Health and Wellness at WomanTalkLive
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WellPower: Push Yourself to Achieve Your Potential
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Kim Fabian, Director, Maryland Metabolic Institute
at Saint Agnes HospitalAs a group cycling instructor for more than 10 years, I’ll often encourage the participants in my classes to push themselves past their “edge of discomfort.” This edge is the place where you feel like you’re testing your limits—your heart rate is pounding, your muscles are fatigued, and your breathing is heavy. If you were to work any harder, you’d be quite uncomfortable.
This doesn’t sound like much fun, but pushing yourself over that edge is exactly where you need to go from time to time if you ever want to see improvements in your physical performance, body shape and weight loss goals. When your body consistently performs at the same level, you can plateau. Working harder—and being able to tolerate greater amounts of discomfort—builds your cardiovascular fitness and strengthens your muscles, helping you achieve more than you originally thought was possible.
Physical muscles aren’t the only muscles we need to build. In our daily lives, breaking away from our comfortable routines and pushing past our perceived limits can strengthen the mental muscles we need to achieve amazing results in all we do, whether it’s in our work, our family or our community. All it takes is making one small step past that edge of discomfort—then taking the next step, and the next. It may be uncomfortable to take these risks, but it’s often the only way to grow and bring more of what you want into your life.
Start by identifying one area in your life or work where you feel you’re not achieving the results you desire. Then, write down the steps you could be taking to get to the next level. Usually, there is fear behind these activities that is preventing you from moving forward. Pick the easiest step from the list—the one that will challenge you just slightly to move beyond your edge of discomfort—and do it! Then move on to the next easiest item on the list—and do it, too. Repeat again and again. With each step you take, you are building the “muscle” to take on greater challenges and reach your full potential.
Go for it!
Kim Fabian & The well4life Team
well4lifeprogram.com*****
The clients in our well4life program are moving closer and closer to their potential every day by taking bold steps toward better health. Recently one wrote, “I have changed my life so much. Each day seems to have something special in it. Thus, I don’t view food in the same way anymore…good, tasty, healthy food is just a part of my day.” If you’d like to take the steps to change your lifestyle habits, we can give you the support and expertise you need. In well4life, you’ll benefit from a personal health coach, regular screenings, fitness classes, a web companion, educational classes and more. For details, visit www.well4lifeprogram.com or call our program coordinator at 410-368-3228.
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WellPower: Nutrition and the Night Shift
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Clinical Nutrition Team at Saint Agnes HospitalMillions of people work odd hours, especially those in the health care field who work the night shift. Studies have shown that working irregular hours can increase your risk for health complications, such as heart disease, diabetes, digestive disorders and weight gain due to disruptive sleep. A study of nurses, for instance, found that those who worked the night shift had a greater risk of developing diabetes and had a higher obesity rate.
To decrease the toll that working the night shift may have on you, follow these healthful tips:
1. Limit caffeine intake. Drinking too much caffeine at the beginning of the shift can make it more difficult to fall asleep at home.
2. Pack nutritious foods. Most often, cafeterias are closed during the night, and the only options are vending machines or fast food. Instead of succumbing to these options, pack a healthy meal, such as a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with a piece of fruit. Also bring healthy snacks to munch on throughout your shift, such as baby carrots, granola bars or nuts.
3. Be sure to get 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week and use breaks at work to walk around the building.
4. Limit alcohol intake as a way to fall asleep. Alcohol interferes with your body’s sleep cycle and can cause you to wake up in only a few hours.
5. Learn relaxation tips and techniques so you can learn to cope with stress appropriately instead of reaching for a candy bar for comfort.
Pleasant dreams,
The well4life Team
well4lifeprogram.com*****
The best testimonials of the well4life program at Saint Agnes come from our patients. Recently one wrote, “I have changed my life so much. Each day seems to have something special in it. Thus, I don’t view food in the same way anymore…good, tasty, healthy food is just a part of my day.”
If you’d like to change your lifestyle habits, we can give you the support and expertise you need. In well4life, you’ll benefit from a personal health coach, regular screenings, fitness classes, a web companion, educational classes and more. For details, visit www.well4lifeprogram.com or attend a free information session. To register, call 1-866-690-9355.
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WellPower: Grace Under Pressure
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Kim Fabian, Director, Maryland Metabolic Institute
at Saint Agnes HospitalI don’t know about you, but I can’t turn on the news without hearing about the “troubling times” in which we live. You would think Americans—and all of humanity itself—have never experienced “troubling times” before. But we all know better. In fact, most of us experience one sort of troubling time or another on an almost daily basis. We all know by now that, in life, pressure is par for the course.
It’s the way we cope with pressure that makes the difference in the way we experience life. Trouble is, many people respond to challenge with a variety of knee-jerk survival instincts that result in a kind of self-sabotage. It’s time to take another path—the path of grace under pressure. Here’s how.
Instead of overreacting when things don’t go your way, meet challenges with CLARITY. The Chinese character for “crisis” mixes the words for danger and opportunity. Take time to focus on where that opportunity lies in your challenge to create a more positive vision for the outcome.
Instead of getting overwhelmed by everything that must be done, meet challenges with CHARACTER. Define your priorities and practice integrity by making your intentions match your actions.
Instead of overlooking an obvious need for change, meet challenges with COURAGE. Doing what’s obvious doesn’t mean doing what’s easy. Take risks and step outside your comfort zone to find solutions.
Instead of overcompensating and working yourself to the bone, meet challenges with CARE. Do one thing each day for you – purely for your own self-renewal—whether it’s getting a massage, listening to your favorite song, enjoying a cup of tea or reading a positive affirmation.
Shantideva, the Indian Buddhist scholar, wrote, “There’s nothing that does not grow light through habit and familiarity. Putting up with little cares, I’ll train myself to bear with great adversity.”
He suggests that, by learning how “not to sweat the small stuff,” we are training ourselves to respond with greater thoughtfulness to the big challenges that may come our way. So the next time you’re sitting in a traffic jam, your child is singing the same song over and over, the dryer “eats” another sock, or any little pet peeve strikes, practice patience, acceptance and even humor. In turn, you’ll build your strength for the times when you really need it.
Create your day in a more graceful way,
Kim Fabian & The well4life Team
well4lifeprogram.com*****The well4life program at Saint Agnes Hospital provides the support and expertise to help you be successful in your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals. You’ll benefit from a personal health coach, regular screenings, fitness classes, a web companion, educational classes and more. For details, visit www.well4lifeprogram.com or register for our free information session on May 12th by calling 1-866-690-9355.
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WellPower: Don’t Let Food Marketing Fool You
Thursday, April 26, 2012Clinical Nutrition Team at Saint Agnes Hospital
Food manufactures are clever with the claims they put on the front of packages. Labels such as “fat-free” and “low-sodium” entice consumers to purchase more of these items, thinking they are healthy. But these marketing-oriented labels must be read carefully. If sodium is removed from a product, for example, often times more sugar is added to maintain taste.
Here are other labels that you should take with a grain of salt.
· Numerous products labeled “fat-free” trick you into thinking they are healthy options. Many candies carry this label, but are 100% sugar and contain no nutritional value. Fat-free or reduced-fat products, such as crackers and peanut butter, often contain added sugar to keep the taste appealing.
· “33% Less Fat Than The Original” may sound healthier, but is it significant? Crackers, for instance, may have 3 grams of fat for four crackers in the original version and 2 grams of fat for the same serving in the reduced-fat version. It is a 33% difference, but it’s not significant, and most people have a hard time sticking to just a single serving size. Many reduced-fat versions also have added carbohydrates, so the calorie difference is minimal.
· “Healthy” drinks may not have you gulping for joy. There are many drinks that claim to improve memory, reduce stress and increase alertness. Some companies add vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin C. Read these labels carefully because most are loaded with sugar; some have as much as 32.5 grams per serving—about 8 teaspoons of sugar! Choose water and other no- or low-calorie drinks and take a daily multivitamin instead.
· Breakfast cereals with the American Heart Association seal of approval appear to be healthy. But be careful of this label. Some cereals and instant oatmeals can use this label if they meet the requirements for saturated fat and cholesterol, but they can still be loaded with sugar. Scan the nutrition label and be sure the cereal has 10 grams of sugar or less per serving. Opt for non-flavored products when possible and add healthy toppings or sweeteners yourself.
Here’s to being an educated consumer,
The well4life Team
well4lifeprogram.com*****
The well4life program at Saint Agnes Hospital gives you the support and expertise you need on your journey to weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals. If you live in Howard County, well4life is coming to you with a free information session on the program and how weight loss can improve your overall health. The session will be held Monday, April 30, from 6-7 p.m. at the Maryland Surgeons offices in Columbia. Your success story starts now! To register, call 1-866-690-9355.
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WellPower: What to Do If Workplace Stress is Getting the Best of You
Thursday, April 19, 2012Kim Fabian, Director, Maryland Metabolic Institute at Saint Agnes Hospital
Recent research waves a red flag about the level of stress American workers are struggling to manage.
• A survey by Right Management, a branch of Manpower, found that just over three-quarters of employees said that their workloads increased as a result of layoffs at their company. 57% of surveyed employees believe their workloads have grown “a lot.”
• According to researchers at Brandeis University and Catalyst, by not adapting to the needs of working parents, U.S. employers might be losing as much as $300 billion a year in lost productivity. In their survey of 1,755 working parents nationwide, one in 20 said they were severely impacted by concerns about after-school childcare. The level of stress they feel at work can manifest itself in everything from minor workplace disruptions to lower job satisfaction, and can be toxic to employee attitudes, work performance, and well-being.
• According to a report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers any paid vacation time. As a result, one in four private-sector workers in the U.S. do not receive any paid vacation or paid holidays. In companies that do offer paid time off, the average American has just nine days of vacation a year. And another survey shows only 10% take a full two weeks off.
If workloads are consistently increasing, engagement and productivity are decreasing, and workers are taking little or no time off, it seems likely that a stress bubble is building in corporate America. This means it’s high time for business leaders to make culture changes—and for the American workforce to take a proactive approach to their own stress management.
One way to do the latter is by giving yourself a break—regularly! You may be familiar with the term “the relaxation response.” This concept was developed decades ago by Herbert Benson, M.D., from Harvard Medical School. He found that people can continue to perform well under some stress; however, beyond a certain threshold, productivity plummets.
Purely speaking, before you reach these thresholds, Dr. Benson recommends a prescribed 10-20 minutes of deep breathing and relaxation to rejuvenate your attitude and performance. His research also showed that other options may be just as beneficial.
Here’s how it works: if you are experiencing a great deal of stress and need to get relief, perform an activity that removes you physically and mentally from the source of that stress. A half-hour walk may be a good choice, as long as you’re not ruminating over your stressors during the walk! But be creative…any enjoyable or centering activity will do. The results are most significant when practiced regularly.
Wishing you greater peace of mind,
Kim Fabian & The well4life Team
well4lifeprogram.com*****The well4life program at Saint Agnes Hospital provides the support and expertise to help you be successful in your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals. You’ll benefit from a personal health coach, regular screenings, fitness classes, a web companion, educational classes and more. For details, visit www.well4lifeprogram.com or register for our free information session by calling 1-866-690-9355.