Archive for May, 2010

Ever heard that expression, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”?  I want to tweak that slightly: “the more things stay the same, the less chance they will EVER change.”

The cold, hard fact is this: If we want to change our less-than-stellar health habits, the time is now.  We all have to actually make some sort of concerted effort to do things differently in order to expect different results.

This idea is elementary, I know, but it’s amazing how many of us (myself included) don’t practice what we preach.  Here’s an example:

Last year I noticed that my favorite jeans were becoming harder and harder to button.  I blamed the dryer and the hot water I accidently washed them in one time (months before). Because I didn’t own a scale, I was in relative denial about my gradual weight gain.  I continued to eat my-ahem-nightly bowl of ice cream.  I didn’t have a lot of energy, which lead to me skipping the gym most days.  The less I exercised, the more lethargic I felt and the more I ate (to keep my energy up).  This became a classic vicious cycle.

One day I could no longer deny it and my favorite jeans were banished to the back of my closet, along with the other clothes I couldn’t squeeze into anymore.  That day was my breaking point, my “moment of clarity” if you will.  I forced myself to the gym that afternoon, and most evenings after work.  I stopped eating my beloved ice cream (except on weekends), and tried my best to get enough sleep so I didn’t need to rely on food to enhance my energy.

Everyone has their breaking point, their moment of clarity.  Find yours and then act upon it.  It may take a little while to see some results, but you absolutely will.  Changing your bad habits can ultimately change the course of your health-and life-for the better.  Good luck!

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Are you feeling deprived?  Working hard, running around all day long, trying to exercise and take care of yourself (and everyone else) to the point of absolute exhaustion?  And when you finally have a moment’s peace, you decide that you deserve a treat-something chocolately and gooey no doubt-because you’ve worked so hard and sacrificed for so long.

Maybe that’s not such a good idea.

If you truly are trying to live a healthy and active life, rewarding yourself (and your family) with sweet, fatty, and sugary treats is good for no one.  Aside from the obvious glut of fat and sugar, you are setting a dangerous precedent: food equals reward.

Some people choose food as a reward because it’s cheap.  But I would argue that’s not entirely true.  Healthcare costs are rising, and what about the new wardrobe you’d have to buy after you gain ten pounds from consuming all of the treats you “deserve”?

There is a better way.

Reward yourself and loved ones with a new CD or DVD, a beautiful candle, tickets to a sports event or concert, a pound of gourmet coffee, or even with a massage or pedicure.  Especially if you have kids (or grandkids), this will establish that rewards don’t have to be sugar/fat/food related.

And hey. You could even buy yourself or a loved one some favorite nutritional supplements and give the ultimate reward: Good health!

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All fats are not created equal.  Our “good fat” friend Omega-3 fatty acid has once again proven that it is one of the heart healthiest substances around.  A new study involving 51 men and women with mild hypertriglyceridemia shows that supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids can improve cardiovascular health.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study involving fifty-one male and female mildly hypertriglyceridemic patients, consumption of omega-3 LC-PUFA-supplemented dairy products was found to significantly improve cardiovascular risk factors (such as omega-3 fatty acid index, AA/EPA ratio, total cholesterol, and TAG). Both groups received treatment with a) dairy products enriched with 3 g/d omega-3 LC-PUFA (intervention); and b) dairy products (control), consecutively for fifteen weeks with a ten-week wash-out phase between the two treatments. Blood samples and 24-h urine were obtained at the start and at the end of each phase. A reduction in cardiovascular risk factors was found to be associated with consumption of omega-3-enriched dairy products, as compared to control. These results add to the large body of evidence linking omega-3 fatty acid consumption to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Buy some safe, pure Omega-3 fatty acid supplements from a trusted source and load up on seeds, nuts, salmon and even collared greens and Brussels sprouts and you’ll be on your way to better cardiovascular health.  And the healthier you are, the more energy you will have to enjoy all the beautiful things in life!

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Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38987, “Omega-3 LC-PUFA-enriched dairy products are able to reduce cardiovascular risk factors: A double-blind, cross-over study,” Dawczynski C, Martin L, et al, Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar 19. [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich Schiller University, Dornburger Str. 24, D-07743 Jena, Germany).