by Dan | May 1, 2016 | Exercise, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
When it comes to staying healthy, and in particular, exercising, self doubt always comes into the picture. We doubt we can “keep doing this”, keep working at it, as fatigue sets in, or our busy everyday life takes over. But, we need to make it a priority. We need to be confident that we can keep going. Above all else, we need to accept ourselves!
This is Susan, one of my former nurses. We workout at Anytime Fitness multiple days a week in their Fun Fit program. We both stepped out of our comfort zones, and keep working at it. As her shirt says, “Absolutely Amazing”! Believe you can, and you are half way there. If we don’t have confidence in our own abilities, we won’t get very far in life. We need to step out of our comfort zone, explore new things, do new things. Be confident that we can!
We definitely need to be strong, but there are those times when we need to feel invincible. If we don’t believe in ourselves, then who will we believe? And the only true way to keep getting more confident, is to push ourselves. If we never try, we will never know what we can achieve or attain.
Here Susan is after one of our workouts. Some days the sweat can be pouring off of us. Again, as her shirt says, “Good things come to those who sweat”. I was giving her a hard time about her “fashion wear”. High multi color socks, state of the art boots (we had snow outside!), and here she is just exuding confidence! We had just done one intense workout, and we worked at it, and she could have cared less what anybody else would have thought…it just happen to be me right then (which made it even easier for her to not care! Ha!) Believe in ourselves, not what someone else may think! If we get too wrapped up in what everybody else might think, we may never get off of the couch. Who cares! You should care about you! You should care about all of the reasons why you are trying to stay in shape; why you are trying to stay healthy. You/we want to be around longer, enjoy life, and enjoy our friends and family more!
Susan is a great example of this! Tell me I can’t, and I will show you I can! How true Susan! Way to go! You also know that this does not come easy. It has been fun having you in this class. We give each other a hard time, but believe me, it helps get me fired up, and motivated to keep going. This goes for everybody. We should not have to do all of this ourselves. Sure, there may be times when we want to go for a walk, or a run, by ourselves. But other times, it is much more enjoyable to work out with somebody else. The times goes by faster, and you keep each other going. That is why Sarah is one of my best running partners as well. These are all times to burn off frustrations, and to prove to yourself what you are truly capable of doing. Confidence! Never underestimate its power.
Here is my daughter Megan diving in at one of her meets (she is second from the left). Straight as an arrow heading into the water. Confidence! For her, this picture shows determination, power, and above all else, no fear! She is confident in what she is doing! “Get out of my way, because nothing is going to hold me back!”
How much better can I say it than this? Believe you can, and you will! Believe you can, and you will show how you can! Believe in yourself, and you are half way there to achieving your goals! Just be sure to have some time for yourself as well…
…after all, you earned it! So, go run for yourself, or walk for yourself, or bike for yourself…exercise for yourself! You deserve it. You are worth it after all!
Keep moving everybody! For yourself! Be confident in your abilities!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3138
by kelsey | Apr 28, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Spring and summer bring warmer temps and the desire for more frozen treats! Smoothies are a great way to cool off and get some great nutrients while you’re at it!
Lately there has been an explosion in the media discussing smoothies for weight loss, athletic performance, and meal replacements. Since the supplement industry heavily promotes “quick fixes”, keep in mind that an overall balanced diet is the best way to maintain or improve your health. The goal of many supplement industries is not to fix the problem, but rather to create addiction and increase revenue. Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and claims made for them are not always accurate or proven. However, homemade fruit and vegetable smoothies are way to guarantee your 5-A-Day natural nutrients. Consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes while delivering fiber and vitamins. With a new season upon us, we are gifted with a wider variety of options to choose from when eating the rainbow. Contrary to the common belief, consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables can be inexpensive and in the long run will save you money in terms of medical bills.
There are endless smoothie recipes you can use to make a quick breakfast, after a workout, or for an afternoon snack. Adding an extra boost to your smoothie such as protein powder or Greek yogurt will additionally provide other valuable nutrients. Here’s a guide to help get started
Add Fruit/Vegetable
|
Add Liquid
|
Add Thickener
|
Extra
|
| Banana, Berries, Apple, Pear, Peach, Kiwi, Pineapple, Cherries, Mango, Orange, Spinach, Kale, Beets, Carrots |
Dairy, Soy, Rice, or Almond Milk, Fruit Juice, Water, Iced Tea |
Peanut butter, Yogurt, Frozen yogurt, ice cubes, or oats. |
Honey, Cinnamon, Protein Powder, Mint, Figs, Dark Chocolate, Flaxseed. |
| Choose 2-3 |
Add 1-2 cups of liquid |
Pick your consistency |
Your preference |
Here are some examples:
Green Smoothie: Mango Chunks, Banana, Kale or Spinach, Apple Slices, Water, Plain low fat yogurt
Carrot Smoothie: Carrots, Orange, Pineapple, Low-sugar Apple Juice, Ice Cubes, Cinnamon
Desert Smoothie: Banana, Apple Slices, Low Fat/Skim Milk, Peanut Butter, Top with Dark Chocolate Shavings
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Apr 27, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management
Our friends at County Fair Foods provided some extra tasty treats for last night’s STRIVE meeting. Be sure to give these recipes a try!
Healthy Banana Cookies (pictured above)
Ingredients: 1 ripe banana, 1 cup rolled oats, raisins or craisins
Directions: Mix and mush all ingredients together and then shape into balls and then flatten them onto a cookie. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Garden Fresh Cottage Cheese Salad (pictured above)
Ingredients: 2 containers (22oz) of 1% cottage cheese, 1 cucumber diced,1 tomato diced, 1 pkg Good Seasoning Italian Dressing.
Directions: Mix together and put in refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Can serve plain or with whole grain crackers.
Enjoy!!
by Dan | Apr 24, 2016 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, weight lifting, Wellness/Health
There are always challenges that will come up in our life, from start to finish…how do we handle them? Do we control them, and do they control us? Do we work at them to the best of our ability, or do they take us down a path we would rather not experience? Who knows, as there are always different situations that arise for all of us on a daily basis. We have to take them all individually, and do the best we can. In life, you have control over 3 things: 1) What you think; 2) What you say; and 3) How you act or behave. Our lives are not like our computer. We don’t have a control key that we can just hit when we need.
And we certainly don’t have the power to restart, or redo things in life by hitting on that keyboard “control/alt/delete” at the same time. Sometimes we may wish we could go back and redo things. That is what life’s experiences teach us: We learn from past mistakes. Two things in life we are in total control of are our ATTITUDE, and our EFFORT. Exercise can help with both of these, and can also help feel more like we are in control. We have to have control when we are doing resistance exercises, or lifting weights.
If we control our movements when doing exercise, we optimize the use of our muscles the way they were meant to be. We have to concentrate, focus, and stay disciplined…which teaches us the basic things needed for our life as well.
My daughter Megan is a swimmer, and watching her, especially in the backstroke, it the picture of control. In order to do this stroke well, you need balance, strength, grace, concentration, and a positive attitude. Here she is first for the start of a race of the backstroke:
She needs strength to get up in her stance, stay focused and hold that position until the gun goes off, and then the strength to push off backwards, followed by the grace to propel herself back up out of the water, all requiring a lot of concentration, and all of which starts with her attitude. Then the next 2 pictures are her showing the strength and grace this stroke requires, one from her in front, and one from the side.
It is amazing to watch! All of those above attributes come out during this stroke, and she cannot see where she is going behind her, so as she passes underneath flag markers in the pool, she has to know when to go under, turn, and kick back off the wall to go back the other way in one fluid motion. It is a like doing a race blind…she cannot see behind her, but has to have the trust, and confidence, to swim backwards, and know where she is going. She is in complete control! Just before she goes under, she takes a deep breath, and then goes down, does a flip turn, and has to”let it go” by kicking off the wall to head back. That is a good philosophy to have for life in general. When times get tough, and we think we “can’t go anymore” we need to take a deep breath, and then “let it go”! Just let it go!
Our attitude and effort are at the far right, and we need it at high gear to accomplish things. Exercise can help us to focus better, to improve our attitude…all based on our effort! Our self control can be determined by multiple things in our life, and all need continuous work and effort, and a positive attitude.
Utilize these, and improve our ability and sense of control! And remember, don’t worry about things you can’t control…it is out of our hands. Control what we can, and then move on. Take a deep breath, and let it go! I will keep working on my exercise streak, and have hit a magic number of “3131”…where it ends, I don’t know!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3131
by kelsey | Apr 21, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food
Salt is in a lot of our foods and most commonly found in packaged, processed foods. Limiting your salt or sodium intake can help prevent the buildup of extra water in your body and this can be beneficial for high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney disease, or other conditions that result in fluid retention. It is recommended to keep your sodium intake between 1500-2300 mg/day. 1/4 teaspoon of salt has about 600 mg sodium, so it doesn’t take much to get to that recommendation, which is why being more aware of your salt intake and choosing salt-free seasonings is beneficial for your health! You can use Mrs.Dash or No Salt to add flavor, but herbs are especially useful to add flavor without adding salt. If you aren’t familiar with working with herbs, you can use the chart below to select an appropriate herb for your food selection. Give these a try!
Food
|
Herbs to try
|
| Eggs |
Basil, dill weed (leaves), garlic, parsley |
| Fish |
Chervil, dill, fennel, garlic, basil, bay leaf (crumbled), French tarragon, lemon thyme, parsley |
| Poultry |
Garlic, oregano, rosemary, savory, Lovage, marjoram, sage |
| Beef |
Bay, chives, cloves, cumin, garlic, hot pepper, marjoram, rosemary, savory |
| Lamb |
Garlic, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, thyme (try making little slits in the lamb to be roasted and insert herbs) |
| Pork |
Coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, hot pepper, pepper sage, savory, thyme |
| Cheese |
Basil, chervil, chives, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, chives, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme |
| Soups |
Bay, chervil, French tarragon, marjoram, parsley, savory, rosemary |
| Salad |
Basil, borage, burnet, chives, lovage, parsley, French tarragon, garlic. Herb vinegars are great on salad for extra flavor. |
| Tomato Sauce |
Basil, bay leaf, marjoram, oregano, parsley, celery leaves, cloves |
| Fruit |
Anise, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, ginger, lemon verbena, mint, rose geranium, sweet cicely |
| Bread |
Caraway, marjoram, oregano, poppy seed, rosemary, thyme |
| Vegetables |
Basil, burnet, chervil, chives, dill, French tarragon, marjoram, mint, parsley, pepper, thyme, savory |
| Italian Blend |
Basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme |
| Barbecue Blend |
Cumin, garlic, hot pepper, oregano |
Herb Blends to Replace Salt
|
|
| Saltless Surprise |
2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1 teaspoon each of basil, oregano, and powdered lemon rind (or dehydrated lemon juice). Put ingredients into a blender and mix well. Store in glass container, label and add dry rice to prevent caking. |
| Spicy Saltless seasoning |
1 teaspoon each of cloves, pepper, and coriander seed (crushed), 2 teaspoons paprika, and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Mix ingredients in a blender. Store in airtight container. |
