By Dennis Thompson Jr.
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MS
Sodas are sweet, sparkling and tasty — but don't confuse them with a healthy drink. Doctors have discovered a ton of health risks connected with drinking soda pop. Worse, you're robbing yourself of a healthy drink alternative brimming with needed vitamins and minerals every time you chug down a soft drink.
"If you're choosing a soda, chances are you aren't choosing a healthy beverage," says Keri M. Gans, a nutrition consultant in New York City and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. There are a number of healthy drink choices you can make instead.
Why Say No to Soda?
Soda is truly worthless to your body. "In my opinion, there's really one major reason to not drink soda," Gans says. "It has absolutely no nutritional value. Soda is filled with sugar and calories and nothing else." Even diet sodas — low to no calories and sugar — don’t have any redeeming virtues, nutritionally. Healthy drinks, on the other hand, have vitamins and minerals the body can use. Even plain water can rehydrate your body without adding extra calories to your diet. Sugary sodas contribute to obesity and diabetes. Soda is loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that has been linked to obesity. Soda consumption also has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, both due to its sugar content and its effects on the body's hormones. And diet soda? It may not be any better. At least one study has linked artificial sweeteners, such as those used in diet sodas, to increased appetite, greater difficulty losing weight, and a harder time maintaining weight loss. Soda damages your teeth. The sugar in soda coats your teeth, combining with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Both regular and diet soda also contain carbolic acid through carbonation. These acids work to weaken tooth enamel, causing cavities and tooth decay. Drinking soda can weaken your bones. Most sodas contain phosphorous and caffeine, agents that are believed to contribute to osteoporosis. Experts also worry that people consume soda in place of milk or other healthy drinks, depriving the bones of calcium. Soda can harm your major organs. Research has demonstrated that increased soft drink consumption may be linked to chronic kidney disease, development of metabolic syndrome (a group of symptoms that add up to increased heart risk), and fatty liver, a chronic liver disease. Healthy Drink Alternatives
Luckily, there are limitless options when choosing a healthy drink over a soda pop. Some soda alternatives include:
Water. It is the ultimate healthy drink. "It's free in every sense of the word," Gans says. "It has no calories and it comes straight from your tap." Fruit juice. Gans urges you not to drink straight fruit juice, which contains a lot of sugar. "Drink some seltzer with a splash of juice for a little flavoring," she says. "Rather than drinking juice, eat a piece of whole fruit. You're also getting the fiber in the fruit." Milk. This is another essential healthy drink, particularly for kids. "An 8-ounce glass of nonfat milk has 80 calories and nine essential nutrients," Gans says. "You get a lot of bang for your buck." Tea. Whatever teas you prefer — green, black, herbal — they all have been shown to contain high levels of antioxidants, which are believed to protect the body from damage. Powdered drink mixes. They contain no tooth-rotting carbonation, and come in sugar-free varieties. They give your sweet tooth a fix without harming your overall nutrition.
Stay in Shape this summer! Join my 30 day workout today!
Get your booty moving, it's time to kick it up a notch!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
It is almost time for the 30 day bootcamp. Are you ready? Do 30 minutes of cardio a day, and start with 5-10 push ups, and you will be ready!
If your having problems breaking down your food, try taking a digestive aid such as Daily essential Enzymes. These little miracles will help you break down Milk sugar, Protein, Carbs, Fiber and you only take 1 before each meal.
Also start keeping a food log on your fridge, write down each time you eat something, it does not have to be specific, but just seeing the things that you have eaten during the day will help ateer you in a better direction.
If you have muscle or joint pain before you workout, do NOT let this stop you, Try some light cardio and stretching and gradually increase the amount and activties.
Check back soon for more details on BOOT CAMP!
If your having problems breaking down your food, try taking a digestive aid such as Daily essential Enzymes. These little miracles will help you break down Milk sugar, Protein, Carbs, Fiber and you only take 1 before each meal.
Also start keeping a food log on your fridge, write down each time you eat something, it does not have to be specific, but just seeing the things that you have eaten during the day will help ateer you in a better direction.
If you have muscle or joint pain before you workout, do NOT let this stop you, Try some light cardio and stretching and gradually increase the amount and activties.
Check back soon for more details on BOOT CAMP!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
10 ways to get moving and shed pounds!
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD FeatureReviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MDNo time to work out? No time to plan healthy meals? Lack of time isn't the only excuse offered by sedentary people who need to lose weight. Close on its heels is another complaint: Working out just isn't fun, and neither is shopping and cooking "healthy."
Exercise and weight loss experts say they hear that all the time -- but it doesn't have to be true.
If sedentary Americans -- and that's nearly 40% of adults -- would adopt some fun ways to get fit, chances are good they will pick up the exercise habit for good, experts say. And once the exercise habit kicks in, eating better and losing weight come easier.
Getting fit and getting trim is often a "two-fer." It's difficult to get fit without eating right, and eating right makes it easier to get fit.
So forget what you learned in high school gym class or at the local health club about what it takes to get fit and eat better. Here are 10 fun ways to get moving and improve your diet. Why not pick one or two that sound fun to you, and give it a try?
1. Forget Exercise; Have 'Fun' Instead
If the thought of the word exercise makes you cringe, banish it from your vocabulary. Substitute "activity" or even "fun activity."
Exercise definitely sounds like sweat and work. "But when we think of 'activity,' it could be things we enjoy doing," says Fabio Comana, a San Diego exercise physiologist and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise. "You have options. It can be enjoyable activities with friends or with the family." Hiking, biking, urban walks, or playing outdoor games are just a few activities that come to mind.
2. Pick a Comfortable Pace for Fitness
Choose an intensity level from the start that's comfortable for you, not what your buddy or the exercise video diva says is the right pace.
"Generally speaking, folks who are overweight, out of shape, and sedentary tend to feel pretty bad even in response to moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking," says Dave Williams, PhD, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School and The Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I.
"There does seem to be evidence in the lab that if you have people walk at their own pace they are going to feel better than people who are walking at moderate intensity," he says. "We aren't sure if it's because they feel in control, or because they are walking slower" and not overwhelmed by the exercise, he says.
Research into self-paced exercise is under way. While waiting for those results, Williams recommends people try it. Almost everyone feels good after they've done any kind of exercise, Williams says. "The way you feel while you are doing it is more important" to long-term adherence.
His hunch? "The people doing the self-paced exercise won't find it aversive and will continue to exercise over the course of months or years."
3. Get Your Groove On: Exercise to Music
Music makes exercise more enjoyable and more tolerable. In a recent study from Brunel University in West London, music not only enhanced endurance by 15%, but also helped those working out get more pleasure from exercise. (They pumped to tunes from Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Madonna.)
In another study, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, researchers found that listening to a favorite piece of music decreases the influence of stress caused by fatigue, increasing the comfort level of doing the exercise.
The kind of music doesn't matter at all, says Stevens. The right music? "Whatever makes you want to get up on your feet," he says.
4. Lean on Friends for Fitness Support
Exercising with others -- an entire group or just your spouse or a friend -- can make workouts not only more fun but also more regular, Stevens says. "The social part sweetens the deal," he says. "Find someone you want to spend time with -- a friend, a family member. Make a deal with them, a blood oath to exercise with them."
A lot of people find they enjoy group exercise, he says. If you do, consider a hiking group, mall walking group, aerobics class, or dance studio.
In one study, researchers found that women who find it hard to stick to an exercise routine worked out more regularly and got better results when they worked out with their daughters.
5. Change Your Focus: Aim for a Little Exercise Every Day
Don’t get hung up on the length of each workout. Instead, focus on exercising on most days of the week, especially when you are beginning or resuming an exercise program, Stevens says.
"If you get into a pattern of daily exercise, it's easy to increase it," he says. The focus at first is to "show up," to do some exercise or activity most days of the week.
"The hardest part of increasing physical activity is simply getting started,” says Stevens, who works with sedentary and overweight people often. "My advice as a weight loss counselor: Make a deal with yourself. If you plan to exercise on a particular day, no matter how you feel when that day comes around, you will put on your exercise clothes and do at least five minutes. If you still feel bad you can stop."
"Most people are surprised that when they do this, they get in more exercise. Once you get started it is easier to keep going," he says. "And it's easier to increase the amount of time once you are in the habit of every day or every other day."
6. Double Up on Your Goals: Get Fit and Trim
If your goal is to get fit, you may also want to also lose weight or eat more healthfully.
If you think you can't do it all at once, think again. Research suggests that it’s often easier to make massive changes in your behavior than one or two small changes. One study in the American Journal of Health Behavior looked at 810 people with high blood pressure. Some were given two goals: to reduce their salt intake and boost physical activity. Others were given four goals: to reduce salt, boost exercise, reduce fat, and eat more low-fat dairy. Those given the most goals achieve.
7. Sneak in Healthier Cooking at Home
You'll have more energy to work out -- and you'll start to shed pounds--if you eat more healthfully. One good way to do that is to reduce total calories by reducing the fat content of your meals, says Victor J. Stevens, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. Keep an eye on total salt and sugar, too. Try to reduce each gradually in recipes and favorite dishes.
"Often times the family will not notice gradual reductions in these things," he says. "You can just do it." He suggests keeping favorite recipes but de-fatting them. Put in less butter, for instance, or substitute fat-free milk for 2%.
8. Plan Meals as a Family
Comana in San Diego suggests involving the whole family in healthy meals. Ask your children or your spouse to help look for healthy, simple recipes. Make it a game. See who can find the healthiest recipe that's also simple, he says. Then plan meals together, letting everyone pick favorite foods or dishes.
"Take the emphasis off the food, and make meals more of an activity," he says, with the focus on planning and team work.
9. Make Portion Sizes a Math Problem
Reducing portion sizes is a fun and simple way to shed pounds, says Comana. "You don't need measuring cups," he says. Make it fun.
His suggestion: Put a typical size portion on your plate, then remove 5% to 10% of it. Is it a standard portion now, or still too much? Teach your children – and yourself – how to eyeball it. According to the American Dietetic Association:
3 ounces of meat is equal to a deck of cards
One cup of pasta is about the size of a tennis ball
One bagel is about the size of a hockey puck
1 1/2 ounces of cheese is the size of three dominoes
2 tablespoons of peanut butter is roughly equivalent to ping-pong ball
A half cup of vegetables is the size of a light bulb
10. Turn Your Children into Assistant Shoppers
As you focus on buying healthier foods, appoint your young children as assistants.
"With kids, it can be very effective to recruit them as helpers when shopping," Stevens says. "Most kids like to read labels and get to be experts about food."
Indeed, a trip to the supermarket can become a “healthy foods” treasure hunt. Let the children select the healthy vegetable or whole grain they want to serve for dinner. Encourage them to read labels to spot hidden sugars or fat.
“The more the kids are involved in shopping and cooking, the more likely they are to eat new things," says Stevens.
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD FeatureReviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MDNo time to work out? No time to plan healthy meals? Lack of time isn't the only excuse offered by sedentary people who need to lose weight. Close on its heels is another complaint: Working out just isn't fun, and neither is shopping and cooking "healthy."
Exercise and weight loss experts say they hear that all the time -- but it doesn't have to be true.
If sedentary Americans -- and that's nearly 40% of adults -- would adopt some fun ways to get fit, chances are good they will pick up the exercise habit for good, experts say. And once the exercise habit kicks in, eating better and losing weight come easier.
Getting fit and getting trim is often a "two-fer." It's difficult to get fit without eating right, and eating right makes it easier to get fit.
So forget what you learned in high school gym class or at the local health club about what it takes to get fit and eat better. Here are 10 fun ways to get moving and improve your diet. Why not pick one or two that sound fun to you, and give it a try?
1. Forget Exercise; Have 'Fun' Instead
If the thought of the word exercise makes you cringe, banish it from your vocabulary. Substitute "activity" or even "fun activity."
Exercise definitely sounds like sweat and work. "But when we think of 'activity,' it could be things we enjoy doing," says Fabio Comana, a San Diego exercise physiologist and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise. "You have options. It can be enjoyable activities with friends or with the family." Hiking, biking, urban walks, or playing outdoor games are just a few activities that come to mind.
2. Pick a Comfortable Pace for Fitness
Choose an intensity level from the start that's comfortable for you, not what your buddy or the exercise video diva says is the right pace.
"Generally speaking, folks who are overweight, out of shape, and sedentary tend to feel pretty bad even in response to moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking," says Dave Williams, PhD, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School and The Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I.
"There does seem to be evidence in the lab that if you have people walk at their own pace they are going to feel better than people who are walking at moderate intensity," he says. "We aren't sure if it's because they feel in control, or because they are walking slower" and not overwhelmed by the exercise, he says.
Research into self-paced exercise is under way. While waiting for those results, Williams recommends people try it. Almost everyone feels good after they've done any kind of exercise, Williams says. "The way you feel while you are doing it is more important" to long-term adherence.
His hunch? "The people doing the self-paced exercise won't find it aversive and will continue to exercise over the course of months or years."
3. Get Your Groove On: Exercise to Music
Music makes exercise more enjoyable and more tolerable. In a recent study from Brunel University in West London, music not only enhanced endurance by 15%, but also helped those working out get more pleasure from exercise. (They pumped to tunes from Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Madonna.)
In another study, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, researchers found that listening to a favorite piece of music decreases the influence of stress caused by fatigue, increasing the comfort level of doing the exercise.
The kind of music doesn't matter at all, says Stevens. The right music? "Whatever makes you want to get up on your feet," he says.
4. Lean on Friends for Fitness Support
Exercising with others -- an entire group or just your spouse or a friend -- can make workouts not only more fun but also more regular, Stevens says. "The social part sweetens the deal," he says. "Find someone you want to spend time with -- a friend, a family member. Make a deal with them, a blood oath to exercise with them."
A lot of people find they enjoy group exercise, he says. If you do, consider a hiking group, mall walking group, aerobics class, or dance studio.
In one study, researchers found that women who find it hard to stick to an exercise routine worked out more regularly and got better results when they worked out with their daughters.
5. Change Your Focus: Aim for a Little Exercise Every Day
Don’t get hung up on the length of each workout. Instead, focus on exercising on most days of the week, especially when you are beginning or resuming an exercise program, Stevens says.
"If you get into a pattern of daily exercise, it's easy to increase it," he says. The focus at first is to "show up," to do some exercise or activity most days of the week.
"The hardest part of increasing physical activity is simply getting started,” says Stevens, who works with sedentary and overweight people often. "My advice as a weight loss counselor: Make a deal with yourself. If you plan to exercise on a particular day, no matter how you feel when that day comes around, you will put on your exercise clothes and do at least five minutes. If you still feel bad you can stop."
"Most people are surprised that when they do this, they get in more exercise. Once you get started it is easier to keep going," he says. "And it's easier to increase the amount of time once you are in the habit of every day or every other day."
6. Double Up on Your Goals: Get Fit and Trim
If your goal is to get fit, you may also want to also lose weight or eat more healthfully.
If you think you can't do it all at once, think again. Research suggests that it’s often easier to make massive changes in your behavior than one or two small changes. One study in the American Journal of Health Behavior looked at 810 people with high blood pressure. Some were given two goals: to reduce their salt intake and boost physical activity. Others were given four goals: to reduce salt, boost exercise, reduce fat, and eat more low-fat dairy. Those given the most goals achieve.
7. Sneak in Healthier Cooking at Home
You'll have more energy to work out -- and you'll start to shed pounds--if you eat more healthfully. One good way to do that is to reduce total calories by reducing the fat content of your meals, says Victor J. Stevens, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. Keep an eye on total salt and sugar, too. Try to reduce each gradually in recipes and favorite dishes.
"Often times the family will not notice gradual reductions in these things," he says. "You can just do it." He suggests keeping favorite recipes but de-fatting them. Put in less butter, for instance, or substitute fat-free milk for 2%.
8. Plan Meals as a Family
Comana in San Diego suggests involving the whole family in healthy meals. Ask your children or your spouse to help look for healthy, simple recipes. Make it a game. See who can find the healthiest recipe that's also simple, he says. Then plan meals together, letting everyone pick favorite foods or dishes.
"Take the emphasis off the food, and make meals more of an activity," he says, with the focus on planning and team work.
9. Make Portion Sizes a Math Problem
Reducing portion sizes is a fun and simple way to shed pounds, says Comana. "You don't need measuring cups," he says. Make it fun.
His suggestion: Put a typical size portion on your plate, then remove 5% to 10% of it. Is it a standard portion now, or still too much? Teach your children – and yourself – how to eyeball it. According to the American Dietetic Association:
3 ounces of meat is equal to a deck of cards
One cup of pasta is about the size of a tennis ball
One bagel is about the size of a hockey puck
1 1/2 ounces of cheese is the size of three dominoes
2 tablespoons of peanut butter is roughly equivalent to ping-pong ball
A half cup of vegetables is the size of a light bulb
10. Turn Your Children into Assistant Shoppers
As you focus on buying healthier foods, appoint your young children as assistants.
"With kids, it can be very effective to recruit them as helpers when shopping," Stevens says. "Most kids like to read labels and get to be experts about food."
Indeed, a trip to the supermarket can become a “healthy foods” treasure hunt. Let the children select the healthy vegetable or whole grain they want to serve for dinner. Encourage them to read labels to spot hidden sugars or fat.
“The more the kids are involved in shopping and cooking, the more likely they are to eat new things," says Stevens.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Get ready for the new you!
It's 2010, time to get that bootie movin!
Boot camp starts in just 2 weeks, TBA next posting!!
In the mean time please start your nutrition plan, if you need guidance please contact me.
Also, get a good pair of shoes, your going to need them.
June 1, I will be hosting a 8 week FitCamp in the Grundy area. Please check back for dates, times and cost.
Boot camp starts in just 2 weeks, TBA next posting!!
In the mean time please start your nutrition plan, if you need guidance please contact me.
Also, get a good pair of shoes, your going to need them.
June 1, I will be hosting a 8 week FitCamp in the Grundy area. Please check back for dates, times and cost.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Fitness in 30!
First be sure and warm up!!
5 minutes of cardio, your choice.
20 squats
10 push ups
5 minutes of cardio again your choice
20 dips
10 lunges
5 minutes of cardio
30 plie squats
10 front and lateral shoulder raises
Cool down!
5 minutes of cardio, your choice.
20 squats
10 push ups
5 minutes of cardio again your choice
20 dips
10 lunges
5 minutes of cardio
30 plie squats
10 front and lateral shoulder raises
Cool down!
Fitness for your Holiday Travels
Travel Fitness: A Plan of Action to Keep You Active From ACE.
It is easy to let a vacation or business trip destroy your fitness schedule and eating habits, but why let something as rewarding as a vacation or as exciting as a business trip leave you feeling unhealthy upon return?
With a little research and proper planning, you can create an easy-to-follow plan to keep you fit and healthy no matter where you travel, and you can come home feeling more healthy and energized than when you left.
Nature’s Playground and Man’s Monuments
There is no excuse for not finding places to exercise when every city has a great staircase, stadium or tall buildings where you can master the stairs without a machine. If stairs aren’t your thing, cities have lots of places good for walking, running or even hiking. Ask the hotel concierge if there are parks or trails nearby; or if you have ventured to the mountains, ask for a map of local hiking trails.
It is also a good idea to ask the concierge for a map of the city to find out how many of your destinations are reachable by foot. (Walking will increase your fitness and decrease your taxi fares.)
Prior to departure on your trip, find out if your hotel has a workout facility and a pool, and remember to pack your bathing suit and workout clothes. If they don’t have a facility, they may be affiliated with a local gym where you can get a one-day pass for a small fee.
There are no limits to the exercise you can do while exploring new territory. Make the most of your trip, and get to know the city by foot.
Prepare for Power, No Excuses
If your hotel doesn’t offer fitness accommodations, bring along a jump rope and an exercise tube. They are both lightweight and easy to transport. Jumping rope is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise, and you can do it anywhere.
With the exercise tube and a prearranged plan to keep you motivated, you can keep your entire body toned and energized without entering a gym or stepping on a piece of exercise equipment. Numerous magazines and websites offer workout instructions for each body part.
And, of course, body-weight exercises such as push-ups and crunches require no equipment at all. The point is to find a workout routine that suits your needs and follow it. Plan a specific time each day or every other day to do your strengthening and cardiovascular routines (a good plan is to alternate days between the two).
Remember that the 20 to 60 minutes you spend working out each day is for you, and try to stay on schedule.
Have Fun
Be sure to enjoy yourself and make the most of the area to which you have traveled. Remember to bring comfortable shoes so that you can easily get a workout while using your feet as your main mode of transportation.
Whether your trip is for business or vacation, remember that you should have some time for yourself every day. Why not dedicate that time to improving your health and making yourself feel better?
Nutrition Road Tips
•Always drink plenty of water, particularly if you’re flying.
•Conjure up a healthy meal in your mind prior to entering a restaurant, and stick to your plan as closely as possible.
•Try to eat at least three times per day to keep you from feeling famished and overindulging at any one time.
•Pick up portable, healthy snacks at a local market so you won’t be caught hungry in front of the mini-bar.
•Go ahead and splurge on regional dishes or local cuisine, but balance your diet by choosing lower-calorie foods at other meals.
It is easy to let a vacation or business trip destroy your fitness schedule and eating habits, but why let something as rewarding as a vacation or as exciting as a business trip leave you feeling unhealthy upon return?
With a little research and proper planning, you can create an easy-to-follow plan to keep you fit and healthy no matter where you travel, and you can come home feeling more healthy and energized than when you left.
Nature’s Playground and Man’s Monuments
There is no excuse for not finding places to exercise when every city has a great staircase, stadium or tall buildings where you can master the stairs without a machine. If stairs aren’t your thing, cities have lots of places good for walking, running or even hiking. Ask the hotel concierge if there are parks or trails nearby; or if you have ventured to the mountains, ask for a map of local hiking trails.
It is also a good idea to ask the concierge for a map of the city to find out how many of your destinations are reachable by foot. (Walking will increase your fitness and decrease your taxi fares.)
Prior to departure on your trip, find out if your hotel has a workout facility and a pool, and remember to pack your bathing suit and workout clothes. If they don’t have a facility, they may be affiliated with a local gym where you can get a one-day pass for a small fee.
There are no limits to the exercise you can do while exploring new territory. Make the most of your trip, and get to know the city by foot.
Prepare for Power, No Excuses
If your hotel doesn’t offer fitness accommodations, bring along a jump rope and an exercise tube. They are both lightweight and easy to transport. Jumping rope is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise, and you can do it anywhere.
With the exercise tube and a prearranged plan to keep you motivated, you can keep your entire body toned and energized without entering a gym or stepping on a piece of exercise equipment. Numerous magazines and websites offer workout instructions for each body part.
And, of course, body-weight exercises such as push-ups and crunches require no equipment at all. The point is to find a workout routine that suits your needs and follow it. Plan a specific time each day or every other day to do your strengthening and cardiovascular routines (a good plan is to alternate days between the two).
Remember that the 20 to 60 minutes you spend working out each day is for you, and try to stay on schedule.
Have Fun
Be sure to enjoy yourself and make the most of the area to which you have traveled. Remember to bring comfortable shoes so that you can easily get a workout while using your feet as your main mode of transportation.
Whether your trip is for business or vacation, remember that you should have some time for yourself every day. Why not dedicate that time to improving your health and making yourself feel better?
Nutrition Road Tips
•Always drink plenty of water, particularly if you’re flying.
•Conjure up a healthy meal in your mind prior to entering a restaurant, and stick to your plan as closely as possible.
•Try to eat at least three times per day to keep you from feeling famished and overindulging at any one time.
•Pick up portable, healthy snacks at a local market so you won’t be caught hungry in front of the mini-bar.
•Go ahead and splurge on regional dishes or local cuisine, but balance your diet by choosing lower-calorie foods at other meals.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Reduce Holiday Stress from WebMD
Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress
This season, shorten your list of holiday to-dos and relax your inner Martha.
By Charlotte Libov
WebMD the Magazine - FeatureReviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
Denise McVey knows holiday stress all too well. To be sure, she loves the holidays: going caroling, shopping, buying cards, enjoying the first snow, and, most of all, loving the look of delight on her toddler’s face on Christmas morning. But as the days until the holidays dwindle and the lines at the mall get longer, McVey is so beset by season-induced stress that, when the New Year rolls around, she’s spent. “Colds, flu, you name it, every year I get it; I’ve had shingles eight times,” says the 40-year-old owner of a creative agency in Boonton, N.J.
Why do many people feel so much more stress at this time of year? We tend to blame worsening traffic, crowded malls, and incessant commercials pushing holiday consumption, but a key culprit is our own memories, according to Ronald Nathan, PhD, clinical professor at Albany Medical College in New York. “When we think about the holidays, we dwell on the past and what went wrong, or we romanticize it and make it impossible to re-create,” he says.
He counsels people to carefully examine their thoughts and expectations, and not drive themselves crazy finding “the perfect gift” or planning “the perfect party.” “Instead,” he says, “lower your expectations, and overestimate -- rather than underestimate -- your time.”
Stress and the immune system
Easing up on yourself over the holidays is important because the connection between stress and illness is real, says Simon A. Rego, PsyD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and associate director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y.
“The controversy that stress causes disease is pretty much over. We’re now teasing out how stress does it,” he says. In fact, a new study explains how stress may weaken the immune system. Each cell contains a tiny “clock” called a telomere, which shortens each time the cell divides. To counter this effect, the body also produces an enzyme, telomerase, which protects the cell and prevents further shortening by adding more DNA to the end of the telomere.
So far, so good -- but under stress, the body pumps out cortisol, a hormone that suppresses this protective enzyme. The study found that people under chronic stress have shorter telomeres, which, researchers say, means they are more vulnerable to a host of ailments.
Health effects of stress
How to reduce the wear, tear, and misery that holiday stress can inflict? When your holiday to-do list stretches longer than Santa Claus’s beard, eliminate whatever is unnecessary. Doing so may reduce your risk of:
-Heart disease, including heart attacks
-Skin conditions, including psoriasis and shingles
-Digestive disorder flare-ups, such as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease
-Immune disorders, including flare-ups of multiple sclerosis and lupus
-Anxiety, depression, and insomnia
-Worsening pain, if you already have a pain disorder such as arthritis, back pain, and muscle spasms
As for McVey, she’s paring down her holiday expectations. “I’m planning to take a day off, head into Manhattan, and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.”
This season, shorten your list of holiday to-dos and relax your inner Martha.
By Charlotte Libov
WebMD the Magazine - FeatureReviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
Denise McVey knows holiday stress all too well. To be sure, she loves the holidays: going caroling, shopping, buying cards, enjoying the first snow, and, most of all, loving the look of delight on her toddler’s face on Christmas morning. But as the days until the holidays dwindle and the lines at the mall get longer, McVey is so beset by season-induced stress that, when the New Year rolls around, she’s spent. “Colds, flu, you name it, every year I get it; I’ve had shingles eight times,” says the 40-year-old owner of a creative agency in Boonton, N.J.
Why do many people feel so much more stress at this time of year? We tend to blame worsening traffic, crowded malls, and incessant commercials pushing holiday consumption, but a key culprit is our own memories, according to Ronald Nathan, PhD, clinical professor at Albany Medical College in New York. “When we think about the holidays, we dwell on the past and what went wrong, or we romanticize it and make it impossible to re-create,” he says.
He counsels people to carefully examine their thoughts and expectations, and not drive themselves crazy finding “the perfect gift” or planning “the perfect party.” “Instead,” he says, “lower your expectations, and overestimate -- rather than underestimate -- your time.”
Stress and the immune system
Easing up on yourself over the holidays is important because the connection between stress and illness is real, says Simon A. Rego, PsyD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and associate director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y.
“The controversy that stress causes disease is pretty much over. We’re now teasing out how stress does it,” he says. In fact, a new study explains how stress may weaken the immune system. Each cell contains a tiny “clock” called a telomere, which shortens each time the cell divides. To counter this effect, the body also produces an enzyme, telomerase, which protects the cell and prevents further shortening by adding more DNA to the end of the telomere.
So far, so good -- but under stress, the body pumps out cortisol, a hormone that suppresses this protective enzyme. The study found that people under chronic stress have shorter telomeres, which, researchers say, means they are more vulnerable to a host of ailments.
Health effects of stress
How to reduce the wear, tear, and misery that holiday stress can inflict? When your holiday to-do list stretches longer than Santa Claus’s beard, eliminate whatever is unnecessary. Doing so may reduce your risk of:
-Heart disease, including heart attacks
-Skin conditions, including psoriasis and shingles
-Digestive disorder flare-ups, such as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease
-Immune disorders, including flare-ups of multiple sclerosis and lupus
-Anxiety, depression, and insomnia
-Worsening pain, if you already have a pain disorder such as arthritis, back pain, and muscle spasms
As for McVey, she’s paring down her holiday expectations. “I’m planning to take a day off, head into Manhattan, and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.”
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