If You Can See It, You Can Achieve It

We talk a lot at H3 about setting up your environment for success—making sure you have the tools and items around you to facilitate a healthy lifestyle. It is true that if you build up the space around you to be successful then you are more likely to perform the behavior. Convenience is crucial when it comes to diet, exercise or any other health behavior. We are much more likely to work out if our gym is on the way home from work as opposed to going out of our way to get there. We are more likely to eat healthy foods if that is what we stock our pantry with. It’s hard to find the apple if it is hiding behind the bag of potato chips! If you see something, it is easier to choose that as an option. A great way to set up your environment for success is to make the best options easier to see.

Below are some methods that H3 @ Home members have used to set themselves up for success by placing visual reminders in their environment.

• Place vitamins next to the coffee maker. It’s the first thing most of us stumble to in the morning. Having the vitamins there will increase your chances of seeing them and can making them part of your daily routine.


• Lay out your workout clothes the night before. We call is “laying out your body”. Put on your floor all of the clothes you need the next day for your physical activity (this is most effective when arranged in the shape of your body). Making it easy to throw them on, as well as remind you in the morning that it’s a gym day!


• One former H3 guest uses their H3 water bottle at work to stay hydrated. It’s a great reminder throughout the day to stay active as well as the commitment made here at H3 to “get serious”.


• The sticky note is a powerful method for placing visual reminders around your environment. Use it to place your goals on the fridge to be reminded throughout the day of what you are working to achieve.

Those are some methods that others have used to visually remind themselves of their commitment to living a healthy lifestyle.
What are a few that you can use for some of the goals you have set for your life?

The Gym Fear: Taking the First Step

I recently joined a new gym and even though I have been a member of many different gyms throughout my life, I have to admit that I was nervous when walking through the doors for the first time. At Hilton Head Health we have Guests from all fitness levels; some actually work in the health field and just want to be re-invigorated and others who are being introduced to fitness for the first time. I would like to encourage everyone to take that first step and to not let your fear of feeling like an outsider keep you from making your health a priority—to join and actually visit a gym that's right for you. It can be intimidating joining a new gym—figuring out their equipment and getting accustomed to their fitness instructors.

Here are a few tips to help you take that first step in finding a gym that's right for you:

• First, choose a gym that works with your schedule. 24 hour gyms are popping up everywhere so if you have a hectic schedule, this might be right for you. Also, ask for a group fitness class schedule before deciding to join. Pick a gym that offers classes at times that work for you. Remember, don't be afraid to try something new!


• Once you've joined, ask for a tour of the facility so you feel comfortable in the new environment. Many gyms offer a free initial consultation, during which an instructor will show you how to use each machine and help you come up with a fitness routine.


• If you are interested in getting a trainer at this gym, do your research. Here's a post on what to look for in a good trainer.

This post was inspired by an article I read on one man's journey to losing 175 pounds after being scared into changing his lifestyle. His story is quite inspirational and I encourage you to read the article here. No matter what your obstacle, don't let your fear of failure keep you from success.

Friday Fitness: Perfecting Running Technique Pt. 2

Alright H3 Runners, I hope you’ve been practicing your running technique. By now, you should be ready for part two of our running technique series. The focus today is going to be on the fall and midline of our POSE running technique. If you remember from the last video, we focused on drills to improve our foot strike and I introduced you to using the hamstring versus the hip flexor by pulling your foot off the ground versus pushing in back. The word today is MIDLINE STABILIZATION.

With the three drills given today, we’ll focus on the feeling of falling forward while maintaining midline stability and not breaking at the hips. The drills will enforce your ability to work with gravity and to remain comfortable while leaning forward and running. What we are attempting to create in our form is a tight midline with simply a slight lean (5% or less). Watch closely and then perform the following until our Running Technique Part 3 premieres in a few short weeks.



We are closing in on 8 weeks out from Devin’s Dash so practice, practice, practice and show me your POSE when you arrive!!

Om Your Way to Better Health

Because of its impact on the circulatory system, stress is linked to cardiovascular disease. Emotional stress can contribute to a wider spectrum of physical stress, i.e. muscle tension and constricted breathing. Efforts to alleviate these physical and emotional stressors will help you in reducing your risk of heart disease as well as other risky illnesses.

Yoga, like many forms of physical activity, can help relieve stress. Yoga reduces stress by encouraging deep, rhythmic breathing. It physically increases the flow of blood and oxygen to each part of the body, which in return promotes decreased muscle tension, and overall relaxation. Emotionally, obstacles encircling weight management can sometimes bring with them a great deal of unkind self-judgment. In conjunction with physical stress alleviation, yoga also has many psychological benefits.

Get H3 Inspired: Huntley Galleher

I am a 50 year old man who has been in the education field for 26 years. I was once a math and science teacher, as well as a football and tennis coach for 13 years. In all my years of being a coach, there were only four of my players that could beat me in a set of tennis. I have always considered myself an athlete, and I still do today! However, I did not realize how out of shape I had allowed myself to become these last 12 years. Then 7 months ago my weight truly became an issue. I needed to walk from one location to the next, which I had done many times before but had not walked this exact path in several years. My mind said no problem, but after several minutes I realized it was going to be a challenge to get to my destination.  My breathing became irregular and my lower back was in excruciating pain. I found my whole torso hunching forward. I knew right at that point that my weight was the number one issue. That day I found myself thinking of all the issues I had been dealing with the last several months, and some the last several years. Every morning I had been waking up knowing that once I stepped out of bed I was going to be dealing with pain in my legs, feet or my back.

So I began my search for a change - I started first by asking my diabetic doctor for the opportunity to have lap band surgery. After a long discussion she actually convinced me to make a different decision. Her message was that my last blood test showed considerable progress and she told me that surgery was considered the last option. I listened and I took her advice; she and I even discussed Hilton Head Health in that conversation. So I was out the door, on my computer that night and looked into about eight different facilities throughout the country. Hilton Head Health kept coming up in my searches, and the stories and examples of the people that had been guests at Hilton Head Health continued to impress me. On March 2, 2011, my 50^th birthday, I decided Hilton Head Health was the place for me and I was not going to let this opportunity pass.

Strength Training for Kids?

For years now the fitness industry has warned parents against starting their child too early in strength training.  The concerns were injury, stunted growth, and bone growth plate damage.  According to a new position stand, there is no evidence of these adverse affects, and in fact, it is believed that strength training may enhance muscle development, improve bone density, body composition, and even lipid profiles in youth.  The authors of this new position stand (the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology) suggest age 7 or 8 as a general rule for starting an adolescent on a strength training program. 

The program prescription is very similar to that of a general program for adults – eight to twelve exercises targeting all major muscles groups, 1-2 sets of 8-15 repetitions using a light to moderate load.  Warm up and cool down periods, stretching, and periodic variations in the program are also recommended. 

H3 Recipe: Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Kebabs

INGREDIENTS:

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/4 cup Low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup Mirin (Rice wine vinegar)

2 tablespoons Sugar

Kebabs:

1 pound Pork tenderloin, cleaned

1 cup Red onion, large chop

1 cup Yellow squash, large chop

1 cup Zucchini, large chop

 

Coaching Corner: Produce the Positives

A majority of the time we don’t give ourselves enough credit for what we’re actually accomplishing. Raise your right hand if you ARE your toughest critic. My hand’s up. For many successful people, this is all too of a familiar story. We look at the negatives before realizing the positives. We look at what we didn’t do versus what we did. Sometimes it only takes one negative to overshadow all our positives. The fact of the matter is that each of us is doing many things and we have much to be grateful for. Optimism radiates positivity, awareness of strengths, and positive perspectives create a stomping ground for everything else to follow and for success to become imminent.

What has been the most positive part of your week? Did you land a new account? Exercise four out of five days at six in the morning? Whatever you did, fight through the fog and find it; it’s there. Give yourself credit. Let us take this mindset one step deeper.

In coaching, we work on developing weekly goals and at the end spectrum these goals produce the positives. Today, I challenge you to look back and produce the positives in your life. At the end of ten positive productions in your life, write down the one negative overshadowing you right now. How much better can you see now?

(Check out my personal example below and reproduce your own. I like to go in descending order leading all the way down to the biggest current positives so it’s nice and close enough to stack any negative. The negative is usually hard to come up with when you get there.)

10. Renting an awesome affordable beach house on Hilton Head Island

9. Have the opportunity to meet new, motivated, and inspiring people every Monday morning

8. In a healthy mindset, can afford healthy food and equipment to supplement my training passion

7. Fortunate enough to have been born with an athletic talent (Can’t always choose our VO2 Max)

6. All my five senses and limbs are working in full capacity

5. Run over 50 races in front of family, friends, and Hilton Head Health Guests and still can to this day

4. Blessed with a passion to inspire others and lead by example

3. Will be seeing my family and participating in my first ½ Ironman in 3 weeks (Very current positive)

2. Have people who support me: incredible friends, coworkers, and family

1. Have the opportunity to change lives every single day … My job isn’t a job at all

Unfortunately, I got to the bottom of the exercise and my negative got demolished. Go ahead and produce your positives… by the end, see if you are even able to come up with a negative.

Make the Fur–Fitness Connection

Remember the movie Must Love Dogs (boy meets girl at a dog park with borrowed dogs)?  Well, that scenario isn’t just a Hollywood fantasy.  Dogs really can be good icebreakers.  Volunteers in the Washington (DC) Humane Society’s P.A.C.K. (People & Animal Cardio Klub) program gather on weekends to walk or run in area parks with shelter dogs.  Singles meet on Thursday nights at Pets Alive, a no-kill animal sanctuary in Middletown NY, to walk the shelter dogs.  What great ways to meet other dog lovers while getting some exercise and helping the dogs!  Several studies have shown that walking with a dog leads to more conversations and helps people stay socially connected.

Social interaction is just one of the many health and wellness benefits that pets provide.  Studies have shown that …

Friday Fitness: Attack the Hills!

I am a HUGE Tour de France fan and for those of you who don’t follow along, le Tour is in full swing right now!! Today is stage 19 from Modane Valfréjus to Alpe-d’Huez. This is known as “the stage everyone is afraid of”. It is the last stage before the individual time trial and then the Tour’s conclusion on the cobblestones of the Champs- Elysees in Paris on Sunday!

 

Today’s stage is a short one (by Tour de France standards) but it is steep!  These guys are incredible to watch, and to anyone who has ever clicked into a lighter gear to make it up an upcoming hill, you know how hard they are working.

For today’s Fitness Friday workout, inspired by le Tour, we are taking on hill intervals! You don’t have to be training for the Tour de France to get a huge benefit from including these intervals into your workout routine.

A Lesson on Restaurant Games: The Xtreme Eating Awards

Even as obesity rates continue to climb, American restaurants continue to find creative ways to pile on the calories.  Applebee’s new advertising  campaign slogan suggests you should get your food, “stacked, stuffed and topped”.  An article in this month’s issue of one of my favorite health newsletters, Nutrition Action Health Letter, exposes some of the worst restaurant items you can order. Dubbed the XTEAM 8. 

 Here they are: ( for comparison, the average adult should consume about 2000 calories, 1500 – 2300 mg of sodium and 20 gms of saturated fat per day)

Restaurant - Menu Item - Calories - Sodium (mg) - Saturated Fat (g)

IHOP - Monster Bacon ‘N Beef Cheeseburger - 1250 cal – 1590 mg – 42 g

Denny’s - Fried Cheese Melt - 1260 cal - 3010 mg – 21 g

Great Steak - Extra Large King Fries - 1500 cal - 4980 mg – 33 g

Applebee’s - Provolone Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccine - 1520 cal – 3700 mg  – 43 g

Cheesecake Factory - Farmhouse Cheeseburger (with out fries) - 1530 cal - 3210 mg – 36 g

Cheesecake Factory - Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake – 1540 cal – 59 g

Cold Stone Creamery - PB&C Shake - 2100 cal – 68 g

Morton’s - Porterhouse Steak (24 oz.), mashed potatoes and creamed  spinach – 2570 cal – 2980 mg – 85 g

@HHHealth_H3 introduces 'Fit In Your Fitness' on Twitter

[caption id="attachment_6033" align="alignright" width="367" caption="Follow H3 at @HHHealth_H3"][/caption]

If you already follow us on Twitter then you know about the daily Metabo Meal and Thermal Walk reminders, but now we are excited to start a new series of Tweets. We’re calling it “Fit In Your Fitness”! Every day we will tweet a different way to Fit In Your Fitness throughout the day that may include doing calf raises at the gas pump or squats while waiting for something to heat up in the microwave. So make sure you’re following H3 on Twitter (HHHealth_H3) to receive Fit In Your Fitness ideas that will be starting next week!

Other reasons to follow us on Twitter:

• Receive fitness and nutrition tips


• Read and watch interesting videos on health and wellness


• Easily click to read the daily post on H3Daily


• Find other health and fitness gurus by reading out Re-Tweets and checking out people we follow


• Enjoy inspirational and motivational quotes


• Be the first to hear about special savings and new calendar events at H3


• Stay in-the-know with what’s going on at H3 Guests and Staff as they compete in races and achieve various milestones


• Connect with other H3 Guests and people interested in living a healthy lifestyle

The Buddy System – 5 Ground Rules

 We all know that the toughest part of exercise is actually showing up.  The accountability and support that an exercise buddy is able to provide almost ensures success.  Even the world’s most elite athletes have a buddy, or as Lance likes to call them a “training partner.” In fact, “in a recent study of married couples who joined health clubs together, Jack Raglin, an associate professor of kinesiology at Indiana University, found that couples who worked out separately had a 50 percent dropout rate after a year; whereas couples who went to the gym together, regardless of whether they focused on the same type of exercise, had only a 10 percent dropout rate.”  In a separate study of partner co-operativeness researchers found that partners who attended obesity treatment meetings together lost 30 more pounds over an eight month period than partners that did not attend together.

So, you and your buddy will probably want to help each other in any way you can.  This is natural.  What you may not realize is that your best intentions to be supportive may actually be harmful. 

Try not to be a “friendly enemy” by adhering to the following Ground Rules (feel free to share with your buddy):

 1.     Don’t Advise or Lecture

Lectures, advice and even constructive criticism, although well-meaning, can be damaging.  Avoid comments such as, “You should be exercising more.” You both likely know what you have to do.  If you are concerned about the other person’s eating or exercise plan, just ask, but don’t debate or advise.

2.     Don’t Be a Dietary Supervisor

The worst thing you can do is to help too much.  Dietary supervisors or food police get into the habit of reminding, advising and oversimplifying the problem.  They say, “Don’t forget your exercise today.” Or “Don’t eat anything you’re not supposed to today.”  These remarks only want to make the other person want to exercise less and eat more.  You may not completely understand this reaction, but it does occur and it can be a major obstacle.

H3 Recipe: Key Lime Pie

INGREDIENTS:

Custard:

5 Egg yolks, beaten

1(14 ounce) Can sweetened condensed milk

1 Lime, zest

½ cup Key lime juice

Crust:

2 Egg whites

1 ½ cup Graham cracker crumbs             

Coaching Corner - How to Get the Most out of your Coaching Sessions

By undertaking the coaching process, you are committing to move forward in your life. The coaching relationship works best when you are prepared to get the most out of the sessions and the time in between.

Here are some tips:

Before your session

Prepare: Prior to your session, take time to review notes from your previous session and any communications from your coach. Think through your successes and identify areas in which you may need additional support. Give some thought to what would make the biggest difference to you, and write a list (or make a mental note) of the topics you want to address.

Set the stage: Allow a few minutes before your session to set up your environment for maximum success. Get away from your computer, cell phone, TV, iPod and every other electronic device. Tell everyone in your immediate vicinity that you cannot be disturbed during the coaching session. Make sure children, pets and others under your care have what they need so that you are not interrupted. Have a notebook or journal handy for taking notes.

Get focused: Coaching is an activity that requires examining complex emotions associated with change. Before the call, do whatever it takes to make yourself physically comfortable: Get a drink of water, grab a snack, go to the bathroom… Take a few deep breaths and clear your mind of everything but your vision and your goals.

 

The Need For Change

I read this story of a young man who decided to lose weight after reaching 300 pounds in high school. It wasn't until he saw pictures of himself while on vacation with his family that he realized that he had let his weight spiral out of control. He decided it was time to start a weight loss routine and was determined to stick with it. This young man felt embarrassed to workout at the gum so he started working out in secret at night.

This story brought up mixed feelings for me. Although I was so proud that he was able to be successful and created a fitness and nutrition plan that worked for him, I was frustrated by his embarrassment to workout in public. I understand that he felt uncomfortable and am not mad at him for feeling that way, but I am disappointed in society for making him feel like this.

Should The State Step In If Your Child Is Severely Obese?

Dr. David Ludwig, Harvard Pediatrics professor, proclaimed in a JAMA article  this week that children with life-threatening obesity might be best served by some type of state intervention. Ludwig is suggesting this radical involvement for children with BMI in the 99th percentile. He believes that initially child protective services should offer "intermediate options such as in-home social support, parenting training, counseling, and financial assistance, that may address underlying problems.” But ultimately if the child’s health does not improve the state would force the child into foster care. Ludwig told the Associated Press that he started thinking about the idea of state intervention nearly a decade ago, after a 3-year-old girl showed up at his obesity clinic weighing 90 lbs. By last year, at age 12, she had reached 400 lbs. and had developed diabetes, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Her parents had physical disabilities, little money and difficulty controlling her weight. "Out of medical concern, the state placed this girl in foster care, where she simply received three balanced meals a day and a snack or two and moderate physical activity," [Ludwig] said. After a year, she lost 130 pounds. Though she is still obese, her diabetes and apnea disappeared; she remains in foster care, he said.
An even less ethical solution is exhibited by the recent spike in children undergoing weight loss surgeries which carries physical risks and can be irreversible. Ludwig argues that “at first glance, bariatric surgery might seem an obvious solution, but the procedures don't have a lengthy safety record in teens, and they're not recommended for children.”

“Given that situations involving the undernourishment of children have frequently been defined as child abuse or neglect and warranted state intervention, it may be likely that overnourishment may be addressed similarly,” Ludwig argues.

Highlights of H3

This time of year we start to focus in on program offerings for the upcoming year. I like to take some time to reflect on what aspects of our program our guests really enjoy. In speaking with guests in the program, I like to ask what the “highlight of the week” has been for them. Here are some of their answers:

• Bob’s Portion Control Class –embracing that concept will make me successful


• Treading with Katie


• Completing the H3 bootcamp class when I thought I couldn’t do it

One big happy, healthy family

[caption id="attachment_5977" align="alignright" width="420" caption="Our May Challenge - Staff Sunrise Beach Yoga"][/caption]

As you may know from Jessica Lynn’s previous post, Hilton Head Health has a corporate wellness program called H3 Direct that teaches employees the latest health information and encourages them to implement this information in the form of monthly challenges. This month’s challenge is a “Digital Detox”!

We are choosing at least an hour a day, three days out the week to cut back on screen time. That’s right, instead of playing video games, surfing the Web, flipping through the channels or even chatting it up on the phone, we are engaging in other ways to unwind such as going on walks, cleaning up the house and catching up on some reading.

Corporate Wellness is a great way to show your employers that you care about their health. We have a great time discussing the challenges every month—bringing the office even closer and making us all happier and more productive throughout the day.

I am writing about our corporate wellness program not to only encourage you to join in on our digital detox :-) , but also because I want to encourage you to make your office a healthy environment. The US Department of Health announced new health guidelines yesterday. They recommend at least 2 ½ hours of exercise a week; when broken down, that’s only 30 minutes a day along with at least two days of strength training. And, how do they suggest you fit this exercise into your day? At the office!

Prep for Devin's Dash: Foot Care 101

As Devin's Dash draws closer, I'd like to remind you of the importance in wearing the proper shoe for running. Here's a post from last year that discusses how to determine the right knid of running shoe for you.

[caption id="attachment_5969" align="alignnone" width="420" caption="Devin's Dash 2010"][/caption]

One of te best ways to care for your feet is to invest in a good pair of running or walking shoes.

When you get fitted for a new pair of running or walking shoes, unless you are here at H3 and can attend our Shoe Seminar, be sure to go directly to the specialists: a sporting goods store, running store, or podiatrist. Ask them to help you evaluate the arch of your foot.

Are you…

1. Flat-footed –your feet have low arches. They tend to roll inward as you run or walk. If this is you, you should look for a shoe that offers more stability.


2. High arches- your feet roll outward when walking. If this describes you, you should look for a cushioned shoe with greater flexibility to help absorb shock. Insoles, inserted inside your shoes, can also help to support your heels and arches. Inserts can be bought separately by shoe size as well as needs.


3. "Normal"- your arches don't fit into either extreme. If this is you, you have no worries. Most shoes are made to fit “normal” types.

In addition to evaluating your arches, when choosing running or walking shoes be mindful of pronation, the way that your foot moves after striking the ground. Below are the common types:

H3 Recipe: (Veggie) Pita Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce H3 Marinara

1 each Whole wheat pita loaf

2 Tablespoons Button mushrooms, sliced

1 Tablespoon Red onion, diced

2 Tablespoon Pineapple (fresh, diced or canned in its own juices)

2 Tablespoon Bell pepper, diced (green, red, orange, yellow or all)

3 Tablespoon Part skim mozzarella

2 Tablespoon Feta cheese, reduced fat

1 teaspoon Turkey bacon, bits (optional)

Coaching Corner: Sharing Success – Mindy Buford

As we continue our Sharing Success series, look at the strategies these members have taken to create their healthy lifestyle. It is not a one size fits all approach and that’s what a healthy lifestyle change is all about. What works for me is not what’s going to work for you. There are bits and pieces we can take from one another, but at the end of the day Mindy has discovered what in the end will work for her.

Mindy’s success is due to her discipline, determination, and ability to be affective on the go. She began her H3 journey in early February, only able to stay onsite for a short time. Mindy happens to be a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator; she is on the road protecting and monitoring patients up to 5 days per week. Being at home is not an option for Mindy, except on the weekends. How was she able to manage this switch with such a schedule? Planning and commitment.

Mindy works in time for exercise; scheduling walks throughout her days on the road. Walking at shopping malls or swimming in the hotel pool, she makes it happen. Additionally, Mindy has a quick Fit Ball routine and has become a weekend warrior where she takes longer walks (up to 8 miles) with her friend on Sundays. What’s even bigger is that her nutrition is absolutely on point when she’s on the road. She mentioned: I am getting so good with my choices now that it’s almost easier when I’m traveling. A couple weeks ago Mindy went on her annual Virginia Creeper Trail Biking trip with and felt the best ever, period. She completed double the mileage, 34 miles to be exact, and had a healthy weekend with friends and family. Keep reading to hear her entire story…

Self Care

Time and time again, you may have been told, “you’ve got to take care of yourself.”  Your answer is probably usually the same as mine, “I know, I know.”  You probably do know, but if you are not doing it, why not?  Sometimes it takes a major life event to make us realize what everyone is saying is true – you can’t be the best – Mom, boss, co-worker, friend, spouse (fill in the blank) – if you don’t take care of yourself. 

You have to be balanced in all aspects of wellness – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  I often find myself targeting one of these areas only, forgetting about the rest of the picture.  I recently discovered a nice resource that gave some examples of how you can work toward this balance with examples of how to nurture yourself in each area.  I’ve listed some of my favorites here – go to The Innerwords Messenger  to see the full list.

Friday Fitness: What's SUP?

H3 is excited to “re-announce” our adventure fitness summer series activity: SUP! SUP is an acronym for “Stand Up Paddle”.  Stand Up Paddleboarding is a surface water sport, meaning it is a sport that is performed atop a body of water. Stand Up “paddling” differs from “surfing” because essentially you do not need a wave to propel you. Instead, you propel yourself by using a paddle.

Just like standing on the BOSU, standing on the board requires basic balancing abilities. By engaging in activities like SUP you are actively working to strengthen and tone muscles in your legs, buttocks and core. The “paddling” facilitates muscular gains in all the muscles of the back, shoulders, arms, as well as core too. Thus, it is a TOTAL body workout!

My motto for SUP is “Strength Unites Pleasure”. It is for many a new, challenging, FUN form of cross training. It’s low impact and people of any age, and/or any athletic ability level can participate. So what are you waiting for? Come back to H3 and join us! Next time someone asks you “WasSUP”, you can reply “I am what’s up” or “I SUP”!

Watch this video for a step-by-step tutorial on how to paddleboard. Look out for pictures on the Hilton Head Health Facebook page coming soon!

Confessions of a Chocoholic

Recently, I was talking with a friend about how much we let food control our lives. I am guilty of snacking on foods when I know I’m not hungry but because I simply feel like I absolutely have to have it. Some of you may already know my weakness is chocolate. It wasn’t until I came to H3 that I realized I was a mild chocoholic. I would get chocolate anything and every time I was sad, happy, stressed, on vacation, thought I needed a vacation and every time in between. I am proud to say that now that I have identified this habit, I have slowly been able to break it.

Don’t get me wrong. It was a long and hard road. I thought I would just be able to eat a little here and there but I’m an all or nothing gal, so if I was going to buy a bag of chocolates I was going to eat them until I couldn’t eat anymore… and to make matters worse, I would encourage my friends to eat them with me (as if that would make it okay).

This friend told me that she decided to take charge of her health because she could. Those words resonated with me. Since I wasn’t able to follow my eating plan, did that mean that I couldn’t take charge of my health? No. I think it meant that I wasn’t willing to yet. And if it did, I just wasn't willing to accept that.

Take a Walk on the Mindful Side

 

When I walk my dogs in the morning, my mind often wanders far away from my peaceful island surroundings.  I catch myself planning my day and/or thinking about tasks I need to do in the near future (make a dentist appointment, replace my watch battery).  Or, even worse, I worry about something I “should” do in the future or “shouldn’t” have done in the past.  Bottom line:  my walks aren’t very relaxing.  I would enjoy my walks more if I were more mindful – i.e., more focused on the present moment. 

Most of our stress comes from agonizing about the past (coulda, shoulda, woulda) or worrying about the future.  To take a break from stress, try focusing on the present instead of the past or the future.  Assuming you are safe in the present moment, you are ok.  

To make your walks more mindful, try a walking meditation:

H3 Recipe: Mango Sorbet

INGREDIENTS:

 2 Mangoes, large, ripe, peeled and cored

 1 cup Sugar

 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

 3 Tablespoon Coconut milk, lite

1 16-ounce Cool Whip, Lite or fat free, thawed

PREPARTAION:

• Plan ahead and freeze ice cream bowl.


• In food processor, process ripe mangoes and sugar.


• Then mix in coconut milk and lemon juice.


• Pulse in thawed cool whip. (Do not over work the cool whip, or fold cool whip by hand into mango mixture.)


• Then place in ice cream freezer bowl, and turn until thick and semi frozen.


• Enjoy with more fresh ripe mangoes, or a small tuile cookie.

Chef's Note: You may substitute the sugar for a low calorie sweetener, however, it will alter the taste. Since this recipe creates 24 servings and there are only 75 calories per serving, we still consider it a low calorie dessert. Also, remember that at Hilton Head Health we consider certain foods within a healthy diet so long as they are consumed in moderation. This sorbet is perfect for cooling off on a warm day and is sure to be one the kids will enjoy!

Number of Serving: 24

Serving Size: approx ¼ cup

Calories: 75

Fat: 2

The Thrill of Being Healthy

When I tell people that I have cooked a healthy meal for dinner the response that follows is usually along the lines of, "I bet that's nasty." But I beg to differ. I love living a healthy lifestyle. I love opening up a cook book to any page and trying to change a heavy, greasy dish into a much healthier one. Does it always taste like mama's classics? No, not all the time but in general it turns out to be quite tasty. Just knowing that it's healthier for me makes me feel better too. There are several healthy cook books and online sites with great healthy recipes to try (See Jessica Lynn's last post for a site she uses).

Here are some tricks I use to make my meals healthier:

• Use wheat noodles, pasta or bread. Panko is great for adding some crunch to meats and vegetables.


• Spray your cooking pan (lightly) instead of dredging it with oil


• Use non-fat sourcream or yogurt to keep food together (in most cases these items can be used instead of an egg)


• Buy low sodium items and refrain from adding salt to your food.

Another thrilling part of living a healthy lifestyle is all the new activities yous get to try and people you get to meet. I never thought that I would start the day with a Sun Salutation I learned in yoga, bust out some Zumba moves when I'm out dancing with friends, or challenge my friend in Spinning. There are so many activities and fitness classes that it's hard to get bored with your workout. Recently, I've decided to start back up with boxing and to enroll in a beginners ballet class to help with my flexibility.

Who said being healthy isn't fun?

Friday Fitness: Perfecting Running Technique pt. 1

Have you ever wondered if you’re running correctly? Today we’re back at it with another Friday Fitness and it’s time to open your eyes to the proper way to run. Over my years at H3, I have personally encountered many guests enthused and excited to train and run their first 5K. I have also seen countless plantar fasciitis, chondromalacia, and shin splint over-use injuries.