PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — 2016 has come and gone, and with the new year, many are making personal promises to improve their health and lifestyle. Healthy changes, from quitting smoking to losing weight, can often fall through before February if they are not tackled correctly.
For those fighting to maintain their resolutions, Sheelagh Prosser, MD of Pines Health Center in Presque Isle has some tips for keeping up the momentum.
Prosser worked with Pines from 1997 to 2000, and came back two years ago. Altogether, she has over 30 years of practice as a family doctor. For maintaining a healthy habit, Prosser points to recent findings in behavioral research.
“The recent research shows that it actually takes 60 days to form and keep a new habit,” Prosser said. “The main reason people fail to maintain their resolution is because they’ll go into the gym for two hours at a time or do something they can’t sustain.”
Instead of going from zero to 100 overnight, Prosser says the best way to start an exercise routine is for persons to “think long and hard about the most important change they need to make,” and then to take small steps toward that goal.
“If someone wants to quit smoking, for example, we’d tell them to cut down slowly, maybe smoke two less cigarettes a day,” Prosser said.
Making a record, either via smartphone app or journal, can help with the initial 60-day struggle of forming a healthy habit, Prosser suggested, adding that taking a team approach and finding a friend willing to help out and give support.
For smokers trying to quit, Prosser says that only a small percentage are able to quit on their own, while many need to consult a doctor before cutting out nicotine entirely.
“For people who have smoked for a long time, we’re happy to talk to them and advise them if they are the type who could quit without the aid of medication or nicotine replacement, or if they need any pharmaceutical or therapeutic assistance,” said Prosser.
As with smoking, Prosser says that some are able to establish their own exercise routine without the aid of a medical professional. However, those who are older or predisposed for chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis, are urged to consult their doctor before hitting the gym.
“One of our roles at Pines is to act as a mentor in exercise programs; we often give workout routines as a prescription, and encourage patients to come back and tell us about their progress,” Prosser said. “If you start going to the gym for two hours at a time, you could get muscle fatigue and it could lead to heart problems.”
The Pines doctor says that anyone leading a sedentary lifestyle should start a walking program before running, and adds that most gyms have a trained health coach who will assist in this endeavor.
Proper exercise, however, is only half the battle when it comes to losing weight and staying healthy. According to Prosser, experts in the American Cardiology Association are pointing toward evidence that a vegetable-based diet can prevent and maintain cardiac diseases.
“Dietary advice should really be given on an individual basis, but in a broad sense, people should avoid packaged food that is high in saturated fat,” Prosser said. “We now inform people that they should make their meals from scratch; it’s more time consuming but at least you are aware of all the ingredients in your diet and are avoiding harmful saturated fats.”
Prosser says that an “old fashioned farm diet” consisting of oatmeal for breakfast, potatoes with meat and vegetables for lunch, and something like beans for supper are ideal.
The doctor adds that, on the whole, vitamins and supplements are unnecessary as long as one incorporates green vegetables and citrus fruits into their diet. However, those living in the northern United States during the winter months may need to take vitamin D during the winter, since there is significantly less sun.
The concept of exercise, in Prosser’s opinion, should be broadened to include more than a single session at the gym.
“We can all achieve exercise more easily if we incorporate moving into our lives,” Prosser said. “People who work at a desk should speak to their company about standing desks, as standing up for eight hours a day will cause you to burn an additional 400 calories. If the weather is nice and you’re going shopping, park as far as you can from the store. If there’s a storm and you can’t make it to the gym, try walking up and down stairs in your home instead. Choose stairs instead of the elevator. There are many ways people can incorporate exercise into their lives.”
