May 2006  The Best Laid Plans...

You know how the saying goes. And, it sure is true! It’s been almost three months since I sent out my last newsletter under my former company name, Flexible Fitness. I made a big announcement about looking out for the March newsletter and a big announcement about the change in my business. March went by and so did April, and here we are in May finally with my latest newsletter. Allow me to explain myself…

First of all, this is the first edition of the newsletter after changing from Flexible Fitness to Healthier Outcomes. I underwent a name and branding change to reflect my emphasis on more than just fitness coaching. I am now offering not only fitness coaching, but Intuitive Eating coaching, wellness coaching, and health and fitness coaching specifically designed for the special needs of entrepreneurs. You can check out all the changes at my new website, www.healthieroutcomes.com.

All these changes were scheduled to take place by March 1st, hence the reason I made the announcement in my February newsletter! But, as often happens in life, there were lots of unforeseen circumstances. I always coach my clients to be flexible and ready to implement a contingency plan when their week’s plans get changed. Taking my own advise, I have been working hard on more coaching education and upgrading and improving my coaching packages and services. I believe it has been worth the wait, and I hope you feel the same way when you see all the changes.

As I mentioned back in February, I wanted to put more emphasis on wellness and Intuitive Eating coaching because fitness is only part of the equation and I have found emotional overeating to be a major factor in whether my clients will continue to experience success and improvements in their health. This was certainly the case for me, as you can read in my story, http://www.healthieroutcomes.com/mystory.html.

I am offering a brand new special report called, “6 Steps to Guilt-Free Eating”, which you can download for free at www.healthieroutcomes.com. Please take a look at the new website and let me know what you think!

Stay tuned for another announcement within a week or two about a special series of free teleclasses to kick off and celebrate Healthier Outcomes. We have some exciting topics and special guests planned!

As an entrepreneur, you probably find yourself fighting the balancing act everyday with customers, marketing, employees, and business development, let alone family, friends, and personal pursuits. With all this responsibility, do you find it impossible to fit in time to exercise? Of course you are not alone, many business people want to exercise, but it ends up low on the priority list, after business, family, and all the daily fires that need to be put out.

The irony of this all-too-common scenario is that regular exercise can provide the entrepreneur with business benefits you may have never imagined. Working out will improve not only your waistline, but your bottom line as well!

Energy to Last All Day

Regular exercise can give you the mental and physical energy to meet the challenges of running your business. The fact is, expending energy through physical activity creates more energy. Most business people find themselves more productive and focused on the days they exercise. They also are moving around more during the day, burning more calories!

The long and erratic schedule of entrepreneurs require the energy to deal with customer demands, emergencies, and the unexpected, sometimes long into the evening, all with the enthusiasm and clarity you would give it first thing in the morning. Effective, consistent exercise can give you that needed energy.

Make Exercise Your “Business Development” Time

When you think you are taking time away from work to exercise, look at exercise as business development time, especially when those solutions aren’t coming while you are stuck at your desk.

By stepping away from business, having some alone time and increasing your metabolism and circulation, solutions to problems will come to you, and new creative ideas will develop. Go for a quick walk, walk up and down some stairs, and wait for the ideas to flow!

Exercise and Multitasking

When you really need a reason to stop working to exercise, don’t forget your continuing education. How much reading do you have to catch up on? Knowing you can keep up with industry news, continuing education or self-improvement reading can be a great motivator. Just grab your materials, a reading rack, and a cardio machine and you are ready to go! Don’t forget books on tape and all those training tapes you haven’t had time to listen to – nothing makes a workout go faster.

Whatever reason you can find to make exercise a priority, just know it will ultimately lead to more time, energy and money!

“We must be getting rain, my arthritis is acting up”. You probably know many people who have become amateur meteorologists just because of their arthritis – you may even be one of them. There are many forms of arthritis, but the kind that predicts the weather is also the most common: osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease. The pain of arthritis is caused by the wearing away of the cartilage at the end of bones, allowing the bone surfaces to rub together and cause pain and stiffness.

Arthritis pain can lead to inactivity which can in turn cause even more pain, decreased flexibility, weakness, and reduced fitness levels. Many are afraid of more pain, stiffness, and joint damage if they exercise. The truth is that exercise is very important for the management of osteoarthritis. Proper exercise can reduce joint pain and stiffness and improve flexibility, strength, and endurance. It can also help with weight management, reducing additional stress on weight-bearing joints such as the hips and knees.

There are three types of exercise that should be incorporated into a safe and effective arthritis exercise program. First, flexibility and range of motion exercises such as stretching and light motion (arm circles, for example) should be done every day to prevent stiffness and maintain function. Muscle strengthening such as using weight machines, free weights, or resistance tubing, should be done every other day to maintain joint strength and support. Aerobic exercise such as walking, biking or swimming should be done three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes. This type of exercise helps with weight management and maintaining function.

To get started, first be sure to consult your physician for clearance to exercise and specific guidelines for your condition. Working with a physical therapist or qualified personal trainer to learn proper form and technique can minimize risk of injury. Also consider water-based exercise such as aqua aerobics. Many communities have special classes and pools designed for aquatic arthritis programs. Exercising in the water helps take much of the pressure off the joints, making movement easier.

Always check with your doctor if you are having a flare up before exercising. Signs that you have done too much and it is time to back off include persistent fatigue, increased weakness, decreased range of motion, increased joint swelling, or pain that continues beyond one hour after exercise. If these symptoms continue, it is important to have your program modified by a professional.

For more information:

Arthritis Foundation
1330 West Peachtree Street, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30309
800-568-4045
www.arthritis.org

There really is a month for everything! In fact, May has at least 39 health-related observances, but blood pressure is the focus for our newsletter. Consider this: approximately 50 million Americans have high blood pressure, and almost one-third of these people do not know they are at risk. Often, the first symptom of hypertension is a stroke or heart attack. If you don’t currently know your blood pressure, please take this month to have it checked. Many drug stores have do-it-yourself testers or you can go to your doctor, health club, or local fitness professional to get a reading.

What is blood pressure? Let’s say yours is 120/80, which is considered normal. The top number (120), called systolic blood pressure, refers to the amount of pressure created by the heart pumping blood to the body. Diastolic blood pressure, the bottom number (80), is the amount of pressure left when the heart relaxes in between beats.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is any reading of 140/90 or above. Left untreated, it can lead to many serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. While the cause of hypertension is often unknown, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommendations the following to prevent or control it:

• Eating healthy foods that include fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products
• Cutting down on salt and sodium in the diet
• Losing excess weight and staying at a healthy weight
• Limiting alcohol intake
• Staying physically active

You can take care of two of these guidelines – being active and losing excess weight – by exercise. Thirty minutes of moderate activity most days of the week is recommended. Moderate activity includes brisk walking, riding a bicycle, and gardening. You can even break up the activity into smaller bouts, such as ten minutes of activity three times during the day. As always, be sure to check with your physician before starting any exercise program.

If you have hypertension, your doctor may prescribe medication to control it. Some medications can affect your exercise, so be sure to check with your doctor. While there are many different types of medication for treating hypertension, here are a few categories and their effect on exercise:

• Beta blockers can lower exercise heart rate and maximum heart rate. Using perceived exertion to measure intensity is a better choice if using this medicine.
• Diuretics can cause dehydration. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.
• Ace inhibitors keep your blood pressure lower at rest and during exercise. A longer cool down period is advised, and be careful to not get up from the floor too quickly.

For more information on hypertension prevention and control: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/

Spring and summer offer wonderfully colorful foods to add to your plate. Why color? For one thing, we eat with all of our senses – we like foods that are pleasing to the eye. Making a meal with a variety of colors adds to our eating pleasure. Also, more colors on our plate mean more nutrient variety in our food.

Most people get in a rut with their diet, eating the same handful of meals over and over. Consider a few new recipes this summer to add more color to your life (really!) and more nutrients to your plate. Try this recipe from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) to spice up plain old steamed broccoli:

Spring Broccoli – makes four servings

2 cups broccoli florets
¼ cup diced purple onion
¼ cup diced yellow pepper
¼ cup diced pimento peppers
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. dried marjoram
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Steam the broccoli for two to three minutes, or until it is bright green. Transfer it to a medium bowl. Add the onion, yellow pepper, and pimento. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, orange juice concentrate, rice vinegar, garlic, parsley, marjoram, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Toss the dressing with the broccoli. Serve at room temperature or cold.

My thoughts: for a fresh orange taste, consider squeezing a few oranges in place of the frozen orange juice from concentrate.

Nutrition per serving: 57 calories, 4 g. total fat (<1 g. saturated fat), 6 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 11 mg. sodium.

The orange juice and herbs provide a burst of complementary phytochemicals and vitamins to the sulforaphane and vitamin C in the broccoli. For more free recipes, visit the AICR Recipe Corner.