The Economy And Your Health.

If Josiah had a theme song it would be, "Don't Worry, Be Happy"!

I write to you as friends today and not mere client of Fitness Together. Many of you know that I have a holistic view of health. At FT we deal heavily with the physical health component. But there is also mental health, social health, financial health, spiritual health, relational health, and career health.

I have spoken to many of you and know the economy has been very taxing on your mental health, financial health, relational health, career health, and physical health.

Then, there was the Swine Flu scare. Once again fear and panic started to spread through the media and across the country and people’s mental health, social health, and physical health began to suffer.

As real as the economy is and its impact on many of you and, yes, the Swine Flue does exist (oink-oink) I encourage you to do a few things today.

First, think of at least three things that you do have going for you. It could be simply your good health. You may have a great family. For others at least you still have a job? What are the things in your life that you do have going for you?

Secondly, I want you to focus on only the things you can control. And pretty much that is limited to yourself. You can’t control what the stock market will do today or tomorrow. But you can develop a financial plan and budget that will help you survive these challenging times. Maybe you pick up a Dave Ramsey book at the library on budgeting?

You may not be able to totally eliminate all the stress in your life but you can choose to manage it with regular exercise, good nutrition, and talking with friends about it.

You may not be able to control the fact that your company has to give you a pay cut or even worse let you go but you can choose to see it as an opportunity to really explore your life and ask some soul searching questions.

One man I heard of had this response:

“I was laid off on March 9th 2009 with no warning after working for a major manufacturer for 11 ½ years. When I told my wife, her response was, "Good. Now you can go and do something you want to do."

So, do bring to mind some of the things that you do have going for you and focus on only the things that you truly can control- mainly yourself.

I wish you all the “health” in the world. Not only physical health but mental health, career health, relational health….

Peace and blessings!

PJ

Are You An Emotional Eater?

I hope Spring finds you well. I have pasted an article that we recently featured in our April Client Newsletter. I thought you might enjoy it as well.

-PJ

Eating to feed a feeling, and not a growling stomach,

is emotional eating.

When you're happy, your food of choice could be steak or pizza, when you're sad it could be ice cream or cookies, and when you're bored it could be potato chips. Food does more than fill our stomachs -- it also satisfies feelings, and when you quench those feelings with comfort food when your stomach isn't growling, that's emotional eating. "Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than hunger," says Jane Jakubczak, a registered dietitian at the University of Maryland. "Instead of the physical symptom of hunger initiating the eating, an emotion triggers the eating."

What are the telltale signs of emotional eating, what foods are the most likely culprits when it comes to emotional eating, and how it can be overcome? Experts help you find the answers.

How to Tell the Difference

There are several differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger, according to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center web site:
1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

2. When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.

3. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4. Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

Comfort Foods

When emotional hunger rumbles, one of its distinguishing characteristics is that you're focused on a particular food, which is likely a comfort food. "Comfort foods are foods a person eats to obtain or maintain a feeling," says Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois. "Comfort foods are often wrongly associated with negative moods, and indeed, people often consume them when they're down or depressed, but interestingly enough, comfort foods are also consumed to maintain good moods."

Ice cream is first on the comfort food list. After ice cream, comfort foods break down by sex: For women it's chocolate and cookies; for men it's pizza, steak, and casserole, explains Wansink.And what you reach for when eating to satisfy an emotion depends on the emotion. According to an article by Wansink, published in the July 2000 American Demographics, "The types of comfort foods a person is drawn toward varies depending on their mood. People in happy moods tended to prefer ... foods such as pizza or steak (32%). Sad people reached for ice cream and cookies 39% of the time, and 36% of bored people opened up a bag of potato chips."

Overfeeding Emotions

"We all eat for emotional reasons sometimes," says Jakubczak, who has talked to college students at the University of Maryland about emotional eating. When eating becomes the only or main strategy a person uses to manage emotions, explains Jakubczak, then problems arise -- especially if the foods a person is choosing to eat to satisfy emotions aren't exactly healthy. "If you eat when you are not hungry, chances are your body does not need the calories," says Jakubczak. "If this happens too often, the extra calories get stored as fat, and too much fat storage can cause one to be overweight, which may present some health risks."

According to an interview with Jakubczak on the University of Maryland web site, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions, so dealing with emotions appropriately is important.

Recognizing Emotional Eating

"The first thing one needs to do to overcome emotional eating is to recognize it," says Jakubczak. "Keeping a food record and ranking your hunger from 1-10 each time you put something in your mouth will bring to light 'if' and 'when' you are eating for reasons other than hunger." Next, you need to learn techniques that help manage emotions besides eating, explains Jakubczak. "Oftentimes when a child is sad, we cheer them up with a sweet treat," says Jakubczak. "This behavior gets reinforced year after year until we are practicing the same behavior as adults. We never learned how to deal with the sad feeling because we always pushed it away with a sweet treat. Learning how to deal with feelings without food is a new skill many of us need to learn."

Managing Emotional Eating

Here are a few tips to help you deal with emotional eating:

Recognize emotional eating and learn what triggers this behavior in you.

Make a list of things to do other than eat and keep it with you.

When you feel overwhelmed, you can put off that desire by doing another enjoyable activity.

Try taking a walk, calling a friend, playing cards, cleaning your room, doing laundry, or something productive to take your mind off the craving -- even taking a nap.

When you do get the urge to eat when you're not hungry, find a comfort food that's healthy instead of junk food. "Comfort foods don't need to be unhealthy," says Wansink.

For some, leaving comfort foods behind when they're dieting can be emotionally difficult. Wansink explains, "The key is moderation, not elimination." He suggests dividing comfort foods into smaller portions. For instance, if you have a large bag of chips, divide it into smaller containers or baggies and the temptation to eat more than one serving can be avoided. When it comes to comfort foods that aren't always healthy, like fattening desserts, Wansink also offers this piece of information: "Your memory of a food peaks after about four bites, so if you only have those bites, a week later you'll recall it as just a good experience than if you polished off the whole thing." So have a few bites of cheesecake, then call it quits, and you'll get equal the pleasure with lower cost.

Lastly, remember that emotional eating is something that most people do when they're bored, happy, or sad. It might be a bag of chips or a steak, but whatever the food choice, learning how to control it and using moderation are key.

By Heather Hatfield

WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis, MD

Are you wired to relapse?

You may have recently heard that Oprah self-admittedly fell off the fitness wagon.

Oprah is not the only person to ever relapse. Unfortunately, many people start to fade away right about now after setting some very achievable New Year Resolutions.

I ran across this article about Oprah and her "fall" and thought you might find it encouraging and motivating.

Have you given up on your fitness goals yet?

"If you are looking for an excuse to fall off the wagon, the universe will provide one."

That was the lesson that Oprah shared in her recent confession about her ongoing struggle with weight. Oprah knows how it feels to fall off the fitness wagon; in the January issue of The Oprah Magazine she described her recent 40 pound weight gain.

Her testimony was filled with valuable insights for anyone else prone to relapse. There was a hidden cycle that I found in her story - one that... exposes the process of falling off the wagon.

1) You Fall: Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, or it could be the result of a drawn out process. Oprah described her fall as one that happened slowly as a result of health problems. These health problems became her reason for not exercising. Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work or any other change in your schedule are all things that'll get you off the wagon. Once you're off the real damage begins.

2) You Surrender: There comes a point after you fall off the wagon that you simply throw your hands up in the air and give in. For Oprah this was a dramatic moment. "I started eating whatever I wanted - and that's never good. My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress." This is the most destructive part of the cycle. You remove all expectations from yourself and as a result you plummet into an unhealthy realm. The progress that you've made toward your goals is lost and even more weight is gained.

3) You Hit Bottom: Inevitably there comes the moment when you hit bottom. Your body shows the new weight gain and you feel awful about it. For Oprah it was a sobering moment. "I felt completely defeated. I thought- I give up. I give up. Fat wins." She went so far as to say, "I felt like a fat cow. I wanted to disappear." While hitting bottom is never a fun experience, it is a necessary one. The pain must become great enough for you to turn it around and take the control back.

4) You Take Control: Now comes the good part. When you hit bottom you were out of control, now you're ready to once again grab the reigns. Oprah says that "These days I've put myself back on my own priority list." She plans to get an hour of exercise five or six days a week, as well as eating healthfully and reordering her life to include time to replenish her energy. Her new goal is to be strong and healthy and fit.

Have you fallen off your priority list, like Oprah fell off hers?

The time has come to put yourself back on that priority list. The time has come to decide that you are worth it.

Whether you are a client or not, we're here to help you do just that. If your weekly workout frequency has dropped off it's time to recommit. The most fundamental principle to a fitness and weight loss programs success is frequency.

Even the most skilled personal trainer can not design a masterful program that trumps frequency. It would like expecting to drive a golf ball like Tiger Woods just because you bought the same golf clubs, but you only use them twice a year.

If you're not a client, we're here to help you get started on an exercise program that will change your body and your life...just like Oprah. Or maybe you have fallen off the wagon too and need help getting back on. We would love to assist you.

Visit our website.


This article was written by Russ Yeager, fellow Fitness Together owner, in Atlanta, GA.

Setting Health and Fitness Goals

Well, if you are like me you are already having trouble keeping some of your New Year Resolutions and especially when it comes to the health and fitness ones. I want to offer a few words of encouragement today.

I believe there are three reasons most resolutions and goals fail.

#1 You do not have a reason big enough to motivate you to keep going when you feel like giving up.

#2 You do not have a plan. Yes, you have a goal but not a plan of action to achieve that goal.

#3 You lack accountability.

What should you do?

First, find a reason, a purpose, an internal motivator that connects not only to your head but your heart, too.

Secondly, have a written plan with short term and long term goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

Thirdly, take action and be accountable to someone.

So, don't give up on yourself or your goals just yet.

If you need help please don't hesitate to contact me via phone 719-598-5777 or email pjmusilli@fitnesstogether.com

PJ

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Josiah is sporting his WV University outfit as he cheered them onto victory in their bowl game.

I want to invite you to a seminar I am giving on Tuesday, January 13th at 7pm. It is titled, The 3 Secrets to Successful New Year's Resolutions and Fitness Goal Setting!

There is a reason why most New Year Resolutions fail by January 15th of any given year. Come find out why and what you can do about it.

You can rsvp online at www.HealthyBodyHappyYou.com

How To Survive Holiday Weight Gain

Many people experience holiday weight gain.

Why you may ask?

It is because of all the holiday gatherings, work parties, Christmas cookies, New Year's Eve smorgasbords...

Josiah and I have put together our Top 10 Do's and Don'ts to help you avoid holiday weight gain.

10. Do redefine how you judge yourself by what you eat.

Don’t define yourself by what you eat. You are not “good” if you eat a salad nor are you “bad” if you eat fudge. They are both foods. It is the amount that you eat that matters.

9. Do mix exercise with family commitments. Plan a day hike, a ski trip, or a snow-shoeing adventure.

Don’t use the excuse that because family is in town you can’t exercise.

8. Do establish a home workout routine including push-ups, lunges, crunches, wall-sits and planks.

Don’t make the excuse that you don’t have time to go to the gym.

7. Do acknowledge the holidays will affect your exercise and eating to some extent. Focus on weight maintenance rather than weight loss.

Don’t use the holidays as a license to not exercise and/or overeat. Also, do not adopt the “all or nothing” mentality. If you feel you “blew” it by eating a doughnut at breakfast, more than likely, you will continue to overeat the rest of the day if you let that feeling prevail.

6. Do change your definition of being full. A good goal is to eat until you are 4/5ths full. You should be able to get up, go outside, and take a brisk walk after any meal.

Don’t eat until you are stuffed or in pain!

5. Do plan on NOT dieting after the New Year. Anticipation of food restriction sets you up for binge-type eating over the holidays. (“after all, if I’m never going to let myself eat this after Jan 1., I better eat as much as possible now!”)

Restrictive diets DON’T work in the long run. They increase your loss of lean body mass vs. fat, slow down your metabolism, increase anxiety, depression, food preoccupation, and binge eating, and make weight re-gain more likely.

4. Do say NO to “food pushers”. Aka Aunt Darlene, Grandma Betty, the secretary at work…

Don’t even mention the word diet. Instead politely refuse by saying, “No, thank you. It smells divine, but I am really full.”

3. Do make your focus enjoying good friends and family.

Don’t make your focus of the party its food.

2. Do choose your beverages wisely. Alcohol has a high calorie content. Choose water or diet soda instead.

Don’t drink too much alcohol as this lowers your inhibitions and you are more likely to overeat
and drink too much.

1. Do have a light snack before heading out to the party or buffet. Try a fresh piece of fruit, 6 oz of yogurt, string cheese, or raw vegetables.

Don’t go to the party hungry or skip meals so that you can eat more at the party.

Have a great Christmas and New Year!

PJ and Josiah

The All Natural Flu "Shot"

Tis the season for sniffles, sore throats, and sharing germs. Some of our clients get flu shots. Others, like myself, do not. So, I asked Kate to put together a Guide to Winter Wellness that would help our clients and their families stay healthy throughout the winter and "flu" season. Here is what she had to say.

With the weather getting colder, more people are packed indoors in close quarters. This increase in close contact increases the passing of germs, and with the cold dry air, germs tend to stay airborne longer increasing your chance of collecting them. Without your immune system in top shape you are at risk for catching everything from the common cold to the flu (which can hang on for weeks). Here are seven helpful tips to stay healthy and keep your immune system at 100% throughout the winter months without barricading yourself in your house avoiding all human contact.

1. Pick a natural kick – Energy wanes in the winter when the days are shorter, but jump-starting your day with several cups of Joe may undermine your immune system. “Caffeine stresses the adrenals, the glands that sit atop the kidneys and support the body’s immunity and energy,” explains herbalist Madelon Hope. “Cold weather already compromises the kidneys, the source of our energy and vitality.” Opt for a non-caffeinated, herbal tea instead like nettle tea which is a natural energizer.

2. Eat to increase your immunity – Nutrients that can help boost immune functions include Beta-carotene, Vitamins C and E, and Zinc. Beta-Carotene is an important antioxidant and is found in oranges, carrots, yams, cantaloupe, and green leafy vegetables. While eating certain nutrient rich foods can help boost immunity, fats, especially saturated, and cholesterol have been found to depress the immune system and interfere with white blood cell function. Saturated fats and cholesterol can be found in animal products (meat, whole fat dairy products, and whole eggs).

3. Try a 10 minute relaxation exercise – Stress is the immune system’s worst enemy. Whether you are dealing with situational stress or long duration emotional stress it can wreck havoc on your immune system and your body’s ability to fight off germs. “Over time, high levels of stress hormones dampen the immune system,” says Timothy McCall, MD. Research shows that as little as 10 minutes a day can help relieve physical symptoms of stress and boost immunity.

4. Keep moving – The cold weather is no excuse to become a couch potato this winter. Daily exercise can help boost your immune system by increasing your heart rate which in turn increases the circulation of white blood cells, finding and fighting germs early on. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Research has found that women who are physically active daily combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise are three times less likely to catch a cold then women who participate in only light stretching. Just don’t overdo it, too much exercise can weaken the immune system instead of enhance it.

5. Have fun – Researchers at Loma Linda University in California discovered that looking forward to an event boosts immunity. They compared the stress levels of two sets of students – one group was anticipating a positive experience; the other group was feeling neutral. Those in the first group had lower levels of stress hormones, including cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline), which are known to weaken the immune system over time. “Our studies show that biological changes take place before and in anticipation of an event. Specifically, detrimental stress hormones decrease when you look forward to something you enjoy,” says Lee Berk, the study’s lead author.

6. Just add water – To the air and your body. Researchers recently linked the spread of the flu to winter’s low humidity, meaning moisture may be a natural weapon against airborne germs. The theory is that germ-infused droplets from sneezes and coughs stay airborne longer in dry air. But moisture in the air (humidity) makes the droplets grow too large to float, and they fall to the ground. Consequently, you’re less likely to inhale them. A humidifier is the best way to increase your home’s humidity level, says Anice Lowen, a microbiologist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. When you add moisture to the air, remember to add it to your body as well. Low humidity can dry out mucus membranes. Aim for at lest 6-8 glasses of water (non-caffeinated) each day. Courtesy of Yoga Journal Magazine.

7. Revel in your relationships – Loneliness can have a negative impact on your immune system. In a 2005 study, researchers asked college freshman to keep daily diaries charting their levels of loneliness, mood, and stress, then followed up with calls and emails to see how each student was faring. The students got flu shots and had blood samples taken throughout the study. The students who had only a small social circle and who reported high levels of loneliness tended to have struggling immune systems. So, reach out to others with shared interests and stay connected to stay healthy.

OK. It is time for the question of the week. The winner will be entered to win 3 free personal training sessions just in time for your New Year’s Resolutions. The drawing will take place January 1, 2009.

This week the “question” is a little different. I am looking for the funniest caption to the picture below. You have until 5pm on Wednesday to post your caption to the blog. I will then review all the entries and pick my favorite. Remember point 5 above was “Have fun”!

Have a great day!

PJ