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The Sequoia Advisor
IN THIS ISSUE December 1st, 2009
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Feel Better... Live Better |
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Get Active for Your Health, Not Your Weight
by Woody McMahon
The Exercise/ Weight Loss Myth
Believing that you can "burn off" excess pounds is a myth and nothing more.
The myth was started by the food manufacturers in an attempt to sell
more products and it continues to be supported by the fad exercise and diet
gurus. If it were that easy, the thousands of people who stream into health
facilities come January would be making a huge dent in our national obesity
epidemic. The real truth is that regular exercise is most important for
your health and cannot offer permanent weight loss by itself.
Don't believe it? Here is why.
Overeating the Big Problem
Gaining weight is, in large part, caused by overeating. Your excess desire
for food will pack on the pounds like nobody's business. If you eat too
much food, exercise or not, you are going to gain weight. Reducing food
volume is the only way you can get excess weight gain under control. Trying
to only exercise the weight away and keep it off leads to failure 99% of the
time. It is very easy to understand if you do the math.
The Math Won't Lie
Let's say each and every day you are eating 500 more calories than you
need for good nutrition. It is quite easy to eat an extra 250 calories at
lunch and dinner. So you decide to go "burn off your excess calories" at
the gym. How long do you think it will take to do that? Most people burn
about 250 calories an hour for an average workout. That means two hours of
activity each day or 14 hours a week spent at the gym just to keep from
gaining weight. 14 hours a week is an unrealistic expectation except for a
very rare few and you still won't have lost a pound.
Switch Your Exercise Goal
Switch your exercise goal to getting healthy rather than losing weight and
you immediately reduce the frustration factor by 100%. The benefits
associated with regular activity are longer than your arm. Regular exercise
and fun activity is important in maintaining a healthy body and mind while
preserving your independence as you get older. Exercise helps protect you
from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, back pain,
arthritis, Parkinson's, cancer and osteoporosis. It changes the chemistry
of the brain improving your mood and helping you better manage stress.
Most importantly, being active just makes you feel better.
Make it Easy to Stay Active
If activity doesn't come naturally, find some friends that can help you start
the habit. A support team made-up of active people is the easiest way to
get and to stay active while improving your health. Look for people you
know who might want to take a walk, go throw a Frisbee or hit a tennis ball.
Ask your kids if they would walk or take a trip to the park with you to have
some fun. It's a very kindly gesture to ask someone to get active with you.
It matters little how much they weigh, they need to be active as much as
you do for their health. Find some folks you can laugh with and all of a
sudden activity will take on a whole new meaning.
So forget about your weight. Just get and stay active, reduce your stress
and desire to overeat and choose healthier foods; your weight will take
care of itself.
Exercise is one of three important lifestyle habits essential for good
health. If you have special needs then a health and fitness expert with
special training is essential as well. Contact me to discuss how Fresh Start
can help make the most of your exercise time by building a stronger body
the right way.
With my unique program you'll improve balance, strength, flexibility, energy
and stamina while feeling and looking your best. Call Woody McMahon at
703-464-5171 to schedule your no cost Fresh Start consultation. You can also
email to Woody@SequoiaHealth.com.
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Just Say "No" to Dieting
by Woody McMahon
Many Good Reasons Not to Diet
Dieting, or more accurately, calorie restrictive eating plans just
received more bad press. Researchers at the University of California
analyzed over 30 studies on weight loss and came to this conclusion:
"pooling the results of the various studies clearly showed that while
people do lose weight initially, most quickly put all the pounds back on.
In fact, most people end up weighing more than they did to begin with."
They went on to say "Research has shown the repeated rapid weight
gain and loss associated with dieting can double the risk of death from
heart disease, including heart attacks, and the risk of premature death
in general." So now what?
No Rational Need to Diet
Reducing excess body fat (if you have a lot of it) is important for
improving your health (all reasons of vanity aside). Dieting has never been
the answer to permanent weight loss because it will only damage your
health in the process. Dieting is bad for your health for two main reasons.
The first is the body does not like it when your weight fluctuates up and
down. The fluctuating weight places you under increased physical and mental
stress. This added diet stress is the reason so many people "fall off the
wagon." Restriction is the second reason diets are unhealthy. It's human
nature to rebel and want something more when you are restricted. The
rebound from restriction is why most people regain the weight they have
lost once the diet ends.
Changing Your Focus
It is time to finally stop wasting time and money on dieting and figure
out why you ended-up with extra pounds in the first place. By its very
nature, dieting blames food as the reason for excess weight gain. But is
that really true? Can food truly be the culprit? A certain amount of food
is required for your daily sustenance; beyond that, everything extra that
is not needed for activity or bodily functions is stored as fat. So the food
you eat is not the issue; it's the amount that is the problem.
Ask the Hard Questions
A harder question to answer is why are you eating more food than you
need? A change in desire for all that extra food is the only way to fix your
overweight condition. Unless you can change the desire, you can't
permanently fix your excess weight problem. Dieting is and always will be
an unhealthy "Band-Aid" solution to a much more complex problem.
The Healthy Alternative to Dieting
Healthy weight loss takes a comprehensive approach to the problem.
It's important to take into consideration three major factors: stress,
activity and food. These three factors are important to successful
weight loss and must be modified together. You may need help
learning new "stress busting" strategies to make life easier. Physical
limitations could prevent you from participating in certain types of
activity. Food allergies or sensitivities may limit you from eating
certain foods. Your weight loss program also needs to be
individualized; one size will not fit all in this case.
Just like trying to do your taxes without an accountant or going into
court without a lawyer, don't try to do this alone. Find a competent health
and fitness team who understands how to help you improve your health
while you lose the weight.
Stress is the #1 cause of excess weight gain. Follow our Fresh Start
Healthy Weight! system and you can reduce your weight and improve your
health at the same time. We provide the education, motivation and
accountability necessary to improve your health while helping you feel and look
your best. For a no cost consultation, please call Woody McMahon at
703-464-5171 or email to Woody@SequoiaHealth.com.
Pets and People
"Tortitude" - The Unique Personality of Tortoiseshell Cats
by Ingrid King
Tortoiseshell... What Does it Mean?
Tortoiseshell cats are named for their distinctive coloring - a combination of
patches of black, brown, amber, red, cinnamon and chocolate. The size of
the patches varies from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of color.
The term "tortoiseshell" is used for cats with brindled coats that have few
or no white markings. Cats of this coloring with larger areas of white fur
are called calicos. Sometimes, these colors present in lighter versions
such as lilac or cream.
Torties with this lighter coloring are called dilute torties. Occasionally, the
typical tortoiseshell colors are also seen in a tabby (striped) pattern, and
these cats are sometimes referred to as "torbies." Tortoiseshell cats are
almost exclusively female. Tortoiseshell and calico coats are the result of
the interaction between genetic and developmental factors. The occasional
and very rare male tortoiseshell cat is the result of a genetic mutation.
Not Just a Color
In addition to their distinctive coloring, torties also have a reputation for unique
personalities, sometimes referred to as "tortitude." They tend to be strong-willed,
a bit hot-tempered, and they can be very possessive of their human. Other words
used to describe torties are fiercely independent, feisty and unpredictable.
They're usually very talkative and make their presence and needs known with
anything from a hiss, to a meow to a strong purr. These traits are stronger in
tortoiseshell cats than in calicos - it seems as though these traits are somewhat
diluted with the addition of more white to the color scheme. Do you have a tortie
or calico in your life? Does she have "tortitude?"
Ingrid King is a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer. She publishes
the E-zine News for You and Your Pet, covering topics ranging from conscious
living to holistic and alternative health. She shares her experiences with
consciously creating a joyful, happy and healthy life for pets and people on her
popular blog, The Conscious Cat. Ingrid lives in Northern Virginia with her
tortoiseshell cat Amber. Visit http://www.ingridking.com/
Osteoporosis Support Group Meeting
"Healthy Bones Come From a Healthy Body" Woody McMahon
Topic: Weight Training Clinic: Come and Learn to Lift Safely
Date: Tuesday December 8th
Time: 6 to 7 pm
Place: Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc
483A Carlisle Drive, Herndon, VA
Come dressed in comfortable clothes and bring water. For questions and
reservations please contact Woody McMahon at 703-464-5171 or email to
bebonestrong@sequoiahealth.com.
Do All You Can For Your Bones
Be Bone Strong! makes it possible to reduce fracture risk by helping change your
lifestyle. Along with your doctor, we help you create and implement an effective
osteoporosis treatment plan. We support and educate you in making important lifestyle
decisions that will improve your condition. We also offer a sympathetic ear and shoulder
to lean on until you get over the unnecessary fear and worry of your situation.
With the use of Skype, emails, phone calls and the internet, you can benefit from the
only complete osteoporosis prevention and repair program. Video consultations,
stress reduction activities, healthy eating plans and functional weight bearing programs
all available in the comfort of your own home over your computer.
Be Bone Strong! is unlike other programs that just focus on dietary changes, calcium and
vitamin D to increase bone density. Be Bone Strong! works to modify ALL the lifestyle
factors that help you increase bone quality.
Our unique three step process makes it easier to improve bone strength faster:
Step 1: Personalized Osteoporosis Lifestyle Assessment
Step 2: Comprehensive "Make My Bones Strong" Plan and Program
Step 3: Implementation Support, Motivation and Consultation
Follow The "Big 5 for Healthy Bones" and you can't go wrong:
1. Increase daily stress reduction activities. This helps lower cortisol and homocystein
levels while reducing calcium loss.
2. Safe and sufficient weight bearing exercise to stimulate muscle growth and balance. This is essential for increasing bone quality and preventing falls.
3. Dietary changes that balance protein with fruit and vegetable intake.
Fruits and veggies contain greater amounts of water, minerals and antioxidants with generally lesser amounts of animal protein to reduce total body inflammation.
4. Establish year round vitamin D3 levels in the 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L).
This should be confirmed by regular 25-hydroxyvitamin D testing.
5. Calculate optimum water intake for maximum hydration. Water is very important
in helping the kidneys regulate pH and detoxify the body.
Test your bone knowledge and take our Strong Bones Healthy Body Quiz at http://sequoiahealth.com/hbquiz_
To learn more about Be Bone Strong! Online or to schedule a free consultation, please go to
http://www.sequoiahealth.com/ and click on Be Bone Strong!
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Woody
Woody McMahon
The Sequoia Advisor
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Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483A Carlisle Dive
Herndon, VA 20170
Required Disclaimer: The material provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis,
treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The material is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than suggesting that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The 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) 2006-2010 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
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