HealthyLife Articles

Category: Healthylife® Weigh

  • Visit Farmers Markets

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 7

    Woman tending stall at a farmers market and selling fresh vegetables.

    Farmers Markets are available year-round in many parts of the country. Some markets go beyond produce to offer meats, cheeses, bread, nuts, seeds, high quality chocolates, and homemade sweets. This may be a good time to treat yourself while helping your local economy!

    *Get to Know Your Growers.Learn more about how and when the food was produced, how to test for ripeness, how to store, and how to prepare your favorite produce-or a new find!

    *Know Your Seasons.Buying seasonally is better for the environment. Produce is at peak flavor and abundance when in-season. This usually makes it less expensive as well. Learn what fruits and vegetables are in season for where you live.

    *Go Early or Go Late.This can help you avoid crowds. You may also find deals at the end of the day.

    *BYOB-Bring Your Own Bag.Most producers will provide small plastic bags, but bringing your own sturdy bag helps the environment and cuts down on costs for the farmer. If you plan to pick up dairy or meat, bring a cooler or plan on taking your purchase directly home to maintain freshness.

    *Small Bills.Some vendors accept credit card and touchless payment, but many still only accept cash, preferably in small bills.

    *Plan a List but Be Spontaneous!Find a recipe or two and write down what you need to get from the market. But don’t pass up a new food because it’s not on your list! Try something new each time you go.

    *Keep It Simple.Start small. Buy fresh produce you plan to use within a week. Keep preparation and any cooking simple to allow the natural flavors to come through.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • A Case For More Time In The Kitchen

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Couple cooking in the kitchen.

    While this section gives lots of tips for saving time, you may not want to speed through food preparation! Here are some reasons to allow extra time in your day or week for food preparation:

    *  Making more recipes from scratch will give you more control over what is in your food. You can also experiment with more flavors.

    *  Time in the kitchen can be a special time to connect with family and friends after a busy day or week. Turn the TV off and share tasks, like tossing a salad or setting the table.

    *  Many traditions are based around food. Cook old recipes or prepare a meal with an older family member. Sharing stories around food preparation can help you feel connected to your heritage. You may even create new traditions for the next generation of cooks!

    *  Cooking can be an enjoyable hobby. Searching for new recipes, getting creative with modifications, and sharing with others can help you manage stress and bring joy to your day.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Banish Black & White Thoughts

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 4

    Three friends enjoying lunch at rooftop restaurant.

    Consider a thought that you tend to see as black and white. Consider some alternative thoughts or ideas you could have instead. Or, when one comes to mind, return to this page and complete the following chart to practice banishing black and white thinking.

    Black & White Thought

    Example: I can’t go to restaurants because I always overeat and ignore my healthy goals.

    Alternative Thoughts

    I can choose restaurants that have healthy choices that I find tasty. I can have a healthy snack before I go out to eat to help prevent overeating at the restaurant.

    As you make changes to your way of thinking, be self-kind, not self-critical. Thinking rationally is like putting on a new, clear pair of glasses. What looked blurry or confusing before may seem more clear. New solutions to a challenge may appear once you look at it differently.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Create “If, Then” Plans

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Woman hands with light red dumbbells.

    Use “If, then” plans to overcome roadblocks. “If, then” plans anticipate a challenge and prepare a response in advance. Create “If, then” statements for each challenge you expect to face. These challenges may be:

    *  How you expect to feel (e.g., self-conscious).

    *  Something you do not know how to do.

    *  Supplies you need (like comfortable shoes).

    *  A comment from a supporter or a non-supporter.

    Practice planning positive, constructive responses to challenges ahead of time.

    Examples:

    *  IF I feel self-conscious at the gym, THEN I will bring a supportive friend to work out with me.

    *  IF my workout buddy bails on our plans, THEN I will go anyway and listen to music while I exercise.

    *  IF I don’t meet my goal this week, THEN I will look at how I can improve my goal for next week.

    Think about challenges you expect with changing your exercise habits. Plan your response using an “If, then” statement.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Exercise And Sleep

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Women sleeping.

    Physical activity can help you sleep better. After your body has worked hard, deep sleep is triggered to help your body recover, repair, and get ready for more activity. This natural drive helps you fall asleep and sleep more restfully.

    Be active outdoors, when possible. Outdoor physical activity increases exposure to sunlight. This helps to strengthen your body’s circadian rhythm (natural sleep clock). A stronger circadian rhythm helps you feel sleepy when it’s time to rest.

    Sleep Helps You Recover from Exercise

    Physical activity triggers a cycle of muscle break-down and repair. The repair process depends on sleep. Without enough sleep, repair is limited. This can increase the risk of injury and limit athletic goals (e.g., running or walking farther or lifting more weight).

    Severe sleep restriction (less than four hours per night) can cause dramatic increases in your heart rate and blood pressure. This strains your heart. Not only does this limit your ability to exercise, but your risk for heart attack and cardiovascular problems increases.

    Timing Exercise with Sleep

    Physical activity increases adrenaline in the body. This hormone increases your heart rate and alertness. Plan vigorous exercise at least four to six hours before bedtime. Light exercise and mild activities should end at least two to four hours before bedtime.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Healthy Fats & Oils

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Menus & Recipes

    Bottles of olive oil.

    Fats and oils are concentrated sources of energy (calories). That’s why it is important to choose small servings of fats with the most nutritional benefit.

    CHOOSEmostly plant-based fats, such as seeds, nuts, seed and nut butters, canola oil, olive oil, and avocado. These foods contain more healthy, unsaturated fats.

    LIMITanimal sources of fat (red meat, processed meats, butter, whole-milk dairy). These foods contain more unhealthy, saturated fats.

    AVOIDall trans fats. They are found in processed foods as “hydrogenated oils” and “partially hydrogenated oils” and are not considered safe.

    Added fats and oils chart.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Keep Habits Rewarding

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 4

    Happy, young woman cooking dinner with grandmother.

    When you are rewarded for an action, you are more likely to repeat it. If you eat a piece of chocolate and enjoy the taste and how you feel afterwards, you are probably going to eat chocolate again.

    Managing your weight does not mean giving up rewarding feelings. If it did, it would be VERY hard for you to stick with it. People are wired to seek rewards and to stick to habits that give rewards. There are two types of rewards:

    Intrinsic Rewards

    *  Something intangible (you can’t touch it)

    *  Arise from within you

    *  Examples: a feeling or emotion, such as joy, pride, or satisfaction

    *  Feeling like you are living your values

    *  Are strong motivators

    Extrinsic Rewards

    *  Something tangible (you can touch it)

    *  Are physically received from someone else

    *  Examples: money, a trophy

    *  Get weaker over time

    Your habit change plan starts with two basic questions:

    1. What is the reward for my current habit?

    2. How can I still get the reward with a healthier habit? You may need to learn a new skill, such as time management. Or, you may need help from others.

    Example: My morning habit of rushing out the door with a cup of coffee-no breakfast-helps me be on time for work. Every time I am on time for work, I feel relieved and proud of myself. (Feeling relieved and proud is the reward for being on time for work.)

    Ideas to Keep Rewards: I could make a breakfast-to-go snack the night before and keep it next to my coffee maker. Or, I could wake up earlier to prepare a breakfast. Or, I could keep a breakfast snack at work to have once I get there.

    Plan to Keep Rewards:

    Pick a habit that is part of your everyday routine and that you want to change.

    *  Planning Step 1: What is the reward for this habit?

    *  Planning Step 2: How can I still get the reward with a healthier habit?

    Try this again for another habit.

    *  Planning Step 1: What is the reward for this habit?

    *  Planning Step 2: How can I still get the reward with a healthier habit?

    Use this tool often to change how you think about adopting healthy habits.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Massage

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Man getting a chair massage.

    Massage can be a form of recovery for your muscles. Massage, especially deep compression massage, can help relax tight muscles and knots that have formed between muscle layers. This can help with normal blood flow, keep your muscles flexible, and reduce pain.

    A professional massage therapist or a friend can assist you with massage.  Or, you can give yourself a massage.

    Self-Massage

    Use a foam roller, tennis ball, Thera Cane®, or muscle roller stick. These items are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased from major retailers and sporting goods stores. Or, using your fingers is free! Apply pressure to specific parts of your body. Go slowly. If you purchase a self-massage tool, follow package instructions.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Choose Your Fuel

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 2

    Top view of food on the dinner table with people sitting around the table eating.

    In this section, you will learn about the food groups that make up a healthy diet. Understanding the parts of a healthy diet can help you make nutritious choices for your meals and snacks. You don’t need to count calories or grams of nutrients to eat a balanced meal. In Part 2, you will learn:

    *  How to identify nutrient-dense foods that provide more nutrients per calorie (more bang for your buck!).

    *  How you can plan a snack or meal to help you feel full, satisfied, and help you get enough nutrients.

    *  How you can make healthy eating fun and tasty, even if vegetables or whole grains are not “your thing” yet.

    *  How you can make your favorite foods more nutritious.

    Remember, guidelines in this book are most effective if you practice them. Do the activities to apply what you learn to your daily life.

    Continue tracking. Studies have shown that people who keep a daily food log lose twice as much weight as those who keep no records.

    HealthyLife® Weigh

    QUICK LINKS: PART 2

    Choose a Variety of Foods

    How Much Energy Do I Need?

    MyPlate

    Plan a Balanced Day

    Tips for MyPlate

    Fruits & Vegetables

    Eat the Rainbow!

    Choose Fresh, Frozen, Canned, or Dried

    Add Fruits and Vegetables to Your Current Foods

    Have Fun with Fruits and Vegetables

    What’s in a Name?

    Variety BINGO

    Power of Perception

    Grains and Starches

    Protein

    Dairy

    Befriend Healthy Fats

    Limit Sodium

    Limit Added Sugars

    Estimate Serving Sizes

    Review and Prepare

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Plan Myplate 2

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Woman reading shopping list, next to her on the kitchen counter is a burlap sac with a variety of fruits.

    1. Write your daily goals for each food group.

    *  Vegetables (cups)

    *  Fruits (cups)

    *  Grains/Starches (ounces)

    *  Protein (ounces)

    *  Dairy (cups)

    2. Plan how much of each food group you want to have at a meal. Make sure the total for each group meets, but doesn’t go over, your daily goal.

    3. Select foods for each meal or snack. Refer to what counts as an ounce or a cup for each food group. Choose foods that you like to eat and that are convenient for you.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine