Three-Minute Stretch with Chris Heslin
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“If You’re Disciplined and work at it, you can do it!”
Like so many of us, Jim’s weight crept up over the years. His first serious attempt at weight loss was in a Fasting Program at the Positive Choice Integrative Wellness Center. He lost the excess weight quickly but went back to old habits and re-gained. Feeling frustrated, he decided fasting wasn’t for him, so he joined a Healthy Balance full-food program. It was in this program he started building a practice of eating healthy foods. His counselor Kay started every class with exercise and 10 minutes of meditation; and it was Kay’s introduction to the benefits of meditation that Jim credits with his continued meditation practice. Since his class with Kay, he has logged in over 1349 days straight of meditation on his mobile app called Calm. As long as Jim was participating in a Healthy Balance class he did well, but over time the demands of his work life took over and the long hours made it impossible for him to attend class. A busy teacher, baseball, and football coach meant 12 to 14-hour days and a lot of stress. He let go of his Healthy Balance program and the healthy habits and started to rely on the convenience of processed meals and fast food. His blood sugars crept up as did his cholesterol and blood pressure. One summer, Jim’s work load increased significantly as he was assigned a major project designing a county-wide High School field trip for the National Park Service at Cabrillo National Monument. His thoughts we’re “I’ll get back to eating right, exercising, and stress management when this project is done.” Sadly, just as Jim was completing the project he suffered a major stroke at the age of 61. Jim was forced into retirement before he was ready and the sudden loss of work, being home, and the demands physically of recovering from a stroke left Jim feeling depressed and anxious. His weight crept up, he couldn’t exercise, his health issues worsened. Jim decided to get back into another Healthy Balance program. He had to wait a month to get into a group, but he was so motivated he started on his own practicing the many things he had learned from Kay. In this new...
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Give Your Body and Mood a Boost!
Exercise can help boost your mood. Getting regular exercise is important for not only good physical health, but it can provide benefits for mental health. It promotes the release of feel-good brain chemicals. The first thing you might think of when it comes to exercise and feeling good is what is commonly known as runner’s high. This describes the release of endorphins that your brain experiences when you physically exert yourself. Endorphins are a type of neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger. They help relieve pain and stress and are only one of many neurotransmitters released when you exercise. Physical activity also stimulates the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These brain chemicals play an important part in regulating your mood. For example, regular exercise can positively impact serotonin levels in your brain. Raising your levels of serotonin boosts your mood and overall sense of well-being. It can also help improve your appetite and sleep...
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Don’t Let Food Cravings Derail Your New Year Resolutions!
Twenty-eight scientific studies indicate that bumping up your cardio/strength training and eating a plant-based diet greatly curbs food cravings and can keep you focused on your goals for a healthier...
Read MoreEAT THE WHOLE EGG IF YOU WANT BETTER RECOVERY FROM WORKOUTS AND MUSCLE REPAIR! A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign found that people who ate whole eggs after a workout recovered better than those who skipped the yolks and only ate egg whites. There was a dramatic difference between the two groups in how their muscles recovered from workouts. Those who ate the whole eggs had a 40% greater muscle building response compared to those who ate the same amount of egg-white protein but didn’t eat the yolk. Egg yolks contain proteins and other key nutrients that are not present in egg whites. The mechanism of what and how egg yolks boost our body’s ability to regenerate and repair muscle is not yet known. If you do decide to eat eggs, keep them to a minimum and make sure your plate is 3/4 full of plant-based foods. Purchase organic and free range when...
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