So…trying to remember…what’s your excuse? LOL

Uhm…yeah, pictures like this prove that we don’t have to shrivel up and walk with a cane at 55. Linda has been body building since 39–which is the age I am right now. Prior to body building she was a into track and field and dance. So what’s her secret?

I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means that I look at how all areas of your life are connected. Does stress at your job or in your relationship cause you to overeat? Does lack of sleep or low energy prevent you from exercising? As we work together, we will look at how all parts of your life affect your health as a whole.

My approach is not to dwell on calories, carbs, fats, and proteins. It is not to create lists of restrictions or good and bad foods. Instead, I work with my clients to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun and rewarding.

Together we’ll work to reach your health goals in areas such as achieving optimal weight, reducing food cravings, increasing sleep, and maximizing energy. As we work together, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the food and lifestyle choices that work best for you and implement lasting changes that will improve your energy, balance and health.

 

Looks like this beautiful lady is a consultant and professional nutritionist in addition to being a kick-arse body builder. Find out how she might help you, plus get recipe ideas here.

I’ve recently upped the ante on my own fitness goals and I have FINALLY come to terms that vodka and beer must go. I’m so sad. I love them so. The big 4-0 is just months away, and I’ve got BIG plans. More on this later.

But it’s March, and we’re just months away from bikini season, and quite frankly, I’m getting a bit flabby in the parts that will be showing by summer. I don’t like to skip my exercises when I’m traveling so I’ve been taking a three-series exercise DVD with me that has 1) kicked my ass 2)been so intense I can not finish the workout. Both are really good things, because in the last two weeks those flabby spots have firmed right up. Muscle fatigue is a really, really good thing. Feel and relish the burn, ladies…

Leah Sarago has released three exercise videos called “Ballet Body,” and focus on lower body, core, and upper body. The series is amazingly vigorous, with no breaks in between. But you WILL get results in the form of long, lean, and feminine ballerina-like muscle tone–especially in your legs and hind quarters.

Each of the DVD’s last for about 45 minutes and honestly I can only do 15 minutes at a time because of all the muscle fatigue I’m having. However, this may be due in part to the low amount of sugars and carbohydrates I consume, which my lazy body kicks and screams about converting the fat to energy, thus the early fatigue. It might not be the same for you if you’re not cutting your carbs like me, but it’s still gonna work you. And because Leah works you soooo hard, you see results really fast. I saw mine in less than two weeks.

The Ballet Body series is like the Barre Method on steroids. But what I like most about these videos is that while they are separated by three sets of muscle groups, they really touch on all muscle groups in each video, just in a different way. I’m planning on using this video series exclusively through the summer because I’m DETERMINED to get through an entire session without crying “MOMMY!” and am convince Leah’s going to give me the hottest 40-year-old body I could ever imagine.

You can buy Leah’s Ballet work out here.

Put simply, VAWA protects rape victims from their accused rapists during trial or at any other time. Under the law, women will not be forced to pay for their own medical expenses or to face trial alongside their alleged aggressors. In addition, it mandates that accused rapists be held responsible for their actions in the eyes of the law regardless of whether that law is native or non-native. So, logically, it just makes sense to extend these protections to every woman on American soil.

Why Are These New Provisions So Important?

In the case of Native women, rape and sexual abuse is a major issue which goes unrecognized by many in the general population.

“Although Native American and Alaska Native women experience sexual violence at a much higher rate than other women in the United States—two and a half times higher—and although Department of Justice studies show that 86 percent of perpetrators are non-Native men, tribal authorities had had no jurisdiction to prosecute and mete out justice.”

Given these facts, House Republicans’ actions to strip protections for these women out of the Senate bill sent a very disheartening message to those impacted directly and women in general. Why make the blatant effort to remove rights as opposed to reinforce them? Well, it’s likely because Republicans in the House are vehemently opposed to supporting anything even remotely coordinated with President Obama or Senate Democrats. So much so, they are willing to compromise the invaluable protections women in this country depend on to protect them in the case of physical or sexual abuse or rape.

Here is the bigger issue with this poor showing from our Congress: these people are elected to represent ALL of us – every single person on American soil. In my opinion, Native women are not impervious to rape from American-born men so why would they be impervious to protections? If an American commits a crime in another country, they are held responsible by said country’s government. Why should Native American and Alaska Native governments be treated any differently?

Women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or queer are no less American so why exactly would they need to be stripped from the bill? House Republicans seem to be saying that they have very specific, isolated groups of citizens they are willing to represent. Everyone else, it appears, should be left to their own guises.

What happened to the days when we all agreed that rape was bad? And, not only was it bad but it was something worth punishing no matter the cost? It is almost bewildering that a bill like VAWA would come up against any push back in Congress given its extremely sensitive and universally accepted purpose. Yet, our Congress struggled to work together on a rape bill?

And, in an embarrassing turn of events, these same Republicans who voted against the bill have been coming out in droves to pretend as though they actually supported the bill in its passed form. So, not only are they shameless in their lack of support for women, they are shamelessly taking credit for the final product which they had no actual role in fulfilling.

There isn’t much else to say here. But, I just do not see this as a celebratory moment. When violence against women is seen as a point of negotiation, we should all – especially those of the female persuasion – be extremely concerned. This is not a fluke. It will likely continue. Let’s just hope that the next batch of negotiations doesn’t turn out like the sequester did.

Feature Credit: Loop21.com

How Did They Do It?

The patient, a newborn when the medications were first administered, was born in Mississippi and is now a toddler. According to the patient’s doctor, they treated the child with a faster, stronger dose of three separate anti-viral medications within 30 hours of birth. Having a mother who tested positive with HIV left the baby with extremely high chances of contracting the virus as well.

Since the virus infects and reinfects healthy T-cells and tissue, the extremely high doses of anti-virals given to the patient were said to have knocked out the HIV cells before they could deposit remotely in the newborn’s body (called “reservoir seeding”).

What This Could Mean For the Community At-Large

This is definitely a major accomplishment for modern medical science. And, the current statistics on HIV and AIDs prove that efforts like these will have a major impact on countries plagued by the disease.

“About 300,000 children were born with HIV in 2011, mostly in poor countries where only about 60 percent of infected pregnant women get treatment that can keep them from passing the virus to their babies. In the U.S., such births are very rare because HIV testing and treatment long have been part of prenatal care.”

So, while the US still struggles with HIV and AIDs transmission, the greatest impacts of the disease are found abroad. Poorer countries have been unable to come out of poverty, in part, because of their ongoing battles with aggregate health and the fight against diseases like AIDs and malaria. But, just imagine what these findings could mean for them now.

This case would actually be the second documented “cure” for HIV. A San Francisco man has been off of anti-virals since he received a bone marrow transplant five years ago. But, this new case proves that there may a host of methods to solving the AIDs epidemic, a disease which was once considered unbeatable.

In all, these findings are promising but will need a great deal of assistance through the process of implementation. Getting strong, expensive anti-viral meds to babies in remote countries will be an arduous task in and of itself. But, to also combat cultural blockages to drug administration could potentially thwart any immediate action against the disease. There has beena very well-documented fear of Western medicine in Africa especially after nurses and doctors were proven to have intentionally infected Libyan children with HIV. So, it is uncertain how these cures will be received there.

However, one thing is certain, medical science is changing things and quickly. And, though they have had some missteps before, their current direction appears to be squarely toward saving lives.

Bacteria festering between your teeth can lead to that crud making it’s way through your entire body. “According to the American Academy of Periodontology, people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have coronary artery disease (also called heart disease). And one study found that the presence of common problems in the mouth, including gum disease (gingivitis), cavities, and missing teeth, were as good at predicting heart disease as cholesterol levels,” says WebMd.

Think about you–all that bacteria breeding in your mouth is readily consumed every time you swallow. That rogue bacteria in your blood stream, combined with the flakes of plaque that get released is bad on your heart and other organs. It also leads to inflammation throughout.

You can reduce the amount of bad bacteria in your mouth by–you guessed it–reducing sugar. Bacteria thrive on sugar–that’s how they get their energy too. Starve the bacteria, reduce the damage to your mouth.

Reduce your sugar, and up your intake of probiotics, the good bacteria that crowds out the bad bacteria, boosts your immune system, and helps with the absorption of B vitamins.

You might also want to invest in an electric toothbrush from Oral B. The sonic motions cleans 10 times better than your low-tech brush.

And you know what’s worse? According to experts, the kind of fat that I carry–subcutaneous visceral fat–is the absolute worst kind of fat, because it wraps around vital organs and causes major problems for the heart, pancreas, liver and kidneys. Visceral fat can be linked not only to heart disease, but also cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke.

And it doesn’t take much to put your name on the risk list. If your waistline exceeds 35 inches, you’re at risk for heart disease.

Researchers found that heart patients with a high ratio of waist-to-hip circumference or a large waist size — greater than 35 inches for women, or 40 inches for men — were 70 percent more likely to die during the study period than those with smaller waists. The combination of a large waist and a high BMI upped the risk of death even more.

“What matters probably the most is the distribution of fat, more than anything else,” says the lead researcher, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota.
The new study provides more evidence of BMI’s shortcomings in assessing heart risk, says Jean-Pierre Després, Ph.D., the director of research at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute at Laval University, in Quebec City.
“If you measure body mass index, you don’t assess body shape, you don’t assess body fat distribution,” says Després, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. “I’m not saying BMI is useless. It’s just that we need to go beyond that. BMI is the total cholesterol of lipids: We know that there is good and bad cholesterol, and there is good and bad fat.”

SOURCE

So that’s it, ladies–it’s not about your body mass index (BMI), but just how much you carry around your waist that reveals your risk of heart disease. If your waist is more than 35 inches, chances are you need to make some changes.

The good news is that belly fat is it is highly sensitive to diet changes, and you can see improvements pretty quickly with a low carb diet and cutting the sugar.

“Hidden sugar, preservatives and highly processed white starch are what are really causing our health epidemic in the United States,” says Salerno, author of “The Silver Cloud Diet,” (www.thesilverclouddiet.com). “Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease are killing this country, and it’s not because people are eating too much organic natural fats.”

Since the initial popularity of the Atkins food plan some years ago, however, there have been critics of the low-carbohydrate diet. The science was and is sound, says Dr. Salerno, who worked closely with Atkins on research. The problem was that the diet itself was not sustainable.

“The basic principles needed revision both to make the diet sustainable and to take into account the foods available today,” he says.

How does a low-carb diet work? Salerno answers the most frequently asked questions:

• How is a low-carb diet today different from the Dr. Atkins plan? Thirty years ago, the food supply was less degraded. Now, low-carb dieters have to be more proactive about selecting chemical-free foods that are not highly processed. There are many more farming techniques today that introduce unnatural elements into our meats and vegetables, and there are many, many more highly processed foods on store shelves. We need to be vigilant about preservatives and additives; hormone-infused meat can wreak havoc on a body.

• What’s the first step? The Fat Fast Detox quickly puts one’s body into fat-burning mode. Adhering to the carb-free diet for two weeks will have participants losing five to 15 pounds and two inches from the waistline. Breakfast, for example, could include two large organic eggs and a side of bacon, sausage or ham, which can be washed down with coffee or tea with cream and sweetener.

• What about eating out? Sustaining a low-carb diet is pretty simple when eating at restaurants. Take the burger out of the bread and skip the French fries. You’re good to go with grilled fish, roast chicken, pot roast, pork tenderloin, shrimp, scallops and pates.

• How can you eat on the run? A small amount of planning goes a long way. Boil eggs and keep them on hand for long car trips and office snacking. Add to that list jerky salmon, nuts and string cheese. These foods are dense with nutrients.

• Where can you find “clean” foods? Buy as “close to the ground” as possible, meaning choose organic produce, eggs and dairy. Inquire at farmer’s markets where they grow crops. Find a local provider for meats and fish if possible.

• Can you eat cake on a low-carb diet? As your health and vitality improves with lost weight and increased activity, you can introduce more carbohydrates into your diet.

• Are low-carb meals safe for family members who do not need to lose weight? What’s good for you – a broad and varied diet of unprocessed foods – is good for your family!

• When is the diet over? Eating foods that are healthy, unprocessed and natural is something you should never stop doing. However, if you feel you’re starting to gain excess weight, go on a detox regimen by cutting out carbs completely for one week.

• So, fat is good for you? Natural fat is the most nutrient-dense food there is. It lubricates your joints and helps your brain function at its best. It also keeps your hair shiny and helps prevent wrinkles. When you cut out processed carbs from your diet, you don’t need to worry about natural fat, which is an appetite suppressant.

About Dr. John Salerno

A board-certified family physician, Dr. John Salerno has been pioneering complementary medicine for more than 20 years. Best known for his Silver Cloud Diet nutrition program, anti-aging supplements, and natural therapies, Dr. Salerno has crafted original treatment plans to restore human health. His publications and professional studies have made him a popular expert on the physiology and assessment of many complex medical conditions. Dr. Salerno was a protégé and colleague of prestigious Dr. Robert Atkins and has worked with Hollywood actress/author Suzanne Somers (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy pioneer); actor Steven Cannell; and president of the International Congress of Integrative Medicine, Dr. Hiroyuki Abe M.D.

And don’t think you have to pack in a bunch of hours working to reap the benefits–”It doesn’t take years of lotus positions and meditation to see improvement — the study’s volunteers had measurable improvement in just six weeks,” he says. “The yoga and meditation program included 40 minutes of postural yoga, 20 minutes of deep relaxation, 15 minutes of yoga breathing, and 15 minutes of meditation.” says Pecky Peck, writer for WebMD.

As a slavish yoga-head myself, I can attest to the benefits of the practice. I suffer from a mild anxiety disorder so the focused practice, the breathing and concentration quiets my racing mind. I do a lot of my own vinyasas, but for beginners who aren’t ready to go to a potentially intimidating yoga studio can pick a few dvd’s. Here are my recommendations:

Shiva Rea is by far my favorite. Be ready though–it’s tough. Work your way up on these.

This one is pretty good for beginners, and I like the way the doctor explains how each move helps a specific body function.