Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday.This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
Healthcare...it's complicated.
A philosophical take on prevention
The most compelling thing I learned about healthcare last year is that above all else it’s COMPLICATED! The year long debate showed that anything you can say about healthcare has another side, a mitigating issue, an unconsidered side effect. Remarkably, this is true even with the idea of preventative health. Increasingly, prevention is moving from the margins of healthcare to take a center stage. It was certainly one of the things that Obama called for in his campaign, and this is not surprising since preventative healthcare is often very popular with consumers. We see it as a corrective to the worst aspects of biomedicine. Rather than waiting till we are sick, when medical or surgical intervention can be difficult, painful, and costly, why not tend to people before they get sick? By heading off sickness before it starts we can side step the pain, expense, and limited effectiveness of corrective interventions. That sounds good, but I’m afraid even here healthcare is complicated and the picture is not so simple. Continue reading...
Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
Jamie Oliver's food revolution. Yes!
Marion Nestle's take on the real food reality show
I’m not much of a TV-watcher but from what I’ve been hearing about Jamie Oliver’s new series, I thought I had best take a look.
Don’t miss it. Get your kids to watch it with you.
Oliver, in case you haven’t been paying attention, went to Huntington, West Virginia (ostensibly the obesity capital of the world), TV crew in hand, to reform the town’s school lunch program.
Take a deep breath. Try not to get turned off by Oliver’s statement that “the food revolution starts here” (no Jamie, it doesn’t). Try not to cringe when he calls the food service workers “girls” and “luv” (OK, it’s a cultural problem). Remember: this is reality TV. Continue reading...
Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
Healthier negotiations...
A conscious approach to prevention
What exactly is prevention?
Most of us would agree that we want to live as long as possible, as healthy as possible. Prevention, then, becomes a means to achieve that goal.
We do preventive things – or we don’t do non-preventive things – to maximize our quality and quantity of life. We eat healthy foods – or we avoid unhealthy foods. We don’t smoke. We drink alcohol in moderation. We exercise regularly. Prevention helps us manage that balancing act toward achieving our goals of living our longest and healthiest lives.
Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
Get your fit on
Time is on your side
One of the questions I get the most is, "How long did it take you to get in shape?" I get this about once a week. They look at me and try to access whether this is a do-able task for them and whether they should start penciling in their workouts. When I tell them "years", I see that mini eye-roll, body-sag and the look of "forget it." But when I tell them, I've been maintaining my fitness for a while and that my real transformation took about 6 months, they begin to perk up. And when I tell them I trained for my first competition before my baby was two and took 2nd, they are intrigued...read more.
One of the questions I get the most is, "How long did it take you to get in shape?" I get this about once a week. They look at me and try to assess whether this is a do-able task for them and whether they should start penciling in their workouts. When I tell them "years", I see that mini eye-roll, body-sag and the look of "forget it." But when I tell them, I've been maintaining my fitness for a while and that my real transformation took about 6 months, they begin to perk up. And when I tell them I trained for my first competition before my baby was two and took 2nd, they are intrigued… so it is possible!
Yes. Quite.
People are so worried about how hard it will be and how long it will take that they forget how much easier it is to feel good… and how much easier it is to live in the same size…and how much easier it is not have to worry about your weight all the time. Let me tell you, I've been on both sides of the fitness fence, and THIS is easier…by far.
So let's talk time.
How long have you been worrying about your weight? How often during the day do you think about something to do with food and your body? How much time have you spent leafing through fitness and health magazines and books? How many times have you gone through the drive-through? How much time have you spent shopping for bigger clothes that "fit" you better? How much extra cardio have you done to make up for your nutritional sins? You want to talk about taking up time…THINK about all you could do without all that wasted time on useless tasks that only push you back, not move you forward…really think about it.
Now think about all the time you will GAIN by feeling stronger and more energetic. Think about the freedom of your thoughts when you are not worrying about what to eat, how much, and whether you'll have something that fits you for your important event. Imagine a seamless life feeling fit and strong without the constant struggle and sadness about your reflection.
Getting fit and healthified isn't nearly as hard or complicated as you might think, or some might want you to believe. It only seems complicated because there is a whole market that preys on your desperation for the ultimate "bikini body" and knows you want it in "only 14 days!" It's a bunch of junk. THIS is what complicates things. The ONLY part that requires some real work is getting the right information and holding onto your motivation. Yes, that my friends, you have to work on. But here's the good part…there is a reward for doing so. The best reward…a renewed, stronger, empowered, enthusergized you!
There are a few key elements you need to put into place to start down your road to success.
Put your workouts on the calendar and STICK TO THEM. Your health is just as important as Janie's dentist appointment. Get cozy with the word consistency.
Grab your TUDE. This is your gratiTUDE and your attiTUDE. Be grateful for the body you were given and that you are able to move it for its pleasure and betterment. Throw some energy and attitude into your workouts and move with purpose.
Look at getting HEALTHY, not losing weight. If 95 percent of what you eat is healthy, you'll never have to count a calorie again and the layers will disappear all on their own.
Don't weigh yourself. If you MUST, only do it once or twice a month. The numbers can throw you off your game and the trick is to stay ON your game long enough to win.
Give yourself a realistic timeframe. Goals and timelines are great to keep you focused and goal oriented, but don't try to cram all your health into a month. You'll just burn out and give up.
Get the right information for YOU! Don't listen to your friend's aunt's cousin who read a book by some guy talking about how you should eat the rind of the lemon before you workout. (I made that up…don't do it.) I know this info seems assessable and easy to try, but talk about a waste of time. Hire a trainer or find someone knowledgeable to help you, afterall, the quickest way to learn something is to have someone show you how.
Be stern with yourself, not hard on yourself. Don't let yourself get away with the excuses, but don't beat yourself up either. You have to be your own best cheerleader.
So stop looking at the clock and wondering how long it will take and just start. We all know that when you stare at the clock, time moves slowly, but when you don't… time flies.
Listen to Kathleen’s interview with Heather for more get-fit inspiration:
Heather Frey is a 30-something mom turned personal trainer and the creator of the first trainer matching Web site called SmashFit.com. Her work has been covered on NBC, in Oxygen Magazine, and on BodyBuilding.com.
Read this week's full Prevention Not Prescriptions line-up.
Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
Getting past the "protein myth"
Kathy Freston talks conscious eating
When I tell people that I'm a vegan, the most popular question, by far, inevitably follows: "But, how do you get enough protein?"
There it is again, I think, the meat industry's most potent weapon against vegetarianism -- the protein myth. And it is just that -- a myth.
In fact, humans need only 10 percent of the calories we consume to be from protein. Athletes and pregnant women need a little more, but if you're eating enough calories from a varied plant based diet, it's close to impossible to not to get enough.
The way Americans obsess about protein, you'd think protein deficiency was the number one health problem in America. Continue reading...
Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
We pay to create health problems
Dr. Neal Barnard weighs in
The luxury cruise ship was outfitted with a gymnasium, a squash court, a Turkish bath, and an on-board swimming pool, justifying the ticket price of $4,350 for first class passage. What it did not have was a hull capable of withstanding an iceberg. And on April 14, 1912, the Titanic went down.
The health care reforms proposed by the administration and in Congress all aim to provide basic health care for the uninsured, an essential goal. But unhealthy federal policies have turned health care into a luxury, with no means of fending off the icebergs that lie dead ahead. Continue reading...
Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
"Cancer is a Bitch" Wake-up Call
A safer and more gorgeous approach to beauty
I blasted into my 40’s strong and invincible. I ran, I practiced yoga, I kayaked, I ate a mostly organic vegetarian diet. I rarely got sick, no aches, no pains. I was a person others consulted for health and anti-aging tips. So it totally messed with my psyche when, at the age of 45, I was diagnosed with early breast cancer. Luckily, it was caught so early that I didn’t need chemo or radiation. Four years later, I am healthier than I have ever been, partly because it made me re-evaluate all my dietary and lifestyle choices and step up my game. When I re-evaluated, I realized while I had been very careful with what I put in my body, I hadn’t been as careful with what I put on my body. Continue reading...
Sip your way to better health
My taste test of 3 green teas By KathleenSlattery-Moschkau @kathleenshow
Curious about barefoot running? We are. So as a follow-up to her recent interview with “Born to Run” author Christopher McDougall, Kathleen talked to Justin Owings from BirthdayShoes.com on the air about Vibram Five Fingers (pictured above).
According to barefoot converts, these funky “shoes” could lead to a new chapter of running in your life free of aches and pains. Or at the very least, might help you rediscover the joy of running.
You’ll have to tune in to the very end of the show to find out if Kathleen is ready to order a pair of Five Fingers, but I’ve already taken mine out for a spin and have to say…they feel good.
Listen now:
If you've tried Five Fingers or barefoot running we'd love to get your comments below.
Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living. Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.
Dr. Weil's health care call to action
Changes we can demand immediately
As an American, you have a right to good health care that is effective, accessible, and affordable, that serves you from infancy through old age, that allows you to go to practitioners and facilities of your choosing, and that offers a broad range of therapeutic options.
We currently have an expensive system that is not making people well. While there has been tremendous debate over access and payment, there has been less focus on the content of health care. Without a change in that content, we will never have a sustainable system; all attempts at reform will be taken down by unmanageable costs. Continue reading...
I'm a filmmaker, writer, and talk radio host. After a decade of schlepping drugs for big pharma, I finally got the ovaries to walk away from my career as a pill pusher and share what I knew on the big screen. I wrote and directed the feature film Side Effects (starring Katherine Heigl) as well as...(Read full bio)
The making of Side Effects starring Katherine Heigl
