Fakes

     fake rolex, fake hermes, fake gucci-we've all heard about these and others but how about fake manuka. manuka? yes, manuka-manuka honey that is. maybe you have tried this very expensive honey that is so popular that fake manuka honey  is being sold.
     why all the fuss? manuka honey or as some like to call it-tea tree honey-is made by bees (of course) collecting nectar from the manuka plant that grows primarily in new zealand. the fuss is because it is said to have greater health benefits and anti-bacterial action than other honeys. other claims are that it helps with digestion, heals burns and improves our immune systems. the maoris have used and believed in its properties for many years before the scientific communities became interested.
     but so far, as much as i have been able to discover, many of these claims have not been tested and in at least one clinical trial the honey did not aid in digestion. ok but honey is a good thing overall.  the larger concern is the "fake" aspect. people are paying a lot more for this honey and may not be getting the real thing. the problem is in the amounts of this honey that is being sold-this number is much higher than the actual amount of manuka honey that is being produced. remember we are talking about honey bees here.
     it is a miracle to me that bees can produce honey and i can appreciate why certain honeys are more expensive than others. i like to buy local honey and it is more expensive than store brands. but i also feel that it is what it says it is. as it has  been said for a long, long time caveat emptor -buyer beware.
   

Especially for Women

since women are built differently than men-wider hips are an obvious example-there are some specific, important exercises that especially benefit women and that we should be doing if not already. here is a partial list:

• lateral lunges-side movements help stabilize hips, stabile hips help our knees.
• walking lunges-again targets the hips while helping the knees.
• squats-having strong glutes helps everything!
• pull ups-women lose arm, shoulder strength rapidly. we have less muscle to begin with so really need this type of weight bearing exercise.

on a more advanced level:

• TRX rows
• kettlebell squat push press
• ball rollout, plank version

if you would like more detailed info on any of these exercises just contact me, ask at your fitness facility or do a search on google or you tube.

Additive Awareness

     ever hear of propyl gallate? or how about diactyl? i could list many more but i think your answer might be the same-no. these are some of the additives in our foods along with other chemicals, artificial colors and flavorings. it is big business. much of it is not good for us.
     a non-profit research group-EWG-is trying to educate us about the potential health concerns of these additives and that many of the additives allowed in the US are banned in other countries. as one of their senior scientists recently said "with thousands of ingredients lurking in food, EWG wanted to bring attention to additives that may have implications for human health, and we wanted to expose how the food regulatory system has failed us."
     if you believe that in part we are what we eat you might like further information and a list of their "dirty dozen" at www.ewg.org

Lean In

     are you sitting as you read this? most likely, just as i am while posting. by now most of us are aware of how bad sitting is for us. there are many suggestions as to how to alleviate this-stand up desks, sitting on a stability ball, at a minimum getting up and walking around (if allowed where you work). but there is one simple thing that we can do right now to help our backs and its not lean in but its to lean back.
     sheryl sandberg is the ceo of facebook and wrote lean in. talk about pressure. corporate pressure. but the problem we have with our backs is often disk pressure. if we think of the pressure on our backs when standing-hopefully with good posture!-as 100%. if you lean in while sitting to 80 degrees -a very common posture- the pressure increases to 190% squeezing the disks in our lower backs. but if you lean back to 110 degrees the pressure is only about 105%, almost as low as standing. if 110 degrees is not practical try 100 degrees where the pressure is still only 115%. what is 100 degrees? think of sitting at a right angle-90%-then lean back slightly.
    so there may be good advice in the corporate world to "lean in" but good advice for your disks while sitting-lean back.

Arctic Air/Arctic Apples

     many areas of the country are experiencing arctic air with record low temperatures. burrrrrr! not quite sure why a company choose the name of "arctic" for a new type of genetically modified apple that won't brown when sliced. the "enhanced" granny smith or golden delicious apples are supposed to encourage more apple consumption (?) but during the open to the public comment time at the department of agriculture the majority of consumers were not in favor of this these new gmo apples. no surprise there or that they were approved for  our eating pleasure.
     the saying " an apple a day keeps the doctor away" has been with us in various forms for over 150 years. i love apples and they are high in fiber and vitamin c. most of us do not eat enough fiber. although perhaps the old saying should have been " a pear a day keeps the doctor away" as pears have 50% more fiber than apples and more vitamin k. maybe as i am writing this arctic pears are also coming our way.

Maple Water

     last year i ventured into several natural food markets and asked for maple water. the response-blank looks. jump ahead to 2015 and approximately 7 companies are producing this "water" made from unprocessed sugar maple tree sap. it has less sugar, so fewer calories, than the ever so popular coconut water.
     besides less sugar and being all natural maple water also contains vitamin b, manganese and other antioxidants. it is also hoped that if it grows in popularity it will help to maintain forests.
     oddly enough this drink is very popular in korea, especially in the spring as a tonic. i shouldn't be surprised that even amazon now carries it-not inexpensive but you might want to give it a try.

Ad Sense

     not counting the super bowl that had approx. 47 minutes of advertising (and the fact that many look forward to and watch the super bowl ads) the average, hour long tv/cable show has 15 minutes worth of ads. people often watch at least 2 hours of programming a night.
     facebook reports that the average american spends 40 minutes on its site every day.
     the number one reason americans say that they don't exercise-NO TIME.
     more than a third of americans are overweight or obese.
     you can probably guess where i'm heading. cut back on your facebook time and work out or exercise during all those ads! health benefits would come from meeting the minimum requirement of 20-30 minutes of exercise a day. you think that you have no time-think again.