November/December, 2009 • Volume 5, Number 6

In This Issue

• Time to Be Happy
• Nutrition Corner: Good Food for Your Mood
• Healthy Recipe: Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce and Moist Mocha Cake
• iPod Music at BodyBasics
• 5 Years of BodyBasics!
• Our Mission

Group Training

Currently Available:

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am – Gentle Yoga (Tue.)

“Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of those pieces”

Judith Viorst

November/December 2009

Time to Be Happy

It is only the first week of November and we are already hearing it in stores and on T.V. commercials. Christmas music. The sound of the holidays approaching quickly. It seems that we can hardly go anywhere without being reminded by an upbeat tune that, “It’s the most won-der-ful tiiiime of the yeeeear.” While it certainly is an exciting time of year with people busy spending time with family, buying gifts, and decorating their homes; this season also brings colder temperatures and more dark and dreary days. The hustle and bustle of the holidays, combined with the changes in weather, make perfect excuses to lay off the workouts for a couple of months until the New Year. But, be warned! Skipping out on your workouts this season may actually have an adverse affect on your happy, holiday-mood.

Seasonal Depression / Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal depression conditions are very common during the Fall and Winter seasons. The nights are longer and the days are darker which makes us more apt to tap into our inner desire to “hibernate” all day in our nice, cozy, warm beds. Everything becomes an effort. Simply to walk outside, we have to layer on the clothes, jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, etc. Many outdoor activities are put on hold until Spring, or limited to indoor substitutes. It is times like these when your dedication to your workout plan may falter and take a back seat. We want you to do just the opposite. We encourage you to think about your workouts as self-preservation. In sticking to your exercise routine, you are doing your part to help preserve your health, both physical and mental.

Exercise Improves Your Mood

Research has shown that exercise is not only good for physical health, but for mental health as well. Exercise can improve your mood, increase self-confidence, and reduce stress. All of these are good reasons to keep regular exercise as part of your routine as we enter the holiday season. A comment we hear often is that people wish they could remember just how good exercise makes them feel when faced with obstacles that seem to get in the way of working out. This is especially true this time of year when it becomes much easier to throw on another layer of clothes and vow to work on your “beach body” come next Spring. One way to keep the positive, mood-boosting affects of exercise in the forefront of your mind is to journal your workouts.

Journaling is an effective way to help you reach your health and fitness goals. It allows you to visualize improvements in your workouts such as increases in strength and cardiovascular fitness. Additionally, keeping a journal of your mood can ultimately help encourage you to make the move to adhere to your workout regimen during more busy and challenging times of the holiday season.

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Measuring Your Mood

There are several mood assessments you can give yourself before, during, and after you exercise. We are going to discuss three assessments that can easily be completed each time you workout. These three assessments are called:

1. Feeling Scale (FS)
2. Felt Arousal Scale (FAS)
3. Profile of Mood States (POMS)

The FS and FAS are often used together to record more detail about your mood. The POMS can be used in combination with the previous two, or on its own.

With the Feeling Scale, you are asked to give a general rating of how positive or negative your mood is before, during, and after exercise. The scale ranges from -5 to 5. The -5 rating means you feel “very bad;” -3 is “bad;” 0 is “neutral;” +3 is “good;” and +5 is “very good.”

The Felt Arousal Scale is more specific to the level of intensity of your mood before, during, and after exercise. On a scale from 1-6, 1 equals “low arousal/intensity” and 6 equals “high arousal/intensity.”

The Profile of Mood States is a bit more complex. This assessment measures how much of a specified mood or emotion you feel before, during, and after exercise. Examples of six moods/emotions are: tension, vigor, depression, fatigue, anger, and confusion. In performing this assessment, you would rate from 0-4 to what extent you were feeling each emotion. “Not at all” would be 0, 1 is “a little, 2 is “moderately,” 3 is “quite a bit,” and 4 is “extremely.”

Give one, or all three, of these assessments a try next time you workout. We think it will add to your overall exercise experience and help you realize just how much moving your body can have an affect on your mood.

Exercising Through the Season

If you use the above assessments to journal how exercise affects your mood, we think you will find it easier to “convince” yourself to continue your routine throughout the holidays. Also, it is important to remember that while exercise can boost your mood, not exercising can lead to feelings of guilt, regret, and disappointment in yourself. Those feelings are certainly no fun to have during what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.

Resources:

• Melin, Gabrielle, M.D. “It’s a SAD Time of Year.” http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sad/MY00371
• Kilpatrick, Marcus W., Ph.D. “Exercise, Mood, and Psychological Well-Being: A Practitioner’s Guide to Theory, Research, and Application.” ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. September/October 2008. p. 14-20.

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Nutrition Corner: Good Food for Your Mood

As the holidays quickly near, schedules become busier and busier. Stress levels can elevate along with feelings of depression and sadness that often times accompany the winter season. Holiday parties and family get-togethers are weekly events throughout November, December, and January. Colder weather and all the celebration can also mean the return of comfort food and holiday treats. It is a time of excitement and socializing, but it can also be a time of extra anxiety for those people with the goal of eliminating or maintaining weight and/or a healthy lifestyle. However, if you enter into the holiday season armed with the knowledge of how food affects your mood, you can have the confidence that you will get through the next few months feeling great!

Mood Lifters

There are a variety of foods that affect your physical health in a positive way. Many of these same foods benefit your mental health as well. The nutrients found in lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and nuts will all contribute to a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

This nutrient found in fatty fishes such as salmon, sardines, herring, or mackerel, as well as in flaxseeds and walnuts, has become a “super-food” that is greatly desired in healthy diets today. These fatty acids are probably best known to promote heart health, but they are also important in supporting mental health. The body uses Omega-3s for building neurotransmitters in the brain like serotonin (a hormone that helps relay messages from one area of the brain to another). An imbalance of serotonin in the brain is believed to directly affect mood, specifically depression. Therefore, including Omega-3 fatty acids regularly in your diet may actually improve your mood and prevent depression.

Folic Acid

Folic acid (Vitamin B9) is thought to play a big role in mood regulation. Some studies show that people with low levels of folic acid in their diets have higher rates of depression. Foods rich in folic acid include leafy green vegetables, sunflower seeds, soybeans, beets, and oranges.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is key in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, various cancers, and some autoimmune diseases. Studies have shown that vitamin D may also help alleviate mood disorders like seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Our bodies manufacture vitamin D when exposed to sun, but unfortunately, the dark days of winter do not always allow for adequate time in the sun. Scientists believe the link between SAD and lack of exposure to sun during the winter months may be related to insufficient amounts of vitamin D in our systems.

Unlike omega-3s and folic acid, it is more of a challenge to take in enough vitamin D because it is not readily found in many forms of food. Therefore, a supplement may be advised. Most multivitamins contain 400 IU of vitamin D, but some experts recommend 1000 IU per day. Many foods today are fortified with vitamin D, so be sure to pay close attention to your food labels. Also, bear in mind that absorption of vitamin D is also critical. You are much better to break up your supplemental intake of vitamin D into 1 – 3 doses of 400 IU to 500 IU than to take in all of your daily need in one mega dose.

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Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, in general, are a “feel-good” food. Most of our favorite comfort foods consist of some carbohydrate. It is important to remember that carbohydrates themselves are not the enemy. It is the type and the amount of carbohydrates we choose that can make this nutrient a mood enhancer or a mood depressant.

Choose high-quality carbohydrates, also known as complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates contain lots of soluble fiber and consist of whole grains, brown rice, beans, sweet potatoes, lentils, etc. They are metabolized slowly by the body which helps keep blood sugar levels more steady throughout the day, limiting mood swings.

Be picky this season about what sugary sweets you choose to eat. Sugar-rich foods like soda, candy, cookies, cake, etc. may make you feel good initially, but because these types of carbohydrates are digested and absorbed quickly by the body, your “sugar high” will not last for long. As your blood sugar drops, it can leave you feeling tired and irritable.

Chocolate

It would not be the holidays without chocolate. The good news is that certain types of chocolate can actually be good for you and especially good for your mood. Studies show that cocoa beans are rich in mood-lifting nutrients. Dark chocolate is high in polyphenols and phenylethylamines. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant (known as flavanoids in chocolate) that improves cognitive function and phenylethylamine is a chemical that has been found to trigger feelings similar to falling in love.

Of course, chocolate and chocolate products also contain high amounts of sugar, so be careful with the amount of chocolate you eat or you will fall victim of the sugar crash described earlier.

Other note worthy good mood foods:

• Spinach contains the mineral magnesium which has been shown to create a relaxing and calming affect.
• Milk contains calcium and tryptophan (an amino acid that the body uses to help make serotonin) which have both been shown to have calming effect on nerves when feeling anxious or stressed.
• Brazil nuts are rich in B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc, all of which can help calm your mood. They also contain selenium; a mineral scientists think may be an essential nutrient in preventing depression.

Mood Downers

Two words – Fast Food. Yes, it is convenient. Yes, sometimes it is cheap. Yes, it can even make us feel good for a brief moment in time. Regardless of all these “positive” reasons one may come up with, Fast Food is NOT good for your mood.

Fast food is loaded with mood depressants such as: sodium, refined ingredients, sugar, saturated fat, and preservatives. While you may feel good initially due to the burst of sugar and easy-to-digest processed foods, you will experience a major crash shortly post-consumption. This crash can severely affect your mood, leaving you craving more of the same food that gave you your original “sugar high.”

We have used Fast Food as the example here, but the same principles apply to any food that consists of the mood depressing ingredients listed above. It is best for your health, both physical and mental, that you strictly limit your fast food consumption. Luckily now, many fast food restaurants provide a “healthier” menu, complete with nutrition facts, for those times that you feel you have no other option.

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Tips to Making Choices for Good Mood Food

The key to making good food choices, no matter what the time of year, is to always be in control of your hunger. The moment you become overly hungry, your ability to make thoughtful, healthy decisions is compromised. This is because your body needs food fast and it will crave it in the simplest, most easy-to-digest form possible; sugar. Remember these tips when you are out and about this holiday season:

• As our schedules become more hectic, we tend to get thrown off of our “normal” everyday routine. This is when it is extra important to make sure you are eating every 3-4 hours so you can prevent becoming overly hungry and will be able to make smart food choices and control your portions.
• Be sure you are continuing to drink at least 64oz of water throughout the day. Dehydration can lead to feeling lethargic and cranky and can mislead you into thinking you need a sugar pick-me-up.
• Keep good, nutrition-packed, energy bars in your car or purse so you are never without a snack in case you need one.
• Don’t deprive yourself! With the holidays come special treats, so allow yourself to indulge from time to time. Just remember, everything in moderation. Pick and choose your treats and be careful not to mindlessly put things in your mouth just because they are there in front of you. Save your indulgences for the foods that really mean something to you. You’ll feel better in the long run.
• Focus on consuming good mood food this holiday season. If you are filling your tummy with healthy food and your brain is reaping the benefits, you will have little room or desire for the not-so-healthy choices.

Laughing All the Way

The months of November and December always seem to fly by and, before we know it, we are making our New Year’s Resolutions again. With all the stress and excitement, it is easy to get off track. However, we encourage you to make it a point to include the mood enhancing foods in your meals this season and stay away from foods that will bring your mood down. Doing this will help you stay focused through the holidays and come January 1st, 2010, when you look back over the past two months, you will see that you survived — laughing all the way.

Resources

• Bauer, Joy, R.D., “Eating For a Better Mood.” Parade Magazine, October 2008.
• Chitale, Radha. “You Feel What You Eat: Certain Foods May Have Direct Impact on Emotional State.” ABC News Medical Unit, March 5, 2008. \

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Healthy Recipe: Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce and Moist Mocha Cake

Here’s your chance to try out some "good mood food" with delicious salmon packed with health omega-3 fatty acids. Then top off the meal with a scrumpcious dark chocolate cake, packed with mood enhancing nutrients. These recipes are from Registered Dietician and Food Network Chef, Ellie Krieger’s webpage on the Food Network website.

Ingredients

4 skinless salmon fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 ruby red grapefruits
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons honey

Pinch cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt, place in a baking dish and roast until cooked through, about 18 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking prepare the sauce. Cut 1 of the grapefruits into sections by cutting off the top and bottom of the fruit, then standing it on 1 end, cut down the skin to remove the pith and peel. Then, with a paring knife, remove each segment of fruit from its casing and cut the segments in half. Set the segment pieces aside. Juice the other grapefruit and set the juice aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, grapefruit juice, honey, and cayenne pepper and bring to simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced by about half about, 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with salt, to taste.

Right before serving, toss the grapefruit pieces and basil into the sauce. Put the salmon onto a serving dish. Spoon sauce over the salmon and serve.

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Moist Mocha Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups lowfat yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water
• 2 ounces good-quality dark chocolate

For the frosting:

• 1 (8-ounce) bar Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese), softened
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
• 1 teaspoon coffee liqueur or vanilla
• 1 small square chocolate

Directions

Arrange rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together flours, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl, then sift ingredients through a fine mesh strainer.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and oil. Add eggs and egg whites and whisk to incorporate. Fold in yogurt, vanilla, sugar and dissolved espresso powder. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 90 seconds or over a double boiler. Fold chocolate into batter.

Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated; do not overbeat. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cake has risen nicely and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

While cake is cooling, make the frosting:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until soft and creamy. Spread frosting evenly over cake and cut into squares. Finely grate one small square of chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the cake.

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iPod Music at BodyBasics

What would you like to listen to while you’re doing your cardio? We want to know! Music can really make an otherwise BORING workout a lot more enjoyable. Please email thelittens@yahoo.com any and all songs that you would like to hear at the studio during your workouts. We will even set up a personalized playlist for you! You provide the song list and the order. We’ll do the rest.

Thanks!

5 Years of BodyBasics!

As we end 2009 with this newsletter, we would like to extend a very appreciative thank you. Thank you for all of your feed back. Your thoughts, hopes, and constructive criticisms are always listened to and often implemented. Thank you for your energy. Each of you posess wonderful amounts of it. Thank you for your faith in our abilities. We love knowing that you value us as your fitness experts and we intend to continue our educations to bring you the best we can each day. Thank you for your referrals. We love extending the family!

Please join us Saturday, November 14th at 4:00 p.m. for our 5 year celebration! If you have not received an e-vite or you have questions, feel free to email at thelittens@yahoo.com or call us at 498-0359. We can tell you where it will be held at that time.

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Kathleen, Mike H., Maureen, Mike D., Jenny, Robin, and Terry

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September/October, 2009 • Volume 5, Number 5

In This Issue

• Time to Debunk TIME
• BodyBasics Welcomes…Maureen Raine
• Healthy Recipe: Homemade Energy Bars
• Client of the Month: June – Dolores Cannon
• iPod Music at BodyBasics
• Mat Giveaway…Last Chance
• Our Mission

Group Training

Currently Available:

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am - Gentle Yoga (Tue.)

The Greeks understood that mind and body must develop in harmounious proportions to produce a creative intelligence. And so did the most brilliant intelligence of our earliest days – Thomas Jefferson – when he said, not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise.

If the man who wrote the Decleration of Independence, was Secretary of State, and twice President, could give it two hours, our children can give it ten or fifteen minutes.

John F Kennedy (1917-63), US statesman, Address to the National Football Foundations, 5 Dec 1961.

Time to Debunk TIME

Who is John Cloud anyway?

If you follow health and fitness news, you have most likely come across the recent TIME Magazine article entitled, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” The author of this article, John Cloud, attempts to trivialize the role exercise plays in weight loss by claiming that it is the exercise that is actually hindering weight loss efforts. While we agree that proper nutrition is also very important in achieving weight loss, we strongly differ from Mr. Cloud’s claims that exercise is actually keeping Americans fat. Exercise absolutely DOES have an integral part in achieving a healthy lifestyle that will ultimately result in weight elimination if needed and/or desired. This connection between exercise and a healthy lifestyle as it relates to weight elimination is a very important one that, unfortunately, Mr. Cloud fails to make. As health and fitness professionals, we fear that the overall message of the article is that it is pointless to push yourself to exercise when all it is going to do is keep you from achieving your weight loss goals.

This article has caused uproar amongst the health and fitness community. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) alerted all its members of the misleading content of the article and issued a press release encouraging each member to submit it to their local media. I have overheard several conversations about the article amongst colleagues and clients around the gym. And one friend of mine, who is an avid exerciser, is throwing the magazine in the trash because she is so disgusted by the article denouncing the importance of exercise.

So, we decided it was time to put TIME in its place. It is time that educated health and fitness professionals set the record straight about the true role exercise plays in weight management. It is infuriating that misleading information like this is published in a prominent media source. Besides, who is this John Cloud guy anyway?

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The Article

Mr. Cloud’s article begins with the description of his weekly exercise regimen which is complete with 30 minutes on the stair-master, an hour with a personal trainer, a group exercise class, and a 5.5 mile run. He explains that although he has been sticking to this “vigorous” exercise routine for years and has maintained his weight (a point he very subtly makes), he still has his “gut fat” that hangs over his belt when he sits. All this torture on his body for all these years and he still has fat to lose? He decides that, of course, it has to be the exercise that is preventing him from losing the fat!

The article continues with statistics that show while gym memberships are at an all time high in our country, so are obesity levels. Exactly how are the two related? Just because someone has a gym membership does not mean that person is going to lose weight. It also does not mean that they are thin. And it certainly does not mean that one is overweight because they have a gym membership! If this was the case, you would see many more overweight avid exercisers at the gym!

As the article goes on, Cloud digs himself in deeper and deeper. He attempts to make a profound statement saying it is the exercise we do that is preventing us from losing weight. This is all due to the idea that exercise stimulates hunger forcing us to eat more and therefore halting any progress we have made. He says that if we use all our self-control and willpower to force ourselves to exercise, then there will be none left over to resist that enticing piece of pizza which we so crave after a hard bout of sweating at the gym.

Who does John Cloud think we are? A bunch of clueless, helpless, uneducated people who are slaves to our appetites with no hope of figuring out the actual needs of our own body? Yes, it is true that exercise will stimulate hunger simply because your energy need increases with the more activity you do throughout your day. However, this does not mean that you are unable to learn how to eat properly to keep yourself fueled correctly and prevent overeating, even with the extra energy you expend at the gym. This is a learned process; one that certainly anyone can be taught given the proper education and guidance. Where is this statement in the article?

The last major point Cloud attempts to make relates to the idea that when we exercise, tiredness sets in and we become more lethargic throughout the day and, therefore, are less active than normal. Again, this is not inevitable and it is not a direct cause of the exercise. With proper education on how to keep your body energized throughout the day, you can prevent the over-tired feeling and have an abundance of energy that your exercise will have actually helped to provide!

Time for Truth

It is time to face the facts. The most frustrating part of the entire article is that, as health and fitness professionals, we understand the point Mr. Cloud is trying to make. Many weight loss efforts are unsuccessful because people do not realize what it takes to see results with exercise alone. We have always said nutrition is about 75% of the weight loss “game.” Knowing this however, does not leave exercise out of the equation. Exercise is, in fact, a very important factor in weight loss and especially weight management. In his article, Cloud simply does not get this point across in an educational manner. Instead, he leaves the readers more confused than ever about exercise and the role it plays in effective weight loss.

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Exercise Not Enough?

The first point Cloud tries to make is that even though one may exercise his/her tail off, it is not enough to promote weight loss. Truthfully, it is very difficult for one to lose weight with exercise alone, but it is not impossible. We know that there are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. In order to lose one pound of fat over a span of one week, there has to be a deficit of 3500 calories over seven days, or an elimination of 500 calories per day. Therefore, if one was to make no adjustments at all to his/her dietary intake and was to start an exercise program in which he burned 500 calories a day, he would lose one pound a week with exercise only.

In actuality, there are very few of us that will be exercising every day at the level necessary to burn an extra 500 calories. In fact, Mr. Cloud only admits to exercising four days a week, and yet he wonders why he still has leftover belly fat. The bottom line is in order to help facilitate effective weight loss; nutritional habits must also be changed. The 500 calorie deduction can come from cutting back on 500 calories of food each day, burning an extra 500 calories during your workouts, or a combination of the two. The key is to attain a balanced nutrition plan that provides enough calories to keep the body energized and prevents hunger throughout the day, while at the same time creating a daily 500 calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

Exercise = Stimulated Hunger, Loss of Willpower, and Overtiredness?

As previously mentioned, weight loss occurs when there is caloric deficit. At the end of the day, the amount of calories expended must be greater than the amount of calories consumed. However, this deficit cannot be too great because then the body will become overly hungry and cause the dieter to lose all willpower and overeat excess calories. Also, if too little calories are consumed, the body becomes tired due to lack of energy. If the road to weight management is to be a success, one must have a firm understanding of caloric (energy) balance.

When a sedentary person begins a workout regimen, his/her caloric need will increase simply because his/her energy output has increased. This number will vary greatly depending on the person, how physically demanding the workout is, and the specific weight loss goal. So, as Mr. Cloud points out exercise can, indeed, stimulate hunger. But, as we learn more about energy balance, we will enable ourselves to control this hunger through proper preparation and food choices.

In order to lose weight, it is important to understand that the desired caloric deficit needs to be met at the end of your day. In other words, you do not want to find yourself at too great of a deficit during your day when your body needs energy the most. This is when you will become overly hungry and your appetite will seem stimulated beyond what your willpower can handle. Whatever the caloric need for your desired weight may be, it is important that you consume those calories consistently throughout your day so that you will never find yourself too hungry. When you are overly hungry, cravings hit hard and willpower goes out the window.

Deciding to make a change and consume a more healthful diet means eating to properly nourish your body to help it feel its best all day long. The goal should be to prevent hunger by eating healthy meals throughout the day, spaced no more than three or four hours apart, so you will not have to worry about being strong or having enough willpower to make good choices. Because it will be properly fed, your body will make the right decision for you.

Cloud makes the claim that if you use all your willpower to force yourself to exercise that you will have none leftover to help fend off your cravings for “bad” food. He also says you will be too tired after your workout to continue with your normal activities throughout your day. Mr. Cloud is wrong. It is not the exercise that is causing you to want that piece of pizza after your workout, it is that you may have not eaten anything for five or six hours and you are just finishing an hour long, intense workout. Your body is hungry and tired. It is not lack of willpower, but lack of nutrition preparation. And it is something that can be easily fixed in order to successfully reach your weight loss goals.

The Role of Exercise in Losing and Maintaining Weight

Most of this article has been focused on nutritional education and preparation to keep our cravings to a minimum and our energy high throughout the day. Now, we want to talk about the importance of exercise.

We all know how healthy exercise is for us. We hear it everyday. It’s good for the heart, the mind, the body. It wasn’t until John Cloud’s article in TIME, that we all were 100% certain that exercise was also good for losing and maintaining weight. Stick with what you know because exercise does play an important role in weight management.

As we mentioned earlier, it is extremely hard to lose weight with exercise alone. On the flip side, it is equally as challenging, and may be more dangerous, to lose weight with dieting alone. This is due to the fact that in order to drop one pound a week, there still needs to be a daily 500 calorie deficit. If this is reached through reducing your diet by 500 calories each day, you run the risk of consuming less than what your body needs just to survive your daily activities. When you drop below this caloric need, not only will you become hungry and experience fatigue, but your body will have no choice but to pull from stored energy to use as fuel. Unfortunately, this energy comes from stored protein, (i.e. muscle), and not fat. When you exercise, your body uses energy from stored carbohydrates (glycogen). As this energy is used, it leaves less leftover at the end of the day that will eventually be stored as fat. This is why your best option to achieve healthy and effective weight loss should come from a combination of exercise and a reduction in caloric intake.

When desired weight loss is achieved, the next step is the weight maintenance or management stage. Studies show that those who exercise regularly have an easier time keeping the weight off and managing their current weight then those who do not exercise. Basically, it comes down to the caloric equation again. If you burn more calories than consumed, you will lose weight. If you consume more calories than burned, you will gain weight. In order to maintain, you need to bring in equal calories than what you expend throughout your day. Believe us, this is much easier and much more enjoyable when you keep exercise a consistent presence in your life.

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The Real Bottom Line

It seems everywhere we turn, some new health and fitness expert is hoping to revolutionize the industry with profound statements or weight-loss products to help millions of people who are struggling and desperate for hope. The truth is, we all know what do. We just have to make the choice to do it. John Cloud’s article raised a lot of question; not about the need of exercise for weight management, but about how the public may view an assumed “expert” opinion because an article was published in a well known magazine. Readers will take away the wrong message from Cloud’s article about exercise. It is up to us, the educated and dedicated health and fitness professionals to help inform the public on the real truth about exercise and weight management. We hope this article has helped clear up any confusion.

Just remember, the ultimate goal is to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Exercise helps make up a healthy lifestyle. And weight loss is a by-product of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, exercise is key in achieving safe and effective weight loss and weight management. Period.

BodyBasics Welcomes…Maureen Raine

Maureen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from West Chester University in Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the Pima Community College Fitness Professional Certificate Program. She is a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Personal Trainer.

Maureen grew up outside of Philadelphia but has called Tucson home since 1998. In her free time, she loves to hike, bike, run, and rollerblade with her husband Rob and children Sean and Katelyn.

The pursuit of health and fitness has been a personal journey for Maureen. After the birth of he second child she found herself 80 pounds overweight. Over the course of seven years, she improved her diet and exercised regularly. In 2003 she completed a full marathon but had only lost 25 pounds. Later, she sought the help of a personal trainer and was delighted to lose 5 pounds in 6 weeks. The trainer, however, was concerned and asked Maureen to see her doctor. After simple blood tests, she was diagnosed with hypothyroid disease and began treatment. An additional 32 pounds fell away. Inspired by her own success, she decided to switch careers and become a personal trainer herself. 

Maureen wants everyone to enjoy the vitality she has found. She is excited to share what she has learned about exercise and nutrition with the rest of our BodyBasics community!

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Healthy Recipe: Homemade Energy Bars

Looking for a quick snack that will help keep your energy levels high?  Try the following recipe courtsey of Ellie Krieger, Registered Dietician and Food Network TV Chef.  Eat one or two of these before and/or after your workout and you are sure to have an abundance of energy to last you all day long!

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pitted dried dates
1/2 cup powdered nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Place all ingredients except the syrup and eggs in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the syrup and eggs and pulse until the mixture is well combined. It will resemble a coarse paste.
3. Transfer to the baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until just done, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 squares. 

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Calories:  133, Total Fat: 5 grams, Saturated Fat:  0.6 grams,  Protein:  5 grams, Carbohydrates:  20 grams, Fiber:  2.5 grams

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Client of the Month: June – Dolores Cannon

Dolores started training with her coach, Kathleen, in October 2008. Before that, she had not experienced resistance training in a structured way or with a fitness coach. Since training on a consistent basis, Dolores has increased her total body strength making it easier to climb stairs, get up and out of a chair, walk with better balance, and do the things she likes to do. She trains hard and maintains a sunny attitude at the same time!

Let’s support Dolores in her continued efforts to stay strong, healthy, and active with family and grandchildren. Keep up the good work Dolores!

iPod Music at BodyBasics

What would you like to listen to while you’re doing your cardio? We want to know! Music can really make an otherwise BORING workout a lot more enjoyable. Please email thelittens@yahoo.com any and all songs that you would like to hear at the studio during your workouts. We will even set up a personalized playlist for you! You provide the song list and the order. We’ll do the rest.

Thanks!

Mat Giveaway…Last Chance

We still have 4 mats left to give away. If you would like one let your fitness coach know.

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Kathleen, Mike H., Maureen, Mike D., Jenny, Robin, and Terry

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July/August 2009 • Volume 5, Number 4

In This Issue

• Time to Ice?
• Nutrition Corner: Nutrition and Injury Recovery
• Healthy Recipe: Salmon Packets
• Client of the Month: April – Barb Rock
• Client of the Month: May – Tom Meade
• iPod Music at BodyBasics
• Mat Giveaway
• Our Mission

Group Training

Currently Available:

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am -Gentle Yoga (Tue.)

Time to Ice?

In keeping with this year’s theme, we bring you our summer issue – Summertime in 2009!” Summertime brings with it a lot of fun, outdoor activities with friends and family. As you continue to become more fit and adopt a more active lifestyle, sometimes you have to endure everything else that comes along with finding your “inner athlete.” Unfortunately, that can mean injury. We thought it would be beneficial to discuss a very effective way to help recover from injury, ice therapy.

When a person becomes injured, most often the injury incurred is considered an “acute” injury. An acute injury is a recent injury caused by a specific event that will usually heal within a certain amount of time. One of the best ways to treat an acute injury is with ice. Ice therapy, also known as cryotherapy can be beneficial in many ways to include:

• Reducing bleeding and swelling
• Pain relief
• Reducing muscle spasm

Reducing Bleeding and Swelling

Ice can be used to reduce inflammation surrounding an injury. Two symptoms of inflammation are bleeding and swelling. Swelling is one of the body’s natural responses to injury. When the injured area swells, bodily fluid is accumulated and range of motion of the joint and/or muscle is limited, therefore protecting the injured area from further damage. Ice therapy helps to reduce this response.

By cooling the surface of the skin as well as the underlying tissues, vasoconstriction occurs. Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of blood vessels, which decreases the amount of blood flow to the area and therefore, reduces the amount of swelling.

Pain Relief

Ice therapy is thought to reduce the amount of pain to an injured area, though it is scientifically unclear as to exactly why this may occur. It is known, however, that cold reduces the activity of free nerve endings, raises the pain threshold, and causes a release of endorphins that overrides the pain sensation (known as the pain gate theory). The decrease of pain may be associated with one or a combination of all the above responses to cold therapy.

Reducing Muscle Spasm

Muscles will spasm as a response to pain. As the muscles contract, they are protecting themselves from further damage. More often than not, muscle spasms occur due to overuse of the muscle rather than specific injury. It is thought that ice can be used to reduce muscle spasms because the cold slows the motor activity of the muscle resulting in decreased action and more relaxation of the muscle.

When to Ice and When Not to Ice

Ice is most beneficial when used immediately after injury. This will best help reduce swelling, tissue damage, blood clot formation, inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. Ice therapy will continue to be most beneficial 24-48 hours following an injury.

The use of ice may also provide positive results for chronic inflammation and/or pain. When using ice in this manner, it is important to remember to ice after exercise and not before. Icing before exercise decreases the temperature to the area, which alters the movement of the muscle or joint thereby exposing it to further damage. Only in special situations, and with supervision, should ice be used prior to exercise.

In certain circumstances, ice may not be beneficial. The following conditions should not be treated with ice therapy:

• Raynauds Phenomenon – a condition affecting small blood vessels in the extremities
• Cold Hypersensitivity – hypersensitivity to cold may present itself in the form of hives (Cold Urticaria) or a rash (Cold Erythema)
• Cold Hemoglobinuria – a condition when red blood cells break down so quickly that some hemoglobin cannot combine with blood proteins
• Anesthesia – numbness or altered sensitivity that may affect the injured patient’s ability to sense the degree of coolness

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How to Ice

It is important to apply ice to an injury as soon as possible after the injury has occurred. There are many different methods to ice therapy; the most commonly used is the ice pack. An ice pack is any type of container that holds cubed or crushed ice such as a plastic bag or towel. These ice packs can be held in place by an “Ace” bandage or other types of athletic wrap or tape. If your container is thin like a plastic bag, it may be necessary to place a barrier between the ice pack and your skin to prevent frostbite.

Leave the ice pack in place for no more than 20-30 minutes. Initially, the ice will constrict local blood vessels and decrease the temperature of the tissue. After 20 minutes, the blood vessels will open slowly and then the tissue temperature will start to increase again. This effect is called “reactive vasodilatation” and is what assists in the beginning states of recovery from an injury.

Stages of Ice Therapy

Stage One: Cold
Stage Two: Burning/Prickling
Stage Three: Aching (sometimes will feel worse than the pain)
Stage Four: Numbness*

*The forth stage is the most important and as soon as this stage is achieved, the ice should be removed.

Ice therapy may be continued off and on throughout the day. Allow your skin and underlying tissue to return to normal temperature before re-applying the ice. For example, one might ice for 20 minutes, then re-ice two or three hours later. If pain and inflammation does not subside and continues for more than 48 hours after injury, it may be wise to consult your physician for further instruction.

Other ice therapy methods include:

• Ice baths – a large container is filled with cold water and ice where the injured area can be submerged. This method is beneficial for cooling awkward, bony areas such as the foot, ankle, hand, elbow.
• Ice Massage – cubes or blocks of ice are used to rub the injured muscle.
• Gel Packs – gelatinous substances that can be kept in the freezer and molded to the injured area. To prevent frostbite, apply on skin through a towel or cloth.
• Chemical Cold Packs – single use cold packs that are activated when an inner pouch is broken, releasing a chemical that lowers the temperature of the pack. These are convenient for use in emergency situation.
• Cryocuff – a machine, which consists of a gallon tank of ice water and a nylon sleeve, into which you place the injured part. The ice water flows through the cuff to provide constant cooling to the injured area.

Ice as Preventative Measure

Applying ice after exercise to areas that are not necessarily injured, but may still feel a little achy, could be beneficial in the prevention of potential injury. For example, runners may use ice therapy on their knees after a run to help prevent irritation and/or inflammation, which will help keep them healthy and strong.

Be Patient, Strong, and Healthy

As your lifestyle becomes more active, you may begin to feel that nothing can slow you down! This is wonderful, but you must also remember that if injury occurs, you will have to slow down and be patient to fully recover. In fact, you should use this time to give yourself an extra pat on the back because the more fit you are going into an injury, the better and most times, quicker recovery you will have (depending on the extent of the injury, of course). So, don’t get down. Be patient, listen to your doctors, PTs, and your Fitness Coaches, and you will return to your normal activities before you know it!

Resources:

• http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cold_therapy/cold_therapy.php
• http://www.rrca.org/resources/articles/ice.html

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Nutrition Corner: Nutrition and Injury Recovery

What you eat plays a big role in how you function throughout your day. Food gives your body the energy and the nutrients it needs to be the best you can be each and every day. Eating a well-balanced diet is very important in building a strong immune system and an equally as strong body to fend off disease and tackle the stresses we face on a daily basis. Likewise, when we find ourselves in recovery mode, whether from a tough workout or injury, our nutrition plays a key role in how well we recover.

When we sustain an injury, inflammation will follow. The above article talked about the importance and necessity of ice therapy to aid in the injury recovery process. Ice will help reduce inflammation from the outside in. However, there are things we can do to reduce the inflammation from the inside out.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Foods that are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Omega-3 fatty acids can help fight inflammation. Vitamin C can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as: citrus fruits, kiwis, strawberries, baked potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, broccoli etc. Vitamin E can be found in oils such as sunflower, safflower, olive, corn, and soybean. It is also found in nuts like peanuts, almonds, and hazelnuts. Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods are found in fatty fishes like salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Nuts and seeds such as, walnuts and flaxseed are also high in Omega-3s.

Another food that has shown an anti-inflammatory response is the herb turmeric. Turmeric is a flavoring that is used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is also found in mustard condiments and helps give the yellow coloring. Turmeric contains the ingredient curcumin, which is found in curry powder. It has even been called a better anti-inflammatory than the powerful steroid, cortisone.

Vitamins as Building Blocks

Vitamin C is also an important nutrient in helping your body form collagen. Collagen is a protein that helps repair tendons and ligaments and strengthen bones. It is an essential nutrient for repair and for the healing process to occur.

Vitamin A is important for cell growth and bone development. It is necessary in the recovery process because it helps strengthen immune function. Good sources of Vitamin A are: Sweet potatoes, carrots, mango, papaya, spinach, turnip greens, red bell peppers, etc.

Zinc is beneficial for wound healing and skin repair. Good food sources of Zinc are: meats, seafood, sunflower seeds, almonds, etc. The RDA for Zinc is 11 milligrams per day for men and 8 milligrams per day for women. It is recommended to not take more than 40 milligrams per day.

Food Good for Your Mood

Everyone feels a little down in the dumps some days. This is especially to be expected if you are battling an injury. Often, incurring an injury can lead to a mild, situational depression if the injury is keeping you from doing what you love. This is another great reason to focus on your nutrient intake and adhere to a healthy diet.

Eat a balance of nutrient-rich foods, filled with complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and a healthy amount of fat. Carbohydrates (especially “smart” carbs like whole grains, fruits, and veggies) raise the level of the mood-boosting brain chemical, serotonin. A rise in serotonin can cause a calming effect and lower anxiety levels.

Protein-rich, low-fat foods like turkey, tuna, and chicken contain the amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine raises the levels of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine, which can help you feel more alert.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a healthy fat and is another nutrient associated with the relief of depression symptoms. One study shows that societies that eat a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids have a higher prevalence of depression when compared to societies that consume a larger amount of Omega-3s.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that no matter what your goal, whether it is to lose weight, be healthy, get well from illness, prevent illness, recover from injury, or prevent injury, eating a nutritious, well-rounded diet is key. It is equally important to recognize that when you do not eat a healthy, well-rounded diet that you could, in fact, be inhibiting your recovery process. The vitamins and nutrients we take in when consuming a well-rounded diet help us live the lives we want to live, healthy and injury free!

Resources:

• http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/nutritional-therapies.html
• http://www.lehighsports.com/assets/sportsmed/NutritionDuringRehab.pdf
• http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Nutrition+as+a+key+player+in+injury+recovery-a0151713270

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Healthy Recipe: Salmon Packets

Recipe courtesy of Eating Well

This company-worthy salmon is steamed on a bed of escarole (or substitute your favorite veggie like asparagus or zucchini or squash) and basted in a rich and tangy lemon-butter sauce. Fresh tarragon is delicious or try other herbs, such as thyme or rosemary. Rainbow trout or arctic char are good substitutes for the salmon.

Add a side of brown rice for a complete, healthy, and well-balanced meal!

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

2 tablespoons butter
2 lemons
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chopped escarole, romaine lettuce or spinach
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1-1 1/4 pounds skinned salmon fillet, preferably wild Pacific (see Note), cut into 4 portions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (or see Grill Variation, below).
2. To prepare packets, start with four 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of parchment paper or foil. Fold in half crosswise. With the parchment or foil folded, draw half a heart shape on one side as you would if you were making a Valentine. Use scissors to cut out the heart shape. Open up the heart.
3. Combine butter with the juice of 1 lemon in a small pan; melt over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in tarragon and garlic. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the fish. Combine the rest of the sauce in a large bowl with escarole (or lettuce or spinach), scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat.
4. Place one-fourth of the greens mixture (about 11/4 cups) on one side of each open heart fairly close to the crease and leaving at least a 1-inch boarder around the edges for folding. Place 1 piece of fish on top of each portion of greens. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Brush the reserved sauce on the fish. Slice the remaining lemon and top the fish with the lemon slices.
5. Close the packet to cover the ingredients. Starting at the top, seal the packet by folding the edges together in a series of small, tight folds. Twist the tip of the packet and tuck it underneath to help keep the packet closed. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet (packets may overlap slightly). Bake until the fish is just cooked through and the greens are wilted, about 15 minutes. (Carefully open one package to check for doneness—be cautious of the steam.) Let the packets rest unopened for 5 minutes before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 215 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 2 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 24 g protein; 3 g fiber; 512 mg sodium; 763 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (45% daily value), Vitamin C (40% dv), Folate (34% dv), Potassium (22% dv), omega-3s.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

TIP: Ingredient Note: Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska and Washington) are more sustainably fished and have a larger, more stable population. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp).

Grill Variation: Cooking in packets is great for the grill, but it’s not safe to put parchment paper over an open flame, so use foil. To prepare packets for grilling, start with eight 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of foil. Layer two sheets for each of four packets (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning). Arrange the ingredients on one half of each double layer. Fold the foil over the ingredients and tightly seal the packets by crimping and folding the edges together. Grill over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the packets to another spot on the grill about halfway through to ensure even cooking.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Equipment: Parchment paper or foil

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Client of the Month: April – Barb Rock

Barb has been a loyal client of BodyBasics, committing to several group training sessions each month, since June of 2006. She is encouraging to her fellow group mates and she always comes to give her best effort. She asks great questions and continues to educate herself about the ins and outs of exercise and nutrition. She is one that backs up what she says with measurable action steps.

Barb, thank you for being such an example to others through your actions. It is so rewarding to watch you transform both your mindset and your bod right before our eyes. You will be in your little black dress before you know it!

Client of the Month: May – Tom Meade

Tom added the services of BodyBasics to his plan in November of 2008. He sought a professional to assist him towards better health after some unusual chest pains sent him to a cardiologist a couple months before resulting in the addition of heart and cholesterol meds and a stern prompting to improve his lifestyle. Tom listened to his body’s warning ,as well as his doctor’s, and started towards a new life by cleaning up his nutrition. He then added an exercise program that included 3-4 days of aerobics and 2 days of weight training. Seven months after these additions, the results are amazing. Meds have been almost completely eliminated. He has lowered his body fat by 10%. He has eliminated 50 pounds! He is running 40-45 minutes at a pace that stopped him short 7 months prior after only 5 minutes. The list of improvements goes on!

Tom, You are such an example of what can happen when proper nutrition and the right program design come together. Keep up the good work and thank you for your continued trust.

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iPod Music at BodyBasics

Do you have a favorite workout song? What gets you pumped up? What songs make you want to move? Please email thelittens@yahoo.com any and all songs that you would like to hear at the studio during your workouts. We’ll put them on the BodyBasics iPod song list! Thanks!

Mat Giveaway

We have 8 used mats in need of a home. We will be switching out our current mats with some new ones in the coming month. If you would like one let your fitness coach know.

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Kathleen, Mike H., Katrina, Mike D., Jenny, John, Robin, and Terry

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• May/June 2009 ·
• Volume 5, Number 3

In This Issue

• How Much Time to Exercise?
• Upcoming Pre-Summer BBQ!
• Nutrition Corner – Timing is Everything!
• Healthy Recipe: Quick Chicken Dish!
• Client of the Month: February – Elfriede Sheets
• Client of the Month: March – Toni Broten
• iPod Music at BodyBasics
• Our Mission

Group Training

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am – Gentle Yoga (Tue.)

How Much Time to Exercise?

This age-old question has been answered many times in many different ways. We’ve been told everything from 30 minutes most days of the week, to 60 minutes daily. No matter how minimal the recommendations, Americans are still finding it a challenge to get in enough exercise to promote health benefits. In keeping with the “time” theme for 2009, we are here to give you up-to-date research on the current exercise recommendations to help you on your quest for better health.

Current Recommendation

To promote and maintain health, The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) along with the American Heart Association (AHA) currently recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity* aerobic physical activity five days a week or a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity** aerobic physical activity three days a week. These guidelines apply to younger as well as older populations.

*Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity would be equivalent to a brisk walk.

**Vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity is exercise that creates a substantial increase in your heartrate, for example, jogging/running.

Break it Down

With our incredibly busy schedules these days, it can be difficult to find 30 minutes in a day to exercise. But, never fear because good news is here! Recent research has shown that cardiovascular benefits can come from performing moderate-intensity aerobic activity for 10 minute bouts, counting toward the 30 minute recommended minimum. The health effects are similar with three 10-minute exercises sessions throughout the day as compared to 30 solid minutes. Just make sure that each exercise session is no less than 10 minutes and that you exercise at the same intensity for each 10 minute bout.

But wait, there’s more! It is important to point out that the minimum of 30 minutes of accumulated aerobic activity is in addition to our regular activities of daily living. These activities may include, self-care, cooking, casual walking, or shopping. However, moderate to vigorous intensity daily activities may be included in the 30 minute recommendation, as long as they are done for at least 10 minutes at a time. These activities may include, brisk walking or cycling to work, gardening with a shovel, or splitting wood (now let’s all get out there and split some wood)!

Old vs New

The old aerobic exercise recommendation was that adults should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Studies found that this recommendation was being misinterpreted by some who believed that their light activities of daily living were sufficient enough to improve health.

The new recommendations specifically point out that the aerobic activity recommendation is in addition to routine activities of daily living. Emphasis is also placed on the importance of vigorous activity. In fact, health benefits are similar if moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity exercise are combined together in one week to achieve the five days per week goal. For example, one could go for a brisk walk for 30 minutes, three days a week, and jog for 20 minutes two times a week.

Goals Matter

The above recommendations are important for the improvement of cardiovascular health in our country. They are also very general and were written for the average person who wishes to improve their fitness and decrease their risk for disease. That being said, we encourage you to use the above guidelines to establish a good foundation of cardiovascular fitness. Depending on specific goals, those who wish to further improve their fitness, decrease their risk for disease even more, or prevent unhealthy weight gain will benefit by exceeding the 30 minute minimum.

For these types of goals, there are more specific recommendations:

• To help protect against selected chronic diseases = performing 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week
• To help prevent unhealthy weight gain = performing approximately 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity on most days of the week
• To sustain already achieved substantial weight loss = performing at least 60 – 90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity daily

Don’t Forget the Weights!

In addition to the above cardiovascular exercise recommendations, you will need to include a weight-training program at least two times a week. Studies have shown that less than two times a week, while it is better than nothing, it not sufficient enough for marked increase in lean body mass (muscle).

Feeling overwhelmed? An easy and fun way to incorporate cardiovascular fitness with weight training is to participate in a circuit training program like our Small Group Classes. Circuit training helps to keep your heart rate elevated throughout most of the exercise session, therefore improving your cardiovascular fitness and burning more calories!

Time to Move

As our lives become more and more hectic, there will always be countless excuses for why we cannot find the time to exercise. Just remember that our bodies have an inherent need to move. By failing to meet the minimum recommendation, we are in fact forcing our bodies not to move. Think about that each day you feel like you have to convince yourself to exercise. In reality, you are doing what your body needs – to move!

We encourage you that when you do find the time to move, make it count! Remind yourself that it was not easy to block off this time to exercise, and therefore, you are going to work hard and get the most out of your session, whether it’s 20 or 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or #2 out of the three 10-minute bouts of exercise you are getting that day! Be proud of yourself that you continue to make the time in 2009!

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Upcoming Pre-Summer BBQ!

Please join us Saturday, May 23rd at 5:00 p.m. for a wonderful get together! Two of our wonderful clients, Marge and Richard, will be hosting a BBQ on this date at their house. We will be grilling chicken as well as beef burgers. You come with your favorite side dish. Directions will be available on the bulletin board inside the studio.

Nutrition Corner – Timing is Everything!

When it comes to making healthy change in your life, nutritional health is just as important as physical health. In fact, it is next to impossible to achieve ideal physical health without nutritional health. This is why we pay close attention to the nutritional habits of our clients.

When we first start working with our clients on nutritional changes, we ask them to log their food intake throughout the day. We have them keep track of what they eat, the approximate measurements of the food, and the time of day in which they eat. When our clients present their food log to us, the first thing we look at is the timing of the meals. More often than not, the time when the meals were eaten explains why the person made the food choices that he/she did as well as the amount that was eaten.

Step Aside Willpower

We hear so often from our clients that they just do not have enough willpower to avoid the fatty, sugary, yummy foods. We beg to differ. Having enough willpower to say “no” is a direct result of coming to the table prepared and able. If you have properly nourished your body throughout the day, you will be better equipped to say “no” to foods you otherwise may have devoured.

Just as our bodies have an inherent need to move (as stated in the above article on exercise) they also have a need to eat. We are such well-built machines, that if we do not fuel ourselves frequently enough, we will start to break down. When we look at the food logs our clients bring us, is it no wonder why their bodies are breaking down. We have seen anywhere from five, six, seven, sometimes even as much as 10 hours in-between meals. When that much time is allowed between eating, your body will become used to not being fed frequently, and therefore will slow down the breakdown of your food to conserve the calories that you do eat. The end result is an excess of calories by the end of the day, which will, in turn, be stored in your body as fat.

Set Yourself up for Success

Here are some steps to keeping yourself successful all day long:

1) ALWAYS eat breakfast! Aim for eating 30 minutes to one hour after waking.
2) Eat every three to four hours. It is time to break the habit of forgetting to eat or being so busy that you just could not find the time to eat. Plan your day and build in meal breaks so that you can keep yourself focused, energized, and fueled all day long.
3) Eat within one to two hours prior to exercise and within 90 minutes after exercise. For more details on exercise and eating, check out BodyBasics News, March/April 2009.
4) Eat a healthy combination of foods at each meal (see below for more info)
5) Drink enough water! We want you to re-train your mind and body to recognize the hunger signs to help you eat more regularly. Many of the signs of dehydration are similar to hunger, so it is important that you stay properly hydrated to be able to distinguish between the two. Drinking enough water is one of the most important things you can for your body.

Eat Combination of Food

You hear a lot of advertisements say that if you eat this bar or drink this shake you can fend off cravings and hunger for up to four hours. Simply put, the bar or the shake has a good combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat that will help you stay satisfied longer.

We encourage you to eat a combination of foods every time you eat. In other words, having an apple is a good snack. But it may not keep you satisfied for very long since our bodies digest carbohydrates quickly. If you were to eat the apple with a piece of string cheese or some peanut butter, that snack would last you much longer. So each time you eat, look at the quality of the food. Ask yourself these questions:

1) Am I eating quality carbohydrates? That is, fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, pastas, rice, crackers, etc.
2) Am I eating quality protein? That is lean meats like turkey, chicken, fish, egg, 1% or skim milk products, nuts?
3) Am I eating quality fats? That is nuts, avocado, and oils like olive, vegetable and flaxseed. (Remember that many times your fats and proteins may be in the same food, so it is wise to pick a healthy protein and oftentimes, your healthy fat need will be covered).

Now is the Time!

Since this year is all about making the time in 2009, we decided to focus on the importance of timing your meals when it comes to making healthy nutritional changes in your life. Start by following the five tips listed above and you will be well on your way to a happier, healthier, and more energized you throughout the day!

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Healthy Recipe: Quick Chicken Dish!

"Emeril's Chicken Paillards with Chickpea Relish and Arugula"
(A paillard is just a thinly pounded piece of meat that is quickly sautéed or grilled).

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and written by Chef Emeril Lagasse

The below dish has been tested in our very own Body Basics "test kitchen" in Waco, Texas! One night, when Jenny, our newsletter editor, was not very excited about cooking, she came across this recipe. She knew she had all the ingredients in her fridge and pantry, so it was a no brainer! Dinner was ready in 15 minutes! She was amazed that this meal was so incredibly quick, easy, and flavorful! She just had to share it with all of you! Enjoy!

Jenny's notes: If you have never tried arugula, I strongly suggest picking some up next time you are at the store. It is a spicy lettuce and has a wonderful, refreshing, peppery taste! It pairs very well with parmesan cheese in pasta, salads, or as an accent to a dish as the one below. If you do not like arugula, you may substitute baby spinach or other mixed baby greens.

Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 bunch fresh arugula, tough stems removed

Directions

Lay chicken flat; holding a sharp knife parallel to work surface, split chicken in half horizontally. Cover with plastic wrap; pound each cutlet with the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small pan until inch thick.

In a shallow dish, combine 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat. Heat a large skillet over medium-high; lightly brush with oil. Cook chicken until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

In a bowl, toss together chickpeas, onion, basil, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Top chicken with chickpea relish; serve with arugula and lemon wedges.

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Client of the Month: February – Elfriede Sheets

Elfriede first came to BodyBasics in November of 2006. Despite starting and stopping for various reasons between now and then, she has continued to make headway. Elfriede has come a long way physically as well as mentally when it comes to her health and fitness. Her outlook on how she feels about exercise has really made a change for the better and it is because of this shift in mindset that she is Client of the Month.
Elfriede, I hope you continue to recognize the improvements in your balance, coordination, and strength that we have been witness to. Maintain your mindset also. We want you to recognize how much your mental shift has been a catalyst for positive change physically.

Client of the Month: March – Toni Broten

Since her start in July of 2008, Toni has been a shining example of what can be accomplished when desire and dedication are combined with the proper direction. Toni continues to improve her range of motion, functional strength, and overall stamina. She remains dedicated week after week to realizing her full potential. Under the watchful eye of her Fitness Coach, Mike Donelan, Toni has recognized that she is capable of improving despite suffering a major spinal cord trauma 18 years ago.
Toni, you are such an example of perseverance to us all. Thank you for your shining example. You are truly inspirational.

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iPod Music at BodyBasics

Do you have a favorite workout song? What gets you pumped up? What songs make you want to move? Please email thelittens@yahoo.com any and all songs that you would like to hear at the studio during your workouts. We'll put them on the BodyBasics iPod song list! Thanks!

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Kathleen, Mike H., Katrina, Mike D., Jenny, John, Robin, and Terry

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The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is an event that is very near and dear to our hearts as many of our beloved clients have been personally impacted by breast cancer. Let’s stand up as one on April 19th to show our support for each other and our community as we join together to eliminate this awful monster!

We will be ordering team shirts for all of us to wear in support of each other and the cause. Please email Chris at thelittens@yahoo.com with your preferred poly/cotton shirt size by Friday, March 27, 2009. There will also be a sign up sheet in the studio.

Sign-up Details

To join the BodyBasics Crew in the 2009 Race for the Cure on Sunday, April 19, visit www.komenaz.org and click on the “Race for the Cure.” On the page that comes up next, click on “Register.” You will be guided to another page that has an icon labeled “Register Here.” Click on it and then check “Join a Team.” Scroll the list of teams that will appear at the bottom until you have highlighted “BodyBasics Crew.” The rest of the registration process will follow.

Event packets will be mailed to all participants who register by mail, postmarked by Wednesday, April 1, or online by Friday, April 10, 12 noon. We encourage all of you who are participating with the BodyBasics Crew to register before these two deadlines.

We will meet as a team on Sunday, April 19, at 6:30 am for a team photo and to show support for our 1-mile walkers, who will get underway at 7:00 am. Look for your BodyBasics Crew clad teammates somewhere around the northwest corner of Reid Park on race day.

Join BodyBasics Fitness Coach, Terry Mamalis, for this informative one-hour session. You will learn how to maximize your energy level so you’re better equipped to handle the demands of everyday living.

View Energizing Your Body [PDF 780 KB] for more details.

• March/April 2009 ·
• Volume 5, Number 2

In This Issue

• Welcome to the Team John, Terry, and Robin!
• Farewell to Another
• Take Time in 2009
• Upcoming Events: Energizing Your Body and Race for the Cure
• iPod Music at BodyBasics
• Nutrition Corner – Make More Time in the Kitchen
• Healthy Recipe: Leek-y Chicken and Couscous
• Client of the Month: December – Ann Marsh
• Client of the Month: January – Ian Hawtree

Welcome to the Team John, Terry, and Robin!

John Bandurraga, BS
Certified Personal Trainer

John holds a B.S. from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and is a 2004 graduate of the Pima Community College Fitness Professional Certificate Program.

He is committed to educating his clients on the benefits of physical activity and guiding them in the right direction to achieve their goals. John has a gift for coming up with the most creative methods for training his clients and he believes in a functional approach to fitness. In other words, he strives to develop exercise programs that improve his client's levels of fitness and their capacity for using those improved levels outside of BodyBasics.

John is a California native. He and his wife, Sue, moved to Tucson in 2003 and have two daughters and four grandchildren. When not in the studio, John enjoys pursuing his own fitness goals, cycling, and golf.

Robin Eckert
Certified Personal Trainer
NESTA Certified Wellness Coach

Robin has worked as a fitness professional since 1998.

She has a special interest in working with clients to overcome structural imbalances, improve muscle gain, and develop a sound approach to nutrition.

Robin is a Pennsylvania native. She moved to Tucson in 1994 and enjoys cycling, yoga, cooking, and Arizona’s beautiful weather.

Terry Mamalis, BS
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Terry earned a degree in Sports Management/Administration from Florida State University and has over 17 years of experience as a personal trainer.

His special interests include fitness training for runners, weight loss, body detoxification and nutrition.

Terry is a native of New York and enjoys running and international travel in his free time.

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Farewell to Another

Please join us in bidding Cécile a fond farewell. As many of you may know, Cécile's husband Chris has been working towards acceptance into the FBI for close to 10 years. Well, Chris is now just waiting for an acceptance to the FBI Academy as he has finally passed all prerequisites to getting in. Because of this, Cécile has decided to say good bye to us here at BodyBasics to give the Chris and her time to organize their affairs before he is accepted into the academy.

Cécile, thank you for being such a strong part of our team. We wish you and Chris all the best now and forever.

Take Time in 2009

As you may remember, our theme for this year is all about taking the time in 2009. While we seem to always be running out of it, we encourage you to make this year all about finding time in your life again. In the year 2009, it is time to make time for you and your health this year.

Recession = More Time for You?

In times of recession, stress levels sky rocket and put our mental health in jeopardy. Anxiety and depression are major causes of physiological stress on our bodies, which can decrease overall health. However, the New York Times recently reported that, “Recessions and depressions, of course, are not good for mental health. But, it is less widely known that in the United States and other affluent countries, physical health seems to improve, on average, during a downturn.” While it is true that missing a paycheck is stressful, the elimination of the job altogether may actually prove to have some beneficial effects on health. The improvements in physical health are attributed simply to having more time. People are commuting to work less, thus lowering the risk of accidents, as well as the stress of traffic. If people are spending less time on the road and/or in the office, then they have more time to spend on exercise, sleep, or time with the family.

What not to cut out

In times of recession, people start thinking about what they can cut out of their budgets. Often times, one of the monthly expenses that make that list is the gym membership or other monthly fitness costs. While this may seem like an obvious way to save money, cutting out your regular exercise may be one of the most detrimental decisions you could make for your physical health, especially in these stressful times.

Exercise has been proven to lower stress and many of the symptoms that accompany stress. These symptoms may include: anxiety, anger, alarm, lack of control, vulnerability, and depression. In the economic times that our country is in, there is no doubt people are feeling at least one, if not more, of the above symptoms of stress. Therefore, exercise may be more important now than ever before.

Many of us know and have experienced the stress-reducing benefits we feel when we exercise regularly, but did you know that a lack of exercise could actually attribute to more stress? When we exercise, we are essentially putting our body under stress; causing it to respond with an elevated heart rate, rise in blood pressure, and added labor on our respiratory system. When performed along specific guidelines of your professional Fitness Coach, this type of stress can be beneficial to the body. The important factor to focus on is the rate at which the body returns to homeostasis, or a “normal” state after exercise. A trained individual will not only return to homeostasis quicker, but he/she will reach a more complete state of “normal” than when compared with an untrained individual. Therefore, if we are under a stressful situation and are not exercising to give our bodies an outlet for this stress, our stress response will remain high and will take longer to return to homeostasis. In actuality, the body’s natural response to stress is to move and be active, as in exercise. If we remain inactive, we are putting an enormous amount of strain on our internal systems. Visualize those internal systems responding similarly to stepping on the gas pedal of a parked car “flooring” it while it stays in place.

Reduce your stress with exercise

Stress occurs when we prioritize things that are not important. Americans are experiencing a great amount of stress in today’s economy. Therefore it is imperative that we keep our priorities straight. By taking the time this year to focus on our health, we can better manage our stress levels and hopefully emerge from this downturn as healthier and happier Americans.

Resources:
New York Times: Recession Can Change a Way of Life
Seward, Brian. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Wellbeing. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1999. P. 448

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Upcoming Events: Energizing Your Body and Race for the Cure

BodyBasics Health & Wellness Series
“Energizing Your Body”
Sat., March 21, 2009 ▪ 1:00 pm

Join BodyBasics Fitness Coach, Terry Mamalis, for this informative one-hour session. You will learn how to maximize your energy level so you’re better equipped to handle the demands of everyday living.

View Energizing Your Body [PDF 780 KB] for more details.

Race for the Cure
Sunday, April 19th ▪ 6:30 am

Join the Body Basics Crew and help us in the race to find a cure for breast cancer! Visit www.komenaz.org and click on the "Race for the Cure". On the page that comes up next click on "Register". After you have done so, you will be guided to another page that has an icon labeled "Register Here". Click on it and then check "Join a Team". Scroll the list of teams that will appear at the bottom until you have highlighted "BodyBasics Crew". The rest of the registration process will follow.

The organizers of this event are providing mailed packets to all participants who register by mail postmarked Wednesday, April 1st or online by Friday, April 10th, 12 noon. We encourage all of you who are participating with BodyBasics Crew to register before these two deadlines.

We will also be ordering team shirts for all of us to wear in support of each other and the cause. Please email Chris at thelittens@yahoo.com with your preferred shirt size for a cotton/poly shirt.

We will meet as a team on Sunday, April 19th at 6:30 for a team photo and to show support for our 1 mile walkers who will get underway soon after at 7:00 a.m. Look for BodyBasics Crew clad teammates somewhere around the Northwest corner of Reid Park on race day.

Race for the Cure is an event that is very near and dear to our hearts as so many of our beloved clients have been personally impacted by this cancer. Let's stand up as one on April 19th and show our support for each other and the community as all join to eliminate this awful monster!

iPod Music at BodyBasics

Do you have a favorite workout song? What gets you pumped up? What songs make you want to move? Please email thelittens@yahoo.com any and all songs that you would like to hear at the studio during your workouts. We'll put them on the BodyBasics iPod song list! Thanks!

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Nutrition Corner – Make More Time in the Kitchen

In comparison to all the fast-food options out there, good nutrition may not seem the most convenient, the most economical, or the fastest way for us to fill our stomachs. In truth, good nutrition is not something that comes easy to many of us. However, it can become a good habit and even a hobby that one can learn and soon master with a little planning, preparation, practice, and patience.

Take the time to plan

Any goal can be achieved if a good plan is put in place and properly executed. If the goal is to eat healthier, having a weekly meal plan will help you improve your nutrition greatly. This meal plan will, most likely, include cooking more meals at home. Cooking meals at home is way you can control the ingredients and portion sizes more easily than dining at restaurants. If you have a plan in place, you are less likely to be “stuck” somewhere during your week without any healthy meal options. Simply take the time to make a plan, and you will be amazed at how much time you will save cumulative over the week by putting that plan in place.

We encourage you to plan your meals for the entire week at the beginning of the week (i.e. Sunday). Then write a grocery list and make one big shopping trip. You may have to make a quick trip to the store mid-way during the week to pick up additional perishable foods, but you should be able to purchase most of your food items on that one day. Having a list in hand will not only save you time in the grocery store, it will help you stay focused on what you really need so you can better fend off the urge for impulse buys.

Of course, we cannot always be prepared for everything that life is going to throw at us. Therefore, it is best to plan for the unpredictable as well. For those times, you can easily pick up a couple healthy frozen pizzas for those nights where all you may have is the 10 mins to throw a pizza in the oven and toss together a salad. Even if we are unable to stick to the original plan, we will be better prepared to handle hectic situations simply by having the plan.

Take the time to prepare

Rachael Ray, the master of the 30-Minute Meal, is constantly offering tips on how to minimize your time in the kitchen preparing your ingredients ahead of time. Sure, she has all her pots and pans out on the counter and ready for her, but if you notice, she does all her cutting, chopping, slicing, dicing, can-opening, and then the cooking all while the camera is rolling. One tip she repeats time and time again is to prepare your food when you get home from the grocery store. Specifically, she encourages the washing of all fruits and vegetables, herbs, lettuces, etc. Another good suggestion is to buy your meats in bulk. When you get home, trim the fat from the meat. Then store the food in the appropriate serving sizes for your family in freezer bags in the freezer for future meals. Taking the extra time to do this prep work ahead will dramatically cut down on the time it takes to actually cook your meal.

Take the time to practice and be patient

Managing your time is a skill that needs practice. In the beginning, schedule the planning time into your calendar to ensure you will not forget. Though the planning task may seem tedious, be patient and in no time you will become a time and money saving expert!

"Express Lane Meals"

Rachael Ray has written many cookbooks appealing to the home cook who wants a good meal in a short amount of time. One book, Express Lane Meals, gives a wide variety of meals that take as little as 15 minutes and no more than 30 minutes all with 10 ingredients or less. The lesson she teaches in the beginning of the book is how to stock your pantry. She gives a list of everything she recommends keeping on hand that will be the foundation of your meals. Therefore, when you make your quick trip to the grocery store, you can breeze through the express lane because you will only need to pick up 10 items or less! The concept is brilliant and truly a time saver!

See below for a delish quick, easy, and healthy meal!

Healthy Recipe: Leek-y Chicken and Couscous

Here is one of Rachael Ray's recipes from her Express Lane Meals cookbook. This recipe can also be found on her Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine website

Leek-y Chicken and Couscous
Rachael Ray

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup golden raisins (a couple of handfuls), chopped
*1 1/2 cups plain couscous
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 medium leeks or 1 large leek
1 cup dry white wine (eyeball it—about a third of a bottle)
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped (about a handful)

*try whole wheat couscous – it's, as Rachael would say, Yum-o!

1. Heat the chicken broth and the butter in a medium saucepan. (Use a pan with a tight-fitting lid.) When the broth boils, add the raisins and the couscous. Take the saucepan off the heat. Stir the couscous and place the lid on the pan. Let stand.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. While the chicken works, trim the tough tops and root ends from the leeks. Cut the remaining white and tender green parts in half lengthwise, then cut the leeks into 1-inch half-moons. Place the leeks in a colander and run cold water over them. Separate the layers to release the dirt and grit. Rinse the leeks well, then drain.

4. Stir the leeks into the chicken and wilt for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and let it cook down by half, 3 to 4 minutes. The leeks should be tender, with some bright green color, and the chicken should be cooked through.

5. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the parsley. Spoon a bed of couscous onto dinner plates and top with the chicken and leeks.

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Client of the Month: December – Ann Marsh

Ann stepped into BodyBasics in March of ‘08’ with a very pained right shoulder hoping to find an alternative to surgery. She found one…and much more. Since starting, Ann has improved her shoulder range of motion and strength so much that any thoughts of surgery have been silenced. Since improving her shoulder, Ann has gone on to achieve much more. In fact Ann has completely adjusted her lifestyle to include better nutrition and much more physical activity than she has done in years. The results are evident. She has eliminated 11+ inches overall and dramatically improved her total strength. Way to go Ann!

Client of the Month: January – Ian Hawtree

Ian started working out at BodyBasics on August 4, 2008. He and his family wanted him to improve his overall fitness and eliminate excess body fat. Since his start in August, Ian has been extremely committed to his schedule of 2x each week with Mike Donelan. In addition to his dedication at BodyBasics, Ian has also made great strides at home. He continues to improve his eating habits and he has added walking on a treadmill. The results are evident. To date, Ian has shed 25 pounds!
Ian we are all very proud of you and hope that you continue to strive for better health and fitness. You are an inspiration to all of us.

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Kathleen, Mike H., Katrina, Mike D., Jenny, John, Robin, and Terry

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• January/February 2009 ·
• Volume 5, Number 1

In This Issue

• Take Time in 2009
• Nutrition Corner: The Slow Food Movement
• Healthy Recipe: Slow-Cooked Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew
• Guest Article – What is Your WQ?
• Client of the Month: October – Lyn Ramirez
• Client of the Month: November – Kim Greismer
• Our Mission

Take Time in 2009

At the beginning of each year, it is always fun to see what words we can rhyme with the New Year. We choose a word that will make up a positive and encouraging catch phrase to represent a theme for the upcoming 12 months. This year, we decided on the word “time” to rhyme with 2009.

Tradition tells us that the New Year is time for a New Year’s Resolution. At BodyBasics, we are attentive to resolutions each year because of the vast amount of them focus on losing weight and getting in shape in the upcoming year.

Take The Time

We look at a New Year’s Resolution as we would any other goal you wish to achieve. As with most goals, there is a long-term vision desired. On the First of January of each year when we make our resolutions, we are allowing ourselves 365 days to reach our goal. However, the majority of resolutions are broken and/or abandoned by February. One reason for this is that so many resolutions are very broad, “This year, I want to lose weight,” or “I want to get in shape,” or “I want to save more money.” The goal is in mind, but without taking the time to figure out exactly how you will achieve the goal, it becomes next to impossible to reach. This year, take time to sit down and figure out the necessary steps to take in order to reach your resolution.

Take Your Time

Another reason we give up on our resolutions so soon after the New Year is because it takes too much time to actually achieve our goals. With this fast-paced society we live in, it is no wonder we want everything at our fingertips lickety-split. We do not have the time to wait for long-term results, such as weight loss. Everywhere we turn, it seems there is a new fad diet that claims to produce incredible weight loss in no time at all. This sounds appealing because anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight realizes that it is not a quick process. It takes time. And it should take time. If a diet is promising more than 1-2 lb weight loss per week, it is wise to research the facts.

The truth is you need to allow yourself the appropriate amount of time to achieve your weight elimination goals. To produce safe and effective weight elimination that will be more likely to last throughout the rest of your life, you are realistically looking at dropping 1/2 a pound to 2 pounds a week depending on your size and gender. This may not sound like it is fast enough for you, but if you look at the big picture, over an entire year, one could drop 26 to 104 pounds!

If you find yourself feeling impatient while allowing the appropriate amount of time to eliminate some extra pounds, we have good news. With just minimal amounts of exercise, you will find that your energy and fitness levels can increase in a very short amount of time! Studies show that untrained individuals can produce improvements in cardiovascular fitness with just 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week at 70-85% max effort (HR Max). Keep this up and you will see measurable improvements in your cardiovascular fitness within six weeks! (ACSM p.150-151)

Take Time for Yourself

Each year, the world seems to run a bit faster than the year before. These days we are master multi-taskers with the best technology that helps us be as efficient as we can be squeezing every minute out of every day. With all that we do each day, how much time do we actually set aside for ourselves? Time without computers, without cell phones, and without interruptions. This year, it’s time. It is time to take the time for yourself.

Often we feel guilty when we take time solely for ourselves. We feel that we are being selfish and that our time is better spent attending to someone else’s needs. There are going to be situations where this kind of sacrifice is necessary, but think about what would happen if you continued to put yourself on the “back burner” for 10, 20, even 30 years. The result is someone who has been so busy taking care of everyone else that he/she has forgotten to take care of him/herself.

Now is the time.

Take time to read a book. Take time to call a friend. Take time to spend with your friends and family, just being together. Take time to exercise and let that time be your time. Take time to cook a home-cooked meal, whether you have just a few minutes or four hours (see recipe below). Take the time to write in a journal and reflect on your life. Just slow down, and take your time. Your body will thank you. Your mind will thank you. Your friends and family will thank you. Most importantly, you will thank you.

With the changes in the economy, our lives and lifestyles are changing as well. Maybe, just maybe, these changes will help us slow down and take some more for ourselves. Let the gift of 2009 be time.

REFERENCES

American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, Sixth Edition. Lippincot, Williams & Wilkins, Philidelphia. 2000.

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Nutrition Corner: The Slow Food Movement

When researching a topic for our nutrition article that would be in line with our “time” theme of this issue, we came across an organization called The Slow Food Movement. The Slow Food Movement is a non-profit, member-supported organization that rivals fast food and a fast way of life. Fast Food is widely blamed, in part, for the high levels of obesity in our country that contribute to so many health problems due to the large amounts of saturated fat and processed ingredients in the food. The Slow Food group hopes to bring back local food traditions and re-inspire our interest in the food we eat, the way it tastes, where it comes from, and how our food choices may affect the rest of the world.

The Slow Food Movement was founded by Carlo Petrini of Italy in 1989. The group has now expanded to 85,000 members in 132 countries, including the United States.

Slow Food USA was created with the mission to “reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils and waters that produce our food.” The group seeks to “inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat.” There are 200 chapters that make up Slow Food USA. These chapters are involved in activities such as:

• Raising public awareness towards improving access of local and seasonal foods
• Caring for the land for today’s communities and future generations
• Performing educational outreach within communities and working with children in schools and through public programs
• Identifying, promoting and protecting fruits, vegetables, grains, animal breeds, wild foods, and cooking traditions at risk of disappearance
• Advocating for farmers and artisans who grow, produce, market, prepare and serve wholesome food

Some critics of the Slow Food Movement claim the group has “mixed hedonism with a leftist political agenda.” We keep a neutral stance on issues such as these, but we do look at the positives aspects this group may have on the nutrition of the food we eat.

For example, we all know that fresh fruits and vegetables are a great source of nutrition. But did you know that the distance traveled and the method in which the food has traveled can decrease the nutritional value of that food? It would be ideal if we could all grow our own fruits and vegetables in backyard gardens, but we know that is not feasible for the majority of Americans. Slow Food USA hopes to improve access to more local and seasonal foods. Many cities offer local Farmer’s markets that provide a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Farmer’s markets are a fun way to spend a morning picking out a new type of fruit or veggie to try and include in your dinner menu that evening. Plus, you can feel good knowing you are providing great nutrition for your body as well as supporting the local farmers of your community. For a list of Farmer’s Markets near you check out Tucson Farmer’s Markets.

In keeping with our “Take Time in 2009″ theme this year, we encourage you to take the necessary steps to improve your nutrition. Aim to stay away from Fast Food and take the Slow Food route. Cook more home cooked meals and pay attention to the ingredients you are using. Visit your local Farmer’s market. Try a new fruit or vegetable this season. Sit down to dinner at the table and take your time while eating, making sure you are really tasting and enjoying the flavors of each bite of food. By taking the time to slow down this year, we may be able to positively affect the health of our nation.

If you are interested in learning more about the Slow Food Movement, check out:

www.slowfood.com
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

For the local Tucson chapter, visit: www.slowfoodtucson.org/

REFERENCES:

www.slowfoodusa.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Food

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Healthy Recipe: Slow-Cooked Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

Even in today’s busy times, we can still find time for a slow cooked meal thanks to our trusty crockpot/slow-cooker. The following recipe was taken from www.eatingwell.com and provides a tasty way to cook up chicken and sweet potatoes. Add a side of quick-cooking brown rice and you have yourself a nutrient balanced and slow cooked meal in no time at all!

Makes 6 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 5 hours 20 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of fat
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into spears
1/2 pound white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 large shallots, peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

Place chicken, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, rosemary, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the potatoes are tender, about 5 hours. Before serving, remove bones from the chicken, if desired, and stir in vinegar.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 285 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 50 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrate; 17 g protein; 5 g fiber; 519 mg sodium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (430% daily value), Potassium (25% dv), Fiber (20% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat

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Guest Article – What is Your WQ?

What is your WQ…Women’s Wellness Quotient?

by Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS

Women have traditionally been caretakers, and have tended to place their own health on a low priority. But wise women are recognizing that taking good care of themselves
is the best gift they can give to their loved ones.  Many factors contribute to good health! The following questionnaire has been developed after many years of counseling individuals with physical and emotional health challenges.

Recognizing that good health is always on a fluctuating continuum, why not check out your WQ (Wellness Quotient) today?

Rate each of the following on a scale of 0-4 (0= Not at all, 4=Optimal level)

___ I generally experience high level of energy and enthusiasm

___ I usually follow a nutritious and well balance diet and make good food choices

___ I drink enough quality water daily (1oz per 2 lbs of my body weight)

___ I eliminate most sugar, caffeine, and junk food from my diet (These exhaust my adrenal system)

___ I know how to program a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats for my individual body needs

___ I generally have healthy eating habits (not skipping meals, rushing, over-eating)

___ My digestion and elimination are efficient, with minimal gas, bloating, or discomfort

___ I regularly take high quality supplements that have been tailored to my individual health needs

___ My weight is in a healthy balance (that is comfortable for me)

___ I have a regular schedule of physical exercise at least 4 days per week (walking, swimming, sports, weights, aerobics, etc)

___ My sleep pattern is peaceful and restorative (ie.I generally wake up after a night’s sleep feeling rested)

___ I allow enough time in my busy schedule for fun and recreation (“Re-creating energy)

___ My work is generally enjoyable and fulfilling (Am I “following my bliss?”)

 ___ My thinking and memory are usually alert and clear

___ I frequently stop and “smell the roses”…and marvel at the beauty and majesty of nature

___ I am able to see and enjoy the humor in life (and to laugh at myself when I need to)

___ I have set reasonable and attainable goals for my life and I am experiencing success in achieving them

___ My income is sufficient and my finances are in a healthy balance

___ I am comfortable with the quality of my friendships and personal relationships

___ I have a pleasant and supportive relationship with my family

___ I regularly enjoy the benefits of personal touch (Famed therapist Virginia Satir said that we need 12 hugs a day for our spinal columns to stay healthy!)

___ My life includes a satisfying array of emotional, social and professional support systems

___ I make knowledgeable decisions about my health and seek professional advice when indicated

___ I live my life with a high degree of personal honesty and integrity…

___ I am open to continued learning and new experiences in my QUEST FOR WISDOM!

_____ Total Score (Add up all your numbers)

What is your WELLNESS QUOTIENT?
There are 25 items listed, so write your total score here as a percentile. _________%

If optimal score is 100%, what is your Wellness Quotient today?

If your percentage is 80% or above, you are probably enjoying pretty good health at this time! Many of us score lower than we would like because of our busy schedules and many commitments. Positive changes can be made in small steps. Note the items that scored lowest for you and make a decision to increase your score on merely one item this week. As you experience success in this area, select a different item next week and improve your score on that element of wellness. You’ll be amazed at how these little changes can contribute to an overall enhancement in your sense of wellness!

Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS is the founder of Imagine Wellness, where you can Experience the Art of Healthy Living.  She is an RN and a certified herbal specialist, and provides experienced Nutrition/Lifestyle consultation and a personalized program for wellness.  Imagine Wellness, a unique wellness center is located at 7493 N Oracle, #115, Tucson, AZ 85704. Call 520 797-4099 to set up an appointment.

Client of the Month: October – Lyn Ramirez

Since June of this year, Lyn has made great strides—no pun intended! She lost 19 pounds, lowered her percentage of body fat by three points, lowered her BMI by three points and lowered her resting heart rate. In just two and a half months she lost four inches around her waist and almost three inches around her hips. She also went down a dress size. Due to all of these changes, Lyn can now see muscles she never thought she had!. Her progress is not measured just by numbers and norms but by the increased energy she feels, heightened body awareness she now has, and increased positive feelings about herself. Lyn has demonstrated how committing to putting the principles of fat loss into action really works! Let’s support Lyn in her continued efforts to reach her healthy goals. Her cheery disposition and hard work are an inspiration to us all.

Client of the Month: November – Kim Greismer

Kim is someone we have all grown to love dearly. Despite suffering a serious brain injury in an auto accident over 15 years ago, Kim continues to make improvements in her balance, coordination, flexibility, and functional strength. She is also a bearer of good cheer to all she comes in contact with. She is well known for her heartfelt greetings and shows of affection to all.

Kim, you are a superstar and we are so thankful to have such a loving and persistent spirit like you at BodyBasics. Keep up the good work!

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Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Mike, Kathleen, Katrina, Cecile, and Jenny

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• November/December 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 6

In This Issue

• The Environmental Effect
• Nutrition Corner – Eat More During the Holidays!
• Healthy Recipe: Black Bean Brownies
• Guest Article – Happiness, the Enneagram Way
• Client of the Month for August: Dennis Ritchie
• Client of the Month for September: Amanda Ritchie
• Our Mission

The Environmental Effect

These days there is a lot of talk about our environment. Everywhere we turn, we see more and more push to live “green.” In all of the great efforts to preserve our Earth, we must not forget about our own, personal environment; the environment with which we surround ourselves each and every day. This environment consists of our homes, our family and friends, our workplaces, and even the places where we do our workouts.

Have you ever stopped to think about how your environment might affect your health and fitness goals? In some aspect, you have probably already taken environment into account when you chose to train with us at BodyBasics. BodyBasics provides an environment that is unlike any other gym or fitness studio. Our environment is so unique because it was built and designed around our company’s mission:

“To empower our clients to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.”

Let’s take a deeper look at exactly how the BodyBasics environment might affect you and your goals.

Nurturing

At BodyBasics, we are in the business of helping people change their lives. For a handful of people, this change can happen quickly. But for the vast majority, changing life-long habits is a process that occurs over time. During this process, it is important that the client feels supported and encouraged or, in other words, nurtured along the way.

A nurturing environment is a place where one feels safe and secure. Some gyms may feel cold, harsh, and intimidating. At BodyBasics, we understand how this unpleasant environment may not be conducive to achieving your goals. The environment at BodyBasics provides the feeling of support and encouragement not only through the Fitness Coaches, but through our clients as well. As your Fitness Coaches, we take on the responsibility of being supportive and encouraging to you, but when our clients do the same, well that’s just icing on the (carrot) cake.

Educating

Living a healthy lifestyle is a skill, we believe, anyone can learn. As your Fitness Coaches, we make it our goal to educate you in ways that will assist you in developing this important skill.

Each one of our Fitness Coaches has been educated on the science of health and fitness. Our degrees, certifications, and experience have made us qualified to train individuals in the gym. At BodyBasics, we strive to do more than just develop a workout routine to perform in the gym for two to three hours a week. Our desire is to pass on our acquired knowledge to our clients. We want you to leave every session having learned something new about your body and/or your life.

Just as there are many spokes on the Healthy Lifestyle Wheel or “Wagon Wheel of Life” (“We Have it Backwards, July/Aug issue of The Pulse), the Healthy Lifestyle Skill is comprised of many other skills. While there is no one “right” way to live a healthy lifestyle, our role as your Fitness Coaches, is to educate you and help you discover your right way of making healthy changes in your life.

Inspiring

While our Fitness Coaches may inspire our clients to discover healthier lifestyles, we can not take all the credit. Once again, it is the clients of BodyBasics that help to inspire each other. Nothing speaks louder and more honestly than our own clients’ testimonies. We have so many inspirational stories that walk in and out of our studio every day. The most exciting part about these stories is that the BodyBasics environment provides a safe place to share these amazing stories.

One incredibly fulfilling aspect of being a Fitness Coach comes when we have inspired someone to achieve their goals. What is equally fulfilling and exciting is how each and every day, we too, are inspired by our clients.

A More Personal Note

As a Fitness Coach branching out on her own, I am constantly faced with the realization that there is no other place like BodyBasics. Not only does BodyBasics provide the necessary environment for our clients to succeed, but it is also a place that allows the Fitness Coaches to reach their potential and be the best they can be at their job. The team dynamic, specifically the support and encouragement, amongst the Coaches is hard to find anywhere else. I truly believe that in the process of creating an environment where our clients will feel nurtured, educated and inspired, BodyBasics, in fact, is providing a home where our Fitness Coaches feel nurtured, educated and inspired. This, in turn, helps us discover our innate abilities and develops us into more confident, more motivated, and more successful Fitness Coaches. I know the BodyBasics environment did this for me and for that, I say, “Thank you.”~Coach Kerbs

Our Mission

The BodyBasics mission is centered around environment. We are committed to providing the type of environment you need to succeed. Just as our personal environment affects our daily lives, the BodyBasics environment affects your health and fitness goals. Pay close attention next time you walk through the door. Notice the “hellos,” the smiles, and the encouragement from others. It is a place where people’s lives are changed everyday. The Fitness Coaches and the clients are what make up the environment of BodyBasics and it is just the right amount of nurturing, education and inspiration one needs to find success!

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Nutrition Corner – Eat More During the Holidays!

Is it that time of year again already?! The air is a bit crisper, nights are growing longer, and the stores are displaying their supplies of holiday cheer. For many “dieters” and those with healthy-weight goals, this time of year can feel a bit dreadful. If you are currently working toward eliminating weight and body-fat, you may want to pick a date to start more of a maintenance program. Maintaining your current weight throughout the Holidays may be a more realistic goal and will keep you from feeling the inevitable guilt that often accompanies the consumption of traditional holiday eats. If you maintain your weight from Halloween through Jan 1, 2009, you will be, on average, one pound ahead of the rest of America. Although it may seem that more weight is gained during the Holidays, it is that one pesky pound that stays with us for the rest of our lives.

This holiday season, we encourage you to stop focusing on what you should NOT eat and start focusing on what you should include in your nutrition plan.

Add, Don’t Subtract!

Deprivation is sure to squash any diet, so it is important that you allow yourself to have the treats that you love in moderation, of course. And speaking of squash…

The Fall and Winter seasons provide us with a wonderful variety of unique and very healthful fruits and vegetables. Here is a consolidated list of some Fall and Winter produce that are in-season:

Fall/Winter Fruits

• Apples
• Bananas
• Blood Oranges
• Clememtines
• Cranberries
• Grapes (Red)
• Grapefruits
• Kiwi
• Oranges
• Pears
• Pomegranates
• Tangelo
• Tangerine

Fall/Winter Vegetables

• Artichokes
• Avocado
• Beans
• Beets
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Broccoli Rabe
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Leeks
• Pumpkin
• Radishes
• Snow Peas
• Spinach
• Squash (Winter)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips
• Watercress

If you have not tried some of these fruits or vegetables, we encourage you to do so. Consuming in-season produce can ensure variety in your diet and will force you to try different out-of-the-ordinary produce you may be used to cooking more often. Slice up some apples or pears to add to a salad or eat as a snack with some mozzarella or Swiss cheese. Pomegranate seeds and cranberries are also a wonderful, tasty addition to your salad greens. Toss in broccoli florets with your pasta dishes or steam and then sauté up some brussel sprouts with garlic and balsamic vinegar.

Experiment with roasting vegetables as this cooking method brings out intense flavors in carrots, cauliflower, leeks, beets and all varieties of winter squashes. Plus, the colder weather makes us all crave warm, comforting foods and roasting vegetables is sure to hit the spot! Soups are also soul-warming meals and they are wonderfully healthy as you can feel free to add almost any vegetable to your pot. Puree roasted garlic and butternut squash with cooked onion, potato and chicken or vegetable broth and you have a silky smooth and very flavorful soup.

Break Tradition Just a Little…

When it comes to holiday food, it is okay to veer a little from the traditional path. For example, when making a green been casserole try substituting fresh or frozen green beans for the canned green beans and take the dish out of the oven before the beans are too mushy. Use the same concept with a sweet potato casserole. Opt for using fresh sweet potatoes and a little less brown sugar and maybe some extra, non-candied pecans. Also, think about adding a raw dish, like a salad or a winter veggie tray that might include radishes, carrots, artichoke hearts, broccoli, cauliflower and snow peas. Making these simple and minor adjustments to your traditional holiday feast will help you add more nutrients into your meal without sacrificing the food that you love.

For traditional and some not-so-traditional healthy recipes for Thanksgiving, visit: EatingWell’s Healthy Thanksgiving Recipies.

Focus on the Good

To quote Abby Floyd, Registered Dietician and former Nutrition Coach at BodyBasics, “No one ever got fat from eating too many fruits and vegetables.” Abby likes to focus on adding nutritious foods into a diet before eliminating the not-so-good-for-you options. The idea is to fill up on the good stuff to edge out the bad. In the effort to stay ahead of the game this holiday season, we encourage you to eat more! Eat more delicious Fall and Winter fruits and vegetables and your body, jeans, and waistline will thank you come January!

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Healthy Recipe: Black Bean Brownies

The following recipe was submitted, tested, and approved by BodyBasic’s client Susan Mannion.

For a little sneakier way to add more nutrition to your Holiday treats, try this brownie recipe.

Guiltless Brownies

High-fiber, high-protein brownies.

15oz can black beans (drained & rinsed well)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated Splenda
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp strong coffee (or 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F.
Prepare an 8×8 baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Add the beans last and make sure you blend VERY well.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing 2″x2.”

Number of Servings: 16

Calories 79.2
Total Fat 3.4 g
Cholesterol 53.1 mg
Sodium 45.5 mg
Potassium 126.4 mg
Carbs 9 g
Sugars 0 g
Dietary Fiber 2.5
Protein 4.2 g

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Guest Article – Happiness, the Enneagram Way

Happiness…The Enneagram Way
Carol Bartol, RN, MS, CS

What is an Enneagram?
Susan was a perfectionist. Having everything in its right place was important to her. Her fiancé, Rob, was a free spirit and gave little attention to details. He brought fun and excitement to her life but Susan was worried about whether they would actually be able to live together as a couple.

Lynn was a kind and gentle person, treasured and admired by her many friends. They always knew that they could call on her for help when they needed it. Her husband John was a successful businessman, and generous in his own way. But there were many times that Lynn thought he was too bossy and insensitive to her needs.

Julie loved to go out and socialize at parties and gatherings. She was the one that always arranged her family get-togethers for birthdays and celebrations. But her husband Richard preferred to stay at home with his books and TV sports.

Each of these couples had dramatically different styles and preferences. When they had disagreements, it often reflected these differences in style and viewpoint. So how do people resolve these differences so they can experience happiness in their lives and their relationships? The ancient Sufi’s had an answer for this. Many hundreds of years ago, this middle Eastern sect described a system called the Enneagram, which looked at innate differences in personality on a nine-pointed star. “Ennea” is Greek for the number nine, and “gram” means a drawing. This theory was handed down through an oral tradition, and appears to have been resurrected during the last three decades at Stanford University, and by the Jesuits.

The Enneagram is a fascinating way of looking at our basic personality styles, as well as identifying the individual ways in which we handle stress and conflict. The Sufi’s believed we were born into a unique style or point on the Enneagram. (In fact, some researchers have identified “nine” distinct behavioral patterns in newborn babies)! Then, our coping skills seem to be further influenced by the reactions of our parents and family as we were growing up.

Do each of us fit neatly into such a box? No… there are many variations and sub-groups within this model. But learning more about the Enneagram, and the basic types, will give us some clues about our own behaviors and those of the people we care about. Over the years, my clients and students found this non-judgmental system to be an exciting and insightful way of pinpointing their own unique stress responses. They learned to be more accepting of themselves, and to be more understanding of their families, friends, and colleagues. Less conflict…more peace…more happiness!

If you look at the diagram, you will notice a nine-pointed star within a circle. Each point is also connected to two other points by the interconnecting lines. Once you have identified your basic personality type, you then follow the interconnecting lines to find your “stress” point, and your “heart” point. (i.e. your behavioral style when you are stressed and your behavioral style when you are happy and peaceful).
The following are thumb-nail sketches of the nine different types. I invite you to look at this brief summary and see what might fit for you.

Type 1 – Perfectionists are realistic, conscientious, and principled, and strive to live up to their high ideals.

Type 2 – Helpers are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people’s needs, and thrive in the helping professions.

Type 3 – Achievers are energetic, optimistic, self-assured, and goal oriented, and typical of the American ideal for success.

Type 4 – Romantics have a flair for the dramatic, experience feelings deeply, are exceptionally perceptive, shun the mundane, and often are in the creative arts.

Type 5 – Observers tend to be introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful, and view the world from an intellectual perspective.

Type 6 – Questioners are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes, with personalities ranging from quietly reserved to outspoken and confrontational.

Type 7 – Adventurers are energetic, lively, and optimistic, and welcome new and exciting experiences. They are often multi-talented and entrepreneurial.

Type 8 – Asserters tend to be powerful, direct, self-reliant, and resourceful, and often emerge as strong natural leaders.

Type 9 – Peacemakers are generally receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They tend to place strong value on peaceful communication, harmony, and conventional roles.

Although these types provide a road-map, each of us has developed our own individual style of interacting with others, and of coping with the stressors in our life. As we mature, we hopefully develop new and more effective ways of coping with stress. Learning about the Enneagram is a fun and creative way to better understand ourselves and to experience greater insight into the behaviors of other people in our lives. Through workshops and personal consultations, many people have discovered that this intriguing system of the Enneagram offered them a smoother path to happiness.

Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS is co-founder of Imagine Wellness, located at 7493 N Oracle,Suite#115, Tucson, AZ 85704. She has been a psychotherapist, educator, consultant, and wellness coach for over 30 years. The Enneagram has always been one of the most popular workshops for helping people achieve greater health and balance in their lives. You can contact her at 520 797-4099 for more information.

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Client(s) of the Month for August and September: Dennis Ritchie

In the five short months that Amanda and Dennis have been coming to Body Basics they have seen outstanding results. Both came in wanting to improve their strength and stamina for badminton and life in general. This is exactly what the two of them are realizing. Both report much greater stamina and higher energy levels during AND after badminton matches. They are also feeling more sustained energy during the work day.
Dennis and Amanda, We commend you for sticking to your workout schedule and always coming prepared to give your best each time.

Client(s) of the Month for August and September: Amanda Ritchie

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Mike, Kathleen, Katrina, Cecile, and Jenny

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• September/October 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 5

In This Issue

• What is Functional Training?
• Nutrition Corner – Planning is the Key!
• Healthy Recipe: Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce
• Guest Article: Go Gently into the Day
• Client of the Month: June
• Client of the Month: July
• Our Mission
• BodyBasics Abroad!

Group Training

Currently Available:

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am – Gentle Yoga (Tues)

What is Functional Training?

You may have heard us describe our training style as more “Functional Training” as opposed to traditional training. But, what exactly is Functional Training? The concept of Functional Training began with Physical Therapy. The idea was to rehab patients through specific exercises that would allow them to return to their normal, everyday activities. If the patient’s occupation involved heavy lifting, the therapy would focus on proper lifting techniques and strengthening the muscles involved. Likewise, if the patient ran around chasing kids all day, muscular strength and endurance was addressed in order to minimize re-injury.

Developing strength to assist the body through the daily stresses and activites of life makes perfect sense to us. We believe Functional Training is the future of our industry because it is simply, training for life! At Body Basics, our focus is to train you in the gym for the activities you do (and/or want to do) outside the gym.

Functional vs. Traditional

What makes Functional Training different from traditional training is that very little equipment is needed to train someone functionally. Much of traditional training involves the use of weight-bearing machines or benches for support. Many times, these machines will target one muscle group at a time and the benches are used to support a specific body position during an exercise. Functional Training utilizes many muscle groups at the same time to strengthen your body as a whole. As we compare certain exercises, we want to point out that there are definite benefits to traditional training and many times, they are needed to help build a foundation for fitness or to supplement a routine.

The leg press, for example, may be used to train someone traditionally. This is a great machine to help build leg strength and flexibility. The client sits or lies down in a pre-set position supported by the machine. The machine will only allow movement in particular direction. The muscle groups specifically targeted are the quadriceps and hamstrings. In comparison, a squat would be more of a functional exercise due to the fact that the person has to use his/her entire body’s stability and strength to balance and perform the squat properly. The quadriceps and hamstrings are targeted, but so are the “core” muscles of the abdominals, hips, glutes, lower and upper back. And whether you know it or not, you perform a squat every day when you sit down in a chair. Therefore, training functionally by performing squats as part of your exercise routine can to help strengthen your body to ensure you are sitting down and standing back up properly to minimize injury.

Functional Training = A Total Body Workout!

When training functionally, upper-body exercises often times combine with lower-body exercises to become total body exercises. Most of the exercises that utilize the “funky” equipment, such as the physioballs, medicine balls, bands, balance discs, the BOSU, foam rollers, etc. are used for functional training. These exercises will use more of your body’s balance, stability and strength to perform as opposed to more traditional exercises that tend to work one muscle group at a time. For example, take the exercise of performing a dumbbell chest press on the bench. This is a very good exercise to strengthen your chest, triceps and shoulders. However, lying on the bench supports your lower body and back so you can focus on your chest. If you were to take the same exercise and replace the bench with a phyisoball, you would now be working your lower-body and your “core” in addition to your chest. Your body becomes the bench and therefore, your support. That simple adjustment turns a traditional upper-body exercise into a more functional, total-body exercise.

Functional Training Sets us Apart

Our focus on Functional Training is just one of the many things that set Body Basics apart from other gyms or personal training businesses. Just walk into our studio and you will see that we are not set up like a typical gym. We have very few machines, lots of dumbbells, and a plethora of colorful physioballs, bands, balance discs, foam rollers, etc. When Chris, President of Body Basics, was designing his studio, he wanted to create an environment that allowed for more Functional Training. To accomplish this, he chose the few traditional machines that we currently have and use. As many of our clients will attest to, we are constantly creating new exercises to mimic specific movements to meet the needs of our clients. If you are training for a hike, we will develop an exercise that simulates what the knees, ankles, hips, and back go through while out on a trail. If you are looking to improve your golf swing, we will have you work on rotational exercises that involve twisting and accelerating just as you would on the golf course. Gardening or doing yard work? You bet we will have you squatting, kneeling, swinging, lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. These exercises may look goofy and will definitely be “out of the box,” but they are sure to help you stay strong in your daily activities.

Functional Training for Life!

The focus of Functional Training is to strengthen your body in ways that will make your everyday activities easier, pain and injury-free, and ultimately, more enjoyable. It is also about strengthening your body to do the activities you may not do every day, but still enjoy like hiking, playing tennis or golf, scuba diving, skiing, etc. The Functional Training focus is all about moving your body to keep it strong and healthy in order for you to do what you want to live and enjoy your life to the fullest! We, the Fitness Coaches at Body Basics, strive to be there with you every squat, lunge, jump and step of the way!

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Nutrition Corner – Planning is the Key!

All too often, we hear the following words about nutrition, “We know what to do, we just don’t do it!” When it comes to better nutrition, whether you are looking to eliminate body fat, gain muscle, or simply maintain a healthy body, having a plan and following through, is the key to success.

As important as time management is with keeping on task throughout your day, food management is equally important in helping you succeed with your healthy lifestyle goals. The following scenario is a common day-in-the-life of someone who may struggle with their weight loss and lacks energy throughout the day:

Jack wakes up around 6:00am. He hurries along getting ready for his day, giving himself only coffee for his much-needed burst of morning “energy.” Long about 10:00 or 11:00, he starts to feel hungry and reaches for candy dish nearby and/or maybe the Snickers bar he has stashed in his desk for a quick “pick-me-up.” Or he may simply have another cup of coffee, hoping this will curb his hunger until lunch. By lunchtime, Jack is famished and since he didn’t pack a meal for lunch, he will go out to eat. Being so hungry, he will order something that may not be the healthiest choice on the menu and he will eat the whole thing justifying this behavior because he didn’t have breakfast this morning, so “it’s okay for today.” Then it’s back to the office for the second half of his day. A couple of hours later and Jack is now feeling the 3:00 slump. He fishes around for some change and visits the vending machines for another sugary snack and maybe a diet soda. When the workday is over and Jack arrives home, he is ravenous again and no matter how perfect the portion sizes may be Jack is still hungry so he goes back for seconds. Relaxing on the couch for a couple of hours, Jack gives into his sweet tooth and gets a bowl of ice cream before heading to bed.

The next day…he does it all over again.

Does this scenario sound even remotely familiar to you? When reading through this, you may think that Jack is falling victim to poor decisions throughout his day. In reality, Jack is feeling the direct results of poor planning or, in other words, poor food management.

Set Yourself Up for Success!

No doubt, you have heard that eating smaller meals throughout your day is better than eating two to three larger meals. The reason for this is to help balance your blood sugar levels, and therefore, your energy throughout your day. In other words, if you do not eat on a regular basis, i.e. every three to four hours, you are setting yourself up for feeling overly-hungry and out of control when you finally do eat. Allowing five, six, even seven hours or more between meals will cause your blood sugar to rise and fall drastically, giving you an energy roller-coaster feel throughout your day. For better results, more balanced energy, and the “will-power” to make healthier choices in your day, plan your meals before your day begins.

Just like planning your daily to-do list, meal planning will help you increase your productivity and improve your chances for success with your goals. This doesn’t mean that you must know exactly what you will be eating at a specific time each and every day, but having a general idea will help you set yourself up for success. If you pack your lunch, make sure to pack healthy snacks as well. Even if you are planning on eating lunch out, having a healthy, mid-morning snack will help you make a more conscious and healthy choice at lunch. You may need to set your watch to remind you to eat every three to four hours in order to help you create the habit. The idea is to construct a more regular schedule for your meals so you can stay in control of your hunger and have more energy throughout your day.

What’s For Dinner?

Ask yourself this question: Do I know what I am having for dinner tonight? If the answer is “no,” you may be setting yourself up for a night of not-so-healthy choices.

If you really want to be organized, plan your meals for the week and buy your groceries in one big trip. This will help you save time, as well as money throughout your week. It will especially answer that “What’s for dinner” question and help avoid the quick, last-minute decision of eating dinner out.

Of course, there will be times when things don’t always go as planned. For these times, it is important to have a back-up plan ready. Back-up plans are usually executed when time is running short, so if you are up for cooking at home, you will most likely want a quick-prep meal. The following recipe in the “Healthy Recipe” section of this newsletter is healthful and utilizes pantry items that you can keep on hand. The best part is that this meal can be prepared in about 15 minutes. If cooking at home is just not feasible, you can rest assured that you have been eating well throughout the day, so you have set your self up to make good, healthful decisions for your evening meal.

Planning equals Success!

Planning your meals throughout your day can help you stay in control of your hunger and keep your energy level high so you will continue moving forward toward your goals. Being prepared will reduce the last-minute, quick stops to pick up food that may not be in line with these goals. When it comes to making healthy nutritional changes in your life, meal planning and following through with your plan is truly the key to success!

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Healthy Recipe: Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger, RD of the Food Network. Ellie is the author of “The Food You Crave.” The recipe can be found in her cookbook as well as online at Food Network – Ellie Krieger

Serves 6 – serving size 1 and 1/4 cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or a 6-ounce block
1 pound whole-wheat fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water by the tablespoon, if needed. Sauce should cling nicely to pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving: Calories 470, Carbohydrates 73 grams, Total fat 11 grams, Saturated fat 4.5 grams, Protein 18 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Sodium 1050 milligrams

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Guest Article: Go Gently into the Day

Tips on Wellness by Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS

Jennifer’s alarm blared loudly, jolting her out of her peaceful sleep. She hit the snooze button, hoping for a few more winks. But her mind was racing as she began to think of all the tasks and appointments on her agenda that day. “I might as well get up” she grumbled to herself. “Why didn’t I go to bed earlier last night!” Grabbing a large cup of coffee, she took it to the bathroom with her as she hopped into the shower. “No time for breakfast this morning” she thought. “I’ll grab a muffin when the pastry guy comes around at the office.” Does any of this sound familiar? How many people do you know who blast their way into the day? Perhaps you have had mornings that began like Jennifer’s…

Is their another way to begin your day more gently? Here are a number of tips and suggestions that will alter the way you do mornings:

1) Most importantly, make a to-do list the night before and tuck it away in your appointment book. Then, begin to train yourself to use the precious early awakening time in gentle reflections, prayer, or meditation. Listen to the sound of the birds chirping… They don’t begin their day with worry or stress!

2) Remember how cats and dogs awaken from their slumber? They stretch and yawn! So take about 10 minutes and do a series of stretches and twists. Use the bathroom first, if you wish, but then return to your bedroom and stretch out all the kinks from your night of sleep. Some people like to do this while they are still in bed, if it doesn’t mean bonking their mates in the head.

3) Time now to flush out your system and start your body flow. Many cultures recommend that you drink 16- 20 oz of pure water at this time in the morning. ( It is easier to drink that much if you use a fat drinking straw) You might also add some lemon juice to the water for greater cleansing and to make your system more alkaline (That’s right, lemon juice is an acid juice that actually becomes alkaline within your body!)

4) About the coffee… There are differing perspectives on the benefit of coffee to your body. If you are an “A” blood type, coffee could be beneficial. An “O” blood type would generally not have a positive response to the coffee, or to the caffeine. (If you would like to learn more, read Dr. d’Adamo’s book “Eat Right for Your Type”)

5) Skipping breakfast is a nutritional mistake! We frequently hear “But, I’m just not hungry in the morning” Chances are, you ate too much or too late the night before! Having protein in the morning as you “break the fast” is one of the best ways to keep your blood sugar balanced for the rest of the day. If you want an easy way to breakfast, find a high quality protein shake, select a delicious flavor, and enjoy sipping your way into the day. Add fruit and fiber for more staying power. Be creative and enjoy!

6) Still having trouble getting your engine started. Breathe deeply about 10 times to clear out the stale air in you lungs and bring more oxygen to your brain! Stretch our your arms as wide as you can and make circles in the air…forward and then backwards. Continue breathing deeply as you do this! (As if you weren’t already breathing deeply!!) Lastly, try tapping your chest like Tarzan. This thumps the thymus gland and stimulates your immune system. (Where do you think Tarzan learned this? Why of course from the gorillas, who instinctively knew that it would make them stronger!)

7) Many people are deciding that they feel better and more energized by adding high quality nutritional supplements to their morning routine. Find some products that work well for you and enjoy the benefits of nhanced health.

Lastly, a word about the benefits of sleep. Research shows that most adults are healthier when they get 7-8 hours of restful sleep each night. In fact, there is now a correlation showing a greater incidence of obesity in people who get less than 6 hours of sleep at night. What are the most valuable hours for sleep? Our bodies heal and regenerate during our sleeping hours. Studies reflect that the maximum healing time for our bodies is
between the hours of 11PM and 2PM! So make sure that this is the time when you are sleeping peacefully.

So it is good to remember that the morning is a precious time when you are emerging from the healing hours of the night. Allow yourselt to enter the day with an attitude of gratitude. Go gently into this new day!

Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS is the founder of Imagine Wellness, where you can Experience the Art of Healthy Living. She is an RN and a certified herbal specialist, and provides experienced Nutrition/Lifestyle consultation and a personalized program for wellness. Imagine Wellness, a unique wellness center is located at 7493 N Oracle, #115, Tucson, AZ 85704. Call 520 797-4099 to set up an individual appointment.

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Client of the Month: June

Ali Walrath

Ali started at Body Basics in January 2008 with the group sessions as a guest of Susie Hilkemeyer. To deepen her movement awareness she then participated in personal coaching sessions. In a short period of time she has mastered the infamous in-line lunge and has realized marked improvements in her strength. Go Ali!
Ali has demonstrated that with consistency and determination many things are possible. We are proud of your progress. Keep up the good work.

Client of the Month: July

Richard Rhynard

Richard started his journey to better health and fitness at BodyBasics in June of ‘07’. Dr. Shapiro, our very own, referred him to Chris with the goal of decreasing his body fat and improving his overall fitness. Our guy has definitely done that. To date, he has lowered his body fat by over 10% and eliminated 30+ pounds of fat! Richard has learned to replace unhealthy foods with healthier ones and he continues to practice what he has learned on a daily basis now. Richard also remains consistent, both at BodyBasics and at home where he regularly spends time exercising on his own. Richard, we are all very proud of you. Keep it up!

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BodyBasics Abroad!

Remember to get a photo with your favorite BodyBasics T-shirt on. We will post it in the next newsletter.

In this newsletter we have an insert from Lou Petti enjoying the wonderful beaches of Nantucket!

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Mike, Kathleen, Katrina, Cecile, and Jenny

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