Feel Good About Yourself, You Deserve It

In so many ways the media has declared war on men and women’s self esteem. Youthful, funny, skinny, outgoing, good looking people are always portrayed as successful and popular characters. The reality is that the average model is size 2 while the average American woman is size 12. What the media portrays is unrealistic and it is imperative that we learn to look past what is portrayed as “ideal” and find peace within our own bodies and minds. I love the quote… “The true definition of beauty is like a fingerprint: Everyone's is uniquely their own.” –Julia Davis

Consider this…

“If you talked to your friends the way you talk to your body, you’d have no friends left at all.” –Marcia Hutchinson, author, Transforming Body Image

Make changes to feel better about yourself. The more confident you are about yourself the more confident others will feel around you.

• Choose to value yourself based on your goals, talents, and character.
  
• Be realistic about your size and shape.
  
• Work towards self-acceptance and self-forgiveness.

Strength Training: Get Fit for Summer

Summer is just around the corner and most of us can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the weather. It seems to be the time of year when people are especially concerned about “looking good” in their swimwear. Some people accomplish this by going to the gym or working out. The stereotype may be that men go to the gym to “bulk up” and use the weights the most, while women go to use an elliptical machine. The truth is, most everyone can benefit from a little bit of strength training. Not only will it help tone and shape your body, but it also provides benefits such as; healthier bones, weight control, increased strength, more energy, improved heart health, and an overall improved quality of life. Strength training should be done at least two times per week and if you want to train more, muscles should have at least 24 hours of rest before they are trained again.

If you are already a person who loves to strength train or a person who has no desire to ever touch a dumbbell, the great news is that there is a type of strength training for everyone. Strength training can be done through the traditional route of weights, dumbbells and barbells; but people can also use less intimidating devices such as resistance bands that weigh less than three ounces or your own body weight. Even programs such as Pilates and Yoga can be good strength training activities. The point is, you will love the benefits that come from strength training and there isn’t a better time to start than now. Our Healthquest program (a 10-12 week health behavior change program covering all aspects of a healthy body) has a session specifically for strength training and it cost only $25 for the whole program, or $5 per topic. This program is available for UVSC faculty, staff and students. Contact Amy Grubbs at 863-8127 or visit our website at www.uvsc.edu/wellnessed for more information.

Change Your Thinking For Stress Relief

Self-defeating thoughts, negative self-talk, and irrational beliefs are the cause of much of the stress in our lives. Most people are not aware of their stress-producing thinking. Through a technique known as cognitive restructuring, we can learn to recognize and change unhealthy thoughts and attitudes so that we can reduce stress and the physical symptoms related to it.

Unhealthy thinking often produces negative emotions, such as anxiety, fear, sadness, frustration, anger, or guilt. These negative emotions can in turn result in physical problems, such as headaches or fatigue, or behavior problems, such as irritability with friends or addictions. With cognitive restructuring, you first learn to identify your own cycle of thoughts, emotions, physical symptoms, and behavior. Then you learn to change your thinking, which can reduce stress, improve your relationships, and benefit your health.

Try this for yourself. What is one negative thought you are constantly telling yourself? Maybe it’s something like – “I hate this class, it makes me feel so dumb. I am dumb. I never understand what the teacher is talking about. I am never going to pass this class.” Take that thought and instead change it to – “This class is really hard, I am really struggling with it. Also I’m sure other people are struggling too, we should get a study group together and help each other.”

Changing your thoughts and your attitude can make a huge difference in the amount of stress you feel in your life. Take a minute each time you have a negative thought to change it to something that is more positive and will work for you.

Sodium

Living on a budget, cooking for just one person and not having a lot of time are three of the top reasons why college students eat the way they do. In our department we have encountered many college students that either eat out a lot, or eat prepackaged food. One of the concerns with this is the amount of sodium that are in these items.

We should only be consuming > 500 mg a day but < 2300 mg or 1 tsp of sodium a day. but the average American gets over 2.5 tsp of sodium a day. There are some health concerns associated with large consumption of sodium so reading the nutrition label is important when shopping for food.

Some of the wording can be tricky so here is a guide to use.
Sodium free or no sodium: Less than 5 milligrams of sodium and no sodium chloride in ingredients
Very low sodium: 35 milligrams or less of sodium
Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium
Reduced or less sodium: At least 25 percent less sodium than the regular product
Unsalted: Made w/o salt, but still contains the sodium that’s a natural part of the food itself.

For more info come and see Wellness Ed in SC 221.

Anxiety

We have all experienced feeling worried or nervous at some point in our life and for most of us, it is a part of our everyday life. These feelings are not all together bad. As a matter of fact, mild to moderate feelings of anxiety can help us focus our energy, attention, and be motivated. However, when anxiety becomes severe, you can experience feelings of helplessness, confusion, and extreme worry. Anxiety causes both physical and emotional symptoms. A few of these symptoms are trembling, sweating or cold, clammy hands, sleep problems, irritability, inability to concentrate, and/or constant feelings of sadness.

Although sometimes professional treatment is needed, here are some simple tips to help manage anxiety by managing stress in your life:

1. Managing your time by setting priorities, say no when you need to, and avoid procrastination by using a planner or breaking down large projects into smaller chunks
2. Building healthy coping strategies by writing thought and feelings in a journal or using relaxation techniques
3. Build a good lifestyle by finding balance, getting plenty of sleep (7-9 hours a night), and finding a sense of purpose in life
4. Have a good social support system filled with people you love and trust
5. Change thinking to more positive and practical thoughts to avoid triggering the bodies stress response
*Information from WebMD

TAKING BREAKS: Tips to avoid breakdown and burnout

Our bodies are resilient and built to work, but they are not invincible. Research has shown that no matter what type of work you are doing it will be most productive if you take breaks. Our body’s ultradian rhythms control our energy flow throughout the day. During the first hour of a task our heart rate, brain waves, hormonal levels, and muscle tension all increase. When that hour is up somewhere between 90-120 minutes our body tells us we need a break by yawning, wanting to stretch, or we start to have difficulty concentrating. When we experience these symptoms we should listen to our bodies and take a break. We need not feel guilty because the truth is that the break will help us work better anyway.

We are capable of over-riding these natural cycles, but only by summoning the fight-or-fight response and flooding our bodies with stress hormones that are designed to handle emergencies. The long term cost is that toxins build up inside of us and we can only push for so long without breaking down and burning out. - Power of Full Engagement- Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

Weight Management Watch

So a couple of months has passed since a lot of us have set our New Year's Resolutions. We should be asking ourselves, how it's going, evaluating our habits and revisiting our goals. I'm sure there are those that have put Weight Management on their goal sheet so here are a couple of things to remember when you are trying to lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight...

Remember: It's healthy to lose about 1-2 lbs a week. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories so if we decrease our calories anywhere from 500-1000 calories a day we can lose 1-2 lbs per week.

Remember: Many of people who have weight issues have an environment that supports our habits so if we clean out our refrigerators, cuboards, desks, backpacks, cars etc and throw away foods that might not be the best choices.

Once you've cleaned out your food it's time to shift our choices to be more healthy. For instance if you had cookies, sugary snacks replace them with fruit or low fat pudding, frozen yogurt etc. If you had white bread, pasta or rice try and switch to 100% whole grain bread, 100% whole grain pasta, 100% whole grain rice.

These are just a few ideas of how to manage your weight...for more in depth health behavior change come to Wellness Education and try out our Healthquest program or sign up online.

Prescription Drug Trap

So here’s the deal with prescription drugs. Prescription drugs have allowed people world-wide to fight off otherwise deadly or harmful diseases, they are one of this century’s greatest assets, but they have their place. Unfortunately, many Americans are choosing to abuse the privilege of having these drugs available. Some people get caught in the addictive trap and cannot find a way out. If overused or used inappropriately, prescription drugs can be detrimental to health and lifestyle. The fact is that Utah residents use more pain medications per capita than people in any other state in the US, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is likely that you or someone you know is dealing with this issue. Here are some resources for help or additional information:
Medline: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/prescriptiondrugabuse.html
National Institute on Drug Abuse: www.nida.nih.gov

Getting Enough Sleep?

Before Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb, people slept an average of 10 hours a night. Today Americans average 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours per night on weekends. The majority of American adults (63%) do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep needed for good health, safety, and optimum performance.

Here are some tips that may help you sleep…
1. Exercise regularly, but finish your workout at least three ours before bedtime.

2. Avoid foods and drinks high in sugar (including honey and syrup), caffeine (coffee, colas, teas, chocolate) and alcohol before bedtime. Avoid large meals and limit fluid intake before bed. Try a healthy snack so you are not too full or too hungry.

3. Try to have a standard relaxing bedtime routine. A relaxing routine right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep. Also, make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and quiet and that your pillows and bed provide you with comfort.

4. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends. As we get less than 7-8 hours of sleep we create a sleep debt. We often think that we can “pay back” on this debt, but that is not how our bodies work. As you stay on a regular sleep schedule, you will prevent the debt and it will be easier to get up in the morning and feel like you have enough energy throughout the day.

If you have sleep problems…Try these tips and record your sleep and sleep-related activities in a sleep diary. If problems continue, discuss the sleep diary with your doctor.

Love Your Body

How often do you look in the mirror and say "If I could just lose ten pounds, then I would be happy"? Unfortunately, the majority of Americans are dissatisfied with their bodies, and many take extreme measures in an attempt to change their bodies. For example, one study found that 63% of participants identified weight as the key factor in determining how they felt about themselves -- more important than family, school, or career. Having an unhealthy body image is not inborn, but learned. This learning occurs in the family and among peers, but these only reinforce what is learned and expected culturally.

Developing a Healthy Body Image
1. Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry.
2 .Be realistic about the size you are likely to be based on your genetic and environmental history.
3. Exercise regularly in an enjoyable way, regardless of size.
4. Expect normal weekly and monthly changes in weight and shape
5. Work towards self acceptance and self forgiveness
6. Ask for support and encouragement from friends and family when life is stressful.
7. Decide how you wish to spend your energy -- pursuing the "perfect body image" or enjoying family, friends, school and, most importantly, life.

Healthy body weight is the size a person naturally returns to after a long period of both non-compulsive eating* and consistent exercise commensurate with the person' s physical health and condition. We must learn to advocate for ourselves and our children to aspire to a naturally determined size, even though that will often mean confronting misinformed family, friends, and media advertising again and again.

For more information come visit our “Love your body” education fair on February 21st and 22nd in the UVSC Hall of Flags.
Adapted from BodyLove: Learning to Like Our Looks and Ourselves, Rita Freeman, Ph.D.

Are you aware of what's going on around you?

Have you ever been so preoccupied you haven't noticed people around you, or you don't quite remember the last five minutes of driving, or your mind is wandering in class and you can't concentrate. This is due to lack of mindfulness. So much of our lives is spent thinking about the past or planning for the future that we miss what is happening in the here-and-now.

Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment in a particular way: on purpose and without judgment. We live our lives on automatic pilot - not really being aware of what we are thinking, feeling, or doing. Diminished awareness of the present moment severely limits the ability to live to the fullest and to respond to situations with choice rather than reacting automatically.

Tips on how to be more mindful?
Mindfulness can be cultivated through meditation, yoga, and other mind-body practices. These practices help us access powerful inner resources for coping effectively with stress and difficulties.

To see how mindful you are go http://www.uvsc.edu/wellnessed/screenings/mindfulness.html

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.