HealthyLife Articles

Tag: HealthyLife® Weigh

  • Grocery Shop With Confidence

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Couple grocery shopping.

    Grocery stores can be wonderful places to explore new foods. The average grocery store has over 10,000 different items. Some of these foods are healthy “everyday” food choices. Add these more often to your cart. Others are “sometimes” or “once in a while” foods. Add these foods less often.

    Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping:

    1. Choose a low-stress time to grocery shop, if possible. Make sure you have enough time to do your shopping. Stressed grocery shopping can make it harder to stick to your healthy list.

    2. Have a healthy snack before going to the grocery store. This will help you avoid buying less healthy foods on impulse.

    3. Shop the outer edges of the grocery store. This is where you will find fresh produce, dairy, eggs, meats/poultry/seafood, and frozen fruits and vegetables. Go into inner aisles for specific items on your list, but not to browse.

    4. Look for recipes or tips in the produce department. Stores often provide tips for cooking vegetables or a chart showing which fruits and vegetables are in season.

    5. Look for products locally grown or raised. Locally grown produce and livestock can be more nutritious and tasty. Nutrients and flavor can break down during storage and transport. Locally grown food may also be grown more sustainably and buying it supports the community.

    6. Sample healthy foods. Samples, such as cheese cubes or crackers with dip, can take the edge off in a portion-controlled serving. A bite-sized sweet treat can satisfy a craving and help you avoid picking up a larger version of that treat.

    7. Avoid your weak areas. Avoid an aisle that has many unhealthy foods that you have difficulty resisting. Or, keep your eyes forward when walking by these foods.

    8. Buy treats in small portions. Avoid the super-size trap of large portions of unhealthy food. Rather than buying a full tub of ice cream or a boxed brownie mix that will yield a full pan of brownies, get small-sized versions. Choose a single-serving ice cream or an individual brownie at the bakery.

    9. Read labels. Many of the healthiest foods, such as fruits and vegetables, won’t have food labels at all. If they do, they only give a snapshot of the true value of the food.

    © 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

  • Meal Planning Basics

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Family at home eating breakfast in the kitchen.

    This online guide uses the terms breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

    *  Breakfast: The first time you eat upon waking

    *  Lunch: 3-4 hours later

    *  Dinner: 4-5 hours later

    *  Snacks: Small meals between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These are optional, but snacks may help you manage hunger.

    Your work schedule, culture, travel, dietary restrictions, or preferences may mean you have a different meal schedule. Label each meal or snack in a way that makes sense to you.

    Goals for all meals and snacks:

    *  Get enough energy and nutrients.

    *  Choose foods from the main food groups.

    *  Meet, but try not to go over, your daily goals for all food groups.

    *  Avoid spikes or drops in blood sugar that can trigger overeating,  sugar cravings, mood swings, and tiredness.

    *  Include tasty foods.

    *  Build time management into the meal plan.

    Do I have to eat breakfast?

    Breakfast is an important meal that you shouldn’t skip. Eating breakfast:

    *  Gives your body energy after a long break in eating.

    *  Kick-starts your metabolism and helps you burn energy during the day.

    *  May help with memory, concentration, and focus.

    *  May lower your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

    You don’t have to eat typical breakfast foods to get the benefits of eating breakfast. Choose foods high in protein and nutrient-dense carbohydrates. Try whole grain pancakes with yogurt and fruit. Or, re-heat leftovers from the night before.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Physical Health

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Male jogger with earphones.

    Stronger Muscles and Bones

    Muscles let you move, lift, and stretch. When you use your muscles, they get stronger so you can do everything from opening a door to smiling, chewing, and talking! Weight-bearing exercises, in particular, help bones become stronger. This helps prevent osteoporosis and fractures.

    Stronger muscles and bones will help you have good posture and keep your joints and body more naturally aligned.

    Improved Cardiovascular Health

    Heart Strength: Exercise strengthens your heart muscle. This means the heart can pump more blood per stroke and doesn’t require as many heartbeats to pump the same amount of blood. This makes your heart more efficient and lessens your risk of having a heart attack or blood clots.

    Cholesterol Levels: Exercise boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This helps to keep your blood flowing smoothly, decreasing your risk of cardiovascular disease. The more you exercise, the more your cholesterol levels will improve.

    Blood Pressure Control: Hormones that are released during exercise make blood vessels more elastic. This helps lower blood pressure.

    Improved Breathing

    Exercise improves your body’s ability to take in oxygen and transport and use oxygen throughout the body. This helps your muscles get the oxygen they need to be more efficient during exercise. With improved lung function, your ability to exercise longer (stamina) can increase! You’ll also be able to think more clearly throughout the day.

    Improved Immune System

    Exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood that fight off viruses and bacteria. Exercise also helps combat damage done to cells, tissues, and organs.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Protein 2

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Menus & Recipes

    Cooked meats and vegetables in frying pans with seasoning and garnishes.

    Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue, fight disease, manage hunger, and perform other essential tasks. This food group includes seafood, meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy foods and beverages. Try to include at least one non-meat source of protein every day. Plant proteins are very nutrient dense.

    Chart of plant-based equivalent to 1 ounce of meat.
    Chart of plant protein, how much is needed to 1 ounce and ideas.

    * These complete proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids. Other plant proteins contain some, but not all, of these protein building blocks. Consume a variety of sources to form a “team” of complete proteins.

    ** Choose unsalted nuts and no-sugar added butters to reduce sodium and added sugars.

    Make animal protein choices lean

    Choose lean animal proteins most of the time. Poultry (chicken and turkey) is leaner than red meat (beef) or processed meats (e.g., sausage). Consider using a food scale to weigh animal protein, at least until you are more familiar with recommended portion sizes by sight. Another option is to use a deck of cards to estimate 3 ounces of meat.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Stages Of Change

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 1

    Man expressing his success to lose weight.

    This guide does not assume you are ready to change. Or, you may be ready to make certain changes but not others. Other changes you may not have even thought of yet! The tools and strategies in this guide are designed to help you move forward through the stages of change. Using the diagram below, consider which stage you are at.

    1. Not Ready

    *  Unaware or in denial about behavior – “No, not me!”

    *  Unsure about changing

    2. Maybe

    *  Aware of problem

    *  Not quite ready

    *  Weighing pros and cons of change

    3. Yes, Let’s Go!

    *  Forming a plan

    *  Addressing strengths and barriers

    *  Set to take action

    4. Go! Doing It

    *  Putting the plan into action

    *  Bringing champions on board

    5. Keep it Going

    *  Change becomes part of habits

    *  Reflecting on change

    *  Facing challenges to new habit

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Weight Loss & Metabolism

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 7

    Two women power walking together.

    As you have learned throughout this guide, losing weight can result in many positive changes for your body. One change, however, can make it tougher to maintain weight loss. When you lose weight, the body’s natural reaction is to conserve energy by slowing your metabolism.

    Your metabolism may be slower than before you lost weight.

    *  Your body changes to make it difficult to lose more weight.

    *  Your body changes to make it easier to put on weight.

    Without changing your habits and lifestyle around food and exercise, being overweight can become a chronically relapsing condition. You may feel caught in a cycle of gaining and losing weight repeatedly. This pattern can be very hard on the body and mind.

    You are not doomed to gain weight once you have worked hard to lose it. While a slower metabolism can make it harder, you have built many strengths to make this challenge easier.

    *  Easier to exercise (e.g., less joint pain, improved heart and lung function, more energy)

    *  More muscle tissue (this increases your metabolism)

    *  Enjoy an increased variety of healthy foods

    *  Stronger social support

    *  Kinder view of self and body image

    *  Strengthened values

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Address Anxiety

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 6

    Women at home coping with anxiety.

    Anxiety is a feeling of dread, fear, or distress over a real or imagined threat to your mental or physical well-being. Avoid eating as a way to cope with anxiety. Try the strategies listed below.

    Strategy

    *  Take a long, warm bath or shower. Or, go for a swim.

    *  Focus on relaxing through exercise, soothing music, helping others, etc.

    *  Connect with people. Visit or call someone who will listen to you and support you.

    *  Drink a warm cup of decaf coffee or tea – avoid caffeine, which can make anxiety worse.

    *  Practice mindfulness and other relaxation techniques.

    Wash, Peel & Chop Away Anxiety

    Get your meal prep done and work away anxious feelings at the same time!

    Gently wash fruits and vegetables. Chop foods slowly and evenly. Prepare all of the ingredients for a meal neatly before starting to cook.

    Take your time to cook. Clean as you go, keeping your space tidy. Slowly wash and dry dishes by hand. Take breaks if you need to.

    Other Causes of Anxiety

    Anxiety could be a symptom of low blood sugar. Other symptoms of low blood sugar include shakiness, feeling faint, headache, rapid heartbeat, and sweating. In this case, you will need to have something to drink or eat, such as orange juice, a piece of hard candy, or crackers. Anxiety can also be a symptom of an anxiety disorder or other health condition. Check with your doctor if the symptoms above happen often.

    Take a Step Back

    Write down what you are anxious about. Step back and look at your concern from an outsider’s point of view. Imagine how others might handle these issues. You can also use this technique to look at your job or family duties. Ask yourself these questions:

    *  What can I expect of myself in this situation?

    *  Are my expectations realistic, given my abilities, strengths, and weaknesses?

    *  What do others expect of me?

    *  What ideas would others have for me? When you imagine how someone else might respond to a situation, you may come up with helpful ideas!

    If you struggle to answer these questions, wait at least an hour or sleep on it. When you come back to this worry, you may see things in a different way and feel more ready to address the issue.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Build Support At Work

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 4

    Employees talking over a coffee break.

    *  Find out about your company’s wellness program.

    – Participate in challenges, such as a step contest, offered through your wellness program. There may be rewards for participation or winning the challenge.

    – Join the wellness committee and participate in surveys that give you a chance to share your opinion. Let your company know what policies will help you be healthy. Your employer wants you to be healthy, as this helps their health care costs and helps you be productive at work.

    – Volunteer to be a wellness champion. Sharing your journey with others may help give your goals a bigger purpose.

    *  Organize walk times with coworkers at work. If you can, spend part of your lunch break going for a walk around the building or outside.

    *  If you are going out to eat with coworkers, suggest you go somewhere that offers healthy options.

    *  Celebrations at work should include healthy options and limit unhealthy options. Encourage the person who organizes these events to make healthier options available.

    *  Split meal prep with a coworker. Bring a healthy lunch or snack to share for the first half of the week. For the second half of the week, your coworker brings a healthy lunch or snack to share.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Eating And Body Image Issues

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Group of friends eating at a resturant.

    Develop a healthy relationship with eating and your body image. Paying attention to your eating and exercise habits can be a positive step for your health, but you are also at risk for having a distorted body image, developing unhealthy eating patterns, and becoming preoccupied with food and body image.

    Healthy Concern

    *  I pay attention to what I eat in order to maintain a healthy body.

    *  I am flexible in my goals for eating well.

    *  I am not concerned what others think regarding what and how much I eat.

    *  Food only occupies a small part of my time.

    *  I balance my pleasure with eating with my concern for a healthy body.

    *  I feel no guilt or shame with what I eat.

    Food Pre-Occupied/Disruptive Eating

    *  It’s hard for me to enjoy eating with others.

    *  I think about food a lot.

    *  I feel ashamed when I eat more than others or more than what I feel I should be eating.

    *  I am afraid of gaining weight.

    *  Eating more than I wanted to makes me feel out of control.

    *  I feel strong when I can restrict how much I eat.

    Eating Disordered

    *  I am afraid to eat in front of others.

    *  When I eat, I have a hard time controlling the amount of food I eat.

    *  I regularly stuff myself and then exercise, vomit, or use diet pills or laxatives to get rid of the food or calories.

    *  I am terrified of gaining weight.

    *  My friends and family are concerned I am not eating enough.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine