Making it more than a Resolution: Change

As the New Year begins there is a sense of fresh beginnings, hopes for the coming year, and a focus on priorities. It is a time that inspires us to set goals and commit. And of course there are the infamous New Year’s resolutions. This tradition of resolutions goes back to the Babylonians and the Romans, who celebrated their new year during a different season, but had the same tradition of starting fresh. Both being heavy agricultural societies, it was their tradition to return farm equipment and settle up debts at the start of a new year.

Steeped in tradition and seasonal inspiration millions make New Year’s resolutions, but only a small percentage keeps their commitment or remembers their goals six months later. Why?

Resolutions fail because change is hard! To change a behavior it takes at minimum twenty-one days abstinence from the habit and usually twice that amount to no longer have temptation. Keeping with a changed behavior for twenty one days is particularly trying if the change has not been given the review it deserves. Change doesn’t just manifest at the snap of our fingers or the blink of our eyes. Change is a cyclical process that starts way before the action ever takes place.

Below are some tips to solidify the change you want to be!

Techniques to help you in your change

Raise your consciousness – Increase your understanding of how your behaviors affect your life. Become an objective observer of yourself. Are you overeating and under performing? When do you overeat? What do you overeat? What stops you from being active? Become familiar with what gets in your way. Awareness is a critical first step.

Social support and helping relationships - “Outing” yourself is a great technique to help in your change. Trying to eat healthier, quit smoking, become more active – tell your family, co-workers, and friends. Encourage them to join your team of support with friendly reminders or gentle pushes. Even better find a buddy to join you in change. Group and partner support continuously proves to be very effective in behavior change.

Cathartic stimulation – Finding something that creates an emotional reaction and motivation for you is a terrific tool. Are you losing weight so you can play more comfortably with your children? Put a picture of your kids on the fridge. Do you desire running in a race? Put a picture of the finish line on your mirror. Do you have a pair of jeans you want to fit into again? Hang them somewhere visible.

Self-evaluation and visualization – Hold the vision of who you will be when this change is complete. Picture in detail what you will look like when your behavior changes and also how it will affect your personality. The more vibrant the vision, the more powerful it becomes. Will changing this behavior change how you carry yourself, relate to others, or the way you are in the world? See the details of this change in Technicolor!

Environment control – Take away the temptations as much as you can. Create a living space conducive to your success. Take steps to remove temptations from your daily life.

Reward – It is so important to pat yourself on the back for incremental changes no matter how small. Treat yourself gently and lovingly, rewarding your victories, and comforting yourself when you have setbacks.

Snippets of Health

Snippets of Health

• Group norms and social relationships influence obesity so says the journal Obesity. A study done in 2011 showed a significant relationship between weight loss and social relationships. Young adults who surrounded themselves by people also trying to lose weight or maintain healthy weight were more motivated in their goals. What does this tell us….group support works to accomplish goals!! Let’s support one another to attain our ideal health!
• Let the truth be told….a study published this month in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine focuses on the lack of communication between pediatricians and parents of obese children. Less than a quarter of obese children’s parents in this study remember being told by pediatricians their children were at risk or currently experiencing concerning health conditions due to weight. The question is why is this information not being discussed? Are we expecting too much from our medical community? Is there not enough health education in our communities to recognize children at risk? Whatever the reason for the lack of confronting this epidemic, it must be changed. Education and changing behavioral patterns is essential. Don’t be afraid to talk about issues of health….you may be the voice to inspire others!

Can impatience be turned into inner peace?

Standing in line, stuck in traffic, waiting in a doctor’s office; all of these situations can cause great anxiety and frustration. The stagnant time and inactivity can rev our system into a fury. We often get into the pattern of thought that tells us, “My time could be spent doing something more important than this!” I want to challenge that thought. Is it possible to use these moments to go inward and establish a moment of inner peace?

Take for instance standing in line. The next time you are waiting in line somewhere try this activity of getting in touch with your breathing and our body, all the while releasing anxiety.

Exercise

This exercise is a tensing and releasing of muscle groups in combination with four count breathing. All tensing and releasing should be done to the count of four. Repeat breathing after each release.  

·         Start with curling your toes inward to the count of four and then release.

·         Breathe in through your nose to the count of four and then out to the count of four.

·         Tense the muscles in your right leg from your calves through your glutes.

·         Repeat the four count breathing. Notice where your breath goes and how your abdomen rises and falls with the breath.

·         Tense the muscles in your left leg from your calves through your glutes.

·         Notice the tension starting to fade with each release.

·         Tighten the abdominal muscles as if you where pulling your belly button closer to your spine.

·         Release and repeat breathing.

·         If you are not holding something in your hands, crease your arms upward as if you were curling dumbbells, squeezing your bicep muscles. Let your arms fall back to your side.

·         Again, if nothing is in your hand, squeeze your hands into fists. Release.

·         Moving up to the shoulders and back, squeeze your shoulder blades together and release.

·         Gently move your shoulders up toward your ears and release.

·         Feel the tension fade and a sense of calm increase.

·         The last step is to scrunch your face up like you just ate a very sour lemon, using your nose, your lips, your forehead, and even your ears. Release.

·         Fill your lungs with breath to the count of four and release.

Enjoy the feeling of calm and appreciate yourself for taking time for you!

Snippets of Health

·         A study out of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada looked at people’s perception of exercise enjoyment before, during and after exercise. The study uncovered what most of us already know, we dread the idea of the workout and excessively contribute negativity to it, but not surprisingly during and certainly after the workout, people reported great satisfaction and enjoyment of the workout. What does this tell us? Even though you may not want to put on the running shoes, go to the gym, get on the bike, the end result is stunningly worth it!! Keep it up y’all!

·         Telomeres are the tips of our chromosomes, similar to the plastic end on the shoelace. They protect the chromosome ends from fraying and dissolving, but like with any worn pair of tennis shoes, the telomeres weaken with aging. Shorter, weakened telomeres have been linked with cancer, heart disease, early death and aged appearance. Obesity, smoking and stress have been linked to shorter telomeres. Guess what has been linked to longer telemores? EXERCISE!  

·         In 2010 the Psychology of Sport and Exercise published a study regarding fitness and exercise influence on stress responses in Swiss police officers and emergency response personnel. It turns out “exercise protects against stress-related health problems” which of course in these fields is critical. It doesn’t take much to generalize this study to all areas of work related stress. Exercise may help make the struggles of the day easier to handle. Take a walk the next time work gets too demanding and see what effects it has on your productivity!

Defining “Healthy Living” with the 80/20 Principle

What is Vita Sana? Vita Sana literally translates to “healthy living” in Italian. But what does “healthy living” really mean? While there are many individual definitions, we at Vita Sana refer to “healthy living” synonymously with the 80/20 rule. If you are making healthy, conscious choices eighty percent of your day, days, months, and years, then we like to honor, invite and welcome twenty percent of the time to indulgences.

We believe healthy living has to do with balance and moderation. When I think about balance and moderation I am reminded of “The French Paradox.” In the 1990’s as a student at University of California, Davis, I remember some buzz about a study they were exploring in the science departments. They were trying to understand this thing called “The French Paradox.” The paradox rests in French people having significantly and consistently less heart disease then their North American cohorts, but eating a richer, more saturated fat diet. Some studies found the answer was “resveratrol,” an element in red wine, but this has been further questioned and seems to be not the only answer.  Other theories have found the answer in smaller portion sizes, “good” fats vs. “bad” fats, and lower sugar intake. But a strain of theories I like to focus on, are the ones that mention French lifestyle which involves balance of indulgences and consciousness. The French lifestyle could be defined as the enjoyment of life and commitment to living life fully, all the while moderating overindulgences.

At Vita Sana we believe in being easy about life. We do not propose diets or regimes or restrictions. Restrictions and making things “bad” or “good” feel like a recipe for disaster. What we propose is living in awareness. Being conscious of what we put into our body and expect out of our body.

This way of living isn’t just in reference to food, drink, and exercise. This way of living is in reference to all aspects of life. Work, school, family, community, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual arenas are all components that deserve the 80/20 philosophy. We encourage incorporating all of these aspects into your life, but not giving any one part complete domination. Variety is the spice of life and a necessity in balance and moderation. Take a look at your life. Are you living 80/20?