THE NATURAL STATE OF DECLINE
The past two newsletters we've talked about Bending and Breaking Points and the Opportunity Gap. These are some great concepts to help you put some oomph into your workouts.

Some of you have read the articles and are puzzled why you'd want to push against these points much less even work that hard. And those of you that have worked that hard, pushed against your points and made some improvements... it's not over.

So for those of you reading the newsletter and questioning what you read... thank you. I appreciate your interest in learning more about achieving your health and wellness goals. Sometimes the answer won't be what you hoped, but I think you'll find the information below worth your time to read. Very few people will really lay it out for you like we do. So here is the answer...

It all boils down to this: we are all in a state of decline and if we don't keep pushing to improve, to do more and to be better, we will head in the wrong direction. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look at this picture:

Ready to hear more? Let's go.

  


HOLIDAY HOURS 

We will be closed on Monday, September 5 in observance of Labor Day. 



A TIP to lower the calorie load of fruit juice: make it a 50/50 mix of water and juice. You'll be surprised how tasty it still is.

A TRICK when drinking soft drinks. Add some fruit juice. It is still not a healthy drink, but you have put a little nutrition and alot of flavor into it.
HEALTHY SKIN... How to Maintain It

 

As we struggle through these "dog days" of summer it is a good time to refresh our minds on the importance of skin health.

 

First, let's keep in mind the benefit of sun exposure. Primarily, it enables the production of Vitamin D. We should get 20 minutes of sunlight a day - but only when it's at low levels. And we should always use sunscreen-it is the critical factor in keeping our skin healthy. 

 

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation about 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers and about 65% of melanomas are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the sun. To improve your odds they stress a comprehensive sun protection regimen of shade, UV-blocking sunglasses, avoid tanning and UV tanning beds AND sunscreen.

 

What does SPF mean and which one is right for you?    

 

The sun protection factor, or SPF, measures protection against only ultraviolet radiation B, UVB, which causes burning. The SPF level doesn't measure protection against ultraviolet radiation A, UVA, which causes aging of the skin. Both types of UV rays cause cancer. Experts say consumers should look for sunscreens that protect against both UVA and UVB rays.    

 

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends both adults and children use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Babies under 6 months shouldn't get any direct sunlight, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Skin Cancer Foundation says that in most cases, "SPFs beyond 50 are unnecessary."

It may be even more important to use enough sunscreen. The average person needs about 1 ounce of sunscreen (enough to fill a shot glass) to cover the body. Most people use only one-quarter to one-half that amount.

 

Look for a sunscreen with "broad spectrum" protection against both UVA and UVB rays with "some combination" of these ingredients: avobenzone (also known as Parsol 1789), ecamsule (also known as Mexoryl), titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. 

 
MY PLATE.GOV
The Federal Government recently introduced "My Plate", which replaces the old Food Pyramid. The purpose, and the reason it is an improvement over the Pyramid, is that the graphic delivers the message of a healthy plate of food at a quick glance.

The web site MyPlate.gov gives a lot of detail about the background research that went into this; but what is more important to all of us are the many tools we can use to help stay on track in our quest for better fitness.

 

Some of the helpful tools you will find include  http://www.myfoodapedia.gov/  to look up nutritional information on a specific food, or  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx  which will help you to create a daily food plan.

 

We encourage you to explore MyPlate.gov and become better informed on good health and eating habits. 

 

MEMBER PROFILE UPDATE - Ralph Pauls
We had a profile of Ralph and Julie Pauls in our March newsletter, but Ralph's story calls for an update.

Ralph and Julie have been members for five years. When asked about his fitness and health goals, Ralph said
"Maybe it was reaching retirement eligibility, maybe it was wanting to have more energy, maybe it was seeking to reduce the number prescriptions, maybe it was simply growing older and realizing that to stay at the same fitness level required more intense workouts and improved eating habits, or maybe it was all of the above; but my fitness and health goals are to lose weight, increase my workout intensity, reduce the number of pills I take and recapture the energy I once had."  Sound familiar?

"My approach to achieving these goals has been multi-pronged. To address my eating habits I took on the My Fit Foods 21-day challenge beginning last May. This program helped to recalibrate my eating habits by eating 5 times a day rather than 3, eating smaller portions, limiting carbs to the morning hours, eliminating sweet drinks and caffeine, eating lean meals, adding more vegetables and fruits to the diet, drinking lots of water and saying good-by to evening deserts.  

 

I get to Lifestyle three times per week where I typically begin with 20 minutes of aerobics, 40 minutes of weights (machine and free) and about 10 minutes of stretching. The other 4 days of the week usually involve biking and kayaking. During the work week I walk about a mile at noon and take the stairs whenever possible.
         
The revised eating plan has left me 25 lbs lighter, given me more energy, enabled me to add an extra round of weights to my 12-station circuit and lengthened my aerobic workouts. And because I am lighter, I can run farther, workout with more intensity, and keep up with my college-age son on extended bike rides. Getting leaner has also given me more muscle definition."

 

Congratulations Ralph. We hope your story will inspire others to stick with their plan. 

 

NOTICE TO MEMBERS
 

This fall we will change our club management software. While most of the change will be transparent, the change will prevent us from accessing historical data such as account details and check-in data. If you need any of this information, let Ken know as soon as possible.   

  • All account balances and Personal Training sessions remaining will transfer to the new system.
  • The billing information shown on your credit card or bank statement will change;
  • You will be able to manage your account on-line through a secure server.

More details on member features will be coming the the next couple of months. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience during this transition.