Category Archives: Physical Health

A Journey to Health Begins with a Long Look Back

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CaptureI am having a food memory.  I am remembering every detail of what it was I ate, how it tasted and felt in my mouth and where I was when I ate it.  And the memory is almost 15 years old.  I’m not remembering  a fancy French dish served on a romantic holiday or the first plate of spaghetti I shared with a date.  I am remembering a cool, crisp Gala apple eaten after my first grueling hike through the Cascade mountains in Washington State.  This particular apple memory stays with me because it was one of the few times in my life that I was aware of eating food as fuel.  I could feel it immediately restoring me and I remember being fully satisfied after it was finished.  I was more than 30 years old!

I have always had a complicated relationship with food.  In my family it was used as a reward for accomplishments and a comfort to difficult times.  Mealtimes in our family were stressful and food was quickly consumed so I could be excused from the table.  After my parents’ divorce, my mother often included me in late night ‘un-birthday parties’ that involved fancy cakes that only the two of us consumed.  I loved the closeness and secrecy of those moments, even while sensing something was not quite right.

It is no mystery to me why I have such trouble losing weight and keeping it off. Like most women ‘of a certain age’ my metabolism is now slowing and it’s even more difficult for me to shed pounds.  In my lifetime I have been a size 6 and a size 20 with stops at nearly every size along the way.  Somewhere in the middle of that range these days, I am learning to form a new relationship with my body, my size and what kind of fuel I take in.

In order for any change to be successful, we need to take stock of what our current behaviors mean to us, in my case, why is this excess weight I want to lose there in the first place.  This is the paradoxical theory of change that is a key piece of gestalt therapy.   Previous diet attempts that have included restriction of calories and extreme exercises have worked for a while. In fact, three years ago I was at my lowest adult weight ever but now am back to where I was when I started that journey.  I had done the work identifying my motivation to lose and made changes to my exercise and fitness routine but I had neglected to pay attention to how it was I had gained the weight in the first place.

A new course at TeacherCoach.com looks at the psychology of weight loss and breaks the process into three phases: Awareness, Detoxification, and Implementation.  I am learning more about the quality of the food I eat and the support I will need on this journey and I am being gentle with myself as I come to understand that food has meant love, protection, safety and joy over my lifetime.  Accepting this, rather than feeling guilty about it, is helping me find new ways to meet these needs while taking better care of the body I live in.

 

You can check out this course yourself and many others on health and wellness at http://teachercoach.psychpro.com/catalog.php

 

Feed Your Head

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Remember the last time you rode a roller coaster?  Or had to speak in front of a large audience? Or found a spider on your arm?  Did you just think about your stomach?  Gut instinct. I feel it in my belly.  I have butterflies in my stomach.  These aren’t just expressions.

Scientists have long known that neurons that are embedded in the alimentary canal, or gut, send messages to our brain.  So rich is this network that it is sometimes referred to as ‘the second brain’ and it is partially responsible for our mental state.

New research on the bacteria that lives in our guts suggests that unhealthy bacteria plays a key role in behavioral and emotional problems including depression, anxiety, ADHD and even autism.  In fact, it is estimated that nearly 95% of the body’s serotonin is manufactured in the gut when it is functioning normally.  Serotonin is the neurotransmitter responsible for transferring messages through the brain. Serotonin levels and the brain’s receptivity to it are believed to be associated with mood and depression.  Our modern diets of excessive sugar, processed foods, refined grains and genetically engineered foods have compromised our gut health, destroying healthy bacteria and increasing the amount of bad yeast and bacteria.

All is not lost, however.  Healthy bacteria can be returned to the gut with some simple changes to diet.  Reducing the amount of processed food and increasing your intake of fermented foods such as kefir, some yogurts, tempeh and sauerkraut or kim chee can re-balance your gut flora. People who do not enjoy the taste of fermented foods may wish to take a pro-biotic supplement available in most health food and grocery stores.  Before grabbing any heavily promoted ‘pro-biotic’ yogurts or drinks, do be sure to check the sugar content or you may be robbing Peter to pay Paul and not getting the most health benefits.

So before resorting to an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication, perhaps, in the words of Jefferson Starship, remember what the dormouse said: Feed your head.

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Why is Heart Disease on the Rise?

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heartI was at my annual exam last week and anxiously reviewing my family’s cancer history with my doctor.  My mother and her sister each died from cancers and I knew that put me at a higher risk.  My doctor reviewed my history and noted my regular screenings over the past 10 years.  She applauded my commitment to regular screenings and exams but then said “You know, what you really should be worrying about is heart disease.”  This was her gentle way of reminding me that I’ve been saying I should lose weight for the past 10 years.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women, killing half a million American women a year. And yet, according to a study by the Mayo Institute, only 8% of women see heart disease as a serious risk to their health.  The news isn’t any rosier for men.  The risk of stroke and arterial disease has increased by 24% in the past 10 years and the danger is climbing for young people as well. In another study published by the American Heart Association, researchers found that the risk of hypertension in children and teens rose 27% over a 13 year period. Hypertension can lead to stroke and heart disease.

News about the benefits of exercise and healthy eating are not new. Talk of fitness is as ubiquitous as ever.  My gym is packed this month with people making good on their New Year’s resolutions.  I have apps on my phone to track exercise, calories, carbohydrates and sugars.  My friends with FitBits can print out hourly reports of their health. With all the information and research available to us at our fingertips, how is it that heart disease continues to rise?

We don’t get enough exercise

Fifty years ago jobs were more active, enabling us to move throughout the day.  Active jobs now make up less than 20% of our workforce and we’re working longer hours.  On average, full-time workers spend about 47 hours a week working, that’s more than 350 extra more sedentary hours worked each year.  Since the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, schools have struggled to make time for more rigorous instruction and testing and cuts to recess and physical education have become common solutions, meaning that our children are spending more time sitting.  The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at least 5 days a week or 25 minutes of vigorous activity at least 3 days a week for improved cardiovascular strength.  There are days I can’t imagine finding five minutes for myself, carving out 30 can feel nearly impossible.

Too much of the bad stuff

Processed and refined sugar, excessive sodium and trans fats are the chief threats to our heart health, and they are in nearly everything we eat.  I was shocked to learn that despite carefully cutting snacks and candies from my diet I was still consuming sugars at a dangerous rate.  Eighty percent of our food products now contain refined sugar and are hidden under at least 57 different names, my favorite being ‘dehydrated cane juice’ – does that fool anyone?

Processed packaged and restaurant foods are to blame for 80% of our sodium intake.  Current dietary guidelines call for no more than one teaspoon of salt a day.  By the year 2000, we were eating nearly three times that amount.

The effort to reduce or eliminate trans-fats has been making strides with some cities banning their use.  However, despite labels that claim ‘no trans-fat’, in a study of 4.340 top selling packaged foods bearing this claim, researchers found that 9% still contained the main source of trans fat, partially hydrogenated oils.

Not enough of the good stuff

With hidden ingredients, code names for refined sugars and blatant misrepresentation of fat content, what’s a gal supposed to do to eat better??  Well, let’s keep it real.  Real food, that is.  Fruits and vegetables.  Turns out only about 26% of adults in this country eat their veggies three times a day.  Vegetables are expensive, inconvenient and not equally available in all communities.  I have a weekly ritual right now that involves throwing out half the produce I bought on Sunday while promising to do better next week.  The large leaf lettuce that was going to house veggie wraps looks like my son’s science project and who knew a red pepper could completely liquefy??!

There is encouragement.  Farmers markets are increasingly allowing shoppers to use food stamps to buy fresh, local produce, many cities support urban gardens in vacant lots and nearly every state now has programs to send fresh vegetables into poorer schools and neighborhoods.  Some food companies are trying to market baby carrots, edamame and other small fruits and veggies as snack food.  But as a mother who was raised on an old food pyramid that emphasized meats and breads and clearing one’s plate, it’s still hard for me to feel I am feeding my child well when his plate is half-filled with veggies.

We’re still lighting up

“Nobody smokes anymore!” my teenage clients tell me and statistics seem to bear out their claim.  Only about 20% of Americans smoke now as compared to 40% 15 years ago.  But that’s still about 40 million people lighting up.  Smoking decreases good cholesterol, increases blood pressure and accelerates the risks of obesity and other heart health risks.

Research is mixed on whether the advent of e-cigarettes offers smokers a heart-safe way to enjoy nicotine.  Inhaling smoke weakens the cardiovascular system.  E-cigarettes deliver the nicotine without the tar and smoke of traditional cigarettes but there still may be risks.  Nicotine is known to constrict blood vessels which may compromise heart health. And the solvents used in e-cigarettes to break down the nicotine are still being studied and tested to determine their risks.

February is Heart Health Month

So why not take the opportunity to learn a little more about how to protect yours?  Here are some ways to start caring for your health and that of your loved ones.

  1. Films to educate: Why not make a movie night to view one of these films as a family or with your friends? Fed Up uncovers the risks of sugar consumption.  Super Size Me looks at fast food consumption and Forks over Knives makes the whole food, plant-based diet accessible and compelling.

 

  1. Try a Smoothie Challenge:  Smoothies can be quick, easy and tasty ways to get your servings of vegetables and fruits.  The Simple Green Smoothies 30 day challenge offers affordable and easy recipes that can be made in your blender. http://simplegreensmoothies.com/30-day-challenge

 

  1. Involve your loved ones: This is the month to celebrate love and what could show your valentines you care more than focusing on heart health, yours and theirs?  Making change is easier with support.  Start a Facebook group to keep yourselves accountable to each other for exercising and eating well.  Join an online community focused on healthy living. Ask your spouse or partner to join you in your efforts.

 

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day and 35 million times in a year.  Isn’t it time to do something good for it in return?

 

 

Why Is It So Hard to Lose Weight When You’re a Teacher?

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scaleAh, January! 

The time of renewed gym memberships and firm promises to eat better, exercise more and lose weight.  These are tough changes for any of us, but teachers are faced with unique challenges that can make these goals even more challenging.

Focus on Others: The very nature of a teacher’s job is to put the needs of students first.  If you are also a parent, spouse or partner, it may be even harder to put your own health on the front burner and those intentions to care for yourself get postponed.

It’s Not That Bad: Teachers, like many other Americans, may not realize the health risks of eating poorly or being overweight, and may underestimate the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Brains not Body: Face it, teachers are excellent and creative thinkers but with such a focus on teaching and learning, it can be difficult to prioritize caring for the body as well.

No Time: A teacher’s day begins early and often goes non-stop well into the night.  That leaves little time for thoughtful eating and it isn’t always easy to bring or prepare healthy food.

No Energy: On that same note, there isn’t much time left over for exercising or rejuvenating, which leads to low energy, which can encourage teachers to consume sugar and caffeine and thus continues a cycle of energy spikes and fatigue.

Swallowing More than Food: The demands of high-stakes testing, ever decreasing budgets and the growing needs of children and families can lead to a great deal of stress, frustration and anger, feelings that are not always wise to express.  Some teachers resort to emotional eating to swallow or avoid these feelings.

So What to Do?

Take advantage of the New Year to set goals for small, but sustainable changes in diet and fitness.  There is strength in numbers, start a fitness challenge with your co-workers.  Designate a bulletin board where staff can share recipes and fitness tips.  Consider monthly potluck lunches of all those healthy recipes you’ve been pinning to your Pinterest board to try ‘someday’.  Pedometers are affordable and fun ways to challenge each other to increase movement, and wouldn’t you like to know how many steps you actually take in a day as you move around your room and back and forth to meetings?  Add a fruit bowl to the faculty lounge and encourage co-workers to leave fruits, nuts and seeds to share instead of bagels and doughnuts.  Research indicates that dramatic changes in diet and habits do not last more than three or four weeks but small changes to your daily routine and having a friend or group to keep you focused can lead to a new lifestyle of health.