by kelsey | Jan 29, 2014 | Wellness/Health
Yesterday I had the privilege to spend my morning at Lake Area Technical Institute as part of their Student for a Day program. The Student for a Day involves members from the community and the region and has them spend half the day with a LATI student to learn more about what the school and the programs they offer. Each community member was with one of LATI’s students in their 29 programs and had the opportunity to enjoy a great classroom experience. This event is designed to increase awareness about Lake Area Tech from a unique perspective.
I had a great time with Physical Therapist Assistant student Jaymi and learned more about ways to use proper form and posture when performing various activities such as shoveling snow, sweeping, making the bed, lifting a heavy suitcase out of a car, etc. Jaymi and her classmates will eventually be providing this type of therapy to people who have back pain or other issues that physical therapy could provide improvements with. We also received a great tour of the school from Tom Paulson. The school has grown and improved tremendously over the years and it was fun to be able to see every part of it while representing Brown Clinic. It was a fun opportunity that allowed me to learn more about the school and what they have to offer students and our community while also providing a chance to network with other community members. I know this post does not exactly relate to nutrition, but it can relate to wellness as it’s important to do things like this every once in awhile to add some spice to your life! Fellowship, networking, and friendship are important for overall wellness and promoting happiness, so be sure to take or should I say make the time for this in your life!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 23, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health, Winter
The weather is the “talk of the shop” lately as it seems like we have had blizzard conditions every day or every other day and the temperatures are bitter cold. This undesirable weather sure makes us cranky and crabby as we wait for warmer temps and spring to come. It’s very hard to get motivated to do anything on cold and blustery days as we’d rather just curl up in a blanket in our sweatpants and watch a movie. Even though we may feel like being a bum, it’s still a good time to get a little workout in which will help raise your body temperature and give you more energy throughout the day. The activity can also produce natural endorphins boosting your mood and improving the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
We also typically eat more soups, stews, and hot-dishes on days like this. If you are watching your waist line, it’s important to be careful of how much you consume of these foods as they can be high in calories, fat, and carbs… depending on how you prepare them. Broth based soups and stews are lower in calories and fat than cream based. In addition, if you’re making a hot dish, you may consider cutting calories by choosing fat free soups to add to your dish, such as fat free cream of chicken or mushroom soup. They also have low sodium varieties of these so if you’re watching your blood pressure or sodium intake, you may consider using this variety. And, as always, be sure to incorporate your lean proteins and plenty of fruits and veggies to your meal. You may consider doubling the veggies in your soups to make them a bit heartier and healthy. Two of my favorite cold weather meals are my mom’s beef stew that has carrots, peas, potatoes, onion, and roast meat and her chicken noodle soup that also has plenty of veggies with white meat chicken. Nothing beats either of these on a cold winter day!
Lastly, if you are not meeting the daily recommendations for health based on MyPlate, you may consider adding a multivitamin to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs to help you stay healthy. Be sure to choose one with Vitamin D as most of us are low in D due to the lack of sunlight we see in the winter months.
Stay warm and safe!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 22, 2014 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
As I read Dr.Dan’s post about his success with the Goofy Challenge, I couldn’t help but think about the positive role model he and Dr.Sarah have been to their kids…and all of us at the clinic. All of their kids enjoy being active and their family participates in activities together. In addition, Dr.Dan’s team here at the clinic has made some incredible strides with improving their fitness and health. I think it is much easier to practice healthy living when you are surrounded by positive influences and you engage in the practices or healthy behaviors together! My family (pictured above!) is another good example of this. We certainly do not do all of the long distance runs like Dr. Dan does (some have though!), but we all enjoy being active and are conscious of our intake and practice healthy eating. In order to stick with healthy living, it’s key to make it a lifestyle and a way of life for everyone in your family. Engage your family into the process of selecting meals, grocery shopping, and cooking the meals. Pick an activity to do together every week and be sure to incorporate your own activities daily to get at least 30-60 minutes of activity/day. If your family isn’t too supportive yet, ask them for help! Sit down together and discuss your goals and aspirations for healthy living… and ask them for support and help. Don’t be afraid to discuss your weaknesses as it is helpful to have extra support on those extra challenging areas. An example of this would be portion control…if you struggle with eating just one helping ask them to help kindly remind you when you’re eating to slow down and mindfully think about how much you need and ask if you really need a second helping. Or maybe it’s exercise…can’t get motivated to get on that treadmill or go to the gym? Ask them to do it with you! Having a buddy or support system will always make you more successful! If you live alone, you can also ask your friends or coworkers to be your support system! If we surround ourselves with positive people who make a positive influence on us, we will be more apt to reach our goals and stick with them! They may push you a little bit beyond your comfort zone, but remember…they’re only trying to help you be better and healthier!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 22, 2014 | Etc.
Well, the Goofy Challenge has come and gone, but it left memories to last a lifetime. Steve and I made it. Disney 1/2 marathon saturday, followed by the Disney marathon sunday. 39.3 miles total. As they say there: “Yeah, we did 39.3 miles, because 40 is just crazy!” Over 25,000 people each day! We had to learn to pace a little smarter to try and make sure we could do it all. We were very consistent. Half marathon on saturday we completed in 2 hours 22 minutes. The first half of the marathon on sunday was 2:23, and the last half marathon was 2:22! Can’t be much more consistent!
Here we are coming through the tent after the finish line, and getting our medals. A total of 3 for the weekend. A Donald Duck medal for completing the half marathon, then here on sunday, a Mickey Mouse medal for finishing the marathon, and the coveted Goofy medal for finishing both. Needless to say, it was fun, but we are wiped! Afterwards, our legs were tightening up so bad we had to have help from our wives getting into and out of the bus to get back to the hotel.
Our families surprised us by being at the finish line! Here Steve is with his wife Carletta, son Noah, and daughter Carissa, who also ran the half marathon the day before. There son Jeff cheered from home.
Here is my family. My son Nick, daughter Megan, and my wife Sarah, who ran the half marathon saturday. My daughter Molly started back in college earlier, so she cheered from Brookings! It was a great time, great weather, and hard to describe the emotions by completing this, and being surrounded by people everywhere. It makes it easier to stay motivated to run. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2311
by kelsey | Jan 16, 2014 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health, Winter
On a blustery day like today, I can’t help but imagine myself on a beach (like the one in my picture I enjoyed last winter in Mexico), drinking a tasty fruit drink, and soaking up the sun. Instead I am inside, with wool socks on and a warm and snuggly sweatshirt. The lack of sun, cold temps, and blizzard temperatures can really bring our spirits down. Here 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
