Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Diabetes, Diet and Nutrition, Exercise, Health Tips, Men's Health, Popular, Women's Health
Every year at the end of December, I reflect on the past year’s highs and lows, and the goals I set and didn’t achieve along with those I did. Most of them involve going to the gym and eating better, and 90% of the time I haven’t come close to meeting them. As inconceivable as it sounds, I find myself again making the exact same New Year’s resolutions I wasn’t able to accomplish last year! Sound familiar?
Resolutions Need a Reason
Many people get stuck in this same loop, making the same New Year’s resolutions year after year: “I will work out at least three times a week,” “I will lose 10 pounds,” “I will go to sleep by midnight,” etc. Most of us enter the new year determined to achieve our goals, but the changes never last to March. Why? Because most New Year’s resolutions are emotionless and without any motivating or driving force behind them.
To change a behavior or daily habit for a week or two is easy, but it is incredibly difficult to sustain that change over a long period or for the rest of your life if you don’t have a good reason to do it (and knowing you should do it isn’t a good enough reason for most of us). We all know we should exercise and eat better, but most of us don’t do it. So, how do you make a New Year’s resolution that sticks? Make it personal and important.
How to Make and Keep Yours
If you want to change your behavior or lifestyle, here are some steps that can help you start 2013 on the right track.
1. Think of a New Year’s resolution and write it down.
Example: I want to have better blood sugar control.
2. Look at the resolution and ask yourself why it is important to you. List your reasons.
Example: I want to live a long time and watch my son graduate high school; I don’t want to lose my toes or feet; I watched my mother die from the disease and I don’t want to go through the same thing.
3. Rate your reasons (1 being the most important, 10 the least).
Example: 1) My son’s graduation; 2) Don’t want my Mom’s end of life; 3) I want to keep my toes.
4. Now that you have solid and important reasons to change your behavior and achieve your goal, think about how you can go about it.
Write down what you will have to change on a daily or weekly basis to make the goal work. Be very detailed.
Example: I will put out my finger sticks by the bedside table so I can test my blood sugar as soon as I wake up. I will make an appointment with a dietitian to make a meal plan. I will keep a log of my sugars every day. I will switch from juice to diet soda.
5. Set-up some mini milestones and rewards (not food related) for when you meet them.
This will help your motivation continue through the year until it becomes routine.
Example: If my blood sugar stays below 200 for one month I will take my family ice-skating. If I keep my blood sugar below 180 for three months, I get to book my summer vacation.
Remember, you can make goals and revise goals throughout the year and use the same method to meet them. What are you waiting for? Get started on your New Year’s resolutions now and have the faith and belief that this time you are knocking them out of the ballpark!
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Diabetes
This post originally appeared on the Friedman Diabetes Institute blog.
With the holidays comes food. Everywhere! At the annual office party and family get-togethers. At neighborhood gatherings and holiday celebrations. Add holiday stress, traveling and a ridiculously long to-do list — that does not include trips to the gym — and any diet will suffer. FDI nutritionist Lynn Polmanteer has some tips to help manage this time of intense eating.
Stay active! Even though it’s a busy time of year, it’s important to fit exercise into each day. Try not to break your routine. If you usually go for a 10- to 20-minute walk in the morning, continue doing this. Instead of sitting on the couch after a holiday celebration, grab your coat and go for a walk with your family and friends. Walking after eating can help to bring down your postprandial blood sugar; you’ll simultaneously burn a few calories, too!
Don’t drink your calories. Keep your nonalcoholic drinks calorie- and carbohydrate-free. Choose water, seltzer or diet soda instead of juice or regular soda. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation: one drink for women and two drinks for men. Beer, wine and alcohol all contain calories, so if you’re watching your weight it’s wise to be mindful of this. If you drink hard liquor, be careful what you mix it with. Avoid the sugary mixers: Chose diet tonic, diet soda, club soda or seltzer instead of regular tonic, juice or regular soda.
Follow the Plate Method. Check out what is being served before you fill up your plate. Remember you want half of your plate to be vegetables, one-quarter of your plate to be carbohydrates and one-quarter of your plate to be protein. Holiday meals are often carbohydrate-filled, so pick a couple of your favorites and keep the portions small.
Don’t skip meals. If you skip breakfast and lunch, you’ll probably overeat at dinner. We suggest having a small snack before going to your friend’s or family’s house. This will prevent you from overindulging on the heavy appetizers.
Don’t overdo it on the desserts. Have smaller portions of the other carbohydrates — mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing — to allow for a little bit of dessert. Keep in mind that the first bite or two is the best, so either have a small slice or split a piece with someone. And, most important, keep the focus on friends and family instead of food. Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
Share how you stay out of eating “trouble” during the holiday.
(Parts of this blog were previously posted in Lynn Polmanteer’s column on Healthline)
Nov 27, 2012 | Diabetes, Diet and Nutrition, Endocrinology, Men's Health, Women's Health
We have all heard of “beauty sleep,” but the impact of sleep quality and quantity goes way beyond our physical appearance. Research has begun to clearly delineate the importance of getting a good nights rest on health, so maybe we should start talking about “healthy sleep.”
A few facts for you from a National Sleep Foundation Poll:
* 1 in 3 American adults report having sleep problems.
* The percentage of young American adults sleeping less than 7 hours has doubled over the last 40 years.
* Cumulative sleep loss over the work week for many adults may account to one full night of sleep loss.
What do these statistics mean to me?
Research has demonstrated that sleep deprivation negatively affects several important hormones that directly regulate our appetite and metabolism. Our bodies are innately programmed to regulate our energy balance, essentially matching the energy we take in with the energy we expend.
The yin and yang of energy balance are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is a protein that is produced mainly by the stomach that stimulates appetite; it is why your stomach growls when you are hungry. On the other hand, leptin is a hormone released by fat cells that signals when you are full (sometimes it’s hard to listen to this one!). Several research studies on sleep deprivation have shown that leptin levels decrease and ghrelin levels increase in response to a lack of sleep, which causes an increase in appetite (specifically for high-calorie and high-salt food) throughout the day. In a review of long-term research studies, short sleep duration is associated with a risk of being overweight or obese in the future.
Lack of sleep has also been shown to increase the release of stress hormones, specifically cortisol, which decreases the body’s sensitivity to insulin (a regulator of blood sugar). An elevation in stress hormone levels may also elevate blood pressure, a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Just as lack of sleep may be risk factors for these conditions, it may also make them more difficult to control so improving sleep may also be a valuable treatment.
Living in the “city that never sleeps” can make it difficult to shut it down at night. The good news is that it will still be there when you wake up! If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, please talk to your doctor to evaluate if there is a possible medical reason.
Good night and sleep tight!
Gregory B. Dodell, MD, is an Endocrinologist ta St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals.
Nov 20, 2012 | Diabetes, Diet and Nutrition, Health Tips
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the winter holiday season is about to begin. For many of us the holidays are a time spent traveling, family, traditions, and of course food! No matter what the holiday, eating with friends and family in celebration often means specialty foods and “treating yourself”. Your typical Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hannukah spread is likely filled with foods that you don’t eat on a regular basis. Therefore, you may not be bashful about serving yourself an extra serving spoon full of your favorite traditional family dish. As a result eating outside the home makes meal planning and portion control a challenge. Here are a few healthful holiday helping tips to help cut calories and keep you on track to a healthful weight and relaxing holiday season. (more…)
Nov 11, 2012 | Diabetes, Heart Disease, Nephrology, Transplant
What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis) are not an uncommon health issue. Approximately 12% of men and 5% of women are affected by age 70. A kidney stone forms when patients have high levels of calcium, oxalate, cystine or uric acid in the urine. However, stones can also form when these substances are at normal levels if the amount of urine a patient produces each day is low. These substances form crystals, which become lodged in the kidney and gradually build in size, creating a kidney stone. Symptoms include flank (side between rib and hip) pain, blood in the urine, “gravel” or small stones in the urine, vomiting and pain with urination. (more…)
Nov 5, 2012 | Diabetes
Keeping track of your blood pressure is important, especially if you’re diabetic. High blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes both increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney and nerve complications.
Two out of three adults with diabetes have high blood pressure. The only way to find out if you have it is to visit the doctor regularly and have your blood pressure taken. High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer.” But if doctors catch it early, they can help control it. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 and anything above 140/90 signals high blood pressure. Because of the risks of high blood pressure to people with diabetes, doctors recommend that diabetics have a lower blood pressure than normal. (more…)
