Leafy Green Veggies help your Brain!

Sure your depressed from eating so much on Thursday...but take heart and reach for a salad with leafy green veggies.  Now that the Turkey is out of the fridge its time to help your brain with the food it craves. In a recent study published in the journal Neurology, researchers from Rush University in Chicago discovered that eating an average of 2.8 or more servings of vegetables a day over a six-year period slowed cognitive decline by 38 to 40 percent. And while all kinds of vegetables were included in this study, those that provided the most powerful protection were leafy greens.  Leafy greens are overflowing with phytonutrients, fiber, enzymes, and antioxidants such as vitamin E, which are known to lower risk of cognitive decline. And in addition to their effects on the brain, these vegetables also help give you more energy, support your immune system, promote healthy digestion, and improve overall health.  Whole food suppliments also are a huge help to your brain and body such as Juice Plus.  (Let me know you need more info on whole food suppliments)  You are going to need plenty of energy in the coming weeks of the Christmas crisis so why not help your body with some nice crunchy greens.

Hugs,

Mollie McCarl

 

Healthy Joints Need Your Help

Your Joints Need Movement

Many people have the mistaken notion that they’re going to “save” their joints by not moving them.  But the truth is healthy joints need movement.  In fact, they thrive on it! 

To understand why, think of your joints as movable “hinges” where your bones connect.  Inside your joints is cartilage, which you can think of as a sponge.  The cartilage is surrounded by a liquid, called the synovial fluid.  Every time you move, you’re drawing nutrients into your joints—and releasing waste.  Both of which are critical to healthy joints.

Joint health is a clear case of “use it or lose it”—and here are some easy ways to get moving.

No More Weak Knees

Knees are often our "weak links" when it comes to joints because they carry much of the weight and do so much of the work! "Knee strengthening" is really quadriceps strengthening—that's the large muscle group that runs down the front of your thigh. Remember, your joints are no stronger than the muscles and ligaments that support them.

Here’s how to strengthen your knees:

• Sit in a chair with your back straight and butt tucked into the back of the chair. Place a towel under your knees for support, and slowly lift one leg to a horizontal position. Pause, holding the position for a count of three, then slowly lower your leg to the starting position. Then, repeat with your other leg.  Work up to eight to 10 knee extensions per leg.
• Sit on a high table or workbench, with your legs dangling. Suspend weights from your ankles, using a small bucket, purse or any pouch with a strap (start with two to five pounds). Lift the weight up while extending your knee as far as you can and hold steady for a few seconds. Then slowly lower the leg until your knee is again at a 90-degree angle. Repeat 10–15 times, progressively increasing both the weight and number of reps.
•  

Great advice from Dr. Williams

Vegetables slow mental decline!

Eating veggies is brainy move

Study: They can slow senior mental decline

This is a great article by Ronald Kotulak in the Tribune Science Reporter (Oct.24, 2006) that helps show how important nutrients are to the mind.


Eating two or more servings of vegetables a day may slow a person's mental decline by about 40 percent compared with a person who consumes few vegetables, according to a six-year study of nearly 4,000 Chicago residents age 65 or older.

Consuming lots of fruit did not appear to offer the same mental protection, although fruit has been associated with a wide variety of other health benefits, said Martha Clare Morris, chief of Rush University Medical Center's Rush Institute for Healthy Aging.

The slowdown in the rate of cognitive decline experienced by people who ate 2.8 or more servings of vegetables a day is "equivalent to about five years of younger age" compared with people who ate less than one serving, Morris reported in Tuesday's issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study also suggested it may never be too late to reap the benefits of vegetable consumption. Older people who started eating more than two servings a day still showed a significant delay in mental decline, Morris said. One serving of a vegetable is generally equal to a cup.

The findings come on top of two earlier Rush studies indicating that the foods people eat may significantly affect their mental agility. Morris reported four years ago that eating foods high in vitamin E appeared to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and last year she found that eating fish had a similar effect.

Veggies full of antioxidants

Vegetables, especially those in the green leafy category, are brimming with antioxidant compounds like vitamin E, flavonoids and carotenoids that help snuff out cell-damaging free radicals, Morris said.

Eating vegetables with olive oil, vegetable oil or some other type of poly- or mono-unsaturated fats enhances the body's absorption of antioxidants, she added.

"This study is tremendously important," said Alberto Ascherio, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, who found similar results over a two-year period in the Nurses Health Study of more than 120,000 nurses. "It's not easy to capture the correlation between dietary behavior and cognitive function.

"This goes in line with previous evidence supporting the potential protective effect of vegetable consumption," he said. "Each of these studies is like a small step forward. In this field we don't have the critical experiment to answer the question once and for all. We have to get to the truth by small steps. It's a long process to try to understand what we can do to reduce cognitive decline."

Be Unstoppable

 

 

The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path of exercise doubting our capabilities for success.  Move forward joyously, eager to discover what you can achieve.  You must work diligently to fulfill your potential and to accomplish your individual missions.  Within you is the power to make positive progress on your journeys to health and fitness.   Ignore the barriers that your thoughts may give you.  Yes, you may have failed to follow through in the past, but that is who you were, not who you are.  Enthusiastically try your best to realize your objective and enjoy the accomplishments that following through provides in fitness.

 

Be Unstoppable

The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path of exercise doubting our capabilities for success.  Move forward joyously, eager to discover what you can achieve.  You must work diligently to fulfill your potential and to accomplish your individual missions.  Within you is the power to make positive progress on your journeys to health and fitness.   Ignore the barriers that your thoughts may give you.  Yes, you may have failed to follow through in the past, but that is who you were, not who you are.  Enthusiastically try your best to realize your objective and enjoy the accomplishments that following through provides in fitness.

 

Be Unstoppable

 

The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path of exercise doubting our capabilities for success.  Move forward joyously, eager to discover what you can achieve.  You must work diligently to fulfill your potential and to accomplish your individual missions.  Within you is the power to make positive progress on your journeys to health and fitness.   Ignore the barriers that your thoughts may give you.  Yes, you may have failed to follow through in the past, but that is who you were, not who you are.  Enthusiastically try your best to realize your objective and enjoy the accomplishments that following through provides in fitness.

Just say "no" to over vaccinating

In the United States, state governments are bribed with money bonuses through CDC grants to achieve high vaccination rates in public schools.  Mass vaccination is big business. The dozens of doses of vaccines that doctors are now telling children (and adults) they must have has created a cash cow for pediatricians and drug companies.  The body is created to fight off disease with healthy cells from nutrition.  Over-vaccinating has created a weaken ability in the body to fight on its own.  One-day-old children are being vaccinated for Hepatitis B.  There is no data showing infants are getting Hep B so why are they getting all these unnecessary shots?  The drug companies make their money by shoving vaccinations in young children.  Autism has gone up 300% in 3 years.  Why? The link is being made to 30 shots of vaccinations before the child is age 10.  The mercury in these vaccinations causes incredible damage to the brain.  A child would have to weigh 300 pounds to be able to absorb the amount of mercury being forced into their system.  Keep your child healthy through raw fruits and vegetables.

Toxins are Everywhere

 

Here is a shocker, did you know that store-bought chicken is preserved in arsenic?   America has not used DDT for 30 years and yet it is regularly found in people’s fluid during testing. The cumulative effects of pollutants, toxins and heavy metals cause devastating effects on our bodies such as cancer, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, and other diseases.  Rid your body of toxins by Detoxing.  I love Detox Drops that remove both toxins and heavy metals on a cellular level.  It is 100% natural, made from liquid zeolites, has a U.S. patent, and is the only one like it.  Why carry around 7 pounds of toxins when you can release the toxins and metals with our new detox drops?  Let me know if you would like more information on Detoxing.

 

Mollie McCarl

Fitness SPA

770-632-3595

www.ptcfitnessspa.com

 

Get Moving

It really is easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine.  I know you may be thinking, "I don't have time, my job is too demanding, or the house and family are overwhelming me and I can't take time for myself."  It is important that you do take time for yourself by doing some type of cardio every hour, even if it is just a few minutes.  Take the stairs, park further away are always good ideas for cardio, but even sitting at a desk you can do isometric exercises by sitting up straight and tightening your abs or legs.  Any exercise will have your body saying thank you.  Get moving and as you do, keep a diary of how much you did and try to beat your record tomorrow.  Each day work up a sweat by doing a vigorous walk, jog, dance or run.  Help your heart pump better and you will have more energy.  Stretch out before and after your exercise for the perfect way to breathe deep.  Do this every day and the world will look in amazement at how beautiful you have become.

 

 

Mollie McCarl, CPT

Fitness SPA

770-632-3595

www.ptcfitnessspa.com

 

Curing High Blood Pressure

                                                                        Relax and Enjoy Exercise to Have a Healty Heart

 

It seems everyday we are faced with hearing about our friends who have high blood pressure.  Readings ranging from 120/60 to 139/89 signify pre-hypertension; 140/90 and above is considered hypertension.  When you have high blood pressure (hypertension) your heart has to work harder to pump, which can thicken heart muscle and slow down blood flow, increasing your risk of heart disease.  The good news is that losing extra pounds through diet and exercise will help your heart expend less effort and lower your blood pressure.  In one study, people who exercised just 60 to 90 minutes a week reduced their numbers an average of 12 points after only two months.  Exercise with friends and keep a food diary to stay on focus for your healthy goals.  Without exercise you will shorten your life and miss all the joy!

Diet Drink Dangers

NUTRASWEET-ANT AND ROACH KILLER

As the scientists and doctors have said, our bodies were not designed to digest
synthetic chemicals.  Aspertame started out as ant poison and now they allow it to be

in our drinks and diet food.  This is a fascinating article about hidden dangers.
AND WE DRINK IT IN OUR DIET DRINKS !!!!!! 

*Aspartame - The World's Best Ant Poison *

Date: 8/11/06 Author: Jan Jensen
Source: Idaho Observer

We live in the woods and carpenter ants are a huge problem. We have
spent thousands of dollars with Orkin and on ant poisons trying to keep
them under control but nothing has helped.

So when I read somewhere that aspartame (Nutrasweet) was actually
developed as an ant poison and only changed to being considered
non-poisonous after it was realized that a lot more money could be made on it
as a sweetener than as an ant poison, I decided to give it a try.

I opened two packets of aspartame sweetener, and dumped one in a corner of each
of our bathrooms. That was about 2 years ago and I have not seen any carpenter
ants for about 9 to 12 months. It works better than the most deadly poisons I
have tried. Any time they show up again, I simply dump another package of
Nutrasweet in a corner, and they will be gone for a year or so again.

We found later that small black ants would not eat the aspartame. It was
determined that if you mixed it with apple juice, they would quickly
take it back to the nest, and all would be dead within 24 hours,
usually. I have found that sometimes it will kill them, and sometimes it
does not. Not sure why, may be slightly different species of ants or
something.

Fire Ants: We got our first fire ant hill about 2 weeks ago. Poison did
not work. We tried aspartame and the ants ignored it until we got a
light ra in. It was just a sprinkle, enough to moisten the Nutrasweet and
ground, but not enough to wash it away. They went crazy, hundreds of
them grabbing it and taking it back into the mound. When I checked the
mound 2 days later, there was no sign of the fire ants. I even dug the
mound up some, and still saw none of them.

How does it Work: Aspartame is a neuropoison. It most likely kills the
ants by interfering with their nervous system. It could be direct, like
stopping their heart, or something more subtle like killing their sense
of taste so they can?t figure out what is eatable, or smell, so they
can?t follow their trails, or mis-identify their colonies members, so
they start fighting each other. Not sure what causes them to end up
dying, just know that for many species of ants it will kill them quickly
and effectively.

As with any poison I recommend wearing gloves and washing any skin areas that
come in contact with this poison, and avoid getting it in your
mouth, despite anything the labeling may indicate."

Fun Fat Loss

           Fitness Spa’s Fat Loss Tips

1) Drink 8 - 10 glasses of water a day.  This is CRUCIAL to losing weight.  

YOU MUST DO THIS if you intend to lose weight! 

 2) Eat EVERY 90 MINUTES  and drink water

 3) Always take the stairs instead of riding the elevator. 

 4) Always take the opportunity to increase your daily activity, such as parking your car farther away

 from work or the store then you usually do.  This will increase the amount you have to walk and 

will burn more calories in your day. 

 5) Try the Water Trick: Before every meal, drink 1 LARGE glass of water.  

You are not to start eating until you have fully consumed this large glass of water.  

Half way through your meal, drink another large glass of water.  Again, you are not 

to start eating, until you have finished this glass of water.  After your meal, drink one more 

large glass of water.  You should drink 3 large glasses total at the meal. 

 6) Make sure in addition to doing cardio activity (walking, jogging, cycling, etc.) 4-6 days a week, you should 

also strength training at least 3 days a week with a personal trainer (like me!) 

Eat your Fruit

 

Fruit has got to be the best food out there! It is delicious, healthly, all natural and contains tons of cancer-fighting vitamins, minerals, enzymes.  Plus, it contains water and fiber so it is essential to your body's cleansing and detoxifying processes.  The American Cancer Society suggests eating 9-13 fruits and veggies to prevent disease because they have lots of antioxidents.  All you

sugar-phobes do not need to fear since the sugar in fruit is not the same white processed stuff that is in candy bars.  Fruit makes an excellent snack!  Be sure to grab an apple or banana on your way to work.  Studies have shown that, since fruit is digested so quickly, you should eat fruit on an empty stomache and then wait a half hour before eating something else.  Fruit is not forbidden, so eat plenty and your body will thank you! 

Get a Game Plan for Exercise

Research suggests that keeping an exercise journal in which you record your
long-term objectives ("I want to complete in the Peachtree Road Race") and
your daily targets ("I want to walk 3 miles today") helps you to stay
focused on your fitness schedule. Every night, write your detailed game
plan for the following day and make sure you've taken into account any
obstacles that may come up. Thinking ahead about potential roadblocks is
the best way to sidestep them!

Visualization

The Importance of Thinking Right

Think before you speak to yourself. Do you look in the mirror and say, "I
am so fat!" Do you say, "Look at this belly, I am disgusting!" If you find
your words to be always condemning your body, then stop right now. Start a
new conversation with your magnificent body. Focus on positive words! Try
saying something such as, "I am slim and beautiful" or "I am the perfect
size." Visualize what you want to be. Make it your own. Doctors say the
attitude of a patient has a tremendous effect on the outcome of their
illness. It has been proven over and over again. Why not trust the
saying, "what you visualize will materialize?" Instead of belittling
yourself or hating how you look, change your perspective and think positive
thoughts about you. When you find yourself slipping into the same old
rhetoric, go for a walk or put on some great music. Change your old
patterns and watch the pounds drop off!

How to feel GREAT!

Have you ever wondered why people who exercise are always in a terrific mood and seem to have a zest for life?
 
Ask a marathon runner about "runners high" and she'll tell you that it's the pleasant feeling that she experiences sometimes during and after running. The great thing is that moderate exercise can produce the same effect.
 
This is not the person’s imagination or the psychological satisfaction she gets from running or exercising. A little known fact is that this is a reaction to a natural body function that occurs during exercise called endorphin release.
 
Beta-Endorphin is a neurohormone that is released into the bloodstream from the pituitary gland. Endorphins attach themselves to specific receptor sites in the brain that affect our perception of well being and in the extreme, euphoria. Their main purpose is to help the body withstand and overcome mild to severe exertion. It’s the body’s reward for doing something healthy like exercise. Endorphins tend to return a physical body function to normal: they tend to increase body temperature, but decrease it during a fever; they decrease blood pressure, only if it is elevated.
 
Endorphins may also be involved in, or regulate the release of growth hormone (GH) which is associated with muscle cell growth induced by exercise. After endorphin concentration increases, six other peptide concentrations will also change resulting in changes to other physiological functions, like appetite suppression, increased immune activity, mood, memory retention, learning and surprising sleep disturbances.
 
Just a good workout can change your life!

Angie McCarl

Sneaky Chemicals in Meats

This is some startling information about what is being put in the meats we eat. 

 

" Consumers won't be aware that meat and poultry products have been treated with the spray, Zajac added. The Department of Agriculture will regulate the actual use of the product. The viruses are grown in a preparation of the very bacteria they kill, and then purified. The FDA had concerns that the virus preparation potentially could contain toxic residues associated with the bacteria. However, testing did not reveal the presence of such residues, which in small quantities likely wouldn't cause health problems anyway, the FDA said." - Associated Press, Aug. 18, 2006

 

"Barbara Loe Fisher Comments:

In yet another stunning demonstration of callous disregard for the health of American citizens, a pathetically weak and useless Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to industry microbe hunters to spray cold cuts, poultry and other meats with a mix of viruses that are supposed to eat bacteria contaminating the meat without hurting anyone in the process. Right.

And the best part? Meat producers won't have to tell consumers which meats have been bathed in the viruses so everyone gets a dose eating a hot dog at a baseball game or frying up some ham and eggs for breakfast - whether they want it or not. And when Uncle Leo in the Bronx drops dead from a mysterious infection after eating an italian sub at a neighborhood picnic, the story will be: it wasn't the virus infected sausage that did it, it was - A COINCIDENCE. (But if enough people drop dead after eating virus infected meat, an enterprising drug company will probably develop a food vaccine and convince the CDC to mandate it).

In America, apparently the only way consumers will be able to protect themselves from FDA-sponsored contaminated meat is to become a vegan or go organic. It's an expensive alternative but a small price to pay to keep viruses, chemicals and hormones that don't belong in the food we eat out of our bodies."

Kids Need Vigorous Exercise

I found this article to be very interesting on the effects of exercise on
children and their ability to perform in school.

"Middle school students who perform more vigorous physical activity than
their more sedentary piers tend to do better in school, according to a new
study done by researchers from Michigan State University and Grand Valley
State University. The research is published in the August issue of Medicine
& Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College
of Sports Medicine.

For one academic year, the study tracked more than 200 sixth graders. For
one semester half of the students took the general physical education class
offered by the school, while the other half took part in a non-physical
education course. Halfway through the school year they switched. The
researchers found that students taking the physical education course did no
better or worse in their academic classes.

"Physical education and activity during the school day reduce boredom and
help keep kid's attention in the classroom," said Dawn Podulka Coe, the
study's lead author who is now an assistant professor in the Department of
Movement Science at Grand Valley State University. "We were expecting to
find that students enrolled in PE would have better grades because of the
opportunity to be active during the school day. But enrollment in PE alone
did not influence grades."

However, the researchers also found that students who took part in more
vigorous physical activities ( such as organized sports like soccer or
football, or non-organized after-school activities such as skateboarding)
did approximately 10 percent better in core classes such as math, science,
English and social studies.

"The students who performed better academically in this study were the most
active, meaning those who participated in a sport or other vigorous activity
at least three times a week." added Coe.

The difference between vigorous activity and moderate activity is heart
rate. Moderate activities, such as walking or raking leaves, don't get the
heart rate up or make the person breathe harder. Vigorous activities, such
as running or swimming for exercise, increase heart rate, causing the
exerciser to breathe harder and increasing oxygen to the brain."

With school just beginning, have your children really run, even if it is
just around the yard. Bring your girls to Fitness Spa for a great cardio
workout, or have personal training with me. It is so easy to spend the
effort on being fit for school and life! Give your children a great chance
to do well and feel confident.

No Excuses!

Take Time for Yourself!

It is time to accept the fact that you will never have optimum health
without regular exercise. Why not lower your blood pressure and
cholesterol? By exercising every day you will increase your blood
circulation, improve the quality of sleep, and increase your energy.
Exercising slows down the aging process while supporting calcium storage and
bone density. Set your priorities to breathe deep and exercise. Concieve
new thoughts of succeeding in your new lifestyle of health and fitness!
Don't wait until the time is right, just begin today to save your health.
You deserve to enjoy your life now!

Daily Fat Intake

                                    Surprising Facts on Fat

 

Here are some interesting facts on fat.  According to the American Heart Association recommendations, your daily fat intake should not be more than 30 percent of your total calories, with saturated fat contributing no more than 7 percent. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that means fewer than 600 calories from fat, or less than 66 grams. And within that total, saturated fat should be limited to fewer than 15 grams (if you are worried about high cholesterol or heart disease, that number should be even lower).

 

McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast is a smorgasbord of bad-for-you foods—including eggs, sausage, pancakes smothered in syrup and margarine, hash browns and a biscuit. In moderation, any of these items could be an OK (if occasional) breakfast, but add them together and you’re looking at a grand total of 1,220 calories, 550 of them from fat, including 17 grams of saturated fat.