by kelsey | Feb 15, 2018 | Etc.
In about a month (March 13th), we will start another session of STRIVE 2 Survive! I always like to highlight a few of our success stories and previous participants to show what STRIVE can do for you! Laurie Danforth and her husband Mike participated in STRIVE 2 Survive and found great value in it. If you are on the fence or wondering if you should join us, check out Laurie’s feedback below. We hope you will consider it and let us help you improve your health and well-being through improved nutrition and activity!
If you have any questions or want to learn more, please email us at strive2survive@brownclinic.org or call 884-4226. Spring STRIVE starts March 13th and enrollment is currently underway!
- What pushed you to join STRIVE? After sending our last child off to college and becoming empty nesters we decided it was time to change our eating habits. Mike wanted to lose a few pounds so I suggested we do S2S and do it the right way.
- What was your goal? (weight loss, cholesterol, B/P, healthy eating, etc.) My goal was to develop better healthy eating and to maintain of improve lab values.
- Have you met your goal? Yes until the kids came home for the summer then our eating changes some but I always have S2S on my mind and look for healthier ways to fix meals.
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- If so, what are you doing to maintain? Looking forward to 2 of the boys returning to college to help with our change of habits when had adapted to.
- How did STRIVE help? Brought awareness to foods and their contents and also the ability to prepare foods differently to make them healthier. The frequent e mails and updates on the web also help.
- What is your motivation to continue? My competitiveness to keep my lab values where they were after being diligent of changing habits. I challenge myself to make sure they stay in good healthy ranges. I also feel much better after changing my diet habits.
- If you could tell anyone about Strive to Survive, what would you say? By all means join the program. Don’t think of it as a “diet” but a way of changing your daily eating habits along with exercise. It is not all about weight loss but eating healthier and making changes to adding or increasing exercise. I lost inches and improved lab values but did not lose much weight, all with feeling better. (Side note–Laurie didn’t have much to lose, so she focused on toning, lab improvement, and overall health improvements)
- Do you feel that the program has a lifetime change for you? By all means.
- What do you think they biggest highlight of the program is? Learning how to label read and prepare foods bought at the grocery store to change habits. It is much cheaper and healthier to buy foods at the grocery store for weight loss versus buying a program of mixes and shakes that may produce rapid weight loss. I know with this program I was making healthy choices that were not inadvertently affecting my lab values.
- Would you tell a friend about us? I have told friends about this program and encouraged them to join. The cost of the program is far less than “buying” weight loss with the many advertised programs out there.
- If people are in doubt of joining, what would you tell them? Give it a try!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 6, 2018 | Etc.
Spring into wellness with our spring program of STRIVE 2 Survive!! Our 12 week wellness program, STRIVE 2 Survive starts March 13th! Check out the details below and contact us today to reserve your spot!!
STRIVE 2 Survive:
Over 20 years ago Dr. Dan Reiffenberger wrote a grant for the American College of Sports Medicine about the development of a fitness program entitled STRIVE to Survive. The STRIVE represents “Securing Time for Regular Involvement in a Variety of Exercise”. Since that time, it has become our Brown Clinic Wellness Program, with modifications and improvements along the way. It is a 12 week program incorporating exercise and nutrition, with the goal of continuing these types of habits for a lifetime. Our dietitian Kelsey Raml has helped incorporate the nutrition component and Dr. Clark Likness, Dr. Jon McAreavey, and Deidra Van Gilder, PharmD are also involved creating a multi-disciplinary approach to health and wellness. We also have a great assistant, Barb, that keep us organized.
We the 12 week program periodically throughout the year. During the 12 weeks, we meet every other Tuesday at the County Fair Banquet Hall from 5:30-6:30pm. During the weeks we don’t meet, each participant gets a take home lesson focused on our two main components: diet and exercise. The meetings are held in a group atmosphere, but we can also work with you individually in the clinic if desired.
12 Weeks to a Better You!
Brown’s Diet and Exercise Wellness Program.
Who:
– The Strive2Survive Wellness Program is open to everyone, young and old.
– Conducted by Dr. Dan Reiffenberger, Board Certified in both Family Medicine and Sports Medicine and Registered Dietitian Kelsey Raml.
What:
– Lose Weight- Gain Strength – Maintain Fitness- Improve Diet.
– Evaluations: lab work- lipid and glucose, body composition testing-weight, height, BMI, body fat mass and percent, muscle mass…all pre and post the 12 week program.
– Free T-shirt
– 6 class lectures and 6 take home lessons.
Where:
– County Fair Banquet Hall
When:
March 13 “Healthy Eating Made Easy” Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
March 27: “Exercise for the Health of It” Dr. Dan Reiffenberger & Dr. Torness
April 10: “Your Equation to Success” Dr. Jon McAreavey
April 24: “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel” Dr. Clark Likness
May 8: “Medications…to do or not to do” Deidra VanGilder, PharmD
May 22: “Making Health a Way of Life” STRIVE Team
Cost:
– $130
Call, e-mail or use the contact form for more information.
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
605-884-4226
strive2survive@brownclinic.org
by Dan | Dec 17, 2017 | Etc.
There is nothing like reaching your goals you set for yourself! But, nobody gets there on their own. We all have help, whether working out beside us, or if our family members, they may be taking over more responsibilities at home to allow you the time to do this. Be sure to thank those people for what they do for you. I have said numerous times that Sarah has been my main training partner. Yesterday was another example. We are planning on running at Disney in the next few weeks. We will be running the half marathon with our twin daughters, one running with each of us. Then, I am also doing the marathon the next day. I had my last long run in yesterday getting ready for this—20 miles. The weather was great. I did the first 5 miles, and the last 5 miles on my own, and then Sarah ran the other 10 miles with me. Overall, it is the difference of being able to accomplish this or not. Whether we are running 20 miles, or 2 blocks, it does not matter. If we have someone out there helping to push us, or motivate us, it is so much easier to accomplish. And, not to mention, that much more enjoyable. That is the benefit of our run club as well. We all run 4 miles together every Sunday morning. We run to see how everyone is doing, not to just run. It can be the highlight of the week!
We are there for each other, supporting each, motivating each other! Running friends who are like family. We may run together as a group, but there are always some individuals who do even more for you.
I refer to this picture as the three stooges! Steve and Tom always make for a good conversation on the run. Speed is not the objective. It is about friends working out, together, and having a lot of “fish stories”, even the ones that got away, or the tall tales!
Sarah and my daughter Molly ran with a bunch of the other “girls” from our run club for a “Tree Skirt Run” in SF last month. They all got to deck out in their Christmas garb, and have fun running a 5k run. They had a ball!
So what are you waiting for? Most of the time it tends to just be another excuse for not doing exercise. It won’t ever change it you don’t make an attempt. But, when you have others to support you, it is so much easier, not to mention so much more fun! Rely on those people. They need your support as much as you need theirs! Help each other. That is what it is all about! Life can be challenging enough, don’t make it harder than it has to be. When you are offered help, take it! It makes those individuals giving the help feel better too! Here are some pictures or our run club getting ready to take off…to take off and have fun!
Cheer for each other…be there for each other. There are days when we all need some help. Everybody! Our lives can depend on it! Nobody said doing exercise was easy…but you can make it easier. We all need some help in achieving our goals. Cheer each other!
What are you waiting for? Don’t make another excuse. The next year is coming upon us soon. You still have a few more weeks to plan on how you are going to go at this. There is no time like now…we don’t know everything about our future, so don’t keep putting it off. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3735
by kelsey | Dec 13, 2017 | Diet, Etc., Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Everyone’s eating habits are a little different from each other’s. The differences are usually dependent on our daily schedules, routines, choices, preferences, culture, etc. Many factors play into our eating habits. Alot of us use food for other purposes than nourishing our body–could be a stress reliever, emotional purpose, enjoyment, etc. Typically these other reasons play into what and how much we are eating. Emotional eating can lead to obesity and disease so finding that balance and making healthy choices is especially important for success long term with wellness. Mindful or intuitive eating is a concept dietitian Ellyn Satter has explored greatly. She has some basics tips about this type of eating below and I wanted to share this with you as it really gives some food for thought as we examine our eating habits.
What is Normal Eating?
•Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.
•Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.
•It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful.
•Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.
•Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life
For more information visit Ellyn’s site at : http://www.ellynsatter.com
As you work to improve your diet and choices think about these concepts and work at incorporating them into your eating habits and thought process! Mindful eating is an excellent concept and promotes life long healthy eating habits.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Dec 12, 2017 | Etc.
The holidays are a fun and enjoyable time, but they can also be stressful and emotional. We also have the least amount of sunlight right now so that plays a role with our mood as well. It seems like a lot of people I have visited with lately are suffering from the holiday/winter blues. When you’re feeling the blues, it can really get you down in the dumps which can result in overeating, less activity, and depression. I personally feel I suffer from a little bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)but I have found there are a few things that spark my spirit so I hope they can help you as well!
Tips for Overcoming the Holiday/Winter Blues
•Get active! Activity produces natural endorphins that boost mood. I was exercising already, but to help ward off the winter blues, I have increased the amount of exercise and added some strength training to my routine. Try getting at least 30 minutes of activity in a day…if you can do more, the better.
•Eat Right: healthy eating will make you feel healthier inside and out. Aim to get at least 5 fruits and veggies a day, include whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Vitamin D has been proven to aid in SAD so be sure to get your 3 servings of low fat milk or dairy products. If you aren’t a milk drinker you may consider taking a daily multivitamin with calcium and vitamin D or a vitamin D supplement. Please ask your dietitian, pharmacist, or doctor for the correct dosage.
•Spice up your life: Sometimes getting a new shirt, going to the movies, reading a new and exciting book, or getting new tunes on your ipod will help spice up your life and add some more excitement to your life.
•Get out! Plan a family/friend trip to somewhere close or even tropical, bum around downtown Watertown, or plain just get out of the house! It’s easy to dwell in our sorrows by becoming a hermit and staying inside. We need to get out and get some socialization!
•Think Positive! Dwelling on the negatives can sure take a person down. Instead think about the positives in your life and the upcoming holidays. Tell yourself one positive thing about yourself and your selfworth daily. Focus on the blessings in your life!
•If you feel you are suffering from the blues very seriously then I encourage you to contact your physician for further assistance as we can help you with this!
Stay positive, eat right, exercise, and get out…those holiday/winter blues will be gone before you know it!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 14, 2017 | Etc.
Public Service Announcement:
A support group for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) will hold a meeting on Monday, November 20th at 6:30pm at Prairie Lakes Hospital’s West Conference Room. Attendees should use the west entrance. There is no advanced registration and no cost to attend. Everyone is welcome! To learn more contact Bruce Ford at 880-5213.
I spoke with this group a few months ago and it is a great group and support to those with IBS. If you are dealing with IBS, I encourage you to join them!
-Kelsey
