Health Conditions

Change 1 Thing” Challenge

Have You Accepted the Challenge?

Take One Year to Develop a Lifetime of Optimal Health!

The “Change One Thing” Challenge is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle.  Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

Your September Challenge (should you choose to accept it):

“My Family will Share a Home-Cooked Meal Together at Least Five Times Per Week”

Now that the summer is coming to an end and the kids are back in school, most of us are settling back into a daily routine.  Let me encourage you to make family meals part of your daily routine.  If not every day, at least 3 times per week.

Unfortunately, fewer families are sharing meals together.  But studies show that children who eat with their families more often are less likely to be overweight.  Why is that?  Most likely, because the home-prepared meals that the children are eating are more healthy than bought foods.  And at the table, the parent is able to influence the child’s attitudes toward healthful diets. 

And the rewards extend far beyond a healthy weight.  One study even showed that asthma symptoms are decreased in children who eat more often with their families.  Here are some other research-proven benefits that children experience from frequent family meals:

• Formation of healthy eating habits in the future
• Decreased future substance use and eating disorders in girls
• Improved emotional well-being in adolescents
• Increased intake of vegetables
• Increased intake of vitamins and minerals

Tips for making it work:

• Make the family table a media free zone.  That is, turn off the television, prohibit cell phones and computers at the table.  That will help everyone at the table give their attention to one another.
• Always have plenty of fruits and vegetables on the table.  Kids are more likely to eat the healthy options when they are right in front of them.
• Plan ahead and use quick cooking methods such as sautéing and broiling for healthy and quickly prepared meals.

Does it matter what you eat?  Of course!  Healthy meals will include a variety and abundance of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and infrequent fried foods.  Use the food plate below for a guide.

      Don’t forget to continue your:

January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day (1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day)

February habit of eating 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day

March habit of replacing refined white foods with whole grains

April habit of exercising for at least 30 minutes 3 times per week

May habit of detoxifying your system daily

June habit of sleeping for 7 to 8 hours each night

July habit of Eating Early, eating often and stopping before it’s too late!

August habit of Increasing Omega 3 Fatty Acids in your diet

Change 1 Thing” Challenge

Have You Accepted the Challenge?

Take One Year to Develop a Lifetime of Optimal Health!

The “Change One Thing” Challenge is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle.  Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

Your August Challenge (should you choose to accept it):

“I will Protect my Heart and Brain by Enriching my Diet with

Omega 3 Fatty Acid Power!”

You mean, fats can be good for you?  The right kind of fats are more than good – they’re essential.  Recently, omega-3 fatty acids have become all the rage.  Why?  First, they play a critical role in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease by:  1) anti-platelet activity; platelets cause clotting of the blood, and therefore, can lead to poor circulation,  2) triglyceride reduction; of course high triglycerides are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, 3) increased HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol as it’s called, because it prevents atherosclerosis). 

Omega-3 fatty acids are also a great brain health nutrient.  Our brains are 60% fat, and therefore, healthy fats are needed to support the structure and function of the brain.  The omega-3 fatty acids called DHA and EPA are essential for proper brain structure, and communication of brain cells.  Also, by lowering inflammation, omega 3s protect against neurological (such as Alzheimer’s) and psychological (such as depression) conditions.

Dr. Alan Logan states “dietary and supplemental omega-3 fatty acids may be the most significant brain insurance policy you can purchase.”

Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are:

fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna

 nuts (such as walnuts and almonds) and

seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds)

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements

      Don’t forget to continue your:

January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day (1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day)

February habit of eating 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day

March habit of replacing refined white foods with whole grains

April habit of exercising for at least 30 minutes 3 times per week

May habit of detoxifying your system daily

June habit of sleeping for 7 to 8 hours each night

July habit of Eating Early, eating often and stopping before it’s too late!

“Change 1 Thing” Challenge

Have You Accepted the Challenge?

Take One Year to Develop a Lifetime of Optimal Health!

The “Change One Thing” Challenge is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle.  Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

Your July Challenge (should you choose to accept it):

“I will Eat Early, Eat Often and Stop Before it’s Too Late!”

Eat early means to start with breakfast.  You may have many excuses for skipping breakfast such “I don’t have time,” or “I’m not hungry in the mornings,” or my favorite “I’m just not a breakfast person.”  But breakfast is critical because it stimulates your metabolism for the day, helping you burn calories efficiently.  Now of course, you want a quality breakfast.  It doesn’t have to be big.  In fact, a bowl of whole-grain oatmeal sprinkled with walnuts or fruit is a great choice!

Eat Often:  That sounds counterproductive doesn’t it?  In fact, you may already eat all the time and it’s gotten you into trouble.  However, it is a proven fact that frequent meals result in weight loss in both adults and children.  But of course, it depends what you’re eating all day.  In between meals, you need power-packed snacks.  Snacks that are packed with anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that keep your metabolism running at a high level.  Foods that fit the bill would be vegetables, fruits, and nuts and seeds.  For maximum benefit, these snacks need to be organic so that you’re not ingesting pesticides and other toxins along with the good stuff.

STOP before it’s too late!  Too late means eating within 3 to 4 hours of going to sleep.  Lots of fast food places entice you to grab a late night meal on your way home.  Resist! Your body is simply not designed to eat late at night and process food while you’re sleeping.  Late eating causes weight gain, and leads to all types of digestion problems, especially GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).  You’ll even sleep better when you lay down on a quiet stomach (a stomach that’s finished its work of digestion). 

It’s a 3-part challenge for the month of July, but you can handle it.  Remember, you are building habits that will result in optimal health for the rest of your life. 

So, are you taking the challenge?  We’re on a 12 month journey to a lifetime of incredible health!  If you didn’t start with us in January, that’s okay.  You can start right now with this month’s challenge. 

      Don’t forget to continue your:

January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day (1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day)

February habit of eating 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day

March habit of replacing refined white foods with whole grains

April habit of exercising for at least 30 minutes 3 times per week

May habit of detoxifying your system daily

June habit of sleeping for 7 to 8 hours each night

“Change 1 Thing” Challenge

Have You Accepted the Challenge?

Take One Year to Develop a Lifetime of Optimal Health!

“Change One Thing” is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle. 

Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

Your June Challenge (should you choose to accept it):

“I Will Sleep for 7 to 8 Hours Every Night

Sleep is a serious problem in this society these days!  Almost a quarter of Americans report having insomnia every night or most nights.  Sleeping aids are prescribed and sold at record numbers, and now they are increasingly used by children and adolescents.  A good night’s sleep is just as essential to optimal health as proper nutrition and exercise.

Studies show a strong link between inadequate sleep and obesity.  That may sound counterintuitive, but the trend has been shown in both kids and adults.  And new studies are now coming out, showing that inadequate sleep increases your risk for type 2 diabetes.

How much sleep is enough?  Depends on your age. 

• Adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.  (9 or more hours of sleep has also been tied to increased diabetes risk).  
• Children between the ages of 2 and 6 years should get 10 – 12 hrs
• 7 to 13 year olds should get 9 to 11 hours of sleep. 
• High schoolers should get 9 to 10 hours of sleep per night.

And it’s not just the quantity of sleep that matters to your health, but the quality as well.  An interesting study of young adults showed that slow-wave sleep, which is the most restorative stage of sleep, is important for glucose regulation.  When slow-wave sleep is reduced, there is an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Here’s a tip for getting a good night’s sleep:

Avoid technology in the bedroom.  Artificial light from the various technology screens increases alertness and reduces melatonin levels.  At least an hour before sleep, turn off the technology.  With, kids this is critical.  1 in 10 kids report having their sleep interrupted by text messages during the night.

So focus this month on getting your optimal amount of sleep every night.  One clue that you’re getting enough sleep is that you wake up feeling restored without the need for an alarm clock. Are you up to the challenge?

      Don’t forget to continue your:

January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day (1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day)

February habit of eating 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day

March habit of replacing refined white foods with whole grains

April habit of exercising for at least 30 minutes 3 times per week

May habit of detoxifying your system daily

“Change 1 Thing” Challenge

Have You Accepted the Challenge?

Take One Year to Develop a Lifetime of Optimal Health!

“Change One Thing” is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle. 

Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

Your April Challenge (should you choose to accept it):

“I Will Exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 times per week”

Ways You Will Benefit from This One Change:

Exercise is great for the heart: Exercise has been shown to reduce blood pressure.  And by doing so, it reduces the risk for stroke and coronary artery disease.  Studies have shown as much as a 31% reduction in cardiovascular disease among people who regularly exercise.

Exercise reduces cancer.  One third of the cases of breast, colon and kidney cancer are attributed to obesity and lack of physical activity.  Exercise can therefore, reduce your risk of these diseases.  Also, studies have shown that physical activity can reduce breast cancer risk by as much as 30 to 40%.

Exercise reduces bone disease.  Obesity is a primary risk factor for osteoarthritis.  In women who were overweight, as measured by a body mass index of greater than 25, a loss of just 5.1 kg (about 10 lbs), cut the risk of osteoarthritis by 50%.  Exercise also has a positive effect on bone mineral density and strength, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Exercise strengthens mental health:  Exercise reduces depressive symptoms, and reduces anxiety in both adults and children.  Studies have shown that exercise can be as effective as anti-depressant medication.  It makes sense, because exercise regulates neurotransmitter release in the brain, most notably dopamine and serotonin.  These are the same neurotransmitters targeted by the most common antidepressant medications on the market.  Exercise is also associated with improved self-esteem and improved behavior in children. 

Exercise is great for the brain.  Studies have shown that physical activity enhances memory and learning, reasoning, attention, problem-solving and intelligence testing.   Exercise also promotes neurogenesis, which is the production of new nerve cells, and protects the nervous system from injury and neurodegenerative disease.  Want to decrease your risk of dementia in half?  Exercise does this.  Your risk of Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced by as much as 60% by exercise! Exercise also increases brain volume in areas implicated in executive processing.  By the way, by reducing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease which all have a negative effect on brain function, exercise further protects the brain.

One way that exercise improves brain function is simply through enhanced blood flow.  Blood removes waste products that accumulate in the brain.  Along with that increased blood flow comes oxygen.  The oxygen acts as a scavenger of free radicals, which damage brain cells.

Exercise slows aging: Studies indicate that the presence or absence of a sedentary lifestyle is among the greatest predictors of aging.

Really, can you afford not to exercise?  If you didn’t accept any of the previous challenges, don’t miss this one! 

Ideas for Making it Happen

• Take a 30 minute walk; make sure your pace is fast enough to get your heart rate up
• Put on some good music and simply dance or step in your living room for 30 minutes
• Record an exercise program from the television and simply follow that routine (it’s like having a free personal trainer!)

       Don’t forget to continue your:

January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day (1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day)

February habit of eating 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day

March habit of replacing refined white foods with whole grains

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”

– Edward Stanley, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

“Change 1 Thing” Challenge

Have You Accepted the Challenge?

Take One Year to Develop a Lifetime of Optimal Health!

“Change One Thing” is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle. 

Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

Your March Challenge (should you choose to accept it):

“Get the White Out and Go Whole”

“Get the white out” refers to getting the refined foods out of your diet.  Refined foods are generally white: they include white flour, sugar, and white rice.  What’s wrong with these foods?  First of all, they are refined, which means that they have been stripped of the many nutrients that they had in their natural state.  White flour is a stripped form of whole wheat flour, just as white rice is a stripped form of brown rice.  They’ve also been stripped of fiber.  Not only are they devoid of nutrients, but they add inflammation to your body.  That same process that contributes to asthma, arthritis and heart disease!

What can you expect from this one change?

Weight loss: A major contributor to obesity is the excess sugar that we take in, whether it’s from actual sugar, or from foods that are quickly broken down to sugar (like white flour).  When you eat whole foods instead, you eat less, because whole foods are more bulky, and therefore filling.  Also, they slowly and steadily release glucose into your bloodstream keeping your appetite under control.

Regularity:  By replacing refined foods with whole fiber-rich foods, we decrease constipation.  At least 40% of Americans are chronically constipated because our diets are low in fiber. 

Decreased risk of heart disease and stroke:.Refined foods are inflammatory.  And one by-product of inflammation is hardening of the arteries which leads to high blood pressure (making your heart work harder), and poor blood circulation to vital organs (like the heart and brain).

Feeling Better:  When your blood sugar levels are steady, you maintain a steady energy level.  Decreased inflammation will cause an improvement in the aches and pains that you may be chronically dealing with. 

Tips:

• Replace white rice with brown rice. 
• Replace white bread with whole grain bread.
• Stop the sugar.  Learn to sweeten your foods with fresh fruit, fresh fruit juice, and even small amounts of grade B or C maple syrup.

And don’t forget to continue your:

January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day (1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day)

February habit of eating 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day