I hope all is well with you. I’ll keep this one short and sweet.

This Monday night (July 26) is the local premiere of the movie “Forks over Knives”. The feature film examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by being more conscious of our food choices. Here is the link to the official film web site.

The movie will be shown at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute; for details on tickets and show time, please click here.

I look forward to seeing you there!

To your health and happiness…

Although no prediction is set in stone, it is possible to estimate your life span based on certain genetic, demographic, and lifestyle factors. Each factor - and the amount of years it adds or subtracts from your baseline life expectancy - is documented by hundreds of medical studies.

To find out what your life expectancy is, click here. The longevity quiz takes less than 5 minutes.This is similar to another online quiz mentioned in a Wellness Wednesday newsletter last summer - “Living to 100“, which many of you found both enjoyable and informative.

While it is fun to try and estimate how long you may live, to me the real message is understanding what the key longevity factors are and how much of an impact they have on your life span. The two web sites mentioned are fairly consistent in identifying what those key factors are, things like smoking, nutrition, exercise, sleep, family medical history, and social habits. There’s probably not too many surprises in that list (flossing is on both lists, and it always surprises me how important it is to your overall health), but it’s always helpful to be reminded of these things on occasion and what impact they have on your health, wellness, and longevity.

If you’re curious, the first quiz predicted my life span to be 97, and the “Living to 100″ quiz estimated it to be 93. While there’s a few things I can work on (flossing…), hitting my goal of living to 100 could be a stretch, at least according to these online tools.

If you take the quiz, I’d love to know what your predicted age is, so feel free to reply via email (jamesborden@fitnesstogether.com), this blog post, or through my Facebook page.

May you live long and prosper!

We all know the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, or as Rip Esselstyn, the author of the Engine 2 Diet calls it, “being plant strong”.

Now there is research indicating that by just being outside with nature, surrounding yourself with forests, parks and other places with plenty of trees - people can experience increased immune function.

In one study, scientists found that being among plants produced “lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, and lower blood pressure,” among other things. Other studies have shown that visiting parks and forests seems to raise levels of white blood cells.

While I wouldn’t recommend going for a hike in the middle of the day during our current heat wave, perhaps you can squeeze in an occasional early morning walk at Ridley State Park or the trails at the Willows. It’s not only good for your heart, it’s good for your immune system!

As for the free beer, Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting PA is having a beer tasting event this Friday from 5pm - 7pm. The line up includes: Kronenbourg 1664, Fuller’s ESB, Otter Creek Solstice, Abita Purple Haze, Turbodog, and Satsuma Harvest Wit! All you need is your ID - no money necessary, this event is FREE!

And speaking of Whole Foods, I want to remind you that you can arrange for a personal tour of Whole Foods in Devon by just giving them a call at 610.688.9400. And one final reminder related to Whole Foods - they are sponsoring the only area showing of the film “Forks over Knives”. The movie will be shown at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Monday, July 26 at 7:30. Click here for more details. We will be there taking body fat measurements prior to the screening!

In the meantime, I’d recommend you try some of Burlap and Bean’s tempting menu items, such as their chilled watermelon gazpacho, or their summer special on Izze, as a way to keep cool during this heat wave. (By the way, congratulations to B&B on their selection to the 2010 Best of the Main Line and Western Suburbs!)

To your health and happiness…

This post ended up being longer than I thought, since my original intention was to just include a couple of links to some recent news reports about the latest dietary recommendations. However, there is such a wealth of information that I wanted to share, that I just could not leave anything out! I urge all of you to read the entire newsletter and check out the links - this is valuable information that affects not only your health, but the environment as well.

As many of you know, I have been a vegan for almost four years. Initially I became a vegan because I believed it was a healthier way to eat, but over time I have broadened my reasons for being vegan to include other issues, such as animal cruelty and environmental impacts. While I am a firm believer in the vegan lifestyle, I have never tried to force my views on anyone. However, if anyone asked me questions about why I am a vegan, where do I get my protein, or what’s with those green smoothies, I was more than happy to answer such questions.

When people asked for general nutrition advice, I usually avoided suggesting things like cutting dairy and meat out of your diet, and always said, “Just eat more fruits and veggies.” It’s hard to go wrong with such advice.

However, we seem to be at a point in time when the scientific evidence is becoming pretty clear on the power of what is known as a “plant-based diet”, and as a result I am becoming more at ease at recommending a vegan approach to eating.

For example, just yesterday, the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services released the “Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010“. These are critical guidelines, since they can influence such things as the food pyramid, school lunches, and make or break companies in the food industry. The report notes that vegetarian diets are associated with a lower body mass index, lower blood pressure, and improved health outcomes. If you don’t feel like reading the entire report linked to above, here is a nice summary of the report from ABC News. This link also includes a video of Robin Roberts interviewing Richard Besser, ABC News Medical Editor and former Director of the CDC. Great stuff - I highly recommend you at least take three minutes to watch the video.

And less than a month ago, a report sponsored by the UN titled “Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production” recommended a shift away from animal-based protein diets to more vegetable-based foods to ease pressure on the environment. If you don’t feel like reading that full 100 plus page report, here is a link to a brief news story about the report.

And if the above two reports are not enough to convince you of the merits of a plant-based diet, Bob Harper, one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser, announced this week that he has gone vegan, cutting all animal products out of his diet, and shared that the switch to a cruelty-free diet has improved his health.

If you are interested in learning more about this style of eating, there are lots of great resources to assist you. I will just mention two right now. The first is a web site, the 21-day Vegan Kickstart, which offers tips, recipes, emails, and lots of other support materials. The next 21 day program begins on September 6, and is completely free!

The second resource is a book, “The Engine 2 Diet” by Rip Esselstyn. This book is phenomenal, and offers a 28 day program, with recipes, on how to successfully adopt a plant-based diet. And to make this even better, Rip is coming to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on July 26 to participate in the first local screening of the documentary “Forks Over Knives“!

This event is sponsored by Whole Foods, and prior to the film there will be blood pressure screenings by Bryn Mawr Hospital, and Body Fat measurements by Fitness Together. Rip, along with Dr. Joel Fuhrman, are the two partners in Whole Foods national “Health Starts Here” program. It’s no surprise that both Rip and Dr. Fuhrman recommend a plant-based diet.

And finally, the link many of you may have been waiting for - a listing of the 9 worst things to order when eating out at a restaurant. Hopefully when you see this list, you will reconsider some of your dining habits!

If you’ve gotten this far, thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter. I hope you found the information useful, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

To your health and happiness

Last week’s blog about local Farmer’s Markets seemed to strike a chord with many of you, so my guess is that there is a strong interest in eating healthier foods as the weather gets warmer.

In keeping with that theme, I decided to pick one fruit and one vegetable as “Best in Show” (great movie by the way!). It’s a tough choice, since every fruit and vegetable offers a variety of benefits, and no one fruit or vegetable has all the benefits. The best choice is to eat a wide variety of fruits and veggies so that you are getting maximum nutritional benefit.

However, if I had to pick, here are my choices:

For the top vegetable, it would have to be kale. This is based on what I have read from two independent sources. One source is Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who is working with Whole Foods to create healthy eating choices, and the author of Eat to Live. Dr. Fuhrman has developed ANDI (Aggregate Density Nutrient Index) scores to assign to each food, which measures the ratio of nutrients to calories. Nutrients include not only the amount of vitamins and minerals, but phytochemicals as well. And at the top of the list, with an ANDI score of 1000 is kale (and collards). At the bottom of the list is soda, with an ANDI score of 1. You can get the full list of ANDI scores by clicking here.

The second source is from the book “Becoming Vegan”, which had this to say about kale: “…rated against 19 other vegetables, kale had the greatest antioxidant activity. It is also rich in lutien, a phytochemical that protects the eye from macular degeneration; one of the best sources of flavonols; and a great source of calcium“.

As for the number 1 fruit, I’ll go with blueberries. With an ANDI score of 130 points, it is the second highest rated fruit (behind strawberries). And when the US Department of Agriculture’s Center for Aging at Tufts University studied more than 40 fruits and vegetables using their own scale - ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), blueberries came out on top, even above all of the vegetables! Blueberries offer multiple benefits such as: neutralizing free radicals that damage DNA, protecting against urinary tract infections; possibly helping to reduce the effects of aging; and improving problems with tired eyes.

Many times I use both of these as ingredients in my morning green smoothie (I always have blueberries, and I alternate between romaine lettuce, spinach, or kale as my green vegetable), and for me it is a great way to start the day.

So while you are out at your local farmer’s market, be sure to keep your eyes out for some kale and blueberries; you could say they are at the top of the food chain!

To your health, happiness, and a Flyers victory!

With summer right around the corner, it is time for many local farmers’ markets in the area to spring to life. These markets provide food that is fresh, and often free of pesticides and certified organic. So to kick off the unofficial start to summer on a healthy note, I thought I would provide links to some of the local farmers’ markets.

Anselma Farmers and Artisans Market - Chester Springs
Chester County Farmers’ Markets - multiple locations
West Chester Growers’ Market - West Chester
Lancaster County Farmers’ Market - Wayne
Linvilla Orchard - Media
Oakmont Farmer’s Market - Havertown
Swarthmore Farmer’s Market/Food Co-op - Swarthmore
Ardmore Farmer’s Market - Ardmore
Bryn Mawr Farmer’s Market - Bryn Mawr

And last but not least, no list of great places to get your produce would be complete without mention of Gentile’s Market!

To find out what phytonutrients you are getting based on the color of the fruits and vegetables you are eating, here is a great guide.

I hope you have an enjoyable, and colorful, holiday weekend!

To your health and happiness…

If it were April Fool’s Day, I would have gotten a chuckle out of a US News and World Report headline this week, “Healthy Retirees Have Higher Medical Costs“. It’s certainly a counter-intuitive statement, but if you were to read the research study, there seems to be evidence to support such a claim!

The researchers calculated that a couple turning 65 in 2009 in which one or both spouses suffer from a chronic disease is likely to have lifetime health care costs totaling $220,000. A 65-year-old couple without any health problems can expect to spend $260,000 on health costs throughout retirement.

So a knee-jerk reaction may be to question what the value of exercise and healthy eating may be, if such a lifestyle leads to higher medical costs in retirement. However, upon closer inspection, the results make perfect (and common) sense.

If someone has a chronic disease at age 65, their life expectancy may be 5-10 more years. For someone who is healthy at age 65, their life expectancy may be 20-25 more years. Guess who is going to incur higher lifetime medical costs after age 65? The person who is healthy, because they are going to live a lot longer, and will continue to incur medical costs. And the person with the chronic disease? Well, he or she has successfully lowered his or her medical costs to zero. (Death is one way to dramatically lower your medical costs.)

To me, the relevant part of the study is the part that shows that current health care costs at any given age in retirement are substantially lower for healthy individuals versus those with a chronic disease. For example, at age 75, the average annual medical costs of a healthy individual are $6,700 while for those not in good health the average annual costs are $8,000. This certainly makes sense, and is one of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. However, this fact is often not mentioned in many of the stories written this past week about this research.

The headlines for the study focused on the higher lifetime medical costs of those in good health, and not the lower annual costs. I can understand a newspaper or magazine (or me) using such headlines to capture readers’ attention, but it would be nice if they were a little clearer on exactly what the research results indicated. However, what I found most disturbing was a statement made by the authors of the study itself: “The reality is that even the currently healthy can expect to eventually suffer from one or more chronic diseases...”

I certainly don’t accept that getting chronic diseases is a natural part of the aging process, and neither does Jack LaLanne, John Robbins, or Joel Fuhrman. So I will continue to advocate the benefits of exercise and good nutrition.

And finally, Carla Fried of CBS Moneywatch makes a good point; “There is … one contingent that has been rendered absolutely giddy by this research. The marketing departments at financial service firms. I imagine the teams tasked with boosting long-term care insurance and annuity sales are firing up PowerPoint right now, eager to drop in some references to this research, which just happens to have been financed by Prudential Financial.” Like they always say, just follow the money…

To your happiness and a long, healthy life.

I’ve mentioned Jack LaLanne in previous newsletters, but someone recently sent me a link to a video about Jack on his 95th birthday, and I thought I would share it with you. After watching the video and reading up on Jack, I learned s good deal more about him and what a true visionary he was. Plus, I never knew that jumping jacks were named after him! (Maybe if we really start pushing burpees at Fitness Together, I can start a campaign to have them officially known as Burpee Bordens…)

LaLanne was way ahead of his time, and was always straight with America about what it took to be fit - hard work and commitment. He is fond of saying, “You’ve got to work at living - 99 and 9/10 of Americans work at dying!”

He also emphasized the importance of both exercise and nutrition. One of his favorite sayings is, “Exercise is king; nutrition is queen. Put ‘em together and you’ve got a kingdom!” His basic eating philosophy was “Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and fish. No white flour, white sugar. Avoid processed foods. No snacking.”

His advice is simple, but it is timeless because it works. And if you want proof, just watch that part of the video where he pulls 70 boats with 70 people on them for a mile and a half, on his 70th birthday, while his hands and feet were shackled!

To your health and happiness…

I like thinking of myself as a health and fitness “guinea pig”, since I like to try different things and see what impact they have on my health and overall fitness levels. Since I enjoy reading about the latest research related to cardio fitness, strength training, nutrition, and a variety of other health topics, I have an unending supply of new things to try.

As one example, a couple of years ago “Crossfit” was one of the new trends taking place in the fitness world. It sounded intriguing to me, so I made a 12 week commitment to a Crossfit approach to my training. I liked the variety of the workouts, as well as the intensity, and I was pleased with the results. At the time, I was able to get my body fat down to the lowest it has been in a long, long time (around 13%), and I got quite proficient at a number of the Crossfit workouts. However, once the 12 weeks were up, I was ready to move on. I didn’t abandon Crossfit workouts altogether, and I incorporate them now and then into my general fitness routine. One of my next fitness goals is to become proficient in the use of kettlebells, but first I’ve got a marathon to do (see below).

Another example is with my eating habits. I have been a vegan for almost 4 years, and I doubt if I will ever change from this approach to eating. To me, it has become not just a nutritional decision (which was my original motivation), but goes far beyond that, to include issues such as a concern for the environment and a compassion for all living things. But even within the vegan diet, I have tried various approaches. One approach that has fascinated me is a raw foods approach, and in particular a low fat raw vegan approach.

Here are a couple of links to such a diet:

FoodnSport
Running Raw

I have successfully completed two 30-day trials over the past couple of years on such a diet, but now I want to try an even longer attempt. My goal is to be on a low-fat, raw food eating plan for 12 weeks, and I had actually started this about 10 days ago. That was the same day I had completed a half marathon on the erg at our studio. I had set a goal of 90 minutes for the half marathon, and while I was on that pace for about 70 minutes, things started coming apart and I finished in 91 minutes and 20 seconds.

The half marathon was just part of my training for my eventual goal of a full marathon on the erg, with a goal of 3 hours. (Needless to say, I’ve got some work to do). However, I have come across a great 12 week training plan for rowing a marathon which I had planned to start last week. I was going to go on the raw diet in conjunction with this 12 week training plan, since based on what I have read, the low fat raw vegan diet is particularly well suited for endurance athletes.

However, I have already run into a couple bumps in the road. I did great with the raw food for the first five days, but then one day last week was the 32nd anniversary of the night I met my wife in college, and we went out for dinner to Heng’s Thai to celebrate. (If you wonder who would remember such a thing - when you only have enough nerve/confidence to talk to about one girl a decade, everything about such occasions is memorable).

And as far as the indoor rowing is concerned, I think I overdid the training leading up to the half-marathon attempt and I’ve decided to give the rowing some rest. As a result my 12 week plan has been delayed, even though I had the original date of my full marathon attempt circled on my calendar.

Once I get going with both the diet and the training plan, I will provide periodic updates via this newsletter, not just for your curiosity, but as a way of holding myself accountable (like we are always trying to do with our clients!)

The reason I’m sharing this with you is to give you some comfort in knowing that it is OK if you occasionally stray from your diet or from your training plan, as long as you keep the big picture in mind and your long-term goals. In addition, I want you to also know that all of us at FT are just as curious about how our bodies respond to different eating habits and training routines.

We then love to share what we’ve learned, and incorporate that knowledge into your workouts and nutritional suggestions. This way, you are ensured of being up to date with the latest training philosophies, never getting into a rut with your workouts, and having the chance to talk with someone about their real world experience with an approach to eating and training that has worked for them.

To your health and happiness,

I have talked before about how much I admire Dr. Oz, and this month he is on the cover of AARP magazine. Here is the link to the cover story, (one tidbit I found interesting - Oprah was a guest on a Dr. Oz show before he was a guest on the Oprah show!), but I just want to talk briefly about his six-month plan to get people healthy.

The six-month plan, developed in cooperation with AARP, focuses on a different aspect of your health each month. Here is the link to the plan, and listed below are the focus areas for each of the six month:

• month 1 - your diet makeover
• month 2 - your numbers
• month 3 - ramp up your exercise
• month 4 - manage your stress
• months 5 and 6 - getting started

He also offers what he refers to as the “daily checklist”, activities and habits that should be performed every day:

• Walk 30 minutes
• Brush and floss
• Drink two cups of green tea
• Take 400mg of DHA omega-3s, 1,000 IU vitamin D, and 1,000mg calcium
• Sleep 7 to 8 hours a night
• Meditate for 5 minutes

I like Dr. Oz’ common sense approach to becoming a healthier you. As Gabi Redford, editor for AARP magazine, notes “Dr. Oz’ program is very gentle, very basic for someone who is starting out and not terribly healthy to begin with. At the end of six months, if you can do all of these things, follow the diet, ramp up exercise, manage stress, we guarantee that blood pressure, healthy cholesterol, and blood sugar, will improve.”

While I certainly agree that it is important to start with a basic, gentle approach, it is important to keep moving your fitness and health to the next level. According to Dr. Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine, once an individual reaches basic goals, such as those outlined in Dr. Oz’ program, the next step is to “… work with a professional to develop a customized program, just like they have a personalized retirement plan that fits into their economic reality.” Although people plan for their economic future and their employment future, “they don’t think about how they’re going to take care of their bodies in order to enjoy their future.” he added.

We could not have said it better ourselves, and that is what we do at Fitness Together - create customized training programs for each individual, tailored to their specific goals and abilities. We help plan your body for a healthy future.

And finally, I wanted to share an interesting story from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal - A Case for Those Extra 10 Pounds. Some new research shows that being a little overweight doesn’t increase health risks. And there may be some benefits. Recent findings include:

• People who are slightly overweight are no more likely than those of normal weight to die from cancer or cardiovascular disease.
• During a 10-year time span, there was a reduced risk of dying for people in their 70s who were slightly overweight compared to those of normal weight.
• Doctors who study osteoporosis say a little extra weight may help strengthen bones.
• As they age, women who are slightly overweight often look younger than other women.

And so while I agree it is not worth stressing over an extra few pounds (Dr. Oz certainly would not approve of such worrying!), one of the key points to remember is to not let those few extra pounds keep creeping up on you, and before you know it, 10 pounds turns into 30, at which point the benefits of a few extra pounds begin to disappear, and the risks begin to accumulate.

To your health and happiness,