Feeling some success? Here are resources to help!

March 1, 2010

Dear Friends,

Now that we are well into Round Two of our healthy lifestyle competition, I hope you are starting to feel a sense of accomplishment and finding useful resources all around us, especially through Shape Up RI.

The success of this unique community campaign centers on educating ourselves about health, nutrition, exercise, and wellness. Throughout the competition, we will be hosting hundreds of free events and workshops for you and your team. I invite you to sign up for some of the upcoming events through our online calendar.

In addition, please take a look at the extensive list of resources we have rounded up just for you on the Shape Up RI web site (click on the Resources tab at the top). With one click, you can access weight management, nutrition, and physical activity tips. You’ll find, for instance, ways to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, a summary of places to walk, hike and bike, and health resources such as registered nutritionists listed by town. Check it out!

While this bounty of information is out there, it’s up to each of us to seek it out and apply it to our own goals. This week let’s commit together to attend an event, tap into some helpful resources, and even ask more questions when we go to the doctor. And let’s pledge to share what we learn with our team members so that we all benefit from this new and valuable knowledge.

Yours In Health,

Rajiv Kumar

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Calendar of Freebies: Indoor-Cycling to Lady Gaga

One of the great things about being on a team is that you have companions in your quest to explore new health options. Some people are hesitant to try a class or a new type of exercise on their own, so if you’d like to go, invite your teammates. Even if they don’t go the first time, it can encourage them to look over the calendar of events and choose something more to their liking. If you’re a team captain, you might want to set a goal of trying something new every so often and inviting everyone to join you. What can you find this week? Indoor Cycling to Music Videos, Tone & Moan for Legs, and a Weight Training and Nutrition Counseling session are just some of the dozens of freebies you can explore.

Walk of the Week: Roger Williams Park Zoo

It’s more fun to do a long walk when you have something to look at as you pass by. What’s better to watch than snow leopards and red pandas and penguins? So rally some teammates and head for a hike at Roger Williams Park Zoo. The walkways are carefully cleared, and in the unlikely event that you get cold when you’re striding, you can warm up in spots like the Tropical America building’s rainforest – a great change of pace on any gray winter day!  And you’re not going to see a Giant Anteater (did you know it has a 2-foot tongue?) anyplace else in Rhode Island except on Animal Planet in your living room. Here’s more info at http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/calendar/wintertips.cfm#rates

Chew, don’t wolf

Did your mother always tell you to eat more slowly? Guess what – she was right, especially in terms of shaping up. Researchers have found that people who wolf their food gain more weight. Check it out at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/health/23real.html?ref=health.

Why exercise helps you snooze

If you’re one of the more than 60 million Americans who complain about insomnia, you may find you’re sleeping better since joining Shape Up RI. That’s because one of the greatest benefits of exercise is that it helps you sleep longer and sounder and makes you feel more awake during the day. Here are a few tips on the best ways to exercise to enhance your sleep. Read more at http://health.howstuffworks.com/how-to-fall-asleep1.htm

How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label

How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
How much do you know about the food that you eat? Here is a great step-by-step guide to understanding every aspect of a food label.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm078889.htm

Send us your team photos and stories!

Every team has a story about why its members joined Shape Up RI. We want to hear about your team and your reasons for joining our family. What is your motivation? What are your goals in the program? How do you plan to achieve success? Have you already seen early progress? All teams who send photos and/or stories will be entered into a drawing for prizes at the end of the competition. Send photos and stories to: news@shapeupri.org

Recipe: Breakfast Bars

Rhode Island’s uber-nutritionist, Mary Flynn of Miriam Hospital, has great healthy, low-budget recipes on The Rhode Island Food Bank’s web site. The food bank staff raves in particular about her breakfast bars recipe. You know how difficult it can be to find a really good-tasting breakfast/energy bar in the stores (can you say cardboard?), so whip up a supply of these tasty treats (and share them with your team!).

http://www.rifoodbank.org/matriarch/documents/PB%20Oatmeal%20Breakfast%20Bars%20C$C.pdf

 

Important: The information provided by Shape Up RI is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be used as a substitute for the care and advice of a professional health care provider. Before beginning any physical activity and/or weight loss program you should consult your physician. Shape Up RI provides health information meant for people in generally good health. If you have an underlying medical concern, please consult your physician about how this information affects your specific medical conditions.