Staying Healthy in Law School!

Staying Healthy in Law School! IU Maurer School of Law Health Law Society’s 2010 Health and Wellness Week Presented by: Macey Leigh Thompson

About Macey Leigh • I’m a 2nd Year law Student • Working on my credentials in Bioethics and I work in organ procurement and transplants with U of Michigan Transplant Center • I’m a certified personal trainer for going on 10 years. • I studied Nutritional Science and I have vast experience with weight loss, physique enhancement, and athletic performance. • My new area of interest is on clinical nutrition for kidney transplant recipients and kidney donors, post and pre-op. • I am a competitor in the National Physique Committee where I compete in Figure and Bikini. • I do a wide range of modeling a(commercial, fitness, promotional) • I am a spokesperson for products. • I am a writer for women’s bodybuilding, fitness, and figure blogs and websites. • I operate my own personal training and nutrition consultation company.

Why Stay Healthy in Law School? • So why is it important to stay healthy in law school?????????? • The OBVIOUS answer is, that its important to stay healthy ALL the time, and being in law school is NO excuse. • I know law school is time consuming, and there are times that with all my work in, and out of school, my fitness routine hits the fan. But the key, is to always pick yourself back up, and get back on track. • I’m not advocating that everyone spend their time training for competitions like I do during school, but there is definitely a happy medium. 

The Main Components to Health

MY Focus Exercise and Nutrition

Some of the BEST reasons to Exercise • Better sleep. As long as you don’t exercise two hours before bed, you’ll get better, deeper sleep if you exercise regularly. A good night's sleep is a great reason to exercise. • Less stress. The more you exercise, the better you’ll cope with anxiety, stress and depression. You’ll enjoy more naturally induced happy, positive feelings (endorphins). That alone is a great reason to exercise. • More brain cells. Exercise drives more oxygen to feed your brain, making you think quickly and clearly. Learning new physical activities such as dance or jazzercise builds new connections between your brain cells and helps clear environmental toxins. • More confidence. Not only will you have more confidence in yourself if you exercise regularly, you’ll be perceived as kinder, smarter and more confident. Feeling good about yourself is one of the best reasons to exercise.

Continued… • Toned, defined muscles. The more you exercise, the stronger and healthier your muscles will become - and the better they'll serve you. It's not all about healthy weight loss: building healthy mass is also an exercise benefit. Feeling toned is a great reason to exercise. • Stronger immune system. Regular exercise helps combat free radicals, and you sweat out the toxins that trigger disease and infections. The health benefits of exercise include lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol levels, and a lower heart rate. • More energy. Physical activity is not only an effective weight loss method, it’s also a great way to increase your energy levels. Having energy to enjoy life is probably the best reason to exercise! • Better sex. Physical activity sends more blood to all parts of your body, making you respond more quickly to sexual activity. You’ll enjoy sex more not only because you’re chasing healthy weight loss – you’re also more confident about your body. Getting satisfied sexually is one of the best reasons to exercise.

My Basic Recommendations • While everyone should have an exercise program tailored to their individual needs and goals, my basic recommendations are as follows: (optimal recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine) • 45 minutes of cardiovascular activity at 60% MAX hrt 4-6days per week • 4-5 days of strength training per week • OR some class or activity that incorporates it all!

My Tips on Setting Yourself Up For Success • Achieving your health and fitness goals can be both simple and complicated! The easy part is developing a program that works for you—it really is just a science. The hard part is overcoming any mental roadblocks that will keep you from actually getting there. Here are just a couple of negative thought patterns that in the past have kept me from reaching my destination, and the new ones I learned to create in order to follow through with goals. • Wishing for a Magic Pill—we all know that a magic pill does not exist. If such a pill were in existence and available for sale, there would not be a health and fitness industry. Remember that you must make an investment in your body if you want it to make an investment in you. You must realize that consistency is the strongest virtue you can have while working towards your goals. • Self-Doubt—no matter how big your support system is, if you don’t believe, and I mean truly believe in yourself, then you will not succeed. To realize how critical of a role that doubt plays in our lives, you must distinguish between what you KNOW and what you BELIEVE about yourself.

"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Castaneda "There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up."- Booker T. Washington

Lets Talk Food!! Though my own journey, I have learned that the struggle to gain self-discipline in order to really master your body starts with food. We have been culturally conditioned to think about food as more than what it is—FUEL for your body. In fact, food is the most basic form of consistent control. Stop fighting your body and change how you think about food. Start creating these new habits.

My Basic Principles • Eat to LoseSmall frequent meals are your ticket to a speedy metabolism. Skipping meals leads to a drop in your blood sugar which sends your body into fat storing mode. • Eat CleanEating “clean” means filling your plate with whole, nutrient rich foods. You should have an appropriate balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates in your daily nutrition plan. • Drink Your H20Get in at least 3 liters a day and you’ll stay fuller longer. An added bonus is great skin! • Say Goodbye to SugarRefined sugar is toxic to your body. Sugar suppresses your immune system and causes hormonal imbalances which can lead to chronic fatigue and depression—just to name a few. So cut it out. Stop the addiction. • Shop SmartREAD the labels carefully. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it! Fat Free is not all it’s cracked up to be! Fat does not necessarily make you fat—sugar does. • Bag the BoozeAlcohol is the oldest drug there is! It depresses your nervous system, dehydrates you, and takes a toll on your body’s fat burning ability.

A Closer Look at Clean Eating • Clean Eating Principles • Eating a mini-meal every two to three hours (5 to 6 small meals per day total) to keep blood sugar level and prevent hunger • Combining lean proteins and complex carbs at every meal • Avoiding all over-processed and refined foods (especially sugar, white rice, and white flour) • Avoiding saturated and trans fat, instead consuming healthy fats • Avoiding soda and other sugary juices and drinks • Avoiding high-calorie, zero nutrient foods (i.e., junk food) • Eating proper portion sizes • Drinking at least 8 cups of water every day At its most basic, clean eating is making the healthiest food choices possible, opting for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean cuts of meat instead of processed and refined foods. To eat clean, there are a few easy principles to follow:

Clean Eating Continued… The Benefits of Clean Eating • There are many health benefits to eating clean, including: • Fat loss • Weight loss • Increased energy • Clearer skin • Shinier hair • Better sleep • Increased mental well-being • Clean eating is not complicated, nor is it expensive. Oftentimes it is actually cheaper to buy clean eating foods than it is to buy prepackaged, processed foods. Although it is less expensive to eat clean and nutritious foods, it does require more time in the kitchen planning and cooking meals. What Clean Eating is Not When describing clean eating, it's important to point out what eating clean is not. Clean eating is not a diet, although it is a great way to reduce body fat, lose weight, and keep the weight off. Clean eating is a lifestyle that requires time, commitment, and pre-planning and is not just a way of eating that can accomplish weight loss or overall health just by doing it on the weekends only. Clean eating is not about deprivation, avoiding food groups, counting calories or starvation, but about making healthy food choices and providing the body with the best foods possible.

Clean Food Examples Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tuna (water packed) Fish (salmon,tilapia, Cod) Shrimp Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%) Venison Buffalo Ostrich Protein Powder Egg Whites or Whole Eggs Ribeye Steaks or Roast Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry) Top Sirloin (aka Sirloin Top Butt) Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon) Top Loin (NY Strip Steak) Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita) Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% LeandGround Round) Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts) Soy Burgers Low-fat cottage cheese PROTEIN SOURCES

Clean Food Examples FIBROUS CARBS Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine) Broccoli Asparagus String Beans Okra Spinach Bell Peppers Brussel Sprouts Cauliflower Cabbage Celery Cucumber Eggplant Green or Red Pepper Onions Pumpkin Garlic Tomatoes Zucchini FRUIT Apples Grapefruit Peaches Strawberries Blueberries Raspberries Lemons or Limes SLOW BURNING/COMPLEX CARBS Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats) Sweet Potatoes (Yams) Beans (pinto, black, kidney) Oat Bran Cereal Rye Cereal Grape Nuts Brown Rice Farina (Cream of Wheat) Multigrain Hot Cereal Whole wheat or Spinach Pasta 100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Bread/ Ezekiel Bread

Clean Food Examples • HEALTHY FATS Natural Peanut Butter Olive Oil or Safflower Oil Nuts (peanuts, almonds) Flaxseed Oil Coconut Oil CONDIMENTS Mayonnaise Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce Balsamic Vinegar Salsa Hot Peppers and Hot Sauce Chili powder Mrs. Dash Steak Sauce Sugar Free Maple Syrup Chili Paste Mustard Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc ) Low Sodium beef or chicken broth Plain or reduced sodium tomatoes sauce, puree, paste) Stevia (natural sweetener) • Splenda, Equal, or other calorie free sweetener

Clean Food Examples • You aren’t gonna like this….but you gotta really bag the Booze. • Drinking alcohol inhibits your fat metabolism for 3 days! • Instead Drink: • Crystal Light • Diet pop • Iced Tea • COFFEE • WATER If you want to drink, red wine is always a good choice! Many health benefits including increased circulation!

Want Some Motivation or Help? • I myself am on a mission to get back in my competition shape from a nice offseason in order to compete in Collegiate Figure Nationals at the end of July. • While my contest diet is not what you will need to do to get in shape, its motivating to know that others are working towards similar goals as you. • I am an open book to help you get where you need! All you need to do is ask! Email me anytime at maceyleigh@maceyleigh.net

Staying Healthy in Law School!