change.
lifestyle
“When you’re busy, oftentimes it’s easier to justify or rationalize making less healthy choices,” says Paula Furiness, Wellness Services coordinator and an exercise physiologist at Wilson Medical Center. “A good place to get started is setting a specific, realistic goal for yourself,” she says. “Saying you’re going to lose 10 pounds doesn’t say anything about how you’re going to do it. ‘I’m going to eat at least one vegetable at lunch’ is a more specific and focused behavior change to practice. Or, ‘I plan to walk three days a week at the track after work at 5:30 p.m.’ is more specific than ‘I’m going to exercise every day.’” Mrs. Furiness says one way to get on the road to fitness is to ask yourself what you’re doing to support your goals of being healthier and physically fit, for example. Jeanne Dao agrees. Ms. Dao is a licensed and registered dietitian at Wilson Medical Center. “When I meet with someone, I look at restructuring their day, 6
nutritionally,” Ms. Dao says. “Not telling them what they can and can’t eat. “Diet is a noun that is defined as what you eat during the day,” she says. “Dieting is a verb that implies you can eat some things and not others. And failing makes people feel guilty. “There is no guilt,” she says. “My consultations with people are about developing a good relationship with food and learning how each food makes you feel.” The two agree that talking with people is essential to setting them up for success.
Paula Furiness and Jeanne Dao To contact Mrs. Furiness or Ms. Dao, email them at wellness@wilmed.org or nutrition@wilmed.org.
Wilson Medical Center InVision Summer 2013
FITNESS
ARE KEY TO ANY
ON
DIET & EXERCISE BALANCE
There are alot of positive results from exercising and eating healthy. Both positively affect the body from head to toe:
FOCUS
Always shop the perimeter of the grocery store first. Start with lots of fruits and vegetables. Choose whole wheat or whole grains in the bakery and fish, seafood or lean cuts in the meat section. The dairy section should include skim or 1% milk or yogurt.
>> Strength training helps you get stronger and more toned, improves balance, and reduces the risk of falls. >> Resistance training can improve posture and de crease lower back discom fort. Mrs. Furiness recom mends choosing exercises that include the legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms and abdomen. >> Releases “feel good” chemicals in the brain. “Eating three small meals a day with healthy snacks in between also keeps your body from experiencing peaks that hype you up and valleys that leave you grouchy and lethargic,” Ms. Dao says. >> Improves insulin sensitivity and reduces your risk of diabetes. >> Are key in losing weight and maintaining weight loss. Activities like bike riding, walking and swimming encourage calorie burning, an important aspect of weight reduction, says Mrs. Furiness. “Add the resistance training to minimize muscle loss while losing weight,” she adds. Reaching a healthy weight with a healthy diet and exercise is essential to long-term success, Mrs. Furiness and Ms. Dao agree. Realistic and concrete fitness goals, coupled with food choices that sustain and energize your body help create a successful plan for lifelong health.