Handling Holiday Stress

If you’re feeling stressed this holiday season, you’re not alone. Dealing with the shopping, the traveling, the house guests, the expectations (and so much more!) can make anyone feel overwhelmed. But even if you can’t just ignore the items on your “to do” list, you can still make this holiday season less stressful – just by changing your attitude.


Have you ever recognized how much energy it takes to be negative? Instead of concentrating on what’s wrong and upsetting (and how much you have to do), use that energy to enjoy yourself more! Here are some recommendations for how to create a positive attitude:

• Make realistic expectations for yourself. Break tasks into small pieces.

• Change negative messages into positive ones. Instead of, “I’ll never get everything done in time!”, say: “I have been able to get everything done before. I will do it again.”

• Keep a good sense of humor. Happiness actually leads to more productivity.

• Instead of worrying about what might go wrong, use your imagination to do your job well. (Someone once spoke wisely when he said that “worry is a misuse of the imagination.”)

• Avoid an “all or nothing” attitude. The holiday will not be ruined if everything is not perfect.
• Look at “mistakes” as opportunities to learn. Think feedback, not failure.

• Practice acceptance. You are where you are, and fighting against that is not going to change it.

Remember, you can always reach out for help! No one expects you to be superhuman (except maybe you).

Massage: More Than Just Feeling Good

Massage offers many more benefits than the ones about which we already know: relaxing the muscles, stretching, removing toxins.  One of the greatest benefits of massage is that which cannot always be so quantified.  There is great value and power in touch.  When people connect through touch, they share an energy and connection that is mutually beneficial.  Massage therapy may make you more alert and lessen symptoms of depression such as fatigue and irritability, according to the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. “The healing power of touch extends across the life span,” says the Institute’s Tiffany Field, Ph.D., “from helping babies grow and children concentrate at school to decreasing chronic illnesses and disease.”  

Individuals can benefit from the power of touch through something as simple as a hug from a good friend or a friendly pat on the shoulder.  Other benefits, of course, come from regular massage therapy from a professional therapist.  Many therapists have experience in many modalities of touch and energy therapy, and working with someone who performs their therapy from an energetic perspective can help people to re-connect with their bodies, reduce stress, and greatly enhance sense of well-being.  By putting the body in a positive energy state, it can effect healing on its' own as well as open up the body to more traditional forms of healing.  Find out for yourself what true power touch can have in your life.

This holiday season, give the gift of health to yourself or to loved ones.... For a limited time, purchase a gift certificate for any of the following services at a reduced fee*:
Massage Therapy
Relaxation Training
Personal Training
Sports Conditioning
Nutrition Coaching
Weight Management Groups
Self-Esteem Groups
Parent Coaching

*Individual certificate = $75
Couples certificate = $150
Receive $20 off of your session for referring a new client

The Truth About Self-Care

You probably know, deep down, that taking care of yourself is important… But do you know what “taking care of yourself” looks like? You may say that caring for yourself means exercising, eating well, not smoking, etc.  And yes, self care does refer to these physical components. Taking care of one’s body involves regular physical activity, healthy eating, adequate sleep, stress management, and regular medical care.

But self-care is more than that. It also includes emotional wellness – an awareness of your feelings, an ability to express those feelings, and an ability to cope with your emotions. How does this relate to self-care? Well, where do you think your emotions go if you don’t identify and express them? Do they go away? Think about it. Have you ever noticed that even when you’ve “forgotten” something that has made you sad, that memory comes rushing back the next time you are sad? Or that when you are angry at someone, you can recall all of the other people who have done you wrong? For better or worse, emotions don’t just disappear; if you don’t deal with them, they live inside of your body. Taking care of your emotions is just as important in taking care of yourself as getting a good night’s sleep.

With the stressful holiday season fast approaching, it is tempting to put self-care on the back burner. But during this time of year, self-care is more important than ever. Not only are there more demands on your time, but emotions may be heightened. Practices such as listening to your body, setting healthy boundaries, and being aware of internal negative messages can help you get through this season in a much healthier way. If you don’t take care of yourself this season, who will?

The Staff at Total Health Concepts

www.TotalHealthConcepts.net

New Health and Wellness Programs for You

Feeling tired, low in energy and looking for something to improve your daily lifestyle?

We're excited to announce some new group presentations for new or existing clients. It's the perfect time of year to reevaluate your self care and get a kickstart on improving your body's well being. Below is a brief overview of the content for just a few of our programs.
 

Weight Management Workshop

“HABIT – Health Awareness and Behavior Integration Training”  

 

Attitude – address barriers to self-care and weight management
Awareness – physical and emotional needs, listening to your body for hunger cues vs. emotional eating
Action – strategies for weight management/ behavior changes/ fitness

• Non-Diet Approach - Exchange dieting for living; stop spending money on diets that don’t work
• Empowering – Learn the skills to manage your weight on your own for the long-term
• Increase metabolism and energy
• Managing portion control and regulating eating patterns  
• Movement/activity incorporated into each session
• Joy of Movement – reconnect to your body in a positive way 
• Making yourself a priority . Balanced eating to eliminate cravings

 

Positive Aging & Risk Prevention Workshop

• Nutritional therapy for reducing risk of disease and optimizing immune function
• Nutritional therapy for energy enhancement and brain power
• Functional exercises for longevity and injury prevention
• Maintaining your independence as you age
• Healthy transition through the retirement years
• Physical and emotional changes

Sports Nutrition & Athletic Training Workshop

• Nutrition for fitness and sports performance training
• Nutritional therapy for training diet and hydration
• Essential vitamin, mineral and protein supplementation
• Sport-specific training skills to include range of motion, form, technique, and more
• Sports psychology – gaining a competitive edge, self-esteem & confidence

 

Contact us for additional information or for registration for these or other workshops.
703-255-7012
info@totalhealthconcepts.net

Paleo Diet: The New Low-Carb Diet?

There is a popular trend with respect to eating, focusing on how our ancestors ate.

Although the books have been entering the market over the last 8-10 years, the anthropological data has been there for anyone interested. Is it just another twist on the low carbohydrate bandwagon? Current research validates that lowering carbohydrate intake may be the most effective way to lose weight…but is it the best way to lose body fat? And does the weight loss last? And what are the long-term effects? We will reveal that to you in the future.

  

For the moment, let’s look at the lifestyle of our ancestors. We know that agriculture has been around for about 12,000 years. So it is probably accurate to say we have only been eating grains and legumes for about the same number of years, if not less. Therefore, if modern humans have been around for roughly 2 million years, the amount of time spent consuming many of the forms of starch we eat today is rather small in comparison. Did early humans worry about their portions, count carbohydrate grams or think about whether something was “fattening or not”? No, they had more important issues to focus on.

 

As for current eating patterns, overly processed foods have been around for less than 100 years. Processed grains are not new and in fact were necessary in order to keep them from spoiling or "going bad." Had we not developed agriculture perhaps we would never have developed processed or milled grains. But then again, if agriculture had never been established, life would be very different today. Perhaps we would still be hunter/gatherers. This is a topic beyond the scope of this article though. Let’s look at the positive and negative of the Cave Person Lifestyle

  Positives:

1. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors were physically capable and likely in very good condition in order to survive the many hardships that they would experience.
2. They were probably able to sustain periods where little food was available.
3. It was low in salt, sugar, chemicals and trans fats.
4. Their diet was organic.
5. They were active.

Negatives:  

1. They didn’t live to a ripe old age (although this may be a topic for debate).
2. They learned how to store fat after feasting.
3. They may have been forced to eat things many of us would consider un-palatable.
4. They were at the mercy of their environment and weather more than today.
5. Food spoiled.
6. We are just learning about the impact food had on the pleasure centers of the brain (on a positive note, there was unlikely any food addictions).

Should we examine how our early ancestors ate? Yes, but we need to look at the whole picture. Perhaps the best way to eat for weight loss, health, vitality and disease prevention in the long run includes many of the habits and choices of our ancestors. But to ignore some of the current options, choices and trends would limit us in many ways. Stay tuned for our next installment where we infuse Paleolithic eating with Neolithic eating for a healthy, tasty and optimal compromise!

 

 

The staff at Total Health Concepts
http://www.totalhealthconcepts.net/

 

 

 

The “Luxury” of Free Time

What did you do for yourself today? What did you do that was entirely for you—where you considered no one’s needs but your own? Nothing, right? When I mention the importance of taking time for themselves, most people laugh in my face. Then, when they realize that I’m entirely serious, they look at me exasperatedly and say, “You’ve got to be kidding me. I can’t take time for myself. My kids [husband/boss/mother] need me.” Now I don’t deny that. But do they need the tired, crabby, stressed, half-functioning you? Or do they need the you who can actually take care of them because she’s feeling well-rested and charged?

The truth is, we all have a limited amount of energy. We’re like batteries that become less powerful as their energy is drained. What happens to the effectiveness of that battery when it doesn’t recharge? Now think back to the last time you actually did do something for yourself. Recall how you felt afterwards. How much energy did you have? How much more productive were you? How much more effectively were you able to interact with others? These days, when there is so much to do, we have to recognize that if we don’t take advantage of the “luxury” of focusing on ourselves, we won’t be as useful to anyone.
So now, what will you do to recharge your battery?

The Functional Meal Plan, Part I

Remember when mom said eat your greens or Friday was fish day or even an apple a day...


After working with thousands of clients and patients, it seems clear that even with all the nutrition (and health) information available to us (in addition to overwhelming us), many people still don’t know what or how to eat. In fact it seems that most people focus on what they should avoid, be it refined carbohydrates or trans fats, rather than what they should eat! Which diet, which pyramid, which phase etc. We would like to present a fresh approach at perhaps an old idea.
 
We have functional exercise, what about functional eating? That is, to get good at the basics, build a strong foundation of wellness, increase energy, reduce the risk of disease and last but not least develop a checklist of what we should eat. What if rather than trying to be perfect with our “diet”, we focus on consuming a majority of foods from a list of categories 80% of the time?

So, let’s get started. No one group will be more important than another. Focus on one each week and within 3-5 months your intake will be greatly enhanced. Here are the first 4 groups.

• Seasonal Fruits - Throughout much of our history, we depended on seasonal foods. We evolved on them. To a great degree, try to pick fruit and vegetables that are in season. It will encourage variety, provide fun associations with different times of the year, and allow us to be in greater tune with nature

• Eat Fatty Fish twice a week - The benefits of consuming fish high in omega 3’s are undisputable. Eating fish high in omega 3’s benefit our mood, our joints, our cardio-vascular system and perhaps our immune system. Options are salmon, halibut, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout, butter fish and sable. Except for halibut and certain types of trout, most of these fishes are not particularly elevated in mercury or other toxic metals. We suggest wild caught mostly.

• Non-fat dairy - Due to the homogenization of milk, the fat particles may become difficult to utilize in the body. “Good” fats can be obtained from many other sources, for instance…

• Nuts and Seeds - contain essential fatty acids, which mean that our bodies cannot manufacture them. Nuts and seeds are concentrated in many nutrients. Most nuts and seeds have been shown to improve lipid profile and as long as one does not over-consume them, will not contribute to weight gain. Contact us for the best ways to incorporate and prepare nuts and seeds.

Continue to visit our blog to get more information on “functional foods." We will provide another 16 groups to help you with developing the healthiest “diet” or rather lifestyle of eating.
To your health!