"Food" for Thought...

We are a week into 2015 and every commercial on TV is for some sort of magical weight loss program or gym.

And don’t get me wrong, it is possible to reach these goals, but far too many of us sabotage our effort with an “all or nothing attitude”.

So this year, rethink your direction. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but here’s some “food” for thought:

-Start by forgiving yourself.  You can’t go back, so don’t beat yourself up for sleeping late instead of getting up to workout, or eating cake instead of fruit for dessert, or any of the things you promised yourself and didn’t do. Looking back at past “failures” only feeds the negative voices.

-Take baby steps. Prepare yourself emotionally for change, Start to develop a positive experience with healthy foods, Experiment with foods that take a little longer to prepare but are worth the effort. Focus on savoring the enjoyment of healthy food that you either cook (in reasonable portions) or, if you can’t cook on regular basis, research restaurants and prepared food places in your area that offer healthy food choices.

-Realize that you are NOT too busy or too broke to eat well. If you can afford to eat fast food or buy processed food, you can afford to eat healthfully. Write down everything you eat for a few days. Then, see what you kinds of substitutions you can make to improve your nutrition and cut down your intake of processed foods. (Email your food log to me and I’ll send you some suggestions. I promise!!).

-Try to move more. Get a Fitbit or Garmin Vivofit or just a plain old pedometer, and start tracking your steps. Maybe you won’t run a marathon, but you can increase how much you move each day and that’s a great way to start. Walk, do laundry, clean the house, run after your kids. If you track your movement and see what you’re already doing, you’ll be motivated to move even more.

-Be grateful. If you are in good health or on the road to recovering from an illness, be grateful that you have a chance to make things better. You have a working body that can walk, run and move and that’s more than enough to reach your fitness goals.

-Recognize that this is one part of your life that you have total control over. You might not be able to make that cute guy at work ask you out, you can’t control the hiring process for that job you’re trying to get; but, you have complete power over your nutrition and fitness. It’s your time for you, your food choices; you make the decisions.

So what will you decide?

Happy 2015! Make it your best year so far!!

"At the End of My Ropes..."

 

 There’s a commercial out now for Oscar Mayer's P3 Portable Protein Pack that shows different methods people use to get healthy. The last scene shows a guy at the gym  furiously whipping ropes up and down. When his friend asks him,

“What does that work?”

 He says, “I don’t know, but it looks cool!”

Harry rockin' the ropes (He's 72)

   And that’s kind of how most people feel when they see the ropes wound around in the corner of their gym. They look kind of interesting, but intimidating, so many people avoid trying them. But they’re a fantastic, low impact workout that raises your heart rate and burns calories quickly.

   Battle ropes come in all shapes, sizes, and weights, depending on the rope’s thickness and length. The major benefit of training with battle ropes is the application of upper body power, combined with endurance. The rope is wrapped around an anchor point, and you hold it at the very end of the rope's length. The amount of slack in the rope determines the load. Moving away from the anchor point decreases exercise intensity, while stepping toward the anchor point increases it. And there are so many benefits to your body:

      

   -It’s low impact. There’s minimal stress on the joints, with all the force  being applied to the muscular system. Although battle rope workouts can be intense, you can tone them down to any fitness level. Whether you’re just starting out, recovering from an injury, or even if you have bone and joint problems, there’s a battle rope routine that can    benefit you without pain or discomfort. Because the workouts use your body’s natural range of motion, you don’t have the negative restrictive aspects of common weight machines.

      -It’s a calorie torch. You can burn just as many calories as sprinting,  high-intensity interval training, and heavy resistance training.

      -It helps improve athletic performance. Using ropes trains the neuromuscular system to apply force that begins at the core and extends through both the arms and legs. If you watch the movements carefully, you will notice that one side of your body may move differently than the other. With rope training, over time, these differences go away. Slowly, you will notice your right and left sides start to balance out.

   
      -It’s a great core workout. They work the entire core from above your knees to below your chest by both applying power from the core, and stabilizing and bracing back movement.

   -They’re safe to use and fun. Just drop them when you can’t go any more. Using tools like the ropes is a breath of fresh air for most people; it creates excitement, it is unique, and it gets people “playing” again. This is another benefit of rope training unseen in many other forms – the more effort or intensity you put into the rope, the more you get out. There are also different weights of battle ropes so you can start light, and build up as you get stronger by choosing a longer length, a larger diameter, or a combination of both.

   Every time I use the ropes, I feel more comfortable with them, and I’m always amazed at how much using them raises my heart rate. There’s not a huge learning curve to using them, but some things to be aware of are:

Posture- The feet are spaced about shoulder width and toes slightly pointed out. Dip into a squat stance with the weight on your heels and not the toes. Your hips are hinged and the knees are slightly bent so the shin is vertical. Back straight; core tight.

Grip–Many people grip the ropes hard and tense up their bodies, leading to quick exhaustion. Grip the rope lightly, relax your arms, shoulders, torso, and even your face. That way, you’ll be able to move faster and maintain intensity for longer periods of time.

Breathing-People new to rope training tend to hold their breath, which can hurt their performance. Try and match your movement with your breathing pattern; as speed and intensity increase, so should your breathing.

Body Utilization– While most rope exercises seem to be upper body movements, the entire body should be utilized to increase power and efficiency. The legs and hips play a very important role in generating power into and through the arms. Be conscious of your feet, legs, hips, and shoulders. Try to avoid standing too stiffly, and make sure that all areas of your body are active.

   You can just whip the ropes up and down, but some specific battle rope exercises follow:

   -Alternating Waves: Alternate moving your arms up and down. Hold the ends of the rope at arm's length in front of your hips with your hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and begin alternately raising and lowering each arm explosively. Keep alternating arms for 1 to 20 minutes.

   -Double Arm Waves: Instead of alternating your arms up and down, move them up and down together.

   -Battle Rope Crossovers: Instead of making waves, slam the rope to the ground. Keep both feet flat on the floor as you move the ends in an arc above your head, lifting them to your left and slamming them down hard to your right. Repeat in the opposite direction.

   -Snake: Swing your arms together side-to-side and make your rope slither like a snake.

  -Claps: Move your arms in and out like you’re clapping your hands together.

   -Outside Circles: Make big circles with your arms. Your right arm circles clockwise and your left arm circles counter-clockwise.

   -Slams: Lift the rope and slam down

   -Figure Eight Circles: Make a figure eight shape in the air while holding the ropes. Feel free to reverse direction in the middle of your round.

   A great way to begin using the ropes is by using both hands to hold one side of the rope until you feel comfortable enough to lift both sides of the rope.

   And the same goes for when the two ropes get too heavy. Drop one side and grab onto one rope with both hands. It still gives you the benefits of training with both sides of the rope.

   I’ve even seen people sit on a bench with their feet planted on the ground while they use their upper body to move the ropes.

 

 So if you’re new to the gym or you’ve been working out for years, using the battle ropes can add intensity and fun without the dangers of some machines. And, it’s a great calorie burn!

"A Place to Work It Out..."

So you’ve decided that 2014 is the year to join a gym. You want a great place to work out that will motivate you to get there on a regular basis, but where do you begin. if you look beyond the basics most gyms provide their own unique take on your workout. You might even be rethinking the gym you currently belong to. Is it meeting your fitness needs? Too much? Too little? Good classes? Too expensive?
But before we talk about specific types of gyms, here are a few factors you should consider before joining ANY gym:


1. Location and Hours- Ideally you should join a gym near your home or work. If it's too far away you probably won't go. Make sure that the gym will be open at the times you'd be most likely to work out.

2. Cleanliness- Gyms are a breeding ground for germs so look for clean benches, clean handles on cardio equipment, and wipes or spray bottles on the gym floor. And pay close attention to the condition of the locker room, bathrooms, and showers.

3. Equipment- Make sure that the gym has a number of different types of cardio and weight training equipment. Check to see that the equipment is in good condition and that some of it is new.

4. Atmosphere- Do you think the staff seems friendly? Do you see people like you in the gym? Is it too crowded? Too empty?

5. Classes and Services- Do they offer a variety of class types and times? Do they have services you would use like child care, nutrition, spa services, etc.?

6. Cost- What are you actually paying for? What will you actually use? Fees can run from $10 to well over $100 per month, so make sure you know what you are getting for your money.

If you like the idea of working out with a group but don't need the cardio machines or free weights on your own time, check out the growing number of barre training, boxing gyms, cross fit facilities or yoga fusion studios in your neighborhood. Most offer a variety of classes and times that fit into your morning, lunchtime or evening schedule and provide great workouts, most times under an hour. If it fits your schedule, you're more likely to keep up the workout. (Google "Crossfit", "Barre studio", Boxing gym" with your zip code to find the one closest to you and check out their class times).

If you absolutely cannot bear the thought of working out in front of other people, but you need assistance in getting started or getting back on track, a smaller, one-on-one personal training facility might work best for you. Many offer personal training packages, and allow you to come in to use the machines on your off days as well. Some of these smaller facilities also offer specialty programs such as outdoor boot camps that meet in local parks, or specialized packages for brides, new moms, and age specific groups. Google “group personal training “ with your zip code or ask friends or co-workers for a recommendation. (You can also email me for recommendations locally).

Next, there are chains like Club Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and 24 Hour Fitness. Although costs vary from state to state, club to club, and even member to member, chain gyms are usually fairly affordable and offer a variety of services for their members. Gold’s has tried to grab markets beyond the traditional weightlifter by adding classes and partnering with groups like AARP and other organizations to offer “reduced” prices. You’re often left on your own to figure out the equipment. Taking workout classes, or checking out the new programs can help you navigate the best workout for you. To find out more about each individual chain, take a look on their web sites, They will usually let you download a free 1 day or 1 week pass to try the club out.

Then, there are the club-like facilities that offer more lifestyle and luxury with your membership while still keeping a strong focus on your workout. All over the country, YMCAs, JCCs, and even local community centers have worked to refurbish, rebuild and expand their fitness facilities to compete with the high end clubs like Lifetime Fitness, Wellbridge, and others in that category. Most have programs for all ages and offer additional classes to accommodate different levels of fitness. Membership fees vary, but often include swimming pool memberships and access to intramural sports for all ages.

My advice to be sure to try the club for a day or more before signing up, and then be sure to go online to find out about membership specials or package deals that might be available to you.

"Cider House Rules..."

I’m always looking for ways to improve my health, and I especially love when I find health benefits from particular foods. Whether it be green tea, coffee, broccoli or quinoa, I ‘ll try it if the nutrients will benefit my health and well-being! I’m leery about supplements and pills, so if I hear about the benefits of a food that I would likely eat anyway, I’ll give it a shot.

So, when I read this Facebook post by my friend Shelley a few months ago, my curiosity was piqued:

“My Health Tip I swear by!!!! If you have ANY pain - PLEASE try this and give it a few weeks!
I started drinking one teaspoon of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar in water- three times a day. I have studied … how we can get rid of inflammation, disease, viruses etc…. Day 11 -This is THE BEST medicine that I have taken in years!!! I went from sick and possibly starting on IV's 10 days ago - to feeling so energetic and healthy that I am amazed!
** This is strictly my opinion and not a medical claim.”

First, a few things about Shelley. She is an amazingly positive and health-conscious woman. Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at a young age, she wasn’t supposed to live much past her 20s. Now, at 50 something, she has defied all odds, due mostly to being proactive about her own health and nutrition. (You can learn more about Shelley by reading her inspirational blog http://www.shellymaguire.com/blog/) Mostly because I believe Shelley really does know what she’s talking about, I decided to do some research of my own and try the Apple Cider vinegar regimen.


Apparently, the antibacterial properties of vinegar were recognized as long ago as 400 BC, used by Hippocrates to treat patients suffering from infections. It’s been used for pain relief, soothing sore throats, weight loss, and even skin care.
The unpasteurized vinegar has a layer of film floating at the top of the bottle. This cloudy layer is referred to as "the mother," and is responsible for the fermentation process of vinegar. Found primarily in apple cider vinegar produced organically, this film layer is often touted for its nutrients and potential health benefits. When you first see this floating substance it's pretty unappetizing compared to the name brand distilled apple cider vinegars, which have a bright color and are free of the cob- web floating substances. But, distilling apple cider vinegar destroys the “mother” substance that contains the nutritional health values

It’s detoxification and antioxidant benefits, and, of course, weight loss benefits, were what most appealed to me. Studies show that taking 2-3 teaspoons three time a day (usually before each meal) can iincrease your metabolism, generate energy and reduce hunger. It also helps to detoxify the liver which plays an important role in weight loss.

So I figured “Why not?”
It’s a food product; one that I’d eat on a salad or with vegetables;
it’s pretty inexpensive, unlike so many of the supplements and supplement drinks on the market; and, I couldn’t find evidence of any negative effects from the vinegar.

I started the vinegar regimen about two months ago, and, in addition to helping me lose and maintain my weight, it has really helped me reduce muscle soreness from my workouts, increased my energy, and kept me generally, illness-free. During the first week or two, I didn’t feel great, and I chalked that up to the vinegar ridding my system of the toxins. I even got my husband on board. (Added July, 2015: I have been taking the vinegar for a year and a half and continue to see the benefits I first saw)

Remember though, it is vinegar; and the taste isn't really very appealing by itself. Many people recommend mixing it with honey and water or agave syrup.I don't want the extra calories, so I mix the two teaspoons in water with a little bit of Stevia to temper the “bite”. My husband drinks it straight, hardcore in a shot glass. My friend Robyn mixes it with a large glass of water and drinks it throughout the day, and my friend Lori R. mixes it with hot tea and sweetener and says it tastes like hot apple cider.

And, like Shelley said, this is NOT a medical claim, but a product that is working to improve my own health that I wanted to share with all of you!
Let me know what you think!
,

"Get Ready...."

In one year, my son and daughter-in-law-to-be are getting married. To say I’m beyond thrilled is an understatement! I love them both so much and we love her family and can’t wait for the fun times together! And although I’ve never been an advocate of “event” fitness, and I’ve preached that everyone should have a consistently healthy lifestyle, THEY”RE GETTING MARRIED, and who doesn't want to look and feel good!!

A 2007 Cornell University study by Lori Neighbors and Jeffery Sobal found that 70 percent of engaged women and their mothers said they wanted to lose weight, typically 20 pounds. So brides are increasingly going on crash diets. One woman in New York prepped for wedding gown shopping by spending eight days on a feeding tube. The diet, under a doctor’s supervision, offered 800 calories a day while she went about her day, with a feeding tube in her nose.

I was not that extreme when I got married (many years ago), but I did spend three months basically subsisting on a diet of lettuce, cottage cheese, coffee and cigarettes to try and look skinny on my wedding day. Of course, by the time our first anniversary rolled around, I had quit smoking, started cooking, and gained back the starvation weight I had lost (and then some). Soooo….not exactly the healthiest way to prepare for an event.

If you know well in advance that you’d like to get fit for an event, be it a wedding, reunion, graduation, or new job, you can work on developing your healthy lifestyle; not frantically trying to drop three sizes in a month.

If you do have over 50 pounds to lose, it’s best to get started as soon as possible. If you’re OK losing a pound or two each week, then a program like Weight Watchers or the Eat-Clean Diet can be a great place to start. I like these because you prepare your own food and focus on the health benefits of what you eat. However, for some people, it’s discouraging to see such a slow loss. In that case, talk to your doctor about a more restrictive eating plan like Medifast, South Beach or Atkins. Seeing the quicker weight loss can be motivating and it can encourage you to create a healthier lifestyle. Once you’ve gotten closer to your goal, you can branch out to foods that will help you maintain and energize your fitness level.

Some basics to remember no matter where you are on the fitness/weight loss meter:

You need to eat. Maybe not as much, maybe different foods, but if you consume too few nutrients, your body will rebel. Get the right mix of carbs, fats, and protein. The most effective combo for dropping pounds fast is one that is high in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, contains mostly unsaturated fats from olive oil or nuts, and provides a healthy dose of extra-lean protein from dairy, legumes, soy, fish, and lean meat. Look for "real" (i.e., unprocessed) foods. You need fuel for energy and to keep your mood stable and positive.

You don’t NEED to drink alcohol. A celebratory drink can cost you 150 calories or more. And that's if you only have one! Even if you're in the habit of having just a few drinks a week, cutting back on alcohol can save you hundreds of calories in the end. Save the cocktails for the special occasions coming up and sip water instead, or try alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages so you won't feel left out of the festivities

Drink lots of water to flush your system. The body has a filtration system in place that will excrete toxins from the body. Without proper hydration, however, this system cannot function optimally. Make sure you consume plenty of water to dilute and flush unwanted toxins and waste products from your body.

Avoid excess salt. You want to reduce your salt intake to decrease your body's water retention. Table salt and other processed foods are loaded with sodium and alter the way cells handle excess water. When there is high sodium, cells absorb water as a result of osmosis. You can reduce excess water weight and decrease bloat by cutting back high sodium foods.

Exercise. Work Out. Train. Lift. Whatever you call it, a combination of cardio and strength training is best. This is an obvious one, but do something (anything!) to get moving. Twenty minutes of exercise a day will do wonders to boost your energy and kick-start the calorie burning process. Choose a time of the day when you usually feel motivated and energetic -- that way, you'll be more likely to stick with it.

Interval Training involves alternating short, fast bursts of intense exercise with slow, easy activity. Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system, and it results in improved conditioning of the cardiovascular system. It also helps prevent injuries often associated with repetitive exercise by allowing you to increase training intensity without overtraining or burn-out.

Cross Train-Alternating exercise is a great way to train effectively. Not only do you develop overall muscle conditioning, but you allow muscles to rest and recover without losing your fitness and get a mental boost from alternating activities

Strength Train-Building strength is one of the fastest ways to improve your physical condition and shape and train more efficiently. You can spend hours running, cycling or playing your sport, but a few weight training sessions each week will add strength, power, and also help reduce your risk of injury.

Get a Personal Trainer-Following a program written by someone else can take the pressure off and give you new ideas. It can also assure that you are doing the exercises correctly and efficiently. Opt for a few sessions when you start your fitness program to make sure you are getting the most out of your workout and schedule additional sessions as you get closer to where you want to be weight and fitness wise and closer to the event.

The thing is, if you can start to work on a healthy lifestyle now, the closer you get to the event, the more relaxed you’ll be. Whether you're in the wedding party, the planning committee for the reunion, or getting ready to start a new phase in your life, all of the planning can take its toll on you. But if you’re eating right and working out, you’ll be in a better mood and be better able to cope with the decisions you need to make.

As you get closer to the event, there are things you can do to tweak your fitness and push yourself harder (we’ll go over those in a future blog) , but if you’ve got the time, get yourself on the road to health, so you’ll be around for all of the life events yet to come!!

"Givin' Up The Funk..."

You can’t watch TV or read a magazine without hearing something about a “cleanse” or “detox” diet. There are many types of diets and levels of “cleansing” and very few are regulated or standardized. I’ve heard from people who swear by the concept, “tons of energy”, “adult-onset acne completely clears”, “sleep like a baby” and “allergies disappear”, and others who have horror stories about their experience!

Generally, most detox diets will contain some combination of the following foods:
-Organic food and drink (no pesticides or fungicides), with whole unprocessed foods (grains, nuts, seeds, etc). and a high mix of vegetables and fruit.
-2 liters of water per day, sometimes using herbs such as Psyllium seed, Licorice root, Yucca root, Milk thistle seed, Gentian root, to aid the detoxifying process.
-They avoid: Alcohol, caffeine, and processed and refined foods

The most popular cleanse (basically because it was followed by many celebrities) is the Master Cleanse, developed by the late Stanley Burroughs as a detoxification and fasting program. The Master Cleanse Diet is supposed to "release years of built-up waste in just 10 days, while your energy soars." Yet, experts point out, the liver already detoxifies the body. Further, there is no medical evidence that fasting or "cleansing" diets actually rid the body of any toxins not otherwise discarded in bodily waste.

You eat no solid foods, no supplements. Only the “lemonade solution” (made from lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and filtered water) is allowed. The plan calls for you to drink 6 or more servings daily of the lemonade drink. The only other options are a "salt water flush" of 2 teaspoons salt mixed in a quart of water in the morning, and an herbal laxative tea at night, if needed.

After following this fast for 4-14 days, dieters are urged to slowly ease back into solid food. Of course you will lose weight, because of the calorie deficit, but it will most likely be water weight, not fat. You might feel hungry, and may experience headaches, fatigue, dizziness, sluggishness, diarrhea, nausea, or constipation. Nutritionists point out that the Master Cleanse diet plan is deficient in all the essential nutrients: calories, vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. And, after the cleanse, they tell you simply choose to “eat wisely” to keep the weight off. Maybe had you done that in the first place, you wouldn’t need the cleanse!

Beyond the Master Cleanse, almost all detox diets require some combination of fasting, food restriction and supplementation. Some of the more popular plans include:
The Eat Stop Eat- short 24 hour fasts a couple times a week which are supposed to promote detox.
The Raw Food Diet-a generic diet advocating consumption of raw, uncooked food only
The Fat Flush Diet-a popular 3 phase diet plan from Ann Gittleman, starting with a 2 week restrictive phase of between 1100-1200 calories per day.
The Raw Food Cleanse-an introduction to the benefits of a raw food diet with a selection of cleanses ranging from 3 to 28 days.
And Clean, Green and Lean-a 4-week plan to help dieters to eliminate toxins that may be preventing them from losing weight. This program claims it will help overcome chronic health problems such as allergies and fatigue and boost your energy
(For more detailed info, go to http://www.everydiet.org/detox_diet.htm)

It’s not to say all forms of detox diets should be strictly avoided. According to Natalie Digate Muth, MD , “As a health-promoting practice, committing to a short term (1-2 day) detox regimen helps people stop and consider the healthy and unhealthy components of their lifestyles, and make changes — eating less, examining health habits, and getting rid of the junk like processed foods, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.”

They all typically begin with a “cleansing phase", which is usually two or three days of only liquids. Brown rice, fruit, and steamed vegetables are sometimes added, until about a week later when other foods — except red meat, wheat, sugar, eggs, and prepackaged foods — may be reintroduced. This final phase is expected to be followed indefinitely for maintenance.

Most include elimination of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, and many restrict meat and solid foods altogether. The diets also tend to involve consumption of large amounts of liquid, fiber, and raw vegetables — ingredients that are thought to purge the gastrointestinal system of accumulated harmful substances.

Actor Jason Lee slimmed down thanks to a five-week cleanse under the direction of Dr. Bo Wagner, a leading Los Angeles diet guru. “He taught me proper food combining, and how to eat for my blood type,” says Lee. “I cut out sugar, starch and booze.”

Sandra Ballentine, a writer for the New York Times , tried a juice fast assisted by Marcus Antebi, co-owner of the Juice Press, an organic fruit and veggie bar in Manhattan. According to Antebi, "...it’s not what you put into your body, it’s what you leave out. A period of subsisting on freshly cold-pressed organic fruit and vegetable juice ideally helps set the stage for a diet that excludes processed and a lot of cooked foods.”

Trying a variety of “elimination “strategies may help, however, eliminating all foods (or fasting for more than a day) for weight loss seems too dangerous!

Because food was often scarce for our ancestors, our bodies have been genetically programmed to combat the effects of fasting. When you eat less food, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Then, when you go back to your usual diet, your lowered metabolism may cause you to store more energy, meaning that you will probably gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast.

As you fast, your body will adjust by reducing your appetite, so you will initially feel less hungry. But once you have stopped fasting, your appetite hormones will kick back into gear and you may actually feel hungrier and be more likely to binge.

So, will I do a Master Cleanse or all liquid diet? I doubt it. However, the idea of “cleansing” maybe one or two unhealthy elements (like alcohol or sugar) from my diet is somewhat appealing, and I know it wouldn’t compromise my health, in fact, it could greatly enhance it. I can see the logic in eliminating the food components that can cause problems, but shouldn’t that be part of working on a healthy lifestyle? Fitness gurus like Jackie Warner, author of This is Why You’re Fat, Tosca Reno author of The Eat-Clean Diet, and even Jillian Michaels in Master Your Metabolism, all advocate eliminating toxic foods from your diet, but they don’t put your body in starvation mode!

If you decide to try one of these plans, be sure to check with your doctor first. Be wary of any plan that completely eliminates a necessary group or food altogether!

If you have tried a cleanse, I’d love to hear about your experience. Email me at hkraus52@gmail.com.