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Setting Your Mind Towards a Healthy Lifestyle

Blog, exercise, fitness routine, Healthy Eating, Healthy-Lifestyle, weight loss, Wellness /

Setting Your Mind Towards a Healthy Lifestyle Good health begins in our mind. Cognitive Behavior Therapy asserts that our actions and behaviors are a product of our thoughts and feelings. Therefore, if we want to change our actions and behavior, we must change our thoughts and feelings.  Does that make sense?   Indeed, it does, especially in the health and fitness field — for the road to health, fitness, and well-being begins in the mind. It starts as a feeling. We often feel dissatisfied by our body shape – especially when we reach a certain age when what used to be lean and mean becomes rounded and saggy.  We often feel dissatisfied with our energy level or the decreasing amount of work we can do before we feel tired. We begin to ask ourselves what happened and why. Sometimes, we don’t notice the subtle yet dangerous changes in our body and our physiological responses to stimuli until we end up in the emergency room or the doctor’s office. Then, when the blood chemistry or scan reveals what is wrong, we get scared and anxious. People try to ignore these feelings of discontent, frustration, fear, and anxiety about the state of their health. Some deny that they have these feelings.   But, these feelings are essential.   They can bog us down with self-pity and paralyze us in hopelessness, or they can be the stimuli for positive action. These can be feelings we don’t want to feel ever again. So, we do all that is in our power to get back into shape and live a healthier lifestyle to prolong the days of our enjoyment of life and all it offers. If you are concerned about your health and lifespan, are thinking about chronic illnesses, and are at risk for such, you are not alone. Maybe you have been diagnosed with a lifestyle-related medical condition or know someone who has, causing you to re-examine your health status. At some point, all of us begin to consider such issues seriously, and good for you! It can motivate you to take action. Once you’re on the edge of action, go further and set your mind and behaviors to a healthy lifestyle. Step 1: Let your fingers do the walking!  Get on your smartphone or tablet PC and start browsing the internet for information. Be careful, though; many sites out there can scare you with disinformation and leave your pockets bleeding.   Go to trusted sites and get relevant and accurate information about healthy diet and fitness. Read all you can to find out what that looks like, and then take action.  Step 2: Make a choice!  Armed with your education from step one, you can now examine all unhealthy aspects of your life and make a list of goals with specific action steps to reach them.  Step 3: Get moving!  Join a gym, follow a healthy eating plan, hire a personal trainer, or attend an aerobics class at a nearby community center. Ask your doctor for advice.  Make small changes that will result in significant changes in time.   Want to lose 100 pounds? Begin with losing 100 ounces. Begin by shaving off 100 calories from your diet by skipping your usual glass of soda, candy bar, or bag of chips.   If you drink 3 cups of coffee daily, try cutting it to two. If you take sugar and cream with your coffee, cut the cream and sugar in half or strive for black.   Skip the cake, choose an apple or an orange for dessert three times a week, and build up from there. The power of visualization. If and when you are trying to lose weight, it helps if you visualize your goals. By visualizing yourself reaching a goal, you’re actually training your brain to interpret that imagery as reality—and creates new neural pathways to support that reality. Create an image of what healthy looks and feels like in your mind. Find short phrases, written words, or find a picture. Visualize yourself succeeding at your goal. You might picture yourself crossing the finish line of your first 5k, or stepping on the scale 20 lbs lighter. Create a vision board of images of your goal body, and put it somewhere so you can see it daily. What is your favorite thing to do in the world?  Is it carrying your kids? Is it playing basketball or football with them? Is it driving your car? Is it going camping or traveling? Imagine how you are going to do those things (if you can still do those things) if you’ve lost the use of half of your body because you’ve had a stroke.  Sobering visions, aren’t they? And they work. They stop your cravings! They distract your mind from unhealthy desires and sway you towards a healthy mindset. The battle is in the mind. The mind is a powerful thing. It can make you do certain things that you would otherwise not do. A man diagnosed to be in the initial stages of coronary artery disease – his arteries were narrowing because of arterial plaque, which motivated him to go on a diet and exercise.   He took pictures of his kids and put them in front of him every time he ate. Each mouthful of vegetable and fruit meant that much more time that he would be around to watch them grow.    Whenever he felt like skipping his morning walk, he would imagine his kids living without his support and love. Immediately, he’d get up and walk like his life depended upon it – and it did. Happily, he was able to reverse the coronary artery disease through small lifestyle changes – his kids are now in college. Use your mind to be informed. Use your mind to choose what is good for your health. Use your mind’s eye to motivate you toward your health and fitness goals. It all begins in the mind. Cognitive Behavior Therapy asserts that our actions and behaviors are a product of our thoughts and feelings.

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Combat the Cost of Groceries with a Plan

Blog, budget, groceries, Healthy Eating, Healthy-Lifestyle, Nutrition, smart grocery shopping, Smart Shopping /

Combat the Cost of Groceries with a Plan Food costs have skyrocketed in the past year, but that doesn’t mean you have to forego healthy eating. With just a little forethought, there are ways to counter this increase. Here are some tips for maintaining  a nutritious diet without breaking the bank.  Think ahead  Take inventory. Before heading to the store or submitting your online grocery order, shop for your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Take inventory and plan to make recipes using what you have on hand first.  The most important tip is taking inventory and planning your menu accordingly. Have you ever tossed a bag of soggy spring salad mix? Welcome to the club! It’s happened to most of us at some point, but that’s throwing money away.  Prioritize perishables. Take care to use up fresh produce like spinach or other greens that tend to spoil quickly. Toss greens into a soup or pasta sauce to use them up and simultaneously add a nutrient boost to your meals. Check the expiration dates for perishables like yogurt and create meals around those foods first. For example, you might use up yogurt in breakfast parfaits for the family. Planning your meals, starting with what you have on hand, helps reduce waste and therefore save money. But you might also consider changing what’s on the menu altogether.  Eat less meat. Meat is expensive. Beef, chicken, and fish can run up a grocery bill faster than anything else. Adding more protein-rich plants to your plate can help. This can mean using beans a few nights a week instead of meat–and thinking of ways to add more produce to your meals overall. This will automatically help increase your fiber and antioxidant intake. “The cost of meat and meat products isn’t dropping, so think about incorporating more plant-based foods in your meals,” recommends Sara Haas, RDN, a Chicago-based chef, author, and food photographer.  “Whole grains, canned/frozen/fresh varieties of vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, beans, and legumes are all great options.”  Though the price of eggs has more than doubled all over the country, eggs are still one of the least expensive sources of protein you can buy. Consider enjoying them for dinner for an inexpensive meal like Eggs in Purgatory. This recipe is made with canned tomatoes and is a great base for adding any vegetables you have in the fridge to use up, such as zucchini, peppers, and spinach. List it out. Create a detailed grocery list and stick to it. Shop online (if you get free shipping) or go through the store as quickly as possible. Most of us know not to go to the supermarket hungry since that’s a recipe for impulse buys. However, studies show the longer you’re in the store, the more you buy. To save time in the store, organize your list by food aisle or departments to avoid backtracking—and make sure you have a snack before you shop!  Shop smart  Shop the sales–and stock up. Take a few minutes to peruse the weekly online ads for your favorite supermarket. It may help to get the deals delivered to your email as a reminder. Many sales are seasonal, and you might notice how some stores offer similar sales on a monthly cycle. Take note and buy accordingly.  Haas reminds us to check out sale items and develop meals around those foods first.  And don’t forget the staples. “If those shelf-stable basics are on sale, buy extra! Think rice, beans, and canned goods that can last at least one year if not opened,” she advises.  Use coupons wisely. Physical coupons are great but not always available. Clip digital coupons to save time and money at the register—and remember, coupons are only a good idea if you buy food that you will actually eat. Though they exist, there aren’t many coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables or fresh meat, poultry, or seafood. Look instead for deals on frozen or canned produce, yogurt, eggs, and other healthy foods, plus household items like detergent and toothpaste. Buy in bulk—if it makes sense. This strategy is common, but it only saves money if your family can eat the food before it expires. Large containers of olive oil or nut butter can go rancid and giant boxes of cereal can go stale if not used on time. Switch things up  Be flexible. If you have a recipe that calls for ground beef, but ground turkey is on sale, substitute ground turkey. There’s a wide range of substitutes that work well. If your recipe calls for chicken breasts but chicken thighs are on sale, consider making the swap. If you’re making stew, baked chicken, or soup, the chicken thighs will add even more flavor to the dish, so don’t be afraid to try something different! Grow and regrow herbs and more. With fresh water and sunshine, you can grow a variety of foods indoors. We all know how expensive those little packages of fresh herbs can be. You might be surprised at how easy it is to grow them yourself.  Common herbs, including basil, parsley, mint, and oregano, grow in plain water—no soil or potting needed. Simply place the stems of leftover fresh herbs in a jar of fresh water and place them in a sunny area such as a windowsill. Use as needed and refresh the water regularly.  You can also regrow flavor-packed green onions using the same method. Place the white root end in a glass of fresh water and watch them regenerate in seven to 10 days. This is a fun project for kids to manage, but it also saves you from buying green onions again. Though some of these tips may seem small, it all adds up in the end. Use these tiny tips to save big over time.  The post Combat the Cost of Groceries with a Plan appeared first on Fitbit Blog. Discover ways to save on groceries without compromising your health. The post Combat the Cost of Groceries

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What is the Sober Curious Movement—and Why Is It So Popular?

Blog, dry january, healthy habits, Healthy-Lifestyle, mindful drinking, mindful eating, mindfulness, sober curious, Stress /

What is the Sober Curious Movement—and Why Is It So Popular? Many people think that, when it comes to alcohol use, it’s all-or-nothing; you either pursue full sobriety or you drink whatever and whenever you want. But it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. There’s a movement aimed at helping people want to better understand their relationship to alcohol and make healthier choices for themselves without necessarily giving up alcohol completely. It’s called the sober curious movement. Let’s take a look at all things sober curious: what it is, how it differs from full sobriety or abstinence, and how (if you’re curious about it!) you can embrace the movement in your own life. What is “sober curious”, and why is it having such a moment? “The Sober Curious movement was launched by Ruby Warrington and her book, Sober Curious, in [late 2018],” says Elisa Peimer, LCSW, a therapist who has worked with a Sober Curious support group. “Sober Curious is a method of being mindful about drinking. People following it learn how to notice what triggers their drinking, what the act of drinking means to them, what needs it’s fulfilling, and how it’s adversely affecting their lives.” The movement gained momentum quickly, in part because it allows people to explore living a more sober lifestyle without making the commitment to give up drinking entirely. “The movement encourages a sober (or more sober) lifestyle, but embraces and welcomes individuals who are not ready to quit alcohol entirely,” says Ian Andersen, co-founder of mindful drinking and moderation app Sunnyside. The rise of the sober curious movement could also be viewed as an extension of health, wellness, and mindfulness in general becoming more mainstream. “As mindfulness in general has become more and more popular, being sober-curious feels like a natural extension of healthier lifestyle options like plant-based diets, yoga, and meditation,” says Molly Watts, author and host of The Alcohol Minimalist podcast. Finally, the sober curious movement has gained quite the following on social media. And as more people and influencers have embraced the movement—and been willing to speak out about their choices around drinking less, or not at all—the movement has spread to more people. For example, “hashtags like #mindfuldrinking and #sobercurious are driving millions of views on social media,” says Andersen. How is being sober curious different from being fully sober? Being sober curious differs from traditional sobriety in a few ways—most notably that it doesn’t require abstinence from alcohol. Instead, it encourages people to, as the name suggests, get curious about their drinking—and aim to make better, more mindful choices around their alcohol use. This allows people “to explore living a life without alcohol without having to fully commit to not drinking,” says Dr. Brooke Scheller, a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition who specializes in nutrition to support a sober or sober-curious journey.  “The focus is not on just abstinence, but on the choices we make when the stressors in our lives drive us to relieve them with alcohol rather than in more healthy ways,” says Peimer. It also appeals to a wider audience. While full abstinence is generally recommended for people with an alcohol use disorder, the sober curious movement is a fit for anyone who wants to have a better relationship to alcohol—or who want to cut back their drinking for reasons outside of addiction or alcohol use disorder, like improving their health. “Before this, sobriety was mostly reserved for those who identified as having a problem with alcohol,” says Scheller. “Over the last two years, people are now exploring a sober-curious lifestyle by cutting back or even fully eliminating alcohol for reasons that include physical and mental health reasons, to improve their careers, relationships, or even just because they’re sick of the hangover habit.” “Sober curious offers a flexibility to acknowledge your use of alcohol might not be healthy without the rigidity of an all-or-nothing approach,” says Peimer. Feeling curious? Tips on how to embrace the movement Practice mindfulness when you reach for a drink. Mindfulness is the foundation of the sober curious movement. “Sober curiosity is about mindfulness—looking at your actions in the moment and being honest with yourself,” says Peimer. “Notice what’s going on for you when you decide to drink.”  Before you take a drink, pause for a moment. Ask yourself “why am I taking this drink?”—and then, based on the answer, decide whether you want to move forward and have the drink. For example, when you stop to think about why you’re reaching for a drink, you may realize that it’s because you trying to manage challenging emotions, like boredom or anxiety—in which case you might opt to skip it in favor of a healthier coping mechanism, like calling a friend or going for a run.  Practicing mindfulness in the moments that you want or reach for a drink can help you better understand the motivations behind your drinking—and whether those motivations are in line with the kind of relationship you want to have with alcohol. Get curious and ask yourself some deeper questions. In addition to bringing mindfulness to moments when you want to drink, being sober curious means…well, getting curious. Ask yourself some deeper questions about your relationship to alcohol. “Be thoughtful about what drinking means to you,” says Peimer. “Is it helping you create a narrative that’s appealing? Is it a reminder of happy times? Is it an indication that the weekend is starting?” Understanding the reasons behind your drinking can help you make better, healthier choices around if and when to drink.  If you want to take things a step further, you may also want to ask yourself some questions about what it would be like to give up alcohol completely or consume less of it. “Ask yourself how your life would look without alcohol,” says Peimer.  If you want to see how drinking may impact your Sleep Score, check it after a night out with friends. You can also try comparing your Sleep Score on a night you haven’t

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Oura Ring Review By Busy Doctor 2023 (Can It Improve Your Sleep?)

Blog, Healthy Living & Lifestyle, Healthy-Lifestyle, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, & Weight Loss /

Oura Ring Review By Busy Doctor 2023 (Can It Improve Your Sleep?) If you’re like me and love collecting data to improve various aspects of your life, the Oura Ring is a fantastic tool to do just that. This sleek and stylish wearable is more than just a fashion statement; it helps you gain insights into your daily activities, sleep patterns, and overall well-being. So if you want to make data-driven decisions to modify your habits and optimize your daily routine, keep reading to learn why I recommend trying the Oura ring out for yourself. Disclaimer: Although we are doctors and personal trainers, we are not your doctors. The content on this site is for informational purposes only and should not substitute the advice from your healthcare professional. All kinds of exercise and dietary activities are potentially dangerous, and those who do not seek counsel from the appropriate health care authority assume the liability of any damage or injury which may occur. Please read our full Disclaimer for more information. Also, this post may contain affiliate links: meaning we may receive a commission if you use them. Okay, let’s get started. What is Oura Ring? The Oura Ring is a compact, smart wearable device that tracks various factors related to sleep, activity, and overall wellness. Using advanced sensors, it measures body temperature, heart rate variability, and movement to provide insights into sleep quality, activity levels, and recovery. I have been using the Oura Ring for the past month now, and I was so impressed by it that I recommend it to all of my friends who are data-geeks like me. What Exactly Does It Track? The primary features tracked by the Oura Ring include: Sleep Stages: light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, and awake phases Sleep Quality: overall sleep efficiency, restfulness, and duration Activity Levels: steps taken, calories burned, and types of activities performed Vital Signs: temperature, oxygen saturation, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate Readiness Score: a daily score based on recovery and readiness for the day The ring connects with the accompanying Oura ring app on your smartphone, where you can access your data and see suggestions for improvement. The White Coat Trainer’s Oura Ring Review Here is everything you can expect when you purchase the ring. Ordering The Ring Ordering the Oura Ring Generation 3 is a straightforward process. I visited the official Oura website and chose my preferred ring size, style, and color.  I went with Heritage Silver because it was the cheapest, haha. You have the option of ordering a free sizing kit which allows you to find the perfect fit for your finger. I already knew my size, so I skipped this step (doing so will enable you to expedite the delivery of the ring). If you are between two sizes, they recommend sizing down. I chose to size up to account for occasional finger swelling. Once I placed the order, I received the ring in a couple of days. First Impressions: Design and Comfort The Oura Ring features a sleek and minimalist design, making it an attractive accessory.  Right out of the box, you can tell it is a high-quality and durable piece of tech. I opted for the silver option, which matched the wedding band I was already wearing on my ring finger. Although the ring is quite larger than my band (see the picture below), it is still lightweight and comfortable. You can definitely wear it all day and night without any discomfort. Setting It Up Setting up the Oura Ring was simple and quick. You download the Oura app on your smartphone and follow the on-screen instructions to pair your ring with your device via Bluetooth. The app guides you step-by-step to create an account and adjust your personal settings. Within a few minutes, you will be all set. Getting Your Data Your ring will start collecting meaningful data once you wear it to sleep. You can choose to track your current heart rate, but the magic of the Oura Ring lies in its sleep-tracking capabilities. After you wake up, you can open the app and view your sleep data in real time. The app will give you detailed insights into your sleeping patterns, such as the stages of sleep and the overall quality of your rest. After waking up, it only takes a few moments to sync and present the data. Mobile App and Data Insights Interface The Oura Ring mobile app features a user-friendly interface. The app’s home screen presents the three key daily metrics: sleep, activity, and readiness. You will get a score between 0 and 100 for each metric. The higher the score, the better your sleep quality, activity, and readiness to take on the day. The app is one of the easiest to use and understand. Other apps I have seen feel clunky, cluttered, and overwhelming, but this one only contains the essential information you need. Data Insights Data insights from the Oura app are tailored to help you make informed decisions about your well-being. The app offers personalized guidance based on individual data.  For example, if you are not getting enough sleep, the app will make recommendations on how to improve your sleeping patterns. Key data insights include: Deep, light, and REM sleep phases Resting heart rate and heart rate variability Body temperature trends and deviations Respiratory rate Steps, calories burned, and overall activity levels These data points are presented alongside relevant contexts, such as averages or comparisons to your previous performance. What I Learned From Using The Oura Ring (5 Key Takeaways) The Oura Ring has provided me with numerous insights into my daily lifestyle, habits, and personal wellness. Here are five key takeaways from my experience using the device: These Specific Factors Really Impact Sleep The Oura Ring’s data allowed me to understand which factors had the most significant impact on my quality of sleep. For instance, I learned that if I ate a large meal within two hours before bed, my sleep score would suffer- especially my

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