Joan’s Boomer Blog

I recently took a 6 week fitness and nutrition class called Mind Body Blast and really enjoyed it. To sum it up, it’s an engaging online class with Luci Gabel, a national exercise physiologist and wellness consultant. It’s like having your own nutrition consultant and fitness trainer on-the-go. Mind Body Blast is a small step approach, where you tackle one change to your diet and exercise program each week, working until you’ve built a healthy living change that will lasts.

Mind Body Blast is not a specific diet (no fads), it’s a program that simply hones in on healthy habit changes for lasting results. Luci guides you through the course through a series of tools: podcast videos, MP3 recordings, homework, tip sheets, and a community forum to share your progress, struggles, and successes to get support from your classmates. But most of all, you get to work with Luci one-on-one via emails and phone calls to meet your health, fitness and nutrition goals.

I lost eight pounds and an inch each from my waist and hips over the course of the six weeks. I have read a lot on health and nutrition and thoroughly endorse Luci’s methods, which can help you to become healthier in the long run. You don’t just lose weight and then gain it back like you do on many “diets,” you actually acquire the tools to continue living a healthier life long after the class is over.

Luci Gabel is offering a special discount on Mind Body Blast exclusively to my readers. The class is normally $169 for 6 weeks, for Luci is offering a promotional rate of $109 if you mention this discount code, “boomerblog2012″ when you sign up here: Mind Body Blast. The next class starts January 16th, perfect timing for those New Year’s resolutions.

If you are thinking about signing up, or would like to learn more about the class, you can use Luci’s contact form and mention the same code and she can give you a free 15 minute phone call to evaluate your goals, describe the class, and see if it sounds like a good match for you. Don’t worry, there’s no strong, pushy sales tactics here. Luci is just a nice person who’s offering a phone call to our readers to chat. Sometimes it’s helpful to hear a reassuring voice at the other end of the line who wants to help you to be your best self for 2012!

Today’s guest post is by Lauren Bailey and the topic is sex, baby boomers and healthy aging.

Anti-aging facial creams and a nutritious diet may help keep the wrinkles away and help keep your body in shape, but according to health experts, the real secret behind the fountain of youth may be found in the boudoir.

According to recent study conducted by HealthyWomen, a national independent organization that is dedicated to women empowerment and education, having sex at least four times a week can make couples appear 10 years younger than their actual age. Of course, the problem remains at the fact that most women have sex out of obligatory duty not pleasure, and thus don’t want have sex as often. But intercourse four times a week has many health advantages that can keep you looking younger and living longer.

Why is this exactly? Health experts say that sex causes you to release adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine-three chemicals that work to fight against aging factors such as depression and stress. They also activate the production of a special growth hormone that is specifically designed to block the absorption of free radicals in the air such as pollution and smoke that can cause deep wrinkles.

Lastly the three chemicals released during sex have also been linked to help ward of cardiovascular diseases, fight high blood pressure and improve renal function-all factors that can contribute to a longer, healthier life. But if you are not married and choose to use “casual sex” as an age-stopper, don’t forget about the importance of protection.

According to another study, there is an alarming number of baby boomers who do not engage in safe sex practices-especially among Caucasians. The study, which was commissioned by Indiana University, surveyed the sexual habits of 5, 865 people ranging between the ages of 14 to 94 and concluded that a majority of those over the age of 50 had unprotected casual sex-91% of men did not use condoms when having intercourse with a casual acquaintance, and 70% didn’t use condoms when having sex with someone they’d just met. While women on the other hand were a bit more careful, a good chunk still did not use protection.

Experts say that this behavior can partly be contributed to the fact that most baby boomers dive-into the dating market after years of having unprotected sex with a spouse and thus think that having unprotected sex with others is safe. But remember: no matter how old you are, sexually transmitted diseases are still a serious issue.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

Would you like to be healthier and more physically fit in just six weeks time? I’m excited to participate in an upcoming health and fitness program called Luci Gabel’s Mind Body Blast, which begins September 26. I researched the program and I like Luci’s wellness approach. As a health and fitness coach and consultant, her program reflects a strong body, mind and spirit connection, which I believe is important to success.

I’ve always believed it’s important to make small, healthy changes over time, until they become a new habit. That way you can really stick to them in the long run as opposed to “going on a diet” or trying an unrealistic workout program, only to lose your incentive a week or two down the road. A six week program, with lots of information and support, is a good way to launch lifelong wellness changes in your life, to decrease stress, increase energy, lose some weight and tone some muscles.

The idea of making healthy changes in your life is to realize that in the process you’re giving up your old unhealthy ways and embracing something new, different and better. In the end you’ll likely lose weight, feel more energetic and be much healthier.

Luci Gabel, the creator and facilitator of The Mind Body Blast has an extensive nutritional background as well as an impressive assortment of fitness certifications, a master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of Maryland (UMD) and a master’s in business management from John Hopkins’ University. All of this points to the fact that her health and fitness program is based on sound research and not fad diets or workouts.

The Mind Body Blast six week health and fitness program includes:

• Luci as your personal health and fitness coach. Ask questions, get advice and stay motivated. The program includes seven conference calls of about 30 minutes each to keep you in contact with Luci.
• There will be seven information-filled podcasts. Watch these anytime they fit into your personal schedule and keep them to watch again once class is over.
• Six exercise videos show you how to get the most benefit from your workouts in the least amount of time. A sample video on a total body workout on Luci’s website looks like fun.
• The program provides supplemental reading to to re-enforce the healthy new habits you’ll learn about during conference calls.
• For the entirety of the six week program you have access to a private, members-only forum. Discuss your challenges, share tips and advice and stay motivated with other members of the program.Having others to share with is an important aspect of success for many people and you will find it here.

The full price of Luci’s six week e-course is $169 but she’s offered a special discount to readers of my blog. Just put mbbearly into the code box, and you can purchase the class for $135 instead of $169 up through September 24.

Luci Gabels’ has an extensive list of health and fitness articles on her website, plus the free 20 minute workout video with a total body workout you can do pretty much anywhere. You can also sign up for 6 weeks of mind/body fitness tips delivered right to your email.

This six week health and fitness program with Luci Gabel begins September 26 and ends November 7. I hope some of my readers will share in the program with me.

If you’ve always wanted your own personal health and fitness coach, now is the time to get more information on the Mind Body Blast with Luci Gabel.

I’m always on the lookout for natural remedies that really work. I read quite some time ago that cherry juice was a great natural remedy for arthritis but a recent study confirmed that drinking cherry juice helps muscles

Dried cherries are easy to find and enjoy

recover after a hard work out. Maybe you’re not an Olympic athlete, but think of the times your muscles got stiff and sore from doing yard work or cleaning out your attic? As we get older, the instances of sore muscles and stiffness after sitting for a long time grow more frequent but cherry juice can provide relief.

My sister recommended cherry juice capsules to me. She was using them for her lower back, which has been hurting her for a couple of years. She said the cherry juice helped a lot. I decided to buy some cherry juice concentrate and try it. Now I put it in our morning smoothie and I mix some with grapefruit juice for my husband to take to work as a snack. After we’ve spent the day doing yard work, we always drink our cherry juice and usually wake up feeling less stiff and sore than we did without it.

A recent study by the Sports and Exercise Science Research Centre at London South Bank University followed 10 athletes who did strenuous workouts, then drank one ounce of cherry juice twice a day. Twenty-four hours after the workout, their muscles had bounced by to 91% of their original strength.

There is also evidence that drinking cherry juice concentrate regularly helps the pain of arthritis. Maybe people found relief by drinking just two tablespoons per day of tart cherry juice or just one serving of fresh, dried or frozen cherries. We’ve been doing this for about a year and I really feel that regularly consuming cherries in some form has eased the pain of my osteoarthritis quite a bit.

Cherry juice concentrate capsules are very easy and convenient but one small bottle of cherry juice concentrate lasts a long time and you can mix it with water, juice or a smoothie. Bags of dried cherries are available on Amazon or at Costco and make a great snack.

Another benefit of cherries is that they are packed with antioxidants, which boost the immune system and help keep us young. What boomer couldn’t use a little anti-aging nutrition?

There are two types of cherries available, sweet cherries and tart cherries. Although both contain the nutrients which help sore muscles, the tart cherries, which are more readily available, contain more.

Here’s one of my favorite cherry smoothie recipes:

Ingredients

2 cups green tea which is full of antioxidants

1/8 cup cherry juice

1/2 cup yogurt to get your probiotics

1 small banana - lots of potassium

1 tsp flaxseed oil for omega3 fatty acids

2-3 ice cubes

Blend for about 30 seconds and enjoy. You can also substitute the cherry juice with fresh or frozen cherries.

I’ve tried many natural remedies for different things, some work and some don’t. Two I stick to are eating ginger for indigestion (works as well as an over the counter medication) and cherry juice for muscle soreness and arthritis. If any of my readers have a natural remedy that they swear by, I’d love to hear more about it.

Read more about Cherry Juice for Muscle Recovery

Read more about the health benefits of cherry juice.

Want to make money blogging? Download the Blog Profits Blueprint.

I’ve been doing water aerobics for about 3 years at my local YMCA and water workout equipment, like the products made by Aquajogger, have become very popular as people discover the benefits of exercising in the pool. In doing water aerobics, you get a good aerobic workout for your heart and lungs but the exercise is non-weight bearing and so very easy on your joints. Using water resistance gear like the Aquajogger buoyancy belt or the DeltaBells, which are like foam dumb bells, help you burn more calories, build more muscle and increase the benefits of the time you spend in the pool.

My water aerobics class at the Y covers all age groups, from an 84-year-old woman to kids working out with mom or grandma for the summer vacation. Both men and women love water aerobics, especially when it’s hot outside.

Water offers 12 times the resistance of air so just exercising in the water offers a great workout. The health benefits of water aerobics include:

• Helping you to lose weight and tone up muscles
• Improving balance and flexibility
• Improving core strength which also helps balance and posture, plus gives you a flatter stomach!
• Helping ease arthritis and joint pain-important for us boomers
• Keeping your heart and lungs in top shape
• Helping you train for sports or maintain fitness
• Helping to slow the effects of aging through balanced exercise

Water aerobics is especially beneficial for those suffering from health issues like arthritis, fibromyalgia or MS. In fact, there is a special class at our Y for those with physical problems. Water aerobics is also a great exercise for pregnant women (but check with your doctor first).

I recently started using the Aquajogger Buoyancy Belt because it helped to support my lower back and abdominal muscles and offered increased resistance for my hour workout. I also used the DeltaBells, which are great for working on that flab under the arms, and the AquaRunners, which fit on your feet like water shoes. With the AquaRunners, you can jog in the water and increase your cardiovascular benefits, plus it really works the leg muscles.

All of the Aquajogger equipment was made of extremely comfortable and durable foam and the cost is very reasonable. A workout DVD and a workout guide book came with the set of equipment and described exercises to do.

Most of the exercises are easy, like the cross country skiing in the water, running, twisting from side to side for the waist, and doing jumping jacks, but the resistance offered by the water and the Aquajogger gear made for a terrific workout.

Water aerobics is a great exercise if you’re a baby boomer and looking for something that tones, trims and helps your joints at the same time. Once you hit midlife, usually jogging on dry land is out because of knee and hip issues (who wants a knee replacement by age 50?). The benefits of water aerobics pretty much cover all the workout bases for boomers and seniors without being hard on your body at the same time.

If you’d like more information on the Aquajogger products, visit their website at www.Aquajogger.com

When I first posted a few of my raw food recipes, I would never have guessed they would become some of my most popular posts. Interest in eating more raw foods has grown as people realize how health improves as more foods are eaten in their original form.

Why Eat Raw?

Raw food contains digestive enzymes, which help us use the nutrients in our food. As we get older, our natural digestive enzymes aren’t as efficient as they were when we were young. Cooking destroys many of these enzymes. Also, more and more young people are suffering from digestive problems-partly due to poor diet choices. Eating lettuce and tomato on a McDonald’s burger doesn’t qualify on the raw food diet!

Eating more raw foods means cutting back on processed foods, which contain chemicals and preservatives - basically anything that comes in a box or package. Fruits and veggies, nuts and grains can be eaten raw.

It’s getting easier to find raw foods too. Most supermarkets offer raw almond butter to use in place of peanut butter and of course, anything in the fruit and vegetable section qualifies.

After switching to more raw foods in their diet, many people report losing weight, smoother, softer skin, more vibrant energy, better digestive health and improved health issues, such as lowering high blood pressure, improving diabetes or heart disease and many, many others.

Raw Food Diet Newsletters and Resources

There are many resources out there to help you learn more about the raw food diet and why it’s so good for you. If you’re interested in learning more about the raw food diet and how you can incorporate more of these healthy foods into your daily diet, here are some resources to help you.

Free Raw Food Info at Vitamix

Owning a Vitamix or other powerful food processor is very helpful for creating raw food drinks especially. Green Smoothies are raw food wonders. You can throw any type of fruit or veggie into a Vitamix and make a drink from it. Don’t like Kale, Mustard Greens or Swiss Chard? Add some to a green smoothie with some banana and berries and it will be so delicious, you won’t even think about how healthy it is.

Vitamix has a Green Smoothie section with info and recipes

Free Raw Food Newsletters

Information on the Raw Food Diet at WebMD

WebMD is the go-to source for pretty much anything do to with health and the raw food diet is no exception. You’ll find an unbiased view of the pros and cons of eating raw here.

Raw Food 101- Free Raw Food e-course Raw food guru Yuri Elkaim offers a free raw food diet ecourse which contains lots of great info. He also has a wonderful ebook on the Eating for Energy Program, which is a raw food diet. This program isn’t free but it contains valuable info, plus many free gifts, including audios and free reports. Energy for Energy and the audios and reports are instantly downloadable.

Green Smoothie Girl - Green Smoothie Girl, Robin Openshaw’s free newsletter offers recipes and other info on Green Smoothies. Green Smoothies are based on whole food ingredients, such as spinach, kale and Swiss Chard. From there, you can use your imagination! I use nuts, oatmeal, chia seeds and other whole, nutritious foods in our morning smoothie.

Raw food recipes from Living and Raw Foods. Delicious recipes-everything from smoothies to soups to breads to main dishes. Have you considered how you would make bread if you were eating raw and couldn’t bake your bread or other dishes? These recipes tell you everything you need to know.

About.com offers an alternative medicine newsletter, which isn’t strictly about raw foods only, but is a great source of information about all aspects of alternative medicine.

Remember too, a raw food diet doesn’t have to be 100% raw to be effective and improve health. Begin by incorporating more fruits and veggies into your diet by adding some to every meal or trying new recipes, a few at a time. The more raw foods, you eat, the more you’ll like the way you look at feel. What’s important is making a start through your daily food choices.

Baby boomers want comfort AND style in their shoes but because they suffer from various foot conditions or diseases like arthritis or diabetes which can cause foot pain, finding that comfortable shoe can be a real challenge. I recently discovered an orthopedic style shoe which is actually so fashionable you’d never know it’s orthopedic and they are made by Drew Shoe.

For the past 20 years or so, I’ve been very careful of my shoes, most often opting for athletic shoes, which seemed to offer the most comfort and support for my feet. I’d steered clear of sandals and other more fashionable footwear because they made my feet and legs hurt if I had to walk more than a few yards in them.

I was really delighted to find out about Drew Shoes. Drew Shoes makes fashionable stylish orthopedic shoes, especially designed for for various foot conditions, such as diabetic shoes, shoes for hammertoes, arthritis, bunions, plantar fasciitis, ankle valgus and others. They also offer Velcro strapping so there is no ties to contend with. I recommended these to my father, who has neuropathy in his hands and can no longer tie a shoe.

Drew shoes have comfortable, plushy sole, which molded to my feet as I walked more in them. They have several layers of sole which is especially engineered to help support the foot and alleviate pain from various foot problems. There is a heel stabilizer and foam cushioned collar, plus a removable, soft cork dual-density insole with memory foam. The outer sole adds support with a flexible, shock-absorbing EVA layers. The Dora sandals which I tried also have three adjustable Velcro® brand straps for added customization. Read more about what makes Drew Shoes Different from other orthopedic shoes.

Drew Shoe - Men

Drew shoes come in dozens of styles, including the Dora sandals which I’ve been wearing and several other fashionable sandals. They also offer men’s and women’s clogs, athletic shoes, dress shoes and boots with the same comfortable, stylish engineering. To get the perfect fit, you can order Drew shoes by size AND width so even people with very wide feet can find a comfortable shoe.

Part of healthy aging is finding products that enhance our lifestyles while accommodating certain conditions we get as we grow older. An ordinary day should include lots of walking and wearing a comfortable shoe can make the difference in how well we go through our day, both for exercising and for simple tasks like walking the grocery aisles. If you suffer from any health condition which affects your feet, or if you’re just looking for a fashionable, comfortable shoe, I’d highly recommend trying Drew Shoes.

Visit the Drew Shoe website and check out the dozens of different styles. They are currently having a promotion where you can enter to win a pair. You can also read testimonials from customers who have benefited from wearing the Drew shoe.

Ever since I was told I have “thinning of the bones,” I pay special attention to any articles I see on

Yoga for Healthy Bones

how to prevent or reverse osteoporosis. Yoga Journal had a great article this month about yoga and osteoporosis. While more yoga is always better than less, the article says only 10 minutes a day doing certain yoga poses will help prevent osteoporosis. A combination of more yoga and a plant based diet can help reverse osteoporosis and rebuild bone density.

Women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass within 5-7 years after menopause so preventing osteoporosis, which leads to hip fractures and brittle bones later in life, is something to be taken seriously. Although men can also get osteoporosis, 80% of those who have it are women and half of all women will suffer an osteoporosis-related hip fracture after age 50, according to author Catherine Guthrie.

Diet and exercise are natural means to prevent, or even reverse, osteoporosis and yoga is one of the best exercises because it is a weight-bearing exercise which is also gentle on the joints.

The poses mentioned for osteoporosis in the article were:

• Tree Pose
• Chair Pose
• Cobra Pose
• Bridge Pose
• Warrior One
• Warrior Two
• Alternate arm and leg lifts-get on hands and knees, lift and extend left arm and right leg and then right arm and left leg.

Visit Yoga Journal online for a description of the poses which help prevent and reverse osteoporosis.

If you’ve never done yoga before, a good introductory class is helpful so you learn the correct way to do the postures. Your local YMCA or senior center will probably have several classes to choose from. Once you’ve worked with an instructor or watched some yoga videos, you can easily set up a home practice to help you build your bones.

Don’t forget too that diet is the other part of preventing osteoporosis. A plant based diet of fresh fruits and veggies greatly contributes to bone health because these foods are low acid type foods. High acid forming, high protein foods, such as meat and dairy products, actually cause calcium to be leached from the bones.

If you’re a woman nearing or post-menopause, maintaining your bone mass should be one of the priorities in your health program. If you’re a man who has a woman in his life, take up yoga and improve your diet to inspire her. It’s more fun if both of you are committed to making these healthy changes, plus yoga benefits men too by improving balance and flexibility. In my yoga class at the Y, there are several men who are regulars and a couple of them are probably in their 70’s.

I’ve been practicing yoga for over 2 years now, starting when I was 58, so it’s never too late to begin. I’ve noticed more flexibility, less pain from stiff joints, better balance and just a feeling of being better in tune with my body. Yoga also is great for stress and finding that feeling of calmness that can make it easier to get through your day.

If you’d like more information, read more about osteoporosis and how yoga can help.

The following is a guest post is contributed by Mariana Ashley;

Research has shown that contrary to the former line of thinking that exercise was damaging to your joints, moderate exercise can actually reduce joint pain and stiffness, strengthen the muscles around your joints, and build one’s flexibility and endurance, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Other benefits include reduced inflammation and reducing your risk for other harmful health conditions, such as obesity, osteoporosis and heart disease.

After consulting with your physician or other health care practitioner to determine if you are healthy enough for certain types of exercise, consider the following tips for exercising through arthritis:

1.) It helps to stretch first.

If you ease into and out of an exercise regimen by warming up and stretching each day, you will likely feel less pain during and after a workout. Arthritis Today provides a variety of helpful free videos that can help you kick off a successful stretching regimen. You may even wish to get comfortable with the idea of simply stretching every day until you feel your body is prepared for the next step.

2.) Add weight training.

Start with very low-weight barbells and leg weights and work all major muscle groups throughout your week, including arms, legs, back, abdominals and chest. When you grow comfortable with bumping up the weight, do so, but test yourself first by doing fewer repetitions when you begin lifting more weight.

3.) Choose low-impact exercise.

Running and jogging and heavy aerobics are great for your heart, but many people with arthritis have pain that won’t allow them to jump, jerk around and pound the ground with force. Many opt for walking briskly 30 minutes a day, incorporating speed walking or walking hills or steep inclines to get their blood pumping. For many, a stationary bike is a good option.

4.) Low-pressure water aerobics.

You can get an excellent aerobic workout through water aerobics and avoid unnecessary pressure on your joints.

5.) Consider a personal trainer.

Personal trainers aren’t necessarily cheap, but they sure are great at customizing low-impact workouts for boomers with arthritis and making sure you are doing aerobics and weight training properly so that you avoid injury. Plus they help keep you motivated to exercise consistently.

By-Line:

This guest post is contributed by Mariana Ashley who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.