Calorie Count on Menus?

Recently, The Globe and Mail published an article about a handful of U.S. cities including New York; San Francisco; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; and Philadelphia having passed menu-labelling laws for chain restaurants in an effort to curb obesity.

This means that restaurants would have to disclose the number of calories in each dish they offer on their menu. The hope is that people will make healthier decisions while eating out.

When you eat at a restaurant, you don't know how many calories you are ingesting. Some salads have more calories and sodium in them than a regular sized cheeseburger. So even if you think you are making a healthy choice, this may not be the case.

Some people argue that this initiative is useless because most people go to restaurants to indulge or they simply don't care. But for the people who are trying to lose weight or become healthier, calorie counts on menu items can prove to be extremely helpful.

Whatever your opinion is on this matter, it will be interesting to watch if this law will be applied in Canada and if it will have an effect on the obesity problem in the U.S.

HOT Yoga

Over the summer, a co-worker introduced me to the world of hot yoga. Hot yoga according to Moksha Yoga Winnipeg is:

"a series of postures practiced in a heated room. The series works to stretch, strengthen and tone the muscles while detoxifying the body and calming the mind."

I was very nervous about trying hot yoga because I didn't know what to wear, or bring. The Moksha Yoga Winnipeg website is very helpful and informs new yoga practitioners on everything they need to know to get started. Some of the main tips include:

Classes In The Hot Studio
Come to class on an empty stomach, and avoid coffee before class. Try not to eat any heavy meals 2 - 3 hours before practicing, and arrive well hydrated!  

Please arrive 20-35 minutes prior to class time. Latecomers are not permitted.

• Yoga mat
• Beach-sized towel
• Re-usable water bottle [ our taps are filtered]
• Another towel if you would like to shower after class at the studio
• Wear minimal clothing, whatever you feel comfortable with [keep in mind that the room is heated and you will sweat).

Hot yoga is a great way to relieve stress and tone your body. This is also a great way to warm up during the cold winter months. Hot yoga is for people of all ages and is great for beginners too.

Christmas and Holiday Survival

The holidays are just around the corner and that means family dinners, Christmas parties, work parties, and friend luncheons. During the holidays many people overeat, consume a lot of alcohol, and stuff themselves with treats.  I am definitely guilty of over-indulging in all of these areas.  But, you don't have to diet or deprive yourself, what you can do is make healthier choices. 

Here are some healthy holiday tips you can use this holiday season:

• Don't go to a party hungry: Make sure to eat something before going out, so that don't overeat. When you are hungry you tend to eat more, faster.
• Watch your portions: Treat yourself to a drink and dessert, but watch your portions. Eating smaller portions allows you to sample more.
• Limit high fat items: Try to avoid fried, cream-based, cheese-filled, and processed foods as well as eggnog.
• Limit alcohol: Try to stay away from beer, cider, Bailey, and Kahula. Try dry wine, Bloody Mary's or spirits with diet soda.
• Drink Plenty of water: coffee and alcohol can dehydrate your body.
• Physical Activity: Take walks with loved-ones to burn off some of those calories.

These are also great tips to follow all year!

SAD

With the winter months quickly approaching, I thought it was important to blog about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): a type of winter depression that affects approximately half a million people every winter. Living in Winnipeg, we are accustomed to extremely cold weather for long periods of time.

SAD is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. For many people SAD is a seriously disabling illness, preventing them from functioning normally without continuous medical treatment. 

 There are many people suffering from this disorder, without even knowing it. So it's important to know and recognize the symptoms of SAD, such as:

• Depression

  • Low mood, worse than and different from normal sadness
  • Negative thoughts and feelings
  • Guilt and loss of self-esteem
  • Sometimes hopelessness and despair
  • Sometimes apathy and inability to feel

  Sleep Problems

  • The need to sleep more
  • A tendency to oversleep
  • Difficulty staying awake during the day and/or disturbed sleep with
    very early morning wakening

  Lethargy

  • Fatigue, often incapacitating, making it very difficult or impossible to carry out normal routines

  Over Eating

  • Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods leading to an increase in weight

  Cognitive Function

  • Difficulty with concentration and memory
  • The brain does not work as well, or as quickly

  Social Problems

  • Irritability
  • Finding it harder to be with people

  Anxiety

  • Tension
  • Stress is harder to deal with

  Loss of Libido

  • Less interest in sex and physical contact

  Sudden Mood Changes in Spring

  • Sharp change in mood
  • Some experience agitation and restlessness and/or a short period of
    hypomania (over activity)
  • No dramatic mood change but a gradual loss of winter symptoms
  
  
  There are many treatments for this disorder. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms make sure to talk to your doctor.  
  
  
  
  

Twitter!

So I know I usually blog about fitness and health, but for the purpose of a Public Relations assignment, today I will blog about Twitter.

I was really reluctant to join Twitter because I didn't think I would have anything important to tweet. But, I felt the same way about blogging and now I love it. Today was my first day on Twitter and I have to say: it is so much fun. Not only can I follow really interesting and famous people, I can also stay in contact with my classmates.

Thank you Melanie, for this assignment as well as the blog assignment. I realized that I have been scared of social networking. It took me a while to join Facebook, then blogging, and now Twitter. I learned that I have a lot to say and more importantly that I can learn a lot from other people.

So to all of you other social networking scaredy cats: Its really not that scary! And once you try it you will enjoy it.

To tan or not to tan?

Last week my friend Camille Dupas did a presentation about the tanning controversy going on that stated the radiation from tanning beds is a carcinogen.  Her presentation got me thinking about whether or not I should be tanning indoors. I worked at Fabutan Sun Tan Studios for four years while I was in high school and university. While I was working there I obviously tanned  indoors regularly. 

After I quit working there, my tanning visits became less frequent due to my busy work load in college. But I still went when I could and enjoyed the way a tan made me look and feel. This summer I was tanning outdoors at my boyfriend's cabin when I noticed a mole forming on my arm. When I was in high school I had three surgeries to get "cancerous" moles removed from my neck and leg. So I have always been worried about getting melanoma or some form of skin cancer.

After I noticed the mole this summer, I decided that this was it. I haven't gone tanning inside or outside since. I really do miss it though. I miss the "glow" of my skin and the way it made me feel. I hate that I look so pale and miss the warmth and energy I got from tanning regularly. I have almost gone back to Fabutan many times in the last few months, but have been able to stop myself.

I don't know how much longer I can fight this off, but I have realized that tanning can become an addiction. I have seen many people in my Fabutan days addicted to tanning and vowed to never become one of them. I have tried the lotions, the sprays, and fake tanners but they all streak and fade. I really hope that I can stay away from the tanning bed, but don't know if I will be able to for much longer. This is so funny to me, I'm talking about tanning as if it were a cocaine addiction. But, maybe to me it is?!?!

Stress Relief

Everyday we are confronted with stressful situations that release the stress response in our bodies. The stress response floods your body with chemicals that prepare you for either flight or fight. The stress response is useful in emergency situations, but can wear your body down if it's constantly activated.

To counteract the negative effects of stress, we need to learn how to evoke the relaxation response, which puts us into a state of deep rest. So, here are some ways to relieve your stress and evoke the relaxation response in your body.

Deep Breathing:

Whenever you feel your stress levels rising, go into a quiet place and take a few minutes to breathe deeply and calm your mind. To reach a deep state of relaxation try closing your eyes, breathing in deeply, exhaling slowly, and holding your breathe for a few seconds after you exhale.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation:

To relieve stress, tense and release different muscles groups in your body. Start at your feet and work your way up to your face.

Mindfulness Meditation:

Make time to meditate and quiet your mind for at least 15 minutes a day. When you meditate try to be fully engaged and don't allow your mind to wander. Focus on calming the mind.

Yoga:

If you are experiencing high levels of stress and need a stronger way to relieve your stress try doing yoga. The physical and mental benefits of yoga provide a natural counterbalance to stress as well as strengthening the relaxation response.

Tai Chi:

This is a self-paced, non competitive, slow flowing practice incorporating body movements that emphasize relaxation, calming the mind, and reducing stress.

Effects of Poor Nutrition: 

So why should you care about your health and diet choices? Because poor nutrition effects your health in many ways such as:

·         Cuts back your lifespan by a few years depending on how long you make poor diet choices.

·          Increases the risk of stroke or heart disease.

·          Poisons your liver and kidneys.

·         Causes diabetes

·        Thyroid dysfunction

·         Intestinal problems.

     It also affects your life, poor nutrition can effect or lead to:

·          Weight gain

·         Low self esteem

·        Effects you relationships

·        Bad moods/depression

·         Anxiety and lack of energy.

Did you know that college is bad for your health? Students are often too busy to eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. 

Why is it so challenging for college students to eat healthy?

·          No Time:  Students don’t have time to make healthy meals in between their school, part-time jobs, and homework. So they resort to fast food, unhealthy snacks, and quick fixes.

·         Unhealthy Options: Students are surrounded with cafeteria’s, vending machines, and convenience stores all carrying unhealthy snacks and foods.

·         Exhaustion and stress: Constantly on the go, tired, and stressed-out students rely on high calorie sugary snacks, coffee, and energy drinks to give them a boost.

·         Chaotic schedules: Students don’t have a organized and constant schedule or routine. Every semester your schedule changes on top of that you have to fit in your work schedule, random assignments, social and family events.

Tips and Tricks to improving your diet.

•    Eat a healthy breakfast: it helps concentration and helps you from overeating or       getting cravings for the rest of the day
•   Take multivitamins.
•    Drink plenty of water: Most people mix up thirst for hunger. If you feel hungry and   
•    just ate? It probably means that you are dehydrated so drink water throughout the day.
  
•    Opt for the low-calorie, low fat, and vegetarian options available around campus
  
•   Keep low fat and low calorie snacks in your locker or bag to keep energized throughout     the day and to help you stop your cravings.
  
•   Manage you portion sizes: the fist rule
  
•      Avoid binge drinking: it makes you gain weight.
  
•     Limit late-night pig outs, fast food, and emotional eating.
  
•     Don’t skip meals: so you don’t overcompensate on your next meal.

Symptoms of Stress

My last post was about dealing with stress, but how do you know if you are stressed out? Some people may have mild stress that goes away after a while and other have high ongoing stress. Most people aren't aware that stress can affect people physically, mentally, and emotionally. So here are some symptoms of mild to high stress.

• Feeling overwhelmed, irritable, impatient or pessimistic
• Having trouble waking up in the morning even if you went to sleep early.
• Feeling tired after exercise, instead of energized.
• Feeling too wired to fall asleep.
• Developing allergies, skin rashes, hives, and acne.
• Your body temperature feels off balance such as cold feet and hands, or hot flashes.
• Feeling too tired to do anything involving going out of the house.
• Dark circles under your eyes.
• Gaining weight and craving salty and sugary foods.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms I recommend you to take this Stress Effects Quiz. 

At the end of the quiz you will get a score and a possible diagnosis. If you suspect that you are suffering from high stress, I strongly recommend you to see your doctor and to read my last post on how to deal with stress.

Stress Management

This picture reflects how I feel right now.

It's only October and I already feel like I'm losing my mind. School, work, my I.P.P (Independent Professional Project), and life is causing me a lot of stress. The worst part, is that beyond my fellow students, no one understands or cares. 

My life revolves around waking up, going to school or work, my lunch breaks have turned into homework time, and so have my weekends and evenings. I don't have time for friends, family, or myself.

This has left me cranky, moody, irritable.  My friends outside of school barely talk to me because they don't understand why I can't go out on weekends.  My family rolls their eyes every time I say I don't have time to go to a family function. The worst part is that I feel I really have no one to talk to about this. My boyfriend seems to be the only one who vaguely cares and encourages me to take all the time I need and to do my school work. However, I know he is sooo sick and tired of hearing me complain about my life.

The other day I broke down for the third time this school year and realized that I can't go on like this. I need to learn how to manage my stress before I have a nervous breakdown. So I started to research how to stay calm and relieve stress. This is what I found:

1. Remember to breathe - Take 3 deep breaths it will calm your nerves.

2. Remember that it's not the end of the world- I have to realize that I don't need to get an A on everything, as long as I try and get it in on time that is good enough for me.

3. Try going for a walk - This actually works, it clears your head and relaxes you.

4. Try meditation or yoga - It calms your mind.

5. Remember that there is someone out there that has it way worse than you-  Doing so will put your life in perspective.

I hope that I can learn to follow some of these tips so that I can make it through the year without completely losing my mind.

Sneezing and Coughing Etiquette

Recently I became sick with the flu and possibly mono. I am still waiting for my blood test to come back. Anyways, I was really sick for a good week with a sore throat, high fever, cold sweats, a nasty rash, joint pain and a constant headache. During this time I spent most of my days in bed thinking about how I got sick. I wash my hands frequently and I carry hand sanitizer everywhere I go. I realized that being at school I come into contact with a lot of people and their germs. After thinking about this, I started to become aware of the people around me and their germs.

At school this week I have seen many people cough and sneeze without covering their mouths. Also, I have seen people sneezing and coughing into their hands and not washing them. Finally, I have seen the most disgusting thing, people not washing their hands after using the bathroom!!! 

So I realized that is how I probably got sick, with all of these people spreading their germs and bacteria all over campus. Think about how many doors, computers, desks, chairs, railings, and elevator buttons you touch a day. And think about how much bacteria you are picking up. So to all of the people guilty of committing these germ-spreading crimes, please watch this hilarious video on sneezing and coughing etiquette. Oh and please follow the guidelines provided and remember: COUGH AND SNEEZE INTO YOUR SHIRT!

Rev up your Metabolism

Today on the Dr. Oz show there was a segment on ways to boost your metabolism. Some of these tips really surprised me and made think of burning fat in a new way.Dr. Oz explained that people with high metabolisms burn more calories than people with a low metabolism. The goal is to have the calories you eat match the calories you burn or it gets stored as fat. 

Here are 3 ways to boost your metabolism:

1.  Exercise with less intensity

Yes, you read that right. According to Dr. Oz, the body needs energy during intense exercise so it goes for the more easily metabolized foods like carbs.  To burn fat, you need to exercise more often and with less intensity. This really shocked me because I always believed that the harder you worked out the more fat you burned.

2. Drink coffee and green tea

I have heard many times that coffee is not healthy for you, but caffeine does speed up your metabolism. 

3. Eat Spicy Food

Foods like red peppers, cayenne, jalapeños, habaneros,and tabasco can boost your metabolism for up to three hours after a meal. Spicy food can also decrease your appetite.

Fun Workouts!

 

For a couple of months I have been following a workout plan I ordered from BeachBody a DVD called Chalean Extreme and I'm in love with working out. Well, most days anyways. Chalean Extreme is all about strength and circuit training. It involves weight lifting and cardio and makes it enjoyable. I'm not going to lie, I used to HATE working out. But with this program I actually look forward to it. Why is it so fun? Chalene, the workout trainer, motivates and gets you in the mood to workout. Her energy and enthusiasm rubs off on you even at six o'clock in the morning! 

With this workout you receive a book of DVDs with different circuits for each month. The weight training comes in three steps including Burn, Push, and Lean. You also receive four different cardio workouts and three abdominal ones. The results are there if you stay committed and it's not hard with Chalene as a trainer. Remember muscle burns fat!

If strength training doesn't interest you then try Chalene's Turbo Jam DVDs. These high energy cardio workouts incorporate dance moves, aerobics, anaerobic exercises, kick boxing, and capoeira. You literally dance, kick, and punch the fat away. This workout is also great to do with friends.

5 Fitness tips for the stressed out student

For most students, school takes up a lot of energy and time. Making healthy choices can be difficult when your are living the student lifestyle. Students are often too busy with school, homework, part-time jobs, extra curricular activities, and social engagements to find time to stay fit. As a full-time student with a part-time job, I find it takes a lot commitment and self-control to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Over the years, I have fallen off the fitness wagon many times all for the same reasons. I didn't have time to make a lunch so I grabbed an unhealthy food, I had too much homework to exercise, or I was just too tired or lazy to care about my health. I ended up feeling tired, depressed, unmotivated, and stressed out. 

For me a healthy lifestyle entails being in a state of general mental and physical well-being as the result of exercise and proper nutrition. When I am following this kind of lifestyle I feel energetic, confident, happy, and motivated. Feeling this way inspires me to keep trying when I fall off course. Even though I still struggle with making healthy choices, I have found some techniques that help me to to be healthier.

Here are 5 fitness tips for students:

1.  Plan and prepare

As a student I spent my days running from home to school, class to class, school to work, and work to home. By the time I get home I am either too exhausted to think about what to cook or have too much homework to cook a healthy meal and exercise. So to make healthier food choices throughout my day, I plan ahead. Every Sunday I plan what I am going to eat that week for every meal. I write down the groceries I will need and I make sure to go and buy them.

Next, I try to make meal time easier by preparing some of the food I will eat that week. I cut up all of my vegetables and put them into little plastic bags so I can grab it and go. I make a big fruit salad and put it into 5 containers. I also put nuts and fiber cereal into small plastic bags so that when I'm making my lunches and food for the day, it is ready to go.

I do the same for my dinners. I cook chicken breasts, brown rice, and make whole wheat pasta so that I have healthy dinner ready in my refrigerator. Planning and preparing my meals allows me to make quick and simple healthy food decisions.

2. Choose a FUN workout

Yes, I said fun! There are plenty workouts and exercise programs out there that are tough but still fun to do. You are not going to workout if you hate what you are doing. I get bored very fast so I switch my workout routines. I don't enjoy going to the gym so I do high energy DVD workouts like Chalean Extreme and Turbo Jam. I also do hot yoga at Moksha once week for something different.

Whatever you choose to do make sure you schedule your workouts. I find that it is best to exercise first thing in the morning. It's hard to get up sometimes but I am usually too tired when I get home after school and work to do it. Also, remember how good you feel after a really hard workout, use this to motivate you when you don't want to do it.

3.  Keep track of your goals and progress

Whatever your goals are make sure to write them down and keep track of how you are doing. If your goal is to lose weight than have a target outfit. I don't like weighing myself because it can be discouraging. Your weight can change depending on how much water you drink, your hormones among other variables. Having an outfit that you would like to fit into is a great way to motivated yourself and see how well your are doing. If your goal is to simply feel healthier, keep a journal of how you feel, your energy level, and your mood.

4. Don't turn to food when you are under stress

My biggest weakness is turning to junk food when I am under pressure or feeling down. Eating junk does make me feel better while I am eating the chips or cookies, but it makes me feel much worse after the fact. So instead of stuffing my face, I find taking a walk, talking it out with a friend, meditating or stretching, or taking a break as better ways to relieve stress.

5. Get enough sleep

Students often suffer from extreme sleep deprivation. I find that when I am lacking sleep I crave carbs and starch. I feel hungry when really I am just tired. I schedule my sleep time like I do the rest of my day. Make sure to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep at night to prevent the exhaustion cravings.

If you are sleep deprived and craving unhealthy food try taking a nap, drinking a tall glass of water, or going for a walk before eating something.

These tips are meant as guidelines to help you reach your health goals. The most important thing to remember is to find out what works for you!