Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

by Amy Kelderhouse

January 29

9:34 am

Coaching Corner: Pin It!

A new class that I teach here at Hilton Head Health is called Health Tech 101. It is an overview of different technologies that can help us live a healthy lifestyle. It includes a variety of technologies such as tracking gadgets, websites and applications for smart phones. I have had a lot of fun researching this class as there are so many cool things out there that can help us be successful in achieving our goals.

One of my new favorite websites is called Pinterest. It is essentially an online pinboard. Pinterest allows you to save content that you find on the internet or from other people’s boards and add them into your categorized boards. So how can we utilize this in moving forward with our health and wellness goals? These boards can provide a unique visual opportunity to create images of what you want to achieve, why it is important and what we can do to get there. It provides the opportunity to save the things that are important to us and make up who we are.

So how do I begin pinning? First, check out our H3 Pinterest page. Here, you can get an idea of what you can do with your pin boards and start collecting some ideas. Second, get signed up. Pinterest requires you to request an invite or if you know someone who is a member, they can send you an invite. And then get creative!

Think of what your life purpose and vision are and find ways to express this on your boards. When we know what is important to us and what we want out of life, this gives us a clearer picture of the path we want to walk. It allows us to stay focused on what is important, gives us a direction for making decisions, and let go of those things that do not bring us closer to what we want or who we want to be. This allows for a higher level of self-awareness and clarity.

Suggestions for board themes:

Life purpose and vision
My goals- you could break this down into long term and short term
Values- those things that are important to me and build up my character
Encouraging quotes
Motivation- things that motivate or inspire you into action
Healthy recipes
Fitness ideas

Have fun! This is a cool opportunity to explore new ideas. As you are finding new ideas, workouts, and recipes online, please be cautious before implementing anything new or extreme. Ask yourself “what would H3 think about this idea?” or contact us with your questions. We would love to be a resource for you as you are finding the best strategies for being successful in the home environment.

After creating your pinboards:

Review them at the beginning of your day. This is a great way to start a new day. Begin by looking over your vision and reconnecting with what it important to you. Then review your values and find one of your motivational quotes that stands out as a mantra for your day. Follow up by reviewing your goals and pick one thing you can do today to move your forward with a goal.
Write these things down and review throughout the day. Once the day begins it is easy to forget our resolutions for the day. Review your boards or notes during the day to stay focused on what you are working toward.
Keep going! Try new things and seek out new opportunities to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Try stepping out of your comfort zone. One of my favorite quotes that I found on Pinterest reads: “We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.”

Check out an example of one of Hilton Head Health’s Pins posted to Pinterest below:

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by Jeff Ford

January 22

5:55 pm

7 Comments

Coaching Corner: You Control Courage

When you get into a funk it can be very difficult to get out. We start to look at things we’re not doing right and tend to minimize the pursuits that we’re exceeding expectations at. We’ve all been there, where you catch yourself saying things like “Oh if I had only done this, or man if I had done it that way it would have all turned out.” If this hasn’t happened to you, you’re lying to yourself.

I know in my heart I’m guilty of this at times. Even over the course of a day. If you’re a person who expects nothing but 110 percent out of yourself expect this to happen. In fact what I am telling you today, anticipate it. All of you out there making behavior changes this thinking is typically inevitable if you’re stretching the status quo. The question is how do we shift the thinking?

I like to call this thinking the “un-controllable” blame game. When we start to go back in the past and get bummed out about things that have happened or didn’t happen, we start playing a game that allows for no winners. We begin analyzing outcomes and situations that are no longer controllable. We may even go so far as to let this effect our present.

As the simplest suggestion today, we have to have courage to look at only what we control. We can’t control the outside environment (or its terrible fast food restaurants), we can’t control how our friends act; we can’t solve someone else’s problems. We can only control ourselves.

I am a big believer in these two statements #1 We alone control our own happiness, If you want to change something, change it. #2 Whether you think you can or think you can’t your probably right. (At times, I’ve even go so far to believe that if you think you’re going to get a common cold you probably will … anybody been there?)

Takeaway from today: Don’t let yourself get into this unwinnable game. Re-focus your energy on the things you can do today and the things you can control in the future.

Fortunately enough, I am lucky enough to have a guest back this week (for a whole month) who gave me the courage to find this perspective. I wear a bracelet that she gave me on my right hand and look at it when it becomes necessary. It has symbol on it that means courage. My take: I need to have courage in my life to focus on the present, courage to succeed, but more importantly courage to fail and become stronger.

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

by Alicea Glover

January 18

4:45 pm

No Comments

Life: In the blink of an eye

As someone who tries to be conscious of my eating and lifestyle habits, I often think about how the little things can lead to big change. Putting that same thought process on the concept of life, however, had me thinking. When was the last time you sat down to think about how one small action can vastly impact your life or someone else’s? Check out this infographic from Medical Billing and Coding. Not only did it make me want to be more mindful of all my actions but it also made me thoughfully reflect on my priorities.

Via: MedicalBillingAndCoding.org

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

by Amy Kelderhouse

January 15

9:38 am

No Comments

Changing the World

I love reading about the lives of great leaders. I am constantly inspired by their road to success, and very often that road is filled with hardship and potholes. Their perseverance and growth through challenges offer a great example to all of us goal setters that life is not easy and that true, lasting and worthy change requires work but the reward for hanging in there can be huge.

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr Day. He was one of the greatest and most effective leaders in our nation’s history and he did it all through nonviolence and peace. He began with a dream which grew to reshape our nation. He is a great example that we should live a life of action and not reaction. We can model the great example of MLK in our daily lives. The small steps and successes in the little things can impact your life and the lives of those around you in ways that you could not even imagine. Know that you can change the world through brightening the world around you through small, thoughtful actions.

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Here are 15 things that you can do to change the world by living a life of action.

Hold the door open for someone
Compliment or say something kind to server
Use a person’s name when speaking with them. As Dale Carnegie says, a person’s name is the sweetest word to them.
Smile. You have no idea the wide and lasting effects of this small action.
Pick one thing that you do not use and donate it.
Throw away trash that is on the ground or straighten up a shared environment such as the counter of the break room.
Every morning think of someone who you know well or very little and send them love and well wishes for their upcoming day.
Reach out to someone through email, Facebook, Twitter, anything! There are so many methods to contact people now just to say hello!
Forgive someone and mean it.
Read something inspirational. Expand your world and you will reflect that into the world around you
Bring own shopping bags to the grocery.
Call a friend
Really listen to someone. Practice active listening and reflect back what you are hearing to show that you are really taking in what is being said.
Research a cause that you value and make a donation to the effort.
Genuinely thank someone in your life for who they are or what you have learned from them.

As you can see these ideas are not earth shattering but they can be life changing. Isn’t true that it can be the small things in life that we value the most?

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

by Alicea Glover

January 11

3:14 pm

No Comments

A Day On, Not Off

What may seem like a long time ago to some and not so long ago to others, the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was signed off in legislation as a national holiday. Having been first observed in 1986, Monday, January 16, 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the King federal holiday. As the holiday approaches, I ask myself what I will do to honor Dr. King’s legacy.

Dr. King once said, “life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘what are you doing for others?’”

Staying true to his philosophy, MLK Day has been dubbed a Day of Service for Americans of every age and background celebrate Dr. King through service projects that strengthen communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions. Just as others do across the nation, in years past I have dedicated this day as a day of serving my neighbors and my community. With so much chaos going on in the world today, I feel it is important for each of us to take a moment to show one another that we love and care each other.

Now that I am in a new city and working in the professional world, I must admit that I have thought about skipping my traditional day of service but have decided to celebrate in a different way this year. I plan to do 25 good deeds throughout the week ranging from stopping by the MLK March in Hilton Head on Monday during my lunch break to calling up a friend I haven’t spoken to in awhile. I plan to finish the week with a 25 year celebratory fitness challenge—5 rounds of 5 exercises lasting roughly 25 minutes.

If you are able, I encourage you to get out and volunteer, whether that is helping out with the local habitat for humanity, playing with the kids at your local Rec center or Boys and Girls Club, or volunteering at a soup kitchen. The point is to get the community together and to be active!

I’d love to hear how you plan to serve for the MLK day of service. Leave a comment or mention us on Twitter @HHHealth_H3! How will you celebrate your Day On, not off?

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

by Alicea Glover

January 4

2:48 pm

2 Comments

Georgia’s Solution to Childhood Obesity

While in Atlanta this past week visiting my family, I took in all the familiar sights and sounds of the city. I love looking at the bright lights and buildings during the Christmas season. One thing, however, caught my eye that I can’t seem to shake. As I was walking down the street with some friends, we passed a billboard with the image of a young girl and the words “Being fat takes the fun out of being a kid” written next to her. With a shocked expression on my face, I told my friends to read the billboard and they replied that similar billboards were all over the place.
Other billboards read: “It’s hard to be a little girl if you’re not.” “Big bones didn’t make me this way, big meals did.” “Fat prevention begins at home. And the buffet line.”
I have several issues with these messages.
Although childhood obesity is a serious issue, I believe these billboards are bringing more negative attention to this growing problem than good. One of the first things I learned while studying Public Health in school was that positive affirmations are more powerful than scare tactics. If the intent was to scare a child out of eating a large-size combo meal from their favorite fast food chain was the point in this ad, I’m not sure it’s going to work. In fact, with such a strong stigma placed on overweight children in this message I’m pretty sure it would cause almost anyone who finds comfort in food to turn just there after one glance of these billboards.

While other states have made vast improvements in the quality of food choices in vending machines and school cafeterias, I can’t figure out why the group sponsoring these billboards put so much time and money into such a negative message.
We all need to make a commitment to eat better, make time for physical activity and to simply treat ourselves better. Just as Lisette wrote about in her post “Just For Today,” each day we need to make a point to make at least one simple change to help improve our health—I think this is a much better message to share with youth today. Change starts with ONE thing, ONE person does. Let’s change where we go to dinner every Tuesday night; Let’s change what we do right after we get off from work. I believe that if we change at least one unhealthy habit ourselves and encourage today’s youth to join us, this simple act will have much more of an impact on obesity than these hurtful billboards.
An image of one of the billboards is below. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

by Linda Hopkins

January 1

11:00 am

2 Comments

Coaching Corner – Resolution to Reality

At the stroke of midnight on December 31, over half of all Americans resolved to lose weight. While a few will succeed, statistics show that as many as 95 percent will be wearing the same pounds plus a few more this time next year. Why? Because they embark on a plan—usually a combination of diet and exercise—that is neither complete nor sustainable.

While good nutrition and regular exercise are obvious components, successful weight management is never just about the dinner table and the gym. It’s about the way we live—our actions and daily habits as they relate to work, play, stress, sleep, responsibilities, relationships and more.

Why diets fail and what to do instead
Many people are attracted to the promise of quick, easy weight loss through fad diets that restrict certain kinds of foods or prescribe specific food combinations. While you may lose weight initially on these diets, they’re not designed to be followed for a lifetime, nor are they healthy over the long term.

Most of us know what to eat. We’re not overweight because we lack information about healthy vs. unhealthy food. For a great majority of us, the problem lies in how much we eat and, more importantly, why. Everyone deals with food differently, and we overeat for different reasons. The first step toward change is to identify who or what leads you down that path.

Many people who struggle with their weight discover that overeating is a response to an emotion or feeling such as boredom, loneliness, sadness, frustration, exhaustion…or even joy and celebration. The good news is if you are using food to feed your feelings, that is simply behavior, and behavior can be changed.

How coaching can help
Achieving your weight-loss goal is a process that involves clarifying what you really want and why and then taking consistent actions to get there. Coaching provides the focus and structure to keep you on track. By exploring your motivators, strengths and available resources, your coach will help you find what works for you so that you can achieve your goals and live your healthiest and happiest life.

If you are one of those Americans who resolved to lose weight this year, why not make your resolution a reality? – Ditch the diet and discover a way of life!

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle, Uncategorized.

by Karla Williams

December 31

11:00 am

2 Comments

Mindful Meal Planning

Here comes the New Year! Every year millions of New Year Resolutions are made, this year I challenge you to make your resolution one that sticks! Resolve to plan meals a week at a time forever and always! Meal planning will help you eat nutritiously, save money at the grocery store, and keep you from panicking and attempting to throw a dinner together when dinner hour rolls around.

1. PLAN AWAY! Take about 30 minutes of your day once a week, sit down, and decide what you would like to eat this week. Keep your goals in mind, whether you are choosing to eat more vegetables, cut calories, or incorporate more fiber. I recommend starting by planning about 3 lunches or dinners a week. Start small, once you become used to your system plan every meal. Hopefully, you will have leftovers from a few meals that you can eat another day too. Some meals like breakfast can be the same or repeating.

2. WRITE A GROCERY LIST! Write your grocery list according to your meal plan. Include the obvious items too such as skim milk, eggs, and berries. Don’t leave anything out. This will help you limit your grocery visits to just once a week saving you time, calories, and money. Stick with your list even if something other then fruit and vegetables look tasty.

3. PREPARE EVERYTHING! On Sunday or any day you have time, reserve some time to prepare all of your meals for the week. Prepare everything, including your vegetables for omelets, peeling oranges, making sauces for each meal, etc… Also, I strongly recommend preparing a larger recipe, and freezing it. That way in a few weeks when you are ready for that meal again it is already prepared. Use a lot of tiny Rubbermaid containers to ease portion controlling.

4. EXECUTE IT! All you have to do is come home and pop your dinner in the oven or heat a few things up. Having your dinner already prepared will help you avoid ordering pizza for dinner or just making quick unhealthy dinners.

Meal planning takes some time in the beginning of your week, but will save you time, money, calories, and stress. A few recipes that I love to include on my weekly meal plan are:

¨ Chicken Cordon Bleu (Prepare the chicken ahead, make a few extra, freeze them, and reheat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the center reaches 165 degrees, when frozen. Make the Dijonaise sauce ahead and prepare your vegetables too.)

¨ Pita Pizza (Make your marinara, freeze it in small containers. Prepare your entire pizza, wrap it, and freeze the entire pizza. Reheat when frozen at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes or until the cheese has turned a light brown color.

¨ Beef and Vegetable Lasagna (Use your H3 Marinara you already prepared and make the Beef and Vegetable Lasagna then freeze it. Reheat when frozen at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the center has reached 165 degrees.)

Planning ahead will make your life a little easier, the more you plan the easier it will get.

Happy New Year’s Resolutions!

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

by Amber Shadwick

December 30

11:22 am

No Comments

Friday Fitness – Happiness Expression Challenge

One of the joys of yoga is the feeling of being free and light. I encourage you to cultivate that happiness by becoming aware of and grateful for the present moment. This Friday marks the last Friday Fitness of 2011 – so let’s celebrate our lives, our freedom and our light right now in this moment!

Below are three yoga poses – in each of the poses, I challenge you to bring attention to your limbs (in the Happiness Expression Challenge), as these are extensions of your heart. Allow your arms and hands to create and express your happiness in the current posture.

Crescent Pose /// Warrior III /// Chair Pose

Step by Step: Crescent Pose

1. Start in Downward-Facing Dog. Exhale and step your right foot forward between your hands, aligning your knee over the heel. Keep your left leg strong and firm.

2. Inhale and raise your torso upright. At the same time, sweep your arms wide to the sides and raise them overhead, palms facing each other.

3. Be careful not to overarch the lower back. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor (tuck your tailbone under and pull your low core in). Reach back through your left heel to activate your left quad to help create an equal balance between both legs. Come into your right leg, (bend-lunge position) weight staying in the heel.

4. As you inhale grow taller through the torso. Be sure not to press the front ribs forward. Draw them down and into the torso. Lift the arms from the lower back ribs, reaching through your little fingers. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat the posture on the opposite side.

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2492

***Happiness Expression Challenge: As you hold Crescent Lunge, instead of reaching your arms up, open your arms out by your side. Turn your palms upwards as if you were catching raindrops. You are nourishing your very own happiness. Be open and ready to receive the blessings of each moment. Smile…Let happiness in!

Step by Step: Warrior III

1. From the lunge (crescent lunge) position, stretch your arms forward, parallel to the floor and parallel to each other, palms facing each other. Exhale and press the head of the right thighbone back and press the heel actively into the floor. Synchronize the straightening of the front leg and the lifting of the back leg. As you lift the back leg, resist by pressing the tailbone into the pelvis.

2. Normally students come up into Warrior III by lunging the torso forward. This tends to shift the body weight onto the ball of the front foot and unbalance the position. Don’t allow the torso to swing forward as you move into position; instead, as you straighten the front knee, think of pressing the head of the thighbone back. This centers the femur in the hip joint, grounds the heel into the floor, and stabilizes the position.

3. The arms, torso and raised leg should be positioned relatively parallel to the floor. For many students the pelvis tends to tilt. Release the hip [of the raised leg] toward the floor until the two hip points are even and parallel to the floor. Energize the back leg and extend it strongly toward the wall behind you; reach just as actively in the opposite direction with the arms. Bring the head up slightly and look forward, but be sure not to compress the back of your neck.

4. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to a minute.

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/941

***Happiness Expression Challenge: When you transition into Warrior III, place your hands in prayer position at your chest. As you glance at your hands, be happy for your friends and loved ones – share your hearts energy and joy.

Step by Step: Chair Pose

1. From Warrior III, bring your extended leg down to meet the root leg as you pendulum back into an upright position (feet together). Inhale and raise your arms perpendicular to the floor.

2. Exhale and bend your knees, trying to take the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible (squat position). Keep your weight back in your heels, hugging your legs in towards each other.

3. Firm your shoulder blades down, relaxing your shoulders and releasing the tension in your neck. Lengthen your spine with every inhalation and root deeper (sink into the squat) with every exhalation.

4. Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of this pose straighten your knees with an inhalation, lifting strongly through the arms. Exhale and release your arms to your sides, back into mountain pose.

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/493

***Happiness Expression Challenge: As you place your feet together in chair position, open your arms out wide to your sides and give the world and yourself a great big hug.

Go through this series of three movements on your right and then your left side. Feel free to improvise according to how you feel. Remember to be true to your physical needs and your hearts expressions!

This entry is filed under Fitness, Healthy Lifestyle, Uncategorized.

by Jessica Lynn

December 22

10:40 am

No Comments

What H3 Means to Me

After having our staff Christmas party this past week, it got me thinking a little bit about my time here with Hilton Head Health. Having been a part of this place for 7 years now, it’s more than just a job. We will start from the obvious… (although, if you’ve been here they are probably all obvious):

It’s a source of income. When asked if they like their job, many people say, “It’s a source of income.” While this is of course necessary, it has little to do with why I’m still here today.
It’s a source of inspiration. When I started as an intern, I was not only inspired by the staff and reputable program, but more so by the Guests of H3. The motivation and determination demonstrated by our Guests, so many who may have not exercised in years, and the dedication I witness as they come in each day and work their bodies so hard… it’s unbelievable. Not only our Guests, but also staff members who take on challenges like running their first race or quitting smoking, are also inspiring to me to reach my personal goals.
It’s a source of knowledge. As my life changes with growing family, new obstacles, and changes in routine, I have at my fingertips passionate and kind-hearted team members to give advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle through every curve ball thrown at me.
It’s a source of opportunity. Each role I’ve held while at H3 has provided growth and insight to what makes H3 work. Every department is an essential nut or bolt to allow H3 to help people make lifestyle change—and it’s a privilege to learn and experience that chemistry, and play a part in keeping it going.
It’s where my friends are. We often hear that work and play just don’t mesh, but it’s a different story at H3. When you are surrounded by people who have the same belief system that you do, and a passion for sharing it and being the best you can be, it’s hard not to combine work and play0—especially, when work is so much fun!
H3’s my family. Having moved here fromIndiana, H3 has become my family. They are the ones who surround me when times get tough and who celebrate with me when exciting things happen—Guests and staff alike. We’re all human beings and ups and downs are a natural part of life. What a blessed opportunity to be in an environment where those things are not suppressed or tossed out the window as unimportant, but instead, shared, supported and matured from.

Thank you, H3, for 7 amazing years. I always joke that you never know what will happen next around here, but I can promise you one thing, I will be sure not to miss it!

What does H3 mean to you? Please take a moment to share with us!

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

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