Take a Pill!

Last Sunday, while trying to navigate the maze of dead-end isles at the Super Walmart, looking for a Brita water filter (silly me, they were right next to the
paint - of course I should have known that!) I came across an item that I have been
meaning to get for awhile now. A weekday pill holder! Got one for Greg too! At the risk of sounding like a "senior", it is a must-have for organization lovers!It is perfect for our vitamin supplements. I like keeping mine in the car to take on the way to work with my first serving of water and Greg can easily pack his for business travel.
Taking daily supplements will make a huge difference in how you feel and will provide needed protection for our heart, bones, joints, immune system and more serious medical conditions and illness. As far as measures taken for preventative care, swallowing a few pills each day is such a SIMPLE task that can be life-changing.
I understand how challenging it is for women to juggle busy households, jobs,
activities, etc to make a commitment to regular exercise. And I know that it isn't
easy to cook and eat nutritious whole foods consistently. But supplementing your
diet with essential vitamins is so DO-Able and critical, especially for post-
menopausal women.
At a minimum, here are the 4 supplements women should be taking DAILY:

Multi-vitamin with high dosage of Vitamin C, E and B's
One-a-day brands will not provide enough protection; a high quality
multi for women will support our hormones with needed B vitamins
(I like TwinLab Women's Ultra Daily, it has capsules that fully digest
and an energy blend with herbs like gingko and ginseng plus 4000% of
B12 which is like getting a shot of it. If your multi has enough doses
of C, E and B, you won't need to take them separately)

Calcium (especially after menopause)
The amount in a multi is not enough protection for bone health,
an additional supplement is also needed

Vitamin D-3
There is more evidence that both men and women who are low on vitamin D
can suffer from a host of health problems and it is very easy to be
deficient, especially in the winter when we are exposed to less sunlight.
I double my D3 in the winter to 2000 IU each day. Vitamin D is also
necessary for calcium to be absorbed in our body and will help protect
us from getting colds, osteoporosis, depression, dementia, cancer, heart
disease and stroke.

Fish Oil
The Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish have many health benefits but since
we aren't a big fish-eating society, a supplement is recommended. Fish oil
will protect against heart disease, joint and arthritis inflammation, depression
and aging cells. If you can't handle the "after-taste", try keeping your fish
oil in the freezor and take with food.

Another bonus for taking these four supplements is that they ALL will assist in
weight loss....and how easy is that? Ladies, make it a priority to stock up on
your vitamins and TAKE THEM. It's the least you can do for your health that will
have the greatest impact!

Better Late Than Never?

As an aerobics insructor and the owner of Trim Up #1 while in my 30's, I had a pretty easy time managing my weight and with the exception of skin cancers, had no
health concerns. Every year I got glowing reports from my physical with weight, cholesterol, blood pressure etc. and even through a turbulant divorce was always mentally and emotionally stable. I took great pride in "never" getting sick.

Fast forward to age 42...when all hell broke loose... aka MENOPAUSE! It seemed like in just over a few months, my whole body shape changed and I no longer
had a waistline. During that year I gained over 20 pounds! Part of the problem was that I was no longer teaching aerobics and had slacked off on the intensity and amount of exercise. I tried every kind of diet but the bulge didn't budge. I felt tired, old, miserable and grumpy in wearing too-tight clothes (but determined not to buy a bigger size, although I eventually gave in).

Emotionally, I was riding a roller coaster with regular bouts of anxiety, depression and weeping. Physically, my knees and hips ached, and my cholesterol and blood sugar tests were elevated at my 43 yr old physical, which was very embarrassing. This was not ME - Miss Fit!!

Fortunately, my ob/gyn specializes in female sexuality and put me on natural hormone replacement which gave almost instant relief from hot flashes and the erratic emotions. However, I still struggled with the extra belly fat.

Although I tried to workout 3-4 times a week by walking, the eliptical and an occasional aerobics class, it wasn't until the fall of 2007 that I started seeing positive changes in my physique.... when I decided to reopen Trim Up and began working out seriously with free weights and higher intensity cardio.

Once I started teaching classes again and working out at Trim Up almost every day,
my body slowly got stronger with less joint pain. I am still on HRT but feel even
better since gradually improving my diet over the past few years. My cholesterol is back down and no blood sugar issues.

I feel like I'm back to feeling as good as I did in my 30's but I imagine it would
be a different story if I had not (1) gotten on hormone replacement and (2)opened Trim Up.

There are so many health issues that arise in our later years that can be prevented with proper diet and regular exercise in our earlier years. Even 20 extra pounds on your body, over time, can cause back or knee problems that may prohibit normal activity years later. Lack of weight-bearing exercise, estrogen and a proper
diet can lead to osteoporosis. A poor diet, extra weight, especially around the belly, and no cardio exercise means high risk for heart disease, and damage that forever changes your health and life. Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis are other
diseases that could be prevented with a fit lifestyle.

Many busy women juggling work and family don't make time for nutrition and fitness
until the kids are grown and/or they start seeing signs of poor health. It can be
uncomfortable and at times downright HARD, but it is never too late to start taking
better care of your body! Although some conditions can not be reversed, exercise and nutrition can make a huge difference in managing your health concerns.

So don't wait to exercise...sooner or later!

Temptations & Tests of Willpower

Following routines and being in a healthy environment can really help us stick
to "clean eating" and regular exercise but getting away from your "zone" can be a
true test of willpower and resolve!

Vacations, traveling and other summer activities can make it difficult and downright impossible at times to maintain our healthy lifestyles. If you are like me,
I try to eliminate unhealthy foods from my surroundings and just don't have any junkfood at home anymore. Even though I prefer eating whole foods now and eat well most of the time, it doesn't mean that I don't have moments of weakness and cravings for sugary, fatty "goodies". Those weak moments always occur in the evening when I am extremely tired and/or had a stressful day. And if there is a drop of ice cream in the frig or leftover Halloween candy still lurking in the pantry, I will find it!

So, when my daughter moved in with us for a few weeks while between houses, along with the contents of her refrigerator, I realized that I don't have as much willpower as I thought! With the chaos and stress of her move, her animals visiting as well and disruption to our normally peaceful abode, I could not stay away from her ice cream sandwiches every night!

I did have a little more resolve a few weeks later at the family beach vacation in a house of 5 families that had cabinets stocked with chips, munchies and sweets.
Instead of giving into a junkfood feast all week, I really tried to stay away for the most part....but it wasn't easy! Greg and I did exercise almost every morning, which helped keep me more mindful of how I was eating.

This weekend Greg and I are taking a road trip to Ohio and I will be prepared with some of my regular foods like nuts, protein bars & fruit so I'm not tempted to eat crazily when we stop for meals. Eating good carbs and protein every few hours helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, which is key to fight cravings, mindless eating and fatigue.

Because it is so easy to be faced with food temptations and situations where it is hard to eat properly, I believe that the first rule of healthy eating is to clean
up your kitchen and day to day meals. Starting with a good breakfast, packing a lunch and snacks for work, and planning/preparing lean dinners at home during the week should get to be habit if done long enough. Then you can enjoy richer food and
calories for the weekend, evenings out, social events or traveling without gaining
weight or jeopardizing your health.

Happy Summer!!

Have A PLAN!!!

Here is some advice that can be life-changing:

Have a Plan

You can have a plan of active for many things in life....from daily plans to broader career or personal life plans. The key is to think about what you need to
do to be successful in meeting the end result and then have a mental plan of action
to execute.

For high school and college grads, having a plan for their future career or goals to live independently is needed to chart a course and stay focused. Or their future could be many years of living with the parents, wasting time drifting along, or making bad decisions that follow with alot of regret years later.

As far as achieving goals in weight loss, fitness and health, the first thing that
needs to happen is to establish of plan of action (and then of course follow it!).
Decide what is required in order to get the end result and then take the necessary steps to make it happen. Schedule workouts like appointments that can't be broken,
take the time to have the right foods available, and eliminate the temptations or obstacles that could undermine your progress.

Part of a successful Plan is having a "WHAT IF" sub-plan. Be ready for times that
interrupt your first plan of action...like working late, social events or injury.
Your backup plan will carry you through during those trying times when the first impulse is to kick your plan to the curb and get off track.

Here is some more life-changing advice:

Learn to say NO!

It is nearly impossible to devote the time and attention needed to be healthy, eat right and exercise regularly when you are stressed out by a too-full schedule. Take you and your family's physical and mental health seriously by limiting activities and commitments that end up leading you on the "take-out track",no time for fitness and insufficient rest and sleep. Have a family meeting to map out a plan to make
nutrition and fitness a priority...it is the best thing you can do for your kids!

To quote Albert Einstein: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again
and expecting different results.

I think it is less "craziness" and more apathy combined with getting caught up with
our "go-go-go" society.
Trim Up's SummerSTRONG nutrition and fitness program has a definite Plan of Action
that IF FOLLOWED, will guarantee results!

Liver Alert!

I started taking 1 or 2 Tylenol PM each night about 15 years ago when my sleeping
troubles began and only switched to Simply Sleep (which is TyPM without the Tylenol, basically benedryl)a year ago. I vaguely recall hearing something about how taking
too much Tylenol was not good for you but never bothered to find out why or how much is too much.

After reading a story in Life Extension's Magazine, a non-profit organization that studies nutrition science and health-related topics, about acetaminophen (the pain & fever reliever drug commonly known as Tylenol)I decided it was time to learn more.

Here's the lowdown on acetaminophen:
~ it is the leading cause of acute liver damage, even in doses taken in the
recommended range
~ alcohol consumption will greatly increase the risk of liver damage due to
acetaminophen
~ malnourishment or fasting (from anorexia, flu or other illness) decreases the
liver's ability to detoxify acetaminophen which can be life-threatening
~ combining Tylenol with other over-the-counter or prescription medications that
also contain acetaminophen can cause an accidental but lethal overdose
**Vicodin, Percocet, & some cough, cold & flu meds also contain it**

The FDA has known about the overdoses and deaths caused by acetaminophin for decades but of course has been slow and cautious to react. There is now a weak warning in the fine print of the products about using with alcohol and to only use the recommended doses but doesn't really convey the serious risks of overmedication. And there is no mention of the risk of taking while fasting while there are more and more cases of liver failure and death caused from this.

This is just another example of the FDA protecting the financial interests of pharmaceutical companies instead of the well-being and health interests of Americans.
With the information and resources available to us on the internet, at least now we
can obtain the facts from unbiased scientific studies and advocates.
No more Tylenol or Simply Sleep for me, as my liver has taken enough abuse!!

Coconut Crazy!

I read the most interesting book last weekend, "The Coconut Oil Miracle", that I highly recommend. I have been substituting other cooking oils for coconut oil for several months now but had not tried using it on my skin. But now that I know how powerful the oil is for skin and hair, I am replacing my moisturizers (and Retinol)with it and hope to turn back into a 30 yr old very soon!

What I learned is this:
~ commercial creams are mostly water and will soften skin only until the water
evaporates or is carried away in the bloodstream
~ most lotions contain some type of processed vegetable oil that is stripped of
all of the natural, protective antioxidants that are so important to skin care
~ coconut oil has anti-aging properties by removing dead cells on the skin, giving
a smoother, healthy glow and by strengthening the connective tissues that
supports skin, to help with wrinkles & sagging
~ coconut oil will protect the skin from germs, infection and bacteria
~ the anti-bacterial properties of coconut oil aid in healing skin conditions
~ coconut oil protects the skin against UV light and free radicals
~ applying the oil to your scalp will control dandruff and makes the best
conditioner for soft, healthy hair

Next I am going to try coconut oil soap and coconut cream concentrate for baking. The book also had some great sounding recipes with coconut oil that I can't wait to try. If you are skeptical, do the research like I have and you will see that coconut oil is the best kept secret!

The "Real Thing" is Really Bad!

There are some things in our American culture that - through advertising - become a part of our lives and a symbol of happiness. Whenever I see the red Coca Cola can I think of puppies licking a cute little boy along with the tune "Have a Coke and a Smile". Cokes represent good times, bubbly refreshment, yummy taste and an energy kick. It seems like we are being unAmerican to question the integrity of the product or to turn against it (McDonald's is another example).

But as our country continues to get fatter and unhealthier, we really need to stop supporting all of the products that are bad for us, even though we grew up with them and get warm fuzzies seeing the familiar logos. These companies are well aware of the potential (and proven) health risks with their products. Yet they continue to try to fool us into thinking that there is no danger in their consumption. Diet Coke has even partnered with The Heart Truth "Healthy heart" campaign for women (which is why there are big red hearts on cans)when there is evidence that their
products can contribute to increased heart risk!

Let's go over the facts about Diet Coke:

> The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid, which will dissolve a nail in
4 days. Think about what it can do to your stomach lining! It also leaches
calcium from bones for osteoporosis risk increase.

> To carry Coca Cola concentrate, trucks must use Hazardous Material placecards
reserved for highly corrosive materials

> Distributors of Coke have been using it to clean their truck engines for 20 yrs.

> The articial sweetener Aspartame in diet coke is heat unstable and breaks down
into formaldehyde and other toxins when exposed to high heat (and aren't cokes
stored in hot warehouses and trucks before getting to the store?)

> Studies have shown that exposure to aspartame can cause symptoms of MS, seizures
vision problems and many other physical health problems.

> Even if you have not felt any of the poisoning effects of aspartame, the long-
term effects are unknown. And it is believed that slow, silent damage could be
seen after one year, five years or even 30 yrs, and possibly irreversible.

> Even the FDA denied approval of aspartame for 8 years, until a newly appointed
commissioner overruled the final scientific review panel, approved aspartame,
and then proceeded to work for the initial owner of aspartame's PR firm! And
how much can we really trust the FDA???

> Use of artificial sweetener products will confuse your body into thinking that
glucose is on its way (after tasting the sweetness) but then when it doesn't
receive the sugar, will send messages to the brain that you need more sugar!
So there are more sugar cravings that lead to weight gain.

I started drinking diet coke to wean myself off of my sweet tea habit,about 15 years ago. I drank one can every morning (since I don't drink coffee) plus one or two more in the afternoon/evening. I even had diet cokes in our frig here at Trim Up
for sale! But after taking the time and effort to really improve all aspects of my diet, I eventually ditched the daily coke habit and now drink more water and green tea,sweetened with Stevia (a natural sugar substitute). I still enjoy a diet coke
occasionally but feel so much better after getting it out of my system! Yay!!