by kelsey | Jan 21, 2015 | Motivation, Weather, Weight Management, Wellness/Health, Winter
January is a long and dreary month. It’s cold, wintery, dark, and feels like it lasts forever after the buzz and excitement of the holiday season in December. With less sunlight and cold temps, our time outdoors is limited and can make us have the “winter blues”. Last week, I was able to enjoy vacation with my family in Hawaii (the picture is of one of our Hawaiian sunsets we enjoyed!) and as I drove into work this morning on ice covered roads, I couldn’t help but imagine myself on the beach drinking a tasty fruit drink, and soaking up the sun like I was last week! The wintery weather can really bring our spirits down. Below are some tips to help you spark your spirit and stay motivated with working on your wellness goals.
- Get active! Activity produces natural endorphins that boost mood and it will aid in a healthy heart and weight. Try getting at least 30 minutes of activity in a day…if you can do more, the better. Vary your activities to decrease the chances of boredom.
- Eat Right: healthy eating will make you feel healthier inside and out. Aim to get at least 5 fruits and veggies a day, include whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Vitamin D has been proven to aid in seasonal affective disorder, so be sure to get your 3 servings of low fat milk or dairy products. If you aren’t a milk drinker you may consider taking a daily multivitamin with calcium and vitamin D or a vitamin D supplement. Please ask your dietitian, pharmacist, or doctor for the correct dosage.
- Spice up your life: Sometimes getting a new shirt, going to the movies, reading a new and exciting book, or getting new tunes on your ipod will help spice up your life and add some more excitement to your life.
- Get out! Plan a family/friend trip, bum around downtown Watertown, or plain just get out of the house! It’s easy to dwell in our sorrows by becoming a hermit and staying inside. We need to get out and get some socialization!
- Think Positive! Dwelling on the negatives can sure take a person down. Instead think about the positives in your life. Tell yourself one positive thing about yourself and your selfworth daily. Focus on the blessings in your life!
- If you feel you are suffering from the blues very seriously then I encourage you to contact your physician for further assistance as we can help you with this!
Spring and warmer temperatures will be coming. Stay positive, eat right, exercise, and get out…those winter blues will be gone before you know it!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 18, 2015 | Etc.
What a nice break in the weather lately. Nothing like a 70+ degree shift in temp. When the wind chills were -30 below or worse, to going almost 40 above, it has been great to get back outside for a run or walk.
It does not really feel like winter going out for a run in these temps. Very comfortable. Yesterday the wind was not very fun, but it was absolutely perfect this AM. Sarah took advantage of this as well. Here she is out for her morning run.
And of course, Zeus cannot be left out. He loves going out for a walk, and when it is this nice out, we can go 3-4 miles with him, and we won’t freeze. That is what Zeus and I did this AM. He is getting bigger all of the time.
I don’t know how long this break in the cold will be, but get outside and enjoy it. It was really was a nice morning to be outside. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2669
by kelsey | Jan 6, 2015 | Etc.
Join us tomorrow, Wednesday January 7th for the Head to Toe Health Fair at the Rec Center! It’s going to be a really great event and we hope you can join us! Deidra Van Gilder, our Doctor of Pharmacy and myself will be present and have a variety of educational materials available for you to start 2015 off right! In addition to the materials, we will be offering an osteoporosis screening. Be sure to come visit us tomorrow at the Rec Center’s gym between 2-7pm. We look forward to seeing you!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 1, 2015 | Etc.
What are your goals/plans for 2015? What do you want to do? To Achieve? It basically comes down to what is right for you. Only you can decide what that may be. Just remember to keep some basics concepts in mind. Look deep inside of you to decide what is it that is really important to you. What drives your interests? What truly is important to you? For me, it always boils down to the main essentials: My Family!
My kids home for Christmas, with Molly’s boyfriend Tanner.
Sarah enjoying having everybody home for Christmas too.!
And of course, we can’t forget about Zeus!
Just remember, keep in mind what is important to you, and then set your goals in relation to them. It will be much easier to create goals that are important to you. Set those goals to be challenging, but achievable. Remember to take into account your schedule limitations, as everybody’s is different. How hard are you willing to work, and what are you willing to sacrifice? As long as you keep your core objectives in mind of why you are even wanting to have goals in the first place, then they will be much easier, and rewarding, to achieve. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2652
by kelsey | Dec 30, 2014 | Diet, Food, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
New Year’s is almost here and with it comes the inevitable 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 up to a 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.
-Kelsey
