Find out which neighborhood in your area is at risk for flooding, later tonight on 11 News at 11.
Parents, is your child playing with this toy right now? It could kill your child. Find out which toy was just recalled later tonight ...
So many wonderful stories that our media frightens us with. Well, here's another one I came across earlier this year relating to wellness. The crux of the story: sitting for prolonged periods of time will kill you--even if you exercise regularly.
Gulp! I exercise regularly but I also sit for prolonged periods whether it be consulting with clients or working on the computer.
The article I came across said, "Studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die."
Ya think? Really, wow, that's some breakthrough research. And to think, thousands of dollars was probably spent on this study.
I'm not fat, but I do sit at times quite a bit. Does this mean my life span will be shortened significantly?
I'm confident it won't. The reason why is that I take several mini-exercise breaks throughout the day when I'm seated. If you're seated and sedentary for prolonged periods of time, follow this advice.
What I do is get up at least once every two hours and perform one bodyweight exercise that combines strength and flexibility. My favorite is performing a wide downward dog and then transitioning into an upward dog. I just go back and forth for 10-20 repetitions. My heart rate goes up, almost every part of my body is being stretched out and my arms and lower back are getting stronger.
(If you're in the area, I'd be more than happy to show you how to do this wonderful all-in-one exercise free of charge; if you're not, I can show you on Skype or email you a brief video clip.)
Another great bodyweight exercise to do is a modified pushup transitioning into a downward dog. Start by getting on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. With your fingers spread wide, use your knees to rock forward. Keep your elbows in tight towards your ribs and bend your elbows so you're doing the downward portion of a pushup.
As you push back up, get off your knees and go into a downward dog, so you look like an upside down "V".
If you do a few sets of each exercise every day, you'll stave off any frightening effect--like early death--that the media has fun propagating.
If you sit all day and/or drive a lot, another good thing to do besides the two exercises I mention is to just spend a few minutes on a foam roller to release the tight knotted-up muscle tissue. I use one on myself after every stretching/bodywork session I give. If I feel tight, I roll on my spine and often get an almost-orgasmic series of "pop-pop-pops" in my vertebrae. If you need recommendations of where to get a foam roller from, let me know. I'll be more than glad to help...
The article also mentioned that it might be best if you sit for prolonged periods, it would be best to split up your workouts. So does that mean if you're doing a hardcore butt-kicking workout like P90X or kettlebells, you shouldn't do the whole workout at one time? I think the verdict is still out on that one. But I do like the concept of splitting up exercise over the course of an entire day. I think it keeps the blood pumping throughout the body throughout the whole day as opposed to being stagnant for most of the day.
So make it a habit of daily brief bouts of exercise if you sit for long periods of time. Who knows, maybe the hysterical news media may be right on this one. I wouldn't want to be on the losing side of that bet.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Need a Lift? Ditch the Coffee, Pound a Green Drink
Ok, I'll admit, I haven't completely ditched the coffee. I still need one cup sometime before noon to fire up the brain synapses, otherwise I can't form a complete sentence.
But I limit my coffee intake to just one cup before noon. If you're a big coffee drinker try to get out of the habit of drinking late in the afternoon, especially after about 6 p.m. when your cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are supposed to go down. You don't want to spike up your cortisol, when you should be starting to wind down from the day. (Interested in what your cortisol levels are? Email me to find out more.)
That goes for exercise as well. Performing high intensity exercise may make you seemingly more fit, but at the expense of fatiguing your adrenals. That'll only stress you out more in the long run. You'll eventually feel drained.
I'm starting to veer off point here though. Back to the coffee. From my experience, I feel more sharp after having a cup of coffee. Coffee has been clinically proven to contain some beneficial antioxidants. Most people, I'd venture to guess, don't realize that nearly all natural foods contain antioxidants, not just fruits like blueberry and pomegranate. Even butter has antioxidants!
How did I get to antioxidants? Shoot, there I go again, digressing from the main theme, which is essentially, consuming something to get your engine revved up in the morning.
Lately, instead of starting my day with a cup of coffee (which I only have after drinking a couple cups of water and eating breakfast 30+ minutes later; I won't go into why I do that...I'd be off track yet again), I've been consuming a green drink called Shakeology.
Green drinks in general are a good idea to consume for nearly everyone, but especially for people who aren't getting enough vegetables in their daily food intake. Green Drinks are a specially formulated mega-concentration of grasses, green vegetables and natural fibers. They are some of the lowest-calorie, lowest-sugar, and most nutrient rich foods available.
Just as someone who isn't used to drinking wine on a regular basis might feel the effects of a good merlot go straight to the head after just a couple sips, after I consume a green drink like Shakeology, I feel instantly more clear-headed like my brain is going through a mental car wash. I also feel more energetic.
(I've learned not to drink coffee and Shakeology at nearly the same time: I feel like I'm on speed!)
Most high-quality green drinks have multiple benefits including probiotics, which colonize the gut with good bacteria, as well as digestive enzymes, and of course antioxidants.
What I like about Shakeology, besides the fact you won't gag after you drink it (as the first generation of green drinks would make you do; it actually tastes very good), is its high-protein content, 17 grams in its chocolate formula.
If you aren't in the habit of consuming a daily green drink, give it a try. You may just end up ditching that coffee.
Full disclosure: I'm an independent distributor for Shakeology. To get a free sample and learn how you can eventually drink Shakeology daily at no cost to you, call me at 858.442.6861 or email me.
Watch a brief video about Shakeology here:
Friday, August 13, 2010
Why you Shouldn't Worry About Cholesterol
By now, hopefully you've realized that cholesterol-lowering drugs have saturated (excuse the pun) the market not because they are absolutely necessary, but simply for the heaps of profit they bring to pharmaceutical companies.
Without getting too scientific, I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't worry about cholesterol. Your body absolutely needs it. Your liver produces it and recycles it. Your cell membranes are comprised of it. Go on a cholesterol-free diet and your health is likely to suffer.
Several studies now confirm that high-cholesterol diets do NOT lead to heart disease. Conversely, low-saturated fat and cholesterol diets have been shown to lead to higher levels of heart disease than high-cholesterol diets.
So what then leads to such a prevalence of heart disease in this country? In one word: inflammation.
Inflammation of muscle and arterial tissue, including the heart, is caused by too much sugar and alcohol in the diet, as well as too many grains, as well as smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. If you're not smoking and not drinking excessively and habitually eating refined grains like white flour products and baked goods, and if you're exercising, you have nothing to worry about.
Eat all natural foods at least 90 percent of the time and get in some moderate exercise every day for at least 30 minutes. If you're doing this and don't smoke and drink excessively, you needn't worry about cholesterol.
For God's sake, eat the whole egg! The yolk is where the essential life-giving properties of amino acids are concentrated. Unless you're total cholesterol is above 350 or so, you have nothing to worry about.
If you're on medication for cholesterol, consider consulting with a natural health practitioner who can recommend alternatives such as red yeast rice or artichoke leaf.
Someone you know is on cholesterol-lowering drugs? Please share this info with them. Help them stop throwing away their money, and potentially their good health. If they are somebody with unhealthy habits that lead to chronic inflammation, then maybe the only thing that will keep them alive for longer is medication. In my opinion, this is the only time Western medicine for reducing cholesterol should be used.
But as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Without getting too scientific, I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't worry about cholesterol. Your body absolutely needs it. Your liver produces it and recycles it. Your cell membranes are comprised of it. Go on a cholesterol-free diet and your health is likely to suffer.
Several studies now confirm that high-cholesterol diets do NOT lead to heart disease. Conversely, low-saturated fat and cholesterol diets have been shown to lead to higher levels of heart disease than high-cholesterol diets.
So what then leads to such a prevalence of heart disease in this country? In one word: inflammation.
Inflammation of muscle and arterial tissue, including the heart, is caused by too much sugar and alcohol in the diet, as well as too many grains, as well as smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. If you're not smoking and not drinking excessively and habitually eating refined grains like white flour products and baked goods, and if you're exercising, you have nothing to worry about.
Eat all natural foods at least 90 percent of the time and get in some moderate exercise every day for at least 30 minutes. If you're doing this and don't smoke and drink excessively, you needn't worry about cholesterol.
For God's sake, eat the whole egg! The yolk is where the essential life-giving properties of amino acids are concentrated. Unless you're total cholesterol is above 350 or so, you have nothing to worry about.
If you're on medication for cholesterol, consider consulting with a natural health practitioner who can recommend alternatives such as red yeast rice or artichoke leaf.
Someone you know is on cholesterol-lowering drugs? Please share this info with them. Help them stop throwing away their money, and potentially their good health. If they are somebody with unhealthy habits that lead to chronic inflammation, then maybe the only thing that will keep them alive for longer is medication. In my opinion, this is the only time Western medicine for reducing cholesterol should be used.
But as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
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