LoneStart Wellness and Well-being

Own The Day

2012-01-18T10:33:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't you agree that self care is an investment that pays back—with dividends? Consider for a minute that putting yourself first isn't an act of selfishness—but rather an important component of living a full life. Making our own needs a priority (including our health and wellness needs), means we avoid the cost of self-denial—and the costs are high. By failing to put our own needs first, we're assuming that those around us are willing to give to us as we give to them. But, all too often they don't. The result is additional physical and psychological stress.

Maybe it's time to think about how you can take small, yet meaningful steps to reduce stress, and put more focus on your own needs. This is not to say we don't consider the needs and feelings of others, but at the same time, focusing on our own needs as well means practicing acts of healthy selfishness. And, if you feel you can't put yourself first, start out by at least putting yourself on an equal footing with those you love, work with and care for. Small choices may seem insignificant on an individual basis—but they can add up to new-found joy and freedom—and at the same time, reduced stress and better health.

Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tomorrow, start the day by giving to yourself, and watch the positive domino effect. Aren't you worth that investment in self?

Yes or No . . . Diet Soda? How About Those Artificial Sweeteners?

2012-01-05T16:14:00.000-06:00

According to the American Dietetic Association, the average American consumes 22 teaspoons each day of added sugar. That's 16 calories per teaspoon, 352 calories per day and 2464 calories per week.

The source of much of that added sugar--soda. A 12-oz can of sweetened soda contains around 150 calories and 9 of those 22 teaspoons of sugar. The American Dietetic Association points out that substituting one diet drink each day for a sweetened soda can save 4500 calories per month, along with the potential of about one pound of weight loss per month. What they don't point out is . . .

In that diet soda, you're ingesting the equivalent of five packets of artificial sweetener.
You're also increasing your risk of osteoporosis, pancreatic cancer and diabetes.

Research shows that diet sodas do not facilitate weight loss. Neither do sugar free foods, many of which are only slightly lower in calories than their regular counterparts. The reason, according to a Purdue University study, is that artificial sweeteners do not turn on satiety signals the way sugar, protein and fat do--meaning we don't feel full and continue eating.

Armed with this information, consider this from the Center for Science in the Public Interest: Pepsi is being sued by a Madison County, Illinois man claiming to have found a mouse in his soft drink. That's bad enough. Pepsi's defense is worse--they say it's not possible the mouse was in the can when it was sealed, because it would have disintegrated from the acid in the soda.

This is what we are consuming. But do we really want to? Guess what happens when you drink a glass of water instead?

Your Health is a Gift . . . Much Better Than a Fruitcake

2011-12-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

It’s that time, when the holidays conjure up thoughts of gifts, wrapped in shiny paper and colorful ribbons. For many of us the end of the year comes with more than a little carefree over-indulgence—in the form of spending, celebrating, and yes, eating too much. Concerns about our health and wellness find themselves on the back burner until after the New Year, which we often meet with both remorse and new resolve, at least for awhile.

So, let’s take a big step back. Good health is a condition in which our bodies and minds work well and work in sync. We each get one body—are we taking care of it? Do we pay attention to what we put into it and what we ask of it? Do we look for excuses to abuse it—I’m too old, I’m too tired, I’ll do it later, I’ll take a pill instead?

Think about this . . . Chronic diseases kill more than 1.7 million Americans every year, and account for 7 of every 10 deaths. These are truly staggering statistics!

And there’s more. The foods we choose to eat on a daily basis contribute 80 percent to whether we will develop diabetes, heart disease or cancer. Approximately 40 percent of deaths in the U.S. are caused by behavior patterns that could be modified. As a whole, Americans are 4.5 billion pounds overweight. But, just a 7 percent loss in weight (12.6 pounds for someone weighing 180 pounds) can reduce the risk of progressing from prediabetes to diabetes by as much as 58 percent.

The solution here is up to each of us—as family members, parents and individuals. The question here becomes this: What do you think happens when we consider, and cherish the gift of good health?

We’re not suggesting a gift-wrapped scale. We’re not even suggesting a literal gift (although we do have some suggestions for healthy gifts). What we’re after is for each of us to treat our bodies as the gifts they truly are. Each of us can give ourselves and our families the gift of health and wellness, and we can do it over and over, every day of the year. We can do it through the choices we make, not the excuses we find.

What do you think? Are you ready for a gift that really does keep on giving?

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T09:03:00.000-06:00

It’s a time to be thankful, and even with all our stresses, worries, and uncertainties, we can all find those blessings in our lives we are thankful for. These are what we don’t want to lose sight of. They are what keep us going through everything else. So, on we go . . . whether we’re plugging away or sailing away, we move forward, and for that, we should be thankful.

So, to you, your families and friends, we wish you all a healthy, happy Thanksgiving. It’s a time to reflect and celebrate those things in our lives that we are truly grateful for.

The Wellness “Script”

2011-11-08T10:07:00.000-06:00

Just what exactly do we mean by a “script?” Sociologists study experiences and behaviors, resulting in the knowledge that there are shared rules that govern (or should govern) how we act, and why we act the way we do. These are mostly unwritten scripts but they greatly influence our day-in / day-out behaviors and interactions.

In short, scripts are the reason we intuitively know what to do in a given situation, such as when we find ourselves standing in a long line for any number of reasons. Remember the post office line at Christmas? We roll our eyes, shift from foot to foot, shake our heads, and comment to those in front of and behind us to vent about the inefficient process and lack of personnel. In fact, we know pretty much what that experience will be before we ever arrive. Shifting from negative to positive, we also know the script for a holiday party. We expect to see friends, share smiles, and enjoy ourselves, no matter what kind of day we’ve had.

So, OK, you know this is a Wellness Blog, so now, think about that wellness script. What does it say? Is it a script you follow, or one that might need a re-write? Here’s a clue—as a rule, it’s exactly those experiences that jump out at you that are most often the same experiences that change an existing script.

You had a really bad day at work—everything that could go wrong, did. You just wanted to go home, relax, eat some real comfort food. Before you knew it, that box of macaroni and cheese was gone. So was the leftover Chinese in the take-out carton, and so was the last of the pizza from two days ago. Now you’re mad at yourself, and madder still at the situation that created that felt desire to eat the refrigerator.

Time to re-write a script.

Go back to the “bad day” scenario. Go back to what set it off and how you felt when you got home. Nothing in that day said, “go home and eat whatever makes you feel good.” What it really said was, “this has been a crummy day and didn’t go at all the way I hoped it would.” The script you re-write says you go home and make it better. You focus on what’s important and good about your life. You focus on how you can take the “crummy day” and give it a positive outcome by doing something positive—something you feel good about—something that’s in your true and long-term best interest.

Believe it or not, that something positive might be as simple as going for a long walk, playing outdoors with your kids, yoga, jumping rope, or cooking a healthy comfort food meal and then eating only the recommended serving size. Think about all the ways you can replace the “crummy day has to end badly” script with one that says, “This is your day to conquer. This is your day to be your best. This is your day to overcome and re-write those old scripts.” Maybe now’s a good time for a re-write.

Scary Thought, Scary Stuff

2011-10-31T17:10:00.000-05:00

Today is Halloween. The stores have been full of candy for well over a month, and that’s just the beginning. You know there will be leftovers. Here’s what’s really scary about Halloween. We’ve chosen a sample of favorite Halloween candy, and it’s not unreasonable to expect that one person could (would?) eat this much in one day (or one night) if it’s sitting there in the “treat bowl” or if you happen to be raiding your child’s treat bag (but surely, you would never do such a thing).

20 pieces of candy corn
2 Hershey’s Kisses
2 Brach’s caramels
1 mini Tootsie Roll
1 Fun-size candy bar (Milky Way, Butterfinger, Snickers)
1 mini bite-size candy bar (Milky Way, Butterfinger, Snickers)
1 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
1 Fun Size M&M packet

Total calories: 515

Think of the above as little fat bombs, with almost no nutritional value and a ton of calories. To burn off those 515 calories you will need to walk 5.15 miles or 10,260 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps. And, Halloween candy isn’t just a “one-night stand.” The tempting bowls everywhere you go have been out for weeks, tempting you to have “just one more” as you pass by. Then, after Halloween, your evil co-workers will bring in their leftover candy—all those small, colorful, innocent-looking treats.

It’s true that just a few pieces of Halloween candy won’t derail your long-term weight loss efforts, but it’s the “just one more” temptation that over time will pack on the pounds.

Scared yet? It only takes nine small fun-size candy bars to put on a quarter-pound of fat.

Keep in mind this isn’t about complete denial, or complete abandon. It’s still about making mindful choices. Each of us on average makes more than 200 food and beverage choices every day. The majority are not triggered by hunger. Maybe it’s something to keep in mind when you look at those cute plastic pumpkins full of treats—or tricks.

No Excuses

2011-10-18T12:33:00.000-05:00

There are probably millions of quotes in the world, and every once in awhile, it seems as if one speaks right to you (or to me). This quote from Kenneth Blanchard speaks on many levels, but since this is a wellness Blog, think of it in a wellness light.

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

So, how does this actually relate to wellness?

Think of processes and outcomes. You might be interested in losing weight, smoking cessation, improving nutrition, becoming more active or other wellness (or lack thereof) behaviors. And, chances are good you’re probably looking at the outcome and what that outcome will mean to you. But switch it around and look at the process—it’s the doing that reveals your real commitment to your goal. Moving the focus from the goal itself to the process means you’ll be committing yourself to a positive direction that will ultimately lead to results.

Now, when you’re fully committed (to your own wellness), your time, your energy and your focus become a part of the process—and you’ll be amazed at how this commitment spills over into so many of your behavior and lifestyle choices.

Are you ready to move from an interest in wellness to a commitment to your wellness behaviors? No excuses.

Well, Well, Well . . .

2011-10-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

Are you eating well? Are you feeling well? Are you moving well? Only you know the answers to these questions, but there’s growing pressure from outside (work, friends, family, physicians) to answer “yes.” Yet, you should be the one who most wants to get to yes. Does it seem like you’re juggling all this wellness pressure, all these wellness balls, not really getting anywhere, but not wanting to let them drop? Maybe it’s time to stop juggling and let them land—then you can begin to work with grounded and real solutions.

Wellness isn’t just losing weight, getting enough sleep, becoming more physically active or reducing stress. It’s more than the absence of illness. We all know healthy living doesn’t happen at the doctor’s office. The road to better health and wellness is paved with the small decisions we make every day. It’s paved with the choices we make at the grocery store, where we park, whether or not we take the stairs, whether or not we go through the drive-thru, whether we walk the dog or sit in front of a TV or computer screen, whether we pop a frozen pizza in the microwave or instead choose to steam some vegetables. These are the choices we juggle—and the decisions we make.

Almost 80 percent of all chronic disease is caused by three preventable health behaviors—physical inactivity, poor nutrition and overeating, and smoking. Chronic diseases are responsible for more than half of all deaths in the world and are projected to account for two-thirds of all deaths globally in the next 25 years. Preventable deaths. In fact, consider just one component of the choices we make that lead to chronic illness—food.

The foods we choose to eat on a daily basis contribute 80% to whether we will develop diabetes, heart disease, or cancer—or not. Are you willing to make those better, more positive choices?

What have you done to live well in the past week? Can you do more? Most certainly!

Comfort Food . . . Is it a Contradiction in Terms?

2011-09-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

What is it about certain foods, or even the idea of certain foods, that makes them comfortable—and why should food be comfortable. Shouldn’t food’s main attribute be nutrition?

Here’s where it gets confusing. We choose what we eat for reasons sometimes that go far beyond nutrition. Sometimes we choose a certain food based upon our emotional state. We want something soothing, and . . . well, comforting, often something that reminds us of childhood or pleasant associations.

Think meat loaf, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cheetos, french fries. Here’s the thing—what’s comfort food to you, might not be comforting at all to the next person you ask. But however you define your own comfort food, if you’re eating it due to stress, chances are you’re going to eat too much of it.

Studies have shown that comfort food can usually be categorized into one of four different patterns: Indulgence, physical, convenience and nostalgic. Different moods might impact which food pattern you turn to for comfort.

But it’s not only about comfort. There’s actually sound neuroscience behind some of the comfort food choices and decisions you make.

Let’s start with salt, a staple of most comfort foods. Studies suggest that elevated levels of salt in the body lowers stress hormones and raises levels of oxytocin, a hormone involved in love and other social connections. Research (Eric G. Krause, et. al.), granted it was conducted in rats, found that the rats’ response to a stressful situation — being tied down — depended on how much salt they had in their bodies. When restrained, rats with high salt levels showed less activity in their brain’s stress systems, compared with rats with normal salt levels.

What’s interesting is that rats with the elevated level of salts in their systems experienced lower stress hormones, and recovered faster from being stressed.

These rats also exhibited elevated levels of oxytocin — that “love hormone.” Oxytocin is vital to the processes that allow love and social contact to reduce stress. Not surprisingly, rats with lots of oxytocin showed less anxiety in social interactions.

Remember the last time you were in a bar, or a cocktail party? Remember the pretzels and salted nuts? Did you know there’s a reason? Bartenders don’t just provide those free salty snacks out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re making the most of what having hypernatremia is most likely to make you feel—thirst. And, the salt . . . stress relief. Those nuts and pretzels fit the comfort food bill.

Whether you care about the science behind it or not, recognizing why you turn to comfort foods at certain times can actually help you choose another, healthier choice for relief or consolation (such as deciding on a brisk walk to think about or work through what might be upsetting you as a positive substitution for what would ordinarily send you to the pantry or refrigerator for comfort).

We tend to carry a lot of emotional baggage around on why we make the choices we make. Food is a reward. It’s a gift. It’s a safe harbor. It can be our best friend, always there for us, no matter what.

It can also be a very guilty pleasure. What starts out as comfort, for many of us can all too often end up as shame.

A Very Good Place to Start is at the Very Beginning—or is it?

2011-09-13T15:02:00.000-05:00

A very good place to start is at the very beginning—or is it? Seems like common sense. Thinking about beginnings leads to thinking about endings. Thinking about the ending leads to thinking about the process. Thinking about the process leads to thinking about what we’re after in the first place, and that takes us, in a round-about way, back to the beginning. Back to the top. (Now, as a distraction, look up the word opportunity. It’s defined as “a chance for progress or advancement.” Keep that in mind.)

But, as for starting at the very beginning, what if for fun, we turn it around and think about the ending? If you cheat when reading a book and read the ending first, you know how it ends, but the case can be made that you don’t have the knowledge to know how or why it ends that way. You won’t know the how of how you got from the beginning to the end. Yet, when faced with making choices that affect lifestyle, wellness behaviors and well-being, knowing the how is even more important than knowing the beginning or the end result. It’s the how that becomes the process, and it’s the process that will reward your efforts. In essence, we’re looking at processes, not outcomes.

By starting at the ending, such as a goal you want to achieve, and working your way back to the beginning, you already have a competitive edge. You know where you plan to “end up.” And this in itself becomes a beginning—and a powerful motivator. As you work your way back to the beginning, you’re taking what you hope to achieve and creating a plan to do just that. That plan should take you to the place where it started, where you took that first step in the wrong direction. And, it should take you to a place where you make that mid-step adjustment and take advantage of the opportunity to learn from the ending—and the beginning, and decide what you are going to do in the middle of the journey.

That’s where opportunity comes in—the chance for progress and advancement no matter where you are on the scale from beginning to end (or end to beginning). It’s really about reaching your wellness goals by moving on, in a positive direction, making positive choices along the way. So, shake it up a little, and think about what happens if you start at the ending. It might actually be a very good place to start.

Creating Change

2011-09-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

Change happens, and it often happens whether you want it to or not—and it’s not always for the best—but it can be. Change also happens when we make it happen. Yet, so many of us are too often afraid to create change because we are afraid to fail. So, if you’ve lost confidence in your inner ability to create change—this post is for you!

Do you take your power or inspiration from external sources or from within yourself? Do you read and look at ads and commercials and think to yourself, “This is what I need; this is what I have to do; this is how I should look; this is who I want to be?” This is important, because you know yourself better than anyone else, and you are the one who should be in charge of what you want to change—not an outside source who tells you what and how you should do or be. It takes some thought, and it takes some time, and it takes resolve, but the results stay with you because you are the one who is in charge. And, you are the only one who can make it happen.

We know repeated behaviors eventually turn into habits. And we know improving willpower long-term requires commitment (drawing on our inner ability). We also know as individuals we never stay the same. But, to create change, we have to expand our zones of comfort. We have to develop those behaviors that turn into habits, and then we have to change them—it’s the habit of changing habits that builds inner confidence (that little, or loud voice that says, “Yes you can do this”).

Now, let’s take change and our ability to change, and apply it to our personal health and wellness (because after all, that’s what this Blog is about).

Mindful choices made each day will result in steady changes leading to sustainable health and wellness. The effect is cumulative—and what we do—or don’t do, determines our success and our overall wellness. Imagine thinking of laying a foundation of wellness as you would think of breathing—in other words, not as a one-time choice but an automatic response and action. So, take a deep breath. Your values—and actions—speak to what is most important to you in life. Where is your focus? We suggest that rather than focusing on all the reasons for why not, or why you will fail, focus instead on all the reasons you will succeed. Keep in mind those things you do well and use those accomplishments to foster a sense of achievement.

Belief is the common element in all forms of achievement. When you believe in your ability to achieve, you are actually setting a goal, and your mind and actions take you where you need to go to reach that goal. When faced with a problem or situation you want to change, by creating change for yourself, you become the solution. The rewards are endless. That inner power can influence not only your health and wellness, but also those pieces in your life you might not even be aware you want or need to change.

The takeaway—What do you think would happen if you put yourself in charge when it comes down to looking at your ability to create change? Hmm . . . You might just become your own lifeline to your health and wellness decisions and choices.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-08-15T11:26:00.000-05:00

Have you ever planted a garden? Did you add composted manure or fertilizer to give your veggies or flowers a boost. If you watered and nurtured and tended your plants, you probably had a successful harvest. You were probably pleased with your efforts. And, yes, a successful garden takes work. And, here’s the parallel.

If we want to successfully address the overwhelming epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes, other chronic diseases, and childhood obesity, we should be looking at what we put into our bodies and what we do with our bodies rather than continually questioning how we pay for the mess into which we’ve gotten ourselves. It’s a matter of being mindful, watchful and proactive—from the beginning. We see study after study and plan after plan telling us how our healthcare dollars will be spent dealing with chronic disease, but we’re not looking closely enough at where the problem originates—with each of us. We’re not tending our gardens.

We already know the majority of us (67 percent) eat too much—and too much of what we consume is mainly composed of chemicals rather than real food. The result is high calorie content lacking in nutritional value—and too much of it. We’ve achieved the really neat trick of being overfed and undernourished, all at the same time.

Studies show that the foods we choose to eat on a daily basis contribute 80 percent to whether we will develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease or cancer. Studies also show that 87.5 percent of our health care claims are due to individual lifestyle choices. We are still and ill.

We already know too, that the majority of us lead what is considered a sedentary lifestyle. In fact, nearly half of American adults report they are not active at all. We spend our time sitting in cars, at desks and in front of screens. This means all those empty, nutritionally void calories we take in aren’t going anywhere. But they sure add up. So much so that Americans are now 4.5 billion pounds overweight.

We know the result. It’s staring us in the face. We know the cause. We also know our collective current condition and associated costs are unsustainable. And we already know each one of us can do something about it. The answer is right there in the choices we each make every day—in how we plant, nurture and tend our gardens.

How many more expensive studies do we need to tell us what we already know? What will it take for us to start making those lifestyle choices that put the focus where it belongs, where it begins?

Knock - Knock

2011-08-02T07:57:00.000-05:00

What do you do with the opportunities that come knocking on your door? More importantly, do you recognize them as opportunities? The thing about opportunity is it’s always there, but it isn’t always obvious.

In many ways, wellness is an opportunity. This is exactly why we are LoneStartNow—You alone must make a start, and there’s no better time than now. An unhealthy lifestyle is the primary factor in the six leading causes of death in the United States – heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, accidents, and diabetes – which collectively account for over 70 percent of all deaths.

Your wellness opportunity is waiting for you to take charge of it and make the most of it. And, you have everything you need to do just that. The only variable that counts is you—what you’re willing to believe you can accomplish. Keep in mind, your goal is not to define the healthy lifestyle you’re after by your “wants,” but rather by what you believe. This is “the why” of what wellness means to each of us individually. Inside each of us is a person capable of achieving great things—at least great to us. And, that’s where it all starts. We are a result of the choices we make every day.

We can change our lives for the better by taking responsibility for our choices. This is what we call the Power of Self. If you look at truly productive individuals, a common trait emerges. They don’t point out why things can’t be done—they create opportunities to achieve their goals.

Tapping in to the power of self means exerting control over your life and your lifestyle behaviors. Easier said than done? Not really. All things positive, or negative, start from within. It’s how we choose to treat them that takes them where they go, and make us who we are.

So the next time a wellness opportunity comes knocking, keep in mind that positive change can bring immense self-satisfaction—you just have to know how to go about it. Most of us are faced with doing the best we can with what we know. When we know better, we do better.

We’re talking about what we can do to improve and sustain our long-term health and wellness. And yes, we can all benefit from healthier behaviors, and we can all be part of the healthcare solution rather than part of the problem. Given the choice—the opportunity—which would you choose?

Tempest in a Teapot

2011-07-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

Or maybe you’re more familiar with the old English version, a Storm in a Teacup. Whatever you want to call it, what we’re really talking about is simply keeping things in perspective.

Are you one of the many who are trying to make positive lifestyle changes? Are you one of the many that along the way hits a setback? Do you treat that setback as a guide or a brake? (If you’re at all familiar with LoneStart Wellness you already know one of our tenets is to treat setbacks as guides, not brakes.) Do you tend to take a setback and make what actually is a small problem seem far greater than it really is, blowing it completely out of proportion? Congratulations. You’ve just created a Tempest in a Teapot.

Take a minute and think about the biggest issue or problem you have. The bigger, badder, baddest, and most terrible ... the better. Now, blow it up. Make it even bigger, badder and more terrible. Can you feel your blood pressure going up? Now try to picture that tornado from The Wizard of Oz, the one that whirled Dorothy away from Kansas. Picture your big, bad problem spinning around and around in that tornado—and now, shrink it all down and put it all into a little, delicate, white teacup. That little white teacup is sitting on a little white saucer and there’s a little wisp of steam—the remains of the storm.

This is the proverbial “storm in a teacup,” or “tempest in a teapot,” and it’s all about perspective. It’s also about reframing that experience. When you miss your goal and experience a setback, think about what happens when you look at it instead in a positive (reframed) perspective. And, as you’re putting your setback in perspective, by reframing it you are also creating flexibility in how you think about it. Reframing lets you look at a negative outcome as a positive learning experience.

You’ll be able to come up with a number of effective reframing statements and thoughts, but here are a few to get you started—my personal all-time favorite: It could be worse. A few more: It’s only a small part of something bigger and more important; It’s a challenge, not a problem; You have everything you need, here and now; What is, is. It’s only bad if you compare it to something else; It’s exactly as you created it; There’s an important lesson here.

Now, what happens when you begin to think of these reframing statements as changes in attitude? If you look at what happens in life as a series of learning experiences, you will always learn something new, and that’s good news. So, here’s a thought. Consider that, the greater the setback, the greater the learning experience, and then, you’re back on track in better shape than before. You’ve altered your perception of what occurred and created a more positive outcome—without actually changing the circumstances. It’s not an excuse, but it changes the experience, and it’s a way to move forward. Isn’t that what we’re after?

The Delicious Life

2011-07-12T08:39:00.000-05:00

The delicious, delectable life. It’s what we’re after, but for most of us, life is busy. We find ourselves focused on a specific project, specific roles, all the “have to’s.” And, now there’s more pressure than ever for each of us to take an even greater level of responsibility for our individual health and well-being. There’s a lot of balancing going on here, and in some cases, it results in frustration, stress and avoidance. For many of us, it also results in overeating, sleep deprivation, and a sedentary lifestyle.

While we’re doing all this balancing, most of us are looking for ways to address the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual demands in our lives—in other words, those dimensions that make us a whole person. Here’s where it’s a good idea to take a step back and take in the “helicopter view,” otherwise known as “the big picture.” It’s this view or picture that can actually help us identify those areas that really need our attention, and those that really don’t.

From an overall wellness perspective, this means recognizing what we can change and what we can’t. Can we (or would we) change the roles we play in life—husband / wife, father / mother, community leader, friend, employer / employee, team member / coach? Can we change what’s important to us—career, family, friends, financial freedom, education, physical challenge, attitude? Can we (will we) change how active we are, what we choose to eat, or how much we choose to eat? And, can we change how we combine these roles and choices to achieve a more ideal life and wellness balance? This is where a wellness perspective comes in.

For most of us there are areas in our lives that probably aren’t getting the right amount of attention, and others where we make more of an effort than needed. It’s up to each of us to adjust, to decide what we don’t have to do, and what we should do more of.

We usually talk about wellness in terms of making positive lifestyle choices, modest yet meaningful changes, finding opportunities to put our bodies in motion. That’s all true. But here’s a thought . . . What if we also think about wellness as finding all those ways to make life—and our personal wellness, delicious, in the greatest sense of the word?

Dancing with Self-Deception

2011-06-28T08:42:00.001-05:00

Remember the classic story of self-deception, The Emperor’s New Clothes? Remember that one lone voice of reason? That voice is yours. And what does this have to do with wellness and positive lifestyle behavior changes? Read on . . .

Self-deception is rampant when it comes to human affairs, and this absolutely includes making lifestyle behavior changes. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. One should never underestimate the power of a positive illusion. It might be just what we need to get us through the day. Enhanced motivation (a polite term for self-deception) can actually enable us to do better as we face challenges than the outcomes realized by people with a more realistic view of their abilities. The popular shorthand for this is, “fake it till you make it.”

Now, let’s confuse the issue a little more. Self-deception is actually somewhat contradictory. We all probably know how to go about deceiving someone else (of course, we would never do such a thing). But, in the case of self-deception, the deceiver and the deceived are the same person. So, do you believe what you know is false? And, if you know it’s false, how do you believe it?

Consider that our perception of the world around us is certainly biased and that for better or worse, we can convince ourselves of things that are not true. We look at the world through filters that make our decisions more palatable. We also impose our beliefs on what we see and what we hope to accomplish. We don’t just experience situations as they are, but also according to our beliefs about how we want them to be. And, it is our beliefs that in turn influence what we experience.

This is true of many of the events we experience on a daily basis—they’re ambiguous and open to interpretation. Our own individual interpretation. It’s that interpretation that will move us down that road to wellness—because that’s what we want it to do, and because it’s what we believe it will do.

And, this is where the dancing comes in. We can dance around the “I can do this, I can’t do this, I think I can, I know I can’t” all day long. But at the end of the day, it’s up to us to decide who we want to be and what we want to accomplish—and then do it.

So, the big question here is do you want to change certain lifestyle behaviors? Do you believe you can? And, even if you’re afraid you can’t, what we’re saying is, go for it anyway. Tell yourself yes you can, and then tell yourself over and over until you believe it.

Going to the Dogs

2011-06-21T14:48:00.003-05:00

About 62 percent of all American households have a pet. Dogs come in first at 40 percent, followed by cats at 34 percent. We love our pets, we take care of our pets, we look after their needs.

Last year Americans spent $55 billion on pet foods, including “human grade” pet food. Walk into a PetSmart or Petco store and look at the number of natural and organic products, some that sell for up to almost $7 a pound.

You can find vitamin-infused, mountain spring water for dogs (more than $3.00 a bottle). You can buy pureed vegetables, canned organic pumpkin and canned organic sweet potato (purportedly safe enough to make a pumpkin pie for your family). Keep looking and you’ll find labels that tout organic, free-range, grass-fed and wild-caught. You can also find pre-packaged serving sizes for pets with weight problems. (I have to ask what would happen if pets were fed less and maybe we took them for a longer walk?) Wait, that means we would have to walk further too.

Here’s a thought . . . do you pay more attention to what you feed your pets than what you feed yourself or your family? Do you check the label to see if you are buying grain-free food to avoid fillers and unreliable ingredients? Do you choose a pet food that contains complete and balanced nutrients (necessary nutrients in proper proportions)? Do you buy the cheapest food on the shelf, or do you look for age appropriate foods, or foods designed to meet special nutritional requirements? Do you feed your pet the recommended portion size?

Now the kicker—how does this stack up with the thought you put into your own food choices?

The Wellness Platform

2011-06-13T08:55:00.005-05:00

We’re moving toward an election year and speculation as to the candidates, their issues and the platforms on which they will run is rampant. At the same time, our society is approaching critical mass—literally. Wouldn’t it be great if someone actually ran on the “Wellness Platform?” Here’s what might happen . . . here’s why it’s important . . .

Military

27 percent of all Americans age 17 to 24 are too overweight to join the military (that’s around 9 million young adults).
Each year 1,200 first-time enlistees are released before their contracts are up because of weight problems—the replacement costs—$50,000 per person, or about $60 million per year.
The Department of Defense spends more than $1.1 billion annually for medical care associated with excess weight and obesity in the military. The tab for military work-related absenteeism and presenteeism is more than $105 million. (American Journal of Health Promotion)

Health Care

27 percent of all Americans age 17 to 24 are too overweight to join the military (that’s around 9 million young adults).
Obesity will add nearly $344 billion to our annual health care costs by 2018 (just seven years from now) and account for more than 21 percent of total health care spending. (American Public Health Association)
Today, obesity costs the health care system about $147 billion a year. To put that figure in perspective, the American Cancer Society estimates that all cancers combined cost our health care system $93 billion a year. So ending obesity would save the health care system fifty percent more dollars than curing cancer. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
An unhealthy lifestyle is the primary factor in the six leading causes of death in the United States – heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, accidents, and diabetes – which collectively account for over 70 percent of all deaths.
Almost one-half of all Americans report having a chronic illness—and those illnesses account for 75 percent of our national spending on health care. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) Furthermore, almost 80 percent of all chronic disease is caused by three preventable health behaviors—physical inactivity, poor nutrition and overeating, and smoking.
For Medicare, 96 cents of every dollar is spent on chronic disease care and treatment, and for Medicaid, the cost is 83 cents on the dollar. (Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease)
Medicare spends between $1,400 to $6,000 more per year on obese seniors than non-obese seniors, for obesity-related ailments such as diabetes and knee problems. (Trust for America’s Health)

Our Communities

According to its 2009 studies of 187 U.S. metro areas, Gallup – Healthways Well-Being Index data estimates that the direct costs associated with obesity and related chronic conditions are about $50 million per 100,000 residents annually. Pick a place . . . In Washington, DC alone these costs equate to $300 million. (Gallup Management Journal)

Employment

Obesity among full-time workers costs $73.1 billion per year. That's the equivalent of hiring 1.8 million new workers at annual salaries of $42,000.
The average cost of employee absence is the equivalent of 35 percent of base payroll. (Survey on the Total Financial Impact of Employee Absences, Mercer, 2010)
A 2010 report by the American Lung Association estimates that the costs of healthcare, premature death and loss of productivity due to smoking comes to about $301 billion per year. 23 percent of American adults smoke.
Obesity-related sick days cost employers $4.3 billion a year in 2004 dollars. That’s about 9 percent of the total cost to employers of all sick days. (Cornell University, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
More than 50 percent of corporate profits now go toward health care costs, versus only 7 percent 30 years ago. (American Institute for Preventive Medicine)
Reducing just one health risk in the workplace increases productivity by 9 percent. Reducing one health risk decreases absenteeism by 2 percent. (American Heart Association)

These aren’t all the health and wellness-related statistics, concerns or problems we face—but look at what just the few points presented here cost us all in terms of unemployment, health care, defense and the viability of our communities and cities.

So, how about that wellness platform?