Rush ELM
November 2015
EAT WELL
Holiday Health Survival Guide - Rasa Kazlauskaite, MD, Rush University Medical Center
Guilt Free Holiday Eating
Want to fully enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday without the guilt of overeating?
Megan M. Hood, Ph.D., Psychologist, Assitant Professor, Rush University Department of Behavioral Sciences provides us with some proven ways to savor the flavor of food, reduce intake, and be satisfied through mindful eating.
When you eat, eat!
Experiment: Try to eat one distraction-free meal
Mindfulness targets:
o Flavor- taste (sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness), smell, texture
o Try blind taste testing
o Can you taste the specific ingredients of different foods?
o How would you describe the taste of water?
o Social savoring rather than social eating.
Movements of eating:
o Try eating with your non-dominant hand
o Try eating with your hands
o Try using unfamiliar utensils to eat
o Write a guide on how to eat a common food, then follow this
Sensations of fullness
What can you do to slow down your eating?
Half-by-five: split your meal in half, after finishing the 1st half wait at least 5 minutes, then decide if you want to eat 2nd half
1) Rest your hands between bites, put utensils down
2) Practice thorough chewing
3) Preload on smells- smell thoroughly before you eat
LOVE BETTER
My ELM experience
My name is Redia Holman and I’d like to share with you my experience with the Elm program here at Rush. I started working in the Preventive Medicine department here at Rush in the spring of 2012. This is in the same department that the Elm program sessions are held. I knew about the program for almost 3 years before I decided to join. I had given up on trying to lose weight and I was in a very dark place mentally. For some reason I decided to give the program a try and started the program in March of this year. At the beginning of the program I had hypertension, my cholesterol was too high, my A1C had a borderline diabetic number and I am medically considered morbidly obese. I hate that term.
After joining Elm I found that I had the wrong mindset about my health. I was looking for quick fixes and would always be disappointed when the quick fix didn’t work. That disappointment would take me back to my horrible eating habits and back to not moving my body at all. Over the 6 months in Elm my mindset totally changed about my health. I learned that becoming healthy was a lifelong journey. I learned that if I didn’t get it right today not to give up on the whole journey. Tomorrow is another day to do better. Through the support of the other people in the program, I learned not to be so hard on myself. I started moving more!!!!! I started feeling better mentally as well as physically. I learned to really pay attention to what I was putting in my mouth. I learned how to make healthy alternatives to eating foods that I love. I don’t get it right everyday but I don’t give up!
Well, at the end of six months, I lost 6.4% of my body weight (5% was the goal). My blood pressure is normal, My A1C is normal and my cholesterol is normal. Wooooohooooo!!!!! I’m so proud of myself. I still have lots of work to do but I will get healthy and stay healthy.
Elm changed the way I think about myself. Thanks Elm!
With Deepest Gratitude
Pamela Manning, Rush employee and ELM member shares her favorite memories of servicing Veterans here at Rush.
"My favorite part has always been getting to know the men and women who attend the Rush Advanced Trauma Training Program (ATTP). I have been fortunate that these incredible men and women have trusted me enough to share their stories with me, including why they joined the military; stories about their spouses and children, their hopes for their future after military service, etc. You know I love a good story. What amazes and humbles me the most is that at the end of each of the courses, these incredible men and women thank ME (I still find it remarkable) for my efforts on their behalf during the course. Many of them keep in contact, either by Linked In, e-mails or if they repeat the ATTP course. If I had to choose one of the most humbling experiences I have had in working with the veterans, it was receiving the following e-mail from the Commander of a unit that participated in the ATTP:
"Dear Pam,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you and all of the team at Rush for the excellent trauma training I had in the ITLS course back in January. As I write I am waiting for a bus ride to the airport for a flight to Afghanistan. I will be working in the level III hospital in Kandahar where I expect to see lots of trauma. The training I received will be invaluable to me in the upcoming year and more importantly to my patients. Please let the team know that their efforts will make a difference in the lives of our soldiers, sailors, and marines."
I couldn’t believe that he would take the time to send me an e-mail when he was on his way to war and it brought me to tears. A Level III hospital is the military equivalent of a civilian Level I Trauma Center. The ATTP is a very rewarding but demanding and challenging program to produce that leaves all of the Rush staff who participate in the program exhausted but gratified at the end of each course. This e-mail arrived as we were gearing up to put on 3 courses, two just one week apart, in 3 months and provided me personally with the encouragement to know that what we are doing here at Rush makes a difference."
Tell your friends and family about the Rush Center for Veterans and Their Families. Click the following link to learn more:
The Power of Gratitude
Showing some gratitude can remarkably transform your life. Having an Attitude of Gratitude improves every area of your life from your health to your career. People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.
Scroll down a little to check out proven ways to cultivate the power of gratitude in your daily life.
Boost Your Health With a Dose of Gratitude
MOVE MORE
8 Colors of Fitness
Ever wondered why your eyes glaze over when you think of jogging on a treadmill or the thought of hiking gives you momentary agoraphobia? It could be that those types of activities just don't fit your personality.
Suzanne Brue, MS, author, teacher, and wellness expert explored the intersection of fitness, personality, and behavior change; as a result of her research, Brue developed a revolutionary fitness personality system inspired by the Myers-Briggs Type IndicatorⓇ.
Suzanne’s system has inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the world to find physical activities that are ideal for their unique personality. One-size-fits-all fitness is a thing of the past.
What Color is your Fitness? Take the quiz
Fall Fitness Tricks for Maintaining Exercise Motivation
Finding the motivation to exercise through a dark, cold, and wet winter is never easy. My friends and coworkers seem to share this sudden lack of motivation for exercise during the darker months. A better plan sounds like cozying up to a cup of tea and a good book.
However, once I manage to switch gears, and appreciate (continue reading)...
Can't find the time to make it to the gym?
Mark your Calendars!
Grant Park Turkey Trot 5k - November 28
Register Now for the Grant Park Turkey Trot 5k Walk/Run on Saturday, November 28.
Join us as Rush ELM hits the streets to trot off those extra holiday calories!
Party Over HERE!! Jen will host a pre-race shindig at her house with light refreshments. If you're trotting with us, don't forget to RSVP for the party.
Rush ELM Holiday Fitness Challenge
Challenge starts Tuesday, November 17 through Monday, December 30.
Stay active and accountable throughout this holiday season!
Join the Rush ELM Holiday Fitness Challenge
Earn points towards Grand Prizes and more!
Get more details at your next ELM group session.
Staying Happy and Healthy this Holiday Season - December 9
Rush Generations is hosting a free health seminar on "Staying Happy and Healthy this Holiday Season". Come hear from experts in mental health and aging on how to manage your holiday highs and lows. You will also learn about ways to stay active and engaged during the holidays. Register Now