Be Joyful

Since we are in the Christmas Season ... a joy-filled season which sometimes stresses us out, I decided to share an excerpt from my book, Go Forward, about Joy-Filled and Peace-Filled Meals. 

Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.  Ecclesiastes 9:7 (NKJV)

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred. Proverbs 15:17 (NKJV)

Let’s go back to your high school biology class.  (I know: moan, groan.)  Remember the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?  Only one of these systems can be dominant at a time.  When you are agitated, excited, upset, in crisis, angry, or stressed the sympathetic nervous system is kicking into gear.  This means that the parasympathetic system is not able to function well.  You may recall that the parasympathetic system controls your digestive system.

Uh, oh.  We have a situation.  The exciting movie you are watching with dinner (re-read Day 18: It’s Time to Set the Table), the argument you just had with your teenager, the mulling over what your coworker did, the worrying about whether someone accepts you, or the report that is due at work tomorrow each keep you from digesting your food well.

God knows what He is talking about when He instructs us to:

• Cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7)
• Not worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
• Forgive and walk in love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and Ephesians 4:32)
• Think on things that are excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:6-8)
• Receive the acceptance Jesus bought for us (Ecclesiastes 9:7; Ephesians 1:6 and 2:8; and Philippians 1:6). 

Living in peace and joy is important anytime, but especially at mealtime!  God wants you to be healthy.  He knows that for you to digest your food well, which allows you to absorb the nutrients to “renew your youth,” you need to be joyful and peaceful when you eat.

Encourage Yourself!

I am thrilled that my first book, Go Forward: 28 Days to Eat, Move, and Enjoy Life God's Way, will be out later in December.  (When I have the exact date, I'll let you know.)  It is a 28 devotional guide on what the Bible says about health. 

Over the next few weeks, I'll share a few excerpts for you to enjoy ... and help you fulfill your potential.  Here is a bit from Day 3: Encourage Yourself.

David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.  1 Samuel 30:6 (AMP)

What an amazing and challenging story!  David and his men have just come back from battle; these warriors are exhausted and hungry (never a good combination).  They are ready to see their families, yet arrive home to find their loved ones gone and their houses destroyed.  David, in the middle of his own grief, also finds out his men are ready to kill him!  In his trouble what does David do?  Hide?  Run away?  No.  He encourages himself in the Lord.

By God’s grace, may we never face the level of distress that David and his men experienced.  But from how David handled his trials we can glean a lesson for our own struggles. 

As much as I wish it weren’t so, I need to warn you that as you begin a new healthy lifestyle, there will be challenging days (sometimes weeks).  Many factors can make choosing healthy habits difficult.  People.  Family.  Work.  Crises.  Familiar habit triggers.  Life.  To help combat tough moments, it is critical that you know ahead of time what …

• Encourages you
• Helps you to stick to your new habits
• Gets you back on track if you take a side step, which everyone does.

Your Challenge:  Make a list of what encourages you in other areas of life.  How can you apply that list to sticking with your new habits?

For illustration, if listening to praise songs helps you, decide on a go-to song; when you recognize discouragement, start singing that song.  If a particular book lifts you up, stash a copy at your desk and by your bed.  If certain scriptures, quotes, or affirmations inspire you in tough times, write them on cards and keep them with you.  You don’t have to wait until discouragement attacks.  You can sing and meditate now to stay ahead of the tough days.

A Testament to Living Gratefully

I am indebted to my friend, Fred Oakley, for sharing his story of gratitude.  Fred, you remind us all to live in thankfulness.

In context of November's Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, here is Fred's story:  Fred had melanoma, which spread to be a melanoma tumor on his pancreas.  While not technically pancreatic cancer, this was as equally as dangerous, he was told.  Fred is still here today, after several years. 

He is grateful.  In his words, "The first thing I have learned is to fully appreciate life and God who gives it. To me, every day is a free day. I was told by my oncologist at Vanderbilt in June 2000 that there was nothing more that could be done for me. I was sent home with no hope. That's when I decided to call my doctor at John Wayne Cancer Institute and was given another chance for survival. It took me almost 1.5 years to win the battle completely after having major surgery and 1 year 4 months of experimental chemo. That was my 6th recurrence in 7 years. 

I appreciate The Lord for healing me, not in the way that I wanted, but healed me nonetheless. While I was going through the surgeries and treatments, I wondered where The Lord was. I felt like He was distant. But looking back at that time in my life now, I see that He was there all along.

I am also very appreciative of all my family members and friends. Relationship are more precious to me now.

A few tidbits about pancreatic cancer and melanoma which Fred shared with me:

• Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.  It is the only major cancer in the U.S. with a five-year survival rate in the single digits at an alarming 7 percent.

• About 48,960 people (24,840 men and 24,120 women) will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  About 40,560 people (20,710 men and 19,850 women) will die of pancreatic cancer.

• To help prevent pancreatic cancer, enjoy a well-balanced diet including a lot of vegetables and low in sugar.

• To help prevent melanoma, not only limit sun exposure, but also exposure to certain chemicals that can cause melanoma.  And do a monthly skin exam, as melanoma is one of the easiest cancers to prevent by catching it in early stages.

Fred, thank you for how you add to so many lives.  Thank you living your life as a gift!  (And, just so you know ... Fred is a great general contractor, in case you need a little re-modeling of your house!)

Healthy for the Holidays...Part Three

We are one week from Thanksgiving!  So, let's talk about the turkey (and mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole and stuffing and ... ).  How do you enjoy your favorites and not regret it later?

1. Pick your favorites and leave the rest
2. Make it a one day feast ... one day of celebrating isn't an issue.  It is the leftovers and overeating at multiple parties that add up
3. Or ... enjoy celebrating several times, but not a "feast" at any of them
4. Increase your water.  This helps to avoid false hunger and limits wasted liquid calories.
5. Increase your protein and limit your sugar.  This helps to regulate your appetite.
6. Don't eat just veggies to "be good" - you may feel deprived and overeat later
7. Don't eat mindlessly, "just because it is there"
8. Focus on the first 3 bites - after that the pleasure of any food decreases
9. Modify recipes to increase the vegetable ingredients (for instance, add 1/3 more onions and celery into your stuffing)
10. Tempted to overeat something you enjoy?  Get the recipe.  It is not now or never.  You can make it again in January (and February and March ... ).

Whatever you do, make sure to enjoy and savor every bite!

Healthy for the Holidays...Part Two

Of course, another way to be active is go to the beach for the Holidays!

There's no need to be sedentary during November and December.  If you don't have time for traditional exercise, try these ideas:

• Wear a pedometer.  How many extra steps can you get in while shopping?  Don't be efficient when getting your decorations from the attic.  Carry less and make extra trips; you'll be less likely to drop and break something, too!
• What in your schedule is not adding tons of value to your life?  Exercise instead.
• Exercise while watching your favorite Christmas movies.
• Rock Around the Christmas Tree, literally.  Put on some music and dance.
• Participate; don't spectate.  If your kids are playing in a pile of leaves, join them.
• 60/5 rule.  Every 60 minutes of sitting (shopping on the Internet, wrapping gifts, etc.), get up and walk around for 5 minutes.

Have an active and fun Season of Celebration!

Healthy for the Holidays Part One

Not a Sand-Castle...but a Sand-TURKEY!

We are beginning a two month stretch now of busy, busy, busy and food, food, food.  This is usually a time when folks stop exercise programs, stress out, and gain weight.  ViREO Life is here to help!  Most weeks in the next two months, I'll share tips to help you be Healthy for the Holidays!

Let's start with preventing a lot of stress:  Get out paper and your calendar and...

• Write down all that you think you need to do or to buy for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.  Complete the list by Sunday night November 8th.
• Be Choosy!  Ask yourself:  Which ones will add the most value and be the most fun?  Star them.  Schedule them on your calendar.  And remember that the rest are probably someone else's "should-do's"... so forget those items.
• Be Organized!  Ask:  When do I want to have shopping completed?  Then write that on your calendar.  When do I want to have gift wrapping and cards completed?  Who can help with decorating, cooking, etc.?  How can I save time on the activities that add value, but aren't really fun to me?  Complete your organizing list by Sunday November 15th.
• Be Frugal!  Determine not to go in debt for the Holidays.  Set a budget for food, parties, clothes, gifts, and whatever else you normally buy.  Set the budget by November 22nd, or before you start buying decorations, etc.
• Be Active!  Take care of yourself.  Schedule your exercise time and to whom you will be accountable.  If you want help designing an exercise routine to fit your busy Holiday schedule, ViREO Life can help with that. 

We look forward to working with you during this Season of Celebrations!

SUGAR: A trick or a treat?

So what do you think?  Is sugar a trick?  Is sugar a treat?  Or is this a trick question?  You got me.  It is a trick question.  Unless someone has metabolic disorders (diabetes, etc.), the naturally occurring sugars in practically all plant foods is good.  Why?  Taste and energy.  We need to eat our vegetables and without the mini-treat of sugar that naturally comes in them, we would be much less likely to eat them.  And the sugar in food is a source of energy...which I will qualify below.

And even the sweeter fruits, eaten as a treat, are loaded with nutrients.  When Doug and I were in Jamaica we enjoyed fresh sugar cane from a local farm.  Even with the intensely high sugar of the sugar cane, there were some other nutrients in the cane.  So when does the treat become a trick?  Concentration.  Concentrated fruit juice.  Evaporated cane juice.  Table sugar.  This is a trick because...

• It spikes the blood sugar levels too quickly, causing hyper-energy immediately (picture your kids running around the house on Halloween candy) and low-energy after insulin brings the blood sugar back down.
• Concentrated sugar increases appetite.
• Concentrated sugar increases your risk for metabolic diseases.
• Concentrated sugar weakens your immune system.  (Let's see, we eat a lot of sugar from October 31-January 1.  That is not a great idea during cold/flu season.)
• Concentrated sugar ages the skin.

But can you ever have a treat without it tricking you?  Yes.  Make it a treat-time...when you really want it vs out-of-habit.  Make it treat-size...not a handful of candy or a large piece of cake.  Make sure it is something you truly consider a treat - one of your favorites...not just something sweet that is offered to you.  And savor it.  Eat it without guilt, enjoying each bite.  (Otherwise, you'll not be satisfied and go for a second serving.)  Finally, ALWAYS after a balanced meal.  The protein and fiber of your meal will slow down the digestion of the sugar.

Ask yourself:  Is this really a treat or would I be all right without it?

Then...enjoy your treat and don't be tricked!

It's Tea Time

In the September gardening and health courses I took at Monticello's Harvest Festival, I learned about the nutritional and medicinal qualities of herbs.  Many of these herbs we are already growing in our garden...sage, lemon balm, rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil.  However, many herbs are not in our garden, such as mullein, horsetail, stinging nettles and red clover.

If you are not yet growing herbs, or are missing some you would like to try for tea, infusions, or tinctures, there is a local tea shop in Nashville that carries 100's!  I spent part of yesterday afternoon checking out High Garden in Nashville, TN.  The staff is very helpful with the herbs and their uses.  You can measure out herbs for your own combinations or purchase their packaged blends.  And for fun you can sit and drink a pot of tea while visiting with friends.  If you don't live in Nashville, no worries.  They package and ship what you need.

Next time you are near downtown Nashville, drop by www.highgardentea.com

Get Outside!

Fall weather is here!  (Or spring, if you are our neighbors below.)  The temperatures are perfect for being active outside.  Below are some informal and formal exercise ideas for the weekend:

Informal

• Go hike (a no-brainer)
• Push-mow the lawn
• Get the weeding done you've been putting off
• Play tag or yard games with your kids
• Frisbee golf (friendly competition with walking as a bonus) - if you don't have a course nearby, set up your own at a park
• Shopping at a outdoor strip mall?  Don't drive between stores...walk to each one.
• Clean the outside of your downstairs windows (or drop by my house and wash mine - just kidding)
• Wash the car by hand

Formal

Go to a nearby park or quiet cud-da-sac, take a resistance band, and modify the following interval exercise routine to your fitness level.  Alternate...

• 30 walking lunges
• 20 pushups
• 30 low rows with a resistance band looped around your feet
• 20 squats super-slow to a count of 10 seconds down and 10 seconds up
• 30 dips off of a park bench (or your car bumper)
• Speed walk or run 2-3 minutes
• Repeat 3-5 times; then walk or jog 15 minutes
• Remember to stretch!

Have a fun and fit weekend!

Stressed? Don't go it alone!

Take some quiet time to get God's perspective in the situation.

You can do it.  You can do anything.  But if you try to do it all, you are guaranteed stress.  While there are several stress management ideas listed below, getting help just made the top of my list.  Why?  So I can do what only I can do and not stress about it.  For example, my in-laws just arrived for a few days visit.  That means cleaning the house (a lot deeper than normal), finding places to store 1/2 finished projects, planning activities, and so on.  In addition, I was on a deadline to get my 1st book to my editor.  (YES!  I am writing a devotional book on what the Bible says about health.  I'll keep you posted.)  Between clients, classes, and the book, I did not have time to deep clean the house.  (I usually enjoy cleaning, but not if I am pressed for time.)  Only I could train my clients, write, and edit.  But I could hire a friend to help deep clean the house.  I did and she did a better job than I ever could have.  If you are stressed, I encourage you to get help.  List what only you can do.  Then find others who can help with everything else.

Here are a few more ideas: 

1.  Get God’s perspective.  Much (most?) of our stress relates to what we think about a situation more than the situation itself.  (For example, the things in the house that didn't get done before my in-laws arrived?  In the course of eternity, it won't matter.)

2.  Chill out.  Meditate on 1 Peter 5:7.  Tell yourself, “God’s got this!”  You do what you can do in the natural and believe God to do what only He can do.  Refuse to worry.

3.  Say, “No.”  Some sources of stress are self-inflicted.  If we have committed our time to something God hasn’t instructed us to do, we end up with more promises and projects than we have hours in the day.  That feels stressful just thinking about it.  Proverbs 31:16a says, “She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties].”  (Amplified)

4.  Set boundaries.  It is pretty stressful when you let your boundaries get crossed!  Read Cloud and Townsend's book on Boundaries.  http://www.cloudtownsend.com/boundaries/

5.  Take care of yourself through exercise, quiet time alone (Mark 1:35), pleasure (Psalm 16:11) and nutrition.  These are all easy to neglect if we are too busy doing things God hasn’t called us to do.

6.  Receive God’s forgiveness, forgive others and forgive yourself.  I don’t know of anything more stressful than holding on to bitterness, guilt and shame.

Have a blessed and stress-free weekend, everyone!

Say "Thanks" to your P.T.

October is National Physical Therapy month.  So, I want to say "Thank you!" to all of the Physical Therapists who have helped me over the years.  You know those years I thought I could be a long-distance runner and discovered I am an over-pronator.  (But thanks to my P.T.'s, I can still run short distances.)  And those years I thought I could skip my warm-ups and found that my rotator cuffs did not like that.  (So, now I still do my P.T. exercises before my weight workouts.)  Oh, I can't forget that "strange leg alignment and low back issue" that multiple P.T.'s have tried to fix.  (I'm still doing the exercises daily that keep it manageable...and I'm still looking for the P.T. who has the magic answer to completely solve the puzzle.)

So, if you have ever worked with a Physical Therapist, remember to say "Thanks!"

And, of course if you have some aches or injuries now, go find a P.T. to help.  Each has different specialty training and experience, so if it doesn't get better with one therapist, try another.  The solution is out there!

Bring on the herbs!

Whoops!  We were traveling for over a week (more on that later) and the device we took to update the ViREO Life blog would not allow updates.  So I apologize for the skipped post!

However, I think you will be glad for the information I will get to share.  Part of our trip was to Monticello's Annual Harvest Festival. http://www.heritageharvestfestival.com/  Herbs and preparing a home herbal apothecary were a big part of this year's festival.  So since our last two focus areas for September are Cholesterol Education Month and Health Aging Month, here are a few herbs I learned that may help:

For cholesterol issues, check out rosemary and dandelion root as possible supports.

For healthy aging, consider nettle for overall health, red clover for women in menopause, horsetail, comfrey, and even parsley for bone health, and pumpkin seeds for prostate health.

The classes were fascinating.  I learned how to make herbal infusions, tinctures, and medicinal oils.  In the next couple of weeks I'll share pictures, links and lessons.  The biggest lesson so far is that since herbs in "stronger than culinary doses" act as medicine in the body, consulting with both a certified herbalist and your primary physician together will give you the best results.  Until then, keep exercising, eating healthy, and now toss some herbs into your salads and cooking!

For the children...

We can do a lot to take care of the bodies God gave us.  We lower (or raise) our risk of disease by our lifestyles.  But what about the children who face major illness, where it is not a "lifestyle disease" but a direct attack of the devil?  A friend of mine is involved in St. Jude and I've asked her to tell a little about childhood cancer.  Read on...

I am so grateful to Sheri for letting me share my passion for cancer research. By trade I am a collection attorney, but in my personal life I am a fierce fundraiser and enjoy raising money for a variety of cancer-focused charities.

This month, September, is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. While many people may associate cancer with growing older, it is important to remember that this deadly disease reaches the young as well as the old. It is estimated that each year 175,000 children are diagnosed with cancer and 1 in 5 of those children in the United States will not survive.  A cancer diagnosis can be hard at any stage of life, but it can be particularly difficult for very young patients who lack the cognitive ability to understand their diagnoses. Parents also experience hardships such as the fear of losing a child, grieving the lost childhood they had imagined for their child, missed time at work affecting the financial stability of their families, and the strain on relationships with siblings.

Thankfully, there are resources in the United States to help children and their families affected by cancer. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital takes on the toughest pediatric oncology cases in the United States at no cost to the patient’s family. St. Jude provides treatment, travel, housing, and food during a child’s fight with cancer so the family may focus solely on helping their child. Also focusing on research, St. Jude develops more clinical trials than any other children’s hospital in the world and is working with the Pediatric Genome Project to uncover the roots of pediatric cancer within a child’s DNA.

To date, nearly 500,000 children in the United States have been successfully treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital! The work performed at the hospital is of the highest caliber of expertise and compassion. Please consider supporting St. Jude and funding the fight against children’s cancer by visiting my fundraising website:

http://walkrun.stjude.org/jenandjt

All donations are tax-deductible and no donation is too small (or too big)!

September is Hot

Perhaps the temperatures are beginning to turn toward Fall, but September is a "hot" month for health topics.  There are around 20 Health "Awareness/Safety/Education" highlights in September.  I'll focus on four of them:  Family Health and Fitness, Healthy Aging Month, National Cholesterol Education Month, and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  (For Childhood Cancer Awareness, I get to spotlight a friend, Jennifer McCoy, who will be guest blogging.)

Let's start with Family Health and Fitness.  What do you do with your family for fitness?  Or what fun do you want to begin?  Two of my favorite memories growing up were regular walks with my mother, having great conversation - meaning she listened to whatever I needed to talk about - and when I finally turned 13 and could go to the fitness center with her to workout.  (Back then we called it a "spa" but it was more workout than "spa".) 

Another activity we enjoyed was the 1980's version of workout videos.  Just like we have exercise DVD's today, she had exercise records to play on the turntable, complete with a brochure of pictures showing the exercises.  I know we looked silly, but it was great mother/daughter time in the family living room.  She instilled in me a love of exercise.

How can you instill in your children a love of movement that they will enjoy all of their lives?  It is not just sitting on the sidelines watching them play a sport.  Be active with them.  They need to see you as an adult enjoying physical activity.  Plus it will give you opportunity to listen to what is going on in their lives and teach them your values.  What a win for everyone!

The Oldies

My last installment in our Book Review Month turns back the clock and, hopefully, prompts you to question your assumptions.

As I was looking through my personal health/wellness library to select the final book(s), the heart disease and prevention books seemed appealing.  Then, of course, all of the healthy aging books wagged their canes at me and said, "Talk about us."  Next, the books on my strength training shelf tried to get my attention by flexing their binders.  Alas, it was the whisper of the antiques that won the challenge.  Why?  So that you will challenge what you hear. 

When you read or hear someone say "Three meals a day, no snacks," ask yourself "What is the history behind that?"  When you are told "Calories in, calories out...that is all that counts" question it.  Hopefully, you already wonder about the adage "No pain, no gain" for exercise.

These thoughts came from somewhere.  Research is always changing or confirming what we know (or think we know).  For example, in "Feeding the Family" by Mary Swartz Rose, a nutrition textbook from 1916, a diet of 1000 calories is advised for weight reduction.  (This particular diet even included snacks, if you want to call a single water cracker and a glass of water a snack.)  We now know the negative impact on metabolism of a diet that low in calories.  Also, a diet of 3000 calories was advised for a woman wanting to gain weight.  We also now know that hormones adjust, for a period of time, to more quickly burn off those "extra" calories.  It is not as simple as what the new (in 1916) research equipment could measure.  The body is complex.  Fortunately, the textbook was past the "tapeworm diet phase" of the 1800's.  There is wonderful information in "Feeding the Family," but by today's discoveries, 100 years later, it is not all accurate.  (Yet, we still hear the echoes of "It is easy...the more calories you cut out and burn off, the faster you will lose weight.")

A 1922 book on exercise, "Individual Gymnastics" by Drew Kinzly, has fantastic information on posture, strength, corrective exercises for posture, and flexibility exercises.  Almost all of the information is accurate even today.  However, a few of the exercises demonstrated we now know are dangerous for the neck or other joints. 

So, here's my challenge to you:  Go to an antique store or a used bookstore that carries older books (printed in the early 1900's) and glance through books on health.  You'll be surprised what has withstood the test of time and what hasn't.  Of course, you will also get some walking in around the store, and that is always a good thing.

Four Favs...Plus One

I can't have a book review month without telling you about my favorite cookbooks.  So, here are my four favorites...plus an interesting option.

Tied for First Place:

• The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook.  Pictures and nutrition information for every recipe.  Easy to follow.  Delicious...every recipe I have tried is outstanding.  And the International Association of Culinary Professionals agree...the book won the Julia Child Cookbook Award
• The Joy of Cooking.  This one recently came into first place.  Why?  We have a garden.  Previously it was not a favorite.  The cookbook has no pictures.  (That is a downside for me as I need help visualizing what a recipe will be like.)  And it reads like a textbook.  In fact, my mother-in-law said it actually was a textbook for her in college.  If I were a "serious" cook, it would have always been invaluable.  For example, how to de-bone a whole chicken is explained in detail...hmmm...I have a butcher so I don't need that.  But now with the garden?  Last year we had more squash coming in than I could make squash casseroles.  Ta-da.  Look up "squash" in Joy of Cooking and presto, there are over 30 recipes with squash.  If you have food coming in through a CSA or your garden, or you are a "serious" cook, Joy of Cooking is a must have.

Second Place:

The Schwarzbein Principle Cookbook.  Sadly, no pictures.  Easy to understand and follow.  Very healthy recipes.  Great variety.

Third Place:

Roast Lamb in the Olive Groves.  Yippee.  Lots of pictures.  And it is a delight to read.  The recipes and stories make you feel like you are in Greece.  Delicious and healthy.  Some of the recipes I will never use. (Octopus?  Nah.  Whole John Dory with tomatoes and fennel?  Not so much.)  But the recipes add a variety I would have never tried without the cookbook.

Just for Fun:

The Williamsburg Art of Cookery.  (You can order this cookbook from Colonial Williamsburg.)  I doubt I will ever cook from this book, but it is fun to read how recipes were written 200 years ago...and what they ate.  Split Pea Soup?  Familiar.  Pickled Figs and Gerkins?  Well, I don't even know what a Gerkins is.

Happy Cooking!

The Seven Pillars of Health

This week I'll review a comprehensive book on health..."The Seven Pillars of Health" by Don Colbert, MD.  It does not have any "false-advertising" or outlandish claims.  Even its marketing tag, "50 Days to a Healthier You," is reasonable. 

Dr. Colbert covers the essentials of water, sleep/rest, nutrition, exercise, detoxification, supplements and coping with stress.  And while experts may disagree on the specifics within each category, these remain 7 essentials - or Pillars - to health.

A few things I like (there are many more)...

• The highlighted sections, such as "Are You Getting Enough Sleep?," teach you how to listen to your body vs just a prescribed formula.
• Science and research is throughout the book, but in an easy to understand presentation.
• The information is divided into 50 days of reading.
• Action steps are included at the end of each day.  And tools/worksheets are included for those action steps.  So there are no excuses to at least try the action to see if it works for you.
• "Extremes" are discouraged.  For example, while supplements are discussed and encouraged where needed, mega-dosing is discouraged.  Another example is the nutrition and exercise recommendations are very doable, not demanding you go hungry or eliminate whole categories of food or only do high-intensity or long-duration exercise. 
• Consistent, step-by-step lifestyle upgrades are encouraged, with clear explanations as to "the why."

A few things perhaps to question (there are very few)...

• Water, specifically alkaline water.  There is research on both sides of whether alkaline water is good, bad, indifferent.  It is worth reading Dr. Colbert's information, researching for yourself various studies both for and against it, and perhaps experimenting with it yourself to see if it helps you.  (Of course, the need for drinking plenty of purified and de-chlorinated water is not in question.)
• Fasting.  While he discussed the benefits of fasting, be warned that it can be misused.  And for those with a bulimic or anorexic background fasting may re-trigger dangerous behavior.  I wish precautions for physical and emotional safety had been discussed more.

This is a health book that should be read by everyone, regardless of your health goals.  Way to go, Dr. Colbert!

Le Personal Coach

Read an entertaining and somewhat helpful book by Valerie Orsoni and you can (kind of) have your own "Le Personal Coach."  Her subtitle is "A French Trainer's Simple Secrets for Getting Fit and Slim without the Gym."

I agree with Valerie's premise:  you do not need a gym or hours a day to be fit.  Her tips include things like doing wall push-ups each time you go to the restroom, squeezing a ball between your knees when sitting at work and, of course, walk around or do lunges when you talk on the telephone. 

I like her way of teaching the idea that exercise can be incorporated into life.  I do caution you on two points:  (1)  Some of the promises are more motivation than reality.  For example, Valerie encourages readers to squat over (vs sit on) the toilet 6 times a day and "you're guaranteed great thighs for bathing-suit season!"  It takes more than 6 squat holds a day for most folks, but putting all of her ideas together may get you where you want to be for the beach.  Take those comments as an encouragement, not a promise.  (2)  This next one is a real concern...she advises readers to wear ankle weights when walking around.  That is dangerous for your knees and hips.  Please don't wear ankle weights for anything other than floor exercises. 

Speaking of the ankle weights...take my advice, like Valerie's and pull those weights out and use them while you are watching a movie this weekend (or at least during TV commercial breaks).  And do get the book "Le Personal Coach."  The layout of the book is great as a "reminder  book" to have around.  Pick it up; open it up; find an idea to follow.

It's Book Review Month!

Perhaps it is the "read a book on your last minute beach vacation" or the "Back-to-School" energy floating around, but it just seems we need to chat about some good health and wellness reads.  I'll start with two of my favorite mindful/intuitive eating books...French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano (Random House, Inc.) and Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch (St. Martin's Press).

For those who don't know my story, I started dieting at age 9.  It started years of anorexia mentality, yo-yo dieting, constantly thinking about food, etc.  By my early 20's I realized it wasn't working, but I knew no other way to think.  I didn't remember what having a "normal" relationship with food was like.  So I read two books, Diets Don't Work by Bob Schwartz and Breaking Out of Food Jail by Jean Antonello.  I highly recommend these two books if you have dieted and want to break free of the destructive mentality.

Along came many other books, but the two I'll review briefly today have helped me tremendously.  In fact, I am in the process of becoming a Certified Intuitive Eating Coach through Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch's program. 

First, French Women Don't Get Fat:  this is a "read it on the beach" book.  Full of ideas and stories in a style that you absorb the concepts that food is for both nutrition and pleasure and that you must have both.  Her teaching that Americans focus on not eating what is "bad" and French focus on eating what is "good" is central to the French Women philosophy.  I have read this book over and over (and listened to it on CD) to continually re-program my thinking about food and nutrition.

Second, Intuitive Eating:  this is a "study it" book, though it is not a dry textbook for back-to-school.  It is also full of ideas and stories, but presented more in a Step One, Two, Three fashion.  Each step is needed and they are very encouraging that a change of all the diet habits won't happen overnight and that is all right.

If you have dieted and want to be free, I recommend you read both of these books.  Like grilled asparagus is to grilled fish, they really complement each other.  Why?  Here's one example...in the Intuitive Eating book, one of the steps is "find ways to deal with emotions other than food."  There are ideas given, but the French Women Don't Get Fat book really gets into how to amp up the pleasure of life so that your emotions are soothed without even thinking about food. 

During August, I'll review other health and wellness books.  If you have any you would like for me to review, please let me know.

No stopping you!

It may be hot outside, but there is no stopping you!  Here are a few tips to stay safe exercising in the heat:

• Drink extra water before, during and after your exercise.
• If you are going to be outside sweating for more than an hour or two, drink sports drinks with electrolytes.  For extended sweating, if you drink water only, it dilutes your stores of electrolytes and can cause muscle cramps...or worse.  For less than 1-2 hours, water only is usually fine.
• During the day, increase your fruits and veggies and stay away from greasy foods.
• Wear a visor or hat that allows for airflow.
• Try wearing a thin cotton long-sleeve shirt.  Not only is it added protection against sunburn, it often keeps you cooler than a t-shirt.  Experiment as to whether a t-shirt or thin long-sleeve shirt is cooler for you.
• When possible, exercise before 8:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m.
• Exercising at lunch?  A walk in a shaded park is perfect.
• If you aren't used to the heat yet, make your outdoor workouts shorter.
• Take a break in the middle of your cardio session.
• Decrease your intensity.  Who says you have to give it your all when it is 100 degrees F?  (And if you are training for an event and must increase your intensity...be smart...we have treadmills in air-conditioned gyms these days.) 
• Plan some extra cool-down time at the end of your workout.

You don't have to stop exercising when it is hot.  You just have to prepare and be smart.  And, as always, HAVE FUN!