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

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.

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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Kick and Scream Your Way to a Younger Body

So you're older now and here's what you can expect.

It's harder to work off that spare tire.   You're hair thins and then falls out, muscles weaken from disuse, vision becomes blurred, hearing is diminished, balance is off center, bones thin, joints become arthritic and your skin gets wrinkles. Whew! I think I'll just go back to bed.

Now not so fast. All is not lost, at least not yet. There is nothing we can do about getting older, but there is plenty you can do about aging. Getting older doesn't mean we can't age without kicking and screaming the whole way.

Here's what I propose you get yourself used to. Exercise, some kind of exercise, every day. Now if you're thinking, "But I've never exercised a day in my life, why start now?"  Go look in the mirror. Compare that image to the old photo of you at the beach 20 years ago. Yeah, I know. This only happens to other people. Sorry, it's happened to you.  But exercise is not just about looks, it's about staying healthy and functionally fit.  

Exercise and proper care of your skin can significantly reduce and slow down the aging process inside and out. Let's take a look under the microscope & see what's going on inside you and every human being that's getting older.

You've got chromosomes with genes in them. On the ends of these gene strands are what's called telomeres (DNA). These little telomeres act just like those plastic wraps, or caps, around the ends of your shoelaces. As we age the telomeres deteriorate and the shoelaces (chromosomes) begins to fray and come apart as they continually replicate themselves.

During cell division, enzymes that duplicate the chromosome and its DNA cannot continue their duplication all the way to the end of the chromosome. If cells divided without telomeres, they would lose the ends of their chromosomes, and the necessary information they contain. The telomeres are disposable buffers blocking the ends of the chromosomes and are consumed during cell division and replenished by an enzyme called telomerase. When this happens some of the DNA is lost and genes deteriorate which promotes the symptoms of aging.

There is no known way to reverse this process but there are many ways to fight it. Five small meals a day instead of three big ones. If you're not a construction worker, don't eat like one. Keep it light and low cal. Perform weight bearing exercises, start light and work your way up to heavier loads. No matter what your age is your muscles will respond to lifting weights, period. Exercising helps to maintain hormonal balance. All the hormones flowing through your blood increase and help your organs operate to their best ability. It's like putting high test gas in your bloodstream; you'll run like a top.

Thirty minutes a day of exercise is enough to get your hormones pumping. It's also very important to stretch after exercise of any type. Keeping the range of motion in your arms and legs are what help you keep doing the things you love most. Applying skin care products to your face and body will keep your skin smooth and clear. This is good advice for men too.

All this sounds like a bunch of extra work but the payoff at the end of the day is you'll sleep like a baby. Say goodbye to insomnia and any other sleep disorders you may have. Want to know why? Because you're going to be pooped! But you'll wake up with more energy, a younger body and a sharper mind. That's something that no pill on earth can offer.

Copyright © 2011 Functional Fitness starring Suzanne Andrews

Back From The Brink

[caption id="attachment_62" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="The Power of Meditation"][/caption]

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.

[caption id="attachment_63" align="aligncenter" width="142" caption="60 Pounds Heavier"][/caption]

 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.

[caption id="attachment_65" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Beginners Dynamic Yoga for Stress Release and Weight Loss"][/caption]

This not only helped me to start shedding pounds, but also made my day-to-day tasks more manageable.  I incorporated other techniques which are now  on my PBS TV series, Functional Fitness.   I’ve included the low-impact fat burning technique with high intensity workouts for optimal success. I’ve also included instruction on how people can give themselves a non-surgical butt lift using only paper plates with the Fat Burning workout.

Preview Fat Burning Workout

With my series soon syndicated to 90 million viewers, my show encourages everyone to take charge of their health, regardless of fitness level. I also encourage viewers to participate actively in their health care plan by using preventative, cost-effective approaches to managing their health.

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. 

Get Fitter, stronger and healthier in the comfort of your own home email your local Public Television station now and request Functional Fitness starring Suzanne Andrews broadcast on your local station.  To find your station go to

http://www.pbs.org/stationfinder/index.html

The Best Recipes for Weight Loss has Three Main Ingredients

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As someone who loves food and cooking, I prefer to think about weight loss like a recipe. There's no shortage of weight loss recipes being promoted these days. Just take a look down the "diet" aisle of your bookstore and you'll see hundreds of books all promising to solve your weight loss woes, many of them with conflicting approaches. It's totally overwhelming.

After several decades of diet experimentation, I've discovered that with weight  loss, as with most things in life, it's best to keep it simple.  Isn't life complicated enough? How many rules and restrictions can we tolerate before we throw up our hands and give up? Then I realized that the best recipes for losing weight have just three main ingredients - food, fitness, and feeling good.

Food and eating is an important main ingredient in any weight loss plan since the kinds and amounts of food you eat, as well as how you eat, are directly related to weight. It's necessary to eat the foods that energize you in a nourishing way most of the time and make room for indulging in the foods that you love so you never feel deprived. Exactly what, when, how much and how often you eat is a matter of personal choice and experimentation to determine what works best for you.

Fitness is the second important main ingredient in a successful weight loss plan. Your body loves to move, even if your mind thinks otherwise. It was designed to move, so again, the key is to find ways to move that feel good to you. Keep it energizing and fun. Experiment until you find what leaves you feeling great. For me that means lots of brisk walks with my golden retriever and healthy doses of all kinds of yoga from gentle to vigorous. For you it may mean working out with an inspiring DVD, bicycling, swimming or turning up the music and dancing around the
house. 

The third important ingredient - feeling good- might just be the most important one for successful lasting weight loss. And it's the one most often ignored in traditional weight loss plans. It's the magical missing ingredient and once you discover its power your life and weight loss efforts will be so much easier and more enjoyable.

When you begin to focus on feeling good, having fun and adding pleasure to your life instead of dieting, deprivation, restrictions, food charts and working out, your mind and body begin to shift almost immediately.  Try it right now. Say to yourself, "I need to lose weight" and notice how you feel. (If you're like me you may feel stressed, depressed, frustrated, tired, sad, and/or overwhelmed - hardly the right emotions for trying to lose weight.) Now say, "I need to find a way to feel good and have some fun." Notice anything different? (When I say this, I feel like smiling as I sense warmth, happiness, excitement and interest. These are much better emotions
for making something positive - like weight loss - happen.)

When you think about it, it makes so much sense. Shifting your focus from losing weight to feeling good sets you up for success because you are in a happier, less stressful, calm, relaxed state, where weight loss can begin to happen in a way that seems almost effortless. When you feel good, you are much more likely to engage in behaviors that make you feel better - like eating better, getting enough sleep and moving your body in ways that feel good - that will all support your desire for weight  loss.

So, the next time you decide to lose weight, I hope you'll remember that the best recipes have just three ingredients - food, fitness and feeling good - and by focusing on ways to feel good about yourself, your body, your life, your career, and/or your relationships - you will be setting yourself up for success.

[caption id="attachment_49" align="alignleft" width="181" caption="Martha Mckinnon"][/caption]

 Martha McKinnon is a weight loss coach and yoga teacher who believes that eating great and losing weight can be simple and delicious when you take a body-mind-soul
approach. To learn more please visit her website,
"http://www.simple-nourished-living.com   

Simple Nourished Living.  While you are there you can pick up a FREE copy of her first e-cookbooklet of healthy homemade granola bar recipes.

Scientists Reveal Exercise Protects Brain Cells

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Carl W. Cotman and Nicole C. Berchtold of The University of California, Irvine are among numerous researchers who found evidence that exercise helps you protect the brain cells you have, and it even spurs the growth of new ones. In their 2007 study, Exercise: A Behavioral Intervention to Enhance Brain Health and Plasticity, they report that using your muscles kicks off a remarkable process that allows your body to make more of a chemical called Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This is a substance that actually makes more gray matter.  So what exactly does that have to do with exercise habits, and our mind? It means that when we exercise, we can improve memory, concentration, and thinking skills. Moderate exercise helps our body make the special kind of brain cells that store memory and then get information back when you need it. These cells are found in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that was discovered to be larger in people who exercise regularly. The hippocampus keeps you oriented. It helps you find what you're looking for--everything from your car keys to the roadmap to that highway exit that got by you the first time around.  If you've ever felt more alert during or after some aerobic exercise, it was most likely because your brain got another benefit.

Rehab professional and producer of Functional Fitness Brain Power DVD, Suzanne Andrews states, " we need to approach people living with dimentia differently and focus on helping people achieve to the best of their ability instead of focusing on their disability.   Although it's also best practice to start an anti dementia program as early as age 40,it's never too late to begin."

Suzanne Andrews, host of Functional Fitness on PBS TV and producer of Brain Power DVD  



instructs you with specially formulated cognition enhancing movements  designed to enhance the right side and left side of your brain and get your blood circulating quickly. The faster your heart pumps it, the faster it gets to your brain. That means both oxygen and glucose arrive right when you need them. Your brain is fueled up, so you get a little jolt.   Brain Power is, in fact, so effective in improving mental focus that it is often part of a treatment plan for people who have attention deficit disorder, dementia, memory loss and alzheimer's.  Brain Power DVD is most valuable to mental function because of its effect upon the frontal and pre-frontal lobes. These areas of the brain help you to solve problems, prioritize tasks, and react to situations quickly. By doing this 25 minute session, you can even protect your pre-frontal cells from threats like environmental toxins or injury. These findings are especially promising for elderly people striving to maintain their independent living skills, and to those affected by dementia.

What are your thoughts, concerns on memory loss?   Email us your question or comment in the box below.

5 Eating Triggers You Need to Know Before You Diet

Many people find weight loss a daunting challenge and struggle to shed pounds and return to a healthy lifestyle. From yo-yo dieting to unrealistic goals and deprivation, people who struggle to lose weight often face an uphill battle. By identifying the triggers that lead to overeating and overcoming them, you will be well on your way to successful weight loss.

1.) Stress

People have to deal with stressful situations every day. From hectic work schedules to strained family life and the pressures of the daily grind, stress can wear out even the strongest person. Some who struggle with weight loss use food as a way to ease the stresses in their life. This leads to weight gain, which leads to more stress, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to break.

2.) Culture

One of the main obstacles to people trying to lose weight is pressure from family. It can be very difficult to eat healthy meals when the family members are snacking on high fat and diet busting high calorie foods. In some cultures, it is a badge of honor to be overweight. Family gatherings such as holidays and celebrations may also lead to the pressure to overeat.

3.) Time of Day

Does the clock dictate what goes on your plate? Many people eat not because they're hungry, but because they are accustomed to eating at a certain time every day. Others fail to listen to their body's cues and allow social pressures to dictate what they eat. Joining the co-workers for lunch is often an automatic behavior that has nothing to do with hunger.

4.) Place

Studies have shown that where you eat has a huge bearing on how much we eat. When you sit down at a table to eat a meal you tend to eat less than if you're sitting on the couch. Eating while doing other tasks such as working at a desk can lead to overeating and weight gain. When eating a meal or a snack, focus on eating only. Attempting to multi-task while eating can cause you to lose track of the amount you're eating and take in too many excess calories.

5.) Social Factors

It can be hard to turn down the invitation to go out to dinner with friends every weekend. Eating is a social activity, and for some, cutting out eating meals in restaurants can be a difficult step. There are ways to enjoy social meals without wrecking your diet. Invite friends to "eat in" at your home and provide healthy choices as a substitute.

According to the National Institutes of Health, meditation is an effective way to lose weight. Meditation can help to release the stressors that lead to overeating. Another effective way to fight the battle with fat is through the practice of yoga. Yoga teaches how to focus the body's energy inward to solve problems and refocus the mind.

Engaging in regular yoga and meditation can help you tune into your body's cues and recognize the signals that cause you to overeat.

PBS TV host of Functional Fitness, and President of Healthwise Exercise,

Suzanne Andrews lost 65 pounds

 using her powerful motivating techniques revealed in her guided meditation CD for stress release and weight loss included free in Beginners Dynamic Yoga DVD. 

How To Stop Osteoporosis in a Snap

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Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone due to deficiency of bone matrix occurring frequently in post menopausal women and men. This condition is preventable and treatable with a bone builder plan of action. Osteoporosis results from a natural loss of bone substance which occurs naturally with aging. In some older adults, this bone loss reaches signifigant proportions, so that bones become thin and porous. When the amount of bone mass decreases as a result of osteoporosis, bones are weakened and may fracture. In the spine, the vertebrae can collapse and the back can take a 'bent' appearance. Osteoporosis can lead to fractures of the hips, wrists and ribs. These fractures occur with only slight trauma such as opening a window, and sometimes occur with no trauma at all.

Osteoporsis Prevention and Treatment

Calcium is stored in your bones and is essential for keeping your bones strong, nerve conduction and your heart beating. When your body is given a choice between your heart beating or your bones thinning, your body is going to choose your bones in order to keep you alive. So it's imperative that you get enough calcium.

The usual recommended dosage of calcium for pre-menopausal women is 1,000 mgs a day and for post menopausal women, 1500 mgs a day. Men under 65 should have 1000 mgs a day and men over 65 need 1500 mgs a day.
Calcium should be taken 2 to 3x a day, as your body can only absorb 500 mgs at a time. There are many calcium supplements; however Calcium carbonate had the highest amount of Calcium per capsule. It's also the least expensive and has the fewest side effects.

Bone Robbers

Some habits can steal calcium from your bones. These including eating large amounts of red meat, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, excessive caffeine and stress.

Role of Vitamin D

Vitamin D acts to increase your body's use of calcium so be sure to include 1000 mgs a day of vitamin D in your diet.

Medications for Osteoporosis

Your doctor may also recommend medications such as;

Actenol
Boniva
Fosamax
Forteo

However just taking a pill is not going to be enough. You have to include exercise in your plan of action if you want to strengthen and thicken your bones.

Role of Exercise

Regular WEIGHT BEARING exercise is essential for development and maintenance of strong healthy bones.
Exercises that combine movement, pull and stress on your arms, legs and spine is best for bone mass.  Just 30 minutes a day can save you from painful fractures and expensive medical bills.

Special Thanks to the Orthopedic Clinic of Daytona Beach for the above information.

Build Strong Bones with doctor recommended Functional Fitness Bone Builder DVD. Free Preview now
Osteoporosis Bone Builder DVD

What Every Boomer Should Know - The Truth About Exercise

We all know by now that exercising strengthens the heart, lungs, bones and muscles. It helps to ward off illness, relieve stress and prevent depression. So let's take a look at the how and why all these benefits occur.

Let's start at the cellular level. No, not your cell phone, I mean the cells in your body. There are trillions of cells. How much is a trillion? That's 1000 x a billion= a trillion. That's a bunch of cells. And every single one of them uses oxygen, water, nutrients from blood and produces waste. It's almost as if they are tiny little bodies in their own right and they need care and support just like you do. And for all the care you give them they give back the energy and stamina you need to complete your activities of daily living.

When you drink the proper amounts of water every day you are keeping your cells immersed in the solution they need to carry nutrients (food) to them and carry away hormones that the other parts of your body need to operate. When you don't drink enough water or supplant it with soda-pop or alcohol, your cells become like tiny fish flopping around on a muddy riverbed. They can't do what they're designed to and you get that blah feeling and reach for the remote instead of reaching for a fulfilling life. This solution they live in also carries away the wastes they produce to the blood so it can flow to the kidneys and be expelled as urine. What would you prefer to swim around in, a clean pool or a dirty pool?

To produce energy, cells also need oxygen molecules to breathe. Again, the more oxygen in your blood the better they can operate. Exercising increases the body's capacity to regulate oxygen flow in and out of the lungs where it is transferred into the bloodstream. By exercising on a regular basis the oxygen rich blood flows to these cells where they perform their job of rebuilding and revitalizing the body. Try climbing a flight of steps while breathing through a straw and that's what you're asking your cells to do when you don't exercise.

Ever since you were a kid your parents told you "eat your fruits and vegetables". Well darn it, they were right. Our modern diet of fats and sugars are not what our cells need to be able to perform the miracles of life they do. Now, I will never advocate you move to a cabin in the woods and live on berries, nuts and twigs, but come on folks, let's take it easy on the "C" foods: Cake, cookies, candy and creamy desserts.

When you really discipline yourself to start eating a sensible diet it might be hard at first, but a few weeks down the road you will feel like a new person. Why? Your body (cells) are cleansed of the fats and sugars that have little or no nutritional value which prevents them from producing the biological products that increase the energy and stamina you wish you had more than enough of every day.

Aerobic activity is any physical activity that raises the heart rate to between 55-90 percent of its maximum capacity for at least 20 minutes. Examples are aerobic work outs, jogging, swimming or biking at a brisk pace. Doing these activities on a regular basis makes the heart stronger, more durable and larger which increases its ability to pump MORE blood through the body thereby feeding the cells the water, oxygen and nutrients they need.

Whoever said it's the little things that really matter was more right than they realized.

Suzanne Andrews, president of http://www.healthwiseexercise.com
and founder of Functional Fitness on PBS TV offers baby boomers and plus size people real life fitness solutions for real life challenges. As a licensed occupational therapy practitioner, she offers DVD's that are medically reviewed and approved for arthritis, weight loss, copd, osteoporosis, brain fitness, diabetes, back pain relief and more. To learn more and for FREE preview go to http://www.healthwiseexercise.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16173&category_id=103