Back in May I posted something very personal to my family. It was prompted mostly due to my mom’s health taking a turn for the worse.

“I want to talk about something that’s been very personal to me for years, but even more so lately. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and now Alzheimer, and strokes.”

I love my mom so much and just hate that these four things now act as adjectives to describe her. The one she has had bouts with more than the others is type 2 diabetes and it contributes to her other medical issues.

How it all started for me…

“I remember when I was a kid my mom’s Aunt Alice had diabetes, God Bless her soul. Back then it was so much worse for a person inflicted with this senseless disease. She wasn’t nice to me or any of the other kids; hair pulling, pinching, and just mean to us kids. I’m thankful I wasn’t a mean spirited kid and never thought she deserved to be in a wheel chair, go blind, and have both legs amputated from going dead on her and turning black. Poor Aunt Alice, she suffered so much. What a roller coaster of nothing good happening.”

I always loved it when mom would say we were going to Aunt Alice’s house and hated the thought of it at the same time. I just NEVER liked having my air pulled or getting pinch by “the mean” lady. As a child does though, I was able to find a good reason for going that made the visit exciting. She had pecan trees in her yard and the yard would be covered in them for the picking! I miss collecting those pecans, roasting them, then gobbling them up.

Then there was my Granny. God Bless her, she lived a hard life. She had all the typical elements that doomed her to end up with type-2 diabetes. She was overweight, didn’t exercise at all, and ate poorly. Lots of fried foods.…LOTS and her homemade biscuits were always made with lard or Crisco. Come to think of it, she used lard to fry all her foods too. Man oh man! Granny’s food was always so good, but all the foods that are really bad for us, usually are delicious. Aren’t “bad” foods usually cheaper than the “good healthy” foods? They were back then too. Granny was poor and couldn’t afford to stick to a healthy diet. She raised her own hogs and chickens, and planted her own garden. Today this could be a healthy alternative, but for a person like my granny, she didn’t know any other way to do it. Grow it, slaughter it, and fry it up. That included her veggies too; fried cabbage, summer squash, green tomatoes, and so on. Scrambled eggs were cooked in the bacon drippings for breakfast and went fantastic with her biscuits.

Granny simply did not eat well. Thinking about it now, I remember it was so tasty but she was really killing herself. She wasn’t as fortunate as we are in this day and age. We have a ton of information on how to prevent and control Type-2 Diabetes available to us. There are companies that make it easier for us to eat the foods that help us prevent or successfully live with the disease. Crystal Farms® Better’n Eggs ® and AllWhites® is a great example of good alternatives to cracking open an eggshell. 

• AllWhites® has nothing added and is 100% liquid egg whites.
• Better’n Eggs® has 2% minerals and vitamins and is 98% liquid egg whites.
• Both Better’n Eggs® and AllWhites®:
• Are made from real eggs.
• Have half the calories that shell eggs have. (That’s only 25 calories a serving.)
• Are cholesterol-free.
• Egg whites are known to increase the recovery time for those who suffer from hypoglycemia. They do this by building up their adrenal glands.

Another big benefit for people who are trying to prevent diabetes or have the disease, is because the products are fat-free and cholesterol-free they can add some of their favorite extras, such as cheese. (Just be sure to follow your doctor’s advice.)

More pros of Better’n Eggs® and AllWhites® are:

• A Convenient source of high quality, lean protein.
• Lean protein helps to control hunger and blood sugar levels while balancing the diabetic’s diet.
• Protein helps a person feel full longer. It’s a no-brainer that helps in weight loss.
• Protein gives a person energy and is a perfect snack pre-workout.

When you cook with Crystal Farms® Better’n Eggs® and AllWhites®, there is never a sacrifice on taste and they can be used in any recipe that requires eggs. They’ll never alter the flavor either and because they’re pasteurized you can add them to cookie dough, smoothies, workout drinks, or anything you can think of.

As if all this isn’t enough …these things are convenient and come in easy-to-pour cartons. That means NO MESS!

My Aunt Alice and Granny didn’t have anything like this available to them. If they had it could have been a step toward eating healthier and who knows what that would have lead to. My aunt may have had an easier life and Granny may not have had to cram peanut butter in her mouth so much and could have enjoyed a better quality of life.

As for my mom, well, my step-father takes care of her and cooks all the meals. I should mention he was diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes over the summer and could use a BIG change in his diet too. When I call them tonight I’m going to tell them about Crystal Farms® Better’n Eggs® and AllWhites®. I’ll let them know how good they really are and if I’m lucky they’ll try them and be an instant fan like me.

I’m really happy November is Diabetes Awareness Month, but it should be every month. So many people have it, so many people suffer from it, and so many people die as a direct result of it. All of those affected by it deserve us fighting everyday to end it.

Join the Fun! Register for the Better’n Eggs Twitter Party!

There’s a Fit2Fight Type2 #betterneggs Twitter party with Global Influence, Mamavation, and health & wellness expert Bob Greene on 11/19/2011 from 8–10 pm EST. Just make sure you RSVP so you can be eligible for all the great prizes they’ll be giving away! There’s an elliptical, $100 Visa gift card, and many other great prizes!

Smoothie Starter

1/3 cup AllWhites®3/4 cup  (6 ounces) orange, pineapple, apple or cranberry juice

Mixing it up!

Pour AllWhites and juice in a glass and shake well or place in a food blender to mix well.

Tip: For a thicker shake, include strawberries, bananas, plain yogurt and/or a couple of ice cubes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Western Omelet

1 ½ tsp canola oil
1 cup Better’n Eggs®
1/4  cup minced lean ham
2 tbs minced green peppers
2 tbs minced onions
1/8 tsp salt (optional)
fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Cooking it up!

Over medium-low heat the oil in a medium nonstick pan. Add Better’n Eggs and all other ingredients into a small bowl. Mix well.

Once the omelet starts to set, use a spatula to gently lift up on the edges while tilting the pan so the mixture can run underneath. Cook until the omelet is firm and serve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Disclosure:
I am being financially compensated for participating in this Global Influence blogging campaign. Even so, I asked to be included because of my family history.

Disclaimer:
This post in no way is meant to provide medical advice. All readers are encouraged to consult their doctor for any questions if they have questions about the information in this post.

Yesterday was an eventful day for me and hugely life changing. I will now need to be forever careful with what goes in my mouth and my lifestyle. I can no longer be the lazy distracted boss of my body I once took pleasure in. Actually, the pleasure has lasted from about the time I was pregnant the first time. Wow, 1984 is a long time ago and many years of…

Normal BP is 120 / 80 — My BP was 172 / 115

“Damn that tastes good!”
“Yes thank you, I will have another.”
“I’m just gonna have a seat over here.”
“Where’s the elevator?”
“Can you let me out by the door?”
“Why did you park so far away?”

…and the list goes on.

Now I find myself in the pits of symptoms hell wondering what is going on and scared out of my mind. What was I thinking? Or, not thinking is probably a better assumption. I sit here now thinking, “What arrogance you have had Linda. Who do you think you are? And, why don’t you like yourself better than this? Do you have a death wish?”

• Mild numbness all over
• Severe numbness from the waist down once
  
• Stinging skin different areas at different times
• Stinging and burning feet in bed at night (then started when sitting during the day)
• Dizziness
• Harder to speak clearly on occasion (just took more effort sometimes to talk)
• Vision literally blurred for about 5 – 7 seconds (bad)
• Anxiety
• More aggravated about things (LOL – wonder who that could be about)
• Felt like my balance was slightly off when walking some times
  
• Body just felt odd, off, and sick
• Memory loss
  

Wilton Medical Arts — 3040 Route 50, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Phone: (518) 580‑2273

Thanks to my friend, Nicole Bilka, R.N., scaring the buhgeebas out of me, it was time for a road trip for some medical attention. So, off I went to the Wilton Medical Arts office. Absolutely a fantastic group of people. I can’t believe how quickly I was taken into an examination room. When I got there and gave some information on my symptoms to the front desk, I was asked to have a seat in the lobby and someone would be with me shortly. Less than 3 minutes later there was a nurse sitting with me asking me questions. 2 minutes later I was sitting with a nice lady giving her my personal information (and no health insurance information.) She politely handed me a pamphlet and encouraged me to complete it for payment options and financial assistance if needed. As soon as we were finished she escorted me to an examination room. Almost immediately the nice nurse from the lobby joined me along with another nurse (who said nothing btw.) She asked me some questions then took my blood pressure and said, “Well, that’s why you haven’t been feeling good.” and quickly but calmly gathered her things and they left the room.

I was sure I’d be sitting there for a long time before anyone came in, and I wasn’t even sure I’d see a doctor or a Nurse Practitioner. From my experience this is the norm whenever I go to see a doctor, but I was wrong. I don’t even think it was 2 minutes and Dr. Ayre walked in. What a nice guy.

Dr. H. Brandon Ayre Handsome Guy, Right? He’s a Sweetheart!

Doctor: “I’m going to do a Lime Disease test.”
Me: “What? I haven’t had a tick on me.”
Doctor: “So tell me what’s been going on then.“
Me: “Pardon my language doctor, but I live with…“
Doctor: “Well, that stops it right there.“
Me: “What do you mean?”
Doctor: “There’s your problem. There’s where it comes from.“
Me:“Really? Gee, I hadn’t thought of that. (LOL…right.)”

I’m not complaining, really. Hell, I added to my issue and I’ve escalated things. I’m just sharing that choices you make really do make a difference in your life and to your life. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have a high blood pressure problem, not at all. I’m saying it may not have reached such an elevated state if I had really loved myself right. All those wrong food choices, choosing not to be active, and even choosing not to have some sort of exercise as a regular part of my day were the WRONG choices. Numb skull has a whole different ring to it now and really describes me perfectly. (If you don’t see then pun there…well then, you may be a bit of one too.)

I’m heading over to my local Rite Aid store to check my blood pressure now. I’m hoping to see a drastic change for the better from yesterday. I’ll take a picture so we can see it together. BRB

I can’t help but wonder if my recent trip to North Carolina for the Type-A Parent Conference has something to do with my symptoms going into over-drive. Lots of salty food down there (and if you know anything about me…I missed my Southern food.) My ankles swelled up like they did when I was pregnant with my 1st child and had toxemia. I remember thinking, their must be tons of salt in the food here and maybe I’m standing too much, or maybe it’s sitting in these chairs and it’s cutting circulation some. Even though it could have been a combination, I lean toward the salt as the main evil. It could have been what set my BP off into a downward spiral; well, maybe upward is a better word.

Ok, BRB really now.

Good news for me! It dropped down a lot! I checked my BP 4 times. Per the pharmacist it depends on the positioning of my arm in the sleeve and I totally believe her. My arm was never in the same spot. I’ll be taking my BP 4 times every time I do this (everyday for a while.) Take your pick. LOL

Rite Aid BP 7–28-11

Even though my BP is somewhere around 135/86 and I’m happy it’s down from before, it’s still high. My whole life needs to change.

I’ve always been the type of person that had to have something drastic happen to wake me up and make me smell the coffee. Well this is some serious dark roast and I’m wide awake now.

My whole life will change.

Please leave me some tips you may have on how to make living for your blood pressure easy breezy. Good links to places for guidance and help are appreciated too.

Note to all idiot spammers…don’t bother. You’ll be deleted.

Photo Credit: Flickr — Payson web 2.0

That may sound like an odd comparison, but it makes sense to me. Here’s why.

I had watery eyes last night.

I woke up today with a runny nose and watery eyes. (Symptoms gone now at 6:34 p.m.) My first thought from a LARGE amount of experience was allergies and “Do I have any meds for it?”

Fast forward from this morning to around 3:30 p.m., and I’m at the stove making a snack of roasted walnuts because I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Suddenly my eyes did the funkiest thing. For no reason my eyes felt like the were crossing, a little bulgy like, and my vision blurred completely. I was so shocked and surprised by it I was thrown off, and I think I even felt a slight panic because I couldn’t get it to reverse by trying to focus. I remember thinking “What was I focusing to close on to go into such a dazed blur?” I closed my eyes and shook my head and my vision went back to normal. The entire vision episode lasted about 5 seconds or so, but I’m still reeling from the experience. After I could see straight again I made my way to the couch feeling nauseous and just off balance. Shortly after, I started to notice my chin felt odd, a little numb and stingy. The sensation gradually moved its way up to my cheeks. I’m ok now and it could be due to taking 4 aspirin (not all at once.)

Rewind to yesterday or the day before. Can’t remember.

I get up out of a comfy chair and walk into the kitchen. My legs were numb, so much so it crossed my mind that they could just give way and I’d hit the floor. I felt a little odd, as if numb legs weren’t odd enough, kind of like my whole body felt slightly sick and I almost felt like crying for some reason. I remember thinking, “Damn pants must be pinching a nerve. Hmm…maybe it was the way I was sitting too.” It passed and was forgotten.

Rewind to …well for quite some time now, going to bed at night usually means my feet sting and burn at the same time. I just can’t seem to find a good spot under the sheets or the right way to position them without the burn. I often find I’m hanging my feet off the side of the bed

to get the relief I need. I’ve always just chalked this experience up to “I gotta lose this fat ass.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that while laying in bed.

okay…

Photo Credit: Flickr — Steve Snodgrass

now…

I think it’s time I listen to my body. I don’t really have the healthiest food in the house to turn to this evening, so I’ll make a store run tomorrow. I’m a little afraid to drive today too. What if my eyes do that again? There was no focusing on anything. Better to play it safe. Dinner tonight was about one cup of steamed yellow squash and 2 small steamed carrots, along with water water water.

My next question is, do I think it’s diabetes related? Or, is some of it allergy related? Is it both? Could it be stress related? I live with a “walking box of stress”. It’s about 5’6″ or so and weighs roughly around 180 lbs. The “box” has more self induced stress than all the “stress boxes” in the world.

I really don’t know and I know I should see a doctor, but guess what? No insurance, so no doctor. I know I ran out of Splenda and I’ve been using real sugar for about a week and a half now and I’ve been snacking on sugary things over this time too, but not that much. We’re talking maybe 4 cookies and 2 snack size Snickers. I don’t normally do any of this, so it could be related.

One thought that has occurred to me is, all of these things could be from an immanent migraine. I almost wonder if today’s episode was an ocular migraine. I sort of have a headache, but not so much. It’s almost as if I have a headache that wants to start. One of my burning ones. Eh, could be all of it!

So, no more:

• Sugar (I’ve already made new iced tea – unsweetened.)
• No more white stuff (flour, bread, etc.).
• No more butter (for a while, but I will have a little butter again.)
• No more fried food. (I’m from Georgia and love my fried food.)
• No more fast food. (This is easy.)
• No more soda. (Not a problem since I gave it up in June. Only had 1 glass since, I think.)
• No STRESS I can make not happen.

New Habits:

• Exercise again. (I’ll be starting with a short walk tonight.)
• Eat non-processed foods.
• Drink lots of water again.
• Take a low dose of aspirin daily.
  
• Walk away from the “walking box of stress”.
  

In the morning I’ll be making my grocery list with only things that a diabetic can eat. I’m relying on sites like the ones below to make an accurate list.

• What Can I Eat
• GlucoMenu
• Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes
• Menu Planning
• List of Food Diabetic Can Eat (Even though this is not grammatically correct! Ugh!)

I really hope this never happens again.

In the normal course of a person’s life they, at some point, face devastating news of one thing or another. No matter what a person does, it’s possible one can never be as prepared for a tragedy in their life as they would like to be. Let’s face it; if we could we’d never experience a loss or any other devastation if we had our way. I know I’ve faced more than I consider my share of tragedy; child abuse (emotional and physical), domestic violence (as a child and an adult), SIDS (you can read about my loss in my four-part series here), Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Strokes, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, and so on; and I’m just one person.

Not all of the events listed above happened to my body, but none the less they all have been and are still a big part of my life. Some are fresher than others, but all take turns still determining my existence in a day and I’ve found myself on multiple occasions start to look for a number to call, or a website to research how to get help from those who are going through the same thing I am.

Here are a few really wonderful organizations that can be very helpful for anyone who only needs to follow through and dial a number, or send an email to get the ball rolling for the help they really need and may not know it. I was in denial for years and finally, thankfully, at last I knew all I needed to do was call a number. Don’t be like me, call sooner rather than later. You’ll be glad you did.

A Trusted Non-Profit Resource

• Help Guide

Child Abuse

• Help Child Guide
• Prevent Child Abuse
• Tennyson Center For Children

Domestic Violence

• New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Domestic Violence Resource Center
• Domesticviolence.org

SIDS

• American SIDS Institute
• Healthy Child Care America
• Kids Health
• The Cause of SIDS

Alzheimer’s

• ALZ
• National Institute on Aging
• Alzheimer’s Disease Research

Diabetes

• American Diabetes Association
• The Hormone Foundation
• APMA

Heart Disease

• Heart Failure Online
• American Heart Association

Strokes

• National Stroke Association
• American Heart Association | American Stroke Association

Breast Cancer

• BreastCancer.org
• American Cancer Society
• Cancer Action Network

Cervical Cancer

• CervicalCancer.org
• NCCC

There are so many non-profit organizations available to anyone who may need them. These are just a drop in the bucket to give you somewhere to turn to. I used a site command in a Google search to narrow down the results returned for me. You can try the same technique by using the search phrase (site:.org Diabetes non-profit organizations). Just change the type of non-profit you’re looking for to find what you need; I hope this helps. Be sure to come back here and let me know how this works for you.

Previously posted elsewhere.

I want to talk about something that’s been very personal to me for years, but even more so lately. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and now Alzheimer, and strokes.

I remember when I was a kid my mom’s Aunt Alice had diabetes, God Bless her soul. Back then it was so much worse for a person inflicted with this senseless disease. She wasn’t nice to me or any of the other kids; hair pulling, pinching, and just mean to us kids. I’m thankful I wasn’t a mean spirited kid and never thought she deserved to be in a wheel chair, go blind, and have both legs amputated from going dead on her and turning black. Poor Aunt Alice, she suffered so much. What a roller coaster of nothing good happening.

My mom’s mom, God Bless and R.I.P. Granny, she too suffered from diabetes along with having mini-strokes to boot. I remember from in my 20′s when my granny would eat peanut butter crackers because she was feeling off or quickly shove a spoonful of peanut butter in her mouth because she felt “a spell” coming on. The mini-strokes happened later in life when her health went downhill. Mom took on the task of taking care of her so she would never end up in a nursing home. My mom is very much against them because her brother was placed in one and unfortunately wasn’t cared for properly. Her memories of his experience are him laying in bed neglected needing to be cleaned up and turned because of his bed sores. Who wouldn’t be afraid of nursing homes after that? The bad nursing homes make it difficult on the ones that provide the highest quality of care to be trusted.

My mom, bless her heart, is who makes this so much more personal for me. She has battled and struggled with high blood pressure and diabetes for quite some time and now all the mini-strokes warning “the big one” was coming, well I assure you they don’t lie. On Friday, February 25, 2011,  my mom had a stroke and it’s been horrible for all of us, but of course her the most. We just have the excruciating anguish of seeing and knowing what it has done to her, what it is doing to her today, and what it will be doing to her tomorrow. She’s now living in a world she never imagined would come. Even though my mom was practicing signing her name with her left hand 5 days post stroke (she’s right handed), she has a long road ahead of her. She has to relearn how to speak and use her right arm and hand. I’m still unsure of the limitations of the rest of the right side of her body and how severe her onset of Alzheimer is now. I know it’s been hard on my mom when she can’t remember something recently experienced or said. She would deny something being said or done and respond with anger and claim her husband has her so frazzled she got confused. By the way, he would get her frazzled by trying to help her remember something. She would accuse him of trying to drive her crazy, literally. Gotta love Alzheimer; it makes for some funny situations but truth be told, those moments that seem funny are really alarming. I think we choose to see the humorous side so we don’t have to recognize it’s a sign of its progression.

I could go on and write a book about my mom and all her ailments, but that’s not entirely the point of my post. I tell you about my families experience in the hope you’ll see how cruel and tragic these diseases are and how serious they should be taken. No one wants to change their lifestyle or have a disease to tell them what they can and cannot do.  No one wants a disease to torment them or to be their boss. No one wants to feel sick or to have a disease.

I find myself asking me if I want any one of these diseases and what I can do now so I don’t keep up the tradition. I don’t want any of these.

There are wonderful non-profit organizations available to anyone and everyone for help, support, and information on a multitude of diseases. Diabetes.org is a great organization to get information and find a local event supporting the cause. Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is a great organization to get information on this disease and ways to help support the cause. The American Heart Association is a great organization to get information about everything heart and ways to help support the cause. There is a ton of information on the Internet to answer questions on these diseases and on high blood pressure. NYCharities.org provides a list of registered non-profit organizations in NYS to choose from. You can get information, donate, and volunteer via this site too.

If you have a favorite non-profit organization you would like to share with us or just a story or two about your experiences, I hope you’ll leave a comment to tell us about them; others may find your stories helpful to know they’re not alone. So many organizations are available it can be overwhelming for even the most experienced when it comes to which one(s) to choose; even more so for beginners finding themselves in battle with a disease.

This was previously posted elsewhere.

Fitness is very important for maintaining good health and healthy lifestyle. There are tons of websites available on fat loss information and fitness; and we always go crazy reading tons of the latest information on fat loss and fitness. Though, we can find a lot of websites on fitness, there are only a few sites that provide accurate and scientific information. Here is a list of my favorite fitness blogs. My aim is to help the readers in finding the right site that will help them in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Favorite Fitness Blog #1: Mark’s Daily Apple

This is my most favorite fitness blog and it’s written by Mark Sisson. Mark believes that living like our ancestors is the best way to lead a healthy lifestyle and he is very famous for his lifestyle book, “The Primal Blueprint”. In this blog, you can find delicious recipes that combine the primal foods with the modern preparation. Other than this there are also many useful tips, advice, fitness articles, and workout routines that will definitely lead you to healthy lifestyle.

Favorite Fitness Blog #2: Fit Yummy Mummy

This is the best blog for post pregnancy weight loss and you can find all kinds of information for getting back your body. This blog is not just for mom though, the programs designed by Holly work for everyone. Holly has designed fat loss programs that aim to flatten your belly, burn body fat, and firm up all the loose muscles. Holly has a community forum where members can mingle and discuss with her.

Favorite Fitness Blog #3: Fitness Spotlight

I really love this site. This blog is created by two masterminds and veteran fitness bloggers, Scott Kustes and Mike O’Donnell. The most important thing about this blog is it is really refreshing to know the truth behind fitness mantra. They communicate with readers through humor and most importantly they educate you on finding the real truth behind diet, importance of real food and cardio workout, and how to find the personal trainer.

Favorite Fitness Blog #4: Fat Burning Tips for Women

Angie Schumacher writes this blog and this blog focuses more on increasing body strength and help women to lose that extra weight. This blog is full of excellent articles – tips, recommendations, how tos, and excellent workouts on video. Angie also has created a community forum where you can connect with other readers and can learn more about fitness practices.

Chandra Karthikeyan

.

What are your favorite fitness blogs? What is it you like most about them?

Something we do every day is walk. We hear walking helps us lose weight, but what’s the best way to walk so you burn fat? Is there an optimum way to walk to get the most out of it and burn fat at a high rate? What about sugar? Is there such a thing as walking wrong and burning sugar?

What’s the BIG DEAL with walking?

Walking, or a slow jog, when it’s done the right way surpasses stair climbing machines, aerobics, or even running in its fat burning ability. It’s definitely the easiest way to get cardio in. Other added benefits are almost anyone can do it, it doesn’t matter how old you are or what physical condition or shape you’re in, and you don’t need to buy any expensive equipment. Anyone significantly overweight can even walk to get fit. You can walk any where; even in place.

What does walking faster do?

Well obviously, it makes you feel better. Here are the benefits for walking faster according to James Sundquist, Director of Medical & Sports Music Institute.

Increasing Your Walking Speed:

1. You reach a higher Target Heart Rate.
2. You shift your goal from losing weight over to increasing your fitness and level of  endurance.
3. You increase the flexibility of your muscles and joints.
4. It changes your Weight Loss results.
5. You’ll finish same distance in a less amount of time.
6. You’re muscles become tone
7. You slow down the Osteoporosis process and build stronger bones.
8. You increase the chances of injury due to impact.

What does walking slower do?

Wendy Bumgardner, an About.com writer also has a great article with information on walking slower to burn more fat. She says moderate walking is more effective for burning fat than intense walking. I learned about this trick years ago from Michael Thurman and Provida®. I’m fond of his Six Week Body Makeover and absolutely love his support community. You have to purchase his product to gain access to all his secrets but anyone can join the community.

So, how do you walk to burn fat?

There’s a trick to getting into an optimal fat burning zone and staying in it. You’ll need the correct heart rate and you’re going to need to breath from your abdomen. By mastering proper Breathing and controlling your Heart Rate you can take something as simple as walking and turn it into the ultimate cardio exercise and fat burning activity you can do. This is especially true if you have a significant amount of weight loss needed.

Breathe Your Way to a Thinner You!

We know fire needs oxygen to burn, we’re taught this from early on in childhood. When you drop and roll you’re suffocating the fire to put it out. Your body needs oxygen to burn fat much like fire needs it to burn a piece of wood. The more oxygen your body is getting the better it will burn off fat. Do you know the definition of aerobic? It means something that causes oxygen to be present. To optimize the fat burning process you’ll need to work a specific kind of muscle fiber called slow-twitch fiber and you’ll need to do this with oxygen present. If you think of when you try to get a fire burning, you blow on the fire to get it to catch and burn causing flames. You’re blowing oxygen into it to get it to burn faster and hotter. It works the same with fat! Get as much oxygen as you can to as many muscles as you can to stoke your body’s fire…ugh fat-burning.

How do you Stoke Your Fat Burning Fire?

1. Low and Rhythmic Workout – the intensity level needs to be low and you need to keep your routine at a steady rhythm. In other words, make your workout a low intensity level exercise and maintain a specific rhythm to your workout. Walking is perfect for this since you control your pace and how you’re doing your walking; flat terrain, hills, or mixed.
2. Abdominal Breathing – A very specific and on purpose way of breathing. By consciously breathing from the abdomen you can increase your energy level, reduce stress, influence better health, and optimize your fat burning.

• AMSA – abdominal breathing techniques to increase energy.
• Health Style – Walking for fitness is training smarter not harder.

Teach Yourself the Technique

The trick to using abdominal breathing during walking in your ideal heart rate zone is easy.

1. Breathe in through your nose for 4 steps.
2. Exhale through your mouth for 2 steps.

By following this breathing pattern from your abdomen you’ll send a maximum amount of oxygen to your muscles AND increase your body’s fat burning ability to its maximum. Just remember in through the nose for 4 steps and completely exhaling out through the mouth in the next 2 steps.

Are you a walker? What’s your technique? Use it for a fitness contest, GettinPhitJust4Me.

That’s right, what Stephen Barrett, M.D. on Quackwatch calls “hype”, Dr. Oz believes there could be something to it so he takes Resveratrol. Dr. Oz makes a point to say he does NOT endorse any product and if you ever see his face accompanying a product ad as endorsing it, it’s a lie.

Resveratrol has the same nutrients found in vibrant colored fruits like, grapes, apples, and muscadine grapes that help fight free radicals from the sun. Dr. Michael

Roizen, whose in his 60’s btw and looks 40ish, said you would need to drink 160 (or 180..forget which number he used) of the right kind of red wine A NIGHT to get the anti-aging benefits from the Resveratrol provides.

Luckily (or unluckily?) for those of us interested in testing the benefits of Resveratrol, there are supplements we can take. I’m not listing any links here for them. After Googling the term, I think it’s best if you do the research, talk to your doctor, and decide for yourself if a supplement of Resveratrol is right for you.

I can tell you that since Dr. Oz is taking this, I’ll be looking into it more and most likely trying it out. I trust the man and if he’s trying them…can’t be too bad of a think in MHO.

• Dr. Oz’s Anti Aging Guide
• Resveratrol

Get out those walking shoes folks! There’s a walking contest starting Feb 1st! Check out the details and REGISTER TODAY!

Hurry up!

Starts Feb. 1st!

You know you’ve been sitting on that couch too long! I have but…I’m on a mission! Get off your ass and let’s do this together!

BTW…have you checked out Phitter yet? It’s a great community.