What Food Labels Really Mean

 What food labels really mean:
by Suzanne Andrews

1. FRUIT: If there are four numbers in the price look-up, this means that the produce was grown with pesticides.
2. STICKER BEGINS WITH A 9: If a price look-up sticker begins with a 9, this means that the produce was grown organically.
3. LOW FAT, LOW SUGAR, LOW CALORIE If an item is labeled "low" in a particular element, it means that you can eat several servings without exceeding the recommended daily limit. Low-fat products have fewer than 3 grams of fat per serving; low-saturated fat items have less than 1 gram per serving. Low-sodium means the food has 140 milligrams or less per serving; low-cholesterol means 20 mg. or less and fewer than 2 grams of saturated fat. Low-calorie products have fewer than 40 calories per serving.
4. TRANS FAT: This is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and responsible for LDL cholesterol which is the “lousy cholesterol.” LDL causes heart attacks.  If the label says no trans-fat, there still can be ½ a gram of trans-fat and if you eat a lot of that food, the trans-fat can really add up.
5. NATURAL: The food manufacturer decides how to label their food natural. If the food does not contain added coloring, artificial flavors and/or artificial ingredients they can decide to call it natural.
6. ORGANIC: This means that no growth hormones, pesticides, DNA altering was done to produce this food. If the label says, “made with organic ingredients that means that at least 70% was made with organic ingredients. If it says 100% organic, that means that at least 95% was made with organic ingredients. 

Source: Health US News

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada.

Alive Magazine interviewed Suzanne Andrews...

by Suzanne Andrews

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

4 Functional Fitness Tips to Increase Your Energy (Part 2)

by Suzanne Andrews

Missed Part I? Click here to read it

Functional Fitness Tip 4: Take power naps. 

I've always take a power nap when time allows as it helps me power through the rest of my very long and active day.  

Of course, your fatigue could just be a sign that you're not getting enough sleep. Most adults require 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but most of us don't get that much. You can make up for lost sleep by taking power naps. Power naps can refresh you and improve your mental clarity and focus. To benefit, set aside 30 to 60 minutes for a restful nap during the day. Wear ear plugs or a sleep mask if lights or sounds disturb you. 

Functional Ftiness Tip 5: Reduce stress and anxiety.

Have you ever felt emotionally exhausted? In times of stress, we tend to worry more. All of that worrying takes energy, so it's no wonder that stress is linked to low energy levels. Tell a trusted confidant about your worries and fears. If you've been harboring unspoken anger or keeping secrets, now is a great time to bring your feelings into the open. Keeping your emotions bottled up only stresses you out more, leading to greater exhaustion. Share your burden with someone else to get some perspective and lighten your load. 

Functional Fitness Tip 6: Stay hydrated.

Fatigue is a symptom of dehydration, and is more common than you'd think. Many adults suffer from mild to moderate dehydration. If you're an athlete, frequent dieter, or diabetic, you could face an elevated risk of dehydration. Try to drink 64 oz of non-caloric beverages each day. Most of this fluid intake should come from plain water. Sugary sport drinks are rarely necessary, and caffeinated drinks can leave you more dehydrated. For the best results, find a portable drink container you like, and sip water from it throughout the day. If your energy level quickly rises, you'll know dehydration was keeping you tired. 

Functional Fitness Tip 7: Address underlying health concerns.

A low energy level can be an indicator of a more serious condition. Fatigue is associated with depression, diabetes, malnutrition, sluggish thyroid, and a score of seasonal ills like colds and flu. I have a slow thyroid and combat low energy with medication and regular exercise.  The medication is not enough and workouts that require hard core moves are too much.  Low impact cardio and strength does the trick.  If you suspect you may have a medical condition, ask your doctor to perform a thyroid test, blood glucose test, and routine blood work (CBC). The results will help you identify and treat the root cause of your lethargy, or rule out diseases so that you can look elsewhere for a cause. Healthiest blessings!

Would you like to lose weight and boost your energy doing low impact workouts that leave you exhilarated and not exhausted? Try Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews Total Body Strength and Conditioning.

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

3 Functional Fitness Tips to Beat Fatigue with these Energy Boosting Tips (Part 1)

by Suzanne Andrews

Fatigue can set in at any time of the day. Maybe you get drowsy after lunch, or maybe you suffer from low energy levels throughout the day. Whatever the cause of your tiredness, you can beat fatigue with these great energy-boosting tips! 

 Functional Fitness Tip 1: Move more, not less. 

Struggling to stay awake at work? You can get energized by stepping outside and taking a casual walk at lunchtime. Dozing off at home? Put on some music and dance around, or do some chores you've been putting off. Movement might seem impossible when you're feeling lethargic, but it will get your blood circulating and that increased energy to all your body cells. It doesn't take long for movement to perk you up, giving you the energy you need to face the rest of your day. 

Functional Fitness Tip 2: Eat small, frequent meals. 

In the past, conventional wisdom told us eating three square meals a day was the key to health. Now we know that eating smaller, more frequent meals is the best way to keep our bodies fueled. Start your day with a nutritious breakfast, and never go longer than 2 to 3 hours without eating something, even if it's just a handful of almonds or a low-fat mozzarella stick. The constant fuel will keep you energized. 

 

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: TOTAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING WITH SUZANNE ANDREWS

Functional Fitness Tip 3: Add magnesium to your diet.

Magnesium helps your body carry out hundreds of tasks, including one very important one: changing glucose into usable energy. If your magnesium level is low, your energy level might be, too. Increase your magnesium by eating almonds, cashews, fish, and whole grain bran cereal. You can also take a magnesium supplement in liquid or pill form. 

Continue reading part II

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

A Healthier You

by Suzanne Andrews

'Hospital floor or gym floor - where would you rather be?' That's what I ask my non-compliant patients who don't want to do their exercise therapy to make themselves better. 

We often think of medical expenses at a time when we are least capable of coping with them - when we're sick. With healthcare costs increasing, the sooner we plan for our health, the sooner we'll start planning a healthier life. That's what real health care is. The medical model we follow now is more like sick care. So what do we do as we face medical bills looming over us threatening to wipe out our savings?

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute a man who retires at 65 can expect to live until 83. He will need to have around $65k to $109k in those years to cover insurance premiums and out of pocket expenses.

For women, the EBRI says retiring at 65 and living until 85 will mean she'll need $88k to $146k for insurance premiums and out of pocket expenses which works out to $366 to $608 a month. Both men and women will need these amounts on hand to provide a 50% chance of having enough to cover these expenses. If you're getting $1000 a month from Social Security these costs will eat up about 25% to 60% of those payments alone.

If you have managed to secure a considerable nest egg, good for you. If you haven't, it might be time get some part time work. Besides, retirement is boring. You know, all that rest and relaxation gets old pretty quick.

Here's a novel idea that can save you money on healthcare costs. According to the National Foundation for anti-aging, "most aging is premature." Poor posture, low energy, brittle bones are not aging, but a disease. Sitting around, also known as the Disuse Syndrome causes weakness, frailness and aging at a much faster rate. You can stay out of the health care merry-go-round much better with some good habits. And just how do you do that? Start an exercise program geared towards your needs, abilities or limitations. That means if you have limited mobility, seek seated exercise programs. If your knees are gone, ride a bike or do some gentle exercise programs. If you have asthma, don't take up hiking in the mountains. Start slow and take walks around the neighborhood. It's important to find something you enjoy because you're more likely to do it. The more you do it the healthier you get. If you have arthritis, do an exercise program especially for arthritis and limber up your joints and muscles.

Own Arthritis Relief Walking Workout!

You needn't strive to be an athlete. If you are just getting started, exercise will make you healthier. You'll have stronger muscles to lift things, denser bones to absorb shock from falls and a stronger heart to pump more blood and oxygen to all the organs in your body which makes them all work better. Pills, sometimes necessary, are not always an easy fix and can cause many undesirable side effects and mask the symptoms. Exercise can get to the root of the problem and eliminate the cause. There are countless examples of people who were taking a dozen pills a day that went down to 2, 3 or none a day because of regular exercise.

The healthier you are, the less likely it is you will have to employ the skills and costs of doctors, nurses, physical or occupational therapists and pharmacists for whatever ails you. They worked long and hard to acquire those skills and they can't afford to work cheap. You worked long and hard for your money and you can't afford to lose it all to Twinkies and watching TV. Planning for your health now is better than being a patient in a sick care plan.

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.