Emotional Hunger-Blood Sugar-Cravings-Diet

How to Stop Cravings and Control Your Diet

Determine what you’re really hungry for.
The next time you get a craving, ask yourself if you’re stressed, sad, or bored. If so, you may be eating to fill an emotional void. Keep a “desire diary” for a week or more, and note your mood whenever you’re hit by an irresistible urge to chow down. If stress is your trigger, exercise more to relieve the pressure. If loneliness drives you to the Doritos bag, call someone. Remember that true hunger is easy to satisfy; any food will do.Emotional hungerOn the other hand, often manifests itself in desires for specific things like ice cream and fast food.
Get off the energy roller coaster.
A second big cause of ravenous cravings is a diet that’s too full of refined carbohydrates, which can produce drops in blood sugar that prompt hunger. If you have a doughnut for breakfast, you’ll get a nice jolt of energy from the sugar and simple carbs, but by mid-morning, you’ll be craving more. To stabilize blood sugar and appetite, start eating more protein and fiber. Tomorrow, try eggs and whole wheat toast for breakfast or a bowl of fiber-rich cereal with nuts, and see how easily you make it to lunch.
Many people think they’re hungry when they’re actually thirsty. Drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes to see if your craving subsides.
Distract yourself.
Taste buds have a very short attention span. Pop a mint, brush your teeth, check e-mail, call a friend, or take a walk. In many cases, you’ll find you weren’t really hungry. read more..

Encouragement-Motivation-Mindset

     I think encouragement and motivation comes differently from...

I think encouragement and motivation comes differently from each individual, and feeling good about yourself comes from within your own mindset. It’s really easy for us to see our flaws and what we think we are doing wrong, but when you see how great you are, how far you have come, how hard you are trying (even if it’s only what you see as ever so slightly), that beats every downside that you see. I want you to try and see that. For one, you are trying. That matters. A lot of people say they want to be healthier or say they want to lose weight, and don’t act on that. You have put yourself into action and you can’t stop just because you are feeling down about yourself. Look into the mirror and see how great you are. See how far you have come. If you’ve lost weight since starting your journey, you have to convince your brain that you can see it. It’s hard to see your own change, which is why I suggest taking progress photos to compare your own before and after, and it’s important not to compare yourself with another. Think about how good you’ll feel after a tough work out, think about how tasty your healthy meal will taste afterwards. Think about how much happier you will be, how much more fit and in shape how you will be, how much easier it will be to do things when you’re healthy, like run, ride a bike, climb stairs. Note how I said healthier, and not when you lose more weight. I know that you want to lose weight. There is nothing wrong with that and it will naturally come along with being healthier. But think about how nice being healthy really is. Sure, it’s harder to do things when you weigh more, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy for unhealthy people who are more thin. Being healthy has the advantage. It enables your body to do more, to be stronger, to be happier. I don’t know how anyone can not want and strive for that! It’s an amazing feeling. Again, even if only a little. I have small, weak muscles but I feel strong and great carrying a bunch of heavy bags. I have that mindset that I am strong and will only get stronger, and I want you to have that mindset that you are great and will only get greater, at whatever you want to feel so great at.      You just need to put yourself into that mindset. That get ready, get set, go… not, the get ready, get set, I can’t do it. Drag yourself to the gym, force yourself to go outside to take a walk, or a jog, or roller blade, or anything. Take yourself to the super market with a grocery list of your favorite healthy foods, stock up on fresh fruits and veggies, and maybe your favorite thing to treat yourself to. Make smoothies, make juice, melt at how delicious this good food is. Get started. Feel happy and great about yourself and your choices, feel good when you’re doing it. Feel super good. Seriously. This stuff is tough, I know. But you’re mindset is going to go from needing encouragement and feeling low, to feeling fantastic!     Okay when you read this I want you to get a piece of paper out, get a pen, physically write down the positives, and tack it up on the wall somewhere that you will see it often.  Write how much you love yourself, on the inside and out. Write down how much people, like me, KNOW that you can do it and that we are all proud of how far you have come, and how far you will go. Write a short encouraging quote on your bathroom mirror. And write down your favorite activities. If you’re having fun while staying active, you’ll feel a ton better, as well.      When first trying to reply to this, I was kind of stuck. I didn’t know entirely what to say. But I really hope that this helps. For you, and anyone else who’s stuck and reads through this. read more..

Natural Hair-Hair Growth

Hair growth - The natural way.

deidreelliott:I’ve already talked about makeup and skin care, now lets talk about hair care.     I used to have troubles with trying to grow my hair out. It hardly grew half an inch in one year. I used to dye it often, I used heat on it every day, and I wasn’t all that healthy. (Remember, your health isn’t determined by your doctors say-so. They’re not there to tell you that you don’t exercise enough or eat a balanced diet, they’re just there to make sure that nothing is more seriously wrong with you.) Everything about my hair changed during the summer of 2010. I left 11th grade with shoulder length, bright red hair, and started 12th grade with brown (my natural color, though dyed to rid of the red), healthy, natural hair. My hair has grown a tremendous amount since then - even in the last few months alone. I was nowhere near as healthy as I am now a year ago.      Someone once asked me how long it took me to grow my hair. Though there might have been a miscommunication between the anon and I as far as what hair they saw (my real hair or my extensions), the relevance still stands. Not only am I growing my hair out, but I’m trying to keep it healthy. When I say I don’t use heat on my hair, I mean it. Not for prom, not for pictures, and definitely not for my high school graduation. My hair and skin health is just as important as my physical and mental health.      Here are some ways to keep your hair healthy and growing. Remember, the healthier you are and the better you take care of your hair, the faster it will grow. 

• Health: Diet and Exercise. You are what you eat, right? So in order to maintain healthy hair, healthy skin, and a healthy body inside and out, you need to eat healthy. Cardiovascular exercise will get the blood pumping and send more blood and oxygen to your hair follicles. 

- Vitamin A: Lengthens and strengthens hair. Carrots, spinach, melons, papayas, mangoes and tomatoes. - Vitamin B: Not getting enough vitamin B is the most significant cause for poor Hair Growth and hair loss. Experts advise taking a supplement daily for 3 months.- Vitamin E: Anti oxidant that fights free radical damage and enhances hair growth. Nuts and whole cereals.- Biotin: You can either get this by eating meat,eggs, and poultry, or taking it in vitamin form. 

• Get your hair trimmed. Get your hair trimmed when you have dead ends. More energy is spent repairing dead ends than on growing your hair. 
• Heat damage. Limit exposure to hot sun, curling irons, straighteners, hair dryers, and very hot water. Hot water isn’t good for your skin anyways, so take warm showers instead. 
• Hair dyes. Coloring your hair is damaging, especially if you’re stripping the color out (bleach). Check out this website about organic hair dyes and hair dye advice.
• Hair bands. Pulling your hair too tightly and putting the hair band in too tightly can damage your hair. You know that headache you get when your hair is in a ponytail? That is bad. You’re stretching your hair and basically pulling it right out of your head. You can safely wear your hair up sometimes, but too often will be damaging. Try using hair scrunchies or clips if you need to put your hair up. 
• Washing your hair. I don’t even do this correctly. Don’t wash your hair too often, but wash it enough. It is ideal to wash your hair every other day. Don’t let the oils in your hair take over (which I used to do), and don’t let the shampoo destroy the oils by washing too often (which I do).  A good conditioner is also important. Try using Mane ‘n Tail. It’s a horse shampoo, but it’s good for hair growth and strength. 
• Brushing your hair. Don’t brush your hair while its wet. It doesn’t have any elasticity while its wet and it will stretch, thin, and break. Brush it when it dries. Brushing your hair often enough is good, its sort of like massaging your scalp and encouraging your hair to grow. However, I also read that it’s bad to brush t read more..

Ottawa Public Library-Physical Activity-Steps Per Day-Councillor-Pedometer

Councillors Track their Steps with Ottawa Public Library Pedometers

Every day, beginning with our first steps as a child, we walk. But do you know that for adults ages 18 to 64 it is recommended that you reach 10,000 steps per day? Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) invite you to use a pedometer to track your steps!To mark the end of Physical Activity Month, OPH staff, Board of Health members Katherine Hobbs and Mathieu Fleury, and Councillors and OPL Board trustees Jan Harder and Shad Qadri are wearing pedometers all week. They will be tweeting their step counts and trying to reach the 10,000 a day goal. Follow #ottawawalks and #ottawamarche to see how they’re doing!Walking is a free, accessible and low impact form of physical activity that can be incorporated throughout the day. To increase your daily steps:

• Walk to work or school
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Take a lunch time walk
• Walk to the movies or local grocery store

Ottawa Public Library offers a pedometer lending program at all of its branches. With a library card, residents can borrow a pedometer for three-week periods to count their steps and watch their walking increase over time.  Every step counts – put your best foot forward and try to reach the daily step goal for your age. For more information on the pedometer lending program and to view pedometer availability, please visit biblioottawalibrary.ca.Wearing a pedometer will show the number of steps taken each day and it will help to compare your current walking activity level with what is recommended for your age. Daily step goals include:

• Children (5 to 11 years): 12,000 to 16,000 steps per day
• Youth (12 to 17 years): 11,000 to 12,000 steps per day
• Adults (18 to 64 years): 10,000 steps per day
• Older adults (65+): 6,000 to 7,000 steps per day

Follow Councillor Harder @BarrhavenJan, Councillor Qadri @ShadQadri, Councillor Hobbs @Katherine_Hobbs and Councillor Fleury @MatheiuFleury and use #ottawawalks and #ottawamarche to participate and reach your goal! Let us know what you’re doing to increase your daily steps! read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Please, Please, Please-Vigorous Exercise-Bikram Yoga-Hot Yoga

bikram yoga is not what you may think it is...

bikram Yoga is not what you may think it is...: melindavee:for all of you who practice bikram yoga please, please, please read this article“The function of sweat is to cool your body down when it is overheated. This can happen during a vigorous exercise session (such as hot yoga) or by 9 a.m. on an August morning in the Bayou City. The cause of the sweat does not significantly affect its content, which is primarily water with traces of minerals, though not enough to merit the term detoxification.” read more..

Physical Activity-Ottawa Residents-Nutritious Food-Healthy Choices-Healthy Eating

Board of Health approves a new healthy eating and active living strategy

On May 7, 2012 the Ottawa Board of Health approved a three-year Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) strategy in order to help residents make healthier choices about food and physical activity. The strategy is supported by community and municipal partners, and focuses on three determinants of healthy weights: poor nutrition, inactivity and the societal pre-occupation with weight.“We are aware that our residents are not eating enough vegetables and fruit, that they are not getting enough exercise and that the settings Ottawa residents live, learn, work and play in do not consistently support Healthy Choices and behaviours,” said Councillor Diane Holmes, Chair of the Board of Health. “The implementation of the HEAL strategy will support residents to eat healthy, be active and maintain a healthy body image.”[[MORE]]Increasing access to nutritious food, nutrition skills, active transportation and physical activity will remain strategic priorities of Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and the Board of Health.In the short-term, OPH will focus on:

• Reducing consumption of foods that lack nutritional value and are high in calories and sodium, and increasing access to healthier foods;
• Increasing physical activity and active transportation; and
• Dispelling myths and biases around obesity by changing social and physical environments.

OPH is working with a number of partners in order to achieve the changes outlined in the strategy. “In order to reduce the obesity trend, it is key that organizations and policy-makers work together to make changes so that people have greater access to healthy affordable foods and physical activity,” said Christina Marchant from Centretown Community Health Centre, host of the Ottawa Good Food Box program.“One key way to improve the food environment is for restaurants to disclose calorie and sodium information on menus,” said Bill Jeffery, LLB, from Centre for Science in the Public Interest. “This will help people make healthier choices and spur restaurants to make their food more nutritious. We look forward to working with OPH on this valuable initiative.”For more information on the HEAL strategy or the Healthy Eating, Active Living and Healthy Weights in Ottawa, 2012 report, visit ottawa.ca/health or call OPH Information at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). You can also connect with OPH on Facebook and Twitter (@ottawahealth) for the latest public health information.Resources:
Ottawa Public Health 2011 Annual Report
Healthy Eating, Active Living and Healthy Weights, 2012 read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Festivals

May is a great time to discover the Capital’s many festivals.  Walk, bike, or in-line skate...

May is a great time to discover the Capital’s many festivals.  Walk, bike, or in-line skate to the Tulip Festival. read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Ottawa Public Library-Physical Health-Type 2 Diabetes-Bike Trails

Walk or Bike Your Way to Health

Over the last 25 years, many of our daily routines have become less and less active.  In fact, 68% of Canadian men and 69% of women spend the majority of their waking hours sitting, an average of 9 hours a day. Think about your daily work routine and add-up the hours. Does it take a long time to drive into office?  Is it a series of meetings or long stretches in front of a computer screen?  Being physically active is good for your mental and physical health, it reduces your risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and breast and colon cancers.  [[MORE]]Employers are starting to encourage more physical activity in the workplace.  They see the benefits of good health for their employees, the environment, and they see increased productivity, less absenteeism, and fewer injuries. One way workplaces can help is encourage employees biking or walking to work. Why not talk with your boss about starting such a program. It will change your day and your co-workers.  Here are a few things to consider:

• Contact the  EnviroCentre to  find out more or even plan a Bike to Work program in your workplace
• Racks for locking up bikes
• Facilities for lockers and showers or somewhere close-by to use like a gym
• Maps posted of the local bike trails and footpaths
• Support groups to set up a buddy system for walking or biking to work
• Information for travel planning and being safe
• Information on bus routes for co-workers who wish to use the bus as well as walking and biking
• Borrow a pedometer from any branch of Ottawa Public Library and to motivate yourself and your colleagues by counting steps.

For more information, call Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 or e-mail healthsante@ottawa.ca. read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Support Children-Mental Health

Sunday, May 6, support children’s mental health and take part in “Walk so Kids can...

Sunday, May 6, support children’s mental health and take part in “Walk so Kids can Talk.” Learn how you can get involved read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Binge Eating Disorder-Mindful Eating-Gain Control-Binge Eater

Gain Control Over Binge Eating

Signs that you are a binge eater:
Feelings of being out of control
Frequently eat large portions of food
Hiding food and eating in private
Feeling guilty after overeating
Feeling depressed
Having metabolic syndrome
How to Gain Control Over Binge Eating
Recognize that you have a binge eating disorder
Realize that it is normal to have a relapse while overcoming your binge eating
Enlist support from family, friends and a self-help group
Learn to eat naturally by eating only when you are hungry and never eating until you are full.
Eat frequent small meals throughout the day so you don’t get overly hungry and eat absentmindedly.
Be conscious of the kinds of food you put in your body
Practice mindful eating
Eat for health and energy rather than cravings
Try cognitive-behavior therapy or psychotherapy
Try an antidepressant
Find the motivation to exercise daily
Look for the silver lining – adapt a positive attitude
Benefits of overcoming binge eating:
Regain control over food
Better manage stress
Stop feeling like you have to hide your eating habits
Feel better about your body
Improve you overall health
Reduce chances of getting a life-threatening disease
Have more energy
Increase self-esteem  
And what can you do to stop a binge before it starts?
1. Already bought your Halloween candy? There’s still time to stop yourself. Save a bite-sized piece, eat it, and enjoy it. Give the rest to a homeless shelter. Don’t take it to work. Put your imagination to work on alternative treats to hand out - like raisins, cereal, pencils, party favors, etc. - and don’t feel guilty. You can count on your neighbors to provide chocolate to the kids.
2. Have a plan. Eat a nutritious snack before going to a party. Tell yourself you’ll eat just half of what’s served, then stick to your vow.
3. Plan active days off and vacations. Don’t assume you have to gain weight if you’re indulging. Compensate with physical activity.
4. Identify your triggers. For example, if you’re going to a family gathering, are you likely to feel resentful or guilty about long-standing differences with certain family members? Deal with these issues. Food can mask them but won’t make them disappear.
5. Distinguish between indulging and bingeing. Occasionally allow yourself to indulge without eating out of control. The tendency to engage in black-and-white thinking is the hallmark of a problem with food. “If you think one Snickers makes a disaster, then you might think, ‘Why not go all the way and really binge?’”
6. Snack often on nutritious foods to keep from getting overly hungry. Carry an insulated snack pack everywhere. It’s filled with foods such as dried and fresh fruits, baby carrots, nonfat yogurt, trail mix, whole-grain cereal, nuts, and baked chips. You have to defend yourself, you can’t go out into the modern ‘obese-ogenic’ environment and hope not to get fat, just as you wouldn’t go out in the rain without an umbrella and expect to not get wet. read more..

Women's Health Magazine-Kettlebell Workout-Healthday News-Core Strength-Kettlebells

Exercise Twice a Day Vital for Your Dog's Health, Expert Says

MONDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- Just like people, dogs need to get daily exercise to stay healthy, a veterinarian says. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/Jz3eD3

Do you ever exercise with kettlebells? They are great time-savers and also chall...

Do you ever exercise with kettlebells? They are great time-savers and also challenge your stabilizer muscles, which help improve core strength and balance. Try This Routine: http://ow.ly/az7eg
Kettlebell Workout: Take Hold of a Hot Bod | Women's Health Magazine
Crank up your workout with these fast-acting total-body exercises read more..

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases-Public Health Measures-Immunization Programs-National Immunization

Protect yourself and the people around you

Every year, immunization and vaccines save three million lives worldwide.  Unfortunately, another three million lives are lost to  vaccine-preventable diseases because individuals did not receive vaccines because of poor access, limited finances or misinformation.[[MORE]]In North America, immunization programs have been so successful that vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio, diphtheria, mumps and measles, are rarely seen, leading to complacency about the need to immunize.  There is a danger in this complacency.  If Canadians continue to be under-immunized, it could take as little as two generations for the reappearance of these serious diseases.  Québec has been dealing with a measles outbreak since April 2011 with over 750 cases reported. In Canada, immunization remains one of the most cost-effective public health measures.  Immunization costs are easily recovered through the reduced need for medical care and hospitalizations.  In this case, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure… and more!Locally, Ottawa Public Health ensures that 35 publicly-funded vaccines are stored safely and made available to physicians and Health Care agencies in Ottawa.  Most publicly-funded vaccines, including those recommended for adults, are available through family physicians or at walk-in clinics.  Others are available at school and community clinics at various sites throughout the city.April 21st 2012 marks the beginning of National Immunization Awareness Week in Canada.  Whether you are a parent, a young adult or a senior, please participate in National Immunization Awareness Week by checking with your health care provider to find out which vaccines are recommended for you and your family, and most importantly, whether your family’s vaccines are up-to-date.  Immunizations protect you and the people around you. To locate a walk-in clinic near you, or to find out which vaccines are available through school immunization clinics, contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656) or at healthsante@ottawa.ca, or visit ottawa.ca/health read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Women's Health-This Weekend

Women's Health Weekend Challenge! This weekend, take your sprints laying down. C...

Women's Health Weekend Challenge! This weekend, take your sprints laying down. Complete as many reps of “The Sprinter” as you can without sacrificing proper form. Make sure to control your movement through the entire exercise, bracing your core to keep pressure off your back. Do this move today, tomorrow, and Sunday. So...ARE YOU IN? read more..

Emotional Benefits-Hip Openers-Muscles-Pose

Hip opening poses work to open the joints and muscles around the...

Hip opening poses work to open the joints and muscles around the hips. They helps to keep the pelvis and hips in proper alignment, which prevents strain and tightness in that area. Having flexible hips can ease back pain, improve circulation in your legs, help you to walk easier. Hip openers also have mental and emotional benefits. We hold a lot of tension in our hips from stress, anxiety, sadness, fear, and other negative emotions. Once that tension in our hips is released, the emotional benefits are felt. Below is a list of hip opening poses. When doing these poses, concentrate on your breath and relax your body.

• Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)
• High lunge
• Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
• Lizard pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
• Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
• Cow face (Gomukhasana)
• Pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) - (different variations)
• Bound angle (Baddha Konasana)
• Extended triangle (Utthita Trikonasana)
• Happy baby pose (Ananda Balasana) or half
• Fire log pose (Agnistambhasana)
• Reclining big toe (Supta Padangusthasana)
• Side-reclining leg lift (Anantasana)
• Big toe pose (Padangusthasana)
• Cat pose (Marjaryasana)
• Cow pose (Bitilasana)
• Extended triangle (Utthita Trikonasana)
• Marichyasana I
• Head-to-knee forward bend (Janu Sirsasana)
• Wide-legged forward bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
• Wide-angle seated forward bend (Upavistha Konasana)
• Marichi’s pose (Marichyasana III)

read more..

Strength Training Workouts-Compound Exercises-Interval Training-Processed Foods

Thighs "Calves Help

- Engage in total body strength training workouts two days per week to increase lean muscle all over your body. Include exercises to target each major muscle group. Perform exercises such as bent-over dumbbell rows for back, pushups for chest, stability ball crunches for abs, triceps overhead press, barbell curls for biceps, squats for legs and lateral raises for shoulders. Perform each exercise for one set of 20 repetitions. Rotate through the circuit of exercises three times. Use weights that are heavy enough to push your muscles to failure by the last few repetitions of each exercise.
- Perform two lower body workouts twice per week to tone the thighs, butt and calves. Incorporate a combination of compound exercises that work multiple muscles at the same time and isolated exercises that target one specific muscle group. Execute compound exercises such as leg presses, lunges and dumbbell squats to recruit the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Perform isolated exercises such as leg extensions for quadriceps, hamstring curls and standing calf raises
- Participate in high-intensity interval training or HIIT cardio three to four days per week to melt stored body fat. Run on the treadmill for 30 seconds and walk for 60 seconds to recover, or sprint on the stationary bike for 30 seconds at a low resistance level and pedal at a slower pace with a high resistance level for 60 seconds. At a minimum, allow 24 hours of rest between HIIT workouts.
- Eat healthy foods to help you lose body fat. Consume all-natural low-fat foods such as skinless poultry, lean cuts of beef, coldwater fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. Stay away from processed foods, especially those advertised as “healthy,” which contain large amounts of chemical sweeteners, preservatives, sodium and fats that may contribute to fat storage. read more..

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board-Community Foundation Of Ottawa-Ottawa Schools

Walking matters!Ottawa Public Health’s Associate Medical...

Walking matters!Ottawa Public Health’s Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Vera Etches, participated in the Winter Walk to School Day on Feb. 13. The annual Winter Walk to School Day and the partnership between the City of Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Community Foundation of Ottawa and Heart and Stroke Foundation helps promote sustainable forms of transportation to school - such as walking and cycling - for increased physical activity, improved student and environmental well-being. Ottawa Public Health has worked with community partner Green Communities Canada (GCC) to support the implementation of the School Travel Planning (STP) project in Ottawa schools.  STP is a community-based program which applies a process that has been used with success in other cities and countries to increase the number of children and their parents choosing to walk and cycle to and from school.Every February, Winter Walk to School Day is marked by schools and municipalities across Canada and around the globe to raise awareness of the benefits and ease of walking to school, even during winter. The Ottawa project was introduced to ten schools (eight elementary, two secondary) in 2009-2011.  In 2011-2013, it will expand to an additional eight elementary and six secondary schools. For more ideas to get you moving, visit ottawa.ca/health read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Health-Pills

A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs.-...

A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs.-- Joan Welsh http://ow.ly/8f9Sn5 Quick Ways to Stop Back Painow.lyFrom crunches to lunches, how to ease the ache: Learn how five ways to ease back pain in this slideshow. read more..

source:health.com