Back in the saddle again.

Fall is certainly here, isn’t it? Complete with chilly winds and drizzly rains. I love it!

Today was a pretty perfect day if you ask me.

I woke up early (6:30 AM!!!) per my schedule I created last night and got a lot accomplished before I ever hopped in the shower.

After returning from J’s school and having lunch, I jumped right into my workout so I could have this evening free to relax and, I made a deal with myself that I could watch Biggest Loser tonight if I got through everything I was supposed to today. That was certainly motivating.

My strength training using the exercise/stability ball and resistance band I ordered went awesome today. I wish I could say the same about the 3.5 mile run that followed, but I cannot. My pace was so slow according to my HRM watch, but it did not feel that slow to me. I did enjoy my run, though, and I’m glad to be back out there after sitting out for two days in a row.

Before and after my run. Thank God for waterproof mascara, right?

When I first started running it was barely even sprinkling. And it felt great to occasionally feel the prick of some cold water on my warm skin. But then the rain picked up around the end of my first mile. I chose to just bear through it though because my best run ever (a 7-miler) happened in the rain and I don’t mind running in the rain.

By the way, did you see my new water bottle holder? I found it at the 100 Yen store and couldn’t resist since I have a hard time keeping a grip on bottles when I run. It is handy-dandy.

Breakfast:

I was so excited to wake up this morning and realize that, after making J’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he wanted to take for lunch, there was an almost empty jar of peanut butter in the apartment. This could only possibly mean one thing:

I got this idea from different bloggers I read, including Jenna and Kath. It’s simple: find a jar of peanut butter that’s almost finished off (mine had about 1 tbsp. of product left in it this morning) and add in your morning oats and whatever toppings you would like. The peanut butter melts into the oats and there’s almost nothing left in the jar when you finish.

I love this idea for a many reasons, but namely because it’s tasty, smart, and gives into my cheapskate nature to not waste anything.

I used 1 packet of Kashi Truly Vanilla oatmeal and a small banana. I don’t use a lot of extra goodies when I add in peanut butter because it leaves me so full.

Lunch:

I entered into new waters to create today’s lunch. Since it is Potatoes Be Gone Week, there was no better time to try out the okra fries Nicci posted the recipe for. I was apprehensive because I’m pretty loyal to my potato fries, so could it even be possible I would enjoy okra fries? I followed her recipe and broiled them for probably seven minutes on each side. Probably should have left them in a little longer to make them crispier (can okra get crisp?). I decided they were okay but I wasn’t impressed enough that I would buy okra again specifically for this purpose. But, if I had some okra laying around I would make them again.

My sandwich had tuna salad (made with mustard, not mayonnaise), spinach, onion, and tomato slices. It was good, but I think the veggies overtook the tuna taste.

Enjoyed these guys as a snack when I finished my workout. Yes, that’s a lot of cinnamon. I think I might have a cinnamon problem because lately I can’t get enough. These apple slices were so good.

Dinner:

It was supposed to be taco Wednesday tonight, but thoughts of spaghetti for dinner had filled my head all day. J said that sounded good to him, so we shook things up a little and had the spaghetti I was longing for. It was perfect and hit the spot. Semi-homemade sauce consisting of beef, green peppers, onion, tomatoes, and garlic, along with one packet of the meat sauce we pick up at the grocery here. There’s no Ragu in Japan… at least not in our small town.

I’m happy with how today went nutritionally and fitness-wise. I feel like I am learning to rely more on my body and less on counting calories, which is my ultimate goal. I took my measurements today and I am going to retake them in about a month, as well as getting my body fat percentage retested. I am looking forward to seeing changes in these areas much more than weight since I am almost at my goal weight anyway.

It’s early to bed tonight folks. I have to catch a 7:35 train in the morning to meet one of my new coworkers. He is allowing me to sit in on one of his classes and is going to give me some tips to get me started since my first day of work is Friday. I’m nervous, but excited at the same time.

Check out Rachel’s awesome giveaway!

Getting Fit and Staying Fit

Has it been a while since you’ve been on a regular fitness regime? No matter when you last exercised or participated in any physical activity, now is the time to start. If you’re healthy enough, don’t let another week go by without becoming involved in the benefits of a sport or exercise program.

Most of us are aware of the benefits of aerobic exercise. It improves cardiovascular health and, along with proper diet, can help in weight loss and maintenance. However, with the busy lives that we live today, many people don’t stay with an program long enough to see any of the benefits.

There are many types of programs and activities that can help you re-condition your body. The one that we’ll look at this week is, perhaps, the easiest to start. That is walking. Unlike jogging, biking or swimming, almost anyone can begin a walking routine. In fact, walking is recommended by more physicians than any other type of exercise as a way to begin a fitness program. Walking is easier on the body than jogging or biking and does not require any special equipment or even any type of special facility such as a pool or a track. You can walk anywhere. Around town, around the block or even, around the yard! The only things you need are comfortable shoes and clothing.

After consulting with your doctor, set a regular schedule for your exercise. Early morning or late afternoons are usually best, however, anytime that works well for you, works best. Remember, if you haven’t exercised in a while, start off slowly. Be sure to warm up and cool down before and after each walk. Don’t walk more than 15 – 20 minutes a day, three times a week to start. Build your routine up slowly until you can do at least 30 – 45 minutes of sustained walking, 5 – 6 times a week. Increase your pace when it is comfortable to do so.

New Me

Today I created this blog, as an attempt to track my “New World Order” fitness regime.  According to this beginners guide it’s important to track your progress as a form of motivation.  Since I’m too lazy to get wordpress running on my own machine, I decided to create this free account and get cracking.

This may well be the first and last post.  But I hope it is the first of many

New deal with James Stewart Fitness

I have recently made an arrangement with a local Wellington business, James Stewart Fitness, who offer a personal training service, amongst other things.

James works out of Exodus Health and Fitness Club on Tory St, Wellington, and offers various packages to suit individual needs and goals. Each of these packages comes with a bunch of vouchers for health and beauty services in Wellington.

I have agreed to provide a portrait photography voucher (free sitting fee valued at $150) for everyone who signs up to James’ top-end package. This is a great way for those who have set some personal health and fitness goals to reward themselves with some beautiful photos of themselves looking fantastic.

You can see a sample of Invision Photography’s portrait photos here.

Whole Upper Body is Shifting

Wow! I just can’t help but show how my front view has changed this week. My whole upper body is finally stacking over my hips. It has been a little over a month and I can honestly say I have only missed 4 days of doing my menu.

The first shot is last weeks photo: The vertical line should run right through the belly button. As you can see I like to shift my whole upper-body away from this line.

The second shot is this weeks photo: Can you see what a change? I am stacking so much better.

I am not perfect yet, but I am well on my way. Is anyone else tracking their Egoscue progress.

this week in fitness.

I had a really great week fitness wise. I worked out like a madman…er woman…..

9/26, I had a couple of awesome goals reached & I was so happy!

I did romanian deadlifts and I lifted 135 not once, but 2 times!!! That is like 10lbs more than I weigh! I am so excited that I have been faithful enough to working out & have FINALLY worked up to lifting this. I was amazed it didn’t feel heavier than what it did. I mean, you think 135lbs and you think heavy as the moon, am I right? Nah. I did it twice! YIPPEEE ME!

I also did something I never ever thought I could do……I did full deadlifts……I deadlifted 135lbs (only once, but hey…I did it!)

I had a full great workout that day!

5:3:2

Apparently your leg proportions are 5:3:2, in the ratio of thigh:calf:ankle.
(A 50cm  thigh is TINY… something I’d want )

I will consider doing those exercises

Seems that the kicking and stuff doesn’t really do much… it’s more that you’re bouncing around on one foot that is doing the job, but either way, looks like fun.

I don’t know any Korean but my idea is that you do this 3 times a day.

If you don’t want to count, they do each movement 5 times for each foot and then repeat on the other leg The beginning jump was 10 jumps.

EDIT/ I measured my thigh where they did it on the video and it seems like my thigh is 46cm circumference? I’m not really sure anymore. Her thighs don’t look like big though… for some reason I think mine are huge o_o FYI my other measurements are 33cm and 21cm. Sounds kind of okay though slightly out of proportion in comparison  to Tiffany’s legs, but hers I guess are more toned.

Keep ABreast 5K

Today LC and I participated in the HERS Breast Cancer Foundation Keep ABreast 5K, in support of Breast Cancer research.

I found out about this worthy event through Active.com, and I knew I wanted to take part in it.  I sent an email out to a bunch of friends, but LC was the only one who could make it.  Since she was there when I had a bit of a mental breakdown during the Mermaid 5K, I thought it was appropriate that we were going to do this one together.  I feel so much stronger and healthier now than I did at that 5K, and I wanted to have a good 5K experience with my sister.  She’s so kind and caring, and even though I know she didn’t mind being there for me when I needed her the last time, I really wanted to share a fun walk with her, too.

When I called LC on Wednesday to finalize our plans for meeting up today, she said the walk started at 9:30, which I thought was rather late, but was glad for the extra time, since Quarry Lakes in Fremont is about 30 minutes from each of our houses.  We got there and told them we’d arrived, got our t-shirts (which you see in the photo above), and kind of hung out for a bit.  We snapped some photos (which you can see in the Picasa album, below), hit the restroom, and were enjoying the atmosphere.

Then, the 10K runners were starting to arrive at the finish line and it was a bit after 9:30 and I began wondering what time our 5K Walk was going to start, since it was a little after 9:30.  We asked a volunteer and she said that it had already started.  WTF?  We walked back to the registration desk and asked them, and they said that yes, it had started at 9am.  It turns out that the website where we registered for the event (AllSportCentral.com) had the incorrect information.  Wouldn’t you know it?!  LC got peeved, which is so out of character for her, but I told her that it was over with now, so we should just move on from here.  She asked if I wanted to do the 5K anyway, and I said I did, but part of me didn’t want to be the very last ones to finish and have everyone think we’d taken FOREVER to complete the 5K.  (There I go worrying about what other people think again!).  LC convinced me that it didn’t matter, and that we should just get on with it so that we could start our 5K.

So we headed out along the same route that everyone else had taken.  It was 9:48 when we started, and it was already getting HOT!  Still, the views were so beautiful and we were ready to get started.  One nice thing was that I wasn’t feeling pressure to walk really fast because no one was around us.  We started out at a fairly slow pace, which is the thing that both Jimmy and the people at TNT told me to do.  It’s better to warm your muscles up slowly and then build your pace, rather than going like gangbusters from the beginning, as I usually like to do.  I think I just get so excited with the start of these walks that I want to go as fast as possible, but that ends up hurting me in the end.  So, we continued along at our steady pace.

After about 1/2 a mile (there weren’t markers up, so I’m not positive how far we’d gone), we saw our first group of volunteers cheering us on.  Of course, I had to explain to them that we just started the race about an hour late, which is why we were so far behind.  My ego just doesn’t quit.  LOL.  I also wanted to let them know that they didn’t have to wait for us to finish, since we were so late, and they said they wouldn’t.  LC and I just kept walking and talking and enjoying the day.  Soon enough, we arrived at another volunteer who started cheering us on (literally.  She must have been a cheerleader).  As we approached a large hill, I increased my stride and really got a faster pace going.  LC mentioned that she noticed that whenever we were near the volunteers cheering us on, I picked up my pace.  I guess the positive reinforcement really did help me move a bit faster!

We hit mile 2 and knew that we were almost finished.  We couldn’t believe how fast we were going!  I checked my watch and saw that we were making really good time.  Plus, I didn’t have ANY numbness in my feet at all.  I can’t tell you how encouraging that is! I guess losing this weight and becoming much more active really has helped whatever was causing the numbness.  It’s still a mystery, but at least I know I’m better.

We finished the 5K in 45 minutes, which is a new personal best for both LC and me!!!!  That means we were doing 15 minute miles, which is literally faster than I’ve every gone before!!!!!!  I am smiling wide as I type that right now, because I am so happy with myself and my progress.  I’m proud of all of the strides I’ve made in terms of my health, and this is just one more indication that I’m getting stronger and healthier.

To top it off, I burned 495 calories during the 5K, according to my BodyBugg, which is fantastic!  That’s about the same amount I burn when I’m working out for an hour with Jimmy.

I will say that right before we finished the 5K, I was experiencing a slight bit of numbness in my feet, but nothing compared to the complete numbness that I used to feel.  This was a complete turnaround from where I was less than 6 months ago, which is terrific progress.

I feel so great about today’s 5K, that I found another one that I’m going to walk in: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K.  It’s on October 31st in San Jose right near my house, which is so convenient.

You can click on the thumbnail below to see photos of the 5K:

HERS Foundation Keep ABreast 5K

All about Cholesterol

All About Cholesterol by Ryan Andrews, September 7th, 2009. What is high cholesterol? Do you have a liver? Then you produce cholesterol. Our liver produces anywhere from 1-2 grams of cholesterol per day. Production can decrease when we eat cholesterol-rich foods and increase when we eat foods without cholesterol. Cholesterol’s name comes from the Greek words kholē, or bile (since it was first isolated from gallstones), and stereos, or solid, which indicates that it’s part of a class of molecules that are known collectively as sterols. (The term “steroids” comes from this common root.) Cholesterol is necessary to produce vitamin D, steroid hormones, and bile acids. It’s also a component of cell membranes. Lipoproteins Cholesterol is fatty and doesn’t mix well with blood, so it travels in our blood via a protein “wrapper” known as a lipoprotein (the prefix “lipo” is similar to “lipid”, and both come from the Greek lipos, meaning fat). We often hear about HDL and LDL cholesterol — these actually aren’t “cholesterols” per se but rather the protein “wrappers” that transport the cholesterol. HDL, aka high-density lipoprotein, aka “good cholesterol”, mops up excess cholesterol and brings it to the liver for disposal. LDL, aka low-density lipoprotein, aka “bad cholesterol”, also has an important job: it transports cholesterol and fat from the liver to the rest of the body. LDL’s bad rep occurs because it’s also the main ingredient in vessel plaque. LDL cholesterol seems to be the most problematic when it comes to heart and vessel health, as it’s fragile and susceptible to oxidation. Oxidation is bad news. Another lipoprotein, called Lp(a), can help restore damaged blood vessels in a healthy body. But some people have too much Lp(a), and it can concentrate at the damaged artery sites, leading to plaque buildup. No, it’s not a lard donut. It’s your arteries all gummed up with plaque. Why is high cholesterol so important? There appears to be an association between elevated cholesterol and risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease. 210 mg/dl is the average cholesterol level for those in developed countries. This level predicts a 50% chance of premature death due to atherosclerosis. Bummer. Going from 200 mg/dl to 260 mg/dl bumps up chance of death by 500%. The Framingham study showed that no one has died of cardiovascular disease while having a cholesterol level below 150 mg/dl. Optimal levels of blood cholesterol Just getting blood cholesterol right under 200 mg/dl might not be enough. 35% of heart attacks that occurred in the Framingham study were in those with “normal” cholesterol, between 151 mg/dl and 200 mg/dl. Some have argued that the association between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, part of a theory of heart disease known as the lipid hypothesis, is minimal at best. Still, other experts have stated that maintaining a low cholesterol level (less than 150 mg/dL) can protect us against cardiovascular disease. “Regularly maintaining a cholesterol level of less than 150 mg/dl makes one practically heart attack proof and insures against further progression of the disease.” –Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn “Heart disease is virtually unknown in regions where cholesterol is under 150.” –Dr. T. Colin Campbell “Only a cholesterol level below 150 is satisfactory.” –Dr. Joel Fuhrman “We’ve never had a heart attack in Framingham in 35 years in anyone who had a cholesterol level under 150…Three-quarters of the people who live on the face of this Earth never have a heart attack. They live in Asia, Africa, and South America, and their cholesterols are all around 150.” –Dr. William Castelli “Heart disease is almost non-existent in places where blood cholesterol is very low. If your cholesterol is around 160 mg/dl or less, your risk of heart disease is virtually zero.” –Dr. Terry Shintani Gosh, it seems like lower is always better. Not so fast. Some data indicate that low cholesterol levels are associated with depression and cerebral hemorrhage. And consider the Greek island of Crete. Not a single heart attack was registered among a half million people during a ten year study period. Yet, the average citizen of Crete has a cholesterol level above 200. This might be due to the protective effect of unprocessed fats (think Mediterranean diet). While cholesterol seems to play an important role in cardiovascular disease, it’s definitely not the only factor involved. What’s up with this? Is cholesterol to blame? So what’s the point of cholesterol? Cholesterol has a number of important metabolic functions, as described above. A higher cholesterol intake might be associated with greater muscle growth. Why? Well, cholesterol is the precursor to important anabolic hormones that are related to muscle growth/repair. Cholesterol is also the basis for other reproductive hormones such as other androgens and estrogens. (Short version: no cholesterol, no sex hormones.) Cholesterol is an essential component of biological membranes and helps to increase membrane viscosity, which increases the exposure of membrane proteins to compounds coming in from outside the cell. What you should know about high cholesterol 1 in 3 North Americans has high cholesterol and 200 million prescriptions for cholesterol lowering drugs were written in 2008. We know that cholesterol levels can be managed by nearly everyone via nutrition and lifestyle modifications, so why do millions use cholesterol lowering drugs? Because it takes work to control cholesterol. And perhaps because the production and sale of statin drugs is one of the most lucrative pharmaceutical markets. Statin drugs are one of the top two selling drug classes in the US. (The other is drugs to combat gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD.) With the exception of generic lovastatin (about $30/month), depending on the type of statin, consumers can pay $70-150 per month for a prescription… often for life. (Statins and reflux drugs… kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?) What type of decrease in LDL can we expect from our diet? Type of eating style % decrease in LDL cholesterol American Heart Association Standard Guidelines 6% Atkins Style (higher protein and fat) No significant changes Lower fat, plant-based, still including dairy and eggs 16% Mediterranean No significant changes Statin drugs 26% 100% plant-based diet, well planned, with nutrient dense foods 33% Some nutrition/lifestyle data have indicated a 40% drop in LDL over the course of one year. So, if your LDL is 150 mg/dl and you incorporate the recommendations in this article, one year from today, your LDL could be 90 mg/dl. Take that, statins. How to control blood cholesterol Let’s outline what we can do to control blood cholesterol. #1: Get and stay lean The eyeball test is sufficient here – if someone looks fat, they are fat. Gaining bodyfat will likely increase blood cholesterol. If body fat decreases, cholesterol will too. #2: Eat at least 10 servings of vegetables and fruits each day There are countless substances in food that have cholesterol lowering properties. Many are found in vegetables and fruits. If you really want to make a dent in your cholesterol, aim for about 90% of your food intake each day to be from vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and nuts/seeds. #3: Eat at least 1 cup of whole grains each day Eating whole grain foods is associated with a 15 to 25% reduction in premature death from all causes. In fact, researchers found that those who ate 6 or more servings of whole grains a week had less plaque in their arteries that those who ate whole grains less often. Eating 3 or more serving of whole grains each day means a 30% lower risk of atherosclerotic disease. We speak only of WHOLE grains; processed carbs will cause your HDL to take a nose dive. #4: Eat at least 1 cup of legumes each day Legumes are fiber rich. Fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract. Take that, bile acid sequestrants. #5: Eat at least 1/3 cup of nuts/seeds each day Clearly, you’d want raw instead of the sugared/roasted variety. These nutrition powerhouses are seriously cholesterol lowering. #6: Eat/supplement with omega-3s (algae or fish oils) Foods and supplements with omega-3 fats have been reported in several large clinical studies to reduce LDL levels. #7: Exercise at least 5 hours per week Sweat for at least 5 hours each week. Mix it up between resistance training, conditioning, and flexibility. This is one of the few ways to boost HDL. #8: Eat plenty of herbs and spices This includes ginger, garlic, and curcumin. Ginger can increase circulation and curcumin can block cholesterol uptake in the gut. Even cocoa can help. Flavonoid rich chocolate can decrease LDL, increase HDL, and reduce platelet stickiness. See All About Chocolate for more. #9: Limit meat, processed foods, trans fats and dairy Lots of meat and trans fat seem to be a bad deal for blood cholesterol. Some grass-fed, organic type of meat is fine, but if the factory raised stuff is the foundation of your diet, you may run into cholesterol issues. For trans fat, processed foods and dairy – aim for as little as possible to maximize your cholesterol control. #10: Drink at least 4 cups of tea each day Tea can help to lower blood cholesterol, reduce arterial plaque, improve blood vessel function, and decrease lipid oxidation. If you drink coffee or soda, aim for the lower caffeine varieties. Caffeine can increase cholesterol levels by nearly 10%. Finally, if you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start. If you do, only use it in small amounts, see All About Alcohol for more. A note on supplements With all supplements, don’t run out to the vitamin store and fill your pockets. Chat with your doc first and consider what you really need. Red rice yeast extract – This stuff actually contains the same ingredient found in statin drugs. This should be taken under your doctor’s supervision – powerful stuff. 600 to 1200 mg twice a day with food. Omega-3 oils – Anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting. They can also help to convert small dense LDL particles into larger buoyant versions. That’s a good thing. 1 to 4 grams a day. Niacin (vitamin B3) – This can increase HDL while decreasing LDL and Lp(a). Watch out for niacin-induced flushing, which is the result of vasodilatation. Decrease the flushing by taking the niacin with food or a small dose of aspirin. Too much B3 can cause liver stress and toxicity. 500 to 2000 mg daily with food. L-carnitine – This stuff can help to control Lp(a). 1 gram twice per day can be helpful. Plant sterols/stanols –These are found naturally in many plant foods and can trap dietary cholesterol in the gut, so it’s best to consume them with meals. We get approximately 200-500 mg of sterols and 20-60 mg of stanols in the average diet. Many foods are now being fortified with them (e.g., orange juice, margarine, etc.). 2 grams of sterols/stanols per day might be effective. A note about dietary cholesterol Dietary cholesterol has minimal impact on blood cholesterol for most individuals. In general, eggs don’t seem to have a negative effect on blood cholesterol measures. Omega-3 eggs might even have a beneficial effect since they improve key blood proteins and decrease blood glucose. Summary and recommendations Get and stay lean Eat at least 10 servings of vegetables and fruits each day Eat at least 1 cup of whole grains each day Eat at least 1 cup of legumes each day Eat at least 1/3 cup of nuts/seeds each day Eat/supplement with omega-3’s (algae or fish oils) Exercise at least 5 hours per week Eat plenty of herbs and spices Limit meat, processed foods, trans fats and dairy Drink at least 4 cups of tea each day Extra credit If you decrease your LDL cholesterol by 1%, you decrease your chance of cardiovascular death by 2% to 3%. If you increase your HDL by 1 mg/dl, you decrease your chance of cardiovascular death by 2% to 3%. In those who eat a plant-based diet, a high potassium/manganese ratio can bump up blood cholesterol. Extremely low levels of sodium can also contribute to an increased LDL. Some experts claim that nearly all people over the age of 40 who are sedentary and eat a Standard American Diet are found to have a significant amount of atherosclerosis in their coronary arteries. In 2007: More than one million coronary angioplasties were performed in the U.S. More than 400,000 coronary bypass operations were performed in the U.S. The cost was more than $100 billion Plant sterols have now been found in atherosclerotic plaques – which might be a bad thing. A Harvard-led study author reported: “High triglycerides alone increased the risk of heart attack nearly three-fold. And people with the highest ratio of triglycerides to HDL — the “good” cholesterol — had 16 times the risk of heart attack as those with the lowest ratio of triglycerides to HDL in the study of 340 heart attack patients and 340 of their healthy, same age counterparts. The ratio of triglycerides to HDL was the strongest predictor of a heart attack, even more accurate than the LDL/HDL ratio (Circulation 1997;96:2520-2525).” Further resources No More Heart Attacks – Ever Heart Disease Risk Calculator References Eat For Health, Fuhrman J. The Spectrum, Ornish D. Riechman SE, et al. Statins and dietary and serum cholesterol are associated with increased lean mass following resistance training. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2007;62:1164-1171. Consumers’ Union. The Statin Drugs: Prescription and Price Trends – November 2004 to October 2005. January 2006. Role of Plant Stanol Esters in Cholesterol Management: Enhancing the Efficacy of Diet and Statin Therapy. Am J Cardiol 2005;96(Supplement):1-54 Reverse Heart Disease Now, Sinatra ST, et al. Craig WJ. Health effects of vegan diets. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1627S-1633S. King DE, et al. Adherence to healthy lifestyle habits in US adults, 1988-2006. Am J Med 2009;122:528-534. Walker C & Reamy BV. Diets for cardiovascular disease prevention: what is the evidence? Am Fam Physician 2009;79:571-578. Mente A, et al. A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med 2009;169:659-669. Fraser GE. Vegetarian diets: what do we know of their effects on common chronic diseases. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1607S-1612S. Pollan M. In Defense of Food. 2008. Penguin Press. Jenkins DJA, et al. The effect of a plant-based low-carbohydrate (‘Eco-Atkins’) diet on body weight and blood lipid concentrations in hyperlipidemic subjects. Arch Int Med 2009;169:1046. Devries SR. What your doctor may not tell you about cholesterol. Warner Wellness. 2007. Herper M. How many people take cholesterol drugs? 2008. http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/29/cholesterol-pharmacuticals-statins-biz-cx_mh_1030cholesterol.html Taubes G. Good Calories Bad Calories. 2007. Knopf. Categories: Advanced Diet and Sports Nutrition Articles, All About Food & Nutrition, All About Health & Disease

GLAMOUR is an appearance of enhanced attractiveness (2)

ამ პოსტში მინდა ისევ დავუბრუნდე გლამურის თემას
            მაშ ასე – რა არის კონკრეტულად გლამური? ეს შეკითხვა ყოველთვის აზრთა სხვადასხვაობას ბადებს თვით მოდისა და სტილის სპეციალისტებშიც კი. ზოგისთვის გლამური არის ახალგაზრდული, ბრჭყვიალა და ფერადი სტილი, ზოგისთვის კი ფუფუნება და ყველაზე ძვირფასი ნივთები, იქნება ეს ტანისამოსი თუ აქსესუარები.
             აი რაც შეეხება საფრანგეთს, ფრანგებს გლამური ცოტა სხვანაირად ესმით, მათთვის ეს არის უფრო ქცევის ნორმა ვიდრე ტანსაცმელი და გარეგნობა. ისინი გლამურს უწოდებენ სილამაზეს რომელიც სავსეა შარმით, მომხიბვლელობით და მაცდურობით.
              თუმცა ყველა გაგებით გლამური არის სურვილი იყო გამორჩეული არა მხოლოდ მასებიდან, არამედ შენს მსგავსებს შორისაც.

 

   თუ პატარა ისტორიულ ექსკურსს გავაკეთებთ, პირველ გლამურულ ქალბატონებად უდაოდ ითვლებიან კინო ვარსკვლავები, მათი სტილი და ჩაცმულობა ყოველთვის იყო მიბაძვისა და გახილვის საგნები. მათი ჩაცმულობის მიხედვით იცვლებოდა სტილი მაყორებელთა შორისაც, ვამპირული სtილი, ვეერები, ღრმა დეკოლტეები, გრძელი ხელთათმანები, მრავალფეროვანი თავსაბურავები, ამოჭრილ ზურგებიანი კაბები, გრძელი მუნდშტუკები და ასე შემდეგ.
     დღეისათვის კი გასული საუკუნის დახვეწილობა და შიკი აბსოლუტურად შეიცვალა გაცილებით ხელოვნურობით და თეატრალობით, აღარ არის ისეთი ქალური როგორც გასულ საუკუნეი. დღევანდელი ვარსკვლავების სამყაროში გლამური იკარგება სინამდვილეში, ტანისამოსს იცმევენ და აქსესუარებს იკეთებენ არა იმიტომ რომ მოსახერხებელია, არამედ იმიტომ რომ სხვებს დაანახონ. დღეისათვის გლამური არის ფარდა რომელიც სინამდვილეს ფარავს გარშემომყოფთაგან (ჩემი სუბიექტური აზრი).
          გლამური არის სხვადასხვაგვარი – ზოგი თამაშობს მას ზოგი კი ცხოვრობს გლამურით. ეს თანამედროვე მოდასავიტაა, ზოგი მას აკოპირებს ზოგი კი საკუთარი სტილის მიხედვით იხდენს. თუ ადამიანი ხარ საკუთარ თავში დარწმუნებული, თუ გინდა გქონდეს საკუთარი სტილი, გინდა იყო გლამურული- გამორჩეული სხვებისგან, მაშინ კეთილი იყოს ნeბისმიერი თქვენტაგანის მობრძანება – დაიმახსოვრეთ რომ ნამდვილი გლამური არის დახვეწილი უბრალოება და არა გადმოღებული მანერები და სარკის წინ ნავარჯიშები პოზები.

 

ჩემი პირადი რჩევები ასეთი იქნებოდა: კარგია გლამურულობა, მაგრამ ადამიანმა ყოველტვის უნდა შეინარჩუნოს თავისი გემოვნება და სტილი, როგორიც არ უნდა იყოს იგი. სხვებისთვის მიბაძვა და სხვებთან გათანაბრების სურვილი უკვე კარგავს შენს პირადულს შენში და უკვე იკარგები როგორც ინდივიდი. ანუ უპირველეს ადგილზე უნდა დააყენო შენი საკუთარი გემოვნება და სტილი. ხოლო დანარჩენს პატარ პატარა მცდელობებით ისედაც მიაღწევ. მაგალითად, იყო გლამურული უკვე ავტომატურად ნიშნავს რომ უნდა გამოიყურებოდე კარგად. კარგად გამოიყურებოდე ნიშნავს იყო ლამაზი, ხოლო სილამაზე კი პირდაპირ კავშირშია თავის მოვლასთან. დაიწერეთ თუნდაც სარკეზე მარკერით, რომ ყოველთვის უნდა იყოთ ფორმაში, არ აქვს მნიშვნელობა სახლში zიხარ, ოფისში, ძაღლის გასასეირნებლად მიხიდარ, პურზე ჩადიხარ თუ სადმე “შიკარნი” წვეულებაზე.
 მიხედეთ სხეულის ყველა ნაწილს, გარეგნობის ყველა დეტალს და მხოლოდ შემდეგ ჩაცმულობას. დამიჯერეთ არც ერთი უდახვეწილესი კაბა არ გამოჩნდება ლამაზი თქვენს სხეულზე თუ თმა გექნებათ დaსაბანი ან თუ ქერტლი გექნებათ თმაში.

           რატომღაც ძალიან ბევრი ადამიანი ფიქრობს რომ სილამაზე და თავის მოვლა დაკავშირებულია აუცილებლად ძალიან დიდ თანხებთან, მაგრამ დამიჯერეთ ნამდვილად არ არის ეს ასე. რა თქმა უნდა იმაზე დიდი სიამოვნება არაფერია 1-წლიანი აბონემენტი რომ გაქვს რომელიმე ძალიან მაგარი სპა სალონის, მაგრამ სახლშიც ხომ შეიძლება მოიწყო სპა პროცედურები თუნდაც საკუთარ აბაზანაში ან გაიკეთო სხვადასხვა სახის ნიღბები. რა თქმა უნდა უდიდესი სიამოვნებაა კარგ ფიტნეს კლუბში, კარგ ტრენაჟორებზე, კარგ ინტერიერში, მეგობრებთან ერთად ვარჯიში და სხეულზე ზრუნვა, მაგრამ დამიჯერეთ იგივე შიგიძლიათ საკუთარ სახლში, თუნდაც ჰულა-ჰუპით.

ასე რომ დაიწყეთ ელემენტარულით და მალე პიკებს მიაღწევთ.

გაგრძელება თემაზე “გლამური” აუცილებლად იქნება

Hoopilates | Hula Hoop Pilates - Huh?

There’s a new fitness craze that I think will go big really soon. It’s called Hoopilates and it’s a cross between hula hopping and pilates. There’s a lot of people that think it’s a gimmick, but I think it will really take off and who ever starts making instructional dvd’s to sell through infomercials will be the next fitness millionaire!

Oh wait! Someone already has. At least almost. A hoopilates instructor in New York by the name of Christabel Zamor started a dvd series called HoopGirl which gets its participants hula hooping and doing pilates to funky grooves like Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

Once thought of as a fad, Hoopilates is starting to really be taken seriously in the fitness industry through the personal success stories and testimonials of many women.

One woman in particular used Hoopilates to get into shape for her wedding dress.

Hoopilates started in city parks across the U.S. in major metropolitan areas such as New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Time Magazine has even gotten into Hoopilates and wrote a page long article on their website.

Checkout the video below of women being interviewed and exercising during a Hoopilates workout in New York:

Time Magazine Article: Hula Hooping A Fad Becomes a Real Fitness Tool

HoopGirl: Website

Using Exercise As Business Motivation

Of course, we all know exercise is good for us, even if we don’t do it. It can help us stay at a healthy weight, increase metabolism, boost our immune system function, and so on. One thing many of us might not know, though, is that it’s also good for business.

Why is this so? Because exercise keeps us healthier in general, we call in sick less often. It also boosts emotional health as well as physical health, so we are more motivated when we’re at work.

How Does It Improve Motivation?

If you start a regular excise program, you have to be disciplined. Sometimes, it’s hard to get started in the beginning, but it’s generally easier to keep going once you’ve established a routine. You might even begin to look forward to it, since working out also boosts emotional health and increases “feel-good” hormones called endorphins. This means that once you get started, working out can be its own motivation. And ultimately, that motivation can carry over into the rest of your life as well.

Because exercise is an overall energy booster, it improves mental clarity as well. It makes us healthier overall, which lets us function better mentally. And it won’t take long at all to see the effects. Within about two weeks, you should begin to see very positive results both physically and mentally.

If you’re having trouble getting started, start small. A short walk can do amazing things without much effort at all. If you’re frustrated or stuck on something, take a short break, take a brisk walk to clear your head, and then go back to the problem. Likely, you’ll find that you’ve discovered the solution while you were out. It helps you refocus once you’ve taken a few minutes to relax and simply let your body move around a bit, as well as giving your mind or rest.

Finding the Time to Exercise

Of course, everyone’s busy, and exercise is often a last priority. However, working out can actually make you more efficient, which will give you time for other things. The hardest part about exercise is getting started.

If you can, try working out early in the morning. This can give you a great start to your day by increasing alertness and feelings of vitality. If you work out early in the morning, you also get the workout over before you even start the rest of your day, which means after work, you can simply go home and enjoy your free time.

Many people work out after their workday is over, and this is fine. However, take care that you don’t do it too late. If you work out too late, you’ll interfere with proper sleep, since you have “revved your engines,” so to speak, making it hard to calm down and go to bed. If you exercise later in the day, make sure it’s at least two to three hours before you go to bed.

If exercising both before and after work is impossible, simply schedule “mini-workouts” during lunch or break times. You still get the benefits of exercise in smaller doses, and it will still increase your energy and make you more efficient. You might also find that the extra motivation in energy will let you get more work done in less time, so that you’ll then find the time to begin working out before after work.

Exercising is a wonderful tool for mental clarity, positive attitude, and increased motivation. In addition to the other benefits it provides, this is a positive boost to your business. Give working out a try and see what it does for you.

Author: Robert Williams
Article Source: http://www.articleinfo.org

Workout Wednesday- "Changing with the Seasons"

As the seasons change, be aware of how you feel and change with them. We too, change with the seasons.

Hey everyone. How are you doing this week? I know I’ve been hearing a lot of people say they are a little low energy or feeling a bit off emotionally. I am experiencing something similar, but I do believe it’s all a part of the Summer ending and the Fall beginning. As the seasons change, so do we, and I think many of us are feeling the shift internally. Instead of sitting around moping, I think it’s a good time to get even more active. Throw yourself into your workout routine and really push the envelope.

For example, I have been really craving the gym lately, even more than usual, so I am going to capitalize on that. I am also eating quite a bit more, so I have some extra calories I need to burn, LOL. They have actually turned out to be a great source of fuel for my workouts. However, today it hit me. I’ve been doing the same amount of sets of my full body circuit, for about 4 months now. Even when I make the exercises harder, it only challenges me a little bit more. So in order for me to really crank it up, and make the most of where I am internally, I am going to add an extra set or two of my full body circuit. So on the days I do 2 sets, I’ll do 3 and on the days I do 3 sets, I’ll do 4!!! Yep, this should be interesting to see what happens. My body, mind and spirit seem to be really craving more of everything, so I am just going to trust that and go with it.

Where are you internally? Do you feel the shift of the seasons inside of you? Are you feeling a bit like you need to shift things in your life as a result? If so, let me know! I’d love to help you figure out a good way to compliment your life with a few good fitness tips. Please leave your questions and comments here for me on the blog! Here’s To Your Health!!!

ATTIVITA' DELLA SCUOLA ROSSOTANGO PER L'ANNO 2009/2010

Tutte le attività che si possono svolgere presso l’associazione culturale ROSSOTANGO le potete trovare nella sezione CORSI DI TANGO e nella sezione BENESSERE E FITNESS

Sono confermati i seguenti corsi di Tango Argentino:

- PRINCIPIANTI – Mercoledì dalle 18.00 alle 19.30

- PRINCIPIANTI – Giovedì dalle 20.00 alle 21.30

- INTERMEDI(1) – Giovedì dalle 21.30 alle 23.00

- INTERMEDI(2) – Lunedì dalle 20.15 alle 21.45

- AVANZATI – Lunedì dalle 21.45 alle 23.15

P.S. per i nuovi iscritti la prima lezione è di prova.

ROSSOTANGO viale Giustiniano Imperatore, 22 – ROMA (a 50m dalla METRO B San Paolo) tel. 06 89531523

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DOMENICA dalle 21.00 alle 23.30

PRATICA AL PARCO SCHUSTER

La Pratica è utile per rafforzare e approfondire gli argomenti che si studiano a lezione, ma è anche un momento per ballare e stare tutti insieme. LA PRATICA E’ APERTA A TUTTI, ANCHE AI NON ISCRITTI ALLA SCUOLA e si balla anche con il maltempo perché siamo al coperto!

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Domenica 27 settembre, prima della pratica, ultima lezione gratuita di Avvicinamento al Tango dalle ore 20.00 alle 21.00

Vi aspetto con i vostri amici!

Centro Polivalente Parco Schuster (all’interno del Parco di San Paolo)

Viale di San Paolo, 1 – ROMA

INFO Antonella Mazzetti 347 6251495

Triathlon Hiatus

You may have noticed that just a over a month ago, I boldy stated that I would be participating in a few triathlons during the month of September (notably the Long Beach Tri and the Hermosa Beach Tri). As luck would have it though, these events tend to be quite pricer than I had originally imagined (isn’t everything when you’re employment challenged for the time being). So, I had to make choices between such categories as “Buy groceries in order to imbibe the nutrition I need to live” or “Do a Triathlon.”

Sorry, Tri. Next time. If anyone did participate in a Triathlon recently and wants to tell me about it, I am more than happy to live vicariously through you!

I am however considering staging my own small-scale triathlon. I could bike to the pool, then swim, then bike around some more, then run around for thirty minutes or so. Or perhaps Ken could take me down to the ocean, and I could swim a few yards in the terrifying waters, then bike down Huntington Pier, then run while Ken basks in the sand.

I think home-grown tris are the future.*

*Not children. Obviously.

Mind Muscle Connection

After reading the title, you may be wondering, “What is a mind muscle connection?” It is a workout technique used to keep you motivated to succeed during your exercise routine. In the mind muscle connection, you to feel and see your muscle working instead of just going through the motions of your workout.

How can you do this?

It is quite simple. Take one or two seconds before each set of your workout routine, sprint or exercise activity and mentally focus yourself on the task at hand. Picture yourself lifting the weight or doing the sprint and then go and do it. This simple strategy will allow you to psyche yourself up and think through what you are about to do. Instead of day dreaming during your workout, focus, feel and see your muscles working instead.

Blue Skys

Brown rice cakes, peanut butter for breakfast! Very creamy and delicious. I really enjoy variety’s of carbohydrates. Instead of bread and oats all the time its nice to mix some rice, fruit, or even some veggies for some energy.

On the way to school I looked at the sky practically the whole drive. The sky looked like a water color picture you’d see in art museums Blue with golden tints that look like lava or something. A very unique picture the sky presented with us today.

I made a chicken salad for lunch today. Very healthy and loaded with protein! I made it at Giant Eagles market districts salad bar. They have so much yummy things to add. I was tempted to add the organic tofu, but I thought that would clash with the chicken salad typo. When making a salad think “colors”, the more different colors the better the salads nutritionally for you. I added some spinach for green, onions for purple, chicken for white, carrots for orange, and mushrooms for gray.

• Lots of Chicken
• 2  Handful’s of spinach
• 1/3 cup onions
• 1/3 cup carrots
• 1/3 cup mushrooms
• 2tbs red wine vinegar

The calories from the salad are mostly from the chicken, which is a good thing. I like red wine vinegar on my salads because its 0 calories compared to 100-200 that salad dressing has. Its a great alternative, and tastes exactly like balsamic only a little more sour.
Pre-workout snacks a purefit bar. The bars really good because it has 18g of protein, and is 100% natural and low GI. The taste however is pretty bad in my opinion, at least the almond crunch is. Very dry texture, kinda like a powerbar performance bar, it even looks like a performance bar! . Its not the worst and not the best though, Clif builders bar better in flavor but a little higher in fat. Same protein, calorie content.

Dinner was 2 palm sized chickens, brown rice, and green beans. I didnt post a picture because I used dinner as my post-workout meal, and I was way to hungry to take pictures .

My workout I did today was really good, I made it myself! called “The Count Down” .

(Biceps)

Step 1
bodybar curl 2mins
squat jumps 1min
bodybar curl 1min
squat jumps 30 seconds
bodybar curl 30 seconds
Step 2
Dumbbell curl 10 reps
rest 10 seconds
Dumbbell curl 10 reps
rest 10 seconds
Dumbbell curl 10 reps

(Triceps)

Step1
dumbbell kick back 2mins
bike 1min
dumbbell kick back 1min
bike 30 seconds
dumbbell kick back 30 seconds
Step2
Dumbbell kick back 10 reps
rest 10 seconds
Dumbbell kick back 10 reps
rest 10 seconds
Dumbbell kick back 10 reps

(Chest)

Step 1
pushups 1min
Sumo squat jumps 1min
pushups 30 seconds
Sumo squat jumps 30 seconds
push ups 10 seconds
Step2
bar pushups 10
rest 10 seconds
bar pushups 10
rest 10 seconds
bar pushups 10

(Shoulders)

Duel Dumbbell row 1min
Split Squats
Duel Dumbbell row 30 seconds
Split Squats
Duel dumbbell row 20 seconds
Step2
Duel dumbbell row 10
rest 10 seconds
Duel dumbbell row 10
rest 10 seconds
Duel dumbbell row 10

(Abs)

Bodybar V ups 2mins
Mountain Climbers 1min
Bodybar V ups 1min
Mountain Climbers 30 seconds
Bodybar v ups 30 seconds
Step2
Crunch to side 30
rest 10 seconds
Crunch to side 30
rest 10 seconds
Crunch to side 30

(Back)

Bodybar overhead press 1min
Calf Raises 1min
Bodybar overhead press 30 seconds
Calf Raises 30 seconds
Bodybar overhead press 10 seconds
Step2
Dumbbell overhead press 10
rest 10 seconds
Dumbbell overhead press 10
rest 10 seconds
Dumbbell overhead press 10

What happened to a "rest" day?

So today was supposed to be a “rest” day but with our Halloween Challenge beginning today, I rested yesterday and started the challenge today instead.  And I started it off with a bang – I decided to do Insanity Max Cardio Intervals!

As if the first level wasn’t hard enough, Shaun takes it up a notch!!! OUCH! 

Is it just me or is the very moment you begin to workout when everyone seems to need your attention?  And they don’t seem to mind the fact that I’ve just changed from regular mom to MONSTER MOM ON A MISSION.  Why is it that they choose that moment to need to talk for a second, or to as questions, or my favorite, argue???  Can’t they see that I’m barely breathing in and out as it is???

Okay, enough ranting…no, I didn’t kill anyone.  I made it through the workout alive (barely) and can now understand why they say it can burn up to 1000 calories.  I modified several times throughout in order to alleviate the back pain from the plyometric moves that put me out of the game a month ago.  Luckily, it didn’t have a lot of plyo in this workout.  But here’s the thing…I didn’t give up!  I recognized that I have a limitation and worked AROUND it.  The workout was still extremely hard but I pushed past my comfort level, did as much as I possibly could (my legs literally gave out) and I was a success because of it.

So, Day 1 of the challenge has been good overall…to give an example for those of you following along and needing the extra assistance -

Breakfast – 1 c cottage cheese, 1/2 c sliced strawberries, 3 tbsp Kashi Go-Lean Crunch, 1 160z coffee with 1/2 & 1/2 and a splash of sugar free caramel syrup, 16 oz water

Snack – 14 almonds, 32 oz water

Lunch – 2 c Spring Mix greens, 1 c. cherry tomatoes, 4 oz grilled chicken breast, 2 tbsp sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp feta cheese, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 1/4 pear, 1 can Coke Zero (my last so it doesn’t tempt now). 32 oz water

Dinner – 1 whole wheat tortilla, 4 oz ground turkey breast, sliced tomatoes, 2 oz shredded cheese, lettuce, 1/8 avocado (if that much), jalapenos, 32 oz water

Snack – Choco-PB Banana Shakeology

Workouts – Insanity Max Cardio Intervals (58 min), walk/jog w/kids (30 min)

There you go…that was how my Sunday looks (looked).

Remember, I don’t expect or ask anyone to change their diet at all this week.  This is just so you guys can see what mine looks like and get some ideas of how you can incorporate healthier ingredients into your normal foods and meals.  Nor do I expect anyone to workout for 90 minutes a day.  I do because I can and I want to.  The idea is to start off doing AT LEAST 30 minutes in your “fat burning” zone.  (see the Halloween Challenge Week 1 post on how to figure that out).

So, let’s get as many people involved in this as we can.  Tell your friends, call your family…the more people involved, the more success we have!    I support you, you support them, they support you…it’s all one big circle of success!  Send them the link (www.getfitwithtina.com), or have them add me on Facebook or Twitter.  By the way, Carl D. (CEO of Beachbody) is excited for the success you are about to find.  So take pictures, get video of you (or your group) working out.  Let’s show him exactly how much fun we know fitness can be when we do it together!

Tell me how you did today!  What workouts did you do?

Corpo Perfeito

A beleza é uma experiência, um processo cognitivo ou mental relacionada à percepção de elementos que agradam de forma singular aquele que a experimenta. Aciência não tem ainda explicação para o processo.

Crio-se uma espécie de surperstição em torno da gordura. ” Se você é gordo nunca se casará”., “Nunca terá bom emprego”., ” Nunca fará sexo” e etc…

Nínguem assume que está incomodado com a gordura, dizem que  estão preocupados com nossa saúde. (Marylin Wann, escritora)

Em nenhuma época da história, o corpo magro adquiriu um sentido de corpo ideal e esteve tão em evidência.

Leia:

“Fizeram uma pesquisa na Universidade da California e colocaram 50 tipos de pessoas: Assassino, ladrão, traficante, gordo e baixinho. O gordo foi o ultimo a ser escolhido” (Dr. Albert Servaty)

LIPOFOBIA (Medo de ter gordura) é este conceito que devemos tratar. O cliente da academia está preocupado com isto e não sabe. Nós devemos entender que só com exercicio fisicos não ajudaremos a solucionar o problema. Devemos refletir:  É fundamental para o sucesso do negócio reeducar os hábitos alimentares dos alunos seja no processo de hipertrofia muscular ou emagrecimento

Matronly Doppelganger

There’s been a bit of a lack of motivation lately while running, and it all culminated on Friday. After four hours of sleep, an intense Exreme Boot Camp workout, and a cup of coffee yogturt (no caffiene! Woot!), I still wasn’t feeling the running vibe. So I lollygagged around, returning emails and CraigsListing, and calling Trader Joe’s to return some cheese that had stunk up the entire apartment (which is another story). At ten, far later than my usual start time, I finally yanked my hair into a ponytail, set up the iPod for This American Life, and gloomily walked out the door.

So I start jogging and bargain with myself, saying I just have to make it out for half an hour — doing something is better than doing nothing. About eight minutes in, I see a woman walking down the sidewalk towards me. She looks a bit like my mom, dressed in a baggy button up shirt and jeans. Her hair is short, and she’s obviously smaller than her clothes make her appear.

As I pass this matronly doppelganger, she lifts her hands and offers me two thumbs up with a smile. I grinned back, and kept running. I made it thirty six minutes, 1/5 longer than I had talked myself into. So thank you, double thumbs up lady. Sometimes we all just need an atta boy.

EuroBasket fever

W Katowicach zrobiło się nagle gęsto i kolorowo. Wielojęzyczne tłumy buszują sobie po mieście, wypełniają szczelnie kafejki, a przede wszystkim kłębią się w okolicach Spodka. Wszystko to, rzecz jasna, za sprawą Mistrzostw Europy w koszykówce, które bezsprzecznie zawładnęły stolicą Górnego Śląska.

Jako umiarkowany fan tego sportu odnosiłem się do EuroBasketu dość obojętnie i nawet widok kilku koszykarzy, którzy niespodziewanie pojawili się na siłowni, zupełnie mnie nie poruszył. Tymczasem wczoraj rano w związku z tą właśnie imprezą sportową omal nie dostałem zawału serca!

- Co porabiałeś wieczorem? – zapytał uprzejmie mój szef podczas porannej kawy. Wiedziony niemiłym przeczuciem, które podpowiadało mi, że pewnie szef wynalazł dla mnie jakąś dodatkową pracę, bąknąłem coś o mnóstwie tłumaczeń, którymi muszę się w tych dniach pilnie zająć. Szef jednak machnął tylko ręką, po czym beznamiętnie zakomunikował, że niespodziewanie zdobył bilet na rozgrywki EuroBasketu i… chciał mi go sprezentować! Ponieważ jednak nie mógł mnie znaleźć, jego wejściówka do loży VIPowskiej po prostu przepadła…

O tym, że oniemiałem z wrażenia nie muszę chyba mówić. Pytanie tylko, co zatkało mnie najbardziej: świadomość utraconej szansy zobaczenia na żywo meczu Hiszpania-Francja, nagły przypływ hojności szefa, czy też fakt, że nie wpadł on na to, by po prostu zadzwonić do mnie na komórkę?

Przez cały dzień chodziłem więc rozeźlony jak osa i nawet epizod z pewną tłustą blondynką, która w Gymnasionie wzięła mnie za trenera nie zdołał poprawić mi humoru. W końcu wieczorem głośno wyraziłem przy szefie moją dezaprobatę wobec tak niewiarygodnego marnotrawstwa nadarzających się okazji podniesienia poziomu naszej sportowej elokwencji. I w tym właśnie momencie po raz drugi oniemiałem z wrażenia! Szef nagle coś sobie przypomniał, klepnął się w głowę i ze skruchą wyznał, że właściwie, to ma w zanadrzu jeszcze jeden bilet – tym razem wciąż aktualny. Mrożące krew w żyłach spojrzenie, które na owe dictum mu posłałem, mogłoby bez wątpienia powalić byka! Szef obrócił się tylko potulnie na pięcie i kurcgalopkiem popędził do gabinetu, by już po chwili wręczyć mi wejściówkę, która o mały włos znów by przepadła.

Szybki rzut oka na bilet upewnił mnie, że do rozpoczęcia meczu pozostały mi jeszcze niecałe dwie godziny. W przypływie nagłego wigoru odwołałem więc zaplanowane na wieczór spotkanie i bez zwłoki pognałem w kierunku Spodka, dziękując Bogu, że jest on tak blisko.

Ćwierćfinałowa rozgrywka między drużynami Słowenii i Chorwacji dostarczyła mi całego mnóstwa ekstremalnych emocji.

Po pierwsze, już samo wspaniale odnowione wnętrze katowickiego Spodka wywarło na mnie oszałamiające wrażenie (zwłaszcza super nowoczesny okrągły telebim zawieszony pod kopułą hali) i pozwoliło mi wypiąć pierś w poczuciu dumy z bycia Ślązakiem.

Po drugie, zachwyciła mnie niezwykła wprost pomysłowość oryginalnie poprzebieranych kibiców (genialne były zwłaszcza czapeczki Słoweńców), zaś głośny doping i upiorne trąbienie omal na trwałe nie pozbawiły mnie słuchu.

Po trzecie, do mojego dość luźno wypełnionego sektora wtargnęła w połowie meczu grupa cheerleaderek, które tego wieczora były bezrobotne (ich występ odwołano z powodu tragedii na kopalni Wujek) i postanowiły z trybun dopingować swoich faworytów. Ich pojawienie się sprawiło, że najpierw zostałem odurzony szałem zapachów (czy one się w swoich perfumach kąpią?), a następnie oślepiony fleszami reporterów, którzy przybiegli je fotografować. O pojawieniu się kamery i o tym, jak wcisnąłem głęboko na czoło moją czapkę, udając, że jestem powietrzem w tłumie rozchichotanych cheerleaderek, już nawet nie wspomnę…

I w końcu po czwarte, czyli najważniejsze, niezwykłych emocji dostarczył mi sam mecz koszykówki. Już na samym początku wiedziałem, że będę kibicować Słoweńcom. Nie żebym, był jakimś ich specjalnym fanem – po prostu tak się złożyło, że miałem kiedyś na studiach wykłady zarówno z pewnym Słoweńcem, jak i z Chorwatem. Pierwszy z nich był porywającym wprost mentorem, zaś drugi nieprawdopodobnie chamskim upierdliwcem. Uraz do Chorwatów zakorzenił mi się więc głęboko w pamięci i cała moja sympatia skierowana była wczoraj ku drużynie słoweńskiej. Już zresztą sama zielona bluza, którą na siebie włożyłem, dobitnie świadczyła o tym, komu tu kibicuję. Niestety jednak brutalna nieco gra Chorwatów sprawiła, że moi faworyci od samego początku nie potrafili zdobyć przewagi, a ja siedziałem jak na szpilkach. Słoweńcy otrząsnęli się na szczęście w trzeciej kwarcie meczu i w końcu przepięknie odrobili swe straty, choć napięta sytuacja trwała aż do ostatnich sekund rozgrywki. Jakaż była więc moja ulga, gdy mecz zakończył się minimalnym zwycięstwem Słoweńców 67:65!

EuroBasket wciągnął mnie zatem na dobre i całą niefrasobliwość szefa zdołałem już puścić w niepamięć. Teraz pozostaje mi tylko kibicowanie koszykarzom „na sucho”, no i oczywiście pilny monitoring szefa przy okazji kolejnych eventów sportowo-kulturalnych w naszym regionie…

How to tell if you're working out hard enough|The chocolate cake test

Eat less? hmm…no thank you! Move more? oh yes please!! Maybe you are not as excited as I am about getting up & moving, but when you think of the alternative…becoming a blob of skin, bones, & fat & having to eat not so much food to lose or maintain weight? You should say, hell no! Here is how you should look at increasing your energy expenditure to see positive results in your body & your performance.   Cardiovascular exercise can be one of the easiest ways to take control over your health and fitness. Lower risks of heart disease- which is a leading killer among men & women- and shift the scale toward weight loss and maintenance by achieving regular cardiovascular exercise. US Gov’t guidelines state that it takes 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity most days of the week to achieve a healthy weight loss. This can be done all at once or be broken up throughout the day- but if broken up, each segment needs to be at least 10 minutes long.   For the beginner, moderate exercise is defined as anything that takes about as much energy as a brisk walk - an example for the beginner would be to walk 1.5-2 miles in 30 minutes. For someone already engaging in exercise, this will not be enough intensity to make a measurable difference in weight, so the intensity will need to be raised. The absolute minimum amount of cardio exercise a person should get is 25 minutes, done 3-4 times per week.  

don't eat me!!

One study showed that moderate exercise done for 25 minutes 3-4 times per week improved aerobic function, but did not lead to weight loss. This means that the heart got stronger, but the caloric deficit was not enough to show a change on the scale. So if you want it, you gotta go for it, and go hard – if you’ve been exercising for a little while- hard is easiest measured by a talk-test. Say the following sentence: “The older I get the more I like to eat chocolate cake.” If you can say it all without having to take a breath mid-sentence or a big one at the end, you’re not going hard enough. Wherever you are on the scale of fitness ability, the important thing is that you make an effort to do more today than you did yesterday and more tomorrow than you do today. And it is important to realize that you have the ability to take control of your heart health by the choices you make. It is not a daunting task to undertake when you set a clear goal of what you plan to achieve today, tomorrow, this week, this month.   So take a minute and look at your daily calender…where can you fit in 10 minutes of exercise? Where can you shift things around so that you have a block of time most days of the week to get a longer session of cardio in? For those who get fit and stay fit, it’s not a matter of IF they’re going to workout today, it’s a matter of WHEN. So when are you going to do it?

Sportstrümpfe zur Leistungssteigerung

Das hier sind, in Verbindung mit einem äußerst gut trainierten jungen Mann, Sportstrümpfe mit Kompression, die das Leistungsvermögen steigern sollen CEP Sportstrümpfe versprechen Druck auf die Wadeln auszuüben und sollen die Durchblutung steigern. Mehr Sauerstoff für die Muskeln bedeutet Leistungssteigerung, mehr Ausdauer, leichteres Laufen und schnellere Regeneration – so lautet die Formel. Während dem Sport sollen zudem die Sehnen und Bänder gefestigtund die Gelenke stabilisiert werden.

Socken also als Wunderwaffe gegen vorschnelle Übermüdung der Muskeln – die Beine bleiben frisch und der Geist froh… oder so ähnlich. Auch wenn ich persönlich in meinem Umfeld (bisher) noch niemanden kenne, der Sportsocken beim Laufen anhat, kann ich mir sehr gut vorstellen, dass das Joggen dadurch angenehmer und effektiver wird!

 

"Campus makes for prime jog"

By Christine Fisher

[Originally printed in Temple News 9/15/09]

There’s no need to take the subway to Center City if you’re looking for a good outdoor workout; there are plenty of ideal running routes on and around Main Campus.

Going to school in Philadelphia allows Temple students the exciting option of stepping off the treadmills and indoor tracks and onto the city streets or other areas around Main Campus like the outdoor track.

Temple’s track and field and cross-country teams use the outdoor track at 15th and Berks streets, running trails in Philadelphia and streets in and around Main Campus for outdoor training.

Eric Mobley, coach of Temple’s track and field and cross-country teams, said when the teams head off-campus to practice, they typically run at Valley Green, Belmont Plateau or Kelly Drive.

Kelly Drive stretches the four-mile length extending from the Philadelphia Museum of Art along the Schuylkill River and Boathouse Row.

Mobley is an advocate of running outdoors.

“There’s more to see, different running surfaces, just more options,” he said. “Because of the conditions outside, weather, surface, et cetera, two miles on the treadmill is easier than two miles outside.”

Valley Green and Belmont Plateau are sections of Fairmount Park, a system of 63 regional and neighborhood parks, which boasts more than 215 miles of recreation trails. Getting to certain sections of Fairmount Park from Main Campus often requires some form of transportation, but if transportation is unavailable, Temple students should know they still have options.

“If we are limited to just our feet for transportation, we will run either on the track or down Broad Street straight past City Hall, until it’s time to turn around,” Karrie Finn said. The sophomore biology major is a Temple cross-country runner.

Students can also choose to run west from Temple’s Main Campus, along Fairmount Avenue, to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This route is about two miles long and connects with Kelly Drive. For shorter runs, Shameka Marshall, assistant coach for Temple track and field, said students can run south on Broad Street and turn around at Girard Avenue.

Brian Norton is a leader of Philly Runners, a group that runs together three times a week, and notes that running outside is a good core work out.

“The constant adjustment to pavement, leaves, other pedestrians … keeps the runner moving vertically and challenges you to maintain a steady pace,” Norton said.

Safety is always a factor to consider when running outside. Members and coaches of the cross-country and track and field teams agree, though, that if students take certain precautions when running outdoors, Temple can be a safe and enjoyable experience.

“As a team, we feel perfectly safe running almost anywhere we please,” said Rebecca Mims, captain of the women’s cross-country team.

Still, students who run in the city have a story or two to tell.

“I haven’t really been full-out hit by a car, but I was tapped by one that wasn’t looking while I was crossing the street,” Finn said. “People make ignorant comments as our group runs through the city, and some think it’s funny to join in for a little bit.”

“For ladies, attire may be a factor,” Marshall said, adding that women who run along the city streets may want to don more conservative running gear in order to avoid receiving “interesting comments” from bystanders.

Regardless of where students choose to run, Mobley recommends they stay on busier streets, run with other people and avoid using iPods or MP3 players.

Mims said students should try to vary the surfaces they run on.

“It is important to balance your time on concrete with softer surfaces to avoid injuries if you are running more than three or so miles a day,” she said.

Marshall suggests that in addition to running, students should work out in Temple’s indoor pool to relieve stress from their knees while still achieving a cardio workout.

“Sometimes, it’s good to change up the routine, so you can work other muscles and change your breathing rhythm,” Marshall said. “Running the McGonigle stairs, for instance, is good and doing long sprints in the grass at the track is another option.”

“The main thing,” Marshall said, “ is fitness can be achieved in many ways, so give yourself a variety.”

Christine Fisher can be reached at fisher.christine@temple.edu.

The Wellness Event was a Huge Success! Thank you.

Thank you everyone who participated in my Free Yoga with Denise Wellness Event last Saturday, September 12th. The Divine Spirit of everyone who participated came together to create a very wonderful, magical and healing afternoon. The energy of the day was just so loving, giving, amazing,…and I feel honored to have been able to associate myself with so many angels right here on earth. This day of service to the community and sharing was even better than I ever imagined. You had to be there to really feel the soothing energy. It was more than my words can say, and the message of preventive health care was incredibly strong, not through conversaytions but through action. I am humbled, and I feel blessed. Thank you. I love you all very much.

Denise

VITAMINS + WATER (and sugar, but we don't want you to see that) = ALL YOU NEED and then some...

By now most of you know that I have a few pet peeves.  The biggest by far is people taking advantage of us unfit people by trying to sell us products that have NO possibility of working.  I am thinking the ab exercisers here for one.

Another of my pet peeves is the people who try to package up something that is clearly unhealthy as healthy.  I am not suggesting that people shouldn’t market their product in the best possible light, highlighting the good parts of what they are producing.  To quote ‘You Are Not A Fit Person’:

Otherwise, don’t get conned.  These people don’t care if you get fit, they just care that they sell more of whatever it is they manufacture.  Think about it.  When a company learns that what it manufactures is bad for peoples health, they don’t stop making it.  Instead they sit around a boardroom table and talk about how they can get around this and still sell their product.  The first thing they do is find out what are good nutritional spins they can put on their product and then they hire a graphics company to make those jump out.  In their defense, a lot of these nutrition scares turn out to be hyped up half truths and errors, so companies shouldn’t close the doors when they hear their product isn’t healthy.  As well, just because something isn’t healthy, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be able to buy it.  Feasts, parties and festivals are all feasts, parties and festivals because we can go crazy and eat some things that wouldn’t be healthy to eat every day.  Without companies selling donuts and cinnamon buns and cakes and pastries, the world would be a drab place.

So, don’t be angry with them for doing business the way they do, just don’t listen to their advice and IGNORE ALL OF THE STATEMENTS OF GOOD NUTRIENTS ON THE OUTSIDE OF A PACKAGE.  Use only the list of ingredients in determining whether to eat something or not.

What I am complaining about here is products that try to appear out and out HEALTHY.  Sure you can put a huge image on your box of Apple Jacks that says, NOW PROVIDES FIBER.  That is fine, what I can’t abide by is things like Special K making absurd claims that they are an integral part of a healthy weight loss program.  They aren’t.  Seriously, don’t listen to any claim that they are.  I will take on the Special K diet claims in a future blog, but they aren’t the ones I am going after right now.

I am going after the new Vitamin Water and related products.  This product is packaged up as if it is some healing liquid, some healthy drinking choice.  It isn’t.  It is fruit juice.  Fruit juice is bad for you.  It is bad for you when it is straight fruit juice, but it is worse when they ADD SUGAR.

The package includes the following attempts to sound like a health product:

• Recommended dose: Take one 591ml bottle per day as needed.
• It breaks ingredients down into medicinal and non-medicinal
• Nutrient enhanced water beverage

Drinking this to get your vitamins is the equivalent of eating vegetable flavored cheese crackers just to get 1/3 of your daily serving of vegetables.  Don’t bother going to the website to find the ingredients by the way.  You can find them, but you have a better chance of finding the free odds square on a craps table (neither of them is actually listed, try clicking to the left of the full bottle to find the ingredients).  The bottle says, contains less than 1% juice.  The second ingredient is sugar, with a cleverly disguised name (on the bottle on the web it says crystalline fructose, which would literally translate into crystallized sugar extracted from fruits).  NEVER EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING THAT HAS SUGAR IN THE FIRST 3 INGREDIENTS.  The bottle I am holding has cane sugar as the second ingredient instead.  At least that sounds like sugar.

To get to the point though, it has 120 calories per bottle.  That is about half as bad as coke or pepsi.  So, if you were picking the worst of the 2 to choose, this is better than coke.  Still, diet pop would be a much better choice.  According to the website there is a Vitamin Water 10, which has only 10 calories per serving  (the same size bottle of Vitamin Water has 2.5 servings).  Still, I can’t believe that they try to sell their product as being a health food product.  They have a drawing of a scientist looking woman in the upper corner of their website.  THE BOTTLE ACTUALLY SAYS VITAMINS + WATER = ALL YOU NEED…  What about the sugar,  isn’t that something that you need?  I can’t believe that people knowingly market fruit juice with sugar as medicinal. Seriously when will the greed stop.  Either people in business have to start caring about what they sell and advertise (which is never going to happen-see the funny cartoon here), or we are going to have to smarten up to the many ways in which we are being hoodwinked for a quick buck.  If you are trying to lose weight, drinking fruit juice won’t help.

If you think Vitamin Water is the worst, think again.  One of the employees in this office drinks these things and she bought a bottle of ‘Purity Organic’.  There main issue is organic fruit juices.  I have no problem with that.  I like organic as much as the next guy, but my problem comes from their packaging.  Their Pomegranate Blueberry juice also has the medicinal ingredients, non-medicinal ingredients crap on it, it breaks one bottle down into 2 servings and states in big numbers everywhere you look, the calories per serving,  and it has the recommended use (by whom?!!), which says: Helps to improve mood and various aspects of memory in healthy middle-aged individuals (it contains Ginko of course).  This is juice not medicine…. Seriously…

The most egregious thing about this product though is how they label their sugar on the package.  Again sugar comes in as the SECOND ingredient, but the sugar here is labeled as ‘Organic Evaporated Cane Juice’.  They don’t have their ingredients or nutritional breakdown online either, but in the FAQ you find this:

DO YOU ADD SUGAR?

Much of the sugar content in Purity.Organic™ juices and functional drinks comes from the fruit itself. We add organic evaporated cane juice – a clean, natural, and unrefined sugar to some of our juice and functional drinks.

The way they describe it, you will get healthy just by consuming their sugar…  Some regulators should step in and stop this from continuing.  In the meantime please be smart and know what you are consuming and please, please, please, don’t give this stuff to kids.  It is harder to kick the sugar habit later in life when you are raised on fruit juices.

Mourning the Morning

Yesterday while grocery shopping I overheard a conversation between a tween aged girl and her mom.  She was looking at the salad dressing and said, “I hate mornings.”  Her mom said, “What?”  The girl said it again.  “I hate mornings”.  The haggard looking mom said, “Everyone hates mornings”.   And I thought vampires only lived in the Pacific North West!  At least that’s what my daughters and pop culture lead me to believe.  Apparently the undead are thriving in Indianapolis too.  Perhaps they like to top off a little AB positive with some Ranch dressing.  “Everyone hates mornings?”  I thought, “Way to emphasize the negative!”  Let’s also teach her that it’s impossible to get ahead in life and math is always hard.  I’m not trying to come across as a do good cheerleader.  We all have our days where it would be nice to sleep in, but come on!  Do we have to reinforce the jaded attitude in middle school?  Can’t we wait until she’s paying rent before we talk her into damning the sunrise? 

When I was younger, which makes me sound old even though I’m not according to people my own age, I didn’t like mornings either.  Morning meant I had to go to school. School was a place where they didn’t understand me and I didn’t understand their method.  It was a mutual misunderstanding yet I was the only one who recognized it that way.  They chose to see a smart kid who didn’t apply himself as opposed to a smart kid who needed to be taught math and spelling differently.  So I fell into a pattern similar to that of the salad dressing vampires.

Once my comedy career began I had no issue with mornings.  I loved what I did. I developed a productive daily routine that began early.  After I retired from comedy I rediscovered my issue with mornings when I joined the “real world”.  It only took a short while thanks to a horrid company culture cultivated by a dynamically dysfunctional boss.  Slowly the morning dread began to grow.  It peaked when I started to stress about Monday morning on Saturday afternoon.  That’s not a healthy way to be.  So I changed it. 

My girls aren’t morning people either.  They inherited it from my wife, the grad student from Transylvania.  Their dislike of mornings has nothing to do with a dysfunctional school situation.  They don’t hang like a bat when they sleep.  They just don’t like getting up at 6AM. They don’t see the sun rise as inspirational.  They don’t care that each morning is a new beginning or that morning air is the freshest of the day.  When they begin their morning routine they don’t like to talk.  Communication is carried out with a series of grunts and clicks only understood by whales and porpoise.  I’d say good morning Grace what would you like for breakfast?  She would squeak and make other throaty noises.  Then Shamu would call to see if she was OK.  Since I don’t speak whale I would say “I’m sorry I didn’t understand that.”  She would give me the look of death while enunciating it in a way that makes bagel and cream cheese sound like the “F” word.  Now I ask her the night before.  People who don’t like mornings don’t like to be around morning people because they are just too cheery.  My kids are never late to school.  They are falling all over themselves trying to get out the door and away from me.  “Have a great day.  I love you!” I say with energy.  “Screech, gribble, squawk” they moan over they shoulders as the door slams.  Ah mornings!

You gotta get that heart pumpin'!

There are two things that can play a vital role in a your ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle & a healthy weight: 1) your exercise habits  & 2) your nutrition. Here is key information about why it is so important for you to increase your energy expenditure via cardiovascular exercise if you want to lose weight/lose inches/improve heart health.

 Cardiovascular exercise can be one of the easiest ways to take control over your health and fitness. Lower risks of heart disease- which is a leading killer among men & women- and shift the scale toward weight loss and maintenance by achieving regular cardiovascular exercise.

•  US Gov’t guidelines state that it takes 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity most days of the week to achieve a healthy weight loss. This can be done all at once or be broken up throughout the day- but if broken up, each segment needs to be at least 10 minutes long.
• For the beginner, moderate exercise is defined as anything that takes about as much energy as a brisk walk - an example for the beginner would be to walk 1.5-2 miles in 30 minutes. For someone already engaging in exercise, this may not be enough intensity to make a measurable difference in weight, so the intensity will need to be raised.
• The absolute minimum amount of cardio exercise a person should get is 25 minutes, done 3-4 times per week. One study showed that moderate exercise done for 25 minutes 3-4 times per week improved aerobic function, but did not lead to weight loss. This means that the heart got stronger, but the caloric deficit was not enough to show a change on the scale.

Wherever you are on this scale, the important thing is that you make an effort to do more today than you did yesterday and more tomorrow than you do today. And it is important to realize that you have the ability to take control of your heart health by the choices you make.

It is not a daunting task to undertake when you set a clear goal of what you plan to achieve today, tomorrow, this week, this month.So take a minute and look at your daily calender…where can you fit in 10 minutes of exercise? Where can you shift things around so that you have a block of time most days of the week to get a longer session of cardio in? For those who get fit and stay fit, it’s not a matter of IF they’re going to workout today, it’s a matter of WHEN. So when are you going to do it?

Der Jungbrunnen - oder wie werde ich alt

Vor einiger Zeit habe ich mich mit einem Thema auseinandergesetzt, zu der es eigentlich genausoviele Meinungen gibt, wie Menschen: der Religion. Ich habe eine Antwort auf diese Frage gefunden und das Thema ist für mich endgültig abgehackt. Jetzt stehe ich vor einem neuen Thema. Ein Thema, das es zwar länger gibt als die Religionen, zu dem aber es relativ wenige Meinungen gibt: Die Ernährung. Dabei ist “richtige” Ernährung eine Voraussetzung für ein langes Leben. Ein richtig langes Leben. Das Problem dabei; kein Mensch lebt lange genug, um sein eigenes Leben zu dokumentieren.

Ich lese derzeit das Buch “Power-Prinzip” von Anthony Robbins. Darin ist unter anderem auch ein Kapitel der Ernährung gewidmet. Robbins stellt dort das Buch “Fit fürs Leben: Fit for Life” von Harvey Diamond vor. Interessiert habe ich das Buch gleich bestellt und in wenigen Tagen durchgelesen. Harvey Diamond ist ein Befürworter der Sonnenkost. Bei der Sonnenkost steht hauptsächlich Obst und Gemüse auf dem Speiseplan. Auf Tierprodukte wie Fleich, Milch und Eier wird verzichtet. Verzichtet wird auch auf das Kochen selbst.

Erstaunt über die geforderte, radikale Umstellung habe ich die Sonnenkost einige Wochen getestet. In der Zeit habe ich gute 5kg an Gewicht verloren und ein beachtliches Maß an Fitness gewonnen. Nun ist die Natürliche Gesundheitslehre aber noch relativ jung und erster Eindruck hin oder her, es gibt auch einige Kritikpunkte daran. Diese haben mich bewogen weiterzusuchen und es mit einem bewährtem Konzept zu versuchen. Gestoßen bin ich dabei auf TCM, der Traditionellen Chinesischen Medizin, die auch zur Ernährung Ratschläge bereithält. Diese geht nicht soweit, jeden Menschen auf ein Idealgewicht zu reduzieren, sondern spricht von einer “Wohlfühlfigur”. Auch wenn ich eher ein schlanker Typ bin, gefiel mir diese Aussage recht gut und ich werde die “Fünf-Elemente-Ernährung” adaptieren. Diese hat sich bereits einige tausend Jahre bewährt und geht auch mit einigen neuen Erkenntnissen konform.

Nun aber zum eigentlichen Thema. Wie bereits erwähnt, lebt kein Mensch lange genug, um seine Ernährung und seine Lebensdauer zu dokumentieren. Und jeder, der ein begründetes Interesse daran hätte, mit der Ernährung zu experimentieren, müsste dies im Hinblick auf sein ganzes Leben tun. Also schlichtweg unmöglich. Für einen Menschen. Aber nicht für das Internet. Als eine Art kollektives Gedächtnis kann es die Erfolge und Misserfolge der Menschen mit ihrer Ernährung festhalten und für kommende Generationen zugänglich machen.

Zu diesem Zweck stelle ich mir ein Portal vor, wo Leute über ihre Erfahrungen mit der Ernährung berichten. Wichtig sind vor allem sorgfältig aufgestellte Dokumentation über die Essgewohnheiten, Gewicht, Krankheiten und sonstige Einflüsse, wie z.B. Streß, Beruf, Standort. Das Portal finanziert sich über Leute, die an einer bestimmten Ernährung interessiert sind. Gegen eine Gebühr oder ein Abo erhalten sie Zugang zu den Blogs, Rezepten und weiteren Daten einer bestimmten Personengruppe, die eben diese Ernährung praktiziert.

Hinter dem Portal steht eine fähige Organisation, die die Mitglieder überprüft und evtl. auch in Kontakt mit Krankenkassen steht. Dabei geht es weniger um Datensammlungen, sondern um Überprüfung korrekter Angaben. Je nach Echtheit eines Mitglieds erhalten diese unterschiedliche Siegel. Ein ungeprüftes Mitglied kann zwar wie jeder andere Rezepte einstellen, Blogs schreiben und Daten zur Verfügung stellen, erhält jedoch ein geringeres Gewicht als ein Mitglied, dessen Krankheitsgeschichte und sonstige Angaben verifiziert sind. Zu einer korrekten Auswertung gehört auch die Lebensdauer des Mitglieds, daher wird regelmäßig überprüft, ob das Mitglied noch lebt. Klingt makaber, aber der Tod ist Teil des Lebens und ermöglicht ein endgültiges Resümee über das Leben des Mitglieds.

Durch die angesammelten Daten kann das Portal nach einer bestimmten Zeit auch allgemeingültige, aber auch individuelle Angaben zu einer korrekten Ernährung liefen. Ziel ist es, anhand der Auswertungen einen sauberen Weg zu einem langen Leben, bester Gesundheit und hoher Energie anzubieten. Mit diesem Voraussetzungen wird der Mensch immer größere Rekorde bei der Lebensdauer aufstellen, Krankheiten werden sich zurückbilden und mit ein bisschen Glück werden die Menschen etwas friedlicher.

209

There’s something to be said about timing.  Peak too soon, there’s sure to be a let down when it really matters. Peak too late, and you’re not ready when the time comes.

Maybe I should use a picture of a roller coaster!

I think that’s what happened last week.  I hit a new low weight on Saturday, and couldn’t carry through to the weigh in the following Tuesday.  Of course, the barbecue I had on Labor Day probably didn’t help. I’ve been careful this week — not too draconian, not too laissez-faire as far as the diet goes.  My doctor put me on mega-doses of Advil, so my knee hurts a lot less. Enough less that I’m jogging a lot more than I had been (I don’t want to insult running by calling what I’ve been doing “running”).

I’m still getting that wicked rebound on Wednesdays. I skip dinner Monday nights to put in a better position for the weigh-in the next morning. I actually think I’m helping myself.  Since I’m in a bar playing trivia every Monday, I don’t know that bar food would be the best way to prepare. I get up a extra early on Tuesday more a bit more workout than usual.  Since I’ve weighed in that morning, I skip an evening working and eat a small dinner.  By the time I get on the scale Wednesday, I’ve usually jumped up 2 or 3 pounds (or more). So before I can start working on losing weight for next week’s weigh-in, I’ve got to re-lose weight I’ve regained from the previous week.

The good news is that there are only 4 more weigh-ins left.  While I’m trailing in percentage of total weight lost (in second, but a co-worker is coming up on the outside).  I may be able to retake the lead in actual pounds lost. While that doesn’t determine the overall winner, there’s still a prize. I’d like to be able to salvage something out of this. As it turns out, my high school reunion is the week of the final weigh-in. So, I not only have the benefit of losing some weight, which is what I wanted in the first place, I’m also making my doctor happy… I might win some money… and I won’t be the most out-of-shape person when I see some of these people for the first time since 1974.

4 Weeks to Diet

How much weight can I lose in 4 weeks? And is it worth bothering?

We did something impulsive today: we booked a cruise. A CRUISE! A 4-night Bahama cruise that leaves mid-October – and that’s just 4 weeks away.

We did it for good reason: The cruise was a smokin’ deal! The room/board on the cruise for both of us was less than the cost of a flight to Seattle for one of us (Seattle was our original preferred destination). I’ll desperately miss seeing my sister and my friends, but… seriously… how could we pass up such a great deal? We’ve never been to the Bahamas, either. And really, cruising is just so relaxing and fun! We can go to Seattle in the spring instead.

Now, though, I’m freaking out. All I can think about is wearing a swimsuit and a cocktail dress in all of those pictures. I’m not a tiny girl. In fact, I’m pretty far into the “good personality” category.

The funny thing is, I think about my weight every day. Pretty much all day, actually. “Obsessed” may not be far off the mark. I weigh myself at least once a day, knowing that’s a ridiculous thing to do. I think about the clothes I could wear if I was a little lighter…or a lot lighter. I would actually bet that there isn’t an hour that goes by when the thought of my weight doesn’t cross my mind. I hate shopping for clothes because none of the ones I want to wear fit me right. Plus, I keep thinking I’ll be skinnier soon, so why bother buying new stuff now?

BUT, at the same time, I’m continually floored every time I see my own reflection. I FEEL like I should be a thin person (ok, the sheer mass of food I consume logically dictates a biological improbability there, but hey! We’re ignoring that stuff today). So when I catch sight of that big girl in the floppy t-shirts (really, I NEED to lose the weight so I can find the courage to clothes shop!), can hardly believe it’s me. Where did THAT person come from?

Overall, I’ve had my share of successes. I have a great marriage and Hubby doesn’t care what size I am. Family loves me, too. I’m good at my job and I feel valued. I love doing the volunteer work I do and I feel appreciated there, as well. I (and perhaps my doctor) am the only one who really cares about my weight.

So why can’t I just… do it? Get it over with and get skinny? I lost a significant amount of weight a year ago, then (and I’m still mortified and reeling from this myself!) put it all back on. I know HOW to diet: burn more calories than you consume. Its simple and logical. I’m a logical person overall. I’ve analyzed my “triggers”, I understand the calorie content of food, I know I should weigh only once or twice a week, I understand how to set small goals, I know… all of the logic behind a good diet/lifestyle! So what is freakin’ WRONG with me? WHY is this so hard?

If I use the cruise as motivation to start getting thin again, will I just gain it all back? Is it worth it to kill myself dieting when I only have 4 short weeks?

–Tracy

[Via http://generationgapping.wordpress.com]

Body Designs

So, anyone that knows me understands that I’m kind of a fitness nut. I wasn’t always this way, but over the last 3 yrs, I’ve done a complete 180 and change my lifestyle. Going from the party, party, party guy to the triathlete, and health food addict. As I made all these changes, I meets some really cool people along the way, one being Corey Ritter. He owns his own personal training gym in ATL. He probably has the most energy of anyone I have ever meet in my life. He’s always on 10 and at the same time one of the coolest personal trainers around. I took some behind the scene shoots of a video production he was putting on.

[Via http://erikumphery.wordpress.com]

How to relieve soreness?

Stretching is a great way to relieve soreness. When you stretch you elongate your muscles and  allow blood to run more efficiently. When your blood runs better through your muscles it gets rid of lactic acid which is the waste product of hard training. A build up of lactic acid in the muscles is what makes you sore.

I suggest for anyone that is serious about training and maintaining a healthy life to dedicate at least one day to stretching. You should stretch at least 20 min. There are many benefits that come out from stretching. Your blood can pump through your body more efficiently allow for your muscles to recover and rebuild themselves faster. It also prevents injury and sprains.

Another succesful way to relieve lactic acid from the muscles is taking a light jog. Jogging increase the rate in which your blood pumps which helps your muscles recover. It also helps you burn extra calories and help your cardiovascular system. Just dont overdo it.

I hope this helps and for any questions leave a comment or e-mail me at maxQandA@gmail.com

[Via http://maxresults.wordpress.com]

Out to dinner

Another Friday and another day where I tend to think more about food as I know Friday’s usually let me down in term’s of food and drink.

However this week I am prepared and determined to not go over my calories (or if I do not by many) so I woke up a hour early, dragged myself out of bed and into the living room for 45minutes of *joy* with Jillian Michaels Banish Fat and Boost Metabolism. I’m a little proud of myself for managing to do this and unlike last time I didn’t end up hating the workout. Though after Turbo Jam I wish Jillian would get better music! I find the music a little uninspiring which makes it hard sometimes, Turbo Jam has great music whereas JM has not such great music, not bad just not great.

I do enjoy the Banish Fat workout, it’s separated into warm up then 7 segments and then cool down. Each move is repeated twice so a segment is generally 5 moves repeated twice which I like as you get to know it so second time around you can get into it. Also I enjoy that it’s not the same thing over and over so I know if I hate one particular segment it’ll be over soon.

After my strength workout on Wednesday my thighs have been burning so all day at work every time I sat down I’d be in pain, but at least I know I’ve been working hard.

I’m catching up with a friend for dinner so we can catch up and I’ve looked up the menu and decided what I’m having before I go to make sure it’s something healthy and I won’t get there and panic about what to eat. I tend to take ages deciding what to have while eating out so it’s also a time saving device!

Eating so far is going well, writing this while I’m at home after work helps me not eat everything between work and dinner. I also made jelly which helped as it’s something but not really substantial enough for me to worry about calories.

So far all is good, exercise is done, blog posted, eating going well.

Let’s hope it stays that way through dinner!

[Via http://sewingandcycling.wordpress.com]

Turning the negative positive

So…this is both a wedding and fitness related post.  Crazy, I know.

Anyway.  I got a call yesterday that my wedding dress was in, three months earlier than they’d predicted.  Exciting, right?  I had to go in and pay the balance on it and check it out/try it on, so I drove to the dress shop today to do so.  I ordered the sample size, so I figured it would fit just fine and maybe be a little bit big.

Well, what they don’t tell you is that the sample size gets terribly stretched out from people trying it on and sweating all over it.  I put on my never-before-worn dress, and, well, yeah, it fits fine and is still a little bit big in the boobs.  But I had the saleslady take some pictures of me, and wow, they were terrible.

Not only do I think my butt looks huge, but I’m in the process of growing my hair out and it’s at that terrible in-between length where it doesn’t look good unless there is a large hat on top of it.  I also have a big old unpoppable zit on my chin.  I just don’t feel “lean and mean” like I did on May 30th when I first bought it and that makes me a little bit sad.

Here’s the one picture from the day that I liked:

Heh.

So, I get home and, of course, feel bad.  I did an hour of yoga this morning which was lovely, but not really too much of a workout.  (It was really great for balance and stretching and quite relaxing, too.)  Given that it’s my snacky time of day, and I’m feeling emotional and gross (two major overeating triggers for me), I know that staying at home is a recipe for disaster.

But guess what?  It wasn’t!  I decided to channel my negative feelings about my body into something I could feel good about.  I thought about how much I wanted to become a Person that Runs, and decided to give it another go!  What the heck, I thought.  It certainly can’t hurt.

I threw on my yoga clothes from this morning and went out for a run.  Since I didn’t so much enjoy myself the last time I ran outdoors, I tried to take another route to see if that helped.  And it did!  We’re new to the neighborhood, so I went down a road I’d never been down before.  It was delightful!  There was a stream, and beautiful big houses, and PONIES, and ducks and chickens and a pond, and a friendly Golden Retriever that barked happily at me.

Unfortunately, I had to reset my heart rate monitor about 4-5 minutes in because it wasn’t reading, so my stats aren’t accurate.  BUT–according to Map My Run, I ran 3.1 miles (5k!) in about 32 minutes.  I burned about 375 calories (estimated) in the process.  I tried to do a rough 6 minutes running, 1 minute walking thing, but it was more like I ran 10 minutes, walked 2, ran 5 minutes, walked 1, and so on.  My run was VERY hilly, so especially towards the end I walked/jogged very slowly uphill and ran quickly downhill.  (Unfortunately, unless I were to run circles around my subdivision, everywhere around here is hilly, which is…interesting.)

I feel very accomplished, and no longer feel quite so bad about the heinous pictures at the bridal store.  But, two questions and one random statement to finish off this post:

1. Where do you put your house/apartment key when you run?  I stuck it in my bra, but it was a bit scratchy.
2. How do you run hills without looking like an old man?  I am tempted to bend way over when going uphill–is that wrong?
3. Pigeon pose in yoga is INCREDIBLE.  I want to sleep in it.

[Via http://thefitbride.wordpress.com]