Looking towards the fall, the Royal Victoria marathon is slowly approaching. In endurance training the 'old' idea was more is better. That has been shown to be a good way to injure yourself and over train!
One author pointed out, "If exercise makes you stronger, then how come you are tired at the end of a run?" The reason is exercise doesn't make you stronger - proper rest does.
So build some rest time into your training schedule and plan on tapering 2-3 weeks before race day to run your fastest time ever!
Here is an article discussing the importance of tapering.
The Globe and Mail- Couch Time Improves Marathon Training
~Think Vitality!~
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
How much Vitamin XYZ Should I Take?
Have you ever wondered how much calcium, zinc, or fiber you should be having a day?
Here is a great resource that you may find helpful. This interactive form can help you find out how many macro-nutrients, minerals, calories, and vitamins you should be consuming based on your body, body mass index, activity level and age.
Click here!
Did you know that most of the recommended dietary allowances of vitamins and minerals followed by Americans and Canadians were actually established at the time of World War 2 to prevent malnourishment of soldiers and have not been revisited since.(ref. Fuhrman)?
So, when reading nutritional labels and you see that your food item contains 10% of your daily requirement of a certain vitamin it may not be completely sufficient.
As a general rule you will get the most nourishment from real veggies, fruits, and proteins, just as nature intended it!
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/interactiveDRI/
~Think Vitality!~
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Light to Moderate Exercise IS Good for you!
It's official, we can all rest assured that light to moderate exercise is actually good for our health because there has been a study proving this!
The Journal of Epidemiology has determined that just half an hour of walking, cycling, swimming, or any constant activity 5 days a week can reduce the risk of death by 19%. Increasing it to 7 hours a week reduces the incidence of sedentary lifestyle related deaths by 24%. It doesn't have to be intense, just constant.
If you are not sure how to enjoy walking in our beautiful city, try listening to an audio book. You can purchase books on pretty much any topic online, or even download audio books from the Victoria public library for free.
If you are technically inclined you can also entertain yourself with podcasts from itunes which are also free.
So find an activity, drag a friend along and get moving!
~Think Vitality!~
photo source cookinglight.com
The Journal of Epidemiology has determined that just half an hour of walking, cycling, swimming, or any constant activity 5 days a week can reduce the risk of death by 19%. Increasing it to 7 hours a week reduces the incidence of sedentary lifestyle related deaths by 24%. It doesn't have to be intense, just constant.
If you are not sure how to enjoy walking in our beautiful city, try listening to an audio book. You can purchase books on pretty much any topic online, or even download audio books from the Victoria public library for free.
If you are technically inclined you can also entertain yourself with podcasts from itunes which are also free.
So find an activity, drag a friend along and get moving!
~Think Vitality!~
photo source cookinglight.com
Monday, August 23, 2010
Qi Gong Workshop follow up
This weekend was the first full day qi gong workshop here in Victoria and judging by the feedback, it went well! Thank you to everyone who attended and for giving me such valuable feedback. I read the suggestions everyone had with great interest because I would like to offer as much value as I can and work out all the kinks.
What a few people mentioned was they wanted a little bit more feedback on their form and how they were doing. I think this is a valuable part of learning from a real person rather than books or videos.
On November 6th, 2010 we are planning the next seminar where I will devote time specifically to helping intermediate people improve their techniques as well as teaching the absolute beginners.
So mark your calendars and start spreading the word if you know anyone that might benefit from qi gong!
What a few people mentioned was they wanted a little bit more feedback on their form and how they were doing. I think this is a valuable part of learning from a real person rather than books or videos.
On November 6th, 2010 we are planning the next seminar where I will devote time specifically to helping intermediate people improve their techniques as well as teaching the absolute beginners.
So mark your calendars and start spreading the word if you know anyone that might benefit from qi gong!
On the note of 'spreading the word,' I received a serious 'beat down' for not having a facebook fan page. So, here it is!
You can "like" the page and find health tips, information, inspiration, upcoming events and happenings. For those of you who are new to fan pages, rest assured I cannot see your personal information or wild weekend pictures!
In the meantime, start boosting your immune system because in 2 weeks time a lot of people are going to be getting sick because of kids going back to school!
~Think Vitality!~
photo divavillage.com
You can "like" the page and find health tips, information, inspiration, upcoming events and happenings. For those of you who are new to fan pages, rest assured I cannot see your personal information or wild weekend pictures!In the meantime, start boosting your immune system because in 2 weeks time a lot of people are going to be getting sick because of kids going back to school!
~Think Vitality!~
photo divavillage.com
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Simple Things- It's Full On!
I have been contemplating whether or not I should put a link to this youtube video I saw for a couple of weeks. Well, I have decided to share with you "The Double Rainbow"
When I first saw it I both laughed like crazy, and felt inspired by "Hungry Bear" and his appreciation of the simple things in life.
While diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction are all crucial to our health and well being, we need to truly enjoy life and what we are doing. Doing something you like and having a positive emotional response to it releases endorphins, reduces cortisol, reduces blood pressure, and heart rate, and makes you smile which relaxes the muscles in your face and promotes a smooth flow of qi.
Make a point today to do something just purely for the enjoyment of it!
~Think Vitality!~
When I first saw it I both laughed like crazy, and felt inspired by "Hungry Bear" and his appreciation of the simple things in life.
While diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction are all crucial to our health and well being, we need to truly enjoy life and what we are doing. Doing something you like and having a positive emotional response to it releases endorphins, reduces cortisol, reduces blood pressure, and heart rate, and makes you smile which relaxes the muscles in your face and promotes a smooth flow of qi.
Make a point today to do something just purely for the enjoyment of it!
~Think Vitality!~
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Mr Golden Sun
I hope you have been enjoying the magnificent Victoria weather over the last few days but also protecting yourself from the sun. Why is it that we have to protect our skin from the sun, isn't it a 'natural' source of vitamin D? It is, but because of changes in the ozone layer, we are exposed to more UVA and UVB radiation than ever before and we have not evolved to be able to handle it... yet!
Did you know that there is a difference between sunscreen and sunblock? Most of us use the terms interchangeably but they are different.
Firstly, sun has Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and lead to oxidative damage, skin cancer, and the visible signs of aging. UVB rays don't penetrate as deeply but are primarily what causes sunburn and mutation of DNA leading to skin cancer.
Depending on the ingredients, sunscreen deflects and absorbs UVB radiation with a chemical reaction. Some of the chemicals may include oxybenzone, octisalate, and avobenzone. The downside of sunscreen is that it does not protect against UVA radiation and the chemicals used may be potentially harmful if used on a regular basis.
Sunblock creates a physical barrier between your skin and the sun and is much more effective in protecting you from both UVA and UVB. The ingredients found in sunblock are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
When advertising SPF protection, manufacturers are only referring to protection from UVB sunburns as it does not include protection from skin cancer and oxidative damage.
The best option is mineral sunblock because it offers the most protection with the least chemicals and it is easier to find nowadays. Another great option is high tech sun protection clothing that offers SPF protection.
~Think Vitality!~
references:
Environmental Working Group
photo,2
Did you know that there is a difference between sunscreen and sunblock? Most of us use the terms interchangeably but they are different.
Firstly, sun has Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and lead to oxidative damage, skin cancer, and the visible signs of aging. UVB rays don't penetrate as deeply but are primarily what causes sunburn and mutation of DNA leading to skin cancer.
Depending on the ingredients, sunscreen deflects and absorbs UVB radiation with a chemical reaction. Some of the chemicals may include oxybenzone, octisalate, and avobenzone. The downside of sunscreen is that it does not protect against UVA radiation and the chemicals used may be potentially harmful if used on a regular basis.
Sunblock creates a physical barrier between your skin and the sun and is much more effective in protecting you from both UVA and UVB. The ingredients found in sunblock are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
When advertising SPF protection, manufacturers are only referring to protection from UVB sunburns as it does not include protection from skin cancer and oxidative damage.
The best option is mineral sunblock because it offers the most protection with the least chemicals and it is easier to find nowadays. Another great option is high tech sun protection clothing that offers SPF protection.
~Think Vitality!~
references:
Environmental Working Group
photo,2
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Summer has arrived!
Well, I think it's fair to say that summer has finally arrived in Victoria!
With the sunshine and longer days, a lot of people are wanting to get out and get active. We should remember that whether it is having a game of basketball, tennis, or even throwing the frisbee around we can injure ourselves without proper stretching and warming up.
In my practice I have seen all sorts of injuries from summertime activity, most of which could be easily avoided by stretching beforehand. The main areas of injury are the shoulders, neck, and back. Spend a couple minutes limbering up and stretching before that game of bacchi ball and enjoy the free Vitamin D while we have it!
~Think Vitality!~
Photo source
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