Too fat to run... for office?

With recent North American election coverage there was a lot of talk about one US Governor's physical weight. Is it interesting, frightening, sad or just odd when an individual's body weight becomes public issue? 

If you are a public figure, pardon the pun, it can be all of these. Super market tabloids would be half empty without stories of stars who are on a weight gain/weight loss rollercoaster. Rightly or wrongly, we expect our leaders - whether in politics, sports, culture or entertainment - to embody optimum health and some rather restrictive ideas of human beauty. Obviously, pant size is a poor measure of presidential character.

Integrity, compassion, honesty, competence and intelligence have nothing to do with weight and Americans have had presidents with health challenges of other kinds. Franklin D. Roosevelt hid his paralysis for years and struggled with a weakened and then failing heart. But "what if" the President or the Prime Minister were obese? Would they not have a large constituency of understanding public who struggle with the same problem? And how could they address the broader issue of the impact of obesity on the population they serve and the economies of their countries? Some options:

1. Such a politician could ignore the matter entirely. Disregard his own weight and its effect on his health and longevity, as well as the immense social problems around him/her.
2. He/She could address the problem personally; lose weight and set an example for millions.
3. Do #2 AND work to help citizens lose weight as well, thereby trimming BILLIONS of dollars in obesity-related costs spent on healthcare.

Of course having a country's leader on a "diet" would create a media frenzy! Just imagine Oprah in the Oval Office to get the idea of what that would be like! However it would be inspiring if our leaders shed some pounds — using the tried and true combination of good foods, moderation and exercise — and set an example, without a lot of razzle dazzle.

 Just imagine Oprah in the Oval Office to get the idea of what that would be like!

Such a leader would also pump up the education and prevention aspects of weight management. To help others reduce their risk for certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease and more, simply by losing weight. It may be pie-in-the-sky to expect tax breaks for every person who maintains a healthy BMI (body mass index), or to provide incentives for those who attend fitness classes or take PGX at every meal.

Oh well. If I ran the world.

It is unlikely that we will see obese world leaders in the near future. But each of us can lead by example for our friends and family. What really matters is maintaining good health. If that is your goal you can find free help at PGX. Maybe we can show our leaders that change is possible.

Julia

Image sources: Freaking News & Bronze Magazine

There's a new drink size at Starbucks: the Trenta!

But what does a bigger cup mean for your health?

With the rise of obesity and weight related problems, should drink sizes really be getting bigger? With a bigger cup all the numbers go up: the price, the ounces, the calories, the fats, and the caffeine. So how much coffee is too much?

If you were to order up from a venti to a trenta cafe latte, you'd be drinking up to 447 calories in one go! Fortunately, this is a fictional option, thanks to the limited drink selection available in this latest addition to the Starbucks cup lineup: two types of iced tea and plain iced coffee. The calories in these three drinks may be less than the milky latte but their sugar and caffeine numbers, naturally, are higher.

Read more about the trenta and get the numbers from the BBC Health News article, The Starbucks Trenta Question: How much coffee is OK?

Image source: beverageunderground.com and pulpconnection.net

10 Secrets to Lasting Weight Loss! It's time to start your journey!

Julia Havey shares her personal experiences and the secrets to her success...

As someone who is experiencing lasting weight loss, I want to emphasize that it is possible!  After all your hard work to reach your health goals, here are my tips to maintaining the new you:

1. VISUALIZE SUCCESS

Dream of the life you want and visualize what it will look like, what you will be doing, how you will be living.Find a picture that best illustrates what that life will be like and place it somewhere you will see everyday. Write down on it what your life IS going to be like! You must first visualize before you can realize.

2. PASSION

To enjoy the results of your journey, this self-improvement, you must really LOVE it. You must create a passion for healthy living in all that you do! Write down 3 reasons why you are passionate about getting healthier. Let your passion for a healthy life fuel your activities. And there's no need to go it alone. Bring along some support and find a friend with similar health goals, get fired up about it and help each other! Together, your passion will keep each other going through the rough spots.

3. KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY

For too long, we have allowed "FAT" to become a personality trait; it isn't one! Write down 10 positive adjectives that you would use to describe yourself and read them each day! Also, say my affirmation 2 times a day:

"I believe in my ability to improve my health, my attitude and my life. I am worthy of the best that life has to offer and today I have the opportunity to get closer to realizing my dreams and goals!"

Believe in yourself and be your own best friend!  

4. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Make the phrase, "if you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting the same results you have always gotten," your new mantra! Toss aside the old and unhealthful habits and take ONE step each day in the direction of a new and improved, healthy lifestyle!  

5. DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

There are four cornerstones to the healthy house that you are building for yourself: water, nutrition, exercise and a positive attitude. Each is essential if you are going to succeed in this journey. Get happy, it will do you good! Leave any defeatist attitudes at the door!

6. EXERCISE

Move your body everyday! There is nothing wrong with exercising at the level you are capable of each day, and increasing your duration, intensity and frequency as you get more fit! Do you know what the BEST exercise is?! The one you love and enjoy the most!

7. NUTRITION

Dr. David Katz (Oprah's nutrition guru) teaches you to know that your body was designed to eat. So let PGX make it easier to stick with a healthy diet. Remember: “diet” doesn’t mean ‘short term restricted calorie intake plan meant to bring about frustration and temporary weight loss!' It means ‘the manner of eating indicative to the species.’ You are human so eat and enjoy your food!  

8. EDUCATION

Read every article you come across, every book that interests you and find a motivational program you will use. Learn about nutrition and arm yourself with proper tools to help you on your journey. There is wonderful support material available to help you--use it! And thanks to the makers of PGX: their support is free! www.PGX.com  

9. REWARD YOURSELF

A wonderful synergy is created when you earn rewards for healthy living. Like Pavlov's dogs, you will seek out these and ultimately train your brain for healthy living! Make daily, weekly and monthly goals and reward yourself with non-food related prizes such as a bubble bath, a manicure, sleeping in late, or a movie night, etc! 

10. COMMITMENT AND ACTION  

Do what it takes to realize your dreams and goals, and if you aren't in the mood--do it anyway! 

11. BONUS SECRET!

Drink 1/2 your body weight in fluid ounces of water! i.e for my 150 pound body, I need 75 ounces of water a day!

Julia

Image sources: Saleem Rana, Energy Secrets to Success, Spine Alive.

With the change of the clocks, daylight fades earlier in the winter months. What does this mean for your children?

It is such a gorgeous sunny day outside as I write this, it's seems hard to believe that in just a few hours, the sun will have set! Now that the clocks have been put back, our evenings come much earlier. What does this mean for your kids?

A recent study from UK researchers suggests that not changing the clocks would keep your children active by allowing them more outdoor play. What do you think?

BBC Health News reports on this interesting idea.

Image sources: Cedar Grove Group Daycare and Playing is Educational

Julia Havey investigates the best day to start a diet...

If you're thinking of embarking on a diet, don’t do it today.

Uh-oh -- as if we didn't already have enough to worry about when it comes to our obesity problem! Now the day of the week you start your diet has something to do with your weight-loss success. Apparently, turning over a new leaf on a Tuesday is a disaster in the making, says a poll of 2,000 people conducted by the U.K. company Tesco Diets (“caveat emptor”... buyer beware: they sell diet programs and the poll results were revealed on a Monday).

They found that dieters who began on a Tuesday were the most likely to lose their resolve within a week and end up heavier than when they started, but dieters who started on a Sunday do better overall. The survey claims this has something to do with the fact that people who start a diet at the beginning of the week are more psychologically motivated with the whole week's worth of clean slate to work with. Sounds strange to me given that the CDC reports that 98% of people who lose weight on a diet gain it back within 5 years!

Just consider this: the survey showed that the average woman goes on three diets a year and most ditch their diet on a Friday, after a stressful work week. But according to an eDiets survey, 71% of people break their diets within the first week (38% breaking it on day one!) regardless of what day of the week they start. Forget Sunday vs. Tuesday vs. Saturday! By going on a diet, you might very well be setting yourself up to fail. Whenever I hear a friend tell me she's "starting a diet" or "doesn't have time for a diet right now," I want to say, "No, please, stop!" Why? Because "diet" is basically code for a quick fix to weight-loss and there's no such thing. Some people might see the merit in dropping a quick 10 pounds with a fad method such as cutting out all carbohydrates or limiting themselves to a starvation count of 1,000 calories a day. Usually those kinds of diets end up coming back to bite you later on; you end up piling back on the 10 pounds and then some (98% gain back all they lost and 90% of those gain back more after 5 years). Even weight loss programs that make you buy their food are a waste of time, because what happens when you go back to eating your own self-prepared meals? Or when you go out to eat at a restaurant? Diets, aka a nutrition plan you see as temporary, will never translate to long-term success. Whether we want to admit it or not, we know that a healthy, sustainable lifestyle (smart nutrition plus some kind of exercise) can do that. It doesn't matter what day of the week you commit to it, because there's no deadline for healthier living. It's something you're signing up to do for life, so why would you throw in the towel? It's like quitting smoking or getting married. You're not going to give up that easily when the decision is such a heavy one (no pun intended). You're changing your life permanently, and that in and of itself will be self-empowering and motivating no matter what.

A spokesman for Tesco Diets said: "Psychologically, dieters are more motivated to continue if they start afresh at the beginning of the week." Perhaps. While they may be “more motivated,” if they are attempting to change everything simply because it’s day one of their diet, the majority will fail! Rather than do that, here's a different approach: change ONE thing and focus on making that change permanent. When you are ready, take on the next change and so on. Take PGX along the way: it will make adhering to the changes easier.

Julia

Image sources: Supermarket Guru, wechoosehealthy.com, and Three Piece Suite