by Dan | Aug 7, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all have our own plans, thoughts, ideas about things we want to accomplish in our life. As we continue on this adventure, and start getting into thoughts of goal planning for next time, I think it would be important to begin with a little different perspective on how to go about coming up with your goals. We all need motivation to help convince ourselves to keep trying, and what that spark would be that will get us going to take on new things, new adventures, new plans for our life. Maybe we need to consider it a different way. Maybe we need to take ourselves out of the equation when deciding on our goals. Maybe, it’s not about us, as individuals. Maybe we need to think of others, and what we can do to help somebody else out. Or, if we take care of ourselves, how will that impact other people in our lives who care about us. As individuals, we all have unique traits and qualities that somebody can learn and benefit by. By focusing on things this way, maybe that in and of itself will be something that would actually motivate us as individuals.
The picture posted at the beginning is one of my training partners Steve, and I, as we are about to cross the finish line at the Disney marathon…Steve’s first. That was a goal he had…to run and finish a marathon. I have talked on Steve before and his health issues he underwent to be able to get to that point. My goal then was not to run a personal best in the marathon for me. My goal was to do whatever I could to help Steve get to the finish line and achieve his goal. It was not about me…this time, my goal was about him. I look back on this picture often. The emotion of Steve’s face as we are nearing the finish line says it all. Everything he had gone through to be able to get to that point, the health scare, the work, the dedication, the discipline…to cross that finish line! That was also my reward. It was all worth it to me as well. The journey we went through to get to that point. There is no better feeling of accomplishment for me than knowing I helped him achieve his goal. It was not about me…this journey was about him…and I got to play a part in it!
Find that purpose in your life where you can make a difference on somebody else’s life. What is that purpose? What is it for each of us as individuals? Each one of us has to answer that. But, it you can keep some of the major underlying reasons for achieving your goals not be about you, but about someone else in your life, you will be more happy and successful that you could imagine. For each of us, we focused on our health, but the main reason we even made that a priority was our own individual families.
Steve and I are each missing one member of our families in this picture…Molly, my daughter, and Jeff, his son. Otherwise this is the rest of our families. This is the reason we want to take care of our health. This is the reason we want to be around…to spend time with them, and for them to spend time with us. It is about them! The journey along the way is just the benefit we get in the process.
What is that journey for you? And when you do decide to go for it, where will it take you? I am going to post next on actual goal setting, and how to “go”al for it! Keep this concept in mind that “it is not about us”. Make it about somebody else, whether friend, family…God…whatever it may be. When you do things for somebody or something else, it can be even more rewarding! The thing that helped motivate me in this way was reading the book by Rick Warren…”The Purpose Driven”. This is what he talks about as well. If you have never read, do it!
That journey can truly be a success, not just a destination. A success that keeps on going, and keeps on benefiting you. That is how it can be for you! Enjoy the journey! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3236
by kelsey | Aug 3, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! Yes, you have probably heard this before, but are you a breakfast eater!? Having a good breakfast is a great way to start out the day. It’s not only important for our body, but our mind too. Many times we’ll have excuses such as I was running late, I didn’t feel like eating, I’m not hungry in the morning, and this actually accounts for about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the population! Starting the day without breakfast is like driving your car on a low tank of gas. We know we can’t go on forever on a low tank of gas, so we shouldn’t do that to our bodies either! Those that skip breakfast tend to snack more on high fat and lower nutritious foods…and are more likely to overeat at lunch because they are over-hungry. Studies have also shown that those working on weight loss are more successful when they eat breakfast as this really jump starts their metabolism and starts their day off right. In addition, eating a healthy breakfast helps our kids excel in school as it helps fuel the brain!
So what should you eat for breakfast? It’s important to get a balance at your meals and especially include a source of protein and a whole grain as these provide satiety. Here are some examples for you:
- Ready-to-eat cereal (>3g fiber, <2-3g fat, a ratio of greater than 4 g carbohydrate:1 g sugar)
- Hot cereal (oatmeal)
- Bagel with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter
- Yogurt Parfait
- Fruit and yogurt smoothie
- Peanut butter or hummus on whole-wheat toast
- Breakfast quesadilla with low-fat cream cheese and sliced fruit
- Breakfast burrito or taco
- Toasted whole-wheat English muffin with lean ham and low-fat cheese
- Toasted pita with scrambled egg and low-fat cheese
- Low-fat milk and 100% fruit
- Meal replacement drink
If you are one who is not a fan of breakfast but understands the importance of it, I encourage you to try a variety of these options and see which one works best for you. I also encourage you to plan ahead. You may need to wake up 5 minutes earlier to fit breakfast in or make your smoothie the night before so all you have to do it pull the bottle or container out of the freezer or fridge in the morning and drink it on your way to work. Starting your day with a full tank will provide long lasting benefits to you and your body!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jul 31, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Everybody has a story to tell. A story that explains how certain things in their life took place…whether by choice, or by chance. This particular story occurred by choice. When I take care of my patients, I see many times how our health choices, or lack there of, influence our overall health. I hear regrets from patients, and how they wish they could have changed things, had then known back then what they know now. But, unfortunately, we know this, and they know this, already. They knew it long ago. They just did not want to think about it back then, as life was going good, and how could their health possibly be a factor in things. How could their choices then make such a difference now. Well my story focuses on my family…my wife and my kids. Too many times I would hear from patients that they want to be around to see their kids graduate…to walk them down the aisle of their wedding…to be able to spend time with their grandkids. This is where we all have to take a step back, and refocus.
We have to literally STOP! What is it we want? What is it we want to accomplish? Once again, what is our goal/goals? One story in particular helped me come to realize what I wanted to accomplish.
My story is about this individual pictured above. When this picture was taken, this individual had just turned 52 years old. He was approximately 5’8″, and weighed over 300 lbs. Over the course of the next 11 months of his life, he suffered 2 heart attacks, and 3 strokes, the 3rd stroke which he ended up dying from. He passed away before he was 53 years old. He left behind 10 kids, and those 10 kids went on to create 35 grandkids. His first grandchild was born 1 month after he passed away. He never got to see any of his grandkids. He still had his own kids that had not even finished high school yet. He missed out on a lot of things in his family’s life. I was born 16 years after he passed away. This was my grandfather. I never got to know my grandfather. I never got to spend any time with him. I am told he was quite a comedian, and a practical joker. Maybe that is where I get some of my talents from. Over the years I have always felt cheated by the fact I never got to meet him…spend time with him…get to know him…to love him. And he never got to know me! I decided that if I had anything to say about it, or be in control of it, that I would never let this happen to me. So, on 9/26/07, I made a challenge to myself. I wanted to see how many days in a row that I could exercise. How many days could I go without missing any? I wanted to be as healthy as I could so this would not happen to me. I wanted to see my kids grow up, and see all of their accomplishments, and to be able to see their kids. I want to someday be a grandpa! I want to be able to know what that feels like. I want my grandkids to know me! I may have never met my grandfather, but I learned a lot from him. I learned that if I don’t want this to happen to me, I am going to have to take care of my health… and that you do have some control over your duration of your life. Now, there are always circumstances that come up that as humans we have no control over. But we need to learn to control those factors in our life that are controllable. In the end, we will all benefit from this. But there is no question. This takes discipline!
There are always things that come up. Things that need to be done during the course of the day. Some important, some not so important. The key is trying to figure out which ones are really the important ones. Then we need to make exercise and our health a priority. If anybody ever said that exercise was easy, then I don’t think that they did it for very long. It takes work. It takes dedication. It takes discipline. Over time, exercise will get EASIER to do, but I have never said it was easy! But, it can also be fun, and it can create fun. Make it enjoyable, and overall your life will be more enjoyable. That is what true success is! As the famous Dr. George Sheehan, who help start the running revolution, stated:
I can’t say it any better than this! My success is going to be that hopefully I will be around longer to see my family grow, and to spend time with them. That is true success. My kids cheered me on in races when they were little, just like to first picture shows. I got to return the favor. They were great experiences that I get to remember forever. Hopefully, I will get to see my grandkids, and cheer them on as well! My consecutive exercise streak has not ended yet since that day in 2007. I am still just as excited to be active now as I was then. I keep those same motivating factors in my mind at all times…Sarah, Megan, Molly, and Nick…my family!
Exercise to have fun! Exercise to be happy! Exercise for the Health of it! Our run club is excited to meet and go out and run…to interact and be social…to take care of ourselves. Remember, in life, for the majority of issues that come up, we do have choices.
Make good choices. Choose to be healthy. Choose to be around as long as we can, and are able to be in control. Choose wisely! My story of my grandfather comes to light even more now. I will turn 52 in October. I have a lot of things I want to do yet. I have a lot of time I want to spend with my family! Enjoy the ride along the way! My consecutive exercise streak goes on. When it will end I don’t know. But when it does, I will just another one! Exercise for the Health of it! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3229
by kelsey | Jul 28, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Food, Wellness/Health
Snacking can sometimes become an issue in the summer. Children are often at home more with a less structured schedule and older children are alone for certain periods of time. To avoid consuming too many extra calories (which leads to weight gain) try these tips.
Buy Good Food
- Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Chips, candy, pizza rolls, etc. are filled with calories but almost no vitamins or minerals.
- Fruits and vegetables contain tons of vitamins and minerals with less calories. They are a quick snack to prepare and delicious raw.
- Encourage water as the main beverage this summer. Kids need the hydration.
- Avoid sweetened beverages (see the article on the next page).
- Switch to skim or low-fat milk products.
Set a Loose Schedule
- Encourage a morning meal to start their day and an evening meal with others to provide structure.
- Emphasis eating a nutritious mid-day meal and 2-3 small snacks through the day.
- Make a rule that all food must be put on a plate or in a bowl. Cut down on consuming extra portions out of the container.
- Make a rule that food is to be eaten at a counter or dining table. Cut down on mindless munching in front of the TV or reading a book.
Fun Snack Ideas
- 1/2 cup low-at yogurt with fresh fruit
- 1/4 cup roasted almonds
- Apples or celery dipped in natural peanut butter
- Dried fruit (raisins, dried apples, etc.)
- Baked tortilla chips dipped in salsa
- Keep fruits and vegetables handy for munching on
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 27, 2016 | Diet, Etc., Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Why Exercise Alone Might Not Lead to Weight Loss
Exercise is an integral piece to the weight-loss puzzle, but it certainly doesn’t stand alone. Eating right is just as important for weight loss as exercise alone. The best weight-loss prescription, of course, is to do both—watch what you eat and exercise regularly. These tips can help you get maximum results from your hard work and diligence.
Level of exertion
Make sure that your exercise gets results by working at your ideal level of exertion. The best way to do this is to check your pulse against your maximum heart rate. You can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. You should have the ability to speak without gasping for air, but should work hard enough that you don’t really want to have to talk much. You will need to take in 500–1000 calories/day less than what you expend in order to lose 1–2 pounds/week.
Extra food
Avoid the tendency to eat extra food on days that you’ve exercised. Remember that all of those extra bites and spoonfuls can really add up.
Exercise routine
Doing the same exercise routine every day can lead to less energy expenditure over time, because you burn more calories when you’re first learning a routine. Interval training, such as walking fast for 2 minutes and then jogging or running for 30 seconds, is recommended to increase the number of calories burnt.
Sports drinks and supplements
Many sports drinks and bars contain nearly a meal’s worth of calories. They are more appropriate for a person who is running a marathon than for a person who is taking an aerobics class or going for a brisk walk.
Time vs intensity of workout
Rather than increasing the length of time that you spend exercising, most experts agree that it can be more beneficial to increase the intensity of your workout to promote weight loss, while keeping the time spent the same or decreasing it.
If you are struggling with weight loss and need some extra help, please send me an email or call! I would love to work with you and help you improve your health and wellness!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 26, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Homemade fruit and vegetable smoothies are a great way to guarantee your 5-A-Day natural nutrients while keeping you cool in these hot temps. Consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes while delivering fiber and vitamins. Contrary to the common belief, consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables can be inexpensive and in the long run will save you money in terms of medical bills.
There are endless smoothie recipes you can use to make a quick breakfast, after a workout, or for an afternoon snack. Adding an extra boost to your smoothie such as protein powder or Greek yogurt will additionally provide other valuable nutrients. Here’s a guide to help get started
Add Fruit/Vegetable
|
Add Liquid
|
Add Thickener
|
Extra
|
| Banana, Berries, Apple, Pear, Peach, Kiwi, Pineapple, Cherries, Mango, Orange, Spinach, Kale, Beets, Carrots |
Dairy, Soy, Rice, or Almond Milk, Fruit Juice, Water, Iced Tea |
Peanut butter, Yogurt, Frozen yogurt, ice cubes, or oats. |
Honey, Cinnamon, Protein Powder, Mint, Figs, Dark Chocolate, Flaxseed. |
| Choose 2-3 |
Add 1-2 cups of liquid |
Pick your consistency |
Your preference |
Here are some examples:
Green Smoothie: Mango Chunks, Banana, Kale or Spinach, Apple Slices, Water, Plain low fat yogurt
Carrot Smoothie: Carrots, Orange, Pineapple, Low-sugar Apple Juice, Ice Cubes, Cinnamon
Desert Smoothie: Banana, Apple Slices, Low Fat/Skim Milk, Peanut Butter, Top with Dark Chocolate Shavings
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
