Tank Top Arms

Archive for the ‘Stress’ Category

If YOU have any questions that you’re curious about, email me at tanktoparms@hotmail.com and look for the answers in the “Food For Thought Friday” posts!

Q: How important is 8 hours of sleep to your health? Just curious, because I think I’m falling behind.

A: Ahhhhh, the old “8 is enough”….or is it? Well, as most of us have grown up with hearing that we need 8 hours of sleep, for the most part it’s true. Getting enough zzz’s is very important to our health, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that EVERYONE can only function properly as long as you’re getting 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 hours of sleepy time. Sleep is an essential part of our lives. If we don’t get enough of it on a consistent basis, our bodies will give out on us.

Some people may find that they only need 5-6 hours of sleep to function properly, while others need 10-11 hours for optimal performance, so it’s safe to say that each person’s sleep requirement is different. To put it simply though, the average adult functions best with 7-8 hours of sleep a night. But remember, you should probably evaluate how you feel during the day to be certain that you are getting enough sleep at night.

Research has shown that when we don’t get enough sleep, there is an increased risk of diabetes, onset of weight gain, irritability, and your attention span is shorter. Among other things, your reflexes tend to be slower and depression could sneak up on you as you fatigue more and more. Get some rest!! Just be sure it’s the proper amount of rest that YOU need.

Q: What are your thoughts on Honey Therapy for allergies?

A: “Oh the allergies have been killing me!” That’s my daily spiel since Spring came around. I see the little cottonwood pollens floating in the air and I just want to hide! Rather than going the medicinal route, many people look to honey as an allergy remedy. Although there isn’t a whole lot of research for or against it, I can comfortably say that it is safe for the majority of people suffering from allergies.

Because local honey tends to have some of the same local allergens in the air, consuming honey actually helps to build your immunity to those same allergens. It works like this: the bees go from flower to flower, tree to tree, etc. when they go back to the hive and contribute their labors to make the honey, they themselves are covered in many of the same allergens that we suffer from. So consuming honey actually helps to build a slow immunity to these allergens, or so that is what is believed.

A word of caution to honey therapy: If you have never consumed honey, be careful because you may have an allergic reaction and not know it until you’ve eaten it. Try just a little bit of your local honey, like ½ teaspoon to see if there is any reaction. If not, you’re probably pretty safe. But you can always run this by your physician as well.

Q: How far do I have to jog to neutralize a small order of McDonald’s fries? What if I replace the jog with a walk? What if I replace the walk with sitting on the couch? Note: the fries cannot be substituted.

A: I’m going to answer this because it made me laugh! Too funny to pass up you know! Here’s the low down on the question: A small order of McDonalds fries has 231 calories, with a total of 11.5 g of fat, and 18% saturated fat. So, you will probably have to jog about 25-35 minutes, depending on your pace; longer time if you’re going at a slower pace, shorter time with a faster pace. If you’re walking, you’ll probably need to walk about 45 minutes to lose those 231 cals. If you’re sitting on the couch, make sure to have the remote close by because even getting up to change the channel won’t help you much! Enjoy the cheat treat!

Q: What are your thoughts on dietary supplements such as pills, smoothies, etc?

A: With one brow raised, I will answer this as honestly as possible. I take a supplement. It’s called a multivitamin. I also use 100% whey protein to make smoothies with. I never have been a big fan of supplement pills to lose weight, gain muscle, raise the metabolism, or to “burn fat”. For one, they aren’t FDA regulated. Nutritionists say most of us can skip taking vitamins altogether, as long as we’re eating a variety of healthy foods. But I know that I’m probably not getting ALL the vitamins and minerals I need from my diet, so that’s why I take a multivitamin. Go to RealAge to see the most important vitamins and minerals you should be looking for on that bottle.

There are so many different potential negative effects that your body can have from taking dietary supplements that you aren’t familiar with. Unfortunately in today’s society, we are bombarded with magazines, books, shows and internet ads that promote a “perfect” body whether you’re a woman or man. Marketers target desperate people that are looking for a quick fix. Many of these drugs have shown to increase heart rates to unsafe levels, raise cholesterol level as well as blood pressure. The liver, kidneys and pancreas tend to have difficulty processing these pills, but it takes a long time usually to see the side effects. By that time, the damage is done.

Smoothies can be a good source of energy and protein if you prepare them at home with raw foods and maybe a scoop of 100% whey protein. When we purchase smoothies from the outside, such as Jamba Juice, you may think that you’re getting a healthy dose of fruits for the day, but in reality you’re getting a ton of sugar and carbs. As I said earlier, if you prepare your drinks at home, you can make them so much healthier than if you buy it somewhere else. Personally, I use 100% Whey protein from Nectar (brand) in the vanilla bean flavor. I mix it with ¼ cup water, ½ cup skim milk, 1 scoop of protein powder, and I usually add ½ banana, or raspberries, or ½ papaya. For my multivitamin, I take Mega Woman Sport from GNC. Aside from that, I make sure to eat a really healthy diet 80% of the time so I can “cheat” with my food the other 20%.

Q: What are the health benefits of sex, red wine and dark chocolate…

A: Sex: Earlier I blogged a post all about the benefits of sex. Aside from burning about 85-100 calories in roughly 30 minutes (depending on how…ahem…vigorous it is), sex can help relieve tension, improve cardiovascular health and improve intimacy between you and your significant other. Other research has shown that sex can help relieve pain by producing oxytocin, slows the aging process and finally it can help reduce the risk of breast cancer!

Red wine: drinking it in moderation, red wine can have some pretty significant positive effects on our bods. The University of Bordeaux found that moderate wine consumption (about 2 glasses a day) was associated with a 30% reduction in the death rate from all causes; a 35% percent reduction in death rates from cardiovascular disease; and an 18-24% reduction in death rates from cancer. Aside from all the news of chronic illness risk decreasing with red wine consumption, there are also anti-aging effects in red grape skins.

Dark chocolate: According to the Mayo clinic, eating small amounts (notice I didn’t say candy bars every day) of dark chocolate everyday can offer some health benefits. Flavonoids are a naturally occurring antioxidant that is found in teas, red wine and some fruits and veggies. These same flavonoids are found in the deliciousness of dark chocolate. They have been associated with having a good effect on the heart by lowering blood pressure by a couple of points for both the systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom) numbers. Bon apetit!!

Are you looking at the title and saying to yourself, “Why is she asking this? ” Well, I ask because I think it’s a legitimate question for parents. How much do you know about the importance of having a fit kid, other than the fact that you could stave off extra pounds of fat around his or her tummy? Well, the truth is, that kids who are overweight or obese tend to have more health problems as kids AND are at a 50% increased risk of being overweight as adults! Scary….

Dear mom and dad: get your kid moving, because THIS isn’t cutting it!!!

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, overweight or obese children and adolescents are at risk for many health problems. Some of the negative health outcomes that may be more obvious to children and their parents are asthma, sleep apnea, skin infections, and complaints of joint pain. In addition, research indicates that obese children have lower self esteem and self confidence than their thinner peers. Low self esteem and self confidence have been linked to poor academic performance, fewer friends, and depression. How’s that for an eye opener?!

So what can YOU do? For starters, if your child or teen is a video game  or tele junkie, then it has to be either removed or at a minimum, reduce the time used to play and watch TV. The boob tube doesn’t have too many redeeming qualities these days anyway, with all the crap that’s on and not even appropriate for kids. Then we wonder why they are growing up so fast (totally my 2 cents here).

Here are some ways to help you, help your child to be more active:

1. Find a fun activity that your child will enjoy
2. Choose an age appropriate activity
3. Provide a safe environment
4. Be a role model for your child
5. Play with your child
6. Make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician ;-)
7. TURN OFF THE TV!

Gosh just looking at this drives me crazy! But I d-i-g-r-e-s-s (there’s that word :) Having a fit kid has plenty of benefits. The obvious one is  having a lower BMI (body mass index). You want to make sure that your child/teen has a healthy amount of body fat, not too much or too little for that matter. While being able to run around is great when you’re lighter on your feet, it also gives them more confidence and ambition to participate in group sports. Self esteem has been shown to increase with the decrease of weight when needed. Being at a healthy weight reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes, which unfortunately for many kids these days is becoming a more common diagnosis. Want your kids to have better grades in school? Studies have shown that exercise may actually boost academic performance by burning off pent-up energy, boosting mood and increasing blood flow to the brain.

There are Three Elements of Fitness which parents can focus on whether your child is in elementary school or high school. There is endurance, strength, and flexibility, and the earlier you start teaching them this, the better. For example, when your kid is running away from the kid who’s “it” , it builds endurance. When your kids is crossing the monkey bars, it builds strength, and when your kids bend down to tie their shoes, it builds flexibility. By doing different activities, you are helping to encourage your “mini me’s” develop these elements of exercise. Finally, be a role model…a GOOD role model. There’s only so much credibility when you push someone to be healthy but you’re not doing it yourself. Lets get real now! Would you really want to take exercise advice from someone that isn’t fit? Ok, ok…maybe they’re on a “break”, but they shouldn’t let it get out of control that they’ve let themselves go either. Get outside with your child. Go walk the dog with them, ride your bike with her, kick the ball with him and don’t forget to eat well together. By “well” I mean healthy of course.

It’s pretty amazing to think that you could have so much to do with the longevity of your offspring and how they will live after you are gone. Will it be to a healthy (for the most part) 85-90 years old, or a medicine ridden cabinet and in an electric wheelchair when they are 60? It can all start with you…

The parent.

Who can deny that when we were growing up and preparing to go back to school from summer vacation, one of the most important things (for our school popularity status of course) was to get a cool lunchbox?? I mean, you had to get the coolest thing that was in at the time right? Of course what you see below may not be the most flattering of its kind these days, but it sure was back then! Super woman was c-o-o-l!!!

Speaking of cool, there is a very sneaky, special, and smart way to be cool this coming year. I figure since  one of your New Year’s resolutions is to either lose weight or gain a fatter wallet, then being this kind of cool will help take care of both :)

BEHOLD…….the Cooler!! [an angelic chorus signing in the background]

You’d be amazed at how keeping cool this coming year can not only save you LOTS of calories, but also how it can save you LOTS of the green stuff too. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had a personal chef to prepare our meals every single day….ahhhhh…..and although I know a pretty well known one personally, I get no freebies. So, yes, I must make my own lunches. Most of us do unless we’re eating out for lunch or dinner everyday. And if you are one of those that participate in professional menu reading, then I have some news for you that you’re probably not going to like.

I’m going to go with something so simple, so popular and so familiar to you that you’ll think I’m talking right to you. Let’s look at a cool Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato. How do they describe it??……

A creamy mix of vanilla and fresh cold milk poured over ice, marked with Starbucks® espresso and topped with our own proprietary buttery (that’s trouble already) caramel sauce.

Hate to tell ya, but not only are you getting 330 calories in a Venti, but you’re also shelling out about $4 on average. So, you go to Starbucks 4x per week and spend $16 because you “gotta have your coffee”. So $16 doesn’t seem so bad when you look at it that way. How’s this: spending $400 for six months or $832 per year…on coffee!!!! not to mention the additional 1320 calories every week, or 68,640 calories per year!! Wholly calories batman!!

[Head shaking]…friends, there is an additional 19.6 lbs that you could avoid per year and an extra $800 in your pocket if you cool it. I know that sometimes it’s much easier to grab a bite out to eat or treat yourself to a cool drink like the one I described. Heck, I eat out too you know! But everything in moderation, remember. Taking a cooler to work or while you do errands, or for after working out is such a practical idea that can save you in two very important ways (which I’m hoping you get by now). Here are a few ways to use your cooler:

~Regular or mini sandwiches: A great idea is to use mini bagels.  You’ll find your “entrée” less soggy, sturdier, and appropriately portioned.  Choose whole grain bagels and the sky is the limit for your favorite combinations. If your going to use dressings, just remember to opt for reduced fat ones.

~Beverages: Hydration is key to keep things running the way they should be.  I understand that frequent pit stops can be annoying, but staying adequately hydrated is important to helping your body keep alert. Water is best, but feel free to mix it up with low calorie diet soda or light lemonade to keep your taste buds happy.  Avoid empty calorie non-diet sodas or sports drinks. There’s too much sugar in them (like our Venti up top with 44 grams!)

~Fruits and veggies: Don’t forget these guys!  I recommend manageable fruit (medium apples, grapes, or orange slices to name a few) and cut up veggies (bell peppers, baby carrots, cucumbers, or celery).  You can always include a little bit of your favorite lower fat dressing to keep it more enjoyable if you like. Remember that there is lots of fiber in this group. You want to lose some of the extra pounds, and put that bulk into your wallet in the form of $$. You have to make the decision to do it first. You need the discipline to either get your lunch ready the night before, or wake up a little earlier to prepare it. Don’t forget about leftovers too! By no means should you limit yourself to sandwiches and apples. Add some spice to your food by adding avocados, cheese sticks, or baked cheetos! Lasagna or pot roast from the night before with plenty of veggies makes a great meal after you warm it up, provided you have the means to do so. Weekly menu’s are a great start too. Shopping for what you want to eat during the week can not only cut your time in half when it’s time to prepare your cooler, but also the frustration of trying to figure out what to make.

Good luck, have fun, and stay cool :)

In honor of my pre-natal class moms and the handful of girlfriends I have that are prego at the moment, I wanted to share some insightful stuff for you to chew on while you’re awaiting that precious little bundle of yours! If you’re due any minute now, don’t think that you won’t benefit from this info. Being fit and/or becoming fit during the post-natal period is just as crucial, for different reasons, but it is important. So are you ready? Let’s go!

Let me start by saying that being physically “fit” is not all about having cut up biceps and a six pack! Always a very nice bonus, but it doesn’t define one being fit. By the same token, different people define being physically fit in different ways. I think it’s important to make note of that! As Dr. Nicholas Romanov puts it,

“The word “FIT” can be summed up along the lines of being “suited to the circumstances”, “meeting adequate standards for a purpose”, “physically and mentally sound and healthy”, “in harmony with”.

So lets stick to “fit” for birth. I’d like to assume that most women, all access barriers aside, receive pre-natal care. It’s of the utmost importance. So assuming that you have been/are/are going to receive your prenatal vitamins, I congratulate you! The nutrients and minerals that you need when you are pregnant are not that different from when you’re not. However, if you are low on any, your prenatal vitamins will help you get and stay on track for you AND that extra bundle that you’re a life line to.

There is tons of information just on pregnancy and nutrition alone, and I’d be more than happy to talk one on one with you if you so choose to get more info. Just send me an email and I’ll get back to you. But what I want to focus on is being physically fit during pregnancy because our bodies go through so much change and trauma at the end of it. Being fit can in fact make labor and delivery go much smoother than you think! Not to mention all the benefits you’ll receive from being active. Physical activity is any form of exercise or movement of the body that uses energy. Straight from the March of Dimes website, regular physical activity can:

• Improve a person’s mood
• Reduce feelings of  depression
• Help with managing stress
• Help with managing weight
• Help with sleeping better
• Increase energy throughout the day

Start smart by doing an activity that you enjoy. There’s not a better activity to do than one that you really like doing. If you haven’t been previously active, then start slow. If you can, try to be active at least 4x per week for about 30 minutes, and of course rest when you need to. ALWAYS bring water with you to stay hydrated and wear comfortable clothing and good shoes. Anything from washing a car, to working in a garden to dancing is game. Of the more common ways to be and stay active, walking, biking and/or jogging at slower pace are all great exercises. Swimming happpens to be a favorite because of the buoyancy the water offers. It’s also great to relieve stress from your joints from the extra weight you are carrying.  

Achieving fitness before, during and after your pregnancy helps you to relieve the typical aches & pains of pregnancy, improves your posture, and strengthens and stretches your muscles. A nice perk (and hopefully an obvious one) is that it helps to control excess weight gain. This is very common in first time pregnancies because the thought of “eating for two”  is misinterpreted. Yes, you are eating for two, but there are guidelines to this. (E-mail me :)

During labor and childbirth, unless you are a lucky lady who will go with perhaps one contraction, have the kid in less than 10 minutes with barley any pain and be the envy of all moms, you will need to dig deep for strength, stamina, and endurance, all of which will increase with physical exercise. Your recovery from the event will also be speedier than if you had not been exercising at all.

Strength training (my personal favorite) is by no means off the playing field! But you must be careful of certain exercises during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. You want to try to avoid heavy pushing using your lower body, such as in squats for example. Rather than doing squats with weights on a machine, consider doing them on a stability ball. As shown here, you can use the ball for balance to squat. You can go as low as you can and as you stand up, bring the ball back up with you, giving you a little bit of a workout for your arms as well :) Compound movements are great because they allow you to workout a few muscle groups at thee same time all within one exercise. So weight training is great about 3x per week. Keep things light and it’s preferable to use machines during this point. The reason for this is because when we are pregnant, our balance is not the greatest. So using machines not only helps maintain our balance while performing the exercise, but it also helps to keep proper form during the movement.

Both cardio exercise and weight training is very important for a healthy body. If you’ve started a routine for yourself, that’s awesome! If you haven’t, I strongly suggest that you start not only for your health, but for that of you bebe too.

Remember to drink plenty of water, take your prenatal vitamins, no alcohol, no smoking, get rest when you can, and get ready because before you know it, you’ll be fit for birth!!

So I must say, that I have been definitely trying to remind myself about how we used to get along without all the advanced technologies that we have today. My three month old laptop has been acting as if it were on the brink of death! I’ve had multiple problems with it and have spent approximately 6 hours total speaking to somebody in India about the problems. I finally feel as though we made headway today.

It turns out that the Windows Vista program that my computer came with has been the stone in my shoe! Have you had any problems with it? Well, I guess a really good remedy is getting the new Windows 7 package installed. So I’m hoping to be able to do that this weekend. You may be asking, “what the heck does any of this have to do with health or wellness?” Well, let me tell you.

I’ve been very stressed about it all. I realized why. It’s because I rely way TOO MUCH on this portable keyboard. So instead of grabbing a good book, going for a walk, or just meditating for a bit, all I’ve wanted to do is throw this thing out my window…or just on my bed actually. So I’m feeling better because I decided not to let it control my mood anymore. One of my favorite things to do is to go to Borders Bookstore and hang out. Not like a gangster or anything, but just spending some quality time here with a fat-free Hazelnut latte. I like to go through the magazines and think of all the money I’m saving by not subscribing to all the 10 different kinds that I have free access to by just sitting here (hee-hee). And I’m looking forward to the great experience I’m about to embark on starting tonight!

I’m heading out with a friend to a Women of Faith conference this weekend. I’ve never been to one, but I have a pretty good feeling that  although I won’t be exercising in the mornings or tonight for the next two days, my soul is going to get a fantastic workout! And not much of a cardio workout either, but it will be heart workout!