In an IHRSA business report Patti Ghezzi mentioned how some exercise experts are kicking aerobic workouts to the curb.
Almost 40 years after Dr. Kenneth Cooper coined the term "aerobics," a concept that would later spawn a generation of spandex-clad cardio junkies, some trainers are steering their clients away from traditional cardio-intensive workouts and toward mostly strength moves.
The reasons: Many exercises that are good for the heart are hard on the joints. And cardio training without muscle conditioning leads to loss of muscle and bone density as well as fat, experts say.
Even Cooper now believes strength training is important. Some people -- those fighting aging and those with injuries -- benefit from more time on muscle conditioning than cardiovascular exercise, he said in an interview from his Texas clinic.
Cooper does not believe cardio is a bad habit altogether, but he believes that "if you go strictly muscular-skeletal conditioning, it's a major mistake." He said "you'll wear out."
Jim Karas, author of "The Cardio-Free Diet," believes cardio workouts overstress the body and work against those trying to lose weight.
Karas, who helped Diane Sawyer get svelte, experienced a revelation in the '80s when he was an aerobics instructor. He saw shocking amounts of excess flesh, even on those who came to class religiously. Then he looked in the sparsely populated weight room. "Everyone was so lean!" he said in an interview from his Chicago studio. Karas changed his approach and found he and his clients could keep weight off more easily with strength training rather than aerobics.
For those who love cardio workouts, Karas recommends no more than 30 minutes at a time, because of potential joint damage and his belief that cardio stimulates the appetite.
He favors "compound exercises" that combine upper and lower body moves and get the heart pumping. He said, "when people hear 'exercise,' I want them to think of strength training."
Meanwhile, Cooper, 76, suggests an ongoing shift to more strength work as you age. His advice is based on his experience. As he aged, he had endurance but he lacked strength. Therefore he started lifting weights. Some younger athletes need to shift away from cardio because of injuries, he said. "If your body starts breaking down, listen to it." I definitely agree.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Reaching for His Hand
This world can be crazy. We keep crazy schedules, time flashes by right before our eyes, people can be selfish & mean to us, circumstances can roll over us, overwhelm us or threaten to drag us under. Yet no matter where we find ourselves, God is there with us. In any of these circumstances we may turn to Him, talk to Him, walk with Him, listen to Him and reach for His hand to carry us through it. God is our refuge and strength, a very present and well proven help in times of trouble. (Psalms 46:1)
You see, intimacy with God is like a peaceful island in the mist of an ocean of confusion. Whenever we reach for His hand and quiet our spirit to hear His voice, we find a place of refuge that this chaotic world can't take away. By the time that you seek God, He has already been reaching out to you. God wants intimacy with you way more that you desire intimacy with Him.
Do you want to be intimate with God? Well he wants to be intimate with you. How would you feel if you were in a relationship/married to someone who didn't spend time with you? When you love somebody, I believe that you try to spend as much time with them as possible....talking to them all day and all night-- running up your phone bill and constantly using up gas going to see them as much as you can. Well, God wants that type of relationship with you. You can put all of your worries, anxieties and concerns on Him because you are His personal concern. (1 Peter 5:7) Can't you give Him some more time? You will if you really love Him.
You see, intimacy with God is like a peaceful island in the mist of an ocean of confusion. Whenever we reach for His hand and quiet our spirit to hear His voice, we find a place of refuge that this chaotic world can't take away. By the time that you seek God, He has already been reaching out to you. God wants intimacy with you way more that you desire intimacy with Him.
Do you want to be intimate with God? Well he wants to be intimate with you. How would you feel if you were in a relationship/married to someone who didn't spend time with you? When you love somebody, I believe that you try to spend as much time with them as possible....talking to them all day and all night-- running up your phone bill and constantly using up gas going to see them as much as you can. Well, God wants that type of relationship with you. You can put all of your worries, anxieties and concerns on Him because you are His personal concern. (1 Peter 5:7) Can't you give Him some more time? You will if you really love Him.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
MSG...What You Might Not Know
A silent killer that’s worse than alcohol, nicotine, and drugs is likely lurking in your kitchen cabinets and even your child’s school cafeteria. It’s monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer that’s known widely as an addition to Chinese food, but that’s actually added to thousands of the foods you eat.
Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon, describes MSG as a dangerous excitotoxin, and says that this toxin could be making you fat.
MSG is used in countless foods in your supermarket, local restaurants, school cafeterias, and more. Everything from soup, crackers and meats may contain it because MSG, as dangerous as it is, makes food taste good and it is dirt cheap, just like sugar.
Incredibly, even infant formulas and baby food contain this poison, even though babies and infants, who are four times more sensitive than adults to the toxic effects of this chemical, are the most at risk.
There are a couple of main reasons why MSG is one of the worst food additives on the market. First, as Dr. Blaylock, author of the highly recommended Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, says that MSG is an excitotoxin, which means that it overexcites your cells to the point of damage, acting as a poison. The second part of the equation is that MSG can be literally hidden in food labels, under names like broth, casein, hydrolyzed, autolyzed, and more, making it extremely difficult to identify.
MSG is also a probable cause contributing to the obesity epidemic. As the FDA continues to vouch for its safety, scientists have known that MSG causes obesity since the 1960s!
It is clearly not worth a few bites of tasty junk food to give your body the green light to produce visceral fat, the most dangerous type that surrounds your organs and increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, insomnia, type 2 diabetes, and more. Yet, that is exactly what you’re doing when you eat foods that contain MSG.
Eliminating MSG from your diet is a wise choice for everyone, including pregnant women. To do so, stick to natural, unprocessed foods. And, if you do eat processed foods, be on the lookout for the many hidden names for MSG on food labels. They include (but are far from limited to):
Gelatin
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
Yeast Extract
Malted Barley
Rice Syrup or Brown Rice Syrup
The dangers surrounding MSG are, perhaps, most concerning for new moms who are unable to breastfeed, and are looking for an alternative to the MSG-laden infant formulas on the market. Fortunately, women who are unable to breastfeed can make an extremely nutritious, MSG-free infant formula for their baby using raw milk.
Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon, describes MSG as a dangerous excitotoxin, and says that this toxin could be making you fat.
MSG is used in countless foods in your supermarket, local restaurants, school cafeterias, and more. Everything from soup, crackers and meats may contain it because MSG, as dangerous as it is, makes food taste good and it is dirt cheap, just like sugar.
Incredibly, even infant formulas and baby food contain this poison, even though babies and infants, who are four times more sensitive than adults to the toxic effects of this chemical, are the most at risk.
There are a couple of main reasons why MSG is one of the worst food additives on the market. First, as Dr. Blaylock, author of the highly recommended Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, says that MSG is an excitotoxin, which means that it overexcites your cells to the point of damage, acting as a poison. The second part of the equation is that MSG can be literally hidden in food labels, under names like broth, casein, hydrolyzed, autolyzed, and more, making it extremely difficult to identify.
MSG is also a probable cause contributing to the obesity epidemic. As the FDA continues to vouch for its safety, scientists have known that MSG causes obesity since the 1960s!
It is clearly not worth a few bites of tasty junk food to give your body the green light to produce visceral fat, the most dangerous type that surrounds your organs and increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, insomnia, type 2 diabetes, and more. Yet, that is exactly what you’re doing when you eat foods that contain MSG.
Eliminating MSG from your diet is a wise choice for everyone, including pregnant women. To do so, stick to natural, unprocessed foods. And, if you do eat processed foods, be on the lookout for the many hidden names for MSG on food labels. They include (but are far from limited to):
Gelatin
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
Yeast Extract
Malted Barley
Rice Syrup or Brown Rice Syrup
The dangers surrounding MSG are, perhaps, most concerning for new moms who are unable to breastfeed, and are looking for an alternative to the MSG-laden infant formulas on the market. Fortunately, women who are unable to breastfeed can make an extremely nutritious, MSG-free infant formula for their baby using raw milk.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Is Healthy Fast Food Any Better?
Fast food restaurants are not in the business of serving organic, wholesome, nutrition-dense foods at dirt-cheap prices. But, that’s what you need if you’re aiming for optimal health. You may not necessarily get it dirt cheap, but you can eat healthy, even if you’re on a budget. If you figure out what you would spend on health care once your health has been neglected, eating organic suddenly seems like the least expensive option.
I do applaud fast food restaurants for their efforts to move their wares in a more healthy direction. However, they are still missing the mark.
Researchers have found that eating fast food just twice a week could double your chances of developing insulin resistance, which often leads to full-blown diabetes, while packing on 10 extra pounds.
Research by the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany found so-called “healthy” fast food alternatives to have the same effect on the cardiovascular system as standard fast food meals.
Twenty-four healthy volunteers with an average age of 32 years, ate one of three fast food meals during one week, a different meal the second week, and the remaining meal the third week. The fast food meals consisted of:
1. Beef burger, fries, ketchup, lemon-flavored carbonated drink
2. Vegetarian burger, fries, ketchup, lemon-flavored carbonated drink
3. Vegetarian burger, salad, fruit, yogurt, orange juice
Surprisingly, according to lead investigator Dr. Tanja K. Rudolph, endothelial function was adversely affected within 2 to 4 hours after eating any of these three meals, with no statistically significant differences between them.
All three meals also had negative impact on other cardiovascular disease markers.
Endothelial cells line the inside of your blood vessels. These cells control blood flow by regulating the dilation of the blood vessels. When these endothelial cells are impaired, it can lead to high blood pressure or atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
According to Dr. Rudolph, "You can not prevent the harmful effects of fast food to the vascular system if you only add 'healthy components.'”
The absolute best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to take control of your kitchen and the food being prepared in it. If you want to get or stay healthy, learning to prepare your own food is one of the best prescriptions out there. Is exchanging convenience for your health a “bargain”?
If you're thinking that you truly don't have the time to do this, don't miss my past blog, "Easy ways to Eat Better Even When You Don't Have the Time".
I do applaud fast food restaurants for their efforts to move their wares in a more healthy direction. However, they are still missing the mark.
Researchers have found that eating fast food just twice a week could double your chances of developing insulin resistance, which often leads to full-blown diabetes, while packing on 10 extra pounds.
Research by the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany found so-called “healthy” fast food alternatives to have the same effect on the cardiovascular system as standard fast food meals.
Twenty-four healthy volunteers with an average age of 32 years, ate one of three fast food meals during one week, a different meal the second week, and the remaining meal the third week. The fast food meals consisted of:
1. Beef burger, fries, ketchup, lemon-flavored carbonated drink
2. Vegetarian burger, fries, ketchup, lemon-flavored carbonated drink
3. Vegetarian burger, salad, fruit, yogurt, orange juice
Surprisingly, according to lead investigator Dr. Tanja K. Rudolph, endothelial function was adversely affected within 2 to 4 hours after eating any of these three meals, with no statistically significant differences between them.
All three meals also had negative impact on other cardiovascular disease markers.
Endothelial cells line the inside of your blood vessels. These cells control blood flow by regulating the dilation of the blood vessels. When these endothelial cells are impaired, it can lead to high blood pressure or atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
According to Dr. Rudolph, "You can not prevent the harmful effects of fast food to the vascular system if you only add 'healthy components.'”
The absolute best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to take control of your kitchen and the food being prepared in it. If you want to get or stay healthy, learning to prepare your own food is one of the best prescriptions out there. Is exchanging convenience for your health a “bargain”?
If you're thinking that you truly don't have the time to do this, don't miss my past blog, "Easy ways to Eat Better Even When You Don't Have the Time".
Easy Ways to Eat Better Even When You Don't Have the Time
One of the biggest challenges to eating healthy is finding the time to do it. But while it may be tempting to justify your fast food lunches by saying you "just don’t have time to eat healthy," in the end you are only setting yourself up for a rocky road in the years to come. Don’t let time get the best of you. Once you read through the tips below you won’t be able to make any more excuses.
Cook in Large Batches
Whether you are cooking some grass-fed bison patties or making fermented vegetables, cooking large batches will assure that you have some left over for the next day. Almost anything you make can be stored (in glass containers) overnight and eaten the next day.
Leftovers from dinner can even be eaten for breakfast and in fact are likely to be a healthier choice than the typical American breakfast of cereal, toast, pancakes, bagels or doughnuts.
Eat about One-Third of Your Food Raw
There are valuable and sensitive micronutrients that are damaged when you heat foods. Cooking and processing food can destroy these micronutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition. Regular vegetable juicing will easily help you reach this goal of one-third raw food in your diet but you may need to set aside some time to juice regularly.
However, there are plenty of foods that can be eaten raw while on the go and that save you the time of cooking. Raw vegetables, raw seeds, raw nuts and raw dairy all fit into this category. You can also eat raw eggs. Raw, whole, organic eggs are a phenomenally inexpensive and incredible source of high-quality nutrients that many of us are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. They are also one of the quickest foods to eat if you are short on time.
Prepare Your Lunch the Night Before
Many of my clients complain about how their morning is a very hectic time of day. Well, one way to cut down on things to do in the morning is to prepare your lunch the night before. This will also reduce the risk that you will neglect to prepare a lunch altogether and then decide to pick up some unhealthy junk food later in the day. It is much easier to eat healthy if you can grab your ready-made lunch from the refrigerator as you head out the door.
Don't Skip Breakfast
Studies have found that people who skip breakfast are over four times as likely to be obese than people who eat something in the morning.
Include the Most Nutritious Foods You Can
When you’re looking to save time, one strategy you may use is to combine two things into one, or "kill two birds with one stone." If you think of food as serving a purpose--to give you the maximum amount of healthy nutrition possible--and then cater your food choices to that purpose, you will save time. Only eat the most healthy, most high-quality foods around and don’t waste your time with inferior junk foods.
Rethink Your Priorities
If you are healthy it is easy to take your body for granted. Those who are sick, though, realize just how important their health is. But you don’t want to wait until your health goes away to realize that it is one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of life.
If your car breaks down, you can have it fixed. If a relationship fails, there are almost always more to come, but if your body breaks down you will have a hard time experiencing life as most would like. This is why nutrition and health should be a top priority in your life.
You must protect your body as you would any valuable possession, but the way to protect it isn’t with insurance or a lock and key. You must protect it by being proactive. Prevent the disease before they begin. Fortify your body with nutrients. Exercise to keep strong. If you feel you don’t have time for this sort of effort, then you may want to consider rethinking your priorities.
Cook in Large Batches
Whether you are cooking some grass-fed bison patties or making fermented vegetables, cooking large batches will assure that you have some left over for the next day. Almost anything you make can be stored (in glass containers) overnight and eaten the next day.
Leftovers from dinner can even be eaten for breakfast and in fact are likely to be a healthier choice than the typical American breakfast of cereal, toast, pancakes, bagels or doughnuts.
Eat about One-Third of Your Food Raw
There are valuable and sensitive micronutrients that are damaged when you heat foods. Cooking and processing food can destroy these micronutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition. Regular vegetable juicing will easily help you reach this goal of one-third raw food in your diet but you may need to set aside some time to juice regularly.
However, there are plenty of foods that can be eaten raw while on the go and that save you the time of cooking. Raw vegetables, raw seeds, raw nuts and raw dairy all fit into this category. You can also eat raw eggs. Raw, whole, organic eggs are a phenomenally inexpensive and incredible source of high-quality nutrients that many of us are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. They are also one of the quickest foods to eat if you are short on time.
Prepare Your Lunch the Night Before
Many of my clients complain about how their morning is a very hectic time of day. Well, one way to cut down on things to do in the morning is to prepare your lunch the night before. This will also reduce the risk that you will neglect to prepare a lunch altogether and then decide to pick up some unhealthy junk food later in the day. It is much easier to eat healthy if you can grab your ready-made lunch from the refrigerator as you head out the door.
Don't Skip Breakfast
Studies have found that people who skip breakfast are over four times as likely to be obese than people who eat something in the morning.
Include the Most Nutritious Foods You Can
When you’re looking to save time, one strategy you may use is to combine two things into one, or "kill two birds with one stone." If you think of food as serving a purpose--to give you the maximum amount of healthy nutrition possible--and then cater your food choices to that purpose, you will save time. Only eat the most healthy, most high-quality foods around and don’t waste your time with inferior junk foods.
Rethink Your Priorities
If you are healthy it is easy to take your body for granted. Those who are sick, though, realize just how important their health is. But you don’t want to wait until your health goes away to realize that it is one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of life.
If your car breaks down, you can have it fixed. If a relationship fails, there are almost always more to come, but if your body breaks down you will have a hard time experiencing life as most would like. This is why nutrition and health should be a top priority in your life.
You must protect your body as you would any valuable possession, but the way to protect it isn’t with insurance or a lock and key. You must protect it by being proactive. Prevent the disease before they begin. Fortify your body with nutrients. Exercise to keep strong. If you feel you don’t have time for this sort of effort, then you may want to consider rethinking your priorities.
Overdue Clean Up!!
I've got a quick question for you:
How many janitors do you have cleaning up for you?
Well, when it comes to your own body, you need millions of them! In fact, the more, the merrier. You see, antioxidants play the role of "janitor" in your body. They go around mopping up little scavenger molecules called free radicals, nasty little things bent on damaging your body's cells.
The problem is, with stress, less-than-perfect diets, environmental pollutants and your own body's metabolic processes, these janitors just can't keep up with the mess being created.
You may need to bring in some more janitorial help. Luckily, this fall's bountiful grape harvest & the great product ISAGENIX can easily add a few million more to your "employment" roster. So check out www.theba.isagenix.com and get yourself some more janitors to help you clean up.
How many janitors do you have cleaning up for you?
Well, when it comes to your own body, you need millions of them! In fact, the more, the merrier. You see, antioxidants play the role of "janitor" in your body. They go around mopping up little scavenger molecules called free radicals, nasty little things bent on damaging your body's cells.
The problem is, with stress, less-than-perfect diets, environmental pollutants and your own body's metabolic processes, these janitors just can't keep up with the mess being created.
You may need to bring in some more janitorial help. Luckily, this fall's bountiful grape harvest & the great product ISAGENIX can easily add a few million more to your "employment" roster. So check out www.theba.isagenix.com and get yourself some more janitors to help you clean up.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Straddling The Fence
Have you ever noticed times in your life when you started acting a little better(good) or acting a little worse(bad), that bad things(painful things) started happening to you? Well, that could be because you were straddling the fence. By that I mean that you were not committed to being totally good nor totally bad. You were a little of each.
Let me paint a picture..... how tall is the average fence? Guessing low, I would say about 4 feet. Now, imagine yourself straddling that fence. OUCH!!! I am pretty tall and if I were to straddle a fence that size, my feet wouldn't be touching the ground so I know that I would be in pain. But if I stopped straddling the fence and put both feet firmly on one side(the good side), I would no longer have that pain.
This is just something to think about when you are making choices in your everyday life. Are you committed to living the good-life that you were made to live or are you going to straddle the fence?
Let me paint a picture..... how tall is the average fence? Guessing low, I would say about 4 feet. Now, imagine yourself straddling that fence. OUCH!!! I am pretty tall and if I were to straddle a fence that size, my feet wouldn't be touching the ground so I know that I would be in pain. But if I stopped straddling the fence and put both feet firmly on one side(the good side), I would no longer have that pain.
This is just something to think about when you are making choices in your everyday life. Are you committed to living the good-life that you were made to live or are you going to straddle the fence?
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