RAISES $300 DOLLARS FOR THE BC SPCA

The 2013 Ten Pound Down Challenge was another success and we managed to raise more money for my favourite charity the BC SPCA.  Congratulations to all those who took part and have a great summer!

 

 

 

 

 

                                         

WELCOME CHALLENGERS!

                                                                    

Almost 40 challengers have weighed in and we have quite the event and even though we won't be having as many activities we will still be doing power walks on Sunday's 11-12pm at the Kitsilano Community Center so join us if you can. 

Focus on your fitness and making good dietary choices and the pounds should just melt off!  Weigh out will be June 16th at 11am so good luck everyone.  And don't hesitate to contact me if you have any diet and/or exercise questions.  And don't forget to put those stars up on the sticker board every time you lose a pound.

 

SUCCESSFUL AGING

Edna Levitt Personal Trainer at 72.

Successful Agers are referred to as people with better than average physiological and psychosocial characteristics in late life and healthy genes (Rowe and Kahn 1987). The current life expectancy in most developed countries is 80 years old.  By the year 2030 one quarter of the population in these developed countries will be over the age of 65.  This means that many are now entering into their 50’s and, according to the US General Surgeon, 1/3 – 1/2 of this population engages in no leisure time physical activity at all.  A powerful motivator for many in their 50’s has been vanity, looking and feeling good, but as the years advance vanity no longer is the primary fitness focus. Independence, defined as caring for oneself without assistance or aids, like walkers, scooters and canes, and remaining emotionally optimistic about life becomes the primary focus as we enter into our 70’s and 80’s.  Being and remaining physically active throughout one’s life is the key to successful aging.

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND AGING

Myth 1:  You have to be healthy to exercise.

Physical activity can improve quality of life and may be most effective for those suffering with chronic health conditions and disease.

Myth 2:  I’m too old to start exercising.

Physical activity can benefit individuals of all ages including those as old as 90 or 100 years of age.

Myth 3:  You need special clothing and equipment.

Safe and effective exercise can be performed while wearing comfortable street shoes and loose-fitting everyday clothing.  Inexpensive equipment such as elastic bands and small portable dumbbells can be used for effective strength training.  

Myth 4:  No pain, no gain.

It is now recognized that physical activity does not need to be strenuous or exhaustive to provide significant health benefits.

Myth 5:  I’m too busy to exercise.

Exercise can be easily built into daily activities such as shopping, gardening and household chores and done any time of the day.

Fauja Singh, 100-yr-old Briton, becomes the oldest marathon runner .

      EXERCISE COMPONENTS FOR OLDER ADULTS

Resistance Training: Using weights, resistance bands or body weight to perform exercises that help improve the function of the skeletal muscles.  The goal should be to target most muscles groups during a training session and to train 2-3 times a week.  Benefits include reversing sarcopenia - muscle weakness, improving bone health, postural stability, increased range of motion and flexibility, decrease body fat mass, and maintain metabolically active tissue in healthy older adults.

Cardiovascular Training:  Activities such as biking, swimming, walking or jogging can help improve the function of the heart, lungs and vascular system.  The goal should be to perform these activities most days of the week for a minimum of 60 minutes. They can be divided into 10-20 minute increments throughout the day.  A minimum level of aerobic capacity is necessary for older adults to continue independent daily functioning.

Balance and Coordination:  Good balance and coordination are essential to the successful performance of most activities of daily living as well as a number of recreational pursuits.  Adding activities that challenge balance and compound movements can reduce the number of falls which pose a serious health problem in North America.

Flexibility:  Declines 20 – 50% between ages 30-70 years of age. Loss of flexibility includes reduction in daily tasks, prone to injury to joint or muscle crossing the joint as well as likelihood of falls from loss of balance and stability.   The goal should be to stretch most major muscles 3-5 times a week.

Proper Warm Up and Cool Down:  Done before and after physical exertion to prevent lightheadedness, injuries and reduce fatigue.

THREE BEAN SALAD

Eden's garbanzo beans ( drain and rinse )
Eden's kidney beans
Eden's black soya beans
1/2 cup chopped green onion
chopped med zucchini
chopped  med yellow pepper
chopped med red pepper
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
sliced black olives ( drain and rinse )
diced old cheddar cheese
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1 tsp crushed red peppers
olive oil
generous dash of salt and pepper

No.#1 Weight Loss Activity!

Power Walking is one of the easiest, least expensive, most convenient and just about everyone can do it, fitness activities.

Lipolysis is a process in which our body mobilizes stored lipids (fat) and uses it as a source of energy.  But in order for this to happen oxygen needs to be present. During activities, such as running, we tend to require much more oxygen so the body is forced to use both lipids and stored glycogen.  Walking is far less demanding and therefore we generally get all the oxygen our body requires to primarily burn stored fat.

Plan a long walk, at least 40-60 minutes, wear the proper footwear, consider safety or bring a friend, and try and keep your pace at a moderate speed.  You can use your heart rate as a guideline (120 beats per minute is a great pace).

So walk off those extra pounds, stay injury free and enjoy the lovely fall weather which is ideal for those long street hikes with a friend.

Can Adrenal Fatigue be making your fat?

Constantly feeling exhausted, unmotivated, depressed, irritable, can't shake those extra pounds or always fighting a bug of some kind? Well you might be suffering from "Adrenal Burnout".

Today's world is extremely demanding! Juggling a career and family, dealing with the state of the economy, constant noise and air pollutants while trying to have an exciting life of some kind. Basically - we want it all!  But it does not come without a price! Our poor adrenal glands end up in constant overdrive which eventually robs us of our health.

These two little glands, situated on top of each kidney, are responsible for the strength of our immune system, normalizing blood sugar and regulating blood pressure.  But unfortunately, when we are needing to rest them, most reach for stimulants and end up burning these glands out more, leading to serious illnesses like cancer.

Take care of your adrenal glands by first recognizing when they have had enough.  Even a string of job interview rejections can lead to burnout.  Next, focus on a nutritious diet and regular, moderately intense exercise.  Finally, consider relaxation therapies so that you can handle stress more positively, like yoga, cognitive behavioral changes, breathing exercises or somatic-contraction therapy.  If you are considering a detoxification program just be aware that "toxin release" is quite a stressful event for the body and side effects may be very unpleasant.  I would suggest holding off until you feel your strength return.

They say that very few people fully recover from "Adrenal Burnout" as, in some cases, it may take years to bounce back.  But can you imagine feeling that healthy freedom once again.

For more info visit: http://www.womenlivingnaturally.com/articlepage.php?id=6

UNBELIEVABLE PAIN RELIEF!

Recently I had some dental work done which left me with a disturbed Trigeminal nerve on the right side of my face. Symptoms included pain, a horrible burning sensation all across the side of my face where a new crown was placed and of course emotional episodes most likely due to the irritation itself..  It turned out that the crown was insufficient and had to be replaced but all the extra procedures only elevated my problem.  I also discovered that I was having bad reactions to both Tylenol and Advil and I desperately needed something to manage the pain.

I've had 15 years experience as a Health Consultant at "The Garden Health Foods" in Vancouver and have recommended thousands of products for every condition under the sun.  So believe me when I tell you that I have never had something work so quick and so well for pain relief like Curamin.  Within a few hours my pain subsided and a week later the nerve finally calmed down so that the new crown could be replaced.  Though, following the seating of the new crown, the joint did experience a flare up. So I just took a few CuraMeds 375  ( part of the product line) and felt relief within an hour.

I'm usually pretty skeptical about natural health products, as many claim to do and be something they actually are not but this one is a winner!
( 2011 Vity Awards )

http://www.curamin.com/