Body Image PSA... a must watch

 

This video is under 3 minutes long

but it brings to light a lot of startling statistics about

how men and women, and boys and girls are viewing their bodies.

We need to make a shift

We need to stop associating size with health

Body weight issues are very complex, it is not as simple as too skinny, or too heavy.

Talk to your doctor about a healthy weight for you 

And remember to

Move, eat healthy, laugh.

refocus

If you eat what you've always eaten...

eat at home

The average Canadian household spends about 30% of their food budget on eating out.  People who eat out more often tend to eat less-healthy foods and be heavier.
Want to try saving some money and maybe cut back on some calories? Eat at home.
besthealthmag.com suggegests keeping track of how often you eat out and how much money you are spending at restaurants and then cutting back gradually.

Interesting fact:  the rise in obesity over the past 30 years has fallen closely inline with the decline in cooking meals at home.

to check out 9 otherways to drop a few pounds or be healthier click here






{image from whig.com}

3500 calories

Yesterday I mentioned that you need a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat. So what exactly does that mean?
Everyone has a unique daily recommended calorie intake. This is based on age, weight, activity level and whether you are male or female.  Lets say your daily recommened intake is 1500 calories.
This is how many calories you need to eat in order to maintain your weight.
So lets say you eat 2000 calories a day, and burn 500 calories a day at the gym. Your net intake equals your recommended intake and you will maintain your current weight.
If you eat 2000 calories a day and burn 700 calories exercising every day after 7 days you will have a deficit of 4900 calories, or 1.4 pounds.
If you eat 2000 calories a day and don't exercise at all you will be in excess 500 calories each day. After 7 days you will have accumulated 3500 calories or 1 pound of fat.
How exactly do excess calories become jiggly thighs?
Anytime you have an excess of any food group - carbs, protein or fat - the body coverts it to fat and stores it in your adipose (fat) tissue.
So the trick is to not consistently take in more calories than you need.

Trying to lose a bit of weight? Don't fall for the latest fad/product/diet ect that promises "lose 7lbs in 7 days" - instead aim for slow and stead. A deficit of about 500 calories a day is a safe number to aim for. Try to cut out 250 calories a day from food, and burn 250 extra calories a day through exercise.
Trying to gain a bit of weight? Increase calorie intake through complex carbohydrates (ie. whole grains, fruit and vegetables), lean proteins (chicken, turkey, salmon, tofu), and unsaturated fat (ie avacados, salmon, almonds).  Avoid the unhealthy versions like simple sugars (ie. white sugar, white rice, and white bread), too much red meat or cured meats (ie. deli meat, bacon, steak), and saturated fat and avoid Trans Fat whenever possible.

Across Canada For Your Heart

Heart disease is the number one killer  in North America. And it is almost 100% preventable.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has some health and lifestyle factors that you can control that can reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 80%
Here they are:
-Dont Smoke: smoking causes hardening of the arteries. This will lead to a heart attack. People who smoke have nearly double the risk of certain types of stroke. The good news? Within 24 hours of quitting smoking your risk of heart attack decreases.
-Lower your cholesterol: cholesterol is produced by the body and taken in through the diet. Despite all the negative press cholesterol gets, some cholesterol is needed in the body. The difference is between HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein). HDL- "good" cholesterol- helps to remove plaque from building up in the arteries. LDL- "bad" cholesterol - actually promotes the build up of plaque in the arteries - which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol can be lowered and controlled through diet and exercise
-Manage your Weight - Being overweight can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. All of these increase your risk of heart disease. Manage your weight by controlling your meal portion sizes, getting 30 minutes of exercise every day, getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and avoiding excess added sugar.
-Get Physically active! - get moving! it is recommended that you get atleast 30 minutes of exercise each day. But new information has come out saying that you can start to see health benefits from 10-20 minutes. So try getting 10minutes of exercise 2-3 times a day and then build up to a more substantial exercise program - Check out this link for some 10 minute exercise programs!
-Monitor your blood pressure - if your blood pressure is high, some ways of lowering it are: lower sodium intake, exercise, eat a low-fat diet, and talk to yoru doctor
-Manage your Diabetes - by controlling blood sugar, eating a well-balanced diet, having healthy weight and exercising.
-Limit alcohol intake - one or two drinks a day for women or something like red wine has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease. Any more than that is dangerous. And some of the previously mentioned lifestyle changes are much more effective - such as exercise, lowering your weight, eating a well-balanced diet
Reduce Stress - identify stressors in your life and how to manage them. Talk to friends and family about wha is going on in your life. Take time for your self to relaxe or practice mediation, and get active!

I know this is a lot of information but it is important information. I got it from the website of a friend who is riding her bike across Canada to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Check out her website Across Canada For Your Heart to learn about the journey and find out how to donate!