1950-1970: Eggs, bacon, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, canned veggies, donuts, pastries, pies, whole milk, white bread sandwiches, dessert every night, pickles, canned meats, jellied fruits, tv dinners, hot dogs, spam, Crisco, real butter, lard, bologna, and sausages.

1970-1980: Pot roast, hamburger helper, jello salad, slow cooker recipes, cornbread, quiche, sloppy joe, ramen noodles, Kool-aide, cake, sushi, egg salad, potato salad, or ham salad, hamburgers, pasta, low-fat margarine, low-fat butter, and low-fat milk.

1980-1990: Chicken McNuggets, ham, baked potatoes, fries, spray butter, frozen pizzas, pasta salads, fruit snacks, soda, Twinkies, chips, cookies, ranch dressing, pop tarts, cereal, casseroles, mac n cheese, shake and bake. Lower fat products were on the rise.

1990-2000: Lunchables, Caesar salad, Slim-Fast, steak, veggie burgers, fast food was on the rise, veggie sandwiches, frozen yogurt, chocolate anything, pork chops, fried chicken, fried fish, spaghetti sauce, chili, and barbeque.

In 2000: Increase in consumption of fruits and veggies, organic dairy, sushi, tofu, plant proteins, whole grains, plant fats, organic food choices, simple ingredient prepared meals, increase in food awareness, increase in the importance of healthy proteins, improved understanding of a balanced diet.

Your diet is a game-changer. Your body needs many nutrients to function correctly and stay healthy. So now is a perfect time to consider changing your diets for a healthier you.

Do the best with the person you are, and refrain from comparing yourself with others is a great place to start.  Striving to live in the best of circumstances or having the perfect body does not lead to a healthier attitude. If you have not learned to like yourself and practice positivity, an unhealthy mind can be toxic. Unfortunately, your unhappiness leaks into the atmosphere in which you live and can leave a trail of gloom.

Practice uplifting activities, teach yourself to have the right attitude, balance your diet, get a good night’s rest, daily exercise, smile (find your sense of humor) are some tools that will help improve your attitude. Your personality, feelings, and state of mind are all part of your unseen environment. Think about for a moment how people affect a crowd, party, or social event. Your attitude affects your immediate surroundings, including how you feel about yourself.

Everyone wants to be around that person who is positive in nature, generous, appreciative, laughs and smiles, a good listener, giving, and sincere. Learn to be that person for yourself. Gratitude is a comfortable place to start. Journaling the good out of your day before you sleep.  Another great tool in training your mind for a healthier perspective is jotting down a few daily goals. I will smile at least once today, say thank you, think kind thoughts about myself, manage my time between work and exercise, and I will get outside at least once, eat a healthy meal or snack. Create your own checklist that helps promote a healthy attitude.

Steer clear of situations or media that make you less than, create a feeling of hopelessness or anxiety. Keep from polluting your mind and creating a negative mental response. We are not always in control of our life circumstances; we control how we respond to them internally and externally.

Another toxic behavior is self-sabotage; we all have experienced this from time to time in our lives.  You can call these learning curves or bad habits. Start eliminating harmful habits, little at a time. Smaller goals are more achievable. Important to practice being success-driven rather than repeated failures.

Simple strategies in promoting a healthier mind, attitude, and environment.

Are you feeling a little burnout? Ever test your gains? Following are few great goals to try.

Before any good work out, appropriate warmups are necessary. Many times, people discount the importance of warming up. Any good athlete knows this is a must to help avoid injury and better your overall workout. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Start with a one-mile jog or walk, then follow with a simple stretch routine. 
• Arm circles. Ten rotation to front and back, repeat twice.
• Tricep stretches—Overhead and crossbody.
• Standing hamstring stretch.
• Standing Calf stretch into Achilles.
• Standing inner thigh stretches.
• Hold each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Avoid overstretching, keeping stretches moderate to your abilities.

Below is one example of a fitness test. You can create your own. Fun to see how your body’s ability increases with a consistent strength training program. Take note; these are bodyweight exercises.

• 40 pushups in 2 mins
• 40 sit-ups in 2 mins
• 40 flutter kicks in 2 mins
• 40 jumping jacks in 2 mins
• 40 body squats in 2 mins
• 40 walking lunges in 2 mins
• 40 pullups assisted or bodyweight in 2 mins. This one is tough!

Parkinson’s is usually a slow, progressive disorder that changes how our bodies move and operate.

It is the loss of dopamine production within the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia Nigra pars compacta within the brain. This deterioration causes motor skills to be challenged in clients such as tremors, reduction in upper body movement, loss of strength and confidence, rigid movements, balance, gait, and coordination.  Another aspect of PD is that client’s loss interest in physical activity since they cannot perform tasks very well. This lack of physical activity leads to decrease in strength and endurance.

A balanced exercise program is extremely helpful with clients who have Parkinson’s. It should include some aerobic training, flexibility, balance, and strength training. Nearly all types of exercise have the added benefit of improving brain function and can help promote a good night’s rest which those with PD can suffer from insomnia. Studies have also shown exercise helps protect against dementia associated with PD as well.

Resistance training improves strength.  Introducing exercises slowly and incrementally is important to a long-term commitment. I will begin with activities that afford the individual the feeling of safety and require the least effort with the greatest reward. In some individuals this may be upper body strength training, in others walking may be more suitable intensity. Aerobic training improves walking speed; low intensity or endurance training improves gait.

So common for clients to suffer with low confidence in their bodies ability to work for them, it is not unique to PD clients and can be overcome with adequate encouragement and confidence-building approaches.

I would be happy to help improve your quality of living with these basic exercise principles in a well-balanced training approach.  Please feel free to contact me to discuss your personized plan.