Top Must Have Ideas to Exercise at Work!

Just because you have to sit at a desk all day long at work, it doesn’t mean you can’t sneak in some exercise. Many employers have long been encouraging their staff to stay healthy. And some new office furniture may look like it is from the future - but this future, be sure, is coming very soon! Not only is it useful to get some exercise during your workday, it is a MUST! It is actually a surprise that for so long we have been wasting the longest part of our wakefulness (while working) sitting and expecting that when we return home after an exhaustive day of work and faced with home chores we will be spending an hour on treadmill! The “sitting disease” is bound to suffer a serious blow at the workplace.

So, now the entire world needs to respond aggressively and effectively to the obesity-diabetes epidemic. Creating opportunities for physical activity during our working daily schedule is one of the most untapped opportunities for increasing our daily physical activity. Replacing sitting at the workplace is becoming probably the most significant development in our fight against the health challenges of our time. We can no longer sit for 8 – 10 hours a day!

Let’s start with the easiest and most traditional way to get in some exercise at work...use your lunch break to get moving. Form a group of workers who want to walk during their lunch hour. Maybe you take 30 minutes to eat and the other 30 is spent walking outside. Not only will the fresh air and movement do you good, but it is a chance to catch up with friends. Furthermore, some offices offer gyms in their building which is a perk but only if you take advantage of it. Yet another idea is to take a 3 minute “exercise break” a few times during the day. If you have an area you can go to, take 3 minutes to get in jumping jacks, squats and jogging in place. What about, wall squats or calf raises while waiting at the copy machine, dips using your desk, leg lifts and even squeezing and tightening your buttocks while you sit. And if you have the choice of the elevator or stairs, take the stairs.

And then there is the “new kid in town” - Pieces of office furniture that allow you to work out while you are doing your job! Here are just a few examples:

• A treadmill desk; it can briefly challenge your balance but have no worries; once you get used to it will run smooth and will not disrupt at all your job; you will be able to remain focus on the project and hand while shedding lots of calories

• Standing desks, walking mats, and exercise balls in place of chairs are all new and available ways to use at work, a win-win situation for your employer who wants to promote the health of his employees and yourself who are desperately looking for those 40 minutes of exercise a day your doctor has been advising you for so long.

• A bike desk is a unique way to work also. It looks like a stationary bike, with a desk attached. Elliptical work desks and ab-focused workout chairs are good choices too for sneaking in exercise at work.

As all this is new and there is, of course, resistance to change, it is possible that your employer has not incorporated any type of exercise equipment or furniture. Once they get over the unconventional, but great new workplace environment, they are likely to embrace it, some sooner than others. Rest assure, this new look and functionality in the workplace will soon become standard practice. After all, your employer knows all too well that a healthy employee is a happy and more productive employee!

To your health!

Dr. Anthony

Are you self-monitoring your blood pressure?

You are as old as your arteries, even if you think you are only as old as you feel or look. And blood pressure is one of the key factors that determine your artery health. For this reason, knowing your true blood pressure is important to both you and your doctor. Many people suffer from “white coat syndrome” where they are nervous at the doctor’s office. This may result in a blood pressure measurement that is higher than your true blood pressure, whereas your home numbers are likely to be more accurate. Monitoring your blood pressure at home and on a regular basis is the best way to know your true blood pressure. This way, you will give your physician a fuller picture of your blood pressure fluctuations over an extended period of time. Also you will be an important participant to your own health care, a true partner to your doctor.

A blood pressure reading has a top number (systolic) and bottom number (diastolic). To fall into the normal range, your blood pressure should be less than 120 over 80. Prehypertension, which is borderline high blood pressure is 120-139 over 80-89. (Stage one) Mildly elevated high blood pressure is 140-159 over 90-99; and (stage two or) severely elevated high blood pressure is a reading of 160 and above over 100 and above.

Both diabetes and chronic kidney disease make your arteries more sensitive to the bad effects of high blood pressure. Many doctors believe that for these patients the blood pressure should be kept at less than 130 over 80. On the other side, for people over the age of 60, some medical professionals suggest that a top number up to 150 is acceptable. Be aware that as we age the elasticity of our aorta (the largest artery highway that starts at the heart and divides to branches that distribute the blood all over the body) declines. This declining elasticity of the aorta is frequently responsible for a low bottom number (diastolic blood pressure) observed in older individuals.

Blood pressure fluctuates all the time. It is generally higher early in the morning (its highest value is actually one to two hours before we even wake up) and between six and nine in the evening. If the blood pressure between your two arms differs by more than 10 points (mm Hg), record the higher number of the two. There are also specific factors that may cause your blood pressure to temporarily rise. For example, blood pressure rises as a result of:

• Stress
• Exercise or even ordinary physical activity at home or at work
• Caffeine
• Certain medicines
• Smoking
• Cold temperatures

Avoiding as many of these factors as you can when taking your blood pressure will help improve the accuracy of your overall numbers. Depending on the situation, your doctor may want you to check your blood pressure several times during the day to determine how wide the fluctuations are.

Before Checking Your Blood Pressure find a relatively quiet place. Make sure that you are relaxed and comfortably seated. Be sure to have recently emptied your bladder since a full bladder may affect the reading. Remove any tight-sleeved clothing or roll up the sleeve on your arm (if you are using a blood pressure cuff that fits your elbow). How and where you sit is important in an accurate reading. Before taking your blood pressure, rest in a chair next to a table for 5 minutes. Your arm should comfortably rest at heart level. Sit up straight with your back against the chair, legs uncrossed. Rest your forearm on the table with your palm facing up. If your are using a blood pressure cuff that fits your wrist, keep your wrist at the level of your heart.

New Year’s Health ‘Re-Solutions’

The first quarter of 2016 is almost over, and chances are you did not stick to your New Year’s resolutions.  Don’t fret, use this as a time to make your resolutions into “RE-solutions”.

A healthy lifestyle is most important - this means living healthy, eating healthy, exercising and making good choices in your life. Don’t get hung up on the numbers on the scale. Fitting into that dress from 2 years ago, or those pants you wore last year is not necessarily as important as living your life in a healthful way.

A healthy lifestyle means a healthy diet. This means six or more portions of fresh fruits and vegetables, and taking in good fats and lean protein. Try to limit the intake of salt and sugar in at least 90% of your meals  (this will help to lose weight too), and stay away from bad fats.

Drinking only moderate amounts of alcohol is acceptable, which means no more than one alcoholic beverage daily for women or two for men.

Near daily exercise is important in a healthy lifestyle. This includes a combination of aerobic exercise, - light or moderate weight resistant, and stretching.  

Avoid prolonged or unnecessary use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (‘NSAIDs’).

If you smoke - stop immediately. The effects of smoking are dangerous and do not lend to a healthy lifestyle.

The practice of a healthy lifestyle should be coupled with monitoring blood pressure and LDL cholesterol (with the help of your doctor) and with keeping your wellness visit appointments.

Losing weight as a new year’s resolution is a cliché. Losing that extra 5, 10, or 15 pounds is not as important as the consistent practice of a healthy lifestyle (and keeping your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol low). Weight loss can be difficult-if not impossible- to achieve and the struggle to lose weight may be a frustrating uphill battle. If it turns into  a daily nightmare it can make you feel worthless and give up on your health altogether. The best part is if you institute and follow a near-daily practice of a healthy lifestyle... very often over time, you will find you lose that extra weight.

Here is a list of “RE-Solutions”:

If you smoke, quit. Daily exercise and a perfect diet won’t come even close to offering you the health benefits of quitting smoking. Smoking can destroy your arteries (giving you heart attacks and strokes) and your lungs (causing emphysema) and contribute to an assortment of cancers.  Smoking is essentially negating all the other healthy choices you are making.

If you have high blood pressure, eliminate salt from your diet.  Take your medications, and monitor your blood pressure at home, aiming at the blood pressure goals that your physician recommends for you (less than 140/90 mm Hg, or even lower, depending on your medical history).

If you are diabetic, do whatever it takes to keep your A1c at the level your physician recommends (around 7% or even lower, again depending on your unique health circumstances). Monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure at home and discuss with your doctor whether a statin is appropriate for you.

If you have high cholesterol, eat at least six portions of fresh fruits and vegetables a day. Take in the good fats, that can be found in the forms of fish, olive oil, unsalted nuts, or dark chocolate. Discuss with your doctor whether medications are necessary.

If you are overweight or obese, eat a healthy diet and exercise at least five times a week. Exercise should including not only aerobic but also resistance and stretching exercises.  Do not smoke, do not drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol, make your home as sugar-free as possible, and keep your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol low (with the help of your physician). If your obesity has already caused significant health problems, discuss with your doctor about bariatric surgery and obesity-treating medications.

Remember: it is what we do on most of our days that counts. Good health is built or destroyed, one day at a time.

Don’t get hung up on that scale, and remember each journey starts with one step. So make that first step today and start toward a healthy lifestyle. So what if it’s not January? So you broke your resolution? This is your “do-over” , your mulligan, your chance to start again!  Make the decision today to hit the reset button and start that healthy lifestyle.  Have a most healthy (rest of )  2016!

12 Health Tips to Live By

Balance is everything: achieving a healthy balanced lifestyle is not difficult if you take it in steps, adding another layer of good healthy habits to the ones you have already conquered. Remember that a healthy balanced diet, regular exercise, and no smoking are the pillars of a healthy lifestyle.

Eating healthy is all about balance. Although the majority of our diet should be made of nutritious foods, every now and then it’s perfectly okay to have a small slice of pizza for lunch or a piece of pie after dinner. After all, treats are a part of life – but it's important to recognize when we're pushing things too far. Indulgent food should be savored, but only occasionally.

1. It’s not just greens; variety is key

When it comes to veggies, eat the rainbow: different colors provide you with a variety of nutrients your body needs to stay strong and healthy! Think orange (for carrots and sweet potatoes), red (for beets) and white (for cauliflower).

2. Cook from scratch

This is one of the essential life skills you should master. It is the only way to get full control over what goes into your food.

3. Balance your diet

Make it your goal to eat a balanced diet that is based primarily on the good carbs (fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), good fats (olive oil, fish, and unsalted nuts), and lean, low-fat protein (skinless white meat, low-fat dairy, beans, and soy).

4. Understand what you eat

Know where your food comes from. Is your milk produced in a local, organic, dairy farm? Is your beef raised without antibiotics? Peaches from Georgia and lentils from Oregon? Go for them!

5. Avoid empty calories; eat the full ones, instead

Consent only to those calories that provide your body with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, lean protein, and good fats.  Say no to empty calories coming from cookies and desserts. Make every calorie count!

6. Never skip breakfast

Breakfast not only kick-starts your metabolism but it also helps you be awake and alert throughout the day. Always in a hurry? Grab a banana and a coffee before you leave home and have grapes in a plastic container once you arrive at work. An apple around 10.00 am will carry you smoothly to your lunch break.

7. Read the fine print

Reading food packaging correctly is critical. Does the recommended portion size fit your size needs? Don’t forget to focus on the salt, sugar, and saturated fat content.

8. Drink more water

Water should be an essential part of your diet. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding empty calories from sugary beverages like sodas, energy drinks or sugar-containing juices, helps you feel full for longer. Choose to eat your calories; don't drink them.

9. Keep active

Exercise is an extremely important factor in staying healthy so try to be as active as you can. Maximize the time you stand up and walk at work or at home, and minimize the time you sit.   Opt for a combination of aerobic exercise, light weight lifting and stretching exercise at the gym.

10. Get some shut eye

Making sure you get enough sleep (7-9 hours for most of us) is an essential part of being healthy. Solid REM sleep directly affects how well we are able to grow and act in life. While we're asleep, our bodies have the time to repair.

11. No smoking

Smoking  or chewing tobacco or smoking cigars, hookah, vapor, or e-cigarettes,  releases thousands of destructive chemicals into our system, damaging our arteries. Smoking can also cause emphysema and several forms of cancer.

12.If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation

Small amounts of alcohol, that is one alcoholic drink per day for women or one-to-two drinks per day for men (one drink is about 15 gm of alcohol, approximately the amount of alcohol contained in one beer, 4 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of spirits) is consistent with healthy lifestyle and is good for our health. However, alcohol in larger than recommended quantities becomes a poison for our brain, heart, pancreas and liver and can cause several forms of cancer, depression and is responsible for many deadly motor vehicle accidents. While having one beer per night every day of the week is OK, having seven beers on Saturday is not (even if you don't drink any alcohol for the rest of the week).