HealthyLife Articles

Category: Healthylife® Weigh

  • Build On Your Current Habits

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 4

    Group of friends sitting at table full of healthy snacks, salads and organic dishes.

    Your day-to-day activities include hundreds of habits. Some may be second nature or automatic, like reaching for your seatbelt when you get in a car. Some may be weaker and subject to change, like including fruits or vegetables with your meals and snacks. Be patient. It can take several weeks to form a new habit.

    As you went through Parts 1 to 3 of this online guide, you may have noticed differences between your habits and the healthy ones suggested. As you start to make changes, first focus on a habit that you do every day. Or, think of a habit that you do many times a day. Changes to everyday habits are going to make a big difference, as they are repeated more.

    Using the examples below, compare the impact of making changes to occasional habits versus making changes to everyday habits.

    *  Example A: Change an occasional habit, such as choosing healthy snacks at the airport.

    *  Example B: Change an everyday habit, such as having a glass of water with meals and snacks.

    Breaking old habits is not easy. It takes more than willpower. It takes a plan.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Deep Breathing

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 6

    Women doing deep breathing exercises outdoors.

    An increased amount of oxygen allows your heart rate to slow down. This produces a calming effect.

    1. Sit in a chair, arms at your sides, with your legs uncrossed. Or, lie down on a comfortable surface, like a bed or couch.

    2. If you are able, close your eyes. Do not close your eyes while driving or operating machinery.

    3. Note any tension in your muscles.

    4. Slowly inhale through your nose, expanding your abdomen first. Fill your lungs next.

    5. Hold your breath for 2 to 4 seconds.

    6. Slowly exhale.

    7. Repeat this exercise for several minutes.

    Your chest should feel less constricted. You should feel less stress and tension physically and mentally. Problems haven’t gone away, but you may feel more ready to tackle them or cope with a negative emotion.

    Practice Deep Breathing: Take a Rest from Your Emotions

    Detach yourself from your thoughts and emotions. Imagine sitting on a hill and viewing your thoughts and feelings at the bottom of the hill. Observe your thoughts as they pass by. Or, you can stop and think about them. Tell yourself: “I have control over when and how I think about a situation.”

    Put your emotional reactions to a situation or issue to rest for awhile. This helps your mind use logical thinking.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Food Labels 2.0

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 7

    Woman choosing and reading label on bread in market.

    You have learned the clues on a food label that can point you toward a healthy choice or away from an unhealthy one. Here are some other common labels on food packaging and what they mean.

    Organic produceis grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, ionizing radiation, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

    Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy productsare produced without antibiotics or growth hormones.

    Benefits of Organic Food

    *  Organic food may be tastier to you.

    *  Organic growing practices may be more sustainable and produce more nutritious food, though this is not always the case.

    *  You may avoid potentially harmful chemicals that may be added during conventional growing and processing.

    The Environmental Working Group publishes a list each year of the “Dirty 12™” and “Clean 15™.” Many plants, like avocados and corn, are naturally disease resistant and hardy. This means fewer pesticides are used on these plants, even when conventionally grown. These plant foods make up the “Clean 15™.” Other plants are less hardy and conventional growing tends to apply more synthetic pesticides. Prioritize buying the “Dirty 12™” organically. Go towww.ewg.orgto learn more about organic farming and see the year’s list.

    Clean all produce before use, whether it is grown organically or conventionally.

    Make your own veggie wash:Mix 2 cups cold tap water with ¼ cup white wine vinegar and 2 tbsp. lemon juice. Pour into a spray bottle. Squirt on your produce and let rest for 2 minutes. Rinse in tap water.

    Non-GMO Project Verifiedfoods do not contain GMOs. This means that the plant was not derived through genetic engineering. The most common products containing GMOs are corn, soy, sugar, and products made from these plants.

    Few studies have been done testing the long-term effects of consuming GMOs. However, GMO farming practices have led to increased use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Labeling laws and regulations surrounding GMOs are in development at the time of this guide’s publishing.

    Cage-Free, Free-Range, and Pasture-Raisedlabels refer to the living conditions of poultry. These labels indicate standards for animal welfare.

    Chart showing Cage-Free, Free-Range, and Pasture Raised definitions.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • How Much Energy Do I Need?

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 2

    Women cutting vegetables.

    Calories are units of energy that fuel your body for daily functions like breathing, eating, and thinking. Calories are also burned during physical activity. The more active you are, the more energy your body needs. Use the chart below to find your estimated daily energy needs. Calories needed vary by sex, age, and activity level. To determine your activity level, consider how you spend most of your day.

    *  Sedentary: You sit most of the day and do little to no physical activity (e.g., you walk once a week or do light gardening).

    *  Moderately Active: Your work involves movement, such as cleaning or light industrial work. You do some moderate-intensity physical activity a few times a week, like brisk walking or cycling.

    *  Active: Your work involves a lot of movement, such as heavy industrial work, construction work, or farming. You do physical activity most days during the week, such as jogging, swimming laps, intense walking, weight lifting, or sports.

    Chart showing calories needed per day by age, gender and activity level.

    These are roughly the calories you need per day to stay at your current weight.

    To lose 1 pound per week, you need to take in 500 fewer calories than you use/burn through daily activity. This guide encourages gradual, long-lasting weight loss.

    You can get your specific daily energy needs using the USDA’s SuperTracker online tool. Find this atwww.choosemyplate.gov/resources/MyPlatePlan.

    You can lose weight without severely restricting calories. Eating fewer than 1,200 calories per day can make it difficult for you to get all the nutrients you need. Eating this way can also be hard to follow long-term. A diet with fewer than 1,200 calories should be supervised by a doctor or dietitian.

    Special nutrition needs

    Talk to your doctor or dietitian before choosing an eating plan if you have special nutrition needs, such as:

    *  You are pregnant or breastfeeding

    *  You have a health condition or take medications

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Limit Artificial Sweeteners

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Packets of artificial sweeteners in glass container.

    Artificial sweeteners give a sweet taste without adding the calories you get with sugar. They don’t contribute to tooth decay and don’t raise blood sugar levels. However, consuming these sugar substitutes can have significant drawbacks. They may:

    1. Raise your sweetness threshold. This can make it harder to break a sugar “addiction.” Artificial sweeteners are hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar. This may cause you to crave sweeter foods.

    2. Cause you to eat more. Eating and drinking sweet things signals the brain to want more. Even if the artificial sweetener doesn’t have any calories, it can lead to overeating and consuming extra foods that do.

    3. Cause discomfort. This can be headaches, exhaustion, and digestive discomfort, including gas, bloating, and constipation.

    4. Harm your gut bacteria. Artificial sweeteners may promote the growth of gut bacteria that store energy as fat. Gut bacteria that is not working properly also contributes to high blood sugar.

    Stevia (Truvia®, Pure Via®) is a non-caloric sweetener made from an herb. It has not been studied as much as artificial sweeteners, but it is still super sweet (300 times sweeter than sugar) and may cause digestive discomfort for some people.

    Sugar Alcohols (e.g., xylitol, sorbitol) are not sweeter than sugar and contain fewer calories than sugar. However, they may also cause digestive discomfort and headaches for some people.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Mental Health

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Group of people with thumbs up in yoga studio.

    Emotional Health

    Exercise releases endorphins and increases levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. These brain chemicals help create feelings of happiness and euphoria. You may start to feel these benefits after just a few minutes of moderate exercise. This leads to a quick happiness buzz and an overall mood boost!

    Stress Management

    Norepinephrine is a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. Exercise helps to increase that chemical. Exercise can decrease worry and tension. It also enhances the mind’s ability to deal with daily stressors. Managing stress can reduce emotional eating and cravings for sweets and high-fat foods. The calming effect of exercise can last at least four hours after the exercise is over.

    View physical activity as a break from your day. Use this time to focus on the present, instead of past or future problems and worries.

    Connect to My Values:

    Example: Having good emotional health will help me enjoy what I am doing in the moment. Enjoying life’s pleasures, such as the beauty of fall colors, is important to me.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Create A Helpful Environment

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 4

    Family mealtime at home.

    This section begins with a closer look at changing habits. Many of your actions each day-if not most of them-are controlled by habits. In times of stress or other times when your goals are not a top priority, you are likely to go back to old habits. Thus, establishing healthy habits is important for long-term success.

    Your environment cues many behaviors. This section will help you set up your environment to be helpful.

    *  Physical Environment. This includes your kitchen, dining area, desk drawer, and other places you store and eat food.

    *  Social Environment. This includes the people around you, people important to you (near and far), and social media. This section will also help you talk to others about your goals.

    *  Mental Environment. This includes the things you say to yourself. This also includes changing the unhelpful thoughts that get in the way of taking action.

    HealthyLife® Weigh

    QUICK LINKS: PART 4

    Build on Current Habits

    Keep Habits Rewarding

    Make Your Kitchen a Healthy Eating Zone

    Help Your Refrigerator Health You

    Join the Team: The Rest of Your Kitchen

    Alter Your Eating Cues

    Scramble Daily Behaviors

    The “Everything in Moderation” Trap

    When “Just a Little” Doesn’t Work

    Make Unhealthy Habits Less Convenient

    It Takes a Village

    Build Support at Home

    Build Support at Work

    Social Media for Support

    Support Isn’t Supportive

    Be Assertive

    Use the L.A.D.D.E.R. Technique

    Practice Assertiveness

    Unsupportive Situations

    Say Nice Things to Yourself

    Dispute Unhelpful Thoughts

    Rational Thinking

    Banish Black & White Thoughts

    Control Catastrophic Thinking

    Create Self-Enhancing Feelings

    The Power of a Phrase

    Review and Prepare

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Plan Your Week

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Leftovers in the refrigerator.

    Plan about a half hour for writing your weekly meal plan and grocery list the first time. The more you plan, the easier it will become and the less time it will take.

    1. Check what you have at home. See what needs to be used up in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.

    2. Write down ideas, rather than specific recipes. (For example, “chicken and vegetables” or “broccoli soup.”) Find recipes after you have finished your plan. Some meals, like breakfast, may be easier to keep the same every day.

    3. Plan for meals to have leftovers. Plan to make extra food items that can be used for another meal. For example, make a double batch of quinoa to use in a casserole one day and a soup two days later.

    *  Have dinner leftovers at lunch the next day to further save on time.

    *  Freeze extra dinner servings in individual-serving freezer bags. Thaw and cook or microwave for a quick meal.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Scramble Your Daily Behaviors

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 4

    Person writing in fitness notebook with healthy snacks on table.

    Changing how you go about your day can help get rid of eating cues and prepare you to establish new, healthy habits. Examples:

    *  Change the order of morning events: get up, shower, brush hair, eat breakfast, brush teeth, read paper, walk dog.

    *  Change the order of work events: take off coat, talk with co-workers, organize desk, review appointments or assignments, open email,  make calls.

    *  Alter driving routine: wear gloves, turn on/off radio, raise/lower volume, try listening to a new station, open/close windows, take a new route to work.

    *  Develop new telephone behavior. Stand instead of sit, hold phone with your opposite hand to your opposite ear, talk in a different room, walk as you talk.

    Be realistic.Allow time to establish a new habit. Some new habits are picked up quickly. Others may take several weeks or months of practice.

    Be consistent.Practice your new behaviors every day. This is how your new behavior will become a reliable habit.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Take Responsibility For Change

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Determined female jogging along road in the rain.

    Recognize your role in making changes. Other factors may have a role in your ability to do something. However, name something that IS in your power to change. Take control of your goals. Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you.

    Depending on someone or something else for change:

    *  I will meet my daily recommendation for vegetables when my kids start liking them more at meals.

    *  I will start a daily exercise routine when summer and warmer temperatures arrive.

    *  I will drink enough water every day when my office fixes the drinking fountain.

    Actively taking responsibility for change:

    *  I will meet my daily recommendation for vegetables when I swap my afternoon crackers for carrots and try a new vegetable at dinner each week.

    *  I will start a daily exercise routine when I set my alarm for an hour earlier and go for a brisk stroll in the morning before work.

    *  I will drink enough water every day when I fill up my water bottle one more time each day.

    Find a statement you wrote that doesn’t start with “I.” Re-write this statement to name something within your control.

    If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine