Check In

Okay, everyone, it's been a couple of weeks since we've all checked in. How have you been doing with your goals?? Keep up the good work! Spring is coming....soon I hope!

1. Tell us your greatest victory over these two weeks

2. Tell us your greatest challenge these last two weeks

3. Tell us one habit you're going to focus on this week to continue to lose weight and focus on health

4. Since this is the last check-in for lap 3, tell us what you have accomplished during this lap: how much weight you have lost, etc.

Amazing YOU!

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Watch Out for....Baby Shampoo??

Does baby shampoo need to contain cancer-causing chemicals?
No – but it often does. Product tests released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in March 2009 found two known carcinogens, 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, in dozens of bath products for babies and kids, including Sesame Street character brands and even the iconic "pure and gentle" Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo.

This report followed up on test results released in February 2007, which found the chemical 1,4-dioxane in 18 popular baby soaps, bubble baths and shampoos. None of the products tested in either round listed 1,4-dioxane or formaldehyde on the label.Both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known animal carcinogens and probable human carcinogens, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Formaldehyde can also cause skin rashes in sensitive children.
As with many chemicals of concern used in cosmetics, the companies that make these products argue that it's "just a little bit" of 1,4-dioxane in the baby shampoo. Unfortunately, the same baby may be exposed to 1,4-dioxane from the bubble bath, the shampoo, the body wash and many other sources in the same day. Why do products contain these nasty chemicals? 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of a petrochemical process called ethyoxylation, which involves using ethylene oxide (a known breast carcinogen) to process other chemicals in order to make them less harsh. For example, sodium laurel sulfate – notoriously harsh on the skin – is often converted to the gentler chemical sodium laureth sulfate by processing it with ethylene oxide (the "eth" denotes ethoxylation), which can result in 1,4-dioxane contamination. Sodium laureth sulfate is just one common example. More than 56 cosmetic ingredients are associated with the contaminant 1,4-dioxane.
Formaldehyde contaminates personal care products when common preservatives release formaldehyde over time in the container. Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea.

The good news is that many companies in the natural products industry are quitting the ethoxylation habit. New standards such as the Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal do not allow ethoxylation, and many companies have been quietly reformulating to replace chemicals such as sodium laureth sulfate that are associated with 1,4-dioxane.

Status Update
Testing by author David Steinman released in March 2009 found lower levels of 1,4-dioxane than previously found in an array of products – proof that it's possible to make products without this contaminant. An August 2008 lawsuit filed by the California Attorney General's office against several companies for making products with toxic levels of 1,4-dioxane.

What You Can Do
Avoid using products that list ingredients that may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, including sodium myreth sulfate, PEG compounds and chemicals that include the clauses "xynol," "ceteareth" and "oleth." Similarly, avoid products that contain formaldehye-releasing preservatives, including quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea. To search for products without these marker chemicals, use the advanced search in EWG's Skin Deep database and check the "Contamination concerns" box.In the long run, however, we need laws that protect us from nasty contaminants.
Write to your elected officials and ask them to clean up cosmetics.

More Information
Report: "No More Toxic Tub"Skin Deep: Products that may contain 1,4-dioxane Science: 1,4-dioxane
FAQs: 1,4-dioxane in personal care products
Press release: Cancer-causing chemical found in children's bath products (Feb. 7, 2007)

Eat!

Get Fab Abs: Eating Guidelines...from the Abs Diet (womenshealthmag.com)

To get the number on the scale to go down, you have to chow down. (And work out -- but more on that here.) Between 10 and 30 percent of the calories you use each day get burned by the simple act of digesting your food. Now that's pretty cool -- satisfying your food cravings actually fries calories! But not all foods are created equal. Your body uses more calories to digest protein (about 25 burned for every 100 consumed) than it does to digest fats and carbohydrates (10 to 15 burned for every 100 consumed).

That's why the Abs Diet concentrates on adding lean, healthy proteins. Eat more of them, in a sensible way, and you'll torch more calories. Protein is also the nutrient that builds muscle -- and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you'll burn throughout the day. When you lift and lower weights, you create microscopic tears in your muscles. To mend the tears, your body parachutes in new protein to assess the damage and repair the muscle. Proteins fortify the original cell structure by building new muscle fibers.This wonder child of the nutrition world also makes you feel fuller faster. But the good news doesn't stop there. Following an eating plan that emphasizes lean proteins will accelerate weight loss from your midsection first. The Abs Diet plan is simple: Just stick to the six guidelines below and follow the Abs Diet Quickstart Workout. You can burn a serious hunk of fat -- from your belly first -- in just a few weeks.Let the belly flattening begin!

1. Guideline - Eat six times a day.
Key concept: "energy balance"--that is, how many calories you're burning versus how many you're taking in. Researchers at Georgia State University found that if you keep your hourly surplus or deficit within 300 to 500 calories at all times, you will best be able to lose fat and add lean muscle mass. If you eat only three squares a day, you're creating energy imbalances: Between meals, you're burning more calories than you're taking in; at mealtimes, you're consuming more than you're burning. So alternate larger meals with smaller snacks and eat every 2 to 3 hours. It will keep you full and satisfied, which reduces the likelihood of a diet-destroying binge.

2. Guideline - Make these 12 Powerfoods your diet staples.

3. Guideline - Drink smoothies on a regular basis.
Smoothies--blended mixtures of milk, low-fat yogurt, whey protein powder, ice, and other good stuff from the Powerfoods list -- can act as meal substitutes and potent snacks. They require little time; berries, flavored whey powder, or peanut butter will satisfy your sweet tooth; and their thickness takes up space in your stomach. So get a blender and whip up an 8-ounce smoothie for breakfast or have one before or after your workout.

4. Guideline - Stop counting.
By eating the 12 Powerfoods and their many relatives, the foods themselves will, in a way, count your calories for you. They'll keep you healthy and satisfied. Plus, the most energy-efficient foods are almost like bouncers at a nightclub: They're not going to let any of the riffraff in without your approval. That said, it's always wise -- especially in the beginning, when you're most vulnerable and adjusting to a new way of eating -- to focus on portion control by limiting the servings of some foods, particularly the ones with fat (like peanut butter) and carbohydrates (like rice or bread). A good rule: Stick to one or two servings per food group and confine the total contents of each meal to the diameter of your plate.

5. Guideline - Know what to drink -- and what not to.There are many ways that alcohol can get you into trouble. It doesn't make you feel full or decrease the amount of food you consume. In fact, alcohol encourages your body to burn up to 36 percent less fat and makes you store more of the fat you eat. And it can inhibit your body's production of hormones that help burn fat and build muscle. If you can't pass up your pinot, limit yourself to two or three alcoholic drinks a week. Water may not be as exciting as 'Weiser, but drinking about eight glasses of the clear stuff a day has a lot of benefits. It helps keep you satiated (often what we interpret as hunger is ?really thirst). It flushes the waste products your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy or when it processes protein. And it transports nutrients to your muscles to keep your metabolism clicking. Otherwise, the best drinks you can have are low-fat milk and green tea (or, if you must, two glasses of diet soda a day).

6. Guideline - For one meal a week, forget the first five guidelines.
We would never advocate cheating on your spouse or your taxes. But we want you to cheat on this diet. Take one meal during the week and forget everything about good carbohydrates and good fats. Have half a pizza, a Kit Kat, Alfredo sauce, or whatever it is you miss the most. Think of this cheat meal as the carrot at the end of a good week of eating. Enjoy the gluttony -- and please, don't take "carrot" literally.

Sleep In Tomorrow!

Ladies, don't feel so bad when you choose to sleep in rather than get up and sweat...

Exercise protects against cancer—but only if you get enough shut-eye. In a study of nearly 6,000 women, those who did moderate exercise (like walking) for one hour daily and slept less than seven hours a night had a 47 percent greater chance of developing cancer than exercisers who snoozed seven hours or more. Being active improves immune function, which helps prevent cancer, but skimping on z's reduces immunity, says author James McClain, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute. Info found on Womenshealthmag.com

Five components of fitness- Body Composition

1. Muscular Strength
2. Muscular Endurance

3. Cardiorespiratory Fitness
4. Body Composition
5. Flexibility

Have you ever seen a transformation such as this and wondered how on earth it is possible? Transformations like this picture, while they take many hours of hard work, are nothing more than body composition shifts. Body composition is the term used to describe the different components that make up a person's body weight. The human body is composed of a variety of different tissues including lean tissues (muscle, bone, and organs) that are metabolically active, and fat tissue that is not.

Body Weight Measurements- Standard body weight scales provide a measure of total weight, but don't determine the lean-to-fat ratio of that weight. Standing on most scales can tell you only if you weigh more than the average person, but not if that weight is fat or muscle. Based only on weight, a 6'2" 200-pound athlete with 4% body fat would be considered "overweight" by a typical weight chart. Weight charts are not a good indication of ideal body weight for general health or for athletic performance.

Body Composition Measurements- There are many methods for determining body composition including: hydrostatic weighing, skinfold thickness and bioelectrical impedence.
~Hydrostatic (underwater) weighing is the most accurate technique for determining body composition. This technique is based on the principles of Archimedes’, which state: 1. Lean tissue is denser than water 2. Fat tissue is less dense than water 3. Therefore the more bodyfat one has, the less they will weigh when submerged in water. Due to the complexity of this technique it is most often performed in research situations.
~Skinfold thickness (caliper, pictured above left) measurements are the most common technique performed by exercise physiologists. This technique can be very accurate (98%) when performed by a trained technician. Skinfolds measure the layer of subcutaneous fat over a variety of fat deposition sites (most commonly: 1.thigh 2. abdomen/suprailiac 3. chest/tricep). Due to the ease and accuracy of this method it is excellent for determining body composition.
~Bioelectrical impedence (pictured above right) is a very common home method for determining body composition. This method is performed by holding or standing on electrodes which send an electrical pulse through the body. This electrical current is impeded by body fat and travels unimpeded through lean muscle. This method is the least accurate (94%) of the three methods described. The accuracy can be affected by hydration levels, food intake, skin temperature among other factors. If you take the reading under similar conditions you will obtain the best results (e.g. first thing in the morning).

What should my body composition be?
Generally, females should maintain body fat percentages between 17-27 while males should maintain between 7-17%. These numbers are accurate for the general public and will vary for athletes, depending on sport and position. While the ranges stated are the ideal for a healthy life all studies show detrimental health effects (illness & disease) begin when one has too much body fat, for the female this is over 32% and for males this is over 25%. So every effort should be taken to stay below these body compositions for a long healthy life.

How can I change my body composition?

This is the wonderful news! It is possible to change your body composition for the positive with the addition of a properly prescribed exercise program and nutrition plan. Aerobic exercise and weight training is ideal. While it does take hard work, don’t be discouraged. Remember that fitness and healthy living must be a lifestyle not just a January resolution or a way to look good for the swimming season. The seeds that you sow now will reap rewards of good health throughout your entire life.

Motivation for Runners

Here is a great article from Womensrunningmag.com...it isn't just for runners!! #10 is my favorite!


Unwanted weight gain can happen to even the most health-savvy women. A perfect storm of stress, eating on the go, pregnancy and age-related metabolic slowdown can gradually pile on extra pounds.
After years of self-described “insane workaholic behavior,” Columbia University associate professor Jenny Davidson experienced a gradual but significant weight gain. “The next thing I knew, I was 50 pounds overweight,” says Davidson. To lose weight, she skipped the fad diets and instead focused on exercise and a healthy eating plan.

Her reward: She lost 80 pounds and is now an avid runner and triathlete.

Want to do something similar?
You can with these 10 simple strategies.

Rule 1: Know your caloric needs.
To stay healthy and run well while losing weight, you must determine how many calories you need. On aver- age, a 150-pound, 5-foot-7-inch moderately active woman in her early 30s should consume about 2,100 calories per day. To lose weight, you must reduce your total caloric intake, whether by eating less or burning calories through exercise.
Research shows you’re more likely to keep the fat off if you lose it gradually, says Monique Ryan, author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. It’s best to cut no more than 200 to 300 calories per day. According to sports nutritionist Suzanne Girard Eberle, if you maintain a diet too low in calories, you may be at risk for developing the Female athlete Triad, which causes menstrual irregularity and poor bone health, among other problems.

Rule 2: Set a realistic goal.
Many women fall into the trap of setting a stereotypical goal weight, regardless of their body type. The truth is, every body is different, and your ideal weight for optimal health, energy and performance may not be what society says it should be (read: skinny). Consult your physician to set a healthy goal before starting a weight loss plan.
It may also be helpful to have a professional measure your body composition, or muscle-to-fat ratio, which can be a better indicator of what you need to lose.

Rule 3: Stay fueled.
Even while losing weight, you need to replenish your energy stores—and to do it right. Active women need to maintain a balanced diet of 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 to 30 percent protein and 20 to 30 percent healthy fats. Don’t rely on diet- or fat-free processed foods, which are often low in nutrients and high in chemicals.
Eat a breakfast of high protein, healthy-fat foods like eggs, oatmeal and low-fat yogurt. Snack on nuts, fruits or vegetables to avoid depriving yourself.
While protein bars and sports drinks are great during and after long training runs, you don’t need the extra calories for runs less than 60 minutes long.KEEP IN MIND

Rule 4: Hit the weight room.
Although resistance training alone doesn’t burn a lot of calories, Virginia Tech obesity and exercise researcher Janet Rankin, Ph.D., says it does offer benefits to those trying to lose weight, from increasing bone density to reducing injuries. Research also indicates that developing more muscle mass increases your resting metabolism.

Rule 5: Go Long.
However many miles your longest run is now, extend it once a week. According to the National Runners Health Study, which includes more than 120,000 runners, women who ran the greatest amount of weekly mileage were the leanest.
There’s no question, the more miles you run, the more calories you burn,” says Mindy Solkin, a running coach and founder of The Running center in New York City. You burn roughly 100 calories per mile when running (depending on your weight), so if you go for a five-mile run, you’ll burn 500 calories.

Rule 6: Team up.
A running coach and a personal trainer helped Davidson meet her goals. For other women, a support team may include a nutritionist or running partner.
Check out peertrainer.com for an online weight-loss and exercise-support group.
Nan Howard’s 53-pound weight loss journey began in 2007 at a weight loss support group meeting where other members encouraged her to walk for exercise. The North Carolina working mom slowly turned her walk into a run, and she began participating in local 5ks. Now she’s encouraging other women in the group to start running.

Rule 7: Increase intensity.
A study conducted in 2006 at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, found that interval training—bursts of speed within an aerobic workout—burns fat and improves fitness more quickly than constant, moderately intense exercise.
Researcher Jason Talanian recommends mixing interval training into your routine once or twice a week.

Rule 8: Crunch all the numbers.
Harvard weight loss expert Dr. George Blackburn asserts in his new book, Break Through Your Set Point, that people who weigh themselves daily are significantly more successful at keeping off excess weight. But also measure and record your changing body mass index (18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal), body fat percentage (aim for 14 to 24 percent), cholesterol levels (less than 200 total is desirable), blood pressure (at or below 120/80), clothing size and training distances and times.
If after making positive changes you’re still having trouble losing weight, ask your primary care physician to crunch another number, your TSH level. Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain.

Rule 9: Keep a Food diary.
Solkin tells people to keep a daily log of what they eat. When you see how that soda or bag of chips adds to your total, it might be easier to eliminate. In a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health, participants doubled their weight loss when they kept a food log.
To track your habits, use myfooddiary.com.

Rule 10: Train for something bigger than weight loss.
There’s no better motivation to maintain an exercise schedule and eat right than a race date. For Howard, the recent shift from seeing herself as “someone who runs” to being “a runner” has been a revelation.

Which of these rules have you tried and seen that they really work?

Whether we've been following them or not,

it's good to be reminded of what we should be doing!

What Are We Putting On Our Skin?

Recently, the Environmental Working Group Conducted a sweeping analysis of more than 23,000 cosmetic and personal care products. On of their most amazing findings was that 1 of every 30 products sold in the U.S. fails to meet one or more of the standards set by the industry itself or by the government.

Here are some other conclusions:

• Nearly 400 products sold in the U.S. contain chemicals that are prohibited for use in cosmetics in other countries.
• More than 400 products contain ingredients thatthe cosmetic industry's own safety panels have found unsafe when used as directed on product labels.
• An astonishing 98% of all products conain one or more ingredients never publicly assessed for safety.
• More than 1,300 products contain ingredients about which the industry-sponsored Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel said there is insufficient data to determine whether they are safe in cosmetics.

And then there are the dozens of chemical ingredients in the personal- care products that the government and the industry say are safe, but for which there are troubling, though not definitive, study results. Parabens are a good example. Parabens are synthetic preservatives and they're in all sorts of lotions and potions. Industry and the government say they're safe. However, researchers examining the effects of these chemicals in lab animals and in marine life say they suspect parabens are hormone disruptors. Most companies disagree, but some have decided to err on the side of caution.

How can you find what's really in the products you use?

The Environmental Working Group, an organization with solid scientific credentials, maintains a massive database on the ingredients and hazards associated with the vast majority of personal care products sold in this country. It is called Skin Deep and it's easy to check the products you use everyday. Just go to cosmeticdatabase.com.

-info taken from Green Goes With Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet

Detoxing is All the Rage...

If you've googled anything health-related recently, looked at health magazines, or watched infomercials, you know a little bit about Detox Diets. And, many of these diets can be very tempting to try because they guarantee immediate results. But, before you even think about detoxing, you need to read this (from Men's Health):

Detox diets require you to complete a 3- to 21-day fast during which you consume only juice, water, and other fluids. By doing this, proponents of the diet claim, you cleanse your GI tract of chemicals and toxins, such as sugar, nicotine, and alcohol, that are stored in the intestines and colon. That theory is false.
"There is no scientifically proven reason to put yourself on a detox diet," says Christine M. Palumbo, R.D., an adjunct faculty member at Benedictine University in Naperville, Illinois, as these so-called toxins do not accumulate in our GI tracts. "Mother Nature provides her own detoxification methods, and they work very well." Good old-fashioned fiber rids your body of whatever waste you do accumulate, without any of the vitamin deficiency that can accompany a detox diet.
By all means, stay away from one-shot detoxes, like herbal laxatives and colonics. "Both can be downright dan-gerous," says Palumbo. "Colonics can lead to an infection or perforation of the bowel, while herbal laxatives can cause severe dehydration or a dependency on them for normal bowel functioning." We sincerely hope you don't need any more deterrence than that.

So, instead of detoxing your system, stick to your healthy eating and exercise plan to keep your metabolism going strong.

Here are a few tips to help you get in detox shape:

Eliminate all of those “triggers,” like caffeine, alcohol, soda and refined sugars. It might seem like a contradiction, – seeing as how all of these things give you an energy boost – but the truth is all of these triggers, like coffee or your favorite candy bar, only give you a temporary energy spike. When you eliminate them from their diet, you will experience a type of “withdrawal,” leaving you with headaches and mood swings. Hang in there, when the symptoms subside, you’ll feel glorious.

Take away red meat and poultry. And if you can swing it, even fish, choosing beans, raw and unsalted nuts, legumes, nut butters, and leafy greens to get your nutrients instead. If not, pick a wild, unfarmed fish, like salmon or halibut to get your fishy fix.

Honey I love you. If you need a dash of sweetness in your life, pick a little honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup to fix your sweet tooth instead of choosing a refined or artificial sweetener.

Take away processed foods made with white flour. You know all that brown, icky stuff manufacturers pull away from foods like flour? Yeah, that’s actually the part that makes a whole grain, well, “whole.” Choose foods made with whole grain flour instead.

Eliminate packaged foods. Choosing fresh foods over canned or packaged foods means you are consuming whole, unprocessed food items – the best kind you can get.

Remove eggs and all dairy. Your body will thank you. Replace milk with almond or rice milk or Non-GMO soy protein – and replace scrambled eggs with a bowl of whole grain oatmeal or cereal. You’ll stay full until lunchtime.

Here are some great detoxing foods:

Dandelion Greens are an excellent liver tonic. They are high in vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and several minerals. Chlorophyll, a major constituent of dandelion greens and all green leafy foods, is a powerful blood purifier.

Ginger increases circulation, thereby promoting the excretion of toxins via the skin, bowels, and kidneys. It possesses antibacterial and antiparasitic properties and helps to combat inflammation.

Apples purify the bloodstream and increase lymphatic action. Pectin, a soft, gelling fibre contained in apples, supports the colon’s peristaltic movement, promoting the excretion of toxic waste. The apple’s high vitamin C content further aids detoxification.

Lemons aid digestion by increasing saliva flow and stimulating liver function. They dissolve and bind uric acid and other toxins in the body and promote their excretion. They purify and alkalize the blood and have laxative and diuretic properties.

Grapes stimulate the liver and promote bowel and kidney function. They have a cleansing effect on all tissues and glands and speed up metabolic function. Purple grapes are high in resveratrol, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant.

Artichokes stimulate the liver–the body’s major organ of detoxification. By increasing bile production, they help to metabolize fats. Artichoke extract, available in natural food stores, offers a convenient way of enjoying the artichoke’s cleansing benefits.

Beets purify the blood, cleanse the liver, and stimulate lymphatic activity. They aid digestion and help to flush out uric acid from the body. Fresh or lactic-acid fermented beet juice is an effective detoxifying agent and elixir.

Parsley has a powerful cleansing effect on the blood-stream. It stimulates the bowels and supports the lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen. Parsley is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and detoxifying chlorophyll.

Grapefruit has a cooling and purifying effect on the body. It cleanses the liver and gallbladder and dissolves catarrhal accumulations in body tissues. A Scripps Clinic study released in January 2004 determined that the frequent consumption of grapefruit before meals promotes weight loss.

Yogurt promotes detoxification of the intestinal tract by promoting the recolonization of beneficial lactic-acid bacteria in the gut, thus ensuring proper assimilation of foods and nutrient synthesis.

Here's to a great week!