Sunday, July 06, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Are You Beach Body Ready?
The South Beach Diet Supercharged
Five years ago, with the publication of The South Beach Diet, renowned Miami cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston set out to change the way America eats. Now he has an even more ambitious goal: to change the way America lives by helping Americans become fitter as well as thinner and healthier…for life. In the all-new The South Beach Diet Supercharged, Dr. Agatston shows you how to rev up your metabolism and lose weight faster while following the proven healthy eating principles of the original diet: choose good carbs, good fats, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. Collaborating with Dr. Joseph Signorile, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami, Dr. Agatston presents a cutting-edge, three-phase workout that perfectly complements the three phases of the diet itself. Based on the latest exercise science, this ease-into-it fitness program combines low- and high-intensity interval exercise (with a focus on walking) and functional core body-toning exercises.
The result: you'll look fitter and you'll burn more fat and calories all day--even at rest. Also included is the latest nutritional research on how specific foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of phytonutrients help keep you healthy; new and expanded lists of Foods to Enjoy; taste-tempting Meal Plans for phases 1 and 2; and dozens of easy-to-prepare new recipes, including Eggs Frijoles, Chock-Full-of-Veggies Chili, Roasted Tomato Soup, Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf, and South Beach Diet Tiramisu.
In every chapter you'll find inspiring success stories from real-life South Beach dieters and plenty of effective weight loss tips. And as an added bonus, Dr. Agatston answers the questions you've most often asked him about the diet since the original book was published.
Video: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m3CE2ZKWRZHAR7:m3BMFGRT5F4E6C
The South Beach Diet Supercharged Workout
Inspired by the best-selling book series, The South Beach Diet Supercharged Workout will rev up your metabolism and burn fat fast!
Based on the latest exercise science, this total body workout combines core fitness and cardio intervals to keep your metabolism revved-up even at rest. Renowned cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, in collaboration with Dr. Joseph Signorile, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami, and Kris Belding, a Miami-based Pilates teacher, has developed four different high-energy routines. With exercises such as "Beautiful Biceps," "Fab Abs" and "Swimming Frog," users can improve their overall fitness and become healthier for life.
BONUS SEGMENTS:
Introduction by Dr. Arthur Agatston
South Beach Diet Tips
Kris Belding Interview
Video: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m4VJYXLQC25U3:m1EV9ZP2LI1081
Five years ago, with the publication of The South Beach Diet, renowned Miami cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston set out to change the way America eats. Now he has an even more ambitious goal: to change the way America lives by helping Americans become fitter as well as thinner and healthier…for life. In the all-new The South Beach Diet Supercharged, Dr. Agatston shows you how to rev up your metabolism and lose weight faster while following the proven healthy eating principles of the original diet: choose good carbs, good fats, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. Collaborating with Dr. Joseph Signorile, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami, Dr. Agatston presents a cutting-edge, three-phase workout that perfectly complements the three phases of the diet itself. Based on the latest exercise science, this ease-into-it fitness program combines low- and high-intensity interval exercise (with a focus on walking) and functional core body-toning exercises.
The result: you'll look fitter and you'll burn more fat and calories all day--even at rest. Also included is the latest nutritional research on how specific foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of phytonutrients help keep you healthy; new and expanded lists of Foods to Enjoy; taste-tempting Meal Plans for phases 1 and 2; and dozens of easy-to-prepare new recipes, including Eggs Frijoles, Chock-Full-of-Veggies Chili, Roasted Tomato Soup, Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf, and South Beach Diet Tiramisu.
In every chapter you'll find inspiring success stories from real-life South Beach dieters and plenty of effective weight loss tips. And as an added bonus, Dr. Agatston answers the questions you've most often asked him about the diet since the original book was published.
Video: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m3CE2ZKWRZHAR7:m3BMFGRT5F4E6C
The South Beach Diet Supercharged Workout
Inspired by the best-selling book series, The South Beach Diet Supercharged Workout will rev up your metabolism and burn fat fast!
Based on the latest exercise science, this total body workout combines core fitness and cardio intervals to keep your metabolism revved-up even at rest. Renowned cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, in collaboration with Dr. Joseph Signorile, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami, and Kris Belding, a Miami-based Pilates teacher, has developed four different high-energy routines. With exercises such as "Beautiful Biceps," "Fab Abs" and "Swimming Frog," users can improve their overall fitness and become healthier for life.
BONUS SEGMENTS:
Introduction by Dr. Arthur Agatston
South Beach Diet Tips
Kris Belding Interview
Video: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m4VJYXLQC25U3:m1EV9ZP2LI1081
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Spring IS Sprung
Time to get back in shape!
"America Walks with Kathy Smith" is a 10-month journey toward health and wellness through the physical and spiritual exercise of walking.
Each month until the official walk date (October 4, 2008), Kathy will guide our community of walkers through a different theme to set us on the right path.
Kathy Smith: 'Fitness Saved My Life'
The health and fitness maven shares why exercise is the road to empowerment.
Interview by Holly Lebowitz Rossi
In the 1980s, Kathy Smith rose to fame as a workout queen, producing aerobics videos and motivating millions with her fitness classes and techniques. Today, Smith continues to inspire and energize those who want to lose weight and feel fit and healthy. In an illuminating interview, Smith tells Beliefnet's Health editor about how she got healthy in the wake of tragedy, how to start a fitness program, and why a "prayer walk" is sometimes the best exercise you can do.
Were you always so aware of health and fitness issues? If not, what brought you to that world?
What really got me focused on it was when I was a senior in high school, I was 17 years old and my dad died of a heart attack. He was 42 at the time and I was very close to my father and it was a very devastating time for me. A year and a half later, my mom was killed in a plane crash. So, within a two year period there, I lost both my parents.
This was a crazy time in not only my life, but in the world in the sense that I graduated high school in '69. We're talking about the Vietnam War. We're talking about people experimenting with alternative lifestyles. I went into kind of a tailspin, meaning losing confidence, depressed, not knowing what direction I wanted to take with my life.
I had a boyfriend at the time and he was a football player. And he would go out to run and I would go along with him. And I wasn't very physical at that point, so I would run on a track. I would run one lap and he would run four and I would walk another couple laps and then run another lap with him. And I would link these laps together eventually. And I would come back from these, just a mile run, and I would think, wow, I feel so much better. And I kept getting attracted to going out and doing a little bit more.
And it really piqued my interest. What was going on? When I go out for this run and I come back, I feel better, I feel more confident, I feel more alive, I feel alert, I feel stronger, I feel empowered. And that's how I initially got hooked on this whole aspect and this whole part of training and exercising. That eventually led to my career.
Would you say that it was like a personal rescue, that it--did it stop the tailspin?
Yeah, it was. It completely rescued me from, oh, just perhaps going another direction. It rescued me from a path that could have been partying and playing and low self esteem and just not taking care of myself and getting into the wrong crowd. Without guidance and without parental supervision and the structure of a family and community, it was one of the things that I could have gone down a real bad path at that point. And I would say that this was my salvation. It really rescued me from an unhealthy lifestyle.
Do you reflect on that period in your life, and also generally on your health consciousness, in spiritual terms at all?
I'm very spiritually connected. I feel your body is this temple and it's a place that--you know, we've been given these magnificent vessels to do work, to contribute, to be part of a community, to be part of the world, the global universe.
When you're doing things to your body, when you're smoking, when you're drinking, when you're not exercising and then, you start to make that a part of your family, the whole thing starts to manifest itself in the way that you feel, the way that you project yourself to the world.
On the flipside, when you start taking care of yourself, when you start to honor yourself enough to say, you know what? I'm worth it. I'm worth it and I have a lot of things that I want to do with my life. I want to be here for my kids. I want to be here with my grandkids. I want to be here for my community. I want to be here for my work.
How do you see your role as a health and wellness teacher, and the fact that people really look to you as a source of wisdom, as a source of inspiration? Did you expect to play that role in your career?
When I got into this fitness movement, there wasn't necessarily a career here. I was one of the first people ever to do an exercise video, in 1982. And before exercise videos, there were exercise albums that we did. And I was one of the first people in 1976 to teach an exercise group class with music and aerobics. And it wasn't until 1973 that we even coined the term aerobics.
So no, I didn't have a clue when I first started out the role that I would have. But, early on, I got an inkling of it when I saw the response. I would teach a class and I would have women coming up to me and talking about how they felt after a month of taking these classes, and not just because their thighs were thinner and not just because they had lost a little weight, but how empowered, how confident, how that they'd never had this experience where they felt like they could go back out and have a relationship with their husband.
I also realized that part of it was I was so passionate about it, I had come--I had seen what it did to me. I realized that this--fitness, exercise, running -- it saved my life.
What is your advice to people like that you want to start a fitness regime, but feel, I've really let myself go?
First of all, whenever I start somebody on a fitness program, I love for them to sit down and just reflect on why they want to start it. Well, the doctor said my cholesterol level is too high. Diabetes runs in my family. I know my blood pressure's gone up. I have a three year old grandchild. I love playing with her, but when I go to the park, I run out of energy. When I go to bed at night, I'm not sleeping well. There might be a list.
When I'm working with them, I say, okay, keep going. I mean, if you only have ten things on the list, that's not enough. Keep going. My complexion, bone density, I want to walk around and show off my arms and I'm so embarrassed of my arms that I will never even wear short sleeve shirts any more.
As you make your list longer, longer, then you print it out and you put it in your bathroom and you put it on your refrigerator and you put one into your daily diary and you just reflect--okay, there are so many more reasons to exercise than just simple weight loss or you want to look a little better in your clothes.
And that becomes the motivator.
Where do you recommend they start from there?
Well, the easiest thing for most people is a walking program. It's convenient. It's low cost. You need a pair of walking shoes and you could walk out your door.
And that could be a very simple, not very intimidating way to start on just doing--start with 10, 15 minutes. I typically would have somebody go out and mark off a mile on a street. Take your car, mark off a mile and just see how fast you walk that mile. Don't try to push it further. You know, don't try to go extra hard. But, see how you would typically walk that mile.
And then, what you do, too, is you'd come back and you'd say, okay, every day, I'm going to start taking off a little time off that mile. So, if you are walking a 30 minute mile, which is extremely slow, but if you're walking it, say, okay, my goal is to do it in 28 minutes and then 25 minutes.
Then, I would start adding some light weights to your program, a little bit of strength training. You only have to do it twice a week and it only takes about 15 minutes to work every muscle in your body, to do about 10 repetitions.
So, you could have some light weights at home, maybe a three pound, maybe a five pound set of weights. And you just go through a set of bicep curls, maybe an overhead press. And you do a few exercises that work your body. Does that sound complicated?
Not at all.
But even though I love to give guidelines to people, the biggest thing that I want people to do is move. So if somebody says, you know what? I love square dancing. I love to go bowling. Then, that is what I want you out there doing.
I want you moving because that is where the bottom line is. Got to get something that you enjoy, you enjoy doing it and then, we build from there.
What would you say to people who start doing something like what you're describing, but they don’t see the results that they thought they would see?
When people are discouraged because they're not seeing the results that they want, I first of all go through and have them think about, are you being realistic?
Secondly, tell me what you're doing right now because one of the things about exercise is that our bodies adapt to exercise.
But, then, beyond that, there is a point where you need to start practicing acceptance. And there's a point where you trust the process and then, you let go and you accept certain things about yourself. Part of it is starting to shift your focus to say, let's look at what you like about your body, what you love about what you've been given. Accentuate the positive.
Have you ever experienced moments of discouragement?
Yes, it is a growth process for all of us, including for myself, of course. After I had my babies, my skin stretched a little bit. For me, it's still flat, but it still doesn't have the same kind of quality because, you know, there's an aging process. And, there's a little bit of dimpling or there's a little bit of skin--and especially with aging.
And, you know, at the point you can just say and you can stay fixated on it and you can feel miserable about where you're at, or you can shift to, gosh, I feel so blessed to be able to go on this hike today, to be able to be hiking and to think that I have this strong body with these legs and this lung capacity that can be up on this hill and enjoying nature and being out and looking at the ocean and being with my friends and having an hour and a half where I can talk and relate and be thankful.
You just shift to gratitude for what you have. I mean, you think I have these great kids. So, am I going to sit here and complain that my belly's not quite the same it was when I'm 25 years old and before I had kids?
Do you think fitness is ultimately a solitary pursuit, or does it depend on a sense of community?
I think it's an extremely important part of fitness to get involved with family, community, friends for your activities. Reason being is that it helps motivate you, starting with the very basic thing of when you have to get out and move, you're going to.
And there's days where it's like, oh, I don't want to do anything. And yet, if you know that you're meeting friends and, again, you're not labeling, 'I'm going out for a workout' when the idea is, 'I'm going out to meet Fran and Nina and we're going to go walk the neighborhood and catch up.' It becomes something you really look forward to.
What are some spiritual techniques that might heighten the likelihood of someone sticking with a fitness program or feeling like they're succeeding?
Well, I think simple things, starting with your walks. If you go out for a walk, talk about the community and going with friends, but it's also very special to go out by yourself, and do a prayer walk. Go out, and on your breaths, find an affirmation that works for you, a prayer that works for you, a one line, like, 'God, reveal yourself to me.' Or it might even be just Our Father or Hail Mary or something or, you know, it could be even something--and as you go for your 30 minute walk, you are connecting with God, but then also with nature.
So, as you go down the street, what I like to do is be very, very present on every step. So, if you're going by a rose, if you're going by a palm tree, as you smell a gardenia, as you walk by a dog, as you just--everything that comes past you that's around you, the sky, the light, the moisture from the humidity or whatever on your face, whatever is touching you, feeling you, all your sense, you relate that to God and your gratitude for it and just the wonderment of it all.
Otherwise, I would say that there's just, before and after, whenever I'm on a hike and with friends, we do gratitude prayers at the top of a point where we always reach. So, we do our Saturday hikes and when we get to a point, we stop and we do a gratitude prayer.
Or actually, it's not always a gratitude prayer. It could be a prayer for somebody, typically. And that'll be, you're on the walk and it's like, okay, we're all walking and we find out that Joyce's husband is going in for surgery or something. And then, you find a point, you sit and you do a prayer for that person.
Friday, April 04, 2008
A Whole Lot of Joy
Joy is in coming and going, waiting and watching, living and learning.
~ Norris Chumley
You Deserve a Whole Lot of Joy
Joy is in release, so thankfully received,
Joy is in sorry, so sweetly mourned and grieved,
Joy is to be found, you find it through yearning,
Joy is in coming and going, waiting and watching, living and learning.
~ Norris Chumley
From "The Joy of Weight Loss: A Spiritual Guide to Easy Fitness" by Norris Chumley:
Joy is a very glad, happy feeling. It's a radiant human emotion you get as a result of receiving pleasure, satisfaction, and comfort. Joy is a blissful experience that happens when everything in your life is fine and you are all right no matter what comes your way.
Joy is also a spiritual condition. Joy happens when you are feeling blessed. It comes when you feel the presence of your Creator, assuring you that you belong and that you're not alone. Joy is when you know you are valued and important to this great universe.
I'm sure you've experienced joy, at least a little. But you deserve a whole lot of joy, on a regular basis. Don't wait until you lose weight in order to find joy. Find and accept it now, and you will lose weight in the process. But first, be aware that you may be holding yourself back.
Each of us has a million different joys inside. It's simply a matter of tapping into them when you need them and creating new, positive habits of letting joy exist.
Starting now, make a constant effort to find joy in everything you do. When you work, see the positive and fruitful aspects of the job-such as the money you are paid, the help you are giving, the importance of your position. When you're taking care of personal business, find joy in getting it done as best you can. When it's time for a meal, take joy in only eating one portion. Feel the power and joy of having just enough. Enjoy the good feeling of eating healthy, fresh, nutritious food that's good for your body and mind. When you are active today, enjoy moving your body and freeing your muscles and joints. Breathe deeply the fresh air and let the rays of sunshine enter your entire being. Look at beautiful nature all around you: trees, flowers, grass, birds, and bugs-they're all gifts from God for us to enjoy.
You Deserve a Whole Lot of Joy
Joy is in release, so thankfully received,
Joy is in sorry, so sweetly mourned and grieved,
Joy is to be found, you find it through yearning,
Joy is in coming and going, waiting and watching, living and learning.
~ Norris Chumley
From "The Joy of Weight Loss: A Spiritual Guide to Easy Fitness" by Norris Chumley:
Joy is a very glad, happy feeling. It's a radiant human emotion you get as a result of receiving pleasure, satisfaction, and comfort. Joy is a blissful experience that happens when everything in your life is fine and you are all right no matter what comes your way.
Joy is also a spiritual condition. Joy happens when you are feeling blessed. It comes when you feel the presence of your Creator, assuring you that you belong and that you're not alone. Joy is when you know you are valued and important to this great universe.
I'm sure you've experienced joy, at least a little. But you deserve a whole lot of joy, on a regular basis. Don't wait until you lose weight in order to find joy. Find and accept it now, and you will lose weight in the process. But first, be aware that you may be holding yourself back.
Each of us has a million different joys inside. It's simply a matter of tapping into them when you need them and creating new, positive habits of letting joy exist.
Starting now, make a constant effort to find joy in everything you do. When you work, see the positive and fruitful aspects of the job-such as the money you are paid, the help you are giving, the importance of your position. When you're taking care of personal business, find joy in getting it done as best you can. When it's time for a meal, take joy in only eating one portion. Feel the power and joy of having just enough. Enjoy the good feeling of eating healthy, fresh, nutritious food that's good for your body and mind. When you are active today, enjoy moving your body and freeing your muscles and joints. Breathe deeply the fresh air and let the rays of sunshine enter your entire being. Look at beautiful nature all around you: trees, flowers, grass, birds, and bugs-they're all gifts from God for us to enjoy.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Think Pomegranates
The Many Health Benefits of Pomegranates 5 Reasons to Try This Antioxidant All-Star
By Jill Weisenberger, MS, RD, CDE Wednesday, February 27, 2008
As you peruse the grocery store aisles, it’s easy to bypass that pile of red, leathery, baseball-sized fruit. Pomegranates are an odd-looking “super food” to be sure, but crack one open and you’ll find a delicious source of antioxidants and nutrients. With disease-fighting properties, pomegranates are becoming popular in both whole and juice form. Here are 5 reasons to pick up a pomegranate, plus two delicious recipes to get you started…
The pomegranate, known as the royal fruit because of the crown on top, is bursting not just with a delicious sweet-tart juice, but also with antioxidants and disease-fighting phytochemicals. A staple of the Middle Eastern diet, the pomegranate has a rich history in literature, mythology and religion. It’s spoken of by Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and is mentioned more than two dozen times in the Bible.
And now, pomegranates are growing in popularity in the U.S. While there are many varieties of the fruit, most pomegranates in this country are of the California Wonderful variety. Known for its size, large seeds and sweetness, California Wonderfuls have been found to be especially rich in antioxidants.
While we’re loving the taste, scientists are studying the pomegranate’s potential role in fighting heart disease, cancer and other ails. Here are five fabulous reasons to eat a pomegranate today.
1. Low in calories, high in nutrition
Enjoy a medium-sized pomegranate for only 105 nutrient-packed calories. You’ll also get a hefty dose of blood pressure-lowering potassium, virtually no sodium, one gram of fiber, and about 10% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. Eight ounces of the juice provides 160 calories and a bit more potassium than a medium-sized pomegranate.
Pomegranates and their juice have an abundance of antioxidants and phytochemicals, as well: anthocyanins (anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting); catechins (anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory); ellagic acid (cancer-fighting).
Drinking pomegranate juice is known to raise the antioxidant capacity of the blood. Antioxidants neutralize damaging free radicals (organic molecules linked to aging, tissue damage and possibly disease) before they have a chance to attack your cells and DNA.
2. Improves heart health
One study found that drinking just more than eight ounces of pomegranate juice every day for three months improved blood flow to the heart in people with coronary heart disease. Forty-five participants drank either the juice or a placebo beverage made to look and taste like pomegranate juice. On average, blood flow to the heart improved 17% in the pomegranate group, but declined 18% in the placebo group in merely three months.
Other studies suggest that pomegranate juice might help prevent atherosclerosis and even clear clogged arteries. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries and reduces blood flow, potentially causing heart attack, stroke, or numbness and pain in the arms and legs.
Other studies suggest that pomegranate juice might help prevent atherosclerosis and even clear clogged arteries. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries and reduces blood flow, potentially causing heart attack, stroke, or numbness and pain in the arms and legs.
People with diabetes may benefit from pomegranates, too, according to a 2006 study in the journal Atherosclerosis. Ten people with type 2 diabetes drank pomegranate juice for three months. Without affecting blood glucose or cholesterol levels, the juice appeared to lower the risk of atherosclerosis and slow the immune cells’ absorption of unhealthy LDL cholesterol. (See related article: Cholesterol Risk: A Numbers Game) This is especially important to people with diabetes because the condition increases the risk of heart disease two to four times.
3. Alzheimer’s protection
A daily glass of pomegranate juice might cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. When mice engineered to develop the disease at a young age were fed pomegranate juice, they showed greater learning and memory skills compared to mice who did not receive the juice. The juice-supplemented animals learned water maze tasks more quickly and swam faster.
Researchers then examined the mice’s brains and found that the supplemented mice had 50% less build-up of harmful proteins called beta-amyloid deposits. These proteins are associated with an increase in brain cell damage and may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Relief for your joints
Osteoarthritis affects 20 million Americans and is the most common joint disorder associated with aging. Pomegranate fruit extract may block enzymes that contribute to the disorder, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In laboratory tests, extracts of the fruit slowed the deterioration of human cartilage.
5. Cancer fighter
Could a glass a day keep prostate cancer away? Researchers at UCLA tested the theory that pomegranate juice could keep prostate cancer from returning. Forty-six men who had already been treated for prostate cancer drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily. The scientists measured the men’s blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker of prostate health and prostate cancer. The faster these levels double, the sooner a man is likely to see his prostate cancer return. The men’s overall PSA doubling time was nearly four times slower after they began drinking the juice. The results were so promising that a larger study is now underway.
The fruit also shows promise in shielding against other cancers, too. Laboratory studies have shown that various components of the pomegranate suppress the growth of human breast cancer cells. Studies with mice suggest that pomegranates could reduce the spread of lung cancer.
Health benefits aside, pomegranates are just plain fun to eat. But they can be messy if you’re not careful. Watch out for that staining spray of scarlet juice. Open a pomegranate haphazardly and you and your walls might look spray-painted. Follow this three-step process and you can leave the bleach – and paint – alone. 1. Slice the crown off and cut off the rind without going through to the fruit.2. Place the fruit into a bowl of water and break it into sections. Gently push the juice sacs (called arils) out. Discard everything else.3. Strain the water and enjoy the arils, seeds and all. The bright red color of the arils make them a cheerful addition to a spinach salad or a steamed green vegetable. Sprinkle them on vanilla ice cream, and use their juice in smoothies, marinades, sauces, and salad dressings.
Any dietitian worth her salt-free seasoning knows that the whole diet is more important to your health than any particular food. So don’t wash down a greasy burger and fries with pomegranate juice and have the false sense that you ate a healthful meal. Fill your diet with a variety of healthful foods jam-packed with fruits and vegetables. Pomegranates fit in perfectly.
from Lifescript
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