In spite of loving the members, staff, and unique atmosphere at The Square, I was overwhelmed with an immediate case of workout envy after visiting my grand daughter’s gym. Certain differences between her fitness center and mine were obvious. Natural sunlight streamed through the extensive glassed-in lengthof her building and set a positive tone even without music. Colorfully posted rules in rollicking red letters prompted responsible use of shared space. Two of the regulations that impressed me most were: “Don’t Attend Class if You are Sick or Have a Runny Nose” and “Most Important, Have Fun!”
Hennie's Workout
As for equipment, no steel bars, rough straps, hard mats, or dusty exercise balls were anywhere evident. Instead, the entire workout room was alive with bright and cushy, made-to-order gear for jumping, rolling, climbing, sliding, or maybe floating– as in a pool of super-sized ping-pong balls. When the instructors brought out multiple swings to hang onto hooks attached to the ceiling, I imagined my face turning green as I suddenly yearned for swing time at our club.
Observing the myriad activities available for gym patrons was like watching a three-ring circus. Balloon bopping appeared to be a hit (!) all around with the little ones. During their adventure time, each budding athlete crawled over spongy hurdles and at separation (independent) time they played with puppets or stuffed animals. Instructors visibly hustled to change up the pace or provide new props every few minutes. What was not to appreciate about the jazzy, interactive songs at good-bye time? Nada en absoluto!
No wonder Hennie loves her gym where development of social interaction and physical fitness skills are equally emphasized. An unexpected carry-over effect is that with plenty of jumping time elsewhere, Hennie no longer races up to her room at dull moments during the day to jump on the bed. But just in case her weekly workouts are less than adequate, she can always drop by our condo. Her grandfather and I now keep a mini-trampoline somewhat hidden under a coffee table ready to pull out whenever she or her cousins stop in for a visit.
Thanks to Hennie, I’ve re-learned “Jumping is Joyful” as well as a useful rule to apply while at Brickbodies: “Have Fun, It’s Important.” BTW and just for the record, Chip and I as proud grandparents will always remember the two words Hennie enthusiastically sequenced together in speaking her first sentence: “I-jumpin’!”
I am tired. Specifically, I am tired of not exercising. Isn’t that a “fine kettle of fish”?
Never in all of my years, and they are many, have I been sidelined for such an extended period. Sure I’ve had pneumonia and the flu, broken bones and stitches, even had my head shaved and sewn back together, and, of course, there was that nasty incident with a chainsaw a few years back. This is different.
After my first “real surgery,” I am ready to get back to normal. My body, however, isn’t so sure. After two months of balancing on one foot and lifting anything under 5 pounds, I want to get back into the gym/workout routine. The problem is that by3:00 in the afternoon I am completely played out. I go from feeling fine at 2:30 to hardly being able to drive myself home for a siesta a mere half hour later. Everyone tells me that this is “normal”. Well, I don’t like it and starting February 1, I am going to return to Brick Bodies to see if exercise can heal the post-surgery doldrums I find myself in.
Against my nature I am going to attempt to go slowly. No seeing I if I can put another 10 pounds on this machine or do 25 more reps. I will heed Good Ol’ Uncle Vic’s advice from one of his videos last summer to go slowly, very, very slowly to get the most out of an exercise. When you see someone taking 45 seconds for a single repetition on one of the exercise machines, that will be me. And if you should see me trying to do a sit up or ab exercise, please waggle a finger at me and remind me, “Not until May, Commish.”
by Dr. Barbara L. Downes, Chiropractor, Sports Physician, Medical Acupuncturist, Nutrition & Holistic Physician
www.downeshealth.com
Secrets of the Masters~~The Universal Laws of Success is a list of philosophies that have transcended time from master to student many times over. I am fortunate to have had these handed to me by my acupuncture master who had them handed to him by his many decades ago. I carry these with me, post them in my home and office and share them abundantly with s/he who would care to learn. I read one or two a day and have for years.
I invite you this New Year season to consider closely these laws and integrate them thoughtfully as they will invariably help you attain your life dreams as well as help along on that elusive journey to peace of mind!
THE LAW OF CREATION: Whatever we think about and focus upon grows into reality. We create the situations we think about throughout the day. Think you will succeed, you will. Think you will fail, you will do that too. Focus on being sick, you end up creating the illness, focus on being healthy and vibrant, you create that as well. Think you are old, others will perceive you that way. Feel and think you are young, you will create that as well.
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION: We attract people, places, things and circumstances into our lives in direct proportion to our wants, needs and desires. People and situations come into our lives not by accident, but by our attraction and creation of the need.
THE LAW OF CONTROLLING OUR OWN LIFE: If we are not specifically controlling our own life and creating the circumstances which are necessary to meet our desires, we will become an instrument for others who do have control of their own life. We in essence will be used by others to meet their mission and destiny.
THE LAW OF RELAXATION: With physical laws, the harder we work, the more is accomplished. With mental laws, the more we relax, believe and expect to succeed with ease and confidence, the better the results.
THE LAW OF RECIPROCITY: Whatever we see in the universe sees us! Whatever attitudes, feelings, thoughts and desires we put out, regardless of if they are negative or positive, will always return to us.
THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE (KARMA): Like the Law of Reciprocity, deals with mental factors, the Law of Karma deals with physical manifestations. This law is what may affect our personal belongings, physical health and financial status. This law works either negatively or positively depending upon what we have put out in the universe.
THE LAW OF RETURN: Our rewards in life are in direct harmony with the value of our products, services or ideas. Very important!
THE LAW OF SUBSTITUTION: Consciously substitute all negative thoughts with positive ones immediately upon experiencing the negative thought. We can only experience one thought at any given time, therefore by substituting a positive for a negative, only positive will reach the subconscious.
THE LAW OF BELIEF: Whatever we believe with strong feelings becomes our reality. We are not limited by what we think we can do, but by what we think we can’t do. Self-limitations are not based upon reality, but negative belief systems.
THE LAW OF PRESENT-TIME CONSCIOUSNESS: It is imperative that we live in the present as opposed to “tomorrow” or “yesterday.” Preparing for tomorrow with righteous living and positive thoughts prepare us for what we will manifest; however, it is what we do today, right now (present-time consciousness) that is most important to achieve the rewards of life.
THE LAW OF PERSONAL GROWTH: “To become, act and feel as if.” To become a successful practitioner, businessperson, parent, athlete, etc., act and feel as if you are already successful. The human spirit will act upon what it is given.
THE LAW OF EXPECTATION: We must know what it is we want to accomplish or obtain before the universe can manifest our desires. Most people don’t know what they want due to unclear thinking and foggy mental vision.
THE LAW OF CLARITY: The clarity of our mind and thoughts is in direct proportion to the physical clutter in our lives. Take a look around you.
THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT: Within universal law, our thoughts are the cause; the conditions, either good or bad, are the effects. The outcome is totally dependent on our creation of thought. (See the LAW OF CREATION.)
THE LAW OF PERSEVERANCE: People who succeed never stop trying. People who stop trying, never succeed. You see it time and time again in life. Never stop trying and reach your dreams.
THE LAW OF FORGIVENESS: Forgiving all others is a necessary and effective purgative for a successful life. The law doesn’t demand that we like the other person or situation, just that we forgive them and let go of the mental chains that entrap us.
Gym-goers and non-exercise buffs alike normally resolve to take off a few pounds this time of year. Although vowing to get fit has intrinsic allure and is totally worthwhile, myriad choices abound. Do we pursue a solo workout program or join a boot camp class? Do we concentrate on eliminating snacks or focus on portion control? Or both?
For sure, putting a new eating plan into place and kick-starting a vastly different training program are tough objectives to tackle. Being specific and not overly zealous is always a safe strategy. Too often I’ve picked goals I’ve given up by January 15th. In fact, after reviewing New Year’s resolutions I’ve churned out in the past, only three are keepers:
1. Quit smoking. Thanks to support of individual family members and the media, I’ve kept this one since forever. Trust me, you don’t want to know for how many years!
2. Exercise a minimum of ½ hour a day. This was my goal 2 years ago and although I fudged days here and there, the good news is I joined Brick Bodies. I’m still working out at The Square 4-5 times a week maintaining no less than thirty minutes of aerobic exercise. A bonus is meeting great people!
3. Blog daily. I tried blogging in conjunction with resolution #2 a while back but even good friends said reading those daily posts lacked luster. Keeping an old-fashioned diary locked with a key makes sense for my future.
Okay, maintaining nos.1 and 2 (piece of cake!) but changing #3 to private journaling about something other than exercise might work in 2012. Why not record what I consume each day? Sounds do-able and now that I’ve actually started, positive changes have spontaneously occurred. Benefits I’m already reaping include:
1. Eating wiser. Before plopping a bag of popcorn into the microwave, imbibing in an extra glass of wine, or snitching a gold fish cracker leftover from a grand child’s visit, I think about my daily list. Silly items and whatever is mindless or non-nutritional loses its instant appeal.
2. Eating less. Eyeing the buffet table at a party, I choose only the fare that looks tantalizing. I try to keep initial portions small. Because I can remember no more than four items for later record keeping (and that’s a stretch!), I select fewer foods and take seconds of just what is truly scrumptious or memorable.
3. Consuming foods with greater nutritional value. I can’t help but check out the previous day’s record as I write down today’s. Being proud, I want to serve and consume what looks good on paper as well as on the table. I’m into color and variety and that’s healthy eating!
All in all, in spite of the much-heralded doom and gloom of the Mayan Calendar ending, a new resolution might create a stellar beginning for you, too, in 2012. Happy New Year and Blessings Every One!
This morning, Makai, my giant Anatolian Shepherd and I were walking….
So begins most of my blogs in the Bad Golfers Association blogsite. However post-surgery Mak and I could not take our early morning walks since he is strong enough to pull me as if I was on roller blades and the Doc forbids me to lift more than 5 pounds or do anything more strenuous then Kegel exercises. This, it turns out, produced a serendipity of the first magnitude.
Mrs. Commish, who has been allergic to mornings for as long as we have worked together, suddenly was put in a position whereby she had to get up early and open our studio. Since she had to get up and the dog still needed to be walked, I suggested that if she would walk Makai I would walk along with them. Surprisingly, she thought this was a fine idea.
Our walk is a simple one, down one driveway, along the road for a bit and then up our other driveway. The whole circuit is just a tick under half a mile but there is nothing level about it. In fact, the uphill climb at the end is so steep that we never used to drive up it in our MGB back in the day.
As Mrs. Commish had to adjust to my schedule I found that I had to become more aware of her mornings, also. Each morning before going on the walk she has to test her blood because she is a diabetic. So far she does not have to take insulin but her morning readings are always too high (about 180). If you do not live with a diabetic than this probably doesn’t mean anything to you but briefly she should try to keep her blood sugar readings around 100. Just after she was diagnosed a little over a year ago, her readings would often be above 200 but with Metformin and awareness she has gotten her levels below 140 throughout the day, often below 120, but her morning readings were always so high that insulin shots were being considered.
Mrs. Commish has maintained the same exercise regimen at Brick Bodies in Timonium that she has done for several years with just the addition of our morning walk. Within two weeks we noticed a significant improvement in her morning blood readings. Now her readings have dropped to the low 120’s and sometimes even in the high 90’s, practically normal. Diet had not influenced these morning readings before as the liver seems to “dump” hugh amounts of glucose or whatever it dumps into the bloodstream as a precursor to making sure your body has enough fuel for waking up and beginning your day… to get you ready to break your fast (hence, breakfast).
The simple addition of an early morning walk is allowing her body to work more normally without the need for injections. This has been a wonderful serendipity for us that came about because of my inability to “pull my own weight.” If you have someone fighting diabetes maybe you can encourage them to just include an early morning walk. Besides the air is crisp and just observing the circadian rhythms of your body and Mother Nature herself produces a calming of the soul.
Meanwhile, in another six weeks or so, I look forward to resuming workouts involving more than Kegeling or balancing on one leg.
Happy New Year to one and all and may you realize the benefits of all of those New Year’s Resolutions you thought about making.
Dr. Barbara Downes, ChIropractor & Functional Medicine Specialist
This time every year I hear patients tell me they are starting to put on their “winter coats”. They gained a few pounds since Thanksgiving and are nervous about the next few they may pack on by the New Year. The jokes and nervous laughter are always the same– that you only live once, that it’s time for cookie madness, or what-the-heck it’s that time of year. I also hear the same things by January–that they are tired, bored, bloated, and forgetting about any special resolutions they’d made, they just don’t feel good enough to follow through. They readily admit that the cookies weren’t worth it, stuffing isn’t all that, and they continue to jest about that mid-winter bulge.
Most of my wellness, lifestyle and biotransformation patients know better than to joke with me about these things! I take gaining a pound or two very seriously. Just one or two pounds a year add up as do health consequences, so I decide to turn these holiday weeks into their physical opposite: fitness and whole health challenges to be met with head on, enjoyed and celebrated!
My Holiday Health Challenge to you then is to set a finite health goal. You may want to set a goal to lose 3 pounds by New Years Eve, or to make a commitment to your daily workout. Make it concrete and write it down. Get a buddy to help keep you honest, or better yet, meet you for that morning workout! Don’t miss a day!
I do not accept layers of winter fat! I consider holiday time a fun, festive, active and nourishing time that is a prequel to swim-suit season. That keeps cookies in perspective and joints moving!
Some action-steps that will help you reach your Holiday Health goal:
Watch every morsel you eat. If your goal is to lose a few pounds, take extra care to restrict starches. Opt for the fruit instead of the bagel with your eggs, forget the potatoes and especially forget the white bread. These things are your enemies and should be treated as such…get away from them and distract yourself with physical activity. It is easy to do if you are enjoying three meals a day with quality protein and lots of fresh vegetables. The starch and sugar cravings just won’t be there in a few days.
Never miss a workout. In fact this would be a great time to hire a personal trainer or a Pilates instructor, and commit to a schedule. Get to BrickBodies, you can always shop online later.
Give and Get Healthy Gifts. A great gift for me would be Pilates Classes, running shoes, sport shorts, and sports massages. Perhaps give your spouse a health club membership and a bike or some snow shoes and then pledge to keep up with them.
Make this holiday a gift of feeling great, being in fabulous health and helping others do the same. None of us need that cookie, but we all need a healthy body and a healthy family!!
With December’s double whammy of preparation and celebration, reviewing what transpired this past year and setting new goals won’t happen for me until January except concerning one event: The Seagull Century. Ever hear of it?
Just in case a work out buddy of yours suggests you fill out a registration right after New Year’s and you do, here are a few pointers:
1. Remember, you’re asking for leg cramps or “the bonks” if you don’t hydrate more than you think you need.
2. Don’t become stranded on an island in Maine one month before ride day with only a rickety 40-year-old 3-speed English racer as your training bike. However, if you do, enjoy the gorgeous ocean views and glimpse of Mt. Washington towering in the distance. This peak, more than seventy miles away in New Hampshire, is not visible during summer’s haze.
3. Avoid being rear-ended and entering a five-car pile-up on the Bay Bridge mid-afternoon the Friday before the Saturday of race/ride date even if you are lucky enough to meet somebody as nice as Adam who offers to true your bike tires.
4. If you happen to bump into my husband Chip and he tells you to tell Adam you appreciate his offer but no thanks, don’t listen. You could find yourself riding the first 23 miles of the Seagull Century on Saturday morning with both brakes dragging and a front wheel that thrrr-umps.
5. Be sure to hug and kiss all free mechanics strategically situated along rest stops from this point on who can fix anything on your bike within five minutes or less. They are angels and gifted folks who know their stuff.
So what was memorable about the 100 mile ride in Salisbury, Maryland in 2011? The
spectacularly clear and colorful fall weather? Winding in and out of wild horses grazing on the grass on Assateague after crossing the bridge? Cherry pie served with ice-cream to all riders? Celebratory dinner and drinks with my workout buddy and our spouses following an awesome all-day ride? Meeting up with friends at their amazing abode on Pine Island for two days of extended weekend and beach time? All of the above and much more.
Even the last thirty miles of gusting headwinds were beautiful. They helped me realize all my gym time whenever I snagged it at BrickBodies during the previous year reaped healthful reward. I finished the ride.
As for other awards? No garland, ribbons, or prizes await the regular Jo or Joanna. We simply return home feeling fortunate, confident, and/or crazy enough to plan for some other personal physical contest the next year. Ever hear of El Camino de Santiago de Compostela? A 30-day 800 kilometer trek through amazing scenery including the southern tip of France, a peak or two of the Pyrennes, and stellar vistas of Spanish countryside– Wow!
There I was suffering through one of the most frustrating seasons of golf in recent memory and all of a sudden I felt like the “Honey Badger.” If you are not familiar with the honey badger Google it. Briefly stated, “Honey badger, he don’t give a damn.”
I was blithely going about my business, feeling great, still trying to lose “those 10 pounds”, and all of a sudden my priorities got rearranged. Knowing that I would be putting my gym membership on hold for an extended period, I gave Brick Bodies the opportunity to replace my blogging with a new and exciting author but, alas, I was asked to continue writing if I felt up to it. With lots of downtime in my near future, I agreed to continue to try entertaining and enlightening and maybe even shedding some insight into “the Big C” and getting enough physical activity.
Last August I had to see my doctor for a renewal of my BP medicine. The previous year we had decreased my dosage thanks in large part to better conditioning and regular working out at the gym. Doc asked me why I hadn’t called him to discuss an elevated PSA reading from my physical 18 months before. I answered honestly, “I really hadn’t read the test results and figured if it was important he would contact me and, by the way, what the heck is a PSA?”
Prostate Specific Antigen, I think he said… an indicator that we might have to look closer at some things. And with that out came those rubber gloves and I was politely asked to bend over. Upon straightening up I was sent to the lab for a new PSA test and told to come back in a week and we would discuss the results and what we would do next.
From this point the specifics are not germane to Brick Bodies but I will be blogging about some remarkable coincidences and I will post a link on Twitter @BGACommish or #BGACommish (I can never remember which is for sending and which for receiving) if you are further interested.
After a second opinion we decided on having surgery at Johns Hopkins on the day before Thanksgiving. I figured that I might as well treat this first-ever operation as an opportunity rather than a burden. I knew that I couldn’t eat anything the day before general anesthesia so I made a plan that would allow me to not only be cancer-free but also free of those dreaded 10 pounds that seemed to have found a permanent home. And, more importantly, on the day after surgery I would be able to watch all three NFL games! This was going to be a Great Thanksgiving, after all.
They wanted me on a clear liquid diet all day Tuesday before Wednesday’s surgery so I went on a liquid diet starting after 5:00 p.m. that Sunday. Stayed on it Monday; clear liquids only on Tuesday, figured no food on surgery day and by the time I came home those 10 pounds would be gone.
Right up until the weekend before Turkey Day I worked out at Brick Bodies. Truthfully, on the Saturday before, after doing 10 miles on a bike I went into the weight room. After maybe a half dozen reps (a solid 30-second workout!) I had lost interest. I was in as good of a shape before surgery as possible. I was ready to go. Before we left for Hopkins on Wednesday morning I had dropped to 197 with 193 being the goal.
Surgery went fine, the Ravens won on Thanksgiving Day and I was home on Friday. The doctor is confident they got everything but we won’t know for a few days when all of the tissue is examined and, with a knowing and confident approach, I got on the scale. With great anticipation I watched the numbers spin and after almost 5 days of nothing to eat, and the loss of body parts, those dreaded 10 pounds had somehow become the “dreaded 11.” I had gained a pound!
Believe me, I am not going to complain. “Honey badger, he don’t give a damn.”
This time each year starts the onslaught of too much food and too little activity. The average person gains 9-13 pounds between now and the New Year! I am suggesting we need to consider Thanksgiving in terms of activities and festivities rather than feast to help keep it light and vibrantly healthy.
Festivities seem to include action so I suggest starting a family fun time as a Thanksgiving holiday tradition. There are numerous Turkey Runs around town, we have some beautiful biking and hiking trails nearby. Let’s force the kids out of bed and have some serious activity and fun early in the day!
Take some protein snacks along so the gorge won’t be so dramatic later. Almonds, walnuts, some cheese or an apple pack nicely and keep blood sugar steady.
As for food for the day, try to eat three healthy meals just like any other day. The prospect of saving all the intake for one huge meal is counter to any digestive intelligence our bodies have. A few small meals and snacks throughout the day will keep us from over-indulging in the really difficult foods to process and burn.
When the feast finally arrives realize it is just a meal and not an all-you-can-eat buffet. A good rule of thumb is to fill half your plate with vegetables and a quarter with skinless turkey, and treat yourself with a dab of potatoes or stuffing if you must, but keep that in a small quadrant of the plate.
After dinner a family walk or sled-ride would be perfect. Just make sure to find a way to get the joints the oxygen, and the food moving. Make it fun, it is our special holiday and a great time to celebrate the joys of being a healthy family!
Dr Barbara L. Downes
Chiropractic & Functional Medicine/Holistic Physician www.downeshealth.com
drdownes@downeshealth.com
Everyone has a sweet tooth—especially at this time of year when comfort foods abound. Apple butter, a sweet sensation low in cane sugar, is sure to appeal to most family members and guests over any holiday whatever their age.
You don’t intend to serve PB&J sandwiches substituting apple butter for jelly any time soon? Well, tasting your own homemade apple butter after it’s aromatically simmered atop a burner and enticed everyone’s olfactory cells with zesty spices, you may think differently.
Besides doubling as a delicious spread over toast or in sandwiches, apple butter makes a delectable sauce that converts even the staunchest chocolate lovers into aficcionados. As for people for whom apple pie a la mode is sacred stuff, try plying them with mini scoops of vanilla ice-cream or sorbet dropped into champagne flutes or parfait glasses drizzled with warm, brown apple butter topping. No way will these folks miss the crunch of pastry crust nor its accompanying calories.
Here’s what to do:
1. Start with McIntosh or Cortland apples. Pick the apples yourself or sort through a basket in the store at a roadside stand. Choose well-ripened fruit. “Drops” are perfect for yielding flavorful results but bruised apples or those stored at room temperature lose vitamins. For the record, apples are a wonderful source of potassium.
2. Take down your food mill from the top shelf in your pantry or borrow one from a neighbor in preparation for processing apples. Instead of peeling the fruit, glean full benefit of all nutrients by cooking apples in their skins.
3. Start cooking! Into a small kettle, pour 2 quarts of pure apple juice or apple or cider and boil gently until liquid reduces to one quart. Wash apples gently, two dozen or about six pounds, under running water. To avoid loss in flavor, do not soak. Quarter apples and drop into liquid. Cook until tender and then press through a food mill.
4. Cook longer! Pour pulp now separated from seeds and skins back into the kettle. Add 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cloves, and ¼ cup of honey. Cook on low heat for one hour or until mixture bubbles thickly and “rounds up” in a spoon. To prevent sticking, stir frequently.
5. Keep cooking. Energy-wise chefs lucky enough to heat by wood can move their pot to a woodstove. The longer the simmer, the better the taste. When the apple butter is dark brown, it’s ready to serve. Preserve by freezing or canning.
6. Plan to can? If you’ve never canned, follow directions in the instruction booklet boxed with glass jars available at most supermarkets. Fill sterilized jars with hot apple butter leaving ½ inch head space. Then process in hot water bath for 20 minutes; makes about 5 pints. If a jar is open or seal is broken, refrigerate to avoid spoilage.
7. Homemade apple butter is a welcome gift anytime!
Whether or not you make apple butter any time soon, here’s a useful quote from Julia Child: “This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”
