Finding Motivation

Finding Motivation

In that moment of quiet reflection, immediately upon awaking each day, what goes through your mind? Are you already dreading the day, anticipating the worst? Or do you feel the stirring of excitement for the challenges that await you? If the latter is true, you have the gift of motivation.

What makes some people motivated and others desperately waiting for that spark that will ignite their fire? Those who are motivated do not wait. They create their own spark instead of relying on some external force to do it for them. They have taken charge of their life and have a plan for living it. The question is, how did they do it?

Motivated people create a vision of who they want to be and then live as if it were already true. If you struggle with that vision, try some creative ways to capture your dreams.

Write a futuristic story about yourself. It doesn’t have to be true, just write your fantasy life. I think you will find more truth about yourself than you know. To quote author Steven Chandler, “Fake it ‘til you make it”. In other words, live as if you are going to achieve these things. Believe them. Begin setting small goals that you can easily achieve. Instead of saying, “I will drink 64 oz. of water.” Say, “I will drink more water today than yesterday.” I will eliminate two cigarettes a day this week.” “I will work on one task, but I will finish it before I start another.” Move a little more each day and you will gain momentum. Set daily goals and commit to them. Eventually you will be able to make them more challenging.

Success motivates you to succeed. Allow yourself to experience it and it will feed upon itself. Consider failure as an opportunity for learning and then move past it.

Kim Peters, RN
St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers

Why are vitamins so important after gastric bypass surgery?

Gastric bypass changes the anatomy of your stomach and intestines that causes deficits in vitamins and minerals. The procedure reduces your food intake and digestive enzymes and acid necessary for digestion.

Numerous studies have been done looking at deficiencies that are common after gastric bypass. Vitamin B12 is a deficiency that can easily occur if gastric bypass patients are not taking their weekly dose of vitamin B12. Some signs of B12 deficiency include numbness, loss of feelings in the legs, unsteadiness when walking, color blindness, confusion, irritability and depression. These medical problems can easily be prevented by simply taking the B12 supplement!

Other common deficiencies include iron and calcium. Iron deficiencies may occur shortly after surgery or years and years after the surgery. Symptoms include fatigue and weakness. Calcium deficiencies cause bone loss after the surgery, irregularities in muscle, heart or nerve functions, defects in certain hormones, and even weight gain. Calcium supplements need to be the form of calcium citrate, not calcium carbonate or coral calcium.

Folate and thiamin are other common vitamin deficiencies in gastric bypass patient. It is essential that they are in the patient’s daily multivitamin!

Because of the changes in anatomy after the gastric bypass procedure, there will always be a risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is essential to remember to take supplements daily and for life but also to have annual blood checks for levels of vitamins and minerals.

Make Your Own Chinese Take-Out

Instead of Chinese take-out, create your own healthful version of a Chinese restaurant favorite. As a refreshing change from sweet, goopy sauce and breaded chicken, this colorful sweet-and-sour stir-fry cuts out the excess fat, sugar and sodium.

The mix of vegetables in this recipe provides a broader spectrum of nutrients and phytochemicals than a single vegetable dish can offer. Phytochemicals – a plant’s natural defense system – create the different colors of vegetables and fruits and may play a role in fighting disease.

Using frozen chopped vegetables saves time without losing phytochemical or nutrient protection. The flash-freezing methods used these days preserves their vitamins and other protective compounds.

Serve this meal atop brown rice for even more nutritional value. A source of fiber and B-vitamins, brown rice is chewy and nutty tasting. Instant varieties are now available.

Adjust the amount of vinegar and apricot preserves to create a sweet and sour balance for the tender chicken that suits your own taste. For a spicier dish, add red pepper flakes.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Brown Rice
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 tsp. minced ginger
4 cloves minced garlic
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 cups chopped frozen vegetables (carrots, broccoli, peas, corn)
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare rice according to package directions. Set aside. Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and apricot preserves in a small mixing bowl and set aside as well.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium to high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until starting to brown, about 2 additional minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, ginger and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add frozen vegetables, reduce heat, cover and simmer under the vegetables are thawed, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook vegetables.

Return cooked chicken to the pan. Add water chestnuts. Whisk the reserved sauce and add to the skillet. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and chicken is heated through. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 490 calories, 9 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 66 g carbohydrates, 33 g protein, 6 g dietary fiber, 470 mg sodium.

Article courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Reduce Stress 102: Beyond the basics

Reduce Stress 102: Beyond the basics
Presented by James Nicolai, M.D., physician with the St. Francis Weight Loss Center
Wednesday, May 28, 6:30 p.m.
St. Francis Heart Center

Many people who take the Stress Management class with James Nicolai, M.D., have asked, "Where can we get more information?" For those "fans," Dr. Nicolai is offering a follow-up class with more ideas about reducing stress in our everyday lives. Dr. Nicolai is the medical director of the Franciscan Center for Integrative Health and has studied with Dr. Andrew Weil, an internationally recognized expert in integrated medicine.

Exercise to keep a healthy heart

Get motivated and get moving! Special guest speaker Barry Franklin, Ph.D., will discuss how to incorporate exercise in our hectic lives at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, at the St. Francis Heart Center.

Dr. Franklin is one of the foremost experts on lifestyle modification and cardiovascular disease. He is co-author of the book and host of the national public television special Take a Load Off Your Heart. He has a doctorate in physiology and is the director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

To register, call (317) 782-4422.

This program is part of the Red Shoe Initiative. The Red Shoe Initiative is a national health education campaign promoted by Spirit of Women. The campaign works to inspire women to step, walk and dance for heart health and wellness. This year, the St. Francis Heart Center is offering several special free programs that share the same goals as the Red Shoe Initiative.

Reasonable Limits

Reasonable limits are very difficult for most people trying to lose weight or manage emotional eating. We tend to either be harsh or self indulgent. Like a pendulum we swing from overly indulgent to overly harsh, never asking ourselves what is "reasonable". Reasonable expectations are so important to the success of weight loss. If someone expects to lose 30 pounds in the first month, they will either be disappointed or starving. Healthy weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week. So, if I set myself up with a goal of 30 pounds in a month and I lose 10, I will see myself as a failure, when really I have been enormously successful. If I see myself as a failure, I might throw in the towel and overindulge in food to rebel.

Just as hurtful is self indulgence. Have you ever said, "Oh I've been good all week, so I am going to have that donut." Who does that help. Instead, set up rewards that are encouraging and self nurturing. " I have exercised 4 times this week so to reward myself I am going to meet my friend at the movies." Self nurturing not self indulgent.

We all need limits, but they must be reasonable not indulgent and not harsh. Reasonable expectations are about setting ourselves up for success and treating ourselves and our journey with respect.