How Breathing Exercises and Meditation Help You Lose Weight

Breathing exercises may be the answer to your weight loss dilemma if you eat as a reaction to stress related incidents.   Suzanne Andrews, featured in the best selling book, Is She Naturally Thin or Disciplined by Sally Shields, reveals just how breathing exercises and meditation helped her lose over 60 lbs and how you can lose the weight and keep it off.  

Sally Shields, in her book, Is She Naturally Thin or  Disciplined?

offers a motivational book sharing how 101 women share how they stay slim and trim, despite busy work schedules and time consuming family demands.  She didn't forget the baby boomers either.  Let's face it - what do you think when you see a 20 something slim beauty.  Well I don't know what you think, but I think, "of course, she's slim - she's only 20!"  Sally Shields interviewed women all the way up to age 60 plus and each reveals insider secrets of the sexy and slim!

Why Breathing Exercises Help COPD

If you or a loved one have asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema, or get short of breath from everyday activities, breathing exercises will help you function with your day to day living.  That’s something we Occupational Therapy Practitioners specialize in – increasing peoples ability to perform Activities of Daily Living.    COPD is a severe lung disease associated with airflow obstruction.  Asthma, also a disease that affects your airways affects all ages. There are currently 20 million Americans with Asthma.   COPD, a more serious and generally fatal disease can be slowed down with proper treatment and reduce the severity of your symptoms and can increase your lifespan. 

   

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and it affects your lungs and airways.  Chronic means you will have this condition the rest of your life.  So what can you do to manage it?

 

My patients who have COPD often mistakenly believe that they can’t exercise.  Exercise is essential because the less active you are, the weaker your muscles get.  Weak muscles need MORE oxygen and this causes a chain reaction of being short of breath.  By practicing a COPD  program, following a good nutrition plan and doctors plan of care, some patients who were on continuous Oxygen Therapy were able to come off the oxygen and just use it as needed with their Doctors approval.  I measured their oxygen intake with an oxpulsimetor before and after the breathing exercises and their oxygen gradually increased to a normal level.

Did you know your diaphragm is a muscle?  This muscle,  crucial for breathing, can be made stronger and help you get more air into your lungs to increase your lung capacity. When you strengthen your breathing muscles with exercises and breathing exercises, you can have some control over COPD instead of it taking charge of you. 

Fast Food Lovers Diet

If you've seen the movie Supersize Me, where Morgan Spurlock follows a 30 day diet of eating only McDonald's food, you watched as he gained 24 and 1/2 pounds, a dangerous cholesterol level of 230 and fat accumulation in his liver.  It was fascinating to watch, but only offered a one sided view.  Obviously, if you just eat junk food every day, no matter what fast food establishment you choose, your body will react. He also didn't exercise  the entire time which contributed to his weight gain.  That being said, no amount of exercise in the world can protect your body from a constant diet of saturated fats.  To remain functionally fit we need to practice good diet and  get out there and move.  So what do you do when you find yourself at McDonalds?  Here's a healthy choice menu to make it easier for you to decide.  I wonder what would have happened if Spurlock ate the healthy options and exercised 6 days a week.  Now that would be interesting to see.

McDonalds Fast Food Healthy Choices Menu

 

Premium Grilled   8 oz

Chicken Classic   (226 g) 420 calories

Sandwich              10 Grams of Fat

Snack  Wrap ®      4.3 oz  (With no dressing)

 (Grilled)               270 Calories

                              10 grams of Fat

Premium                  12.3 oz

Southwest Salad      320 Calories

with Grilled             9 Grams of Fat

Chicken

Premium Caesar      11 oz

Salad with Grilled   220 Calories

Chicken                   6 Grams of Fat

Snack Size Fruit   1 Package

& Walnut Salad    210 Calories

                               8 grams of fat

Newman's Own®  1.5 oz

Low Fat Balsamic  40 Calories

Vinaigrette              3 grams of Fat

Brain Power Exercise You Can Do Now

Want to lose 3 pounds right now?  Stop using your brain power.   Your mind weighs approximately 3 pounds and if you don’t use it, you lose it. Well maybe not the weight, but its amazing ability to help you move, to think and remember. Most of us have it backwards.  We age and therefore stop moving. It’s more like, stop exercising and you age.  If you could hear your body-mind talk, the conversation would go something like this, “Get a move on and stimulate my brain power cells to grow, connect and keep me young.”

Contrary to age old beliefs, aging does not have to come with loss of memory, mental decline and decreased brain power.  Scientists now believe that decreased mental capacity comes from diminished stimulation to the brain. 

A healthy neuron is linked to literally tens of thousands of other neurons, creating a  hundred trillion connections – each with the ability to perform 200 calculations per second! But neurons don’t only connect with other neurons, they connect with muscles at a little meeting place called the neuromuscular junction and this is vital to your ability to move.  The great news is you can stimulate fresh neurons in old age because brains have what is called ‘plasticity,’ the ability to change, to grow and to adapt to the challenges you feed it.  Mental decline due to age usually is often a result of physical inactivity and a lack of mental stimulation.

The word exercise means to ward off.  How appropriate:  because when you exercise, your blood circulation increases: sending more oxygen and brain feeding blood sugar (glucose) to your brain. This results in a domino effect of increasing blood vessels in your brain. Your choice of exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous.  Although one that is specifically designed for the brain will give you better results.  Studies have shown that people who are reasonably active have a significant advantage regarding memory over people who are sedentary.  Occupational therapists (therapists who specialize in improving people’s function) have also studied specific exercises to find that certain type of exercises increased both brain functioning and decreased brain attack by 57%. 

Specific exercises have even shown to be successful as a preventative measure to Alzheimer’s. Even more interesting is that couch potatoes are twice as likely to develop dementia.  In order to reap the benefits of increased brain power, mental alertness, and neuron growth, you need to unlock the door to exercise - period.  Open your mind and give yourself the opportunity.  You are what you believe to yourself to be.  No matter what your age or your fitness level.   Whether you are 40 or 70:   prevention is the doorway to a healthy mind. I just gave you the key.  Take Charge and be Healthwise, Exercise.

Back from the Brink: The Power of Meditation

My journey to a new body and a new life began with a difficult pregnancy and an emergency cesarean section birth. By the time I gave birth, I was a size 18 and 61 pounds overweight. At 5’2”, I was putting a tremendous strain on my knees and hips.

The simple act of walking was an arduous task. Walking places a force of 3 times your body weight on the critical joints of your body. At my height and size, I was burdening my body with 528 pounds of pressure. Every step was excruciating. I developed bursitis in my hips creating an inflammation so severe that I couldn’t walk without flinching. I suffered through two miscarriages and eventual gall bladder surgery. My condition had gotten so severe that I couldn’t even play with my newborn without becoming winded. Exercise was out of the question. I could barely see my toes—being able to touch them was a fantasy. 

My wake-up call came two years later, at my son’s birthday party. When I saw the videotape of the celebration, I didn’t even recognize myself. It was time to make a change. I was starting to understand why I had no energy. Staring me in the face, right there on the screen was the reason my hips and back ached so terribly. Every day was another dose of my harsh reality. Commuting to work on the bus was a humiliating experience, as I had to endure the cruel snickers when I couldn’t fit into the seat. I had enough. It was time for a change. 

While I was working at CBS on the Geraldo show,

a guest panelist and psychologist told me about how meditation could benefit me. I was skeptical, but desperate to try anything that would make me feel whole again. I needed to be there for my son. I decided to give it a try. At first I didn’t understand how a sedentary activity like meditation could help me to lose weight. It was not long before I discovered the secret---during meditation your mind is the CEO and your body the dutiful employee. You tell your body what it needs to do and it follows suit. 

The ritual of meditation was the spark that jumpstarted my weight loss plan. I felt energized to exercise daily, choose healthier options and control my portion sizes. The meditation motivated me in ways I never thought imaginable, helping me lose the excuses and get on the track to better health. I started with gentle yoga combined with low impact exercises. This not only helped me to start shedding pounds, but also made my day-to-day tasks more manageable. 

Meditation saved my life, and prevented my son from becoming an orphan at 10 years old. I credit my success to the incorporation of mind, body and spirit that meditation encourages. The same breathing techniques that I used to control my appetite and regulate stress also helped to develop my lungs and give them power. It was those same healthy, powerful lungs that delivered me from the brink of death, when a medical miscalculation caused my heart to stop on an operating table. As doctors frantically fought to revive my lifeless body with CPR, my body started to shut down, turning my lips, hands and feet a chilling blue. Near death, I was transported by ambulance to the intensive care unit. My body was on the verge of giving up. My kidneys shut down and my veins constricted so tightly that doctors could not administer a lifesaving intravenous line. My body and my spirit were determined to live. I would not die. I would live. I would see my son again. I started to meditate. After five minutes of willing myself to survive and using my meditation skills, my body started its journey back from the edge. My kidneys started functioning again. My pulse strengthened and my veins opened up. Later, my cardiologist would proclaim in amazement, “I’m an Indian doctor and my patient is teaching me how great meditation is!”

After that day, I had a renewed sense of purpose. I had to motivate others and help other people struggling with weight find their purpose. My weight could have been a death sentence, but meditation and determination was my pardon. My life has been changed since that day.

 Doors have opened for me. I went from being introverted and soft spoken to a confident, capable and dynamic woman ready to embrace life. I have made it my mission to help others on their journey to finding the healthy and slim person within. You are the CEO of your health.  Exercise and be healthwise. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you.  

Live Longer Through Cardiovascular Health

Aching muscles, heavy breathing, sweat poring off you. You ask yourself, "how will I get through this"? It's the sacrifice needed to stay healthy, strong and functional. When you really think about it, it's no different than any other kind of work. Getting up early, into the office, meetings at 8AM, paperwork to complete, staff to discipline, inventory to check, budgets to keep. How will I get through this? You did it and you did it well. You might be retired now and all the effort paid off. Your life is more secure because you decided to sacrifice and achieve goals. 

This weeks Motivational Moment

Life can be pulled by goals just as surely as it can be pushed by drives.
Viktor Frankl

If you are fit enough to run or jog, continue to do so but make sure you have supportive shoes. If not, get up and go for a walk. Now, I don't mean a gentle stroll to take in the evening air. I mean a power walk. Get your breathing up, take big steps at a brisk pace and swing your arms. Some controllable hand weights would be a good idea too. Wear good fitting shoes with shock absorbing soles.  Start around the block, then around the neighborhood and then just keep walking around. Your body loves oxygen. The more you take in the healthier you get. Your heart is a muscle. When you put it to work it gets larger and stronger just like a bicep when lifting weights. This makes it pump more blood that's full of oxygen through your body even when you are at rest. Sweat releases toxins from the body and acts as a natural coolant.  A big glass of cool water before and after a walk helps to keep you properly hydrated.

Why walk? Every person over 90 is always asked, "How'd you do it"? And every person over 90 responds, "I kept moving, kept working and didn't smoke and drink myself into oblivion. That's it". Your body is a biological machine. If you let it sit around for years unused and neglected, then try to start it up it's going to cough, wheeze, sputter and come to grinding halt. But if you work it, maintain it, nourish it with premium fuels, it will stand the test of time. 

Healthiest blessings,

Suzanne Andrews 

10 Top Anti-Aging Tips for a Youthful Mind, Body, Spirit

Suzanne Andrews, star of Functional Fitness on PBS TV shares how you can become empowered with an age defying mind/body and spirit with these 10 top anti-aging tips.

The desire for youthful energy never leaves and is capable of staying with you well until your later years. Boomers are, however, faced with the old adage, “use it or lose it.”   It’s no wonder boomers are keen to put passion back into their lives and fight the effects of aging.  True we are living in a society with an obesity epidemic and what a better motivator than  living an independent life well into ones retirement with an increased zest and ability to perform activities of daily living with greater ease and function.

How do function and aging co-exist and blend with fitness?  They are a twin-ship, even if we don’t see them that way.  No one wants to feel and look old before their time. Much of what we blame on aging: weakness, decreased range of motion and obesity can be reversed in 30 days.  How do we look and feel younger in 30 days? Through a blissful discipline called Functional Fitness.  

Americans are getting older every minute and life expectancy is ever-increasing.   People leading full productive lives after the age of retirement are no longer a “wow.”  Most baby boomers want to live active lives and learn how to enjoy a fulfilling active life.  You’re as fit as your body is functional.  Contrary to popular opinion, not even all young people are limber, for keeping flexibility relies on regular stretching. However flexibility, one of the three primary components of physical fitness, is extremely important to attaining a healthy life.  Without flexibility, simple activities, such as reaching and bending become painful. True, muscles shorten with age, but according to the National Foundation for anti-aging, “most aging is premature.”  Here are 10 tips to help you stay younger, fitter and functional. 

1- Drink six to eight glasses of water each day. Hydrate skin, nourish it, and prevent wrinkles. 

2- Stretch and strengthen your legs. Doing calf raises and tiptoe walking every other day improves circulation and helps prevents spider veins. 

3- Incorporate upper-body exercises. Lift mini dumbbells, and stretch back muscles. This protects against osteoporosis. 

4- Strengthen your abs five days a week. Sit-ups enhance blood flow to vital organs, repairing tissue damage.

5- Add aerobic exercise. Keep your heart and lungs youthful and fit. 

6 – Choose aerobics that enhance brain power. Jogging, bicycling, and speed walking sharpen memory and increase attention span. 

7- Use diaphragmatic breathing. Inhale through your nose so debris and pollutants are filtered from the air. Make your belly rise, and then fall slowly, exhaling through pursed lips. Relaxed breathing decreases levels of stress hormones that accelerate aging. 

8- Eat baked, broiled, or grilled salmon two times per week. Its omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins combat disease-causing free radicals.

9- Try colorful vegetables. Dr. Roy Vartabedian, author of “Nutripoints,” and Nutrition Expert for Functional Fitness starring Suzanne Andrews, ® recommends spinach, broccoli and romaine lettuce daily with lunch and dinner.  Dark green vegetables have cancer-fighting properties and vitamin C to boost your immune system. Tomatoes are also on this “fighter veggies” list.

 10- Enjoy fresh fruit for dessert.  Dr. Vartabedian suggests cantaloupe, guava, and papaya. These also combat the cell damage that causes premature aging.

Learn More about Anti Aging Exercise

Fitness After 50

The desire for youthful energy never leaves and is capable of staying with you well until your later years. Boomers are, however, faced with the old adage, “use it or lose it.”   It’s no wonder boomers are keen to put passion back into their lives and fight the effects of aging.  True we are living in a society with an obesity epidemic and what a better motivator than  living an independent life well into ones retirement with an increased zest and ability to perform activities of daily living with greater ease and function.

How do function and aging co-exist and blend with fitness?  They are a twin-ship, even if we don’t see them that way.  No one wants to feel and look old before their time. Much of what we blame on aging: weakness, decreased range of motion and obesity can be reversed in 30 days.  How do we look and feel younger in 30 days? Through a blissful discipline called Functional Fitness.

Americans are getting older every minute and life expectancy is ever-increasing.   People leading full productive lives after the age of retirement are no longer a “wow.”  Most baby boomers want to live active lives and learn how to enjoy a fulfilling active life.  You’re as fit as your body is functional.  Contrary to popular opinion, not even all young people are limber, for keeping flexibility relies on regular stretching. However flexibility, one of the three primary components of physical fitness, is extremely important to attaining a healthy life.  Without flexibility, simple activities, such as reaching and bending become painful. True, muscles shorten with age, but according to the National Foundation for anti-aging, “most aging is premature.”  Here are 10 tips to help you stay younger, fitter and functional.

1- Drink six to eight glasses of water each day. Hydrate skin, nourish it, and prevent wrinkles.

2- Stretch and strengthen your legs. Doing calf raises and tiptoe walking every other day improves circulation and helps prevents spider veins.

3- Incorporate upper-body exercises. Lift mini dumbbells, and stretch back muscles. This protects against osteoporosis.

4- Strengthen your abs five days a week. Sit-ups enhance blood flow to vital organs, repairing tissue damage.

5- Add aerobic exercise. Keep your heart and lungs youthful and fit.

6 – Choose aerobics that enhance brain power. Jogging, bicycling, and speed walking sharpen memory and increase attention span.

7- Use diaphragmatic breathing. Inhale through your nose so debris and pollutants are filtered from the air. Make your belly rise, and then fall slowly, exhaling through pursed lips. Relaxed breathing decreases levels of stress hormones that accelerate aging.

8- Eat baked, broiled, or grilled salmon two times per week. Its omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins combat disease-causing free radicals.

 9- Try colorful vegetables. Dr. Roy Vartabedian, author of “Nutripoints,” and Nutrition Expert for Functional Fitness starring Suzanne Andrews, ® recommends spinach, broccoli and romaine lettuce daily with lunch and dinner.  Dark green vegetables have cancer-fighting properties and vitamin C to boost your immune system. Tomatoes are also on this “fighter veggies” list.

 10- Enjoy fresh fruit for dessert.  Dr. Vartabedian suggests cantaloupe, guava, and papaya. These also combat the cell damage that causes premature aging.

14 Ways Beginner Yoga Benefits YOU

Yoga may seem mysterious to the uninitiated, but it is simply a form of exercise that stimulates your mind and increases your body’s level of fitness. Yoga means to Yoke – to unite – your mind, body and spirit and was derived from the Sanskrit Indians well over 5000 years ago.  Although yoga is ancient, it can and does make people feel 10 – 20 years younger.

Yoga means many different things to many different people. It is rooted in Indian spiritual tradition, and indeed the word yogi means someone who practices yoga.

The word Yoga itself comes from the Indian word, yug, “to unify.”  A goal of yoga is to unify your mind, body and spirit, and to bring you to a more relaxed state of being. Unlike other forms of exercise, yoga incorporates movement for physical health with breathing and meditation for peace of mind.  When you practice yoga breathing, you are better able to connect inner peace from your mind to every piece of your body.

There are many different styles of yoga, each with its own focus.  The two most common types practiced in the United States are Hatha Yoga and  Bikram Yoga, also known as ‘Hot” yoga.  Each has it’s own style of movement and thought.

Consequently, yoga is not a religion.  People who practice yoga can be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Agnostic or any other religion they wish.  Yoga is a time proven method to enhancing mental focus and physical balance to help you function at full capacity.

What Type of Yoga is Right For You?

 Hatha Yoga, meaning sun (ha) and moon (tha)  has become very popular in the West and is the most physical type of yoga.  Yogi’s who practice Hatha recognize that a weak and tired body is a barrier to achieving spiritual enlightenment.  Therefore Hatha yoga aims to make your body an ideal vehicle for good health and fill it with energy.  Hatha concentrates on postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation, (Dhyana) to energize the mind, body and spirit. Whereas Hatha yoga is generally practiced at a comfortable 72 – 76 degrees, Bikram yoga is practiced in a room that is between 95 – 108 degrees with humidity level of 60%.  Bikram Yoga consists of 26 poses practiced for a period of ninety minutes and requires that you are able to exercise in very hot temperatures.  If you choose this type of yoga, make sure to stay hydrated with water.  If you feel more comfortable at home there are plenty of DVD’s to start you off before you venture out to a class.  Just make sure to choose one appropriate for you age and fitness level.

Let’s talk about why you need to practice yoga.  Muscle connective tissues have a natural tendency to shorten with aging, as often evidenced in the stiffness of people age 30 and over.  Muscles must be regularly stretched to minimize the effect of natural muscle shortening. Flexibility, one of the three primary components of physical fitness, keeps muscle supple and responsive to the demands of daily life activities.  Because no matter how strong your muscles are, if your muscles are tight:  bending and reaching will become painful.

Yoga helps combat the negative effects of stiffness, pain, disability and stress through relaxation both mentally and physically. The intrinsic rewards of practicing yoga are immense.  Yoga offers gentle stretch, strengthening and physical/mental conditioning of the mind, body and spirit that significantly improves lives.

Yoga practice is at an all time high – The Yoga Journal reports that there are now 16 million people practicing yoga in the United States.  Yoga may be new to us westerners, but it is over 5000 years old – and it can make you look and feel 10 - 20 years younger.

The Mayo Clinic September 2003 Newsletter reports, “yoga IS effective at relieving stress.”

According to the National Institue of Health, “regular yoga practice can help reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, alter brain waves and assist you heart to work more efficiently.

Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia demonstrated how just one session of yoga can lower blood levels of the stress hormone – cortisol.  “Participants cortisol level were measured before and after they practiced yoga, then again before and after they sat quietly while reading or writing.  After the yoga sessions, cortisol levels dropped.  There was no drop after the resting sessions.”

 Youthful Benefits of Yoga

• Increase Flexibility


• Reduce Pain from tight muscles


• Releases Stress and Reduces Anxiety Level


• Weight Loss


• Lower Blood Pressure


• Lower Blood Sugar


• Increase Energy


• Enhance Concentration


• Boost immune system


• Improves Heart Health


• Strengthens respitory system


• Helps you sleep better


• Can help relieve the pain from tension headaces


• Improves your overall quality of life

 Suzanne Andrews is the Health and Fitness Expert on WDSC TV’s Healthy Lifestyle Show, the host of Functional Fitness on Public Television and is also a licensed Occupational Therapy Practitioner and specializes in safe and effective health and wellness DVD’s for people age 40 – 80 years. 

How Yoga Helps You Release Stress and Regain Flexibility

BEFORE                                                                                                                                                                                 AFTER: Fitting into skinny jeans!

Are you tired of feeling like you’re literally weighed down? Get ready to lift your spirits and lighten up your body with these 10 ‘Amendments’ to losing weight and keep it off for good. 

 

Amendment # 1: Thou Shall Stop All Excuses

Three of the most common excuses for living an unhealthy lifestyle are:

 A) I don’t have the time

B) It’s genetic, my family is overweight.

C) I’m too tired to exercise

 30 minutes a day is better than days, weeks or months spent being sick and tired. Our culture has ingrained in us to do things the easy way. We live in a country where if we could we’d probably drive ourselves to the bathroom!

 As far as your genetics – most of the chronic disease today is linked to poor eating habits, smoking, inactive living and stress.  These are things that you can take charge of. 

You just have to commit to do it. 

Here is what a good fat burning fitness program does for you.

1. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease


2. Increase your level of muscle strength


3. Improves the functioning of your immune system


4. Helps you manage stress


5. Helps you lose weight


6. Improves the likelihood of surviving a heart attack.


7. Helps relieve tension headaches


8. Improves your body’s ability to burn fat


9. Decreases Injury risk


10. Increases bone density


11. Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure


12. Increases levels of healthy cholesterol


13. Reduces your risk of developing non insulin dependant diabetes

 

 Amendment #2: Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Childs Food

 Are you a member of the clean plate club for yourself, your children and everyone else sitting at the table?  Do you feel compelled to finish off juniors food because you don’t want it to go to waste?  You can change this by changing your thinking to, “I don’t want juniors’ leftovers to go to my waist.” Those extra calories add up to increased inches on your waistline.

 Amendment #3:  Thou Shall Not Eat Fatty Fast Foods

 Do you eat fast foods because you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to make something?  By taking the time to prepare your meals you’ll add years of time to your life and save yourself a lot of money both in the short term with immediate food bill savings and in the long term with medical bill savings.

  Amendment #4:  Thou Shall Love Thyself

 Love thyself is not just a cliché.  By getting in shape, you are essentially saying to your partner and all those that love you, I love myself enough to take care of my health and I want to be around a long time to share my life with you. When we commit to love our body, we make wholesome choices and feel free to discover the restorative powers of good health. From the moment you realize you love yourself enough – a paradise lost is regained.  Those seeds of wholeness – given to us at from God at creation are within us.

  Amendment #5:  Thou Shall Make Time To Exercise 5 – 6 Days a Week

 Whether you feel you don’t have the time to exercise, or you feel you get enough during the day – to lose the weight you first need to lose the excuses.  In order to burn fat you need to do at least 30 minutes of sustained exercise and get your heart rate pumping. 

 Amendment #6:  Thou Shall Learn How To Manage Stress

 If you eat from stress, you’re not alone.  A large majority of my clients eat out of stress and this causes weight gain which causes stress which causes weight gain… and a cycle is born.  A stressful day can be dramatically transformed with purposeful exercise.  Learn to exercise and stay mentally focused on your muscles being worked.  By spending time on just yourself and letting go of responsibilities, even if just for 30 minutes, you will take years of stress away from your mind/body and spirit. 

 Amendment #7:  Thou Shall Have Patients With Thy Weight Loss Plan

 Weight is not gained overnight and it won’t come off overnight either.  By falling for every lose weight quick scheme you are only cheating yourself from having the healthy, shapely body you will have by following a sensible diet and exercise plan. Have patients with yourself and you’ll have a far less likely chance of becoming a patient.

 Amendment #8: Thou Shall Not Halt Thy Weight Loss Plan Because Thou ‘was bad.’

 Let’s face it, we’re not perfect and we all have slip-ups. During a taping of one of my exercise shows for television, I slipped on wet grass and decided to keep it in just to demonstrate that you don’t have to be perfect or beat yourself up if you fall.  Just get right back up again and keep going.

 Amendment # 9:  Thou Shall Be Strong For Thyself

 There will be times when you are around people who mean well when they say, Oh come on, just try my delicious cake, it won’t hurt.  True it won’t hurt – them, but you yes, it will hurt your goal to arrive at your destined weight.  In those moments of weakness when there’s that little guy on one shoulder saying, “come on, have a bite, just one, it won’t hurt, or you can exercise tomorrow,” you need to be strong for yourself and keep your vision on your goal. 

 Amendment # 10:  Thou Shall Make Conscious Choices

 What is consciousness? It is you.  You are consciousness. It is this very consciousness that tells you innately who you are and what choices you need to make.  It is your deeper self, your greater self.  Call it what you will.  The important thing is that it is within you.  It is your world.  You can’t see it, smell it, touch it or hear it.  But you can, and do, feel it.  Being aware of and accepting of this reverence gives your life the richness it deserves.  That is living a life in consciousness.     Now that you know, you can put it all together.  Your life was not a random event; it was a gift of love- God’s love. 

Healthiest Blessings,

Suzanne Andrews, Host of PBS TV Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews® on Public Television.

Would you like to get fitter, healthier, firmer without stepping one foot into a gym?  If you are over 40 and want a doctor recommended program that offers you three levels of fitness utlizing household items rather than expensive exercise equipment, email your home town PBS station now and request the series and get ready to put the FUN in FUNctional Fitness!

Number One Stress Secret You Need to Know Now

You have stress. You’ve always had stress. You can’t remember a time without stress. You work for a company called Stress. You have a kid named Stress, the dog is Stress and you even married a guy named Stress. You find yourself asking, who am I and how did I get here?

Amazing stress secret revealed…..The World is a Busy Place. You feed the kids, walk the dog, Stress, around the block, go to work, cram in a 15 minute lunch, fight traffic going home, take Stress to soccer practice, get groceries at Stress Mart, car repairs, music lessons and then you go to sleep with Stress snuggled next to you.  Stress wants to have sex and instead of feeling all warm and fuzzy, you’re thinking, “I hope he’s kidding”. Whew, all this full and active life stuff is getting to be a little much.

There never seems to be enough time. That is, time for yourself. But now is the time to make some time because before you know it you’re out of time and after that, times up!

With stress reaching epidemic proportions, emotional eating has become the fastest way to release stress and that usually means fats and sugars.  With the added stressors of overwhelming work schedules and the struggling demands of daily life, Americans are carrying heavier burdens and equally excessive weight.  But you need not carry the weight of the world on your back, hips, thighs or belly – with these simple stress releasing techniques, you can release stress, boost your energy and lose weight at the same time.

Breathing for Stress Release and Weight Loss:

When you are stressed, your body releases powerful hormones including the major stress hormone cortisol.  Cortisol can cause you to crave sweets and other carbohydrate rich foods.  Since stress can raise your blood sugar as much as a candy bar, your body will greatly benefit from quick and simple, breathing techniques that have been used for years to arrest stress which helps you avoid the urge to succumb to comfort foods.  If you drive a car you have time to do this.  Take a deep breath and inhale through your nose for two seconds and exhale for four seconds out your mouth. Repeat this process 6 times before going into work and see if you don’t feel better. Bet you do! Repeat this anytime you’re alone throughout the day and again on the way home.

Stretching

 As we age, our muscles shorten and become tighter and the range of motion in our joints  decreases.  This can put a damper on busy lifestyles and even hinder day-to-day, normal activities. Chores that used to be simple, such as bringing in groceries from the car or reaching for a jar off of the top shelf, now become difficult. A regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles, increase your flexibility and make daily living activities easier.

Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age, size or flexibility. Stretching needs to be a part of your daily routine, whether you exercise or not. There are plenty simple stretches you can do while watching TV, on the computer, or getting ready for bed. If you are doing strength training exercises, stretch in between sets. It feels good and saves time from stretching at the end of the workout!

It does not have to involve a huge time commitment, but stretching can end up giving you huge results! Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect from a regular stretching program:

• Reduced tension in muscles


• Increased range of motion in the joints


• Better muscular coordination


• Better blood circulation


• More energy as a result of the increased circulation

Yoga:

Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia demonstrated how just one session of yoga can lower blood levels of the stress hormone – cortisol.  “Participants cortisol levels were measured before and after they practiced yoga, then again before and after they sat quietly while reading or writing.  After the yoga sessions, cortisol levels dropped.  There was no drop after the resting sessions.”  Less cortisol means less cravings for sweets.

The thing that most people don’t realize about yoga is that when you go into a simple yoga pose and hold it, you’re using almost every muscle in your body. That few moments of tension on the muscles is using energy, thereby burning fat. You wind up using your own body weight instead of hand weights and for the most part accomplishing the same thing, losing weight and gaining strength and stamina. Ever seen a pudgy yoga teacher? Me neither.

All these things lead to a stronger heart, stronger muscles, better blood circulation, more stamina and better sleep. Not to mention a better outlook when Stress rolls over and says, “oh honey?”

 

Secrets to Affordable Aging Revealed

With sky-rising healthcare costs, the cost of aging is steadily climbing .  It seems the more we make, the cost of everything continues to increase.   As a result, medical bills have the power to eliminate most of the money we put away for other things, like vacations or gifts for the grandkids. So, what do you do?

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute a man who retires at 65 can expect to live until 83. He will need to have around $65k to $109k in those years to cover insurance premiums and out of pocket expenses. That works out to $270 to $450 a month.

For women, the EBRI says retiring at 65 and living until 85 will mean she’ll need $88k to $146k for insurance premiums and out of pocket expenses which works out to $366 to $608 a month.  Both men and women will need these amounts on hand to provide a 50% chance of having enough to cover these expenses. If you’re getting $1000 a month from Social Security these costs will eat up about 25% to 60% of those payments alone.

If you have managed to secure a considerable nest egg, good for you. If you haven’t, it might be time get some part time work. Besides, retirement is boring. You know, all that rest and relaxation gets old pretty quick.

Here’s a novel idea that can save you money on healthcare costs.   Stay out of the health care merry-go-round as best you can.  And just how do you do that? Start an exercise program geared towards your needs, abilities or limitations. That means if you’re in a wheelchair seek seated exercise programs. If your knees are gone, ride a bike or do some gentle exercise programs.  If you have asthma, don’t take up hiking in the mountains.  Start slow and take walks around the neighborhood. It’s important to find something you enjoy because you’re more likely to do it. The more you do it the healthier you get. If you have arthritis, do an exercise program especially for arthritis and limber up your joints and muscles.

You needn’t strive to be an athlete.  If you are just getting started, exercise will make you healthier.  You’ll have stronger muscles to lift things, denser bones to absorb shock from falls and a stronger heart to pump more blood and oxygen to all the organs in your body which makes them all work better. Pills, sometimes necessary, are not always an easy fix and can cause many undesirable side effects and mask the symptoms.   Exercise can eliminate the cause. There are countless examples of people who were taking a dozen pills a day that went down to 2, 3 or none a day because of regular exercise.

The healthier you are, the less likely it is you will have to employ the skills and costs of doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists for whatever ails you. They worked long and hard to acquire those skills and they can’t afford to work cheap.  Plan for your health now instead of being a patient for your health care plan.

COPD DVD Selected # 1 Top Pick

Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews DVD for COPD/Asthma has been selected as the number one choice from About.com, a New York Times Company.

Voted Best COPD DVD

 

Deborah Leader, RN, COPD guide states,  “A COPD Forum favorite, Functional Fitness for COPD and Asthma is an original exercise video created by occupational therapist Suzanne Andrews that focuses on improving your breathing, relieving your stress and increasing your quality of life as you learn to live with COPD.”

Suzanne Andrews, host of Functional Fitness on PBS TV, has medically documented the results of specific fitness and breathing exercises that focus on improving functional lung capacity. Using a pulseoximeter, a device that measures oxygen saturation and heart rate, Andrews has medically documented how specific breathing and pulmonary fitness techniques in a COPD patient can increase oxygen and decrease shortness of breath. Through specific pulmonary rehabilitation techniques, she has successfully increased peoples oxygen to that of a healthy person, enabling the person to live a functional life with more energy.

Functional Fitness COPD DVD has also had successful reviews by

1.    Vlady Rozenbaum, PhD, COPD-ALERT.com. “This DVD helps persons with COPD - an incurable and progressively debilitating disease, which is the 4th major cause of death and 2nd of disability in the U.S. - to manage their lives more effectively by better breathing techniques and simple exercises."

2.   A medical review board including Mache Seibel, MD, professor of Massachusetts Medical School and  founder of HealthRock states, “Functional Fitness is a cost effective program people can do right at home and I highly recommend it.”  

3.   Dr. Larry Grouse, president of US Health Network, Inc and stated after reviewing, “International COPD coalition finds this a “sound and useful DVD that we recommend.”

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Functional Fitness Fat Burning

Hips and thighs and arms, oh my! It may not be as easy to stay slim these days as it used to be, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. PBS's Suzanne Andrews takes you though two 25- minute, fat blasting workouts specifically designed to help the 40--plus set slenderize tough-to-tone areas. You can choose to sit or stand, depending on your fitness and comfort level. The DVD includes a 30-minute segment in which a doctor and a registered dietician answer frequently asked questions about weight loss. Also plus size friendly.

($17.99, http://www.healthwiseexercise.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16172&category_id=103

JuggleFit Juggle Your Way to Fitness

(Beginner Level)

Bored by traditional exercise? You might be surprised to learn that juggling is an aerobic workout. Juggling challenges the body and mind, lubricates the joints in the arms and shoulders, boosts brain power, and helps with coordination and balance. This DVD, led by instructor Heather Wolf, includes nylon scarves, a balance and coordination workout with three levels of difficulty, a beach warm-up and cool-down, and practice tips to help you master the circus art. ($19.99, http://www.jugglefit.com)

T'ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement

Simpler than tai chi but with the same benefits, T'ai Chi Chih was created in the 1970's and consists of 19  movements and one pose. A University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse study found that older adults who practice T'ai Chi Chih for five weeks experience less stress and a greater sense of well being. "With the accumulation of chi through T'ai Chi Chih, permanent changes in the metabolism and the thinking process take place", says creator Justin F. Stone, now in his 90's. The DVD includes 45 minutes of instruction on the principles of the movements, followed by a 45-minute practice.  ($32.95, http://www.gkpub.com)

Homebody

This routine is low-impact hybrid of dance, Pilates and yoga that gets you moving while strengthening your core, improving your posture and stretching your limbs. The music will propel you through the workout, which makes use of common household items like a can of beans, ketchup bottle, throw pillows and a chair. Led by fitness instructor Jillian Hessel, the DVD includes a dance warm up, a chair workout, a mat sequence, a rise to standing end segment and a bonus tutorial to help insure correct posture.

 ($12.95, http:// www.jillianhessel.com) 

Walking for Fitness Kit with Kathy Smith DVD

 

It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of exercise, but walking can help you burn calories, increse energy, manage stress, reduce the risk of heart attack and other diseases, lower body fat, and revitalize muscles. Fitness expert Kathy Smith takes walkers to the next level with this kit, which includes two 1.5 pound hand weights, a pedometer and the indoor walking DVD. The program is the equivalent of a two mile walk and is designed for all ages and abilities.  ($19.99, http://www.rejuvenationrehab.com) 

 

 

 

How To Get Your Diabetes Under Control Now

Do you ever feel like your life could be the subject of a country western song? The rents overdue, you hate your job, the truck broke down and now my doctor says I've got diabetes. Yee-Haw! No wonder the bars are full every night.

Just to clarify, your body communicates with itself using chemical messengers called hormones. Several organs in the brain and body produce hormones that flow to other organs through the blood where these messages are received and the corresponding organ responds by producing another hormone that fixes a problem detected by sensors in your nervous system that alerted the brain in the first place.

Insulin is a hormone. It chemically dissolves sugar molecules in the blood so that they can be converted into the energy that powers the heart, organs and muscles.

There are two types of diabetes. Type one is usually hereditary. The autoimmune system in your body goes haywire and attacks the cells in your pancreas that produce a hormone called insulin. Without the sugars being broken down you won't have much energy.

Type two diabetes is caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin hormone even though the brain keeps signaling it to. If you have a faulty pancreas you are at a higher risk of type two diabetes and need to take steps so as not to aggravate the situation by not eating right and living a sedentary lifestyle.

Your normal fasting blood sugar level ranges from 60-95 mg/dl. (milligrams per deciliter) Levels higher than 126 mg/dl can bring about the usual symptoms of thirst, hunger, and frequent urination. Feeling weak or fatigued can also coincide with open sores and dry itchy skin. Nice.

5 Complications of Diabetes:

1. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness for adult's age 20 - 74 years old.

2. Causes heart and blood vessel disease: people with diabetes have heart death rates 2 - 4 times higher than people without diabetes.

3. Nerve damage: Symptoms include erectile dysfunction, slowed digestion, and decreased sensation or pain in the feet.

4. Increases Gum Disease: People who don't control their diabetes are 3 times more likely to have gum disease.

5. Limb amputation: 60 % of people with amputations are performed on diabetics.

So don't be one of the 800,000 new cases diagnosed in the US each year. That's nearly 2200 people every day. The more you exercise the less dependent your muscles are on insulin so even if your pancreas isn't producing much, that's ok, it doesn't need to. Exercising keeps it all in balance. Exercise is a must. I've never had a patient tell me they enjoy their blindness or amputation.

So keep your mind on the bright side of things and don't become the subject of a sad country and western tune. You can live a full and active life after all. Yee haw!

New Diabetes Workout!

Yoga Improves New Year's Resolution Success

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Yoga Chi for Energy, which is an ancient system consisting of both physical exercises,  postures and meditation can be a real motivator. In fact, it can help you keep your New Year’s Resolutions this year. Yoga Improves Weight Loss On of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is the resolution to lose weight. This is often a difficult resolution for people to keep, but yoga chi for energy practice can help. Yoga, poses (called asanas) and meditation reduce stress that may lead to overeating or other bad habits. The relaxed, focused state that comes from this ancient discipline tends to fall right in line with better choices such as eating healthier foods and exercising more.   In addition to this are the practical fat burning and muscle building qualities of yoga practice. Yoga asanas can be quite muscularly demanding and are thus similar to many fat burning regimens that give muscles relatively short periods of intensive work. This is well known to be one of the fastest ways to burn fat.   Even gentle Yoga Chi for Energy postures also stimulate and massage organs in the body and in so doing improve things like digestive function, kidney and liver health, and circulation, all of which help to purify the system and burn unwanted fact. Meditation and Motivation Meditation is well known to create a sense of relaxation as well as focus. As such, it can help greatly with motivation and will power. In the meditative state, things tend to become clearer and less jumbled and confused. The meditator can see more clearly what the issues with motivation are and act on them more consciously. All of this can be a great advantage when trying to keep a New Year’s Resolution, or any other resolution or goal for that matter. Whether it is a weight loss resolution, a resolution to find an exciting new career, or to find romance, meditation focuses an individual’s attention and creates the relaxed confidence that is beneficial for pursuing goals. Statistical Support These are not merely glittering generalities. There is direct statistical evidence to support the role of yoga in increasing focus and motivation. A study conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) set out to show that yoga is more than just exercise. Traci A. Statler and Ami Wheeler, both PhDs tested the motivation, concentration, and anxiety levels of students Cal State San Bernadino during the course of 10 week Hatha Yoga class. They gave the students standard assessments 2 weeks into the course and again at 9 weeks. They discovered marked increases in motivation and concentration on the part of students, and a clear decrease in students’ anxiety. New Year’s Resolution Success New Year’s Resolution Success can thus be a natural, even spontaneous, result of practicing yoga. The ability for an individual to manifest what he or she wants is a natural part of yoga. The practice exercises and tones the physical body while at the same time creating a sense of purified and relaxed focus that tends to make sticking to resolutions much easier. So it is in the interests of almost anyone trying to keep a new year’s resolution to at least consider taking up yoga.

 

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