WEEK TWENTY-FOUR

DIET AND NUTRITION | MONDAY

“Happiness lies, first of all, in health.”

—George William Curtis

Blend a Power-Packed Vitamin C Smoothie

Not only is vitamin C a strong vitamin most well known for illness prevention, it works absolute wonders in many areas of promoting optimal health. In addition to being a strong supporter of bone health by improving the collagen-building process, building and retaining quality muscle, and improving the efficiency of blood vessels, it actually aids in the body’s absorption of iron. Common mineral deficiencies can be reversed by including an abundance of vitamin C with your daily intake of iron-rich foods. Here’s a vitamin C–packed smoothie recipe, intensified by the addition of ginger, vitamin K, and iron-rich spinach.

VITAMIN C CANCER PREVENTION

Recipe Yields: 3–4 cups

1 cup spinach

1 grapefruit, peeled

1 cup pineapple, peeled and cored

1 orange, peeled

a small slice of whole ginger, peeled

1 cup purified water

1. Combine spinach, grapefruit, pineapple, orange, ginger, and ½ cup water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.

2. Add remaining ½ cup water as needed while blending until desired consistency is achieved.

PER 1 CUP SERVING: Calories 62 | Fat 0g | Protein 1g | Sodium 8mg | Fiber 2g | Carbohydrates 16g

STRENGTH | TUESDAY

“I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.”

—G. M. Trevelyan

Improve Your Dynamic Balance by Practicing Kicks

Dynamic balance dictates your ability to maintain a level equilibrium while you are in motion. Most martial arts are quite dependent upon dynamic balance. A spin kick, such as you would often see in tae kwon do, can very easily throw the deliverer off balance if that person has not practiced the maneuver enough to maintain balance during its execution. Dynamic balance requires your center of mass (COM) to stay over your base of support to maintain balance in any movement. Your COM is generally located just below your navel and in an inch. The base of support is whatever part of your body is touching the ground. That may be your feet, your hands, or, if you are working on movement on the ground, the side of your body. Your center of mass needs to stay over your base of support to maintain balance in any movement.

Single-leg repetition kicks are a great way to strengthen your dynamic balance. Begin by standing on your left leg, as you bring your right knee forward and up. As your hips move forward, extend your right foot out to complete the kick. Send it out and back in repetition, touching the ball of your foot back on the floor lightly between each kick. Remember, your target is the groin or midsection of an imagined opponent.

This can also be done with a round kick. Turn the base foot out, lift the kicking leg knee up, and extend the kick out and back and again lightly touch the foot to the floor between each kick. Be sure you recoil the kick as this will help you stay balanced. The target for a round kick would be someone’s rib cage. When performing exercises that train dynamic balance, you should perform eight to twelve repetitions and anywhere from one to three sets.

MENTAL AGILITY | WEDNESDAY

“The nice thing about doing a crossword puzzle is, you know there is a solution.”

—Stephen Sondheim

Challenge Your Brain by Playing Scrambled Categories

Unscramble the letters to form words. All of the words in each group belong in the given category. You will be able to unscramble some of these immediately, while others will take more thought.

Parts of a Book

1. INSEP _____________________

2. GPSEA _____________________

3. OVCRE _____________________

4. KECATJ ___________________

5. BGIDINN ___________________

What Does Your Garden Grow?

1. CNOR ___________________________

2. UHAQSS ________________________

3. AEOMOTTS ____________________

4. ROSTCRA ______________________

5. EWTNMOLAER _________________

Sports

1. BAELAKLTSB ___________________

2. SLALEBAB _______________________

3. LFOLOBTA _______________________

4. KCHEYO _________________________

5. COECSR _________________________

ANSWERS:

Parts of a Book

Spine

Pages

Cover

Jacket

Binding

What Does Your Garden Grow?

Corn

Squash

Tomatoes

Carrots

Watermelon

Sports

Basketball

Baseball

Football

Hockey

Soccer

ENDURANCE | THURSDAY

“Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

—Lou Holtz

Stay Motivated to Stick with Your Training Program

Many people find it easier to start rather than stick with a training program. Fifty percent of people drop out of training programs within six months. Once you get past the six-month mark, it is likely that it has become part of your lifestyle and continuing it won’t be a problem. The following is a list of Training Continuation Tips that people who exercise as part of their daily lives use to keep themselves motivated.

• Tailor the intensity, duration, and frequency of training sessions to your level.

• Exercise with a friend.

• Find or make a convenient place to exercise.

• Utilize music that motivates you.

• Set realistic goals.

• Keep an exercise journal.

• Tell others what you are doing.

• Post notes around your living quarters to remind you of your goals.

• Reward yourself for achieving your goals (but not with pizza and ice cream!) with healthy rewards, such as treating yourself to a relaxing afternoon at a spa or a night at the movies with friends.

FLEXIBILITY | FRIDAY

“Warrior pose battles inner weakness and wins focus. You see that there is no war within you. You’re on your own side, and you are your own strength.”

—Terri Guillemets

Learn the Benefits of Yoga Asanas

Asanas are the various geometric postures of yoga. In any pose, there must be a clear action, sense of direction, and center of gravity. In order to maintain the center of gravity the muscles must be properly aligned. Stability of the pelvic and shoulder girdles is essential to the balance and symmetry of the spine. In standing poses, the feet root down, allowing the legs and the spine to lengthen and extend away from the feet. The buttock bones are the foundation in seated poses from which the spine lifts and elongates. In inverted postures, the head, hands, or forearms provide the foundation and stability from which the torso and legs lengthen. The asanas create different effects:

• Standing poses enhance vitality

• Seated poses are calming

• Twists are cleansing

• Supine poses are restful

• Prone poses are energizing

• Inverted postures increase mental strength

• Balancing poses create lightness

• Backbends are exhilarating

• Jumping develops agility

In every pose, for every action there is an equal opposing reaction. Moving in one direction won’t create positive change in the body. There cannot be extension without foundation. In every pose, there is a foundation from which extension is possible. This foundation creates the stability and space in the joints, the lengthening of muscle, and the suppleness and correct placement of the organs.

RECREATION | SATURDAY

“Farm Aid celebrates the independent family farmers and ranchers who make this country strong, and we know we can only fix the challenges our country faces with the know-how of family farmers.”

—Willie Nelson

Frequent Your Local Farmer’s Market

Make Saturday the day you visit local farmer’s markets. It’s not only fun, it’s a great way for you to eat fresh foods and support local and family farms, many of which are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Here are other ways you can support local farmers:

• Donate to Farm Aid (www.farmaid.org).

• Buy fresh eggs from a local farm. This will help both the farm and you. Your purchase will help with the daily maintenance and possible expansion of the farm. And the fresh eggs will taste better in your omelets, salads, and cakes.

• Buy organic. It costs a little more, but the produce is pesticide free. Animals are treated humanely and animal products and produce often come from smaller farms. You will be supporting local agribusiness committed to taking care of the environment and the people who live in it.

REST | SUNDAY

“I put a drop of lavender essential oil on my pillow before I go to sleep.”

—Melissa Joan Hart

Experiment with Essential Oils

Today, people all over the world are paying attention to the healing effects of essential oils, and scientists are continuing to conduct research in an attempt to understand more about the effects of these amazing aromas on the human mind, body, and psychology. Essential oils are extracted from the aromatic essences of certain plants, trees, fruits, flowers, herbs, and spices. The collective qualities of each give it a dominant characteristic, whether it be stimulating, calming, energizing, or relaxing. Within the body, essential oils are able to operate in three ways: pharmacologically, physiologically, and psychologically. From the pharmacological perspective, the oils react with body chemistry similarly to drugs, but with a slower and more sympathetic effect and with fewer side effects. The psychological effect is triggered by the connection the aromatic molecules make with the brain.

There are a large number of relaxing aromatic oils on the market, but the best include lavender, sage, sandalwood, frankincense, and chamomile. Some people light scented candles as they relax after a hard day’s work or place fragrant potpourri throughout their home. Others prefer to place a few drops of scented oils in their water while they relax in a hot bath or a few drops of scented oil on their pillow to help them unwind and fall asleep faster at night. The important thing is to select a fragrance that is both appealing and relaxing. You may have to experiment until you find the scent that is right for you, but it’s well worth the effort. One good Internet source is Aromaweb.com.