Setting SMART Goals

The theory of goal setting suggests that setting goals can enhance a person’s motivation to change. The process of setting goals provides a sense of direction or purpose by narrowing attention towards a certain objective and directing all effort towards achieving that goal.
The SMART criteria are a mnemonic used to help set goals and objectives.

  

Mastering SMART goals is easier then you think. Here are some handy tips on how to set SMART goals this year.

Specific
Rather than making a more general goal, be specific when you set your goal. Make sure that your goals are clearly outlined, unambiguous, and without any vague or elusive terms. For example, “I want to lose weight” is far too unspecific and should rather be phrased as “I want to lose 5kg of weight.”

Specific goals will help you to feel more motivated as you will be constantly working towards that specific goal. This gives clarity and focus, and is a hugely important factor in successful goal setting.

Measurable
Concrete criteria for which to measure your progress against are vital. If a goal is not measurable, it is difficult to track progress and improvement. A goal that is measurable allows for you to keep track of behavior change and performance, and to see how effective your changes to your diet and lifestyle have been. Without feedback, it is difficult to adjust an eating plan or adapt and change the required behavior. Feedback also helps to motivate to continue towards reaching for a goal, and help sustain the motivation and commitment to that goal. It is important that feedback not focus solely on short-comings but be used to develop strategies to change behavior.

It’s also important to remember that body weight is not necessarily the best indicator of a healthy body. It may be more encouraging to measure your success with another parameter such as dress size, blood result such as cholesterol or glucose, waist circumference, body fat percentage or BMI. Do you want to be a certain weight, dress size, or maybe you have specific measurements you wish to achieve? Perhaps you want to be able to run a certain distance, or you want to train for a fun run, mini marathon, or even a full marathon. Your health goals may be to improve your blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Whatever your goals are, it’s important to have a specific number/figure in mind to keep track of your progress.

Attainable
Is your goal Attainable? Setting goals unrealistic goals is setting yourself up for failure. Goals should neither by out of reach nor insignificant or pointless. A big part of making your goals attainable is to develop the skills, attitudes and abilities and behavioural change. Ask yourself, how can a goal be accomplished? Loosing 10kg in a week is not only close to impossible but also not long-term (or even healthy for that matter). Also, an unrealistic goal may make you believe that they have no chance of reaching that goal and therefore may not even try to achieve it.

Relevant
Next, ask yourself if your goal is relevant and appropriate. A relevant goal will ask the question “does this seem worthwhile?” If you have already lost weight and reached your target goal to within a healthy BMI, is it really necessary to lose another 10kg? It may be necessary to re-frame your goal at this point and rather aim for decreasing your body fat percentage instead, or going to the gym one more time per week.

Time-bound
Set a time frame when you make your goal. Ground your goals with a target date to help commit to that deadline. Do you intend to achieve your goal in one week, month, or year?

  

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I'm possible."



Got gout?

Gout is a condition where there is an increase in uric acid in the body. The uric acid deposits in joints such as the toe, ankle, knee, elbow and fingers, which can be very painful.  An acute attack of gout is when there is a very sudden inflammation and swelling of the joints, and usually only lasts a few days. Chronic gout is when there is constant inflammation which lasts for long periods of time. A diet low in purines, a substance which converts to uric acid in the body, can help reduce the risk of an attack of gout.

§  Drink plenty of fluids per day, about 2-3L (especially water). This helps flush out uric acid from the body.

§  Maintain a healthy body weight. If you are overweight, lose weight slowly as rapid weight loss could bring on an attack of gout.

§  Exclude the consumption of alcohol from the diet. Avoid alcohol entirely in an acute attack. If alcohol is to be consumed it should be in moderation, with red wine preferred over beer.

§  Foods to include in the diet to help manage gout:

ü  Vitamin C: oranges, naartjies, kiwi, guava, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, mango, red and green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes

ü  Vitamin D: low-fat or non-fat dairy products, eggs

ü  Dairy protein: low-fat or non-fat options of milk, yoghurt and cheese (added benefit of being high in vitamin D)

ü  Omega-3: vegetable oils (soybean, canola, rapeseed), flaxseed, flaxseed oil, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, walnut oil

§  Eat small portions of red meat no more than 3 times per week. Chose chicken and fish instead of red meat.

§  Avoid foods high in purine, and chose foods with little or no purines instead (see table on next page).

§  Daily guidelines for a healthy diet

-       Milk and yoghurt: 2-3 cups (low-fat or non-fat)

-       Cheese: 30g (1 matchbox)

-       Eggs: 3-4 per week

-       Meat, fish and poultry (lean): 90g (3 matchboxes)

-       Vegetables: 3 or more servings (1 serving= ½ cup)

-       Fruit: 2-3 portions

-       Bread, cereals and starches: 6-11 servings per day

-       Fats and oils: 2-3 teaspoons per day

FOODS GROUPED ACCORDING TO PURINE CONTENT

Group 1: Foods high in purines	Group 2: Foods with moderate purine content	Group 3: Foods with little or no purines
Foods in this group should be avoided from the diet of a patient suffering from gout	Foods in this group may be consumed in moderation Per day = ½ cup of vegetables = 90g  meat, chicken, fish	Foods in this group may be used daily
×     Anchovies ×     Bouillon, broth, consommé ×     Poultry: goose, partridge ×     Gravy ×     Organ meats: brains, heart, kidney, sweetbreads ×     Processed meats: bacon, viennas, Russians, ham ×     Fish: mackerel, sardines, haddock, herring, salmon ×     Shell fish: shrimp, prawns, mussels, clams, scallops, lobster, roe ×     Stock and stock cubes e.g. oxo ×     Yeast ×     Yeast and meat extracts e.g. Bovril, marmite, Vegemite	Meat, chicken and fish (except those in group 1) Vegetables §  Asparagus §  Beans §  Cauliflower §  Lentils §  Mushrooms §  Peas §  Soya §  Spinach Oats and oat meal Whole-grain products e.g. bread, pasta, flour Avoid these foods during an acute (sudden) attack of gout	ü  Bread: brown or white ü  Butter, margarine and oils # ü  Cakes, cookies, puddings # ü  Cereals and cereal products ü  Cheese # ü    Chocolates and sweets # ü  Coffee and tea ü  Crackers ü  Custard # ü  Eggs ü  Fruit ü  Ice-cream # ü  Jelly ü  Milk and cream # ü  Nuts, olives, pickles ü  Pasta, noodles, rice, potatoes, samp ü  Popcorn ü  Salt, vinegar and herbs ü  Sugar # ü  Vegetables (except those in group 2) # Recommended in moderation because of high energy content (chose low-fat or non-fat options)

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet describes the diet followed by those living in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.  Over the last few years it has become impossible to ignore that some countries have increased rates of obesity while other countries are as healthy as ever getting health benefits from their daily diet.

                                                  

Eating the Mediterranean style may not only help you to shed a few kilos (by cutting fats, refined carbs and processed foods) and keep your heart healthy but is extremely tasty too.

Basics and benefits of the Mediterranean diet:

1.       Replacing fatty meat cuts with oily fish at least twice a week. This leads to the replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated fats which reduces your total cholesterol as well as LDL (bad cholesterol)

2.       Eat mostly plant based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. This will :

-          Replace salt and fat laden food in your daily diet.

-          The fruit and vegetables will reduce high blood pressure with the help of Potassium and Magnesium.

-          Increase fiber in your diet keeping you fuller for longer, help normal gut functioning and lower cholesterol

3.       Replacing saturated fats such as butter with healthy extra virgin olive and/or canola oil. Even bread is merely dipped in olive oil rather than spread with butter and jam as many of us do.

4.       Foods are full of flavor by using herbs instead of spices, decreasing the salt content of the diet.

5.       Moderate consumption of red wine is known to fight heart disease.

Tips from the GLD to incorporate the Mediterranean habits into your daily diet:

1.       Eat at least 5-a-day of colorful fruits and vegetables. Fruits can be used as snacks while vegetables can form the basis of main meal.

2.       Snack on plain, unsalted nuts. A closed handful would form a snack portion. Choose almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

3.       Use very little fats and when using fats, use only olive oil in its uncooked state.

4.       Add flavor with lemon juice, garlic, tomato and loads of fresh herbs to keep the salt intake low.

5.       Eat fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines at least twice per week.

6.       Have a glass of wine. No more than 1 glass (130ml) for females and no more 2 glasses for males per day

Healthy lifestyles to avoid arthritis and joint issues

Arthritis and other joint issues can certainly make life difficult, especially when it is weight-bearing joints that are affected, such as the knees or hips. Chronic joint problems often have their roots in gradual knee or hip injury, years of use wearing away at the cartilage that cushions the joints. While some wear-and-tear on weight-bearing joints is inevitable, maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle that promotes joint health can keep it to a minimum, reducing your risk of developing serious joint problems.

Joint-Healthy Activity

Staying fit and active is one of the best ways to avoid arthritis and joint problems. Strong muscles help keep joints stable and well-aligned, promoting smooth and efficient function that reduces joint stress and wear. Strong, dense bones help prevent joint deterioration and knee or hip injury, and physical activity is essential to keeping bones in great shape.

Keeping your muscles and bones in great shape doesn't mean you have to spend long hours in the gym. Any weight-bearing activity will do, so choose something you enjoy, whether it is tennis, golf, walking or swimming. Yoga is another exercise activity that has become very popular to assist your muscles and bones. As long as you are active for at least half-an-hour per day most days of the week, you'll be doing your joints a favor. But, be gentle with them by limiting activities that jar or stress them, like running, jumping or intense weight-lifting.

Nourish Your Joints

Keeping your body well-nourished is important to keep joints healthy and strong. Balanced nutrition supplies your body with the materials it needs to keep bones, muscles and joints healthy and in good repair. Vitamin D and calcium are especially important for strong bones, and vitamin C is a crucial component in the production of collagen, which is essential to bones, muscles and cartilage. So make sure your diet is healthy and balanced, and add a little nutritional insurance in the form of a good multivitamin supplement with minerals.

Don't Ignore Joint Pain

Joint stiffness or pain is often an indication of an underlying problem, such as muscle imbalance, knee or hip injury or even auto-immune issues like rheumatoid arthritis. Finding out what the problem is and treating it early can prevent more serious ones, heading off chronic joint problems and excessive joint wear.

Why Joint Health Should be a Priority

Joint health is very important to your health and well-being, especially when it comes to major weight-bearing joints that are essential for good mobility. Knee and hip injuries or chronic joint issues like arthritis can require aggressive treatment to resolve, such as joint replacement surgery. While these procedures can be a blessing to people disabled by serious joint problems, they are major surgery and there are risks.

For example, over the past several years, many hip replacement patients have been affected by faulty hip implant products, facing unexpected complications. Many were affected by metallosis, a serious condition caused by particles of metallic implant debris shed from metal-on-metal hip implants. That debris collected in soft tissues around the hip joint, causing severe pain and inflammation, tissue death and bone loss. Avoiding these risks is well worth the time and effort it takes to protect joint health.

Elizabeth Carrollton uses her background in journalism to write for DrugWatch.com. She is dedicated to educating the public about medical safety and important decisions that can impact a person’s health and life. Much of her work at Drugwatch includes editorials pertaining to hip replacements and alternative solutions to relieve pain, as well as complications and hip replacement lawsuit information. 

Heart Healthy Tips from the American Heart Association

Balance calorie intake and physical activity to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.

A healthy body weight (within a BMI of 18.5 and 24.9kg/m²) is advised to decrease heart disease risk. This is achievable by an increase in activity and following a healthy diet plan.

Consume a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are not only high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants important for a healthy heart, but also are low in energy to help promote weight loss. Read our post on 5 ways to get your five-a-day.

Chose whole-grain, high fibre foods.

Chose high fibre foods such as whole-grain bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, fruits and vegetables. A high fibre intake diet is an important factor in bringing down high cholesterol levels.

Consume fish, especially oily fish, at least twice a week.

Oily fish are high in omega-3s, shown to be beneficial in heart health. Twice a week include in your meal salmon, mackerel, pilchards, sardines, herring, trout, or tuna. If you do not like these fish, take a daily omega-3 supplement.

Limit your intake of saturated fats to less than 7% of total energy, trans fats to less than 1%, and cholesterol to less than 300mg per day.

-       Choose lean cuts of meat and vegetable alternatives e.g. chicken breast, fish, vegetable protein such as beans, peas and lentils.

-       ChoOse fat free (skim) or low fat dairy.
For more on trans fats, read our post on Translating Trans Fats.

Minimize your intake of foods and beverages with added sugars.

Foods and drinks high in sugar include cakes, cookies, biscuits, chocolates, sweets, and soft drinks, among others.

Choose and prepare foods with little salt.

Salt is associated with high blood pressure, a risk factor for coronary heart disease. See other Good Life posts on cutting back on salt such as A Salt With a Deadly Weapon.

When consuming alcohol, do so in moderation.

Limit to no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women and smaller men.

The iTransform Challenge

Get ready to take part in the most awaited and talked about Challenge aimed at changing your lifestyle through exercise, healthy eating and professional advice.  Ladies will be encouraged to participate in a 3 month challenge. The programme will incorporate all the necessities to make sure the transformation process is done in a healthy, fun and maintainable way. 

Bookings Close – Monday 3rd September 2012
Challenge Starts – Monday 10th September 2012
Challenge Ends – Thursday 13th December 2012

The 3 Month iTransform Challenge will include the following:

• R16 000 worth of Cash and Prizes to be won! R10 000 cash for the most transformed lady.
• TransformHERS will provide you with 48, 1 hour functional training fitness sessions conducted in an outdoor group environment. Training sessions will incorporate cardio, agility and strength exercises aimed at increasing fitness levels and improving muscle strength and tone.  All necessary equipment will be provided and sessions conducted by a group fitness trainer. You will be encouraged and motivated to reach your personal fitness goals, with monthly testing done to monitor your improvements.   Some TransformHERS venues or time slots may only offer 3 days per week workouts, however you will be allowed to participate at any of the other training venues on the 4th day.
• Chef Direct will deliver 36 healthy, ready-to-eat, low GI meals to your training venue over the 12 week challenge (3 meals per week).  These meals are specifically tailored in accordance with our registered Dietician, Monique Dos Santos from Good Life Dieticians, ensuring that each meal has the optimal nutritional composition for the participants. Monique will also assist, via our BLOG, with any nutritional related queries
• Pure Nutrition will be supplying you with product to use before and after training to assist muscle building, toning and recovery.
• Kinetics.co.za  will be available to assist participants with strengthening tips or advice on injury prevention as well as fitness tests and measurements.

So, what is in it for you?

• 48 outdoor boot camp training sessions
• 36 ready to eat low GI healthy meals
• Nutritional supplements
• Dietary advice
• Biokineticist testing/measurement and advice
• Training guide and meal plans for your  “off” days
• Prize money and great prizes up for grabs
• TransformHERS T-Shirt and training bib

Dates:

The iTransform Challenge will run in conjunction with 3 month camps of the TransformHERS Oudtoor Fitness Camps Programme with 1 week “off week” inbetween camps.


Start dates of Challenge:

•     10 Sept - 4 Oct
•     1 week off
•     15 Oct - 8 Nov
•     1 week off
•     19 Nov - 13 Dec End date of Challenge

iTransform Challenge Orientation (not to be missed!) – Thursday 6th September 2012.

• Informative talk regarding the Challenge
• Collection of Goodie Bags
• Body assessments
• Photo’s
• Meet your trainers
• Meet your fellow Challengers

Price:

• R3200 once off – This is a once off fee for the 3 month iTransform Challenge, OR
• R1167 payment per month – This is the payment should  you wish to pay monthly for 3 months (to be paid on the 1st of each month Sept, Oct, Nov).

For more information contact admin@itansform.co.za or go to www.itransform.co.za