by Lisa Beach, Ph.D.

Recently, as I've been trying to add healthy fats to my diet by eating more eggs, avocados, nuts, seeds, and coconut, I've discovered a wonderfully filling and satisfying breakfast! It's full of fiber, vitamins, healthy fat, and even protein!

The traditional Toad in a Hole breakfast is made with bread, but this one uses an avocado!

Source

Here's how you do it:

1. Slice the avocado lengthwise so you get a thick (3/4" - 1") slice from the middle--leave the skin on!
2. In non-stick skillet on medium-low, heat olive oil, coconut oil, or butter.
3. Cut a larger hole in the middle of each avocado slice (with a cookie cutter or knife).
4. Place avocado slice in the pan, and crack an egg into the middle.
5. Sea salt and pepper the top, and add parmesan cheese if desired.
6. Cover the pan and let it saute until the egg is "done."

You can make guacamole with your extra avocado pieces! Or, you can hard boil some eggs, and repeat the egg-avo combo for lunch or dinner in avocado-egg-salad.

What is your favorite thing to do with avocados? Eggs?

by Lisa K. Beach, Ph.D.


Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which is also found in high amounts in breast milk, butter, and beef. It has antimicrobial properties, and is also high in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). These MCTs cannot be stored in the body---they must be used. So a person consuming them experiences higher energy levels, and even a metabolism boost. It has been used therapeutically (3-4tbsp a day) to address mild and borderline thyroid issues.

I also like to use measuring cups as a dish when I eat this--helps with portion control!

If you want it to be 100% smooth, then leave out the coconut spread. It will be a little thinner, a little lighter, and completely silky. The spread adds thickness and makes the texture really amazing!




These would also be great as a dessert topping or dip!

by: Lisa K. Beach, Ph.D.

At this time of year, it can be pretty easy to slip outside of our normal healthy lifestyle patterns, to splurge a little more on unhealthy foods and exercise a little less. In the spirit of keeping things positive, I always like to focus on how I can add value to my day in terms of what I eat and what I do. One way I've done this recently is by making yogurt at home. It's something I learned about recently that I previously thought would be too complicated (and possibly a little creepy!).

My conclusion? Making yogurt is not only very easy, but it's also fun and economical! I recommend consuming probiotic rich foods everyday in order to maintain a healthy digestive flora, and yogurt (with cow or goat milk) is a great way to assist with this.

Here's how you can do it:
Step 1: Choose your milk. I chose a local favorite!


Step 2: Heat up to 1 gallon of milk to 185 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer, that's ok. Just heat the milk until it barely starts to boil). If you're using a yogurt maker, check the instructions to see how much milk you should use.



Step 3: Cool milk to 110 degrees F (or if you don’t have a thermometer, just cool it till it feels like body temperature—check by sticking your clean finger into it!).

Step 4: Add the starter. Put a cup or so of the milk you heated/cooled into another bowl, stir in (1) yogurt starter or (2) a container of good quality plain yogurt, until thoroughly mixed. (here's an example of yogurt starter you could buy, and you can often find products like this in a health food store or even a regular grocery store)

Step 5: Add the starter you made to the entire batch of milk, and stir until mixed.




Step 6: Let the Magic Happen! (you have two options for this step)
Option 1: pour into containers of a yogurt maker, set timer according to yogurt maker instructions. Note: It's completely unnecessary to buy a yogurt maker, but they are relatively inexpensive.

Option 2: Pour into glass canning jars (lids off). Heat oven to warm, and then turn it off. Put the jars in the oven, and leave uncovered overnight.

Step 7: Transfer to fridge with lids on! Let the yogurt chill for at least three hours before you consume it. There may be some yellowish gunk on top--this is whey. You can scoop this off and discard or eat it (it's safe and healthy to eat).  This yogurt will keep for about a week in the fridge.

Add what you like for flavor--my favorite things to mix in are vanilla stevia (liquid) for sweetness and some berries.


Have you ever made yogurt?! 


What would your mix-ins of choice be?

By Mary Oleksowicz, L. Ac MSTOM 

•              Musclo-skeletal pain including back aches and arthritis. Treatments for muscle disorders often  involve a “ trigger point “  release action while skeletal pain is regulated through the reduction of inflammation.
•      Emotional disorders including insomnia and anxiety. These disorders are regulated through stress-relief and endorphin release.
•             Gastro-intestinal disorders including diarrhea , constipation , “heartburn” and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) , especially if these symptoms are exacerbated by stress.
•       Low energy and/or immune system dis-harmonies such as allergies or chronic infection.
•     “Annoyances” – Chronic, seemingly un-related conditions such as ringing in the ears, night sweats, hot flashes, and eye “floaters”.
•      Menstrual disorders across the life span including cramps, clots,  irregularity, infertility and menopause–related issues.
•      For people who have been told that clinically, “There is nothing wrong with them” yet feel un-well.

I hope this article has piqued your interest in using acupuncture for your health concerns . Perhaps you will even add a session to your holiday wish list ! 

The ground work has been laid and if I've done my job, you now have a basic understanding of the importance of strength training.  And if I haven't done my job, take my word for it and try the darn exercises and experience the benefits for yourself.

As I mentioned yesterday, you don't need fancy machines or a lot of equipment to start getting stronger.  I'm going to give you two tracks to choose from.  The first we'll call "Novice Track" and the second we'll call "I've Done the Stuff in Novice and am Ready for More (More)".  Please note:  Don't jump ahead to the More option unless you've actually done (and are competent with) the movements in Novice Track.

I lied a little yesterday.  I said we'd focus on four exercises.  This is true.  But in the Novice program I'm proposing, we're not doing all four of those movements, we'll save a couple for the More Track (hey, it will give you something to look forward to). 

Novice Program
Summary:  You'll do these exercises two times per week.  You'll do 10 repetitions of each and do three sets each session.  The focus should be on good form, not how fast or how many you can do. 

Exercise 1: Body Weight Squat
The squat is a fundamental human movement.  If you lived in a developing nation you would spend much of your day in a squat.  In the developed world chairs have ruined our squats and we are worse for it.  But you're going to correct that and start to squat because squatting makes you stronger in every way.  A picture is worth a thousand words, so watch this video and then start squatting.  But please, focus on deep squats.  Friends don't let friends squat high.

Exercise 2:  Push-Up
Everyone should be able to do push-ups.  Every. Single. Person.  If you haven't done a push-up since grammar school, you may need to modify and start on your knees.  This is totally acceptable.  After a while you'll get stronger and can advance to standard push-ups (on your toes).  Here's a standard push-up with progressions shown.   

Exercise 3: Pull Ups
There are few body weight movements that are as effective for building strength as the good ol' fashioned pull up.  Start doing them.  If you can't do an unassisted pull-up, try using resistance bands for support or a machine at your fitness center.  You can even do "jumping pull ups" (stand with your forehead at bar level and then pull yourself over the bar while jumping). Worst case scenario would be to substitute a lat pull-down, but this is a poor substitute. 

Exercise 4: Sit Ups
Strong abs are key for many of the movements we do in More Track.  Start doing sit ups.  Remember them, you hated them in elementary school too.  I'm not including a video, you know what they look like.

Sample Week of Novice Track
You can do your sets of exercises across (all your squats, all your push-ups, etc) or you can do the format I prefer:

10 squats, then 10 pushups, then 10 pull ups, then 10 sit ups.  Repeat 3 times
Do this two times per week.  It's not a race, focus on good form. 

When you have done this format for a couple weeks, try to progress.  Continue to add more repetitions to the exercises while still maintaining good form.

More Track
Once you feel comfortable with the above mentioned exercises and can do each with good form and relative confidence, it's time to progress and add some new exercises and additional weights.  For this program you still have two strength days, but you will be doing two sets of different exercises:  The squat and the press (day 1) and the deadlift and bench press (day 2).

Day 1: Squat and Press
Nothing makes me happier than squat and press day.  Nothing.  Soon you'll feel the same.  If you've never back squatted before, I strongly urge you to start with a goblet squat.  All you need is a dumbbell.  At first, that dumbbell can be light.  You'll hold it to your chest, and squat in the same manner you did in Novice.  But you've added weight (thus making it harder).  Here's a video.  They use a kettlebell in the video (and you can do) but most of us are more familiar with the dumbbell.    As you progress, your dumbbell should get heavier.  Once you feel proficient with the goblet squat, you can advance to the back squat (which will require additional equipment in the form of barbells and a rack.  You'll need a gym for this).  If you never want to back squat, stick with the goblets, you're still way ahead of 99% of Americans. 

After you do your squats (yes, do them first) you'll do your presses.  I recommend the standing press.  You can again start with dumbbells or with a barbell.  Choice is yours.  Form remains the same. Check it out. 

Day 2: Deadlift and Bench Press
The deadlift may be completely foreign to you, but I'm betting my life savings you know what the bench press looks like.  The deadlift is basically picking-up weight from the floor and standing tall.  Similar to our previous exercises, starting with dumbbells is advisable.  For the deadlift, maintaining good form is critical. Check out the DB deadlift here and with barbells here. 

After the deadlifts, do your bench press.  I'm not showing you a video, everyone knows how to bench press.  Start with dumbbells.

Sample Week of More Track
Day 1:  3 sets of 10 squats then 3 sets of 10 presses
Day 2:  3 sets of 10 deadlifts then 3 sets of 10 bench presses

And there you have it.  Once you learn the movements there is no limit to how strong you can get.  You can change the exact number of reps and sets over time and be sure to add weight (if you want to get stronger, which you do).  To my knowledge, the world record in the back squat is 1,268 lb and the world record in the deadlift is 1,015 lb.  When you get close to these numbers let me know and I'll take credit for your training.


Posted by Rachel L. May, M.S.
Adjunct Faculty, College of Health Sciences

Are you giddy with excitement thinking about the new strength training program you're going to begin this week?  Perhaps you went out and bought a home gym with barbells and dumbbells, perhaps even a kettlebell or two.  Or maybe you still think I'm full of _____ and you're just going to keep on runnin'.  Let's hope it's the former.

Before we discuss exercises, let's address some of the concerns I typically hear from clients when I encourage them to begin a strength training program.  We'll review the ones from yesterday's post. 

1) They don't realize it's included in the Guidelines and is a critical component of fitness. 
ACSM includes strength training in the Guidelines "at least two times per week" with a focus on major muscle groups.  Shocking, I know!  But if it wasn't important for fitness, good health and heck, looking good naked, the fine folks at ACSM wouldn't have included it.  They would have said, "Do lots of cardio, and if you're bored and have time on your hands, lift some weights."  But they didn't.

2) In a time-crunched world, strength training takes a backseat to aerobic activity.  If a client only has 30 minutes a day, I find they focus on the cardio thinking they are getting the most out of their time.
Is aerobic activity important?  Absolutely!  But being strong is important too.  Being strong promotes bone health, functional movements and decreases the risks of falls as we age as well as increases the chances we'll live independently in our golden years.  Personally, I'd prefer to be able to care for myself at 90 than have to rely on someone else to do it for me. 

3) They think only aerobic activities promote weight loss.
Actually there is considerable research that shows that moderate intensity aerobic activity over long periods of time (over 30 minutes) can actually decrease muscle mass -- ever heard of "skinny fat"?  You may weigh less on the scale, but be higher in fat.  No one wants that (or shouldn't)!  Focusing on the scale is the wrong objective, focusing on fat is correct.  Increasing muscle (which burns more calories than fat at rest) should be a goal.  Plus, muscle looks better than fat (see: look good naked above).

4) For women, they think if they do strength training exercises they will "get big" and end-up looking like a masculine, professional body builder.
If a woman has huge, masculine muscles she is on drugs. It is that simple.  Show me a woman with huge biceps and quads, and I'll show you a woman on drugs.  Women do not have enough testosterone to produce big muscles.  If we did, we'd be men.  To the women who say they "get big" when lifting weights, they may.  But that's not big, bulky muscles. That's slightly larger muscles underneath fat -- and this is a nutrition issue.  As my favorite saying goes, "You can't out-exercise a bad diet."  Muscles are under there whether you have a layer of fat covering them or not.

5) They think a strength training program involves many different exercises, scary looking machines and many hours in the gym.
Not only do you not need machines, if you're new to strength training, all you need is your body weight.  The exercises I encourage you to incorporate into your program involve only four movements (though I'll give you some additional choices should you feel froggy) and involve either dumbbells or barbells -- standard equipment at any decent fitness center (or available for purchase at a reasonable cost for a home gym).  Don't use machines -- be the machine!  As for the time requirement, well, how long do you think four exercises can take?

I hope I've convinced you (or at least given you reason to consider) that incorporating strength training (and the right kind of strength training) into your fitness program is important.  No, not important, critical.  Tomorrow we'll discuss the only four exercises you need to know to get stronger:  the squat, press, deadlift and bench press.  As mentioned, I'll give you additional options, but these exercises when performed correctly work nearly every muscle in the body and do so in a way that is relevant to human performance and daily life.   Stay tuned for the good stuff!