by kelsey | Jan 4, 2017 | Etc.
Winter is here which means flu and illness are at it’s peak. Nutrition can play a key role in boosting your immune system to keep you healthy. A healthy and balanced diet not only helps your heart and your waist line, but it aids in a healthy immune system as well….especially a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C is helpful in boosting your immune system. Vitamin C is very rich in citrus fruits such as oranges. Sleep can also make a difference. If you aren’t getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep most nights of the week, your immune system can be weak and more susceptible to illness. Another essential method to ward off illness is proper hand washing. Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 20-30 seconds under warm, soapy water regularly throughout the day. Using hand sanitizer is also beneficial. Taking good care of yourself will help you live a longer and healthier life, but it will also keep your immune system strong to fight off infections and illness…which is ever more important right now during flu season!
Strive to get your 5 a day fruits and veggies, engage in regular activity, and practice good sleep habits, and your immune system will be in prime shape to keep you healthy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 3, 2017 | Diet, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Happy New Year! With the new year, you may have considered setting some of those famous New Year’s Resolutions. We confidently vow to shed pounds and inches to change our lives for the better but these resolutions tend to fail. We often set lofty goals like “ I will lose 15 pounds” which is a valid goal but could take several months-year to properly reach it. We tend to eat too little and exercise to vigorously during the first couple of days just to give up in frustration and hunger. I am not a big fan of resolutions, because they typically aren’t followed long term, I am however a big fan of lifestyle changes!
Here are some tips and guidelines to assist you in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight loss and lifestyle change:
¨ Set realistic, short-term goals such as “I will lose 1 pound/week.” After success with the first reasonable goal, the next goals will seem attainable.
¨ Do not keep junk food at the house. If unhealthy choices are in sight, you might be tempted to reach for them. Remember, out of sight, out of mind!
¨ Eat a serving of protein and whole grains to feel full longer which could curb hunger cues.
¨ Eat the majority of food during the earlier parts of your day. This can help end that bad habit of late night snacking.
¨ Pay attention to feelings like boredom, loneliness, stress, and fatigue, which can cause mindless eating. Only eat when you are actually hungry and think of food as fuel.
¨ Use smaller plates, bowls, etc. to help keep portions under control. This could help trick the mind into thinking you are eating a large portion.
¨ Eat slowly and away from distraction, if possible. This will allow you to pay attention to any cues of becoming full. Remember it takes 20 minutes for you to feel full.
¨ Try to get more active each day. By aiming to increase your exercise level by 10 minutes each day, you can build up strength and stamina gradually, which could help you from not quitting exercising in frustration.
These guidelines can help end the New Year’s resolution failures and hopefully create healthy, lifelong habits. If you would like individual help, please contact me…I would love to work with you!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 1, 2017 | Exercise, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Time to celebrate! 2016 is done, and 2017 is starting. There may have been things that did not go so well this past year, but you can’t change it. Look upon all of the good things. Make things better for this year. A new year is a chance to bring about a new you!
Every year, people at this time decide upon New Year’s resolutions…only to start out of the blocks strong, and then not follow through with them. Don’t rely on just New Years to make those resolutions. Make daily resolutions, and continue to keep working on them!
Those resolutions can be what ever you want them to be. Remember, you are deciding them yourself. What may work for one, won’t work for another. That is truly what makes us all unique. Decide what is important to you, and then figure out how you continue to work on it to make daily improvements.
What is your wellness road consist of? Do you incorporate changes in your diet, and exercise both? What about taking time to rest, or change the intensity of things to allow your body time to recover. Then there is the ever important aspect of all of this: Taking time to think! Plan what you want, how you are going to do it, and remember you do not have to do this alone. We all need help at one time or another. We can help each other make those daily resolutions reality. But remember to have fun along the way!
Sarah is always along with me, helping to encourage me, inspire me, and spend time with me! Hopefully, I am doing the same for her. You can’t always look behind you though. You can’t change what has been. You can learn from it, and then move on. Keep going, and don’t look back!
The view is always better straight ahead! Take for example with your car…that is why the windshield is so big, and everything in the rear view mirror is so small! All of us have goals, and what we want to achieve. We also all get there a different way, and by different means. When it comes to exercise, there are always events going on… walks, runs, activities. When you participate in these, you are never alone!
It is always better to do things with a group! I admit, there are times when I really do want to run by myself. It is my time to think, process things, and just relax. But, there are times when I love working out, exercising, or running in a group. It is a social activity. What is going on in everybody else’s life? How are they dealing with it? Who do they lean on for support? We don’t have all the answers ourselves. To me, that is what I love about our run club. We may all meet to run, but it is not about running…it is about spending time with friends, doing an activity that we all love to do! It is a highlight of the week! Just remember, it is never too late to start…everybody can start from now and make a brand new ending!
It is never a question of can you, but will you? A quote by James Robson sums things up well: “You can’t be given a mile, you can’t win a mile, you can’t buy or steal a mile. You must earn it, and when you do, it’s yours and only yours!” It means so much more this way! Nobody ever said it was easy, but nobody ever said it could not be fun either! You choose…the decision is yours. Make 2017 a year for a new you!
Happy New Year everybody, and keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3383
by Dan | Dec 25, 2016 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
I always grew up hearing the saying at home: “It is better to give than to receive”. Nowhere is that more important now than during this time of the holidays, and Christmas season. But, this is something we should always keep in mind in our lives. Yesterday our run club met early so we could all still get a run in for the weekend. Normally our run day together is Sunday, but with today being Christmas, it was important for all of us to spend time with family…our main families. We as a run club are like family, but in a different sense. We spend time together, we all love to run, and we have become friends. We all wore Santa or Elf hats to get in the spirit of the season. EVERYBODY wanted to get together Saturday and run…we did not want to miss a weekend. This tells me a lot about the friendship that has developed by a bunch of people who got together because they like to run. In life, some know you…some remember you…some like you…some understand you…but…a TRUE FRIEND does all of these things, and always hopes for the best for you! This is what we have! This is what this group has become! During our marathon training, we worried more about somebody else who was hurt and could not run with us, than we did about ourselves. We worried more about each other, and how each of us were going to do in the marathon than ourselves!
The real secret is to give without expecting anything in return…it is better to give than receive! Our lives are much more rewarding when this occurs!
Paula was going to run her first marathon, and we were going to help her get it done. The Sioux Falls half marathon was a good warmup…here Jill is hugging her in congratulations after finishing! Paula was getting it done, and we were going to help her! All of us had tips. All of us having running stories, workout stories…things that work, and things that didn’t work. Experience goes a long way! I have learned many things from my training partners over the years…
Tom has been at my side for many years! We may not run as much together as we did, but we still do!
Steve, and our memory maker for a life time with doing the Goofy challenge at Disney. After the race, we enjoyed our ice cream and a coke. At that moment, it was better to “receive”…and those treats hit the spot!
…and the most recent training partner group. Here we are an hour before we were going to start the Twin Cities Marathon in October. We had gone through a lot together, culminating on this day. For me, it was not about the run, but the relationships and friendships that running has created…that exercise in general has created! When it comes to exercise, it is really no different than life in general. All of us at some time need some help. And…all of us at sometime can help somebody else! That feels even better!
Remember that, and when you help somebody else out, see how it feels. See the difference you can make in somebody’s life, and how it made them feel. Then realize you are also becoming a better you in the process. This is even more important this time of year.
Merry Christmas everybody! Keep moving everybody, and work on becoming a better you at the same time!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3376
by kelsey | Dec 20, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The holidays are in full swing, which means festive food, and busy schedules. Many families are enjoying old traditions, or making new ones. Unfortunately also during these Christmas experiences, many people find themselves experiencing weight gain. Countless family gatherings and baking Christmas goodies all month are grounds for overeating, without any time to spare for exercise. By making few simple changes over the day, the holidays do not have to mean weight gain! Here are some simple tips to try out between traveling, parties, cooking, and company.
- An Early Resolution? – Rather than waiting for New Years to start a resolution, make it easier on yourself and gradually work up to your resolution by New Years. This will also help you to stay focused and maintain weight over the holidays, so you can see faster results after. If your goal is to lose weight, maybe you will try to walk two days a week now, and by New Year’s you will be built up to walking 5 days a week!
- Stress less about Exercise- Rather than stressing about shopping and cleaning this year, think of this as a time to multitask. Housework is one of the best ways to get in a workout over the holidays. Whether it’s moving around the kitchen while you bake, or vacuuming before company…it all burn calories! Shopping through the mall crowds, standing in line, and bringing bags out to your car all are positive experiences now that you can count it as a workout, right?
- Quality Time– Rather than taking away from family time to work out, invite your family to do something as a group. Wake up on Christmas morning and enjoy some yoga together before presents, or take the kids out ice-skating or sledding after the famous Christmas dinner. Just remember, building a snowman or looking at Christmas lights will also provide memories that last longer than the memories watching a movie would.
- Think Before You Eat – Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. If you find yourself overeating at one meal, go light on the next. Try to fill your plate with the lower calorie items such as vegetable dishes, and lean proteins, then take smaller portions of the rich foods. Eat slowly, socialize, and enjoy every bite!
Overall, it’s the holidays and you need to enjoy yourself! Don’t restrict yourself from family time and enjoying some of your favorite holiday foods, but be mindful and plan ahead! Stay healthy this season, then after the holidays, your mind and body will thank you!
-Kelsey
