by Dan | Feb 16, 2014 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
I went to a conference last week in Phoenix with people from the hospital, and the hotel we stayed at was built into a mountain. Now normally, I like hills, but these were Mountains. Going up and down these 3-4 times a day back and forth from the conference got a little tiring. This one started up towards my room, then turned into this one:
You keep going up and around to the left, and it goes to this one:
And then at the top of this was one of the restaurants at the hotel:
We went up there a few nights and the view overlooking Phoenix at night was quite impressive. At least at night, we took a ride up and down for this place. Of course, any time you went up, you had to come down:
The road going right by my room had an appropriate name:
Need I say more? It was great going running outside everyday, which I did. Started off in the low 50’s and got up into the 70’s. They have a trail head at the bottom of the resort for hiking trails through the mountains there. I was able to go on this for some late afternoon walks, and I will show a few of these pictures later this week. I wanted to be outside as much as possible since there was no snow here! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2336
by kelsey | Feb 12, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
In celebration of National Heart Month I cannot resist reminding you about the significance diet and activity play in promoting a healthy heart. Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans and affects both men and women. Genetics do play a role, however a heart healthy diet and and regular activity can help minimize the effects and complications of heart disease. Whether you have heart disease in your family or not, it’s still good to follow a heart healthy eating plan. Highlights of the diet include:
- Lots of fruits and veggies! I’m sure you already knew this one, but the benefits of getting your 5 a day servings of fruits and veggies are worth reminding you again. Most of us know this, the hard part is doing it. Try adding them to your meals, have fruit as a snack, get a double serving to help you reach this goal.
- Fiber! Fiber is very beneficial in combating heart disease. Incorporating more whole grains (and fruits, veggies, and beans/lentils) into your diet will increase your fiber and aid in heart health. Oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, whole grain noodles, whole grain breads, and even popcorn are considered whole grains. Aim to get at least 25-35 g/day.
- Choose lean proteins. Decreasing the amount of saturated fat in your diet will help reduce plaque buildup. Choose white meat poultry without the skin, 90% or greater lean hamburger, fish, beans, etc….stay away from processed meats! Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, and trout offer additional benefits as they are loaded with healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
- Choose healthy fats. Incorporating more plant fats such as canola oil and olive oil into your diet and reducing your intake of saturated and trans fats has been shown to improve heart health. You want to choose foods that are lower than 5-8g of total fat per serving and <3g saturated and trans fat per serving. Choosing low fat dairy products will help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet as well.
- Hold the salt! Excess sodium can increase blood pressure and cause heart failure. Aim to keep your sodium intake below 2400mg/day. You can do this by doing more home cooking, avoiding boxed or packaged goods, cooking with salt free seasonings, and not using table salt.
- Exercise! At least 30 minutes of exercise a day has been shown to improve heart health. If you can do more, the better!
Making small changes or substitutions will help you have a healthier heart and reduce risk for disease. Reading labels is really essential to help you make good choices, so take some time in the grocery store and really examine the products to ensure you’re making healthy choices!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 11, 2014 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Last Friday, Prairie Lakes Hospital hosted a fabulous event for women with the featured speaker being Julie Hadden from Season 4 of the “Biggest Loser.” She gave a great talk highlighting her experience but also discussing her own journey with weight management. Despite being on the hit reality show and losing a lot of weight in a non-traditional way (most of us don’t get the chance to go to a facility where all you do is focus on weight loss 24/7 for months on end!), she was very real about her own journey including the ups and downs and offered some excellent advice to us listening. Much of this great advice is what we recommend in our STRIVE 2 Survive wellness program; and much of this has to relate to the stages and readiness to change and the psychological component that weight management revolves around. I took notes as she talked so I hope this gives some of you who didn’t attend some “food for thought” in regards to advice for weight management.
- Your body is a temple, don’t treat it like a fairground. 🙂 This is a favorite of mine.
- Make small goals and celebrate them along the way. They will result in big success over time.
- Find your motivation and run with it–could be kids, family, job, personal hobbies, etc…find what motivates you and use it to help you be successful!
- Don’t wait for winter to end….or Monday to come. Start NOW!
- Calories are like money. Would you throw $200 in a slot machine at the casino? …Most of us would say no, so think of calories like you do money…don’t throw them away on useless foods! Treat calories with caution and make the most of them, like you would money.
- Move more, eat less = weight loss
- Surround yourself with positive people who make positive influences.
- Change your environment to promote healthy living.
- Believe you’re worth it! You ARE worth the effort!
If you want more help, guidance, education, and support with your wellness and weight efforts consider joining our 12 week wellness program starting March 4th! We will help you live a healthier life!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 6, 2014 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Yesterday I heard a lot of buzz about the look of NBC’s “Biggest Loser” participant Rachel. I am not a big fan of the show and I do not watch it, so I after I had heard from a few different people about their opinions, I decided to do some internet research to see what the buzz was all about. Rachel who is 5’4″ tall, initially weighed 260lbs and left the ranch weighing in at 150lbs. She lost an additional 45lbs at home before the finale aired, results in a weight of 105lbs. Many were saying she looked underweight, unhealthy, and some even used words such as anorexic or eating disorder. Those last two words are something I never take lightly as eating disorders are just as complicated as being overweight as they have many psychological factors to them, making them very challenging to deal with.
Well I was curious to see if she really was underweight so I did the BMI calculation and yes, she surely was…her BMI is 18, which means she is truly underweight according to this calculation. A healthy BMI is between 18.5-24.9. Even her trainers from the “Biggest Loser” wouldn’t comment on her weight loss (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20783820,00.html) which was very interesting to me. I am sure she feels like a whole new person but going from one extreme to the other in a short period of time is very unhealthy for our body and I think that’s what had most people concerned. Especially since she is in the eye of media and this can provide a lot of mixed messages to our population.
I have never been a fan of biggest loser type of programs as they are hard to stick with and most people do it for a short period of time (typically to win some money) and eventually revert back to their old ways while never adapting their lifestyle or habits. I know the good ol’ fashioned method of weight loss that I promote ie- healthy eating in moderation and regular activity results in a slower weight loss (1-2lbs/week), but it is something that most people can stick with and is a healthier way for our body to lose weight as we slowly adjust allowing our bodies to be more apt to keep the weight off in the long run. Our 12 week STRIVE 2 Survive program promotes balanced and healthy living. We teach you how to improve your diet and activity in ways that you can stick with and be successful long term. We never keep track of a total weight loss per session because that is not our goal. Instead we focus on individual improvements in body composition and lab work. There is always going to be the next best weight loss pill, method, or tool, but before you get involved, I encourage you to think twice and ask yourself if it’s something that you can stick with, is it realistic, is it healthy, etc. If you want to achieve a healthier body and a healthier weight in a healthy way, consider joining our 12 week wellness program starting March 4th! We can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle long term!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 5, 2014 | Exercise, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
We are really excited to be getting ready for our spring session of STRIVE 2 Survive wellness program in about a month! Enrollment has begun so if you want to learn more and sign up, please contact me today!! Spring is always a great time to put your health and wellness at the top of the priority list as the we all want to be in good shape for summer!
12 Weeks to a Better You!
Brown Clinic’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. Lecture dates listed below. Take home lessons sent on the weeks we do not meet in person.
Where:
– County Fair Banquet Hall
March 4: “Healthy Eating Made Easy” Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
March 18: “Exercise for the Health of It” Dr. Dan Reiffenberger
April 1: “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel” Dr. Clark Likness
April 15: “Medications…to do or not to do” Deidra VanGilder, Pharm D
April 29: “Your Equation to Success” Dr. Jon McAreavey
May 13: “Making Health a Way of Life” STRIVE Team
Cost:
– $130
Call or email to learn more and sign up!!
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
605-884-4226
strive2survive@brownclinic.org
