Lake Regional Health System | Thrive | Winter 2018

lakeregional.com 7 H ave you ever plowed through a bag of potato chips after a bad day at work, mindlessly munching long after you were full? That’s a classic example of emotional eating. “Using food to soothe stress, sadness or even boredom is a common trap for overeating,” Dr. Nagy says. These tips may help you avoid it: 1 Think about why you’re eating. Ask yourself, “Am I really hungry? Or upset?” Awareness is the first step. 2 Find better ways to cope. For instance, if you find yourself poking around the fridge and you’re not really hungry: • Take a short walk. • Work on a hobby. • Phone a close friend. 3 Give yourself a well-deserved boost. Writing in a journal may help you understand your strengths — and the better you feel about yourself, the easier it is to manage feelings without food. 4 Stock your kitchen right. Keep healthy snacks on hand so that you’re less likely to reach for comfort foods. 5 If your eating feels out of control, tell your doctor. It could be a sign of an eating disorder. T hink exercise has to be hard to bring big benefits? Think again. “You could see significant im- provements from a simple walking routine,” Dr. Nagy says. A brisk walk pumps up your muscles, including your heart. It helps keep your weight in check and regulates blood sugar. Walk- ing also boosts your energy and bone strength and helps relieve chronic pain. All these small benefits add up in a big way. People with a walking habit of 30 minutes a day lower their risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Regular walkers may even live longer than those who take a pass on exercise. Now that’s worth a victory lap. Step this way You might enjoy: • An early morning stroll through your neighborhood — bask in the quiet and listen to nature. • A noontime walk with a friend or co-worker — catch up or do some window shopping. • A weekend hike with the whole clan — kids and teens profit from time outdoors, too. Take photos, and bring a picnic to make a day of it. Of course, when bad weather hits, you’ll want to head to a mall or step on a treadmill to get in your daily strides. But on many not-so- nice days, a hooded jacket is all the gear you’ll need to keep up your walking ways. Pace yourself The pace you choose will depend on your overall health. Check with your doctor first if you have any concerns. You can begin with as little as 10 minutes of strolling and gradually work up to a brisk 30 minutes. Every step takes you further into a world of good health and well-being. Are you an emotional eater? Walk into wellness Sources: American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine; American College of Sports Medicine; American Council on Exercise; American Heart Association; Arthritis Foundation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; U.S. National Library of Medicine; Weight-control Information Network