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May 25, 2010
May 24, 2010
Celebrate In A Healthy Way This May
Memorial Day is nearly upon us and the time is nigh to think about our shared national legacies. You might remember commemorating events like Women's History Month or African-American History Month in elementary school - but did you ever throw a veggie-heavy party for National Salad Month? How about grilling up a lean turkey patty for your nation's revered Hamburger Month?
Check out bene-fits guide to the healthiest ways to celebrate during the last few days of May:
Take a stroll on your lunch break to clear your head during Mental Health Month. While you're out there, make sure to check in with your spring sneezes this Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month. Speed up that walk to a jog and push it a little harder since it's Physical Fitness and Sports Month, too!
All that exercise might make you hungry, so dig in to some fresh fruit for Strawberry Month, or perhaps enjoy an incredible edible - poached or hard-boiled is healthiest - during Egg Month. Make those eggs into a yummy veggie Benedict in honor of Asparagus Month, or enjoy a spicy south-of-the-border - and low-cal! - condiment this Salsa Month. Definitely make sure to grill up some healthy proteins (try a marinated chicken breast or a tofu and fruit kabob!) during this Barbecue Month.
When you're enjoying all the foods "of the month," remember in honor of High Blood Pressure Education Month to limit your sodium intake, too! Try balancing your workouts with some stretching and yoga to raise awareness and encourage prevention in joint celebration of both Arthritis Month and Correct Posture Month. Need something a bit more intense? If you have a short (10 miles or fewer) and safe commute, swap it out for a two-wheeler and do your part for Bike Month.
Finally, remember that it's never too late to commit yourself to a healthier and more robust lifestyle - the bene-fit philosophy encourages lifelong fitness this Older Americans Month and beyond!
Stay tuned for more "monthly" bene-fit tips coming soon - in June!
Check out bene-fits guide to the healthiest ways to celebrate during the last few days of May:
Take a stroll on your lunch break to clear your head during Mental Health Month. While you're out there, make sure to check in with your spring sneezes this Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month. Speed up that walk to a jog and push it a little harder since it's Physical Fitness and Sports Month, too!
All that exercise might make you hungry, so dig in to some fresh fruit for Strawberry Month, or perhaps enjoy an incredible edible - poached or hard-boiled is healthiest - during Egg Month. Make those eggs into a yummy veggie Benedict in honor of Asparagus Month, or enjoy a spicy south-of-the-border - and low-cal! - condiment this Salsa Month. Definitely make sure to grill up some healthy proteins (try a marinated chicken breast or a tofu and fruit kabob!) during this Barbecue Month.
When you're enjoying all the foods "of the month," remember in honor of High Blood Pressure Education Month to limit your sodium intake, too! Try balancing your workouts with some stretching and yoga to raise awareness and encourage prevention in joint celebration of both Arthritis Month and Correct Posture Month. Need something a bit more intense? If you have a short (10 miles or fewer) and safe commute, swap it out for a two-wheeler and do your part for Bike Month.
Finally, remember that it's never too late to commit yourself to a healthier and more robust lifestyle - the bene-fit philosophy encourages lifelong fitness this Older Americans Month and beyond!
Stay tuned for more "monthly" bene-fit tips coming soon - in June!
May 17, 2010
A Tale of Two Clients
Let me begin this week's post with a profound truth: there is no silver bullet.
Allow me to contrast two examples of what I am talking about. I received two emails from clients over the weekend; one who was just returning from her vacation, and the other who has a trip planned in two weeks.
The first client, for whom I had written a 10K training plan prior to her trip, thanked me for giving her "something to look forward to" after a vacation packed with fun, family, and yes - a bit more food than usual. She mentioned that even though she wasn't going to start the plan until she returned from the well-deserved vacation, it was enough motivation for her to keep focused on her goal and have a set way to return to fitness after the break.
The second client, a virtual trainee for whom I've written several strength and conditioning plans, informed me of her trip and asked me for ways to thin out her thighs. She wants to wear a bikini on her vacation and, "without anything too tough," wants to tone up her upper legs and hips as quickly as possible.
As you can imagine, my disappointment over the second client was only balanced out by my appreciation for the first. Here at bene-fit, we advocate realistic consistency and long-term commitments to health - not quick fixes and that persistent myth of "spot reduction." Furthermore, fitness is better understood as a feeling than a physical form; building and maintaining your health is a marathon, not a sprint.
I responded to the second client in the only way I knew how - with stark honesty. I advised her to continue her established balance of cardiovascular and strength training, monitor her diet closely to avoid excess sugars, sodium, and refined carbohydrates, and stay hydrated and well-rested in the weeks leading up to her trip (I also recommended a great organic self-tanner - the only "quick fix" I can truly recommend for an imminent beach vacation!).
So back to my first point, which bears repeating: there is no silver bullet, and there never will be. Much-heralded technological and medical advances like Alli, lap band surgery, and the now-illegal ephedra have come and gone - and new drugs, procedures, and chemicals like them will continue to thrive in a culture like ours where weight loss is the "new national pastime." If you want trim thighs, go out and get running. If you want to reduce body fat, strength train and boost your metabolism by eating a healthy breakfast. If you want to find peace and balance, find a yoga studio or teacher and begin to integrate mindful movement into your life.
bene-fit simply asks you to consider spending your time and money a bit more fruitfully - by investing in your overall health and wellness with regular exercise, a clean diet, and holistic healthy habits. It is within your power to make the changes you want, but you must be willing to do the work and stay the course. There are no shortcuts on the journey to your best self - but if you are really in pursuit, you don't need any.
Allow me to contrast two examples of what I am talking about. I received two emails from clients over the weekend; one who was just returning from her vacation, and the other who has a trip planned in two weeks.
The first client, for whom I had written a 10K training plan prior to her trip, thanked me for giving her "something to look forward to" after a vacation packed with fun, family, and yes - a bit more food than usual. She mentioned that even though she wasn't going to start the plan until she returned from the well-deserved vacation, it was enough motivation for her to keep focused on her goal and have a set way to return to fitness after the break.
The second client, a virtual trainee for whom I've written several strength and conditioning plans, informed me of her trip and asked me for ways to thin out her thighs. She wants to wear a bikini on her vacation and, "without anything too tough," wants to tone up her upper legs and hips as quickly as possible.
As you can imagine, my disappointment over the second client was only balanced out by my appreciation for the first. Here at bene-fit, we advocate realistic consistency and long-term commitments to health - not quick fixes and that persistent myth of "spot reduction." Furthermore, fitness is better understood as a feeling than a physical form; building and maintaining your health is a marathon, not a sprint.
I responded to the second client in the only way I knew how - with stark honesty. I advised her to continue her established balance of cardiovascular and strength training, monitor her diet closely to avoid excess sugars, sodium, and refined carbohydrates, and stay hydrated and well-rested in the weeks leading up to her trip (I also recommended a great organic self-tanner - the only "quick fix" I can truly recommend for an imminent beach vacation!).
So back to my first point, which bears repeating: there is no silver bullet, and there never will be. Much-heralded technological and medical advances like Alli, lap band surgery, and the now-illegal ephedra have come and gone - and new drugs, procedures, and chemicals like them will continue to thrive in a culture like ours where weight loss is the "new national pastime." If you want trim thighs, go out and get running. If you want to reduce body fat, strength train and boost your metabolism by eating a healthy breakfast. If you want to find peace and balance, find a yoga studio or teacher and begin to integrate mindful movement into your life.
bene-fit simply asks you to consider spending your time and money a bit more fruitfully - by investing in your overall health and wellness with regular exercise, a clean diet, and holistic healthy habits. It is within your power to make the changes you want, but you must be willing to do the work and stay the course. There are no shortcuts on the journey to your best self - but if you are really in pursuit, you don't need any.
May 10, 2010
An Ounce of Prevention
Eating right, sleeping well, exercising regularly...these are the tenets of "good health" that we hear so often they've almost become a dull buzz in the back of our minds. "Yeah yeah," you might think, "tell me something I don't know about health."
Okay. How about the fact that most Americans don't know their blood type, much less their triglyceride or blood glucose levels (or why those numbers are important)? Perhaps you would be shocked to know that only 50% of Americans receive regular dental exams*. Did you know that 30% of emergency room patients also report signs of untreated depression**?
President Obama has already called attention to the lack of preventive health care in the United States - the new bill covers a variety of preventive screenings and treatments in full. However, it is up to individuals to "heed the call" and start taking action to protect themselves and address preventable diseases and risk factors before they become problematic. So what do you need to know to stay safe and healthy?
For women, ask your doctor for a full checkup, TSH (thyroid) test, HIV test, blood pressure and cholesterol ("heart healthy") test, bone density screen, A1c (blood glucose) test, and mammogram.
For men, get the same sequence but replace that mammogram with a DRE (digital rectal exam), PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, testicular exam, and colonoscopy.
Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for more information on these tests and others that you might be at risk for given your family history, weight, health status, and background. It is never too soon to make a small (or free!) investment in your long-term health - inside and out. Small acts can reap great bene-fits!
As the saying goes - perhaps never truer than it is today, in an era where obesity, diabetes, and CHD rates are spiking - "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
*source: ADHA.org
**source: WrongDiagnosis.com
Okay. How about the fact that most Americans don't know their blood type, much less their triglyceride or blood glucose levels (or why those numbers are important)? Perhaps you would be shocked to know that only 50% of Americans receive regular dental exams*. Did you know that 30% of emergency room patients also report signs of untreated depression**?
President Obama has already called attention to the lack of preventive health care in the United States - the new bill covers a variety of preventive screenings and treatments in full. However, it is up to individuals to "heed the call" and start taking action to protect themselves and address preventable diseases and risk factors before they become problematic. So what do you need to know to stay safe and healthy?
For women, ask your doctor for a full checkup, TSH (thyroid) test, HIV test, blood pressure and cholesterol ("heart healthy") test, bone density screen, A1c (blood glucose) test, and mammogram.
For men, get the same sequence but replace that mammogram with a DRE (digital rectal exam), PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, testicular exam, and colonoscopy.
Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for more information on these tests and others that you might be at risk for given your family history, weight, health status, and background. It is never too soon to make a small (or free!) investment in your long-term health - inside and out. Small acts can reap great bene-fits!
As the saying goes - perhaps never truer than it is today, in an era where obesity, diabetes, and CHD rates are spiking - "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
*source: ADHA.org
**source: WrongDiagnosis.com
May 3, 2010
Spin Your Wheels
Whether it's from my clients, my friends, or even my own Mom, I am constantly being asked for advice on fitness and nutrition. Common questions about what to eat, how to exercise, and what wellness skills are most important are often on the minds of those trying to make healthy changes to their lives.
At bene-fit, we will never tell you to "do as I say, not as I do." We embrace a holistic wellness lifestyle, and we teach that regular physical activity, an individualized and functional diet, and maintaining healthy habits (such as adequate sleep and stress management) are the keys to long-term health. However, it is not always clear what aspects of a person's life need the most help.
We offer you this great tool for assessing your own wellness needs - it's called the Wheel of Life. The basics are this: consider each of the eight pieces of the "pie" and then rank your current lifestyle (1-8, 1 being the most high-functioning part of your life and 8 being the least) in terms of these categories. Go ahead - give it a spin!
bene-fit asks you to think about where "health" falls in your rankings. We don't advocate that it has to be #1 for everyone, but where you place your health among the other priorities of your life can key you in to what might be stopping you from reaching your best self.
For example, if your health falls below your need for "fun/recreation," it might be a sign that your current routine has gotten stale. Try taking a new exercise class or buying a cookbook for a cuisine you've always wanted to try. If your health doesn't rank as highly as your desire for "romance," perhaps you want to try exercising alongside your spouse or partner or joining a matchmaker group like FitnessSingles. If "money" is getting in the way of your health, quit your gym membership and take your workout outdoors, and try to make more healthy meals at home to save that critical cash.
As the ancient Indian text Sama Veda advises, "anybody desirous of success should spend some time in introspection and contemplation." This week, take some time for yourself to reevaluate your priorities, consider your life choices, and begin to chart out ways to make your long-term goals reality.
At bene-fit, we will never tell you to "do as I say, not as I do." We embrace a holistic wellness lifestyle, and we teach that regular physical activity, an individualized and functional diet, and maintaining healthy habits (such as adequate sleep and stress management) are the keys to long-term health. However, it is not always clear what aspects of a person's life need the most help.
We offer you this great tool for assessing your own wellness needs - it's called the Wheel of Life. The basics are this: consider each of the eight pieces of the "pie" and then rank your current lifestyle (1-8, 1 being the most high-functioning part of your life and 8 being the least) in terms of these categories. Go ahead - give it a spin!
bene-fit asks you to think about where "health" falls in your rankings. We don't advocate that it has to be #1 for everyone, but where you place your health among the other priorities of your life can key you in to what might be stopping you from reaching your best self.
For example, if your health falls below your need for "fun/recreation," it might be a sign that your current routine has gotten stale. Try taking a new exercise class or buying a cookbook for a cuisine you've always wanted to try. If your health doesn't rank as highly as your desire for "romance," perhaps you want to try exercising alongside your spouse or partner or joining a matchmaker group like FitnessSingles. If "money" is getting in the way of your health, quit your gym membership and take your workout outdoors, and try to make more healthy meals at home to save that critical cash.
As the ancient Indian text Sama Veda advises, "anybody desirous of success should spend some time in introspection and contemplation." This week, take some time for yourself to reevaluate your priorities, consider your life choices, and begin to chart out ways to make your long-term goals reality.
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