Balanced Holiday Eating

Holidays are a time to celebrate, and eating is a part of celebrating. We indulge in foods we normally don't eat - and to me, that's just fine. The problem often starts to surface when we start to feel guilty about these indulgences which can often lead to more overeating on our normal days. As the guilt further cascades we might stop working out as hard with all of the holiday stress. Funny story on this - having held a seminar “Have a Healthier Thanksgiving” years back and thoughtfully and passionately going through all the strategies and recipes a gentleman said at the end – “how bad is indulging in one meal, anyway? I think I’d rather have the real thing and work out harder the next day.” I couldn't really disagree with this idea. He was entirely right – studies show that exercise is THE best way to maintain a healthy weight as it can cover the occasional dietary indulgence. Some might think I’m simply suggesting we eat whatever we want during the holidays – and just exercise more. The truth is that the mental shift away from the “I shouldn’t eat that” often allows us the ability to mindfully moderate as we enjoy our holiday get-togethers and meals. For example, showing up to a celebration slightly hungry vs. overly hungry can allow us to create a more balanced plate – ½ fruits and vegetables, ¼ protein and ¼ starch. This method allows us to moderate calories while not depriving ourselves of any given food. Another way of looking at balance – after your holiday indulgence day you may not feel as hungry the next day – so eat less. Also, throw in an extra day of exercise and you’ll do even more to balance the extra calories. The last point I’ll make is that you may only have 5-6 days of events out of the 40-day holiday stretch. This math folds quite nicely into what some call the 80/20 rule: you can get to where you want to go if 80% of the time you’re following your normal eating routine. All of us at Sound Health Connects wish you and your family a healthy and balanced holiday season! Kathryn Reed, MS, Certified Nutritionist

9 Reasons to Walk More

I am continually amazed that the more we learn about strategies around healthy weight maintenance, the more simple things can become. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy gym equipment or memberships and certainly didn’t know their target heart rate. But what they all did if able-bodied is walk. I don’t mean to suggest that zumba classes, recumbent bikes and half marathons are not an important part of physical activity for some. But what we have come to understand is that if we don’t enjoy the activity we aren’t as likely to make it a lifestyle change. So, if you’re like me, and like to walk here are nine reasons to support doing more of it to maintain a healthier weight.

1) You burn 100 calories for every mile walked. Doesn’t matter how fast you walk it – it’s the amount of energy needed to push through distance.

2) Walking helps maintain and build strong bones.

3) We’re not likely to sustain injury from walking.

4) It’s free. No special equipment needed.

5) If you have a dog, he/she would really like to join you. And if you have a puller, there is some resistance training opportunity there too.

6) If you're able to be in nature even better - studies suggest a meditation like effect that can lower stress.

7) You can socially connect with others (walk with them or make that call to reach out – heck you can even check facebook if you’re on the sidewalk)

8) Go on a family walk and build healthy habits for your kids. Best of all, no childcare needed.

9) You can do it right now. Park a bit farther away, take a 10-min walk on your work break, take a 20-min. walk after dinner, walk to the grocery store if it’s close. It all adds up.

We need to walk the talk when it comes to living a healthier lifestyle but we also need to remember we don’t have to rock climb or buy the latest “insanity” workout dvd to get there. You can simply put your shoes on and walk out the front door. Kathryn Reed, MS, Certified Nutritionist

Help!

Why is it so hard for many people to ask for help? I talk to lots of folks, especially women, who refuse to ask for help from anyone. They take on more and more responsibilties and tasks until they get sick or exhausted. The most common response is that they should be able to be superhuman and are shocked when they can't keep up the pace.

Most men will talk a lot about work and are focused on the demands there, but women will suffer with work and domestic issues in an effort to meet everyone's needs, on average. The problem with that is her needs are ignored, and there is a price to pay. When you don't draw the "line in the sand" about what you need to get done for yourself....there will be consequences, and they will be yours.

Good nutrition and exercise are often most easily ignored and show up directly on our bodies and effect our energy level, mental health and overall wellness. Will the extra time you need to keep those things in order really effect your family's every day flow? It might, but living with a healthier, happier mom/dad,husband/wife will outweigh the inconvenience, and who knows?...maybe they really can do their own laundry. Chris Spears-Bartunek, MS,LMHC