Frozen Watermelon Pops
Your kids (and you) will love these cool summer treats, with no added sugar!
It’s so easy, even Dean can do it! 🙂
Your kids (and you) will love these cool summer treats, with no added sugar!
It’s so easy, even Dean can do it! 🙂
What does it mean to “Be Fit”?
To assess “being fit” we view overall health as three legs of the same stool; Health Markers, Fitness Performance Markers and Body Composition Markers. Without each of those being taken into consideration, overall health and fitness is compromised. Two legged stools are pretty hard to sit on!
For instance we have seen members in the first responder community who can pass a base line fitness test which is all about numbers, but who are overweight, have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels out the roof. They could hardly be considered fit. Not picking on first responders, as many of us are in the same boat. Just saying there is more to it than “passing the test”.
At Get Fit NH Bootcamp we also perform a physical fitness test, but this is not a test you can fail. During a one minute time frame each client will do a certain exercise to the best of their ability. We do this with five different exercises in order to get a good judge of overall physical fitness abilities. (Some might be great at squats but have a difficult time with push ups, so one exercise will not be an overall judge) We repeat this test every four to six weeks, with the goal being to see improvement.
This improvement might come in way of the amount of the exercises being done or how they are done. But in real life most will not give two hoots how many pushups and situps they can do or how fast they can run, but they will care that they are improving.
We use these tests to demonstrate the efficacy of the program as well as show our members how much their hard work is paying off. If you have a women who could do no pushups the first time around but 8 weeks later can do 5 rock solid pushups, that is more important than being able to push an arbitrary number just to pass a test. We can then set goals for the next phase of training.
But fitness tests are just one leg of the stool. We also need to consider health markers such as blood pressure and cholesterol. It is more critical from a health standpoint for these numbers to be in line, as they are predictors of health challenges such as diabetes and heart disease.
Here are the baselines we use.
Blood Pressure: <120/80
Cholesterol:
Recommended Total: <200 mg/dl
Recommended LDL: <100 mg/dl
Recommended HDL: >50 mg/dl
Fasting Blood Glucose: <100 mg/dl
Triglycerides: Recommended: <150 mg/dl
Finally Body Composition Markers. We need to know a bit about how our body is put together- The ratio of our lean body mass to fat percentage. An easy way you can do this at home is with a quick trip around our middle.
Waist Circumference:
Women: <35″
Men: <40″
So don’t just look at one set of numbers. When we are looking for accurate predictors of overall health, all these factors should be considered.
So what do you think now? Do you know all your “numbers”?
Do they tell you that you are “Fit”?
To your overall health,
Nancy and Dean
Busy mom, fitness pro and food prep expert Nancy Carlson chats with our Your Metabolism Makeover class on planning, preparation and persistence.
Here’s your chance to listen in to her great tips and tricks for getting it all done.
Click the link below to listen in!
As a light and refreshing dessert or a summertime snack for the kids, this easy to make, delicious and nutritious recipe is sure to please!
6:00pm Epsom had a little retirement party in honor of the awesome Fran Lufkin, who seemed quite content to leave her nursing job at the state prison behind. Who can blame her?
If you haven’t met Fran – you are missing a treat! Our kids love playing ball with her before class and running the hills with her!
Now that you’ve grown up Fran, what are ya gonna do with your life? 🙂
Keep Making It Happen!
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It’s not what you know…
…it’s what you do.
Knowledge is *not* power.
Applied knowledge is.
There are plenty of people that buy every diet book going, read every blog and grab the latest copies of fitness mags the minute they hit the shelves…
…and never lose a pound.
Plenty of people buying every new internet marketing product as soon as they’re launched…
…and have yet to put up a site of their own.
The truth is this: it’s rarely a lack of ideas, opportunity or knowledge that prevent people from accomplishing big things.
It’s a lack of action.
It doesn’t take a world class plan to be successful.
It doesn’t take an MBA to run a business.
It takes getting up and doing something – every day.
Figuring out what you need to improve upon along the way.
Then doing even more.
It’s not rocket science, but it will set you apart from the crowd
because when it’s all said and done – more is said than done 😉
To your success,
Coach Nancy
Looking for a cool salad to fill you up this summer? Here’s a delicious recipe from my partners over at Prograde Nutrition for you.
Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Avocado Salad
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 bag (10 oz.) torn romaine lettuce (about 10 cups)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
1 small cucumber, sliced
¼ of a medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, chopped
½ cup Red Pepper
½ cup Light or Fat-free Italian Dressing
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
Toss avocados with lemon juice in large salad bowl.
Add lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions; mix lightly.
Add dressing; toss to coat.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.
If you like this one they’ve got 196 more! Seriously, Prograde has a really cool 197 Healthy and Delicious Fat Burning Recipes ebook for just $4.95!
Check it out here: http://getfitnhbootcamp.getprograde.com/prograderecipebook.html
Make It Happen,
Nancy
PS – If you’ve been on the lookout for simple and nutritious meals then look no further than http://getfitnhbootcamp.getprograde.com/prograderecipebook.html
by Dr. Laura Riley Jones, Naturopathic Doctor
Hypothyroidism is the result of inadequate cellular thyroid hormone production to meet the needs of the tissues in the body. The most common symptoms of Hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, depression, constipation, cold extremities, muscle aches, headaches, decreased libido, weakness, cold intolerance, water retention, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and dry skin. Though controversial amongst medical practitioners, the diagnosis of Hypothyroidism is often missed by standard thyroid testing which typically looks solely at Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels.
Known as the most sensitive marker of peripheral tissue thyroid levels, it is often assumed that a normal TSH is a clear indication that a patient’s tissue thyroid levels are adequate (symptoms are not due to Hypothyroidism). A closer look at thyroid physiology demonstrates that the widely held belief that the TSH is an accurate marker of the body’s overall thyroid status is clearly erroneous. Most Endocrinology texts clearly state that the diagnosis of Hypothyroidism should be made based on clinical symptoms and lab values should be used to only support, not dictate this diagnosis.
TSH is synthesized and secreted by your pituitary gland. It acts as a mes¬sen¬ger sent to knock on the door of the thyroid. It’s purpose is to tell the thyroid to produce more or less T4, the inactive thyroid hormone. T4 is sent out to the peripheral tissues where, in a healthy individual, it is converted to active, working thyroid hormone. This active form of thyroid hormone is called T3.
In a patient with Hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland becomes diseased or fails to produce enough T4. As a result, the TSH knocks and knocks on the door, and theoretically, the TSH lab will show a high number. Or, if the thyroid gland overproduces thyroid hormones (called hyperthyroid), the TSH lab will theoretically go low to show that the TSH signal to slow down thyroid hormone production is not working adequately.
It has been my experience, that to clearly rule out the diagnosis of Hypothyroidism in a patient with multiple corresponding symptoms, a full thyroid panel must be ordered. This includes a TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3 and at times, T3 uptake. It is important to understand that many patients experience Hypothyroid related symptoms even though their TSH and Free T4 levels look perfect. Unfortunately, their bodies may have a problem converting inactive thyroid hormone, T4, to active thyroid hormone, T3. If only the TSH was examined on laboratory study, then the diagnosis could be missed as T4 levels (not T3 levels) dictate TSH. For this reason, it is important to take symptoms into consideration at all times, recognizing that “normal” TSH, T4 and T3 levels as indicated by laboratories may not be “normal” for every individual. Not all of us fit into the one size fits all approach to thyroid hormone levels. This is why so many patients are walking around with symptoms related to poor thyroid health, not being treated with the appropriate medical care.
A well-rounded approach to both thyroid diagnosis and Hypothyroidism treatment is critical. Often times, thyroid hormone replacement therapy is a necessary part of treatment for Hypothyroidism. Of course, an appropriate exercise routine and a proper diet has the power to make a profound positive impact on thyroid function. A Naturopathic approach to thyroid disease involves both of the above, along with the potential addition of hormone replacement, and/or clinically studied mineral or herbal medicine recommendations to support healthy thyroid function.
Dr. Riley-Jones can be reached at at (603) 369-4626 or visit her online at http://www.naturalmedicinenh.com
Thank-you to Megan of 6:00pm fame for sending this article on what the “requirements” are for a product to be labeled organic. Megan is a health teacher in Strafford, and a local farmer in Barrington forwarded this article to her for perspective. While the debate to eat “all organic” will rage on, our strategy is to eat local, in season produce as much as possible, and supplement as necessary with fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables from the grocer. The important thing is that you are getting enough vegetables in your diet. Debating the merits of organic is not really relevant if you aren’t getting adequate nutrition to begin with!
Organic produce has become increasingly popular in recent years, as consumers have grown more health conscious and environmentally aware. Many stores and supermarkets now have large sections devoted to organic fruits and vegetables.
WHAT MAKES PRODUCE “ORGANIC”?
Contrary to what most people believe, “organic” does not automatically mean “pesticide-free” or “chemical-free”. In fact, under the laws of most states and new federal standards, organic farmers are allowed to use a wide variety of chemical sprays and powders on their crops.
So what does organic mean? It means that these pesticides, if used, must be derived from natural sources, not synthetically manufactured. Also, these pesticides must be applied using equipment that has not been used to apply any synthetic materials for the past three years, and the land being planted cannot have been treated with synthetic materials for that period either.
Most organic farmers (and many conventional farmers, too) employ mechanical and cultural tools to help control pests. These include insect traps, careful crop selection (e.g., by planting disease-resistant varieties), and biological controls (such as predator insects and beneficial microorganisms).
ORGANIC PRODUCE AND YOUR HEALTH
When you test synthetic chemicals for their ability to cause cancer, you find that about half of them are carcinogenic.
Until recently, few scientists bothered to look at natural chemicals (such as organic pesticides), because it was assumed that they posed little risk. But when the studies were done, the results were somewhat shocking: you find that about half of the natural chemicals studied are carcinogenic as well.
This is a case where everyone (consumers, farmers, researchers) made the same, dangerous mistake. We assumed that “natural” chemicals were automatically better and safer than synthetic materials, and we were wrong. It’s important that we be more prudent in our acceptance of “natural” as being innocuous and harmless.
ORGANIC VS. SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES
Clearly, the less we impact our environment, the better off we all are. As mentioned earlier organic farming practices have greatly advanced the use of non-chemical means to control pests.
Unfortunately, these non-chemical methods do not always provide enough protection, and it’s necessary to use chemical pesticides. How do organic pesticides compare with conventional pesticides?
A recent study compared the effectiveness of a rotenone-pyrethrin mixture versus a synthetic pesticide, imidan. Rotenone and pyrethrin are two common organic pesticides; imidan is considered a “soft” synthetic pesticide (i.e., designed to have a brief lifetime after application, and other traits that minimize unwanted effects). It was found that up to 7 applications of the rotenone- pyrethrin mixture were required to obtain the level of protection provided by 2 applications of imidan.
It seems unlikely that 7 applications of rotenone and pyrethrin are really better for the environment than 2 applications of imidan, especially when rotenone is extremely toxic to fish and other aquatic life.
It should be noted, however, that we don’t know for certain which system is more harmful. This is because we do not look at organic pesticides the same way that we look at conventional pesticides. We don’t know how long these organic pesticides persist in the environment, or the full extent of their effects.
When you look at lists of pesticides allowed in organic agriculture, you find warnings such as, “Use with caution. The toxicological effects of [organic pesticide X] are largely unknown,” or “Its persistence in the soil is unknown.” Again, researchers haven’t bothered to study the effects of organic pesticides because it is assumed that “natural” chemicals are automatically safe.
WHY HAVEN’T WE HEARD THIS BEFORE?
For obvious reasons, organic farmers have done little, if anything, to dispel the myth that “organic = chemical/pesticide-free”. They would only stand to lose business by making such a disclosure.
Pesticide manufacturers have little concern in the matter. To them, “synthetic pesticides sold” and “organic pesticides sold” are both “pesticides sold”.
As for conventional farmers, they are not really in a position to be critical. It would not be in their interest to draw attention to chemical and pesticide use.
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN?
The purpose of this article is not to discourage you from buying organic produce.
It is only meant to let you know what you are or aren’t getting when you make such a purchase. Unless you know your grower personally, there is no guarantee that your produce has been grown without pesticides or other chemicals. It’s a point to consider, given the substantially higher cost of organic foods.
There are many choices and decisions that we, as consumers, are asked to make. Hopefully, this has provided some new information that you will find helpful.
Many thanks go to the Organic Crop Improvement Association for providing much of the information for this study. The OCIA has chapters in AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, NC, ND, OH, PA, SD, UT, and WI. Thanks are also extended to the California Certified Organic Farmers, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, and Oregon Tilth Certified Organic. The following state Departments of Agriculture have also been very helpful: AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, HI, IA, LA, MD, MI, MS, MO, ND, OK, SC, TN, VA, and WA. States with no laws governing organic products include Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Minimum requirements for the country are established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board.
The data describing the carcinogenicity of natural and synthetic compounds are referenced in Gold, L.S., et al. (1992) Science Vol. 258, pp. 261-265.
A copy of this document may be downloaded at http://www.37c.org/lhom/organics.doc
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