Club Blog

by: Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

Who wouldn’t seriously welcome relief from life’s daily stressors? We spend nearly $300 Billion every year on stress-related health issues.  If affects children, teens, and adults.  Yes, it even affects members of The Sporting Club.

Simply put, stress is based on predicting extremely negative events and then living as though these predictions are “for certain going to” happen.  As a result, stress creators suffer with often debilitating physical and emotional symptoms. Remember this:  all stress is created through your predictions and interpretations of events in unusually harsh ways, not by the reality of these events alone.

Hans Selye coined the term “stress” in 1936.  He defined it as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.”  Today we understand that predicting or interpreting events in a harsh, severe and irrationally negative way create stress.

Sure, there are some events that will lead most healthy people to react with tension and concern.  It’s the unusually harsh interpretation of these commonly “bad” events that lead us to react with increased intensity, often as if the events are “worse than bad”—awful, terrible and horrible.  Can something be worse than 100% bad?

Here are three examples from the literature on irrational thinking patterns that can create stress:

Magnification or Minimization

Trap: You exaggerate or downplay the significance of an event rather than seeing it realistically.

Example: I absolutely have to get this project finished today or my career is over. Even though it went well this time it’s not good enough.

Escape: Put it in perspective. Ask yourself how you’ll look back on this in 1 or 5 years from now.

Fortune Telling

Trap: You expect that a certain future event will be negative and you act as if it’s already true even though there is no evidence to support it.

Example: Before starting a new activity you think that it will be too hard so you don’t even try it.

Escape: Tell yourself that your negative expectation is just one possibility and then think of other possible outcomes. Remind yourself of a time in your life when things turned out better than you expected. Keep a record of your forecasts and see how accurate you are.

Catastrophizing

Trap: You think the very worst of a situation even when there are other possibilities. You overreact.

Example: “My heart is beating fast! I’m having a heart attack!”

Escape: Look at the real probabilities. Focus on evidence that the worst did not happen, that things might not be as bad as they seem.  Sometimes a headache is all in your head.

While I often help people deal with their created stress using psychological tools—(including police officers, firefighters, and military veterans, CEOs facing financial challenges, news teams covering gruesome stories, students dealing with bullying and finals, as well as couples in distressed relationships, baby boomers facing health and financial concerns, victims of serious crimes and athletes facing high level competition)—it is clear to me that physical exercise is just as essential an ingredient as are psychological tools in fully reducing, and often completely preventing, stress.

Yet, there is an irony.  How can one form of stress, the stress of physical exercise, relieve another form of stress, which is mental?  It’s really very straightforward:  exercise is relaxing, and healthy for you.

Exercise reduces stress both directly as well as indirectly by preventing illnesses.  Consistent moderate to vigorous exercise can lower your blood pressure, cut the risk of stroke-heart disease-diabetes-obesity- memory loss-depression-anxiety, improve your sleep, lower your cholesterol, create more endorphins (the feel good neurotransmitters), reduce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, and melt daily tensions.  Consistent exercise, healthy nutrition and rational thinking can add years to your life and life to your years.

So what physical exercises help reduce or prevent stress?  After healthy stretching and proper warm-up, aerobic exercises, resistance training and plyometrics all help relieve physical and mental stress.

Intervals on the treadmill, burpees, power pushes, mirror sparring, lunges to bicep curls, bench jumping, planks, squats, push ups, walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, working on the GRAVITY machines, Yoga, Pilates, Zumba or other vigorous dance, are just some of the exercises that will melt your tensions.

You can walk away from your problems, meaning a 30 minute walk, about 100 steps a minute or so, several times a week, will also help you physically and mentally. Think of it as meditation in motion.

Consistent aerobic exercise, with strength training, brings healthy changes to your body.  Your heart and your spirits will thank you.  While at once exhilarating and calming, not only anxiety and stress can melt, but depression also has been shown to fade.

Adrenaline and cortisol are reduced with aerobic exercise and strength training, while endorphins increase.  The former two are the body’s “stress chemicals while endorphins are the body’s natural mood elevators and painkillers.  Don’t forget that with increased stamina, strength and even some weight loss, your self-esteem will likely increase too leading to more positive behaviors in your personal and work life.

If you are already a member of The Sporting Club, then you understand the role that exercise plays in preventing or reducing stress.  You already think of the club as your personal health center.  If you are thinking of becoming a member, or already belong but aren’t taking full advantage of the vast health oriented offerings, consider this plan:

1. Establish a 5-30 plan. Five times a week, for 30 minutes, assuming you are healthy enough to do so, jog, walk, bike, go on the elliptical, for 30 minutes (interval training is best).
2. Start with small daily goals—it’s about progress not perfection. Frequency is more important than anything else.
3. Follow your personal style: solo or group classes, as along as its fun for you—yes, having fun is an important part of this plan.
4. Got an iPod or other music player? Use it.  It’ll help distract you and give you a beat to follow.
5. Bring a friend with you—not a virtual one—a real one. Exercise buddies abound in The Sporting Club because people find exercising with others motivating.
6. Give yourself one to two months of consistent exercise to feel comfortable with the exercise routine, meeting new friends at the club, and seeing/feeling the stress reduction benefits.

by: Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

Yeah, yeah, an apple a day keeps the doctor away and all that jazz.  Is that why apples are available in the executive locker rooms and in the club’s upstairs cafe? Do they really keep the doctor away?

The old saying comes from an old English adage, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”  Henry David Thoreau called apples, “the noblest of fruits.”  They were so important to Martin Luther that he proclaimed, “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”  And The Sporting Club understands this and insures the executive locker rooms are always stocked with apples.

But yes, they really do keep the doctor away.  It’s the fiber pectin that lowers levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and helps our digestive systems.  It’s the boron that supports our strong bones and healthy brains The quercetin has some promise of reducing the risk of various cancers and may neutralize free radical damage which may help in Alzheimer’s.  It’s the vitamin C and phytonutrients that helps with heart disease, diabetes and asthma.  It’s a veritable cardio protective, anti-inflammatory, metabolism improving “miracle fruit” according to the latest research at The Florida State University.

Oh, and on top of that, apples have been shown to lead to weight loss.  I just said the magic words.  That’s right, weight loss. An apple a day not only keeps the docs away but also helps keep your weight at bay.  Eat an apple before each meal and you will lose weight.  It’s not magic—it’s common sense.

A normal size apple has 80 calories, not too bad considering the fiber pectin leaves you feeling much fuller than those calories would otherwise suggest.  But you are also getting about 20 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of fat, protein, and sodium.  The glycemic index on apples is relatively low so it won’t shoot your blood sugar levels through the roof.  Eat an apple and drink a glass of water and you are going to feel like you just chowed down an entire meal. By the way, apples are best eaten with the peel, since most of the fiber and antioxidants are in the peel.

I find Fuji’s, Braeburns , Granny Smith’s and Gala’s in the men’s executive locker room. Not too sure what’s in the women’s executive locker room.  Fuji’s to me are the Maserati’s of apples.  When you consider the average person eats about 20 pounds of apples a year, or about one per week, that’s like exercising once a month or so.  Not much good is going to result.  Why limit yourself to only one per week?

When you consider the health benefits, only one per week?  They are just sitting there in the  executive locker room waiting for you to get healthier!

Here are ten reasons to heed the advice of that old “apple a day” proverb:
1. Bone protection
2. Asthma help
3. Alzheimer’s protection
4. Lower “bad cholesterol
5. Lung cancer protection
6. Breast cancer protection
7. Colon cancer protection
8. Liver cancer protection
9. Diabetes management
10. Weight loss

It takes an apple tree four to five years to grow its first fruit.  That’s a long time for a tree to produce something so healthy.  And when you think that two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie, it takes 36 apples to make one gallon of apple cider, and 42 pounds of apples yields 20-24 quarts of applesauce, isn’t it amazing that one simple apple a day can offer so much in health benefits?

So whether you are a “compulsive-wedger” who must have perfect core-free wedges neatly arranged on a plate, a “top-to-bottom” eater who methodically munches from the stem to the bottom, an “equator eater” who chomps from the center all the way around, a “stem-plucker” who must pull the stem out before taking a first bite, it doesn’t matter.  Just be sure to eat at least an apple a day.  Not only will you feel better, look better, and be healthier but you’ll make the folks who purchase and stock the apples in our club very happy.

(ARA) – One in two Americans is living with a chronic disease. Chronic diseases are persistent and recurring, and are typically either hereditary or the result of factors such as poor diet, obesity or lack of exercise.

Dr. Ian Smith, creator and founder of “The 50 Million Pound Challenge” and “The Makeover Mile” is a health and nutrition expert who is constantly encouraging Americans to be proactive when it comes to their health. “Unfortunately, many Americans postpone or even skip key health screenings due to fear, lack of awareness, or cost concerns,” says Smith. “However, it’s important to know your risk so you can make the appropriate lifestyle modifications to change – or reverse – the course of chronic disease.”

Smith recommends five simple screenings as a first step in determining whether or not you are at risk for a variety of treatable – and preventable – chronic diseases. These screenings will be available for free as part of “The Makeover Mile” which he is presenting with CVS/pharmacy in conjunction with their “To Your Health” program in seven major cities across the country.

Diabetes
A simple finger prick is all that is needed to check your blood glucose levels to see if you are at risk for diabetes. If your blood glucose test shows that you are at risk for diabetes, your doctor will work with you to make certain lifestyle changes, particularly involving diet and exercise.

Blood pressure
Blood pressure is measured by a quick, painless test using a rubber cuff that is wrapped around the upper arm and inflated. If your blood pressure is consistently high, your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes, such as exercise, a healthy diet, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol and/or recommend a maintenance medication.

Cholesterol
Even though high cholesterol may lead to serious heart disease, most of the time there are no symptoms, which is why it is important to have your cholesterol levels checked. A rapid cholesterol test involves just a simple blood sample from the finger. As with diabetes and blood pressure, lifestyle changes such as exercise and weight loss, maintaining a healthy diet, and quitting smoking are recommended if your cholesterol levels are not within a healthy range. If the added measure of a maintenance medication is needed to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level, it is important to make sure that the medication is taken regularly, as prescribed.

Other important screenings – osteoporosis and vision
Two other important screenings that shouldn’t be overlooked are osteoporosis and vision. A simple bone mineral density test, done via low-dose X-rays, determines whether or not you are at risk for osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become fragile and more likely to break. Additionally, a vision screening can help identify whether or not you are at risk for eye disease.

In an effort to help Americans take the next steps in the road to a healthy life, the CVS/pharmacy “To Your Health” program features free screenings for chronic diseases at more than 800 events across the country. The events offer each participant more than $150 in free screenings for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, bone mineral density (osteoporosis) and vision. For more information and to find an event in your area, visit www.cvs.com/toyourhealth.  For more information about “The Makeover Mile” visit www.makeovermile.com.

(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.

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.