This time of year is notorious for resolutions. Whether you vowed to work up a sweat more often or tackle the daunting messy closets, there is one habit everyone should toss out with the trash.  Instead of focusing on what you have to lose, keep your eyes on the prize! We all know kicking the smoking habit has many heart and lung benefits. But did you know it’s basically a total body makeover?

 Prevent premature aging: Smoking releases toxins that increase the breakdown of collagen. Collagen is found in your skin and prevents sagging and wrinkles. Smoking can also lead to destruction of hair follicles, resulting in hair thinning.

 Put your best foot forward: The distinct smell isn’t the only turn off associated with smoking. Smoking causes yellowing of the nails and teeth. The nicotine in cigarettes leads to a decrease in saliva, which puts you at risk for not only bad breath, but gum disease too. Another thing to keep in mind is the growing number of smoke free work campuses. Don’t let smoking keep you from your dream career!

 Breathe Better: Spend your paid time off at work on relaxation and traveling, not using it as sick leave. Smoking impairs the function of your nose and lungs, lending you more susceptible to becoming sick. It also diminishes your sense of smell and taste.  Shortly after quitting smoking, you will notice your lung function, sense of smell and taste begin to return!

 Go Green: Add years to your life and money to your bank account. The cost of smoking one pack per day in 2012, cost approximately $2,000 per year. That’s enough for a tropical get-away each year!

 If you are considering or ready to quit, don’t go at it alone. Studies show people who take part in support groups or counseling are more likely to remain tobacco-free. For more information on quitting smoking contact your physician or one of these organizations:

 http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/cessation/index.htm

http://www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/guidetoquittingsmoking/index

http://www.mayoclinic.org/stop-smoking

 Annie is a Certified Nurse Practitioner in Otorhinolaryngology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

This information is not intended as medical advice.  Please consult your physician for individual advice.

As a supermarket dietitian, I meet newly-diagnosed patients with heart disease on a regular basis.  My job is to assist them in their grocery shopping and answer all their questions about how specific foods affect heart health.  When we walk up to the meat case, I oftentimes hear the customer say, “Don’t worry, I already know that I have to choose chicken or fish instead of beef.”  Not so fast—beef isn’t off limits!

A recent study at Penn State discovered that lean beef can fit in a heart-healthy diet.  The Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) clinical study found that participants could eat four ounces of lean beef every day and still lower their cholesterol levels.  This is exciting news for people living with heart disease.

Before you run off and fill your cart with T-bone steaks and 80/20 ground beef, keep these important points in mind:

• Focus on lean beef.  Beef is a source of saturated fat, so it’s important to understand how to choose lean cuts.  Some examples of lean beef include sirloin steak, round roast and 96/4 ground beef.  When you are standing in front of the meat case, look for words like loin or round to point you toward the leanest cuts.  Otherwise, pay attention to marbling in the meat as an indication of fat content.  Note: The USDA defines lean as less than ten grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per three-ounce serving. 
• Practice portion control.  Follow the MyPlate guidelines to plan a healthy, balanced meal: one-fourth protein, one-fourth grains, half fruits and vegetables and a serving of low-fat dairy on the side.  For example, a steak dinner would include a 4-ounce sirloin steak, whole-grain dinner roll, spinach-berry salad and a glass of skim milk. 

Click here for more information about the BOLD study.                                                       

Kaitlin Anderson, RD, LD is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee North in Rochester. 

This information is not intended as medical advice.  Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.

Have you heard of the “fruits and veggies: more matters®” campaign? It is one of my favorite nutrition-related promotions because it focuses simply on improvement.  Instead of urging adults and kids to take in a certain number of fruit and vegetable servings per day, the goal of the campaign is to help individuals eat more.  Check out the website if you haven’t already.  While we are on the subject of “more,” here are a few ways to increase your intake. 

1. Eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal.  Incorporating some kind of produce with each meal guarantees you’ll take in three servings during the day.  Need ideas?  Grab a banana to pair with breakfast, munch on some pepper sticks at lunch, and steam up green beans to go along with dinner.

2. Make fruits and veggies the focal point of your snacks.  Gather up your choices the night before you need them to set yourself up for success the next day.  Some of my favorite between-meal options include an apple with string cheese, baby carrots and hummus, celery sticks and peanut butter, a mixed berry smoothie, and plain edamame.

3. Make them “ready-to-eat.”  It’s tough to turn away fruits and vegetables that are washed, sliced, and ready for consumption!   Freshly cut pineapple chunks, cucumber slices, and broccoli florets are just a few examples of produce to keep on hand. Get in the habit of having a few of your favorites prepared so that all you have to do is grab and go.   

 This is not intended as medical advice. Please contact your physician for medical advice.

 Jennifer Lintz, RD, LD, is a Registered Dietitian for Hy-Vee in Owatonna, MN, and a Group Fitness Instructor at the Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center in Rochester, MN.

As a supermarket dietitian, I get the warm fuzzies whenever someone tells me they made something from scratch. Whether it’s an entrée like chicken cacciatore, side of steamed green beans, or even a homemade apple pie, it makes me happy to know there are folks who aren’t afraid to put a little extra love into their meals. Because February is American Heart Month, I thought it would be fitting to discuss ways to cook with your heart in mind. Here are a few: 

Find ways to add fiber. Increasing your fiber intake can be helpful in reducing cholesterol. The top food sources of fiber are whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans and other legumes, nuts and seeds. You can bump up fiber content by incorporating whole grains into baking, using fiber-rich veggies in stir-fries and sides, and adding beans and lentils to soups. I like to add whole wheat flour and flaxseed to my homemade banana bread and often replace a third of the bread flour in my pizza crust with the whole wheat kind. 

Skim back on fat. Limiting your consumption of saturated fat can help lower your LDL or “bad” cholesterol. In the kitchen, this means using lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy in addition to low-fat cooking methods like baking, broiling, roasting and stir-frying. My husband and I almost always have swai, tilapia, or salmon on hand to help ensure that we eat fish at least once per week. We also regularly rely on lean ground chicken and turkey breast for burgers, meatloaf, and tacos. 

Ease up on sodium. Scaling back your salt intake can be helpful in the blood pressure department. While putting the salt shaker out of sight is one strategy, the best way to control your sodium consumption is to prepare your meals from scratch. Why? A majority of the sodium we consume is found in processed items such as frozen meals, canned goods, and packaged snacks. When cooking, use minimal amounts of salt and experiment with spices, herbs, garlic, peppers, and citrus fruits to add flavor to your dishes. Also, rinse your canned goods to remove some of the excess sodium or buy the “no salt added” kind.

This is not intended as medical advice. Please contact your physician for medical advice.

Jennifer Lintz, RD, LD, is a Registered Dietitian for Hy-Vee in Owatonna, MN, and a Group Fitness Instructor at the Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center in Rochester, MN.

Conditions in Southeast Minnesota have been just plain cold lately – frigid, in fact! My thermostat in the car has ranged from -2 to -6 degrees Fahrenheit on my morning commute during the past couple of days. “Brr” is about all I have to say about that! No matter how much I enjoy running, odds are slim-to-none that I will exercise outside when temps fall below zero, and I know a lot of folks who feel the same way. Thankfully, there are ways to workout inside when the weather isn’t the warmest. Here are a few.
Pop in a workout video. If it keeps me exercising when temps are in the single or negative digits, I don’t mind shelling out $10 or $15 for a DVD that will get me sweating. One of my favorites right now is Bob Harper’s Ultimate Cardio Body, but I also enjoy Denise Austin’s “Blast Away 10 lbs” kickboxing workouts. There are tons of options available both in stores and online with a wide range of modalities – from yoga and Pilates to kickboxing and dance.

Head to the mall. On days when all the layers in the world aren’t enough to get you outside for an extended period of time, make your way to  the mall or any large department store and take some laps. Even I do this! For accountability and conversation, plan to go with a friend. It will make you more likely to go and will make the time fly once you get started.

Invest in a gym membership. In my opinion, paying a monthly fee during the coldest months of the year is completely worth it if it means I’ll be able to stay active and healthy. The nice thing about going to a gym is that there are typically several options to keep boredom at bay – cardio equipment, free weights, and possibly even swimming pools, weight machines, and group fitness classes.

This is not intended as medical advice. Please contact your physician for medical advice.

Jennifer Lintz, RD, LD, is a Registered Dietitian for Hy-Vee in Owatonna, MN, and a Group Fitness Instructor at the Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center in Rochester, MN.

We all know that there are massive and substantial benefits to quitting smoking.  Aside from improvements in lung and cardiovascular function, a smoker who kicks the habit rids themselves of the stench of smoke in their clothing and hair, ugly discoloring stains on their fingers and teeth, and a huge decrease in toxic chemicals continually floating throughout their body. A tremendous positive that is rarely discussed is the fact that the sooner you quit and the more resolved you are to quitting the better your chances of avoiding life threatening illnesses associated with smoking. Also, by quitting this health hazardous habit, you will show your kids and their friends that a strong resolve to live a healthier life is beneficial to all.

Children view adults as a guide to what their actions and behaviors are supposed to look like. When kids grow-up watching their parents smoke, they come to believe that smoking is an appropriate response to stress, difficulties at work, or boredom. It’s important to help them understand that there are better ways to relieve stress and such. Programs that assist adults to quit smoking can help modify behaviors that can lead a person to begin smoking. If a parent learns these behavior modifications it can pay huge dividends as the kids grow and mature. Simple changes for a healthy alternative to smoking and reducing stress include going for a walk or a bike ride, painting, listening to music, or simply reading a book.

At Healthy Living Rochester we are proud of the fact that we can work as a bridge to help individuals quit smoking, and provide information and support to help kids from starting the habit. With our anti-smoking programs and our strong advocacy for a smoke free America we strive to teach kids the risks that they take just being around smoke and smokers.

It’s not an easy road to walk for a smoker who is trying to quit, and when you are trying to teach kids that smoking is bad for them the road can become very rocky. When pop culture endorses the use of tobacco because it’s “hip” or “cool” and advertisements are aimed straight at young adults it’s often far more difficult to swing them back to thinking of their health over the pressures of trying to “fit in” to their perceived peer society. But it’s a battle that needs to be waged. A parent that shows a kid that it’s possible to quit smoking, and shares the benefits they have experienced by kicking the habit, will give their child the ability to live a healthier and more satisfying life.

There is a lot of information out there about “voluntary simplicity” and how pursuing it can de-clutter life so that we have more time to do what is important such as taking a bike ride or going for a walk. The biggest challenge in living a healthy, active lifestyle is to take the time to make time for it. So it seems to make sense to take a look at how we can “create time” for ourselves to pursue healthy living strategies and look after our heart health. Here are a few thoughts on how to achieve this:

• Take baby steps. You can’t remodel your life in one grand sweep. Take little, “doable” actions that reinforce your resolve and make you feel successful.
• Put the remote down and get on your bike or go for a walk. The average American watches 4 hours of TV per DAY! Get out of that chair and into the fresh air! Become a bit less than average and go outside. Your family and dog will love you for it, and really, Oprah or the Simpson’s won’t miss you in the slightest!
• Get out of your car and walk or take a bike. With a bit of planning, you could take one of Rochester’s beautiful bike trails to work or the grocery store.  You can commute and get your exercise at the same time! And think of the money you save on parking and gas.

Simplify your schedule. We all want to help; pitch in for that garage sale, bring your ailing aunt some food, take Grandpa to the grocery store, or join that committee at school. The next time you find yourself raising your hand to tell them, “Yes, I can do it!” stop and think about how it can positively improve your free time and your pursuit of healthy living.

When it comes to our health and wellness we generally have good intentions to exercise more, eat less, quit smoking, and lower stress. However, even the best intentions can fail if we don’t first identify our triggers and then put a plan in place to address how we’re going to handle them.

A trigger is something that causes us to want to engage in a certain behavior. It can be emotional, physical or habitual, or a combination of all three. Here are a few examples of common triggers and the result:

• A desire to take the elevator instead of the stairs due to fatigue
• A cigarette after the morning cup of coffee
• A food craving due to a negative emotion (sadness, anger)
• Increased stress due to a perceived, but not yet realized, outcome

Of course, this is hardly an all-encompassing list, as triggers are very individualized. That is why we each must start by identifying what our triggers are. Only then can we begin to anticipate those situations that may get in the way of our intentions. Let’s get started by using the steps versus elevator scenario:

• Be thorough. List every trigger you can think of that has, in the past, caused you to exhibit an unwanted behavior. Is fatigue the only reason you favor the elevator?
• Make a plan. What will you do instead of succumbing to the trigger? For example, instead of pressing the elevator button, remind yourself that exercise can actually help you fight off the fatigue and increase your overall energy level.
• Try it. Take the stairs today. See how you feel.
• Give yourself time. Maybe you were a bit out of breath when you took the stairs, but you did it. Build on your success and try it again next time!
• Analyze the results. If it worked, you now have the motivation to continue your plan. If it doesn’t, could you identify the reason it didn’t? In this scenario, if you usually take the elevator three floors catch the ride for two floors and hit the steps for one.
• Don’t be discouraged. Remember, we all have different triggers that produce different results, and there is no one universal way to address each.

If this sounds way too simple, perhaps it’s because many folks tend to over-think this process and made their desired goals too complicated in the past. Small steps and changes will lead to small gains and achievements. Slowly work your way up the ladder (or steps) instead of trying to leap directly to the top! Give it a shot. What have you got to lose? For more information and ideas log onto our Healthy Living Rochester website to gain the facts and insightful details you need to live a healthier lifestyle!

To eat healthy is to live healthy. Sounds too simple, right? It’s just food. It’s just eating, something most of us have done since we were born. The serious truth is poor nutrition impacts more than a person’s general health and well-being. Nutritional negligence can have an adverse effect on heart health, yet many people simply do not eat right. Why?

While some blame fast food and snack advertising for the bad eating habits many have developed, others attribute the poor nutrition problem to the mixed messages that have been given over the years about what is healthy to eat and what is not healthy. Convenience is another culprit in the poor nutrition blame game.

We do have a choice in what we eat and whether or not we are going to give into the culprits of negative nutrition. By focusing on the positive nutritional opportunities available to us rather than spending our time worrying about what or who is to blame when it comes to nutrition, we can take steps in the right direction. We can make good, gradual changes to the foods we and/or our friends and family members consume.

For those who live in Rochester, Minnesota there’s an ample amount of healthy food options that can be purchased from a variety of grocery stores, markets, restaurants and delis. When buying food look for fruit and vegetable opportunities. If there are places you go to that don’t offer any fruits or vegetables, you may want to consider changing the places you patronize to ones that do. Finding five servings of fruits and vegetables a day could be made into a game – a great one to play with children. To make it even more fun and even healthier, you could challenge each other to find five fruits and vegetables that represent five different colors.

To learn more fun ways to incorporate health into your day, visit local websites like healthylivingrochester.org. You could learn more and share healthy lifestyle goals by becoming involved with local organizations like Healthy Living Rochester as well as organizations that Healthy Living Rochester works with to help promote a healthy lifestyle that incorporates good nutrition.

It’s something you see and hear over and over:  You’ve got to lose that weight.  News articles try to scare you into losing weight.  Advertisements try to shame you into losing weight.  And to make matters worse, you live in Rochester, MN, home of the Mayo Clinic, which can make it feel you should have no excuse for being overweight.

With all that pressure, it seems like you should have all the motivation you need to shed those pounds, but for some reason, for some people, it makes you feel guilty and ashamed.  Perhaps you should take another approach: Rather than obsessing about losing weight to hopefully achieve an eventual goal, instead, switch your focus and make it your ultimate goal to live healthy.

The problem with simply trying to lose weight is that you often gain it back after you’ve met your goal.  This is because you haven’t really changed the behaviors that caused the weight gain in the first place.  You need to get off the weight-loss, weight-gain roller coaster.  If you focus on living healthy, you make positive changes that improve your health which results in more energy, improved self-esteem, improved heart health, and yes, weight loss.

Rochester Healthy Living has links to local, Minnesota, and national resources that you can use to start living a healthy lifestyle.  These resources include information for eating right, how to exercise correctly, quitting smoking, and living with heart disease.  And you don’t have to go it alone.  Rochester Healthy Living also has on-line forums where you can meet other people who are on the road and making the same journey as you to healthy living.

Give up the guilt.  Put away the shame.  Emphasizing healthy living will go much further into making you a happier, healthier person.