Health Tips 0211

Liz & Clary's Weekly Health Tips
February 2011

02/13/11
Health Tip: Happy Valentines Day!
Fill your heart with both love and health this Valentine’s Day with some heart-healthy dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is chocked full of flavenoids, a group of phytochemicals that act as antioxidants to help improve blood vessel function and lower blood pressure. Resist the large heart shape box at the drug store counter and go with a bar of 70% cocoa or more. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the lower the sugar content, more antioxidants and better for your heart! Happy Valentines Day!

02/20/11
Health Tip: In Season Now
Soon enough the season will change and there will be watermelon and peaches abound, and while we may be longing for warmer weather, some of our favorite fruits and vegetables like avocados, cabbages, broccoli, sweet potatoes and citrus are at their peak of nutrition and tastiness!

We love this salad recipe from Whole Foods for Lemony Cabbage Avocado Slaw:

6 cups finely shredded purple and green cabbage
1 small red, orange or yellow pepper, chopped
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds
3 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Toss all ingredients together, serves six.
Per serving: 110 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 115mg sodium, 10g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 3g protein

02/27/11
Health Tip: Fish and Fish Oil for a Leaner Physique
A new study from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania finds that eating fish and taking fish oil regularly decreases the percentage of fat on your body. The science is this: fish oil decrease inflammation, a culprit of weight gain and cortisol, a stress hormone that makes you hold onto fat. Eat fish twice a week or consume fish oil every day for the benefit!

02/06/11
Good Posture for Good Health:
Rounded shoulders, neck, and back pain can be corrected and alleviated by improving your posture.

So much of what we do in life causes us to hunch the shoulders forward and create shortened, tightened muscles in our shoulders and chest—- think carrying a child, typing on your computer, driving a car, even trying to get warm on these cold days.

Becoming more self-aware of your posture is the first key to improving it, says Anthony Gawlik of Day Break Massage. If you find yourself hunching, straighten up by pulling your shoulder blades together at your back (if you are a chronic huncher you may feel like you are sticking your chest out when you are actually in proper spinal alignment), then drop your shoulders down your back to make your neck long. Pull in your abdominal muscles for core support and a flattened tummy.

The best exercises for combating postural problems center around the rhomboids (upper mid-back, between shoulder blades) and posterior deltoids (back side of shoulder). At HSM we concentrate on strengthening these areas plus stretching the opposing pectoral muscles (chest) and anterior deltoids (front side of shoulder) in every class. We love the forward leaning fly exercise with 3 to 5 pound weights which we do in class balancing on one leg in airplane position for extra core work. Whenever you work your back, or any other muscle group, do so in proper postural form with shoulder blades together and neck long. Done in correct form, consistently and over time, these exercises can not only improve posture but relieve tension in the neck, traps and shoulders. One of our favorite stretches is on a cylindrical foam roller, lying tailbone to cervical spine with the head supported, feet on the floor, bringing arms to the yoga cactus position (with arms at 90 degree angles) and letting gravity pull your hands and elbows as close to the floor as possible.

Other stretches to improve posture open up the chest:

Stretch in a Doorway: similar to the foam roller but instead you are standing in a doorway with your arms again in cactus position (at 90 degree angles) with the elbow level with the shoulder and the hand directly above the elbow. Gently press your hand and elbow into the doorway structure and let your body lean forward as you feel the stretch across your chest. Repeat other side.
Sitting or standing up straight, clasp hands together behind your back, pressing the heels of your hands together if possible, or hold onto a towel or strap. Lift clasped hands off of back and feel the stretch in chest and shoulders.

Archives:
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009

*The nutritional information contained herein is based upon information Hilliard Studio Method reasonably believes to be accurate. We are not responsible for any adverse effects related to following this information.