Wellness Corner

Benefits of Exercise

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 22:23:23 GMT

If you can do it, the payoff is that you will feel better, help prevent or control many diseases, and likely even live longer.

We have all heard it many times before - regular exercise is good for you, and it can help you lose weight. But if you are like many Americans, you are busy, you have a sedentary job, and you haven't yet changed your exercise habits. The good news is that it's never too late to start. You can start slowly, and find ways to fit more physical activity into your life. To get the most benefit, you should try to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age. If you can do it, the payoff is that you will feel better, help prevent or control many diseases, and likely even live longer.

What are the health benefits of exercise?

Regular exercise and physical activity may:

Help you control your weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in controlling your weight and preventing obesity. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat and drink must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat and drink.
Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar level and help your insulin work better. This can cut down your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of those diseases, exercise can help you to manage it.
Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop smoking.
Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression.
Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain.
Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength.
Reduce your risk of some cancers , including colon, breast, uterine, and lung cancer.
Reduce your risk of falls. For older adults, research shows that doing balance and muscle strengthening activities in addition to moderate-intensity aerobic activity can help reduce your risk of falling.
Improve your sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Improve your sexual health. Regular exercise may lower the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. For those who already have ED, exercise may help improve their sexual function. In women, exercise may increase sexual arousal.
Increase your chances of living longer. Studies show that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease and some cancers.

How can I make exercise a part of my regular routine?

Make everyday activities more active. Even small changes can help. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk down the hall to a coworker's office instead of sending an email. Wash the car yourself. Park further away from your destination.
Be active with friends and family. Having a workout partner may make you more likely to enjoy exercise. You can also plan social activities that involve exercise. You might also consider joining an exercise group or class, such as a dance class, hiking club, or volleyball team.
Keep track of your progress. Keeping a log of your activity or using a fitness tracker may help you set goals and stay motivated.
Make exercise more fun. Try listening to music or watching TV while you exercise. Also, mix things up a little bit - if you stick with just one type of exercise, you might get bored. Try doing a combination of activities.
Find activities that you can do even when the weather is bad. You can walk in a mall, climb stairs, or work out in a gym even if the weather stops you from exercising outside.

Mediterranean Diet Overview

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 22:00:21 GMT

What is a Mediterranean diet? What are the benefits? How can you make it part of your eating plan?

What is a Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy style of eating. It features foods eaten in Greece, Spain, and other countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. It emphasizes eating fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber breads, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil. These foods are rich in fiber and healthy fats. The diet limits meat, cheese, and sweets.

The fats allowed in this diet are mainly unsaturated fats. These include fish oils, olive oil, and certain seed oils (such as canola, soybean, and flaxseed) and nut oils (walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds). These types of oils may have a protective effect on the heart.

Most other heart-healthy diets recommend getting less than 35% of your calories from fat. But in the Mediterranean diet, an average of 35% to 40% of calories can come from healthy fats.

What are the benefits?

A Mediterranean-style diet may improve heart health. It contains more fat than other heart-healthy diets. But the fats are mainly from nuts, unsaturated oils (such as fish oils and olive oil), and certain nut or seed oils (such as canola, soybean, or flaxseed oil). These fats may help protect the heart and blood vessels.

How can you make it part of your eating plan?

Here's how to eat a traditional Mediterranean diet.

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. Healthy choices include grapes, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, figs, olives, spinach, and eggplant.
Have a variety of whole-grain foods each day. Include grains such as oats, brown rice, and whole wheat bread, pasta, and couscous.
Choose healthy (unsaturated) fats.
Healthy fat sources include nuts, olive oil, and certain nut or seed oils like canola, soybean, and flaxseed.
About 35% to 40% of daily calories can come from fat, mainly from unsaturated fats.
Limit unhealthy (saturated) fats. These include butter, palm oil, coconut oil, and fats found in animal products, such as meat and dairy products made with whole milk.
Eat mostly vegetarian meals. Make meals that include whole grains, beans, lentils, and vegetables.
Have fish at least 2 times a week. Good choices include tuna, salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, and sardines.
Eat moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products. These include low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt.
Eat moderate amounts of poultry and eggs.
Limit red meat to only a few times a month. And have it in very small amounts. For example, a serving of meat is 3 ounces. That's about the size of a deck of cards.
Limit sweets and desserts. Have them only a few times a week. This includes sugar-sweetened drinks like soda.
If you drink alcohol, include red wine with your meal if you like. Limit wine to 1 glass a day if you're a woman and 2 glasses a day if you're a man.

Healthy Eating: Overcoming Barriers to Change

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 21:57:24 GMT

5 Tips to Keep Your Healthy Lifestyle Change Going

Video Transcript

Introduction

Replacing a bad habit with a good habit takes time and patience. It requires several steps, from setting your goals to getting support. One of the important steps is figuring out what your barriers are.

What has stopped you from changing your eating habits in the past? What do you think might stop you in the future? Identifying these barriers now—and having a plan to help you get past them—will help you change bad habits into good habits.

A barrier is anything that causes you to slip up in your goal to make lifestyle changes, such as changing your eating habits.

Figuring out what those barriers are and how you can get around them can help you reach your healthy eating goals.

When you hit a barrier, get support—from your family, friends, or doctor.

Slip-ups are normal. Expect them and have a plan for how to get back on track.

Here are five ways to stay on track.

Think again about your reason for making a health change.

You had at least one good reason for getting started.

What was it?

Now is a great time to remember and commit to it again.

Look at what's working for you—and what isn't.

Ask yourself which healthy habits are already a part of your daily routine and why?

How could you make this change easier?

Write down your answers and reflect on how you can address what's holding you back.

Deal with whatever is in your way.

Change often comes with obstacles.

Plan ahead so when they come up, you'll know how you can get around them.

For example, if you keep forgetting your workout gear, keep an extra set in your car or at your workplace.

Remember that you're learning, not failing.

Everyone has setbacks.

Turn yours into lessons by thinking about what you could do differently to make this change work for you.

Setbacks are just tools that can help you fine-tune your plan for success.

Get support from friends and family.

You've already made it this far.

Think about the support you need and where you can find it.

Try connecting with a friend and taking on a challenge together.

Or join a group that will help you stay motivated.

So that's five ways to keep making progress:

Think again about your reason.
Look at what's working—and what isn't.
Deal with whatever is in your way.
Remember that you're learning, not failing.
Get support.

Change is hard.

We all mess up.

Things get in our way.

It happens to everyone.

When it does, take a deep breath, and use these tips to keep on track.