The LILI Letter — December 2022

The Ogden Regional Medical Plaza / Heart Center, “Losing It & Loving It” weight loss class & support group newsletter

December,

A time of lights and coziness while the world outside grows colder and darker. The comforting thing about this time of year, which was celebrated by many ancient societies, is the sun eventually reverses its path, and the days and light lengthen once again. All is not lost!

Wishing you and yours a blessed holiday season of Christmas, Hanukkah, the winter solstice and Kwanzaa. Thank you for continuing to read the LILI Letter.

In good health and cheer,
Jennifer James

Success story

I want to talk about failure. It is when something does not live up to our expectations. We may pin many hopes and dreams on a particular outcome with something or someone. When this does not materialize, such as not losing enough weight to avoid knee surgery, the marriage falls apart, or we do not get the job we wanted, what is the best way to deal with this disappointment? It is definitely not what we want. Life has thrown a big speed bump in front of us.

Our mindset during this time is crucial. If we take the victim's stance and refuse to see our possible contribution to the situation, success the next time around is less likely. Looking at the situation honestly, without judgment or condemnation, is a good place to start. Offering ourselves some self-compassion for our plight, and then turning our woes around by working on our confidence and optimism, will put us in a stronger position to try again. Granted, the situation may be a “one and done” with no recourse. So, if we don't have to prepare ourselves emotionally for the next go-round in the ring, we then work on accepting our new life, ready or not. This may bring some wonderful things that would never have happened otherwise. We must remember that all of us fail, all of us suffer. It is what we do with the “failure fallout” that separates those who succeed from those who give up.

Have you tried a melogold?

Melogolds are a new and tasty citrus fruit. A cross between a white grapefruit and pomelo, they are milder, sweeter and less acidic than grapefruit. High in vitamin C, fiber, and various minerals, they are a welcome addition to the usual winter produce. They are fully ripe when green.

Make that habit work!

I confess. I have a bad habit, which is looking at my phone in the morning when I should be getting ready for work. I play some word games and check the news. It might make me late for work. But every morning, there I am, playing word games.

Most of our waking hours are controlled by habits. Habits become established when there is a payoff. They serve some sort of purpose, by making our lives easier, more enjoyable, or productive. A habit may have been a good thing at the time it became established, but may not serve us well now.

Swearing too much, snacking from boredom or choosing not to exercise regularly are examples of bad habits that can be changed. We can create new and better habits that work FOR us, not AGAINST us.

To change a habit or establish a new one, we need to think about it first. What do we want to achieve? Why? How will it make our lives better? In my case, if I delay the word games until my lunch break, I am not rushing to get to work on time, the payoff. Then we plan how/what we will do and when to start. In my case, I could plug my phone in on the other side of the room, instead of next to the bed. We may provide a reward for following through, such as going to a movie we want to see, or trying a new restaurant. Obviously, the payoff has to be worth the effort. If we backslide, we keep at it until it becomes an established habit that works for us.

Source: King, Brian (2022, October). Calming an Overactive Brain. Seminar sponsored by Institute for Brain Potential seminar, Ogden Utah.

The myth of food addiction

There are six substances that cause addiction: opioids, marijuana, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, alcohol and nicotine. Did anyone notice that chocolate, cookies or potato chips are not included? Will we lose our job from eating chocolate while at work? Be arrested for driving under the influence of eating potato chips? Ruin relationships from eating too many M&Ms? OD from eating donuts? Or steal to support our Oreo habit? No patient has confessed any of these things to me in 35+ years. We may have cravings if we go cold turkey on our chocolate habit, but we will not need hospitalization to handle the sweating, nausea, anxiety and other unpleasant withdrawal effects experienced from truly addictive substances. The long-term effects from eating a junk-food-filled diet can do us in, but not in the short-term, unless we choke to death on jelly beans.

What it can be called is a “quasi-addiction”. Meaning, there are some addictive qualities to how we might crave cookies, and we may use sweets to calm down or help us get through a stressful day. We may have learned to use sweets or chips as a child to help us manage a very stressful upbringing, and we may revert to eating this way when we feel vulnerable and stressed. But it is not a true addiction. It is pleasurable, our brain remembers this, and we repeat the behavior because it makes us feel good (see the “Habit” paragraph). See the difference?

Source: King, Brian (2022, October). Calming an Overactive Brain. Seminar sponsored by Institute for Brain Potential seminar, Ogden Utah.

Good begets good

Has a stranger ever paid for your coffee or meal? How did it make you feel? Were you then inspired to do a good deed for someone else? We have a small flock of turkeys in my neighborhood. Providing some water for these birds when it was 100 degrees outside made me feel good too. Helping other humans and creatures does indeed have health benefits, for all involved. A simple act of kindness stimulates the release of hormones that can positively influence our moods, brain and lifespan. Research even shows that those who volunteer live longer.

What are the health benefits of doing good deeds?

• Strengthens our immune system.
• Activates the calming part of our nervous system, the opposite of the stress response. All bodily systems benefit when being calm is our default mode.
• Boosts our endorphins, oxytocin and serotonin. The “feel good” chemicals in our brains.
• Increases the size of the hippocampus in our brain, responsible for learning and memory.
• Diminishes negative attitudes that can harm our health.
• Decreases our awareness and intensity of physical pain.
• Increases our survival and healing from traumatic events. The people of Ukraine who lost everything, and reach out to help their neighbors, are a perfect example of this.

When we are down in the dumps, doing a good deed is a sure-fire way of improving everyone's day.

The Amazing Power of Helping Others! —NFED

6 Ways Kindness Is Good For You — AARP

Broiled melogold

These are outstanding eaten on their own like an orange. I had to put in some kind of recipe, and this one is easy and fun. For a morning treat, try broiling a Melogold. These do not need any sugar, they are so sweet. If you truly need more sweetness, add a few drops of pure maple syrup or very lightly sprinkle with brown sugar.

• 1/2-1 Melogold per person
• Cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice
• ¼ tsp. butter per half

Turn on the broiler. Cut each Melogold in half, and separate the sections from the membranes with a small serrated knife. Sprinkle each half with the spices and dot with a bit of butter.

• Place each half with the cut side up on a baking pan.
• Broil for ~5 minutes or until the Melogold starts to brown and the butter melts.
• ½ Melogold without sugar, ~70 calories

December support groups

Mondays, 2-3 pm, Heart Center 
Thursdays, 4:30-5:30 pm via Webex. 
Contact Jennifer for an invitation.

***We will not meet December 19, 22, 26 or 29***

There will not be a winter “Losing It & Loving It” class.

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." — Hamilton Wright Mabie