Princeton Longevity News

Maybe because January 1^st is just around the corner or maybe your visit to PLC is just next week – for whatever reason it may be, we have all been guilty of belting out countless sit ups or crunches in a desperate attempt to achieve a toned, beach-ready stomach.

Well, what if I told you that if you never did another sit up or crunch, I’d actually prefer it? Crunches and sit-ups have been engrained in all of our minds as the best abdominal exercise since we were in elementary school PE class doing the “presidential challenge.”  Contrary to popular belief, sit-ups and crunches can often do more harm than good.

Sit ups cause the spine to move in a way which can be damaging. This outdated exercise has been named the source of low back pain and has been known to cause a herniated or bulging disc. Considering that sit-ups and crunches work in opposition to the natural curvature of the spine, low back discomfort is more common than not.

Before you go boycotting core exercises altogether, let me provide you with an alternative in which the benefits far outweigh the risks.  After all, core strengthening is essential for everyone and can’t be left undone.

Planks.

Planks are a comprehensive exercise that has been proven to be safer and more effective then crunches and/or sit ups. Planks activate your abdominal and trunk muscles, thus strengthening your core in its entirety. Even though planks look relatively simple and maybe even easy, they are actually far more difficult than you would think. Planks promote proper posture and spinal position, all while improving muscular strength and endurance throughout  your abdominal muscles, oblique’s, spinal erectors, glutes, chest, hamstrings, and arms (to a lesser extent). You can also add in a nice side plank to better target your oblique’s if you feel like you need a little extra challenge added to your core routine.  Without adding unnecessary compression to your spine, planks help the core to do what it is supposed to do – stabilize the spine. All in all, planks beat out crunches and sit ups every time when it comes to safety and effectiveness!

Try creating some new traditions this holiday season by incorporating some new heart healthy recipes.

Snack Mix

10 servings; ½ cup per serving

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole grain cereal
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup almonds, unsalted ½ cup walnuts, unsalted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ cup raisins, no sugar added
• ½ cup dried cranberries, no sugar added

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix cereal, oats, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Stir water and vanilla extract into the oat mixture; spread onto a baking sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy, about 30 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Stir in raisins and cranberries.
4. Store in airtight container.

NUTRITION FACTS  (Per serving)

Calories: 149, Total Fat: 7.0 g. Saturated Fa: 0.5 g, Trans Fat: 0.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg. Sodium: 33 mg, Carbohydrates: 20 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Total Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 4 g, Dietary Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 fat

Green Bean Salad Vinaigrette

Consider trying this green bean salad instead of the typical calorie laden green bean casserole.

12 servings; ½ cup per serving

Ingredients

• 1 quart water for fresh green beans or ¼ cup for frozen 1 pound fresh or frozen green beans
• 1½ tablespoon raspberry vinegar or red or white wine vinegar
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• ½ teaspoon finely snipped fresh thyme or 1½ teaspoon dried, crumbled
• ½ teaspoon finely snipped fresh parsley or 1½ teaspoon dried, crumbled
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ½ medium garlic clove, minced
• ¼ cup canola or corn oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¹/₈ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• ½ to 1 small red onion, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the beans. Boil for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water. When the beans are ready, drain them in a colander, then plunge them into the cold water to stop the cooking process and cool quickly. Once the beans are cold, drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
3. While the beans are cooling, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, thyme, parsley, honey, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the oil, continuing to whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the salt and pepper.
4. Add the green beans, bell pepper, and onion to the vinegar mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with the lemon zest.

NUTRITION FACTS (Per serving)

Calories Per Serving: 29, Total Fat: 1.0 g, Saturated Fat: 0 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: .5 g, Monounsaturated Fat: .5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 52 mg, Carbohydrate: 4 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 1 g, Protein: 1 g, Dietary Exchanges: 1 vegetable Exchange

Resources:  www.heart.org, www.cpmc.org

The holiday season is quickly approaching.  It is a time to celebrate with your family and friends, but unfortunately for many, it becomes a time for overeating and gaining weight.  According to the National Institutes of Health, holiday eating can result in an extra pound or two gained every year…but the holidays don’t need to mean weight gain.  Try to focus on socializing, making new friends, and having fun with your family and friends.

Remember…do not skip meals.  If the party is during lunch, remember to eat a healthy breakfast followed by a mid-morning snack.  If the party is after work, enjoy a protein-packed lunch like grilled fish or chicken with a large colorful salad and then try to have a mid-afternoon snack.  Remember, if you are not too hungry when you go to a party, it will be easier to avoid overeating.

Be sure to survey the buffet before you fill up your plate.  Reach for a smaller plate and choose your favorite foods and skip your least favorite foods.  Try to remember to include fruits and vegetables to keep your plate balanced with lean protein.  Even remember that eating a salad before your meal may help you eat fewer calories overall.  Try to remember to eat slowly and savor each and every bite and be in tune with your hunger ques and try to eat only until you are satisfied, not stuffed.  Also, remember that before you go back for seconds to wait 10 minutes to see if you are really still truly hungry.  Even try leaving the table once you are finished eating so that you will not be tempted to continue eating even if you are not hungry.  If you did find yourself overeating at one meal try to go light on the next.  Keep in mind that it takes 500 calories per day above your normal/maintenance consumption to gain one pound…so it is impossible to gain weight from one piece of fudge.  Even consider splitting a dessert with someone, you can cut the calories and fat in half!

Be careful with beverages.  If you like to drink eggnog consider filling your glass with half to three quarters parts of low-fat or skim milk and only one part eggnog so that you can still enjoy the eggnog flavor but without all of the calories.  If you want to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate try to have it made with low-fat or skim milk and without the whipped cream and go easy on the toppings, use only five mini-marshmallows instead of the large ones.  If you have hot chocolate regularly, try to limit the toppings to only once in a while since they can pack a lot of calories and added sugars.  To reduce the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed, consider alternating between an alcoholic beverage and a large glass of lemon water or sparkling water to limit the amount that you drink.

If you are baking this holiday season, try to use some smart substitutions.  Instead of butter, substitute equal parts of unsweetened applesauce.  Use low-fat or skim milk instead of whole milk or heavy cream.  Instead of using only white flour, use half white and half whole-wheat.  Use extracts like vanilla or peppermint to add flavor, instead of sugar or butter.

And remember to stay active.  Exercise helps relieve any stress that is felt during the holidays and can also prevent weight gain.  Try to walk 10 or 15 minutes twice a day with your dog, or better yet go sledding with your children, ice skate with your spouse, or entertain out-of-town guests by playing a round of basketball.

Enjoy the holidays, incorporate healthy recipes into your holiday meal, and plan a fun activity for the family, and don’t restrict yourself from enjoying your favorite holiday food!  Happy holidays!

Resource:  www.cpmc.org, www.heart.org www.eatright.org

by: Katia Silva, CSCS

Who would have thought that there are “proper” breathing techniques? Some really smart people! Breathing is one of the most natural mindless things humans do.  Over time, our natural habits that we are born with change; mostly because of life factors such as negative stress. Many people will notice there shoulders begin to elevate and stay there, tension is carried through their necks, and breathing becomes shallower. Now, take notice of your own breathing patterns. Is your chest moving or is your belly expanding? Are you taking short shallow breaths? Or are you breathing slowly and fully?

Once you’ve figured it out, try following the next few steps to start using your breathing muscles. Take one hand; place it on your stomach and the other on your chest. Inhale through your nose, forcing your stomach to EXPAND. Think of it as inflating a balloon. Now, exhale through your mouth, trying to blow out 100 candles. Did you feel your abdominals active? If so, that’s what we want! After some practice it will become more fluid and effortless.

What we have described is diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing. Proper breathing will help activate your abdominals, optimize your body’s ability to utilize oxygen, and decrease the effort it takes to breath naturally. Try this at night if you have trouble sleeping or if you ever start to feel anxious. It is a wonderful natural way to relax your mind and body.

by: Katia Silva, CSCS

The cardio-protective effects of endurance training (i.e. running, cycling, swimming, etc.) on overall health is unquestionable. The American College of Sports Medicine has laid out the association between active individuals and health outcomes. Factors such as all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease are much lower for those that engage in regular moderate intensity aerobic exercise of at least 30 minutes most days of the week. But, what happens when all you do is aerobic exercise?

Many individuals, marathon runners and general population alike, only do repetitive aerobic exercise. This can lead to varied muscular weaknesses and even injury in the knees and back. Some think it is from over training, and it could be, but it could also be from a lack of training! Just because you are using your legs when you are running or cycling doesn’t necessarily mean you are “training legs”. These activities are NOT muscle building. Diversity in your training program will help increase your overall fitness, prevent injury, and keep you stronger longer.

So, it is time to start adding resistance training to your weekly routine. You should have a variety of exercises that engage all aspects of your lower body. The listed exercises below are a great way to introduce your body to muscle building movements without needing a lot of equipment:

• Goblet Squats
• Glute Bridges
• Single Leg Toe Touches
• Split Squats
• X-Band Walks

Start by completing 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. In between each set rest for 30-90 seconds. As you get stronger increase your load and complete 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions. Rest for 1-2 minutes in between each set and then repeat.

How many times have you stopped and asked yourself, where has the time gone? It’s true, time is passing and as we age, exercise becomes equally, if not more important for our overall health and well-being. You may be noticing that weight doesn’t come off as easily as it once did and you tend to get a little more unstable then you once were – it’s inevitable, right? Wrong. The answer to turning back the hands of time is exercise. As you all probably know, exercise helps us to improve or maintain our aerobic endurance and muscular strength – this is not new or exciting news. But did you know that maintaining or beginning an exercise program can improve your bone health, prevent or delay disease, keep you in good spirits, and minimize falls?

First and foremost, exercise helps to prevent or delay the onset or progression of various diseases. Heart disease, which is the number one cause of death among men and women, is largely preventable through the modification of behavior. As you may or may not know, some of the major risk factors for heart disease include a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, tobacco use, dyslipidemia (cholesterol abnormalities), and prediabetes. By moving from sedentary to active, you can improve body composition and therefore combat the harmful effects of obesity, lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol profile, and improve insulin sensitivity which will reduce your risk for developing diabetes.

It doesn’t stop with heart disease. Exercise can also improve joint health, thus minimizing the risk for arthritis. To reduce the risk of developing arthritis it is important to participate in a well-rounded exercise program, complete with aerobic activity, strengthening exercises, and stretching. In addition to preventing arthritis, exercise helps to limit the risk of osteoporosis as well. It may be counterintuitive, but high-impact, weight-bearing exercise helps to build strong bones. Likewise, body weight exercises, lifting weights, and other strengthening exercises also aid in building and maintaining strong bones.

Last but certainly not least, incorporating balance training into your exercise routine is essential. Millions of older adults fall each year and all too often, those falls lead to tragic consequences. Balance exercises should be performed 2 to 3 days per week for 20 to 30 minutes. To avoid making your exercise routine too lengthy, balance activities can be easily incorporated into your resistance training and/or stretching routine. Yoga, Pilates, and tai chi are all great ways to improve balance, stability, flexibility, and strength.

By remaining as active as possible, you will be able to move into old age in better physical and mental health. Take a step and see how exercise impacts your daily mood and improves your activities of daily life – you won’t regret it!