WILLPOWER

Self Control is like a muscle: You can make it stronger with these 6 exercises which help you resist temptation when you need to most.

Increase Your Willpower



Alright, time for those New Year’s resolutions to begin to wane. we are in our third week of the year and this is about the time we begin to revert back to those bad behaviors we swore we’d be changing.  But, if you are still committed to your resolution but just need a boost – willpower is your answer. Here are some great ways to boost up your willpower abilities and keep you on success towards reaching your goals.

Our lives are full of temptations which constantly test our self-control. This constant power of wills can certainly be mentally exhausting, but there is new research to prove we can keep our cool and win that battle of willpower.

1.       Play Offense – research has shown people spend between 3-4 hours per day resisting desires (eating, sleeping, taking a break from work, sex, etc.). This same research found people with strong self-control spent less time resisting desires than other people. This is because they are better at proactively arranging their lives to avoid problem situations. These are the people who take the car in for routine oil changes before the light goes on and potentially lead to more problems. These are the people who just don’t’ go down the chip aisle in the super market. They play offense instead of always being on the defense waiting for the shoe to drop. Therefore, they set themselves up for realistic chances of success.

2.      The Calm Before the Storm – What do you have control over? Are you psychic? Can you predict the future before it happens? Sadly, for those of us not blessed with clairvoyance we can’t control or even predict surprise stressors in life. That being said, we can control how we choose to handle the stress once it is upon us. Also, there are moments in our lives which are self-inflicted stressors: choosing to quit smoking, deciding to start a new exercise program, going on though sugar withdrawal. Though all of these are wonderful challenges to help you get healthy, they are stressful. They will tax both your body and your mind.  So, a word of advice - maybe it is not a good idea to quit smoking the first day of your new job, maybe it is not a good idea to try and lose those extra 10 lbs while you are going through a rough patch in your marriage. When a stressful spell is upon you (tax season, a deadline) as yourself: How will I expend my willpower today, this evening or this week?  I’m not saying give-up on exercise, eating healthy, or stopping your nicotine habit – but don’t set yourself up to fail either. Wait until your daily stressors are normal or manageable vs. mountainous and out of control before we make huge life adjustments.

3.      Don’t Dawdle – 95% of people admit to procrastination a least sometimes (I think the other 5% are just lying about their procrastination). Who hasn’t pulled a Scarlet O’Hara and said, “fiddle-dee-dee, after all tomorrow is another day”?  When procrastinators are anxious or bored, they give in to the urge to improve their moods by doing something else. But, they’re only stopping the inevitable for a moment. Eventually, the bills are due, the deadline has reached its end and procrastinators will suffer considerably more willpower depleting stress than those who work on a schedule. Procrastinators even get sick more often than those who stick to a schedule. Moral of the story: bit the bullet and get the work done.

4.      Remember the Basics – When we get into completing our goal we tend to let other things in our life go: eating healthy/regular meals, a good night’s sleep, spending time with loved ones, moderate exercise.  But, what you save in time you ultimately pay for it later. It’s hard to keep up the hard work when you are tired and hungry. IT’s hard to feel good about achieving your goals when nobody else is around to congratulate you. So, the next time you feel your will power begin to wane, grab a healthy snack, go for a walk, call a friend, take a power nap and remember that getting proper amounts of R&R is just as important when it comes to having control over your willpower.

5.      Ink It, Don’t Think It – Please put your goals in writing. Keeping track of your progress is crucial for staying on board with any plan. It offers immediate encouragement, and on days when you falter, you can look back at your log for mental ‘pick-me-ups’ and remind yourself what you’ve accomplished and what you’re capable of. Gaining a couple of pounds this week isn’t so discouraging if you have a chart showing a line sloping downward for the past 6 months. Also, by writing down your goals and charting your progress it helps to keep you accountable to your goals.

6.      Reward Yourself Often – incentives can work wonders – but don’t over-do-it. If you lose 3 pounds, don’t go on a bender with tempting foods like pizza, chocolate, burgers, etc. But, maybe go get a mani/pedi.  If you remember to floss for 2 weeks straight, allow yourself 5 minutes less on treadmill for 1 workout after the 2 week success. Rewarding yourself often with little things (which are positive for success, not harmful to your goals) can keep you on target. Don’t forget to congratulate yourself on your successes. Remember you worked hard, give yourself a pat on the back, and log your success, as well as, the behaviors which got you there.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A New Year and A New YOU!!

How would you like to lower your blood pressure, improve your memory, improve your bone health, and even help to reverse or slow down aspects of aging? Well, you can - it's easy. All you have to do is walk!! That's right, fight memory loss with your feet.

The answer to getting in shape (the right way) is just take more walks! This is the time of year when everyone is starting the New Year’s Resolution and hitting the new fitness program with full force. Well, if you are drastically changing your routine, it may not last. But, if you take small steps (literally and figuratively in this case)…it can set you up to have a lifelong change for better health.

So, start by walking. You do it everyday anyway – why not do just a bit more? I know it’s cold outside for most of us (so dress warm), or hit the gym – whichever you prefer, but just 40 minutes a day 3 days a week can prevent and even reverse health issues like memory loss. That’s because moderate exercise increases BDNF ~ a protein associated with memory and learning. Plus, studies have even shown increase brain volume in people who exercise. Why is this important? Well, non-exercisers have shown to have brain shrinkage – which is a contributing factor in memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.

In fact 21% of all Alzheimer’s cases are linked to too little exercise. 1 in 4 American’s has high blood pressure or hypertension. This significantly boosts they risk of heart attack, stroke, as well as, cognitive decline and kidney failure.

Even though medication has been aiding in lowering of blood pressure in those diagnosed with hypertension it also has some pretty nasty side affects: leg cramps, dizziness, insomnia and more.  So, if your doctor approves – try the natural way instead (or in conjunction with medication). Just by taking regular brisk walks, one can lower their blood pressure systolic number (the top number) by almost 8 points and the diastolic number (the bottom number) by 6 points. Walking vigorously for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week is key.

Of course walking can help us get to a healthy weight as well. Just losing 10lbs can make a big difference in your blood pressure levels. Here are 7 other “natural ways” to improve blood pressure:

1.      Walking – as previously discussed ~ either 40 minutes of brisk walking 3 times a week, or 30-mintues of brisk walking most days of the week. Whatever your routine – walk just a bit more everyday for true benefits to occur.

2.      Drink more tea – specifically green, white or hibiscus tea. Drinking 3 cups daily has been shown to lower systolic blood pressure by 7 points in 6 weeks. This is on par with many of those medications which do the same thing. The only side affect…more trips to the bathroom (small price to pay for health, I say).

3.      Have a drink - light drinking for women one quarter to one half of an alcoholic beverage a day may reduce blood pressure, more than not drinking at all. Though, excessive drinking (more than 1-2 standard drinks for women, more than 2-3 standard drinks for men) – is not healthy and may have reverse or more severe negative consequences. It is all about moderation here!

4.      Eat Dark Chocolate – dark chocolate makes blood vessels more elastic. Enjoy about ½ an ounce of dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa).

5.      Catch your breath – RELAX!! Take regular, slow deep breaths, meditate, and try Yoga, Tai Chi or Pilates. All of this helps to lower your stress and the production of stress hormones (which add to the negative boost in blood pressure).

6.      Shake the Salt – most of us get way too much salt into our daily diets. We only need 1,500mg of salt daily (½ teaspoon of salt = 1,200mg).  Many processed foods are laden with salt. So, check the labels, ditch the shaker and eat more fresh food without adding more salt.

7.      More Potassium – Potassium blunts the effects of sodium. This helps to control blood pressure. So, get more bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, kidney beans, mushrooms, oranges/orange juice, peas, prunes, raisins, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and 1% or fat free milk into your diet!! Remember try to eat the stuff on the perimeter of the grocery store (veggies, fruit, dairy, meat, whole wheat breads)….all the stuff in the middle – frozen meals, chips, soda, processed food = bad for BP, waistline and overall health!

8.      SOY = Joy!! – A study from Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association – found that by replacing some of the refined carbohydrates in your diet with foods high in soy or milk protein (such as low fat dairy) can bring down they systolic blood pressure if you have hypertension or prehypertension.