A Caveat On Carbs

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Not all carbs are evil.  Carbs can be a wonderful source of energy and fuel, can aid in gastro-intestinal function and help with general daily bodily functions.  Choose your carbs wisely...they're not all bad!

The Psycho-Emotive of Training Successfully

Some folks ask me how I do what I do when I am injured, tired, or...just at my age manage to do what some 25 year olds could only dream of doing.  The answer is this:  I am a trained fighter.  I am trained to focus, not blink or shrink from an opponent, to show no emotion and stay clear on what my goals are.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you want to perform a sport better, train more efficiently or win a competition, you need to address the psychological and emotional side of who you are.  Imagery exercises can help you....stand in front of a mirror when you are alone and imagine you performing your sport, training or event.  Imagine how you will feel during the physical exertion;  drive your mind through the obstacles - both mental and physical and visualize yourself successfully finishing first in the race, scoring a 72 at the golf course, winning the fight and getting the prize.  Training your mind is equally as important when training your body for any sport or event.

For the Extreme Athletes Today

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

Power Walkers Can Burn More Calores By Adding One Action

Today, this is for all of you who walk for exercise.  Walking (and better still - power walking) not only burns calories, but is a great cardiovascular exercise without the impact to the joints more aggressive forms of exercise cause.  If you're a walker, here's a great way to increase your fat burning/cardio workout...

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Pick up a pair of Nordic Walking Poles and start using them on your walks.  These poles help to increase balance, stability, rhythym and add an upper body workout which will 'hit' all your arm and torso muscles.  You're already out there 'doing it', so why not do it to the max?

Results When You Least Expect Them

Me and my partner began our second 90 day round of P90X this week.  I never really pay attention to my progress; I just write down what I do that morning and mumble about it all being a nightmare at 6am every day.  Today, my workout buddy showed up with freshly printed workout log sheets for us...oh joy......He then told me to look back at what I did during week one (3 months ago).  I was really surprised.  I increased my weights from 7 or 9lbs to 13 and 17lbs.  I went from blue resistance bands to purple and I am entertaining the thought that I might actually be able to do a pullup on the bar.  Where I have just been doing this program day by day and not really giving results much thought at all, I've been curious lately when we meet people we haven't seen in a while.  The comment is 'you both look so healthy'.  I've always wanted to look 'elegant', but I suppose 'healthy' can be the new 'elegant'.  All sarcasm aside, I've just achieved some results when I least expected them, just by adhering to a proper exercise program.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Don't get discouraged over the short term.  Sure, there are going to be days and sometimes a week here and there where your schedule is upset, you become ill or life just gets you out of the regular routine of well being.  Pony up, pull up your boot straps and get on with your motis operandum.  The long term results will surprise you over time and after a while, people won't say 'you lost weight, you gained weight, you've got more grey, etc'.  They're going to say 'you look so healthy!'  It's really not a bad thing, you know....P90X is coming out with P90X2 in January.  Now that I'm starting to get serious about this morning routine, I'm going to pony up and get ready for the next generation of training!  This year, I turn 50.  I'm going to be the poster child for '50 is the new healthy'.  If you're 50 or older and would like to share your wellness stories and results, please write in and be an inspiration to others!

Just Do It!

Yesterday, I had some free time in the afternoon.  It was a magnificient summer day in Manhattan; the robin's egg blue sky and low humidity just made me wish I were somewhere on a golf course, by a lake or stream, or anywhere other than the city.  I had already done the P90X Plyometrics workout in the morning, so I had playtime at my disposal.  I dumped my work clothes and got into my shorts, t shirt and sneakers.  Mountain bike and me was all I needed.  I took a rapid but easy pace up the beautiful West Side Highway bike path and stopped off at 97th St to sit on a bench and just take in the sailboats, waterfowl and atmosphere of the park.  I could have gone up over the GW Bridge, but the objective was to go for a leisurely bike ride and enjoy the afternoon.  Sitting on the bench allowed me some mental detox time; the physical exercise was just a nice stretch of the legs.  At the end of the afternoon, I felt refreshed and so happy that I was able to just 'go out and play' on a nice day.  Even though I didn't get out of the Big Apple, the river view, the park and the silent solitude was like a mini vacation.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you have time to get out and play, then just do it!  Do it because you physically can participate in the activity and because you never know what tomorrow will bring.  We hear everyday so many stories about people becoming victims of terrible accidents, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural or man-made disasters that we should do all we can to make today the best it can be.  So, don't say to yourself "I'll do it tomorrow" when it comes to play (save that for cleaning the house or the garage), go out there today and JUST DO IT!

What To Eat Immediately After a Heavy Workout and WHY!!

Sometimes after a really long and busy day, I go to the gym and workout just to get my ole bag o' bones moving.  I'm not really there to give 'my all', but I'm there to get some cardio, stretch and afterward I always feel better.  This is not a heavy workout, so I keep my next meals of the day light.  But, when I do workout and give it 'my all', I try to be very good to myself and eat a small piece of fruit after all that exercise.  Why fruit?  Well, have you ever noticed that in many gyms, there are green or red apples for members as they exit the facility?  Here's why...
When you workout, your body uses carbohydrates that are stored in your liver and muscle for fuel.  These are called 'glycogen stores'.  This is why marathon runners and triathletes eat a pasta dinner 2 nights prior or one night prior to an event...to store rocket fuel for their endurance sport.  Strenuous activity uses up these glycogen stores and to ensure proper insulin and electrolyte balance, it is prudent to replenish these stores just after a workout.  Now, if it is 12 noon when you finish your strenuous exercise, pasta could be a good idea because you'll naturally work it off during the remainder of your busy day.  But if you're trying to knock off a few pounds or your workout is in the evening, heavy carb loading will actually cause you to GAIN weight, not lose it!  A simple piece of fruit (apples are absorbed quicker than any other fruit and it's a natural carb/sugar source) or Gatorade will be sufficient to keep your sugar and insulin levels balanced.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  throw a small apple into the gym bag if your sports facility doesn't have a bowl to offer its members.  If you don't like apples, then a small orange or clementine or pear is nice.  Bananas are always a great post workout fruit and provide an added source of potassium.  Drink water after your intense workout, have your fruit and guess what?  Most likely, you'll be less hungry after you shower and are ready for your next meal.  It's a win-win situation and an easy and inexpensive solution to energy drinks!

Acupuncture Improves Muscle Strength

Well, here's something all my patients know and I'll share it with the rest of you today!  Yes, it's true...just a single acupuncture treatment can improve your muscle strength significantly!  German researchers have concluded that just one acupuncture treatment can increase isometric quadriceps strength (that's your quads).  These results are important not only for athletic performance, but for rehabilitation of muscles and neuromuscular function.
Courtesy:  Journal of Chinese Medicine, No. 94, Oct 2010 (Immediate effects of acupuncture on strength performance:  a randomized, controlled crossover trial.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 May 25)

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you are training for that triathlon, marathon, 5k or just want to improve your weight training, make an appointment today for acupuncture.  You'd be amazed at the difference it will make for your overall performance!

Have You Completed the Wellness Program Questionaire Yet?

Oh, it's Friday and time to plan some weekend fun.  Whatever you do this weekend, dress appropriately and remember that just because it's a bit cold out there, that doesn't mean you slack off on the water intake!  Did you know that many people become severely dehydrated during the colder months because they forget to drink water and replenish their electrolytes?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  This is a great time to reassess your lifestyle habits and patterns. Complete the FREE Wellness Questionaire and you are entitled to a complementary initial Wellness Program consultation via telephone or email!  How easy can it get???
http://www.kmondesire.com/wellnessprogram.html
A Bon Chance to all those running in the NYC Marathon and Happy Weekend!