Megan Nechanicky

My favorite de-stressor.

Give a heartfelt gift to yourself or loved one this February 14th. Here are a few heart-healthy suggestions:

 
1. Heart-Healthy Breakfast- Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh berries, slivered almonds and a touch of brown sugar. Whole grains (oatmeal) and omega-3 fats (almonds) are known to be heart-healthy foods.

 
2. Heart De-Stresser - Relieve your stress level by taking a timeout. Plan a vacation, weekend getaway or just some time to breathe.  Not everyone has the time or funds to take a vacation, but just a simple Starbucks chai tea does the relaxation trick for me.

 
3. Heart Pumper- You have to work your heart to keep it strong. This February challenge yourself to find a new exercise routine—join a class such as yoga, dance or tennis. Need someone to help you get started? Schedule a few sessions with a personal trainer who can design a workout plan for you.

 
4. Heart’s Desire- It’s not truly Valentine’s Day without chocolate. To add a healthy twist, make your own dark chocolate-dipped strawberries. Dark chocolate has been shown to be good for the heart and you certainly can’t go wrong with all the vitamins and minerals in berries.

 
Your heart is the most important muscle in your entire body so take great care of it this day and every day.

My new favorite food product to hit supermarket shelves is Wallaby’s Greek yogurt. I’ve been a big fan of their yogurts for some time—I love the smooth texture along with the great rich taste. I throw one in my bag as I head out for work  and top with granola for a quick and healthy lunch. Try one of their four flavors or just try them all— you'll love them too!

Buddy enjoying the snow.

I spend last weekend in New Jersey with family celebrating my Grandma’s 90th birthday. When I arrived, I met Buddy, my cousin’s dog. I had always heard about Buddy, but was speechless when I walked in the house and saw Buddy for the first time. Buddy is suppose to weigh between 60-70 pounds and currently weighs in at 150 pounds. In people terms he would be classified as “morbidly obese”.

Granted Buddy is an older dog, it is was painful to watch him stand on all four legs and move around the house. It was obvious he preferred to spend the day laying around, watching the football games with my relatives and sleeping. Who would blame him when he has to move so much added weight? Carrying an additional 90 pounds around all day would slow the most conditioned athlete down to a shuffle.  The entire family talked openly about Buddy’s weight problem and I was told Buddy loves Jersey bagels. Jersey bagels are amazing, but shouldn’t be eaten daily and certainly not as dog food.

The thing that struck me the most was realizing how much my cousin loves his dog. He would do anything to care for Buddy, however some of the very things he’s doing out of love are causing him to have a shorter life.    I challenged my cousin to get Buddy moving and the next time I visited I wanted to see slimmer Buddy and not a “stuffed Buddy”. My wish for Buddy would be to give him the opportunity to do the things dogs love must—taking long walks, running, and chasing tennis balls.

Oftentimes we show love for our children, friends and spouses by preparing huge unhealthy meals. I challenge you to show your love in healthy ways that will keep the people you love most around for years to come.

When running a few weeks ago, my friend and follow training partner shared his 2012 resolution. He wanted to start taking lunch to work to not only save money but to eat healthier. An average a lunch out costs about $10, so by the end of the work week that’s $50 and by the end of the year that’s $2,600. What a GREAT resolution… not only saves money but most likely calories (considering most people eat more when eating out). Here are some ideas to get you started:

 
Plan Ahead: You have to think ahead and plan so you don’t get to noon and end up calling out for Chinese. Think through the following questions: What would you like to bring to eat for lunch? When will you buy these items? When will you pack these items?

 
Grocery Shop: Go to the grocery store at least once per week. Think about what you’d like to have for lunch for an entire week. The only way to prevent eating out is to have food on hand to pack.

 
Stock the Work Frig: Having food already at work will prevent you from using that excuse “I have no food to eat” (especially by the end of the week). Keep foods in the work frig or freezer. You can also keep non-perishable foods in your desk drawer (nuts, granola, dried fruit)

 
Healthy Brown Bags Ideas:
1. Greek Goddess- Hummus, whole wheat pita bread, carrots and peppers

2. Athlete- Peanut butter on whole wheat bagel, yogurt and banana

3. San Diego Surfer- Bean burrito (buy frozen), tortilla chips and guacamole

4. Trailblazer- Granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit

Greek Goddess

Athlete

San Diego Surfer

Special K "What will you gain when you lose?" campaign ad.

This past week I took part in an employee health fair at the hospital. Being so close to the New Year, it was the perfect time to have your cholesterol checked or sign-up for the hospital gym. I happened to be stationed right next to the Tanita scale which measures body fat. As people walked by the station, they’d be asked if they wanted their body fat tested. Since this health fair was only days after the holiday vacation most people declined with a chuckle.

What I realized was the only people that said “yes” were those that felt they had improved their percentage from the last time they stepped on. It dawned on me that most people know if they’ve gained or lost weight and the dreaded scale is not an 8 ball that you shake, cross your fingers and wish for the best future.

My advice on weigh-ins, reminded me of the great Special K Times Square ad. Don’t step on the scale each day and let it change your mood from happy to hopeless. You know if your pants are tighter, you stopped working out or you now regularly eat an entire box of cookies. If you need a starting point, step on the scale, get the number, step off and then get to work.

Stepping on the scale daily will drive you crazy especially since weight fluctuates based on the time of day you weigh yourself, when you ate last and hydration status. If you want to monitor your weight, step on the scale weekly or even better bi-weekly or monthly. If you know your weight hasn’t changed, don’t bother letting the scale change your mood. Make it a goal to do something differently (move more, eat less, both!), smile and check your weight on a “good” day.