by Dan | Mar 30, 2014 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It has been a tough week. I had to say goodbye to my Dad forever. Where do you begin to say Thank You for everything. I hope he realized how much I appreciated everything from him. He taught me you had to work hard for what you got, and to be proud of what you are doing. If anybody wonders where I got the exercise traits from, you would not need to look any further than him. He did manual labor his whole life, and then when he retired, got involved with riding a stationary bike. He would ride anywhere from 15-45 miles per day, every day! He has been an important part of my life for so long, I am not sure how I am going to handle this going forward.
When I received Family Doctor of the Year a few years ago, I was so proud to have you and mom show up at Deadwood, and for it to be a complete surprise to me. I have always been so proud of you, and I can’t tell you how proud it made me feel for you guys to show up for that night.
You made life fun. You worked hard for everything you had. We never wanted for anything that was important. You taught us what being a great Dad was supposed to be. A lot of us may be able to be fathers, but it takes a special individual to be a Dad. I learned a lot from you, and hope you were proud of me as well.
I will miss your smile; your sense of humor; just talking to you. I hope you can now rest. You don’t have to worry if you don’t remember things anymore. It does not matter now. We remember, and always will. All of your children are proud to have called you Dad. We will continue to do as you taught, and won’t let you down. I will be exercising, and keep trying to motivate people to take care of themselves, and stay healthy. I had a hard time trying to keep my exercise streak going these last few days, because I did not want to leave your side. I took many frequent walk breaks to clear my head, and then came back to be by your side. You would have been upset had I not, and wanted me to keep going as well. I will keep referring back to you here over time, because your wisdom was priceless, and I need to share it over time. I love you Dad!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2375
by kelsey | Mar 27, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Goals, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ website www.eatright.org always has a variety of educational tips and information for the public. I was browsing their topics and their article titled “Eating Right isn’t Complicated” really caught my eye. Poor eating habits are often blamed on time restraints, lack of money, food preferences, etc….but in reality healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated! There is a link in this article to a PDF graphic that shows the following statistics:
- 82% don’t want to give up the foods they like in order to eat healthier.
- 68% don’t eat fruits or vegetables at least twice a day.
- 62% have no time to track their diet in order to eat healthier.
- 60% juggle both work and family and prefer to prepare their meals in 15 minutes.
- 36% have no leisure time for physical activity.
Do any of these statements relate to you? I’m sure at least a few do as they are the majority of the population! Healthy eating does not need to be complicated and we can all do it, it just may mean changing your way of life a bit to improve things. Here are some suggestions:
- Aim for a healthy plate that includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free milk.
- Make sure your diet is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.
- Make the most of your calories. Think of your body like a temple… you want to put the best things into your body much like you would a temple so make healthy choices that will keep your body healthy. These choices should be packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other healthy nutrients, yet lower in bad fats and calories.
- Focus on variety! Include a variety of colors in your diet to help you get a variety of nutrients. Pay special attention to the produce that is in season, this will not only help your budget, but keep your intake varied.
- Become a label reader! Take some time to read the labels and look for serving size, calories, fat, sodium, sugars, etc to help you make a better choice.
- You have heard me say all of these things before, so how do you make it easy? Planning and determination. Take some time each week to plan out your meals or at least have a basic plan for what you will be eating. Do some prep work to make it go faster during the work week. You can brown up your lean hamburger, slow cook some chicken breasts, make a pork loin, etc on the weekend so that you at least have a few steps completed to a making a healthy and quick meal. Frozen steamer bags of veggies and canned veggies are quick to prepare and add to a meal and/or you can always keep some raw veggies on hand to add them to your meal, such as carrots and broccoli with a little low fat dip. Instead of buying white grains, purchase whole grains and instead of buying fatty, processed meats, only choose lean meats. These simple substitutions paired up with planning should make healthy eating easy!
- Throw out the excuses! Don’t let those excuses hinder you and your family from being healthy. Watch the sales and take small steps to improving your health. Earlier this week, we had porkchops, green beans, and wild rice for a meal. The total cost of the meal was under $5 for each of us. We just have to change our way of thinking about healthy eating and activity and not let the excuses get in the way of living a healthy life! You can do this!
For more information on this, you can check out the Eat Right’s article at: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442473735
-Kelsey
by Dan | Mar 23, 2014 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all have goals in mind when it comes to life. In regards to exercise, it is easier to keep our goals in mind as well, and it especially helps when it comes to staying motivated. Always having your family in your goals makes the motivation that much easier. My goal is be around longer for them, and hopefully, they feel the same. It has been a tough week for me, and my family. I had to put my training partner and best friend, Buddy, down. My brothers, sister, and mom have been in conversation all week, and will be meeting next week to have end of life care discussion for my Dad. And, my daughter has been having health issues, all of which are still trying to be sorted out, and all this while she is away at college in Virginia. I am stressed to the max, and this too is where exercise helps. It is also my escape, my time to think, my time to sort through all of this, and try to come up with some answers, or at least ideas of how to deal with it.
Remember those close to you, and keep them in your goals…and especially your life. Don’t lose sight of this. They are truly what is important in your life.
Keep moving everybody. As I said last week, somebody would miss you if you were gone!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2368
by Dan | Mar 16, 2014 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
There is nothing like an outdoor view to look when out running, biking, or walking. It takes your mind off the fact that you are even exercising, and you just get lost in the view of everything. These are some of the sunset views out walking in the evening along the beach in Jamaica.
The sunrises in the AM were just as great to watch as well, because I would go out running along the beach each morning.
Getting ready to start the day! We have great views right here at home as well. If you go along the trail anywhere along the lake, you get great views of sunrises and sunsets as well. The weather is starting to improve now as well, which is great. I love exercising outside! Stay positive everybody! Spring is almost here! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2361
by kelsey | Mar 13, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
In celebration of RD Day and Nutrition Month, I thought I’d give you some ideas on ways to get your 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies. We all need to work at getting more fruits and veggies in our diets as they are loaded with vitamins and minerals and aid in disease prevention. Including more fruits and veggies in your diet doesn’t have to be a challenging task! Here are some suggestions to help you boost your intake.
1. Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza topping. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
3. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
6. Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.*
7. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
8. Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.
9. Get saucy with fruit. Puree apples, berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.
10. Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
11. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.
12. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
13. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
14. Microwave a cup of vegetable soup as a snack or with a sandwich for lunch.
15. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
16. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
17. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
18. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with low-fat dressing.*
19. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.
20. Dip: Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or graham crackers in applesauce.
Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: www.eatright.org.
http://www.eatright.org/nnm/handoutsandtipsheets/#.UyHnjs47Bw0
-Kelsey
by Dan | Mar 9, 2014 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
Just getting back from vacation in Jamaica last week, and it was great! Sarah and I got to run along the beach every morning, temps upper 60’s to low 70’s when running. Talk about quiet, and time to think, and just listen to the ocean. Life is a beach! Here are some more views:
We got to relax on the beach the rest of the day, sitting under canopy, and just relaxing, reading, falling asleep! I don’t tan, so Sarah would just pull her chair out when she wanted more sun, then come back unde the shade for awhile. Very relaxing sitting on the beach right next to the ocean.
Just watch the ocean and be mesmerized! Bright colors, and out of the snow for a week, especially after this awful winter! Stay tuned as my next post will show some of the great sunsets we would see every night. Amazing! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2354
