Sports Drinks and Your Kids’ Health

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing the young teenagers drinking those Huge 32oz energy drinks, the Red Bulls, Monsters, Rockstars, etc from the gas stations. I wonder to myself if their parents know how they are spending their money. Do these kids even know how these drinks are damaging their kidneys and livers?  I know you've seen them walking around with them too.


In May the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made a strong recommendation that children and teens avoid sports and energy drinks.

Energy drinks and sports drinks are very popular with children, yet very few children actually require hydration beyond water for their activities. Sports drinks are OK for hard physical activity lasting more than one hour -- weekend soccer for younger kids or after school little league hardly qualify.
In fact, sports drinks are high in sugar and give children extra calories, which can put them at risk for becoming overweight. A well-balanced diet will provide the vitamins and minerals that sports drinks claim to provide. By comparison, flavored milk is a great sports recovery drink that provides balanced nutrition with less added sugar. The shelf-stable boxed kind is very convenient for sports events. 


Energy drinks are different than sports drinks because they often contain caffeine and/or other stimulants. According to the AAP report, “energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents” and “should never be consumed” because stimulants can cause heart rhythm irregularities.
It is summertime and it can get hot! Before you reach for your next thirst quenching beverage read the Dairy Council of California tip sheet Reach for a Healthy Beverage, which lists the drinks kids should drink more of (and less of) for great health.

Written by
Andrea Garen, Registered Dietitian

P9px 2...Are You Ready?!

P90X-2 Pre-Orders begin on Sept 1st, 2011

The date is finally set for the pre-order release of what will be the biggest opening day for a new fitness program in history. The sequel, P90X 2 will be available for pre-order on Sept 1st and you will receive it just in time for Christmas! P90X 2 is the perfect workout for people who have completed P90X, Insanity, Asylum, Turbo Fire, and anyone else who is in good physical health.

2 FREE Workout DVDs If You Order From a Coach

If you order from me, a Team Beachbody Coach, you will get 2 exclusive additional DVDs from Tony Horton’s world famous 1-on-1 Workout series.  To ensure you order from me, Click here to get your free Team Beachbody Membership. Then on Sept 1st I will email you the link to purchase P90X2 directly. You will want to get your order in right away to ensure you receive your order by Christmas.

Order Between Sept 1st – 5th for Exclusive Perks

First of all, when you pre-order your credit card will not be charged until your order has shipped, which will be in late November or early December. Here are some great perks that will be available exclusively for those who take advantage of this special pre-order period.

• 2 Free 1-on-1 Workout DVDs
• Free Shipping
• Entered into the drawing to have Tony Horton himself deliver your copy of P90X 2 right to your door.
• Eligible to send in your P90X2 success story to be used in the future infomercial.
• P90X2 Promo T-shirt

P90X 2 Prices & Packages

P90X 2 will be available in 3 different packages and it is also the first DVD fitness program available on Blu-Ray.

P90X 2 Base Kit – DVD $119.85 Blu-Ray $149.85

• 12 Workout DVDs
• Bring It Again DVD
• Fitness Guide
• Nutrition Guide
• 90 Day Workout Calendar

P90X 2 Deluxe Kit – DVD $239.85 Blu-Ray $299.85

• 12 Workout DVDs
• 2 Bonus 1-on-1 Workout DVDs
• Bring It Again DVD
• 2 Medicine Balls
• Stability Ball
• Foam Roller
• Fitness Guide
• Nutrition Guide
• 90 Day Workout Calendar

P90X 2 Ultimate Kit – DVD $299.85 Blu-Ray $359.85

• 12 Workout DVDs
• 2 Bonus 1-on-1 Workout DVDs
• Bring It Again DVD
• Tony Horton Signature Push Up Stands
• 2 Medicine Balls
• Stability Ball
• Ultimate Shredder Premium Grade Foam Roller
• Fitness Guide
• Nutrition Guide
• 90 Day Workout Calendar

Click here now to get your FREE membership and be notified immediately on Sept 1st to pre-order.

My Intentions

        I am so happy to be where I am now. I have met some amazing people since being in Okinawa and throughout my journey being a military spouse. I could not be more thankful for everyone that inspires me to move forward every day. 8 years ago I would have never thought that I would be where I am right now. Being back overseas in a positive environment, loving life, and looking forward to the next day!                                                                                                                                                            
Becoming a Beachbody coach has been more than getting physically fit, though it's a plus. Being able to reach out and help others is everything that I've always wanted to do. Making an impact in others life to help them to feel better about themselves is what it's all about!  Challenge yourself and prove to yourself that you can do ANYTHING!                                                                                                                         

         Who might you inspire?  I wish I had a picture for this story, but over the summer I helped Meaghan Climis and Kelli Wilson complete their first Ever 5K!! YOU can make a difference in someones life by doing things you didn't think were possible. Just get out there and do it! Share your goals, accomplishments, & struggles with someone you care about. You never know who might need to hear exactly what you have to say.

    Thank You Katie Heifner for this picture!

Women and Weight Training for Osteoporosis

Strength training can help prevent bone loss. I found this article on webmd and wanted to spread the word on weight training for those older than me. Since I am not personally experienced in this category and age group I look to the best resources I can find online and in books to inform you all.

By Gina Shaw
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

Did you know that weight training for osteoporosis -- not just walking or doing aerobics, but lifting weights -- can help protect your bones and prevent osteoporosis-related fractures?
Studies show that strength training over a period of time can help prevent bone loss -- and may even help build new bone.

The Truth About Vitamin D: How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?

How much vitamin D do I need? In November 2010, the Institute of Medicine's expert committee set a new "dietary reference intake" for vitamin D. Assuming that a person gets virtually no vitamin D from sunshine -- and that this person gets adequate amounts of calcium -- the IOM committee recommends getting the following amounts of vitamin D from diet or supplements (Note that the IOM's upper limit is not a recommended intake, but what the IOM considers the highest safe level): ...

In one study, postmenopausal women who participated in a strength training program for a year saw significant increases in their bone density in the spine and hips, areas affected most by osteoporosis in older women.

Maintaining strong muscles through weight training helps to keep up your balance and coordination -- a critical element in preventing falls, which can lead to osteoporosis-related fractures.
"We lose so much muscle as we age that by the time we're 70, we only have about 50% to 55% of our muscle mass left," says Beatrice Edwards, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and director of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "That explains why we feel weak and tired as we age, and we can prevent some of that with weight training."

Getting Started on Weight Training for Osteoporosis

How should you start weight training for osteoporosis? Focus on the back and the hip, says Don Lein, MS, PT, a physical therapist at the University of Alabama-Birmingham's Spain Rehabilitation Center and its Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic. Those are the areas most damaged by bone loss, and the areas most at risk from osteoporosis-related fractures.
"Good exercises include hip extension, hip abduction and adduction, and hip flexion -- anything that works around the hip," he says. "Backward bending is also good."
Here's one particularly good exercise:

• Sit on a bench or chair with 5-pound weights strapped to each ankle.
• Then "march" in place, lifting the knees alternately.

"You're working the hip flexor muscles, which are attached to both the back and hip, which leads to improved bone and muscle mass in both areas," explains Lein.
Here are seven other important weight training tips:

1. Work under the supervision of a qualified, certified personal trainer, especially at first and particularly if you have any medical issues.
2. Do strength training two to three times a week, with at least one day of rest between each session (especially if you're working the same muscles at each session).
3. Do one exercise for each major muscle group, for a total of eight to 12 different exercises. Do one or two sets of eight to 10 repetitions for each exercise.
4. Lift the weight slowly; lift to a count of four and lower to a count of four, says Lein. "This decreases the likelihood of injury while helping to recruit the muscle better."
5. Don't use other muscles to compensate. You should only be moving the muscle you're supposed to be moving!
6. Tighten abdominal muscles to help protect your spine.
7. Periodically consult with a trainer about increasing the amount of weight you lift as you become stronger.
   
   One very good fitness program to incorporate weights in is P90x. It has a mix of weight training and and cardio workouts. You decide the intensity & your level of weights.  If you'd rather a more introductory program Power 90 is a great place to start!
   
   Log into your beachbody account to watch videos on these programs and beat the clock!

Getting out of Your Slump

Get Off Your Butt: 16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump

This was taken from Kati Heifners Blog. This is a topic that we ALL can relate to and a great read!

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Even the most motivated of us — you, me, Tony Robbins — can feel unmotivated at times. In fact, sometimes we get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult.

But it’s not hopeless: with some small steps, baby ones in fact, you can get started down the road to positive change.

Yes, I know, it seems impossible at times. You don’t feel like doing anything. I’ve been there, and in fact I still feel that way from time to time. You’re not alone. But I’ve learned a few ways to break out of a slump, and we’ll take a look at those today.

This post was inspired by reader Roy C. Carlson, who asked:

“I was wondering if you could do a piece on why it can be hard for someone to change direction and start taking control of their life. I have to say I’m in this boat and advice on getting out of my slump would be great.”

Roy is just one of many with a slump like that. Again, I feel that way sometimes myself, and in fact sometimes I struggle to motivate myself to exercise — and I’ll use that as an example of how to break out of the slump.

When I fall out of exercise, due to illness or injury or disruption from things going on in my life, it’s hard to get started again. I don’t even feel like thinking about it, sometimes. But I’ve always found a way to break out of that slump, and here are some things I’ve learned that have helped:

1. One Goal. Whenever I’ve been in a slump, I’ve discovered that it’s often because I have too much going on in my life. I’m trying to do too much. And it saps my energy and motivation. It’s probably the most common mistake that people make: they try to take on too much, try to accomplish too many goals at once. You cannot maintain energy and focus (the two most important things in accomplishing a goal) if you are trying to do two or more goals at once. It’s not possible — I’ve tried it many times. You have to choose one goal, for now, and focus on it completely. I know, that’s hard. Still, I speak from experience. You can always do your other goals when you’ve accomplished your One Goal.
2. Find inspiration. Inspiration, for me, comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve, or who are currently doing it. I read other blogs, books, magazines. I Google my goal, and read success stories. Zen Habits is just one place for inspiration, not only from me but from many readers who have achieved amazing things.
3. Get excited. This sounds obvious, but most people don’t think about it much: if you want to break out of a slump, get yourself excited about a goal. But how can you do that when you don’t feel motivated? Well, it starts with inspiration from others (see above), but you have to take that excitement and build on it. For me, I’ve learned that by talking to my wife about it, and to others, and reading as much about it as possible, and visualizing what it would be like to be successful (seeing the benefits of the goal in my head), I get excited about a goal. Once I’ve done that, it’s just a matter of carrying that energy forward and keeping it going.
4. Build anticipation. This will sound hard, and many people will skip this tip. But it really works. It helped me quit smoking after many failed attempts. If you find inspiration and want to do a goal, don’t start right away. Many of us will get excited and want to start today. That’s a mistake. Set a date in the future — a week or two, or even a month — and make that your Start Date. Mark it on the calendar. Get excited about that date. Make it the most important date in your life. In the meantime, start writing out a plan. And do some of the steps below. Because by delaying your start, you are building anticipation, and increasing your focus and energy for your goal.
5. Post your goal. Print out your goal in big words. Make your goal just a few words long, like a mantra (“Exercise 15 mins. Daily”), and post it up on your wall or refrigerator. Post it at home and work. Put it on your computer desktop. You want to have big reminders about your goal, to keep your focus and keep your excitement going. A picture of your goal (like a model with sexy abs, for example) also helps.
6. Commit publicly. None of us likes to look bad in front of others. We will go the extra mile to do something we’ve said publicly. For example, when I wanted to run my first marathon, I started writing a column about it in my local daily newspaper. The entire island of Guam (pop. 160K) knew about my goal. I couldn’t back down, and even though my motivation came and went, I stuck with it and completed it. Now, you don’t have to commit to your goal in your daily newspaper, but you can do it with friends and family and co-workers, and you can do it on your blog if you have one. And hold yourself accountable — don’t just commit once, but commit to giving progress updates to everyone every week or so.
7. Think about it daily. If you think about your goal every day, it is much more likely to become true. To this end, posting the goal on your wall or computer desktop (as mentioned above) helps a lot. Sending yourself daily reminders also helps. And if you can commit to doing one small thing to further your goal (even just 5 minutes) every single day, your goal will almost certainly come true.
8. Get support. It’s hard to accomplish something alone. When I decided to run my marathon, I had the help of friends and family, and I had a great running community on Guam who encouraged me at 5K races and did long runs with me. When I decided to quit smoking, I joined an online forum and that helped tremendously. And of course, my wife Eva helped every step of the way. I couldn’t have done these goals without her, or without the others who supported me. Find your support network, either in the real world or online, or both.
9. Realize that there’s an ebb and flow. Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there for you. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again, like the tide. But realize that while it may go away, it doesn’t do so permanently. It will come back. Just stick it out and wait for that motivation to come back. In the meantime, read about your goal (see below), ask for help (see below), and do some of the other things listed here until your motivation comes back.
10. Stick with it. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even if you aren’t feeling any motivation today, or this week, don’t give up. Again, that motivation will come back. Think of your goal as a long journey, and your slump is just a little bump in the road. You can’t give up with every little bump. Stay with it for the long term, ride out the ebbs and surf on the flows, and you’ll get there.
11. Start small. Really small. If you are having a hard time getting started, it may be because you’re thinking too big. If you want to exercise, for example, you may be thinking that you have to do these intense workouts 5 days a week. No — instead, do small, tiny, baby steps. Just do 2 minutes of exercise. I know, that sounds wimpy. But it works. Commit to 2 minutes of exercise for one week. You may want to do more, but just stick to 2 minutes. It’s so easy, you can’t fail. Do it at the same time, every day. Just some crunches, 2 pushups, and some jogging in place. Once you’ve done 2 minutes a day for a week, increase it to 5, and stick with that for a week. In a month, you’ll be doing 15-20. Want to wake up early? Don’t think about waking at 5 a.m. Instead, think about waking 10 minutes earlier for a week. That’s all. Once you’ve done that, wake 10 minutes earlier than that. Baby steps.
12. Build on small successes. Again, if you start small for a week, you’re going to be successful. You can’t fail if you start with something ridiculously easy. Who can’t exercise for 2 minutes? (If that’s you, I apologize.) And you’ll feel successful, and good about yourself. Take that successful feeling and build on it, with another baby step. Add 2-3 minutes to your exercise routine, for example. With each step (and each step should last about a week), you will feel even more successful. Make each step really, really small, and you won’t fail. After a couple of months, your tiny steps will add up to a lot of progress and a lot of success.
13. Read about it daily. When I lose motivation, I just read a book or blog about my goal. It inspires me and reinvigorates me. For some reason, reading helps motivate and focus you on whatever you’re reading about. So read about your goal every day, if you can, especially when you’re not feeling motivated.
14. Call for help when your motivation ebbs. Having trouble? Ask for help. Email me. Join an online forum. Get a partner to join you. Call your mom. It doesn’t matter who, just tell them your problems, and talking about it will help. Ask them for advice. Ask them to help you overcome your slump. It works.
15. Think about the benefits, not the difficulties. One common problem is that we think about how hard something is. Exercise sounds so hard! Just thinking about it makes you tired. But instead of thinking about how hard something is, think about what you will get out of it. For example, instead of thinking about how tiring exercise can be, focus on how good you’ll feel when you’re done, and how you’ll be healthier and slimmer over the long run. The benefits of something will help energize you.
16. Squash negative thoughts; replace them with positive ones. Along those lines, it’s important to start monitoring your thoughts. Recognize negative self-talk, which is really what’s causing your slump. Just spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts like a bug, and then replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, “This is too hard!” and replace it with, “I can do this! If that wimp Leo can do it, so can I!” It sounds corny, but it works. Really.

Daphne Oz's 5 Simple, Healthy Snacks Under 150 Calories - ABC News

Daphne Oz's 5 Simple, Healthy Snacks Under 150 Calories - ABC News