Hasta La Gadget!

by Kara Baskin

When we hear the word “diet,” we think of restrictive food choices, calorie counting, and anxiously stepping onto a scale. But a healthy diet isn’t a diet at all. It’s about making consistently good, attainable choices over time–and even indulging (in moderation, of course!).

Traditional diets don’t work because they foster a fixation with food and are often focused on quick fixes rather than long term, sustainable change. “This can lead to increased stress, which in turn can drive us to poor choices,” says Adam Perlman, MD, meQuilibrium’s Chief Medical Officer. “We need to be careful not to perpetuate negativity around food and eating–because the reality is, we need to eat to survive. These kinds of strict diets just don’t work.”

On the other hand, healthy eating serves as a buffer against stress and offers a natural boost: When we eat well, we feel better and we have more energy, two things that just can’t be measured by a scale.

Here’s how to ditch the diet for good and embrace an empowering lifestyle that’s sustainable in the long run.

1. Do what’s best for you. One friend only eats like a caveman. Another pal is strictly protein. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the dieting options. But while the possible risks of obesity are uniform for all of us–such as increased risks of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease–everyone processes food uniquely. Instead of plunging into a restrictive diet, think more broadly about making consistent nutritious choices like avoiding soda and fried foods, swapping salt for spices, and packing each meal with colorful fruits and veggies.

2. Stress less. Weight gain is linked to stress. When we’re overwhelmed, our bodies release cortisol, a hormone that can cause us to overeat. It’s a downward spiral: We then beat ourselves up for overindulging, our confidence takes a nosedive, and we’re even more stressed. On the other hand, when our stress levels are under control, we’re equipped to make smart decisions around food. And when we make smart decisions, we’re healthier–and more resilient. Be sure to spend time on your favorite stress-busting activities: exercise, mindfulness meditation, spending time with friends, journaling, or whatever works for you.

3. Practice mindful eating. Many of us fall into the trap of “unconscious eating,” where we consume food without even thinking about it. Like the bag of chips that accidentally gets polished off while watching your favorite show. Identify your triggers: Is it when you’re channel surfing? Feeling sad or nervous? Trying to multi-task at your desk? If you’re not sure, keep a food diary for a few days to map your habits. Once you’ve determined what kind of unconscious eater you are, you can trap why you’re doing it and zap the root cause.

4. Catch some Zzz’s. How motivated are you to prepare a nutritious meal when you’re exhausted? That’s when staying healthy gets tough. In fact, studies show that being sleep deprived makes our brains crave junk food. Set yourself up for success by prioritizing sleep, so you can stay strong in the face of cravings and will be less likely to call for takeout or blearily hit the drive-thru before heading into work.

5. Repeat after me: BMOC. Certain foods help us fight stress. Weave them into your diet using the “BMOC” acronym for easy recall:

• Choose foods rich in B vitamins, such as spinach, eggs, and salmon, to produce anxiety-easing neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
• Eat plenty of Magnesium–found in avocado, dark chocolate, and bananas–which is a natural muscle relaxant.
• Get enough Omega-3s, found in tuna, canola oil, and Brussels sprouts, because a deficiency in these fatty acids are linked to mood swings and depression.
• And load up on vitamin C, which bolsters the immune system and helps prevent brain-cell damage from too much cortisol, by snacking on mango, cauliflower, or oranges.

6. Be realistic! Deprivation backfires eventually, so use it in moderation. At a restaurant, ask for half of that massive slice of cheesecake in a to-go box or split it with a pal. Put milk in your coffee instead of cream, or drizzle olive oil on your pasta instead of a rich sauce. Completely avoiding favorite foods won’t work in the long run. “It’s important to allow yourself a degree of ‘cheating’ and enjoying indulgent food from time to time, because,” says Dr. Perlman, “it’s one of life’s pleasures.”

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Being an only child, I remember often saying to my parents, “I’m bored.” For my dad, the solution was easy: “Go do something.” My mom would say, “Go make something.” Sometimes I would listen to them, and other times I would just turn on the TV. I had distractions! Even from an early age, and before iPads, I had become — to some degree — dependent on screens and technology for entertainment.

However, unlike most, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. In moderation.

My son Jack started watching a bit of TV when he was about 14 months old. Mainly he watched educational programs on baby channels, typically no more than 10 minutes at a time (and we didn’t have a problem limiting screen time, because his attention would often drift to something else).

Now, at almost 3 years old, he can enter the passcode on the mini iPad and enjoys singing along and scrolling through the huge selection of offerings on YouTube Kids. (We try to keep his screen time to under an hour a day.) And we have been pleased to find that he has learned quite a few things from TV we know we didn’t teach him ourselves. When drawing together one time, he asked me to do some basic shapes and, out of nowhere, he asked me to draw a rhombus! We are entertained by what he is absorbing and expressing.

When I took part in a 48-hour digital detox — a complete abstention from screen time — over a recent weekend, I felt mostly excitement and just a little bit of fear. It was a Friday afternoon, and we were on vacation. As a small-business owner — and since I hadn’t really prepared for it — I gave myself 30 minutes of “cheat” time during the whole 48 hours. I also allowed myself to use my cameras, because our trip still needed to be documented. I wanted to start immediately, so I told my partner, JC, about the challenge and he said, “I’m not sure I can do that.” I told him no problem; I would just live by example, looking to encourage and inspire in my family a notion of really trying to be present. Here’s how my detox unfolded.

I learned to live in the moment. The first night was a breeze. We had friends over who we get to see only once a year. Being able to really be present and enjoy everyone’s company was wonderful. As the family archivist, I was called upon to do a group photo of the 25 of us before it got too dark. It took more time getting everyone situated and in their places than it did to wirelessly send the photo from my camera to my phone to be shared via Airdrop. That was five minutes of my grace period well spent, because the moment captured will be treasured for years to come. As the night went on, I played Catch Phrase until I wore myself out, hoping I wouldn’t need my phone. However, I still felt the need to do something when I got into bed, so I took that opportunity to dive into a book instead!

I took it all in. We spent half of Saturday at the beach, enjoying our last day of vacation. As we sat under the umbrella, I found it so relaxing to really take in my surroundings. The urge to Snapchat these moments came on strong, but I resisted. The feeling passed and I simply tried to focus on being completely present. In the evening, we enjoyed a lovely dinner, and Jack discovered the joy of dominoes. I watched the anticipation come over him as his grandfather set the up entire box in a snake pattern on the coffee table.

I discovered a new way to travel. The morning came early (4 a.m.) on Sunday, the day we headed back home. My rules on planes for my toddler is that there are no rules: if he wants to watch TV the entire time, it’s fine; if he wants to eat lollipops instead of lunch, that is cool, too. He was taking his 45th and 46th flight, and I wasn’t about to change our streak of smooth airplane rides.

I, however, had a slightly difficult time not turning on a movie or playing a game on my phone. Instead, I spent time reading, journaling and water coloring in my traveler’s notebook. Then Jack wanted to cuddle and ended up falling asleep in my arms. For nearly two hours, I couldn’t do much of anything. I knew he needed the sleep. I just had to sit with my own thoughts. JC was sitting in the row in front of us and I spied him watching golf while working on his laptop. I felt a twinge of jealousy and then had to work really hard to resist the urge to pull out my phone.

We got home and eased back into our normal routines. Though it was uneasy at times without my phone in hand, I felt reassured that we as a family do a pretty decent job of regulating screen time. As a working mom, I’m regularly looking for ways to make sure I’m being present. My family, their well-being and their happiness are my top priorities. One quote that resonates with me, from author and public speaker Gretchen Rubin, is, “What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.” For me it’s more important to create and instill healthy habits, like being mindful and self-aware in our daily lives.

I was feeding Jack breakfast the other day, while he watched Cookie Monster on TV, trying to restrain himself from eating all the cookies. I could see the wheels turning in Jack’s head as if he completely understood the concept of moderation, remarking to me, “But why he cannot have just one?” As a mom who’d been walking the talk of moderation, this felt like a win!

This material is for general informational purposes only. Aetna is not the author of this content.

Aetna believes that mindfulness — the act of being present — starts with simply experiencing what is here and now. So step back, #takeamoment, and appreciate the little things. You’ll be surprised at what you notice. Share your experience using the hashtag #takeamoment on social media.

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Ever see the super strong, super light super material known as carbon fiber get squished like this? Once the hydraulic press hits it, the threads start coming undone, and it slowly disintegrates as the pressure becomes stronger and stronger. What’s pretty neat, though, is how the carbon fiber rod still stands up steady throughout and never snaps. It just unravels very, very slowly.

Read more…

Rubber bands can become colder than room temperature through sheer mechanical force. Stretching one heats it up (duh) but letting it contract cools it below its starting temperature. Let that weirdness sink in for a moment.

Read more…

photo credit: thepiper351 via flickr CC BY 2.0

Tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary of our National Park Service, the government entity that maintains and protects more than 400 trails, recreation areas, parks, refuges and monuments across the nation.

One of the things that makes this country great is that we have such gorgeous landscapes in every state in the country. Another is that we’ve had the foresight and commitment to protect these places so that future generations can experience our natural beauty and cultural heritage.

To celebrate the National Park Service centennial, instead of looking back, I’m looking forward — with eager anticipation — to a handful of additional places I hope that President Obama will commit to protecting for the next 100 years.

One of the last largest unprotected, undeveloped tracts of land in the eastern U.S.: Maine’s remote North Woods, east of Mount Katahdin, the state’s highest peak. With dense forest, roaming bears and moose, and streams and lakes creeping throughout nearly 88,000 acres of donated land, I’m hopeful that a new Maine Woods and Waters Monument will provide plenty of opportunity for camping, hunting, fishing, boating and more – and help create hundreds of jobs to boot.

The president’s conservation legacy is already incredibly robust but we hope the 100th birthday of the National Park System will spur him to create this new Maine monument which is supported by two-thirds of Mainers.

And then . . . there’s more!! Over the last few months of his administration, here are five other spectacular natural areas on our monuments wish list.

Photo Credit: James Marin Phelps via flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0

Grand Canyon. With its stunning vistas, colorful walls, and massive size, the Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular places in the world. Mining and logging threaten millions of acres surrounding the Grand Canyon National Park, along with the Colorado River, the largest old growth ponderosa pine forest in North America, and thousands of sacred Native American sites. Vast majorities of Arizonans, Americans from California to Florida, and a broad coalition of conservation groups, businesses, and tribes support the creation of a new, 1.7million acre Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument that would preserve this American icon for future generations.

Photo Credit:NOAA OKEANOS Explorer Program, 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition

Coral Canyons and Seamounts. Southeast of Cape Cod, where the continental shelf drops off into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the Coral Canyons and Seamounts feature canyons as deep as the Grand Canyon and underwater mountains higher than any east of the Rockies. The surrounding waters teem with ocean wildlife–including sea turtles, seabirds, and what scientists believe to be the greatest diversity of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the North Atlantic. Limited fishing restrictions and natural protective features have left the canyons and seamounts largely free from human disturbance to date. Monument status could permanently protect the area from overfishing, drilling, and deep sea mining.
[bears ears pic]

Bears Ears. More than 100,000 archeological sites dot these ancestral lands on the Colorado Plateau. Twenty-six Native American tribes and the nation’s conservation community are pushing for the designation of these 1.9 million acres as national monument, which would safeguard the area against mining, drilling and looting.

Photo Credit:Wikimedia Commons

Gold Butte. Native Americans who lived in this area more than 3,000 years left behind artifacts, rock shelters and ancient writings that remain today. The Nevada region’s canyons and red rock formations are home to wildlife such as bighorn sheep, burrowing owls and desert tortoises. A proposed monument of 350,000 acres would protect activities like hiking, bird watching and hunting for generations to come.

Photo Cred: U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The nation’s largest wildlife refuge contains dramatic mountain peaks, tundra plains, and scores of caribou, bears, wolves and Arctic foxes. Established as a refuge more than 50 years ago, this area has been under intense pressure from the oil and gas industry for almost as long. Monument status would protect one of America’s last great wilderness areas and help keep planet-warming fossil fuels safely in the ground.

Of course there are numerous other special places in need of protection — from the California Central Coast to the Castner Range near El Paso, Texas to Cashes Ledge off the coast off Maine – and we’d love to make sure that all of them are as beautiful and vibrant 100 years from now as they are today.

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