Healthy Coping Strategies for Stress.

Hope everyone had a Great Christmas!

2011 is right around the corner which means it is time to get more specific on the goals we want to accomplish to achieve better health. I feel one important step when defining our goals is to also define and write down the obstacles that could stand in the way of us achieving your goals.

One of the common obstacles in achieving better health is unhealthy food choices and over-consumption of these unhealthy foods. The over-consumption of these unhealthy foods usually occurs when we are stressed and under-fed. Therefore, it is of primary importance to "keep that wood-stove burning" throughout the day by consuming healthy snacks and meals each 2.5-3.0 hours. When we create a starvation mode in our bodies by going long durations without food and water, we become more likely to over-eat.

Emotional Eating is now a term that is used to describe the times when we reach for food to deal with stresses in our life. It is a source of comfort for us in chaos. However, if eating becomes the primary coping strategy for dealing with the stress in our life, weight-gain will occur. Therefore, we must create alternative coping strategies other than food to deal with the stress in our life. Some of these coping strategies include:

• Physical Activity.
• Conversations with others
• Stretching/Yoga
• Deep breathing exercises
• Hot bath
• Music

Instead of reaching for food during times of stress, try one of these alternative strategies first and then really ask yourself if you are really hungry.

Again, it is important to keep yourself well-fed throughout the day so you can accurately determine if you are eating out of hunger or just eating to comfort yourself from stress.

If we do get stressed and reach for food as a coping strategy, I feel it is important to not give ourselves an "easy out" and have readily available junk food within arms reach. For example, if you are at home and your child will not stop crying or the Buffalo Bills commit another turn-over and a bag of salty potato chips or ice-cream seems like a great way for dealing with this stress, simply don't have the chips or ice-cream in the house. If you must have the chips or ice-cream, you will need to go all the way to the store to get it. I believe when you are forced to do that, you will realize you really are not hungry and can use a different coping strategy to deal with that stress.

Wishing everyone a Great New Year and I am really excited to getting started on accomplishing all our goals for 2011!!

This is the opinion of Jonathan T. Felsen

Merry Christmas...and small successes..

To all my loyal followers, Have a very safe and Happy Christmas.

As we move towards another celebration and the buffet of food that usually accompanies it, here are some quick reminders to keep you on a healthy track and not sabotage your healthy routine:

• Eat slow! It usually takes about 20-30 minutes for our bodies to reach a satiation phase, so before you head back to the buffet line, try and wait it out and determine if you are really hungry for more.
• Remind yourself that you are in control of what you eat and think about how good you will feel when you turn-away from the egg-nog, or Christmas cookies. I firmly believe that the satisfaction you will receive from being in control of your body and food choices will be much greater than the satisfaction you receive from another glass of Nog. And when you do opt-out of the un-healthy choice, GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT and stand tall and confident for this is a victory.
• Take a walk. This is a great way to get you out of the house and burn some of those calories.
• Don't get down on yourself. Okay, it very may turn-out that you over-indulge a little for the holiday but don't let this small setback be a permanent collapse in your otherwise healthy routine. Simply, get up the next morning and keep on keepin on.

Once again, Have a Safe and Merry Christmas.

-JT

A New Year...A New Start.

As the New Year approaches and we all get a chance to start over in a way, I feel it is important to set some well defined goals for enhancing all dimensions of our health in 2011 (see past post on goal setting to learn more about how to define goals).

For instance, one of my goals for increasing my intellectual health is to post blog articles on my blogspot. However, that statement is really not a SMART Goal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Line).

Therefore, to define my goal I would write:
In the next 8 weeks, I will increase my Intellectual Health by writing an article on my blog 3 times/week.

In the past my goal was to to write an article everyday, however as I found out this was not realistic at all due to my work schedule, etc.

That is why we need to really consider the obstacles in our life that could prevent us from achieving our goals. However, our goals still need to be ambitious and we need to do the work to accomplish them.

A popular resolution for the New Year is to lose weight. If losing weight is important to you for 2011, make that a "MAIN SMART GOAL" and then include some "supporting SMART goals" to accomplish the MAIN GOAL For instance, a "MAIN SMART GOAL" for accomplishing losing weight in 2011 might be:

1. Within 10 weeks, I will lose 10 lbs. (MAIN SMART GOAL). Be date specific as well, so if you start this goal on January 1, you can further define your Main Goal by stating, by March 4th, I will lose 10 lbs.
Now, you must write your "SUPPORTING SMART GOALS" that will make you accomplish your MAIN SMART GOAL". For example supporting goals for losing 10 lbs in 10 weeks could be,

A. To lose 10 lbs by March 4, 2011, I will join a health club by December 28, 2010.

B. I will begin performing 25 minutes of aerobic activity 3 times per week beginning January 1st.

C. I will begin preparing 5 "small meals" that include a healthy portion of Carbohydrates and Protein in each meal. I will stick to consuming 5 "small meals" Monday thru Friday. I will give myself permission to eat pizza or anything else I want every Saturday.

D. Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m., I will go to the grocery store and get the necessary healthy foods to prepare my meals for the week.

These are just some ideas, and please remember when starting a new exercise program and/or nutrition program consult with your physician about your program and consider working with a Personal Trainer to familiarize yourself with health club equipment and help determine a good exercise prescription for attaining your goal.

And please e-mail me with any questions. I'll be more than happy to assist you or just further explain my gibberish writing.

This is the opinion of Jonathan T. Felsen.

Quick and Easy Meals for Sustained Energy.

Here are some quick meal ideas for"keeping your wood-stove burning" throughout the day. I advise that you attempt to consume a small meal every 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

The general rule of thumb is that your fist or a handful is a good portion size and you should aim to have a portion of protein and a portion of carbohydrates in each meal.

Fat is essential for absorbing and storing the fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K) and is an efficient form for energy, so aim to have a little good extra monounsaturated fat in 3 of the 6 meals. Good sources of this fat will be both Canola and olive oil which is pretty easy to mix in with a your greens and protein. You will be getting a good amount of fat from healthy dairy sources, fish, poultry, and egg whites.

What we want to avoid is the Saturated Fat which elevates bad LDL cholesterol. Therefore try and stay away from the butter, egg yolks, ice cream, high-fat cheeses, shortening, etc. Yeah, saturated fat does taste pretty good, but it will come back to haunt us in the form of cardiovascular disease and weight-gain. We will all enjoy this saturated fatit but the key is to have it in moderation and try to avoid it on most days of the week.

As far as fruits and vegetables, my advice is to eat as much as you want throughout the day, they provide so many great sources of vitamins and minerals and their calorie count is fairly low. I don't know of one person who became extremely un-healthy or obese from eating too many fruits and vegetables. However, please note that most fruit juices we see in the store are not so great for us and contain both high amounts of sugar and calories.

Below are some quick-healthy meals to keep you focused and energized throughout the day:

• Quick oats with raisins and walnuts. This meal takes about 3 minutes and provides you with a healthy portion of fiber, healthy carbohydrate and protein. Remember that Fiber is good for reducing blood cholesterol and reducing the risk for coronary heart disease and breast cancer. A 1/2 cup of quick oats will give you about 4 grams of dietary fibre giving you a good start on the recommended 25 grams/day.
• 3 oz. of tuna-fish mixed with 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise or and two slices of whole wheat bread. This meal takes about 3 minutes to prepare and will provide you with ~15 grams of protein. The fact to remember about protein is that it is necessary to build and repair muscles, therefore making this meal great for after exercise. It is recommended dietary allowance for protein is about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight (1). To determine how much you weigh in Kilograms, simply divide your total weight in pounds by 2.2 and then multiply that number by 0.8. (2). For even more flavor and not a lot of calories, add some chopped onion and one chopped Dill pickle.
• A handful of almonds. Although almonds are a little high in fat and calories, they are a great source of phytochemicals and help lower the risk of heart disease.
• Spinach with almonds and black beans. Spinach is a green that is a "super green" and is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Black beans will give you a good source of protein and carbohydrates and not a lot of calories.
• 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese with a 1/2 cup of your favorite yogurt. This quick meal will provide you with ~14 grams of protein and only will be about 180 calories. Another great meal for after exercise.

References:

1. Wardlaw, G.M., J. Hampl, and R. DiSilvestro. Perspectives in Nutrition. Columbus, OH; McGraw-Hill, 2003.

2. An Invitation to health: The power of Prevention, 6th ed., by D.R. Hales.

"Those holiday lapses do not have to turn into collapses"

Let's be real, we all over-indulge during the holidays.

I personally had about a dozen cookies late last night and you know what they tasted good and I enjoyed them. It seems like many "experts" offer tips such as keeping a food diary during the holidays and calorie counting, but to me that seems to just over-emphasize the "lapse" and create unnecessary guilt.

Therefore, I suggest after a lapse in your healthy eating plan that you "Fu-ged-a-bout-it" and move-on. Wake-up the next morning and start over with a healthy eating day. I still felt a little full this AM from the over-indulgence lapse last night, but the worst thing I could of done this morning would be to starve myself and not eat.

Everyday we have the opportunity nutritionally, physically, and emotionally to have a positive start-over day. My positive start-over day nutritionally included a healthy meal of oatmeal and apples and walnuts in the AM and will continue to "keep the wood-stove burning" and intake another small healthy meal each 2.5-3.5 hours.

It is most important that we "not let that wood-stove burn-out" and create a fight-or-flight stress response in our sympathetic nervous system, which often leads to "lapses" and a lot of calorie intake. To keep that wood-stove burning in our bodies and prevent "holiday nutrition lapses" we must learn to feed our bodies with a healthy "small meal" every 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

My next post will include sample "small-meal" plans that will keep your wood-stove burning and keep you from over-indulging too much this holiday season.

In closing, when you do over-eat this holiday season (and most of us will) enjoy it and move-on. Most importantly, do not create unnecessary guilt for yourself about the lapse. Instead focus on a positive start-over day in all health dimensions and stay positive.

This is the opinion of Jonathan T Felsen and is not intended to replace the advice of your health-care provider.

Reflecting on ALL dimensions of Health.

Hello Friends and Family.

After a brief hiatus from regular Internet access, I am back writing again and hope you enjoy the new 2011 JT's Health Enhancers Blogspot.

As the New Year approaches and the turkey and cookies begin to slightly increase our waistlines it is important that we do a genuine reflection of where we stand not only in our physical health but the many dimensions of health that affect our well-being.

I encourage you to write down each dimension of health that is bold below and genuinely rate yourself on how you are doing in this area of your life (you may use a 1-10 scale an A-F scale, bananas to apples scale-whatever floats your boat) and how you may look to enhance this dimension of your health in 2011. I have added some general questions and examples after each dimension to help you with this.

1. EMOTIONAL: How is your mental outlook on your life? Are you being positive or negative in how you view yourself? Are you excited about your life and what you are doing in it? What are your passions and are you getting to act on them with clarity and confidence regularly?

2. Intellectual: Are you learning new things or hobbies that are increasing your appreciation of your existence? For example, I rate myself currently at a 5 out of 10. I'd like to increase my intellectual health in 2011 by learning to play the banjo, improve my Spanish speaking skills and as you can tell improve my writing skills. I believe improving on these areas of my intellectual health would enhance my existence and help others.

3. SPIRITUAL: I personally rate my Spiritual health on the amount of time I feel truly at peace and worry free. What are you doing to increase times of peace and calmness in your life? One may find that going to a place of worship for an hour a week brings them a sense of peace or others may find a solitary hike in nature brings them peace. Find out what brings peace to you and make a plan to incorporate this into your life. You'll know you have found it when crying babies or watching the Buffalo Bills does not seem to irritate you so much.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL: My contention is that we as humans share this planet with species and nature and that our decisions have an impact on well-being of our planet and other species. Therefore, how can we better treat our environment in 2011? This does not have to be drastic, perhaps just change a few light bulbs in your home to higher efficiency bulbs. This will not only save you money but lessen the amount of coal burned into the air which affects air quality and asthma rates. Or, re-use the plastic bags that your groceries are put in for trash bags or for pet waste.

5. SOCIAL: How are we doing in our relationships with other people? Are we truly listening to and supporting others? How is our social support network? For example, I find that when I am feeling down or depressed that I can positively change my mood by simply talking to an old-friend or family member on the phone. Seek out those who support you and call on them when feeling down. How may you increase your network? Perhaps, by becoming involved in an organization or group that is aligned with your own unique passions.

6. PHYSICAL: I chose to put the Physical dimension of health last because it is often wrongly attributed to the only meaning of good health. In my opinion, Physical health is equal to all the other dimensions of health listed above. However, the great thing about increasing physical health is that you can increase other dimensions of health at the same time. For example, I found joining a basketball league last winter not only increased my endurance and physical body, but I made life-long friends thus increasing my social health. You may seek out a volunteer trail clean-up crew that maintains natural hiking trails and Eco-systems, this will not only increase your physical health but also your environmental, social, and intellectual health. Be creative and see what works for you.

The purpose of this exercise is to genuinely reflect on each dimension of health in your life and how you look to improve on it and create a better life for yourself, others, and the environment. Have fun with it!!

This is the opinion of Jonathan T Felsen.

SMART Goal setting

Although it may seem tedious and a bit uncomfortable to write down and share with others your wellness and personal goals, doing so will give you a better chance at achieving these goals.

Research conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews shows that people who write down their goals, shared this information with a friend, and sent weekly updates to that friend were on average 33% more successful in accomplishing their stated goals than those who merely formulated goals.

The SMART Goal setting principle is a great way to begin the process of WRITING DOWN and achieving any goal you want to accomplish in your life.

S: Specific. Make your goal as clear as you can. For example, rather than saying I want to exercise 3 times a week, further specify your goal and write down that for the month of June I will ride the stationary bike for 20 minutes on Monday morning at 7:00 a.m., perform 20 minutes of walking Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m., and swim for 20 minutes on Friday aftenoon at 4:00 p.m. Get as specific as you like in regards to intensity, however if you are just beginning an exercise program start slow and gradually build up your intensity.

M: Measurable. Make sure that your goal can be measured. In the above example, you can measure the goal by checking off your exercise sessions during the month of June and determining if you completed all the sessions.

A: Attainable and Agreed upon: Be certain that your goals have the support of all members of your household and be very specific with them about the time needed to complete your goals.

R: Realistic: Do a good inventory of your current lifestyle and time constraints and be certain your goals are well within your reach.

T: Time Based: Set a date that is reasonable to achieve your goal and when this date comes review what you have accomplished.

Once again, you will be more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down and share them with a peronal friend, trainer, or family member and up-date them on your progression.

Happy Goal Setting.

Breaking away from late-night over-consumption

With all the "March Madness" basketball I have been watching this month late-night eating has become an un-healthy habit for me this month. Unfortunately, these late-night hours are the worst time to be consuming excess calories because we typically are sedentary and not doing much activity. Therefore, one is likely to gain weight and certainly not lose much weight if he/she is consuming excess calories late at night.

However, there are ways in which to break the habit of late night eating:

1. PERSONAL RESOLVE AND WILLPOWER: This might be the most important step to breaking late night-eating habits. Make it a goal to stop eating late at night and write that goal down on paper. Put this written goal on your refrigerator and visualize how you want to feel and live.

2. DISTRACTION: Chances are that you may not even be hungry when the urge strikes to eat late at night. It can be out of boredom, habit, stress and/or fatigue, but whatever the reason it can be helpful to distract yourself from food. Try taking a hot-bath, taking a walk while talking with friend or family on your mobile phone, having some hot-tea, reading a book, watching a movie, or playing boggle, scrabble, or any game you like. Find what works for YOU best, and JUST DO IT. I think you will find that urge to eat will dissipate.

3. INCREASE FIBER IN YOUR DIET: Fiber makes you feel fuller, therefore eating a high-fiber diet can make you feel full longer. Try addind some high fiber foods (legumes) with your last meal of the day.

4. HAVE A FAMILY STYLE DINNER: This does not mean punching your brother or arguing with your parents, but rather sitting-down at the dinner table and slowly eating your meal. Try not eating in front of the TV or eating while reading.

5. DON'T STOCK THE FRIDGE WITH JUNK FOOD YOU SHOULD NOT BE EATING: If ice cream or cookies are in your house, chances are they are going to be eaten. So, simply DON'T BRING UN-HEALTHY FOODS IN TO YOUR SPACE.

6. EAT BREAKFAST. Studies have shown that those who eat a good breakfast are less likely to over-eat late at night.

Hope this helps.

Proper Warm-Up and Cool Down.

Spring is in the air and it is now a great time to get outside and get some physical activity.

However, before moving too quickly it is important to properly warm-up and cool-down your body to increase blood flow to the muscles and quickly remove by-products, such as lactate, from the muscles which can lead to muscle stiffness.

Here are some quick tips so you can recover quicker and have a more enjoyable exercise experience:

1. The warm-up should GRADUALLY increase your heart rate and mimic the activity you will be doing. Therefore, if you are going to hike a mountain, try to start on flat-terrain for 5-10 minutes before climbing in elevation. If playing tennis, start with some light walking or jogging, then get into some volleying that will eventually mimic the level of play.

2. The cool-down is designed to prevent sudden "pooling" of blood in the veins while continuing a proper circulation of blood through the skeletal muscles and heart and brain. This can reduce delayed on-set muscle soreness as well as dizziness or fainting after exercise. The "cool down" should be similar to the warm-up but move in the other direction and slow the heart-rate back to resting. It is important to note that STRETCHING IS NOT A PROPER COOL-DOWN, one must move to keep the blood circulating, thus reducing pooling and by-product accumulation.

Making SENSE!

I'm reading a very interesting book at the moment called the Cortisol Connection by Shawn Talbott which bluntly lets you know that if you have too much stress and anxiety in your life, you will eventually experience serious health problems. Talbott does however offer solutions to combating stress with the SENSE program:

S: Stress Management: Talbott explains that it is best to avoid all stressful situations in the first place. Although this is unrealistic, Talbott is accurate in saying that we can avoid some of these stressful situations with proper planning. For example, if one knows they are likely to be in rush-hour traffic we can plan to bring a book on tape. However, stress is unavoidable so the only thing to do is to better manage the stress. Managing stress is highly individualized and what works for someone may not work for another. Yoga and meditation are great ways to manage stress but boards games, X-word puzzles, etc can also be ways to manage stress. The key is to determine what works best for YOU.

E: Exercise: The physiological effects of exercise, increased endorphins and lowered stress hormones are natural "stress fighters". However, in those with very high stressed lifestyles fitting in exercise can seem impossible, therefore start small with manageable bouts of exercise. Again, exercise is a highly individualized process and one needs to determine what activity best suits them.

N: Nutrition: Stressful events can trigger un-healthy eating and Talbott describes that a few small changes in diet can have dramatic effects. Eating a Breakfast that combines a blend of carbohydrates and protein and a little fat is a great way to start your day. Furthermore, Talbott explains that each meal (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) should be made up of one fist sized helping of carbohydrates (pasta, bread, cereal), one fist sized helping of protein (fish, poultry, tofu, legumes) and one or two fist sized portions of fruits and vegetables.

S: Supplementation: Talbott lists many supplements throughout the book which may help in fighting stress. Again, taking supplements is highly individualized. Talbot does say that a good multi-vitamin is essential.

E: Evaluation: We must continue to re-evaluate the ways in which we manage stress and determine what approach works best.

Hope this helps.

Fiber for Fullness

Not only is fiber a great complex carbohydrate for disease prevention but it is also a substance that will allow you to feel full longer thus reducing your need to eat more. It should be noted that there are two types of fiber, insoluble which mainly speeds up the passage of material through the digestive tract, so it may be a good idea to ingest insoluble fiber when a lavaory is nearby. Soluble fiber which includes oatmeal and legumes seems to be the type of fiber that makes you feel fuller longer. Some great sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber that should be incorporated into the diet daily include:

1. Oatmeal (Soluble) - No bathroom needed right away

2. Oatbran- (Soulble)- No bathroom needed right away

3 wheatbran (insoluble)-Be close to a bathroom as things can move quickly

3. Whole-Grain Pasta (souluble)

4. Fruits and vegetables (insoluble and soluble)- Bathroom close is not a bad idea

5. Legumes (Soluble)

6. Nuts and seeds

I believe it is recommended that adults get around 35 grams of fiber daily, so oatmeal in the morning is a great way to start your day and keep you full for a while. It is cheaper to buy whole oats or quick oats in the bulk section of your grocery store VS. buying them in the container, and the instant oatmeal is typically filled with lots of sugar so I would suggest if using those packets to add it in with some regular dried whole oats. Adding raisins, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and walnuts can make the oatmeal that much more fulling. As the old saying goes, Eat breakfast like a King and Dinner like a peasent.

Removing ticks from your dog

I know the title of this post does not seem to be all that health related, however having a healthy dog can ensure that you keep active with daily walks, tug of war, etc. So here is a quick tip to keep your K9 healthy and tick free:

1. Simply make the tick dizzy and twist it in a circle for about 2 minutes or less. Try and be patient and keep twisting.

2. The tick should come out on its own after this time.

I found it useful not to use tweezers and pull it out as it can sometimes leave the head of the tick in the dog.

"Over-indulgence weekends" and getting back on track

After having too much pizza this weekend and doing little activity, it is now time to get back on track with some healthier food options and consistent exercise.

I find it useful when going into possible "over-indulgence weekends" with the mentality that I likely will eat some non-nutritious food and when I do I will not get angry at myslef. However, it is also a good idea to have a plan in place before and after the weekend so the lapse does not turn ito a collapse of your healthy lifestyle. Some tips to follow before these "over-indulgent weekends" include:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Plan a good workout session before and after the weekend.

3. Have Fun and trust in your abiltiy to get back on the healthy bus and continue reaching you health goals.

Reducing calories while eating out.

I definitely enjoy getting served as large a porion as possible while eating out, but I also know that I'm likely to consume excess calories when served a super-sized portion. Therefore, if you are serious about losing weight, cutting calories, and already having your lunch ready for tomorrow try the following:

1. Bring in your own container and immediately upon your meal arriving try placing half or a quarter of it in your container and then get it out of sight. You can be really "cool" and bring in the Eco-Box and use it as your re-usable doggie bag. This will avoid all those styrofoam and other one-time throw away "doggie bag containers". Check out www.co2slashers.org to get your Eco-Box today.

2. If dining out with a friend or spouse try just sharing one entree. I know at some of the mexican restaurants here in Asheville, one entree will be plenty of food for two people, especially after drinking a DOS XX and eating all the free chips and salsa they start you with.

3. Try eating regularly throughout the day so your are not eating-out on an empty stomach.

That's it for now. Looking forward to welcoming home my brother Michael Felsen this weekend after his year of deployment.

Getting movement in during busy times.

It can definitely be a challenge to fit in a scheduled exercise session each day so it can be helpful to get some "hidden exercise". Some ideas to add "hidden exercise" to your day include:

1. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work.

2. Parking in the back of the parking lot at the grocery store, mall, etc. It may actually save you time and give you a bit of a walk. I also find it to be less stressful to just park in the back instead of driving up and down the parking lot. Also, saves on gas as you are closer to the exit.

3. If you are fortunate enough to live close to a shopping center, consider walking to the store and bringing some canvas bags and carrying your groceries home. You can also add a bit of strengthening to your arms and shoulders by doing bicep curls and frontal and side shoulder raises (deltoid raises) with the canvas bags. The bags act like dumbbells at the gym.

4. If you are fortunate enough to live within cycling or walking distance to your job, consider walking or biking to work one day a week. You might enjoy it so much that you will commute by foot or bike more often.

5. As part of your lunch break, try adding a 15-30 minute walk.

I look forward to adding more "hidden exercise" tips in later posts.

Keeping the woodstove burning

Sorry for the delay in posting, but our internet went down and the winter weather has libraries closed here in Asheville. I know all my followers have been glued to their computers for days waiting for the next post, so without further ado:

Studies have shown that those who have been able to keep the weight off that they have lost have done so with a combination of both exercise and eating patterns. With regards to eating healthy, from enough personal experience I know that it is far better to try to constantly fuel yourself with healthy meals every 2.5-3.5 hours than to have long lapses between meals. It is when we neglect our bodies of fuel for greater than 5 hours at a time that we experience "the Binge". "The Binge" is when you could eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in just under 8 minutes, but it is because we have starved ourselves. So it seems most logical to try and avoid "the binge" by "keeping the woodstove burning" and trying to fuel ourselves with good food every 2.5-3 hrs.

Hope everyone is well.

Low-Back strengthening while watching TV or Movie.

As the aging process is inevitable, so to is the fact that bone strength and muscle elasticity decreases with age, expecially within the low-back. Low-back pain is the most common cause of job related disability in America and citizens will spend an estimated $50 billion dollars each year to treat low-back pain (NIH).

Below I will explain just a few strengthening and strectching exercises that can be incorporated into daily TV watching or movie watching. Also, the movements are great to do when watching the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, as they can reduce stress and trauma that come from watching this team. Simply lie down on the floor with enough support as to not bother your spine.

1. LOW BACK STRETCH: While face up on the floor, bring both knees to your chest while bringing your feet off the floor. Try and hold the position for 6-10 seconds and slowly release your legs back to the floor. The key is to make the movement be as controlled as possible, try not to jerk or make quick subtle movements especially after another Bills miscue. Just breathe and stay relaxed.

2. TORSO STRETCH or COBRA: While on your stomach place your hands a little more than shoulder width apart and while keeping your hips and lower body on the floor, raise your upper body, if you feel any pain STOP. Try and hold for ~ 10seconds. Also, if your low-back is really tight try placing both forearms on the floor and slowly lift your upper body.

3. Prone (Face down) BACK EXTENSIONS or SUPERMAN: While lying face-down on your stomach slowly and simultaneously raise your opposite hand and opposite leg while keepong your head in line with your spine. For example, raise your right hand and left leg slowly and slowly release to the floor, then raise your left hand and right leg. You don;t need to come far off the ground, just slightly more than the natural alignment of your back. Try and do 3 sets of 10 repetitions on both sides.

**A quick note on acute trauma related back pain is it is best to skip these exercises and instead apply ice to the affectded area of the back a couple times a day for 20 minutes. Do this for the first 3 days and after use heat to treat the area. If you do not experience a reduction in pain or inflammation, you likely will need to visit a doctor or alternative health care provider.

To a healthy back. J. Felsen

The high cost of quick and cheap food.

I have to admit that I can be one cheap SOB, which may come as a surprise to friends and family. However, I am doing my best to think about the potential long-term costs of buying cheap and quick convenience foods. For example, I can probaly get fully-stuffed at a fast-food joint for about 3 or 4 dollars, but what will that do to my long-term health? Studies show Medicare spends $1,400 to $6,000 more anually on health care for an obese senior than for the non-obese.

Granted, It may take a little more time to eat healthy, but not as much as you may think. Really, how long does it take to chop up some apples, carrots, grapefruit and throw some walnuts on it or throw some ice, frozen berries, and orange juice in a blender and press start?

One good tip from Ingles Market Dietician Leah McGrath is to:

Determine how much you are spending on food right now. That would include not only what you are spending at the grocery store but also what you are spending at vending machines, eating out, coffee, etc. When that information is gathered look for changes that could save money, then nail down a realistic budget and plan-and stick to it.

To thrifty and healthy shopping.

Follow the rainbow during a gray winter.

Eat healthy and have fun by selecting foods that form the colors of a rainbow or the colors of that tie-dye shirt you saw that stumbling gentleman wearing downtown yesterday, For example,

1. RED: Apples, beets, cranberries, Pomegrantes (great w/oatmeal if you have never tried them). Add apples and cranberries to your salad. Beets are great steamed but also are not that bad RAW.

2. YELLOW/ORANGE: Bananas, squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, carrots. You can boil sweet potatoes and mash them up with garlic and Kale in less than 30 minutes. Bananas are a great source of potassium and quick and easy.

3. GREEN: Spinach, Collards, Kale, Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, romaine lettuce. Raw spinach is a great base to any salad. You can steam the kale, collards, chard and bok choy quickly with some olive oil and add pepper flakes or sesame seeds and it tastes pretty good.

4. BEIGE: Turnips, Parsnips,Mushrooms, Cauliflower. Cut the root vegetables into cubes and drizzle some olive oil on them and roast them in the oven (mom Felsen has a great recipe for this, but be moderate with the feta cheese). WARNING: Buying and consuming the mushrooms from the gentleman with the Tie-Dye shirt downtown may make that salad seem very colorful.

Hope everyone has a great day! J. Felsen

Improving Exercice Adherence

Studies have shown that 50% of people will leave an exercise program after 6 months. Improve your chances of sticking with a program by trying the following steps:

1. Write out behavioral goals. A behavioral goal, for example would be exercising at the same time 4 days/week. Try not to get to specific in your goals if you are just starting an exercise program or just coming back to one. Take "baby-steps". Just getting to the gym, track, wilderness, yoga mat etc is the hardest part. Once you are there you will likely get your work-out in and enjoy it.

2. Don't get bored. Switch up your routing every few weeks. You know you are bored when you absolutely dread doing the activity. Try the gym one day, then a state-park hike the next day, a yoga class on another day, yard work the next. Keep it interesting.

3. Don't beat yourself up. So you miss a work-out...don't make it a big deal. Worse things are happening in this world. Instead, realize everyday is a new day to get back into the program. It will happen, so don't sweat it if you miss a day here and there.

4. Use some Social Support. It can sometimes be more effective to work-out with a friend and have someone to talk to while exercising. If it is a nice day, and you enjoy talking on the phone, make that call while walking, you will be shocked how fast the time goes, just make sure not to get hit by a car.

5. Have Fun. Find activities you enjoy and if you do dread exercie get some good music or a book on tape to listen to while exercising.

This is the opinion of Jonathan Felsen BS,NCLMBT and should not replace the advice of a medical physician.