March 2002 "Tips"

Weight Loss Tip:

Is Your Weight Ready for the Warmer Seasons?

March means springtime which means summer is right around the corner--do your summer clothes fit? Thinking about losing weight?  Don't wait until June to decide you need to lose weight for the summer.  Start now to give yourself enough time to lose weight safely. A slow steady weight loss is the type of weight loss that will stay off!

Your attitude about weight loss can be the difference in success and failure, so ask yourself these questions first:

*Have I thought about my eating and exercise habits and do I know what I need to change?

*Am I ready to make permanent lifestyle changes to be successful?

*Am I comfortable losing weight slowly?

*Am I willing and able to increase my physical activity?

*Am I willing to commit myself and my time to organizing eating and exercise?

If you answered "Yes" to these questions than you are on the right track to a healthy and successful weight loss. You know changes need to last to keep the weight off. Losing weight is NOT a temporary situation!  Did you have mainly "No" answers? You need to look at why you really want to lose weight, is it just that bathing suit? Try rethinking your goals.

If you're starting now, remember to include a variety of healthy low-fat foods, in moderate portions and try to do some type of physical activity--most days of the week.  If you have health problems or are under the care of a physician, you should see your physician before starting any type of weight loss or exercise program.  If you are not sure how to start losing weight, contact a registered dietitian to help you with your weight loss efforts.

Nutrition Tip: 

Nutrition and Easter Eggs 

Coloring eggs is an important tradition for many people on Easter. Easter just wouldn't be complete without a hunt for those colorful eggs.

Don't worry about cholesterol and fat when it comes to your Easter eggs.  Eggs are excellent sources of protein and they provide iron, B vitamins, and some fat, but like everything else, moderation is the key.  To control cholesterol, limit egg yolks to no more than four per week.

One egg is just 75 calories and five grams of fat, approximately one fourth of the fat is saturated (or the "bad" fat) and the remainder is unsaturated (or the "good" fat). Eggs have just over 200 milligrams of cholesterol.

Be sure to follow food safety precautions when preparing and storing your Easter eggs.  Make sure to cook the eggs until they are completely done.  For a hard cooked egg, bring water to a boil; turn off heat and let the eggs stand in the water for 4-5 minutes.  If you are planning an Easter egg hunt or display make sure that you don't eat eggs that have been out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. Be sure to store the eggs in the refrigerator and eat them up within a week.

Fitness Tip:

Muscle Soreness and What to do About It! (By Nikki Pawlowski, B.S.)

Muscle soreness, after working out, usually onsets 1-3 days following the workout and can last from one day to a few days (depending on the individual and their training).  The soreness felt is a build up of lactic acid.  Lactic acid is the waste product produced when muscles use and burn their energy source.  Soreness is a result of the muscle being challenged to the point where the system cannot keep up with waste removal at the site it is being produced.  As a result, the waste product (lactic acid) pools in that area.

Unlike veins and arteries, the muscular and lymphatic systems do not have an automatic pumping mechanism to aid in quick and efficient flow of fluids throughout the body.  Therefore, body movement is used to assist these systems.

Now that you know why it happens, here are a few suggestions to help your body recover from muscle soreness:

* Gentle stretching- hold for approximately 30 seconds.  Focus on "letting go" mentally and physically with each exhalation.

*Go for a walk, but avoid pushing yourself too hard.

*Massage the area for 5 to 10 minutes.

*Take a hot both and use Epson salt.

*Try Vipasiti Kasani (or legs up the wall)- an inversion yoga pose.  Sit as close as you can to a wall with your legs extended long ways along the wall.  Bend your knees, begin to lay back and swing your legs against the wall.  Final position-place the back of your legs against the wall, hips as close up against the wall as is comfortable, lying on your back. Stay in this position for 10-15 minutes (if your lower back hurts, place a blanket underneath your hips and lower back).

*If nothing seems to work and the soreness persists, see your doctor.

Wholistic Tip:

SPRINGTIME

A TIME FOR NEW ENERGY 

(Lori Tessmer, LISW)

This month holds the first day of Spring, -- March 20th. 

 

Spring designates rebirth, new beginnings, NEW ENERGY.

We can look at this new beginning with ourselves and our relationship with our bodies.   Springtime is oftentimes when people try to shed some extra pounds in preparation for Summer.  It's almost as of the shedding of the 'old' in preparation for the 'new'.

 

Energetically, we can describe the same sort of thing.  Many times we may feel as though we are bogged down or heavy.  Sometimes it may even seem as if we are "trudging in cement", trying to move ahead in life, but are feeling stuck.  Another way to look at moving ahead is in freeing up heavy or stagnant energy that's blocked within our body and energy field surrounding our body. 

Some ways we can counter this may be by trying any number of various energetic treatments to see which ones feel right for us.  They all work at unblocking and restoring balance to the body.    

Some examples of energetic therapies include but are not limited to--

Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Polarity Therapy, and Reflexology.

These therapies operate on the premise that for our bodies to operate optimally our energy needs to be unblocked and flowing freely, in a balanced way.  We will feel refreshed, renewed and able to move ahead when energy is freed up, unblocked, and the body is restored to balance. 

 

WE CAN DO SOME THINGS TO TREAT OURSELVES AND KEEP OUR ENERGY MOVING MORE FREELY:

We may not always be able to go to a practitioner right away for energy treatments and even if we could, there are some things we can do for ourselves in between treatments.  (Good practitioners will encourage and teach their clients things they can do on their own to relax or release blocked energy.)

  

·    Self Applied Massage

Did you know that our hands, feet, and ears directly correlate and reflex to every other part of the body?  So therefore, if we massage by gently kneading, rubbing, and applying light to heavier pressure on all areas of the palms of our hands, (including the fingers and thumb), we are really touching on all parts of the body.  If you find a sore or tight area, go more lightly on this area. The best part is that this can be done anytime - even when we are watching TV, or on the phone etc.

 

·    Talking moves energy. 

Have you ever noticed after talking or venting about a problem that it usually doesn't feel the same?  Or after having a good cry, that you feel cleansed, calmer, and more relaxed?  That's partially because these are also ways of releasing and moving stored emotions and blocked energy.

 

·    Visualization

Visualization is a very powerful tool and can be used in any number of ways.  There are many books out there on positive visualization.  One quick sample of visualization may be to visualize white and gold or purple light coming into the body through the crown of the head and down through the center, all the way down to the feet.  Visualize that it flows in and around the body and is fluid, moving with the breath.  Combining visualization with the breath can be very enhancing and a very relaxing and uplifting experience.  Make sure to breathe out fully on the exhalation.

 

·    Drinking Water

Drinking plenty of water is essential for all sorts of health reasons.  Following energy and bodywork, it aids in flushing out and cleansing the body of toxins.  It's actually, a very vital part of the energy treatment and aids in the individual gaining optimal benefits from the session.

 

These are just a few quick examples of ways we can relax and begin practicing techniques for enhancement of energy, health and overall well being.  Have fun with it. Begin exploring which treatments or self-applied techniques help you feel lighter, renewed and more energized!