Life Tips Daily

If you live North America, particularly in one of the many states or provinces where snow is prevalent, it’s hard to make yourself leave the comfort of home when the cold weather arrives. However, if you’ve found that your plans to hibernate are wreaking havoc on your waistline, here are some things to consider to combat the weight gain.

Get souped up
A great way to fill your stomach without sacrificing too many calories, and ensure that you get your daily serving of vegetables is to make yourself a thick, hearty soup full of veggies and lean meat (unless you’re a vegetarian, of course!). Not only will this meal make you feel warm and cozy, it’ll satisfy the requirements for a healthy meal too.

Bundle up and go walking
Colour me guilty: I cheerfully use the winter weather to excuse my general physical inactivity but that’s a weak excuse. Why? Because the sidewalks around my place are cleared very regularly, and even when they’re not, long boots with a decent grip are all that is needed to ensure that a walk doesn’t turn into a slippery stroll. If you layer your clothing and have a good jacket, hat and gloves (or mittens), you’ll hardly feel the cold and return invigorated and warmed from your walk.

Try a winter sport
If walking sounds boring, why not try snowshoeing or cross country skiing? Neither requires any hard to learn skills and both will provide a very intense workout, even though you’re cruising along on flat ground for the most part. Depending on where you decide to go snowshoeing or cross country skiing, you may be able to rent the gear that you need before committing to it.

If you prefer sports that are more exciting, try downhill skiing, snowboarding or ice skating. These activities can be hard on those who are new to them so expect to build up your confidence (and skill) slowly.

For those of you living in chilly weather, how do you keep active?

Just over a week ago, coworkers (who are always such good examples of how to be healthy at the workplace) mentioned that they wanted to start a running group for those of us who wanted to begin running. The coworker who was responsible for setting up the group was a seasoned runner who has run marathons in the past, and two of her colleagues were also regular runners. When this idea was mentioned in passing, I expressed interest because I had wanted to try running for a while. A few hours later I was told that the first running session would be in a couple of days!

I went for my first run just over a week ago and it was hard. My legs cramped, I was out of breath after what seemed like an eternity but was probably less than two minutes of running. It was a humbling experience, which I describe in more detail on my personal blog.

Since the first day, I’ve been making a deliberate effort to go for a run/walk (rulk) every other day. Some days are better than others, but the important things is that I make the effort. Even though it’s been only a short time, I noticed a difference in my capabilities after the first few rulks. It still isn’t easy, and the cold weather we’re experiencing certainly doesn’t make me bound out of bed, or come home from work eager to go outside, but running and walking are healthy habits that I want to have, and nothing builds a habit better than repetition!

With the cooler weather coming to those in the northern hemisphere of the world, it can be tempting to spend your free time curled up and keeping warm. Instead, why not take this often quieter time of the year to develop a more active lifestyle? Your body will thank you (once the aches have faded!).

Have you ever made a lifestyle change? How long did it take you to make a habit out of it? What are the benefits you enjoy from this change?

While smoking is a well known bad habit, flossing is one that most don’t think too deeply about: if they floss, great, if not, the world won’t end, nor will they drop dead of some horrid disease…or so they think.

(Alright, alright: the chances of dying because you didn’t floss regularly are very very slim)

Why wouldn’t you floss? Well it’s a hassle! Flossing takes time and is not quick work if you do it correctly: wedging a fine piece of string between each and every tooth in your mouth, to scoop out anything that could have become trapped between your teeth is not a pleasant task. The floss can cut into your fingers because you must hold it taut in order to use it correctly. If you’re new to flossing, it can be a bloody experience (literally), which is unpleasant and might therefore be something you wish to avoid. This bleeding is not a bad sign: it just means your gums are inflamed because they aren’t used to the flossing. In time they become used to it and the bleeding stops.

My dentist (and yours too if I’m not mistaken) is adamant that flossing is important. The reasons she cites are:

• flossing improves the health of your gums, by reducing and removing from your mouth bacteria that could be potential causes of infection (brushing is also important for this bacteria reduction and removal)
• flossing does a better job of removing plaque from between your teeth than your toothbrush, and the two together work best. Plaque hardens into tartar, which you must go to the dentist to remove. Tartar is b-a-d.
• flossing allows you to get at almost anything that you feel between your teeth, and you may also get rid of small particles of food you didn’t even know you had stuck there. It adds an extra level of cleaning to your oral care.

Hopefully the above has encouraged you to at least give flossing a try. While my dentist recommends that you floss every time you brush, start by flossing once a day, at the end of the day. Once flossing is a well ingrained habit (like brushing!), make it a regular part of your daily routine and do it before or after brushing.

If you’re interested in learning more about the link between oral health and your general health, please give this short Health Canada report a read.

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Yesterday, we talked about our favourite bad habit, smoking. Today we’ll look at some quitting methods. A few 451 Press writers were kind enough to share the story how they or someone close to them quit smoking.

Because of the burden on the health care system that smoking can cause, many governments have developed anti smoking campaigns. In Canada, Health Canada has a number of programs in place, including the Quit 4 Life program for children and teens aged 12 to 18. In the United States, Smokefree.gov is a resource for smokers or the loved ones of smokers to help them quit. Australia has a National Tobacco Campaign in place and you can find out more about this at Quitnow. On a large scale these campaigns draw attention to the habit, but on an individual level it’s hard to tell what the impact is.

In parts of Canada, some other measures have been taken to deter people from smoking: in the province of Ontario, restaurants no longer have smoking sections because the whole restaurant is smoke free, government buildings and all work places (in Ottawa, at least) are also smoke free. In fact, employers could be criminally liable if they fail to provide an employee with a smoke-free workplace. Bars and nightclubs are smoke free too: if you want to smoke, you must go outside. Government buildings, universities and many other buildings also require that smokers stand a certain distance from public entrances when smoking, which means on winter days you can’t hover around the door and smoke (though many do, even in nice weather). Cigarette packages contain warnings and gruesome pictures of the effects of smoking.

Unfortunately, until you’re ready to give up the habit, all of these measures are uncomfortable or unpleasant, but do not prevent you from having a smoke if you really want to. If you’re ready to quit, I recommend you visit the government websites above, or search for some of your own. There are many online resources you can turn to. Some cities have campaigns during the year and in my city when you join a certain program to help you quit smoking, you can enter a draw to win a new car!

Other ways to quit smoking are:

Nicotine gum
You still get some nicotine, but it’s a lower dose and the goal is to go from chewing gum with nicotine to regular gum, and giving up cigarettes completely.

Nicotine patch
Similar to the gym in that you still get nicotine, but in lower doses.

Hypnosis
A former coworker of mine went to a hypnotist to help her get rid of her dependency on cigarettes and it worked, just like that.

Cold turkey
Just stop smoking (if only it were that easy!). Some strong willed people simply throw their package of cigarettes away and never turn back. Others may have small lapses in judgment, but get back on track again. If you want it bad enough, another coworker told me, you can do it.

I’d love to hear what you think of the above methods.

Now, it’s time for stories of real people who quit smoking, and how they did it.
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If you are ever on the American television show, Family Feud, and asked to name a bad habit, I can guarantee that the number one answer will be smoking. When you think of a bad habit, sucking on “cancer sticks” as some call them, is a well established bad habit.

THE GOOD
As I mentioned earlier, bad habits are retained because they serve some positive purpose in our lives, and smoking is no different. Just like junk food is pleasing to the tongue despite its many negative effects, smoking has benefits some may desire:

• appetite suppression (if weight control is a goal)
• stress/anxiety relief through nicotine’s action as a depressant, and through the repetitive action (not unlike nail biting)
• nicotine’s action as a stimulant when you’re feeling depressed (oh the tricky dual nature of nicotine!)
• a feeling of social acceptance or feeling comfortable in a group, bonding over the common activity of smoking

Don’t be fooled though, smoking is not the best habit to pick up!

THE BAD

Smoking and health
If you have had the benefit of a North American education, it isn’t necessary to talk much about the negative effects of smoking because they are well publicized. Smoking is bad for your health, period. Besides the potential to lead to oral cancer (throat and mouth cancer), lung cancer, and increase the likelihood of getting other cancers, smoking is closely linked to the following diseases and health conditions:

• heart disease
• emphysema
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• asthma

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Cold season has arrived here in the northerm hemisphere and while it it too late for me to avoid catching a cold and general ickiness, here are some tips for those of you who are still in good health or who have recently been bitten by the bug:

Wash your hands constantly
Whether you’re sick or well, this is a tip that will never serve you wrong. Having clean hands ensures you don’t pass anything along while exchanging handshakes and hugs. Clean hands will also minimize the chance of you passing on impurities from God knows where to your face, if you are acne-prone. The only problem with constant handwashing is how drying it can be on the skin. That’s where the hand cream comes in!

Guard your spray
When you cough, do so into the crook of your elbow, or into your hand (if you can go and wash it immediately after). Try to be aware of where (and on whom) your bodily fluids might land and guard against spreading germs through sneezes, coughs and sniffles.

Two more tips are:
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Are you prone to chronic conditions such as regular headaches or cramps?

Take your non prescription pain reliever before the pain begins. That why it will be in your system when the pain arrives.

If you live in Canada or can get your hands on September’s issue of Glow magazine, do it! Why? Because this issue includes a great article entitled 20 ways to live longer.

The magazine explains each point in detail but here are my five favourite tips from the article:

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If you are seeking weightloss help that will work with your busy lifestyle, and you happen to spend a lot of time online on your computer, then you should visit SparkPeople.

This website is a fitness buddy, support system, dietician and personal chef in one (sorry, that last one is a bit of a lie)! Interesting and informative articles on the psychology of weightloss, motivation and those thoughts that go through the minds of anyone who has been overweight for most of their lives are definitely worth reading. The site provides easy recipes, demonstrations of the best way to perform various exercises, and offers tips for maximizing your weightloss efforts. There is also a food tracker where you can select or enter what you eat and the number of calories, fat grams and other information is made available for your information. Yes, all of this and so much more!

Although this writer is new to the program, and is currently reading more than actually doing, she just had to share the site with you.

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There’s a definite theme this week. Today I’m going to share some ordinary things that you can be grateful for. All may not apply to you, but perhaps one or two will strike you as things you take for granted.

Your senses
If you are reading this, you are blessed to have the sense of sight and not only can you read a computer screen, you can see all of the beauty that surrounds you. It is far too easy to take things like a sense of taste for granted, until you get a cold the day before a really extravagant dinner and can hardly taste what you’re eating! Be grateful for your ability to touch (and feel), taste, see, hear and smell things!

(Access to a) computer and internet
Although many children in North America grow up with a computer around them, it must be said that not everybody is so blessed. Being able to turn on the machine and work on it into the wee hours of the night is something I don’t take for granted (especially given my addiction to it!). If you do not own your own computer, you are probably able to access one through a local library, at school, or at a cyber café.

Electricity
It’s hard to believe, but in some countries a steady supply of electricity is not the norm. In parts of the world, people live every day with the expectation that power will go out several times before the evening is through (that is if it works at all!). This means that having a refrigerator or other appliances is not a priority. If you take a minute to think of all the things you use electricity for, you’ll be humbled by the ‘necessities’ that other people regularly live without.

Access to doctors and/or healthcare and medicine
Most people are aware of the good fortune they have in having access to not only general practioners but specialists equipped to treat all that ails them, along with nurses who help this process along. My family has personally relied on the personnel in the emergency room far too often for me to take this lightly. If you are feeling sick, you can find a place to go at any time of day or night here. Some suffer for months or years and must wait for a doctor to visit their town, or rely on the healing abilities of those who are not licensed to practice, but have learned how to treat conditions and make their own medicine. Many die because they are not able to seek medical help, or obtain it in time. Every time you take a pill to dull a headache, or clear your blocked nose, think of how lucky you are to have these supplies at your fingertips, and how blessed you are that you can consult a professional if a serious condition develops.

Life
The gift without which all these other gifts would be useless. I hope you are grateful for your life.

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When it comes to medical checkups, people fall into two camps: they are either too diligent (they call their doctor for every sniffle, sneeze, or cough) or they refuse to call the doctor, even when they are experiencing symptoms that they have been told expressly by their doctor to call about.

While neither of these extremes should be encouraged, there is a middle ground: if you are an adult, get yourself to a doctor at least once a year! Children generally visit the doctor more often than parents do, especially when they are the age range for vaccinations or being tested to make sure their growth and development is normal. Adults, on the other hand, if blessed with generally good health on the surface, can easily fall into the habit of letting years go by without a visit to a doctor.

Why is it important to get a yearly check up? Well, sadly diagnoses of cancer are still being made, and this is a disease that is best caught early. Diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all diseases or conditions with symptoms that may not show themselves clearly until a blood test or other invasive tests are performed. The sooner you begin treating a potential problem, the better it is. Also, a checkup might reveal deficiencies in your body chemistry that can be regulated by a change in diet. You may think your body is functioning just fine but once small changes are made, you may be amazed by how much better you feel!

By being diligent about visiting your doctor regularly, the chances of ensuring that any potential problems are caught early are much greater. If it’s been a while, book an appointment today and get checked. Want an easy way to remember when it’s time for a checkup? Book them to coincide with your birthday: what better way to show love for yourself by considering your health?

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Do you have some bad habits that are taking over? It’s time for some new, better habits to rule your roost. The following are five things that you can phase out of your home or life in order to improve your quality of life. You may enjoy how you feel without them so much that you keep them banished forever.

Cola (pop, soda)
How can one drink cause so much turmoil? Surely something that bubbles and fizzes can’t be bad? The sad truth is it is, and you probably already know it. It has been reported in various places that one can of pop (355ml) contains at least 9 teaspoons of sugar (source 1, source 2, source 3), not to mention the calories these drinks have.

Sneaky cheat: switch to a diet version of your favourite fizzy drinks en route to getting to pop-free status.

Whole milk
Don’t worry, parents of young children, I’m not talking to you. Milk in Canada is sold according to the percentage of milk fat it contains. “Whole” milk contains 3.25% milk fat, and there is 2%, 1% and 0% (skim) milk fat milk sold too. My family has moved from 3.25% milk to 1% milk and I can’t remember either transition (it was gradual, though, and happened over a number of years: from 3.25% to 2%, then from 2% to 1%). While 1% and 2% milk are both still opaque, skim (or 0%) milk looks more watery and this is one of the reasons I have not yet made the transition. However, it is possible.

Sneaky cheat: get somebody else in the household to make the switch without telling you. I bet you won’t notice it as much as you may think!

Ordering takeout (often)
This is a good switch to make for your wallet if you find that nights when you “just don’t feel like cooking” happen far more often than nights when you actually cook. By ordering less, and cooking more, you get to develop your culinary flair, control the contents of your meal, including calories, amount of fat, and how the food is prepared, and don’t forget the savings that you’ll see in your wallet too: ordering in less often generally means that you’ll be able to save more money.

Sneaky cheat: buy partially prepared foods in the grocery store to help you out–pre-chopped vegetables, cheese that is already grated and bags of washed and tosses salad are all great ways to save yourself some time without getting something unhealthy and expensive to eat.

Junk food
Self explanatory–eating junk food is like treating your body like a garbage can. The effects of an unhealthy diet not only result in extra pounds (or tens of pounds if we’re honest) on your body, but your skin reflects what goes in: acne or other skin imperfections are often signs of a poor diet, and don’t forget how sluggish unhealthy food can make you feel.

Sneaky cheat: look for low fat and low calorie versions of your favourite treats as you phase out the junk food items completely.

Hours upon hours of television watching
While imitating the couch potato, you will turn into a potato! If you ever catch yourself watching a show because the tv is still on after the last (seven) shows that you watched, it’s time to make a change! Set a limit for the amount of television that you “must” watch. When the show(s) is(are) over, turn off the television. Instead of sitting on the couch, mourning the end of your tv viewing, do something else–go for a walk, organize your junk drawer, call up a friend, write a letter. Your time in front of the tv will seem so wasteful when you see all that you can accomplish–you may even voluntarily cut your tv time further!

Sneaky cheat: get rid of cable television! By limiting the number of channels you have access to, you’re sure to find the shows now available to you boring and you may even turn off the television voluntarily.

bad habits, better habits, break bad habits, quality of life

There are things that you can afford to wait before buying, wait until it goes on sale, or buy the least expensive version of without much if any recourse: casual or ‘play’ clothing for children, junk food like cola (pop), candies and cookies, or even the compressed air for your computer. But every now and then, you come across something that is worth paying full price for, or, when given a choice, it’s worth buying the more expensive and/or reputable brand.

A good example is shoes.

As a longtime wearer of shoes that aren’t too expensive, this is a difficult point to argue, especially in the summer time. In the summer, ladies esepcially get to show off pedicures in sandals and as a result must buy as many sandals as humanly possible (this is a cardinal rule among some it seems)–dressy sandals, casual sandals, sports sandals, walking sandals–you get the point. If you are going to have 15 pairs of summer shoes, then, it hardly makes financial sense to buy shoes that cost you several hundreds of dollars per pair. Instead, you will go for value, perhaps taking advantage of a particular store’s BOGO offer.

However, your feet are not just a body part that should be dressed up, they carry the weight of your entire body and work with your other body parts to keep you upright. As a result, your feet not only require the benefits of a foot soak or pedicure every now and then, but also the investment in one or two good pairs of shoes. Take the time to go to a shoe store and get your feet measured (bet you haven’t done that since you were a child!) and invest in shoes that best fit your foot’s arch. If you have any foot problems that make finding or fitting shoes difficult, you may want to go see a podiatrist, who is qualified to diagnose and treat foot problems.

If, like me, you’ve been blessed with feet that aren’t too picky, and will only whine if you insist on wearing high heels for a long period of time, you may think it’s a waste of money to invest so much in shoes when your feet are generally fine. However, the concept of investing today for the future is not limited to money only. By putting foot health on your list of priorities, you’re ensuring that you’ll be striding right, right into your later years.

If you have to close your eyes when you hand over your payment, so be it.

feet, foot, foot health, podiatrist, healthy feet

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Yesterday, I introduced the idea that although the summer weather encourages more get togethers and social activities among friends and family, it does not necessarily lead to increased physical activity for everyone. It is actually possible to gain a significant amount of weight in the summer months (to find out how, see this entry).

Here are some ways to avoid weight gain and stay active despite the heat:

Exercise indoors
You sacrifice communing with nature but by exercising indoors you avoid the heat and humidity, which can have a fatiguing effect on you. Exercising in a cool room, preferably air conditioned, is a good way to ensure that you keep going at a high intensity without feeling like you’re going to die. Most if not all gyms in North America are air conditioned. If you exercise at home, you may want to relocate your treadmill or elliptical machine to the basement, or turn the fan on while exercising.

Dress in cool fabrics and materials
If you really can’t imagine getting your exercise anywhere but in the great outdoors, make your time outside as pleasant as possible. Dress in materials that “breathe”–if you’re a recreational exerciser, cotton may be fine, if you’re a more intense exerciser, you may want to look into synthetic materials known to wick sweat away from the body. Avoid wearing dark colours, as they attract the sun, and wear loose clothing that allows whatever breeze is present to circulate around your body.

Wear appropriate footwear
While for some, the first hint of sunshine is all that is needed before boots, sneakers or closed toe shoes are cast off, if you will be exercising, it is very important to ensure that you are wearing the proper footwear. The feet are often ignored and this is a shame because they truly do carry the rest of the body. If you will be running, it is important to keep wearing appropriate running shoes, if you’re walking or engaging in recreational sports, athletic sandals with good foot support should be adequate.

Link your dinner outings to more active plans such as dancing
When the sun is blazing, nobody wants to be slaving over a hot stove, so going out for dinner and having someone else cook while you sit in an air conditioned restaurant is always a treat. After a delicious meal, why not get a good start on burning the meal off by engaging in dancing? If you’re interested in learning new forms of dance, you can take lessons in paired dances such as the waltz, rhumba, salsa or merengue. If you prefer dance that doesn’t require a partner, why not try hip hop, jazz or tap dancing (and yes lessons in these dances are offered to adults!).

Earn your tan
Slather on the sunscreen and join a recreational beach volleyball team. Dedicate a day to volunteering for one of the many summer festivals that spring up. Garden. These are all fun ways to stay active and do something good–for yourself, the community or your neighbourhood.

There are a lot of other things you can do to exercise without succumbing to the heat. Try going for a swim, either indoors or outdoors, but beware: the sun’s rays reflecting off the water can lead to sunburns faster than you think. Also, if you’re swimming, you will need to re-apply your sunscreen as the water may wash most of it away. If your work commute isn’t too long, you may want to try walking or cycling to work. Or, go on a tourist’s tour of a place in your city you haven’t yet explored. Excursions such as the latter often guarantee a lot of walking.

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While the summer sun and warm temperatures mean that more of us are out and about, unfortunately this does not mean that we’re being more active.

Between dinner and drink dates after work on the many patios around town, ice cream bars and other cold treats to keep cool in the summer heat, if a more active lifestyle isn’t embraced, the weight can pile on. Another reason why it’s easy to get heavier in the summer is the thing that makes summer so great–the heat. If you live somewhere where the humidity is high, or the sun’s rays are just too hot, it’s easy to avoid activities that will increase your perspiration and feelings of sweatiness, such as walking, jogging, and playing sports. This may lead to you staying inside your air conditioned home and watching television, which can lead to mindless snacking and even more weight gain

If you’re finding that the summer is not doing anything good for your waistline, tune in tomorrow for some tips to get (and keep) moving in the summer.

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