by Dan | Jul 30, 2012 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Year round, there are fun runs, walks, triathlons, bike rides, that it is easy to find some ways to keep busy, and stay fit. Here this last saturday was the annual Kampeska run, 1/2 marathon, 10K, and 5K. It was great weather, perfect day for getting out for a run. Here I am after I won the 10K for my age group. Whether you win or lose, it does not matter. Get out, and try. I am surprised, and of course, when I saw Rhonda Arbogast taking pictures, I had to ham it up a little more. It is all about having fun, right?
Of course, not to even be outdone by myself, here I am holding my winning door prize for the race–a hooded sweatshirt. So everybody, get out, and go have some fun. Whether you are walking, running, biking, it does not matter. Just get out and move. Where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah–me! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1768
by Dan | Jul 29, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This is the final segment of the heart disease series. Everybody knows somebody, or they themselves personally, have heart disease. No one is immune. Sometimes reminding yourself of the reasons why you should do something about it is as close as your own home. Family should rank as the primary goal. I touch on this more is a minute.
Treatment options include: 1. Medications: These medicines can be used to help lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, improve your blood sugars, but in all, they can help lower your risk of a heart attack. Which medication is right for you depends on your own health issues, and discussion with your doctor.
2. Angioplasty/stent: If you already have heart disease, or had a heart attack, these may be one of the treatments that are used. Angioplasty involves using a balloon to open up the coronary artery, and then placing a stent helps keep it open. If things are too involved for this, then the next step may be…
3. Coronary bypass surgery: Here another blood vessel from your body, very commonly from your leg, is used to “bypass” the areas of blockage. It is reattached above the area of the blockage, to an area below it, so it effectively bypasses the blood flow around the areas of blockage. These 2 options definitely are more advanced ways of treating heart disease, but one of the most effective yet is preventing it from ever getting this severe. This brings up to the last treatment option.
4. Lifestyle changes: This is basically what are entire blog, and Strive 2 Survive program is all about. The more you can do about watching your diet, and increasing your exercise, the better. This can definitely help prevent heart disease from coming on, but are also extremely effective in helping to manage heart disease if any of the other options above come into play also.
Afterall, is life not about having fun!
Wrap your arms around the things in life that are most important to you. We all have to remember we are not going to have them forever. Appreciate them while we can. Family is the center of all of this for me, and why I try to stay healthy. I want to be here and enjoy them a long time. A special thanks to photographer, and friend, Cory Ann Ellis, for once again creating some great family pictures to enjoy forever. Thanks!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1767
by kelsey | Jul 26, 2012 | Etc.
Body Mass Index or BMI is a part of our regular assessments when you come in to see me, the doctor, or participate in STRIVE 2 Survive. It’s part of our assessments as it’s a fairly reliable indicator for fatness in most adults and it tells us where you’re at on the spectrum in regards to your height to weight ratio. BMI is calculated from your height and weight and is an inexpensive measurement tool compared to other measurements for body fat such as underwater weighing or the bod pod. BMI does not not take muscle mass or bone structure into consideration thus it’s not always the best measurement for everyone. It is not as beneficial with athletes and the elderly.
There are several categories which help us determine where you are at at the spectrum of underweight to obese. The categories include:
- Underweight: BMI below 18.5
- Normal weight: 18.5 to 24.9
- Overweight: 25.0 to 29.9
- Obese: 30.0 and above.
Those people with very low or very high BMI’s are at highest risk. Even though BMI is used as an assessment tool, it’s just one factor that contributes to the big picture of your overall health and wellbeing. As I said earlier, we use BMI in STRIVE 2 Survive, but we also get body fat percentage, fat mass, and muscle mass by using our body composition analyzer scale. Other measurements we find valuable are blood pressure, waist circumference, and lab work such as the lipid panel and glucose. A higher waist circumference can be an indicator of heart disease as those who carry their weight in their mid section (apple shape) are at higher risk for heart disease compared to those who carry their weight in their buttocks and thighs (pear shape).
If you would like to calculate your BMI and learn more about this measurement, check out this website for more information: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.
If your BMI is not desirable and you’d like to work on improving this, eating healthy, practicing portion control, and engaging in daily activity are tools for success. With STRIVE 2 Survive we like to look at the big picture of wellness which is why we get the variety of measurements pre-program and post-program. Sometimes we get frustrated with the scale as the number doesn’t always want to move like we want it to, but we have to remember that our positive lifestyle changes can be improving things inside too!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 25, 2012 | Etc.
Lately, I have had several people tell me that they enjoy reading our blog or that they found a specific post really intriguing or valuable to them. Dr. Dan and I really enjoy spreading the word about health, wellness, nutrition, and activity and we enjoy the feedback from you! Many of you get our posts directly into your email, some learn more through our Facebook page, and many just browse our site on a regular basis. No matter how you decide to connect with us, please know we appreciate you! You are the reason we are so passionate about our work with STRIVE 2 Survive and promoting healthy lifestyles! We typically write about relevant topics related to our lives, the news, etc, however we certainly can write about anything you desire to learn more about! If you have questions related to wellness, health, nutrition, or activity please share them with us and we’ll be sure to get them answered through our blog! You can contact us by commenting on the posts, emailing us, calling us, or writing us on Facebook.
Our program continues to evolve and improve as time goes on and we base alot of our improvements on our participant’s feedback and requests. We are so excited to be starting our fall program September 4th and are eager to work with another great group! We already have a list of participants excited to start, so if you are interested in learning more and getting enrolled, be sure to contact us!
Thanks for giving us purpose to continue sharing our passion about wellness with you!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 24, 2012 | Food, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
Lately, the farmers have been busy harvesting their grain crops such as oats and wheat. I always marvel at this process as what they’re doing is directly contributing to our food sources and availability. Without their hard work, our food chain would be greatly affected. Grains are an excellent source of energy for our brain and central nervous system. The whole grains are especially beneficial for promoting heart health due the fiber content. The average American only eats about 1 serving of whole grains a day and a serving is equivalent to a slice of bread, a cup of cereal, or a 1/2 cup of rice…which means that’s not much! We recommend at least half or your grain intake to be whole grains which should be at least 3 servings.
Whole grains are unrefined meaning they have all three parts still intact. Refined grains go through a process where the bran and germ are removed, thus extending shelf life and giving them a finer taste. Since the whole grains do not go through any processing and their germ (inner layer) and bran (outer layer) are still intact, they are a better source of fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals, especially selenium, potassium, and magnesium. When selecting a whole grain product, it’s important to look at the ingredient list and select a product that’s first ingredient is “whole” such as “whole grain,” “whole wheat,” etc. If the first ingredient says refined or enriched, that means that product is truly not whole grain.
Whole grains are found in brown and wild rice, whole wheat flour, oats, popcorn, rye, and whole wheat pasta. Like I’ve mentioned before, balance is truly key to a healthy diet, so achieving a balance of whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables will not only fuel your body but will aid in disease prevention. The fiber found in whole grains is not only beneficial for heart health, but also aids in stability for blood sugars, digestive health, and satiety. Next time you go to the store, make sure you take the extra few seconds to double check your label to ensure you’re getting a whole grain product…and be sure to thank our farmers for helping harvest our food supply!
-Kelsey
