I owe you all a quick apology for my lack of blogging this year. I can't believe we are steps away from August! It's been an exciting year at Better Living as we've added two new faces and a lot more talent and charisma to the company.
Please welcome Joey Smith and Dawn Trembath.
Joey, like me is an ACE-certified personal trainer. He brings 10 years of coaching and mentoring to the position. He has a degree in physical education from the University of Central Missouri and moved to Michigan with his fiance earlier this year. Joey will join me in writing blogs about exercises and stretches you can take from your inbox to your fitness plan.
Dawn is also an educator with a master's degree in early childhood education. She is a mother of two and joined Better Living as our office manager. She brings us much-valued organization. She'll help in ensuring we communicate the latest in fitness much more frequently.
You can find pictures of both Joey and Dawn at www.betterlivingfitness.com.
Be well!
Mark Thiesmeyer, MS, MPH, RD
734-747-0123
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Long-term Weight Loss Simplified
The New York Times recently printed an article call "The Fat Trap" by Tara Parker-Pope. Perhaps it is a terrible thing for me to accuse Parker-Pope of inserting her own bias into her writing, because invariably I am about to do the same thing... Parker-Pope admitted that she has struggled both to lose weight and to keep it off. I believe, her struggle lead her to paint a bleak picture of the challenges of permanent, significant weight loss.
I would like to paint a rosier picture from my decade of weight-loss counseling. I have seen many men and women make permanent changes to their exercise and nutrition plans and accordingly, transform their bodies. I've seen the results in young, medium-aged and the elderly. I've watched people replace fat with lean, toned muscle. Here are some of the core principles these people have adopted into their lives:
1. Lose weight slowly (0.5 - 1lb per week).
2. Create awareness of what you eat and drink. Write it down, text yourself, whatever.
3. Preserve you muscles and build some new ones. Strength train at least twice a week.
4. Eat as soon as you wake up, then only thereafter when you feel hungry.
5. Get your beauty sleep. Research shows hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) can be out of control after just one night of sleep deprivation.
6. Manage your stress without reaching for a doughnut. This is a difficult one, but you'll be happier and healthier if you figure out some strategies (yoga, tai chi, deep breathing, going to your "happy place").
7. Get in touch with nature. Eat 2+ pieces of fruit AND 2+ cups vegetables every day.
8. Don't pig out. Eat small meals or snacks rather than the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner.
9. Create bulk in your stomach. Eat plenty of fiber and drink lots of water. The combination is great for expanding food in your stomach and for feeling full longer.
10. Work with a Registered Dietitian. Take some pressure of losing weight off yourself and put it on a professional.
Good luck and happy losing!
Mark Thiesmeyer, MS, MPH, RD
mark@betterliving.biz
734-644-5483
I would like to paint a rosier picture from my decade of weight-loss counseling. I have seen many men and women make permanent changes to their exercise and nutrition plans and accordingly, transform their bodies. I've seen the results in young, medium-aged and the elderly. I've watched people replace fat with lean, toned muscle. Here are some of the core principles these people have adopted into their lives:
1. Lose weight slowly (0.5 - 1lb per week).
2. Create awareness of what you eat and drink. Write it down, text yourself, whatever.
3. Preserve you muscles and build some new ones. Strength train at least twice a week.
4. Eat as soon as you wake up, then only thereafter when you feel hungry.
5. Get your beauty sleep. Research shows hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) can be out of control after just one night of sleep deprivation.
6. Manage your stress without reaching for a doughnut. This is a difficult one, but you'll be happier and healthier if you figure out some strategies (yoga, tai chi, deep breathing, going to your "happy place").
7. Get in touch with nature. Eat 2+ pieces of fruit AND 2+ cups vegetables every day.
8. Don't pig out. Eat small meals or snacks rather than the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner.
9. Create bulk in your stomach. Eat plenty of fiber and drink lots of water. The combination is great for expanding food in your stomach and for feeling full longer.
10. Work with a Registered Dietitian. Take some pressure of losing weight off yourself and put it on a professional.
Good luck and happy losing!
Mark Thiesmeyer, MS, MPH, RD
mark@betterliving.biz
734-644-5483
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Pizza may be the perfect snack!
I've been thinking a lot about snacking. When hospital patients experience trauma we recommend eating small frequent meals. It's gentle on digestion and provides a level energy through the day. Eating small, frequent snacks rather than big meals is also good for healthy individuals. One of my favorite small meals is a couple slices of homemade pizza. Here's my secret:
Build your pizza on these two products -
Build your pizza on these two products -
- Mama Mary's Gourmet 100% Whole Wheat Crust - it's thin crust so you can load up on toppings without losing your waistline!
- Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce - amazingly fresh and wonderful.
- Capers
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Baby spinach
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Walnuts
- Artichoke hearts
- Tofu
- Chicken
- Broccoli
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Join the Community AND Improve Your Health
Do you know the acronym "CSA"? If you said, "Community Supported Agriculture" give yourself a pat on the back!
We have entered an era of very cheap produce, but it comes at a cost. Many industrial crops are doused with pesticides and herbicides to insure their growth. Such chemicals can remain on and even in the finished product. While the government does diligence in making sure these chemicals are not harmful in acute dosages, no one knows the health effect of them in low-dose over many decades.
Part of the benefit of a CSA is that you purchase a share of a local farm's bounty. You know where your produce (and even eggs) is/are produced. You can choose organic if you want to avoid pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, by buying from the farm down the street, you are not only supporting the local economy; you are also eating the produce that fights off the same pathogens and environmental challenges you do. Some experts believe this is a great way to fortify your body.
There are ample CSA's in Ann Arbor. You can find a list at http://www.ecovian.com/s/ann-arbor-mi/csa, but I would like to highlight one in particular. Green Things Farm is run by Nate Lada and Jill Sweetman, two recent graduates of the U-M. Nate and Jill are first-time farmers working with the Tilian Farm Development Center. The program is using Ann Arbor's Green Belt to help new farmers get started and break the cycle of small farms losing out to industrial farming. If you would like to buy into Nate and Jill's farm, visit them at http://greenthingsfarm.com/.
A CSA is a fantastic way to increase your vegetable consumption this summer. Share it with a friend or neighbor during the weeks that you are vacationing or overwhelmed by the bumper crop! In the end, a CSA is a great motivator to try some new vegetables, meet your local farmers and improve your health.
For my out-of-town readers, just google "CSA" and you'll get the one's local to you. Happy eating!
We have entered an era of very cheap produce, but it comes at a cost. Many industrial crops are doused with pesticides and herbicides to insure their growth. Such chemicals can remain on and even in the finished product. While the government does diligence in making sure these chemicals are not harmful in acute dosages, no one knows the health effect of them in low-dose over many decades.
Part of the benefit of a CSA is that you purchase a share of a local farm's bounty. You know where your produce (and even eggs) is/are produced. You can choose organic if you want to avoid pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, by buying from the farm down the street, you are not only supporting the local economy; you are also eating the produce that fights off the same pathogens and environmental challenges you do. Some experts believe this is a great way to fortify your body.
There are ample CSA's in Ann Arbor. You can find a list at http://www.ecovian.com/s/ann-arbor-mi/csa, but I would like to highlight one in particular. Green Things Farm is run by Nate Lada and Jill Sweetman, two recent graduates of the U-M. Nate and Jill are first-time farmers working with the Tilian Farm Development Center. The program is using Ann Arbor's Green Belt to help new farmers get started and break the cycle of small farms losing out to industrial farming. If you would like to buy into Nate and Jill's farm, visit them at http://greenthingsfarm.com/.
A CSA is a fantastic way to increase your vegetable consumption this summer. Share it with a friend or neighbor during the weeks that you are vacationing or overwhelmed by the bumper crop! In the end, a CSA is a great motivator to try some new vegetables, meet your local farmers and improve your health.
For my out-of-town readers, just google "CSA" and you'll get the one's local to you. Happy eating!
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