I've got a bone to pick or maybe in this case a wing with the author of an article in February's issue of Fitness magazine. In "The No- Hunger way to Cut Calories" the author suggests different ways to cut 100, 200 or 500 calories a day from your diet without sacrificing taste or resorting to dieting. I totally agree that for most people, what we call "dieting" simply doesn't work. Most diets are far too restrictive and rather than teaching people how to eat, diets just eliminate certain food groups which is not a long term solution to weight loss.
The bone, or wing, I have to pick with the author has to do with some of the suggestions she makes for cutting calories. Here are my three favorites: "Ask for the 12-ounce child size soda instead of the 21-ounce medium at the drive through"; "Indulge in a slice of angel food cake drizzled with chocolate syrup rather than three cookies"; and, my absolute favorite, "When munching on chicken wings, don't toss the bones midway through. Seeing the evidence of your feast may help you eat less, studies show". Other suggestions include switching the type of pizza and ice cream that you eat.
In all honesty, I really don't know where to begin. Now, I will try to keep in mind that we all live in the real world where work and kids and stress and life in general have a way of disrupting the best of intentions. However, even with this in mind, how a Fitness magazine could offer such suggestions is beyond me. Soda, chicken wings, cake, pizza and ice cream? Is this some kind of joke??? No-one, and I mean no-one, who is trying to be healthy and fit should be consuming any one of these items, let alone all of them.
And, lets not forget that it takes a lot more to be healthy and fit than just cutting 100 or 200 calories from your diet. You need to have a balanced and nutritious diet made up mainly of whole, unprocessed foods. You have to exercise, often and for the rest of your life. You have to get enough sleep, limit stress, and still find time to work and spend time with family and friends. Basically you need to live a healthy lifestyle; and a healthy lifestyle does not include chicken wings, fast food, soda, french fries and/or angel food cake drizzled in chocolate syrup. Sorry...
Friday, February 12, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Absolutely ridiculous!
So, I have been trying to write to you about fats: good v. bad; low fat v. no fat v. high fat diets; basically, trying to give you the skinny on fat. Problem is, there is a lot of new and conflicting information out there so it is taking me a while to put it all together. Anyway, in the meantime, I saw something today that I have never seen before and, quite honestly, didn't think I would ever see.
I was at the gym doing my workout when I heard a women talking on her cell phone. The gym was really empty and the only other person in that section of the gym was a woman doing squats. I didn't pay any attention to the voice I heard talking on the phone until I realized that it had to be the woman who was doing squats as there was nobody else there.
I tried to be discrete at first but when I saw what she was doing I actually stood there and stared. This ridiculous woman was doing squats with a barbell across her back, holding the barbell with one hand and holding her phone to her ear with the other. When she finished doing squats she started doing another exercise while still taking on the phone. Unbelievable!
Now, lots of people bring their cell phones out on to the gym floor and these same people waste a lot of time texting and talking on their phones when they should be exercising. This is bad enough; but until today I had never seen anyone try to lift weights while talking on their phone. Stupid, dangerous, ridiculous, are all words that come to mind, and if you are going to be so distracted that you must talk on the telephone while exercising at the gym, why bother even going?
Yes, exercising is hard work but the benefits are too numerous and substantial not to put in the effort. It should be challenging and it should also be fun and rewarding. Going to the gym only to read a magazine while you walk on the treadmill or, and I can't believe that I need to say this, talk on your cell while you do squats is not fun, rewarding, challenging or really even exercising.
Come on folks, lets get motivated and lets get fit and healthy.
I was at the gym doing my workout when I heard a women talking on her cell phone. The gym was really empty and the only other person in that section of the gym was a woman doing squats. I didn't pay any attention to the voice I heard talking on the phone until I realized that it had to be the woman who was doing squats as there was nobody else there.
I tried to be discrete at first but when I saw what she was doing I actually stood there and stared. This ridiculous woman was doing squats with a barbell across her back, holding the barbell with one hand and holding her phone to her ear with the other. When she finished doing squats she started doing another exercise while still taking on the phone. Unbelievable!
Now, lots of people bring their cell phones out on to the gym floor and these same people waste a lot of time texting and talking on their phones when they should be exercising. This is bad enough; but until today I had never seen anyone try to lift weights while talking on their phone. Stupid, dangerous, ridiculous, are all words that come to mind, and if you are going to be so distracted that you must talk on the telephone while exercising at the gym, why bother even going?
Yes, exercising is hard work but the benefits are too numerous and substantial not to put in the effort. It should be challenging and it should also be fun and rewarding. Going to the gym only to read a magazine while you walk on the treadmill or, and I can't believe that I need to say this, talk on your cell while you do squats is not fun, rewarding, challenging or really even exercising.
Come on folks, lets get motivated and lets get fit and healthy.
Friday, January 8, 2010
So now what?
Well, its official, the holidays are over. Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years and Three Kings Day have all come and gone. The only question is: what do you have to show for it besides a new sweater or, much worse, 5 or 10 new pounds?
If you are like a lot of people, you over indulged this holiday season and you once again resolved to get into shape or back into shape for those of you that were in shape once upon a time.
If you are serious about getting into shape, and I hope you are, then you are going to need a serious strategy. A game plan so to speak for defeating all the negative and undermining influences in your life and, once again, if you are like most people there are many.
Getting and staying motivated; finding the time; finding the inspiration; changing your diet and more importantly your attitude toward food; actually exercising, consistently and for the rest of your life, not just for 6 months and then quitting and one you may not have expected. Believe it or not your family may become jealous of the time you spend taking care of yourself and they may become even more jealous of the way you look and feel.
In my experience this holds true especially for moms (and some dads) who are expected, mostly by themselves, to do so much for everyone in the house and always place their own needs last. I have seen it many times, and I always tell my clients that they have to take care of themselves and place their health first. Without good health and the energy that comes with it, you can't possibly do everything you need and want to do for your family. Yes, there will be an adjustment period but soon enough your family will accept that you have placed a priority on your health and they will learn how to manage for themselves while you are at the gym or out for a walk or whatever. The point is you should never feel guilty about taking care of yourself. Exercising and eating right are not luxuries; they are necessities.
One way to minimize the adjustment is to plan group activities that involve and are fun for the entire family. After all, exercising and eating right are necessary for everyone and individuals are much more likely to stick with their programs if the entire family is doing it together. And, with childhood obesity on the rise, you also owe it to your children to see that they get enough exercise and are eating right.
So, the good news is that with the internet and with the gym industry competing for your business there are so many affordable ways to exercise that money should not be an issue. The internet has thousands of web pages with exercise routines and magazines like Shape and Fitness have web sites filled with free information. With more and more gyms opening there is more competition and prices have really come down. I know of several area gyms that are offering memberships for $30 a month.
Time could be an issue but it really shouldn’t be. You can workout at home, 30 minutes a day and, with the right program, you can see dramatic results. If you have a gym close by and can take advantage of the equipment and the classes , even better.
So, you are committed, motivated, inspired and determined to live a long, healthy and happy life. You are going to exercise, eat right (I will talk more about diet next time) and you are going to get everyone around you involved. That’s what I call a game plan.
Until next time,
Peace and Health
Dave
If you are like a lot of people, you over indulged this holiday season and you once again resolved to get into shape or back into shape for those of you that were in shape once upon a time.
If you are serious about getting into shape, and I hope you are, then you are going to need a serious strategy. A game plan so to speak for defeating all the negative and undermining influences in your life and, once again, if you are like most people there are many.
Getting and staying motivated; finding the time; finding the inspiration; changing your diet and more importantly your attitude toward food; actually exercising, consistently and for the rest of your life, not just for 6 months and then quitting and one you may not have expected. Believe it or not your family may become jealous of the time you spend taking care of yourself and they may become even more jealous of the way you look and feel.
In my experience this holds true especially for moms (and some dads) who are expected, mostly by themselves, to do so much for everyone in the house and always place their own needs last. I have seen it many times, and I always tell my clients that they have to take care of themselves and place their health first. Without good health and the energy that comes with it, you can't possibly do everything you need and want to do for your family. Yes, there will be an adjustment period but soon enough your family will accept that you have placed a priority on your health and they will learn how to manage for themselves while you are at the gym or out for a walk or whatever. The point is you should never feel guilty about taking care of yourself. Exercising and eating right are not luxuries; they are necessities.
One way to minimize the adjustment is to plan group activities that involve and are fun for the entire family. After all, exercising and eating right are necessary for everyone and individuals are much more likely to stick with their programs if the entire family is doing it together. And, with childhood obesity on the rise, you also owe it to your children to see that they get enough exercise and are eating right.
So, the good news is that with the internet and with the gym industry competing for your business there are so many affordable ways to exercise that money should not be an issue. The internet has thousands of web pages with exercise routines and magazines like Shape and Fitness have web sites filled with free information. With more and more gyms opening there is more competition and prices have really come down. I know of several area gyms that are offering memberships for $30 a month.
Time could be an issue but it really shouldn’t be. You can workout at home, 30 minutes a day and, with the right program, you can see dramatic results. If you have a gym close by and can take advantage of the equipment and the classes , even better.
So, you are committed, motivated, inspired and determined to live a long, healthy and happy life. You are going to exercise, eat right (I will talk more about diet next time) and you are going to get everyone around you involved. That’s what I call a game plan.
Until next time,
Peace and Health
Dave
Thursday, November 19, 2009
and the answer is...
Drum roll please, .... yes, you guessed it, the answer is exercise of course.
All of those conditions I described: loss of muscle tissue, loss of flexibility, loss of strength, loss of energy, and increase in body fat - they can all be avoided, and reversed if necessary, through exercise. No doubt that diet plays a major factor in your overall health and fitness, but for now let's concentrate on exercising.
The great thing about exercise it that there are so many different ways to do it that you will never get bored. Walking, jogging, playing tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, calisthenics, weight lifting, yoga, pilates, etc. I mean, there must be thousands of ways to get the daily activity you need in order to be fit.
When I think about the ideal state of health I imagine a disease free, pain free, strong, flexible body that can run and jump and swim and do whatever it feels like doing without limitations or restrictions. That's the ideal I pursue for myself and for my clients and wish for all of you.
Where to start? For those of you that are inactive, start by going for a walk. Nothing too strenuous, but something that gets you out of the house and keeps you moving. From there, there are literally endless possibilities. So let's go. Get out there and start moving.
Next time I am going to talk about the specific health benefits of aerobic exercise; and believe me -- there are many.
Peace
Dave
All of those conditions I described: loss of muscle tissue, loss of flexibility, loss of strength, loss of energy, and increase in body fat - they can all be avoided, and reversed if necessary, through exercise. No doubt that diet plays a major factor in your overall health and fitness, but for now let's concentrate on exercising.
The great thing about exercise it that there are so many different ways to do it that you will never get bored. Walking, jogging, playing tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, calisthenics, weight lifting, yoga, pilates, etc. I mean, there must be thousands of ways to get the daily activity you need in order to be fit.
When I think about the ideal state of health I imagine a disease free, pain free, strong, flexible body that can run and jump and swim and do whatever it feels like doing without limitations or restrictions. That's the ideal I pursue for myself and for my clients and wish for all of you.
Where to start? For those of you that are inactive, start by going for a walk. Nothing too strenuous, but something that gets you out of the house and keeps you moving. From there, there are literally endless possibilities. So let's go. Get out there and start moving.
Next time I am going to talk about the specific health benefits of aerobic exercise; and believe me -- there are many.
Peace
Dave
Thursday, October 29, 2009
A real eye opener...
Hello again, I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. I had the great pleasure of joining 31 of my friends on a golf trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Apart from the weather, 50 degrees and rain everyday, it was a great trip. I have been going on this trip on and off for 15 years and it's something that I look forward to all year.
The one thing that I have noticed over the past few years is that not a lot has really changed over the past 15 years -- at least not for the better. My golf game certainly hasn't improved all that much; and our routine, although much quieter, has remained pretty much the same. There is one thing though that has changed in a big way. Now, I don't know if the game of golf attracts a certain type of person or if certain types of people are attracted to golf. Probably a little of both but let me get to the point.
The one thing that has changed is the shape of the average golfer. 15 years ago most of us on the trip were in reasonably good shape -- at least for golfers. Now? Well let's just say that waist sizes have dramatically increased while chests, arms and legs seem to have shrunk. Picture if you will, middle-aged men with skinny legs, sunken chests and big bellies. Not a pretty picture, I can assure you, especially when this group sits in the sauna after a round of golf. What happened???
Unfortunately, this question is all too easy to answer and this sunken chest - bloated belly condition doesn't just affect golfers. You see, as we age we lose about 1 to 2 per cent of our muscle every year. Live long enough and you could lose 50% of your muscle mass. This is bad enough but compound that with the addition of body fat, which is very, very easy to do and you have the picture I described above. Ugly, I know.
Coupled with the loss of muscle is a loss of strength, and flexibility and therefore the ability to complete everyday tasks with ease. Bone density also decreases as we age, so now we are weaker and more susceptible to injury. Our metabolisms slow, making it easier to gain fat; and some research suggests that the health of our organs is tied to the amount of muscle we have.
Next time you are out at the mall or at a restaurant take a look around. You will no doubt see too many examples of what I am talking about. That's the bad news. The good news is that you can avoid or if necessary reverse all of these conditions. Stay posted and next week we will begin exploring exactly what you need to do in order to avoid looking like pot-bellied stick with arms.
Peace
Coffee Black
The one thing that I have noticed over the past few years is that not a lot has really changed over the past 15 years -- at least not for the better. My golf game certainly hasn't improved all that much; and our routine, although much quieter, has remained pretty much the same. There is one thing though that has changed in a big way. Now, I don't know if the game of golf attracts a certain type of person or if certain types of people are attracted to golf. Probably a little of both but let me get to the point.
The one thing that has changed is the shape of the average golfer. 15 years ago most of us on the trip were in reasonably good shape -- at least for golfers. Now? Well let's just say that waist sizes have dramatically increased while chests, arms and legs seem to have shrunk. Picture if you will, middle-aged men with skinny legs, sunken chests and big bellies. Not a pretty picture, I can assure you, especially when this group sits in the sauna after a round of golf. What happened???
Unfortunately, this question is all too easy to answer and this sunken chest - bloated belly condition doesn't just affect golfers. You see, as we age we lose about 1 to 2 per cent of our muscle every year. Live long enough and you could lose 50% of your muscle mass. This is bad enough but compound that with the addition of body fat, which is very, very easy to do and you have the picture I described above. Ugly, I know.
Coupled with the loss of muscle is a loss of strength, and flexibility and therefore the ability to complete everyday tasks with ease. Bone density also decreases as we age, so now we are weaker and more susceptible to injury. Our metabolisms slow, making it easier to gain fat; and some research suggests that the health of our organs is tied to the amount of muscle we have.
Next time you are out at the mall or at a restaurant take a look around. You will no doubt see too many examples of what I am talking about. That's the bad news. The good news is that you can avoid or if necessary reverse all of these conditions. Stay posted and next week we will begin exploring exactly what you need to do in order to avoid looking like pot-bellied stick with arms.
Peace
Coffee Black
Friday, October 9, 2009
It's time to talk about it...
It's time to walk about it...
This Sunday, at 11:00 am at River Park at West 83rd Street in NYC, The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is holding a walk in order to raise money and awareness about the potentially life threatening diseases of anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders. Did you know that nearly 10 million women and 1 million men have anorexia or bulimia: another 15 million people suffer from binge eating disorder?
Once you start talking about it, chances are you will discover that you have someone close to you who suffers from one of these illnesses. Neda is inviting you to join their cause and help fight these illnesses. You can register to walk at www.Myneda.org and you can donate at www.firstgiving.com/rebalance
Hope to see you Sunday.
Peace and Health
Coffee Black
This Sunday, at 11:00 am at River Park at West 83rd Street in NYC, The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is holding a walk in order to raise money and awareness about the potentially life threatening diseases of anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders. Did you know that nearly 10 million women and 1 million men have anorexia or bulimia: another 15 million people suffer from binge eating disorder?
Once you start talking about it, chances are you will discover that you have someone close to you who suffers from one of these illnesses. Neda is inviting you to join their cause and help fight these illnesses. You can register to walk at www.Myneda.org and you can donate at www.firstgiving.com/rebalance
Hope to see you Sunday.
Peace and Health
Coffee Black
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sprout it out loud!
Well, I guess it's about time that we all started eating our sprouts, broccoli sprouts to be precise. I noticed on a recent trip to Whole Foods that they were selling broccoli sprouts. Because I live with a Holistic Health Counselor I thought that I would try to impress her by bringing some of these sprouts home. Turns out this was a very good move, even though I had to listen to a lecture on the health benefits of sprouts.
Anyway, after listening to Mrs. Coffee Black lecture me on the numerous health benefits I decided to do a little research of my own. I searched "broccoli sprouts" on google and found 160,000 pages. Who knew these little sprouts were so popular?
Broccoli sprouts have been widely studied and the reported health benefits include: potential to detoxify carcinogens; inhibit the growth of cancer tumors, including breast, stomach, colon and bladder; the ability to lower blood pressure; lower overall cholesterol levels and help reverse some of the damage caused by diabetes. If that wasn't enough, a study by Johns Hopkins from October of 2007 found that topical application of broccoli sprouts extract helps fight against damage caused by UV radiation. See http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/index.cfm/cID/1684/mpage/item.cfm/itemID/929
For those of you interested in the science, broccoli sprouts contain high concentrations of sulforaphane, a compound which has documented cancer prevention capabilities.
For those of you more interested in eating or growing sprouts, I suggest you check out http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/broccoli.html. This site has instructions on how to grow your own sprouts and sprout recipes.
That's it for now.
Peace and Health
Coffee Black
Anyway, after listening to Mrs. Coffee Black lecture me on the numerous health benefits I decided to do a little research of my own. I searched "broccoli sprouts" on google and found 160,000 pages. Who knew these little sprouts were so popular?
Broccoli sprouts have been widely studied and the reported health benefits include: potential to detoxify carcinogens; inhibit the growth of cancer tumors, including breast, stomach, colon and bladder; the ability to lower blood pressure; lower overall cholesterol levels and help reverse some of the damage caused by diabetes. If that wasn't enough, a study by Johns Hopkins from October of 2007 found that topical application of broccoli sprouts extract helps fight against damage caused by UV radiation. See http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/index.cfm/cID/1684/mpage/item.cfm/itemID/929
For those of you interested in the science, broccoli sprouts contain high concentrations of sulforaphane, a compound which has documented cancer prevention capabilities.
For those of you more interested in eating or growing sprouts, I suggest you check out http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/broccoli.html. This site has instructions on how to grow your own sprouts and sprout recipes.
That's it for now.
Peace and Health
Coffee Black
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