I resolve… to get the exercise and follow the diet plan I plan to every year.

/in , , /by

FEEL LIKE YOUR EXPIRATION DATE HAS EXPIRED?

If you don’t fuel your body correctly, your engine just continues to run down. You’re about as enticing as curdled milk, as productive as products marked “use before 2014”, or as useful as coupons on products that haven’t been stocked for ages. But we really don’t have to tell you all this. You feel it. Day in and day out. Let’s be honest here. Diet and exercise? Resolutions from time eternal. You know all this stuff, it’s all over the place. But, we’ll go through it all again. And maybe this time it will really sink in.

BAD EATING, EATING YOU UP?

Fill up on some of these surprising food facts:

More than half of Americans say they give a lot of thought to the healthfulness of foods and beverages they consume. But much of what we read and hear about nutrition — from the virtues of fruit juice to the hazards of fat, can steer us to make choices that are less healthful than we think:

-Imported produce from the supermarket can have higher nutrient levels than local produce from a farmers’ market.

-Blueberries shipped long distances could actually be slightly more nutritious than those right off the bush.

-Foods labeled “no trans-fat” may legally contain some.

–Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free.

–Canned white tuna has about three times more mercury than chunk light. Canned salmon has less mercury than both types of tuna.

–Fruit juice can have more calories and sugar than soda.

–Not all fiber is created equal.

-Multigrain” products aren’t necessarily whole grain.

Who knew?

GOBBLE UP THESE GOODIES

There are endless ways healthy eating can affect how you feel. (Great, fabulous, young, sexy…)

Following a healthy food plan can:

  • Make you happier
  • Protect your bones
  • Rev up your fertility
  • Conquer cramps
  • Give you an iron-clad immune system
  • Fix your DNA
  • Boost your workout
  • Chill you out
  • Clear up your skin
  • Prevent insomnia
  • Soothe sore muscles
  • Fill you with energy

Spinach anyone? Nuts? Berries? Fill up your fridge with healthy choices and you’re choosing to live and feel better. To-the-moon-and-back better.

So, sorry… if Ben and Jerry’s comes up with a hundred new flavors, you are not contracted to try them all. Yes, dark chocolate is good. But not when it is covering cashews, caramel corn or even pretzels. Just because you pay an outrageous price for a 24-oz. steak, doesn’t mean you have to make “all gone.” You don’t get a tiara for becoming the Junk Food Queen. Hot dogs and beer aren’t married to ballgames.

The moral of the food story? Try using your head as much as your stomach.

TAKE A LUNGE AT THIS

Exercise. Eew…you cringe when you even think about this half of the health equation.

But it’s really simple folks.

Simple.

MOVE MORE.

And not from the sofa to the fridge and back ad infinitum.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

-Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of both. Spread it out in small amount if you need to. Just sweat.

-Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Work those muscles.

-Stretch, before and after. Helps keep you flexible and avoid hurting yourself. And boy, it feels insanely good.

Everyone can work exercise into their routine. Disabled? There are chair workouts. And the wheelchair bound are entering marathons the world over. You don’t need fancy moves to make exercise work for you. You don’t need to be a killing machine to kill it. You just have to start. And start gradually. The first thing you have to leap are the mental and emotional barriers that might be plaguing you.  Well, get over it, and get going.  Fact is, doing absolutely squat will do nothing for your health.

I RESOLVE TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE

Yes, not eating right can take a big bite out of your life

Yes, not exercising can make you sweat about your health.

But yes, there is something else that can put a halt to feeling your best. Your hormones. There are some 50 different hormones in your body, sending messages to your cells and organs. But sometimes they don’t do their jobs. And when they don’t work, everything else won’t work.

But there’s an amazing way to get a handle on their sometime crazy sprees. Make an appointment with Dr. Stephen A. Goldstein, M.D., F.A.C.S at Denver Hormone Health. He has years of experience and advanced education in turning things around when it comes to balancing your hormones. With simple tests, he can determine which hormones are doing what and create an individualized treatment therapy for you. Don’t let hormones have their way with you.

Make an appointment to come in now.

Restraint is the last thing you should exercise.

I resolve… to turn distress into de-stress.

/in , , /by

SLOW DOWN, YOU’RE GOING INTO HYPER DRIVE

Eeek! Put on the brakes. Super stress just ahead.

What is stress exactly?  There’s the basic definition; a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. But hearing it put so mildly is enough to make you want to scream. So, let’s get a little more real. Stress has also been defined as the confusion caused when one’s mind overrides the body’s natural desire to choke the living you-know-what out of some jerk that desperately needs it. Yeah, yeah, that’s more like it.

Stress, stressing, stressful…there are endless synonyms for them. You probably identify with more than a few:

  • Nerve-racking
  • On edge
  • Taxing
  • Tense
  • Trying
  • Annoying
  • Fatiguing
  • Aggravating
  • Disquieting
  • Disturbing
  • Exasperating
  • Irksome
  • Maddening
  • Agitated
  • Anxious
  • Beside Oneself
  • Hyper
  • Shot to piece
  • Unnerved
  • Uptight
  • Wired
  • High-strung
  • Keyed up
  • Overwrought
  • Up the wall
  • Strung out

Now that’s a list. Straight out of the Thesaurus.

WHEN YOUR TO-DO LIST BECOMES A TO-DIE LIST

All right, then. Stress stinks. But it can be a lot more serious than that. You might be somewhat alarmed to know that it can cause chest pain, back strain, asthma, ulcers, heartburn, headaches or palpitations.  It can zap your energy, wreak havoc on your sleep, make you feel cranky, forgetful and out of control. It can cause depression, weight problems, auto immune diseases, skin conditions such as eczema and even effect reproductive health. It can lower your sex drive, cause nausea, dizziness, diarrhea or constipation. It could make you cry rivers, slam out of the house, and tear into people at work. More importantly, repeated or prolonged stress can end up increasing heart rate causing hypertension which can raise blood pressure, damage artery walls and even cause heart attacks. You could get stressed out just thinking about it. But you need to think about it. Stress can be a real killer.

A MESS OF STRESS.

Oprah Winfrey wrote a best-selling book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small. Actually, today most of us sweat it all, from our teens, (and for some, younger) until we die. Words like “peace” and “calm” are slowly hightailing it to the back of our vocabulary. According to research some of the life events that cause us the most stress are:

  • Death of a spouse
  • Divorce
  • Marital separation
  • Death of a close family member
  • Personal injury or illness
  • Marriage
  • Dismissal from work
  • Retirement
  • Change in health of a family member
  • Pregnancy
  • Sexual difficulties
  • Business readjustment
  • Change in financial status.
  • Trouble with in-laws
  • Major mortgage
  • Child leaving home
  • Change in living conditions

We’re sure your personal list goes on. We’re all different after all.

Let’s take a closer look at work stress.

Statistics have shown:

  • 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful
  • 25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
  • Three fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
  • 29% of workers felt quite a bit or extremely stressed at work
  • 26 percent of workers said they were “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work
  • 80% of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42% say their coworkers need such help
  • 14% had felt like striking a coworker in the past year, but didn’t
  • 25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress
  • 10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent
  • 9% are aware of an assault or violent act in their workplace
  • 18% had experienced some sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year

It adds up. Job stress can do a real number. It’s is a real piece of work.

But as we’ve said, you also stress over some really subliminal small stuff. Pretty intensely, too.

  • You stress over what you’re going to make for dinner.
  • You stress over resorting to fast food.
  • You stress over your kids not picking up after themselves.
  • You stress when you order your steak medium rare and it comes back medium well.
  • You stress when your whites don’t really get white.
  • You stress when you find a white hair in your eyebrow.
  • You stress when you have a dentist appointment.
  • You stress when it rains and your hair frizzes.
  • You stress when your team loses a game.
  • You stress facing the scale.
  • You stress when your pants seem to have shrunk.
  • You stress when you watch The Victoria Secret Angels Runway Show. (Actually, that makes you unbelievable envious and envy is extremely stressful.)
  • You stress when you learn that the creators of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Uber are uber young and making billions.
  • You stress when you have no idea what Snapchat even is.

HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE MANAGE?

The first thing you have to learn, is stress management. Exercising, maintaining a positive attitude, not smoking, not drinking too much coffee, following a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight are just a few good ways to deal with stress. And they’re all attainable.

Medicines are helpful for many things, but usually not for stress. Some people take tranquilizers to calm them down immediately, but it’s far better in the long term to learn to manage your stress through relaxation or stress management techniques.

Figuring out how stress pushes your buttons is an important step in dealing with it. So pay attention. Stop and breathe slowly when you notice it coming on.

I RESOLVE TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT’S TURNING MY LIFE INSIDE OUT.

Just making resolutions and worrying about keeping them is a major stress in itself. But is it just stress that’s making you feel so eh, much of the time? Probably not. If your hormones are out of balance, that just might be what’s making you feel so unbalanced. Hormones call the shots in how you feel, sending messages throughout the body at will. Will anything help? Without question. Make an appointment to see Dr. Stephen A. Goldstein, M.D., F.A.C.S at Denver Hormone Health. His expertise and experience in the field are unparalleled. With a few simple tests, he can tell which hormones are having a field day in your body. With that information, he creates a treatment totally tailored to your needs.

Making you feel better is his main goal. So, call now.

And put stress to rest.

I resolve to…buck up and try again.

/in , , /by

resolution

FEAR OF JANUARY

No, no, no…it can’t be…the year’s gone by so fast. That’s what they all say. But surprise, January follows December with its gobs of gluttony and inactivity (other than raising your fork rapidly and repeatedly.) You’re flattened by fruitcake; you’ve led the March of the Marshmallows…What happened to last year’s resolutions? Opps, slipped away we guess. Once again you’ve shown no more moral stamina than a noodle. But no beating yourself up here. Not a good way to start the year. It might help to know that you’re in the majority. 24% of people who make New Year’s Resolutions crumble in the first week. 78% fail to stick to them at all. And here’s something to consider; 48% of men don’t ever bother to make any resolutions. 39% of women don’t. Guess they know themselves pretty well. But let’s talk about you. You want to make some changes. You plan to make a list of resolutions for 2017.

Before you start, however, consider some of these words of wisdom:

One very wise man said; “A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”

Mark Twain said; “New Year’s Day is the accepted time to make your annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”

According to Oscar Wilde, “Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.”

Hmmm, pulverizing New Year’s resolutions doesn’t seem to be a new phenomenon.

HEALTHY HABITS GONE AWOL

You know exactly when and where you fell off the health wagon. First, you probably made last year’s list longer than War and Peace. Totally unattainable. (What were you thinking?)  Then you went through your yearly mantra:

I will make healthy resolutions.

I have the will.

I think I will.

I hope I will.

Will this year really be different than any other year?

If I don’t stick to my resolutions, I will definitely be pissed, frustrated and disappointed in myself.

Stop.

As we said, the place to start isn’t with debilitating negativity.

To help, we’re going to give you just three (3!) resolutions to try to stick to. Three, not so difficult, huh?

  1. Stress
  2. Diet and Exercise (c’mon, you knew this had to be one of them)
  3. Being good to yourself.

That’s it.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE RIDICULOUSLY HYSTERICAL

According to ABC News, America’s top 2016 New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Enjoy life to the fullest (45.7%)
  • Live a healthier lifestyle (41.1%)
  • Lose weight (39.6%)
  • Spend more time with family and friends (33.2%)
  • Save more, spend less (30.1%)
  • Pay down debt (27.5%)

Last year’s most commonly broken promises were:

  • Lose weight and get fit
  • Quit smoking
  • Learn something new
  • Eat healthier and diet
  • Get out of debt and save money
  • Spend more time with family
  • Travel to new places
  • Be less stressed
  • Volunteer
  • Drink less

Just too too much to start out with, which means too too many ways to fail.

Which is why we’re cutting down your resolution list to three.

And for a little bit of levity on the topic, thought we’d share some of these resolutions with you just to enforce your own choices.

This year, I will:

  • Stop Instagraming photos of food no one else gets to eat
  • Prepare for the future by worrying about it
  • Use more deodorant and wash less to save water
  • Shop for clothes 3 sizes too small intending to get into them
  • Get help for my device addiction
  • Bench-press 100 lbs. and lie that it was much, much more
  • Encourage my kids eat whatever they want
  • Avoid gin smoothies before work
  • Let the lawn go wild
  • Apply to Survivor
  • Apply to The Bachelor (or Bachelorette)

I RESOLVE TO DO THINGS I MIGHT ACTUALLY DO

So, you don’t feel your best. But it’s important to know that there are many things you could blame it on other than your unmet and ignored resolutions from last year. Consider this; a lot of what you’re feeling could be due to unbalanced hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers freestyling it through your blood steam at will. Messing up how you feel, at will.  That’s why you should make it a must-do to see Dr. Stephen A. Goldstein, M.D., F.A.C.S at Denver Hormone Health. Dr. Goldstein is a leader in the field of hormone therapy. With a caring consultation and simple tests, he can determine exactly what’s out of whack and tailor a treatment uniquely for your needs.

Want to start this year out right?

Call for an appointment to find out how Dr. Goldstein can help.

And get your ommmmms on.