You have the Power to Affect Health Care Costs in our Countr

Health care reform is quite a controversial topic in our country today.  No matter what your personal views may be, one thing that we can all agree on is that health care costs have gotten out of control in our country.  Health care spending is now 18% of our GDP, as compared to 9% in 1980; it has outpaced all other consumer spending by triple.  Politics aside, statistics show that many Americans are partly responsible for the high cost of health care in America. 

According to the Center for Disease Control, 74% of all health care costs are confined to 4 major diseases:  cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.  Furthermore, they estimate that 80% of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, 60% of all cancers, and 90% of obesity is preventable.  The U.S. Surgeon General emphatically states that 75% of all illnesses can be attributed to lifestyle-related causes.

No matter where you stand on health care reform, the crux of the matter is that each one of us has the power to affect the current crisis.  Perhaps you are living a healthy lifestyle for which you should be commended.  But collectively we all affect the state of health care in our country.  If your neighbor, friend, or coworker is leading an unhealthy lifestyle, their actions will impact all of us, as they are more likely to suffer from a chronic lifestyle disease. Think of Mississippi, where 32% of all residents are obese, and the burden that will cause on our health care system. 

Of course, there are some factors that are out of peoples' control - certainly people struggling with poverty do not have easy access to gyms, healthy food, and medical care.  There are many areas that are food deserts where residents either rely on small convenience stores selling processed food or fast food emporiums for their nutrition.  Even so, exercise can be free - people can walk outside. 

And not to mention how weak our country has become - in a country where 66% of us are obese and overweight, in a nation where many of us can barely climb a set of stairs, much less walk a mile - what does that say about our ability to survive and be strong? 

We cannot expect our political leaders to change this - it is up to each one of us to change our American ways.  It is easy for us to complain about our country and its policies, but the truth is that lasting change happens one person and one action at a time. 

Each one of us has the power to inspire, motivate and educate all of those we touch each day!  I am always surprised to hear from readers of my newsletters on how they implemented a small change in their life after reading a daily apple.  You and all of your actions subconsciously affect everyone you meet each day!  If you are living healthy, eating healthy meals, exercising regularly and making conscious health choices every day, others will notice.  Change doesn't happen by preaching - people generally do not respond well to being told what to do in a condescending manner.  Actions speak louder than words.  

Education is a powerful medium for change!  Start by sharing these daily emails with your circle of associates.  Invite a friend out for a walk.  Take a teenager to an exercise class.  Cook a healthy lunch and share it with some of your coworkers.

Just think - if you can affect one small change in one person you know, the synergistic effect will be remarkable and unstoppable. If you were to share this email message with friends and coworkers, and they were to share it with their circle of friends, perhaps we can start a healthy grassroots movement in this country and take back control of our astronomical health care costs.  We can be the change that we seek!


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. "

~ Margaret Mead


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Get out of Your Comfort Zone to see Real Change!

Fitness is a somewhat relative term, as there are different levels of a "fit" individual.  A very basic level of fitness for many sedentary Americans is just to obtain 30 minutes of combined activity in one day.  Athletic individuals aim for a level of fitness that is much more stringent.  When setting your specific goals, you must consider what level of fitness you wish to attain, as well as the amount of effort you wish to put forth.

Real change, however, requires real effort - one needs to work outside of their comfort zone.  Weight loss, muscle growth, and body remodeling are not likely to happen if you do not push yourself past your perceived limits.  Your body's main goal is to maintain an equilibrium, to survive, and to exert as little energy as possible.  It will work just as hard as it needs to in order to perform any demands placed on it.  If you do not consciously push past your perceived limits, you are never going to see real change.  Remember, your current actions are resulting in your current state.  If you are not satisfied with that state, you need to change the actions somehow.

Why do I say perceived limits?  In the many years of training clients and in working out myself, it is universal that most of us would probably quit an exercise long before our trainer would let us.  That extra repetition, lifting a heavier weight, running at a slightly faster speed - our minds tell us that we can't possibly do it, even though our bodies are generally capable of it.  It's that extra effort - the last 5 minutes of a workout, that extra repetition of a chest press - where our real growth occurs. 

Many clients find that the last 5 or 10 pounds they need to get rid of are the hardest to lose.  The heavier they were, the quicker the pounds flew off.  Now that their goal is in sight, it seems that it takes a long time to see any change, even though they are consistently following their diet and exercise plan.  This is when it's time to kick it up a notch or two!

Do you work out mindlessly?  When performing your cardio exercise, are you going thru the motions, talking to a friend, or thinking about work instead of focusing on the task at hand? Do you just hurry through your strength training, performing the same exact routine as the last couple of workouts?  Instead, let's make a concerted effort to really be present.  Push yourself to run an extra half mile, or increase the speed for varying intervals.  Lift a bit heavier of a weight, do that exercise that your trainer makes you do that you absolutely hate (and we all have at least one dreaded exercise!), or add in an extra set of exercises.  Contract the muscle isometrically when performing a bicep curl, or throw in some leg movement on a row to raise the metabolism.  Find a workout partner who is a bit more advanced that you are, and workout with her a day or two per week to really get you moving at a different level.  Do something a bit different each day, and your body and soul will respond with fantastic results.

Don't come from a negative place - how often do you automatically say that you can't do something?  Instead, make a concerted effort to be open and positive in your efforts.  Don't tell your trainer that you can't fit in an extra cardio workout - instead, really think of how you are going to do it.  Don't automatically give up when your friend is running at a much faster pace - tell yourself that you are strong and will give it every effort you can muster!

In these trying times, it will feel awesome to achieve new levels of perfomance and effort.  You know that you are capable of anything you desire in life - now just go out and get it!

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Got Knee Pain? Look Above and Below!

Are you experiencing pain in your knees while running or performing other activities?  Anterior knee pain, otherwise known as chondromalacia patella, patella tendonitis, and patella-femoral syndrome can be painful and debilitating to an athlete.  Standard treatment with many is to treat the knee at the site of pain, and possibly strengthen surrounding muscles and connective tissues.  However, many functional training physiologists and specialists now look to the joints above and below the knee for dysfunctional movement in order to determine and treat the cause of the knee pain.

We know that our body is one big complex kinetic chain and that muscles never work in isolation.  A weakness, decreased range of motion, or overly extended range of motion in one muscle directly affects another muscle and joint in the kinetic chain.  Abnormal range of motion in the ankle can cause an overcompensation in the knee or hip joint during movement.  Instability in the hips or ankles can also lead to incorrect alignment or overcompensation, eventually causing alterations in posture, decreased performance, stress, pain and injury.

According to Michael Boyle, a foremost expert in strength and conditioning and former head coach at Boston University, the knee is "a repository of pain that originates at the hip or ankle joint.  If we focus on a knee-centered approach to treatment, it becomes a symptom-based approach rather than a cause-based approach." 

Most commonly, poor instability of the hip joint or loss of ankle mobility and stability are the causes.  For purposes of this email, we will focus on foot and ankle dysfunction and discuss the hip joint at another time.

Many doctors believe that all joint dysfunctions start in the foot and ankle.  Overpronation of the foot (pictured above) and lack of flexion at the ankle are common culprits.  Overpronation occurs when the foot collapses too much or too quickly in the medial arch during movement.  Flexion of the ankle occurs when you pull your foot toward your shin; limited flexion in the ankle will cause overcompensation in all the other joints during any movement. 

Many athletes overstabilize their ankles during sports with shoes, tape, and braces to avoid ankle sprains.  Any artificial instability will cause more stress on the knee joint, leading to the high incidence of anterior knee pain in basketball players, for example.

So what to do if you suspect foot and ankle dysfunction?  First, see a podiatrist and/or a qualified orthopedic chiropractor.  Also, make sure that you have properly supportive athletic shoes for your body, and that they are not too old and worn down.

Stand in front of a mirror with a pair of shorts on.  Find your neutral foot and ankle - the center of your knee should be in line with the 2nd toe.  Now squat down and look at your knee and ankle.  Is your foot overpronating and rolling inward, causing the knee to rotate inward?  Are you compensating by turning your feet outward to keep the knees pointing forward?

There are some isolation exercises that one can do to promote proper foot and ankle movement.  Performing these isolation exercises are integral before integrating multi-joint movement into your routine.  Practice these exercises daily, or at least 2 to three times per week.

- Golf ball roll - Using a golf ball, roll it for 30 seconds with gentle pressure continuously on the arch and underside of the foot.  This should also be done before working out.

- Calf stretches - To increase flexion in the ankle, perform dorsiflexion for 30 seconds on each side by pulling the foot towards the shin.

- Big Toe pushdowns - To aid in proper gait, practice pushing the big toe down on the ground without collapsing thru the ankle for 15 to 20 reps per side.

After you have been performing these isolation exercises for a couple of weeks, you can integrate single leg multi-joint movement into your routine to promote proper integration of the joints.  A single leg squat and single leg deadlift with only one leg in contact with the ground, will teach the joints to work together properly during multi-planar movement.  As always, proper form and knee tracking during these exercises are integral.

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Bloated Bellies!

Isn't it frustrating when you work out regularly and eat sensibly, just to wake up one morning and find that your formerly fairly svelte tummy has suddenly expanded by a couple of inches?  Stomach bloat isn't just a problem for women, as men suffer from it as well.

Many things can cause a bloated stomach and excessive gas.  As people age, they produce less of the enzyme lactase, which is necessary for digesting lactose. 

Gluten can also be a culprit.  Gluten is a protein that is found in grass-related grains, such as wheat, rye, and barley.  It is estimated that about 1% of the population has Celiac disease, which is a condition in which a person can not digest gluten properly.  However, it is also common that many people experience bloating and gas from eating gluten products, even if they do not have celiac disease (beer belly, anyone?).  Doctors recommend eliminating gluten from your diet for one week to see if you are sensitive to it; if so, you may find that you need to reduce the amount of breads and grain-related products in your diet.

As many women approach menopause, they may also notice that they are experiencing bloat and flatulence regularly due to hormonal changes.  Probiotics supplements such as lactobacillus acidophilus can help, as well as Beano.

Other than the standard advice to avoid sodium and carbonated products, here are some other tips on reducing belly bloat and gas:

- Avoid or minimize consumption of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, as they contain raffinose, an indigestible sugar.  Try eliminating them from your diet, and slowly ease them back in one at a time to see which is the offender.  Taking Beano after a meal will help to digest raffinose.

- Avoid high fatty foods as they slow down digestion and result in bloat and gas.

- Eat smaller portions, as large portions of food will exacerbate belly bloat.

- Dandelion tea has been suggested to relieve a bloated stomach.  The "Yogi" brand of tea features one called "Detox", which promotes release of fluids.

- Drink plenty of water as that increases circulation and release of fluids throughout the body.

- Did you know that fennel seeds are a natural digestive aid?  Indian grocery stores sell a sugar-coated fennel seed ( about 1/2 teaspoon), which is chewed and swallowed after a meal to help expel gas from the digestive tract.

- Dairy products can cause bloat and digestive issues.  If you are lactose intolerant, you may want to try rice or soy milk as a substitute.  If you are a cheese lover, be aware that hard cheeses, such as parmagiano-reggiano, are better tolerated than soft cheeses.

And, finally, exercise is always the cure!  A regular and consistent exercise program will keep fluids moving through your system and aid in proper digestion.