Weekly Health Challenge: Serve with a Side of Self-Control

Hello dear readers!

Again, I apologize for my severe lacking-ness of blog postings.  However, I'm trying my best.  I also now have to write this blog for part of an independent study class, so postings will come more frequently!  Hopefully.  That's always the hope.  Speaking of hope, I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July and remembered some of my very valuable health tips on that day! ; ) 

I know I have new readers now, so for those of you who are new - I'll quick introduce myself again.  My name is Samantha, I work in endocrinology/diabetes/nutrition research at the Mayo Clinic.  This blog is not endorsed by the Mayo Clinic in any way - but I just post about what I learn, read, discover, ect.  I've taken numerous nutrition classes, health classes, read scientific journals regularly, do research on obesity, and more.  So I take what I learn - and translate it into fun, readable material.  My passion is health and wellness.  If you have questions please post in the Q&A section - I plan to answer those on a weekly basis.  I'll be posting a new recipe, oddball workout, and more today so look for those!  Please feel free to email me if you have private questions or would like me to perform a diet analysis on what you are eating!  Enjoy!

On to today's quick posting!

Self-Control, Please!



To put it really simply, our culture has a self-control issue.  A big one.  Self-control is probably one of the largest factors in controlling weight issues.  The idea that we just have to have it or we deserve it or we can't survive without it leads to over eating. 

Challenge:  Every time you eat this week, whether it be a meal or a snack, exercise a small amount of conscious self-control. 

How to do it: At every meal, either skip out on taking something, or leave something behind on the plate.  Some of the things I've done include: asking for no bun with my hamburger at restaurants, skip out on a second helping of mashed potatoes on holidays, having a water before pop rule (must consume a gallon of water in a day before I can have a can of soda - when I used to drink soda), not using salt on my veggies, having the waitress box up 1/2 of the pasta dish before I get it, passing up croutons on my salad, exchanging ranch dressing for vinaigrette, using less condiments on my foods, passing up white breads whenever possible, and the list goes on.....  

Write it on your hand every morning if you have to.  Write it on a post-it note at your desk, at the fridge, on your bathroom mirror.  Whatever it takes.  Make it your mantra this week: Self-Control, Self-Control, Self-Control! 

Choose happiness, choose self-control.  The more that you make small self-control decisions, the more "power" you will gain over your body.  That sounds odd, and slightly creepy but its true.  Start making small decisions and eventually you'll be able to say no to those Special-K bars all together (still working on this one...these are my personal weakness). 

But start little.  When you are training for a marathon, you don't run 26 miles on day one.  You start with one, or even half of a mile, and build your way up.  Same with this.  Start little, build up.  But know that the goal is attainable, and is not out of reach. 

Stay tuned. 

Weekly Challenge: No White This Week

Hello dear readers!

Once again I've failed to be consistent!  I had my GRE test this weekend (Saturday), so I was a bit of a crazy mess until it was finally over.  Now, I feel as though a good weight has been lifted and I can blog once again!  Hip hip hooray for health! I know its Monday tomorrow, but lets all just try and enjoy the week.  After all, whats better then a mid-week break?! 

On to this weeks health challenge...its going to definitely be a challenge, considering this week is the fourth of July!  Good luck....

Challenge for the weeek: NO WHITE FOR A WEEK.


What does this mean you ask?  No "white?" Yes, no white. You heard me. 

None of this:



*Gasps* from the reader.  This guy, is a nasty fellow.  Just look at how sinister he looks! 

The Why:
White bread is bleached flour.  Most of the fiber that was in it - has been removed.  When the fiber is removed, it becomes a simple carb.  You're body treats simple carbs like sugar.  When you ingest white bread, because you're body treats it like sugar, your insulin levels rise.  Because your insulin levels rise, you're body in turn stores this into fat cells.

You wouldn't eat bleach.  Don't eat bleached flour. 

So when you're at the family picnic this Wednesday, just remember "the whiter the bread, the quicker your dead" and maybe you will stay away from white bread. 

For those of you who say, "I only eat whole wheat!" (with a triumphant face) please feel inclined to take this challenge to the next level.  Eat 100% whole grains this week. 

Please let me know how this one goes. 

Stay tuned.

Day 5: Health Tip - Your Body is NOT a Landfill

Hello dear readers!


How are you this fine Sunday afternoon?  Thanks to all of you lovely individuals the blog has hit 500 readers!  This is not a lot in blog terms, but it feels nice knowing that someone, somewhere, reads the information I throw into space.  So, thank you!  I appreciate you.


I would really like to hear more from you all however, especially in the "reviews" section of this page.  Please post things under that tab that you have heard about: fish oil, fad diets, P90X, certain herbs, remedies, ect.  I am itching to do research on things that you care about!  Post away!


Onto today's health tip.

This is a landfill.  

Trash is dumped here.  Don't dump trash into you.  Thats not where it belongs.

Many of us treat our bodies like they are landfills.  For most of us, it is not a conscious effort.  We just eat without thinking.  We eat when we are bored, stressed, happy, sad, angry, surprised, excited, rewarded, punished, scared, and the list continues.  We also eat when we are in front of the TV, video games, Facebook, the kindle, the nook, and this list also continues.  

Pair emotional eating with 'electronical' eating?  That, my friends, is a dangerous duo.  Because then we are not only eating "trashy" foods, we are also eating in a way that our stomach and brain do not communicate with each other.  Basically, you have a distorted perception of when you are actually full.  

This is where I suggest the concept of "conscious eating."  Books have been written about this stuff, its not an original idea.  But I suggest thinking before you eat, and when you eat.  Don't just shove things down the hole in your mouth.  For example, people will place open bowls of candy on their counters, like M&M's, peanut butter cups, chocolate kisses, ect.  Many times they will correspond to the season or holiday.  I know, because I grew up with one of these "candy bowls" on our kitchen counter.  Mom, I'm sorry to use our house as an example, forgive me.  

But basically, you'll walk past that bowl twenty times in a given day and almost every time you'll say "oh its just two pieces of candy," munch, munch, munch.  Not thinking.  

Or, you won't think to realize what you are eating because your emotional.  This particularly pertains to the females.  One cliche I can think of is "my boyfriend broke up with me - so I need ice cream!"  NO you don't! He is not worth shoving your face full of empty calories.  Your heart may be empty... doesn't mean you have to eat empty too.  

Or, people will get really stressed out - and eat.  People will get a raise at work - and eat.  People will have a death in the family - and cope by eating.  

You put gasoline (or diesel, or E85) in your car because it runs best off of gas.  You don't put maple syrup in your car because you will die, or something.  

You feed your hamster hamster food.  You don't feed your hamster baby alligators (in this instance, I can confidently say - it would die).  

Same with your body.

Stop feeding your body food and drinks that it doesn't want.  You are literally killing your body (faster) by doing so.  It just takes longer then baby alligators eating your pet hamster.  

Think before you eat.  Your body is not a landfill.  

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post.