Health and relaxation

A recent article over at Mayo Clinic offers some great
relaxation techniques. Also, if you would like to try
some pre recorded relaxation podcasts, head over to
the podcast URL on the left sidebar of the blog,
and subscribe to "Master PR".

Eating Disorders consist of more than Anorexia or Bulimia

If you or someone you know are frequently eating large amounts of food past the point of comfort or feeling full, feel like you lose control of how much you eat, feel embarrassed or disgusted with the amount of food eaten, and feel depressed or guilty after overeating you may want to learn more information about an eating disorder called binge eating disorder. Unlike bulimia nervosa, the person doesn’t purge by vomiting or using laxatives after the “binge.”

Did you know that 1-2 million people in the United States have this disorder? It is a concerning to me because people with this disorder suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, heart disease, shortness of breath, some types of cancer, menstrual problems, tiredness, obesity and sleep problems.

If you have a problem there is help. Student Health Services located in 221 SC offers counseling and can be contacted at 863-8876. Additional information can be found at www.eatright.org www.anad.org www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention’s Information and Referral Line 1-800-931-2237

Weight...it's all around us

Walking around the grocery store, or down the hallway at school it’s amazing to see how many people are struggling with their weight. We’ve heard it time and time again from the Surgeon General that obesity is an epidemic, but what are we doing about it and how has this happened?

About 1.2 billion people in the world are overweight and at least 300 million of them are obese. In the United States, more than 97 million adults (which is more than half) are overweight and 1 in 5 adults are obese. Being obese and being overweight is not exactly the same thing. An obese person has a large amount of extra body fat, not just a few extra pounds.

So what can cause a person to become obese? Well, there are uncontrollable risk factors such as a person’s genetics. However, the majority comes from an individual’s personal lifestyle patterns such as excessive overeating, consuming more foods high in fat and less in nutritional value, and a lack of physical activity.

The keys to maintaining a healthy weight is to exercise regularly and maintain healthy eating habits. These sound like simple tasks but I’m often surprised how many people do not know how to do this. If you would like to learn more about weight managemnet Wellness Eduction offers a program called Healthquest for UVSC students and employees. Check it out at this website http://www.uvsc.edu/wellnessed/ourservices/healthquest2.html.

Eating Healthy & Enjoying It

Eating is one of the natural joys in life. Preparing and anticipating a meal and enjoying its colors, aromas, and tastes are delightful ways of giving yourself pleasure as well as taking good care of yourself. I don’t know about you, but 90% of what and why I eat is because it tastes good. I used to think that if I wanted to eat healthy, I couldn’t enjoy my food, things just didn’t have the same taste. So often we think that if it tastes good it has to be bad for us. But it is possible to eat tasty things that are good for you. It’s just a matter of trying different things and having an open mind.
Eating right is a skill and not something that just comes naturally. There are so many options out there that are unhealthy. We have created an environment of convenience and high fat, high calorie foods. But it’s a skill that’s not hard to learn, it is possible - you just have to have a game plan. The first thing is to find foods that you like. Don’t be afraid to try different fruits and vegetables, your tastes can change. Just a few years ago I couldn’t stand cabbage or peppers, now I love them. The next step is to try different recipes. Talk with friends, check out cook books, watch cooking show, experiment, and try different spices, but don’t be afraid to try new things, the possibilities are endless.
There are some things to remember when trying to cook a healthy meal. Grilling, baking, poaching, roasting, boiling, blackening, steaming, broiling, or lightly stir-frying is healthier than deep frying and sautéing. Try to keep the amount of cream, butter and salt low. Broth soups are lower in fat than creamy soups, marinara and tomato sauces are also lower in fat than Alfredo or white sauce.

Aaahhh...School Is Starting...Don't Stress...Here's How

Just because school is starting doesn't mean you need to stress out about it. There are some things you can do to help buffer against your stress.

The first step is to identify what's stressing you out...Remember there are a few different areas that stress comes from (The Environment, Physiological, Your Thoughts, & Social Stressors).

Once you done this it's time to make a change. What are you going to do different? There are three basic options for making changes, you can either eliminate the stress, manipulate or adjust it so it works better for you or you can just accept it and try and deal with it.

After you have made the proper changes it's time to organize your life. Ask yourself, where are you spending most of your time. Is it in front of the tv or computer? Is it working, or partying? Try to have a balance of all the areas. Prioritize your time, make a schedule, write in a planner, make a to do list etc.

The last thing you should try and do is take care of yourself. Try and get enough exercise, sleep, taking breaks, eating healthy, getting plenty of water and try and have a positive attitude. Remember you have control of your own thoughts so how you react to situations can have positive or negative consequences.