Soy Good or Bad

We've heard a lot about soy being a super food because in cultures where it is a staple in the diet, there is less disease and better health. We tend to go overboard when we hear something like this. When you look at soy more closely, it is good, but in it's natural form that it is most beneficial.

Be wary of processed foods that contain soy. Many of the beneficial properties of soy are lossed in the processing of the food. Soy in it's best form is in things like miso, tempeh, tofu, and soybeans.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued #10

When you start an exercise program, know that it will likely help you with weight loss, but don't obsess over the weight. Weight loss may be very slow and if that is the primary reason you are exercising, you are setting yourself up for failure. When the weight loss is slow or nonexistent, you sill stop exercising.

Here's the bottom line, there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat. If you walk for 30 minutes and burn 200 calories, it will take you about 18 days to burn off that 1 pound of fat. This is why people get discouraged and stop exercising.

Think about the health benefits not in terms of weight, but in terms of decreasing your risk for Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

In addition, exercise helps you sleep better and fell healthier and stong.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued #9

Keep in mind your health. If you have old injuries, be aware of those so that you don't reinjure yourself or cause another injury. If you blew out your knees playing football as a teenager, then running may not be your best exercise.

Look for activities that you like that your body can tolerate. If you really want to get back on the tennis court, do it with people in your age group and about the same level of fitness. Play less often and cross-train with something that is easier for your body to manage.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued #8

Getting social support for your exercise is important. Not all of us need this, but if you do, then ask for it. Even if your family doesn't exercise with you, let them know that you need their support and encouragement. You can also find companions who are exercising and do it together. You can encourage one another.

Some of us do relish our alone time to listen to our favorite music of a book or the sound of our own breath while we exercise. That is OK too. Whatever works for you.

Know that there are local groups for walking, cycling, running, swimming and just about any other type of exercise you can think of. Join one of these groups.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued #7

One of the things that happens as we age is that we think we have to go at a slow pace. While that is true to start, you don't need to stay there. If you're in good health and built a strong base of fitness, begin to alternate bursts of intense workout with rest periods. You can do 1 minute hard and take 4 minutes of rest. This is a great way to breakup the monotony of your exercise routine as well.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued #6

Keep in mind that you can accomplish whatever you want in the exercise arena. Even if you are over 40, doesn't mean that you can't be a champion. Many age-group champions never laced up a pair of shoes until after their 40th birthday.

If you have been exercising for years or all of your life, don't assume that your exercise performance will suddenly fall off as you age. Studies have shown that there is very little decrease in performance with age. I know severe people here in Colorado who have skied into their 80s. The performance edge does start to decrease at about age 80, but you can continue to keep your body strong. You just may have to hang up your skis, but there are other things you can do.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued #5

Exercise needs to be a priority in your life. We are all very good at finding excuses about why we can't exercise. Here's an exercise for you, what are the 3 top reasons that you don't exercise?

Now write these down on a 3 X 5 card. One on each card. Now write strategies for overcoming these reasons for not exercising. Laminate the cards and carry them with you so that you can refer to them.

Next put exercise in your schedule. Just like you schedule a business meeting, schedule your exercise into your day. You would not skip a business meeting because you didn't feel like it, so don't skip your exercise time either. Use some tough love on yourself. You wouldn't go check into a hotel because you didn't feel like going home to your family each night. Get over it.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued #4

Now that you've started to exercise, change it up. If you are a walker or runner, take a few turns on the stationary bike or riding around your neighborhood. If you have access to a pool, go swim a few laps. This will prevent the boredom that comes by doing the same thing over and over again.

This is also true for strength training. Progress here is made by increasing the weight you lift. You can also switch the routine, add or subtract different muscle groups. You can utilize any number of books to help you with this or higher a trainer for one session every couple of months. You don't have to have a trainer every time you workout, but use them to help you add spice and variety to your workouts.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued

Somethings have changed as you have aged and this will affect your exercising. While doing aerobic exercise is important, the need for strength training after 40 is essential. After 40, the muscles and tendons shorten, the bones begin to weaken and there is a decrease in the pathways between the brain and muscles that decrease our balance.

Therefore the need for strengthening exercises along with flexibility and equilibrium building exercises is important to our overall well being.

Start slowly!! If you have not been exercising for a while, start out slow with maybe a walk after dinner. Then begin to add in. Warm up the muscles before you start going full tilt at something.

Starting Exercise Over 40 Continued

Now that you're comfortable, pick the exercises that are right for you. Do what you like to do and do what you can. Don't be afraid to venture into untried territory, but start off with exercises you like to do. If you always liked playing baseball as a child, then join an adult baseball league. If you always wanted to learn to tap dance, then join a tap dance class. Don't just do what you think is appropriate, do what you like or would like to try.

Many people feel walking is boring. But if you walk with others then it may be less boring. Or take a nature hike where you walk in silence and you make a point of noticing all of the things in nature around you, down to the blades of grass. You'll be amazed at what you see. The next time you go for a walk, listen to nature and think about the trees, grass, birds, water whatever is watching you instead of you watching nature.

Starting Exercise Over 40

Over the next few days, I'll be covering tips for starting exercise over age 40. You may have been fit in your teens and 20s, and even in your 30s, but here are some things to help you with the transition as you get older.

First and foremost get comfortable in both your workout clothes, shoes and setting. If this is new for you, think about joining a low key type gym where there won't be 20 different pieces of equipment and 100 pound barbells.

If you are a veteran in the exercise world, go where it is most comfortable for you to be. Whatever you choose, be comfortable going there.

More Cheating on Your Diet

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for many people who are on "diets" is the abstinence from alcohol. I say, drink wisely. If you really want an alcoholic beverage, try sipping one after you have eaten a healthy and filling meal. It can be your dessert. Happy Hours can be lethal to your diet as you are more likely to overindulge and crave junk food. So make Happy Hour an occasion that doesn't occur every day.

Sipping water between bites of an indulgence or between sips of an alcoholic beverage will help make the indulgence or drink last longer and you will eat or drink less.

More Cheating on Your Diet

When you're cheating, you can always add in some healthy foods as well. For example, if you're going for the ice cream, top it with fruit or nuts.

If you're going for the chips or pretzels, add some peanut butter, avocado or hummus. These are all healthy choices that add some protein in the snack and help you burn the carbs in these snacks.

More Cheating on Your Diet

There is no question that at some point you will cheat on your diet. It will happen. Plan it and call it your free day. If you're going to cheat, get the very best thing that you are craving. Choose the best looking piece of cake, your very favorite cookie or candy bar. Don't just settle for some candy that you may not like all that much.

Go for what you really want.

Cheating on Your Diet

Most of you know that I am not an advocate of diets. If you're on one here are some tips about cheating that are healthy. One of the reasons that I'm not an advocate of diets is that most people fee deprived on a diet. Your favorite foods are usually not on the diet.

So here is a way to make it work for you. Make it occasional. One of the better things I ever heard was to take 1 day a week when you eat whatever you want to eat. Thisis the day to eat your favorite foods.

When you have a craving for ice cream, eat the real thing. Stick to brands that are just sugar, cream, and milk. Don't go for the low fat options, eat real ice cream. If your head is telling you it is OK to eat this, then you are less likely to eat the whole carton. You'll be happy with a small bowl.

Boosting Your Brain Health

There are several ways that you can boost your brain health. If you live in a coastal state or in Colorado, you are probably already doing things that boost your brain health. The first thing is eating DHA omega 3 in fish like salmon or trout. Included in your diet should be colorful fruits and vegetables.

Secondly, get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. You don't have to go to the gym - walk for 30 consecutive minutes.

Thirdly, play games, learn a new language, do crossword puzzles, soduko, or have a hobby that requires you to think some.

Lastly, socialize, volunteer, participate in clubs, or attend religious services.

The more active you are the better your brain health.

Water Quality Continued

The last category for assessing the quality of your water is Taste. Von Wiesenberger likes water that is a perfect balance of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium with just a touch of sodium. This gives the water a clean, refreshing finish.

So how is your water. I'm not sure I could tell the exact perfect balance of minerals, but I do know when a glass of water is refreshing!

Water Quality Continued

The next category to assess the quality of water is Texture. Similar to wine tasters who swirl the wine in the glass and then look at it sideways to evaluate the "legs", so can water be swirled in the glass. The difference is that with water the streaks that form with wine when it is swirled should not be there with water.

Von Wiesenberger says that the water should smooth, soft or even slippery in the mouth.

Water Quality Continued

The second category for assessing the quality of your water is Aroma. Tap water often has a chemical scent. This can be very strong or mild. If you can smell the chlorine, then the treatment is too strong and more on the order of that that you would use for a swimming pool, not for something you would drink.

Metallic smells to the water can be there as a result of copper pipes used to transport the water. Most bottled waters don't have this problem, but they sometimes can take on the smell of the plastic if a cheaper grade of plastic is used for for packaging.

Water

I recently ran across an article about water tasting. When I thought about that for a minute, I remembered that the water in the town where my mother lives is actually quite bad. We always filter it because it tastes so bad otherwise. Interestingly, 30 miles away at her cabin in the north woods, the water is from a well and tastes very refreshing.

Arthur von Wiesenberger is an expert in water tasting and there is even an international competition! Von Wiesenberger assesses water quality via four categories Which I'll cover over the next couple of days.

The first is appearance. Obviously, the clearer the better. I have been places where the water out of the tap was cloudy. Needless to say we didn't drink it. If the color is brownish-red, it may mean there is a lot of iron in the water. If the color is green, it may mean there is algae in the water.

You can look at different waters in clear drinking glasses by holding them up to a light. The light should come through as if there is nothing in the glass.

One Last Not So Tasty Food

My last not so tasty food is not one of my favorites it. It is Licorice. I'm not talking about the candy, which I don't like either. I'm talking about the herb. Licorice has a soothing effect on the mucous membranes in the throat and lungs.

Licorice has been used to treat a variety of problems from ulcers to athlete's foot. There is a caution with it, in that you should not use it on a long-term basis, but rather intermittently. No longer than 6 weeks in succession. Licorice should not be taken by pregnant women.

You can buy it as an herb and put it into teas as a sweetener.

Good Foods to Eat Vegetable

My last vegetable in this list but by no means does it mean that there aren't other really good vegetables out there. This one is unique because it is listed as a vegetable, but really is a fruit. It is the tomato.

Tomatoes are very rich in lycopene which helps with heart health and reduces the risk of certain cancers like pancreatic and prostate. You don't have to eat just the tomatoe to get it's good nutrients. You can also get the nutrients in tomato products such as tomato paste, sauce, juice, soup and ketchup.

Tomatoes also contain Vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, phytonutrients and fiber.

One thing to keep in mind is that eating the tomatoes with fat helps the body to absorb the lycopenes. Of interest is that organic ketchup has three times more lycopene than non-organic ketchup.

More Good Foods to Eat

You may have noticed that my list here of healthy foods, with the exception of the first one, sardines, the rest have all been vegetables. Well they are the healthiest foods. Beside today, I have one more vegetable to talk about. Today I'm going to talk about brussel sprouts. You know, those tiny little cabbages.

Growing up my mother did what most people do to brussel sprouts. They cook them into oblivion! They should be tender, but not mushy!

Brussel sprouts contain a compound called glucosinolate which has cancer fighting properties. In fact brussel sprouts contain the highest amount of this compound. Additionally, they contian Vitamin A, B1, B6, C, and K, and folate.

Hint, when you cook them, try tossing them in some olive oil, garlic and salt and then bake them. The less water involved in the cooking the better.

Good Foods to Eat

My great food for today is beets. Beets are excellent at purifying the blood and helping the liver. One of the best things about beets is that they reduce homocystein, which is an amino acid that is harmful to blood vessels. Beets also contain lots of potassium and antioxidants. The potassium is helpful in heart health and of course the antioxidants help our immune systems

One other thing about beets, they are a great source of fiber and while they contain the most sugar of any vegetable, they are considered low in calories.

The leaves of the beet plant have even more nutrients than the beets themselves, but aren't the tastiest. You can steam them or just put a few in a green salad with other field greens.

More Healthy Foods

My food for today is broccoli. Yes, I know we have had presidents who don't like it. But the fact is that broccoli contains lots of antioxidants and is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Broccoli has anti-cancer properties and contains Vitamins A, C, & K as well as folate and fiber. It is a great source of fiber.

Additionally, broccoli has properties that kill Helicobacter pylori (H pylori). H pylori plays a role in stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

Eating it raw is great because all of the nutrients are there. But you can also cook it, steam it, or add it to casseroles, chili, sloppy joes and soups.

A word about the Vitamin K. If you eat broccoli on a regular basis say 2-3 times per week and you are pu on coumadin or warfarin, continue to eat the broccoli just as you have. While it will interfer with the coumadin, your dose will be adjusted by the doctor according to blood tests. It is far better to continue eating the broccoli that to stop it because of coumadin. Just be consistant with how much you eat each week.

Healthy Foods Continued

Next in my list of health foods is cabbage. Usually the only way people will eat cabbage is as cole slaw - beware of the dressing. Cabbage is one vegetable that if you are going to cook it, be extra careful not to over cook it. Not only will it smell bad, but you have cooked all of the good parts out of it.

Cabbage contains lots of fiber and very few calories. In addition to the fiber, cabbage is loaded with phytonutrients, minerals, and vitamins. These nutrients can help you reduce your risk of cancer and protect your brain.

Some of you may be thinking, well what about sauerkraut and kimchi, aren't they from cabbage. Yes indeed they are. Sauerkraut is an excellent non-dairy source of probiotics or bacteria that have a health benefit. The lactic acid in sauerkraut helps in the absorption of iron.

Some Healthy Foods You May Not Like

Over the next few days, I'm going to be talking about some healthy foods that you may view as inedible or yucky! These foods deserve another try because of their nutrient value.

The first one I'm going to talk about is sardines. I know the first thing you might say is they are too fishy! Maybe, but consider this. Sardines are high in vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids in addition to providing lots of protein, calcium and selenium. All of these things help protect your heart and your brain.

Because sardines are low on the food chain, they do not accumulate toxins such as mercury. They are also inexpensive and you don't have to wory about refrigeration until you open them.

Be sure to avoid sardines packed in vegetable oil. This kind of defeats their good qualities.

Diets

If you have had the TV on at all since right before Christmas you have seen a plethora of different diet and weight loss ads. They have dwindled somewhat in the past few weeks, but they are still out there in force.

Truth is, yes diets will work for awhile, but be honest. Every diet you have ever tried probably did work until you went off of it. The problem with diets is that they do not create a change that is lasting. Very few if any can stay on the diet because they feel deprived.

One of the people that I have been coaching regarding diet got it and she has written a new book about refusing to diet. I will give you more details as I get them. Once she got her head in the right place which she describes beautifully in the book, she began to put to work the healthy choices that we talked about. Doesn't mean that she can't have whatever she wants. She eats whatever she wants to eat. The difference now is that she doesn't want the whole cake, just a piece is fine. She has lost over 120 pounds which is testimony enough.