I can eat a couple of hot dogs. Sure some people like them but not as much as Joey Chesnut how set a record today by eating more hot dogs in 10 minutes than I thought was humanly possible.

July 4th is apparently a great day to eat hot dogs and hamburgers and Joey ate 69 and then 5 more to win an eat off to stay world champion. (more…)

When children look very awkward when they run, they usually have an imbalance in their muscles, or muscle or nerve damage. Telling an awkward child to change his form won't help and will probably just make him self-conscious. The child should first be evaluated by a physician for conditions that affect nerves and muscles. If none is found, the coach should have the child repeat the running motions over and over until the brain can coordinate the body's motions about his center of gravity. The faster he runs, the more likely he will be to acquire a running form that is efficient and does not waste energy with unnecessary side movements.

Your center of gravity is the spot in your body with equal weight in front and in back. Every motion you make is aimed at keeping your body balanced around your center of gravity. When you move one part of your body forward, you move another backward to keep you from falling. When you move your left leg forward, you automatically move your right arm forward and your left arm backward. People who don't do this look funny when they run. You can't talk a person into efficient running form and you cannot think yourself into good running form. To correct poor running form, go out and run every day and when you are in good shape, start running short interval sprints as fast as you can. How to run faster

I took my son last weekend to see the movie Wall-e. The movie was really good but one of the jarring parts of the movie was when you see what happens to people in the future. In the future all of the people that we see are living on a flying boat in outer space and are living a life of leisure so much so that they have lost most of their bone mass and have little legs and are very rolly polly.

Well apparently there are some that are saying that the depiction of people in Wall-e is Anti-Fat. In fact one of the writers at the Defamer Web site has found a couple of quotes from critics calling Wall-e anti-fat. (more…)

A lot of these I don’t deal with, because I prefer my life to be natural. I don’t use birth control, because I feel God views babies as a heritage, and as gifts. We can choose to reject the gifts, but we are rejecting His blessings. As for discharge, my midwife continually asked about color and whether it itched. I don’t worry about getting pregnant. The only man I have had sex with is my husband, so if there is no adultery, and I am not worried about pregnancy, I don’t need to worry about unprotected sex. I eat healthy and exercise so that cancer is not a worry. Since I am either pregnant or nursing a new baby, tampons aren’t a concern. I use a pad instead, but I have had very few periods in 13 years. Yeast infections are fed by refined sugar and white flour. I recommend avoiding those. I now wish I hadn’t even pierced my ears, let alone anything else. I use a razor, not wax. By the way, silvadene is what Jim used after his burns.

Body AOL

Believe it or not, your doctor really has heard it all. We talked to doctors and got answers to some of the strangest questions they’ve been asked, as well as questions you can’t skip.

Q: What is normal vaginal discharge?

According to Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. and clinical professor, obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive science at Yale University School of Medicine, normal vaginal discharge should be whitish to clear to pale yellow, depending on where you are in your cycle. “Dark yellow or green fluid is often a sign of infection. On average, a woman emits about one to two teaspoons a day. If you have a sudden increase, talk to you doctor,” she explains.

Q: Can I get pregnant if I have unprotected sex during my period?

“Having sex during your period does not prevent pregnancy, ” says Dr. Minkin. Only 30 percent of women ovulate between the 10th and 17th days of their cycles; the other 70 percent ovulate before or after those days. She adds, “If the release of the egg, which can live for one to three days, meets with the lingering live sperm, then you can get pregnant.”

Q: Am I more likely to become pregnant if I don’t remember to take the pill every day?

In simple terms, the answer is yes. Dr. Minkin advises it is extremely important to take the pill at the same time every day in order for it to be effective. For women who frequently forget to take the pill, she suggests lower maintenance options such as the patch, once-monthly vaginal ring, IUD or three-year implant.

Q: Is the HPV eventually going to replace the PAP test?

According to Tom Herzog, M.D. and director of the division of gynecologic oncology at Columbia University Medical Center, the answer is no. The current screening standard is for a Pap Test alone or in combo with HPV testing in women over 30. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine comparing Pap testing to HPV testing favored HPV. He explains, “However, this article did not compare HPV testing to the liquid-based Pap test, which is more sensitive than the conventional smear and the standard of care. Further studies are needed before we can answer this question. Until then, the Pap remains pivotal in cervical cancer screening.”

Q: TSS fact or fiction?

TSS or “toxic shock syndrome” is a bacterial infection caused by bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which can actually be life-threatening. Symptoms include faintness, fever, and muscle aches. Machelle Seibel, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the complicated menopause program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School explains, “The infection has been linked to tampon use as some tampons can be ideal breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria.” As for his advice? Wash your hands and use tampons with the lowest absorbency that can handle your menstrual flow.

Q: What do recurring yeast infections mean?

According to Juan Remos, M.D. and MBA of the MIAMI Institute, yeast infections result in an abnormality of fungus and bacteria which no longer exist in harmony. Whether it’s the symptoms of foul smell or intense itching, he recommends seeing a doctor who will typically prescribe medication to cure the yeast infection, such as a pill taken on a daily basis.

Q: What if I forget to remove my tampon?

According to Dr. Remos, patients may think this is shocking and abnormal but in reality, it is not. Apparently, forgetting to remove a tampon is a common occurrence. The issue arises when the length of time is factored into the equation. He mentions if it’s less than two to three days it’s typically not serious and there’s no risk of death; the patient should not panic. He explains, “It’s simply a matter of removing the tampon at that point.”

Infected Piercing Go see a doctor immediately, especially if it is a genital piercing. Dr. Seibel advises, “When you are dealing with such sensitive areas, it is important to always be mindful of the potential for severe illness as a result of infection, and to be extremely rigorous about cleaning and disinfecting the area at all times.”

Q: What if I get a Brazilian wax and the burning sensation doesn’t stop?

“Ouch!” says Dr. Remos. As for his first recommendation, remove the wax immediately if it hasn’t already been removed. As for his advice? Keep the area clean and dry and go to your doctor who will likely prescribe sylvadene, a cream, especially if the burning sensation continues after the actual waxing. It should take seven to ten days to heal.

I have been concerned for about three days that I can’t keep a train of thought. I can’t focus. I can’t concentrate. I tried to force myself to think, but it was like my brain was resistant, and would rather be on vacation. Three nights ago, I had to be asked, “Do you need something else?”, because I was still standing in a restaurant after my take-out food had been given to me.

At first, I thought I was short on sleep, but when the problem continued after 10 hours of sleep, I was still concerned. Then, I thought I was short on folic acid, but after eating dark green veggies, I was still in a fog.

I read this e-mail from a friend about cross-crawl exercises. I tried one exercise one time, and it was like the airhead melted away, and I could think again. I was amazed. I went ahead and did the recommended repetitions. Then I tried the You Tube exercises with the guy on the video. I was again amazed at how the crossed hands and crossed legs immediately melted away the stress and worry, and replaced it with calm.

Try it for yourself. I noticed immediate results, although I am not sure how long they lasted.

You Tube

Natural Health Techniques

The Cross Crawl is simply a cross-lateral walking in place exercise. By touching the right elbow to the left knee and then the left elbow to the right knee, large areas of both brain hemispheres are activated at the same time. Cross Crawling, like walking and being totally present to the motion of walking, facilitates balanced nerve activation across the corpus callosum (that part in your brain that connects the right half to the left half.) When done on a regular basis, more nerve networks form and more connection are made in the corpus callosum, thus making communication between the two hemispheres faster and more integrated for high level reasoning.

I did this exercise fairly frequently when I first started my path to wellness. I remember most of my life, people would call me “spacey”, “space cadet,” “Airhead,” “Dizzy,” and “Blonde.” I think this exercise really helped me overcome much of my dyslexia. And, no…I don’t get called those names anymore. Well… maybe it’s because I surround myself with a better quality group of friends and companions as well… but that’s another story.

The Cross Crawl movements should be performed very slowly. When the exercise is done slowly, it requires more fine motor involvement and balance, consciously activating the vestibular system and the frontal lobes. The more fine muscle involvement, the more frontal lobe involvement in conjunction with the basal ganglion of the limbic brain and the cerebellum of the brain stem.

Cross Crawl is excellent for activating full mind /body function, especially for those with dyslexia, stroke, or other debilitating diseases needing lots of physical therapy in order to relearn daily functions.

Cross Crawl should be done as a daily exercise.

How to do the Cross Crawl Exercise:

1) Start off with thumping the K-27 points, which is and acupuncture point on either side of the upper sternum. Doing this will help your body be present while exercising and it also stimulates the immune system.

2) Bend your right leg at the knee, while swinging your left arm in front of you across the centerline of your body. Touch your left elbow to your right knee.

3) Now bend your left leg at the knee and touch your right elbow to the left knee.

4) Feel the energies crossing over, invigorating you. Try to repeat the exercise 25 times for each leg. Really build that habit into your energy field.

If doing the cross crawl seems hard or you find yourself lifting the arm and leg on the same side of the body at the same time or if you feel down in the dumps… then it’s likely that your energies aren’t crossing over from one side of the body to the other. That’s a condition known as homolateral (which means samesidedness.) When our energies are running straight up and down instead of in sweeping 8’s, we have access to only about 50% of our energies. Because of this, it’s hard to process information, heal, learn, grow, change, and create.

The Homolateral Crawl:

Anyone can do this exercise, but it’s most effective for people whose energies are running up and down instead of crossing over from left to right and right to left. Try it and see if it makes you feel more focused and alive. Everyone is different. You need to find the exercise that works for you, then branch out and stretch a bit to different exercises.

If you feel better after doing this exercise, try incorporating it into your life three times a day for 30 days. This is how long it takes to form a new habit. You’re replacing an old ingrained habit with a new one… so show your body you are serious about making the change.

It’s best to do this sitting or lying down, because we’re going to challenge our bodies to do something unfamiliar and you don’t want to strain yourself.

The whole premise of this exercise is to HONOR the current rhythms and habits of our energies and then invite our energies to try something new.

1) Lift your right arm and your right leg. Then put them both down.

2) Lift your left arm and your left leg. Then put them both down.

3) Repeat steps 1 & 2 about 12 times for each side for a total of 24 repetitions. This will get you in tune with the homolateral pattern. You’re inviting your body to do what it recognizes.

4) Now do the Cross Crawl exercise above for another 24 repetitions (12 repetitions for each side of the body.)

Remember to breathe and rest as you go. There’s no hurry. Take your time.

Feeling Free

When energy is unable to cross over,
it slows down dramatically.
It begins to move in a homolateral pattern
straight up and down the body
and the body’s ability to heal is severely diminished.
- Donna Eden & David Feinstein, PhD

For full functioning, energy and information must flow naturally in a contralateral or cross-over pattern, i.e., from left brain to right-body, from right brain to left-body, weaving unhindered from side to side. When you’ve been in a stationary position for a while, your body’s energy flow may shift temporarily to a HOMOLATERAL energy-flow pattern. So…? You feel physically stumbly and mentally bumbly!

If I have been seated at the computer for hours, or even in my easy chair, my thinking becomes sluggish, I move awkwardly when I stand, and my energy feels low. When I first rise in the morning, my gait is lumbering and I’m poorly coordinated. That’s because my energy flow is homolateral. It’s as though my only energy source is two columns of feeble AAA batteries, one running up the left side of my body, the other up the right, with no energy contacts between.

Persons who are wheel-chair bound or who suffer enduring or recurring fatigue-type illness often develop a chronic homolateral energy-flow pattern (Eden, 1998).

The Cross Crawl is the answer to homolateral energy flow. Imagine an exaggerated march step, done on the spot (or around the breakfast table, or down the street for that matter), with exaggerated arm swing and vigorous step. You can touch hand or elbow to knee to emphasize the rhythmic crossover.

Even when seated, you can do a Cross-Crawl
movement by lifting your knees alternately, and
touching each raised knee with the opposite
hand or elbow. Persons with chronic-fatigue
and those who have experienced head trauma
seem to benefit from regular cross-over exercise.
They describe feeling more energetic, alert
and clear-thinking than previously, and show
improved response to other energy-work
techniques.

If you’re in a situation or condition which makes doing the physical Cross Crawl action impossible, just imagine it! See yourself walking energetically with arms swinging. Visualize yourself skating rhythmically, or cross-country skiing! Such imaging calls your body to remember the fluid grace and integrity of contralateral energy flow.

For more information about homolateral energy flow and the value of cross-crawl exercises, I recommend Donna Eden’s ground-breaking book, Energy Medicine, written with her husband, Dr. David Feinstein, and published in 1998. See also the illustrated discussion of “Batteries in Parallel Allignment: Homolateral Energy Flow” in my own book, Feeling Free! published in 2001.

The presence of so many myths in the weight loss industry surprises me to no end! One example of such a myth is that total elimination of carbs leads to successful weight loss. What surprises me even more is that these myths are taught apparently by ‘weight loss experts’ themselves. In this article I will tell you about three important facts of weight loss that you may not be aware of.

Weight maintenance is more important than weight loss - You know what, since you are now struggling with weight loss, it seems to be the most difficult thing for you, right? What you may not be aware of is the fact that maintaining the weight you’ve ‘lost’ is even more difficult than losing weight. I can give you scores of examples where people have lost weight successfully but gained it later because they fell into old habits! To make sure that you are at your ideal weight at all the times, it is important that you look beyond the scales. You need to know your BMI as well as your fat-to-muscle ratio. The less fat and more muscles you have, the better for you.

Once you are able to lose weight as well as maintain that slim figure, it will enhance your looks. You will not only become more attractive, but also healthier. (more…)

These days, how you look is often more important than how talented you are. Your personality and ability is determined by your body’s size and shape. No wonder then that a lot of people are gearing up to lose weight as quickly as possible. The problem is that people take the weight loss steps when it is already too late - that is, they have grown too fat!

Your diet needs to be changed

If you diet consists only of chips, junk fried foods, soda, alcohol, and fizzy drinks, how can you expect to lose weight? These foods are rich in calories and when they enter your body the calories get converted into fat and make you overweight. If you want to lose weight, it is crucial that you change your eating habits first before anything else! (more…)

When I was under 35, I could do a lot of things without consequences. Allergies were a different story. I suffered consequences from eating things I was allergic to, or from hanging around cats. However, I could eat a bag of potato chips and notice a whole lot. Also, though, I had consequences but didn’t know what caused it.

I eat healthy 98% of the time. Two days ago, I ate at Long John Silver’s. For the past two days, I have suffered from painful pimples. I believe it is the skin trying to push some impurity (even if it is refined salt) out of it.

I think lack of consequences are what causes us to make stupid health choices.

I am not convinced flossing is necessary. I think smoking, eating dairy calcium or not enough absorbable calcium (dark green leafy veggies or salmon), and drinking carbonation causes more tooth problems than not flossing.

The sun is good for you. Don’t use sunscreen. It blocks the vitamin D you need, and provides your skin with cancer-causing chemicals. Instead, use no sunscreen and eat antioxidant-rich food that kill free radical cancer cells.

You know you’ve got your physical coming up, but your boss needs that report ASAP so you cancel the appointment to get your work done. Or maybe you’re just scared of your diagnoses.

I believe preventative health includes exercise and eating healthy food, and not eating unhealthy food, NOT going to the doctor’s office. If you have a problem, get checked out. If you feel you need a physical, get one. However, going to the doctor puts you into the system, and you will end up going the route of prescriptions, pharmacy, hospital, follow-up appointments, etc. You are better off to go to a naturopathic doctor.

When you are stressed, if possible, take a 15 minute break to relax. Your body and mind scream that you don’t have time, but do it anyway. It is amazing how a mountainous problem shrinks to a minimum problem with a break.

Don’t take antibiotics, take garlic instead. Raw garlic sliced up small and swallowed with water three times a day makes any infection flee in a hurry. Swallow fast, and you won’t even taste it.

Don’t take medicine at all. Instead, buy a copy of the Nutrition Almanac and Foods that Heal, and Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

I drink one glass of wine a day. The Bible advises not to get drunk. Do all things in moderation.

It depends on the fat, whether avoid it or not. I avoid corn oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil. I use olive oil or coconut oil or butter. I don’t eliminate animal products, but rather eat a total of 2 ounces of cheese per serving, 4 ounces of chicken or fish per serving, 1/2 cup of beans per serving, 1/4 of a cup of nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter, or 1 cup of yogurt, or 2 eggs. I limit to 3 servings per day. I do recommend avoiding processed food.

Body

Whether it’s eating that second piece of chocolate cake or bumming a cigarette off a friend at a bar, we constantly make decisions that adversely affect our health.

We take these risks because we tend to have a short-term view of our health, says Dr. Jim King, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. But, King says, over the long term you’re putting yourself at risk for debilitating — but often preventable — diseases.

So here are 11 things we do even though our doctors (and mothers) tell us we shouldn’t.

t’s important to floss, says Dr. Kimberly Harms, a dentist from Farmington, Minnesota, because otherwise you’re allowing a little bacterial infection to fester in between your teeth and gums.

You might not see the negative effects right away, but over time, your teeth and gums will decay. This can lead to cavities and gum disease. It can also eat away the bone that keeps your teeth in place, which will eventually result in a loss of teeth.

A nice tan may sounds like a good way to show off your last beach vacation, but that tan could cause skin damage — or worse. More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Sun damage is cumulative so every time you go to your child’s soccer game, run an errand or even just walk across the street, your skin is absorbing powerful UVA and UVB rays from the sun. “When you add up all those exposures, you increase your risk,” said Diane Berson, assistant professor of dermatology at Cornell University in New York City.

You know you’ve got your physical coming up, but your boss needs that report ASAP so you cancel the appointment to get your work done. Or maybe you’re just scared of your diagnoses.

It’s not uncommon for people to skip a doctor’s visit, according to King. But, you may be putting yourself at risk for something that could be easily treated, and the longer you wait, the harder it will be. “A lot of people just don’t think about preventative health,” King said. “Do you have the immunizations you need? Have you had cancer screening?”

Though stress is often seen as an emotional or mental condition, there is a physical component to it as well. Feelings of aggravation and nervousness cause the release of adrenaline, which increases a person’s heart rate. Stress can also cause chest pain, high-blood pressure, headaches and difficultly sleeping.

These problems can compound, according to King. It can become a nasty cycle, where stress leads to more problems, which, in turn, leads to more stress.

Over medicating goes hand in hand with the overuse of antibiotics, the often life-saving drugs that fight bacterial infections. Antibiotics, however, don’t fight viruses.

“People want a cure for everything, but pills don’t cure it all,” McDonald said. Many patients demand antibiotics from their doctors. If the physician won’t write the prescription, some go so far as to get the drugs from the Internet.

Instead of making people feel better, the overuse of antibiotics simply creates strains of bacteria that are resistant to drugs.

Whether it’s high blood pressure, trouble sleeping or difficulty keeping cholesterol levels down, doctors have good intentions when they fill out a prescription slip. But, seven, 10, 22 medications later, you could start your own pharmacy from the number of pills you take every day. Plus, there is always a risk of a drug interaction between prescriptions or with an over-the-counter medication or even with some foods. Dizziness, nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort are just some of the side effects of too much medication. “They actually create health problems by using too many prescriptions,” said Dr. William McDonald, a family physician with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Massachusetts.

Most studies show that one drink a day, like a glass of red wine, may be beneficial for your heart. But, more than that and you start to run into complications like liver disease, high-blood pressure or a heart condition called cardiomyopathy, which occurs when the heart is weakened and can’t pump blood efficiently.

And skipping a glass of wine one day doesn’t mean you can drink two the next. “You can’t … say I’m not going to drink Monday through Thursday and then have five beers on Friday,” King said.

Eating healthy is usually easier said than done. Whether it’s a lack of time, a lack of food knowledge or a lack of motivation, Americans consistently reach for processed foods when it’s time to refuel.

Food choices are not without consequences. Too much sodium, which is a staple of processed foods, can lead to high blood pressure. Fast food joints churn out products with massive amounts of fat and cholesterol, which turn your heart into a ticking time bomb.

So, have you wasted the first half of the year or has it been a first half filled with accomplishemnets? I know in looking back at the first half of this year it has been so so. I have had big dreams fitness wise and I have had a tough time living up to them but in other areas of my life everything seems to be clicking together quite well.

Think back, or better yet look back at the goals that you set for yourself on New Years Day. We are exactly half way through the year and you should be almost half way to your goals. Whether you are there or not you can easily be honest with yourself in asking the following questions that you asked way back in January when it was cold out but you felt you had a bunch of big plans. (more…)

I think I have probably made it pretty clear on this blog that I am not in favor of Bariatric surgery as a method to lose weight becuase it is dangerous, not always effective, and diet and exercise are not needed to lose theweight which means that your health is not improved as much even though the weight is lost.

The problem is however for the morbidly obese this is sometimes the only options. So here are some post surgery tips

Weight loss surgery can surely help you lose weight, but it won’t help you keep the weight off. What I mean is that if you lose weight today but gain it back sometime later, what is the use of weight loss?

Have yourself checked up - If you are gaining weight in the post-surgery period, you need to visit a doctor to make sure that you are not suffering from any disease that is causing weight gain. Once the possibility of such a disease is ruled out, it is time to follow the next step. (more…)

If you are one of the many people who have bought a Starling Fitness Yearly Journal, then you know that the quote of the month is about unrealistic standards. You can see the quote here:

You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.

Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content, #352, 05-04-05

Questionable Content is a soap opera webcomic and I read it EVERY weekday. You can see the episode with that quote here:

• Questionable Content#352, 05-04-05 She Reads Too Much Cosmo

I don’t know how Jeph understands the minds of women so well, but more power to him. I’m still learning how to be happy with myself as I am, but it’s nice to know that I’m not alone.

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If you would like to order your own Starling Fitness Yearly Journal, you can do so here:

• Starling Fitness » Order Your Starling Fitness Yearly Journal

If you order it now, you can choose the month you want it to start and it will last you a year from that date. You won’t have to throw away any unused days from the first of the year. You can start fresh now.

There is wisdom in this article. I purposely don’t buy junk food, because I don’t eat it if it’s not in the house. I am not highly likely to go on a chocolate run to the store, or a potato chip run. But if I have to only open the freezer or go to the laundry room to do it, or if I happen to be in one of those areas, I will cave in to temptation.

Also, the “slip-up”. I have been married to a dieter for 19 years. I am very familiar with the “slip-up”. The “Oops, I ate something not on my diet. I can’t diet any more.” I am also very familiar with “My diet starts on Monday”. I am also familiar with “My diet starts on Monday, so I am going to feast this weekend before my diet starts on Monday”.

I preach exercising all the time. Today is an unusual day. I usually start the day at 8:35 a.m. with 30 minutes or more of exercise. Yesterday we walked for an hour and 15 minutes. Today Wash slept late, and I took advantage of his nap. I can’t get him down for a nap in his bed most of the time. When he stays asleep when I sneak out, I have to take advantage of it. I don’t have the patience with five other kids to listen to his crying as he cries it out in his own bed.

So, we worked on cleaning the house, laundry, cooking, dishwasher, cleaning out a closet until 11:15 a.m. By then it was 86 degrees outside, and I said, “No, thank you” to a walk.

Look at a diet as a lifetime change, not as a short-term thing you are doing. Instead of trying to lose weight, make your goal to eat healthy for the rest of your life. Just use small portions of healthy food now.

I lay out my food for the day first thing in the morning. I spend the day eating the food, and putting the rest back for the next meal. I try to eat my vegetables first thing in the morning when I am hungry so they are “out of the way”. They turn into “yuckies” I have to eat if I get full on grain and protein, THEN try to eat vegetables. It’s an unusual breakfast, but at least my veggies get eaten.

I don’t eat until I am full. I make sure I am getting a fruit, a grain, and a protein at each meal. I eat my meal when my veggies are gone.

AOL Diet

You may be having trouble sticking with your diet plan for reasons you don’t realize. AOL Diet & Fitness Life Coach Judith Beck, author of ‘The Beck Diet Solution Weight Loss Workbook,’ explains how to avoid diet obstacles and counteract sabotaging thoughts. Now watch your waistline shrink.

There are lots of diets that promise quick and easy weight loss — all while you’re allowed to eat anything you want. But there is no scientific research that supports the idea of a magic diet or pill. If you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. Period.

How are you supposed to stick to your diet when tempting foods — and food-pushing friends, colleagues and family members — are all around? It’s essential that you minimize food triggers at the beginning of your diet. Start by clearing out all the high-calorie, in-your-face foods in your refrigerator and pantry.

Remember the calories burned, calories consumed equation? Now’s the time to pick an exercise program. Yes, the goal is 30 minutes a day. But that doesn’t mean if you can’t exercise for the full half-hour, it’s not worth breaking a sweat or flexing a muscle at all. Five minutes a day is better than zero minutes.

It’s hard to take your diet one day at a time when your goal is to lose 10 or 25 pounds. Don’t slip into stinking thinking: I won’t be satisfied until I reach my ultimate goal. One reason? It may not be realistic. Another? It takes time. Think baby steps, and give yourself a non-edible treat like a manicure every time you lose five pounds.

It’s a pain to plan meals ahead of time. And you already know all about serving sizes, right? Three ounces of protein, half-cup of vegetables, etc. Remember, if you eat only what you feel like eating, you won’t lose weight. Planning is a crucial skill for tomorrow, when your motivation to stick to your diet isn’t as high as it is today.

For many of us, the words “I’m full” don’t cross our lips as often as our forks do. And what’s the harm in eating lots of low-calorie or fat-free foods anyway? The answer is that while you may be chewing “safe” low-cal foods today, tomorrow you may want to fill up on other foods. It’s time to stop eating at feelings of fullness now.

One thing that can really sideline a dieter’s determination is “the slip-up.” For example, you just finished a jelly donut. You might say, I might as well have an ice cream, too, and start over tomorrow. Hold up. One infraction will not ruin your day — or your diet. Recommit to your weight loss program right here, right now.

You may want to lose a lot of weight very quickly, but a too-much-too-soon diet isn’t necessarily a healthy one. Keep your goals realistic and flexible. That way you’ll feel good each and every time you step on the scale, whether the numbers go down or not. If your expectations are too rosy or rigid, you’ll feel bad and be more likely to give up.

Just because you’re eating differently doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy going to restaurants, celebrations, holiday feasts and dinner parties. But you do have to face the fact that you won’t be able to eat like you used to. Focus on the company and atmosphere rather than the food. You have a choice: eat whatever you want or be thinner. You can’t have it both ways.

You may find you reach a plateau after several months and don’t lose any weight for weeks. Don’t despair: This is common. You will lose the rest of your excess weight if you continue to eat less and exercise more. And if it’s not realistic or healthy to continue losing weight, be proud of what you’ve lost so far and accept reality.

From ‘The Beck Diet Solution Weight Loss Workbook’ by Judith Beck, PhD, Copyright© 2007 by Judith Beck. Excerpted with permission from Oxmoor House.

If you believe that cancer is genetic and there's nothing you can do to prevent it, take a look at the latest study from Dr. Dean Ornish. He reports that after just three months of a healthful diet and exercise, the genes associated with prostate cancer changed toward normal (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 17, 2008).

The study involved 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who had chosen not to undergo treatment unless their cancer got worse. The men followed a plant-based diet that avoided meat, saturated fat, and processed or refined foods; walked at least 30 minutes six days a week and at least an hour three days a week; and participated in a weekly support group. Each day they also did an hour of simple yoga-based techniques including stretching, breathing, meditation and imagery.

After just three months on Dr. Ornish's regimen, more than 500 genes associated with prostate cancer reverted toward normal. Cancer genes promote cell growth in a disorderly fashion. The researchers at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) showed that in these men, tumor-suppressing genes became more active and some of the cancer-causing genes switched off.

Many previous studies have shown that most cancers are caused by factors in the environment. Some people are genetically more susceptible to these factors. However, if they avoid the factors, they have an excellent chance of not suffering the cancers. We know that prostate cancer is more common in men who are overweight, diabetic, eat a lot of fat and meat, and/or do not exercise.

A leading theory is that each type of cancer is caused by many factors and the more of these susceptibility factors that involve you, the more likely you are to develop that specific cancer. For example, a woman cannot develop cervical cancer unless she is infected with the HPV virus. But more than 50 percent of American women are infected with this virus and fewer than one in 250 of those develop cervical cancer, so other factors must be involved. A woman with HPV who smokes has almost 20 times the chance of developing cervical cancer as one who has HPV and does not smoke. Other co-factors remain to be found.

A few months ago, Life Fitness announced that they are making treadmills (and other machines) compatible with Nike+. That’s only a good thing if your gym uses these new Life Fitness machines. If you’re a member of 24 Hour Fitness, tracking your workouts just got easier.

• MacDailyNews - 24 Hour Fitness first to offer Nike+iPod experience in the gym

Beginning in July, select 24 Hour Fitness clubs in New York, San Francisco, Miami, Denver, Portland and Salt Lake City will begin receiving Nike iPod enabled gym equipment, just in time for members to use the new machines to prepare for and compete in the Nike Human Race on August 31, 2008.

I KNEW there was a reason I kept my 24 Hour Fitness gym membership! I’m so lucky to be in one of the lucky cities where they are testing this new technology. All of a sudden I am excited about going to the gym again!

If you don’t know what Nike+ is, I’ve written several articles about it:

• Starling Fitness » Tune Your Run With Nike and iPod

• Starling Fitness » How to Use Nike+ on ANY Type of Shoe

• Starling Fitness » First Glance: Nike+iPod

• Starling Fitness » Nike+ After Two Weeks

• Starling Fitness » Ask Laura: Should I Buy a Nike+?

• Starling Fitness » Nike+ Distance Inaccuracies

• Starling Fitness » Nike+ Addicted

If I had to choose one invention of 2006 that totally changed the way I exercised, it would be the Nike+. Knowing that Nike, Apple, Life Fitness AND 24 Hour Fitness are going to support this innovative program just makes me more happy.

Via: 24 Hour Fitness will install Nike+ gym equipment - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

When Benjer was a baby, I tried infant potty training. My method was simple. In those days, I only had three older sisters to care for. I was more in tune with my own needs. When Benjer nursed, I drank a glass of water. When I had to urinate, I took him in first, and had him go. (Prior information: When he was newborn, I held a cloth diaper in front of him with my hand there, so I could feel when he went. I made a SSSSS sound when he urinated. Later, when I took him in the bathroom and made the SSSS sound. He associated the two together, and unless I was too late and he had already gone, he was successful most of the time.

Then Jim came along. I read an “expert” book on how to do it. As recommended, I charted what his urination cycles were, recorded information in a notebook, took him at the correct time on the clock, made myself stressed out and crazy day in and day out, nights, weekends, always vigilant. I failed miserably, for a couple of reasons. One was that I was out of tune with his bathroom needs. When Benjer and I had the same potty schedule, I knew he had to go because I had to go. When the clock told me it was time to take Jim, maybe he wasn’t quite on the schedule the book said he was on. Or the timer would beep and I wouldn’t hear, and my body wasn’t nagging me. He was largely hit and miss when he got burned and went into the hospital. The hospital staff put him in disposables, and potty training was low on the list as he recovered. Once he showed off for a nurse, and told me he had to go while she was there. That was the last successful potty experience.

After his six weeks of recovery, the whole family got hit with the flu, I went on bedrest, then we moved Jim out of Dad and Mom’s bed, and THAT seemed like enough of an adjustment without adding potty training. Then it was a week before Wash’s due date, then Wash was born, then I was on bedrest for postpartum.

By that time, Jim was largely entrenched in soiling and urinating in his diaper without signaling us first.

I have had my hands so full with 6 kids and a new puppy to take care of, potty training Wash has seemed a monumental task, especially since training Jim has been such a colossal failure.

So every afternoon while Jim is napping, the kids fold their laundry while I read to them from one of the Little House on the Prairie books. I take Wash’s diaper cover off and nurse him while my cell phone is sitting next to me (to tell me the time), and when he “wets”, I make the SSSS sound. I have noticed that it is about half an hour after I nurse him that he pees. However, I have considered myself a failure in this again, because he always fusses, then he pees, then I say, “Oh, you DID tell me you had to go, but I didn’t know what you were fussing about.”

In the evenings when the toys are cleaned up, the dishwasher is loaded, and the kitchen is clean, the whole family gathers in the family room and I check my e-mail. I usually nurse Wash, then “potty train” him by holding him with the diaper in front of him. He is getting to an age where I can’t do it so much any more, because he likes to stand and exercise his legs. But when he will be still I can still train him.

So the other night, he let out this pterodactyl-like screech, out of the blue. He was quiet for a minute, then did it again. My husband said, “That was almost like he was trying to tell us something.” I jumped up, and said, “I wonder if that is his cue that he has to pee?” I took his diaper off and he was dry. I raced him to the toilet, made the SSSS sound, and he peed on command. Woohoo! Success!

I said, “That screech WAS his cue that he had to go.”

The next night, he did the same pterodactyl screech. This time he was already wet. I thought, “What the heck!” So, I undiapered him and took him in to the toilet anyway. He went again. So apparently, he couldn’t wait, but still had to go more.

I am in astonishment that such a lackadaisical attitude has yielded such success. You can’t miss the scream. It is very unique, and quite annoying. He also gets quite frantic, but so do I when there is a long line for the Johnny on the Spot on the 4th of July.

Benjer had a cue too, but his was a fussing that is quite different. When I was working with Jim, I was so focused on the science, I missed the art of listening for a cue.

I am still quite busy, and there have been times when my husband has asked, “Isn’t that his potty screech?”, and I realize that he signaled and I missed it.

Not only has Wash become successful, Jim has renewed an interest. Because he is 2 weeks from 2 years old, I can’t just hold him with a diaper in front of him. He is watching Wash, and I have put big boy underwear on him. Once he took himself to the potty, took off his diaper, and peed behind the toilet. I am not sure whether he was trying to do the right thing, or if he just happened to be standing there when he had to go. He spent Saturday telling me when he had to go. Most of the time, he was already wet or “stinky”. Once he did pee in the potty, though.

My parents (who are divorced, but they are in agreement on this topic) believe that I am the one who is trained, not the baby. They feel I am wasting my time, and that the baby will train when he is ready. However, now that I have a puppy, and I saw how much easier Niska was to train than Jim, I see that God has placed an aversion in people and animals not to soil their nest. In the mornings, when I am too sleepy to think, Wash starts his “pee wiggle”. He has to go, and wiggles me awake. By the time I am coherent, it is usually too late, but he continues to try to escape from his wet diaper. I know from experience with Benjer and Jim that the wiggling occurs before it is too late, and if I jump up immediately, and race him to the toilet, I am always successful in training the child to use the potty.

I am amazed that a 4-month-old baby responds positively to the same “Hurray!” and kissing that a 2-year-0ld does.

Note: I am still unsuccessful in night-time training with Benjer. When he was in our bed, he was dry night and day 24/7. When he moved to his own bed, he no longer wiggled me awake, and he was wet by the time I woke up to take him. Somehow I failed to teach him how to take himself to the potty when he had to go.

This morning, he woke up a half an hour earlier than he usually does, and was pleased to find he was still dry. I have been hesitant to wake him and take him potty, because 1) I am concerned that he will still be relying on me to take him, rather than on himself to go when he needs to, and 2) I don’t want to put up with crankiness due to short sleep all day.

Somehow I have missed that key point in teaching the boy to wake up and go, but at least we have small successes in small areas.

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Diets In Review

SparkPeople is a community. SparkPeople is a health site. SparkPeople is a fully-developed free diet plan. It incorporates a lifestyle-change approach to healthy living. It bases its nutritional components upon the food pyramid and its diet plan on the premise that you must take in less calories than you expend, in order to lose weight.

SparkPeople does not simply provide a one-line synopsis of what dieting should or shouldn’t look like. Instead, it guides you through a four-stage program that you initiate and sustain through education, group support and motivation. All this is done online via a community that exchanges information through forums, shared recipes and stories of success or failure, from people who are navigating through the same journey as yourself.

SparkPeople began in 2001 as a goal-setting site. When it became apparent that nearly all of the contributors and community members shared the goals of wanting sound nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyles, they flung themselves full-heartedly into providing the best information about health that they could find. This lead to a full-scale discussion about the kinds of dieting programs that consistently produced results. What they came to believe, after all the study and input was complete, is that there is no magic bullet when it comes to living healthy. Being healthy is about both daily and lifetime choices. The site that exists today is a collaborative effort and attracts nearly two million users. In 2006, SparkPeople was ranked as the 6th most visited site in the “Health and Medical-Wellbeing” category and 3rd amongst diet sites. Spark’s mission is about creating support that translates into success and “sparks” the desire to pass “lessons learned” to others.

PROS

SparkPeople is about providing our body with a total fitness regime, including all the nutrients that a diet rich in variety can provide, all the exercise it needs to regain its desire for activity versus lethargy, and all the emotional support that reinforces the fact that we are a human community with the ability to motivate and sustain one another through victory and setbacks.

- Complete four-step plan and educational tools to make each step understandable.

- Forums and support modules on-site to help direct and support each member’s efforts.

- Email reminders that help you remain true to goals, or offer alternative methods when life gets in the way.

- Diagnostic tools for determining Base Metabolic Rate (BMR), age, weight, etc., which take into account the time frame you desire to reach your goal and help devise a weight-loss plan, accordingly.

- Support, Support, Support. Educational, motivational, momentum boosters, no punishment for not keeping “up to speed.” The ability to catch up when topics are missed.

- Meet people who like the same activities as yourself.

- Thousands of user-suggested recipes and comments from those who tried them.

- FREE. The plan, the support and the community remain one of the few free weight loss regimines in the world.

CONS

The SparkPeople are not private weight loss counselors. They provide you with the tools to learn about your body’s nutritional needs and about the science of caloric intake versus energy used. The support community and educational articles and discussions, along with groups who meet to enjoy their favorite recreational activity, fill up the crux of the program.

- No pre-prepared meals.

- No magic-bullet pills.

- More information than you can digest at one sitting. (It is best to take in each subject as it pertains to your personal goals).

- Easy to “surf past” forums that might be pertinent to your current situation, since they are so varied.

CONCLUSION

The Internet now affords us neighborhood meetings from the comfort of our own home. For those brave enough to enter even one discussion group, the opportunities for growth are limitless. The SparkPeople have filled an enormous need by bringing some of the best information they can provide to the general site, and then, by offering varied groups of people at differing stages of the journey, who can share, encourage and enjoy one another. Spark is most likely for that person who is willing to take personal responsibility for their progress, while enjoying the obviously well-intentioned input of others who have met and overcome their own hurdles. By sharing what works and doesn’t work among one another, no task seems nearly as daunting.

I took vitamins as a kid, and I was sick all the time. I believe food is the best source of vitamins. Today I will take calcium just to use up what I bought to prepare for labor, bilberry (because I am night blind), and hawthorne (because too much caffeine and any soy products mess with my heart beat). I take prenatal vitamins when I am pregnant, and whatever vitamins, minerals, or herbs the midwife recommends.

Health

… and 11 to steer clear of.

You’ve been told for years that popping a multivitamin every day might help you live longer. But the daily-multi habit has been getting a bit of bad press lately.

First, ConsumerLab.com, a watchdog of the supplement industry, found that more than half of the 21 multis it tested had too much (or too little) of certain vitamins—or had been contaminated with dangerous substances like lead. Then a controversial paper from researchers in Denmark and other European countries, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, made the claim that taking vitamins may actually shorten your life.

What’s the real story? Health talked to leading nutrition experts at Harvard and Tufts universities to find out and to get some answers on this and other confusing info about vitamins.

Are multivitamins safe?
Vitamins have been recommended for years because they help you get key nutrients if your diet’s low on fruits and veggies—and may even help prevent cancer and heart disease. And it’s unlikely that one critical paper (speculating that vitamin supplements might upset your body’s natural healing process and boost your risk of death) will change that.

Longtime vitamin experts at Tufts University and the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University continue to say multis aren’t dangerous and the paper’s findings are wrong. The paper analyzed previous studies, including many with people who were sick before taking vitamins, so there’s a good chance vitamins weren’t responsible for shortening their lives. Experts say the paper also ignored two major studies that found vitamins reduced the risk of death.

At the same time, the study from ConsumerLab.com shows that you can’t assume just any vitamin is safe. Because there are no uniform manufacturing rules for supplements, a multi may not contain what the bottle claims, could be contaminated with something from the manufacturing plant, or might have tainted ingredients.

Your best bet: Avoid the vitamins singled out by ConsumerLab.com (see “11 Multis to Avoid”), and stick with mainstream names like Centrum Silver and One-A-Day Women’s, which were found to be free of impurities and accurately labeled. Also, check vitamin bottles for the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), NSF International (NSF), or ConsumerLab.com (CL) seals. The USP and NSF are nonprofit groups that verify whether companies offer contamination-free products and use good manufacturing practices. Not every brand has the seals—some don’t want to submit to testing—but those that do (Kirkland and Nature Made carry the USP seal, for instance) are reliable.

How much should I spend to get the biggest benefits?
Price isn’t a sign of quality. In fact, some of the priciest vitamins—like The Greatest Vitamin in the World and Eniva Vibe, which cost more than $39.95 per bottle—failed the Consumer Lab.com tests. A mainstream brand like One-A-Day Women’s is $8.99 for a bottle of 100 tablets at drugstore.com, about 9 cents per day.

How do I find the right multi for me?
In your childbearing years, make sure your multi has 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid, which helps make and maintain new cells. And pregnant women should take a vitamin with 600 mcg of folic acid daily; this nutrient also reduces the incidence of neural tube birth defects like spina bifida.

A premenopausal woman should look for a multivitamin with iron to replace the iron lost during menstruation. Menopausal women should go without the iron. “Too much iron may raise the risk of heart disease,” says Meir Stampfer, PhD, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health.

If you’re taking a prescription, check with your doctor about risky interactions. (Vitamin E, for instance, may be a problem if you’re taking a blood thinner.) If you’re a cancer patient, you should ask your doctor about risks before taking vitamins. “Cancer cells need vitamins to grow, too,” Stampfer says. Plus, some vitamins can interfere with chemotherapy.

What’s the best way to avoid that queasy feeling after taking a multi?
“Consider switching brands,” Stampfer suggests. Trial and error is the best way to determine which brands won’t break down poorly in your stomach and lead to irritation. Also, take your multi with food because your body needs some fat (or lipids) to absorb some of the individual vitamins. The delivery method (pill, liquid, gummy bear) makes no difference. But vitamins in liquid form may degrade more quickly on the shelf.

How much of each vitamin should my multi have?
The amount per serving numbers on the label should match the government’s Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). It’s OK if they’re higher as long as they don’t exceed the tolerable upper limit (UL). (To find the DRIs and ULs, go to Health.com/links.) While most vitamins are listed in milligrams (mg) or micrograms (mcg), the label may use IUs (international units) for vitamins A, D, and E. The DRIs are 2,300 IUs for vitamin A, 200 for D, and 22 for E. What about the label’s % Daily Value column? Look at it with a skeptical eye: Those numbers haven’t been updated since 1968.

Women To Women

We have strong views about the qualities of the best multivitamin for women. Here is how we would describe the perfect formulation:

Complete. Based on the latest nutritional science, women need at least 30 vitamins and minerals, plus a rich essential fatty acid formula (i.e., EPA and DHA).
Bioavailable. The nutrient forms must be the most bioavailable. There are six patented chelated formulas we recommend be included. And of course it must meet USP standards for solubility.
Natural. No artificial preservatives, dyes, allergens or other contaminants. The fatty acid formula (derived from marine lipids) must be certified to be free of mercury and lead.
Reliable. We’ve been waiting over 10 years for the FDA to issue manufacturing standards for nutritional supplements. In the meantime, there are several sets of standards that have earned international recognition. The manufacturer must meet at least one of these recognized standards.
Laboratory tested. As is true for pharmaceutical drugs, every production batch of a nutritional supplement must be tested in a laboratory (i.e., “standardized”) to ensure that it contains exactly what is on its label.
Makes a difference. You are the final test. If the nutritional supplement doesn’t make you feel better within the first 30 days, try another formula. It may not resolve all your symptoms in that time, but you should feel a real improvement.

Find Articles

If You’re Older than 50: You could require extra amounts of vitamin [B.sub.12]. This crucial nutrient protects your heart by helping to lower unsafe homocysteine levels, and a deficiency can trigger irreversible nerve damage. The daily value of [B.sub.12] is 6 mcg, but many older adults lack enough stomach acid to absorb the vitamin efficiently, says Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston. For that reason you may want to pick a multi that provides z5 to 100 mcg of [B.sub.12 daily.

If You’re a Man: Make sure you get enough selenium to reduce your risk of certain cancers. The daily value is 70 mcg, yet a D96 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that taking 200 mcg daily dramatically reduced the risk of lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers. A recently published update looked at additional data from the 1996 study and found that women received no cancer protection from selenium supplements.