by Dan | Mar 19, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Our lives all take us down different paths, all leading to different experiences, both good and bad. That is why we need to enjoy those unique journey paths. Journeys that are not the same for any of us. That is also part of the success in life, and how we can work at trying to become better. The relationships we make help all of us, as well as those other people in our lives. Who we allow into our lives also determines that journey. Be open to different ideas, different people, different paths!
Our pets can be just as important in our lives as anybody else. They also help keep us moving, or even help get us moving! They make great training partners, great friends…and best of all, a great part of our families. Our families are integral to our success, and for helping us become better. Who knows where each of us would be without them.
Sarah and I have been married now over 26 years. We run together, work out together…do everything together. We make each other better. I think that would be the same for many other couples. These next 2 examples show that too.
Owen and Jenn McElroy, who are both part of the Watertown Area Run Club. They also have 2 daughters, age 6 and 8, who also love to run. They lead by example, and their kids get to see this first hand.
Jill Makepeace, who is also part of Run club, and her husband Tim. She does the running, and he heads up the support vehicle, cheerleading team. Support is important in many ways, and being supportive of somebody else goals and desires are what makes relationships a success. We cannot do anything alone! It is always easier when you have support. Support for trying to exercise, improve your diet, and just trying to stay healthy in general.
This one is my daughter Molly’s sorority group…out walking the trails together, as a group. A group that is supporting each other to get out and move, helping each other to become better. The thing we always have to keep in mind is success is not measured by accomplishing individual goals, or agendas. Success is in the journey that you have getting there!
This is printed on the back of the shirt I wear for the marathons I have been in. It keeps me going. It gets me fired up. And most important, it truly is how success is measured…not by the final destination, but by everything you go through in life along the way. The friendships you make, the people you meet in general…the experiences you have along the way that create your own individual life. It truly is what makes us each unique!
You can go down that path together, knowing there are people around you who truly do care about you. They will support you, encourage you…be there…for you! This is how we all become better. Be there for someone, and they will be there for you. If you already are working on your health, whether by working on your diet, your activity, or both, great! If not, what are you waiting for? Somebody else cannot do it for you. It takes one step at a time…one minute at a time. Keep working on it…keep moving forward. You may experience some set backs along the way, but pick yourself up and get going again!
Remember, one step at a time! Going forward, looking ahead. Don’t dwell on past mistakes, or experiences that did not work out the way we wanted them to. Become a better you, and enjoy the experiences…the journey along the way. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3460
by kelsey | Mar 16, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
March is National Nutrition Month! National Nutrition month is an annual event that reinforces the importance of developing healthy and balanced eating and activity habits.
Fruits and vegetables are a great way to promote health and wellness while preventing disease. You all know this, but the doing it part, ie-eating 5 servings/day is typically missed and the majority are falling short in this area. To celebrate national nutrition month, I have included 20 ways to add fruits and veggies to your diet. This is something we all have to work at, including myself, so pick a few of these suggestions and give them a try! Strive to get 5/day along with a balanced intake of lean meats, whole grains, low fat dairy, and healthy fats. Balance, portion control, and moderation are keys to a healthy and successful diet!
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.
http://www.eatright.org/nnm/handoutsandtipsheets/#.UyHnjs47Bw0
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Mar 15, 2017 | Etc.
March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s slogan for the month is “Put your best fork forward!” This is to serve as a reminder that all of us have the tool to make healthy choices and fuel our body with nutritious foods. I thought I’d start this new blog theme with a quiz to test your knowledge and tomorrow we’ll discuss national nutrition month a bit further. No cheating by looking at the answers at the bottom! 😉
Nutrition Month Quiz
1. True or false? Each one of us holds the tool to make healthier food choices.
A. True
B. False
2. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you should “Focus on _____” as you plan your eating pattern.
A. Calories
B. Trying new foods every day
C. Variety, nutrient density, and amount
D. Added sugars and saturated fat
3. Which of the following is not one of MyPlate’s food groups?
A. Protein
B. Fats/oils
C. Fruits
D. Grains
4. True or false? How much we eat is as important as what we eat.
A. True
B. False
5. Fill in the blank. Making small shifts in what you eat _____ add up over time.
A. Can
B. Cannot
Answers:
- A. True. That quote actually comes straight from the Nutrition Month homepage at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s one of the inspirations for this year’s slogan. You have the power to change and improve your eating pattern.
- C. Variety, nutrient density, and amount. These are the 3 keys to a healthful eating pattern. According to the guidelines, “To meet nutrient needs within calorie limits, choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within all food groups in recommended amounts.”
- B. Fats/oils. MyPlate is made up of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Although MyPlate addresses fats and oils, they do not get their own space on the plate graphic and are instead incorporated within the other food groups.
- A. True. That’s actually a central tenet of this year’s National Nutrition Month celebration. For more information, visit eatright.org.
- A. Can. That’s right, those small shifts can actually make a huge impact. Plus, smaller shifts are easier to sustain over time.
https://foodandhealth.com/nutrition-month-quiz-best-fork/
-Kelsey
by Dan | Mar 12, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all have our own unique personalities, our own unique things we like to do, and our own unique, in general, querks! We made fun of Jill in run club with this picture. Everybody else was just smiling, and she thought we were supposed to be stretching…but she was the only one stretching! It is times like this that make us individuals. But because we are all different, we all have something to share with everybody else. We all have something to offer to others. We have something to make someone else better, and as a result, we become better. We all have some underlying characteristics about us that just need to get brought out to the surface.
Sarah and I had fun at the most recent Halloween Hustle run going as minions. We got to run in a race, and yet got to express ourselves in a fun, goofy way. As I said that day, “my Sarah is one in a minion!”. We need to let those other inner aspects of us come out…learn to have some fun in the process. Bottom line, learn to…
When you learn to let go of stress that we all have, in a way that allows you to have fun, life opens up. We have enough times during the day where we have to be serious, and get things done. But, we can have fun along the way. Exercise, and especially for me running, can be a great way to release stress, and have fun. It opens things up during the day that you end up paying more attention to. Things you may not have even noticed, all of a sudden become very noticeable. Noticeable enough to make a difference…if we pay attention.
When we were recently in Mexico, we would run, and walk, on the beach, along the ocean, twice a day. It was breath taking. We don’t get to see that in SD, so we were going to take advantage of it there. Many things show up, and make the day even more enlightening.
The pelicans would fly by, usually in groups, and swoop down to get fish. You could just stand there and watch, and they would come by. Many would get very close as well.
They were very interesting to watch. Never a dull moment. Of course, along some of those same times, I would notice other things more clearly too. Here I am on a beach in Mexico, watching the sunrise, and noticing Sarah in a whole different way. Now for me, talk about breathtaking!
Don’t ever lose sight of what is really important in your life. Don’t forget what makes you better…and that you can make someone else better. In order to discover others, you need to discover yourselves!
Take the time to discover you, so you can discover other things/people as well. This is what makes you better! Don’t lose sight of this. Appreciate those people in your lives, and what they do for you, and especially, what can you do for them? Life is short. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Strive to Survive, and continue to work at becoming better…better for you and others!
Those other people in your life is what life is all about! Don’t let things go by with regrets. Appreciate them all at the time. Spend time with them, and for them. Guaranteed way to become a better you!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3453
by kelsey | Mar 8, 2017 | Etc.
Spring STRIVE starts in less than 1 week–March 14th!! We do still have room….check out the details below and contact us today to reserve your spot!
Join us for STRIVE 2 Survive, our 12-week health and wellness program beginning March 14th!
The two main components of STRIVE 2 Survive include diet & exercise.
12 Week Wellness Program
6 Lectures: every other Tuesday @ 5:30-6:30pm.
March 14: “Healthy Eating Made Easy” Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
March 28: “Exercise for the Health of It” Dr. Dan Reiffenberger & Dr. Torness
April 11: “Your Equation to Success” Dr. Jon McAreavey
April 25: “Medications…to do or not to do” Deidra VanGilder, PharmD
May 9: “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel” Dr. Clark Likness
May 23: “Making Health a Way of Life” STRIVE Team
6 Take Home Lessons: sent to you during the weeks we don’t meet. Topics are focused on wellness.
Evaluations
- Lab Work: lipid & glucose labs: beginning and end of program
- Body Composition Testing : beginning and end of program
- Weekly Weigh Ins
Cost: $130 includes lab work, body composition tests, lectures, lessons, and Strive 2 Survive t-shirt
STRIVE 2 Survive applies to all who have a heartbeat…adolescents to the elderly!!
Contact us NOW to get enrolled!
For more information and to sign up, contact:
886-8482 or email strive2survive@brownclinic.org Visit our wellness blog at: www.s2sbrownclinic.com
