healthnut

1) OATMEAL BRULEE - Follow the recipe link below. Omit the sugar, top with some sliced apples, and sprinkle with some flax seeds.

http://www.cholesteroldownbook.com/recipes1.html

2) OATMEAL PANCAKES

These pancakes can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. They are no where as fattening as the ones served at IHOP. You can add some blueberries or apples to sweeten up the batter. Follow the recipe link below, but cut the serving size to 1/8 c. per pancake, which is about the size of a dollar size pancake. This will reduce your caloric intake in half. And if cholesterol is a problem, just use egg whites.

http://www.tasteforlife.com/content/default.asp?artid=11

Lately I have been on a shopping spree for sporting accessories. It seems that I have gotten a little too serious about exercising and have now incorporated daily exercising into my life. I have no idea who I’m competing with, why I’m doing this, but I seem to like the results I am getting. It’s a bit of a mystery wondering what will I look like when I’m finally toned.

So I have elected the medicine ball to help me with my toning. It’s SERIOUS FUN. You can lie on it, and use it to crawl like a baby across the room. Watch TV and do the twist.

Now I have discovered that medicine balls come in different sizes, colors, and textures. Of the three I recently tested, my favorite is the Reebok Stay Ball because the ball does not roll unless a good amount of pressure is applied. It is made of the same anti-slippery material as handballs. The Wai Lana Yoga Ball appears to be made from the same manufacturer and can easily be turned into a “Reebok Stay Ball” for a fraction of the price just by funneling 30 lbs. of sand into the ball. (See pic below). The 3 in 1 Ball is still a no-no because of it’s slipperyness and because of the “scretchy” egg carton shell noise it makes when one rolls.

1) 3 in 1 ball Kit ($19.99 at Costco) - Kit includes a ball, 3 DVDs, a fully illustrated book, NO PUMP

2) Reebok Stay Ball ($24.99 at Target) - Kit includes a ball, 1 DVD, a cheap foot pump

3) Wai Lana Yoga Ball ($12.99 at Marshall) - Kit includes a ball, 1 DVD, a cheap foot pump

4) Valero ($9.99 at Marshall) - This one has great reviews and comes with a pump. The ball retails for $29.99 at Big 5, our local sporting good store.

Test: “3 in 1 Ball” Kit Sold at Costco for $19.99 or on Amazon for $39.99

Package Includes: 3 DVDs, a 26″ ball, resistance band, an exercise book, web for the ball

http://www.amazon.com/BALL-COMPLETE-PILATES-COLLECTION-SHIPPING/dp/1741815207/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1200717528&sr=8-3

When I first opened the package, I was delighted and like a child could not wait to try out her new toy. I immediately looked for the ball and what was big elation soon turned into a big disappointment.

First off, the kit did not include a “special” pump nor were there any indication on the outside of the box that a “pump was not included.” It was not until I read a poorly copied slip inside the box that an exercise or an air mattress pump was needed. When neither my bicycle pump nor my Aero mattress pump was able to inflate the ball, I gave up sleuthing for the pump needed.

I then proceeded to watch the videos. While these videos might be therapeutic, they were fast putting me to sleep. They were not the type of videos I would watch over and over again. They were too slow pace to get any calories burned.

And lastly, this kit was made for those between 5′ 6″ and 5′ 11″. Costco offered only one size - 65 cm. As a fyi, balls come in different sizes. You need the right size to sit on and so that you can wrap your legs appropriately around the ball.

55 cm ~ 4′11″ to 5′3″

65 cm ~ 5′4″ to 6′

75 cm ~6′1″ to 6′9″

It’s hard to believe, but Tosca Reno, 47, once weighted 200 lbs.

http://www.toscareno.com/about.html

http://www.toscareno.com/pdf/66CovergirlEx.pdf

http://www.toscareno.com/pdf/66_3Moves.pdf

When we hear folate, we often associate this vitamin with pregnant women. Folate, which is found in spinach and in beans, is very much responsible for proper digestion, DNA synthesis and its repair as well as the healthy growth and division of red blood cells.

As humans, we get NEW red blood cells every 120 days. In normal mature red blood cells, the nucleus disappear before leaving the bone marrow and then solely rely on glucose for energy (food). But in people with folate deficiency, the nucleus are still partially or fully attached because of the lack the folate needed to make proper DNA synthesis. In addition, they have abnormally large red blood cells because they lack the hemoglobin needed to stop the growth of these cells.

Folate is commonly associated with iron. Without iron, one cannot make blood, and without folate one cannot produce enough healthy red blood cells. The daily recommended RDA intake for this essential nutrient is 400 mcg. Pregnant women and those who exercise will need slightly more. As a fyi, exercise increases the production of red blood cells by 3 million per cubic meter PER SECOND. So instead of making the normal production of 2 million red blood cells per cubic meter per second, those who exercise will make 5 million red blood cells per cubic meter per second.