The Sequoia Advisor

IN THIS ISSUE                                                               December 1^st 2015

• Lifestyle Overdrive... Bad for Bones, Heart and Waist!
• Comfort Foods... Fact or Fiction?
• Video... Sara Meeks, PT Talks About The LivMD Benefits
• December is Fall Prevention Screening Month
• Posture Perfect!^TM  Try Your First Class for FREE!

Feel Better... Live Better

Lifestyle Overdrive... Bad For Bones, Heart and Waist!
By Woody McMahon

Rushing Increases Stress Levels
If you find yourself in "rush mode" all the time, BEWARE, you are robbing yourself of good health and shortening your life. Study after study has shown that rushing around raises stress hormones in the body while increasing inflammation. If your kids are rushing around with you and going to more events than they need each week, they may be jeopardizing their health as well. Rushing, especially at a young age, does two things; it teaches kids this unhealthy behavior early in life and it increases their stress levels by promoting overeating while contributing to the obesity epidemic we now face.

Try Slowing it Down
Rushing has reached epidemic proportions; more in this country than any other in the entire world. When rushing starts to affect your health, many unhealthy things can happen. Your waistline can expand as healthy eating habits are eroded. Your bones can lose calcium and matrix as stress hormones acidify your body. Very quickly, you can find your good health slipping away. The most important question to ask is "where did I learn that running around like this is good for me" and "why do I keep doing it if it's not?" By slowing your life down, you have the opportunity to enjoy more things even when you do less.

Let's take a closer look at two areas of your health that can suffer the most from overdrive living.

Rushing and Your Bones
Your bones need stimulation in the form of safe and effective exercises. But unlike the saying that goes, "If a little is good, more must be better" your bones need to rest as much as they want to be active. Rushing around promotes a hormone shift to higher cortisol levels. Cortisol, along with other hormones, is associated with loss of bone strength and density. The only way to achieve healthy bones is to slow your life down and get your work and rest time in better balance.

Rushing and Weight Gain
Weight gain is almost a certainty when rushing starts to affect your eating habits. In most cultures, food is enjoyed, even savored in long lunches where conversation and social interaction are the norm. When you eat on the run, not only do you raise stress hormone levels but you encourage unhealthy habits like overeating, poor digestion, lack of satiation and weight gain.

Here are 5 reasons to stop rushing especially when you eat:

1. Portion Control: Eating more slowly reduces the amount of food eaten in the same amount of time. Eating more slowly allows the brain an opportunity to correctly register when you are full. Without counting calories or dieting, you can reduce food consumption that can translate into losing multiple pounds per year.

2. Food Enjoyment: Meals are a time for enjoyment and socialization rather than just being another "thing" we need to get done. Taking the time to really taste your food makes meals become much more enjoyable. Taste, smell and texture all reduce stress and contribute to your sense of happiness and well being. Gulping down your food in an attempt to rush off spoils most of the enjoyment in the eating experience reducing it to just another activity.

3. Better Digestion: Saliva in the mouth is the first stage of the digestion and absorption process of the food you eat. Eating slowly allows you to chew more thoroughly mixing more saliva in with your food. When you chew more thoroughly your food to be more easily digested and absorbed when it reaches the stomach and intestines. You'll send more nutrients to your bones, heart and the rest of your body with more complete digestion. Better digestion also reduces the chance of gastric distress such as bloating, food allergies and heart burn.

4. Mindful Eating: This is one of the keys to any successful weight loss program. Taking the time to eat when you are not distracted by the television, a newspaper, magazine or the computer helps increase food enjoyment. "Gulping it down" bypasses your food enjoyment centers in the brain encouraging you to eat more to feel full. To register with your brain, food must contact the taste buds in your mouth long enough to send a pleasurable signal. The way food tastes is also changed by the amount of time spent on the taste buds.

5. Healthier Food Choices: It takes extra time to consider a healthier food option and move past the "instant food" selections. More often than not, rushing to eat forces you to pick "the quick option" rather than the healthier one. Fresh, flavorful, colorful and nutritious foods may not necessarily be convenient for you but they are always better. Balancing your foods and planning a healthier meal is time well spent. You are worth it so go ahead and stop the rush and enjoy life more.

Would you like to reduce stress and get to a healthy weight but don't know where to start?  I provide an easy to follow program that gets to the root of excess weight; stress eating. You will lose the excess weight and improve your bone health, posture, balance and strength all at the same time. To get started, contact me for a complimentary Strategy Session at 703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.


Comfort Foods... Fact or Fiction?
by Woody McMahon

Comfort Food Questions
You have read about comfort foods and how they are supposed to "make you feel so good." Did you ever wonder why these foods affect your brain the way they do? Have you ever considered if eating food for comfort is even a good idea in the first place? When consuming these foods do you tend to eat more than you should if given the opportunity? Let's answer these questions as we explore the powerful affect these foods can have on your brain.

Food and Your Brain
Your brain is very sensitive to the foods you eat. Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are the basic building blocks of all food types. Each of these building blocks initiates different chemical reactions in your brain affecting the way you feel and function. Carbohydrates tend to cause the most dramatic brain reaction followed by fats and then proteins. Be observant the next time you eat and see if you notice the subtle and not so subtle reactions food has on your brain. You will notice that certain combinations of foods will change how you feel with some leaving you feeling comfortably sated while others irritable and ravenous.

Stress and Food
Stress induced eating is one of the most common causes of overeating and excess weight gain. Generally the foods that are eaten during stressful times are the "comfort" foods that are higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein. Notice if you eat different foods during a stressful day than on a non-stressful day. Also track the volume and frequency of these foods and see if it is more or less. With stress related eating you may have just eaten but it can feel like you have not eaten in days. Some foods may have you feeling energized while others make you want to take a nice long nap.

Comfort Food... Myth or Reality?
Let's get back to our original questions about how beneficial comfort foods really are for you. Eating foods for comfort is usually a bad idea and most often leads to overeating and weight gain. Comfort foods are generally higher in carbohydrates and fat and have a powerful stimulatory affect on your brain. They also tend to be addictive which means higher and higher amounts are necessary to produce the same effect. The reason your brain likes carbohydrates so much is because it uses them to make serotonin; one of your "feel good" chemicals. As you eat comfort foods to help the brain feel better, you do so at the expense of your ever increasing waistline which, when you look in the mirror, makes your brain feel worse.

Better Ways to Bust Stress
There are many better ways to boost serotonin other than turning to food. Different types of exercise including posture and balance work, sports, weight training, walking and yoga all help boost serotonin without increasing your calorie intake. On the quieter side, meditation, listening to music or reading a book while enjoying a warm cup of tea can also reduce stress and increase your "feel good" chemicals. These stress reducing activities provide relaxation without promoting unhealthy eating habits and unwanted weight gain.

Do you want to feel better but are not sure how to start? Kick off the New Year by coming in for a complimentary Strategy Session. We can talk about simple ways to help you sleep better, lose excess weight, feel stronger, improve bone health and much more. Call or email today at 703-628-2880 or woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Complimentary Fall Prevention Screening in December...

Falls Screening and Prevention Program! 

At Sequoia Health we are committed to helping our clients and the community prevent falls and fractures. Problems with your balance can occur at any age and generally develop slowly over time. Better balance and a stronger body is THE KEY to preventing falls, fractures and improving the quality of your life.

Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition
We have joined the Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition that is a part of a national Falls Free initiative started in 2006 by the NCOA. As a part of the coalition, we will offer free balance testing at our office in Herndon and at selected partner sites throughout Northern Virginia. We will also hold regular falls prevention workshops and balance classes to help people reduce their fear of falling, enhance their balance and increase the quality of their lives. Call for more information about becoming a partner site.

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance
We are offering one of the best falls prevention programs in the world. What makes this program so unique is that it has been shown through scientific and clinical research papers to reduce th frequency of falls by over 50%. Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance modifies traditional Tai Chi movements and creates a unique, therapeutic balance system. The movements and activities integrate motor, sensory and cognitive components to improve postural control, balance, gait and enhance performance of daily functional tasks and mobility for older adults. The classes are especially helpful for those who have movement and cognitive impairments and balance challenges such as Parkinson's and Alzheimers's disease.

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance is a 2 hour a week, 24 week program. It has the potential to prevent and manage various diseases by improving balance, circulation, coordination, confidence, well-being and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. It is a great addition to the CDC recommended goal of participating in 150 minutes of regular exercise per week.

To introduce as many people as possible to thos wonderful program, I am offering FREE introductory classes for the Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance functional therapy program. 

For more information please contact Woody McMahon at 703-628-2880 or by email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Sara Meeks, PT Talks About the Benefits of the LivMD

LivMD Updates

A New LivMD Testimonial Showing Bone Density Test Improvement

Here is a link to another excellent LivMD customer testimonial that talks about significant increases in bone density scores by using the LivMD. http://livmd.us/customer-writes-in-to-marodyne

More Volunteers Need for Our LivMD
Investigational Study

We are conducting an investigation study of the Marodyne LivMD Low Intensity Vibration device. We are looking for a wide range of study participants with a broad set of health conditions. The study will collect a variety of information from the volunteers to assess the effectiveness of the LivMD for:

• Improving Circulation
• Restoring motion to joints
• Redeveloping muscles
• Assisting as an adjunct treatment for obesity
• Relieving aches and pains throughout the body

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer study participant, please contact Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Falls & Fractures!
We Can Help You Stay Safe!

A Simple 10 Minute Test That Can Save Your Life!

Our Falls Prevention Screening offers three simple tests that can accurately predict your risk of falls, future mobility and balance that can lead to fractures and other injuries. These tests are a part of the CDC- STEADI Falls Prevention Program. Once you know your score and risk level, we'll help you create a falls prevention and balance program to reduce your risk of falling. You can practice these simple activities at home or join one of our Falls Prevention Classes.

To lean more go to Falls Prevention Screening and watch the videos that demonstrate the tests that we will use in your screening. For more information or to schedule your screening contact Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.   

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Give the Gift of Health!
Posture Perfect!^TM Classes...

Looking for the perfect healthy birthday gift for someone? Consider purchasing a gift certificate for one or several Posture Perfect!^TM classes. Gift certificate amounts start at $25. This is the perfect gift, the gift of health, to give to someone you love.

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Posture Perfect!^TM First Class FREE

If you have never tried Posture Perfect!^TM you owe it to yourself to come to one of our convenient classes and see how good it makes you feel. We want you to give us a try. Come take your first Posture Perfect!^TM class for FREE. It's on us... what do you have to lose?

RESERVATIONS are REQUIRED
Please call Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com for more information or to make your reservation.

The FREE Posture Perfect!^TM class helps introduce you to the many benefits of our safe and effective posture, balance and strength program co-developed by Sara Meeks, PT and Woody McMahon, personal trainer.

Come and experience how each class can help strengthen your bones, improve your balance, alleviate back aches and neck pains, improve osteoporosis and teach you how to sit and stand-up straighter. 

The History of Posture Perfect!^TM
When I developed the Posture Perfect!TM classes over 2 years ago, there were no safe and effective exercise programs available for "over age 50" adults. Everywhere I looked there were older adults in classes that used seated exercises (bad for your back); machine style exercises (bad for your balance) treadmills (a poor hip and leg strengthener); and performed movements
that involved crunching, bending and twisting. (increases the risk of spinal compression fractures).
  
Posture Perfect!^TM solved all of these problems by offering a safe and effective approach helping older adults become more active. Each class improves your posture, strengthens your bones, enhances your balance, alleviates back aches and neck pains, reduces fracture risk and teaches you how to sit and stand-up straighter. 
 
We have several people in our current classes who are coming to strengthen their bones and over half of the others are interested in exercises and posture changes to help make their backs and necks feel better.

Please call Woody McMahon at 703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com for more information, class times and reservations.

Posture Perfect!^TM Testimonials...
Posture Perfect's! momentum continues to grow. Here is a glowing testimonial from one of our class members.

"Posture Perfect!^TM 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 than 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!"
Paula S.

Read more about S.A.F.E. and effective Posture Perfect!^TM classes.

Woody

Woody McMahon
The Sequoia Advisor

Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483A Carlisle Drive
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) 2006-2015 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.

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