Does Your Health Need a Do Over?

     

      

      Who hasn’t emotionally beaten themselves up for eating a whole container of Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream? Or what about the whole bag of Lay’s Potato Chips after all there tagline is you can’t eat just one and surprise you can’t! What about that fitness plan that never really got started? Admit it, laying on the couch feels much better that dragging out to the gym.

No matter how you slice it, diet and exercise are dirty words. They come with frustration, disappointment, deprivation and one more failure to add to the thousands of failures that make up your life. Who needs that? It almost leaves you powerless and hopeless for a solution. Your only recourse is to give up. Sound familiar?  

Here’s something new to consider. You have created our life, your relationships and your life’s work one minute at a time. Every thought, decision and action moves you closer or further away from what you are seeking to achieve. Happiness, fame and fortune. At least that’s what they say. Yes some things in life happen to us however we make lots of things happen too.

The same is true with your health.  Yes, you are born with familial tendencies, heredity and genetics however you have a lot to do with your health too. With every bite of food, every minute of missed of sleep, water we forgot to drink, step you missed and every stress filled thought, you are creating your own health picture.

So what does your health picture look like and what will it look like in the future? There are some things about health everybody knows so let’s start there.

1. Experts agree just because you are not sick right this minute does not mean you are not brewing up a disease inside your body. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and the like are called chronic diseases because they happen over a long time sometimes as long as 10 years before symptoms appear and you know it.

2. Everybody knows if you are overweight you are more likely to develop a chronic disease. Some experts say this is not so much the weight that causes this increased disease risk but the choices you make that result in the weight gain. Experts disagree on the numbers of adults with chronic disease the range being somewhere around 50 – 80% but all agree it is poor nutrition, lack of exercise, too much stress, tobacco and alcohol use are the main contributing factors.

3. Everybody knows what to do to eat and live healthier, or at least have a general idea. Pretty much everybody has trouble doing it. We all know this because according to the Centers for Disease Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov) more than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. That’s more than any other time in history. 

    

    Let’s call for a health do over. It’s never too late to learn from your failures and start over making healthier choices. All you need is more understanding of what goes into making healthier choices, a solid plan and a support system.  

  

     Decide WHY and then what.  Instead of going straight to what diet or lifestyle change you are going make think about WHY you want to make these changes. Do you want to reverse a chronic disease, prevent sickness, and watch your kids grow up, have more energy or feel better about yourself?  Knowing why you are embarking on this journey will help you make the decision right for your goals and stick it. Really sick to it for the long haul. When deciding what be sensible, backed by research and think of it in terms of your whole life. I recommend the One Simple Change plan by The Juice Plus Company (http://www.YourJuicePlus.com)

Learn something new every day about your decision making. Choosing to drink a calorie loaded chocolate caramel coffee does not make you bad, wrong or a failure. It just means is your plan is not working. Instead evaluate how you came to make that decision, what the payoff is and what the long term consequences are.  Remember what your WHY is then adjust your plan.

Make a firm commitment to your health. A real commitment. The kind where you are all in. No matter what it takes, never giving up kind of commitment.  I think this is the hardest part.  It takes time and energy to stay committed. This level of commitment may require some hard changes. Giving up some things, foods, activities you love like watching TV then replacing them with foods and activities you don’t really like at first like eating more fruits and vegetables and spending time on physical activity.  In some cases you may even consider changing your friend group. Making friends who want to be healthy just like you and support you in your healthy choices. A firm commitment is what brings you success, it’s the stuff great people are made of.  It’s the WHY of what you are doing.
 Understand your personality.  According to Thomas R. Przybeck, PhD assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine who published a recent study on the topic of personality and diet it’s important to know your tendencies so you can tailor your plan accordingly.  This is your support system. Knowing what and who you need to support you is critical to your success. Dr. Przybeck PhD has narrowed it down to five personality types.

1.      Impulsive.  If you have a tendency to be impulsive you need to remove all foods from your home or office that may tempt you from your healthy eating goals and replace them with healthier options. If it’s the TV that’s keeping you from your activity or sleep goals then one strategy might be to not turn on the TV.
 2.      Oblivious. If you tend to not pay attention to what you eat a good idea would be to weigh and measure your portion sizes before you eat and keep a food diary. The USDA website is a good place to start www.choosemyplate.gov. A restaurant strategy would be to ask the server before serving you to divide your meal in half put one half in a to-go container and serve you the rest.
 3.      Uptight. People who are anxious tend to eat because they are nervous or depressed and eat to feel better. If this is you a strategy would be to have a whole life eating plan which allows you to eat as much as you want to feel better and to schedule in your healthy activities such as 10 pm bedtime, then go to bed. A planning a daily schedule, eating plan and a specific time to exercise generally helps to relieve anxiety. I recommend the Transform30 plan http://www.loseweightanddetoxdiet.com.
 4.     Tenacious. This personality finds it easy to lose weight and stay on a healthy living plan because they are self-directed, cooperative and have a strong since of commitment. If this is you look for other people who are motivated just like you.
 5.     Sociable.  If you are good at monitoring your food intake, like keeping a food diary Przybeck would classify you as a social personality. When it comes to exercise we will find you at the gym with your exercise buddy.

Reboot do over.  Success comes from starting and restarting over and over again until you find a plan that works for you.  Once you know why you are building your healthy life you will know what to do to make it happen. If you are unsure seek the help and support of a certified health coach, dietitian or qualified medical professional to help guide you towards a solid healthy life plan. Your plan may need some modifications, tweaking over time and sometimes even an overhaul. After all life happens with all the upsets. That’s ok. When you are ready, take a deep breath, have a moment of silence to be grateful for what you do have, recommit then call for a reboot do over! We’ll all be there cheering you on.
 This article is from Small Biz Forward, a monthly magazine for small to medium business owners, and entrepreneurs. 

    Your partner in health, 

  

    Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA 

    Certified Health Coach

    Wellness Consultant

    WELCOA Faculty

    C2 Your Health LLC

    Health-E 4 Life Worksite Wellness

Be Strong - Commit to Health

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face … we must do what we think we cannot. – Eleanor Roosevelt

When it comes to your health what’s getting in your way? Work? A habit? Or both? I say both. Do you stay at work too late, work past lunch, meet in restaurants? These are all habits that contribute to unhealthy work habits that contribute to your poor health. Just because you may not be experiencing sickness or disease right this moment it doesn’t mean your body isn’t collecting the ingredients to create cancer or some other chronic disease.  

Our work environments may differ however we all have unhealthy food close at hand. Many work-sites have vending machines, refrigerators, microwaves, food trucks, convenience stores and fast food joints nearby so you don’t waste any time getting your lunch. Or maybe you are one out of five Americans who work from home? Even though healthy foods could be as close as your refrigerator I’m thinking what I will find are frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets or cheese sticks in your freezer. Let’s not mention the food cupboard filled with those fast, processed the foods your family likes.  You know the ones, chips, cookies, snack cakes and candy. 

Or maybe it’s this? Where ever you work it’s been another hectic day at work. On impulse, you grab an extra-large candy bar during your afternoon break. You know it’s not good for you so you plan to take just a few bites. But before you know it, you’ve polished off the whole thing. Remind you of anyone? You maybe? 

All these choices make you feel better at least temporarily. Then remorse sets in along with a good dose of stomach upset, foggy thinking, low energy and a few more pounds. All of this is followed by thinking “I can’t believe I ate that, I’m bad”. 

Is this the story of your life? How do you make those healthy food choices in the face of all the obstacles? 

Here’s how start with recommitting and find the courage to preserver.

Does it take courage to make healthy food choices? You bet it does! When it comes to your health it takes courage is to hold yourself accountable for your actions. By accepting responsibility for your decisions, honoring your commitments you become courageous and will find new resolve to move forward. And what a wonderful since of mastery and accomplishment you feel! 

It’s never too late to get your courage up. Are you ready?

The first step is resolve. Recommit. Be courageous.

It takes courage to let go of the literally thousands of thoughts in your head that sabotage your actions and goals. It takes courage to not follow the crowd and speak up for your health. It takes courage to change your daily habits. It takes courage to stand up for you face the fear of joking and teasing from your peers for choosing health. And it takes even more courage to persist and recommit every day. Here’s the thing the more courage you use the more you have, the better you feel and the closer you are to healthier life you desire and deserve.

Are you ready? Click here to read to whole article in Small Biz Forward.

Your partner in health, 

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA

C2 Your Health LLC

Certified Health Coach 

Wellness Consultant 

A Healthy Dose of Inspiration

Poor health is not caused by something you don't have; it's caused by disturbing something that you already have. Healthy is not something that you need to get, it's something you have already if you don't disturb it.  ~Dean Ornish MD Cardiologist, Researcher, Author 

There are many definitions of inspiration however the one I like best is the “extraordinary influence to help a person take action to create or become creative”. Using this definition when it comes to your health where do you look for inspiration?

Just a few short months ago were you most likely glued to your TV watching the Olympians demonstrate what health and fitness looks like in a larger than life way.  Just think to enter the competition it took millions of mico-decisions choosing the healthiest of foods and pushing for just one more minute of physical practice day in and day out for many years.  A level of commitment for many of us are inspired by.

Inspiration for good health is found in athletes such as soccer players, body builders and sport enthusiasts setting an example for all to see. And what are we seeing? We are seeing the results of a healthy lifestyle hobby or career that is the product of what a ramped up healthy eating and fitness program can do on a regular basis.

Inspiration can be found in overcoming. Lance Armstrong comes quickly to my mind. An example of a person filled with the commitment and persistence to overcome cancer and become a world class athlete. Suzanne Somers fight with cancer was very public and inspired others with her story of winning the fight with healthy lifestyle habits.

Or maybe it someone you know who is closer to home who is your inspiration? A relative, friend, neighbor or someone you work with who makes their good health a priority and disease prevention a goal.  You watch them make it look effortless. They are living the healthy life you wish you had, making choices that prevent disease.

Making healthy lifestyle choices is not an easy habit to develop. Each day we receive millions of messages from the media, our friends and family suggesting there is no real need for those healthy behavior changes we are just fine the way we are after all there is genetics to blame.

For this reason you are my inspiration. You get up every day knowing you need to do something about your health, looking for the truth and not knowing which way to turn. You who with each bite of food and each step you take know there is something better you can do for your health.

What? You are not an inspiration you say. I say you are. Think of this … you know some things that you can do to be healthier; you be one to share your good health habits and let others see you doing them. Do you teach one what you know to those around you? They are looking for answers too. The thing is you never know what you do inspires others that’s what so great about inspiration … it spreads quietly like a slow burning fire within then one day you are filled with it and boom! Something fantastic happens! You choose yogurt over ice cream!

So tomorrow when you go to work, with each conversation be the inspiration I see in you, share and teach others and together we can make our community a better place to live and work for all of us.

Your partner in health,

Wellness Consultant

Certified Health Coach

C2 Your Health LLC

Don’t feel like you are doing enough and looking for a place to start improving your health? Ramp up you nutrition with Juice Plus+ Whole Food Nutrition. How about getting a group of people together a get healthy as a group, ask about our programs to help you get healthier during the work day.

The question on everyone's mind is should I get a flu shot?

Many employers struggle with the question "How important are flu shots for my employees?"  

Let's take a minute to weigh in on the subject.  

The CDC says this about Influenza (flu). It is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications. The main way that influenza viruses are thought to spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. 

This is fun! CDC Influenza Incidence Weekly Updates   click here for U.S. map. 

You may not know this ...

There continues to be a controversy as to whether Influenza Immunization (flu shot) is a good idea. However there is no confusion flu is a health threat. Not along ago "old people and babies" by the thousands died every year during the flu season October - March. On any given day between 5% and 20% people have the flu. 

You may have missed this that was reported earlier this year in the news: 

• Caribbean Princess, Norovirus: Ship ends cruise early after 162 people get sick

• Forecast: What the flu season will look like 

• Fear Of Flu Leads Many To Get Vaccinated As Hospitalizations, Deaths Rise 

The answer to the questions that are around "Should I get a flu shot?" is  maybe.  There continues to be a debate whether flu shots are a good idea. Depending on who you ask will determine the answer you receive. As with every concern about YOUR body, YOU are the ultimate decision maker. 

To read the rest of the article and the C2 Your Health LLC Wellness Wednesday Getting Healthier Every Week eNewsletter click here 

You partner in health,

Cindy Cohen RN

Certified Health Coach

Wellness Consultant

C2 Your Health LLC

A Healthy Dose of Inspiration

Poor health is not caused by something you don't have; it's caused by disturbing something that you already have. Healthy is not something that you need to get, it's something you have already if you don't disturb it.  ~Dean Ornish

There are many definitions of inspiration however the one I like best is the “extraordinary influence to help a person take action to create or become creative”.  Using this definition when it comes to your health where do you look for inspiration?

Just a few short months ago were you most likely glued to your TV watching the Olympians demonstrate what health and fitness looks like in a larger than life way.  Just think to enter the competition it took millions of mico-decisions choosing the healthiest of foods and pushing for just one more minute of physical practice day in and day out for many years.  A level of commitment for many of us are inspired by.

Inspiration for good health is found in athletes such as soccer players, body builders and sport enthusiasts setting an example for all to see. And what are we seeing? We are seeing the results of a healthy lifestyle hobby or career that is the product of what a ramped up healthyeating and fitness program can do on a regular basis.

Inspiration can be found in overcoming. Lance Armstrong comes quickly to my mind. An example of a person filled with the commitment and persistence to overcome cancer and become a world class athlete. Suzanne Somers fight with cancer was very public and inspired others with her story of winning the fight with healthy lifestyle habits.

Or maybe it someone you know who is closer to home who is your inspiration? A relative, friend, neighbor or someone you work with who makes their good health a priority and disease prevention a goal.  You watch them make it look effortless. They are living the healthy life you wish you had, making choices that prevent disease.

Making healthy lifestyle choices is not an easy habit to develop. Each day we receive millions of messages from the media, our friends and family suggesting there is no real need for those healthy behavior changes we are just fine the way we are after all there is genetics to blame.

For this reason you are my inspiration. You get up every day knowing you need to do something about your health, looking for the truth and not knowing which way to turn. You who with each bite of food and each step you take know there is something better you can do for your health.

What? You are not an inspiration you say. I say you are. Think of this … you know some things that you can do to be healthier; you be one to share your good health habits and let others see you doing them. Do you teach one what you know to those around you? They are looking for answers too. The thing is you never know what you do inspires others that’s what so great about inspiration … it spreads quietly like a slow burning fire within then one day you are filled with it and boom! Something fantastic happens! You choose yogurt over ice cream!

So tomorrow when you go to work, with each conversation be the inspiration I see in you, share and teach others and together we can make our community a better place to live and work for all of us.

Your partner in health,

Wellness Consultant, Certified Health Coach

C2 Your Health LLC

Don’t feel like you are doing enough and looking for a place to start improving your health? Ramp up you nutrition with Juice Plus+ Whole Food Nutrition. How about getting a group of people together a get healthy as a group, ask about our programs to help you get healthier during the work day.

Slow Food is the New Fast Food - Menu Makeover

Each year C2 Your Health LLC conducts a cooking class for the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Michiana BetterU Makeover Challenge which will be held this year May 8th. The Challenge is a 12 week program guiding 12 women through the struggles and successes as a result of developing strategies that work to lasting healthy behavior change for themselves and their families. This year the BetterU Challenger hail from Elkhart General Hospital.

The goal of a cooking class is to demonstrate fast food does not only exist at the drive through window. I am not so sure fast food is really that fast.  Think about this for a minute. Be the time you decide where to go to pick up food, get in your car, drive to the restaurant, order, then be served and drive home 30 – 45 minutes has passed. In the same amount of time you could have enjoyed a relaxing home cooked healthy meal with your family. 

The Michiana BetterU Challengers learned how to fight fast food with slow food (home cooked natural) by participating in an interactive healthy cooking class. You may have heard of the Slow Food Movement designed to combat the thinking that fast food is the only choice. 

The Slow Food Movement, like the American HeartAssociation focuses on choosing healthier food options. There is confusion about what healthy food is and where it comes from. To add to the confusion is media messages telling us home cooking is it is more expensive, takes too much time and has the same level of nutrition as manufactured foods. This is simply is not true. 

To read the rest of the article click here

 Your partner in health,

Cindy Cohen RN
Certified Health Coach
Wellness Consultant
C2 Your Health LLC
Health-E 4 Life Worksite Wellness