Healthy Idaho Magazine | May '13 by Healthy Magazine

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>> Advisor Healthcare

Better Coverage. Better Care.

Better Together Triple Aim means better health, St. Luke’s Health System will transform healthcare by aligning with physicians and other providers to System deliver will St. Luke’s Health integrated, transform seamless, healthcareand by aligning with physicians quality and other patient-centered care providers to Luke’s deliver settings. integrated, across all St. seamless, patient-centered quality care across all St. Luke’s settings.

better care, and lower cost.

That’s St. Luke’s vision, and I’m excited about a significant milestone in attainment of our vision and our “Triple Aim” of better health, better care, and lower cost. We’ve got an innovative new partner in SelectHealth, an insurance company based in Utah that shares our vision and our values, and has pledged to work with us toward achieving those much-needed goals. SelectHealth, a Salt Lake City-based not-for-profit health insurance company that serves more than 500,000 members in Utah and southern Idaho, is committed to helping its members stay healthy, offering superior service, and facilitating access to high-quality care. We believe our new relationship will help us align incentives for participating health care providers and their patients, and will help SelectHealth and its members achieve long-term improvements in health. Our new alliance combines St. Luke’s quality with SelectHealth’s core competencies and expertise in supporting an integrated health care delivery system, and will be supported by BrightPath, an extensive network of St. Luke’s physicians and facilities and independent physicians and facilities. Here’s why this is so important: The transformation of health care delivery calls for a completely different business model. Many insurance models only reward, and therefore health care providers have only focused on, improving the health of people who are already sick. Most efforts at wellness, health promotion, fitness, screenings, 4

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

and preventative services have been poorly reimbursed, or not paid for at all, under many health plans. The current system promotes fragmentation of care, and there is little incentive for providers and payors to spend the extra time and effort to work together to coordinate care, ensure patients get the proper follow-up, and try to prevent the use of unnecessary or low-value services. That’s where SelectHealth comes in. St. Luke’s alliance with SelectHealth is built upon trust, a commitment to collaboration, and data sharing, by having each party perform the services they are best suited to without duplicating those same services, and by paying the insurance company for the services they deliver. It is also focused on providing financial support to health care providers to invest in better health and to reward providers for eliminating low-value to no-value services according to evidence-based medicine. It will take time to implement the necessary changes and to achieve the benefits and savings we are striving to return to SelectHealth members, but we are making a start. This is a very exciting time for St. Luke’s Health System. Just as we set out to do, we are transforming health care! Join me in the journey and keep up with developments via my blog, Dr. Pate’s Prescription for Change. (http://drpate.stlukesblogs.org/)

About the Author David C. Pate, M.D., J.D.

is president and CEO of St. Luke’s Health System, based in Boise, Idaho. Dr. Pate joined the System in 2009. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. Read his blog at

http://drpate.stlukesblogs.org

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selectcommitment selectcommitment

“

I wasn’t feeling I wasn’tright, feeling so Iright, wentso to Ithe went doctor. to theLong doctor. story Long short, story it ended short, up it ended beingup being thyroid cancer. thyroidI cancer. didn’t think I didn’t my think life was my ending, life was but ending, I knew butmy I knew health mywas health was something something I had to take I hadhold to take of. My hold lifeof.has Mynot life been has not what been I expected—a what I expected—a lot lot of ups and of ups downs. andAnd downs. SelectHealth And SelectHealth has beenhas with been me all with along me all thealong way.”the way.”

Guy Perry,Guy Ogden Perry, Ogden Facebook.com/HealthyIdaho

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Choose Southwest Passionate Patient Caregivers

6651 West Franklin Road, Boise, Idaho 83709 • ph: 208.685.2400 • fax: 208.685.2369 SIACH.ernesthealth.com HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

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IDAHO

22 24 26 28 16 18 34 39 36

05.13 Volume V, № 5

SYSTEMIZED Editor's Note This month's Editor's Note presents the power of organization, and the downside of procrastination. Taking back time. When we put a few things in place, we have so much more time!

Feng shui The center, or heart, of your home is such a special place. It holds your physical energies, reflected in the people who live there.

divide and conquer Healthy meal planning for those with too much on their plate.

sharing the burden When going solo doesn’t work, get organized and know where to turn for weight loss success.

p.20

fitness slandering the sit-up Bottom line is, sit-ups hurt the back, and aren’t as effective as other core workouts

The Ultimate Urban Challenge A fundraising event for Make-A-Wish Idaho. The Idaho Chapter serves over 90 children each year and is celebrating its 27th year of magical wishes!

Wellness eating right! We can lower the risk of, or even reverse many of these issues by eating a healthy diet based on a variety of nutritious foods. Sensational smoothies Tired of eggs and oatmeal for breakfast? Take a break from traditional morning meals and prepare a healthy, delicious smoothie.

mother's natural helpers When you think of your mother, naturally you think of one who nurtures and nourishes. So, let's talk about our small intestines....

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Systemized

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Healthy

BRAINPOWER

Systemized We've been organizing this issue of Healthy Magazine for months. The theme is order and organization—'Systemized'. And yet, call me hypocritical, here I sit with an hour to go before we hit the presses and I'm just now writing my editor's note. Quite frankly, where would we be if it weren’t for the last minute? I don’t know about you, but I seem most effective, most creative, and most pressed for time right here in the last minute. Crisis management. Story of my life. Although I’m not a procrastinator, I am perhaps an over-optimist. I take on too much, often to the expense of some very priceless moments. I mean well. I want to keep everyone happy. I say yes, can do, will do. So I’m grateful for the last minute when I am forced to focus on finishing a task. Problem is that, if you're anything like me, we often leave too many things to the last minute. We don’t elevate priorities until something’s a pressing priority. And sometimes we miss things altogether, waiting for that last minute. Besides the reality that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree— which I'm reminded of whenever one of my sons comes to me saying some major school project is due tomorrow and isn't done yet and can I help—I remember the day my wife’s parents moved to Ohio for a service mission, the same day her sister's family was moving

IDAHO

WITH written by john a. anderson, editor in chief

to California to pursue a career. I was amazed at the exchange of rare last-minute sentiments. And the thought occurred, why do we wait to share those thoughts and feelings? Also, we hadn't talked to my nephew Blake for over two years before he died in a strange cave diving/swimming accident. We didn’t even get a last minute. The point is that so many things in life would be better if we didn’t wait, but rather if we did a little bit each day. After all, some things—like our health—cannot effectively be accomplished or corrected in the last minute. Health requires daily attention, and cumulative delays to modify our habits will ultimately lead to a tragic last minute.

MAY 2013 Volume V, № 5 Editor-in-Chief

John A. Anderson | editor@healthy-idaho.com PUBLISHER

Kenneth J. Shepherd| ken@healthy-idaho.com Sales and Marketing

Julie Guyer 208.371.4533 Steve Wallace 208.850.4983 Kristi Hendry 208.703.7448 sales@healthy-idaho.com Design Editors

Phillip Chadwick design@healthy-idaho.com Managing Editors

Michael Richardson | Emma Penrod editor@healthy-idaho.com Online editor

Ashley Romney | ashley@healthy-idaho.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Take heart disease, for instance. Talk about tragic. As the America's No. 1 killer, cardiovascular disease claims close to a million lives each year! That compares with about 550,000 deaths due to cancer; 101,000 deaths due to accidents; and about 14,000 due to AIDS. Yet simple daily lifestyle changes can reduce our risk of heart disease. It's never too early to start, but if you don’t start, it can very quickly become too late. While genetics play some role in the development of cardiovascular disease, there are many risk factors that are ‘modifiable’. With a little effort, you can eliminate or control them, though certainly not in the last minute. Accordingly, this month, we're all about organizing our homes, our families, our lives so that we can do more, be more, live more and relax more. As we 'systemize' ourselves, we find that we actaully have more time, more money, and yes, more health. Not to mention, we're much better examples to those around us when we order our lives. So, here we go. Here’s to pursuing a more efficient, more systemized life. And here’s to the last minute deadline I’m trying to beat to get this article turned in!

Sandy Wise | 866.884.3258 sandy@healthy-idaho.com Contributing writers

Gail Morrissey, Jessica Hagy, Heather Hooke, David Joachim, Brooke Kittel, Wayne Larsen, Colette Bouchez, Patty Trela, Steven E. Warren Circulation Healthy Idaho Magazine is printed monthly and delivered to higher income homes throughout Boise and is made available for pick up at hundreds of locations. Healthy Idaho Magazine is also mailed to all doctors, dentists, chiropractors, medical practitioners, health clinics, banks, and other businesses. If you would like to have Healthy Idaho Magazine delivered for distribution in your place of business, please contact us.

Healthy Idaho Magazine info@healthy-idaho.com 866.884.3258 PLEASE NOTE: The content in this publication is meant to increase reader awareness of developments in the health and medical field and should not be construed as medical advice or instruction on individual health matters, which should be obtained directly from a health professional. The opinions expressed by the authors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher. Call for reprint permission. All photography courtesy of Shutterstock.com unless otherwise noted.

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A 2001 study from Seligman and Brandeis University found that pessimists were less prone to depression after experiencing negative life events, compared to optimists. Perhaps this is because pessimists brace themselves better for trials.

Fetal Habits

In a survey of 1000 people, researcher Chris Idzikowski, PhD, a director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service in London, found that 41 percent of people slept in the fetal position. While this position can lessen snoring, and can be good for pregnant women, it can also cause back problems, and restrict breathing. Women were more than two times as likely as men to sleep in the fetal position. Idzikowski’s research showed that people who slept this way were generally tough on the outside but sensitive at heart, personality-wise.

now you know / systemized

The Pessimist’s Advantage

Happy Versus Extremely Happy

Extremely happy people are the most successful in close relationships, but moderately happy people are more successful financially and educationally, a study from the University of Virginia showed. Maybe a smile can be too bright.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

For the latest in news and research go to healthy-idaho.com

The Obesity Paradox A recent study from the US Centers for Disease Control analyzed almost 100 studies involving millions of participants and found that being overweight or slightly obese was linked to

about a 6 percent lower risk of dying, compared with those of normal weight. The reasons why aren’t

Nobody Exercises

Only 3.5 percent of those aged 20 to 59 do the recommended amount of exercise. But it gets worse. More than 50 percent of Baby Boomers report that they do no (yes zero) physical activity.

clear. Severe obesity is related to a 30 percent greater chance of dying.

Don’t Judge My Grief

Researchers from Stony Brook University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine decided to investigate how grief is truly displayed among bereaved people. They wanted to find out if perceptions about bereavement, namely the idea that people will inevitably feel intense distress and depression, and that people must “work through” their grief or suffer long-term consequences, were really experienced by most people. Researchers investigated a group of bereaved people, mostly widows and widowers, for up to five years, according to Scientific American. The research showed that most people had no significant distress or depression following their loss. Other research from Columbia University has similar findings, that only about half of elderly people who lost a spouse had serious distress. It is a misperception that the passing of someone close must result in depression and distress. It may be that we underestimate our own resiliency.

Stretching Decreases Strength Studies from the University of Zagreb had participants lift weights after stretching, and compared their results with their ability to lift without stretching. The results showed that stretching decreased muscle strength by 5.5 percent. In another study of the same design, those who stretched lifted more than 8 percent less than those who didn’t. Furthermore, other research shows that stretching doesn’t actually serve to reduce the chance of injury. So before you spend a ton of workout time stretching, be aware that stretching may be on the out in the world of exercise. Healthy-Idaho.com

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Between 2006 and 2010, nearly half of all American women aged 15 to 44 “cohabited” outside of marriage, according to new reports from the National Center for Health Statistics. In 1995 that number sat at 34 percent. During the first year of living together, the report found, about 20 percent of women became pregnant and went on to give birth. The report was based on interviews with 12,000 women.

Researchers Restore Hearing in a Mouse

in the news / systemized

Living Together

Good news for the 36 million Americans who report hearing loss: a study published recently in Neuron showed that researchers were able to partially restore hearing in a mouse who had suffered noise-induced hearing loss, using medication. The drug helps grow sensory hair cells in the inner ear, and is the first drug of its kind.

Not Quite

High Blood Pressure? Measure Again

After a systematic review of years’ worth of research, RAND found that 37 percent of emergency room visits were for nonurgent conditions. Those who visited the emergency room for nonurgent reasons were often younger, found the emergency room more convenient than other options, or had negative perceptions about other forms of care. This problem leads to unnecessary spending, tests and treatment.

of emergency room visits were for non-urgent conditions

In a recent study, 120 test subjects were given a daily dose of 18 ounces of low-fat yogurt for an extended amount of time. But added to the yogurt was either extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, lard or butter. Those who ate olive oil with their yogurt reported being more full, and showed the physiological signs of being more satiated, compared to other participants. So not only is olive oil better for you than other fats, it’s more filling.

An Emergency?

37%

Olive Oil Wins Again

For the latest in news and

A recent study from published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension found that blood pressure measurements are often inaccurate, due to incorrect procedure. Researchers observed medical personnel, and then had a trained observer repeat the process using American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations, and found discrepancies in both systolic and diastolic measurements. The study found that most site personnel don’t follow AHA recommendations. “Inaccurate BP measurement and poor technique may lead to misclassification, misdiagnosis and inappropriate medical decisions,” authors write.

NASA and Your Eyes

The Hubble space telescope, a landmark in space discovery, requires mirrors that are perfectly sculpted, which led to the development of technology that scanned mirrors and gave a detailed blueprint of flaws that needed correcting. It turns out that our corneas and a telescope lens have a lot in common, which is something ex-NASA Hubble researcher Dan Neal realized years ago. He developed a device to map the human eye that uses the same technology used to map telescope lenses. Released in 2012 and approved in Europe, the device is awaiting FDA approval. It could change the nature of LASIK and other laser-guided surgeries, as well as contacts.

Lasik's new Hubble-esque technology

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>> Advisor FITNESS

Why Do I Feel So Rotten? More and more research points to two primary culprits when it comes to the development of lifethreatening diseases and a general feeling of malaise: inflammation and acid build up in the body. Inflammation

All pain is ultimately due to inflammation. Chronic inflammation in the body is influenced by genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, and exposure to environmental toxins. Inflammation appears to be at the root of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. You can’t control your genetic destiny but you can introduce healthy lifestyle changes like exercise, meditation and avoidance of environmental toxins. The chief environmental toxin offender is a diet rich in refined and processed foods that foster a pro-inflammatory state.

What promotes inflammation in the body?

• Wheat, rye and barley • Sugar and refined starches (i.e., bread) • Trans fat • Peanuts • Chemical additives • Processed corn (i.e., highfructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn oil) • Red meat • Vegetable Oil • Dairy • Too much Omega 6-fatty acids (from fast food and snack food)

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

What reduces inflammation in the body? • • • • • • • • • •

Kale Shitake mushrooms Sesame and hemp seeds Squash Blueberries Onions Garlic Peppers Dark leafy greens Herbs and spices (i.e., turmeric, oregano, rosemary, ginger and green tea) • Omega 3-fatty acids (i.e., salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, flax seed and walnuts)

Acid Build-Up

When we are born, we have the perfect pH—not too acidic, not too alkaline. What does this mean? We become more acidic as we age. The more acidic we are, the more prone we are to illness, depression, sleep disturbances, early aging, digestive ailments and weight gain. Your body must balance the blood’s pH at a slightly alkaline level (7.365) in order to survive. When you “burn” food for fuel, the metabolic process transforms this burnt food into a kind of “ashy” residue that is either acidic or alkaline. If the body can’t get nutrients to maintain the required alkaline state, it draws from its own stores like bones and other vital tissues. This, in turn, decreases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, produce energy in cells, repair damaged cells and detox metal. The potential end-result is fatigue and illness. Additionally, research indicates that, as you age, eating more alkaline foods leads to a more youthful appearance and allows you to maintain more lean muscle mass.

Acidic Foods:

• Processed sugar • Refined grains • Conventionally produced meats • Artificial sweeteners

*Alkaline Foods:

• Root vegetables (i.e., radishes, beets, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, horseradish) • Cruciferous vegetables (i.e., broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) • Leafy greens (i.e., spinach, kale, Swiss chard, turnip greens) • Garlic • Cayenne pepper • Lemon (most alkalizing)

*Please note that some of these alkaline foods appear to be acidic (i.e., lemons), however, once the body processes these foods, the “residue” left behind becomes alkaline.

The bottom line is this: get back to the basics! Eat unprocessed foods that supply ample nutrients. The most healthful foods reside on the periphery of your grocery store. Avoid the “inner circle” where unhealthy options linger. Cheers to fruits and vegetables!

About the Author Brooke Kittel is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Pilates Instructor. editor@stardocs.com

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Gynecology, Woman's Health & Fitness Mary Hafer

MD, FACOG, ABOM

Board Certified in OB/GYN Board Certified in Obesity Medicine

Laura Poly PA-C, RD, LD

Physician Assistant & Registered Dietitian

Contraception Menopause & Bio Identical Hormones General Health Issues and Screening

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(208) 893-5383

Across the freeway from St. Lukes Hospital in Meridian Map available on our website www.hafergyn.com

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fit / systemized

Sit-Ups: Why To Never Do One Again

Lay down on your bed Wake up the next day Sometimes, doing sit-ups are just so easy." ~Lilly Tomlin

Sit-ups hurt the back, and aren’t as effective as other core workouts Sit-ups and crunches have been a fitness staple for decades, but their time is over. Researchers find that sit-ups hurt the back by pushing your curved spine against the hard ground. They also work the hip flexors, which run from the thighs to the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back, which can be a bad thing. “When hip flexors are too strong or too tight, they tug on the lower spine which can be a source of lower back discomfort,” says the Harvard Medical School. For the latest in news and research go to healthy-idaho.com

Fortunately, getting a six-pack doesn’t require sit-ups: other exercises can bring the rock hard abs without the negative side-effects.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Planks Try a plank exercise, which is taking a certain position, which you

hold for a specific amount of time. One example of a plank exercise is to lie on your stomach, and then go up on your forearms and toes. Hold that position with a straight back for about a minute, or however long you can. You’ll feel your abdominals tighten, along with other core muscles. The shoulders and leg muscles also get a workout, all without any weights. A benefit of changing up your core workout, besides avoiding back pain, is that planks by nature are a more complete workout. You’ll burn more calories and work more muscle groups. The abs are just one part of your core muscular system. Sit-ups only work the abs, meaning that relying solely on sit-ups for core exercise leaves many muscles in flab land. Besides, working out just the abs is actually unhealthy, as it puts unbalanced tension on the core when some muscles are strong and others weak.

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Want faster and more complete relief from pain and stiffness? You can get it with Fascial Distortion Model. Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy Parkcenter is one of only 3 PT clinics in the US to offer this groundbreaking set of techniques. It works by allowing us to translate your subtle hand and body language descriptions of your symptoms into a more precise assessment and treatment plan. We achieve faster results by offering the right treatment at the right time, with improvement expected at each visit.

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HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

An Event You Won’t Forget! What is the Ultimate Urban Challenge? Ultimate Urban Challenge is a fundraising event for Make-A-Wish Idaho. Funds will be used to grant wishes to Idaho children battling life-threatening medical conditions. The Idaho Chapter serves over 90 children each year and is celebrating its 27th year of magical wishes!

EVENT:

DATE:

Ultimate Urban Challenge - Teams of 4 will follow clues and bike to secret destinations in the urban setting of Boise. The unique bike race challenges the body, mind and senses. Be ready for some adventure!!!!

June 22, 2013

TIME:

8:30 AM Start Time – After-party at noon

FEE:

$49.00 per person early registration (Registration opens April 16, 2013) $75.00 per person after June 1, 2013

Each team is asked to raise $200 for Make-A-Wish® through online fundraising. Ask your friends, coworkers and family to sponsor you on this adventure.

VOLUNTEERS:

Teams of 4-8 people work at each challenge site. Mandatory training

the week before the event to assure that each challenge site is prepared for the race.

Goals • • • •

Wellness - motivate your employees to get in shape to compete Teambuilding – working together for success Volunteer opportunity – ( 8 hours per person) Building a healthier community AND grant wishes to children battling life-threatening illnesses

Join the fun! Help us promote the event to your employees. For more information, contact

April Wilbur at 345-9474 or Julia Traylor at 870-3853.

www.idaho.wish.org 18

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

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If you haven’t changed your SEO strategy from last years outdated methods—link building —you could find yourself losing out to your competitors. Google has completely re-worked their ranking algorithm. Links are out… quality content, and lots of it, is in. Call today to see how Healthy Idaho can position you and your practice at the top of your specialty.

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Sometimes, excessive anxiety before a stressful task, such as a presentation, can lead to disaster. You’re on stage. Your palms are sweating. And suddenly you’ve forgotten your entire speech.

Systemize 20

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Healthy-Idaho.com

ind over How to boost your confidence in any situation

Matter: The problem—anxiety—is rooted in our minds: how we perceive ourselves, others and the situation itself. However, the solution comes from the same source, psychologists say. “Your body responds to your thoughts,” says Nicole Detling, a performance psychologist who runs Salt Lake City-based HeadStrong Consulting. Over the last 14 years, Detling has worked with a variety of clients, from real estate agents and medical professionals to dancers, musicians, and even Olympians. Regardless of the situation, she says, your mental preparation will influence the outcome. “Everything we do every day is a performance,” she says, and the way we handle ourselves and our thoughts when stressful situations arise often determines whether we sink or swim.

w r itt e n B y h e a lt h y m ag a z i n e

zed

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systemized

One of the first things to do before a performance of any kind, be it a one-on-one job interview, or a concert with hundreds in the audience, is to check in with yourself and look for signs of stress, Detling says. Sometimes, anxiety manifests subtly—your heart might race, or your palms might begin to sweat. These symptoms aren’t necessarily serious, but they are hallmarks of strain, conscious or no. These symptoms don’t necessarily make stress an illness. Good stress, called eustress by psychologists, can motivate additional preparation and better performance in some situations. “A little anxiety is a good thing, because it means this is important to you,” Detling says. This doesn’t always work for everyone. When anxiety inspires distress, causing you to imagine failures and worst-case scenarios, it may be more helpful to resolve the tension and re-take control. Deep breathing exercises are a good place to start, according to Detling. It’s especially important to focus on breathing from the diaphragm, because our breaths tend to becomes shallow when we are under stress. “Shallow breaths deprive your body of oxygen, and will increase tension,” Detling says. Once you have regained physical control—a step that should never be discounted, according to Detling, because “you can’t control anything about your performance if you’re not in control of yourself”—it’s time to turn your attention to your thoughts. Instead of worrying about the worst-case scenario and the myriad of things that could go wrong, look for reasons you will succeed.

“You are going to find what you look for,” Detling says. “If you look for reasons you’re going to fail, you’ll find them. If you look for reasons why you are going to succeed, you will find them.” This could be as simple as reminding yourself that you would not be in the situation were you not capable of managing it, Detling says. You would not be invited to speak on a topic if you had nothing of value to say. While Detling says this change of internal dialog is a good starting point for many, not every technique works for every individual. Visualization is another technique often used to relieve situation-based anxiety, according to Kama Hiner, a professional counselor whose private practice is located in Boise. “The mind is a very powerful thing,” Hiner says, “and it doesn’t really know the difference between a real thing and an imaginary thing.” Because the mind doesn’t discriminate between real-life events and imagined events, visualizing yourself succeeding in a stressful situation can be as effective as physically rehearsing that situation, Hiner says. But it has to be done correctly for the visualization to work. “The effect depends on how believable the visualization is to you,” Hiner says. “If you get distracted, you won’t be creating a strong enough image.” To make the image have greater impact, Hiner suggests imagining the entire situation, from start to finish, in detail. What are you wearing? What is the temperature in the room? As you do so, imagine yourself completing the task confidently and calmly. Then run through the visualization in your mind again. “Practice this way 20 times in your mind,” Hiner says, “and your brain will think you have practiced it in person 20 times.” Regardless of the method used, the key to effective mental preparation is changing your focus from negative thoughts about the possibility of failure to positive thoughts about the possibility of success, according to Detling. “You get what you set yourself up for,” she says. HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

systemized

We need to shift our thinking from hours worked to results produced

Taking Back Time Life moves to the sound of tick and tock. It can provide the meter for your life’s beautiful symphony, or be the mortifying rhythm of a Jaws-like impending doom.

w r itt e n B y h e a lt h y m ag a z i n e

Don’t See Time as Money

Here is how to control time, to make it yours.

Put Your Subconscious to Work Complex situations can overload our

Focus on Results

We need to shift our thinking from hours worked to results produced, according to Robert Pozen, Harvard Business School professor, global financier and author.

How often do fathers explain to their teens that time is money? How many times do we tell it to ourselves? The fact is that time is not always money, and thinking otherwise can hurt our wellbeing.

Some people do things just to be doing something, and don’t reflect on priorities. Pozen describes their approach as “Ready, fire, aim!”

cognitive resources, according to Marcia Reynolds, author of Outsmart Your Brain. Taking a break lets the subconscious do its valuable work.

The University of Toronto’s Sanford Devoe found that thinking of time in terms of money changes how you experience time.

A focus on results produced demands forming goals you want to accomplish. Be careful to not get bogged down by schedules and the demands of others, because this means less time working on your highest goals.

“When you "sleep on a problem" or distract yourself with mindless television, cooking, grooming yourself or exercise, you give your unconscious a chance to sort through possible solutions using your long-term memory bank,” she says.

“What thinking about time in terms of money does is press individuals to evaluate happiness based on the economic returns of time,” he says, “when in reality there are many different facets of value that are important to take into consideration when evaluating happiness.”

Wise Quotes About Time:

“Time is what we want most,but what we use worst.” - William Penn

“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” - Marthe Troly-Curtin

“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.” - C.S. Lewis

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Devoe says it’s important to remind yourself to stop thinking about time in terms of money when off the clock.

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” - Andy Warhol

“If you’re at your son’s soccer game and you’re thinking about how much it’s costing you, remind yourself that one of the reasons you work so hard is so that you’re able to enjoy these moments of leisure,” he says.

“Time is a game played beautifully by children.” - Heraclitus

Teach your kids the value of time, he says, but remember that other factors, like enjoyment and whether or not other people have value in the experience, are also important.

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get organized / systemized

Hoarding, Sorting and Scrapping You probably have a problem, but that’s okay. Keep it, fix it, burn it, lose it. So many choices when it comes to… stuff. And your choices are far from trivial. Cluttered space and disorganization make life feel muddled, can turn a sentimental home into an unfeeling stockpile and can be a sign of serious mental issues. Here’s how to evaluate yourself and get on the road to serenity, which isn’t as long as you might think.

Are You a Hoarder? ___________________________ Most of us suffer from bouts of disorganization, but when is it a real problem?

5 -14

million Scientific American estimates that between 5 and 14 million people in the US are compulsive hoarders, their average age being 50.

There are three generally accepted qualifications of hoarders: They acquire things in excessive amounts, they have difficulty discarding things even when they are no longer useful or needed and have difficulty organizing possessions. Hoarders sometimes give a kind of sensibility to inanimate objects. Other hoarders just find comfort in their stuff. Linda Richards, CPO-CD, a professional organizer in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, says that hoarding is often characterized by mounting clutter that creates chaos and approaches being unsafe. Facebook.com/HealthyIdaho

Furthermore, rooms in a house stop being used for their intended purposes. For example, a spare bedroom gets filled with messiness instead of guests, or the dining room table becomes a place for papers and letters instead of food. Hoarders also often carry other mental issues. About half of all compulsive hoarders have either a major depressive disorder, anxiety or social phobia, according to Scientific American. But hoarders don’t fit in a mold. Despite the physical and mental issues, many compulsive hoarders live typical lives, with normal jobs and family ties only slightly ruffled by an overabundance of things. But then there are people like the lady with 100 living cats in her home and 67 dead ones in her freezer. The Institute for Challenging Disorganization developed a Clutter-Hoarding Scale for organization professionals to be able to assess the problems of clients and the potential safety issues. The levels go from 1 to 5, with 3 being the border between clutter and hoarding. When a person reaches higher levels, safety and sanitation are issues, and health professionals are called in, and possibly psychologists.

Not a Hoarder, But Feel On the Border? ___________________________ The truth is that most of us can relate to hoarders. Some collected marbles as children. Your son may collect basketball cards. You have stuff you don’t want to throw away, even though you know it isn’t worth anything. Individual disorganization falls on a spectrum. Hoarders fall on one side, but a habitually

messy desk falls on the other. Messiness isn’t hoarding, and neither is collecting. That’s humanity. But even if a person isn’t hoarding, there are a host of negative aspects tied to disorganization that go beyond appearance. It affects relationships, confidence and anxiety, to mention just a few things. Richards says a key indicator of a clutter problem comes from social life, when clutter blocks interaction with peers. “For some people, they want to socialize, but feel so embarrassed,” she says. Richards calls this the CHOAS syndrome: Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome.

Solutions ___________________________ Don’t be tricked into thinking that getting organized is simply a matter of getting off your heiny. That is a key part, yes, but certain principles are vital, principles that many just never learn.

Here are some organization essentials, from Richards: • Understand that you have to make decisions about which things you want to keep and which things are required to keep. Most piles of clutter are from a lack of decision. You need to answer these questions: What do I do with this? Where does it go? Where is its home? • For the keepers: they all need a home. Find a space for each possession that you need. Things without a real home quickly become clutter again and again. Example: a blanket. If your attitude is “I will just fold this and put it on the couch,” you

will always find the blanket where you don’t want it. The blanket needs a closet, or a shelf of some kind, as a home, just like you need a home. • Decide boundaries and limits on stuff. When you are shopping, make sure your potential purchases have a home before you buy them. Richards recalls one person who had 82 of the same exact piece of clothing; same size, color and everything. It was his favorite piece of clothing, but he couldn’t find it so often than he kept buying more and more. Another time, Richards informed a woman that she had seven of the same kitchen appliance. She resolutely declared she only had two, until Richards was able to display all seven.

No Time ___________________________ Richards says one reason why people let clutter go on and on is because they are scared of the time commitment it may take to clean. For this reason she sets timers for people, from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. “This erases the fear that it will take forever,” she says. “And it stops them from taking too long.” She says messy people often aren’t good with time management. Some will start a task saying it will take five minutes, and it takes two hours. Others say a task will take all day when it only will take an hour. Richards’ advice makes one thing clear: cleanliness often starts in the mind. It is about making a decision in your head, being realistic about time commitment and being confident that you can be organized. HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

systemized

Feng Shui

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Healthy-Idaho.com

How order and organization affect our health

ook around. Take in your space. Do you see order or disorder? Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway"), is the art of order – the proper use of space. It’s a Chinese discipline that teaches us how to enhance our life energy (called ‘chi’), and is largely based on our space allocation and arrangement.

In other words, your decorating style impacts multiple aspects of your life. If your office or home environment borders on ordered chaos or randomly placed furniture and stacks of stuff, it’s a good bet your finances and family, your health and emotional well-being, are just as chaotic. “Everyone knows that when you don't have your health, it seems like everything else is out of balance,” writes Karen Rauch Carter, feng shui consultant and author of the best-selling book ‘Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life.’

Religious Objects: Some people like having a reminder of the higher forces of the universe around and the center is one of the better places to put them. The religious style or symbolism doesn't matter -- the intention behind it does. If the symbol is made of stone, so much the better.

6 Feng Shui Tips

These suggestions will help you start incorporating feng shui into your home, office, and life.

“The center, or heart, of your home is such a special place. It holds your physical energies. Some homes feel like there is no heart, and it usually shows in the people who live there,” observes Carter.

1. A cluttered and messy environment keeps energy from flowing properly. Start off by cleaning your home or office and getting rid of anything that is no longer useful.

There are things you can add to your home to help it have heart. Carter suggests adding the following components:

2. If anything is in need of repair, simply fix it or throw it away.

Earth: The earth elements reign supreme in the home, so feel free to load it up. A live plant that is growing in some fresh soil can really improve your energies for health and balance. I also like using a plant because it actually needs attention and nurturing. If you nurture the plant, the universe will repay you in kind.

Yellows and Earth Tones: Sometimes all it takes is a simple shift in color to bring about a dramatic shift in energy. Adding yellows and even more bland earth tones to your health and balance zone can improve your health ch'i. Try a pot of fresh yellow mums in a pot of real earth.

Laughter: Laughter is the best medicine. Add something that tickles your funny bone in the center of your space to hold a light-hearted energy for your health.

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Squares and Flat Stuff: Squares and flat items exude the energetic movement that works well in this area, so let's say a flat, square, stone coffee table would be about perfect! Mix and match with these shapes to get what feels right for you.

3. Take care of the little things that have been piling up such as bills and letters. Doing this allows you to start with a clean slate and helps you gain a renewed sense of clarity. 4. Use plants in your environment as well, and keep them healthy, well-fed and watered. Plants with round leaves are preferable to other varieties. 5. Drafts should also be cut off as they can carry away money and cause health problems. 6. Avoid excessive overhead light and keep sharp-cornered objects to a minimum.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

systemized

This works for breakfast, too. Example:

Divide and Conquer

Fresh Fruit

Whole Wheat Toast Scrambled Eggs

NOT

W r i t t e n by e m m a p e n ro d

Healthy meal planning for those with too much on their plate. Busy people struggle to create consistently healthy meals, because consistency demands efficient planning, shopping and cookingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a tall order for any person, especially a parent. A secret to success is the dinner plate; turn it into a nutrition pie chart, as per the new MyPlate recommendations from the USDA, and the weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dining falls into place.

According to the Mayo Clinic, using this visualization can help plan healthy meals with adequate portions of important food groups. For example:

Brown Steamed Rice Veggies Grilled Chicken NOT

French Fries

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Steak

One Oversized Coffee with Extra Whipped Cream

Chocolate has anti-oxidants, OK? You could even apply this principle to more unconventional dinners:

Brown Broccoli, Rice Red Peppers, Carrots and Peanut Green Onions Spicy Butter Sauce

You might even serve it all mixed up in a bowl. Except for the cookie. That would be gross.

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The nice thing about the plate diagram is that it not only helps illustrate a healthy, well-balanced meal, but can also help plan your family’s weekly meals, fill-in-the-blank style. Just imagine a week as a series of seven MyPlates, and fill in each spot on each plate with whatever suits your family’s lifestyle. Once you have your meal plan in mind, you can reverse-engineer the same diagram to make a shopping list.

You’ll find that some of the items on your list are healthy staples in your family’s diet. Rice, for example, or potatoes. If you find your family eats certain meats or vegetables often, you might add these to your list of staples. Keep these staples on hand, and replace them as needed when they run out. Most staples keep well if stored in a cool, dry area. Meats and vegetables can be frozen—if you don’t like processed foods, purchase fresh and freeze them yourself.

Diagraming your dinner can also help you to simplify your daily routine or manage a tight grocery budget. Just take a few extra minutes while you are planning to look for places you can use re-use common ingredients and leftovers throughout the week. For example:

this

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Shopping List:

FRIDAY

K TA

Chicken Beans Walnuts Rice Pasta Tomatoes Spinach Sweet Potatoes

WEDNESNDAY

STAPLES SHOPPING LIST: Brown rice Steel-cut oatmeal Whole-grain flours Lentils Whole-wheat pasta Chicken breasts Salmon Nuts Beans Olive oil Coconut oil Cooking wine Vinegars Soy sauce Tomatoes, sauc/paste Frozen vegetables Fruit, dried or frozen Soups and/or soup stocks Dried herbs and spices Onions Potatoes Garlic Honey Dark chocolate

Dinner Rolls

Steamed Veggies Grilled

Chicken

can become this Corn, Peppers, Avocados, Tomatoes, etc.

Tortillas Strips of Grilled Chicken

the next night

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

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To keep track of your staple supplies, glue a small notepad to a magnet and keep it on your fridge. When you notice you are running low on a certain staple, such as oatmeal, jot it down. When it’s time to go to the store, take your notepad from the fridge, quickly plan out your meals using the plate diagram, and add the extra ingredients you need to the list you’ve already started. Add additional items for any unplanned meals, such as cereal for breakfast or apples for lunches and snacks, and there you have it—an instant healthy shopping list.

For those in need of healthful meal-time inspiration, there are a number of great interactive resource online. One site, www. healthyeating.org, which is sponsored by the Dairy Council of California, features a fun Food Personality quiz that will offer healthy cooking and shopping ideas based on your own needs, tastes and lifestyle. Another site, www.nourishinteractive. com, hosts an interactive meal planner that helps parents determine their children’s nutritional needs.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

systemized

Sharing the Burden w r itt e n B y EMMA P ENR O D

When going solo doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, where to turn for weight loss

onsider one of the many juxtapositions of everyday American life: diet and weight loss plans are easily as plentiful as fast food joints, yet one third of Americans are still obese. In fact, according to the National Weight Control Registry, most Americans are actually gaining weight. Some 90 percent of us will attempt to lose weight, but only 20 percent will successfully keep lost pounds off for life. Dieting and exercising alone work for some people, but weight loss is often complicated. Even with our best efforts, sometimes the weight loss journey is a round trip back to our initial weight, creating a frustrating weight-loss riddle that is difficult to solve alone. But who do we team up with? Here we review the many types of outside help: weight loss professionals whose specific areas of expertise offer needed ladders over the enormous variety of weight-loss barriers.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

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Dr. Allen Rader, Bariatric Physician ____________________________ You might hire a bariatric physician if: ›› You are trying to lose 15 to 2O percent of your body weight. ›› You have a medical condition, such as diabetes or insulin resistance, that makes weight loss difficult. ›› You have trouble losing weight on your own, and you’re not sure why.

You might NOT hire a bariatric physician if: ›› You could achieve and remain at your ideal weight with diet and exercise alone. “If your weight loss stops with anything less than 15 percent, there is probably more that could be achieved medically,” says Dr. Rader, an Idaho-based physician who has travelled internationally to present his weight loss methods to train fellow bariatric physicians. Bariatric physicians are specially trained and equipped to look for weight loss barriers such as insulin resistance—a relatively common reason for failed weight loss, Dr. Rader says. They can take an individual’s body chemistry into account when creating a weight loss plan, and can prescribe weight loss medications where appropriate. It is not uncommon for a physician to work as a team with other weight loss professionals, according to Dr. Rader. When appropriate, Dr. Rader says he does refer patients to other professionals with specialties he believes will help his patients succeed.

Rhonda O’Brien, Registered Dietitian ____________________________ You might hire a registered dietitian if: ›› You have a diet-related or digestive medical condition such as diabetes, gluten intolerance or food allergies. ›› You need personalized solutions that become longterm eating habits.

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You might not hire a registered dietitian if: ›› You need to lose weight quickly. ›› You need medications or specialized food products to lose weight successfully. “This is going to take a bit longer,” says O’Brien, a dietitian who runs a private practice in Boise, “but it will help you develop good long-term habits. Dietitians generally help their clients re-learn how to feed themselves, in the sense that they teach individuals how to cook foods that meet their specific nutritional needs while losing weight. They create diet plans tailored specifically for each client—taking into account situations such as high cholesterol, lifestyle, even taste preference—and then reinforce those plans with cooking lessons, menu planning and recipes. It is important that prospective clients find a dietitian whose specialty fits their individual needs; O’Brien cautions against hiring a dietitian who claims dozens of specialties.

you overcome fitness plateaus by finding new ways to challenge yourself during a workout, says Carter, who also owns Salus Lifestyles, a business that designs wellness plans for corporations and individuals. Not every personal trainer is qualified to help those who want to lose weight. Carter suggests looking for a trainer with training and experience in weight loss. Their specialty should be your goal. “If they train marathon runners and you want to lose weight, they’re not going to train you right,” Carter says.

Melanie Greenberg, Health Psychologist ____________________________ You might hire a health psychologist if: ›› You eat to cope with unpleasant emotions. ›› You have a mental condition, such as a binge eating disorder or depression, that is tied to weight gain. ›› You need to change your attitude toward weight loss.

Denise Carter, Personal Trainer ___________________________

You might not hire a health psychologist if:

You might hire a personal trainer if:

›› You are self-motivated and generally set and accomplish new goals readily.

›› You are new to fitness and need someone to point you in the right direction. ›› You have a new fitness goal you don’t know how to achieve. ›› You are stuck in repetitive workouts that don’t improve your level of fitness.

You might not hire a personal trainer if: ›› You have health problems beside excess weight. “Sometimes we get into a gym and start doing the same thing over and over again,” says Carter, a personal trainer who works with national fitness competitors. A personal trainer can help

›› Your weight gain was not the result of maladaptive coping behaviors. These psychologists specialize in identifying emotional triggers that lead to overeating, and teach their patients how to avoid or deal with unhelpful situations, according to Greenberg, a noted expert in the field with a private practice in California. They can also help you maintain your new lifestyle by counteracting problematic attitudes such as allor-nothing thinking. Health psychologists typically work in tandem with other weight loss professionals, according to Greenberg. For example, your doctor might come up with a weight loss plan, and then recommend a psychologist to help you stick to that plan to see real, lasting results. >>>>>>>>

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

>>>>>>>> Because health psychologists are not a stand-alone solution, Greenberg suggests a cost-benefit analysis before hiring a psychologist: is the expense worth the added benefit?

Katherine Isacks, MyNetDiary Consulting Dietitian ____________________________ You might purchase a weight loss app if: ›› You are detail-oriented and motivated by tracking progress toward a goal. ›› You need to locate the source of excess calories, fats, sugars or sodium in your diet. ›› You are working with a weight loss professional who needs a report of your daily caloric intake.

support groups can be seen as a tool for weight loss that can promote the success of professionally-designed weight loss programs, according to Ziervios. An effective support group should focus on losing weight for health, not cosmetics, will be comprised of individuals who are engaged in the same weight-loss strategy, and will be convenient for you to attend. Those who don’t feel comfortable in group settings, but who still need peer support, might be better served by meeting oneon-one with a psychologist or life coach, Ziervios says.

Dr. Darrin Hansen, Bariatric Surgeon ____________________________ You might consider bariatric surgery if:

A Universal Starting Point Most everyone’s weight loss journey should begin with the same first step—a trip to the family doctor. Your regular physician can help you begin to determine why you have put on weight, and what you must do to lose it. Here, you will also get advice regarding any personal circumstances that may determine what weight loss services are appropriate for you.

›› You have a history of eating disorders.

›› You are more than 100 pounds overweight, or 70 pounds overweight with a serious weight-related medical condition like diabetes.

In most cases, however, the first thing your doctor will prescribe is a lifestyle change.

›› You don’t want to take the time to measure and track everything you do or eat.

›› Your BMI is greater than 30, and you are willing to consider reversible options.

›› You aren’t willing to track your diet accurately.

›› You are committed to changing your lifestyle to aid your weight loss.

“Even if they’re not that accurate, the process of logging what you actually eat and drink is usually an eye-opening experience,” Isacks says.

›› You have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight via more traditional means in the past.

“Everyone should start off with diet and exercise,” says Dr. Allen Rader, a physician with Idaho Weight Loss. “Eat less and move more. If that works for you, you don’t need anything else.”

You might not purchase a weight loss app if:

Using an app allows you to manage your weight the way you manage your finances, Isacks says, leaving it up to you how to spend your calories each day. They have the added benefit of working well with most other weight loss programs, especially if the app features a report sharing function.

James Ziervios, Obesity Action Coalition Spokesperson ____________________________ You might join a support group if: ›› You are motivated by encouragement from your peers. ›› You need a safe place to talk about your weight loss journey.

You might not join a support group if: ›› You are sometimes discouraged by the weight loss success of others. ›› You don’t feel comfortable talking about weight loss in a group setting. Peer support groups are a proven means of fostering weight loss. Though not a weight loss service in and of themselves,

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

You might not consider bariatric surgery if: ›› You do not meet the minimum weight requirements. ›› You are looking to lose weight quickly. ›› You are unwilling to live with the potential side-effects. ›› You are unwilling to change your lifestyle to promote weight loss. Surgery is a serious, often irreversible choice for weight loss that should not be made lightly, according to Dr. Hansen, the primary surgeon at Utah Lap-Band. However, it may be a good option for those who are facing severe health ramifications resulting from obesity.

If the pounds persist, or if you are unable to attain your weight goal as determined by you and your doctor, you might then consider enlisting additional weight loss professionals. “One thing that is perfectly clear: weight loss is multifactorial,” Dr. Rader says. “The problem is being able to figure out what you need to do, or what you need to change, if that program is not working for you.”

Bariatric surgery should not be viewed as a quick and easy fix for weight problems, according to Dr. Hansen. Prospective patients will first be expected to attempt weight loss via diet and exercise. Even after surgery, they will not successfully lose weight without other lifestyle changes. “The more committed the patients are to helping themselves, the more surgery will help them,” Dr. Hansen says.

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HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

systemized

From Start Author Betsy Schow explains that starting is easy, but finishing is what matters When Betsy Schow used to go hiking with her husband, she would hike for half an hour, then stop, sit and read while her husband went the rest of the way and back.

importance of finishing is the subject of Betsy’s new book, Finished Being Fat, where she explains truths that helped her lose 75 pounds and, more importantly, transform her life.

This behavior, Betsy discovered, while harmless on the surface, was the microcosm of a destructively patterned lifestyle that made her miserable. The

Before: Something Missing

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Betsy, of northern Utah, wasn’t happy with her life. She wasn’t happy with her weight, or with her role as a stay-at-home mother

to Finish W r i t t e n by M ich a e l Rich a r d s o n

of two. She wasn’t happy with what she saw on Facebook, which she calls the high school reunion that never ends, with its neverending stream of success stories from peers that seemed to elevate their lives while she stayed stagnant. In her mind, weight was at the heart of her gloom. She figured that if she could lose weight, and keep it off, she would be happier. But her more than 20 attempts were slain by what she lacked: the ability to finish. “I thought it was easier to just quit than to find out that I couldn’t do it,” she says. But it wasn’t just weight loss that she couldn’t finish. Her attempts to scrapbook the lives of her children, to build a picture framing business and a host of

other endeavors were all slain by the same inability. The breaking point came at 7 one morning, she writes, when she tripped over a scale that had just given her dreaded, heavy news, and her husband found her on the ground trying to beating the scale into submission. “There weren’t enough hours in the day or words in the English language to describe what was wrong,” she writes. “At that moment, I felt like the most worthless human being on the planet.”

The Missing Piece: Learning to Finish

This rock bottom moment sent Betsy on a journey of discovery, discovery about much more than how to lose weight, she says. It Healthy-Idaho.com

was a discovery about how to truly be happy. Starting is the easy part, Betsy explains. In the starter’s high, you are excited and you tell friends. Then comes the first setback, and the excitement of the task at hands drains away, leaving you to trudge towards your goal, until you stop and go backwards. She learned that repeatedly failing to finish things creates an accumulation of damage. Each time you don’t break the tape, it adds another layer on a wall you must climb to finish things in the future. “Eventually, you can’t even see a possible goal because you’ve walled yourself in,” she says. “You get in your own way.” Betsy also discovered that comparing herself to others helped destroy her efforts to complete things, since she failed to understand the value of being “good enough” versus “better than everyone else.” “You want to be the best, the fastest, the brightest,” she says. “I had to learn that I’ll never be a size two, and that isn’t bad.” But of all the influences impeding her progression to various finish lines, the voice inside her own head was the worst. “So often we’re so afraid of what everyone else is going to say, but in reality we say so much worse things to ourselves,” she says.

The Inner Finisher Found

How do you get over a wall? Build a mountain, Betsy says.

Betsy began to build her own mountain, began beating back the negative voice in her head, by starting small. She would finish workouts, and finish laundry.

The aura of her life changed. She became a happier wife and mother, and the tone of her house shifted to a brighter shade..

Then her husband presented an impossible challenge: a marathon.

“Happiness is fulfilling promises to yourself,” she says.

Betsy, so often beat by hill-sized endeavors, considered the Everest of 26.2 miles with hopelessness. She planned to simply train until her husband quit, since he had a finishing problem as well. But he never quit.

At this point, Betsy says, she realized that there was nothing she couldn’t do, so she decided to write a book, something she’d thought of doing before. But writing about her own journey wasn’t what she had in mind at first. She wanted to write a fiction novel, but at a writer’s workshop, another author heard her story and urged her to write about it.

Each training run provided a step for her to get over self-constructed barriers. Finally, the day of the marathon came, and she completed it. “It blew my mind,” she says. “Finishing something you thought was impossible shifts your whole world.”

Finished Being Fat -ExcerptI was going to shed all these unwanted pounds . . . again. So what if I had done this same dance twenty times before? I was lost to the “starter’s high.” Like falling in love, starting a new project flooded my body with endorphins and gave me a single-minded focus on the task ahead, for at least a few weeks. This was the simple truth that I had missed at the time. I was addicted to starting, but once that initial high faded and things got hard or boring, I would quit and start something else to get my next fix. What on earth was I doing to myself? Why did I keep putting my body through this crap? If you had asked me at the time my answer would have been that I was tired. Tired of being fat, so drastic measures were required because I couldn’t bear the weight for one more day. If you asked me today, I would tell you it’s because I was unhappy.Yes, unhappy with the way I looked, but I think the heaviness I felt was the weight of all the things I’d started but failed to finish hanging around my neck.

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And then Finished Being Fat was born, which took her to NBC’s Today Show and to the Wall Street Journal. She is spreading a simple message to the nation about how to view others and yourself.

“Not everyone can win the race, but everyone can finish,” she says. “Giving up is the only failure.” Currently training for: The Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon

Favorite meal: Whole wheat pancakes, made by her husband

Favorite book:

The Art of Happiness, by the Dalai Llama

Favorite hike: Donut Falls, Big Cottonwood Canyon

Inspiring figure: Lily, her daughter

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

food

[ healthy choices ]

Eating Right

healthy eating

The foods we eat shape our bodies and minds and have a huge impact on how prone we are to disease. The good news is that we can lower the risk of, or even reverse many of these issues by eating a healthy diet based on a variety of nutritious foods from the healthy eating pyramid.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Healthy-Idaho.com

food / in the know

Warrior or Weakling?

Spring weekends bring out the athlete in all of us. But does Monday morning find you the weekend weakling? Weekend workouts are good for your health and enjoyment — when you do them wisely. But if you find yourself spending all week making up for the weekend, maybe you need some nutritional and physical training.

Egg-cellant Cholesterol

Eggs have been known for containing high amount of cholesterol, but some new research on that topic should make you egg-cited. According to he U.S. Department of Agriculture, a large egg today only has 185 milligrams of cholesterol, down from the 215 milligrams an egg contained 10 years ago. An egg today also has 41 international units of vitamin D, much higher than the 25 international units measured years ago. Researchers believe the changes are probably due to changes in the hen’s diets or the way they are bred. Eggs have gotten healthier all around, so enjoy your omelet guilt free. Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

fifty

grams of sugar in the average 16-oz energy drink or sweetened tea. That’s over three tablespoons. a 12-oz can of soda contains 35 grams.

Hyperactive food coloring

Have a hyperactive child? Artificial food coloring may be to blame. Several studies have shown that food coloring has a connection to hyperactivity in children. The results are enough to raise concern since food coloring is used in a variety of foods in order to make them appear more appetizing. However, because of the many studies that show no connection, the FDA voted down the proposal to have food coloring warnings listed on some foods. Source: fda.gov SIMPLE Solution

For More Energy

For More Fluids

Load up on low-fat, high carbohydrate foods — about 60 percent of your calories — to keep you moving.

Stay hydrated before and after your workouts with these tips:

• Non-fat yogurt • cereal, fruit and milk • pasta or soup with a whole-grain bagel • whole-grain muffins and skim milk

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• 2 Hours Before: Drink 2 cups of fluid • 10–15 mins. Before: Drink 2.5 cups of fluid • Every 15 mins. after: Drink .5 cups of fluid

Fat-free Fat free doesn’t equal calorie free. The term means that in a set portion, the amount of fat is so low, you don’t have to worry about it. However, this doesn’t include any requirements for calories. A food that is fat free could still contain carbohydrates or protein, making it a source of calories.

Source: webmd.com

Take Note of

Food Focus Dinner entertainment — music, TV, even conversations — could all being unhealthy distractions. According to research, distractions during meals may lead you to eat more than you usually would. One study found that women who listened to a story while eating ate a significantly higher amount of calories than when they were focused on eating. So to limit your caloric intake, put down the remote control, take a seat at the dinner table for a change and enjoy a peaceful meal.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Food Natural DIET RIGHT

Some may ask, “Is it us or them?”

Sound nice? There’s more.

Well, I think it is us because when taking antibiotics, like many people do, most of the friendly bacteria are killed off and we are left with just us. That’s how we set ourselves up for disease and how drug companies profit.

Research shows that acidophilus gets rid of tumors, and inhibits cancer by detoxifying and even preventing carcinogenic chemicals. Thank your mom’s helpers again, because they also reduce cholesterol so you won’t have to go on statin drugs that affect the liver and may eat muscle tissue.

>> If you have taken

mother’s natural helpers When you think of your mother, naturally you think of one who nurtures and nourishes.

Written by David R. Card

hus, the mother of the body is the small intestine. Traditionally we don’t think of this organ as warm and fuzzy, like a real mom, but the small intestine is where we absorb virtually all our nourishment.

The small intestines contain a host of mom’s natural helpers called acidophilus, or probiotics. Acidophilus (one of several friendly bacteria) helps you digest food. We need all the help we can get with all the preservatives people eat these days. If treated right, probiotics help us take up vitamins and break down foods so we can absorb their nutrients to be healthy and strong.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

antibiotics, your mom’s helpers are mostly depleted and need some assistance on the front line of digestion. Get to your local health food store to purchase the two colonizing helpers called Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria. Lactobacillus lives in the small intestine and helps digest foods while Bifidobacteria lives in the large intestine and helps detoxify and protect the body “slum” until the toxins are expelled.

>> Eating yogurt or other fermented foods that are “live” increases mom’s natural helpers. These healthy treats need to be eaten often and enjoyed.

>> Just like mom, these

>> Other research shows that the friendly bacteria may reduce or prevent osteoporosis by allowing the body to absorb calcium and other important bonebuilding minerals. Mom knows what to do, so pay attention and eat your friendly bacteria or, like you’ve heard before, “Children will starve in India…” or something like that.

>> Mom always reminded me to eat everything on my plate, keep my mouth closed while chewing, and get some friendly bacteria. Be good to yourself.

>> Happy Mother’s Day. For more information on acidophilus, visit www.DavesHealth.com.

bacteria also protect us (as research shows) with antibiotic properties. Have you ever seen an angry mom? (Dude, pay attention.) Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the most aggressive and territorial creatures in existence. It secretes acids and a variety of chemicals to keep its territory. Good thing she’s on our side.

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food / chef support

Pad Thai Bring Thailand to your dinner table with this amazing food. 2-3 servings Prep Time: 40 minutes Ingredients 1-1/2 cup Chinese chives (Optional) 1 egg 4 teaspoons fish sauce 3 cloves minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chili pepper ground pepper 1/2 lime 2 tablespoons peanuts (Optional) 1 tablespoon preserved turnip (Optional) 1 minced shallots 1/2-1/4 lb shrimp (Optional) 2 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons tamarind paste 1/2 package Thai rice noodles 1/3 cup extra firm tofu 2 tablespoon cooking oil 1-1/3 cup bean sprouts (Optional) 1/2 banana flower (Optional) Facebook.com/HealthyIdaho

Preparation

Start with soaking the dry noodles in lukewarm or room temperature water while preparing the other ingredients. Getting the noodles just right is the trickiest part of making Pad Thai. Make sure that the noodles are submerged in plenty of water. By the time you are ready to put ingredients in the pan, the noodles should be flexible but not mushy. Julienne tofu and cut into 1 inch long matchsticks. When cut, the super firm tofu/pressed tofu should have a mozzarella cheese consistency. You can fry the tofu separately until golden brown and hard, or you can fry with other ingredients below. Cut the Chinese chives into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside a few fresh chives for a garnish. Rinse the bean sprouts and save half for serving fresh. Mince shallot and garlic together.

Cooking

Use a wok. If you do not have a wok, any big pot will do. Heat it up on high heat and pour oil in the wok. Fry the peanuts until toasted and remove them from the wok. The peanuts can be toasted in the pan without oil as well. Add shallot, preserved turnip, garlic and tofu and stir them until they start to brown. The noodles should be flexible but not expanded at this point. Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Stir quickly to keep things from sticking. Add tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and chili pepper. Stir. The heat

should remain high. If your wok is not hot enough, you will see a lot of juice in the wok at this point. Turn up the heat, if it is the case. Make room for the egg by pushing all noodles to the side of the wok. Crack the egg onto the wok and scramble it until it is almost all cooked. Fold the egg into the noodles. The noodles should soft and chewy. Pull a strand out and taste. If the noodles are too hard (not cooked), add a little bit of water. When you get the right taste, add shrimp and stir. Sprinkle white pepper around. Add bean sprouts and chives. Stir a few more times. The noodles should be soft, dry and very tangled. Pour onto the serving plate and sprinkle with ground pepper and peanuts. Serve hot with the banana flower slice, a wedge of lime on the side, raw Chinese chives and raw bean sprouts on top. As always, in Thailand, condiments such as sugar, chili pepper, vinegar and fish sauce are available at your table for your personal taste. Some people add more chili pepper or sugar at the table.

www.thaitable.com Recipe contributed by Natty Netsuwan HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

food

[ healthy choices ]

ways What is one of the most effective ed ny, a fast-pac to sabotage your diet? For ma er. life has created a recipe for disast

tips to Eat better

On the go w r itt e n B y m e l iss a g a r ci a

ave you noticed your waistline expanding due to fast food, eating out, and eating on the run? About 60 percent of Americans go out to eat at least once a week; 25 percent eat out five or more times a week. Furthermore, how many times have you grabbed a quick bite while running out the door? A pop-tart or a slice of white bread perhaps? Maybe a quick stop through McDonald's drive-thru for a breakfast burrito? No time, poor planning and unhealthy food choices on a regular basis increases risks for diseases like diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, hypertension and obesity. If you're motivated to choose a healthier way of eating, there are better options when eating on the go or eating out.

Don't supersize your meal. You'll be eating more fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol. Think small. Remember, over the past two decades, obesity in adults and children has dramatically increased as food portions have increased. Try grilled, not fried. Fried foods contain about 50 percent more fat and/or calories than grilled. Eat french fries sporadically and try substituting with a salad (with low fat or fat free dressing). Avoid all-you-can-eat restaurants. Enough said on that one.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Split your order with a friend. This will save you money and calories. Bring healthy grab-and-go snacks to work: string cheese, dried fruit, carrots, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, cottage cheese and low-fat popcorn. Drink water instead. Did you know that a 16-ounce soft drink adds 200 calories to a meal? A medium chocolate shake, 350 calories? Of course, another option would be washing that meal down with a glass of low-fat milk. Hold the sauce. Did you know that a spoonful of mayonnaise has 100 calories? If you're going to order a sandwich, hold the mayo and add mustard instead. Same with a hamburger: hold the sauce but add mustard and ketchup. Try a fish sandwich without tartar sauce, an extra 70 calories. Just remember to strategize, my friends. Plan ahead. Life is busy, but don't compromise your health and your quality of life for sugary, trans-fat-laden foods. Your nutrition should be top priority!

About the author:

Melissa is a Personal Trainer at Treehouse Athletic Club. She can be reached by calling 801-553-0123.

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[ healthy choices ]

food

ecipes r Healthy

sensational

smoothies A Healthy Breakfast alternative

Tired of eggs and oatmeal for breakfast? Take a break from traditional morning meals and prepare a healthy, delicious smoothie. A smoothie is a blended beverage that is typically made with milk and/or yogurt and flavorings — and also fruit. Smoothies are so easy to prepare, which makes them a great option if you’re pressed for time. Both recipes serve two, but don’t feel guilty if you go in for seconds. They’re that good for you. w r itt e n B y HEALT HY MAGAZ I NE

The chocolatey one

The fruity one

6 oz. SnackWell’s Chocolate Cherry Non-Fat Yogurt 1/4 cup skim milk 1 banana 3 large ice cubes

1/2 cup blueberries 1/2 cup strawberries 1/2 cup blackberries 1 medium carrot 1 cup low-fat milk 1 cup pomegranate (cranberry is an okay substitute) 2 cups ice cubes

Ingredients:

Blend together. Serve chilled.

Ingredients:

Blend together. Serve chilled.

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HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

40 MILLION WORDS BY AGE 3!

id you know that children can, and should, be exposed to over 40 million words by age three? Children born into poverty are only exposed to 9 million. That’s a 30 Million word difference. My husband and friends joke that I talk too much. However, talking and reading to our children, telling them what we are doing (narration), asking questions (turn-taking) and giving encouragement are absolutely necessary for a child’s brain to grow and develop. The young brain is ready to learn. How? By talking - and that doesn’t cost any money.

•

That means we need to talk to and read and interact with our children every day…a lot.

Here’s a breakdown:

What that also means is that watching TV is not good for the growing brain at all. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children less than 2 years should not watch any TV; and that we need to limit the amount of screen time (TV, computers, ipads, etc.) to 2 hours a day for kids ages 2 and older. What reading experts are finding is that watching TV really reduces reading achievement, the development of language and imagination. Our children need to be talked to and asked questions. They need to read, think and interact. They need to learn new words. The first three years are so important, so talk, talk, talk to your child. They need to hear over 40 million words by the time they are 3.

•

Ideas to get you going:

Our children are not born smart, they are made smart. The only way parents can make their child smart is to talk to and engage their child in conversation. Parents know to teach a child to talk, but, we also need to talk to and with our child. Learning starts at home, not in preschool or kindergarten. The number one reason a child succeeds or fails in school is because of a child’s vocabulary.

• • •

Around age 1, a child starts saying their first word. By 18 months, a child should use 50 words. By 2 years, 300 words. By 3 years, 900 words. HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

•

Check out the local branch of your library or church and encourage reading books and listening to audiobooks.

• •

•

Free reading events at the local bookstore. Tell your child what you are doing – i.e. “I am getting dressed for work. I am going to wear my grey pants, white shirt and white tennis shoes. I need to comb my hair – yikes a snarl. Now I need to brush my teeth. I’ll have fresh breath.” Ask your child questions, “Do you want scrambled eggs today? Are they yummy? Where do eggs come from? Look, it is white and yellow. Stay back, the stove is hot. If I cook the eggs, will the eggs be hot? Can you blow on them?”

To learn more about the 30 million word gap, check out: www.gsa. gov/graphics/pbs/The_Early_ Catastrophe_30_Million_Word_ Gap_by_Age_3.pdf

About the Author Debbie Baerlocher, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology Elks Hearing & Balance Center www.ElksHearingandBalance.org

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healthsmart

COMMUNITY

PARAMEDICS WRITTEN By Karen Zatkulak

A group of paramedics has a new outlook on health care in Ada County. Thressa Smith is diabetic. When her blood sugar would drop her family used to call 911. Now a community paramedic program is offering proactive visits to Smith’s home to take her vitals and go over her medications – providing health care now to prevent emergencies later. The paramedics say it’s all about preventing more serious health scares. Smith says she no longer needs the emergency care that she used to rely on several times a month. "I think it's nice that I don't have to call emergency 911," says Smith. Ada County commissioners paid for the two year pilot program costing around $200,000. The program has been in effect for about a year, and involves a group of four paramedics from the Ada County Paramedics organization. Instead of an ambulance, these paramedics drive an SUV. You won't see lights or hear sirens as they drive through Ada County, but it doesn't mean they're not saving lives. Community Paramedic, Jeremiah Wickam, says they do more than check on patients – they get a look inside the patient’s home life and share any health threats with the patient’s doctor.

HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

However, what could be most helpful to patient health is the personal concern and care these medical professionals provide. "The patients that I've seen love it, they feel like somebody cares," says Wickam. Right now the paramedics are seeing several patients, like Smith, who are frequent users of the 911 system. They also check on patients recently discharged from the emergency room, along with those referred to the program by authorities. In the first year of the program paramedics are gathering data on the success rate of their visits and how much money it’s saving patients, emergency responders and hospitals. Paramedics are hoping that after the 2-year trial period ends the program will be self-sufficient with funding from hospitals, private payers or government contracts. Idaho’s Emergency Medical Services Bureau is monitoring results of the Ada County program to determine if other counties in the state should get their own community paramedics. Similar community paramedic programs in other states and countries have been successful at reducing emergency room visits, hospital stays and medical costs. So far the Ada County program is showing similar success. "I think they are treating me pretty good," says Smith.

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Emergencies are scary enough. Your Ambulance bill shouldn’t be. Protect yourself, your family and your pocketbook for just $60 a year. Enroll in a VitalRide Ambulance Membership today. • • • • •

Ambulance rides can cost as much as $1,500—even for a short trip to the ER. 1 in 18 Ada County residents called for an ambulance last year, that’s 22,000 people, just like you. One VitalRide Ambulance Membership covers your WHOLE family.* Enroll in a 5-year membership, get one year free. Your membership dues help us keep a “pulse” on the latest healthcare advances with clinical training, education and equipment. VitalRide gives back to our community in a very direct way!

Enroll online today at www.AdaCountyParamedics.org or call 208.287.2950

*Memberships cover you, your spouse and anyone who can be claimed on your tax return.

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VitalRide—protect your loved ones, contribute to your community. HEALTHY IDAHO MAY 2013

Real Patients. Real Stories. See for yourself at westvalleyisbetter.com

“West Valley Medical Center is NOT the old Caldwell Hospital.” Cheryl came to the Emergency Room experiencing chest pain. She wasn’t having a heart attack, but a fast diagnosis and emergency surgery saved her life.

Live Better.

Watch Cheryl’s story online at westvalleyisbetter.com or scan this code with your smart phone 46

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