Students Take Charge No. 3
Three weeks into the semester and our students are finding more ways to expand their healthy lifestyle habits.
Student: The experiment I did this week was performing an old family tradition. My family used to eat together, but because our schedules don’t match up any more, we stopped. The action I took to ensure that my experiment succeeded was proposing this to my family. We made time for each other and even cooked meals together. Doing this was meaningful and important to me, because spending time with my family is one of my favorite hobbies. My results were positive, and I am happy. I’m eating more instead of skipping meals throughout the day.
Teacher: The only things we really keep are the memories we create. Your memory bank is made richer every day you eat with your family.
Student: The experiment I did was to stop eating before I’m full. I used to overeat until I was stuffed and uncomfortable. I began serving myself smaller portions, and I felt lighter and more comfortable after eating. Overeating causes excess calories to be consumed and leads to gaining weight/obesity. I would like to keep doing this experiment for some more time.
Teacher: Now you can decide whether to make this experiment a permanent part of your lifestyle or go back to your old habits. You are doing powerful things!
Student: The experiment I did this week was improving my sleep. Drinking water and managing stress is already helping me feel more energetic and alert, but I still feel groggy and sullen every morning. I noticed that inconsistent bed times and bad sleep quality could be the cause. I usually go to bed thinking of my responsibilities for the next day or worrying about a mistake I had made. I decided to fall asleep worry-free, stay asleep for 8 hours, go into REM sleep, and wake up refreshed and full of energy. The action I took was to sleep from 10:30 to 6 and force myself to think of happy scenarios while I was falling asleep; positive thoughts would lead to positive dreams. I also put away my phone and read a book or talked to my little sister. My results were not as positive as I had hoped. Not being accustomed to the schedule changes and not texting my friends caused my stress and worry to increase. Although I slept longer, I had difficulty falling asleep and did not see improvement in sleep quality. It made me stress-eat and drink unhealthy beverages. I ended up with stomach aches and bowel problems. I think all this was because I didn’t have a plan for my new waking hours. I went in head first with no preparation. I assumed that longer sleep equaled better sleep without doing research on what factors led to good sleep. I will do this experiment again with a plan for fulfilling my responsibilities and focusing more on sleep quality.
Teacher: Your deep focus on detail is critical for success. It’s like a person who wants the number on the scale to go down. When it does, they think they are healthier. Then, when all the weight comes back with more, they feel awful and discouraged. This happened because they didn’t focus on the most important detail; gaining healthy pounds of muscle and water which is their ability to burn fat. The need to pay attention to detail is everywhere, and you’re learning how it relates to sleep. Your take charge experience this week is A+ quality.
Student: The experiment I did this week was avoiding ice cold drinks with my meals to improve digestion. I didn’t know the temperature of my drink would affect digestion and was curious to see what difference it would make in just one week. The action I took was drinking room temperature or just slightly cool drinks during my meal times. My results were that my stomach felt lighter, better and without discomfort throughout my day.
Teacher: Before an athlete plays her game, she warms up her muscles. If she doesn’t, she will make more errors including injuring herself. When our digestive organs receive food, they warm up and do their job. Cold drinks are like putting an ice pack on the pitcher’s arm and expecting her to throw a perfect game without injury. Poorly digested food won’t work in your high-performance brain or heart. The body will throw it into a fat cell somewhere to get it out of circulation. I wish every obese American could learn from your experience and take charge of this little detail in their lifestyle.
Call for a FREE 5-minute Take-chargeconsultation with me at Family HELM Health Center: 559-793-4314.
Until then … TAKE CHARGE! ... Sylvia