Katina's Nutritional Coaching Corner

Let’s Focus on Physical, Mental, and Heart Health this Month 

This month Fleet Feet Syracuse has pledged to educate our community about the importance of physical and mental health, especially as it impacts heart health. In my blog post, I plan to continue this focus and, there's no better way to do this than to first recognize that March is National Nutrition Month. Let’s learn more about National Nutrition Month and then tie this into activities you can engage in all month long to promote physical, mental, and heart health.

March is National Nutrition Month                                                                                             

(Source: eatright.org) 

The purpose of National Nutrition Month is to help the public become aware of the importance of good nutrition and healthful eating. What started out as a week-long celebration in 1973 has grown into a month-long event that focuses on making informed choices, and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme, “Celebrate a World of Flavors,” is a chance for us to learn about our own food culture and that of others by comparing food and flavors. By doing so, we can increase the variety of food in our diets and become food savvy around cultural traditions and cuisines. It’s also an opportunity to experiment and try out new dishes.  

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends the following strategies this month: 

1. Cook & Prep Food – incorporate your favorite foods and traditions. 
2. Meal Planning – Make healthful choices away and at home. 
3. Vary your Diet – Try new flavors from around the world.  

Easy ways to incorporate these strategies are to plan meals based on recipes from other cultures; try different fruits or vegetables depending upon seasonal availability; choose ingredients based on different textures and colors for variety, and try out some new spices. Some of the most popular cuisines are Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Latin American, and Middle Eastern. Grab your best running buddies and have a potluck meal of your favorites or try a new restaurant in the Syracuse area. Syracuse Dining Week runs March 1-March 13 and there are plenty of participating restaurants offering menus with ethnic cuisine. How do you plan to celebrate National Nutrition Month? 

The ABCs of Ways to Protect Your Heart

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and even though many people won’t be diagnosed with heart disease until they reach middle age, that diagnosis could be the culmination of years of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, tobacco use, stress, poor sleep habits, and numerous other lifestyle-related behaviors. It all adds up! Most athletes have an advantage here as exercise offers some protection, but if heart disease runs in your family, then make sure you are getting regular check-ups with your family doctor to monitor early markers of heart disease. In the meantime, check out the ABCs of ways to protect your heart.  

4-7-8 Breathing Technique to Beat Stress           

(Source: Dr. Andrew Weil) 

We all know that feeling when stress starts creeping into our lives. We begin to feel overwhelmed and quickly come to understand how stress impacts us mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically. It is difficult to avoid stress altogether in life, but the idea is to avoid long-term stress, as this has health consequences.  

Even though exercise (especially running) is a great way to relieve stress, it is considered a stressor on the body and there are times when the body just needs to be in a quiet space. If you’re at this point (and hey, who hasn’t been here, right?), then I want to introduce you to the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique which can bring about a relaxation response. The 4-7-8- breathing technique was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil and patterned after a breathing technique used during pranayama yoga.  

How to do it (this is one cycle): 

1. First, let your lips part. Make a whooshing sound, exhaling completely through your mouth. 
2. Next, close your lips, inhaling silently through your nose as you count to four in your head. 
3. Then hold your breath for seven seconds. 
4. Make another whooshing exhale from your mouth for eight seconds.  
5. When you inhale again, you initiate a new cycle of breath. Practice this pattern for at least four full breaths in the beginning. Do it as many times as you need throughout the day to find relief. 

If you find this type of exercise to be helpful, then also take a look at alternative nostril breathing techniques, mindful meditation, guided imagery, and visualization. Any of these alone or in combination can help you move through periods of stress in a healthy way.  

About Katina:  

Katina Sayers, Ed.D., is the owner of Katina’s Nutritional Coaching Corner. She has an extensive background in health and education that began with degrees in exercise physiology, health and physical education, community health, and culminating with a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction. She completed her Integrative Nutrition and Health Coaching Certification, from the world's top nutrition experts, at the renowned Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). She is a 5-time national medalist and competitive off-road cyclist and duathlete who can be seen on almost a daily basis riding and running the hills and trails in and around Tully Valley. She relies on a well-rounded diet to fuel her athletic adventures. You can contact Katina for nutritional coaching at: ksayerswalker@gmail.com.