1. How did you get started in nutrition, and what made you so sure this is what you wanted to do?

Thirty-five years ago, when I was in my early 20s, I was a fashion photographer in Manhattan living an incredibly fast-paced lifestyle. Like many people, I smoked cigarettes, drank too much caffeine, ate too much sugar and didn’t get enough sleep. I found myself having terrible migraine headaches. I knew it was imperative for me to take an active role in my own health, and began exploring nutrition in an attempt to get these headaches under control. I discovered detoxification, learned the basics, and followed a program that included eliminating my intake of sugar, fast foods, caffeine and smoking. To my surprise, everything worked. I’ve continued to pursue a career in nutrition ever since.

2. As “nutritionist to the stars,” tell us what a typical client of yours is looking to accomplish.

My clients are typically very educated and want to be in the best health possible. It’s not so much about just one thing like weight loss. It’s learning to maintain the best quality of life through diet, stress management and lifestyle modification.

3. Can you give me your thoughts on “longevity”? Is anti-aging possible, especially with the amount of stress, cancer and obesity in today’s world?

 Today’s world of course makes “longevity” a little more challenging, but it’s about making the right choices given our circumstances. You can’t necessarily control your external environment, but you do have control over what you put into your body.

4. Diet and exercise are keys to better health. But what are three of the most influential product supplements you recommend to your clients?

Orosine, fish oil, probiotics and vitamin D.

5. Can you tell us why you chose to add Res-Q Orosine to your catalog of recommended products?

Res-Q Orosine has many benefits, but in particular I would note: one, enhanced cellular repair and regeneration as it provides the necessary ingredients for RNA/DNA generation; two, increased stamina and energy through ATP production; and three, enhanced cardiac function through increased circulation and oxygen delivery.

6. To whom would you typically recommend Res-Q Orosine? In other words, what type of client might benefit the most from Res-Q Orosine? 

 There is really no one who wouldn’t benefit, but I absolutely would recommend it to anyone in an exercise program, as well as anyone with fatigue or blood-pressure concerns.

7. Can you give us an example or an actual testimonial from one of your clients, of what they thought of Res-Q Orosine and how it benefited them?

I have personally seen improved blood-pressure levels and higher energy output with regular use of Res-Q Orosine. In the exercise area, the workouts could be extended for more reps, at higher intensity levels and with quicker recovery times.

8. What is the average age of your clients? 

 My clients’ ages range from 30 to over 60 years old, and all of them can benefit from Res-Q Orosine. Actually, the majority of them do.

9. Can anyone, at any age, take Res-Q Orosine? Yes. Maybe I should ask, does Res-Q Orosine help to slow the process of aging?
 
Res- Q Orosine helps combat inflammation, which is one of the biggest contributors of premature aging. By replenishing the ingredients necessary for ATP production and RNA/DNA regeneration, the cellular regeneration process is enhanced.

10. Thank you for this interview, and one last question: With all the recent attacks on “too-much hyped” vitamin supplements (Harper’s Bazaar, Oct. 2011), what are your thoughts? Do you take any supplements yourself and believe in their potential to offer increased wellness? 

 I am a big advocate of supplementation because it is very difficult to get complete proper nutrition through diet alone. Personally, I take and recommend that all my clients take Orosine, fish oil, probiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamin D and coenzyme Q10 on a daily basis and so should you.

Suggested Res-Q Products:

Res-Q Orosine is a dietary supplement that helps maintain a healthy heart by encouraging repair processes on a cellular level, such as the muscle cells of the heart. Res-Q Orosine supports the heart’s ability to pump blood, helps maintain a healthy heart rhythm and encourages oxygen in cardiac and skeletal muscles subject to overload.

Res-Q 1250 is intended to supplement the diet to provide the proper balance of healthy fats for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. Res-Q 1250 is a direct source of EPA and DHA, the essential omega-3 fatty acids. Most fish oils contain very little EPA and DHA; as a result, these low-grade fish oils fail to produce condition-specific omega-3 health benefits such as cholesterol wellness.

Our newest Res-Q product, Res-Q 1250+, is a high-DHA omega-3 supplement with vitamin D3. Res-Q 1250+ is intended for general long-term health maintenance and provides the combined health benefits of omega-3 and vitamin D: bone health, circulation, a healthy heart, skin and eyes, and support for the immune system, brain and central nervous system.

Bobby Gunther Walsh of WAEB AM 790 did his live broadcast in the morning. Dr. Frederick Vagnini of the Heart, Diabetes & Weight-Loss Centers of New York gave lectures on bone health and joint pain, and answered questions. Dr. Eric Lebby, Chief of the Division of Orthopaedics at Lehigh Valley Hospital, and Dr. Adam Teichman, senior managing partner of East Penn Foot and Ankle Associates (diabetic-wound management) both gave lectures on diabetes and bone health.

We also offered testing for blood pressure, blood sugar and bone-mineral density.

I met so many wonderful people and can only hope to see everybody again next year. Here are some pictures from the event!

While I respect the fact that she’s getting older and will, like everyone, inevitably slow down, I think it’s important that all older adults maintain some sort of cardio exercise for their hearts, if only so it’s easier to do more things. Here are a few tips to share with your loved ones who might need an extra push!

Why Exercise?

• Regular exercise can help prevent hip fractures by keeping the bones and muscles strong.1
• A lack of exercise can increase your risk of having a heart attack.2
• The “single most important way to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes is to give careful attention to a balanced diet and regular exercise program.”3

How to Exercise: How often? What Types? How to Check Heart Rate

• Most adults who wish to stay healthy need 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day, including resistance training at least three times a week.
• Watch an informative slide show to learn more about the basics of exercise. Learn the difference between aerobic and non-aerobic activity here using the interactive slide show with a free quiz to test your exercise knowledge.  
• Learn more about cardiovascular exercise and what your heart rate should be.  
• Here is a free booklet that helps adults maintain an exercise program.

Physical Fitness for Seniors

• Seniors need a few hours of exercise every week that can be broken down into 10-minute intervals if needed and may include many activities, including  gardening, walking, housework and swimming. The most important factor is exercise that strengthens the muscle groups, which should be done twice a week.
• Learn more about physical fitness for older adults.
• Here is another great resource to find more information about exercise for seniors
• Here are some tips to help you stay active and overcome the common barriers to exercising.
• Here are some balance exercises for older adults.
• Visit the National Institute of Health (senior health section). It’s a great resource for  information on exercise for seniors. Watch videos and find safety tips and exercises to keep you fit. Take a quiz to see how much you’ve learned.
• If you haven’t exercised in awhile, you will need to start out slowly and consult your physician if you are high-risk or have some health obstacles to overcome.4

In fact, here’s a partial list. Yoga exercises may: keep spinal disks supple, reduce back pain from sitting too long, strengthen bones, maintain joints, boost immune system, increase circulation, teach mind-body control, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, increase feelings of happiness (decrease depression), reduce mental and physical pain, improve flexibility and balance, encourage relaxation, exercise muscles, build strength, reduce stress and quiet the mind. It may even increase the heart rate for cardio benefits once you begin more advanced poses.

On top of that, yoga helps the joints as they are moved through a full range of motion. As published in Yoga Journal, “Joint cartilage is like a sponge; it receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without proper sustenance, neglected cartilage can eventually wear out like worn-out brake pads, exposing the underlying bone.”

Since yoga makes a great low-impact exercise, it’s perfect for beginners with limited mobility. I, for one, am a beginner when it comes to stretching and yoga. When I first started, my body felt completely awkward, but after a few classes with a good instructor, I noticed major improvement in my flexibility and strength. Give it a try! We strongly suggest it. Here are some fun links to help you get started at home. 

• Are you a beginner? Check out Yoga for Beginners to get started.
• You can learn some of the yoga poses here, while learning more about yoga and the postures here.
• A yoga pose that is like a push-up (chatarange) can be quite a workout. 
• Here is a video of the pigeon pose. And another: pigeon pose.
• One yoga exercise called chair may remind you of doing a squat; only instead of coming back up, you stay down for a while and hold that position, which can strengthen the muscles.
• Breathing is an important part of yoga. The deep rhythmic breathing can aid in relaxation and help quiet a racing mind. If you’re a beginner, this may be a good video to watch.
• There are many different styles of yoga. You can read more about them in yoga magazines like Yoga Journal: Beginner’s Guide Vol. 1. You may be most familiar with Hatha Yoga.
• Lastly, if you are not in a healthy condition, it is important to consult a physician before starting a new type of exercise. Although yoga can heal the body and has wonderful health benefits, it is important to practice safely and not to injure yourself. Make sure that your instructor is working with you, and that you are doing the poses correctly and safely so as to avoid injury. Also, the instructor should show you modifications or select certain poses to best suit your needs, especially if you have injuries, limitations or restrictions but still want to participate.

   
   
Name: Elizabeth
Age: 25
Occupation:  Professional freelance writer and MFA Creative Writing graduate student at Rutgers University

What’s your typical diet like? What do you normally eat?
I desperately try to eat organic food whenever possible, especially when it comes to produce. I love organic vegetables and try to consume some every day, although I am admittedly not a very big fan of fruit. I love low-fat cheese! I don’t really drink soda or alcohol; I prefer water and green or white tea. I eat lean protein like chicken and turkey as much as I can (I hate to cook), especially after a hard workout or a long race. However, my diet is more about what I don’t eat than what I do eat because I believe everything God made is great in moderation. I eat a bowl of natural ice cream every day. But I refuse to consume artificial sweeteners, fake fat or lots of chemical pesticides and preservatives.

How often do you eat junk food, i.e., cookies, candy, pizza, burgers, fries?
I enjoy baking for my family and friends, so I’ll set aside a cupcake for myself from each batch. I also love my grandmother’s cakes and cookies, so I never tell her “No!” I never feel guilt for eating sweets made with love. I don’t really consider pizza junk food if it’s prepared properly and I eat it quite often with cancer-fighting broccoli on top. No red meat for me, please. And fries are just bad news—I honestly don’t even like them!

Do you recall any moment in your past when you decided, once and for all, to change the way you eat? Was that change precipitated by illness or feeling unhealthy, or was it simply an inevitable progression that just happened?
I changed the way I ate when I was about 22. I had a lot of horrible health problems— debilitating migraines and gastrointestinal illnesses that were really not fun. I think I finally had it when I broke out in a blistering rash that covered my entire face. It was terrible. I spent a lot of time absolutely convinced I was allergic to something outside of my body. I threw away my perfume, switched my laundry detergent and refused to buy clothes that required dry cleaning. But I think I was really allergic to the things I put in my body: the toxic deluge of diet soda I drank each day, the artificial everything I ate at each meal. And I know I also suffered from a lack of nutrients. You don’t realize how important vitamins are until you suffer a deficiency. Most people associate a B12 deficiency with a little fatigue. But a deficiency can damage your nerves beyond repair. Improper eating is a lot scarier than we often want to admit.

How does eating well make you feel?
Eating well makes me feel unbelievable! It makes me look my best too. I enjoy a healthy head of hair, long, strong nails, a fit body and clear (for the most part!) skin. Eating well gives me energy to work out as much as I do. It helps clear my thoughts and boost my mood.

What type of exercise and activities do you do?
I’m a cardio queen. I do at least one hour of cardio a day, but am happiest when I log in two. I love going to the gym and hogging the elliptical machine. I also have a mini elliptical machine at home for emergencies like Christmas when the gym is closed. I rollerblade around the river in the summer. I take a boot-camp training class once a week (when I’m not injured!). I am also an avid runner and try to run a local road race every weekend. (Last year, I ran about 30 and this year I want to run more!)

When did you begin exercising? And was it difficult for you to get into the routine of exercising?
I’ve always been active. I was a competitive figure skater as a kid and also enjoyed activities like running and martial arts. It’s difficult for me not to exercise because I know that it adds years to my life and happiness to my years. 

Do you balance cardio exercise with resistance training (weights) and stretching? How often in a week do you do each?
I do lift weights, though not as much as I would like. I strength-train my legs by adding resistance to my elliptical workouts. I lift weights once a week on my own and also on boot-camp days. I should add that stretching is SO important! It might not seem like a big deal to stretch your quads/calves for five minutes before you go for a run, but I’ve learned that insufficient stretching can and eventually will lead to serious injury. If you’re having trouble staying motivated, nothing curbs your enthusiasm more than an injury.

Do you take any supplements, vitamins, minerals or protein powders to enhance your workouts?
I think whey protein powder is great and I like to have it in shakes. I take a multivitamin every day and occasionally an extra B12 for an energy boost.

Can you offer any advice to those trying to improve their diet or begin an exercise plan?
I think a lot of what makes people depressed, sad and anxious is a lack of activity. If you want to be happier, the first place you should look is the gym. And if the gym intimidates you because you feel overweight or out of shape, then spend a hundred bucks on a mini elliptical machine and work out while you watch TV at home. I think that part of what fuels my love for exercise is my love of music. I look forward to listening to Lil Wayne and feeling awesome while I sweat for a few hours each day. Make sure you have a stellar playlist before you start a workout plan. I hope it’s possible for people to motivate themselves to eat well before they start to feel sick like I did. Watch a little Discovery Health Channel and scare yourself into eating like you should. Force yourself to look at a picture of a human heart covered in fat. That more than does the trick for me. I can’t encourage people enough to try their first 5k run/walk. There are so many races all over the place, all the time, that raise money for such wonderful causes. Go to Running in the USA to find one. Get a group of friends together and walk or jog three miles to raise money that will help erase a horrible disease. I promise you’ll feel wonderful and will want to do it again.  

Please look for more interviews with friends and health nuts on our Facebook page

 Liz Neporent’s The Ultimate Body: Ten Perfect Workouts for Women includes everything from cardio and weights to stretching, and insists on working all muscle groups for better overall tone and conditioning. Variety is the key. Mix and match aerobic exercise with anaerobic for a total body experience. And don’t forget the importance of low-impact classes and workouts such as swimming or yoga (although both of these can be high impact as well!).

 Adjusting your body to a variety of activities definitely has its benefits, according to Robyn Warsaw’s article, “Mixing it Up – Exercise Variety Keeps Your Body Going Strong“:

“There are some physiological benefits as well as psychological benefits of having variety in your exercise program,” says Barbara Bushman, Ph.D., FACSM, associate professor at Missouri State University’s Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and associate dean of the Graduate College, Southwest Missouri State University. “When you do the same type of exercise exclusively, your body builds certain specific strengths. By switching your activity mode, you broaden your physical abilities.”

Variety also keeps you from boredom, and keeps your mind alert to new rhythms and ways of doing different exercises.  

Whatever the case may be, do something. Anything. Physical exercise, no matter what it is, has payoffs. It keeps you younger, healthier and happier. 

Coming Up Next Week: Back to school for kids, but what about you? What will you do with all that free time?

People who lift weights, women in particular, do not get extremely muscular or bulky. Our bodies’ capacity for building muscle is limited to the amount of testosterone we have. And because women have more estrogen than testosterone, they cannot get bulky even if they lifted 100-pound weights every day. The exception, of course, is women and men who take steroids or other testosterone supplements.  

What does happen from lifting weights is body conditioning, toning, definition, a building of muscle mass (turning fat into muscle and thus becoming leaner), overall physical strength, stronger bones and endurance. And according to Medicinenet.com,                    

            “Research to date shows that resistance exercise [lifting weights] is associated with improvements in all of the following: muscular strength and endurance, functional capacity and ability (falling, climbing stairs), blood pressure, osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of muscle as we age), low back pain, insulin resistance and glucose metabolism, resting metabolic rate, body fat and psychological well-being.”  

Before you start, educate yourself. Find a plan online or sign up for a personal trainer at the gym. Make sure you start with lighter weights and build up to heavier ones. Muscles that are new to weight training respond well to light exercise, but it won’t last. You will need to upgrade to heavier weights to continue seeing and feeling results. For a really great weight-training guide online, visit the Weight Lifting—Resistance Exercise Plan here.  

Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to a Healthy Body: Week Four— Combining Cardio, Weights and Stretching

Cardiovascular exercise is the most important fitness program you can do in order to improve your overall fitness, increase your endurance and increase your blood circulation.  

Cardio conditioning is the most basic as well as most effective general fitness exercise regime to increase your general endurance targeting your lungs, heart and your whole cardio respiratory system. 

It not only increases your systemic and muscular function, it also enables you to tolerate any activity for longer periods of time.

Unfortunately, many of us are way below par when it comes to getting off the sofa and working out. But the truth is, if you don’t commit to some sort of cardio workout at least three to four times a week, you may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if your diet leaves little to be desired. An easy way to get started is to walk…

As reported in Prevention magazine, “Researchers from the University of Virginia found that women who did three shorter, fast-paced walks a week (plus two longer, moderate-paced ones) lost 5 times more belly fat than those who simply strolled at a moderate speed 5 days a week, even though both groups burned exactly the same number of calories (400) per workout. Those speed walking also dropped more than 2 inches from their waistlines, pared about 3 times more fat from their thighs, shed 4 times more total body fat, and lost almost 8 pounds over 16 weeks—all without dieting!”

A brisk walk of 25-30 minutes a day, three to four times a week, will do the trick. Don’t make excuses. If you have no walking paths in your ‘hood or live in a city or town that’s not conducive to walking, drive to a park, invest in a treadmill, join a gym or walk in place in front of the TV.

Make walking fun: Use a walking calculator to tell you how many calories you’ve burned. Put your iPod or MP3 player on your head and listen to your favorite tunes. Or better yet, set a goal. Prevention magazine offers these tips to walk off a size in four weeks. Whatever you do this week, make sure you add walking to your plan.

If you have any tips for walking or other cardio exercise, please add your comments below. 

Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to a Healthy Body: Week Three—Adding Weights to Your Exercise Routine

First, ask yourself a few questions:

• What are my goals for exercising?
• Am I trying to lose weight?
• Am I trying to maintain weight?
• Do I just want an exercise plan that keeps me in shape?

 Once you have an understanding of your fitness goals, take into consideration your age, weight, relative health, how you plan to exercise (Do you have a gym membership? Do you prefer watching exercise videos at home?) and finally, whether or not you may need to consult your physician before beginning. 

Next, write out the days of the week (all of them!). Taking into account your work schedule or when you may have free time, pencil in 30 minutes, three times a week to devote to your exercise plan. This is a start; you can always add more time to your schedule, depending on your level of desire. For me, I usually exercise for one hour, three to four days per week, and my plan consists of combining cardio workouts with weight training. 

This brings me to your final task. Remember, exercise can be low impact or high impact. It can be cardiovascular (when you increase your heart rate, burn calories and sweat), or it can be muscle building (when you shape and build muscle). Try to combine both cardiovascular with muscle building, sticking mostly with cardiovascular. Increasing your heart rate during exercise builds the heart muscle! Remember as well to add an extra five minutes of stretching afterwards. 

Now that you have your plan, make it a mandatory part of your schedule. Consider exercise to be essential to your lifestyle and the way you take care of yourself—just like brushing your teeth, showering, shaving and doing your hair. You make time for all those self-beautifying tasks. Make time for exercise too! 

Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to a Healthy Body: Week Two—Don’t Ask Questions, Just Get Up and Walk! 

A couple of years ago, after a stint of binging daily on McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, and nearly causing rapid, consecutive deaths to my liver, pancreas and heart (heck, I wasn’t even exercising), I was suddenly possessed by a need to detox my system of junk food and purge. So, I went from one extreme to another. In place of a Big Mac I drank water, tea and soup. Instead of donuts, I ate only salads and raw foods (nuts, berries, veggies and fruits). I did this for about three days straight until I couldn’t take it anymore. Sure, I felt better, but my body (or maybe it was just my brain) was craving sugar and fat. And so the vicious cycle continued until eventually I found some semblance of a “normal” diet.

 Going back and forth from an extreme cleansing diet to an extremely bad diet is not healthy. And the reason is simple. Your body craves balance. Everything in nature seeks balance and your body is no different. Every day you need essential vitamins and minerals, and some variety of exercise. Plain and simple, you need the four food groups and the stability of a healthy—not extreme—lifestyle.

 Fasting

A word on fasting. Although I do believe in occasionally cleansing your system of toxic junk by means of fasting (eating little to no food for a period of time), I strongly suggest that you buy a fasting book and do not attempt one of the more radical plans (just water for three days, for example) to start. The New Detox Diet, by Elson M. Haas, MD, is great starter book. It describes several plans to help you determine which might be best for you. It also offers recipes, menu plans and how to prepare for a fast. The better prepared you are for a fast, the safer and healthier the experience.

 Raw foods

When people hear “raw” food they often think of sushi, raw fish or raw meats. I know I did as late as two years ago. But raw can and does mean any food not cooked. More specifically it means fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, sprouts, some grains and a few other edibles like some fermented foods, olive oil, pure chocolate (not milk chocolate, but pure cacao), agave and even wine. The health benefits of raw foods (when food is cooked it immediately loses nutrients; not only that, but raw foods are packed with antioxidants and natural enzymes that cooked food is not) are so well known that many believe a pure diet of only raw is the best way to go. I’m on the fence with this. While I do believe you should eat as much raw food as possible every day, I don’t think cooked food is the devil. We’ve been cooking food for over 100,000 years (probably much longer) and it has huge benefits. But there are always two sides to every story, so you need to decide what’s right for you. Alissa Cohen has a great raw-foods cookbook called Living on Live Food. The more raw foodstuffs you add to your diet, the better. A banana-strawberry smoothie, a salad with olive oil, vinegar and salt, a handful of raisins, almonds, walnuts… It’s easy.

 Extreme fitness

Athletes have trainers. They know how to diet, how to train and how to perform under extreme conditions. They also know when to take a break and how to rebuild and repair their bodies. Working out like a crazy person, running and racing daily is not healthy. It’s radical. And it oftentimes has severe health consequences. Getting Fit and Staying Fit in Your 40s, 50s and Beyond is a great book to introduce you to balanced exercise plans. The more you know, the better prepared you are to make changes and work towards a balance!

Coming Up Next Week: Four-Part Series—Four Weeks to Healthy Eating: Week One—The Importance of Adding Veggies to Your Daily Diet.