THE DAY AFTER

So, you've started a new eating and exercise plan and it's going really well. You feel motivated, positive, and on top of the world! Nothing is going to stop you this time, you finally feel fully committed and you're starting to see results!

Then it happens... One night you feel antsy and in the mood to snack. You start looking around the kitchen, in the fridge, in the pantry. Then you see something that you've been CRAVING! You start to justify it, "just a little, I'll just have a little, I've been so good lately, a little can't hurt".

You start to eat and you have more than you had planned. At first it's no big deal, but then you start to think about your unplanned mini-binge and you start to feel guilty and defeated. "Well, now I've blown my whole day, I might as well have some more". The combination of your guilt and your urge to snack leads to an all out binge. You eat any and everything that looks remotely tasty and even some things that you don't really want. The eating becomes a blur, you're no longer eating for satisfaction, you're eating just to eat... ultimately you're eating to self-sabotage. "If I'm not going to do it perfectly I'd rather just fail completely". Through this process you start a cycle that ruins your diet and reinforces your feelings of inadequacy. "Tomorrow I'll start a new diet and this time it'll be different" you tell yourself. And so the process starts all over again.

So what is a person to do when then find themselves on a diet detour? What do you do the day after you've fallen off the wagon? I've had this question posed from several people and I've gone through this myself, so here if what I feel is the best option:

1) Take a deep breath and start going through your emotions. What were you feeling when you started to eat? What did you feel when you "gave up"? Once you can identify what you were feeling, jot it down in a journal. Next jot down what your response to these feelings was (what you did) and think about what you could do differently next time.
2) LIVE IN THE PRESENT! Don't ignore your feelings, but don't dwell on them either. Focus on where you are RIGHT NOW, not what you did yesterday or what you're doing tomorrow. "Right now I am starting a new day and I am starting it positively".
3) FORGIVE YOURSELF and don't try to "make up" for it today. There's ultimately no real need to "forgive" yourself... to err is human. Perfection is a moment, not a state. Slip-ups are a part of life, so instead of focusing on making up for them or repenting, just focus on making good choices TODAY! Nothing you do will make up for last night, but every choice you make in the present WILL influence your end result TODAY.
4) Tonight, don't give yourself the chance to repeat the carnage. When you wind down for the day, take a half an hour to meditate. Taking time for reflection after a positive day of eating can help you to appreciate your accomplishments. It can also help to reduce your anxiety.
5) If you still have the urge to snack in the evening, TAKE A WALK! Getting outside and doing something physical can help to clear your head, put you in a positive mood, and prevent mindless snacking.

And so the cycle is broken! On top of these tips it is GREAT to keep a food/emotion journal. Keeping track of what you eat during the day and what you were feeling at that time will draw connections you can see between your emotions and food. Before you know it, you'll be eating better and appreciating yourself more!

SWINE FLU

I was going to avoid discussing Swine Flu because the hype and panic surrounding it only increases when it is at the forefront of the news. I have, however, decided to discuss the issue in order to help decrease some of the panic.

WHAT IS SWINE FLU AND WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS?
Swine flu is a genetic variant of the Influenza A virus, aka the flu. The reason experts are concerned about the swine flu is because it is a NEW flu virus, one that no human body has ever dealt with before, and therefore no one has immunity to it.

Think of the last time you had the flu. You felt miserable, your whole body ached, and all of these symptoms were related to your immune system trying to kill the flu virus. Once your body figured out how to kill that flu virus, the next time you came into contact with it, you didn't get sick (or it was less severe) because your body was prepared. When a new virus appears, your body has to fight the war all over again, and if you have a weakened immune system (like in the elderly and the young) or the virus is particularly virulent, your body might not be able to fight it off.

Now, on top of the lack of immunity in the general public, viruses have a tendency to mutate rapidly, as we have seen with the swine flu. It's ultimate goal as a virus is to survive, so it evolved its DNA to make it possible for it to pass from animals to humans, then from humans to humans. The problem is no one knows what the next evolution will be and the best way to prevent finding out is to stop the spread of the disease. That is why governments around the world are trying to be proactive in containing the outbreak: the less transmission, the less opportunity for the virus to mutate.

In addition to lack of human immunity and mutation, scientists do not know the long term effects of the swine flu since it only recently came into being. To spare you the microbiology, it is suffice to say that some viruses lead to increased risk of other conditions later in life. For example, Mono can increase your lymphoma risk and H. Pylori, which causes stomach ulcers, can lead to increased risk of contracting stomach cancer in your lifetime. Does Swine Flu have long-term effect on health? We just don't know and we don't want to find out.

HOW CAN I PREVENT SWINE FLU?
Avoid traveling to areas where swine flu is known to be and WASH YOUR HANDS!!!! Nothing helps to prevent the spread of disease MORE than washing your hands with plain old soap and water (NOT antibacterial soap, plain old castille soap). But keep in mind when washing your hands that the purpose of hand washing is the MECHANICAL removal of bacteria from the surface of your skin. In other words, you "wash off" bacteria and viruses, you don't kill them. To effectively do this, WET YOUR HANDS before applying soap and wash all areas (including between fingers!) for at least 30 seconds.

Taking Echinacea, Vitamin C, and Zinc can also help to bolster your immune system and prevent transmission of the disease.

Skip the masks! They only help in close contact and even then they aren't effective against viruses.



Swine Flu is just like the regular flu, so take precautions you would normally take, live your life and don't obsess!



ON ANOTHER NOTE: The inhumane conditions of large factory farms are breeding grounds for viruses like the swine flu. Become a vegetarian or petition your senator/congressman to introduce legislation that respects the welfare of the animals and increases regulation of the conditions animals can endure in factory farms. It's difficult, but watch the whole video below. Very informative

FOODS WITH PURPOSE

HERE is an article about foods you can eat to help improve specific aspects of your health. Good article, short and to the point. Here's a summary:

SKIN AND HAIR:
*Citrus fruits (for vitamin C)
*Tomatoes (for lycopene)
*Tofu (for soy protein)
*Flax (for omega 3 fatty acids)

EYES:
*Eggs
*Leafy Greens
*Broccoli
*Winter Squash
*Brussels Sprouts (all of these provide lutein and zeaxanthin)

BONES:
*Spinach & Broccoli (Vitamin D, Calcium, and Phosphorus together... good combo for bones!)
*Calcium-fortified Tofu

HEART:
*Whole Grains (for fiber)
*Fatty Fish (and Flax, for omega 3's)
*Fresh Fruits & Veggies (organic is even better!)

BRAIN:
*Flax (for omega 3's)
*Whole Grains (for fiber and minerals)
*Vitamin C, E, and Folate

DANGEROUS DIET PILLS

The FDA has just recalled the diet pill "Hydroxycut" due to numerous cases of liver failure and damage.

This is just one in a long line of cases that emphasize how dangerous diet pills are. Remember: diet and exercise lead to weight loss and some natural foods/herbs assist the body in the process (like tea and cayenne peppers), but NO pill or "herbal miracle" will take the weight off for you, and many diet pills just might kill you.

Most "diet" specific pills and teas contain compounds that put stress on the cardiovascular system (they stimulate heart rate, therefore increasing caloric needs and burn), like caffeine and guarana. But what they don't tell you is that the stress they put on your body can lead to permanent damage, including heart disease, hardening of the arteries, stroke, and heart attack. Apparently Hydroxycut also had ingredients that were hepatotoxic (damaging to the liver), and unfortunately you don't truly show signs of liver failure until it's gotten really bad, so the pills may be damaging your liver and you wouldn't even know it. Long story short: DON'T EVER TAKE DIET PILLS. They don't work and they're dangerous!

Also good to know: diet pills and herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA and therefore you never really know what you're getting. Another study came out about a month ago showing that 20 leading brands of multivitamins contained unsafe levels of lead!! Lead?! In my MULTIVITAMIN!!?

If you do take herbal supplements (NOT diet pills) like a multivitamin, make sure you buy from a reputable brand. NOTE: Don't start a new herbal supplement without speaking to your MD first!

THE MAGIC OF MBT's

So by now you may have heard of these amazing shoes called MBTs that have been clinically tested and shown to increase muscle usage while walking (aka increase calorie burn and toning). You may have also heard that they help improve posture and decrease chronic lower back pain. What you may NOT have heard is that they aren't a hoax; they actually work!

Several of my co-workers at the hospital were wearing MBTs and they lost inches and overall weight just by wearing them to work! The biggest set-back for me in regards to MBTs other than the price (around $200 a pair) was how freaking hideous they were. Well, now you have some selection and several of the models look like normal shoes.

Check out THIS SITE to look at all the models! In this economy, it's hard to justify spending this much on shoes, so do what I'm doing: start putting aside $25-$50 per month (which you can subtract from your "eating out" allowance, also helping you to be healthier!) and soon enough you can buy your own pair without blowing the bank! In the meantime, try this trick for toned legs immediately:

*Take the stairs instead of the elevator and when you do, ALWAYS skip a stair. You get instant lunges added to your daily activity without even thinking about it!

Happy shopping!

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST! WHITE TEA FIGHTS FAT

First, I apologize for the delay in posts... I was out of town and the WiFi at my hotel was HORRIBLE!

And now, on with the latest in natural health!

You may have read my POST several days ago touting White Tea as even better for you than its popular cousin, Green Tea. Well now scientists are finally proving this in research studies!!!

THIS ARTICLE discusses a new study that reveals that compounds in White Tea help to prevent fat storage and target already existing fat stores!

So drink up! And if you're looking for a lower-cost Silver Needle tea (the BEST White Tea out there), try your local Wegmans! They now sell loose leaf silver needle at reasonable prices.