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If you try to change a habit only after the behavior has already occurred then it's a lot tougher to manage. But if you notice the trigger, or cue, for that behavior before it happens you can interrupt the habit cycle and make the process of lifestyle or behavior change a lot more effective.
Lifting with your legs and not with your back is, I'm sure, something many of us have heard. But how do you get down to the ground safely in the first place? And what's your back supposed to be doing if not lifting? This video gets to those questions and demonstrates the important 'pelvic tilt' needed to keep your back stable, your squats safe and you moving smarter and living stronger.
We have a great collection of informative videos to help you.
My Three-Brained Life
Squatting and Bending and Tilting, Oh My!
Articles and Insights
Eating While Standing Isn’t So Bad...As Long As You Pay Attention to Your Food
By Craig Pearlberg
I've heard, so many times, that a key component to healthy eating is to be sitting...unless of course you’re on the move walking from one meeting to another at the office, at your kid’s ball game or on a hike. And everyone is very quick to state, unequivocally, that you should definitely not just stand at the kitchen counter, table, or fridge to chow down. But I’m afraid that advice isn’t entirely accurate.
From a physiological standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with standing and eating. Generally speaking, our bodies much prefer standing to sitting (our brains may disagree) and sitting does nothing magical for digestion, although it can lead to magical dinner conversation with family. The issue with standing is that it’s associated with thoughtless consumption and poor choices...and that’s where the problem is.
Thoughtless (aka mindless) eating is a large contributor to over consumption whereas mindful eating is a well-established remedy for this same problem. “Chowing down” can affect the pleasure we gain from food and may also inhibit the chemical response your body has to it. Both of which lead to poor digestion and satiety signaling. Paying closer attention to the taste, smell, and feel of the food in your mouth, however, will cause you to slow down (allowing the “fullness” message to arrive before you’ve over eaten), chew more (an important factor in digestion) and plain old enjoy your meal or snack a little more than you may have by speeding through it.
So no matter what your physical position is while enjoying your meal or snack, make sure you’re actually focusing on the act of eating. Celebrating the flavors and feel of the food, as well as the fact that you made a good food choice in the first place, (you did, didn't you?) is a wonderful way to manage your diet and stay on the path to good health. By the way, no matter how mindful you are, laying down while eating is still not such a good idea...but more on that in the future.
Books to Move You Forward
It's important to not get your health education from just news outlets and headlines. You'll never get the full story and the information is almost always spun to make a point. If you have the time (or even the desire), I'd recommend looking through scientific journals but they're tough to read and, much of the time, even tougher to understand. Books can certainly have an "angle" but there's so much more information at your fingertips and they've been a irreplaceable source for my own research and personal health education. The right book can, in fact, be a life-changer so I've listed just a few of my favorite, life-changing titles down below. The list will change so keep checking back.
The Biology of Belief
This book, by Bruce Lipton, PhD, does a great job of explaining how the brain actually does effect what the body experiences. It's, not only, an incredible lesson on how our bodies function on a cellular level, and has had a long-lasting effect on my life in two ways; I now understand more clearly that humans are simply another multi-cellular creature (that means way more than you might think it does. And I think very differently about dying. Last chapter that completely blew me away.
The End of Overeating
I didn't know I had a eating problem until I read Dr Kessler's book. With great clarity, he shows how the addiction system works to sabotage our food consumption. He also explains how the food industry strives to make what we eat as palatable as possible. There's a good reason why Pringles believed that "once you pop, you can't stop" and Dr Kessler explains it. This book gives you some seriously useful knowledge in the battle against food addiction and overeating.
Younger Next Year
This is, easily, one of the top 3 health books I've ever read. Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge make a great writing team as they alternate chapters to explain how and why you can get younger tomorrow than you are today. In fact, they make a great case for this simple goal being the most important health goal you can have. As they explain, only through stressing your body with the right amount of physical activity can you get and stay strong for the long haul.