Movement, Posture, Ergonomics, Mindset, Nutrition

What are SMART carbs?

mindfulness nutrition Feb 21, 2023

The term 'smart' carbs has become popular over the years, and really refers to complex carbohydrates.  

Foods that are made up of carbohydrates come in many different forms.  When we ingest carbohydrates, the food is broken down into smaller units as it is digested. The carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (aka blood sugar).  The glucose gets pulled first into the blood stream to circulate through the body for energy where it is needed, to the muscles and organs, and any excess that is not needed is stored either in muscle cells for use later, or into the liver for storage (majority is stored here).  If these stores are already full, they can't hold anymore, so the excess glucose is converted by insulin into fat and stored in fat cells. 

To learn more about the negative effects of high blood sugar, and how it creates the yoyo cycles of mood, hunger and cravings, plus increased weight gain, check out the post on insulin resistance.

Here's some...

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Mind & Body connections - awareness through Pilates

 

Pilates is like meditation for me, it clears my mind, allows me to focus internally and only think about the present moment, my movement, and what I'm feeling.  It is the fastest way I have discovered to release tension and stress from my body and mind, and I usually can resolve some of my problems by taking a much needed break! 

If you like this introductory session and are curious about more, check out my bundle of 25 sessions.  

Enjoy this 30 minute session, and have an active and mindful day! 

There's more FREE classes and if you register now you'll be ready for my next 5 day challenge!

Mindy Gulas, R.Kin, Exercise Physiologist

 

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Screen time burn out

Uncategorized May 06, 2021

Fatigue & burnout is a real factor that has become an ever increasing problem with the events over the last year.  I was surprised to find that it was a significant concern BEFORE 2019...

One study in 2017 of 70 office workers found a significant correlation (p<0.05) between occupational burnout and musculoskeletal disorders, and with this obvious relationship, recommends managers of organizations be required to plan programmes to improve work conditions to reduce stress, modify working instrument (equipment) and train ergonomic principles for working.   (ROSA and burnout - Asian Journal of Environment and Pollution)

 

In 2016, an IT Staffing firm 'Robert Half Technology' surveyed 2500 technology professionals, and found that 81% believed the amount of pressure was higher than it was 5 years ago.  Of those surveyed, 46% reported their job to be either 'stressful or very stressful' and 18% saying their job was more stressful (in 2016) than the previous...

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Weight gain when working from home

Research prior to the pandemic showed that small changes in body weight over a short period of time can often become permanent and lead to substantial weight gain over time.  It's been over a year now and some sources estimate that as many as 80% of adults are now working from home, not to mention children who are trying to do school online.  While this pandemic has not been a holiday or vacation for most of us, the similarities can be compared to weight gain occurrences that happen when we deviate from normal routines and eating habits. Here's a few facts to consider: 

  1. While our bodies are pretty resilient and short term binges (i.e. one meal or weekend ) of high calorie foods are usually managed by the body, significant fat gain CAN occur over a relatively short period of time (i.e. 1-2 weeks)
  2. Individuals who are already overweight or obese are at a greater risk 
  3. regular exercises are not exempt; if the balance is tipped on the side of calorie intake...
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6 Tips to Stay on Task

 

6 TIPS to STAY ON TASK!

  1. Clarify why each job, task, or action is important
  • Understanding what value the task brings can shift things into perspective, and help you stay focused.
  • Having a sense of inclusion, being part of larger projects, something bigger than yourself can be rewarding.
  • Who is it important to? Who will benefit?
  • How is your involvement important?
  • Find the good and focus on it.

 

  1. Be realistic about your efficiency
  • We all think we can get things done efficiently.
  • We are not all experts at everything.
  • Allow 10% flexibility for distractions, delays, and adjust your expectations of yourself and others based on the evidence of what is really happening.
  • Adjust your planning and scheduling accordingly

 

  1. Focus on the most effective tasks
  • Being busy and being productive aren’t the same thing. Many people stay ‘busy’ by majoring in minor things. Stop being ‘busy’. Be effective and productive.
  • Assess what you really need to do,...
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8 Common Habits of Unproductive People

Groups of people that have similar results have similar habits. Thin people have similar habits. Overweight people have similar habits. Productive people have several habits in common. Likewise, unsuccessful people have several habits in common, too. If you’re struggling with your productivity, this article is for you. 

While we’re all capable of doing some amazing things from time to time, it’s the things we do each and every day that have the greatest influence on our results in life. You simply need a different set of habits if you want to be more productive.  Adding new habits can be a challenge, and many of us are good at procrastinating and avoiding things.  Let's consider avoiding the habits that don't support us...

 

For your best results, avoid these habits of unsuccessful people:

 1. Failing to learn. People fail to become more productive if they fail to learn and develop. Try to be the best at what you do. Learn from each...

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Top 5 Ergonomic Challenges (& Solutions)

 

Top 5 Ergonomic Challenges 

1. Designate a workspace for your work. This helps separate work / life balance

2. Create an ergonomic set up if you are using a laptop. 

  • raise the monitor to eye level
  • use a separate keyboard and mouse
  • ALWAYS use your posture as a guide, keeping upright and open, and adjust the equipment to fit your best posture

3. Take regular movement breaks in your day for your body and mind!!

4. Beware of marketing of 'ergonomic' fad products.  Here's a few I often recommend as necessary....

5. Create healthy rituals, and make time for your family!

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Mindfulness

What comes to mind with the word 'mindfulness'? 

Many of us think about meditation, trying to remove all thoughts and sit quietly.  Meditation has fabulous benefits to our mental healthy, but most of us don't take the time to add this practice into our already overbooked schedules. 

Mindfulness is more of a way of thinking, a way of being.  It's paying attention, with curiosity and non-judgement to the chatter in our mind, and noticing what is happening in our body.  It is about connecting to the moment, and being kind to yourself.

In her book 'Good Morning, I love you',

Shauna Shapiro shares her personal journey and professional wisdom and research on mindfulness. 

 

By practicing mindfulness, you become aware of what's going on within yourself.  It helps to become (and stay) grounded and calm as it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing rest and recovery.  When you are calm, you are able to focus, stay productive, and...

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EXERCISE and the BRAIN

bdnf brain Aug 03, 2020

EXERCISE and the BRAIN

 

We all know that exercise is good for us, and when we stick to it, we begin to feel the magic happening.  Here’s a short list of the first things many people notice:

  • Increased energy
  • Elevated mood
  • Better sleep
  • Improved concentration
  • Comprehension improves
  • We drop extra weight
  • We get stronger
  • Helps with eliminating wastes from the body through sweat and improved bowel elimination
  • We FEEL better!

 

When we think of exercise, we usually think about building muscles, cardiovascular health, and maybe flexibility. But what if I told you that if we focus on the brain during exercise training, it can help with disease prevention?   Exercise alone has so many benefits to our health and prevention of disease.  Deepak Chopra describes the brain as a ‘human pharmacy’ because of its ability to create a multitude of hormones and chemicals which help our immune system to stay heathy, help our muscles, tissues and joints...

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How to get More Movement in your day!

Most people KNOW that physical inactivity is detrimental to health. The human body is developed in such a way that most systems (skeletal, muscle, metabolic and cardiovascular) do not develop and function in an optimal way, unless they’re stimulated by regular physical activity (Booth et al., 2008).  Inactivity ranks 4th among the 5 leading causes of GLOBAL mortality, along with high blood pressure, tobacco use, high blood glucose and obesity (World Health Organization, 2009). The health risks of physical inactivity are similar to tobacco use (Lee et al., 2012).    There is one simple solution: BE ACTIVE and MOVE OFTEN!!! Start TODAY and move more!

Inactivity increases the risk of adverse health conditions that are major causes of death and disability worldwide (United Nations, 2011, 2018), including:

HOW MUCH ACTIVITY IS ENOUGH?

The benefits of physical activity are extensive.  Evidence clearly demonstrates regular physical activity is one of the...

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Mindy