Five Reasons Your Red Wine is Keeping You Fat

Red wine has been lauded as the heart-healing and waistline-friendly beverage of choice for the health-conscious. In addition to the artery-dilating effects of alcohol, resveratrol, a polyphenol derived from the skins of red grapes, is a powerful antioxidant that protects the endothelial lining of your arterial walls. Resveratrol is known to increase HDL, the "good" cholesterol, prevent blood clots, and lower blood pressure. Another element found in red wine, piceatannol, has been found to block the maturation and growth of fat cells. But despite its good rap, drinking red wine could still be playing a role in keeping you from losing weight. Here's how:

• You are exceeding the serving size.  One serving of red wine is 6 oz, or 3/4 cup. One bottle of wine contains about 4.25 servings. At 123 calories per serving, one bottle packs a whopping 738 calories. 
• You are consuming too many daily calories. One pound of fat equals about 3500 calories. If you drink one bottle of wine in addition to your daily caloric requirement, you will gain a pound every five days. To lose weight, make sure your caloric consumption from food and wine is less than your daily caloric expenditure.
• Your quality of sleep is suffering. Drinking alcohol before bed can interfere with your quality of sleep, leaving you sleep deprived, which in turn stimulates stress hormones that make you fat. 
• You have fatty liver. Fatty liver is a buildup of fat cells in the liver which is a precursor to cirrhosis. Because fat is metabolized in the liver, a diseased and impaired liver may be unable to break down fat efficiently when you are trying to lose weight. Exercise and healthy nutrition can reverse fatty liver before it becomes a more serious condition.
• You are not exercising enough, or not doing the right kind of exercise. Walking or moderate intensity cardio is not enough to lose unwanted body fat. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 250 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week, plus two to three weekly weight training sessions that exercise all the major muscle groups of your body. If you can't spare that much time, try high-intensity interval training to burn more calories and reduce body fat in a shorter total workout time.

On a happier note, one serving of red wine contains about the same number of calories as a cup of warm milk. You could just stop drinking wine, but what's the fun in that?

H.I.T. it! Lose Weight and Feel Amazing

H.I.T. (High-Intensity Interval Training)

High-Intensity Interval Training is a great way to burn excess body fat and take your personal fitness to a new level. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, H.I.T. describes any workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less-intense activity or even complete rest. H.I.T. can be performed in a gym using cardiovascular and resistance equipment, or outdoors, as a walk/run or jog/sprint sequence. 

One great thing about H.I.T. is that it can knock hours per week off your workout time by burning more calories and challenging your body's systems at a higher intensity over a shorter duration of time. A typical H.I.T. workout can take as little as 15 minutes per session. When performed three to five times per week, H.I.T. can significantly improve cardiovascular health, promote lean muscle development and decrease your body fat percentage.

A simple H.I.T. workout that can be performed outdoors or on a treadmill is walking at a moderate pace for two minutes, then sprinting all-out for one minute. A similar pattern can be performed on a stationary bike or elliptical trainer. Perform this three-minute sequence five times per session, for a total of 15 minutes. Be sure to include a three to five minute warm-up and a gradual cool-down. 

Another example of H.I.T. is to perform resistance training sets of eight to 12 repetitions interspersed with jumping rope for one minute. The idea is to alternate moderate and high-intensity exercise to optimize benefits to your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, in order to achieve optimal results. 

If you've been using the excuse that you don't have time to exercise, H.I.T. can be the perfect solution to get you up and moving toward your fitness goals. 

What Are GMOs (and Why Should You Care)?

About the Buzz

You have probably heard some buzz about GMOs, which stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. Recently, Whole Foods mandated its suppliers must label all products containing GMOs by 2018, and the Girl Scouts are petitioning the makers of their cookies to ban GMO ingredients from their products. Chipotle restaurants banned GMO foods from their ingredients in 2015. So what exactly are GMOs, and why should you care?

Here, There and Everywhere

Genetically modified organisms have been manipulated by genetic engineering to change their fundamental DNA structure. Foods are often modified to enhance taste, improve resistance to pests and disease, withstand the rigors of shipping, and increase shelf life. GMOs  are widely prevalent in our food supply, and have invaded every genre of crop, dairy product and animal. Almost all processed foods, unless otherwise labeled, have ingredients that are genetically modified. Ranchers and dairy farmers feed their livestock GMOs, which are passed on to you when you eat them. Fresh produce, fish and poultry are not immune from GMOs.

They Must Be Safe, Right?

Given their prevalence in our food supply, most consumers assume that GMOs are safe to eat. So why should we avoid GMO foods? In 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) stated that, "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with genetically modified food..." Risks to human health include infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. To learn more about GMOs’ health risks to humans, you can download a free brochure from the Institute for Responsible Technology.

Only in the USA

In Europe genetically modified foods must be labeled, and are easy to avoid. But in the United States and Canada, labeling of GMOs is not required. Recently, the US Congress voted on a bill which critics labeled The DARK Act, standing for Deny Americans the Right to Know. The bill would have allowed food manufacturers to hide GMO ingredients. The Bill passed in the House but was defeated in the Senate.

How to Dodge GMOs

Here are some pointers on avoiding GMO foods:

• Educate yourself on which products are most likely to be genetically modified. Soybeans, corn, wheat, sugar, canola, papayas, zucchini and baked goods typically contain GMOs.
• Buy only foods that are labeled 100 percent organic.
• Buy local, from local farmers who do not mass-produce huge crops.
• Grow your own, using organic seeds and organic soil. 
• Eat only organic free range grass-fed beef and poultry.
• Eat only wild-caught fish. 
• Filter your drinking water with a quality filter.

If you want more information about avoiding GMO foods, you can download a free copy of the “Non-GMO Shopping Guide” from the Institute for Responsible Technology.

A Little Lipstick Goes a Long Way

To feel better about yourself almost immediately, a little lipstick goes a long way. It will make you feel beautiful, empowered and sexy. You don't have to be going out, or expecting company. Do it for yourself, to boost your self esteem each time you look in the mirror!

What's Up with Gluten-Free?

OK, so even if you don't keep up with the latest "health food" trends, you have probably seen an increasing number of products labeled "gluten-free" on your supermarket shelves. So what's the deal?
Well, it turns out that excessive consumption of gluten found in products made from wheat, barley and rye can lead to "wheat belly", a distant cousin to beer belly, but without the suds (or the fun!). In some cases, gluten can cause celiac disease, leaky gut syndrome and inflammation.

God love American ingenuity! Rather than simply forsaking foods made from wheat, rye and barley, food manufacturers have cashed in on the insanity by offering an array of products that masquerade as the original (bread, pasta, muffins, cake..you name it), and Americans are literally gobbling it up!

But, as the above video implies, ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby!

So if you want to cut back on gluten (and if you're overweight, have high blood pressure or are type II diabetic it's a good idea), here are some helpful tips:

• Increase your consumption of fresh whole natural organic vegetables and fruits.
• Eat lean grass-fed organic meats, fish, poultry and eggs. 
• Limit your intake of grain-based products to one or two servings per week.
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store (but bypass the ice cream and pizza cases!), and leave the processed food alone (if it comes in a box, can or bag, it's processed). 
• Stop drinking soft drinks and juices of any kind. 
• Drink plain filtered water and a daily glass of red wine (mine is a really large glass!)
• Exercise outdoors daily (a daily walk will do).
• And whatever you do, avoid products that try to imitate the real thing! Oat milk? Really?

The Road Less Traveled

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 

Robert Frost

Take a Hike!

"Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far." -Thomas Jefferson

Of course we are all aware that walking is beneficial for health and fitness. It elevates your heart-rate to promote good cardiovascular function and burns calories at a faster rate than sitting on your bum. But perhaps the greatest benefit of walking is that it helps to manage stress, which, if you haven't heard, can kill you. 

Stress-reducing benefits of walking:

• Increased oxygen flow to your brain helps activate brain cells and clear foggy thinking, which in turn makes you more alert and astute.
• Altered body chemistry from exercise enhances mood and reduces metabolic disorders.
• When walking outdoors, your skin absorbs Vitamin D, known to enhance mood, improve sleep patterns, and perform many vital metabolic functions.
• Walking in the early morning helps you start your day on the right foot by enhancing your mood, waking up the body's systems, and giving you time to plan your day.
• Walking after dinner helps burn off extra blood sugar, gives you time to wind down and reflect on your day, and prepares you for a good night'ssleep.

You don't have to walk for very long or very far to realize the stress-reducing benefits of walking. I recommend walking outdoors, because it is less goal-oriented and less time-bound than treadmill walking (which can be stressful). As you walk, breathe deeply and enjoy nature. Tune in to your senses and feel the sun on your skin and the breeze in your hair. Let your mind wander and ponder. 

I guarantee that walking morning and evening each day will make you healthier, happier and wiser. 

Aaron Schwartz

OK, I know I'm a little behind the curve on this one, but a post on my Yahoo Finance feed featuring 29 year old multi-millionaire Alexis Ohanian, techie co-founder of reddit.com, got me thinking.

Aaron Schwarz was a techie-geek who felt strongly that research funded by the tax dollars of "We the People" should be public domain. He was being persecuted and prosecuted by the federal government  for hacking web files at MIT. At the age of 26, he hanged himself.

I, for one, agree with Ohanian and Schwartz that the internet should be open and accessible to all. In particular, I feel that as a taxpayer, I should have access to publicly funded research. And I believe that internet access should be available at no cost to any and all Americans.

The Gun Debate

Now, before you get all up in arms (ha-ha, pun intended), let me preface this post by saying that I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where the annual deer hunt was de rigueur, in a home where an array of guns was displayed on a wooden wall rack hand-crafted by my father, the ammo readily available in a bottom tray. As a child, I learned to shoot a .22 and a shotgun on my grandparent's farm, and shot bow and arrow at targets with my dad and brother. My son and two sons-in-law are all in the military, and are all gun enthusiasts. So, as you can see, I am not totally ignorant of guns and the culture of guns.

However, also as a child, I witnessed an episode where an unnamed relative was hell-bent on shooting another unnamed relative the minute he walked in the door. The only thing that stopped her was the fact that she didn't know how to load the damn gun. Let's just say that that was one hell of a domestic dispute, the memory of which has stuck with me to this day. Many gun murders are crimes of passion, committed by registered gun owners or their loved ones, in their own homes.

But here's the thing. Here in the United States, we register automobiles and require driver's licenses as a means to ensure the safety of all, because automobiles can also become lethal weapons when driven by intoxicated drivers, or unlicensed drivers, or car thieves out for a joy ride.  Licensing and registration give us a means to establish statistics, to identify unsafe drivers, to track down stolen vehicles and to discourage unsafe driving behaviors. Registered vehicles bring in substantial revenues to the states.

Would it be such a horrible idea to establish a similar system for qualifying gun owners and registering guns? It is not a total solution for diminishing gun violence against innocent victims, but it is a start.

Crash and Burn

My friends and family know that I am a "can do" kind of woman, an ethic instilled in me by my grandmother whose favorite adage was, "There is no such word as can't". But while Grandma's wisdom has served me well throughout my life, it has its down side. Because when it comes to taking on any opportunity that comes my way, my ready response echoes the Obama campaign of 2008: "Yes I can!"

Now, this spirit of can-doism is a useful tool most of the time. But when opportunities abound, it can get out of hand. Take 2012 as a prime example. I was enrolled in graduate school full-time, working a full-time job as fitness director of a retirement community, and free-lancing it as a curriculum developer for a national corporation. Add to that trips to Wisconsin to help my aging mother remain in her home. Oh, and did I mention that my daughter moved to England and gave birth to her second child, and that my son had a big white wedding in Seattle, clear across the country from my home in Virginia? To keep myself "balanced", I finished writing a 400 page novel!

Was I a tad stressed out? A bit overwhelmed? Hell, no! I was flat-out crazy, a basket case of gargantuan proportions. I didn't know if I was coming or going, didn't have time for anybody who mattered, didn't even have time to transfer funds from savings to checking for my trip to Seattle. As mother of the groom, I bought a dress that I hated on the fly because I didn't have time to shop, totally drew a blank on the shower gift and ended up buying a lame food processor, and showed up late for the bridal shower because I was busy meeting a deadline for my free-lance job.

Crash and burn. It is the story of my life. I bite off more than I can chew, and then choke on it. But this time, it did me in to the point where I had to slam on the brakes. After peeling my face off the windshield, I have resolved to take some time off to find my center again, and to redefine who I am. I have put my ambition on the back burner to resurrect my childhood dreams and restore my sanity. It is a journey, a spiritual quest of sorts, to get to know me again, post-divorce, post-kids, and post-crazy.

My ultimate goal is to find a sustainable lifestyle that allows me to live well, with plenty of time to smell the roses. Can I do it? Yes I can!

It Happens to the Best of Us

In case you haven't heard, we're all going to die. Whether you believe that we all come with our own unique expiration date, or that we are mere victims of circumstance, in the end we will return to the dust we are made of.

Over the last four decades of the twentieth century, the National Center for Health Statistics reported the average life expectancy in the U.S. increased from 66.9 to 74.1 years for men and from 73.5 to 79.6 for women. And according to the Census Bureau, America's population of centenarians – already the largest in the world – has roughly doubled over the past 20 years. But while it appears that our population at large is experiencing greater longevity, the question remains whether quantity of years is matched by quality of life.

This blog is about optimizing your quality of life today and in the future, so that all your years can be healthy, happy, productive ones. No matter your age, it is never too early or too late to take measures to improve your quality of life. So lets get started!