Archive for March, 2010

“More die in the United States of too much food than too little.”
John Kenneth Galbraith

This quote is shocking to me.  I know there is an obesity epidemic in the U.S. but I never had thought of it in those terms.  I won’t say that obesity is easily preventable because it isn’t easy;  human beings are not big on self-discipline!   But it is preventable.   This video explains some of the causes of obesity and some methods that are being used to combat it.

Getting your skin ready for summer

During the winter months I get really lazy about skin care.   For example, I tend to go weeks at a time without shaving my legs. My rational is twofold: (1) my hair is very pale and doesn’t show unless you’re really close, and (2) my legs are always covered by pants or tights in the winter.  But I knew I had let shaving slide for too long when, one morning after toweling off after my shower, I could feel that static electricity feeling tickling my shins!  Rather than using conditioner on my leg hair, I broke down and shaved.

But now the first warm, sunny days are appearing and I want my skin to be healthy and ready for unwrapping.  Here are some things you can start doing now to have summer ready skin.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! If you don’t do it already, get into the habit of moisturizing after every bath or shower.  Apply body lotion from your shoulders to your finger tips, and from your hips to your toes.  If you’ve been using a heavier cream on your face during winter’s dryness, you probably want to switch to a lighter weight lotion.

Exfoliate. When I used to live at the beach, my daily barefoot walk in the sand kept my feet smoothed and polished.  But now that I’ve moved inland I have to remember to use a loofah or exfoliating scrub.  Exfoliating the rest of your body occasionally is also a good idea, especially your elbows and knees.  Be sure to follow up with moisturizer.

Use sunscreen. Any skin that will be exposed to the sun needs to be protected.  Depending on your activity level and the length of time you’ll be outside, you might be able to get away with simply using a moisturizer containing sunscreen.  But if you’ll be swimming, sweating, or just soaking up the sun for long periods of time, you’ll need an actual dedicated sunscreen product, and you’ll need to reapply it regularly.

Hydrate! Drinking plenty of water moisturizes your skin from the inside out!  Staying hydrated also helps protect you from heat stroke.

Often times we hear people talking about having a slow metabolism or how everyone’s metabolism slows down as they get older.

Your metabolism is not a physical part of your body, such as your heart or liver, but is the collection of chemical processes your body uses to convert fuel into energy.

Most of this fuel to energy conversion takes place in your muscle tissue.  Beginning around age 30, your body slowly but surely, year by year, begins to lose muscle mass.  So your metabolism, or your body’s furnace, actually gets smaller rather than slower.

Unfortunately, there’s still plenty of stored fuel – fat – that needs to be burned!  But since the furnace is smaller, less fat is being used so more is being stored.

What can you do to prevent or reverse the effects of this “slowing” metabolism?

The answer is strength training.  Building and maintaining muscle tissue is the only way to ensure that the fuel (fat) continues to be burned rather than stored.  And the more muscle you build, the more fat will be burned. Even when your muscles are at rest, the fat burning process continues.  .

You need to do some type of resistance exercise 3 times per week.  To provide the resistance you can choose resistance machines, weights, resistance bands, or even your own body weight.

The earlier you begin a strength training program, the better.  But it’s never too late to start. If you are reasonably able bodied, there’s no excuse for letting your body turn old, weak, and  squishy.  If you will spend 90 minutes per week, your body will reward you by staying strong, healthy, and lean for decades!

** When you sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive a free copy of the ebook, “7 Secrets of Permanent Fat Loss & Fitness”.

Monday Motivation

“Your body is the baggage you must carry through life.  The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip.”

This quote is attributed to humorist Arnold H. Glasgow and, although he says it in a humorous manner, the thought is very true and sobering.

Forcing your body to support extra weight can cause a host of health ailments ranging from joint problems all the way to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.  And any of these conditions will certainly diminish the quality of the life you do have.

I know that, for most people, maintaining a healthy weight is not easy; I struggle with it daily.  But I want to be around  not only to see my grandchildren but to be able to do things with them.  When I think of it that way, it’s easier to say no to that bowl of ice cream or extra dollop of salad dressing!

How To Get Started Running

Are you a beginning runner or would you like to be?  Follow these easy tips to ease into your new program!

First of all, designate a time that you will devote to your running.  Set aside 20 minutes three times per week.  When ready, you’ll increase this to at least 30 minutes, 3 – 5 times per week.

Don’t overdo it when you’re first getting started!  Injury is the number one reason people list for giving up on running.  The more gradually you begin, the less your chances of injury.

If you can’t run for 20 minutes, try alternating walking with running. For example, you might walk for 5 minutes, then run for 5 – or 3 minutes or 1 – whatever you are able to do!

Don’t be concerned with how far you are running. Concentrate on the amount of time you spend.  As you gain strength and are able to run more and walk less, you’ll cover more distance in the same amount of time.

It is essential that you have a good pair of running shoes. Make sure that you are buying shoes made specifically for running, not for tennis, walking, etc.  Especially for your first pair, it would be best to go to a specialty store where a trained employee can make sure you get the correct fit.

Finally, you’ll also need a supportive sports bra. With a regular bra the bouncing not only attracts unwanted attention, it can be quite uncomfortable!  Try to choose a sports bra made of material designed to wick moisture away from your skin.

Now get out there and run!

Here are 3 exercises you can use to develop a flat tummy!

Crunches Lie flat on the floor with your arms crossed over your chest.  Don’t lace your fingers behind your head or neck – that causes you to pull yourself up with your arms rather than your abs!  Lift your upper body slowly off the floor, hold, then lower slowly.    Hold again before touching the floor, then crunch back up without ever actually touching down.  You can keep your feet on the floor with your knees bent but I prefer to cross my ankles and hold my feet up off the floor.  This decreases the stress on your back while working your upper and lower abs.

Side Crunches Same as above but, rather than crunching straight up, twist to the left, then right, on alternate crunches.  These will help whittle down your waist.

Chair Crunches Sit near the edge of your chair and lean slightly back while supporting yourself with your hands.  Lift your feet off the floor and extend your legs, keeping your knees slightly bent.  Pull your knees slowly up toward your chest, then slowly extend them to the previous position.  Repeat without letting your feet touch the floor.

Although exercising can firm muscles, it can’t firm fat! If you have a layer of belly fat covering your abs, all the crunches in the world won’t give you a flat tummy!  Make your abs exercises part of your overall fat burning plan. Then, once you’ve gotten rid of the fat, your beautiful, firm abs will be display ready!