by kelsey | Jan 27, 2016 | Weight Management, Wellness/Health
We’ve had some questions and interest in our next session of STRIVE 2 Survive so we thought it was timely to let you all know our next session starts March 15th!! For those wanting to learn more about our 12 week wellness program, check out the details below and contact us today to get enrolled in the spring session!
Over 16 years ago Dr. Dan Reiffenberger wrote a grant for the American College of Sports Medicine about the development of a fitness program entitled STRIVE to Survive. The STRIVE represents “Securing Time for Regular Involvement in a Variety of Exercise”. Since that time, it has become our Brown Clinic Wellness Program, with modifications and improvements along the way. It is a 12 week program incorporating exercise and nutrition, with the goal of continuing these types of habits for a lifetime. Our dietitian Kelsey Raml has helped incorporate the nutrition component and Dr. Clark Likness, Dr. Jon McAreavey, and Deidra Van Gilder, PharmD are also involved creating a multi-disciplinary approach to health and wellness. We also have a great assistant, Barb, that keep us organized.
We the 12 week program periodically throughout the year. During the 12 weeks, we meet every other Tuesday at the County Fair Banquet Hall from 5:30-6:30pm. During the weeks we don’t meet, each participant gets a take home lesson focused on our two main components: diet and exercise. The meetings are held in a group atmosphere, but we can also work with you individually in the clinic if desired.
12 Weeks to a Better You!
Brown’s Diet and Exercise Wellness Program.
Who:
– The Strive2Survive Wellness Program is open to everyone, young and old.
– Conducted by Dr. Dan Reiffenberger, Board Certified in both Family Medicine and Sports Medicine and Registered Dietitian Kelsey Raml.
What:
– Lose Weight- Gain Strength – Maintain Fitness- Improve Diet.
– Evaluations: lab work- lipid and glucose, body composition testing-weight, height, BMI, body fat mass and percent, muscle mass…all pre and post the 12 week program.
– Free T-shirt
– 6 class lectures and 6 take home lessons.
Where:
– County Fair Banquet Hall
When:
March 15: “Healthy Eating Made Easy” Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
March 29: “Exercise for the Health of It” Dr. Dan Reiffenberger & Dr.Torness
April 12: “Your Equation to Success” Dr. Jon McAreavey
April 26: “Medications…to do or not to do” Deidra VanGilder, PharmD
May 10: “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel” Dr. Clark Likness
May 24: “Making Health a Way of Life” STRIVE Team
Cost:
– $130
Call, e-mail or use the contact form for more information.
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
605-884-4226
strive2survive@brownclinic.org
by kelsey | Jan 26, 2016 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
5 of the Healthiest Winter Foods
Winter is always challenging to get fresh produce at a reasonable price, but these top 5 winter foods are not only reasonably priced, but offer a great source of nutrients. Be sure to add them to your grocery list and include them in your meal planning!
1. Pomegranates: this heart-healthy food is rich in antioxidants that can contribute to improving blood flow to the heart and keep arteries unblocked.
2. Dark Leafy Greens: kale, chard, and collards thrive during the winter season while the rest of the produce section looks bleak. These greens are rich in vitamin A, C, and K. They are also an excellent source of folate.
3. Citrus fruits: limes, oranges and grapefruits are juiciest in the wintertime and can brighten up a dull winter. They are loaded with vitamin C. Citruses are a rich source of flavonoids like hesperidin, which is credited for boosting HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.
4. Potatoes: they often given a bad rap for being one of the white starches along with white rice and white bread but unlike those starches, potatoes are a whole food and contain many beneficial nutrients. They have two excellent immune boosters – Vitamin C and B6—while also providing a good source of folate and fiber.
5. Winter Squash: comes in a variety from butternut to acorn to delicata and even spaghetti squash and they are all excellent choices in the winter. One cup of squash has 80 calories and is high in both vitamin A, C and K while also boasting a good source of potassium, B6, and folate.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 21, 2016 | Diet, Weight Management
A common question I get asked is if there is any magical pill or way to speed up our metabolism. Metabolism is the process that converts our intake (food and drink) into energy. A common complaint of weight loss struggles is that we feel our metabolism is too slow and it’s taking too long or too much effort to lose weight. Hence, we then look for that magical pill or way to speed things up for us! I came across a good article from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics about some of the myths and facts about metabolism and I thought I’d highlight them for you here. You can read the whole article here: http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/tips-for-weight-loss/metabolism-myths-and-facts.
*Can our metabolism change?: our metabolism can change and does change! Age is a big factor as well as muscle mass. As we age, our metabolism gets slower so we have to adjust our habits and choices to correspond with this decline. In addition, muscle burns more calories than fat, so those with a leaner muscle mass have a higher metabolism. Adding some strengthening activities to your weekly activity routine will help build and maintain that lean muscle mass, thus keeping your metabolism going!
*Are there any foods that will speed up our metabolism: no, there are no magical foods that speed up metabolism. Portion control and following a balanced diet are ideal, as well as eating several small meals and snacks a day versus one or two big meals.
*Should I stop eating after 7pm?: The extra calories eaten at night by mindless snacking are the cause of weight gain, not the timing. It is better to eat more of your intake in the beginning and middle of your day to ensure you burn those calories off, but it is ok to have a bedtime snack and actually a good idea to help keep your blood sugars stable through the night. Now making a healthy choice and watching how much you eat matters, not necessarily the timing!
*Will a fad diet jumpstart my weight loss?: Following a restrictive diet that eliminates major food groups and restricts calories to an extreme is not helpful! In order to lose weight you need to create a negative energy balance (burn more than you are taking in), but restricting your calories too much (less than 1000-1200 cal/day) will put your body into starvation mode and make weight loss more challenging. Portion control, balanced, healthy eating are truly key to success long term!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 20, 2016 | Diet, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
New Years is always a great time for refocusing and setting those famous resolutions. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions because they typically aren’t followed long term. Many have already fallen off the wagon with their resolutions just a few weeks into January! Most often they aren’t followed long term because they aren’t realistic to follow. Weight loss is one of the more common resolutions. Controlling your weight long term can be done and does not have to be just a temporary thing! To lose weight permanently, you must make a commitment to gradually adopt a healthier way of life. Making small changes over time make it more realistic and able to stick with long term. Here are a few tips:
- Set realistic weight loss goals, such as 1 to 2 pounds weight loss/week so over the course of a month you are down 4-8lbs. Those who lose weight slowly, by eating less and exercising more, tend to keep their weight lost off.
- Eat fewer calories by cutting down on portions and/or decreasing the total amount of fat you eat.
- Do not skip meals. Eating 5 smaller meals a day helps to increase your metabolism.
- Keep low calorie, low fat snacks on hand, such as pretzels, raw vegetables with low calorie dips or fruit.
- Choose foods high in fiber such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables.
- Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need.
- To ensure you are eating healthy, keep an accurate food journal. Write down everything you eat or drink. Be honest and accurate, otherwise the journal is not as helpful. The food journal will help you learn about your eating habits and help you assess the food choices you are making. You can do this online or using an app such as MyFitnessPal.
- Establishing a regular exercise routine is equally important. Aim for at least 30-60 minutes/day. Pick activities you enjoy doing to make it more enjoyable and fun!
- Stay positive! Focus on your reasons for improving your health and wellness and don’t let the little bumps along the way bring you down from achieving your goals!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 17, 2016 | Etc.
How better to start than above with a quote by Ayn Rand, with a picture of Molly running a Cross Country race. The determination, the drive, the feel of empowerment! Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. Running laid the foundation for her, to take off in her college career, and to later become President of her sorority. This quiet, soft spoken girl has done a lot of growing up lately. She has empowered herself to succeed. This is the key for all of us, and exercise, in this case running, can help you do that.
We all will have challenges and obstacles along the way in our life. Are you going to let it stop you? Are you going to fight your way through the tough times? Are you one to sit back and say “whatever”, or are you going to learn from previous mistakes, and turn them into learning points that you can advance from? The choice is ours to make. But, after all, it is also our life to make. We become stronger by things that are tough. Experience brings new challenges, and rewards to our lives. By having a foundation of exercise, we find out how tough things can be…only to eventually make us stronger, not only physically, but mentally.
There are always things in life that we may want to run from, or strive for.
Take a chance, and swing for things! You never know when you may actually find the right way, or success, and hit a home run!
Success will find its way towards you, and sometimes in not so obvious ways. Out of all this comes leadership, with your vision and values being part of the foundation, with the empowerment you exude at the top!
We all can use encouragement along the way…from not only friends, but in particular, FAMILY! Family can also lend a hand in helping to provide those foundational points to build on. The rest is up to you as an individual on how you want to act on it. Here is Molly as President of her sorority giving her farewell address this Winter. I was proud of her. She spoke with grace, wisdom, and humor (yes!) that made me proud. My little girl was growing up! Those above aspects all were important in her leadership role that she had! But, like I said, family plays a big role.
When is comes to having a role model about empowerment, Molly learned from the best! Sarah has been a significant role model on how to succeed, and, in particular, how to succeed as a female. Sarah’s mom set the tone on that…she is an electrical engineer, and had to break many stereotypes back in her day. Females did not become electrical engineers…this was mainly a “man’s world” at that time. But this was what SHE wanted to do, and we all should do what we want to do in our lives. We decide how to be a “Success in Life”. Use our abilities, and then don’t let anybody stop you! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3033
