Resolve to succeed in fitness this year
Many of us ring in the new year with vows to get fit, banish junk food and lose weight. But after weeks of holiday indulgence and trying to bolster willpower during the colder, darker winter days, those resolutions often fall flat.
Research from 2015 found that roughly 80 per cent of resolutions fail by the second week of February. Kelly Musovic, Personal Training Divisional Manager with GoodLife Fitness, says when it comes to resolutions, certain patterns emerge that keep people from succeeding.
• We try to do too much at once
• We set goals that are vague
• We try to do it alone
• We’re often too hard on ourselves if we have a lapse of willpower or we don’t succeed right away
By applying sports psychology principles, it’s possible to set realistic, achievable resolutions and train your mind to stick with them into the new year, even when the going gets tough. Here are some principles to help set – and keep – fitness and healthy resolutions for 2018.
Start small: It’s important to focus on gradual improvements and aim to change one behaviour at a time. Start with what you can manage and increase exercise levels slowly. Small successes help build confidence and soon your intentions will become habits.
Talk about it: Tell your friends and family about your plans to build in more physical activity or change your eating habits. By putting it out there you’re more likely to follow through, plus you’ll receive lots of encouragement and support.
Be kind to yourself: When it comes to fitness and healthier eating, it’s important to celebrate your successes and not dwell on the negatives. If you miss a workout one week, make it a point to follow through on your gym routine the week after. Don’t worry about tiny slip-ups, focus on the big picture.
Get an exercise partner: Being accountable to someone else is a huge part of showing up for your workout. Working out with someone else can be more enjoyable and make the time go faster, plus you get extra motivation from the positive feedback.
Be specific: Instead of saying “I’ll get into better shape,” or “I’ll only eat healthy foods from now on,” be more specific. Resolutions with timelines and specifics are easier to measure. For example, “I will lose 10 lbs to feel more confident on my beach vacation in March,” or “I will eat vegetables instead of potato chips at lunchtime to improve my energy levels in the afternoon at work.” Having a specific goal helps you know what to do when temptation arises and it’s easier to measure success and adapt to reach your goals.
Do it for ‘future you’: People are more successful at attaining their resolutions when they keep their future self in mind. Sign up for a 5K run in the spring, plan to look great on your beach vacation or aim to be active with your grandkids. You’re more likely to withstand pitfalls if you’re focused on future success.
Musovic and personal trainers in your area are available to talk more about the elements of resolution success. They can share nutrition strategies and demonstrate some exercises that will amp up the fun and results of your 2018 workouts and keep you motivated well past February.
Feeling Pain or Numbness? 4 Symptoms of a Herniated Disc
It’s easy to tell when you have a cut or a fever. A herniated disc can be more difficult to detect, as the symptoms can occasionally be vague. Sometimes they can be chalked up to simple aging. It’s important to pay attention to the signs, though, so you can seek one of the many herniated disc treatments quickly and feel better faster. Here are four symptoms of a herniated disc.
Arm or Leg Pain
Depending on the exact location of the herniated disc, you’ll feel pain in various locations. If the disc is in your lower back, the most intense pain will be in your buttocks, thighs, and calves. It may be only one leg or both. If the disc is in your neck, your shoulder and arm will feel the most intense pain. In either case, sneezing or coughing may cause the pain to shoot into your arm or leg, as can shifting your spine into certain positions.
Numbness or Tingling
Similar to the “pins and needles” feeling that you get when a body part has fallen asleep, you may feel numbness or tingling in the body part served by the nerves affected by the herniated disc. This numbness or tingling may not affect the entire body part. It may only affect a particular area, such as the thumb side of an arm, or the little toe and outside of a foot and leg.
Weak Muscles
The herniated disc affects the nerves that serve various muscles. Those muscles tend to weaken. Depending on the area of the disc, this can lead you to stumble or have trouble standing, or it could impair your ability to hold and lift items. Muscle weakness tends to be one of the more serious symptoms of a herniated disc and often requires surgical intervention as quickly as possible.
Back Pain
The back pain may be dull or throbbing, constant or intermittent, and possibly accompanied by stiffness. The disc may also cause muscle spasms, which might be alleviated by a couple of days of rest with ice and heat in a supportive recliner or lying flat with a pillow beneath the knees. Back pain is more likely to be present in the lower back than the neck.
A herniated disc can be a painful experience. If you suspect that your symptoms are caused by a herniated disc, it’s best to get it checked out quickly by a professional, like those at Southwest Florida Neurosurgical & Rehab Associates
5 Tips that help you to reduce weight quickly
Gaining few pounds has become a dilemma and you’re looking for some healthy, sustainable way to lose weight? There are plenty of ways to slim yourself down. You have to cut your calories, exercise regularly, resist junk food, stick on water instead of juice or soda, walk 30 minutes a day etc. loosing and maintaining a healthy weight can be tougher or you may find trouble to get motivated. Joshua C. Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham stated:
The key to staying motivated to lose weight is similar to the [amount of] fuel in a car—you don't need the motivation tank to be full to drive, you just need to prevent it from running empty. If you notice that your weight loss motivation is waning, give yourself a break from your diet or exercise plan for one to three days.
- Cut your calories and appetite
It can be very difficult to stick to a low-calorie diet but it is essential to cut your pounds in an effective way to sculpt your best body. Try eating a bit less sauce i.e. ketchup and mayonnaise in your food, avoid sugar-sweetened drinks like soda, coke, and other beverages, avoid adding sugar in your tea or coffee, use a smaller plate, have a half glass of water and walk before dinner, eat more vegetables and chose whole fruits instead of juices. But make sure not to eat fewer than 1,000 calories in a day.
- Walk 30 minutes a day regularly
You don’t need a super sweaty high-intensity workout daily. Just 30 minutes’ walk would not only help you to shed some pounds but also to have a healthy dose of cardio regularly. Moreover, it will also boost metabolism, improve blood circulation, lower LDL-cholesterol, and ward off heart disease. Walking is the best way to maintain a healthy weight, burns belly fat and tone the abdominal region.
- Switch-off the TV at mealtime
The research found those who chew slowly, eat without distraction, and concentrate on the food and eat without any conversation, lose six times as much weight as other slimmers. Paying more attention to your meal would keep you overeating and mindful eating can help you to make healthier choices.
This is surprisingly true that sleep and weight loss are interconnected. Lack of sleep alters the way your brain works. It increases appetite which stimulates hunger, makes you crave fat and carbs. Moreover, poor sleep makes the body’s metabolism work less efficaciously, leaves more unexpended energy to be stored in the body as fat. Research shows that people starved to sleep make bad food decisions. They want more calorie-rich food.
Drinking water can help you to support your dieting efforts. It raises metabolism in your body and improves your fat burning rate. It will also make you feel full and consume less food at a meal. Drinking some water before a meal is also a good move that will pay off. Substituting all other beverages, coffee, tea, fruit juice etc. for a glass of water can help to burn calories.
Eating the right combination of food and make healthy changes in your lifestyle can help you to drop pounds and even drop them fast. It would be troublesome for some time to stop yourself when you may have a plate of brownies in front of you. If you’re struggling to stick with your weight loss motivation, choose an attainable or realistic goal. Never think that you’ll quickly lose 50 pounds in the next couple of weeks. Find a partner who may also help you out by cheer you on, and work out with will keep you on track. Be patient and give yourself small rewards (must not be food-related) to provide an incentive to keep going.
Author Bio
Michelle Hannan is a nutritionist, and she's on a mission to give you all the information you need to successfully lose weight. She also blogs regularly at https://www.hcgdietinfo.net/
Healthful Facts: 5 Ways You Can Take Control of Your Body
People have ignored their health for all sorts of reasons. For example, some simply were just too busy to worry about their health, but that is changing. More and more people understand how important it is to stay on top of their health. Taking control of your health is not too hard though it does require a bit of an investment on your part.
Knowledge
One of the easiest things you can do is learn what is healthy and what is not. You can take better control of your health if you know what is good for you and what might not be. Talk to a health consultant, and make sure you look up information online to further your education.
Take Action
Knowing what is healthy is one thing, but you also have to make sure you motivate yourself to take action by sticking to specific diets or exercise regimes. You could talk to a dietitian and a fitness trainer to help motivate you if you have trouble doing this step on your own. You can also read a few self-help books, which work for some people.
Choose Care
People who wait to the last minute to seek medical attention hardly put any thought into where they will go for help. You need to value choice, and look for a care center that truly cares for you. For example, you may want to look for a personal dentist such as Smile Makers Dental rather than the closest one to your house. Knowing that the dentist provides trustworthy care is one major step in the right direction.
Supportive Team
Some people may be having a hard time letting go of unhealthy habits. This is normal, but you have to make sure that you have a support system. There are support groups for people having all sorts of issues such as overeating or smoking. Admitting to yourself you have a lack of control is important, and it’s yet another step in the right direction.
Peer Pressure
You need make some new friends on this journey of yours that will help focus you and push you. Taking full control of your health is not always easy, so you are going to need friends who care about health as much as you do. Now, those who already have health enthusiast friends may skip this step, but those who do not try to make friends.
There you go, now you know five ways to take control of your health once and for all. Be sure to talk to health care specialists about additional ways you can make this change.
Meghan Belnap / Blogger, Researcher and Freelance Writer
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.
How to Gain the Self-Discipline You Need to Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking can be a hassle. Some can do it cold turkey while others find it that they lack the self-discipline to be successful. Let’s take a look at some helpful ways to gain the needed self-discipline.
Discipline
For some, discipline isn’t always easy. It takes a lot of work and practice. Whether you are trying to make a goal to stop a bad habit like smoking, or making a positive goal such as eating healthy, self-discipline is not only necessary but it makes it so much easier.
Even globally, self-discipline is the root of success for many. There is no bigger manhole in the road to success than excuses. A stepping stone to gaining discipline is throwing these excuses out the window and tackling the bad habit or goal head on. Some other negative factors that can inhibit self-discipline are blaming others for your actions and justifying passive behavior.
A man by the name of Elbert Hubbard stated that discipline is the ability to do what is needed and where it is needed, whether you like it or not.
Habit Not Discipline
We are all creatures of habit, not discipline. People generally hover over habit instead of discipline. Discipline requires hard work and determination. Yes, these are difficult things to incorporate into your life, especially long-term, but at a steadily pace you can build up step-by-step to the challenge.
To some people, discipline is the root of habit. In order for people to make life decisions that are accountable, they need to stop doing what is easy or fun and start doing things that are most likely harder than or not as interesting. This way, the thing that you want as a goal will be more rewarding and beneficial.
Expose Your Mind to More Positive Thoughts
Your mind is where no one can stop you. If you stop feeding on negative material such as pointless books or unhelpful TV programs, and feed it with positive and inspirational insight, you will be able to accomplish so much more. Whatever is not contributing to your goals is simply wasting your time.
When you are exposed to motivational and inspirational insight, your self-esteem goes up. The more this happens the more you feel better about yourself. All your doubts and self-conflict will fade away. It infuses your mind with confidence. The more confidence you have, the easier it will be to have self-discipline and tackle those bad habits and achieve those positive goals.
Using an Alternative
If you really don’t want to smoke but want to gradually step away from the habit, you could try an alternative. One such alternative is vaping. When you use a vape pen, like those from The Vape Mall, instead of smoking, you still have the sensation of smoking, but it is much healthier for you and can allow you to get away from the bad habit altogether.
If you want to increase your self-discipline to be able to quit smoking, it is vital that you look at just how important this is to you. Do you want a healthier, longer life? How about your family? What will motivate you to do this? Let that inspire your self-discipline.
|
A Gentle Tilt Can Double Spine Forces
Internationally Best-Selling Author and Spinal Surgeon Dr. Ken Hansraj (www.realspinesurgery.com) defined postural implications for humanity in 10 finite element studies. His new book, coming in 2018 will describe the impact of text neck, backpack forces, race and gender specific data on belly size, along with breast forces on the spine.
Hansraj expressed that people need to know that a mere 15 degrees tilt will double the forces on the neck in text neck. Women need to know that a 20 degrees tilt will increase spine forces caused by breasts about one half more. A typical woman with a 36D breast size experiences 28 pounds of force on the spine, and at 20 degrees forward the force becomes 40 pounds.
Dr. Marcia Griffin-Hansraj demonstrates good posture, relaxed with a smile.
Good posture is essential
Remember your mother saying, "Stop slouching"? You would think it goes without saying, but too many of us simply don't maintain good posture, which is critical for a healthy spine.
Good posture is defined as ears aligned with the shoulders and the "angel wings," or the shoulder blades, retracted. In proper alignment, spinal stress is diminished. It is the most efficient position to achieve the best posture possible.
Proper posture leads to a taller appearance, deeper breathing, improved well-being and increased energy with enhanced human performance. Many experts believe stooping and slouching could be associated with depression, weight gain, heartburn, migraines, anxiety and respiratory conditions.
Text Neck: A World Problem: Billions of people are using smart phones and electronic devices throughout the world, essentially in poor posture. People spend an average of two to four hours a day with their heads tilted over reading and texting on their smart phones and devices. Cumulatively this is 700 to 1,400 hours a year of excess stresses seen around the cervical spine. It is possible that a high school student today may spend an extra 5,000 hours in poor posture in the four years of high school. People of all ages are “heads down.” Walking, driving, working and especially when spending time with their friends and family.
The Solution: KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!! When you are on your smart device, just keep your head up!! Your eyeballs have a range of motion as well. Look down with your eyes and raise the device up a bit!! While it is nearly impossible to avoid the technologies that cause these issues, individuals should make an effort to look at their phones with a neutral spine and to avoid spending hours each day hunched over. Good posture is when you bring your ears above your shoulders and open up your chest by retracting your angel wings = your scapula. Take home message: be mindful of where your head is in space.
Breast Forces: A Women’s Health Problem: Women have complained about the pain caused by big breasts since the dawn of humanity. Large breasts have been associated with physical complaints of back pain and neck pain, yet many insurance companies question the truthfulness of women suffering with this kind of discomfort.
World Solution: It is crucial for women to maintain good posture, wear a bra that fits, and understand the impact increasing the bust size can have on physical health; an increase by a mere letter size, for instance, using an average 36 cup, can mean as much as 10 extra pounds of weight on the spine.
Often women seeking plastic surgery do not give consideration as to how the added weight of implants will affect their spines. On the other hand, a breast reduction of a naturally fuller bust can often help to alleviate pressure off the spine.
It is important for women to maintain a healthy weight, strong core, and good posture along with wearing a well-fitted bra in order to help combat spine strain.
With cosmetic surgery now widely accessible to consumers, women are more increasingly looking to either enlarge or decrease their breast size, but aren’t giving enough consideration to the impact the change will make on the physical health of their spine
About Dr. Ken Hansraj:
Kenneth K. Hansraj, M.D. is a spinal and orthopedic surgeon specializing in cervical, thoracic and lumbar procedures, bloodless spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery, laminectomies and spinal fusions. He believes in whole body wellness, preventative care and that the spine is a principal indicator of general health impacted by “human software and hardware.” Dr. Ken is the author of the internationally bestselling book, Keys to an Amazing Life: Secrets of the Cervical Spine, which he was inspired to write based on this concept. Dr. Hansraj is also the author of Bloodless Spine Surgery: Pictures and Explanations. His goal with each of his books is to bring years of accumulated expert medical knowledge to the public at-large in an easy-to digest format and to help countless individuals with ongoing spinal and health issues.
Dr. Ken Hansraj is TV and media trained and has extensive experience with national outlets such as CNN, HLN, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, NPR and has been featured globally. Cision® estimates his current media impressions at 5.5 Billion |
The 10 Best Apps that help you prepare a Healthy Meal
Today we live in the modern age of technology; it has taken over almost everything, from industrial processes to day to day tasks. Technology has also revolutionized the fitness industry, you can download an app by a few clicks to track your calories, or you can use the internet to search for weight loss blogs to get some motivation.
The most important factor that influences your health and fitness is your diet, and consequently, the most challenging job is to plan a nutritious meal. Well, the good news is that it isn't a problem anymore! Here is a list of 10 apps that can help you prepare a healthy meal.
- Mealime
One of the most stressful question to answer is “What should I cook today?” Well, Mealime is an app that is designed to answer the question. You can choose from tons of healthy meal plans and dishes that take less than 30 minutes to cook. You can personalize a diet plan according to your choice; it also generates a grocery list for the weekly meal you decide. And do you know the best part? Yes, there is more, it helps minimize the food wastage by selecting quantities of each item in your grocery in a manner that it would finish once you are done cooking for the week.
Available free for Android and Apple users
- Superfoods
The app is different from the others because it is no calorie tracker instead it teaches you about the importance of nutrition. It provides detailed information about the super foods that are nutrient powerhouses and provide us energy & prevention from diseases. Reading through their guides, you get to know about healthier diet options and which foods to have in your kitchen.
Available free for Android and Apple users
- Fooducate
It is an app that helps you keep an eye on the quality of calories you are consuming along with exercise, mood, sleep and hunger levels. The app will grade the food you are eating by scanning the barcode. You can also share your eating experiences with the community to motivate others.
It is available for Android and Apple users for free however some features require purchase.
- MyFitnessPal
This app is a useful tool for tracking your intake of nutrients and calories. You can set the number of nutrients that you want to consume each day, and the app can help you meet the desired goals by adjusting your daily food diary. You can also make your recipes and track the number of calories using the app.
Available for both platforms, i.e., Android and Apple free
- Substitutions
This app is beneficial because it provides you with healthy alternatives to the foods you want to avoid. Imagine you are in the middle of cooking a recipe and you notice an ingredient isn’t available in your kitchen, well there is nothing to worry about because now you have substitutions, it can give you tips on which item to use in place of the ones the recipe requires.
It is available for Apple users for $1.99
- Lose It
This app lets you add the weight goal you want to achieve and provides you the number of calories you should be devouring every day. You can log your daily diet by just taking pictures of the food. You can also take part in different exercise and diet challenges if you are low on motivation.
It is free for Apple and Android users
- IEatWell
The app also lets you track your calories and how healthy you are eating by logging your daily meals. You can also add pictures of your food, and the tracker will evaluate the quality of what you consumed. Based on the result it will award you with a badge if your meal was found to be nutritious. You can share your progress with friends to get more motivation if you’d like.
It is available free for Android and Apple users
- FatSecret
This app is not only a calorie counter, but it also plans meals and keeps a log of what you eat, the number of calories you burn & your overall progress. It can scan labels to check the number of calories in a product. You can interact with professionals and synchronize your app with Google Fit.
Available free for Android and Apple users
- Eat this much
This app is also your dietician. It can help you plan a week’s meals keeping in mind your preferences. You can choose from the recipes available in the app, or you can customize them as per your likes, allergies or needs. You can also put in details of what you ate, and it will keep track of your intake. Furthermore, it can generate grocery lists; provide meal cooking times so you can choose what to cook with consideration to convenience.
Available free for Android and Apple users
- 8fit
This app is more like your nutritionist and trainer in your pocket. It provides you with over 400 nutritious recipes to choose from and makes a weekly customized meal plan and a grocery list. You can set your preference whether you want a vegan meal or a low carb diet and it will design the menu accordingly. It also monitors your caloric intake and provides you with a customized workout plan to suit your lifestyle.
Available free for Apple and Android users
Kelly Newman is a Fitness Trainer and blogger. She loves to write about everything related to fitness and diet and wants to help people adopt a healthier lifestyle. She works with the team behind Health Listed and does extensive research to provide people actionable health and nutrition information.
4 Ways Alternative Medicines Are an Anxious Person’s Best Friend
According to government health data, anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting nearly a third of the nation’s teens and adults. Prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications are also on the rise, yet only 36% of anxious people receive formal treatment. For someone with anxiety, accessing resources, making appointments, and taking potentially dangerous medications can make their situation worse and not better. Alternative, holistic medicines and treatments can calm, center, and heal you without the risky side effects associated with manufactured drugs.
If you have anxiety and are considering treatment, alternative medicines might just be your new BFF. With natural teas, herbs, and roots, you can:
Bypass the Side-Effects
Experts agree that anxiety medications “have serious side effects, and may alter your brain chemistry.” Patients are often prescribed antidepressants, and may experience serotonin shock (a life-threatening condition) and even suicidal ideation. Fear of negative side effects can cause psychosomatic symptoms in people with anxiety, compounding worry rather than relieving it.
Benzodiazepines are a tranquilizing class of drugs also prescribed for anxiety. Tolerance for these drugs builds quickly in the body, leading to abuse, blackouts, and harsh withdrawal symptoms. Ashwagandha root, long used in holistic medicine, is an “effective and safe” alternative, according to two recent medical studies. Like antidepressants, ashwagandha can take up to six weeks to be effective, but has only minor side effects.
Other natural supplements like Valerian root and passionflower work quickly, with no side effects, and have been approved in Germany to treat insomnia and nervous restlessness.
Customize Your Treatment
Medical cannabis is one of the safest treatments for anxiety because it contains molecules called cannabinoids, which have natural neurological receptors in the human body. The most common ones are cannabinol (CBD), which works throughout the body to relieve pain and tension); and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive component used to treat anxiety and depression.
Medical cannabis is tailored to the patient’s individual needs, down to the strain and THC content. Even better, since medical marijuana treatment centers, like Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care, offer several ways to administer medical cannabis, you can find the method that works best for you, whether inhaling it as a vapor or applying transdermal patches.
Find Immediate and Effective Relief
Kava is one of the most effective and well-researched herbs used for decades to treat anxiety, and has almost no known side effects. Like all anxiety medications, it shouldn’t be mixed with alcohol or other sedatives, but it is not addictive and can be taken as needed as a powder or tea. Other teas great for instant anxiety relief are lavender, chamomile, and green tea.
According to Health.com, some of the compounds in chamomile tea bind to the same brain receptors as the benzodiazepine lorazepam, with none of the habit-forming or debilitating side effects. L-theanine—found in green tea—helps to lower the high blood pressure and heart rates associated with panic attacks.
Make Positive Life Changes
Using natural remedies rather than simply taking a pill can relieve anxiety in other ways, by teaching you to slow down and take care of yourself. For instance, some people find the very act of making tea helps to stop a panic attack because it’s a process that takes time and focus.
With alternative medicines, time that normally would be spent chain-smoking or scrolling social media gets diverted to constructive or calming activities, enhancing and facilitating other improvements like the way you think about nutrition, technology, and self-defeating coping methods (like cigarettes, which actually increase anxiety).
Knowing that you are doing something positive for your health can improve your self-esteem and inspire you to make more lifestyle changes as you see the positive benefits take effect. Include alternative medicines in your self-care routine and see for yourself!
Joint Pain? 4 Steps for Recovery from Arthritis
Arthritis is a broad term that includes many different categories. It is characterized with inflammation of the joints. There are things that you can do to manage the symptoms. Here are some tips to help you recover from arthritis.
Be Mindful of Your Weight
Many people that suffer from arthritis are overweight. This extra weight adds stress to your body. Your joints may complain about the extra load. Over time, continued stress can cause the ligaments and tendons to stretch. Maintaining a healthy weight can alleviate these symptoms. Part of this process involves getting regular exercise. This can increase your mobility and help to reduce the inflammation in your joints. It can also be beneficial to increasing your bone strength. Consider doing non-load bearing exercises. These include things like biking and rowing.
Monitor Your Diet
Eating a well-balanced diet provides your body with the proper vitamins and nutrients. It also makes it easier to maintain your weight when you eat right. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help in reducing inflammation in some cases. They work by helping to reduce collagen degradation. This degradation can lead to the development of arthritis in your cartilage. A good source of omega-3 fatty acids are from nuts, flaxseed, and types of fatty fish. You can also supplement with fish oils. Other supplements that may help are glucosamine and chondroitin.
Consider Pain Management Alternatives
There are pain management techniques that can help to relieve some of your arthritis symptoms. By managing the pain, you can be more active. This can lead to long term relief of your symptoms. Some of these techniques include cold compresses, warm baths, and deep breathing exercises. A study in Australia showed that psychotherapy was effective for those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis. There are several research studies that are being conducted that may prove beneficial to those suffering from arthritis.
Supplement with Medications
Medication usage can help to relieve some of the inflammation in the joints. These medications used in conjunction with other types of therapies offer the most promise for recovery. Doctors are learning that some diets are more effective at reducing causes of inflammation those others. The Mediterranean diet has shown some promise in this respect. This might just be a side effect of eating a well-balanced diet. Avoiding foods that are more likely to cause inflammation may be another reason. Consider using a professional arthritis facility, like the Sarasota Arthritis Center, for the latest in treatment options.
Arthritis is not something that only effects the elderly. Use these steps to recover from your arthritis symptoms.
The first full week of December is Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week. It’s also when the holiday season cranks into high gear. If you have Crohn’s or colitis, this season brings unique challenges for you. If you have a loved one who was recently diagnosed, you might wonder what you can do to help. Let’s take a closer look at both diseases and some ways to make the holidays easier for people who struggle with them.
What Are Crohn’s and Colitis?
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two separate conditions, but they cause similar symptoms. Crohn’s disease involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth all the way through the bowels. People with Crohn’s don’t feel like eating and often lose weight. They feel tired and may experience night sweats.
Ulcerative colitis only affects the colon lining. Along with the same fatigue and weight loss associated with Crohn’s disease, colitis symptoms include problems with bowel movements that often involve cramping and pain. It affects as many as 907,000 Americans and can occur at any age.
Both conditions are forms of inflammatory bowel disease and have symptoms that come and go. People who struggle with them report flare-ups. During flare-ups, the gastrointestinal tract becomes extremely inflamed. Some people experience pain, bleeding, and fistulas. Sometimes they have fever or other conditions that require medical attention. A flare-up during the holidays can ruin seasonal cheer.
Why Are Holidays Harder for People With Crohn’s and Colitis?
If you have Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or other bowel disease, the holidays can be a difficult time. You’re surrounded by tempting, high-fat food. Everyone around you seems to be indulging in large amounts of everything that causes you problems.
Travel can be difficult at any time of the year. Long hours on the road or in the air make it hard to regulate what goes in your digestive system. Flare-ups might mean you spend hours in pain and have to stick close to the bathroom.
Often your family and friends don’t understand what you’re facing. You look normal and healthy, so they misunderstand your avoidance of certain foods and situations. Often, they pressure you to indulge in things you shouldn’t. What helps them celebrate the holidays might make you end up in the hospital.
How Can Diet Help With Crohn’s or Colitis?
Some foods can trigger a Crohn’s or colitis flare-up. Each person is different, so keep a food diary to identify your triggers. For example, some people with inflammatory bowel diseases are also lactose intolerant. Record whether your symptoms increase when you consume dairy products. If you also have celiac disease, you might need to avoid gluten. Here are some other foods that might cause a problem.
Fried or greasy foods – The fat in fried foods and heavy sauces can’t be fully absorbed in your small intestines.
High fiber foods – For most people, fiber is good. When you have Crohn’s or colitis, avoid them when your symptoms get bad. Eat bread made with refined flour and pasta instead.
Raw nuts and seeds – Nuts can be hard to digest. Instead, choose smooth nut butters like peanut or almond butter. Crackers with nut butter can be a great snack when you are away from home.
Popcorn – Because it’s high in fiber, it can cause a flare-up. When you want something salty and crunchy, try pretzels instead.
Raw fruits and vegetables – These can be tough on your stomach. Try removing the skin from fruits and veggies to reduce the amount of fiber. Most people with Crohn’s and colitis tolerate dried fruits and vegetables well.
Alcohol – It’s everywhere during the holidays, but it can cause painful flare-ups.
When people see the extensive list of what to avoid, they often wonder what’s left. Here are foods to stay nourished without worrying about flare-ups.
- Almond milk
- Eggs
- Oatmeal
- Salmon and other fish
- Vegetable soup
- Papaya
- Hummus
- White meat
- Butter lettuce
- Avocado
How to Help People With Crohn’s and Colitis
If your friends or family members struggle with one of these inflammatory bowel diseases, you don’t want to make the holidays even harder. Here are some things you can do to help.
Offer alternatives at gatherings. Stock non-alcoholic beer or sparkling fruit juice as an alternative to alcoholic beverages. Make sure there are healthy food choices low in fat and fiber. It helps individuals to eat smaller, more frequent meals, so if you have a guest in your home help who suffers from these conditions you can find options.
If you notice them skipping meals, don’t push. They know what’s best for their bodies and may be choosing not to eat so they don’t suffer the painful consequences. If they’re tired, encourage them to rest so they’re refreshed for the next round of festivities.
Another way to help people with Crohn’s and colitis make it through the holidays, and everyday, is to provide healthy vending machine choices in your office, apartment building and any other space appropriate for vending machines. Most vending machines are full of high fat food that isn’t good for anyone, especially someone suffering from Crohn’s or Colitis.
Naturals2Go can help you bring choices to your area with vending machines you can fill with a wide variety of healthy foods. Contact us today to see how you can make money with Naturals2Go vending machines.
