Stress-Free Parents = Healthy Kids!

I recently read about a study conducted at the University of Rochester (read here) that found that the more stressed out a parent is, the more likely her child is to get sick.

If you're already a QUOTE-UNQUOTE stressed out parent, don't let this news stress you out more! The good news is that taking care of yourself and your own personal mental health is like giving your kids a healthy sickness-preventing dose of vitamin C!

Here are some fun stressbusters...

1. When you're stressed and rushing to get out the door, everyone's screaming and crying, and you're holding back the string of profanities rushing through your head, {{for me, this is Sunday mornings. Why are Sunday's before Church the most stressful morning of the week?}} take a moment to release some tension. When I feel a ticking-time-bomb building up in my chest ready to explode at any moment, if I'm focused, I like to let it out with a happy scream! I gather my stress-inducing children (and husband...wink, wink) around, and we let out a B.I.G. yell for a minute. I feel much better, and the kids never know I was really mad!
2. Learn to say, "NO!" I'm a big time "yesser." I have a REALLY hard time saying "no" when asked for a favor. But sometimes, you just have to! See what's already on your plate, and decide if you can handle tackling the proposed addition. If not, say "no!"
3. See how different types of music affect your mood. Play the type that relaxes you, whether it's rock or classic!
4. Put yourself in "time-out". {{If only I could stay in time-out for as many minutes as I am old!}
5. Take a nap, or get adequate night time sleep. {{I know, like that's going to happen, right?}}
6. Stop trying to be the "perfect mom!" It doesn't exist!
7. Try to quiet the constant "to-do" list in your brain. Pick up a favorite novel, watch a funny-good movie, dust off your old guitar, and engage your mind!
8. EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!! Even if you can only squeeze in a few minutes every day, it will work wonders for your own health, and apparently your children's!

To sum it up...let go thy guilt for taking some YOU time! It's better for everybody involved...including your kiddies.

What are your favorite stress-reducers?

By the way...I had no idea until I read this that there is actually a day designated each year as World Diabetes Day. And guess what? It's TODAY!

To learn more about diabetes and children, go here.

To weigh or not to weigh...

I just read a post about scale addictions. After the birth of my first child, I was a big time scale junkie. I loved stepping on the scale SEVERAL times a day. First thing in the morning. After working out. Again before stepping in the shower (sans clothing). After a bowel movement. At night. I wouldn't say my mood was necessarily dependent on what the number read. But I just had to know. And I was fascinated by how many pounds I lost while sleeping, pooping, whatever. It was actually during this scale-obsessed period that I eventually weighed less than I remember ever weighing pre-children. My weight was the same weight I reported on my 16-year-old driver's license. Go me.

And then I got pregnant again. I put the scale away. I found out how much weight I'd gained along with my doctor each month. By the end, I'd gained around 40 pounds. The baby was born, and for some reason, I didn't take out the scale. When I've weighed myself since, it's been for a family "biggest loser" competition. And honestly, I've forgotten the weigh-in most weeks. So I haven't been the "biggest loser."

I don't think I want to go back to weighing myself every day (and definitely not multiple times a day). I'm not obsessed about my weight (although I know enough to know that I haven't lost those last 10 pounds...which does drive me a bit crazy). I KNOW that numbers on the scale don't really matter. It's more how you feel, how your clothes fit, blah blah blah.

Why is it, though, that when I was weighing myself more often, I was in the best shape of my life? Meaning: I was working out regularly, eating healthily, and weighing-in daily. Are regular weigh-ins the answer?

I definitely have an opinion on this. I don't want my kids to see me obsessing over the scale. I don't want my moods determined by the numbers. I don't want to "reward" myself for lower numbers with a treat. So maybe I really don't want to know. I've been living pretty happily without the scale (for the most part) for about a year and a half. I haven't weighed myself in over a month. But I would love to lose those last ten pounds (and by lose those last ten pounds I also mean those last inches around the waistline...again, I know the numbers on the scale don't tell the whole story).

I've heard of Mary Lou's weigh. It's a scale that doesn't actually tell you your starting weight. It secretly records it, then coaches you along, and reports the weight lost or gained (while also giving advice). Sounds interesting, right? But I know that I would already know my starting weight. So if the scale shouted out that I'd lost 5 pounds, I'd be mentally telling myself the real number anyway. Thoughts?

I'm leaving the rest to you, fit-a-licious readers. How do you feel about the scale? Does it determine your mood every morning, or is it collecting dust in your basement? Do you even own one? Should I start weighing myself regularly again to keep myself accountable? Or should I ban it for life? Please to tell us your thoughts....

CHANGE: The Gratitude Edition

With Thanksgiving upon us, what better time to introduce GRATITUDE as a way of change? I know I always use my toddler as an example, and I have to again. When I really pay attention, my little guy teaches me SO MUCH! For one thing, he's really good at saying "thank you." And he's thankful for the smallest things..."Mom, thanks for making me pancakes!" "Thanks for getting my shoes." "Thanks for the water." "Thank you for finding my legos." "Thanks for buying me this yogurt." The list could go on. We've taught him to say "thank you," and "thank you" he says. A lot.

There was a time in my life where I was pretty depressed. I was a missionary for the LDS Church in cold, dark Finland. It was in-the-way-negatives-freezing. The people weren't very receptive to our message. The language was hard. I was tired. And did I mention that it was dark and cold? It was difficult not to focus on the hard stuff--not to complain with my brain and my mouth.

At some point I realized that my situation wasn't going to change, but that if I was going to survive mentally, I had to change. My companion and I decided to come home every night and say a prayer of gratitude. We weren't going to ask for anything. We were merely going to recognize the good that had happened that day, and say, "thank you."

It was amazing. Nothing changed, but the way I felt did. I was noticing small things--a smile from a stranger, a warm bus, and many, many small miracles. Miracles that would have gone unnoticed if we hadn't decided to mentally take note, and to thank.

For me, this was a major turning point. One of life's BIG a-ha moments. Wonderful things happen EVERY DAY. We just need to notice.

Our world and country are in turmoil, as well as many of our personal lives. We can do many things to change our circumstances, but many things are out of our control. Instead of focusing on the negative, try focusing on the positive. What are you thankful for? What good things happened to you today? Try keeping a "gratitude journal," saying a prayer of "thanks" at the end of the day, or just trying to be grateful in your heart and mind for life's little miracles.

This also works great in marriage and other personal relationships. If your marriage is suffering, list the things you are grateful for in your partner. Nothing will really change, but as you notice the positive, see what happens. Things will start to change. For the better.

In this month of Thanksgiving, what little (and big) things do you have to be thankful for? Give us all some ideas as we change our attitudes with gratitude!

CHANGE: the attitude edition

I looked out the window this morning and saw snow. A few days ago, it was 70 degrees outside. We were wearing t-shirts and sandals. When I saw the snow, my mind started whirling with negative thoughts about how much I dislike winter, cold weather, driving in the snow, bundling up to go outside, wet snow puddles on my floor, etc.

Fast forward a few hours to the awakening of my 2-year old. The minute he looked out the window and saw snow, he saw beauty. He started running around the house saying, "It's winter outside!" He was THRILLED. He ran and got his new winter boots, put them on over his pajamas, and started pestering us to go play in the "winter." His enthusiasm was contagious. I couldn't help feeling a little giddy to go run in the snow. His optimistic outlook changed everything.

Since we're talking about change this month, I thought a change in attitude for many of us might just be what the doctor ordered.

I've read lots of anti-Obama blogs this morning filled with doom and gloom at the prospects of where this great nation is headed with our new Presidente. I have to admit that Obama wasn't my personal choice. But he is our newly elected President. And maybe it won't be such a bad thing. I'm all about optimism, and this is one area where I believe pessimism won't do us any good. We can all continue praying for our country with a hope for a bright future. Let's keep moving forward, people!

As for attitude, according to this study, your outlook on life may help you live longer, and also improves the quality of life.

In the Mayo Clinic study, Toshihiko Maruta, M.D. reports, "The wellness of being is not just physical, but attitudinal...How you perceive what goes on around you and how you interpret it may have an impact on your longevity, and it could affect the quality of your later years."

I'm not encouraging the "blissful ignorance" often associated with optimism if it leads to poor choices. However, an optimistic outlook is said to have a positive effect on the following:

Superior Health
Greater Achievement
Persistence
Emotional Health
Increased Longevity
LESS STRESS (who doesn't need some of that medicine!)

Here are a few quotes to get you going...

The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead. ~Robert Brault

An optimist is the human personification of spring. ~Susan J. Bissonette

An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day. ~Irv Kupcinet

Optimists are nostalgic about the future. ~Chicago Tribune

If an optimist had his left arm chewed off by an alligator, he might say, in a pleasant and hopeful voice, "Well, this isn't too bad. I don't have my left arm anymore, but at least nobody will ever ask me whether I am right-handed or left-handed," but most of us would say something more along the lines of "Aaaaah! My arm! My arm!" ~Lemony Snicket

The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum. ~Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923

Now go run in the snow, look to the future with hope, set some goals for this month, and keep plugging away as the positive influences you already are to so many!

My uber-excited-about-everything-life toddler helped me change my attitude this morning. How do you change your thinking when you're not feeling so positive?

Fall is in the air!

After a heaven-sent extended summer, Fall is actually really here. Change is in the air! I can feel it. The leaves are changing, the wind is blowing, holiday decorations fill the stores. A new president will run our country NEXT WEEK! It's a change of seasons in more ways than one!

With all of these changes, what a great time to re-evaluate where you are, and where you want to be. Think about your body, and your overall health (including mental, physical, and spiritual). Are you living your best life? Use the month of November as a month of change for you. See where you're going, determine if you need to change course, and make a plan to get where you want to be. Don't wait until January to make New Year's resolutions...change with the seasons NOW!

Throughout the month, we will post tidbits on dealing with change in a healthy way. Let us know if you have any suggestions! The comments are always open for personal shout-outs!

Also, if you have anything you'd like to contribute to fitmepink, email us at fitmepink@gmail.com.

HAPPY NOVEMBER!