Topics:

Meditation

Is Lack of Sunlight to Blame for Winter Weight Gain?

Use It or Lose It

The Science of Sweat

Rut Busters

Chicken Pasta Winter Stew

Food Poisoining Information

Meditation

If you’re the type to jump out of bed in the morning and not stop until bedtime, you’re probably just the type who needs a few minutes of quiet contemplation. Consciously quieting the mind through meditation can actually lower blood pressure, slow a racing heart, and dissolve stress. Research has shown that meditation stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which, in turn, counteracts the response your body experiences during times of anxiety.

Training your mind and body how to slow the pace means you’re better equipped - emotionally and physically - to stay calm, cool and collected when the pressure is on. If you think meditation is all about sitting in an incense-filled den contemplating a free Tibet, guess again. In fact, you probably already practice some form of meditative activity (playing the piano, swimming laps, painting your nails). Meditation classes are now widely available and worth checking out. Ease into it by trying one of the following meditation techniques once a day. Start slowly, practicing for three minutes at first and work toward setting aside 20 minutes a day for meditation.

Focus On Your Breath. Keep a running count with each exhale “inhale...one, inhale...two, inhale...three.” Try not to regulate or alter your breathing. If you find your mind wandering, or if you lose count, start again from “inhale...one.”

Focus On Your Heart Rate. Put three fingers on your throat or wrist and count your pulse to ten, then start over. Try this for a minute or two at your desk. You’ll feel refreshed and refocused.

Walk Mindfully. Move slowly in a straight line, turning and reversing direction over the same 20-foot span. Concentrate on the feel of your feet on the floor and your breathing. As you walk, recite the words “lifting, moving, placing.”

Let Go. Lie on your back in a darkened room. As you take deep breaths, take a mental survey of your body parts - from the tip of your toes to the top of your head - to discover where you’re most tense. As you exhale, imagine the muscles relaxing, and silently tell them to let go.

Visualize. Sit with a straight spine on the floor or a chair and imagine that stress is a fluid in your body that you can drain through your head, the tips of your fingers and toes. If you’ve got an injury or tight spot, visualize the source of the pain being rubbed away by a white light.

Is Lack of Sunlight to Blame for Winter Weight Gain?

Do you tend to gain weight in the winter? Is it harder to pass up sweets and starches during the darker months? Are you more lethargic? Less optimistic? Maybe a little depressed?

If so, you may be suffering some of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Also referred to as the winter blues, SAD is a form of depression that has been linked to the low-light conditions of fall and winter. As many as 35 million people experience forms of this disorder. Women are affected more often than men, and it is common among people who live in northern latitudes.

SAD is not fully understood by researchers. One explanation is that seasonal variations in natural light reduce levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to both depression and carbohydrate cravings.

If you suffer from significant winter depression or extreme seasonal weight gain, talk with your doctor. Medication may be an effective treatment. Milder symptoms often can be managed with self-help measures. Self-help strategies include maximizing your daily light exposure, planning ahead for carbohydrate cravings, and improving your mood and energy level through daily exercise.

For carbohydrate cravings and winter weight gain, the key is to plan ahead. Plan to eat more complex carbohydrates, including whole grains, high-fiber cereals, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. These carbohydrate choices are less calorie-dense but will still give you a sense of being full. The second strategy is to commit to a regular program of exercise. Join a fitness club or start a regular walking program with some friends. Whatever you decide to do, start it early and commit to doing it at a regular time and at a regular frequency each week.

Physical activity not only helps offset seasonal increases in calorie intake, but it also can take the edge off your desire to overeat by relieving stress and anxiety. What’s more, regular exercise increases your energy level, boosts self-esteem, and helps relieve mild to moderate depression.

To increase your light exposure:

	Spend time outside every day. A morning walk is excellent, but if that is not possible, try eating lunch outside if the weather permits. Take frequent “sunlight breaks.”
	Don’t wear sunglasses in the fall and winter.
	Bring as much natural light into your home as possible. Open blinds and shades and trim bushes and trees away from windows. Rearrange furniture to take advantage of natural light.
	Increase artificial lighting in your home and office.
	Use more lamps and brighter bulbs.

So don’t let the dark days of winter derail your efforts at weight control. Light exposure, dietary modifications, and exercise can keep you in good shape - mentally and physically - no matter what the season.

Use It or Lose It?

Stop your regular exercise and all of the fitness gains you’ve made could be lost in as little as two weeks. It hardly seems fair that your body could forget all the good work you’ve done, but research does support the adage: use it or lose it. It applies to strength training, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility.

The Science of Sweat

When you’re working so hard - a singles battle on a sweltering tennis court or a hard bike ride up steep hills - that your body temperature threatens to surge above 98.6 degrees, your brain sends a message to your two to four million sweat glands to bail water. When the sweat hits the air it evaporates, and keeps your body at a cooler, more comfortable temperature.

Rut Busters

You’re so bored with your daily lap swim you’ve taken to counting the tiles on the bottom of the pool. The thought of another monotonous morning jog makes you yank the covers over your head. There’s a small, but all-too-familiar, word for that: rut. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to pull yourself out.

Get Some Air. If you usually exercise indoors, get outside. Take up an outdoor sport or recreational activity. Fresh air and a change of scenery a few times a week can go a long way towards curing fitness blues.

Write It Down. Research shows that people who keep fitness journals are far more likely to stick with it than those who don’t track their progress. A diary of workouts gives you tangible evidence of the efforts you’ve made. Rereading your entries can help you stay focused on going after specific goals, rather than going through the motions, and keeping up with the program, rather than creating excuses.

Get Zen-Like. Don’t just zone out during exercise in hopes that it will be over sooner. Instead, live in each exercise moment as it happens. Micro-manage your body: focus on your breathing, the muscle you’re working, how you feel. You’ll get more out of your workout, and feel more fulfilled when it’s over.

Take A Sabbatical. You know the cliché about absence. Make your heart grow fonder of lap
swimming by leaving it behind, just stop cold turkey, for a month. Form a new relationship with a different sport or activity, and when you find you’re way back to the pool you’ll have a lot more kick.

Become An Athlete. Instead of thinking of yourself as an out-of-shape schlep who’s got to drag herself to the gym, think of yourself as an athlete who must train. Sign up for a race, or compete with a team to complete the attitude transformation.

Chicken Pasta Winter Stew

In a 3-quart saucepan, mix chicken with all but the noodles and mixed vegetables. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Yield: 8 cups (5 servings)
One serving: about 1 1/2 cups
Per serving: 223 calories
25 grams carbohydrate
25 grams protein
3 grams fat
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 1/2 lean meat, 2 vegetable

For your information…

The risks of getting food poisoning from poultry and other foods are eliminated through proper handling and cooking. To prevent food poisoning from meat and poultry, follow the general guidelines below:

• Keep your refrigerator below 40æ and the freezer at, or below, 0æ.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meats.
• Defrost frozen meats only in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Never thaw foods at room temperature.
• After preparing raw meat or poultry, wash the utensils, counter, cutting board - anything that came into contact with the meat - thoroughly in hot, soapy water before preparing other foods.
• Marinate meats and poultry only in the refrigerator. Don’t put cooked meats back into an uncooked marinade, and don’t serve the marinade as a sauce unless you heat it to a rolling boil for several minutes.
• Never eat meat raw.
• Cook meats to the recommended internal temperatures.