10 Tips for Life’s Greatest Challenge: Love Thy Enemy

Although this Blog is not a forum for political topics, I feel today's posting is relevant and warranted because it relates to "mental fitness" and things we can do to clear the clutter (reduce the mind's "fat" if you will) that can wreak havoc on our peace of mind. Please indulge me as I attempt to explain. All of the recent political vitriol in the press has put a "bee in my bonnet" (as Reg and I call it) and over the past few days I have found myself getting upset over things I have no control over and can do very little (if anything) about. Nonetheless, I've been stewing over why I abhor people like George W. Bush, Pat Robertson and Geraldine Ferraro and why their mere presence on the tv screen can make me angry and want to change the channel. I don't really consider these people my "enemy" but I would say they rank in my current top 10 of people who work my nerves! : ) That being said, I recognized that I was expending precious mental energy on "clutter" and reaping no benefit from this futile exercise. In short, I was wasting my time and energy. To equate this nonsense to physical exercise, what I was doing was sort of like eating a greasy, triple-decker cheeseburger with "the works" and drinking a milkshake while walking on the treadmill! : ) Thankfully, I came across this great article on zenhabits.net that helped me to see the many benefits of "loving my enemy." Check it out and see what you think. Click HERE for the full story.

QuoD: What do YOU think of the notion of "loving your enemy"? Can you honestly do it and not just give it lip service (e.g., say you love your enemy but still harbor ill will towards him/her/them)?

Strengthen Your Core: Martina Navratilova's exercises improve control, balance and performance.

I'm posting this article for two reasons: 1) it has some great exercises and 2) you HAVE to check out how incredible Martina Navratilova looks! She wrote the article and appears as the model for all of her recommended exercises. Click HERE for the full story.

7 Steps to Turn Your Self-Improvement Desires Into Reality

We've all done it before and probably more times than we care to admit: make promises to ourselves (and even others) that from now on, we're going to start exercising more or we're going to stop cursing; to learn a new language; to take better care of ourselves; and/or to __________ [fill in the blank]. The author of today's posted article asks the question, "[Why is it that we so often make these promises]...only to have that enthusiasm fizzle away, and all our best intentions come to nothing?" Click HERE to learn 4 strategies to beat "inertia and temptation" and the 7 steps to implement these 4 ways.

QuoD: What are YOUR strategies for beating "inertia and temptation" so that you can accomplish the goals you set for yourself?

New GREEN Cuisine: Delicious, healthy, and sustainable recipe choices using fresh, local, & organic ingredients!

Ok, I have to share with you one of my new favorite sites! It's called, "thedailygreen" and it's billed as "the consumers guide to the green revolution." For today's post, I thought I would share this site's great recipes that are not only healthy but also comprise sustainable, organic, local ingredients. Click HERE to check out the recipes and click HERE to go to the home page of this awesome Web site!

QuoD: How "GREEN" are You in your day-to-day life?

Secrets to Staying Slim Past 40: How to outsmart age-related weight gain.

If you’ve celebrated your fortieth birthday, you probably suspect that your metabolism isn’t quite what it used to be. The bad news is you’re right: calorie burn does decrease with age. But there’s also good news: you’re probably burning more than you think. New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals just how many calories, on average, men and women in their forties, fifties and sixties burn each day. Drum roll… please! According to the study, men aged 40 to 69 expend about 2,900 calories. Women of the same age burn 2,300 calories daily. (These averages vary based on a person’s height, weight and activity). Click HERE for the full story.

QuoD: Have YOU noticed any changes in your metabolism or ability to stay fit as you get older?

cardio & spot training?

hey y'all --

here's something i've been thinking about: for those of us who do a lot of cardio (30+ minutes/day, 3+ times a week) and also weight train, do you spot train the muscles you use for cardio? that is, if you run, do you also do leg presses, ham curls etc. at the gym? and if you do, do you work your legs as hard as you work other body parts that you don't use for cardio?

i alternate between (a) treating my legs like any other body part, and working them hard with weights and lunges and squats and (b) thinking that i use them so much for cardio that my poor knees and thighs and calves could use a break. i can figure out if i'm being (a) neurotic or (b) lazy!

what do you do?

Fit people live longer — even if they’re fat

When it comes to living longer, fitness may trump fatness, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed men and women who were fit (as judged by a treadmill test) but were overweight or obese had a lower mortality risk than those of normal weight but low fitness levels. Click HERE to read the full story.

QuoD: How do YOU know if you're fit?

Self Challenge

I've been reading Self magazine--cover to cover--for the last several years. It took about 3 years of reading before I got around to doing anything, but it's been a great source for information, ideas and motivation.

Every March, they launch the Self Challenge--a 3 month exercise & nutrition program. It's got options to amp the exercise up or down based on your fitness level, and there are lots of online resources to keep you motivated.

Click HERE to take the Self Challenge (in case the link didn't work, paste http://www.self.com/challenge/welcome into your browser)

Another thing I love about Self is their online archive of exercises--there are some great all-over workouts using dumbells and exercise bands. I travel with a set of bands so I can do them anywhere.

The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Foods to Eat Organic

If you eat any of the following foods: Beef, Milk, Coffee, Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Strawberries, Lettuces, Grapes, Potatoes, and/or Tomatoes , PLEASE read this article! Click HERE for the details on the 12 foods you should buy organic whenever possible.

Quod: How careful are YOU about the foods you eat when it comes to knowing about pesticides, growth hormones, and other toxins used by farmers? Do you buy organic? Why or why not?

Results of my Nike+ running challenge

Well, after 30 LONG days of running more frequently and much further than I ever have in my entire life, the challenge is over and I won (!!). This was no easy task, let me tell you! Congrats to Smythmeister for being an outstanding competitor and super motivator! Here's the results:

I'm up to ~12 miles now!!

You ever have one of those days when you feel like you can do anything? Today, although it was freeeezing outside (27 degrees), it was gorgeous: nice and sunny, bright blue skies with no clouds and only a light breeze. I started out with the intention of running 16k but when I hit that mark, I felt like I had a little more in me yet. Had my face not felt numb and my ears not been stinging (and had I not started feeling a little light-headed from dehydration), I might have run a true half marathon! I gotta admit, a BIG part of my motivation is to beat this guy (who goes by the screen name of smythmeister) in this virtual challenge of who can run the most miles/kilometers in 30 days. It's posted on the Nike+ site and he and I have been the two leaders (in a group of 9 or 10) for the entire challenge so far, which ends tomorrow, 2/17/08 at midnight. It's still a very close race and either one of us could win it. I'll keep y'all posted on who wins tomorrow. Here's my run:

Why Chocolate is GOOD for you

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! This story is especially for all you chocolate lovers out there (you know who you are!): You try to forget it -- that chocolate bar stashed in your desk drawer -- the "food of the gods" once considered more valuable than gold by ancient Aztecs and Mayans. But it's just too good to resist. Slowly, your resolve wavers. "Just a taste," you think, "Just one bite." And suddenly, you devour the entire thing. Click HERE to read why chocolate can actually be good for you.

QuoD: Are you a chocoholic?

Fitness Fact vs. Fiction: A quiz to see how much you know.

Should you work out in the fat-burning zone? If there’s no pain is there no gain? And what’s the best way to lose those love handles? Find out how your exercise knowledge shapes up with this true/false quiz. Click HERE to see if you can separate fact from fiction!

QuoD: How well did YOU do on the quiz?

Crunching numbers at the gym: Should you worry about target heart rate, the 'fat-burning zone'?

Is it OK to exercise beyond your target heart rate? Should you work out in the "fat-burning zone" to lose more weight? Here's some great advice from MSN's health & fitness experts: click HERE.

QuoD: How hard to you push yourself when working out?

Check your mindless eating

Happened upon an article in the NY Times featuring a book called "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink. Fascinating research that reveals that we eat untold amounts of food mindlessly by using wide glasses, large plates and keeping snacks at eye level in the cabinet. Click HERE to check it out.