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There has been much discussion and debate about which positions offer the best work out, and most calories burned. After extensive research (on the internet), the bottom line is that any sex can be a terrific source of aerobic exercise, as long as you maintain an elevated heart rate, are taxing your lungs, and are using large muscle groups. This makes it an excellent workout, regardless of the position, but the more activity you do, the better it is for you. In addition, engaging various muscle groups can also help you tone up body parts such as your legs, arms and core. Get on top! Anytime you’re doing the work, you’re getting the benefit.

Myth, Miracle … or both?
by Dr. Anne Boyd

For years, medical literature has indicated that low-dose aspirin therapy can help reduce our risk of dying from heart attacks and strokes. As recently as 2009, the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) stated they “recommend the use of aspirin for men age 45 to 79 years when the potential benefit due to a reduction in myocardial infarctions (MI; another word for heart attack) outweighs the potential harm due an increase in gastrointestinal hemorrhage” (bleeding from the intestinal tract). If the potential benefit of a reduction in strokes outweighed the risks, they also recommended aspirin therapy for women aged 55 to 79.

A new study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, however, leads us to reconsider these recommendations. The study was based on the review of 9 studies and more than 102,000 participants. They found that a daily dose of aspirin reduced the number of heart attacks (primarily non-fatal heart attack) and stroke by 10%. However, there was no reduction in deaths from heart attack and stroke. Additionally, this study reaffirmed the risk of significant gastrointestinal bleeding on aspirin.

It is very important to note that this study looked at aspirin as “Primary Prevention”, meaning the aspirin was meant to protect against a person’s first heart attack or stroke. By contrast, “Secondary Prevention” refers to preventing a recurrence of a heart attack or stroke. For individuals with a prior history of heart attack or stroke, the benefits of aspirin are quite clear.

There are people without symptoms who are unaware of their underlying heart disease and people who have multiple risk factors for heart disease. In these situations, the benefits of aspirin therapy may certainly outweigh the risk. Heart disease risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, low socioeconomic status, family history of heart disease, and smoking.

So….. bottom line: For healthy individuals at low risk for developing cardiovascular disease, aspirin adds little to the proven risk-lowering strategies of blood pressure, cholesterol and weight control, diet and exercise, and smoking cessation. Nonetheless, the decision to start or continue aspirin therapy as primary prevention is highly individualized. If you are already taking aspirin, do not stop. Instead, you should discuss aspirin therapy with your physician or health care provider in order to weigh your specific risks and benefits relating to aspirin therapy.

Lifewellness has consistently advocated prevention and remains committed to individualizing your healthcare, approaching each of you as unique in order to provide optimum, personalized care. It’s nice to see that science finally agrees with us!

Is Social Networking Good for Your Heart?

by Quan Campbell

From Greek philosophers to modern day psychologists, it’s been known that having a close connection to friends and family is not only good for your psyche, but also for your health. Studies have shown that people who interact with friends, family and other loved ones on a regular basis are more likely to live longer and healthier lives. In fact, one study in the Public Library of Science Medicine Journal found that having a healthy social life was as good for your long-term health as being a non-smoker.

With the worldwide use of the Internet comes a new concept of connectivity…the social network. People are connecting, conversing and supporting online friends who they may never meet in person. Do these social networks also have the same healthy benefits as the traditional? What about the negative press…cyberbullying, game “addiction”, decreased productivity at work and isolation?

Let’s take a look at what happens in a social network. Not only do people connect to talk about common interests, but they seek and offer support on issues that are relevant to them. It’s also not uncommon to have separate networks that represent different interests. An investment banker that has children and likes to play basketball on the weekend will have one network of colleagues to talk numbers with, another of parents to share issues of child rearing and a group of buddies that like to play ball. At the end of the day, I give & receive information, support and knowledge with these groups.

Simply put – this is such a new phenomenon there isn’t a substantial amount of quality data in the medical literature that compares the traditional social network to the new definition. Yet, the “non-scientific” census is out…most internet users are augmenting their social networks online, not necessarily replacing them.

One survey cited that 60 million Americans received help with a major life issue (changing jobs, illness, finding a place to live) through social networks. Throw into the mix that these networks can be for a very specific interest group (spelunking, for example) and accessed 24/7 (time zones are no longer an issue) – you can see that people are interacting on a level that a traditional network would find hard to match.

Using online social networks can promote international understanding on a person-to-person basis and could be just the key for otherwise shy people to create a support system. Just realize you can’t spend all your work hours posting updates about what you had for lunch or use it as your only way of communicating with people.

Yes, there are arguments against the widespread acceptance of social networking, but as with anything in health and wellness – moderation is key. Although currently not supported by medical studies, online social networks may lead to longer and healthier lives…and this month, you might even find a date for Valentine’s Day.

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Food of Love

by Sabrina Zaslov

Have you ever wondered whether there’s any truth to the “lore” of aphrodisiacs? Maybe you’re looking to spice up your Valentine’s Day with a little help from the fabled oyster or wondering if those chocolate covered strawberries will send your sweetie into a swoon. So, where do the lines blur between the fable and the truth? Is there really food for love?

Throughout history, certain foods such as oysters, asparagus and bananas have been commonly thought to act as aphrodisiacs because of their shapes, aromas or even chemical compounds. Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love, these foods are commonly thought to increase sexual desire.
While Western medical science has no substantiated claims made regarding these foods as guaranteed to increase sexual desire or boost libido, information on specific foods have shown some degree of merit due to specific chemical compounds and how they may play a role.

Even though there is no real scientific evidence that aphrodisiacs work, if they don’t hurt, then it might be fun to do your own research and draw your own conclusions. Keep in mind, thought, that one of the best aphrodisiacs is to provide your relationship with quality time spent together. Happy Valentine’s Day!

About the Author: Sabrina Zaslov MS, RD, CDE has extensive experience consulting with individuals and groups on sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, weight management and wellness. She provides the personalized attention that has become the trademark of Lifewellness Institute.

It’s not surprising that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. While the focus should be on healthy eating and exercise, many people turn to fat burners/weight loss aids such as Alli, Hydroxycut, Apidexin, Ambi-Slim, etc. in hopes of making the process quicker and more effortless.

Let’s take a look at what the research says regarding some popular ingredients found in fat burners/weight loss aids:

Sources: Consumerlab; Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database 2012; Food & Drug Administration.

Remember that even if some of the ingredients in these products help you lose weight initially, you will probably have to keep taking them to keep the weight off, which may not be practical or safe. Make sure to include your Nutritionist and Physician in your weight loss plans as they can not only provide support, but also determine if any of the ingredients interact with any medical condition you may have, any medication you may be taking, as well as any diagnostic test results.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet for losing weight. The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is through lifestyle changes by eating healthy, watching portion sizes and being physically active. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are two important factors in “sticking” to a weight loss program. Even though it is not magic, it seems to work.

Instant Feedback in the Wireless Age

About the Author: Quan Campbell MBA, MS, RCEP is President and Clinical Director for Lifewellness Institute. Her fields of expertise in athletic training, injury rehabilitation and team coaching serve as a launching point for designing effective wellness programs for individuals, corporations and athletes.

Have you ever seen one of those radar speed signs in your neighborhood? If you’re driving 26 mph in a 25 mph zone, the sign lets you know and gives you a chance to immediately alter your action. What if you could have a personal speed sign to alert you to alter your unhealthy actions?

Enter today’s wireless technology where even the simplest of programs can create a great visual graph from data collected. Going beyond GPS units popular with athletes, products like the FitBit, Up, BodyBugg and Striiv track your exercise and sleep, and remind you when you’ve been sedentary for too long. In essence, they do all the tedious functions of measuring, logging, charting, etc… and the end result is instant feedback on how you’re progressing. Displaying on your computer or smart phone, these units can tell you the speed of your last jog or the length of your last snooze or how many calories that you’ve burned on a given day. So, like the speed sign – you get instant feedback on your actions and whether you’re achieving your goals.

Now pair these powerful devices with their online communities and you can challenge strangers or friends to reach the same shared goal. Since some of us are a little more motivated when competition is involved, this is the perfect carrot to increase change. If you happen to be more motivated by the stick…communities such as Stickk not only enlist friends to help support you, but they encourage you to put money down on yourself (since this often leads to higher results)!

Online communities are a great way to connect with like-minded people, get relevant information & tools and most importantly realize that you’re not the ONLY one struggling with your goals. Sites like Livestrong are moderated by professionals that review posts & respond to member’s questions online and through social media sites.

Are these devices perfect? Not yet, but never fear – technology advances faster every year, and more devices are in the works to remove some of the guess work and give us exact output. For the time being, the available devices are still GREAT at giving us feedback beyond what we were able to receive before. The important idea is that by using these devices you choose your SMART goal (link here to blog) and you can gauge your progress.

The take home message? Even if you’re living alone in the Alaskan wilderness and your nearest neighbor that lives 15 miles away has no interest in taking on a weight loss challenge – you still CAN. Today’s communities and gadgets can help you achieve your goals – and remove the dread of looking in the mirror more often to gauge your progress.

FitBit www.fitbit.com
Up http://jawbone.com/up
BodyBugg http://www.bodybugg.com/
Stickk http://www.stickk.com/
Livestrong www.livestrong.com

Striving for Imperfectionism: Staying faithful to your health goals through the good, the bad and the ugly

About the Author: Kelly Rice, MFA is a Master Coach and has extensive experience coaching people toward a better lifestyle. She coaches both in English & Spanish here in the United States and in England.

It’s officially 2012 and now that we have the holiday indulgences behind us, it’s a wonderful time to focus on what is important to us and “recalibrate” our health goals.

For many people, re-evaluating their goals means narrowing in on certain aspects of health: losing weight, making healthier food choices, exercising more. While focusing on particular areas of wellness can help your overall health, an unbalanced approach can sabotage your efforts. But what does that mean?

My eyes were opened during a college painting class; my professor would remind me to “always work on the least finished part of the painting.” For years I had been painstakingly working on small sections of my paintings at time, not moving on until I was sure I had captured perfection. If that one area turned out badly, I would trash the canvas, giving up on my painting completely. With his encouragement, I learned to move around the canvas, to step back and re-evaluate and to re-focus my attention.

Approaching health goals from a narrow view can have a similar affect. If certain elements didn’t work out the way we wanted (e.g. “I didn’t lose any weight this week,” “I didn’t run at all the last 4 days”), it’s easy to feel like a loser and to just give up on our goals and ourselves.

So how do we prevent this negative self-talk and push through our imperfections?

Forgive yourself for not being perfect and examine your habits.

Perhaps your goal is to eat more fruits and vegetables, so you stock your kitchen with everything that looked good in the produce isle. But now the goal seems daunting and you find yourself avoiding them, eating other foods instead, and they go bad. Look at the whole picture: Are you taking the time to prepare them so they are ready to eat when you’re hungry? Have you kept them in plain sight in the refrigerator? Are they displayed on your counter or kitchen table enticing you to reach out and eat them? Have you actually bought fruits and veggies you like to eat, or are you just purchasing those you think you “should” be eating? Either way, take a step back and think about what’s preventing you from reaching that goal.

Tell people what you want to do!

Share your goals with friends, family, or even a support group. Open up about your intentions with anyone who will listen and support. Many people start blogs about their goals such as weight loss, because having that audience, even if it is anonymous, helps keep them accountable for their actions.

Get Support.

Enlist the help of people and organizations around you. If you work with someone who is active and healthy, buddy up and work out or share healthy meals with them. Or, perhaps you can sign up for Weight Watchers weekly meetings, or join a social sports team. Don’t skip Quan’s article on internet sites that offer great support, too. If you prefer one-on-one support, a great way to get assistance with any kind of health goal is through health coaching. Health coaches are trained in behavior change and positive psychology, and will partner with you to define your goals and help you create a customized action plan for success.

As I coach corporate employees through the Lifewellness program, I tell them to keep in mind the whole picture of what they want their health to look like and use that as their guide. Don’t dwell on the small parts, but rather step back every once in a while, recognize the areas where they are doing well, as well as the parts that need more work, and then re-adjust efforts as necessary.

Just as art is a process, so is our health and wellness journey. Remember that it’s about progress, not perfection.

Bustling crowds at the mall, festive decorations, celebrating with loved one, and the joy of giving. It’s a feel good time of the year, but is the season the reason we have that warm glow or is there a scientific basis that accounts for our desire to give the world a hug?

While I’m pretty sure Dickens wasn’t taking hormonal influences on the brain into consideration when he was penning the conclusion to his classic “A Christmas Carol”, researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland wanted to find the neural basis for unselfish acts like those of the transformed Scrooge…their answer: “it feels good”.

Sounds simple and certainly not worth a researcher’s time, but their conclusion wasn’t based on anecdotal evidence. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers observed the brain activity of their volunteers as they were asked to decide what to do with the $128 dollars given to them at the start of the experiment. They could choose to keep all or part of the money for themselves, or donate all or part anonymously to any one of a set of charities chosen by the researchers.

The researchers found that those subjects who solved their moral dilemma by donating the money had more activity in the “reward center” of the brain. To be specific, the mesolimbic pathway which is used by the neurotransmitter dopamine showed the same response usually associated with sex, money, food and drugs.

But, there is more to altruism than just a cause/effect relationship. Donating the money also engaged the part of the brain that plays a role in the bonding between mother and child and romantic love. The hormone involved, oxytocin, is thought to increase trust and co-operation.

The brains in the volunteers who chose not to donate showed activity in an area of the brain thought to be responsible for decisions involving punishment…which could explain any guilt you feel when passing the bell-ringing Salvation Army volunteer without tossing some money in the bucket.

So, if you want to keep that warm glow all year long, try practicing random acts of giving during this time and all times of the year…what better way to help others while you enrich yourself?

Drunk-Driving Awareness

If there’s a season for indulgence… tis the season. Yet, remember – there needs to be sensibility and safety no matter what.

A staggering 40% of traffic related deaths during Christmas and New Year’s involve drunk drivers. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before his or her first arrest. But what exactly constitutes ‘drunk driving’? How do you know if you’re ok to get behind the wheel, of if you’ve had too much?

The amount of alcohol in a person’s body is measured by its concentration in the blood. This ratio is called the BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration). The kind of alcohol you drink makes no difference; one drink is considered to be one shot of liquor, one glass of wine, or one glass of beer. Women tend to have higher body fat, so alcohol stays in their blood longer than it does in men. This is the reason that women tend to feel the effects of alcohol more quickly, and for a longer period of time than men do.

In terms of how your BAC number can affect your ability to drive, here is a nice table that breaks it down for you.

There are many ways to avoid the potentially deadly combination of drinking and driving, the easiest of which is to abstain from drinking when you know you’ll be driving. If you do decide to indulge, there are numerous organizations, such as Safe Ride Solutions, which will provide safe drivers that you can reserve for an entire evening.

• Calling a taxi to get home is a quick, easy solution. Yes, it might cost you $50 to get home, but that’s a lot less money and hassle than dealing with the alternative, or the worst case scenario.
• If you’re hosting a party, be sure to avoid complications that may arise from your guests driving home after they’ve had too much to drink. Collecting car keys upon entrance to the house is a good way to ensure that no one sneaks out after they’ve had a few too many. It also might be helpful to have the phone number of a local taxi service handy in case someone needs it to get home.
• Going to a party with a group? Carpooling is a wonderful way to arrive, as long as you decide on a designated driver before you get there. If you don’t want anyone to be the designated driver, a fun alternative is to hire a limo for the evening, so no one has to worry about it at all.
• Worst comes to worst, you can always sleep in your car until morning, and then drive home safely. However, if you decide to do this, be aware that as soon as you put your key into the ignition, you’re technically ‘intending to drive’ and if you’re intoxicated, that’s a punishable offense.

We ask that you keep this information in mind as you attend holiday parties this season, stay safe, and be well. Happy Holidays!

Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas

This is the time of year for giving, and what better way to celebrate your love for someone than to value their health. Here are some ideas for a little holiday gift giving, all with a healthy spin. Enjoy!

For your traveler

For anyone that has caught a bug while traveling, you know that it’s not fun to be away from home and sick. There are two products I recommend for your frequent traveler.

Zadro Nano UV Scanner is a smaller version of the full device (think flip phone) and disinfects and kills surface germs using Ultra Violet Light technology. Great for disinfecting questionable items like phone handsets, forks & knives and other small objects we put close to our face.

SteripPEN uses a similar technology as the above, but disinfects water.

For the person that needs a mental break

We all need a little mental rest and relaxation from time to time. A restful day and good night’s sleep are often just what the doctor ordered. Here are a couple of unique ideas, but don’t forget the tried and true: a really great meditation CD (or better yet find out what you love first via Pandora), a massage, relaxing candles or some great bath salts.

White Noise Machines come in all sizes and abilities. Essentially, it creates background noise to help the person relax to the sound of crickets chirping, light rain or jungle sounds.

Chillow Pillows help those with hot flashes keep cool in the middle of the night. It can also be used to ice an injury at night.

Make Fitness a Breeze

Don’t assume that even your fittest friends would turn down a boost of fitness in their lives. Simple pleasures like personal training sessions, a new GPS watch or reflective gear for nighttime workouts are staples this time of year. You’ve heard me rave about the personal gaming systems that are now encouraging fitness; here are two more ideas to consider:

Parks Pass makes getting outside a no-brainer by covering entrance fees to parks. You can get both national and county passes.

FitBit is great for your data geek. This tiny little tracking device gives you feedback on your calorie expenditure, calories consumed, miles logged and sleep time. A super plus, it automatically syncs your data when you’re near your computer.

Nutrition made Easy

Besides gift certificates for a one on one session with a Registered Dietitian, the goal of a healthy ‘food’ gift is to make it easy and fun. Don’t pass up gifts like premium herbs, oils and vinegars. Another great choice is cooking classes or a local cookbook. My new favorite for those crafty types:

Zoku Quick Pop is a fancy little device that can make popsicles in about 7 minutes. Better than that – you can make them to your needs and make them very artistically. Check out their blog for seasonal ideas.

The holiday season is a time when we attend many parties to celebrate & share traditions with our friends & families. And, if you are like most people, your holidays include scrumptious meals & tempting rich treats. Planning ahead is great, but when you can’t, having an impromptu game plan becomes paramount. Here are a couple of suggestions so that you can enjoy the fun without the guilt of eating excess fat & calories.

If you can plan ahead:

• Help bail out your host by offering to bring a low fat dish
• Map out your eating plan ahead of time. Eat a little something before leaving home, so you’re not ravenous when you arrive at the event
• Eat lower calorie meals that still keep you satisfied prior to the party, like a chicken salad

If you were in too much of a rush, and there was no planning:

• Have a glass of sparking water prior to your first alcoholic drink or the appetizers
• Scope out the lower fat offerings at the buffet table. Look for fresh veggies and fruit, boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce, skinless grilled chicken, and low fat chips & salsa. Put these on your plate FIRST
• Don’t go overboard on the rich goodies. Enjoy one or two of your favorites or share a serving with a friend, then finish up with a cup of coffee or water.

Don’t fret too much if you lose control and eat more than expected. Don’t give up your healthy eating habits, just set your sights on choosing lower fat foods the next day and try to be more active.

Winter Workouts

It’s that time of year again. It’s cold outside, it’s dark when you get home and it would be easiest to pour yourself a glass of wine and watch a little TV before dinner, right? Wrong! Even though a lot of people start missing their regular workouts during the winter months (some 30-40%!), it’s important to keep in mind that keeping up your exercise routine helps keep the holiday weight gain to a minimum and elevates end of year stress, all while increasing your health and quality of life.

Often people feel like they have limited options during the winter. Not so! Often, all you need is a little creativity and some safety know-how.

Running & Walking
Your normal route is still there, begging to be used! In the wintertime, think safety. Snow and ice call for shoes that have deeper traction. Instead of your summer smooth walking shoes – consider changing over to light hiking shoes or trail running shoes. Love your shoes too much to have them hibernate?? Try Yaktraks that attach directly to your shoes.

For your body, layers and reflection are key. For your first layer, try a warm technical shirt that is both warm & breathable. Avoid cottons, as they’ll keep your sweat close to your body – making you cold later. The next layer should be a fleece and finally, your windbreaker with reflective piping or material. My favorite is made by illumiNITE.

At Home Videos & Games
Can’t bear the thought of walking outside? Load up the TV with a workout DVD… or stream a fitness class. Now I can’t promise that your dog won’t look at you strangely, but it’s a good alternative to the cold. I suggest that you use YouTube.com to see excerpts of videos before you buy them and if you shop on Amazon – they often will have excerpts of the video to try before you buy. Does the thought of doing the same routine sending you running for the hills? Netflix has videos that you can stream so that your workout is constantly changing.

Not the video type? Shanghai the video gaming system from the kids, and try out the Move (Playstation 3), Kinect (Xbox) or Wii Fit (Nintendo)… they all have games that are either specific workout games or games like PS3’s The Fight: Lights Out.

New Classes at the Gym
If you’ve been enjoying the great outdoors all summer, you may have missed out on some new programming at your local gym. A lot of gyms have been adding boot-camp classes and TRX classes to their typical line up of spin and step aerobics. Try something new out to see if you like it.

SAD

Most of us enjoy the sun. In fact, just seeing sunlight ca be one of life’s great joys. Enjoying sunlight is often one of the greatest motivating factors to get outside and do something active. This is one of the main reasons that, during the winter months, it can be hard to convince yourself to stick to your after work exercise plan or sometimes even to stay up past 8:30. The shortened daylight hours make for seemingly endless evenings, which some people enjoy, but can lead to depression for others.

This depression is usually somewhat temporary, but can last through the winter season. One of the major factors in this Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is the regulation of melatonin in the body. According to David Mrazek, a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic, melatonin is a hormone that our brains produce during hours of darkness. It’s involved with the regulation of sleep, body temperature and release of other hormones. He says that people with SAD produce too much melatonin, which is responsible for disrupting their internal clock, leading to depressive symptoms. Other researchers claim that a decrease in production of another hormone, serotonin, may also be playing a role in SAD, as it can have a substantial effect on mood.

Some symptoms for SAD include:

• Depressed mood/irritability
• Anxiety
• Social withdrawal
• Oversleeping
• Loss of interest in normal activities
• Appetite changes, including cravings for foods high in carbohydrates
• Weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information

There are successful treatment options for those affected by SAD. These include many traditional management tools for depression such as regular exercise, healthy nutrition habits, avoidance of excessive stimulants or depressants (alcohol, caffeine, sugar), consistent sleep patterns, talk therapy and mood stabilizing medications. Some less traditional methods may also be very helpful, like full spectrum light therapy. This involves sitting in front of a special lamp or “light box” for up to 30 minutes daily. This actually assists your brain to improve the balance of neurotransmitters that regulate mood and energy by stimulating the same regions of your brain that are activated by the longer natural sunlight hours occurring during the summer months.

If you think you may be suffering from SAD, we suggest you speak to your physician for an evaluation. A proper diagnosis can put some “summer” into your winter!

Do any of these sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve muttered something similar to yourself after stepping on the doctor’s office scale, slipping on that festive cocktail dress or pair of formal slacks that you haven’t worn for 6 months, or it might be a confession between friends while sipping on a few beers or glasses of wine. Whatever the scenario may be, thoughts like these, while full of well-meaning intention, quickly get “swept under the rug” when they lack a clear, well-defined plan for success.

SMART goals are the building blocks for short-term and long-term success. SMART Goals are:

S – Specific (What specifically will I achieve?)
M – Measurable (How will I measure it?)
A – Attainable (Is it attainable?)
R – Relevant (Is it relevant to my larger goals?)
T – Timed (By what date will I achieve it?)

STEP 1: WRITE IT DOWN
The first step of creating a successful SMART goal is to convert our thoughts into words. This action makes our goal tangible and puts it down on paper (or computer) right in front of us.

Instead of:
“I will get in better shape”

Make is SMART:
“I will be able to run/jog for 1 hour without stopping by January 1″ OR
“I will complete a 10K race within 1 hour by January 1″

Instead of:
“I’m going to lose weight”

Make is SMART:
“I will lose 12 pounds by May 15″ OR
“I will be lose 2 inches from my waist by May 15″

Instead of:
“I’m going to improve my cholesterol”

Make is SMART:
“I will lower my total cholesterol to be under 200 by September 30″ OR
“I will raise my HDL cholesterol 50 and lower my LDL cholesterol 100 by September 30″

STEP 2: SET MILESTONES
If your goal is to reach, for example, specific cholesterol numbers, you’ll have to schedule a few appointments to measure and assess your progress. In order to reach those cholesterol goals by September 30, perhaps you need to create appointments to get your cholesterol checked. If your current cholesterol numbers are 35 (HDL) and 130 (LDL) then your milestones could be:
“By January 30, I will lower my LDL to 120 and raise my HDL to 40″
“By May 30, I will lower my LDL to 110 and raise my HDL to 45″

STEP 3: CREATE ACTION STEPS
Establishing monthly or bimonthly activities are the day-to-day adjustments that will keep you on track. In order to improve your cholesterol, perhaps you want to focus on exercise, eating more vegetables, and eating more fish (specifically those high in Omega 3 fatty acids). Your action steps might be:
“From now through January 15, I will walk or jog for 30 minutes 4 days a week”
“From now through January 15, I will eat 1 cup of vegetables every day.”

As you begin to see improvements and hit your milestones, you will continue to refine your action steps. Your subsequent goals might look like this:
“From now through June 15, I will walk or jog for 45 minutes 5 days a week”
“From now through January 15, I will eat 2 cups of vegetables every day.”

STEP 4: SHARE YOUR GOALS
Take the time to share your goals and progress with friends and family. Having other people who are aware of your efforts and who will participate with you will help hold you accountable. If you would like assistance in setting goals that will help improve your health, speak with your doctor or nutritionist, and consider working with a personal trainer or health coach to help you as you embark on your new health goals.

STEP 5: REWARD YOURSELF
As you accomplish those action steps and hit those milestones, have pre-set rewards to enjoy your success. Anything from getting a massage, to going to a sports game or theater performance, or even taking a weekend vacation can all be healthy ways to reward yourself and to remind you to enjoy the process.