Fitness Friday: Quality AND Quantity

Many times in life we ask ourselves what is more important to us, quantity or quality? Perhaps it depends what we are referring to. When it comes to spending money on a movie, many of us look for a quality movie that we hope to enjoy. Sometimes, if you’re like me and my enjoyment for Star Wars, you might hope that greater quantities of movies are made just so you can see those same characters return in another exciting adventure. Ideally, those sequels should be just as good if not better than the first one. However, many of us know that sequels do not always turn out the way we hoped for, as was the case for the new Star Wars trilogy.

Outside the realm of movies, many people also toss back in forth the importance of “Quality of Life” vs. “Quantity of Life”. Would I rather live a short and exciting life?... or a longer less exciting life”? Well, the good news is, it is certainly possible to have both. Most people know that exercising is good for you. But sometimes people forget why it is good for them. The two benefits of exercise, cardiorespiratory exercise in particular, that I would like to point out today are; 1) Improved Energy levels (increased VO2 max) and 2) reduced resting heart rate.

When you hear people talking about VO2 max, they are talking about a person’s maximum capacity to take oxygen and deliver it to muscles for energy during exercise. The more oxygen your muscles receive during exercise, the longer you will be able to continue the activity at a higher intensity. More simply put, the more energy you have, the more things you can accomplish at an “easier” rate. Perhaps you’ve heard someone say they do not want to exercise because they would rather spend their time doing something else. It turns out, with regular exercise, you could do both and more!

The American Heart Association has found that the average human heart beats about 2.6 billion times in a lifetime. This is the same for those who are healthy and those who are unhealthy (assuming they did not pass away pre-maturely). It is known that with regular cardio-respiratory exercise a person’s resting heart rate decreases. Heart rate is measured in beats per minute. The slower a person’s heart rate is, the less times a heart has to beat in a minute, the less times it beats in a day and in a year. Therefore, since the amount of beats is fairly consistent for healthy and unhealthy hearts, the less frequently it beats, the longer you will live.

So let’s get this straight. Exercising increases your energy in a day and allows you to really put a lot of quality into it. Not only that, but it ALSO slows down a person’s “living timer”?! Wow! It sounds like it really is possible to have both quality and quantity in a lifetime! Let’s just hope the next Star Wars trilogy “exercises” that same pattern!

Hundreds of Studies Prove Mediterranean Diet the Way to Go

According the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), hundreds of scientific studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to reduced risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions. The evidence is so overwhelming that Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MD, the Vincent Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention at the HSPH describes the Mediterranean way  of eating  “possibly the best ever”. A new study published on February 25^th on the New England Journal of Medicines web site adds more evidence to support Dr. Trichopoiulos’ belief. In fact it might provide the strongest evidence to date. Quoted in the New York Times Rachel Johnson called the study “really impressive” Johnson, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association added, “And what is really important – the coolest thing – is they used very meaningful endpoints. They did not look at risk factors like cholesterol or hypertension or weight. They looked at heart attacks and strokes and death. At the end of the day, that is what really matters.” The study found that participants at high risk for heart disease and stroke cut their risk by 30% by switching to the Mediterranean diet.

But what is the Mediterranean diet and is something that most people could live on. The Mediterranean diet, according the Mayo Clinic, emphasizes:

•   Getting plenty of exercise


•   Eating primarily plant based-based food, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains legumes and nuts


•   Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive and canola


•   Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods


•   Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month


•   Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week


•   Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)


•   Enjoying meals with family and friends

If this looks familiar, it should, our guests have been enjoying this type of delicious culinary experience here at H3 for years. Including providing the meals a pleasant, family style environment with interesting, friendly people from all over the world.

Wellness Wednesday: More on Weighing In

Back in April, I wrote a blog article (Weighing In) that shared some of the insights revealed during my weekend seminar on Weight Mapping.  This past weekend we had some more Ah-Hah moments worth sharing.  Check out how to do this activity yourself, and you might have a small revelation too.

More Ah-Hahs from Weight Mapping:

• Steady weight gain is often experienced by individuals who have never placed a lot of focus on their weight.  Other things in life have always taken priority, whether it be a career, family, volunteering, etc.  These individuals often find success by making a series of small sustainable changes towards a healthy lifestyle.  Big, fast change does not lead to adherence long term.


• While for some, the gaining phase of weight cycling can be associated with stress or disturbance in routine of some kind, for others, complacence or a lifestyle with too much routine can also trigger weight gain.  Work towards a balance of routine mixed with a little excitement or challenges from time to time.


• Particularly for some women, there may be an inner conflict when weighing the pros and cons of losing the weight.  Extra body weight can represent feelings of protection (from being physically attacked), authority or strength (in the home or in the workplace) and even intelligence (acceptance from peers).  For some, self-worth and self-esteem may actually be higher with a higher body weight.  For these individuals, separating self-esteem / personal confidence from the weight on the scale is a critical factor no Fad diet will ever address.


• A healthy weight throughout our lifetime has to survive through pregnancies, job changes, cancer, family losses, and travel, annual holidays… the list goes on and on.  Fad diets or spontaneous attempts to get healthy just don’t go the distance.  It requires a healthy lifestyle approach, with active support from your spouse or others in your life.  Do it together, and do it forever.

A special thanks to all the guests who shared their story in the seminar.  Now it’s your turn – what have you learned about your weight patterns, and more importantly, how have you found success? Share with us!  Comment here on the blog or join the conversation on Facebook.

Reminder: The Importance of Sunscreen

Last year around this time, Adam Martin posted about the FDA unveiling new labeling guidelines for sunscreen. Now that summer is in full effect, we would like to remind you the importance of wearing sunscreen.

If you regularly soak up the sun's rays without proper protection, you could be setting yourself up for serious skin damage. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can begin to harm your skin within only 15 minutes of being outside, even on cloudy and cool days. When it comes to using sunscreen, keep these tips in mind:

• Try to put on sunscreen before you go outside to get full protection. And remember to reapply every 2 hours, more frequently if you are in water.


• Always use a sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or higher. The higher the SPF number, the higher the protection.


• Put a thicker layer of sunscreen on the most exposed body parts: arms, legs, neck, back and face.


• Protect your lips with sunscreen lip balm.


• Avoid using sunscreen on babies younger than six months—use hats, clothing and shade for protection.


• Think about using cosmetics that contain sunscreen. Even these should be at least SPF 15.


• Choose a broad spectrum of products that guard against the sun's ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.

Getting sunburned or tanned could be a red flag about your skin's health. When you're in the sun, make sure to slather on some sunscreen and reapply after being out for more than two hours to keep beauty—and your health—skin deep.

Healthy Recipes: Macaroni Salad

What do people do on Memorial Day? Memorial Day is an important day in America. It’s a day to give thanks, to pay tribute and to remember those who gave their lives to protect our country. In reality, we should be thankful every single day of the year, but the third Monday of May is the official day where we all come together to honor our fallen soldiers. It's also a time to have picnics, Cook outs, spend quality time with family and friends and celebrate loved ones. Let us be a part of your Memorial Day this year and bring our H3 Macaroni salad to your gathering!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup                          Whole wheat macaroni

¼ cup                         Low-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons           Apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons           Sugar

2 tablespoons           Mustard, yellow

1 teaspoon                Salt

½ teaspoon               Ground black pepper

½ cup                         Onion, diced

3 stalks                       Celery, diced

1 cup                          Green bell pepper, diced

½ cup                         Carrot, diced

PREPERATION:

• In a medium saucepot add water, and bring to a boil.


• Add pasta, once the water has reached the boiling point.


• Allow the pasta to boil 10-13 minutes (a little past al dente).


• Strain the pasta out of the water and spread on a sheet tray, allow cooling.


• Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper mix well, to make a dressing.


• Prepare all of the vegetables and toss with the pasta and dressing. ac

 

NUTRITION:

SERVINGS 12

SERVING SIZE ¼ cup

CALORIES 50

FIBER 2 grams

CARBOHYDRATES 10 grams

FAT .5

PROTEIN 2 grams

Chef’s Note: Adding onion, celery, carrots, and peppers to this salad will bulk up the nutrition of the salad and make the serving size seem larger.

FOOD FOCUS: To Soy or not to Soy?!

Over the past few years I have heard an increasing amount of questions in regards to the benefits of soy protein as well as the potential link to cancer, especially breast cancer.  Researchers started exploring the impact soy has on one’s health as it had become clear the incidence of overall cancer and breast cancer was lower among those living in Asia compared to those in North America.  This sparked numerous studies to be launched to explore soy foods because Asian diets are saturated in soy-based foods (e.g., tofu and edamame).

Soy and Cancer Risk:

Phytoestrogen, a soy isoflavone, had been thought to potentially bind to estrogen-- which would then decrease the development of cancer.  This thought is due to excessive or high levels of estrogen has been linked to cancer promotion.  Some earlier studies (with rats/mice as the subject) using soy showed soy had been linked to breast cancer promotion due to an increasing growth of an estrogen receptor.  However, as of 2011 the American Institute of Cancer Research determined that mice or rats (used for a lot of earlier soy research) metabolize the isoflavones differently than humans.   This is a huge factor when it really boils down—not only do we metabolize soy differently, but the amount of soy in our diet comes into question.

In general, Americans consume, at most, 1-2 mg/day (half of one serving) of soy protein according to the American Cancer Society.  This amount is much less compared to the Asian diet as they consume up to 2-3 servings of soy protein per day.  The largest study to date looked over 10,000 breast cancer survivors and actually showed improved outcomes—those consuming 10 mg/day of isoflavones had 25% decrease in recurrence of breast cancer.  This helps clear the air.  The next question would then be “what foods can I eat to get more soy into my day??”

Soy and Other Health Benefits:

Adding soy protein in its least processed form is most ideal.  This does not mean loading up the cart with soy protein nuggets and burgers from the freezer isle.  This means incorporating edamame, tofu, tempeh, soynuts and soy beverages.  The minimally processed soy protein sources have been linked to heart health and is packed with protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium (in some sources), copper, manganese, and phytochemicals such as phytic acid, phenolic acid and more.  Here are some ideas for your weekly meal plan:

• Meatless Monday:  Tofu lasagna for dinner


• Tuesday:  ¼ cup edamame for one metabomeal


• Wednesday:  Silken tofu, ground flaxseed, frozen berry, and ice smoothie for breakfast


• Thursday:  Tempeh chili incorporated at dinner


• Friday:  2 T. roasted soynuts on your lunchtime salad


• Saturday:  Sushi night with edamame as your first course


• Sunday:  Buckwheat tofu and banana pancakes (made with silken tofu)

Hilton Head Health Earns 2013 Certificate of Excellence

Hilton Head Health has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award! The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

 

To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.

 

“Hilton Head Health is pleased to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” John Schmitz, Owner. “We strive to offer our customers a memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence that our hard work is translating into positive reviews on TripAdvisor.”

Coaching Corner: The “Black and White” Truth of Activity Tracking Devices

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been a part of a test group for activity trackers like the Nike Fuel Band and Fitbit.  As a coach, I understand the benefits tracking activity and calories – it’s a way to provide accountability, if only unto yourself.  But now, companies like Nike and Fitbit have taken it to a whole new level.  With colored lights that measure your fuel or even a flower that grows the more you move, it’s no longer written in “black and white”.  With dynamic apps, blue tooth capabilities, personal communities, and more, these little devices act as your journal, your training partner, your cheerleader… and even your disciplinarian.  By tracking steps, calories, weight loss, food and water intake, and even sleep, these trackers learn more about your lifestyle than even your doctor might know.  You can see your charted progress at any moment, plotted by day, week, or month.  You can set personal targets and even challenge your friends, have a competition with someone from miles away.  But…. it can’t workout for you.  It can’t make the right food choices for you.  We still have to find it within ourselves to make the right choices for the healthy active life we pursue.  So while the Fitbit or Nike Fuel Band may not be the magic diet pill we all may secretly wish it would be… they certainly can help!  Moving a little more to make your last light show up on your band, or a friendly competition within a private group leader board is certainly more support than we had even 5 years ago… not to mention the convenience of having access to it all right on your smart phone.  I can honestly say, it doesn’t always make me smile when I get messages like “Pick it up, Jess”… but it does increase my awareness, it does push me to go even a little bit further, and it does make me smile when it rewards me for hard work.

Do you use an activity tracking device?  If so, share with us and other readers – what about yours motivates you??

Healthy Recipes: Blueberry Cobbler

With blueberry season quickly approaching, this is the perfect way to utilize your blueberries! I promise you will not be let down by this tasty treat!

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¼ cup                       Flour

½ cups                         Brown Sugar

2 teaspoon                 Baking Soda

½ teaspoon               Cinnamon

Pinch                            Nutmeg

¼ teaspoon               Salt

¼ cup                          Butter, Unsalted, softened

½ cup                          Non-Fat buttermilk

 

Filling:

¾ cup               Granulated Sugar

2 Tablespoons   Cornstarch

1 cup                Water

6 cups              Blueberries

 

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350F


• In a small bowl mix brown sugar, flour, butter, buttermilk, spices, baking soda and salt.


• Mix until butter is evenly distributed.


• In a medium sauce pot, mix sugar and cornstarch.


• Add water, and cook until you have made sugar syrup.


• About 5 minutes.


• In a medium size Pyrex dish, place blueberries in dish, then pour sugar syrup over blueberries.


• Then place cobbler mixture over the top.


• Bake in oven for about 30-45 minutes.


• Serve warm with your favorite low calorie ice cream.

NUTRITION:

Number of servings: 20

Serving Size: 1/20^th of the pan

Calories: 135

Fat: 4.5 grams

FRIDAY FITNESS: BARRE WORKOUT

No Tutus Required!

Barre workout is like the dancer training without the dance.

It Is a no-impact workout that allows you to lengthen and strengthen your body as well as improve flexibility and balance.

Utilizing a Ballet Barre, a countertop, or even the back of a chair, todays workout will focus on your lower body with 3 simple exercises where you will perform small isometric movements working each muscle to fatigue.

This simple 3 exercise routine will focus on your lower body:

1. Wide Plie : works on quads, inner thighs and calves

How to do it: Stand with legs straight and feet wide apart, toes turned out. Do 10 to 20 deep plies, bending the knees deeply until they're directly over your toes.



2. Parallel Plie Pulse: works on glutes, quads and abs

How to Do It: To start, stand with your feet parallel, knees together. Rise onto balls of the feet, bend your knees into a deep plié and lift half way up 10 to 20 repetitions.



 

3. Heel lift: works on hips and glutes

How to Do It: Facing the back of a chair, hinge at hips with a flat back. Bend right leg and lift to hip height, pushing heel toward the ceiling. Keeping hips square, pump leg up and down 10 to 20 times. Repeat on other leg.

Tis' the season: It's grilling time!

 

So it’s getting to be that time of year again and we start pulling out the grills and think about barbequing.  Here are some helpful tips on good grilling and the recipes you can find on H3daily.com.

First and foremost we want to make sure that when we are grilling we are using the leanest meats there are.  Chicken breast, turkey breast, pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin, lamb chops, and of course fillets of fish.  Now that you know what is the leanest you still have to remember to keep your ounces into consideration.  Seafood can range from 5-6 ounces and meats can range from 4-5 ounces each.  So those monster chicken breasts that are provided by your grocer need to be fileted in half for two servings instead of one.

Next tip is not drying out our meats, so the use of the thermometer is key.  Sure you can poke at the meat to see if it’s done, but you will know for sure when you use a thermometer.  What you might not know is that there is a slight indent on your thermometer about 1 ½ inches up, and that is actually how you temp your items.  Using the tip of the thermometer is not what is reading the temperature.  Now you may ask so what temperature do I look for? Check out the chart below.

Internal Temperatures for Doneness

Beef/Lamb

Rare                                                         120 - 125°F

Medium Rare                                       130 - 140°F

Medium                                                  145 - 150°F

Well done                                              155 - 165°F

Pork

Tenderloin                                            145°F

Fresh Shoulder, Hams                     170°F

Poultry

All poultry                                            165°F

Seafood

All seafood                                            145°F

(Cooking fish- ten minutes per inch of thickness)

Ground Meats

All ground meats                                155°F

By not overcooking your meat, you will then be able to use less sauce, and everyone will be happy because it’s juicy and tender.

 

Seasoning Tips

• Marinate or season meats ahead of time for at least 20 minutes.
  
  
  
  • Using acidic items such as lemon, lime, white wine, and balsamic are great tenderizers, that also add flavor to meats. – but if used alone marinating should be no more than 20 minutes especially on small cuts of meat.
  
  
  
  


• Make sure to season all items before grilling.


• If using a basting method, such as barbeque sauce make sure to do that towards the end.  – It prevents the sugars from burning.


• Use herbs and spices for all types of grilled items, or make your own low salt rubs.

 

Grilling Tips

• Make sure not to touch the grilled meats too much unless you truly feel that they are burning.


• The more you pick up and turn the meats, the longer they will take to cook and their juices might all juice out.


• Make sure to have all your tools out and ready for your use- such things as a long pair of tongs, grill brush, carving fork, hot pads, and a clean pan for items that are ready to be used.

 

Depending on the type of grill you have here are some tips on how to get set up using the specific types of grills.

 

Charcoal Grilling:

1. Pick a charcoal such as Kingsford


2. Make sure to purchase lighter fluid


3. Depending on the amount being grilled, always make sure you have enough charcoal to create a nice bed of heat.


4. Give yourself enough time, for the charcoal to heat up before trying to grill.


5. Ideal for all types of grilled items, fish, meats, vegetables, tofu and fruit.


6. Can be messy after charcoal is burned down.


7. Temperature can’t be adjusted on charcoal grills.

 

Gas Grilling:

1. Preheating the grill is still ideal, but perhaps only 20 minutes time is needed for preheating.


2. Once grill is hot, you can start grilling.


3. Gas grilling is cleaner than charcoal grilling, but you don’t get as much of a grilled flavor.


4. Ideal for all types of grilling items.


5. Temperature can be adjusted on gas grills.

 

Electric Grill:

1. Needs plenty of time to heat up, perhaps 30 minutes depending on age of electric grill.


2. Grids need to be cleaned after each use, as the debris left from the food won’t clean off as easily as either of the above.


3. Any types of grilling items can be done on such equipment, but depending on the grill, it may take longer than other types of grilling.

 

Good luck grilling and look for our Sante Fe Chicken recipe on H3daily.com, this marinade works great with pork tenderloin, and fresh tuna.

Wellness Wednesday: The Mindful Eating Challenge

When was the last time you tasted your food? I mean really tasted your food?

Yesterday I ate an orange that was so deliciously sweet and thirst-quenching I compared the experience to a spiritual encounter. A bit dramatic you might think -- but you’ve been there. You’ve eaten something before that has given you such pleasure you didn’t want the experience to end. Perhaps your eyes even rolled into the back of your head with each bite. That’s what really tasting your food feels like…indulgent, eye-rolling, spiritual encounters. So, when is the last time you did it?

Making the conscious decision to deliberately taste your food is the practice of mindful eating. Extreme pleasure is a wonderful benefit of mindful eating but an even better gain is satiety. When we mindfully eat something we enjoy, our brain receives the message that we are truly satisfied. Often, we will reach a state of satiety before we reach fullness. Thus, mindful eating is associated with weight loss.

This week I challenge you to mindfully eat one thing each day. Not necessarily your entire meal, just one component of your meal, or a snack. I want you to imagine that you are a child tasting your food for the first time. Float in the experience. Take your time. Let your eyes roll into the back of your head.

Kids' Hilarious First Reactions to Food Caught on Camera ABC News Blogs - Yahoo!

Coaching Corner: Dip and Spear

As many may know, an easy way to consume more calories than planned without thinking about it is by putting too much salad dressing on your salads. A popular method to counteract that which we encourage here at H3 is the “Dip and Spear” technique. There are just a few simple steps to the dip and spear technique;

1.)    Salad dressing must be on the side

2.)    Dip your fork into the salad dressing

3.)    Spear that fork through your salad

4.)    Enjoy the deliciousness of your salad + dressing with a reduced risk of over-consuming calories!

Below is a video about the dip and spear technique. Enjoy! =D

Healthy Recipes: Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS:

15 cups                   Red Cabbage, shredded

15 cups                   Green Cabbage, shredded

6 cups                    Carrots, shredded

1 cup                      Scallions, sliced on bias

2 cup                     Mayonnaise, lowfat

1 cup                      Nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup                  Apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup                  Orange juice concentrate

1/4 cup                  Sugar, granulated

1 teaspoon               Celery Seed

1 tablespoon            Dry Tarragon

1/2 teaspoon           Salt

1/2 teaspoon           Black pepper, table grind

1 teaspoon               Paprika

PREPERATION:

• In a large bowl combine the cabbage and carrots


• In another bowl whisk together remaining ingredients


• Pour the dressing over the slaw mix and let marinate overnight

NUTRITION:

Yield: 48 servings

Calories:35

Fat grams:1

Sass up your Salad!

Salads are a nutritious meal to include into your day. A salad will bulk up your vegetable intake, they are fast easy meals to prepare, and they are full of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, salads quickly become boring! Here are a few tips on how to sass up your everyday salad;

Mix up the greens! Instead of sticking to your “favorite/usual” green, venture out and try new leafy greens. Discover a new and exciting favorite. Try; spinach, arugula, spring mix, boston bibb, or cabbage.

Add texture! Adding a different texture to a salad will add some unexpected pleasant surprises. A bowl of only lettuce will become boring but think outside the bowl… Avocado will add a creamy rich texture, baked tortilla strips will add a satisfying crunch, or roasted sweet potatoes will add a pleasing smooth texture.

Switch up the protein! Put down the grilled chicken and try something new! Grilled chicken is a great lean protein source; however, grilled chicken can become a snooze. Try a crab cake, seared ahi tuna, or roasted pork tenderloin. When building your salad you want to include some protein, but the protein does not have to be from an animal source. Try a different plant-protein; grilled tofu, roasted cashews (portion control), black beans, or edamame.

Include some color! We eat with our eyes; adding fun colors to your salad will make the salad look far more appealing. Eat the rainbow; roasted beets, red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, or carrots.

Have fun with making your salad and continue to try new ingredients. Hit up your local farmer’s market to pick-up what is in season and local, this will add amusing variety to your delicious salad!

Wellness Wednesday: Hypertension

May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month, so today I want to focus on high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). As serious as hypertension is, it doesn’t seem to get as much press as other health issues. But because it is so common and its consequences are so serious, it is important to understand it and know what we can do to prevent and or manage it. But before we talk about high blood pressure let’s define blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood on the walls of your blood vessels as blood flows through them. There are two numbers involved when measuring blood pressure, the top and the bottom. The top, referred to as the systolic, represents the force on the wall of the vessels when the heart contracts and pumps blood out of the heart. The diastolic, the bottom number, measures the pressure while the heart relaxes in between beats.

One third of American adults have high blood pressure. That’s 67 million Americans, and unfortunately, more than half of them do not have the condition under control. But how bad can that be, after all, those with high blood pressure often have no symptoms. BAD, in fact that is why hypertension’s nickname is the “silent killer”. Hypertension is typically associated with an increase of cardiovascular disease, specifically heart disease and stroke. More recently the association between high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia) has strengthened. Fortunately, a recent report from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that lowering blood pressure might help prevent dementia. Lowering blood pressure has also been shown to reduce the risk of stroke by 35 – 40 %, and heart attacks by 20 – 25%.

While many with high blood pressure must take medications to help bring it under control, several lifestyles can help manage blood pressure as well, including weight management, adopting a DASH eating plan ( http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf,) being physically active, and moderating alcohol intake. For more information on the significance of high blood pressure, and ways prevent and control it, check out this web site. http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HighBloodPressure/.

Coaching Corner: Redefining Baggage

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition national conference the last weekend of April. Prior to arriving I knew I would receive valuable education about weight management, sport specific education, body composition, supplements and more, but I definitely was not excepting to be tearing up in the first key note presentation conducted by Dr. Richard Deming, founder and doctor for the public charity organization called Above + Beyond Cancer. Starting in 2011, Dr. Deming and 15 caregivers (including 1 yoga instructor) decided to take 14 cancer survivors to Mt. Everest base camp. The trip would take approximately 7 days to reach the top and involve weeks of training leading up to their departure. Deming was pretty comical explaining how his group of survivors trained the “hills” of Des Moines, Iowa—obviously reaching extremely high altitudes.

Each survivor was highlighted during his presentation as to what type of cancer they experienced, number of years, months, days of remission, number of relapses, and more (this was the part where I noticed sniffles in the room). He passionately described what it was like as they hiked up Mt. Everest TOGETHER. One woman was nearly blind from radiation, the breast cancer survivor whom became her staff, the caregiver who experienced severe GI issues and needed the care of his wife whom was a cancer survivor (the first time she felt she took care of her husband in 8 years), and the other members who leaned on one another to reach the top.

There were several messages I took away from Dr. Deming’s speech, but I quickly realized these individuals redefined what had been their “baggage” for months, years, or decades. They all had something in common. Their seasons of suffering brought them all together and allowed them to do something amazing. Climbing to the Mt. Everest base camp was like a metaphor—the backpack they had to carry up the mountain was like baggage their cancer had brought to their life. Mt. Everest was the journey. Mt. Everest was the constant battle, taking step by step, savoring the victories (big or small) and sharing life with their support system. They all redefined their baggage into something literally “Above + Beyond Cancer.” Their baggage became something much bigger than themselves. What is your baggage and how can you redefine it for your life?

Healthy Recipes: Pork Tenderloin Burger

 

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Pound               Pork tenderloin, ground       

1 teaspoon               Crushed red pepper

1 bunch                   Parsley, fresh, chopped

1/2 cup                  Onion, minced

2 tablespoons           Garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon           Fennel, ground

1/4 teaspoon                     Salt

3 sandwich thins       Arnold sandwich slider buns

PREPERATION:

• Preheat grill.


• Mix all ingredients in a bowl.


• Portion 1/4 cup patties.


• Grill patties until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 6 minutes per side.


• Serve on an open-faced sandwich thin with lettuce, tomato, and onion.

 

NUTRITION:

Serves: 6

190 calories

3 fat grams

14 CHO

7 fiber grams

26 protein grams

Friday Fitness: Build More to Burn More

When it comes to burning more calories, building more muscle mass will do just that! Studies have shown that muscle tissue burns 9 times more calories than fat tissue. How cool is that! How can I build more muscle mass you ask? Resistance training is the most effective method of training to accomplish this. With that in mind, there are a few things to think about during your exercises in order to make your resistance training program more effective;

 Concentric Contractions: Shortening of the muscle (good baseline indicator of muscular strength)

Eccentric Contractions: Elongating of the muscle (slow and controlled creates more micro-tears in the muscle allowing for more muscle rebuilding to take place resulting in an increase in muscle mass [AKA muscle hypertrophy])

Isometric Contractions: Sustaining a certain position for extended periods of time resulting in muscle fatigue. Isometric implies that you are resisting a force that is equal or greater to the force your muscles are exerting resulting in a stationary exercise. A good example of an exercise using isometric contractions is a plank.

In terms of building muscle mass, having slow and controlled eccentric contractions will be of great benefit to you. Try to hit each muscle group 2-3 times a week with a recovery period of at least 48 hours before repeating muscle groups. During your work out, exercising in sets of 1-3 with 8-12 repetitions would be appropriate.

Enjoy the video below demonstrating what was said above! =D

Get H3 Inspired: Barb Wood

My experience at Hilton Head Health (H3) was nothing short of what I expected; and I had high expectations given the reputation of H3.

During the summer of 2012, my husband Randy Wood spent five weeks at H3 and lost nearly 30 pounds.  The physical transformation was impressive.  He came home glowing.  Upon wrapping up his time there, he called and asked me “So what two weeks work for you?”  It wasn’t an order, but a passionate and enthusiastic request because we both struggle with our weight.  April 2013 was chosen.

I spent the next six months changing nothing and gaining more weight.  By February 2013 I had hit the wall.  I saw a number on the scale that just did me in.  At that point something mentally clicked for me.  I immediately cut out all the garbage and sweets.  I had no desire for them anymore.  I started a meager work out two days a week.  It didn’t last very long as my heart wasn’t into the exercise.  However the elimination of the bad foods continued.

April finally got here and I knew that the next two weeks were going to be about me and my health.  H3 was the jumpstart I was craving and I was ready to make a change.  I was tired of being tired.

From the moment I arrived at H3 I felt welcomed.  I fit in and there was no stigma about a number on the scale or the size of my clothes.  The guests at H3 are like-minded and the staff embraced every one of us for who we were: people on a mission to make positive changes in our lives.

I arrived and met the staff and my (awesome) roommate and I felt like I belonged.  I realized that after my initial weigh-in, I had already dropped 7 pounds since I had changed my diet in early February.  I was already off to a great start.

The schedule can be a little daunting at first; kind of like being a freshman on the first day of school! But you quickly learn to pick the classes and lectures that mean something to you.  The tough part of course is realizing that they all mean something, but with a 2-week stay, I had time to pick and choose.

You quickly learned who the veterans and long-timers are as they were immediately into the groove and just had a wisdom about them.  They had a lot to offer.  Friendships were made quickly…and are ones that will serve us well long after we have left H3 for our own realities.

In 10 days I lost a little over 7 pounds.  Given the gourmet quality of the food we were served, this was really exciting.  Dieting didn’t mean boring and bland food.  It meant food that is colorful and full of flavor!  At 13 days I was down 9 pounds.  The drive home to Vermont was a long one but I made smart choices about the food I ate and at 15 days…I was down 10 pounds.

The transformation was amazing for me.  I feel great, my fat clothes are getting baggy and mostly…I have energy.  I am equipped with notes from lectures and the knowledge that we all will stumble…we are human after all.  As someone said, “Weight loss isn’t hard. Losing weight is.”  It’s a rule of in and out.  Less calories in, more calories out.

I purchased my Fitbit One at H3 and I wear it every day.  It has become the subtle little voice of H3 to just keep moving, because doing something is better than doing nothing.

I arrived home knowing that Randy and I will make regular treks to H3.  It is that course-adjustment we sometimes need in life.  I look forward to returning as a veteran.  Most of all, I look forward to interacting with the staff of H3 and their enthusiasm for a healthy life and the absolute desire to help us get there.

 Barb Wood – Pittsfield, VT

Wellness Wednesday: Cultivating Serenity

I have been experiencing a great deal of serenity in my life lately. As I connect with a deep sense of gratitude for this serenity, I can’t help but acknowledge that I play a part in its development. I play an even bigger role in allowing myself the gift of fully experiencing this serenity – doing a free fall into all its gloriousness and floating in the feeling.

You see, serenity doesn’t just descend on you like an ethereal fog, or a butterfly quietly landing on your shoulder. Its actual presence is the result of purposeful efforts. To possess serenity you have to cultivate serenity. Adding to that, once serenity presents itself, you can’t hesitate to succumb to its tender invitation. Serenity is a gift that must be opened.

Cultivating serenity isn’t a mystical endeavor. You don’t have to wear a diaphanous robe, Birkenstocks and meditate while sitting criss-cross-applesauce. It starts by working on letting go of fear and expanding the practice of compassion. Below are a few tips for nurturing the serenity in your life.

Gratitude: Serenity is the absence of fear and gratitude is the antidote to fear. Therefore, the more you expand the practice of gratitude in your life, the less fear will be available to steal your serenity. iTunes offers a Random Gratitude app which provides daily reminders to acknowledge the blessings.

Compassion: Judgment is the opposite of compassion and produces a false sense of superiority that impedes our ability to connect with others. Connecting to others is one of the paths leading to serenity. Knowing that you aren’t alone, and that you are no better and no worse than others, provides us with a deep sense of acceptance which translates into serenity. Work on turning judgment into compassion.

Surrender: Take an inventory of your life and notice where the majority of your mental energy is being spent. To what degree do you really have control over the outcomes? If the answer is little to none, then surrender your will to those areas of your life over which you have no control and allow them to unfold as they are meant to be. Serenity comes from accepting the things you cannot change.

Mindfulness: Take an opportunity to practice mindfulness in nature. Go for a walk while purposely using your senses, isolating them one at a time, to experience the beauty around you. Connect with the colors, shapes, movements, textures, smells and sounds that make up the details of your surroundings. Appreciating the wonder of nature soothes the soul and allows serenity a comfortable place to settle.