December 2009 – Nature’s Best Painkiller
If back pain or creaky knees isn’t bad enough, the pills designed to ease the pain can have unpleasant side effects and become costly. So try this no-cost way to decrease the pain: take a long slow breath deep into your belly (see Tip of the Month for November 2009) and say “om” or “breathe” or “light”, or any word that focuses your attention – simply focusing on your breathing works too.
People who practice Zen meditation have been shown to be far less sensitive to pain than non-meditators, and they are better at coping with it. The goal isn’t to suppress pain or emotions, but to identify how they arise and how they influence you. In the Zen study, when a heat source was applied to volunteers’ calves, meditators simply noticed what they were feeling and observed it without judging it. They tolerated higher temps and did not find the pain as unpleasant or as intense as non-meditators did.
Meditation may help in a few ways: it may distract your mind, so that you react more calmly when your hot buttons get pushed (which may happen during the upcoming holiday season!). It may also help you tolerate pain by helping you bypass a blame-and-stress cycle in your brain. This bypass helps decrease stress hormones and increase pain-reducing ones.
You don’t have to go to a monastery to get started. Simply close your eyes and help clear your mind by focusing on your breathing and repeating a simple word to yourself. When your mind wanders, focus on the word again. Try to set aside 5 minutes to do this every day.
Adapted from Real Age.
November 2009: The Power Pause
Any time you want to regain your sense of personal power and calm and focus your mind and body, hit the pause button and practice this deep breathing technique.
Sit or stand with your spine erect, extending up through your crown and down through your tailbone. Draw your shoulders back and down: relax your jaw and shoulders. Place your hand on your belly just below your navel – this is your pause button. Start breathing in long, slow, deep breaths expanding your belly by drawing air deep into your lower lungs with each inhale. When you bring the air into the deepest parts of your lungs you activate the calming effects of the rest and relaxation system of your body (versus the fight or flight response system which is activated when you breath into your upper chest only). Your belly should expand out and your hand will move out just a bit with your belly. Then exhale and deflate your belly like a balloon. Repeat this breath several times. Gradually extend the exhalation for a couple of counts longer than the inhalation to deepen the benefits of this powerful calming breathing practice. Feel muscular tension dissolve and your body soften and feel mental and emotional tension evaporate as you focus on breathing and the relaxing sensations that arise.
October 2009: Eat Less, Live Longer?
Eating fewer calories may lengthen your life and improve your health…at least if you’re a monkey. Back in 1989, researchers put 76 adult rhesus monkeys on a diet with either 100% or 70% of their usual calorie intake. After 20 years, 37% of the monkeys who were eating 100% of their usual diet had died from an age-related illness like heart disease, diabetes or cancer (yes, monkeys get these diseases too). Here’s the interesting part – only 13% of the monkeys who were eating 70% of their usual diet had died of age-related illnesses. Also, the calorie-reduced group had less shrinkage in some parts of the brain, less body fat, more muscle mass, as well as more and healthier hair.
What should you do? Most people can’t or won’t cut 30% of their calories, so researchers are looking at the impact of various alternatives, like cutting calories several days a week, rather than all the time. Whatever alternatives researchers come up with, it’s a good idea to consume only the number of calories your body needs. And your body needs roughly 100 calories for every 10 pounds of body weight just to maintain its basic functions like breathing and metabolism. The more activity you add to your day, the more calories you will need to support your body’s active state. Avoid malnutrition by eating wholesome, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods and ensuring you get sufficient vitamins and minerals daily.
Reference: Nutrition Action Health Letter
September 2009: Kripalu Yoga – The Compassionate One
The proliferation of styles of yoga can be quite confusing. In November 2007, I described several different styles of Yoga. All styles of yoga in which you are practicing postures and breathing techniques are based on Hatha Yoga. This month I want to focus on Kripalu Yoga. Kripalu means being compassionate in Sanskrit. Both Kripalu Yoga and the Kripalu Yoga Center were named in honour of Swami Kripalu, a yoga master renowned in India for the depth of his compassion and the intensity of his spiritual practice. The Kripalu center is now the largest yoga and holistic health center in North America.
Like most yoga styles, Kripalu Yoga uses classic Hatha yoga postures (though not a particular set or flow), specific breath work, development of a quiet mind, and the practice of relaxation. What defines Kripalu Yoga is its emphasis: following the flow of “prana” (life-force energy), practicing compassionate self-acceptance, developing witness consciousness (observing the activity of the mind without judgment), and taking what is learned “off the mat” into daily life. Kripalu Yoga is designed to adapt to all body types, ages, fitness levels, and interests and takes into account each person’s unique body, individuality and personal expression. The Kripalu approach is an integrated one, the practice of which increases sensitivity to the body’s needs, which naturally leads to healthier choices about diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits. Observation of the mind’s activity, without judgment, helps to deepen the ability to express oneself, to truly listen to others, and to be authentic in relationships. In other words, this is yoga as a way of life where practitioners are invited to bring the fruits of practice – concentration, commitment, awareness, compassion, intention, clarity, inner peace, strength and flexibility – into all aspects of everyday life. Consistent practice creates the opportunity for extraordinary living.
Last week, I returned from an intensive month of yoga teacher training at the Kripalu center and am proud to be able to offer yoga to individuals and groups. In addition to Kripalu yoga, I offer Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Partner Yoga. Please contact me for further information on any of these offerings.
August 2009: Put your Best Foot Backward
I’ve been featuring walking a lot lately because there are so many benefits for your physical, mental and emotional health and well-being – and it’s so accessible. So, if you’ve taken the invitation to inject more walking into your life and are looking to get more out of your walking – try putting it in reverse.
Walking backward burns more calories, improves coordination and balance, and gives your heart and lungs a better workout than walking forward – as long as you maintain your speed. Why is this? It forces your leg muscles to work harder and in different ways. Just do it in a safe place (like the local school or community centre track) where you won’t bump into something and take a spill. You can benefit from walking in reverse, even if you’re recovering from certain knee or leg injuries, because it puts less stress on the knee joint compared with walking or running forward.
If you have problems with balance, walking in reverse is not recommended. If you think it sounds like something you’d like to try but you’re concerned about falling, buy a lightweight bike helmet with a rearview mirror so you can see where you’re going. Or try walking on a treadmill while holding onto the side rails; start slowly until you get the hang of it. Then, just put one foot behind the other. Step for step at the same speed, you’ll get bigger benefits going backwards!
Adapted from: Real Age
July 2009: 10 Ways to be Healthy, Happy and Wise
1. Move your body! Your body was built for movement. And movement keeps your brain, heart and spirit healthy and young too.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle.
4. Spend time every day doing something you enjoy, that brings inner peace…even a simple thing like watching a beautiful sunset.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Science has proven that laughter boosts “good” HDL cholesterol, lowers stress hormones and other markers of disease.
6. Cultivate within yourself an attitude of hope. Tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help from a Personal Trainer or Body Coach.
9. Don’t take guilt trips or play blame games. Take a trip into nature, or to play a game of volley ball, but not to where the guilt and blame are.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. Fill each day with as much love as it can possibly hold.
Try this simple practice: Everyday write down three good, happy, pleasant, joyful, blessed things that happened in your life that day, like a wave of gratitude from the person you let in front of you on the highway.
June 2009: How Intense is Moderate Intensity Walking?
Way back in February 2006, the first tip of the month recommended walking 10,000 steps a day to maintain health and wellbeing. The intensity of your walking contributes to the health and fitness benefits you will gain from walking.
A new study has determined that a rate of at least 100 steps per minute achieves moderate intensity activity. So if you walk for 30 minutes, you should aim for 3000 steps to get the most health and fitness benefits from your walking. A simple pedometer and a wristwatch are all the tools you need. Since health benefits can be achieved with bouts of exercise lasting as little as 10 minutes, a useful starting point is to try and accumulate 1000 steps in 10 minutes. Then build up to 3000 steps in 30 minutes as you make your way to 10,000 steps in a day.
Check out these previous monthly tips for more information on walking and aerobic exercise:
* 2009 March, April, May
* 2008 February, August, September, December
* 2007 February, September
References: Heart and stroke Foundation
May 2009: You Must Remember This
Want to boost your brain size? Go for a brisk walk every day. Aerobic exercise reverses the shrinkage of the memory regions of the brain that occur naturally as we age (and don’t forget that aging begins at conception!).
Many studies have reported links between exercise and the risk of Alzheimer’s or less serious memory loss. So far the best way to preserve your brain is, starting in middle age to:
* Exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day
* Lose (or don’t gain) excess weight
* Keep blood pressure under control
* Stay socially and mentally engaged
If you think you’ve passed middle age, it’s never too late to start in order to gain the health benefits of physical activity and exercise.
References: Nutrition Action Health Letter April, 2009
April 2009: Getting More Physically Active
Spring has sprung and it’s time to get outdoors and enjoy the longer days, especially if you’ve been hibernating through the winter. The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that adults get 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity, most days of the week. Children should be active 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week. You can fit physical activity in throughout your day like walking to work, taking a physical activity break at lunch time, or playing with the kids after dinner. That way it’s easy and fun, and not such an overwhelming time commitment. Here are some things to keep in mind as you inject more movement into your days.
* If you’re just starting out, go slow and work up gradually. Have an action plan for each season, so that the weather doesn’t get in the way. Work physical activity into your daily life in little ways by taking a walk around the block, playing with your kids, or dancing to your favourite music.
* List the activities you like (swimming, bowling, biking) and the rewards you hope to gain (better heart health, reduced stress, more toned body). Then plan how to make these activities part of your daily routine. At work, carve out 10 minutes to walk during lunch. If you have children, ask your family, friends or neighbours to pitch in to watch the kids while you take that dance class you’ve always wanted to take.
* Involve your family and friends in your physical activity program, or work with a Personal Trainer or Body Coach. You’ll gain support and companionship. You don’t need to go it alone!
* Keep at it, and within three months or less, you’ll notice a big difference in your fitness level. You’ll feel better, have more energy, sleep more soundly and reduce your stress.
* Here are some seasonal physical activities you may want to make a regular habit:
SPRING AND SUMMER: Biking, Gardening, Golfing, Hiking, Inline skating, Playing baseball, basketball, Frisbee, kickball, soccer, tag, volleyball, Skipping rope, Swimming, Tennis, Walking, Water aerobics (aqua fitness).
FALL AND WINTER: Bowling, Dancing, Hiking, Ice skating, Lifting weights, Mall walking, Playing hockey, Skiing, Sledding, Snow shoeing, Snowboarding, Stretching, Tobogganing, Yoga.
OTHER IDEAS: Bicycle or walk to work, Climb the stairs instead of taking the escalator or elevator, Get off the bus or subway a stop earlier and walk to work and home, Make appointments for walking meetings with your co-workers, Take the kids to school on foot, Park the car further away from your destination, Walk to the corner store, bank and post office, Wash and wax the car by hand.
References: Heart and stroke foundation
March 2009: Secrets of Successful Losers
The National Weight Control Registry was founded to study the behaviours of “successful losers.” Those studied lost an average of 72 pounds, with a minimum weight loss of 30 pounds, and were able to keep the weight off for at least 5 years. There were 7 common factors among those who were successful in maintaining their weight loss.
* Eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet. Those studied ate, on average 1,385 calories per day, with about 26% coming from fat. 26% fat may seem high, but it’s lower than the typical North American diet, which consists of simple carbs and ready-to-eat, low-cost processed food. Fast food visits were limited to less than ONE per month.
* Participating in a high level of physical activity. Those studied burned an average of over 2,600 calories per day. This came from doing normal, everyday physical activity, plus a lot of walking. In fact, over 75% of the participants included walking as a form of exercise. Think it can’t be done? The next time you go somewhere, try parking a little farther away and walking, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get off the bus or subway one stop sooner, or walk the dog around the block the next time you want to reach for a snack. It’s a great way to get in a little more physical activity into your life.
* Limiting TV viewing. Have you ever heard anyone say that they don’t have time for exercise, yet, they also say they watch 3 hours of TV a night? Instead of plopping down in front of the TV find other things to do. Why not take this time to pop in your favorite exercise DVD? Take a walk with your kids, read a book, or take a class. Not only will it get you moving, it also stimulates your brain in a way that TV viewing can’t and it can kill that urge for mindless snacking while watching TV.
* Eating breakfast. Those studied rarely skipped breakfast. After “fasting” all night, your body actually needs the energy that a healthy breakfast can provide. Eating breakfast makes you less likely to grab that pastry in the kitchen at work or run out for fast food at lunchtime. It also keeps your metabolism going, so that your body doesn’t shift into the “protect and conserve” mode.
* Maintaining dietary consistency. To the successful weight losers “diet” is not a bad word. They are always consistent with how many calories they are eating. There is no “cheat” day or falling off of the wagon during holidays or vacations.
* Maintaining a high level of dietary restraint. This goes along with factor #5. Those who are successful at weight loss are always conscious about the types of foods that go in their mouths. When you are trying to maintain your hard-deserved weight loss, be conscious of the types of foods you are eating. One hundred calories of your favorite candy treat are not the same as 100 calories of a protein shake. But, if you “mess up,” don’t beat yourself up. Those who are successful at keeping the weight off jump right back in where they left off, which leads us to the last common factor . . .
* Frequent self-weighing. Seventy-five percent of the people studied weighed themselves at least once a week. This allowed them to keep track of any weight gain (or loss) and to address it before it became a “big” problem. Also included in this self-monitoring behavior was the continued counting of calories and fat grams or logging food eaten. This continued “reinforcement” goes a long way toward keeping you on track for a slimmer today and healthier tomorrow.
References: UBC Wellness Letter
February 2009: The Myth of Multitasking
A Roman philosopher once said, “to do two things at once is to do neither.” As you read this, are you checking your voice mail, getting a call or thinking about what you have to do today? A lot of people think that multitasking is a good thing. Why, then, have some provinces banned using a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA – like a Blackberry) while driving, and regulated wearing a headset if you use a phone? The reality is that our skills drop when we are doing two things at once, even if they are mundane tasks. And, it’s hard to truly listen to anyone while you are doing something else at the same time.
Research done by The Basex Group found that, on average, there is $650 billion in lost productivity in North America due to multitasking. We lose about 2 hours a day and over 28 per cent of our day is spent dealing with interruptions. Not to mention the number of errors that result when trying to do multiple tasks at the same time. The principle called “switching costs” results when we interrupt what we are doing and do something else. When we go back to our original task, it takes more time for us to get back into the flow and complete the task than it would have if we had not been interrupted.
The 5 most common interruptions at work are:
* A colleague stopping by
* Being called away or leaving your desk voluntarily
* The arrival of new email
* Switching to another task on the computer
* A phone call.
How do you solve this issue? We often need to do multiple projects at once. The key is to break up tasks into pieces that you are able to start and finish. Then, respond to that email that you were alerted to while working on your project. Here are some simple ways to help you break your multitasking habit:
* Recognize that multitasking isn’t a more effective or efficient way to work
* Understand and measure the truth about how you use your time
* Create a realistic time budget per week
* Schedule recurring appointments with key people
* Set specific hours when you are available and not available
* Schedule specific time to return phone calls and email messages
* If you have a computer or PDA, turn off the alarms
* If you have a schedule, use it and share it with others.
Managing multitasking is ultimately about working with higher quality, less stress and the benefit of better quality relationships. In the end, you will have more time for a higher quality of life.
Reference: “The Myth of Multitasking: How “doing it all” gets nothing done”, by Dave Crenshaw
January 2009: Remembering you all year long
To be in touch with ourselves means to be aware of our internal feelings and our circumstances, while remembering what our purpose is. This activity is called “self-remembering” and it is essential to our functioning and fulfillment, whether this has to do with our physical, mental or spiritual health.
When we “self-remember” we return to our:
* deep personal commitments
* freedom to choose
* responsibility to everyone, and
* resourcefulness and resilience.
Self-remembering is like a mini-retreat or a quick visit to a trusted friend. We are refreshed, re-inspired and renewed. We find again our strength to stay on course, unswayed by pressures. We are immediately filled with meaning. The situation we might be in itself is no different, but we are in it in a way that makes it different. Possibilities open – new connections become apparent – we are more resolved and more patient.
Setting up structures makes it easier for us to self-remember. The practice below is a way to help you begin to make self-remembering a habit in your life. Try out this practice every day for the next 3 months. By then it will have taken deep roots and will serve you for the rest of your life whether you are looking to become more fit, lose weight, or have more energy, vitality or peace in your life.
It will help to set up reminders or to engage the help of supportive friends to encourage you in doing this practice. Pause three times a day and ask yourself the following questions:
* What is the central intention in my life right now?
* Who am I really?
* Who am I serving right now by what I am doing?
* What possibility, what freedom can I create right now?
Adapted from New Ventures West
Give yourself the gift of self-remembering in 2009
Empowering the Whole Person