A Must-See If You Despise Exercise

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 June 12

I hate exercise. I really hate exercise.

Yeah, yeah I know how important exercising is for us, especially as we age, but it’s just not my thing. I walk the dog every day (actually, I stroll with the dog), but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count. I don’t drink alcohol (not even an occasional glass of wine), don’t smoke and I eat pretty well, but I’m also sure those wonderful habits aren’t a wash for the absence of aerobic and “weight-bearing” physical activity.

I usually make my way to the other side of the room when I sense an exercise evangelist approaching me. Not so with delightful Deb Horn, the first fitness professional I’ve ever encountered who has figured out exactly how to motivate women like me. And that’s a big deal. Although it’s doubtful I’m going to become an exercise fanatic anytime soon, I’ve actually started to follow Deb’s sensible program.

Deb and I made a two-minute video so I could share my experience with any of my FOFriends who would rather take a physics class than even attempt to do a pushup. If you’re one of them, do yourself a favor and watch.

xoxo

This post is sponsored by Estroven. Thanks for supporting FabOverFifty!

Start Eating Like A Woman

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 March 27

David, the man with whom I live, eats some type of pastry every single day, acting as if it’s the last day he’ll ever be able to consume cake again. He doesn’t gain an ounce. If I ate pastries every single day, I would look like the Goodyear blimp after about a month. No joke. I would.

If this scenario rings a bell, it should. We can eat exactly the same foods as our male friends and lovers (at exactly the same times), and exercise precisely the same way as they do, but our bodies, and our minds, will react quite differently.

I am sick and tired of reading about new diets that promise to change everything, from the size and shape of our bodies to the length of our lives to the level of our happiness. If I see Dr. Oz one more time on my Facebook newsfeed, hawking yet another revolutionary diet or supplement, I will scream. Most of it is pure baloney. You know it. I know it. Even Dr. Oz knows it, I suspect.

So, what’s a woman to do?

Here’s what: Order a new book, immediately, called Eat Like A Woman (and never diet again), by health advocate, Staness Jonekos, and women’s health expert, Dr. Marjorie Jenkins.

Eat Like A Woman (and never diet again) is based on scientific studies that confirm, at last, that what we eat and how we maintain our health and fitness should reflect our physiological, psychological and biochemical constitution, which is completely different from a man’s.

As the subtitle indicates, this is absolutely not a diet book. Like no other book that concerns eating, it teaches women what to eat, why we should eat it and when we should eat it!

(more…)

{Health} Drink to your health!

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 May 30


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Have you ever toasted “to good health!” while secretly wondering if your cocktail was going to harm your overall wellness?  While any behavior can be overdone “it can’t always be all or nothing,” says Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and FOF Debra Meadow. “If you want to enjoy an adult beverage now and then, and you have no health contraindications, it’s okay to enjoy in moderation.”

With this in mind, we asked FOF mixologist Cheryl Heisler to mix up a bevy of beverages for summer that incorporate healthy ingredients. You may recognize some of these concoctions as old stand-bys but, with Debra’s help, we’ve kicked the nutritional value up a notch or two.

To REALLY maximize the health benefits, turn any of these into “mocktails” by leaving out the booze altogether!

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This drink is not only perfect to share with your BFFs over a summer Sunday Brunch but aids in digestion, too.

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Rim a chilled rocks glass with unrefined sea salt. Add:

1 oz. vodka
Splash fermented pickle juice
2 twists fresh pepper
2 dashes Thai Red Curry Seasoning
Lemon wedge
1 drop Tabasco, jalapeño, Sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)

Fill with low-sodium tomato juice.
Garnish: pickle or cucumber slice

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Juice from “live, fermented pickles has good bacteria, or probiotics, that help keep digestion running smoothly” says Debra. Stick to pickles in the refrigerated section of your store, though, because pickles that “are heat-packed to be shelf stable, or in a vinegar brine, are not alive and won’t net you the same benefits.” Coupling low-sodium tomato juice with unrefined sea salt for taste adds “lots of trace minerals your body needs” without all the extra salt it doesn’t.

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Mix up a pitcher of this crowd pleaser in a pinch and enjoy it at a backyard barbecue. Your guests will be delighted because not only is this drink super refreshing, it fights allergies, too. ( Serves 8 )

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In a 64 oz. pitcher mix:

Juice of 8 fresh organic lemons (use additional lemons if you like it tart)
8 oz. tequila
8 teaspoons raw, locally processed honey (dissolve in warm water before adding)

Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water.
Stir well, and pour into tall, iced glasses.
Garnish: lemon or lime wedges, squeezed, then set on rim

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Use raw honey instead of sugar or syrup because it “is anti-microbial, aids digestion and contains live enzymes,” says Debra. Many people find that using raw honey from their own locale can also “help combat seasonal allergies.”

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Originally from Trinidad, bitters are a combination of 38 medicinal herbs and spices that aid digestion. According to Debra, bottled bitters like Angostura or Peychaud’s or bitter liquors, like Campari or Pimm’s, are all good digestives. We’ll drink to that!

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Blend equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth, and grapefruit juice in a shaker with lots of ice.

Strain into an iced martini glass.
Garnish: a fresh rosemary sprig

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This highball cocktail is also high in health benefits—due to the addition of fresh herbs.

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1 oz gin
1 teaspoon agave nectar
3-4 fresh mint leaves
4-6 lime wedges
Tonic

In a highball or rocks glass, muddle mint, lime and nectar. Add ice, gin and fill with tonic water.
Garnish: mint leaf

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“Fresh mint is good for digestion and fresh herbs in general have scores of health benefits, including antioxidant activity,” says Debra.

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Think of this as a low-in-calorie, high-in-fizz screwdriver.

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In a rocks or tall glass with ice, add:

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. orange juice (or the juice of one fresh squeezed orange)

Fill with seltzer
Stir.
Garnish: orange circle

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“Fruit juice, even fresh, is very high in sugar, so keep it to a splash to flavor your drinks and make up the volume with sparkling water. Since alcohol is a diuretic, adding seltzer or sparkling water will help keep you hydrated. I also recommend drinking one extra glass of water for every alcoholic drink.”

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For a healthier spin on sangria–replace the fruit juices with brewed unsweetened iced tea.

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Fill a tall, chilled wine glass halfway up with a medium dry red table wine.

Fill the rest of the glass with your favorite, unsweetened fruit-flavored tea (pre-brewed and chilled).
Garnish: a slice of summer fruit (pick one that compliments your tea flavor!)

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“Freshly made tea has antioxidant properties and is much healthier than fruit juice,” says Debra. Add red wine with its many possible health benefits and we practically have a fountain of youth on our hands with this drink.

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You’ll hardly be able to discern the taste of kale in this banana-raspberry frozen drink but the health benefits are certainly sizable.

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1 large banana, very ripe
2-4 Kale leaves (no stems)
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup cold water
1 cup ice
2 oz Southern Comfort

Blend the first four ingredients well. Add the ice and blend well a second time. Add SoCo and blend once more.
Makes 2 tall servings or a round of shots for the whole group!

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“I’m for almost anything that works more veggies into your day, and kale is king in the vegetable realm” says Debra. “Among its many healthy properties, kale is a potent detoxifier and anti-cancer food.” So take a shot at working a shot of this into your daily diet—it’s worth getting the blender dirty!

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Debra Meadow is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner helping clients get healthy and stay healthy with whole food. She works with clients all over the country in customized programs and offers a free 1-hour consultation to anyone interested in finding out how real food can help them look good, feel great and soar. Visit blueravenwellness.com or email debra@blueravenwellness.com.
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