Bartley Center Wellness News – 74 (February 2007)

 

1. Core exercises: beyond your average abs routine

2. Get Hooked on Sushi

3. Microwave Out the Germs

4. Quotes

5. A Wellness Challenge

 

Wellness News quiz:

 

1.      Proximal stability promotes distal stability.  True/False

2.      Many people blend some of the wasabi with soy sauce to make a tasty dipping sauce for their sushi. True/False

3.      Your microwave can be a powerful weapon in protecting you and your family against disease-causing germs.  True/False

4.      Who said - “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

Answers are below in the reading material.

 

1. Core exercises: beyond your average abs routine

 

A well-balanced core exercise routine focuses on more than your abs. Did you know that your core is where all movement in your body originates? The buzzword of the physical therapy and fitness industries over the past few years has been “core training”. The “core” of the body is simply what’s between the shoulders and hips. Which basically is  the trunk and pelvis. Nearly every basic movement involves the use of your abdominals, obliques and/or erector muscles. These muscles are the core of all strength and power movements, as well as the core muscular connection between your upper and lower body. If you have a stable trunk you will be able to move you arms and legs better and with less injury. In more technical terms, proximal stability promotes distal stability.  If we are able to develop a strong core then everything else will function better. The basic concepts of core training are not new.  However, there are advanced techniques that have yielded good results. Many forms of exercise, including Pilate’s, stability balls, work with medicine balls, wobble boards,  exercise balls, and yoga, are forms of core training. The main focus is to start with non-challenging positions and to practice contracting the appropriate muscles to stabilize the core and to make “core training” a  part of your total wellness lifestyle. Core exercises are often neglected.

To get your core muscles in better shape, it's important to understand what your body's core is and how you can strengthen it. Your body's core — the area around your trunk and pelvis — is where your center of gravity is located. A strong core gives you:

 

1.           Increased protection and "bracing" for your back

2.           Controlled movement

3.           A more stable center of gravity

4.           A more stable platform for sports movements

 

When you have good core stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in harmony. They provide support to your spine for just about any activity.

A weak core can make you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries. Strong core muscles provide the brace of support needed to help prevent such pain and injury.

Strengthening your core

Core strengthening requires the regular and proper exercise of your body's core muscles. Basic exercises that will enhance your core fitness include the:

  1. Bridge
  2. Abdominal crunch or sit-up
  3. Plank
  4. Quadruped
  5. The lunge: traditionally thought of as a leg muscle exercise, the lunge is a perfect example of a dynamic stability exercise.

 

In addition, a fun alternative to your basic core strengthening regimen is to learn exercises that use a fitness ball. Balancing on these oversized, inflated balls requires that you focus on using your core muscles for support.

Getting the most from your workout:

  1. It's important to do your core exercises at least three times a week. For optimal results, remember to:
  2. Choose exercises that work your core muscles simultaneously. Rather than isolate each muscle group in your trunk, the best exercises for your core are those that get muscles working together at the same time.
  3. Focus on quality of movement rather than quantity. You'll gradually build up to a greater number of repetitions. When starting out, take it slow and learn how to properly perform each exercise with optimal technique.
  4. Breathe steadily and slowly. Breathe freely while doing each of the exercises in your core strengthening workout. Your instinct may be to hold your breath during an exercise, but it's better to continue breathing.
  5. Take a break when you need one. When your muscles get tired, stop and change exercises. And, if you work your core muscles to fatigue during an exercise session, wait at least a day between workouts to allow the muscles to recover.
  6. Get help from a trained professional. Body position and alignment are crucial when performing core strengthening exercises. When you begin, it's a good idea to have a fitness trainer or physical therapist help you perfect your technique.
  7. And remember that strengthening workouts — even core strengthening — are just one part of a complete fitness program. Include aerobic exercise and flexibility training to round out your regimen.

 

2. Get Hooked on Sushi

Go ahead, dive into that sushi platter - and stay safe doing it. 

 

Sushi is rich in omega-3s and it is a wonderful opportunity to eat fish and get a good dose of these healthy fatty acids. Of course as a food safety fanatic,  some people only order sushi made with cooked fish -- but more on that later.

 

Ordering sushi is a visual treat as well as a taste experience. At a good sushi bar or restaurant, attention is paid not only to the combination of flavors, but to the presentation of each dish. The sushi itself is beautiful to behold, and so is the speed and mastery of the chef behind the sushi bar.

 

There are several different types of sushi: nigiri sushi (in which mounds of sticky rice are wrapped or layered with seafood and other ingredients); maki sushi (in which sticky rice and other ingredients are rolled into a cylinder, using thin sheets of dried seaweed); and then there is sashimi (sliced raw fish, served with a variety of condiments).

 

Speaking of condiments, there are three no sushi platter is complete without: soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. Pickled ginger, you ask? Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it! These mild-tasting, pretty pink slices have a purpose -- they help to cleanse the palate and offer relief from the spicy wasabi. Wasabi is basically Japanese horseradish, and it's HOT, HOT, HOT! It comes as a powder that you make into a thick, bright green paste by adding liquid.

 

Many people blend some of the wasabi with soy sauce to make a tasty dipping sauce for their sushi. Others top each slice of sushi with a slice of the pickled ginger that is dipped into the soy sauce.

 

Sushi in the Raw: How risky is the raw fish in sushi? California Health Services researchers recently studied seven risky foods that can carry infections, and what should appear on their list? You guessed it: raw fresh fish.

 

Properly prepared and handled sushi fish is safer than other raw fish, but it's obviously not as safe as cooked fish.

The good news: seafood is very safe to eat. He says that on a pound-for-pound basis, seafood is at least as safe as other meat sources. But no food is completely safe.

 

The bad: If you do encounter raw fish parasites, the effects can range from mild discomfort to severe illness, depending on the type of worm you ingest, according to the Environmental Nutrition newsletter. If the culprit is a tapeworm, fluke, or flatworm, you may not even know it until it passes out in your stool. Or you might experience nausea, cramps, and diarrhea.

 

And the ugly: If the worm you swallow is the roundworm (Anisakis simplex), it may tickle your throat as it is swallowed, causing you to cough or vomit it up. Or it can bore into your stomach or gut lining, causing severe abdominal inflammation and pain that mimics appendicitis or an ulcer, often within an hour of eating. Getting the worm out at this point is no simple matter - it requires an endoscope or surgery.

 

The cure: Commercial freezing for at least 72 hours at 4 degrees Fahrenheit kills the parasitic worms and their larvae. Please note, though, that home freezers usually can't reach temperatures this low.

 

So what's a sushi lover to do?

Order sushi from reputable restaurants, where the restaurant and fish provider follow food safety standards. You can ask if the fish has been previously frozen.

Completely cooked is always the safest way to eat fish

The FDA recommends that you don't risk eating raw fish if you're pregnant or have a compromised immune system.  Don't make your own sushi with raw fish unless you can freeze the fish for more than 72 hours at 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, use cooked fish or vegetables. For example, a California roll  is made with avocado and cooked crabmeat.

 

3. Microwave Out the Germs

              It has recently been tested that your microwave can be a powerful weapon in protecting you and your family against disease-causing germs.  Zapping sponges and plastic scrubbing pads in the microwave can kill bacteria, such as E. coli, that cause illnesses.  Many people often put their sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher, but if they want to decontaminate them and not just clean them, they should use the microwave. 

              Germs from uncooked eggs, meat, and vegetables often get into countertops and cleaning tools.  The dampness of sponges, dishcloths, and scrubbers provide an ideal breeding ground for the bugs.  Two minutes in the microwave at full power kill or inactivate more than 99% of all living germs.  If you zap your sponges for four minutes, none of the bacterial spores will survive. 

Before you zap your sponges, follow this advice:

4.   Quotes:


“There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.” -  Johann Sebastian Bach

 

“Maybe this world is another planet's hell.” - Aldous Huxley

 

“We never reflect how pleasant it is to ask for nothing.” - Seneca

 

“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.” - Oscar Wilde

 

“Happiness is good health and a bad memory.” -  Ingrid Bergman

 

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” - Abraham Lincoln

 

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” - Maya Angelou

 

“Never judge someone by who he's in love with; judge him by his friends. People fall in love with the most appalling people. Take a cool, appraising glance at his pals.” - Cynthia Heimel

 

“We trained hard - but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we were reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing, and what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while actually producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.” - Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.

 

“Amor est vitae essentia - Love is the essence of life.” - Anonymous

 

5. A Wellness Challenge - keep it simple: find and preserve the simplicity in well-being, live healthy by eating healthy and participating in regular, meaningful physical exercise. Not only does it sound simple, it is simple.