by Dan | Oct 2, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It is time to begin a new series, one that I have titled “Becoming a better you”. Remember, over time, our goals change. We need to keep updating our goals to help us to live our dreams and our visions. We should never lose site of these dreams and visions. When you keep looking back at your goals, this overall becomes much easier to do. My family is always part of my vision and dreams…my goals. I am thankful that Sarah is with me along the way to help with all of this too. The exercise and running over the years has also been a great escape…a time to think. It helps give me a purpose, and I found this quote which helps sum things up well.
When we have a purpose, things in life are much easier to accomplish. One thing to remember as well, we have all been given our own personal gifts, talents, and abilities…and a short amount of time in which to put it all together to live our lives to the fullest. Don’t waste time…it already goes by too fast.
The exercise has created a bond like no other…it has allowed me to make adventures I never would have experienced otherwise; to meet people I would have never met otherwise; to achieve goals and accomplishments that I thought would have never been possible. It has helped me become a better me, and it can help you “become a better you”.
The activities that you can do as a family are memories to have forever. Nobody can take them away. Yes, you work, but that does not mean you can’t have fun, and enjoy life better as a result. You also get to have different ways in which to spend time with your own family more! But…the running, exercise, activity…teaches you more about yourself than you could have ever imagined. When it comes to trying to achieve something good in your life, it takes time, energy, and interest. You have to work at it! It will not just fall in your lap…you have to earn it. You have to work for it. All good things in life worth having are worth working for. The lessons it teaches you can be unlimited. Give it a try!
So, as I begin on this series, I will cover topics that can help you become a better you. What you can do in your life that can benefit you in many ways, both physically and mentally. In short, how to better know yourself! I will still continue on my “adventure” posts when different events, races, etc come up. The Twin Cities Marathon is next weekend…I am sure this will have new adventure stories in store! We are in charge of our own happiness. Just get going!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3292
by Dan | Sep 27, 2016 | Etc.
This Sunday just marked the end of 9 years…9 complete years of exercise without missing a day! Now I am already into a couple of days of year 10. Where has the time gone? What before was a real struggle trying to make sure I did not miss a day, has now become a habit…second nature. I don’t know where this will end, but I will keep going as long as possible!
I will still continue some of the blog series of adventures, especially when I have new races, or places that we are going to. But now, I am going to be starting a new series. The title of it will…”Becoming a better you”! I got to get away this past weekend, and was allowed some time to really think. Hopefully, I will have some good topics that everybody can get something out of, and help them become a better version of themselves….a better version of themselves in every aspect of their lives. Have a great week everybody. The first in the series of this will come out on Sunday.
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3287
by kelsey | Sep 27, 2016 | Etc.
With flu season right around the corner, it is important to take care of our bodies so we don’t get sick. People often don’t think about real food when it comes to treating the flu, but if we eat the right foods it can make a big impact on preventing the flu. Foods that help boost our immune systems are important when fighting against sickness. When considering foods that boost our immune health, foods high in Vitamin A, B6, C, and E need to be focused on. Foods high in vitamin C have been proven to help fight off sickness, and supplements are often used during flu season. Our body uses different antioxidants to help ward off unwanted viruses and bacteria in our system. Foods high in vitamins and antioxidants help rid our bodies of these dangerous organisms. Eating healthy can play a major role in preventing sickness. Sticking to whole foods is your best bet because of the high nutritional value they carry, so take advantage!
Examples of some good flu fighting foods:
- Yogurt: full of probiotics that help fight off bad bacteria
- Garlic: garlic promotes having good gut bacteria, which helps rids the body of harmful toxins.
- Salmon: Salmon is high in Vitamin D, which is another nutrient that is important for fending off sickness
- Dark Leafy Greens: This type of food is very high in vitamin C and are very nutrient dense, providing flu-fighting effects
-Written by Braden Carmody
In addition to foods, we recommend getting your flu shot to give you another protective factor against the flu!
Brown Clinic is holding walk-in Flu shot clinics at its
Northridge location Saturday, October 15 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and on Thursday, October 20 from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cost is $38 for the Flu vaccine and $58 for the Flu Zone High Dose vaccine that is recommended for anyone 65 years of age or older. VFC vaccines are available for children and others who qualify.
Brown Clinic billing works with all insurance companies. Most insurance policies cover preventative vaccines, check with your insurance company for more details.
by Dan | Sep 18, 2016 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all want to be healthier, and be able to have the energy and stamina to do things, but it is important to be having fun along the way. Here our run club is getting ready to go for a run…and we are ready! Ready to not only go for a run, but to have fun, and spend time with friends as well. We all have goals in our life, and we want to improve with our goals. When we are running as a group, our times for how fast we run are really not important. It is a social time, and a time to see how everybody is doing, and how things are going for them in their lives. Many of us on our run club is getting ready to do the Twin Cities Marathon in 3 weeks, and many of us also ran last weekend in Sioux Falls doing the half marathon. In events like this, our times can be more important to us then, as we are continuing to drive and improve for ourselves. The next few pictures show Jill Makepeace checking her time as she crossed the finish line, and then the expressions of her face when she realized she had just set a personal record for her finish time.
This is also a driving force as to why we keep trying. We want to be healthier, but we are trying to improve ourselves along the way. If you don’t push yourselves at times, you have no idea how far you can go. Over time, we can amaze ourselves. As individuals, you can look back on your accomplishments, and really can see changes as to the progress that is made…it is also a great motivator! Our minds are usually our limiting factor, not our bodies. It is important getting support from people in our lives who help support us, and who help us achieve our goals. More importantly, they are usually the people who we have fun with as well.
Paula and Jill are having a good time following the race, and both celebrating accomplishments they just achieved. Our run club really can show off the fun we can have.
We can all be “goofy” together! After taking these pictures, we finally got back to running after we got done posing. So everybody get ready, and “jump” into better fitness and health!
Keep moving everybody! Exercise for the health of it! But, have fun along the way!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3278
by kelsey | Sep 15, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
This week’s weather felt more like fall and with the change of season, we tend to change our pattern of eating to more soups, stews, and casseroles. These selections are a great way to pack a variety of nutrients into one dish. In addition, they can be very cost effective due to the excess garden produce present in our grocery stores and farmer’s market lately. Here are a few nutrition tips to consider when you’re prepping your favorite meal:
- When using store bought broths or soup mixes such as cream of chicken, choose the low-sodium or reduced fat varieties.
- Use herbs and spices to season rather than salt.
- Add more vegetables and lean meat to the recipe to give you more nutrition.
- Thicken with pureed beans, potatoes, or vegetables.
- Sprinkle your soups or stews with low fat cheese for added flavor and nutrients, without too many calories.
- Think about balance: incorporate something from each food group into your meal to provide your body with a top notch quality and nutritious meal.
- Practice portion control: it’s easy to dish up your plate with casserole or fill up a big bowl of stew and not realize how much you’re eating, so measure out your foods and eat mindfully to ensure appropriate portion control.
- Batch cook: soups are a great way to practice batch cooking. Make up a pot of soup and portion it out into smaller containers and freeze. They are easy to take out and unthaw when you need a healthy meal in a pinch!
-Kelsey
