Nature versus Nurture

What is the biggest key to our nutrition?  Is it nature – genes?  Or, is it nurture – exposure to various environmental catalysts?  When we look at disease the big three are cancer, heart related diseases and diabetes.  Heart disease and Type 2 diabetes can truly be avoided and reversed with proper eating habits and regular exercise.  Cancer is the scary one.  Cancer seems to be a genetic ticking time bomb.  This is true in some cases, but it is important to understand a bit more.  

Cancer is not necessarily preventable through proper nutritional habits; however, nutrition is a predominant factor.  Genetics is not the straight, causal line that we are sometimes led to believe.  Nutrition can alter gene expression and mitigate symptoms.   Nutrition affects the way our bodies respond to damaged or mutated genes.  Genes are the “nature” or starting point for the health and disease continuum, but they are not necessarily unalterable or fixed.

We have all read percentages connected to preventing cancer.  The following are actual figures: not smoking prevents 90% of all lung cancer, a proper diet prevents 30% of all lung cancer, and avoiding air pollution prevents 15% of all lung cancer.   Any grade school child can add these figures together and come up with 135% chance to prevent lung cancer.  I like those odds.  Certainly not smoking, eating healthfully and avoiding air pollution are healthy habits.  We have also read studies of carcinogens and many of these studies are conducted in lab rats / mice.  Species to species extrapolation has many confounding limitations.  The point is that risk does not actually exist as an objective reality.   These numbers are dictated by how much we presently know and a lot more by how much we don’t know, and there is a lot that we do not know.

According to Ph.D Colin Campbell a Cornell professor and researcher - Nutrition has far more influence on health and disease than any other single factor.  

What do we know?  Since World War II cancer, heart disease, and diabetes rates have increased in dramatic proportions.  The standard American diet in conjunction with an ever increasing sedentary lifestyle is the biggest reason for the increases in these diseases.  We know the main cause.   

Sadly we have become a culture that views eating a diet consisting of primarily vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains and taking a 30 minute walk every day as more radical than consuming pharmaceuticals with a host of negative side effects, surgeries, radiation and chemo.  These are reactive responses and last resort interventions.   In no way am I casting guilt or blame on anyone who is suffering, but I am hoping we will truly consider what we can control.

We know that just taking a multivitamin and a supplement of the macronutrients protein, carbohydrate and fat will not support life and in many cases these supplements cause serious problems.  We know that whole foods are doing things in a way that we don’t fully understand yet - and may never completely understand.  There is no "one size fits all" solution, but whole foods focused on vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seed, and whole grains and in that order is our offense and defense.  

Whole food plant based nutrition is the best proactive disease management system and does not come with any negative side effects.  

Give it a try.

How the Chin Up can Change your Life

Martin Rooney is a friend of mine from college where we were both athletes at Furman University. He was and is a great athlete. He threw the javelin with the hopes of making it to the olympics. Unfortunately the dream did not come true, but in true Martin style he did not give up.  Instead he switched to bobsled.  He trained with Hershel Walker and Willie Gault in the olympic trials - pretty cool!  Martin owns Training for Warriors.  It is a bit more intense than what we do at Forte, but for those wired to go hard it is awesome stuff.  I believe this link to Martin's blog is common and can be an encouragement to many.  

The Mismatch

Recently a colleague of mine at the Baylor School, Grant Wood who is a biology teacher shared a great article from Discover magazine.  Are you sitting down in a chair, wearing shoes and reading right now?  You probably are and it seems normal and fine, but is it?  Harvard human evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman points out that this is absolutely abnormal, and it is a factor in why we have bunions, toe fungus, plantar fasciitis, back pain, myopia, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

We are not designed for sitting and wearing shoes, and we pay for it with these chronic diseases that medicine treats but does not cure.  Lieberman calls this the mismatch hypothesis.  As humans we began as hunters and gatherers, and to do this well we worked in small groups and this lifestyle developed a healthy body that could move in all ranges of movement with the ability to jog, run, sprint, jump, push, pull, squat and lunge.  Man’s adaptations to the environment were in harmony with the pace of the earth's changes.

With the advent of agriculture man began to move faster than the necessary adaptations – which is the mismatch.   The industrial revolution only further exacerbated the problem.  And now we have the computer and sit all day.  Beyond the diseases previously mentioned are autoimmune diseases, asthma, allergies, cavities, and some cancers.  Many of us reading this article are suffering from one or more of these chronic conditions and may die from one of the diseases.  

Lieberman calls the mismatch dysevolution, “ the deleterious feedback loop that occurs over multiple generations when we don’t treat the causes of a mismatch disease but instead pass on whatever environmental factors cause the disease, keeping the disease prevalent and sometimes making it worse.”  Modern drugs and surgeries have been beneficial to many people by saving lives and improving quality of life, but we must be honest with ourselves and recognize that too often the real causes are not being addressed. 

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors’ anatomies are like yours and mine.  However, archaeological and skeletal remains tell us that these people were in phenomenal condition. The average BMI of American adult men and women today is 28.6 and 28.7 respectively.  What does this look like?  It is an adult male 5’9 and 194 pounds and an adult female 5’5 and 172 pounds. The hunter-gatherer had a BMI of 21.5.  This is the frame of a collegiate 800 meter to 1600 meter runner.  This is a man about 5’9 and 150 pounds and a woman who is 5’5 and 125 pounds.   Hunter-gatherers that survived infancy lived to about 70 and with modern health care would have lived much longer; however, they did not die of our modern, preventable diseases like heart disease and complications of obesity.  

How do we regain what has been lost and progress a bit to the past???

Our bodies were made to move.  We must move – run, jump, and lift.  Certainly as we age we must exercise safely and carefully but we must move our bodies.  It may mean the elliptical, rower or bike instead of running and we may need to do variations / modifications of squatting, lunging, deadlifting, pushing and pulling to keep it safe but we must do it.  Our modern diet delivers calories mainly derived from processed /refined carbohydrates and dairy which a hunter gatherer literally never ate.  We must return to a diet that is plant-based, rich in high fiber veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds and occasionally meats that are not industrially farmed but are free range.  Many of you may believe this means a jump to the paleo diet which excludes legumes .  The paleo diet is an excellent eating lifestyle, but you should include legumes eating a diversity of beans and lentils.  

Don’t count on evolving fast enough to be able to sit all day at work and eat refined flours and sugars and have a BMI of 21.5 and be free of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.  We must move and eat a plant-based diet.  We need doctors to educate their patients and tell them that it is more radical to cut someone’s chest open, do open-heart surgery and take an aspirin the rest of your life than to exercise and eat vegetables.  It is not that the hunter-gatherers had a better life, but if we combine what we can learn from our ancestors with modern health care and shelter, we can live a very long life with a high quality.  

The Active Couch Potato

Last Monday Amanda Durall, our manager / trainer at our satellite in the Volunteer Building, and I went to listen to Dr. Charles Fountaine, an exercise scientist at the University of Minnesota – Duluth.  He was a guest lecturer at UTC.  He spoke on this idea of the “Active Couch Potato.” In our post-modern society where work happens at a desk with a computer, we are becoming more and more sedentary.  We all understand the health risks that go along with being sedentary – metabolic disorders, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and increased risk of some cancers.  

This idea of the “Active Couch Potato” is the person who may sit 6-8 hours a day but then gets quality exercise for approximately 30 minutes a day.  Even if we are getting an hour of quality, vigorous exercise but sitting 6-8 hours a day, what are the consequences of all that sitting and how much does the activity time really help?  

There was a study in Britain from 1949 – 1952 in which coronary heart disease rates were studied in middle aged men who worked in the bus transportation system.  Two jobs were studied analyzing the bus driver and the conductor.  The bus driver basically sat all day.  The conductor walked up and down the aisles and to the second floor of the bus punching the passenger’s tickets.  The research found that rates of heart disease were significantly lower in the conductors as compared to the bus drivers. 

Granted this is intuitive.  It is also real science.  In the meantime, we must be creative and intentional to create more activity in our days.  How can we add more “bus conductor work” into our day so that we don’t just sit and then go bust our tails for thirty minutes to an hour and expect to be as healthy as we can be?  

Here are some ideas:

 Take a brisk walk for 5 minutes each hour of the day at work – it may be simply walking around the buildings hall and going up and down some steps or walking outside for 5 minutes and collecting some vitamin D as well

 Take a brisk walk during a coffee break or bathroom breaks for even 3-5 minutes 

 Takes some of your lunch hour to walk, either before or after

 Stand up whenever you can at work at least every 20 minutes – set an alarm to remind you

 Use a wireless phone so that you can get up and walk around your office as you talk 

 Walk to co-workers desk rather than emailing or texting

 Take stairs whenever possible

 Park as far as possible from your office

 Use a stand up desk 

 Sit on a stability ball or another form of an active desk chair 

 Get a pedometer & continue trying to break your daily step record - 10,000 is a great goal

 Take a family walk after dinner

 Get a dog and take the dog on a walk each day

Be intentional and set some goals from this list.  It is small, but like many things in life, the small investments over long periods of time add up.  Take a look at the following articles on this topic.

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135575490/sitting-all-day-worse-for-you-than-you-might-think

https://open.bufferapp.com/healthiest-way-to-work-standing-sitting/

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39523298/ns/health-mens_health/t/why-your-desk-job-slowly-killing-you/#.VQm-MI7F_To

Personal Training Tips//Are you doing the typical adult male workout?

What is the typical adult male workout??? Well since you asked … it goes something like this:  20-30 minutes of cardio on elliptical, bike, or treadmill – some upper body exercises like bench press, shoulder press and curls – and finish with some sit ups. 

You might be thinking that is what I do every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Well it is certainly better than nothing, but this is why it is incomplete. 

The 20-30 minutes on cardio are good.  On the elliptical or bike it is easy on the joints and provides some heart healthy exercise.  But often it is done the same way over and over for years the same way.   Not only is this boring but it does not introduce a novel stimulus to force the heart and lungs to get stronger.  But this is not the biggest issue because even walking regularly is great heart healthy exercise. 

The weight training that focuses on the chest, shoulders and biceps is more about vanity and middle school, locker-room insecurity than anything else.  The problem with these upper body exercises is that they are typically not balanced with the appropriate amount of scapular retraction that is necessary to keep from developing shoulders that are rotated improperly forward, impingement of the shoulder, and other functional deficiencies.  The solution is to include the following exercises and their variations: bent over rows, seated cable rows, lat-pull downs and pull-ups.  These pulling exercises need to be done with proper form, proper sets and reps relative to the pushing work. 

Sit Ups are not terrible but they are a flexion exercise, and for most people today flexion is what we are doing all day long.  As we sit in our chairs at our computer like I am right now, we typically sit with poor posture with a curved spine – sitting in flexion like a sit up.  What we need is extension and the best exercise is the plank.

Finally, all of us tough, big, macho men avoid working our legs.  Do you know why?  Well, the excuse is "it hurts my knees," but the real reason is squatting, lunging and deadlifting are hard.  Often the adult male knee hurts because they are not doing enough squatting, lunging and deadlifting to build strong supportive tendons and ligaments.  We live on our feet and if we are going to maintain a truly functional body then we must be able to move in all planes of movement bending at the ankles, knees, hips and low back. The best way to develop the functional strength needed to do the simple things of life such as getting on and off a toilet, in and out of a car, on and off the floor, going up and down steps, kneeling or bending low,  and balancing on a stool is to work our legs and work them in a full range of motion.

Men, if this describes your workout you need to make some changes.  If you can make these changes on your own, great!  If not it could be helpful to use a personal trainer for a short period of time. In the same way that we have all taken educational courses to equip ourselves for different aspects of life using a personal trainer for a short period of time, like taking a class, could be the best overall health investment you have ever made.  

Personal Training Tips//Machine versus Free Weights

An issue that concerns me is the use of machine weights.  They are useful and may have their place in one's training regiment.  However, there are some things you should think about before using them regularly. 

Machines are mainly useful to big box gyms.   Machines do not require a spotter, proper technique, they are easy to use, adjustable and safe in the short run.   Machines allow big box gyms to draft their member's accounts without actually having to serve their members in a personal or intentional manner.  

A common misconception I have observed is the idea that having a lot of weight machine equipment is a sign of a great gym.  It may or may not be.  First the human body itself is the best machine to use to develop healthy fitness levels.  Let's face it, if you cannot move your own body in all planes of human movement freely and with balance, then you have some real problems.  Functional training with one's body weight with exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, planks and lunges and their variations are some of the most functional movements that exist.  

A real problem with machine weights is that the machine is balancing the weight and not the body and its joints, tendons and ligaments.  The best exercises are ground based and move multiple body parts in full ranges of movement in an integrated and connected manner.  In general machines are not ground based and isolate muscles rather than allow them to work in an integrated manner.  Real human movement happens in one connected chain, not in isolation, and it is typically ground based.  

For example, let's say you are using a leg extension machine, which is isolating your quadricep muscle.  On these types of machines your feet are not in contact with the ground.  You are working an important leg muscle, but you are isolating it.  The result is a real "pretty quad" that is not functional and not safe.

The reason it is not functional or safe is that when humans use their legs they do so to walk, jog, run, sprint, change direction or jump.  When humans move in these ground-based patterns the feet are in contact with the ground.   When the feet are in contact with the ground the ankles, knees, hips, low back, tendons and ligaments develop strength in proportion to the muscular strength gained in the quadricep muscle.  Building a muscle in this manner develops a functional muscle and a reduction of potential injury in all the joints previously mentioned.  A quadricep muscle that is isolated will grow out of proportion in regards to strength relative to the ankle, knee, hip and low back and their associated tendons and ligaments.  This is not safe and places the ankles, knees, hips and low back at risk for injury.  

Machine weights can be helpful for rehab for a period of time and to help build enough strength in areas where a person may be lacking.  A common example would be a person who cannot perform a pull-up that works the back and biceps.  A lat pull machine will allow someone to work the back and biceps in a similar manner to a pull-up.  But even in this situation a machine is not absolutely necessary as pull-ups can be modified and varied in such a way that most anyone can perform them.The take away is to work towards being able to use your body weight to proficiently perform push-ups, planks, lunges and at least a modified pull-up.  Free weights are an excellent way to build a functional body and develop a higher level of performance with one's body.  Free weights require more knowledge, better technique, and at times a spotter.  

Health requires that we build a body that is functional and will stand the test of time allowing all of us to maintain our independence as long as possible.  As we age we need to be able to do the simple things of life such as getting on and off the toilet, in and out of a car, on and off a bed, getting up from the floor, stooping low and balancing on steps or a stool.  Make it your goal to build a truly functional body that can perform push-ups, planks, lunges and modified pull ups.  

If you don't know where to start that is when a personal trainer can be of great help to get you started and moving toward exercising independently, safely and effectively.  The cost of a personal trainer is a smart economic choice relative to the consequences of injuries, potential loss of health, and independence.  Get started!  It is almost never too late!

Personal Training Tips//Guest Blogger Morgan Mason from Whole Foods Chattanooga

Have you ever heard the saying “Every great accomplishment starts with the decision to try?”   It sounds simple enough right?  But, when faced with the decision to push aside junk food and start loading up our plates with nutrient dense deliciousness, it can sometimes start to feel like anything but simple.  It doesn’t have to be that way.

Whether you are well on your way to a healthy lifestyle or just beginning your journey, we at Whole Foods Market Chattanooga are here to be your travel companion, partner, or guide.  At Whole Foods Market, healthy eating is at our core - Our 7th core value is to “Promote the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education” – and that is exactly what we aim to do for you.

Both online and in our store you will find a variety of resources that will help you stick with your decision to make 2015 a year of healthy accomplishments.

Check out some of the resources that we offer below:

1. Our In-Store Healthy Eating Educator:   Our in-store Healthy Eating Specialist, Morgan Mason, is here to give you the tools you need to make healthy easy.  Whether you need some help learning how to select the healthiest options, need tips for shopping on a budget, recipe ideas, healthy eating resources, etc.  Morgan is here to help!  All services are free of charge.  Contact Morgan to make an appointment (morgan.mason@wholefoods.com) or simply stop in the store!

2. Special Diets:  Eating outside the standard American diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. It’s true, navigating a specific way of eating can be challenging (especially if it’s new to you) but it doesn’t have to be. We’ll help you transform those limits into possibilities.  Check out the following link to find out more information about shopping for diets such as gluten free, dairy free, vegan, low sodium and more: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/special-diets

3. Planning Ahead:  When starting your journey of healthy eating, planning ahead can save time, money and sanity.  But, between your workdays, getting kids shuttled around, exercise, cleaning house, etc. it can be hard to find the time to plan.  That’s why we we’ve created five weekly healthy eating meal plans to get you started off in the right direction.   http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/meal-plans-shopping-lists

a. Also, check out these fresh recipe ideas for every meal in our collection of how-to videos, plus pick up healthy cooking tips and shortcuts while you watch. 

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes

For more healthy eating inspiration, that will have you ready to take on 2015, visit our website http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating

Grow, Cook, Share

Lessons From Our Centenarians

The idea of living to 100 years old may not sound appealing mainly due to assumptions about quality of life at that age. However, centenarians by the sheer fact that they have made it that long typically have maintained a high quality of life. Dan Buettner has done extensive research into the lives of centenarians, in particular regarding four areas of the planet that have extremely high rates of people living past 100 years old – which he has called “blue zones.” 

Below you will find lessons we can learn from the Sardinians. Of the four groups the Sardinians are the only group in which the men and women make it to the century mark in a 1:1 ratio. In the other three groups the ratio is in favor 9:1 for the females. So we should all listen up, especially the men! 

1. Eat a lean, plant based diet accented with meat. 

The classic Sardinian diet includes whole grain bread, beans, tomatoes, greens, fennel, garlic, onions, a variety of fruits and olive oil. Surprisingly, Sardinians consume quite a bit of cheese – typically thought of as an unhealthy dairy choice – and their cheese of choice is Pecorino, a sheep’s milk cheese. Pecorino is special because the sheep feed on a diversity of grasses producing a cheese high in omega-3 fatty acids. A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids is a key component to reducing systemic inflammation (the precursor to heart disease, cancers, diabetes, auto-immune diseases and dementia). Meat is enjoyed, but is typically reserved for Sundays and celebrations. 

2. Family First

The Sardinians have an intense commitment to family and family values, and often gather as extended families for daily lunch. These family values and habits result in extremely low rates of depression, suicide, divorce and stress. 

3. Love your Goat

Sardinians also drink goat’s milk. Because goats are also grass-fed, goat’s milk contains components that protect against inflammatory diseases. Goat’s milk is also easier than cow’s milk for humans to digest – often even for those who are lactose intolerant. Even if you do not drink goat’s milk, goat cheese is a good substitute and very similar in taste and texture to cream cheese.

4. Celebrate Elders

Families make certain that every member of the family is cared for, from the youngest to oldest. The idea of assisted living is foreign to Sardinians, and grandparents are kept close by to provide love, childcare, financial help and wisdom. In this culture, the expectations of grandparents and even great-grandparents are great motivators to younger generations, perpetuating traditions of culture and pushing children to live good lives – adding up to healthier, better adjusted children who also live long and healthy lives. 

5. Take a Walk

Sardinian men for the most part live as shepherds, typically walking five miles a day. The daily low-impact cardiovascular exercise, free of pounding the joints, builds healthy hearts, bones and joints. 

6. Drink a Glass of Red Wine Daily (Maybe Even Two)

Cannonau wine is organic and free of sulfites – as well as having two to three times the artery-scrubbing flavonoids of other wines. This is due, in part, to a grape with thick, dark purple skin built to withstand the island weather. Scientific research has indicated that moderate red wine consumption can benefit heart health.

7. Laugh with Friends

Each day in the late afternoon following a great meal, the men gather in the streets to enjoy each other’s company talking and often to play a few games of cards. For the men much of the morning time work is solitary. The women work in community in regards to household chores and preparing meals. These breaks and communal living habits reduce stress. 

I doubt that anyone reading this article can reproduce this lifestyle; however, the concepts can be reproduced. We can eat a whole foods diet focused on plants first, pecorino and goat cheese, and a glass of Cannonau or any other sulfite free red wine. We can take time in the afternoon to stop for twenty minutes or half an hour with others in our office to talk, play a game of cards and snack. It will make you more productive – not less. The Sardinian exercise is lower impact with a lot of walking but it is also a lot of bending at the ankles, knees, hips and low back as garden work, wood chopping and house chores are completed. Workouts can mimic this and even taking a 5 minute break each hour of the day to move and bend will maintain a functional body. Develop your own traditions and habits that cause the overlap with friends and family and a good laugh.

For more information check out the Blue Zones website.

Guest Blogger: Patrick Wortman MS, RD LDN NSCA-certified personal trainer

As we approach the end of another year, and the focus invariably shifts to fresh starts for 2015 it is once again time to come face to face with the evil twins of diet and exercise.     Americans tend to be reductionist in their approach to these topics, and the popular media is chock full of the “diet of the day”.   As you consider the New Year and fresh starts, I want to challenge you to not look for the best or most effective diet, but rather make a true effort to break away from the reductionist approach and change your focus to a more holistic approach.

When you really break down the information and the research that exists, the fact of the matter is that just about any diet will work to help you lose weight and as a result of that weight loss actually be healthier.  Yes, as a general rule if you are overweight or obese you will be healthier after losing weight no matter how you do it.  In addition, the latest general recommendations from the “experts” are just that:  use any diet approach that works for you and lose some/all of the excess weight you are carrying and you will decrease your risk of most chronic disease.  Here is the catch though…you need to also consider what you will do after you lose the weight.  Returning to your previous lifestyle is simply a modern version of Einstein’s definition of insanity (doing the same thing and expecting different results).  Therefore the second and most important part of the recommendation is that whatever “diet” you choose must be one that you can realistically maintain for the rest of your life.  If you really can’t sustain the “diet” you have slated to be your 2015 fresh start for the long term, then should you really even start?  My educated but by no means expert opinion is that you should not, as you simply set yourself up for more of the same….

Ok, so if the diet of the month isn’t the answer, then what is?  The honest answer to that question is that we still don’t know for certain, but we do have some pretty good ideas where to start.  You start by copying some of the basics from populations around the world that seem to have the formula for success.  These areas are named “Blue Zones”.  In 2004, Dan Buettner teamed up with National Geographic and the world’s best longevity researchers to identify pockets around the world where people lived measurably better. In these Blue Zones they found that people reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States.  In addition, these individuals remain active and have good quality of life, usually right up until they die.  This is in stark contrast to most of our western civilization were our health and vitality diminish rapidly in later years leading to the boom in assisted living and nursing homes.  

When you look at these Blue Zones you find several things in common.   With regard to diet the tenets are pretty simple.  First and foremost is a plant based diet.  The actual foods consumed vary considerably from one Blue Zone to another, but all have a very high consumption of plant foods and limit or avoid animal foods.  Perhaps equally important is the fact that they eat little to no processed food.  Most food is prepared fresh, and meals are prepared daily.  Families still eat together and there is a strong family/social aspect to the meals.

The real question is simply how do we translate this into actionable advice and easy to implement changes?  Before I answer the question, each person needs to consider a few things.  First, about 40-50  years ago as women started to enter the workforce food companies started a campaign to convince them that cooking was a chore and difficult to do.  It was not something they should have to do, and so they should trust the food companies to do the cooking for them…enter the box and frozen meal era.  It is concerning to me that many of the individuals I work with consider cooking something to avoid at all costs, yet it is arguably the most important decision you make every day (topic for another post).  Second and equally important are the demands on each person’s time.  Between work, church, children, and various other factors everyone is over-extended and short on time.  This is perhaps the key factor.  To really begin to make a transition to a healthier lifestyle you need to take a hard look at your time commitments and start to allow more time to improve your health.  

When you can allow yourself the time to start working on your health, then you can begin to make small changes to improve your health.  Start simply with cooking one more meal a week than you do currently.  Include the family if you have one, especially if you have children. Choose a recipe that includes several brightly colored vegetables.  Perhaps even choose a vegetarian dish, or at the very least make meat the side dish rather than the main dish.  If you want to include a dessert make it from fruit instead of flour and sugar.  Please be sure to make this a family event if possible…this is as important as the food itself.  One of the most important aspects of eating/meals in the Blue Zones is they are socials events and not just about scarfing down food to get to the next event on your schedule.

Gradually increasing the number of meals you make from fresh food and decreasing your reliance on packaged/processed/restaurant food is really the secret to health and vitality and the best way to prevent chronic disease. Choose a recipe from your favorite cookbook, magazine or website and strive to make half or more of the meal vegetables.  My favorite approach is to make one dish meals like a stir fry, a frittata, or crock pot meals.  Alternately you can just add more vegetable sides to a more conventional meal…either way the goal is 50% or more of the meal is vegetables.  If you want some added inspiration to help you start this journey, I highly recommend Fed Up, Forks Over Knives, or Food Matters.  All of these are now available to stream or rent as a DVD and Forks over Knives has a website with recipes and other support to help you start your journey.  There isn’t an easy or quick fix for our health problems. The solution is coming to terms with the fact that it takes time and effort to be healthy, and the sooner your start the sooner you will begin to reap the rewards.  Nothing in life that is rewarding and worthwhile is easy…the work and effort we put forth to accomplish something is what makes it so rewarding.  Get started today!

Here are some links if you want more information:

http://www.bluezones.com/2014/03/blue-zones-history/

http://www.bluezones.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Nat_Geo_Longevity.pdf

http://www.forksoverknives.com/

http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home

http://www.foodmatters.tv/

Patrick Wortman MS, RD LDN, NSCA-certified personal trainer

Patrick works at the Center for Integrative Medicine - visit their site at www.cim.md 

Why Get a Personal Trainer?

Many people believe personal trainers are just for celebrities or elite athletes.  Some people don't use a personal trainer because they "know what to do already."  Others believe it is simply not affordable.  The reality is that if you are not exercising regularly you will begin to compromise your health and quality of life.  We spend a lot of money on a lot of things: a mechanic for our car, an accountant for our taxes, "health insurance", we take a course to better ourselves and we pay for vacation.   I am not saying you shouldn't do these things, but we should consider using our money as a tool to best protect our health. Our health is not worth losing.  We can't do anything well when we lose our health.  We can't care for our loved ones, ourselves or enjoy the things that give us the most pleasure in life.

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

Do you find yourself planning to work out, but frequently allow work, family obligations or other excuses to trump your workout?  

Do you workout regularly but do the same thing, the same way over and over expecting different or better results?  

Are you producing overuse injuries doing the same things, the same way over and over?  

If you are working out regularly do you know that this discipline is really counting to improve your health?  

Are you really doing the right exercises? Do you know for sure that you are training safely and effectively?

A personal trainer will develop an individualized exercise prescription and a supportive nutrition plan just for you.  A personal trainer will provide the accountability to give you the consistency necessary to achieve health related results - a functional body - cardiovascular health - disease prevention.  A personal trainer is impervious to allowing yourself to talk yourself out of getting your workout in for the day.    

At Forte Fitness we can develop a program that works for you.  

Maybe your health is truly in shambles.  We will meet you where you are and walk with you step by step.  We will be your encouragement and cheerleader to restore and regain the health you deserve.

Maybe you can't afford personal training long term but you need to get started.  We can set up a short-term program like taking a class to equip yourself to train properly on your own.  We can wean you off, setting you up for success and touch base with you periodically to make sure you don't fall of the wagon.  

Maybe you are exercising regularly but are not sure that you are doing the exercises properly or even using the right exercises relative to your strengths and weaknesses.  Just a few sessions could insure you are making the most of your discipline.  

Maybe you just need some variety to add to your routine of yoga, mountain biking, running, or triathlon training.  Adding some smart strength training properly balanced based on the science of muscular ratios and manual assisted training even one day a week will make a huge difference if you are active but are not doing proper strength and flexibility training.  

Maybe you have a friend, a family member or a co-worker that you deeply care for and you know that their health is compromised and you are concerned.  If so lovingly and caringly speaking with them and inviting them to have a conversation may literally save their life.  

SET UP A COMPLIMENTARY SESSION TODAY by clicking here.

If one of these reasons has struck a cord with you or maybe another reason that you have thought is on your heart check out Forte Fitness and read the success stories of real Chattanoogans like yourself.  

Take advantage of coming in for a complimentary session. During the complimentary session we will give you a tour of the studio.  We will take your through the ACSM medical questionnaire to make sure you don't have any contraindications to exercise and if you do we will team with your doctor to develop the right plan for you.  Next we will set goals that will set you up for success.  Finally we will take you through a full training session.   It will help you learn how we work with our clients and we will gain an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.  Lastly we will sit down and discuss with you working to develop the right plan for you and then you are simply free to decide if Forte is the right fit for you.  

THE BOTTOM LINE

A personal trainer will provide a solid plan and accountability.  With a personal trainer you will have a scheduled appointment time and when you do have a true interruption the trainer will make sure you reschedule and stay on course.  It does not matter what level you are at because a Forte Fitness personal trainer will be able to accommodate your goals, determine your barriers and help you achieve true health related results!

Contact us today.  Come as you are and let us help you get where you want to be.