Fasting Part 2: Follow-up to last post

I hope the New Year finds everyone happy and healthy. I had a wonderful 2011 and look forward to what 2012 brings me!

Last month I wrote about Intermittent Fasting and I promised to write a follow-up. For the last month, as I pledged, I fasted for 24-hours twice a week. During the fasts I had water, tea, and some coffee but no food. I discovered the following benefits:

1. During the holiday season, I was able to indulge quite a bit more without gaining weight. However, I did not lose any weight either (for the record, I was not trying).
2. It prevented any over-indulging since I was unable to eat during the fasts, even if the most delicious gluten-free cookies were placed in front of me! That also creates a sense of ‘power’.
3. I proved that it is not possible to ‘starve’ during a 24-hour period. I did my usual activity and taught my classes. My energy levels were fine.
4. I enjoyed the ‘mental clarity’ that comes with a fast. There is a reason most religions use this practice.

The question now is, do I continue this? Well, that is tough. After the holidays I feel as though I never want to look (let alone taste) desserts or chips again. Sometimes when you have the freedom to indulge, after awhile it becomes repulsive! I feel so much better eating healthy again. But now my diet seems to be around 1200-1500 calories a day. At that amount, it doesn’t justify fasting for two full days. The whole point of intermittent fasting is to balance out your calories to allow for higher calorie days.

But, as I stated, I did enjoy the calm feeling that comes with fasting. For now, my compromise will be to do a 24-hour ‘pseudo-fast’ of eating just veggies and some fruit once a week. That can be very cleansing both mentally and physically. If I do have a week when I eat out or indulge in desserts, I can easily turn that day into a real 24-hour fast.

My latest endeavor though is practicing what I preach about eating healthy and not too much. I suggest www.myfitnesspal.com to my friends and my clients. To prove how much I support this site/app, I am going to log my calories and activity for a year! I started already on December 27^th.

So, who is with me on this one?

Wishing all of you a warm and fulfilling 2012.

Yours in wellness,

Sharon

XOX

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Can You Fast to Slow Your Aging?

Lately I have been seeing quite a few magazine articles and Facebook posts about ‘Intermittent Fasting’ (IF). It seems to be pretty popular now. IF is a way of eating which alternates between periods of fasting (but water and other non-calorie beverages are allowed), and eating normally. I am going to come clean and admit that I have been practicing this on and off for about 4 years. I just didn’t call it by any name back then, nor did I tell anyone.

Four years ago I was 38, recently had a baby, and was staring 40 in the face! I also had a breast cancer scare (thankfully nothing was wrong) and I found out that I had genetic high cholesterol (despite having a low body weight, lot’s of exercise, and a mostly vegetarian diet). I was looking for a ‘fountain of youth’ and started my research. I came across quite a few articles about the benefits of fasting from a longevity and disease-prevention view. Here is an article worth reading, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/regular-fasting-may-boost-heart-health/. My research also led me to some spiritual benefits of fasting as well. For example Buddhist Monks stop eating for the day at noon. Ayurveda also believes that digestion is strongest at mid-day so it can be healthy to fast during the second part of your day.

For a long time, I did a 24-hour fast every Monday. It felt great. After awhile I no longer felt hungry and I definitely didn’t feel weak. I find it so funny how people think they will shut down if they go a few hours without food! That is psychological. Towards the end of my fast I would do some gentle yoga and meditate. I was calmer and also a bit leaner too. Recently, as my daughter got older and started to ask questions, I was concerned about giving her the wrong message about food. Also, it was difficult trying to come up with reasons to not have lunch plans with friends. Remember, this wasn’t ‘mainstream’ back then so I kept it to myself. Also, I started teaching a lot more classes and training more clients, so I was concerned about my energy level (that was really unfounded because my energy was still very strong). I used to fast from breakfast on Monday until breakfast on Tuesday. Eventually I gave it up.

Suddenly I see articles about IF everywhere I look, and I realize that I miss it. I am starting it again, but this time my fast will be from lunch to lunch. It fits into my lifestyle much better as I can have lunch with my daughter and friends even on the fasting days.

Now that this practice has become a popular diet plan, there are two main ‘schools’ of Intermittent Fasting. Brad Pilon, author of ‘Eat Stop Eat’ (http://bradpilon.com/) suggests two 24-hour fasts during the week. Martin Berkhan of Lean Gains, (http://www.leangains.com/) has a program popular with the bodybuilder crowd, which is a daily IF of 16 hours followed by an 8-hour window to eat. He also recommends amino supplements, which is not my scene. While reading these sites, do not forget to read about the actual science behind these theories, http://www.ajcn.org/content/86/1/7.full.

I am not a big fan of any mass-marketed ‘diet plan’ since many of these are gimmicks to make money. If you are interested in IF, read about it from as many sources as you can and then develop a plan that fits your lifestyle. Here is a great summary article from Livestrong.com, http://www.livestrong.com/article/286088-intermittent-fasting-to-lose-weight/.

For me, this works well both physically and mentally. It gives me a sense of calm, it is a bit meditative, it frees my body to listen to natural hunger cues, it prevents mindless snacking, creates a calorie deficit for the week so I can still enjoy restaurant meals on weekends, it is easy, and it even saves money!

So, starting this week I am going to do two 24-hour fasts. The first one will start Monday after lunch and end Tuesday at lunch. The second will begin Thursday at lunch and end Friday at lunch. On the weekends I will do a 16/8 IF for both days since it fits well with my lifestyle. I will eventually drop the second 24-hour fast on Thursday-Friday since once a week is best for the long-term. Next month I will post about this and at that point decide if it works for me or not. I think it will since I do remember how wonderful I felt in the past.

Anyone else up for this challenge?

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Miracle or Just Grape'd Up?

I am usually pretty skeptical when a supplement comes on the market and promises miracles. It took me awhile to get onboard with fish oil and vitamin D, but after tons of my own research, I now take both regularly. But, I know many people who started taking acai pills even though they couldn’t even pronounce it (ah-sigh-ee). There is also a huge market for weight-loss shakes. We Americans seem to always be searching for the fountain of youth or a quick-fix.

I have read articles about the benefits of resveratrol for quite a few years now. Resveratrol is a compound found in red grapes, mulberries, peanuts, and other plants (however, studies focus around resveratrol found in the skins of red grapes) that is thought to provide powerful health benefits such as life extension and disease prevention. Resveratrol was first studied for its antioxidant effects, but then was found to be much more powerful than just an antioxidant. Resveratrol can actually modify genes.

I considered resvertrol to be just another ‘supplement-du-jour' until I came across an article in Huffington Post written by David Katz, MD, who is the Director or Yale Prevention Research Center. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/resveratrol-health_b_1070639.html?ref=healthy-living Well, that caught my attention! I like David Katz and find him to be exceptionally smart. Not the type of person to promote nutrition hype or jump on a bandwagon. He is actually recommending taking resveratrol. Well, to be exact he is not ‘recommending it’ but stating that he started taking it himself. That works for me!

Dr. Katz based his decision on a research study in the scientific journal, Cell Metabolism. The study had 11 obese, but otherwise healthy, men take a placebo for 30 days and then for 30 days given 150 mg of resveratrol daily in random order. The study was double-blinded; meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was taking what when. The study set out to prove, based on a prior study of mice, that resveratrol supplementation would mimic the effects of calorie restriction (reducing calorie intake by 30% of healthy levels). And it did!

Taking resveratrol daily for a month mimicked most effects of calorie restriction, improving energy metabolism in muscle, improving insulin sensitivity, lowering blood pressure, and even enhancing fitness levels. There were no adverse effects of resveratrol. Calorie restriction, on the other hand, does have adverse effects such as zero libido, among others.

There is still a chance that in the future resveratrol will prove to be just a waste of money. But, somehow, I think this is the real deal. There are no adverse effects so I am not willing to let this opportunity pass me by. There is nothing to lose (except the cost of the pills), but so much to gain (longevity, disease prevention, stronger muscles, less wrinkles, etc).

At first I thought I could skip the pills and just drink more red wine. But wine really doesn’t contain very much resveratrol. So, I went to Vitamin Shoppe and picked up some pills… which I will take with red wine!

Cheers!

 XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Halloween is Coming; Time to be Frightened

The other day at pre-school drop-off, I returned to my car and there was a bee flying all around my door. I stood in front of my car for awhile trying to figure out how to get in, and finally I ran as fast as I could to the passenger side rear door, closed it fast, and climbed over and across into my drivers seat. As I looked up, I saw a row of four-year-olds, my daughter included, looking at me from the window. Wait, it gets worse!

Three hours later I ran out of my car to pick up my daughter and, returning to my car, the same bee (to the best of my knowledge) was back! I thought about it again and took my time deciding on the best strategy for this play. Finally I took my daughter's hand, ran around to the back again, climbed both of us into her car seat with her on my lap, and closed the door quick. I then got out, put her in and buckled her, and then climbed across and over into my seat. The both of us were laughing so hard at this. My daughter knows that this is not rational behavior, I, at least, teach her that. What I have is called a ‘phobia’, and it is not ‘normal’, but yet is very common. Most people have an irrational fear of something. Mine phobia of bees began at a young age and my close friends all know this.

When I lived in Bronxville and used to walk into town everyday, my friend Tara knew without questioning why I had to cross the street on a certain block to avoid walking past ‘Scary Tree’. Full disclose: ‘Scary Tree’ was actually not even a real tree, it was a telephone pole, but it had a huge hornets nest in it and the hornets would swarm around it. When I was first dating John, he once parked dangerously close to Scary Tree when taking me home from dinner. I almost had an anxiety attack, but I managed to walk past pretending to be ‘normal’.

Some people are afraid of flying, heights, spiders, dogs, circus clowns, and I can go on. A Phobia is defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities. Yes, that is me around bees!!! And it may be you around something else!!!

What I have is called a ‘specific phobia’ and these tend to be relatively harmless, albeit annoying at time. There are some phobias that interfere with life such as ‘social phobias’ and ‘agoraphobia’ (generalized fear of leaving home). Those two types greatly interfere with the quality of life, often involve panic or anxiety attacks, and require professional help.

I would categorize my phobia as more of an annoyance/embarrassment.  I still enjoy lots of outdoor activities and have fun doing so. If you see me outside running past you at a full out sprint, you may assume I am training for an event or doing my HIIT workout. You would be wrong; I am running away from a bee!!

Have a spooktacular Halloween!!!

 XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. 

Eat Like a Bird

Lately I have been eating like a bird. No, I don’t mean tiny pieces of food because I do like to eat. I am talking about seeds. There are so many benefits to adding seeds to your diet and such a variety of seeds to add. Here are some of my favorites that I eat regularly:

Chia Seeds: Remember the cha-cha-chia pet? Or am I just showing my age? Well, chia seeds are nutritional powerhouses. These seeds are high in important nutrients such as antioxidants and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, and protein. They are small and round and resemble a poppy seed. If you let them soak in water for about 15 minutes they expand and turn a bit gelatinous, making them a base for some healthy vegan puddings. I add them to Greek yogurt or put in my smoothie.

Hemp Seeds: Hemp seed is available in three basic forms: seed, powder, or oil. One of the biggest benefits of hemp seeds is that they are higher in high quality protein than other seeds, containing all 10 essential amino acids, which makes them a great vegan-friendly protein source. It is also the easiest protein to digest. Hemp contains omega-3 fatty acids and is an excellent source of riboflavin (Vitamin B2), which is important for general health as well as slowing the aging process and supporting a healthy metabolism. And don’t worry (or be disappointed), you will not get high from them! The hemp seeds sold in stores do not contain delta-9-tettrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in pot. I use hemp to power up my smoothies as I transition away from using whey.

Flaxseed:  Flax contains lignans, fiber, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer when used regularly. Flaxseed can be used either as oil or the grounded seeds. The whole seeds cannot be digested and will therefore serve no purpose. Flaxseed oil can be taken as a supplement or on salad. I use ground flaxseed in oatmeal or over yogurt.

Pumpkin seeds: These are also called ‘pepitas’ and are known for being a great source of iron. If you don’t eat red meat, think about adding these to your diet. I personally think these taste great raw as a snack or on a salad. But often these are sold roasted, salted, flavored, etc in the stores. At that point the nutritional value decreases. If you want more flavor, roast them yourself using some lime juice and chile.

Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds are high in protein, vitamin E, and antioxidants. They also taste great. Sunflower seed butter is a great alternative to peanut butter and is a good choice to use for school lunches. I snack on them or add to my salads.

Sesame seeds: These are a great source of calcium. They can be ground into flour, which makes a great gluten-free substitute for baking. I do not eat these quite as often as the others, but that is just due to personal preference.

Quinoa: I bet many of you thought this is a grain. It really isn’t, it is a ‘pseudo-grain’. Pseudo-grains are commonly referred to as grains but technically are seeds. They are naturally gluten free and contain more protein than grains. Buckwheat and Wild Rice are other examples of pseudo-grains. Quinoa is high in protein, iron, potassium, and B vitamins. It is a good idea to rinse the quinoa well before cooking since it naturally contains a bitter resin. Most of the quinoa you see in stores has already been rinsed, but it is a good idea to also rinse again. Quinoa is delicious and can be used in place of any grain to give your meal more power. Quinoa is a staple food in my house.

So, try some, or all, of these powerful seeds. They taste great and are so good for you. Give it a few weeks and see how much more energy you have. They are not as caloric as nuts, but you still need to practice portion control. Remember the bulk of your diet should still come from non-starchy vegetables.

Have a healthy week

 XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Journal from Fall Ayurveda Detox

I decided to follow the Yoga Journal’s 7-Day Fall Ayurveda Detox http://falldetox.yogajournal.com/, but for 5 days instead of 7. (see my post on Ayurveda 8/12/11)

Thursday before: Shopping at Nature’s Temptation in Ridgefield for all of my ‘supplies’! Yikes, what is kombu?? How am I going to cook the Kitchari when I am not really much of a cook? Am I really going to use ghee when I hate butter? Well, I bought all of the ingredients including the ghee. I even bought sesame oil for my skin as part of the total detox regimen. I am usually a Vata/Pitta dosha, but this summer really brought out my Pitta. I think that my skin allergies and my impatience (Pitta imbalance) out-weigh the cracking in my joint (Vata imbalance), so I bought the spices to make the Pitta soothing kitchari.

Sunday: I realize with my schedule of teaching, training, and mommy-duties that I will not be able to make it to my yoga classes. I downloaded the iPhone App ‘Authentic Yoga with Deepak Chopra’. This will help supplement my own practice.

Monday: Day 1: Woke up at 5:15 to walk on the treadmill instead of my usual run and then did some yoga. I didn’t want to eat the kitchari for breakfast since it was too heavy to eat before my next class, so I had a detox tea, and apple and some grapes. It didn’t seem to be enough to get through teaching both Spinning and Pilates. Then, for lunch, I had steamed broccoli, celery, and spinach with some kitchari, followed by another apple a few hours later. I had a headache from caffeine withdrawal, but it wasn’t too bad.

Tuesday: Day 2: Have a bad case of poison ivy and now wondering if the three prescriptions my doctor gave me will fit into the detox. The kitchari was still yummy, the poison ivy made me forget my headache, and the prescription antihistamine gave me a wonderful night’s sleep.

Wednesday: Day 3: Wishing I had the time to do the meditation and asanas. With a 4yr old, the only time to do that is at 5AM, but the antihistamine I am taking for the poison ivy knocked me out and I woke up at 6 instead of 5. Also trying to learn new choreography, which is also hard to do with a young child. My husband thinks the detox is making me cranky, but I think the detox is actually making me less cranky than I would have been otherwise. For dinner, I mixed it up a bit by having steamed broccoli, kale, carrots, and celery with some avocado instead of the kitchari and an apple for dessert.

Thursday: Day 4: Feeling very calm and peaceful. I added some quinoa to the kitchari for more fiber and protein. Really starting to feel the mental and emotional benefits of this cleanse today. Even found time to do some yoga.

Friday: Day 5: This is my last day of the detox because my family enjoys going out to lunch together on the weekends, and it is our only time that we can enjoy meals together. I plan to have a coffee tomorrow, but that is the only thing I am craving. I may even find a restaurant this weekend where I can have brown rice, beans, and veggies. I don’t really want anything else. I also did not feel any real ‘detox’ other than the headache the first day. I think it may be because I generally eat close to this plan anyway. I look forward to the next seasonal cleanse (although I am not looking forward to the next season, Winter!

Weekend: Days 6&7: I really ended this after day 5 but I stayed close to the diet plan by choice over the weekend. I added a cup of coffee and over the course of the weekend I had some sushi, Greek yogurt and egg whites. Other than that I stayed with the Ayurvedic foods. I went to the grocery store to buy more items to make kitchari and will replace the rice with quinoa and use olive oil instead of ghee.

So, what did I get from all of this? Actually quite a bit!

1. I plan to give up coffee over the next few months. I will transition to decaf and then to only teas. I feel calmer and grounded without the coffee, but I do love the taste of it.
2. I really enjoy eating vegan foods. I will not go back to being strictly vegan, but I will try some combinations of vegetarian/pescetarian (fish) plans with most of my diet vegan. I just bought the book ‘Thrive Diet’ by Brendan Brazier, as I have followed his website for a few years.
3. I enjoy cooking!
4. Daily yoga, even if it is just 10 minutes at home, does wonders for my mind and body.
5. I lost any desire for sweets (other than fruit) and meat/poultry.

I am not suggesting that you go as far as an Ayurvedic cleanse, but it may be a worthwhile experiment to simple spend a week with no caffeine, sugar, processed food, wheat, and soy and see how you feel.

Namaste

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Its all in the Timing (Part III of the Body Pump Trilogy)

I am finally fully Les Mills Body Pump certified. It was a difficult process (see links below to posts) and I am so proud of this certification. Although I received a full ‘Pass’ on the initial training, I received a ‘Pass-Withheld’ on my video assessment. This meant that I did not need to re-submit my video, but I had to ‘clean-up’ any areas where I fell short and then have my Group Fitness Manager (GFM) review and sign-off before the certification can be issued.

The components of the video assessment for Body Pump are; Position, Execution, Timing, Fitness, and Feel. I received my assessment via email while on vacation in mid-July and it was very thorough. I was actually feeling wonderful as I started reading the complimentary tone of my assessor.  I had 100% on Position, Fitness, and Feel. and 90% on Execution but I did not get a full Pass. Well, ladies and gentlemen, my Timing really was that bad!

Well, I really couldn’t argue with the assessment. In fact, from the review and the suggestions to improve timing, it seemed to me as though the assessor really wanted to pass me but rightfully could not. In my defense, I did not have experience teaching to the beat. I primarily teach Pilates and Spinning. I used to teach a lot of Boot Camp and Total Body Conditioning, but those also do not use a beat. I also am not blessed with a natural talent for music. Yes, I had my work cut out for me.

I really have to give a lot of thanks to my GFM and the other Body Pump instructors who worked with me. They gave me lessons on counting the beats to many different tempos. I also thank my daughter for practicing with me. She has a natural feel for music and helped me practice the various tempos. I practiced by counting the beat and moving to the beat of all types of music.

Enough about me: What does this mean for you? Why is it so important for me to have my timing perfect in order to be certified? Well, it does make the class flow and it is more natural to move to the beat, but there is a much better benefit to the various tempos used in Body Pump.

Tempo Exercises are a great way to train your muscles to burn fat for energy. In Body Pump you perform tempo exercises at various slow steady tempos without pausing at the top or bottom. An example of this would be the 2/2 squats or even the 4/4 super-slow tempos. These put your muscles under a constant low level tension, which slightly restricts blood flow to the working muscles, depriving them of oxygen during the exercise. The muscles compensate for the low levels of oxygen by increasing the size of the slow-twitch fibers, which contain a high level of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the muscle cell that produces energy from fat. So, the more mitochondria you have, the more body fat you can burn. Also, since you are producing more energy, you can work out longer and harder and therefore burn more total calories.

As well as the slow tempos of 2/2, 3/1, 1/3, and 4/4, Body Pump also uses singles to drive your heart rate up and burn calories and incorporates isometric holds (1/1/2 count tempo) to recruit even more muscle fibers. So, by making sure we instructors are proficient in Timing, Les Mills creates a workout that will build lean muscles, shape and tone your body, build bone density, burn calories, and will not bulk you up! Timing is everything….

Make fitness part of your ‘back to school’ routine this week

XOX

http://sharonsherryfitness.blogspot.com/2011/05/pump-it.html
http://sharonsherryfitness.blogspot.com/2011/06/body-pump-part-deux.html

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.