wellness for life dorothy’s top ten ways to improve personal wellness for longevity and quality of...
TRANSCRIPT
Wellness for Life
Dorothy’s Top Ten Ways to Improve Personal Wellness
for Longevity and Quality of Life
Dorothy H. Wood, Ph.D.
10. Pay a Visit to the Doctor
Make sure you start off with a clean slate; have a physician give you the
green light to begin a wellness program
I’m sure they’ll be delighted!
9. Use Good Judgement (!)
Do you always wear your seatbelt?
Do you smoke?
Do you drink more than 2 alcoholic drinks / day?
Do you multitask while driving?
Do you get enough sleep?
Do you wear sunscreen?
8. Shop the Periphery
Have you ever noticed what’s around the outside of the grocery store?
If you remember to shop the periphery instead of the aisles, you’ll load your cart with vegetables, fruits, good breads, fish, high quality meats and dairy
Remember, the less packaging, the better the product
Empty calories vs. good nutrition
Losing weight is simply a matter of consuming less energy
(in the form of food)
than you expend (in the form of physical activity)
You could do that by eating five jelly biscuits a day but would it be healthy?
Definitely not!
7. Sort Out the Carbohydrates
What’s with all this Atkins and South Beach business?
Do carbohydrates really make a difference?
Absolutely!
Controlling blood sugar is not just for diabetics
Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs
Fruits
Grains
Vegetables
High fructose corn syrup
Refined sugar
Refined flour
Starchy vegetables
6. Read Labels
When eating prepared foods – become an avid label reader
It will take you longer to grocery shop at first
Your body will thank you later
Food labels – are they really useful?
Be mindful of the portion size
Calories vs calories from fat
The ‘bad guys’
The more of these the better
Look for high fiber
The greater the gap between ‘Total Carbohydrate’ and ‘Sugars’ the better
5. Lift Something
Muscle = Youth
It is NEVER too late to begin a weight lifting regime
This can range anywhere from self-resistance exercises at home to joining a gym and engaging a personal trainer
Exercises may include:
• Toning exercises without weights
• Compound exercises (push-ups / sit-ups)
• Pilates
• Modified weight exercises
• Weight room
4. Control Those Portions
One of the greatest downfalls of the American diet is the lack of portion
control
If an overweight individual cut every meal in half, they would still eat enough
calories to sustain their bodies
Vegetables and/or Fruits
Protein
Carbohydrate
Your plate should look like this……. High quality for mental alertness (more at lunchtime – less at night)
Low on the glycemic index to avoid ‘crash and burn’
Fresh or lightly sauteed in olive oil – you can’t get enough!
3. Start Smart
5 easy ways to cut high, empty calories and bad fats from your diet
1. Absolutely no regular soda (drink water)
2. Cut out mayonnaise
3. Olive oil and vinegar on salads (no bottled dressing)
4. Reduce amount of cheese consumed* (not cottage)
* Not empty calories, but very high in animal fat
5. Cut out alcoholic beverages (1 glass of red wine OK)
2. Become a Fat Connoisseur
Despite a bad rap, fats are essential to our diet
however
Not all fats are created equal
Good Fats vs Bad Fats
Naturally occurring fats:
Nuts
Olive oil
Avocados
Fish oils
Butter
Partially hydrogenated fats
Margarine
Fried foods
Refined oils
Most polyunsaturated fats
In a healthy nutritional program, approximately 30% of total calories can come from fats: 10% as saturated fat
Saturated fats – found in meat and dairy • Increase total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels • Cause heart disease
Monounsaturated fats – found in olive and peanut oils, nuts/nut butter • Do not raise cholesterol • Keeps HDL (good) cholesterol raised
Polyunsaturated fats • Omega-3 found in fatty fish, walnuts, canola oil • Protect against heart attack • Omega-6 found in corn oil, soybean oil• Promote inflammation
limit intake of these
Eat mainly these
good
bad
Then there are those you want to avoid altogether…
Hydrogenated / Partially Hydrogenated Fats (Trans Fats)
These are man made fats and should be avoided as much as possible
They are polyunsaturated (liquid) fats that have been made solid at room temperature by adding hydrogen
It loses the good traits of a polyunsaturated fat and takes on the bad qualities of a saturated fat
Not listed on the food label on many food yet – you need to check the ingredients
Reprinted with permission: S. Joseph esq.; www.bantransfats.com
And the #1 way to promote
wellness in your life is......
1. Move, Move, Move!
Get that blood flowing a little faster
This should be something that you enjoy, not a form of torture!
There are many ways to improve cardiovascular health; incorporate a variety to stimulate your heart
3 Main Methods:
Exercising to Lose Weight:
Exercise at a low intensity for long periods (1 hour +)
Exercising to Improve Cardiovascular Endurance:
Higher intensity (sweating and 60-80% maximal HR)
Exercising to Promote a Healthy Heart:
Exercise 5 days a week for ~ 20 – 30 min at moderate intensity
Aerobic (cardiovascular) exercises include:
Walking / hiking
Bike riding
Running / jogging
Golf
Playing competitive sports
Ice skating / rollerblading
Skiing
Dancing
Playing with children!
You should NOT eat less than your body requires to operate
IMPORTANT
Find out your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and don’t eat fewer calories than that
Eat the right amount, then exercise off calories for a net loss overall
I like to call it my ‘Burn off your Breakfast’ program
Helpful hints to make your program work for you
Make exercising fun – workout with your partner or a friend, and do something you enjoy
Beware of ‘low fat’ or ‘fat free’ foods – they’re often loaded with sugar
Beware of ‘low carb’ foods – they’re often loaded with fat!
Water, water, water
Keep a large bag of almonds with you – they’re the world’s best snack food
Eat breakfast always and NEVER skip meals
My Favorite Book