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Month: November 2011

Is Yoga All You Need?

In this New York Times article the author describes her ten year devotion to yoga as her only form of exercise.  As her wedding approached she decided to hire a personal trainer and started doing yoga less frequently.  Adding strength training helped her reach her goal weight in time for her wedding, plus she now feels stronger and leaner.  What I like about this article is her discovery that mixing it up is a good idea.  Whether you are into running, spinning, Pilates, Zumba or Cross Fit adding variety to your routine (cross training) will not only keep boredom at bay but also have you looking and feeling your best.

Are you stuck in a workout rut?  Contact Anne and she will set you up with a program that includes strength, cardio and flexibility.

Healthy Pumpkin “Cheesecake”

I love holiday desserts but have been experimenting with limiting the amount of sugar in my diet for the past few weeks and came across this recipe in a recent Barre 3 newsletter.  I’m going to try it out tomorrow.  What are you making for turkey day?

Pumpkin Cream Cheesecake

recipe provided courtesy of Andrea Nakayama at Replenish PDX (www.replenishpdx.com)

 

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked one to three hours
1-1/2 cups pureed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk *
1/2 cup gently melted coconut butter (Artisana brand or Nutiva Coconut Mana)
30 drops liquid stevia, vanilla flavored or 3 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons liquid vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation:
1. Drain the soaked cashews, discarding the water. Place the nuts into a food processor and process them until a butter forms.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste to be sure that it meets your tastebuds. Since all pumpkins will be of varying degrees of sweetness, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve satisfied your taste buds before pouring the mixture from the food processor.
3. When the mixture meets your taste requirements, pour or spoon the contents of the bowl into a rectangular glass container in which you can store the cream “cheese”.
4. Allow the “cheese” to set in the fridge for at least two hours before trying to slice. You can store it covered there for up to four days. (Ours didn’t last so long!)
* Look for Native Forest brand coconut milk which doesn’t have BPA in the cans.

Breast Cancer Pateints Benefit From Pilates

Did you know that Pilates can help breast cancer patients recover after surgery? This article cites a specific case study of a woman who was not able to brush her hair or put on her seat belt.  After a month of bi weekly Pilates sessions she improved her strength and flexibility and reduced her pain and swelling by half.  She is now about to do her own hair, buckle her seat belt and even drive herself.

According to Pilates expert Mari Winsor:

“The health benefits — better circulation, feeling generally stronger and releasing stress — are extraordinary.”

Some common side effects of mastectomy are reduced range of motion in the shoulder joint, tightness in the muscles that surround the joint, and pain.  Because of the physical and emotional stress of cancer diagnosis and the recovery process many women stop working out.  This can lead to more tightness and a longer recovery period.

Why does Pilates help?  Pilates is a safe, low impact form of exercise that not only builds strength and flexibility but also body awareness.  As my clients learn how to breathe they are able to use these breathing techniques throughout their day to lower stress.

Here are three tips from Dawn-Marie Ickes, MPT on how to get started with Pilates:

1. Breast cancer patients who want to get started with Pilates should always obtain clearance from their doctor before participating in any exercise program, both during and following breast cancer treatment.

2.Find a comprehensively trained Pilates teacher with a minimum of five years teaching experience and coursework in working with Pilates/exercise and breast cancer. It’s also a good idea to invest in individual sessions before attempting any sort of home program or group classes.

3. Keep in mind that nothing should be painful during an exercise. If you feel pain, stop doing the exercise and inform your instructor immediately so he or she can help you modify the exercise to eliminate pain.

Do you know of a woman recovering from breast cancer surgery?  Send her my way or forward this article to her.  I am happy to meet her for an initial consultation to discuss how Pilates can benefit her.

 

Sara’s Cuban Pumpkin Soup

My chiropractor, Sara Johnson, recently passed this recipe along to me. It’s quick, easy, and delicious. Pumpkin is loaded with Vitamins C, K, and E, as well as magnesium, potassium, and iron. It also has antioxidant carotenoids, particularly alpha and beta-carotenes. Beans and pumpkin are both high in fiber. If you have the time to bake a pumpkin from scratch go for it, if not canned works just as well.

One can of pumpkin
One can of black beans
One handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 3 limes

Warm the pumpkin and beans, top with lime and cilantro and serve!