Fitness post of the week: Tech week!

Technology is wonderful and I am a nut when it comes to new gear. I'm now eagerly awaiting the arrival of my iPad! However, when you think of technology, it's not always something you associate with health and fitness. Video games, iPods, smartphones: images of people glued to their computer screens and their iPhones just make my mind reel with obesity statistics.

However, consider this. I've had a Wii for about a year now and I haven't played any video games where I sit still.  I bought it specifically to try out some of the fitness modules. After trying a few, I'm now using The Biggest Loser module.  I've been following this program at least loosely for about a month. (Note: I am not good at compulsive behaviour - has my family ever done anything exactly the same for the holidays, ever? No). I needed something new and different, because especially around this time of year, I get incredibly bored with exercise. Too nasty outside to hike. My exercise DVDs are all old. My Zumba class isn't happening tonight. And to top it off, this month has been incredibly, ridiculously busy. You know all the excuses!

So, I created my profile, weighed in, answered all the questions, and got started. It took me awhile to get used to the menu, but as I worked it, now I know what I'm doing. At first, I elected full body workouts at the "Challenging" level, 4 times a week for 60 minutes. I included the Fitness ball and exercise bands as options. As I scanned the workout calendar, I saw that I'd be doing various workouts ("Box-Fit", "Full body", and "Yoga) throughout the week. However, as I worked my way through, the workouts all seemed pretty much the same combination of exercises, with emphases on certain ones. For example, when doing the "Yoga" workout, I was doing more planks and downward facing dogs, but I was also doing side leg-raises and boxing. Box Fit included lots of strikes and punches, but also some bicep curls. Although I enjoy most of the exercises themselves, they became a bit repititious, and the fact that my "trainer" kept repeating the same encouraging words whether I was working my butt off, or sitting on it, was a bit un-encouraging. At the "Challenging" level, they're probably not as strenuous as what I'd get from a machine at the gym or from lifting free weights but I had to admit I felt pretty good when I was done. I also liked the weekly feedback of weighing in, and some of the Challenges were fun.

 I didn't participate in the recipe section, since we already eat very healthy meals. I liked most of the Health and Lifestyle hints, and even tried a few. However, after about 2 weeks, I realized I was getting bored, and I had to change things up a bit.

So, I went back into the profile information and changed my workouts to 30 minutes each. I decided since I did enjoy the exercises, I should keep doing them just to assure that I was working out all my muscle groups at least 4 times a week. But I needed to supplement those 30 minutes in order to get the 60 minutes I need in order to maintain my current weight. Also, I wanted to get more Pilates and Yoga workouts....

So I went back to my Wii's "Home" menu, where I can access all my Netflix watch-instantly videos to stream to the Wii. This is available to current members for no additional charge, or, if all you want are the instant movies, you can join for just $7.95 a month. I've found a plethora of exercise videos available there. Willa and I really like the videos that are divided into 10-minute sections such as "10 solution: Kickbox Boot Camp." I've found that mixing it up, either with these Netflix instant-watch videos, or videos in my current DVD library, keeps me interested enough to push myself a bit more than I might.

Next week I'm going to post about another technological option: podcasts! Stay tuned.

Recipe of the week from Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine: SPRING rolls!

When I was shopping at the Martin's in Hagerstown, I noticed that they're stocking the rice papers used for spring rolls. I was so happy to see this; I used to have to order them from an online Asian grocery.

Fresh spring rolls are so versatile and healthy. Unlike their fried cousins, fresh spring rolls are made by softening the rice paper in hot water. Then you wrap up whatever delectable filling you like. There are a lot of good recipes on the web for fresh spring rolls. Or get creative and take a look in your refrigerator; you'll surely find something to roll into a delightful appetizer.

Don't be afraid of the rice papers. They aren't quite as delicate as they look. You will want to take care of them when you get them home, because they can break easily.

When you're ready to make your rolls, first have all your ingredients ready to go. Rather than chopped, your ingredients should be very finely sliced. Aim for very fine matchsticks approximately 1/2" long. You know those carrot shreds you can buy in the grocery store? They're the perfect size. Don't use anything too wet. It might help if you give the wetter ingredients, such as cucumber, a light pat with a paper towel after chopping them. Here are some things I've wrapped: almost ripe avocados, cucumber, raw asparagus, the packaged coleslaw cabbage, shredded lettuce, spring onions, chopped, cooked shrimp, cilantro, the aforementioned carrot shreds, and peppers. You can also fill the rolls with those bean thread, or cellophane noodles after they've been soaked properly. They give your rolls a nice texture. I like to have each ingredient in a separate dish; some people just throw them all together.

When you're ready to roll (!), fill a pie pan or other shallow dish with very hot water. I also keep my tea pot full of hot water to refresh it if I'm making a big batch of spring rolls.

Then here's how it goes:

1. Dip one rice paper in the pie pan of hot water, count to five or six, flip it with tongs, count again, and then use the tongs to deftly lift it out and onto a large, clean plate.
2.  Smooth it out a bit, and then put in a few tablespoons of filling near the middle. Try to keep the filling so all the matchsticks are vertical -- otherwise they might poke through the rice paper.
3. Then fold in the ends and starting at the bottom, roll it up nice and tightly. There are numerous videos on Youtube that demonstrate this; here's one that doesn't have any smutty comments after it!

 As you wrap your rolls, occassionally you may rip the wrapper. Don't worry -- just keep rolling. If the roll falls apart, just cut it in half, or eat it! Just go slow. This is not something you're going to want to rush, so make these on a day you can relax and enjoy the experience.

You'll probably want to make a dip. The dip can be spicy, sour, or sweet. Try experimenting with combinations of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chili garlic sauce, or sesame oil or just use one of the recipes in the link above.

Once you're done, you have the perfect picnic food, or party appetizer. I usually cut the spring rolls in half with a very sharp knife right before serving; otherwise they get eaten way too quickly! I've put a plateful of these down at a buffet, and by the time I got to them in the line, they were completely gone. So one final hint: If you want any for yourself, put some in the refrigerator!

  

Random post of the week from Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine

What's going on at Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine? Well, plenty, actually. We have just been chosen to participate in Maryland's pilot Patient Centered Medical Home project. What does this mean?

Basically, it means that all patient care is coordinated through your primary care provider while making sure certain quality measures are being met. So when you come and see Dr. Nelson or Dr. Hahn for a problem that needs a specialist's care, we will follow that care closely. The specialist becomes part of the team that takes care of you.

Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine was one of only 50 family practice offices in Maryland chosen to participate in this pilot program. In order to be considered for this pilot, a practice had to meet a number of requirements. Partly because we're already a state-of-the art practice, we were able to qualify. One of the requirements was that we use Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software to maintain patient records. The EMR had to meet criteria such as providing decision support, tracking of labs and other tests, and implement e-prescribing. The Oxbow EMR (described as "Coolest Product of 2010" by Health Management Technology!) that we use more than satisfies these and other requirements. Other requirements, such as always having same-day appointments available for acute illnesses, offering round-the-clock phone response from a provider and re-visit planning and after-visit follow-up for care management are already part of our mission to provide compassionate, highest quality medical care in an efficient and professional manner. So although in many ways we already meet the requirements of this program, we will now be implementing them using measures to prove that this team-based, patient-centered care could be a model for the future.

If you'd like to read more about the Maryland PCMH pilot project, including the exact criteria for becoming part of the project, just follow this link.

Healthy hint of the week: Sleep more, eat less

Of course, the more you sleep, the less you might do of anything. That doesn't mean you should sleep all the time just to lose weight (Although, look what happens to a fat little caterpillar when he curls up in his cocoon! Hmmmm....)
But think about it. What do you do when you're sleepy, and you want to watch the last 1/2 hour of that movie? Your tired brain might even trick you into thinking it's hungry instead of tired. You might grab some popcorn to munch on, or a soda to keep you awake.  And eating something might even work for a little while when your mind is distracted from being tired. People don't always make the best choices when they're fatigued, either -- when you're tired, you're more likely to choose the easiest thing to eat or get ready to eat, and that's not always going to be that bag of baby carrots, believe me. In a recent study, 13 men and women were kept on the same diet for 4 days for two sessions each.  For one of those sessions, they got plenty of sleep. For the other session, they were only permitted to sleep for 4 hours. At the end of the 4 days of both sessions, they were allowed to eat whatever they wanted. On the 5th day, people consumed about 300 more calories when they hadn't slept as much. Furthermore, most of the calories they chose to eat came from fat! Just imagine what a steady diet of sleep deprivation could add up to. Very interesting! Here's something else interesting: did you know that some foods can prevent you from sleeping? Watch this slideshow for more information. Good night! ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Fitness Pick of the Week: Ladies Boot Camp!

I realize that my last week's fitness post was mostly directed to the women. And so is this one. If any of you guys would like to donate some thoughts on your favorite fitness activities, please email me! I'd love to feature guest writers from time to time.
Rankin's Fitness Center test ran a Boot Camp for women a few months ago and it was a huge success. I went to the gym one night for what I thought was going to be a quick, quiet workout, and the whole place was buzzing with Boot Camp women. I felt inspired and invigorated just watching them! Now Rankins is running this as a regular program on two levels:


Level 1 for those who are new to boot camp: Classes are designed to be completed between 30-45 minutes

Level 2 for those who have already taken one of our boot camp classes or are regulars at Rankin Fitness Center; these classes are designed to be completed between 45-60 minutes.

Level 1-Tuesday & Thursday from 6-6:45pm

Level 2- Tuesday & Thursday from 2-2:45pm

              Monday & Wednesday from 5-5:45pm

 Sign up online at www.rankinptfc.com or stop by the front desk! The cost is only $55.00 for all 8 weeks/16 classes.

Spaces are limited to 15 per class and fill up quickly, so don't delay!

Recipe of the week: Roasted Cauliflower with Pasta

We all love cauliflower at my house, but I know some people who don't care for it. Could it be because when they've had it, it's been boiled out of recognition? Roasting vegetables takes the taste to new heights, especially when you add your favorite herbs. I haven't tried this recipe from my favorite website yet, but I plan to tonight. I'm going to add some fresh Campari tomatoes, and make the olives optional since a certain person in my family can't tolerate them! I'm also going to add some rosemary (because I like it better than parsley) to the cauliflower while it's roasting. I don't usually tweak recipes until I make the recipe "straight" the first time; however, I already have a family favorite cauliflower pasta recipe that uses fresh herbs and tomatoes (but the cauliflower is steamed instead of roasted), so I feel pretty safe playing with it this first time. I'll post the results tomorrow. In the meantime, what's your favorite way with pasta?

Free for all day! Skate parks are good for the community

Did you know that skateboarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the US today? Yes, I said "sports." Some people still don't realize that this exciting activity is athletic in nature if you can believe that. Communities have realized the benefit skateparks serve to the effect that 3 new parks are built every week in the United States. These forward-thinking communities realize that providing kids (and some adults!) a place to skate is a lot safer than allowing them to ride in the street or in other public spaces. When kids get a public place to skate, not only is damage to property diminished, but kids also develop a sense of ownership and pride in the place designated for them to skateboard. This is especially enhanced when the skaters are given a role in planning and creating the park. Building these athletes a skatepark provides them a safe place to practice with their friends, realize accomplishments and improvement, and grows their self esteem.

Skateboarding is not a traditional team sport, which could be why it's not seen by some as important as sports such as football or baseball. It's relatively easy to get a community to support the local football team. But not all kids are interested in team sports, and that should be respected. Think about it: what if kids that were passionate about soccer didn't have a soccer field? Don't you think they'd be playing soccer in the streets, in the parking lot, wherever they could?  Some adults seem to think there's something wrong with kids who want to skateboard; they see it as a rebellious movement. "Why can't those kids just be like all the other kids, and join the football team? Why can't they just play video games?" Society has always had a problem with people who don't want to join the familiar and choose to be outsiders; skateboarders seem to fall in to this category whether by design, or default.

The point is this. If they had a place to practice their sport, they'd be off the street. The police could turn their attention to more important issues. We could go watch the athletes, and support them. Some young entrepreneur would notice all the area youth gathering there, and open up a skateboard store, maybe a cafe. Our town could attract skateboarders for miles around, and those skaters and their friends and family would come here. It can happen. Here are some links to other community skateboard parks:
Carroll County Skatepark
Charles County Skatepark
Berkeley Springs could be on this list. You can call the Morgan County Parks and Rec at 304.258.8540 and/or check out the Facebook page for the growing community of people who are trying to make it happen and get involved!

Health tip of the week: PETS!

Buster and Max chillin' after their walk

I was just thinking about how fun my life is because of my dogs and cat, and I saw this article on the WebMD site about how people who walk their dogs are healthier overall. Let me tell you about Max, our almost-8 year old Humane Society dog. He's about 45 pounds of loveable mutt, and he goes with Matt on his 8 mile runs at least 3 times a week. I know there have been mornings when Matt would've loved to sleep in, but as soon as his eyes start to flicker, Max is all over him, tail pounding the bed as if to say "Let's go! Don't wimp out on me! I know you're going to work all day and I'll be stuck in this house all day, so get going NOW!" I'm not a runner, but I take Max and our newest fur baby (Buster) out for walks at least 3 additional times a week, at least now that the weather's getting better. We enjoy walking the relatively flat surface of the canal trail in this mud season, but when the weather looks a bit better, we'll be joining Anne and her dog Gracie at Cacapon Park for some more strenuous walks on those beautiful trails. It's rather obvious to me that one of the responsibilities of having a dog is providing exercise for her/him; it's just a nice coincidence that this is also good for us!


Besides the exercise benefit, did you know that owning a pet can help lower your blood pressure? Petting and brushing your best friend's coat, having someone that loves you unconditionally and is waiting for you at the door without any other demands besides perhaps a treat and a pat on the head, and playing with your pet, is a proven stress-buster. 


For probably many of the same reasons, pets can help battle loneliness and depression. According to an article on WebMd, researcher Judith Siegel, PhD. reports in her study that pet owners with AIDS are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets: "The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets,"


Did you know that kids raised with pets are far less likely to suffer from allergies and asthma than those raised in a pristine, non-animal environment? According to this article on the CNN website, 5.5 percent of kids without pets were allergic to cats compared with almost 12 percent with one cat or dog. That number dropped to just under eight percent when two or more pets were in the home. 


Sure, pets take a lot of time and care, but with all these benefits and more, it just might be worth a trip to your local Humane Society! If you absolutely can't have a pet, why not think about volunteering at a local shelter, or offer to pet-sit for a friend. And if you already have pets, give them an extra pat on the head tonight.

Bellysima!

If you're looking for something completely different, something you definitely would not call "routine," have you ever considered taking a belly dancing class? Belly dancing (and I'm talking mostly to the women here, guys), is a great way to tone your abs and get in touch with your inner grace and femininity, among other things. Belly dancing is based on natural movement, and exercises every part of your body (not just your abs!). Because it's low impact exercise, women of every shape, size, and age can enjoy it. Depending on how vigorously you exercise, you can burn lots of calories, too. The longer you practice belly dancing, the more you'll begin to appreciate your strong core muscles, and understand how they work with the rest of your body. It's not unlike yoga (in fact, many belly-dancing classes use yoga stretches as a warm-up) in that way.

Angela Petry has been teaching her unique bellydancing technique called Bellysima for more than a year in Berkeley Springs. She offers a beginners' class on Tuesday evenings at the Ice House, and a more advanced class on Thursday mornings at the inMotion Dance Studio. She also offers occasional Tribal Bellydancing classes ("Tribal" refers to an American-style of bellydance that is more folkloric than the cabaret style that you might be thinking of.) We dance mostly to Middle Eastern music, but occasionally mix it up with club music. Comfortable clothes are a must: generally, anything you'd wear to a yoga class would be fine here. Of course, you must have a hip scarf, with jingles or not -- what good is a hip shimmy without something pretty to show it off?! She has also been teaching us to dance with veils and zils (finger cymbals).

A typical class starts with an extensive warm-up using a good mix of gentle and more intense yoga stretches. We spend a lot of time working on muscle isolations: this means moving one part of your body while keeping the rest of your body still. Hip circles, rib circles, chest circles.... when you're all done with those, it feels so good to shimmy! Shimmying shakes everything out. Shoulder shimmies, hip shimmies....big shimmies, little shimmies. It's all good. Then we might practice a new technique such as dancing with a veil, or learn a short piece of choreography. Learning choreography is good exercise for your brain, too, by the way. We usually spend a bit of time working on our Tribal Odyssey moves, which is a fun way to dance together. Then we cool down, and end the session lying on our yoga mats just relaxing and letting our muscles melt! I always leave this class feeling better than when I went in.

If you want more information about these classes, contact the Ice House at (304)258-2300. Shimmy on!

Recipe of the week! Chipotle Bean Burritos

We made these for dinner last week. I think it took all of 30 minutes. We had our burritos with a green salad with avocados, and a (small) handful of tortilla chips to scoop up whatever falls out of the burrito. Really really good! This Cooking Light website is really useful. You can store your favorite recipes in a web-based cookbook, check out the nutritional content of the recipes, print them, or email them. It's easy to find recipes, too. You can search based on what course you're looking for, vegetarian or ethnic options, and many more criteria. Last week I mentioned that I like to shop for later in the week by buying canned and frozen foods that won't spoil. This is one of the menus I saved for later in the week, since it uses mostly canned food. I love to buy the Campari tomatoes at Costco instead of the "plum" tomatoes. They usually have a large 5 lb box for $5 or so.
By the way, if you're in the office this week, wish Lindy a happy birthday! Her birthday was on Sunday.

Tip of the week from your practice manager

 Many of you may have changes in your insurance here in the early part of the year. If so, please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with your plan's rules and guidelines. Do you need to choose a primary care provider? If so, please do call the number on your card and specify your doctor; otherwise, there can be problems billing your claim and you might be responsible for the visit if the insurance doesn't pay  because of your neglect to take care of this. Your co-pay may have changed; be sure to find out so that you'll be charged appropriately. Also, thanks to healthcare reform, if you are covered under a new plan, your preventive visits must be covered with no co-pay. (Read more about healthcare reform and how it effects you here.) Our front-office staff should always ask you if you have any changes in your registration, including your insurance. Please be sure to have your insurance card with you when you come for your visit so we can make changes when necessary.

Health tip of the week!

I've been working hard all day! But I always have time to read WebMD. It's a great resource for all kinds of health news and tips. Take a few minutes to look at this slideshow of fat-fighting foods.

Fitness tip of the week: Get Classy!

Planning your exercise schedule is a lot easier if you know you have to be somewhere at a certain time. I notice when I don't have an exercise commitment, it's a lot easier to skip it. However, I am lucky enough to have several classes from which to choose during the week. If I know there are classes on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, I can plan the rest of my week around those classes. And even if I miss one or two, I still have at least 3 opportunities for exercise. I work my individual workouts around those classes and usually end up with a fairly successful week.

Rene Kesecker offers Zumba on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM at the Ice House in Berkeley Springs. On Thursday nights at 7, she is at Rankins Fitness Center. And on Saturday mornings at 9:00, you can find her at the Hancock Town Hall. Classes are attended by (mostly) women of all fitness levels and we have so much fun!

If you don't like classes, make an exercise commitment with a friend or two. Agree that you'll always meet at the same time at least twice a week at the gym, or at the C&O for a brisk walk. The motivation to exercise will be enhanced by knowing that letting yourself down by not showing up will also let down your friend! The time will pass by a lot more quickly, too, when you have someone to chat with and compare notes.

Two posts on one day!

Since I was so remiss in my posts, I thought I'd share a recipe that I'm going to try tomorrow from the Cooking Light website (one of my favorites). I'll let you know how it turns out, since I've never made it before, next Monday!

New Blog Features!

Ok, it's been so long since I've been posting regularly that I've guilted myself into ramping up the blog overall. I've decided to schedule a different feature for every day of the week. Here's what I'd like to do:
Monday: Recipe day
Tuesday: Fitness tip day
Wednesday: Health tip
Thursday: Free for all!
Friday: I've been using the Biggest Loser program on my Wii. I'll provide an update on how this is working for me. It'll be my personal workout journal that you can follow along. Maybe you've been thinking of using an interactive program like this, or maybe you already are. We can share information about how useful programs like these are.

How's that sound?

And, since this is Recipe Day, let me start off with something simple but healthy that I did for lunch today. I was working at home today and realized I hadn't been to the grocery store lately. What to do? I reached into the freezer and pulled out a box of the Green Giant Healthy Heart vegetables. I popped a potato into the microwave (after pricking it with a fork) and let it cook. Took it out, popped in the vegetables for a minute or two, and poured them over the potato. It was delicious and filling! Best of all, it was healthy and I was back to work in 5 minutes.

Fresh vegetables taste best, but it's good to keep some options in your freezer for those times you just can't get to the store. When I shop, which I try to do only once a week or every 10 days, I plan my menus so that I can use all fresh vegetables/fruits in the early part of the shopping cycle, and then use canned/frozen vegetables later. So I might have my fresh salads and steamed fresh veggies early in the week, and then chili with canned beans, or soups with longer-lasting vegetables like carrots and potatoes later in the week. That way I use everything up before it spoils.

OK, tomorrow it's fitness tips! In the meantime, if you have a favorite healthy recipe, send it to me at bibi@hahnandnelson.com and maybe I'll feature it here!