Sage Advice: Grace Maxwell

We asked Grace Maxwell, owner of Athletic Grace Dance Studio and one of Sage’s dance instructors, about her favorite fitness and nutrition tips. She shares her some of her suggestions here:

1. What restaurant do you frequent in LA for healthy, fresh food options? I love the Veggie Grill at El Segundo Plaza.

2. What are your favorite pre- and post-workout foods, for energy and recovery, respectively? An hour before working out, I eat turkey on wheat bread with a touch of red pepper hummus for energy. Post-workout, I snack on a banana and Smartwater shortly after class while catching up with friends.

3. Spill your secrets—what’s the top fitness “secret” that really enhances your fitness experience? As they say, ‘variety is the spice of life’. Taking different classes keeps me challenged and engaged.

4. What is your favorite fitness spot? Of course, I’m going to have to say my own studio, Athletic Grace Dance Studio,  because it’s where all of my students come to get a great workout!

5. What’s your best stress-reducing strategy? I usually workout even harder to help reduce stress.  I also find laughter a great reducer of stress, too!

For more info on Grace’s classes at her El Segundo studio, check out her website AthleticGrace.com.

Sage Advice: Christi Anne Franck

We asked Christi Anne Franck, one of Sage’s knowledgeable yoga instructors in LA, about her fitness and nutrition practices. She shares of her helpful, holistic health hints here:

1. What’s your go-to recipe for an easy, healthy meal? My go-to recipe grilled or sautéed asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. It is one of my simple favorites that goes well with rice, pasta or quinoa. Take your asparagus and toss it in with enough oil to lightly coat and add salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of lemon juice or parmesan cheese after you have cooked the asparagus for a savory flavor.

2. What are your favorite pre- and post-workout foods, for energy and recovery, respectively? Best food for before and after workout is water. I know that it is not really a food, but drinking water, especially after working out, is so important: It helps with energy and recovery by rehydrating and flushing toxins out of your body. I try to stick with light to no food at least an hour or two before I workout. Keep it simple after workouts with light veggies or fruit. I always keep some Trader Joe’s 100% Natural Fruit Wraps with me if I need a quick snack.

3. Spill your secrets—what’s the top fitness “secret” that really enhances your fitness experience? Get up early, drink a big glass of warm water and get moving. It’s not always fun and I still give myself a day or two to sleep in, but if you get up by 6 or 7 am and get your day started with 15 – 30 mins of deep breathing and gentle stretches, your entire day goes smoother and that not only improves my fitness experience but my entire well-being.

4. What is favorite LA fitness spot? Yoga Blend, in Burbank. It feels like home, there is always a friendly smile to greet me and a class for whatever mood I am in. I enjoy exercising outdoors, and support local parks and gardens like the LA Arboretum. As a member I am not only helping to preserve nature, but I have a place to enjoy long walks, meditate or even picnic. As an anti-gym rat, my “workout” needs to not be any “work” and to just be a part of my life and the things I enjoy. Taking a 30 minute walk after a healthy homemade lunch is a choice that is not only good for me, but also fun–so it’s a healthy habit that sticks.

5. What’s your best stress-reducing strategy? Breathe deeply. Try 7 One Minute Breaths: Inhale to a count of 15 seconds, hold your inhale for 15 seconds, then exhale to a count of 15 seconds and hold out your exhale for 15 seconds for a count of one. Your breathing controls your mind, your mind controls your body, and your body controls your breathing. One cannot happen without the other, so when you can focus one piece then you can focus all of the pieces. Achieve a place of wholeness and realize that stress is a choice you make and that you can actively decide to make happier healthier choices instead.

6. Travel, especially on business, can be very stressful. What have you found to be good ways to maintain balance while traveling? My go to video when traveling or trying to squeeze in a few relaxing moments is Daily Dose of Dharma with Danica McKellar. It’s just beautiful to watch and the short segments make it great when your on the go. The 2 disk set includes meditations as well, but personally its my teacher Christy Marsden, who’s sweet voice guides you through the poses and reminds you of life’s bliss.

For more wellness tips from Christi Anne, visit our blog for the full interview, and check out her Practical Happiness Yoga site for holistic and healing wisdom.

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

Health Update: Be Sure Exercise Is All You Get at the Gym

Bacteria Basics

When you go to the gym, do you wash your hands before and after using the equipment? Bring your own regularly cleaned mat for floor exercises? Shower with antibacterial soap and put on clean clothes immediately after your workout? Use only your own towels, razors, bar soap, water bottles? If you answered “no” to any of the above, you could wind up with one of the many skin infections that can spread like wildfire in athletic settings. In June, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, known as N.A.T.A., published a paper about skin diseases in athletes that could just as well apply to anyone who works out in a communal setting, be it a school, commercial gym or Y. The authors pointed out that “skin infections in athletes are extremely common,” and easily spread via the normal athlete locales such as gyms, where people sweat, bathe, and share equipment—a bacterial breeding ground! While we aren’t hypochondriacs, the risks associated with communal exercise equipment are high, but also preventable if you’re conscientious of cleanliness while at the gym.

Risks & Prevention

Recreational athletes as well as participants in organized sports are prone to fungal, viral and bacterial skin infections. Sweat, abrasion and direct or indirect contact with the lesions and secretions of others combine to make every athlete’s skin vulnerable to a host of problems. While MRSA may be the most serious skin infection, athlete’s foot, jock itch, boils, impetigo, herpes simplex and ringworm, among others, are not exactly fun or attractive. If contracted, the skin disease should be treated immediately, and you should stay away from public fitness facilities until cleared by a doctor who is well versed in skin diseases. “It’s what we all learned — or should have learned — in sixth-grade health class,” he said. “It’s all common sense. You need to keep yourself and your equipment clean. You never know who last used the equipment in a gym. It can be a great breeding ground for these bugs, some of which are pretty nasty.” In fact, he added, it’s best to have two bags for post-workout, one only for clean clothes, and to wash the dirty-clothes bag now and then.

The report noted that there had been “an alarming increase in the prevalence of MRSA” in the noses of both healthy children and adults. Thus, sneezing into one’s hand or blowing one’s nose without washing with an antibacterial cleanser afterward may spread these dangerous bacteria to others. While hand hygiene is most important over all, avoiding fungal infections requires a daily change of athletic socks and using foot powder. Shower shoes can help prevent infection as long as they don’t keep you from soaping your feet. If you plan to work out in a gym or use a locker room, Mr. Foley suggested that before choosing a facility, you quiz the management about the cleaning agents used (they should be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency) and daily cleaning schedule for all surfaces and equipment. If exercise mats are not cleaned between classes, he suggested bringing your own. Antibacterial wipes or spray bottles should be provided and used by everyone to clean equipment after a workout.

By making small adjustments, you can enjoy your workout and ensure that sickness won’t damper your new commitment to the gym.

Adapted from the NYTimes.com article by Jane Brody, published August 2, 2010

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

Good Health Gadget: Trio Herb Pot

Sagaform’s herb pot is a simple solution to prolonging the life of your fresh herbs. In a beautiful design that adds an element of green decor on your kitchen countertop or windowsill, the Trip Herb Pot boasts three separate openings so you can keep your mint separate from your basil! Outdoor space tends to be tight in LA, so this is a sophisticated space-saver for growing your own savory herbs to add to any recipe in a pinch.

It’s pretty, but also practical; Scandinavian in its simple, unadorned and practical design, this ceramic pot is an ingenious way of enjoying fresh herbs much like flowers. Insert a bunch in the enlarged opening, and keep hydrated by pouring water into the corner hole. The broad base ensures that all those little stalks have access to water, while allowing air to circulate so herbs keep from becoming limp and waterlogged. Also, it’s easy to take apart for cleaning when you decide to switch up your seasonal herbs.

Available at the A+R Store, 1121-1 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291, or aplusrstore.com.

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

New Vending Machines are Health-”Full” of Snacks

Companies looking to improve the overall health of their employees aren’t thrilled with the idea of chips, candy, and soda being the only available snacks in the workplace. Similarly, schools concerned their students’ weight and health have moved toward restocking snack machines with healthy alternatives to high-sugar, high-calorie foods. The following vending machine companies are leading the way in helping healthy habits:

1. H.U.M.A.N: An international supplier that provides thousands of food and beverages options, including Sambazon, Clif Bar, and Annie’s Organics. Healthy goes high-tech with LCD touchscreens, cash and credit card payment, and real-time monitoring technology that alerts the machine’s operator when a product has run out.
2. Fresh Healthy Vending: Brands such as Wallaby yogurt and Amy’s organics are offered by this company, which is available in 45 states. Machines also accept credit cards and monitor inventory.
3. Vend Natural: In addition to all natural snacks like Kettlecorn, Vend Natural offers fresh fruit and vegetables from Del Monte. Like H.U.M.A.N., machines accept credit cards, provide real-time monitoring, and boast energy-efficient LEDs.

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

Green Guerilla: Drop Seed Bombs

If you notice your neighbors throwing balls onto vacant lots or weed-infested parks, don’t scold them for littering: they are simply fighting the urban battle against concrete, smog, and unsightly city streets. A mixture of a mixture of clay, compost, and seed, the bombs are “throw and grow,” so anyone can join the battle. The ball will break up on impact with the ground, and rain will naturally further disintegrate it, requiring no extra watering or maintenance.

Seed bombs can be planted almost year-round, in the spring, summer and early fall, so carry a few in West Coast Seed Bomb’s cute muslin sack wherever you go and spread the beauty of  “bee, butterfly, and bird friendly” wildflowers, including Cornflower, Garland Chrysanthemum, Shasta Daisy, Wild Cosmos, African Daisy, California Poppy, Blanket Flower, Baby’s Breath, Blue Flax, Annual Lupine, Lemon Mint, Red Poppy, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Desert Bluebell, and Black-eyed Susan, to name just a few!

The Common Studio’s Greenaid project uses similar seed bombs, but its innovative dispensary system makes guerilla gardening efforts more accessible to all by utilizing existing quarter-operated candy machines. Turn the loose coins in your pocket into a small but meaningful contribution to the beautification of your neighborhood; it’s simply “change for change.” More than just a pretty-city project, however, Greenaid is also “an interactive public awareness campaign, a lucrative fundraising tool, and a beacon for small scale grass roots action that engages directly yet casually with local residents to both reveal and remedy issues of spatial inequity in their community.” Literally grassroots, seed bombs may just prove to be the key for individuals to take initiative in the improvement of their own societies.

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

To purchase West Coast Seed Bombs on Etsy, http://www.etsy.com/listing/49703304/west-coast-seed-bombs

For more on Greenaid, http://thecommonstudio.com/index.php?/project/greenaid/

Expert’s Top Ten Power Foods: Dr. Oz Garcia

Okay, it’s top ten + one. There’s just too many fabulous foods!

We all love lists: they’re easy to follow and if anything, you know that the bolded words are important! But just as important are the health benefits that correspond with each of the following power foods—all are nutrient dense, and help with everything from weight loss to disease prevention to stress reduction. From the grocery store, not the pharmacy? Naturally!

Dr. Oz Garcia, PhD, is an antiaging and nutrition expert with an A-list clientele and an equally star-studded list of achievements: he was twice voted best nutritionist by New York Magazine, is frequently called upon by some of the most respected names in medicine and news media for his innovative views on nutrition, and has been featured in numerous prestigious publications and made many television appearances. Bottom line: trust him, and integrate these delicious, simple foods into your daily diet!

1. Blueberries: Contain disease fighting age-proofing antioxidants and anticancer properties. They help lower cholesterol levels, help prevent short-term memory loss, and help promote weight control.
2. Wild salmon: One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce heart disease and inflammatory conditions. Rich in carotenoids, vitamins B, A, and D; good for calcium absorption.
3. Pomegranate: Rich in potassium and vitamin C, and has three times the antioxidants of red wine and green tea. Helps keep fatty deposits from collecting on arteries, thus preventing heart attacks, strokes, premature aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
4. Olive oil (extra virgin): A natural anti-inflammatory much like aspirin or ibuprofen. It reduced the risk of stroke heart ad cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some forms of dementia.
5. Nuts: Great source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, magnesium, copper, folic acid, vegetable protein, potassium, vitamin E, and healthy fats, all of which help reduce the risk of heart disease.
6. Mixed vegetables: Vegetables are low in fat and calories, are a good source of dietary fiber, and provide us with extra energy. They are one of the most natural foods and contain different vitamins, minerals, and thousands of other plant chemicals known to provide many disease-reducing benefits. Eating vegetables can also help control weight.
7. Garlic: Garlic fends off aging via its antioxidant properties. It contains strong antibacterial and antiviral compounds that boost your resistance to stress-induced colds and infections
8. Green tea: Rich in antioxidants, promotes heart health, aids digestion, and regulates blood sugar and body temperature. It raises the metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation, thus helping people lose weight. Also has a powerful effect against rheumatoid arthritis and tumors.
9. Whole grains/ brown rice: They offer a wide array of health benefits. Not only do whole grains contain fiber and traditional nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, and iron, but they also contain numerous disease-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants not found in fruits.
10. Yogurt with bioactive cultures: A great source of protein and calcium. Contains probiotics, which boost the immune system and protect the intestinal tract. Yogurt delivers calcium, potassium, and magnesium, three key nutrients that prevent hypertension and osteoporosis.
11. Coconut oil: It supports overall immune functions; prevents bacterial, viral, and fungal infections and digestive disorders; and increases the metabolic rate.

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

List excerpted from The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

Click here to learn more from Dr. Oz Garcia

Beyond the Farmer’s Market: 5 Easy Ways to Eat Locally in LA

The plethora of Farmer’s Markets in the Los Angeles Area is the one of the first steps you can take towards eating locally and organically. Other than farm fresh fruits and vegetables, Farmer’s Markets also provide fresh inspiration for cooking and help forge new connections in the community. Without a doubt, Farmer’s Markets are fabulous—but what’s the next step? Do yourself, and the environment, a favor by trying one of the following steps towards a more sustainable, satisfying lifestyle:

1. Join a CSA

Like to try new foods and conquer new recipes? Try a community supported agriculture (CSA) share from the numerous local farms. With a multitude of suppliers in the LA area, options are flexible depending on your needs (size and frequency of order) and location. Easy pick-up locations, or even home delivery, make this option simple, speedy, and inspiring—the ever-changing rotations of seasonal produce may encourage you to be courageous and creative in the kitchen! Check out localharvest.org to find the perfect CSA share for you, or ask your favorite vendor at the Farmer’s Market if they have shares. Choose the best CSA for you at localharvest.org.

2. Buy the Cow

Instead of buying just one grass-fed beef burger, why not buy the whole cow? Or lamb, or pig? Small farms are increasing selling “animal shares,” an entire of whole portion of an animal that you can buy, the farm raises, processes, has USDA inspected, and packages, then you eat! If you’re committed to eating locally raised meat but also on a budget, buying an animal share is usually only $3-5 per pound, depending on the animal and amount. Just make sure you have ample freezer space, or take on the ownership with a friend or neighbor if the idea of buying Bessie seems daunting! Find a local farm where you can directly buy meat at localharvest.org.

3. Start a Kitchen Garden

Frustrated when you just need a pinch of fresh mint, but have to drive to the grocery store to get a whole pricey bunch? A small kitchen garden is a great way to supplement your trips to the store, and ensure organic freshness for pennies. From a pot of herbs on your windowsill to a bed of chard and tomatoes planted in organic soil supplemented with homemade organic compost, there are no boundaries to planting your own garden—except for the fence around your yard. Learn how to start a thriving garden at gardeners.com or seedsofchange.com.

4. Join a Community Garden

No room in the backyard for a garden? No backyard? Join a community garden to sustainably (and deliciously) get involved in your community. Ranging from small beds to many acres, there are 70 community gardens are growing in Los Angles County that serve over 3,900 families. Some plots are worked individually, while other gardens are worked collectively. Regardless of how the garden is run, this option facilitates cooperation and neighborhood sustainability, alleviates global warming and benefits the LA River and Ballona Creek watersheds. Oh, and it’s tasty. To find a nearby garden to join, visit lagardencouncil.org.

5. Pick your Own

Looking for a sustainable social activity? Grab some foodie friends and head to a local pick-your-own farm. Gather peaches, berries, citrus, and more to make fresh salads, preserve as jam, or eat right off the tree.  Find a farm near you at pickyourown.org/CAla.htm, or localharvest.org.

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

Adapted from Eating Well In Season: The Farmer’s Market Cookbook, by Jessie Price

The Whole (Grain) Truth

Many foods, like those made with refined flour, process grains too much to have health benefits, which are found in the grain's parts of the bran (fiber) and wheat germ (main source of nutrients). Whole grain contains all the parts of a seed, while refined flours remove the nutritious bran and germ.

On every trip to the grocery store, we are bombarded with new “healthy” versions of standby junk-food favorites. Enticing labels scream, Whole grain! Fiber! Vitamins! But are these whole grain-touting products a snack miracle, or marketing scam?

A recent article by Jeannine Stein in the LA Times evaluated the truthfulness behind the health benefit claims of whole grain versions of products such as Pop Tarts, Goldfish, Tostitos tortilla chips, Ritz, and Pepperidge Farm granola. “Whole grain” was a prominent declaration on each label, but the nutrition facts weren’t equally as impressive: “a serving (55 pieces) of cheddar Goldfish crackers made with whole grain has only two grams of dietary fiber,” and the “Wholly Grains smoothie from Odwalla has 54 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce bottle, almost 13 teaspoons of sugar.” So while the phrase “made with whole grains!” may seem to present a healthy alternative, there are still other nutrition factors, like sugar, saturated fats, and artificial ingredients, that need to be taken into consideration when making choices between products.

Your best bet for wholly healthy whole grains? Check on the label for the Whole Grains Council’s Whole Grain Stamp, a postage-sized stamp on products that guarantees a minimum of 8 grams of whole grains (half a serving; 48 grams is recommended daily) in a serving of a product. Better yet, forgo the highly processed foods that line the aisles of many major grocery stores and start with small changes like using whole wheat flour for baking, making granola from scratch, or opting for healthier, yet still affordable options, at Trader Joe’s or Fresh & Easy. Either way, make sure you evaluate nutrition facts as a whole in order to get the whole truth about claims on grains!

Link to article: http://www.latimes.com/news/health/la-he-whole-grains-20100531,0,3192857.story

–Abby Gould, Sage Wellness Intern

Cancer & Organic Produce

New York Times Op-Ed piece about the report due out from the President’s Cancer Panel. The 200 page report is said to recommend organic produce, among other things, to reduce toxins and prevent cancer. Given that we live in LA and the air quality is hard to control, it’s important that we all become more aware of the chemicals and toxins we put in our body – those which we can control. If you’re thinking of reducing the toxins in your diet and household don’t hesitate to email us with questions! inquiry@sagewellnessla.com

Article: New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer