What are you doing right now? Aside from reading this post, you are most likely sitting somewhere. On your couch? At your desk? In a chair? Wherever you find yourself sitting, I’m sure that it won’t come as a surprise to you, that sitting isn’t good for your health. But did you know that it is so bad for your health that it could be taking years off of your life?
It’s true.
Unfortunately, I can’t even say that I’m setting a good example for any of you by doing something other than sitting on the couch with my laptop myself. However, this new study did get me thinking about ways I might be able to do less sitting, and I think I am going to give a few of them a try (tomorrow).
After adjusting for smoking, height/weight, and other factors, Patel’s team found that compared to sitting less than three hours a day, sitting six or more hours a day:
Increased the death rate by about 40% in women
Increased the death rate by about 20% in men
Increased the death rate by 94% in the least active women
Increased the death rate by 48% in the least active men
It wasn’t just that they weren’t getting exercise. Patel and colleagues found that sitting itself was detrimental to health. Sitting increased risk of cancer death, but the main death risk linked to sitting was heart disease.
That’s scary stuff. I’m sure that I’m sitting more than six hours of the day, and up until very recently I was getting little to no exercise.
So, how many hours a day do you spend sitting? Could you be sitting your way to an early grave? What about your kids?
In the age of couch potatoes, it’s not surprising that a lack of activity has become a serious health risk. The question is — What are you ready to do about it?
Are you ready to take steps to be more active and less sedentary? If so, now is a great time to start. The best part is, the study doesn’t suggest that you have to replace hours of sitting with hours of activity. It seems that even just breaking up your sitting time with a bit of active non-sitting time can be beneficial.
Here are some tips for increasing your life expectancy by decreasing the amount of time you sit. Remember, these are just ideas, use these ideas as guidelines for developing a personal plan that works best for you.
These days we need to do everything we can to help ourselves look and feel healthier. We have more work, more worries, more responsibilities — and all of this can take a real toll on how we look and feel. But there are simple things we can do to rejuvenate ourselves inside and out. Here are my top ten tips for looking and feeling healthier.
1. Drink enough water
This is a big one, because there is no way to be healthy and dehydrated, our bodies need water. Make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day, and remember that soda, coffee, and alcoholic beverages don’t count as hydration. Also See: Staying Healthy And Hydrated
Another benefit of drinking water. Drinking Water Before Meals To Lose Weight – A new study found that middle-aged and older adults who drank two cups of water before each meal consumed fewer calories and lost more weight than those who skipped drinking water.
2. Eat more healthy foods than unhealthy foods
You don’t have to be a health nut, but at least try to incorporate healthy foods into your diet whenever possible. Try this – For a week keep track of what foods you’re eating each day. At the end of the week examine your list and determine if you are eating more healthy foods than unhealthy ones. Then find ways you can replace some of the unhealthy stuff with healthy stuff. Also See: Getting Reacquainted With Health Food
For every person who watches the trailer, Showtime will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the American Cancer Society…
Join the American Cancer Society and Showtime’s The Big C in the movement to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. In the new series on the pay-cable network, actress Laura Linney stars as Cathy Jamison, a reserved, stifled, Minneapolis schoolteacher who receives the life-changing news that she has cancer. From that moment on, she decides to make some drastic, long-overdue adjustments to the way she is living her life. The Big C premieres at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Monday, August 16 on Showtime.
You can learn more about The Big C and help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer by watching this exclusive trailer for the show. For every person who watches the trailer, Showtime will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the American Cancer Society to help people stay well and get well, to find cures, and to fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. Together, we can make a world with less cancer and more birthdays a reality!
It seems women should have a waist circumference no greater than 35 inches, otherwise they are at a greater risk for heart disease, asthma, breast cancer as well as dementia.
“Even if you haven’t had a noticeable weight gain, if you notice your waist size increasing that’s an important sign,” said lead author Eric Jacobs of the American Cancer Society, which funded the study. “It’s time to eat better and start exercising more.”
Bulging bellies are a problem for most Americans older than 50. It’s estimated that more than half of older men and more than 70 percent of older women have bigger waistlines than recommended. And it’s a growing problem: Average waistlines have expanded by about an inch per decade since the 1960s.
Although I’m not past the recommended girth, I have noticed an evolution of how my body is distributing its weight. I wrote about how I’ve noticed that I’ve been carrying my weight differently since I hit 40 (with much of it in my belly), and the difficult time I’ve been having trying to lose the last 10 pounds.
I can’t help but think that my age has something to do with my inability to get rid of those last ten pounds. At 42, I’ve been observing some strange happenings to my body. Oddly, my weight has stayed relatively the same, but how the weight is distributed on my body has been changing dramatically (I seem to be plumping up around my waist and belly, while at the same time shrinking in areas I would prefer to keep).
In this video Dr. Oz talks about how a high belly fat measurement can take up to 15 years off your life, and shows you how to measure it for yourself…
Are you concerned about the added risks to your health from carrying extra weight in you belly?
Are you honest about your weight? Although I would prefer not to be asked, when I am asked, it never occurs to me to lie about it.
It used to be that women were thought to always lie about their age and weight, but a new CDC study finds that Americans are becoming more honest (at least about) their weight. To be honest, I didn’t even know that there were studies measuring the number of people who lie about their weight. It seems a little odd, but who am I to judge?
The new report also found that in nine states at least 30 percent of the adults were obese in 2009. The states were Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Mississippi, the highest at 34 percent. In 2007, only Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee topped 30 percent.
No states met a national goal for 2010 of limiting obesity to 15 percent. Only Colorado and the District of Columbia were lower than 20 percent, and just barely.
It did get me thinking a bit about why? Why are Americans becoming more honest about their weight, especially considering that obesity is on the rise?
Could it be that we are finally getting to the point of loving and accepting ourselves, even with our perceived imperfections? That wouldn’t be so bad, maybe those Dove ads (you know, the ones using average and plus size models) are having an impact on how we see ourselves. What ever the reason, if women are feeling better about themselves, I think that’s wonderful. Anyway, that’s my idealistic way of looking at this story, and I think it could be true.
However, it seems the researchers have their own opinion (go figure), and it does make sense. They believe that because of all the press coverage over the ever growing obesity epidemic (and the health problems associated with it), that Americans are becoming more aware of their weight and therefore more honest. The benefit to this observation would be that Americans are becoming concerned about the health risks of being overweight (rather than the stigma), and are keeping a closer eye on it. In the long run (idealistically), this change in behavior may actually prove to be the catalyst to American’s changing their eating habits from unhealthy to healthy, and that would be a good thing. Wouldn’t it be great to go from a society facing an obesity epidemic, to a society facing a healthy living epidemic?
Is it time to start selling birth control pills over-the-counter (OTC)?
The easy answer is, yes.
But is it really an easy question to answer? No. Remember, we are living in a country where many parents are still against condoms being available to students, and where many schools are teaching abstinence only in place of sex-ed classes. I’m thinking this isn’t going to be as easy of a switch as some of these articles make it appear.
The pill meets F.D.A. criteria for over-the-counter medications. Women don’t need a doctor to tell them whether they need the pill — they know when they are sexually active and want to avoid pregnancy. Pill instructions are easy to follow: Take one each day. There’s no chance of becoming addicted. Taking too many will make you nauseated, but won’t endanger your life, in contrast to some over-the-counter drugs, like analgesics. (There are even side benefits to taking the pill, like reduced risks of ovarian and uterine cancer.)
Getting Reacquainted With Healthy Food- This is a post I originally did for BlogHer in 2008, but since it still applies now, I thought I would share it here on the Choose You Blog.
For the last few weeks I’ve been making an attempt at eating healthy. And usually this is where I would tell you that I’ve failed miserably. But, I’m happy to report that I have actually been doing pretty well. I think it is in part because, around the same time I decided that I couldn’t afford to gain another pound, I got an email from Elaine Magee. Funny how we get what we need, just when we need it.
Anyway, Elaine is the Healthy Recipe Doctor at WebMD, and she wanted to tell me about her newest book Food Synergy. Even better, she said if I wanted a copy she would send me one. The timing couldn’t have been better.
Evidence is mounting that certain components in the food we eat and drink (minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, fiber, smart fats, etc.) interact to provide our bodies extra disease protection and a higher level of health. This advanced nutrition science is called food synergy.
Food synergy is like adding 1 plus 1 and getting 4 or 6 instead of 2; the total is greater than the sum of the individual parts (or nutrients).
Why is it that losing weight seems to be so much harder the older we get? I don’t really consider myself a dieter, but I do try to incorporate healthy eating into my lifestyle. In doing so I hoped to lose a little weight and get back to a healthy BMI. It’s just ten more pounds, but I’ve been finding it difficult to even lose one. Why is that? Does it have something to do with getting older? Is there a way to get past it? I decided to take a closer look at how age affects our weight.
I can’t help but think that my age has something to do with my inability to get rid of those last ten pounds. At 42, I’ve been observing some strange happenings to my body. Oddly, my weight has stayed relatively the same, but how the weight is distributed on my body has been changing dramatically (I seem to be plumping up around my waist and belly, while at the same time shrinking in areas I would prefer to keep).
Regardless of how committed we are to a particular diet or healthy eating program, we always have to leave room for occasional guilty pleasures. Try to focus on the “pleasure” part a guilty pleasures. If you’re going to over indulge, at least enjoy every moment and savor every bite of your indulgence.
How Much Is Your Life Worth? Even with insurance you may be unable to afford cancer treatment.
There is never a good time to find out you have cancer, but now may prove to be the worst time. With the economy and health care crisis making day to day life more costly for many Americans, a cancer diagnosis can be financially devastating. At the exact time a cancer patient needs to find the strength to fight for their life, they now need to worry just as much about whether or not they can afford treatment. There’s just something fundamentally wrong with that.
The American Cancer Society has released the results of a recent survey that indicates nearly half of cancer patients under age 65 have had difficulty paying for health care costs such as health insurance premiums, co-pays and prescription drugs in the past two years, and that one-third of those currently in active cancer treatment have put off some type of health care in the past year.
Other findings:
One in three cancer patients under age 65 struggles to pay for basic necessities — such as food, heat and housing — and other bills in the past two years.
One in five has used up all or most of savings.
What I find even more despicable, is how insured patients are being denied the most cutting edge treatments because their insurance carriers think they are too expensive.
Last week, we heard that Gwyneth Paltrow was diagnosed with osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis).
Osteopenia is the term used for bone density that falls somewhere between less than normal and osteoporosis. People with osteopenia have a greater chance of developing osteporosis, a bone disease which leads to an increased risk of fractures.
Paltrow was told by her doctors that her vitamin D levels were extremely low. Because vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium into our bones, a vitamin D deficiency is the likely cause of her early diagnosis of osteopenia. Many people are wondering if Paltrow’s strict dieting habits (she is an 11-year follower of the macrobiotic diet) could be partially responsible for her current condition. She has now been put on prescription strength vitamin D to hopefully aid in her calcium absorption and prevent the onset of osteoporosis.
What is even more important than sunscreen and eating healthy in the summer?
Answer: Staying hydrated.
Our bodies are made up of about 65% water, and in the summer we are constantly being depleted of it. On a hot summer day, it doesn’t take long for dehydration to set in, and that can quickly become dangerous (even deadly).
Ironically, the summer is also a time when people are less likely to realize they are becoming dehydrated. We find ourselves frolicking on the beach or enjoying a day at the amusement park, and we totally forget about stopping to hydrate.
The best way to prevent yourself and family from suffering the harmful effects of dehydration is to plan ahead, especially if you will be away from your home.
Here’s what I do when I’m planning a day at the beach with my kids…
Is it possible to get a good workout in your swimming pool? Yes.
Swimming and exercising in a pool is not only beneficial for your body, but it’s fun too. And when it’s too hot for your regular exercise routine, swimming is just the thing to keep you cool while still burning calories. For years I’ve been frustrated because I could never find a workout that didn’t exacerbate one of my many chronic health problems. But doctors have always recommend swimming, and now I am finally going to give it a try.
Here are a few swimming and aqua fitness facts…
Simply treading water for an hour can burn the same amount of calories in a Snickers bar (272 calories).
Swimming laps (freestyle) or an hour of doing the breaststroke can burn as many calories as in a McDonald’s Big Mac with Cheese (680 calories).
You could even try water jogging and burn the equivalent of two Starbucks Grande Caffe Lattes (544 calories).
Unlike other exercise regimens, swimming is something just about all of us can do. It’s low impact, easy on your back, and great for rehabbing after joint surgeries. Even with asthma and chronic fatigue syndrome, all of my doctors recommend swimming for the cardiac health benefits.
You’ve probably seen flavored waters in your supermarket, and if you don’t like the taste of plain water these are a nice alternative. But even better, try making your own “infused” water. It’s easy, inexpensive, and looks beautiful.
Start by rinsing any fruits or herbs you plan on using thoroughly. Then cut the fruit into large slices or thin wedges. Any small berries or mint leaves can be left whole.
Place your chosen fruits into a pitcher of cold water. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
Here are a few ideas, but basically you can use any fruit you love in any combination.
Slices of lemon, limes, and oranges (alone or together).
Blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and sliced strawberries (alone or together).
Slices of apples, pears, and lemon.
Mint (alone or with other fruits).
Any type of melon (make into balls or slices).
In place of ice-cubes, try using frozen fruit.
My favorite is watermelon. I just put a cube of watermelon in a tall glass of ice water, and in less than an hour the water has taken on the flavor of the watermelon. It’s delicious.
Most of the time when we read about diet and weight-loss success stories, we hear how “easy” it was and how “anyone” can do it. But the reality is, for most of us, it’s far from easy. In fact sometimes it’s so not easy that we just give up. Believe me, I get it. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve worked hard at eating healthy or exercising with little to no results.
Of course, I’m still inspired when I hear success stories of women like Valerie Bertinelli and Marie Osmond. But what do we do when we are giving it all we got, and we are still not getting the results we’re looking for?
Should we throw in the towel? Consider ourselves a failure? Give up?
No, absolutely not.
Rather than looking at where we’ve gone wrong and just giving-up, it’s time to look at what we’ve done right. That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Instead of focusing on the fact that I haven’t lost any weight in the last six weeks (even though I’ve been eating healthy), I’m trying to focus on the positive…And you can do it too.
For me, it all started in May, when I decided to get serious about making healthy lifestyle changes. Not just because I want to lose weight, but also because I know it will make a difference in my overall health and wellness. I knew I wouldn’t be able to make all the changes I wanted to over night, but I did want to make the commitment to gradually eliminate the unhealthy foods from my diet, while incorporating more nutritious foods.
And now I find myself in the classic half-full or half-empty mark in my healthy eating plan. I can choose to see my plan as half-empty, because I haven’t even lost one pound yet. Or I can choose to see my plan as half-full, because I have had success in eating healthier foods and avoiding sugar. In other words, I can choose to feel good about myself, or choose to feel like a failure. It’s totally up to me. And I’ve decided to try something new, and “choose” to feel good about myself and take a closer look at all the ways I’ve been successful.
Are there summer foods and drinks that can help you stick to your diet and fitness plan? Yes.
The summer is a great time for eating healthy, you just need to remember two things.
One…Which foods are already healthy?
And two…What foods can you make healthier?
Here are some of my favorite healthy foods that might even help you lose some weight and stick to your diet this summer.
Let’s start with keeping cool and well hydrated.
Water.
It’s so important to always stay hydrated and drink enough water (especially in the summer). Here are five ways to make water more palatable and festive for hot summer days.
Peel cucumbers and slice them into a pitcher of cold water.
Add slices of lemon and lime to a glass of ice water.
Add strawberries, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, or cherries to a pitcher of ice water.
Add frozen fruit to a pitcher or glass of water instead of ice-cubes.
Add fresh mint to a glass of cold water.
When water just isn’t enough.
Fruit smoothies are delicious and you can easily make them with any of your favorite fruits. Here are some low-calorie smoothie recipes.
100% fruit juice with additional slices of fruit (instead of ice-cubes use frozen fruit).
Iced green tea with a slice of lemon or fresh mint leaves.
Here are some of my favorite healthy summer foods and how I like to prepare them.
Well, I’m here to admit that I was unsuccessful in my Choose You commitment. I don’t really consider it a failure though, because I did meet most of my goals. I’m very happy that I am finally at the point where I am not craving sweets and other junk foods.
I didn’t lose any weight, but I was successful in maintaining my healthier eating habits. I wasn’t even tempted when my daughter brought back a plate full of deserts when we went out last week.
I have no plans of giving up. My next Choose You commitment will be to continue my healthy eating while also integrating regular exercise (specifically swimming) into my plan. Although I hope to lose some weight in conjunction with all of this, I’m not going to hold myself to any number on a scale. If I lose five pounds that will be a great bonus, but I know the most important thing is that I am choosing a healthier lifestyle for myself.
I recently wrote a post about choosing to see the positive when we are working hard at weight-loss and fitness goals, but not seeing many results.
I find myself in the classic half-full or half-empty mark in my healthy eating plan. I can choose to see my plan as half empty, because I haven’t even lost one pound yet. Or I can choose to see my plan as half-full, because I have had success in eating healthier foods and avoiding sugar. In other words, I can choose to feel good about myself or choose to feel like a failure. It’s totally up to me. And I’ve decided to try something new, “choose” to feel good about myself and take a closer look at all the ways I’ve been successful.
Although I haven’t lost any weight yet, I have had the strength and willpower to maintain healthy eating habits (and give-up sugar) for over six weeks. In my book, that’s success.
Anyway, that’s my story. I’ll let you know more about my new diet and fitness commitment next week.
Did you know that getting enough sleep is as important to good health as nutrition and exercise? It’s true. And if you’re not getting enough sleep, you may be putting both your emotional and physical health at risk.
Could something you’re eating be causing you sleepless nights? Are there foods that can help you have a better night’s sleep? If you’re one of the millions of people who just can’t seem to get enough sleep, maybe it’s something you’re eating (or not eating).
When it comes to food, what you DON’T eat is much more important than what you do eat.
Here are Foods and Drinks to Avoid for Better Sleep…
Always avoid large or heavy meals too close to bedtime. Digestive disturbances can interfere with sleep.
If you are prone to heart-burn, avoid spicy foods for several hours before bed.
Avoid drinking too many beverages before bedtime. The added fluids can cause you to frequently wake up through the night to use the bathroom.
Everyone knows to avoid caffeine before bed because it’s a stimulant. But, did you know that you should avoid caffeine for at least six to eight hours before bed? It takes that long for the stimulant effects to be eliminated from the body.
You may think that alcohol will help you sleep because it initially makes you feel tired. However, alcohol prevents the body from entering deeper stages of sleep, and can cause you to not sleep through the night.
If certain foods should be avoided for better sleep, are there foods that can actually help you sleep? This is a little more complicated, but there were three foods that I came across over and over while searching this topic.
What role does stress play in your life? Sadly, these days, stress is not a rare event for most of us. Personally, I’m not sure I can even remember the last time I had a totally stress-free day. Can you?
Stress isn’t always a bad thing, but when stress becomes chronic it can suppress the immune system, cause high blood pressure, and even increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. For this reason, it’s extremely important to learn how to recognize the warning signs of unhealthy levels of stress. We need to recognize when stress is becoming a problem, before it has a chance to cause harmful physical and mental complications.
Would you know if your stress level was becoming unhealthy? Here are some of the symptoms you may experience if you’re suffering with chronic stress…
Muscle tension
Physical weakness
Poor memory
Sweaty hands
Fear
Confusion
Inability to relax
Constant worry
Shortness of breath
Palpitations
Upset stomach
Poor concentration
When these symptoms are accompanied by ongoing stress, it’s time to consult with a medical professional.
[I know there are many people that think it's a sign of weakness to admit that stress, anxiety, or depression is getting the better of them...But the truth is, it's a sign of strength. It takes a courageous person to recognize when it's time to reach out for help.]
Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe: Low Calorie, Low Fat, and Low Sugar.
Several weeks ago I made a commitment to go off sugar for the sake of better health and weight loss. Once you’re off sugar for a week or so it is much easier to continue to stay away from it. And you really do feel a lot better when sugar isn’t dragging you down. However, there are still times when you crave a sugary treat. For those times, it’s a good idea to have some go-to foods and recipes that can satisfy your cravings without jeopardizing your commitment.
So last week when I was out to dinner (a buffet no less), and was tempted by a particular “desert weakness” of mine…I decided to take matters into my own hands, and figure out a way to make a version of this desert that I wouldn’t feel guilty about eating.
My Low Sugar, Low Fat, Banana Cream Pie Recipe
The first thing you have to do is get your bananas ripe. And once they are ripe – peel, cut, and freeze them (I just cut them in half and put each half into a zip-lock freezer bag). This way, you can make your (single serving) banana cream pie whenever your heart desires.
Once your bananas are ready you will need…
One box of instant fat free, sugar free banana pudding (prepared with 2 cups of non-fat milk).
1 Tablespoon of gram cracker crumbs.
A dollop of whipped cream (if desired).
Then it’s as easy as one, two three…
1. Spread your tablespoon of gram cracker crumbs on the bottom of a small bowl.
2. Put one serving (1/2 cup) of prepared banana pudding over crumbs.
3. Slice one of your frozen banana halves into small “bite size” slices, and layer them on top of pudding.
Now you have a delicious treat to enjoy, that is low in calories, fat, and sugar. YUM.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Do you have a favorite desert that can be made into a low calorie, low sugar version? If so, I would love it if you would share it in comments.
Celebrating Women Surviving, Inspiring and Blogging with Cancer
In the United States their are over 11 million people surviving cancer, and chances are you even know one of them. In June we celebrate those cancer survivors. This post will highlight the many women who are surviving and blogging cancer. These are women with extraordinary strength, who inspire us all to live each day to our fullest. I hope you’ll take some time to check out their blogs and their stories of survival. And if you know a woman blogging through cancer, please take a minute to leave their link in comments.
Is it possible to make fitness fun? I think that depends on whether or not you want to have fun. Let’s face it, if you’re not enjoying your workout, you’re going to find excuses not to do it. But working out doesn’t have to be a drag, we all have the power to make our workouts fun. It’s a choice, if you want to make your workout more fun and exciting, take some time to think about ways you can do that.
Thankfully, we are all wonderfully different, and what’s fun for me, might not be fun to you. That’s why the smartest way to make fitness fun, is to make it your own. If you love the outdoors and wonder why you hate your time on the treadmill, maybe you should try taking a walk on the beach or in a park instead. Do you hate to workout because it’s the only time during the day you can catch-up on your favorite television shows? Well, instead of being a couch potato, get a piece of exercise equipment that you can put in front of the television. Watch your shows and burn calories at the same time.
What ever reason you have for not being able to enjoy your workout, take some time to think of ways to make it more fun for yourself. Here are some tips I have for making fitness fun…
Last week I wrote about my sleep troubles, and how I hope to overcome them by the end of the summer. In that post I gave many tips that I hope will help me (and anyone else suffering with sleep deprivation) to get more sleep. Some of those tips are going to be easy for me, and others are going to be more difficult, but I plan on conquering this. As someone who lives with chronic medical problems, I know how important sleep is for my overall wellness (and I want to be as well as I can be).
At this time, my sleep issues are just about trying to get a little more of it. It’s not to the point that I’m unable to function. But if it did get to that point, I wouldn’t be shy about reaching out for help from my doctor or a sleep specialist.
Most of us can catch-up on our sleep when we’ve had a couple nights of not enough sleep. But it becomes much more serious when it’s ongoing — night, after night, after night. The big problems develop when we don’t get that chance to catch-up on all the lost hours of sleep.
The question then becomes…How do we know if our sleep deprivation has gotten to the point that we should seek out professional help?
Here are a few warning signs of a sleep disorder that may require a doctor or sleep specialist …
This week the Choose You Blog is focusing on the topic of relieving stress and finding peace. My contribution to this cause comes from several different posts I’ve done over the past few years.
These are posts I’ve done on the many different ways we can reduce stress in our lives.
Did you know laughing is good for reducing stress?
Diet and exercise are important for good health, but did you know laughter is too? If you want to be as healthy as you can be, than laughter needs to be part of your healthy living regimen. Is it?
Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases infection fighting antibodies. It increases our attentiveness, heart rate, and pulse.
People who laugh heartily on a regular basis have lower standing blood pressure than the average person. When people have a good laugh, initially the blood pressure increases, but then it decreases to levels below normal. Breathing then becomes deeper which sends oxygen enriched blood and nutrients throughout the body.
Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack, according to the study at the University of Maryland Medical Center (cited above). The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
Are you one of the millions of Americans not getting enough sleep? When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep? Can you even remember?
I can remember when I stopped getting enough sleep. It was in my early twenties, when I started working night-shift as a nurse. I didn’t do it for too long (off and on for a few years), but once my body learned it could stay up all night, things would never be the same. That was well over twenty years ago. Today, I can be exhausted all day long (and I usually am), but once ten o’clock rolls around my body seems to get a second wind. And since getting to bed by 10pm is just about impossible, I find myself seeing 11pm, midnight, 1am, and if I’m lucky by 2am I’m able to fall asleep. Most nights I’m not so lucky and I manage to hit the hay around 3:30am.
We all know that it’s important to get enough sleep. But do you know why?
Too little sleep can cause:
Memory problems.
Anxiety, stress, and depression.
A weakening of the immune system.
An increase in the perception of pain.
Driving Impairment.
Weight gain or loss.
Enough is enough. I’m committed to turning my viscous cycle of sleep deprivation around by the end of the summer. Here are a few of the ways I plan on trying to do that…
How important is willpower when it comes to our ability to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle? Is it possible to change poor eating habits to healthy ones if you don’t have a lot of willpower?
My answer: The more willpower you have the easier it will be, but perfection isn’t necessary.
No one wants to admit that they lack willpower or self-control, but the truth is, none of us has an unlimited supply. Some days we may have less self control than others, but that makes us normal, not imperfect.
When it comes to healthy living, a healthy dose of willpower is helpful. The good thing is, once you’ve had the willpower to resist certain unhealthy choices and adapt healthy ones, willpower is needed less and less because your new choices become habit.
If you have unhealthy habits, it is possible to change them into healthy habits. They say it takes about three weeks for something to become a habit (or to unlearn a habit), so those first three weeks are when willpower is most needed. And there are things we can do to help maintain are willpower during these critical times. Here are a few tips…
Thanks for all of your wonderful and supportive comments on last week’s post. As promised, all of your comments were entered into a drawing for a Choose You stainless water bottle and lapel pin. Here is how it went down…
I had told my daughter (and official Choose You referee) that she could pick the winner. But when it was time to pick, my mother (and Choose You supporter) wanted to have a debate over who was more deserving of that honor. Ultimately, I let my daughter pick. Then, in order to appease my mother’s sense of competition, I had them both compete to see who could draw the better picture of the winner’s name. Only catch was, they didn’t want me to choose whose picture was better, they wanted all of you to decide (see poll at the end of this post).
And the winner is…
Congratulations Michele. You are the winner of the Choose You water bottle…I’ll be contacting you soon.
So now that we’ve taken care of business, let me tell you how I’ve been doing with my Choose You commitment.
It’s good and bad. The good…I haven’t eaten any of the foods I committed not to eat (that would be sugar and high fat snacks). The bad…I’ve been over compensating by eating more low-fat snacks (mostly pretzels). Since part of my commitment also involves losing at least five pounds, my current pretzel consumption isn’t going to be acceptable. But not to worry. I have a plan.
This is something that has worked for me in the past, so I’m going to do it again. Since I tend to be a “grazer” when it comes to eating snacks, I’m going to use small zip-lock bags to divide my snacks into smaller servings. I’ll go ahead and do it now so I can show you what I mean…and so I actually do it.
So now the bag of pretzels is filled with a bunch of smaller bags. I’m going to do the same thing with low-fat Cheez-Its. I know you can buy snacks already in smaller bags, but I always think it’s more expensive that way.
In addition to trying to be more conscientious about my snack consumption, I’m also going to start using the online calorie counter/food journal again (it really helps keep me more mindful of what I’m putting in my mouth).
And although I tend to be more of a do as I say, not as I do kind of girl…I’m going to try to take my own advice about willpower…
The more willpower you have the easier it will be, but perfection isn’t necessary.
May is Lupus Awareness Month, and even though it’s the end of the month, I wanted to do my part to bring more attention to this devastating disease and some of the brave women living and blogging with it.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects many more women than men. In fact, ninety percent of people who develop Lupus are women. The scary part about Lupus is that it can damage any organ in the body (including the heart, kidneys, lungs, blood, joints, and skin) causing life-threatening complications.
The most common symptoms of lupus are: extreme fatigue or exhaustion, headaches, painful or swollen joints, fever, a butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose, sun- or light-sensitivity, and hair loss.
Approximately two-thirds of people with lupus will develop some type of skin complication. This often is in the form of a rash or sores, most of which will appear on sun-exposed areas, such as face, ears, neck, arms, and legs.
There is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person does or does not have lupus. Diagnosing lupus involves analyzing the results of several lab tests that are used to monitor the immune system, along with a review of the person’s entire medical history.
Systemic lupus is the most common type of lupus. Systemic lupus can affect any organ system of the body, including the heart, kidneys, lungs, blood, joints, and skin.
In lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances, such as viruses or bacteria, and the body’s healthy tissue. The result is the production of auto-antibodies that attack healthy tissue.
Since many symptoms of lupus mimic those of other illnesses, lupus often can take three to five years to diagnose. Symptoms of lupus can come and go over time, which makes a definite diagnosis more difficult.
There are many courageous women living and blogging with Lupus, and May is the perfect time to check out their blogs and show them some love and support. If you know a woman blogging with Lupus please share their link in comments.
Did you know that 57.7 million Americans suffer with mental illness? That’s 1 in 4 of us. Chances are, if you’re not one of those four, you most likely know someone who is. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve had my bouts with depression and anxiety over the years. Thankfully, I always recognized when I needed to reach out for help, and when I did, I got it.
But because of the stigma associated with it, it’s not always easy for people to reach out for help. That’s why it is so important to shed light on this issue and help eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and on May 18th bloggers were encouraged to come together through a Blog Party and help bring awareness to the issue of mental health. The goal was to help educate the public, decrease stigma, and to discuss strategies for making lasting lifestyle changes to promote overall health and wellness.
Take a little time and visit some of the blogs that participated in the Mental Health Blog Party…
I’m happy to report that even with additional temptations this weekend [It was my mother's birthday and we got her an ice-cream cake, chocolate volcano cake, and cheese cake.] I was still successful in my goal to not eat sugar. It actually wasn’t hard at all to resist, I think because it’s been over two weeks, I’m just not craving the sugar the way I normally do. So that’s a plus!
Off topic: Do you want to see the Birthday Dance of my mother that I made with the American Cancer Society’s new dance application? Here’s the link – Frances Ellen Disco Dancing (Feel free to tease her about it in comments, she loves all the attention).
OK, back to my post.
Since I was so successful with my first (two week) commitment, I decided to make a longer and more difficult commitment next. For the next six weeks I will be continuing to avoid sugar, but I will also eliminate high fat/calorie snacks and junk food, and lose 5 pounds.
That’s a lot…But you think I can do it, right?
So that’s my new commitment. Now for the giveaway.
My name is Catherine Morgan...I'm a writer, nurse, and mother. I'm also a contributing editor for BlogHer Health & Wellness.
Welcome to my blog...I write a little bit of everything with an emphasis on healthy living, inspiration, nutrition, and health news. I hope you'll find topics that interest you here, and I would love to know what you think in comments. Thanks for stopping by.
