Enjoy Thanksgiving...And Stay Thankful for Your Health

Oh, the big season is here...the season of loaded down plates, piled with calories and carbs galore. Just when you start to digest that, here comes more. Then..dessert! It's been the American way. Here are some suggestions on how not to gain weight over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. You may not be able to do them all, but every little bit counts! Here are some suggestions, in no particular order. *Drink plenty of water during the day before the meal. You'll be good and hydrated, and less likely to gorge. *Put a muzzle on your nibbler. All those bites you sneak before or after the meal - they all and up. And quickly! *Cook your own meal...from scratch. This way, you know exactly what ingredients are going into the food you will be eating. And you can make healthy substitutions. If you are one of those that just do not cook, then find a reasonable substitution. At the grocery store, anything bought had a label. Read it!! Compare it against other prepared foods. If there are more than 5 ingredients, or if you don't recognize most of the ingredients, move on. *Provide healthy alternatives. I'll be serving crudités- aka fresh uncooked veggies to munch on. My fresh cranberries will have just enough sweetener to make them taste good. Deviled eggs can be prepared with less fat, and are a great source of protein. Cook fresh green beans, instead of canned. Homemade sweet potatoes can be drizzled with a syrup of your making, instead of drowning in butter and sugar. The roast turkey itself is a great source of protein...and you don't have to slather it with butter. We buy ours fresh, brine it, and it's the tastiest thing ever. Super juicy! *Reasonable portions. A spoonful of the richer dishes, instead of a heap. Fill up on veggies while you wait. *Have a roll, instead of several. Or skip the bread, knowing a spoonful of dressing or stuffing is there. *No seconds! Savor each bite - slowly chew your food, enjoy it, and pause between bites. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to realize there is food in there. Don't gobble everything down in 10 minutes. *Avoid empty calories and drink wisely! Water, tea with lemon, and club soda are all good alternatives to sweet tea or soda. As far as adult beverages, have A glass of wine. Not a bottle. That's another tangent... *Enjoy dessert...wisely! Have that pumpkin pie, but cut a small piece, and use a dollop of fresh, lightly sweetened whipped cream. Whatever your choice is, cut a small piece, and savor each bite. Or if a large slice is served to you, don't eat it all. *Take a brisk walk, or do 30 minutes of light exercise you enjoy, after your guests have left. And drink some water! I don't want to be a killjoy, but our nation is killing itself, one bite at a time. By all means enjoy family, food, and give thanks...and think how good you'll feel when you do something healthy for yourself! e b e r

Denial Ain't Just a River In Egypt. Denial maims and kills.

A frustrating aspect of being a nurse is giving people advice on how to be healthy, and then they ignore it. Or, addressing with them the issues that are impacting their health negatively, and being ignored. I get it. Denial is a lot easier than taking action. I'm the poster child for this. I spent each decade of life eating crap. Drinking soda, eating lots of carbs. I knew better...but I've never been obese, just had a little muffin top. No biggie, right? Wrong. All those empty carbs and gallons of high fructose corn syrup were taking a toll on my body. Unfortunately, I have a genetic predisposition to diabetes on both sides of my family. I'll never know if my habits hastened my type 2 diabetes diagnosis, but six years ago, the hammer fell. My life was changed forever. I could stay in denial - but I have seen the long term effects of diabetes. I'm fond of my kidneys. I like my toes. I'd like a long, healthy life. I can still have one - I just have to live mindfully. Everything is a choice. What a eat, what I drink, whether or not I park close or further out...whether I take the elevator or stairs. If I meet my daily mileage goals. All these choices have long term implications for me. And for you, too. We all are the masters of this body we live in. What kind of life do you want? Do you want a life that is leading you to high blood pressure, heart disease, immobility, early death? I tell my kids what they eat NOW affects their future. Some take that more seriously than others. I write this blog so it won't take a major negative medical diagnosis to get people to start loving themselves by taking care of themselves. How do you start? Go to a reputable doctor and get a physical. Start there. And if you haven't already..start soon. The journey starts now. Join me. e b e r

Tools

There are a lot of neat gadgets and tools, new fangled devices, that are aimed at fitness minded folk. There is also some controversy regarding these devices. Fitbit has a whole line of trackers designed to encourage people to reach exercise and step goals. Some reports have said that they aren't perfectly accurate, and that this may contribute to less activity. From my point of view, Fitbit has been a great motivator for me. I set goals, and it focuses me toward meeting them. Now I track my heart rate, and can see improvement in resting heart rate. It tracks my sleep, and makes me aware of how much more I need to concentrate on getting in my zzz's. It also has led me to social groups of like minded Fitbitters, and we encourage each other. There are many different brands of similar devices. I also own an Apple Watch, and really like the features that tell me to stand up hourly, and also remind me to breathe mindfully throughout the day. Tools are helpful, but they can also be a trap. The focus needs to be on fitness. Scales are a tool that really can be useful, or abused. It is vitally important to know what we weigh - staying off a scale is a good way of denying where we are physically. We can ignore mirrors from the neck down, avoid the scale, and everything is fine. Or so we tell ourselves. Get on the scale. Make a plan accordingly. Continue your healthy lifestyle, or, if need be, make adjustments toward the health status you need to be at. On the other end of the spectrum, stay off the scale on a daily basis - there is no need for daily weights. Don't drive yourself crazy watching small losses or gains. You need to know what your starting point is, and to track occasionally, but don't be driven by the scale. Every day, start fresh. Set goals, and strive to be healthier than the day before. Life should be a journey toward a healthier life, every day - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Set your goals and go! e b e r

Health Awareness is not Fat Shaming

I'm fired up. Yesterday got me started. The new average female size is 16. 16! That is extra large, and that is not healthy. Unless you are halfway over 6 feet tall, that is overweight, obese...or worse. Then I went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. A girl a table over from me was STARING at me - I didn't know why. I glanced at her when she came in - she was morbidly obese, wearing leggings and a tight shirt. As I sat there eating my vegetable plate, she ordered chicken and dumplings and macaroni and cheese. I can hear the haters already, making excuses, and telling me her actions have no effect on me. Well, I am first a nurse and compassionate person, and I know she is killing herself with every bite. Suicide by ingestion is still suicide. And it's tragic. Then I read the story today of the man suing an airline because he spent 9 hours pancaked into a window seat by his very overweight seat mate. He is suing. I think that is extreme...but I also thought, why should anyone suffer because someone has chosen to be overweight? The airlines should have size limits for their seats, just as they measure for carry ons. If you don't fit, you purchase the seat next to you so you can. If you can't afford it, you don't fly. I've gone to amusement parks - there is a "you must be this tall to ride". I've seen people struggle to get in and out of seats meant for someone half their size. It causes wear and tear on the equipment, raising prices for everyone else. Diabetes is our next epidemic - and we have brought it upon ourselves. Back problems, hypertension, heart disease...bringing pain and death. Avoidable in many cases. Preventable. But not easy!! When I was diagnosed with diabetes six years ago - with a BMI of 26, overweight, I woke up. My diabetes happened because of genetics. I have been tweaking my life daily since. It. Is. Not. Easy! The alternative is unacceptable. Kidney failure. Nerve pain. Increased heart disease. Vascular impairment. Loss of limb. I would love to eat carbs like I used to - but uncontrolled carb eating kills. So here I am, from lower calorie diet and exercise, to Atkins, to vegetarian. As my body gave me clues, I fought back. It is a fight. You have to fight for your health. I fear far too many are in denial of the damage they are doing to themselves, and the effect their choices is having on others. Insurance rates go up as people get sicker. And we all pay. Who would choose to be sick? The problem with obesity is that it's eat now, pay later. Literally and figuratively. I didn't like running when I started five years ago, and it's a real struggle some days. But the alternative... My diabetes has shown me the direct cause and effect of everything I eat, and the exercise I do or don't do. I beg you - take care of yourself. Make small healthy choices daily, and they will lead to small improvments, that lead to bigger improvements. You CAN get healthier. Every day. I'm living proof. Fight on. e b e r

Love yourself healthy - every day!

E b e r

Excuses

Oh, I've got plenty of them. 

Today, my back is so stiff and painful I can barely move. I haven't left the house. 

I can eat healthy, though. I can do some stretching and yoga. 

I have legit diagnoses - bulging discs, degenerative discs, arthritis. 

I could sit and decide to be on disability but no thanks. 

I choose alternative treatments such as essential oils. Chiropractitioner care and acupuncture. 

Determination. 

I could be diagnosed with fibro - but I won't go there. When my whole body hurts and trigger points are agony, I drink lots of water. Tea with honey. Exercise through it. 

Every day my body rebels. 

Every day I have a choice - excuses or excellence. 

I have a goal of having the best health I can. 

Some days, like today, are tougher than others. 

I'm in pain. 

I do what I can do to strengthen my core and wait to begin again tomorrow. 

Victim or victorious. 

The choice is yours. 

(Pic courtesy of Dr Henry Cloud Twitter)

e b e r

Half Birthday Motivation

YIt is my half birthday. In other words, six months from today my "big" birthday happens. 

I need another kick in the pants to get back on track. I exercise...irregularly. I eat well...mostly. 

It's time to get back on track. 

I want to be down the last 20lbs by my birthday - but the number is not as important as my goal of being fit and lean. 

One day at a time - I plan on setting realistic, daily goals. Eating clean. Loving myself into my best health!

I'm looking forward to getting my diabetes numbers better - the stories I am reading about my new diet encourage me. I'm building a support system of like minded healthy eaters. 

I've already got my Fitbit family - it's such a motivator!  It is a great help. 

So today I set out to be the best me, by taking care of me. Thinking about how I'm nourishing myself. Doing better. 

One step at a time! 

e b e r