Optimum Wellness Spring 2013

spring RENEWAL: Refresh your home, health and heart

eat | think | move

Plus!

stalk options Diversify your spring menu with healthful asparagus

7 easy breezy sprin g recipes p. 36

Super seed your diet p. 11 Single focus: The hazards of multitasking p. 24 Battle Ready: Get in fighting shape p. 26

Compliments of

spring 2013

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from the founder The Promise of Spring.

As I sat down to write this edition’s letter, the tragedy in Boston was unfolding—a harsh juxtaposition to the oncoming spring. This is supposed to be a time of renewal and hope and life, yet here we were surrounded again by darkness and loss. I know I wasn’t the only one feeling gloomy and sad and, well, hopeless. Yet even as we allow ourselves to grieve, we must also use events like this to take a step back, reevaluate and reinvest in the things that are most precious to us.

For me, that includes my community, my family and my personal well-being. In this issue, we profile a few amazing community garden programs (“Lessons From the Field,” page 30) that are teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of local, polycultural farming and agriculture. Small efforts like these remind us where our food comes from and how blessed we are to have it. And speaking of food, get to know one of my favorite spring veggies, asparagus (“Buy It. Store It. Prep It.” Page 14), and nature’s smallest superfoods: seeds (“Good Things. Small Packages.”

Page 11). I trust you’ll love experimenting with the recipes on page 36 and online at our recently redesigned website optimumwellness.com.

One of my favorite features in this issue is Nancy Coulter-Parker’s “Combat Ready,” page 26. I am passionate about movement, and I’m a big fan of this militaryinspired fitness wave. My wife, Debra, and I participated in our first Warrior Dash at Copper Mountain a few years ago along with close friends, and I get over to my local CrossFit gym for a workout whenever I can. One of the things I like best about these types of events and workouts is the supportive nature of the community.

When we eat well and take care of ourselves physically and emotionally, we are better equipped to help others by being more present, strong, focused and available.

spring 2013 | volume 01 issue 02 optimumwellness.com

Our simple philosophy of eat, think, move can serve us all in challenging times.

How we help ourselves and help each other can be one of the most powerful ways to not only support our own healing but the healing of everyone around us. When we eat well and take care of ourselves physically and emotionally, we are better equipped to help others by being more present, strong, focused and available.

Peace and blessings,

Dr. James Rouse, ND

Founder James Rouse, ND

Creative Director Tom Visocchi

editorial director Debra Rouse, ND

Copy Editor Kellee Katagi

Publisher Deborah Juris

Project Manager Susan Humphrey

Editor Deborah Williams

Contributing Writers Jonathan Bakker, Nancy Coulter-Parker, Adrienne Crezo, Radha Marcum Contributing Artists Amanda Lenz, Fabio Napoleoni, Jeff Nelson, Annette Slade

Published by

www.hungryeyemedia.com

800.852.0857

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

1

issue 02: spring 2013

contents. features.

26 military might

This spring, get out of the stuffy gym and give your running legs a break. Military-inspired workouts and obstacle-course competitions will ignite your fitness and squash the monotony of your same-old exercise routine. By Nancy Coulter-Parker

30

How Does Your Garden Grow?

To truly understand and appreciate the food you bring home from the grocery store every week, you have to know where it came from and how it came into being. Local community gardens are one way to find out. By Radha Marcum

departments. begin.

09 nettle benefits

Maybe you’ve never heard of this little green plant, but you’ve probably seen it. It grows wild, often on the side of the road, and is one of nature’s great healers.

05 What’s really in your TV

dinner? Plus, DIY vertical gardens, turn your trash into another person’s tiny treasure and the culprits behind America’s expanding waistline.

11 good things.

small packages.

They might be tiny, but flax, quinoa, hemp and chia seeds pack a big punch. If they’re not part of your diet already, they should be.

14 asparagus

Thin, fat, steamed, sautéed, grilled or roasted, you can’t go wrong with spring’s queen of greens.

2 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

think.

improve.

23 slow your roll

40 No crust. no

You don’t have to chant or meditate to reach a higher state of serenity.

Simple techniques you can do anywhere from your kitchen to your car will calm the chaos of everyday life.

24 the power of one

Think you’re a master multitasker? Prepare to have your bubble burst.

No one’s good at doing more than one thing at a time, not even you.

Learn why it’s not only inefficient but why it might also be unhealthy.

fuss.

Sunday brunch doesn’t have to be a fattening affair. We cut the crust from this scrumptious quiche—saving you a lot of calories and all the guilt.

move.

33 moves you

should use Bulging biceps are nice and all, but they won’t keep you from slipping on the ice or falling off a ladder. Functional fitness—training your body to respond to life’s everyday physical challenges—is the key to staying active and injuryfree for years to come.

special section.

18 top 10

supplements Even the most wellrounded diet has a few nutrient gaps. Fill them in with the right nutrition supplements.

tough mudder; shutterstock

eat.

01 welcome letter

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Colors

Approval

NO CHANGES

Creative Designer

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Brand Manager

Red

Project Management

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New look. Same great products.

Pink Packaging Engineer THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. ‡ Supportive, but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart Labeling disease. Specialist © 2013 Schiff Nutrition Group, Inc.

Scientist / PE

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Research

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Regulatory Affairs

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Q&A

Convenient Foods: Inconvenient Truths

As a former New York Times reporter and the mother of two young boys, Melanie Warner felt compelled to scrutinize the strange ingredients she encountered on “prefabbed, precooked, often portable” food package labels and to peer under the hood of the high-tech manufacturing processes that create 70 percent of the foods Americans consume today. Her recent book Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal (Scribner, 2013) was the result. Optimum Wellness spoke with Warner recently at her home office in Boulder, Colorado.

BY RADHA MARCUM

What exactly is “processed” food? Highly processed foods are ones you can’t make in your home kitchen. They have excessive levels of sugar, salt, fat, and refined grains, and they are loaded with synthetic additives or manufacturing aids so that manufacturers don’t have to use as many real ingredients, which tend to be more expensive and harder to work with.

Some help with how the product looks. Many are flavorings—some that mask the bad taste of other processed ingredients. And then a lot help in preserving foods. Processing destroys a food’s naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Processed foods don’t have these unless they are added back in synthetic forms. continued on page 6 4

Jeff Nelson

GES

begin.

W/ CHANGES

DATE

5,000 +:

A conservative estimate by The Pew Charitable Trusts of the number of additives in processed foods

70%:

Percent of the average American’s diet that comes from processed foods

1,000:

Number of new, untested additives introduced to the food manufacturing industry in the past 10 years

$800 billion:

Market for processed foods

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

5

begin.

4 continued from page 5

What surprised you most in researching the book? That even the FDA doesn’t know how many additives are going into foods and doesn’t test new food additives; the food companies do the testing, and the regulatory process is voluntary. There’s no central place or website for consumers to learn about the safety of these ingredients.

In the book, you describe methods using hazardous industrial chemicals. It starts to sound like science fiction. How did we get here? It’s been going on for decades, this gradual progression of technology and science into food

6 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

production. And it has helped make food cheaper by making food production more efficient. In the 1940s, food companies began targeting consumer markets for the convenience foods they sent to the military troops fighting overseas. By the 1950s housewives had fully adopted precooked, pre-prepared foods. Today, most large food companies want to increase sales, cut costs and increase margins.

So they have a big incentive to push people to these cheaper foods.

Long, hard-to-pronounce words in the ingredient list are a big red flag, but could we miss some highly

processed ingredients because they sound ordinary? Yes. Take soy protein isolate. People think it’s healthy because its has the word protein and because soybeans have a health halo—partly because the FDA allows manufacturers to say that the product can lower risk for heart disease. Whole soybeans and foods made from them like tempeh, miso and edamame actually are healthy—but there’s a lot of disagreement over the health benefits of soy protein isolate. It has been so highly processed, first using the chemical hexane—a neurotoxin left over from the oil refining process—and then further processes in which

all of the fiber, vitamins and minerals are lost.

What lost a place on your shelf or in your refrigerator as a result of you writing this book? I stopped buying even the natural kids’ mac and cheese. Not that it’s so horrible. I just thought, “Why am I giving the kids powdered cheese [agglomerated cheese] or liquid cheese when I could make pasta with a simple sauce made with real cheese?

i

Learn more at melanierwarner.com.

begin.

VERTICAL GARDEN DIY All the things that make Colorado a great place to live—white winters, dry climate, 300 annual days of bright sunshine—can make it a tricky place to maintain a healthy garden. This time of year, especially, you want to start planting flowers and herbs, but surprise snowstorms as late as May or

even June can freeze plants. By mid-July, sweltering temps, little natural moisture and watering restrictions can fry delicate flora. Sometimes, herbs and plants do better inside than out. Consider planting an indoor garden with a vertical or wall-mounted system that takes up little

Step 1: Prep A 50/50 mixture of sterilized, pH-neutral organic potting soil and cactus mix will promote drainage.

You might also want pruning sheers, a watering gauge, a small watering can and a book that explains which plants thrive best together. Ladwig recommends SmallSpace Container Gardens: Transform Your Balcony, Porch, or Patio with Fruits, Flowers, Foliage, and Herbs,

by Fern Richardson (Timber, 2012).

space, dresses up any room and requires far less water and care. Deborah King and Whitney Ladwig at Tagawa Gardens on South Parker Road show you how easy it is to build and tend your own vertical garden in five easy steps.

Step 4: tlc Use a high-nitrogen, low-phosphorous fertilizer to promote foliage growth, and water your plants according to the directions that come with them.

The wall-mounted systems have large holes on the top for watering. (If you stack more than one layer together, punch out the perforated holes on the underside of all but the bottom layer of the system. Water will drain from the top through all levels.)

Step 2: Plant Choose a theme— culinary (edible flowers or vegetables), herbal, aromatherapy, tea—for your vertical garden.

Tagawa sells prepackaged kits for each that group varieties with similar watering and sun-exposure needs. Transfer the plants from their temporary containers to the modular system, making sure to loosen the roots. Water immediately.

Step 5: harvest Harvest herbs and vegetables before they flower. To get the best flavor, harvest in the early morning. You can harvest up to a third of the plant at a time, but each herb should be harvested differently, so do your research before clipping.

Step 3: display Tagawa sells a variety of prefabricated, modular, standing or wallmounted container systems with built-in watering/drainage solutions (to prevent root rot). Stack or mount the containers in a location that provides four to six hours of direct sunlight. Once the roots take hold and the weather stabilizes, you can move your vertical garden outside. The planter systems let you easily move them back inside as conditions warrant.

You can build your own vertical garden or find prefabricated displays like these at many home and garden centers or online. For ideas, visit: verticalgardeningsystems.com

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

7

Karma Train: Double Duty

begin. calories per person per day

Inspired ideas for saving money, cutting waste and increasing your karma quotient.

Spread good cheer and get points for being environmentally thrifty by using a cardboard box from your pantry to make a handwritten postcard.

After you’ve polished off the cereal, crackers or cookies, cut the box into a postcard-size rectangle. Use a ruler and a fine-point ink pen to draw a vertical line down the middle

of the backside of the card and three horizontal lines on the right half for the address.

Use a different color pen to compose your note. Slap a stamp on it and drop it in the mailbox. The deed might even offset your guilt about buying your kids those less-thanhealthy snack foods.

1970

2,168

2008

2,673

from

23%

459

-1%

14%

651

5%

58%

1,563

-5%

15%

(17%)

carbs

% of Total daily calorie % intake increase increase over over time time

402 (18%)

(24%)

410 (19%)

from

fat

1,356 (63%)

(58%)

from

protein

fat or fiction?

In the past 40 years, we’ve not only increased our average daily caloric intake by more than 400 (enough to gain a pound every 8 days), we’ve also changed where we get those calories from.

8 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

eat.

All About...

stinging nettle Urtica dioica, better known as stinging nettle, is a perennial plant that grows wild all over the world and has a long medicinal and culinary history.

One of many nettle varieties, the stinging nettle is so named because its leaves contain tiny, sharp hairs that can cause pain if handled without gloves or eaten raw. Once the leaves have been cooked or dried, the sting goes away, and they are safe to touch and eat.

Valued by native tribes in places such as Asia and the Americas for its astringent, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and tonic properties, stinging nettle has been used medicinally to treat arthritis, eczema and allergies and to promote lactation,

vitamin K. Nettles also supply B vitamins, which help your body use and make energy, and the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron; although, they also contain tannins and other iron inhibitors.

Nettle leaf can be harvested

boost the immune system and nourish the blood. It is high in vitamins A, C and K—an oftenoverlooked but vital nutrient that helps your blood coagulate.

In fact, a cup of freshly boiled, steeped or dried stinging nettles supplies nearly 600 percent of the recommended daily value of

in the wild from forested areas and even along roadways or you can purchase it dried in bulk or packaged in capsules or tea.

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

9

©2013 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. SpongeBob SquarePants created by Stephen Hillenburg.

IN THEATERS IN 3 D JUNE 21

© 2013 Disney/Pixar

eat.

Good Things. Small Packages.

Four superfoods you should sprinkle into your diet.

By Jonathan bakker

Small but mighty, seeds have worked their way onto the radar of many a health-conscious consumer. Expert sources such as Dr. Oz and the The New York Times have recently declared seeds among the world’s “superfoods”—nutrient- and phytochemical-dense dietary wonders that provide you with a flood of nutrients in compact doses. Seeds have been a staple in many world diets for centuries, if not millennia. Quinoa and chia seeds provided sustenance for many Native American cultures, including the Aztec and Inca. Ancient Mesopotamian cultures incorporated flax into their textiles and diets, and during the same era, hemp seeds helped Himalayan tribes grow and prosper.

Most seeds—whether whole, ground, pressed into oil or incorporated into bars, cereals and supplements—are available year-round in the natural-food section of your local market.

hemp

flax

Quinoa

Photography by Annette Slade

chia

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

11

eat.

Flax Native to the Middle East, flax provided ancient cultures with food, medicine and textile fibers.

The seeds have a light, nutty flavor and come in both brown and golden varieties. You can purchase them whole or ground and packaged, although preground and packaged flax can oxidize, which lessens the health benefits— primarily digestive regularity.

Prep it: To get the full nutritional benefits of flax, purchase the seeds whole and grind them in a coffee grinder yourself before sprinkling them over cereal or blending them into a yogurt-and-fruit smoothie. You can also stir them into pancake mix.

Bonus: Recent evidence suggests that

Quinoa Often mistaken as a grain, the quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) seed is naturally gluten-free. A relative of spinach and Swiss chard, it grows in clusters at the end of 3to 6-foot-high stalks of the Chenopodium plant, cultivated mainly in Chile.

A natural, bitter residue called saponin coats the outside of quinoa seeds, so you should rinse them well prior to cooking.

Prep it: Delicious raw or cooked (boiled or baked), it’s an ideal replacement for rice and other grains.

Bonus: Higher in antioxidant content than most berries.

RDA profile: magnesium (37%), iron (50%), zinc (23%)

12 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

consuming flaxseed— high in phytoestrogens— may decrease risk of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast, uterine and ovarian.

RDA profile: omega-3 (290%), thiamin (28%), fiber (14%)

In February, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared 2013 the “International Year of Quinoa.”

Hemp Presidents Washington and Jefferson both grew hemp, as did all colonial Americans, who were legally bound to do so by the U.S. government.

Yes, hemp is related to marijuana, but hemp seeds do not induce intoxication because they are bred for low or no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content.

Like quinoa, hemp seeds boast a complete protein profile, containing 21 amino acids, including those that our bodies don’t produce on their own. If you can’t find whole hemp seeds look for an alternative such as hemp protein powder.

Prep it: Sprinkle hemp on salads, stir-fries, yogurt or oatmeal or incorporate it with your favorite baked treats. Its nutty flavor also makes it ideal in oil or hemp nut butter.

Bonus: Hemp is the most readily digestible plant protein because it contains no enzyme inhibitors.

RDA profile: iron (606%), omega-3 (70%), magnesium (37%)

In a recent study conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Alabama, a drink made with chia seed was found to be comparable to a popular sports drink for its ability to enhance sport performance but did so while decreasing athletes’ sugar intake and increasing omega-3 intake.

Chia Thanks to its health benefits, chia has come a long way since its days of bad hair and novelty decorative planters. A gelatinous external layer helps slow your stomach’s conversion of the seed’s carbohydrates into sugar, which means longer-burning energy, ideal during endurance exercise.

Prep it: Combine chia with quinoa, hemp seeds and a few other ingredients for a low-fat variation on granola or trail mix (see page 36), or add it to your water when you’re working out—it absorbs 12 times its weight in water, which means your body gets more bang for its hydration buck.

Bonus: The seed has five times more calcium than cow’s milk and more antioxidants than blueberries.

RDA profile: omega-3 (226%), iron (26%), magnesium (21%)

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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eat.

Buy It. Store It. Prep It.

Loaded with antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, asparagus is a freeradical fighter with very few calories, no fat and a lot of fiber. We love it not only for its high nutritional value but also for its colorful, exotic look that dresses up even simple dishes.

Buy It: Although you can find imported asparagus most of the year, it is in season and at its peak March through June in the United States. The spears come in a variety of diameters; all of them are delicious—it’s a common misconception that the thickness of the stalks determines their taste or quality.

Usually sold in 1-pound bunches, asparagus stalks should be straight, firm and bright green. Look for spears with bright-purple tips that are closed and compact—like a paintbrush loaded with paint.

Store It: According to the California Asparagus Commission, asparagus keeps best when set upright in a container with an inch or so of water and placed in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to three months: Blanch the stalks first, pat them dry, lay them so they’re not touching on a cookie sheet, and place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, transfer the stalks to a plastic bag.

14 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Prep It: Snap or trim a half-inch off the bottom of the stalks before cooking them.

The woody ends aren’t good for eating, but they’re great for soups and vegetable stocks.

Boil until tender, steam, roast or grill the spears, but keep your preparation simple—olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices, lemon juice, grated orange peel, or a light cream sauce complement without distracting from the natural, rich flavor of asparagus. Or cut the spears into quarter- or half-inch pieces and add them to salads, pastas, casseroles and stir-fries.

Photography by Annette Slade

Chopped Asparagus Salad Niçoise: Pronounced neeswah—for Nice, France, where it originated.

Salad, Extra Nice

Lightly steamed asparagus is a flavorful addition to a lively spring salad.

Chopped Asparagus Niçoise Salad Serves 4

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme

1 tablespoon fresh minced basil 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 8c ups lettuce leaves (Romaine, Butter or Red Leaf), torn or chopped

Whisk together the vinegars, salt, honey, mustard and fresh herbs. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously to emulsify. Set aside.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus to the water and cook 3 to 5 minutes until just tender but still firm. Remove and rinse

1/2 cup Kalamata olives 1/4 cup diced red onion 1 tablespoon capers, drained 4 medium hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered 2m edium tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges

under cold water to stop from cooking further.

Toss together asparagus, lettuce, olives, onion and capers with half the prepared dressing. Place the salad mixture on a serving platter and arrange eggs and tomatoes around the outer edge. Serve additional dressing on the side in a small serving bowl.

shutterstock

Per Serving: 288 calories, 21g fat (3g sat); 12g protein; 17g carbohydrate; 2g sugars; 6g dietary fiber; 212mg cholesterol; 822mg sodium

i

True balsamic vinegar is aged anywhere from 12 to 15 years, much like wine, in wood barrels. And like wine, the red variety is made from red grapes, the white variety from white grapes.

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The Full Spectrum White asparagus— which comes from the same plant as the green variety—is colorless because it is grown under a blanket of dirt and is never exposed to sunlight, which causes the pigmentation. Purple asparagus is a different variety that has a sweeter flavor, and its color comes from high levels of the antioxidant anthocyanin.

~

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trail mixes

snacks

confections

dried Fruits

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Free Range snacks are made with only natural ingredients, roasted fresh from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. They don’t just taste good. They’re made good.

• Look for Free Range products in the natural and bulk area.

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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nutritionnow.com

Supplemental Health Care

a

c

The Supplement Top 10 Reinforce your nutritional armor with these expertrecommended supplements. By Deborah williams Have you noticed that your grocer’s vitamin aisle has expanded in recent years? If this is evidence of anything, it’s that the public is listening to what experts like Dr. Balz Frei, micronutrient researcher and executive director of Linus Pauling Institute, have been saying: “Eating healthy, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco … and [taking] some dietary supplements are critical for optimum health.” But which supplements are the most important? The answer, of course, is different for everyone.

Supplements aren’t meant to take the place of a balanced, well-rounded diet but rather to fill in the gaps. You should consult a nutritionist to determine which combination of products will best complement your diet and lifestyle.

Many, if not all, of the supplements described in this article are likely to be on the nutritionist’s list.

(eyes, brain, heart)

Also called essential fatty acids, these have been shown to improve cardiovascular health and have been linked to joint health.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the longchain acids in omega-3s, is crucial for visual and neurological function, so it’s especially recommended for pregnant women, young children and elderly adults. Although omega-3s are present in many vegetable foods, they are most readily available from fish and seafood. If you’re not a big seafood eater, supplements made from fish and krill oil ensure you get your recommended daily allowance of DHA. Alternate forms such as coconut oil, flax and chia are also popular (see page 11).

18 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

e

d

i

b Calcium

(bones, muscles) The most abundant mineral in the human body, calcium serves many functions. Most notably, it strengthens bones and teeth. Plentiful in dairy and leafy green vegetables, calcium is easy to get from a balanced diet, but anyone with a lactose intolerance or allergy or an aversion to green vegetables is at risk for developing a deficiency and should consider taking a daily calcium supplement.

g b

h

j Before starting any supplement regimen, consult a doctor or nutritionist who can advise you about possible benefits and side-effects.

thinkstock

a Omega-3s

f

Supplemental Health Care

cM ultivitamins

(general health & wellness) As the name suggests, multis pack a number of essential nutrients into a single pill. “I take a multivitamin primarily as ‘health insurance,’ to make sure I get at least the recommended amount of most vitamins and minerals in case I don’t get each and every one of them from my daily diet,” says Frei.

Technically, there are 13 compounds classified as vitamins,” including vitamins A, B (see below), C, D, E and K, but most multis also contain other compounds, such as folic acid, zinc, calcium and iron.

e Immunity Boosters The trifecta of a healthy diet, regular exercise and proper hygiene best protects you from coughs and colds. But research has also proven certain supplements to be effective combatants. Fortify your immune system with the herb echinacea, thought to fight flu by reducing inflammation.

Also try zinc, which many experts agree can shorten a cold or flu if taken at the onset of symptoms, and astragalus, derived from a plant root, that stimulates white blood cells that help fight infection.

f CoQ10

(cells, heart)

dP riobiotics

(digestion, intestinal health, immunity, urinary health) Your intestines are a little like a petri dish, full of microorganisms and healthy bacteria that keep your digestive system running smoothly. But with today’s less-than-balanced diets and sporadic eating schedules, we can easily throw our systems out of whack. Bad bacteria can sneak in and outnumber the good bacteria, leaving you with an upset stomach or discontented bowels. An imbalance can also cause more serious symptoms, such as urinary tract infections. Yogurt and other cultured dairy products contain probiotics—healthy bacteria. But if you don’t get enough from your daily food intake, consider taking a probiotic supplement. Most experts will also agree that immune health begins in the digestive tract, so consider use of a probiotic to prevent colds and flu as well.

Probiotics are differentiated by bacterial strain as well as concentration to accommodate all age groups—children, adults, seniors—and genders.

iV itamin C

(cough & cold)

Also sold as coenzyme Q10, it is a naturally occurring element and antioxidant in the human body that provides energy to cells that keep your organs—especially your heart—running smoothly. CoQ10 can decrease with age and from some chronic diseases including heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes and muscular dystrophy.

Although the jury is still out, some studies suggest a CoQ10 deficiency might cause some cases of obesity. Consult a doctor or nutritionist before taking CoQ10. The advanced form of CoQ10, ubiquinol, is also available in supplement form and is easier for your body to metabolize.

g Vitamin B Complex

(energy, red blood cell production, metabolism) Supplements called B Complex include all eight B vitamins, which are water-soluble—meaning your body cannot store them and must therefore get a constant supply from food or supplements. B1 or thiamine—found in beans, meat, seeds and whole grains—may prevent irregular heartbeat, impaired sensory perception, edema and, in severe cases, heart failure. Vitamin B9, or folic acid—found in leafy vegetables, fruit, beans and peas—is crucial in brain development, especially for babies in utero.

(bones and muscles, antioxidant activity, immunity)

SPECIAL DELIVERY Vitamins and minerals are only as effective as your body’s ability to process them. Once the exclusive domain of tablets and capsules, supplements now come in many forms, including liquids, tabs or strips that dissolve on your tongue, chewables, and even oral sprays. Whether you have difficulty swallowing or just prefer a tasty, candylike treat, these new delivery methods can make taking a daily supplement more appealing.

What’s more, with most supplements, your body absorbs the nutrients best in certain forms. To learn more about the options and the best way to get a supplement’s full benefits, consult a nutritionist. ~

h Vitamin B 12

(nerves, energy, red blood cell production) Vegans, listen up: B12, also called cobalamin, is only available from animal products, not plants. B12 aids red blood cell formation and is crucial for nerve development. People over 50 are at a higher risk for B12 deficiencies, which can cause weakness, fatigue and memory loss. Many energy drinks and supplements contain B12, but you can also find it as a standalone supplement.

The long-held assumption that vitamin C can reduce your risk of getting a common cold is coming under some scrutiny, according to the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine, and the jury is out on its effectiveness in immune health. But it is still crucial for good health; it helps form collagen, which is important for bone, muscle and blood vessel development. Although supporting scientific evidence is thin, vitamin C is often used to prevent various infections including gum disease, stomach ulcers and skin infections. An antioxidant that hunts and destroys cancer-causing free-radicals, vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is abundant in many plant foods, including broccoli and kale, not just citrus foods such as oranges.

j Vitamin D

(bones, immunity) Like B vitamins, there are several forms of vitamin D: D2 and D3 are the most critical for humans. D3, which comes from the sun, is absorbed through your skin, and vitamin D2 comes from plants. Both help your body absorb calcium, crucial for bone development and density.

An article published by the Harvard School of Public Health suggests as many as 1 billion people—especially those living at latitudes that get relatively little sun exposure and some ethnic groups—have vitamin D deficiencies.

According to the Mayo Clinic, new research suggests vitamin D might also protect against osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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think.

Om for All

Even if you don’t think of yourself as the leg-crossing, om-chanting type, mindfulness strategies can still improve your life. BY Adrienne Crezo It’s simple to work these little activities into your daily life, and the benefits are many and varied: Research shows that focus and calming techniques can alleviate pain, bump up test scores and fight depression.

Air Awareness Pause periodically, inhale and think to yourself, “Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.” As you exhale, think, “Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.” Bringing yourself into the moment and focusing on your body improves mental clarity and emotional stability.

One Thing At a Time At work, step away from your desk when you find your focus waning; just like your muscles, your brain needs breaks. Research shows that multitasking is inefficient and stressful, and concentrating on the task at hand can improve working memory capacity. (See “Attention Deficit Reduction,” page 24.)

shutterstock.com

Unplug Being available around the clock to anyone with your phone number or email address can undermine your emotional stability. Limit access to media and constant distractions, and you’ll free up

moments to tune in to yourself, reducing anxiety and possibly improving immune function.

Slow Your Roll If you already jog, run, swim or bike, consider allotting five minutes after your workout for a brief yoga flow. The child’s pose and steady cross-legged stretches open up your hips, lower back and shoulders. Your resulting focused calm wards off hypertension and may protect your cognitive function later into life.

GO ADVANCED Though simple self-awareness, positive thoughts and conscious breathing will give anyone a boost, mindfulness training and concentration meditations can take your brain to an entirely new level. Electrical activity readings from the brains of Tibetan monks—who meditate for many hours per day—reveal unprecedented gamma wave activity, which is believed to be a physical marker for meditative bliss and transcendence.

Read more about mindfulness training at optimumwellness.com.

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23

think.

Attention Deficit Reduction As you read this, your brain is unconsciously running hundreds of involuntary processes. Your heart beats, your lungs breathe, minerals and vitamins whisk off to their proper locations. Firing neurons allow you to see, read and comprehend these words, and all the while you maintain balance, know where your limbs are and remain aware of your surroundings. A brain left to its own devices can do all of this (and much more) without your knowledge or consent.

Thanks, brain!

But, say psychology experts and neuroscientists, performing more than one conscious action at a time is another matter entirely. It all comes down to our capacity for attention.

The Fallacy of Multitasking “Involuntary attention” is an unconscious 24 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

alertness to stimuli or distractions—such as a ringing cell phone, something burning in the oven or a flickering light bulb— that trigger your conscious mind to shift its focus.

We Homo sapiens are also excellent at “controlled focus,” or “voluntary attention.” But this takes much more effort and requires conscious direction from your brain’s prefrontal cortex (the “executive network”). This becomes difficult when your involuntary attention is flipping on and off, thanks to that noisy cubicle neighbor, email alerts, your children or the ringing doorbell.

A Culture of Unproductive Busyness Research shows conclusively that performing two voluntary-attention-demanding tasks at the same time is ineffective,

if not impossible—unless the tasks are intricately related. For example, reading music and playing an instrument are symbiotic, so to speak, so they are exceptions to the rule.

“Our [conscious] brains cannot multitask; they can only switch back and forth … and both tasks suffer,” says Joanne Cantor, Ph.D., media and productivity researcher and author of Conquer CyberOverload (CyberOutlook 2009), a guide to maintaining focus in a technology-obsessed culture. “When we switch back and forth between two tasks voluntarily, we lose both time and accuracy.” So much time, in fact, that a 2008 report from research firm Basex estimates that the United States loses approximately $650 billion per year in productivity from interrupted tasks on the job.

amanda lenz

The human brain is one of the finest multitasking machines in existence. The human being, on the other hand, is lousy at doing more than one thing at a time. By adrienne crezo

The monetary sinkhole of lost productivity isn’t the only negative impact of frequent distraction: A 2007 study from the University of California at Irvine shows that after interruptions in the workplace, “people reported significantly higher stress, frustration, workload, effort and pressure.” Cantor notes that stress impairs memory and lowers your ability to ignore distractions, obvious obstacles to a productive work and home life.

“People don’t pay attention to boring things,” says John Medina, molecular biologist and author of Brain Rules (Pear Press, 2008). Unfortunately, everything we do can’t be the most exciting thing happening at the moment. Our natural inclination, thanks to involuntary attention, is to drop one task, unfinished, to pay attention to something else.

And on the clock, Americans typically “half-task” under the guise of being twice as productive.

Technology has a hand in wasted time, too, as we increasingly rely on disruptive digital communications—like texting, instant messaging, video conferencing, personal email and social media—to stay in contact with coworkers, family and friends.

This Is Your Brain on Multitasking Imagine playing a game of tennis with two tennis balls. “You have to keep track of both, running each down, watching your opponent do the same,” notes Edward M. Hallowell, psychiatrist and author of Crazy Busy (Ballantine, 2007).

There is no way your game with two balls could be as good as your game with one.”

Task-switching and processing information sequentially at twice the rate of a normal game leaves a lot more room for error and creates mental fatigue.

The object, then, should be to singletask sequentially, devoting full attention to one thing at a time. If you think that seems impossible, relax: It’s not all hopeless. Scheduling regular “brain breaks,” limiting availability by phone, email or social media, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating well all help lower stress, improve mental acuity and reduce distraction.

“Our [conscious] brains cannot multitask; they can only switch back and forth … and both tasks suffer.”

11 minutes

$650 billion

10 minutes

Frequency of interruptions experienced by the average person throughout the day

Estimated annual cost of multitasking on productivity in the workplace

Length of time most people can maintain controlled focus before becoming distracted

Four ways to reduce distraction, boredom and sensory overload, all while maintaining productivity.

1.

Choose Your Own Distractions Create an “interruption-free zone” by silencing notifications, turning off phones, wearing earplugs or closing the office door. Focus on your task for 10 minutes, and then check your email if you’re expecting something urgent. You’ll have something done, and your delay in response will be minor. If you’re especially tech-savvy, browser extensions that temporarily block time-wasting websites (like Facebook or Tumblr) are easily installed and switched on or off.

2.

The 10-Minute MicroSchedule Break tasks into bite-sized chunks and work through them sequentially to keep your brain’s executive network engaged, ensure measurable progress and give your brain frequent enough rest to prevent burnout.

Work on your project, assignment or chore for 10 minutes. Then breathe deeply, close your eyes and move along to the next item. If you can’t break from the current task, write a note on your status, take a short walk around the desk or move the laundry to the dryer and get back to work.

You’ll lose less time reorienting because you made sure to remind yourself where you left off, and your brain will be ready to tackle another round of work.

3.

Double Up …

But Only on Autopilot Sandwich mundane chores between interesting projects to stay motivated. Also, Hallowell suggests combining routine, unimportant tasks— such as folding laundry and chatting on the phone or marking items off your to-do list while making copies. Plowing through peripheral duties two at a time can be rewarding: Your chores are finished, and now you can do something interesting.

(Just remember that the key word here is “unimportant.”)

4.

Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight Sip some tea (ginseng, chamomile and mint are excellent choices) during one of your breaks. Regularly schedule time for calming activities, like reading or yoga. Physical fitness is closely linked to stress levels, so maintain a healthy diet and weight to alleviate anxiety. And consider turning off the television. “You will benefit by taking a more thoughtful approach to the choices of media you consume,” says Cantor.

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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w e f e h t h t i w p u eep k o t s p o h c e h a t e t r o a g s e t v u ’ o u k o r y o k w n i d Th ire p s n i y r a t i l i .

M ? d and the prou to find out and get in shape fast arker good way ancy Coulter-P 26 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

by N

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOUGH MUDDER

Crossfit. Boot Camp. Spartan Race. American Ninja Warrior: Meet aerobics in the 21st century.

While the ‘80s and ‘90s saw the rise of the big-box gyms and large, group workouts, we now realize that we don’t really need all the bells and whistles of a plush gym.

We can get by with minimal equipment, but what we really need is a good trainer who can actually show and tell us what to do.

This no-frills approach to exercise, which includes using your body weight to train—think pushups, plank, squats—was identified as one of the top fitness trends to watch in 2013, in the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2013. And judging by the increasing popularity of military-inspired fitness regimens and competitions, such as TRX, CrossFit and Warrior Dash–type obstacle races, this is more than just a fad.

“The past 20 years have seen the rise of the big corporate gyms and, in general, once you pay your membership, the gyms don’t care if you show up,” says Jim Kean, CEO of San Francisco–based WellnessFX (wellnessfx.com) and an avid CrossFit participant. “People pay for their membership, the infrastructure and the amenities, but in the end they hardly return. People don’t work together in a big-box gym setting.

You may take a class, but it’s not a community, and no one is pushing you to be a better athlete.” Find community, buck the establishment and get in fighting shape with these three combat-inspired workouts.

5

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27

Crossfit

Crossfit Games Season

Regionals; May 17–June 9 nationals; July 22–28, Carson, Calif.; games.crossfit.com The top 48 men, 48 women and 30 teams from each of the 17 worldwide CrossFit regions will compete in the CrossFit Regional Competitions, which will take place across four weekends at the end of May into June. Each region will host a threeday event, at the end of which the top three men and women, and top three teams will proceed to the 2013 CrossFit Games, to be held at the newly renamed StubHub Center in Carson, California, at the end of July.

CrossFit is a core-strength and conditioning program designed to improve cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility and balance. In other words, it uses functional fitness (see page 34) to improve how participants move in their daily lives.

“CrossFit was born out of the idea that as a nation we were increasingly overweight and yet Americans spend more time in gyms than any other nation,” says Nicole Christensen, owner of CrossFit Roots in Boulder. Although CrossFit looks extreme on the surface, she says its intent is to deliver health, fitness and longevity, “What people want in the long term is to stay out of the nursing home. They want to be able to pick up their grandkids and work in the yard without throwing their back out.”

Although workouts such as the infamous Murph—which is named after a fallen soldier and includes a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and another one-mile run—can be scaled to ability, for the most part,

“

boot camp You don’t have to look far to find a boot camp workout, originally designed for militaryrecruit training. They’re everywhere: outside, at big-box gyms or at boot camp–specific training centers. Consistently on ACSM’s annual trend report, boot camps have been the most visible poster child for military-style civilian training. You’ll likely conjure up an image of someone yelling at you to work harder as you push through a series of intense drills. But boot camps have evolved.

Like CrossFit, boot camps mix, among other components, endurance and cardiovascular training, interval and strength training, and body-weight exercises including pull-ups and push-ups, jump roping, and stair climbing. And whether someone is barking orders at you or not, the intent is to challenge you to move beyond how hard you might normally work.

P eople don’t work together in a big-box gym setting. You may take a class, but it’s not a community, and no one is pushing you to be a better athlete.

They coddle you and if you have discomfort, they’ll tell you to dial back.” —JIM KEAN

28 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

crossfit, inc.

A competitor in the women’s division of the CrossFit National Games competes in the double banger event.

everyone does the same workout and is allotted the same amount of time to complete it. This encourages participants to cheer each other on. You may have a 20-something-year-old working out next to a mom in her 40s and a guy in his 70s.

“You actually get pretty attached to your group,” says Kean. “You come out better and not wanting to let your team down.”

“There are computer software developers who have never worked out a day in their life next to former Division I athletes, “ Christensen says.

“They’re more intrigued by what the program could deliver for them than they are turned off by the challenge.”

CrossFit isn’t technically a military-style workout, but it has a big military following because of its intensity, community and, specifically, the functional fitness soldiers need in the field. “If a guy has to drag a buddy to safety, running a 5K may not help him do that. CrossFit mimics more how you are going to use your body in the line of duty,” says Christensen. CrossFit workouts are different every day, which heightens their intensity.

“I would go to strength and conditioning classes at the rec center and do the same workout over and over again,” says 43-year-old Lisa Blacker, who works out at CrossFit Castle Rock and whose 12-year-old daughter is also hooked on CrossFit.

“

classes and more personalI think the ized training comes in, he boot camp explains. He also emphaclass–style sizes the importance of first vetting a trainer to make workouts he or she is qualified are popular sure and can help you achieve now because your personal goals. of the social aspect. People trx like the Suspension training builds feeling of strength using body-weight being part of exercises, and though it isn’t a new concept, it’s a team and garnered a lot of attenbeing since the TRX system motivated by tion came onto the market. keeping up Invented by a former Navy with a group. Seal trying to get a full there’s power strength workout in the TRX allows you to in numbers.” field, leverage gravity and your

Tough mudder, trx

—scott harwood

body weight to do a large variety of exercises. You can change the intensity by simply adjusting your body position. This formula makes TRX accessible to people of all fitness levels, including seniors. But it also has a very strong military and team-sport following.

“TRX is based on military-style workouts,” explains former Navy Seal Stew Smith, author of The Complete Guide to Navy Seal Fitness (Hatherleigh, Top: Now you know where Tough Mudder gets its name. Above: The TRX system is 2008), “but with this basic; the workout is anything but. device a typical military“Marine training has taught me to push calisthenics-based workout is more versatile, myself to a new level of fitness,” says Scott especially for training without weights.”

Harwood, owner of Scott’s Denver Boot Camp The beauty of TRX is its simplicity: It’s a conin downtown Denver. “I try to teach that to my joined pair of straps made from nylon webbing clients and boot campers. I teach them mental that “you can use anywhere,” says Jeff Cowles, 41, toughness that helps them get through challengof Erie, who keeps his TRX system in his garage ing workouts.” most of the time but also takes it along when he Unlike CrossFit, boot camps do not have a travels or just wants a change of scenery. “I’ve prescribed format. They can run year-round, but taken it to the park with my son. I’ll attach it to often they are packaged within a limited time the playground structure and work out while he period, such as three- or five-week sessions to plays.” Cowles says that he doesn’t respond well to fast-track you into shape. Devin Burns, founder authority or group fitness (ruling out CrossFit and of Denver Fitness Boot Camp in Greenwood Vilboot camps), so he works out solo. But gyms of all lage, concedes that boot camps can fall short: “If stripes now hold TRX group classes for those who you haven’t worked out in a while, it may be way want a workout that combines minimal equiptoo hard for you, or if you have been working out ment with maximum motivation. a lot, it might be too easy.” This is where smaller

OFF TO THE RACES When Lisa Blacker competed in her first Warrior Dash obstacle-course race two summers ago, the 43-yearold mother of two said there was a moment when she questioned what she had gotten herself into. The obstacle was the “Giant Cliffhanger,” and conquering it meant climbing a 25-foot wall with the aid of a rope and then throwing herself over the top— but that’s where she got stuck.

“I couldn’t figure out how to get over the wall. I remember looking down and thinking, ‘I’m in trouble, I can’t do this.’ But somehow I overcame that fear and got over the wall,” she explains. “And frankly, just to get through that first Warrior Dash felt great.” So great, that she went back the next year and will not only be back again this summer, but plans to run another obstacle-course event—the Spartan Race—this May at Fort Carson.

The Spartan Race was founded in 2009, and the first race was held shortly thereafter in Williston, Vermont, in 2010. Flash forward to 2013 and parent company Peak Races will hold well over 50 races this year around the world. The story is similar for the Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash races, both of which were launched in 2010.

The Spartan series is the creation of a former Royal Marine and his girlfriend, while the Tough Mudder races are designed by British Special Forces. Inspired by the obstacle courses found in military training, obstacle races and courses are cropping up not only all over the United States but throughout the rest of the world as well.

The unique physical and mental challenges draw many competitors, as does the camaraderie. Plus, these events tend to not take themselves too seriously. As the Tough Mudder website says, “….please don’t show up at a Tough Mudder without a sense of humor.” Brian Bain, 46, of Castle Rock concurs, “I do these challenges with friends for the competition and the fun.” He adds, “It is more stimulating to do new and varied things, to push yourself and perhaps venture beyond your comfort zone.”

Test your mettle at one of these local adventure endurance challenges that pit contestants against fire, mud, water, barbed wire and other obstacles. Tip: Prepare yourself with a CrossFit, boot camp or TRX regimen before jumping in.

Reebok Spartan Military Sprint Race, May 4–5, Fort Carson, spartanrace.com Rugged Maniac 5K Obstacle Race, May 11, Denver, ruggedmaniac.com Goruck Challenge, June 1, Boulder, goruck.com/events Tough Mudder, June 15–16, Beaver Creek Resort, toughmudder.com Warrior Dash, August 17, Copper Mountain,warriordash.com.

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Lessons from the Field

Local community gardens harvest more than plants.

O

n a brisk day in March, Boulder’s Growing Gardens’ fields near Broadway and Iris are little more than grass and bare dirt, but inside the greenhouse it’s bustling. Executive Director Ramona Clark and a halfdozen interns and staff are moving newly seeded flats to heated boxes for germination; they’re spot-watering and transplanting thousands of tiny seedlings to foster sturdy root systems. The arugula sprouts look like miniature clovers, yet by May they and 30,000 other seedlings will be planted in fields throughout the city, donated to low-income households or sold to the community through Growing Gardens’ annual fundraiser, which last year raised approximately $65,000 for the nonprofit. That money supports GG’s facilities, staff, and numerous outreach and education programs.

GROWING TOGETHER “Everyone should know how to grow things,” says Clark. “When you grow a tomato and then buy one at the grocery store, you understand what it took for a farmer to produce that food.

It builds appreciation.”

Clark started Growing Gardens 15 years ago in Boulder County with the mission of “cultivating community

30 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

illustration by fabio napoleoni; photo courtsey of growing gardens

~ by radha marcum ~

“When you grow a tomato and then buy one at the grocery store, you understand what it took for a farmer to produce that food.

It builds appreciation.”

through urban agriculture.” Since then, interest in urban agriculture has skyrocketed. In 2011, the USDA-funded Community Food Projects alone generated 1.5 million pounds of fresh produce nationwide.

Thousands of Boulder County residents benefit directly from Growing Gardens’ programs, which include 10 community gardens where individuals and families rent plots seasonally; the Children’s Peace Garden school programs and summer camps, which provide hands-on education to more than 3,000 children per year; the Cultiva Youth Project, a youth-run garden-to-market program; and a horticultural therapy program for seniors and disabled citizens. “We teach people to grow, harvest, cook, make crafts and preserve foods, but always with a sense of community,” says Clark.

“Gardening together is a real equalizer,” she says, regarding the diversity of socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, ethnicities and life situations of the people who participate. Growing Gardens assists as many as 150 low-income families yearly to plant and cook with foods produced in their own gardens.

This spring, Growing Gardens will plant 200 heirloom fruit trees—varieties that thrive in Front Range yards—near its greenhouse not only for the delicious fruit, but also to create fresh opportunities for community learning. “We want to be the hub for urban farming, to be a public farm,” Clark says.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL “People want to develop a stronger relationship with their food source,” says Bryce Brown, founder of Growe Foundation, the organization that runs Boulder Valley School District’s (BVSD) Garden to Table Program that reaches 8,000 kids at 18 elementary schools. “There’s a greater focus on the connection between our health, the planet’s health and food.” Brown sees community organizations like Growe and Growing Gardens—along with BVSD’s School Food Project with its emphasis on fresh, wholesome foods—as synergistic parts of local efforts to inspire healthier eating and dietary choices that lessen environmental impact.

Growe’s program integrates its seed-to-table learning process into Boulder Valley Schools’ regular classroom curriculum. “If you have to study insects, why not take a magnifying glass out into the garden,” says Brown. Other units focus on growth cycles, the geometry of garden planning, water scarcity and nutrition. The year culminates in a Rainbow Salad Day at each school as part of the BVSD School Food Project’s “Make a Rainbow on Your Tray”

campaign. Last year, students harvested an impressive 470 pounds of heirloom lettuces and combined them with a variety of colorful fresh vegetables provided by the BVSD school lunch program for the celebrations. The Cultiva Youth Project at Growing Gardens takes this kind of integrated learning to the next level for students ages 12 to 19. About 60 kids, over half from low-income families, participate each year. Beyond the skills needed to raise a variety of crops that you’d expect to see at farmers’ markets, like specialty carrots and kale, Cultiva kids learn how to run a business from incepGrowing Gardens tion to market—growing, managing growinggardens.org 303-443-9952 and distributing produce through Growing Gardens’ CSA (communityThe Growe supported agriculture) subscription Foundation program. growefoundation.org 303-564-0133 “For many, this is their first job,” Clark explains, one that gives them Denver Urban so much more than a job at a fastGardens dug.org food chain. The kids are paid, but 303-292-9900 more importantly, Clark says, they gain self-worth. “If they have an idea, The Growing something they want to grow or try, Project (Ft. Collins) then we help them accomplish it, thegrowingproject.org which gives them confidence,” says 970-556-1065 Clark. Connor Murphy, the market Pikes Peak Urban garden grower, loves that the proGardens gram teaches kids to “lead with their (Colorado Springs) authentic selves.” ppugardens.org

GET INVOLVED

719-651-3416

SHARING IS CARING In the greenhouse, Clark tends to a few 3-inch, fuzzy-stemmed heirloom tomato plants set in a warm corner. Their name tags suggest an authentic and diverse world of their own: Thessaloniki, Stupice, Opalka, Big Rainbow. These are some of Clark’s favorites because, she says, planting tomatoes as a volunteer gardener in Seattle years before she founded Growing Gardens changed her life. “Taking the tomatoes by the stem and gently packing dirt around them, I realized that this was my life’s calling—that plants have something to communicate. I wanted to give people that experience.”

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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move.

Long Live Physical Fitness

shutterstock

Functional fitness, a concept that’s been around since we were cavemen, is now gaining mainstream respect—reverence really—among exercise experts who not long ago underestimated its importance. For years, the trainers harped on their clients to work a muscle or muscle group to build maximum strength or tone. But our muscles rarely work alone, and therein lies the foundation of functional fitness.

The idea is simple: Exercises that train your muscles, joints and senses to work together—not in isolation—as they do when you’re performing everyday tasks protect you against injury. More important they promote physical longevity, which means even if you eventally stop running marathons or deadlifting 250 pounds, you’ll still be able to carry your laundry basket up the stairs, shovel your front walk, and play with your grandkids.

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move.

1

Exercise for Life

Stay fit for everyday tasks with these five exercises. By Deborah Williams The benefits of exercise—even the most basic, like walking or doing sit-ups—are well documented, and they go far beyond improving your physical appearance. From boosting your cognitive function to preventing chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, movement is good, plain and simple. If you’re one of those people who thrives on it and hits the gym every day, you’re to be commended. But don’t pat yourself on the back too vigorously just yet. Despite your time commitment in the gym, you might be just as likely as your more sedentary neighbors to tweak your back lifting groceries out of the car or bending over to pick your kids’ toys up off the floor. Hopefully you haven’t learned this the hard way.

We asked a few local experts how to incorporate functional fitness into your exercise routine (if you have one) or just into your daily life to protect yourself from those pesky, around-the-homeand-office tweaks and strains.

Exercises that train your muscles, joints and senses to work together as they do when you’re performing everyday tasks protect you against injury and promote physical longevity.

34 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Sitting at a desk for eight hours a day “Sitting for long periods weakens the muscles of your torso as you rely on the chair back to hold you up and as you continually hunch forward,” says Crissy Codi, a Denver-based yoga and fitness instructor with a master’s in sport and performance psychology. “It can also tighten and shorten the psoas and/or hamstring muscles, which can affect how your pelvis tilts and increase the load on your low back.” If you must sit for long periods, stand up every 15 or 20 minutes. Take a phone call while standing or walk to the water fountain. While sitting, sit tall with your shoulders back, spine erect, belly tight and a slight curve in your lower back.

“One way to avoid developing muscle imbalances is by sitting on a stability ball or ergonomic chair,” says Tyler Sonaty, a corrective-exercise and performance-enhancement specialist and certified kettlebell instructor with Denver Functional Fitness.

“Strengthen your sit muscles is a kettlebell Russian twist.” kettlebell Russian twist 1. Sit on the ground with a small- to medium-weight kettlebell at your side. Place your feet flat on the floor in front of you, knees bent, chest lifted and your back straight.

2. Keeping your back straight, grasp the kettlebell handle with both hands and bring it in front of your chest.

3. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight, to engage your core muscles. Then lift your feet a few inches off the ground but keep your knees together and bent.

4. Maintaining your balance, twist from side to side, keeping the kettlebell in front of your chest. Do two to three sets of 10 to 20 reps.

3

2 Carrying Groceries One of the problems with lugging around groceries isn’t so much lifting the bags (use your legs), but maneuvering in between shopping carts, parked cars, and up and down the stairs to your apartment or house, says Steve Allen, personal training manager at Denver Gym and Fitness.

“Your balance is constantly being thrown off kilter. Maintain it by keeping your center of gravity where it should be— centered. Work on that with suitcase lunges. suitcase lunges 1. Grab one medium- to heavyweight dumbbell; hold it by your right side with your right hand as you would a suitcase.

2. Step forward with your right leg, and lower yourself straight down until your right knee reaches 90 degrees.

3. Return to standing, keeping your shoulders level and your back fully erect and straight as you move through the range of motion. Do three sets of 10 reps on each side. Tip: You may need a mirror, or a particularly critical friend to help you do this correctly.

4. Once you’ve mastered this on solid ground, add an additional challenge by incorporating an unstable surface. Balancing on one or a pair of Bosus or DynaDiscs while you perform this drill mimics the changing surfaces you’re likely to navigate as you move through the real world and forces your stabilizing muscles—the small ones around your spine, hips and ribs—to engage.

digging in the yard, Shoveling Snow Whether you’re cleaning up the garden in springtime or shoveling winter snow, taking care of your property is a year-round gig. According to a 2011 article published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 11,500 Americans seek medical care for snow-shoveling injuries every year. More than a third are low-back injuries and half are attributed to muscular and skeletal strains.

“Back injuries are often the result of a weak core and back,” says RJ Smith, co-owner of and trainer at CrossFit DeCo gym in Denver. “Bending over at the waist, adding weight to the shovel and trying to pick it up without stabilizing your core will probably lead to tweaking or straining your back.”

Codi agrees. “Shoveling is tremendous exercise. To replicate it in the gym, try this dynamic squat with overhead reach and twist.” dynamic squat 1. Stand with your knees slightly wider than hip distance, toes slightly turned out, heels slightly turned in. Bend your arms to bring your hands in front of your chest, as if in prayer.

2. Keeping your spine as long and tall as possible, squat down until your elbows touch your thighs. Press through your feet, and use your legs to stand up tall as you turn your torso slightly to the right and lift your left heel, pivoting slightly on the ball of your foot.

3. Alternate sides as you continue.

4. Start with a small twist and no weight and gradually add a larger range of motion and more weight with a medicine ball or a kettlebell.

5. If you feel comfortable you can extend your arms overhead as you stand up, drawing them back to center as you return to your squat.

“This strengthens the muscles of your torso that are responsible for twisting your upper body independent of the lower body,” says Codi.

5 4 Lifting and Holding Your Infant or Toddler This is very similar to carrying groceries, say Smith and Allen, but now you have a live moving object that can be shifty and unpredictable, so you have to be ready to react quickly.

That means you need power and quickness, two things you improve with a classic clean-and-jerk. But, instead of doing it with a single barbell, try it with a dumbbell instead to work the sides of your body independently. classic clean-and-jerk 1. Stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart, and place a medium-weight dumbbell on the ground between your feet.

2. K eeping your back straight and your chest up, squat down and grab the dumbbell with one hand.

3. Quickly stand up out of the squat with enough momentum to bring the weight in front of your shoulder, palm facing out, but be careful not to push your hips forward or arch your back as you do so.

4. B end your knees slightly, and then pop up and straighten them as you push the dumbbell straight up over your shoulder.

5. R everse the steps, first lowering the weight to shoulder level and then down to the ground, keeping your back straight and chest up. That’s one repetition. Do three sets of eight reps with each arm.

Changing Lightbulbs/Dusting High Places/Placing Dishes In Cabinets If you’ve had basic weighttraining education, you know that you’re supposed to work opposing muscle groups: chest/back, biceps/triceps, quads/hamstrings. But what about your shoulders? They don’t have an obvious opposing muscle group and, therefore, often get left out of upper-body strength routines and forgotten, at least until you strain one reaching overhead for something.

Allen recommends thinking of your shoulders, which move in so many different planes, as their own opposing muscles and working them in three dimensions. That means avoiding machines that only travel in one or two planes of motion, and instead using cable systems, dumbbells or body-weight exercises such as the Y dumbbell shoulder press, that use a more true-to-life motion to stabilize your shoulder muscles. y dumbbell shoulder press 1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Hold a medium-weight dumbbell in each hand near your shoulders.

2. L eading with your fists, push the dumbbells up and out, as if making a “Y” shape with your body.

3. Return them to the starting position, with your elbows all the way down by your sides and the dumbbells by your shoulders. Slowly do three sets of eight reps.

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

35

recipes.

A light lunch perfect for a spring afternoon

Stinging Nettle Soup

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and carefully (with gloved hands) add the stinging nettle leaves. Blanch for about 2 minutes. This will remove most of the sting. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Trim any thick or tough stems, and chop the leaves.

2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and stir in the shallots. Cook until shallots have softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the oats, broth, dill and chopped nettles. Increase heat until soup comes to a low boil; then reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. urèe the soup using either an 3. P immersion blender or regular blender (in batches), returning to pot when finished. Stir in fresh lemon juice. Season with white pepper and serve warm.

Garnish with a tablespoon of crème fraiche if desired.

Per serving: 179 calories, 8g fat (3g sat), 18g protein, 12g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 7g dietary fiber, 13mg cholesterol, 700mg sodium *If you can’t find nettles, use spinach.

We’re nuts about this granola alternative 36 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Swap sweet for e savory in gth mornin Asparagus Scones Makes 8 scones 1/ 2 pound asparagus, lightly steamed and trimmed 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Trim ends from asparagus, and discard or save for soup stock. Chop tips and stalks into ¼-inch pieces, reserving tips apart from stalks.

3. Stir together flours, baking powder, salt, pepper and cayenne in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces.

Using clean fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk and honey. Fold in cheese and asparagus stalk pieces (but not tips).

4. Turn dough onto floured work surface, and knead

1 tablespoon honey 1/ 2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk

six or seven times. Shape dough into one large round or two smaller rounds. Using sharp knife, cut into triangles (ideally 8 to 12 scones total). Place triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush scones with remaining buttermilk; then press two or three asparagus tips into tops.

5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

Per serving: 213 calories, 9g fat (5g sat), 6g protein, 28g carbohydrate, 3.5g sugars, 3g dietary fiber 23mg cholesterol, 383mg sodium

Maple Quinoa Seedola makes 8 servings 3/4 cup quinoa 1/4 cup rolled oats 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons hemp nut seeds 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon maple extract 1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or coat lightly with cooking oil spray.

2. Rinse quinoa well and drain. Add to a medium-size bowl along

with rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds and cinnamon. Stir together until well mixed.

3. Add oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and maple extract to quinoa mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are well coated. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned.

Allow to cool before transferring to glass storage container.

Per serving: 196 calories, 13g fat (1g sat), 7g protein, 15g carbohydrate, 3g sugars, 2g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 5mg sodium

Photography by Annette Slade

makes 5 servings 1 pound fresh stinging nettle leaves* 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced 1/2 cup rolled oats 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth 1 teaspoon dill 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 5 tablespoons crème fraiche, optional

100 percent guilt-free cookies

recipes.

Quinoa Confetti Cookies Makes 36 cookies 1/ 2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 2 eggs 1/2 cup raw sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1c up brown rice flour (or wholewheat pastry flour) 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup organic dried cranberries 1/4 cup walnuts 1/4 cup currants 1/ 4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips 1. In a large bowl, cream together butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

2. In another bowl combine flour, oats, cooked quinoa, baking soda and ground cinnamon.

Stir gently until well mixed. Add flour mixture to wet mixture, and stir or blend until mixed.

3. S tir or gently blend in cranberries, walnuts, currants and chocolate chips.

4. Cover and refrigerate cookie dough for about an hour.

5. Preheat oven to 375.

6. Prepare a large cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Place dough on the cookie sheet by the heaping tablespoon—about 2 inches apart.

7. Bake on middle rack for about 11 minutes. Cookies should just be beginning to brown lightly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for about 3 minutes; then carefully move cookies to wire rack to finish cooling.

Per cookie: 82 calories; 4g fat (2g sat); 2g protein; 10g carbohydrate; 5.8g sugars*; 1g dietary fiber; 19mg cholesterol; 96mg sodium *To reduce sugars in this recipe, simply omit the chocolate chips or dried currants or dried cranberries. We would first omit the chocolate chips, because both the dried currants and dried (unsweetened) cranberries offer fiber and antioxidants.

Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

37

recipes. as colorful as it is healthy

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry Serves 4 1p ound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced 1c up sliced cremini or baby bella mushrooms 1p ound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces, woody ends removed

1 cup pea pods 1 clove minced garlic 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger 2 teaspoons low-sodium wheatfree tamari soy sauce 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, optional for garnish

1. Rinse and dry shrimp, and prepare all the vegetables so they are ready to go at the same time.

2. Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a wok or large skillet. Add shallots and mushrooms. Stir often for about 3 minutes, until mushrooms begin to wilt and release moisture. Add asparagus, pea pods, garlic and ginger, and stir for another 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp, soy sauce and broth, and cook until shrimp is pink and fully cooked through.

3. S erve as is or over quinoa or brown rice, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Seedy Almond Crackers Makes 5 Servings (8 crackers each) 1 cup almond meal 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 2 tablespoons chia seeds 2 tablespoons hemp nut seeds 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons hot water 1/ 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon salt

38 Spring 2013 / Optimum Wellness

1. Preheat oven to 325.

2. Add all of the ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir well to combine. The mixture should be moist like dough.

Form dough into a ball.

3. Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Place dough on top of parchment, and gently press down to form a large rectangle. Use a sheet of plastic wrap on top to

roll out dough into a very thin, large rectangle.

4. Remove plastic wrap, and score dough into desired cracker size using a pizza cutter or large knife. Alternatively you may use cookie cutters to turn the crackers into shapes.

5. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until crackers are just starting to become golden. Allow to cool completely before eating.

Per serving (may vary depending on cracker size): 242 calories, 12g fat (2g sat), 15g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 2g sugars, 2g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 113mg sodium

a fun kitchen project for young kids

Photography by Annette Slade

Per serving: 212 calories, 9g fat (1g sat), 26g protein, 7g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 2g dietary fiber, 173mg cholesterol, 287mg sodium

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improve.

No Crust. No Fuss.

Lose the fat and the guilt with this makeover of a breakfast favorite.

By Debra rouse, nd

A pie isn’t a pie without a buttery, flaky crust, and on special occasions, it’s worth the indulgence and the extra calories and fat. But breakfast is a time for substance. It’s the most important meal of

the day, so you shouldn’t load it up with anything you don’t really need. Trim your waistline and boost your feel-good quotient by eliminating the crust from this wholesome, protein-packed quiche. In our

recipe we’ve cut the calories, saturated fat, sodium and carbohydrate tallies in half or better.

Swap your regular cow’s milk for almond milk, which you can buy at the grocery or make yourself. Visit optimumwellness.com to learn how.

Crustless Asparagus Spinach Quiche Serves 8 Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a glass or ceramic pie dish by coating evenly with cooking oil spray.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high. Add shallots, asparagus and spinach, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Spread vegetables evenly over bottom of prepared pie dish. Sprinkle cheese on top of vegetables. Place roasted tomato slices evenly over vegetable mixture.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, half-and-half, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and parsley. Pour over cheese and vegetables. Bake about 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into eight wedges.

Per serving: 176 calories, 12g fat (5g sat), 13g protein, 5g carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 181mg cholesterol, 172mg sodium

Photography by Annette Slade

1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup chopped shallots 1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus 1 cup chopped spinach 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese 1/4 cup roasted tomato slices 6 eggs 4 egg whites 1/2 cup half-and-half 3/4 cup whole milk 1 dash salt 1 dash pepper, to taste 1 dash nutmeg 1 dash parsley

Spring2013 2013/ /Optimum OptimumWellness Wellness 40 40 Spring

Better Than Good

Thick and Creamy