Archive for November 2009

Time for A Healthy Detox

Stuffed with stuffing, filled with turkey, crammed with cookies, and saturated with alcohol. Now what? Holidays call for celebration, and many of us know the consequences that come from overindulging in alcohol and food. Sometimes, despite out best intentions, we overdo it. This holiday season, detoxify and recover naturally with the tips that follow. Whatever you do make sure you get rid of those leftovers. Indulge for an extra day or follow up with Thanksgiving part deux.

FOOD OVERLOAD
Chinese medicine views proper digestion as the most essential component in living a long and healthy life. Your digestive function is made up of numerous organs all working together to break down, absorb, and process all of the nutrients in the food you eat. Without healthy digestion, you can become malnourished and toxins will build up in your body, leading to degenerative diseases and rapid aging down the road.

Indigestion is caused and made worse by overeating–especially rich, fatty, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, and acidic foods. These remedies will get your digestion on the right track.

ONE HOUR AFTERWARD:

Walk it off
After a large meal, take a 10- to 20-minute stroll. Aside from the proven benefits to your heart, walking is the perfect gentle exercise for promoting digestion and encouraging cleansing of the lymphatic system. Walking helps food move along the digestive tract, improving digestion and absorption. For added benefits, walk while massaging your abdomen with your palms, in a circle around your belly button.

Herbal tea brings relief
Relieve that feeling of fullness with herbal teas that target your digestion: Steep 1 teaspoon each of mint, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, sage, and basil and in a cup of hot water. Drink after each meal to soothe and prevent bloating. Peppermint, chamomile, and ginger tea are other good choices for settling the stomach. Also, look for Chinese herbal formulas like Indigestion for digestive support and cleansing.

THE MORNING AFTER:

Start with apple cider
Apple cider vinegar is traditionally used to remedy digestive distress, support liver detoxification, normalize digestive juices, and reduce intestinal bloating. Mix 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar with 12 ounces of warm water, and drink in the morning on empty stomach. Feel free to add a little honey or maple syrup. Lemon water will also help.

Eat right to lighten up
These meals will help your body recover from overindulgence.

• Breakfast: Eat oat bran cereal, brown rice, or any other whole grain cereal (as long as it is unbleached and does not contain any added sugar or chemicals.) Pair with unflavored soy milk.
• Lunch/Dinner: Eat any combination of beans, brown rice, oat bran, vegetables, and organic chicken, turkey, or soy-products.
• For a powerful Super Cleanse Broth, simmer any combination of the following ingredients for an hour: collards, Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, dandelion, Brussels sprouts, daikon radish, watercress, seaweed, shitake mushrooms, cilantro, garlic, leeks, fennel, anise, fresh ginger, and turmeric. Drink 8 ounces twice a day.
• A popular herbal formula among my patients is Internal Cleanse, a special combination of natural herbs to detoxify, clear the mind, promote emotional balance, and ease digestion. For more information, click here.

Try a detoxifying exercise
This movement is from Liver Cleansing Qi Gong, a body-mind exercise that was designed by ancient Chinese physicians to help stimulate the liver and drain the excess toxins from the body:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart in front of a tree. Inhale while raising your right leg and exhale while placing your right foot on the ground in front of you between your body and the tree.
2. Inhale while raising both arms from the sides until they come together over your head. Exhale while lowering your hands in front of your face. Visualize green light running down your face as your hands move down to your chest.
3. Inhale as you move your hands to the right rib cage over your liver. Exhale as you move your arms down your right abdomen and right leg, as if pushing down and out with your hands. Visualize the green light moving the toxins out of the liver, down the liver meridian on the inside right leg, and out the big toe.

ALCOHOL OVERINDULGENCE
The liver is one of the hardest working organs in your body and performs a wide variety of functions. Its most important ones include the processing of nutrients, the production of bile to help in digestion of food and eliminating wastes, and cleansing the blood of toxins such as drugs, alcohol, and other dangerous substances.

The liver has the ability to regenerate itself, but the effects of alcohol eventually wear down the liver. I strongly suggest that you keep your drinking to a minimum for the longevity of your liver and your health, but on that rare occasion when you overindulge, consider these remedies.

ONE HOUR AFTERWARD:

Ginger tea to the rescue
Ginger is an ancient Chinese remedy to minimize the symptoms of hangovers. Ginger has been found to soothe the digestive lining and balance gastric juices, making it a great remedy for overeating, too. This remedy is even more effective if you drink it in between alcoholic beverages.

Cut a 2-inch piece from fresh ginger root, and thinly slice. Bring three cups of water to boil in a pot. Add the sliced ginger and reduce heat to a simmer. Brew for about five minutes. Then strain out the ginger and sip the tea slowly. You may also add honey to taste.

Drink up!
Water, that is. Though this is hardly a secret remedy for combating a hangover, it bears repeating. Alcohol dehydrates your system, so drinking plenty of water will help combat some of your unpleasant hangover symptoms, rehydrate your body, and flush out toxins. Drink a few glasses of room temperature, filtered water after a night of holiday extravagance.

THE MORNING AFTER:

Start with lemon water
First thing in the morning, drink one lemon squeezed in 12 ounces of warm filtered water. Lemon activates your liver to release toxins and helps to cleanse and move the roughage that stays behind in your intestines. Throughout the day, drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water to flush your system.

Detoxify with herbal tea
Chinese traditional medicine uses natural substances to help support the healthy functions of your liver, lymphatic system, bowels, urinary tract, and skin. Try these herbs in teas to cleanse and prevent a buildup of toxins and wastes in your body:

• Chrysanthemum flower is traditionally used to cleanse the liver and neutralize toxins.
• Hawthorn berry is used to cleanse the blood of plaque and other toxins.
• Turmeric supports the detoxification process in the whole body by increasing bile production and releasing and eliminating toxins. Simply put a tablespoon of the spice in a pot and stir over medium heat for five minutes.
• Milk thistle protects and restores the liver, due to its content of silymarin.
• Dandelion root has been found by studies to enhance the flow of bile, relieving liver congestion, which in turn aids the body in detoxifying.
• Popular among my patients is Hangover, a Chinese herbal remedy that is helpful for relieving symptoms of hangover.

Heal your aching head
If you wake up with a “morning-after” headache, try this herbal tea to reduce head pressure: Boil 2 tbsp each of chrysanthemum flowers and mint leaves in 4 cups of water for 15 minutes. Drink throughout the day until your headache subsides.

I hope this article helps you recover from the effects of overindulgence! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

Your Ultimate WorkOut Partner

Everyone knows when you do anything with a friend, it makes the time that you do a particular task much more enjoyable. Working out is no different. Many bodybuilders have reached their potential by having partners there to motivate them. But sometimes having partners while you areworking out can hinder your bodybuilding goals. In this article, I want to go over the pros and cons of working out with a partner. Let’s begin.

Pros: There are many pros to working with a partner when it comes to lifting weight. The first benefit is the motivation factor. A partner is a great motivational tool. People that usually workout with partners tend to go beyond the limits that they set for themselves. The partner usually pushes them to go further. Another pro of working out with a partner is that you will always have a spotter. It is hard trying to find people to give you a spot when you are working out on your heavy days. With a training partner, you will not have this problem. Your partner usually knows what you can and what you can not lift, so he knows when to come in at the right time. Another plus about having a partner is that they can tell you when you are doing something wrong. A partner can guide you in the right direction when your form is particularly straight.

Cons: Even though working with a partner can be great, it also has its down sides. One negative to working out with a partner is what I call the social factor. Many people have their friend or a group of friends workout with them, with the expectation of the partners being there to motivate them. These usually turn into social gatherings, where everything is done but working out. They talk about sports, girls, and anything else that has nothing to do with training. Here is the rule of thumb when working out with a partner. You are there to train, not to find out what is the latest on your favorite sports team. Work out first and then talk to your friends. Another con to working with a partner is that sometimes the partners do not show up on time. If you want a consistent workout, you need to have a partner that will arrive at the scheduled time that you all have agreed upon. This make the workouts go smoother.

Finally, I was going to discuss working out with the opposite sex but I’ll leave that for later….

www.associatedcontent.com

Cook Yourself Thin

Every Monday, through December 14th, MyLifetime.com will release about 5 to 7 new recipes from the authors of the wildly-popular “Cook Yourself Thin” book series. These are exclusive recipes that cannot be found in the current book or the new one, “Cook Yourself Thin FASTER”— which hits shelves right before the New Year.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but the temptations of Turkey Day don’t have to ruin your diet. This week’s recipes have just been released at http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes and are perfect because they are great-tasting dessert options, so that you can still eat well and keep calories low with holiday favorites.
· Pumpkin Spice Cookies
· Toffee Bars
· Dessert Calzones
· Chocolate Cake
· Fat-free Meringue Kisses

When you visit the site, you will also see there is a chance to win a copy of “Cook Yourself Thin FASTER” (http://www.mylifetime.com/community/cook-yourself-thin/discussions/cook-yourself-thin-faster-sweepstakes)

Oh, and here’s a sneak peek of what’s being released in the upcoming weeks:
· Easy Weeknight Dinners (November 23): Between work, shopping for gifts, and all those holiday get-togethers, your time is limited. Luckily, your options for healthy meals aren’t—with easy-to-prepare dinner options to keep your diet on the right track

· Starters and Sides (November 30): When making the rounds of holiday pot-luck parties, delicious and healthy dishes are a great way to win over the guests while keeping your caloric intake under control

· Healthy holiday breakfast (December 7): While the holiday season is often the most difficult time of year to eat lighter and healthier, you can always start your day right with healthy breakfast options

· Spicy dinner options (December 14): Need a break from the traditional holiday offerings? Try these spicy—and diet-safe—dinner options

Real Talk from Uncle Charlie: “Get a Prostate Exam”

source: http://newblackman.blogspot.com/

Alvin Ailey: Black Fitness

We all have to define Black Fitness in our own way. Alvin Ailey’s genius artistic impression of dance is Black Fitness at its finest. Ailey always seem to generate joy, grace or any other good feel explicative. Just like a finely tune athlete you can see the hard work in ever calculated move. As calculated as it may seem they make it look so easy and natural.

A friend mentioned it to me on “So You Think You Can Dance?” I don’t watch much TV but you can see the difference between a seasoned vet vs. the contestants. This is BLACK FITNESS!

Repost: Exposed! Before and After Picture

Well it’s been a year and the after picture is the same… WHAT THE HELL HAVE I BEEN DOING?

Yesterday was my birthday so I ate a Big Fat Cake!…now I think it’s time to get back to normal. The holidays are here and I won’t be out done.

Regardless of the reason(s) you are getting into better shape, make sure that you record your fitness history with before and after photo’s. Use those before photo’s to motivate you in continuing to reach your health and fitness goals. Later you may find that the photo’s you take are just what a friend or close relative needs to see to get into better shape.

Somebody with a low self body image may think, “My body sucks, why couldn’t I have been born as physically fit as ______ (insert name in blank)”. Having your own before and after shots can help motivate them to realize that they can also improve their own physiques. They don’t just have to sit and feel helpless. They don’t have to be stuck in the same body everyday.

Now I’m putting my picture to expose myself. I have nothing to hide and have fitness goals like everyone else. We can go on this journey together, in hopes of being better than we are now.

Leukemia's new Hero Kareem Abdul Jabaar

It’s impossible to forget Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his stellar 20-year NBA career, which included six championships, five with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 7-foot-2 center, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, dazzled with his legendary skyhook during the Showtime Era in L.A., exuding confidence in his own understated way. Abdul-Jabbar was the antithesis of today’s chest-pounding showboats.

Six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appears on ABC’s “Good Morning America” to discuss his leukemia diagnosis. Getty Images

Now the intensely private Abdul-Jabbar is back in the spotlight after revealing that he’s been battling a rare form of leukemia since December. He describes his prognosis as good.

“The message, like the man who delivered it, was delivered with a quiet dignity,” Ramona Shelburne writes in the Los Angeles Daily News. “He was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia last December, meaning it has taken Abdul-Jabbar almost a year to feel comfortable sharing his situation with the world. A year to come to grips with the fear, a year to find the brave face he’d need to stare cancer in the face and involve others in his personal fight.”

MSNBC’s Mike Celizic is heartened by how fans are rooting for Abdul-Jabbar. “We care about this man who performed with such greatness for so many years and has lived with such dignity,” Celizic writes. “We don’t want anyone to get cancer, and we particularly don’t want our heroes to get it.”

“The same Abdul-Jabbar who was never close to the most popular of Lakers on his own team despite his unmatched success, not in the way Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis and James Worthy connected with fans, will be embraced now as if he was one of them all along, NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper writes.

source: www.wsj.com  by Gary Ris

A Black Woman’s Struggle

The Best guest post to date….by Patrice from Lead The Way Out

I noticed that I started gaining weight at the age of 5 when I started kindergarten. Since then, I’ve always been conscience about my size and physical presence. I’ve always been the fat girl in every single environment I’ve been in. Even though I was extremely active throughout my adolescence (playing outside, riding bikes, and played center on the basketball team in middle and high school), I never seemed to lose weight. Reflecting back on my childhood, I noticed that it wasn’t my activity level, it was how I ate. Being a black female, born and raised in Detroit, MI, kool-aid, sweet ice tea, homemade baked goods, and the typical soul food were staples in my household. My father passed when I was 10, so my mom was left with the responsibilities of raising me and helping out my older sister (who is also deceased) and my niece. I remember we were always in a rush every morning, so my mom would stop by McDonalds for breakfast. We would order an Egg McMuffin with Cheese, a hash brown, orange juice, and a heated cheese danish. I was never a really big eater, so it wasn’t the quantity; it was the quality of food I consumed.

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