Trial and Error

Celebrating 49 and Feeling FABULOUS

I believe in trial and error and especially when it comes to what works best for my body and my life.  I will be celebrating the last year of my forties this weekend and I am thinking a lot about my life, and reflecting on many things that have got me to this point, how I feel about myself, and realizing that trial and error has served me well personally, physically, and nutritionally. 

In my journey of almost fifty years, I have experienced definite trial and error when it has come to relationships and defining what I do not want and what I do want, with healthy being at the forefront of all that.  It has been quite a process and as I look back, all the trudging through the unhealthy to open fabulous doors to healthy has been a blessed learning journey to create who I am right now, and whom I have chosen to share my life and I include my hubby, family, and friends through this healthy pondering.   Life is just too short not to take care of ME and it is too short not to be with people who are positive, supportive, real, and who nourish my soul in great ways.  Of course when I was going through the trial and error process, there were days that really sucked, and I allowed myself to feel all the pain of that moment, but all the time never saying “Why Me” but asking God to please “Show me how to be a better person through this, help me believe in your better plan for me, or what the heck are you teaching me now”…it was this kind of faith and belief going through the trials that provided the hope in the positive lesson that kept me going and keeps me going still.  

Moving on to trial and error with my fitness and workouts…now this has really

been quite the ordeal.  As many of you know if you have read my bio, I have suffered a cervical injury, live with diagnosed torticollis, and have undergone two major surgeries, in addition to giving birth to two children.   When injury face plants you to the ground and takes away your quality of life and job, a sense of hopelessness and stripping of who you are can take place…well…that was me a few years ago.  Talk about feeling scared and humbled, well I was that and more, and depended on strength greater than my own to get me through.  I utilized my skills and knowledge of the human body to begin rehabbing myself and although a slow process, I began to create through trial and error, a new modified ME.  I look back on that time and know that I do not ever want to re-visit that part of my life again, and do whatever I can to greatly reduce and hopefully eliminate that.  I am no longer the extreme athlete of the past, but I am happy to be ME, the athlete of today. 

My workouts are all about trial and error.  There are days I may push the envelope too much, and my body screams back later that night or the next day to not repeat that.  That calls for a check mark of that exercise off the list, and return to what my body likes best.  For example, I can no longer do pushups and boy do I miss those, but I can still chest press and fly like no other.  The beautiful part about fitness and exercise is that ALL things can be modified to fit the person.  I love to teach this to my clients and really have a passion for those with injury because I can say “I know how you feel” and truly mean that.  Also, it is about QUALITY moves regardless of the weight resistance being used.  I enjoy working out, sweating, and the way I feel when I am done, but what I really love most is being able to push myself through my workouts and not aggravate my injury…now that is happy success and has been accomplished through lots of trial and error. 

My nutrition relates to trial and error in eating the foods that best fit my system,

body, and overall how I feel energy wise.  If I removed whole grains from my nutrition, I feel a definite drop in energy and talk about constipation…no thanks.  Besides, I enjoy my brown rice and steel cut oats, and what I concentrate on is eating healthy, proper portions, and eating to live and not to feel like “Thanksgiving Dinner” at every meal.  If I eat something that does not agree with me, causes an upset system, then I eliminate that from my intake, but that takes trial and error to figure out, and yes even healthy foods can upset my system like certain dairy for example…talk about colon cramp to the ground…YIKES.  So, with my nutrition I implement what works best for ME, and provides MY BODY with the nutrients that make ME feel at my BEST.  I also agree that people are not generic, so what works for me may not work for another.  Life would be so boring to think that we all fit into the same size life…right?  I would be a negligent and insensitive trainer/coach if I did not listen to what was not working for my clients and tried to force feed some sort of one-size-fits all philosophy down their throats.  I am unable to support those types of ideals, and really that is why it is called “personal” training/coaching.

When it comes to my life, I have been happy with my trial and error education, personally and professionally.  Through my trials, I have become a better person, stronger, wiser, and a person who has woke up and really enjoys the coffee, one who appreciates that hard times bring about greatness, and I am thankful.  I understand what works for me emotionally, spiritually, physically, and nutritionally, and that is HUGE to me living a healthy LIFESTYLE.  I welcome the trial and error and the opportunities that always come from my learning through the journey.  It may not feel good all the time, but that is the reality of life and I would be untruthful with you to say that life has been all peaches and cream.  Life has not promised easy, but it has promised that it can be great.  It is what I have done through my trial and error process that has determined that.  I will close with my favorite “Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it”. 

                                                                                  

I dedicate this Blog to my Beautiful Mom and Mother-in-law!  I love you dearly and wish you the Happiest of Mother's Day! Happy Mom's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, and all those fabulous women in that role...you are all truly appreciated for all that you do and all that you are!

      Me and My Mom                                                               My Fabulous Moms!

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

Stay Healthy~ Darla 

Receive My Stay Healthy Nutrition Guide as a Free Gift and Thank you when you donate to Stay Healthy Fitness...

Ahimsa (Non-Violence) and Healthy Aging

by Ram 

Peaceful Valley by Brad Gibson

Himsa in Sanskrit means violence, which is defined as the intentional use of force or power on self or against a person or a group that results in a physical/psychological harm, mental disturbance, injury or death. Going by this definition, there is no difference between a person who is harboring severe judgment and negativity towards self or others and a person who walks with a gun into a classroom and randomly shoots at the students. Both have committed himsa or violence albeit to different degrees. We have also have heard or witnessed acts of himsa perpetrated in yoga studios as well.

Violence of any kind has profound effects on the health of an individual. Studies have shown the following:

• The stress of being in an abusive relationship has the obvious physical and psychological impact: it often increases one’s vulnerability to illness and may cause the victim to be more susceptible to disease.
• Battered victims experience depression, feelings of low self-esteem and helplessness coupled with somatic complaints.
• Chronic abuse causes serious psychological harm. Victims experience panic disorders, phobias, anxieties and depression that may last for several years. Their ability to trust and form emotional attachments are severely impacted.
• Victims often complain of enduring the effects of violence over many years and some even develop extreme symptoms years later in response to major life stressors.

Moreover violence severely impacts healthy aging and life expectancy is reduced in traumatic individuals. Recent studies have shown that the United States suffers far more violent deaths than any other wealthy nation. The United States has about six violent deaths per 100,000 residents. Homicide and suicide together account for about a quarter of the years of life lost for U.S. men compared to those in those peer countries. Children who are exposed to different types of violent childhood events suffer from all kinds of stressors that negatively affect their overall development. A ten-year study finds that a traumatic childhood reduces life expectancy by 20 years among adults who experienced six or more particular types of abuse or household dysfunction as kids. Thus, violence in all forms is taking its toll on the life expectancy of the U.S. population. The solution to this grave problem is shunning violence and cultivating ahimsa (non violence), the opposite of himsa. Ahimsa— which also refers to non-harming or non-injury—is the first of the five yamas in the yoga sutras of Patanjali. The five yamas serve as moral, ethical and societal guidelines for a harmonious living. Patanjali considered the yamas as universal vows, and preached that they be practiced on all levels: by way of thoughts, actions, and words. Verse 2.3 in the Yoga Sutras describes ahimsa as:

ahimsa pratishthayam tat vaira-tyagah

As a Yogi becomes firmly grounded in non-injury (ahimsa), other people who come near will naturally lose any feelings of hostility — trans. by Swami Jnaneshvara.

Going by the above translation, ahimsa would mean physical, mental, and emotional non-violence towards self and others. For those who are always in contact with individuals who experience natural inner peace and a non-harming attitude, there is a tendency for them to give up their hostilities, ill will or aggression in return. It is a natural process that everyone experiences in the presence of a truly non-violent person.

How does one cultivate ahimsa? Empathy and compassion are two excellent tools to foster ahimsa as they allow us to accept events as they are and act with an open and loving heart. Empathy and compassion replace violent tendencies with kindness, acceptance and love. Practicing it on oneself helps to cultivate the same feelings towards others. So how about cultivating some ahimsa in our lives starting now!

Kindly and non-violently,

Ram

Trip to South Korea: Hidden reasons for the leanness of its people

In September last year (2012) I went to South Korea to speak about nonlinear data analysis with WarpPLS (), initially for business and engineering faculty and students at Korea University in Seoul, and then as a keynote speaker at the HumanCom 2012 Conference () in Gwangju. Since Seoul is in the north part of the country, and Gwangju in the south, I had the opportunity to see quite a lot of the land and the people in this beautiful country.


(Korea University’s main entrance, Anam campus)


(In front of Korea University’s main Business School building)

Korea University is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea. In the fields of business and engineering, it is arguably the most prestigious. It also has a solid international reputation, attracting a large number of highly qualified foreign students.

I wanted to take this opportunity and try to understand why obesity prevalence is so low in South Korea, which is a common characteristic among Southeast Asian countries, even though the caloric intake of South Koreans seems to be relatively high. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates, such as rice, are also high-calorie foods. At 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates are not as calorie-dense as fats (9 calories per gram), but they sure add up and can make one obese.

Based on my observations, explanations for the leanness that are too obvious or that focus on a particular dietary item (e.g., kimchi, green tea etc.) tend to miss the point.

Let us take for example a typical South Korean meal, like the one depicted in the photos below, which we had at a restaurant in Seoul. If you are a foreigner, this type of meal would be difficult to have without a local accompanying you, because it is not easy to make yourself understood in a traditional restaurant in South Korea speaking anything other than Korean.


(Main items of a traditional South Korean meal)


(You cook your own meal)

The meal started with thin-sliced meat (with some fat, but not much) and vegetables, with the obligatory side dishes, notably kimchi (). This part of the meal was low in calories and high in nutrients. Then we had two high-calorie low-nutrient items: noodles and rice. The rice was used in the end to soak up the broth left in the pot, so it ended adding to the nutrition value of the meal.

Because we started the meal with the low-calorie high-nutrient items, the meat and vegetables, our consumption of noodles and rice was not as high as if we had started the meal with those items. In a meal like this, a good chunk of calories would come from the carbohydrate-rich items. Still, it seems to me that we ingested plenty of calories, enough to make one fat over the long run, eating these types of meals regularly.

A side note. As I said here before, the caloric value of protein is less than the commonly listed 4 calories per gram, essentially because protein is a multi-purpose macronutrient.

In our meal, the way in which at least one of the carbohydrate-rich items was prepared possibly decreased its digestible carbohydrate content, and thus its calorie content, in a significant way. I am referring to the rice, which had been boiled, cooled and stored, way before it was re-heated and served. This likely turned some of its starch content into resistant starch (). Resistant starch is essentially treated by our digestive system as fiber.

Another factor to consider is the reduction in the glycemic load (not to be confused with glycemic index) of the rice. As I noted, the rice was used to soak up the broth from the pot. This soaking up process significantly reduces the rice’s glycemic load, because of a unique property of rice. It has an amazing capacity of absorbing liquid and swelling in the process.

This was one of several traditional Korean meals I had, and all of them followed a similar pattern in terms of the order in which the food items were consumed, and the way in which the carbohydrate-rich items were prepared. The order in which you eat foods affects your calorie intake because if you eat high nutrient-to-calorie ratio foods before, and leave the low nutrient-to-calorie ones for later, my experience is that you will eat less of the latter.

Another possible hidden reason for the low rate of obesity in South Korea is what seems to be a cultural resistance to industrialized foods, particularly among older generations; a sort of protective cultural inertia, if you will. Those foods are slowly being adopted – my visit left me with that impression – by not as quickly as in other countries. And there is overwhelming evidence that consumption of highly industrialized foods, especially those rich in refined carbohydrates and sugars, is a major cause obesity and a host of other problems.

Cultural resistance to, or cultural inertia against the adoption of, highly industrialized foods among pregnant mothers limits one’s exposure to those foods at a particularly critical time in one’s life – the 9-month gestation period in the mother’s womb. This could have a major impact on a person’s propensity to become obese or have other metabolic derangements later on in life. Some refer to this phenomenon as a classic example of modern epigenetics, whereby acquired traits appear to induce innate traits across generations.

Another reason I was excited about this trip to South Korea was my interest in table tennis. I wanted to know more about their table tennis “culture”, and how it was influenced by their general culture. China dominates modern table tennis, with such prodigies as Ma Lin, Ma Long, Wang Hao, Wang Liqin, and Zhang Jike. South Korea is not far behind; two of my all-time favorite South Korean players are Kim Taek-Soo and former Olympic champion Ryu Seung-Min.

Another side note. The best table tennis player of all time is arguably Jan-Ove Waldner (), from Sweden. I talked about him in my book on compensatory adaptation (). Waldner has been one of the few players outside China to be able to consistently beat the best Chinese players at times when they were at the top of the games, including Ma Lin ().

But, as I soon learned, as far as sports are concerned, it is not table tennis that most South Koreans are interested in these days. It is soccer.

A nice surprise during this trip was a tour in Gwangju in which we visited a studio that converted standard movies to stereoscopic three-dimensional ones (photo below). These folks were getting a lot of business, particularly from the USA, in a market that is very competitive.


(A standard-to-3D movie conversion studio in Gwangju)

Let’s get back to the health angle of the post. So there you have it, two possible “hidden” reasons for the low prevalence of obesity in South Korea, and maybe in other Southeast Asian countries. One is the way in which foods are prepared and consumed, and the other is cultural inertia. These are not very widely discussed, but future research may change that.

Wasted Week...Or Was It?

This was one of those weeks- if anything could have gone wrong- it did.  I was sick with sinus/allergy issues- headache, serious pressure, and my nose couldn't decide if it would run, stop up, or sneeze (and sometimes it was all 3)!  I also had "life" happen with my schedule, oh, and I forgot to mention the car issues- so much so I had to take a day off of work (at the busy time of year) in order to get it taken car of (thankfully it was covered under my extended warranty and it was only $100 instead of $400).  Anyway, with all of that there was absolutely NO training that went on- no running, no boot camp, no walking, absolutely NOTHING.  So that meant, when I went to run my 5K on Saturday morning (Run for the Deaf 5K) I was running on a week of no training so I went in with no expectations.  I figured I would use it as a training run and just take the time to enjoy the area (it's a beautiful neighborhood).  There was a horrendous hill at the end (it really wasn't THAT bad but to end a race...) and by the time I got to the hill I had absolutely nothing left in my legs- of course that's when you have to dig down and give a bit more ;)  When I crossed I looked at the 'gun time' and knew that I had done better than last week but was it enough (even though I knew that as long as I had done my best then it was enough)?  I finally got the official chip time late yesterday afternoon and was so excited to see that my time was 33:31.6!  That was a personal best for me and about 24 seconds faster than last week (on a tougher course)! 

So- lesson learned last week- sometimes, rest is good for a weary body and soul.  This was part of the 5 by the 5th and also number 9 out of 13 in my quest for 13 in 2013. 

Oh, and those for this week- not so much- no exercise, plus realizing that I need to not make a "can't have" statement (especially in a stressful week) means that the only other goal that I had was the only one that I met.  And that was to make some healthier choices (portion control, food choices, etc.  I did do much better with that!  So one out of three accomplished.  Hoping for a better week this week (even though schedule wise it will be just as crazy)...

Exercise Goal- Get some form of movement at least 5 out of 7 days (including completing my squats and plank challenge)
Healthy goal 1- Drink at least 80 oz. of water per day
Healthy goal 2- Due to my schedule I am going back to my 10:30 lights out bedtime (I have slacked off on this).

Friday Q&A: Cat-Cow, Back Extensor Muscles, and Mountain Pose

Following on the heels of one of our recent posts about osteoporosis (OP) came this inquiry about some suggestions for particular asanas:

Q: What about the cat pose in cat/cow sequence? Can you make any possible modification in focusing more on rounding the fanny end of the spine, rather than the shoulders?  Best poses for back extensor strengthening? Anything that reinforces Tadasana?

A: Even though the motivation for asking for these three suggestions may not have been directly related to osteoporosis, Cat/Cow is great as a weight-bearing posture for strengthening the wrist bones.  Poses that strengthen the back torso extensor muscles, which attach all along the spinal column, would strengthen the bones of the spine. And Mountain pose (Tadasana) done with engaged leg muscles is weight-bearing on the feet, so could translate into strengthening of the bones of the legs and hips. That said, let’s now look at the specific issues at hand:

Starting with Cat pose in the dynamic practice of Cat/Cow, we usually encourage the spine to round evenly toward the ceiling, keeping the arms engaged and elbows straight, releasing the crown of the head towards the floor, and tipping the pelvic backwards into retroversion, with the sit bones and tail bones turning down.  If you observe a group of students doing this, you will see some students who seem to have more movement and rounding in the upper back and some who seem to have more in the lower back. There can be many reasons for this, which we won’t go into today, but if you want to emphasize the pelvic tuck and lumbar flexion part of the formula, you might try the following at home:

1. Find a landing that is just one step off the floor.
2. Come into hands and knees position, with your knees and shins on the low landing and your hands down on the floor.
3. Practice Cat/Cow as usual, and see if you don’t have more awareness of the lower back and pelvis. If you are not sure, switch it around with shins on the floor and hands on the landing and see what you feel.

Also, more actively hollowing the lower belly up towards the spine as you exhale into Cat shape can bring more rounding of that “fanny end” of the spine. Finally, doing the pose positioned sideways to a mirror that gives you visual feedback can help you see where you tend to have more movement, and you may be able to play around and bring more movement into the lower half of the spine.

The back extensor muscles, which line the entire back of the head to tailbone region of body, primarily take the spine into back bending actions, but can also contribute to some rotation of the spine, as well as side-bending. If we just consider the back bending actions of these muscles, anything from the obvious Cobra, Locust, Upward-Facing Dog, and Bridge poses and on into the more advanced backbends will strengthen the back extensor muscles nicely. And you can play with both dynamic or static versions of these poses as I have written about previously. And even a pose like Warrior 2, with a slight feeling of backbend and rotation, will work these muscles likely. Also, every time you come up from Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) to arms overhead, as you do in Sun Salutations, you are activating your extensors nicely. Use your deductive skills to look at other poses and see if you can imagine the extensors in action as well.  There are lots more in addition to those I have mentioned.

And as for ways of reinforcing the alignment of Mountain pose (Tadasana), I like to do a reclining versions of this pose, on the back, with the feet pressing into the baseboard of a wall, putting even pressure in the balls and heels of the feet. I also recommend standing with the back to a wall, with the heels close to the wall—perhaps just a few inches away—and with the buttocks flesh lightly touching the wall. Depending on the build of your chest, your shouldblades may or may not touch the wall. From this position, lengthen up to the crown of the head.  Also, all of the poses that strengthen your extensors, as discussed above, are helpful for achieving better posture in Mountain pose. I like to do Locust pose (Salabhasana) first dynamically (moving in and out with the breath) and then held for several breaths, and then practice Mountain pose to see if there is a change in posture.

Give all this a try in your next home practice and see how it all feels to you.

—Baxter 

Healthy Spirits: Midnight Sun Arctic Devil

Both our Castro and Clement street locations have a small amount of Midnight Sun Arctic Devil Oak Aged Barleywine. Limit 1 bottle per customer. Beer Club members may reserve BY PHONE ONLY.
(415) 255-06 10 for Castro and (415)-682-4260 for Clement. Bottles will be behind the counter and available by request only.

Healthy Spirits: New and Featured Products

NEW STUFF

 

1. CLASS OF ’88 SERIES   

 

The Class of ’88 Series celebrates the 25^thAnniversaries of Deschutes, North Coastand Rogue while simultaneously paying homage to influential beer writer and historian Fred Eckhardt. Each brewery produced their own version of a barley wine based on Eckhardt’s description in his classic book The Essentials of Beer Style.

 

-Deschutes Class of ’88 is floral and fruity, with a sturdy, warming malt backbone and clean bitterness. Estery fruit flavors reminiscent of a Belgian strong golden ale. $9.99/22oz

 

-North Coast Class of ’88 is bracingly dry, with citrusy hop bitterness and a restrained cereal grain sweetness. $13.99/25oz

 

 2. Fuller’s Bengal Lancer India Pale Ale-Bready English malt and grassy, earthy Goldings hops. What more could you ask for? A classic English IPA. $4.99/16oz

 

3. 101 North Heroine India Pale Ale-The first bottled release from Sonoma’s newest employee owned and operated microbrewery! Resinous piny hop bitterness and toasted malts. $7.99/22oz

 

4. Boulevard Coffee Ale-Neighbors for nearly twenty years, Boulevard Brewing Company and The Roasterie share a passion for making extraordinary beverages. In Coffee Ale, our two celebrated brewing traditions come together in a long-awaited collaboration. Ethiopian Sidamo from Africa’s Great Rift Valley has been carefully blended with rye, oats, and malted barley, and spiced with Perle and Styrian Golding hops. The delightfully fragrant beer presents a glowing, tawny-amber hue. The clean, crisp acidity of the air-roasted coffee mingles with malt on the palate, lingering faintly in a subtly sweet finish. $10.99/25oz

 

5. Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon Imperial Stout- Deep, rich notes of bittersweet chocolate and molasses meld seamlessly with flavors of dark fruit and vanilla. Rich, dense and decadent.$12.99/22oz

 

6. Alvinne Cuvee De Mortagne- This complex Belgian dark strong ale was aged for six months in used Pomerol wine barrels. Sweet, fruity and complex, with notes of red wine and raisins. $14.99/16oz

 

 

 

FEATURED-MIKKELLER

 

Eight years ago Mikkel Borg Bjergso was a math teacher in Copenhagen, experimenting with home brewing in his spare time. Today he is behind one of the largest and most successful gypsy breweries in the world. Mikkeller creates dozens of new beers each year, constantly pushing the boundaries of style and expectation. Mikkeller will be opening their first American beer bar in San Francisco later this year. In celebration of all things Mikkeller, we are offering 10% off all Mikkeller beers for the month of May when you come in and say COPENHAGEN. That’s the code word for the discount, so don’t forget it!

 

The Deal: 10% off all Mikkeller beers for the month of May.

 

Code Word: Copenhagen

 

Expires: 05/31/13

Cheers,

Dave Hauslein
Beer Manager
415-255-0610