Making Active Lifestyle Changes

By: Joshua A. Morton I, MD, MBA-HCM

Lifestyle Traps Long Work Hours

Physical Limitations

Convenience Eating (Eating on the Go)

Grocery Shopping Pitfalls

Unhealthy Must Haves

Emotional Eating

Lack of Motivation

CDC Obesity Statistics for 2009–2010

Long Work Hours Don’t let long work hours deter you

Make time for what counts: YOU

“Look Doc, I simply don’t have the time or energy to workout after I leave the office…”

Get Moving

What are the Benefits? Healthy way to relieve work stress

Weight loss

Lower blood pressure

Increase stamina ( stress tolerance)

Increase HDL (healthy cholesterol)

Elevate endorphin levels (happy hormones)

What are the Benefits? Losing just 5 to 10 pounds could lower your

cholesterol and triglycerides.

Regular exercise raises HDL cholesterol. HDL is responsible for removing the fatty streaks from arterial walls.

Endorphins are a chemical that your body releases to interact with your brain’s perception to pain. These endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. This is often described as “runner’s high,” giving an energizing, positive feeling.

Long Work Hours Don’t let your favorite television show deter

you

Make time for what counts: YOU

“Look Doc, I simply don’t have the time or energy to workout after I leave the office…”

Watch and Move

What are the Benefits? Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and

diabetes

Improve range of movement and flexibility as you age (improve Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) symptoms)

Maintain bone mass (fight Osteoporosis)

Enhance self-esteem

Physical Limitations

Don’t let your physical limitations deter you“Look Doc, I’m not as young as I used to be…”

“I’m overwhelmed with my weight…” “My neck… My back… My knees…”

Just Move

Don’t let your physical limitations deter you

Grocery Shopping and Convenience Eating

Pitfalls

Excessive amounts of these foods could affect your libido

Negative Effects of Fatty Foods

The formation of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis): “The buildup of plaque narrows the lumen of an artery and restricts blood flow to the organs and tissues. Narrowing of the arteries close to the heart leads to coronary artery disease. Carotid artery disease is a consequence of atherosclerosis in the arteries close to the brain. Plaque accumulation in the arteries in the arms and legs causes peripheral artery disease.”

Source: “The Effects of Fatty Foods on the Body”

Negative Effects of Fatty Foods

Insulin Resistance: “Fat interferes with the body's ability to use insulin. Obesity is a contributing risk factor for an increasingly common condition called metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.”Source: “The Effects of Fatty Foods on the Body”

Negative Effects of Fatty Foods

Increased Risk for Cancer: “The National Cancer Institute attributes obesity as a risk factor in 25 to 30 percent of cases of colon, postmenopausal breast, endometrial, kidney and esophageal cancers. Another startling statistic reveals that 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent of deaths in women were attributed to being overweight. Obesity can impede the detection of a breast tumor on a mammogram.”

Source: “The Effects of Fatty Foods on the Body”

Negative Effects of Fatty Foods

Development of Gallstones: “Diets that are high in fat and cholesterol and low in fiber increase the risk for gallstones. Fatty foods increase cholesterol levels in bile and slow gallbladder emptying. Gallstones travel into the bile ducts and cause a blockage. This is commonly referred to as a gallbladder attack. The symptom of sudden pain caused by the blockage often happens after eating a high-fat meal.”

Source: “The Effects of Fatty Foods on the Body”

Unhealthy Must Haves Water is an essential ingredient for a healthy

body. It hydrates and helps the body flush away toxins and by-products.

You should not reward yourself with a sweet treat after every meal. Limit yourself to one snack-size portion only! If you begin dinner with a broth soup or salad, you will hardly have room to finish what’s on your plate.

Smoking causes hardening of the arteries, chronic lung diseases, cancer, and anorexia, lowers HDL and bone density, accelerates aging, etc.

“Look Doc, isn’t there water in my coffee and soda…”

“I must have dessert after every meal…” “I need a cigarette when…”

Food Selection Tips “The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating

foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber grains and breads, and olive oils. These foods are rich with monounsaturated fats, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.”

Source: “Cholesterol Management”

Food Selection Tips The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet is

recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health and suggests limiting fats in your diet. 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories may come

from fat, mainly unsaturated fat (plant fats); most of the fat should be monounsaturated, and only 10 percent of the fat should be polyunsaturated fat (fish and grain fats)

Less than 7 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat (meats, dairy products, chips, and pastries)

Eat no more than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol a day

Source: “Cholesterol Management”

Food Selection Tips

Benefits of Healthy Food Selection

Fiber, fiber, fiber! (Notice the trend?)

Fiber helps the body get rid of fat

Insoluble fiber: “This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.”

Soluble fiber: “This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.”

Source: “Nutrition and Health Eating”

Emotional Eating Don’t let your mood deter you

Believe it or not, people tend to fall off track during celebratory occasions; just as much as they do during periods of depression

“Doc, I tend to fall off track when…”

Have a Realistic Plan Have your own reason for making a change. If you

do it because someone else wants you to, you're less likely to have success.

Set goals. Include long-term goals as well as short-term goals that you can measure easily.

Measure improvements to your health. For example, keep track of your blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar. Or, see how you can shorten the time it takes to walk a mile.

Think about what might get in your way, and prepare for slip-ups.

Get support from your family, your doctor, your friends, and from yourself.

Have a Realistic Plan to Fight Lack of Motivation

Here's one person's list of barriers to taking a brisk 30-minute walk every day, along with some possible solutions:

Barriers Solutions

"I might be too busy." My backup plan will be to break my usual 30-minute walk into two 15-minute walks or three 10-minute walks.

"I might get bored." I'll listen to music or a podcast while I walk. I'll get my neighbor to walk with me.

"It might rain." My backup plan will be to use an exercise DVD or a treadmill in front of my TV when the weather's bad.

Medical DisclaimerYou must not rely on the information in this presentation as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional health care provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter, you should consult your doctor or other professional health care provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information discussed in this presentation.

Any Questions?

Image Sources Ogden, Cynthia et al. Number 82, January 2012:

Prevalence of Obesity, NCHS Data Brief, Retrieved March 18, 2012, from www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82_fig1.png

Microsoft Office (n.d.); Retrieved March 16, 2012, from office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/

NIH (n.d.); Retrieved April 2, 2012http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v%3Aproject=medlineplus&query=atherosclerosis

Sources Gromisch, Maryann; November 7, 2010; Effects of Fatty Foods on the

Body; Retrieved March 16, 2012, from www.livestrong.com/article/298660-the-effects-of-fatty-foods-on-the-body/#ixzz1pLmmI0rK

WebMD; updated June 2010; Cholesterol Management; Retrieved March 16, 2012, from www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/tc/high-cholesterol-lifestyle-changes

WebMD; updated June 2010; Cholesterol Management; Retrieved March 16, 2012, from www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/high-cholesterol-using-the-tlc-diet#

Mayo Clinic Staff (n.d.) Dietary fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; Retrieved March 16, 2012, from www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033

WebMD; updated June 2010; Cholesterol Management; Retrieved March 16, 2012, from www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/tc/high-cholesterol-lifestyle-changes?page=2