Kelley's Healthy Tips

It's Friday, So Make It A FAB DAY

2012-03-16T06:46:00.000-04:00

It's Friday and I'm making my plans....workouts in the open air, outdoor gardening projects, motorcycle rides and a great dinner with my loved one.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you've eaten right, exercised and had your acupuncture to stave off seasonal allergies, you should be right and ready for a fun-filled weekend. If you're not feeling your very best or have the post nasal drip that comes with seasonal rhinitis, better make an appointment today, before you lose out on all the nice weekends we're bound to have this year!

Tips To Stay Healthy When Travelling

2012-03-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

Travelling and afraid you're going to mess up your healthy lifestyle? Easy-breezy! All you need to pack in your travel bag are a pair of sneakers, a few pair of shorts, socks and workout tops...AND...your favorite Beachbody workout dvd. There are so many to choose from: Brazilian Butt Lift, Insanity, Chalean Extreme and many more. You don't need weights or any other equipment to do these exercise programs and you can even download them into your IPhone or droid for even more convenience.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Don't Despair when travelling for business or pleasure. You can still get in a good 20-40 minute workout with a choice of dvd programs. Log onto
http://www.teambeachbody.com/kmondesire and for less than the cost of a dinner or month's gym membership, you can download a plethora of workout dvds onto your IPhone or droid and exercise anywhere in the world...no excuses!

Time To Treat Seasonal Rhinitis

2012-03-14T10:06:00.000-04:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: It's Springtime! That means it's allergy season. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal pills are highly effective in the treatment of seasonal rhinitis. It's drug free so you don't have to worry about running that race, riding that motorcycle or any other fun activity you wouldn't be able to participate in if you were taking allergy drugs. Call or email the office today and get rid of the allergies before they take over your life! 917-701-7582 k@kmondesire.com

How To Save Your Life Part 2

2012-03-13T10:03:00.000-04:00

One of my readers was kind to give another healthy tip I will share with you today:

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Besides the tip I gave you yesterday that can save your own life if you are experiencing a heart attack, you can also bear down as if you are having a bowel movement and cough. This 'bearing down' is called the Vasalva Movement and can help to invigorate the vagus nerve which is crucial for heart health. Another way to help prevent heart attact is to eat healthy, maintain a healthy weight and exercise daily.

How To Save Your Life If Alone & Having A Heart Attack

2012-03-12T09:53:00.000-04:00

We all should know how to perform CPR and basic first aid. If you don't, you should enroll yourself into a class today. You might save someone's life in the future. But, if we are alone and experiencing chest pains and all other symptoms of a heart attack, how do we save our own lives?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Go to this link and learn how you can save YOUR OWN LIFE if you are ALONE and experiencing a heart attack. Pass this little animation on to everyone else you know. This could save lives....especially your own! 87693-HeartAttack1.pps (210KB)

A Tuna Sandwich can Be Good For You

2012-03-09T10:22:00.000-05:00

We read so much about the mercury levels in tuna but did you know that albacore tuna (this is the tuna that gets canned) can be super good for you? If the tuna is “troll- or pole-caught” in the U.S. or British Columbia then this tuna can be nutritious. Troll or pole caught tuna are typically younger and smaller fish, hence they do not contain high mercury levels as larger and older fish contain. They also contain higher Omega - 3 counts, which is another healthy 'plus'.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: When at the market and looking for canned tuna, check for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue eco label or do your homework - find out where and how your favorite brand of canned tuna is raised and caught.

Social Networking Helps For Fitness and Wellness

2012-03-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

Sticking to a fitness and wellness program can sometimes be most challenging when you're doing it on your own. That's why social networking groups work to provide online support to a group with similar goals. The group I lead includes folks from California to Maine and everywhere else in between. It's a great group of people who, like me, just want some support or a 'pat on the back' when we're feeling like we're going the distance on our own.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Don't go the distance on your own. Join my online support group and be part of a great network of team players whose objective is healthy living. Log onto http://www.kmondesire.com/teambeachbody.html today!

When You Lose Weight, So Will Your Spouse

2012-03-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

The International Journal of Obesity recently published a report stating that when one spouse or domestic partner engages in a weight loss/fitness program, their partner lost an average of 3% of their body fat as well.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you and your domestic partner want to lose weight, become 'fitness' buddies and do it together. You'll be accountable for one another, it will be easier to stick with a healthy eating plan and you can find exercise programs that will suit both your tastes. Log onto http://www.kmondesire.com/teambeachbody.html today and choose from the many exercise programs available from Beachbody.com. For less than the cost of a single month's gym membership, you can enjoy fitness in the privacy and time-flexible comfort of your living room.

Smoking Cessation with Acupuncture

2012-03-06T14:05:00.000-05:00

Can't seem to quit the cigarette habit?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: I have helped many patients kick the cigarette habit painlessly and without much change to personal lifestyle. If you're stuck in a rut and want to quit, call or contact the office today. I've had some smokers quit completely within 2 days and some that needed 2 to 3 months maximum. 91-701-7582 k@kmondesire.com

I Believe, I Believe!

2012-03-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

Remember when Tinker Bell and Peter Pan flew high in the sky and anything was possible? It was because they BELIEVED they could fly; they believed that anything was possible.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Believe in yourself. Believe you can be healthy and happy. Believe that, if you try, you can achieve greatness - no matter how large or small the endeavor. When you believe in yourself, you become an inspiration to others - they will believe in themselves because they believe you. BE your WORD. If you say you will exercise, then do it. If you say you are the possibility of fitness and health and will eat accordingly, then DO IT. No excuses...those are for losers. You don't want to be one of those, do you?

Making Time For Exercise

2012-03-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

I've heard just about every excuse for not exercising or taking the time to eat healthy. I'm no angel either. At the start of the year, I decided to get off my pity pot, end the ongoing pity party and do something about my own SELF. Month after month, I coach and treat patients who have enrolled into my Wellness Program and all have successfully achieved and maintained their goals. It was time for me to enroll myself...Just 60 days into the program, I'm down almost 15 pounds, 2inches smaller in diameter overall and feeling great! Ten more pounds and I'll be back to 'normal'. Hey, my Wellness Program really does work!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Want to lose 10, 15 or more pounds like me and my patients? Join my Wellness Program today! Call or email the office for your first step to being fit, healthy and happy. k@kmondesire.com 917-701-7582
Don't know what type of exercise will turn you on? log into http://www.kmondesire.com/teambeachbody.html and check out the various exercise programs that you can do in the privacy of your own home, without the cost of a gym membership.

What's Good For Lunch!

2012-03-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

I always ask my patients what they've had for breakfast and lunch. I'm amazing at how boring lunch has become for some of them - it's no wonder they go for the Manhattan 'roach coaches' for their daily fare and indulge in greasy fast food. O.K., folks...bring your lunch to work. Home made lunches are delicious, nutritious and cheap eats! Here's an example of what I bring to lunch during my work day...

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Make a visit to Fairway or Whole Foods. Purchase a rotisserie chicken (at $8 already cooked, you can't make one yourself for cheaper), mixed salad greens, boil and skin some red or golden beats and cube them up, Tsaziki sauce (low fat, low cal and delicious greek yoghurt sauce), tabouleh, cherry tomatoes, avocados, a can of chick peas, alfalfa sprouts, and olives. combine all or various combinations of the above ingredients and take a tupperware to work with you. Add a flat bread or pita to go with your lunch and don't forget a lovely blood orange or some other fruit for a late afternoon snack. This is a delicious and nutritious lunch that is much more interesting, tasty and healthier for you than that junk you're buying on the street. Add some pizazz a few days per week and throw some trail mix over the salad, or instead of chicken, try feta cheese and chick peas as your protein source. With ingredients like these, you have no excuses to make lunch an event to look forward to! If imagination and planning don't come easy to you, schedule an appointment today and I will design a week-by-week food plan for you that will encompass most of your favorite foods!

Music To Soothe The Savage Soul

2012-02-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

I was jumping rope for an hour last week with my trusty IPod clipped to my shirt. Jumping rope nonstop (except for the few times I step on the rope) is a high intensity workout to say the least. Listening to music while I workout in this manner increases my concentration (o.k., I AM listening to Crystal Method, Apex Twins, Chemical Brothers and the like) and keeps me stepping to the beat. I highly recommend the activity to burn calories, have fun and increase your coordination and stamina. My resting heart rate is 48bpm....what's yours?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (26: 80-86 2012) has published findings that listening to music during exercise can result in quicker clearance of lactate, a perceived lack of effort to perform the exercise, a quicker recovery time and higher quality of your workouts.

My Mother The Human Booby Trap

2012-02-28T06:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I went to visit my mother. My mother was a model in her day and still has legs to knock anyone's socks off at the age of 87. Not a day goes by that my mother doesn't dress the best; her hair and makeup always done. I've never, in my 50 years, ever seen my mother in a house dress - she's never owned one. Always figure-conscious, my mother's sharp eyes can tell me if I've lost 3 ounces or gained an 18th of an inch around my waist. So, when I told her yesterday, I brought my own soup for lunch, her reply was 'I have a nice steak if you want it'. When I replied I no longer ate red meat, her answer was 'o.k., I'll make you some nice lamb chops'.....oh, my mother....We went shopping to Fairway for produce, etc. She made a beeline for the homemade breads and bought a lovely walnut raisin bread. When we arrived back at her home to have lunch, she waved a slice of this still-warm treasure in front of me and said how wonderful it smelled. (I admit it - I'm a wheataholic...I LOVE bread). I told her I wasn't eating bread since I wanted to lose a few pounds. As I ate my soup, she went on and on about how delicious the bread was and handed a piece to me to take. I asked her if she would offer a whiskey to a reformed alcoholic....oh, my mother....

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Sometimes, people can only look as far as their nose ends. When confronted with absolute torturous temptation be waved in your face, just remember this - at the end of the day, when you observe your overall appearance and check in on how good or bad you are feeling physically and psychologically - that person who said 'it's o.k., it's just one slice, one drink, one cookie' is not going to be there with you. PERSEVERE and remain steadfast in your determination to achieve your fitness and health goals. Our mothers have every good intention, but they are human booby traps to our fitness goals. I made my mother happy and had 2 clementines (delicious, nutritious and low fat). This made her happy. She said 'oh, it makes me happy to see you eat'. 3 months ago, she was telling me my butt was getting enormous. Like I said...my mother.....

Allergy Season Is Around The Corner

2012-02-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

Allergy season is just around the corner. The mild winter we've had here in New York finds bulb plants bursting through the soil earlier than usual. This means that we will have an earlier than normal Spring. Joyous for some; hell for others.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Springtime is coming early this year and so are the pollens. If you suffer from allergies, now is the time to get into the office and begin your anti-allergy treatments so you can enjoy the fauna and flora with everyone else instead of missing out on an early and wonderful Springtime. Call or email the office today for a drug-free and painless way to rid yourself of those nasty allergies!
k@kmondesire.com 917-701-7582

It's Friday - Have You Had Your Acupuncture Yet?

2012-02-24T08:58:00.000-05:00

It's Friday and I'll be winding down my week with my regular and new clients. Regular clients come in for weekly treatments for conditions ranging from Parkinson's to pregnancy. My Wellness Program patients arrive with their food journals, weigh in and most leave after treatment knowing they've lost a few more pounds, their blood pressure is lower and feel so much healthier and happier. Expectant mothers are going through healthy and happy pregnancies and chemotherapy patients are embarking on their weekends nausea-free, sweat-free and much more relaxed.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Make Friday YOUR DAY. Schedule treatments on a weekly basis so you can experience the psychological and physical benefits of acupuncture.

Make A Bet To Achieve Your Goals

2012-02-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

The best way to achieve a fitness goal is to make a bet with a friend, colleague or significant other. This lends to accountability. You can embark on a 90 day fitness challenge and bet a day at the spa, weekend vacation, theater ticket....the prize doesn't matter - what counts is your total immersion into your challenge.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Make a bet today that in 90 days (when the warm weather is here), you will have achieved a reasonable and attainable fitness goal. Making a wager with another person will hold you accountable to your goals and if you win....there could be great tickets to a ball game, a day at the driving range or fabulous golf club, a day at the spa, a weekend getaway or a gift certificate to a great clothing store for that smaller size you'll be able to fit into! Here's a caveat - acupuncture on a weekly basis can really help you achieve that goal weight faster.

Diet & Exercise CAN Make The Difference

2012-02-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

Wow! I took a new set of measurements last night after being on my fitness challenge for 5 weeks. I'm an average of 2inches smaller in almost every part of the body! How about that??!!!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Take a 90 day challenge; your health will improve, you'll look much better and you'll feel fabulous! I'm into a much smaller dress size after just 5 weeks...let's bring it!
http://www.teambeachbody.com/kmondesire

Gluten Free Can Be Fattening...Read the Labels Carefully

2012-02-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

The 'phrase' we are all hearing lately is 'I'm gluten intolerant'. In some cases, this is true. In most cases, it's a misinterpretation of a very different pathology occurring in the person's body. Nevertheless, I recently decided to become my own science experiment and go 'gluten free'. I first consulted with a very dear friend who distributes Orgran Organic Foods here in the U.S.A. She warned me that gluten free can mean more fat and protein per serving than an 'ordinary' product that is not gluten free. Since I don't eat prepared sauces, spreads or processed food, this is a pretty easy experiment so far. My only nemesis is that I just love a good baguette or piece of bread daily and I wasn't about to give up that daily 'treat'. It's been about 6 weeks now and, how do I feel? No difference, really...but I'm not gluten intolerant. But this bread I've found in the market is a good 'fix' for anyone who has a wheat addiction like me. When my 'experiment' is over in about 60 days, I think I'll keep purchasing this bread...I like it!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: I found Alvarado St Bakery bread in the frozen food section of Whole Foods. One slice is really filling and satisfying, tastes really good (you'd never know it was gluten free) and here are the stats on it per slice: 90 calories, no cholesterol, 0.5g fat, no transfats, 170mg sodium, 15g carbs, 2g dietary fiber, 5g protein.

The Skinny on the Diet Sodas

2012-02-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

The Unviersity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has posted a report that 'people drinking two or more diet sodas per day had a six-times-greater increase in waist circumference at the end of the 10 year study than the people in the study who didn't drink diet soda.'(Source: Eating Well Jan/Feb 2012). The researchers believe the diet soda drinkers justified eating other fattening foods because they felt they saved calories on the diet sodas, or because the artificial sweeteners in the diet sodas cajoled the sweet flavor yearning in the test group.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: the next time you think about ordering a diet soda, think again. Look at the ingredients on the can and think 'Cancer, Carcinogens, Can't be good for me'. Order a seltzer with a splash of cranberry and lime, or an Arnold Palmer, or mineral water with lemon or lime. It's much more civilized, satisfying and sans the chemicals and disgusting artificial sweet taste that gives you halotosis at the bottom of the glass. There will be no blog on Monday, President's Day and the office will be closed. Stay tuned for more Healthy Tips on Tuesday. Happy Weekend!

The Omegas...What You Need To Know If You Suffer From Inflammatory Diseases

2012-02-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

Omega-3s can be found primarily in plant sources (flaxseed, hempseed, walnuts, dark leafy green vegetables) and the fatty fishes (salmon, bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, rainbow trout, sardines). These are the 'good' omegas. Omega-6s (the 'not so good' omegas) are found primarily in meat adn meat products (eggs, whole dairy products and mostly red meat). Omega-6 food sources contain arachindonic acid. Arachindonic acid can contribute to any inflammatory condition.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you suffer from R.A., gout or any other type of inflammatory disease, it's best to eliminate all Omega-6 foods from your diet and INCREASE the Omega-3 foods daily. Use olive oil, don't eat processed foods or commercial mayonnaise and spreads, avoid fried and fatty foods. Above all, enroll yourself into a treatment program of acupuncture and exercise. My patients have experienced considerable relief from inflammation by having weekly treatments and making lifestyle modifications. Call or email the office today and begin living your life painlessly. 917-701-7582
k@kmondesire.com

Financial Times Reports on Obesity

2012-02-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

The Financial Times published an editorial commentary today that stated, "Healthcare growth is occurring across all societies, due to ageing populations and more effective, but more costly medicine, although the US suffers endemic waste due to its fragmented, market-led healthcare system..". "The US will spend $344bn a year treating obesity - more than one health dollar out of 5". The entire US pays the bill. The system is already unsupportable to carry the present burden of healthcare and this added cost per year is crippling.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Like many of you out there, I pay for my own healthcare and the idea that I have to now pay for morbidly obese people who purposefully place an added economic burden on we tax payers is galling. There is no magic bullet to weight loss. It takes, diet, exercise, modification of lifestyle and the desire to be healthy...that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. If you are having a tough time with your weight, make an appointment today and sign yourself into my Wellness Program. You'll be healthier, maybe a bit happier and look a lot better after the pounds start coming off your girth. First it was the smokers who were charged more for healthcare, you'll be next if you don't do something about your weight now. The taxpayers in America don't want to pay for the McDonald's Madness anymore. So, get with the program and do something for yourself and your fellow taxpayer today.

It's Not Too Late To Get That Valentine Something Special

2012-02-14T07:02:00.000-05:00

This Valentine's Day, give your honey exactly what he or she always wanted at quite the discount! The Brazilian Butt Lift and/or P90X2. Brazilian Butt Lift was developed by the trainer to world-famous supermodels, Leandro Carvalho combines Brazilian dance, cardio, and his own signature lower-body sculpting moves to lift, firm, and shape your behind for a rear view you've only dreamed about. P90X® is based on Muscle Confusion™–to break through normal 30-day training plateaus so you get results fast. P90X2 ups the ante with a training technique developed by professional sports trainers for world class results: P.A.P., or Post-Activation Potentiation. For less cost than a dinner for two, you can present your loved one with a fun way to exercise and buff up better than any plastic surgeon can for them.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:
http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/X2-Base?referringRepId=114448 give him those abs of steel and the guns you'd want to be engulfed in. Ladies, you'll be the envy of every woman out there when he completes 90 days of Tony Horton's P90X2!
http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BrazilButtLift?referringRepId=114448 give her the best gift ever! Exercise she can do alone in the living room or with the girlfriends. She'll obtain a real Brazilian butt to die for and hey....you guys will benefit from it as well!

It's Monday, So Let's Make It Fun-Day

2012-02-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

It's Monday and we're all back to our weekly routines that can sometimes become boring. Here are a few healthy tips to make your Monday a more fit and FUN-day.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:
Start having a whey protein shake every morning for breakfast. Throw some frozen berries into the blender with it and you'll start every day on the right foot. You'll be less hungry during the day and most likely eat a healthy lunch.
Call a friend and arrange a workout session one evening during the week. The buddy system of exercise is proven to help motivate oneanother and intensify the level of the workout session.

For the Extreme Athletes Today

2012-02-10T07:53:00.000-05:00

I have every type of athlete coming in and out of the doors to my clinic, but the extreme athletes usually require a bit more maintenance before and after their events. Whether you are doing the Rim To Rim, Ultra Marathon, Ironman, or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro (you know who you are out there!), you know how many times I've told you to practice altitude acclimation as part of your overall training. Your aerobic capacity decreases 3% at 5,000ft and an additional 3% for every 1,000 ft altitude increase as you climb. after you've reached 6,000 to 9,000 ft above sea level, if you haven't been doing your altitude training, you're bound to feel like you've caught the flu. (These statistics were published recently by the Scandanavian Journal of Medicine Science Sports, Nov, 2011)

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you have a big event planned for 2012 (it could be a 5K race, a sprint triathlon, Rim To Rim, Ironman), you're bound to have some hills involved in the process. Sign up for my Wellness Program today. I'll help you get into the proper condition needed to achieve your goals and be a winner! http://www.kmondesire.com/wellnessprogram.html

Give a Brazilian Butt Lift To That Woman In Your Life

2012-02-09T08:55:00.000-05:00

This Valentine's Day, give her exactly what she always says she wishes she had at quite the discount! The Brazilian Butt Lift! Trainer to world-famous supermodels, Leandro Carvalho combines Brazilian dance, cardio, and his own signature lower-body sculpting moves to lift, firm, and shape your behind for a rear view you've only dreamed about. For less than $60, you can present your lady with a fun way to exercise and lift her butt better than any plastic surgeon can.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:
http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BrazilButtLift?referringRepId=114448 give her the best gift ever! Exercise she can do alone in the living room or with the girlfriends. She'll obtain a real Brazilian butt to die for and hey....you guys will benefit from it as well!

Potato Chips and French Fries Could Be Hazardous To Your Health

2012-02-08T13:46:00.000-05:00

French fries and potato chips contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and acne. But a recent study in Poland found that dangerous levels of acrylamide are found in these foods. Acrylamide can be harmful tothe body's nervous and reproductive systems. Acrylamide can cause developmental deficits in motor skills, mental development, language skills and overall school performance. Just look at the level of mental and intelligence levels of many people you see as regulars at any McDonald's....5 minutes in a fast food restaurant tells paragraphs...

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you or your kids aren't the brightest bulbs in the light fixture, it could very well be the amount of potato chips and french fries you are all ingesting on a regular basis. Acrylamide....doesn't sound nice and is worse for your health.

Loneliness Contributes To Obesity

2012-02-07T07:02:00.000-05:00

Science Daily Sept 2011, recently published a finding that loneliness increases the risk of obesity. A study on rats revealed that greater socialization promoted the conversion of energy-storing white fat into energy-burning brown fat.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Instead of texting, emailing and phoning a friend, why not meet them and go for a walk, have a coffee, schedule a fun activity or workout session? If rats can lose more weight by being social, so can you! And, if you have children, get them off the couch, turn their IPhones off and go play some ball or running games outside with them. They need their exercise as well!

Cholesterol - The 'C' Word

2012-02-06T08:50:00.000-05:00

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is composed of vitamin D, nerve coatings, cell membranes, and steroid hormones. Cholesterol is a fatty substance. Cholesterol travels throughout the body within the bloodstream and is transported by lipoproteins. The two types of lipoproteins we hear of are: LDL (low density lipoprotein) adn HDL (high density lipoprotein). LDL isn't used by tissues and settles into the blood vessels. This causes sediment and arterial diseases. HDL is the 'good guy'. HDL picks up and delivers unused cholesterol and brings it back to the liver, where it is recycled. A HDL number is a good thing..more good guys, less chance of arterial disease; hence overall healthier body.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: aerobic activity increases levels of HDL in the body. Help keep your 'good' cholesterol up and your 'bad' cholesterol down...workout today and make an appointment for acupuncture to help you lose weight, increase your metabolic rate and improve your general health.

Stress and Obesity

2012-02-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

Folks, we're living through some tough and finacially expensive times these days. Stress is running rampant out there. Patients who have come in for regular acupuncture treatments are experiencing not only a higher quality of life, but are also finding themselves losing those extra pounds they just couldn't seem to shred with diet and exercise alone. Why? Because acupuncture releases endorphins (natural 'feel good' neurotransmitters) which, in turn, help reduce the levels of glutocorticoids. Glutocorticoids in excess can increase body fat by signalling to the body it needs added caloric intake due to stress (the 'fight or flight' mechanism). Acupuncture can 'turn off' the flight or fight sensors and calm down a patient, leaving him or her stress free and allowing the body to come back to a normal state of homeostasis.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Times are stressful and your mental and physical health suffer as a result. Do something productive for yourself today. Have some acupuncture - you'll eliminate stress and lose those extra pounds as an added bonus!

Boost Your Exercise Performance With Acupuncture

2012-02-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

Dopamine is the hormone that clears your mind, gets you motivated, helps with sexual gratification, memory, learning and focus. It is dompamine that aids athletes to push themselves harder and overcome the mental fatigue and stress that come with extreme training.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Just one acupuncture can increase your levels of dopamine and give you that 'umph' you've been looking for during your workouts or sporting activities. Acupuncture is drug free and has no side effects. Make an appointment today and get a dose of dopamine.

Getting Back Into Your Fat Pants Can Be A Good Thing!

2012-02-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

This morning, I pulled a pair of my old 'fat pants' out of the closet to see if and how they would fit. They fit really well and I was so happy! WHY??? Because my 'REALLY fat pants' were becoming too big on me. Now, I'm back to being into my 'just fat pants'. This is a transitional phase: I hope that in another 4 weeks or so, I will be ready to wear my 'normal' pants again.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Weight loss and fitness doesn't' happen in a day; it's a process. Take baby steps - create small goals every week for yourself and you'll be surprised what giant leaps you make over time! All my patients in my Wellness Program have lost between 6 and 18 pounds since January 3rd. I'm on the party wagon to wellness with them. If you want to get out of your REALLY FAT PANTS and back into your 'just fat pants', contact the office and sign up for the best program of your life...today!

Back To Running; Take It Slow

2012-01-31T07:03:00.000-05:00

Last week, I ventured onto the treadmill for the first time in quite a while. I decided not to go too crazy(since I've already been quite active aerobically) and just see how I felt after a short spell. After briskly walking for 5 minutes, I began running at a very slow 13 minute mile. I've changed my gait to allow less weight on my knees with every foot strike, so I was adjusting to this new running style. After several minutes, I adjusted the machine to allow for a 10 minute mile. I ran the mile and cooled down with more brisk walking.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you haven't been running for some time, take it slow in the beginning and gauge how you feel, your gait and how you feel the following day. Work from there as your baseline. No exercise activity should cause you pain or inability to walk, bend or function properly post workout day. If you build your strength, endurance and aerobic capacities gradually, you will prevent injury and increase your overall workout in no time!

Get Rid Of That Spare Tire Around Your Waist Today

2012-01-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

For all you folks out there carrying around that spare tire around your waist - no time like the present to get rid of it. Abdominal fat can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and overall malaise. Hypertension and inflammation have also been linked to abdominal fat. Situps alone won't do it for you.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you're walking around like the Michelin Man and would like to get rid of that spare tire of fat around your waist, enroll today in a cardio program and start melting that waist away!

Fat Free Friday

2012-01-27T09:27:00.000-05:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: We've all heard about Meatless Mondays. Today, I'm going to suggest Fat Free Friday. If you make every Friday a fat free day and your day to eat healthy before the onslaught of the weekend pizzas, wings and everything else that goes with winter television/bar sports, you might just think twice about messing it all up on Saturday and Sunday. Try it on today and see what happens over the weekend!

My AARP Card

2012-01-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it finally came in the mail yesterday....my very own AARP card. I have mixed feelings about this card. Great discounts, no doubt, come with the membership. On the other hand, it reminds me that I'm not 25 years old (and forget that '50 is the new 30' crap!). So, here's my advice for all you 'goldens' out there today:

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Have you just received your very own AARP card in the mail like I have? Well, if you haven't gotten onto the wellness wagon yet, I suggest that there's no better time than the present! I'm still kicking a heavy bag, doing serious cardio, riding a motorcycle, and doing everything in life that comes my way...and ,in most cases, better, faseter and harder than most 25 year olds out there. So, don't be a loser in life - hop onto my wellness wagon and you'll have the ride of your life!

Acupuncture Study Brings Hope for Parkinson's Patients

2012-01-25T14:21:00.000-05:00

Acupuncture Today,(Feb 2012, VOl 1, No 2) has reported that a current research study, funded by the Michael J. Fox Foudation for Parkinson's Disease, will deal with the most debilitating side effect of the disease which is fatigue. Parkinson's patients experience chronic fatigue, which does not improve with rest or medication. This study's objective to prove that acupuncture can help alleviate the chronic fatigue in Parkinson's patients.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: The WHO (World Health Organization) has determined that acupuncture is highly effective in the treatment of fatigue. I have treated many patients with autoimmune diseases, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease for various symptoms, including fatigue - all with great success. I utilize the basic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine that are thousands of years old. Treatment is drug free and there are no side effects. If you or someone you know is suffering from chronic fatigue, contact my office at 917-701-7582 or k@kmondesire.com . Take control of your life today!

Almond Milk...Give It a Try

2012-01-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

I purchased almond milk the other day and finally broke open the container to give it a taste....pretty tasty!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Almond milk per 1 cup serving contains:
60 calories, no saturated or trans fat. total fat 2.5g, no cholesterol, 8g carbs, 1g dietary fiber, 7g sugar and 1g protein. 10% vit A, 30% calcium, 50% vit E and 2% iron. It's lactose free, vegan, non dairy. It's pretty tasty in my tea and good for the diet. Try it, you might like it!

It's Monday, So What Did You Do With You Weekend?

2012-01-23T10:44:00.000-05:00

It's Monday and so what have you done with your weekend? Did you play in the snow, go to the gym, take a long winter's day walk, eat right? Or, did you slouch around the house, eat donuts, watch the football games accompanied by beer, pizza, hotdogs and other fairly derelict foods?
It's Monday and back to the work week. How do you feel? If you're feeling sluggish, bloated, fatigued and generally frumpy; I certainly doubt you lived a healthy two days. If you're up to your game and going strong this Monday morning, then you must have done a few things right over the past two days.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: The weekend doesn't mean it's time to go crazy after all the hard work you've put into your diet and exercise regime all week. Everyone is allowed a rest day and a 'cheat' meal. It doesn't mean you should go crazy and eat the whole pizza, 5 wings, 6 beers and whatever else you stuffed into your mouth over the weekend. It means to have a really nice meal, sitting down at a table like a civilized person, and enjoying that fabulous meal with some wine, music and good company. Like I said...how do you feel today? You feel and look like what you eat and how you maintain your lifestyle - think about it and go look in the mirror for your answer.

Gung Hay Fat Choy It's The Year Of The Dragon

2012-01-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy! It's the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon! If you were born in the years 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, or 2000, then you are a dragon. The Dragon represents good fortune and intense power. People born in Dragon years are usually those in positions of honor and generally are respected. Dragons are free spirits and tend to be colorful, flamboyant and extroverted (although they can be rather solitary at heart). Dragons are successful but need to be careful they do not burn out or leave tasks undone.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Enjoy the festivities this weekend and if you are a Dragon....Happy New Year To you!

Cigarette Smoking Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

2012-01-19T16:20:00.000-05:00

Cigarette smoking not only causes cancer. When you smoke, you stink and reek of tobacco. You look extremely foolish with a smoking stick hanging out of your mouth. Cigarette smoking inhibits lung capacity, hinders blood circulationa and recent studies have shown that nicotine contributes to erectile dysfunction.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Cigarette smoking has detrimental effects on a person socially and physically. Don't be a stinking social deviant. Healthwise: Cigarette smoking inhibits lung capacity, hinders blood circulationa and recent studies have shown that nicotine contributes to erectile dysfunction. Acupuncture can help you quit the habit! Call or email the office today and take control of your addiction. 917-701-7582. k@kmondesire.com

Making Exercising Fun With The Kids

2012-01-18T09:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, so you want to exercise, but you also need to spend time with your children. You can do both at the same time. Did you know that American children are becoming more and more obese each year and suffer from diabetes because they are overweight and do not exercise? This is the fault of the parents, not the child. Children need to exercise and eat healthy, low fat meals. So, instead of placing them in front of a computer, television or mp3 player, introduce them to better lifestyle habits while they are still young. If your child is obese or has diabetes, it's YOUR fault...so do something about it today.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Make exercise an important part of your family's day. Give your kids a chance to be healthy and fit while they are still young and haven't formed lazy habits. Shaun T. (the creator of 'Insanity' exercise program) has created a wonderful dvd series for parents and children to work out together. Make fitness a fun family activity. Order your dvds today and get your kids off the couch!

§ http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDFKDVD2101?referringRepId=11444813

Acupuncture For General Wellness

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

We're going into the 3rd week of the New Year and I hope everyone out there is staying on track with their health and wellness goals. Here at the clinic, my patients who have been coming in for their regular weekly treatments are steadily losing weight, throwing away the cigarettes, and feeling a whole lot better than they did at the beginning of the year.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: regular acupuncture treatments can help you lose weight, stop smoking, eliminate the migraines, the nightsweats and much more. Call or email the office today and make an appointment. Start taking control of your life with a drug-free and effective treatment.

It's a Long Weekend, So Stay Focused On Your Goals

2012-01-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

MLK Day is this coming Monday and we've arrived at the first long weekend since the big holidays...oh boy! A whole 2 weeks!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Stay focused on your health and wellness goals this weekend. The 4 day respite is no excuse to go off your health and wellness program - you've only been at it for two weeks, after all. The office will be closed Monday for the holiday, so stay tu;ned for Tuesday and more fun blogging!

Staying With Your Resolutions

2012-01-12T12:26:00.000-05:00

I'm well into week 2 of my Insanity 90 Day Challenge. Exercising to these dvds 6 days a week and abstaining from alcohol and gluten (my own self-inflicted torture) and partaking in a very clean dietary regime is hard work. It takes planning meals, shopping wisely and a daily lunch bucket to schlep to the office. At the end of each day, I feel better than the previous day and proud of myself to stick with the program. I am a team leader and coach for Beachbody.com and I have a few people doing this challenge with me....we're all in it as a team - encouraging oneanother and checking in on the internet daily to keep ourselves going strong. I'm loving the experience and the enthusiasm of the group is uplifting.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you're feeling lonely and losing your momentum with your New Year's regime, pick up the phone or get onto the internet - create a team, join a team or if you like, join my Beachbody.com team. You don't have to being doing one of the beachbody programs. You can do your own thing and check in with me daily or weekly. YOU GET FREE COACHING! How can you beat it?
log onto www.teambeachbody.com/kmondesire and join my group. We'll help you achieve your fitness and health goals!

Are You A Champion?

2012-01-11T08:43:00.000-05:00

Champions are not born; they are made. Courage, determination, perseverance - these are the ingredients that go into making a champion. These aspects are your allies in your battle against disease, obesity, mental illness, or rehabilitation from an injury. Everyone possesses these essential elements within themselves; they sometimes need to be coaxed out to our consciousness.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Do you have what it takes to be a champion? Every day, we all fight a small battle against disease, obesity, mental illness or other physical injury. Look into the mirror and find your courage, determination, and persevere. At the end of the day, you will be a winner; the champion of your own well being - both mentally and physically.

Perseverence Gets You To Your Goals

2012-01-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

The first week of my 90 day fitness challenge came to a close yesterday. It was a week filled with an Insanity exercise workout everyday and creative cooking to make low fat meals sophisticated and delicious. Coming out of week one and into the second week of this challenge, I'm feeling pretty good, not only physically, but mentally. Placing myself into the mindset of 'I can' and being team leader has given me the impetus to persevere and reach my goal. What I find quite intriguing is that the more people I tell about this challenge, the more encouragement I receive from friends to complete strangers. Conversely, the more I talk about my journey, the more 'pumped' my listening audience becomes to maintain their focus on their own health and fitness goals.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you have promised yourself to stay with your New Year's Resolution of fitness and you find yourself struggling after week one, share your journey with everyone you know....and don't know. You will find more 'cheerleaders' out there for your team than you can imagine. A team in your 'corner' will help keep you on course and encourage you to achieve your goals.

Join My Beachbody Insanity Challenge

2012-01-06T09:17:00.000-05:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Some readers have contacted me to find out how they can become involved with my Insanity Challenge. Here's all you have to do: go to www.teambeachbody.com/kmondesire Sign up for your free membership. I will automatically become your coach.
Then, log onto http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/Insanity?referringRepId=114448 to order your copy of Insanity. "friend" me on facebook (I'm under Kelley Mondesire') and I'll get you into our team group. You'll be part of something very special with a fantastic energy. It will cost less than a month's gym membership, and you'll have these dvds to work out with in the privacy of your own home...no weights, bands or apparatus needed - just the space of a yoga mat! Join a winning team today and by the 2nd week of April, you look and feel much better than you do now!!!

Leading The Insanity 90 Day Challenge

2012-01-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

Somehow (and as usual), I've become the Leader of an Insanity 90 Day Challenge. People from all over the United States have joined my cyber exercise challenge and for the next 90 days; they have committed themselves to doing the program and being the very best they can health-wise. Since I'm their leader, I'm doing the same. It's been a long time since I've truly committed myself to a specific goal and I'm up to the challenge. I'm going to workout 6 days/week for the next 90 days, be quite mindful of my caloric intake, abstain from acohol, and try to be as gluten-free as possible. I will inspire, guide, coach and encourage my teammates to achieve their goals. It's only been 3 days into the challenge, and already I've been receiving emails from folks who are 'alarmed' that my new challenge will affect their socialization with me....interesting, very interesting. After years of maintaining an extremely spartan lifestyle while being a full combat Muay Thai fighter, I know how to socialize and enjoy myself without indulging in fatty meals or alcohol. After all, if you didn't have the option of indulging, you wouldn't be missing the item anyhow...right? So, it's mind over matter. It gave me food for thought and I'll share it with you today...

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Leadership requires integrity, honor, focus, self-discipline and accountability. You are Your Word....period. A great leader leads by example. Followers are like leaves in the wind; swishing and swashing whichever way is easiest. Ask yourself today - are you a leader or a follower?

Happy New Year

2012-01-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

I'm back from a much-needed holiday. 8 days of sun, sleep, yoga and other relaxing activities has me recharged and ready for another year! I tried something new while I was away...a Mexican Indian TeMexcal...an Indian sweat lodge. This traditional Indian ceremonial sweat lodge detoxes and purifies both the mind and the body. My partner and I spent about 90 minutes in this lodge with a Mexican Indian who led the ceremonial cleanse. Afterward, we both had a wonderful massage on the beach; leaving us both feeling relaxed, detoxed, and every bone and muscle in our bodies feeling like they were 10 years old again. Although my partner kept referring to the sweat lodge as the 'pizza oven' because of its physical architecture, he also benefitted from trying on something very new.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: It's a New Year. Don't be stuffy, stale and boring this year. Try something new each day in your life. Go to work on a different route, try eating a different type of bread, mix up your workout routine. Above eveything else, make time for yourselves this year. Take a day or even a few hours for yourselves - no matter what it is. Downtime is just as important for our health as any other moment of the day!

Happy Holidays - We're Goin' Fishing!

2011-12-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

We're closing the doors for a week and we're off to swim with dolphins, catch some rays, fish, play some golf and recharge our mental and physical batteries. That means there will be no blog until January 4th.

Here's Your Healthy Tip for the Next Week: behave yourselves out there! Have fun, be safe, be healthy and don't drink and drive. Stay tuned for more healthy tips in the new year!

It's Wintertime....Avoid the Blues

2011-12-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Avoid those wintertime doldrums and blues. Take up an indoor hobby, get together once a week with some friends to have a fun workout session or just for a coffee and chat. Don't forget to make an appointment to see your favorite acupuncturist for an immune-boosting and mood-boosting treatment today!

Food Safety Tips

2011-12-21T11:30:00.000-05:00

I've never been fond of potluck dinners or holiday homemade buffets for several reasons. I don't know what ingredients went into each dish - too much salt, red meat, pork...whatever ingredient I am allergic to, it's usually 'hidden' in one of those dishes. The second reason why I'm never happy about potluck/community buffet is...how do I know the cleanliness of the kitchen or preparation of the food? How many times have any of us become super ill from eating a salad at a fine restaurant? Well, how about eating the dish prepared by the woman sitting at the table across from you who is playing with her hair with one hand, while eating with the other??? It's enough to make anyone ill just thinking about it. Here are a few tips to keep you from becoming severely ill at the next 'community cook' dinner party:

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If food is left out of the refrigerator for over 2 hours, dump it. The two hours includes the time anyone has taken to transport the food without proper refrigeration. Bacteria have multiplied to an unhealthy level and could make you super sick. Before and after handling food, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you notice someone using their personal fork to help themselves to seconds, while eating with the same fork, do not eat any food from that serving tray and remind them of their manners. Their barbarism today is your stomach poisoning tomorrow.

Holiday Health Tips

2011-12-20T10:48:00.000-05:00

Quite often, people tell me how they will skip breakfast and lunch during the holidays because they are going out to another dinner party. Skipping meals is not only counterproductive to maintaining a healthy weight and blood sugar during the holidays, but it is detrimental to your immune system. The nutrients we get from our everyday fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein shakes is what makes for a healthy immune system. If you do not eat a normal breakfast and lunch, you will be famished by dinnertime and overindulge. You will also be compromsing your immune system and if you become ill, that will be the end of the partying for you!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Don't be a Dummy! During this holiday season, start every day with a healthy breakfast, segway into a sensible lunch; later on, at those holiday dinner parties, you won't be famished - you'll eat sensibly and your immune system will thank you for it!

Acupuncture For Knee Pain

2011-12-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

As usual, I overdid it recently. Too much jumping, kicking and of course...those 4" heels - all contributed to some achey and painful knees. What's an acupuncturist to do? I went to my colleague for treatment. Before seeing her, I could not ascend or descend stairs at all. Squats were out of the question as well as any type of aerobic activity. One day after treatment, I was able to walk with no pain. Stairs were still a bit tricky. Two days after treatment, I was back to jumping, kicking and the stairs have been no problem at all. O.K., I'll lay off the heels for another day or so...

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: There is a good reason why my patients are referred to me by orthopedic surgeons. It is to PREVENT surgery. Acuupuncture is highly effective for knee pain. We just don't treat the knees, we treat the root cause of the pain (which sometimes can be coming from either the feet or the thoracic spine). If you are experiencing knee pain and are tired of being miserable, call or email the office today. 917-701-7582 k@kmondesire.com

Seeds....Not Just For The Birds

2011-12-16T08:57:00.000-05:00

Unless you have a digestive issue, seeds can be a great source of nutrients and protein...a tip for the vegans and vegetarians out there today. Here's the skinny on some seeds that are suprisingly power-packed with good stuff:
Chia - not just a 'pet plant'. Chia seeds contain manganese and calcium. High in fiber, they are tasty when sprinkled over oatmeal, a salad or yogurt.
Pumpkin - full of zinc and magnesium...pretty cheap eats as well.
Hemp - 11 grams of protein in 1oz of hemp seeds. Good to add into a fruit shake, protein shake or a great afternoon snack to boost the energy.
Sunflower - loaded with antioxidants.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Seeds can be a great source of vitamins, minerals and protein and contain good fats. Added onto a salad, yogurt or as an afternoon snack, seeds can get you thru a mid-morning or afternoon energy dip. But beware: like any other food, if you eat too many, they can become fattening.

Quack, Quack....Duck is Good For You

2011-12-15T10:24:00.000-05:00

For the folks out there that are not red meat eaters and are tired of chicken and turkey - here's some good news about duck. A cupful of skinless duck contains 33 grams of protein and only 281 calories. It contains more iron, zinc and copper than chicken or turkey (source: Mens' Health Dec 2011).

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: It's Duck Season! You can grill it, roast it, chop it, grind it and make every single dish with duck breast that you would with chicken or turkey. If you're lucky enough to get a whole duck, then place it skinless on a rack in a pan with 1/3 water and roast it at 400 degrees farenheit. Any fat will drip from the duck into the hot water bath. It's delicious and nutritious!

Getting Involved Keeps You Fit

2011-12-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

Joining a group to workout - whether it's for a charitable cause, or to run a race, row during an event or any other contest or trial - it stirs up integrity, commitment and accounatability. When you commit to a group event, you commit to your workouts. This will keep you fit and in shape. Nobody wants to be the quitter in a group that is working towards a goal. Conversely, it is the group support that will keep you honest and boost your ego to work harder towards the common goal of the mass.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you feel lost in your workout schedule, don't seem to have a goal, or feel alone in your fitness journey - join a group. Camraderie can be key to your fitness goals. There are many other people out there just like YOU who are also looking for a fitness buddy. Start at this website: https://teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=114448 This is my online team and it's free! I'll hook you up with some really great cyber workout buddies and who knows....one of these folks might just be in your neighborhood. The camraderie of the group is amazing and we support one another thru our achievements, setbacks and everyday struggles to stay fit, healthy and happy!

Want To Live Longer?

2011-12-13T09:43:00.000-05:00

The Lancet just published a report stating that just 15 minutes of exercise daily can stretch 3 more years to your life.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Exercise is good for prevention of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Just like taking vitamins, a daily dose of exercise is good for you! Try some today.

Gratitude, Friendship and Love

2011-12-12T10:55:00.000-05:00

I celebrated my birthday over the weekend. Today, I am filled with love and gratitude to all the well wishers who took a little time out from their own busy holiday schedules to make me feel special. Those very special loved ones in my life made my day the most lovely and memorable.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Honor and cherish those around you who fill your life with love. Burn into your brain a mother's embrace, a lover's kiss and a friend's devotion.

Gift Certificates Available

2011-12-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: gift certificates make holiday giving easier and more meaningful. Give the gift of health and wellness to that someone special. Call or email the office today. 917-701-7582 k@kmondesire.com Gift certificates can be mailed directly to the recipient or sent directly to you.

Martial Arts Is Good For Your Brain

2011-12-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport has recently published an article stating that martial arts training forces your brain to develop its area for concentration and memory. Having trained in martial arts for years, I can tell you from experience when you are in the ring with an opponent, not only can you hear each and every comment being shouted in the audience, but you can also hear your trainer speaking to you from the corner as if there were no one else in the space. You can also hear the quietness of you own breath as you observe each and every minute movement your opponent makes. Quite the transcendental experience to be simple about it.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Want to get into great shape and sharpen your memory and concentration? Start practicing martial arts - from Tai Chi (gentle slow movements) to full contact MMA - you just can't beat the combination. Just make sure you learn how to block and if engaging in full contact, wear protective headgear, please!

Fructose is Everywhere, So Beware!

2011-12-07T09:54:00.000-05:00

I was reading an article on fructose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). I was astonished to find this fact: the average American should only ingest 40 lbs of sugar per year. In truth, the average American is ingesting 140 lbs of sugar yearly! It seems fructose is added to just about everything these days: fruit juices, most processed foods, jams, soda pop, crackers, and bread. Fructose in the form of HFCS is metabolised in the liver and, unlike a natural form of fructose (eg: an apple contains fiber and fructose and thereby is metabolised slowly by the body), it has no nutritional value. It doesn't trigger insulin, create glucose (energy) and inhibits leptin (this is what makes your body think you are full). Baby formula contains HFCS....think about all the obese babies we have in the USA today; how did they get so fat at 6 months of age?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Consume all natural and fresh foods whenever you can. When you do your grocery shopping, start looking at the labels. If you see high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an ingredient, put the item back on the shelf. You'll be putting less garbage in your body and doing yourself a huge favor.

Serenity During the Holiday Madness

2011-12-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

My office has been a bit busier the past month. New clients are coming in every day because they have read or heard from someone that acupuncture can truly relax and destress a person. Yes - this is very true. These 'newbies' to acupuncture not only leave feeling relaxed, but are also finding out that during follow up sessions, their hypothyroidism, heart health, diabetes, M.S. and many other pathologies can be treated drug free with acupuncture.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Call or email the office today and make an appointment to destress yourself. Give the gift of wellness to the most important person in your life - you!

Holiday Overindulgence is Out of Fashion

2011-12-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

Gorging yourself on pounds of cookies, treats and enormous plates of food is not only gluttony, but unattractive. Those treats and foods are available all year; why go crazy during the month of December?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Obesity and gluttony are unattractive. It's truly bad manners to overstuff yourself - save some for others. If you just HAVE to taste all the cookies and treats, cut them in half or a quarter and share with others. You'll have your taste and everyone can share the goodies without going overboard. Have a few cocktails, but don't be the person at the end of the party who needs someone to call a cab (for the __th time). Have a seltzer water or glass of water for every cocktail; pacing yourself will ensure you have a nice time without wearing someone's lampshade on your way out of the party!

Gift Certificates Available

2011-12-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: What better way to show you care? Give the gift of health, wellness and facial rejuvenation. Available in all denominations and certificates can be mailed directly to the recipient. Call or email the office today. 917-701-7582 k@kmondesire.com

The New Coconut Oil

2011-12-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

I found this piece of information useful and interesting as an amateur chef... a spokesperson from the American Dietetic Association has stated that unrefined virgin coconut oil (available in many health food stores) is not chemically treated and is trans-fat free. The primary saturated fat in unrefined virgin coconut oil is lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid that can help increase levels of HDL (the good cholesterol).

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you've been savvy to unrefined virgin coconut oil and would like to share your thoughts and/or recipes with the rest of us, please do share! I'd like to know how to prepare a delicious and nutritious dish with this oil....Fancy Nancy...are you out there??? I KNOW you must be savvy on this one!

Being Overweight Can Really Cost You More At the Pump

2011-11-30T10:09:00.000-05:00

"A George Washington University study estimated that overweight individuals spend between $8 and $10 more a year on gas than those with lower BMIs. Obese people shell out an extra $21 to $23 to fill the tank. Why? Just as an SUV requires more gas to operate than a Smart car does because of its sheer size, it takes more fuel to transport heavier passengers."
Source: MSN Online 11.30.12

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: times are tough and the cost of all goods and services are more expensive than ever. Do your patriotic duty today....eat less, exercise more. In the long run, it will cost you less for food, medical bills and fuel. The money you save today could be tomorrow's vacation money!

The Best Gift You Can Give For the Holidays

2011-11-29T08:02:00.000-05:00

Don't know what to give to that person who's always whining that they need to lose weight, get healthy, exercise, etc? I'm making it really easy for you this year. Log onto my Wellness Page at http://www.kmondesire.com/wellnessprogram.html and you can purchase any Beachbody exercise program and have it delivered directly to that special person whose life needs a bit of tweaking...or treat yourself and get an exercise program of your very own! No wasted money on unused gym memberships - Beachbody has a program for men and women of all fitness levels; especially the beginners.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Go to this link http://www.kmondesire.com/wellnessprogram.html and give the gift of health, fun and wellness to someone special or yourself. Home exercise programs for all fitness levels that really do work! If you're not sure what will work best for you or that special person, just email or telephone me and together we will select the best holiday gift anyone could hope for!

Health and Reality

2011-11-28T12:11:00.000-05:00

Over the holiday weekend, I was chatting with a gentleman who recently was placed on anti-hypertension medication. He hadn't been to a physician in many years for a regular checkup and after speaking with him for a while, he still doesn't understand that his hypertension could have been avoided by small lifestyle changes over the years. My suggestions to alter his diet and alcohol consumption fell on deaf ears. I suggested that he seek an acupuncturist in his area and take his condition seriously. The reality is that his unhealthy lifestyle will contribute to increases in his medication over time and his risk of heart attack and stroke will increase proportionately.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you have been placed on medication for any condition; take this as a wake up call and do something proactive for your health. There's nothing worse than growing older and becoming so ill to the point where you've got bed sores, can't feed yourself, can't speak or can no longer walk. Get real, and wise up....get yourself into healthy lifestyles today and avoid medications and illness down the road.

What To Do With The Turkey Leftovers

2011-11-23T07:36:00.000-05:00

I'm allergic to turkey, and I don't care for most of the sides that are traditional to the holiday, so I have no worries about what to do with the leftovers. After you've eaten yourself silly on Thanksgiving and don't know where or how to pick up your healthy living on Friday, here are a few tips:

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Give all your guests doggie bags full of every item at the table that's fattening....you will remove all temptation from your home. Wake up on Friday and exercise before eating. This will move your metabolism and the fact that you've started your day on the right path will mean you will be less inclined to eat poorly. If you do have some turkey breast left over, chop it up with dried cranberries, celery, carrots and red onion. 3oz of this mixture stuffed in a pita with lettuce, tomato and a teaspoon of tsaziki sauce (it's yougurt, not mayo) will be a refreshing and low calorie lunch. You'll be satisfied, and will have enjoyed a delicious meal with no crazy calories involved. Last but not least...if you can manage it, go to a restaurant for your holiday meal. You will receive a meal, enjoy it and not even have to consider what to do with all the leftovers. The office will be closed for Thanksgiving and the following day. Whatever you do, be happy, safe and healthy. See you all next week!

Kidney Disease Can Be A Silent Killer

2011-11-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

More than 26 million Americans over age 20 suffer chronic kidney disease. This is approximately 13% of the American population. A yearly physical that includes a simple blood test and regular blood pressure checks can detect diminished kidney function in its early stages and allow a person to seek corrective treatment. Kidney disease quite often is the root cause of heart attack, stroke or osteoporosis and death.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you're being lazy and dragging your feet to your annual physical - don't! Your annual physical is crucial to maintaining good health. Blood test results assist your m.d. and me in the diagnosis and treatment of early stage disease. Remember, life is much better when you're healthy. Get your annual physical today.

Join My Beachbody Team

2011-11-21T10:52:00.000-05:00

My patients, neighbors and friends always ask me what I do for a workout because I'm full of energy and always participating in some sort of sport or activity...and I'm not all that young anymore. I've been telling them that for the most part, life after fighting in the ring means P90X and Insanity with some bagwork and jumping rope thrown in here and there. After months of telling people about my workouts and encouraging them to exercise, eat right and get healthy, I decided to become a Beachbody coach and start my own team.
Becoming a member of my team means you sign up for free, you email or call me for free encouragement and talk about your workouts and progress and you get to 'mix' online with some awesome people at the private Team Strength and Might group. These are the people who encourage me everyday to be my best when working out. You'll also be able to order your workout programs online thru my team page and receive free shipping on certain products.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Want to start living life fully? Join my team today! It's free, it's fun and you'll be part of a goup that really has it going on!

Vitamin B12 and Acupuncture for Stress, Anxiety and Depression

2011-11-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

There's just so much stress and aggravation living and working in NYC these days; the holiday season doesn't help the situation. Many patients are coming in for de-stress sessions. Acupuncture calms the mind and body; helps relieve insomnia and helps with depression and anxiety disorders. Vitamin B12 keeps your nerve cells and red blood cells healthy. It aids in converting carbs into glucose in the body. This leads to energy production which decreases fatigue in the body. Healthy nerves mean reduced depression, stress and anxiety. As I write this blog, there is a patient on my table who was physically abused by OWS protestors trying to get to my office today. Quite upset by the experience - once the needles were in place, the patient became calm and is now asleep.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Do something good for yourself today - make an appointment for a de-stress acupuncture session. You'll feel great!

Salmon Chimichurri

2011-11-17T08:55:00.000-05:00

Fitness Rx magazine (Dec 2011) just published a great recipe for salmon. Low fat and delicious! serves 4.
Salmon Chimichurri
ingredients:
4 salmon filets, 4-6oz each
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1/4c extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4c fresh italian parsley leaves
1/4c fresh cilantro leaves

Grill or pan fry the salmon using PAM cooking spray. Pleace remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Spoon sauce over tops of cooked salmon and enjoy!
291 calories, 23.1g protein, 2.5g carbs,20.8g fat, 63mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Salmon is good for your skin, joints, bones, hormones and is full of Omega-3 fats...the GOOD fats. Share some today with your friends and don't forget...it's great for the dog too!

Exercise is Good for Your Brain

2011-11-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

Did you know that exercise can increase the 'mighty mitochondria' development in our brains? Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cells that convert energy from the foods we eat into energy for the body's daily functions. Mental function is very important as we age. The University of South Carolina recently published their findings that daily exercise on a treadmill increased mitochondrial development in the brain. This could help prevent age-related dementia. (Source: Jorunal of Applied Physiology, 8.4.2011)

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Forgot where you left the car keys? Forgot to pick the kids up after school? Can't remember what you had for lunch yesterday? Get on a treadmill everyday, cycle, or do some sort of exercise. It's good for your brain power!

Quiet Time is Healthy Time

2011-11-15T08:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday evening, I participated in a Japanese Tea Ceremony at a zendo. This is a lovely, quiet ceremony that celebrates the harvest of the tea, but is also a meditative occasion. One is given a sweet and a bowl of the finest green tea; but the preparation of the tea and presentation of the sweet and tea to the guests is an art unto itself. We had a few moments of silent meditation to close the ceremony, and during this time, I shut out everything and everyone around me to cherish those minutes of quiet solitude. All thoughts silenced; there remained only the breath. When the wood blocks were clapped to signify the end of the meditation period, I rose and realized how calm, relaxed and 'nice' I felt. I felt clean and refreshed; the remainder of my evening was joyous.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: A few minutes every day of just simple quiet time to yourself can do wonders for your health. A little meditative breathing can help to regulate the heartbeat and lower the blood pressure. It can help to clear your mind and shut down that 'silly voice' in your head that does nothing but ramble on and on all day long. If you are ever lucky and privileged to be invited to a Japanese tea ceremony, attend with an open mind. It is truly something special to be part of; thank you, Zensho and Yasuko for the honor!

Celery Root Puree

2011-11-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

Eating Well Magazine just published a yummy recipe for celery root puree (Nov/Dec 2011, eatingwell.com) that I really think is worth sharing. I've been making celery root puree for years and a great tip is to add nutmeg or cinnamon to the recipe (just a pinch goes a long way!).
Celery Root Puree
(8 servings/ 1/2c each active time: 30 min to make ahead, cover for up to 2 days in refrigerator, slowly reheat on the stovetop, adding a bit of milk or water if needed.)
4c low-fat milk
3c water
3lbs celery root, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2tblsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tspn sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste, nutmeg and/or cinnamon to taste

Bring milk, water and celery root to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until very tender, about 30 minutes. reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain. Puree the celery root, butter, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth and the consistency of thinned mashed potatoes. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid, if necessary, for the right consistency (like mashed potatoes...no lumps!). Garnish with sprinkled ground nutmeg or cinnamon.
per serving: 81 calories, 3g fat (2g sat, 1g mono), 9mg cholesterol, 11g carbs, 0g added sugars, 2g protein, 2g fibre, 192 mg sodium, 368 mg potassium.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Celery Root puree is a wonderful and healthy alternative to mashed potates with zero added sugars. Check out the recipe today!

Sleep Deprivation Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

2011-11-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

The Journal of the AMA (American Medical Association) has stated that persons who only sleep 4 hours per night for just one week produced 1/2 the anti-flu antibodies compared to subjects who achieved 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours of sleep each evening. Ladies...want to look good? Get some sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major cause for flabby elasticity of skin, lack of moisture and turgor of the skin, and exaggerates fine lines and wrinkles. Less than 5 hours of sleep per evening can lead to that 'spare tire' around your middle....not very attractive either. Let's not forget that when we're groggy during the day, we tend to trip, fall and bump into objects moreso than if we were completely alert.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Get some sleep. Turn off the television and the noise in your head. If you have a problem with sleep, call or email the office today and make an appointment. Acupuncture and herbal formulas are well-known to successfully treat all types of insomnia.

Pears Are Good For You

2011-11-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

Did you know that in Traditional Chinese medicine, we eat pears to cool the lungs and throat when experiencing a hot scratchy sore throat accompanied by cough? Pears are loaded with fiber, which fights cholesterol and also contains vitamin K (which helps to build bones).

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If the idea of fruit isn't your game, here's a nice twist on the pear for you.
Roasted Pears with Brie and Pistachios
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a few pears in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet sprayed with a bit of PAM. Cook pears until a bit soft, but not mushy (about 10 minutes). Add a sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper, sea salt, and few thin slices of brie on top of each pear half. Sprinkle on roughly chopped pistachio nuts. Bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Fabulous as an appetizer or even a dessert!

Join a Food Club

2011-11-09T09:02:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting idea I was reading about just yesterday: a food club. What's a food club? A food club is a group of friends, family and/or neighbors who contribute a certain amount of money per month into a kitty so that natural foods can be purchased from distributors and local farmers at a wholesale price. By pooling a little bit of time and finances, hight quality and healthy food can be purchased for an overall savings of 25%. The food is delivered weekly to a central dropoff location and each member gets their share of the goodies.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Natural and healthy food is expensive (just go to Whole Foods for sticker shock). If you and your friends would like to form your own food group, it's not that difficult and can be a lot of fun! Check out foodclub.org or localfoodclub.org today and start your own foodie group!

Quality Counts

2011-11-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

This morning, I decided to be frugal with my breakfast. I had some leftover protein powder, greens and amino acids that I had been taking before I discovered Shakeology. So, in the true French tradition, I decided not to waste this stuff and switch my protein shake for the day. What a mistake! I was hungry an hour after breakfast and felt like I was 'missing' something from my nutritional intake.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: When it comes to nutrition, don't be cheap! Buy the best quality you can on your budget. You won't regret it! http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/kmondesire

Montel Williams Living With Multiple Sclerosis

2011-11-07T14:37:00.000-05:00

Montel Williams, the television presenter, has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for the past 10 years or so. Montel has changed his lifestyle dramatically since his initial diagnosis. He has adopted a daily vigorous exercise program combined with spiritual and dietary changes. He gave up salt, sugar, wheat, redmeat and junk food, for example, and has embraced olive oil, fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains. Montel's spirit and joie de vivre is a stellar example of how a person can be given a diagnosis of an incurable disease and turn it into a positive rehabilitative experience. He's taken up snowboarding and martial arts and is an avid walker...not bad for someone who was told he'd be in a wheelchair or dead within a short period of time.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Life presents its challenges, especially to those who suffer with M.S. Acupuncture can greatly reduce some of the symptoms experienced by M.S. patients. Neurological pain, heat, hot flashes and headaches can all be eliminated with acupuncture and herbal formulas. I know, because I have helped many patients with M.S. who couldn't walk without pain. They are now back to work, practicing yoga, swimming and enjoying a high quality of life. Pass this information on to everyone you know...Acupuncture for Multiple Sclerosis can make a difference in someone's life!

The Mighty Tree

2011-11-04T08:54:00.000-04:00

Today, here is a little story about why being able to change and adapt is necessary for good health:
There was a mighty tree in a field, surrounded by smaller trees. The mghty tree so so proud of his huge limbs and sturdy trunk - he stood so straight and tall; bowing to no one. The smaller trees in the field would sway and dance to the changing daily winds. The mighty tree would laugh and scowl at the smaller trees; calling them weak and feeble to sway and bow to the changing daily winds. He stood straight and tall - immobile and unheeding to those winds. One day, a mighty wind blew across the field. It blew and blew. The smaller trees bent and swayed to the wind. The mighty tree held his ground and fought the changing wind. Eventually, his limbs snapped off, his mighty trunk cracked and he fell to the ground - broken into many pieces. The mighty tree was dead. The parks dept. crew came and turned him into mulch. The smaller trees shook their leaves - this was a good reminder why they bent to the winds of change.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: I see many people who hold onto their old habits which are not good for them mentally and physically. If you do not bend and adapt to change, your mental and physical wellbeing will suffer in the long run. Be a supple tree!

Acupuncture Can Take The Heat Out Of Your Head

2011-11-03T10:37:00.000-04:00

I have many patients in my practice who are on a variety of anti-anxiety/anit-depressants. One of the side effects of these drugs is a feeling of tremendous heat rushing to the head accompanied by terrific body sweats. Acupuncture is known to alleviate all these symptoms related to these drugs; just as we can reduce hot flashes resultant from menopause, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you are suffering from the side effects of anti-depressants/anti-anxiety drugs and just can't stand that feeling of heat rushing to your head and the body sweats that accompany the heat, come in for an acupuncture treatment. You'll relax, cool down and calm down - the drug free way!

Wake Up To Life

2011-11-02T12:55:00.000-04:00

Many of us walk around with blinders or 'tunnelvision'. We only see and perceive a very small percentage of what's going on in our world. This is due to ignorance, fear or apathy in general. The same goes for health. Putting blinders on to your health can be detrimental to your well being and mortality.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you are experiencing a general feeling of malaise, don't ignore the early signs of what could be a life-threatening or life-changing disease. Go get checked out. What can be just something very simple to deal with today could become a very serious condition in a few months if not addressed in the present.

Get Your Tax Credits Before the Year is Out

2011-11-01T14:29:00.000-04:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: The November Newsletter Is Here! Lose Weight, Stop Smoking and Receive a Tax Deduction For It! http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/my/newsletters/preview.php?nl_id=1411088855

Halloween Treat That's NOT a Cheat

2011-10-31T10:17:00.000-04:00

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Start your day the right way with a delicious and nutritious protein shake. Here's a Halloween treat that's definitely NOT a cheat! Order your own Shakeology at this link:

http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/kmondesire

Samhain or Happy Halloween

2011-10-27T08:24:00.000-04:00

Today, let's all have some fun! Here is the story of Samhain or Halloween (as you might know it):
Samhain was a Celtic holiday (the Celtic New Year) that included celebrations, bonfires, guising, divination, and represents the final harvest of the year. It also marks the end of Summer (the season of Light) and is the beginning of Winter (the season of Darkness). The eve of Samhain (Oct 31st) was the time where the souls of Purgatory walked between realities. A table setting was placed for the deceased of families at the tables; candles were burnt in windows so the souls should find their way home and food was put out so souls who had no home should have food while they continued their journey to heaven. The Catholics joined the partywagon around the 8th century and called the holiday All Saint's Day (later All Soul's Day); membership was low and this attracted more pagans into the Church...Bonfires and festivals marked the holiday of Samhain. Bonfires symbolized the 'light in the dark' and also served as part of a cleansing festival to mark the New Year. The custom of costumes and masks came from the peasants attempts to emulate the evil spirits, and drive them out (give 'em a bit of their own medicine!). Large turnips were hollowed out and evil looking faces carved to scare the evil spirits away. In the 16th century, children dressed in masks and costumes and went from door to door offering songs and entertainment in return for food, treats and coins (hence...trick or treat!). Fruits of the harvest (mainly apples) and nuts were used to determine a future spouse or the future of a marriage. Egg whites were used to determine the number of children to be born in a family.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: No matter what you do for Halloween, have fun and don't eat too much candy!! I'm off to Salem to play games, sing songs and talk to toads, so there will be no blog tomorrow. Happy Halloween, Happy Samhain, and if you see any dead people, be nice to them!

Acupuncture for Herniated Discs

2011-10-26T08:59:00.000-04:00

I treat quite a number of patients who have herniated discs typically ranging from L1-L5. Those persons who come for regular treatment, engage in lifestyle changes, and become proactive in their treatment strategy enjoy a wonderful and fairly pain-free quality of life. Those persons who do not take an active role in their health typically undergo surgery, which dramatically affects their quality of life and physical condition going forward. Their journey to good health becomes an extremely difficult process due to their lack of participation at the onset of diagnosis.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: My patients who live with herniated discs experience regular weekly treatments and particpate in my Wellness Program. These folks are riding bicycles, playing golf, swimming and enjoying a great life. If you are experiencing daily pain due to disc herniation, call or email the office today for an appointment and get yourself on the road to an active and pain-free life.
k@kmondesire.com 917-701-7582

The Simpler Things in Life

2011-10-25T08:53:00.000-04:00

This is my little friend, Jake. I visited Jake and his human over the weekend. A simple plushy toy that squeaked was all it took to make friends with Jake. In appreciation for his new 'baby', I got all the hugs I wanted from my new furry friend. Smiles and tail-wagging were abundant.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: It takes very little to make someone else happy; and sometimes, when you make another person or pet happy, what goes around comes around. You might be very surprised to see a huge smile on your own face. It's good business for your heart's health!

Acupuncture for Stroke

2011-10-24T13:17:00.000-04:00

For most people, stroke rehabilitation can be a very long and arduous journey. Acupuncture has long been used as a form of stroke rehab. Acupuncture therapy, when received on a regular basis can improve some of the physical debilitations of the stroke, but also improve the psychological and emotional state of the patient.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you or someone you know has suffered from a stroke, I encourage you to seek out acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation. In addition, acupuncture is quite effective in the treatment of the 'slouching face' that is so prevalent with Bell's Palsy. For more information, email the office at k@kmondesire.com today.

Acupuncture for the Acupuncturist

2011-10-21T08:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I went to see a colleague for my own acupuncture session. Yes, even I am affected by the change of weather; every injury I've ever sustained has come back to haunt me this past week. After my session, I felt so relaxed and free of any aches and pains; I was happy to go back to my office, have a nice cup of tea, lots of water and look forward to a good book at the end of my day.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: the weather is changing and the wind is picking up. Don't wait until you're achey-breaky; schedule an appointment today for an Autumn Tune Up. You'll feel wonderful, and your immune system will get a boost, so you'll be able to fight off any typical Autumn colds.
k@kmondesire.com 917-701-7582

Just When You Thought You'd Get Lazy

2011-10-20T09:48:00.000-04:00

Quite often, we get tired of waking up, exercising, eating right, blah, blah blah....me too, included. How wonderful it would be to go back to being 20years of age - rocket fuel for energy, perky bodies, eat whatever you want and look fabulous in a bikini (never mind you guys out there today!). This morning, I received an email from a friend who attached a photo taken of me last night at a cultural event. I looked at the photo and I just thought, "I hope she doesn't post this on facebook". I hate the way I photograph....all I ever see is 'the hair wasn't right, I didn't get enough sleep, that dress makes me look like a linebacker', and the list of complaints goes on and on and on. So, there I was, on my pity pot and figured 'let's just get this over with', and reached for a skirt that I could no longer zip up last year. I had it cleaned anyway and stuck it in the closet for the 'I'll get back into it one day'. I held my breath and started to plan a giant pity party because I figured I'd be putting the skirt back into the closet for another year. Much to my surprise, the skirt not only fit, but there is plenty of room in the waist again. I flushed the pity pot, reached for the Insanity DVDs and put on my best lipstick. I'm ready to get back into the game today.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Forget the stupid photos and what we 'see'. We tend to only look for what's amiss with ourselves and are our own worst critics when it comes to self image. Judge instead, how your clothes fit, how you feel and when, at our age, people say 'you look so healthy', don't take hard (they used to say 'you look so sexy'), smile and realize that you look really, really good. All that hard work....getting up early, exercising, eating right, blah, blah, blah....is worth it in the end. I'm due for an updated press shot...are there any professional photographers out there??????

Treating Obesity as a Disease

2011-10-19T10:27:00.000-04:00

Per Medscape Medical News: October 7, 2011 (Orlando, Florida) — Physicians who specialize in treating obesity are conceding that education to promote prevention and lifestyle improvements will not be sufficient to reverse the obesity epidemic.

"We really need a Manhattan Project for medical treatment in the field of obesity--we need prevention, we need behavioral modification, we need more drugs, and we need to look at better indications for bariatric surgery," surgeon Dr John Morton (Stanford University, CA) said. Because of the negative social stigma attached to obesity, there is still a lot of reticence among patients, physicians, and the general public to support obesity treatments other than diet and exercise. That must change if the problem is going to be solved, Morton argued. "We need to mainstream the treatment of obesity. That's really the big thing here. We wouldn't be having this conversation around oncology or cardiology. It would just happen. Those patients would get treated."
I believe that gross obesity is like any other addiction (drugs, alcohol, cigarette smoking). Gross obesity is one's inability to 'say no' or cease a specific activity; eating becomes an addiction. This eating disorder, like any other disease, costs all of us in missed work days, higher costs of healthcare, and a nation of unhealthy persons. It has to be difficult for any person with an addiction to 'say no' when we live in a society where ads permeate every aspect of life (eg: alcohol ads, ads that advise you to 'tell your doctor you need this sedative', etc) and focus especially on food (eg: buy two pizzas and get a large soda for 1/2 price). Researchers have found that individuals who participate in a complete wellness program of diet, exercise and lifestyle change lose more weight and keep it off longer than those who partake in fad diets or 'weight loss' gimmicks. Psychological therapy is also recommended to get to the 'root cause' of the overeating addiction.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you (or someone you know) has an eating disorder, call or email my office today. Enroll yourself in my Wellness Program; a custom-designed program for healthy living. Take control of your life today and do something positive for yourself.
k@kmondesire.com 917-701-7582

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Shake

2011-10-18T10:19:00.000-04:00

It's October and pumpkins are everywhere...pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin butter, pumpkin candies....sometimes, the temptation is just too great. Here's a great low calorie, low fat, high in protein afternoon shake that will knock your socks off and knock out that craving for the pumpkin pie.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Shake
1 scoop Shakeology Chocolate Protein Powder (you can purchase this online at http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/kmondesire)
1/2 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup skim milk

Put all ingredients in a blender with a few ice cubes and blend until smooth. This one is OUTSTANDING!!! Enjoy!

BPA Linked to Prostate and Breast Cancer

2011-10-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical used to manufacture hard plastics. Food containers, reusable water bottles and some baby bottles are found to contain BPA. But BPA can permeate into the foods in these containers (especially acidic foods); particularly when the containers are scratched or heated. BPA recently has been possibly linked with prostate and breast cancer, infertility, diabetes and heart disease.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: use only reusable bottles made of glass, stainless steel or BPA-free plastic. A plastic bottles labeled with a '7' recycling code and not marked "BPA FREE" can contain the chemical. Aluminum bottles can be lined with BPA as well. Another caveat: acupuncture can greatly reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Contact my office today for more information.

'Designer' Your Food Plate

2011-10-14T09:16:00.000-04:00

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines have thrown out the food pyramid and replaced it with "MyPlate". Here's what our very own custom-designed food plates should look like:
1/2 the plate should contain fruits and vegetables, a bit over 1/4 of the plate should be whole grains, protein gets a bit less than a 1/4 of your plate, and add a glass of low-fat dairy or calcium-fortified soy milk. The servings are based on a 2.000 calorie per day diet.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the day....the breakdown:
grains: 6 daily portions in total. one portion is equal to 1/2c rice, oatmeal or pasta, 1inch slice baguette or hockey puck sized bagel.
dairy: 3 portions in total. one portion is equal to 1 c milk, yogurt or calcium fortified skim milk, 1/2c ricotta cheese or 1/3c shredded cheese, 1.5oz hard cheese.
fruits: 2 portions total. one portion is equal to 1c fresh fruit or juice, 1/2c dried fruit.
vegetables: 2.5 portions total. One portion equals 1c cooked or raw veggies, 2c salad greens, potatoes the size of a computer mouse.
protein: 5.5oz total. One portion equals 4oz fish, 3oz meat or poultry, 1/4c beans, one egg is an ounce, 2tblspns nut butter equals 2 oz protein.

Yummy Crab Roll

2011-10-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

Eating Well Magazine (July/Aug 2011) published this amazing recipe recently, and I thought I'd share it with you today:

Crab Roll makes 4 servings, 2/3c crap filling each

Ingredients:
1/4c low fat mayonnaise
1tblspn freshly grated lemon zest
3tblspn lemon juice
10 dashes hot sauce or Tobasco sauce
1/2 tspn freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tspn salt
1/4c finely chopped shallot
1/4c finely chopped celery
1/4c thinly sliced fresh chives, divided
12oz cooked crabmeat (approx 2c)
8 leaves red or green leaf lettuce
4 whole-wheat hot dog buns (toasted)

Directions: Whisk mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot sauce, pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Thoroughly mix in shallot, elery and 3 tbspns chives. Mix in crab very gently so it doesn't break up.
Line each un with lettuce and divide the crab filing among the buns. Garnish with remaining 1 tbspn chives.

Per Serving: 238 calories; 5g fat (1g sat, 1g mono), 102 mg cholesterol, 29g carbs, 4g aded sugars, 21g protein, 4g fiber, 716mg sodium, 269mg potassium.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: This is 4 servings, folks...It's really yummy, so just have one serving and share with your friends!

Apples Can Be More Than Boring

2011-10-12T09:25:00.000-04:00

Apples are boring, unless you do something fabulous with them. Here's a nice recipe for Whole Wheat Apple Muffins that isn't too bad on the calories; while being tasty and satisfying.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
1c all-purpose flour
1c whole wheat flour
1/4c sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1c lowfat milk
1/4oil
1 egg beaten
1c chopped golden delicious apples
1/2 chopped nuts

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice in a large bowl. Add milk, oil and egg; stir only until ingredients are blended. Fold in apples and nuts. Preheat over to 440F. Grease 12 muffin cups (or you can use PAM) and pour in batter until almost full. Bake about 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Per Muffin: 157 calories, 4g protein, 6g fat (1g sat), 2g fiber, 24g carbs, 122mg sodium.
Special thanks to Energy Times Nov/Dec 2010

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: If you're looking for something quick, easy, delicious and a bit different from the ordinary breakfast, whip up a dozen of these muffins and treat yourself to something yummy. Wrap the remaining muffins tightly and individually in saran wrap and freeze for another day!