Marathon Mother

The February 2008 issue of Shape shares the inspiring story of new mom Paula Radcliffe who won the ING New York City Marathon—for the second time—a mere 10 months after giving birth to her daughter Isla. Radcliffe credits motherhood with giving her motivation to train and work harder.

In addition to running, Radcliffe’s training regimen involves weight lifting, core exercises and eating well. However, she says she’s not obsessive about diet, because, “…you have to give yourself a treat now and then….” Radcliffe also writes down her goals each year, a practice that all of us would do well to follow.

Excuse Elimination

New York Times writer Gina Kolata assembles an impressive array of evidence proving that it’s virtually never too cold to exercise outside. According to Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine physiologist—who knew there was such a thing?--John W. Castellani, “There really isn’t a point where you can tell people it isn’t safe any more.”

The keys, according to experts, are to get moving and keep moving, and to wear appropriate clothing. And that might be less clothing than you think. Layers can cause sweating that actually cools your body too much. So dress appropriately, and get out there to run, snow shoe or cross country ski.

Healthy Comfort

Here’s a great, healthy recipe for one of the all-time best winter comfort foods--pasta Alfredo:

• 1-pound salmon fillet
• 1 10-ounce box of frozen chopped broccoli (or fresh equivalent)
• 1 small jar of light Alfredo sauce (or even better, make the sauce from a dry package mix such as McCormick or Knorr, using skim milk)
• Approximately 8-12 ounces of penne pasta

Grill or bake the salmon. Break it up into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. Cook the pasta, adding broccoli for the final three to five minutes of cooking time. Drain and toss with the salmon. Add heated Alfredo sauce and toss it together with pasta mixture. Enjoy!

Shine On

When it comes to health, let it shine, let it shine. Sunlight is how we use the vitamin D we ingest. Through our skin, the sun converts the vitamin D already in our system to a form our body can use. You don’t have to be in the sun for a couple of hours for this to happen; it can be accomplished in a matter of minutes.

Vitamin D is necessary for strong bones. It can be found in many dairy foods, but cannot be used by our bodies unless we are exposed to the sun. So, getting enough vitamin D is a two-step process. First you must take it in—tuna and salmon are also great sources—and then you need the sun to hit your skin.

Connections

The Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital stands as one of the foundational pillars in the scientific study of the mind body connection. The Institute was founded by Harvard-educated cardiologist Herbert Benson, MD, who was the first medical practitioner to scientifically document the ability of meditation to soothe the body.

The Institute features a number of programs to help integrate what Dr. Benson called “the relaxation response” to fight problems ranging from stress to obesity. DKWIO understands and values the important connection between mind and body. Often, obesity is not only about what you’re eating, but also about what’s eating you. For the Benson-Henry Institute’s quick primer on the relaxation response, go to: http://www.mbmi.org/basics/whatis_rresponse_elicitation.asp.

Paging Dr. Crane

Beginning in February, I will host a psychological talk show on WJR radio—one of the largest radio stations in the Midwest—with Rachel Nevada (from the Mitch Albom show) and psychotherapist Mary DiPaolo. I expect it to be sort of like The View of Detroit radio, but with a psychological topic being discussed during each show. I think I want to be the Meredith.

The show will air from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Sunday mornings on 760 a.m. beginning February 3. Our first topic will be Seasonal Affective Disorder; can you relate? Please take a listen. If you enjoy it, please let the station know by e-mail or a phone call.

It's a Family Affair

USA TODAY/Discovery Health/Gallup released a poll last week that affirmed the key role family and friends play in healthy lifestyles. In other surprising news, young men at college like to drink beer.

Among the key findings:

• Nearly a quarter of Americans say that their attempts to lose weight have been hindered by friends or family.
• More than one-third of Americans say that friends and family have attempted to convince them not to exercise or to cheat on diets.
• Most Americans would like to partner with a friend or family member on a healthy lifestyle program.

Not to be flippant, but this survey validates what many working on this issue already understand all too well. Obesity is a public health issue, impacted by family, by marketing, by disposition and by a full spectrum of other factors. With this variety of factors that impact kids and their choices, it’s imperative that we reach out to children directly and provide them with the resources they need to live well.

Teens and Body Image

Interesting January 14 article in HealthDay News pointing to the increasing amount of boys—especially boys who watch lots of music videos—with unhealthy body images. The study, conducted by Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University in Australia, also showed girls who watched soap operas had highly unrealistic ideals of body shape. In the absence of healthy and accurate information, kids will draw from anything—music videos, TV, advertising—to determine their ideals.

It’s up to adults to provide the healthy guidance and goals that kids need, and that doesn’t mean being a size zero, it means making the right choices and making your body—whatever its shape might be—a healthy one.

Obesity--Causes and Solutions

The *entire* January issue of the ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science is dedicated to: “The Epidemic of Childhood Overweight.” I have to admit that this academic journal isn’t usually at the top of my monthly reading list. However, this particular issue provides an insightful, comprehensive and research-based enumeration of the causes of, and solutions to, childhood obesity, both in terms of prevention (hint: watch out child food marketers) and intervention (like, say DKWIO?). You can view all of the articles or a summary for free at: http://ann.sagepub.com/current.dtl.

All the World's a Stage

Michigan Public Television recently produced a film called Where Do the Children Play documenting the importance of play, especially outdoor play, to the health and wellness—mental, physical and spiritual—of kids. This film contends that a variety of cultural and technological trends push kids away from free play in the outdoors, and it also points to a connection between these trends and childhood obesity.

While DKWIO takes a structured approach to providing kids with tools to make healthy choices, we also emphasize tremendous freedom within that structure to allow for play, exercise and education of all kinds. For more information about this important work and accompanying resources, visit: http://wwww.wfum.org/childrenplay.