by kelsey | Jan 19, 2017 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Stress is a part of everyone’s life and many of us deal with it by resorting to food. Emotional and stress eating is very common and can be very detrimental to your health, so it’s important to learn how to deal with that stress to not only reduce your stress, but also improve your health! Try these easy to follow tips, to help you avoid stress eating.
1. Tune Out & Move! Turn on your favorite tunes and get moving! Exercise is always an easy way to reduce stress because it helps clear your mind. Even 5-10 minutes of walking after a stressful situation can relax your body and help you be more level headed. An added bonus is that it burns calories and can help you reach your weight goals.
2. Drink Up! Drinking water not only keeps you hydrated but also can help you to function. Drinking 64oz per day is a great place to start. Warm teas can also be helpful because they may have a calming effect, in addition to providing your body with antioxidants, beneficial for disease prevention.
3. Eat some carbs. Choosing complex carbs such as whole grains, will keep your blood sugar more level and help to keep you from getting stressed. Including small portions of these complex carbs at each meal can give your blood sugars a better consistency throughout the day, as those ups and downs can be extremely stressful, and lead to more eating.
4. Increase veggie consumption. Crunchy veggies help reduce tension because it gives some release in those jaw muscles that always tighten up when we are stressed. Eating raw carrots or celery is a good snack that won’t ruin your waist line
5. Make “good fats” your friend. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts and fish. These can help control stress hormone levels as well as mood disorders. These fats also contribute to brain function, allowing you to deal with the stress properly instead of turning to food.
6. Don’t skip meals! Eat a balanced, consistent intake with several small meals and snacks/day to prevent being too hungry and overeating and binging on unhealthy foods.
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 15, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
These are my kids coming towards the finish line of the Grandma’s Marathon one year…my official cheerleaders. What a vision that was to behold. But what was even better was when they turned around…the message almost made me lose it on the spot. A vision that definitely left a lasting, forever memory for me! They were cheering me on, and my running. Running had been a big part of my life already prior to then. A quotation by Joel A Barker: “Vison without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” It can certainly change your world. What is your vision? What are you doing to try to achieve it. Exercise has always been a part of my life. I started running when I was in middle school. My older brother got me interested. What helped me the most is that it gave me confidence. I was small for my age, and tended to be a target to be “picked on”. Running brought me into my own…especially when I beat one kid in particular in a 600 meter race in gym class. This particular kid was also one who tended to give me an especially hard time…until I beat him. That day gave me the vision that I could be a success…at running. That running carried on to success in many other aspects of my life, and also helped me decide on my career choice.
Here Sarah and I are one Halloween during the early years of our residency of Family Medicine. We dressed up as doctors…even though we were already doctors! We practice what we preach! Being Family Physicians we spend our whole day convincing people, and their families, how important it is to take care of themselves…to promote wellness and a healthy lifestyle, so they can spend more time with their families, and enjoy life better. It is just as important for us as well. We don’t just tell our patients to do this, we also do it ourselves! We as individuals need to find out what our vision is.
Whatever it is, have a passion about it. What is important to you? And if it is important, what are you willing to do to achieve it? Are you all talk and no action, or are you going to go after it? There will be obstacles, but are you going to let them rule your final outcome? What is important to you? What is your true vision?
You truly can do this! You will have to work for it, but don’t take no for an answer. Work at it everyday. I have been exercising on a frequent basis for the last 40 years, but my consecutive streak of not missing a day is in the process of my 10th year. What is in your future?
In order to figure out your future, you need to have a vision to focus on. A vision that will help you become a better you! A vision that can be as individual as you, because it is for you! And hopefully there will be things to inspire you along the way. Here is what I got to see from my kids coming down the final mile of one of my marathons. First was the “Go Dad Go”, and then when they were screaming for me to get my attention, my 3 kids turned around to give me the true message for that day…
After seeing this, I almost broke down, with less than a 1/2 mile to go. But, I was no longer tired…I was so pumped after this I was flying into the finish line. I was incredibly happy at that point, and not because I just finished a marathon, but because I have a great family. A family that cares about me! They are my vision! They are my life! My vision to becoming something more in my life, and with my life! I find myself looking back at this picture many, many times over the years. It is one of my favorites!
Find your vision, and then never lose sight of it! Ever!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3397
by kelsey | Jan 11, 2017 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Today is National Milk Day… so I decided today would be a good day to discuss the benefits of dairy…and let me tell you, there are many!! Cow’s milk is the richest source of well-absorbed calcium and is actually absorbed better (about 25%) than the calcium in soy milk. There is about 300 mg of calcium in an 8 oz serving of milk and we recommend getting at least 3 servings of dairy a day. A serving is equal to an 8oz (1 cup) serving of milk, 6 oz tub of yogurt, 1 oz cheese, 1/2 c cottage cheese. In addition to calcium, cow’s milk is an excellent source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin D, protein, and niacin…totalling 9 nutrients compared to only 4-5 nutrients found in soy and almond milk.
There are many other types of “milks” out there such as almond, rice, coconut, and soy, however these drinks are not the same as cow’s milk in regards to the nutritional qualities. Many of these milks use fortification (adding nutrients), whereas the nutrients are found naturally in cow’s milk. Below is a list from the Midwest Dairy Association about these beverage’s nutrient sources and nutrition quality (http://www.midwestdairy.com/0p335/dairy-imitators/)
- “Soy beverages are made from soybeans and are a good source of protein. However, according to the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), soy protein is a lower quality protein than the whey protein found in dairy products.
- Rice-based beverages are generally processed from brown rice and are fortified with nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Rice beverages typically contain only one gram of protein compared to eight grams in cow’s milk.
- Nut-based beverages can be ground from any nut and the most popular is almond. Almond beverages only supply one gram of protein per serving and lack many of the natural benefits found in almonds.
- Seed-based beverages, such as hemp, are newer to the marketplace. Their nutritional benefit is touted to be their omega fatty acid content. Similar to the other beverages, they also fall short on protein.”
Often times, these other “milks” contain higher sugar content, less calcium, less protein, and are absorbed less than those benefits in cow’s milk. Now if you have a lactose intolerance or milk allergy, these are certainly options for you, however if you do not have an allergy or intolerance, I highly encourage you to work towards getting your 3 a day servings of dairy and preferably low fat dairy. It will not only provide you with excellent vitamins and minerals to keep your bones and muscles healthy and strong, it will also provide you with an excellent source of protein.
For more information on the benefits of dairy, you can visit www.midwestdairy.com or contact my good friend and fellow Registered Dietitian Whitney Jerman at wjerman@midwestdairy.com.
I know I will enjoy a nice glass of cold milk tonight with supper, I hope you do too!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 10, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
One of the most challenging aisles in the grocery store is the cereal and granola bar aisle as there are so many choices and it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s not! For those regular followers of our blog, you probably know by now that you should choose a whole grain cereal, but from there…how do you decipher which choice is better than another?! Well, let’s start with the basics…you want to avoid any of the real high sugar cereals such as Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, etc due to their high levels of white, refined sugars.
Here are some tips to help you make a healthy choices:
• 8 grams (g) of sugar or less/serving, if the cereal contains 3 g or less of fiber/serving
• 16 g or less of sugar/serving, if the cereal contains 5 g or more of fiber/serving
Note: raisin bran contains 20 g of sugar/serving and is the exception to the rule—still a great choice due to its higher fiber content)
• Instant hot cereals should contain no more than 100-150 milligrams (mg) of sodium/serving
In addition, be sure to fully read the nutrition facts label and not rely on the manufacturers marketing claims as they can often be misleading!
A way to make breakfast a more balanced meal is to add a source of protein and a serving of fruit to your meal. With the balance of protein, fiber found in your cereal, and some natural sugars, you are set to start your day off in a great way!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 8, 2017 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all have dreams. The difference for some of us is that it just stays in the thinking process, and not the doing process. We need to learn to convince ourselves that if it is our dream, then we need to go for it…and going for it means we need to work for it. Nothing just happens, at least in real life.
Don’t let your mind hold you back. That little voice in your head that tells you that you can’t do something…ignore it! Listen to you! It may seem impossible, but truly only in your own mind.
Steve had a dream. He wanted to finish a Marathon. After overcoming health issues, he was able to do it. Here we are coming to the finish line of the Disney Marathon! He did it! He achieved his dream. He worked his butt off, overcame adversity, but he never quit. He became better. I was there for support, and as a training partner, and I became better as a result too.
Don’t doubt yourself! Keep pushing, keep trying! Keep focusing on why it is a dream for you, and why you want it.
We just happen to have the hardware to prove it too! I think of this as icing on the cake! It is nice to have, but it is not the reason we did this. The fact that we could…that he could…is what is important.
This was the perfect place to go live out a dream. It really is a Kingdom of Dreams…for everybody. You are never too old to dream, to believe, and to enjoy the things in life that can come by achieving your dreams. How much better you can be by achieving your dreams in indescribable!
So let it go! Dream Big! If it is something you dream of, then start planning on how you are going to achieve it? What is it going to take for you to do it? There is give and take on everything. What is it going to take and what are you willing to give? Only you can decide that.
Do you have the courage? Do you have a dream? What is it? Disney was the perfect place to have this dream fulfilled. Go for it…and become a better you in the process!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3390
