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Your Brain: Deficit Or Distraction?
By Willow Lawson
Special for eDiets

You’re distracted at work, behind the wheel, at dinner with your spouse. You can’t remember what someone said just minutes after speaking to them. When you see one of those drug ads on TV, you think, "Hey, that’s me! I lose my keys all the time."

It seems like half the working world is wondering whether it has attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Word is out that it doesn’t affect just kids. Experts say attention deficit also strikes an estimated 4 to 8 percent of adults, many of whom had it as kids but were never diagnosed.

Now overstimulated, overscheduled grownups are flocking to doctors in hopes that a pill can cure a scattered brain. But unlike the fairly clear-cut symptoms of depression and schizophrenia, symptoms of ADHD are fuzzy. A diagnosis is in large part a doctor’s subjective interpretation.

ADHD may manifest in a variety of ways: restlessness and distraction, short-term memory impairment, blurting out inappropriate thoughts, difficulty organizing activities, failing to follow through on a project or finish one’s work. In short, all behaviors that are part of being human in the modern world. Perhaps that’s why a recent poll found that 20 percent of Americans believe ADHD is a bogus condition.

So when does normal behavior cross the line? For clinicians, the buzzword is impairment: The symptoms are so severe that a person is failing in some part of life. Among experts, however, there is strong disagreement over what the standard of comparison for impairment should be. Should a distracted lawyer be compared with others who have similar cognitive abilities? Or should he be compared to a bus driver or grocery store clerk, people whose work doesn’t require the same intellectual focus? Some researchers see danger in creating different standards for different strata of society.

Already, there’s evidence that a diagnosis of attention deficit depends largely on socioeconomic status and access to mental health care. Of adults who are diagnosed with ADHD, 73 percent are white, 15 percent Hispanic and 6 percent black. "ADHD is now a boutique diagnosis for middle-class people," says Ronald Kessler, professor of health care policy at Harvard. Among professionals, "the attitude is, 'if I have a concentration problem and it affects my job, and this is an illness I can fix, then I want to fix it,'" he says.

Russell Barkley, professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, advocates more restraints in diagnosing and medicating ADHD. He argues that too many people believe intelligence should equal success, when it is merely a benchmark of one's cognitive ability. "It's not an indicator of how well your job or your family relationships should be going."

The point of comparison should be what is normal for an average, healthy adult, says Barkley. People who truly have ADHD often have segments of their life, such as work, finances or parenting responsibilities, that are a complete disaster. "Unless you can show me that you're functioning below normal -- not simply below your level of intellect -- you don’t have a disorder," he insists.

Thomas Brown, professor of psychiatry at Yale and associate director of Yale's ADHD clinic, thinks it's wrong to withhold medication from a person who is high-functioning but still struggling. "Are we only going to provide glasses to people who are practically blind?" he asks.

In the meantime, more Americans are visiting their doctor for a screening, which Kessler considers a good thing. His studies show that only a small fraction of ADHD sufferers are being treated.

Moreover, an increase in ADHD screenings is almost certain to turn up other serious disorders. About a third of people with ADHD abuse drugs. Another third suffers from depression. Anxiety disorders are common with ADHD, while over half of sufferers of all ages have a major learning disability. Says Kessler: I've had people come in thinking they had ADHD but actually had a whopping huge depression."

If you're looking for the solution to your weight loss woes, you can find it at eDiets with our results-oriented nutrition and workout programs. We have 21 incredible plans to choose from. Click HERE for a free profile.

Willow Lawson is News Editor of Psychology Today.

 

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Marilu Henner: Look Great At Any Age!

By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer

Whoever says there is no Fountain of Youth has obviously never met Marilu Henner. Best known for her role as shapely cabby Elaine on the smash sitcom Taxi, Marilu seems to get thinner and younger-looking every year.

And, despite a demanding schedule, the actress, best-selling author and full-time mother also seems to have more energy than ever.

"I am 52 years old, and I look and feel better than I did when I starred in Taxi during the '70s," Marilu tells eDiets.

Unlike some other ageless Hollywood personalities, Marilu is not keeping her formula for success a secret. If you want to know what keeps her so vibrant and healthy, you just need to visit your local bookstore. Marilu has written six best-selling books on health and nutrition, including Total Health Makeover and Healthy Holidays.

While you can’t bottle her looks, energy or attitude, you can use her makeover program to improve your own. Marilu strongly believes that looking and feeling good should be everyone’s birthright.

 "I always say to people that if they don’t make time for health now, they will have to make time for sickness later on," Marilu says.

For Marilu, the road to good health has been a personal journey -- one that has included years of research and experimentation. "There’s not a story you can tell me that I haven’t been through myself," says Marilu. "I am not just another celebrity getting on the health bandwagon."

It was more than just her desire to become a successful actress that persuaded Marilu to make healthy living a way of life. Tragically, both of her parents died at a young age (her father at 52 from a heart attack and her mother at 58 from complications related to arthritis).

"As I spent time with my mother in the hospital, I could see how hard her body was working to try to heal itself even though her strength was depleted," Marilu says. "I thought if the human body tries this hard to recover from a situation like this, just think of what would happen if you gave it the right foods and treated it properly."

Though she was grief-stricken after losing both parents, Marilu was determined not to meet with the same fate. Just weeks after her mother died, Marilu started reading everything about nutrition and health that she could get her hands on. She began to learn about and experiment with conventional and alternative health practices.

"Most people don’t even know what being healthy feels like," Marilu says. "I promise you that no food could possibly taste as good as being healthy feels."

Marilu’s has designed her Total Health Makeover as a basic approach to losing weight and improving your health. She has even persuaded her friends Michael Caine and Fran Drescher to the approach.

The basic program includes these 10 steps to achieving your B.E.S.T. (Balance, Energy, Stamina and Toxin-free) body:

Eliminate Foods With Harmful Chemicals! "After my mother died, I started with that step," Marilu says. "I was addicted to Tab at the time. Today, I teach my kids to read every label. I tell them if they can’t read it, they can’t eat it."

Eliminate Caffeine! "I remember the first time I ever tried coffee at the age of 15," says Marilu. "I felt nervous and sick to my stomach after just two sips."

Get Off The Sugar Treadmill! "Sugar completely shatters your nervous system," she says.

Stop Eating Meat! "After I gave up sugar, meat started to taste way too strong for me," Marilu says.

Give Up Dairy Foods! "I went to see a nutritionist, who told me to give up dairy products," she notes. "This was the hardest step for me, but I have been virtually dairy-free since 1979. Giving up dairy was the biggest change in my life."

Food Combining! "I’m, a girl who loves to eat, and I love to have fun with food," Marilu says. "Food combining is a simple plan to follow, and if practiced properly, it can help preserve your health and vitality."

Limit Your Fat! "Eating too much fat in your diet leads to harmful consequences," she says.

Exercise Daily! "I always tell people to rediscover the kid in you," Marilu says. "Nobody had to tell you to go out and play when you were young." Whether she is doing Pilates, stretching or just dancing around the living room with her sons Nicky and Joey, Marilu tries to break a daily sweat for at least 20 minutes. "Breaking a sweat every day was the missing piece to the puzzle I had been trying to solve for years," she says.

Sleep! "It is vitally important to get enough sleep," Marilu says. "The body repairs itself during sleep."

Gusto! "Gusto refers to your attitude," she explains. One time a friend of hers was trying on a coat in front of Marilu. "I told her that it can look good on you, but you’ve got to work the coat. Working the coat has become my slogan for attitude and presentation."
In addition to her health makeover books, Marilu is producing an infomercial called Body Victory. She is also in the process of publishing a Total Life Makeover 2005 Calendar, which will include tips about career, finance and surviving the holidays. "By the end of the year, you will have a completely different way of looking at things," Marilu promises.

Marilu decided to write her Healthy Holidays book, because during her youth the holidays were the times she used to gain the most weight. "I used to put on 11 pounds between Halloween and January," she says. "In fact, my school uniform would get too tight, because I had put on so much weight."

Remarkably, with the exception of her two pregnancies, Marilu’s weight has not fluctuated more than 5 pounds during the past 17 years. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t been throwing or attending parties during that time.

Actually, throwing parties is one of Marilu’s favorite things to do. She says she used to plan all the parties for her co-stars when she was a member of the cast of Taxi. Over time Marilu has learned to throw healthy parties. She uses creative variations to take the emphasis off food. One potential party theme she shares is an idea for a Halloween party that has become popular in New York City.

"Everybody brings a costume in a brown paper bag, then leaves it in the middle of the floor," Marilu says. "Party guests grab a bag at random and that becomes their costume for the night."

Marilu has remained active in television, film and live theater, including frequent appearances on Broadway. She recently starred in the romantic comedy Love Rules, which can be seen for the rest of the summer on the ABC Family channel. She will also be portraying detective Nancy Gordon in an upcoming mini series called Gone But Not Forgotten. The project is currently in post-production.

There are other big plans in Marilu's future.

"I am getting married to someone I knew in college who looked me up after all these years," Marilu reveals. "We are planning to get married in the spring, but we haven’t set a date yet. So, you might say I am pre-engaged."

Though she is accomplished in so many different areas, Marilu declares being a mother her greatest responsibility in life. She also enjoys writing books and sharing health information with all who will listen.

"I have been doing this for 26 years," Marilu says. "I feel like I was put on this earth to get this message out."

 

 

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Play With Your Children!

By Michele Batz
Special for eDiets
 
 
January 1, 2005 
 

 
 
We, as parents have to lead by example. When is the last time you had fun playing? If it's been so long that you cannot recall the moment, now is the time to take action.

Have fun with your life and your family. Take the opportunity today, to go outside and just free play with your children. This is not the time to judge or correct them, just let them be themselves and laugh when they laugh. What a memory you are creating for your child. They get to show off their skills to you and you to them.

Has your child seen you do a jump shot? Have they watched you run to first base? These are great memories of mine. Both of my parents were physical education teachers and while growing up with my brother, we have fond memories of playing football, basketball on our home court and just playing catch out in the yard. It was fun, we laughed, talked about the day and just enjoyed the activity and each other.

Children love showing off for people. Who is the best to show off to -- YOU! Praise their efforts and stay positive with them. Oh, what fun you will have! Give them the opportunity to show off their talents and gently guide them. When you are having fun, the learning process is relaxed and focused. They will retain skills better in this type of environment.

When you lead with activities, your children will follow. Even if you are tired from the day, engage in a little activity with your children and you will create a good foundation for your child.

eDiets can help you make those healthy, everyday choices that mean so much for your family's health. With 20 fantastic programs to choose from and loads of recipe ideas, make a great healthy choice today by clicking here and completing a free profile to get started.

 Michele Batz is a physical education teacher and has enjoyed a 25 year career in sports education. She's the author of the upcoming book What Is Holding You Back? A Woman's Guide to Beginning Fitness, which is available through www.nightengalepress.com and www.amazon.com. You can email Michele at [email protected].

 

 
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My Pedometer Plight: A Funny Thing Happened...
By Judy Gruen
Special for eDiets

It does not serve as a good omen when you must suck in your gut and hold your breath as if you are having multiple X-rays taken simply to zip up your skirt.

When this happened to me, I knew I had two choices: give up my current wardrobe or lose the excess baggage. Since I recently wrote a book on diet and exercise that ended with my buying a new, smaller wardrobe, I decided it would be too embarrassing to blow up like Kirstie Alley. Better that I should return to vigorous exercise and horrid-tasting diet meal-replacement bars.

I perused several fitness magazines I had at home and found an article about walking. "Brisk walking is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise, even for out-of-shape marshmallows like you," the article explained. "It is suitable for all ages and abilities and requires no special equipment beyond a good pair of walking shoes and a commitment not to double-dip into the cookie jar. A simple, affordable pedometer or step counter can help motivate you to a more active lifestyle."

Eureka! I live in a large city where I could walk to many stores and businesses -- this plan could work for me! I jumped in the car and drove to the nearest sporting goods store to buy my pedometer. Why walk there before I knew how many calories I'd be burning in the process? Besides, no sense knocking myself out so early in the day, leaving no energy for a brisk walk later on.

I chose a fitness pedometer that would track my mileage, steps taken, and calories burned. I declined the pedometer that barked out peppy rah-rah encouragement, such as "You're doing great!" How would a pedometer know if I was struggling up a hill or just walking to the freezer to get a bowl of Haagen-Dazs? The article also noted that in today's lazy society, most people walk a measly 2,000 steps on a typical day. My goal should be at least 6,000 steps, but if I wanted to see real results I had better ramp it up to 10,000.

Not surprisingly, I had trouble figuring out how to operate the device, but after an hour and a half on the phone with a patient customer service representative, I was programmed for fitness!

Ready for action, I clipped the pedometer to my skirt and strode energetically to the front door to see if the mail had come. I took 23 steps and burned three calories. Then I took the dog around the block -- 198 steps taken and 9 more calories gone. Borrowing a cup of flour from a friend around the corner tallied another 79 steps and 11 calories. I could see that it was going to be a long way to 10,000 steps.

I refused to let my enthusiasm flag, even as I wondered how to meet my daily walking quota while also completing my regular work. Most of my "must-do" work involves sitting at a computer or tending pots on a stove. I planned to squeeze in as many steps as possible by following other advice from the article: parking my car in a shopping center a half-mile from the one where I intended to shop; taking the stairs, even if I had an appointment on the 23rd floor; going for a lunch hour stroll (the writer made no mention of when I might actually get to eat lunch); and my favorite: marching in place while I'm on the phone.

Then I hustled over to the mall for some new walking shoes -- essential to keep my spirits up. I parked in a far corner on the uppermost level of the parking structure where I had never parked before. I assumed, correctly as it turned out, that I would not be able to locate my car afterwards and therefore would log at least another half mile in aimless wandering.

At the mall, I tried to remember all the article’s walking posture instructions: I kept my head up and centered between my shoulders (where else would I keep my head?), my eyes focused straight ahead (as opposed to having my eyes darting like a psychotic?), my chest lifted, swinging my arms and hands at a 90-degree angle (too bad; I much prefer an 85-degree angle). I had no idea how to do all this while also pulling my belly button in toward my spine and tucking my pelvis forward so that I could feel taller than my paltry five feet, three inches. One wonders how our ancestors managed to walk throughout history without expert advice on how to put one foot in front of the other.

I suddenly lost my train of thought when I spotted a strange character striding confidently toward the food court. I couldn’t tell if it was male or female, but it was wearing woman's clothing. I picked up the pace and followed the mystery shopper, but it was fast! Out of breath, I finally got close enough to see that he was a transvestite, carrying a very trendy purse in aubergine. I was tempted to go up and ask him where he got that purse, but I couldn't afford to get sidetracked from my mission. I checked my pedometer. Stalking the transvestite burned another 21 calories.

My foray to the mall yielded an impressive 987 steps, 503 of which were spent finding the car. Despite this exertion, my pedometer only claimed a 62-calorie burn.

Donning my new athletic shoes, I took the dog for a mega-calorie burning walk. Fitness walking with a dog is a unique form of "interval training." When Ken sees a squirrel or other amusing creature, he runs like a rocket, forcing me to hurtle after him. But his insistence on stopping to sniff every other tree gives my heart a chance to recover from the last squirrel sighting. We returned home and I eagerly checked the pedometer. I had gone 2.5 miles, including hills, but only burned 198 calories! How could this be? My walking article claimed that a vigorous 45-minute walk should burn up to 350 calories!

I realized the pedometer was faulty, and I called the manufacturer to complain.

"There’s something wrong with... your... pedometers," I huffed. "It’s... not... (huff huff) showing that... I... burned... enough calories."

"There’s nothing wrong with our pedometers," a surly female agent told me. "Besides, if you’re that out of breath from making a phone call, it’s no wonder you can’t walk very far."

"I’m out of... breath because... I’m jumping up and down to burn... more calories! That’s what the... article on... walking for... fitness told (huff huff) me to do!"

"Maybe you didn’t program your pedometer correctly," she asked. "Is your weight correct?"

"No, my weight is not correct!" I had stopped jumping at this point, worried that I might have an unfortunate cardiac emergency. "It is very, very wrong. It is unjust in the extreme! That’s why I bought this blasted pedometer in the first place!" I realized that I was not advancing my cause by having an emotional breakdown while on the phone with this unsympathetic person. How could she possibly understand? I bet she wore a size 2.

I got no relief from my conversation, but I persevered. Five days later I had walked 19.97 miles, or 43,637 steps, burning 1,616 calories. This included walking to the bakery, where I slaked my sorrow over my lack of pedometer progress in a large cinnamon bun and coffee.

Despite this, today I did not have to hold my breath until I nearly turned blue to zip my skirt. It was a subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless. Progress was coming, one electronically measured step at a time. But I’m not kidding myself: I’ve miles to go before I’m sleek.

If you're looking for the solution to your weight loss woes, you can find it at eDiets with our results-oriented nutrition and workout programs. We have 20 incredible plans to choose from. Click HERE for a free profile.

 Judy Gruen is the author of the humor books Carpool Tunnel Syndrome: Motherhood as Shuttle Diplomacy (Champion Press) and Till We Eat Again: Confessions of a Diet Dropout. Visit Judy's website and subscribe to her semi-monthly humor newsletter at www.judygruen.com. You can write to her at [email protected].

 

 

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At-Home Workout Advice
By

It’s cold; it may be snowing; and in many places, the sun sets at 4 p.m. Let’s be realistic -- you just don’t want to go to the gym tonight. It’s perfectly normal for fitness habits to change during the winter, but they don’t have to be eliminated. There are many exercise tools that you can use to work out at home effectively. Here’s a quick glance at some of them from Raphael Calzadilla, eDiets.com Chief Fitness Pro:

Pedometers
Many people have treadmills in their homes, but sometimes the workout can get boring. Try investing in a pedometer that counts steps. Carry the pedometer with you during the course of a day with the goal of walking 5,000 to 10,000 steps (2,000 steps is equivalent to 1 mile). Whatever steps are not completed during the course of the day can be done on the treadmill. This can make working out less monotonous.

Bodybars
A bodybar, a weighted bar with foam cushioning for added comfort, is a great tool for working out at home. A bar for home use weighs 9 pounds, is 4 feet long, costs less than $30 and can be used for squats, lunges, overhead presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions and chest presses while lying on the floor.

Medicine Balls
These unique and versatile balls help to develop muscular strength, increase stability and help with joint integrity. They weigh up to 12 pounds and can be used to simulate free weights and to perform unorthodox movements in the privacy of one’s home. For example, walking lunges while holding a medicine ball over one’s head helps with lower body tightening and upper body strength. You also can perform isolation exercises for each area of the body.

Dumbbells
Dumbbells can be purchased for the home; invest in a safe material such as neoprene or vinyl. This will help to protect household items and provide a good overall body workout. Dumbbells can generally be purchased for 50 cents and more per pound. The lighter neoprene and vinyl dumbbells are also good for aerobic tapes that incorporate light free weights.

Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are small, inexpensive and extremely effective exercise tools. You can work the entire body with all types of resistance exercises. Door attachments for the bands can be purchased, which allow for additional exercises. Pay attention to the various colors of bands to determine weight resistance. In most cases, yellow is 3 pounds; green is 5 to 6 pounds; and red provides approximately 10 pounds of resistance.

Videos
There are many types of videos -- dance, Pilates, Yoga and aerobic/weight training combos. Along with one of the pieces of exercise equipment above -- 2 days of resistance and 2 days of an aerobic-type video -- you can get a complete workout at home.

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How To Age Without Growing Old!
By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro
What is self-discipline? It is the rejection of instant gratification in favor of something better. It is the giving up of instant pleasure and satisfaction for a higher and better goal."
-- from "The Daily Guru"

Once in a while I get a proverbial "slap in the face" to write an article on a specific subject. Well, you guessed it, I was good and slapped a few days ago.

 Based on a conflict in my work schedule, I needed to get an early morning workout. After my workout, a guy in the locker room said to me, "Wow. You look great! I have to tell you that now that I’m in my mid-40’s I don’t have the stamina or strength that I used to. It’s just a reality of life. Don’t you agree?" My response was, "Umm, well actually no, I don’t agree."

I had no time to explain my comment and had to leave. Then, around the middle of the day, an eFitness employee said to me, "Hey would you be willing to create a personal training program for me? Now that I’m in my 40’s everything is just slowing down, but that’s just the way it works doesn’t it?" Once again I retorted with my best and most convincing comeback. "No, that’s not the way it has to be."

Again, I had no time to explain. Then, for the grand finale, I was speaking to a person in the early evening who was complaining about her body fat levels and she said, "Now that I’m in my late 40’s I have to expect this sort of thing. Raphael, you have to admit this is just reality." Again, with my most masterful comeback, I said, "Nope, it’s a myth. In fact, it’s a big fat lie!" Again, no time to explain!

When I get hit with three similar comments in one day, I see it as a signal to set the record straight and share some truth. I apologize if you’re looking for the workout of the century or the get ripped abs article. But, until you get this fact drilled into your head, you will never be able to fully appreciate the benefits of great health. You’ll always be running scared from, dare I say it, middle age! It’s time to begin the re-programming lesson!

What is the key to having the same amount of strength, muscle, energy and skin elasticity that you had in your 20’s? (Assuming you had it in your 20’s!) It is maintaining low, yet healthy body fat levels, consistency with weight training and cardiovascular exercise, intelligent vitamin supplementation and the hardest of the bunch -- proper nutrition.

Many people email me to say they eat healthfully, but when I look at their nutrition it looks awful. There is either not enough protein or too many carbohydrates. Sometimes they eat too infrequently, or they eat too much at one sitting. Most people have atrocious nutrition programs and either absolutely inefficient (too much cardio, not enough weight training) or near non-existent workout programs.

Then, they complain that as they get older they don’t look as good, they have limited energy and their strength has diminished. Duh! Helloooo!! Isn’t the answer glaringly obvious? Even the guy I mentioned earlier who works out in the gym is confused. He does a lightweight workout in a circuit style fashion using the resistance a child could perform. Taking a quick look at him in the locker room, I can also tell you that he doesn’t take in enough quality protein or quality fats -- and he eats too many starchy carbohydrates. It’s written all over his body! Then, he wonders why he’s slowing down and ageing so rapidly!

I have previously written that when I won the 2001 Mr. Connecticut in the open men’s class (open to any age based on height or weight), the guy who took second was 24 years old. I was 42 at the time. Well OK, you don’t want to spend every waking moment consumed with eating right. Who says you have to? I’m just saying you have to do it most of the time. However, you also have to know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it!

When I train a client, I always analyze several factors. One is birth age versus physiological age. The person might be 30, but they’ve got the body and energy of an out of shape 70-year-old. The person might be 50, but they’ve maintained a great consistency with their workouts and nutrition and are physiologically about 30.

Society has programmed you to believe you have to look and feel a specific way at certain ages. Hey, do we get older? Sure we do. Do internal changes take place? Of course they do. However, it happens much later in life at a much slower rate if you live your life with intelligent consistency.

I know some of you won’t believe me. You’ll shrug this off and just look for an excuse to prove me wrong. That’s too bad, because I know something most people don’t know. By following the rules of intelligently designed nutrition, smart workout plans and careful supplementation, you will drastically slow the ageing process. I didn’t say stop the ageing process. I said slow it down... dramatically slow it down.

Stop watching the infomercials that want to sell you an overnight fix. They’re playing on your desperation! I’ve summarized what you need to do. Now you need to decide if it’s worth it.

Spread the word and together let’s kill the big fat lie.

 

 

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Diet Extra: What You Need To Succeed
By Dr. John H. Sklare
eDiets.com Psychologist

A dear friend of mine called me on the phone the other morning. She was driving to the east coast for an Easter weekend visit with her parents. The morning she left for her six-hour drive, was a nasty, windy and rainy morning. Not being a fan of thunder and lightening, she decided to give me a call to take her mind off the storm and help her pass the time. For those of you who read my columns regularly, that’s called a distraction strategy.

Anyway, the discussion began with some remarks from her regarding how difficult and stressful she found it to drive in such violent weather. She was commenting on how one must be so much more alert, on guard and vigilant when you drive in uncertain conditions like the weather she found herself in that morning. The recurring message in this conversation was that driving in stormy weather, as opposed to clear sunny weather, took much more out of her physically and emotionally as she continued down the highway toward her destination.

After we finished our phone call, I began to think about our conversation and how it related to weight loss. In my experience, those who seek a healthier life and a more fit body must also pass through a storm of sorts. However, in the case of getting fit and healthy, this particular storm is not comprised of thunder, lightening and rain. The storms one must pass through when seeking health and fitness are of an emotional nature and consist of stress, temptation and crisis.

Losing weight and making healthy choices, just like driving to the coast, is easy when the sun is shining and visibility is unlimited. But, once the climate changes and you find yourself in the middle of an emotional storm, you become both mentally and physically tired, your guard comes down and the pressure is truly on. This is where the rubber meets the road on the highway of change. Learning how to stay on the Yellow Brick Road during an emotional storm is the key to finding the health and fitness you dream about.

Lifestyle change demands focus and determination and is not achieved without successfully navigating through a variety of emotional storms. Even Dorothy, in the Wizard Of Oz, had to deal with those nasty flying monkeys. Learning to adopt a healthy new lifestyle is a journey that will test your metal and push you to the very edges of your emotional limits. But, like Dorothy, you can also find success if you stay vigilant, learn how to navigate around roadblocks and refuse to fail. In this way, every one of these emotional storms brings with it the potential for change. There lies the silver lining behind this dark, stormy cloud.

Sometimes these storms are forecast and you can see them coming. For example, an upcoming wedding, social gathering or special event that you know will test your resolve. At least in these situations you have advance notice giving you ample time to prepare for the storm. But sometimes the storm is upon you before you know it as is the case with an accident, an argument with a boss or a family crisis. This is when you really need to keep both hands on the wheel and be on top of your driving skills.

So for those of you who are ready to create healthy change in your life, take a lesson from the boy scouts and “be prepared." There are definitely storms ahead, on that you can rely, so I suggest you think of yourself as a storm trooper, be prepared and use that storm wisely!

 

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The Ripple Effect: Spread The Weight Loss Word
By Dr. John H. Sklare
eDiets.com Psychologist

As I was reading through my email this week, I noticed a common theme among the messages. It’s a message I hear often this time of year. It has to do with staying on track during the holidays.

I was reminded of a woman who wrote me last year on this very topic. She was feeling very proud and wanted to let me know how well her Christmas visit went with her parents. As she told it, the traditional holiday gathering is typically a very trying experience full of calorie-loaded temptations and motherly encouragement to eat them. But, as she put it, this year was different because this year SHE was different.

Her successful holiday trip to her mother’s home was simply an extension of the success she was having at her own home. She joined eDiets determined to reclaim her body and, with husband and children in tow, create a more active and health-conscious family. The lesson here, for those who want to involve your significant others in healthy living, is that she led by example. After many failures at weight management, she had learned that the best way to meet HER health goal was to get her whole family on board as well. She then proceeded to do exactly that by walking the walk and showing them the way.

In doing so, she demonstrated the positive and infectious benefit of truly committing to healthy living and, as a result, had a powerful and wonderful impact on her family in the process. She had learned the power that lies in influencing those around her by modeling healthy behavior. This is called "The Ripple Effect." I have written about it before and it is all about creating influence.

The best way to understand this concept is to imagine the following. Imagine standing above a large pool of calm water and dropping a pebble into the middle of it. Not only will there be an effect where the pebble meets the water, but that action will also impact the rest of the pool. A ring of influence will circulate away from the impact site and will affect the rest of the pool to lesser degrees as it loses energy on its journey outward. It's not unlike the wake of a boat motoring down a river.

Living a healthy life will change you in many ways and can also have a powerful effect on those around you as well. As you make healthy choices, those in your "wake" will feel the impact also. This is precisely what the eDieter above did with her mother and with her family.

What follows is a quote from The Tao Of Leadership that addresses this issue very effectively. I hope you enjoy this excerpt.

"Do you want to be a positive influence in the world? First, get your own life in order. Ground yourself in this single principle so that your behavior is wholesome and effective. If you do that, you will earn respect and be a powerful influence. Your behavior influences others through a ripple effect. A ripple effect works because everyone influences everyone else. Powerful people are powerful influences. If your life works, you influence your family. If your family works, your family influences the community. If your community works, your community influences the nation. If your nation works, your nation influences the world. If your world works, the ripple effect spreads throughout the cosmos.
Remember that your influence begins with you and ripples outward. So be sure that your influence is both potent and wholesome. How do I know that this works? All growth spreads outward from a fertile and potent nucleus. You are a nucleus."

So, as you begin this New Year with dreams of healthy living dancing in your head, be aware that you have the power to change the world you live in. As did the woman above, learn from The Ripple Effect, join our wonderful online community and create waves in 2005!

********************************************************************

Put Your Body Under New Management
By Dr. John H. Sklare
eDiets.com Psychologist

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and joyous New Year's Eve as well. It’s hard to believe it’s January, 2005. Where does the time go? If you didn’t exactly reach your health goal this past year, I have good news. The New Year is standing right in front of you and with it comes a precious opportunity for a brand new start. That’s how we see it here at eDiets.com. The beginning of a New Year is typically a time of both reflections upon the past, and new commitments toward the future.

As you start your day today and begin to think about this New Year in front of you, I suggest you be more mindful about your goals. Make this the year you reconnect with your healthy self and leave the unhealthy past behind you. As that old saying so accurately states, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." For some reason, that saying and its meaning always seems more powerful at the beginning of each New Year.

With that said and in the spirit of looking forward and committing to healthier living, I would like to offer you an idea that I suggest every year at this time. I would like to offer you a new and interesting way of looking at an old, well-entrenched problem. I’m hopeful that it will inspire many of you to grab hold of your lives, recharge your emotional batteries and take back control of your health. Let me give you a brief history of where this idea came from.

I was out running errands one day when I passed by an establishment that I pass by on a regular basis. This happened to be an eating establishment. When this particular place first opened, I stopped in and had dinner one evening. Well, let me just say that I was not impressed by the food or the service and never returned to that restaurant again.

A few weeks later I was driving by there again when I noticed a sign in the window that read "Under New Management." After my disappointing experience there, I was not surprised to see that sign. I knew that, if changes were not made, business would surely fail. Anyway, a couple of days later I decided to stop in and give the new management a try. Things had definitely changed and I left with a much better impression this time.

Well, when I saw that sign in the window, a light went on in my head. I began to think about my online friends here at eDiets. I was reminded how difficult and emotional weight management is for most and what a struggle it is to succeed.

My contention is that most people fail at weight management because they just don’t make the changes necessary for success. Just as that business had to change to be successful, so do you. As that old saying so aptly states, "If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got." It’s really that simple.

When I was in private practice, I would regularly discuss this notion with my patients. The bottom line is this: you will never become who you want to be by remaining who you are. If you are unsuccessful now and want to be successful later, you must change. Wanting your life to be different while, at the same time, refusing to make the necessary changes, is truly a dead-end street. It’s a little like wanting to take a shower and not get wet. It just isn’t going to happen. If you want a different result, you must take different actions and make different decisions.

In reality, weight management is a decision-making problem. This is actually true about life in general. We are the sum total of the decisions we make. Be they decisions regarding education, employment, marriage, eating or whatever. Where we end up is the direct result of the decisions we make and the actions we take along the way. The solution to weight management truly lies in becoming a better decision-maker. I know that it’s easier said than done, but it is absolutely within your ability to do. And it all starts with is possessing a heart-felt belief that you can change.

The reality for most of you is that your weight, at this moment in your life, is a direct result of the choices you made this past year. With that in mind, I have a suggestion for you as you begin this New Year and enter the season of New Year’s resolutions. This idea came to me as I looked at that sign in the restaurant’s window. I thought to myself, what a great idea to take into the New Year. Let’s make this our mantra for 2005 -- This Body Is Under New Management! I suggest you go to the nearest mirror, look yourself right in the eye and say out loud with conviction, "THIS BODY IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!!" Try this and tell me you don’t feel the power and taste the potential. It’s right there for the taking.

Think of it this way. Imagine that your body is your "business" and you’re the new manager whose been brought in to turn this business around. It’s going to be difficult and you’re going to have to make some tough decisions, but it’s your job and it must be done. This activity is called mental imagery and it can be a very powerful agent for change. That’s precisely why I made imagery an integral part of the very powerful 4-hour Audio Motivation Program I wrote for eDiets. If you have been struggling with your weight, it may be time to fire the old management and bring in the new. Use this New Year and this new mental image to make the changes necessary for your success.

In counseling and psychotherapy, there is a term we use that refers to making something more real or concrete. It’s called "grounding." The mirror activity I mentioned above is an example of grounding. Here’s another grounding suggestion that will help you incorporate this new image into your thinking. I suggest that you to take the saying, "This Body Is Under New Management" and make it tangible. I don’t care if you weave it into a tapestry, carve it into a piece of wood or simply draw it on a piece of paper. Just get physically and emotionally involved in creating your sign. Then put it somewhere you will see it often. Perhaps the kitchen is a good idea. The important thing is to personally and physically involve yourself with this saying and this activity.

Let me end this column by wishing you all a wonderful New Year filled with happiness, health and accomplishment. I know that weight management is a very difficult and emotional endeavor for you. I also know that you CAN do this. Make it happen in 2005! You are worth the effort!!

 Dr. John Sklare, director of the eDiets Emotional Support Center, shares his expertise on "emotional eating" with the eDiets community. Dr. Sklare is also the author of the eDiets Audio Companion Program -- the powerful and innovative new offline support program for your online eDiets program. With the current emphasis on Mind/Body medicine and natural healing, Dr. Sklare stands firmly on the leading edge!

 

**************************************************************************

Put Your Body Under New Management
By Dr. John H. Sklare
eDiets.com Psychologist

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and joyous New Year's Eve as well. It’s hard to believe it’s January, 2005. Where does the time go? If you didn’t exactly reach your health goal this past year, I have good news. The New Year is standing right in front of you and with it comes a precious opportunity for a brand new start. That’s how we see it here at eDiets.com. The beginning of a New Year is typically a time of both reflections upon the past, and new commitments toward the future.

As you start your day today and begin to think about this New Year in front of you, I suggest you be more mindful about your goals. Make this the year you reconnect with your healthy self and leave the unhealthy past behind you. As that old saying so accurately states, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." For some reason, that saying and its meaning always seems more powerful at the beginning of each New Year.

With that said and in the spirit of looking forward and committing to healthier living, I would like to offer you an idea that I suggest every year at this time. I would like to offer you a new and interesting way of looking at an old, well-entrenched problem. I’m hopeful that it will inspire many of you to grab hold of your lives, recharge your emotional batteries and take back control of your health. Let me give you a brief history of where this idea came from.

I was out running errands one day when I passed by an establishment that I pass by on a regular basis. This happened to be an eating establishment. When this particular place first opened, I stopped in and had dinner one evening. Well, let me just say that I was not impressed by the food or the service and never returned to that restaurant again.

A few weeks later I was driving by there again when I noticed a sign in the window that read "Under New Management." After my disappointing experience there, I was not surprised to see that sign. I knew that, if changes were not made, business would surely fail. Anyway, a couple of days later I decided to stop in and give the new management a try. Things had definitely changed and I left with a much better impression this time.

Well, when I saw that sign in the window, a light went on in my head. I began to think about my online friends here at eDiets. I was reminded how difficult and emotional weight management is for most and what a struggle it is to succeed.

My contention is that most people fail at weight management because they just don’t make the changes necessary for success. Just as that business had to change to be successful, so do you. As that old saying so aptly states, "If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got." It’s really that simple.

When I was in private practice, I would regularly discuss this notion with my patients. The bottom line is this: you will never become who you want to be by remaining who you are. If you are unsuccessful now and want to be successful later, you must change. Wanting your life to be different while, at the same time, refusing to make the necessary changes, is truly a dead-end street. It’s a little like wanting to take a shower and not get wet. It just isn’t going to happen. If you want a different result, you must take different actions and make different decisions.

In reality, weight management is a decision-making problem. This is actually true about life in general. We are the sum total of the decisions we make. Be they decisions regarding education, employment, marriage, eating or whatever. Where we end up is the direct result of the decisions we make and the actions we take along the way. The solution to weight management truly lies in becoming a better decision-maker. I know that it’s easier said than done, but it is absolutely within your ability to do. And it all starts with is possessing a heart-felt belief that you can change.

The reality for most of you is that your weight, at this moment in your life, is a direct result of the choices you made this past year. With that in mind, I have a suggestion for you as you begin this New Year and enter the season of New Year’s resolutions. This idea came to me as I looked at that sign in the restaurant’s window. I thought to myself, what a great idea to take into the New Year. Let’s make this our mantra for 2005 -- This Body Is Under New Management! I suggest you go to the nearest mirror, look yourself right in the eye and say out loud with conviction, "THIS BODY IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!!" Try this and tell me you don’t feel the power and taste the potential. It’s right there for the taking.

Think of it this way. Imagine that your body is your "business" and you’re the new manager whose been brought in to turn this business around. It’s going to be difficult and you’re going to have to make some tough decisions, but it’s your job and it must be done. This activity is called mental imagery and it can be a very powerful agent for change. That’s precisely why I made imagery an integral part of the very powerful 4-hour Audio Motivation Program I wrote for eDiets. If you have been struggling with your weight, it may be time to fire the old management and bring in the new. Use this New Year and this new mental image to make the changes necessary for your success.

In counseling and psychotherapy, there is a term we use that refers to making something more real or concrete. It’s called "grounding." The mirror activity I mentioned above is an example of grounding. Here’s another grounding suggestion that will help you incorporate this new image into your thinking. I suggest that you to take the saying, "This Body Is Under New Management" and make it tangible. I don’t care if you weave it into a tapestry, carve it into a piece of wood or simply draw it on a piece of paper. Just get physically and emotionally involved in creating your sign. Then put it somewhere you will see it often. Perhaps the kitchen is a good idea. The important thing is to personally and physically involve yourself with this saying and this activity.

Let me end this column by wishing you all a wonderful New Year filled with happiness, health and accomplishment. I know that weight management is a very difficult and emotional endeavor for you. I also know that you CAN do this. Make it happen in 2005! You are worth the effort!!

 Dr. John Sklare, director of the eDiets Emotional Support Center, shares his expertise on "emotional eating" with the eDiets community. Dr. Sklare is also the author of the eDiets Audio Companion Program -- the powerful and innovative new offline support program for your online eDiets program. With the current emphasis on Mind/Body medicine and natural healing, Dr. Sklare stands firmly on the leading edge!

 

**************************************************************************

 

Are Childhood Emotions Making You Fat?
By Dr. Matthew Anderson
Exclusive for eDiets

What do the following foods have in common? Pudding, pasta, ice cream, hot chocolate, pancakes, cookies, cake, candy, donuts and popcorn.

These are all childhood foods. They are the foods we ate as kids. In addition, they are "easy" foods because they require little or no preparation. They appeal to a child’s palate -- simple and unsophisticated.

Why do so many of us eat so much of these foods, so often? Not one of them is harmful or truly fattening in small amounts. But these foods seem to beg us to overeat them. Who eats one pancake, one piece of candy or one cookie? I don’t know this person.

I think there is a good answer to this question. We eat childhood foods to cope with childhood feelings. Am I saying that an adult can have feelings that are decades old? Is it possible that you, an adult person, still have unresolved emotions that began at 3 or 7 or 10 years old? Absolutely.

Years ago I counseled a very special woman. She was 85 years old and still working full-time and drove herself to work (30 miles) every day. One day, in the midst of her session, she began to cry. She immediately became uncomfortable and stopped her tears. When I asked her why, she told me a story that was both amazing and sad.

"When I was 3, I got upset about something. I don’t remember what but I began to cry. My mother became very angry with me and told me that if I was going to cry, I had to go into the bathroom, close the door and not come out until I was finished. I remember this like it was yesterday. I did what she told me to do and I have done it ever since. I always cry alone."

As my client related her lonely tale, she began to cry, hard. The pain of the past came tumbling out. She finally felt safe enough to break her mother’s rule and allow a supportive listener to share her suffering. On that day, 82 years later, she began to heal.

Do you have unresolved feelings from childhood? Most of us do. The presence of unresolved childhood feelings does not mean you are crazy or particularly neurotic. It does mean you are a product of our culture. You were not taught to acknowledge, manage or effectively resolve your significant emotions. Thus they continue to plague you.

Unresolved feelings are uncomfortable. You don’t like to feel them. You resist them. But, as the Gestalt Therapy maxim says: WHAT YOU RESIST, PERSISTS. No wonder you can’t eat just one of anything. When the pain of childhood arises -- and it can at any moment -- you have a strong tendency to eat the foods that were most favored as a child. One of my clients described it like this: "I like to coat my feelings with chocolate."

Willpower is a puny protector against unresolved emotions. You promise yourself, "This time I will eat only one." For awhile it works. Then the feelings rise up like an angry mother towering over a frightened three-year-old. Willpower dives out the window. You will do anything to get away from the upset. So you eat.

Here are a few tools to help you discover the childhood feelings that drive you to overeat. Just reading the exercises will raise your awareness.

1. Make a list of your favorite childhood foods. What memories are connected to these foods? Are the memories pleasant or unpleasant?

2. Notice what is going on with you when you feel an urge to eat these foods. Are you upset about anything? Have you had an interaction with someone that has caused you to have a childhood feeling?

3. The next time you have an urge for childhood food put the food on a plate in front of you. Don’t eat it for three minutes. Notice what you feel and what memories come to mind.

4. Talk to your friends about these exercises. Discuss their childhood foods and eating habits.

5. Sometimes these exercises can reveal very persistent and powerful feelings. If they seem overwhelming to you, I recommend contacting a counselor. You may benefit from professional help. Not because you are crazy but because you deserve some support.

 

 

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Create A Vision Of Loss

By by Dr. Susan Mendelsohn
eDiets Psychologist

 
 
January 1, 2005 
 
“The glory of success is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.�?(Anonymous)
Sometimes our biggest regret is that we cannot relive the past. It has become like hardened concrete, and it is impossible to reshape. However, no matter how old we are or what stage of life we are in, each new day brings with it wet cement that has time to be molded into our dreams. Making wise choices daily will help prevent those regrets from drying into permanent imprints.

We have each been put on this Earth for a purpose. Most people want to find meaning in their lives. Re-evaluating your purpose may bring with it fear. Fear of change and fear of the unknown are common. However, if you do not attempt that change, you may be stuck in the same, disappointing place in which you currently reside.

The key is to develop a vision that fits your unique strengths and innate capabilities. Your future is as unique and personal as your own fingerprint. But, it’s up to YOU to design!

Looking where you want to go is the first step in designing your future. Begin restructuring your mind by focusing on the things you want to fulfill rather than worrying about the obstacles you THINK will get in your way. When you shift your focus from worry to action, you will be free to do what you set out to do.

The most successful people in the world have had a vision and worked to achieve it. It’s not what happens in life that brings success or failure. It is the manner in which you perceive your circumstances -- and what you do about them. We cannot control the environment, but we can surely control the way in which we deal with it.