by Dan | Apr 13, 2012 | Exercise, Wellness/Health
Some 16+ years ago I wrote a grant for the American College of Sports Medicine in regards of 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 dietician Kelsey has been instrumental in helping us get to the point that we are at. We also continue to work and improve on this through the shared help of Dr. Likness, and two of our great assistants, Barb and Kristi.
You truly start to find out just how good your program actually is by the response of participants in the class, and community talk. You also find out about others who have developed programs with strikingly similar characteristics, such as the following:
One local program also goes 12 weeks, has the same lab, promotes the dietician aspect, and even has their classes taught on the same nights.
Another local community calls their program “Strive”, but advertises to high school athletes, and the benefit of the dietician.
Even as of today, another local individual who promotes/sells supplements posts on her facebook page about the concept of “Strive 2 Thrive”.
Coincidence? I doubt it. At this point I just find myself grinning from ear to ear because nothing tells me more about how good of a program we have than having other groups/individuals copy your idea. Bottom line, we are the original. We are the ones staying around, promoting our ideas, teaching individuals how to become healthier, and, most important, we practice what we teach. As the picture above shows, you need to make yourself standout and shine through amongst the branches. Be creative and go with your ideas. Good job to all of Brown Clinics Strive 2 Survive team! Keep up the good work. Remember everybody, keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1660
by kelsey | Apr 12, 2012 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
With spring underway, our house is bustling as this is one of the busiest times of the year for us on the ranch. Spring time is most noted in our house by calving and planting. This lifestyle often results in late night suppers, night checks to ensure the cows are not having any issues, and long hours of work as the farmers and ranchers are working hard to the crops in and ensure their cows and calves are doing well. It’s a type of work that many have been brought up in through generations. As a dietitian and wife of a rancher/farmer, I marvel at the work they do and it reminds me of the importance of promoting our local produce!
Beef is an excellent source of 10 essential nutrients, especially protein, selenium, iron, zinc, and choline. There are 29 lean sources of beef that meet the government guidelines for lean. Red meat often gets a bad rap in the media, however the bottom line is that lean beef does truly offer several health benefits to us including heart health, muscle development, and weight management due to its excellent nutrient content.
Now yes, I may be a little biased since this is a way of life for my family, however nutrionally speaking it truly is a great source of nutrients. I am not telling you go out and get a fatty 20 oz steak, but I am telling you it’s ok to incorporate portion controlled lean sources of beef into your daily intake.
Today I signed up to become a part of Team BEEF. Team BEEF is part of the South Dakota Beef Council and is a community of runners and health enthusiasts who recognize the nutritional benefits of lean beef and the important role high quality protein can play in training. I am excited to represent South Dakota Team BEEF at the Buffalo NY marathon/half marthon my brother and I will be running in May. Next week I plan to discuss a few concepts of beef and its nutrition.
-Kelsey
*The picture just a glimpse of what our ranch looks like right now or as Adam calls it, “the nursery.” 🙂
by kelsey | Apr 11, 2012 | Etc.
We want to inform you that due to a scheduling conflict, we have switched Dr. Jon’s and Deidra’s talks for this spring session of STRIVE. Thus this next Tuesday, April 17th, Deidra Van Gilder, PharmD will speak and Dr. Jon will give his talk on May 15th. Since some of you past participants still come to the lectures or come to some that you missed during your session, we wanted to inform everyone of this change.
Deidra VanGilder, PharmD is a great resource for questions on vitamins, minerals, supplements, and medications, so be sure to bring those questions with you next Tuesday!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Apr 8, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
A participant in a previous Strive 2 Survive class taught me, as a motivating tool, he carried around with him a rock with the words painted “WIN” on it. Whenever he had trouble deciding on when he needed to work on things, he would rub on this, and WIN represents: When is Now. It kept reminding him that it was up to him to really accomplish what it is he wanted, and he needed to do it now, before it was too late. Of course, never forget that we all can rely on others to help keep us going: friends, neighbors, relatives, training partners in general, that all can help us WIN.
Remember those that are close to us, important to us, to help us achieve our goals, and be healthier to be around longer.
Don”t lose sight of the big picture, of what it is we really want to achieve. Getting there is the challenge and difficult part. But remember, success should be a journey, not a final destination. Have fun along the way. You will be amazed as what you can all learn as you go. This knowledge you need to continue to fall back on, utilize, adapt, and continue to learn from it. We never quit learning. When is Now–WIN-to help you keep going forward. Good luck. Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1655
by Dan | Apr 7, 2012 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
The winds were definitely picking up today. The wind is not so bad when it is warm out, but when it is cold, it is another thing. When I started off running this AM with Sarah and some other friends from the running club, it was 51 degrees. We went on a long run, and by the time we were done, it was 41 degrees. I am not sure what the wind chill was, but had to be in the low 30’s. The forecast is calling for some more cold days, with lows down in the 20’s. Still overall not bad, but it is when we start getting used to the warm weather we have been having.
The Lake had lots of white caps on it, and made it very tough to run in. So the group we had running worked as a team, and took turns blocking the wind. We would then just keep trading off. We all got our workout in, and we worked together. It is always more enjoyable exercising with someone else. The conversations, the comraderie. It is no different then how we work through things every day. It is always easier when you have help, and at the same time, you contribute to it. We all have different Winds of Change in our lives every day, regardless of the weather. Keep your chin up, and move forward. As far as the weather, here is hoping that the cold days, and the wind, will be short lived. Have a great Easter coming! Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1654
