Dr. Curtis McElroy

Author: docmac

  • Living A Healthy Lifestyle When Busy

    Living A Healthy Lifestyle When Busy

    Most of us know that living a healthy lifestyle isn’t the easiest thing to do, and the sad truth is that many of us simply feel just too busy in life to implement any healthy changes.

    It’s not necessarily that you don’t have the motivation or you don’t want to have a better lifestyle – it’s simply that you don’t feel you have the time to make the required changes in order to turn your lifestyle around (because, yes, it does take time and mental energy to make positive changes!)

    But you CAN turn things around if you change your mindset and the way you’re going about things.

    Here’s how…

    1) Make small changes

    You don’t have to completely revamp your lifestyle overnight.

    In fact, with your current work schedule and other things going on, you may never be able to achieve your ideal lifestyle.busyworking

    It’s important to remember that you don’t have to become one of those people who goes to the gym at 5am every morning and manages to drink enough water throughout the day.

    Start with simple changes, such as eating a healthier breakfast or taking the stairs up to the office. Smaller really is better than nothing, honestly!

    2) Find a buddy

    Rather than trying to make a change on your own, find somebody to do it with you. This could be your partner, your best friend, a neighbor or the entire family.

    healthylifestylepartners

    When you are all making lifestyle changes together, it’s not only easier to stick to it, but also to get the support that you need during tough times.

    3) Remember it’s not just about physical health

    Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t just all about losing weight, exercising more and eating better foods.

    It’s also about your mental health, so you can think about ways in which to improve this too. Spend an hour just once a week after work to meditate, have a drink with some friends or even attend talking therapy sessions if you feel you have things to offload throughout the week.

    meditation

    Still feel too busy?

    Well this is exactly why you need this time out. Everyone can prioritize 10 minutes a day for some quiet time, and you really must if you’re feeling frazzled.

    The rest will follow.

    4) Never give up until you get there

    Starting a new diet on Monday might seem like a great idea, but if you’re feeling like giving up by the time you get to Wednesday, don’t worry about it.

    healthierdiet

    Allow yourself time to ease into a healthier lifestyle, and be patient with yourself too. And, if you fall off the wagon, just put it behind you, get back up and start again.

    A healthy lifestyle is something that you should be able to keep for the rest of your life – it’s not a short term fix.

  • 5 Skills For Preventing Chronic Stress

    5 Skills For Preventing Chronic Stress

    Stress is something that affects us all. Chronic stress is long-term stress that goes unimpeded over a long period of time.

    The fear, flight or fight response is on for an extended time and adrenaline is pumping constantly. This places fatigue on the kidneys and the body’s entire system.

    Many diseases are stress related; in fact, some experts estimate that up to 80% of all disease is stress related.

    Stress is a key cause of many small and big health problems, including hypertension, headaches, insomnia, skin conditions, diabetes, depression, and anxiety just to name a few.

    Knowing that stress has such an impact on our health, it is important to take steps to combat it to whatever extent we can.

    The following are five everyday skills that will help you defuse some of your stress and keep you healthier and happier:

    Exercise

    Regular exercise is known to boost your immunity, improve heart health and blood circulation, increase the amount of oxygen coming in through the lungs and lower stress. It can also elevate mood as happiness endorphins are released during exercise.

    A workout of low to moderate intensity can increase your vitality, reduce pain, and improve your sleep. Exercise helps relieve some of the tension associated with chronic stress.

    Healthy Eating

    Eating well is an essential part of reducing stress. Too much fat, red meat, carbohydrates, and sugar in the diet put stress on the heart and the arteries.

    Chronic stress has been connected to the storage of fat around the middle.

    To help reduce stress through diet, here is what you should be eating: A minimum of five, and up to ten portions of leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits each day; a small amount of lean meat, chicken or fish; a small amount of whole grains, or legumes (beans and lentils); nuts and seeds.

    Relaxation

    Learn how to relax all your muscles; you can start at your head and work your way to your toes. Clench one muscle group for a few seconds, and then release.

    Move on to the next muscle group and repeat. As you relax, the stress response is turned off and the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, aiding your digestion and your ability to experience peace and inner quiet.

    Mindfulness

    Mindfulness is the art of focusing on the present moment. Instead of worrying on the future or obsessing over the past, try focusing your mind on experiencing the present moment.

    One way to do this is to become aware of your different senses: Listen to the sounds outside your window, feel the touch of your clothes on your skin, smell the aromas of your food, appreciate the colors around you, and notice the tastes of foods when you eat.

    Sleep

    A good night’s sleep will allow your body a deep and nourishing rest to heal itself; without good sleep stress is exacerbated.

    To sleep well, avoid caffeine and other stimulants so that you can get an uninterrupted night’s sleep.

    Turn all technology off an hour before you turn off the lights. Also, turn the lights down for a while before you actually go to sleep. Use your relaxation skills to help you fall into a deeper sleep.

    Final Thoughts

    With these easy, everyday skills under your belt, you are well equipped to combat stress. If you combine them all into your daily routine, you will undoubtedly see a reduction in your stress levels and an increase in your happiness levels.

    Exercise, healthy eating, relaxation, mindfulness, and good sleep are key elements for achieving optimal health and wellbeing.

  • What Is Metabolic Syndrome

    What Is Metabolic Syndrome

    Metabolism plays a big factor that not enough people think about when it comes to their health. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of three or more risk factors that are present because of the body’s inability to burn food properly throughout the day, or when exercising.

    When the body can’t burn food as a fuel properly, it stores more fat – typically at nighttime – and when people exercise, they burn the food they eat as energy rather than fat cells.

    Most people assume a fast metabolism is for skinny people and slow metabolism makes it hard to lose weight, but an unbalanced metabolism has more risk factors than just weight.

    People with slow metabolisms are at a higher risk for increased blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance – which all can lead to more diseases. Weight, age, race, diabetes and other factors all play a role in how your metabolism functions, and typically those who are older, out of shape, and have poor lifestyle choices run a higher risk for metabolic diseases.

    The reason thinner people have a higher metabolism is because their body naturally burns fat on its own, which is why some people can eat thousands of calories and not gain a pound.

    Just because you may have a slower metabolism, it doesn’t mean that you can’t change it. Better nutrition choices, more water, and consistent exercise is a great way to improve metabolic function to help your body burn fat more efficiently.

    If you have the money to invest in your health, you can call your doctor about getting your metabolism tested. Active metabolic assessments will show you how your body burns fuel – whether it burns carbs or fats during your workouts at different heart rate zones

    Resting metabolic assessments are great for knowing how your body burns fuel outside of your time spent working out. If you don’t wish to invest in an assessment, there are free calculations such as the bronze method that can be done at no cost online for an educated guess.

    Knowing where to start is a crucial part of improving your metabolism and preventing metabolic syndrome because everyone has a different heartrate zone to begin with. After about two to three months of changing to healthier eating habits, staying hydrated, and conditioning, your metabolism – through easy to moderate intensity cardio – should start to show improvements in how your body burns fat.

    Increasing your metabolism will not only help you slim down faster and prevent a plethora of diseases, but it will give you more energy and an overall more enjoyable and active life.

Copyright @ 2017 DrCurtisMcElroy