Filed under: Exercise, Goals, Health, Motivation, Nutrition | Tags: cooking, food revolution, Health, inspire, jamie oliver, Nutrition
If there’s one thing you decide to turn on the television for this week, then I recommend it be for famous chef Jamie Oliver’s new show. The show, dubbed “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” follows the enigmatic chef as he comes to a city in West Virginia with the intent on planting the seed of change to totally revamp their eating habits. He meets non believers, critics, and even has a few nemesis in the form of lunch ladies and radio djs, but dramatic moments aside, there are things to learn here. The most shocking thing said is in the intro for the show and it left me with my jaw on the floor. The intro stated that this is the first generation of children in America that are NOT expected to live as long as their parents. That means that our lifespans are DECREASING despite all the advancements in medicine and technology. The sad part is that I don’t doubt that.
It’s unfortunately true that we are getting fatter as a nation, faster, more efficiently and younger. Children are now at risk for cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes before they even hit puberty. Those are things that you traditionally only expect to hear someone in their sixties dealing with. That’s not the kids’ fault. Children eat what we feed them, their habits are a reflection of ours, and their sedentary lifestyle is a result of family behavior. Often, the realization that a child needs to be given healthy food and exercise to improve their health doesn’t come until they’re already struggling with being overweight. That’s why a lot of people, such as Doctor Oz, are suggesting that focus on proper nutrition for children has to begin not just at birth, but even as early as when they’re developing in their mom’s tummies. This is because kids develop a taste for their food that their mothers eat. It’s been shown that flavors cross the placenta and are carried in breast milk. So, if you really want your kids to grow up loving their broccoli, the best thing to do it eat tons of broccoli while you’re pregnant and breastfeeding. That means eating healthy while you’re pregnant so your baby develops taste for healthy food. And, not only does your healthful eating develop a taste for healthy food for your baby, but you also become a health role model for your kids and family as they grow up. Do you see where I’m going with this? It all starts with you.
Change is difficult. Revamping your nutrition and exercise habits takes a lot of hard work and dedication. No one said it would be easy. But, if you can do it, then the chances of inspiring others around you to do the same are pretty good. That’s what Jamie is trying to do. He’s trying to change a few people, hoping that the change will inspire others. He’s starting with one city, hoping others will follow that lead. He’s definitely inspiring me!
Filed under: Exercise | Tags: crunch, crunch super slimdown, dvd, ellen barret, pilates, slimdown, workout, Yoga, yoga-pilates
I think I’m in love with this new workout DVD. I tweeted recently that one of my new 3 goals in 3 weeks was to do pilates or yoga at least three times a week. Well, I found a workout DVD (available to watch instantly on netflix) that is both pilates and yoga. This pilates-yoga blend is led by Ellen Barrett, who I personally find really easy to follow. I often try different yoga and pilates DVDs and find them hard to stick to because they tend to bore me. I like to be challenged, but I hate doing the same old thing over again. I think that’s one of the problems with lots of DVDs, that they try to appeal to the beginner at home so they tend to be a little too basic. That wasn’t the case here. Yes, they had lots of modifications for people who were beginners or those that were advanced, but it wasn’t a slow-paced introduction to the same basic exercises that you find on every other program.
It is more pilates than yoga. That meditative ability that yoga has to quiet your mind is missing. Positions aren’t held long enough for that. But, the positions do challenge your balance and you will get a few good stretches throughout the program. It also really appealed to the former dancer in me. Dance inspired moves and ballet inspired arms took me back to the good old days. And, I had forgotten how much it hurts just to keep your arms lifted. That alone would be fantastic toning for, but the program also includes the infamous pilates push-up that just makes your triceps burn.
Speaking of burn, there was not a single part of my body that didn’t feel it. This program worked my legs, my arms and my abs so thoroughly that I was feeling the ache two days later. I felt like it was a true entire body toning program. It really felt to me like the kind of workout that could really make a huge difference in my body if I do it at least 3 times a week consistently. Better still, it was interesting and challenging enough to keep me coming back.
I definitely recommend it to anyone who is in pretty good physical shape and is looking for toning. If you like to be challenged, this DVD is for you. If you’ve never done yoga or pilates before, this might be too tough and you risk injury because she moves too quickly to give proper ques to prevent injury for beginners.
I can see why Chris Rock did an entire documentary about hair. I haven’t seen it yet but I’m interested. My best friend is a gorgeous black woman who has had natural hair since the day I met her over eleven years ago. Her hair, which to me has always been a glorious cloud of curls, was a point of controversy especially within her own community. People would tell her that she’d look so lovely if she’d just relax her hair out straight. There was this strange societal pressure that beautiful hair meant it had to be chemically damaged into an unnaturally straight style. She, however, kept her hair fantastically natural and developed an all natural way of cleaning and styling it.
The thing is, I feel a lot of the same types of pressure about my hair in a different way. My hair is naturally very fine and limp. It’s mostly straight although it’ll occasionally do just a few random waves or curls. It’s also a very dark brown. And, for a long time, mine was the only dark head of hair in my classes. Growing up my dark mane wasn’t desirable. I’m still not convinced that my dark hair is desirable. After all, most women in my culture get extremely expensive highlights to give them the most natural faux-blonde they can achieve. Persians seem to admire blond-ness for some reason. And, it’s not just being blond they admire, but people whose skin is light enough to pull off blond hair. It’s not restricted to Persians either. My “fair” looks (meaning that I have light skin tone) is the first thing I’m complimented on in my husbands’ Pakistani community. Being able to pull off the “white girl” look of having light hair is a point of envy for some. But, is it really something to be proud of?
The result has been over twelve years of very damaging highlighting and dyeing. Going “dark” meant dyeing my hair so that it was darker, although still at least 2 shades lighter than my natural color. And, I haven’t been able to last with “dark” hair for very long. Usually someone would make a comment that either my hair was getting too dark and turning my features dark, or that I looked so much prettier with light hair, and I would begin to obsess about dyeing it lighter. But, just a few months ago I stopped the madness. Really, I was sick of not only the cost of up-keep but the toll it was begining to take on my hair. Frizz, split ends and dryness were plaguing me. And, I didn’t come from the stock of hearty, thick, full heads of hair. In fact, the women in my family have such history of damaged hair that my mother had restricted blow dryers, hot irons and hairspray to only special occasions when I was a teenager. As a force of habit, I still rarely use styling tools or products on my hair, but still the toll of coloring is great.
My natural hair has grown out quite a bit now. About six inches of dark, nearly black hair continues into chocolate-colored dye leftovers. I’m happy to learn that I only have about three grey hairs that can easily be hidden with a strategic part. What I only recently discovered though is the difference between healthy and unhealthy hair. Flat ironing my hair for a party recently, I realized that one swipe through my natural hair was smooth and quickly absorbed, but as soon as I got to the rest of my hair I’d suddenly hear a crunch and feel the friction of brittleness. The toll is obvious when you have both the before and after right there to compare. And, yet, why do I still feel that its healthy shine is undesirable compared to the dull bleached look? I find I need to confirm with my mother and aunt again and again that my dark hair looks okay. Occasionally, I even find myself lingering by the at home dye section of the grocery store, eyeing the chestnut browns. But, I think I’m going to learn this lesson from my best friend, that my natural hair is beautiful and to embrace it and nurture it. After all, I was born with it for a reason.
Filed under: Exercise | Tags: elliptical, Exercise, Health, running, treadmill
I have to be honest, I don’t know much about what the difference is between elliptical machines and treadmills. I started my gym experience in high school using ellipticals mostly because I hated to run. But, since I was an athlete (I was on the track team (discus- remember, hate to run) and played rugby (easy to run when being chased)) I didn’t really do much on the elliptical. I think I just worked moderately for probably twenty minutes. By the time I started law school and needed to burn some calories, I mainly ran on a treadmill. Mostly I did treadmill because I had heard rumbling about how the elliptical doesn’t burn as many calories because it’s not as difficult. Recently, however, I’ve been giving the elliptical a go again, and here’s what I think…
I think a workout is only as good as it’s intensity regardless of what machine you’re on. Really, sometimes 30 minutes on the elliptical kicks my butt a lot more than the same amount of time on the treadmill. I’m not sure why, but I can sustain a greater level of effort throughout my workout on the elliptical machine. No need for intervals here. I can burn and keep burning without tiring. I love that I can pedal backwards. Really this variation is interesting in that it engages different muscles and forces you to develop better balance. Also, love the moving handlebars. One morning I woke up with the achiest arms I’ve had in a while. At first I couldn’t imagine why they ached so much. Finally, I realized, I had worked out for about an hour on the elliptical the night before and had, at times, tried to focus on using my arms to propel myself. I guess the aches meant it had worked! Also, and this is a mystery that I would love an answer to if someone has it, doing elliptical did not cause any exercise induced asthma for me. The main reason I’ve always hated running is that I simply can’t breathe when I run. If I push myself too hard, I turn into a wheezing, coughing lump. Why then, even though it pumps my heart just as hard and make me breathe hard, does elliptical not cause exercise induced asthma?
I do generally feel though that the problem with the elliptical is that it “propels” you forward, so there is more of a tendency not to work as hard. So, if you are going to do the elliptical, you have to make sure you’re pushing yourself. I like to steadily increase the resistance while trying to keep the same speed. I concentrate on using my thigh and butt muscles to push the pedal down. But, I have to tell you, if anything is going to tone up my legs and butt, it’ll be the elliptical.
Here’s a great article that further explains the pros and cons of the elliptical machine. But I’m curious to know what others think about it. What about you? Elliptical or Treadmill?
Filed under: Health, Nutrition | Tags: Health, Nutrition, obese, obesogen, obesogens, organic, the new american diet, womens health
I have to do it. I have to call bull sh*t. I recently read this article in the March issue of Women’s Health, which I actually quite like, that really annoyed me. The article was called “Unlock Your Weight Loss Power” and was based on a book called “The New American Diet.” Of course the title had me intrigued and I began reading intrested in finding out if it had anything new or interesting to say. It didn’t share any secret to unlocking a slim new me as the title had promised. Instead, it discussed something they called “obesogens” at length.
The entire article became about the obeseogens that are somehow found in everything we eat and are making us fat without us even being aware of it. Bull. Now, I don’t always call bull on these kinds of topics. I believe trans fats are truly bad for you. I use aluminum of bpa-free water bottles and buy tomatoes in glass jars to avoid bisephenol-A leaching into my food and drinks. I’m even careful about buying any meats that may be shot up with excess hormones or anitbiotics that could affect my health negatively. But, this article was going too far. This article had taken the the normal wariness of a health concious person and exaggerated it until it seemed like a conspiracy.
What is an obeseogen? They don’t exactly say. From what I gather, it’s all of the above. BPA, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, etc… are all termed “obesogens” which is a brilliant little marketing ploy. The play on words, suggesting that these thing specifically cause obesity in America (and not our sedentary lifestyles or high fat and calorie diets), grab the readers attention and put them on high alert for somewhere new to place the blame. The point in the article where I knew they were going too far was when they said all water that we consume is an obesogen. WATER. According to the authors, all water is either traveling through pvc pipes or contained in bottles that contain BPA, an obesogen. So, even by drinking water you are getting fat America! Bull. Drinking plenty of water has been linked to weight loss and the promotion of health. Also, all soy products are obesogens (probably due to its naturally occuring estrogen), but plenty of vegetarians stay slim and healthy on a heavily soy-based diet.
So what gives? They’re point by the end of the alarming article is “don’t worry about what you can’t eat, buy our book and we’ll tell you what you can eat.” I’ll save you the trouble of wasteing twenty-six dollars of your hard-earned money. Try to eat as clean as possible. That’s it. Try to eat food that is whole and natural, organic and devoid of hormones and antibiotics when possible. Make it yourself the majority of the time and you’ll know what’s going in it. And, avoid canned tomatoes that leach the most BPA, opting for glass jars instead. They’re you go. Drink water, eat natural and clean, and get some exercise. That’s all you need to know.
Filed under: Exercise, Goals, Health, Motivation | Tags: Exercise, Goals, Health, Motivation
The star system at work
I’m a little bit of an overachiever. I love getting positive affirmation that I’m doing a good job. Of course, when you’re an adult that’s out of school, that’s hard to come by. That’s how I developed the gold star system. Initially, I thought my husband would think I was nuts, but he loves it so much that he uses it too. Here’s how it works:
Pick a calendar that you love. It should inspire you. It should be something you love to look at. I used to buy ones that were pictures of different spots throughout Paris, but now I create my own at Kodak gallery that has pictures of myself and my husband on it that make me smile. Then buy a pack of adhesive foil stars (you can buys a pack of them cheap in the stationery section). Decide what the star stands for. It can stand for eating healthy that day, drinking eight glasses of water, or anything that you want to achieve daily or weekly. Then, add a star for each day that you achieve that goal. My husband and I use the stars to symbolize exercise. We each pick a color star, and give ourselves a star for each day we exercise.
There are three main benefits to the star system. The first benefit is simply the desire to get a star for the day. It sounds silly, but looking at an empty calendar makes you want to earn a star to fill it up. It’s something you can actually get excited about. Second, it helps you gauge whether you’ll achieve your goal that week. We try to exercise at least three days a week, but if by Wednesday night there are not stars on the calendar, it makes you realize that you need to do back to back days to get in your three. And, finally, it’s a great way to look back on your behavior in the past. For example, we often find that there’ll be a month with no stars or one filled with stars. It can be useful if you’re interested in seeing patterns of when you are and aren’t successful at maintaining your goals.
Get a lovely calendar, pick a goal and start giving yourself stars for achieving them. You’ll see that it can be a great motivator and useful tool!
I have had a pretty stressful year. I won’t go into the details of why it was stressful because, really, it was more an accumulation of rather mundane stressors that refused to let up. And, this article isn’t about being stressed, it’s about not being stressed. I’m constantly reading articles or hearing topics of talk shows about stress, the detriments and how to relieve yourself of it. What I know is this: stress is real, stress can manifest physically, and stress is like your shadow (tought to shake off).
For me, stress always manifests physically just as much as it does mentally and emotionally. Just like everyone it weighs my mind and makes me a little less peppy (which freaks out my family who are used to me being perpetually peppy) and a little more moody. What it also does for me is make me lethargic, drained of all energy, devoid of willpower, and heavy. It may be partly that I’m less active and eat more when I’m stressed but I think it’s more than that. Even when I count every calorie, and the math should add up to me maintaining or even loosing weight, I always seem to gain when I’m stressed for long periods of time. First year of law school, studying for bar exams, and the past year all resulted in at least a 15 pound weight gain.
Now, I’m not particularly concerned about my weight. I’m still withing a healthy weight range and, frankly, I’ve never had problems turning a guy’s head. But, it makes me wonder if my body manifests my stress in such an obvious way on the outside, then what exactly is happening on the inside? I can’t imagine it’s good. Cholesterol, blood pressure, visceral (dangerous) fat? But ridding yourself of the kind of stress that nags at you slowly over long periods of time isn’t easy either.
So what does one do? Loads of yoga and meditating? Try to eat healthfully and exercise? That’s what recommended. But it’s hard to do when you’re in that position. It’s hard to get a move on when all you want to do is crawl under a rock. If your stress is something that will never change, than you need to. Nothing is worth the kind of toll that stress takes out on you. If that means a life style change, than it’s something that should be seriously considered. But, if you’re stress is one with an end-date like mine, then I suggest you hang on for dear life until it’s over and then take back your life with full force. I just know myself. All my serious attempts at maintaining still resulted in some set-backs. The point is that once the stresses are gone, I pick myself up and take back my life.
