What is Super Slow Training?

Reader Question: What is super slow training and should I be using it?

Answer: Great question! The original Super Slow training focuses on a 10-second muscle contraction when lifting the weight followed by a 10-second negative phase (lowering the weight). This type of strength training is generally done 2x per week and can be used to target the entire body. My issue with Super Slow training is that the original studies were mainly done on the elderly who were suffering from arthritis or other age related conditions (University of Florida School of Medicine). Plus, I don’t like that the Super Slow exercises are predominantly done using machines. If you’re big on using machines then this may be perfect for you, but if you’re someone who believes in working out with free weights then this may be more difficult. I hope that answers your question and tomorrow I’ll talk more about why I prefer free weights over machines!

Positive Choices = Positive Outcomes

A few weeks ago Dana asked some thoughtful questions on eating  behaviors going into Thanksgiving and the holidays ahead. I’d  like to add to this by elaborating on what Chuck Swindle wrote in a wonderful article,  Attitude is Everything. One particular lines states that, “The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”

So will you go into Thanksgiving with the mindset that it is a holiday meant to just pig out and eat whatever you want, simply ignoring how your mind and body responds to excess food? Sure it gives you freedom to do whatever you want for that day but how will you feel (physically and emotionally) the next day?  And how will it impact all the weight loss efforts you have made previously to that? Are you honestly willing to do all the work you did before just for one single day of excesses?

A better choice might be to choose to eat moderately allowing a little taste of of your favorite foods without deprivation (Use ND's guidelines for a maintainace day as a guide to how many calories you can consume without gaining weight) and to be in a state of gratitude for the blessings in your day to day life.

What attitude will you choose?

Runner's Knee Problem Solved

In this month’s issue of American Journal of Sports Medicine there is brand new research deta'ling how people get runner’s knee pain and what you should look for to prevent it before it happens.

I know this is very important to millions of people who love to run, but end up feeling some type of knee pain after starting back up.

Darin Padua, Ph.D say that the type of people more susceptible to suffering from runner’s knee "generally have weaker quads and hamstrings." He goes on to say, "As a result, they don’t bend their knees as much when doing task, such as running or jumping. That means the contact area between the kneecap and the femur is smaller, so pressure is focused and pinpointed on a smaller area."

The good news is that by incorporating some flexibility and strength training to balance out your thigh muscles, as well as strengthen the arches of your feet you may be better able to run pain-free.

Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Popcorn can be healthy, but sometimes it's not...

Popcorn is back in the news after a 1994 report about the amount of fat and calories, and the use of trans-fats in movie theater popcorn. The recent report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest revealed how unhealthy movie theater popcorn still is.

At Regal movie theaters a large popcorn has 20 cups of popcorn and 1,200 calories and 60 grams of fat and they use oil that contains trans fats. Even a small popcorn can be damaging to your diet. A small popcorn at AMC theaters has 6 cups of popcorn and 20 grams of saturated fat. Some good news is Cinemark theaters use canola oil that does not have trans-fats.

After the first report about movie theater popcorn many theaters did change their popcorn to make it healthier, but consumer demand made them bring back the traditional popcorn.

If you are looking to lose weight movie theater popcorn is a snack to avoid, but if it something you must have then share a small sized one with a friend or ask for a kiddie sized - many theaters have them but you need to ask for it. Remember to enjoy your popcorn with water - it is a better choice than regular or diet soda - and it will help flush out the sodium.

Get Ready for the Holidays!

Next week marks the official start to the Holiday Season here in the US and that means more eating, drinking, and unhealthy temptations…

You can overcome this though with the right plan.

What I recommend is acknowledging the fact that you may be having a few more cheat meals over the next 6 weeks. If you acknowledge it ahead of time and not try to pretend you’re going to be “perfect” with your eating over this time then you can develop a plan to overcome this.

The first thing I recommend is trying to balance out the extra calorie intake by expending more energy through your workouts (especially on the days you’ll be going out to a party or dinner). Over the next few weeks I’ll share many more tips on how to keep the pounds off this Holiday Season!

Is the Swine Flu less severe for those over 50?

The other day I discussed building your immune system to protect yourself from the flu. But here’s some news that might make some of us born before 1957 smile with a small sigh of relief. “People born before 1957 may be less susceptible than younger people to the H1N1 swine flu. CDC researchers have detected antibodies in the blood of older people that neutralize the new flu bug now sweeping the nation according to Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH, deputy director of the CDC's flu division."

We may still get a bad cold or even still get a flu bug but this insight might put some of our bigger fears to rest….at least for those us older folks. Now more than ever we have to not only eat healthy for ourselves but pass  healthy eating habits on to our children so they stay well.

Click here to find out how doctors prevent contacting the flu and viruses.

Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

Now that you have begun to prepare your healthy Thanksgiving meal you don't want to go overboard with a high-calorie or high-fat dessert. Here are some things to have as a sweet treat to end your festive holiday meal:

Fresh fruit

Unsweetened dried fruit

Poached Pears in Earl Grey Tea with Dried Fruit

Apple Oatmeal Crumble

Chocolate Pecan Tartlets

Any of these desserts - or even your favorite healthy dessert can be served for Thanksgiving. If you know there is a dessert that you are looking forward to enjoying this holiday then take smaller portions during your meal to save room for a small serving of it.

Don't forget to start planning out how you are going to start your Thanksgiving Day too...exercise, breakfast, healthy snacks should all be part of your day.

photo by: Sang An

Build your Immune System

Most of us are experiencing exposure to people who are becoming sick due to colds or the flu. More and more info keeps popping up on how to stay well. Honestly though the best way not to get sick is to build your immune system. So here are some tips to do so:

• Get adequate rest, at least 6 to 8 hours each night. This is the time the body rebuilds and repairs itself so allow it to do so!
• Drink enough fluids,1-2 quarts daily, especially water. Water is the universal detox liquid. And, contrary to what you frequently hear about fruit juices they really aren't the best way to go; they are primarily just the sugar of the fruit which can actually deplete the immune system when consumed in excess.
• Consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, offering great vitamin, antioxidants and plant sterols that safeguard the immune system.
• Do avoid sugar, fructose and simple refined carbohydrates. These quickly compromise the immune system.
• Researcher David Nieman, Dr.PH suggests quercetin, green tea extract and fish oil to help immune system. Also, enough can’t be said about vitamin D3 to enhance immunity so get out in the sun when you can! Adding high quality vitamins and minerals to your diet might help as well.  And of course, you want to eat healthy to get nutrients from your food intake.
• Dr. Nieman suggests moderate exercise when you are well but not to overdue it either. Exercise to build your immune system but be cautious when you are just getting over being ill or coming down with something.
• And even though simple washing of your hands more consistently may not build your immune system specifically, it does helps keep those lurking virus bugs from attaching on to you.  Keep your hands away from your face as much as possible too.

For an user friendly, interesting and sometimes amusing video on how a virus enters the body see this!

How Healthy is Your State?

I don't know why, but I love seeing the latest ranking polls especially when it comes to health and fitness…

Today, I was reading over an article that listed the healthiest states in the US. It clearly showed how New England and many other Northern states were much higher rated than their Southern counterpart which unfortunately has been the trend for quite a while now. I was happy to see that my home state of Massachusetts, which used to be number 10 has inched its way up to number 3 in the healthiest states to live in column (and one of the least obese).

Of course, I don’t hold these rankings to be steadfast truths but I’m willing to bet they're close approximations. Here’s the criteria that was used:

"This annual ranking, published by the United Health Foundation, looks at 22 indicators of health, including everything from how many children receive recommended vaccinations, to obesity and smoking rates, to cancer deaths."

Where did your state rank and do you think it’s accurate?

> Check out all 50 states here

Exercise of the Week: Butt Kicks!

Butt kicks are a fun exercise to do as part of a dynamic warm-up or even as a fat burning interval. The nice part is that after a long day of sitting this movement of trying to kick your heel up to your butt will allow your quads to stretch and help to realign your thigh muscles.

Here’s how to complete the butt kicks exercise:
1. Stand with your feet hip width apart
2. Stay on the balls of your feet
3. Kick one heel up to your butt
4. Lower that leg and kick up with the opposite leg
5. Repeat for 20 reps or 10-20 seconds

Tips to remember:
1. Keep your chest up
2. Breathe naturally
3. Kick as high as you can with your heel but don’t overstretch
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet
5. Stop if you feel any pain

Butt kicks can also be done moving forwards and backwards in a straight line. I would first recommend getting comfortable doing them in place and then you can try moving in space. Have some fun with them!