Posts filed under 'Weight Loss'
If your doctor were to tell you that you need to increase heart healthy habits, would you reach for the grapes on the counter or the bottle of red wine? Turns out, drinking a few drinks per week (up to one a day for women, up to two for men) has the same potential heart benefits as exercise. You have probably heard this claim before, a glass of wine a day prevents heart disease, sort of the apple a day mentality, but researchers wanted to look further into these benefits.
Alcohol and exercise affect your heart health in similar ways, “they help increase good cholesterold, or HDL, and clean the circulatory system’s pipes. HDL helps remove fatty deposits, created by bad cholesterol, or LDL, from bloodvessel walls. The higher the HDL, the less likely vascular disease becomes. The lower the HDL, the more likely”, says Dr. Arthur Klatsky, cardiologist and researcher at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
Drinking Alcohol Has Benefits
In the study, 12,000 people were observed over a 20 year period and split into four categories. They found that exercise and drinking alcohol had an independent beneficial effect on the heart and a compounded effect when practiced together. People who don’t drink at all and don’t exercise had the highest risk of heart disease. Those who drink moderately and exercise had a 50% lower risk. Those who only exercise or only drink alcohol had a 30% lower risk.
Moderation is Key
Even though these findings show the benefits of alcohol with exercise, wait before you make a mad dash to the bar. These findings have only been shown to benefit those who are at an age at which heart disease becomes a larger risk, around ages 45 to 50. There is no proof of a preventative measure before age 45. Also, remember moderation is key! Remember you should never drink your weekly allowance all at once.
To learn more about how Hilton Head weight loss resort can help you achive your weight loss & healthy living goals, contact us today!
Source: TIME Magazine
February 6th, 2008
Even if you aren’t interested in the football, I am sure you watch the commercials or at least attend a Super Bowl Party! While you mingle with friends, make bets over who will win and linger by the Super Bowl snack table, keep this fact in mind - Americans consume more calories as a nation on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other day of the year, even Thanksgiving!
By the time the clock runs out in the fourth quarter, Americans will have taken in 156 billion calories - mostly from pizza, wings and beer. So instead of ingesting all of those extra calories (which would take running the length of the football field 109 times to burn off!), try these tips from Men’s Health and co-author of bestselling Eat This, Not That! and cut your caloric intake in half.
Pre-Game Snack
Eat This: Bowl of Chili with cheddar and onions; 300 calories; 18 g fat
Not That!: 6 Chicken wings with blue cheese; 650 calories; 40 g fat
Dips
Eat This: Tostitos Salsa Con Queso; 80 calories; 5 g fat
Not That!: Kraft Guacamole Dip (4 T); 100 calories; 9 g fat
Halftime Snack
Eat This: 3 Chicken Fingers; 310 calories; 17 g fat
Not That!: Cheese Fries with ranch (1 cup); 750 calories; 50 g fat
Dessert
Eat This: Edy’s Slow Churned Vanilla w/Nestle Crunch Bar; 150 calories; 8 g fat
Not That!: Haagen-Daaz Vanilla and Almonds Bar; 310 calories; 22 g fat
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You need to eat a nutritious diet, get regular exercise, reduce stress, and maintain healthy habits to have a healthier, longer life. These lifestyle choices can lead to health more surely than any pill or quick fix diet plan! This is what the Healthy Lifestyle experience of our weight loss spa is all about. Contact us today for more information.
February 1st, 2008
Would you spend a week in jail or even trade 10 years of your life just to be an ideal weight? Surprisingly, out of 1000 women, 23% and 21% respectively answered yes to the former questions. 23% would shave their head, 22% would wear a bikini on TV and a whopping 85% would rather have an extra toe than 50 extra pounds.
Are you guilty of looking for a quick fix?
Instead of going through crazy measures such as fad diets, weight loss pills or even spending a week in the slammer - why not try what works, eating healthy and exercise. A weight loss spa experienced at Hilton Head can put you on the right track.
A few other interesting findings from the survey:
- 53% of the women say they have eaten an entire box of cookies, a bag of chips, a pizza, a cake or pie in one sitting
- When comparing actresses as role models, 51% would prefer Keira Knightly’s body over Queen Latifah’s
- 76% say they’d rather be known as a ‘friendly chubby girl’ than a ’skinny witch’
- 52% feel the most energetic at their thinnest, 32% feel more social
- Most of the women would like to lose 30 pounds, with a goal of weighing 131 to 145 pounds.
Source: Fitness magazine & USA Today
January 31st, 2008
“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.” ~Author Unknown
Now that the Holiday’s have come and gone, most of us have run out of excuses to eat unhealthy. We’re now having to struggle to get back on track. You may have made a New Year’s Resolution that involves more exercise or eating healthier foods. Or you may have a goal to get back to your ’skinny’ jeans. Either way, we become so caught up on what we eat during those few weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year that we don’t keep focus throughout the year.
What if we placed the same importance and priority that these three to four weeks hold all year long? We might just stay on our routines to make our Resolutions last the whole New Year!
January 22nd, 2008
Does exercise really help you sleep better?
Many Hilton Head Health guests have posed this question to me recently, all with a common aim: curing their insomnia. In fact, 38% of Americans are known to suffer from insomnia and more than half of all sleep apnea sufferers are overweight.
Restless Leg Syndrome Effects 12 Million Americans
The newest enemy of sleep is RLS, better known as Restless Leg Syndrome, which now affects nearly 12 million Americans. As sleep disorders become more common the need for a solution has been plaguing researchers. Luckily, new studies are extremely encouraging.
A recent Stanford University Medical School study may come as no surprise: middle age and older people report sleeping better when they add regular exercise to their routine. After 16 weeks in a moderate intensity exercise program, subjects were able to fall asleep about 15 minutes earlier and sleep about 45 minutes longer every night. Participants exercised at least four times a week. Twice a week they participated in an organized aerobics class, which included 30 minutes of endurance training or body sculpting. The other two times they exercised on their own, doing 40 minutes of brisk walking or stationary bike riding.
Here are some tips to help you improve your sleep with exercise:
- Try not to exercise within 4 hours of going to sleep. A drop in body temperature facilitates a better night’s sleep.
- Structured exercise programs aimed at improving sleep should include a moderate level of intensity during aerobic/cardio exercise. Non-aerobic exercises (like yoga, Pilates, or strength training) alone have not been shown to help sleep patterns.
- Improvements may take several weeks to a month, so stick with it.
Need to boost your workout or have a burning fitness question? If so, ask Adam, Director of Lifetime Fitness, answer your fitness questions. Email GetSerious@hhhealth.com and put “Fitness Facts” in the subject line.
January 15th, 2008
The Hilton Head Healthy Weight Loss Spa announced the appointment of Beth Leermakers, Ph.D., CLC as Wellness Counselor. Dr. Leermakers’ will be responsible for facilitation of presentations and small group discussions on stress management, goal setting, realistic thinking and life transitions. She will also provide Lifestyle Coaching and Individual Consultations.
About Dr. Leermakers
Dr. Leermakers holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Florida, preceded by a B.S. in Psychology from Duke University. She is a certified Lifestyle Counselor in Weight Management and Stress Management. With over 15 years of experience in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of obesity through notable practice with the Cooper Institute and the LEARN Institute for Lifestyle Management, Beth specializes in motivating individuals to change behaviors, thoughts and feelings that affect eating and exercise.
In commenting on Dr. Leermakers joining the Health Institute, Jessica Lynn, Director of Program Development states, “Beth brings characteristics of warmth, professionalism, calmness, and a wealth of knowledge with her. With all the experience Beth has had with weight management, stress management, and lifestyle management, it seems to me that it was only a matter of time before her path would coincide with the Hilton Head Health Institute - we are glad to see that time has come. We are very excited to have her as part of our team.”
January 14th, 2008
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