Kent Burden's Road to Wellness

From the start

2013-03-16T05:58:00.001-07:00

The trip got off to a challenging start. After hours of meticulous preparation, hundreds of online searches and many calls confirming & re-confirming travel details, things went to shit before I could get out my front door. I booked a shuttle to get me to the airport two hours before my flight. They were supposed to pick me up at 12:30 getting me there in plenty of time before departure without having to sit around the airport for to long. I was all packed and standing in the driveway at 12:30 when my cell phone rings, it's the driver and he's called to let me know that he overslept a bit (not what I wanted to hear) but he is about to get in the van. The only problem is he lives an hour and fifteen minutes from me, add in the hour and a half it will take to get to the airport then check in and security my plane will be long gone before I get to the gate. At that point I had an aneurism and dropped dead in the driveway. OK, I'm being overly dramatic, I didn't actually have an aneurism I just thought I was going to have one. After I did a couple of deep breathing exercises screamed a few expletives and cursed the driver his family and all his ancestors, I decided this really wasn't helping me get to the airport. Time for plan B! Parking the car at the airport really wasn't an option because of family needs so I had to call my wife and yank her out of work and have her drive me to the airport and in the process spending some serious marriage capital(I now owe her big time!) my wife was not happy o say the least and it was a tense ride to the airport but traffic was light and we made it in plenty of time...or so I thought. I hopped out of the car kissed the misses and thanked her for being so sweet and understanding (along with promises of flowers and romantic dinners) then rushed off to the Air New Zealand gate. To my horror the line at the gate was out the door! Come to find out 3 times a year Air New Zealand does a drill for its check in desk employees simulating a complete computer shutdown and they have to do everything manually. It took over an hour to check in and get my bags checked. I made it to the gate just in time for last boarding call.

The winding road to wellness

2013-03-15T03:41:00.001-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that its been a while since I posted. That's because for lack of a better way to put it, recently my life has been a bit of a shit storm. Just after the new year my mother became ill and within a month died, sending me into a tailspin. My mother had been in relative good health for someone who had recently reached her 80th birthday. Four years ago she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease but outside of her deteriorating memory she was living a vibrant active life. Unlike my father who was in poor health for years but had simply been to stubborn to die, my mother just kept humming along like the energizer bunny. Honestly I thought she would out last me. Her sudden death hit me like a ton of bricks. I think the thing that really got me was not only did I feel the sense of deep loss that comes with losing a parent the death of my mother also reminded me that no matter how healthy a person seems or how healthy their life style, death will eventually come for all of us. Before you run from my blog screaming into the night thinking that this is about to slide into a depression fueled rant give me a second to get to my point. The thing that my mother has taught me both through her life and death is that a huge part of being truly healthy is being truly happy. What do I mean by that? After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's I asked her how she was feeling she replied " this Alzheimer's thing isn't so bad, I'm sure I've got all kinds of problems, I just can't remember what they are!" Life is a long and winding road and along the way all kinds of bad shit is going to happen, but the quality of your life, health and character will be determined not by what happens to you but how you handle what happens to you. So rather than sit around feeling bad I have decided to open my heart and mind to the universe. Life has presented me with an opportunity to do something my mother loved to do with all her being, travel. When I was first presented with this opportunity I wasn't sure I had the strength or the courage but life's to short to to hesitate so I m going for it! I'm going to start the process of getting my life back into balance by embracing a new adventure in England! If you think you might like to follow along on this adventure please feel free and check back in as I follow my road to wellness.

Exercise Sucks! New E-Book Reveals Latest Research: Exercise As We Know It May Not Be The Most Effective Way to Lose Weight.

2013-01-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

Kent Burden, internationally renowned wellness expert, celebrity trainer and bestselling author, has written a book on the subject of losing weight and keeping it off without “exercise.” The book, “Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight Without Really Trying” is now available on Amazon.com.

As 2013 begins, millions of people will make New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight through conventional exercise. Most of those people will fail to keep those resolutions. Burden’s new book shows readers that being more active over the course of their day burns more calories and helps the body shed more fat than a standard 30-60 minute exercise session.

For many people, the title of Burden’s book sums up how they feel about working out: Exercise Sucks!
But the reality is that losing weight and keeping it off through diet alone is virtually impossible. That is why most people fail when they try to diet for weight loss. To lose weight and get the lean, healthy body most people dream about, one must eat well and be active on a regular basis.

“Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight Without Really Trying” is based on the new science of sedentary studies which shows that not only is sitting for extended periods making us fat, it is also implicated in the development of serious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some forms cancer. One of the top researchers on this subject is Dr. James Levine of the prestigious Mayo Clinic who coined the phrase “sitting disease.” Most people sit an astounding 7-11 hours every day. Four major studies published in 2012 showed that people who sat for the longest periods during the day had larger waistlines than those who sat the least regardless of how much they exercised. Levine says that brief segments of activity (1-5 minutes) each hour or so are far more effective than 30-60 minutes of sustained conventional exercise. While short bursts of movement may not seem intense enough to qualify as exercise, research clearly suggests that they can have huge weight loss benefits.

Burden takes this science and turns it into actions people can use in their everyday life. The book is not a rehash of the same old exercise/weight loss doctrine, but shows people how to
•Change their habits and bring more regular activity to their day
•Bring delicious and healthy “real food” back into their lives
•Do movements at their desk or kitchen counter to burn calories

•Choose foods that will help them lose weight
•De-stress their lives to make weight loss easier and faster

Burden says “This year I’m encouraging people to make a New Year’s resolution that is actually sustainable. Instead of starting one of those crazy infomercial exercise fads that leave you sore, exhausted and feeling like a failure, resolve to make some small, simple, sustainable changes that lead to big results.

Click here to watch the book trailer for Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight without Really Trying

Kent Burden is available for interviews and speaking engagements and can be reached at (805) 276-0572

kent@mylifefitness.com Website: www.kentburden.com Blog site: www.kentaburden.blogspot.com

Twitter: @kentburden

Huge Independent Publisher's Book Sale! All E-Books Under a Dollar!

2012-12-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

Are you a big fan of reading? Tired of spending big bucks to find new authors you like? The Indie book revolution is in full swing and this just may be the golden age for reading.

There are thousands of new writers out there with great stories to tell, and for a limited time, finding them and buying their books is cheap! Starting tomorrow, December 28th and continuing through December 31st, the Indie Book Festival is having a huge holiday sale! All books are UNDER A DOLLAR!

This is your chance to load up that new iPad, Tablet, Kindle or Nook with weeks of great reading material in all genres for a buck each. Don't have an E-Reader? No problem! With the Kindle app for your smartphone or computer, you can download and read books from almost anywhere. What have you got to lose?

Here's the link

5 Upper Body Strength Exercises with Bands to do at Your Desk

2012-12-27T18:52:00.002-08:00

With the New Year right around the corner many of us are starting to make plans to improve our health. But for most of us the biggest obstacle to keeping those New Years resolutions is time. Fitting in a 30-60 minute workout between your daily comute, work, family obligations and social life can be daunting. But what if you could just squeeze in 1 to 5 minutes every hour over the course of the day? Wouldn't that make it easier? That is exactly what my new book series "Workout at Work" shows you how to do. You can easily get in your workout between phone calls and e-mails and not impact your productivity at work or home in the least. The first book in the series is Workout at Work: 25 Upper Body Strength Exercises with Resistance Bands to do at Your Desk. Click here to buy the book

Here's a snipet from the book:

Bicep Wing Curls with Resistance Bands

Grasp ends of resistance band. Stand with feet hip width apart and place center of band itself under both feet as an anchor. Keep wrists straight while holding hand bars. Don't bend wrists toward you or away from you. Rotate both arms outward then maintain a slow, deliberate movement as you pull both hands up towards shoulders. Hold hand bars at shoulder level for 1 second before releasing arms down. Release arms down, keeping hands facing outward. Keep resistance band taut as you release hands to hip level. Maximum results will come from constant resistance of band during entire movement. Repeat for one minute.

Seated row

Secure the band in a door or to a stationary object at chest level while seated. Facing the anchor point, grasp a handle in each hand and sit far enough from the anchor point that the band is free of slack when your arms are fully extended in front of you. Engage your core, keeping your upper body still and upright. Bring arms back towards your chest, sweeping the elbows out and back until your hands are even with your upper chest. The motion should be similar to the action of rowing a boat with two oars. Repeat for 1 minute.

The Hug

Secure the center of the band in the door or to a stationary object at waist height. Grasp the handles of the band in each hand and step away from the door until the band is free of slack. Place the right foot in front of the left and lean forward slightly. With arms extended and hanging at waist height, slightly away from the body, sweep both arms outwards and across the chest, in a motion similar to a bear hug. Finish with wrists crossed in front of the chest. Arms should stay extended throughout the motion. Return to original position. Repeat for one minute.

Front Raises

Grasp ends of resistance band. Stand with feet hip width apart and place center of band under each foot as an anchor. Holding handles of resistance bands in each hand, With hands down at your side’s palms facing backwards lift both hands up with the palms facing down keeping the arms straight as you bring the hands to shoulder height. Lower the hands back down to your sides and repeat for one minute.

Wood chop

Grasp handles of bands in each hand and step on the center portion of the bands. Still standing on the band, step feet out so that they are hip distance apart. Bring hands together and hold both handles at the same time with both hands. Bring both hands to the left side of the body. Pull the band across the body upwards towards the right shoulder. Return to original position. Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat for 30 seconds.

To see all of Kent's books and for more info, click here.

Too Much to Do and No Time to Work Out? I've Got You Covered!

2012-12-15T18:22:00.003-08:00

With the holiday season in full swing many of us find ourselves a little short on time. But this is the worst time of the year to start skipping your workout. With all the stress from shopping and holiday goodies like eggnog, cookies, candies and of course adult beverages, working out is probably something you really NEED to do right now. But who's got the time? Well, if you can spare 20 minutes, this little workout will get you exactly what you need this holiday season in half the time it usually takes you to get through a typical workout. I suggest three days of strength training and three days of cardio a week but you could get away with just two days of each. Then get back to your regular schedule after the New Year. This time-saving workout comes from my book Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight Without Really Trying which is available at Amazon.com.

Click here to buy it!

To do this workout you will need a resistance band, an exercise ball and a set of hand weights.

Chest Fly with Resistance Bands

Anchor band in a doorway or other stationary waist-high fixture and stand with back to band. Holding a handle in each hand, allow band to pull arms slightly behind you. Take a firm stance with one leg behind body for stability. Bring hands together in front of you, insides of fists almost touching. As you move, focus on chest muscles tensing as you bring hands together. Use a slow, controlled motion to get the most out of this exercise. Extend arms out to sides, roughly parallel with floor. Return to starting position, then repeat for 50 seconds.

Triceps Pull Downs with Resistance Bands

Anchor resistance band at top of a door, (making sure it is above head). Stand in front of resistance band and grab both handles with an overhand grip, then turn away from where resistance band is anchored and walk away from object holding band until desired resistance is reached. Bring hands above head, palms facing forward, elbows bent at forehead level. Press hands forward until elbows are straight then return hands to starting position. Repeat for 50 seconds.

Bicep Wing Curls with Resistance Bands

Grasp ends of resistance band. Stand with feet hip width apart and place center of band itself under one foot as an anchor. Keep wrists straight while holding hand bars. Don't bend wrists toward you or away from you. Rotate both arms outward then maintain a slow, deliberate movement as you pull both hands up towards shoulders. Hold hand bars at shoulder level for 1 second before releasing arms down. Release arms down, keeping hands facing outward. Keep resistance band taut as you release hands to hip level. Maximum results will come from constant resistance of band during entire movement. Repeat for 50 seconds.

Lateral Raises with Resistance Bands

Grasp ends of resistance band. Stand with feet hip width apart and place center of band under one foot as an anchor. Holding handles of resistance bands in each hand, drop arms down to sides. Keeping arms bent, raise elbows and hands up until they reach shoulder height, then lower them back to sides. Repeat for 50 seconds.

Wide Leg Seated Squat

Stand holding 1 to 10 pound weights in both hands with a stable chair behind you. Spread legs so they are twice hip distance apart with toes pointed outward at a 45-degree angle from mid-line of body. Bend knees and drop buttocks down to chair behind you, keeping torso as upright as possible. Return to starting position. Repeat for 50 seconds.

One Legged Lunge

Begin standing with back to a bench or step. Place one leg up on bench or step so that shoelaces are resting on bench. Align front foot forward so you are in a lunging position. Keeping hips rolled under, lunge straight down until back knee is close to ground and front leg is at a 90-degree angle. Pressing through front heel, push up and return to starting position. Do on one side for 25 seconds, then switch to opposite side for 25 seconds.

Roll Up

Lie back with legs straight and arms extended above head next to ears. Bring arms forward, tilt chindown, and slowly curl upper body up, reaching hands up towards ceiling. Extend spine upwards, bringing torso up and tall. Slowly lower torso back down to floor one vertebrae at a time, bringing yourself back to starting position. Repeat for 50 seconds.

Ball Plank

Put exercise ball on floor under upper body. Lay down on exercise ball face down, keeping it under chest with feet extended away from you, hands gently holding side of ball. Keep torso as still as possible with toes on floor in plank position. Hold position for 50 seconds, keeping ball as still as possible.

Interval training

You should do this workout 3 days a week on days that you do not strength train. Each exercise has been given an intensity rating based on a perceived exertion test or (PE). This test uses a scale of 1 to 10 to rank how hard it feels like you are working during a given exercise. A ranking of 1is: I’m almost asleep. A 10 is: Dear lord I’m going to die! A ranking of 1-3 is easy, 4-6 is moderate, and 7-10 is hard. You can do these intervals outside in your neighborhood or on a treadmill walking, jogging, or a combination of the two. They can also be done on a stationary bike or even swimming. For this workout you will need a timer or a stop watch that you can easily carry with you.

Minutes 1-3

Begin at an easy pace (PE 2-3) for 3 minutes to warm up your body.

Minute 3-5

Pick up your pace to moderate (PE 4-5) for 2 minutes

Minutes 5-7

Pick up the pace to fast (PE 7-8) for 2 minutes

Minutes 7-10

Slow down to a moderate pace (PE 4-5) for 3 minutes

Minutes 10-12

Pick up the pace to fast (PE 7-8) for 2 minutes

Minutes 12-15

Slow down to a moderate pace (PE 4-5) for 3 minutes

Minutes 15-17

Pick up the pace to fast (PE 7-8) for 2 minutes

Minutes 17-20

Slow down to a moderate pace (PE 4-5) for 3 minutes cool down

When you have finished this four week program you can continue doing the final weeks’ exercises, slowly increasing the weight and intensity.

Of course there are many other programs out there as well; the main thing is finding a program that is right for you. The best exercise program in the world is simply the one YOU WILL DO on a regular basis.

David-Dorian Ross: Tai Chi - The Ultimate Workout

2012-12-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce our guest blogger David-Dorian Ross.

David-Dorian Ross has been playing Taijiquan (The Art of Harmony) for 35 years. He is America’s “Chi-vangelist,” whose public appearances introduce people to the benefits, accessibility and sheer joy of learning Taiji (T’ai Chi).
Read about David-Dorian’s philosophy of Taiji.
He recently hosted the prime-time special “T’ai Chi, Health and Happiness” for the PBS network (airing November/December 2012). It’s his second public television program on T’ai Chi; his first show was called “T’ai Chi in Paradise,” produced with Hawaiian Public Television in Honolulu. Inside Kung-fu Magazine called him “the man who brought T’ai Chi mainstream.” David-Dorian’s T’ai Chi instructional dvds have sold more than 1 million copies world-wide, and his program T’ai Chi Beginners’ Practice is the best-selling T’ai Chi dvd of all time.
David-Dorian also holds the record as America’s competitive T’ai Chi Champion – winning 8 US Gold Medals, a World Silver medal and 2 World Bronze medals in T’ai Chi performance (still the highest record of any American T’ai Chi athlete). David-Dorian is the founder of T’ai Chi Fitness Instructor Training (F.I.T.)™ – the first teacher training program recognized by the fitness industry. He is also the founder of T’ai Chi Connect (www.taichiconnect.com) the first international social networking site for players of T’ai Chi.
David-Dorian’s presentations are highly interactive and include lots of how-to oriented content. He uses stories, metaphors, examples and humor to make his seminars and keynotes highly memorable, practical and motivating for any audience. He engages the audience in the physical application of movement, which results in resounding Aha! moments for all participants.

Everyone knows that dynamic good health depends in part on physical exercise. The human body was made for work - for movement. Our ancestors got their exercise from survival activities, like chasing down the woolly mammoth or plowing the lower forty. In our modern world, however, our lives are too sedentary. Our work is in the factory rather than the field, or in the office instead of on the ocean. So we need to add exercise to keep our bodies healthy.

David-Dorians Ross's new book Exercising the Soul: How Tai Chi Connects You to Your Authentic Self is available on Amazon.com. Just click here to get your copy

http://www.amazon.com/Exercising-Soul-Connects-Authentic-ebook/dp/B00AF3TINM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355349086&sr=1-1&keywords=exercising+the+soul

The Ultimate Workout

The question is, what kind of exercise is best for you? Weight training for strength? Pilates for six-pack abs? Yoga for flexibility? Or perhaps a mixture of several different kinds of exercise that you blend together - a format that fitness professionals call, "cross training."

But what if there were a single workout that could satisfy all your fitness needs, and more? And what would you call it? What would you call a workout that was simultaneously a system of self-defense, a shield against disease, a means of meditation and a beautiful dance? Well, you might call it "T'ai Chi Ch'uan" - one of the world's most popular workouts. It's practiced by hundreds of millions of people throughout Asia and around the world. T'ai Chi Ch'uan is called "the ultimate exercise" for body, mind and Spirit. If you've ever been curious about this ancient Chinese martial art, here are just three things you ought to know.

First of all, T'ai Chi is a phenomenal physical workout. It builds great lower body strength and flexibility, and along the way delivers a terrific cardio workout. The upper body also gets a great resistance workout as you begin to practice the T'ai Chi sword, or include the weighted T'ai Chi ball. The greatest workout benefit of T'ai Chi, however, is how it hones your balance and coordination, which makes it the perfect complement to any other workout. No matter what your other sport may be, T'ai Chi will make it better.

The second important benefit of T'ai Chi is how it helps you manage and relieve stress - and who couldn't benefit from that? Good T'ai Chi practice teaches you to trigger what is known as the "relaxation response." The relaxation response is a total release of the unconscious muscle tensions and a reversal of the stress hormones that have created our chronic "stress responses" (our automatic reactions to stress, like increased blood pressure and heart rate, shallow breathing and elevated cortisol levels).

Finally, T'ai Chi has a deeply metaphysical or philosophical side (some would even say Spiritual). The art of T'ai Chi is based on ancient principles that not only teach you about exercise and self-defense, but about life itself. What T'ai Chi does is teach you the principles for living in a very physical way. Here's just one example: almost all Spiritual systems talk about the importance of "balance" in your life. But what does that really mean? How are you supposed to use balance to your advantage? Most of the time, you are left to figure that out for yourself. But T'ai Chi demands that you balance your physical body, teaches you how to do it, and shows you the consequences of not having balance (you fall down).

Of course, the most important feature of T'ai Chi is simply this: it's fun. The traditional way of telling people you practice this art is to say, "I play T'ai Chi." That by itself may justify the name, "The Ultimate Workout."

Want a sneak peak at some Tai Chi and a short lesson on how "Chi" works?

For more info you can contact David-Dorian at: http://daviddorianross.com/

2012-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

My new ebook Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight without Really Trying is FREE December 1st and 2nd on Amazon.com. Get your FREE copy here http://tinyurl.com/awpqp2l

Don't have a kindle? No problem, there's an app for that. Just down load the free kindle app and read on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Get your app here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And you can gift the book to your friends and family for FREE as well. Don't miss out on this great no strings attached offer!

Here's a little taste of the book for my blog fans:

But how can it be true that the little things we do every day could actually be big calorie burners? If running for 30 minutes at a ten-minute-per-mile pace only burns about 365 calories, how can the stuff I do during the course of my day possibly be considered a bigger calorie burn?

Well, it has to do with the law of frequency, or as I like to call it “The Sydney Effect.” Sydney is my incredible daughter. She is the light of my life, she’s beautiful and smart…very smart! And Sydney completely understands the law of frequency. Sydney knows, for example, that if she comes to me and asks for a largish sum of money, let’s say $60, I will ask her what she needs it for (it’s usually a “cute little top” or a pair of “drop dead gorgeous shoes”). Now, Sydney knows that getting me to hand over sixty bucks is like pulling teeth; it’s a struggle she really doesn’t want to deal with.

So instead, Sydney asks for $5. But it’s not just a one-time occurrence. She asks for $5 twenty times over the course of the week. She sneaks up on me when I’m watching TV, she waits until her mother and I are deep in conversation, she asks while I’m cooking dinner. For me, $5 is painless and if I’m not paying attention, I forget that I gave it to her. With this simple strategy she knows she’ll get that $60 plus a little extra for that great little skirt she’s had her eye on. We can apply this same approach to our everyday activities. Most of us spend an average of 16 hours awake each day, so 20 calories here, 30 calories there, and the next thing you know you’ve burned seven or eight hundred extra calories over the course of just one day

Take a Little of The Stress Out of the Holiday Season

2012-11-26T19:30:00.001-08:00

For many people the holidays are one of the most stressful times of the year. Between shopping, wrapping presents, planning family get togethers and of course work, the days between Thanksgiving and New Years can feel like the best of times and the worst of times. When you feel the pressure begin to mount try this simple de-stressing technique.

Body Scan Meditation

· Lie on your back or sit upright in a chair and close your eyes. Begin by taking 5 long slow deep breaths.

· Feel your head and skull. Sense its weight. Feel your scalp and forehead allow the muscles in the scalp and forehead to relax.

· Feel your eyes. Sense if there is tension in your eyes. Sense if you are forcibly closing your eyelids. Consciously relax your eyelids and feel the tension slide off the eyes.

· Feel your mouth and jaw. Consciously relax them. Pay particular attention to your jaw muscles and unclench them if you need to. Feel your mouth and jaw relax.

· Feel your neck. Sense its weight. Consciously release the tension in the muscles in the neck, feel your neck relax.

· Feel your shoulders. Sense their weight. Consciously relax the muscles across the tops of the shoulders and all around the shoulder joints. Allow your shoulders to relax.

· Feel your arms and hands. Feel their weight. Relax all the muscles in your arms and hands all the way down to the tips of your fingers. Feel your arms and hands relax.

· Feel your abdomen and chest. Sense your breathing. Consciously will them to relax. Deepen your breathing slightly and feel your abdomen and chest relax.

· Feel your buttocks. Sense their weight. Consciously relax the muscles and feel them release. Allow your buttocks to relax

· Feel your upper legs. Feel their weight. Consciously relax The muscles in the front and back of the thighs and feel the tension drift away.

· Feel the lower legs. Feel their weight. Consciously relax the muscles of the calves and lower legs. Feel the lower legs relax.

· Feel your feet. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them. Start with your ankles and progress to your toes. Feel your feet relax.

· Mentally scan your body. If you find any place that is still tense, then consciously relax that place. Now feel your entire body grow heavy and slowly sink down towards the earth beneath you.

Here's wishing everyone a low-stress, high-fun holiday season!

Joe the Puppet Book Review for Exercise Sucks

2012-11-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

Joe the puppet gives a review of my new book Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight Without Really Trying. You should head off to Amazon.com get the book and give us your review. Get your copy here:

http://tinyurl.com/awpqp2l

Obesogens

2012-11-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

With the holidays headed into full swing and some of the biggest feasts of the year right around the corner let's talk a little about what's going on the table and into our mouths. It may not just be large portions and inactive lifestyles causing our waistlines to expand.

UC Irvine biologist Bruce Blumberg is one of many researchers exploring how chemicals used in plastics, food packaging, pesticides and cosmetics can trigger dramatic increases in body fat. He has even coined his own word for these compounds that interrupt the normal function of metabolic hormones: obesogens.

Blumberg, professor of developmental & cell biology and pharmaceutical sciences says, “It makes a lot of sense that chemicals able to reprogram metabolism and favor the development of fat cells could be important contributing factors to obesity, The role of obesogens in fat accumulation raises questions about the effectiveness of just diet and exercise in helping people lose pounds and maintain a proper weight.”

Obesogen research is in its early stages but gaining widespread attention, including recent coverage in Newsweek magazine. No one really knows how much these chemicals are contributing to the obesity epidemic, but what Blumberg and other researchers around the world are finding is clearly giving us something to think about.

Since most of these chemicals are found in pesticides and in conventionally processed foods it makes a lot of sense to avoid these chemicals whenever possible but that's easier said than done since even the package your food comes in may be a contributor. Obviously eating organic and all natural will help, but let’s face it, eating only organic produce can be expensive and not always necessary. Some produce has little or no pesticide residue. But how do you know which ones are safe and which aren't? These two lists can help you be a smarter shopper and a healthier eater.

The Dirty Dozen

(Twelve fruits & vegetables that should ALWAYS be purchased organic)

Peaches

Apples

Sweet Bell Peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Kale

Lettuce

Imported Grapes

Carrots

Pears

The Clean Fifteen (Fifteen fruits & vegetables that can be purchased conventionally)

Onions

Avocados

Sweet Corn

Pineapples

Mangos

Asparagus

Sweet Peas

Kiwi

Cabbage

Eggplant

Papayas

Watermelon

Broccoli

Tomatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Where are Obesogens hiding?

In your fridge: Pesticides and PCBs

These are the most common pesticides & PCBs found in the human body. They get into your body when you ingest them through your food, most often in fruits and vegetables, commercial dairy and meat and many other items. They are considered to be endocrine disruptor's (DDT, DDE, atrazine, vinclozoline tributyltin, carbendazim, HPTE and endosulfan).

In your pantry: Plastic Compounds

75% of all Americans have detectable levels of phthalates in their bodies. These compounds are plastic softeners that mimic estrogen and are found in the linings of canned food and beverages, sports bottles, children’s toys and PVC pipes and many other things.

In your Water: Hormones, pesticides and other industrial chemicals

According to the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, 54% of all tap water tests positive for pesticides. Atrazine has been detected in 90% of municipal water supplies. According to the American Chemical Society, pharmaceuticals (like birth-control hormones & anti- depressants), industrial chemicals and pesticides make their way into our drinking water.

Eating real all natural food and being aware of where your food comes from and how it's packaged can go a long way in making you a lot healthier and maybe even thinner. But a smart shopper always knows what to spend a little more on and when it's right to save a few dollars.

Make Black Friday a Red Letter Day for Your Health with FitDesk

2012-11-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

Planning on doing a little Black Friday shopping? Well after you load your shopping cart with all that bling you’ve been coveting don’t forget to pick up something that will not only help make you look better but help you be healthier as well. The FitDesk is the perfect Black Friday purchase for the office worker who has everything. With all the new research on the damage that sitting at your desk all day does to your health, FitDesk is one great tool to keep you active all day…even while you work! As the author of the bestselling book Is Your Chair Killing You? And the new book Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight Without Really trying. I know just how vital regular movement during the day is to weight loss and protecting yourself from the lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease obesity and certain kinds of cancer. The FitDesk is one of the best tools out there for people who sit for most of the day to do their jobs but want to stay active. On Friday November 23, 2012 you will get the chance to get the new and improved FitDesk at a very special price. Don’t wait because this deal won’t last forever Just click on the link to get your FitDesk today! http://astore.amazon.com/kenbur-20

Check out our video review of the FitDesk Below.

My Controversial New Book is Just 99 Cents Thru November 25th

2012-11-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

My latest book is now available on Amazon.com: Exercise Sucks! The Secret to Losing Weight without Really Trying

For many people, the title of this book sums up how they feel about working out: Exercise Sucks!

But the reality is that losing weight and keeping it off through diet alone is virtually impossible, which is why most of us fail. To lose the weight and get that lean body you dream about you have to eat well and be active on a regular basis. New research reveals that most of us sit an astounding 7-11 hours every day!

Exercise Sucks! is based on the new science of sedentary studies, which points to the startling conclusion that “exercise” as we know it may not even be the most effective way to lose weight.
This sure-to-be-controversial book will show you how to:
•Change your habits and bring more regular activity to your day, allowing you to burn far more calories than you would “exercising.”
•Bring “real food” that is delicious and healthy back into your life easily!
•Learn movements that can be done at your desk or kitchen counter that will improve strength, flexibility, balance and energize you without breaking a sweat
•Choose foods that will help you lose weight without really trying
•De-stress your life to make weight loss easier and faster
•Make the most out of a short workout program to lose weight fast

Exercise Sucks! will help you lose the weight you want to lose with little or no time spent doing the thing most people hate… exercise.

Want a little sneak preview? Check out this excerpt from the new book:

Real Food Weight Loss Helpers

Keep in mind that food can be more than just sustenance. As Hippocrates said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” The following list of foods can actually double as weight-loss drugs (without the nasty side effects), helping to boost your metabolism and speed up your weight loss. Even better, they’re good for you and taste great!

Green tea

In a study by the American Journal of Physiology, Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology found that drinking green tea was believed to keep the metabolism from slowing which often accompanies weight loss. The authors of this same report found that green tea seems to have the ability to inhibit the effects of catechol-o-methyltransferase which is an enzyme known to start the process of breaking down certain brain chemicals involved in the regulation of the appetite.

Another study published in 2009 in the International Journal of Obesity found that some antioxidants in green tea appear to have a “small positive effect” on both weight loss and weight maintenance. Their analysis of 11 studies on green tea found that green tea antioxidants known as catechins seemed to help increase metabolism.

Cinnamon

It appears that cinnamon has a regulatory effect on blood sugar levels as well as raising insulin levels in the body. It is believed to do this by imitating the biological activity of insulin as well as increasing the metabolism of glucose. It’s been proven that high blood sugar levels can lead to the storage of fat which means that cinnamon may help decrease the storing of fat, thus helping you lose weight. Cinnamon helps to slow the passing of food from the stomach to the intestines, keeping you feeling full longer. Cinnamon can help the body process carbohydrates more efficiently which of course may help you shed a few pounds, especially around the middle since abdominal fat is more sensitive to the effects of cinnamon than fat from around other areas of the body.

Peppers

Peppers (both the hot and the sweet varieties) have been shown to increase the body’s heat production as well as oxygen consumption for as much as 20 minutes after they are consumed. This means your body is burning extra calories, which helps with weight loss. Granted the calorie burn isn’t huge but every little bit helps.

Coffee

While the caffeine in coffee gives your metabolism a boost coffee’s weight loss effect goes beyond just caffeine. Coffee, which happens to be one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, contains a ton of naturally-occurring compounds, including several classes of antioxidants. Coffee is already known to be a preventive factor against mild depression, Parkinson’s disease, and colon and rectal cancers. Now it looks as though the compounds in coffee also help to regulate blood glucose, reduce fat production, and enable steady weight loss.

Grapefruit

Remember the Grapefruit Diet? According to an article on About.com, written by Mary Shannon, they may have been on to something. The article states: “With its high fiber content and low glycemic load, grapefruit may be a secret weight-loss weapon. Research suggests that dieters might be more successful if they select foods with staying power like whole citrus that help curb appetite and prevent overeating. That’s what a new study by the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic has confirmed. Researchers there found that the simple act of adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to one’s diet can result in weight loss.

The 12-week pilot study, led by Dr. Ken Fujioka, monitored weight and metabolic factors, such as insulin secretion, of the 100 men and women who participated in the Scripps Clinic ‘Grapefruit Diet’ study.
On average, participants who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost 3.6 pounds, while those who drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3 pounds. However, many patients in the study lost more than 10 pounds.

Additionally, the research indicates a physiological link between grapefruit and insulin, as it relates to weight management. The researchers speculate that the chemical properties of grapefruit reduce insulin levels and encourage weight loss. The importance of this link lies with the hormone’s weight management function. While not its primary function, insulin assists with the regulation of fat metabolism. Therefore, the smaller the insulin spike after a meal, the more efficiently the body processes food for use as energy and the less it’s stored as fat in the body. Grapefruit may possess unique chemical properties that reduce insulin levels which promotes weight loss.”

Buy your copy today at: http://tinyurl.com/awpqp2l

To get a free gift visit our website: www.mylifefitness.com/7realfooddinners

2012-11-15T11:51:00.003-08:00

Check out the new trailer for my book: Is Your Chair Killing You? Then go to Amazon and buy it!

Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Chair-Killing-You-ebook/dp/B007OLYMZW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353009028&sr=1-1&keywords=is+your+chair+killing+you

Get Up and Move

2012-11-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

You would have to be living under a rock or in a cave not to know that living a sedentary lifestyle was bad for your health. But what exactly is a “sedentary lifestyle”? If you’re like me, I figured after a tough 10 hour day behind my desk I could just hop into the gym, throw around a few weights, jump into the last half of my favorite Zumba class and I’d be golden. But back in 2010 I found out that I was wrong…dead wrong. While perusing my favorite men’s magazine I happened upon an article that reported new research that seemed to indicate that sitting for long periods of time (basically more than 3 hours at a time) was as hazardous to your health as smoking cigarettes. Even worse, doing the government recommended amount of exercise wasn’t enough to combat the damage caused by all that sitting. I almost fell out of my chair! For the past two years I have been combing through the research on what has become known as “sitting disease” which has resulted in my book Is Your Chair Killing You? When I started looking into this there were lots of intriguing studies but most of them were small, food for thought, but not much more.

But recently, that all changed with a new Australian study that looked at death rates over a three-year period. The study concluded that people who spent a lot of time sitting at a desk or in front of a television were more likely to die sooner than those who were only sedentary a few hours a day. The lead author of the study Hidde van der Ploeg and his colleagues at the University of Sydney found that of more than 200,000 adults age 45 and older who reported sitting for at least 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die during the study than those who sat less than 4 hours daily. 40 percent! The results appear in the Archives of Internal Medicine, March 26, 2012, and reveal that the link between too much time sitting and shortened lives stuck even when they accounted for how much moderate or vigorous exercise people got, as well as their weight and other measures of health.

Another study released in July of 2012 showed that an analysis of five large studies that followed about 2 million people (not a small study at all) in several different countries lead by Peter Katzmarzyk of Louisiana State Universities Pennington Biomedical research Center found that the life expectancies of people who said they spent more than three hours a day sitting were a full two years less than people who spent less than three hours sitting daily. Maybe even more surprising was that this was true regardless of whether subjects reported getting the recommended amounts of exercise or not.

Then came the study in the October 2012 edition of The American Journal of Kidney Disease which found that after surveying more than 6,000 adults, the ones that spent the least amount of time in the seated position had the lowest risk for developing chronic kidney disease, regardless of the amount of regular moderate to vigorous sustained exercise they got.

The latest shot over the bow of our preconceived notions of what a sedentary lifestyle is comes from The Journal Diabetolgia released October 14^th 2012, which found a link between sedentary behavior and health risk. The British researchers analyzed the data from 18 studies that had more than 793,000 participants. What they discovered was people who sat for long periods of time over the course of the day had a two-fold increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and death. Again exercise had little or no effect.

All this might seem like very bad news. I mean, if sitting for long periods of time is deadly and exercise won’t save us then we’re doomed, doomed I tell you!

Whoa…dial it back my pessimistic friend, because the solution is actually incredibly simple…Stand up.

That’s right stand up! What every one of these studies actually says is that we sit down too much. The natural state for human beings is upright. The time has come to release yourself from the chains that bind you to your chair and stand up for your health! Get out of that chair and move around. Breaking up the bouts of long periods of sitting seems to be the key.

Get yourself a walking desk! Our ancestors swept across Africa, populated the Middle East and conquered Europe thousands of years before we domesticated animals or invented the wheel, which means they did it on foot. Yet today we do very little of this walking thing and it’s beginning to show. I won’t bore you with the numbers, but heart disease, obesity and diabetes is running rampant in this country with no sign of slowing down. In fact the only thing that seems to be slowing down is us.

So, my friends, GET UP AND MOVE, and I guarantee you and your body will be happy you did!

Kent Burden is the author of the bestselling book “Is Your Chair Killing You?” and the upcoming book “Exercise Sucks! How to Lose Weight Without Really Trying.” He is a healthy workplace consultant and is available for entertaining speaking engagements. His website is www.kentburden.com.

5 new habits for work that will make you healthier

2012-08-22T16:48:00.002-07:00

It's time to take a stand for your health! Creating new habits can do wonders for both your brain and your body. These simple habits will change how you work and how you feel about work. Creating keystone habits that are easy to do and make you feel empowered can help you make bigger changes down the road. So try one or two of these tips then feel the power of habit!

1. Active meetings: Pretend you’re Steve Jobs and do all your meetings while on the move. One way to easily add a bit of activity to an otherwise sedentary day is to move meetings from the conference room to the great outdoors... or at least outside office building. Walking not only burns calories, but it will help you get outside for a dose of vitamin D and a different environment -- and it can even foster a sense of collaboration.

2. Create a standing habit: Habits are important, good habits are vital to good health. Create a habit that is something you always do standing like, talk on the phone, answer emails or talk to a coworker in your workspace. Make sure it’s something you do pretty regularly, this will keep you up and moving. Be diligent, habits take a while to become habitual. But be ready because healthy habits have a domino affect on our lives and they lead to other healthy habits.

3. Have A ball: Sitting on an exercise ball instead of an office chair isn't a perfect solution but the exercise ball does force you to use more of your core stabilizer muscles and it’s more active than sitting on a regular office chair. If you’re like me and tend to be a little fidgety the ball gets even more active as you bounce around the office.

4. Move essential office equipment out of easy reach: Keeping the things you need close at hand may seem efficient but it often leaves you virtually chained to your desk. By putting the printer across the room you insure that you’re getting up and out of that deadly chair. While you may not be as efficient, all that movement will stimulate blood flow which studies show improves brain function and mental focus making you more productive.

5. Get a walking desk: No the desk doesn’t walk, you do! A treadmill desk is just what it sounds like a desk with a treadmill attached. Almost all the researchers in the sedentary studies field I talked to had some variation of this in their office. You’re not using it like you would in the gym, instead the treadmill goes very slowly (about 1-1.5 miles an hour) at this pace you can pretty much do everything you can do while you’re sitting , like answer phone calls, type emails and talk to fellow employees. The treadmill desk is best used for short durations and work especially well when set up in groups for walking meetings.

You Need a Dynamic Work Place

2012-07-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Let’s be honest, most work places aren’t very dynamic. In fact many are downright sedate. I’m not talking about the relative excitement level at your work place or whether what the business does is interesting or fun. I’m talking about how physically active your work is. If you or your employees spend the majority of your day sitting at your desk working on your computer your work place is sedentary, but if you find yourself up and moving most of the day your work place is dynamic. So why exactly do you need a dynamic workplace?

New research shows

Sitting for extended periods of time is as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes. And exercising for 30-60 minutes a day isn’t enough to undo the damage from extended periods of sitting. If your employees are sitting at their desks all day they are at significantly higher risk of getting cardio vascular disease, diabetes, becoming obese or suffering from back pain. Worse working out before or after work isn’t going to lower that risk.

· Healthcare costs are rising on average 9% a year.

· Of all the money spent on health care in the U.S. 17% is spent on cardiovascular disease. Most cardio vascular disease is preventable.

· One in every five health care dollars is spent on caring for someone with diabetes. 95% of all diabetes cases could be prevented or controlled by activity and diet alone.

· $147 billion per year is spent on direct medical expenses for obesity, which is 9% of all medical spending.

· Back pain is the number two reason for sick days taken each year in America. Much of the back pain experienced by American workers can be traced back to extended periods of sitting in a chair.

The good news is that the fix is actually a simple one and can make your employees healthier, more productive and more creative.

Take control of your healthcare and lost productivity costs

Just how much money is spent on health care? A small rural county in Wisconsin with 600 employees has a $9 million annual budget. Last year more than $ 1 million of that budget was spent on healthcare costs for their employees. The county’s employee wellness program participation rate was less than 5%.

The Department of Health and Human Performance at a prestigious university estimated that this rural county could have saved over half a million dollars a year if they could just get 50% of their employees involved in an effective wellness program.

A paradigm shift in corporate and small business wellness programming

In the past wellness programs relied on convincing and cajoling employees to get involved in after work programs or classes (some even subsidized gym memberships) and for those with deeper pockets creating expensive employee gyms or spaces and instructors dedicated to employee exercise classes that few employees actually used. New research shows that you no longer need those things and you can take control of the cost of helping your employees be well with our new “dynamic workplace” concept. “The Dynamic Workplace” is more effective, less costly and far easier to implement and helps increase overall participation levels. The shift in thinking is moving from a focus of exercise that happens outside of the work day to how much activity does a person get during the work day, creating a” Dynamic Workplace”. Through special in house programs we encourage regular movements throughout the day that don’t work up a sweat but engage the vital leg and postural muscles. Combine this with simple and relatively inexpensive office updates that improve the flow of the office and encourage regular activity then mix in some innovative ideas on meetings and using your current work space and surrounding area and you get a Dynamic Workplace with happier healthier more productive employees who actually save the company money!

Does This Chair Make My Butt Look Fat? Yes, Apparently It Does

2012-07-03T21:44:00.003-07:00

In a new study that strikes fear in the heart of all female IT workers, customer service representatives, secretaries and cubicle-bound office workers, lies the suggestion that pressure placed in the buttocks and hips from sitting down for too long can generate up to 50 percent more fat in those areas.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University looked at MRI images of muscle tissue in people who had been paralyzed by spinal cord injuries and found that major amounts of fat cells stretched to surround the areas around the muscles that endured pressure from lying or sitting. The researchers then manipulated a group of fat cells to stretch and stay sedentary for long periods of time, representing the time spent sitting or lying down. After two weeks, they found that stretched cells produced nearly 50 percent more liquid fat than regular fat cells.

Previous research found that those who were bound to wheelchairs or were bedridden developed abnormal muscle and fat growth in areas of the body where more pressure was placed. One of the Tel Aviv researchers Amit Gefen said this research could also translate to the not so extreme sedentary lifestyle.

Even those who eat well and exercise can suffer the consequences of a bigger butt and waistline if they stay seated for longer periods of time, according to this research. But forgo the exercise and become a couch potato and the results could be worse.

Being more active over the course of the day, standing and stretching, and using a stand up desk are all great ways to keep that fanny lean and shapely. A little exercise won’t hurt either.

Seminar snippet

2012-06-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

This is a small sample of the one hour seminar and Q &A session I did for Is Your Chair Killing You? Would you like to have a informative and entertaining health and wellness seminar for your employees, group or club? Email me at kentaburden@gmail.com.

Summertime Tummy Tighteners

2012-06-19T21:07:00.001-07:00

Want a mid section you can be proud of when you go to the beach or that backyard pool party this summer-- but tired of boring sit ups? These simple but effective core strengthening moves are just what you need to look as hot as the summer weather. You’ll need a fit ball, a mat and a 3-5 foot stick (you can use a broom handle, a piece of dowel or for some extra WOO HOO, a weighted fit bar).

The Kayak: Sit on a fit ball holding the stick in front of the body at chest height, hands about shoulder width apart, palms pointed down towards the ground. Slowly lift the left foot off the floor pulling the knee towards the midline of the body as you dip the left side of the stick down to the floor using the stick like a paddle. Bring the left foot slowly back to the floor as you bring the stick up to the original position then repeat to the other side. Repeat 10 times on each side.

The Ball Roll Up With Stick: Lie on the fit ball so that the ball is under your shoulders and upper back holding the stick over the crown of the head with arms long and hands at shoulder width. Your feet should be flat on the floor as you keep your butt pulled up towards the sky keeping the spine in a straight line as you lie on the ball. Drop the chin down to the chest then one vertebra at a time roll up lengthening thru the arms and peeling the spine off the ball as you pull the belly button down towards the ground. Slowly return to the original position. Repeat 10 times.

Sword Play: Stand with feet hip distance apart as you hold the stick in both hands like a baseball bat over your right shoulder. With your left foot step forward about 3 feet as you bend the left knee lunging forward. At the same time swing the stick across your body like a sword striking the ground on the left side of your body. Return to the starting position then bring the stick over your left shoulder and repeat the motion on the opposite side. Do 10 on each side.

Plank: Begin on elbows, forearms and knees, then draw one knee off the floor followed by the other. This brings you into a classic push up position. Keep the back flat (don’t allow the butt to sag or poke up into the air) and hold this position for one minute. Rest for 30 seconds then repeat. Do this five times.

Drunken Frog: Begin in push up position with feet together and hands directly beneath the shoulders. Make sure to keep the back flat (don’t allow the butt to sag or poke up into the air). With both feet jump out to the right side of your body bending your knees as you pull them up towards your right armpit. Be sure to keep your hands where they are as you twist at the waist, try to get the feet as close to you right hand as you can. Jump back to the original position and repeat to the opposite side. Do 10 on each side.

Plank Curtsy: Begin in push up position with feet together and hands directly beneath the shoulder. Make sure to keep the back flat (don’t allow the butt to sag or poke up into the air).Bend your right knee and swing the leg under your body as you open your left hip. Let the outside of the right thigh drop down to the ground then return to the original push up position. Repeat to the opposite side. Do ten on each side.

Tailbone Peel with Ball Squeeze: Lie flat on your back with a fit ball between your lower legs, your knees should be directly above your hips. Gently squeeze the ball. One vertebra at a time slowly peel your tailbone off the floor bringing the ball directly over your chest, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

These fun exercises will get your midsection looking hot and tight!

Wanna know how to work out at the office, lose some weight and be more productive too? Check out my book "Is Your Chair Killing You?" available at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and Smashwords.com

Special Guest Blogger Elizabeth Somer

2012-06-02T09:44:00.003-07:00

. "Behind my back I’m holding a dark chocolate truffle in one hand and a handful of broccoli in the other. Which hand do you choose?".....

I would like to introduce our special guest blogger Elizabeth Somer. As a busy working mother of two, Elizabeth's books and articles on nutrition are written for people with demanding lives who need smart solutions to stay healthy and energized. She studies the most current nutritional research and shares the best, practical living-well tips on television, in print and via social media.

Elizabeth is a frequent guest on national and local television, including the Today Show, The View, Dr. Oz, and AM Northwest. She has conducted hundreds of national and regional radio talk shows, more than 350 local television interviews, 16 satellite media tours, and 100s of public presentations, workshops, and continuing education seminars on current nutrition research, from women's issues, anti-aging, and the food-mood link to the prevention of disease and vitamin-mineral pharmacology. She is listed with several speaker’s bureaus and has completed numerous media-training courses.

An award-winning writer, Elizabeth is the Editor-in-Chief of Nutrition Alert!, a newsletter that compiles current nutrition research from more than 6,000 journals. She is Advisory Board member to Shape Magazine and has written more than 300 articles in numerous national magazines, including Cooking Light, Cosmopolitan, Eating Well, Fitness, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Redbook, Self, American Health, Better Health and Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Fast and Healthy, Fit Pregnancy, First for Women, Healthy Living, Living Fit, Mature Outlook, McCalls, Mens Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, Prevention, Sesame Street Parents Magazine, Shape, Walking Magazine, Women's Sports, Fitness, and Working Woman. She has also written for Medizine, Healing Lifestyles, and numerous websites. Ms. Somer has won numerous awards and scholarships, including the National Mature Media Merit Award for her article titled Beat the Clock, which appeared in Living Fit magazine.

Elizabeth Somer is one of the most trusted sources of nutritional information whose work has helped millions achieve their ideal health through proper nutrition and lifestyle changes.

The Most Important Diet Advice

Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of Eat Your Way to Sexy (Harlequin 2012)

Behind my back I’m holding a dark chocolate truffle in one hand and a handful of broccoli in the other. Which hand do you choose? My guess is you’re hoping for the chocolate; the broccoli is the booby prize.

Why is that? “Duh mom, because the chocolate tastes better,” says my daughter Lauren, already a chocolate lover and wise in the ways of the world.

While you wipe away the drool from the thought of that missed truffle, let’s take a look at this love-hate relationship we have with broccoli, or all vegetables and even fruit for that matter.

Don’t Skip a Beet.

We all know fruits and vegetables are good for us. Thousands of studies spanning decades of research consistently show that people who eat diets rich in vegetables and fruit significantly lower their risks for most age-related diseases, from heart disease and diabetes to hypertension and cataracts Researchers estimate that at least 35 percent of cancer deaths could be avoided by diet alone, with fruits and vegetables leading the pack in cancer prevention.

Other studies show that heaping the plate with produce helps side-step stroke, reduce symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, build bones resistant to osteoporosis, and boost the immune system. Hefty servings of vegetables also are a must for lifelong weight control. Then there’s the longevity factor. According to a study from the University of Naples in Italy, people who live more than a century also live the healthiest. Their secret? You guessed it, they eat the most fruits and vegetables.

We’re talking about Mother Nature’s perfect foods. Fruits and vegetables are the best dietary sources of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta carotene. They are major contributors of fiber, which lowers your risk for heart disease and breast cancer and helps satisfy you on few calories. Yet, even if you took supplements and ate bran cereal, you couldn’t make up for a lack of produce, since fruits and vegetables contain thousands of phytochemicals - from sulforaphane in broccoli, lycopene in tomatoes, and flavonoids in grapes to lutein in spinach, indoles in cauliflower, and limonene in citrus - that boost defenses against most diseases.

Couch Potatoes
With the deck stacked so high in favor of eating greens, you’d think we’d be shoveling handfuls of carrots into our mouths, blending gallons of strawberries into smoothies, heaping our plates with lettuce, stopping at every roadside produce stand, waiting at dawn outside our local grocer’s to get first crack at the fresh produce, fighting over the last bite of peas at the dinner table. We’re not. In fact, it’s just the opposite. So, if you are saying right now, “Oh, this isn’t about me, I get more than enough, more than likely you are fooling yourself.

Every national nutrition survey dating back to the late 1960s repeatedly reports that Americans avoid produce like the plague. Back in 1991, the National Cancer Institute established it’s “5-a-Day for Better Health” program to encourage Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables. Not that there is anything magical about five a day. It’s just that we’re eating so few fruits and vegetables that boosting intake to even a measly five servings seemed like a manageable first-step goal. Only one in every ten of us meet this goal. The rest of us average about four daily servings. More than half of us don’t eat fruit at all and one in every five of us don’t include even one vegetable on any given day.

Even when we nibble on vegetables, the choices we make are mostly nutritional duds. Our favorite is potatoes, especially if they are fried. We’re eating four times more potatoes than all dark green leafies put together. In fact, we’re eating more potatoes than greens, yellow or orange vegetables, and tomatoes combined. (Not that potatoes are bad for you. It’s just that sweet potatoes, kiwis, and spinach are so much better. And, we are more likely to eat fries than a baked potato, which ounce for ounce contains three-times more calories and 12-times more fat.) Remove potatoes from the equation (USDA includes French fries and potato chips in the vegetable group!), and we’re down to roughly three daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

After potatoes, our other favorites are iceberg lettuce and apple juice, which pack about as much nutritional punch as balloon bread. The good choices - the colorful stuff chocked full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber - barely ever make the plate. Dark green and orange vegetables, for example, make up less than 10 percent of our produce choices; in fact, the average American puts a green leafy on the plate less than once a week, eats about one salad every other day, and takes about three bites of carrots every day. Less than one person in every ten regularly chooses oranges or cruciferous vegetables. Even when we eat two vegetable servings a day, more likely than not, we’re eating the same vegetable twice. In short, my son’s guinea pig puts away more vegetables in a day than most people eat in a week.

Questions
1. With vegetables so good for us, why don’t we eat more?
My daughter is right, the big reason why most people choose the chocolate truffle over broccoli is plain ol’ immediate gratification - chocolate tastes better. But, since fruits and vegetables are so good for us, why don’t our bodies have a built-in system to ensure we get enough? In short, why don’t we lust over cauliflower like we do Mrs. Fields cookies? The answers to those questions are in your genes.

For hundreds of thousands of years, our bodies evolved to meet the demands of a harsh environment. To counter vigorous living and low-calorie supplies, the human body evolved complex systems to defend against weight loss and to maximize weight gain. Vegetables, and to a lesser extent fruits, were abundant throughout our evolutionary history, so our bodies had no reason to evolve a system for craving or storing them, but did develop a satiety button to protect against excess intakes. This explains why:

1) fiber-rich foods like vegetables or beans fill us up long before they fill us out,
2) our tissues don’t store vegetable-derived nutrients like vitamin C, and
3) why we take vegetables for granted, i.e., foods our ancestors ate automatically to survive.

Vegetables, with the exception of olives and avocados, contain no fat and little sugar, the two high-energy items our bodies evolved complex appetite systems to ensure we got enough. We humans have a love affair with fat and sugar that dates back to our most ancient roots when these calorie-dense nutrients were in short supply. Our brains release a stew of appetite chemicals, from serotonin to the endorphins, to entice and even force us to eat sweet, creamy, and crispy foods like chocolate, ice cream, and chips. No comparable appetite controls are in place for produce. Today we live in a glut of sweet and greasy foods, so our bodies get more than enough calories and there’s no reason to fall back on the old staples: leaves, roots, and berries. The bottom line: We need to use our highly-developed brains to make sure we do consciously what our ancestors did automatically.

2. How many fruits and vegetables should I be eat every day?
Before you kick your determination to eat more produce into gear, you need to know how many fruits and vegetables to shoot for. The Dietary Guidelines suggest each of us consume daily up to five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit; that’s nine servings a day from a very conservative recommendation. In reality, we don’t know what an optimal dose is, but we do know that the more phytochemical-rich fruits and vegetables you eat, the more you boost your body’s defenses against disease.” Scratch the five-a day; eight to ten servings a day is gaining popularity as a healthier goal.

At first glance, that might seem like a lot, when you consider that it’s two to three times what most American’s eat. But it’s really not a monumental goal when you consider that a serving is only:
∙    one small piece (one small apple or carrot).
∙    a cup raw.
∙    half cup cooked.
∙    6 ounces juice.

3. How can I sneak more veggies into my family’s diet?
The two biggest steps are deciding to actively include more produce in your daily diet and having a plan how you will do that. The following six rules can help you override your genes and meet your quota:
1) Bring it: Always bring food with you.Stuff your purse, briefcase, backpack, gym bag, or diaper bag with apples, oranges, bananas, baby carrots, and boxes of raisins so you aren’t caught short with the only option being a candy bar,” she adds.
2) Double it: Turn one serving into two by doubling the amount you serve. Turn a salad into two or more servings by adding additional vegetables or fruits to that pile of lettuce.
3) Hide it: Disguise vegetables by grating them into sauces, pureeing them in soups, chopping them into pita sandwiches, layering them (spinach) into lasagna, stirring them (corn, carrots, blueberries) into muffins, or adding more vegetables to canned vegetable-beef soup.
4) Cross dress it: Please your appetite chemicals by disguising fruit as dessert, ie., dunk strawberries in chocolate syrup, sprinkle crystalline ginger over mandarin oranges, or mix kiwi into strawberry-kiwi yogurt.
5) Two-fer it: Include two fruits and/or vegetables at every meal and at last one at every snack.

4. Can you give me some specific ideas about adding more produce to my diet?
Adopt even a portion of the following list into your weekly menu, and you’ll be well on your way to getting enough every day!
1. Open a bag of pre-shredded cabbage. Mix with a little light cole slaw dressing (chopped apples or canned pineapple chunks are optional).
2. Add grated carrots or zucchini to spaghetti sauce.
3. Mash green peas into guacamole. It reduces fat without changing taste or texture.
4. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and cilantro to bottled salsa as a quick dip for chips, baby carrots, or pita bread, or pile it on as dressing for salads, tacos, burritos.
5. Make pumpkin pie with fat-free canned milk and low-fat crust.
6. Add lots of leaf lettuce, red onion, and thick tomato slices to a turkey sandwich.
7. Pop frozen blueberries or grapes into your mouth for a sorbet-like treat.
8. Top your morning cereal with dried plums or cranberries or a handful of fresh berries.
9. Drink a travel-size box of OJ on the way to work.
10. Stir fresh peaches or berries into frozen yogurt.
11. Add canned mandarin oranges to your spinach salad.
12. Skewer more vegetables (cherry tomatoes, carrot slices, mushrooms, eggplant, onion, squash, sweet potato, etc.) than meat on your shish kabobs.
13. Add frozen green peas to canned chicken noodle soup.
14. Never, and I mean never, leave the house without a snack stash (i.e., banana, orange, apple, baby carrots, raisins, grapes, and/or jicama).
15. Puree fresh fruit, sweeten with concentrated apple juice and freeze into ice cubes or pops. Add cubes to club soda for a refreshing drink.
16. Add fruit to your milkshake.
17. Make fruit or vegetable salsa and sauces with mango, papaya, peaches, or pineapple and use in place of creamed sauces on meats, fish, and chicken.
18. Purchase nonfat, plain yogurt and sweeten with fruit.
19. After dinner, place a platter of cut up fruit on dinner table for snacking in evening.
20. At the restaurant, order entrees that feature vegetables (grilled vegetable sandwich, salad, vegetable soup)
21. Ask your waiter to hold the potato and instead bring two side orders of vegetables (steamed) with your order.
22. Add grapes, mandarin oranges, or cubed apples to chicken salad.
23. Skip syrup, and top pancakes, waffles, or French toast with fresh fruit.
24. Puree vegetables, such as cauliflower, carrots, or broccoli, and add to soup stock and sauces.
25. Add dried fruit to stuffings and rice dishes.
26. Double your normal portion of any vegetable (except French fries or iceberg lettuce!)
27. Cut sweet potatoes into ½" strips and roast for a tasty alternative to French fries.
28. Stuff an almond into each of 5 pitted dried plums for a sweet, chewy, crunchy snack.
29. Plan your dinner around the theme of “meat and 3 veggies.”
30. Toss a bag of frozen stew vegetables (large hunks of carrots, potato, celery and onion) with a tablespoon of olive oil, dash of salt and pepper, and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
31. Toss chopped tomatoes, corn, red onion, salt, and rice vinegar for a quick and filling snack or lunch salad.
32. Add cilantro, chopped tomatoes, corn, grated carrots, or other vegetables to tacos and burritos.
33. When flying, ask for tomato or orange juice for your in-flight beverage.
34. Once a week, have a meal salad for dinner, such as Cajun salmon caesar salad or grilled chicken spinach salad with mandarin oranges.
35. Take advantage of pre-cut vegetables, prepackaged salads, supermarket salad bars, and exotic specialty produce.
36. Grill extra vegetables at dinner to use in a quick wrap for tomorrow’s lunch.
37. Fill a halved cantaloupe with lemon-flavored yogurt.
38. Skip the fruit drinks, blends, and ades, go for the 100% OJ, grapefruit, prune, and pineapple juices.
39. Add flowers, like dandelions, violets, daylilies, clover, and oxalis, to salads.
40. Add steamed asparagus or green beans to your favorite pasta dish.
41. Top pizza with extra quartered artichoke hearts (canned in water), roasted red peppers, red onions, sliced zucchini, and fresh tomatoes.
42. Order deli sandwiches with extra tomatoes.
43. Whip steamed, chopped collards or chard into mashed potatoes
44. Buy produce at various stages of ripeness to avoid spoilage.
45. Stock up on frozen plain vegetables for last-minute meals.
46. Keep dried fruit on hand for a quick snack.
47. Plant a pear or apple tree, row of blueberry bushes, or vegetable garden in the backyard.
48. When eating out, order off the menu, ask for two sides of vegetables, or split an entree and compliment with a salad.
49. At parties, sip on OJ, tomato juice, or Blood Mary mix.
50. Take a low-fat cooking class and share vegetable recipes with friends.

All of Elizabeth Somers Books are available on www.amazon.com

Welcome Guest Blogger Elizabeth Somer this Saturday, June 2nd

2012-05-30T19:59:00.002-07:00

Don't miss my guest blogger Elizabeth Somer this Saturday. She is the Author of the hot new book Eat Your Way to Sexy.

Elizabeth says:

My "thing" is that I keep up with the current nutrition research. I've been reading 100s of research studies for years, then packaging that information into news-you-can-use for magazines, books, national and local television and radio, presentations to the general public, and continuing education seminars for health professionals. I specialize in understandable and practical information on how to eat and supplement and why to prevent disease and premature aging, promote health, and attain and maintain a healthy weight. For the past two decades, my aim has been to be the source of nutrition information that people can really trust to be accurate, up-to-date, and sound. I passionately love the science of nutrition, as well as cooking and preparing healthy meals, and believe with all my heart that if people just nourished their bodies with high-quality fuel, they would be rewarded a hundred-fold with health, energy, vitality, longevity, clear thinking, a fit figure, and improved moods.

I can guarantee you're going to find her post enlightening, entertaining and full of insights and intelligence on a subject that will help you be healthier, one delicious bite at a time.

A Breath Of Fresh Air

2012-05-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Most of us don't really think much about breathing, it's just something we do. But breathing is very important (if you don't believe me just try not doing it for awhile). We can go 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, most of us can't go 3 minutes without breathing. Here are a few breathing exercises that will calm you, energize you and improve your cognitive function. For best results you should practice breathing daily.

Bellows Breath

The Bellows Breath is adapted from a yogic breathing technique. Its aim is to raise vital energy and increase alertness.

· Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise.

· Try for 3 in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle.

· Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Bellows Breath, you can increase your time by 5 seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

If done properly, you may feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened awareness you feel after a good workout. You should feel the effort at the back of the neck, the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen. Try this breathing exercise the next time you need an energy boost and feel yourself reaching for a cup of coffee. (From Dr. Andrew Weil’s website www.drweil.com )

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing creates optimum function of both sides of the brain, improves mood, strengthens the lungs and energizes the body.

· Close off the right nostril with your right thumb then inhale through the left nostril to a three-count

· Hold your breath for an eight-count

· Release your thumb from your right nostril and exhale through the right nostril for a count of 6 as you close off the left nostril with your left thumb.

· Now inhale through your right nostril for a three-count and repeat this on both sides for 1 to 3 minutes.

4-7-8 Breath

This exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, it is best to sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 7.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8.

This is 1 breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle 3 more times for a total of 4 breaths. (From Dr. Andrew Weil’s website www.drweil.com )

Cooling breath

This breath is meant to cool the nervous system and mind. This simple breathing technique is a great way to relieve stress and cool down a hot temper.

· Stick your tongue out of your mouth and curl it creating a small “straw-” like tube with the tongue.

· Slowly and smoothly suck air in through the tongue filling the lungs with air. Draw the tongue into the mouth and close the lips.

· Hold the breath for a count of 5, then exhale slowly and smoothly through the nostrils.

· Repeat 3 times.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2012-05-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is on it's way and the best part about summer is the produce...well one of the best things anyway. You can get your fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers market or grow them yourself either way, make sure to eat lots of fresh local produce this summer. Eating lots of fruits and veggies will help you lose weight, impove your imune system, keep you energized and give your skin a healthy glow. So what are you waiting for? get out there and start your back yard garden or head out to the farmers market and make sure your getting your 5-10 servings of fruits and veggies every day!

My side yard veggie garden with spinach, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, crookneck squash, cucumbers, eggplant, mustard greens and herbs.

5 Exercises To Tighten Your Tush That Can Be Done Almost Anywhere

2012-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here and you know what that means…swimsuit season! No matter how you look at it more of your flesh will be on display as the weather gets warmer. What’s that you say? You’re too busy to get to the gym. No problem! Here are 5 exercises to tone your lower body and firm up your fanny, that can be done almost anywhere (even in the office) and take less than 5 minutes to do. So now you’re out of excuses so let’s get to it!

Standing Single Leg Back Beats

Stand with your feet hip distance apart with your desk or a chair that will not move directly to your left. Place your left hand on your desk or chair to steady yourself then shift all your weight onto your left foot, keeping your torso erect and spine tall. Lift your right leg backwards as you point the toe. Lift your foot anywhere from 1 to 12 inches off the floor (the higher you lift the leg the more difficult the movement). Drop your foot down to the floor and lightly touch the toe on the ground then lift it again. Repeat for 10 seconds then switch sides.

Standing Single Leg Side Beats

Stand with your feet hip distance apart with your desk or a chair that will not move directly to your left. Place your left hand on your desk or chair to steady yourself then shift all your weight onto your left foot, keeping your torso erect and spine tall. Lift your right leg sideways (out to the right of your body) as you point the toe. Lift your foot anywhere from 1 to 12 inches off the floor (the higher you lift the leg the more difficult the movement). Drop your foot down to the floor and lightly touch the toe on the ground then lift it again. Repeat for 10 seconds then switch sides.

Empty Step

Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Shift all of your weight onto your left foot and slowly lift your right foot off the ground. Bring your knee up slowly until it is even with your hip. Extend your right foot and bend your left knee, touching the toe of your right foot on the floor about 12 inches in front of you, putting no weight on the right foot (as if you were testing the temperature of the water in a lake you were thinking of swimming in). Lift the knee back up to hip level then return to your starting position. Switch legs.

Chair Squats

Begin by sitting on a chair with feet hip distance apart. Your knees should be aligned directly over your ankles. Sit up tall and bring your arms out in front of you at shoulder height with the palms of your hands pointed in towards the center line of your body. Stand, then drop the buttocks down as if to sit, trying to keep as much weight off the chair as you can when coming down to the seated position. Press back up to the original position. Repeat 10 times.

Wide Leg Turnout Squat

Stand with your arms folded at your chest. Spread your legs so they are twice hip distance apart with toes pointed outward at a 45-degree angle from the mid-line of the body. Bend your knees as you drop your buttocks down towards the floor as if you were going to sit in a chair, but be sure to keep your torso as upright as possible. Then return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

These exercises are taken from the book Is Your Chair Killing You? Available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OLYMZW or http://www.barnesandnoble.com