My Apologies!

Sorry for the gap in posts - I've chosen to focus solely on my research career and taking care of all the loose ends before Matt and I move to Dublin, Ireland for the 2nd half of this year!! I will resume posts (and will be working on writing a book as an 'Ireland Project') around the middle to end of June 2013.

Updates to come, and I'm looking forward to sharing my overseas adventure and much more about health and wellness with you all.

Cheers!
Lauren

Technology vs. Retroparenting: Finding a Balance

I recently wrote a guest blog for the amazing Slava Bowman, who is re-energizing my hometown of Washington, Missouri. You can find it here at her blog: Guest Blog Post

                                                         VS.

THANK YOU!!

We've hit the one-year mark!!

This past year of blog writing has been a fun adventure for me. I've enjoyed the encouragement, comments, suggestions, and also hearing that I've inspired many people to make lifestyle changes!! Most recently, a couple of people let me know that they had each lost over 25 lbs and had been inspired in some way by the blog or our personal conversations. Great feeling and glad I could help!

I just want to write a quick post to say THANK YOU!!!! I'm blown away by the nearly 7,000 hits from readers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Australia, Germany, India, Malaysia, Ireland, Philippines, Sweden, France, Israel, Japan, Myanmar, Switzerland, Mexico, Netherlands and Ukraine!!!

Thank you for making this year a success and stay posted for the last installment in the pregnancy series!

Lauren

You're Pregnant - Now what?!

Welcome back!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season thus far, and having fun visiting friends and family, decorating their houses, ice skating, checking out light displays, shopping, wrapping gifts, baking, etc., etc. What a great time of year to enjoy and be thankful for all of the good in our lives!

As promised, I have the 2nd blog up now in the pregnancy series. This one is a general, yet comprehensive collection of lifestyle habits that may impact the health of you and your developing baby. And again, men, you can join in with many of the health habits as well, to support the mother of your child! From what I've heard, it's much appreciated!

Many of the things mentioned in this post have been linked either to healthy or unhealthy pregnancies, HOWEVER, check with your doctor and use these as a discussion - some will agree with all, some with agree with most, others will have different ideas...However, if there is a * by something mentioned, it is a universal 'must'!

And the most important thing of all to remember is that pretty much all lifestyle choices impact a developing baby in some way. The uterine environment is sensitive, so choose wisely - you have the freedom to choose healthy or unhealthy choices. Your baby's future is highly dependent on you! You are growing a baby - so grow it well :) You wouldn't plant a garden and then water the plants with alcohol, avoid weeding, block out the sunlight, or fill the soil with rocks - you'd have a very different plant at the end than one which was cared for properly while growing. Silly analogy, but absolutely relative! And even more important when pregnant - you aren't growing a plant, but a baby with a brain and other organs, limbs, etc. that are so intricate and miraculous! Do everything you can to ensure that your cute little miracle will have the best start possible!

Lifestyle choices for a healthy pregnancy and baby:

• Have regular prenatal visits from the time you even consider becoming pregnant to the birth of your child
• Aim for 7-13 servings of fruit (2-4 servings) and veggies per day*
• Aim for 15-25 lbs of weight gain during pregnancy - anything more is unnecessary and if you are overweight or obese, you should actually be gaining less than that recommendation. Check with your doctor on personal goals for yourself.*
• Stay active (it's ok and necessary to exercise!)* (UNLESS you have a high-risk pregnancy)

• Get 8 hours of sleep per night*
• De-stress as much as possible*
• Meditate, go to your house of worship, listen to relaxing music, get a pregnancy massage, take a walk, read a good book, etc.
• Drink 8 glasses of water per day - you AND your baby are mostly made up of water and one of you has a brain and many organs being made during this time! *
• Take a prenatal vitamin (and consider adding Juice Plus, which is known to produce healthier pregnancies when taking a prenatal vitamin!)*
• Don't drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs, etc.*
• Avoid people who smoke and environments that contain smoke*
• Limit or avoid caffeine intake*
• Avoid processed food, sugar and fast food*
• Avoid being near the litter box if you have a cat*
• Avoid fish and seafood that are high in mercury*
• Swordfish, shark, king mackarel, tilefish
• Avoid work spaces that have radiation*
• Leave painting and house-cleaning chemicals to your partner! Try not to expose yourself to these noxious chemicals!*
• Talk with your doctor about any prescription medications (and over-the-counter) that you are taking and which are safe for your developing baby*
• If you spray tan, consider stopping until the baby is born. The chemicals in spray tans are known cancer-causers. Also, hair dye and make-up contain chemicals and while the jury is still out on this one, it's important to stick with products that are as natural as possible during this time.
• Consider giving up soda - sodium, sugar and empty calories aren't good for you or the baby!
• Avoid uncooked meats, eggs that aren't fully cooked, and unpasteurized foods
• Talk with your doctor about the flu shot.
• Avoid excessive Vitamin A
• Talk with your doctor about any other concerns you may have!!***

There are other emerging themes in how to have a healthy pregnancy, but the above are the most commonly discussed ways to support your developing child. Use this guide as discussion points with your personal doctor, or do further research on ones that are intriguing or cause you skepticism. Although, I have to caution you that an internet search will find you MANY more!!

Have a great week, and I will post soon about lifestyle choices AFTER your baby is born...

Lauren

Dreaming of Children? Part 1

As promised (although on a much later timeline!), I'm finally writing the blog post about what YOU can control in terms of giving your future children the best possible start in our crazy world. This day in age where there is so much we CAN'T control, it's nice to know that there are a multitude of factors that we CAN control if we are willing to make good, conscious decisions regarding our own lifestyle habits...which I'm going to venture to say is your responsibility if you are going to create a new life.

I mentioned in the previous post introducing this series that to a certain extent, YOU can control your future child's health and well-being by paying attention to certain factors before you even try to conceive. Most people know about the basics - don't smoke, don't drink, don't do drugs. And usually everyone points to the future mom as the responsible party. Yes, this advice absolutely needs to be followed, but we are also at a point where science has given us a glimpse into more behaviors and lifestyle choices we can make to ensure that we give our future babies the advantage they deserve to be healthy, grow properly, have optimal brain development, and so on.

FUTURE DADS - Don't stop reading now! You've probably heard random advice about how to support your pregnant spouse or partner, however, YOU are half of the DNA, my friend! There are preliminary studies that suggest that the quality of your contribution to the pregnancy (sperm!) changes with lifestyle habits as well - including, but not at all limited to - age, smoking, laptop computers (avoid having these on your lap!), alcohol and drugs (prescription and otherwise), how much you exercise, etc. So please take a moment, read this post and educate yourself on what YOU are also personally responsible for. Plus, you're spouse or partner will thank you for making it that much easier to make good healthy choices if you are doing the same. Healthy Lifestyle Buddy (HLB) - this is a new role you can add to your relationship and one that will only serve you well if you continue it on through and after the pregnancy - to keep each other from having chronic conditions and disease, as well as helping your future children develop good habits that will increase their chances of having a long, healthy, productive life.

Here are some basic, simple tips for future moms AND dads who are thinking about having a baby. I started with the most important, but if you have questions about other things you have heard, let me know!

"Before you jump in the sack, get your health on track!" ;)
Don't just decide you are going to have a baby; decide to have a healthy baby!

START 6 MONTHS TO ONE YEAR BEFORE: (or if you are already trying to conceive or are pregnant, start NOW!)

• Find out your Body Mass Index (there are calculators all over the internet) and work to get it under 24.9. Anything greater than 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.

Parents who have BMIs greater than 25 (overweight and obese) are at risk for having children:

1. who are born prematurely
2. with autism
3. with cognitive problems and developmental delays
4. with languge problems and delays
5. with other problems that are starting to emerge in research - will keep you posted!

In addition, mothers who are overweight or obese are at risk for having difficult pregnancies with pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, hypertension, emergency c-section, etc. The environment in the body where the baby will develop is a different in someone with a normal BMI vs. overweight/obese due to inflammation processes and other biological differences that affect the baby's developing brain. Although complex, there is evidence that being overweight or obese actually affects the developing baby's genes and how they are programmed - not only putting them at greater risk for health problems, but also for being overweight or obese throughout their lifetime.

• Visit your doctor. Take the time to have a 'pre-conception' visit to talk with your doctor about the best way to get healthy for your upcoming pregnancy. Men and women need to see what prescription drugs might affect the baby while it is developing, and try to wean off of them (which takes time). Also, your doctor knows your health history, and can perform tests/screens and guide you in other areas that a blog post cannot! Get a prescription or recommendation on a prenatal vitamin, and check to see what your doctor suggests in terms of Vitamin A dosage - too much may be a cause of birth defects.
• Consider Juice Plus. As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of Juice Plus. There has been a study looking at women who took a prenatal only, or a prenatal and Juice Plus. Bottom line, women taking both had significantly healthier pregnancy. This is also a GREAT things for men to take since you guys don't take prenatal vitamins. Studies show that the more anti-oxidants you are taking in (including those found in fruits, veggies and Juice Plus), the healthier your sperm will be. This will increase your chance of concieving and decrease the chance your child will have health problems.
• Quit smoking, drinking, drugs, wean off coffee, soda. Self-explanatory. They can cause chronic disease in you, birth defects, miscarriage, brain damage in your baby, and alter sperm (MEN!) - don't even chance it.
• Start working out and eating a fruit and vegetable with every meal. Fruits and vegetables promote a healthy conception and pregnancy. Working out lowers BMI, improves mood, increases cardiovascular health and signs are pointing to memory and brain health as well.

Questions, comments - let me know! See you next week for the 2nd post...

Lauren

Welcome back!

Hi everyone!

After starting a new job, getting married, and settling into life again, I'm ready to return to my blog! Here are a few fun pics from the time I've been gone - Enjoy! :)

Determining Your FUTURE Child's Health BEFORE They Are Even a Sparkle in Dad's Eye? PART 1...

My Dad and Me (1984)

Imagine that YOU and your spouse could do certain things BEFORE you even attempt to conceive a child that can help determine your future bundle of joy's future health. Imagine that the physical activity, fruits and vegetables, and mental/spiritual health you have today could contribute to the excellent, moderate or poor health that you future kid will experience starting from the day they are born to the day they pass away...and imagine that this is NOT an imagination - because it is absolutely true.

Maybe because I am getting ready to be married and beginning to entertain the thought of bringing little bambinos into the world, or maybe because I notice babies a lot more since my time working in the special care nursery or research with premature infants at the hospital/university, but whatever it may be, I've found this topic to be a huge area of interest for me. As some of you know, Matt and I are going to be living in Ireland for half of the year next year and I'm considering even writing an e-book in my leisure during that time on this, because I really feel that this is information worth gathering in one place and dispersing.

As a child, when anyone asked me what I wanted to do, my answer was simple. See pictures below :)

Me (left), Getting Ready to Innoculate Chuckie at the St. Louis Science Center

Me, Nursing My Cabbage Patch Doll at 5yrs

Even back in 1989, at age 4 and 5, apparently I wanted to be some sort of healthcare worker. Or a teacher. I would practice exams with my fake plastic stethoscope, or write lessons on the chalkboard in our basement and make my poor sister and brother listen to me teach about where the maxilla or humerus was located (thanks, Mom and Dad, for the awesome educational computer software!). I guess I knew what I wanted from the start. HOWEVER, I'm just naturally curious and love learning, so I took a few detours during my 4 years at Illinois State to explore :)

While in high school, I actually had no idea what I wanted to do and went to college on a full ride gymnastics scholarship with a side major in journalism and communication sciences. I just couldn't get into it. So then I thought about law school - political science major, paralegal minor. Nope. Couldn't bring myself to do any of the homework. Next up, (and getting warmer), medicine or special education teacher...med school - being a pediatrician sounded great but too extensive training; special education - passed the teaching test and then decided to change to a pre-medical student in my senior year to obtain the pre-reqs required for WashU OT Program at their School of Medicine and a grand GPA of 3.6 in 'A Little Bit of Everything' (aka. Psychology). AND here I am. Again, just finishing for the 2nd time. Guess all those years of med school wouldn't have made a difference LOL. However, FINALLY having reached my end point in school, and now working in clinical research (and hopefully teaching a few blog readers some health info at the same time!), I've been thinking about what I should actually do to share what I learn with others. I believe that knowing things that can be helpful to others, but maybe not quite common knowledge, carries an ethical responsibility to share with people that it could benefit. Of course, they have to want to know it. But that, my friends, is the beauty of a blog - I don't know WHO actually reads it, although I know from people's messages that at least some people out there are enjoying it, learning from it or being motivated by it. And not going to lie, it's fun to check my stats page and see that people from over 20 countries have read it at different times and now cumulatively, over 5,200 people at last count had visited.

SO, long-winded, but where I am going is, I'm going to share a series of blog posts with cutting edge research that suggests what you (or your loved ones) can do to improve your current health OR practice/maintain good health when either (1) thinking about having a baby, (2) trying to conceive (3) or are pregnant. Stay tuned for the 1st post to come this weekend...

Lauren

When Working Out Becomes Fun, THIS is what happens...

You are at your first wedding dress fitting and the seamstress says, "I know you ordered your wedding dress a couple sizes smaller than you were when you bought it, but you have achieved that and if you lose anymore weight in the next 5 weeks, I will have to charge you a lot of money to take material from your dress."

WHAT?!?!?!?! I wasn't even trying anymore. This is the moment that I realized that running the few miles that I do per week has become a enjoyable and satisfying source of exercise for me because I no longer think of it as work - it's just what I do. It's become a satisfying part of my life that I actually miss when I don't do it. Also, I realized that the few 'bridal fitness tips' I came up with are working overtime lol. I would be willing to share these with any brides out there (or anyone else for that matter) - just message me and I can get you the plan. Easy and extremely time efficient. But Juice Plus was part of my regimen, so not sure if I would have gotten the exact results has I not been taking it...I'm sure that improved nutrition with that fruit and vegetable 'insurance policy' was part of it.

ANYWAY, what this brings me to is that working out can truly be enjoyable and for me, the post-workout feeling is always awesome. I may not always want to go in the first place, but never regret that I do. I want each and every one of you out there - just surpassed the 5,000 visitor mark!!! - to find something enjoyable that keeps you physically fit and mentally motivated. If you force yourself to do something you don't like, you may reach your goal but you will most likely NOT maintain it in the long term. So, I found a few sites that list ideas of typical and not-so-typical things you might want to try...

48 Ways to Exercise
http://zenhabits.net/48-fun-exercises/
A List of Creative Ways to Fit in Exercise
http://happylists.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/20-creative-ways-to-get-exercise/

Happy Fitness!!
Lauren

The Inspiration of the Olympic Games!

     If you all are anything like me, you have been watching a lot of the Olympic Games over the weekend. I love it! (And luckily, Matt is watching them all right along side of me - we are nostalgic about our old sports days and we are the biggest dorks - always checking the medal count and rooting for the US lol).  It is just so inspiring to us to watch the athletes that have worked their entire lives for the hope of obtaining that one shining moment on the medal stand - the blood, sweat and tears, the emotional highs and lows, the pain of pushing through the toughest workout of their lives...all for one cumulative moment where the flag is raised, the national anthem is played, and they have a heavy, gold medal around your neck. Uncomparable to any other memory of jubilation, I'm sure, and I can also bet that they have the next goal ready on the horizon to set out toward...this is truly the essence of sports, competition and the environment of never ending hunger for accomplishment. These athletes have a secret - they know how to set, manage and reach goals and we should take a mini lesson from them. Yes, they have all of the time in the world to train well, eat well, sleep well, etc. HOWEVER, that is their job. We, as general citizens who have a 9-5 job and aren't training for the Olympics. But that's ok - we don't have to in order to obtain a good state of health and wellbeing - we really just need to spend a little time each day devoted to our own personal health goals! For us, it's really all about taking small daily steps toward health - manageable, obtainable, achieveable actions that will get us to a healthy state that we are comfortable with and can enjoy and participate in life to the best of our abilities.

     Personally, I started gymnastics at the age of 3 - my parents had ideas of what I would gain - friendship, coordination, motor skills, etc. I fell in love and stayed the course through college with a full college scholarship. Among MANY things, the main skill set I obtained that helps me to this day in every day life was the ability and discipline to realize the importance of setting goals and seeing them though to completion. And this has had implications for my entire life, sports realm and otherwise. As an occupational therapist, we specialize in comprehensively evaluating a client - their strengths and weaknesses/ their environment, finding out what what their aspirations are, guiding their creation of goals and helping them take the necessary steps to working towards and achieving them - all the while working toward a path that will lead to greater participation and a better quality of life. It's one thing to say you want to do something, but by taking a moment to think out your plan, you are taking the FIRST step to actually achieving it. Here are some tips that I have picked up along the way that will hopefully help you get the base of goal setting and start some of your own small health journeys:

1. Set small, manageable goals.
DO pick a reasonable set of goals. 1,2, maybe 3 - any more will set you up for failure.
DO NOT over-commit and decide that there are many goals you want to achieve and are going to start working on. You will most likely get overwhelmed and give up on all.

2. Understand the steps and set achievable short-term goals and time frames -
DO pick a time frame that is obtainable - Losing 6-8 lbs in a month vs. losing 20 lbs in time for swimsuit season in 2 weeks. People who set a reasonable amount of goals in an unobtainable time frame will fail, get discouraged and quit - EEN IF they would normally have reached them with more time.
DO NOT set goals without thinking about the steps it takes to complete the goal. For example, start by working forwards or backwards (your preference) to see what the necessary steps are to completion. If you are going to increase your physical activity level, you can't say you want to run a marathon without creating a plan. The plan are the steps and these are steps are your short term goals that will build to reach your long term goal.

3. Stay accountable.
DO get a workout buddy, partner with a spouse/friend/significant other - have SOMEONE to keep you accountable. Ideally, they will be working toward a goal or two as well and you can share experiences and check in with each other. Matt and I help each other along, and we get much more accomplished than if we were going it alone. Neither of us have or need a sports coach anymore, but it definitely helps to have someone to give us a feeling of accountability just to stay on track with our health - there are definitely times that either he doesn't want to work out because he worked a 16 hour day at the hospital or I'm being lazy and feel like eating out for no reason other than not having to make anything, but our chance of doing the right thing is always better when the other is a voice of reason or encouragement.
DO NOT try to achieve a tough goal all alone. There is a reason that athletes have a coach, a team, etc. They provide encouragement, motivation and help keep the goal setter on track. You will need someone (or at least have a greater chance of success) to keep you moving in the right direction.

Hope this helps! And if any of you have questions, need help setting realistic, timely goals, I'm your woman! Hit me up by Facebook or email and I would be more than happy to help you earn your health and wellness goal 'medals' :)

Lauren

Sugar Shock!

Happy Tuesday!

This is an unusual day for me to post, but unfortunately, I am sitting at my house waiting for the air conditioning repairman to show up!! So I figured I would make use of my time and write another post for you all while I'm dreaming of snow in my hot townhouse!!

I recently had the privilege of speaking with 25 girls who are running for the Washington Town and Country Fair Queen this year in August! Wonderful group of girls who will make big impacts on their communities - so it was great to share some health info that they could go and relay to their family and friends. One of the things that we discussed was SUGAR. What is it? How much is ok? What are the possible consequences? I have copied the handout that I gave them (I have used pieces of this before, but this time I also added in some info from MedicineNet). Enjoy!

SUGAR AND ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: THE SHORT AND SWEET

What it is?

Ingredient found in sweet foods – sometimes in a natural form (fruit), however, it is commonly an artificial, laboratory-derived additive such as Sweet N’ Low, Nutrasweet, Equal and Splenda.

IN OUR COUNTRY: The number-one source of added artificial sugars is non-diet soft drinks (soda or pop). Other major sources are sweets and candies, cakes and cookies, and fruit drinks and fruit juices.

Raw, natural sugar is fine in moderation (eating daily fruit) and for special occassions, however, too much of a good thing can lead to problems such as:
- gas and diarrhea
- headaches
- depression
- increased hunger (over-eating and ‘wanting more’ – ex. cookies, cakes, sweet snacks)
- dental cavities
- tooth decay
- obesity and weight gain
- type 2 diabetes
- HTN
- heart disease
- osteoporosis
- cancer
- vitamin and mineral deficiencies (if you have an imbalance of more sugary foods than whole foods

Here are some of the most common sources of sugar and artificial sweeteners found on food labels:

• Brown sugar
  Corn sweetener
  
  Aspertame (Equal or Nutrasweet)
  
  Sucralose (Splenda)
  Sucralose was actually discovered while trying to create a new insecticide. Ingredients: (Does this sounds like sugar? OR something you want to put in your body?) trityl chloride, acetic anhydride, hydrogen chlorine, thionyl chloride, and methanol in the presence of dimethylformamide, 4-methylmorpholine, toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetic acid, benzyltriethlyammonium chloride, and sodium methoxide, making it unlike anything found in nature. If you read the fine print on the Splenda web site, it states that "although sucralose has a structure like sugar and a sugar-like taste, it is not natural."
  Chlorine is considered a carcinogen and has been used in poisonous gas, disinfectants, pesticides, and plastics. The digestion and absorption of sucralose is not clear due to a lack of long-term studies on humans.
  
  Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low)
  
  Corn syrup
  Dextrose
  Fructose
  Fruit-juice concentrate
  Glucose
  High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
  Lactose
  Maltose
  Malt syrup
  Molasses
  Raw sugar
  Sucrose
  Syrup
  
  Take home message:
  
  - Know what is in your food (glance at the label) - the more ingredients, the less natural it is, therefore, worse for your health
  - Know the possible dangers (from this post)
  - Practice moderation when eating sugary foods. Daily servings of fruit are find but in general, eat sugary foods on special occassions - not daily indulgences!

Preventing Chronic Disease and Promoting Health!

Happy Sunday to everyone!

It's been a little while since my last post and I'm excited to start off the week by sharing something I've become very passionate about as an Occupational Therapist - disease prevention and health promotion as a means to a better quality of life and increased participation in meaningful activities! I have recently found a way to share the message of wellness in a more expanded way than before, and this is through Juice Plus+. I am very happy to say that after taking JP+ myself, noticing health benefits and really falling in love with the product, that I have decided to become a Distributor. Being a distributor goes perfectly with what I do with the blog and with my OT practice model that I have been writing for the past year. It allows me to share a complete message of health in a broader way - from the inside out. 

As a clinician, teacher and researcher, I am very skeptical when it comes to health products and supplements. I had MANY questions before I started taking JP+. I don't like taking ANYTHING - truth is, I hardly ever even take Ibuprofen for a headache and I take no medications. However, after reading all of the 25 published, peer-reviewed clinical research studies - yes, JP+ is the most researched nutritional supplement in the world - my curiousity got the best of me and I had to try it...and I love it and take it EVERY DAY. It is so EASY to bridge the gap between the 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables we are supposed to eat and what we actually eat. And research is proving that it is comparable to servings of whole food fruits and vegetables - recently a national cancer association shed light on this...and this is only ONE benefit....Which brings me to this - I believe in the product 100% and actually have my family and fiance taking it :) If you know me, you know that this says A LOT. JP+ is a UNIQUE product in that no other product in the world uses the combination of technology, research and education to help others achieve their optimal health in a simple, daily way. Through this product, you can ensure that even with our busy lifestyle, you can grab JP+ in the morning and bridge the gap in less than one minute.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but I will give you a very brief summary regarding what Juice Plus+ really is and why it will absolutely reap health benefits for you, your families and friends:

**Something AWESOME to note: ALSO, ANY PARENT THAT TAKES JP+ CAN SPONSOR ANY CHILD THEY CHOOSE TO TAKE JUICE PLUS FOR FREE FOR 3 YEARS (4-18/undergrad years), which is an awesome gift of health! Kids can take it free through parents!
 
Juice Plus:
It is the most thoroughly researched brand name nutritional product in the world. The Garden Blend combined with the Orchard Blend has the vitamins and minerals of 17 juiced fruits and vegetables for the cost of $1.50 per day, which is less than a morning coffee, bottled water or juice. 75% of all chronic diseases are preventable and fruits and vegetables have wonderful preventative, as well as disease-fighting and healing properties. Fruits and vegetables should be half your plate, however, this is difficult to accomplish, and this is where Juice Plus comes in to bridge the gap. Fruits in JP+ include: peach, cranberry, orange, pineapple, apple, papaya, acerola cherry. Vegetables and grains in JP+ include: broccoli, tomato, parsley, carrot, cabbage, spinach, beets, kale, oat bran and brown rice bran. You start out with a 4 month supply, so you can see the benefits of good health (health changes don't happen overnight!) and understand how Juice Plus works to promote wellness in today's busy culture.

Kid's benefits:
- Take less prescription or OTC medications
- Need fewer doctor visits
- Miss less school
- Drink more water
- Eat more fruits and vegetables

Adult's benefits:
- All of the above PLUS
- Clinical studies suggesting better cardiac health, stronger immune systems, better oral health
- Healthier pregnancies: JP+ is especially beneficial for women of childbearing age, who are trying  
  to conceive, who are pregnant or who are breastfeeding (moms get the benefit and kids get it
  through breast milk). The results of our maternal health study is coming out really soon, which we
  are really excited about!
  - Missing less work

Overall, the following are clinical research results from leading hospitals and universities around the world:

SYSTEMIC 
  - Delivers key antioxidents and other phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body
- Reduces oxidative stress
- Reduces key biomarkers of systemic inflammation
- Supports a healthy immune system
- Helps protect DNA
- Supports cardiovascular wellness

SKIN
  - Supports healthy skin and gums
 - Better skin hydration
- Improved skin density
- Better circulation

  ORAL HEALTH
- Healthier gums
- Less bleeding
- Reduced inflammation
- Reduced pocket depth
- Tighter and higher attachment of gums to teeth

And there are more exciting research studies that are up and coming from leading universities and hospitals around the world! Also, JP+ is the official sponsor of several Olympic teams this year and many of our US athletes take JP+.

To end this LOOOONG post, if you happen to be interested or have any question, feel free to email me at strnadL@yahoo.com OR find me on Facebook. I would love to be the one to help you bridge the gap between the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and where you are right now...this is a simple daily way to get achieve the benefits listed above!


*For anyone that decides to get started on JP+ this MONTH, I'm offering a FREE preliminary lifestyle and wellness assessment!

Enjoy your weekend, friends and family!
Lauren

Food Sales Regulations: Controlling or Creative?

Hmm...I just want to say that I know this may be a controversial topic due to all of the backlash the proposed New York soda regulation has stirred up, HOWEVER, it is an interesting enough to me that I would like to post on it. Please know that this is my personal opinion, and I know it is only ONE. So feel free to weigh in on the issue!!

*For those of you who may not know yet, New York is attempting to place a regulation on how much soda can be sold to each person (16 oz.) at one time.*

My vote is...CREATIVE! But maybe not spot-on yet in terms of sound regulations...

My reasoning:

1. Soda and health -
     I don't have a ton to say about this because it's common knowledge that soda is full of empty calories. It is also common knowledge that consumption should be limited by the individual who drinks it. Enough said. Having a soda every once in a while won't kill you, however, it doesn't do anything to facilitate health either...

2. Serving size increase -
     THIS is my main reason!! Serving sizes have increased by leaps and bounds in the past 30 or so years. It is HARD to find places that serve an appropriate amount of food in the recommended serving sizes. Think about the restaurants that you eat at - they serve you heaping portions on a gigantic plate and what did mama teach you...CLEAN YOUR PLATE. So we do. People generally eat what is in front of them. And we take in MUCH more than we should and feel like it is normal. And also that we want to put on some elastic pants.
     Unfortunately, I believe this is one of our worst lifestyle habits that permeates our country. It has become mainstream culture and so it is what people do. It confuses common knowledge on what a serving size actually looks like for different types of foods and leads to people ordering a super-sized meal on the fly because they are hungry (and they don't realize that the 'small' portion they can order is still larger than recommended for a healthy meal).
    How does this relate to the proposed food regulation? In every way! I LOVE the idea of businesses having to regulate their portion sizes. I think that the step of adding caloric value to menus has been a step forward, however, when there is a 'healthy portion' of a meal that has 500 calories, the restaurant would probably not react favorably to you ordering half the serving size. Some people can pack up the other half and take it home for the next day, however, many people do not have that willpower. Serving size regulation could take some of the willpower out of the decision while conveying proper portion sizes and possibly reducing our obesity crisis while modifying lifestyle choices. They key word here though is CHOICES. While I think that food PORTIONS should be regulated, I do not AGREE with food SALES being regulated. If someone wants to order a second meal because they are still hungry, so be it. But they should know that what they are being served is the recommended serving size.
    There are very few people who want to be told what to do, eat, drink, etc. and rightly so. Everyone feels that they are adults and have learned that right way to do things, or the way that they would like to do them. I personally don't like being told what to do in terms of my lifestyle choices. I try to learn everything I can and do the best I can, but not just because someone tells me to do it. However, IDEA behind this regulation didn't strike a rebellious note in me. Our lives have already been influenced TREMENDOUSLY by governmental regulations and allowances. We don't complain about traffic light and seat belt laws that keep up safe, airline regulations that don't allow internet or phone use in the air, or regulations recommendation that people wear bicycle helmets. While we may not always like these rules, we know they are the right thing to do and we follow the rules most of the time. The proposed soda regulation is similar in my mind. Why would we rebel against one more thing that is supposed to help us lead healthier, safer lives and can facilitate our quest to have better health and lead longer, more productive lives by cutting down on the rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease that decrease our quality of life? I understand a lot of people may see this as an extreme way to look at it, but I don't think the soda regulation is extreme enough. I think that, as I mentioned above, food and beverage companies should sell correct portion sizes. IF not for us, for the next generations, who will then automatically form better habits than we did. Of course, this trickles down into our homes, because the willpower or sense of responsibility comes in when we cook our own meals and serve our families dinner. We then have to know and exercise the knowledge about healthy portion sizes...

3. MODERATION IS KEY
     I think the overall message that resonates with me is that MODERATION IS KEY. Personally, I did quit drinking soda and now I can't stand the taste of it. Everyone once in a while, I think that I might be craving a Dr. Pepper. I buy one, take one sip and think, "I definitely don't miss this." But if I did still like it, I would know that it is ok to have one every now and then and that there is nothing wrong with that. However, I would also know that having three of them would be a poor choice. This goes along with everything we do -- our country has become one of extremes -- eat healthy (however we see a lot of eating disorders and obesity), exercise moderately (however, we see sedentary people and exercise addicts), drink a glass of red wine now and again (however, we see really high rates of binge drinking), etc. etc. Collectively, as a nation, we have a problem with over or under-doing it. SO, in conclusion, while I do not think that SALES should be regulated, I do think that PORTIONS should be regulated to assist our nation in hopefully increasing common knowledge of healthy eating and developing a culture of healthier lifestyle choices...

THOUGHTS??!!

*Also, just want to put in a plug for Weight of the Nation by HBO! If you haven't seen in, consider watching it for FREE online. It's highly informative and explains in great detail why obesity is a crisis, while staying sensitive to the psychosocial side of the epidemic.

Lost 13 lbs. and Gained a Doctorate!

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a great week and enjoying being back to the daily grind. I want to restart the blog by talking about what's been going since we last touched base in MARCH. Crazy. I've finished my doctorate (yay!) and I have posted a pic here that we took after graduation while at dinner my fiance and some family members. It was so nice to have everyone around!... During the year, I wrote a massive paper about the OT role in obesity, which will hopefully be published at some point. I presented research at 3 conferences or symposiums - one was an international meeting in Boston! I was a mentor for 8 students for a community OT project, which was a great experince. Now, I'm working on a few more articles for publication on premature infants and brain function, as well as research in the neonatal intensive care unit, doing more research this year and some teaching at the graduate level. Hopefully, I can get a lot accomplished before Matt and I leave for Ireland in ONE YEAR...

In addition to finishing school and working towards greater health, I'm also going to be selling Juice Plus, which I LOVE. I'm actually taking this business over to Ireland with me, since it's international, which I'm really excited about. Juice Plus is an evidence-based fruits and vegetables supplement that is known to absolutely produce results in terms of overall health and wellness. I take it myself (not just promoting it!!) and if anyone has any questions, please let me know and I would love to talk/email with you about it and get you set up. If you decide to purchase from me, I will even throw in a complimentary, personal lifestyle analysis for you. I believe in Juice Plus 100% and will spotlight recent research every now and then - hopefully will have results about the maternal health study soon - that will prove to you that it is a great addition to your daily life.

Healthwise, I have also been working on sticking with the challenges I post and create a few of my own personal challenges. My efforts have paid off because when I went for my annual check-up last week, my lab values were great and I have dropped 13 lbs in the past year. I wasn't trying to lose weight, but all of the small changes have added up and it was exciting to see that making small steps toward optimal health WORKS. If you are interested, here are the small changes that I made (that I believe were most beneficial) since the blog started:

- taking the stairs
- adding more fruits and vegetables to my daily diet
- increasing my workout time
- drinking water before eating meals
- being aware of my hunger and only eating when I am hungry, not just for socialization or     boredom
- quitting soda

I hope some of the challenges have helped you since I started the blog. Please let me know if you have suggestions, feedback, topics you want me to cover, ideas for challenges, etc. Also, if you have been working on your health and want to guest blog, contact me.

Look for the next post in a few days! It may not be until after my *BiRtHdAY* on Thursday, because I have several work-related things and some celebrating of my old age to do :) Keep up the good work and have a great week.

Lauren
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I'm back!!

Hi all! I'm back and ready to get back to spreading the latest news, research and challenging you to walk the road to optimal health a stepping stone at a time :) It's a few weeks later than I anticipated, however, I have a LOT of information to share with you over the rest of the year that will hopefully motivate you and your family/friends to reach your potential. Look for the first post to appear on either Saturday or Sunday of this week - I will send out a tweet or Facebook message when it's up. Comments, questions, suggestions are all welcome. Let me know how I can serve you best! Lauren

Short break!

In order to finish my doctorate, I have about a million projects that need to be completed in the next four weeks. Please bear with me and I promise I will be back with new ideas and challenges for the first week of May! In the meantime, go back and try to reflect on and keep incorporating the previous challenges. Use this as a reinforcement period :) Swim suit season is rapidly approaching!!

First Week of March 2012 Challenge!

I received some feedback from a few log followers who thought that a month long challenge was too much for a lot of people - SO - if you are doing it, stick with it! If NOT, I'm instituting a new WEEKLY challenge today to end on Sunday, March 11.

March 4, 2012 WEEKLY CHALLENGE:

• Drink ONE glass of water before EVERY meal. This should at least fill half if not all of a regular-sized glass.

This ONE habit can cause you to drop A LOT of weight, in addition to staying hydrated throughout the day!! If you have been reading, but haven't yet tried a challenge, THIS is the one to try. It WILL make a difference - 100% guaranteed.

 Also, although some blog followers have sent me emails telling me that they have been participating in the challenges and are feeling like their health and wellness status is improving, no one has yet taken the bait on writing a short blog post documenting their progress. I'm leaving this offer open and will take guest posts at any time!

I'm doing well with sticking with my monthly challenge, although I did find myself eating a piece of toasted ravioli at a school gathering before I realized what I was doing - lol! I've been skipping dessert and avoiding all fried food and it FEELS GOOD :) I'm going to try and stick with this and implement the new challenge that follows:


Have a great week and see you next Sunday!
Lauren

Calling for Guest Blog Post Submissions!! :)

It's your turn to brag on how you've been doing this year! Send me a message with what you would like to post about what you've been doing, what stumbling blocks you've come across, what motivates you and where you hope to be mid-year and end-year.

I will have follow ups to these posts around July and December. At the end of the year, there is a good chance we will vote on the most inspiring story! So submit your posts now at strnadl@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook. Great job everyone!

Weekly Challenge 2012 - MOST EXTREME CHALLENGE OF THE YEAR SO FAR...

Welcome back! This week's cHaLLeNgE is the most extreme that I've asked you to do yet. I have an alternative suggestion for those of you who are not yet ready for one of the magnitude! No worries - work at your own pace. What you are doing is something nice for yourself - how nice are you going to be to your body and state of health??

SO, we are now going into March this week - I can't believe it! I hope you all have been doing well at incorporating some or all of the challenges and would love to hear how it is going. Drop me an email or message me on Facebook. Hopefully it's working for you, or at least causing you to be more aware of your health, fitness and overall life wellness and participation. I know writing this has kept me on my toes in my journey (and now in line toward fitting into a fantastic wedding dress which I bought this weekend!). I started doing p90x and have been eating plenty more vegetables. I've been trying to get more sleep, and truth be told, I'm feeling quite better about myself and my health than I was even a few months ago.

For Lent, I decided to give up any and all fried food, as well as dessert with meals. I was still having things like toasted spinach ravioli and a couple of devils food cookies with lunch. I didn't think it would be extremely hard for me, but necessary and challenging, especially when I eat lunch every day with friends at school and do go out and socialize in dinner setting with friends quite often.

HERE IS YOUR CHALLENGE:

• Give up SOMETHING UNHEALTHY for ONE MONTH

I know that many people do not participate in Lent, so this challenge has nothing to do with it, but it inspired it. Give up something that you know is unhealthy for you. You can grade this challenge by making it really easy and giving up something that you only do once in a while or go the extreme route and give up something that you do every day - completely up to you. How strong are you? Really challenge yourself this time - believe in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT.

Because this challenge lasts for a month, I will not be posting new challenges, rather I will be blogging about how my 'give up' is going and reflecting on ways to stay motivated. I would absolutely welcome comments about you - how you are doing and what strategies you are using to stay motivated. This blog has now had almost 3,500 hits and if you want to write a guest blog to brag a little about your year of moving toward health, I will post it for you!

***Everyone benefits from inspiring stories!!***

Keep up the great work and see you next week.

Week #6 of 2012 CHALLENGE!

Gear up for this week's challenge - it's hard! Many of the people that have mentioned that they follow the blog are parents (and some brand new parents! - congrats!), so for this challenge the key is to do the BEST YOU CAN. Nap when the kids nap, etc. Prioritize what's important - if the dishes need to be done, but you were up all night and will function better and be more productive after a nap, do so! No feeling bad for trying to stay healthy!

Week #6 of 2012 Challenge

• Sleep 8 hours each night

Short and sweet, yet SO important for good health, overall wellness and longevity. Here are just a few of the ways sleep impacts your day to day functioning:

• Keeps your heart healthy
• Proven to be associated with a decreased risk of developing cancers
• Reduces inflammation and stress hormones
• Decreased risk of diabetes
• Increases your memory and brain function
• Decreased risk of depression
• There is a strong connection between sleep and overweight/obesity!!! If you want to lose weight and you aren't sleeping, there is a good chance it won't happen or it will take a lot longer than you want.

Some ways to get better sleep:

• Set a 'regular' bedtime and attempt to get up at the same time every day. Our bodies actually crave routine and function best when you can achieve this.
• Increase your exposure to daylight during the day and limit the use of television and any electronic screen use (including your cell phone!) an hour before you go to sleep.
• Limit naps to 30 minutes to avoid feeling drowsy afterward
• Keep your room cool and make your bed as comfortable as possible
• We are all adults here - so use your bed for sleep and sex only. Keep a TV out of your bedroom (should improve that love life!)
• Have a bedtime ritual (short is fine) - listen to music, take a warm bath, etc. and try to do the same thing every night
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and big meals before bedtime
• Exercise regularly, but avoid it in the hour before you go to bed.

Have a great day and enjoy the Super Bowl!! Keep the snacks healthy or TASTE the not-so-healthy stuff :) See you next week for Challenge #7!

Lauren

Weekly Challenge #4 for a Healthier 2012!

Sorry for the lag in posts and to those of you who have specifically messaged or asked me when the next was coming!! There were some very essential things I had to accomplish for wedding planning (September 2012 - 8 months and counting!) before I went back to school and started in on mentoring 8 students, being a TA for an interventions class, teaching gymnastics, taking two doctoral classes myself and being in lab 18 hours a week! Lol - this semester is going to be crazy so please have patience with me!! :)

Weekly Challenge #4: WaRNING - this one is going to be very tough for many of you, so there are two versions!!

• Option #1 (Extreme Challenge): Quit soda COLD TURKEY (The calorie content of ONE 16 oz. regular soda is generally almost equal to a Snickers Bar! Some people have several PER DAY!!)
• Option #2 (Gradual): Eliminate one 8 oz. soda from your diet every other day. Example: If you drink a 32 oz at lunch every day, go down to a 24 oz. tomorrow, then 16 oz. the following day, 8 oz. the next day and none the last day.

YOU CAN DO IT! Overall, soda is NOT good for you. Regular soda has tons of sugar and loads of unnecessary calories! Diet soda is just as bad due to the empty calories and all of the articifical ingredients - there have been studies that show diet soda actually TRICKS your body into thinking you are taking in calories and causes weight gain...end this habit and the weight will start coming off :)

Also...a reported story that might motivate you to complete the challenge -
Not too long ago, a man reported that he found a mouse carcass in his soda. When contacting the well-known company (hint* google mouse and mountain dew), he was told that that was not possible. Reason: NOT because the factories are so clean, but only because they reported that even if there was a mouse carcass in it originally, it would have dissolved by the time it reached the man. GROSS!! Just think what this can do to your internal organs and insides besides adding overall weight and increasing your sugar intake :(

Good Luck this week! We will extend this challenge - It will start TODAY and go through January 4th! Mark your calendars!

2012 Week #3 Challenge!

Week #3 of 2012 Challenge

• MAKE your own dinner and include at least one vegetable

Yes, this is a tougher challenge due to time restrictions that people have with work, childcare, etc. However, research continually highlights that people and families that make their own dinner and eat together are healthier and have better relationships (especially kids when they reach their teen-age years - added perk!!). Try not to see this as an extra burden, but instead as an investment in your and your family. A great strategy that Matt and I started to recently is cooking ahead or freezing food (that can be easily thawed when making for dinner). Both us our schedules are insanely busy and we still manage to sit down and have dinner together most nights of the week, even if it is just a lunchmeat sandwich and broccoli/salad! Healthy crockpot recipes are also an amazing invention!! Put it in when you leave for work and return to a great meal for dinner.

I would love for anyone else that has good tips to please comment and help out the others that read this blog! Thanks in advance and have a great week of home-cooked/prepared meals and added bonding time with your family :)

2012 Week 2 Challenge!!!

I'm really excited about this week's challenge because it is one little behavior that makes a HUGE difference when you can implement it in your every day life. The hardest part of this challenge is just remembering to do it and you will have plenty of opportunities to do so throughout the week!! ALSO, keep up your 15 minutes of exercise per day and add on if you are ready!

2012 Week #2 CHALLENGE:

• Ask yourself the following question whenever you find yourself gravitating toward food during the day: "Am I really hungry?"

Many, many people eat when they aren't hungry. When you ask yourself this question, it will cause you to think about whether your BODY is actually giving you the hunger cues or not rather than mindlessly grazing. Most people know what a real hunger pang feels like and they really shouldn't come along until 3-4 hours or more after the last time you ate. DON'T eat when you are bored, watching tv, emotional, socializing but not hungry, etc. You can do it! I'll check in with you throughout the week!

GOOD LUCK!! Let's kick this habit together!

Why the weight can't wait: Importance and HOW-TO of Getting Healthy NOW

Ever heard that metabolism slows down as you age? This certainly has truth to it, and many adults can recall the time in their life that an unhealthy meal that used to have no effect began to 'add pounds overnight' in one sitting.

The older you become, the harder it is to lose weight. There are multiple reasons for this, however, two big ones are (1) your metabolism truly is slowing down a bit and (2) your unhealthy habits are becoming more ingrained with each passing day, which makes them even harder to break. Do yourself a favor and start today.

I just want to give you a brief overview today of what happens to your body with each passing decade and the secrets of how to combat the changes to actually make a difference in your health (and the health of your family and children, as your habits directly influence the people around you!!!). Remember, having even ONE obese or overweight parents raises your child's risk greatly!

20s: This is the best decade to get excess weight off and to turn around unhealthy habits. For most, any effort to lose will result in success, with the following being your best bets for health in this decade:

• Have well balanced meals, STARTING WITH BREAKFAST! Attempt to eat every 3-5 hours to keep your metabolism moving and burning fat.
• Work up to a 4-3 pattern of exercise. What I mean by this is 4 days of the week, aim for 30-40 minutes of cardio, 3 days of the week do strength training and short interval cardio (such as alternating sprint/rest and doing a few rounds)
• Learn to really listen to your hunger cues - eat slowly, stop when full
• Stock up on vegetables and eat fruit (recommended servings only as they have a good amount of sugar but great nutritious value)

30s: Just because the 20s is the easiest decade to lose weight and keep it off DOESN'T mean you can't do it in this decade. The difference is that you can no longer eat whatever you want and think that the weight won't appear. You need to practice the same habits that the 20s practice, but be even more compliant and change up the exercise just a bit!

• See the 20s tips
• Don't eat when you aren't hungry.
• Build more muscle to create a faster metabolism
• Have a more consistent ratio of cardio to strength training
• When having snacks, focus on high fiber and protein such as protein bars (no more than one per day) and apples with peanut butter or string cheese

40s/50s: Still able to lose and maintain in this decade, so follow the 20s and 30s tips and add in a few new ones.

• Load up on omega-3 fatty acids to add in anti-inflammatory agents to your diet: Fish, nuts, flaxseed
• Lower your calorie intake slightly as you are definitely no longer needing calories for growth
• Exercise is still important. However, if you are limited in function or ability at this time, aim for 40 minutes of walking per day and look into water aerobics, low impact gym machines such as stationary bikes or try a beginners zumba class.

60s/70s/80s: Calorie intake can be lower again this decade - figure out what works for you, keeps you feeling energized and allows you to maintain a healthy weight. Follow the tips and reap the benefits:

• Lower your calorie intake slightly
• Have a discussion with your doctor about how your medications may affect exercise and adjust accordingly
• Walk at least 5 days per week for at least 30 minutes. If you are able to do more, great! Try a stationary bike or water aerobics to stay moving and fit.

Why it is ok to 'fall off the wagon'...

How is everyone doing with the 15 minute challenge? I hope you are all finding the time to squeeze in a little bit of exercise and extra movement! I have been working on the challenge as well, however, yesterday I had my 'falling off the wagon' day. I don't feel bad about it and I'm going to tell you why.

I had deliberately done at least 15 each day this week until yesterday. I found myself falling into the 'not going to happen today' category (not an excuse - as my old gymnastics coach used to tell us "Excuses are for losers" LOL). Just got caught up at first in running a bunch of errands that only seem to get done when there is time off work or school followed by the promise of 'date night and wedding planning'. Long story short, Matt and I ended up at a fun Blues-themed bar, only to play shuffleboard and have a couple drinks. We had made a healthy dinner at home beforehand, however, we did not do our 15 minute challenge.

Today, we are going to make sure we do the 15 challenge and go well beyond that to make up for yesterday. I'm going to still count myself into completing the challenge this week and I want you all to do the same even if you have to make up for a missed 15 minutes on a different day of the week. We are all only human and there will be days that we have no motivation or unexpected events or time drains get in the way. And this is OK!! Do NOT feel bad about it. Instead, pick up the next day right where you left off. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Make an effort to be compassionate toward yourself and let the missed day go with no negative self talk or thoughts. You are still a great person who obviously has the right intention and will get to where you want to be.

I think that when we miss a day and start to feel guily, it is easy to fall into the trap of feeling like a failure (or at least like you have messed up). This is where I believe people run into trouble, because if you are SO strict with yourself and feel like a failure, you are more likely to quit altogether...so again, if you mess up or aren't perfect with your plan or goals - follow through the next day. It is NOT starting again, rather it is CONTINUING ON A JOURNEY.

Good luck finishing the challenge this week - try your best to get in that 15 minutes per day! I will have a brand new WEEK #2 of 2012 Challenge on Sunday...details to come!

Be Thankful for the Life You Have

Yesterday I was in a car accident. It was not the run-of-the-mill fender bender. Instead, I was on the highway driving to Sam's Club with my fiance and someone switched lanes without checking. They slammed into us going highway speeds and I'm thanking my lucky stars that we somehow avoided the concrete rail and ravine approximately 10-15 feet or less from us. Someone was looking out for us yesterday (and I'm not above being relieved that I had my St. Jude medal in the car!). Yes, it is the biggest pain that we are on vacation and have to deal with a highly-banged up car that was practically perfect when I bought it a couple years ago (previous owner had kept a perfect record of all maintenance, dates, etc., car had low miles) and the fact that the other person had false insurance.

However, my fiance put things in perspective when he stated that instead of having the nusiance of dealing with the aftermath of a car accident, in one instant, we could have easily ended up in two separate trauma bays in the hospital emergency room (which hits close to home for him as he generally ends up seeing patients with the head and spine injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents).

You're probably asking where I'm going with all of this...
1. Just wanted to get some journaling out of my system :)
2. Live life to the fullest!! We are only here once (depending on what your beliefs are, of course!) and we should strive to make it the best, longest and healthiest stay possible. Yes, something could happen in an instant that could take away everything that we have ever worked for and loved. However, why not ensure that while we are here, our lives are full and rich with health which will enable us to ENJOY life to the max...

Every single one of us has choices to make throughout the day. Some people have more latitude with their choices than others, however, I challenge ANYONE to not find 15 minutes to work out, move and do something nice for yourself. Spread it out over the day. Incorporate the ideas from the two posts before. It doesn't even have to be in one sitting!! Take the time now to be healthy and you most likely won't have to make time for disease or an early death from disease later. I like this way of thinking because ultimately, you WILL have to make time for one or the other. Life or illness. You choose. Get in your 15 minutes today :)

Ideas for Challenge #1

How did you all do yesterday? One day at a time..small, manageable changes. This isn't supposed to be an overhaul. Many times people get so excited, start out big and then burn out just as quickly. I don't want that to happen to you. This year, I want you to actually reach your health and weight goals and not get to New Year's Eve 2012 and think "my New Year's Resolution is to get healthy or lose weight this year". It will be time to move on to bigger and better things because you will have already done it.

Matt and I got our exercise in yesterday by shooting some hoops in a gym nearby for about 10-20 minutes and then went to the gym to walk/run on the treadmill while watching the rest of the Rose Bowl game. Easy, fun AND got some TV watching in while doing something active instead of sitting on the couch with chips and a beer :) It did feel good to reflect afterward and enjoy the choice we made.

Here are some ways to get in your 15 minutes each day this week:

• Throw in some squats in the morning while brushing your teeth
• Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator
• Go on a walk during your break at lunch
• Bike to or from work if you are close
• Walk your dog or take an after dinner walk with your family
• Alternate crunches, squats and wall push-ups during commercials if you are watching your favorite show. You will be surprised at how many you can get in!
• Find an exercise bike on E-bay or Craiglist to put by your TV
• Stop by the gym for a short circuit workout
• Dance party by yourself or with your kids :) Rock the iPod!
• Do calf raises while doing the dishes or prepping dinner

If none of these will work for you, message me and we can brainstorm. Have a great day and see you tomorrow!

Happy New Year!! Challenge #1

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season and I'm excited to start up the blog again. New year, new ideas...I will be starting a weekly challenge that you can attempt and I'd love to hear if you complete it and how it went! I want to keep them all small and manageable so that you are actually becoming healthier and more fit throughout the year rather than getting burnout in the beginning and losing sight of that New Year's Resolution.

This week's challenge is about getting started. This is the first hurdle to overcome and the place where MANY people get stuck. The challenge that I'm going to give you is SMALL and some people might think insignificant, but if you do it, you will be GETTING STARTED :)

Challenge #1 (Individual Challenge; Family Challenge Follows)

Each morning this week, think about your day and schedule in 15 minutes to do some sort of exercise.

This can include taking a walk during your lunch break, taking the stairs all day instead of the elevator, stopping by the gym for a short visit after work, walking the dog after work, doing jumping jacks in your living room - ANYTHING that gets you moving qualifies for this goal. It may help to think of a few different ways to incorporate this today and mix it up throughout the week. There is a second part to this goal.

During the 15 minutes, reflect on the fact that you are doing something to make yourself healthy. Think "This is great - it's only 15 minutes and it feels great to be doing something nice for myself."

This will be an on-going theme, but in order to make a lasting change, you have to be able to incorporate healthy habits into your identity. If you are successful, later this year, you will find yourself thinking "this is what I do" or "this is a part of me" when you go to exercise. It will be hard or frustrating if you can't go. Remember the 'brushing your teeth' comparison I made several posts ago...you wouldn't like it if you couldn't brush your teeth for a day or shower. This is how ingrained you want your healthy habits to be.

Family Twist:

Same challenge, but add your family. Take a walk after dinner, have a dance party with your young kids, go to the gym with older kids, take the family to the playground, play tag, have races in the yard, etc.

Then talk about how it is important to take a little time everyday to get your body moving and your heart rate up to avoid health problems. It's ok to be honest with your kids and to tell them about what being inactive does down the line. They will thank you for it later when they are healthy, active teenagers and adults and feel great about themselves.

Good luck this week and take the challenge!! If you think it is too easy and you are already ahead of the game, great! I will have more challenges for you soon. See you tomorrow!

New Info Coming Soon!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the lag in posts! I got caught up in the holidays, as well as becoming engaged to the love of my life :) I will resume after the New Year and along with getting back to the information about health and getting the most mileage out of life, I will also be adding in a weekly CHALLENGE to get you on the right track to make 2012 the best year EVER! Stay tuned and Happy New Year!!!

Link to a guest post I did for Health Hive Media :)

http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/scary-truth-childhood-obesity/

Before you head for the kitchen, are you REALLY hungry?

I used to often find myself eating when I wasn't truly hungry. I'm not sure where I picked up this habit (maybe the Ol' Clean Plate Club), but it's one that I've almost broken and I'm excited about it....I've found that breaking this habit really requires the formation of another habit - thinking before you eat. Many people eat when they are bored - I've heard many people say that they just 'find' themselves in the kitchen. Also, eating is such a social event much of the time that people will order a meal because everyone else is, or pick at the appetizers just because they are in front of them even though their bodies don't need the food to survive or thrive. Here are a few things to consider before you wander into the kitchen in your home or the cafeteria at work this week...my challenge to you is to follow the plan below for a one week and see if it begins to become somewhat automatic! And I would love to hear how it goes for you. It's working for me, and I think it will create a conscious thought process for many of you too.

Before you eat, ask yourself "AM I HUNGRY?"

• This is very simple. And the answer is even more simple. If you have to think about it whatsoever, the answer is NO, you are NOT hungry. If you are hungry, eat. If you aren't, DON'T. Your body will always tell you when you are hungry, you just have to listen to it!!!
• If you are finding yourself wandering to the kitchen and you are not hungry, use that opportunity to go for a walk or go work out. Now, instead of taking in calories that your body doesn't even need, you can take this chance to burn calories.
• Also, while you are eating, eat slowly and when you are no longer hungry, STOP. It takes approximately 20 minutes for your body to realize you are full, so enjoy your meal instead of scarfing it down. It's NOT going anywhere :)

That's all I have for today. Short and simple, but very powerful and life-changing if you choose to practice this. Come back tomorrow for some more ideas about small steps to create an active, healthy lifestyle.

Goodnight!

Motivation Tips to Achieve Your Best Beach Body for Next Summer - Starting NOW!! You know you want to... ;)

We all KNOW most of the benefits of exercise (and I will have more recent research about aerobic/cardio exercise and brain function coming up soon!). BUT if you are anything like me, it is SO HARD sometimes to not press snooze or to go home and relax when I should be heading to the gym. I'm going to share some of the things that motivate me, as well as some motivational tips I have heard in my life that haven't worked for me. Not everything works for everyone, but maybe it will spark your desire to get off the couch and go.

ALSO, I would absolutely love any comments from people that have found ways to get motivated. Unlimited ideas are welcome. Please share so others can benefit!

Tips for Motivation

• Don't think, just do it. This sounds so simple and Nike-like, and it is. The longer I debate going to work out, and the more I think about other things I could be doing, the less likely I am to go. However, if I just stop my mind, get in the car and go, I am NEVER disappointed that I went and always love the post-workout feeling. Often times it is our BRAIN, not the time constraint (how many times do find the time to do something non-important instead of working out?) that hold us back. Clear your mind and do it.
• Put on your workout gear. If you put on your gym clothes, there is a much greater likelihood that you will go. Period.
• Go outside and take a brisk 3 minute walk. If you get fresh air and start to move, you will be much more likely to go exercise. To make this more powerful, think about the awesome post-workout feeling while you are doing this and how great you will feel after you get done at the gym.
• Make working out part of your 'hygiene' routine. Getting exercise is as vital as brushing your teeth and taking showers, although we don't often think about it that way. Try to figure out a way to make exercise part of your identity and routine - if you do, it will be hard NOT to do it. Can you imagine NOT brushing your teeth or showering every day?? Ewww...and if you happen to be thinking to yourself, "Those things only take 15-20 minutes combined, MAX." - exercising in any way for 15-20 minutes a day is EXERCISE and will make you that much better for it. If you start with that every day, just taking a walk on your lunch break, you will have accumulated 100 minutes of exercise every work week that you weren't getting before!
• Imagine the future you. It's no secret that many people, especially young adults, feel invincible when it comes to disease and disability in the future. However, it happens. Exercise wards off diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, stroke, cancer, depression/anxiety, dementia, etc. etc. etc. Sedentary lifestyles invite all of these health problems and diseases. Think about your future kids and grandkids. Do you want to be the decrepid, sickly grandparent (if you even make it that far) or do you want to be the active, fun grandparent that takes your precious grandchildren to the zoo? YOU choose.
• Birthdays, Weddings, Swimsuit Season. Doesn't hurt to mention that when you have a specific deadline, you are more likely to reach your goal. That being said, you can't just say, "I'm going to lose weight by this summer so I look good at our beach vacation.". You MUST make small, incremental goals such as a certain weight loss every two weeks, or your clothes fit better at the end of every week, etc. This way, you aren't losing track of your end goal. Summer could be a few months away and it is VERY easy to lose the weight when you have this much time, IF you keep sight of your goals. You WILL end up in Mexico on your vacation with a rockin' body, blasting "I'm Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO :)
• Get a workout buddy. This works wonders for many people! It keeps you accountable for your exercise action (not as easy to back out at the last minute). Some people like to socialize while they are working out and some like to be one with their iPod. Either way, the buddy system truly works. Try it.
• Set a timer for 15 minutes. This one is motivation for when you have made it to the gym. This doesn't work for all exercise, such as Crossfit WODs or sprints. However, if you are running, using an elliptical, or any machines, this works well for a lot of people. Set the timer to 15 minutes. When it goes off, set it to 15 again. It is much easier on the eyes to watch the highest countdown in a workout be from 15 minutes rather than 45 or 60.

Other ideas??!!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Accidental Bad Health Habits That Set Kids Up For Obesity and Overweight Issues

It is assumed that every parent or child caregiver (teacher, babysitter, grandparent, etc.) has a kid's best interest in mind when trying to teach good habits early in life. With the rise in numbers of kids that are overweight or obese, and the health problems that go along with this increase, it is even more important that we are carefully evaluating and are aware of the behaviors that we encourage that could be problematic later in childhood and in life.

Here are a few common habits that we accidentally pass along to kids that facilitate weight gain and how to remedy them:

• Giving them too many liquid calories throughout the day: According to the journal, Pediatrics, kids take in an average of 270 calories per day (approximately 10-15% of their total caloric intake) through sugary beverages such as sport drinks, soda, and fruit juice boxes. Most of these contain empty calories and a low amount of nutrients, which will not trigger a 'full' feeling' as solid foods do. In addition, the large caloric intake can add excess weight fairly quickly.
  Instead of letting your child fill up on these, give them water, low-fat/skim milk after two years of age, and diluted 100% fruit juice. Avoid giving your child soda and sports drink at all and limit the amount of sugary fruit juice. And remember, kids look up to their parents, so avoid drinking these yourself - be a role model and get healthy :)
• Being a member of the 'full plate club': "You need to eat all your food before you leave the table." Does this sound familiar to anyone? Or the less PC version of "Eat all your food - there are starving kids in Ethiopia." If you are saying these things or anything similar to your kids, STOP NOW. Most children (unless they are picky or problem feeders) will stop eating when they are full. These 'full' cues are something that get pushed and ignored too often, and I personally believe that this is part of our societal obesity problem. The next time you go to the kitchen to get a snack or grab a drink from the vending machine at work, ask yourself if you are actually hungry, thirsty, or are you just bored/doing it out of habit. Our bodies are highly complex and AWESOME machines that actually tell us when we are truly hungry, however, we don't always listen...enough of my soapbox though...so, DO make sure your child is getting adequate nutrition, however, don't push when they are full or you are setting them up for a lifetime of overeating.
• Rewarding with dessert: To keep this simple, don't reward with food, especially dessert. When you give a kid ice cream or a cookie because they ate their carrots, it is giving the healthy food a bad connotation.
• Sticking to kid-friendly foods: Chicken nuggets, pizza...easy and kid-friendly, but unhealthy for regular dinners. Make and serve a variety of foods early so that kids get used to different textures, tastes and smells. Kids like what they know and what you expose them to early on sticks, so make it good!
• Sticking your kid in a stroller or a baby sling/backpack: Yes, I realize this is easier when you are in a hurry or in a dangerous place where you don't want your kid walking and accidentally wandering. However, we need to encourage them to move, exercise and develop good motor skills, even if it just sitting before they can walk and playing with toys while you do dishes to start developing fine and gross motor skills. Remember the vicious cycle between obesity and motor skills: kids that are obese have decreased motors skills. However, this is a chicken and egg situation. Not sure how it starts, but kids with more weight have greater trouble with and tolerance for physical activity, and are less likely to try out new things. This decreases the likelihood they will get involved in sports or exercise, they become more sedentary and gain more weight...and it goes on and on...
• Using the TV as a babysitter: I recently read a study and am blanking on where it came from, but kids today use and watch technology and media (TV included) on average for approximately 7-8 hours per day. This is astounding and what's even worse, is that they are usually eating snacks absent-mindedly (again, not using the hunger cues, just eating). Engage your kids in after-school activities and sports and keep TV screen time limited to 2 hours per day max. Computer/cell phone/tablet time can be addicting and should be limited to a 1/2 hour or less of 'fun surfing' time.
• Allowing late bedtimes: There are numerous studies that show a direct link between sleep and obesity/overweight - the less sleep, the more weight gain and this is obviously another vicious cycle. Ask your family physician how many hours of sleep your child should be getting for his or her age, create a bedtime routine and stick to it. Good sleep is one of the most important activities for a young and growing child.

Start small, create easy goals and move toward the remedies for these weight-causing habits. Kids deserve the best chance at being healthy and living long, productive lives.

Check back tomorrow for a post on motiviation and how to get yourself moving toward health!!

The Scary Truth About Childhood Obesity

As a parent (or even if just thinking about becoming a parent at some point), this is a need-to-know, as having just ONE parent that is obese or overweight significantly raises a child's risk of a lifetime of obesity.

I could go on and on about this subject because there is so much research that I've found while writing my doctoral practice model that supports that 'scariness' of it. However, I'm going to stay true to my word and stick to a short, but hopefully enlightening post. THIS (coupled with my family history of death and disease from preventable conditions) is why I decided to start this blog. No one needs to lose a family member, friend or their own life (or quality of life) from a disease or condition secondary to obesity or otherwise that is PREVENTABLE.

Childhood Obesity
Fact: In the US alone, approximately 9 million kids over the age of 6 are obese.
Fact: The estimated annual cost to society is $100 billion, which includes treatment for diseases and preventable conditions caused by obesity
Fact: We are seeing very real and medically complex diseases in kids that were only previously seen in adults, such as sleep apnea, atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries - beginning of heart disease as early as age 6) and type 2 diabetes.
Fact: All complications and diseases secondary to obesity, as well as obesity itself, have a profound impact on all aspects of a child's quality of life and health. Most all complications are reversible if a family decides to take action.

Here are just a few of the complications that childhood obesity brings along with it:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Low Self-Esteem
• Poor Self-Concept/Decreased Self-Image
• Targets for Bullying
• Social Isolation
• High Blood Pressure
• Fatty Liver Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Sleep Apnea
• Asthma
• Heart Disease
• Decreased Exercise/Activity Intolerance
• Decreased Test Scores in School
• Increased Likelihood for a Lower Future Income
• Increased School Absences
• Definite link to brain health and function
• Link to decreased activity and exercise level as adolescents and adults
• Decreased verbal skills
• Decreased gross motor skills (big muscle skills)
• Decreased fine motor skills (hand writing and coordination)
• Decreased ball sport skills
• Decreased balance skills
• Decreased ability to perform activities of daily living
• Sensory differences
• Earlier onset of puberty for girls and later onset for boys
• Decreased motivation to try new skills or enter new situations

Most shocking is the prediction that this generation of kids could be the first to lose 5 years off of the average lifespan due to obesity and obesity-related diseases. And not only is obesity a problem, overweight also causes health problems as well.

Hopefully, you can now see why this is such a huge (no pun intended) societal issue. Through this blog, I will do my best to keep you posted on ways YOU can prevent or reverse obesity, or just general overweight. This will ensure that you and your family are up-to-date on all of the information that goes into moving toward or maintaining health and an active lifestyle.

Lauren