Let's face it, when it comes to habitual behavior, birds of a feather tend to stick together. While this may not always be the case, it is more often the rule rather than the exception. So when it comes to staying true to your exercise routine, why not find a flock that helps you reach your physical fitness goals?
For many individuals the desire for movement is an intrinsic drive. For others, external factors play into their commitment to keeping themselves active. And given the pace and expectations of our society, even those who are driven to exercise may find their schedules disrupted by many other demands. Extrinsic motivation is being motivated to achieve or do something because of external rewards. While it is ideal to be the individual who inherently loves to move their body, extrinsic rewards can reinforce behavior and provide people with feelings of self-worth or competence. In this way, extrinsic rewards help to boost intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic rewards are good things that can be healthy and helpful for people who are working toward goals. In this way, exercise partners are the rewards that can help you stay true to a commitment long enough to establish a healthy routine. The benefits that are reaped from a consistent exercise program, such as weight loss and increased energy, may be the intrinsic factors that keep you coming back for more.
To conceive of the possible benefits of an exercise partnership, a schedule should be laid out that starts with smaller realistic goals. And above all else, make a commitment to yourself and your partner that when a plan is made it is set in stone. The type of exercise is only pertinent in that it is a form of movement that you and your partner enjoy. Biking, walking, hiking and swimming will all suffice. Whether or not you two are able to share the days gossip is not truly the key, although that may be motivation for some. The most elemental component of this approach is the accountability that you provide for eachother. Humans are strongly driven to receive approval from their closest companions, so find someone who fits that bill.
If you are having trouble finding a similar bird, perhaps a hiking or walking club will help you find the like-mindedness you need. Follow the link to see if you can find an exercise partner in your area. http://www.findanexercisepartner.com/
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Middle-Aged Life - Hormones In the Driver's Seat
After roughly 45 years of age or right about the time most women are moving into perimenopause, maintaining a healthy body weight becomes a greater challenge. The simple answer to why this is so, is hormones. As estrogen levels in a woman's body decline, so does metabolism. However, the cravings for carbohydrates and fats does not. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Deirdre Barrett, even though we have evolved our survival instincts are telling us "to sit in the lounge chair and eat chocolate".
We all know that estrogen is produced in the ovaries. However, it is also produced in the adrenal glands and in the fat and muscle cells both before and after menopause. So it would follow that there will be some variability in estrogen levels depending upon ones diet and body composition, not just the capacity of the ovaries to produce it. So it is not a forgone conclusion that you must gain weight when going through menopause, even though it presents the need for increased awareness of good health habits.
So what are the key habits that can create the internal environment to combat the belly bulge?
1. Don't use your gut as the guide for eating. It's not quite telling the truth. Become more familiar with portion size and be modest with your intake of high calorie/high sugar foods and make refined foods the major exception to the rule. Stick to lots of fresh fruits and vegetables with a bit of healthy fat (olive and coconut oils) and protein.
2. Be aware of what you are eating. Don't make this a sub conscious act that occurs in the car or in front of the television. According to Seattle health coach Jennifer Lovejoy the simple act of paying attention puts you in control of your food and not the other way around. Keeping a food diary also helps you more accurately assess your caloric intake. There are weight loss applications on the iPhone and iPad that can aid in this approach. Set short-term, attainable goals that you can be proud of such as decreasing your daily calories by 100 to 150.
3. Do the diet interval. Consult with a dietician to determine your RMR or resting metabolic rate which gives you information about your caloric needs for the day. Then use this information to estimate how many calories you need to cut for the week based upon your current diet. Let's say, for example, that you need a calorie deficit of 2100 calories a week to remain at your RMR; rather than decrease calories by 300 a day, do 2 and 3 days of reducing by 350 to 400 and then have 2 splurge days reducing by 150 to 200. This will feel less like deprivation. And for as much as you can, make the indulgence an exotic fruit or good quality chocolate, rather than purely nutrient deficient food like donuts.
4. Find your breath! Enjoying deep breathing exercises for at least 5 minutes a day will reduce stress and increases oxygen flow in the body. This act alone can help to normalize your metabolism.
5. Make a commitment to the goal. According to Dr. James O. Hill, cofounder of the National Weight Control Registry, the 6,000 successful weight loss registrants made dramatic changes and a big commitment.
6. Awareness in all aspects of life is crucial to living out a healthful existence. Take each intention and each action to heart and believe in the process. When the plan does not work out perfectly there is more room for making adjustments and ultimately staying the course.
We all know that estrogen is produced in the ovaries. However, it is also produced in the adrenal glands and in the fat and muscle cells both before and after menopause. So it would follow that there will be some variability in estrogen levels depending upon ones diet and body composition, not just the capacity of the ovaries to produce it. So it is not a forgone conclusion that you must gain weight when going through menopause, even though it presents the need for increased awareness of good health habits.
So what are the key habits that can create the internal environment to combat the belly bulge?
1. Don't use your gut as the guide for eating. It's not quite telling the truth. Become more familiar with portion size and be modest with your intake of high calorie/high sugar foods and make refined foods the major exception to the rule. Stick to lots of fresh fruits and vegetables with a bit of healthy fat (olive and coconut oils) and protein.
2. Be aware of what you are eating. Don't make this a sub conscious act that occurs in the car or in front of the television. According to Seattle health coach Jennifer Lovejoy the simple act of paying attention puts you in control of your food and not the other way around. Keeping a food diary also helps you more accurately assess your caloric intake. There are weight loss applications on the iPhone and iPad that can aid in this approach. Set short-term, attainable goals that you can be proud of such as decreasing your daily calories by 100 to 150.
3. Do the diet interval. Consult with a dietician to determine your RMR or resting metabolic rate which gives you information about your caloric needs for the day. Then use this information to estimate how many calories you need to cut for the week based upon your current diet. Let's say, for example, that you need a calorie deficit of 2100 calories a week to remain at your RMR; rather than decrease calories by 300 a day, do 2 and 3 days of reducing by 350 to 400 and then have 2 splurge days reducing by 150 to 200. This will feel less like deprivation. And for as much as you can, make the indulgence an exotic fruit or good quality chocolate, rather than purely nutrient deficient food like donuts.
4. Find your breath! Enjoying deep breathing exercises for at least 5 minutes a day will reduce stress and increases oxygen flow in the body. This act alone can help to normalize your metabolism.
5. Make a commitment to the goal. According to Dr. James O. Hill, cofounder of the National Weight Control Registry, the 6,000 successful weight loss registrants made dramatic changes and a big commitment.
6. Awareness in all aspects of life is crucial to living out a healthful existence. Take each intention and each action to heart and believe in the process. When the plan does not work out perfectly there is more room for making adjustments and ultimately staying the course.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Farm Life
We are all too aware that cancer is a disease that impacts our society as a whole. And clearly the roots of this illness are multi-factorial from the standpoint of environmental influence. A lack of connection to nutritious whole food, exposure to environmental toxins, poor water quality and too little social kinship may be to blame for increasing disease. If we find it arguable that humans are innately social and emotional creatures, then we may draw a link between our capacity to be healthful and the authenticity of our relationship to others and the physical environment in which we live. The agrarian lifestyle is one that seemed to suit us well as we had access to good food and a community to draw companionship from. While industrialization has brought us much to be grateful for and advances not otherwise conceived of, it also presented such a dramatic shift that the human genome could not keep up with.
So this shift we are seeing back towards eating local foods stands to benefit not only the health of the land, but those who live on and draw from the abundance that it provides. Understanding and being connected to our food is a practice that is critical for us to thrive on many levels. Local food can be grown without or with minimal use of pesticides as native crops are more robust and resistant to pests. Local farming practices use techniques that preserve the quality of the soil and thereby the quality of nutrients of the plants that grow in it. And not the least of the benefits of community farming is the relationship that the consumer has to the individuals that work to bring food to the table. The gratitude that comes from that relationship has a way of contributing to the well-being of the individual in ways that can scarcely be quantified. To know your farmer is certainly to know your food and the way in which what we put in our bodies profoundly alters the course of our health.
The movement towards this approach is far more than a trend. Heads are being turned in every arena as the research mounts that presents the data about the nutrition inherent in foods grown in their native environment, without pesticides and the healing powers of the body when there are stronger social ties.
For more information about how you can make this shift to connect to your local farm life, visit the USDA's website on the topic.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER
http://mymammashatfarmcsa.com/Photos_IU0X.html
So this shift we are seeing back towards eating local foods stands to benefit not only the health of the land, but those who live on and draw from the abundance that it provides. Understanding and being connected to our food is a practice that is critical for us to thrive on many levels. Local food can be grown without or with minimal use of pesticides as native crops are more robust and resistant to pests. Local farming practices use techniques that preserve the quality of the soil and thereby the quality of nutrients of the plants that grow in it. And not the least of the benefits of community farming is the relationship that the consumer has to the individuals that work to bring food to the table. The gratitude that comes from that relationship has a way of contributing to the well-being of the individual in ways that can scarcely be quantified. To know your farmer is certainly to know your food and the way in which what we put in our bodies profoundly alters the course of our health.
The movement towards this approach is far more than a trend. Heads are being turned in every arena as the research mounts that presents the data about the nutrition inherent in foods grown in their native environment, without pesticides and the healing powers of the body when there are stronger social ties.
For more information about how you can make this shift to connect to your local farm life, visit the USDA's website on the topic.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER
http://mymammashatfarmcsa.com/Photos_IU0X.html
Monday, August 2, 2010
Is Grilling a Healthy Way To Go?
The answer to this question is that it can be and that it may not be. This depends mainly on what is being tossed on the grill. For years we were told that grilling was a healthy alternative to frying or sauteing meat because the fat was drained in the cooking process leaving the lean protein remaining. While the loss of fat is a bonus, the gains that are made in carcinogenic compounds put this form of cooking in the minus category unless you are cooking vegetables.
All meat, which includes beef, pork, lamb, poultry and fish, will develop certain chemical compounds in the cooking process that are known carcinogenic agents. This may occur with any form of cooking, but is of particular concern when the temperature is exceedingly high as with grilling. The two compounds that develop are HCA's or heterocyclic amines and PAH's or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. HCA's form in the cooking process due to the reaction of the amino acids and the creatine which are both found in the muscle of animals. PAH's, on the other hand, develop when the fat drips off the meat and into the heating element or flame and generates smoke that contains these compounds that are then re-deposited on the cooking meat. So the surface of meat is where we will find the greatest concentration of both HCA's and PAH's due to exposure to the smoke and the high temperatures. In addition, the charring that occurs contains the highest concentrations of these carcinogens. And the results of a nutrition study conducted in Europe showed us just how problematic this can be. A link was drawn between HCA's and a precursorous tumor of colorectal cancer. Several other studies have linked this carcinogen with a higher risk of breast, stomach and pancreatic cancer.
This does not mean that the grill should be tossed in the trash. However, following these tips could save your body a bit of damage.
- Place meats on the highest level farthest away from the heating element or flame.
- Keep the temperature low, which also applys to cooking meat using other mediums.
- Avoid charr on the meat and trim any that might develop.
- Trim the fat off and select leaner cuts to prevent the dripping of fat.
- Flip the meat often.
- Marinate meat which can reduce a significant quantity of HCA formation. The key is to use a marinade that has acid in it, such as citrus, vinegar or wine.
- And most important of all, GRILL VEGETABLES! And lots of them! Both fruits and vegetables do not produce HCA's or PAH's in the process of grilling. And eating tons more fruits and vegetables is the direction we should all be heading in anyway.
All meat, which includes beef, pork, lamb, poultry and fish, will develop certain chemical compounds in the cooking process that are known carcinogenic agents. This may occur with any form of cooking, but is of particular concern when the temperature is exceedingly high as with grilling. The two compounds that develop are HCA's or heterocyclic amines and PAH's or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. HCA's form in the cooking process due to the reaction of the amino acids and the creatine which are both found in the muscle of animals. PAH's, on the other hand, develop when the fat drips off the meat and into the heating element or flame and generates smoke that contains these compounds that are then re-deposited on the cooking meat. So the surface of meat is where we will find the greatest concentration of both HCA's and PAH's due to exposure to the smoke and the high temperatures. In addition, the charring that occurs contains the highest concentrations of these carcinogens. And the results of a nutrition study conducted in Europe showed us just how problematic this can be. A link was drawn between HCA's and a precursorous tumor of colorectal cancer. Several other studies have linked this carcinogen with a higher risk of breast, stomach and pancreatic cancer.
This does not mean that the grill should be tossed in the trash. However, following these tips could save your body a bit of damage.
- Place meats on the highest level farthest away from the heating element or flame.
- Keep the temperature low, which also applys to cooking meat using other mediums.
- Avoid charr on the meat and trim any that might develop.
- Trim the fat off and select leaner cuts to prevent the dripping of fat.
- Flip the meat often.
- Marinate meat which can reduce a significant quantity of HCA formation. The key is to use a marinade that has acid in it, such as citrus, vinegar or wine.
- And most important of all, GRILL VEGETABLES! And lots of them! Both fruits and vegetables do not produce HCA's or PAH's in the process of grilling. And eating tons more fruits and vegetables is the direction we should all be heading in anyway.
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