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I’ll Order My Table Old-Fashioned

It seems like a novelty, like a Norman Rockwell painting. Like something that can’t be managed or isn’t taken very seriously. But having dinner together at the kitchen table is more crucial than most people imagine.

First, the dinner table forges a sense of connection. When the entire family is sitting together in one place, instead of eating in separate rooms or vehicles, they get a chance to talk and review their days. There’s no interference from the television or other outside distractions. The parents are also providing evidence to their kids that this family connection is more important than anything else (work, piling laundry, etc). The focus is completely on the family and everyone in it. Everyone has their place in the family.

Second, because there are no distractions, each person is also able to focus more on what they’re eating so they don’t stuff more in their mouths than when hypnotized by The Bachelor. Studies show you’re more likely to overeat when you eat while distracted. You naturally take more time and become mindful of what you’re eating at the table.

Third, studies show that children who regularly eat at the dinner table will be less likely to use drugs and alcohol, be less stressed, get better grades and eat better. Seriously, this one simple thing can have the most profound life-altering effect.

Fourth, everyone eats better. If you’re at the dinner table, the dinner is more than likely made at home which more than likely means it’s healthier than what you’d find at the drive-through or restaurant table. Servings usually aren’t dished in heaving portions (well, maybe at Christmas) allowing everyone to stop eating when they’re actually full, not when they’ve gotten their $10.99-worth. I did read somewhere that people who eat around the table are more likely to be healthy and in shape as well, perhaps as a result of healthy eating.

Fifth, the dinner table provides one of the most effectual places for parents to teach their children about manners. Whether teaching about table manners (don’t talk with your mouth full, please help your brother clear the table) or social graces (shake Mr. Adams hand) in general, the dinner table can be the cornerstone of etiquette training.

Sixth, for a young child, the kitchen table is a wonderful starting place for teaching them how to sit still and providing them with other basic discipline (it’s not polite to kick Johnny, don’t leave the table until you’re excused). This basic training will then carry over to church pews and restaurant tables where screaming, wiggly, milk-spewing children are not necessarily condoned.

Seventh, along those same lines, dinner at the table provides a crucial sense of routine for smaller children. Something they can rely on. Every parent knows that routine is the basis of cooperation with toddlers and provides a sense of stability with older children.

Eighth, the dinner table allows you the chance to demonstrate to your children what healthy eating habits look like. Vegetables aren’t gross, we don’t need to hide in a closet to eat, a pile of crackers is not a dinner, it’s not shameful to eat a bite of cake once in awhile, and it’s worth it to try new things.

Ninth, the preparation of the meal is a wonderful opportunity to offer your children a sense of responsibility. When they get to mix the cookie batter, stir the meat, or time the noodles, they’re learning exactly what preparing a meal entails and how to succeed in life. They’ll be much more self-sufficient as adults and hold their responsibilities in high regard when they learn how to prepare their own food at a young age.

One of the safest places in the world is at the dinner table. Let’s eat!

Is an active job a workout?

I had a small argument with my dad about this. After a trip to the doctor, we was told his chances of having a heart attack were off the charts due to a combination of factors, including smoking, high cholesterol/triglyceride/everything readings, eating a full bag of Cheetos in one sitting and sleeping every hour he wasn’t at work. My dad was previously a construction worker for over 20 years of his life. The man has some pipes. But he also has quite the belly and much-too-high cholesterol levels.

I know construction work can be exhausting. But just because you work in an active job doesn’t mean you earn rights to eat anything you want. Just because you lift heavy objects all day does not give you license to neglect other body parts and your flexibility. Just because you only eat a small amount per day doesn’t mean that calorie allowance should be filled with filth. And just because said lifting builds muscle, it doesn’t mean you are getting any cardiovascular exercise, elevating your heart rate for an extended period of time. There is a HUGE difference. Let’s not even get me started on the smoking, daddy-o!

And dad refuses to switch from white foods to whole grains; refuses to eliminate popcorn drowned in extra butter melted in the microwave; and refuses to eat most foods from the produce section, and that’s just a start. He swears he doesn’t eat that bad, but a real, honest food log would tell an entirely different story. I don’t mean to rip on him, but I just have a hard time not getting mad. Now that I’ve made healthy trades and sort of jumped over to the “healthy” side, I absolutely hate excuses and I am easily saddened by situations where people decide not to take care of themselves. I suppose that’s because I’ve done a lot of reading and research about how certain foods and exercise affect your health. Unhealthy people have probably not done so (or ignore the facts) and don’t really understand what they’re doing to their bodies.

I’ve helped when I’ve been asked. It’s a gentle subject and I know the worst thing I could do is persist. I’ve given him a diagram of exercises to help strengthen his back and alleviate his pain, which I’m pretty sure ended up as a coaster. I made an entire booklet of information for him about healthy nutrition, because he couldn’t afford to go to a nutritionist. Even though I was asked, I was still insulted (basically told I didn’t know anything) and the book was completely ignored (i.e. discarded). Hours and hours of work down the drain is enough to make anyone angry.

When I became a mother, I lived, breathed, spoke, thought, and constantly worried about my health and that of my child. I think that’s a natural reaction for a parent. I can’t imagine losing anyone this close, especially for reasons that are within their control. I can so clearly see this teetering on a tightrope and it nearly makes me sick. I don’t want to see my daddy hurting, especially like this. Please pops, can you do better than this so we can enjoy your presence for much much longer?

Bad Eating Habits

There was a time when I had breakfast (um, pregnancy), a snack at 9am, a snack at 11am, lunch, a snack at 3pm, maybe another snack at home, and dinner. Wow! And I really didn’t think much of it, but in writing that sounds like a train wreck. The thing was, I’d have an apple or banana for morning snacks and a granola bar in the afternoon. It didn’t seem harmful. Once I got to adding up all those noshes though, I was amazed. How could fruit be sabotaging my diet? Well, it wasn’t.

It was all those extra little bites of things here and there. I’d get home and grab a stack of Pringles and then grab a few more (because once you pop…). Dinner would consist of a pile of meat and plenty of sides. I’d sometimes drink several glasses of milk with meals. And all meals were topped off with at least a little bit of sugar for dessert. This all added up to way too much.

I started slowly, removing a snack here and there until I was comfortable enough to go between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and quitting time, without snacks. Then, I added those apples and bananas to my meals so my plate was more full of healthy fare instead of things like fries. I eliminated most of my liquid calories except for about two glasses of lowfat milk per day. That was the trick!

It’s difficult though to remove all those snacks once you’ve gotten used to eating them every day. But that’s the thing! The only reason I ate all those snacks was because I was used to them. I’m not famished in between meals now and I still snack when I’m feeling a little too hungry, but the desire for those constant snacks disappeared once I got used to not having them. Now, tea and gum keep my taste buds satisfied when I feel like I just need something in my mouth, not necessarily nourishment. It can be smart to spread 3 meals into 5 smaller ones throughout the day for some people, but it’s crucial to keep those portions pared way down and not let all that snacking get out of control.

Not All Opposites Attract

Here’s a little insight into the differences between someone who is healthy and someone who is not. Some of them might be overgeneralizations, but really, the habits between the two groups are significantly different. And in no way am I trying to be insulting, because I myself have been on both sides of the equation and know all too well the upsides and downsides of both. Here’s my experience with healthy vs. not-so-healthy.

1. Enthusiastic about each opportunity to walk instead of drive/Moan at the thought of having to cross a parking lot to reach a neighboring store.

2. Find little ways to incorporate activity into everything, even lunch/Barely leave their desk and would rather not even take the stairs.

3. Find time, no matter what the circumstances or how many kids they have, to work out several times each week/Offer an extensive list of excuses as to why exercise just isn’t feasible.

4. Take pride in trying out new fruits and vegetables and have a recipe collection for common favorites/Most fruits are ingested in juice form.

5. Knows what most fruits and vegetables look like/Not sure where to find an eggplant.

6. Pantries and fridges are full of healthy fare from the perimeter of the grocery store/Boxed meals and prepackaged goods usually make the cut.

7. Maintain a healthy lifestyle long-term/diet on and off; regularly sign up for different weight loss programs and quit after a short time.

8. Thoughts of the deep-frying process make you a bit nauseous/Thoughts of keeping down Brussels sprouts makes you turn up your nose.

9. Take charge, research and implement healthy living strategies/Wait for some miracle cure, supplement or equation to take all the guesswork out and require the least work possible.

10. Comfortable being uncomfortable for healthful gains/Huffing and puffing are avoided at all costs.

11. Have at least a basic idea of how to read nutrition labels and eyeball a serving size/Likely eat much more than one serving and think labels are way too scientific to even bother with.

12. Barely watch television and sometimes work out during commercials/Have at least 2 or more shows each weeknight that they catch on a regular basis.

13. Work at healthful habits one step and small goal at a time/Use an all-or-nothing approach and go all-out only to come crashing to a halt days later.

14. Small setbacks don’t completely derail the healthy lifestyle/A minor slip-up might completely sabotage willpower.

15. Enjoy small indulgences every once in awhile/Try to completely eliminate certain foods, label foods good and bad, and/or go overboard on portion size.

Diets Diets Everywhere

It’s kind of funny. Since I’ve climbed up the health hill, I’m much more apt to become annoyed when I hear people talk about diets. It seems almost silly, and I can tell when, like clockwork, they’ll totally ditch the plan in favor of all their previous indulgences. It’s really a tiresome process for everyone involved I think. I will be the first to applaud anyone’s weight loss and health goals, but it frustrates me when the “diet” (fad) followed isn’t sustainable, healthy, or taken very seriously.

Whenever a celeb or person we know loses weight, we all want to know what plan they followed. Then, we jump on the bandwagon only to fall off two weeks down the road. I think it helps to look at the big picture. Every infallible diet plan is based on some of the same basic diet principles. There’s no wand-waving, no juice or pill that will make everything better. And what does make everything better takes a whole lot of work. And it must be practiced for an entire lifetime.

Perhaps that’s what frustrates me most, when people think that they shouldn’t have to do much to watch the weight fall off. Or when they use every excuse ever devised. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight the natural way and kept it off knows that it takes a damn lot of work! And when someone thinks it’s supposed to be easy, it’s rather insulting to the hours of planning and sweat we have worked through over the years. Us losers take pride in the accomplishments we have achieved and the raw effort it took to get here. And yes, some of us have kids, full-time jobs, hobbies, homes in need of attention, and so much more that we have to work against every day in order to be healthy.

Anyhow, enough ranting. I truly do wish everyone the best in their healthful endeavors. I just wish that we weren’t so hardwired to get caught in all of the hype. I even fall victim to that every once in awhile.

Witnessing a Success Story

Every once in awhile, you get to be a witness to a wicked transformation right before your eyes. A few months ago, a homely-looking couple at work began a weight loss program. Now, they’re both miniature replicas of their previous selves. Or should I say, better-dressed, taller-standing miniature versions of themselves. Suddenly, with their new haircuts and much brighter and closer-fitting clothing, they’ve become our stylish idols of change here at work. The swagger in both of their steps and the brighter smiles on their faces are highly motivating. It’s as though one positive change begins a snowball effect after with which confidence, style, poise and grace follow.

It’s just like when a girl gets a good haircut and style and thinks of all the places she needs to go that day just to get the most out of the great hair day and have it noticed by the most possible people. She suddenly injects a little swagger into her stride and perhaps stops off at the store to grab a bottle of potion to make her face look brighter within three days and a pair of sunglasses that perfectly frame her face. The effects of one positive change can be far-reaching.

These complete stunning changes only happen every once in a long while, so you just can’t help but stare.

Red Red Wine, Stay Close to Me

Well, speaking of red wine a few post’s ago, I just read about another study touting the benefits of my favorite poison. Not only did the Realage site mention that drinking 4-oz of wine with a meal increases HDL (good) cholesterol, a Reuters article suggests that there’s a strong correlation between women who drink red wine and a slimmer waistline.

Now this is a weight loss plan I wouldn’t mind trying. Cheers!

I am 26, but feel like I’m 20.3

Take the RealAge(r) test at the Realage website to see how old your body is in terms of how you take care of it, how healthy you are, and other contributing factors. I am happy to say, I am feeling 6 years younger today.

After you take the test, you can find out what’s making you younger and older. There are Health, Habits, Relationships, Diet and Fitness recommendations you can follow to help improve your score. It’s amazing what flossing, drinking red wine with dinner, and owning a dog can do for your body! But it also told me to buy that silver SUV we’ve been looking at (larger vehicles provide more protection and apparently silver vehicles are 50% less likely to be involved in serious accidents. Who knew?) I don’t know if we can swing that since unemployment checks don’t fly as income.

Here’s something else I had a sneaky suspicion about. The quiz results say I work out TOO MUCH. It says, “In fact, your workout is at the level of an athlete” and then offers strategies to slow down a little bit. I’ve programmed myself to find exercise opportunities in all those extra daily minutes, like one segment of the 10-minute Solution DVD before work, then walk to work, walk briskly with a friend at lunch, walk home, and fit in a more intense workout and strength sessions MWF, and then sneak in a few more walks and workouts on the weekend. I loathe sitting around, what can I say?

But it seemed like after I had my baby, breastfed, and walked slowly with him, weight fell off my body faster than it ever did before. Perhaps less is more.

It’s kind of funny, because after a health assessment at work one time, the nurse insisted that I get more exercise. I repeated how much I worked out several times and she kept saying I needed to do more. I just rolled my eyes. I always knew it was the food holding me back, not the exercise.

I also learned from the quiz that my target heart rate for working out is about 194 (220-age). I think I’ll try to keep track of this tomorrow and request a heart rate monitor for Christmas:)

Will Eat for Free!

I’ve identified more dangerous triggers that cause me to eat when I don’t need to. It all comes down to the value of the dollar.

The first trigger is free food. When I see a spread of fruit, dips, and other indulgences, I see something I could never afford to have all at once at home. I see dollar signs in the drink mixes and shiny gold glazing on the meat slabs and it’s hard to resist the temptation when posed against the lackluster frozen meals at our house. Along the same vein is the value of my time. The free homemade cake offered at work, that I don’t have to slave over, is doubly tempting. (And I will NEVER pass up a slice of cake!) I figure as long as it’s only one indulgence every other week or so, maybe I throw a few bites away, and I only take a partial serving, I should just enjoy the frosting, guilt-free. And there can’t be much harm in filling my plate with mostly fruits and vegetables first.

The second downfall is the incredulous idea of wasted food. Knowing how much our weekly grocery budget has grown makes me want to sip, soak up, suck on, swallow, and chew every last penny’s worth that I can. The downfall of this is that those extra bites end up taking up residence in my fat cells, which is worse than living in the garbage can. I guess the easy solution to this is to buy less calorie-laden foods and serve smaller portions. Also limiting the indulgences would help, so that when I eat every last bite, it’s more likely to be broccoli and brown rice than greasy prepackaged burritos.

My third downfall is when food is offered that I wasn’t prepared for. Identifying the cost and amount of time and love spent by mommy making a double batch of cookies makes it impossible to refuse. The gooey heaven is laden with guilt from many different angles. Next time, I’ll ask for my treat to-go, fully enjoy just a few bites, and get rid of the rest or share the bounty with others. Mommy will never know.

The fourth downfall is how going out to eat has become a “treat.” My husband and I are at odds over this. My family of 5 used to go out to eat on $20 total, a rare treat. We’d share meals; scour flyers, newspapers and circulars for coupons; skip extras like drinks (only water), dessert, sides and appetizers; and memorize where the deals were. (We once had lunch at a furniture store because they were giving out free hot dogs). My husband’s family set no limits on food or cost and ate out as a convenience, versus a rare splurge. So as we combine our families, we have a habit of going out for a “rare treat” sometimes twice a week or more. Not good. I’ve bought a few quick healthy recipe books that will hopefully deflate this ballooning eating-out budget. We are in need of some variety and much more enjoyable bites at home so we don’t crave going out. After all, I’d much rather save for memorable vacations than watch money drain away on food, with nothing left to show for it.

Who knew money was so inextricably linked to diet?

Boredom of the Mouth

I promised I would have a post about this, so here it is. I have read countless articles about emotional eating and pinpointing its triggers. Usually, if we’re not actually hungry, there’s some sort of emotional connection when we eat anyway. With sadness, we may turn to comfort food; with fond memories, we may turn to fatty treats; with camaraderie, we may turn to deep-fried pub fare.

For me, it’s boredom. Not necessarily emotional boredom, but boredom of the mouth. I feel like I always need something in my mouth to taste, suck on, enjoy. I’ve found this can be quite dangerous to my health when I make the wrong decisions (oh chocolate, how I love thee), so I’ve had to come up with a few ways to combat the problem.

The best solution is sugarless gum (Wrigley’s Cinnamon). This keeps my mouth busy and occupied for hours. Sugarfree candy and Tic Tac mints are also helpful. I love Celestial Seasoning’s Black Cherry Berry tea. With a little sweetener, that practically tastes like candy itself. There’s probably something I’m ignoring about artificial sweetener, but I hope a few pieces of gum won’t kill me.