The Skinny on Cellulite

Cellulite. We know it well ... the dreaded loose and lumpy fat nearly every woman has. Many men have it, too, in the breast and abdominal area. Now there are two new ways to tackle it.

"Cellulite can be made to look smaller with weight loss, but it's still there," dermatologist Christine Glavey, M.D., of Alpha-Derm in Atlanta, tells Ivanhoe.

So what works? One new technology is called VelaSmooth. "It lights up. It heats up, and it tightens things as well as suctioning and rolling manipulation," Laser Specialist Kristi Brewer, of Face & Body Works in Atlanta, says. VelaSmooth requires 16 treatments over eight weeks. Brewer says radio frequency, infrared heat, and a sucking motion create the improvement in the skin. "The dramatic inch change is going to be around that love handle area, that spare tire." Mike McDonald spent $3,000 to have VelaSmooth on his abdomen and back. "I was very happy," he says. "I went down two pant sizes."

Another technology called Thermage may also help rid the body of cellulite. Dr. Glavey says, "We're pulsing at multi-layers of collagen, from the top all the way down, and then into the fat." Thermage uses radio frequency to heat up cellulite. Dr. Glavey says the one-time procedure reduces the size of the fat cells by tightening tissue. Ginger Foretich spent about $4,000 with the hopes it tightens her stomach after having three children. If you don't want to shell out the big bucks, over the counter anti-cellulite creams can improve the look of skin, but don't affect fat cells. And self-tanning lotions can help mask cellulite.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

Maintaining Your Muscle

Courtesy of Paul Devine

As we age, our metabolism slows and it’s harder to shed unwanted pounds. We’re all heard this statement before, but many of us are unsure why our metabolism starts to lag behind once we leave our twenties. The phenomenon is known as sarcopenia. Basically the average person loses 1 % of their muscle mass per year after the age of 30. This may not sound like much, but it adds up over the years. If you don’t do anything to stop sacropenia, you’ll have lost 20 % of your muscle mass by age 50. If a woman has 30 pounds of muscle at 30, she will only have 24 pounds of muscle at age 50. Since a pound of muscle burns an average of 50 more calories a day than fat, her metabolism will have slowed by 300 calories per day in 20 years. If she eats the same amount and doesn’t increase her exercise, she’ll gain 31 pounds in one year. What can be done to slow sarcopenia? Strength training is the only way to reduce muscle loss that comes with aging. 30 minutes of strength training, 3 times a week will counteract the effect of sacropenia and keep your metabolism in high gear your life!

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Power Up Bars

2-1/2 cups natural peanut butter

2 cups honey

2-1/4 cups protein powder

3 cups uncooked oatmeal

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup wheat bran

Preparation: In a double boiler, warm the peanut butter and honey to a smooth consistency. This step can be done in the microwave as well--just heat both ingredients for 70 to 90 seconds. In a mixing bowl, stir together all remaining dry ingredients. Add the peanut butter & honey to the dry ingredients. Press into a 9x9 greased pan. Cut into bars

Active Kids

Source

Are you trying to get your kids moving this summer? Here are some fun ideas to keep you and your children active and having fun! 

Fitness Classes

Kid’s fitness classes are becoming more and more popular. You can look for these at your local recreation centre or fitness club. They focus on body awareness and easy to follow activities. 

Do It As A Team

Team sports are a great way to encourage socialization. Does you child love to kick a soccer ball? Sign him up on a team and let him play with his friends. Maybe she likes gymnastics. Find out where she can take some lessons. 

Take It Outside

Encourage you children to play outside with their friends. Kids can be very creative and come up with all sorts of wonderful activities. They are exercising without even knowing it.

Join Em’

Lead by example and make it a family affair! Take your kids cycling or go for a hike. Plan a family fitness day once a week. Your kids will love the time you spend with them and have fun getting fit!

Stay Healthy,

Tracy

Health @ Home For Under $100

I have no time to go to a gym? Now you don’t have to! Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to workout in your own home for less than $100.

Equipment Basics

Here are some basic pieces that you can invest in to start your home gym. You can buy some or all!

3 – 15 lbs weights (depending on your fitness level) = $0.50-$2.00/lb
Fitness Bands or Tubing = $5-$10 /5 ft sections
Stability Ball = $25-$45
Fitness Step = $50-$100
Mat = $10-$40

The Workout

Some tips to be safe and keep you motivated!

Always remember to warm up 5-10 minutes
2-3 Strength Training sessions/week
4-5 Cardio Training Sessions/week
Start slowly – proper technique is key
Respect your body!
Choose a modality that you enjoy – dance, boxing, step – you won’t do it if you don’t like it!

Resources

There is a wonderful assortment of Fitness Books and DVD’s. Here are a few website to get you started.

Books – www.humankinetics.com
DVD’s – www.chapters.indigo.ca