Exercise is a vital part of good health. Ideally we should exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. Looking for workout tips to tighten and strengthen muscles you sit on? Here’s a great ABC News workout. Additional workout videos are available under the exercise tab. Whether you take a class or exercise on your own, be consistent. If you haven’t exercised for awhile, visit with your physician before beginning an exercise program.
If you are looking for a way to introduce healthy nutrition for your child, start with an interactive game. It is important to make your child feel comfortable and part of their own decision making where nutrition is concerned. You can offer them choices: “Would you like green beans or strawberry spinach salad?” Making good choices begins with good options.
Obesity is the greatest factor associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory illnesses, and cancers of all types. America needs to reduce. Reduce portions, reduce salt, reduce fat, reduce sugar.
The Center for Disease Control has published alarming statistics regarding childhood obesity. The percentage of children who are obese1 has more than doubled, and among adolescents the rates have more than tripled since 1980. Obesity is a risk factor for health conditions such as diabetes and is associated with problems such as poor self-esteem. The good news is that schools can help students and staff adopt healthy eating and physical activity behaviors that are the keys to preventing obesity.
Download this helpful brochure if you want to make a difference in your child’s overall health, but implementing a more positive lifestyle.
Dopamine and food addiction? Don’t rely on a pancake house to tell you the truth about Dopamine. Here’s what you should know:
We all experience cravings. We all give in to cravings. What is the difference between a food craving and a food addiction? Here’s a simple test that might help you determine if you are going over board.
Cravings and personality types go together.
Chocolate. Dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. White chocolate. Krispy Creme donuts. Pepperoni pizza. Mac ‘n’ cheese. Mashed potatoes. Fried chicken. Potato chips. Are you salivating and planning your next binge?
“Cravings definitely have a physical component, but they also give some insight into the type of person you are,” says Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., head of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago and the author of “What Flavor Is Your Personality?” Hirsch should know: He’s studied the cravings, food choices, and personalities of more than 18,000 people for over 25 years. Here’s something to take away from your midday vending-machine runs or late-night fridge raids besides extra calories.
Dr. Hirsch says certain personalities are associated with certain cravings. What kind of person are you? Go here to find out.
Are you an emotional eater? Have you ever caught yourself grabbing for that chocolate bar after a quarrel with a boyfriend or buying a pint of Ben and Jerry’s after reaching an important goal at work? If so, you are just like millions of other Americans who respond to strong emotion by eating comfort foods.
Different emotions trigger different food cravings and vary for men and women. Whether it’s pasta, pizza, chocolate, ice cream, casserole, or cookies, your emotions can override your logic, even when you are already full.
For helpful hints on how to say not to cravings, there are a host of websites with plenty of advice,but Steph Gariano gives down-to-earth advice that won’t cost money.
The best way I have found to avoid food cravings is to eat nutrient dense foods, drink plenty of water, get enough rest, and exercise every day for 30 minutes.
You can substitute those fattening choices with healthier ones. The United States Department of Agriculture
has great suggestions for avoiding the “no” foods.
What you miss, you can have once in awhile. Moderation and smaller portions are the keys to success.
Having difficulty resisting delicious desserts and “comfort foods?” What about portion control? If you feel your need for chocolate and other sweets is overwhelming, take a look at this article in the Journal of Neuroscience. It explains the connection between dopamine and food intake.
To avoid binging on chocolate chip cookies and other sweets, keep sliced apples on hand, and other prepared fresh fruits and vegetables. There are many low/no sugar recipes on hand for diabetic children. Set a good example with kids. Lifelong habits develop at home.
The hardest thing about losing weight is changing eating habits and increasing exercise. There are many organizations that provide moral and health support. Start with a visit with your doctor. He or she can refer you to a nutrition expert who will be able to answer your questions about dietary nutrition and provide suggestions for dietary changes. Also, you can contact a local hospital to connect with a local support group. Hospitals organize many types of support groups and they are free of charge or are low cost to participate. Over-eaters Anonymous is also a very successful organization. However, some of the best support comes from people, just like you, via the internet.
When you begin an exercise routine, begin where you are at this moment in time. (Again, consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.) There are many community centers and local gyms available, but the most affordable, if it’s in your area, is Planet Fitness. For $10 a month you have unlimited access 5 am – 10 pm most days of the week. Their biggest selling point is their motto: “No Judgment Zone,” which is stenciled on their membership cards, walls, t-shirts, etc. Because you don’t have a contract, you can cancel at any time without paying a penalty, and start up fees are low–no more than $20.
Weight loss success stories are plentiful, and helpful, but be careful when soliciting advice. If you want safe, accurate, information, consult with a nutritionist and ask about credentials. Online advice, such as well-known Jillian Michaels, has a great website to track your weight loss goals and her step-by-step plan includes customized nutrition guidelines based on your body type.
The purpose of this blog is to bring awareness to eating patterns which are at best annoying, and at worst, destructive. Comfort foods such as chocolate, french fries, pizza, mashed potatoes and gravy, chips and salsa, mother’s potato salad and grandma’s apple pie are not the root of the problem. Moderation and portion control are the keys to maintaining healthy body weight. Sounds easy. It is anything but easy to give up foods that you depend on.
Hundreds of thousands of people die every year from health problems related to excess weight gain: cancer of all types, heart attack, stroke, and respiratory problems. Adults like IZ, whose link appears in my first post, are the final products of childhood obesity–hundreds of pounds overweight by their late twenties.
Even more concerning is that childhood obesity is on the rise. It is now commonplace for elementary aged children to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other serious health problems associated with their obesity.
So, what causes us to overeat, or eat too much of the foods that aren’t good for us? It’s very difficult to change eating habits, but there is plenty of research available to explain why we eat what we do, when and where we eat it. Help is available for individuals and families who want to take the first step toward a healthier lifestyle. You don’t have to face food addiction alone. We can do it together.
Obesity and Food Addictions 