Fitness Tips               Stress Management Tips                  Tips For Eating Healthy

Hello NSNA Members!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer and first few weeks of school! I am excited to announce our first NSNA “Shaping Up” competition. This competition allows teams of 5-10 people to compete for the largest percentage of weight loss for a team. Forms will be available online and we are excited to see our members making healthy choices.

In order to get us all in the right mood for the competition I thought I would make our monthly Community Health article a Making It Fit article. My hope is that we can use these tips to make healthy choices fit into our busy schedule.

Fitness Tips

I know how hard is can be with a busy student nursing schedule to make exercise fit amongst clinicals, tests and class. There is hardly time to do assignments and study let alone time to run to the gym and put in a good workout. Hopefully there will be days when you can fit time in for a cardio session or some weight training. For those days when that time is just not possible, there are little things you can do to keep in shape.

The website Mypyramid.gov offers some great tips for increasing you activity level:

At home:

• Join a walking group in the neighborhood or at the local shopping mall. Recruit a partner for support and encouragement.
• Push the baby in a stroller.
• Get the whole family involved—enjoy an afternoon bike ride with your kids.
• Walk up and down the soccer or softball field sidelines while watching the kids play.
• Walk the dog—don’t just watch the dog walk.
• Clean the house or wash the car.
• Walk, skate, or cycle more, and drive less.
• Do stretches, exercises, or pedal a stationary bike while watching television.
• Mow the lawn with a push mower.
• Plant and care for a vegetable or flower garden.
• Play with the kids—tumble in the leaves, build a snowman, splash in a puddle, or dance to favorite music.

At work:

• Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk or skate the rest of the way.
• Replace a coffee break with a brisk 10-minute walk. Ask a friend to go with you.
• Take part in an exercise program at work or a nearby gym.
• Join the office softball or bowling team.

At play:

• Walk, jog, skate, or cycle.
• Swim or do water aerobics.
• Take a class in martial arts, dance, or yoga.
• Golf (pull cart or carry clubs).
• Canoe, row, or kayak.
• Play racket ball, tennis, or squash.
• Ski cross-country or downhill.
• Play basketball, softball, or soccer.
• Hand cycle or play wheelchair sports.
• Take a nature walk.
• Most important – have fun while being active!

The American Heart Association website www.aha.org also offers tips on successful exercise:

• If you've been sedentary for a long time, are overweight, have a high risk of coronary heart disease or some other chronic health problem, see your doctor for a medical evaluation before beginning a physical activity program.
• Choose activities that are fun, not exhausting.  Add variety.  Develop a repertoire of several activities that you can enjoy.  That way, exercise will never seem boring or routine.
• Wear comfortable, properly fitted footwear and comfortable, loose-fitting clothing appropriate for the weather and the activity.
• Find a convenient time and place to do activities.  Try to make it a habit, but be flexible. If you miss an exercise opportunity, work activity into your day another way.
• Use music to keep you entertained.
• Surround yourself with supportive people.  Decide what kind of support you need.  Do you want them to remind you to exercise?  Ask about your progress?  Participate with you regularly or occasionally?  Allow you time to exercise by yourself?  Go with you to a special event, such as a 10K walk/run?  Be understanding when you get up early to exercise? Spend time with the children while you exercise? Try not to ask you to change your exercise routine?  Share your activity time with others.  Make a date with a family member, friend or co-worker.  Be an active role model for your children.
• Don't overdo it.  Do low- to moderate-level activities, especially at first.  You can slowly increase the duration and intensity of your activities as you become more fit.  Over time, work up to exercising on most days of the week for 30-60 minutes.
• Keep a record of your activities.  Reward yourself at special milestones.  Nothing motivates like success!

Stress Management Tips

Along with exercise another part of health living is stress management. As we all know from our nursing classes, stress can turn up the intensity of health problems. If we are actively trying to manage that stress we are doing our body a big favor.

Stressmanagementtips.com provides some great options for decreasing our stress level:

1. Take a Deep Breath and Count to Ten
Taking a deep breath or two will add oxygen to your system, which almost instantly helps you relax. In addition, taking a moment to step back can help you maintain your composure, which is what you will need to work rationally through a stressful situation.

Start with “take a deep breath” and…

1. Count to ten (or more or less as the situation warrants!)
2. Stand up and stretch. Remember relaxation is the opposite of stress.
3. Stand up and smile. Try it! You’ll feel better!
4. Take a short walk. If you’re at work, take a bathroom break or get a glass of water. Do something that changes your focus. When you come back to the problem, chances are it won’t seem nearly as insurmountable.
5. In the book Gone With the Wind, Scarlet O’Hara says, “I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.” Good advice!

2. Stop and Smell the Roses
Things happen and sometimes bad things happen to good people. If we let them, stressful events can build up, wall us in, and eventually stop us from enjoying the good things in life.

1. Take the time. Too often we put the pleasantries of life on the back burner, telling ourselves we don’t have time or can’t make time for them. However, time is actually the only thing we do completely own. While we can’t make a day that’s longer than 24 hours, each of us starts the day with exactly that amount of time. Take a part of your time to recognize the good things in your life.
2. Sleep on it. Every coin has two sides and every issue has both pros and cons. List them both then put the list away and take a second look tomorrow. Sometimes sleeping on a situation changes the minuses to pluses.
3. Every cloud has a silver lining. After all, rain makes things grow! Ben Franklin found good in a bolt of lightning. Find the good in your stressful situation by listing the negative surges and determining what it will take to make them into positive charges!

3. Know Your Limitations
Knowing yourself and your limits may be the most important way to manage stress effectively.

1. Dare to say no. One more little thing may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It’s okay to say No, I can’t, or Later.
2. Acquit yourself. Sometimes events really are out of control and you really are “Not Guilty.” Quit blaming yourself.
3. Be pro-active in finding peace. Those who unsuccessfully use the crutches of drugs and/or alcohol to alleviate stress often find themselves in a 12-step program like A.A. where one of the mainstays is the Serenity Prayer:

"God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; The Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference."

4. When you need help, get help. Even Atlas couldn’t bear the weight of the world on his shoulders forever. Whether you need help from your kids or spouse in hauling groceries into the house, help from a colleague to solve a work-related problem, or professional help to find the causes of and effectively manage your stress, getting the help you need is in itself a major stress management tip!

4. Other Tips

• Get a good night's rest.
• Eat healthily.
• Listen to your favorite music.
• Exercise, participate in a sport or engage in fun activity.
• Plan out your time and prioritize.
• Talk to a friend about your problems, don't hold it in.
• Get a massage.
• Take a nap.
• Take a warm bath.
• Read a book or watch TV.

Tips for Eating Healthy

I want to focus on ways to fit healthy eating habits into our lives. It can be difficult to find healthy foods that are quick and easy to prepare while we go about our busy schedule. There are several resources available to help us in our eating decisions.

Mypyramid.gov provides you with your own unique food pyramid based on your goals and can provide you with food ideas so that you are getting your recommended amount of food groups daily. This is a great website that provides people with a personalized plan for healthy habits.

Eatingwell.com offers numerous recipes centered on healthy living. They have quick recipes, cooking for kids, and other sections to help you find healthy foods.

Example: Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts Instructions

1. Whisk syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and pepper in a small, shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat with the marinade; cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning once.
2. Coat an indoor grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced by about half, about 4 minutes. Liberally baste the chicken with the reduced sauce and serve.

Tip: Wrap and freeze the chicken tenders. When you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry they are the perfect size.

Per serving: 186 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 0 g fiber; 343 mg sodium; 361 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Selenium (30% daily value).

I hope you will use this article as a starting point or guide for making healthy choices fit into your schedule.

Keep up the good work this month and I look forward to getting applications for the “Shaping Up” competition!

Candace

Candace Biberston NSNA Director and Community Health Chair

directorw@nsna.org