Synopsis
Book by Merrell Woodson
Extrait
Dr. Merrell’s Morning Shake
Serves two
1 ½ cups mixed frozen berries (or fresh cut pineapple or papaya*)
1 cup pineapple juice (or pomegranate or cherry juice)
½ cup water
¾ cup unsweetened soy milk or rice milk (for soy allergies use whey or organic brown rice protein powder**)
1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger root, peeled and minced (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or turmeric)
1 heaping tablespoon flax meal
1 teaspoon flax oil
1 tablespoon probiotic powder or liquid***
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
* Can cut pineapple or papaya ahead of time and store in airtight container or bag in fridge for up to three days.
** Combine 2 heaping tablespoons of powder with ½ cup water (use instead of soy milk).
*** Make sure contains, at least, acidophilus and bifidophilus. Available in refrigerator section of most health food stores.
Nutrition per Serving
Calories: 193; Total fat (g): 5.2; Saturated fat (g): 0.6; Cholesterol (mg): 0.0; Monounsaturated fat (g): 1.1; Polyunsaturated fat (g): 3.5; Total carbohydrate (g): 33.3; Sugars (g): 21.3; Dietary fiber (g): 4.1; Protein (g): 4.6; Sodium (mg): 51.0
Gym Toys 101
If you’ve ever taken a peek at the strength-training section of a gym you’ve seen quite a few toys – sort of looks like the Polar Bear cage at the zoo. While I’m not a big fan of buying stuff for exercise – most stationary cycles in people’s homes turn mysteriously into clothing racks – some strength toys can be useful for working on those hard-toreach and long-neglected-muscle groups.
· Bands: Basically massive rubber bands that come in different tensile strengths to provide resistance. Hold the bands in front of you, core engaged, and stretch the ends of the bands in opposite directions to exercise the triceps and upper back muscles.
· Balls: You can pimp your push-ups with an exercise ball. Push up with your hands on the ball to improve balance, or with your feet on the ball and hands on the floor, core engaged, to really ratchet up the level of difficulty. Sitting on a ball and trying to remain stable while doing any exercise – such as moving hand weights – engages the core, improves proprioception balance, and intensifies any exercise.
· Weights: Handheld weights are still the standard for strength training. But I’m not taking about hulking up a 50-pound weight, which is invariably done with horrendous postural adjustments. Simple one- to fivepound hand weights are perfectly adequate training tools. I prefer exercises that mimic normal activities. Take a two-pound weight and, with your your core fully engaged, simply go through the motions of loading the car with groceries – lift and reach – or of putting away a carry-on bag in the overhead compartment – lift the weights from shoulder height to up over your head.
· Balance Boards: These add the element of balance to your strength training. New to the scene are microelectric balance boards, which provide a nearly infinitesimal electric vibration that requires your nervous and muscular systems constantly to work for balance
· Jump Ropes: The sine qua non of aerobic and resistance training – jumping rope provides aerobic, core, and upper body training. But skipping rope is extremely rigorous – most people new to aerobic training will be exhausted after a couple of minutes.
Eight Simple EnergyGenerating Exercises
Brisk walk: If I had to choose one energy-generating activity to recommend above all, it is walking. Walk at a pace brisk enough to increase your heart and breath rates; maybe tackle a few flights of stairs while you are at it. As you walk, actively engage your core, monitor your posture, be aware of the range of motion in your hips and thighs, and breathe consciously, working your ribcage like a bellows. You might look a little strange to the casual observer, but you’ll feel so much better when you are finished. With a little practice (and creative visualization), you may even give the impression to others that you are expert enough to be counted in the ranks of professional walkers – after all, racewalking is an Olympic sport.
Breath Work: Inhale quietly and slowly, allowing your abdomen to rise, to the count of 4, pause holding the air lightly to the count of 4, exhale slowly, allowing your abdomen to contract, to the count of 6. Repeat four times. The simple act of slow, deep breathing can be incredibly energizing – and relaxing (see Breath Breaks in the 21-Day Plan).
Seated Warrior (Virasana): This is a very simple stretch and a phenomenal way to expand your breathing capacity (if you have trouble with your knees or back, do this sitting in a chair, not on the floor). Kneel on the floor, shoulders back and down, neck and spine in a straight line perpendicular to the floor. Lower your buttocks to your feet. Raise your arms in front of you to shoulder level, tightly interlock your fingers, palms facing you. Now rotate your wrists and forearms so that palms face out, fingers away. Maintain your posture. With fingers clasped and palms facing away, raise your arms until palms face the ceiling. Keep your shoulders pinched back, sternum lifted, chest expanded, relax throat and neck. Look straight ahead, body and neck in a straight line perpendicular to the ground – no tilting. Breathe evenly and hold the posture for one minute or as long as it’s comfortable. With time you can extend this to five minutes. Bring your arms gently down to your sides. Place palms on the floor, kneel, stand up first with one leg, placing hands on knee for leverage.
Downward-Facing Dog (Adhomukha Svanasana): This simple yoga posture definitely gets your circulation going, but it’s not recommended for individuals with high blood pressure, frequent headaches, or who are pregnant. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, core engaged, head in a straight line with your spine. Take an abdominal breath. Bend from the waist until your palms touch the floor (it’s OK to bend your knees). Place your right foot back about four feet from your hands. Now place your left foot alongside your right so that your butt is in the air, heels on the ground, and you are in an inverted “V” position (again, it’s OK to bend at the knees if it’s uncomfortable to straighten your legs all the way). Straighten your spine (no hunching over). I like Rodney Yee’s description in his book, Moving Toward Balance, “Practice with bent legs, emphasizing the lift of your sitting bones . . . Feel the integration between the length of the sides of your waist, the opening of your chest and the extension of your arms.” B.K.S. Iyengar further recommends tightening muscles at the top of the thighs and pulling in the kneecaps. Just hang out there for a moment, breathing quietly, arms and back straight, heels on the floor. Now bring your right foot back close to your hands, then your left foot, and slowly stand.
Qi Gong Energy Ball: With this exercise, visualize yourself holding a large ball of energy, move slowly and focus on breathing – your arms should move with very little effort, almost as if they are moved by an invisible energetic force. Feet are parallel, knees slightly bent, butt tucked under, arms at your sides. Take a deep, abdominal breath in and out and continue to breathe consciously throughout the exercise. Begin by allowing your arms to float slowly up, shoulder-width apart, palms facing each other as though you’re holding a giant beach ball of energy, waist high in front of you. Bend your arms at the elbows, bringing the imaginary ball closer to you. Now slowly rotate wrists to face palms away from your body and push the ball away until your arms are straight, stepping forward onto your left foot (knee remains slightly bent). Allow arms to float wide apart so that you make a T, bring arms gently down to sides with palms facing each other as you step left foot back to its original place. Float arms upward again, in front of you, holding the ball of energy. “Lift” the ball over your head and let go, now allow your arms to slowly float back down to your sides, breathing quietly, core engaged, butt tucked under, shoulders down and back. Repeat, this time stepping right foot forward.
Hopping: Jumping rope is the best, full-fitness, aerobic energy-generating exercise, but it’s not always convenient to whip out a jump rope. You can hop up and down just about anywhere – next to your desk, standing in line at the bank, waiting for a train. Hop thirty times; finish by standing for a moment with good posture and taking four slow abdominal breaths.
Pushups and core crunches (see above).
Rock out with your iPod: No explanation necessary. Freeform dancing is not only fun, but allows you to log an aerobic workout without the psychic pain.
Bad Sleep: The Causes and Cures
Poor sleep can be a function of inferior quality (having your sleep stages out of sync for any number of reasons), or inadequate quantity (getting too little sleep, which cuts off sleep stages), or it can be a function of both, which is absolutely the worst-case scenario. No matter what the cause, however, you can get your sleep problems under control and it is vitally important that you do so. I find that the best way to encourage my patients to practice better sleep habits is to let them know exactly what conditions and choices have a negative impact on sleep.
Aging – It turns out that the definition of normal sleep goes out the window as we age. Much of the trouble has to do with shifting hormones at midlife R...
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