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Shhh, Here Come The Wellness Police

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Lately I’ve taken on this weird habit of eating high fat, high calorie foods in order to “fit in” and help people feel comfortable around me when attending professional events.

This comes after many years of comments such as, “Ooo, you wellness freaks aren’t gonna make us eat rabbit food are you?” Or, “quick, hide the booze, that healthy lady is here.”  Or, “heya fitness chick!  Should I have worn my sweatpants today?  You gonna get us movin’ and a grovin’?”  Chortle, chortle, snort, snort.  And so on. I inevitably hear a collective sigh of relief if people see me go to the dessert table or if I don’t force some interactive exercise routine on them in my presentations. At every social event I am accosted by someone who demands I sanction their latest foray into a new fad diet.

Due to this technical difficulty in my career, I have put on some weight and recently lost a bit of my wellness mojo.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have a wellness colleague (Shevonne, you know who you are) who readily sounds the positive role model alarm, “Wellness is in the house!”  People run for their candy dishes.  By contrast…  She runs marathons.

Now, don’t groan…  Shevonne’s energy is starting to snap me out of the doldrums.  My empathy for everyone’s discomfort with their lack of wellness is sorely overblown, and it’s time I got my act together.

Empathy, or “over-care,” that forces your energy down is of no use to anyone.  We are hard wired to be compassionate toward others, especially those we love and crave to see succeed in life.  It’s a good thing.  Offer too much empathy, however, and into the downward spiral we all must fall.  Instructor Nischala Joy Devi said in a recent Yoga Journal article, “if you lose yourself in others suffering, you can no longer be compassionate.”  You end up the victim, vicariously experiencing the trauma in turn.

Shevonne takes a marvelous track on the high road and I have to say I’m both proud of her and inspired.  At her kid’s school dance, for example, the student council had a table selling “snacks” as a fundraiser for the class trip.  These snacks included chips, candy and soft drinks but no healthy alternative.  To quote Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef), “It is absolutely ludicrous that we willfully feed our children these things when we have a crushing obesity epidemic.”

Ludicrous.

Just because they like it doesn’t mean we should stoke their sweet-a-holic fire.  After all, healthy food can be fun (see picture)!

Put me in Shevonne’s shoes lately, however, and  I’d sigh and fork over a dollar for some hearty refined flour and “mostly natural” high fructose corn syrup rather than protest.  I’m a tired wellness lady having beaten my head against the “It’s not very often” cliche one too many times.  It IS often.  Add up all the special occasions where people bring sugar and “junk food” to school or work and you’d be amazed how often a “treat” completely replaces a healthy meal.

So what did Shevonne do?  She sounded the alarm: “Cut that out you role model adults you!”

Sadly, she got blank stares followed by the guilty hanging of the heads and a silent dispersal of the crowd.  And the candy table remained.  And her daughter was mortified.

Doesn’t she realize candy sells at school fund raisers better than sex appeal sells at the movies?

We all know she’s right and yet we crawl in our hole of denial.  Pleasing others comes at all costs and making waves is icky.  ICKY.  Poor Shevonne musters courage to stir the pot but is consistently thwarted by the green monster of guilty pleasure — the road most easily, and whimpily, traveled.

What’s a wellness lady to do?  What’s anyone to do?  How am I to change my tired ways?

Tune in tomorrow for our theory on how to fix this quandary!

Use Your Arms!

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And…  Walk with purpose today.

“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde

When I’m walking and feeling good I can’t help but pump my arms and put a little bounce in my step.  Come to find out, this actually burns more calories.  Though it feels a little silly, consider the opposite.  There’s a silly Seinfeld episode in which Molly Shannon plays a character who doesn’t swing her arms when she walks.  It’s absurd (as you’d expect from a Seinfeld character).  Try it though, and you’ll realize just how silly, but also just how natural and necessary a good arm swing is – how much you’d miss it if you couldn’t do it.  No REALLY, try it.  It’ll make you laugh if nothing else!

In Europe, and especially in Scandinavia, to emphasize the point, many people walk with Nordic walking poles.  Now, this isn’t for balance or to prep for ski season.  It’s all about getting the biggest bang for your buck with your arm swing.  Using proper form, you can boost your calorie burn during walking by as much as 40 percent!

To check out Nordic walking poles visit our friends at Gymstick USA.  Fitness industry expert, and US distributer of Gymstick, Tracy Ferland hosts their blog as well.

In the meantime, or if poles just aren’t your thing yet…

You can burn more calories simply by doing the following while walking:

  • Overhead shoulder press
  • Arm circles with your arms straight out to your sides (or elbow circles if room is tight)
  • Air punches out in front
  • Triceps kick-backs
  • Bicep curls

After you’ve done all these wild arm movements, watch out for birds who might have fallen in love – oh just kidding.  Feeling silly is part and parcel of any new motion.  But, seriously, be sure to stretch your arms after you exercise them.  Here’s a good one from Olga to open the shoulders, chest, lungs and triceps:

  • Bend your right elbow and put the back of your right hand on your lower back.
  • Work that right hand up between your shoulder blades as best you can.
  • Raise your left arm over head then bend your elbow and rest your left hand between your shoulder blades.
  • Clasp your fingers on both hands, if you can reach.  NOTE: You may be able to do this easily on one side and not so much on the other.  Be patient with the other side.  You’ll get there by working it over time.
  • Work toward keeping your upper elbow pointing toward the ceiling.
  • Keep the chest open, hold and breathe.  Hold for 5 breaths.

Dare to walk with power, dare to dismiss fear of feeling silly, dare to be fit and healthy!  Dare to enjoy.

See you on the PATH Ahead!

Winning Directions = Winning Moves

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Keeping on our favorite theme of more bang for your buck and speaking of quick and easy winning wellness activities…

Change directions.

Here’s are four moves to do anywhere, anytime that energize and revitalize your whole body.

These come to us through our resident yoga expert Anna Van Fleet who is a certified Bikram instructor and a wellness industry expert.  She says it’s important to remember that “we need to move the spine in all directions after being immobile in a meeting or at our desks.  Movement stimulates and heals the spine and the discs which don’t have blood flow when sitting.  You have to get the disc juice (synovial fluid) pumping through the spine after you’ve kinked up the hose.”

In Anna’s yoga training, “We say motion is lotion for the back.”

Olga demonstrates Anna’s moves below…

Anna's Directions for Olga

ONE:  Start with a standard side bend to each side.  Exhale as you bend, hold, inhale, come back to center, pause, exhale and bend to the opposite side, hold.  Hold each side for five breaths.

TWO:  Next, open up your chest with a back-bend.  Put your hands on your hips toward your rump with your elbows pointed to the wall behind you.  Exhale as you lean back.  Lift your chin and let your head tilt back as well. Take your gaze as far back as you can, but be sure to mind your balance carefully.  Hold for 5 breaths.

THREE:  Next, drop into a forward bend.  Exhale as you bend forward.  Bend your knees so you are able to touch the floor.  Relax you neck and let your head dangle gently.  Hold for five breaths, then slowly raise you torso up one vertebrae at a time, as if you are unfolding your spine.

FOUR:  End with a little swing action!  Twist from one side to the other five or six times.  Your arms should swing freely in their full range of motion and your heels should come up off the floor.  Twist and shout!  Ok, maybe don’t shout but definitely breathe and enjoy!

This is the essence of “loosen up” my friends!  Go for it!

And…  PS.  Best wishes to Anna on Maternity leave!  We miss you already.

Winning Health is What We Do

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Last week, in Vermont, we went on our annual prize patrol.

Fruit on floor next to our friend David P (left), tiara on winner behind Principal John (center), balloons in the air!

This is one of my favorite days! We gather up awesome party fixin’s and a hefty gift certificate for outdoor gear. One lucky school employee out of 17,000 in this particular PATH group will win that certificate and we must move fast to surprise her.

Oh what a fabulous surprise it always is! Once I was nearly tackled by an ecstatic thank-you. Let’s face it, though, people don’t sign up for this wellness program because of the odds of winning.

People honestly do this for the community, the accountability and the joy of it all. The prize is the icing and my chance to spend time with our participants in their happiest moments. Here are some highlights of what I’ve learned…

First, we must choose to believe the best about people. Every winner over the past 20 years has been extraordinary, profoundly deserving. All are deeply committed to wellness and sincere in trying to achieve their goals; as opposed to shirking the system for free swag or points. Odds are that means most participants are equally dedicated, deserving, and resolute.

Second, efforts to live healthy create meaningful stories everywhere we go; in work or in the personal journey. My favorite this time was from Sharon Davison (Ms. D), a Kindergarten teacher at Allen Brook school in Williston, Vermont. She told me she now has a station in her classroom where kids can go and do “stretchy band” exercises to get re-centered or recharged. She said, “It’s so interesting when you introduce a cool new tool that hits with people (even at 5-6 years old) and suddenly, quite simply, it just becomes what we do.”

It’s what we do. And it’s infectious.

Fruit now on elegant counter with ideas for 15 minutes of wellness that are a "Blast"

After the prize was awarded, we hung out to watch employees partake in a kick-off of a new program called “Have a Blast.” The program offers ideas for 15 minute blasts of exercise, eating well, or breathing (de-stressing) for more energy; the brain-child of the school district’s staff wellness champion, David Peckinpaugh. It included 15 minute recipes. I had to escape being trampled by working moms grasping for these like free floating $100 bills. They told David their barriers to wellness, he listened and acted, and they showed up to give it a try. There’s that village notion again.

It’s what we do. And it’s a revolution.

Vermont’s not perfect; our obesity rate grew over the past 20 years just like every other state in America, but the rate has been slower and remains well below others. Dare I boast more? Okay. According to CBS news and the CDC, we are the skinniest state in the nation hosting the healthiest US city (Burlington). Yeah, it’s even who we are.

These are exciting times! We do it and live it because we care. That same morning, at a breakfast meeting, Vermont’s attorney general, William Sorrell spoke: “They say the next generation will be the first to end up less healthy than their parents. By 2050 over 80 percent of us will be overweight… If so, shame on us… We can change this… This is really doable — in our legislature, in our homes. The time is right now.” Thanks for all you’re doing Bill (check out his Healthy Weight Initiatives)!

From Kindergarten teacher to state’s attorney general, we’re on the move; however grand, however small. It’s what we do, darn it!

I’m so proud to be on that PATH with thousands of Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire school employees. Thank you for leading the future of our nation toward better health and an extraordinary new way of life.

See you on the PATH Ahead.

Making Room for Progress — Part Two

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For more on the bus see part one of this post - this is the sugar consumed in chocolate milk in one week in LA county schools. A demo done by BBC's Jamie Oliver

How does one give up comforts and readjust to ever shifting health strategies?  There isn’t a formula but we can say three ingredients offer crucial leverage: patience, optimism and social support.

When my “coffee and cigarette” friend saw me stew over my morning beverage consternation he said, “Couldn’t you have both?”  Cue V-8 slap (oh no, not another beverage! Cue “Duh!” instead). I know you were thinking that all along but I couldn’t see it…

The simple is terribly elusive to the desperate. I stared him down like he was a snake-oil salesman.

Another example: a friend, hard of hearing, had the chance to be fitted for an affordable custom hearing aid.  She declined because the devil of not hearing seemed easier than the devil of now hearing strange and distracting sounds.  There’s something nice about shutting out background noise; nice enough to forgo feeling included in important conversations.  Besides, what if it made her look old and disabled?

Desperate fear, silly measures.

We latch onto our routines as we would life vests because newness is elusive and unpredictable.   So much so, when something fresh comes, we cringe in denial; or the freshness excites for a short honeymoon and then we are stuck in a push-me-pull-you battle of love, shame and frustration.

You can imagine far worse when it comes to food, alcohol and smoking, right?

Apply all this to weightier health changes and we can really see how hard it was for my “coffee and cigarette” pal to get sober.  After giving up booze, ask him to give up that one last cigarette and, well I shudder to think.  No wonder quitting addiction takes multiple efforts.  Once you beat the chemicals, you then must beat the environment and your brain’s natural reluctance toward scarcity.

The hearing aid solution?  After finally admitting her fear to her loved ones, they helped her build optimism, drowning out the shame.  For the next few days, each time she tuned out, instead of brushing her off, they let her in on all salient conversations she was missing.  She was moved enough to  begin to wear it only at home with her family. She tried it for a few hours at a time and everyone was on board, her spouse, kids, in-laws, close friends.  She learned to adjust it as strange sounds crept in and all her friends told her she was looking mighty hot with that cute new jewelry in her ear.  Where could they get one?  Happy ending.

To keep what’s good about the old and leap into the joy of the new, I say jump in eyes wide open by:

a) Giving optimism a voice and a plan.

b) Planning for worst case scenarios should things go wrong.

c) Staying flexible and working out the kinks along the way.

Do all the above with the support of loved ones who really want you to succeed.

Join me for coffee, tea and a V-8 anyone?  Or low-fat milk, with unsweetened organic cocoa?

See you on the PATH Ahead.

Make Room For Progress – Part One

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Last Sunday I heard a pastor tell a reporter the following:

“They say even the air conditioner had an impact on our community connections because people were no longer sitting on their porches and interacting with neighbors.  So I worry about the unintended consequences of all this technology in religion.”

Let’s say he’s right, for the sake of argument (never mind that we might have been so hot and cranky that those porch sitting interactions could have been rather ugly).

Isn’t that a baby-with-the-bathwater position?

Why not accommodate technology with eyes wide open, eagerly ready to meet the new challenges it brings.  You don’t stop progress for fear it will skip a beat.  It WILL skip a beat, make no mistake. You bolster resiliency, rather, to be able to receive the multitude of good in spite of the minor frustrations. You plan for contingencies and, by all means, you plan that there will be the unplanned.

Health and behavior change are no exception.

We cling to sameness.

As a simple example, now that coffee is “back” I miss tea. Each morning I stand at the cupboard perplexed about my deep excitement over how much I love both and my anxiety over which to choose amplifies. It was so much easier when coffee was “out” and I could snub, “I don’t DO that.” Rumf, rumf, rumf.  The world of warm drinks is now mine; behold abundance!  And yet I whine, Wendy.  Woe is me, right?  Back off – we who are desperately habitual adjust painfully slow to change in our jam packed, working mom, kids off to school, commuter morning routine.

On a deeper level, when you change your exercise, eating, alcohol or smoking pattern, notice that your relationships change; not just to people but also to places and things. You’ll begin to see the world in new hues and it’s not always as pretty as before. After all, card night goes with pizza and beer for Pete’s sake. Not if you’re watching your calories and not if alcohol is a troublesome foe.  A walk before dinner leaves little time for a TV-and-taco-night ritual.  I have a friend, recovered from alcohol issues, who savors a mid-afternoon coffee break with a one cigarette ration, sequestered from those who tug at him throughout the day.

It doesn’t help that health educators keep the end goal a moving target.  For years we’ve gotten kids to drink milk by adding chocolate to it, they were finally getting their much missing calcium and vitamin D.  Along comes fabulous and famous BBC chef, Jamie Oliver, who recently filled a school bus with the sugar kids in LA county schools are now consuming in the form of chocolate milk.  Despite a massive marketing effort, only roughly 20 people showed up to watch.  Why?  Because so many of us are too tired to face change, AGAIN!  Change of a cause we once shepherded.

Tune in tomorrow for how we solve this wearisome change predicament!

Biggest Bang for Stretching Buck

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If you have time for only one stretch and strengthen exercise, fitness, yoga and pilates experts will say, unequivocally, the truly famous “Downward Dog” is the winner.  Blog dog Winnie agrees:

And if you have a dog, you know they do this every time the get up to walk around by remote control.  Skipping it is not an option.  So be like a dog!  Here’s Winnie’s perfect rendition:

Here’s the breakdown for people:

  • On your hands and knees, spread out your fingers  and turn your toes under.
  • Lift your knees up and push your hips to the sky keeping your feet in line with your hands.
  • Keep your knees slightly bent and your heels can come up off the floor at first (as you get better at this, you’ll lower your heels).
  • Stretch your arms forward, keeping your elbows straight and relax your head through your shoulders.
  • Yoga Journal says to lift your sit-bones to the ceiling and draw your inner thighs up to your groin.  For more on the benefits of Downward Facing Dog go to this Yoga Journal link directly.
  • Hold the pose for 5-10 breaths, relax and repeat 2-4 times.

In addition to strengthening the thighs and arms, this exercise increases flexibility in the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.  This stretch also calms the mind, eases a low mood and can also relieve headache, insomnia, back aches and neck pain!  Told you it was a lot of bang for your exercise buck!

PS.  “Dogs act exactly the way we would act if we had no shame.”  – Cynthia Heimel

Dump the inhibitions and give it a try!  What’s good for Blog Dog is good for us all!

Have You Jumped on the Tea Bandwagon?

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First, let me be clear. I am a coffee lover. The last thing I do before I head to bed at night is set up my coffee maker and that hot pot of coffee waiting for me in the kitchen is the primary reason I get out of bed at 5:45 a.m.  So this post will not be a lecture on the evils of coffee drinking or in any way suggest that you consider tea as a replacement to your morning coffee.

That said, over the past few years, I have been persuaded to incorporate tea drinking into my daily diet because of the volumes of research on the health benefits of tea.

True teas – black, green, white, oolong and pu-erh, are derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to China and India. These teas contain unique antioxidants called flavonoids which protect from free radicals that can contribute to cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries. New research indicates that adding citrus (i.e. a squeeze of lemon, orange or lime) can significantly boost your body’s ability to access these healthy compounds.

Of these teas, green tea is the superstar. It has the least caffeine, is the least processed and has the highest antioxidant properties. Limited studies suggest that green tea may also help lower cholesterol, burn fat, prevent diabetes and stroke and protect against dementia.

Even if you are a coffee-lover like me, you can still incorporate some anti-oxidant rich tea into your diet.

Here is an easy way:

In the summer months, I brew a pitcher of hot tea in the morning, adding the honey to the hot tea so that it dissolves. (I find most green teas to be slightly bitter so I prefer it with a bit of sweetener.) Once the tea comes to room temperature, refrigerate it until cold. Serve it in an ice filled glass with a sprig of fresh mint. This is a delicious, healthy and inexpensive alternative to your afternoon soda or sugary sports drink.

Herbal teas are also touted for their health benefits. Try peppermint tea after a meal to aid digestion; ginger tea to settle an upset stomach; or incorporate cup of chamomile tea, a tried-and-true sleep aid, into your bedtime ritual.

Have you jumped on the tea bandwagon? Let us know how you are enjoying the wide variety of healthy teas that are available.

Wake Up You Sleepy Head

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I just read the original story of Rip Van Winkle (Washington Irving, 1819) and discovered why he really slept for 20 years. He had needy neighbors, bratty kids, an unruly farm, and a really awful wife, of which he cautioned: “… a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.”

He was a generous, easy going fellow, eager to help with the most difficult of tasks; trying to help everyone be happy and smell the roses along with him. No matter how much he helped, however, he was seen as a clumsy, unfocused ne’er-do-well.

Sheesh!  I’d pass out in a lush field too.

Are you feeling like Rip? Under-appreciated?  Clumsy or jumpy? Can’t stay focused? Wish your sweetie would bugger off? Don’t enjoy the things you usually love to do?

No, this is not a Cymbalta advertisement (popular depression medication). The answer is prescription free…

Chances are you’re sleep deprived.  Tell-tale side effects include:

  • Lost your muse? Poor concentration and creativity.
  • Unable to stick to your guns? Limited problem solving ability, poor decision making and lack of good judgment.
  • Startled or surprised easily? Slow reaction time and poor coordination.
  • It’s on the tip of your tongue? Forgetful out of character.
  • Lackluster excitement? Unmotivated and just plain logy.
  • Got a short fuse? Moody, irritable or depressed.
  • No interest in romance? Low libido.
  • Feeling old when you look in the mirror? Dark circles under your eyes, poor posture and dull skin tone.
  • Can’t stop thinking about donuts or the like? High fat, sugary food cravings.

If you’re feeling more than one of these, chances are you’ve gotten into a poor sleep pattern leading to chronic sleep deprivation. Unless you have a major undiagnosed sleep disorder, a little “sleep hygiene” (good sleep habits) can help. Here are four ideas to address for a shift back to normal:

How much sleep do you need? The average person needs 7-8 hours. First ask, “When do I need to rise in the morning?” Count backward from there. If you need to be up a 6 am, for example, go to bed at 10 or 11. Don’t go to sleep before you must. By staying up, and avoiding naps, you’ll be super tired upon hitting the pillow, getting more concentrated sleep as a result.

When do you sleep? Go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. Being consistent forces your system to crave your sleep-wake pattern.

Where do you sleep? Is your bed fabulous (think lush meadow)? Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary. Keep it cool, quiet, dark, clean and wonderfully inviting. This usually includes removing electronics and work related items. The bedroom should be for sleep and romance only.

What gets in the way? Are you over-stimulated? At least one hour prior to bedtime: turn off all bright lights and screens (TV, computer, smartphone, etc.), shut down all work related thinking, and tell your honey it’s time only for happy thoughts. Give yourself a relaxing, self-affirming, enjoyable, pre-sleep routine your brain can count on to wind-down.

Start small with this list and add on over time. The good news is that these skills are not rocket science and cost little to no money.

Finally, make your intentions clear to your loved ones so they support your carefully loaded sleep system. If they’re nagging you for alternatives, remind them that a sleepy you is not a helpful you.

“All things are simple when once you know them.”

“…and they were all amazed at her loveliness after the duration of her sleep.”

From a 1920 rendition of the fairy tale The Sleeping Beauty, by C.S. (Charles Seddon) Evans

Sweet Dreams!

A Pocket Full of Anxiety

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All wound up? Is stress making you anxious or down in the dumpy?  Mean and slumpy?

Take time to make time and lighten your mood by being mindful. No joke.

The anxieties of today are very different from primitive times. From the saber tooth tiger to the black plague, worry was overt and right in front of us. Today it’s much more insidious, deeply etched with the unknown. There’s a raucous among us lying just beneath the surface of our mind’s eye. More often than not we don’t even realize what’s stressing us out because we’re so accustom to just putting our proverbial head down and going.

Well, robust research says it’s time to stop and smell the posies.

No matter what stress plague symptom you have, you can quell it, and even keep it permanently at bay with “Mindfullness Meditation.” Stefan Hofmann of the Boston University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, recently lead a review of the literature to find that research is clear… Mindfullness Meditation is as effective at treating anxiety depression as Zoloft and Prozac. It is most effective at staving off the recurrence of symptoms.

How so? The theory goes that meditation helps us to avoid perseverating on bad thoughts. The more you stew, the less you brew! The research goes on… Once you learn to thwart the stew, you begin to control your breath and thoughts to the point where you can shift emotions away from fear into a sense of control and calm. Neuroscience working hand in hand (or shall we say synapse in synapse) can now show you actual changes in brain activity as you adjust your thinking, as you get clarity on what really matters in life.

It’s remarkable, really — that we can look at the brain and see anti-depression anxiety armies at work.  All mustered by your own thinking.  Whew!

Hoffman suggests that controlling thoughts become easier when we see ourselves as an outside observer to our lives rather than mired down in the midst of disarray. Mindfullness Meditation allows the opportunity to reflect as more of a director or consultant than a participant.

To help you dip a toe into the idea of meditation, particularly Mindfullness Meditation, below is a stretch and strengthen exercise that pushes stress out of your hips and spine, while you reflect on your day. Breathe, relax, and focus on your thoughts; focus on reframing negative thoughts into powerful antecedents of growth and renewal! Research tells me so! Olga’s gut tells her so.

Olga calls this seated twist.  Yoga calls it “Half Lord of the Fishes.”  Whatever name floats your boat, it’s soothing and energizing to the spine in our book:

Here are a few resources on the Web for more information on Mindfulness Meditation as well: