Eat Your Colors

@RedMountainSpa
Current emphasis on consuming foods of varying colors stems from the understanding that beneficial secondary metabolites, phenolic compounds are responsible for the bright colors.

Phenolic and polyphenolic compounds include flavonoids, phenolic acids and lignins. These abundant chemical compounds are considered secondary metabolites because they are not directly involved in growth and development, but seem to be very beneficial in many other ways. In research and consumer news, much attention has been paid to the antioxidant benefits of particular compounds. Of course, this has spurred a large number of commercially produced supplements of isolated compounds. It should be noted that there is limited evidence of the benefit of these supplements and no recommended daily intake has been determined for phytonutrients.

There is one great lesson in the research regarding phytonutrients – it is best to get nutrition by eating the whole food (rather than rely on supplements). Consider that, until fairly recently, the general assumption was that consuming adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals identified in the DRI’s would be enough to ensure proper nutrition. Since estimates place the number of beneficial phytochemicals found in foods to be in the hundreds of thousands, how could we keep track of all those?

Of the flavonoids, anthocyanins are the most abundant. Anthocyanins are responsible for the deep blue pigments in berries, plums, red grapes, pomegranates, etc. The carotenes are found in foods of dark orange color such as: carrots, pumpkins, mangos, apricots, cantaloupe, and sweet potatoes. Lycopene is found in red foods like tomatoes and tomato products, but also in watermelon and pink grapefruit.

While dietitians may appreciate the science of beneficial secondary metabolites, nature has provided us with a color coded teaching tool for emphasizing good nutrition. Eating fruits and vegetables of varied color will ensure the consumption of beneficial nutrients.

References
N. Hounsome, B. Hounsome, D. Tomos, G. Edwards-Jones. Plant metabolites and nutritional quality of vegetables. Journal of Food Science; May 2008; Volume 73, Issue 4 (pages R48-R65)

Wang, L. and Stoner, G. Anthocyanins and their role in cancer prevention; Cancer Letters; Received 14 March 2008; received in revised form 14 March 2008; accepted 8 May 2008. published online 24 June 2008.

Best Tips for Cutting Back on Calories

@RedMountainSpa

See a Dietician: Before you decide to cut calories, remember most people don’t really understand how many calories they need to maintain a healthy body weight.

Most people eat too much when they are not focused on weight management, but then overreact and cut calories too much when trying to lose weight. When you see a dietitian you can get an accurate assessment of how many calories you need to maintain your current body weight. Then, an appropriate caloric deficit can be determined. This assessment should take into account: body composition, height, weight, gender, fitness level, daily activity level and programmed exercise.

Here are some food & lifestyle choices to help cut calories:

• Fresh fruit – NOT juice, dried fruit, or canned fruit


• Pile up your plate with non-starchy veggies instead of starchy ones


• If making protein shakes – make with water instead of milk or soy milk


• If you put sugar and or cream or creamer in your coffee – cut back on total cups of coffee and/or find a no calorie hot beverage that you enjoy without anything added


• Choose white meat chicken, white turkey or white fish for protein (obviously grilled, broiled or baked with little added)


• Eat high fiber foods


• Eat an apple a day – the soluble fiber (pectin) makes you feel more full


• Eat 2-3 servings of vegetables at lunch and at dinner


• Buy only portion controlled treats that are less than 150 calories (and stick to one serving)


• Choose graham crackers, ginger snaps or vanilla wafers instead of brownies, cake, etc.


• Make sure that you are getting the right amount of healthy fats – not getting enough healthy fats will cause you to feel unsatisfied and eat more.


• Don’t eat in front of the TV or while reading


• Don’t eat when angry or upset

Curried Zucchini-Coconut Soup

@RedMountainspa #recipe

Yield: 10-1/2 Cup Servings

Main Ingredients:

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
4 lbs. Zucchini, diced (green part only)
1 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
Juice of one Lemon
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk, unsweetened
2 T Cilantro, chopped
2 T Mint, chopped
Zest of 1/2 Orange
2 tsp Coconut, grated and toasted

Seasonings:
1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, pinch cayenne, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Sauté onion and garlic in oil.


• When aromas are released, add cumin and turmeric.


• Sauté zucchini for a few minutes and remove from heat.


• Add cayenne, vegetable stock, lemon, and coconut milk. Puree. Season.


• Mince cilantro, mint, orange zest, and coconut together to make a seasoning to sprinkle on top of each serving.


• Soup may be served hot or cold, but needs to be over seasoned if served cold.

Recipe Nutrient Analysis, Single Serving:
Calories: 42
Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0
Carbohydrate: 5g
Protein: 1g
Sodium: 59mg
Total Dietary Fiber: 2g

Workplace Exercise to Re-energize Your Day

@RedMountainSpa
Bicep curls: Slide to the front edge of your chair. Keep your upper arm bone still while you bend your elbow, lifting the water bottles or weights towards your shoulder and then slowly lower them by straightening the elbows. 8-12 repetitions

Kundalini Yoga

By Kim Watters
@RedMountainSpa
Fitness Manager

Kundalini Yoga is a technology for physical, mental and spiritual well-being for the householder who must live in and build a better life. Yogi Bhaja was born in the area of Punjab, India, and became a Master and spiritual leader of Kundalini Yoga. He later came to the United States with the sole mission of teaching Americans how to live healthy, happy and holy lives. He wanted to give the technology of Kundalini Yoga to Americans to create teachers of the work, not to gain worshipers.

Like anything new, you need to try it to appreciate it. Have a go at one of Kundalini Yoga’s breath series named The Breath of Fire. It will assist in releasing toxins from the lungs, blood vessels and other cells in the body, as well as, increase physical endurance by increasing delivery of oxygen to the brain facilitating a focused, intelligent and neutral mind as stated by Yogi Bhajan.

Breath of Fire

• Breath of Fire is rapid, rhythmic and continuous. It is equal on the inhale and the exhale with no pause between.


• Practice breathing through the nostrils with the mouth closed.


• It is powered from the Solar Plexus and navel point, coming from the diaphragm. The belly moves out on inhale and up and in on exhale.

with the mouth closed The chest should stay relaxed throughout the breathing cycle.

• Begin by doing the Breath of Fire for 1-3 minutes in duration. Some find it easy, others find it creates dizziness or giddiness, if this happens, take a break.


• Please do not try while menstruating or pregnant.

To begin, sit straight and place the hands in prayer position. Close your eyes and concentrate on the brow point. Begin Breath of Fire for 1-3 minutes. Then inhale and hold for 10 seconds. Exhale. Relax. Stay still and relax the hands on the knees. Watch the natural flow of your breath for 3 more minutes. Inhale deeply, exhale.

Pranayam (breath work) allow us to balance the left and right hemispheres of our brain, as well as, balance the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system. As we begin to train our bodies to consciously relax, we also train our minds to let go of all the mental chatter that keeps us from living a conscious life.

Antioxidants: A Defense Against Aging

By Myrna Beardshear
@RedMountainSpa
Director of Spa & Wellness

The number one cause of unnecessary aging and of several other diseases indirectly is Free Radicals.

Free Radicals are oxygen molecules that are incomplete since they are missing an electron. Oxidation is a chemical reaction whereby one atom or molecule (usually oxygen and thus the name oxidation) robs an electron of another molecule.

These Free Radicals will attack any one of its neighbors, stealing one of their electrons. This molecule is useless to us, as it is not performing its function any more, plus it has created another free radical to repeat the process over and over again, inflicting damage on the components of the healthy cells, including their genetic information system (DNA).

It is a known fact that our cells reproduce themselves as they die. Through that cycle, the new generation should be the same genetic makeup as the previous cells have been. However, because the cell has suffered damage from the Free Radicals the cells are not able to give correct replication information to newly forming cells. As these new deformed cells carry on through their lifetime they are exposed to additional damage from Free Radicals and your own defense mechanism is unable to control or limit the damage caused by the intruders. With further exposure to Free Radicals over time, the damage will accumulate within the cells at each cycle of generation, making the tissues and the body over all less perfect over time. This is what is called the self-destruction of the body or in other words - aging.

Sources of Free Radicals
Radiation, air pollution, pesticides, anesthetics, gasoline vapors, fried foods, drugs, solvents, alcohol, lead, and mercury, are just some of the offenders we deal with. The damage of sunburn is caused by the free radicals formed by the UV light. One of the worst offenders is primary and second hand cigarette smoke.

The most effective natural protector of the body against free radicals is nutrients called antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent free radical damage by completing the free radical with the missing electrons therefore neutralizing the free radical and making it harmless.

Where do they come from?
Some antioxidants are proteins made by the body, and many are delivered to us in the food we eat. The most important of these are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, zinc, and some amino acids.

While they are readily available from our foods, our antioxidant defense systems are vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies and many health practitioners do believe that supplements are needed to compensate.

As the skin is the largest organ and the organ furthest away from the blood circulation, most nutrition and antioxidants do not reach the skin. This may in fact explain why the skin is our fastest aging organ. Thus, it becomes obvious to have the cleanest and highest quality of nutrients such as plant based antioxidants in your skin care products, to support your skin and to protect it from the negative effects of free radical exposure.

The chrono-reverser system from [comfort zone] deeply and effectively renews all skin types (even the most delicate) thanks to a synergy of new generation active ingredients reducing wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and acneic conditions for smoother younger, more luminous and vital skin. Containing exclusive formulations that include peptides, amino acid and powerful antioxidants, the range of products has exceptional, exclusive formulations younger men and women in need of lighter rejuvenation to combat acne and retrieve skin luminosity, sensitive skins types, and more mature skins in need of more advanced exfoliation and renewal.

In just 4 weeks of continued use, this dermatologically tested system reduces wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and acneic conditions for smoother younger, more luminous and vital skin. These exceptional results are due to the exclusive formulations developed by [ comfort zone ] research laboratories and contain:

• PHA: a recently discovered biocompatible POLYHYDROXY ACID called gluconolactonate, which stimulates cellular turnover, but also provides intensive, long lasting hydration and superior anti-oxidant action.


• PERFECTION PEPTIDE P3: a tri-peptide ingredient which activates skin regeneration, while accelerating exfoliation and optimizing the benefits of PHA.


• MOISTURIZING MARINE MICROPATCH: a state of the art hydrating ingredient that acts like a three dimensional patch to regenerate moisture balance in the deepest layers the skin, guaranteeing immediate and long lasting hydration.


• ARGININE: an amino acid found naturally in our skin which maintains skin hydration and in the chrono-reverser formulations, regulates acidic pH.


• VITAMIN C: a powerful anti-oxidant, with protective and reparative actions reduces cellular degeneration during the peeling process.

Carrot Mousse Recipe

@RedMountainSpa
Ingredients:
3 Cups Carrots, peeled, chopped
6 oz Neufchatel Cheese
3 large Egg Whites

Directions

• Steam the peeled, chopped carrots until firm to the bite.


• In a food processor, combine the egg whites, and Neufchatel cheese. Blend until smooth.


• When the carrots are finished, add immediately to the food processor. Puree until it looks like mashed potatoes.


• The carrots must remain hot, making sure they cook the egg.

Yield: About 21 oz.
Servings: 7
Serving Size: 3 oz.

Metabolic Testing at Red Mountain

By Dr. Brad Crump
@RedMountainSpa
Health Services Manager

Red Mountain Spa offers metabolic testing in the form of cardiovascular/metabolic testing (also known as V02 testing) as well as Resting Energy Expenditure testing utilizing a metabolic cart.

The cardiovascular/metabolic testing is performed on a treadmill. It is a graded exercise test which is designed to measure heart rate as well as oxygen utilization at various heart rates. This allows Red Mountain Spa to develop a personalized exercise program for each individual based on heart rate zone training. This allows not only for maximum caloric expenditure but maximum fat utilization.

The personalized exercise program is twelve weeks in duration and includes information on the number of days and duration of exercise sessions.

The Resting Energy Expenditure test is an assessment performed first thing in the morning before any physical activity. It is performed utilizing the same metabolic cart.

The assessment determines the number of calories expended under resting conditions or in other words, what an individual utilizes in calories to maintain healthy physiological function under resting conditions.

This allows our team of professional to help develop nutritional guidelines specific to each individual in order to achieve peak fitness as well as support healthy weight management.

The purpose of both assessments is to move outside the realm of “one size fits all models” and develop an individualized health and wellness program.

Burn it up!!

By Kim Watters
@RedMountainSpa
Fitness Manager

If you want to burn up the fat try high intensity activity coupled with lower intensity activity. According to the International Journal of Obesity, interval training or high-intensity intermittent exercise training is a more effective way to burn fat then an extended session of steady lower intensity (aerobic) activity. So, mix it up to burn it up.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Begin with 1 minute of high intensity work (such as a sprints or jumps), followed by 2 minutes of low intensity exercise (like walking). Alternate this activity several times for 15-30 minutes.

If watching your watch is not your thing, good news, your intervals do not have to be timed. This works especially well if you choose to workout outside.

For instance, you could run, jump or skip to something in the distance (like a tree, fence post or street light) then slow it down to recover. Make sure to alternate this activity several times for 15-30 minutes.

You’re the personal trainer now, so you decide how hard to workout during your intervals. You will need to motivate yourself to work harder than usual during your high intensity sets and then allow yourself to actively recover during your lower intensity sets.

Interval training is a great way to mix up your exercise routine, increase results and burn more fat.

How Many Calories Do I Need?

@RedMountainSpa Determining precise caloric need can be quite scientific and complex, but estimating a reasonable calorie level is often simple.

Caloric need is affected by age, gender, body size, body composition, fitness level, environment, food intake, daily activity level, exercise, hormonal status and health status. Energy requirement calculations usually examine basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is the amount of calories required to sustain the body when asleep for a 24 hour period. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) looks at the same 24 hour period, but is increased slightly, because the individual is awake, but not active. Daily activity not including programmed exercise is assessed, and an activity factor of 1.1-1.7 is assigned; the RMR is multiplied by this factor. Then, calories expended per week on programmed exercise, such as weight lifting, running, aerobics classes are totaled and an average calculated per day. In more extensive calculations, the thermic effect of food (TEF) may also be calculated. It should be noted that not all professionals are in agreement regarding the best formulas to estimate caloric need. Often, experience of the assessor is an important factor in the accuracy of the assessment.

A calorie need assessment might look like this:
BMR
+ 75-200 = RMR
X Activity Factor (1.1-1.7)
+ daily average expenditure on exercise
= total daily caloric need

If possible, having access to both body composition and a Resting Energy Expenditure test is very helpful for the nutrition professional trying to determine calorie need. A body composition provides information regarding the amount of metabolically active tissue. The amount of metabolically active tissue is used to calculate potential BMR, taking into account, height, age, weight and gender. A resting energy expenditure (REE) test is also very helpful. REE measures oxygen utilized and carbon dioxide exhaled which provides an indirect measure of calories burned. For a de-conditioned individual, REE may actually indicate that they are burning fewer calories than their potential according to their lean body mass (LBM). The fitter the individual, the more calories they burn.

On the other hand, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. We all eat; and we are gaining weight, losing or staying the same.

One of the best strategies for the untrained individual trying to assess their own calorie need is to first keep an accurate food journal. Then, enter the information into a good on-line food analysis program. If eating habits and weight has been stable for a while – then, this is a maintenance calorie level. If looking for weight loss, first try a modest caloric deficit of 300-500 calories per day. Many people try to cut calories too much; it causes lack of energy, feelings of deprivation and makes it harder to stick with a healthy plan for any length of time.

A word of warning: many sources advise that women attempting to lose weight go on a 1200 calorie plan, and men use a 1500 calorie plan. Our experience is that, except for small, sedentary people, those calories levels are too low. It is far better to focus on good quality nutrition choices, increased physical activity and forming positive long range health patterns than to attempt these too low calorie level diets.