Health & Wellness Archives - Page 6 of 10

June 28, 2016 By Sharon Weinstein

How’s the C-Suite treating you today?

The Chief

So you are the Chief – Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Chief Information Officer! What is that “C” contributing to your stress levels, and what are you willing to do to relieve the stress. Do you really think that stress doesn’t have an impact on your body, your memory, your ability to function as a Chief, and your outlook on life?

The numbers tell it all about the body

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60% to 70% of all disease and illness is stress-related.
An estimated 75% to 90% of visits to physicians are stress related.
According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, 60% of women surveyed said work stress was their biggest problem.
Job pressures cause more health complaints than any other stressor, says the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Your outlook

I can guess what you’re thinking… here’s one more thing I have to worry about. As a senior executive, you need to worry! You can’t – nor do you ever want to – eliminate stress altogether. Some stress is beneficial. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that stress by itself is never actually harmful or bad. It’s your reaction to stress that creates problems. It’s your outlook that counts!

We’re simply trained to ignore the signs of stress in an attempt to keep the problems at bay. No wonder: changing life-long behaviors is in itself stressful. This is a classic mind-body disconnect.

The Three Phases of Stress

As you know, just being in business today creates stress, and at your level, stress is more prevalent. Here’s how most people react to a stressor (such as: earnings announcement, problem at home, manufacturing flaw, countless and mind-numbing meetings):

First, in what is called the “Alarm Phase,” they react to the stressor. This might result in a burst of anger, shock, or surprise.
Second, they move into the “Resistance Phase,” when they begin to adapt to the stressor. They learn to cope with the dysfunction, lack of sleep, or 16-hour work days. This phase can last for years, and after a while will feel very “normal.”
Third, the body finally loses steam. They go into the “Exhaustion Phase,” where their ability to resist is reduced. They’ll feel tired, unable to concentrate, and will often catch colds or become ill – the body’s way of slowing them down.

I know from experience that there are many ways to more effectively handle the everyday stressors, as well as those big once-in-awhile stressors. I’ve taught meditation, mindfulness training, breathing exercises, and disseminated countless bits of information on general nutrition and the benefits of regular exercise. Perhaps, as the C-suite executive, it is time for you to learn how to relax!

Squeeze a few minutes of relaxation into each day

Far too many of us lead lives that are frenzied and hurried from the moment we wake up in the morning to the moment we crawl into bed at night. The more packed every moment of your day is the more you need to make time to relax; for a few minutes of deep breathing to 20 minutes of deep relaxation or yoga. Making this a habit will keep you in better stress shape for the day that chronic stress knocks on your door, which it almost certainly will if it hasn’t already. After all, in your senior position, the problems land at your door.

The human system can tolerate a tremendous amount of stress. Over the years, however, too much stress breaks down your resistance to illness and disease and impacts your memory. Remember, the negative consequences of your stress are strongly influenced by your rest habits. Since stress is unlikely to diminish in our high-pressured American lifestyle, take the time throughout your day for the natural unwinding of your stress response.

There are only 24 hours in each day

You don’t have time to rest, you say? You have more time than you think you do. You could:

Do deep breathing while driving to work and during other stressful moments throughout your day.
Get up 15 minutes earlier and spend the time doing deep relaxation, yoga or journaling.
Take 2 minutes several times a day to tense tight muscle groups for 10 to 15 seconds, and then relax them completely. Repeat this two to three times each round.

So you are the Chief

How is the C-Suite treating you today? There is no better time to consider the actions that you will take to enhance your role and to preserve your ability to function as a Chief.

June 9, 2016 By Sharon Weinstein

Eat to live…

“A bird in the hand is the best way to eat chicken.” – Anonymous

Good nutrition goes a long way toward creating balance in one’s life! If your habits for nourishing yourself are not chosen with sufficient consciousness and awareness, you, more often than not, make choices that are not in your best interest. Good food choices support good health. For the past few weeks, I have been collaborating with the Power Women of NSA to achieve optimum health through food.

Think about it – as a society, we tend to choose poorly, relying on fast food, convenience foods and more! While the motto “moderation in all things,” is a simple and helpful guideline to create health, it needs to be interwoven with the motto, “energy flows where attention goes.” Balance alone will not give us optimal health, for there is a continuum of health practices and choices that you can and should make. Moving along the continuum of optimal health requires increasing consciousness and awareness about lifestyle choices.

How do we make healthy choices? How do we correlate the season with food choices that are easy on the wallet and on our health? Eating in season is not only possible…but healthy too. And let’s talk about our trip to the supermarket, convenience foods, cost, crops, taste, variety, and home grown – and getting through the summer without ruining our health!

The Supermarket Experience

Take a mental walk through your supermarket. Have you noticed how little fresh produce there is? Exclude the frozen and canned foods, and except for the dried beans and rice, you might be surprised to realize that none of the products in the main body of the store are fresh. They are all processed. Does it smell like food? How much of the products stocking the shelves are organic? We have heard of the problems with growth hormones. How much milk is there that is free of this? So much of what is considered “food,” is so deplete of nutrition and so full of chemicals that consuming it is hugely implicated in the rise in obesity/diabetes, cancers, Fibromyalgia and more.

Convenience Foods

Go through your pantries and refrigerator at home. How much of the food there is real and unprocessed? We hear all the time about how processed foods are not good for us nutritionally, but it takes more than just hearing that to realize the truth of it. And how often do you stop to examine your assumptions about the foods you are buying? I have been reading labels for years and years, and though reading labels definitely helped me buy healthier foods, it did not help me realize how dependent I had become on convenience foods.

Most all of us have been raised in the world of convenience foods. It has become our paradigm to rely on convenient, processed, prepared food. The generations in their 40s and beyond will not have had as much processed foods when children, nor as much sugar intake as those younger. Those younger generations have no real experience of what it was like to live in a world where people ate whole foods. Hectic work schedules lead to overuse of convenience and fast food. Do you eat and drive, talk on the phone, eat at the workstation? To this add that about 40% of all our meals are regularly eaten at restaurants or fast food chains, and very few of the countless options for us to choose from are organic, vegetarian, or serve beef and lamb that are grass fed. If the food is not organic then it is genetically modified. What we are doing to ourselves with all of this we hardly know.

Eating In

Can you remember when the family meal was a time when all family members were together engaging in a ritual that brought cohesion, relaxation, good conversation and laughter — great elements for proper digestion. Can you bring back the smells of the home cooked foods, memories of special tablecloths and dishes, the fun of candlelight dinner? Perhaps you had the bounty of coming from a family where everyone pitched to help with the preparation and clean up, so that when the meal was over, everyone could sit down and relax for the rest of the evening.

Eating Out

Let’s face it … we are all overextended, and Americans do tend to eat out fairly often. We might select foods that are easiest to get into our mouths quickly and on the go. The easiest foods are too often the worst for us: highly refined, processed, and packaged foods. Most restaurants will cater to special dietary requests. Never hesitate to ask for healthful choices. For example, most pasta dishes can be made with whole grain pasta in lieu of white flour; ask, and be pleasantly surprised.

Slow Food

The Slow Food movement is a call to reverse trends that have taken people away from these healthier practices. “Ultimately [living the slow life] is about pleasure and taste, knowledge and choice. Once we begin to take an interest in the enjoyment of food, and in finding out where our food comes from, we can begin to see the effects of these choices. When we shorten the distance — both literally and figuratively — that our food travels to get to us, we are participating in the Slow Food movement. Slow Food is about coming together as a food community — community producers and co-producers come together at the farm, in the market and at the table to create and enjoy food that is good, clean and fair. Slow Food is also simply about taking the time to slow down and to enjoy life with family and friends. Every day can be enriched by doing something slow.” (www.slowfoodusa.org.)

Quick Tips for Shopping Healthy

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and fish are usually located.
Avoid the center aisles where junk foods lurk.
Choose “real” foods with as little processing and as few additives as possible. Remember, if you want more salt or sugar, you can always add it yourself.
Avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Produce: Cost and Crops

Produce is in season – it makes perfect sense to buy fresh! Where do you go to find simply healthy foods? My favorite places to shop are fresh markets with great selections. You walk in and smell the aroma of fresh vegetables and fruit; your eyes are flooded with the beautiful array of colors of fresh vegetables and fruits that fill the space.

Produce is readily available and the cost of seasonable products creates real savings to one’s wallet. Even with the weather challenges we have faced, the crops look good, and taste even better.

Taste

Taste can be as important as cost. Think about it. Would you rather eat a dark red, vine-ripened tomato still warm from the summer sun or a winter hothouse tomato that is barely red and lacking in flavor? Fresh, locally harvested foods have their full, whole flavors intact – and you can taste the difference.

Variety

Explore what is harvested locally in your own area by visiting www.localharvest.org and identify farmers’ markets near you. You will also discover seasonal produce guides.

Homegrown

Although it is virtually impossible to eat locally and in season 100% of the time, we can make a good effort. If possible, grow it and pick it yourself. If gardening is not for you, visit a local farmer’s market weekly or join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm to acquire fresh products at local distribution locations. Determine what is in season now, and get started on the road to fresh! Why worry – read on!

Shorter times between harvesting and consumption enhance the nutritional value of foods. Logically, this means you should buy produce from your local growers in season. Local generally means 150 miles from your home. Visit the local farmers’ markets — and get to know the farmers. The more you learn about how the farmer farms, the better a consumer you can be. Another factor to consider is food safety. While buying locally doesn’t guarantee food safety, it does limit the processing, the time, the number of steps, and the numbers of human-to-food interactions between harvest and consumption. “Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.”

Organic – or not?

Organic is a way of growing crops in greater harmony with nature, without using synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics or growth hormones. Certified Organic products must be grown and processed according to the USDA Organic Standards with inspections to verify organic authenticity.

Organic foods are:

Regulated by strict standards and yearly inspections.
As low as possible in synthetic chemicals (pesticides, fungicides & fertilizers)
Processed without synthetic colors, flavors, preservatives and other common additives.
In greater harmony with nature using methods to protect soil, water and air quality.
Safer for farmers to grow.

Organic foods are not necessarily:

More nutritious than other foods. Freshness and level of refining have greater impact on nutrients.
Pesticide-free. Some chemicals persist in the soil for years; others come from nearby farms or water supplies.

Reasons to buy organic:

To protect the environment.
To reduce chemicals in your food.
To avoid genetically engineered food.
To avoid food processed with irradiation.
To avoid use of antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones in animals.

Reasons not to buy organic:

Products often cost more.

Recommended Produce to Purchase Organically or Chemical-free

Highest in pesticide residue: peaches, strawberries, apples, cherries, sweet bell peppers, lettuce, celery, pears, nectarines, spinach, grapes (imported).

Lowest in pesticide residue: onions, asparagus, avocado, kiwi, sweet corn (frozen), bananas, pineapples, cabbage, mango, broccoli, sweet peas (frozen), eggplant. (Source: Environmental Working Group)

So, go ahead and eat to live … making wise choices and maintaining your health!

April 12, 2016 By Sharon Weinstein

Adding a smile, and a laugh, to life’s challenges – the secret to balance.

As the author of B is for Balance, 12 Steps to having balance in life and at work, and as one who has lived it, I know the important of laughter…the best medicine. With today’s hectic pace, we need a few moments of daily laughter—the more the better. It is free of charge and readily available. In the face of frequently dispiriting news from around the globe, it is easy to become glum and irritable, and that can quickly and quietly throw off your balance. What can laughter do? Laughter is good for you and your health. It relaxes the entire body, boosts the immune system, triggers the release of endorphins, and protects the heart! Laughter makes you feel good, relaxes you, and relieves tension. Woe – are you starting to realize the impact that a smile, a little, joy, and a good laugh can have in your own life?

I have taken my career to new levels – consistently reinventing myself along the way, but always appreciating the joy in each step of the journey. Have something in your workplace that makes you happy, that fulfills you, and that makes you smile.

As a diploma graduate from Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing, Philadelphia, I continued my education in Florida and Texas as I moved around the country and around the globe – somewhat of a pioneer at the time. No, I was not in the military, although that might have been a great choice. Rather, my husband, a successful hospital CEO, and I took turns relocating for one another – always advancing within our careers. During this time, I also had three children…and they became expert networkers as they navigated within school systems and new neighborhoods. To some, this might appear stressful. To us, it represented a journey, an opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and to exercise humor in the process.

And so, our journeys enabled us to own 14 homes in as many states and an apartment in Moscow. Our journeys enabled us to look on the bright side of moving about – clean closets, constant purging, lack of clutter and the development of incredible organizational skills. In spite of this constant activity, or per- haps because of it, our adult children are incredibly well-adjusted, outgoing, and yes, they do see laughter as the best medicine.

As director of the Office of International Affairs for an 1800-hospital alliance, I created partnership opportunities for our North American hospitals and their foreign counterparts. I served as U.S. advisor to the Kremlin Hospital (Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow) for 10 years and created the international patient department.

As founder of the International Nursing Leadership Institute (INLI) hosted by the American International Health Alliance, I had the opportunity to collaborate with many nurse leaders as we shared knowledge and expertise with our peers from the new independent States of the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European nations. We focused on learning as fundamental and we put the edutainment in education. Our goal was to create a cadre of nurse leaders/educators. A series of leading management books were used by faculty to generate the curriculum. Students and faculty, in full costume, acted out the stories. For example, the parable, Who Moved My Cheese, encouraged students to have contingency plans and to expect change. The book, The Oz Principle, told students that they could be or do whatever they wanted…if they wanted it badly enough! The book, Goldilocks on Management, featured a series of revisionist fairy tales for serious managers. Thirty-four of our graduates have been granted international membership in the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) and many more have been inducted as community leaders within the Honor Society of Nursing (STTI). And, in 2014, we chartered the first chapter of STTI in all of Eastern Europe, in the Republic of Armenia.

So, what about laughter? For years, our children referred to me as 50 percent…meaning that 50 percent of the time (or less), I had a good sense of humor. I actually “got” a joke; I could laugh at myself. I think that I have now graduated to nearly 90 percent. Sometimes, I am the first to see the humor in a situation or to come up with a great line. Of course, family members are still amazed! Sometimes, I get “it” – whatever “it” might be! And, my level of awareness has increased as I have transitioned within my career from a focus on intervention to one of health and wellness – prevention and health promotion.

It is fascinating to work with colleagues who embrace ownership of one’s body and the need to advocate for self-care, self-reflection, meditation and laughter. Laughter definitely has a place within every aspect of one’s life. Laughter has enabled me to change my mindset, shift my paradigms and it has enhanced my well-being! As nurses, we all need to assume responsibility for the joys of life! As nurses, we work in stressful environments. Humor allows us to deal with stress more effectively; humor impacts healing and recovery time. And, humor has enabled me to grow personally and professionally. As I have transitioned within my career, a sense of humor has definitely helped. In my work with foreign Ministers of Health, Education and Finance, I always needed to see the big picture of what was possible, but perhaps not always probable. In my consulting practice, I have integrated humor in my work related to positive practice environments and wellness.

So, like me, step back, look at the big picture and use that perspective to help people feel good about themselves…that is the critical skill that′s allowed me to touch the lives of people like you and me on a global scale! I have had a long and exciting nursing career; I often joke that I should be at least 100 years of age given all that I have crammed into 40 years as a nursing professional. And, the best is yet to come as I continue to enlighten audiences around the globe with my speaking style and sense of humor!

“Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.”- Anthony Burgess

February 2, 2016 By Sharon Weinstein

I wish that you had been there…

The art of the story, as told by the professional speaker…is a true art! Everybody loves a great story; let’s face it. The art of the story involves setting that scene, extending that hook, and reeling them in! So, I wish that you could have been there on Saturday at the Box Lacrosse game. For those unfamiliar with the setting, the game is played in a so-called ‘box’ rather than on a field, and is perhaps a bit shorter than the standard game. Lacrosse was once a violent game played by Native American tribes to determine who would own sought after territories. The game has evolved since then, and nowhere is it more popular than in youth leagues. But – you have to be there to appreciate the action, the speed, and the outcome.

Picture the great American baseball game and the pitcher’s delivery; that’s the basic footwork needed to throw the lacrosse ball. The player steps forward to the target, snaps the wrist, pulls back with the bottom hand, and releases the ball – following through. Picture looking at, and stepping to the target! Let’s return to the box.

I wish that you could have been there to see the 10 year olds going for the score on Saturday. They were sweating profusely – their sport glasses covered in steam under their helmets. Going for the ball and passing it away from the net to block the vision of the opposing player, they moved quickly and confidently within the box! The young player meets the ball, receives it as if it were a water balloon, and brings the stick in close to the body with some give.

Lacrosse was not intended to be football with sticks. It was not intended to be violent, yet as a parent, you cringe when your son falls to the floor and limps out of the box. Yes, the crowd roars and teammates cheer for the fallen athlete, but the game goes on. I wish that you could have been there on Saturday as Alex set up the play, changed direction, and beat his defender. And then…out of nowhere…he SCORED! I wish that you could have experienced the excitement, the joy, the teamwork, and the win: 21-2, but who’s counting?

September 16, 2015 By Sharon Weinstein

The Everly Brothers and The Rev. Martin Luther King…dreams

“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what shall one day be. Your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.” – James Allen

The Everly Brothers knew about dreams

In a hit 1958 song, the famed Everly Brothers recorded the following words about dreams:

Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream dream, dream

When I want you in my arms, when I want you and all your charms

Whenever I want you, all I have to do, is

Dream, dream, dream

The Everly Brothers created a hit, and raised awareness of the significance of dreams. In today’s complex world, we collaborate with dream and sleep experts – those destined to help us understand the significance of our dreams and how dreams are affected by sleep patterns. (http://www.lyricsdepot.com/the-everly-brothers/all-i-have-to-do-is-dream.html)

Dreaming big dreams, and making them real

Perhaps the most significant speech about a dream is that associated with the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. In a moving historical moment, Reverend King delivered a speech that transformed lives, including his own:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” (USConstitutionhttp://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/index.html -)

Are you living your dreams?

Each and every day, people across the country and around the world are living their dreams. Are you one of them? You may think that your dreams are out of reach and that it is impossible. But, people prove every day that someone is going to get rich, famous, healthy, or otherwise improve their lives. The ‘Make a Wish Foundation” makes dreams come true for countless numbers of people annually. http://www.medaloffreedom.com/MartinLutherKingJr.htm) Do you think that the children involved are non-believers? Do you think for a moment that they do not visualize their dreams becoming reality? Do you think that they allow illness or oppression to stand between them and their dreams? Of course…the answer is a decisive no!

Dreaming of a future that could be

As a young girl, growing up in an abusive household, I often dreamed of what could be. I looked at the relationships that my friends had with their parents and families and wished that I could be like them. I knew that I could be better, that I could do better, and I set out on a mission, at age 14 to prove it.

My healthcare career began at age 14 as a volunteer. At the same time, I found as many jobs as possible to generate income. The jobs were varied – from assisting an accountant with the daily receipts of a number of local food establishments to babysitting and more. I worked long hours and I worked hard. I developed a strong work ethic from my affiliation with the accountant…he taught me the importance of completing a task and realizing my goals. He served as a referral for me when I applied to nursing school, and he became a lifelong friend and mentor.

I knew that to realize my dreams I needed a good education, and I saw nursing as the vehicle to help me to reach my goals. Although my initial program was only three years, leading to a diploma, I graduated with honors and went on to complete baccalaureate and master’s degrees on a continuum of learning that has not yet stopped many years later.

I was fortunate to have had a role model…someone who believed in me and my ability and who helped me to understand the value of dreams. Today, somewhere…someone is going to go back to school to improve their life. Someone is going to become a lifelong learner.

Someone is going to look in the mirror and see that they need to lose a little weight and they will make the decision to become healthy. Someone will run their first marathon or improve their health. Someone, somewhere – is going to set out on a pathway to success and reach beyond their dreams to change their lives. That someone might be you…or someone you know. [Read more…]

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