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TWM 13 – Don’t Plan a Big Bad Food Reward

TWM-13

Don’t Plan a Big Bad Food Reward

Today's Will Power Moment - 13

with Dr. James Meschino

Many people make the mistake of rewarding themselves, after they have been so good, with a big and bad food reward. They went to the gym and worked out hard; they are very proud of themselves and now feel entitled to a big, bad food reward. So they order a cheeseburger with fries and wash it down with a milkshake, or they have the big steak or the all-you-can-eat spare ribs, and add sweet potato fries and apply a creamy salad dressing to the salad, then have apple pie with ice cream for dessert. The truth is, those kinds of calories will not only reload your fat cells with fat, but they also turn on cholesterol production in your liver and raise blood cholesterol, regardless of how hard you work out. Your body doesn’t burn cholesterol as calories, so much of it lodges in the blood vessel wall and leads to heart disease even in really well-trained athletes, and in many thin people who eat this way, by the way. These types of calories also promote cancer development in a big way.

The idea is to complement your fitness success by looking forward to eating a delicious but healthy meal once your workout is over. The truth is, exercising actually will actually increase your craving for healthy foods. Take advantage of it. That’s the one-two punch that gets results. Workout and then reward yourself with a healthy, but tasty and delicious meal. When you do that, your body really starts to change quickly.

It’s really a mind set. Because you did one thing right don’t tell yourself you earned the right to do a bad thing to even it out. That mindset leads to failure in most cases. The key is to use your exercise success to reinforce, in your mind, that you are on the right track, and it should make it easier, not harder, to keep the process going by consuming foods that are healthy and delicious, and ultimately make you feel better and look better. The key is to identify and find healthy foods you look forward to using as a reward, so when your workout is over, you go searching for the right reward, not the wrong one.

Your workout program and your dietary habits have to reinforce and complement each other. That’s the ultimate goal, and the sooner you put that into place, the better. So, find the food indulgence choices to reward yourself with that taste good; something you look forward to and will make you proud of yourself, and keep your wellness journey moving forward.

 

Eat smart, live well, and I know you’re going to look and feel great.

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 12 – Don’t Lose Momentum: Committing to the Minimum Exercise Threshold

TWM-12

Don't Lose Momentum: Committing to the Minimum Exercise Threshold

Today's Will Power Moment - 12

with Dr. James Meschino

Make no mistake about the fact that endurance fitness is a major underpinning of health. It’s important to eat properly, get enough sleep, manage stress, and so on, but in order to keep your heart strong and ward off many health problems, you need a base line level of endurance or cardiovascular fitness. And the action of doing it also burns calories to help keep you at your ideal weight, or helps you burn excess calories so you can attain your ideal weight. So, endurance or cardio fitness is an integral part of wellness, disease prevention and weight management.

Not only do you have to engage in endurance fitness, but you also have to do it consistently – at least 4 times a week. The problem is that you may be like me, where you set your goal for 35-45 minutes of endurance exercise per session. Whether that’s riding a stationary bike, jogging, power walking, using the elliptical machine, taking a high-intensity dance or fitness class, rollerblading, mountain biking for an hour or 90 minutes, etc. But there are bound to be certain days when you are really pressed for time, and doing the complete routine just can’t fit into your day. On those days you need a back up plan. So, you have to decide in advance what your minimum exercise threshold will be so you don’t lose momentum, still burn some calories, and maintain your fitness level to some degree. I set the goal for at least 20 minutes of jogging or riding a stationary bike fairly aggressively (trying to burn at least 150 calories on the bike) when I am really pressed for time.

You may want to set a goal like pledging to complete at least 5,000 steps at some point in the day if you are tracking steps with your phone or another wearable device. Of course, 10,000 or 15,000 steps would be much better, but on days when you’re pressed for time, doing 5,000 steps is better than doing hardly no steps at all. The key is not to lose momentum. If you completely skip a work out, it becomes easier to skip the next one, then the next one, and so on. And before you know it, you’re not exercising anymore. That’s what happens to the majority of people.

So here is the solution: If you have a minimum exercise threshold back up plan, then you still keep yourself in the game. You don’t lose momentum, and the next day you’ll be right back with your full routine. That’s how it works. Psychologically, just completing the minimum threshold of exercise really helps prevent you from losing compliance with your endurance fitness routine. Remember, consistency is everything, so you have to plan for the days when you’re pressed for time, feeling lethargic, a bit run down, feeling overwhelmed, etc. On those days, default to your back-up plan – your minimum endurance exercise threshold. Only you can decide what that will be. But make the commitment right now, and make sure you track your workouts in the Daily Diet and Activity Tracker on the Meschino Wellness Platform. Take a  minute and think about what your minimum exercise threshold plan will be. Commit to using it as your own personal back-up plan on days when you feel challenged, and keep recording your workouts in the Diet and Activity Tracker, and I guarantee you’ll keep your progress going for a lifetime.

 

Eat Smart, Live Well, Look Great.

 

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 11 – Get More Rest to Improve Exercise Compliance and Results

TWM-11

Get More Rest to Improve Exercise Compliance and Results

Today's Will Power Moment - 11

with Dr. James Meschino

One of the reasons that people drop out of their exercise regiment is fatigue (physical and mental fatigue), which is often triggered by lack of sleep.The minute you feel really tired or exhausted, it’s very unlikely that you’ll find the willpower to make yourself exercise on that day. And once you start missing workouts, it becomes harder and harder to get back on track.

There are two problems here:

  1. Most people don’t get enough sleep to begin with (under 6-7 hrs per night in many cases), and…
  2. When you exercise, you drain your energy level, break down muscle, spike your cortisol levels and produce muscle inflammation – all of which require additional sleep in order to recharge your battery, repair the damage and enhance your lean muscle mass gains.

Many competitive athletes get 8-11 hrs of sleep per 24-hour cycle. The more demanding the sport, the more sleep is required to recover and get the training benefit in muscle gains, endurance and explosive power, etc.

So, if you are adding 40-90 minutes of exercise to your daily routine, in addition to working all day, managing a household, socializing etc., then I will tell you that it will likely exhaust you after a while, and you’ll start missing more and more workouts simply due to fatigue.

The simple truth is, if you’re going to exercise regularly, you need to also plan to sleep a little more than you do now, especially if your compliance has not been up to par thus far. To keep it simple, try adding one more hour of sleep to your usual schedule and see how more energetic you feel, and how much easier it is to be more compliant with your exercise goals.I think you’ll be quite surprised and impressed with yourself. It’s a bit ironic, but one of the best ways to improve your ability to exercise is to get more rest.

 

Eat Smart, Live Well, Look Great

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 10 – Would you like yourself better if…?

TWM-10

Would you like yourself better if...?

Today's Will Power Moment - 10

with Dr. James Meschino

Here’s a question:

Would you like yourself better if:

  1. You lost any excess body fat you are carrying around?
  2. Had a more fit, toned body?
  3. Were more compliant with your exercise program and better dietary practices?

Would it have a positive effect on:

  1. Your level of happiness and self-esteem?
  2. Your quality of life?
  3. Your confidence level?
  4. Your social and/or professional life?
  5. Your energy level and feeling of optimism?
  6. Your ability to better manage an existing health problem (e.g. high cholesterol, diabetes, prediabetes, etc.)?

If so, are you committed to taking action, if the action required is not excessive, and does not entail major deprivation, sacrifice and physically exhausting exercise?

If your answer is yes then, how exactly do make it happen? I love what Dr. Dean Ornish said in his May 12, 2016 interview on Medscape. Dr. Ornish is a medical doctor and researcher who developed the only documented dietary and lifestyle program ever shown to reverse coronary artery disease. The same diet also stabilized localized prostate cancer in a recent trial as well. Dr Ornish doesn’t insist that new patients follow his dietary program to the letter at the outset of the program, but rather asks them after explaining the program, what dietary changes are you willing to make right now? How much exercise are you willing to start with right now?

In the end it comes down to what changes you can start with right now. And the truth is that – only you can decide it. Not your wife or husband, or your brother, or your best friend. It has to be what you find acceptable and tolerable, or you simply won’t make any lasting changes. I created the Nutrition Manager Feature on the Meschino Wellness Platform for this reason. If you haven’t used it yet, it’s a great exercise to help you decide what dietary and other changes you are willing to make right now. You can always revisit it in 90 days or so and add some additional changes, but the key is to make changes that are palatable for you right now.

Wellness is a journey, and you can always make other changes in the future once you are ready for them.They key is to start with what you are willing to do right now – and only you can decide that.

I encourage you to click on the Nutrition Manager and set our your initial, personalized game plan to:

  • Reduce your risk of cancer.
  • Better manage your glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure.
  • And take your approach to wellness to the next level.

It’s a fun and inspirational exercise that takes only minutes, but it will strengthen your ability to make changes that will have you feeling better about yourself, looking better on the outside, and being healthier on the inside. Ok… click on the Nutrition Manager… and go and have some fun!

 

Eat Smart, Live Well, Look Great

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 09 – The “CCCP” Formula for Exercise Compliance

TWM-09

The "CCCP" Formula for Exercise Compliance

Today's Will Power Moment - 09

with Dr. James Meschino

Most people have trouble staying on track with their good intentions to exercise regularly. Here is the simple formula to ensure your success that is used by myself and many individuals who exercise consistently and make it look easy. The formula has 4 simple parts:

I call them the “CCCP” (just like the old Russian Hockey Jerseys).

The first “C” stands for Carbohydrate Treat: Before you decide to exercise or not, have a small carbohydrate treat to raise your blood sugar and increase glucose to your brain. The small surge of energy makes you feel like you now have the energy to exercise on days when you feel like you really don’t, which can be most days for a lot of people. Make it part of your pre-exercise ritual that helps you shift your internal state.

The 2nd “C” stands for Convenience: Your fitness location must be at home, near your home or near your work place. Some people join a high-end deluxe club but it’s 45 mins away. It becomes too inconvenient and you don’t go. You have to literally fall in the door of fitness location, or walk, drive, or ride less than 10-15 minutes ideally.

The third “C” stands for Combining Exercise with something that brings pleasure. I spoke about this in a previous edition of Today’s Willpower Moment. While exercising, watch a TV program, listen to music you like, or watch an instructional DVD, etc.

The “P” stands for Plan Exercise in Advance. Schedule your exercise time in advance in your day book, just like any other appointment, and/or on your daily wellness checklist on the Wellness Platform – and check it off at the end of day once completed.

That’s the formula that ensures success – CCCP:

Carbohydrate snack with little pre-exercise break;

Convenient fitness location;

Combine exercise with pleasurable activity;

Plan exercise in advance.

I know the CCCP formula will work for you, as many people use this system to stay consistent day after day, week after week, and year after year. You need a system, and the CCCP is answer for many people

Eat Smart, Live Well, Look Great.

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 08 – Combine Your Exercise Program with Something Pleasurable

TWM-08

Combine Your Exercise Program with Something Pleasurable

Today's Will Power Moment - 08

with Dr. James Meschino

Eighty percent of adults do not get sufficient exercise to prevent cardiovascular disease or other health problems, or prevent and reverse weight gain problems and health problems related to weight gain and obesity. Many people have the intention of doing more exercise – they join a gym or buy home exercise equipment etc., but their compliance is really poor in most cases. One of the proven ways to improve compliance is to combine your exercise routine with something that brings you pleasure as it’s easier to make pleasant activities a habit.

Here are some examples:

  • Watch a TV documentary or show you like while doing exercise, or a sporting event of interest.
  • Listen to tunes on your phone or iPod while working out, or an audio book, or favourite radio progam or station. Listening to your favourite music, or music that inspires movement, is a great way to pair exercise with something pleasurable and motivating.
  • Of course, simply taking dance lessons or a hip hop class, a Zumba class, or even a spin class etc, where music is part of the program, is a great way to make exercise more pleasurable and something to look forward to.

For everyone it’s different. If you have trouble exercising regularly then think about what you can combine it with that will bring you pleasure, or something you look forward to, or will hold your interest so the time goes by faster, where you’re not thinking about the discomfort of the exercise itself. At the end of the day – exercise has to become a habit, so pairing it with something that brings you pleasure makes it so much easier to succeed. Many people who succeed with their exercise goals use this strategy, and so I highly recommend it.

 

Eat smart, live well, look great.

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 07 – Less is More: How to Start and Stick with an Exercise Program

TWM-07

Less is More: How to Start and Stick with an Exercise Program

Today's Will Power Moment - 07

with Dr. James Meschino

If you are just starting back into exercise or wanting to start an exercise program for the first time, it is best to make the program so easy that you can’t fail. Build up momentum over time and slowly discover the healthy addiciton that exercise will provide once you stay at it long enough. Remember that a body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

The story I tell in the video explains exactly how it actually happens in real life. It’s an invaluable lesson about how to make exercise work in the short-term and long-term. In the beginning  “Less is More”

 

Good luck with your wellness goals,

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 06 – A Brain Energy Boost for Improved Exercise Compliance

TWM-06

A Brain Energy Boost for Improved Exercise Compliance

Today's Will Power Moment - 06

with Dr. James Meschino

To remove the feeling of brain fatigue that is often confused with body fatigue, have a small carbohydrate indulgence 15-20 minutes just prior to your scheduled exercise time. It will raise your blood sugar just a tad, re-energize your brain and give you the feeling that you do have the energy to follow through and exericise on that day.

Here are some example of a small carbohydrate indulgence:

  •  A small cup of hot chocolate.
  • Tea or coffee with some sugar.
  • Small plain donut hole, timbit, country bit, coffee bit.
  • 5 jujubes.
  • A piece of licorice.
  • A couple of sesame snacks.

None of these foods are health-foods, but they can give you the small instant lift your brain needs to remove the mental fatigue of the day that may otherwise makes you feel like you don’t have the energy to exercise. You can also use some healthier carbohydrates to accomplish the same thing, like:

  • A handful of grapes.
  • Small bowl of cut up pineapple squares.
  • A piece of watermelon.
  • A small fruit cup.

If you raise blood sugar just a tad just prior to your scheduled exercise time, you’ll likely find that your compliance with exercise improves. Try it and I think you’ll see that it really does make a difference. Many of us use this simple, but effective strategy to maintain our own exercise compliance.

 

Eat Smart, Live Well, Look Great

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 05 – Find a Distraction

TWM-05

Find a Distraction

Today's Will Power Moment - 05

with Dr. James Meschino

Growing problem with weight gain in our society. Much of the problem is over eating. We’re creatures of habit, so when we find ourselves repeating certain patterns, like sitting in front of the TV or a computer munching on snacks, we’re only over eating, but also sitting too long and not moving.

If you’re trapped in this pattern then you have to find a distraction that brings you pleasure and breaks the habit.

If you find a distraction that you like, then your mind won’t be focused on the food you are giving up – That’s important. The distraction has to consume your mind, or distract it sufficiently, so you forget about food altogether.

Here are some examples of healthy distractions:

Learn to play a musical instrument – you can’t eat and play piano or guitar at the same time.

The same is true for:

  • Painting.
  • Sculpting.
  • Taking dance lessons.
  • Participating in a social dance club, once or twice per week.
  • Zumba class.
  • Line dance class.
  • Yoga class or a yoga routine at home.
  • Taking singing lessons or singing in a choir or chorus.
  • Go for a walk and listen to your favourite music or an audio book.

If the distraction also helps you burn some calories, then that’s a bonus, like: dancing, Zumba class, walking or going for a leisurely bike ride.

So here’s the exercise:

Identify the situations where you’re likely to sit down and start munching on food you don’t really need. Then come up with your own pleasurable distraction to help focus your mind and body on something else that makes you feel productive and good about yourself – and removes the temptation of eating calories you don’t need.

Okay, find a distraction that works for you.

I found the ones that work for me. Now it’s your turn.

Thanks for watching, and see you next time.

Eat Smart, Live Well, Look Great.

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

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TWM 04 – The Secret of the Small Indulgence

TWM-04

The Secret of the Small Indulgence

Today's Will Power Moment - 04

with Dr. James Meschino

For most people it is unrealistic to swear off all treat and snack foods for the rest of their lives. This is where the secret of the small indulgence comes in. By allowing yourself one or two small indulgences per day, you won’t feel deprived of having some cheat foods in your diet and you’ll provide your brain with small rise in blood sugar (glucose) availability to make better decisions, especially about finding the energy to exercise.

So, here is what many wellness conscious individuals due:

They treat themselves each day to one or two small indulgence treats. One small treat usually is used about 15-30 mins prior to their scheduled exercise session for the day. A small indulgence is something small, containing a limited amount of fat and sugar calories, but provides just enough satiety (stomach satisfaction) to satisfy the craving for a treat and raise you blood sugar just a tad to improve decision-making and conquer the mental fatigue of the day

Here are some examples:

  • One small square of dark chocolate (like Lindt Chocolate – a famous one).
  • One Donut Hole – In Canada we  call them Tim Bits or Country Bit are good examples (using the plain old fashion tim bit as an example) – not ones that super coated with sugar.
  • A small pack of Sesame Snacks.
  • A piece of licorice.
  • A small biscotti.
  • A small bag of low fat popcorn.
  • 12 Crispy Minis (baked rice cracker treat).
  • Top of a low fat muffin.
  • 5-6 jujubes etc.

Of course, virtually none of these foods are considered healthy foods, but using these snacks and treats in small amounts can help prevent you from overindulging in super fatty and sugary “ooey-gooey” pastries, high fat chippy-dippy snacks, chocolate bars or ice cream products. These are the ones that really sabatoge peoples’ wellness goals.So, my advice is to included one or two small indulgences each day, while you go about the business of eating healthy in every other way, and staying compliant with your exercise goals.

The secret of the small indulgence. What does it do for you? It keeps you away from more fattening and damaging snacks and treats and it increases your brain’s ability to make the decision to exercise if you have a small snack 15-30 minutes prior to your scheduled exercise time, so t actually helps with exercise compliance (and that’s a biggy).

Eat Smart, Live Well, Look Great

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP

 

Dr. James Meschino

Dr. James Meschino

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Meschino, DC, MS, ROHP, is an educator, author, and researcher having lectured to thousands of healthcare professionals across North America. He holds a Master’s Degree in Science with specialties in human nutrition and biology and is recognized as an expert in the field of nutrition, anti-aging, fitness, and wellness as well as the author of numerous books.

Adeeva Supplements