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The Sequoia Advisor
IN THIS ISSUE April 1st 2011
- A Healthy Spring Tune-Up
- The Water Weight Loss Connection
- Posture Perfect! Class Testimonial
- Making Medical Decisions for Your Pet
- Sara Meeks Sundance Osteoporosis Conference Summary
- New Entry for Kate's My Healthy Way Blog
Feel Better... Live Better
A Healthy Spring Tune-Up
By Woody McMahon
Time to Clean House
Spring is a great time to "clean house" and take a few moments to review
your health and fitness program. Ask yourself if your fitness program is
still fun or has it gotten a little stale? Are you getting a restful sleep
and feeling more energetic or do you feel stressed and tired all of the
time? Are you eating 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day or has too
much junk or fast food crept into your eating plan? Do you feel fulfilled
and happy with your life or are you like a hamster on a wheel? So did you
answer yes to all of these questions? Do you think you might need a
little spring tune-up? Let's talk about a few simple ways to revamp your
springtime health and fitness and help you look and feel your best.
Back to Fitness Basics
Subtle changes in your fitness program can make big changes in your
results. Instead of the traditional 30 minutes of weight training followed
by 30 minutes of machine based cardio, try shortening your workouts and
consider a whole body circuit workout. In a whole body circuit workout you
are shooting for 40 minutes of weights and cardio training simultaneously.
Choose whole body exercises that will keep your heart rate in the training
zone the entire training time. Try this for a challenging sequence;
push-ups, squats and curls combo, lunges and shoulder press combo, star
jumps, standing row, prone bridge/plank, hip lifts on the fitness ball,
wall sits and jump rope. Repeat once or twice. Don't rush it and no rest
time either except for water. Remember to keep your workouts safe by
limiting flexion, lateral bending and rotational motions.
Sleep is a Time to Heal
Your sleep time is when the body heals and repairs itself. A good sleep
helps reduce the negative health effects of a stressful day. Getting a
restful sleep requires feeling equally physically and mentally tired. It is
difficult to get a restful sleep if you are more mentally than physically
tired at the end of the day. Regular physical activity like walking, whole
body circuit workouts or playing a sport will balance your mental and
physical fatigue. Learning to consciously turn off your day also improves
sleep quality. Before going to sleep, try reading a book with a strong
positive message, listen to quieting music or take a few moments to
meditate. These excellent "before sleep" habits help quiet your mind and
induce a deeper more restful sleep.
Eating High Quality Fuel
Food is basically fuel. The old saying "garbage in, garbage out" applies
in this example. The higher the quality of foods you eat, the easier it is
for your body to digest and extract the important nutrients. The myriad of
eating patterns and diet recommendations has made healthy eating much too
complicated. Simply follow a nutritional program that contains 50% fruits
and vegetables and adequate lean protein. Depending upon your metabolism,
minimize starch based carbohydrates like bread and pasta. These tend to be
addictive for some people and should be minimized. Fruits and veggies
provide plenty of plant based carbohydrates as well as greater amounts of
water and minerals. Correct portion size will also keep your body weight in
a healthy range thus eliminating the need for calorie counting, points or
other silly food games.
Creating a Purposeful Life
Last but not least, make sure your life has purpose. More than just making
money or tending the kids, humans need a purpose driven life to thrive. The
longest lived and healthiest people in the world all have a single, common
trait. Their lives are filled with purpose. They have a drive to get up in
the morning and fulfill that need. If you don't have an obvious purpose,
spend some time at the library or bookstore browsing the many wonderful
books on self-improvement. It will be time well spent.
Would you like to improve your bone quality but don't know where
to start? I provide an easy to follow program called Be Bone Strong!
that helps improve your bone health, posture and balance while reducing
fracture risk. Contact me anytime for a no cost consultation at
703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.
The Water Weight Loss Connection
by Woody McMahon
Weight Loss and More
Adequate hydration is crucial for efficient burning of fat and healthy
weight loss. A study of over 3000 nurses looked at body fat percentage
compared to total daily water intake. The nurses that drank the most water
had the lowest body fat percentage. Another study showed similar results
with participants drinking approximately 17 ounces of water (slightly more
than 2 glasses) showing a 30% for increase in metabolic rates for both men
and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption
and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes. Water also makes-up
about 25% of bone by weight so drinking enough is important for strength.
For anyone wanting healthy weight loss and bones, drinking more water is
a good first step.
The Staff of Life
Water is the most important substance you put into your body. You can
survive 40 to 60 days without food but only mere hours to a few days
without water. Water is required for proper detoxification of all the cells
of your body. Without water, waste products accumulate and lead to disease
and illness. The average adult does not drink enough water. There are many
diseases associated with mild dehydration such as high blood pressure,
kidney stones, urinary tract infections, constipation, headaches,
allergies, sinus infections and joint pain.
Important in Many Ways
Water comprises 50 to 70% of your total adult body weight. Today, if you
drink enough water, you're in the minority. There is a great debate on how
much water you should consume. Many experts suggest that you can get
adequate water from drinking beverages and eating foods. Some experts say
fortifying your water with vitamins or other substances is a good idea.
Just look at all the sports drinks that have popped up. The bottom line…
for the average person, pure, unadulterated water is your best bet for good
health. Anything less will not help your body work properly. What makes
plain old water so special?
Plain Old Water
It all goes back to high school chemistry class. Water is called the
universal solvent. Dissolve something in water and the water is literally
transformed into a different substance. Just take a look at ice tea,
coffee, milk, juice… made from water but definitely not water. When you
drink water instead of juice, your body knows the difference. One of the
reasons water is so good for you is it doesn't need to be digested or
processed by your body. It can be absorbed and used immediately to
facilitate digestion, detoxification and metabolism. Water is also
self-regulating. Drink enough water and your body doesn't need to retain or
"store" fluid. Drink too little and your body will retain fluid to try and
keep you alive.
More Active Means More Water
A very active person requires more water than a sedentary person. Muscles
are 75% water and require adequate hydration or they will not work
properly. Dehydration can result in muscle strains (pulls) and/or cramps.
Joints also require water to make synovial fluid for effective lubrication.
Without adequate water, cartilage in the joints is not adequately
lubricated and can wear prematurely leading to degenerative joint disease.
Simply drinking more water can reduce your future risk for joint
replacement surgery.
A Simple Hydration Formula
To make sure you are drinking enough water, here is a simple hydration
formula. Take your current body weight and divide that number by 2.
Multiply the divided number by 1 ounce and that is the amount of water you
should try and drink everyday. So at 150 pounds you need at least 75 ounces
of water per day to maintain a health body weight.
Try these healthy lifestyle changes for 30 days. Feel what it is like to be
a part of the health solution rather than a health burden. If you need
additional suggestions and advice on living a healthier lifestyle, email or
call me for a no cost consultation, at 703-628-2880 or email to
woody@sequoiahealth.com.
Osteoporosis Support News
Posture Perfect! Classes Are a Big Hit!
Posture Perfect's! momentum continues to grow. Here is a glowing testimonial
from one of our class members.
"Posture Perfect! class has not only met my expectations, but exceeded
them! There are several reasons I enjoy the class. The small class size
gives each of us extraordinary personalized training; your knowledge,
expertise, patience, and sense of humor makes me look forward to
coming to a class I thought would be only for 6 weeks; and I have
learned so much more that I expected."
"For example, I now think about my posture every time I sit, and just when
I thought I'd begin to have a hard time rising from sitting on the floor, you
taught me how to make it easier. I try to practice some of the balance
exercises a couple of times a week (I know, I should do it more often!).
I thank you for all I have learned from you so far, and hope to continue
this class for the foreseeable future!"
P.S.
You can read more about Posture Perfect! at:
http://sequoiahealth.com/posture_perfect__classes
New classes for 2011 are forming right now. Please call Woody McMahon at
703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com for more information,
class times and reservations.
Pets and People
Making Medical Decisions for Your Pet
By Ingrid King
Recently, two friends had to make difficult decisions about medical care
for their cats, and it got me thinking about what a challenging task this
is for so many of us. Advances in veterinary medicine make it possible
to treat medical conditions in pets that would have been a death
sentence a decade ago. From chemotherapy to kidney transplants, pets
can now receive almost the same level of medical care as humans. But just
because these treatments are available doesn't necessarily mean they're
right for each pet.
Pandora is an 18-year-old calico in chronic renal failure. It's unclear
which stage her disease is currently in, because my friend has chosen not
to pursue medical treatment beyond the basics: Pandora is on medication to
control her high blood pressure, and she gets a thorough check up every six
months to monitor her lab values. Pandora goes through phases were she
doesn't want to eat and becomes withdrawn, but so far, she has always
bounced back after a few days. My friend has chosen to keep Pandora
comfortable at home, and when that's no longer possible, she'll be ready
(or as ready as any of us will ever be) to let her go.
The decision for Bob, a 14-year-old orange tabby , was more difficult.
He's FIV positive, and an ultrasound a couple of months ago showed a large
mass that was wrapped around his liver. Without a biopsy, there was no
telling what was going on. Surgery is always a risk, but especially for a
senior FIV positive cat. The surgeon told my friend that, in a worst case
scenario, if it was cancer and it had spread, she needed to be prepared to
authorize euthanasia while Bob was still on the table. On the other hand,
there was also a chance that the mass could be removed, and Bob could have
many more months, if not years, of good quality of life. My friend agonized
over this decision, and eventually decided to have the surgery done. The
mass was removed, and as of this writing, Bob is undergoing chemotherapy
for lymphoma.
Not every pet owner would have made these decisions for their cats. In
Pandora's case, some would choose more aggressive treatment and more
frequent visits to the vet, and possibly hospitalization for IV fluids. In
Bob's case, some would have elected to forgo surgery and just let him live
out however much time he may have left without intervention. These
situations are never black and white, and there is no one right decision.
The only wrong decision in these cases would be indecision when it
translates into pain and suffering for the pet.
So what factors should a pet owner take into account when faced with
making medical decisions?
The most important thing is to get all the facts first. Be sure you
understand the medical condition your pet is dealing with. It can be
difficult to know what questions to ask your veterinarian when faced with a
frightening diagnosis, so don't be afraid to ask follow up questions once
you've had a chance to process the initial information. Make sure you
understand all the treatment options, along with cost, side effects, and
prognosis for each option. Get a second opinion and/or go see a specialist
if you're not comfortable with what your veterinarian tells you.
By all means, research your pet's condition on the internet, but use
common sense and look for sites that present facts and not just anecdotes
and opinions. Dr. Nancy Kay, the author of Speaking for Spot: Be the
Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Healthy, Happy, Longer Life has written a
series of fantastic articles about how to find accurate pet health
information on the internet.
Once you understand the medical facts, the decision becomes more personal.
Factors that come into play are your pet's temperament, your comfort level
with providing any follow up care that may be required at home, and your
finances. In my years of managing a veterinary practice, a question many
clients often asked was "what would you do if it was your pet?" I wish I
could have answered it, but I couldn't. I couldn't because, first of all,
I'm not a veterinarian. I also couldn't have answered it because what I
would do for my pet could be completely wrong for the client's pet.
But after having faced having to make difficult decisions for two of my
cats in recent years, I now have an answer I would give these clients. For
me, it comes down to this: Listen to your heart. After weighing all the
factors, try to set aside your fear and worry for your pet long enough to
connect with your center. Some call it gut instinct, or intuition. And then
make the best possible decision for your pet. Because when it comes down to
it, the one thing you know better than all the veterinarians in the world
combined is your pet.
(c) Ingrid King 2011
Ingrid King is a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer. She is
the author of Buckley's Story - Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. Her
online magazine News for You and Your Pet goes out to subscribers around
the world. Her blog, The Conscious Cat, has been called "educational cat
nip for the cat lover" and is a comprehensive resource for conscious
living, health and happiness for pets and their people. For more
information about Ingrid, please visit http://www.ingridking.com
Sara Meeks Sundance Osteoporosis
Conference
I had the honor of speaking at the Sara Meeks Sundance Osteoporosis
conference held this past week in Sundance, UT. There were twelve
presentations that included important new developments in vibration
technology for bone, safe and effective exercise programs and the
importance of posture and balance for health and independence.
My talk focused on a new personal training certification I am
developing that will help trainers provide safer and more effective
exercise programs for their clients based on The Meeks Method.
I will be teaching this certification later this year.
I should have some pictures to share with you very soon. Stay
tuned.
Continued Good Health,
Woody
Woody McMahon
The Sequoia Advisor
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Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483A Carlisle Drive
Herndon, VA
20170
Required Disclaimer: The material provided herein should not be construed
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material and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound
at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the
authors. However, readers who rely on material in this publication to
replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult
with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The
publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.
Copyright (c) 2006-2011 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
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