Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is a general term used to describe disorders that affect the cardiovascular system, meaning a disorder of the heart or blood vessels. Most CVDs are brought on by chronic conditions which develop over extended periods of time. Because of the nature of chronic disease, cardiovascular health is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and longevity. As the world’s number one killer, CVD claims around 17 million lives a year — meaning one in ten people, aged between 30 to 70 years old, will die from this non-communicable disease (NCD).

In 2012, as a response to CVD and other diseases, world leaders made a commitment to reducing the global mortality rate from NCDs by 25 percent before 2025. This commitment is the inspiration for World Heart Day which brings awareness across nations in the fight against CVD.

For World Heart Day let’s focus on three tips to living a heart-healthy life:

Say “no” to smoking

Exercise consistently

Eat healthy

Say “No” to Smoking

It’s not easy – we understand that. However, quitting smoking is a huge step towards a healthier lifestyle. Almost one third of deaths from CVD are attributed to smoking. As one of the most preventable causes of death in the US, you can join the millions of people who are successfully quitting each year. Here are a few things you can do to help you get started.

1. Set your quit day – Choose the day to turn your life around! This gives you time to prepare and start out on the right foot.
2. Choose your method – There are three different ways to quit smoking: “cold turkey”, cutting down, or smoking part of each cigarette. Pick which method is best for you!
3. Incorporate help – If necessary, you can incorporate Nicotine gum, lozenges, or the patch to ease your body’s withdrawal affects. All of these items can be found over the counter.
4. Make a plan – Celebrate the days of successfully not smoking with healthy things you enjoy. (i.e. movie, hobby, friend gatherings)

Exercise Consistently

According to the American Heart Association, the first step to getting active is to consider the amount of exercise you’re currently getting. For adults, the recommended amount is at least 150 minutes per week, which can be broken up into 30-minute increments a day. For children, they recommend 300 minutes a week.

Once you’ve evaluated what your normal weekly amount is, find activities that you enjoy doing. Whether it’s playing a specific sport or taking walks with your family, incorporate it! The key to consistent exercise is incorporating regular activity into your weekly schedule. Once you’ve nailed down a consistent schedule, consider pushing for 10 more minutes of activity!

Eat Healthy

Similar to exercising consistently, the best way to begin eating well, is to first understand what you’re currently consuming. Registered Dietitian Riska Platt recommends keeping a food diary for a couple weeks to understand the nutrient composition and pattern of your diet. Understand why you’re eating and if there are any specific emotions attached.

From there, you have an idea of where changes can be made. Her tips also include starting small, one meal at a time. Focus on attainable goals and where you can incorporate healthier options. For example, trade butter for a healthier olive or canola oil, or incorporate more fiber-rich whole grains by substituting white for whole grain bread. Get into the habit of reading labels to limit daily consumption of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars.

Wherever you’re at in your health journey, consider focusing on one of these tips today. Cardiovascular disease is preventable with the right measures. Share this with your friends and family to build a community of people living a healthier life. Together, we can fight this.

Content updated on 4-23-2021

Women’s Health and Fitness Day brings attention to the importance of regular exercise and healthy living for women of all ages. There are various ways to love your body in terms of health and fitness, so we’ve put together a short list of ways to guide you towards healthy living. Consider calling up your best girlfriend or enjoy these tips for yourself; either way, get creative in exercising your health and fitness today!

1. Be Active by attending a fitness class

Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, Barre – try a new fitness class or go to one you love. Yoga can provide physical and mental benefits by relieving chronic pain and help you manage stress. High Intensity Interval Training classes such as Zumba, Pilates and Barre are great for reducing blood pressure and burning calories in a short amount of time. Check out fitness classes online for easy access!

2. Be Healthy by getting your thyroid checked

One in eight women will develop thyroid problems during her lifetime. The thyroid is an important part of the body, effecting many bodily functions from your metabolism to your ability to get pregnant. The good news is that is you develop hypo or hyperthyroidism these conditions can be treated with medication to regulate the production of thyroid hormones. If you are worried about the condition of your thyroid, make an appointment with your primary care physician to check it out!

3. Rest by taking a nap

Feeling a little run down? The National Sleep Foundation states that naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents for the period directly following the nap up to a few hours after. It can also provide a psychological benefit for you, promoting relaxation and rejuvenation. Make sure you allow yourself to rest and wind down to limit stress levels and enhance your performance!

4. Explore by going for a walk

Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can have numerous benefits to your health. Regular walks can help you maintain a healthy weight, prevent and manage heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. It can also strengthen your bones and muscles as well as improve your overall balance and coordination. Grab a friend to keep you company and hit the nearest trail or sidewalk!

5. Be Strong by maintaining strong bones

The National Osteoporosis Foundation explains that women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis because females naturally have smaller, thinner bones than men. Also, our hormone estrogen, which protects bones, decreases at menopause. Good news is there’s a simple secret to help lower your risk! Enjoy a well-balanced diet that includes calcium and vitamin D (either organically or through supplements), exercise, and limit smoking and drinking.

6. Hydrate by drinking water

Monthly changes in female estrogen and progesterone levels (also known as Menstruation) impacts the female body’s ability to hydrate. To keep optimal function during this time, it’s ideal for blood volume to be high. The reason? When a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels are high, she loses around 8 percent of plasma volume (the watery part of blood). Therefore, it’s important to hydrate before monthly cycles and especially before any form of exercise. Get creative and try putting some citrus or fruit in your water!

7. Indulge by treating yourself to some chocolate

You read that correctly. Dark chocolate is made mostly of cocoa solids which contains iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and flavanols. These flavanols may help to protect the heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of diabetes. It’s always best in moderation and with the highest percentage of cacao. Check out chocolates at your local grocer, aim for 80-90% cocoa!

Content updated 4-23-2021

Pediatric obesity, commonly known as childhood obesity, is rising across the nation. According to the American Heart Association, one in three American minors are considered overweight. The responsibility of maintaining a healthy weight doesn’t fall solely on the child, parents are an influential factor for developing children’s healthy eating and activity habits. Since September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, we’re looking into what defines this disease and how parents can play an important role in combating the issue.

Defining Childhood Obesity

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines childhood obesity by measuring a child’s body mass index (BMI). This BMI number (calculated through an individual’s height and weight) presents a relevant measurement of body composition. For children and teens, BMI is age and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age. Therefore, the childhood obesity category is defined as a child whose BMI is higher than 95% of other children their age and gender.

Health Effects

Childhood obesity can have many short and long-term effects on a child’s health. Some health concerns may appear immediately (lethargy, difficulty breathing or doing physical activities) while others may arise later in life (high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other cardiovascular problems). Obesity can also impair a child’s glucose response which can lead to type 2 diabetes, cause joint and muscular discomfort, fatty liver disease, and gallstones. But the physical effects aren’t the only thing an obese child can suffer from. It can often affect the mental well-being of a child, causing issues such as depression or guilt.

Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle

It can be easy to misperceive where a child falls in their weight category. However, annual physicals with a primary care or family physician are a beneficial way to keep track of weight and overall growth. Depending on a child’s age, they may not fully understand the concept of weight and nutrition, making it crucial for parents to simply promote a healthy lifestyle. The information below provides nutritional and physical activity tips that parents can use to combat the development of childhood obesity.

The Power of Nutrition[1]

1. Identify a time and location for meals.
   • Routine meals play an important role in healthy digestion. Eating at the same time and in the same location minimizes excessive snacking and encourages appropriate portion size. Try to gather the family for meals at the dining room or kitchen table away from the TV or computer.
2. Quantify sugary drinks.
   • Be aware of sugar consumption, especially in the form of drinks like sodas, juices, and even chocolate milk. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, sugary beverages contribute to weight gain more so than solid foods since the body does not feel full through sugary drinks and therefore does not reduce calorie intake from other foods.
3. Promote fruits and vegetables.
   • Children often find one or two fruits or vegetables that they enjoy. By consistently rotating their favorite vegetables and trying new ones, a child will gain an appreciation for healthy snacks and, quite possibly, a higher happiness level.
4. Incorporate complex carbs.
   • By incorporating complex carbs into your child’s diet, you will be able to help avoid blood sugar swings caused by simple carbs. Simple carbs that are often found in processed or refined items and can leave a child feeling hungry or unfulfilled. Instead, incorporate more complex carbs that are found in whole wheat products.
5. Provide a lean menu.
   • There are many options for meat and poultry that considered lean meats (lower in fat). To keep a healthy and balanced diet, grill and bake these lean meats versus indulging in too many fatty or fried foods. As you know, fatty foods can have a huge impact on a child’s future cholesterol levels and cardiovascular function.

The Power of Physical Activity[1]

1. Increase physical activity.
   • Incorporate opportunities for physical activity and fitness into your child’s daily schedule. Walking or biking to school, walking the family dog, or even enrolling the child in organized sports can increase activity levels and even brain stimulation.
2. Reduce sedentary activity.
   • Limiting a child’s screen time is crucial in preventing a sedentary lifestyle. As difficult as it may be in this digital world, two hours a day is the recommended limit on TVs and computers.
3. Meet the recommended amount of physical activity.
   • The daily recommended minimal amount of physical activity is one hour. Suggest activities that involve the family or your child’s friends. The physical activity doesn’t have to be met all at once, but this daily goal can be highly beneficial on a child’s health in the long run.

Childhood obesity may be rising in America, but your child isn’t alone in this fight. Being mindful, incorporating beneficial activities, and informing them on how to live a healthy lifestyle can drastically make a difference. Share these steps with your family today and you can maintain your child’s healthy weight and combat childhood obesity together.

[1]https://www.karger.com/Article/PDF/295112

For parents of school-aged children, the start of school comes with a fair amount of preparation. New clothes, shoes, and school supplies are purchased to prepare students for a successful year of learning. Amidst all the traditional items, it’s easy to overlook preparing their physical well-being as they enter a new year.  Now that school is back in session, here are five valuable tips to ensure a healthier school year!

1. Ensure prescriptions are up-to-date and filled.

Medications can get expensive, but the generic version can help lower your costs dramatically. If your child has medication, be sure to update and fill new prescriptions for the school nurse. When bringing the medication to school, ensure your child’s full name and homeroom teacher is included, as well as what dosage should be given, when it should be administered and any other important notes (i.e. with/without food or water).

2. Get your young athlete a physical.

All student athletes are required to get a physical sports exam before they can participate. Why not get ahead of the game and get one now? These exams can be very valuable in determining any potential risks on existing injuries or medical conditions, as well as evaluate the function of vital organs such as the heart and lungs.

3. Bring back the bedtime routine.

During the summer, kids are staying up and sleeping in a little later. Which is why it’s important that back to school preparation brings a healthier sleep routine. According to the National Sleep Foundation, school-aged children (6-13 years) are recommended 9-11 hours of sleep and teenagers (14-17 years) are recommended 8-10 hours.

4. Stock up on healthy snacks.

While closets and backpacks are getting filled for the start of the school year, make sure the pantry does too! Throughout the school year, keep healthy snacks on-hand to ensure children are getting essential nutrients in their diet. Find out which fruits and vegetables they love to keep them stocked! Here is a list of other healthy snacks to try as well.

5. Healthcare2U members, save (800) 496-2805 for non-emergency health-related circumstances.

There’s no doubt that at some point, your child may get sick or a minor injury this school year. With Healthcare2U’s unlimited and immediate services, you don’t have to worry – bilingual medical assistants are only a phone call away! Acute illnesses are promised as same or next-day appointments and a prescription can easily be filled over the phone, if necessary.

Preparing for the new school year can be exciting and stressful, and while Healthcare2U can’t help with school supplies and carpooling – we are here to make your family’s healthcare convenient and more affordable. Our Direct Primary Care services help you save money through unlimited doctor office visits and unlimited 24/7/365 telehealth. At $10 a visit, members receive access to guaranteed same or next-day office appointments at $10 a visit, unlimited 24/7/365 telehealth at $0 out-of-pocket cost, and chronic disease management for 13 prevalent disease states for $10 per visit. In the event you have questions or concerns, a physician can guide you and your family through steps toward a healthier lifestyle!

Most of us have been there with New Year’s resolutions of losing weight. We start the year with a great diet and exercise plan that seems to fall apart before we know it.

Eating a healthy diet and being physically active has many benefits, including helping to prevent or manage diabetes. Some 29.1 million adults in the United States have diabetes, but one-quarter of them don’t know they have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most of us want to get to our weight loss goals as fast as possible. But in terms of adopting new eating plans, we should look no further than the story of the  “The Hare and the Tortoise.’’ If we approach weight loss as the Tortoise, our chances of success are much greater.

Humans are creatures of habit and dieting should be no different. Those who are most successful at maintaining a healthy eating plan have adopted habits and routines that they maintain for the rest of their lives. Here are some simple guidelines that will enable you to lose weight and keep it off.

Pick an eating plan

A diet that is rich in lean proteins, complex carbohydrates along with fruits and vegetables is a good start.

Count calories

Start by calculating your daily caloric needs based on your height, weight and activity level.  Then consume 200 to 400 fewer calories than you need. At first this may seem cumbersome, but once practiced it becomes easier.

Get into a rut

One of the most important aspects of dieting is getting into a routine. Although boring at first, a new eating routine becomes easier to stick with once the weight starts to come off.  Breakfast and lunch are typically the easiest meals to plan for so decide on two meal choices for morning and two for noon with each meal totaling between 300 and 450 calories. For example, a standard bowl of oatmeal with an artificial sweetener and two eggs fried in olive oil amount to about 350 calories.

Plan

Stock up on healthy foods. The last thing you want is to try and figure out what you will be eating when you are hungry at mealtime.

Snack

To help avoid binge eating, eat at lean protein snack – such as a protein shake or protein bar – about one hour prior to your heaviest meal to help reduce your appetite and ward off binge eating.

Chew your food

A simple technique to control your appetite is to slow down and chew your food. By chewing your food between 30 and 50 times enables the body to release its satiety or “I’m full“ hormone. This also helps prevent the desire to go back for seconds and potentially overeat.

Avoid dessert

Unfortunately, sweets are off-limits, with the exception of a once-a-week “cheat.’’ Pick a day as your day for your dessert. A nice daily substitute for a weekly dessert craving is a piece of fruit or a cinnamon spice fiber wafer cookie which won’t derail your healthy diet.

By adopting new habits to living healthier and changing how you eat, you can go a long way toward changing your life.

Diabetes Type 2 – formerly called “adult-onset diabetes” – is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States.

People previously thought they were immune because they had no family history or were athletes in high school. Now they are finding themselves battling a disease that is one of the leading causes of premature death and disability in the United States.

November is National Diabetes Month, but it’s important to take steps year-round to manage this disease and its impact on millions of Americans. With diabetes, the body cannot properly control the amount of sugar in the blood because it does not have enough insulin

In 2012, 29.1 million Americans had diabetes while 86 million age 20 or older had pre-diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Statistics Report: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States, 2014, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Moreover, a study published in 2015 by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that nearly 50 percent of adults in the United States either have diabetes or pre-diabetes, a condition in which elevated blood sugar levels already exist, making it highly likely that diabetes will follow.

Diabetes can slowly lead to death if not properly treated and prevented.  People with a family history of diabetes, are overweight and have a sedentary lifestyle have the highest risk for developing diabetes and prediabetes.

We are now seeing individuals in their early twenties – as well as thin people – with full-blown diabetes.

Diabetes and its co-existing conditions can lead to premature death and disability. Diabetes is strongly associated with serious medical conditions that include heart disease, hypertension, sudden death, blindness, limb amputations, kidney disease, and strokes.

It is becoming more and more common to see an individual in their late 40s who is blind with limb amputations and is on kidney dialysis.

No question, diabetes is one of the No. 1 health problems in the 21^st century. But as easy it is to develop diabetes, with a little work and the right attitude it is easily preventable.

Diet and exercise are the mainstays of prevention and treatment of diabetes. Any diet that promotes weight loss will work, but a diet that is slow and gradual will allow the individual to adopt lifelong changes that are necessary to carry this prevention mindset late into life.

First, it is important to start with a healthy diet and avoid processed and simple carbohydrates – such as donuts, bagels, white breads, chips and sugary drinks. A healthy eating plan should include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins such as eggs, chicken, fish, lean red meats. Some healthy fats should be part of this diet but kept to a minimum.

To promote slow, steady weight loss, it is important to take in about 200 – 400 calories less than your daily needs.

Second, move more. It is important to engage in exercise or physical activity that is of moderate intensity for 30 minutes a day, five days per week. Exercise provides many benefits for a healthy lifestyle, including making the insulin system much more efficient and resistant to decay as seen in diabetic patients. Insulin is the hormone that closely regulates the body’s sugar levels and when finely tuned; as in a person who exercises regularly, can handle rises in sugar levels and keep them in a normal range.

Whether it is walking, jogging, cycling or any other aerobic activity make it count.

Simple lifestyle changes can prevent a disease that can take a tremendous toll – emotionally, physically, and financially. Make these changes now to prevent a killer disease.

Personalized health care. Lower costs. No insurance claims.

Driven by market forces and demand for personalized quality health care, direct primary care is growing across the United States.

The direct primary care model provides an affordable, meaningful alternative to fee-for-service medical insurance billing.  While “concierge” care is often characterized by hefty retainers, direct primary care is an affordable alternative for individuals and employees of companies of all sizes.

Direct primary care – or DPC – provides an alternative to medical insurance as the company or individual pays an affordable monthly fee that covers the treatment of acute and chronic illnesses and preventative care.

“Direct primary care benefits patients by providing substantial savings and a greater degree of access to, and time with, physicians,’’ according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

With direct primary care, no claims are filed with the employer’s health plan. When compared to the traditional fee-for-service model of the medical insurance world, direct primary care has the potential to provide better medical care for patients while reducing the paperwork and administrative red tape associated with filing insurance claims.

In managing insurance claims in a fee-for-service model, the traditional primary care physician’s overhead costs usually run as high as 60 percent of monthly collections. At the same time, physicians typically see more patients to cover overhead with less time spent with each patient.

Because of these challenges, more and more physicians are selling their practices to hospital systems, retiring early or converting their practices to a direct primary care model.  The direct primary care model provides several benefits.

More quality time with a physician

By avoiding the bureaucratic complexity of health insurance, more time can be spent on treating disease.

Physicians can dedicate more time to each patient, which enables a more thorough discussion of health issues and helps mitigate patient anxiety.

For example, a patient scheduled an appointment to be evaluated after months of abdominal pain. With concerns of everything from cancer to inflammatory diseases of the colon, the patient was seeking a referral to a specialist to undergo expensive colon testing and a CAT scan of the abdomen.  After a thorough evaluation and exam with simple blood tests, it was clear the patient’s abdominal problems stemmed from multiple life stressors. Prescribing medication – which cost about $4 per month — significantly improved her life.

Financial savings

When diagnosing illness, a little extra time in the examination room can save thousands in health care costs. A little extra time can help a physician get to the root of the problem, which often eliminates the need for pricey specialists, surgical procedures and expensive medications. This helps keep health care costs low for both the patient and the employer by reducing the claims filed against an employer’s health insurance plan. At the same time, healthy employees take fewer sick days – which flows to the employer’s bottom line.

Health care advocacy

Direct primary care improves the physician-patient relationship and enables the physician to be an advocate for the patient – including making specialist referrals only when needed and prescribing less expensive generic medications when appropriate.

At Healthcare2U, our team of doctors acts as health care advocates for employees and employers in reducing the number of unnecessary tests and procedures as determined by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s “Choosing Wisely” campaign.

“It is urgent that health care providers and patients work together and have conversations about wise treatment decisions,’’ according to Choosing Wisely. “That means choosing care that is supported by evidence showing that it works for patients like them; is not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received; won’t harm them; and is truly necessary.”

A health care advocate can make a huge difference in helping to prevent adverse outcomes that can arise from prescribing medications or unnecessary procedures.

A healthier and engaged patient

With greater access to health care and a doctor-patient relationship – particularly with employer-sponsored direct primary care programs – it is important for patients to get a biometric screen for any risk factors. By focusing on prevention, chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease can be identified early and aggressively managed to improve the patient’s life and help prevent future hospitalizations and catastrophic events such as a stroke or heart attack

Direct primary care is redefining the delivery of medicine and is key to achieving lower costs, better health outcomes and an improved patient experience.

Self-funded healthcare insurance is on the rise among smaller and mid-size businesses looking to manage employees’ healthcare.

Through self-funded healthcare,  employers, rather than pay a hefty health insurance premium to insurers for their employees, “self-fund’’ premiums and assume most of the financial risk of employee health expenses. Employers pay claims through a third-party intermediary and can save significantly on premium payments.

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare system, the percentage of workers in self-insured plans has been increasing. How do employers manage risk?

When it comes to maintaining healthy workforces, most employers face several challenges that could lead to significant costs if not adequately addressed. These challenges include managing chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension; prescription drug costs and hospitalization costs – all of which make up the bulk of a company’s healthcare spending.

According to the Integrated Benefits Institute, U.S. workforce illness costs $227 billion a year in lost productivity when employees are absent due to illness or when they are underperforming because of poor health.

How does an employer manage costs while also improving the health of their employees?

One strategy is to catch diseases early. By implementing a comprehensive biometric screening analysis of employees, potential problems can be identified early. Biometric screenings check employees for risk markers such as weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.

With this aggressive outreach, companies can identify moderate-to-high risk employees and enroll them in a company-sponsored health and wellness program. As these employees improve their health, they fall into a lower-risk category, which helps lowers healthcare costs.

A large supermarket chain based in Texas, H-E-B, has seen these savings firsthand. “H-E-B’s internal analysis shows that annual healthcare claims are about $1500 higher among nonparticipants in its workplace wellness program than among participants with a high-risk health status,” according to a story in the Harvard Business Review.

Another strategy to lower healthcare costs is to focus on those employees already diagnosed with chronic diseases. Caring for employees with chronic disease drives a large portion of healthcare spending by way of doctor visits, hospital care, and pharmacy costs.

Managing chronic diseases can lower healthcare costs, according to a RAND Corporation study. Examining a large employee wellness program offered by PepsiCo, researchers found that “efforts to help employees manage chronic illnesses saved $3.78 in healthcare costs for every $1 invested in the effort,’’ according to the RAND Corporation.

Working with a healthcare provider that understands the challenges employers face is critical. Healthcare2U provides a network of direct primary care clinics so employees have convenient access to the healthcare they need.

Accessibility and convenience are two big factors that keep employees from going to the doctor and participating in programs that will keep them healthy and productive. By keeping employees out-of-pocket costs low and providing easy access to healthcare, employees can better follow medical regimens. An engaged patient is a healthier patient.

Direct primary care physicians know the value of controlling prescription drug costs to the employee and employer and the importance of prescribing generic prescription drugs when appropriate.

Our team of doctors act as healthcare advocates for employees and employers in reducing the number of unnecessary tests and procedures as determined by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s “Choosing Wisely” campaign.

The Choosing Wisely effort has garnered the participation of more than 70 medical specialty societies who have published more than 400 recommendations of overused tests and treatments that clinicians and patients should discuss.

Having a board-certified physician as an advocate can improve the health of employees while providing real savings in healthcare costs.

Healthcare is changing rapidly, don’t be left behind.

Living a healthy life encompasses more than just the right diet and exercise. Achieving health and wellness also includes a healthy balance of social, emotional, spiritual, environmental and the working worlds.

For the sake of brevity, we will focus on physical health – but the rest should not be ignored.

Physical health can be broken down into the three components: proper diet (including avoiding drug use and alcohol in excess), exercise and quality sleep.

Embarking on a path to healthier living should begin with an annual physical exam from your primary care physician. This will help evaluate cardiovascular risk factors such as weight, blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as sleep quality.

Healthy eating plan

A proper diet varies by the individual and is driven by whether he or she is trying to lose weight or maintain weight.

At the end of the day calories count.  It’s simple. If you want to lose weight you must consume fewer calories than you burn each day. If you want to maintain your weight, calories consumed should equal the calories burned per day.

Generally, to lose one to two pounds per week, you will need to reduce your calories by 500 to 1000 calories a day, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute under the National Institutes of Health.

Many diets have been out there for years but the diets that minimize carbohydrate consumption or “low carb diets” seem to provide the best results. In multiple studies, these diets show better weight loss than low fat diets – along with the benefits of improved blood pressure and an impact on blood readings such as sugar, good cholesterol (HDL) and triglyceride levels especially in diabetic patients.

Regardless of the diet, the most important thing is to stick with the diet protocols – and not quit after you have lost weight. Maintenance diets are just as important as the initial weight loss diet.

Get moving

Exercise, contrary to popular belief does not – I repeat – does not help you lose weight without a healthy diet. The recommended minimum exercise of 30 minutes per day of moderate aerobic activity, however, at best can help you maintain weight.

A typical 30 minute workout will burn about 300 to 400 calories which is equivalent to two glazed donuts or a bagel with cream cheese. Exercise helps maintain weight as well as improve body image. It also reduces cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension while raising your good cholesterol. Pick an exercise routine that is right for you and make sure it is at least of moderate effort to reach 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Quality shut-eye

Finally, good, quality sleep is critical in helping to start and maintain a proper diet and exercise regimen. We all know a bad night’s sleep makes for a difficult day with mental fatigue and decreased motivation.

The average person needs seven to eight hours of quality, restorative sleep each night.

The subjective definition of quality sleep as determined in a study by the journal Sleep is the feeling of being rested and restored upon awakening. This coincides with the number of awakenings in the night with the fewer the awakenings associated with the better quality of sleep.

“Good sleep quality is associated with a wide range of positive outcomes such as better health, less daytime sleepiness, greater well-being and better psychological functioning,” said Allison G. Harvey, PhD, of the University of California at Berkeley, lead author of the study in a story in Science Daily. “Moreover, poor sleep quality is one of the defining features of chronic insomnia.”

If one does not feel they are getting quality sleep, several diagnosis should be considered such as insomnia due to mental or physical stress, Restless Leg Syndrome and Sleep Apnea to name a few.

These concerns should be discussed with your primary care physician with a possible a referral to a sleep specialist.