NIFS Healthy Living Blog

We live in a world full of chaos, endless information, and never-ending to-do lists. It’s easy for our minds and bodies to become overwhelmed and fall into unhealthy coping habits. This is where mindfulness becomes so important. Mindfulness isn’t just quiet reflection—it’s the practice of staying present in the moment and taking time to reflect, reset, and recharge.

Less Stress, More Balance

Mindfulness helps your brain slow down and process the flood of information you take in every day. By pausing and focusing on your breath, you ground yourself and give your mind space to respond rather than react.

When you’re in “fight or flight,” it’s easy to rush to a solution without considering all your options. Staying present can lower tension, improve emotional balance, and give you greater mental clarity. Over time, this helps preserve your energy instead of draining it through constant stress responses.

Better Sleep

Do you struggle to unwind at night or replay everything you wish you had done differently? Mindfulness can calm racing thoughts and relax your body, making it easier to fall—and stay—asleep.

This leads to more energy, improved productivity, and greater presence throughout your day. Even a few minutes of mindful breathing before bed can help reset your nervous system and quiet those loud thoughts so you can rest fully.

Healthier Eating Habits

Mindfulness can also reshape your eating patterns. When you slow down and eat with intention, you’re less likely to overeat or grab less-nutritious choices out of habit. Paying attention to hunger cues helps you stop when you’re satisfied and choose foods that truly nourish your body.

How Can You Be More Mindful?

Mindfulness doesn’t have to look like the movie version of sitting cross-legged on the floor. It can be as simple as slowing down, grounding yourself with a few deep breaths, and giving yourself an extra moment before reacting.

Humans naturally react quickly, but that split second of pause helps break the cycle of stress-driven decisions. If you’re unsure where to start, try joining a yoga class here at NIFS. It provides dedicated time each week to reset your mindset, build awareness, and get back on track.

Mindfulness is a simple yet powerful tool that can reduce stress, improve sleep, and support healthier habits. With a few intentional pauses throughout your day, you can create more balance, clarity, and calm in your life.

Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the best holiday of the year. Theres no better way to express your love and care for someone than to make them a delicious meal and consume the delicious meal they made for you. Pair that with the added prospect of family members coming together from all over, and you’ve got great times waiting to happen. But sometimes love hurts, and on Thanksgiving that hurt takes the form of caloric surplus and post-meal shame. To prevent that, here are a few tips to help you enjoy the holiday to its fullest, free of any guilt:

Tip 1: Save some for later!

If you’re anything like me, you get choice-paralysis as soon as you see the food table. Seeing it all spread out at once gets your mouth watering, and you can’t decide what you want to eat first. But then, your family members start getting their food, and you go from not knowing what you want to indiscriminately stacking food on your plate to avoid FOMO. Instead, return to the table after everyone has gotten their firsts, and get your seconds and thirds to take home! Not only will this prevent you from frantically gorging yourself the day of, but you’ll have secured meals for the following days as well. Why go through the trouble of meal prepping if you can just let your family do it for you? Work smarter, not harder!

Tip 2: Squeeze in a workout!

If you know without a doubt that you’re going to stuff yourself, a good way to stay in a healthy calorie range for the day is by doing some exercise beforehand. For many, Thanksgiving Races and Turkey Trots are becoming an important part of their Thanksgiving ritual. But even if you’re not a big fan of running, or that’s too intense for you, anything is better than nothing! Whether it's doing some core on your floor before you head to your meeting spot, or getting a full pre-meal pump, starting off at a caloric deficit will make you feel less like you’re shamefully stuffing your face, and more like you’re refueling after a hard day's work!

Tip 3: Fill up on the good stuff!

If you can’t fit in a workout beforehand, and you’re fully committed to eating everything in sight, you can still make it count by making sure you’re filling up on your important macros and vitamins BEFORE you hit the dessert table! For good sources of protein, turkey and ham are great options. For essential fats, ask family members to cook with oils that include monosaturated fats, such as olive oil. And for some solid carbs, you can eat potatoes, or if you want to grey the line between dessert and regular food while getting what you need, sweet potato casserole. As far as vitamins and minerals are concerned, don’t forget to load up on greens and green bean casserole to fully balance your food pyramid.

Hopefully by keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be able to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal this year without any looming guilt or stress, and you can fully concentrate on your angst arguing with your in-laws. Remember as well that if you have any questions about fitness or nutrition that you need answered, hit us up at the Fitness Center desk and we'll point you in the direction of many helpful resources! Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

A well-implemented mobility and recovery routine is crucial for your overall health, longevity, and the sustainability of your fitness routine. These practices help prevent muscle soreness and tightness while maintaining the pliability and strength of your joints and ligaments—ultimately allowing you to keep working hard in the gym.

Mobility, flexibility, and recovery also influence long-term health. A mobile, flexible body not only enhances movement during workouts but also supports your ability to perform daily activities as you age. In addition, flexibility work supports healthy blood flow throughout the body. At NIFS, we offer several classes and services designed to help you stay mobile, flexible, and well-recovered. Read about them below and why you should incorporate them into your routine!

Yoga and Stretch Classes

NIFS Yoga Levels One and Two, Fundamentals of Stretching, and CIRCL Mobility classes provide accessible ways to integrate mobility, recovery, and mindfulness into your life.

Yoga allows you to slow down your movement patterns, focus on your breath, and tune in to what your body feels in each pose. It is also a safe, low-impact form of movement that remains beneficial as we age.

Stretch classes help alleviate and prevent muscle soreness while maintaining joint and ligament health—both essential for sustaining any fitness routine long term. The static and dynamic stretching in these classes encourages mindfulness and deeper breathing.

Whether you’re a high-level athlete or simply want to move more comfortably throughout your day, adding yoga or stretch classes to your routine will support healthier joints, improved flexibility, and better muscle recovery.

Functional Movement Screen and One-on-One Assisted Stretching

A Functional Movement Screen (FMS) can reveal muscle or joint imbalances that may be affecting your movement quality or efficiency. Identifying these imbalances early not only enhances your current exercise routine but also supports healthy movement as you age.

If you’re unsure where to begin, one-on-one assisted stretching is a great option. This personalized service benefits both the aging adult hoping to stay mobile and independent, and the marathon runner training for a new PR. Assisted stretching targets specific muscles without placing strain on your body, allowing for deeper, more effective, and mindful stretching.

Both of these services are valuable tools for any individual looking to improve performance, mobility, and overall quality of life.

A consistent routine of mobility, flexibility, and recovery is one of the most important investments you can make in your long-term health. NIFS offers a variety of classes and services to help you move better, feel better, and age well—no matter your fitness level.

It's not too late to participate in our Mindful November program! Be sure to complete each week’s prompt and grab a punch card. Attend your favorite yoga or stretch classes for a chance to win your own 60-minute assisted stretching session.

Gratitude could be defined as recognizing and appreciating the “good” things in our lives, regardless of challenges that come up. Gratitude is a positive emotion that aligns with a growth mindset. Practicing this emotion can benefit our sense of well-being by reminding us of the strengths, resources, and support systems in our lives. These positive aspects of our day-to-day empower us and remind us of many gifts we have. Positive thinking and gratitude can lead to an increased sense of self-efficacy and resiliency against setbacks. In other words, positive thinking leads to positive results.

Don’t Focus on the “Bad”

Focusing on the negative aspects of the day can be an avoidable trap. Life constantly evolves with new challenges and often distracts us from the things that make us happy. If we aren’t mindful of our thought habits, we may follow a pattern of negative thinking. Negative thinking and self-criticism build up over time and can detract fromthe overall sense of happiness and fulfillment. Negativity may affect performance, may diminish morale, and may contribute long-term to the progression of disorders such as anxiety and depression. Focusing on the “bad” can decrease our perception of happiness and ultimately lead to a more fixed mindset. Appreciating the better things in life steers our thoughts and emotions towards progression and growth, rather than fixating on the negative aspects. In 1998, Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, started the discussion on positive psychology, which has evolved over the years. The P.E.R.M.A. model of well-being was later developed from his original theories. P.E.R.M.A is an acronym for positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. This theory of positive psychology states that by acknowledging these positive aspects in our lives, we feed a deeper sense of intrinsic well-being.

Why is it important to practice gratitude?

Feeling gratitude, or practicing it intentionally, can benefit our sense of happiness because we train our thoughts to entertain aspects of P.E.R.M.A. These thoughts serve our own greater good and connect us back to relationships, meaning, and life purpose. These thoughts are focused on things we value, regardless of the circumstances we are in.

New challenges are approached with optimism as we make positive thinking habitual. Positive emotions, in a way, “strengthen” our mind by reinforcing our sense of contentment in ourselves and our surroundings. The practice of intentional positive thinking builds up mental resiliency to new challenges. Resiliency leads to approaching problems as a relative event, rather than an innate issue.

Gratitude can be a choice to acknowledge what is going well and move past the things that detract from our happiness. Gradually, positive thinking fosters a positive outlook when problem-solving, while we are actively engaged with day-to-day life.

How Gratitude can change a Fixed Mindset toward a Growth Mindset

Fixed-minded people often make the mistake of treating problems as failures or things to avoid. Growth-minded people are resilient because they treat problems as a process of ongoing development. By adopting a growth mindset, we can meet our challenges with an appreciation for where we are and embrace challenges as an anticipated part of the process. People who feel gratitude tend to be happier as they understand that life may be challenging at times, but offers many gifts to cherish.

Make Gratitude a Habit

You can start practicing gratitude in many ways by taking mindful moments throughout the day. One idea is to explore yoga, the inward journey, which was created to be a physical means of introspection and mindfulness. Try this… Before your next yoga session, try setting intentions on gratitude before your asana practice. Joining the Level 1 Yoga Class at NIFS, for example, could be a time to slow down and think about one or two things that provide meaning and happiness in your life. After 45 minutes, you may be surprised by how your thoughts are naturally more optimistic. The troubles from the day suddenly seem not so bad.

Ready to bring more mindfulness and gratitude into your day? Join NIFS Mindful November! Follow along on our social media or stop by the service desk to discover this month’s weekly prompts and participating fitness classes as part of our Mindful Challenge.

Embarking on a journey toward fat loss or body recomposition is akin to preparing for a marathon. Just as you wouldn't sprint at the start line, nutritionally, it's vital to "walk before you run." This philosophy underscores the importance of gradual, sustainable steps in dietary adjustments, emphasizing the hierarchy of nutritional priorities that catalyze progress.

The Cornerstone of Nutrition: Caloric Intake

At the heart of any effective fat loss or recomposition strategy is managing caloric intake. The first step isn't intricately tracking every morsel, but understanding that the energy you consume versus the energy you expend dictates your body's changes. This principle doesn't necessitate immediate, meticulous food logging. Instead, start by becoming mindful of your eating habits and recognizing patterns that may contribute to excess calorie consumption. Simple adjustments, like reducing portion sizes or limiting high-calorie, nutrient-poor snacks, can initiate progress without overwhelming you with the nuances of calorie counting.

The Second Pillar: Protein Intake

Protein plays a pivotal role in preserving muscle mass during a calorie deficit and in supporting muscle growth during recomposition phases. However, before diving into the complexities of macronutrient ratios, focus on incorporating quality protein sources into your meals consistently. Choices like lean meats, fish, dairy, and plant-based proteins not only support your body’s needs but also contribute to satiety, helping you manage overall calorie intake more effectively.

Laying the Foundation: Eating Habits and Food Choices

Before delving into the specifics of tracking, the foundation of your nutritional strategy should be establishing regular eating patterns and making healthful food choices. Eating at consistent times aids in managing hunger and energy levels, preventing overeating. Gradually shifting your diet toward whole, nutrient-dense foods improves your overall nutrient intake, setting the stage for more detailed nutritional strategies like macronutrient tracking.

In essence, successful nutrition planning for fat loss or body recomposition mirrors the adage of "walk before you run." Start with broad, manageable changes in eating habits and food choices (and see this blog for where to start in other areas). As these become ingrained, refine your focus toward caloric and protein intake. This phased approach not only promotes physical progress but also fosters a healthier relationship with food, ensuring long-term success on your journey.

This blog was written by Sabrina Goshen, an Aligned Health Practice Registered Dietitian.

Sometimes you might think you’re doing the right things (or at least not really wrong things) when it comes to healthy eating. But those habitual behaviors might actually cause you to consume more food and calories.

Not-So-Healthy Habit #1: Eating Too Quickly

You might have heard that it takes approximately 20 minutes for your body to send a signal to your brain that it is full. While the exact amount of time likely varies from person to person and the amount of food consumed, it is typically true that satiety doesn’t occur immediately after consuming something. Therefore, if you’re still hungry right after after eating something, you should allow yourself a few minutes to see whether satiety kicks in, or if you truly are still hungry. Additionally, eating too quickly can cause you to swallow air, which may result in GI discomfort such as gas or bloating, and also poses a risk for choking.

THE FIX: To help slow down the rate at which you eat, try taking smaller bites, chewing more slowly and thoroughly, putting your utensil down between bites, including sips of water between bites, and making conversation throughout the meal if eating with others.

Not-So-Healthy Habit #2: Skipping Meals

Overeating can also result from skipping meals or following irregular eating patterns. For example, some individuals may use compensatory thinking after skipping meals, such as, “I didn’t eat anything all day, so it is okay for me to eat whatever I want tonight.” Similarly, skipping meals may lower your inhibitions, making it more likely for you to choose unhealthier food options. Skipping meals can disrupt your metabolism, blood-sugar levels, and mental and physical performance.

THE FIX: To prevent skipping meals, it’s important to establish a regular eating schedule. There is no “one-size-fits-all” perfect eating regimen: three meals a day may suffice for some, while others prefer five or six “mini meals” or snacks. If an irregular appetite is the issue causing you to skip meals, try eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. If you find that time is the problem, plan your meals and snacks in advance (for example, the night before) and keep plenty of portable snacks on hand (such as granola bars, apples, oranges, and trail mix).

Not-So-Healthy Habit #3: Eating While Distracted

Similar to when an individual eats too quickly, eating while distracted may interfere with the body’s ability to signal satiety to the brain, thus increasing the odds of overeating. If you aren’t focusing on what you are eating and how you feel while you are eating, you might not recognize when you’ve had enough.

THE FIX: The next time you’re eating a snack or meal, be sure to sit down in a quiet, comfortable setting and unplug from all distractions such as your cell phone, computer, or TV.

Not-So-Healthy Habit #4: Over-restricting Intake

Over-restricting your intake can also lead to overeating. For many people, the idea of not being able to have something only makes them want it more. The same is true with food. Restricting certain food groups can also restrict certain nutrients that your body needs to function properly. For example, when an individual aims to restrict all carbohydrates, they are also restricting the good components of carbohydrates, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

THE FIX: Instead of banishing the foods you love and depriving yourself of them, try allowing yourself to have them more frequently—just in moderation. For example, if you’re someone who finds yourself swearing to never eat ice cream again at the top of every week, only to find yourself indulging in an entire pint by Friday, try allowing yourself a small bowl or serving of ice cream several times each week to satisfy your cravings.

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If you’re working on practicing healthy eating, try to be mindful about your eating habits, plan ahead, and give yourself some grace.

This blog was written by Lindsey Recker, MS, Registered Dietitian. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Vacation is supposed to be fun, enjoyable, and relaxing. When it comes to weight loss attempts or making healthy choices in general, however, traveling can be a challenge. Here are some of our RD’s best tips for healthy eating when traveling or on vacation.

• Pack your own snacks. If you’re road-tripping, instead of stopping at gas stations, convenience stores, or fast-food restaurants, pack a cooler with healthier alternatives, such as fresh fruit, washed and ready-to-eat veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery, etc.), homemade sandwiches, protein and/or high-fiber granola bars, or single-serving yogurt cups or cheese sticks.
• Eat at home. If your vacation home or hotel has kitchen access, be sure to make use of it! Instead of eating out for each meal, which is not only expensive but also typically provides more calories, fat, and sodium, try preparing something for yourself at home.
• Move more. If possible, incorporate physical activity into your trip. No, this doesn’t mean you have to get a weeklong gym membership for your vacation; rather, spend time walking along the beach, riding bikes, or participating in another physical activity. If you’ll be on the road, be sure to walk around or stretch when you stop to rest.
• Stay hydrated. Bring a refillable water bottle with you on your trip to save money and stay hydrated, especially if you’re traveling somewhere with a lot of sun or high temperatures.
• Be mindful. Vacation shouldn’t be an excuse to overdo it, however; you should still enjoy yourself! Instead of indulging at each opportunity, perhaps limit yourself to indulging in a special or sweet treat just once a day.
  
  

This blog was written by Lindsey Recker, MS, RD, NIFS Registered Dietitian. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Personal trainers are people, too (well, at least when no one is looking!). In reality, there are a lot of new bridges we, as a society, are crossing every single day. As a trainer, my goal is to put all my effort into making sure that my clients are being healthy with fitness and wellness as a priority. With the lockdown upon us, finding new ways to get this job done is a challenge, but so is making sure that you are finding time for yourself.

As I stated in part 1, we are looking to “fill our cup” every day so that we can be the best version of ourselves that we can be. This in turn helps ensure that we can fulfill our daily agendas. We already touched on two aspects of self-care, home setup and sleep. Here I conclude our discussion with positive self-gratitude practices and meditation (and breathing).

Practice Self-Gratitude

It may take some time to get used to a self-gratitude–oriented mindset. The focus is on you! In our “normal” lives, we have careers that put us in positions where we must not only focus on work tasks, but also on putting your personal priorities on the back burner to serve others. The same can be said about people who take care of loved ones and raise children. Taking time for yourself is easier said than done, but at the end of the day, are you finding ways to refill your cup?

Lorea Martinez, PhD, a Social Emotional Learning practitioner, states, “Gratitude helps us cope better with stress, recover more quickly from illness, and enjoy more robust physical health, including lower blood pressure and better immune function. Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, the readiness to show appreciation and return kindness to others.” She gives these helpful tips on ways you can find the benefits of self-gratitude.

1. Identify three things that you value about yourself.
2. Acknowledge three things that went well each day.
3. Take a moment to appreciate these things.
4. Repeat!

Try Meditation

Another great way to cope is through meditation. For a beginner, meditation can be as simple as practicing calm, deep-breathing techniques. Your meditation can be many things, but it should definitely not be troublesome or a burden. Finding quiet and peace for even a few minutes per day is a great way to not only fill your cup, but also introduce a healthful practice into your day. NIFS blogger Amanda Licatatiso wrote about the benefits of mediation and some great practice tips. Check out her blog to see how adding a few minutes of meditation a day can impact your self-care plan.

Soon we will all start working toward going back to more normal routines, but until then, please make sure you are taking time for yourself. Remember, we need to take care of ourselves, so that we can take care of others (and our jobs). We are eager to see you again and help you reach your fitness goals. Until next time, muscleheads rejoice and evolve.

This blog was written by Thomas Livengood, NIFS Health Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Unless you have been on Mars for the last four or five decades, you have heard, read, and seen the benefits of walking for health and fitness. There is no new hot take on walking; it’s always been a fantastic way to stay healthy and enjoy exercise.

Walking is often undervalued as a great way to lose weight and feel better, mainly due to the perception that walking is not as “sexy” or intense as some of the fitness programs out there. And the popular opinion on the “interwebs” is that if you are not on your back at the end of the training session gasping for air, it’s not effective (with Prancersizing not doing walking any favors in the “sexy” department). But walking can be a great way to get and stay in awesome shape no matter what the Instagram stars may be showing.

Why You Need to Walk More

Let’s start with WHY you should be walking more:

• It’s FREE and it’s FUNDAMENTAL.
• A walking workout is customizable and can be done anywhere.
• Walking improves almost all aspects of fitness: cardio, endurance, balance, core strength…the list goes on and on.
• You already have the equipment (your body).
• It’s an easy way to get activity throughout the day.
• It has been shown to decrease the chances for diabetes, cardio-respiratory disease, heart disease…and this list goes on and on. (Side note: It has also been shown that the best medicine for the top 10 causes of death is EXERCISE.)
• Can be a solo or group activity.
• No extra training needed—you already know how to walk.

Those are all pretty good reasons why we should walk more, right? Trust me, there are more reasons than listed above, but we’ll start with those.

How Can You Walk More?

So HOW can you walk more than you currently are? Hopefully you know the common ways: park far away from any building you are entering, take the stairs, walk the dog more than once a day. Here are a few other strategies you may not have thought of:

• Walk to complete errands.
• Take public transit and get off two or three stops before the closest stop.
• Take a shopping cart all the way back to the store or the farthest return—and oh, grab a few on your way because leaving your cart is an epidemic.
• Fill up your water bottle every hour during your workday, and travel as far as possible to do so.
• Schedule a 30-minute walk as a training day.
• Walk mow your lawn, and maybe your neighbors’, too.
• Practice the Hawaiian wellness habit of searching for beauty.
• Start your day with a 15–20-minute walk.

How to Ramp Up the Intensity of Your Walking Workout

For those of you who want to ratchet up the intensity on this catch-all, easy-to-use mode of exercise, here are some strategies to rock a great walk:

• Walk with a purpose: Walk faster and with purpose whenever you are walking (unless it’s a long stroll on a beautiful beach).
• Inclined walking: Find some hills or put some incline on the treadmill.
• Weighted carries: Pick up something heavy and walk with it.
• Rucking (walking with a heavy pack): Same idea as carries, just using a pack.
• Sled pulls: Strap a sled to yourself and start walking.
• Hiking: Undulating terrain is a built-in training mode of increasing intensity.

Exercise and fitness does not always need to be extravagant and really should never be complicated (here are some really simple workouts for students). Make walking a bigger part of your training program. No matter the intensity level you choose, just move more!

This blog was written by Tony Maloney, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and Fitness Center Manager. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.