Month: September 2015

Categories
Lifestyle

Mom With Sick Baby Finds Her Parking Tickets Paid By Kind Stranger

When you have a sick child, feeding the meter probably isn’t your first priority. 

An Australian mom was initially distraught to see she had been ticketed after spending several days in a Canberra hospital with her sick nine-week-old son. She found a welcome surprise when she picked up the ticket, though. 

There was a note attached to the ticket left by a kind stranger, who only gave her name as “Laura.” It said, “I saw your car had a parking ticket on it. I’m sure whatever you’re going through at the hospital is tough enough so I have paid for you.”

The note included a receipt for the payment, as well. 

The anonymous mom posted a picture of the note to the Canberra Mums Facebook page. She wanted to share the compassionate act with others and hoped Laura might see it. The post went viral in no time, receiving 50,000 likes in less than a day. Now more than 100,000 people have liked the post, and it has also been shared 16,000 times. 

In the post, the anonymous mom wrote, “I hope that Laura sees this and knows how much I appreciate her support. Thank you so much.”

There’s been no word on whether Laura has seen the post, but, if the reactions to it are any indication, she’s incredibly appreciated. 

Categories
Lifestyle

Make A Difference By Riding Your Bike To Work

Everyone has an opinion about obesity in America–from parents to cable-news talking heads to health officials. They repeatedly point to familiar culprits: processed junk food, sugary sodas, video games, an increase in the number office jobs, and, of course, portion size.

However, there’s one variable that is rarely mentioned in the conversation, and it’s all around us.

Our communities.

During the 1950s and 1960s middle class white families moved from more diverse urban areas to the suburbs and exurbs. It was called “white flight,” and it helped shape the suburban landscapes that are so familiar today. Communities started to favor branching, “hierarchical” layouts instead of the organic and grid systems of older cities.

It resulted in homogenous communities with houses surrounded by enormous pristine lawns. Neighborhoods and subdivisions bunched together via cul-de-sacs. Soon, a car was a necessity to access the basic amenities of the community.

I grew up in one of these suburbs.

I never thought of it as an especially bad place to grow up. There was little crime and any danger was primarily of my own making. There were good schools. There were ponds to skate on during the winter and baseball fields to play on during the summer. It has only occurred to me as an adult how difficult it would be to live there without a car.

Taking a trip on foot to the nearest grocery store from my childhood home wouldn’t be impossible, but it would be time-consuming, difficult, and tiring. The same goes for many other businesses and services. My reexamination illustrated something.

While cul-de-sacs and subdivisions might be great for secluded personal kingdoms, they might not be great for your health.

Norman Garrick and Wesley Marshall are assistant professors of engineering at the Universities of Connecticut and Colorado and they believe the issue is worth examining. Marshall told The Atlantic in extreme cases, “Older, denser, connected cities were killing three times fewer people than sparser, tree-like cities on an annual basis.”

Naturally, they assumed people walk and bike more in dense cities that are easy to navigate. However, Garrick, Marshall, and Daniel Piatkowski, of Savannah State University, wanted to delve into street networks and health.

Their study, which looked at 24 California cities, reported that cities with compact street networks (i.e., more intersections) were healthier. These communities showed lower levels of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

An earlier study by the RAND Corporation showed similar results. Even after controlling for factors such as age, economic status, and race researchers found that people in areas with a high degree of suburban sprawl were more likely to have health problems such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and breathing difficulties.

Roland Sturm, a RAND Health economist, said of the study, “We know from previous studies that suburban sprawl reduces the time people spend walking and increases the time they spend sitting in cars, and that is associated with higher obesity rates. This probably plays an important role in the health effects we observe.”

However, not everyone is convinced that cities lead to more walking and biking.

Timothy Wojan and Karen Hamrick, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, authored a new study focusing on “active commuters,” those who either walk or bike to work. They examined the prevalence of these active commuters in more compact cities versus sprawling suburbs. Controlling for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and occupation, Wojan and Hamrick ran a regression analysis of the link between active commuting and fitness in each place.

Their results ran contrary to the other studies. Wojan and Hamrick found that urban residents weren’t significantly more active than suburban residents. They posit that this is because only a fraction of people in both places actually walk or ride a bike to work. That being said, they did find a correlation between active commuters and decreased body mass index (BMI). The few people that do walk or bike to work have markedly lower BMIs, which could indicate better overall health.

According to data from the United State Census Bureau, the number of people who bike to work increased from 488,000 in 2000 to 786,000 in 2012. That equates to roughly a 60 percent increase. The increase might seem impressive, but cyclists still make up only 0.6 of all commuters. Census Bureau data also showed that 2.8 percent of the population walks to work. That adds up to 3.4 percent of the population who either walk or bike to work.

This is a poor showing compared to European countries where biking is part of everyday life. In the Netherlands, 31 percent of people commute by bike every day and 99 percent of people own a bike.

In Denmark, 24 percent of people commute by bike every day and 90 percent of people own a bike. Furthermore, the country spends around $10 million a year on biking infrastructure, and only 29 percent of people own cars. Although there might not be a direct correlation, it’s probably worth noting that obesity rates in countries like the Netherlands and Denmark are significantly lower than in the U.S.

Granted, these are countries with a fraction of the population of the U.S., and they are also home to old, compact cities. Still, there seems to be an enthusiasm toward biking that is missing here. Biking advocates are hopeful for the future, though.

“In recent years, many communities have taken steps to support more transportation options, such as bicycling and walking,” Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau sociologist said. “For example, many cities have invested in bike share programs, bike lanes and more pedestrian-friendly streets.”

It’s clear that more of us need to be walking and biking to work in this country. The health benefits are too obvious to ignore at this point. The only way that will happen is with strong encouragement and support of policy changes (bike lanes, traffic calming measures, etc.) at a local level.

So next time you walk out the door, ask yourself: Do I have to drive?

Categories
Wellbeing

How Long Is Too Long To Sit At Your Desk Each Work Day?

Standing desks are the ultimate divider between coveted jobs and those that are just…bleh. I’m obviously being facetious, but it does ring fairly true. Standing desks will (hopefully) be a norm in the future. Americans are incredibly sedentary, and sitting for at least an eight-hour workday is doing nothing to help combat the ever-increasing obesity problem. 

But what is the appropriate amount of standing time that you should be getting in per day?

A few months ago I came across an article on Facebook; I’ve since attempted to go back and find it but to no avail. Basically, it was a witty piece of prose where a man decided he was going to stand for 30 days to be healthier. Obviously he would lie down for sleep and sit while driving, but otherwise he was pretty consistent in his standing. His story was fairly humorous, but it made my back hurt just thinking about it. The first few days started off well enough, but soon his feet began to suffer. The maladies just kept piling up until he ultimately had to go to his physician’s office for all of his pain, which leads me to my point. There is a line between being healthy and standing up at work and just being in overkill mode.

Why Prolonged Sitting Is Bad News 

After a long bout in bed or on the couch, I feel mildly guilty, mostly because I just wasted time, but partially because I was being so sedentary. Since entering the workforce, I’ve made sure to consistently keep up with exercising and using my standing desk. However, on those days that I don’t feel motivated to stand I feel pretty gross leaving the office. It’s amazing what sitting down for most of the day can do to you. It decreases my energy level trifold and makes me rather unproductive for the rest of the day. This feeling I have isn’t just my imagination; widespread studies have indicated this type of feeling is the social norm for those in the workforce.

Just look at the wide range of negative health issues that stem from sitting during the entire workday:

Organ damage Heart damage and an overproductive pancreas have been attributed to sedentary lifestyles. When you’re sitting at your desk and then proceed to come home and rest, your blood flow becomes sluggish, which results in fatty acids clogging the heart. This leads to higher cholesterol and overall cardiovascular issues. 

Muscle deterioration When you slouch in your chair your abs are not being engaged in any way, therefore they begin to deteriorate and become rather nonexistent. Hips also become stiff, and your glutes are not engaged at all so your stride will suffer, causing overall bodily aches and pains.

Bad back This is a rather common problem because most of us aren’t sitting properly. Many of us will slouch forward, which ultimately gives us back problems and causes herniated disks. It also causes stiff, painful necks and chronic shoulder pain. 

Restless legs When your legs are not regularly engaged, circulation problems ensue, especially as you grow older. Your bones have a higher chance of breaking because they are not being used. 

If you have to sit, experts recommend sitting with upright posture, relaxing your shoulders, and not leaning forward. Keeping your elbows bent to a comfortable 90 degrees with your arms in tight to your body will reduce problems as well. Also, make sure that you’re doing activities outside of work instead of just going home to continue your daily sitting routine. However, some researchers have even claimed that exercising before or after work may not reverse the effects of extended sitting in the workplace (Washington Post).

Tips To Properly Standing

If your goal is to start standing up at work, you need to do this gradually. Aim for roughly two hours a day with little breaks in between until your body gets used to it. Next, attempt to move up to four hours; this should be your maximum amount of standing time. Try switching up your posture every 30 minutes, as this helps rev up your metabolism.

“It’s all about mixing it up,” said Gavin Bradley, director of Active Working, an international group aimed at reducing excessive sitting. “Metabolism slows down 90 percent after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off. And after two hours, good cholesterol drops 20 percent. Just getting up for five minutes is going to get things going again. These things are so simple they’re almost stupid.”

Health experts say that this four-hour standing time is just a starting point and will evolve with time and more study. Many people and workplaces want to know the scientific viewpoint on what is an appropriate amount of standing time, but more specific recommendations will come in the future. Nutritionists are hopeful that standing in the workplace will combat the growing health risks that many adults are beginning to incur with near-constant sitting. It appears that sedentary workers have more than twice the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and a 13 percent increased risk of cancer. These are startling numbers that are only increasing (Washinton Post).

People who have begun suffering from these diseases and have started implementing more standing into their daily routine have found positive effects that are essentially reversing their disease, which is an even more persuasive reason for introducing standing desks nationwide. Ikea is now selling an office-friendly standing desk that is quite affordable. 

Even if you don’t have a standing desk yet, there are other alternatives for getting up at the office: Take business calls standing up, walk down the block to get some fresh air during a bathroom break, or even stand in the back of meetings. 

The health benefits of standing are undisputable, so it’s best to start switching up your work routine sooner rather than later. 

Categories
Wellbeing

The Whole30 Diet: Is It All You Need to Lose Weight?

Disclaimer: Causes for being overweight vary for every individual. This means no individual result should be seen as typical, and results may vary for every person who tries a diet or weight loss program.
A quick search on Amazon for diet books returns over 180,000 options. Some focus on metabolism, others on emotions, and many on food choices. One popular book, The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom, by authors Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, is their most recent book. If you have heard of the diet but are wondering whether it works for weight loss, here are the basics of the plan.
The Whole30 diet is not for the faint of heart. There are rules.
Lots of them. And they are strict.
Now, that’s not a bad thing, but it is something to consider. If your personality rebels against rules or you do not like, or know how to cook, this diet may be hard for you to follow.
According to the Whole30 website, the basic rules of the diet are as follows:

  1. No added sugars at all. That includes honey, Sugar in the Raw, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners, and maple syrup.
  2. No grains are allowed.
  3. No soy products or legumes other than certain peas and green beans. The ban on legumes also includes peanut butter.
  4. You must abstain from alcohol completely.
  5. Dairy products are not allowed with the exception of clarified butter or ghee.
  6. Avoid food additives such as MSG, carrageenan, and sulfites.
  7. No “recreating” your past favorite desserts or junk foods with ingredients on the Whole30 list.
  8. The authors indicate you are not to weigh or measure yourself while you are on the Whole30 program.

The Good Things for Weight Loss

The program is restrictive, but there are some good things in the program for weight loss. When you follow this type of program, you will likely find your cravings for sugar reduced, you will eat a diet focused on real foods rather than processed foods, and you may be able to break the cycle of carb and sugar cravings.
All those can work in your favor in terms of losing weight. Eating a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, nuts, high protein meats, low calorie seafood, small servings of nuts and seeds, and eggs is a healthy way to eat. This type of diet may result in weight loss if your calories are kept at an appropriate level.
The authors of the diet indicate that weight loss is not the primary goal of the Whole30 program. Instead, they encourage followers of the diet to focus on their health, energy levels, and learning to eat in a completely natural manner.

The Difficulties for Weight Loss

The good is sometimes also the bad when it comes to diets and the Whole30 is no exception.
The restrictive nature of the diet makes it hard to follow 100 percent. I have worked with people who have tried it and lasted a few days or weeks before giving up. It is difficult to cut out entire food groups and make a drastic change in your eating habits all at once.
If you struggle with your weight, there are often emotional issues behind your struggles. The Whole30 does not directly address the emotions driving weight problems. Without dealing with the emotions that cause you to eat, an “eat this, not that” type of diet will seldom result in lasting weight loss.
Because there are no restrictions on portions or calories, it is possible to gain weight on the Whole30 diet.

If You Try the Whole30

If you want to try the Whole30 diet program, I’d recommend borrowing or purchasing the book to understand the entire program. Plan your meals carefully and monitor your calorie intake.
Be mindful of the calorie-dense foods on the program such as red meat, nuts and seeds, and oils. Eating too much of these foods can cause you to consume more calories than you need to lose weight.
Decide for yourself whether you will skip weighing yourself for the 30-day program. Personally, I would be hesitant to skip a weekly weigh-in for fear you could easily gain weight without realizing it.

Categories
Sweat

Feeling a Little…Off? It Could be Your Hormones

Have you’ve felt fatigued, cranky, or bloated lately? Has every month turned into one long PMS party for you and those around you? You, my friend, may be experiencing levels of hormone imbalance. Generally speaking, hormone levels stabilize after your period, however, various life aspects such as stress, poor diet, and anxiety are also culprits that can cause hormones to go out of balance.
So how can you tell if your hormones are off or if it’s just life that’s got you feeling like a “hot mess”? Alyssa Dweck, OB-GYN and MD at the Mount Kisco Medical Group in New York, shares the five red flags that suggest it’s time to check-in with your doctor.
Night sweats: Unless it’s unusually warm in your bedroom, or you are living in Arizona right now, waking up feeling hot and sweaty could be the result of lower estrogen levels and infrequent ovulation, also known as perimenopause. “Perimenopause can occur up to 10 years before you’re even near the age of menopause,” says Dweck, “so unless you’re having major menstrual issues before age 40, there’s a good chance your phantom sweating could actually be early menopause.” Either way, Dweck recommends making an appointment with your doctor to have your hormone levels checked out.
Fatigue: Exhaustion is one of the most common, and hardest symptoms for a doctor, since it has so many possible causes. “If you’re tired after a week of final exams or late nights at work, then you’re probably fine,” says Dweck. “But if you are constantly feeling worn out and notice weight gain, appetite fluctuations, and a change in bowel movements, it could be a sign of an underactive thyroid.” Yes, fatigue happens to everyone, be it from daily life stress like work or home life. But if yours doesn’t feel logical, then it’s time to get a checkup with your doctor.
Hair growth: “If you all of a sudden you grow a beard within a month or notice coarse, dark hairs popping up on your chest, back or arms, that is usually a sign of a testosterone-secreting tumor,” explains Dweck. Don’t freak out, these testosterone tumors are rare, Dweck says, and can often be treated with medication and or minor surgery.
Skin changes: That same stubborn zit is back again! While sudden breakouts could be caused by overindulging in sugary snacks, stress, or in one too many nights of forgetting to wash your face, they could be signs of something more.
“Adult acne or cystic acne around the lower half of your face could suggest a high level of testosterone,” says Dweck. Although not a life-threatening problem, breakouts can take a toll on your self-confidence. Nowadays, your doctor can prescribe medications that can help stabilize your hormone levels and clear up skin.
Hormones control the various metabolic activities of the body. They help to provide the proper amount of energy and nutrition your body needs to function. Hormones tend to get a bad rap, when in fact, if properly in-balance, can increase our stamina, libido, and lean muscle mass, as well as promote an overall sense of wellness.
With that being said, don’t you think it’s time to find a bit of balance in your life?

Categories
Sweat

6 Signs You May Be Overtraining

Believe it or not, one of the biggest challenges that people face after starting a successful workout routine is overtraining. Not only is exercise highly addictive, many of us have an unnatural fear of giving up the significant gains we’ve made if we don’t continue to push ourselves harder at the gym. While this mentality can prove to be an asset when first getting into shape, it can also later lead to problems that are the result of actually working out too much. It is important to let your body rest and heal if you want to continue to make progress, as overdoing it can lead to burnout, exhaustion, and even injury. Here are six telltale signs that you may be training too hard and too often.

Persistent Soreness

If your body is sore all of the time it may be because you are overtraining. Some soreness is to be expected after a tough workout of course, but those aches and pains should pass within a few hours, or at most a day or two. If you find that your body is sore all of the time it is probably because you are not giving it enough time to recover. This can lead to muscle fatigue that can eventually end up slowing you down, and might even prevent you from reaching your fitness goals.

Insomnia

Restless nights and an inability to sleep can often be the result of overtraining. A tough workout will stimulate the nervous system, and can lead to increased hormone production, both of which can have an impact on your ability to get a good night sleep. Your body may tell you that it is ready to rest, but that doesn’t mean you’ll actually get the deep sleep you need to recover and build muscle. This makes it difficult to continually maintain the energy levels necessary to get you through a workout too.

Nagging Injuries

Do you have nagging injuries that just never seem to go away? Have you had muscle pulls, foot pain, or a sore back that just don’t seem to want to heal? These injuries are often the result of working out too much, and the fact that they aren’t getting any better is probably because you aren’t giving your body the proper time it needs to recover. Worse yet, overtraining can lead to new injuries too, as your tired muscles struggle to keep up with the demands that you continually place on them.

Getting Sick More Often

Overtraining can put a strain on your immune system, which can in turn result in you getting sick more often. A weakened immune system doesn’t have the strength to fight off common ailments, such as the flu or even the common cold. This can also lead to persistent coughs, congestion, or even headaches, which might not be bad enough to leave you bedridden, but can lower your performance in just about every aspect of your life.

Lack of Energy or Motivation

If you find yourself running out of steam throughout the day, or lacking in motivation to go the gym at all, it could be because your body is telling you that it needs more time to recover. Overtraining can lead to a malaise that makes it very difficult to muster up any enthusiasm to exercise, potentially creating a plateau that could stall out your progress towards attaining your fitness goals.

You’re No Longer Seeing Positive Results

Many people end up overtraining because they feel that if they take too many days off they will put on weight or lose muscle mass. It turns out that overtraining can cause those things to happen too as the body struggles to maintain a healthy balance within itself. Working out too much can actually reduce the production of testosterone in both men and women, while also increasing the amount of cortisol that is created as well. This can actually result in the retention of fat and an increased resistance to insulin. In other words, you may end up struggling just to maintain your level of physical fitness, but you are also just as likely to lose muscle and gain fat too.

So what is the solution to combating overtraining? It may seem counter-intuitive, but by simply taking a day or two off each week, and scheduling a lighter workout day, you can avoid most of the problems listed above. Also, don’t be afraid to skip an extra day or two here and there just to give your body a break from the routine. In the long run, those missed days won’t have any measurable impact on your level of fitness, but they could do wonders for keeping you refreshed and motivated.

Categories
Sweat

Good Vibrations: Can Vibration Machines Really Shake the Extra Weight?

A few years ago, I heard of a new state-of-the art vibrating machine that was supposed to work miracles just by standing on it. One of my members had tried the machine and was trying to convince me I should get one for our gym, but he lost me at “vibrate”.

To be honest, I didn’t even investigate it. I always stick to the school of thought, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”. While this machine claimed to solve all your problems, and it supposedly had scientific studies to prove its effectiveness, I preferred to stick to old-school fitness – the kind that takes work and promises no shortcuts. But, could I have been wrong?

To my surprise, this crazy vibrating machinery is still making its way into gyms and being sold in stores. So, as part of my Fit or Flop challenge, I decided to do some investigating to learn more.

How It Works

The machine has a vibrating plate you stand, sit or even lie on. As the machine vibrates, the theory is your body reacts to the vibration, contracting and relaxing muscles multiple times per second. Apparently, you are suppose to actually feel as if you are exerting yourself, but I’m not too clear on what that looks like. I know when I exert myself in the gym, I’m out of breath and sweating like a pig. I can’t image standing on a vibrating plate would wear me out like a standard workout, but that’s their claim anyway.

There are several brands and variations of vibrating plate machines, but each profess their machine tones and sculpt muscles faster. Advocates say it is supposed to cut training time in half and work muscles you can’t “reach” during conventional training. Supposedly, just 15 minutes a day three times a week, may aid in weight loss, as well as provide many other benefits including increased flexibility, increased range of motion, increased joint mobility, decreased stress, increased recovery, increased healing from injuries and increased circulation.

Outside of the traditional world of fitness, some supporters say it helps increase strength, reduce back pain, improve balance and reduce bone loss, especially in rehabilitation cases. However, the FDA has not approved the device for medical use.

I did a little more research and found a few studies, but none that really impressed me. One interesting study had a test group perform various exercises using a vibration plate machine. The results were very positive across the board, but it was unclear if the results were positive because they were doing exercises or using the machine?

The study didn’t have a comparison group of people doing the same exercises without the machine so it was incomplete data in my opinion. Of course people are going to get great results exercising, but would they get the same results exercising on the floor?

As I sought out reliable sources like WebMD and science journals, it seemed I wasn’t the only one coming up empty-handed. Aside from increasing bone density, there seems to be no real solid evidence it is worth the $3,000 to $10,000 price tag.

Pros and Cons

So, when I still have questions about a fitness gadget, the next thing I do is look at the pros and cons. Not only has the FDA not given their stamp of approval, OSHA (Occupational & Safety Hazard Association) says vibration exposure can have harmful effects. Long-term exposure to vibration can also cause impaired vision, hyperventilation, nausea and some disorders such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Experts also say it can be harmful if you are pregnant or have health issues.

Fit or Flop?

While I do believe there are people out there that really love their vibrating machines, I have to simply compare the vibrating system to traditional exercise – and when you put them side by side, traditional exercise has been proven to do all the things the vibrating systems claim.

Traditional exercise has been proven to accelerate weight loss, increase bone density, improve balance, increase circulation, increase range of motion, increase muscle strength, tone muscle, decrease stress and countless other physical benefits. So, why would anyone pay so much money fo something that still isn’t a sure thing? They’re lazy. Oops! Did I write that out loud?

The truth is, as long as we have people who aren’t willing to commit to regular exercise, there will always be people who will fork out serious dough on machines like the vibration plate in hopes of an effective shortcut. But, as far as I’m concerned, I give the vibrating plate a big fat shaky flop.

Categories
Wellbeing

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Reach for the Stars

You’ve probably heard the quote by Neale Donald Walsh that says, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” You may have liked it, Pinned it, and Instagrammed it, but have you actually sat and thought about what it means to you in your life? It’s actually a little intimidating to think about.

What’s outside of your comfort zone are things you don’t have, haven’t tried, or accomplished yet. If you are a person who considers themselves fortunate for all of the things in your life, it may have even crossed your mind that to desire more is an act of ingratitude.

But let me ask you this — are you truly happy, or have you pushed aside your true needs and goals for the sake of remaining in your comfort zone or the comfort zone of another person? If you’re feeling trapped by fear, maybe it’s time to shake things up a little. Try these four tactics to get out of your comfort zone and start achieving your wildest dreams.

Don’t care so much about what others think. One of the biggest obstacles to going after a big goal is the fear of what other people may think. Stop worrying so much about them, and start listening to yourself. There are always going to be negative, “judgy” people out there, but guess what? You don’t have to listen to them! You are allowed to be imperfect, you are allowed to try new things. Listen to the voice inside of you, and get out there.

Be comfortable with failing. This is where old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again” comes in handy. Ask any inventor, professional athlete, or successful CEO how they became successful, and I’ll bet there will be stories of little failures that paved the way to their success. I love the famous quote from Thomas Edison that says:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Embrace those words, and try until you triumph.

Look fear in the eye. Do you go out of your way to avoid situations that may result in discomfort or make excuses for why you can’t do something? Fear is often related to that little voice inside telling you that you aren’t good enough. Stop missing out on opportunities to avoid something that may never happen. Maybe you’ve been wanting to try that new fitness class near your house, but you don’t think you are coordinated enough to keep up. Face your fear, and do it! I’ll guarantee you there is someone else in the class that felt exactly the same way on their first day. You’ll never know what brings you joy or what you’re really good at unless you try.

Be ok with taking risks. Your comfort zone feels good because it doesn’t cause you to feel any stress or anxiety. When you take a risk you may fail, but you may also accomplish something great. Get comfortable with the idea of taking a risk, and don’t get too focused on obtaining a particular result. If you’re considering interviewing for your dream job, don’t be entirely deflated if you don’t get it. If you do, that’s awesome! But if someone else gets it, don’t sweat it. The process will give you the experience and confidence you need to keep taking risks and reaching for the stars.

Categories
Sweat

10 "One-Spoonful" Hacks To Help You Lose Weight

A spoonful of food won’t make or break your diet, but some spoonfuls are better than others. When I was losing weight, I learned a lot about portion control, taking advantage of foods that were good for weight loss so I could get the most nutrition for my calories. These one-spoonful hacks are some I used when I was losing 150 pounds. Seventeen years into weight maintenance, I’m still using them.
1. Lemon Juice
I love a little lemon juice in my water and drink lemon-flavored water all day long. A spoonful of lemon juice adds flavor, gives you some vitamin C, and is almost calorie free. If you love flavored water like I do but don’t want the calories in most juices, add a spoonful of lemon juice and save your calories for real food.
2. Dessert
A single spoonful of your favorite dessert is a great way to control your calories and still have a bite of something decadent. I often have a single spoonful of cake at a party or a small spoonful of ice cream after dinner. The first spoonful is often the best, and if I really savor the tastes and flavors, I can stop at one spoonful.
3. Honey
Honey is a natural sweetener that has antioxidants and important minerals. While its benefit as a weight loss superstar has not been documented conclusively, you can use honey as part of your diet. I use a spoonful of honey as a way to sweeten plain Greek yogurt, hot tea, or oatmeal. A tablespoon of honey has just 64 calories, which isn’t much at all.
4. Chia Seeds
The first time I bought chia seeds my whole family groaned. Instead of telling them that chia seeds are full of iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and potassium, I quietly added them to spaghetti sauces, salads, and soups. There are only 69 calories in a half ounce (about a spoonful), and the 5 grams of fiber help you stay full. And my family? They still don’t know I add chia seeds to many meals.
5. Dark Chocolate
I do love some good chocolate but know that too much is bad for weight loss and maintenance. I get my chocolate fix by limiting how much I eat. When I want something sweet, I have a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips or a piece of dark chocolate. Each satisfies my sweet tooth in just 70 calories and gives me a boost of antioxidants.
6. Cayenne Pepper
We like spicy foods around our house. I often make vegetarian chili, Spanish foods, and Mexican dishes. Cayenne pepper has dihydrocapsiate, which may help your body burn fat. The downside is that you have to eat several spoonfuls a day for it to really make a difference. The upside is that every little bit helps.
7. Nuts
Nuts are popular in my house, and I always make sure to have them on hand. For weight loss, the key to gaining the benefits of nuts is to use them sparingly, which is why a small spoonful is perfect. Nuts give you protein and healthy fats, both of which help you feel full. Remember, though, that a small spoonful of nuts has about 100 calories. So measure them before you eat, and stop at one spoonful.
8. Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are not always easy to find in the small town where I live, but I get around that by ordering them online. A tablespoon of hemp seeds has 4 grams of protein, 56 calories, and a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids. They also have fiber, which keeps you feeling full. I use them in smoothies, in granola bars, and sprinkled on cereal.
9.  Spice Mix
A spoonful of spice mix is not only great for boosting the flavor of your dishes, but it may help regulate your blood sugar. If you have ever felt the crash that comes after eating sweets, you know that keeping your blood sugar relatively steady helps you avoid overeating. A spice mix that I make at home has cumin, pepper, a dash of cinnamon, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. I add it to lentils and couscous and sprinkle it on steamed vegetables.
10. Mustard Seeds
Little tiny mustard seeds always amaze me. How does a big tree grow from such a minuscule seed? When you eat mustard seeds, they slightly increase your metabolic rate because of their thermogenic properties. I like using mustard seeds in a low-calorie potato salad, in deviled eggs mixed with hummus, in homemade salad dressing, or as a spicy rub for chicken.

Categories
Wellbeing

SpendMoney Making Memories, Not Collecting Toys

When you were a child, what’s your fondest memory? Was it playing with your stuffed animals in your play area? It very well could have been if you had one of those faithful puppy’s who were with you through the thick and thin. But what about that family vacation you took to Disney World, or that time you went to Niagra Falls and felt the mist tickling your cheeks? That was pretty incredible…kind of beats out the 30th stuffed animal you received for your 6th birthday, doesn’t it?  Now flash forward to present day. Let’s compare your last trip to Greece with the $700 you just spent on new clothes. Just think, that bundle of change could have been a round trip ticket to a new vacay spot… Pretty depressing, huh?

A lot of our habits form when we’re barely cognizant of the world around us. As children, we look up to our parents and mimic their actions and personalities. If your mother or father places high importance on status and material goods then chances are you’re going to imitate this lifestyle and mind frame. Consequently, if/when you become a parent your actions will be mirrored by your offspring as well. 

But why exactly is it important to collect experiences and not things? Research suggests that experiential purchases have a higher rate for providing a more enduring and long-lasting happiness than materials. This investigation does not lie solely in the outcome of the experience or the eventual attainment of the possession, but it deals with anticipation as well. Waiting for experiences tends to bring about more happiness than waiting for a possession. Living in the moment is something that we are not able to practice every day, so looking forward towards a future event replaces that desire  (Psychological Science). 

Cornell doctoral candidate Amit Kumar describes excitement and impending anticipation like this: “You can think about waiting for a delicious meal at a nice restaurant or looking forward to a vacation and how different that feels from waiting for, say, your pre-ordered iPhone to arrive. Or when the two-day shipping on Amazon Prime doesn’t seem fast enough” (The Atlantic).

Personally, I’m completely in line with the mentality that I’d rather save my money for travel than for a new patio set. However, the question does remain – wouldn’t you be happier with something that’s long lasting and that you could use every day rather than an experience that may only last a week? Unfortunately, once a routine occurs, even that car you’ve needed so badly becomes obsolete. You become used to its everyday presence and take it for granted/don’t look upon it quite as fondly as you initially did. However, have you ever reminisced on your backpacking trip through Germany with anything less than fondness? Even when something goes wrong on a vacation you can usually make light of it during the time, and, if not, years down the road you’re able to laugh at the bad turn of luck you may have incurred. Other times, such as being stranded at an airport, you can bond with your friends and family members in ways that you couldn’t even imagine prior. However, when your shipment for the latest Xbox is delayed two weeks there is never going to be a time where you’ll look back and be glad it was late. It just isn’t going to happen. 

Another study revealed that there are two types of transactions and each one has drastically different results. Say  you’re in line for a Justin Timberlake concert. Chances are you’re going to strike up conversations with those around you and possibly make friends with them for the rest of the evening. There’s no competition involved because everyone is going to have relatively the same enjoyable experience, and there’s nothing to be gained by being rude to someone. However, let’s take Black Friday for instance. You hear these horror stories where people are trampled and injured because someone wants to get that 64 inch TV that’s been reduced a mere 30%. At the end of the day, the satisfaction people are receiving from these type of events are toxic and not lasting (The Atlantic). 

Character is built when you’re purchasing events as opposed to toys. These trips and places you travel to, even if it’s just an hour away, builds self-confidence and introduces you to new situations that you would ordinarily not be able to experience. Greed is perpetuated with the constant need to fulfill our consumeristic desires.

I’ll leave you with this, material items are far more fleeting than memories. You’re only going to have your Macbook for five to seven years tops, and then it’s on to the next model. The trip to London you took with your brother is something that only lasts twelve days, yet you’re still talking about it ten years later. Once you’re able to lose your obsession with material items you will feel lighter with better priorities. Try to save for a vacation next time instead of the latest gaming consul. Once you take that trip see how you feel, chances are you’re going to have quite a change in perspective on life.