Custom Nordic Walking Classes
Kathy and Sheri offer corporate classes and specialty sessions. Please contact Kathy at 978-562-0377 or call Sheri 978-365-5673 to discuss the opportunities.
I went out to dinner this week with some women friends whom I haven’t seen in awhile. I was looking forward to the social time, but also looking forward to a nice big, fresh salad with lots of great stuff in it. My day had been hurried, and my food choices not the most “wholesome”, so I was really craving that salad.
When we arrived at the restaurant and I announced my choice for dinner- a wave of disappointment swept over the faces of my friends. “A salad?” they questioned, “Come on, you’ re out to dinner, live a little!” Well, I actually thought I was living a little! Salads always taste so much better when someone else does the work, and how could I pass up candied pecans, chicken and pears with gorgonzola cheese? Despite their disappointment, I still had the salad and it was fabulous. But, it got me to thinking, why do women try and “sabotage” each other’s efforts to eat healthy?
I have come across this phenomenon many times- of lesser and greater degrees- the most damaging being the nachos, french fries and chocolate cake extravaganza. That’s not to say that I expect myself and others to be martyrs or neurotic food nazis- but why can’t a big salad bring as much pleasure as nachos? I think it’s because somehow people get used to thinking that dinners out are a time to splurge- to gorge- to overeat. However, we all go out enough nowadays that this shouldn’t be the case. I certainly can understand if someone only goes out once every few months, but… every week? There’s a subconscious thought when we go out to dinner that “I deserve this” (but, we ignore the fact that overeating is not a”reward” but a punishment). And, lastly we want others to overeat with us because seeing others eat healthy while we are gorging on cheese fries makes us feel guilty, and with good reason. Many of the foods served in massive quantities at restaurants these days are just plain bad for you! Let’s join together and stop trying to convince each other to overeat- or overdrink for that matter- because it’s really a self-destructive behavior, and God knows we women need to support each other in this quest to love ourselves and eat healthy. So, make a pact with your friends today- healthy eating is achievable even when out to dinner! And, eating a salad for dinner leaves room to share a piece of chocolate cake!
New 8-week session of Saturday morning Hatha Yoga Classes starts March 8, 2008 and runs through April 26th.
After April 26, we will do a short session to get us to Memorial Day, and then we are on hiatus for the summer.
Please read about Location, Fees, What to Bring, Attendance and Drop-Ins.
Download the registration form PDF (Hatha Yoga Classes March 2008), fill it out, and send it along with a check made out to Personal Best to the address on the form to reserve your spot. Registrations are due by March 8, 2008.
New Year’s has come and gone and I for one am glad! It marks the end of the gluttony of the holiday season, and the beginning of a great time to “restart” and recharge. Many of us will make health and fitness resolutions this time of year, but will those resolutions really stick? Historically speaking, research tells us no: that 60% of us will forget about our exercise plans by April. Can we beat this sad statistic? I believe we can, but only if we work on our internal “mindset” BEFORE we begin to work on outside physical changes.
We all have an internal tape that plays constantly, often negative words we have heard as a child, or words created and echoed by past failures or setbacks. We must change this negative mindset into a positive one- we must “spin” things in a way to convince ourselves that we are strong, we can override a bad day, even a bad week, with healthy choices, and that exercise and eating well are a joy, not a burden.
For example:
Exercise adherence and nutritional success is 80% mental. What separates those who succeed and those who fail, are those who do the “internal” work first. Start today- make a list of all the negative things you may usually say to yourself, and change them to positive thoughts. Keep that list near and read and repeat the mantra when needed. It makes a huge difference!
Each week I receive a synopsis of recently published research studies through an online medical journal. While many of the studies are very technical and may not be of interest to most of us, every now and then, one comes along which is so important that I need to share it with you. Such is the case today. Read below- it may just save your life!
A recent study that was an offshoot from the ongoing huge “Nurse’s Study” looked at the link between Breast Cancer and alcohol intake. This study showed that women who drink 3 alcoholic beverages a day have a 30% increased risk of breast cancer! Obviously, three alcoholic drinks a day is excessive any way you look at it, and breast cancer is not the only disease created by this excess- BUT the study also showed that women who drink one or two drinks a day have a 10% increased risk of Breast CA! These numbers are startling! We have known for years that in some women, any more than one drink a day can cause liver disease, but it is scary that this same amount also increases breast cancer risk! If you have gotten in the habit of drinking this amount of alcohol, you need to cut down as soon as possible
A recent study on CPR techniques and their success on saving lives showed that CHEST COMPRESSIONS alone were most effective for saving a life after sudden cardiac arrest. This has huge implications for the public and how they approach CPR, as many people find mouth to mouth breathing during CPR undesirable- and hence hesitate to do it. Since those who succumb to sudden cardiac arrest were breathing just moments before the attack, chest compressions alone are sufficient to circulate air to needed organs and hopefully save a life! Now, we have no reason to hesitate to perform CPR when it is necessary!
As a commitment to your health and my own, I will continue to share updates and information with you on this blog.
