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.

Celebrating an even happier and healthier 2012!

As we ring in the New Year, countless people embark on resolutions to get healthier, lose weight and start working out. These aspirations are wonderful and if maintained will help achieve a healthier life. However, most people unknowingly set themselves up to fail before they even begin. To maintain your health resolution beyond just the first week of January, try to avoid these common health mistakes:

1. Setting Unachievable Goals- Setting goals similar to the ones you hear about in popular weight loss plans: “Six-pack abs in 6 weeks” or “Lose10 pounds in 10 days”, set you up to fail. When establishing a health goal think about what is actually achievable and work each day to meet that goal.
2. The Starvation Diet- Cutting too many calories at once will leave you starving and obsessing over food. This way of eating is extremely hard and unhealthy to maintain. Instead reduce 250-500 calories (small snack) each day and work toward lasting weight loss.
3. Hitting the Ground Running- For some, hitting the ground walking in better than running. Beginning a fitness routine too fast can leave you sore and unmotivated to do another day. Build slowly and gradually progress to reaching your fitness goal.
4. Expecting Immediate Results- Don’t fool yourself into believing health results occur overnight. Stepping on the bathroom scale daily to see if you have lost a pound since that day prior or thinking you could run 10 miles after working out one week is unrealistic. Expecting fast results is setting yourself up for disappointment; give yourself appropriate time to reach your goals.

Mom and I take to the slopes, Christmas in Colorado, 2010.

With Christmas just one week way, it’s hard to avoid the added holiday calories and easy to push off exercising until 2012. This past week alone I had 3 office parties and countless boxes of beautiful and delicious Christmas cookies arrive at my house.   So here are a few last minute holiday health tips:

Get Outdoors-The weather is perfect for outside activities—throw on a great fleece, hat and gloves and take a hike, run, ski or skate. Even if you have only 30 minutes, you will feel so much better and your body will thank you.

Freeze the Sweets- Great holiday treats can always be saved until next year. Have one or two and put the rest in a Ziploc and freeze until you really want something sweet. Removing cookies from plain sight will make you less likely to eat them and save you the extra calories.

Start Your New Year Today- Who said you need to make a life change the 1^st of every year? If you want to start living a healthier life, don’t wait, do it now! Make simple changes these last two weeks of December such as eating more colorful in-season fruits and vegetables, drinking more water or eating meals on smaller plates. These small changes can add up to big results in 2012.