Make Time for Your Health - Pay Yourself First

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many of us off our game. With gyms and dance studios closed, long lines at grocery stores and many other businesses either shuttered or their services altered, we've had to change our schedules, our lifestyles and our workout routines - and that's just for starters. 

Now the holidays are here. The holiday season is a busy time for all us. But don't let the pandemic or the holidays deprive you of your health and fitness.

Here are some tips to help you stay healthy:

• Make time to exercise each day. We know that daily exercise is good for the cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal systems. Exercise also helps to reduce insulin resistance (so it improves insulin sensitivity) which helps to control blood glucose levels. Exercise also helps to improve mood.

• Shop for healthy, whole foods (not processed) either in-person or by utilizing the many grocery shopping apps. Plan your meals and invest in a little extra time to cook nutritious meals.

• Stay away from foods with additives. Unhealthy foods that contain food additives such as artificial colors, flavors and preservatives are inflammatory. They are not good for our bodies and brains. 

• And don't forget your sleep. Health experts generally advise to get between 7 - 9 hours of sleep per night. This helps to strengthen our immune system, and reduce the stress hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol can wreak havoc on the body when levels are too high for too long.

Pay yourself first. Make time for daily exercise, healthy eating and ample sleep each night. Why? If you don't make time for your health today, there's a good chance you'll be forced to spend time with an illness (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or heart disease) tomorrow. 

10 tips to have fun and stay fit during the stay-at-home order for COVID-19

It’s important to keep busy and remain positive during the stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. Some fun ways I found to stay busy and fit are:

 

Photo credit of coronavirus image: CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS

1. Work from home if your job allows.
2. Catch up on reading books you’ve not had time to read.
3. If you begin to feel stressed or fearful, consider prayer, meditation or relaxation breathing. These can help calm your mind.
4. Reach out electronically to family and friends you miss.
5. Discover some great new music and new composers to listen to.
6. Stay physically active with fun dance and exercise videos via stream or DVD.  The choices are endless; jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, Bollywood, Tai Chi and Yoga.
7. And don’t forget stretching and resistance training. Both are an important part of a complete fitness program in addition to cardio.
8. Since going out to eat is on hold right now, consider trying some new, healthy recipes to dazzle your taste buds and alleviate boredom.
9. Consider decluttering closets and cabinets while you’re stuck at home. Prepare bags of unwanted clothes and other items for donation to your favorite charities. Helping others can help us too.
10. And last; resist the temptation to overindulge in junk foods, alcohol or other drugs. You’ll feel better for it both physically and mentally if you maintain a healthy diet, weight and lifestyle. 

Fat and Fit is a Fantasy - Five Ways to Control Your Weight

Reports over the last few years have lead us to believe that carrying some extra weight was OK for some people if they still had normal readings for blood pressure, blood glucose levels and cholesterol.  This has now been proven to be wrong!

New medical research from Toronto revealed this week confirms that extra weight is indeed a threat to your health even if initially everything appears to be fine. Eventually, the extra weight can wreak havoc on your body and raise your risk for premature death. 

Don't let the sunset on your diet and exercise plan for any reason. Whether it's a holiday(s) or you're on vacation, try to resist the onslaught of temptations to overeat and and/or miss an exercise session. Here are five ways to help you control your weight.

 Sunset at El Porto, Manhattan Beach, CA by Carole Jakucs, 2013. Image subject to copyright.

1. Pay yourself first: No matter what you have scheduled, make time to exercise. If you usually exercise five days per week, try to maintain that schedule. You'll burn calories at your normal rate which will help prevent packing on pounds (as long as you don't start over eating). If you're on vacation, be sure to bring a good pair of walking shoes. If you're working long hours, be creative and look for a blocks of time to exercise.
2. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and before and during special events such as parties. Doing so will help keep you full and prevent you from overeating. (Add a twist of lemon or lime for a refreshing taste).
3. Don’t drink alcohol: Alcohol is loaded with empty calories (it has no nutritional value). The extra calories end up becoming extra fat on your body. If you decide to imbibe remember to drink in moderation and never drink and drive (don’t let others drink and drive either).
4. Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains each day to help keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable.  These foods also have a high nutritional value so are good for your health and help keep you slim. When you need fat or oil, use Omega 3 Fatty Acids on your foods when cooking and at the table such as olive oil and canola oil. These contain heart and brain healthy fats.  
5. Don't eat junk food. If you eliminate fatty chips, cookies, cakes, pies and fast foods, you'll help keep your overall fat and sugar intake in check. Remember that many commercially prepared foods contain high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, both of which are extremely unhealthy and contribute to the development of obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type II Diabetes. If you're baking for a holiday or special occasion, try using half the sugar in your recipes and replace shortening/butter with canola oil. 

Dare to Dance - Follow Your Feet to Fitness

Whether you tango, tap, swing or salsa; dancing is great physical exercise and sharpens the mind due to learning new skills. I have studied various dance forms throughout my life and am always amazed at what a great work out dancing truly is.

• Dancing burns calories and blasts fat.
• Dancing works various muscle groups making them stronger.
• Dancing builds bone mass.
• Dancing improves heart and lung function.
• Dancing is fun!

Whether you’re male or female, young or old; if you are fighting boredom with your routine, take a dance class or two to spice up your life and challenge your body and mind. If you have any health concerns, consult with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

5 Tips for a Fall Fitness Plan – Keep it Simple

Labor Day has passed and fall is almost here.  For most people lives become busier this season with increased work-loads and resumed school schedules. This is the best time to re-evaluate your health and fitness goals and fine tune your plan so you stay on track. Here are some tips to do just that:

1.      Eat less - Try not to overburden yourself with elaborate diets that you may not stick with.  Just get started; eat smaller portions, eliminate junk food, switch to whole wheat bread, increase your vegetable and fruit intake. Eliminate fatty meats and go for lean proteins.

2.       Exercise More/Start moving – Increase your energy expenditure by exercising more.  Do what works for you, whether that is walking every day; or switching it up with one or two exercise classes in addition to walking, either on your own or with a friend; keep it interesting so you stay engaged and invested in exercising. *Remember to contact your health care provider before beginning any exercise program.

3.      Get your sleep - Research shows that getting less than 6 hours sleep per night increases our appetites and fatigue levels.  Try to get between 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night to help keep your appetite in check and to have enough energy to exercise on most days of the week.

4.       Weigh yourself daily – Daily weigh-ins can help you stay on track better with weight loss goals.  If you gain, you can catch it early on and be better equipped to trace what caused your weight gain, then, change your behavior(s).  If you weigh in only weekly it’s more difficult to trace the behaviors that caused your weight gain.  Also, it is easier to lose 1 or 2 lbs than a 5 lb gain that may have occurred in a one week time period.

5.       Create Concrete and Realistic Goals – Be specific.  Write it down on a card and keep it visible and read it at least once each day.  Examples: “I will lose 10 pounds and weigh 135 lbs by November 1^st, 2011”; or, “I will take a 30 minute walk 5 days each week”.