by Dan | Nov 25, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
With the Thanksgiving holiday this past Thursday, it was a good time to reflect back on all of the things to be thankful for. Friends, family, fun, food…doing activities that a fun, just to name a few. So on Thanksgiving, it was time again for the annual Turkey Day 5k run/walk. Even though I am dealing with an injury, I decided to run, but would take it slow. Tom is recovering from an injury as well, so we decided to run together. It was again great just to be out and run with my long time training partner/friend! We did not set any records, but we had a good talk for 34 minutes while we were running…and were just happy to be able to cross the finish line.
I can never not mention all of the good food this time of year. Turkey with all the other traditional foods that go along with it, is my favorite meal! It was great! Our motto on Thanksgiving: Before you can stuff your face, your have to finish the race!
Here Sarah is coming across the finish line. Molly and her fiancée Tanner were in Marsahll, MN running the Turkey run there. It is becoming a family tradition…in this family, you get to exercise, and eat well!
Tom and I got to run another race together. Thursday was not about time though…it was about spending time together, both recovering, or in the process of trying to recover, from injuries. The fact that we even got to run made an even more memorable day. We ran together from start to finish. Our time was irrelevant. Tom was hoping during the run we would not be last. I reminded him that the day was not about our time. Nobody else was in our shoes, just like we were not in theirs. We had a social run together, once again just shooting the crap talking while out for a run. Those are the days to remember. Our times are not important!
We once again got to run and hang out with a bunch of friends, old and new. All of these people came into our lives because of running. Incredible!
Of course, I got to run another race with my Sarah! Running brought us together some 30 years ago, and to then be married over 28 years ago. Running has been a big part of our lives, and will continue to be as long as we are alive. The memories keep building, and I would not trade any of them! Start making memories for yourself! Make events like these a new tradition for you, and in the process, help take care of yourself to be around longer to enjoy all of the things in life. Give thanks to what you have now, and what you have to look forward to later…new adventures, new friends, new races…new memories! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4078
by kelsey | Nov 21, 2018 | Etc.
Happy Thanksgiving! We wish you a fantastic day spent with family and friends. We all know eating is a big part of the day (and if you want tips to help you get through that part of the day, be sure to go back and read my post last week!) but I encourage you to think beyond that part and explore the main concept of the holiday–what are you thankful for? We have much to be thankful for, we just need to take the time to sit back and think about it. Reflect on your blessings and cherish your time with family and friends!
Please note Brown Clinic is closed Thursday-Friday and we will back open Saturday morning for acute care.
Enjoy the holiday!
Kelsey
by Dan | Nov 18, 2018 | Equipment, Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
There is no question, my favorite sport for me to participate in is running. I do other exercises at different times just to help break things up a little, but end up doing more of these different activities whenever I am dealing with a running injury. One of those times is now. You start to realize how important your feet our for every day things, not just running. It is a continuous reminder all day long when your feet are hurting.
I have always tried to get good running shoes, and change them out frequently. Now I am trying some different brand shoes to see if this will be any better. Right now I am dealing with plantar fasciitis in both feet. The left foot I can contend with, the right one has been a pain, literally, now for the past 2 months. I have to get to the point where I have to take a break from running. Even if I only do our Wednesday and Sunday run club 4 mile runs, I am limping for the next 2 days. I guess my body is trying to tell me something.
For those of you who don’t know what plantar fasciitis is, this picture shows where it hurts. It is a disorder of the connective tissue of your arch, which supports your foot. It results in pain I the heel and bottom of the foot, and is usually the worst first thing in the morning when you get up. The causes are not really well known. It is believed to result from overuse, long standing or doing a lot of exercise, or in my cases, doing a lot of races. I ice, massage, wear night splints, better arch supports for my everyday shoes, different running shoes…I just have to give it a rest from actual running.
These are some of the different night splints I have been using. It keeps my arch stretched during the night so it won’t be so sore when I first step on it in the morning. They do help, but I guess I need more help with patience!
I have been on my elliptical and bike more because it puts lets strain on my foot. I have to try and get going on swimming as well…I am just trying to convince myself I don’t have to resort to swimming, but I am starting to realize I am losing this battle! I want to get back to running, and I suppose now in the Winter time is a better time if I have to back down things. The other activities get boring, and is harder to motivate to use. I am keeping my exercise streak intact though…it will take a lot more than this to bring that to an end. I want to get back on the “racing circuit” with Sarah and the rest on run club. I am still planning on doing the Turkey Day 5K…slow…then recover again after. Will see how it goes. It is not fun staying back from running when you see other people, especially your friends, out running, and you can’t be with them! To all my friends in run club…keep holding down the fort. I have to take a break for awhile, but guarantee will be back, and ready to go again. We have all had to deal with injuries at one time or another, and they are always tough. Running and exercising are tough, but not doing it is even worse! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4071
by kelsey | Nov 14, 2018 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Looking to trim your waistline without going on a crazy fad diet?! These tips below don’t require huge changes, however will give you great results…and they are tips you can stick with long term!
- Downsize Your Dishes. Use smaller plates and bowls to help you eat less. We tend to fill up the dish we’re using and then eat it all. Our brains also think we are getting more when the same amount of food is placed in a smaller dish.
- Savor Your Meals. Eating slowly helps you consume only what your body needs to feel satisfied. Eating too quickly, in less than 20 to 30 minutes, leads to overeating and feeling uncomfortably full afterwards.
- Leave Some Food on Your Plate. This is especially important if you grew up in the “clean plate club.” By leaving even a few bites, you can focus more on your internal signals of satisfaction and less on eating food just because it is there.
- Don’t Eat Out of a Bag or Box. When you eat out of a package, you are likely to keep eating until it’s all gone – no matter how many servings the package actually contains. Pour one serving into a small bowl.
- Choose Your Glass Wisely. Here’s another place where our eyes play tricks on us. When glasses are short and wide, we tend to fill them with more fluid and to drink more. Use a slender glass for any beverage except water.
- Rethink Your Drinks. High-calorie beverages like soft drinks, juice drinks, energy drinks, specialty coffees and alcohol add calories just like solid foods. Whenever possible, replace these drinks with plenty of water.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 13, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Hard to believe Thanksgiving is already a week away! The Thanksgiving holiday is always a fun one enjoyed by all as we stuff ourselves and then resort to the couch to watch football or the start of the holiday tv shows. Here are some tips for you to get through the holiday without putting on all those undesired extra pounds.
- Survey the entire table before you take any food. Decide what foods are worth eating and what can be ignored, and then stick to that decision. Why waste calories on foods that don’t bring you pleasure?
- Eat a snack before you leave home. If you arrive at a party starving, you’ll be more likely to overindulge.
- Eat your calories instead of drinking them. Stick to lower calorie or calorie-free drinks (diet sodas, water, light beer, or wine spritzer) instead of punches, eggnogs, and mixed drinks that can have up to 500 calories per cup.
- Sip a large glass of water between every alcoholic drink or non-alcoholic punch or eggnog. This will help keep you hydrated and you’ll drink fewer calories by the end of the night.
- When you are the host or hostess, include nutritious and lower-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats on the menu. When you are a guest, bring along a lower-calorie dish to share.
- Try not to hang out near the food. Find a comfortable spot across the room and focus on people instead of eating.
- Watch your portion sizes. Don’t cover your plate completely with food. In most cases, especially when it comes to holiday sweets and alcoholic beverages, less is better. Use a smaller plate or bowl and have just a sliver of pie like the picture shows.
- Drop out of the “clean plate club”. Leave a few bites behind every time you eat, especially if you are eating something you don’t really care for.
- Enjoy your favorite holiday treats but take a small portion, eat slowly, and savor the taste and texture of the wonderful foods of the season.
- Skip the pie crust and go for the filling.
- Choose light meat over dark meat.
- Use home-made cranberry sauce over canned cranberries that are jam packed with added sugars.
- In soups, sauces, puddings, and desserts: Replace whole milk or cream with low-fat milk, evaporated fat-free milk, or nonfat dry milk.
Lighten up your recipes:
- To make dips and toppings: Use low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese or sour cream, or non-fat Greek yogurt.
- To make salad dressings: Use nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat buttermilk.
- In place of 1 whole egg in recipes: Use 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute.
- In place of regular cheese: Use fat-free or reduced-fat cheese.
- In place of full sugar: replace half with Splenda or reduce half completely.
- In place of fats: use unsweetened applesauce or oil (1-1 replacement), or prune puree (1 cup of fat=1/2 cup puree).
More importantly is ENJOY your family and friends and all that have to the THANKful for!
-Kelsey
