You’ve opened all the presents, attended all the fun holiday parties, and recovered from the food comas. As the holidays wind down, so do the temptations of all the holiday goodies. Before the fatigue settles in from weeks of indulging in sugary, fatty desserts, skimping on fruits and vegetables, and skipping days at the gym, get back on track to healthier habits in the New Year with these tips:

New Year, Healthier You – Ways to Recover from Past-Holiday Splurges

Photo:IndyMaxImpact

• Positive mindset. A huge part of keeping our motivation up after the holidays is upholding a positive attitude. Instead of dwelling on any excess weight gained over the holidays or thinking of the foods you are trying to limit/restrict, focus on the good experiences you had during the holiday season and what you can eat for good health. This will help you stick to healthy habits and achieve the goals you’ve set.

• Plan exercise time in advance. It is much easier to stick to an exercise regimen if you schedule ahead. Take it slow at first, and then gradually increase your time and/or intensity of the exercise in order to burn calories at a faster rate and build a healthy body. Always consult with your doctor first to make sure your exercise plan is right for you. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity almost every day. Sign up for your favorite charity walk, buddy up, or use a pedometer to help keep up motivation.

• Eat breakfast every day. Having a nutritious, fiber-rich breakfast helps give you more energy, leads you to make healthier choices throughout the day, and helps keep you full to prevent overeating at later meals. Try oatmeal with fruit, or half a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter to jump start your day.

• Fill up on fruits and veggies. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables and you’ll feel fuller more quickly while cutting down on calories without feeling deprived. It is ideal to consume at least 5 fruit and vegetable servings a day (about 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit). These vitamin-rich foods boost your fiber and antioxidant intake and help keep you from overeating. Replace an empty calorie beverage or snack (such as soda or chips) with a fruit or vegetable such as an orange or celery sticks. Spice up your fruit and vegetable snack with herbs and spices, or a low-fat dip instead of using butter and/or salt to flavor them.

• Take it slow and be prepared for lapses. Trying to tackle every health resolution you’ve set for yourself all at once is a recipe for disaster. Spend a few weeks just trying to achieve one to two goals at a time. Add a couple more goals to your list as you establish new good habits. Permanent changes take time to implement so no need to rush them. No one is perfect. If you temporarily get sidetracked from your goals, don’t use it as an excuse to throw in the towel. Every day is a new chance to start over, so get right back to working towards a healthy lifestyle.

Welcome 2014! A new year to start over and commit to resolutions to work on throughout the year (or pick up on last year’s resolutions). Every year when the clock strikes midnight, people are determined that this will be the year they shape up, eat better, save more money, or finally kick their smoking habit to the curb. Resolutions can be fun to make, but difficult to maintain. A study found that one out of three Americans resolve to better themselves in some way, but a smaller percentage actually keep up with them. The majority will stick to their goals for at least a week and less than half are still on target six months later. So how can we make this year different? Many people try to make drastic changes that are unrealistic. Rather than resolving to lose 50 pounds or to run monthly marathons, welcome the new year with a renewed commitment to living healthy by starting with small, simple changes to carry on to the next year. Pick one of the following worthy resolutions and stick to it. It may be hard to keep up the enthusiasm, but not impossible! Cheers to a healthy new year and a healthy new you!

1. Fit in 30 minutes of exercise or physical activity into your day

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of both moderate and vigorous activity throughout the week). 30 minutes a day, five times a week can be an easy goal to remember, but you also experience benefits if you divide your time into two or three 10-15 minute segments each day. This includes anything that makes you move your body and burn calories, such as brisk walking or climbing stairs.

If you don’t currently exercise and aren’t very active during the day, any increase in physical activity is good for you. Aerobic physical activity (any activity that causes a noticeable increase in your heart rate) is especially beneficial for disease prevention. Even walking briskly for 15-20 minutes a day starts to decrease the chances of having a heart attack or stroke, developing diabetes, or dying prematurely. Don’t be afraid to start slow and then increase activity each day to reach your goals.

Other health benefits of daily aerobic exercise include weight loss and maintenance of lost weight, increased stamina, increased immunity to viral illnesses, reduced health risks (obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer), better management of chronic conditions (helps lower high blood pressure and control blood sugar), stronger heart, clear arteries (less buildup of plaque), better mood and reduced tension, stronger muscles, reduction of cognitive decline in older adults, and a longer life (in comparison to those who don’t exercise regularly).

2. Replace unhealthy beverages such as soda with more water

One of the major causes of obesity is soda. In fact, soda has become the primary source of calories in the American diet. The high sugar content along with caffeine is a deadly combination leading to a lifelong addiction to these carbonated drinks. Soda is high in calories, but provides no nutritional value. It also contributes to obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and weakened bones. If cutting out soda altogether is too difficult, try replacing one soda a day with water. Then two sodas a day and so forth. Water is the number one alternative to soda that provides many health benefits.

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids to keep you in good health and hydrated. Water is especially important when trying to lose weight because it can help control calories, especially when replacing higher calorie beverages. Even water-rich foods help in weight control such as fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans because they help you feel full. Other benefits of drinking water include more energized muscles, good looking skin, better kidney function, and maintenance of a normal bowel function (prevents constipation).

Reap the benefits of water by increasing your daily intake. Here are some tips:

–          Have water with every snack and meal.

–          If you need taste, incorporate slices of your favorite fruits.

–          Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration.

–          Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.

3. Focus on fiber

Fiber provides many health benefits. Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body does not digest or absorb. You may see it listed on a food label as soluble fiber or insoluble fiber, but both types have important health benefits such as lowering blood cholesterol and glucose levels and preventing constipation or irregular bowel movements.

Eat a wide variety of high fiber foods such as whole grains, nuts and seeds, and fruits and vegetables to maximize the health benefits. Not only does a high fiber diet help to normalize bowel movements and maintain bowel health, it also aids in achieving healthy weight. Dietary fiber adds bulk to your diet and makes you feel full faster and helps to control your weight. The Institute of Medicine recommends 38 grams of daily fiber for men and 25 grams of daily fiber for women, age 50 or younger, and 30 grams of daily fiber for men and 21 grams of daily fiber for women, age 51 and older.

4. Work on staying mentally fit

Maintaining a healthy mind is just as important as staying physically fit. Staying mentally and physically fit requires work and an investment of time. Set goals for yourself to help you maintain a balance between your emotional and physical wellness. Here are some mental wellness tips to help manage and reduce stress:

–          Get plenty of sleep (preferably eight hours of uninterrupted sleep), which is essential to health and happiness.

–          Learn to relax. Remind yourself to take a break. Incorporate yoga, meditations or other forms of relaxation into your day.

–          Laugh. It truly is the best medicine and can be very therapeutic. Incorporate laughter into your day to make you feel better about yourself and the world around you.

–          Do something for others. When you’re feeling down, helping others can make you feel included and empowered. Nothing feels better than making others happy.

–          Nurture friendships. In this world of technology, face-to-face interaction is being substituted by other avenues of communication. Email and texting is no substitute for a real live visit with a friend or family member. Stay in touch and schedule short lunch breaks, movie dates, or shopping excursions.

–          Avoid unnecessary stress. Trying to meet expectations of a household, family, friends, or employer can be overwhelming at times. Make a realistic to-do list each week. Tackling those priorities and crossing them off as you go will give you a gratifying feeling of accomplishment and serve as encouragement to carry you through your next list. Realize your limits and learn how to say no. Above all, keep a positive attitude that will help you make the appropriate changes to your lifestyle and time.

–          Make time for fun. Your body needs time to take a break from your responsibilities and recharge. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy and contentment, such as reading a book, watching a movie, spending time with loved ones, or taking a relaxing bath.

–          Incorporate physical activity. Focusing on being physically fit also provides benefits for your mental well-being since it plays a role in reducing and preventing stress. Incorporate daily physical activity such as walking, riding a bike, working in your garden, dancing, or playing sports with friends and family.

–          Eat healthy. Start each day with a healthy breakfast and maintain balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day. Try to limit excessive caffeine and sugars in your diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress and are kept mentally sharp.

This year, try committing to a realistic, healthy New Year’s resolution that you can carry on to the next year. Just small changes can lead to life-long healthy habits. Set goals for yourself and take small steps toward achieving them, whether it be replacing one soda a day with water, increasing physical activity to 30 minutes a day, or eating more fiber. Don’t stop at just one! With a new attitude and determination for good health, include more healthy resolutions as the year progresses and have your friends and family join in on the fun!  

While being a mother means caring for others, it may be hard to find time to care for themselves and be mindful of their health. In the midst of karate lessons, soccer games, bake sales, errands, work, laundry, and dinner (just to name a few), moms often find it impossible to spend time taking care of their health. How will everyone manage when mom is too sick to take care of them and their activities? This article will identify some of the barriers that mothers face to good health and how to overcome them. Squeezing more time into a jam-packed day may sound unmanageable, but the best way to look at it is including physical activity and healthful eating into the daily routines that moms already partake in.

Fitting in Physical Activity

Mothers may want to be more active but have to overcome barriers to fit fitness in. Here are ways busy moms can include more physical activity in their day:

• I don’t have enough time. 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (or “cardio”) a week is recommended for adults. This may seem like a lot of time, but you don’t have to do it all at once. You can break it up into 10 minute increments at a time! (Sound a little better?) Try going for a 10 minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week. You can include this during your lunch break, running errands, or as a family activity after dinner. Try parking further to allow more walking in your day or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Try bicycling to the store if it’s not too far and the area is safe. As long as it lasts for 10 minutes and gets your heart rate up, it counts!
• It’s hard for me to get motivated to exercise. Buddy up! Ask a family member, friend, or neighbor to take a walk with you or join a class together.  Chances are, you will be more motivated to exercise if you have a partner to join you. Motivate each other to exercise. Find another mom and set up active play dates with the children so that everyone can join in on the fun!
• I am too tired and have no energy to exercise. Believe it or not, but taking a walk may be better than a nap for boosting energy and fighting fatigue. Research suggests that engaging in regular exercise helps in increasing energy levels in the long run. Your body creates more energy as your activity increases! Fatigue is often caused by dehydration so be sure to keep yourself hydrated!
• I don’t have anyone to watch my children. Take them with you! With all the activities they’re involved in, why not join the fun? Children are encouraged to be engaged in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Practice their sports with them. Play with them outside or at your favorite park. Take a walk around the neighborhood. Play tag. Throw around a football, Frisbee, or baseball. Not only is the exercise good for you and your children, this is also a good time for family bonding!

Healthy Meals for the Whole Family

Don’t forget to include healthful eating in the mix! With more working mothers, there is lower frequency of weekly family meals, which can lead to unhealthy choices such as fast food or TV dinners. It may be hard to get a healthy meal together when there is a lot going on, but here are some tips to include more healthy meals that the whole family can enjoy:

• Healthful eating may be achieved by pre-planning. It is hard to pack meals when you’re busy or have a lot going on. The evening before, try to make it a routine to plan what you will eat the next day. Package snacks into portion sizes and try to make it easy and accessible to put together meals the next day for you and your children.
• Take advantage of weekends or not-so-busy days to cook several meals for the week ahead. Separate meals into containers. Freeze them to be warmed up later to save time during busier days.
• Get the family involved! Make it a fun activity for the whole family to prepare meals together. Kids can partake in tasks such as mixing, sprinkling, washing, and assembling ingredients together. Not only does it save time for you, but it can be a great learning opportunity for the kids as well.
• Plan economical and healthful food shopping. Plan a day to complete all of your grocery shopping for the week. (Again, this ties into planning ahead). Research and choose produce in season, to get the best prices and food quality. Pick healthy items that can be used in multiple dishes.

For this question, we enlisted the help of our MMA expert,  Clabe Gains.  He is the owner and trainer at OC Boxing and Fitness. With several prize fighters under his belt, we thought he’d be the perfect person to weigh in and give some guidance to our younger, future fighter.

Question:

“Hi. I just signed up for the newsletter. I’m 21 years old and I’m looking into getting into MMA. My younger brother started and said that the training was killing him. I am in far worse shape than him, so I know that I won’t be able to take the training. I’ve talked to him to seee what kind of workouts and everything he has done to get in shape. After trying it, I’m not seeing the results and I’ve done exactlly what he suggested. I don’t know what I could do to get myself up to the level that I need to in order to start getting into the actual MMA training.”

Answer by:  Clabe Gains, OC Boxing and Fitness

Getting into shape for MMA can be an uphill battle, but if this is your goal, you can do it.  For starters you may need to do some interval workouts on your own, such as sets of push ups, squats, pull ups, and sit ups in combination with running 4-5 days a week.  Looking for a MMA, boxing and kickboxing gym is the perfect next step.  Jumping into a strength and conditioning class can help you increase your endurance which is important when doing MMA training.  Classes such as these also begin to teach the fundamentals of this exciting sport.  Push yourself daily, increasing your times, intensity, and speed to help move up to the next level of training.

* Skinny Gene Healthy Lifestyles Partner Post

By Maria Crompton, a fitness guru and personal trainer with

Fit for Life in San Diego, California.

Have you noticed a pattern?

You’ll spend a couple of weeks eating clean, exercising and losing weight, but then the pendulum swings and you spend the next week or two indulging in your old unhealthy habits.

After too many days where you’re not feeling so good, you’ll get back to your clean habits, and so the yo-yo goes.

It’s time to stop this vicious cycle that never brings you all the way to your goal – keeping you comfortable enough, yet frustrated.

The good news is that your yo-yo days could be quickly and permanently turned off with this simple mindset change.

Photo from Competitor

Find your reward in the process, not in the results.

When it comes to weight loss, we’ve been brainwashed to focus all of our efforts on the “results”. Your desired result is the ideal body that you dream to have – it’s your reason for passing on dessert and the image you hold in your mind as you toil through burpees and mountain climbers.

News flash: If you only find reward in the results, you’re likely to fail.

What?!?

Think about it. Results are abstract.

Oh sure, you can picture it in your mind with crystal clarity, but what reach does that image have on you when you’re lured into the drive thru?

Let’s face it – future results are easy to lose focus on. Try not to focus solely on images all the time, think about your health, and just take it a day at a time.

The Process:

This is the act of working toward your goal – your meal plan, your exercise routine and your healthy life style choices.

If you had a map of where you are today (blue dot), and where you’ll be when you reach your goal (red dot), the process is that black line connecting the two.

When all you’re focused on to reinforce your journey is the promise of results, it’s easy to wind up lost.

Finding Reward in the Process:

Make a new habit of feeling rewarded after every day on your chosen path.

Completing your diet and exercise each day needs to become its own reward. Look down and applaud yourself for each step forward.

When you find reward in the process, the results will take care of themselves.