Pulse
Dish Nation’s Ebony Steele reveals her workout playlist
Exercises 4 You
Round and lift your butt... no injections needed
WHOLE4YOU
Hair and Beauty How to prevent exercise-damaged hair
Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
FLOTUS
Michelle OBAMA How she’s making gains against childhood obesity
Look Hot, Feel Hot And Burn More Calories
PREMIERE ISSUE
DRINK MORE WATER NOW Does your attitude affect weight loss?
Exercises4You
Follow this workout to sculpt the ultimate bum.
Pulse
Ebony Smiley reveals her workout playlist.
Table of
Hair & Beauty
CONTENTS
Stop exercise from damaging your hair.
Ah Man
Women and men share in the battle for heart disease.
News&Numbers
Parent Trap
A new company makes it easy to be responsible and share your STD results online.
4YouNOWl
Take on this minor change now, then watch it gradually lead to major wellness transformations.
Recipes4You
Eat earlier but stay satisfied longer with these high-fiber meals.
Success Stories
Escape Plan
A busy lawyer loses weight by ending emotional eating.
A former NBA star creates a one-stop-shop for women’s wellnesss.
More4You
Get in on the latest Hollywood trend with this Omega juicer.
Executive Orders
The first lady’s sets out to end childhood obesity.
Mind Over Matter
Is your personality keeping you away from an active lifestyle?
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Teaching your children about heritage and tradition may improve their eating habits as a result.
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Why Weight
Take your health journey step by step.
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[Publisher’s Page] Welcome
I
’ve spent more than 25 years in the magazine industry, bringing to the newsstands a wide range of stories from celebrity news to fashion trends. And over those years, I’ve found a growing interest and need in health and wellness coverage for both professional and personal reasons. There was a brief time in my life when I neglected my health—I was overweight, sedentary and nonchalant when it came to my poor eating habits. But one day I said Enough. I decided to make a change. Yes, it took hard work and commitment to change my lifestyle, but I’m now better for it and I Feel Good. Yet, as I look around me, I’m dismayed to see many of us still heading down a trajectory of disease and early death. Obesity is at an all-time high, and illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease have become a terrifying epidemic. Fortunately, so many of these things can be treated and, oftentimes, prevented. But to improve our odds, ladies, we must act NOW! Too often our bad habits are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get toned, end yo-yo dieting or prevent a fate of chronic illness, I encourage you to
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WHOLE4YOU Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
start forming new habits. And I encourage you to start here, with WHOLE4You—the latest multimedia-infused, digital publication and online experience designed to truly help women achieve complete wellness. We invite you to join us on this journey to better health—beginning with this very issue. Check out our cover story, “Executive Orders,” which features First Lady Michelle Obama, crusading with her Let’s Move! campaign to get kids off the couch and on the move. Also, make sure you read NOW!, which shows you how simply drinking more water each day can lead to huge benefits. If you’ve ever struggled with staying committed to your workouts, consider reading “Mind Over Matter” and take the test to find out your fitness personality. Again, welcome you to the WHOLE4You digital experience, which consists of an array of informative webinars, health-centric on-demand videos, workout demonstrations, meal and exercise plans, virtual coaching and this bimonthly digital magazine. Click here (whole4you.com) to join our FREE membership and invite your friends to join too. Let’s all get healthy together! Remember, you don’t have to be great to start, you just have to start to be great.
For Placement Purposes Only
[News&Numbers] Go for the Goal
Research indicates nearly 8 out of 10 new year’s resolutions fail—and many within days of their start. But evidence suggests you’re more likely to stick to your weight loss goals by doing the following:
The longer you lead a healthy and active lifestyle, the better your future will be. But don’t think it’s ever too late to start. According to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, seniors who began a regular exercise routine later in life were found to be healthier four years later than seniors who remained sedentary. These active seniors were found to be seven times likelier to experience fewer incidences of chronic conditions, cognitive decline and depression.
Social Status
Discussing your health status with your romantic partner can be a little awkward. But thanks to Luhu, a new STD testing and results-sharing program, it’s a little easier to broach these uncomfortable conversations. With a Luhu membership, individuals get affordable routine testing at their nearest Luhu-designated lab, where the results will be uploaded to the user’s secured, confidential account. The Luhu member
can then invite others to view his or her results and/or, if determined to be of a diseasefree status, can share their Luhu badge of clean health to their social media or dating websites. Prices vary by state and length of membership. Visit myluhu.com for more details.
Get Screened Today January is the national awareness month for cervical cancer, which has the highest prevalence in Hispanic and AfricanAmerican women. Fortunately, the cancer is largely preventable with routine pap screenings and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is recommended for females ages 11 to 26. Start your new year off right and make an appointment with your OB/GYN to get your annual exam.
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WHOLE4YOU Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
For Placement Purposes Only
Family Matters A recent study in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension made a trailblazing link to childhood family living arrangements and future adult blood pressure. The study, which polled more than 500 African-American men from the Washington, D.C., area, found that men raised in single-parent households were found to have higher blood pressures in adulthood than men raised in two-parent households.
All photos by iStockPhoto.com
Crunch Time?
1. Put It in Writing. Whether you keep up with your diet aims in a journal or list your fitness goals on your vanity mirror, you’re more likely to succeed at it if it is documented. Go a step further and announce your goals on social media for the World Wide Web to see. 2. Partner Up. Finding an accountability partner to embark on your goal with you can be a big part of your weight-loss success. Furthermore, enlisting a spouse or another close counterpart is also likely to lead to better results, since those around you most have more chances to tempt you with goal-threatening choices and sabotage your wellness attempts. 3. Take Baby Steps. Goals fail when they are overly ambitious. It’s unrealistic (not to mention unhealthy) to aim to lose 20 pounds in a week or jump into a road race without training. Creating smaller goals, such as losing one to two pounds a week, is more achievable and will help to continue to build motivation when accomplished. Additionally, improve your efforts by setting and building upon side objectives, such as running for two minutes without stopping or adding a vegetable to dinner each day for a week.
[Now4You] Drink More Water NOW! As part of her Let’s Move! campaign, the first lady most recently set her sights on water, urging Americans to drink more of the essential life source. And when it comes to simple, good-for-you decisions, she’s definitely tapped into a well of overflowing gains with this recommendation. In fact, if there is one thing that can instantly jump-start your quest for to better betterhealth, health,drinking drinkingwater water should be your first move.
For Placement Purposes Only
Smart Water
“Alternating exposure to outdoor cold weather with indoor heating systems is
As you age, your body holds less water, which makes you more prone to the dangers of dehydration— constipation, headaches and lethargy for mild dehydration and heat stroke, liver failure and heart irregularities in more severe cases.
a recipe for dehydration, which can raise blood glucose levels and cause dry skin and eyes,” says Deneen Vojta, MD, senior vice president of Business Initiatives and Clinical Affairs at UnitedHealth Group. “Drink lots of water and liberally apply alcohol-free moisturizing lotion throughout the winter months.”
Research suggests
drinking water can
reduce your risks of cancer, specifically colon, bladder and prostate cancers.
Tap water is free.!
Dieters who drink more water are more likely to have greater weight loss numbers than dieters who consume less water. Plus, people who drank a glass of water before a meal were found to consume fewer calories, according to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Lose 1 pound a week by replacing your morning OJ and lunch and dinner soft drinks with water. This simple switch cuts approximately 3,200 calories a week.
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WHOLE4YOU Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
Water can make your skin look brighter, clearer and more evenly toned. It also improves skin’s elasticity, which both prevents and helps to improve the
appearance of wrinkles.
THE CLEANSING FLOOD
Water is a natural detoxing agent, helping rid the body of wastes and toxins through perspiration, urination and defecation. Improve its detoxing properties by adding a squeeze of lemon and cucumber slices to your water.
Photo by iStockPhoto.com
According to two separate studies conducted by the University of East London and the University of Westminster, drinking water could make you smarter. In one study, they found that students who drank water during exams scored higher than students who drank nothing at all. Another study revealed that water drinkers had quicker reaction times to mental tasks than nondrinkers.
[Success Stories]
Anita Thomas Atlanta GA :: Pounds Lost :: 60lbs
After
Before
When Enough Was Enough
All photos by Sheila Bronner
For Placement Purposes Only
As an attorney, Thomas once represented a well-known NFL quarterback. And in an effort to make small talk, Thomas discovered the startling fact that she weighed more than him—a fact that sent her into Jenny Craig the very next day. “I can’t recall what his weight was, but I do remember that I weighed more than him; at the time I was 228 pounds,” she says. “I heard nothing else during the entire meeting at my office. Literally everyone’s voice sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown. I kept thinking, ‘I can’t believe you weigh more than an NFL quarterback.’”
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ue to her schedule as a busy attorney, wife and mother of two, Anita Thomas’s eating habits were heavily influenced by those around her—especially her young children, who always craved sweeter and less nutritious foods. “I was a big snacker,” she says. “I have two children, so while I wouldn’t eat fast food, if I bought them something, I would take a couple of fries, a nugget or take a bite, etc.” Those small bites became an even larger problem when she added these calories to her regular meals. Furthermore, she acknowledges the demands and stresses of her career led her into a pattern of emotional overeating. Before she knew it, her innocent eating habits had spiraled out of control. “While my food choices really weren’t that bad, I would have massive portions,” she says. “I really had no sense of which foods were carbs or how many calories I should be eating.” Thomas eventually turned to Jenny Craig, where she learned about maintaining her portions as well as making healthy food choices. She lost more than 60 pounds overall in a year and has kept it off for nearly four years now. She then sought to take her healthy lifestyle to the next level and thus began her own food and workout regimen. To date, she has completed several races, including a half marathon and even various “mud runs.” Thomas continues to eat healthy every day as well as work out five times a week, and many of her workouts are at 5 a.m. Her workout regimen consists of a combination of free weights and a variety of cardio exercises such as running and biking. In the end, Thomas says the keys to her success were consistency, patience, food/diet education and controlling those influences that tempted her to overindulge in the first place. “Surround yourself with a supportive network of people, and look at it as an overall change in lifestyle rather than a diet.”
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[More4You]
3
Our fit list of the latest and greatest in health
& wellness products
FITBIT FORCE WRISTBAND
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Subscriptions start at $27.86 gobites.com The variety snack pack just got upgraded, and now your snack times can be a little healthier. Go Bites are a portion-controlled, organic snack delivery service that offers your choice of 14 portable, snack-size portions of exotic trail mixes, granolas or dried fruit blends. Each unique mix out of the 25 varieties is made from allnatural, nutrient-dense ingredients. And best of all, they’re mailed to you at no additional charge; it’s stress-free snacking at its best.
OMEGA VRT350HD
$379.99 | omegajuicers.com One of the most popular new diet trends among Hollywood stars has you fulfilling your daily requirements of fruits and vegetables in juice form. If you’re looking to get in on the juicing craze, the Omega VRT350HD Juicer may be a great place to start. With little use of your kitchen counter space, the unit extracts the juice, filtering out the pulp and other excess, of your favorite fruits and vegetables and claims to do so with the efficiency a heavy-duty juicer.
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CLICK to read more about snacking with ANDREA RIGGS.
Omega VRT350HD, GO Bites, FitBit, Stress Management for Dummies Joyus Elliptical: courtesy of subjects; Zaggora Hot Pants by Samantha Wilson
GO BITES
$129.95 | fitbit.com Do you ever wonder how many calories you burn a day? FitBit Force Wristband keeps you updated in real time on not only the calories you’ve burned but also your steps taken, distance traveled, active minutes as well as floors climbed. Not enough? The wristband also monitors your sleep quality by tracking how many hours you’ve slept restfully with little movement. FitBit can also sync to your phone and has a silent alarm that gently vibrates your wrist without waking your partner!
STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR DUMMIES®, 2ND EDITION
$22.99 | wiley.com Stress can affect everything from your weight management to your productivity. So take a deep breath. But if you need more help than that, this book gives you easy-to-use guidance on how to identify stress triggers, make them more manageable and cope with the unpleasant side effects of stress, which can affect you in other areas of your life.
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JOYUS AT HOME ELLIPTICAL TRAINER
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$125 | joyus.com Home gym equipment can be pricey, not to mention take away precious bedroom space. This compact elliptical trainer is an affordable and an effective way get in a big gym-like cardio session in your very own home.
4 ZAGGORA HOT PANTS
starting at $59 | zaggora.com It normally shouldn’t matter what you wear to work out; but if it makes you look good, feel good and burn more calories, then why not? Zaggora hot pants aim to do just that. Their special heat-harnessing fabric is designed to help you burn 11 percent more calories. Plus, with their sliming fit and vibrant colors, you’re almost guaranteed to look hot, too.
EXECUTIVE
ORDERS
Prior to announcing the first lady’s Let’s Move! Campaign in 2010, childhood obesity was a growing problem and a threat to our nation’s future. Flash forward to 2014, and the program has branched into various platforms and enlisted the help of celebrities and big buisness. But is it doing enough to make ground in the fight to save our youth? written by Coshandra Dillard
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All photos by whitehouse.gov.com
W
hen actor Larramie “Doc” Shaw and his Disney Channel costars joined Michelle Obama on stage at a Let’s Move! anniversary celebration last year, the experience would take the former child star back to a time in his life when he would have been a prime target for the childhood obesity campaign. As a child, Shaw battled with his weight and was bullied at school as a result. He wanted to escape that scrutiny, but more importantly, he wanted to get fit so he’d avoid the chronic illnesses that ran in his family such as diabetes and asthma. While he’d try numerous things to lose weight, it wasn’t until he researched and understood what it truly meant to be healthy that he had some success. Now 21, he’s dropped about 50 pounds without the help of a trainer or any diet fads and has changed his mindset about health and fitness. “For me, losing weight wasn’t about vanity or trying to fit into jeans,” Shaw says. “It was making
sure I could be healthy in the long run.” And since that initial experience onstage, promoting the Let’s Move! Campaign, Shaw, who starred in Disney XD’s Pair of Kings and in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, found the inspiration he needed to travel the country, encouraging children like his former self to follow his path to weight loss. “That’s what really motivated me to really want to get out to schools and want to go out to YMCAs or Boys and Girls Clubs—to show the kids instead of telling them,” Shaw says. FROM POP STARS TO RESTAURANTS Shaw isn’t the only television star linked to Let’s Move! We’ve seen First Lady Michelle Obama team up with rap superstar Doug E. Fresh, dance to Beyoncé and chat it up with Sesame Street characters as part of the national campaign. She’s toured the country with one thing in mind: stamping out childhood obesity. Following the release of a report by the White House’s Task
“When the average child is now spending nearly eight hours a day in front of some kind of screen, many of their opinions and preferences are being shaped by the marketing campaigns you all create. And that’s where the problem comes in...” — Michelle Obama
BY THE NUMBERS But has it all been enough? Childhood obesity has doubled among children and tripled among adolescents since 1980, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pediatricians are scrambling to address the trend and resulting illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, conditions uncommon among children decades ago. But the good news is that obesity rates among children are improving. A Robert Wood Johnson report recently found that obesity has decreased by 13.3 percent among kids in grades K–5 in Mississippi, the nation’s most obese state. California, New Mexico and West Virginia also have experienced statewide declines. Furthermore, according
For Placement Purposes Only
to a CDC report released last summer, obesity among low-income preschoolers declined slightly between 2008 and 2011 in 19 of the 43 states and territories that were studied. Mrs. Obama counts Let’s Move! as a catalyst for awareness, leading to the progress. “So the statistics clearly show that with all of the work that people are doing to address this epidemic, we’re actually starting to move the needle on this issue,” she said to a group in D.C. during a kickoff to Let’s Move! Active Schools. “And this isn’t just some blip or fluke, and it doesn’t just happen on its own. It happened because people across this country decided that they wanted something better for our kids.” ON THE HORIZON While a slight decline in childhood obesity rates is reason to celebrate, medical professionals say there is still much work to be done. “The current status is horrible, but it’s also hopeful,” said Stephen Pont, medical director at the Texas Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. “I think it’s showing some positive signs that if we keep pressing ahead we can correct this epidemic, but it’s still going to require a huge amount of additional work.” Pont, who has worked with individuals associated with Let’s Move!, thinks a push behind the campaign Let’s Move! In the Clinic, which is an initiative that encourages healthcare professionals to take on leadership roles in their respective communities, may lead to some great results. He also is hopeful that Mrs. Obama’s efforts will continue long after President Barack Obama leaves the White House in 2017. “It’s great to have healthy messages coming out of the White House,” he says. “To have the leadership of Michelle Obama is enormous. It’s had a very meaningful and large impact.”
All photos by whitehouse.gov.com
Force on Childhood Obesity, Let’s Move! targeted school-aged children with numerous waves of cool messages. The Let’s Move! campaign also partners with governmental agencies, communities, health professionals and businesses. These include Disney, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Darden, the largest full-service restaurant company, which owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden, in which both have pledged to improve their kids’ menus and reduce calories by 20 percent. Let’s Move! also urges companies to re-examine how they market foods to children. “These new efforts are so incredibly important, because right now, when it comes to marketing food to our kids, as you all know, the deck is stacked against healthy foods like fruits and vegetables,” Mrs. Obama said when she met with press to announce the campaign’s new partnership with Sesame Workshop—a nonprofit behind Sesame Street. In all, the campaign spurred nine major initiatives including Let’s Move! Faith and Communities and Let’s Move! Salad Bars 2 Schools—and her most recent campaign, Drink Up, which encourages people of all ages to drink more water.
over
Mind Matter Is your personality standing in the way of achieving an active lifestyle? If so, don’t give up. Simply adjust your course. written by Nina Hemphill Reeder
Photo by iStockPhoto.com
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our personality traits and perspectives define who you are, but those very things that establish your character may actually lie in conflict with your attempts to achieve a healthier, more active lifestyle. So if you keep failing to adhere to a regular exercise routine, then it’s about time you looked inward. “One’s mindset and how he or she approaches exercising can play a crucial role,” says Luis G. Manzo, PhD, a sports psychologist and executive director of Student Wellness and Assessment at St. John’s University. “If you approach exercise as this ‘big’ thing that you ‘have to’ do, you are setting yourself up for failure.” Manzo says the key to being active is changing how you think about exercise; he says individuals should view exercise as something that is part of their lives or visualize it as part of the life they’d like to live. “There are many simple steps you can take to make this happen,” he offers. “Being active does not mean spending hours in the gym or working out every day. Rather, being active can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at the far end of the parking lot or getting off a bus/train stop before your destination and walking the rest of the way. Doing these little things can change your mindset from ‘I am not active, exercise is not for me’ to ‘I can do that if I want to.’ As this mindset shifts, you are more likely to begin going to the gym or running regularly.” Psychologist Suzanne Brue, author of The 8 Colors of Fitness, would agree. According to Brue, attempting an exercise or activity unsuited to your personality can very much lessen your motivation and willingness to stick with it. And with so many varying personality types, the breakdown usually occurs with the misconception that exercise is monolithic. “Many people think of it as a one-size-fits-
all approach,” Brue says of a belief that started around the 1980s at the advent of commercial sports clubs and gyms. “I believe the message has been dominated by fitness enthusiasts raving about the latest, greatest activity—which everyone should just love [yet] most people don’t. The unintended consequence of this is that many people feel shamed and guilty [when they don’t enjoy that exercise].” Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator theories—which are commonly used personality measures to assess things like ideal career paths and how team members can effectively communicate with one another—Brue discovered that individuals would similarly be more successful and committed to a life of physical
with some friends for a walk or run. Also, since ‘Silvers’ are attracted to variety, so I would also suggest they keep their workout clothes handy, along with a schedule of yoga and or cardio classes, [and] when time opens up in their day they can drop in.” Click here to take Brue’s assessment and find your fitness personality. And celebrity trainer David Buer can relate. With a diverse client roster that ranges from Tyler Perry to Miss USA 2010 Jessica Black, he definitely acknowledges the importance of adjusting a workout to complement the individual. “I see more than 12 to 15 clients a day, and I
“In order for anything you do to be successful, you have to fully and mentally buy into it and commit.” activity if they modeled a workout regimen according to their personality type. After further researching her discovery, Brue published her findings in The 8 Colors of Fitness, which links eight personality types (distinguished by color) to physical activities and exercise approaches that would be most natural to those traits. “‘Blues’ are comforted by exercising in the same environment at the same time, and prefer exercising solo…So for a ‘Blue,’ I might recommend they walk on a treadmill or go for a run outside on a known route for 30 minutes four times a week at the same time,” Brue offers as an example. “‘Silvers,’ on the other hand, enjoy the interaction of others and spontaneity, so for them, I might recommend they meet up
have to have a completely different psychological approach with every one of them in order to maximize their ability and maximize their potential,” he says. But even after finding a workout that suits your tastes or adjusting your mindset to keep you motivated on the course, Buer believes there is one last thing you must search inside yourself to find. “In order for anything you do to be successful, you have to fully and mentally buy into it and commit. You have to trust the process. You have to believe in yourself and what you are going to do. You have to believe in your actions and that there is going to be a positive result and outcome from them,” he says. “That is key.”
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[Exercises4You]
Shape Shifter Get booty-ful results with this lifting and rounding glute workout.
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Photos by Foon Fu Photography
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Not convinced? CLICK HERE to view this workout. Incorporate this workout from Kenya Crooks twice a week for at least four weeks and then tweet us at WHOLE4You, letting us know if you see a difference.
espite the rise in buttock augmentation procedures, you don’t have to turn to needles or surgery to round out your backside. You can lift and shape a more rounded booty with exercise. “Strength training and plyometrics (explosive jumping movements) are two surefire ways to guarantee a higher and rounder behind,” says celebrity trainer Kenya Crooks, who playfully brands himself as the Brickhouse Builder due to the stunning figures he helps his clients achieve (kenyacrooks.net). “Strength training moves such as squats, front squats and back squats will thicken your thighs and butt without you spending thousands of dollars to do it.” Of course, for greater results, Crooks also suggests pairing a workout routine with cardio and a healthy nutritional plan, as weight loss will help to lean the waistline, therefore creating more of a visual curve for your backside. And when it comes to cardio, he says sprinting drills can be a big asset. “Look at your sprinters—past and current stars of track and field: Sanya Richards-Ross, Marion Jones, Gail Devers, Florence GriffithJoyner. The thing that they have in common is that their legs and butts are tight, toned, high and thick,” he says. “Doing sprints puts pressure on your body because it’s a plyometric move within itself.”
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[Pulse]
Go Girl Radio and television personality Ebony Steele shares her workout playlist.
Ebony’ s Workout Playlist
1. Bone Crusher, “Never Scared” (2009) 2. Lil Jon, “Shots” (2009) 3. Estelle, “American Boy” (2009) 4. Bill Withers, “Lovely Day” (1977) 5. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop” (2012) 6. Michael Jackson, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin” (1983) 7. Mary Mary, “God in Me” (2009) 8. Kirk Franklin, “Hosanna” (2002) 9. Tamar Braxton, “Hot Sugar” (2013) 10. Jill Scott, “Golden” (2004)
Photo of Ebony Steele courtesy of subject
Michael Jackson “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin” (1983) “The pace of it is great. The way it begins and ends, it just reminds me of a great time in my life and gets me motivated. It inspires me due to the fact that Michael Jackson is not here anymore and his music still lives, the African drums gets me going, and it just gets me crunk.”
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s a radio cohost of the nationally syndicated The Rickey Smiley Morning Show as well as the cohost of the Fox Network’s Dish Nation, Ebony Steele knows a thing or two about busy schedules. The former dancer even owns and operates her own dance company, Ebony Arrington Dance and Performance Studio in Birmingham, Ala. Yet Steele, who also knows the importance of physical activity, still manages to fit exercise into her hectic agenda. Furthermore, as a breast cancer survivor, she avidly advocates for breast cancer awareness and encourages all women to work toward a healthier, more active lifestyle, which helps reduce their risk of cancer.
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[4YourHair]
Nataki Minix
Don’t
Left photo by iStockPhoto.com. Right: photo of Nataki Minix courtesy of subject
sweat it
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Get your workout on while keeping your ’do right with this celebrity stylist’s expert advice. written by Tamara Crockett
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xercise is supposed to preserve your sexy, right? But in the journey there, things aren’t always as sexy as you’d like them to be, especially where hair maintenance is concerned. Lucky for you, celebrity hair stylist Nataki Minix is giving up the goods on how to keep both your temple and tresses in tip-top shape (natakiminix.com). In 2012, an Archives of Dermatology study revealed that 40 percent of African American women avoid exercise because of hair issues. Be prepared to kick that number to the curb with these valuable guidelines. “The biggest problem during workouts is the hair being very dry,” explains Minix, a 14-year hair veteran. “Before a workout, I suggest wrapping the hair, especially around the edges, with a silky scarf. It keeps the hair laid down and can easily be combed back into place or neatened up. Always add a drop of a light oil to prevent the hair from being so dry.” The Atlanta-based stylist, whose clientele includes Cynthia Bailey and NeNe Leakes of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta fame, along with singers Michelle Williams and LeToya Luckett, also encourages the use of a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Her favorites are Design Essentials Moisture Retention
Shampoo and Design Essentials Express Instant Moisturizing Conditioner. As far as don’ts, Minix warns that brushing your hair while it’s wet or still moist from sweat is a common mistake. Since hair is weakest when it’s wet, she instead suggests using a wide-tooth comb to remold or pull the hair back after a workout. Additionally, the hair guru advises you to be mindful of the styles that you rock. “Styles that should be avoided are anything that uses too much product, such as spritz and gel,” she cautions. “Sweat from the workout is very drying to the hair, so the combination of the products can be damaging, which could cause extreme breakage.” On the other hand, Minix offers, “a [sownin] weave is one of the easiest ways to keep the hair protected. The hair can be easily pulled back in a ponytail or a bun. Short styles are a good alternative as well. After a workout, the hair can be gently washed and conditioned and molded with foam back into a decent-looking style that most clients can maintain themselves without looking bad for the rest of the day.” So stop skipping out on that Zumba class just to save your tresses for happy hour. Whether you opt for extensions or a cute and convenient high bun, you can have the best of both worlds—beautiful hair and a fabulous figure!
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EVOLVE SILKY WRAP SCARF $7.99 | Target and Sally Beauty Supply Keep your coiffure intact with this stylish wrap that’s available in an array of designs.
OUIDAD DOUBLE DETANGLER
For Placement Purposes Only
$26.00 | ouidad.com This is the queen of wide-tooth combs, and it can handle and detangle the unruliest of hair in no time flat.
DESIGN ESSENTIALS BOTANICAL OILS HAIR & BODY MOISTURIZER $10.99 | designessentials.com Keep dry tresses (and body parts) at bay while conditioning, smoothing and adding shine.
DESIGN ESSENTIALS MOISTURE RETENTION SHAMPOO
DESIGN ESSENTIALS EXPRESS INSTANT MOISTURIZING CONDITIONER 26 WHOLE4YOU Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
$9.99 | designessentials.com Achieve shiny, soft and more manageable hair in three minutes flat.
All photos courtesy of subjects
$10.99 | designessentials.com Lock in moisture and shine with this gentle, nonstripping shampoo that can be used daily if needed.
BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL WEIGHT
[ManUp]
T
Battle of the Sexes
hink back to a time when you were happy with your weight. For most, that time was around their high school years. Yet, even despite college weight gain, babies, age-related muscle loss and a slowing metabolism, you can still recapture that youthful physique. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Ivan Black understands how the obstacles and scenarios of adulthood are sometimes in conflict with your desires to lose weight and stay fit. Therefore, Ivan has created his exclusive 8-week “Back 2 High-School Weight” online program, which is designed to transform your body back to its adolescent excellence. The online program revs up your body’s natural fat-burning capabilities and addresses those weaknesses that lead to weight gain in the first place. In 8 weeks, you’ll not only look slimmer but feel younger!
Heart disease wages war on both genders, so bring every man —and woman—to the fight.
IvanBlackFitness.com
Photo by iStockPhoto.com
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Online Videos :: Boot Camps :: TRX Training :: eStore
If you’ve got a heart, heart disease could be your problem.”
eart disease is the No. 1 killer of men—and women. As my friends at the prestigious National Institutes of Health say, “If you’ve got a heart, heart disease could be your problem.” This is especially true for African American women because you have higher rates of the risk factors that produce heart disease. And by now, you should know them: obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure and diabetes. But it’s not enough to know, you have to act. Every time I read that 80 percent of women ages 40 to 60 have one or more of these risk factors for heart disease, I blink in astonishment. Then I worry about the futures of all women I care so much about because I know that having just one risk factor doubles the chances of developing a heart disease. So please, don’t be one of those women who believes that heart disease is a “man’s disease.” By the way, sometimes women do differ from men in how they experience the symptoms of a heart attack. Not every heart attack is
accompanied by chest pain or discomfort; sometimes it’s shortness of breath, nausea or extreme tiredness among other symptoms. That’s why it’s so important to have an honest heart-to-heart talk with your health professional about your risk factors and your risk of having a heart attack! And please share this article with the men in your life. This is something they need to know they are not immune from either. Attack those risk factors and do it now. Everything written about is equally important to them too. Know your numbers and keep track of them: blood pressure, cholesterol (both good and bad), body mass index, blood sugar level, and activity level. If you smoke, STOP TODAY! For more information, I prescribe that you put “The Heart Truth” in your search engine, and repeat as necessary. Dr. Reed Tuckson is the founder and CEO of Tuckson Health Connections, LLC, and the former executive vice president and chief medical affairs at the UnitedHealthGroup.
WHOLE4YOU 29 Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
[Parent Trap]
Tale Spins Getting your child invested in healthy eating may be as simple as telling a piece of history.
For Placement Purposes Only
Photo by iStockPhoto.com
A “...children are succumbing to obesity and diabetes because they do not know where foods they consume come from and how those foods benefit or disadvantage them.”
mother of two young boys recently told me that her youngest son asked her, “Mommy, where do chia seeds come from? Uncle Don says they come from a pet sheep toy that sprouted grass-like fur back in the 1980s?” Amused, his mother began to tell him how her grandmother used to say that chia seeds were “good for you” and put them in her lemonade during hot summers when she was a child back home in Chiapas, Mexico. Yet still unsure of where chia seeds came from, mother and son went into the Internet to find out more. They eventually found that chia seeds where indeed the seeds made famous by the Chia Pets but are now popular anew due to their nutritional and weight-loss uses. They also discovered that they originated in southern Mexico and Guatemala and that the Aztecs and Mayans cultivated the seed to increase the stamina of their messengers, who had to run long distances, in pre–Columbian times. To their big surprise, chia is part of the name of the present Mexican state of Chiapas, “chia water or river,” where they were both born. The young boy, who was fascinated by the mother’s story and their findings, asked her to make him dishes with chia seeds so he could run fast like the Aztecs. And she did, using the seeds to make raw pudding, flour for bread, hibiscus tea sweetened with honey and many more nutrient-dense dishes for her boy. This experience prompted me to think that parents, schools and relatives must work together to reclaim
our nutritional heritage by passing these stories to the next generations and not just tell them to count calories or exercise more. Children love stories, they love to play and imitate the characters after reading a story. In many cultures, the oral tradition of storytelling remains a strong bridge between past and future generations. But lately, those stories have ceased, and we have lost touch with the origin and purpose of food. And I truly believe our children are succumbing to obesity and diabetes because they do not know where foods they consume come from and how those foods benefit or disadvantage them, rendering them vulnerable to junk food. Today, more and more of us leave our homelands, our culture and nutritional heritage over time. So I challenge a member of each family to bear the responsibility of keeping your family alive by passing our nutritional heritage to your children.
Armida Ayala, PhD, MHA, has been a researcher in the fields of HIV/AIDS and violence, specifically in the Latin American communities, for more than 10 years. With a long-standing interest in childhood nutrition, Ayala recently authored Ricky’s Green Adventure, which details a young boy’s bilingual journey to make a healthy smoothie. Ayala is of Native American Huichol ancestry and doesn’t believe in capturing herself in images, so a feather stands in place of her picture.
WHOLE4YOU 31 Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
[Recipes4You]
MARDI GRAS RED BEAN AND RICE CAKES
ITALIAN-STYLE SOUP WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE
Ingredients:
Eat earlier but stay satisfied longer with these high-fiber, low-calorie dinners.
S
everal studies suggest earlier dinner eaters are more likely to weigh less and achieve better weight-loss results than individuals that dine after 8 p.m. But trying to eat light and then stay up to watch Scandal places your bedtime several hours after your final meal, which could lead to late-night snacking and some unwanted calories. But we may have the solution. Try out these hearty, fiber-packed recipes that will keep you sated past your dinner hour but won’t pack on the calories.
32 WHOLE4YOU Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces sweet or hot Italian-style turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 can (32 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained 1 teaspoon each of: McCormick® Oregano Leaves, McCormick® Rosemary Leaves, McCormick® Thyme Leaves, finely crushed 1 package (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves 1/2 cup uncooked small pasta, such as mini bowties or elbows
Directions:
Cook rice in water as directed on package. Meanwhile, place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and crush with rolling pin or meat mallet (or crush in food processor). In large bowl, place beans; mash with potato masher or fork. Stir in onion, bell pepper, cooked rice, egg, 2 tablespoons of the cereal, the chili powder, cumin and red pepper. Shape into 8 patties; coat patties completely with remaining cereal. Spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray. Cook 4 patties in skillet over medium heat about 10 minutes, turning once, until brown. Remove patties from skillet. Cover and keep warm while cooking remaining patties. Serve patties on salad greens; top with salsa. (Makes 8 servings; 210 calories per serving)
Directions:
Mardi Gras Red Beans and Rice cakes by General Mills; Italian-Style Soup and Caribbean Chicken by McCormick
Fab&Full
1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice 1 cup each: water, Fiber One® original bran cereal 2 cans (15 oz. each) Progresso® dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed 1 small onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper 1 egg or 2 egg whites, beaten 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper Salad greens, if desired 1/2 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky salsa
CARIBBEAN JERK CHICKEN WITH BLACK BEAN SALSA
Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add sausage; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes longer or until onion is tender and sausage is browned. Pour chicken broth, beans and tomatoes into saucepan. Stir in oregano, rosemary and thyme. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and pasta. Return to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. (Makes 8 1-cup servings; 135 calories per serving)
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1 1/4 pounds 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Lawry’s® Caribbean Jerk Marinade with Papaya Juice 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup chopped, peeled ripe mango 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add 1/2 cup of the marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Meanwhile, for the Black Bean Salsa, mix beans, mango, bell pepper, cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons marinade in medium bowl. Set aside. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Grill chicken over medium heat 6 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve chicken with Black Bean Salsa and optional flour tortilla. (Makes 4 servings; 341 calories per serving)
WHOLE4YOU 33 Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
[Recipes4You] Eating Healthy for Less
Our money expert Shannon Nash gives you three great foods that are both high fiber and high value. written by Shannon Nash
F
or as little as $2.65, you can pick up a 9-ounce bag of prunes. Yes, prunes. Adding a quarter cup of prunes to your meal delivers 12 percent of your daily value of fiber. Plus, these sweet nuggets are packed with healthy antioxidants. Likewise, adding beans to your meal gives your diet a fiber turbo boost, as some beans contain almost 19 grams of fiber per cup. Best of all, a 16-ounce bag of dried beans or lentils starts around $1.29. Lastly, don’t assume oatmeal is just for breakfast. As an after-dinner snack
on a cold winter night, it’s full of fiber (at 4 grams in a cup), and a $3 canister can stretch into nearly 13 servings.
BIO:
As a lawyer, author, certified public accountant (CPA) and wellness advocate, Shannon Nash has a passion for helping others find savings—especially when it comes to the conundrum of healthy eating.
“Smoothies are a great— and convenient—way to incorporate fruit, vegetables, calcium and/or protein into the diet! Add in few different fruits, flavored yogurt, peanut butter and now the once-nutritious smoothie has become high in sugar and calories, which is not so good for keeping our waistlines in check.” —Nicole Dingels, MS, RD, LD of Torch Fitness and Nutrition
THE HULK STRAWBERRY™ from Smoothie King (20 oz) Butter pecan ice cream, bananas, strawberries, weight gain powder, protein blend, non-fat milk, turbinado, wheat germ, vanilla Calories 964 Fat (g) 32 Sugar (g) 125 Protein (g) 25
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2 3
Dingels gives you tips on how to slim up your smoothie:
1
Choose fat-free dairy products such as yogurt or milk. If you would like to add in a fat, choose a heart-healthy source such as ground flax.
PINEAPPLE PLEASURE® WITHOUT TURBINADO from Smoothie King (20 oz) Pineapple, bananas, papaya juice blend, soy protein Calories Fat (g) Sugar (g) Protein (g)
180 0 39 1
4 5
void added sugars, i.e. fruit juices, A flavored almond milk, agave syrup, honey, turbinando, etc. Add in your own flavoring with fresh fruit or a teaspoon of vanilla and cinnamon, Be creative and experiment! Fruit is sugar and sugar adds up quickly, so pick two of your favorite fruits and add in no more than 1/2 cup of each per serving. Make your own when you can. Sometimes commercial smoothie shops coat their fruits in sugar to preserve the fruit longer and prevent browning. If buying a smoothie, aim for 250 to 400 calories for meals and 100 to 200 calories if the smoothie is a snack between meals.
Photo of Nash courtesy of subject; photo of Dingels courtesy of subject;
Eating better is often a matter of choices, so arm yourself with the information you need to make the smarter choice.
For Placement Purposes Only
[Escape4You] Roc House Fitness Spa
Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Release, relax and replenish at this all-women fitness facility.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Get whisked away to bliss with this magical experience.
Get your chance for sun and plenty of fun with these calorie-burning resort activities.
R
ealizing there weren’t many top-of-the-line fitness options for the everyday woman, recently retired NBA star Larry Hughes sought to bring that experience to the Atlanta woman with his newly opened Roc House Fitness Spa. Taking a comprehensive approach to wellness, the all-female fitness spa features a variety of aerobics classes—from dance and cycling to yoga and Pilates. Hughes and his team also took extra care to stock the gym with equipment of most interest to their female clientele. Furthermore, most of the weight-training apparatuses include bar code scans, which link to video demonstrations of how to use the equipment. Additionally, as a great complement to a heart-pumping workout, the facility also offers an array of massage and facial treatments, a luxury nail spa and a full-service hair and beauty salon. Lastly, guests are encouraged to end their journey at the Roc House Café, where all menu items come in under 500 calories (rochousefitnessspa.com).
Senses Spa at the Disney Grand Floridian Resort
T
he magic of Disney isn’t exclusive to the little ones. While your children bask in the thrills of the Walt Disney World theme parks and attractions, you’re certain to live out your own enchanted tales here at the newly renovated Senses Spa at the Grand Floridian. Accordingly named, each spa service engages your senses, starting with a fresh juice elixir. Utilizing lighting and aromatherapy, the in-room fragrance and color of ambient lighting are paired precisely with your treatment’s intention. Lastly, your masseuse and the soft therapeutic melodies make the sensory fairytale complete (disneyworld.com).
K
nowing that you often work very hard to get into swimsuit shape for your vacation, the Palladium Punta Cana Resort wants you to stay committed to your fitness regimen even while away. Therefore, the resort offers a large variety of sport and fitness activities that encourage you not only to stay active but also to take advantage of one of the island’s best assets—the great outdoors. The 173-acre property includes full-size soccer fields, six hard-floor tennis courts, a beach volleyball court, miles of eco-trails, water sports and much more (palladiumhotelgroup.com).
A typical two-hour skiing excursion can burn roughly 850 calories— that’s a little more than four cups of hot chocolate worked off on the slopes. Two hours of snowshoeing can burn roughly 1,000 calories. To that, we’d say you’ve earned your marshmallows too.
Kimpton's Florida Hotels MIAMI, FLORIDA
A little yoga helps you get into a Sunshine State of mind.
T
he Kimpton hotel brand recently introduced a new yoga option to its three Florida properties: the EPIC Miami, the Surfcomber Miami South Beach and the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa. Now included in every guest room is a complimentary Gaiam yoga mat, and guests have the option to take advantage of their new Roll Out Service in which hotel staff set up your in-room yoga session with towels, flavored water and fresh fruit or trail mix (kimptonhotels.com).
Limelight Hotel ASPEN, COLO.
I 36 WHOLE4YOU Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
t’s the height of Colorado ski season, so why not pack your family up for a sabbatical on the slopes? But if skiing is not your brand of adventure, Limelight Hotel, one of Aspen’s liveliest winter resorts, offers complimentary snowshoe tours (along with free snowshoe rental) every Wednesday until March. The snow shoe expeditions, ranging from one to five miles, are customized according to group preference and are guided by a wildlife expert from the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (limelighthotel.com).
All photos courtesy of subjects
Stay active by walking in the winter wonderland.
WHOLE4YOU 37 Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment
[Why Weight]
Why Weight Don’t spend another day thinking about making a change; start today to get the health you need, the body you want and the life you deserve.
W
e hope you enjoyed the first issue of WHOLE4You, and we look forward to seeing you back for the next issue. If you’re not already a WHOLE4You member, join today and let us help guide you through your journey to better health. As a WHOLE4You member, you will gain access to our FREE e-coaching and personal training, webinars, instructional videos and much more.
For Placement Purposes Only
Here’s our checklist to get you started: ❒ Start writing down your health goals (see pg 6). ❒ Set up an appointment to get an annual exam
and/or checkup. Plus, ask about STD testing. While you’re at it, make sure the men in your life are getting their checkups too (see pg 6 and 29).
❒ Add more water to your diet (see pg 8). ❒ Once you’ve determined your exercise
personality, try out a new workout or activity like hiking or Zumba (see pg 18).
❒ Incorporate these glute exercises a few times a week (see pg 21).
❒ Stop letting your hair be an excuse to
avoid exercise; follow these tips for better hair maintenance (see pg 24).
Photo by iStockPhoto.com
❒ Add a little more fiber to your diet (pg 32). ❒ Tweet us your checklist progress at #W4YWhyWeight!
❒ Make this your mantra of the moment: You may
not get there today, but you’re one step closer than yesterday.
WHOLE4YOU 39 Women's Health Outlook Lifestyle Empowerment