The Weight-Depression Connection

Did you know that in any given year, around 18 million American adults deal with depression or a related condition? Depression is more than just persistent feelings of sadness or being "down in the dumps" — it's an illness that affects your body, your mood, and your thoughts. It's a leading cause of disability, and experts think that many people who experience depression do not receive a diagnosis or treatment. That's a shame, since treatment helps 80% of people recover from episodes of depression within a year.

While the connection is not yet understood, experts have noticed a link between obesity, lack of physical activity, and depression. The relationship between depression and weight gain can be likened to the chicken-and-egg scenario. Sometimes depression strikes first, leading to weight gain and an inability to muster the motivation needed to tackle the problem. Other times, excess weight gain leads to depression, which then makes tackling the weight gain even harder.

In any case, it's important to know that safe and effective treatments for depression, including cognitive behavioral therapy (either alone or in combination with prescription medications), are available. Medical studies have shown that regular exercise, along with other treatments, can also help to relieve the symptoms of depression.

Help is out there — but to get it, you must take the first step. In addition to eating well and getting regular exercise, talk with your doctor if you have concerns about your mood. If you have depression, facing it will only make all your life struggles — including the one with your weight — much easier to face. So don't delay.

Keep "Me" a Priority

As you continue your lifelong journey toward health and fitness, remember to keep putting yourself and your needs on your to-do list!

It's so easy to let the demands of family, work, friends, and other commitments take precedence in your life. For example, time for working out may get replaced by the need to chauffeur your kids to and from their scout meetings and dance classes. Or time for preparing healthy meals may get supplanted by a work project that requires extra hours — leading to more last-minute trips to the drive-through.

While shortchanging ourselves and our goals to meet the needs of others often seems like the right thing to do, it isn't a good long-term strategy. Eventually, without your own needs being met, you get depleted — and when you're empty, you can't fill up anyone else. Making yourself a priority isn't selfish — it's necessary to keep you from burning out and becoming ineffective.

One of the best ways to safeguard time for yourself is to learn to set limits. That might mean turning down other people's requests for your time. Saying no can be difficult at first — we all want to please the people we love or the people we work for — but it's a necessary skill. Rather than immediately saying yes, you could consider "let me think about how I can participate and get back to you." Then, rather than take on the whole job, you could take a piece of it. "I can work with the caterer if you can find someone to handle renting the tables and chairs."

Even in situations in which you don't feel you can say no, there may be room for compromise. You may not want to keep your kids from doing the activities they love, but that doesn't mean you have to be the one to drive them back and forth each day. Perhaps you can organize a carpooling system so that you can share the responsibility with other parents. And of course, saying no to a work project may not be the best idea for your career, but you could talk to your boss about your needs and ask for some control in scheduling those extra hours.

This week, spend some time this week writing in your journal about ways you can put yourself first. It's good for you — and good for everyone who depends on you.

Green Tea and Weight Loss

You may have noticed ads for products containing green tea or green tea extract that promise easier weight loss and a higher metabolism. But do these products work? The short answer: No one yet knows for sure.

First, you need to remember to be wary of any product that promises a quick and easy path to weight loss. These magic bullets just don't exist! No pill or potion can replace the need for a balanced diet and regular exercise in your effort to lose weight and keep it off.

However, that doesn't mean green tea has no place in a healthy diet. Research suggests that this beverage may have some healthy advantages. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants called polyphenols, and preliminary research has linked it to a decreased risk of cancer and heart attack. Some research suggests that compounds in green tea known as catechins might also help aid weight loss. However, the research so far is inconclusive, and more studies will need to be done before nutrition experts understand the effects of green tea on health.

That said, green tea is a calorie-free choice, and a hot cup serves as a soothing treat that contains about as much caffeine as black tea or slightly less. So brew yourself a cup, flavor it with lemon or ginger if you like, and enjoy!

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

If you smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products, you no doubt have heard of the risk they pose to your health. Smokers face an increased risk of premature death and disability from heart attack, lung cancer, lung diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and stroke, among other ills. Being overweight also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, creating a health-risk double whammy when smoking and overweight are combined. But no matter how long you have been a smoker, it's never too late to quit and start reversing the damage tobacco use can cause.

If you need more inspiration, here are some additional benefits of quitting smoking:

• Reduced risk of mouth, throat, esophageal, bladder, and cervical cancer
• Reduced risk of peripheral artery disease (impaired circulation to the lower body)
• Fewer signs of premature aging of the skin
• Fewer breathing problems and coughs
• Fewer colds and other illnesses
• More energy
• Elimination of smoking odors and mess
• More money
• More control over your life

While quitting smoking is difficult, today there are more treatments and resources to help you do it than ever before. Talk to your doctor about your options, which include nicotine replacement patches or gum, behavioral therapy, support groups, and prescription medications like Zyban and Chantix. There is excellent help and advice available at no charge from the National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines at 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669) and from the following Web sites:

• www.smokefree.gov
• www.cdc.gov/tobacco
• www.quitnet.com

As with other healthy lifestyle changes, like eating better or exercising regularly, the desire to make this change needs to come from you. If you don't feel you can make a firm decision to stop smoking, try making a list of the pros and cons that tobacco adds to your life. Ponder the negative aspects of smoking, and imagine the positives you'd gain by quitting. Start to visualize your life minus tobacco. This type of self-examination can often help you build motivation to take the next step.

10 Quick and Healthy Lunch Ideas

When you're on the go during the day, you can still have a healthy lunch! Here are some quick (and tasty!) options for brown bag and store-bought lunches. And if you don't have time to make a complete lunch at home, bring some of the ingredients with you and purchase the rest during the day. It's simple!

Here are five lunches to bring from home, and five to buy, if you're on the go:

Bring:

• Leftover soup, hummus, and cut-up veggies
• Cooked chicken breast on whole-grain bread, and low-fat cottage cheese
• Hard-boiled eggs, and berries or other fruit
• Peanut butter and jelly on whole-grain bread, cheese slices, and grapes
• Lean turkey wrap, a few tortilla chips, and salsa

Buy:

• Side salad with balsamic dressing and soy chips
• Miso or vegetable soup and a whole fruit
• Grilled chicken salad and a 100-calorie snack pack
• Small tuna salad on greens or spinach, and fruit-flavored yogurt
• Sashimi or sushi and fruit salad

Keep this lunch list nearby so you always have some healthful, on-the-fly ideas!

Eating With Awareness

We all have them, those irresistible foods that we can't seem to eat enough of. If we're not paying attention as we eat them — perhaps because we're watching TV or doing work at our desks — we may look down to find we've eaten three helpings of lasagna or an entire bag of chips.

One way to prevent this kind of overeating is to practice eating with awareness, or "mindfully." When you eat mindfully, your aim is to focus solely on the here-and-now experience of eating — the sight, flavor, texture, and aroma of the food, plus the thoughts and feelings you have as you eat.

This week, use the following tips to help you practice mindful eating:

• Eat only when you are seated at your kitchen or dining room table. Don't eat while watching television, reading, standing by the sink, driving, lying or sitting in bed, or doing anything else that requires your attention.
• Keep the focus on the food rather than the conversation. Of course it's nice to chat with company while you eat, but don't get so wrapped up that you forget to notice and enjoy your food. Consider eating alone a few times until you get the hang of it. Then, add in conversation with others.
• Before you start eating, take a few deep breaths. As you eat, put your utensil down between bites. Take time to really savor each mouthful.
• Take a moment to assess your hunger. Are you a little hungry? Moderately hungry? Ravenously hungry?
• As you eat, pause to check in occasionally with your hunger. Aim to stop once you feel satisfied rather than eating until all the food is gone. Push your plate away, and give your body 15 to 20 minutes to register whether or not you are still hungry before you eat more.

Over time, learning to eat in the moment will help you break free from mindless eating and make your meals more enjoyable and satisfying.

Exercising When You're Away From Home

When you're traveling for business or pleasure, don't let being away from home become an excuse to take a vacation from fitness. While you may not be able to do the same routine you're used to doing at home, there are still plenty of options for staying active when you're on the road. Try the following strategies:

• Bring a pedometer and a pair of walking shoes with you. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. If you're sightseeing, this will probably be easy!
• Pack a resistance band. It will allow you to do strength training in your hotel room.
• Ask if the hotel you're staying in has a fitness center. Nowadays, many hotels do.
• Swim laps in the hotel pool.
• Bring along a fitness video, or ask if the hotel has any available to use.
• Take advantage of layovers and waits in airports by walking through the terminal.
• Plan activities during your trip to add movement to your day. If you're in a rural area, plan hikes or kayak trips; if you're in a city, take a bike tour or just wander and explore the local streets and shops.

If you're having trouble getting motivated to exercise on your trip, try thinking of it as an opportunity to break out of your usual routine. Think about how great you'll feel once your workout is done. Tell yourself you'll just start with five minutes of exercise and then see how you feel. Chances are, once you start moving, you won't want to stop!

Remember, there's always something you can do to stay active no matter where you are. With some creative planning, you can make sure travel doesn't get in the way of your fitness goals.

Self-Awareness and Mindfulness Meditation

One of the healthy habits we encourage at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center (DFC) is self-awareness or mindfulness — the act of paying attention to what you experience in the moment. Mindfulness can contribute to your overall sense of well-being in many ways, one of the most significant being that it can help to reduce stress.

As part of our self-awareness programming at the DFC, we teach our clients a technique called mindfulness meditation. Developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center's Stress Reduction Clinic, mindfulness meditation is a method of paying attention to the present moment, without letting your mind drift to the past or future or judging your every thought and feeling.

You can practice mindfulness meditation by carving some time out of your day, finding a quiet place where you can be alone, and then turning your attention to your breath or to some other sensation in your body. As thoughts, emotions, or other sensations arise and compete for your attention, you simply observe and acknowledge them without judging, analyzing, or trying to suppress them. Just give the thought or feeling a little bit of space, and eventually it will pass.

This very simple process can prove quite challenging. Most of us have never tried to train our minds to gain mastery over where our attention is from moment to moment. The solution is to practice.

This week, set aside some time to practice mindful meditation. Make a point to focus on what you are experiencing. Let the feelings flow. See what emerges. After a period of regular meditation practice, you may find that it's easier to be mindful in other situations in your daily life. Next week, we'll show you how to be mindful when you are eating.

Healthy Sleep Habits

Did you know that the quality of your sleep and your weight are connected? It's true. Research has shown that people who get five or fewer hours of quality sleep each night have a significantly higher risk of obesity than people who get seven to eight hours a night.

Why? Disordered sleep affects your body in many ways. When it comes to your weight, lack of sleep can increase levels of the hormone leptin in your blood, leaving you hungrier and more likely to snack. Lack of sleep also stresses the body, causing it to process and store glucose differently. Of course, it is also hard to plan and prepare healthy meals or commit to being more active if you are tired all the time. In other words, not getting good sleep is hazardous to your weight! So if you're not getting seven to eight hours a night of high-quality shut-eye now, try these tips for better sleep:

• Take the TV out of the bedroom. You should be sleeping, not watching television late into the night.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol near bedtime. Both lead to lower quality sleep.
• Don't exercise within 30 minutes of your bedtime — doing so may make it more difficult to fall asleep. However, getting regular exercise earlier in the day will promote better rest.
• Develop a sleep schedule and stick to it, going to bed and getting up at the same time from day to day. This will help set your body's internal sleep–wake cycles.
• Don't sleep late on weekends, which can disrupt your pattern. It's better to get up at your regular time and take a nap later in the day if you need it.
• Make sure you have a comfortable bed, bedding, and pillows. Foam mattress pads or toppers can also improve your bed's comfort level.

If you still experience trouble getting a good night's rest after making these changes, talk to your doctor. Medical conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, or restless legs syndrome could be to blame.

Most important, don't ignore sleep issues. They tend to get progressively worse over time, leading to larger and larger impacts on your health and well-being. This week, make getting high quality sleep a priority. It's critical to your weight-loss success!

Lighten Up Family Favorites

Remember Mom's rich brownies? Or Grandpa's five-alarm chili? They're in every family — sacred recipes that get passed down through the generations. The problem is that family favorites often aren't as healthy as they could be. But with a few alterations to the recipe and cooking methods, you can still enjoy the tastes you love while cutting out excess fat and calories. Try the following tips:

Spray, don't pour: Coat pans and baking dishes with cooking-spray butter, margarine, or oil.

Go nonstick: A nonstick pan can reduce the need for fat when you sauté.

Reach for broth: Sauté vegetables in low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock for great flavor minus the fat.

Strip the skin: Cut calories by always removing the skin from poultry and trimming visible fat off meat.

Soak up the flavor: Leaner cuts of meat can be less tender. Use a low-sodium marinade to add flavor and help tenderize.

Switch tactics: Bake, boil, or broil meats and other foods you'd normally fry.

Cut back: Cut the amount of cheese and other fatty ingredients in your favorite recipes by one half, or replace them with low-fat versions.

Get saucy: Try replacing some or all of the fat in baking recipes with applesauce.

Go veggie for a day: Replace meat in dishes with beans or meat substitutes like tofu or vegetarian crumbles.

Slow cook: Use a slow cooker to turn lean meats, vegetables, and beans into delicious soups, stews, and casseroles without adding fat.

Spice things up: Add flavor but not fat to foods with dried and fresh herbs and spices. From the sweet and citrusy flavors of basil and lemongrass to the distinctive flair of cilantro to the richness of curry, a world of flavor awaits your exploration.

Get to know yogurt: Replace the sour cream on your table with low-fat plain yogurt. It makes a great topping for baked potatoes.

And remember, no matter what you're cooking or baking at home, always keep portion control in mind when you sit down to eat it. Moderation is a key to success!

Yoga and You

The practice of yoga was developed in India roughly 5,000 years ago to encourage emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness. While it's an ancient art, the popularity of this form of exercise continues to this day. It's easy to see why — yoga not only improves balance, flexibility, and muscle strength, but it also can help to relieve stress.

Yoga is composed of a series of very specific movements, or poses, aimed at building strength and balance. Yoga moves can be done quickly, to build up heat in the body, or slowly and contemplatively to focus on flexibility. Meditation, breathing exercises, and chants may also be featured. There are many styles of yoga. Different styles emphasize different aspects of the practice, and some are more strenuous than others.

If you've never tried yoga, consider signing up for a class. You may want to start with hatha yoga, a style that tends to be slower paced and is good for beginners. Choose an introductory class where the instructor will teach you the poses involved and observe you to make sure you're doing them properly. After a few sessions with a good instructor, you can continue practicing yoga with a group, alone, or along with a yoga videotape.

You'll want to wear comfortable, breathable clothing that allows you to move easily. Yoga is done barefoot, so you don't have to worry about buying any special shoes. You'll need a mat that prevents you from slipping while you do poses, and these can be borrowed or rented at most studios or gyms that offer yoga. If you decide to continue practicing yoga, you may consider buying your own mat.

If you've never done yoga before, let the instructor know it's your first time. Remember, others in your class may have been doing yoga for years, so don't compare yourself to them. In time, you, too, will become comfortable with the poses, and you will begin to experience the benefits.

Step It Up

Do you know how many steps you take in a day? You can, with a pedometer. In fact, wearing one is a good way to gauge how much activity you're getting while just going about your daily activities. It can tell you whether you're active enough or whether you should build some more movement into your day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend a minimum of 10,000 steps per day (roughly four miles). If that seems like a lot, remember that every step you take during the day counts toward the total. When you add up all the steps you take walking among the different rooms in your home, down the hallway at work, and to and from your car, you'll see that it's an achievable goal.

If you don't own a pedometer, consider buying one. Look for a basic model that's easy to operate and easy to read. You don't have to get anything too expensive — there are many decent basic models available for less than $20.

Start by wearing the pedometer for a few days to get a feel for how many steps you're taking now. If it's less than 10,000, challenge yourself to work your way up there. Little changes like parking further away from your office or the store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking over to talk to your work colleagues instead of shooting them an e-mail can really add up. Remember that the number on your pedometer is an estimate of your steps. If it is off by a few steps, don't worry about it — just focus on how much you are moving during the day.

This week, buy and use a pedometer to keep track of your activity level. Soon, you'll find yourself looking for excuses to get moving!

Resisting Temptation at Work

Has this ever happened to you? You're walking past the lunchroom at work and notice a coworker has brought in some chocolate cake. Even though you know you aren't hungry, you stop and dish up a piece. After eating the cake, you realize it wasn't even very good — in fact, it was a little stale! Yuck.

Welcome to the minefield of eating well at work. From vending machines full of junk to free food left in the lunchroom to treats on the receptionist's desk, temptation looms around every corner. And when you consider how many waking hours you spend in the office, it's easy to see why the work environment can pose many hazards to healthy eating.

Try using these techniques for sticking to your plan at work:

Make time for meals. Studies show that when people eat in front of a computer, they eat more and feel less satisfied. Plan some time into your workday to take a break, get up from your desk, sit at a table, and really focus on your food.

Pack your snacks. If trips to the vending machine are tripping you up, bring an assortment of healthy snacks to have on hand when the afternoon munchies strike.

Walk it off. If you're a desk potato, make efforts to add movement into your day. Take the stairs. Park further away. Deliver that memo in person. Take power walks during breaks. Any movement is better than none.

Change course. If you just can't resist the goodies in the lunchroom or vending machine, alter your path so you don't have to walk past them. You won't know what you're "missing."

Think it through. Before helping yourself to junk food or sweets at work, make yourself wait ten minutes. It's likely that the urge will pass.

Let 'em have it. Chances are, during your ten-minute delay your coworkers will polish off the free food before you get there. Problem solved!

This week, pay attention to the food traps at your workplace. Spend some time thinking about how you can face these situations going forward.