spynergysp

Tips to make your spin® class great (and lose some weight!)

 1Cool visualization can help!  Imagine you are training for the Winter Olympics.....really imagine it.  It is 6 weeks before you meet your toughest rivals on the global stage.  Whoever trains harder and smarter wins.  GO FOR THE GOLD!  

2) Review the benefits of exercise in your mind (yes, looking good -- but there are some other amazing ones)  From Women's Health Magazine    

"Cardiovascular health is more important than any other single factor in preserving and improving learning and memory," says Thomas Crook, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and memory researcher. "You're working out your brain at the same time as your heart."

3) Don't forget calories in!  Here are 4 Easy Tips to help you control eating.  A) Slow down when you eat.  B) Don't eat while you open mail, read magazines or work on the computer  C) Don't eat when bored, D) Don't clean your plate.    

Keep an eye on the schedule for a new series of "Theme classes"  Monday nights in Wellesley.  This Monday Feb 22nd "Vintage Jams and Live Music" with Bill.....a 70 minute "trip".

Wow, exercise impacts colds....even cancer!

Amazing ariticle in the January 5th Wall Sreet Journal called "The Hidden Benefits of Exercise".  You should absolutely read the entire article, but hear are a few highlights that got our attention:

1)  ....a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise can boost the body's immune system increasing the circulation of natural cells that fight off viruses and bacteria.

2)  ....inactivity poses as great a health risk as smoking, contributing to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, depression, arhritis and osteoporosis

3)  ....studies are now suggestinghat exercise-induced changes in the body's immune system may protect against some forms of cancer.  Harvard Med School's consumer website notes a series of studies suggest women who exercise regularly can expect a 20% to 30% reduction in the chance of getting breast cancer.

Check the full text of this article, it's amazing.

Are you interested in Wine?

I am.  But in January, I give up the beloved grape nectar as part of a cleansing process that I have commited myself to each year for the past 14 years.  Why cleanse?  If you happen to have observed any of my consumption and dietary behavior during the months of November and December, you would understand why the January cleanse is both necessary, and in fact quite easy (at least for the first few weeks). 

While I can't drink during the month of January, I can in fact read about wine.  Not the same, I know, but it can be quite entertaining.  The blogoshpere is ripe with wine blogs of various kinds, I have found a few writers who are both knowledgeable as well as entertaining.

WineZag is published by Adam Japko, a long time friend, former colleague and as passionate a wine enthusiast as you will ever meet.  Adam has a great sensiblity about the enjoyment of wine, but he also does it in a down to earth way.  His favorite wines are wines that are great values..........and he knows how to find them.

Wellesely Wine Press is published by Robert Dwyer.  He brings a local sensibility living right around here in Wellesley, and is also highly focussed on value.

Both of these blogs have a broad variety of information about virtually any aspect of the wine universe you might be interested in.  Right now I am voraciously READING, I can't wait til February when I can resume CONSUMING.  I love calories out (spin class and spinning), but I also love calories in (wine and food).

Do you know other Wine Blogs?  Love to hear from you.

100 Nutrition Tips for a Longer, Better life

We don't believe in diets, especially fad diets, but January is certainly a convenient time to look at the way you eat and to make some decisions about how your eating affects your fitness (and longevity!)There's a whole buncha tips here --- categorized even.  We went through and picked some of the more interesting ones, but if you have a moment read all 100, it's a good exercise:

• # 13  try dark chocolate.  Not ideal, but has antioxidants and much better than milk
• Fill up on the good foods first, when you are craving the junk
• Eat Half (or even 3/4) when out at restaurants.  They usually serve too much.  It adds up!
• Be careful on the beverages, lots have many calories
• Whole grain foods keep you fuller longer
• Eat foods with color in them in variety
• Shop the perimeter of the store, avoid the packaged, canned and frozen stuff in the middle
• Hair and skin look better when you eat proteing

Full List of 100 Tips Click Here

30 Worst Foods in Amercia - do you have nominees?

Just read a really fun article in Men's Health magazine if you are watching what you eat.  The good news is, even on your worst binging, trash food splurge, you probably didn't eat most of what you will see on this list.  A few of my favorites:  Worst Adult Drink ("Lobsterita" from Red Lobster), Worst gas station treat (hostess chocolate pudding pie), Worst supermaket lunch pack, Worst frozen pizza,  Worst Mall treat (Cinnabun Caramel Pecanbun),  Worst sliders.  Just reading the list makes you feel better----once the wave of nausea from looking at the pictures passes.  
Click here to look through the full list of 30 from Men's Health magazine.  Please feel free to comment here if you think there is worse food than the stuff in this article.  What are your own "Worst Foods in America"   My own nominee?  The Bear Claw at Bess Eaton donuts.

Spynergy Workshop: Weight loss and Nutrition...a practical approach

We want to help you lose weight (if you need to).......without a typical "diet".  Instead let's learn how different kinds of food impact our metabolism and therefore our weight.  Everyone knows what bad eating habits look like, but how many of us know the best combinations of foods?  Fad diets come and go, but learning solid principles around food and eating can change the way we eat and the way we look.....and most imporant, the way we feel.

 

The Spynergy Nutrition and Weight Loss Workshop is 5 Tuesdays starting January 12th at the Wellesley studio. Learn about your metabolism and losing weight from registered dietitian and nutritionist Lyn Schwartz, MS, RD.  
 
Lyn has an innovative, personalized approach to help you boost energy, control food cravings and rev up your metabolism.  She has taught classes at Newton Wellesley hospital and numerous other settings.  She will run workshops with us at Spynergy and will develop personalized eating plans.  Several Spynergy riders have taken her classes and she comes highly recommended!
 
Join Spynergy and learn a practical and effective way to complement your exercise with a healthy and thoughtful approach to eating right.
 
$149 for the course. Purchase by clicking "workshops" at  www.spynergywellesley.com

for more information email us at info@spynergywellesley.com

 

 

 

 

 

Another reason to eat healthy / eat well

Every day you make eating choices......right?  Here is an article we love about eating a Mediterranean style diet --- it lowers the incidence of depression.  Mediterranean types don't starve themselves....no.  They eat well!  That's the good news.  In addition to the heart benefits, you'll stay happier!  Check this out:  Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Depression.  As we move further into the "eating" season, try waging the battle for quality........as opposed to the much tougher battle of quantity.  Eat better, even if you are eating more!  Way easier said than done, of course.  And of course:  Exercise, exercise, exercise.

Eating Season.....and good news on Chocolate

Halloween marks the start of the traditional "eating" (or overeating) season.  There are two ways we typically deal with this season:  First, total abandonment, followed by a desperate attempt to recoup in January.  Second, over-regulation and deprivation resulting in stress.  Hmmmmmm  how about a middle ground?  Enjoy the rich natural foods of the the season (in moderation), and keep to a regular regimen of exercise ----- preferably indoor cycling / spin classes!  Make the commitment now, and schedule yourself to exercise.  And guess what?  Click Here to hear some reserarch on chocolate as a GOOD thing.  We love finding this kind of information!  But moderate, moderate, moderate.