Category: A Healthier Community

Personal Spotlight on Nicole Kazimer of Hikyoga

Nicole Kazimer is the founder of Hikyoga, a hiking-infused yoga class in Rochester. Born and raised in Webster, NY, Nicole is a certified yoga instructor whose Hikyoga journey began when she started to teach her friends yoga at a Rochester park. Upstate New York has so many amazing hiking trails, making it the perfect place for Nicole to start her business. In an interview with AHealthierUpstate.org, Nicole shares insight into how she leads her healthiest life.

Tell us about Hikyoga. What does it involve?  

Taking yoga outside inspires people to become more present with their surroundings. As the yoga “studio” is ever changing from trail to trail and season to season, participants are continuously engaged with nature.

Hikyoga attracts newcomers interested in trying yoga as it eliminates the stress and intimidation sometimes associated with studio yoga. It also attracts life-long yogis! Incorporating movement into yoga as we move from the studio to the outdoors is a great variation from traditional styles.

Healthy eating can be a struggle for all of us. What do you do to stay on top of it?

Breakfast! We hear it’s the most important meal of the day… that is no joke. I eat breakfast within the first 20 minutes of waking up and make sure I eat more protein than sugar. Too much sugar and carbs for breakfast makes me feel yucky the rest of the day.

Smoothies are so much easier than everyone thinks. Throw the ingredients into a blender and you’re good to go. Hikyoga even offers super fun smoothie making workshops that include yoga plus smoothies made by Mackenzie’s Table.

For me, counting calories does more harm than good; it creates more stress which leads to unhealthy choices. Eliminating the pressure from calorie counting helps me listen to what my body needs and enjoy what I’m eating!

You sound like a pretty busy lady! How do you balance it all?

I make time for myself. I make time for sleep, self-care, alone time, and schedule one night a week for nothing but family time.

My schedule is jammed, especially on nights and weekends. I make sure to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep a night to ensure I have a sharp mind the next day. Also, I’m always prepared with snacks! I’m the snack queen – especially when I know that I’ll be running around for a while. Some of my favorite snacks include yogurt (siggi’s is my jam right now), spoonfuls of peanut butter and clementines.

Upstate New York, as you know, can have some pretty tough winters. How do you stay active?

I make time for the outdoors in the winter and take full advantage of the sunny winter days to get outside and hike. I practice indoor yoga about once a week. I’ve learned that if you don’t like it… don’t do it and find something that works for you.

Doing something you love is extremely important in living an active lifestyle no matter what the season is. If you’ve tried it all, and you’re still not totally keen on it, bring a friend. You’ll hold each other accountable and have fun!

How does a healthy lifestyle help you at home and at work?

The food we put into our bodies makes us who we are. If I feed my body with nutrients and feed my mind with positivity, then I’ll be the best version of myself.

Stress takes a toll on our bodies, even if we’re stressed over something we enjoy doing. My passion is teaching to large groups and organizing big, fun events – but it’s extremely demanding. I know if I sleep well, eat healthy, and feed my mind with positive thoughts, I’ll be able to conquer the day and be the best version of myself for my students.

What advice do you have for someone who is trying to live a healthier lifestyle?

Know that it’s ok to say “no” to things that don’t excite you. We’re pressured into doing a lot of things that we “should” be doing, but does it really make us happy? There are tons of ways to stay healthy, so have fun experimenting with what works for you! Also, spend more time on your mental wellbeing and your physical wellbeing will follow.

Where do you go in your community to be healthy?

I am super lucky my job allows me to be outside exploring trails in and around Rochester. These trails help me stay in the present as I calm/clear my mind. When I’m outside, I don’t like to check my phone.  Instead, I look up, look down and all around and take in nature. Our minds are going so fast all day long between all the stimulants and high demands. Some of my favorite trails include Abraham Lincoln Park in Penfield, Chimney Bluffs State Park in Wolcott, and Highland Park in Rochester.

To learn more about Nicole, go to hikyoga.com

Invite more balance, strength and flexibility into your healthy lifestyle by trying some of Nicole’s favorite yoga poses:

MyFitnessPal, My New Best Friend

MyFitnessPal makes it easy to journal what you eat and drink.

MyFitnessPal is a food diary, calorie and nutrient tracker and exercise journal rolled into one easy-to-use app. I use the MyFitnessPal app when I realize I’ve been eating a little less than “mindfully” and need to inject some discipline into my routine. Journaling everything you eat and drink is a great way to hold yourself accountable for what you consume, and counting calories through journaling is often heralded as an effective way to maintain or lose weight.

The Rundown

  1. Set yourself up: When you first launch the app, you’ll enter your height and weight, activity levels and weight goals. The app will calculate a daily calorie goal for you based on this information.
    • Example:
      Height:  5 feet 6 inches tall
      Weight: 150 lbs.
      Daily activity level: Lightly active
      Goal weight: 145 lbs.
      Weekly Goal: Lose a pound a week
      Result: The app will allot around 1,480 calories a day (this will adjust for each individual’s specific goals and circumstances).
  2. From your mouth to the app: Each day, enter what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks and drinks. Try not to make exceptions to this rule—the point is to really see what you’re consuming!The app takes out a lot of the guesswork: you can search through a vast catalogue of millions of foods and meals from different stores, brands and restaurants, with nutritional information. Select your food and serving size, and log it in. The app calculates the total calories and keeps your running total for the day.
  3. Feel the burn: Did you go over your calorie goal for the day? Fear not. MyFitnessPal offers no shame, only support. If you’re lacing up those running shoes or hitting the gym, the app allows you to add your exercise and it will increase your calorie allotment based on your activity.

Features and Extras

Entering meals in the diary can be easy and fast. Use your smartphone’s camera to scan the barcode on packaged foods—like a bag of granola or a protein bar—to automatically record calories. You can even store your go-to snacks in the app.

Calculating calories in meals made from scratch with whole ingredients, such as your grandmother’s chicken noodle soup, can be a little tricky. For homemade meals, enter each separate ingredient, or find a similar meal in the catalogue (just remember that the calorie counts could be inaccurate!). Luckily, if you make certain recipes often, you can save them to use again later.

What I Learned

MyFitnessPal shed light on some of my less-than-healthy eating habits.  I was unpleasantly surprised, for example, to learn how many calories (up to 500!) are in the average smoothie. I switched to plain Greek yogurt with some walnuts for a weekday breakfast at only 220 calories.  That doesn’t mean I can never have the smoothie—I just have to really want it and be willing to absorb the calories that come with it.

The app also forces you to come to grips with serving size. For me, it was a wake-up call of sorts to face what a recommended serving size really is, versus what I actually consume. To my chagrin, the app forced me to realize that while it might not be so bad to indulge in the half-cup serving size of ice cream listed on the carton, eating three times that amount knocks my daily calorie goal out of reach.

Any Critiques?

The search function on the food catalog can be a little confusing, and the easiest-to-find foods are often those that are packaged or made ready-to-eat. If you search for something simple like “roasted broccoli,” the results include dishes from restaurants and chains that might not be anything like what you made at home. It’s sometimes hard to know which to choose to really reflect what you ate.

Similarly, it’s challenging to ensure you’re correctly logging activity in the exercise diary. You can choose between “cardio” or “strength” activity categories, but there is no way to enter a class that combines both, such as a Zumba class that uses weights, or a kickboxing class that also focuses on pushups and conditioning.  To get by, I log the activity by selecting exercises from each category that best represents what I did in class, but it would be nice if the app had some combinations preset in the catalog.

Even if the log isn’t 100 percent accurate, the simple act of tracking my activity is helpful for keeping me accountable, and for looking back at my day with pride, if I met or even came close to meeting my targets.

The Gist

MyFitnessPal is a great way to stay on track, make sure I’m aware of what I’m putting in my body, and how it impacts my wellness goals. I try not to obsess over calories and enjoy the occasional indulgence. But it really helps to see what kind of damage eating the less-than-worth-it slice of sheet cake in the break room might do to my calorie goals for the day. When you’re paying attention—which the app forces you to do—you can see how little things you take for granted can really throw off your momentum for the day. The app—like any true pal—supports you, gives you tough love when necessary, and helps you adjust to make better choices.

Download: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
Cost: FREE (a paid version is available that includes several more features, such as macronutrient tracking and variable calorie and workout goals based on the day of the week)

 

Disclaimer: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield does not endorse or have any business relationship with MyFitnessPal.

11 Facts About HPV and Cervical Cancer

Before you decide whether or not to have your pre-teen vaccinated against HPV (human papillomavirus), you may want to read about Christine Baze’s battle with cervical cancer.

Don’t have kids that age? You may still want to read Christine’s story. The National Cancer Institute says HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get the virus at some point in their lives.

Here are more facts about HPV and Cervical Cancer:

  1. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are the most commonly sexually transmitted infections in the U.S.
  2. There are more than 100 types of HPV, and HPV is so common that most sexually-active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives.
  3. HPV is spread by intimate skin-to-skin contact; oral or genital infection can occur without sexual intercourse. HPV can be passed even when an infected person has no signs or symptoms.
  4. The main cause of cervical cancer is HPV. Other cancers that HPV causes are anal, oropharyngeal (throat and mouth), penile, vaginal and vulvar. HPV also causes genital warts.
  5. The HPV vaccine can reduce the risk of contracting certain types of HPV-related cancers by up to 99 percent, if all the doses of the vaccine are administered before sexual activity begins, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
  6. Because preteens have a higher immune response to the vaccine, it’s recommended both girls and boys receive the vaccine when they are 11 to 12 years old; it’s most effective before they are sexually active.
  7. If they did not get vaccinated when they were younger, young women through age 27 and young men through age 22 can receive the HPV vaccination.
  8. The CDC recommends vaccination up to age 27 for certain populations, including those who have certain immunocompromising conditions and males who identify as gay or bisexual or young adults who are transgender.
  9. Millions of people have received the HPV vaccine without serious side effects,
  10. Kids who are 11 or 12 years old should get two shots of HPV vaccine six to 12 months apart. Adolescents who receive two shots less than five months apart will require a third dose of HPV vaccine. Older teens and young adults may need three doses of the HPV vaccine.
  11. For women age 21 to 65, the US Preventive Task Force recommends screening for cervical cancer with cytology (Pap smear) every three years; for women age 30 to 65 years who want to lengthen the screening interval, the USPTF recommends screening with a combination of cytology and HPV testing every five years. These recommendations are under review and expected to be updated in 2018.

 

Unless noted otherwise, these facts are attributed to the Centers for Disease Control.

F is for Fridays, Food, and Family

After a long week at work, there’s nothing more comforting than coming home on a Friday night and having some idea of what you’re going to serve your family for dinner.

I really hate it when I don’t have a meal plan, especially on a Friday night when my creative reserves are fairly depleted. Having something already in mind can make all the difference in the world. It can, quite literally, make the difference between having a nice, relaxing night to end a long week … and the evening dissolving into a pool of frustration with no dinner in sight until much later than you’d like.

For me, one of my favorite Friday night family meals is homemade pizza – a meal that’s easy, tasty and healthy, but also a wild departure from my Eastern European upbringing.

Must be easy

So my plans for Friday night dinner generally revolve around something I can pull together fairly easily. Usually, I like to have all of the ingredients on hand. But if I don’t, I can pick up a few things fairly easily at our local meat market on my way home.

Stopping at a larger grocery store would just make my trip home longer, add too much stress to the end of the day and needlessly complicate the chore. For me, that’s an easy one to drop from the realm of possibilities on a Friday night.

Must be healthy

The selection also has to be fairly healthy. My husband and I are of the years when things like cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium content make a difference. I’m always fighting high cholesterol and constantly looking for ways to lower the number that appears on my yearly health risk assessment.

Must be tasty

And, of course, dinner must also taste good. I mean, what’s the point of eating anything if it isn’t delicious? That’s a lesson I learned a long time ago … while growing up in a family where such Old World favorites as beet soup and stuffed cabbage with potatoes were the standard fare.

When I was young, no one I knew ate such dishes. They were a far cry from the macaroni and cheese, fish sticks and French fries that my classmates lived on.

Back then, my distaste for beet soup was so palpable that I was known to have sat for hours without so much as touching a steaming bowl of (purple-colored!) beet soup. Now, of course, beet soup and stuffed cabbage are favorites of mine, and I can hardly recall what all the fuss was about, except that for me, as a first-generation American back then, it was.

Vegetable pigments make beet soup beautiful and delicious.

Vegetable pigments make beet soup beautiful and delicious.

Leaving behind the Old World

My attitude toward food changed when I was introduced to the art of cooking in home economics classes in junior high school. It was eye-opening to learn that there were endless combinations of foods and ways to prepare them that could actually look and taste good.

Pretty soon, I was preparing the food I’d learned to cook in school at home, much to the surprise of my family. There was no end to the ribbing my brothers gave me about the grapefruit halves that I ran under the broiler and served as an appetizer with a maraschino cherry on top. For them, that was a wild departure from the mostly Eastern European, meat-and-potatoes dishes we were used to.

My fascination for cooking continued after I got married and had a family of my own. I wasn’t going to serve them food that didn’t at least look appetizing and have some nutritional value.

Bye mac & cheese. Hello tahini paste.

Of course, when our children were little, my go-to meals tended toward kid-friendly macaroni and cheese, tuna noodle casseroles and homemade chicken nuggets. No one ever tired of these tried-and-true favorites, and they were simple and easy to make with ingredients that usually were on-hand.

Our tastes became more adventurous and sophisticated as the years went on, though. Now, the staples that can usually be found in our refrigerator and pantry are things like hot chicken sausage in the freezer, kale in the vegetable crisper, and tahini paste, canned tomatoes with green chilies and just about every variety of beans you can think of in the cupboard.

These ingredients can add zip and zing to just about any dish, and make something as mundane as Friday night dinner into FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER.

The perfect Friday night FAMILY meal: Homemade pizza

More often than not, the dish that I go to when I think about Friday night dinner on my way home after a long week at work is homemade pizza.

It’s a meal in one — no other sides, other than perhaps a salad, are required. It comes piping hot out of your oven — without ever tasting like the cardboard box that a delivered pizza tastes like. It’s satisfying and nutritious — dressed up with an endless variety of fresh vegetables.

Yes, pizza can be healthy

The fact that pizza can be satisfying and nutritious is probably the single biggest reason for choosing homemade pizza on a Friday night. The recipe below calls for hot chicken sausage (a healthy substitute for the usual pork sausage), but you can also use turkey pepperoni for something different.

All kinds of vegetables and vegetable combinations go well with pizza. They’re especially tasty sprinkled with fresh herbs snipped from the pots on your windowsill or in your kitchen garden. Use those same herbs to make a pesto (frozen and later thawed) that adds a nice touch to homemade pizza in the winter months.

When you make your own pie, you also have full control of the amount and type of cheese you use. Feel free to try lower-fat varieties, which may suit your tastes just as well as full-fat selections. Because you’re eating in, you can also afford to be choosy about your pizza dough. Here in Syracuse, there’s nothing like Columbus Bakery’s prepared pizza dough, but you may have other out-of-this-world dough suggestions from your favorite bakeries to recommend in the comments section below. You could even try whole wheat pizza dough as a healthier alternative.

So have fun experimenting, bon appétit and please let us know your favorite homemade pizza recipes, topping combinations or other go-to Friday night family dinner recipes below.

Print Recipe
 Chicken Sausage Pizza
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Stretch pizza dough to fit a round, lightly oiled pizza pan. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and cook chopped onion a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute or two. Add hot chicken sausage and cook until browned and crumbled.
  2. Cover pizza dough with desired amount of sauce. Layer with the sausage mixture. Top with chopped red peppers and other vegetables if desired. Sprinkle with seasonings and red pepper flakes for added kick.
  3. Place sliced tomatoes on top of sausage/vegetable/seasoning mixture, covering the pie. Brush any visible crust with olive oil and spray tomatoes with cooking spray.
  4. Place in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on it. When it starts to rise and the crust just starts to turn brown, remove from oven and top with shredded mozzarella/cheddar cheese and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Brush crust with oil again and return to oven just until cheese melts.
  5. Remove from oven, slice with pizza cutter and serve immediately!

Conceiving A Miracle: When Getting Pregnant Isn’t A Given

“What are you guys waiting for?” That’s the question friends and family would ask every year at my son’s birthday parties.

Little did everyone know that we’d been struggling for years to have our second child.

Our struggle to conceive has been fraught with doubt and disappointment.   But for the first time, I’m also feeling hopeful.

Just relax? Yeah, you try that.

So many people – from my obstetrician (OB) to friends and family alike – would suggest “just relaxing” or “try not to think about it.” I now know that’s the worst advice you can give anyone in these situations. (If you are looking for ways to help friends and family struggling with infertility, or even looking for different ways to start a family, visit Resolve.org.)

Even still, we tried, took dozens of pills and injections, had seven surgeries and procedures, removed grains and dairy from my diet, and still suffered two miscarriages, all of which made us feel very alone and anything but relaxed. My body, our minds, and our finances were drained.

Meanwhile friends and family lapped us – having one or two more children to our zero. Trust me, it was not a competition, but you can imagine how defeated we’d feel when we knew we too were once able to just get pregnant on our own. But for some reason, this second child wasn’t going to be as easy.

I celebrated each friend or family member’s new baby as best I could – always with a smile and hope. I never wanted to get on the other side of my situation and have people reflect on how hard it has been for me. I wanted to make sure I was there for them, too- with a positive spirit.

IVF: Not for the faint of heart

After six intrauterine inseminations (IUIs) – two of which resulted in miscarriages – we decided to try In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

The process is not for the faint of heart, but I am grateful to the support group/yoga class I’d been attending for nearly two years. These women have seen it all and dropped everything to help a newbie. Each time I spoke with them, I felt less alone, more hopeful, more comfortable being the person I had to be.

Our IVF protocol was a rigorous one. At this point I’m 39 years old, so my “advanced maternal age” wasn’t necessarily increasing my chances of getting pregnant again. I was bruised mentally from negative pregnancy tests and pregnancy losses, and physically from the injections and blood work.

The mental bruises take a long time to go away. The bruises make you doubt that you’ll actually get pregnant, a skepticism that those “just relax” advisors would yell at you for. Those who’ve done this already know, it’s a doubt you can’t get rid of – but you do have to tuck it away in a remote location of your mind. I carried the doubt, but tried so hard not to let it consume me. I realized that two years later we were smarter, trying new things each time, and each attempt was different. So I forced myself not to ask, “Why should this time be different?”

We’re pregnant! Hooray, right? Well….

 In January 2016, we began prepping for our first retrieval.

By now I was used to the fatigue that comes with constantly running to appointments, juggling prescription refills and approvals, and the general malaise that the injections caused my body.

February’s retrieval came and went.  I was almost in auto pilot mode because in the back of my mind, I was more terrified of the next step to come – the transfer.

Because of the intense protocol I signed us up for, we didn’t transfer until April. When April came, I felt like I was stuck in one those dreams I used to have about my college exams:   the dream where I prepared for the exam, but then showed up for a test that I knew nothing about, and had to wing it. That’s kind of like the IVF experience. You can prep all you want, but it’s really up to science.

After our transfer, we waited and kept ourselves distracted with other things. Over the years we’d been doing this, I became a fan of distractions – anything to not dwell on the one thing we cannot control. We’d take day trips, have fun dinners, just play with our son, or I’d immerse myself in my work.

All along there’d been yoga – every morning I get up and practice solo for about 20 to 30 minutes to organize my body and my head.

Then on May 4th we got our phone call – we were pregnant. Hooray right? Well…

I couldn’t get excited about being pregnant

 As soon as we got our positive blood test, I moved on. I did not get excited.

I said, “Great, see you at next week’s appointment.” We kept the faith, but realistically kept moving on with our lives. This was ironic because I once dreamed of the day we’d get our “get out of jail card” and become pregnant again.

I imagined we’d be ecstatic, able to embrace this joyful moment and be happy. But because of our past emotional experiences, I just couldn’t put myself in that mindset.

With each week and each check-up, we got great reports. Numbers were great and we had a strong heartbeat – all great signs and things we hadn’t seen with past positive tests.

But I just couldn’t let myself enjoy being pregnant. With this technically being my fourth pregnancy, my body was changing fast. I was cramming myself into my normal clothes at eight weeks of pregnancy because I didn’t want to “jinx” us by wearing maternity clothes.

Worse was that I would dread going to the bathroom because there was always that chance that blood would show up, a sign that I might be miscarrying again. There were times I would cry myself to sleep for fear that a normal stomachache was something worse. Or I would spend days at my desk hiding from people so they couldn’t see the fatigue and bloat, or ask questions I didn’t want to answer.

Somehow, one day after one of our last appointments with our fertility team, I actually stopped thinking about the fear of losing this pregnancy. I let it go. I decided I could move on, and try to enjoy the experience.

Then it happened. I was bleeding.

Learning to have faith

 I was paralyzed with fear and anger. My first thought wasn’t what most rational women would say (“oh, it’s probably nothing”). My first reaction was to punish myself for being hopeful – “look at that, you let down your guard and you ruined it.”

I believe that IVF post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real thing. (Though this is not a clinical diagnosis for me specifically, it’s a sentiment or a feeling of loss of security or safety, and that trauma of loss or negative results will continue to occur for me.)

We hurried to the doctor and confirmed that everything was still a-ok. Heartbeat, sac, even limbs were all still there. I most likely had subchorionic bleeding, which can be scary, but is common early in pregnancy and doesn’t normally indicate that the pregnancy is at risk.

Ironically, after that incident, I had more faith and confidence in myself and in this little human who is growing inside me. I learned that not everything is what we think it is every time. And perhaps it was a test to show me that it is OK to let my guard down.

I’d be a liar if I told you that, at nine weeks pregnant and experiencing bleeding, I was thrilled and relieved. My growing confidence allowed me to celebrate this little human in quiet prayer and yoga every day. But it wasn’t until I reached almost 21-weeks of pregnancy that I started to relax and enjoy the miracle of my pregnancy.

With peace of mind, comes joy

 Until experiences showed me that I was not going to have another disappointment, I felt I had to protect myself emotionally and physically.  So I went on “auto pilot” for about 13 more weeks. I got up, got dressed, fed my family, drank my decaf coffee, went to work, and went to bed. I worked hard to avoid thinking about being pregnant – and to my family it came off as a negative attitude. What was hard for them to understand was that I had to build up a shell, that I was just using all of my energy to breathe and keep functioning, leaving no energy to enjoy life for the moment.

While the fear has gotten quieter, it honestly hasn’t gone away. As I near the end of my pregnancy, I know that until I hold this human in my arms, I won’t fully let my guard down. With each passing week, it does get easier. After ultrasounds and check-ups, after seeing our little girl, her cute profile and all of her organs, I finally have some peace of mind.  With peace comes joy. And with joy comes space to smile, laugh, and enjoy some of life. Because life will keep going, this baby will keep growing, and I can keep breathing.

Update: My healthy, beautiful daughter was born in late December 2016. We stare at her in complete disbelief and happiness.

Notes: This narrative was motivated and inspired by Amy Klein’s blog post on the New York Times “Motherlode.” In this amazing post, Ms. Klein introduces the concept of PTSD for fertility patients. http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/after-i-v-f-pregnant-but-still-stuck-in-the-past/

Sleep Cycle App Will Kick You Out of Bed, But Gently

The Sleep Cycle app is listed as “essential” in the app store, and for good reason! Sleep Cycle is an app that helps wake you up based on how you sleep. Since I’m basically the opposite of a morning person, I find that the customizable features and 30-minute “wake-up phase” help me feel less like a zombie when I wake up. Instead, I’m more ready to face my day fully recharged (if that’s even possible with me).

How it works

  1. When you’re ready for bed, set Sleep Cycle’s wake-up alarm and place your phone face-down next to your bed or on the edge of your mattress.
  2. Using your phone’s microphone or accelerometer (a type of motion detector), your sleep patterns are analyzed based on your movements in bed.
  3. While you sleep, the app tracks the peaks and valleys of your lightest to deepest sleep phases.
  4. Since I share a bed with another Sleep Cycle user, the app links our phones through the Wi-Fi connection, accounting for both of our movements. That way his sleep phases don’t impact my sleep statistics and vice versa.

How to customize

Using the app settings, select how you’d like to wake up, choosing between several fairly gentle alarm sounds, such as “warm breeze” or “forest glade.”  Premium users can also enable the “random alarm sound” setting to cycle through a new one each day so you don’t get too irritated with just one sound (you can get irritated with them all instead!).

I use the “random” feature to keep things interesting, and to prevent myself from getting so used to one tone that I start to sleep through the alarm. Plus, I know myself ­– there are only so many times I can hear “forest glade” in one week before chucking my phone across the room and dozing back off to sleep.

During the recommended 30-minute, “wake-up phase,” the alarm goes off when you’re in your lightest sleep of that time period, making it easier to wake. For me, this setting means instead of feeling majorly groggy and sluggish when my alarm sounds, I feel only slightly groggy– a big improvement in my book.

You “hit” snooze by either double tapping on or near your phone or by picking up the entire phone. The “intelligent” feature can also be programmed so the alarm sounds get closer together each time you hit snooze, which I found to be an especially useful feature. Since I’m a true snooze-button-addict, I need an extra few kicks in the morning to willingly emerge from the covers.

Extras

The app provides reports on your average sleep quality and time in bed every day, and premium users can access trend reports for the days, weeks, and months you use the app. Premium users can also record mood and heart rate upon waking, add “sleep notes” like whether you worked out or consumed alcohol, and see how weather might affect sleep.  For example, I learned I sleep significantly better on days I work out, and significantly worse after I consume alcohol, experience a stressful day, or get a sunburn!

What I Learned

I learned that my deepest sleep is typically between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m., which could be why I have such a hard time waking up most mornings. I was also fascinated to see how my daytime activities affected my sleep quality. I now think twice before having that glass or two of wine before bed when I want to feel rested the next day. I also try to give myself plenty of time to unwind before bed, and the app motivates me to keep on track with my gym schedule — no one likes a poor night’s rest!

Any Critiques?

The app helped me learn more about my sleep patterns and the effect my habits have on them, but didn’t exactly change my life. I may never be a morning person and I’ll probably never find an app that can make me into one.

There’s also no way to know the true accuracy of the sleep cycle app. I sometimes wake up feeling as if I’ve had the best sleep of my life, only to have the app report my sleep quality at 50 percent. The app isn’t a substitute for a sleep study and doesn’t claim to be, but these little inconsistencies can sometimes leave me second-guessing the technology.

The Gist

Healthy sleep is critical to good health. When you sleep well, you tend to feel better, be more alert and reduce your risks for medical conditions, such as heart disease.  Sleep Cycle helps me better understand my sleep needs and patterns, helping me get more of that essential shut-eye!

Download: https://www.sleepcycle.com/

Cost: FREE

Premium: $29.99/year

Disclaimer: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield does not endorse or have any business relationship with Sleep Cycle.

pregnant moms take note

Pregnant Moms Take Note: Sooner Isn’t Better

Reaching the 37th week of pregnancy with both of my boys felt like a big milestone.

After heaving my bloated, pregnant self around for way too long, my baby boy was finally “full-term,” or fully developed. It wouldn’t matter if he was delivered now, I mistakenly thought, or on my due date in a few weeks.

Turns out I was wrong.

But it’s not my fault, or the fault of many moms, who think their little bundles of joy are ready to go at 37 weeks, when they really aren’t. Up until a few years ago, even medical experts thought 37 weeks was the ideal goal.

Pushing the Goal Line Back

That all changed several years ago, when medical experts changed the rules for pregnant moms. No longer was the goal of many pregnant moms to reach the 37th week of pregnancy. The goal line was pushed back to 39 weeks, because new research showed that babies still had a lot of growing to do at weeks 37 and 38. The baby’s brain and lungs, for example, were still developing.

It’s important to note that some babies need to be delivered early. This may be because the mother or baby is at risk for complications. But if there are no complications, inducing labor or scheduling a C-section before 39 weeks should be avoided, because the baby is still growing, according to Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation.

Babies born at 37 or 38 weeks run a greater risk of having feeding problems or needing respiratory support, compared to babies born full-term (between 39 to 41 weeks.)

An infographic on more reasons you might want to avoid inducing labor or scheduling C-sections before 39 weeks (if you can!)

 Did you know?

The Choosing Wisely program was started to reduce waste in the health care system and avoid risks associated with unnecessary treatments. The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation publishes and shares hundreds of care recommendations from more than 70 medical specialty societies. A goal of the program is to promote conversations between physicians and patients about the necessity of certain tests and procedures. This includes the risks associated with scheduling a C-section before 39 weeks gestation. Another important goal of Choosing Wisley is to give patients more of a say in some of the decisions.

12 Ways to Workout on the Cheap

I’ve done boot camp. I’ve joined a gym or two. I’m pretty committed when I join things—I like to get my money’s worth. But, I’ve found that the best workouts for me are those that I do at home or on my own.

Don’t get me wrong. A lot of people like the socialization and motivation that comes with belonging to a gym or going to a class. I like to take a yoga class once a week, but for everyday activity, I’m more likely to exercise when the time and place are convenient for me.

Jan practicing yoga on the cheap.

To help you tackle your fitness goals at little or no cost, I’ve compiled the following tips for working out on the cheap this year:

  1. Walk! For many years, walking has been my go-to exercise. When we lived in the country but on a busy highway, I sometimes drove to nearby less-trafficked neighborhoods to walk. Now, I live in a small village in Central New York. It’s a walker’s dream. There are sidewalks. I can stroll to a nearby park and take a trail by 9-Mile Creek. The sound of the rushing water is soothing; there’s green everywhere in the summer and the trees are leafed in a riot of color in the fall. (Recent research points out that being in nature is good for your brain and body.)

Since I got a FitBit, I’m adamant about getting in 10,000 steps a day. It motivates me to move and it’s good for maintaining a healthy weight and a good barometer for how active I’ve been during the day.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

When it’s too slippery and cold to walk outside, I’ve found other ways to step it up.

  1. Loop around the perimeter of a big box store such as Walmart, Target or Wegmans before you fill your cart.
  2. Check with your local school or community center. Our middle school gym has a track that’s available for local use on weekday evenings. If your local school has a pool, they may open hours to the public to swim for free. Many communities have rec centers where membership is free (especially for seniors) or costs less than a gym. 
  3. Take the stairs at work, at home, wherever. I recently found a portable “stair stepper” for $40; when my sister asked what I wanted for my birthday, it was on my doorstep in a few days.

Other Ways to Move It

  1. If your workplace has a fitness facility like mine does, don’t waste this great benefit. Come in early, stay late or work out during lunch time.
  2. Make chores fun. Put on your favorite playlist and step to the music as you prepare dinner or make dusting an opportunity to improve your dance moves. It will make the work go faster and doesn’t feel like exercise.
  3. Exercise bands are inexpensive, but learn how to use them properly. Try out this printable 20-minute workout.
  4. Jump rope. I have a few co-workers who swear by jumping rope. Joy, for example, was an avid jump roper as a kid. She’ll occasionally get out a jump rope when she’s looking for an alternative (very intense!) cardio workout. A simple challenge is to see how long you can jump rope without stopping or getting the rope tangled and then working towards beating your record time.

Online, Anytime

  1. Exercise videos. Believe it or not, I still use exercise DVDs. Before you laugh – I did find a bunch of DVDs at Goodwill for a few dollars each. YouTube also has an abundance of free exercise and instructional videos that you can stream. My co-worker recently stumbled upon a 9-minute “Tank Top Arms Workout” that she now regularly follows. You can subscribe to exercise channels on the internet, stream videos from Amazon Prime or pick them up on cable TV.
  2. You don’t need to buy a lot of fancy equipment to lift weights. Websites like WebMD.com show you routines where you can use your own body weight to strengthen your muscles—lunges, push-ups and double chair lifts are a few demonstrated with this no-gym workout. (I guess this is where I should include the part about checking with your doctor before you begin any strenuous exercise routine.)
  3. There’s an app for that. One of my work colleagues, Erika, likes to use free workout apps to track steps or log workouts. Here are some of her favorites:

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em

  1. Bite the bullet, bundle up and try a winter sport such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or ice skating that lets you enjoy nature while you get in a work-out. I’ve decided snowshoeing is more my speed. Investing in the equipment several years ago has paid off and is a sport I can do on my own or with my son or friends. You can snowshoe or cross-country ski for little or no cost at many parks. Don’t own your own equipment? Lots of places rent it.

Just Do It

The hard part of exercising is getting started. Commit to exercise for five or ten minutes a day, and I bet you’ll find yourself making it part of your daily routine.

Once you get in the habit of exercising, it becomes an important part of your life. I do my yoga routine either in the morning to start the day or after work to unwind. If skip it, I feel as if something’s missing. Although I like to walk before work, I often have to squeeze in a few minutes during my lunch break. After dinner is also a nice time. If you have someone to walk with to share your day, even better.

A dog may be the key to losing weight

Want to Lose Weight? Grab Your Dog’s Leash

Losing weight is…well, hard! Eat healthy, be more active…you know the drill. But getting started and sticking with it are two of the hardest parts. So, what if you had someone to keep you on track, was always available, and never said no? Would it also help if they were one of your best friends?

If you answered yes, the answer may be just a few feet away from you.

If we’re out of shape, then our pets probably are too. About 54 percent of dogs (and 58 percent of cats) are overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. About 2 in 3 upstate New York adults, meanwhile, are also overweight or obese, according to an Excellus BlueCross BlueShield report. Heavier adults are at risk for serious chronic diseases and health problems. But, did you know that obese pets also face many of the same health problems as humans, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, urinary disease, skin problems, and breathing problems. Also, overweight pets often have shorter life spans (up to 2.5 years less). Taking steps to stay in shape with our pets may help keep them around longer.

Taking “steps” to be active

In 2015, the U.S. Surgeon General encouraged people to be active and walk more.“ Strong evidence exists that physical activity has substantial health benefits,” according to “Step it Up! The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities.” “Walking is an excellent way for most Americans to increase their physical activity.“

It’s a simple formula. One overweight adult + one overweight dog = one really good reason (and motivation) to lose weight together. One easy way to get started would be to just go on regular walks together a few times each week.

The Wake-up Call that Saved Brad’s Life

A walk or a run can be great exercise.

Brad, a 6-foot-6-inch former athlete, had a wake-up call in his mid-30s. His doctor said he was at risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke, because of his weight and lack of exercise. He adopted Buddy, a black Labrador retriever. ”The energetic dog became Brad’s running buddy and ticket to better health. “  (More on the story of Brad and Buddy.)

Couch Potato to Athlete – The Story of Eric and Peety

Eric, a 57-year-old salesman from Spokane, Washington, says “a plump dog named Peety helped turn him from a couch potato struggling with obesity into a slim athlete.” Eric weighed 330 pounds. He lived by himself and would often eat two extra-large pizzas (consuming potentially thousands of calories) for dinner. He spent more than $1,000 a month in medications for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

One month before Eric was due to have weight-loss surgery, he was advised to eat a whole-foods diet AND to rescue a dog. The thinking was that having a dog might force Eric to get outside and be more active. (Maybe he’d even meet other people?) Peety, a 7-year-old border collie/Australian shepherd mix, “came into his life and changed it forever.” More on how Eric and Peety changed each other’s lives  (Their video.)

The Tale of Otto the Bulldog

how to help a bulldog to lose weight

Otto the Bulldog started taking longer walks and lost 15 pounds.

“Typically you can’t get an English bulldog off the couch, let alone walk more than 50 feet,” says Brittany, a digital marketing manager from Rochester, NY. “Ever since he was a puppy, Otto, our 6-year-old English Bulldog, has enjoyed going on walks.”

As he grew older though, Otto’s vet wanted him to drop from 65 to 55 pounds. Brittany gradually extended their typical route. “We often forced him to take breaks, just to catch our own breath!” Combining longer walks with better food, Otto has dropped down to 50 pounds, has a softer coat and is happier than ever. “No need for a Fitbit® alarm – Otto reminds us to walk every day with a long, dragged out whiny mumble. What a great way to unwind after work, talk about our day, and get our steps in as a whole family.”

Set up a routine and stick with it

The philosopher Lao Tzu had a saying that went something like, “The journey of a 1000 miles begins with one step.” If you’re just getting started, go for shorter walks, gradually increasing them as you feel comfortable. It’s important to set up a routine. Try walking at the same time every day. Dogs like routine and will likely come and encourage you on those days when you may not feel like it (just like Otto).

Also, if your friend or neighbor has a dog, maybe you can walk together.

Keep safety in mind for both of you. Stay hydrated. In hot weather, try going early or later in the day when it may be cooler. In cold and snowy weather, wear good boots and check their paws for snow and ice buildup.

Nutrition is also an important part of the puzzle.

“If food were in front of your dog all day, they would likely keep eating. We often have the same instincts.” says Janette Westman, a workplace wellness consultant at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “A dog’s food is controlled by their environment. The owner puts it out when it’s time to eat and controls the amount. We could create a similar environment for ourselves. By reducing how much food is constantly in front of us, we could be less tempted to snack all day long as well. Also, planning ahead is another way to make healthy eating easier.”

You can also try modifying some of your habits using the “Five Rules for Eating” from Stephen Cook, M.D., MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. If you do choose to snack during the day, there are healthy options that can give you a boost between meals. Try keeping a banana, apple, or a handful of almonds handy. Pat Salzer, a registered dietician for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, has suggestions for healthy snacking throughout the day.

What about healthy eating for my dog? According to the American Kennel Club, there are things you can do to prevent them from packing on unnecessary pounds, like establishing a regular eating schedule, limiting between-meal snacks, and choosing low-calorie treats.

Don’t already have a “workout” buddy?

Consider adopting/rescuing a dog. Check with your local animal rescue organization if interested in pet adoption. Some will allow local volunteers to come and walk their dogs. That can also be an option if you’re not quite ready to adopt.

Please consult with your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise regimen for yourself and a veterinarian for your furry friend.

How I Learned to Avoid Drive-Thrus and Eat Healthier on a Budget

When I moved off campus my junior year of college, I was excited to have an actual kitchen to cook in and a place to eat that I didn’t have to share with hundreds of other students.
That feeling quickly faded when I remembered how much time and money it takes to cook and grocery shop when you’re a broke college student and also going to classes, club meetings, working and seeing friends.
Staying up late was normal for me. Some nights I’d leave work at 1:30 a.m., or I was up late studying or hanging out with friends. There was no way I was going to take the time to cook myself an actual healthy meal. Even if I wanted to cook, I probably didn’t have anything in my fridge to make it.

I saw fast food as my only option.

Drive-Thru Voodoo

Frequenting fast food drive-thrus became a regular habit for my friends and me. They were the only places open late at night and the cost seems cheap when you can get a meal for only a few dollars. If I did go to the grocery store, I’d buy chips or microwaveable meals that were easy to make. I probably used my oven a handful of times over an entire semester.
But the truth is, with a bit of planning, broke college students and young professionals can eat healthy without spending a lot of time or money. Pat Salzer, registered dietitian and workplace wellness consultant at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, shares eight tips to help you save time while eating healthy on the cheap.

8 Tips for Healthy Eating on a College Student’s Budget

  1. Have group meals. Find friends who like to cook and make your meals together. Having a group of people working together to make dinner is more fun than cooking alone and will help you avoid fast food restaurants.
  2. Don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry. This might seem like an obvious tip that you’ve heard a thousand times, but it’s true! When you’re hungry, your willpower goes out the window. Everything will look good, especially the things that don’t take long to make.
  3. Buying in bulk isn’t always a good thing. Bulk can be good if you know that you’ll eat all of it. However, it’s not worth buying large quantities, especially produce, if you’ll just stress about not eating it all before it goes bad.
  4. Have a plan when you shop so you’ll get what you need and only what you really need. You won’t overspend if you stick to a grocery list. This strategy might also help you avoid filling your cart with junk food—like those little pints of Ben & Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie ice cream that I love so much!
  5. Be realistic about what you will eat. I would always buy Greek yogurt because I knew it was healthy. Only problem was, I don’t like Greek yogurt. I tried to force myself to like it, but it wasn’t happening. The yogurt would sit in my fridge until it hit the expiration date and then I’d have to (thankfully!) throw it out. There’s no point in spending your money on something that you know you won’t eat.
  6. Prepare big batches of healthy, delicious foods that’ll leave you with lots of leftovers (and unlike in tip #3, you know you’ll eat it). Whatever you make for dinner, you can also eat the next day for lunch. It’s also a good way to keep yourself from overeating at a meal if you know that you need to save some for the next day.
  7. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in-season. Not only will that sweet Red Delicious apple you bought in the fall taste better, but it’ll likely be cheaper, too. Try different types of produce—you might be surprised by what you like! I was shocked (shocked) to learn that I actually liked the taste of broccoli!
  8. Stash affordable, healthy foods for snacks—yogurt, string cheese, cottage cheese, peanut butter, etc.—around your apartment, house or dormitory. These foods will help satisfy late-night cravings and deter you from embarking on fast food runs.