean doesn't mean they don't exist!
How are you going to make the world a better place today?
(Can't see the video? Click here!)
Thanks, Erika!
You know this is right up my alley!!
What My Yoga Instructor Taught Me About Food
Over the past year or so, I've been frequenting a local hot yoga studio. It's one of the most intense workouts I've ever done, and I've developed a bit of an addiction to it. Hot yoga is basically a yoga class taught in a heated room—about 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Most newcomers (including myself!) can have a hard time getting used to this type of exercise, and it often takes a few weeks before they can make it through an entire session without needing a break.
Because of the combination of an elevated heart rate, focused breathing, and balancing poses, it's essential that you have laser focus on the task at hand—if you let your mind wander, you'll find yourself falling out of poses. One thing that helps is staying focused on the instructor's voice as she delivers pointers on perfecting the various poses, sprinkled with reminders on keeping your attention within and listening to your body. Maybe it's the heat getting to my brain, but I'm frequently inspired to apply these yoga mantras to the way I talk about food. Consider a few of my favorites:
"Always listen to your body." In yoga, you're encouraged to take breaks when needed, and to not judge others when they do the same. In fact, taking a break is celebrated because you're honoring your body's request. How might we eat differently if we always checked in with our body first? Think of all the times we eat without checking in—when we eat even though we're not actually hungry, or we eat beyond the point of being full, or we eat because it's fast, not because it's good. Think of the times we devour something "forbidden" because we plan to start dieting the next day. If you've gotten away from checking in with your body when it comes to eating, give yourself a few days to do just this one task: Focus on your internal cues of hunger, fullness, and desire for certain foods. See if it makes a difference in calming the chaos of your eating patterns.
"Keep your eyes on yourself." Humans are competitive, and we're constantly measuring ourselves against others. During a yoga session, if you focus on your neighbor, who's holding each pose to perfection, you're not focusing on your own body. This won't serve you because you won't be getting better at your own practice. I find that this also applies to how we eat. When we're so focused on what other people are eating, we have a harder time realizing what works for us, and we can't fine-tune our eating habits in a way that really improves our overall diet. Instead of trying to mimic that celebrity diet you read about, or live up to your friend who makes home-cooked meals for her family every night, turn your focus to the way you eat today, and adjust it to make it better. Small daily changes can make all the difference.
"Allow the practice to become a moving meditation." The more you do yoga, the more it becomes second nature—and your mind will shift into a meditative state while flowing through each pose. I like to think of cooking the same way. The more time you spend in the kitchen, the more it becomes a soothing introspective process. At first, your brain has to focus on learning the cooking basics (just as you have to learn various yoga poses). Once you're more comfortable in the kitchen, you can surrender to the process of dicing and sautéing, and allow it to take on a type of moving meditation. I find that spending time in my kitchen at the end of a busy day can be a great de-stressor, which ultimately helps my overall diet and my mood.
Namaste!
Because of the combination of an elevated heart rate, focused breathing, and balancing poses, it's essential that you have laser focus on the task at hand—if you let your mind wander, you'll find yourself falling out of poses. One thing that helps is staying focused on the instructor's voice as she delivers pointers on perfecting the various poses, sprinkled with reminders on keeping your attention within and listening to your body. Maybe it's the heat getting to my brain, but I'm frequently inspired to apply these yoga mantras to the way I talk about food. Consider a few of my favorites:
"Always listen to your body." In yoga, you're encouraged to take breaks when needed, and to not judge others when they do the same. In fact, taking a break is celebrated because you're honoring your body's request. How might we eat differently if we always checked in with our body first? Think of all the times we eat without checking in—when we eat even though we're not actually hungry, or we eat beyond the point of being full, or we eat because it's fast, not because it's good. Think of the times we devour something "forbidden" because we plan to start dieting the next day. If you've gotten away from checking in with your body when it comes to eating, give yourself a few days to do just this one task: Focus on your internal cues of hunger, fullness, and desire for certain foods. See if it makes a difference in calming the chaos of your eating patterns.
"Keep your eyes on yourself." Humans are competitive, and we're constantly measuring ourselves against others. During a yoga session, if you focus on your neighbor, who's holding each pose to perfection, you're not focusing on your own body. This won't serve you because you won't be getting better at your own practice. I find that this also applies to how we eat. When we're so focused on what other people are eating, we have a harder time realizing what works for us, and we can't fine-tune our eating habits in a way that really improves our overall diet. Instead of trying to mimic that celebrity diet you read about, or live up to your friend who makes home-cooked meals for her family every night, turn your focus to the way you eat today, and adjust it to make it better. Small daily changes can make all the difference.
"Allow the practice to become a moving meditation." The more you do yoga, the more it becomes second nature—and your mind will shift into a meditative state while flowing through each pose. I like to think of cooking the same way. The more time you spend in the kitchen, the more it becomes a soothing introspective process. At first, your brain has to focus on learning the cooking basics (just as you have to learn various yoga poses). Once you're more comfortable in the kitchen, you can surrender to the process of dicing and sautéing, and allow it to take on a type of moving meditation. I find that spending time in my kitchen at the end of a busy day can be a great de-stressor, which ultimately helps my overall diet and my mood.
Namaste!
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