December 8, 2010
At the Center for Complementary Medicine, a multi-disciplinary health center in Willow Glen, San Jose, Rick J. Bernard L.Ac., the center’s creator, and a team of healing practitioners treat patients with Complementary and Alternative Medicine, health practices that are not typically considered conventional or Western.
Have you tried Chinese or Alternative and Complementary Medicine? Tell me about your experience or your thoughts on this post on Twitter @danielgamberg.
October 29, 2010
Click image at the end of this post for a photo/audio slideshow of the Silicon Valley Triathlon Club training at De Anza College in Cupertino.
The Silicon Valley Triathlon Club meets for an hour track workout on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at De Anza College, in Cupertino.
For many of us, just making time for the gym or a run around the block is difficult enough to keep us from going to workout. Our lives have become so ingrained in our daily routines that we neglect what’s most import for us to live and stay healthy: exercise.
To be healthy we have to move. We have to get out there and put in some effort to stay healthy and in shape. And it’s not always easy to do. We all know that we can improve our health by simply being more active but how many of us actually do it?
It’s become so easy for us to use anything as an excuse to not exercise e.g. work, school, family, etc., but we’re only fooling ourselves into believing that other areas of our lives are more important than our bodies – and being healthy.
Besides having to do exercise, we may not know how to or what options are available to us. And unless you can revitalize you’re exercise routine of the past or know a friend who can help you out, arranging a fitness schedule is tough and hard to do on your own.
Well, for South Bay residents there’s hope and it comes in the form of the Silicon Valley Triathlon Club (don’t let their name intimidate you. It’s OK).
—————————————————————————————————————————————————— Listen to Silicon Valley Triathlon Club members explain why they joined the team and what keeps them coming back. Be sure to click the image at the end of this post to see photos of the Silicon Valley Triathlon Club and hear from the coaches and club president.
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Now I what you’re thinking, you’re not a triathlete and you’re definitely not qualified to train with triathletes (You’re wrong!). Even if you don’t know what a triathlete is (I didn’t) there’s a place for you at the Silicon Valley Triathlon Club.
Triathletes train to swim, bike and run in events, hence their name “tri” athletes. The Silicon Valley Triathlon Club (SVTC) promotes beginner, intermediate, advanced and new-to-the-sport members to “reach not only the starting line, but the finish line as well,” according to their website.
The club’s goal is to improve their members’ fitness and racing skills but it also provides a social outlet for members too. Many members look forward to their workouts each week and enjoy the groups’ energizing camaraderie. This is the key to their success.
From the coaches to the members, the club welcomes everyone with open arms and encourages people to keep coming back because regardless of their age or skill level there’s a group for anyone.
SVTC is the largest triathlon club in Northern California. If you have a background in one or more of the sports or are entirely new to triathlon, the club encourages you to come out and try one (or two) of their workouts before becoming a member. And for only $60 for a regular one year membership (that’s $7 a month!), you’ll get your monies worth (I’m sure of it).
It’s also a great resource for children to get active because each year the club hosts the largest Kid’s Triathlon in the nation for children under the age of 13. The Kids Triathlon benefits the Silicon Valley Childrens Fund and raised roughly $20,000 last year.
The Triathlon Club meets at different athletic facilities in the South Bay to train for each sport: for running the club meets on Tuesday’s at 6:30 p.m. at De Anza College, in Cupertino, Two swimming sessions meet Wednesday’s from 6-7 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. at Fremont High School and cycling training takes place on Saturday’s and a route is announced for members each week.
To learn more about the Silicon Valley Triathlon Club check out their website and be sure to join their team on Facebook and follow them on Twitter so you never have to exercise alone (well, unless you want to).
Are you already a SVTC member? Tell me about your club experience by following or mentioning me on Twitter @danielgamberg or leave a comment on this post.
Click image for a photo/audio slideshow of the Silicon Valley Triathlon Club training at De Anza College.
The Silicon Valley Triathlon Club stretching for their Tuesday evening track workout at De Anza College.
October 20, 2010
Photo Courtesy 96dpi
Many of us begin our day with a cup of coffee to get us up and going. Some of us may even continue to guzzle cup after cup or turn to other energy beverages throughout the day in order to stay alert.
The energy drink market is extremely popular, and lucrative, raking more than $500 million in sales last year, according to Consumerreports.org.
But are coffee and energy drinks the best answer for exhaustion and tiredness? More importantly, how can you increase your natural energy level so you’re not as reliant on the caffeine in coffee and energy drinks?
Well there have been some fascinating studies performed about how much caffeine actually energizes us.
For example, one study by researchers from the University of Bristol found that the “stimulating effects of caffeine may be just an illusion.”
The team of researchers conducted a two-group experiment with low and moderate coffee consumers (group one) and high consumers (group two) who all were deprived of caffeine for 16 hours prior to the test.
The researchers used caffeine and placebo (no caffeine) capsules to test the stimulating effects of caffeine in the body and afterward used various tests to gauge each group’s alertness levels. The results are puzzling and you may not agree.
The researchers found that the alertness levels of heavy caffeine consumers who received caffeine were no higher than low and moderate coffee consumers who received no caffeine in the experiment, “suggesting caffeine only brings coffee drinkers back up to normal.” What do you think?
OK, but what about the ever-popular energy drinks?
Well, although you may feel somewhat of a “jolt” from energy drinks, some doctors contest they only stimulate your central nervous system and do not create actual energy.
So, to increase your natural energy without loads of coffee which may only bring you back to a “normal” anyway and to bypass the sugar and calories in energy drinks here are some healthy natural energy tips for you to consider.
Pass the Salt: If you often feel bloated, like your carrying extra water weight around, you may be consuming too much salt. Salt makes our bodies retain water, among other things, which causes us to feel bloated and, well, overweight.
So if you lower your sodium intake and otherwise have a healthy lifestyle, you may be shocked about how much extra water weight you were holding.
Exercise is Key: We know that exercising helps keep you in shape but it also gives you more natural energy throughout your day without any added calories or sugar. It doesn’t have to be hardcore, intensive training, try walking to the store instead of driving or join a fitness club with a friend. You can make exercising fun and it can help reduce some of your stress.
Sleep is a Must: Our bodies are like high-tech, battery operated machines. We have to recharge our batteries by getting proper amounts of sleep or else we crash and burn. Sleeping not only helps us feel better and gives us more natural energy but also helps improve our interactions with people. If you’re not getting enough sleep you’re probably no fun to be around.
So, it’s important to shutdown and to relax at night. If you’re a caffeine consumer cut yourself off early to calm your nervous system and dedicate a specific time for lights out – and stick to it.
Fill up on Fiber: When we eat more fiber it fills us up faster which can help us eat less. If we eat less we avoid some extra, unnecessary calories and you will feel better and healthier. Also fiber helps our bodies digest and pass food regularly which means we’re not still carrying around Monday’s lunch on Wednesday.
Boosting your fiber intake is easy too. Take an apple to work, pick up some fresh vegetables from the market or start your day with some oatmeal or whole grains. There are also Fiber supplements that work too but they aren’t packed with the vitamins and minerals that fruits and vegetable have.
Free your Mind: Stimulating your mind with new and positive information is refreshing and can contribute to a healthier you, with more energy. Setting aside some time to learn new things is necessary to stay both mentally sharp and alert but also physically fit too – they work well together.
For example, try learning more about your body by staying on top of what you eat and reading about your diet. Or take up a new, easy hobby that stimulates both your body and mind like sports, crafting, photography or volunteering.
By incorporating any of these into your daily routine you can skip that extra cup of coffee or energy drink and hopefully move toward a healthier lifestyle full of natural energy.
Natural energy tips courtesy WebMD.
October 14, 2010
Photo Courtesy selva
Growing up I’m sure you were told how important it was that you to take your vitamins every day. You may have even been duped, as I was, into thinking that your parents were cool and actually gave you candy at breakfast time.
It wasn’t long before I learned that my chalky breakfast candy shaped like Dino, Bamm Bamm and Fred Flintstone wasn’t really candy at all, and in fact was a vitamin to help me grow up strong and healthy.
Flintstones Chewable Vitamins were the first vitamins I remember taking. In the morning’s I would guess which character I got to eat and it became a fun guessing game for awhile. But, as I grew older their texture and appeal wore off and it was time to graduate from chewable vitamins anyway, right?
Well, the not-so-funny thing was that my diet wasn’t enough to replace the vitamins I was missing out on and I never “graduated” to a more sophisticated, healthier vitamin routine – at least not for about a decade (maybe more).
And I think this is common. Think about it. Despite how relatively easy it is to do and the significant health benefits, how many of us actually “graduated” from our childhood vitamin routines to a daily teenage vitamin schedule. I didn’t.
Today, as adults, many of us lack the robust foundation an adolescent schedule would’ve provided and our major deterrents are not only time and money but also the knowhow. Some people may be struggling financially and following a vitamin schedule is economically out of the question. Or people are just too wrapped up in their everyday lives to incorporate something new.
So I’ll make it easy for you. You won’t have to deviate from your normal routine to stop by a Vitamin Shoppe, GNC or any vitamin store, and, get this, you don’t even have to buy or take any vitamins.
By simply consuming the right foods you can easily receive a healthy dose of your daily vitamins, but you knew that already. You just need to know what each vitamin does and what foods they’re in.
Here are some vitamin rich food suggestions for you to try.
To boost your vitamin A intake look for orange colored fruits and veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe. Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens are also rich in vitamin A; milk that’s label “fortified with vitamin A” and liver are good sources too.
Vitamin A helps keep our vision clear and healthy by helping us see at night or in dark and dim lit situations. It also helps keep the colors we see both bright and dark and helps our skin grow and look healthy.
The B vitamin group contains eight types which help us metabolize our food into energy when we need it and helps generate and distribute red blood cells that oxygenize our bodies and allow them to function properly.
At the grocery store look for whole grains like wheat and oats, seafood, fish, poultry and meat, eggs, milk, yogurt, beans, peas and leafy green vegetables to help you load up on B vitamins.
Most of us know Vitamin C helps prevent infection by strengthening our immune systems but it also helps keep our body tissue strong and healthy and aids in the healing process when we have an open wound. Vitamin C is most commonly found in oranges and other citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi fruit, sweet red peppers and cantaloupe.
Food that strengthen our bones, teeth and nails are rich in vitamin D such as fish, egg yolks, liver and cereal and milk that have been fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D assists our bodies in absorbing the mineral calcium which is essential for our bones and teeth to develop healthily.
So, just by purchasing these foods you can avoid taking pill vitamins and don’t have to develop a new routine in your already busy life.
Vitamin rich food suggestions taken from TeensHealth.org and KidsHealth.org which are produced by Nemours, one of the nation’s largest organizations dedicated to improving the standards of children’s health, according to their web site. The site’s were established by medical professionals and details what foods contain the vitamins you need to stay healthy and also highlight their key roles in the body. They’re easy to read and very informative.
September 27, 2010
Hear San Jose Dentist Paul Park share about the links between gum disease and heart disease and how South Bay residents react.
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From the time we were kids we’ve been told how important it is that we brush and floss our teeth at least twice a day. Like most people, I brush my teeth in the morning when I wake up and at night before bed. I floss as much as I can but I know I could improve. I’d even be willing to bet you’re the same way (I’ll give you two-to-one odds).
Juggling life can be so busy with work, school and everything else along the way, that every day many people neglect brushing and flossing as often as they should. And it’s understandable; it’s very easy to become entangled in a busy life style.
But the findings in a recent medical study may change how you think about your teeth and how much time you designate to properly keeping them clean and healthy. It may surprise you to learn how much your dental hygiene can impact your overall health. The proof is in the numbers.
Shocking statistic: 85 percent of adults have some form of gum disease, according to the Oral Health Report by the World Health Organization in 2003. So, if you’re an adult the odds are against you (good thing we didn’t make that bet). Unfortunately there’s more bad news.
Not only does poor dental hygiene translate in to forms of gum disease, bad breath (halitosis), dingy and discolored teeth and many other oral-based conditions, it also can increase the risk of blood clots and heart attacks, according to a study by a team of researchers from the University of Bristol and scientists from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland released at the beginning of this month.
Here’s how it happens: when you undergo dental work or if your gums bleed when you brush or floss your teeth, you open your bloodstream making it vulnerable to bacteria. Now this is not news. We’ve known for some time that bacteria love living in the human mouth.
But, the behavior of Streptococcus bacteria (which usually resides in the human mouth and throat) after it’s entered the bloodstream, is news and exactly what researchers found to increase the risk of blood clots and heart attacks.
Once the bacteria are in the bloodstream, a tiny protein (PadA) on the outside of the bacteria captures blood platelets and clumps them together forming a blood clot, which (long story short) can block the passageway of blood to the heart and brain.
The good news is that science has discovered this and the research offers scientists’ and medical practitioners’ insight about “the relationship between gum disease and heart disease,” according to the Sept. 6 Medical News Today article about the breakthrough.
Also, the article highlights how the findings “could eventually lead to new treatments for cardiovascular disease which is the biggest killer in the developed world,” according to Dr. Howard Jenkinson, professor of Oral Microbiology at Bristol’s School of Oral and Dental Science.
Some more good news: with diet and exercise and healthy regulation of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, you can help prevent future heart conditions with good dental hygiene. If your gums don’t bleed and your mouth is kept clean, you’re decreasing the probability of the bacteria entering the bloodstream. It’s very simple. This is another for reason dentists’ to stress brushing and flossing your teeth every day and regularly visiting your dentist.
If you think you have a severe form of gum (periodontal) disease there are advanced treatment options, such as PerioProtect.
So, the next time you’re either too tired or think you don’t have enough time in the day for brushing or flossing, remember what you read here. You’re health and heart may depend on it.
September 19, 2010
Hear from Elissa Gentemaun, a massage therapist instructor at Just For Your Health, a massage clinic and college in San Jose, Calif., explain the health benefits of massage.
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When most people, including myself, think about living healthier lives, thoughts of joining a gym or following a strict dieting run through our minds as practical ways to help us reach our fitness goals. And they are. We all know that exercising and watching what we eat are essential for achieving a healthier lifestyle. What you may not know is that there are viable, healthy alternatives to supplement these conventional methods that help you live and stay healthy.
I, as you may be, was surprised to read about the benefits of massage therapy. I know it sounds a bit farfetched and you’re probably asking yourself: How much can a massage actually help me live a healthier life? And you should. I did. It’s that very question that lead me to the information I’m about to share with you.
Here’s some startling statistics: medical research suggests that up to 90 percent of all illness and disease is stress-related, and levels of stress-related illness are almost twice as high for women than as for men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s right, 90 percent! And, to top it off 75 to 90 percent of all primary care physician visits are stress-related, according to the American Institute for Stress.
If that’s not an incentive to decrease stress in your life the benefits of massage therapy may be.
Massage therapy is the manipulation of muscles, tendons and other soft tissues in the body by a certified massage therapist. There are many types and techniques of massage that are designed to directly improve how you physically feel, which for many people translates in to having a revitalized psychological, emotional and even spiritual state of wellbeing. In other words, it reduces both physical and emotional stress.
Though scientific research studies on the benefits of massage therapy are limited, the overall consensus is that it works. Studies suggest that a single massage session can reduce “‘state anxiety’ (a reaction to a particular situation), blood pressure, and heart rate, and multiple sessions can reduce ‘trait anxiety’ (general anxiety-proneness), depression, and pain” according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
The NCCAM also reported that recent studies suggest that massage therapy may benefit people suffering from lower-back pain, chronic neck pain and relive pain and improve the moods of advanced cancer patients. Medical researchers have also performed studies that suggest massage may boost the human immune and endocrine systems.
Massage therapy is most commonly used to alleviate work-related, sports-related and stress-related muscle conditions that occur in the body. Pregnant women, infants, athletes, people suffering from migraines or living with anxiety and depression and many other conditions may find comfort (physical and emotional) in massage. People who suffer from chronic illness or disease and have exhausted medicinal treatment also turn to massage for pain relief. Massagetherapy.com has a full list of the benefits of massage.
The health benefits of massage are clear and vast; especially if you’re stress levels are high. So if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to reduces stress and improve your lifestyle, you may want to incorporate massage in your life. It might just keep you out of the doctor’s office.
September 16, 2010
Photo Courtesy Fight Launch
Hear how a nursing student who aspires to be a mixed martial arts fighter stays healthy and in shape.
September 9, 2010
Health blogs are very popular these days. It seems like more and more people are becoming health conscious and are looking for ways to improve their diet, exercise more or live a healthier, calmer and, hopefully, stress-free lifestyle.
The blogosphere is full of blogs about all aspects of healthy living. Recipes for cooking and eating healthier are popular favorites in the realm of health blogging.
The Health Food Lover is a great blog for people looking to improve their diets with healthy alternatives. Michelle, the blog’s creator, uploads pictures of the finished dishes she prepares and includes directions and recipes for her readers to follow at home.
The blog also features “Guest Posts” where nutritionists and doctors post healthy tips and provide readers with expert advice about improving their health or recipes featured on the blog.
This is a fantastic element for any blogger to include because it gives the reader a sense of tranquility about the food they are learning to cook and validates their diet by a health professional in the field.
The Healthy.Lifestyle blog approaches healthy blogging from a more scientific and medical standpoint. For example, today, September 8, the blog featured a post about the anatomy of a human lung.
The post included a diagram of a lung and explained, in medical jargon I might add (not written for a casual read), how the lung operates with the rest of the respiratory system and how to detect symptoms of lung disease and how to prevent it. A brief history of lung diseases and conditions and how to treat them, including popular pharmaceuticals on the market used during treatment summed up today’s post. Overall, Healthy.Lifestyle is a very thorough and informative blog about how to live and stay healthy.
Of the all the health blogs I’ve come across, Fitness Health Zone is my favorite health blog because it covers nearly all aspects of healthy living (and it looks really cool too). On my first visit, the blog reeled me in with its bright, colorful pictures of the week’s top stories alternating on the home page.
The blog is divided into ten easy-to-navigate sections: fitness, exercises, diet and nutrition, yoga, body building, fitness exercise equipment, vitamins and supplements, healthy living, how to’s and features.
Each section features helpful information that is easy to understand and full of tips for people at different health and fitness levels. If you’re trying to get fit, mix up your exercise routine, enhance your workout or learn new healthy living tips, this blog can help you reach your goal – and it won’t cost you a dime.
September 9, 2010
Growing up in the South Bay Area (Silicon Valley), San Jose to be exact, I have always been aware of what the area is mostly known for – technology. Now I’m definitely not a “techie,” like many of my friends from the area, but I do enjoy living in an area home to Google, Apple, Yahoo!, eBay, Cisco and other technology powerhouses from the valley.
But besides technology, South Bay residents are becoming more aware of healthier lifestyles. The area is full of corporate and small businesses that cater and specialize to the growing community of health nuts.Beehive Health and Nutrition is an established, mom-and-pop’s health store located in South San Jose.
The store has been family owned since 1970 according to their website and has been accommodating and improving the lives of their customers with healthy solutions for all their healthy lifestyle needs.
They pride themselves on providing for their customers and exceeding expectations by taking personal delivery orders on specialty items. The Beehive is just one of many health store outlets for San Jose residents to choose from for their healthy needs.
While healthy living stores, fitness centers and eating healthy nourish the body and provide physical wellness and longevity, MyEternalHealth on Saratoga Avenue in San Jose offers “Healing Through Balance” with acupuncture and “traditional Chinese medicines,” according to their website.
Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese therapeutic method used to treat disease or release pain. The procedure involves puncturing the skin of a patient in precise places with the tips of tiny needles to encourage “the body to promote natural healing and improve functioning,” according to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.
For residents (like me) that aren’t willing to brave the acupuncture procedure the South Bay offers plenty of other healthy alternatives, which I will explore in the coming weeks.
As I explore the South Bay health world, I’m eager to learn some new things about where I live and hopefully improve my lifestyle, and yours, with the healthy tips I gain along my way.
Healthy Living 