Health & Fitness Resource Bonanza (& Mayo Clinic Book Giveaway)

Here’s a fun way to get healthy as a community: Red Rock Coffee in Mountain View is sponsoring Run! where you record your running/biking exercise. Compete for top spots on the community leaderboard and join group work-outs. I just signed up and it’s pretty cool.
http://run.brutelabs.org/home.html

My best tip is to make sure you move every day – I try to at least go for a short 10 minute walk even if I don't have time for anything else. It improves my mood and it definitely keeps me in the habit of exercising.
Thanks!

My favorite is Michael Pollan's phrase, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
I highly recommend his “The Omnivore's Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food.” I haven't read “Food Rules” yet, but it's on my list.

I don't work at Google so the only thing we have in our office is an M&M jar – which can still cause serious damage! I try to always pack a healthy snack that tastes good so I have something to look forward to when I get snacky besides M&Ms.

Hi! I think the most significant health “tip” I've taken to heart this year is to follow my OWN body. I know when I feel good and I know when I don't, and when I listen to that inner feeling and make the right changes – healthy just happens

The idea of a nutrition/health book AND journal like that just makes me giddy.

Great templates Jenny! I'm about 8 months into my first “grown-up” 9-5 job and realizing how easy it is to pack on the pounds – not good! The best tip I can give (one I have to force myself to do HA!) is to work out in the morning. Although it sucks, I always feel so energized and pumped for the day. I tend to eat healthier too because I don't want to waste the workout!

Thanks for the shout out Jenny! I'd have to say the best tip would be to find a way to incorporate more movement into your lifestyle. I walk about an hour or two everyday up hills just because I don't have a car. Those who bike it everywhere have the same advantage. You don't have to stress about making it to an hour gym class if you spend all day moving. Taking movement breaks when you are at a desk job is essential as well. For energy levels and spine health!

Exercise is King (60%), Diet is Queen (40%). Short, high intensity workouts are the best. Focus on what you can eat, not what you can't eat. Cheat 1 day a week!

Let me share with you some of my favorite resources-

Websites:
marksdailyapple.com
gymjunkies.com
fitnessblackbook.com
brinkzone.com
nerdfitness.com

Jenny,

I'm definitely very happy that spring is here, too. I'm ready for 6-7 months of warm weather!

I also have a connection between exercise and happiness. I work out just about every day and my body has gotten used to it. After a little over 24 hours, I start turning into Mr. Grumpy Pants.

I used the book The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer when I trained for the Chicago marathon back in 2002, so I'm glad you listed it. I highly recommend it (obviously, for first-time marathoners).

Here are a few health tips that come to mind:

1. Drink mostly water – I lost 5-10 pounds in a month when I started doing this a few years ago even though I was very fit at the time. And it makes me feel really good.

2. Be consistent – Exercising for 30-45 minutes 2-3 times per week is far better than working out hard for short periods of time and then taking a long time off.

3. Find an activity that involves exercise that you enjoy

4. Don't rely on a workout partner – I think a lot of people will disagree with this, but I don't think you should put yourself in a situation where you might be less likely to exercise if your partner doesn't show up.

Count me in! My favorite fitness/health tip is drinking water! It seems so simple, but it makes such an amazing difference in how you feel if you actually drink 2-3 liters of water per day. I now feel more awake throughout the day, and less hungry, all because I switched out the soda and juices for water.

Great post!!! A nice reminder because spring is in the air and it's time to get back outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Yeah!!!!

How do I sign up for the free book giveaway?

My best resource yet: investing in Invisalign (clear braces trays). Every time I eat I have to take the trays out– it's all about mindfulness and straight teeth

The hardest thing for me are the readily available chocolates in the office. I definitely overload on them when I'm stressed. So I try to follow End of Overeating's meal plan: “these delicious yummy chocolates are not part of my meal plan. Good bye.”

The thing about desk jobs is your metabolism comes to a grinding halt. Your muscles start to atrophy. And there’s a huge tendency to procrastinate with pastries.

That’s why I do backbends. My goal this year is to be able to do that crazy backbend thing where you lie on your stomach and touch your toes to your head. When I get the procrastination-munchies, I bust out with backbends in the office instead. It wakes you up, makes you feel energized, and improves your posture. Plus it’s a great party trick. Check my progress so far: http://bit.ly/9kkjs2

All I saw was Mayo Clinic book give away and hoping you were going to give away my old profs book so I could be like “whoop, small world,” –> http://www.amazon.com/Management-Lessons-Mayo-C…

Hiyo to fitness and personal finance. My two biggest pet peeves for the American people!

Calorie Count (http://caloriecount.about.com/) is a helpful website that helps you track what you eat.

Great post! I've been wanting that book for some time now

My favorite health tip would probably be portion control and “eat like your grand parents”, which is something I'm hearing alot lately (which means, eat your veggies). I never realized until I hit my mid-20's how important balance was. I was still eating like I was in college and it didn't occur to me that my body needed more until I started thinking about the future and one day being able to have a family.

My tip (and it's scary!): give up meat (not fish). Try it, just for 30 days. You'll feel better.

Ok, I think that besides exercise, to lose weight and be healthy you must eat less of these ind of foods that we all love. In my case, I suffer from chocolate cravings! LOL
To not fall into temptation I usually remember this quotation:
“One minute in my mouth,
One hour in my tummy,
All my life in my thighs”
It works!

I agree. My biggest thing was red meat. It makes me bloated and I realized that after giving up meat for awhile what a difference it made. Great tip!

Thanks! The hardest part is giving it up (even for a little bit). And, don't get me wrong, when someone makes a my favorite burger (chopped jalapeños,= & cheddar cheese mixed into a handmade patty) I miss it, but I try to stay strong

I've been doing the Couch-to-5K program! There's even an app that I downloaded to my iphone that talks you through each step. It pushes you but it's never too tough.

Madeline – I love it! So true that even a ten minute walk can really help and keep ourselves in the habit of doing *something* every day – no matter how small. I wrote a post on this a while back called Something is Better Than Nothing – you might enjoy it

Shannon – thanks! Love that phrase And I will definitely check-out the two books you suggested – have been eyeing them for a while now. I flipped through Food Rules at the bookstore – it looks short, but I bet it packs a powerful punch!

Samantha – thanks so much for the heads up! I love Red Rock Coffee Tracking exercise and joining a group helps so much – I will definitely check this one out. Have a great weekend!

Kristi – oooh! the M&M jar is daaaaangerous! The worst part is that with jars like that I tend to grab a few at first, then go back for more, and more, and more….you get the idea. By the end of the day I've probably had a king-sized bag! Great idea to pack a healthy snack that you actually look forward to eating later in the day.

Doni – YES!! I love it. I've heard people say “listen to your body” for several years but never really understood it until recently. Following your own body – when it is hungry, when it wants to move, when it wants to rest – is so important. Our bodies are so smart and truly do tell us what we need – IF we take the time to listen. I love the way you said “healthy just happens” when you do that – such a great reminder!

Megan – thanks! So glad you like the templates And yes, making the transition to cube life can definitely take it's toll on the waistline! It's amazing how much more sedentary we become when working in an office all day.

I switched to morning workouts too and I will never go back. Even though it can be hard to wake up, it is completely energizing (like you said). And yes! Much more motivating to stay healthy throughout the rest of the day. I've also found there is less room for excuses – working out late in the day often gets interrupted by social commitments, being busy, or just feeling tired. In the morning, once you're out of bed you're halfway there! Thanks again for sharing

P.S. I wrote a similar post on “Workout Battles We Fight” where I talk about switching to morning workouts – you might enjoy it. Have a great weekend!

Amber – my pleasure! I'm so glad I found your site through Colin – I absolutely love it. Thanks for the great suggestion on incorporating more movement – I love your ideas about walking and biking – especially because they involve the outdoors, which I always find refreshing and just plain good for the soul!

Growing Forward – love the “Exercise is King, Diet is Queen” phrase! What a great little reminder to repeat throughout the day or week. Your tips are short, simple and so powerful – thank you! Love the idea of focusing on what you CAN eat, and cheating one day a week – fantastic! Thanks again for sharing

Alex – thanks so much for sharing those great sites! I can't wait to check them out (NerdFitness just cracks me up!) I'll probably be doing a round-up post next week from all the great comments people are leaving – excited to share all those great websites with everyone else Have a great weekend!

Greg – I loved all your tips – thank you so much for sharing! Funny what you said about feeling like Mr. Grumpy Pants if you don't work out. My dad always told me that we have a certain amount of adrenaline we have to burn off every day, and if we don't that it just turns toxic in our system. I totally believe that! Or at least I find I have the same experience. We have a saying, “Pay for the Day” – which means make sure to exercise every day (that's how you “earn” the day).

And I'm with you on not relying on a workout partner – it's an added bonus to do activities with people, but not if it means relying on them as your sole motivator to get moving.

Very cool that you also read The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer – I thought it was such a great book – so informative, and many of the tips have still stuck with me to this day.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Jennifer – thanks for stopping by! I carry a water bottle with me EVERYWHERE – to the point at which my friends are actually embarrassed when I whip it out at nice restaurants. But hey – staying hydrated is important – and with a water bottle handy I'm less likely to reach for calorie-laden drinks and foods. Congrats to you for switching out soda and juices – I'm sure it wasn't easy at first, but great that you can really feel the difference.

Thanks so much Emily! And by leaving a comment you are entered in the drawing to win the book – I'll be choosing someone on Sunday night and posting the winner early next week. Good luck!

EK – I love it! Kill two birds with one stone Back when I did my teeth-whitening, I was snacking A LOT at night in front of the TV. Wearing the whitening retainers totally helped me break that habit. Awesome that the Invisalign trays are helping you be more mindful about eating – I can totally see that. And you have beautiful pearly whites to show for it too

Ooooh – girl, we are so similar! I am a chocolate FIEND when I'm emotional. I overload too. Sometimes I'll think “just one” in the morning, and it sets off a chain reaction of seeking out chocolate and dessert for the rest of the day. I like the idea of having a mantra – I took mine from The End of Overeating too. Mine is, “I know I can't eat 'just one', so I won't have any.”

Whoop! I'll give you a small world high-five anyway – close enough! That's cool that your old professor wrote a book on management based on the Mayo Clinic…I hadn't heard much about them until recently, but seems like a very cool organization.

And I'm with you! Personal finance and fitness – two things I could rant on for hours! Speaking of which, let's have a catch-up/rant/catch-all convo sometime soon

Thanks Quisha! SUCH a great reminder to pay attention to portions and I love the idea of eating like your grandparents. My brother has been following the “cave man diet” – where he only eats foods that would have been available to cave men (meat, veggies, natural foods). He seems to be really liking it so far!

And just like you said – it really is a wake-up call to realize that we have to change our eating habits after college – I can already tell that as our metabolism continues to slow as we get older, balance will continue to be really important. Thanks again for stopping by – have a great weekend!

Kristi – that does sound scary! In that I love a good burger too But even cutting WAY back on eating meat has helped me. I might have chicken 1-2x per week, but cut waaaay back on red meat. It totally helped me feel more energetic. One day I will have to try the 30-day vegetarian thing – even if just as an experiment!

My friend and co-worker just wrote an article called “Practical Vegetarianism” in this month's Common Ground magazine – you can check it out here if you're interested: http://commongroundmag.com/.

Have an amazing weekend – I hope all is well with you!

Berta – I LOVE that quote! So fun Another one that stuck with me is “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” Thanks so much for sharing! Have a great weekend

Rachel – that's awesome that you found an iPhone app that's getting you from “couch to 5K” – so cool! I can imagine it's nice to feel like you have some structure around your exercise goals. Thanks so much for sharing – I'll have to go download that app now

Hi Jenny! Thanks for the shout out to Balanced Existence. It's always nice the hear from others who have enjoyed or benefited from the experiences I've recorded.

My tip is the same as someone else who suggested that we should listen to what our body is telling us. However, I feel that there is a potential pitfall in the misinterpretation of the messages due to pre-existing value judgments or particular beliefs one might hold.

So I suggest we borrow from the scientific method somewhat in our approach and not fall into the traps of over-generalization, selective observation and premature closure.

This means – keep experimenting, keep thinking, keep looking and as a result keep learning, refining and improving. It's certainly a journey and I like to think of it as similar to a stock market chart. There may be peaks and troughs but the general trend is upwards.

All the best,

Stephen

EK – Congrats! You've won the giveaway Send me an email at jennyblake@gmail.com and I'll mail you the book and journal (a heads up that I'm traveling this week, so it may take ~2 weeks to get to you).

Hey Emily!

I just replied as a comment, but wanted to email you directly as well;
you've won the giveaway! Send me your address and I'll mail you the book
and journal (a heads up that I'm traveling this week, so it may take ~2
weeks to get to you).

Hope you're having a great weekend!
Jenny

So many great tips below but one subtle yet little written about tip on water – mix it up!

Just plain old water can get boring fast if that's the only thing you're drinking aside from 100% fruit juice. I like to have some seltzer with natural flavorings to add some variety. If you're trying to get off soda, it's an excellent way to transition away from it!

Okay, can't resist another idea: I'm a huge fan of peanut butter and jelly on a piece of whole-wheat toast in the morning. It's great to have some protein, sugar, and carbs before a good workout at the gym, or just to start the day with a quick meal.

You've gotten some great comments here and I've noted some of the suggestions to evolve my own fitness and wellness habits. One resource I've really come to enjoy, might be one that you, too, will like: Vital Juice. Perhaps you are familiar. They launch their SF dedicated email later this month. I find discovering new products, fitness places, restaurants, and other total wellness minded people, and sources helps me stay motivated and keeps things fresh.
Great post and thanks for helping us with a bit of motivation for something so important — our health and well being.

Hi Brett – thanks so much for the tips! I know some people have a
tough time drinking just water…I find I absolutely love it. So
refreshing! What I can't get into is tea…maaaybe peppermint from
time to time, but I still prefer my morning latte

Love the PB&J suggestion too – I used to eat that on a wheat rice cake
every morning – makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Have a great week!

Hi Stephen! Thanks so much for stopping by – I've been reading
Balanced Existance for a while now and really love what you're up to –
keep up the great work

I loved this part of your comment: “Keep experimenting, keep thinking,
keep looking and as a result keep learning, refining and improving.
It's certainly a journey and I like to think of it as similar to a
stock market chart. There may be peaks and troughs but the general
trend is upwards.” Wise words! Love the stock market analogy. Have a
wonderful week

Hi Rayna – thanks so much for stopping by! I haven't heard of Vital
Juice but I'm looking forward to checkng out their newsletter – thanks
for sharing!

I love connecting with other health-minded people too – it really does
help keep motivation alive to be learning new tips and supporting each
other. Have a great week!

Here here! Consistent, FUN activity is crucial. As Jenny so appropriately puts it in the article – an enjoyable, successful, and meaningful healthy lifestyle is a journey … NOT a one-time destination. Design the healthy lifestyle that's best for you; don't conform to someone else's template.

Absolutely! Eat food, you know, REAL food … not processed junk. That's the most absolutely first piece in a balanced, diverse, enjoyable, and (of course) healthy nutrition plan.

Great tip I learned a while ago – never let yourself get starving. If you do, you'll eat anything within reach that's not nailed down! So, YES, have healthy snacks with you. Try replacing the M&M jar with one of mixed, raw nuts. Almonds alone are great too! And don't believe the hype about nuts, they're incredibly nutritious and healthy! But everything in moderation!

Doniree – I love the “healthy just happens” sentiment too! Quite profound! That gives me a great inspiration for a new Healthy Lifestyle Design article.

The genius here is that when you design a happy, active, and balanced lifestyle tailored to YOU then “healthy just happens”. Ridiculous supplement gimmicks and fitness shenanigans don't work. Do what's right for you – simple and healthy!

Thanks for the shout out as well Jenny! It's a pleasure to be in such company

Amber's advice is dead-on. It's tragic how many people avoid simple, positive movement in their everyday lives. If everyone took the stairs, parked further away in parking lots, walked down the street to friend's homes, etc. it'd make a massive collective improvement in the health of our society.

Becoming healthy isn't PhD astrophysics; it's 2nd grade physical education!

Jenny – LOVE the “Pay for the Day” mantra. Beautiful! Yet another great inspiration source!

Greg – awesome point about exercise intensity and consistency. I couldn't agree more. If you push yourself too far, not only is that typically a less-than-stellar experience but you can put your body into a over-trained state. That forces longer than normal recovery times, and breaks down consistency. Morale can easily suffer as a consequence.

Steady, stable progression is key! You have to keep making positive progress (don't just keep using the same weights, reps, running distance, etc.), but “maxing out” is rarely beneficial.

Thanks for the recommendation to read The Four-Day Win… I ordered it after reading your post and just started reading it last night. So far so good!!

As for my fave health tip – linking health & wellness to your personality. It's difficult enough to change our habits already, but if you go against your internal preferences, it's nearly impossible.

Thanks Eva! Great point to sync things up with our already existing
personality traits and preferences – you are right that we are dealing with
enough as it is when trying to be healthy.

And I can't wait to hear what you think of the book! It's a favorite of
mine, for sure