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The Sequoia Advisor
IN THIS ISSUE August 1st 2011
- Your Osteoporosis Diagnosis, Now What?
- Fitness, Not Weight Most Important
- Yoga and Tai Chi at the Resource Center
- How to Create Balance in Your Life
- Bone Health Podcasts Coming Soon!
Feel Better... Live Better
Your Osteoporosis Diagnosis, Now What?
By Woody McMahon
Receiving Your Diagnosis
The diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis is never welcome news.
But given what we know about bones and how they work in the body,
there are many natural ways to improve your bone health with simple
lifestyle changes. So receiving your osteoporosis diagnosis should be
taken as a strong wake-up call and a move to evaluating and sorting
out the various aspects of your lifestyle.
Moving Away from Fear
Unfortunately the most common reaction to a diagnosis of osteoporosis
or osteopenia is panic, fear and a rush to take a pill. This is partly due
to the strong insistence by most physicians who want their patients to
start medications "right away." This rush to medication is accompanied
by phrases such as "your spine is so bad it will break in half" or "you have
the bones of a 90 year old" which all make it difficult to say NO.
A Healthy Lifestyle is King
It is important to know that osteoporosis or osteopenia are heavily
influenced by your lifestyle habits. Your exercise program, the foods you
choose to eat, the supplements that you take and your stress levels all
impact the health of your bones. Instead of rushing to medication after
you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, (you can take
medication any time along the way) I recommend considering three
important steps before doing anything else:
1. Start a Personal Health Journal
Documenting and organizing your current health and fitness habits is a
valuable tool not only for you but any other health or fitness
professional that reviews your case. It will first help you take stock of
your current lifestyle habits and then track various lifestyle changes
along the way. Journaling is an excellent way to begin stopping and
reversing your bone health problems. Your bones respond favorably to safe
and effective exercises, improved eating habits, better sleep patterns and
stress reduction activities. Osteoporosis medications (if you decide to
take them) work best with lifestyle changes so changing your lifestyle
first makes more sense.
2. Determine Your Risk for Fracture
After a diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteopenia, the most important fact
to know is what is my risk of sustaining a fracture. Reducing your risk of
fractures is going to be your sole mission and much more important than
increasing bone density. So one of the most important pieces of
information to focus on is not your bone density scores but your FRAX
percentages. The FRAX Index calculates your risk of hip fracture. Bone
density or BMD are the numbers your doctor gave you after your DEXA
scan. BMD is only ONE risk factor of 12 that are important in determining
your fracture risk. Go to http://www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX/ for more information.
3. Create a Professional Bone Health Improvement Plan
So many times the bone health programs I review consist of an odd
collection of what people have read on the web or seen on television.
These programs are usually missing key components and have not been
reviewed by a knowledgeable professional or customized to meet individual
needs. Having a good bone health program goes beyond just improving bone
density. Your bones respond to many different changes in your life. The
foods you eat, the amount of water you drink, your sleep patterns and
exercise activities can all benefit your bone health.
I hope these 3 steps will help take some of the mystery and fear out of your
osteoporosis or osteopenia diagnosis.
Would you like to reduce stress and improve your bone health 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, balance
and strength while reducing fracture risk. Contact me anytime for a
no cost consultation at 703-628-2880 or email to
woody@sequoiahealth.com.
Fitness, Not Weight Most Important
by Woody McMahon
Struggling With Your Weight
There is some good news if you are one of those people struggling with
your weight. The latest research on weight and health suggests that
excess weight may not affect your health as much as having a low level
of conditioning. Recent studies show that if you only have 15 to 25 pounds
to lose, reducing body weight may not be really that important for your
overall health. The research also found that weight loss by itself was
shown to be a poor motivator. The data showed that over 89% of the
people using weight loss as their primary goal stopped their fitness program
after 6 months.
How Much is Too Much
Unless you fall into one of the three weight loss categories below, you
probably won't see much of a health benefit from losing just a few
pounds. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says this about weight
loss:
"Health experts agree that you may gain health benefits from even
a small weight loss if:
1. You are considered obese based on your body mass index (BMI)
(see BMI link below)
2. You are considered overweight based on your BMI and have
weight-related health problems or a family history of such problems
3. You have a waist that measures more than 40 inches if you are a man
or more than 35 inches if you are a woman"
To check your BMI go to
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/for_life.htm
The three scenarios above are a good guideline for when excess weight
needs to taken as a concern. Notice that #1 says you need to have a BMI in
the OBESE range to be concerned about your weight unless as in #2 you have
additional medical complications or as in #3 your waist measures more
than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women respectively.
Conditioning is King
Switching your focus and goals to improving your conditioning is
actually a much better strategy. Better conditioning opens doors to
improving your ability to participate in activities of daily living
called ADL's. The better your conditioning, the more fun you can have
with your friends while not feeling left out of an activity because you
are too tired. Any good conditioning program will be first and foremost
safe and effective while including the following four major components.
These are:
• Stamina: Lets you play and work more before getting tired
• Balance: Prevents falls and fractures
• Flexibility: Keeps joints and muscles safe
• Muscular Strength: Improves sports performance
At Home or At the Club
Whether you exercise at home or take regular trips to the health club,
improving your conditioning will provide a host of healthful benefits
even if you don't lose one single pound. Regular exercise reduces blood
pressure, heart disease, cholesterol, blood sugar and joint pain.
Exercise keeps your heart, blood vessels and brain in top condition.
Exercise allows you to live a richer and fuller life. All of this and not
one pound lost. Something to think about, isn't it?
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
Sara Meeks is Coming to Town
The Northern Virginia Osteoporosis Resource Center will host its first
open house in early October. We have been in contact with Sara Meeks, PT
a world renown expert on the subject of osteoporosis treatment and
management. Sara has agreed to hold a workshop on the Meeks Method
and then conduct a book signing afterwards for her book Walk Tall! 2.
Space will be limited so stay tuned for more updates. At the same open
house, we will also be offering introductory classes in safe Yoga by
Bonnie Elliott and Tai Chi for Strong Bones by Roger Blough.
The NVORC will be one the first of its kind offering BoneSafeTM clinics,
Personal Training, Yoga, Tai Chi classes and consultations for people
with osteoporosis, osteopenia and other bone health problems.
You can read more about The NVORC at:
http://sequoiahealth.com/osteo resource center
We have another beginner Posture Perfect! class starting in September
at St. Thomas a' Becket catholic church in Reston. Please call
Woody McMahon at 703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com
for more information, class times and reservations.
People and Pets
How to Create Balance in Your Life
By Ingrid King
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and
harmony. - Thomas Merton
Do you struggle to find balance in your life? Many of us lead lives that
are anything but balanced, in fact, at times, we often feel like Odin
trying to balance on the branch above, ready to tumble off at any moment.
Some of us will manage to right ourselves, others will try to balance by
flailing about, and the rest of us will fall off and try to get back on
again. But eventually, no matter how hard we try, we'll all fall off if
we don't create balance in our lives.
Balance is an essential ingredient for a happy life. When your life is
in balance, your body, mind and spirit are in harmony. Everything just
feels right. But how do you achieve that balance in these hectic times we
live in? The definition of balance will vary from person to person, but
the following tips can help create balance in anyone's life:
- Make time for yourself. You can't be there for everyone else unless
you take care of yourself.
- Exercise regularly and eat healthy. This goes right along with taking
care of yourself.
- Integrate your passion with your work. Most of us spend up to a third of
our lives at work. Doing work you're passionate about rather than work
that's "just a job" will go a long way toward creating balance in your
life. If you haven't found a way yet to combine the two, leave your work
at the office. Nobody ever looks back on their life and wishes they had
spent more time at the office!
- Spend time with family and friends.
- Live within your means. Stress over finances is one of the biggest
obstacles to creating balance in your life.
- Don't multi-task. You may think you're getting more done that way, but
you're really not. By putting your full focus and energy on one task at a
time, you will work more efficiently and you won't feel like you're just
spinning your wheels.
- Spend time with your cats! Spending time with pets is one of the best
ways I know to come back into balance instantly.
Creating balance can be challenging, but even just implementing one or
two of these suggestions will help you! What one thing will you do this week
to create more balance in your life?
(c) Ingrid King 2010- 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
Marodyne LIV Tablet Update
We are still anxiously awaiting the release on the LIV Tablet.
The product is very close to being available in the US market.
It looks like September is going to be the magic month. Sara
and I are still working feverishly on recording our 24 Podcasts
for the LIVe Again! Podcast series. This series will come FREE
with every LIV Tablet. This is a great bone health audio series
that really helps to simplify, demystify and make your bone
health program much easier.
LIVe Again! is a complete, effective and easy to follow healthy
lifestyle program designed to take the guesswork and worry out
of improving the health of your bones.
Each Marodyne LIV Tablet will come with the 24 Podcasts that
you can listen to while using your tablet. The information provided
is a powerful bone health program that you can follow with
confidence.
There will also be additional information on the LIVTherapy.com
website to help you create the best and most complete bone
health program possible. I will be testing and collecting data on
the Marodyne in my office. I will also be supporting a colleague of
mine who is selling the LIV Tablet by offering a free bone health
consultation to anyone who buys the device from him.
Stay tuned for more updates. Feel free to email us with your
questions at woody@sequoiahealth.com.
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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understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine
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action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The
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authors. However, readers who rely on material in this publication to
replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult
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publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.
Copyright (c) 2006-2011 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
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