Good Food or Good Exercise: What Really Burns the Weight Off?

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooryi recently said in this CNNMoney.com article that “if all consumers exercised … obesity wouldn’t exist.” I find that to be an incredibly naive statement. But if your paycheck came from selling the rhetorical Kool-Aid, you’d probably say the same thing.

Almost two-thirds of American are overweight or obese. That number is set to grow: If a child between 10-12 years old is currently overweight, they have a 70% chance of turning into an obese adult, and I’ve written about here. That’s why I love what Jaime Oliver is doing right now with his Food Revolution.

So, is it all about proper exercise to lose weight? Or is it about what you eat? Most diet (for  lack of a better word) books I pick up — at least written by the most respectable sources — always seem to focus on a food plan before delving into an exercise plan.

One of the major reasons is because there is only so much weight that can be lost through exercise. In fact, according to the Editor-in-Chief of Men’s Health, David Zinczenko, only 15 to 20% of your calorie burn can come through movement or exercise. Between 60 and 80% of calorie burn comes from doing nothing. We call this your basal or resting metabolism. The remainder or 10 to 30% of calories is burned through digestion. So it is vital you are eating well. That you can control.

So no, Mrs. Nooryi, I don’t think the answer is if all consumers exercised obesity wouldn’t exist. But I do think if they stopped drinking all your high-fructose corn syrup they’d have a fighting chance. It’s hard to support your better products like Naked Juice when you peddle liquid killers and blame the rat for drinking the poison you so ostentatiously supply. I’m not without my own sins, but at least I won’t be forced to drink this stuff everyday in purgatory. Warm.

Exercise needs to be in the mix, of course. Here’s a recent plug from Dr. Oz. In this month’s issue of AARP Magazine, he has an excellent article about getting healthy in six months. Dr. Oz said that if you cannot walk a quarter mile in 5 minutes, you have a 25% chance of dying within the next six years. He then made a connection how these numbers mean you are more likely to die from not being able to walk than from cancer. Dr. Oz presents his stats with spice!

Now here is my water plug: Get in the pool and walk it out. You’ll burn between 100-150 more calories than walking on land. And if you are looking to lose weight, the water is a supportive medium that will  be kind to your body issues, making you feel light and thus definitely inspired to stay in. I guarantee it. I have a student right now who has lost more than 30 pounds in the past 3 months through diet and working out in water. Simple movements, like scissor legs, which is flutter kicking in the water, is a great start. An of all the exercises Dr. Oz could have chosen in his article, scissors kick was the only one he pushed. I get it space was limited, and he only had room for one — but nevertheless, this was the one.

It really isn’t more expense to eat whole or healthier foods than cheaper processed foods, and this Being Frugal post backs the claim up. I can as well: ever since we started exclusively eating whole foods (I define as farmer’s market produce, organic brands, and nothing packaged) we eat less. Yes, I pay more for a cut of meat or a bunch of carrots, but we get full faster and consume less and also spread the meals out into 6 versus 3 to stop stuffing our bellies. Because the skill of budgeting is practiced, I’ve become very aware of my internal grocery finances and I know now when I’ve spent my mark. Once you stop eating a lot of red meat and switch to softer proteins like fish, you get mental about the idea of digesting steak. And you know what? Another perk is less dishes to clean. Our food is not so complicated to make. And my taste buds are renewing themselves. I already knew I was a tomato snob, and now I know why: Because tomatoes taste best when they are in season. Farmer’s market’s teach about eating seasonal food.

One more great article I will stick you with is this Wise Bread entry about the 9 Habits of the World’s Healthiest People. These people get to drink red wine, take lots of vacations and hang out with friends too much. I want to be one of them! Go ahead and leave a comment … Jaime. Jennifer. I know you’re reading!

6 Excuses To Hold a Potential Lap Swimmer Back

By no means do I think it is easy for any parent or adult to just jump into a pool and start swimming laps. Whenever  an adult student shows up for a swim lesson with me at the pool, I always feel extremely proud of them. And that’s just for showing up. Because I understand a lot stands in their way to get to the lesson. I’m going to take apart or break the myths behind the top six great excuses for holding yourself back from learning how to lap swim.

Great Excuse #1: Cannot find someone to watch my kids. Swim lessons sound like a time luxury for yourself. However, exercise is needed to keep the heart and body weight healthy so you can nurture that infant and keep up with your pre-schooler. Once you treat exercise as important as sleep, your schedule wraps itself around it. Everyone learns to adapt, just like one-car families.

Great Excuse #2: I don’t know what I’m doing. Which is why you signed up for lessons. Adults are so much more judgmental on themselves than kids ever are with swim lessons. Use what you have. Do what you can. Start where you are. Perfection is the enemy of the good.

Great Excuse #3: I’m out of shape. Swimming is one of those activities with an equal playing field for both the athletic and out-of-shape. Trust me: the challenge is going to be just as hard for a know-it-all sport freak and a vulnerable parent. In fact, the more humble you are, the better your lesson will go.

Great Excuse #4: I don’t want to be seen in a bathing suit. Remember this is a pool, not a busy shopping center. The uniform around you is suits and everyone is pretty much numb to this fact, along with different body shapes. The swimmers around you are there to get a work out, not to judge. Fake it until you make it.

Great Excuse #5: I might panic. If you take things slow, you can control your fears. You begin learning lap swimming one lap at a time. It takes the ability to apply patience, persistence and practice. These are just words and values we say, but swimming helps you get re-acquainted with their definition. It’s kind of exciting to feel these emotions (and they replace your fears).

Great Excuse #6: I don’t know where to do this. Yes, it does require looking into a pool. So start calling around and visit your local YMCA and community pools. Make sure you check out their hours for lessons as well as adult lap swimming time. Pools can be busy places that have to do balancing acts. If membership cost is an issue, look for trade-offs like free childcare, free showers and shampoo, and guest passes.

They don’t really sound like great excuses anymore, do they? Hey, I have great excuses when it comes to getting my butt into a yoga class. More on the art of exercise motivation later.

Kids, Our Hidden Exercise Motivators

Lately is seems as if kids are getting a bad rap where exercise is concerned. Children experience way less unstructured playtime than in the past — as little as one half-hour a week — and childhood obesity is on the rise (I wrote about how to make fitness fun in the water here).

I don’t know about you, but winter makes it hard for me to follow an exercise routine. I really love to get my physical fitness on in the great outdoors (I’m really into trekking with polls right now), so when the weather sucks, so does my motivation.

Until one of my swim students, Avery M., put my sorry attitude to test.

I’ve know Avery since she could barely swim, and the girl is now onto doing stroke all by herself. We were in the indoor pool and I was practically doing nothing more than watching her swim back and forth when she asked me about the outdoor pool. “Is it open?” she asked. Yes; I answered. Can we go there? she retaliated.

My job is not to stand in the middle of my student’s progress, but the outdoor pool — although heated to 80-degrees — is still a cold proposition with winter’s ennui in full effect.

I thought about it. “Actually, that’s a good idea,” I told her. So we went for it.

Here I was with a swim buddy challenging me to work out with her — kids are our hidden motivators for a lot of things. Exercise included.

We had a great time, and I have a feeling next time I see Avery she is going to hold me to the challenge of swimming outside again. Also, even with just ten minutes to work with, you can create a swim plan.

Chlorinated Pools Provide Resistance Against Swine Flu

I have decided to get my holiday shopping done early this year. I like to give useful and homemade gifts, so I thought about creating H1N1 or Swine Flu Care Kits. My little gift bags will contain baterial wipes, vitamins, cold tea, Advil, tissues, and a little card with the web address to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

As I was reading the CDC site, I came across some interesting information about how adiquately chlorinated pools disinfect afluenza viruses. Here’s what CDC says about the H1N1, pools and chlorine:

• CDC found several chemical germicides, including chlorine, are effective against human influenza viruses. This is if used in proper concentration for a sufficient length of time, so any public or private spas and pools compiling with OSHER standards.
• There has never been a documented case of influenza virus infection associated with water exposure. Recreational water that has been treated at CDC recommended disinfectant levels does not likely pose a risk for transmission of influenza viruses.
• Recent studies have demonstrated that chlorine levels recommended by CDC are adequate to disinfect the flu virus. Although no actual research has been completed  H1N1, it has been conducted on other common strands and CDC says the H1N1 virus would also be similarly disinfected by chlorine.  (Chlorine levels recommended are 1–3 parts per million [ppm or mg/L] for pools and 2–5 ppm for spas).
• Any influenza virus is destroyed by heat. Specifically 167-212°F [75-100°C]). Warmers the pool or spa, the better. Or steam room.

Of course this doesn’t mean take your sick kid to the pool for healing — or even prevent the H1N1 virus from happening. Just like CDC recommends, stay home for atleast 24-hours if you don’t feel good or suspect you have a virus. It’s just kind of interesting to know the pool is one place where your child can be a little more safe from getting the H1N1 in comparison to other non-chlorinated after school activities!

Back to The Abs Diet: Bad Fats & Carbohydrates

I’m back on The Abs Diet, which I first wrote about here. I agree with the author, Men’s Health editor David Zinczenko, that it isn’t fair to call The Abs Diet an actual diet. Because as we know, diets don’t work. They leave you famished, angry and defeated. The Abs Diet food suggestions — which I have outlined here — include tons of generous suggestions. It is easier to remember this diet by the few things you cannot eat simply because you are encouraged to eat so many things and so much of it.

As I revisit this book, I can grasp much deeper about the points the writer is making about the bad stuff, which includes trans fats (or also known as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil), saturated fats, and high fructose corn syrup. Let me share:

• Trans fat. To understand trans fats, just imagine vegetable oil in a solid form, which essentially is what margarine is. It’s so bad that the food companies have fought for years to keep it off of their labels (it was only in 2003 that the FDA finally made regulations about how it was supposed to be labeled). If 3% of your daily diet is made up of trans fats, you are increasing your chances for heart disease 50 percent. And 3% equals about 7 grams of trans fat, which is like a single order of fries.
• Saturated fats. These are animal fates, like whole milk and fatty cuts of meat like Rib Eye. These are my weakness, as I have a hard time saying no to triple-cream bries, sour cream or steaks. The sad thing about saturated fats is the first place they are stored in your body — just like the animal they were in before you — is the stomach. They have a powerful staying factor more than any other fats. Of course it is fine to eat fat-free or low fat yogurt, milk and cheese.
• High fructose corn syrup. A nasty carbohydrate the body cannot process because it doesn’t recognize fructose. Corn syrup isn’t that bad because it has glucose, which the body can break down. You know why 7-11 invented the Big Gulp and then the 32-Ouncer? Because you can drink that much soda or fructose and never feel full for the body doesn’t understand fructose as anything with nutritional value. If a label says sugar or cane sugar, you’re looking at an item that is 50/50 with glucose and fructose. If it’s just a gram or two, don’t worry about it because the body can deal with anything (in small doses — honey and fruit have small doses of fructose). But if HFCS is the first ingredient, dump it.

Just read the back of all packages, cans and containers for fat and ingredient contents. I had to toss out a seemingly harmless container of bar-be-q sauce the other day. I ended up making my own using chopped up onions, garlic, organic ketchup, spices, and honey. It was delicious. For more entries here on The Abs Diet, go to:

• Could You Be Working Out Your Abs Without Knowing It? More on The Abs Diet
• Fitting Water Workouts into the Abs Diet For Women
• Eat Like You’re Easing into it: More Abs Diet for Women

Creating a Water Aerobics Workout, Part 3: Your First Routine

We discussed important water aerobics vocabulary. Then we talked about the actual movements you can perform in the water. Once you have both familiarized yourself with the terminology and practiced the movements in the water, you are ready to perform (and ultimately create) your own water workout routine.

Below I have created a typical water aerobics routine. It is designed to last 1/2 hour. But as we’re learning with water workouts, we can modify and make it into something else — like a 1-hour. We can do the routine faster; we can do it slower; we can more reps of the sets; do a different exercise if one suggested isn’t working.

WATER AEROBICS ROUTINE #1 — BEGINNER LEVEL

*Goal for Student/Routine: Use all muscle groups in the shortest period of time

:05-:07 minute Warm-Up.

• Sitting Breast Stroke. Travel back-and-forth across the pool length-wise using both arms and legs. Give care to alignment. Full range of motion approach. Benefit: Loosen up upper body (biceps, pectorals, trapezius, deltoids); loosen up lower body (hip flexors, hip abductors); loosen up core (abs). REPEAT 4x or 4 laps.
• Sitting Elementary Backstroke. Travel backwards, back-and-forth across pool, using just arms as you maintain a sitting position and give care to alignment, full range of motion. Benefit: Loosen up upper body (shoulder muscles and ball and socket joint in shoulder; triceps). REPEAT 4x or 4 laps.
• In-place modified jogging, two positions. #1: “Marching”: Bring right leg up in front, then left leg up in front, full range of motion. Gentle scull with arms. Benefit: Stretch legs (quads); stretch butt (gluteus maximus). #2: “Kickback”: stand tall at 6 o’clock. Gentle scull to stabilize. Now bring right leg back so heel comes behind and draw close to butt; drop back down and do left leg. Benefit: Stretch legs (hamstrings). DO POSITION #1 and #2 both 10-12 x. REPEAT SO YOU DO 4 SETS.

:15-:20 minute Conditioning Phase.

1st set or routine — 3 moves, all in-place. DO EACH MOVE 10-12x. REPEAT SO YOU DO SET 3-4x.

1. Jumping Jack at 4 o’clock angle. Use arms (scull). Start slow, work to cardio intensity. Change 4 o’clock position to a 3 o’clock and drop down to a 6 o’clock; keep bringing up and down to modify.
2. Jog in place. No arms. Start slow, work to cardio intensity. Try both knees up, both down or “sumo wrestler” to modify.
3. ThighMaster. In a sitting position with proper alignment, bring knees together and arms/hands together. Now push legs and arms out wide. Bring together again, squeezing water between legs and pushing water between arms and hands. Start slow, work to cardio intensity. Try doing one arm and one leg at a time — or opposite knee to opposite elbow to modify.

Benefits: Increase in heart rate; abs; hip abductors; gluteus maximus; quads; pectorals; trapezius; hinge joint in elbow.

2nd set or routine –2 moves, bike and jog combo, traveling across length of pool. REPEAT EACH MOVE 3-4X or laps. REPEAT SET 3-4x.

1. Bike, no arms. With arms extended in front “grabbing handles,” pedal with legs and “dig” into water with heel. Start with cardio intensity, work down to slower speed.
2. Jog, no arms. With arms behind back, lean forward and jog, up-down motion (as opposed to bike’s circular motion). Start with cardio intensity, work down to slower speed.

Benefits: Increase in heart rate; abs; hip abductors; ham strings; gluteus maximus; quads; pectorals; trapezius.

3rd set or routine — traveling cross county front, back and sides. Traveling across length of pool. REPEAT EACH MOVE 1x or lap. REPEAT SET 3-4x.

1. Cross country, face forward. Proper alignment, meeting place with feet at 6 o’clock or directly below. Now pull forward using breast stroke arms.
2. Cross country, backwards. Same alignment as above. Now reach back and use elementary backstroke arms to travel backwards.
3. Cross country, sideways. Same alignment. Now reach out the the side with arms and pull water to you as you travel length of pool sideways (do not turn this into a side stroke!). Switch and pull other sides.

Benefits: Increase in heart rate; all abs (oblique, intercostal, lower and upper); hip abductors; ham strings; gluteus maximus; quads; pectorals; trapezius.

:03-:05 minute Cool-Down.

• Traveling side stroke. Use scissors kick with legs. Arms are doing a breast stoke motion on side.
• In-place treading. Use “Egg Beaters” with legs and sculling with arms. Slow, gentle and full-range approach.

Print out routine and laminate so it doesn’t get wet by the pool.

It’s also important to understand we water exercise professionals each sell our own brand or style of water exercise. What I suggest might not be used by another instructor. Yes, I base my routines and movements upon what I’ve learned off other professionals; but mainly my routines are designed by what my students tell me they love and what works for them. I personally feel quick reps; a strong mix of full-range to muscle-building to cardio with the movements; and alas but not least good music with a challenging beat, makes for a beneficial — and repeatable — water routine. Ultimately, you’ve got to do what works for you to get yourself back into the water over and over again!

Creating a Water Aerobics Workout, Part 2: Mastering the Movements

In our previous post about creating a water aerobics or water workout routines, we talked about vocabulary. With this entry, we will be discussing the different moves or movements you can use in the water.

Understanding and mastering the moves requires a working use of the previous vocabulary. For example, you’ll be learning the cross country movement but performing it in full-range-of-motion (for stretching) and cardio style (for increasing heart rate) while keeping proper alignment. Or taking the jogging movement and hitting it hard forward, cardio style; or even running backwards and really using the arms to make it a muscle-building exercise instead. Sounds creative? Yes, water aerobics can be very creative and adaptable to your needs and limitations. Think of using the vocabulary and movements as wise and beneficial rules to wrap your creativity in.

One piece of information crucial to understand the secret to water aerobics or water workouts is that there are only a few basic moves — it’s just that the basic moves can be modified in endless ways. You can alternate movements for a right-then-left effect; isolate one arm or leg at a time; do both legs as the same time; go fast; slow down; do it at an angle or a 3 o’clock position; do it backwards; forwards; on the side. You get the picture.

Once again, you can print this out and laminate it — so now you have water aerobics vocabulary on one side and water aerobics movements on the other.

MAIN WATER WORKOUT/AEROBIC MOVEMENTS TO KNOW & USE

*It is important to keep in mind all movements can be modified or altered in a way to fit and challenge all bodies, regardless of levels, abilities and injuries.

**It is equally important to listen to your body when performing movements — pain is wrong. Straining or arching creates pain.

• Cross-County: Can have full-range, muscle-building, and cardio effects. Description: Using proper alignment, legs meet directly at a 6 o’clock below and then swing in opposite directions (right forward, left back). Arms also swing forward and back. Example of use: Can be used to stay in place or travel, depending on how you modify it as well as use the arms. If you wanted to use it for muscle-building, you would add breast stroke arms. If you wanted a cardio effect, bring legs up to a 4 o’clock position and flutter kick fast with your back to the direction you are heading.

• Jumping Jacks: Can have full-range, muscle-building, and cardio effects. Description: Proper alignment, legs extend out in an upside down “V” while extended arms come in together clapping below waist level. (On land we know this as legs and arms out-together, in-together; but in water arms are out while legs come in and visa verse. This prevents dunking yourself.) Example of use: Bring it up to a 4 o’clock position and push in and out, sculling with arms. Stay in place.

• Treading: Can have full-range, muscle-building, and cardio effects — great for joint strength but not recommended for knee injuries. Description: In a sitting position with knees up and still achieving proper alignment, rotate lower legs at knee in circular motion (also called Egg Beaters). Example of use: Lift arms up and work legs only for a great quad workout, trying to get your shoulders out for 10 seconds straight.

• Jogging: Can have full-range, muscle-building, and cardio effects. Description: Easiest movement to understand and entire water aerobic classes are built on water jogging. Mimic running as you do on land, leaning forward, bringing knees right-then-left close to chest and pushing down on heels; pull out with right-left arms. Example in use: To use jogging in place, modify by bring both knees up to the chest and then down (like a Sumo wrestler — this works the abs).

• Biking: Can have full-range, muscle-building, and cardio effects. Description: Extending upper body or arms out “grasping” bike handles; make circular motions with right-left legs, digging with heels. Example of use: Modify the bike by having pedals in front; modify by having pedals underneath and “stand”; modify by having pedals behind and “race.” You can get more cardio by imagining you are “spinning” with very fast, out-of-control steel wheels.

• Sculling: Can have full-range and muscle-building effects. Description: This is an upper body (arms) movement. Using a fingers-together paddle, make a “smoothing” or “figure-8” motion under water, directly on each side at mid-waist. Works biceps and deltoids. Great for stabilizing alignment when working on lower body movements. When in doubt with what to do with your upper body — scull.

Are there more? You bet. Additional water movements include: Crunches; Sitting Breast Stroke; Sitting Elementary Backstroke; Rowing; Side-Stroke; Hurdling.

Next entry on water workouts? I’ll actually put a typical one-hour routine together, using vocabulary and movements with modifications to make it fun, interesting and suitable to your body. So yes, you will have additional sheets to print out and laminate so you can also have “Routine #1” and so on to use.

Creating a Water Aerobics Workout, Part I: Learning the Vocabulary

There’s a lot to tackle or wrap your grey matter around when it comes to water workouts or more commonly known as water aerobics. There’s posture, vocabulary, movements, repetitions and speeds, all the while dealing with the buoyancy issue versus gravity issue. It can be a lot to put together to create a meaningful water routine. Plus there’s what your own body can accept and master, as not all bodies move the same and definitely have different needs due to different issues.

But don’t let me discourage you. Let me educate and inspire you by starting with water workout terms. What will be useful to you is if you print these water workout terms out and laminate the page so you can have them near the water. Tomorrow I will post Part II which will be about water workout movements, so you can have a two-sided instructional sheet.

WATER WORKOUT/AEROBIC TERMS TO KNOW & USE

• Alignment: Refers to a straight posture, or “ears-to-shoulder, and shoulder-to-hip” all lined up with tailbone pointed to bottom of pool. Think also of a book being balanced on your head and a cape flowing off your shoulders. Abdominal (or stomach muscles) pulled in and up, as well as contracted (as if you are preparing to be punched in the gut). Sometimes I refer to your body position as being “hands on a clock” (ie. at six o’clock, you’d be standing tall with both your legs meeting directly below you; at 3 o-clock, you’d be close to a 90-degree angle with your legs stuck out in front). Better alignment translates to being in a better position to work the correct muscles and therefore your number one concern throughout your workout.

• Buoyancy: How well you are able to float and/or control a “moving” workout without compromising alignment. In either deep or shallow waters, you want the water level to be chest to shoulders deep. If you struggle to achieve buoyancy, you want to put on a flotation device.

• Core: Refers to your torso, as well as hips and chest (sometimes upper legs and shoulders). Core therefore encompasses a number of muscles: abs (upper, lower, and side); gluteus maximus (or butt); pectorals (chest); deltoids (shoulders); quads (front upper legs); hamstrings (back upper legs); and hip muscles (hip flexors; hip abductors; and the psoasis which wraps around your pelvis). Water aerobics helps develop a strong core, and a strong core gives you a strong back. A strong core also gives you a “sense of stability” in the water as you deal with the buoyancy issue.

• Full Range-of-Motion: Refers to your biggest and deepest movements at your slowest speed. Done during a warm-up or cool down. Purpose is to actively stretch the muscles and joints.

• Muscle-Building: Movements done at a slightly smaller but still wide or challenging extension. Purpose is to squeeze, push or pull against the water with leg and/or arm movements. Think of yourself in a weight room with water being your “weight” — water is 830 times thicker than air with a 3-D resistance.

• Cardio: Movements done at muscle-building range or extension, but done with as much intensity as possible. Meaning a huge increase in the number of movements and performed much faster so you sweat and/or breath quicker. Purpose it to get the heart rate up. Work to your “perceived exertion,” which is a fancy term for when you are so out of breath you cannot hold a conversation. An instructor can be the driving force, but you are the master of your own intensity!

• Pulse or Sprint: Take a movement and make it go fast while still achieving a challenging extension. Purpose is for cardio.

• Repetitions: The number of times you do a movement. “Reps” of 10-12 movements are most entertaining and engaging. For example, the mind wanders when tasked to perform 100 sit-ups or crunches in the water. You’re more apt to complete the 100 if you break the crunches down into 8 different positions or movements and do each 10-12 times.

• Modification: This is when you take a movement and slightly change the position to either suit your body needs and/or change up the routine. This also refers to alternating a movement (ie. doing on leg at a time).

What Chlorine Does To Your Hair & Skin (And How To Fight Against it)

Listen, if anyone knows what it is like to witness first-hand chlorine damage to your hair, skin and clothes, it’s me.

But I have (what I feel and have been told, at least) great hair, I smell good, and my suit is cute and has lasted forever. (But truth be told, sometimes my fiance tells me I have Pool Hair or that I do smell like chemicals).  But for the most part, I do not have any nasty pool usage backlashes:  no split ends, no fried or frizzed hair; I feel moisturized; and I do have a suit I have used 4-5 days a week for one entire year and is still in usable shape.  So here’s my secrets:

1. Always, always, always rinse your hair with clean water before you go in the pool. Unless you are 100% sure you aren’t going under, don’t take the chance. What happens is the dry shafts of your hair soak up whatever you give it, meaning chlorinated/chemicaled water, and that causes irreversible damage. Hair is dead — despite product claims, you cannot heal it or change it back so look out for it now.
2. You can also top your rinsed hair with conditioner or hair serum for an extra protector. But that’s just one more step you have to remember. Neutrogena and John Freida make a silicon serum found in any Target or Walgreens. Just pre-rinse your hair — I want to make the point twice.
3. Use an exfoliate for the face, a scrub glove for the body. I don’t wash, I scrub chlorine off my body. I like Jason Organic’s Apricot Scrubble.
4. Stop buying swim suits made of lycra or nylon and buy polyester suits. This is hard, because the industry mostly makes suits made of the first two mentioned materials. I wear Dolphin “Uglies” suits found here which are ironically, so cute, and so much cheaper.
5. Sunblock is the number one product you can use to fight wrinkles and signs of aging. I have researched and researched, and like you, I’ve bought my share of Hope in a Jar. The only true miracle product out there is UVA and UVB-resistance sunscreen. Wear it every single day. I recommend Dr. Hauschka’s SPF 15 Sunscreen Lotion; for a lower price point, I’m also happy with Aveeno’s Positively Radiant SPF 15 that also acts as a moisturizer.

Any product I have recommended, I promise you I have done tons of research on — I usually rely most on Paula Begoun, also known as the Cosmetics Cops. She’s been on Oprah recommending products and all that garbage.

I’ve written about his topic before here, but I wrote about it again because Squidkid has been getting a lot of searches lately on this topic.

Don’t Be Fake: Your Are What You Are Eating

I received an email the other day from the JCC Osher Marin Health & Fitness Director reminding me about Super Foods.  Anything that is a good source of fiber, is high in anti-oxidants, helps reduce heart disease, and lower your calorie intake is considered a Super Food.

Almost a year ago I began posting entries about a book I was reading, The Abs Diet for Women. The book talked about such foods and came up with a clever acronym to remember these foods by:

ABS DIET POWER Eating List

A = Almonds and other nuts (not sugared nuts!)

B = Beans and legumes (not refried beans — they have too much bad fat)

S = Spinach and other greens

D = Dairy (fat-free or low-fat stuff — and watch for the high-fructose corn syrup in flavored dairy!)

I = Instant oatmeal (unsweetened, so don’t buy the flavored stuff)

E = Eggs

T = Turkey and other lean meats (yes, you can east steak still and ground beef; just choose lean)

P = Peanut butter (not Jiffy or Skippy, which is filled with sugar and stuff)

O = Olive oil

W = Whole grain bread and cerels (no white bread or packages that just say ‘wheat’ — must say whole wheat)

E = Extra protein, which is whey and can be found at the health food store

R = Raspberries and other berries (sprinkle on oatmeal to bring back the flavor of lost additives!)

An even simpler way to remember Super Foods is to question whether or not what you are eating is a fake food.

I loved Zinczenko’s book — he’s an editor at Men’s Health. Here are some of the topics about  I covered about healthy eating:

• How To Make Your Diet Easy, Quick & Painless.
• Fitting in Water Workouts with the Ab Diet.
• Embracing A Change in Diet: The Easing-Into-It-Strategy.