Month: November 2015

Categories
Wellbeing

Picking Yourself Up After Blowing Your Diet

Dieting is rarely easy. It’s often said that if losing weight were simple, everyone who wanted to be thin would be. It’s normal to make mistakes on your diet. Sometimes you make so many mistakes that you sit down and realize you’ve completely blown your diet. If this is where you are right now, here are some dos and don’ts for picking yourself up and getting back on the right track.

Definitely Don’t

Definitely don’t berate yourself.

If you begin to figuratively beat yourself up over blowing your diet, stop right away. Look at yourself in a mirror and tell yourself, “It’s okay.” Mistakes happen all the time. Blowing your diet isn’t the end of the world or the end of your diet. It’s just a small hiccup you can overcome.

When I blew my diet before I successfully lost weight, I rarely forgave myself and never told myself it was all going to be okay. Instead, I wrung my hands, bemoaned the fact I was never going to lose weight, and sat down for another cookie.

Definitely Do

Definitely do practice positively affirming yourself.

Reaffirm yourself and your desire to lose weight. When I blew my diet during my final weight loss attempt, I wrote down what I hoped to accomplish after I lost weight and how I envisioned myself looking and feeling. Although thinking positively about yourself won’t make you drop pounds, it can keep you going after you temporarily blow your diet.

Definitely Don’t

Definitely don’t binge.

Binge eating is when you eat a large amount of food in a short time. The Mayo Clinic indicates that frequent binge eating is a disorder that should be addressed with a medical professional.

It is possible to occasionally binge eat in the absence of a disorder. That was me.

If you binge after blowing your diet, you will only make yourself feel worse than you already do. Plus, you will consume a lot of unnecessary calories that will further slow your weight loss efforts.

Definitely Do

Definitely do figure out what happened.

Assess your diet strategy and figure out why you are having trouble sticking to your plan. Perhaps you blew your diet because of one of these reasons:

  • Your food choices were too restrictive.
  • The diet was difficult to monitor.
  • It cost too much money.
  • Your family was not supportive.
  • You failed to address your emotional attachment to food.
  • Holidays and social events continually trip you up.
  • You did not have a definite plan to lose weight in the first place.

Once you’ve narrowed down why you are struggling, spend some time fixing the problem. For example, if you don’t have a definite plan on how to lose weight, check out the ChooseMyPlate government website, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, or another reputable weight loss program.

Definitely Don’t

Definitely don’t put off restarting your diet.

Don’t make the mistake I often did and put off restarting your weight loss plan. Sometimes if you put it off, you never get restarted. I know it can be discouraging to start over when you have slipped up, but it’s the only way to get to where you want to be.

Definitely Do

Definitely do hold yourself accountable.

If you’ve struggled with sticking to your diet, find a way to be accountable to someone as you restart. There are many options out there—some are free such as MyFitness Pal, TOPS, and Sparkpeople. Others cost money like Jenny Craig, personalized weight loss counseling, and Weight Watchers.

Once you settle on a way to stay accountable, commit to checking in on a regular basis. One of the best ways to stay committed to your diet is to share your successes and challenges with other people.

Categories
Sweat

Quick Ways to Crush Those Cravings

For me, cravings tend to creep in after dinner. I usually eat, and then feel like I could use a little something more — usually sweet and caloric. Like cake. Or cookies. Or ice cream. *cue delighted smiles here*

Only problem? While completely delicious, significant doses of sugar also make me feel sick. Yuck.

After a while, I realized these calories were kind of busting my healthy-eating regimen. So not only did I feel terrible at night, but I was also packing a bunch of calories I truly didn’t need. Which is why I developed certain strategies to conquer cravings when they strike.

You might experience food cravings when you’re happy, sad or stressed. Or maybe it’s during that afternoon lull at work, where you start to get a little bit sleepy. Or maybe you’re a post-dinner craver like me. Any which way, some of these strategies may work for you. Here’s where to start.

Brush your teeth.

Immediately after your meals, get in the habit of brushing your teeth. Not only are you doing your oral health a favor by cleaning off food residue, you’re also essentially telling your taste buds that you’re done. Your palette usually craves foods that complement each other, so wipe the slate clean. Nothing tastes that great with minty, grainy toothpaste.

Drink water.

When I’m tempted to reach for more after dinner, I immediately reach for my water bottle instead. First off, most of us don’t hydrate enough, and you might still be feeling faux “hunger pangs” that are really hints of dehydration. Secondly, it gives your body time to digest your food so your brain can recognize you’re full.

Remove yourself from the kitchen.

Cookies are a lot easier to resist if you can’t reach them, so have a post-dinner getaway plan. Go outside for a walk in the fading fall twilight, finish that work correspondence you’ve been putting or, or hit the grocery store — which is a smart move after dinner. Research tells us it’s best not to shop on an empty stomach, or we’ll buy unhealthy foods instead of making smart choices. No matter what it is, though, save one activity for dinner.

Get active.

I’ve been saving my workout for after working hours and after dinner. Why? Not only does it give me something to do as an escape from the urge to nosh on chocolate, it also suppresses appetite. There’s ample research to prove it; aerobic exercise especially works on key hormones that factor into our drives to eat, and those effects can even stick around all night and into the next day.

Make a good swap.

Sometimes, you simply need to eat something more, oftentimes while you’re body is still registering your meal. But choose wisely. Try having smart choices on standby, so you don’t reach for the easy, processed chips or cookies. Sweet and smooth banana ice cream can be a delicious way to top off a meal; if crunch is what you’re looking for, I opt for carrots and (healthy lite) dip. Nosh, but not mindlessly; be aware of your hunger cues and when your body is telling you it’s done.

Drink tea.

If your cravings tend to pop up at night before bed, try tea. Especially in winter, this warming beverage will pack some hydration and have a calming effect on your system. There’s some evidence to suggest green tea’s active ingredient, EGCG, is helpful for weight loss and appetite suppression — but not enough to say conclusively. (Although, anecdotally, I have friends who sing its praises.) I’ve found that calming teas work best to blunt hunger pangs and calm the body; try chamomile, peppermint, jasmine, or cinnamon with a dot of honey if you want something sweet.

Categories
Sweat

Hot on the Trail: The 5 Best Trail Running Destinations in the U.S.

It is easy to see why trail running has become such a popular sport over the past few years. Not only does it provide a host of benefits to your health, it gives you the opportunity to get outside and immerse yourself in nature too. Chances are, no matter where you live, there are some fun, scenic trails just waiting to be explored.

That said, when it comes to trail running, not all places are created equal. While there are plenty of places that offer great opportunities for runners to make the transition from the road to the backcountry, some are definitely more blessed than others in terms of trail options. With that in mind, here are the five best trail running destinations in the entire U.S.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe has been a hot-bed for trail runners for a very long time, and for good reason. Not only does it have outstanding weather that allows for running outdoors all year long, it also offers access to some great running routes too. Amongst the very best are the Dale Balls Trails, which run for more than 22 miles into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Scenery along the way include impressive views of the high desert, intermixed with juniper and cedar trees, which line the dirt and rock path.

Asheville, North Carolina

Over the past few years, Asheville has gained a reputation for being one of the truly fantastic outdoor destinations in the eastern United States. It offers great hiking, mountain biking, paddling, and of course, trail running too. With 500 miles of trail located less than 30 miles from town, there are literally options for all levels of runner ranging from beginner to expert. And when you’re done running for the day, be sure to drop by one of Asheville’s famous craft breweries.

Boulder, Colorado

For many, Boulder is the outdoor capital of the U.S., offering access to some of Colorado’s best backcountry alpine settings. Trail runners will find more than 200 miles of trail within a short distance of town, with plenty of high-altitude routes that can test both the lungs and the legs. One of the best is the 15-mile long High Lonesome Loop, which is a particular favorite with the locals. Just be sure to acclimate before you set out, as the oxygen gets thin when you’re more than a mile above sea level.

Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

The 165-mile Tahoe Rim trail is absolutely one of the best in the entire U.S. Encircling all of Lake Tahoe, it passes through two states, three national forests, and three wildernesses areas. Along the way, it winds through aspen meadows and past pristine lakes, reaching altitudes in excess of 10,000 feet in the Sierra Mountains. The trail is broken town into nine distinct sections, with numerous access points located at various places along its length, making it easy to find unique routes of varying distances and difficulties.

Bend, Oregon

The Pacific Northwest is filled with great trail running destinations, but few can compare to Bend. Located in a spot where the Cascade Mountains meet Oregon’s high desert region, the city offers fantastic routes through both environments. This makes it a trail runners dream come true, allowing them to train in a variety of conditions, with rich and varied scenery along the way. Head out to the 16.7 mile Flagline trail to experience everything Bend has to offer. The route features some of the best scenery in the region, and since the city boasts 300 days of sunshine each year, there are no excuses to not get out and run on a regularly.

These five places offer some of the absolute best trail running opportunities found anywhere. But, there are numerous other great destinations throughout the U.S. as well, In fact, as mentioned above; chances are there some excellent trails near your home as well. All you have to do is search for them, and before long you could be a trail running convert too.

Categories
Wellbeing

Love Me Like A Rock: The Michelangelo Effect

What do really successful couples do that keeps their love vibrant and exciting?

Relationship scientists have some insight into what works. As you might have guessed it has something to do with communication. But what might surprise you is that it isn’t so much about having fewer bad interactions– it isn’t repairing what went wrong that helps the most. Research shows that good relationships are the very measure of what makes life worth living and people with good social relations tend to live longer and happier lives, so if there is an investment to be made in our own well-being it is in the interactions and communication with the people around us.

The key seems to be in the positive reciprocal influence and support of each other–something known as the Michelangelo phenomenon. Michelangelo was said to have seen the process of sculpting as revealing the hidden magnificent figures hidden in the stone. When we each interact with the other in a way that supports the emergence of the ideal self–each person is working to bring out the best in the other.

It has to do with having a very particular type of communication in your everyday life: How well we celebrate others. It is how we respond to good news from our partner, our work associates, and our family that determines the quality of our relationship. When good news from others comes our way our enthusiastic response is what is most supportive in bringing out their best.

People are like flowers. We turn toward what we need and what makes us grow. Being like a flower is how we need to be in a relationship. The delicate flower can withstand intense wind and rain and long days without sunlight. Flowers are open and vulnerable to the elements, and yet they use these same elements to thrive and blossom. Rain will feed the roots and the wind carries seeds so that new flowers will grow. We both need sunshine and need to be the source of it for others Good relationships involve a variety of ingredients, but two of the more important ones are being open and celebrating each other. Being open means you are able to tell the truth about how you are feeling without being afraid of being criticized. Celebrating each other means learning how to praise each other’s accomplishments, both big and small.

Psychologist Shelly Gable and her colleagues study how positive relationships give us greater life satisfaction and better connections –as well as more positive feelings. The have found that the way you respond to good news can make or break the relationship. The evidence shows that it is not how we respond to the struggles of life, but rather how we respond to the good things that make for strong relationships. The term capitalizing is used when we talk about how we react when good news is being shared. What you do in response to when things go RIGHT makes for a good connection –not how you correct what’s wrong,

When something good happens to a friend is by doing something the researcher call Active Constructive Responding, or ACR. As an example, imagine that a friend of yours just got an A on a big exam. Let’s look at four ways you could respond: You could say: “Great, let me show you the photo of my new ant farm.” This really doesn’t celebrate your friend’s achievement very much. You could also say: “Good for you.” Better, but not really much of a celebration. You could also say: “You probably cheated if you got such a good grade.” Obviously this isn’t going to make your friend very happy, and it probably won’t foster a good relationship going forward. But in ACR the reaction is to be happy for your friend and celebrate the achievement. “Wow! I know you studied like crazy for that exam and it really paid off. When did you find out? What did the teacher say? Give me a high five!

Try it for a week. Listen to the good news people bring to you, particularly those you have a close relationship with. At the same time notice who is there to celebrate you. See who looks at you like Michelangelo looked at the stone and saw the Pietà or David waiting to be revealed.

Categories
Nosh

Crazy For Coconut Oil, Or Just Plain Crazy?

Saturated fat is bad! No, only certain kinds! Wait, they’re all fine; vegetable oils are bad! Forget fats; it’s the carbohydrates that are killing us!
It’s no wonder nutrition confuses so many people. Sometimes even I feel lost in all those news stories about the “latest research.”
Coconut oil has been, for me, one of those challenging topics to wrap my head around. All of my years of schooling taught me that saturated fat increases heart disease risk, and coconut oil is about as saturated as fats get. Now, everyone and their mother is using coconut oil because it’s full of “heart healthy” fats. Where is all of this coming from? Who is correct?
Has my entire education been a sham?
Let’s start with the facts…
All fats contain a mixture of fatty acids, which can be saturated, monounsaturated, omega-6 polyunsaturated, or omega-3 polyunsaturated. Humans like neat categories, though, so we divide up food sources of fat according to the predominant fatty acid found inside of it. For example, coconut oil is considered a saturated fat because 92 percent of its fatty acids are saturated. As a comparison, butter is only 66 percent saturated, and we consider that to be a saturated fat, too. Clearly, not all saturated fats are identical.
In fact, saturated fats can be further subdivided by length. Some saturated fatty acids are considered long, some are medium, and some are short. Anywhere from 55-70 percent of coconut oil’s fatty acids are medium chain saturated (referred to as “MCT” from here out) and 22-33 percent are long chain saturated, compared with 8 percent and 39 percent, respectively, for butter. More on this in a minute.
For a long time, we thought saturated fat was the be-all and end-all of heart health, so a diet high in saturated fat was a big deal. (Shameless self-promotion: You can read more about that whole controversy in my butter-versus-margarine article.) Now many people say that’s not quite right. They’re generally the people who endorse eating coconut oil.
So what do these folks have to say?

THE PROS

– Saturated fat, in general, is no longer thought to be the demon it once was in promoting heart disease.
– MCTs are unique because they aren’t treated the same as longer saturated fats in the body. Evidence suggests they are excellent sources of energy, and some claim they do not pose adverse health risks. They may even have health benefits. Remember, about two-thirds of coconut oil’s fats are MCTs.
– Certain native islander cultures have used coconut oil as a dietary staple for a long, long time, and their rates of disease are distinctly lower than ours.
BEFORE YOU BUY THAT COCONUT OIL, THOUGH…
A lot of those studies I linked to above are just a smidge flawed. Some are old. Others are small or not representative of the general population’s demographics, and they gloss over some key points.

THE CONS

– Just because certain cultures consume coconut oil healthfully does not mean that people of all descents respond to it the same way. More and more, we’re learning that different diets may be optimal for different people, and it has a lot to do with genetics.
– Many studies look at MCTs in isolation, not in the context of actual food. If, perhaps, a food existed that was 100 percent MCT, then we might be onto something. However, we’ve already established that foods are complex and made up of many different types of fats. We need to do more studies on food, not isolated nutrients.
– Other studies claim there is insufficient evidence to promote MCT and coconut oil at this time, and for now we should treat coconut oil like any other saturated fat.
– Speaking of saturated fat, it might not be as detrimental as we once thought, but that’s assuming that we maintain a moderate total fat intake. Even the studies that support the use of coconut oil tend to say that their findings are not meant to be extrapolated to diets in which more than about 35 percent of calories come from fat.

THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT OR FLOP?

If we’re talking about putting coconut oil on everything, then it’s a FLOP in my book. But if you want to start replacing some of the other saturated fats in your diet with coconut oil, I’d call it FIT.
It comes down to the individual. Did your ancestors eat a lot of coconut oil? Is it your primary source of saturated fat, or do you also consume red and processed meats, high-fat dairy, and baked goods? What does the rest of your diet look like? How active are you?
These things matter.
When it comes to coconut oil (and life!), remember the three Cs: context, caution, and common sense. They rarely steer you wrong.

Categories
Sweat

4 Simple Rules To Keep You Fit For Life

My 4 Rules

1. Never go more than three days without exercise.

2. Exercise at least three days a week.

3. Never miss a Monday.

4. Never give up.


Rules are great. They are actually better than great. They are necessary in life. We have household rules, school rules, governmental rules, and we even have rules at work. So why wouldn’t we have rules with our health and fitness?

Even though most people break rules occasionally, just think of the things we would try to get away with if we didn’t have any rules at all? Rules keep us in line and help us stay on track–and they can keep us on track with fitness too.

Sadly, most people don’t apply rules to fitness. They go to the gym as much as “they can” (whatever that means). Oftentimes, they even exercise without any specific goals or direction. Doing fitness without guidelines gives you too much room for failure. We need these rules and measurements to help us determine what success is, and to help us stay on course.

Since I used to be the queen of irregular workouts, I developed four simple rules to keep me on track–and boy, has it helped!

1. Never go more than three days without exercise.

I have to say, since I started living by these rules, I rarely ever break this one. Three days gives me plenty of time to enjoy a long weekend without feeling guilty about missing a workout. If I have applied all the other rules prior to my vacation, I can go proud and feeling good knowing three days isn’t going to kill me.

Where people go wrong is they workout all the time and then they miss a few days. Then, those few days turn into a few weeks. A few weeks turn into a few months. You get the picture. It’s happened to all of us.

Living by this rule gets you back in the gym so you stay consistent and don’t get out of the habit of regular exercise. Fitness is not a trend or a phase. It should be a lifestyle.

2. Exercise at least three days a week.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) gives guidelines for recommended exercise. On the top of their list is aerobic exercise, which works our cardiovascular system (our heart and lungs). Even though we call this type of exercise “cardio,” most of us do it to burn calories and fat more than exercise our life support system.

ACSM actually addresses frequency, recommending we perform physical activity a minimum of three to five times each week for 20 to 60 minutes at a time. ACSM actually clarifies that even more by giving us goals of how many calories we should burn during those workouts, which is 300 calories per exercise three days a week or 200 calories per session four days a week. That’s just less than 1,000 calories of exercise burned per week. (Note: That is barely enough calories to burn off one hamburger, one small French fry, and a coke per week! Just saying.)

However, if you want the best results, ACSM suggests your weekly expenditure be closer to 2,000 calories per week. For me, that would be an equivalent to 30 minutes of cardio every day or four 1-hour group exercise classes per week. This is what I strive for every week and has proven to be great for maintenance, preventing weight gain and keeping me fit.

While ACSM also encourages us to add strength training and flexibility exercises to the list too, cardio is still top priority for general health and fighting disease as well as combating weight gain.

So, worst-case scenario, a bad week would still mean I met ACSM’s minimum exercise requirements for good health. Not too shabby right?

3. Never miss a Monday.

I always say Monday is like New Year’s Day for each week. It’s a chance to start over, start fresh, and start right. Just like New Year’s Day not only marks the beginning of a new year, it also marks the completion of the prior year. It’s the line in the sand that seems to release us from the past and allows us to start over.

Each Monday is like that for me. It doesn’t matter what I did last week or how bad I messed up. As soon as Monday comes, I can put last week behind me and start over. While we can start fresh any day of the week, there is something to be said about starting the week out right and making a fresh commitment to get back on track.

4. Never give up.

Even if I go more than three days without working out, I don’t get to exercise three times one week, or I do miss a Monday, none of these rules work if I give up. I have to stay committed to trying my best to live by these rules. I will fail. I will get sick or have an emergency that may throw me off. Life will happen.

The key to success is not avoiding failure. The key to success is not giving up. Failure only happens when we quit trying to succeed.

Categories
Lifestyle

Organic Produce Isn't Just Good For You, It's Good For Farmers Too

Sales of organic products have increased by a whopping 20 percent in the past decade making it the fastest growing agricultural sector. Consumers are motivated to buy organic because they want to reduce their exposure to pesticide residue, hormones, and antibiotics. But organic produce isn’t just good for your health, it’s also good for the health and well-being of the farmer that produces your food and the planet.

A Farmer’s Pesticide Exposure

While consumers come into contact with pesticide residue found on fruits and vegetables, farmers and farm workers are exposed to the actual pesticides. With more than 17,000 pesticide products (including consumer products) on the market today, it’s become unrealistic for the Environmental Protection Agency to test all of them. In fact, the agency only tests one percent of chemicals in commerce today.

Most recently, two former farm workers sued Monsanto claiming that its signature weed killer Roundup caused their cancers. Enrique Rubio, who was a farm worker in Oregon, Texas, and California claimed that exposure to Roundup caused his bone cancer. He filed a lawsuit alleging that spraying fields with the herbicide was a substantial and contributing factor to his cancer diagnosis in 1995. Judi Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit in the federal court of New York claiming that exposure to Roundup during the 1990s caused her leukemia over a decade later.

Protecting Soil and Water Quality

While in the short term farmers may think that depending on a chemical regimen to grow crops is easier, over time, heavy use of pesticides can damage the soil and environment. For example, many genetically modified seeds like Roundup Ready corn, soy, and cotton have become resistant to the herbicide Roundup. As a result, farmers dump inordinate amounts of it on their crops. In fact, according to the EPA, in the past two decades, use has increased by 7 million pounds.

While the crop itself may survive the onslaught of pesticides, the biodiversity surrounding the crops does not and the soil itself becomes a dead zone. Once the soil becomes overly depleted, the food produced on the land also suffers. For example, fruits and vegetables can become depleted of vitamins and minerals. What’s more, pesticides seep down into ground water as well as into lakes and streams. Whether as a result of pesticide drift or runoff, these chemicals can pollute water supplies. Pesticides cause the growth of toxic algae blooms, which can also cause water contamination and, in some cases, even cut off drinking water supplies to certain areas.

Organic Farming Is More Profitable

Organic farming is also better for farmers financially. A new study, published in Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that organic farming is 22 to 35 percent more profitable than conventional farming. Not only does organic farming demand a higher price tag from consumers who value both the health and environmental benefits of better food, it doesn’t require expensive petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers.

Nitrogen fertilizers are the single biggest energy consumer, representing over 40 percent of the energy cost for a conventional farmer. These fertilizers require large amounts of petroleum to produce and transport. In the end, the average net return for organic farmers is $558 per acre per year versus $190 per acre per year for conventional farmers. And after all that input, the crop yields are basically the same.

If the actual societal price of conventional farming was included in the consumer price, (for example, the cost of cleaning up polluted water systems and crop subsidies), then the cost of conventional farming would be a whole lot higher, but those farmers would still be unlikely to see the majority of the profits.

Organic produce has a positive impact on society from producer to consumer. It requires fewer pesticides which means farmers aren’t exposed to poisons that can be detrimental to their health both immediately and later on in life. It also means that farmers actually get to farm, using age-old methods like cover crops, beneficial insects, and crop rotation to maintain soil biodiversity.

Traditional farming methods are something of an art form and they deserve a fair wage. Once farmers do the work to transition their farm to organic, they deserve to be compensated for the effort–especially when it means we get to enjoy the delicious and healthful products from all of their hard work.

Categories
Sweat

Sending Out An S.O.S.: Do You Turn to Vitamin C In A Cold & Flu Emergency?

Since the 1970s, vitamin C has been touted as a remedy for the common cold, but recent research may be calling that into question. Is popping a pill or knocking back a shot of juice enough to keep you fit this cold and flu season, or is it just another marketing flop?

First, a little background on vitamin C. It’s a compound found in citrus fruits, red and green peppers, kiwifruit, broccoli, strawberries, cantaloupe, potatoes, tomatoes: basically a lot of fruits and veggies. Since it’s in so many fresh foods, it became a big deal back in the day, when sailors would go weeks on a ship without access to fruits and vegetables. They became vitamin C deficient and developed scurvy. Most people, though, get at least enough vitamin C to avoid this not-fun, fatal disease.

Vitamin C is water-soluble and acts as an antioxidant, preventing cell damage from free radicals, which come from exposure to cigarette smoke, pollution, U.V. light from the sun, and even basic bodily processes. Vitamin C is also important for wound healing, iron absorption, and immune function.

Immune function! That’s the one we want to focus on.

THE PROS

– Taking vitamin C every day may help you get over a cold a bit faster; this effect is more pronounced in children.

– Some individual (and admittedly pretty old) studies show some relief of symptoms.

– If you are vitamin C insufficient or deficient, supplementing may work to improve immune function. It may also work for anyone undergoing serious physical stress, such as endurance athletes.

– Water-soluble vitamins have very low risk of toxicity because they tend not to be stored in the body. If you consume more than you need, your body gets rid of the excess through urination.

THE CONS

– Although daily vitamin C supplementation may help you get over your cold a day or two faster (see above), there’s no evidence that it can help prevent the cold in the first place. It also won’t shorten its duration if you wait until the symptoms arise to start supplementing.

– Paying for and taking a vitamin every single day in the hopes that it will help you get over a cold one day sooner does not seem like the most cost-effective strategy. Plus, the supplement industry is super sleazy and it can be difficult to find a brand to trust.

– Anecdotally (and also scientifically), when I worked in a hospital, I saw a patient who regularly took very high doses of vitamin C. Whenever he stopped, he experienced symptoms of deficiency; not because he was actually deficient, but because his body essentially developed a high tolerance to the vitamin and felt withdrawal symptoms without the mega-dose supplement.

– Vitamin C may not be toxic in large doses, but it can cause nausea, diarrhea, or kidney stones. It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting to supplement, and make sure they have an updated list of everything you take.

THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT OR FLOP?

FLOP! Nearly all researchers agree, there really is no strong evidence to show that vitamin C supplements do anything significant in preventing or treating the common cold. As the Cleveland Clinic so accurately points out, you can’t expect to eat one grapefruit one time and get a burst of immune protection.

When I changed my diet around and started eating more healthfully, I did absolutely stop getting colds as frequently. There is no doubt that filling your diet with fruits and vegetables can have a tremendous impact on your health, including your immune system. These foods are chock-full of vitamins and minerals that are vital for your body performing at its best, but you only get the benefits from a whole lifestyle shift. Once again, there may be truth behind the health myth, but the truth is that there are no short cuts to health. Isolating a single nutrient and stuffing it into a capsule is not the same as eating the original, whole food source of that nutrient. We have to fuel our body with nutritious foods all year-long if we want to reap the rewards.

So what’s the real bottom line? Forget the pills. Eat your broccoli (and oranges, and peppers, and leafy greens). Your mom was right: it really is good for you.

Categories
Wellbeing

Are You Easily Offended?

From social media to pop culture, race, religion, and politics, so many of the top news stories today feature an outrage, backlash, or controversy sparked by what a famous person said or did. It seems that almost everything that is expressed publicly is bound to offend someone.

As I’ve observed this phenomenon, I’ve pondered whether we as a society are too sensitive or thrive on being offended. My own views are that culturally, we actually lean more toward being insensitive, and that overall, we still can improve in being kind and empathetic to other people. Still, I acknowledge that oversensitivity exists and that it can become quite problematic for those who experience it.

Have you ever realized how easy it is to deem someone else as being overly sensitive? It’s much more productive to take a look in the mirror and self-reflect rather than pass judgment. Here are a few things to consider to determine whether or not you yourself are perhaps too easily offended, and if so, how you can manage this tendency:

First, I invite you to consider whether or not your being offended is an ongoing pattern. As human beings, we will naturally all have our feelings hurt at times. But pause to reflect on whether or not you are habitually feeling left out, resentful, hurt, or otherwise offended in your relationships. If you are frequently offended, do a little self-inquiry to explore why that might be the case. Look inward to gain insight about what might cause you to be highly sensitive.

Following up with determining whether you are often offended, dig a little deeper and ask whether or not there is more to the story. Those who have their feelings hurt easily may sometimes be recreating an old wound. Trauma and other painful events can heighten our sensitivity and vulnerability to certain situations. For example, jokes that demean or objectify women are never appropriate or funny, but may be especially painful for someone who was physically or sexually abused. Try to look at yourself holistically and understand the context and the backstory to make sense of your experience.

Another thing to ask yourself is what you can gain from remaining offended. I’ve noticed how sometimes people hold onto pain because it makes them feel justified as someone who’s been wronged. We like to be right about how we view ourselves, and so we may inadvertently perpetuate our own suffering by prolonging the offense. Then, ask yourself what you could gain by giving up the offense. I’ve worked with clients in psychotherapy who, after carrying heavy burdens for far too long, finally can let things go to find healing, forgiveness, and peace. It’s not always easy to give up a grudge, but the things you gain from doing so can make it worth it.

Finally, if you still find yourself being repeatedly offended, determine what it is that you need for closure. Sometimes we can simply talk ourselves out of our own hurt (Think: “It’s okay. She didn’t mean it.” or “This too, shall pass.”), but other times, we may need to take action. Maybe having a conversation with someone, setting a boundary, venting frustration out at the gym, or even writing feelings in a journal can help you get over whatever it is that is bothering you.

Being offended is inevitable, but staying offended for long periods of time is a choice. I encourage you to look inward, weigh the costs and benefits of holding on to your hurt (hint: it’s usually not worth it!), and then doing what you need to in order to be free of the emotional burden and find happiness again.

Categories
Sweat

5 Simple Tips To Reset Your Body Clock After A Time Change

Changing the clock for Daylight Savings Time, working and odd schedule, or flying to a different timezone can reek havoc on your sleep pattern leading to lack of coordination, inattention, general crankiness, and even, in some cases, heart attack.

Our bodies have an internal clock tuned to the setting and rising of the sun. Known as the circadian rhythm, this natural timing shifts subtly from season to season as the days get longer or shorter. The body struggles to adjust to sudden changes, especially when moved forward in time, which is why traveling west to east or “springing forward” is more difficult than falling back in time. Some experts believe our bodies never fully adjust to Day Light Savings Time, because the signals from the sun are out of sync with the time of day. Jet lag, however, usually subsides as soon as the body syncs with the sun in that location. Shift workers, or people traveling a long distance, battle sun signals that are at odds with the schedule they must keep. Both constant and sudden disruption to sleep patterns can cause the stress hormone, cortisol, to build up. This build up can trigger a heart attack in some cases. It is important to help your body to adjust.

Tackle the time change with these simple tips:

Be awake when it is light. We all know it is hard to get out of bed when it is still dark outside. If your watch is out of sync with the sun, use artificial light to cue your body to wake up. Some people use timers or special alarm clocks to turn lights on gradually just before they get up to cue their bodies to wake more gently. Getting outside in sunlight at some point during the day for at least 15 minutes will help your body adjust and boost your mood too. Avoid spending time in dimly lit areas during hours you need to be productive. If you must nap, try a quick nap in a comfortable chair rather than in a dark bedroom. Limiting naps to 20 minutes will allow you to awake refreshed rather than groggy.

Sleep when it is dark. We aren’t designed to sleep when the sun is up. Many shift workers find sleeping in a basement room with heavy shades is helpful. Avoid the blue light produced by television, computer, phone, and tablet screens for at least an hour before bedtime. If you must be outside in the sun near the time you need to sleep, wear dark glasses.

Embrace the present time. As quickly as possible, switch all clocks to the new time. Eat on a schedule, and get into a routine to allow your body to adjust. Try not to play the “what time would it be…” game with yourself. One of the best travel tips I ever received is to turn the clock in the hotel away from the bed. That way if you wake during the night, you aren’t tempted to calculate what time it is back home. This mental exercise keeps the brain awake.

Don’t embrace the present time. Yes, this is the exact opposite of the previous tip. Sometimes it makes sense not to change. If you have changed timezones, but are going back home tomorrow, it may be smart to stay true to your body clock. A fellow professional speaker lives on the west coast, but works much of the fall on the east coast. She stays on east coast time when she is at home so that she isn’t exhausted when she goes back to work.

Make the change slowly, if you can. If you know a shift in time is coming, try changing you sleep schedule slowing over a week or two instead of all at once. This slower shift makes the adjustment easier. Going to bed and waking 15 minutes earlier isn’t a big change per night, but can add up to a more gentle adjustment over time.

Get your body clock in sync to work and feel better!