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Friday, May 23, 2008 |
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No Holiday from Smart Choices |
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I had a request that some of you wanted to see Whissie. We will try to get something in the blog for you soon. I took Whissie for a walk in the rain last night. He seemed to enjoy himself but still opted to be carried part of the way back. His formal name is Whistler, but we call him Whissie and several other names I can’t mention when we were potty-training him.
This weekend is the first of the barbecue holidays for the summer. Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day lend themselves to outdoor cooking and eating – and for some of us – overeating. Since I’m not immune to the overeating part, I’m developing a game plan. First, make smart choices. Second, enjoy the food but follow common sense about portion control. Avoid second helpings (two helpings of small portions can be as bad as one helping of too much stuff). Fourth, exercise. Finally, remember that the purpose of the holidays is more than an excuse to cook and overeat. Memorial Day is for us to remember those who have sacrificed. Take a minute and thank those members of your family and friends who served, and remember those who paid the ultimate price.
Enjoy the holiday weekend, even though many of us have to work on Monday. Make smart choices and exercise. Whissie and I will get in some serious walking – well, maybe not for Whissie.
Monday’s guest blog is on gardening. |
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Bill Richardson |
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Thursday, May 22, 2008 |
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Set Example for Children |
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I’ve gone to exercise the last three mornings and found we humans are really stuck in our routines. I mentioned to you in an earlier e-mail that I liked to get on the same treadmill, and I noticed this morning that I was not alone. For three mornings in a row, the same people were there on the same machines. Some even seemed to have on the same clothes. If I go tomorrow, I think I’ll get there early and get on someone else’s machine and see if anyone notices.
I took my pet Pekingese, Whissie, for a walk yesterday afternoon. Actually, because of his lack of stamina, he walked for a while and I carried him for a while. Long walks are just not on Whissie’s list of things that he enjoys. I noticed a number of kids in the park with their animals and thought back to an earlier blog regarding getting our kids to walk their dogs as a form of exercise. Even though I haven’t preached on the subject lately, our teenage obesity problem is still a major issue in this state.
The Washington Post just published an article by Brigid Shulte on the obesity issue. We still have two fundamental problems, according to the article. One is eating the wrong stuff, and the other is not getting enough exercise. We adults need to take charge and help our kids make smart choices with food and exercise by setting an example. Please join me and let’s keep the pressure up to overcome this obesity issue. It is hard to tell the kids to eat right and exercise when we as adults don’t follow the same advice.
I plan to take Whissie out again this weekend. I hope to stretch his walking distance to at least 50 yards or more. |
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Bill Richardson |
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| Nutritionist's Response |
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The latest American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports on research done on overweight children. The focus was whether or not children found food reinforcing. What that means is how hard is someone willing to work to get a reward, in this case the reward would be food. According to the researchers, overweight children found food more reinforcing than normal weight children. Eating is one of the choices available to make among several behavioral alternatives such as watching a movie, playing video games, going for a walk or any other behavior. Research shows that in normal weight adults, when given several alternatives for eating, they will substitute healthier options over less healthy options when possible. Overweight adults on the other hand, find food more reinforcing than lean adults and will engage in eating behavior over leisure behavior. In this study, overweight children were more motivated to eat and worked harder to get food than lean children. They also consumed more energy when they ate than normal weight children. The higher the child’s Body Mass Index, the higher motivation they had for eating and the more calories they consumed. Lifetime eating habits are established in childhood, and if a child finds food motivating and consumes extra calories, this habit carries on into adulthood. In this study, the researchers found that overweight children responded to food more than lean children. However, when they had to make a choice for food, there was no difference in what kind of food was chosen. However, if there were constraints set on the choice, there was a difference between lean and overweight children. Overweight children tend to choose activities more compatible with eating such as TV viewing, compared to lean children who were more likely to engage in physical activity when that was given as a choice.
The researchers suggest finding ways to limit the reinforcing value of food and to shift motivation away from food to other activities. One important aspect is to make healthier food choices with lower fat and calorie content available for children. Additionally, having choices for activities other than eating trains them to shift their focus away from food. |
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Heli Roy |
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008 |
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Wal-Mart ‘Losers’ Win – Guest Blog |
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Editor’s note: Today’s guest blog is written by Mary Ann Van Osdell, North Louisiana area communicator with LSU AgCenter Communications. She attended both sessions of a Smart Portions class offered to employees at the Wal-Mart in Minden, La. Employees at both sessions lost weight but won healthier lifestyles.
Associates at the Wal-Mart in Minden, La., lost 54.6 pounds during the an eight-week session of the Smart Portions class conducted by Joan Almond, LSU AgCenter extension agent.
This session, which was actually the second offered at that Wal-Mart, began with a $1,000 grant from Wal-Mart to purchase pedometers.
The first time the program was offered in August, 13 who documented their weight at the beginning and following the eight-week class lost a total of 32.64 pounds, collectively.
The biggest loser the second time around was the manager, Scott Harnden, who lost 12.2 pounds, followed by associates who lost 5.6 and 4.2 pounds.
Smart Portions is an LSU AgCenter healthy weight program that is not a diet but advocates learning and practicing healthy weight-management techniques.
Almond compiled weight-loss and body mass index statistics on each participant throughout the course. Participants also kept food and activity journals.
She said weight-related illnesses include diabetes, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
“I wasn’t good all week long,” Harnden told his staff. “I cooked out, but I knew when to say when. I stripped my floors for exercise.” He said he regularly walks three miles a day at work.
Wal-Mart associate Mary Ann Toms said she feels less sluggish since she began monitoring her pedometer and trying to increase steps. She walked 36 miles at work one week.
Roz Zappa said she tries to make sure she does 10,000 steps a day now. “I am more aware,” she said. “I get out in the yard on Sundays.”
Zappa is a team captain of Wal-Mart’s Personal Sustainability Project (PSP), which is a volunteer grassroots effort to bring sustainability to the personal lives of Wal-Mart employees by getting them involved in a change they can be passionate about.
Almond, who herself lost 52 pounds in 52 weeks, did so by making a commitment to drink water instead of diet Dr Pepper, to walk every day and to count her food intake by writing down everything she eats.
“Sixty-four ounces of water a day helps keep the weight away,” she suggested as a new saying to attendees.
Her other tips have included grilling rather than frying foods, reading labels and changing to a smaller plate size. “Keep portions smart, and don’t overeat,” she said. “Push away from the table if you need to.”
Almond said she will stop by the store and leave incentives from time to time. She also is conducting a Smart Portions class for employees of the Webster Parish Courthouse.
If you would like more information about the Smart Portions class and the possibility of offering at your place of employment, please contact your local parish LSU AgCenter office. |
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Mary Ann Van Osdell |
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Monday, May 19, 2008 |
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Sunglasses, Sunscreen Keep You Summer-safe |
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I couldn’t believe that it happened. But there they lay – crushed on the concrete – my favorite sunglasses. I had kept these for most of a year – a record for me. They will be missed. Now I have to find a new pair and swallow hard at the cost of good sunglasses. But my eye doc strongly suggested that I get good glasses with all the protections so that I can protect my eyes. So despite my vanity that sunglasses should look good, there are some medical reasons to protect your eyes. There is some solace in losing or damaging a good pair because the sunglass people change the styles every year anyway. If you want to stay in style, you have to buy new ones. Is that a rationalization for getting new sunglasses?
Sunglasses I like wearing. But wearing sunscreen is another matter. Tomorrow might be our first 90-degree day in Baton Rouge. Regardless of whether I like it or not, using sunscreen is as important to protecting your skin as sunglasses are to protecting your eyes. I have pledged myself to make a stronger effort at using sunscreen and protecting my skin. I found a 50 that is easy to use and doesn’t feel like I’m covered in hog lard. There are many out there, and like sunglasses, make sure you choose a good quality sunscreen.
Now that you have a good pair of sunglasses and promise to wear sunscreen, get out and exercise. I was reading a book over the weekend about populations around the world where the people had longer than normal life spans. One common characteristic was that they walked and kept moving. I'll write more about this later. For now get out and walk, bike, run, swim, or whatever you do to exercise.
The guest blog tomorrow will talk about another employer-sponsored healthy lifestyle program. |
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Bill Richardson |
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| Nutritionist's Response |
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There’s no better time than now to talk about the importance of protecting your skin and body in the Louisiana summer heat. Why all the fuss? In 2007 alone, skin cancer was the most common form of cancer in the United States. In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 1 million individuals are diagnosed with the disease on an annual basis. What is even more important and alarming is that 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.
To protect yourself, always wear sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15 and preferably 30. Sunscreen should be worn daily. Sunscreen should be applied at least 20 minutes before sun exposure. Also, reapply every two hours.
Wear protective clothing such as hats, sunglasses and long sleeve shirts.
Head indoors or find shade from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is when the sun’s rays are strongest.
Drink lots of water. Because you will likely be sweating when outdoors, you lose water through perspiration. |
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Denise Holston |
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