The Power of Asking for Help

I just finished a wellness coaching session, which testifies again to the power of resource, and specifically, to resourcing others.  My client Megan* had such a busy work week running the retail store that she owns that she neglected exercise and ate mindlessly.

She was so frustrated with herself that her diaphragm felt constricted and her hands were jittery, as if she had too much caffeine.  The metaphor we came up with was that of a frayed live wire, dangerously close to sparking its shock to others.

Megan was trying to do it all herself, and therefore had let her naturally extroverted energy turn in on itself.  What was needed was not to squelch the energy, but rather to neutralize its frenzy while better utilizing its natural flow.

Megan realized that her store manager Alana* was the perfect person to not only help manage the responsibilities Megan was taking on as all her own, Alana also had a calm and relaxed nature that Megan absorbed whenever she sat for meetings with her.  What a perfect resource!  She committed to meeting with her right away.

Seeking out and accessing resource in the form of others in your life is one of the most powerful transformational wellness coaching distinctions I can share with you.  Whenever you are stuck, blowing off your commitments, or confused by your own actions, stop and consider what resource—what provision—in the universe you could take advantage of. 

Examples of resources:

• Talking with a friend to shift your perspective (mental energy)
• Music or a piece of inspiring art to shift your mood (emotional energy)
• Exercise or deep breathing to shift your bodily sensations (physical energy)
• Prayer, meditation, or a gratitude list to shift your focus on what’s important (spiritual energy)

You can access any of these resources virtually anytime you need to.  But there’s something special about reaching out to others, especially your own inner circle.  It requires your posturing yourself in humility and vulnerability and making a request for support.  The thing is: We cannot do anything in life—from landing a job to getting in shape to being a loving parent or spouse—without the help of others. 

Even weight loss, which is often incorrectly assumed to be a solo task, requires: negotiation with your family as to what you’ll have for dinner, using the babysitting service at the gym while you work out, requesting accountability from a friend, etc.

Resourcing others by making specific requests is a way of reorienting your present circumstances in order to have the future (your vision) that you desire.  It is seeing the abundant opportunities before you, rather than the lack.  In fact, it is a brand-new—a transformational—way of standing in the world and acting on your life.  

‘No man is an island.’  The sooner we recognize this, the sooner we’ll be able to get out of our own ways. 

How will YOU resource others this week? 

-Posted by Certified Health & Wellness Coach Sarah Sutton 

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Feeling a Little Blue... or SAD?

Does this sound familiar to you?

It is January, the holidays are over, it is cold and dark outside, the trees are bare and you are feeling a bit “blue…”  Or, are you feeling more than a bit blue?  It is understandable that a gloomy day outside can make you feel gloomy inside, but what if it is something more?  Do you feel down every time winter rolls around?

If you answered yes, you could be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.

SAD is a form of depression that most commonly strikes people during the fall and winter months in northerly climates.  It is a recognized medical condition and it is not something that should be ignored.   

Some possible symptoms of SAD include:

• Increased fatigue or lethargy
• Increased irritability 
• An overall feeling of sadness or hopelessness 
• An increased appetite  
• A lack of desire to socialize with friends or loved ones 
•  Inability to concentrate

The good news is that there is help for people with SAD.  Treatment can involve:

• Light Therapy which can be done at home and involves regular exposure to a special lamp that mimics sunlight 
• Antidepressant Medications prescribed by a Physician 
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which involves changing your thoughts or behavior during the winter months.  This could mean exercising more, finding an enjoyable hobby or maybe doing volunteer work.  

 

As with any medical condition, self-diagnosis and self-medication/therapy is not the best option.  While there is no test for SAD, your Nova Medical Group health care provider can make a diagnosis by asking about your history of symptoms.  He or she may also perform a physical exam and blood tests to rule out other disorders that are similar to SAD.

Remember, SAD is not something to ignore, so schedule an appointment with your provider today.

-Posted by Jee Eun Lee Karl, MD

Weight, What's in the Number?

As we ring in the new year, many of us find ourselves more mindful of the scale.

One downfall of most common scales is that we aren’t given a breakdown of body composition, meaning that they do not distinguish for us how much of the weight is from fat mass or non-fat mass.

Research demonstrates that body composition is directly related to health.  A normal balance of body fat to lean muscle is associated with good health and longevity, whereas altered body composition increases your risks for chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  So, identifying an improper balance in body composition can allow for earlier intervention and prevention.  

You may wonder then, how do I determine my body composition?  There are a number of different ways to assess body composition.  The measure that I find works best clinically for determining body composition is bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).  A BIA machine uses the resistance of electrical flow through the body to determine the body composition. The electrical flow passes easily through non-fatty tissues which contain 70-75% water, and slower through fatty tissues which contain just 10-20% of water.  BIA analyzers are able to calculate a person’s body fat and fat-free mass using this impedance information, height and weight.

A BIA machine can also indicate hydration status and offer segmental readings of the body composition.  So, for example, you can see the ratio of body fat and fat-free mass in each of your arms, your legs and your trunk.  This is extremely helpful when monitoring weight loss as it illustrates if you are losing in the desired areas of the body.   

Other methods of determining body composition include skin fold testing, Air Displacement  Plethysomography/Bod Pod, underwater weighing, and DEXA.   

One of the most common methods used is by skin fold testing, however, it is a bit invasive as it requires areas of fat throughout the body to be pinched with calipers and is not very accurate.  Air Displacement Plethysmography, also known as the Bod Pod, is where body volume is measured through the displacement of air and body composition is determined through known equations.  Underwater weighing is based on similar principles, but is not readily accessible to most people or clinicians and has obvious dangers.  Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), determining body composition through radiography is the most accurate measure of body composition, however, this is reserved for clinical and research purposes and has the drawback of radiation exposure.

BIA readings are offered in our Ashburn office with the help of a fancy, computerized machine: the InBody 520.  This machine is used in research and offers highly precise (has a 98% correlation to the gold standard DEXA) and reproducible readings.

Readings are quick, easy and cost effective – they can be done in a 15 minute appointment and simply involve standing on the scale for 45 seconds while an imperceptible electrical current passes though the hands and feet.  After this process, we provide you with a report of the detailed measurements.  These reports offer useful indicators of health and hydration status, serve as a tracking tool for weight loss programs, and also help our integrative providers to create personalized dietary and exercise plans for patients.

Since BIA analyzers assume proper hydration, factors affecting hydration status can affect readings, it is best to get measured when you are well hydrated and at a similar time of day.  Other requirements for the most accurate reading can be found on our Web site.

If you’d like to learn more about our BIA machine and other fitness and nutrition services that we have to offer, save the date for Saturday, January 12^th from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. for a Free Wellness & Weight Loss Seminar.  This event is open to the public, but registration is required.  To register, call 703.554.1100 x 333 or email mschmidt@novamedgroup.com.

Whatever your personal wellness goals are for this new year, our team is here to support you and help you to succeed!  

-Posted by Sarah Giardenelli, ND, MSOM, LAc.