Hello Spring!

   March 20th, 2012 is the first official day of spring! Welcome spring, and try some new activities this season. Here are some suggestions for things to try:

• Take the family dog to a local dog park
• Start a garden (you can start the plants indoors as well)
• Get outside and teach your children a new game (maybe even one you played as a child)
• Use sidewalk chalk to draw your favorite memory or some other creative art
• Go for a bike ride
• Visit a local playground
• Grab some neighborhood friends and play a game of baseball, basketball, or kickball
• If the convenience store is close, and there is a safe path to take, walk to pick up some minor things you may need for the week
• Do some spring cleaning to your favorite music

Do One Thing: Fight fatigue by eating right

Drastic changes to your eating or exercise routine don’t always create lasting results. It’s small changes made over time that can help you reach your goals. Each week, this column will help you take baby steps to good health by suggesting that you "do one thing."

If you feel tired and unmotivated after you eat, chances are you’re eating the wrong things. Nutritionists say to stay away from high-glycemic foods, such as white bread, pasta and sweets, and instead choose more complex carbs that release energy slowly for a longer-lasting boost.

Here are four foods that leave you feeling fuller longer and with more energy:

Oatmeal » Don’t buy the processed kind with artificial flavors; go for the grains labeled "steel-cut oats" or "old-fashioned."

Yogurt » Have it anytime — it makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert. It has a perfect balance of protein and carbohydrates, as well as being loaded with probiotics, which help rid your body of bad bacteria.

Spinach » The leafy green is chock full of iron, a mineral that helps get oxygen to cells and fight sluggishness. Eat it in a salad or soup, or sauté it on the side.

Beans » High in protein and fiber, beans are a good substitute for meat, which requires more energy to digest and can make you feel sleepy. Put black, pinto, kidney, cannellini, garbanzo beans, soybeans in soups, tacos, on salads, or smashed to create a vegetable burger.

For the original article from the Salt Lake Tribune visit: Do One Thing: Fight fatigue by eating right

How Should We Approach Obesity?

Linda Bacon, Ph.D., MA, MA wrote a great article "Everyone Knows Obesity Is Hurting Us, But Is the Fight Against Obesity the Problem?" we all should take a look at. It provides great perspective on an issue the country has been battling for quite a while. Here is some of the introduction followed by a great quote from the article. Hopefully, this will spark some interest and you can click on the article title below to be directed to the original article!

     Americans are fatter than they used to be ... Everyone knows the weight is causing sickness and early death. Government and industry say the pounds are costing us ... This generation will have shorter lives than their parents ... Studies show long-term weight loss elusive ... Doctors say to keep trying anyway ...

Does it ever seem like you're hearing the same things about weight over and over? Witnessing the depressing cycle of failed public initiatives and fruitless personal efforts to trim our waistlines, who wouldn't wish for a more hopeful angle or some alternative facts on the old story?

...as long as we're focused on changing our bodies -- which the data shows isn't going to happen for most people, anyway -- we are missing the real benefits that come from caring for our bodies.

For the original article visit: Everyone Knows Obesity Is Hurting Us, But Is the Fight Against Obesity the Problem?

Love Your Body Week!

We often forget to appreciate and think about the wonderful things our body does for us. The rest of the week try to be mindful of your body and think of positive things it does for you. Make a list of five things and keep it in a place you will be frequently reminded of how amazing the human body is!


Here is some information from the group SPEAK at the University of Utah:
Love Your Body Week is a time to celebrate our bodies, no matter the shape or size, and all that we can do with our bodies.  It is a time to be aware of the things that make us feel bad about ourselves and fight them with the things that help us feel good about ourselves.  Most importantly, it is a about learning to be comfortable with who we are.  This year our theme is "Love Your Body, Love Your Land."


We chose the theme “Love Your Body, Love Your Land” because we feel it is important to remember that our environment plays a very large role in our well-being.  Since environmental health is a very broad topic, we are focusing our efforts mainly on healthy relationships with food, growing and using fresh produce, and being aware of things we can do that will have a positive impact on the world around us.  Each of us can make a difference by being more self-aware and having a healthy relationship with our environment.


You can visit SPEAK and see the remaining activities this week at their website: SPEAK - University of Utah Department of Health Promotion and Education

Check out these events in Salt Lake County!

10 Excellent Benefits of Physical Activity!

If you're looking for motivation to add activity to your lifestyle, check out these benefits! Your health and well-being are great reasons to make sure you get that dose of physical activity your body needs. 

Here are 10 benefits of being physically active:

1. Lowers your blood pressure.
2. Boosts your metabolism.
3. Improves your mood.
4. Reduces feelings of stress and anxiety.
5. Reduces your risk of diabetes.
6. Increases your energy.
7. Reduces your risk for heart disease.
8. Strengthens your bones and muscles.
9. Improves quality of sleep.
10. Promotes psychological well-being.

Regular physical activity improves quality of life! Many focus on the benefits can provide for appearance, which can be motivating itself. Try to focus on the long term benefits, like more energy to do the other things you love to do!Stay active!

Physical Activity - Why being active doesn't have to be a chore

     Be active for the enjoyment - not for weight loss. The best physical activity to do is the one you enjoy! Finding something that boosts your energy and brings you happiness. The activity should not be looked at as a task but more of a choice; these activities we enjoy doing are more sustainable in the long term!

    Many people exercise to burn calories, or view it as a way to lose weight. Try to look at how physical activity makes you, and your body, feel. Ever wonder why it's more satisfying to go for a hike in the mountains rather than trudge along on a treadmill? If we shift our focus from calories we burn to the emotional, mental, and physical benefits of an active lifestyle, you will look forward to doing an enjoyable physical activity!
    Keep these questions in mind...
      1. Does the activity give you more energy?
      2. Does the activity invigorate you?
      3. Does the activity make you happy?