Dr. Rippe's Blog

What goals for balance are you working on or would you like to be working on? More physical activity on a regular basis?  Better balanced nutrition? More time for relaxing and destressing? How are you coming along?

One of the greatest barriers to taking steps to take care of ourselves is feeling that we are not worth the effort. Over the years, I've counseled hundreds of individuals who really want to make changes for the better in their lives but are stymied or tripped up by deep-down feelings that they are not worth the effort. Sometimes, they have not even acknowledged this self-doubt to themselves.

To each I have said, You are worth the life you want. As a living, breathing citizen of the planet you have equal worth with any other person. I can assure you of that, but each of us must accept that truth for ourselves. That can be very tough. If you struggle with such issues, you might take a brief moment each day to focus on something you have done well or that you enjoyed and affirm that accomplishment. Just saying to yourself each day, yes I am worth it, can boost your feeling of worth. So affirm daily one positive thing--and remember, yes, I am worth it.

It's only eight more days to Halloween eve, as I write this. Most children really enjoy this holiday. Not only is it fun to dress up (even parents like this part), but there are all those yummy treats. As parents, we can keep this holiday fun for our children by making sure that we help them follow some important safety tips.

• Costumes and masks should fit well, with no trailing parts to trip on. Accessories should be soft and flexible. Masks should have eyeholes with adequate visibility. Reflector tape on costumes and treat bags/baskets enhances visibility in addition to other lights children may carry. Wear enclosed shoes with good traction (no sandles or flipflops).
• Stay visible. In addition to reflector strips just mentioned, carrying flashlights, small battery-powered lanterns, or even glow sticks helps children see and be seen.
• Accompany your children. Even if you live in a small town or an enclosed subdivision, the wisest plan is to accompany your children on their rounds. If your presence embarrasses older children, discuss the safety issues with them. Assure them that you can hang back, but you will be there.
• Check treats before eating them. Before you start out, discuss the importance of inspecting treats before consuming them. Of course, kids will want to eat some along the way--help them stick to factory-wrapped treats for this.
• Watch out for traffic. Walk on sidewalks facing oncoming traffic.  Cross at crosswalks, not in the middle of blocks. Look both ways before crossing the street. Keep your lights on to make sure others can see you.

Following these simple tips can keep Halloween a fun holiday for everyone. For more good tips, see these tips from the Center's for Disease Control.

When I mention weight loss diets that focus on single foods, you probably know what I'm talking about. For example, the "grapefruit diet" and the "cabbage soup" diet are two of the oldest. And they have many variants--just Google either term and see how many hits you get. Each season there are several new diet books or programs that claim to have found a new way to lose weight quickly by targeting a particular food or food group. Will such diets help you lose weight?  In the short-term, yes--almost any diet that reduces the calories (energy) you consume each day will enable you to lose weight. Proponents of such diets may claim all sorts of reasons why such diets work, but research shows that the main reason they work is that if you follow their plan you consume fewer calories daily than your body burns.  If you have to eat mainly grapefruit or cabbage soup all day, for example, who wouldn't consume fewer calories, at least after a day or two.

Of course, that example is an extreme. Most diets that focus on limiting intakes of certain food groups do include more food groups than one or two. The question to consider, however, is whether the diet is helping you adopt a balanced nutritional approach to healthful eating that you can maintain for the long-term? Is it helping you learn to prepare tasty, balanced recipes that you and your family can enjoy after you've met your weight loss goals. If it doesn't, then you may experience successful weight loss in the short-term but not be able to maintain that loss over the long-term. Then it's back to another diet. Such weight cycling, or "yo yo dieting," over time tends to make it harder to lose weight and sustain that loss. The loss of muscle tissue along with fat tissue through such dieting, particularly if you don't get regular physical activity, slows metabolism.

When you're looking for a weight loss diet, I recommend that you look for a plan that will help you reduce energy by about 500 calories a day, while maintaining balanced nutrition. You can use the Balanced Eating Plan on this website to design such a plan customized to your individual likes and needs. Also don't forget to get regular physical activity. Walking daily will help you keep your metabolism revved up while you lose weight.