Archive for the ‘corporate wellness’ Category

Attack of the Snack Attack

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010


Picture 13

It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, and you feel the munchies creep into your consciousness. Might you be conditioned to get those mid-afternoon cravings after years of buying afterschool snacks from the ice cream truck or local mini mart on the way home from school, during your youth?

Do you snack in the afternoon because you are hungry or because it is learned behavior? This is a question much like the endless pondering of the chicken or the egg.

Regardless of why you have the mid-afternoon munchies, there are strategies you can follow to beat the cravings monster and the ever-expanding waistline.

When you feel the attack of the Snack Monster, follow some of these suggestions to keep your cravings at bay:

  1. Drink water. The human thirst mechanism, sometimes, disguises itself as hunger or a sugar craving. Stay well hydrated to prevent over-eating and sugar binging, which both will lead to the late afternoon crash.
  2. Go for a walk. Many times, people will feel the urge to snack out of boredom. By changing your activity and catching fresh air, even for a few short minutes, you can stave off the urge to splurge at the vending machine.
  3. Select a nutrient dense snack. If the above two strategies still leave your stomach twisting with hunger, choose a snack containing a good source of dietary fiber, protein, and/or monounsaturated fat, which will be more filling, leaving you satisfied faster and longer. For example, these snacks can be any one of the following:
    • up to 12 medium almonds
    • ½ medium avocado drizzled with honey (or sprinkled with sea salt, balsamic vinegar, and feta crumbles for a savory avocado salad snack)
    • apple slices or celery sticks with two level tablespoons of organic peanut or almond butter
    • small Greek yogurt with ¼ cup of granola
    • whole wheat or whole grain crackers with smear of soft cheese or one slice of hard cheese


Being healthy does not mean you have to suffer, blaming your parents for allowing your stop at the local 7-Eleven for Twinkies, and cursing the retired ice cream man, as you try to resist the evil Munchie Monster. You can outsmart the menace by taking any of the above approaches to staying lean and mean.

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Permission to Reboot

Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Photo credit: Google Images-www.funny-potato.com

Photo credit: Google Images-www.funny-potato.com

The summer days are longer, children are getting ready to go back to school, and the weather is still fair. The summer season brings a lot of activity. Whether the increased activity involved greater physical training for local fun runs or sexier swimsuits, longer workdays with longer daylight hours, increased travel to various destinations, they are all stressors to the body. This continued burden leaves it, sometimes literally, aching for rest and recovery.

Any time a person undergoes physical, mental, or environmental change, the body reacts physiologically and emotionally. According to Dartmouth University’s learning center, some physiological responses include elevated heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, tightened muscles, dry mouth, and headaches. Emotional responses may include negative thoughts, restlessness, and inability to sleep.

Those reactions are similar to the human response to months to years of physical overtraining, as when athletes train at high intensities for long courses of time. Athletes’ training schedules consist of workout cycles of varying intensities, modes, and duration. Weeks of rest are strategically planned in order to keep the athletes performing optimally.

When a body is exposed to bouts of stress, it adapts and becomes stronger. However, when bodies are forced to perform under continued exposure to physical, mental, and environmental stressors, without time to rest and recover, this continued stress becomes strain and can result in orthopedic injury, weight gain, physical and mental fatigue, mental disengagement, and insomnia.

Unfortunate in our culture is the common perception that rest equates to laziness. Nevertheless, even computers need to reboot in order to function normally. Scheduling time to rest to “recharge the batteries” is permissible, especially when it yields results like “new and improved” energy for performance of our daily activities.

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Physical Activity Stimulates Brain Activity and Focus

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

I remember hearing statistics that more than 3/4 of the world’s most successful business people (top 10% of salary earners) workout before they start their workdays. This connection is not coincidence, although, there are varying reasons as to why. It could be that those people are creatures of habit and need to stick to routines that include exercise in the morning. Some might say that people who appear more physically fit have a discriminating advantage in climbing the corporate ladder. Some might also observe that those who are drawn to exercise in the morning are former athletes who are more competitive and are able to bring that to the playing field at work.

Whatever people may speculate, a common thread is that the majority of people “at the top” are exercising in the mornings.

Just yesterday, Hannah Siegel and David Wright of ABC News reported (see video above) Naperville Central High School, west of Chicago, IL, where the students who were not scoring well in their math and reading classes were assigned to physical education class in the first period of their day. Paul Zientarski, chairman of the Physical Education Department at Naperville, wanted to see if they could “jump start their brains.”

The result is staggering! Those students’ math scores are up 20%. They are also now reading at an accelerated 1.5 grades higher than their current grade-level. Students have also reported that they feel they are able to focus better.

Before the United States begins to cut PE programming to save money and push it into the classroom, they need to take a good look at what’s going on at Naperville Central High. Those of us in the fitness biz know; physical activity and the workplace/classroom need not be separate. As the test results have shown, in order to stay ahead of the curve, the two need to be joined.

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Newsflash! We Need More Exercise

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

The Journal of the American Medical Association published, in its March 24/31 issue, the 2008 minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of physical activity per week, though effective in preventing chronic disease, is insufficient in preventing weight gain. (That seems contradictory to me. As weight gain continues and people succumb to obesity, they then become at greater risk for chronic disease.)

In the study, “I-Min Lee, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues examined weight changes associated with different physical activity levels in a study that included 34,079 healthy U.S. women who consumed a usual diet (average age, 54 years) from 1992-2007.” These women moderately exercised 7.5 hours or less per week.

In short, their findings were that only the women in the study who exercised approximately, 60 minutes per day were able to minimize creeping weight gain.

As we age, (both men and women) we generally have lesser basic caloric need. However, we do not eat less as time goes on. At one time, we may have thought we were consuming sufficient calories. As time has passed, we now may be overeating, as our caloric need has been lessening; thus, causing creeping weight gain, which is also known as creeping obesity.

It is possible to stave off the creeping weight gain. Besides the obvious, reducing your meal portion sizes, ensure that you are physically active. It is not secret that as we get older and more vibrant, we also become more busy, and 60 minutes per day seems very unrealistic. However, I have a few simple suggestions that can help you sneak in those 60. After all, those 60 minutes do not have to be sweated out in one continuous bout.

1. Park your car 5 blocks away from your building. The brisk 10 minute walk to and from your car will easily knock out 20 minutes from your 60 minute requirement.
2. If you work in a multi-level building, take the stairs to use the restroom  2 floors from your own. This extra activity will sneak in another 5-15 minutes, depending on how frequently you go.
3. Take brisk walking breaks mid-day and to and from lunch. This too will subtract 10-20 minutes from your daily recommendation. (Are you counting, if you are doing all of the above, you have completed 35-55 minutes of moderate physical activity.)
4. Put iPod speakers in your kitchen. Set it up, while you prepare your dinner, and dance dance dance! in the privacy of your own kitchen. There! Another 5-30 minutes.

Feel free to comment with any other suggestions!

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Stay Moving and Live Longer!

Monday, January 18th, 2010

couch potato

It’s not news that daily cardiovascular exercise is good for our health. Those of you who get in, at the minimum, 30 minutes per day/5 times per week, are on track to living a long and healthy existence.

However, some morbid news came from Australian researchers after following 8,800 individuals’ lifestyle habits. When comparing people who watch two hours or less television, daily, and those who watch more, “those who watched more than four hours a day had a 46 percent higher risk of death from all causes and an 80 percent increased risk for CVD-related death. This association held regardless of other independent and common cardiovascular disease risk factors, including smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, unhealthy diet, excessive waist circumference, and leisure-time exercises.” In fact, these results apply not only to couch potatoes but translate to people who spend their days mostly sedentary–sitting without moving for hours at a time. What’s a busy, bread-winning, adult to do?

I have four letters for you: M, O, V,  E. Four tips for incorporating more movement into your busy, yet physically stagnant work day and TV watching marathon:

  1. Fidget! As long as it isn’t noisy fidgeting, you are moving without disrupting work. By staying constantly moving, not only will you be extending your life, according to Australian researchers, but you will prevent some chronic pains.
  2. Drink lots of water, so you will make more bathroom runs. While you are getting up to use the restroom, you may as well use the one on a different floor or across the building to get in a little extra exercise.
  3. Change positions at least every 30 minutes. For example, stand for a minute or two, stretch, or pace.
  4. Sit on a stability ball instead of a chair, or put a balance cushion on your seat pan, so that you are forced to move and change positions throughout your day.

Freebie: 5. Join V4Fitness.com, a site presented by yours truly, Balanced Strength Inc., where we help you create long-lasting healthy living habits, and the exercise of the day is something you can do from where you are sitting!

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Waist to Hip Ratio: Your tool to figure out your health risk

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Here is a fantastic article, Emily Wynne, a recent Pepperdine University, Kinesiology, grad contributed to our blog…

What is waist to hip ratio?
Waist-hip ratio or Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. It is calculated by measuring the smaller circumference of the natural waist, usually just above the belly button, and dividing by the hip circumference at its widest part of the buttocks or hip.
How are the numbers created?
The waist to hip ratio is calculated by measuring the circumference of the waist and dividing it by the circumference of the hips. The resulting value is looked up in a reference table, like the one following, to determine risk.

WHR chart
Why is this measurement important?
The WHR has been used as an indicator or measure of the health of a person, and the risk of developing serious health conditions. Research shows that people with “apple-shaped” bodies (with more weight around the waist) face more health risks than those with “pear-shaped” bodies who carry more weight around the hips.
Optimal WHR for women is 0.7. The optimal ratio for men is 0.9.
High WHR, in individuals 18 years of age and older, are associated with cardiovascular risks, coronary artery disease, and type 2 diabetes. Although it may be difficult to change your genetically predisposed body shape,  you can shrink your waistline through regular exercise and consuming a healthy diet.

For more information on WHR visit the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org.

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How to Eat Out Without Gaining Weight

Friday, May 29th, 2009
From Istock Photo

From Istock Photo

By Kimberly Dawn Neumann
From Health magazine

The secret: Ask for things your way, Feel Great Weight dream team diet expert Alyse Levine, RD, says.

Do a late lunch
Ask if you can get a smaller (and cheaper!) lunch-size portion at dinnertime. Or, choose an appetizer as your meal; the portions are more likely single-serving-sized.

Get it to go
If you order a full entrée, ask for a to-go box along with your meal, then package up at least half of it before you take the first bite. Or, ask the waiter to have the kitchen box up half of your meal before it’s even served to you.

Skip the fat
Ask for foods to be grilled, steamed or broiled instead of sautéed or fried. Or, request that your entrée be cooked “dry,” which is restaurant-speak for no added oil or butter. Request lemon or lime wedges or some fresh herbs to add your own flavor.

Choose one starch
If you simply must have a warm roll from the bread basket, ask them to hold the rice pilaf that comes with your entrée.

Choose veggies wisely
Not all of them are equally healthy. Sautéed spinach, for example, is often sautéed in gobs of butter. If you’re unsure about a veggie dish, ask how it’s prepared. Or skip it and go for steamed or raw instead.

Play favorites
If you really want the burger, go ahead and get it, but without the fries. Have that chocolate chip cookie at the office party, but skip the chips. By sticking to just splurges you love, you’ll satisfy your urge without overdoing it.

Stick with what you know
No nutrition info on the menu? If it’s a national chain, check the restaurant’s website beforehand; most make their calorie counts available so you can be prepared going in. Or fall back on one of these restaurant meals you can eat without guilt, vetted and approved (in moderation!) by our Feel Great Weight experts.

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Swine Flu Reminders for Cleaner Gym Habits

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

With the swine flu hysteria circulating the world right now, we have doctors reminding us to wash our hands. Hmmm…dare comment? At the core, however, is a reminder to be mindful of keeping the good hygiene that our parents taught us: wash your hands before you eat, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze (better to do that on your sleeve than hand, though), keep your hands away from your eyes, ears, and nose, etc.

This is also a great time to remind ourselves or introduce ourselves to proper gym etiquette:

  1. Don’t go to the gym, if you are sick. You may feel like you need to “sweat it out”, but be considerate of the people around you. Sweat it out where you won’t risk infecting others, even if you think you are not contagious.
  2. Wipe down the equipment after you are done using it. Many gyms have bottles of Simple Green or disinfecting wipes for you to wipe down the (specifically, cardio) equipment before/after you use it.
  3. Bring a workout towel if your gym does not provide them. You may lay it on the seats/pads/mats of the equipment you are using. (I have a very bad/gross memory of skin irritation on my back that, incidentally, cleared up after I stopped using the common gym mats.)
  4. To prevent infection, avoid touching your face while working out; wash your hands first.
  5. Wash your hands when you are finished exercising.
  6. Wash your workout clothes between wears. Workout clothes should not be “recycled”. You should have a fresh set every time you go to the gym. (It’s true, some people need to be told.)
  7. Although this tip does not apply to hygiene, it’s an often forgotten rule of etiquette-leave your cell phone in your locker. If absolutely necessary, take your phone call outside.

If you have more to add to this list, I invite you to comment below.

Also, Noelle Katai, of Vim Essentials has a great recipe for a non-toxic hand sanitizer that kills only the harmful bacteria on contact. Check out her blog at http://www.vimessentials.com/vimblog.

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May is Bike Month!

Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Image courtesy of Google images

Image courtesy of Google images

In honor of bike month, and bike commuter wannabes, I am reposting this great article,

10 Bike Myths Dispelled

April 26th, 2009 by Jack “Ghost Rider” Sweeney · 15 Comments

From my friend Alan Snel’s blog…republished from a League of American Bicyclists/Bikingbis tweet:

Busting the 10 bicycling myths:

1. I’m out of shape
– Ride an easy pace, in a few months you will be in great shape
– Ride your route on a weekend to find the easiest way to work
– You will improve your fitness level when you become a regular bike commuter

2. It takes too long
– The average commuter travels at 10 mph; the more you ride, the faster you become
– Trips of less than 3 miles will be quicker by bike
– Trips of 5 to 7 miles in urban areas take the same or less by car

3. It’s too far
– Try riding to work and taking mass transit home, then alternating the next day
– Combine riding and mass transit to shorten your route
– Ride to a coworker’s house and carpool to work

4. No bike parking
– Look around for a storage area in your building or office
– Stash your bike in a covered, secure place such as a closet or even your office
– Formally request that your employer provide bike parking or lock it up outside

5. My bike is beat up
– Tell a reputable bike shop that you are commuting and have them tune up your bike
– If you can’t maintain your bike yourself, identify bike shops near your route
– Make sure that your bike is reliable and in good working order before you ride

6. No showers
– Most commuters don’t shower at work; ride at an easy pace to stay cool and dry
– Ride home at a fast pace if you want a workout; shower when you get there
– Health clubs offer showers; get a discounted membership for showers only

7. I have to dress up
– Keep multiple sets of clothing at work; rotate them on days you drive
– Have work clothes cleaned at nearby laundromats or dry cleaners
– Pack clothes with you and change at work; try rolling clothes instead of folding

8. It’s raining
– Fenders for your bike and raingear for your body will keep you dry
– If you are at work, take transit or carpool to get home; ride home the next day
– Take transit or drive if you don’t have the gear to ride comfortably in the rain

9. The roads aren’t safe
– Obey traffic signs, ride on the right, signal turns, and stop at lights
– Wear bright clothing
– You are at no greater risk than driving a car
– Wear a helmet every time you ride

10. I have to run errands
– Bolt a rack to the back of your bike to add carrying capacity
– Make sure that you have a lock to secure your bike while you are in a building
– Allow extra time to get to scheduled appointments and find parking
– Encourage your employer to provide a bicycle fleet for office use

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