PEACE. LOVE. LUNGES.

Exercise Slows, and May Reverse, Peripheral Neuropathy

Sam Page — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:27:07 PST

I was recently diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. I still have feeling in my fingers, but I’ve lost most of the feeling in my toes. Do you have any advice on ways I can manage this condition through exercise or supplementation?
—Lee, Cheyenne, WY

Peripheral neuropathy causes pain (sometimes described as tingling or burning) and numbness in the hands and feet. While HIV is one cause of the condition, it’s certainly not the only one. Diabetes and cancer treatments (such as radiation or chemotherapy) are also common causes. Sometimes the condition improves with treatment of the underlying cause, sometimes it doesn’t.

Resistance training is a great way to improve overall muscle strength, especially for people with peripheral neuropathy, and there’s research to prove it. In a 2006 study, subjects who walked for 1 hour, 4x/week, slowed down the worsening of their peripheral neuropathy.

Researchers at the University of Louisville showed that lower-body weight training (30 minutes 3x/week) improved muscle strength and quality of life in patients doing such routine tasks as walking to the car.

You should avoid high impact exercises (e.g., running on a treadmill or jumping up and down) because they more often result in foot injuries. Seated resistance exercises are an excellent choice, as are swimming, rowing, and pretty much any upper body exercise. If you don’t have access to weight machines, you can try these simple movements anywhere:

Hands — Touch the pad of your thumb with the pad of the index finger, moving the index finger down to the base of your thumb. Repeat this movement twice with the index, middle, ring, and little fingers in succession.

Legs & Feet — Straighten one knee and point your foot. Flex your ankle five times. Next, circle your ankle clockwise, and counterclockwise, five times each.

Balance— From a standing position, rise up slowly on your tiptoes, and then go back on to your heels. The knees should be kept straight, but not locked.

Bottom line: Exercise may not actually reverse the condition, but it can most certainly help. —S. PageSimilar Posts:

My Favorite 10 Healthy Recipes of 2009

Sam Page — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:25:25 PST

These are B and my favorite, road-tested recipes of 2009. I hope you agree. Now, dig in!!

Fiery Sweet Potatoes from the New York Times
Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jinxiboo
Chili sin Carne al Mole from “Vegan with a Vengeance”
Turkey Meatloaf by Mike Hitt
Organic Almond Milk by my mom, Marcy Francis
Vegan Pot Pie by EarthVegan
Herbed Spaghetti Squash by Emeril Legasse
Cilantro Unfried Scallops with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dip by Biggest Loser chef Devin Alexander
Watermelon Feta Gorgonzola Salad by Andrew Leman
Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants and Parmesan by Dan Darber

Photo: Darwin Bell

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Interview: Aiden Shaw

Sam Page — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:03:25 PST

My interview with adult film legend Aiden Shaw is the cover story of the January/February 2010 issue of HIV Plus magazine. In the piece, Aiden talks about his newest book and second autobiography, Sordid Truths. Here’s a link to the story (after the jump)… http://su.pr/2LYZ7mSimilar Posts:

3 Short Trips Worth Taking

Sam Page — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:20:29 PST

Adventures in polygamy in Utah; Gay bus tour and rad sweets truck launch in L.A.

My husband Bronson and my cool grandmother indulged my fascination with polygamists this summer on an impromptu trip to Hilldale, Utah (where FLDS is headquartered). The best part was standing in line at the grocery store with a few of the polygamist wives—their hair all doused in Aqua Net, donning the customary pastel dresses.

You don’t have to be a native to experience the polygamist lifestyle up close. Identity Tours is a Utah-based company started by two brothers, Heber and Richard, who were exiled from the FLDS in 2003 by now jailed church leader (and convicted rapist) Warren Jeffs. On the 4-hour bus tour, titled “The Polygamy Experience: A Guided Tour of Colorado City,” Richard Holm answers questions about the history and traditions of the legendary polygamist community. A company representative told me the price also “includes lunch at a cafe owned by the polygamists.”

Where: Tours depart daily from St. George, Utah. Getting there: Delta and United Express offer flights to St. George airport via Salt Lake City international. More info: http://identitytours.com/

The most ‘fabulous’ rad ride through gay L.A.

Even after living in Los Angeles for 12 years, it’s easy to forget about the rich gay & lesbian history that preexisted Stonewall. Los Angelenos (and visitors) can now re-live that history in vivid detail aboard Jim Anzide’s fabulous new Out and About Tours. The encyclopedic Anzide and his talented team will guide you on a rousing, double decker pilgrimage through the city’s lesbian nooks and gay crannies. The highlight for me was our stop at The Other Side, a historic Silverlake gay piano bar, for three impromptu performances with a live accompanist! As you head down the back streets, Out and About staffers perform dramatic re-enactments of salacious quotes and readings from LGBT history, creating a lively “living history” a la Ken Burns. A total gas.

Where: Bus embarks in West Hollywood More info: www.outandabout-tours.com and on Twitter.

She’s the sweetest new lady in town…

L.A.’s newest and most decadent delivery truck doesn’t take passengers per se, but The Sweets Truck is destined to become a destination for all Angelenos. Owned by my comrade Molly Taylor, you can choose from fancy Rice Krispie treats from Milk & Krunchies, truffles from Madame Chocolate, cookie sandwiches from Cookie Casa and a selection of fudge, candy bars, cupcakes, etc.

I really like Molly’s commitment to sustainable business practices and her plans to give back to the community, and she’s already been reviewed in Daily Candy and Sunset magazine. If you see the Sweets Truck rolling through the streets of the city, stop by and say hello!

Where: all over Los Angeles When: Daily, follow them on Twitter for schedule and daily stops. More info: http://thesweetstruck.com

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Thad Castle For MVP

Sam Page — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:16:27 PST

Alan Ritchson plays the cocky, weirdly lovable college football quarterback Thad Castle on SPIKE’s new scripted comedy Blue Mountain State, debuting January 2010. Who WOULDN’T love seeing “Thad” run drills in a jockstrap?

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How I Lost 25 lbs on a Vegetarian Diet

Sam Page — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:48 PST

Throughout my Mom’s battle with cancer this year, I downed more comfort food and bottles of wine than I care to admit. Take my 35th birthday for example: dad grilled steaks and mom arranged for the most amazing cupcakes. Bronson and I went out later for margaritas. And boy, did I ever feel the full brunt of it: the acid reflux dragon reared its angry ANGRY head. I told mom about it the next day. “You’ve got to eat right, son.” she warned me matter-of-factly.

It would be one of her last admonishments.

It wasn’t the first time the reflux beast had gripped me. Five years ago, (on my 30th) we gathered at El Coyote Mexican Cafe with the same gruesome result. Back then, I didn’t know tacos and tequila were GERD’s best friend, but in the wake of Mom’s warning this year, I knew something had to change.

Three weeks pass, and I’m at LA Times Magazine’s annual health & wellness conference, sitting in on a session Rory Freedman, author of the bestselling vegan manifesto, Skinny Bitch. Without pretense, Rory challenges us to go vegetarian for 30 days, adding: “the biggest and most surprising change I experienced from becoming a vegetarian was that I became a more compassionate, empathetic and loving human being.” (OK, it helps that she’s also wicked hot).

Rory rang in my head as fellow conferees heaped beef and chicken fajitas onto their plates (I saw big, steaming mounds of torn flesh). Can it be true? I wondered. I couldn’t shake Rory’s words: baby male chicks stuffed into grinders while still alive, the beaks of female chickens sliced off “with a hot knife?” Half disgusted and half resentfully, I loaded my plate with salad. But I knew what was happening: I’d taken her challenge.

Thirty six hours later, Mom died.

I probably didn’t pick the best moment in my life to become a vegetarian, but the seed had started to sprout. Within days of switching, I felt emotionally and physically lighter. I went grocery shopping with mom-in-law, Conny, loading up our cart with organic food, guided by Rachel Richardson, a South Beach trainer. In this clip, she explains how to eat organically on a budget:

Bronson, inspired by actor Jerry O’Connell, suggested we also eliminate dairy and additives: aspartame, milk, diet soda, even Crystal Light. And much like Jerry, within a couple weeks, the weight started “dripping” off.

At my peak this year, I weighed 238 pounds. Nine weeks later, I’m 213 pounds—a net 25 pound loss. That’s two waist sizes, and 10 percent of my total body weight. I even experienced flu-like symptoms, (a common reaction for new vegetarians, it turns out) as my body began to detoxify from decades of eating meat. The symptoms were gone within 1-2 weeks, and my weight loss seems to have stabilized.

Bye bye, In-N-Out. Hello, Vegin’ Out

I’ve had a couple slip ups (ate a turkey croissant at Mom’s wake), and really craved In-N-Out once. Bronson still uses Splenda, I’m working off the caffeine. But my number one challenge has been learning how to cook new vegetarian entrees, I’ve spent the better part of 30 years making meat-based meals, and didn’t want to eat salads all the time. I needed to investigate new tastes and flavors, so I approached the guys at Vegin’ Out, a vegan food delivery service in Los Angeles, who indulged my experiment with two weeks of food. I was blown away by their succulent fare, and began looking forward to Mondays when they’d deliver a big box full of tasty meals. My fave was the “Newer England Chowder” a creamy soup seasoned with oyster mushrooms, tempeh bacon and seaweed. It’s as close to the real thing as it gets; I defy you to tell the difference. Bronson raved about the “Pepper Steak Mushroom Stroganoff” made with seitan, button mushrooms, and soy cream cheese. As a personal trainer accustomed to eating cows, chickens, and guzzling whey protein shakes a gaga—I thought it would take awhile to adjust to the new palette of proteins and textures. But we’ve adapted no problem. Rubbery tofu has never been my thing, but we’ve found new protein friends in seitan, lentils and beans. On Thanksgiving, Vegin’ Out even offers a special menu of seasonally inspired treats: seitan roast w/gravy, roasted shallot mashed, and quinoa stuffing. And it would be a sin if I didn’t tell you about the cookies, which are unbelievable.

Food delivery services in L.A. abound, and I’ve tried the Zone Fresh diet and Susan’s Healthy Gourmet, but neither is vegan, and both are more costly (Susan’s charges $34/day, ZoneFresh charges $27/day). VeginOut’s meal delivery is $110/week for 9-10 meals.

There will be more about my adventures in urban vegetarianism in forthcoming blog entries: recipes, tips, etc. But I’ll always be grateful that Rory and Mom conspired with the cosmos to get this 35-year-old Krispy Kreme loving guy to end his dietary adolescence and start eating his veggies.

BTW, the GERD is history.

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Yoga With Barry

Sam Page — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:07:25 PST

Here’s a nice yoga routine brought together by Barry Ennis, a yoga instructor in the L.A. area. He comes to me via one of my clients who recommended him highly. Namaste.

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How to Fall Asleep: My 15 Essential Tips

Sam Page — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:55:02 PST

The bedroom is for two (and only two) things: sleep, and “satisfying” sex. That’s according to Dr. Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a sleep research specialist who spoke at LA Times Magazine’s annual conference on health & wellness. (Who wants un-satisfying sex?)

In my five years as a personal trainer, I’ve listened to many clients talk about their insomnia, struggling with my own at times. My husband and I have tried to integrate most of the items on this list and, oh boy—when done in concert, they make a BIG difference.

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Yes, even on weekends. This is the single most important thing you can do for insomnia. Try not to wake your mate if your sleep hours differ.
Remove the clock from the bedroom, or cover it up at night. Cover any other lights (such as LED lights on VCR’s). If you wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, do not look at the clock. This is key.
Don’t drink alcohol before bedtime. You may fall asleep faster, but drinking alcohol will also jolt you awake in the middle of the night.
Don’t eat before bedtime.
Do more cardio. Yoko Ono says, “Walk until your body feels like dancing. Then dance. You will find that you no more have difficulty in sleeping at night.”
Make the room as dark as possible and use thick window coverings; they have the added benefit of keeping noise out.
Keep the bedroom cool. The optimal temperature for sleep is 65-72 degrees.
Use a noise machine or soothing CD. We use Simonette Vaja’s guided meditation for sleep all the time. You won’t be able to make it through the CD without falling out.
Wind down before bedtime. A pre-bedtime ritual like reading or taking a shower or bath will relax you.
Use essential oil of lavender on pillows.
Replace old pillows, but don’t change the linens too often. Slightly slept in sheets are more comfortable to the body.
If you haven’t fallen asleep after 20 minutes leave the bedroom and go do something that’s relaxing and boring. When you feel sufficiently relaxed to enter the bedroom again, try again. Do not lay in bed tense or upset.
Avoid napping during the day.
Do not drink caffeine after lunch. Or better yet, eliminate caffeine altogether.
Find 10-20 minutes per day to worry. Don’t allow worries to come into your bedroom.

Got tips? Please leave them as comments.Similar Posts:

Tart Cherry Juice Can Treat Pain, Inflammation After Exercise

Sam Page — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:16:21 PST

Tart cherry juice may treat pain and inflammation caused by exercise, say researchers at Oregon Health & Science University. These findings, while highly preliminary, concur with a U.K. study of British marathoners who drank tart cherry juice. Experts say it could even be useful for treating arthritis or reducing the amount of pain medication needed post-surgery. Trader Joe’s carries a reconstituted concentrate version for $2.99/bottle.Similar Posts:

My Beef With Facebook

Sam Page — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:22:10 PST

A couple weeks back, I announced that I planned on deleting my Facebook profile. A few people asked why, so here’s my response.

I’ve had a difficult time deciding who to “be” on Facebook. For example: do I accept friend requests from my clients? How much do I want my professional and personal life to overlap? In many ways, I’m a pretty private guy. This overlap necessitates a certain amount of self-censorship, and that bothers me.

Facebook provides lots of ambient knowledge (via status updates) but I don’t feel that I actually process the information very effectively. And how important is it to have all this knowledge, anyway? The site is supposed to help us “connect and share with the people in your life” but often, I feel isolated on Facebook, with most interactions lacking much depth.

My mom’s death last month sharpened my focus on a lot of things, one of them being my desire to make an effort to spend more quality time with the people in my life who matter most. I have hundreds of friends on Facebook, but really I’ve got eight or 10 close friends who I interact with on a regular basis. My intuition says that when I quit Facebook, my close relationships will have a pretty strong uptick in quality, via phone calls and real “face” time.

This quote is on our fridge: “Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many people. Go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys. Try everything. Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life.”

My mom loved her laptop, but she never joined Facebook. She was too busy knitting, hiking and having friends over for dinner. I too, want to do more yoga, hike the Grand Canyon, bake more cookies, travel, laugh with friends, and go on more adventures with Bronson. I’m pretty sure that when my time comes, I won’t wish I’d spent more time on Facebook.

I welcome your thoughts.Similar Posts:

Grief has a negative impact on the immune system.

Sam Page — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:01:43 PDT

The immune system appears to dislike grief. -New York TimesSimilar Posts:

Four Years With Bronson

Sam Page — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:38:19 PDT

And thanks for four great years.

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Chili Sin Carne Al Mole

Sam Page — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:52:59 PDT

Okay, Bronson and I (inspired by Rory Freedman) have started a 30-day exploration of vegetarian eating. The latest entry on our menu is this chili sin carne (no meat) with mole, a recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance. It’s a rich, decadent chili (you won’t even miss the meat). Takes about 20 minutes to throw together, ready in an hour. 1 large onion, chopped
1 small jalapeno, minced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 lb. seitan, chopped into 1/4″ cubes
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1- 28 oz. can chunky tomatoes in sauce
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. molasses
2-14 oz. cans black beans
2 1/2 c. vegetable broth

Preheat a large pot with a little oil over medium high heat. Add onions and peppers and saute for 2 minutes; then add the garlic and seitan. Cook until onions are soft, then add the chili powder, cinnamon, and cumin, stirring for another minute. Add the tomatoes, cocoa powder and molasses. Then add the beans and vegetable broth. Cover, bringing to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Allow to sit at least 20 minutes before serving. Better the next day (if you can make it last).Similar Posts:

Requiem Aeternam, Mom

Sam Page — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:05:58 PDT

My mom died this morning after a brave battle with ovarian cancer; she was 59. I am grateful for butterflies.Similar Posts:

Marianne Williamson Talks Tough on Cancer, HIV at Times Confab

Sam Page — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:37:15 PDT

Courtesy of LA Times

Modern evangelist Marianne Williamson was one of the presenters at LA Times Magazine’s “Conversations on Health & Wellness” at Terranea Resort. The conference was a nice break from my mind, which has been mired in thoughts about mom’s cancer. I was glad to see that Marianne was one of the speakers, since her book, A Return to Love, influenced our coming back together. Whether you’re well or ill, her remarks are worth a listen:

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The Importance of Vitamin D

Sam Page — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:21:52 PDT

Optimal vitamin D level is 2,000 IU/day. Keeping your levels in this zone can *significantly* reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases. If every woman kept her blood levels of Vitamin D above 50, we would reduce breast cancer by 50 percent, says Dr. Soram Singh Khalsa, a founding member of the American Holistic Medical Association and the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.Similar Posts:

Organic, Homemade Almond Milk

Sam Page — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:22:13 PDT

Here’s a recipe for REAL almond milk from my mom’s kitchen in Utah. Best of all, there’s no “evaporated cane juice” or added junk.

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
3 pitted dates
Pinch of sea salt
3 cups water

Directions

Combine almonds, pitted dates, salt and water in a blender and blend on high for 2 minutes. Strain through a cheese cloth-lined strainer into a large measuring cup, or bowl. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Yields about 4 cups

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Past/Current Client of Sam Page Fitness?

Sam Page — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:03:34 PDT

Are you a former/current personal training client, and willing to write a quick post of your experience training with me? E-mail me for details. -SamSimilar Posts:

My Beef With Facebook

Botox No More?

Sam Page — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:33:44 PDT

“Botox Parties” may put people at risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis because the single use vials of Botox are often used multiple times on different patients, alleges a federal lawsuit filed in California.Similar Posts:

Awesomeness Happens

Sam Page — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:23:44 PDT

“What is awesomeness? Awesomeness happens when thick — real, meaningful — value is created by people who love what they do, added to insanely great stuff, and multiplied by communities who are delighted and inspired because they are authentically better off. That’s a better kind of innovation, built for 21st century economics.” -Umair HaqueSimilar Posts:

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