How to Nudge Your Loved Ones Toward Healthier Lifestyle Habits

How to Nudge Your Loved Ones Toward Healthier Lifestyle Habits

It is nearly impossible to “help” close friends and family members with their health and fitness issues. The best way to help loved ones is 1.) Be a positive power of example and 2.) Detach with love from their bad habits (and really mean it). In other words, you can’t change them. What you can do is take care of your own health and express your love and concern. In other words, if your spouse is overweight with subsequent health problems, tell them about your desire to have a long and happy, active life with them well into the future. Then, put on your exercise clothes and go out and take care of yourself!

If you notice attempts at positive changes, you might want to reinforce the changes without seeming condescending. If you usually go for a long run, and your spouse has finally started going for walks, be careful not to overshadow their accomplishment. Pay attention and pick up on cues for how you can support them.

In any case, while taking care of yourself you can ask for their support. This may involve certain considerations and adjustments to support your health choices. For example, if you are working hard at weight management, you may ask that your loved ones support your efforts by not bringing junk food into the house. Or you may need to ask for understanding when you take time away from the family to do your exercise. In being transparent about the real effort that is required to make difficult changes you are showing your loved ones how they might make changes as well.

Love Your Body – Now!

Love Your Body – Now!

By Cindy Clemens, Life Coach

A few days ago I was looking through some old photographs and I saw a picture of myself in a – gasp – bathing suit from about ten years ago. I remember looking at that picture shortly after it was taken, focusing on the flaws in my body. The not-so-flat stomach, a waist that was not very svelte, and a small piece of back fat were all that I could see or think about at that time.

But now, looking at that same photograph ten years later, I was stunned by how good my body did look. I did not have my current face wrinkles, arm flappers, or general lowering of everything. How I would love to have that body now. It made me seriously ponder why ten years ago I had been so ready to let the perceived flaws prevent me from enjoying my beautiful, strong, healthy body.

Of course this led me to wonder how much I was still doing this. Was I enjoying my body right now? Because I am sure that in ten years I would be very happy to have this body. And a further question was how much I was able to allow my husband to enjoy my body right now. He honestly did seem to enjoy looking at and touching my body, but I often discounted his compliments with my negative thoughts about how my body appeared to me.

Certainly my body has changed over the years. So has my husband's, and since we have been together for over 30 years, I have witnessed his changes. Yet I still love the feel, the warmth and the sensuality of his body. Perhaps I should assume he feels the same about me and move on with fully loving, caring for and pampering my body just as it is.

Weight Loss Tips

Weight Loss Tips

By Dr. Brad Crump, Health Services Manager

Contrary to most thinking, small changes we make in our lifestyle choices such as nutrition and exercise make significant improvements in our overall health and wellness. Experience shows that individuals who gravitate to an "all or nothing" attitude tend to experience the most failure and tend to be the most discouraged. This usually leads to a return of unhealthy habits. Building a solid foundation through small progressive and consistent steps usually leads to more realistic and long term changes. Enjoy the journey!

Red Mountain Resort & Spa focuses on personal evaluations so that specific and individualized action plans can be put into place. We are then able to design a nutrition program or an exercise program that is tailor made for that individual. Red Mountain also offers a wide variety of programs and services that help each individual identify areas of need as well as find activities that they are passionate about. This tends to increase their sense of purpose, motivates them and provides them a network of professionals to help encourage and follow up with their progress.

The most important steps for weight loss and healthy eating habits really revolve around understanding personal needs. It is also important to help an individual determine what their specific goals are and to establish a time frame that is realistic to achieving those goals. In addition, scheduling those activities becomes important. Just as we schedule work related activities, we need to schedule exercise time and eating times and be consistent and true to those “appointments.”

To become a habit, an activity must be performed consistently over a period of time. The reason most people stop exercising or eating right is that they do not see results, the find it too challenging (feels like too much work), they feel they do not have the time or they lack family or social support.

Here are some ways to take small steps and implement the spa experience at home:

• Schedule exercise and eating times. Make sure that these times are realistic and obtainable. Rome was not built in day. Enjoy the small changes and the experience of change.
• Involve the family. Find activities that the family can do together and that everyone enjoys. Join a walking group or get friends together a few times a week for group exercise. There tends to be strength in numbers as well as accountability and support.
• Think positive. The surest way to fail is negative “self talk.” Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are probably right. The universe tends to give us what we ask for.
• Choose a healthy recipe to prepare each week. This will get you into a more healthy way of eating and will help see how healthy eating can be delicious as well.

There are a number of books and resources available. Here are a few that can be of great benefit:

• “Organizing from the Inside Out” by Julie Morgenstern
• “Life is a Do-Over” by Cindy Clemens
• “Grocery Shopping Made Easy” by Chris Mohr and Kara Mohr (DVD)
• “Ultra prevention” and “The Ultra Simple Diet” by Mark Hyman

What Do You Reflect?

What Do You Reflect?

By Dr. Brad Crump, Health Services Manager

Once again, we find ourselves asking “Where did the year go? What happened to all of the goals I set, the ones I said would transform my life once and for all?”

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Not just what is reflected in the mirror, but beneath the surface? Like an iceberg, only a third of that iceberg is seen above water. In addition, all icebergs are different in shape and size. Now is the time to see that we are uniquely different and, therefore, need a more unique approach.

Let’s reflect on one of the most common goals people set. If you are like the majority of Americans, one of those unachieved goals was changing your diet and losing weight. Given the fact that you had found success with earlier popular diets, along with the expected return of the lost weight, you felt it wise to do it again. Unfortunately, you may have been through this scenario numerous times with the accompanying feelings of guilt and despair, throwing your arms up in the air and proclaiming, “What’s the use?”

This reminds me of the popular definition of insanity, which is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” Maybe it is time to start adopting the old counsel “If it sounds too good to be true….”

Let’s make a goal to return back to the healthful dietary habits that are proven and sound and, unlike many “flash in the pan” programs, actually lead to long lasting weight loss and health. Let’s revisit some healthy nutrition principles that if followed, will lead to healthy weight loss.

• Jumpstart your day with a nutritious breakfast. One should never skip this meal.
• Always have protein and good fats with all your meals.
• Increase fiber intake to 30 to 50 grams daily.
• Eat detoxifying foods like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts.
• Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day.
• Go “wild” with salmon.
• Eat more nuts, seeds and legumes.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners.
• Make sure that you eat enough calories to meet your Resting Metabolic Rate.
• Refrain from eating at least two hours before going to bed.
• Eat a colorful diversity of low-glycemic fruits and vegetables.
• Minimize or eliminate refined and processed flours and sugars.

Reflecting back on our successes as well as failures helps us to identify those approaches that will most benefit us. Start looking beneath the surface and you will find answers leading to health and happiness.

Here’s looking at you kid!

How Many Calories Do I Need?

How Many Calories Do I Need?

Determining precise caloric need can be quite scientific and complex, but estimating a reasonable calorie level is often simple.

Caloric need is affected by age, gender, body size, body composition, fitness level, environment, food intake, daily activity level, exercise, hormonal status and health status. Energy requirement calculations usually examine basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is the amount of calories required to sustain the body when asleep for a 24 hour period. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) looks at the same 24 hour period, but is increased slightly, because the individual is awake, but not active. Daily activity not including programmed exercise is assessed, and an activity factor of 1.1-1.7 is assigned; the RMR is multiplied by this factor. Then, calories expended per week on programmed exercise, such as weight lifting, running, aerobics classes are totaled and an average calculated per day. In more extensive calculations, the thermic effect of food (TEF) may also be calculated. It should be noted that not all professionals are in agreement regarding the best formulas to estimate caloric need. Often, experience of the assessor is an important factor in the accuracy of the assessment.

A calorie need assessment might look like this:
BMR
+ 75-200 = RMR
X Activity Factor (1.1-1.7)
+ daily average expenditure on exercise
= total daily caloric need

If possible, having access to both body composition and a Resting Energy Expenditure test is very helpful for the nutrition professional trying to determine calorie need. A body composition provides information regarding the amount of metabolically active tissue. The amount of metabolically active tissue is used to calculate potential BMR, taking into account, height, age, weight and gender. A resting energy expenditure (REE) test is also very helpful. REE measures oxygen utilized and carbon dioxide exhaled which provides an indirect measure of calories burned. For a de-conditioned individual, REE may actually indicate that they are burning fewer calories than their potential according to their lean body mass (LBM). The fitter the individual, the more calories they burn.

On the other hand, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. We all eat; and we are gaining weight, losing or staying the same.

One of the best strategies for the untrained individual trying to assess their own calorie need is to first keep an accurate food journal. Then, enter the information into a good on-line food analysis program. If eating habits and weight has been stable for a while – then, this is a maintenance calorie level. If looking for weight loss, first try a modest caloric deficit of 300-500 calories per day. Many people try to cut calories too much; it causes lack of energy, feelings of deprivation and makes it harder to stick with a healthy plan for any length of time.

A word of warning: many sources advise that women attempting to lose weight go on a 1200 calorie plan, and men use a 1500 calorie plan. Our experience is that, except for small, sedentary people, those calories levels are too low. It is far better to focus on good quality nutrition choices, increased physical activity and forming positive long range health patterns than to attempt these too low calorie level diets.

Mom, I'm Bored

Mom, I'm Bored

By Kim Watters, Fitness Manager

It can be a challenge to keep the kids entertained past the first few days of a school break. It seems that once the newness of sleeping in and playing videogames has worn off, parents feel compelled to entertain them or find something new for them to do. Instead of joining them on the couch with a bag of chips, try these fun and fit activities for both you and the kids.

Hula Hoops are Hot, hot, hot again
Moms, the new weighted sports hoops ($12-$20) will shape your waist, hips, thighs and arms in no time, and the kids will have a great time trying to perfect these new moves and tricks with their own hula hoops. There are DVD's, instructional books you can purchase or just search "Hula Hoop exercises" online and get some great tips for free. Make sure you get the right size hoop; generally the hoop should reach between your waist and chest when held in front of your legs and tipped on its side.

Jumping rope like the Joes at the gym
Jumping rope has always been a great cardiovascular workout in the gym; you can plan on burning up to 135 calories in just 10 minutes. Don't get bored, spice it up with some tricks and games from the school yard. Just ask your kids, they'll love to show you how it is done on their playground.

Too cold outside? Glide inside instead.
Gliding disks add intensity and resistance to your workout and are made for use on carpet. But let's face it, they are slippery and fun to play with, too. There are a few different styles of disks that you can choose to buy, or you can just use paper plates with a wax coating. Again, there are many free exercises to choose from on line as well as DVD's and instructional books to purchase. However, just playing tag, racing, dancing or playing "Simon Says" with them will give you an excellent workout and you can't find a much cheaper piece of exercise equipment than a paper plate.

Playing knocks boredom out of your winter break; it promotes your health and maintains your sanity. Get ready, get set, get fit.

Winter Skin Care for your Body

Winter Skin Care for your Body

By Myrna Beardshear, Director of Spa, Fitness & Health

Bath or shower only once a day in the winter months if you have dry skin. Take shorter, warm showers, not hot. Hot baths will dry the skin. Air dry or lightly pat skin dry leaving some of the water on your skin. Immediately apply body oil or body butter to hold the moisture in the skin.

Recommended winter baths are seaweed baths, aromatherapy baths or an oatmeal/milk bath. Make your own oatmeal/milk bath by mixing equal parts of oatmeal and whole milk powdered milk.

Avoid antibacterial or deodorant soaps as they can be drying. Choose a mild PH balanced soap, diluted unscented bath gel (50% gel and 50% water), or a seaweed based cleanser to cleanse and hydrate the skin.

Winter is definitely not the time to slack off on sun protection. UV rays are still present even though you are not feeling the warmth of the sun. Use sunscreen or products that contain SPF 15 and if your go skiing use an SPF 30.

How to Exfoliate:
Dead skin builds up faster in the dry of the winter than in the summer heat. We suggest exfoliating at least once a week to slough off the dead skin. Exfoliation not only rids your body of dead skin cells but improves circulation and lymph flow. Using circular motions exfoliate the skin starting on the left leg, in circular movements up the leg. Concentrate on dry heels and knees. Do not exfoliate over varicose veins. Follow the process on the right leg and then do in circular motion over the buttocks and gently over the colon area in a clockwise motion. Move up over the stomach and diaphragm area, moving around the breast area and lightly over the chest area. Then using the same motion, do the left and then right arms. The back can be done, remembering to move toward the heart. Your skin should be slightly pink, slightly tingly. Do not do this treatment in the late afternoon or evening, as it will affect your sleep, as it is very stimulating.

Stress Buster for the Holidays

Stress Buster for the Holidays

No matter where you are – at your desk, in a meeting, at home, you can do this exercise unobtrusively. Wiggle your toes, giving special attention to your big toes for one minutes. Then circle your feet by rotating them on your ankles. Next tighten your buttocks, count to five, and relax. Inhale deeply into your abdomen and then exhale.