The Health Benefits of Tai Chi practice

The ancient Chinese practices of Tai Chi combines slow, deliberate movements, meditation and breathing exercises. The routines were not designed to burn calories or raise your heart rate. Instead Tai Chi is a martial art that can help your circulation, balance, and alignment.

In China, it is believed that Tai Chi can delay aging and prolong life, increase flexibility, strengthen muscles and tendons, and aid in the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, skin diseases, depression, cancer, and many other illnesses. The low-impact moving meditations include standing and balancing. Although Tai Chi is an excellent fitness activity for beginners and people with health conditions, elite athletes also benefit from doing the slow movements, because everyone needs better balance and muscle control.

Scientific evidence

Most of the research on Tai Chi has been done in older individuals in the area of balance and fall prevention. This area of research is important because fall-related injuries are the leading cause of death from injury and disability among older adults. One of the most serious fall injuries is hip fracture; one-half of all older adults hospitalized for hip fracture never regain their former level of function. Because Tai Chi movements are slow and deliberate with shifts of body weight from one leg to the other in coordination with upper body movements (sometimes with one leg in the air), it challenges balance and many have long assumed it helps improve balance and reduce fall frequency. This assumption has been credited and strongly supported by some research.

One study compared men age 65 and older who had more than 10 years of experience practicing Tai Chi and no involvement in any other regular sports and physical activity, with similar-aged men who had not practiced Tai Chi or any other physical activities (they were sedentary). It was found that the men who studied Tai Chi performed better on tests of balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular function.

Tai chi isn’t just for the elderly. In another study involving 22 people ages 22 to 76 years with mild balance disorders, it was found that eight weeks of Tai Chi training significantly improved function.

Tai Chi and stress relief

The demands of living are stressful for adults of all ages. Studies have shown that simply slowing down and focusing on deliberate movements or poses can greatly reduce stress in your life will provide the distraction you need from your hectic lifestyle. The mind-body connection caused by this form of breathing coordinated with body movement and eye-hand coordination promote calmness and an inner sense of peace.

So I suggest that you give Tai Chi a chance if you're looking for a creative and physically active way to improve how you mentally and physically respond to stress. Feel free to contact us at 305-542-5549 for a FREE Tai Chi class at our studio in Miami Shores. You can read more about us at www.MiamiShoresKravMaga.com  or www.mma-f.com .

Paleo way of Eating

What Is The Paleo Diet?

 

So what is the Paleo diet? In my opinion it is the most natural way you can eat. It is based on the natural eating habits of mankind before agriculture. I also believe it is the only nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energetic. "Research in biology, biochemistry, ophthalmology, dermatology and many other disciplines indicate it is our modern diet, full of refined foods, trans fats and sugar, that is the root of degenerative diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, depression and infertility -Rob Wolf"

 

What does the Paleo Diet consist of and what should I eat?

·         Lean animal proteins - Lean animal proteins such as fish, poultry, game animals, beef and pork support strong muscles, healthy bones and optimal immune function. Protein also makes you feel satisfied between meals. Notice I use the work "LEAN" by this I mean you need to trim the excess fat on your pork chops, steaks, chicken breast. Also if you are a beef person you consider eating grass fed organic beef or better yet Bison which tastes like beef but is 90% fat free. When cooking lean proteins you should look up recipes online because cooking time is so much shorter you risk the chance of over cooking it.

·         Fresh fruits and leafy vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that have been shown to decrease the likelihood of developing a number of degenerative diseases including cancer, diabetes and neurological decline. Examples of these are strawberries, blueberries, bananas, watermelon, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, pears, avocados, seeds, etc.

·         Healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, fish oil, coconut oil and grass-fed animals.

 

What should you not eat in the Paleo diet?

·         Grains are a big no-no in the Paleo diet. By this I mean anything that looks like or is grass based such as wheat, rice and barley. Grains are not a natural food you can just pick up and eat. They need to be ground up and then baked with other items to make them edible. What's worse is that modern methods of baking breads and cereals refine the grains to the point of becoming basic sugars. Examples of grains are cereal, bread, pancakes, cake, muffins, oatmeal, crackers, etc.

·         Sugar specifically refined sugar. I know we all need to add sweetener to that early morning cup of coffee. I don't suggest using artificial sweeteners since the long term affects have not be tested other than in saccharine (cause cancer in lab mice) but would suggest using natural sweeteners such as agave. It is an acquired taste but the glycemic count is much less. I've also read that grass fed butter is a good substitute and tastes good in coffee.

·         Sugary juices such canned or bottled juices such as the one that come in kid sized containers. If you read carefully on the containers one of the main ingredients is High Fructose Corn Syrup not fruit juice. In fact most only have 10% real juice. If you are like me and love fruit juice in the morning I simply purchase fresh fruit and make a large smoothie and store it in the fridge for later consumption. No sugar is needed and you get all the phytonutrients you would get from eating the actual fruit instead of a watery imitation of it. 

·         Dairy products such as milk and cheese are also a no-no in the Paleo diet. Primitive man only chased cows to eat their meat and bone marrow not to suckle at their teats. Milk is for children and most adults can't even digest milk. Now don't get me wrong I love milk and cheese. However lactose intolerance has become a big issue which is why they offer so many lactose free milks now. This is fine for children but adults should stay away from dairy products as much as possible.

·         Legumes are also a no-no. Legumes are beans, peanuts, peanut butter, anything soy and peas.

·         Fatty meats such as spam, hot dogs and questionable processed meats.

·         Extremely salty foods such as chips, pretzels, salted peanuts and crackers. You may say but there are so many healthy wheat crackers out there why can't we eat those? Well it goes back to the philosophy that grains are not Paleo and wheat is a grain.

 

What foods can you eat in moderation?

·         Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, corn, yams and beets are starchy vegetables you can eat every so often. By this I mean maybe once or twice a week. It should not be included in every meal.

·         Alcoholic beverages such as beer, spirits and beer. I don't think I need to go further explaining the problems with consuming these items regularly. If you must drink alcoholic beverages then maybe you should stick to good wine. It helps with the digestion and is a fast way to get tipsy especially if it’s a red wine. Red wines are less sugary than white wines.

Now you may say "Wow that way too much to ask". Well I thought so at the beginning as well but once you go to the grocery store and simply start buying the items I mentioned you will find that you won't need to eat as much or as frequently. I know that makes no sense especially after being told for the past 70 years that our diet should consist of 60% carbs. But have you noticed that the cancer rate has increased since they came out with those nutritional guidelines in the 1950's? With the advance of modern medicine, cutting down on eating red meat, exercise regimes and cutting down of the use of tobacco products we still die mostly from heart disease, cancer and diabetes. There have been many studies linking these diseases to over consumption of sugary starches such as baked goods and lack of consumption of lean proteins. I strongly believe in making lean protein 38-40% of your daily diet and supplementing the rest with nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables instead starchy grains and legumes.

 

If you look in nature every animal that is vegetarian is big and fat with a large stomach. Animals such as cows, horses, deer, elephants, antelopes are good examples. Now you look at animals that have a primary animal based protein diet and they all have lean muscle and small stomachs because you don't need to eat as much food. Animals such as wild cats, wild dogs and wolves are at the top of the food chain and do not need to eat every day. Vegetarian animals however have to eat all the time because their food is nutritiously poor.

 

All that said I recommend going to the library and checking out Paleo Diet books to further educate yourself on the benefits of eating like our ancestors. For good Paleo recipes I recommend the following site.

 

http://thepaleodiet.com/

ultimatepaleoguide.com

Now go out and take charge of your life and stop being a part of the herd and become an alpha predator.

5 Ways to Happiness

Personal happiness is something we all want both for ourselves but also for our loved ones. Unfortunately with the hustle and bustle of daily life and responsibilities we do not get much time to devote to ourselves. Below are five useful steps that can improve your personal happiness.

Step 1. Take responsibility for your happiness…..By this I mean you should take a proactive role in making yourself happy. What makes you happy is something that you need to decide on. I use the list format meaning I create a list of the things that make me smile and feel good. I then place them in order of importance to me. So if I write on my list "long mountain hikes" and "working out" I would place "working out" as a higher priority because I can do that more often.

      Once you write your list and prioritize it review it once more. Carefully think about making the most of your happiness list and then set up a routine that coincides with that list. Once you start following that routine you will be on the road to enhanced happiness.

 

Step 2. Live more in the present…..Most people either worry about the future or dwell on the past. This is normal human behavior but not conducive to increasing your personal happiness. You can't change things that happened in the past and you can't control the future so worrying about it doesn't help. Now, I'm not saying you should not plan for the future or make the same mistakes from your past. However in order to enhance your personal happiness your mind and soul should be focused on what you are experiencing right now at all times. If you are at work your mind should be focused on your work. If you are at school your mind should be focused on your school work. When you are doing what you like your mind should just be on that act.

Step 3. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it……Did you ever see someone over react to a situation? Of course you have...everyone has done as well. Kids do it all the time especially when it comes to doing things like homework or chores. When confronted with an unpleasant circumstance or situation take a minute and take a few deep breaths. Most difficult situations can be deescalate by coming up with more than one reaction. Review your options and pick the best response that will cause you the least amount of grief both in the present and the future. Here is an example: Your boss shows up 5 minutes before quiting time and asks you to complete a task that will take you some time to complete. A response like " Are you kidding me!!! You come to me now!!!" would probably not be your best choice. You may want to reconsider how to best reply to your employer in a manner where they will be grateful for your professional assistance while understanding that they should provide you with their future requests in a more appropriate time frame.

Step 4. Train your mind as well as your body…..Exercising your mind as well as your body can lower your stress levels and enhance your chances of becoming happier. Healthy eating habits, not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption and walking the middle path can lead to a more stable life with fewer health issues. Training in the martial arts takes it one further still. Not only do you get the benefits of physical exercise but you get peace of mind knowing that you are conditioning yourself to be prepared for traumatic situations such as physical assault to yourself and or your loved ones. When you train in a martial arts school you are taking personal responsibility for your happiness thus following step 1. At the same time you can only focus on what you are doing in the present thus following step 2. Training at a martial art also teaches you how to temper your reactions like in step 3. Which leads to the 5th step.

 

Step 5. Help others become happy as well…..Once you have achieved steps 1 to 4 you are ready to share the wealth. Nothing brings a feeling of well being like helping others. So once you feel that you are happier than you were prior to following these steps teach them to someone else in need. Everyone can use a bit of good karma in their life. So try these steps out and follow the path of least resistance and you will flow like water.

Bruce Lee once said "You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend."