May 6th is International No Diet Day, a day that “encourages people to adopt healthy, fulfilling lifestyles, regardless of size and weight” (per the National Eating Disorder Information Centre based out of Canada). Although it is a Canadian day, I think that everyone, everywhere, can celebrate this day and say “goodbye” to dieting! Life is more than a diet, it’s more than counting calories and avoiding “certain foods”. Like I’ve mentioned many times before, everything in moderation–how’s that for a “diet”?

Here are some statistics I found regarding dieting:

(courtesy of the Eating Disorder Foundation):

• Granted, this was a People Magazine survey (so somewhat biased results based on who reads the magazine) but 4 out of 5 of the women surveyed said they feel insecure about their bodies compared to fashion models. (who wouldn’t? But many of those photos are “doctored” and unrealistic!)
• In 1990, the average age of a girl starting a diet was 8 years old! Eight, that’s right. Can you imagine that our little 2nd and 3rd graders are already starting to think of dieting and actually doing it? They should be thinking about what Webkinz they want or what Wii game they want to play, not how they look!
• Another statistic that shocked me is that 81% of 10 year old girls are afraid of being fat.
• Men are not immune to dieting–about 1 in 4 men are dieting on an average day.

So, today, when you look in the mirror, be happy with what you see. What you see as imperfections are strengths in other people’s eyes. Ladies, you ARE beautiful; men, you ARE handsome! Make a resolution that, starting today, you’re not going to go on any fad diet and you’re going to stop picking on your body.

If you have children, avoid talking about how much you hate your body in front of them. Avoid talking about bad foods and good foods and how you “can’t eat that food”. Even at a young age, kids hear it and internalize it. It’s like swear words. If kids hear that it’s bad to say, then it becomes a punishment if they say it. Don’t be like that with food.

Don’t have “forbidden foods” and make kids feel bad if they want one (for example, if you say “cookies make me fat and I need to exercise if I have one” then your child might feel bad if they have one and feel like it’s going to make them “fat” because you think it will). Healthy eating behaviors and self-image are key! Even if your child is overweight, tell them that they are beautiful. Make exercise and healthy eating fun so that they won’t feel like they are being punished for their weight. Don’t avoid food groups or certain foods altogether, because you CAN eating fatty foods if you eat the proper portions!

When cooking, how often do you substitute an ingredient because you realize that you don’t have it? I typically make sure I have all of the ingredients before I cook a meal or bake a dessert, and if I don’t have an ingredient, I don’t make the item!

Let’s take an example: Jane is making a low-fat cheesecake recipe that she found. However, she realizes that she picked up regular cream cheese instead of low-fat, so she uses that instead. She also decides to use regular sour cream instead of low-fat. Before you know it, Jane substitutes regular fat products instead of low-fat–and her recipe is no longer low in fat. Although this might sound silly–and you may think “I’d never do that!”, be cautious when you are cooking and try not to substitute high fat for those low-fat items.

_{Comic by Nick}

Osteoporosis, or a disease in which your bones become more porous and therefore break more easily, will affect 1 of 3 women and 1 of 5 men over the age of 50 years. Are you at risk, and what can you do to lessen your risk of osteoporosis?

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (based in Switzerland) has a short quiz to help you determine your risk of osteoporosis. You should check it out!

What can you do to minimize your risk of osteoporosis?

1. Get enough calcium!
2. Get enough vitamin D, which helps our bodies absorb calcium. Children, men and women less than 50 years of age need 200 IU/day, those 51-70 years of age need 400 IU/day, those older than 71 need 600 IU/day. Good sources of vitamin D include: salmon, tuna, milk and some dairy products, fortified foods. Also, being out in the sun for at least 15 minutes will help you get your vitamin D, but watch out for sunburn!
3. Engage in weight-bearing exercise (walking, running, jump roping, dancing, etc) to help strengthen your bones.
4. Stop smoking and minimize alcohol consumption.
5. Maintain a healthy weight (lose weight if you are overweight; gain weight if you are underweight).

If you are concerned about your risk of osteoporosis, talk with your doctor. He or she might be able to schedule a DEXA scan, which can measure how dense your bones are (the denser your bones, the less likely they are to break and the stronger they are).

Are you plagued by the Fast Food Devil? Do you feel like you can’t get enough of Fast Food? What DO you do?

My husband loves fast food–KFC, Taco Bell, Arby’s, and Wendy’s are a few of his favorite places. Before we had our “no eating out on weeknights” rule, we would sometimes stop by a fast food restaurant after the gym (I know, it defeats the purpose!). Luckily, we examined our finances and determined that we wouldn’t eat out during weeknights–just weekends, and for only one of the three meals during the weekends (so Friday night, once Saturday, and once Sunday were acceptable, if we chose to).

During that rule-setting time, we also decided that we were going to limit our fast food consumption to UP TO ONCE A MONTH. That’s right–only once a month. I am sure my husband craved his fast food, but he never complained. I would always let him choose where we went to eat fast food, and sometimes I would order something on the menu, other times I would make myself food at home (as we often got our food “to go”, I could then still eat with him). Over the past year, our stops at fast food restaurants has dwindled from once a month to less than 3-4 times a year.

Now, I’m not saying that fast food is necessarily bad for you–you CAN order food on the menu that can be healthy and low in fat. However, if you are plagued by wanting that Spicy Baconator (TM) from Wendy’s (substitute your favorite item from your favorite fast food restaurant here) all of the time, then consider making fast food a treat rather than a norm. Your body will thank you.

Photo by Ebruli

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between HMOs and PPOs and whether it’s even worth it to have health insurance? Have you wondered what routine tests you should get for your health and which ones you probably don’t need?

“Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely–Making Intelligent Choices in America’s Healthcare System” is a recent book by a physician, Davis Liu, that helps explain different facets of today’s healthcare system.

This book describes HMOs, PPOs, Health Savings Accounts, and whether you really do need insurance (YOU DO!!!). Several times, he points out that we are legally bound to having car/vehicle insurance and house insurance if we own vehicles/homes, but are able to choose if we have health insurance; that we are diligent about when our cars need routine service/maintenance, but we rarely do the same with our health–although our health is the most important thing we have and it is priceless!

The book also discusses HOW to talk to your doctor and make the most of the office visit. How often do you schedule that appointment with a list of questions in your head, only to get there and forget them? Dr. Liu mentions that we need to tell our story–just as you would tell your friends all about a date you may have just had, you need to fill your doctor in when it comes to the symptoms you are having. Think of the 5 W’s: Who, What, When, Where, Why. You need to use these to describe what is going on with your health.

However, because doctors don’t have all day, you need to be concise in what you describe and discuss, and this book aids you in becoming a model patient. One page in the book also helps you make a health/medical history form. It is also best to take a pen and notebook with you to record what the doctor says and what you need to do about it. Just as your boss may give you an assignment and you must follow up with the assignment, so as your doctor might give you a task to complete as well (exercise, get certain bloodwork or tests done, etc). Who wants to go home from the doctor’s office after spending X amount of money only to forget what you’re supposed to do? What good is the appointment then?

The book goes on to describe the different types of doctors, when to get a second opinion, and how to improve communication with your doctor. It talks about checking out your doctor’s credentials to make sure they are board certified, and questions to ask regarding medications (and whether they are necessary).

A key point to the book that I will utilize is the section on over-the-counter medications–I never realized how many active ingredients are similar in the products we have in the house, and how I can really downsize the meds I take for common ailments. For example, trouble sleeping and seasonal allergies are aided by the same active ingredients, so why take 2 different meds when one will aid both?.

However, I think that this book could have discussed the healthcare team in more detail. For example, it discusses body mass index/overweight/obesity and herbal and dietary supplements but does not discuss that your doctor should refer you to a registered dietitian for questions/more information regarding these topics. It also does not mention that if you have a chronic illness, that other members of the healthcare team (registered dietitians, social workers, case managers, support groups) will become an important part of your life. I think a chapter focusing on these “support” individuals would be beneficial. In that sense, this book is “doctor-biased” in that it underlyingly assumes that the doctor is the “be all/end all” resource which is not the true case.

This book does give you a myriad of websites to go to for further information on several organizations (American Cancer Society, checking out your doctor’s licensure, etc). However, it IS internet-focused; there are no phone numbers to call if you do not have the internet which is a huge downfall of this book. One of the prime audiences of this book (in my opinion) is the “baby boomer” generation who are at the age where they need routine doctor visits and may not have the internet.

Do not be fooled by the title–this book is not a guide to help you stay healthy and give you specific points to do so. It focused mostly on managing the healthcare system and becoming wiser at managing the system. But, being wiser about the system does not guarantee that you WILL stay healthier and live longer (as these things are affected more by how you live your life rather than how smart you are about things). From a financial perspective, I think that this book gives you good information on different healthcare options and will help you and your insurance company make the most of the money it will spend.

I think this book is a must for those of us who choose insurance options primarily based on cost or on what sounds good–for those of us who don’t really understand health insurance and want to know which is the best choice for us. As well, I think it is a good book for those of us who are not really knowledgeable about the health care system (do you know what a pulmonologist does or what routine tests are beneficial for someone your age?). This book does not give you medical advice and is not a reference for “what to do if I have a cold or if I have chest pain”. It is meant to guide you towards making wise health care decisions, inform you of your options, and aid you in communicating with your doctor so that you can increase your chances of staying healthy longer.

Overall, I think this book is well written, an “easy read”, and definitely interesting. Although I think that there are some topics lacking from the book and it is somewhat mistitled, I think it’s a must-read for most people and will increase your knowledge of the healthcare system and aid you in making the most of your doctor visits and routine preventative tests–and if nothing else, it gives you a myriad of websites to go to for more information!

_{I did not receive any monetary or non-monetary compensation for writing this review. The opinions within this article are my own.}