Try a different approach to your health goals for 2018. We’ve got five tips to help you be body positive.

What is body image? Body image is an integral part of our self-concept and encompasses how we perceive, think about, and act toward our body. Body image is not made up of absolutes; body image lies on a continuum, from healthy body perceptions that are accurate and mostly positive, to unhealthy body perceptions that are inaccurate and mostly negative. Body image is dynamic and changes over the course of a lifetime. While body dissatisfaction appears to increase over adolescence, the greatest increase appears to be between early young adulthood and young adulthood. Body dissatisfaction is a risk factor for depression and poor self-esteem; it is also a predictor for tobacco and substance use as well as eating disorders and frequent dieting. (Bucchianeri et al., 2013; “Dieting in Adolescence,” 2004).

Body image is strongly influenced by internal factors, however external factors such as cultural messages and societal standards of attractiveness also influence body image (Voelker et al., 2015). With social media being so image-centered (think Instagram and Snapchat), it is important to have discussions with young adults, both male and female, about how to be body positive.

Positive family connections and adult role models and positive involvement in school are protective against unhealthy dieting (“Dieting in Adolescence,” 2004). In addition, improving self-compassion and encouraging mindfulness may be associated with improved body image (Braun et al., 2016).

Here are five things to help you be body positive.

1. Be positive about yourself. It is easy to notice things that we do not like about ourselves. However, it is important to be a positive role model to young adults. Tell yourself you love yourself.
2. Positive affirmations/vibes. Following the first thing, tell yourself and those around you positive things. It is amazing how a simple “I love your smile” can brighten someone’s day.
3. No judgement zone. Find the best in other people instead of focusing on appearance. It will also make a difference in your thoughts about yourself.
4. Learn to take a compliment. Thank you does not need to be a full sentence. No need to say “Thank you, but…”
5. Set goals that have nothing to do with your appearance.

This article was written by Jaqueline Neid-Avila, Utah State University Extension nutrition faculty for Davis County. Comments or questions may be sent to jaqueline.neid-avila@usu.edu or call 801-451-3404. 

Are you striving to find better balance in your life for the new year? Try these five tips from USU Extension associate professor and relationship expert Naomi Brower.

How many of us start the new year with the mindset that there’s something wrong with us that needs changing? Try shifting your approach to goal setting, and make changes from a self-compassion standpoint rather than from a critical one.

As the New Year comes around, many of us start thinking of changes we want to make in our lives such as improving our health and wellness, becoming more organized or productive, improving our finances, or changing some other aspect of our life. And, we often set goals to attempt to make changes in these areas. How many of us start with the mindset that there’s something wrong with us that needs to be changed? We have thoughts like, “Why can’t I make it to the gym in the morning for a workout?” or “If only I were more organized, I could grocery shop ahead of time and prepare more food for my family.”

We sometimes think that if we make ourselves feel bad enough about something, it will force us to make changes. However, according to self-compassion researchers such as Dr. Kristin Neff of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, making changes from a self-compassionate standpoint rather than from a critical standpoint that focuses on what we are doing wrong, may be more effective and lead to greater well-being (Neff & Germer, 2017).

What is self-compassion?

According to Dr. Neff, if we see someone else going through a hard time or a setback, we are often quick to offer compassion and empathy; however, we are much less likely to offer that same understanding to ourselves when we don’t measure up to our own standards (Neff & Germer, 2017). According to Neff’s research, there are several main components to self-compassion:

1. showing kindness and understanding toward ourselves;
2. recognizing that no one is perfect and everyone occasionally makes mistakes; and
3. using awareness or “mindfulness” to observe our experiences non-judgmentally and learning from them (Neff & Germer, 2017).

How does self-compassion relate to motivation and achieving goals?

Okay, so we all make mistakes. If we are aren’t perfect, then why try to improve? Doesn’t this mindset contribute to complacency? Actually, Dr. Neff maintains that if we are loving and accepting toward ourselves, we are more likely to genuinely want to improve ourselves in many areas of our lives, including health and wellness. We may also be more likely to make changes that involve risks because we are less afraid of failure (Neff & Germer, 2017).

Self-compassion, health, and wellness: What does the research say?

In addition to Dr. Neff’s work, a study on self-compassion and health found that people who are self-compassionate are more likely to engage in health-promoting behaviors, including eating more nutritious foods, being more physically active, getting sufficient sleep, and handling stress appropriately (Sirois, Kitner, & Hirsch, 2014). A study also found that among women who exercise, those with higher levels of self-compassion were more likely to exercise based on self-motivation rather than based on external pressure, and they were less likely to exhibit body dissatisfaction (Magnus, Kowalski, & McHugh, 2010). Researchers suggest that people with greater self-compassion may be more successful at maintaining desired behaviors because they may be less likely to give up when they encounter an obstacle; instead they learn from it and move forward (Sirois, Kitner, & Hirsch, 2014).

This article was written by Brittany Bingeman, Extension Assistant Professor FCS, Washington County

References:

1.     Magnus, C.M.R., Kowalski, K.C., & McHugh, T.L.F. (2010). The role of self-compassion in women’s self-determined motives to exercise and exercise-related outcomes. Self and Identity, 9, 363-382. http://doi.org/10.1080/15298860903135073
2.     2. Neff, K., & Germer, C. (2017). Self-compassion and psychological wellbeing. In J. Doty (Ed.) Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science (chapter 27). Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Neff.Germer.2017.pdf.
3.     Sirois, F.M., Kitner, R., & Hirsch, J.K. (2015). Self-compassion, affect, and health-promoting behavior. Health Psychology, 34(6), 661-669. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hea0000158.

It isn’t too late to set goals for the new year. Try these tips to help you have more success with your goals this year.

Each January, many of us sit down with the best intentions of making changes in the New Year. Many of us want to create habits to improve our health and wellness. However, as January ends, often so does our motivation despite our best efforts. I, like many of you, am left wondering why.

How can we set goals that are more attainable? According to a review by Mann and Ridder (2013), goal setting is a process that includes setting an appropriate goal and determining a process to work toward the goal. Here is a summary of their findings on what makes goal setting more successful.

Why set goals?

Goal setting is the process of determining what we want to accomplish and how we will know when we have accomplished it. Having a vision or overall picture of what we want to accomplish provides motivation for achieving something that we find important.

How do I set an attainable goal?

1. Simplify health goals. Nutrition advice seems to be ever changing. Believe me, this can frustrate even nutrition professionals. However, setting goals to improve our health and wellness does not have to mean a complete overhaul of our eating or conforming to a certain eating plan. Most of us have a general sense of what types of foods are nutritious for us and that moving our body is healthy. Small, simple changes over time can really add up. Adding a fruit or vegetable to a meal, choosing a fruit instead of another type of dessert, taking the stairs to our office on the third floor, or taking a walk on our lunch break can make a difference in the long run. Or, setting a goal to listen to our body’s hunger and fullness signals to determine what and how much it needs may lead to naturally eating less.
2. Make it positive! Focus on adding something rather than taking it away. Eating is a way to nourish our body to provide it with the fuel and the nutrients it needs to keep our body healthy and functioning at its best. It may feel more nourishing and supportive of wellness to think about adding a fruit to lunch or a fresh, green salad to dinner, rather than thinking about cutting out foods we enjoy.
3. Determine the difficulty level that works for you. Recommendations for goal setting often include making them Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (S.M.A.R.T.) goals. One of the key elements is setting realistic goals that you believe you will actually be able to achieve based on resources, time constraints, etc. However, others suggest going all out when goal setting, creating a goal that is more of an ideal vision of your life, no matter how unrealistic it may seem. Then, the goal can be broken down into smaller, manageable steps that are more realistic and attainable.
4. Focus on the process, not the result. Focusing solely on the end result can leave us disappointed if we encounter a setback or fall short of what we hope to accomplish. For example, if our goal is to cook dinner five nights per week and we eat out four times in one week, we can see ourselves as failing to meet our goal and get discouraged. However, if we focus on the process of meal planning and expanding our cooking skills, we would instead recognize the skills we’ve learned, identify the barriers that got in the way of cooking, and plan to address those barriers. Focusing on the process allows us to use challenges as a way to gather information to learn from, rather than seeing ourselves as failing.
5. Get more bang for your buck. Researchers note that people were more successful accomplishing goals that addressed more than one area of importance in their lives. For example, if your goal is to be more physically active, but you also value spending time with your husband or wife, you could plan an evening walk with your spouse that addresses both priorities.

What’s the process to work toward my goals?

1. Create a plan and commit ahead of time. Once your goal has been created, it can be helpful to make a plan to implement each component of it and to handle any unexpected hang-ups or stressors. It takes effort and mental energy to implement a new routine. It’s natural to want to take the familiar route – go straight home after work and skip the gym or to pick up fast food on the way home rather than cooking. The stressors of life can use up the mental energy we need to make the more difficult choice of sticking with a change rather than going with the automatic, familiar choice that uses less energy. Therefore, the more we can plan ahead of time – pack our gym bag the night before or grocery shop and pre-chop vegetables over the weekend – the less brain power is needed to make the decision in the moment after a long day of work when our energy is low.
2. Automate it.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we set a goal and all of sudden we just do it without thinking about it? Well, as nice as that sounds, actually, as we engage in new behaviors repeatedly, we begin to associate certain cues with the behavior, which can help us accomplish our goals. For example, we might start to associate our morning car ride with drinking water. As we get into our car, we think about grabbing a bottle of water. As we do this more often, we become more efficient at working toward our goal and we don’t have to put as much thought into it.

This article was written by Brittany Bingeman, Extension Assistant Professor FCS, Washington County

Reference:

Mann, T., de Ridder, D., Fujita, K. (2013). Self-regulation of health behavior: Social approaches to goal setting and goal striving. Health Psychology, 32(5), 487-498. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0028533

Looking to amp up the flavor of your favorite foods? Try these simple tips.

According to the 2014 U.S. Census Bureau data, there are more than 80 million people age 65 and older. This group comprises close to one-quarter of the total population of the United States. Numbers have increased significantly since the 1990s when they were only at 12 percent. This increased longevity has a variety of nutritional implications.

Oftentimes caregiving for these seniors falls to the younger generations which may include children or grandchildren.  Providing meals may offer a challenge for what seems like picky eaters or those with no interest in food. A little understanding or education can go a long way in making the process a bit easier.

Many seniors find that the foods they used to love just don’t taste the same anymore. It’s not their imagination; it’s a fact. Over time, our senses of taste and smell diminish, either naturally or as a result of medical treatments such as chemotherapy or medications. These losses can result in a decreased appetite, lack of interest in food, or even malnourishment. However, compensating for these losses is well within your control. Following are some ideas for making food more appetizing.

• Arrange food attractively on the plate. Use simple plate patterns so food is clearly visible.
• Vary shapes, textures, and temperature of the food. Take time to savor the food; smell it before you taste it and chew it thoroughly before swallowing.
• Augment food’s flavor with a variety of herbs and spices.
• Look for strongly flavored foods, if tolerated, such as garlic, onions, citrus fruits, and flavored vinegars.
• Use fruit sauces or jams as well as concentrated flavors and extracts to stimulate taste buds.
• Double the amount of herbs and spices added to recipes, but within reason. Black or red pepper shouldn’t be doubled automatically. Dry rubs and spice/herb combinations on meat and poultry add flavor without fat.
• Use flavor enhancers like monosodium glutamate to enhance savory foods or reduce perceived bitterness or acidity. MSG is lower in sodium than table salt and can boost the flavor of sodium-restricted diets.
• Add small amounts of fat (creamy dressing, cheese sauce, bacon bits) to soften sharp-tasting foods.

The chemosensory losses associated with aging and medical treatments can be readily and easily managed. By using these simple tips, seniors themselves, or through their caregivers, may regain the enjoyment eating once had, leading to improved nutritional status and better overall health.

This article was written by Ellen Serfustini, FCS Agent, Utah State University Extension

Know someone living with diabetes? Using MyPlate is a great way to plan balanced meals and help manage diabetes. Read on to learn more.

Utilizing MyPlate is a simple and effective way to manage diabetes.  MyPlate serves as a quick, simple example of how to eat according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; which includes foods from all five food groups.  MyPlate is what a “balanced meal” should be. Eating a protein, a whole grain and fruits and vegetables at each meal and even for snacks is an important factor in managing blood glucose levels.

Try these six steps to get started:

1. Using an 8” dinner plate, put a line down the middle of the plate. Then on one side, divide it again so you will have three sections on your plate.

2. Fill the largest section that is half of the plate with non-starchy vegetables. Such as asparagus, artichokes, green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, peppers, radish, salad greens, sprouts, squash, sugar snap peas, swiss chard, tomato, turnips, or water chestnuts.

3.  In one of the smaller sections, put whole grains and starchy foods such as bulgur (cracked wheat), whole wheat flour, whole oats, cornmeal, popcorn, brown rice, whole rye, whole grain barley, wild rice, buckwheat, triticale, millet, quinoa, sorghum, or whole grain pasta

4. In the remaining small section, put your protein. Good sources of protein are beans (black, kidney and pinto), hummus, lentils, edamame, soy nuts, nuts and nut spreads, tofu, fish and shellfish, chicken, turkey, cheese, cottage cheese, whole eggs, or other meats with fat trimmed and in moderation.

5. Add a serving of fruit, a serving of dairy or both.
6. Choose healthy fats in small amounts such as:  olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados.

Choosing to eat by the MyPlate guidelines is a great way to eat even if you don’t have diabetes and just want to be healthy or even lose weight. 

This article was written by Patricia Mathis, USU Extension 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences Educator in Wasatch County

A great way to be physically active in Utah is hiking. You can choose hikes to match the abilities of everyone in the family.  Hiking outdoors can help you get Vitamin D (don’t forget the sunblock), fresh air, and can reduce stress.

Before you head out, consider the following tips for staying safe as you hike.

1.   Let someone know before you go.  Make sure to have someone expecting you after your hike.  Some trails may not have rangers checking for lost hikers every day.  Having someone who can inform them that you are missing can be lifesaving.
2.   Do your research and gear up for the conditions.  Find out from experts what to expect on the hike.  Be prepared with the correct gear and supplies.  Lots of sun and no shade?  Make sure to have sunblock and a hat.  Lodged logs and rocks?  Be prepared to scramble or bring some climbing gear.  Check road and weather conditions with the local ranger station.  It is also important to be aware of weather forecasts in locations where rain may lead to a flash flood where you are hoping to hike.  Be willing to cancel a trip if the conditions are risky. There may be safer alternative hikes in the area.
3.      Stay hydrated.  When temperatures are high, we lose more water as we sweat.  You may need to take more water than you think.  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommends that day hikers in the Paria Wilderness Area in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona pack at least a gallon of water per person in the summer.  Check with park service, forest service, or BLM officials to find out how much water is recommended for your particular hike.
4.      Orient yourself on your way to help you get back out.  When hiking to a certain site, instructions often focus on how to get you there.  This can sometimes lead to people being confused about how to get back to the trailhead.  Stop and turn around (maybe even take a picture) to help you be more familiar with how the landscape will look on your way back.  Search for large land markers like mountain ranges that can help you keep going in the right direction — both in and out.

Safe hiking, and happy trails!

This article was written by LaCee Jimenez, Food $ense (SNAP-Ed) Coordinator with Utah State University Extension

We know eating together as a family is important, but sometimes it can be tough. Try these tips to make your family meals a success, and make an effort to eat together as a family during National Family Mealtime month in September.

With school starting, it may feel like your family is getting pulled in all directions.  Piano practice, football games, swim team tryouts, school projects, and study groups may be filling up your family’s schedule.  An important way to keep your family connected in busy times is having meals together.  Family meals have been associated with improved diets, academic performance and vocabularies. They also decrease the risk of children experiencing depression, eating disorders, and drug/alcohol use.

This may be why September has been declared National Family Mealtime month, and Healthy Family Meals month in Utah. Here are some tips that can help make family mealtime a habit.

1. Plan and prioritize. Make family mealtime a priority by planning it in your day.  Plan when, where, and what you will be eating.  Let your family know that it is important for everyone to be present.  Take time each month (or a few times a month) to plan your meals.  This can help you save time and money throughout the month.
2. Make it work for your family.  Is family dinnertime not working?  Try family breakfast, lunch, or afterschool snack time.  Just take time to sit together, share a healthy meal (or snack), and connect as a family.
3. Ditch the electronics.   With so much socializing happening online, we can lose touch with the art of conversation.  Help your family spend time together undistracted by turning off or putting away cell phones and other electronic devices.  Parents, this includes your devices too!
4. Keep it simple and fun.  Family mealtime doesn’t need to be a source of stress.  By planning your meal and involving the whole family in the prep and cleanup, you can keep it from being a burden.  Also, don’t put too much pressure on yourself that it has to be a certain way (see tip # 2).  Use this time to talk about your days and fun memories.  Avoid discussing topics that may lead to contention: discipline, etc.

Equipped with these tips, we invite you to take the pledge to start the habit of more family mealtimes this September.

For more family mealtime tips, check out our resources at CreateBetterHealth.usu.edu.

This article was written by LaCee Jimenez, Food $ense (SNAP-Ed) Coordinator with Utah State University Extension

What’s for lunch? If you’ve got kids going back to school, chances are you’re thinking about what you’ll send with them in their lunchboxes. Try these simple changes to make their lunches healthier.

With kids going back to school, it is time to get back into the habit of packing lunch boxes.  Here are some simple swaps that can help you make them more nutritious.

1)   Use water or low-fat milk instead of sugared-beverages. Water is great for keeping little ones hydrated.  You can add fruit or herbs to infuse it with flavor.  Let your kids pick their favorite ones to personalize their water bottles.  Low-fat milk is another great option that packs a nutritious boost with calcium and protein.

2)   Stick with whole grain bread and wraps instead of white.  Fiber in whole grains can help your kids feel fuller for longer.  Whole grain breads and wraps also maintain more vitamins and minerals.  

3)   Add whole fruit instead of fruit snacks.  As one of my favorite professors once said, “Grapes are nature’s candy.”  Fruit can be a sweet treat for your kids that provides much more nutrients and less preservatives and dyes than fruit snacks and other fruit-like candy.

4)   Include some veggies instead of no veggies.  Vegetables can be one of the more challenging food groups to get kids to eat.  Let them pick the vegetables they would like to pack.  Use dinnertime and snack time at home as opportunities to introduce them to a variety of vegetables to help them decide what kinds they like best.

Following these steps can help your lunchboxes follow USDA MyPlate recommendations and give your kids a balanced diet that will help get them through their school day.  As you prepare your lunchbox menus for the week, invite your kids to be involved.  They will be more invested in eating something, if they feel like they have a say in what goes in their lunchbox.    

These tips are great for adult lunches too.  Taking your own lunch to work can help you eat well and save money.

This article was written by LaCee Jimenez – Food $ense (SNAP-Ed) Coordinator

A light supper, a good night’s sleep, and a fine morning have often made a hero of the same man who, by indigestion, a restless night, and a rainy morning, would have proved a coward.

–Lord Chesterfield

As parents, we know our children need a healthy, balanced diet to perform well in school. However, do we recognize what a vital role sleep plays in student performance? Teenagers extend their waking hours to accommodate school, work, sports and social life, cutting back on hours meant for sleep. Yet, whether they are teenagers or younger kids, even Superheroes need sleep to be at their best! Research shows that:

• Shortened sleep times seem to cause higher levels of anxiety (Silva, et al. 2017).
• Shortened sleep times seem to cause an increase in feelings of hunger, but a decrease in food enjoyment (Silva, et al. 2017).
• A one-hour increase of sleep time is associated with a 14 percent decrease in the odds of being obese (Timmermans, et al., 2017).
• Teenagers who consistently went to bed late craved more high-sugar foods at breakfast, and then continued to eat 53 percent  more food throughout the day (Asarnow, et al., 2017).
• These same teenagers, when they altered their habits and went to bed earlier, voluntarily chose healthier foods for breakfast (Asarnow, et al., 2017).

Less anxiety, decrease in obesity, healthier food choices…there’s no question that sleep should be  an important part of your Superhero’s diet!

This article was written by Cathy Merrill, Family and Consumer Sciences, Extension Assistant Professor, USU Extension, Utah County

References:

Asarnow, L.D., Greer, S.M., Walker, M.P., & Harvey, A.G. (2017). The impact of sleep improvementon food choices in adolescents with late bedtimes. Journal of Adolescent Health, 60¸ 570-576.  Accessed at  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.11.018

Silva, A.A.S.C., do Vale Cardoso Lopes, T., Teixeira, K.R., Mendes, J.A., de Souza Borba, M.E., Mota, M.C.,

Waterhouse, J., Crispim, C.A. (2017). The association between anxiety, hunger, the enjoyment of eating foods and the satiety after food intake in individuals working a night shift compared with after taking a nocturnal sleep: A prospective and observational study. Appetite, 108, 255-262. Accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.10.005  

Timmermans, M., Mackenbach, J.D., Charreire, H., Bardos, H., Compernolle, S., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Oppert, J.-M., Rutter, H., McKee, M., Lakerveld, J. (2017). Preventive Medicine, 100, 25-32. Accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1026/j.ypmed.2017.03.021