Exercise – Andrea Arthur Owan

How Feeling Active Improves Happiness

I had an interesting email show up in my inbox a couple of weeks ago from the Greater Good Science Center. The subject line of how being alone can increase happiness snagged my attention. But there was a lot more information in the email that lead to additional cogitating.

In the article, which I clicked through to, Greater Good Magazine managing editor, Kira Newman, highlighted three main (revelations-to-her) takeaways from her recent excursion to Melbourne, where researchers from over 60 countries gathered for the International Positive Psychology Association’s 6^th World Congress. She said that the findings the researchers shared “added depth and complexity to our understanding of major keys to a flourishing life.”

The second point Newman highlighted in her article is what I want to share with you today.

It centered on the positive emotion—or perception—of feeling active.

Benefits of positive emotions—

Researchers have discovered that people who experience more positive emotions benefit in numerous areas. They tend to enjoy—

Stronger immune systems
More frequent exercise engagement
Lower risks of heart disease
Longer lives

Researcher Sarah Pressman wanted to answer another question about feelings and emotions:

What role does “feeling active” play in our health and well-being?

Pressman and her colleagues found a sizable link between positive emotions and different health measures. As Newman notes in her post:

“For men, feeling active was the positive emotion that predicted how long they lived.”

That finding gives me a lot of insight as to why my formerly athletic husband consistently complains about “not getting enough exercise” and not feeling accomplished at work, even though he has—by all observations—accomplished much and has a very successful and distinguished career.

But there was another interesting finding in the research:

Feeling active didn’t necessarily correspond to how physically active people actually are.

Translation?

It doesn’t just matter how physically active you are but how active—energetic, vigorous, and vital—you feel. It’s all about your psychology state.

Most of the research in this area has been derived from workplace settings and what psychologists refer to as relational energy—how some people rev us up while others drain and exhaust us.

Personally, my feeling active quotient has been in the tank lately, and it’s negatively affecting every aspect of my life, from my family relationships to friendships and beyond. I don’t feel active. I feel like a slug. A broken-down, washed up and washed out slug. Most of the time, anyway. As my injuries improve, the pain subsides, and my energy level increases, I feel more active. But I know I’m more active than the average person, so my feeling active meter might look a lot different than someone else’s.

**Future feeling active research—**

What do researchers want to learn about this feeling active measurement and perception in the future? These might be some things they look at:

What makes us feel active?
How is that beneficial in other ways? (What other areas of life does this feeling affect?)
Can we get happier just by “boosting the pep in our step”? In other words, I guess, can we fake it ‘til we make it?

Your turn—

If you’re up for it, get a journal and write down all of the activities, hobbies, interactions, etc. that make you feel active? As the old sixties’ saying goes: What turns you on?

Conversely, what turns you off? What drags you down emotionally, physically and spiritually? Since research is more and more proving the inter-relationship of these life components, it’s an important consideration.

NEXT WEEK we’ll look at how future hopes, dreams and planning increase your happiness.

Got any daydreams you’d like to turn into real happenings?

Until then, remember, the joy of the Lord is your strength. All of this other stuff we’re learning to help us enjoy life more is simply icing on the cake!

Blessings,

Andrea


Andrea Arthur Owan is an award-winning inspirational writer, fitness pro and chaplain. She writes and works to help people live their best lives—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

How Do Genes and Gut Bacteria Affect Weight Loss?

My ninety-seven year old mother is decidedly opinionated about seriously overweight people.

“How can they let themselves get like that?” she laments while shaking her head and cruising along with her walker.

Sounds terribly judgmental, doesn’t it?

Yet scientists are proving there is an undercurrent of truth to that sentiment. A strong undercurrent.

Research indicates that the majority of the obese people in our country—40% of us fall into that category—didn’t get there by having bad or “fat genes.” On the contrary, evidently genes account for only 3% of the differences in people’s sizes.

Most overweight strugglers got that way for a variety of other reasons than genes:

Learning how to and eating the wrong foods. (Family habits.)
Learning how to and eating too much food. (Family habits.)
Not exercising enough.

And now scientists know other variables play into the problem. Things like:

Not enough sleep.
Too much stress.
Wrong kind of stress.
Socioeconomic status.
Mental health.
Daily responsibilities at work and home.
The health of your microbiome—your gut bacteria.
Kitchen smarts and comfort—knowing how to cook and being comfortable preparing meals.

And I would add another variable:

Spiritual health.

So the verdict is in:

Experts agree that genes alone do not explain the rapid rise in obesity we’re seeing today.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist, Kevin Hall, laments the fact that scientists still don’t know why weight loss can vary so much from person-to-person when they’re all on the same diet. He says it’s the biggest open question in the field.

What if you do have a “fat gene”?

It might seem easy to fall back on the knowledge of having a “fat gene” as a good excuse for not being able to lose and maintain a healthy weight. But John Mathers, a professor of human nutrition at Newcastle University in England sites a study of 9,000 people that found that being a fat gene carrier had no influence on that person’s ability to lose weight. Mathers says,

“Carrying the high-risk form of the gene makes you more likely to be a bit heavier, but it shouldn’t prevent you from losing weight”

(Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Why Your Diet Isn’t Working and What to do What It” The Science of Weight Loss: Special Time Edition, 2019; page 16).

What about that microbiome—the gut bacteria?

Researchers for the Personalized Nutrition Project at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel have been studying how gut bacteria may play a role in weight loss and maintenance. Their researchis fascinating.

In a nutshell, they found that blood sugar levels vary widely among people after they ate the exact same meal. That finding alone debunks the common and popular idea of everyone responding identically to the same diet recommendations.

And they were able to go further. They developed a mathematical algorithm for every person involved in the test trial, and that algorithm can accurately predict that person’s blood sugar response to a specific food just on the basis of their personal microbiome!

Knowing that could be the next frontier in weight loss prescription—your doctor being able to design a tailor-made diet plan, just for you and your body!

Another big contributor to weight gain and weight loss struggles are…

Chemicals.

Yup. Chemicals we’re exposed to in our daily lives. Chemicals like:

BPA found in canned goods lining
Cash-register receipts
Flame retardant material in sofas and mattresses and children’s clothing
Pesticide residue on our food
Phthalates in plastics (think water bottles and food storage containers) and the makeup we wear

What’s wrong with these chemicals and how do they factor into obesity?

These chemicals are able to mimic human hormones. And that leads scientists to believe they can, and are, wreaking havoc on our endocrine systems. They’ve been found in human breast milk. And some doctors believe it’s what contributing to children experiencing puberty at younger ages.

Some doctors are going so far as placing this chemical-endocrine danger as the third lynch pin—along with poor diet and lack of exercise—in the trilogy of weight loss obstructers and obesity epidemic contributors.

Case Study—

I’d like to pin my current overweightness (not yet in the obese category) on a lot of things, including my slowing hormones. But when I take an honest look at my current lifestyle, it’s a far cry from what it was even two years ago, when I exercised regularly and paid closer attention to what I ate.

Although I’m eating healthier now than I did then, I’m eating more and burning off less. I had started sitting at my computer too much and stopped going to the gym regularly, all while continuing to consume the same number of calories I did when much more active.

I’d like to blame it on my slowing hormones, too, but first I’m ramping up my exercise again, before rushing off to my doctor for a thyroid test. I want to see if increasing my muscle mass will improve my metabolism to a point where the weight loss is regular and a healthy weight obtainable and manageable.

And because I’m getting older, I know my daily calorie requirements are dropping, so I need to take an honest look at what I’m packing in and when. And I’ve been accumulating sleep data, courtesy of the cool fit watch my younger son gave me for Christmas. From that I’ve determined I do best with 8 ½ hours of sleep. And, surprisingly, I seem to get more and better sleep when I go to bed later and rise a little later than an early bird.

Maybe that’s how my clock is wired, to be a night owl, even though I do on occasion enjoy waking up early enough to see the sunrise. Maybe not on a regular basis, though. So, I adjust to my personal biorhythms. Thankfully, I can do that since I’m self-employed. My poor husband—who definitely leans toward night owlness—doesn’t have that luxury.

Another thing that helps me immensely in getting adequate, restful sleep is shutting down all of the tech appliances well before bedtime. An hour is best, but I’m aiming for longer time between computer/phone/tablet and lights out. I find my sleep switch starts kicking in earlier and gradually ramps up the melatonin production in preparation for bed.

And one last thing I watch is how much food I eat for dinner and what time my last meal is. If my last meal is at 3-4 hours prior to bedtime, I sleep better. And if I consume my last glass of water 3 hours before going to bed, I’m less likely to be awakened by bladder pressure screaming its needs in the middle of a good dream!

As the long-living Seventh Day Adventists say, “Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper for dinner. It’s great advice!

NEXT WEEK, we’ll take a closer look at this Keto diet craze and the benefits of food restriction or fasting a couple of days a week.

Until then, take heart! You don’t have to be stuck in your unhealthy weight mode. Perseverance and consistency can get you where you want to be—healthy!

Blessings,

Andrea

“Certainly there was an Eden….We all long for it, and we are constantly glimpsing it.” —J.R.R. Tolkien

The Science of Weight Loss: Rethinking Your Dieting Programs

Did you see the recent news report about the famous Keto diet, which is the big diet craze right now. While some extol its virtues, others claim it’s dangerous.

So what and who should you believe when it comes to healthful eating and lifestyle?

While anecdotal evidence can be helpful, it’s best to follow what the current research says, as long as the research you’re reading isn’t funded by special interest groups or the chemical or food companies promoting the food or protocol. (Beware, some information you find on “reliable” sites is also tainted by big money.)

So what are the recent findings?

Like a breath of fresh air, the recent findings are…(drum roll, please)…

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL!!

Hallelujah!! The research is validating what most of us have known all along.

Everyone is different, and my diet plan may not look like yours. And it probably shouldn’t.

What the recent findings tell us about diet and exercise—

A Time magazine Special Edition* supplement (2019) reports the U.S. weight loss industry to be 66 billion dollars annually. No wonder marketers push so hard for us to buy their new programs!

Some of the ways Americans try to lose weight are through:

Coordinated diet programs (Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, etc.)
Bariatric surgery
Week or more of expensive stays
Calorie and step-tracking apps
Fad diets (they list Paleo and keto in this category)
General high protein diets, like South Beach, etc.
Vegan

And yet, with all of these diet choices and dollars spent, more than 70% of Americans still tip the scales into the overweight or obese range.

And that’s a problem health-wise and finance-wise, for all of us. Why? Because more than 70 illnesses—like heart disease, Type II diabetes, and some cancers—area the “direct result” of being too fat!

But shouldn’t losing weight be easy, simply a matter of burning off more calories than you take in?

You would think so, and that’s why I was taught several decades ago. In fact, until just recently, that was the belief. Now scientists agree that isn’t the case. Losing weight, and keeping it off, is hard.

And anyone who has tried to lose weight knows it isn’t true. And 80% of us dieters are aware of another discouraging truth: we’ll regain all of the weight we lost and probably a few pounds more in two years. That sad fact is a finding of a UCLA review of 30 studies on the matter.

As Louis Aronne, director for the Center for Weight Management and Metabolic Clinical Research at Weill-Cornell Medical College says,

“Obesity is a real disease, with real physiological consequences: when you gain weight, the nerves in your hypothalamus that conduct signals from your fat cells to the rest of your brain become damaged. As a result, your brain doesn’t realize that you’re full, so you keep eating.”

If that’s the case, any over-fat person would probably need to stop eating before you get to a point of satiation or fullness.

In short, you probably need to religiously count calories so you don’t risk overeating!

But isn’t a calorie a calorie?

That’s what I was taught in college, and that belief held for years in the scientific community. Now we know that’s not the case. The body handles and digests food differently depending upon the food’s chemical make-up.

One thing I learned 30+ years ago that still holds true, however, is that when you lose an extreme amount of weight—defined as 10% or more of your body weight—your body starts preserving energy by switching specific hormone productions and sending your body into starvation mode. Result? You’ll be walking around feeling constantly famished.

Is that what it comes down to, though, always feeling hungry? Some researchers say yes, while others say there is a better way.

What about exercise?

When trying to lose weight, we can’t avoid exercise. It’s is a key component of the weight loss puzzle. But what type is best, aerobics or resistance training?

That answer hasn’t changed in some time.

For optimal health and successful weight loss that you can maintain, you need both.

While aerobic exercise increases the number of calories you burn off, resistance exercise improves your metabolism or metabolic rate. And a higher metabolic rate means your body burns more calories even when you’re in a relaxed state. You could say you “burn hotter.” You get more bang for the buck.

As my son would say, “Sweet!”

So what should your overall goal be for good health?

Scientists and doctors say your focus should be an improvement in overall health, not just an aim for a number on a scale, or weight poundage pumped in the gym.

But don’t despair! Researchers do know from their findings that It doesn’t really matter whether you’re on a low-fat or low-carb diet, because the end result for both types of eaters is the same amount of lost weight! That’s the opinion of Caroline Apovian, a weight-loss specialist at the Boston University School of Medicine. She’s also president of the Obesity Society.

Hallie Levine, the author of the chapter “What a Healthy Diet Looks Like” in the Time supplement also quotes Apovian as saying,

“I usually encourage patients to eat as much protein, fruits and non-starchy vegetables as they want, while restricting starch intake to one or two servings a day.”

Why is that? It’s because protein is essential to growth and healing and muscle mass building. That’s important because it’s the muscle that’s primarily responsible for your metabolism level.

Another critical take-home message is that

a lower carb diet (30% or calories from protein and the remainder from low-glycemic foods—the kind that cause your blood sugar to rise quickly) is much easier to stick to because it’s less likely to trigger those nagging hunger pangs.

So what would fall into the low-glycemic column? That would be foods like:

non-starchy vegetables, like carrots, peas, sweet potatoes
nuts
beans/legumes, like garbanzo beans, white beans, black-eyed peas and lentils
some fruits (Beware: many fruits will spike quickly your blood sugar! And fruit juice almost always will.)
eggs, dairy, meat, fish and fish oils

(For more in-depth information on low-glycemic foods, see the American Diabetes Association website.

And the Time article mentioned one more important fact:

When you do have carbs on your plate, try to eat them last.

Eating this way, rather than chowing down all of the hot bread the server delivers to your table to keep you occupied before the meal arrives, helps keeps your blood sugar down and those all-important insulin levels low

So you could eat your bread, if you eat it for dessert!

So how much weight loss is enough?

Evidently losing just 5% – 10% of your body weight results in positive health gains. Your risk for diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease can drop. And that’s great news!

So maybe before we make grandiose plans to whittle our tummies and legs into a size 6 jeans, when we’re currently wearing (comfortably!) a size 12 isn’t what we should aim for.

How many pounds lost would that be?

Unfortunately, because clothing manufacturers’ sizes are all over the map, it’s no longer easy to tell. But, in general, the consensus is that you would need to lose 8 -10 pounds to drop one pant size.

For a 150-pound woman, that’s within the 5% – 10% range.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

As we go forward, we’ll look at a variety of important findings, like what scientists learned from the reality show The Biggest Loser, why your particular diet may not be working for you, finding your dieting sweet spot for health, weight management and fitness, and what Blue Zone model living can do for your health longevity.

We’ll also delve more into the exercise component.

Exciting stuff!

See you back here next Wednesday with the next installment.

Blessings,

Andrea

“Certainly there was an Eden….We all long for it, and we are constantly glimpsing it.” —J.R.R. Tolkien

(*If you want this information in more detail and in your library, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Special Time Edition The Science of Weight Loss at your local drugstore or bookstore. It’s on sale until April 5, 2019.)

3 Reasons to Maintain Your Exercise Program Throughout the Holidays

When the schedule falls apart, so usually does the exercising.

And this time of year is no exception. Company parties to attend, family get-togethers to orchestrate, open houses, special events, Christmas decorating, Christmas shopping, Christmas present wrapping can all put a big snag in your hallowed workout schedule.

But they shouldn’t.

You need to keep exercising for some critical reasons:

Exercise keeps your brain happy and alert!

When you’re exercising your body, your brain is reaping most of the benefits. You’ll think better and function better. And sleep better too.

And that’s helpful for a lot of things, including keeping your immune system in top shape for battling colds and the flu, big culprits this time of year.

Exercise helps keep depression under control.

Not everyone enjoys the holidays or looks forward to them with eager anticipation of family celebrations. For many reasons, the holidays can be tough, and depressing.

December is always a roller coaster of emotions time for me because my beloved cousin, Jeff, was killed in a tragic car accident just a week before Christmas when we were in college, and my Dad died on December 11.

Exercising helps keep the happy hormones (endorphins) running through your body. And getting outside to exercise is even better for you. So make a point to keep up your exercise routine and also try to head outside for some deep breathing and walking.

Exercise helps manage stress.

There can be an overload of stress during the Christmas season, and exercise helps you burn that off. It can also keep your distracted from the stress swirling around you. Again, exercising to crank up those happy hormones is a stress-reducing benefit.

BONUS:

Keeping to your exercise program will also tamp down the guilty feelings after you’ve nibbled on one too many treats at a holiday party. So maintain your program, pat yourself on the back, and head into the New Year on track!

Until next week, keep that body and brain happy!

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Black Friday OptOut(side)

It’s Black Friday.

‘Tis the season to stand in line for hours and go nuts at the malls.

Did I need to tell you that?

What do you plan to spend the day doing?

Shopping? Eating leftover turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pie?

How about an alternative option. One that has health and wellness and saving money written all over it?

Skip Black Friday shopping and do some playing outside!

Yup. Get out in the great outdoors for some creation viewing and inhaling!

Breathe fresh air.

Break a sweat.

Sunbathe.

Go canoeing or kayaking. Hike. Run. Grab a bunch of friends and play soccer in the park. How about Frisbee with your dog? Riding a bike along a bike path. Going to the dog park. Enjoying a café con Leche al fresco with a friend.

Take a stand and rebel against the same old, against the world’s marketing giants.

Source of my rebellion—

The Camino. That’s what did it. And this is yet another example of how that journey changed me.

I haven’t done the Black Friday shopping bit for years, but I have perused the websites online, the ones that tease me to get in on the cyber action three days early, so I can be a savvy shopper. So I can feel good about the bargain I scored.

On The Camino I rejected news, marketing and teasers. I focused on my purpose and spiritual journey.

I spent most of my day outside in the caressing sunshine and sweet smelling (or sometimes dust-cloaked) air and realized how much I missed being outside. How good it made me feel physically, (there are extreme health benefits that come from being outside), emotionally and spiritually, untethered from my computer and household work.

Let’s go back to the spiritual benefits—

Isn’t that what we kicked off yesterday? Christmas? The most celebrated spiritual season of the year?

So why not focus on it? Why lose yourself in the shopping hype and drain your bank account? Why drive around endlessly looking for a parking spot at the mall?

Be a trendsetter. A rebel.

Choose to OptOutside!

Join REI as they celebrate their Day in. Day out. Celebrated on Black Friday when they’re closed for business, to encourage outdoor recreation.

Four years ago they had the gumption to change their status quo business model and decided to close their doors, and still pay their employees! On Black Friday.

Imagine. Some conscientious capitalism.

As they say on their dedicated website:

“It’s about the routines—the ones we need and the ones we need to rethink.”

So how about joining them in the rethinking.

For more on the benefits of going outside, head to their special website.

And spread the word!

#optoutside

NEXT WEEK:

What does depression look like? Could you recognize it in a co-worker or loved one?

In this season of making merry, we need to remember that for some it is the most profoundly depressing time of year. We can’t assume that our friends, fellow churchgoers, and co-workers are doing okay in this area just because they’re showing up and participating and getting the job done.

Next week I’m going to give you a great info graphic, courtesy of my friends and professional psychologists at BetterHelp.

It will give some great information on identifying functional depression and tips on the getting the help functional depressants need.

Until then,

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

First photo by Dieter de Vroomen on unsplash

Second photo by Sabina Ciesielska on unsplash