Question:

Hi YouTips4U, 

I have an embarrassing question but I watch you all the time and know I can ask because you are kind and compassionate and knowledgeable.

I have been watching your Motivation Monday videos regularly and they are helping so much with my diet. I started an exercise and healthy eating plan of more fruits and vegetables this Spring. I'm doing really well and have lost weight. The problem I'm having is gas and bloating.  I never had this before and I'm wondering if you think it's due to my healthy diet and what can I do about it.

Thanks!


YouTips4U Answer:  

Hi, I'm so glad you wrote. Your gas and bloating can definitely be due your diet. Very often eating fibrous foods can result in gassiness as it is digested.  A little gas is normal, but if it's very excessive, you may want to consider adding more healthy bacteria to your diet in the form of yogurt and kefir.  These foods have active cultures and can help break down bacteria in the colon.  Eating bitter foods along with your meals can help as well. Things like chard and kale can stimulate the production of enzymes that help your body digest more efficiently.  Pineapple and papaya are also excellent enzyme-rich food to have with your meals and help aid digestion.

If you are bothered by cramping and bloating, try having some herbal tea to sooth it.  Herbs such as fennel, anise, ginger and peppermint can be very soothing and help stop the cramping. My personal favorite is fennel tea.

The good news is your body will adjust to your new healthy fiber-filled diet and eventually gasiness may dissipate so give it time. It's worth the adjustment!

See you on YouTube,
- YouTips4U

Quickie Workouts for Lowering Blood Pressure

If finding time to fit in the recommended 30 minutes a day of exercise is a challenge for you, here's a tip:

Quick little workouts throughout your day may be just as beneficial.  Taking just a 10-minute walk  three times a day is excellent for lowering blood pressure, and stress levels. This also helps curtail appetite and cravings.  Feel like snacking, but know you're not hungry, go for a quick walk.

Aim for one before school or work, one at lunch and one after dinner.   It's a wonderful way to relax at night instead of sitting in front of the TV.

See you on YouTube,
-YouTips4U

Incontinence or Bladder Control Problems After Pregnancy

Question:  Hi YouTips4U, I have a question about bladder control.  My baby is 6 months old now and sometimes I still have problems with bladder control, especially when I exercise.  Will this ever go away and what can I do about it?

YouTips4U Answer:  Thanks so much for your great question.  In all likelihood  you will get over this problem.  Postpartum stress incontinence can usually be remedied with exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These exercises are called Kegels.  You can do them several times throughout the day and no one will ever know.  To do them, you tighten your pelvic floor muscles momentarily as if you were trying to stop urinating midstream.  Try to do at least 50 each day.  After I gave birth to my first child, the nurse told me to start doing them, right then and there, an hour after delivery.  She said I should plan on doing them for the rest of my life. I still do them periodically although my children are much older now.  Most women get excellent results. If you have trouble isolating your pelvic floor muscle, ask your OB/GYN for help. For more information on Kegels, please watch my YouTube video: Kegel Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor and Prevent/Alleviate Incontinence   

If your incontinence persists for more than a year despite regular Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor, you may want to consult a urologist, but talk to your OB/GYN first.

Ladies of child-bearing age who have not yet become pregnant.  You should also be performing Kegels to strengthen your pelvic floor. This will help prevent incontinence problems.  A growing baby puts a great amount of pressure on that area of your body so have well-toned muscles in that region is a significant benefit.  It's never too early to start.

See you on YouTube,
-YOUTIPS4U

Tips for Overweight Exercisers

In order to lose weight, it's very important to exercise. Exercise combined with cutting calories is the most successful and healthiest way to lose weight. If you are very overweight, oftentimes exercising can be difficult due to aches and pains that arise in your feet and joints; much of which can be directly related to the burden of the excess weight. So what can someone who is overweight and wanting to exercise do?

 l) It's important to start slow. Start with just 10 minutes a day. You want to give your body time to adjust to the new challenge. Once your activity becomes more comfortable, then you can add more time. Work up to a half hour to an hour of exercise/activity each day.

 2) Be sure you have the proper sneakers. Invest in a quality cushioned pair to absorb the shock. Insoles like Superfeet can be very helpful in distributing weight evenly on your feet. It's best to go to a good running store to buy Superfeet because there are different types and sizes and the sales person can help you decide which is best for you.

 3) You should try to mix up your routine so that you give your joints a break from the same exercise. Do non-weight bearing exercises several times a week like cycling or swimming.

 4) Don't forget to stretch. Stretching is the best way to avoid heel pain, achilles problems, and tight quads and hamstrings which can lead to back problems. So be sure to spend some quality time stretching. You may also want to give the Foam Roller a go. It really helps with tired sore muscles and can help you heal faster. For more information on using a Foam Roller, please see my YouTube video: Amazing Stretch Exercises with Foam Roller.

 Remember, getting in shape is not a race, it's a slow and steady continuous process. Putting pressure on yourself to do it quickly is not healthy for you and does not have good long-term results. It's a life change that you have to get used to so it takes time. It took a while for your bad habits to become ingrained so you must give enough time for your good habits to replace those bad ones and become ingrained in your daily life. It will happen. It just takes time and commitment. If you have someone who you can this with like a spouse, significant other, or friend, it can really be fun and a terrific adventure for both of you.

 See you on YouTube,
-YOUTIP4U

Keep Your Teeth Their Whitest

Love the way your teeth look after a professional cleaning by your dentist? Want to keep that bright white clean smile for as long as possible? Well, with a few adjustments to your daily habits, you can do your best to keep you teeth stain free.

 After you drink coffee, red wine, tea, or any other beverage that can stain your pearly whites, be sure you swish some water around in your mouth to rinse your teeth, and whenever possible, use a straw for staining liquids. For foods that stain our teeth such as blueberries, cherries, tomato sauce, curry sauce, etc. use the same remedy; rinse your mouth with water as soon after eating these foods as possible. Wait an hour after eating and then brush your teeth.

See you on YouTube,
-YouTips4U

Foam Roller to Prevent Injury and Promote Range of Motion

Rolling your muscles on a foam roller after a workout helps break up scar tissue and helps massage tired overworked muscles. You can significantly increase your range motion for stretching after using the foam roller. It can help you prevent injury by deeply stretching tightened hamstrings and quads. Great for achilles sufferers. If you are not familiar with using a foam roller and would like to learn about he benefits including demonstrations on how to use them, please check out my video on YouTube: Amazing Stretch Exercises with Foam Roller for Legs, Thighs, Butt

Beauty

Hi Guys!

 I posted this quote to my Facebook and so many people wrote me about how it inspired them in their own lives about how they were feeling about themselves. I decided I would print it here on my blog as well for those who did not see it:

 “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
 ― Marilyn Monroe

So true isn't it. In this age of cosmetic quick fixes, I think true unique beauty is being lost. I do think beauty lies in the little quirky features that make "YOU" "YOU". So, don't pick yourself apart about a birthmark, hairstyle, wrinkle, breast size, etc. and always think twice about permanent cosmetic alterations because you just may miss the "old You". I think it takes years for people especially women, to realize the true natural beauty that's unique to them and to embrace it. My hope is that the younger generation will come to this realization sooner rather than later because quick fixes are so prevalent now in the media that young people often feel they don't measure up to the media personalities. So my message to all the beautiful young teens and 20 somethings is that the very people you idealize are just as insecure as you feel at times and their fear of not being accepted by their audience drives them to alter their natural beauty with more than just hair and makeup. It used to be that only older actors and actresses did this sort of thing to try to erase years of aging or a bad lifestyle, so they could continue working in film etc.in younger roles. It is unfortunate that now we see so many young beautiful girls altering their faces, breast, etc. before they even reach full maturity. I hope this trend will fade as trends often do, but it can take years to happen and that means that someday many people will look back at a high school or middle school photo and wish they still looked like they used to.

 There is power in acceptance of yourself, so please try that first, O.K. 

See you on YouTube,
 -YouTips4U