Your own insurance policy for yourself

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." ~ Winston Churchill

I believe in creating our own destiny, naturally I include health as a part of this. If you suffer a heart attack after years of watching TV all night and eating bacon and donughts for breakfast you have created your own destiny.

Living a healthy lifestyle is not "guaranteed to make you lose 20 lbs" or "guaranteed to make you feel 10 years younger" Living a healthy lifestyle is a way to control your own destiny. The choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life. Living a healthy lifestyle will not guarantee that you do not get cancer and it is not guaranteed to ensure recovery from illness. But it is a way to insure that the likelihood of illness diminishes and that the chances of recovery improve. I think of a healthy lifestyle as an insurance policy for myself, although I know there is no guarantees, I am doing everything in my own power to prevent disease and aid recovery.

With all the talk in the media about uninsured individuals I believe it is time to change our train of thought. People have the ability to make healthy choices and use those choices as insurance for their future health. Why not change our focus from that of curing illness to that of preventing illness entirely?

Review of In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto

I have finished reading the book In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to improve their dietary health.

This book is not a book about diets or dieting, the only recommendations are to eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Pretty simple if you ask me. The book gives history of how food has been reduced to it's individual nutrients (fats, carbs, vitamins) by the scientific community and by food manufactures themselves. This was done mostly for monetary gain and as a result processed foods are able to make health claims on foods that are really only "edible food-like substances." The book makes recommendations to help consumers make wise food choices and the recommendations are, in my opinion, realistic and attainable, 2 qualities that lack in most diet books.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in improving their health through food and I would recommend this book to foodies like myself who just like reading about food.

What is your BMI?

Using a BMI (Body Mass Index) chart is a great too to help you get an idea of where you stand health wise. The body mass index is defined as a measure of someones weight in relation to height. Tools for calculating BMI can be found doing a simple google search under BMI. The reason this tool is so important is because it gives you a clear picture of where you stand health wise.



A BMI below 18.5 is underweight



A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered normal weight



A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight



A BMI above 30 is considered obese.



I believe knowing where you stand on the BMI chart is an important factor in determining your overall health status. People in the obese category have a much higher risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, arthritis, and breathing difficulties.



Certainly none of these diseases will help you live an active lifestyle in old age and they are often the cause of many people being forced to live in a nursing home.



I don't want anyone to be forced to live in a nursing home and I don't think anyone wants that for themself so calculate your BMI and see where you stand. From there you can either pat yourself on the back or commit to living a healthier lifestyle by exercising more and making small changes to your diet.

Geocaching for fun and fitness

I always find myself on a quest for my next great adventure, I find that as soon as one adventure is complete I must go and search for my next adventure. I have wondered if other people are like this and I know for certain kids are like this so I thought this may be a helpful post for parents who are looking for ways to be fit and have fun with their kids at the same time. Geocaching fits this description perfectly, it can be used as a way to have fun and exercise while searching for geocaches. I discovered geochaching while looking for an adventure. Little did I know that on this particular adventure I would find some treasure as well.

Geocaching (as taken from geocaching.com) is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

This sport appealed to my sense of adventure on so many levels; first, I could get my fiancée involved because he likes to “geek out” and geocaching involves the use of computers and GPS. He was all over that which was a huge help to me because I am technologically remedial.

Second, this sport requires being outdoors, being outside really appeals to my sense of adventure, I feel more free and more fit when I am active in the outdoors.

Third, kids love this too, it is a fantastic way to engage your whole family in exercise and activity. Children that love technology and computer games will be hooked by the use of GPS and having their own real life game to play. Smaller children will love finding the hidden treasures.

Fourth, finding treasure, that is just cool, I mean that makes me like a modern day pirate right?

The geochaching community is large and is constantly growing, chances are there are multiple caches hidden all aver your neighborhood at any time. You can even get started by hiding your own cache filled with your own treasures.

Geocachers are very respectful of the environment and practice a chache in trash out philosophy. Geocaching.com has also partnered with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to protect America’s irreplaceable rail corridors by transforming them into multiuse trails.

Try geocaching today with your family visit Geocaching.com to learn how to start, if you do not have access to a GPS unit or are unable to obtain one visit letterboxing.org to find letterboxes hidden without the use of GPS. Geocaching is a fun sport in which you and your family can compete with other geocachers or you can do it for fun at a relaxed pace. You and your family will have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, bond with each other, and share a sense of comraderie with the Geocaching community at large. So I recomend Geocaching as a way for fit mommies to stay fit, have fun, and set out on their own adventure.

Sugar, so sweet but so much of it is a bad thing

I wanted to let everyone know I have a addiction to sugar that I am continually trying to overcome. My sweet tooth is dangerous, recent studdies have found a link to increased sugar consumption and cancer growth. I personally have found the more sugar I eat the less energy I have.

I searched google and found that the recommended daily intake of sugar is only 40 Grams. I say only because I walked through the grocery store and was shocked to find that most of my favorite foods had 10 grams or more per serving. I routienly eat about 2 serving sizes of everything so I took a guess that I was taking in about 300 grams of sugar per day! Many foods I thought were healthy in fact were not (read the nutrition labels and ingredients). My favorite strawberry yogurt had 27 grams of sugar alone! That was almost 75% of the recommended daily intake by itself.

I have been trying to adjust my intake of sugar to more reasonable proportions, which is difficult because sugar is my drug of choice. I experience withdraw if I go a couple of days without eating something sweet. I also have a huge addition to having something sweet after dinner, it doesn't matter how much I had or how full I am, I need dessert.

I am finding a solution to this problem by eating lots of fruit and reading the nutrition labels on foods from the grocery store. Fruit does have sugar in it but is good sugar and therefore I can pig out. I also want to note that nutrition labels group all sugars together so a serving of grapes may read 40 grams of sugar but again its the good of sugar so it does not count. I have begun to read the ingredients to learn wether or not a product with added sugar is healthy. For example, a nutrition label for a grape will read sugar 40 grams but the ingredient list will read: Grape. The strawberry yougurt label reads 27 Grams of sugar and granulated sugar is listed as a ingredient. Thats the key, added sugar is bad.

So I will continue to read my labels, avoid added sugar, and fight the sugar monster within. I do still allow myself my 40Grams of added sugar because to cut out sugar entirely is ludacris. (So many cheese cake flavors, so little time). I also minimize my serving sizes and eat sweets slow so I can enjoy a sweet flavor and satisfy my cravings at the same time. My personal recoendation to everyone is to avoid added sugars as part of the diet portion of a healthy lifestyle. If you are like me it will be a challenge but you will experience a increase energy and you will reap loads of benefits long term.

motivation

"Those who do not find the time for exercise will have to find the time for illness" -Earl of Derby

You ar never to old to compete

I recently came across information on the 2009 Summer National Senior Games I mention this because I am planning to compete in these games in another 22 years. I am planning this very long term goal as a way to keep myself motivated to exercise every day and to make good food choices. I want to be strong enough at 50, 60, and 70+ years to compete in these games, I know I will not be able to do that unless I keep active now.
My vision of the future includes my children getting mad at me because I am what they will consider "too old and wrinkly to be running around in running shorts." Ha! I know already that I will show them.
I wish this for everyone, I would like for everyone to think about their vision for the future and the decisions that will need to be made as they age. I hope that no one ever has to make the decision to live in a nusing home or even worse have that decision made for them. So focus on your future and mabye you and I will be competing in the 2030 senior games.
If you are 50 years of age or older you can compete in the 2009 Summer National Senior Games now. This is a fantastic opportunity to start living a healthy lifestyle so you can train to compete in these games. There are 18 medal sports and 7 demonstration sports so go ahead and Go for the GOLD!

Zumba

“What a fun workout, too bad it’s over,” that was my exact thought as I left my new favorite group exercise class, Zumba. It incorporates all types of Latin dance in a high energy 50 minute class.

If you have a class like this in your area TAKE IT! This Zumba class ranged in age from 20’s to 70’s and from coordinated (70 year old grandmas) to uncoordinated (myself). No matter their age or coordination everyone in this class had fun! We all were sweating after shimming, spinning, and stepping for the duration of the class and I had so much energy afterward that I decided to continue my workout and run on the treadmill for 30 minutes.

I cannot emphasize this enough if you are able take a Latin dance class do it! You will walk out on a energy filled Latin inspired high or your money back (-kidding).

Has anyone ever taken a Zumba class anywhere else? How was it?

The yoga supergran at age 83

I find this woman to be inspiring. I want to have the strength to do the peacock pose at age 83. (An article on her here). Unfortunately I have a long way to go, I do not have the strength to do this pose now.

I try to visualize myself being active at 80 years old and I know that I will not be active at 80 unless I am active now. I use the visualization of myself at 80 as motivation to get myself moving every day!

Does anyone have a visualization exercise that they do in order to become motivated?

I have read that visualization is a very powerful tool used by top athletes to improve their performance. It can also be used in business and as a way to control pain. If you would like to learn how to create your own visualizations visit:
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Use-Visualization-to-Attain-Your-Goals&id=260058

Please note:
I want to thank fitness for mommies blog for the inspiration for this post.

Why should I change?

Imagine yourself 10, 20, 30, 40 or more years from now. What are you doing? What are your hobbies? Are you retired? What do you do for fun?

Now picture yourself confined to a wheelchair?

Can you still do all of the things you pictured yourself doing?

Now picture yourself in the room of a nursing home.

Not a pretty picture is it?

The last years of your life can be as fun and active as you want them to be, you do not have to be confined to a wheelchair or trapped in a lonely nursing home. The choice to live a life that will enable you to stay active in your later years is yours. The hard part is that you must make healthy lifestyle choices now if you want to continue to be free to make your own choices later on.

I have worked in nursing homes, you do not get the freedom of choice there. There are no trips to the mall, no computers, no restaurants, and no time spent outdoors.

Everyone can change and everyone can improve their health little by little, day by day, I do not want to see anyone have to live in a nursing home and that is why I am here. Make a comment if you have questions and visit here for encouragement when you need it. I am continuing on my own journey toward a healthier lifestyle and would like to hear comments as you follow along.

Hula Hoop for Health

A friend at work gave me this idea- Hula hoop while at home watching TV, It is great for the abdominals, gets the heart rate up, and best of all it is fun! (Try it with your kids!)

If it has been a while and you forgot how to hula here is a link with directions:

http://www.hooping.org/archives/000061.html

Happy Hulaing!

Breastfeeding Reduces Post Partum Weight Retention

As a nurse, I am huge proponent for breastfeeding and I came across this article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (December, 2008).

Breast feeding reduces postpartum weight retention in all categories of pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Weight retention was eliminated by 6 months postpartum.

Horray! A simple and effective way to loose weight after pregnancy, not to mention the other benefits of breast feeding including; increased immunity for baby, decrease cost for parents, decreased environmental impact, and bonding between mother and baby.

For more information see the website http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/

Why the triangle?

Change

I want to come back to the triangle I used in the prior post. The points on the triangle represent the 3 components of a healthy lifestyle. The triangle is also the medical professions symbol for the word change.

Why do I mention this?

Because in order to live a healthy lifestyle there is often a part of ourselves or our routine that we must change. This is important because the change cannot happen all at once if we want to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into our daily routine. In nature change happens slowly, the seasons change from one to the next over the course of months, trees grow over a period of years, and animals evolve slowly over millions of years.
I do not want anyone to decide overnight that they are going to workout 7 days a week and loose 25 lbs in a month and eat only vegetables. That is ridiculous and guaranteed to fail.
If you want to live a healthy lifestyle you must slowly make it a part of your routine.

Remember slow and steady wins the race.

If you have a desire to live a healthy lifestyle set realistic goals, " I will eat a apple with my sandwich for lunch today, I will do 10 minutes of yoga before work every day , I will eat one less cookie today". These small changes will add up to a healthier lifestyle but it takes time.

Set realistic goals + Keep it positive + Keep it simple = Change

More to come stay tuned...

The 3 components of a healthy lifestyle

Exercise

Diet

Psychosocial

These are the 3 components of a healthy lifestyle; exercise, diet, and psychosocial. I like to picture each of these components as the points of a triangle with exercise on top and diet and psychosocial at the bottom points.I picture exercise as the top point of the triangle because it is the most important of the 3 components of a healthy lifestyle. This is because when I observe my most healthy patients (regardless of age) exercise is always a large part of their lifestyle. The diet and the psychosocial aspects of my healthy patients can fluctuate and differ but exercise is consistently a key part of all of my very healthy patients lifestyles.

Each of these three components can vary and be tailored specifically to the individual but all of the components are absolutely necessary for a healthy lifestyle. For example, johnny patient may exercise 8 hours every day and eat a perfectly balanced 3 square meals a day but he is a social outcast who lives in a underground bunker. Johnny patient may have the body of a god but the mental capacities of Mr. Potato Head. His lack of the psychosocial component makes him mentally very unhealthy.

I recognize that there are other aspects of a healthy lifestyle that do not fit into one of these three categories, ie: brushing your teeth, but I would like to simplify this blog as much as possible to make it easy for people to understand and implement. I will continue to address each of the three components as this blog continues.

Why am I starting this blog?

Since I have been working as a nurse I have noticed that certain people are able to remain healthy and active well into their 60's, 70's, 80's, and beyond. These individuals are usually on very little to no prescription medication and their health histories consist of only a few items. Conversely, I have encountered young patients in their 30'S, 40'S, and 50's who take multiple medications every day, have numerous allergies, and have health histories longer than this post.
I have always been fascinated by the 70, 80, and 90+ year olds who are healthy and active. I want to be just like them as I continue to mature and I wonder, what do they do that the 30+ year olds who are chronically plagued by illness do not?
I have spent my career observing my patients and asking about their lifestyles and habits. I have noticed that the healthiest patients (regardless of age) have 3 key components of their lifestyle that help them remain healthy and active well into their later years.
These 3 components will be discussed in later blogs but for now I want to conclude by dedicating this blog to providing people of all ages the necessary information to be healthy and active for their entire lives.