Healthy FOR Life
By Julie Asbach
HTF Columnist
Hello & Hallelujah jumping right through January! Recently, I went in for a little check-up at the clinic and of course the nurses always have to weigh you before you begin the doctor examination. The scales at the clinic have always put on about 3 more pounds than my average weight. It was somewhat amusing this last visit when the scale had me registered at about 7 pounds more. My first thought was...really, maybe there is something seriously wrong with me? Reasoning with myself, I knew I couldn’t have put on that
much weight in such a short time since last being weighed at the clinic. I had an inkling it had something to do with all that extra winter-wear attire that had abducted my body during our below zero temps. “Wow,” I said to the nurse, “no wonder my body aches, dragging around all that excess weight.” Toting around heavy bags and purses does the body no justice, as well. As most of you know (or some may choose to ignore) most bodies don’t respond well to excess weight - hence the multitude of health concerns and issues.
So let’s try to pack light and keep some of those extra burdens off the body. Sometimes we may have to get out of our comfort zone to obtain a healthier solution or seek a goal. It is good to feel comfortable most of the time, but it’s also important to know what is right and acceptable for yourself, to find your balance in maintaining wellness throughout your life.
The Layered Look
Most people that I work or live with know me for dressing in overly layered apparel, even during the summertime when the air conditioning is blasting (I bet most of you are missing that at about this time). People with smaller body frames tend to get chilled more frequently than larger people. And then there’s usually the unsolicited advice such as, “You need to gain more weight, or, “You need more body fat!” My mom always used to say to me and still does say, “You need to eat more red meat and eat some butter!” (Though she’s kind of cooled off on those comments now since living back in northern Minnesota.) At least once every day I hear from Mom, “I’m cold!” My loving advice to Mom is replying that she needs to dress warmer and move around more.
One person that I was training said to me, “So, when I lose all my weight and become thin I will have to cover my body all up because I will be cold.” It was a pretty funny analysis and there may be some validity to her point. Looking like an Eskimo during one of our windy frigid days while walking outside to my vehicle, I noticed Becky (a co-worker) was wearing a very light jacket. I asked her if she was freezing. She replied, “No I’m very warm and have my own source of heat right here,” as she was rubbing her beautifully content pregnant belly of about seven months! I might add she is in excellent physical shape and in attitude as well! We could make generalizations about certain body types but it still has a lot to do with everybody’s individual make-up.
Hot & Cold
There are usually specific reasons or maybe some underlying causes for being too hot or cold all the time. For example, being too hot or having “hot flashes” is typically hormone-related. I recently read an article that stated it is good to have hot flashes during menopause and sweating helps to get the toxins out. Waking up with drenched attire isn’t any picnic, but on the plus side it does burn a few calories.
Feeling chilled or having cold hands and feet isn’t fun at the picnic either. My hands and feet are usually cold. And the old saying
“cold hands, warm heart” is a wonderful sentiment, but usually being cold most of the time relates to circulation issues. And, as the heart is in conjunction with this, it must be working overtime trying to warm up the rest of our body!
A good source for warding off hot and cold body issues is the ever-elusive Vitamin E. So be sure to eat dark green leafy vegetables, cold-pressed vegetable oils, whole grains, nut and seeds and legumes. If you’re considering taking a Vitamin E supplement be sure to speak with a health practitioner regarding specific guidelines when using. And try to take Vitamin E in the pure oil form. If you don’t know the reason why you may be hot or cold and it remains a constant issue, you may want to seek professional advice.
If you have any health topics, health success stories or a family recipe for a health cure, please email me at juls11@peoplepc.com or drop it off at HTF. Thanks!
