Sky Lakes Medical Center | Live Smart | Winter 2018

6 LIVE smart | Winter 2018 Yoga for better health The many UPSIDES of DOWNWARD dog It’s not a stretch to say that yoga is a healthy practice. It does a body good—increasing your overall fitness. Yoga may also: Improve posture and flexibility. Lower blood pressure. Aid digestion. Improve sleep. Reduce chronic pain. Relieve anxiety and depression. Getting started. Yoga is generally safe for most healthy people. But before you strike your first pose, consider learning proper form from a pro. Source: National Institutes of Health Manage your weight the healthy way TAKE CONTROL Find out how the Lifestyle Change Program at Sky Lakes Wellness Center can help you. Call 541-880-2770 to register for an informational session. It’s not new, and it may not be the fad of the moment. But if you want to lose weight, a long-term program of sensible eating and exercise is still the best method around. What’s on your plate? A healthy eating plan for weight loss combines fewer calories with better nutrition, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). You can achieve both with a diet that: w w Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat- free dairy products. w  w Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts. w  w Limits saturated fats, trans fat, salt and added sugars. w  w Controls portion sizes. You should aim to lose between 1 and 2 pounds per week, experts at the NIH recommend. It’s both a healthy and realistic goal. For many people, that requires eating 500 to 1,000 fewer calories daily. One trick that works for many people: Keep a record of everything you eat. It may help you spot problem areas in your diet. Time to get active Exercise helps you manage your weight by burning calories. It also: w  w Lowers your risk for heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. w  w Strengthens your lungs and muscles. w  w Improves your sleep. Most adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity spread out over the week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, to lose weight or maintain weight loss, you may need to do more. Make sure to talk with your health care provider if you have questions about how much activity is right for you. Are there other options? If you have tried to lose weight without success, ask your health care provider about other weight- loss options, such as a food plan prepared by a dietitian or a proven and established weight-loss program. Clients in the Sky Lakes Wellness Center Lifestyle Change Program, for instance, are supported by a team that includes a physician, a dietitian, a behavioral therapist and a nurse, each with distinct skills and training to maximize success. Additional source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics