Club Blog

(ARA) – Whether you are still working on that New Year’s resolution, or just trying to shape up for swimsuit season, you probably know that making healthier lifestyle choices is sometimes easier said than done. Sometimes when you aim to make significant lifestyle changes, you set lofty goals without necessarily thinking about what it will take to achieve them.

But not to worry, a little conscious effort and careful planning can focus your efforts to banish bad habits and achieve your goals. By coming up with some real solutions that you can stick to, you’ll be well on your way to achieving the wellness goals you set for yourself. Whether it’s restoring balance by unplugging for a little “me” time, spending more quality time with family, eating healthier, getting organized or losing those last 10 pounds, here are a few quick tips to keep on track.

Restore balance and simplify

* Set aside time for R&R, no matter what – Relax a little this weekend by reading a book or taking a bubble bath.
* Front load chores – Run errands in the morning and spend the rest of the day doing something restful or fun.
* Leave work at work – Be more productive at work by enjoying time away from the office.
* Switch it up – Do something new every day. Try a new recipe or a new route to work and keep life interesting.

Eating right

* Stick to one serving – Eat the foods you love. Just eat one serving and stick to it. If you find your portion size creeping up, try buying snacks already packaged into single servings, like Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips 100-calorie packs.
* D-fense – Vitamin D may ward off colds, so be sure to eat plenty of vitamin-rich foods like fish, milk, soy products and high-fiber cereals, especially in the winter.
* Go nutty – A handful of nuts in the afternoon can help restore your natural energy and keep you alert and productive until dinner time. For mid-afternoon cravings, try Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds with a satisfying chocolate taste and zero added calories.
* Potato power – When eating a potato, don’t forget the skin. It’s a great source of fiber, vitamins and even protein. And when it comes to snacks, try Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips – the only baked potato chips made from whole slices of potato, sliced with the skin still on. They taste great and offer 65 percent less fat than regular chips.

Make time to exercise

* Set a meeting with the gym – Treat exercise like any other appointment. Nobody wants to cancel on their boss.
* Walk this way – Resist the urge to hop into your car for short trips whenever it’s possible. With every step, the body gets a little more energy and exercise.
* Get cracking up – A minute-long laugh may have the same mood-boosting benefits as 10 minutes of exercise.
* Get the kids moving – Don’t have time to exercise? Take the kids for a walk and the whole family will reap the benefits.

This year, let go of unrealistic resolutions and find real solutions for meeting healthy living goals in small, easy changes for lasting results. Making the daily routine just a bit more balanced, nutritious and active will lead to real progress toward a healthier lifestyle in the long run. Try getting the family, office or friends involved. It’ll make staying on track that much easier and much more fun.

To learn more about these daily tips, as well as to enter the Real Solutions Sweepstakes for a chance to win a grand prize getaway to help visualize attaining your goals, visit www.realsolutions2011.com.

By: Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

It’s been said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but did you know that the way to your stomach is through your mind? 

The Sporting Club has just embarked on a 12 week “Weight Loss Challenge” complete with 3 workouts each week, weigh-ins, weekly food reviews, nutritional handouts, recipes, prizes and personal reach outs to insure accountability.  Leading the way among similar weight loss programs, there is also going to be a focus on mindset, called a “cognitive component.” 

Judy Beck, in her book, “The Beck Diet Solution,” describes this component in detail, and I recommend her book and workbook to those of you who want to go into this in more detail.

What role does the mind play in creating healthy weight and thus overall wellness? Let’s take a look at how the way you think helps you deal with the 5 key food triggers, including:

• Social (buffet chat)
• Environment (food ads)
• Biological (hunger cravings)
• Emotional (anxiety, depression, boredom and happiness)
• Mental (thinking about food)

First, those who are overweight or obese often think differently than others about food and themselves.  Here are some thoughts to watch for:

•  Do you confuse hunger with a desire to eat?
•  Do you have a low tolerance for hunger and cravings?
•  Do you like/demand the feeling of “being full”?
•  Do you fool yourself about how much you actually eat?
•  Do you comfort yourself/your feelings with food?
•  Do you feel helpless & hopeless when you gain weight?
•  Do you focus on issues of “unfairness”?
•  Do you give up regulating your diet and exercise once you begin to lose weight?

To begin with, properly entering the weight/wellness challenge requires that you understand the advantages of doing so:

• I’ll be healthier
• I’ll look better
• I’ll like myself more
• I’ll feel more in control
• My doctor won’t bug me
• I’ll be more comfortable around other people
• The disadvantages?
• None

Those who will be successful in meeting the weight loss challenge will know how to rationally (accurately) respond to their irrational (inaccurate) thoughts about food, dieting and exercise.  Here are some examples:

• Yes I know I ate a little while ago, but I’M STARVING…but I’m only having a craving, and that doesn’t mean I HAVE to eat
• I can’t stand feeling hungry, it’s awful…but in truth, it’s only uncomfortable and I can tolerate it and I know it’ll go away
• Oh, it’s only one extra cookie, so what’s the big deal? The big deal is if I have that cookie, I only strengthen the habit of giving in.

Weight loss and wellness requires people to combat the thoughts of “having to”:

• Feel deprived…But I’d rather tolerate deprivation and get healthier
• Tolerate hunger…But I can tolerate a bit of hunger in order to lose weight, get fit and be healthier
• Eat differently than others… But what’s the big deal? It’s worth it to get fitter, healthier and lose weight
• Write down a daily eating plan and not be able to be spontaneous…But I can either NOT write down my plans and be spontaneous, or become healthier…not both

Healthy self-talk sounds like this:

• “DO IT ANYWAY”
• “GIVE MYSELF CREDIT”
• “SAY ‘NO’ TO EXTRA UNPLANNED FOOD”
• “PUT MY HEALTH FIRST”
• “TOLERATE IT”
• “EXERCISE NO MATTER WHAT”
•  “I CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS”
• “I’LL CARE LATER”
• “I’D RATHER BE FITTER”
• “CELEBRATE”
• “OH WELL”
• “DON’T COMFORT MYSELF WITH FOOD”
• “I CAN EITHER EAT EVERYTHING AT THE BUFFET OR GET FIT, BUT NOT BOTH”

Ready to make some important commitments?  Here are some that those successful in losing weight and creating wellness make, and stick to:

• I’ll make the following changes at home and work___________
• To make time and energy for staying on track, I’m going to_____________
• The spontaneous & planned exercise I’m going to do___________
• My first weight loss goal is_________
• To learn to figure out when I’m really hungry, I’m going to_________
• When I have a craving, I’m going to__________
• In order to eliminate spontaneous eating, I’m going to________________

It isn’t easy to properly engage your mind to lose weight and become fit. It may mean some or all of the following:

• Consistently make time for exercise and all planned eating
• Plan your eating in writing
• Eat slowly and mindfully
• Monitory everything you eat in writing
• Tolerate hunger
• Avoid or deal with triggers
• Resist cravings
• Recognize normal “fullness”
• Avoid unplanned eating
• Identify and counteract your sabotaging thoughts
• Respond to a sense of unfairness
• Give yourself credit
• Squarely face your mistakes
• Plan to avoid these mistakes in the future
• Get back on track immediately
• Assertively say “no” to food pushers
• Seek out personal support and ask for help whenever and wherever you need it
• Plan for special events and traveling
• Cope with negative and positive emotions without turning to food
• Cope with discouragement

If you do engage your mind, along with diet and exercise, you will no doubt be successful in meeting the weight loss challenge over the next 12 weeks. 

Sandra Blackie and I are going to be focusing on the mind and nutrition in a two-session program coming up in February to assure this success. Be sure to watch for the dates and times and drop in for some key tools for your health.

Remember, “nothing but nothing tastes as good…as being fit feels.”

(ARA) – Eating right is often easier said than done. You like what you like, so breaking old eating habits is never easy. That’s why sometimes it can be easier to slightly modify your diet instead of giving it a complete overhaul.

The good news is subbing in healthier substitutes doesn’t have to make your food taste less flavorful. Here are five healthy substitutions to try on your journey to better health:

1. Make things whole. Consider what type of bread, pasta, flour and rice you are regularly eating. Switching to the whole grain versions of these foods not only helps you cut down on calories, but also add nutrition to your diet. Whole grain foods are also packed with fiber, which helps you feel full and aids digestion.

2. Consider beverages. Did you know the average can of soda contains about 150 calories and no nutrients? On the other hand, try opting for tasteful beverages that have a neutral, or even a positive effect on your health. For example, natural teas can provide added health benefits – oolong tea can help lower your cholesterol and green tea can help boost your metabolism. Like soda, tea can also be quick, easy and refreshing – cold-brewed tea from brands such as Teawan come in packages that can be brewed in minutes.

3. Watch where you start in the kitchen. Cooking more at home is a sure-fire way to reduce the calories you take in, but your cooking methods can be another place to make gains in eating healthier. Instead of using butter, vegetable shortening or lard, consider using olive oil, peanut oil or canola oil, which contain less saturated fat.

4. Creamy substitutes. When a recipe calls for heavy cream, try substituting half and half or milk. Or use yogurt instead of sour cream. These simple substitutions can provide great taste for a fraction of the calories and fat.

5. Modify your meat intake. You don’t have to suddenly become a vegetarian, but try a stir fry using only veggies or substitute ground turkey for ground beef in your favorite recipes. By making a similar substitution once a week or more, you’ll consume less calories and fat – and possibly discover some tasty variations on your go-to dishes.

You may find that some substitutes actually make your diet more interesting and give you more options for healthy eating. As you work toward eating healthier, you ultimately have to find options you enjoy to achieve sustainable and nutritious diet.

By: Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

Here’s the choice we all have.  We can either be a part of the 80% of Americans who don’t eat properly, sleep enough, make time for healthy relaxation, don’t spend quality and quantity time with friends and loved ones, and simply live in a delusion of being healthy.

This group is likely ill, overweight, emotionally stretched, take an overwhelming amount of daily medication, watch their blood pressure and cholesterol levels soar and their energy plummet.

 Or, we can take the more difficult path, optimizing and reclaiming our own health, fitness and wellbeing, adding years of good living to our lives.   It’s up to us to either choose a passive path to illness, only changing when it’s nearly too late, or take the right steps to actively defend our health and keep ourselves on a pathway to wellness.  We just can’t do both. 

 
 The data is alarming: 

• More than 70% of Americans are overweight or obese
• Less than 30% of Americans get any regular exercise
•  50% of adults in our country suffer from at least one chronic illness
•  Psychological research points to the astonishing fact that 80% of Americans are  “just getting by” when it comes to wellbeing and life satisfaction.  Only 20% are  “thriving.”
•  More than 50% of Americans take at least one prescription medicine at any given  time.
•  Being healthy, fit and having a positive sense of wellbeing places us in the  minority. 

One of my regular reads, “Experience Life” magazine, has been promoting a truly remarkable revolution in do it yourself health, ”Being Healthy is a Revolutionary Act.”  You can find the “Manifesto for Thriving in a Mixed Up World” and “101 revolutionary ways to be healthy” at www.RevolutionaryAct.com

 Here are their 10 revolutionary “truths”:
1. The way we are living is crazy
2. There are powerful social, economic and political forces undermining our health
3. The time for complicity is over
4. The resistance is alive and well
5. Being healthy is a revolutionary act
6. This is not about six-pack abs and skinny jeans
7. Inaction is not an option
8. The best defense is a good offense
9. Forget about quick fixes
10. Solutions in the mirror may be closer than they appear

 Makes you want to read more and join the revolution, right?  Only if you want to repossess your health, (which, by the way, is number five among their 101 ways to be healthy.)  Interested in some of their other ways?

 Try these:  “Practice medicine without a license,” “Aim for 85%,” “Redefine your goals,” “Embrace play,” “Find your fitness edge,” “Say ‘no’ to sodas,” “Identify real hunger and beware of artificial hungers,” “Beware the USDA food pyramid,” “Rest up,” “Invest in your health,” “Go easy on the sugar and flour,” “Focus on action, not outcomes,” and ”Make being healthier easier.” Each one of these, and all 101 of them, has interesting information on their website, too much to include here.

 Become a revolutionary and go to the website to download the free 16 page handbook that includes this information and much more.  It just might help you make the right choice to reclaim your health, become “healthy, hopeful with high vitality” who gives up fast food, learns to cook, gets more active, chooses health care providers who support health not just cure illness, and teaches children the value of the bodies they were born into. Our society makes being unhealthy far too easy to not join this revolution.