Wednesday Wellness | Intero Mojo

Posts Tagged ‘Wednesday Wellness’

Wednesday Wellness: Stay Healthy During the Holidays

By Tammy Parkinson | November 16th, 2011 0 Comments

The Holidays bring about many temptations and challenges, but also a lot of fun and love.

Sit down, take a moment and absorb some suggestions (below) which might help you stay healthy over the next month and a half: (can you believe Christmas is almost a month away?!)

The “Holidays” consist of 3 days from here forward…Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve! Just 3 days!!
Remember one very important “tip” before heading out to a holiday party with all the rich foods, desserts, and drinks – EAT before you go! Yes, EAT! That way you will have the chance to have something healthy and when you get to the party – you won’t be so quick to devour a plate of goodies.
Sugars, fats, and sodium do more damage than just add calories to your figure – they cause fatigue, headaches, stomach upset and bloating. Remember, you will pay dearly afterwards.
Find a “Holiday Buddy” who will agree to eat sensibly with you over the holidays. Challenge each other and hold each other accountable. Join our “no sweets during the Holidays club” or find a nutritional accountability coach. I know a good one!
Keep track of what you eat in a food journal. A journal also holds you accountable and you won’t be so likely to cheat if you know you must document it. You can also share this with your Holiday Buddy via text or email.
Be proactive – think ahead to how another 5 – 10 pounds (or more) will look on your figure by the time the holidays are over. Is that what you really want? Maybe it wouldn’t be so unrealistic to actually be in better shape come January!
Treat yourself to a new outfit on January 7th – as long as you haven’t gained any weight between Christmas and New Years. If you are on a budget, pull out an outfit you have right now which you love and fits snug. Have that as your goal for January 7th!

Exercise

Do you want to know what the real trick is to starting and staying on an exercise plan? It’s not only the actual exercising – it’s the thinking, planning, feeling, and preparing.

Sometimes we do things out of obligation, guilt, peer pressure, etc. If you really want to begin an exercise program you must feel committed, know you’re ready, plan, and prepare for a permanent change.
Know that exercise (and nutrition) needs to be a permanent lifestyle change. Our bodies aren’t made to be sedentary – they need to move. Daily! Meaning, exercise must be consistent and forever. An understanding of this will set your mental stage and you’ll have a better chance of success.
Buddy up with someone (friend, coworker, personal trainer) who can support and motivate you. This person should also hold you accountable.
Know what you’re doing when it comes to exercise. There are many different methods, programs, and techniques for exercise. Plan out your strategy before you begin a program.
Plan out your workout schedule (days, times, length, etc.)
Organize your gym clothes, set the alarm, have an alternate plan in case of rain, etc. The more organized you are – the less chance you’ll have of making excuses NOT to workout.
Plan an exercise program you’ll enjoy. If it’s a chore – forget it. If you don’t think any exercise is fun – that’s just plain negative thinking! This might be the time to think about getting a personal trainer just for the Holidays!
Be prepared to chart your progress – because you will see progress! Charting it will help keep you motivated.

Have a blast. Enjoy family, friends, and festivities and make the Holidays about the experiences vs. the food!

Wednesday Wellness: Realize, Visualize and Achieve Your Goals

By Tammy Parkinson | November 9th, 2011 0 Comments

If you want something, but can’t imagine actually having it…how can you actually have it?

When I work with weight loss clients and they want to lose for example 30 pounds, but can’t really imagine themselves even 5 pounds thinner, it’s often likely they will struggle in getting to their goal. Not impossible…but difficult.

If we work with fitness clients who want to run a marathon for example, but cannot envision themselves running 5 miles, it’s (pun intended) an uphill battle.

If you want to earn $1,000,000.00 this year, but have no idea how to get there and can’t visualize yourself coming up with the funds to even pay your property taxes in 6 months, chances are the bigger goal may not be attained. Again, not impossible, but certainly very challenging.

The belief system that we CAN, that we are CAPABLE, and that we can CREATE our goal is vital in order to more readily achieve our desires.

So, back to our weight loss person, if he or she can picture themselves 5 pounds thinner (I mean really hold on and believe in that picture of themselves), 10 pounds thinner and so on; then picture how they will feel when they reach their goals, the reality of the goal is much more attainable.

Realize your goals, visualize yourself achieving them, and think about how it’s going to feel when you DO achieve them; then go for it!

Wednesday Wellness: Accept Change

By Tammy Parkinson | November 2nd, 2011 0 Comments

Is there something in your life that you are holding on to desperately, but it’s still slipping through your fingers; possibly a little out of your control?

I feel this way about summer and the warm weather. I relish (practically live for) the warmth, the sun, the long days. So much so, that I realized that I was forgetting to appreciate the beauty of the changing seasons.

Today I went for a long bike ride. The leaves were an amazing color of red and orange, there was the smell of smoke from fires heating up people’s homes and there was a special “energy” in the air that was crisp and cool. I was shocked to realize I was enjoying the change of the seasons!

When we (I) try so hard to hold on to what we love, we can forget to move out of our own way and appreciate the newness that this vast opening provides us.

For instance, I am on a “no sweets” challenge until January 2nd with a few clients and friends. I have officially given up my beloved peanut butter malt balls for the challenge. Now I have a vast open “space” of something else I can enjoy in my day! I realized I was craving new foods I hadn’t had for a while and just like the example of opening myself up to loving the crisp air, I am enjoying different foods because I decided to switch and change. I accepted my change.

It’s a healthy reminder to appreciate those habits we love and the time of year which we favor. I also realized today, it’s equally important to open our arms to the flow of our circumstances we are able to experience because we have accepted change. Especially those changes beyond our control!

Wednesday Wellness: Take Care of Yourself

By Tammy Parkinson | October 26th, 2011 0 Comments

Recently I was on a flight and for the hundredth (or so) time, I watched the airline attendant describe safety measures, starting off with the oxygen mask. She demonstrated that in the event of an emergency, adults should place their own mask on their face, before they help a child or another person.

Of course, that makes sense. How can we help another person if we are floundering?

How many times have you said, or heard “I just don’t have any time for myself. I can’t take time to workout, shop for healthy foods, eat healthy, go for a walk, or even relax…my children need me for x y z, my spouse needs me, my boss needs me, my clients need me, my parents need me…” and so on.

While all of these statements are valid, how can you (or the person who is saying this) begin to help another when they themselves are floundering?

I thought the oxygen mask brings an interesting perspective of how we might not take care of ourselves in the way we can, or “should.”

Think about this one a little. Is there space in your life to take a mini time out to put the mask on, give yourself a place to get centered, take care of yourself, before you try to help the dozens of others who need you? Giving yourself the permission to breath, be healthy and take care of yourself, is probably the best thing you can do for anyone else in your life.

Wednesday Wellness: Create a process to good health

By Tammy Parkinson | October 19th, 2011 0 Comments

Hopefully at some point in your life, you’ve taken a vacation. I am even more hopeful you’ve taken several vacations.

Assuming you have, there is a “general” process for this. You plan the time off, save the money, pack your clothes, plan how to get to the airport (if you are flying) and get to the airport early, coordinate your rides to and from the airport, and finally arrive. The process before you get to your destination point can take months…maybe years. Once you get to your ultimate vacation spot, it’s so worth it, right?

We know and accept the time and effort it takes to get to our vacation place.

Now, let’s say you want to get in shape and/or lose weight. You need to plan for it, plan your schedule, schedule out time, consider financial disciplines, rework your nutritional habits and determine how much time it will take to get to your “ultimate” destination. Why is it so often when we are on a journey to better health, we get impatient and expect to get to our goal without the planning and the time; without the forethought and effort? Do we give up when we are in the “driving to the airport” process? Do we give up when we are “on the plane or in the car” to our destination point process? Maybe we give up when we are just determining a schedule.

If we can treat the process of our health as though we are planning our vacation; knowing the end goal is the ultimate objective and we are willing to go through the acts necessary to endure the procedures, then we can more easily take the time to get to our “vacation place.” If we do this, we can truly relish our achievements and maybe let go and accept the process and even enjoy the process!

Wednesday Wellness: Enjoy a tiny sweet treat

By Tammy Parkinson | October 12th, 2011 0 Comments

When someone tells you that you can’t EVER have a piece of chocolate again, isn’t that the exact moment you want it?

Yet, when you know that today you have eaten fairly well, and you have made a commitment to stay healthy every day, but have made room in your diet to nibble a tiny sweet treat, that feels good, right? So you have your sweet treat, feel great, and move on with your day.

Now the day is nearly over and you want another sweet treat…this is the danger zone (picture orange to red zone). The negotiations our mind can play are amazingly strategic. What if, instead of negotiating how you need another treat before bed, you negotiate that you can have a tiny treat tomorrow. Then have another tiny treat the day after?

This is a key element of keeping your diet in check; letting yourself have a little something special then stopping and knowing that tomorrow is another day and you can have another little something the next day as well. It doesn’t even have to be sweets; it can be a glass of wine, a nibble of mashed potatoes or a creamy marinade. Whichever your indulgence; if you allow yourself about 5% (calorically) of your diet to be a treat, it’s ok! Stopping though at the one treat is what it’s all about and that’s great because you can have it again the next day! After all, tomorrow IS another day!

Wednesday Wellness: Tips to Make a Healthy Meal

By Tammy Parkinson | October 5th, 2011 0 Comments

Sometimes, “life” is crazy busy and our perfect plan of cooking a healthy, vibrant week’s worth of meals goes awry. So here are some easy and healthy ways to make an “ok” meal even better! If nothing else, this might be the switch to get you started!

Try Dole and Mann’s frozen WASHED and unseasoned vegetables. Simply open the bag, dump into a skillet, add protein and dinner is served!
Replace processed meats with no-nitrite-added deli meats. Red and processed meats are believed to cause some cancers, so switching out the processed meats for more natural, lower sodium options is a healthy switch.
Switch to “thins” or light bread. Try Oroweat Bakery Light or Pepperidge Farm Carb-light. Some are 40-60 calories per slice.
Try a new vegetable several times a week. Studies show those who eat a wider variety of vegetables tend to be thinner!
Serve foods like soups, frozen yogurt, and cereals in a ramekin. This is true to a 4 oz serving!
Make junk food boring. If you are trying to cut calories but need some cookies, bars and pastas around the house (for the “kids…wink wink”) just choose a boring brand. The more options you have, the more likely you are to eat more of them
Replace sides like rice, potatoes and pasta with a second serving of vegetables.
Eat fish twice a week and ask for fish steamed, poached or BBQ’d if dining out.
Replace canned tuna with canned salmon; typically the salmon is higher in omega 3. Look first for the sodium content, make sure whichever you choose is packed in water, and use the salmon as a replacement 1-2 times a week.
Before you look at the calories on a label, train your eye to look at the serving size. Often, a package has anywhere from 2-4 servings, when our “stomach” thinks there is only 1!
Drink mostly calorie-free liquids. We want to watch the artificial sweeteners here too. However, a good choice is to sweeten your tea or coffee with stevia or truvia, add zest to your water with lemon, grated ginger or choose sparkling water.
Make your snacks fruit or vegetables as a staple. Adding a little bit of low cal hummus or bean dip is a good way to add protein, fat and fiber to the low carb nutrient dense veggies and fruit.
Whatever you are cooking, blending, baking or stirring, add in another handful or two of vegetables or fruit. This can make a meal for one into a nutritious meal for two with a lower caloric spin!
When you dine out, BEFORE you start eating, ask for half your meal to be wrapped up. We want you to eat every 2-3 hours, so by the time you get home, you can have the other half if you still feel hungry. Most likely you would have munched on something else anyway!
On the rare (I’m SURE) occasions you have pizza, ask for thin crust and half the cheese. They might even have reduced fat cheese. You never know until you ask!
Drink a glass of water before you eat. Studies show you can reduce your calories daily by several hundred without feeling deprived!

Some ideas from “Nutrition Action,” July 2011 edition

Wednesday Wellness: Create a New Landscape

By Tammy Parkinson | September 28th, 2011 0 Comments

Although we are experiencing some gorgeous “Indian Summer” weather, have you noticed a slight briskness in the night air? Additionally, if you look closely, you can see a tinge of orange and red in the leaves on the trees. I’ve also become aware when we are near oak trees, there are more leaves fallen on the road than two weeks ago.

These might seem like small, almost unnoticeable changes, yet in about a month, most of the leaves will be a different color and in two months, most will be off the branches and on the ground.

This can symbolize small, daily changes which we can blink and miss, but over the long run, can transform a tree, flower, or landscape into a completely different picture.

The same is true with the small changes we make towards a healthier body and mind. We might think walking another ten minutes a day is worthless, yet over the course of two months that’s nearly ten hours of fitness. Let’s say you are used to nibbling at your child’s sandwich, day in day out, this is adding in another 75-100 or so calories you aren’t even considering. In two months, that’s a pound and a half of unaccounted for and unappreciated indulgence. Keep the nibbling and forget the ten minutes of extra walking, and you might have a little problem!

Conversely, if you take out the extra nibbles and add in the extra exercise (ten minutes a day) you could be looking at a few pounds off your hips and waistline by Thanksgiving! How would that feel?

Consider these small, barely noticeable changes you can take away or add to your daily regiment which could make such a vast difference in a short amount of time. Maybe your fitness is rock solid and you could teach me a thing or two about nutrition. How about adding a smile to someone new every day or taking a couple extra minutes to appreciate and acknowledge someone or something every day. Could that create a new landscape in your life in two months?

Take some time and check out the season of change and consider what, if anything, you’d like to do in your world to paint a new picture in time for the Holidays.

Wednesday Wellness: 7 Steps to Lose Weight Fast

By Tammy Parkinson | September 14th, 2011 0 Comments

In my work as a nutritionist, I am often asked “what should I do to lose weight fast?”

The obvious answers are:

Cut out excess fat (butter, oils, nuts, fried foods, fatty meats)
Eat more vegetables (all vegetables…except potatoes)
Eat more fish (All fish…just don’t marinate them in batter and butter)
Reduce or eliminate white flour and white sugar in most (if not all) meals
Exercise more often (ideally 6x a week)
Eat breakfast. Then eat every 3 hours…but only enough to satisfy you not make you full
Drink lots of water (we’re talking 80 oz or more a day)

Seriously, if everyone did these 7 things, we’d be a healthier society with a lot fewer health problems. Maybe not perfect, but certainly on the right track.

It seems so simple doesn’t it? Then why is it so hard day in day out, month after month?

What I tell my clients is to try one or two things at a time. The tricky factor is, however, what might work for your coworker, best friend, partner, or even me, might not work for you. So, to complicate matters, a real assessment of what you do and don’t do has to be looked at first.

Let’s say I’m not working with you, what I would recommend you do now if so inspired, is look at the list above and take a reality check as to what you do and do NOT do on that list. Is there one thing on that list which “pops” out and you know you need to pay attention to? If so, take that one thing and “fix it.” I mean hard core, make it a habit for 2-3 weeks, then adopt another and make the 2nd a habit for 3 weeks, and so on.

Now, back to the first question, what can I do to lose weight FAST? The answer is create new habits which STICK. If you can set a new foundation of health, then you won’t need to lose the same 10 or 20 pounds over and over and in the big picture, it’s done a lot faster that way. Take 6 months to make your habit solid so that you don’t need to keep doing this for the next 10 years!

Now is the perfect time. Summer is (sadly) almost over and the Holidays are nipping at our heels, so dig in and assess your health!

Of course, if you would prefer a meticulous assessment and a coach to work with you down this ever familiar road, I know where you can find one!

Wednesday Wellness: Focus On What You Want

By Tammy Parkinson | September 7th, 2011 0 Comments

When we are trying to better ourselves, or at least learn something new, where do we turn for information and inspiration? Possibly a book, a CD, a mentor perhaps.

This past weekend I was trying to improve technique (remember last week’s wellness?) and I found myself getting impatient, frustrated and (gasp) negative! I was thinking about the tools I have learned in my sport, the coaches’ advice and the support of my husband, yet the frustration mounted and my mind went to a down-beat spiral.

I decided to take a little alone time and work through my mindset. Again, I kept thinking of what I was doing and what I didn’t want to do any longer.

That was IT! I was thinking about what I did NOT want. I was focused on the NOT instead of what I DID want!

Words came into my head, like “strength,” “power,” “fearless,” and I quickly started to feel better.

However, there was still a little something I was disconnected from, something I still wasn’t working through, or hadn’t quite grasped. Again, I thought about all the advice I was given and then I started to realize my greatest teacher and support starts in my own mind. The words and emotions we tell ourselves are the catalyst to listening to the words others speak and the actions shown. We can be coached, loved, supported, and believed in (which is vital and necessary); however at the beginning, middle and end of the day, it’s the tiny voice in our mind which can strengthen those sentiments and words, or tear them apart.

I am writing these moments before I am about to try my sport again. I know what I want, I appreciate how I am supported and I realize what I can do, because of how I am supported and how I talk to myself.

Whatever you are moving through, however you want to get there, remember the words you tell yourself will unmistakably get you closer to or further away from what you want to achieve. Believe it; and then believe in yourself!

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