Detoxify Yourself

Here is an interesting article with tips on how to detoxify every aspect of your life:

Detoxify Yourself: 101 Tips to Remove the Poison from Your Body and Your Life

Spring Cleaning: An Adventure in Detoxing-Day 4

Monday, June 2 - Day Four

More of the same! Although I didn't sleep well the night before, it wasn't because of the diet. I have 2 cups of green tea in the morning since I am tired, and this seems to help. I still feel pretty good despite having a restless night. I have my usual breakfast, and then chug down a protein drink since I'm going to the gym today. Those herbal supplements are really starting to kick in today! I won't say anymore about that - any more info than that on this topic would be TMI. I feel great when I get back from the gym, and thoroughly enjoy my lunch. Now that I've finished writing this, I'm going to go work in the garden!

Spring Cleaning: An Adventure in Detoxing-Day 3

Sunday, Day 3 - June 1

I slept great, and my morning routine is now starting to become just that. I do the same things I did on Saturday, feeling full & satisfied. Jay heads to his job at the National Harbor, so I tag along to check out the place and shop a little. I didn't pack any food, so I compromise with a veggie salad from Potbelly with only the tiniest bit of nonfat vinaigrette. Tasty, and the view of the Harbor is beautiful. Run to Crofton to pick up the kid from Grandma's, then run to Homestead Gardens for plants and then back home again, and although I'm hungry I am not famished. I make a glass of tomato/carrot/celery juice which tides me over till dinner beautifully. Roddy and I play on the porch and go for a long walk around the neighborhood before dinner. Dinner is delicious and satisfying, and I enjoy some hot herbal tea after the baby goes to bed. I feel no cravings for sweets at all, which is so weird to me!

Spring Cleaning: An Adventure in Detoxing-Day 2

Day Two - Saturday, May 31

I slept great, and wake up to try my new detox. I have 2 glasses of water, one with lemon, and a cup of herbal tea. I take my herbal supplements. I eat a piece of room temperature fruit, and get some quinoa cooking. 30 minutes later, I have a bowl of quinoa with a teaspoon of butter/olive oil mixed together, and a little sea salt. Yummy and nourishing! This is so much better!

Take Roddy to Grandma's, come home and get my veggies ready for lunch and dinner. Take more herbal supplements, and make myself a glass of cucumber/carrot/celery juice to have while I wait. Delicious! Eat lunch, and pack up my veggies and a thermos of iced herbal tea to take over to Bill & Mike's.

Dinnertime - been over at Bill & Mike's all day working on the carousel, hard manual labor and I'm soaked from the rain, covered in mud & axle grease. Everyone's starving, they order Power Pizza, chicken wings, and beer. I have my veggies and herbal tea - surprisingly, I am OK with this. Everyone feels bad for me, but I am fine! I think aliens have zapped my brain. I call it a night around 10:30, have some hot herbal tea and off to bed. Again, who is this person? A baby-free night with no beer?? I feel strangely calm & satisfied, but a little worried for my sanity.

(So far so good!)

Spring Cleaning: An Adventure in Detoxing-Day 1

Day One, Friday May 30 (As written by Jenny)

OK. Here we go. I started the day with no coffee, but had some herbal tea and a cup of green tea with stevia, plus lots of water with lemon. Took the first of my herbal cleansing supplements. Had a major upset stomach, and a headache. But I soldiered on. Had my antioxidant green powder mixed with water for breakfast - ecch. Still hungry, watch my son chow down on scrambled eggs & strawberries! Put some chamomile "sun tea" out on the porch to start brewing.

Roddy's naptime - time to make my "free soup", which is a pureed concoction of green vegetables plus herbs & spices to taste but no salt. You can drink the "free soup" throughout the day. It smells good cooking but isn't as tasty going down. Lunchtime, time to juice. Make a glass of beet/carrot/cucumber/beet greens juice in my new juicer. This is pretty good! Take my enzyme tablets and another dose of herbal cleanser.

Now it's Roddy's lunchtime - he gets mac n' cheese, french fries & avocado. I drink another antioxidant green drink. Oh this stuff is gross. My head is pounding, and I'm feeling overwhelmed and a little emotional. Call husband, who tells me I sound terrible and that he wants to talk about my detox plans when he gets home from work. I drink some more "free soup" and have another glass of iced chamomile tea. Does nothing to make me feel better.

Roddy & I walk to the park to play, but by the time we get home I have a blistering headache. Time to get dinner ready. I make the boys ravioli with turkey meatballs & marinara, and get my veggies ready for dinner. I have my supplements and my pureed veggies, tastes pretty good but I still feel miserable. Jay tells me he thinks I need to do a different detox, and I agree. I decide to do Dr. Haas' Detox Diet (which Kim gave me, thank you Kim!), and after Roddy goes to bed I eat three turkey meatballs & feel instantly better! Aahhh, nourishment!

(The "Kim" she refers to is Kimberly Rush-Lynch of Cultivating Health, who will be the main presenter of our "Spring Cleaning" workshop)

Spring Cleaning for Health

The Hot Mama Fitness Studio and Cultivating Health are sponsoring a workshop entitled "Spring Cleaning for Health". If you have ever been interested in cleanses or detoxes, this is a perfect workshop for you. For more information and to register, please see the Hot Mama Fitness Studio website.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Hiking-A Wonderful Workout Alternative

If you are looking for ways to add fun and exciting activities to your workout regime, try going hiking. The DC area has wonderful opportunities near by for hiking. This past Saturday, I went to my favorite local hiking place: The Catoctin Mountains, which are located only an hour outside of DC.

Hiking is a great test of your cardiovascular (and muscular) endurance. You need good core strength to balance as you walk on logs and rocks to cross streams. (Or to keep you up right on rocky paths) You can also build muscular strength by climbing rocks.

You can even go hiking right in DC in Rock Creek Park. Or just take a nice walk on your neighborhood trails. You don't have to choose between doing cardiovascular workouts or strength workouts during you walk either. You can do strength building exercises along the way. For example, you can do dips and push-ups on park benches. You can do squats every time you pass a fire hydrant. Bring your resistance band along and you can do rows using light poles. The possibilies are endless!

Don't forget to bring lots of water and to stretch before and after.

So grab a friend, get outside and get fit!

Two New Hot Mamas!

I am working with two new Hot Mamas this week, Devra and Sarah. Both are mothers that are looking to get back into shape.

I met with them for the first time on Thursday, May 22 at City Fitness Gym in Cleveland Park to conduct a fitness assessment. This is the first step in any personal training relationship. The fitness assessment starts off with us discussing each of their individual health histories (both are very healthy) and their long- and short-term fitness goals.

Then we moved on the the actual physical assessments which include:
A posture assessment on the treadmill
An over head squat (another posture assessment)
The pushup test
The situp test
Flexibility tests
The step test (for cardiovascular endurance)
and anatomical site measurements.

Everything went very well and they were still smiling when they left.

We are going to meet twice a week from now on. Check back to see how these Hot Mamas are doing and what they are doing to acheive their fitness goals!

You can also follow their progress and cheer them on at their blog: Loser Moms.

Obesity

We all know that the incidence of obesity is increasing dramatically in children and adults, but how do we stop it? The answer is simple- Focus on Five and Exercise. Focus on eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetable a day and exercising daily. Make up you mind and focus on health.

We, as a nation, are accustomed to eating fast and frequent, and our waistlines, knees and hips are screaming in agony because of it. Fresh fruits and vegetables are either nonexistent in our meals or poured from a can. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are usually heavy on simple carbohydrates and fats. The end result: Metabolic Syndrome.

This syndrome affects 58 million people in this country. The hallmarks of this syndrome are: increased cholesterol(LDL) and triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, high C-reactive protein levels (proinflammatory state), and elevated fibrinogen levels (excess clotting). Abnormal glucose levels round out this disorder. The end result of metablic syndrome is diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke. Recent research also demonstrates that Alzheimers is probably related to this syndrome as well. All of us want to live long and prosper, but how many of us will be healthy in our old age. How are you living?

As a mom, I realize that it is my responsibility to see that my family legacy is one of health and wellness-not metabolic syndrome. I truly believe that “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”. As such, I have taken a pledge:
1. I choose to expose myself and my children to a variety of food choices which incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. I choose to cook and to teach my children to cook for themselves as well.
3. I choose to incorporate physical activity into my daily life.
4. I choose to “Focus on Five and Exercise”

Join me and take the pledge. Rock and Rule!

Vicki Reese, M.D.
www.5adaycsa.com

5 A Day CSA was started to provide locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables to individuals and families. Studies have shown that those who eat more fruits and vegetables have lower rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease and hypertension.

Obesity and Health are Contagious

Researchers from Harvard and the University of California, San Diego have conducted a study that shows that obesity is not only a growing epidemic in the United States, it is as contagious as the common cold. The study says that if you associate with a group that is overweight, it is very likely that you will be overweight as well.

Spouses spend a lot of time together, but an overweight spouse has a smaller influence on you than your friends do. You share the same genetic makeup with your siblings, but they, also, have a smaller influence than your friends do. This is because we look to our close friends when determining appropriate social behavior. It feels more comfortable to be overweight if the majority of our friends are overweight. This makes sense, right? Are you always motivated to go out and run when you see your spouse lace up his/her running shoes? And just think back to all the times you were perplexed at your sibling's choice of hair style or clothing, but at the same time you wanted to dress exactly the way your friends did. We may not be in junior high any more, but things have not changed completely.

Try conducting your own survey. The next time you are at a social event, take a look at the groups of friends around you. See how many groups seem to be made up of mostly overweight individuals or mostly non- overweight individuals. Or even study your own different social circles.

However, the inverse can be true also. If you want to become healthier this year, you might need to spend time with a healthier group of friends. I don't mean that you need to completely divorce your current group of friends, but associating with healthier people can influence you to become healthier also. Plus, when your other friends see how healthy and fit you have become, they will likely want to join you! People that want to stop smoking or drinking will often join new social circles. Individuals that want to become healthier should think along the same lines.

Or perhaps you can convince your closest friends to work out with you?

To read more on this subject, check out the article in Time Magazine.

For more information on small group personal training in the Washington DC area, check out www.fitindc.com.