Life is a journey - we never arrive, but we do need to take time at the rest stops to check our course. Acceptance is the door to open, willingness is the key. Coming to terms with a major health issue, acceptance of the disease and changes or new doors to open is a major crossing the threshold of another of life's paths. Rest stops renew our energy and re-evaluate our goals and motivation. Everyone needs motivation to grow.
Renew your commitment to your health and you'll reap the benefits. In the Summer, 2012 issue of Diabetic Living magazine, are 3 ways to pump up your attitude. Although the short article is focused on Diabetes, the words of wisdom can be applied to any major health changes.
Three ways to pump up your attitude
1. Review and revise. Motivation waxes and wanes with age, life circumstances, relationships and more. John Zrebiec, CDE, chief of behavorial health services at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, advises periodically reevaluating your motivators, especially when you start to feel them fade.
2. Partner with providers you relate to and trust. Take an active role in your diabetes care. Be prepared for visits with records, observations, and questions. Almost 100 percent of managing your diabets is in your hands.
3. Remove roadblocks. Turn negative thinking around and knock down faulty beliefs, say Joseph P Napora, Ph.D., a psychologist at Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Diabets Center in Baltimore. Just because a parent suffered complications doesn't mean you will. His credo: Don't believe everything you think.
Enjoy the ride
Connie
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Diabetes Education the convenient way
This evening is another Diabetes Self Management Education class I teach. Tonight's topics are "Movement, Monitoring, and Medication". I always enjoy this class because I have them up exercising and working in small groups.
But sometimes, evening group class settings are not convenient for the person with diabetes (PWD). Instead, I might meet with them on an individual basis or perhaps with only 2 others. Either way, I always refer my patients to diabeticlivingonline.com. They can sign up for a free diabetes education course, find the easiest recipes, shopping tips and tricks and many other helpful tips. Go check them out!
But sometimes, evening group class settings are not convenient for the person with diabetes (PWD). Instead, I might meet with them on an individual basis or perhaps with only 2 others. Either way, I always refer my patients to diabeticlivingonline.com. They can sign up for a free diabetes education course, find the easiest recipes, shopping tips and tricks and many other helpful tips. Go check them out!
Sea Salt Debate
During the summer months, my salt intake increase because of our garden's production of radishes and tomatos. My husband has insisted that we switch to all Sea Salt because it's "healthier" than regular salt. He wouldn't take my word that each have about the same amount of sodium chloride in them, essentially having the same affect on blood pressure. So I had to find the information in writing and from a reputable source. This information is from the Ohio Diabetes Prevention and Control Program quarterly newsletter, Fall of 2011.
The Facts
Recently, the American Heart Association surveyed 1,000 people nationwide about their thoughts on sodium and heart health. Sixty one percent said that they believed sea salt was a low-sodium alternative to table salt. They can be forgiven for thinking so. Sea salt is marketed as a health food, added to soups, potato chips and a wide variety of packaged snacks labeled low sodium, all natural and/or healthy.
But in reality, sea salt and table salt are not terribly different, at least chemically. The real differences are in how the two are used in cooking.
Table salt comes from underground salt deposits. Companies that sell it typically add an anti-caking agent to keep it from clumping, as well as iodine, an essentail nutrient. During processing, table salt is stripped of many of its natural minerals.
Sea salt, on the other hand, is made from evaporated seawater. With little processing, it retains most of its magnesium, calcium and other minerals, which some cooks say give it a better flavor.
But both contain the same amount of sodium chloride by weight, which means they contribute equally to total sodium consumption and have the same effect on blood pressure.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2300 mg a day -- or 1,500mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are African American, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
Yet most Americans consume more than double the amount they need, mostly from processed foods, so it is best to limit salt -- of any kind.
I guess I need to learn to eat my radishes and tomatoes plain. By the way, we now have both salts in our kitchen!
The Facts
Recently, the American Heart Association surveyed 1,000 people nationwide about their thoughts on sodium and heart health. Sixty one percent said that they believed sea salt was a low-sodium alternative to table salt. They can be forgiven for thinking so. Sea salt is marketed as a health food, added to soups, potato chips and a wide variety of packaged snacks labeled low sodium, all natural and/or healthy.
But in reality, sea salt and table salt are not terribly different, at least chemically. The real differences are in how the two are used in cooking.
Table salt comes from underground salt deposits. Companies that sell it typically add an anti-caking agent to keep it from clumping, as well as iodine, an essentail nutrient. During processing, table salt is stripped of many of its natural minerals.
Sea salt, on the other hand, is made from evaporated seawater. With little processing, it retains most of its magnesium, calcium and other minerals, which some cooks say give it a better flavor.
But both contain the same amount of sodium chloride by weight, which means they contribute equally to total sodium consumption and have the same effect on blood pressure.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2300 mg a day -- or 1,500mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are African American, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
Yet most Americans consume more than double the amount they need, mostly from processed foods, so it is best to limit salt -- of any kind.
I guess I need to learn to eat my radishes and tomatoes plain. By the way, we now have both salts in our kitchen!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The powerful Melaleuca EcoSense products are safer for the environment, and safer for your home! Dust, dirt, and grass stains are a fact of life ~ whether on your floors, furniture, or clothes! Many cleaners use harsh ingredients that rely on chemical reactions to eat away dirt. Unfortunately, these harsh chemicals also damage fabrics and surfaces as they clean. Melaleuca provides a safer, economical, and more effective solution for your home cleaning needs.
I'm in my third month of purchasing the products and love the fact that there are no harsh chemicals to make me itch or eyes to water. Plus, knowing that the harsh chemicals found in regular cleaning products are a huge factor in asthma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and other respiratory and blood disorders, played a big part of why I chose the Melaleuca line. You become a customer yourself, you don't have to purchase from someone else. Please let me know if you are interested in listening to the Melaleuca story and I can get you connected.
Relay For Life
Monday, May 7, 2012
How to keep exercising even if you hate it
Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons and should be some of the easiest months to get out and exercise. Sometimes, my "get up and go" has "got up and left" by the time I get home in the evenings. I recently found this article in our local Sunday newspaper. It's from USA Weekend and written by Molly Lyons.
"Whether you're training for a 5K run or just aiming for a daily 15 minute walk around the block, making fitness part of your routine - and sticking to it - is possible, says Rebecca Derossett, co-author of Working Out Sucks. Try these easy steps:
Just move it. If you are in a negative-thinking cycle for more than 10 minutes, stop thinking and start moving. Move your body every hour, sitting saps motivation.
Take small steps. Rather than swearing up and down that you'll go to the gym seven days a week, try going every other day at first.
Build incentives. Pick one day a week to enjoy your favorite dessert, get movie popcorn (with butter) on a Saturday night, or treat yourself to a massage. By adding some fun along the way, you'll be more likely to continue your fitness climb.
Give yourself a rest day. Even high-performance athletes are told to take days off. If you become exhausted or overwhelmed by your new routine, you'll probably start undoing the progress you've made."
I struggle with the just move it part. How about you? I have to admit though, I've taken up riding my bike in the evenings and that has helped with keeping my momentum going. My advice, especially for those of us with health issues that are greatly affected by weight, is "just move it!" Your body will thank you.
"Whether you're training for a 5K run or just aiming for a daily 15 minute walk around the block, making fitness part of your routine - and sticking to it - is possible, says Rebecca Derossett, co-author of Working Out Sucks. Try these easy steps:
Just move it. If you are in a negative-thinking cycle for more than 10 minutes, stop thinking and start moving. Move your body every hour, sitting saps motivation.
Take small steps. Rather than swearing up and down that you'll go to the gym seven days a week, try going every other day at first.
Build incentives. Pick one day a week to enjoy your favorite dessert, get movie popcorn (with butter) on a Saturday night, or treat yourself to a massage. By adding some fun along the way, you'll be more likely to continue your fitness climb.
Give yourself a rest day. Even high-performance athletes are told to take days off. If you become exhausted or overwhelmed by your new routine, you'll probably start undoing the progress you've made."
I struggle with the just move it part. How about you? I have to admit though, I've taken up riding my bike in the evenings and that has helped with keeping my momentum going. My advice, especially for those of us with health issues that are greatly affected by weight, is "just move it!" Your body will thank you.
Second Time Around
I haven't been blogging in about 2 years. My old blog still lies there, gathering dust bunnies and waiting for me to stop by and blow away the cobwebs. You see, I quit keeping my little journal when my Dad's Alzheimer's began to consume our lives and towards the end of his life when it was a daily struggle for me not to pack up my bags and move back to Oklahoma to be closer to my Dad. It didn't matter that he couldn't talk or even knew who I was or if I was even there, I just wanted to be with him.
It's taken the last couple of years to realize how much I truly missed sharing bits and pieces of who I am with the entire universe. So here I am for a Second Time Around!
To jog your memory, here's me:
I am a mother to 2 wonderful young men, 2 great daughter-in-laws, and grandmother to 3 (2 boys, Ian and Gabe and 1 girl, Kaylee and 1 more on the way)!
My husband's name is Richard which is odd since my younger sister's husband is also Richard. My Richard goes only by Rich, unless he gets into trouble ;)
I am a Registered Nurse, currently working as the Employee Health Nurse, Infection Preventionist, and I am a Certified Diabetes Educator. I am a very active committee member of our hospital's Wellness Committee and am working on obtaining American Diabetes Association National Recognition to our Outpatient Diabetes Program.
I am a cancer survivor (8 years now) of Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I am very active in Relay For Life in our county with me being the event chair. All of this preparation is in full swing as our event is July 27 and 28. It seems like far away, but time goes by very fast.
I am also a Type 2 Diabetic which manifested itself about a year after my cancer treatments. Actually, the diagnosis works for me because it places my on the same level as the diabetics I'm trying to educate.
I guess this will give you an idea about some of the topics you might see pop up here, plus some healthy recipes now and then, maybe even an easy craft or two, because all of this makes up the patches of my life and who I am.
Hope you enjoy
Connie
It's taken the last couple of years to realize how much I truly missed sharing bits and pieces of who I am with the entire universe. So here I am for a Second Time Around!
To jog your memory, here's me:
I am a mother to 2 wonderful young men, 2 great daughter-in-laws, and grandmother to 3 (2 boys, Ian and Gabe and 1 girl, Kaylee and 1 more on the way)!
My husband's name is Richard which is odd since my younger sister's husband is also Richard. My Richard goes only by Rich, unless he gets into trouble ;)
I am a Registered Nurse, currently working as the Employee Health Nurse, Infection Preventionist, and I am a Certified Diabetes Educator. I am a very active committee member of our hospital's Wellness Committee and am working on obtaining American Diabetes Association National Recognition to our Outpatient Diabetes Program.
I am a cancer survivor (8 years now) of Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I am very active in Relay For Life in our county with me being the event chair. All of this preparation is in full swing as our event is July 27 and 28. It seems like far away, but time goes by very fast.
I am also a Type 2 Diabetic which manifested itself about a year after my cancer treatments. Actually, the diagnosis works for me because it places my on the same level as the diabetics I'm trying to educate.
I guess this will give you an idea about some of the topics you might see pop up here, plus some healthy recipes now and then, maybe even an easy craft or two, because all of this makes up the patches of my life and who I am.
Hope you enjoy
Connie
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