What Type are You?

For the last month or so, i have been in a major rut. A back slide, really. I have retreated to old bad habits. Please don't misunderstand, my bad habits are not that bad by todays standards. The main point is my old habits include the same theme: no discipline. And, being a minor control freak, that freaks me out. I have come to a realization about myself that is sad but true. I am not like the person I want to be. The naturally healthy living, disciplined person who can effortessly avoid white sugar, flour, alcohol, processed meats...I know several people who just don't gravitate to these things. They are armed with information about what is healthy and what is not, and use it to their advantage. They are what i call TYPE B: The BE GOODS. I, on the other hand, am a TYPE A: ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. I go through phases where I eat as much as I want of whatever I want, knowing full well that it is not the right choice. I read everything there is on nutrition and wellness, yet cannot use this knowledge wisely when I am going through my phases.

WHY? Why is this I ask constantly? Is it genetics, self-sabotage, menstrual cycle realted? I do think it is a combination of these things. I also think the habits I have adopted are deeply rooted. An article by Jillian Michaels talked about theories of habits. How our repeated actions set up nueral pathways in the brain that make us mindlessly repeat our actions because we have trained our brains to do so. My job, I think, and so does Jillian, is to stop in the moment and re-direct. Replace the negative behavior with a positive.

LUCKILY, I have my friend the scale. I have said many times that you need to weigh yourself daily (perhaps bi-weekly)to keep yourself in check. I did that and was 2 lbs over my max weight. You say, 2 lbs is nothing, but 2 leads to 5 leads to...The thing is if I just ate healthily and didn't overindulge in various foods and wine, I wouldn't have to be so strict because I do exercise on a regular basis. So, i don't have to be so restictive.

THE LAST 2 DAYS HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD DAYS FOR ME. CONSCIOUS OF WHAT GOES IN MY MOUTH, AND IN CONTROL. HOW ABOUT YOU? READY TO ALTER YOUR NEURAL PATHWAYS?

What is Oprah's Problem?

I know the title of this blog sounds accusatory, even rude, but it is not meant to be! It's meant to address the fact that I KNOW what her problem is, well at least one of them. When it comes to her weight loss (and gain issues), one major problem is I see is that she does not enjoy her exercise regiment. I've said over and over again if you dread what you choose to do for exercise, you will not stick to it, plain and simple. Read on and you'll see what I mean.

I bring up Oprah because the other day I was at the Library and saw on the sale rack for $1, a video by her called "Making the Connection...It's About Changing Your Life". I was intrigued, especially after noticing the tape was made in the mid 1990's (it IS a VIDEO TAPE). Intrigued also because of what we all know now, which is she gained all of it back.

The hour long video takes us smack into Oprah's weight loss struggles, issues, and plans to revamp and rejuvinate herself. In the tape she talks with other women about their overeating issues and how they felt about their bodies. One of the most interesting parts is her story: she goes back to key moments in her life and career where, unbeknowst to her fans, her primary focus is how much she weighs at the time. Her turning point came when she won her first daytime emmy for her talk show. She knew the show was coming up, vowed to diet to be "show ready", stressed out daily that she wasn't doing what she needed to do to lose the weight, ate more...many of us can relate. When her name was announced as the winner, all she could think about was how much she did not want to walk up those stairs and onto that stage because she felt too big and she didn't want people to look at her "big butt and how it moved"! THIS IS POWERFUL. What a shame. It was a moment I may have even witnessed on TV and who could have ever guessed that this successful woman was obsessing about her weight when she was at her highest point career wise?

So, she vows this is it, no more, etc. She hires Bob Greene as her personal trainer, apparently to WHIP HER INTO SHAPE. QUITE LITERALLY. The video chronicles her daily work outs with Bob, her nutritious meals, the whole bit. As I was watching it, I thought to myself, this is NOT sustainable. Oprah hated almost every minute of the gruelling exercise sessions. In fact, she would prance around the gym on the way out the door singing "I'm done, I'm done!!!" She would also get very annoyed with her trainer scolding him often, and telling him to be quiet. It was obvious to me that here she is doing this motivation video for people with the accent on how she wasted all this time obsessing about her weight and food, and yet this video and her regiment was all just a big waste of time for her once again in the end.

I felt compelled to go find out her weight today but could find no numbers. It seems Oprah has now given up dieting thanks to Geneen Roth, who advises to never deprive yourself and find out what it is that eating is keeping from discovering about yourself and what you are lacking in your life. I have heard about Geneen Roth and really like her theories. I will discuss them in a later blog. The point of this post is Oprah's ultimate problem: LACK OF BALANCE

In 2008 she said so herself on her show when she confessed her continuing weight issues. That is what i saw on this video: PUSHING HERSELF TO DO A TORTUROUS EXERCISE ROUTINE 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 2 HOURS A DAY OR SO WILL NOT PROMOTE BALANCE AND WELL BEING. Only resentment and fatigue. There are just so many ways to get exercise, and the treadmill or stairmaster (2 of the worst offenders in my book) do not have to be part of your fitness routine!!!

I want to wrap this up for now, but i leave you with this: When I am (choose one) working, playing, really doing anything TOO MUCh, I lose balance, and I turn to food just like Oprah. The classic scenario for me is being so tired, but my schedule not allowing for sleep, so I stare blindly eating something, hoping that will be the magic elixir (when all i really need is sleep!) Sound familiar? Think about it.

Consistency is Key

Hello All. It has been a while. I knew in the summer the blog posts would slow down dramatically due to needing to prioritize. I mentioned previously that this blog is my guilty pleasure. Finding the time to squeeze it in is challenging, especially with the 3 ZUMBA classes I teach weekly, a full service seasonal catering service I own, a bi-monthly article I write for the local paper, 2 energetic little girls....you get the picture.

Enough of that. We are all busy, which is a great segue into the topic for today's blog: Consistency. Fitness and a healthy lifestyle is all about being consistent. In order to reach your goals, you have got to plan your work (outs) and work your plan! Same thing goes for how you eat. am not saying you can't have what you're craving. Have it, but compensate in some way to make up for it. If you have a heavy-ish meal, make the next lighter. Be aware and consistent in these ways and you will see results. Since I have become a ZUMBA instructor, I have seen fantastic results. WHY? Because I exersise consistently 3x a week. It also works because I enjoy it and therefore am sticking with it. Just because I am the instructor, doesn't mean I can't just throw in the towel, and decide I don't want to do it anymore. But I DO want to do it. Same goes for all of you out there. If you find something you like you WILL stick with it. You will want to.

My next point is you have to CONSISTENTLY VARY YOUR ROUTINE. Meaning that one type of activity is not enough. Although i work out hard with ZUMBA and have seen great results, when I do a different work out, I am generally sore the next day. Running makes my shins sore, and abs are sore after traditional ab exersises. That tells me that I need to challenge my body in other ways. Hiking, Biking, FUN stuff that you can do with friends and family ( I am not really referring to traditional exersise machines, life is just to short for that torture). I can handle some weight training, and i think it is extremely important.

TONED ARMS: Many ask me how to get their arms looking better and toned. I have a few recommendations. First, you have to do cardio and ZUMBA is a perfect choice. Next, i suggest you check out Tracy Anderson. She is one of Madonna's and Gwyneth Paltrow's Trainers. She has a website, the tracyandersonmethod.com I like her because her focus is using light weights with lots of repetitions and unconventional movements to target the smaller muscle groups. Combined with cardio, i beleive this can help you achieve the arms you crave! I suggest you try the Tracy Anderson Perfect Design DVD sequence one to see if she is for you.

BEAUTY UPDATE: FOR THE RECORD, I TRIED THE ROC EYE PRODUCT WITH THE MICRO CURRENTS, AND MY ADVICE IS SAVE YOUR MONEY. THEY JUST DIDN'T WORK FOR ME AND I HAVE BEEN USING IT SINCE JUNE! I did try St. Ives Cucumber Anti Stress Under Eye treatment and liked it, seemed to reduce puffiness. Found in any drug store!

Healthy Habits: Alpha Lipoic Acid

As I have mentioned previously, I really like the book and theories of Mark Sissal who wrote The Primal Blueprint. His primary premise (in addition to going back to the basics concering diet and exersise) is that of eating absolutely no grains. I have also mentioned that the all or nothing or the restriction of anything does not work for me. SO, while his wife and he look amazing and I am sure because of their diet and exersise, I feel everything can be incorporated in moderation. BUT, he has a wealth of great information to share and he does so in his email newsletter, Mark's Daily Apple, which i highly recommend you subscribe to. His book is fascinating too. It talks about he used to be a very serious marathoner but realized that all that exersise was just punishing his body rather than perfecting it. He developed several health issues concerning wear and tear mostly from pounding his body by training so hard. Now he does a much less strenuous routine and stresses the importance of sprinting (like our ancestors used to do to stay alive!)

I was ecstatic when he sent the newsletter containing the info about Alpha Lipoic Acid (see excerpt below). It was confirmation for me as I have been taking that for a year or so via the advice of the Perricone Prescription. READ:

Living a healthy "evolved" lifestyle in this high-tech modern world isn't easy. We all try to eat right, get regular exercise and control stress. But the reality is, this world we've created conspires at every turn to make us look and feel old, ill, and weak. We breathe polluted air, we don't get enough sun, we stress about bills, traffic and the economy, we don't always get enough sleep or exercise, we don't always eat as we should, and when we do, even the best natural foods are not as abundant in micronutrients as they once were. Some of the most critical nutrients are missing entirely - and it's only getting worse as the commercialization of food continues to spiral out of control. For these reasons and many others supplementation is an integral part of the Primal Blueprint. Which is why I started this series of newsletters: to provide insider information on the top supplements you should consider taking for optimum health and longevity.

This week we'll explore...


Alpha Lipoic Acid


WHAT IT DOES: Alpha lipoic acid is, in many ways, the alpha dog of antioxidants. Though it's commonly found in most foods, and especially in broccoli, spinach, liver, kidneys, heart, and grass-fed dairy, relying on dietary ALA is usually insufficient. Supplemental ALA, however, acts as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and it reduces the symptoms of Vitamin E and Vitamin C deficiency. Unlike most supplements, ALA is both water and fat-soluble, making it ideal for absorption.


STUDIES SHOW: In a lab experiment with animals, supplementing with alpha lipoic acid reduced triglyceride readings by as much as sixty percent. Triglycerides are increasingly being identified as major markers of cardiovascular disease, and they contribute to the accumulation of VLDL cholesterol, the small, dense lipoproteins that get stuck in artery walls and induce dangerous inflammation. The less triglycerides, the better. Another, earlier study shows that supplementary alpha lipoic acid might actually turn back the clock on aging by replenishing the body's supply of glutathione, which is implicated in reenergizing cellular signaling and reducing mitochondrial breakdown. ALA also targets free radicals, those dangerous compounds that attack cells and are thought to increase the effects of aging. Supplementing with alpha lipoic acid also seems to inhibit both arterial lesions and induce appetite-suppressing effects. Alpha, indeed.

WHY I LIKE IT: Combined with a healthy diet and plenty of regular exercise, supplementing with alpha lipoic acid seems to be an obvious path to good health. Its apparent health benefits seem to be far-reaching and numerous - lowered triglyceride readings, possible anti-aging effects, antioxidant replenishment, free radical destruction, and appetite suppression - and without negative consequences. All the evidence is, of course, preliminary, but everything thus far points to ALA as being a worthy component of any healthy person's supplementation regimen.


DR. PERRICONE calls ALA the universal anti-oxidant. ALA can increase energy levels of the cell. THe characteristic of an AGING cell is DECREASED energy, ALA helps cells repair themselves like younger cells do. Take it with meals. Perricone also suggests taking it with acetyl-L-Carnitine (take 200-400 mg per day. I buy a supplement with the two in one pill)

Beauty Lab Focus: Skin Care Routine

Since my late 30s I have really committed to a skin care regiment. I am not saying I am loyal to the same routine, but I have begun to:

Wear an anti-aging day cream with SPF 50 every day by c-booth called Derma-42 Anti aging daily defense cream ( I really like it, retails $19.95, no coupon :( probably can get it on line cheaper)

In the morning, I use a cotton ball and a mild astringent, I hate getting my hair wet and all that with a full face wash!
In the shower: Wash with a good cleaner ( I am using Skin Appetit which has lots of anti-oxidants in it, at Rite Aid. I exfoliate with the Rite Aid Skin Polisher I wrote about a while back. It has glycolic acid and peptides, it is awesome!)
Wash off my makeup at night (always, even if I REALLY don't want to)
Apply a night time anti-aging cream
Apply an eye cream that SUPPOSEDLY helps reduce puffiness, lines, and dark circles.

The night treatments are what I will address today. I really don't mind the wrinkles around my eyes when I smile...I think it shows the world that I have smiled a lot in my life, and I have! What I do mind is the one deep set wrinkle I have right between my eyes and the dark circles and puffiness under my eyes (sometimes I tend to not get enough sleep, I am working on that, but the years of sleep deprivation have caught up with me!)

SO, I had been reading ALOT about ROC products and how effective they were. In the many magazines I peruse (TIP: I go to the local library and there is always a stack of cool magazines people are done with, i save them for long car trips. I do subscribe to PREVENTION and WOMEN'S HEALTH), there were several write ups about ROC. ROC is made by Johnson and Johnson, so I am not sure if they just have lots of muscle and money in the industry to persuade the media, or enough money to devote to some very effective research which results in effective products?

To research this for all of you, I bit the bullet and bought the new ROC BRILLIANCE (Retail $49.95, but there is a $20 mail in rebate on roc.com). The reason I gave in finally to my curiosity is that there has been a buzz about the technology it offers. According to the package, E-PULSE are micro-currents which become activated and reduce puffiness. It claims fine lines are reduced in 3 days. I have been using it for 4 days, but skipped a day. Since I never paid attention to fine lines, I don't know if it worked on them. I am interested in the puff and dark circle feature. ROC claims it will work on them in a few weeks. There are other products with this new technology, so feel free to try them and let me know! I will be diligent in the application of this and get back!

I also had another coupon (also on roc.com) for $3 off the ROC Nighttime Anti-Deep Wrinkle cream (Retail $21.99). For that pesky one between my eyes. By the way, Marilu Henner in Total Health Makeover has a section on reading faces to interpret health, and she says this line means basically that you drink too much! Geez, I didn't think I drank that much! I have been studying the faces of some that I KNOW drink too much, and some of them don't have the line, so....:)The best thing health wise would be not to drink at all, but I am not there, nor do I want to be at this time.

Keep you posted on the results!

A QUICKIE: In the morning I have been making this shake and it is so good for breakfast or when you want something indulgent:

1 package chocolate instant breakfast or protein mix (i used carnation)
1 8 oz FROZEN (stick it in the freezer) vanilla LITE yogurt (yoplait is the best i think)
Soy Milk
1 TBS Peanut Butter
Banana (half) optional

Blend all. Add some crushed ice if you'd like but that frozen yogurt makes it cold enough! It is awesome. I used a dannon yogurt last time (also good) and I poured it right back in the cup and drank it up (that is 8 oz which is what you should have more or less. Throw the extra in the freezer for a treat later! YUM

Guilty Pleasures....Aerobic Exercise??

I consider this blog to be one of my guilty pleasures. How do I define that? In my mind, it is something I am always thinking about (there is SO much to write about), something I do on the sly (I feel like in my real life there are more pressing matters to deal with), and something I absolutely love doing (it's nice to get some of my MANY thoughts in writing). It's even nicer when people comment, can relate, etc. Thank you for that all who have done so.

One of my other guilty pleasures of late is ZUMBA. I label it as such because I am always wanting to work on a routine and for the above reasons. The good news is I FOUND IT. I found something that I love doing, that is good for me, AND that I can make money at. (i love eating chocolate chips cookies and drinking wine but that won't get me very far.) At this stage of the game, it is a good feeling to having something in my life that inspires (besides my family of course).

THE REALLY GOOD NEWS ABOUT MY ZUMBA (AKA AEROBIC EXERCISE) HABIT: Everyone knows that aerobic exercise significantly improves your cardiovascular health but did you know that it also helps to slow the aging process: (pay attention ZUMBA clients)

* It makes skin look younger because of improved circulation
*Reduces lenght of hot flashes (not there yet, but good to know :)
*Cuts your odds of getting ill (studies suggest that regular exercisers have higher levels of immune cells that can fight off certain cancers. Plus (knock on wood) I haven't been sick all winter!
*Sharpens your mind (jury still out on this one for me..:) helps to maintain the size of the hippocampus where memory resides
*Improves mood and staves off depression (TRUE). That will keep you thinking younger and more optimistic.
*Helps control weight
*Improves digestion (try to have not eaten at least 2-3 hours before you exercise though, or your food in your system will interfere with your workout, if you know what i mean :)
*May raise HDL, good cholesterol and improve other heart disease risk factors
*Keeps the body young: lowers the rate of telomeres (sites at the end of chromosomes on all cells) erode, which means overall body wear and tear happens at a reduced speed.
*Lowers Blood Pressure
*Normalized fasting insulin levels (reducing risk of diabetes).

IS THIS ENOUGH FOR YOU? Are you ready to commit to REGULAR exercise. I exercises on and off for years, but now that i found my exercise GUILTY PLEASURE I will never go back.

AS IF YOU NEEDED A FEW MORE REASONS: My facialist says my pores are very clean thus requiring very few extractions (if you have ever had these, you KNOW they are painful). She and I attribute it to sweating it out (the toxins, pollution) through regular exercise. The aerobic kind makes you sweat the most. IN MY OPINION, EXERCISE IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. MY SKIN HAS NEVER LOOKED BETTER NOR HAVE I FELT BETTER, SO GET MOVING!

Beauty Lab!

Okay, People! Don't say I never did anything for you! For the good of this blog, I conducted a risky experiment. I am a big label reader, not only when it comes to food but also to beauty products. I've done enough reading to know some key ingredients, in what order on the label, etc. Many of the key ingredients these days are natural including many foods, herbs, etc. Why, i ask myself, can't i make my own beauty products out of these materials? I know why. Because it is easier and less messy to buy a pre-made lotion containing avacado oil, caffeine, grapefruit, whatever the ingredient is. The drawbacks of buying these products are the expense and the fact that you cannot control the other ingredients they add, most of which we can't pronounce. Well, I happened to have some
organic coconut oil around and I was dying to try a home remedy. If you recall, a while back I got an espresso body scrub which was supposed to help detox and tighten my skin. I really wanted another one, but didn't want to shell out the $100 plus for it. SO, here is what I did and the results:

Mix: 2 Tablespoons coffee grounds (yes, already brewed, good way to recycle them. Also, they are supposed to be good for the soil you plant in, why not your skin?) plus 2 Tbs unbrewed coffee (I was afraid I brewed most of the caffeine out of the coffee, and that is the major point of using the coffee in the first place) To this add 1/2 cup Coconut Oil or Olive Oil, and 2 Tablespoons Sugar.

PROBLEM: WHERE THE HECK WAS I GOING TO APPLY THIS WITHOUT MAKING A COMPLETE MESS? While I do live in a private setting, the idea of doing this outside and hosing off DID NOT appeal to me. So, I opted for in the shower. PROBLEM: HOW MESSY WAS THIS GOING TO GET, AND ARE YOU REALLY SUPPOSED TO LET COFFEE GROUNDS GO DOWN THE DRAIN? In the interest of science, I had to proceed (without letting my husband know of course) Does anyone know if I irreperably damaged by septic system. Does the water from the shower go to the septic system?

THE ACT: I APPLIED THE WARM MIXTURE (i HAD TO NUKE THE COCONUT OIL, IT WAS SOLID IN THE FRIDGE), AND EXFOLIATED everywhere...it felt really good even if i was the one applying (i don't know why i like the idea of a total stranger rubbing it on even better...it just feels good when someone else is doing the rubbing!)

THE MESS: NOT AS MUCH AS i thought. The shower did get slippery from the oil, so make sure to do this before you have to wash the shower anyway because you will have to afterwards.

THE RESULTS: I THOUGHT IT WORKED GREAT. My skin looked and felt smoother, even my husband noticed. (I fessed up to him telling that i did this treatment, but he never asked how, why or where, so i left it ALONE!) At first my skin was a bit greasy, but I used a little bodywash, and I felf fantastic afterwards. I figure this treatment would be beneficial about once a month!

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE: In the mood for ice cream but not the calories? Try this: Freeze a whipped yogurt. It tastes just like Ice Cream with only about 70 calories.

NEXT TIME: TWELVE BENEFITS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE!!!!