If you live in Canada you KNOW what a “Timmies run” is.
If you are on a weight loss plan you KNOW that the fewer
“Timmies runs” you indulge in the better.
The following was circulating all over computers
everywhere this week. I do not know where
is originated, but as they say … “Many a truth is spoken in jest”.
If you live in a place that does not have Tim Horton’s …
easy … just substitute the name of your favourite local coffee
establishment. I’m sure the same
“commandments” apply.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FROM THE BOOK OF TIM’S
1. Thou shalt not go through the drive-through if you are
ordering for your son's entire soccer team. It's called eternity for a
reason.
2. Nay but once a week, thou shalt avert thine eyes from
the apple fritters.
3. Thou shalt not order 'triple, triple' unless you are
under 12.
4. Thou shalt not spend 10 minutes in line with the three
whining progeny beget of your loins, and only when you get to the counter
utter: "So what does everyone want?"
5. Thou shalt utter no heresies in the temple. The sizes
are small, medium and large, not short, tall, grande. If you utter venti,
thou shalt be cast out of the temple.
6. Thou shalt hold true that there are no calories in the
muffin top. Nay, all wickedness and calories are
cast into the
parchment-enclosed nether world. Order two muffins, eat the tops and cast out
the bottoms. In this way, a man shall be fed with two loaves and no calories.
A miracle!
7. Thou shalt not wait until your order has been rung in
before beginning the search for your wallet in that duffle bag you are
calling a purse.
8. Thou shalt never order a dozen sour cream glazed, and
then ask the clerk for a 'nutrition guide.' For the love of Tim, they are
doughnuts, not carrots!
9. Honour thy father and thy mother, and bring them their
old-fashion plain.
10. Dieters, thou shall not covet thy neighbour's Boston
cream, but rather rejoice for the svelte are few and far between.
Don’t even get me started on the fact that everyone has a
cell phone camera now, so “photo ops” happen without a second’s notice … and
selfies? My arms are just not long
enough to get a selfie that I would want anyone to see.
Some people are just naturally photogenic, but I am not one
of them.
Unfortunately, there are some situations where I cannot duck
into another room to be “accidentally absent” or hide behind the group to
camouflage my body. I always think I
look bovine in pictures. Other times,
such as at the TIFF red carpet event I was lucky enough to attend, when Colin
Firth was standing right beside me … yup … I wanted my picture taken just for
the bragging rights. (And YES –
he is that good looking in real life!)
So why am I even mentioning this in a “weight loss”
blog? Well, whether you have five
pounds to lose or fifty-five, there is always an event sometime throughout the
year where you know you are going to have to face the dreaded camera. Despite your best planning and effort you
may not have reached you goal weight yet or you fell just shy of where you
wanted to be – weight wise – for the particular event. You know that at weddings, anniversaries and
birthday celebrations those flashbulbs are going to be popping like Lindsay
Lohan got caught leaving a nightclub.
Not to mention the fact that the camera automatically adds
between 10 and 20 pounds.
Aaaargh!
What can you do to look better (thinner) in photos?
The experts tell us the following:
Put
your tongue on the roof of your mouth before the photo is taken. This naturally pulls the chin upward,
making you look slimmer.
Extend
your face slightly forward to erase a double chin.
Stand
slightly sideways from the camera, with your weight on your back
foot. This position shrinks the
width of your body.
Position
your arms slightly away from you upper body by holding your hand on your
hip or putting it on you thigh.
This simple change make your arms look toned.
Pull
your shoulders back and imagine a string pulling your head upward. This tried and true model trick
improves your posture, while creating a longer, leaner line.
Figure
out your “good side”. I know! I know! But really, everyone has one
and it is usually the left side.
Use
the available light to your advantage.
When you are inside, always stand facing wherever the light is
coming from. It will erase
everything from wrinkles to bags under your eyes. Whether inside or outside, don’t stand
in direct sunlight because it will cast shadows.
Play
for the camera. Standing there
frozen with the deer in the headlights look is a recipe for disaster in
pictures. If it looks like you are
having fun, then the picture will look better … and more natural!
Sometimes,
you just have to say NO to having your picture taken. According to
http://www.garancedore.fr/en/2013/04/23/7-ways-to-look-better-in-photos
. “Sometimes, conditions are
perfect for a horrible photo.
You’ve just spent the whole night out, you’re exhausted, the light
is horrible, you’re wearing the Big Lebowski clothes (it happens to
everyone), you’re sweating, your hair looks like it just spent three days
at Katz, oh, well, it’s just not your day. Say no to the photo. Simple as that. Okay, if you really cannot say no, do
what the fashion editors do; put on the biggest pair of sunglasses you can
find!”
I'm not sure where I came across this affirmation. I only know that I liked it at the time and still like it now. It seemed somehow appropriate for a Random Thought on Thursday.
I make bookmarks to give as small gifts in my TOPS group ... sometimes to someone who is struggling a little, as we all do at times. I think this would make an excellent one. A good reminder of how and why we persevere.
Well, we've passed the Labour Day Long weekend so I guess we are well on our way into fall. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I post my Monday Night TOPS Meeting Topics here, and since it was a long weekend there was no meeting this week and this upcoming Monday we are having our annual TOPS picnic. Granted it is supposed to be held sometime during the summer ... but long story I won't bore you with ... we are having it in September.
I can across this pic on www.pinterest.com and thought it was interesting enough to share here.
My best friend 'M' is also a member of my TOPS group. She brought in this "Tip for TOPS" in the form of a quote ...
"If nothing changes then nothing changes"
It certainly makes sense in terms of weight loss, doesn't it? I wanted to credit the correct author of the quote and discovered the whole quote reads ...
"Nothing changes if nothing changes, and if I keep doing what I've always done, I'll keep getting what I've always got, and will keep feeling what I always felt."
The TOPS groups in my area have been given a challenge this summer ... each week one group member had the responsibility of bringing in and exercise that (1) the group can do together at the beginning of the meeting, (2) is "do-able" by all group members and, (3) can easily be done at home throughout the remainder of the week.
My members have been great about bringing in ideas ranging from yoga stretches to exercises you can do at your desk to relieve stress. I came across this one in my treasure trove of things I have "filed to use at a future date". That's kind of my junk drawer of ideas. I thought it would be perfect for our challenge. It's called "The Breath of Fire" and it is considered an invisible exercise, meaning one can do it without others being aware ... so its perfect for that afternoon tension release or taking advantage of being stuck in a traffic jam during rush hour.
From Molly Fox's Yoga Weight Loss Program Clear your mind and tone your abs with this yoga move. Take a slow, deep breath - inhaling and exhaling through your nose - followed by a smaller half breath. Now pull your lower (transverse) abdominal muscles up and in. They're your deepest abdominal muscles, Fox says, and they help "contain" your organs. Start pumping little breathes in and out through your nose, focusing on the exhalation. This move strengthens abs and relaxes the normally tense diaphragm muscle. Try for three rounds of ten breaths several times a day.
It takes a little practice!
We've all heard someone say “I've really worked up an
appetite today!” but did you realize that the opposite is actually more
accurate?
A good workout can reduce hunger pangs and cravings. A new study out of Brigham Young University
proves that women who exercised for 45 minutes in the morning had little desire
for food after the workout. The
findings indicate exercise might change how “reward” networks in the brain
react to the sight of food.
As an added bonus, not only did morning cardio reduce hunger
and cravings, it also increased each woman’s activity levels throughout the
day.
Morning? Argggh! Not being a highly effective morning person
this is not good news for me. But the
conundrum is that maybe if I did work out in the morning I could be a better
morning person.
I have also heard conflicting reports on working out in
the mornings … so I am going to take this one as interesting information and
work out according to my own preferences.
Have you ever “accidentally taken” a magazine from a waiting
room?
Come on, you can admit it.
I won’t tell anyone!
I hate to admit it but I did – just the other day.
I usually walk around with a book or my e-reader in my
handbag, but on this day (of course) I did not have either with me. I had occasion to be sitting in a waiting
room and was thumbing through a magazine (Chatelaine April 2013). As I came upon the article that was the
inspiration for this blog entry I was called in to my appointment (of
course). I held the magazine in my hand
as I walked into the office, sat down, rolled up the magazine and tucked it
into my purse as if it were my own. I
would feel guilty but as it turns out I have a return appointment next Tuesday,
so I am going to, just as surreptitiously, return the magazine to the waiting
room.
Hey, it’s better than tearing the pages out and leaving the
rest of the magazine there. I hate it
when people do that because invariably the “continued on” pages of the article
I’m reading was located on the opposite side of the page that has been torn
out.
By now you are probably thinking to yourself, “Enough
already. What was the darn article
about?”
It was titled “Walk While You Work” and it introduced the
idea of ‘treadmill desks”. The tag-line
read, “Melt off that muffin top, add years to your life and clear out your
inbox (without breaking a sweat!) on a treadmill desk – coming soon to an
office near you”. Honestly, it
probably won’t be coming to an office near me anytime in the foreseeable
future. A. My boss would never go for it and B. I am just not coordinated enough to pull that off.
Researchers at Brigham Young University recently linked lack
of exercise with poor work performance and lower productivity of up to 50
percent. (Then again, maybe my boss
would go for it if I showed him those stats?
Nah, I can’t even get him to invest in a new computer right now.) Researchers also linked the health risks
with our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, dubbing it “sitting disease”. Inactivity stresses the heart, clouds
critical thinking and messes with how our bodies process cholesterol, blood
sugar and gats. It can also lead to
diabetes, cancer and premature death.
The good news – a recent study found cutting the time spent
sitting in half can increase life expectancy by two years!
The article goes on to say that 70 percent of us spend six
or more hours a day in a chair. Even
weekly workouts are not enough to offset the damage due to too little
movement. Several studies show that
something as simple as standing for two minutes every 20 minutes can fight the
unhealthy effects of sitting. If you
take a walk break every 20 minutes, the results are immediate: blood pressure
drops, blood sugar stabilizes and the enzyme that helps break up fat in your
bloodstream fires up. After two weeks
you’ll even begin producing more brain cells, particularly those related to
memory and learning.
Now I am the first to admit that I complain about never
having enough time to do everything I have to do, much less carve out a little
bit of time for things I want to do.
But, a treadmill at my desk … I don’t know? … I picture being all sweaty
dealing with customers, being out of breath when I answer the phone, reaching
for something and ending up flying off the back of the treadmill … all sorts of
interesting pictures come to mind and none of them are too flattering.
Apparently the makers of these desk treadmills (www.lifespan.com $999) have factored in my
“klutz factor”. Unlike regular gym
models, treadmill desks max out at just over 6.4 km per hour, so they can run
all day without burning out their motors.
The suggested pace for walking and working at the same time is 1 mph
(1.6 km). This means, say the
manufacturers, that we can “run” a slow moving marathon without even noticing
we’re doing it. Light cardio exercise
boosts the production of feel-good chemicals and lowers levels of stress
hormones.
The result?
The Mayo Clinic says we can burn 800 calories or more a day,
which can translate to weight loss of 15 to 50 pounds in a year. It may also eliminate that afternoon sugar
craving. A simple 15-minute stroll can
cut chocolate cravings in half. The
article claims that because you are moving slowly, it does not interfere with
daily tasks, like tapping out emails or talking on the phone.
Before I go on I need to address that last line with a bit
of a personal note. I have a treadmill
at home and I do enjoy walking on it.
It’s down time – I do not have to think about anything or concentrate on
anything except putting one foot in front of the other. I prefer it to walking outside because it
forces me to maintain a consistent pace (of my own choosing) and there are no obstacles
to worry about (there’s that klutz factor rearing its ugly head again). There are also no weather concerns (okay
that’s a plus/minus point because it also means I can’t use ice and snow as an
excuse not to walk). I listen to music
while I am on the treadmill. I have
mentioned before that I need that thump-thump-thump to keep my feet
moving. I cannot concentrate of
listening to an audio book. I cannot
concentrate on a television program or a movie. Granted I walk faster than 1 mph on my treadmill at home, but if
I can’t even watch a television program how am I supposed to concentrate on
work, or carry on an intelligent telephone conversation or type an email while
I am walking on the treadmill?
I’m not trying to be a Negative Nellie, but for me (and it
is after all my blog) the treadmill desk would not work. It’s an interesting idea and for some (more
coordinated) folks it would definitely be an interesting idea for the
workplace.
My other main concern?
In all the pictures I looked at in the magazine and on line the people
walking/working has these wonderful, well-organized, tidy desktops and apparently no need, what-so-ever, for desk drawers and files.
Mine never looks like that while I am
working.
If, like me, you are not going to have a treadmill desk
delivered anytime soon there are a few other steps you can take to get in a
little exercise and burn off a few calories while at work.
-take the stairs instead of the elevator
-stand up whenever possible, standing burns an extra 56
calories per hour
-walking to a coworkers desk with communications instead of
emailing them burns an extra 12 calories
-if you must sit at your desk and/or in meetings for extended
periods of time try to get up every 20 minutes or so and have a stretch or do a
couple of squats
According to Chatelaine Magazine next year Lifespan plans to
roll out a cycle chair. It would
definitely be a little more stable but for many of the same reasons I stated
above, in my personal situation I don’t think this would work out any better
than the treadmill desk. Besides, with
both the treadmill desk and the cycle chair I have these thoughts of two people
(probably men – sorry!) deciding it would be fun to have a “race”. Under no circumstance would that ever be a
good idea in the office.
Remember a few years ago when fitness and health experts
were suggesting a stability ball instead of a chair at your desk to help
strengthen your core. That was a
non-intrusive addition to the work place.
However, maybe because in my line of work I have occasions throughout
the course of the day where I deal with the public walking in, I could never
get over the “dork” factor. I
envisioned all sorts of ugly scenarios if I tried to get up too quickly.
Yeah –
I think I will stick to doing my workouts in the
privacy of my own home, while constantly
Probably because I am trying to be focused on dieting and
healthy eating any article promising to make the journey a little easier
catches my attention. Often the
articles are a worthwhile read and sometimes they are just too interesting not
to share. When I saw that experiments
were successfully being completed in the 3D printing of “designer food” I had
to read the article. It tickled my
funny bone and my imagination so of course I had to share. If nothing else, it certainly falls under
the heading of “random thoughts”.
In 1970 Alvin Toffler wrote and published a book called
“Future Shock”. The premise of the book
was basically “Too much change in too short a period of time”. People of my mother’s generation, for
instance, were more than likely born into households that did not have
electricity and quite possibly no indoor plumbing (my mother was 1920’s rural,
eastern European). Not only did these
people see running water, indoor plumbing and electricity introduced into their
everyday lives, but also the mass production of automobiles, air travel and the
moon landing. That’s a lot for people
to accept. Mr. Toffler maintained in
his book that the accelerated rate of technological and social change left
people disconnected and suffering from “shattering stress and
disorientation”. He popularized the
term “information overload”.
My mother is really the only meter I have to judge the
premise, and looking back, the changes and innovations that took place during
the 6+ decades of her life were truly astounding.
Although she readily embraced many modern conveniences she
also rejected many because, I believe, she just couldn’t wrap her thought
processes around them or the need for them.
She learned to drive when she was in her forties (so I know she embraced
automobiles), she enjoyed television and movies and welcomed the convenience of
keeping in touch by telephone so obviously she adapted well. To the day she died she would not admit to believing
that man walked on the moon. Me? … I’m
on the fence on that one. Some of the
smaller technologies, well, she steadfastly held on to her tried and true way
of doing things. Although loath to admit it, looking back now, I think she was
right in some instances. I, more often
than not, chop my veggies with a knife and cutting board because I KNOW it’s
faster than hauling out the food processor and fiddling with the damn
thing. It’s also a much easier
cleanup. One cutting board plus one
knife to be washed and I’m done – the food processor is a bitch to clean
properly! I do not own a bread
maker. I find it can be somehow
therapeutic to knead the dough and shape it into loaves that smell heavenly
when they are baking. Admittedly, I do
not make homemade bread on a regular basis (for those who do, no doubt the
bread maker is a god-send) so at my house the bread is a “treat” and worth the
extra effort.
When I look at the time frame of the original “Future Shock”
theory it rather amuses me. Mr.
Toffler’s book discusses future shock in terms of “super-industrial” change
that took place over the course of decades.
Decades!
Let me tell you I am in FUTURE SHOCK right now! Never mind change over the course of decades
… or even years. Every time I look at a
news article or magazine cover I see something that I can’t quite wrap my
simple little mind around. And, it
seems to be on an almost daily basis. Daily!
The first I heard about the concept of 3D printers was on
“The Big Bang Theory” … it was amusing.
Then I saw an episode of “Law and Order” (or possibly “CSI”)
in which someone printed a 3D gun … the thought was frightening! But I made that annoying “pfffft” sound and
went about my life thinking that 3D printers were well into the sci-fi future.
Pardon me while I take a little side path in my narrative
here (I promise it will all make sense in a minute).
I do not generally read sci-fi but I am rather invested in
the “In Death” series by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts). The books take place in the not too distant
future and to Ms. Robb/Roberts’ credit she has come up with some believable yet
futuristic inventions of the imagination; flying cars (which are now being
developed … you can Google it), privacy screens, lots of fancy police
investigation type stuff, really cool tech type stuff, household droids and my
favorite – the “Autochef”. Now the
Autochef is an appliance that I imagine looks much like a microwave/convection
oven that you can program for freshly prepared meals. For instance, if I have a craving for pasta, one daughter has a
craving for prime rib and one daughter has a craving for lobster tails (and
mine most certainly would) I could just program each meal into the AutoChef and
presto-chango out pops everyone’s meal, ready to eat. I would not mind have one of those gadgets around the house. But like the 3D printed gun I once again
made that annoying “pfffft” noise and thought to myself “yeah, right, not in my
life time”.
I really need to stop making that noise because the
3D printer is very much here, albeit probably out of normal household reach for
most people $$-wise, and it does print plastic replicas of yourself like it did
on Big Bang Theory – still amusing. And
it does print guns – still scary. It
also prints almost anything else that imagination can program into a computer. Things like car parts, bicycles, a YouTube
video claims it can print a house in 20 hours, prosthetic limbs (very cool!!),
artificial body parts (made from live cells, very, very cool!!) and, are you
ready for it? – Food.
The AutoChef has arrived!
Okay, I’m back on track now.
A company called Systems
& Material Research Corporation has just been given a $125,000 grant from NASA to create a “universal food synthesizer” for the 3D printing of food. NASA believes a machine like Anjan Contractor’s, a mechanical engineer, could help to feed astronauts on long space flights where traditional foods will not keep. In the future, this machine may also allow restaurants and dieters to customize food to meet certain nutritional counts and taste preferences. (www.huffingtonpost.com)
According to Huffington Post’s Bianca Bosker, instead of eating a quarter of a
donut to cut calories, you instead might be able to buy a whole pastry from the
corner deli, then watch the donut 3D printed before your eyes – with one
quarter the calories and just he right amount of fiber to bring you up to your
daily minimum. Now you’ve got my
attention!
Jeffrey Lipton is a
doctorial student at Cornell University’s Creative Machines Lab. He heads the Fab@Home project and admits that at this time “the commercial
technology lies in creating customized novelty food and, further down the line,
quick meals tailored to nutritional needs”.
Lipton goes on to state “I think the appeal will be, ‘Can I automate my
dinner at home? Can I make a birthday
cake with a name written across ever slice on the inside?”
“Novelty foods will be
where food printing starts”. With the
help of Chef David Arnold of the French Culinary Institute Lipton and his
colleagues at Cornell have experimented with printing food. So far, their project included a cookie with
the Cornell ‘C’ embedded within it and sea scallops shaped like the space
shuttle. (www.newsdaily.com)
The lab succeeded in
printing what Lipton calls “data driven cookies”, He and his colleague,
Hod
Lipson (those two names in the same lab must
make for some interesting conversations)each compiled
information about their height, weight, body mass index, daily schedule and
caloric deficit for the day, then used 3D printers to print two cookies that
each accounted for 10 percent of their respective caloric deficits.
“They are both the same
size cookies,” explained Lipton, “but composed of different ingredients based
on our nutritional requirements.”
Nutritionally correct
designer food!
In the future, Lipton
hopes this technology can make meals healthier while also keeping them simple. “The basic issue is enforcement of
diet. Somewhere between picking up the
kids at school and running around, your diet plan goes from making dinner at
home to ‘let’s get McDonald’s’” Lipton envisions a system that uses 3D
printing to quickly produce meals based on data that describes someone’s daily
activity, diet, metabolic requirements, medical conditions, etc. “Everything could be used to tweak the meal
to be a little better.”
To date four large food
companies are experimenting with 3D printed food to develop new edibles. The future of this technology will
definitely be geared towards people with strict dietary regimes such as weight
loss, pregnancy or the elderly.
There are a few drawbacks
to printing food. The printing process
works by building the food from the ground up, layer by layer. This means that the printer is limited to
using products that can be squeezed out through a syringe. The work focuses on developing flavors and
textures that work in the printer.
“Anything can taste like anything”.
Build a nutritionally correct and healthy cheeseburger and it may not be
ground beef, cheese and bread that you are actually getting. The mind boggles as to what it may actually
contain?
Since NASA is
funding a not insignificant part of the research they are looking for food that
will withstand the rigors of long-term space travel. This means food has to have an expiration date far, far, far into
the future. This results in some
creativity in developing those tastes and textures Lipton was talking
about. Could astronauts on future trips
watch a pizza being printed for their dinner?
Quite possibly, if they did not mind the “protein layer” (the cheese)
being derived from some form of ground up and manipulated insects.
At this point in time
Lipton admits, “It will be a long time before it is refined for wider
consumption.”
Of course, the food out of
the printer is not cooked in any way – you still have to take care of that part
of it yourself. It’s a pretty
intriguing concept for meal preparation, alas, it’s not quite the AutoChef I
was so excited about.
Has multi-tasking always been a part of our lives? It seems to me that the more “conveniences”
we have the more we try to accomplish all at one time. I can remember my mother having certain days
to complete certain tasks. Laundry was
done on Thursdays … no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There was no “throwing a pair of jeans in the washer” because you
wanted to wear them the next day, mostly because we had a wringer washer and a
clothesline instead of a dryer. (Boy I
am dating myself here) Groceries were
done on Fridays and baking was done on Saturdays … I’m sure you get the
picture. And, my mother was a working
mom.
I know that my lunch hours at work are often not so much
about getting a real lunch as they are about getting a few errands done … a
trip to library to pick up a book, or running into the bank. I have often resorted to eating lunch in the
car on the way back to the office. Not
only is this a dangerous driving habit, but as it turns out, it is a dangerous eating habit too.
A recent study at Cornell University suggest that women who
stop puttering and truly focus on what they’re eating – even if they down their
meal in only five minutes – cut their calorie intake by 22%.
Concentrating on the taste and texture of food helps your
brain’s satiety center closely monitor how full you are getting, so it send “STOP
EATING” signals sooner.
It seems Mother Nature took note of the fact that June 21st was the first day of summer, at least here in Southern Ontario. And just in time for out July 1st Canada Day long weekend we have been hit with the typical heat and humidity that accompanies the middle three months of the year.
So, even though this blog is primarily based on trying to encourage a lower number on the scale every week, its also about being healthy. The Toronto Sun (June 25, 2013) featured two full page articles that contained excellent information on Heat and Humidity. It seemed worthwhile to share them here.
BEATING THE HEAT ... as much as we enjoy the warmer temperatures we sometimes forget about how difficult it is for our bodies to adapt to that heat. Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke, happens when the body's mechanisms for controlling temperature fail.
Heat stroke can be a life threatening emergency and requires immediate treatment. People can feel, faint and weak during heat waves, although most of those people suffer from heat exhaustion, which is a related but less serious condition.
So what are some things we should avoid to prevent heat stroke?
* Working/exercising in hot conditions - sometimes it is impossible to avoid working in the heat but as important it is to keep up exercise routines, maybe in excessive heat a temporary gym membership may be something to consider.
* Not drinking enough fluids - water is important at all times, but especially so in times of extreme heat.
People with the following conditions are especially prone to heat stroke ...
* Alcoholism
* Heart disease
* Obesity
* Older age
* Parkinson's disease
* Uncontrollable diabetes
* Use of certain medications such as diuretics and antihistamines
Another sure sign that summer has arrived is the "humidex" advisories we hear on the nightly weather reports. "Humidex is a common word in Canadian weather reports, but what does it really mean? What is humidity and why is it such a danger to people?
Well, Humidity generally refers to the amount of water vapour in the air. Relative humidity is the percentage of water vapour in the air compare to the maximum amount the air can actually hold. When the air is at 100% humidity, it is completely saturated with water vapour and cannot hold any more. When the air is at 100% humidity, sweat will not evaporate, making us hotter.
What are the dangers of high humidity?
Hyperplexia: Blood brought to the body's surface cannot dissipate heat, causing more to be sent to skin and less to muscles, brain and other internal organs.
Heat fainting: Quick drop in blood pressure from too much activity.
Heat exhaustion: Fluid/salt loss
Heat stroke: Extreme body temperature rise.
IF YOU SUSPECT SOMEONE HAS HEAT STROKE, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY OR TRANSPORT THEM TO HOSPITAL. While waiting for paramedics to arrive you can: * Fan air over patient * Wet and cool skin with water * Apply ice packs to armpits, groin, neck and back where blood vessels are close to the skin.
They say it takes 21 days to develop a habit. When starting an exercise routine or staying on track with your eating, put up a Post-it note for each day and then rip it down when you are done. It helps to keep yourself motivated.
You have just been seated at your favourite
restaurant. You have been looking
forward to this meal and ordering your favourite menu item all week. When the waitress hands you the menu you
notice that there is a something different in the way it looks. Your favourite items are still listed but
listed beside each item is the amount of time it would take to burn off that
meal by taking a brisk walk.
Would that information make you rethink you
ordering choice?
Would you still order that dessert if you
knew that it would take two hours of brisk walking to burn it off?
In the U.S. “by law, retail food
establishments that are part of a chain with twenty or more locations
nationwide must disclose the calories content of each menu item.” However, the majority of studies show that
providing information on calorie count does not lead to fewer calories ordered or
consumed. In the first study of its
kind, researchers at TexasChristianUniversity
have discovered that out of group of 300 study participants, those ordering
from a menu that displayed the amount of exercise needed to burn off the calories
in each food, ordered significantly fewer calories than those ordering from a
menu not showing either calories or exercise-costs.
The study (in a nutshell) went something
like this;
GROUP ONE – (99 participants) - ordered lunch
from a menu without calorie or exercise labels.
GROUP TWO – (99 participants) – ordered lunch
from a menu listing only calories
GROUP THREE – (102 participants) – ordered lunch
from a menu with labels as to the minutes of brisk walk needed to burn the
calories of each food.
All of menus listed the same food and
beverage options.
THE RESULTS:
The researchers found that the
Exercise-listed group ordered and consumed significantly fewer calories than
the No-Calories-listed group.
However, they found that the
No-Calories-listed Group and the Calories-listed groups did not differ
significantly in the food calories ordered and consumed.
The groups were all under the age of 30 and
the researchers do not want to generalize, but in the groups of young men and
women studied listing exercise times to burn off the menu items made a BIG
difference in the their choices. The
researchers chose “brisk walking” since everyone can relate to the activity. They plan on continuing their research with
other age groups to see if the results are similar.
Would it make a difference to me? I think it would because I am on this
journey.
Would it make a difference to someone else
not concerned about their weight? In my
opinion, whether that person is overweight or not, if they are not concerned
going in that number on the menu is probably not going to make a difference in
their ordering (despite the study).
There has been so much information around lately about
activity helping brain function (previous post). I found the following posted on Facebook and thought I’d share.
* My only comment was “It may improve brain power but
obviously not spelling … bicyclling?
I don't often go to the grocery store on Friday because it is always busy, and invariably, that's the day that they decide to only have three of the seven available cashiers working at the same time. Don't even get me started on that topic! However, this week I had no choice. I had a pretty full weekend agenda and desperately needed a few essentials. So off I went to my neighbourhood grocery store - after work - at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening.
I finished my trip up and down the aisles, double checked my list to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. As much as I hate to admit it, unless its same old/same old for the week I now have to resort to making a list if I am planning to purchase anything out of the ordinary. If I want to try a new recipe that calls for something not in my pantry I have to write it down! I have been known (on more than one occasion) to go to the store for something, spot some specials, leave the store with three grocery bags and when I got home realized that I had not purchased the item I went in for in the first place.
I'm getting off track here ...
So back to the grocery store on Friday evening ...
As I am standing in line at the check out I glance at the selection of magazines on display (really - what else is there to do?) and not for the first time notice the mixed messages they are sending out in full living colour. I am all for getting healthy eating and dieting information for many different sources. After all what works for one person does not necessarily work for another. And, who knows, there might be something there that speaks to you and sparks your weight loss journey. But is it absolutely necessary to promote the newest diet breakthrough, the latest weight loss success story or the revolutionary discovery by Dr. Oz side by side with a mouthwatering picture of the most decadent chocolate cake in the history of cakes?
I ask you - How am I supposed to concentrate of healthy choices when my arch nemesis is mocking me from the cover of Woman's World weekly? I don't mean to pick on Woman's World Weekly (it really is a pretty good magazine otherwise) because WWW is not the only magazine that commits this faux-pas on a regular basis, but it is unfortunately the most blaring example out there.
Just a few examples for you amusement and edification:
According to the cover in the following issue, I can "lose 6 lbs. this week" AND I "can eat my way happy". Well, if I really want to ponder on that statement I have already been trying to "eat my way happy" and that's precisely why I need to lose 6 lbs. this week!
The next example offers me the secret to a juice that can "melt belly fat". I suppose it will go very well with the offer of "guilt-free cupcakes"? Of course if neither one of those options satisfies my cravings I can always resort to the "No-bake Summer Bliss".
And then there is the "European Obesity Cure!" ... maybe so ... but depending on my mood those words are going to go totally unnoticed next to the pictures of the "Summer Yummy".
This cover promises to reveal the "Biggest Loser secrets". If you really want to know the secret I can share it with you and save you the price of the magazine ... the real secret is she did not eat the "Cheesecake Bliss" pictured (appropriately) right next to her hips.
This next cover really packs a wallop! Not only can you learn to "lose 10 lbs. a week" (a pretty unrealistic and I would think unhealthy way of setting yourself up for failure) but you can find out about a "fat burning tea" and ways to promote "anti-aging". And if all of that doesn't work for you, you can look down a little further on the cover and learn that it is possible to take "Shortcuts to happiness" by apparently eating cake and cookies.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. And let me say right here, I totally understand that magazines are published not only to appeal to a wide range of readers, but also to impart as much interesting information as possible and let's face, to make money.
And yes, I also understand that I can buy the magazine, simply read the articles that appeal to me and skip the rest. But I dare you to page through a magazine sometime when you are waiting in line at the grocery store (just ignore the nasty looks the store manager gives you when you put it back on the rack) every other page has a beautiful full colour illustration of scrumptious looking food. I don't know about you, but my will-power is not always running at full throttle and just seeing those pictures is enough to trigger my body into full craving mode. Not to mention that the pictures are always accompanied by words such as "Bliss", "Yummy" and "Happiness".
I don't need the mixed messages to be the extra test of my stamina! Do you?
I’ve probably mentioned somewhere in this blog that I am an avid reader. My choices for reading material are pretty eclectic and recently I picked up a book called CONTAGIOUS (Why Things Catch On) by Jonah Berger. It’s basically a book about marketing strategies and why certain things catch on and why certain things flounder. In reading this book I discovered a couple of things about myself … including the fact that I am pretty gullible when it comes to advertising. But then there are millions and millions of dollars spent every year to ensure that gullibility. Professor Berger explains why.
He and a colleague also performed a study done in college cafeterias, and this study in particular caught my attention. It was simple and something that everyone can apply to our day-to-day lives.
In the chapter titled “From Mars Bars to Voting and How Triggers Effect Behavior” Professor Berger explains it like this …
“Why does it matter if particular thoughts or ideas are top of mind? Because accessible thoughts and ideas lead to action.”
When French music was playing, most customers bought French wine. When German music was playing most customers bought German wine. By triggering consumers to think of different countries, the music affected sales. The music made ideas related to those countries more accessible, and those accessible ideas spilled over to affect behavior.
Psychologist Gráinne Fitzsimons and I conducted a related study on how to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables. Promoting healthy eating habits is tough. Most people realize they should eat more fruits and vegetables. Most people will even say that they mean to eat more fruits and vegetables. But somehow when the time comes to put fruits and vegetables into shopping carts or onto dinner plates, people forget. We thought we’d use triggers to help them remember.
Students were paid twenty dollars to report what they ate every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at their nearby dining hall. Monday: a bowl of Frosted Flakes cereal, two helpings of turkey lasagna with a side salad, and a pulled pork sandwich with spinach and fries. Tuesday: yogurt with fruit and walnuts, pepperoni pizza with Sprite, and shrimp pad thai.
Halfway through the two weeks we’d designated for the study, the students were asked to participate in what seemed like an unrelated experiment from a different researcher. They were asked to provide feedback on a public-health slogan targeting college students. Just to be sure they remembered the slogan, they were shown it more than twenty times, printed in different colors and fonts.
One group of students saw the slogan “Live the healthy way, eat five fruits and veggies a day.”
Another group saw “Each and every dining-hall tray needs five fruits and veggies a day.” Both slogans encouraged people to eat fruits and vegetables, but the tray slogan did so using a trigger. The students lived on campus, and many of them ate in dining halls that used trays. So we wanted to see if we could trigger healthy eating behavior by using the dining room tray to remind students of the slogan.
Our students didn’t care for the tray slogan. They called it “corny” and rated it as less than half as attractive as the more generic “live healthy” slogan. Further, when asked whether the slogan would influence their own fruit and vegetable consumption, the students who had been shown the “tray” slogan were significantly more likely to say no.
But when it came to actual behavior, the effects were striking. Students who had been shown the more generic “live healthy” slogan didn’t change their eating habits. But students who had seen the “tray” slogan and used trays in their cafeterias markedly changed their behavior. The trays reminded them of the slogan and they ate 25 percent more fruits and vegetables as a result. The trigger worked.
We were pretty excited by the results. Getting college students to do anything—let alone eat more fruits and vegetables—is an impressive feat.”
This got me thinking about triggers. In his book Professor Berger often uses the phrase “top of mind … tip of tongue”. That phrase is so true under many circumstances, but we’ll stick to weight issues here.
In most homes the refrigerator becomes a communication hub for the household. Covered in magnets it holds family photos, post cards, children’s art, permission slips to sign, recipes we are meaning to try or simply cute magnets on their own. My children are grown and gone and I still have magnets on the door of my refrigerator.
So I got to thinking … always dangerous, ask anyone … what if you moved some of those bits and pieces to the side, or lower down on the fridge, maybe get rid of that chocolate cake recipe altogether and put up some pictures of fruits and vegetables. That way when you have the munchies and are getting ready to raid the fridge those luscious strawberries will be the first thing you see. If you are thinking of crispy chips and walk into the kitchen, crunchy celery catches the corner of your eye.
And following through with Professor Berger’s theory, you may find that refrigerators in general trigger you to eat more fruits and veggies?
I recently had a conversation with a friend around the
subject of dignity. How we allow people
to either uplift or belittle our own sense of dignity and self worth. I try to keep my “Random Thoughts” postings
short and sweet so I won’t go into details, but a lot of what we discussed led
back to the issue of stereotyping and expectations (good and bad) based on
perceptions with no solid grounding.
Stereotyping is usually unfairly based on many factors most
of which are totally out of the realm of our control; color, sex, heritage,
social status (or lack thereof), job (or lack thereof), education
(or lack thereof) and, yes, even weight and body type.
On the heels of the conversation I came across the following
picture. Strangely, this happens
frequently? Maybe my brain is just
tuned to the recent topic of conversation and notices appropriate material more
easily? But that sounds like a
discussion for a different blog! Back
on topic … this picture exemplifies the idea of stereotypes surrounding body
types. Whether overweight or not, some people
have preconceived notions of what other people are like. It’s not fair to the person believing the
stereotype, or to the person who is the subject of the preconceived idea. I think everyone loses out.
It made me think … so I thought I’d share it here.
“I’m not running a restaurant. There’s no menu. You’ll eat what’s put in front of you.”
“Starving children around the world would love to have what you leave on you plate.”
“My, my, I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach.”
How many of us heard those lines or something similar while we were growing up. And let’s face it; no one likes to throw food away. But is it always necessary to clean your plate? Obviously, since this is a blog about trying to lose weight I think the answer to that question is no. I believe that you should stop eating when you are full.
If you happen to be in Sapporo, Japan and go to Hachikyo restaurant for a seafood meal, you will find that the owners share a very similar opinion to that of your mother. Clean your plate!
Their signature dish is called tsukko meshi, a popular meal consisting of rice topped by a huge heap of salmon roe. Customers also come because of the high quality of the fish they serve. Regulars are quite prepared to pay the price of eating at Hachikyo as well. Not only premium prices for the always-fresh seafood, but a $20 “fine” if they fail to finish every last morsel on their plate.
According to the explanation on the menu, “the working condition for fishermen are harsh and so dangerous that it’s not unknown for lives to be lost. To show our gratitude and appreciation for the food they provide, it is forbidden to leave even one grain of rice in your bowl. Customers who do not finish their tsukko meshi must give a donation.”
So, the surcharge goes back to the fisherman.
Hachikyo customers seem to not mind the surcharge since owners are planning to open a second branch in Tokyo soon.
According to the article I read on Yahoo-Shine, while unusual, their approach is not necessarily unique.
Sprite Lounge in Montreal has only one dish (vegetarian) on the menu per night and customers can order it in small, medium or large portions. Your stomach better be able to keep up with your appetite though – you’d better be able to lick that plate clean – if you don’t, be prepared to pay a $2 fine that goes to a local charity. Even more seriously though … you forfeit you right to seeing the dessert menu!
Doesn’t that give “home style food … like being in your mom’s kitchen” a whole new meaning?
