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Stretch and Strengthen Airplane

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Look up in the sky!  It’s a bird, a plane…

Because of our Trek the Himalayas Adventure program, we’ve been thinking a lot about Mt Everest lately and the superhuman effort it takes to summit.  We last delivered the “Tree Pose” to you and this next exercise builds nicely upon it.  We call it the “Airplane.”

This is a balance exercise that can grow over time to be quite difficult, but let’s start with the basics.

We challenge you to try this when you’re standing in line, or just waiting somewhere and need to move.  The very basic idea is to simply pick up one foot, touch your toe in front, to the side, and in back of you.  Try it.  Did you keep your balance?  Don’t forget to do both sides.  Repeat the sequence on each leg several times and see how balanced you stay as you get tired.

Once you’ve accomplished the balance-toe-touch, move on to a greater challenge of the airplane proper…

Put your arms out as if you are going to take flight.  While standing up straight, pick up one foot and slightly bend the knee of your weight bearing leg.  If you need to, in getting started, feel free to touch the toe of your raised foot to floor a time or two until you get centered.

When you are balanced and comfortable, bend forward at the hips until your shoulders are parallel to the hips.  Hold for 10 seconds, raise up and repeat.  Do this 10-20 times and then repeat on the other leg.

You’ll be balanced in your core, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

Let us know how it goes for you.

Away In Maine

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Ode to Wellness Champions…

“You find small melodies wherever you look and listen.” ~ The Vegetable Orchestra.

We’ve missed our standard blog posts this week because we’ve been out on the road training more than 80 Maine school district wellness leaders to be PATH Adventure Coordinators.

While traipsing across all corners of the state, from the foggy Portland seaside to the cozy Augusta capitol, to the snowbound potato farming hills of Presque Isle, we have been wholly inspired.

For those of you who may think we landed in the middle of nowhere, you are wrong.  Though the snow is plentiful and the woods are vast, though it’s a long way from cubicles and bright city lights, the drum beat of wellness is loud and clear, refined and robust.  This beat leaps from the hearts of the local wellness champions we met this week.

We met health educators, school nurses, PE teachers, classroom teachers, librarians, HR directors, superintendents, food service professionals, front office staff, and even facilities folks, who, if I closed my eyes, could have been part of any school system in America.  All of them bent toward the same goal: keep my workplace fabulous and healthy.  Why?  In part because it’s personal (wellness always is) and in part because they know (and embody) the ounce of prevention secret: the “do nothing” strategy simply isn’t an option.  If we do nothing about the current state of affairs in our nation’s health, the next generation will be the first in history to live shorter lives than their parents.

Thus the heart of a wellness champion is “ginormous.”  And they really are champions, by the way, as we know they don’t commit their right arm to this work, above and beyond what they already do for American families in their massively intense day job, because they expect fame or fortune.  Their drive and passion to help their co-workers build a better quality of life are palpable, rousing, and inescapable.

It inspires me that, no matter how small the budget or how limited the resources, they find a way to bring stalwart best practices in health promotion literally to the far corners of the nation.  They do so with every bit of rigor and attention to excellence as those in snappy corporate settings who boast gobs of resources and support.

It inspires me that they hop up, dust off, and start again each time a poorly informed community member knocks them down; when a tax payer chastises them for walking during their teacher prep time, for example.  Oh the irony of that. Would we rather have them in “work jail?”  Do we not want them to role model healthy behaviors?  Do we not want them to be their best, thinking at the best?  So are we not want to engage in preventive care to help reduce the heavy burden of health care costs on the school budget?

It inspires me when Susan, a librarian, arrives at our training, entering the building in the gust of a blizzard wearing a big, cheerful felt hat, a yummy, swinging shawl coat and the cutest darn lady bug patterned rubber boots you’ve ever seen; all topped off with a beaming “good morning!  Thanks for coming to Maine.  I’m wildly crazy about exercise and I’m doing all I can to get my colleagues equally jazzed, so bring it on.”

I’m inspired by Jean the nurse who monitors her colleagues’ blood pressures “because she can.”  Have you ever shadowed a school nurse?  They barely have time to breathe let alone spare concern for staff.  Jean chooses to champion the cause even though she’s not eligible for the cash reward.  “Oh, I don’t care about the money, just give me to tools so I can deliver and off we go!” I’m telling you, enormous, no GINORMOUS hearts.

I’m inspired by Holly who watches the administrative structure of her district and her grant funded job crumble and rebuild time and again around her while she stands in the middle, steady as a mountain, bearing gifts of PATH along with staff wellness days, healthy eating challenges, walking clubs, and Zumba classes (though we had spotted her as more of a powerful Pilates girl — shows-to-go-ya: never try to predict or dictate how someone else’s wellness ought to go.  There’s a world of possibilities out there).

These inspirations are the norm, not the exception (even though they are exceptional).  There are too many stories to tell in one blog.  Each person I met here inspired me because their circumstances made it seem as though they ought not to succeed and yet they are some of the most solid and creative wellness leaders I’ve met.  They mirror some of the successful champions we know in Texas, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Alaska.  They continue to teach me and I continue to be amazed by the following:  The more we are unique in our wellness melodies, the more our chorus is the same, and the more we are, therefore, all in it together, sharing comfort in the commonalities and welling up in the excitement of innovative minds meeting.  There is nothing like a PATH Coordinator conference!

Tomorrow is our last day with our new friends and, in person or away, I’m excited to continue to be inspired by those who seemingly “can’t” in so-called “no-where”.  No such a thing.   The little engine that could is chug-a-lugging along Maine’s byways, fueled by a myriad of little divine melodies in the most unlikely of places and we are so proud to be on board!

Let us know how you’ve been inspired by workplace wellness leaders.  Share your melodies here!

We’ll return to our regularly scheduled blogging next week.

Say Hello to Kale

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In the spirit of our philosophy ‘one degree change’ we want to introduce you to nutritionally rich foods each month and encourage you to begin incorporating them into your everyday diet. This month we’re suggesting Kale – a wonderful, nutritionally rich vegetable that we hope you’ll enjoy.

Kale is tasty, easy to prepare and incorporate into dishes you might already make, plus it packs a nutritional wallop!  A member of the cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala group), Kale is less dense and more leafy than broccoli or cauliflower.  Considered highly nutritious, Kale contains powerful antioxidant properties and contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. So as far as nutrition goes, it’s a home run.

Kale is easy to grow and widely available.  It is excellent alone as a side dish, or incorporated into other dishes such as stir fry’s and soups.  It can also be steamed like spinach and chopped to add to pasta sauces or folded into a casserole or lasagna.

We found our Kale recipe this month here at All Recipes, a great resource for cooks everywhere. Our kale recipe is for Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup.  If you already cook with Kale please share one of your recipes with us.

Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry navy beans
  • 1 large bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound spicy linguica sausage, sliced
  • 1 cup chopped shallots
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

Directions

  1. Place the navy beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
  2. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker in 4 cups of water for 25 minutes. Use the natural release method to release pressure. Do not drain.
  3. Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until kale is bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer, and cool under cold running water. Set aside.
  4. Heat olive oil over medium heat in the soup pot. Brown the linguica slices on each side, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add shallots to pot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits of sausage.
  5. Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans and their cooking liquid. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the kale and cook about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

    Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 382 | Total Fat: 24.1g | Cholesterol: 53mg

Whole Grain Fiasco

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From the Mixed Messages Files:

The Center for Science in the Public Interest reported this month that belly fat increases when we eat refined grains like white bread, white rice, white pasta. So we need to eat whole grains like quinoa, bulgur, Kasha, brown rice, oatmeal (Framingham Heart Study, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2009) — Duh, right?

But in another article they report that grains, when broken down by our body, cause high levels of acid in the blood which signals bone and even muscle loss.  Eek!

So, whole grains, good or bad?  The short answer:  Whole grains good, refined grains bad.  Whole grains tough on the body when not combined with acid neutralizers such as fruits and veggies.

The real life answer?  Let’s break it down.

Picture the scene:
Sally is stressed (I’ll let you make up why).  Sally is also hungry and in a hurry. She’s left work early because she’s got to get her dog from the vet, her kid to a school meeting regarding his learning disability, and she’s got to pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy. Not to mention groceries for dinner and doing laundry. She didn’t eat lunch because she had to leave work early and felt bad taking the time.  She won’t eat for another four hours.

Oh but wait, look, there’s one of those sandwich/coffee chains. She’ll just run in and grab a small to-go bite.

What’s available?  Anything she wants with the following criteria:
Refined flour and a side of trans fats topped with high fructose corn syrup but hold the veggies or fiber; and we’re talking a minimum of 500 calories ONLY if she can get out of their without being sweet talked into the creamy double mocha latte of the day (add at least 250 calories – see Nutrition Action Healthletter November 2010 for calorie lists of major sandwich chains).

IF she is human, she won’t get out of there for less than 700 calories.  Oh, and she’ll need to grab something for the boy because, well, who doesn’t share? Oh! And who doesn’t require a bite of whatever luscious treat she buys for her kid?

Now let’s add insult to injury…  She went to work when it was dark outside and has been inside or in the car all day. She lives where sun isn’t strong from October to May. And the skim milk in her fridge turned a week ago. She is a veritable armored shield against immune fighting, bone building vitamin D. Finally, she hasn’t been sleeping well because of stress (imagine that!) so she is craving high fat, high carb foods.  If she doesn’t get them, we all better run in the opposite direction.

Do you know Sally?  I know Sally.  I AM Sally every now and then.

What’s happening inside Sally’s body?
Because she hasn’t eaten all day and because she is sleep deprived her hormones that stimulate appetite are off the charts. Hoping that she’ll choose the half sandwich, or the low cal soup is a deluded pipe dream.

Once she eats her “snack” several things will happen:
First, her blood sugar will spike and then insulin will rush to store unused calories as fat. Second, unless there are fruits or veggies involved, the protein and breads will make the blood very acidic. The acid along with the enormous amount of sodium will cause her muscles and bones to lose tissue and calcium. This will make her feel weaker and even more tired. Third, the sugar (syrup pumps) in the coffee drink will offset the marvelously potent antioxidants of the coffee itself.

Because she hasn’t got any vitamin D at the ready, the calcium in the milk of the latte won’t have much chance to be effective at rebuilding the bone she’s losing from the acidic meal.  Because she’s been sitting all day and because of her sleep deprivation, the leaching of muscle tissue will quicken.

Depressing. Ugh. What’s a Sally to do?

Take heart! I’m not saying we should never eat a fun or even decadent meal at a sandwich or coffee joint.  The problem for Sally is the bad convergence of nasty factors and, worse, the lack opportunity to really enjoy the decadence.

Whole grains are good for you.  Really good for you.  Period.  Reams of studies prove that they are high in cancer fighting, heart bolstering fiber, and they are an excellent source of energy stoking B vitamins among others, and they are often a decent source of protein.  The drawback is that when they are broken down they create a lot of sulfuric acid in the blood.  As with all good things that also have a dark side, however, there’s a relatively easy solution…  Neutralize it.  How?  Add fruits and veggies.

Eat the yummy Panini but make sure it’s a veggie sandwich grilled on whole wheat bread maybe with a modicum of cheese added.  Strip the latte of the whole milk – skim milk is wonderfully creamy when steamed.  Drop the sweet flavor syrups to “one pump,” (most flavored coffees have four).  It’s okay to feed the tired, stress monster.  Just cut corners where you won’t feel it.

To cut down on the overall excess of calories, carry an apple or banana with you.  This will take the edge off the psycho hungries that cause rabid overeating.  When your tired body craves fat and carbs, wolfing down a banana will also offset acid in the blood.  Who knows, it may even help you skip the sandwich stop all together until you have access to better choices.  Then you can save the decadence for a time when you can really sit and enjoy it.

Finally, if you’re like Sally who has little access to natural sunlight, take a vitamin D supplement daily for prevention.  You’re going to stress now and then.  Be prepared.  Your bones and muscles and immune cells will thank you (and they’ll bolster you up during those crazy, hectic times).

Tell us how you deal with cravings when you’re stressed and tired.  Tell us your favorite whole grain tips.  Are you out there?  Let us know!

Stretch & Strengthen Tree

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Another favorite anytime, anywhere exercise we love is the Tree Pose in yoga.

Here’s a great shot of Ea from our Thirty Winks Adventure showing us how it’s done:

Nearly anyone can do it at any age to develop an improved sense of balance.  You’ll also get a stronger foot (especially arch), thigh, and core, while you’ll stretch the hips and groin (see Yoga Journal for more details).  We have a favorite Stress Management expert we like to quote when doing this exercise:

“Stand like Mountain, flow like water.” ~ Brian Luke Seaward (He’ll be joining us in Vermont in January to work with our Vermont school employee wellness program and helping us launch our Thirty Winks Adventure).

The Tree pose allows you to be the mountain and imagine the stress flowing off and around you.  When you’re through standing tall, imagine that you’re able to go with the flow!

Instructions:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Shift your weight slightly onto the leg and foot that will hold you up.  Keep your stomach tight and back flat.  Feel confident about your balance on the weight bearing leg before you lift your other foot off the ground.  If you are a beginner, make sure you are able to grab a chair or wall, or other sturdy surface in a pinch.

Once balanced and centered, bend the knee of the non-weight-bearing leg, placing the soul of your foot on the inner shin or thigh of your weight-bearing leg.  Beginners can start with the foot at the ankle or shin and work their way up the leg as they get more comfortable.

Arm progression:

  • Beginners can rest hands on hips, or hold the arms out to the sides for greater balance.  You can even grab hold of a sturdy chair or wall.
  • Putting the hands in a prayer position is the next step.
  • Intermediate exercises can put their arms straight up over head, fingertips reaching to the sky.
  • Advanced folks can reach arms over head placing palms together and moving the gaze to the ceiling.
  • If you really want a balance challenge from there, close your eyes.  But please, be careful and work your way up to this.

Advanced Leg Position:
To intensify the stretch, reach down and grab the ankle of the bent leg. Pull your foot up higher so that the sole is way up on inner thigh.  If you can, place the right heel on the inner groin with the toes pointing down to the floor. Finally, for a most advanced position, cross the bent leg over top of the knee and bend that weight-bearing leg so you sit back slightly in a bit of a squat.  This is quite difficult so please work your way up to it over the course a several weeks.  Here’s Chris P (also from Thirty Winks) with this

Advanced pose:

FOR ALL: Remember to repeat to the other side — let’s keep those legs even!

Let us know how the Tree works for you!  Are you balanced?

Helping With Healthy Leftovers!

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Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to celebrate, spend time with family and friends and to reflect on the things that we are grateful for in our lives.  It is also a time of abundance, which can translate to great excess where food is concerned.  We are almost programmed to cook too much and eat too much. The variety of foods we associate with Thanksgiving is vast. I mean, just think of the sheer number of dishes served at this traditional meal: Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, candied yams, butternut squash, green beans, creamed onions, oh my! All you need to do is Google Thanksgiving Leftovers and you will be treated to many sites dedicated to the topic and hundreds of recipes.  People take this topic very seriously! While most of the recipes are standard issue — things like open-faced sandwiches, casseroles, turkey chili and the like — some of the recipes are really unique and creative.

We wanted to find a recipe that was different from what you typically see, and share that with you.  So we did a bit of digging and tapped the Food Network site to come up with something we think is great — partly because it is quite healthy, but also because it is a breakfast option which can be really fun, especially if you have house guests. Try this and let us know what you think.  Or better yet, share a recipe that you love with us.

Poached Eggs with Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast and Sweet Potato Hash

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 sweet potatoes, baked for 40 minutes at 400 degrees F, cooled, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked diced Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast (4 ounces)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 4 eggs
  • Hot sauce, for serving

Directions
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the onion and thyme and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, turkey, salt and some pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are beginning to brown, about 3 minutes longer. Add the broth, scraping up any brown bits that may have formed on bottom of pan. Keep warm while poaching the eggs.

Fill a saute pan with 1 1/2 inches of water and the vinegar and bring to a simmer. Break 1 egg into a small bowl and then carefully pour it into the water. Repeat with the remaining eggs spacing them so they do not touch. Poach at a gentle simmer until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the hash between 4 plates and top each serving with a poached egg. Serve with hot sauce.

From the Food Network’s Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger. 2006, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

A Holiday Chemistry Lesson

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Acetylcholine.

No, I didn’t just sneeze, but hopefully this long and poetic word will soon “get on your nerves” (groan).  This famous brain chemical plays a key roll in transmitting nerve impulses that directly affect memory, mood, and learning.  Quick, go get some of it before you read on so that this blog post will sink in.  Just kidding.  Acetylcholine  (pronounced “ah-seat-ill-co-lean” and abbreviated ACh) also helps with muscle function, so there’s double the reason to bolstered it up quickly.

Plainly put, ACh readies the muscles for work and excites the nerves to action.  It is the firecracker under our feet to jump start all movement (voluntary or automatic).  In terms of memory, it revs up the synapses and shuttles information across from nerve ending to never ending.

Here’s another med-speak word with which we should be familiar: Anticholinergic.   A process or a substance that is anticholinergic blocks ACh from doing its job.  When in life are we most exposed to anticholinergic effects?  The biggest risk comes from certain medications such as some antihistamines, anti-depressants, and pain medications.  The second risk is when trauma strikes the body (i.e. major surgery, accidents, extreme stress, severe sleep deprivation, etc.).  Try playing a game of Perfection or Memory Match when you’ve had a colossally bad night’s sleep.  That which is anticholinergic affects word recall, name recognition, and so on.  It is the culprit responsible for the term “brain cramp” and the reason you stand in the middle of a room saying, “I know I came in here for a reason.”  Not only is your memory impaired, so too is your reaction time.  In short, in this case, ACh has left the building.

The University of California, Berkley Wellness Letter reports that we generally have enough ACh in our systems but in times of need it can be boosted by diet and stress management.  The nutrient choline can help form ACh in the body.  Good sources of choline are eggs, lean meats (as in turkey), brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and baked beans.  Looks like Thanksgiving is a good time to automatically boost ACh.

Limit or avoid medications that can thwart the efforts of our heroic neurotransmitter.  Talk to your doctor about your medications before adjusting or stopping them and certainly don’t forgo pain management.  Rather, try not to complicate matters by overdoing medications and be prepared to suffer a memory lapse here or there, knowing once the trauma and stress are resolved, so too will your memory.  Bottom line, be gentle with yourself and don’t panic that age or dementia are settling in as permanent markers.  Perfection in memory is an unfair standard in the best of times, and trauma will always subside, always.  It WILL get better, I promise.

What also helps?

Exercise and quality sleep — two of the best remedies for stress management (and all of life’s woes really).  A swift 20 minute walk can clear your head, and that marvelous post meal nap?  Ahhh.  A 1-2 punch in an anticholinergic smackdown!

Dealing with holiday travel, lots of people, and family history (or histrionics in some cases) can be very stressful, so, again, go easy on yourself.  Use the holiday time to breathe, walk, stretch, rest, gather with loved ones who lift you up, and eat good healthy foods.  ACh will stick around in this welcoming environment and prep you for the tough holiday hub-bub that may lie around the corner.  ‘Tis the season, so bolster up!

Microwave Magic

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Amana Radarange 1967Here’s the scenario: you want a hot meal at lunch but can’t take the time to leave the office – or maybe you could take the time, but there isn’t a place that caters to the lunch crowd within a comfortable distance from your office.  Have no fear – most worksites offer a kitchen and dining area equipped with a microwave and frozen entrees have come a long way!

Some interesting microwave facts – the microwave has been in use for more than 50 years! It works by generating heat inside your food, causing water molecules to vibrate and create friction. The microwaves penetrate only about an inch into an edibles surface, so you should stir food for more even heating. You can’t be harmed from standing in front of a microwave while it is heating your food, that’s an urban myth.

One of the great things about frozen entrees is that they are an excellent way to practice portion control.  They have the right amount of food to offer you a satisfying meal, without the option for seconds or overindulging.  Historically frozen meals are guilty of being high in sodium, so check the label and try to choose ones that have less than 750 milligrams. There are lots of low-sodium options including some that have even less than 100 mg.  Calories are a consideration as well with most frozen meals coming in at about 300-400 calories. This means you could actually add a cup of non-fat yogurt or a side salad to your lunch without totally blowing your diet.

There are many flavorful choices out there. Our recommendation is to go with ones that offer high fiber and use whole grains. We liked this list from Web MD that offers 12 healthy choices and tracks calories and fat content, protein and sodium as well.  Try them and let us know what you think!

Web MD 12 Healthy Frozen Entrees Calories Total Fat (g) Sat. Fat (g) Sodium (mg) Fiber (g) Protein (g)
Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake 340 9 1 380 8 9
Healthy Choice Cajun Style Chicken and Shrimp 260 4 1 570 3 15
Lean Cuisine Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken 290 9 2 570 4 18
Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli 300 6 2.5 600 6 9
Kashi Black Bean Mango 340 8 1 430 7 8
Lean Cuisine Beef Chow Fun 320 5 1.5 520 3 15
Smart Ones Thai Style Chicken Rice Noodles 260 4 .5 570 2 14
Healthy Choice Sweet Asian Potstickers 380 4.5 1 600 6 8
Lean Cuisine Glazed Chicken 220 3.5 1 500 1 21
Kashi Ranchero Beans 340 7 1 570 11 12
Smart Ones Cranberry Turkey Medallions 350 4.5 1 560 4 18
Healthy Choice Café Steamer 5 Spice Beef & Vegetable 290 4.5 1.5 560 4 14

A Cheesy Discovery

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Last week’s Sunday New York Times (11/7) reported an astonishing secret.  A group known as “Dairy Management” recently consulted with a flailing Domino’s Pizza to increase the amount of cheese on its pies.  Once accomplished, Domino’s sales doubled.  The closely held secret?  Dairy Management is not a private consulting firm for dairy farmers, no it’s “a marketing creation of the US Department of Agriculture”!  The very same government agency that sets the dietary guidelines meant to help stave off the rise in obesity and other food related concerns.

Recently we also learned that the FDA predicts the increase in American girth will continue until 2050, at which time over 40% of us will be clinically obese — not just overweight, but obese (up from 10% in the early 1980’s — where is Jane Fonda when we need her?).

Cheese and mismatched government agendas are not helping!  ARGH!

But is cheese really the enemy?  What nutrients are in cheese besides the fat?  Protein, lots of calcium and some potassium.

Conflicting research about dairy and its benefits, or lack thereof, roam the literature (also thanks to Dairy Management and its $140 million budget).  So let us follow the “this I know for sure” adage:

Calcium and protein are undeniable necessary and good.  Too much of either is most definitely bad.  Saturated fat?  Always bad but livable in moderation if offset by exercise (though great cardiologists such as Dr. Dean Ornish would say cut it out altogether, we’re just not sure that’s realistic in life).

Cheese?  Always marvelous, emotionally (well, except for Limburger cheese for Tom the cat when Jerry tricks him into being locked up with it).

Who would deny us those soothing, beautiful moments with a nice glass of wine, organic whole grain crackers, some tart apple slices, a few grapes and strawberries, and a triple cream brie in front of the fireplace on date night?

Who would deny those great cheese artisans their craft, or their living wage?

Appreciation is a valued character strength — stop and smell the 3-year old Grafton Cheddar, please!  No, INHALE!  There is poetry in the making (and sampling) of all these amazing cheeses that have rippled across the land.  All you have to do is go to the deli counter at a co-op or Whole Foods type of store.  You couldn’t begin to estimate the number of different options to tempt your pallet.  I’m salivating just picturing it.  And the samples, OH the samples.  Whew!  I’m getting light headed.

So, maybe our wallets and our arteries would disagree (people haven’t nick-named  it “Whole Paycheck” for no reason).  What’s a cheese crazed health nut to do?  Is that an oxymoron?

How DO we manage the joy of cheese, the good, the bag and the ugly, without it hardening our hearts?

This is a time where the word moderation really does matter — a LOT.

Think about it.  When we invite people over for dinner, the appetizer does usually include cheese and crackers.  Is it usually one of the great artisan cheeses though?  In our house, whatever the cheese, my football playing teenage boys wolf it down with a splash of some horrible energy drink they purchased while I wasn’t looking.  “Sacrilege!” I shout as I shoe them off.  Sure, they’re young and active and will burn off that fat before it has a chance to even think about being artery plaque; but my wallet and my passion for the arts say, NO.  Either ditch the nasty sugared caffeine concoction and sit here and talk with us, or out you go.

The next scenario is how much we ourselves dip into the cheese plate without thinking.  With dinner guests, the most important order of business is catching up.  Gossip?  Who’s gossiping?  Honestly we’re usually caught up in some silly story about aging that also exasperates the fragile ears of teenagers — another way to move them off the appetizers.  The key operative here, though, is “caught up.”  Friendship and sharing does that, so before you know it half the Costco size block of cheddar is gone and you’re bringing out the rest before the first course (mind you those blocks were meant for industrial cooking, never for household parties of two or three families).

The New York Times reported in its pizza story that we eat 33 pounds of cheese per person, on average annually, triple what we at in the early 1970s.  One ounce of cheddar, they remarked, provides the same saturated fat as an 8 ounce glass of whole milk.  What’s worse is that the USDA has joined with factory cheese makers to become our pushers.

STOP!  I tell you.  Cheese is poetry. PO-ET-RY!  If it is not treated as such, I say why bother?  So many other calories can be eaten mindlessly.  For example, a veggie platter with a spicy low-fat dip would do the trick.  Gather round, share your weekly war wounds and munch on something that will bolster you for the following week — something you might not eat otherwise.

For the cheese, I’m begging you…  Set the scene.  Buy a few ounces of a few different types.  Gather round with serious purpose.  Just as you might do a taste test for any other product, really pay attention to what goes in your mouth.  This is the art of “savoring” and it goes a long way.  When was the last time you really felt something was mouth-watering?  I mean REALLY?  Good food is so much “at the ready” that we’ve forgotten to APPRECIATE its depth and complexity.  The only way to get back to that is to be together and seek it out, with purpose.  Shush up, feel the food in your mouth for a bit, chew slowly, and TASTE.  Then talk about it.

And before you know it, you’re satisfied with an ounce or two instead of ten.

The fat isn’t really so much in the cheese, though in excess we cannot deny it.  It’s also partly in our government public health efforts, partly in powerful corporate marketing platforms, and partly in our own brains sopping up what the agencies, marketing campaigns, and mindless eating situations serve us.

Stand up for taste and joy and you’ll cut the fat without losing the meaning.

Let us know how you choose to savor anything special this week!  We can’t wait to hear.

Stretch & Strengthen Warrior

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Warrior?  Yes, Warrior!

Sometimes life can feel a bit like war and the daily grind can often require warrior-like stamina.  Our inner struggle to be the person we hoped can be its own frustrating battle as well.  The work your body does in the warrior poses builds enduring strength and encourages grounding. It also stretches parts of our body that stiffens up with normal everyday tensions.  There are several versions of this exercise in life and in yoga.  In yoga this is called Warrior to promote strength in the personal struggle of self-control and self-efficacy.  Here is a progression of the Warrior poses:

Any and all of these are brilliant at building strength and balance in your legs and core (back, stomach, buttocks).  The goal is to start with Warrior I and work your way up and into III, either in one sequence or over the course of several months.

A critical safety aspect is to be sure you protect your bent knee always working to keep it as close to a ninety degree angle as possible (and no more).  When starting out, do not allow your knee to push forward beyond your toe.  More importantly, keep your heel down and always keep the knee in line with your ankle (pointed toward your middle toes).  You don’t have to start at ninety degrees either.  Work your way down to 90 degrees.  For more on proper form of a lunge read this article from the American Council on Exercise.

Warrior pose #1:
This pose begins as a lunge with your chest facing forward. Never let your knee push past your toes. Your arms go straight up over your head as you sink into the lunge. When you feel balanced, you can finish the pose by raising your eyes and head to look up at your thumbs. Hold your stomach in, keep your back flat and remember to breathe.  Stretch up through your arms, shoulders and chest; and stretch your back, or straight, leg.

Warrior pose #2:
Stay in the lunge, and now move your arms down parallel to the floor. Turn your eyes (and thus head) to the far wall (facing the bent knee). Try to keep your chest facing forward as in pose #1. Hold your stomach in, keep your back flat, and remember to breathe. A variation on this is to then turn your chest toward to the far facing wall, over the bent knee, and then raise your arms back up over head.  Some instructors call this Warrior 1.  There is much debate over which pose is one, two, or three – you can make the progression yours.

Warrior pose #3:
This is the most advanced warrior. The goal is to have your leg, back, head, and arms make a straight line. Start by raising your leg and arms as high as is comfortable. Also, bend your knee until you feel strong enough to eventually straighten out your weight-bearing leg.  This will really challenge your balance.  Breathe deeply from the base of your spine and you’ll hold on for a good while.

Here’s what a real person looks like moving into Warrior pose #3:

Again, getting your back flat and making a straight line with your body on top of the supporting leg is the ultimate goal.  Good luck with your battles and let us know how it goes!