MY Health Quest

A few weeks ago I decided to sign up for the nutrition and stress management health quest at UVU. I emailed the group and they got right back to me. I went today for my first consultation. We set up our appointment to fit my schedule and for the two classes together it is $16. At this first appointment we filled out some forms (as in, sleep habits? stressors? eating habits?) and formed some positive and specific goals. My first goal was to drink 3L of water every day (this is equivalent to 10 cups and 8 is the general idea of enough, although - I should probably drink more). To do this I fill up my 1.5L water bottle every morning and try to drink it before I eat breakfast. Then I fill it up again to drink with dinner. I find that I actually get thirstier when I drink more and it makes me realize how much water I really need to get by in the day (be ready for bathroom breaks). My second goal - which we will work on throughout the semester was to get out of bed every morning. Getting to class is really hard for me. My third goal is to understand nutrition better, especially portion sizes and labels, basically set my ideas of nutrition in stone. It was really nice to have someone to talk to about my eating habits and stressors and just get it out there. She had some really good suggestions and was very helpful.

Colon Cleansing?

This was recently on Good Morning America Health. Is colon cleansing good? or bad? I've heard that colon cleansing is good, good for your body and your mental health. It cleans out all the toxins.

Dr Greenwald, who is a gastroenterologist, says that it isn't healthy.

What is a colon cleanse?
Clean waste materials out of their colon. Use a tube and flush out everything from the colon.
60-80L (15-20 gallons) of water.
Solutions with additives, teas/herbs.

Why do people do colon cleanses?
1. To lose weight quickly.
2. Feel like they need to purge their body of toxins and waste.

3. Preparation for surgery and colonoscopy.

Side effects?
Mild: abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, bloating, nausea
Severe: dehydration, damage to kidneys, change of chemical balance, inflammation of pancreas and perforate colon.

Why not healthy?
It just comes right back. You need to change your lifestyle (in=out).
Colon purge eliminates good bacteria in colon. (comes back)

Other options?
Balanced diet.
Regular exercise.
20-35g of fiber/day.
Screen for colon cancer (50+).

What I got from this is that if you really want to be healthy you do a colon cleanse and implement a good complete change of lifestyle after it, otherwise - it's unhealthy and useless.

10 Things to Think About

We all know (at least I hope) that you need to take care of yourself to be happy and healthy. However, I think few of us actually stop, think about what that means, and DO something about it. This article is on how to take care of yourself - mentally. Over the years of dealing with my problems, I find my mental health is directly linked to my physical well being. If I don't take care of my physical well being - my mental well being suffers. And vice versa. Here are the steps this article suggests.

1. Talk about your feelings.
Guys - guys don't talk about feelings. Ever. {unless they're married and/or they're forced into it} Girls - I don't really know about girls in general, but I'm a girl and I know about me. I'm an introvert. There are only a select few people I tell anything to. And even then, it has to be the right time/place to spill my guts and it usually ends up being after I hold all my feelings in for a long time and can't handle it anymore. You know, in the communication field the people you talk to the most about what is going on in your life is very close friends/family and strangers. No middle ground.
Do you talk about your feelings? How often? To whom?

2. Eat Well
We all know we should eat well, but do we know what eat well even means? Less junk food, less fast food, less sugar and chocolate. What about adding? More water. More fruits and vegetables. And if we know what it means, not many people follow it. I have a hard time and I do really well.
How are you doing on eating well, honestly? What do you think eat well means?

3. Keep in touch.
This one is hard for me, being the introvert that I am - I know being connected helps me but actually doing it is very hard; however, I think for most people it is pretty easy and they do it all the time.
Are you keeping in touch with family and friends?

4. Take a break.
Even a small break. I have a hard time focusing. I think if I plan to focus and plan to have a break/treat at the end I focus a lot better. Taking a break is a much needed part of life. Whether it is a half hour walk around the block, checking facebook (often turns into way too long and wishes not to return), or a vacation.
Do you take breaks? What kind of breaks?

5. Accept who you are.
I am really good at this one sometimes and not so good other times. However, I think in general I know who/what I am and I'm okay with that. People put on facades so I really have no idea how the general public does with accepting who they really are.
Have you accepted who you are?

6. Keep active.
I know a lot of people who do keep active, however I know a lot (including me) whose health keeps them from keeping active. How does one keep active when that happens? Its tricky and its difficult. Exercise is good for your mood, concentration, looks, self-esteem, sleep, and organs healthy.
Do you keep active? How?

7. Drink sensibly.
Don't drink to deal with problems. I think that's pretty sensible, I don't drink but I think if I did it would be to deal with problems (which actually doesn't help with problems).
Do you drink? Why do you drink? Do you drink too much?

8. Ask for help.
Its hard to ask for help. It takes courage to do it and the ability to step back and realize that we need help.
How often do you ask for help? Should you be asking for more help?

9. Do something you're good at.
This helps de-stress and boost self-esteem. However, when do we have time to do something we like or we're good at? Me? Pretty much never between september 1-december 15 and january 5-april 30. Then how about the time we're not in school? We have work. Who has time or even the motivation to do things we like after a hard day at work?
Do you take time to do things you like? How much time do you get to spend on things you like to do?

10. Care for others.
Service. Helps you feel good about yourself and makes relationships better. I think cleaning up after yourself and picking up trash at school is a good way to start caring for others.
How do you care for others? How do you serve?
Overall, I think the general population knows how to stay healthy but choose not to because other things at this point are more important to them. How do we change that?

Health Quest at UVU

Head on over to this website and fill out the form to receive more information. Under "how do I participate?" is the option to either sign up for all the weeks or just which ones you're interested in. I signed up for Nutrition and Stress/Sleep because those are what I want to learn more about and struggle with. It's only $8 per session and you meet with a wellness coach at a time that is convenient to you. It's one of the best personalized options I've found on UVU campus regarding health! Go take advantage of it!!

ZAP that Happiness Hangover

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ABC's Good Morning America - Health

This segment (from Aug. 26, 2011) concerns allergies, vaccines, and natural birth. The audience is definitely for parents.

If you have an allergy 1) communicate when you go to gatherings, 2)bring your own food to a bbq, make sure not to cross-contaminate with the grill or utensils, and be aware that lots of sauces can contain common allergens 3) have a plan, have an epi-pen and be aware. Most allergies are already known by the time someone is in college, but there is a chance that someone can (in college) suddenly realize that they have an allergy. So being aware of what common allergies are and how they are treated is not only safer for others (to help them) but also for yourself (just in case).

School immunizations. This deals with elementary and secondary education immunizations. However, a lot of the immunizations that I was supposed to get in high school never really got done. It wasn't until my second or third year in college that I actually finished up all of my needed vaccinations. Keep a copy of your vaccination record and make sure its up to date.

Natural childbirth usually takes place within a hospital but in a separate wing with a midwife. The cons are that you are taking it all natural - pain. The pros are that its less expensive, it is a calm environment, you're most likely not to have a c-section, if everything looks good you can get off the monitor and get in the jacuzzi, and it's less invasive. However, not everyone who wants one can have one. If you have any sort of medical issue that would label you as higher risk than usual (diabetes, over 45, hypertension, baby's too big) you cannot have one. Half of women who want to have a natural birth cannot have one because of these issues.  I think it is a great idea for women to have the option to choose a more natural birthing way. It is good to know that you have more options than just one when it comes to giving birth.

Junk Food Diet

This article from KSL is primarily based on showing one how to lose weight. If you want to lose weight (which helps decrease your chances of getting chronic diseases) you need to control your portion size of food (not necessarily what that food is per say). This is a general rule for losing weight (not for overall health and wellness).
Dr. Mark Haub is an associate professor from Kanas State University. He tried an experiment on himself and this is what he did:

• 1800 calories a day
• physical exercise the same
• 2/3 intake from junk food
• took a multivitamin pill
• protein shake
• some vegetables

He lost 20 pounds and has since not gained it back. He was trying to show his students that the rule for losing weight is portion size. He does not recommend this diet to anyone else. Which is the main response of dietitian Jennie Twitchell. Not every diet works for every person, every body is different and will respond differently to different weight loss diets - portion sizes are the key. As well as if you want an overall health that is good now and in the future, eating healthy foods is a lot better option than junk food, but SIZE SIZE SIZE does matter when it comes to being healthy no matter what you eat.

Now I've never really been one to diet or even see diets as helpful 1) because I've been underweight pretty much my whole life and 2) because I see that unless someone makes lifestyle changes they will lose weight for a short amount of time and then gain it back, which is neither healthy for the body nor the mind. The main points I've learned from this article are that:

1. portion size controls weight {and}
2. types of food control overall health

Mindful Eating at UVU

I was hoping this was a seminar I could attend once and take notes on, but it is not. It is a workshop held for several weeks that you have to pay for. Seeing as I cannot pay for it, nor attend because of conflicts - I thought I’d just post about it so if any of you are interested, you can sign up. It looks very beneficial!

It’s based on these books:

1. Am I Hungry Inc. and Eat What You Love and Love What You Eat. – Dr. Michelle May, M.D. – founder of Am I Hungry Inc. and author ofEat What You Love and Love What You Eat
2. Intuitive Eating – author Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D and Elyse Resch, M.S., R.D. F.A.D.A 
3. Women Food & God – author Geneen Roth

And here are the benefits:

• Be in charge of your eating instead of feeling out of control 
• How to eat the foods you love without overeating or guilt 
• How to increase your metabolism 
• How to eat healthier without depriving yourself.

(Found via pdf file found on the calendar under Never Diet Again)