Just about everyone’s New Year’s resolution list includes “lose weight”. Whether you have a little or a lot to shed, it’s important to stay motivated. Some people give up a few months into the year, but for those die hard fans of a better body, you keep at it day after day waiting for the first glimpse of change.
When it happens, not only do you notice, but so do family, friends, and co-workers. This reinforcement along with the dropping numbers on the scale, spur you on to victory. Then, one day, the numbers stop falling. You are still thirty pounds from your goal and the scale refuses to budge. What should you do?
One thing that shouldn’t be done is giving up. Look at it this way: You aren’t losing weight, but you aren’t gaining weight either. Plateaus are experienced several times over the course of a weight loss program. In the beginning, weight loss is steady because it’s new to the body. Your increased metabolism and decreased caloric intake work to shed those pounds. Water loss accounts for at least the first ten pounds of weight loss. As your body works to adjust to your physical activity, more calories are burned which translated into more weight lost. Plateaus come when the body has become accustomed to the routine.
Don’t stress. Giving up will put you right back at square one.
First of all, throw out the scale (if it was expensive, just pack it away in the back of the garage). You may have heard this before, but it’s true: Muscle weighs more than fat. If weight training has been a component of your weight loss program, then as the muscle mass increases so will your weight. You may still be losing fat, but the weight of the increased muscle balances everything out.
To jump off of your current plateau, examine your diet and exercise program. If your fitness routine hasn’t changed since the beginning, consider making a few changes. Try a new activity. If you’re used to aerobics five times a week, switch to the treadmill or an elliptical trainer. Muscles need to be challenged on a regular basis in order to grow.
If the exercises are still a challenge, then consider what you are eating. If you’ve been having a free day more than once a week you could be taking in too many calories. Go back to what you were doing at the start of the program. Keep journals for a couple of weeks to track what works for you and gets the scale moving again.
Remember, change one thing at a time. When you change something, give the change a full thirty days, and then check the results. Weight loss isn’t easy, but it is rewarding to reach your goal. Keep at it!
Filed under Weight Loss by on Mar 29th, 2012. Comment. 
People spend a lot of time indoors every day. Kids spend six hours a day in school. Many adults spend at least eight hours inside of the buildings where they work. We spend all night in our homes: eating, playing, and sleeping. When do we take the time to enjoy the “great outdoors”? Fresh air is highly underrated. Getting out of doors on a regular basis can improve one’s health and sense of well-being.
The air that we breathe on the inside is not as fresh as we need it to be. Dust is a fact of every day life. It collects on every surface. As we try to get rid of it, the dust swirls around us and makes its way into our respiratory system via nose and mouth. In your homes, if you cook and occasionally burn a meal or two, those fumes get inhaled also. We need a break from the indoor air. Companies try to sell us products to clean our home or office air which is fine, but there is just no substitute for fresh air.
Fresh air cleans our lungs. We may cough a bit at first as our lungs are getting rid of the impurities that we suck up on a weekly basis. But, after a while we’ll begin to breathe deeper and deeper which brings more oxygen to our cells. The increased oxygen brings with it increased energy to do the things we need to do. More oxygen brings greater clarity to the brain, which needs twenty percent of our body’s oxygen to function. We can think better than we could before.
Exercises performed outdoors in fresh air offer increased aerobic benefits. More clean air in, helps improve our breathing technique. Better technique increases stamina. More oxygen to the muscles reduces that lactic acid build-up in the muscles which leads to cramping.
Fresh air cannot be found everywhere outdoors. In large cities where factories operate day and night, spewing smoke and particles into the air, fresh, clean air is at a premium. For these people, getting away from where they live will bring their bodies the benefits of fresh air.
A program called The Fresh Air Fund was started in 1877 by a non-profit organization. There goal was to introduce disadvantaged children living in the inner cities to the “great outdoors”. The program was started in New York to benefit the city’s youth. A man, by the name of Reverend Parsons asked his parishioners to volunteer to host inner city youth for a time away in the country. They agreed and The Fresh Air Fund was born. The program still flourishes today, offering a choice of five camps in upstate New York for the city’s children to enjoy time away and learn about country life.
Fresh air produces a healthy mind, clean lungs, and a calmer constitution when we actively use it. Getting outdoors should not be a chore, but a privilege. Enjoying the earth and get your dose of fresh air.
Filed under Health Talk, Outdoors by on Feb 6th, 2012. Comment.
Osteoarthritis is a common, but generally painful disease. While people who live to old age may develop osteoarthritis, others can get it while they’re still relatively young. That’s why it’s important to know what the causes of this condition are so you can help prevent developing this problem.
Osteoarthritis is a condition of one or more joints in the body. Whether our joints are healthy or not, the cartilage in them is constantly deteriorating and being replaced. In an arthritic joint, the cartilage is deteriorating faster than the body can replace it. The cartilage not only serves to keep to bone in place and keep it moving properly, it also provides padding between the various bones in the joint. When the cartilage degrades too far, the bones rub, causing severe pain. An even more painful side effect is when the rubbing causes the bones to grow painful spurs. Eventually, the condition becomes so bad that the joint is no longer useful due to decreased movement or intense pain.
While determining the cause of the pain of arthritis is simple, determining the cause of the cartilage degradation is a bit more complicated. It is believed that there is no one cause of osteoarthritis, but a combination of risk factors that may cause a problem when combined. Here are the biggest risk factors for developing osteoarthritis.
* Age. Whether they experience pain from it or not, almost everyone over the age of 60 has some degree of osteoarthritis. The older you are, the harder it is for cartilage to repair itself. It becomes brittle and can degrade easily. Plus, you’re dealing with a joint that has had many years of wear and tear.
* Genetics. While they’re not really sure how and why, doctors have discovered that arthritis tends to run in families.
* Weight. Carrying extra weight around causes excess strain and wear to your joints. This is obviously a factor only in joints that bear weight, like the knees. It’s not really a factor in arthritis of the hands or shoulders.
* Diet. A deficiency of certain nutrients may cause cartilage to degrade faster because it doesn’t have the proper materials to rebuild. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help prevent nutrient deficiencies.
* Injury. Certain injuries that affect the cartilage, if severe enough, can be a cause of osteoarthritis. While you can’t prevent all injuries, you should take care of yourself if you’ve been injured and find out if your injuries may increase your chance or developing arthritis.
* Occupation. It you have a job that demands a large amount of physical exertion; you are wearing your joints out a lot faster which may lead to arthritis. This is also true of people who regularly participate in certain sports.
* Infection. Getting an infection in the joints increases your risk for arthritis. If you have a serious joint infection, you may have an increased risk.
* Inflammation. The reason you tend to get osteoarthritis as you age is because your joints swell more as you get older. If you have chronic inflammation, you could develop arthritis much sooner.
These are just the major known risk factors for developing arthritis. Since we aren’t aware of all the risk factors and because many of them aren’t preventable (i.e. age, genetics) it is important that we continue research to help keep joint cartilage from degrading. If you feel you may be suffering from Arthritis, please speak to your health care provider.
Filed under Health Talk by on Dec 3rd, 2011. Comment.
You’ve probably heard that pets are good for your health and help you live a longer, happier life. A recent study actually showed that having a dog is better for your health than owning a cat. Pets of all kinds, especially dogs, make a great addition to almost any family.
Getting plenty of exercise is essential to leading a healthy lifestyle, but some of us don’t get up and move as much as we should. While most people have every intention of following and exercise plan, they end up skipping workouts because they’re busy, bored by them, or just not in the mood. This is where having a dog is great. What better motivator to get up and move do you have than a dog that jumps on your lap or gives you the sad face because they want to go for a walk? If you have the responsibility of a dog, you’re going to have the motivation to move more often (especially if you don’t have a fenced yard).
Touch can help make us feel more comfortable and relaxed, but it doesn’t have to be human touch. Studies have shown that the simple act of petting and animal can help reduce tension and cause an immediate drop in blood pressure. That’s a great benefit to have when so many common disorders today are preventable by reducing stress. Imagine being able to have lower blood pressure and less risk of heart disease simply by having your dog there. Of course, you should also consider that in some cases dogs can also raise your stress levels; a great reason to start rigorous dog training early.
Just like dogs, humans are social creatures. We feel better when there’s someone else with us ad get lonely and upset when we’re alone for extended period’s of time. Having a pet at home can give us the feelings of love and attention. Plus, pets aren’t like people, they don’t care if we didn’t do our chores, they show unconditional love that can improve mood and make us feel more accepted. Dogs are so good at making people feel loved; they’re often used to treat people with depression. It’s hard to feel down when there’s a constant smiling face by your side. The companionship of a dog is so beneficial that older people who live alone and have pets live longer than those who live alone and don’t have pets.
So if you’re thinking of getting a dog, but you’re on the fence, remember that dogs can help you get fit, and make you feel less stressed or lonely. Studies have shown dog owners get sick less, recover faster, and even live longer. Dogs are a great loyal friend to keep around.
Filed under Health Talk by on Oct 13th, 2011. Comment.
In the past decade, researchers have been studying fish consumption and the benefits it brings to the body. Fish and fish oils have been shown to decrease the negative effects of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the human body. The way this has been done is through the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. This article will tell you what they are and how they help to treat patients with cardiovascular disease and those without who may be at risk later in life.
Cardiovascular disease is a big problem in this country. With obesity and diabetes amongst the population at staggering highs, cardiovascular disease is more prevalent. Clogged arteries are leading to strokes and death. Plaque riddled coronary arteries are leading to thromboses and heart attacks. Controlling the diet is the major way to reduce a person’s risk for these types of health problems.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found naturally in fish, their oils, and plants sources, such as flax seed, canola, soybeans, and the oils of each. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and alpha linolenic acid (LNA). The first two mentioned have the most benefit on the heart and its health. The last omega-3 fatty acid is found mainly in plant sources. The first two are found in fish that are have a high fat content, but low saturated fat content. This is important. There are good fats and bad fats. Foods that contain fully saturated fats are worse than those fats are mono- or poly-unsaturated. These fish include: mackerel, salmon, trout, and tuna.
The recommended dose of omega-3 fatty acids is at least two to three days a week from natural sources such as those I’ve already named. Consuming fish and plant sources on a regular basis seems to reduce the risk of that person developing the precursors to cardiovascular disease and its related conditions. Change in diet alone is enough if you have never been diagnosed with any heart related abnormalities.
For those individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease fish consumption is also recommended. Depending on how advanced their condition, supplements of DHA and EPA may be prescribed by the doctor. As with any supplements make sure that you get the doctor’s okay before taking them, because they could do more harm than good if too much is used.
What the research shows to be true is the following:
* The incidence of blood clots causing sudden heart attacks is decreased
* Blood pressure lowers
* Arterial plaque growth is retarded
* The level of triglycerides in the blood is lowered
* Decreased level of cardiac arrhythmia’s
More research still needs to be done to investigate any other properties of omega-3 fatty acids on the body. But, for now, we know that fish and fish oil keep the heart pumping fine.
Filed under Health Talk by on Sep 17th, 2011. Comment.