Roller derby workout: for Silicon Valley Roller Girls it's practice til they puke.

Roller derby workout: for Silicon Valley Roller Girls it's practice til they puke

• August 22nd, 2010 1:25 pm

Silicon Valley Roller Girls coach, co-captain Pia Mess looks sweet, skates fierce.

 

They call it "Pia's Puke Practice" for a reason. The Monday night practice at Silicon Valley Roller Girls is a grueling, endurance practice under the merciless eye of coach, co-captain and seven-year derby veteran, Pia Mess.
Stretching, loosening,  then skating, drills, plyometrics.  "Skate lower," she yells. "Keep your eyes on your jammer."  "Stay focused."  "Stay hydrated."   It's a pounding, intense, focused, hard core workout. 
Read more on the original site

If Dreams Were Clouds art hike comes to Squaw Valley September 11, 12

Trails & Vistas Art Hike - Squaw Valley September 11, 12, 2010
Sold out four years in a row, Trails and Vistas’ Art Hike is returning to Squaw Valley USA in Olympic Valley (North Lake Tahoe, CA)  September 11 and 12.
For this seventh annual event, walkers,  led by an experienced guide, hike in small groups pausing at ten art venues, each set against the striking backdrop of towering granite rock faces and cascading mountains.
This year’s theme, “If Dreams were Clouds” honors the dreamtime.  Read more about the hike, including where to get information about lodging,

Mark your calendar: blood drive August 28 at San Jose Skate

The Silicon Valley Roller Girls are asking people to spread the word that they will be hosting a Red Cross blood drive on Saturday, August 28, from 9 am to 3 pm at San Jose Skate. Refreshments will be provided by Vitamin Water and Larabar.

The Red Cross will be taking appointments online. Visit:
http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation
and enter the sponsor code: skate

All donors will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift card from Best Buy.
San Jose Skate info: 408.226.1155
397 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose, CA 95123

Leadville 100 in progress - Leipheimer on course to beat Armstrong record

With just a  a little over an hour  to go before the 2010 Leadville 100 Race Against the Sky is officially history Levi Leipheimer is on course to beat the record by :15.  Looking good!  Go Levi!

Follow along @LTrail100

How to treat arthritis with exercise four types of exercise lead to less pain, more energy

September is Healthy Aging Month and the American College of Rheumatology  is using that to make the point that people with arthritis who exercise have less pain, more energy, improved sleep, and better day-to-day function. Since arthritis is one of the most common reasons people stop exercising as they age, developing a well-rounded routine is one of the best ways you can begin to treat arthritis.  Click here to go to the original article with the four types of exercise to help treat arthritis pain

Schools can apply for salad bar kits thru Whole Foods grant

Whole Foods Market announced this week that it has teamed with Chef Ann Cooper, the "Renegade Lunch Lady," for a project that funds  salad bars for public schools across the country.

From now until Sept. 29, shoppers can donate to the project at the check-out or make a donation online through saladbarproject.org. Each salad bar kit costs approximately $2,500 dollars, and includes a Cambro® portable 5-well salad bar unit with all the necessary insert pans, cutting boards, knives and shipping costs.

Salad bar training tools and videos for school nutrition staff will also be available through TheLunchBox.org,

The salad bars will be donated to local schools through a simple online grant process. Any public elementary, middle or high school within 50 miles of a Whole Foods Market is eligible to apply with the support of the school principal, nutrition service director and the superintendent of the district. The online application and full criteria is available at saladbarproject.org.


For more information about The Salad Bar Project as well as solutions for affordable, healthy lunches and recipe ideas visit Whole Foods Market's Web site at: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/backtoschool/.

Apolo Ohno, Chris Bosh, endorse chocolate milk and the Refuel America program

Apolo Ohno has signed on as an endorser of the "Refuel
America program promoting lowfat chocolate milk.

I thought the "low fat chocolate milk is good for you" shtick had long since passed, but apparently the press about the new research was just the opening salvo in a new milk marketing campaign.    

Today a press release came out, announcing that eight-time speed skating medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Chris Bosh are the latest celebrities to don a Milk Mustache and join some of America’s most-loved and top-performing athletes to announce a new campaign highlighting the importance of the two-hour recovery window after they have left the court, training and locker rooms. The “Refuel America” program aims to educate Americans that no matter what sport they play, lowfat chocolate milk is an easy, effective and cost-efficient way to refuel the body after a tough workout.

According to the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), a growing body of research supports chocolate milk’s recovery benefits.  Most recently, a series of four studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine suggests that drinking lowfat or fat free chocolate milk after exercise can help the body retain, replenish and rebuild muscle to help your body refuel and could even help prepare muscles to perform better in a subsequent bout of exercise.

The group is also promoting a campaign to educate teen athletes on the role of chocolate milk in refueling their bodies after exercise and reward them for choosing milk. Teens can join the “Refuel & Reward” program which provides them with a “virtual personal trainer” via their mobile devices.  By texting REFUEL to 80800, teens will receive tips from world-class athletes and opportunities to win cool prizes including autographed gear.

"White foods have no nutritional value" and other diet myths

One of my favorite online "wonderfully trashy pop culture" publications is BettyConfidential. In the issue emailed August 11 is an article titled the 7 Biggest Diet Myths, that is definitely worth the read.

Here, for instance, is one myth, that I admit, I'm guilty of spouting:

1. Myth: White foods offer little nutritional value
Truth: Many white foods are nutrient-dense. White potatoes, white asparagus, cauliflower, white cranberries, white beans, and white onions are just a few of the foods that offer a variety of powerful health-promoting nutrients. For instance, raw cauliflower beats raw tomatoes for antioxidant content. But Gans suggests that if foods become “white” due to processing—for example, when whole grains are stripped of their naturally nutritious, fiber-containing bran and germ in order to become “white” grain foods--their overall health value decreases. So stick to plant foods that are naturally white.

Check out the article for the other 6 myths...http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/ld/a/The-7-Biggest-Diet-Myths.html

San Jose Jazz Festival a good time to get out, get moving

There's an article today over on San Jose Fitness Examiner about the upcoming (August 13-15) San Jose Jazz Festival, and all the streets that will be closed starting Thursday night, August 10.  It's always a little intimidating to go downtown during the Jazz Festival, what with all the streets different than they usually are.

But don't let the street closings stop you. It's a great event, one of the "must do" events each year.  I'm not crazy that they put a fee on it -- it was much more interesting when it was free -- but the $15 ticket is modest for all the entertainment available.

There's also a Salsa Flash Mob happening at this year's festival and you can be part of it.  They even have how-to videos available so it's an entire experience.  I love the spirit of the Festival, and the Festival itself, and really, have never met anyone who considers it a disappointment experience.   I volunteered at the event for a couple of years, but the dates shifted around somewhat, and I missed it for two years. After that, I couldn't find a friend to do it with me any longer and I never "re-entered" the volunteer spot.  My loss!

Check it out - at www.jazzfest.sanjosejazz.org

iPod, iPhone, iPad, iBike.

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

On August 5, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple Computer, that...
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Friday August 6 is National Fresh Breath Day

A group of dentists in New York, tiptoeing into a sensitive area, have proclaimed Friday August 6 as National Fresh Breath Day. The idea is to make people aware that having fresh breath is part of overall health and wellness, and that the solution to bad breath -- technically known as halitosis -- can be relatively simple. Sometimes, chronic bad breath can be a symptom of a serious illness. Mostly, it's one of life's most personal problems and has an impact on social and workplace relationships. The problem is stressed in advertising for a variety of products, and Americans spend a lot of money to achieve fresh breath. Mouthwashes, for example, are part of the more than $33 billion a year industry making various toiletries.

7 tips on coping with the heat when you exercise

We've all heard, "drink plenty of water during hot weather."

But during the summer, water isn't the only fitness tip to keep in mind as a way of coping with the heat when you exercise.

 Dr. James Muntz, an internal medicine and sports medicine physician at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, offers these top 7 tips to monitor your fitness condition during the summer: 

1. Make sure you are sweating properly. If you stop sweating when you are exercising you are dehydrated.
2.  If you realize your pulse rate in the morning is 10 to 15 beats higher than your normal rate, you should take the day off from exercising. Normal pulse rate is around 70-90/ minute.
3. Get acclimated to the heat before you begin an exercise regimen. Start off with 15 minutes and slowly work your way up to 45 or an hour.
4. Forget about the "no pain, no gain" mantra. Recognize warning signs and take the appropriate action immediately.
5. Avoid exercising between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the hottest part of the day.
6. Don't try to diet by sweating. It will only result in water loss, not true weight loss.
7. Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and sunscreen.

Muntz also talks about the different between drinking water and sports drinks.

“Drink water before you go outdoors, so you can be properly hydrated when you begin activity,” says Muntz. "But if you plan to be active in the heat for an hour or more, water may not be enough – sports drinks, or electrolyte drinks, are a good supplement.”

Sports drinks contain electrolytes, like potassium and magnesium to help replace salt and water lost in sweat when exercising heavily. "Carbohydrates, sodium and potassium help move fluids out of the body and to the muscles, where it needs to be when we are working out in the heat,” Muntz explains.

Drinking too much water in a short period of time can lead to a condition called hyponatremia, which occurs when sodium levels drop in the body. Muntz suggests raising sodium levels after activity by eating some food with salt, such as pretzels, pickles or even potato chips.

Symptoms of hyponatremia include vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, restlessness/fatigue, confusion or hallucinations, muscle weakness and convulsions.

Muscle Milk flexes its muscles for Cassie Scerbo and other beautiful bodies at X Games

Monday, August 2nd, 2010 X-Games 16 got lots of love from the young and trendy over the weekend and, of course, Silicon Valley was well represented both in people and in... Keep Reading »

ONE WEEK FREE YOGA during National Yoga Month September

:

If you're into yoga - or have been thinking about it - this September, people from across the country can get ONE WEEK FREE YOGA at participating yoga studios and join over 1,000 National Yoga Month events in communities nationwide. Whether you’re trying it for the first time or are an experienced yogi looking to deepen your practice, there’s never been a more opportune time to practice yoga.

National Yoga Month is a grassroots campaign administered by the Yoga Health Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. All funds benefit the national awareness campaign and Yoga-Recessin School to bring yoga-based health and fitness education into classrooms.

I've been unable to find a free class here in Silicon Valley, though if memory serves me there were three or four last year so maybe there will be classes by September.  But there are classes in a lot of other locations so if you've been considering giving yoga a try, check it out.