Sarita Shoemaker

Exercise and Good Nutrition Rx

Leah at camp with Joseph 1 Rarely – if ever – will you find a medical doctor against adding regular exercise and good nutritional choices to help you feel better if you are dealing with ANY sort of ailment.

Imagine your body WITHOUT activity and movement on a regular basis. You become weak, floppy, tired, depressed, anxious, irritable, heavier, slower.

It’s JUST THE OPPOSITE when you stick with a plan and keep moving.

I’m always concerned about our kids and what they observe as a “happy and healthy” lifestyle. The smaller the child, the more absorbent they seem to be.

This is why I’d like to give a big shout-out to Leah for all she makes happen as a new mother. She has really put her son at the top of the list of priorities and includes him in pretty much everything. He will only understand this is “normal”.

If you are not already the DRIVER of your Health Bus, please put that hat on and rally your family. They will likely kick and scream if they’re used to a lazy, no-time, exercise-isn’t-THAT-important life. Just hang on to the wheel and TRUST THE PROCESS.

Common Sense Stuff About Getting OLD

Randy Morgan having dinner talking in kitchen Feb 2013 — Father’s give good advice.

MACRO AND MICRO NUTRIENTS
Keeping it simple helps you make a better choice

Our bodies are miracles.

Get a cut and your body will heal it. Break your leg…bam…it will repair it! This also includes: shave your legs and DANG IT…is there a REASON we need hair on our shin in this day and age?!

The natural growth of a body is like a plant growing from a seed.

Plant a seed good soil filled with nutrients, make sure it gets water and sun then watch it blossom to its full potential.

Science has proven that the right (or correct) balance of macro and micro nutrients is not simple at all.

According to the USDA’s website an article by Adrienne Youdim, MD, FACP “Overview of Nutrition: Macronutrients” starts off strong with “Nutrition is the science of food and its relationship to health. Nutrients are chemicals in foods that are used by the body for growth, maintenance, and energy. Nutrients that cannot be synthesized by the body and thus must be derived from the diet are considered essential. They include vitamins, minerals, some amino acids, and some fatty acids. Nutrients that the body can synthesize from other compounds, although they may also be derived from the diet, are considered nonessential. Macronutrients are required by the body in relatively large amounts; micronutrients are needed in minute amounts.”

The bottom line is: we need vitamins, minerals, some amino acids and some fatty acids.

Wrap - bean veggie carrot — That’s a wrap! Steamed carrots, black beans, cabbage on lettuce. Spicy hot chili sauce (sriracha).

As we age there are plenty of road signs telling us: GET UP AND MOVE! That burns energy which means EAT!

A progressive loss of lean body mass can occur with aging. Starting after 40 years old women lose about 11 lbs and men 22 lbs of muscle! Add in the lack of nutritient-dense foods plus sedentary lifestyles and that will increase. Ref: Merck Manual Overview of Undernutrition by John E. Morley, MB, BCh.

Mr. Morley writes, “Aging decreases basal metabolic rate (due mainly to decreased fat-free mass), total body weight, height, and skeletal mass; from about age 40 to age 65, mean body fat (as a percentage of body weight) increases to about 30% (from 20%) in men and to 40% (from 27%) in women.”

So let’s get outside, build up our fat-free mass (imagine what body parts we’re talking about) and eat foods filled with nutrients.

For our campers: bring multiple sets of varying weights to camp to do, especially if you are a believer in the science of our bodies and want to stave off “old age” problems.

Just for kicks take a minute to look at different foods you eat and compare them to the Percentage Daily Recommended (%DV) of an adult consuming a 2,000 calorie reference diet. Remember: your personal daily values may be different.

I use Nutrition Data for a quick and detailed report. Personally I love charts and maps and could spend hours just staring at them “imagining” scenarios that apply to my own life or plans.

If you are wondering what your daily requirements should be, visit the USDA’s National Agricultural Library where health care professionals go to calculate the information.

References:
Overview Of Nutrition by Adrienne Youdim, MD, FACP
http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional-disorders/nutrition-general-considerations/overview-of-nutrition?qt=&sc=&alt=#

Undernutrition by John E. Morley, MB, BCh
http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional-disorders/undernutrition/overview-of-undernutrition#

Be The Boss Of Your Health

Black Bean pasta artichoke avocado salad tomato carrot Dinner Lunch Thankfully the internet can prove anything you want. Seriously.

Our (Randy and I) education in healthy and fitness covered thorough exploration and EXPLANATION of how our food is made up of energy – aka CALORIES. From actual text books, not promotional websites.

This week I am going to give you some stunning news: no amount of alcohol is helpful in any weight loss or fat loss dream. NONE.

That is the tip of the iceberg on how disastrous alcohol is for our bodies though.

Carbohydrate (complex and simple) provides 4 calories per gram, protein provides 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram!

Why is this significant?

Because, if you are trying to fill your body with NUTRIENTS to work harder, build muscle and get stronger you need to consume nutrient-dense foods!

What does “nutrient dense” mean? Simply put: calories that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals! They are foods packed with VALUE that will help your body, not take away from it’s natural processes (or tax them).

Without getting too detailed, you can find nutrients in complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, peas), fats (mono and polyunsaturated are what you should go for like avocado, olive oil, corn oil, peanut oil, some fish) and proteins (lean meats, green vegetables like kale, broccoli).

The lists of NUTRIENT DENSE and NUTRIENT FILLED foods is enormous.

BUYER BEWARE. Read labels. Marketing has invaded our market (grocery) and the definition of buzzwords like “healthy” “wholesome” “natural” “organic” “lite” “Low Fat” “Low Calorie” “artificial” are just a FEW the packaging will contain yet behind the curtain you’ll see a list of ingredients you might not actually understand. DON’T GIVE UP!

Nowadays when we shop we look at ingredients. They do list them in order of quantity within the item which is great. We go for the least words we don’t understand and even better 100% words we understand!

A quick example of how many ways you will and can see a SWEETENER in an item. For the record, these are not all bad or man-made! Treacle, for example, is another word for molasses , sugar and corn syrup combined (and just happens to be one of Harry Potter’s favorite treats).

I found 44 different words you might see on a label:

acesulfame
agave
agave nectar
aspartame
barley malt extract
brown rice syrup
brown sugar
corn sugar
corn sweetener
corn syrup
crystiline fructose
dehydrated cane sugar juice
dextrin
dextrose
evaporated cane juice
evaporated cane syrup
fructose
fruit juice concentrate
glucose
golden syrup
high fructose corn syrup
honey
invert sugar
lactose
malt syrup
maltodextrin
maltose
mannitol
maple syrup
molasses
neotame
raw sugar
rice syrup
saccharin
saccharose
sorbitol
sorghum syrup
splenda
sucralose
sugar
syrup
treacle
turbinado sugar
xylose

You have control over what you put into your body and you are RESPONSIBLE for it too.

Go for the least amount of processing done on a food as possible. Additives can ruin what you think is “healthy”. Sodium is “natural” but you need to watch the amount you consume!

“Healthy” should be defined as filled or packed with nutrient-rich ingredients in my world.

The healthier we eat, the better our bodies should work. It’s not a miracle.

Alcohol contains no proteins, minerals or vitamins. When we consume it our body manages it like it would FAT and converts alcohol sugars into fatty acids. To make it worse, alcohol inhibits the absorption of important nutrients our body needs: thiamin, b12, folk acid and zing.

Just looking into thiamin (or vitamin B1) ALONE is shocking.

According to studies published by the National Institute of Health low levels of B1 were present in the following diseases: diabetes, alzheimer’s disease and heart failure!! Three of the TOP KILLERS in our world right now.

Forget trying to lose fat: how about STAYING ALIVE and living a BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE?

Let’s stay focused on trusting the process: eat healthy and exercise daily – keep moving across the planet.

Removing alcohol from your diet will only make your body happier from the inside out.

Daily intake, in my opinion, is harmful to your waistline as well as your health. That would be called a HABIT and it is tough to break habits.

Maybe a glass of wine once in a long while, in the perfect conditions you can make (for me, sitting on our back porch with the pets or kids around), with the highest quality or favorite bottle you can swing would be a better plan.

That’s my new plan. I’ve got to start hunting for a bottle of Opus One. Camp finishes June 10th for a week off and the SoCal evenings are the best in June!

How to TAKE OUT a Small Business

How to TAKE OUT a Small Business

I dreamed about this all night…had to write it down. I’ve got so many friends that are also Small Business Owners. I think that the New Year has inspired conversation about struggles and how we will survive this year.

Our plan is to kick butt with our boot camp and races. We’ll see how that goes.

Follow these 10 Steps (repeated often) and you’ll soon see a small business close down

Negotiate. They probably put their pricing together with a dart board and chances are they are desperate to have you there so make sure you try every way shape and form to not pay what their published price list is. Nit pick every detail.
Criticize. Don’t just do it online…make sure you talk to all of the paying customers wandering around the shop. Do it loud enough to have bargaining material later. Listen close for potential fodder to “bring up” to the owner.
Friend their customers on social media. Your life is so fun and you get along so well at the shop. It makes sense that it would and could continue outside too. Make lots of friends and try to get those you think are close to the owners so you can begin to socialize outside the shop with them.
Rumors. Spread them. Get a few details about their personal lives and then find some like-minded people that would enjoy hearing the rumor. Maybe take it to a party or two. Be sure you generalize the details so you aren’t caught.
Exterminate. Find a better deal? Make sure you spread the word to everyone. Those friends you made, be sure you let them know too.
Be a downer. Dena Downer or Donny Downer draw the time and attention. Spreading your negativity really helps push people away (to the places you mention in #5).
Tantalize. The business owners won’t know you are spreading rumors and taking their customers away – they see you and your dynamic personality and believe they NEED you to be at their business. They do! You are, after all, the cat’s pajamas to all of your friends. You have clout and can sway the vote. Make sure you return to the business off and on just to catch up on what’s going on (so you can start at the top).
Coupons. Cut them out and keep them forever. Use them in #1 above. Take competitor coupons to the small business and try to force them to price match.
Never write a glowing review that gives anyone the idea you are a dedicate customer. You will be their customer as long as they do what you say. After all, the customer is always right!
Favors. Ask for them here and there. Give a little extra effort about 25% of the time so your request for favors is merited.Small Businesses make up 54% of all businesses in America! 28 million strong today and they provide 55% o all jobs since 1970. Reference SBA’s website.

Small Businesses are defined as having 500 employees or less.

Think about how and where you spend your money.

It is a MIRACLE small businesses are lasting as long as they have. According to Chron (aka The Houston Chronicle) Only 1/3 make it past 10 years. The income for sole proprietorships has been trending downward for 50 years.

Are Your Arms Broken?

Trader Joe arms broken? .jpg Can I cuss?

OK…no one is reading this anyway so I’m cussing in this post.

It pisses me off (Level 10) to see people treat other people like servants. I CAN’T’ STAND IT.

Yesterday I was grocery shopping at #TraderJoes in #SimiValley and it was rather busy. A lot of people trying to jam through the check out counters. The clerks were busting ass too – moving as fast as possible on those tiny little checkout counters they have to work with.

Side note: do not go to Check Out Counter 1. I think I’ve figured out that is where they put the employee that appears to be working but is just moving around and nothing getting done…maybe they’re under review? It’s torture to watch other aisles zip their customers through and out the door they go…and Aisle 1 is jammed up like the 405 Freeway.

Back to my observation of blechy humans.

I watched 3 people stand with their arms by their sides while the checker did EVERYTHING (and kept a friendly conversation going as well).

Pull the stuff out of the cart.

Scan it.

Place it on the Playskool size counter.

Handling the payment.

Bagging it without letting things fall off the counter.

Placing it in the cart.

Being friendly the entire time.

Now why? WHY can’t you pick up a bag and put YOUR groceries in it?

Seriously.

I watched you scratch your elbow. Once the space was clear you set your hands on the counter. You gazed my way (Yes, I was scowling at you). Fold your arms and watch. Get in the way of other shoppers trying to leave through the tiny portal of space between the checker counters and the water displays.

Side note: can you guys PLEASE remove the water display so there is actually space to navigate past to the door? I hate bumping into people (except for those just standing there watching other people work I guess) trying to get out the door.

I was taught to lend a hand. Pitch In. Pick Up A Shovel. I was taught is was NOT OK to stand there and watch someone work when you very well could help.

Shame on you and your yucky behavior.

Anywho, that’s all I’ve got for today’s blog post.

Curling Hair Without Any Heat

I was bopping along on the internet and I found this “diy” video on how to curl your hair without using any heating instruments: curling iron, hair dryer, hot curlers.

Then I tried it right before bed when my hair was almost dry and it worked!

My hair is fine and I’d say styles about as easy as styling hay would be. No joke.

It also doesn’t grow very quickly.

Yes it’s time to visit my stylist for a trim and color – appointment set to see Mary (check) after I made this video.

Check out the video of my latest attempt:

You need:

A Buff Headband (or similar thicker headband)
Damp medium to long length hair
Stretch of at least 2 hours (for a stronger longer lasting curl more time!)

What you do:

Brush hair out.
Separate the back of your crown hair pulling from past (or below) the top. Brush it forward toward one side (make a part on the other side).
Fold up Buff and place it around head like a headband just above your ears.
Begin taking small amounts of your hair and winding it over and through the Buff.
Grab another section and repeat.
You do not keep going with one section. Each time you are grabbing a new section and eventually the front hair will be used swirling all the way to the back.
Tricky section: tough to see the back, try to use your fingers to feel for the opening at the back of the Buff. With any remaining long hair, just wrap it around the Buff until it is fully wound. Sleeping on it will guarantee SUPER curly hair that will last longer than the quicker method. I’d use it that way more for adding body to a style. It’s CURLY!
Also, don’t wind too tight. You want looser curls? Then don’t wrap too tightly. That’s why the larger Buff’s work the best.
Find a good movie, cook, play on the internet, read a book, work…find something to keep busy with while your hair “sets”.
I am getting better at the wrapping
After an hour, touch the hair on the Buff and determine if it is still damp.
When dry just pull lightly on the Buff up and off of your head gently helping any tangled areas.
Brush through with your fingers first.
Be amazed!
Style!