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A lot of my clients are addicts with serious addictions. I’ve noticed that they all relapse at some point, some more than others. Even the clients who have been sober the entire time I’ve worked with them and who I view as very stable, went through phases of relapse after relapse. This article confirmed what I have been telling my clients for a while. Don’t get so down on yourself about a relapse; it is part of the recovery process.
What is most important is to learn from the relapse and to catch it as soon as you can. Because you relapsed the one time, doesn’t make it okay to go on a bender! Ask yourself questions about it: what led to the relapse; did I try all of my coping skills first in order to avoid relapsing; what was I telling myself in the moment I decided to relapse. The answers to these questions will help the next time you are faced with a similar situation.
I am using the words addiction and relapse, and many of you may be feeling like this doesn’t apply to you, however, we all struggle with things that we wish we could have more control over. This could be smoking, eating too many fatty foods, or avoiding exercising. It’s up to you how you want to see these issues and if you are ready to make permanent changes.
This is a great article on increasing mindfulness when eating. Well, it introduces the idea of being more aware when eating, although it doesn’t actually give suggestions on how to do it. We do seem, as a culture, to promote disconnecting our minds and our bodies. Everywhere we see commercials, billboards, and people we know multitasking rather than tuning in to what we’re doing. Especially when we are eating. If we enjoy food so much, why don’t we pay more attention to it? So rather than focusing on work or the TV during meals, try enjoying and tasting the food. You might notice yourself getting full.
The article also has suggestions for how to make food last longer in our systems, such as eating more fiber, protein, and fat. It is actually possible you could eat more than you think you should; you just have to know what to add to the meal. When reading the article, try to ignore the suggestions for other articles to read that they sneak into the middle of the article you’re reading. This tends to take away from the initial message they are sending.
The oil gushing out of the floor in the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico is so sad. The fall out from this disaster is yet to come, and I believe we will all be affected in some way. I have been struggling to figure out what I can do. It’s hard to find an upside, but I believe we can all do a lot to help change the situation. The bottom line is that we are are all (especially Americans) responsible for the amount of oil we use.
Let me start with some facts and figures. Check out the top 6 users of oil in the world. Even per capita, we use ENORMOUSLY more than any other country in the world. We are oil gluttons.
United States:- Daily oil consumption in USA is 19.8 million bbl(billion barrel) per day. It may be a surprise to know that according to the 2009 facts, US is the number one oil consuming country with fifty-five percent of the oil it produces from her own domestic reserves. Forty percent of the oil used in America is used to power personal vehicles, 70% if you include trucks.
China:- China is the world’s second largest oil consuming country with 7.8 million bbl/day. In 2007, it imported 145 million tons of crude oil, accounting for 47% of its total oil consumption. Three state-owned oil companies- Sinopec, CNPC and CNPPC, dominate its domestic market. The Chinese government has already set tougher emission standards on automobiles than most countries including the U.S.
Japan:- Japan ranked third word’s oil consuming country with oil consumption of 4.6 million bbl/day. Japan leads the pack in innovation and best use of energy. Having few natural resources the whole nation is obsessed with energy conservation. It is also the world’s fourth largest exporter and fifth largest importer of different manufactured and non-manufactured products.
Russia:- Russia is the Fourth world’s largest oil consuming country with 2.8 million bbl/day. Russia is the one of the top five states who produces more than its uses. Russia is also known as an energy superpower of the top five consumers of oil, the Unties State, China, Japan, Russia and Germany. Out of these five only Russia has enuogh domestic resources to meet its needs.
India:- India is the fifth largest oil consuming country with 2.67 million bbl/day. The combination of oil consumption and relatively flat production has left India increasingly dependent on imports to meet its petroleum demand. In terms of oil use, transportation is the largest sector with highest consumption.
Germany:- Germany is the world’s sixth largest oil consuming country with 2.569 million bbl/day consumption. In 2008, it consumed energy from the following sources: oil (34.8%) and natural Gas (22.1%). Germany is one of the largest exporter of goods in the world and it consumes a lot of oil in industrial sector.
Now, look at how we use the oil we consume:
So, what is a person to do? There are several small steps you can take that will #1 Improve your health, #2 Reduce your personal oil consumption, and #3 Help leave the planet a better place. Below are my suggestions for ways we can all make an individual contribution:
Driving: Since our cars and trucks use almost two-thirds of the oil we buy, the quickest way to cut oil use is to free transportation from its grip. Over time, we can conserve by reducing the miles we drive. But it will take decades to shift most freight from trucks to trains, design walkable communities, shorten our commutes, and build better mass transit and high-speed rail networks.
So what can you do today? WALK INSTEAD OF DRIVE. I don’t mean all-the-time-everywhere, I just mean making a small change. Just think of making a 1% change. The average American drives 15,000 miles per year. A 1% change means you drive 150 miles less per year, or 12.5 miles less per month or 3.125 miles per week. Not only will it help you reduce the amount of oil you use, but it will add to your health and fitness. A 150 pound person who walks 12.5 miles at an average pace (3 miles per hour) burns 1188 calories or 1/3 of a pound. Not only will this help you burn off some fat, but it will also help improve your heart health. The average trip to the grocery store is just 2 miles. For those trips where you need just a few items, walk instead of drive. Have a dog? Instead of driving him or her to the dog park, walk “spot” around the neighborhood. Take the bus or train on occasion. You might enjoy the time out of your car reading a book or the newspaper. Ride a bike. Biking is a great way to move you out of your car and into a healthier mode of transportation. Ride to work, the store, or the park. It’s also a great alternative for commuting to work. Most bus systems now have bike racks, so if you can’t go the full distance, use a bus/bike combination. Biking burns 270 calories per hour at a leisurely pace. Add a hill and whew! You become a calorie burning machine.
Food: In the U.S., up to 20 percent of the country’s fossil fuel consumption goes into the food chain which points out that fossil fuel use by the food system “often rivals that of automobiles”. To feed an average family of four in the developed world uses up the equivalent of 930 gallons of gasoline a year – just shy of the 1,070 gallons that family would use up each year to power their cars. Ouch! It’s amazing that food consumes this much energy! What can you do? Find ways to buy local. Go to the farmer’s market in your neighborhood (hopefully you can walk or bike there). Think about what you buy, the amount of packaging, and how far the item traveled to get to you. Consider planting a small garden in your backyard. Stop drinking bottled water, forever. All of these can help you cut back on your personal oil consumption.
Home Energy: Do you leave the lights on when you leave? How high is your heat? Do you unplug your chargers when they are not in use? Do you really need more “stuff”? Think about the small things, they add up.
Yard work: Get rid of your gas powered mover, weed eater, blower and all other gas powered appliances. Garden equipment engines emit high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, producing up to 5% of the nation’s air pollution and a good deal more in many metropolitan areas like Los Angeles.
A conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as 40 late model cars (or as much as as much air pollution as driving a car for 100 miles).
Change your equipment to either electric or, when possible, human powered. If you use a push mower, you will burn calories while you get the yard cut. Check out this comparison!
Body Weight Cals Burned per hour Cals burned with Gas Mower
130 323 88
140 348 95
150 373 101
160 398 107
170 422 115
180 447 122
190 472 128
With fitness and weight loss the small things add up to make a big difference. This is also true with our energy consumption. We can all make a difference, we just have to decide its worth the effort.
Resources:
www.worldchanging.org
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/30/biofuels.food
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/5045
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/autos/americans-want-fuel-economy/19483507/
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_average_miles_driven_per_year_in_america
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_con-energy-oil-consumption
I came across an interesting article in Psychology Today. This study finds that people are benefited by just 5 minutes a day of outdoor activity. The study also claims that the benefits decline when increasing the amount of time spent on and intensity level of the activity. Apparently the purpose of the study was not to measure physical health but to focus on mental health instead.
There are some good points to be taken away from this, however. If you are a person who feels like there’s little point in exercising if you can’t fit in a full hour, it may be time to reconsider your approach. Even 5 minutes will help you feel better about yourself. When I have been talking to people lately about body image, overeating, and exercise, I have been noticing how often the concept of needing to “fix” a “problem” is brought up. We tend to view our weight gain or food issues as a huge imposition on our lives and our happiness. It quickly becomes overwhelming and frustrating to think every day about all the “shoulds” and “should nots” or the “good” and “bad” choices we make.
If you are making changes in your life, start slowly and define small goals. I think we all have experienced how the “all or nothing” approach works in our lives: “I ate that donut this morning, so I might as well just have McDonald’s for lunch and start over tomorrow” or “I didn’t work out on Monday or Tuesday, so I’ll start fresh next week and work out 5 days in a row.” Instead, try to think about it as having a new chance every moment to make choices that epitomize what helps you feel good and support who you want to be. So exercise for those 5 minutes and eat that donut, and maybe you will exercise for another 5 minutes later today and have a salad for dinner. – www.lightenyourlifecounseling.com
Weight loss and Fat loss are not the same thing. Metabolic Effect, Dr Brooke Weitz, ND professionally led workout, is Intelligent Exercise.
 Brooke Weitz The Science behind the metabolic effect (ME) incorporates the latest understanding in endocrinology, health, fitness, strength and conditioning research. ME is a science-based, interval training program focused on changing the fat-burning hormonal response to exercise and diet. By changing hormones, rather than simply eating less or exercising more, the body naturally regulates fat burning, appetite, and mood so that motivation for exercise is enhanced while cravings for food are reduced.
Experience ME outdoor this summer in your neighborhood:
Classes Begin June 1, 2010 – August 28, 2010
Tuesday 6:00pm – 6:30pm
Thursday 6:00pm – 6:30pm
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I have been thinking about the barrage of “perfect” images, ideas of what we “should” look like, eat, drink, do that are constantly shoved in our faces daily. We’re all suffering from the impossibility of living an ideal that no one actually embodies. What would we tell our dog or cat if he wanted to look like a wolf or a tiger? “You’re perfect the way you are; it’s not possible for you to be that.” Well, it’s not possible for me to look like a model. I will never grow 5 inches and lose 20 pounds (which, by the way, would be really unhealthy). It’s not even possible for most models to look like their pictures. It’s all airbrushing and makeup.
It is possible, however, for me to be happier, more self confident, and more self satisfied than any model. How do I do this? By accepting myself, as I am, in this moment, and doing things in my life that are true to who I am and want to be. This is not easy, but there is good news. In each new moment, we have another chance to try again. – www.lightenyourlifecounseling.com
If anyone has ever calculated her BMI, which only takes into account one’s height and weight, it may have been frustrating that the BMI ignores gender and muscle mass. These factors make a huge difference in a person’s perceived health. I’m sure we’ve all seen some female trainers at the gym who look rather thick because they are SOLID MUSCLE! If we look at these women’s BMIs, they may border on the obese categorization, which is ridiculous.
Review this article about the Waist to Height Ratio: http://www.livestrong.com/article/93638-whtr-the-new-determinant-health-risk/. This hopefully will replace the BMI, as it more accurately calculates a person’s health. Apparently the most dangerous area to carry one’s weight is in the waist, which is why this measurement is more useful. This is unfortunate for those of us who happen to gain weight first in the waist region (”No I’m not pregnant; I just look like it when I gain weight!”). There is some wiggle room, though. There are more categorizations, such as basically 3 ranges of healthy weights, one for underweight, and 3 ranges for overweight. This at least feels better to look at than the BMI chart, in which one is either healthy or one of 3 labels for overweight. Alyson Stachiw, www.lightenyourlifecounseling.com
Great Article sent to me by Jen Longtin
The most powerful tool you have for improving your kids’ health habits is you.
By Jeffrey Rossman, PhD
Build examples of healthy eating and exercise into your family’s everyday routine.
If you show an interest in healthy food, your kids will, too.
05-18-09 RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—As rates of childhood obesity rise, many parents are seeking ways to get their kids to eat less and exercise more. Sometimes it seems like an uphill battle against a constant barrage of TV commercials, checkout-aisle candy, video games, websites, and other temptations. If you have been struggling with your children to get them to eat right and get more exercise, there’s good news. You are more in control of the situation than you might think.
THE DETAILS: Research on 106 families over a 6-year period, as part of the Framingham Children’s Study, has found that children’s weight gain was directly linked to their parents’ eating behavior, and that the children’s physical activity levels were directly related to their parents’ exercise patterns. In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, researchers found that by ages 9 to 11, children’s tendency to be overweight was directly proportional to the their parents’ tendency to be either overly restrictive or disinhibited in their own eating patterns. The authors conclude that the children lost the natural ability to regulate their eating as a result of internalizing their parents’ inability to effectively control their own eating behavior. In another report from the Framingham Study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that children of physically active parents were 5 to 6 times as active as children of sedentary parents.
WHAT IT MEANS: These findings that children’s weight is heavily influenced by their parents’ eating and exercise behaviors fits with a general principle of family life: Kids learn more from watching what you do than from hearing what you tell them to do. If your kids see you eating moderately, being physically active, and exercising frequently, they will be likely to follow your example.
So the good news is that by modifying some of your own behaviors, you can influence your children to develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime. The difficult news, of course, is that it is up to you to change your behavior. Here are a few recommendations for some minor changes that can yield major results for you and for your kids:
• Don’t turn eating into a test of discipline. Avoid highly restrictive, short-term diets that demonstrate deprivation to your children and turn eating into a struggle instead of a pleasure. Instead, model for them a balanced, long-term, sustainable approach to eating. Not only does that help your kids, making healthy, lasting changes to your eating habits seems to be a better way to lose weight than following crash diets, as Rodale.com reported last week.
• Treat food like food. Do your best to eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full, and to eat slowly and mindfully whenever possible. Plan family meals so you can all enjoy food as part of the time you spend with each other. Avoid using food as a reward, or withholding food as a punishment, either for your kids or yourself.
• Make exercise part of family life. It doesn’t help much to tell your kids to put down the video games and go play outside while you’re planted on the couch watching TV. Take your children out for walks, hikes, and bike rides. Have them join you for yard work, gardening, and other outdoor chores. Play ball, jog, or jump rope with them. When they are old enough, bring them to the gym with you, and show them how to use the equipment for their workouts while you do yours.
Jeffrey Rossman, PhD, is a Rodale.com advisor and director of life management at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA. His column, “Mind-Body-Mood Advisor,” appears weekly on Rodale.com.
On May 9th, thousands of women across the country will embark on an eight-week physical activity challenge for better health. They will be part of the Woman Challenge, a special feature of the year-long Woman Activity Tracker program that encourages women to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. Join now and get motivated with women just like you!
 Sara Rigel our Luna Chix Join us for a ladies night out (and men too) at the Seattle LUNAFEST, hosted
by LUNA Bar and the Seattle LUNA Chix.
LUNAFEST is a traveling short film festival by…for…and about women. Each
ticket sold raises money for the Breast Cancer Fund as well as the local nonprofit Reel Grrls.
Over the years, as LUNAFEST has grown from a single annual event to more than 140 festivals each season, LUNA’s commitment to this worthwhile program has grown as well. We are continually inspired by the individual and
collective efforts of women – and we are awed by the results. To date, LUNAFEST has raised over $470,000 for worthwhile women’s organizations, while raising hope and awareness for the stories of women everywhere.
LUNAFEST’s films have won industry awards and audience accolades, and the films selected for 2009-10 LUNAFEST season share this brilliance. From quirky animation to touching documentaries, the 10 selected films are incredibly diverse in both style and subject matter, united by a common thread of exceptional storytelling by…for…about women.
Every person who attends the Seattle LUNAFEST has the opportunity to win a 15 day in Costa Rica (airfare not included) thanks to our friends at Intrepid Travel!
The Seattle 2010 LUNAFEST will begin with a wine and beer reception hosted by New Belgium Brewery. The night will
also include light appetizers from Aimee Grace Catering and chocolate tasting provided by Theo Chocolates as
well as an amazing raffle thanks to our friends at:
Lululemon, Brooks Running, Yoga Life, Clif Bar Family, Theo Chocolate, Golds Gym, Keen and many more.
Date: April 20, 2010 5:30pm
Location: Broadway Performance Hall
Seattle, WA
Ticket Price:
$20- General Admission
$15- Student Admission
HOSTED BY:
Luna Bar
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
(509)306-0806
BENEFITS:
Reel Grrls
www.reelgrrls.org
The first 200 women will receive goody bags stuffed with prizes from: LUNA
Bar, Climb On!, Lululemon, Zevia, Pop Chip and 7th Generation
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