We are happy to have our guest writer again on our blog today, Dana Brown. Dana is the creator of HealthConditions.info, which aims to provide Internet users with helpful content and resources that will lead them to making healthier decisions. We really appreciate his time in helping teach people how to create healthier lives. Thanks Dana! ​

​As busy female professionals, we aim to improve, grow and become better in all aspects of life. However, we are often so busy crushing our professional goals that we forget to reward ourselves now and again. Rather than giving yourself the proverbial pat on the back, why not combine your busy lifestyle with a reward that offers relaxation, improved quality of life, and a much-needed break? Here are some ideas of things you can reward yourself with:
 
Meditative and relaxing activities. Stress is a common, everyday feeling, especially for a professional, and it’s important to find ways to reduce that stress and enjoy life amidst the periodic chaos we experience. Consider some of these items:
 

• Yoga mat. Of course, this is perfect for yoga, which is incredibly relaxing, but other fitness activities as well - all of which can be done at home. Stretching, strength and core exercises all give you something to focus energy on to help relieve some of that stress. After a workout, you feel relaxed and physically tired, which helps you sleep more soundly. The best kind of sleep comes from a fulfilling day of both mental and physical exercise.

 

• Free weights. They are also called dumbbells, but they are a great staple to have around for a small home gym. They come in different sizes and weights, and can be stored easily. Doing even light weight-training with these can help you take your mind off of work and strengthen your body. This all goes hand in hand with relaxing your mind and your body. As a bonus, having a home-based gym may help you find motivation to squeeze in a workout even on your busiest day, since you don’t have to travel to a fitness studio and you can fit in a sweat session whenever is convenient. For additional tips on fitting exercise into a busy schedule, check out this guide from Plexus.

 

• Coloring book. This may not be physical exercise, but it’s mental exercise. Don’t think of this as a kid’s activity, but rather a way to relax. It’s almost like therapy. There are certain meditative qualities to coloring in all of those shapes in a coloring book. Adult coloring books have really complex designs which offer a lot distraction for the mind. As you color in the shapes, you feel a sense of completion as you move along. You can use a rainbow of colors in every picture, and take your time with each one. No one is looming over you wondering when it will be done, and you can do it at your own pace. When you’re finished is when you decide you are. It’s a very freeing process, and a superb way to burn off some of that tense energy so you can start your next day feeling lighter and fresher.

 
Time-saving, healthy food choices. That all sounds fantastic, but when you’re so busy with work and potentially taking care of a family as well, it’s difficult to make the best food choices. You’re hungry and you find something to eat, but it’s not always the best option out there. There are so many fast food restaurants and other unhealthy, quick options available that it’s easy to make all of the wrong choices - especially when you’re hungry. Sure, there are some things you can have at home that are healthy, and maybe you’re good about making dinner each night and eating what you should, but what about during the workday?
 
Lunch time is prime time to make food mistakes. What about adding a healthy food delivery service to your wish list? Most cities have these services available now, and they’re generally not more expensive than grabbing something at a restaurant - and sometimes, they’re even cheaper. They offer different diet accommodation options including gluten-free, plant-based, and fitness-fueling choices. You can sign up for automatic delivery, pick your ideal menu, and have meals brought right to your door.
 
There are a lot of things we can do to improve our lives and better ourselves. Adding some of these things to your list of rewards or splurges can make accomplishing your professional and personal goals that much more fun. It’s really a win-win situation.

We are happy to have a guest writer on our blog today, Dana Brown. Dana is the creator of HealthConditions.info, which aims to provide Internet users with helpful content and resources that will lead them to making healthier decisions. We really appreciate his time in helping teach people how to create healthier lives. Thanks Dana! 

​Obesity is not an illness that’s going to be tackled successfully with half measures. It’s also not one that can be challenged with single-minded focus. It takes hard work and a multi-pronged approach. You must alter many negative areas of your life if you want to not only lose weight, but stay healthy. Here’s how to change your life for the better in a comprehensive manner.
 
Diet comes first
 
Beginning to tackle obesity is intimidating. It’s frustrating. You may be tempted to try a fad diet in an attempt to make quick progress - just to kickstart the process. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on altering your diet - meaning the food you eat now, will eat for the rest of your life, and how you eat it. It’s about building a positive relationship with eating, instead of the detrimental one that has led to obesity.
 
Don’t drastically cut calories - at least at first. Doctors say that obese people should start at about 500 calories cut per day. Those extreme 1,000 - 1,200 calorie diets? That’s for people who are already reasonably close to their safe weight.
 
Focus instead on changing your habits. Don’t eat out. Cook at home. Limit yourself to three meals and two small snacks per day. Learn about proper nutrition.
 
Next, you get moving
 
Obesity puts a lot of strain on your body’s systems. So, while it’s true that exercise will help you lose weight faster, the true reason you need to get up and get moving is to improve your overall health - your heart, lungs, musculature, bone strength, etc. Start slow. You don’t have to begin your workout regimen by running miles. If you’re not used to exercise, you’ll need to ease into it. Check out some of these beginner activities.
 
Don’t neglect your mental health
 
Obesity doesn’t simply manifest from a lack of willpower. Research is showing that obesity is a chronic disease, like alcoholism or drug addiction. Genetics play a factor. It’s debatable whether or not obesity can ever be “cured” in a common sense. Instead, it must be managed like any other mental condition.
 
That’s why it’s vital that any serious attempt to combat obesity focus on mental wellness. We overeat when we are stressed, so work on removing stress from your life. We overeat when we are depressed or anxious, so work on tackling these root causes. Know that your body and mind is a synergistic system. When one is sick, so is the other. You cannot tackle physical problems without boosting the health of your brain.
 
Be ok with accepting help
 
Obesity can produce strong feelings of shame. We can feel stubborn. We may think we are strong enough to handle it. But trying to battle obesity by yourself may be misguided. You must be ok with asking for and accepting help, whether it be asking a friend to keep you accountable as a workout partner or talking to a therapist.
 
Sometimes the task is too great to manage with diet, exercise, and mental wellness alone. Bariatric surgery can be a solid option for some people. Of course, this type of procedure comes with pros and cons. On one hand, it does work to kickstart weight loss (15%-30% in the first few months). It is minimally invasive when laproscopy is used. But it does have health risks. And it can be pricey. Plus, it’s not a cure-all. If you don’t stick to the prescribed eating regimen following banding, major complications can occur. Surgery can help, but you should read this guide from Qunomedical before making any decisions.
 
You can’t quick-fix your way to better health. Obesity must be tackled with wholesale lifestyle changes - most of which are major. You must find the balance between taking drastic measures (as it is a drastic condition) and easing into a healthy eating, exercise, and mental improvement routine. In the end, you should seek help if you think you need it.
 
Photo by Christopher Flowers on Unsplash

Dana is the creator of HealthConditions.info, which aims to provide Internet users with helpful content and resources that will lead them to making healthier decisions. ​

Weight loss. What a loaded word. It comes with so many pre-conceived ideas, emotions, and maybe a little hope of a quick fix. Quick fix to what though? What do you think you will find on the other side of the goal line where you are your “perfect” weight? Usually people say happiness but I am here to tell you that the feeling you are searching for, occurs when you are in a state of balance and harmony. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), you will lose the unneeded pounds when you find your own constitutional imbalances, the “deficiencies and excesses” that have developed over time and rectify them. I will be giving you some suggestions on how to you can accomplish this.

Weight gain is only a symptom of an underlying pattern imbalance and TCM takes that along with other symptoms you might be experiencing (such as constipation, poor sleep, fatigue, etc.) and formulates a Chinese pattern diagnosis. This pattern is treated, not the symptoms. This equates to the root of the problem being treated and when the right TCM diagnosis is identified and treated, you will see all your symptoms disappearing that seemed so unrelated to the Western eye. What this means in terms of weight loss is that once we recognize the underlying pattern that is causing an individual’s imbalance, we can then use a combination treatment approach of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and specific food suggestions for that TCM pattern to create harmony in the body. You see, there is no “one size fits all” in TCM. The foods that cause one person to gain weight can be medicine in another.

I am not promising a quick fix. I am not even promising it will be easy. It takes work and self-reflection to get to where we want to be in life. What I am promising is that you will feel really good. With consistency, a little will power, and some self-love, you can achieve that feeling of well-being. That is what is going to bring you happiness in the end and isn’t that why most people say they want to lose weight in the first place? Well-being comes through health: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. It is all connected.

A feel a few rules need to be laid down here for the foundation to be strong. First, do not compare yourself to another human! Health comes in many different sizes and skinny does not equal healthy. Which brings me to the second rule: your goal should be health not some number! Isn’t the point to have a high-quality life where you feel good? You are not going to be feeling good calorie counting while running on a treadmill and drinking diet pop. Final rule is you need a shift in perspective. This could mean different things for different people, but for most it can be as simple as changing your goal from weight loss to health gain. For others, it can mean adding in a gratitude practice every day, sitting in silence for five minutes, or finally taking that class you have always wanted to take. We need inspiration in life so find yours.

Although specific food suggestions will vary depending on your individual TCM pattern diagnosis, I will give some TCM guidance that will be beneficial to all. It is extremely important that our digestion process is functioning very well. In TCM, this is the “Spleen” organ that we are talking about. The TCM Spleen can be thought of as a combination of the pancreas, stomach, duodenum, and small intestine in Western medicine. It is in charge of transformation and transportation. In other words, it breaks down the food we eat into Qi, blood, and nutrients and then gets these by-products to where they need to go. So, if this function is deficient, we won’t be breaking our food down well enough, absorbing sufficiently, or transporting adequately. To keep the Spleen working optimally or to restore its function, we need to eat whole foods that are cooked and not too difficult to digest. This means no raw or cold foods and drinks, even ice water. Cold taxes the digestive system. Think of throwing ice on a fire when you are trying to cook with it.

The next TCM guide post is too eat at regular times every day. The body likes routine and does best when you eat at the same times. It is best to eat three regular meals with maybe an afternoon snack and do not “graze” in between meals. The body needs rest time in between food to fully digest the food and be able to perform all its other functions. It is also advised that we do not eat food from 7pm to 7am (this is not advisable for every individual, for example babies and adults with blood sugar regulation issues). Digestive function is very low at night and eating at night can lead to “food accumulation and dampness” in TCM terms. This loosely translates to mucous and phlegm production in Western terms and can lead to symptoms such as bloating, fatigue, insomnia, cloudy mind, bowel irregularity and more.

As far as timing, Chinese Medicine is very in tune with nature, seasons, and the cycles of Earth, so advice varies by season. They recommend to eat your largest meal when the sun is highest, so this means lunch would be your largest meal, breakfast the second largest, and supper the lightest meal of the day. The seasons also affect how much sleep we need, which a lot more people can relate to. For optimal health, it is best to rise with the sun and sleep when the sun sets. Although in our modern culture, this is close to impossible, we should get more sleep in the winter and less in the summer.

Finally, get outside! In order to make good quality Qi, we first need to start with good quality food and good quality air. I am not telling you to go run five miles. Start with where you are at and if that is walking around your block once a day then that is great! The point is to be outside breathing some fresh air while moving your body. This gives us a chance to connect with nature too. We do not need to be in a forest to notice a tree. “Connecting” can just be noticing. Be kind to yourself on this wonderful Earth journey. Treat yourself and talk to yourself like you would a baby. Health on the outside starts with health on the inside.

If you would like to learn more about what your constitutional type is so you can pick the right foods for you and avoid the foods that are causing more imbalance, feel free to come to my free class on March 27th at from 12-1pm at Natural Grocers in Flagstaff. Or you can stop by our booth at the free event: “The East Side Show: The Other Art Walk” that happens the 2nd Saturday every month at 12pm for a free auricular style acupuncture treatment to get started on your way to health. So much support is available to you in this community; don’t do it alone!