Obesity is a solution, not a problem.

"Obesity is a solution, not a problem."

What a thought! When I was first listening to this on a video I had to rewind because I thought I was hearing it wrong. But once I determined my hearing is 100%, I stopped the video to think about it. So stop and think-how can obesity be a solution? Simple. Everyday we have tons of stress-physical, chemical and emotional. There's no avoiding it, however we can reduce it. Regardless, we are also responsible for how we respond to that stress. Do we eat? Work out? Meditate?  

Many people turn to food, including myself in the past, for all the wrong reasons. Ever wonder why food is really here? FUEL. Think about your daily habits revolving around food. Do you go get that mocha on the way to work because you're stressed about things at home? Do you celebrate someone's Birthday or a holiday with cake and other goodies? When you want to catch up with an old friend do you meet up for wings and beer? Or my personal favorite-'rewarding' yourself for  losing weight by going out for a nice, big pasta meal. 

I was first made aware of this when my cousin was diagnosed with a disease where her body rejects all food. She is 19 and now has been getting nutrients from a tube they placed in her stomach for about a year. My family quickly learned that holidays were much more than the insanely large meal we had been revolving it around in the past. Now we eat something small together and spend most of the time playing games or catching up on each others lives. 

So what do we do with this thought? Change! When you start to get stressed or irritable, remember that eating that piece of cake isn't going to help you at all. It's actually going to set you back for many more reasons than the fat content if you take into consideration the chemicals that are in it that will effect your body. Some awesome solutions to a stressful week at work are exercise, massage, meditation, reading or writing in a journal. I personally work out multiple times a week, get a massage every 3-4 weeks, read daily and write in a journal typically 3-4 times a week. When one of these starts to slip, I notice my stress levels rise. So give it a shot-maybe add some daily reading to your list. Try setting aside 15 minutes a day. My husband does well right before bed. I love to get time in before I leave for work in the morning to start my day off well. And we recently incorporated reading our Bible every night after we finish dinner before we get up to clean up the dishes. 

I look forward to hearing how all of you are adding new ways to reduce stress, celebrate holidays, and reward yourselves! Leave us a comment!!!

--Emily

Do you have sweet cravings? Craving sugar a lot?

For someone like me who rarely eats the sweets, being around family at holiday gatherings can be an overwhelming time for my tastebuds! Austen and I typically eat raw, sauteed or grilled fruits and veggies with chicken or pork for most meals. So coming to a meal where there are many processed foods and sweets is a party in my mouth! One might think it would be ok for just that one time, however I often find myself craving sweets or processed foods for days after those meals. Anyone else feel the same way? Here's an article I found that can help get rid of those lingering sweet cravings. I would encourage everyone to give this a shot, as that 1 milk chocolate egg after each meal does add up!

http://www.jointhereboot.com/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=465&Itemid=595&lang=en

--Emily 

Katie's Before and After 2011--->2012

The other night I was at a friend's birthday party with people I haven't seen for awhile. While I love looking and feeling better, it's still hard to hear how much better I look now. It makes me think of where I was a year ago and how my life has changed so much since then. 

Then the question that I always get asked, "What did you do to lose weight?" assuming I will say something like Weight Watchers or Kosama or Farrell's or Jenny Craig. 

I attribute becoming healthy to my mental power to eat real foods and exercise regularly. That doesn't come easy though. I needed some help LEARNING how to eat balanced meals and how to exercise regularly.  A lot of people have good intentions about getting healthy but rarely stick with anything because they see it as a short term program. I needed a good lifestyle modification program that would teach me how to live healthier. Thanks goodness for 8 Weeks to Wellness! 

But here's the important part: Even after the 8 weeks were finished, I kept going. 

I still exercise regularly (both at Waukee Wellness & Crossfit 515), and I eat real food (Paleo). Neither of these options are "fad" diets or exercise programs. They are LIFESTYLE choices I continue to make daily. Of course I still indulge once in awhile, but overall I know that my body is going to be with me the rest of my life, and I want a LONG life with awesome HEALTH! 

Should Mercy have a McDonald's?

I've written on this before, but I am quite passionate about hospital food. I spend a fair amount of time as a hospital-based doula in Central Iowa hospitals, and inevitably I end up needing food from the cafeteria. This past week, I learned of a national anti-junk food campaign that is targeting Mercy Des Moines for having a McDonald's in it. (Read Article Here)

There are two sides to this story. The anti-junk food campaign thinks that a hospital is sending a biased message: “Health professionals are devoted to caring for sick children and adults and to preventing illness,” the Boston-based group wrote to hospital administrators. “But these efforts cannot compete with the profit-driven mechanisms by which McDonald’s and the fast food industry operate their business, and the toll that McDonald’s practices have had on children’s health."

Mercy stated their opinion too: "Hospital administrators said in a prepared statement that the McDonald’s “provides an alternative to visitors and family members to dine in a familiar environment that can be a comfort, particularly for children, during stressful times. McDonald’s offers a variety of choices, including healthy foods such as salads, and provides nutrition information for its patrons.”

Katie's Opinion:

I've had to work really hard in any hospital to find something healthy to eat--whether it was at Mercy's McDonalds or any hospital cafeteria. The bottom line is that these hospitals don't care what their patients, staff, and visitors are eating. If they did, they would be offering much healthier options. I tend to get a salad (you have to pay for it by the ounce), which includes the non-nutritional iceberg lettuce, assorted bland veggies, and fattening dressing with lots of hydrogenated oils. Forget adding any protein there unless it's eggs for breakfast. It is not good protein.  If possible, I try to bring food from home. 

I've also had the privilege of working with moms who are on bed rest for the remainder of their pregnancies. Some have been on reduced-sugar diets (low carb). Instead of offering them quality proteins and fresh veggies that would make their bodies and their babies so much healthier, they can order pretty much whatever they want and only need to report how many carbs they are eating so it can be controlled with insulin. Urgh! The hospital system is obviously flawed, and at the expense of our community. 

It would seem that the place which presumably has the biggest goal of getting people healthier would make nutritious food available to its consumers. 

I'm done on my soap box. Time to go find a really colorful, organic salad somewhere!