My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Healthy Eating
As the saying goes, you are what you eat. If you want to stay healthy, shoot for at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day and cut back on fats, sugars, and alcohol.
Set Yourself Up for Success [Read/Print full article]
Start Small
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Making changes can be challenging, but changes are well worth the effort when it comes to maintaining or improving your health. If you are ready to eat healthier, we recommend that you start with one small change first and then make other changes one at a time.
Rather than revamping your whole diet all at once, you can start with a simple and small change. For instance, add one serving of fruits or vegetables to any of your meals. Or try snacking on fruit instead of choosing less healthy treats like cookies or candy.
When you have met that goal, congratulate yourself! Then celebrate your success and choose another small change to work on. Lose It! and other mobile applications or online tools can help you track your progress towards healthier eating. Online programs also make it easier to stay within your calorie budget with searchable food databases.
Additional References:
- External Link to Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change
- External Link to Track Your Eating and Exercise with Lose It!
Create Realistic Goals
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Setting goals is a great way to track your progress, identify achievements, determine what is and is not working, and keep motivation high.
Take a minute to read these tips for successful goal setting. You may need to revise your goals, or set new ones, based on these tips. It's never too late to set a new goal or modify your plans.
- Be realistic. Set a goal you know you can reach. Small steps add up fast, and success will help you stay motivated.
- Be specific. Note what you plan to do, how often you'll do it, and for how long. For example: I will eat fruit for dessert after dinner on at least 4 days of the week.
- Remind yourself. Use a method you know will help you stay on track. For example: I will add my favorite fruits to my grocery list so I don't forget to buy them each week.
- Plan for change. Think about what might get in the way of your success and what you can do to stay on track. For example: If I need to attend a late meeting on Monday, I'll bring a healthy dinner with me to work.
- Reward yourself. When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy a job well done. Find simple, meaningful ways to mark your progress. Some people like the reward of spending time with people they care about, going to a movie, reading a book, or getting a massage.
Healthy Pleasures
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Eating involves more than just consuming nutrients. We eat for enjoyment and at social gatherings. So how can we maximize pleasure without eating unnecessary calories and fat? Does a healthy diet need to be dry, monotonous, and downright boring?
Healthy pleasures and healthy eating can go hand in hand. Most of us eat too quickly without really tasting the food. The key is to slow down and really savor each bite.
How to cultivate the pleasures of healthy eating
- Pay attention to the appearance, taste, texture, smell, and even sound of eating each food.
- Carefully observe the natural beauty of foods, such as a ripe tomato, deep purple eggplant, or plump apricot.
- Smell the fresh aroma of a baked loaf of bread. Much of the pleasure of taste is actually from the delicious smells.
- Relish the sweet juiciness of a ripe strawberry or a fresh orange.
- Listen to the satisfying crunch of a raw carrot or a crisp apple.
- Spice it up. Add a variety of spices to enhance the flavor, smell, and texture of foods.
Food is an easy source of pleasure. Slowing down and savoring the experience can provide more satisfaction and fewer calories. We recommend searching for pleasure in your eating experience to make food more satisfying. Pleasure may reward you twice: first in immediate enjoyment and second in health improvement. Once you know how to eat with healthy pleasure in mind, you can start looking for healthy pleasures in other parts of your life!
Additional References:
- PDF Link to Cooking Without Salt
Related Health Tools:
Classes and Coaching
- Wellness Coaching Wellness Coaching
Interactive Programs
- Online Health Coach Online Health Coach
- Take a total health assessment with Succeed™ Take a total health assessment with Succeed™
Personal Logs and Diaries
- Seven Day Food Diary Seven Day Food Diary
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.