What Are You Made Of?

Less than a week after I subluxed my right patella, I was back punching a heavy bag and practiced perfect form kicking the bag with my good leg.  No pity party or lame excuses here.  I had a week to chose:  feel sorry for myself, go off my diet and eat through my misery, or stick with my program, eat well and concentrate on healing.  At the end of 6 days, I'm feeling pretty good and got back to my Insanity 90 Day Challenge Exercise regime this morning.  Since I was feeling fearless, I decided to get onto the scale...when I took my hands away from my eyes (cause I really hate to look at the numbers), I saw that I lost another 3 pounds....that's 20lbs so far, and I've got another 2 weeks to go in the 90 day challenge.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  I've said this before and I'll say it again....Winners don't quit, Quitters don't win and Losers never try.  I'm a Winner....who are YOU and WHO do you want to aspire to become?  No time like the present....enroll in my Wellness Program today and become a Champion and Inspiration to others!

Tips To Stay Healthy When Travelling

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!

Social Networking Helps For Fitness and Wellness

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!

I Believe, I Believe!

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?

Treating Obesity as a Disease

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

Eat That Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage and Cress

The cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cress) all possess Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a chemical that could be effective in the promotion of weight loss and weight control.  Nutrition, 27:463-470, 2011, published the results of a Taiwanese study on obese mice.  The researchers found that when the specimens' diets were supplemented with I3C, their overall weight, body fat, blood sugar, insulin and markers of inflammation were greatly reduced.  These same cruciferous vegetables have been also linked to the prevention of cancer and heart disease.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Listen to, or remember what your mother told you...eat your broccoli!  It's not only good for you, it will fill you up while helping you to lose some weight!

How To Be Successfully Healthy

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Want to be successfully healthy?  Here are a few pointers....
- Reaching your wellness goals will inspire others to do the same.  Imagine being someone's hero.
- Being an inspiration to others surely leads to greater experiences in life and the rewards that come with them.
- Make your wellness a consistent and persistent minful activity everyday.  Find a way to keeping your goals in sight everyday.  There will never be the 'perfect' start up day, nor will everyday be a perfectly healthy day...but we can strive for that 100% everyday!
- Don't obsess about yourself.  Obsessive behavior is not healthy and leads to stress and mismanagement of health.  That's why we have 'cheat' meals or days of 'cheat' exercise.  Allow yourself to be human.
- When other people reach their life goals, be happy for them and express your joy for them.  You would want the same.  Successfully healthy people (mentally and physically) know this.  Happiness comes from within.  Jealous, envious and miserable people look just that...jealous, envious and miserable.
- Be realistic.  Wellness takes some work.  Make a plan and try to stick to it.  If you're lost and can't figure this one out, call or email me and I'll get you rockin' and rollin' into a successfully healthy person.

Why You Shouldn't Eat In Front of Your Computer

A British study recently concluded that people who eat in front of their computer tend to be more overweight than their coworkers who take the time to move away from their desk and eat a proper lunch.  The researchers found that the computer or any other video screen distracted participants from paying attention to the portion size and volume of food consumed at a meal. 

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  When it's time to have your meal, turn off the television or computer screen and sit down to a decent lunch.  It' doesn't have to be on fine china - just don't eat your sandwich while it's still half-wrapped in the paper bag.  Unwrap it, sit down, and be civilized about it.  If you have a salad or soup, sit down and enjoy your meal.  The computer and television will still be there when you get back.  You'll find that you'll enjoy your meal much more, you'll eat less and walk away from the table feeling satisfied.

Diets That Will Help With Hypertension

EveryDay Health posted this on their blog about the various diets out there that address hypertension:

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you suffer from hypertension, please consult with your health care professional before embarking on any dietary change.  Read about the following diets; it's interesting and you might just decide that modifications in your own daily diet could make a big difference in your well being:

"...DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). A plan devised by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), DASH emphasizes eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products and lesser amounts of meat, fish, poultry, and sugars. It suggests limiting salt intake to 2,300 milligrams (mgs) a day, or even better, to 1,500 mgs. “The DASH diet is the only diet that has scientific data to prove that it lowers blood pressure,” says Caroline M. Apovian, MD, FACP, FACN, director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at Boston Medical Center. “We don’t know why it works, but we assume it is the combination of a diet of low-fat dairy and lean protein and one that is rich in fruits and vegetables that is somehow important.” It is thought that the protein, fiber, and minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium) in these nutrient-rich foods play a role in lowering blood pressure. Reducing sodium intake is also beneficial.

Mediterranean Diet. Like DASH, the Mediterranean Diet includes healthy amounts of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and nuts, and limits red meats to avoid unhealthy fats. It encourages the use of monounsaturated fats (mainly olive oil) in cooking, which is traditional among people of the Mediterranean region. This diet focuses on the types of fat (healthy fats) consumed rather than the amount of fat. It also includes red wine in moderation — no more than a glass a day. “The Mediterranean Diet is recognized for its role in reducing cardiovascular risk factors, one of which is high blood pressure,” says Andrea Frank, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago.

The Ornish Diet. Developed by Dean Ornish, MD, this diet is an extremely low-fat, high-fiber, vegetarian diet. Less than 10 percent of calories should come from fat. Some research suggests that the Ornish Diet can lower cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, Frank says, “but any diet that eliminates food groups may be difficult to adhere to and thus may not be ideal for everyone.”
 
The South Beach Diet. Started by South Beach, Florida preventive cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, this diet is divided into three phases. Phase one restricts certain types of sugars and carbohydrates, fruits, and some higher-glycemic vegetables. During phase two, you continue with the restrictions from phase one but gradually add whole grains and fruits back into your meal plan. Phase three begins once a healthy weight is achieved and the focus is on maintaining your new weight for life. Frank’s opinion of the South Beach Diet is the same as of the Ornish Diet: It may have some heart-healthy benefits but it is difficult to stick to, especially for life..."
Courtesy:  EveryDay Health http://www.everydayhealth.com/hypertension/understanding/diets-that-help-control-blood-pressure.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHeartHealth_20110217