Increase Your Daily Fruit and Vegetable Consumption with Juice Plus+

We are to consume 7-13 servings of raw fruits and vegetables every single day.  The truth is that only about 10% of adults and 5% of children do this.  

March of 2009 a friend from The University of Mississippi approached me with a way that I could increase my daily consumption of fruits and vegetables; this way was Juice Plus+.  Juice Plus+ is the concentrated nutrition from 17 fruits, vegetables, and grains in vegetarian capsules or delicious soft chewables (gummies).  It is vine-ripened produce that is harvested, juiced and dried at cool temperatures.  It is the most researched nutritional product of its kind with 26 peer-reviewed published studies in medical journals and more research underway.  It is much different than a multi-vitamin because it is whole food nutrition.  And what is great is that anyone can take Juice Plus+ - adults, children, and even women during pregnancy. 

If there is a child out there between the ages of 4 and 18 or full time college undergraduate, they can get Juice Plus+ for FREE for up to 4 years through the Children’s Health Study.  As of this week, there have been over 800,000 participants involved in this study.  The results are showing fewer doctor visits, fewer days of school missed, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables just to name a few.      

Juice Plus+ is not meant to replace eating fruits and vegetables.  It is available to bridge the gap between what you are eating and what you should be eating.  For more information about Juice Plus+ for you and your child, please contact me.

www.shawnjuiceplus.com

 

 

PAY ATTENTION: A Reminder of Runner, Cyclist, Pedestrian, and Motorist Safety

This past week a great friend of mine was out running and was unfortunately hit from behind by a car.  He was hospitalized with broken bones, cuts, and bruises.  I ask that you keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers and ask that you do the same for the driver of the car.  I say all this because I want you to realize that this is real.  Runners, cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists can be in danger when out and about.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 69,000 pedestrians are injured each year, with 4,500 of that number being fatalities. Almost certainly over 1,000 of these injured pedestrians are runners and joggers. The statistics also show that males bear the brunt of pedestrian fatalities (70 percent), and here’s another statistic that will curl your toes: 36 percent of pedestrian fatalities involve drunk drivers. – Health and Sports Magazine

Here are a few things to remember:

·         Wear bright reflective clothing.

·         If exercising early in the morning or evening have a light on you. There are several that clip onto a hat or can be carried.

·         Bicycles should have front and rear lights.

·         Runners/walkers should always face oncoming traffic.  Bicycles should ride with traffic and obey all traffic laws.

·         If cycling always wear a helmet.

·         Motorists need to be aware of their surroundings and remember that the law requires them to give pedestrians and cyclists at least 3 feet of space when passing.

·         Motorists can slow down until it is safe to pass. It's not worth someone's life to get somewhere 5 seconds faster.

Thanks to Chris Seay for contributing to this article.

 

The Sugar Situation

          These days it doesn’t matter if you are watching television, shopping at the grocery store, or eating at a restaurant, you are going to be exposed to sugar.  Increased sugar consumption can lead to obesity, therefore, increasing the likelihood of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and asthma.  More than one-third of American children and adolescents are obese.  According to a report by the CDC, 16.3 percent of boys’ caloric intake and 15.5 percent of girls’ caloric intake is from sugar.  And of these percentages, foods provided 59 percent of added-sugar calories while beverages provided 41 percent.  The school systems often get the blame, but it was found that most added sugar calories came at home. 

A few tips to help change the amount of sugar intake is to replace snacks of cookies and chips with fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, replacing sports drinks and soft drinks with water will be much better.  Sports drinks are often used to replenish electrolytes.  Compare a medium banana, which has 450mg of potassium, to a popular sports drink that provides 30mg per 8-ounce serving.  Be sensible about sugar.  Think natural instead of processed.

 

Get Motivated With Music

Think about being in a library where everything is extremely quiet and someone tells you to exercise as hard as you possibly can without making much noise.  You then find yourself trying to do jumping jacks, squats, pushups, etc in pure silence.  That’s a tough situation.  You can push your body, but only to a certain point.

Now, take that same situation but change one variable; turn on music.  As you are told to exercise and begin doing jumping jacks, squats, pushups, etc your hard work doesn’t seem quite as tough.  This is because music is a great motivator. 

One song that comes to my mind is “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor from the motion picture Rocky. I have seen time and time again this song elicit a response in people that makes them work harder to become faster, stronger, and leaner.  They associate that song with a hard working world champion boxer and they want to train like that; they want to be a champion. 

Find music that works for you.  Plug in, turn up, and sweat!

 

The Body Garage

Your body is a car. 

Your bones are the frame. 

Your heart is the engine. 

Your eyes are the headlights. 

Your food is the fuel. 

 

Are you a clunker or a sports car?  The way that you fuel your body directly affects the way that your body operates.  If you are constantly putting soft drinks, fried foods, and processed foods into your body then your bones will start to become brittle, your heart will be required to do more work, your arteries will begin to harden, your vision will decrease, and you will be on your way to becoming a clunker destined for the junkyard.

If you are constantly putting water, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein into your body then your bones will strengthen, your heart will work with great efficiency, your arteries will be nice and elastic, your vision will increase, and you will be on your way to becoming a sports car destined for the open road!

Give your body a tune-up by eating the following:

Engine (heart) - Apples, artichokes, bananas, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.

Frame (bones) – Bananas, beets, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Headlights (eyes) – Apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, and carrots.

 

Pictured: IFBB Pro Patty Zariello

Check her out at www.pattyzariello.com

Go for Gold

It’s that time of 2012 when the Olympics take place in London and students all around the country return to school.  Both of these events can bring feelings of excitement, uncertainty and anxiety. 

Each Olympic athlete has the opportunity to excel athletically and win medals for the country that they represent.  They have trained many years for the opportunity to compete on this global level.  Even though they have poured their heart, soul, and sweat into these events it doesn’t mean that they will walk away victorious with a medal around their neck.

With school, each student has the opportunity to excel academically and receive a diploma, scholarships, degrees, and certifications.  A student educates for many years so that they can obtain great knowledge and use that knowledge on local, national, and global levels.  This education doesn’t guarantee success, but it guarantees a pathway on which success can be reached. 

A strong body is ineffective without a strong mind.  One hundred percent should be given at all times to guarantee that both mind and body are as strong as possible.  As each day is started, go for the gold by remembering a simple mantra,

Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.

The Sodium Shakedown

Everyone knows someone that has been affected by high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke.  There is also a good chance that those affected had an excess of sodium in their daily diets.  This mineral is necessary for certain body functions, but not in the quantities that many people consume daily.

This week as I looked over food journals from my clients it wasn’t the calories or the fat in their diets that concerned me, it was the sodium.  The American Heart Association recommends keeping daily sodium intake to 1,500mg or less.  In many of these journals, I would see anywhere from 2,500mg per day to 4,000mg per day.  When talking with these clients, their food choices seemed healthy but the sodium amounts were a surprise to them.  A couple of the items with larger amounts of sodium were deli meats and pickles.  Eating a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with a few dill pickle chips seemed like a good option at the time.  However, that one sandwich had approximately their full daily value of sodium.  Think about when you have been at a restaurant and your meal was served with a single dill pickle spear.  Well, that pickle alone can have approximately 700mg of sodium. 

Pay special attention to items such as deli meats, frozen dinners, pickles, salad dressings, salsas, and soups.  Keep your eyes open for low sodium versions of those food items.   With low sodium options, monitor other values such as fat and sugar to make sure that those numbers don’t increase while the sodium decreases.  Heart disease is the number one cause of deaths in the United States, so please monitor your sodium intake. 

Uncomfortable Feet Can Mean an Uncomfortable Body

Have you experienced any of the following: bottom of foot cramp up, toes curl up, bottom of foot swollen and painful, difficulty walking or standing?  If so, it’s very likely that you have experienced plantar fasciitis.

The plantar fascia is the tissue that supports the arch of your foot and connects your heel to your toes.  If this tissue becomes strained or irritated, you may experience some of the previously mentioned symptoms.  This is a fairly common issue when someone engages in physical activity that is high impact and involves more jumping motions than normal.  When these types of activities are performed, the foot flattens out and increased stress is placed on the plantar fascia.  It is important to make sure that shoes have proper arch support.  I suggest that you either visit a shoe store where a qualified employee can fit you with proper shoes or schedule an appointment with a podiatrist to be properly fitted for shoes.

Stretching of the plantar fascia and calf muscles are important also.  Inadequate stretching can lead to these tissues being cold and stiff and then even the smallest movements can cause problems.

A third way to help with this issue is with ice.  I recommend that you place a bottle of water in the freezer and let it freeze completely.  If you experience plantar fascia discomfort, place the frozen bottle on the floor and roll the arch of your foot over it for 10-15 minutes.  The cool temperatures from the ice will help with the inflammation that you are experiencing.        

If your feet are hurting then that can produce discomfort up the chain and cause other parts of your body to develop issues.  Be smart and listen to your body.  If you have the slightest doubt about what is going on with you, consult your physician.

Work It with a Circuit

Circuit training is one of the best ways to maximize your exercise efforts in a short amount of time.  It is a great tool for elevating your heart rate and stressing your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.  Listed below are two different circuits that can be performed in the comfort of your own home and will take less than 20 minutes. 

Equipment: Timer

Circuit #1

Jog in place

Pushups

Squats

High Knees

Circuit #2

Wide Pushups
Mountain Climbers
Log Jumps
Jumping Jacks

For each circuit, each exercise should be performed for 30 seconds.

Rest 30 seconds after completion of each circuit.

Complete each circuit 3 times.

Beat the Heat

It seems that lately as soon as you step outside, you are met with a wall of heat and misery.  It was a mild winter but it is turning out to be a very tough summer.  According to the National Weather Service, the number one weather-related killer in the U.S. is the heat. 

The body’s natural cooling mechanism is sweating.  If you are in the heat for too long and you sweat excessively, you run the risk of dehydration and over-heating due to your core temperature increasing too quickly.  Be mindful of this process and make sure that you consume adequate fluids and electrolytes. 

It is important to not remain in a vehicle with no air-conditioning for a long period of time.  Adults, children, and pets are all affected by the quickly rising temperatures that occur in vehicles.  And even though you might think that slightly lowering the windows will help, it does not have a huge impact on the rising temperatures.

Clothing choices in the heat can play a major role in comfort and well-being.  Heavy fabric and dark colors absorb more heat.  Focus on wearing clothing that is light-weight and light-colored.

When you are exposed to the sun too long, be careful and don’t get too much sun.  If you experience a sunburn, you are lowering the efficiency of your body to cool itself. 

SUMMARY

Ÿ  Consume adequate fluids and electrolytes.

Ÿ  Avoid time in vehicles with no air-conditioning.

Ÿ  Wear clothing that is light-weight and light-colored.

Ÿ  Avoid spending too much time in the sun.

 

Training the Child Athlete

Over the years, the age at which children begin playing athletics has been pushed earlier and earlier.  This comes from parent’s drive to produce star athletes, to re-live their glory days vicariously through their children, to have their children physically active, etc.  Children are taught at early ages how to read and write and strive for excellence through academics, so the same can be said for athletics.  Emphasis needs to be placed on producing cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal adaptations in these young athletes (6 to 13 years of age) in order for them to benefit the most from their efforts.  

Performing 30 minutes of continuous vigorous aerobic activity might not be the best to produce cardiorespiratory gains.  Since children are still developing, gains might not be as noticeable as they would be in adults doing continuous activity.  Also, children will get bored very quickly and lose motivation if training in this manner.  Try performing 30 minutes of interval training that would be more functional and applicable to their sports.  An example of an interval that could be used is 30 seconds of jumping jacks, a 10 second sprint, and a 30 second walk.  These three activities can be mixed up for 30 minutes to keep the workout interesting and effective.   

In children as young as 6 years of age, resistance training has been shown to produce musculoskeletal gains.  Once again, it is important to remember that these children are still growing.  Resistance training can be performed but by using lower resistance and higher repetitions.  So, choose an appropriate weight per exercise that can be performed for approximately 15 repetitions.

Food Restriction: Yay or Nay?

This week I reached out to the parents of the community via Facebook to see what issues are affecting families these days.  One reply that I received wanted to know about food restriction. This reader wanted to know if they should restrict food with their child to help with weight loss.

I want to start off by saying that in no way do I want children starving.  They are growing bodies and the future of our world.  However, the majority of today’s children are overfed and undernourished.  Many portion sizes are at least double of what they should be, stripped of nutritional value and over processed.  With low quality food choices, you definitely want to keep an eye on the portion sizes of your child’s plate.  I don’t recommend that you constantly tell your child “you are eating too much” or “don’t eat that.”  That’s like telling someone not to think of chocolate cake and then that’s the only thing they can think about.  If you constantly tell them those things then you will be counter-productive with this issue.  Make sure that you are providing food options with a high nutrient to low calorie ratio.  This is going to be fresh produce such as fruits, vegetables, and berries.  If the quality is good, then you don’t have to pay attention to portion sizes as much.   

·         TIP - Try cutting up an assortment of fresh vegetables and placing them in different compartments of a muffin baking pan.  Also, place an assortment of fruits and berries in some of these compartments.  Place on the kitchen counter or coffee table and let your child graze on these food items.  You have provided a variety of good food choices with little effort for your child.    

To keep both children and adults from being tempted into bad food choices, don’t keep tempting food items in the pantry.  If it’s not available, then you will be less likely to eat it.  Everyone is going to eat out of convenience.  If there are cookies in the pantry, then you might bypass the apples sitting on the kitchen counter.  Basically, if you keep bad food items out of the pantry then you won’t end up treating your child’s stomach like a garbage can.    

Summertime Strengthening and Conditioning

Now that summertime has arrived, it’s time to make sure that children get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.  An issue that is facing today’s young people is physical inactivity.  It is recommended that 60 minutes of physical activity be performed every single day, but most children don’t meet this recommendation.  In the United States, 17% of children are obese; this percentage being affected greatly by lack of movement throughout the day. The 60 minutes should involve activities such as running or fast walking, which stress the cardiovascular system.  Push-ups and air squats should be included to help with muscle strengthening and metabolic assistance.  And jumping rope is a good activity to help strengthen bones.

Relays and games are a good way to incorporate physical activity with a group in a fun manner.  The following are a couple of examples that require an even number of participants split into two groups.

·         Cones Up & Cones Down – Group 1 will be Cones Up.  Group 2 will be Cones Down.  For every 4 people, there should be 10 sports cones.   Take 10 cones and spread out in an open area.  Place 5 of the cones standing up and 5 of the cones lying down.  Start a timer for 2 minutes.  Group 1 will be responsible for running around and standing up all of the cones that are lying down.  Group 2 will be responsible for running around and knocking down all of the cones that are standing up. At the end of the 2 minutes, the group that has the most cones in their favor wins!

·         Tennis Ball Trot – Each group will line up in a single line.  There will be one tennis ball placed on a ground marker approximately 10 yards in front of each group.  When the relay begins, the first person in each line will run and pick up the tennis ball and bring it back to the second person in the line.  The second person will then run and place the tennis ball back on the ground marker.  That process equals 1 round.  The team that completes 10 rounds first wins! 

The Sugar Situation

            These days it doesn’t matter if you are watching television, shopping at the grocery store, or eating at a restaurant, you are going to be exposed to sugar.  Increased sugar consumption can lead to obesity, therefore, increasing the likelihood of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and asthma.  More than one-third of American children and adolescents are obese.  According to a report by the CDC, 16.3 percent of boys’ caloric intake and 15.5 percent of girls’ caloric intake is from sugar.  And of these percentages, foods provided 59 percent of added-sugar calories while beverages provided 41 percent.  The school systems often get the blame, but it was found that most added sugar calories came at home. 

A few tips to help change the amount of sugar intake is to replace snacks of cookies and chips with fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, replacing sports drinks and soft drinks with water will be much better.  Sports drinks are often used to replenish electrolytes.  Compare a medium banana, which has 450mg of potassium, to a popular sports drink that provides 30mg per 8-ounce serving.  Be sensible about sugar.  Think natural instead of processed.