KICKING THE BAD HABITS - FOR GOOD!

We all have them...let's identify the most common and come up with a plan to KICK those BAD HABITS FOR GOOD!

THE KEY TO KICKING BAD HABITS FOR GOOD IS DAILY PERSEVERANCE! Change isn't easy or we'd all do it without complaint. It would be effortless if it was easy. But it's not. Change can be very difficult for us and in the area of health and wellness, it is no different. We are seeking to change habits that have led to our less than stellar health, wellness and fitness levels. That can only be accomplished through daily persevering through the many obstacles that will come our way, the numerous distractions that can suck the life out of our best intentions and the speed at which life can thrust us forward without so much as a pitstop along the way. Every day will be a new adventure. Take it moment by moment and lay it all out there for the sake of making the necessary changes to achieve better health, wellness and fitness in 2010!

ADDICTIONS: Alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs, tobacco products, overeating, sex/pornography, workaholism, TV/Media, etc.

Addictions will keep you captive and are among the hardest of "bad habits" to tackle. So if you have an addiction, this will take careful planning and serious accountability to help walk you to freedom. Help/Resources: AA, NA, Celebrate Recovery, Setting Captives Free, Biblical Counseling centers, local churches, support groups, your doctor/medical professional

TOO LITTLE SLEEP/NOT ENOUGH R&R: Your body needs to have sound sleep for revitalization and healing. Are you keeping a regular schedule each day that enables you to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day/night? Do you fall asleep working or watching TV or do you fall asleep after a relaxing "bed time" routine? Do you (as Pastor John Meador calls it) take an Annointed Nap on Sundays? Do you rest one day a week? Do you take real vacations once in a while? How are you going to change in order to keep a healthy amount of sleep and R&R in your life?

POOR NUTRITION: Create a plan to change your poor eating habits one thing at a time. Write the plan out and get someone to keep you accountable to making those changes.

TOO LITTLE WATER: Hydration is often overlooked...water is essential to a healthy body! Drink up!! Replace your alternate beverages with water! Carry water with you on the go! Sip wherever you are! Drink up after work outs to replenish lost water.

TOO LITTLE MOVEMENT: America is slowly coming to a physical halt! Make it your goal to move every day. If you have a desk job...take frequent get-up-and-move-breaks! Set aside time for vigorous activity that gets your heart pumping. This aids cellular healing and revs up your bodies natural processes and boosts your immune system! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT! :D

TOO MUCH STRESS: Life is busy and crazy for every average American and busier and crazier for the rest of us! But we can begin to make choices to simplify and de-stress our lives. What choices will you begin to make to help lower stress in your life? Say NO to something in order to say YES to your health! Cut out those time stealers.

SOCIAL DRINKING: Is it really necessary? Does the "glass of wine for the heart" really outweigh the negative effects on the rest of your body - e.g. your liver? Not saying you can't/shouldn't drink...just asking if it's really a good choice if you want to restore your health!

UNHEALTHY SNACKING: Plan for fresh fruit, fresh veggies and raw nuts to replace those sweet or salty snacks you've been existing on.

TOO MUCH NOISE: Does your brain ever get a break from the noise and busyness of life? Do you turn the noise (radio, tv, etc) off for a period of time each day? Do you have a time each day that is just peace and quiet? I recommend you lower the noise level and get some peace and quiet scheduled into your day.

EXCUSES: There are vulgar ways of describing excuses, but let's face it...we can all come up with them, but in reality, when we make excuses, what are we really saying? We are saying "I'm comfortable in my ways, even if they are detrimental to my health / perhaps those around me, and I don't want to change". Change takes effort and we are, by nature, lazy humans with a sinful nature that constantly propels us toward things that aren't good for us. So make up your mind - NO MORE EXCUSES. You HAVE time! You CAN do it! There IS Help! It's NOT impossible! It's NOT too hard!

RECOMMENDED READ: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

1) Be Proactive

2) Begin with the End in Mind

3) Put First things First

4) Think Win/Win

5) Seek first to understand, then to be understood

6) Synergize

7) Balance production / capability of production through renewal and continuous improvement.

BASIC NUTRITION TIPS

1) COOKING WITH FATS AND OILS - You can turn good fats into bad fats!!
* High Heat: Use only coconut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil or rice bran oil for frying. The best choice is coconut oil because of its superior flavor when frying food such as chicken or fries. Olive oil, while equally as healthy, tends to make food soggy rather than crispy. A word of caution regarding olive oil: it will turn rancid and become a bad fat when heated above 120 degrees F. If it smokes, it has already turned rancid.

* Medium Heat: To saute foods, use sesame oil, rice bran oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil or butter.

* Baking: Butter, coconut oil, sunflower, safflower or olive oil can used in baking if temperature is less than 325 degrees. In a hotter over, use butter, olive oil or coconut butter.

* No heat Oils: cold-pressed oils such as flax oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and hemp seed oil should not be heated but added to food after it is cooked.

2) EAT MORE VEGETABLES
* Potatoes are not vegetables, they are tubers.

* If you cook vegetables, lightly steam, but raw is best.

* Some people will do better with more protein and less vegetables and others will do better with more vegetables and less protein, depending on metabolic type

* Listen to your body. Your cravings and energy levels will tell you when you need to adjust or modify your personal plan. However, during the first two weeks while insulin levels are adjusting, you will need to eat more meals a day to feel better

* Organic is best. If not organic, wash them with distilled vinegar or solution available in health food stores. Use bags to squeeze air out of vegetables before storing. Sundays seems to be an ideal day to do this for the week.

* Always eat some protein with vegetables (i.e. an egg or piece of chicken, turkey or fish).

3) ELIMINATING REFINED SUGAR IS CRITICAL
* Refined sugar lowers the immune system

* Sugar promotes yeast growth

* One can of soda has 9 to 11 teaspoons of sugar.

* USA now: 120 lbs/year per person - Early 1900s: 5 pounds/family

* Avoid corn syrup, fructose, large amounts of honey or molasses, sucrose, maltodextrin, dextrose, any artificial sweetener, sweetened fruit juices and syrups, sugar cane and lactose (the herb Stevia is an acceptable sweetener)

* Avoid eating large amounts of below ground vegetables such as carrots and potatoes...they typically contain high sugar levels.

BASIC NUTRITION PLAN

THREE BASIC RULES:
1) If the food was not created by God, do not eat it (If you can't read it, don't eat it.)
* Food listed in Leviticus 11 as unclean
* Man made fats such as hydrogenated oils, etc.
* Most preservatives and chemicals excito-toxins in foods.

2) If the food has been altered by man, do not eat it. (If man changed it, exchange it.)
* Genetically Modified Food and Organisms (GMO), refined grains (white bread, white rice, and white pasta).
* Pasteurization and homogenization of dairy.
* Grain fed meats (beef, chicken and lamb).

3) Do not let any food be your god (If you can do without it, throw it out).
* Alcohol
* Coffee
* White breads and sugars.
* Junk food - excito-toxins.

THREE BASIC CHANGES
There are many, but these three are found to be the most effective and critical to prevent the top three killers in America.

1) Remove Bad Fats and Replace with God Fats. (no, that's not a typo)
* Bad fats - hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and rancid vegetable oils are all linked to cellular congestion leading to cancer, chronic fatigue and neurotoxic syndrome.
* Bad fats are also linked to chronic inflammation which is the key to 21st century medicine. Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc are the leading causes of death in the US and inflammation is at the root.
* God fats are the most lacking nutrient in the Standard American Diet (SAD), not vitamins and minerals.
* God fats are essential to hormone production, cancer prevention, brain development, weight loss, cellular healing, and anti-inflammation.

2) Change the meats you eat.
* There are hundreds of studies that link commercial meats with cancer and heart disease.
* The grain fed to animals created to eat grass changes fatty acid ratios and denatures good fats, leading to modern day disease.
* The bioaccumulation of commerical pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and hormones in meats are far higher than what you receive from commercial vegetables. This leads to many cancers and chronic illness.
* Grass fed and free range meats offer many fatty acids missing in teh SAD such as: aracodonic acid, congegated linoleic acid, and the proper ratio of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids.

3) Remove ALL refined SUGARS from your diet.
* This includes white rice, white pasta and white bread.
* 1/3 sugar comes from soft drinks, 2/3 from hidden sources including: lunch meats, pizza, sauces, breads, soups, crackers, fruit drinks, canned foods, yogurt, ketchup, mayonnaise, etc.
* High glycemic or refined sugars cause elevated glucose, which elevates insulin leading to premature aging and degenerative diseases such as type II diabetes, heart disease (inflammation of the arteries), and cancer.
* Sugar is an anti-nutrient offering insignificant amounts of vitamins and minerals and robbing your body of precious nutrient stores. This inevitably leadst o diseases of the new millenium such as chronic fatigue, ADD, ADHD, heart disease, diabetes, and cancers.


FOOD CHOICES:

God Protein Choices - Choose raw, not roasted, for nuts and not pasteurized or homogenized for cheese, grass fed, free-range, cage-free, and no hormone added sources whenever possible. Avoid farm raised and atlantic fish.
*cold water fish (salmon, sardines, mahi-mahi, mackerel, etc.), raw cheeses, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, eggs, Vitol egg protein, Game birds (pheasant, duck, goose, grouse), cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, venison

God Fat Choices - *raw nuts & seeds (almonds, cashews, flax, hemp, pecans, pine nuts, macadamia, sesame, sunflower, walnuts, etc, grass fed meats, olive oil, olives, avacado, coconut milk/oil/spread, coconut or flakes, flaxseed oil, butter, full fat raw milk, canned sardines in oil or water, cod liver oil, grape seed oil, grape seed oil vegenaise, full fat plain yogurt, hemp oil (3 to 1 ratio), almond butter, raw cheeses, eggs, cashew butter
NOTE: AVOID hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils such as cottonseed oil, soybean oil, and vegetable oils, transfats such as margarine and synthetic butters; and Rancid Vegetable Oils such as corn oil, canola oil or those simple labels vegetable oil, located in practically every bread, cracker, cookie and boxed food.

High Fiber Carbs (vegetable) Choices - arugula, asparagus, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, beet greens, bell peppers (red, yellow, green), broadbeans, broccoli, brussel spouts, cabbage, cassava, cauliflower, celery, chayote fruit, chicory, chives, collard greens, coriander, cucumber, dandelion greens, eggplant, endive, fennel, garlic, ginger root, green beans, hearts of palm, jicama (raw), jalapeno peppers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuc, muchrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsley, radishes, radicchio, snap beans, snow peas, shallots, spinach, spaghetti squash, summer squash, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress

High Fiber Starchy Carb Choices - squash (acorn, butternut, winter), artichokes, leeks, lima beans, okra, pumpkin, sweet potato or yam, turnip, legumes, chick peas (garbanzo), kidney beans, pinto beans, barley, millet, tapioca, AkMak crackers, Black beans, cowpeas, lentils, split peas, brown rice, rye, whole grain breads, eezekiel bread, adzuki beans, french beans, mung beans, white beans, buckwheat groats (kasha), semolina (whole grain-dry), whole grain cooked cereals, wasa crackers, greath northern beans, navy beans, yellow beans, bulgar (tabouli), steel cut oats, whole grains, whole grain tortillas.

Fruit Choices based on Glycemic Index (GI) - (If weight loss is a concern, eat fruit in extreme moderation)

Low GI - best fruit choice, especially if weight loss is a concern - berries (blackberries, bluberries, boysenberries, elderberries, gooseberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries)

Moderate GI - cherries, melon, grapefruit, kiwi, tangerines, pear, orange, pitted prunes, lemons, passion fruit, fresh apricots, peaches, apples, limes, persimmons, plum, avacadoes, nectarines, pomegranates

High GI - eat sparingly or after a workout. Avoid if weight loss is a concern. - banana, mango, pineapple, papaya, grapes, watermelon

Recipe: Homemade Turkey Sausage (yay, no nitrates or preservatives)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 egg lightly beaten (optional)
1 tsp Sea Salt or coarse Kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp ground savory
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
3 shakes cayenne pepper (almost 1/8 tsp)
2 shakes dried thyme (about 1/16 tsp)
1 1/2 Tbsp palm oil (I used olive oil as a substitute)
3/4 tsp honey

Place ground turkey in a large bowl, add egg and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine salt and seasonings. Sprinkle a little of the seasonings over the meat and work in thoroughly, repeating until all of the seasonings are mixed in. Spread the oil over the meat and work in. Drizzle honey over the meat and work in.

Separate into 9 patties and fry at a lower temperature than normally expected for sausage. (Honey will cause the sausage to brown more quickly). Cover in between turnings and turn frequently. Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes.

Shannon: Heart Check Needed

I've been in awe for at least the past 24 hours to see what has sprung to life in this Health Revolution of 2010 thing. I guess I didn't expect much to come of it, but we have almost two dozen people across the US participating and somehow, it's all coming together. People are embarking on a journey that could mean huge changes for each and every one of them....me included.

But I have to speak out on something that has been an undercurrent of this work...and that is the Lord. Being a Christian isn't a requirement in order to have the support and motivation provided in this forum, but I wanted to share my heart on something huge because I could not maintain integrity through this if I didn't. The Lord is at the center of this whole thing! Changing your life - becoming healthy, well, and fit, can only be 100% meaningful and 100% successful when we do it to glorify our Creator.

And that is the bottom line here folks. We can change our shopping habits, our eating habits, our exercise habits and all the rest...but if we're not in it for the Lord's glory and His glory ALONE, even if we superficially succeed in our endeavors, the trophy at the end is an empty cup.

Additionally, the truth is, none of us will truly succeed without His help and He won't help someone who is selfishly motivated or spurred on by their own vanity. He won't share his glory with anyone or anything.

So why would I share this? Why would I rain on the motivation parade with such .... "depressing"....news? (The news that it's not just a simple change in behavior...?) Because I've walked it. I have done this "get up and do something" kick off more times than I can count. And I've failed every time. I was foolish to think that just because I had a group of people looking to me for motivation and support and coordination of this whole thing, that somehow the accountability would unlock everything and the pounds would melt away. The truth is, God is more interested in my character than my weight loss endeavors. He's not going to let the pounds on the outside of my body melt away until the hardness of my heart has melted first. I've tried to get around it; I've tried getting past it. I'm still 100 lbs overweight.

So before you beat yourself up for the cheat on your diet or the failure to get up and go to the gym, look to my mistake and let it be a lesson to you. It's not about the cheat or the not working out. It's about your motivation. The "why?" of why you're in this to begin with. Your success depends upon the Lord. You can't get around it or push past it any better than I have...not with any real or worthwhile success. And no, shedding the weight in and of itself isn't real or worthwhile success.

It's time for a heart check! And no, I'm not suggesting you see a cardiologist. It's time to get on your knees, down on your face and allow your creator in! If it's for the first time, I guarantee the laundry list is longer than your eating or exercise indiscretions. If it's for the first time regarding your health, wellness and fitness endeavors, then join me in asking for pure hearts, motivated to glorify God in everything we do...even what we eat and drink and how we exercise.

Therefore, whether you eat or dink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31

Because then, and only then, will each of us reach the end with a true WIN! God will deliver you from bondage and longs to do so! He created you with a purpose and plan for your life! If you feel the heaviness of the chains of extra body weight or unhealthiness attributed to your poor choices, then know, that more than your body being free - God longs, more than anything to show you how your HEART can be free!! Being in shape and physically healthy will feel infinitely better when you are spiritually healthy! And that happens through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross. It's THERE that each and every one of us will find our TRUE WINS in this life and for all of eternity!

Consider this to be my loving warning, dear friends and fellow sojourners. I want all of us to cross the finish line, not with empty cups, but with heads held high, knowing that the Lord has been glorified in all that has been accomplished! So, please, stop....get your heart checked. And if you need some help finding your way to the checking station...please use one of these resources:

http://www.iamsecond.com/

1-800-NeedHim

or email me - mrsshannonwright@gmail.com

God bless and keep every one of you as we make this journey together!

Menu Planning: Saving Time and Your Diet

MENU PLANNING

1. Determine how often you will go grocery shopping.
2. Choose several recipes for each meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) over the specified time period. (e.g. Weekly: 2-3 breakfasts, 3-4 lunches, and 5 dinner meals)
3. Create your shopping list based on the meal plan.
4. Don’t shop when you are hungry.
5. Do shop for ONLY the items on your list.

CREATING A HEALTHY SNACK-FRIENDLY,
ON-THE-GO TYPE KITCHEN

These will take some prep time each week, but then benefit you all week long!
1. Pre-cut snack veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, etc) for the fridge
2. Fresh Fruit Bowls (put out a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter or table / cut up fresh fruit salads for the fridge)
3. Pre-cook/cut lean chicken/turkey for salads/snacks
4. Hard boil eggs
5. Snack size bits of cheese, buy pre-done or cut and store them
6. Portion out raw nuts / dried fruit into snack size plastic storage bags.
7. Natural fruit and nut bars
8. Snack wraps – whole grain wrap or tortilla, cheese and lean meat, store in a bag in the fridge
9. Produce Savers by Rubbermaid – store your pre-made salads in these great containers! I love them and they really do keep your produce fresher, longer!
10. Pre-make wholesome soups in your crock-pot and store them in serving size containers, freeze extra servings in freezer bags!
11. Pre-make omelets by mixing ingredients in freezer bags, then boil the bag in water to cook your omelet…fast and super-easy cleanup! Freeze extra servings!
12. Dry, whole grain cereal in pre-measured storages bags


NOTE: If you are concerned about creating waste by using so many storage bags, simply wash and re-use them or use small, stackable storage containers!

WEB LINK, WEB LINKS, AND MORE WEBLINKS

EXERCISE AND NUTRITION:
Free Trainers.Com
24hr Fitness
LA Fitness
Lifetime Fitness
Bally Total Fitness
YMCA
Calorie Control.Org
The Calorie Counter
Nutrition Data
Weight Watchers
Calorie Counter - Online Journal
Fitness Pal
BMI Calculator

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
GOOGLE
Family doctor
Nutritionist
Indivually owned gyms
Local parks
Public pools
City recreational centers
At Home Equipment

If you have additional websites you want to post here, please send them to me!

Shannon: The ABC's of Beginning

We kicked off the new year with a Big Bang! :D Our physical fitness test launched us into our healthy plans...well, at least I hope it did. I think all of us joining this at home bootcamp are trying to get our sea-legs stabilized in the sea of fitness! So I wanted to reflect on my beginning and hopefully encourage all of you out there struggling to maintain the enthusiasm and motivation in this tough first phase of bootcamp!

1) PLAN: It's not always easy to formulate a plan, but I find it even harder to stick to it! We should have 3 components to our plan. A. Nutrition B. Exercise C. Grace These are my ABC's of beginning any health, wellness and fitness improvement plan. I used to think it was all about A and B, but I have found without giving myself some grace (true grace), I get so discouraged when I fail at A and/or B, that I give up and go back to my old ways. So all three components, I have found, are essential to keep on, keepin' on!

Let's recap A and B though. Nutrition and Exercise. As I've said before, keep your changes minimal. Drastically overhauling your entire life, for most people, results in short term success instead of long-term lifestyle change. More often than not, those who succeed are those who make changes slowly and thoroughly incorporate each change into their lifestyle as a permanent thing. Additionally, I've noticed that lots of people get bored doing the same things over and over. If you are one that easily bores with the same routine, then make sure, as you begin your nutrition and exercise routines, that you keep them varied. Don't make it a goal to go to the gym everyday if you are only doing the same things over and over. Take a group class, take a walk, go for a bike ride, hike somewhere, find an indoor pool, play soccer with the kids, run with the dog, or one of our favorites...play the Wii Fit! :D With food, make sure you have lots of healthy options and are willing to try out new recipes and new foods! The point being, health, wellness and fitness is...DARE I SAY IT?....ENJOYABLE? Yes, being healthy is ENJOYABLE! It's fun and feels fantastic! (Ask all the healthy people out there if you're not convinced.)

The next important thing about nutrition and exercise I want to emphasize is BE SPECIFIC. Map out how you are going to change your eating habits over the next 13 weeks so that you have a specific plan to be accountable to. If you are going to drink more water, make that the goal for weeks one and two. How much water will you drink each day? Weeks 3 and 4, how many times will you allow for eating out and where? What food choices will you make? The same thing applies to exercise. If you are new to getting off the couch, don't set yourself up to run every morning for 30 minutes. I guarantee after a couple of days, you'll hate life and want to go back to the couch. I set myself up to move for 30 minutes each day. I have lots of options...walking the dogs, doing the Wii Fit, a workout DVD, going to the gym, jogging or riding my bike. Additionally, my "vigorous exercise" commitment for the first two weeks is only 3 times a week. Week 3 and 4, it goes to 4 times a week, etc. It's about being specific. Those small steps work toward the ultimate goal you have set for yourself.

I think one over-riding thing that will try to snare us all is Mr. DEmotivation! When trying out the sea of health, wellness and fitness, this sailor is a big, fat, ugly liar that comes in to steal our drive for success! He tells us we don't have time, that we can do it when we feel better, that we have tomorrow, that we can do it later, that the dishes and the laundry need to be done first, that the weather is too cold, that sleep is more important, so on and so forth. Now, I'm not saying that sometimes, some of those things are true. But let's face it, we know deep down when we're making excuses for ourselves because change is hard! Commitment and follow-through have rarely been my forte! But if you and I are going to succeed at making serious changes in our health, wellness and fitness levels, we are going to have to sink Mr. D!

SAY IT WITH ME...

THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT...

I WILL FEEL BETTER IF I DO THIS...

THE CHORES WILL STILL BE HERE WHEN I GET BACK...

I HAVE A COMMITMENT TO GET UP AND GO!

I....AM....GOING!

And sometimes, reminding ourselves of our purpose is just the key motivator to get us out of the harbor and sailing healthier seas! Once we get going, we feel great! We feel accomplished and good about making healthy changes!

But wait...what if _____? If there are days we fail? If there are times when our will just doesn't cut it? If we just don't go? It's at that point, that real grace has to kick in. The C of our beginning is GRACE. I don't mean laziness that says "oh well". I don't mean flippant forgiveness for the last week of flaking off the plan you set in place. I don't mean giving up! I mean, a genuine discontented heart that there was failure, a willingness to let that failure go, and a sense that now is now...we CAN begin again!

I can't tell you how many times I've started over in my endeavor to lose weight and get healthy. I wonder if some of you are convinced I had some grand generous notion to help change the lives of others, but the truth is, I'm just starting over again. This time, with a LOT more accountability than I have ever had. I can't, with any integrity, stand out in front of a group of people, asking them to change their lifestyles, if I'm not willing and committed to doing the same. For me, ALL OF YOU, are the biggest accountability group I've ever had! And it reminds me that grace is what keeps me starting over. Each and every day the Lord gives me breath, I have another opportunity to make choices: choices about food, exercise and all of life! Whatever we do, we cannot let failure for the moment equal failure for the day. We cannot let failure for the day equal failure for the week. And certainly, We cannot let failure for the week, month, year or last several years of our lives equal failure for whatever future the Lord grants to us! Let today be the "first day of the rest of our lives".

That, my friends, is the ABC's of beginning! So get out, make your specific plan on NUTRITION and EXERCISE and then let GRACE keep you going each and every day!

Vicky Dobb: Running and General Exercise Tips

From Vicky Dobb, Certified Group Exercise Instructor

Always check with your doctor before embarking on a new program. Ask specific questions especially about any problem areas you have or have had. Ask about taking ibuprophen or acetaminophen when needed as well as any analgesic creams.

INJURY PREVENTION:
* Ease into workouts - walk, lightly job before running
* Gradually build distances and time lengths (e.g. don't run an hour the first day!)
* Side steps for knees (onto and off a low bench or step about 4" high)
* Exercise Foam Rollers for problem areas (hips, lats, calves, etc.)
* Good nutrition and hydration - healthy carbohydrates before and during long runs, hydrate before, during (sips) and after. Rule of thum: sports drinks not necessary unless doing more than an hour or running in extreme heat.
* Good, new shoes for your foot
* Muscle balance - exercise opposing muscle groups. Strengthen quads, shins

WARM-UP:
* Move first! Do not stretch cold muscles
* Lightly stretch after warming up. Key areas: hip flexors, quads, hams, calves, low back, hip

COOL DOWN:
* Slow down / walk a few minutes
* Longer stretches: quads, hips flexors, hamstrings, calves, low back, hip
* Standing quad stretch, kneeling quad stretch, runners' stretch, sitting hamstring stretch, standing hamstring stretch, calf stretch, back stretches, hip stretches
* Massage

GENERAL INJURY TREATMENT: R.I.C.E.
Rest - the injured part. That coule range from not doing anything to doing something gentler like swimming. If you can exercise without using the injured body part, do that to keep up training. For instance, if you have a knee injury, do some upper body exercises (the gym has a cycling machine for the upper body), or swim while dragging your legs, do weights for upper body.

Ice - ice the injury when it first occurs. You can use a brozen bag of peas or ziplock bag of ice. Ice ofr about 20 minutes every 4 to 6 hours. Only apply heat if and when the injury is no longer inflammed or swollen. After that you may want to alter heat and ice depending on the injury.

Compression - this could be wrapping the injured part to prevent swelling. It can also be a good strong massage.

Elevation - elevating the body part while resting and icing.

Ibuprophen is a good anti-inflammatory but should not be taken before a long run. Always check with a doctor before taking medications.

Websites: http://running.about.com/; http://www.runnersworld.com/; http://www.mapmyrun.com/.

Group Topic: Blood Sugar Levels

#1 tip I've received from our doctor on maintaining good blood sugar levels is to choose foods that have the least impact on insulin levels. These are measured by their glycemic index. The lower the glycemic level, the less the impact on insulin levels. Eating small portions every few hours, helps curb hunger and maintain even insulin levels.

1) High fiber content and low glycemic action - Arugula, Asparagus, Bamboo Shoots, Bean Sprouts, Beet Greens, Bell Pepper (red, yellow and green), Brocolli, Broadbeans, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cassava, Cauliflower, Celery, Chayote Fruit, Chicory, Chives, Collard Greens, Coriander, Cucumber, Dandelion Greens, Eggplant, Endive, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger Root, Green Beans, Hearts of Palm, Jicama (raw), Jalepeno Peppers, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Onions, Parsley, Radishes, Radicchio, Snap Beans, Snow Peas, Shallots, Spinach, Spaghetti Squash, Summer Squash, Swiss Chard, Turnip Greens, Watercress

2) Low glycemic fruit choices in moderation (if weight loss is a concern ... extreme moderation)

Berries (blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, elderberries, gooseberries, loganberries, strawberries)

3) Low fiber carbs with high and moderate glycemic and turn to sugar very quickly: Barley, Millet, Tapioca, AkMak Crackers, Sweet Potato or Yam, Brown Rice, Rye Whole Grain Breads, Ezekiel Bread, Buckwheat Groast (Kasha), Semolina (whole grain-dry), Whole Grain Cooked Cereals, Wasa crackers, Bulgar (tabouli), Steel cut oats, Whole Grains, Whole Grain Tortillas.

(food listings taken from our doctor's handouts)

Also, Monosodium Glutamate / Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein cause the pancreas to create 3x more insulin resulting in low blood sugar. (http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/new/blood-s.htm#9) Read your labels...every one of them! You'd be surprised where MSG is an ingredient.

If you are dealing with diabetes or low blood sugar, the internet and our blog is no substitute for seeing your doctor or nutritionist. But there is a wealth of information on the web to help you make wise food choices and manage your blood sugar levels.