Latest research

Posted on March 12, 2010 by violetquartz

Exciting news for those of you trying to reduce your waistlines…

Obesity is a prevalent public health problem associated with a number of severe health effects and those over 40 are at increased risk of being overweight. This risk may be due to a decrease in energy expenditure, reduced energy requirements, or an increased susceptibility to excess energy consumption in this stage of life. Increasing daily water consumption is widely recognized as a weight loss strategy, yet there is actually little data to support this. From studies that are available, it has been shown that:

Energy intake (EI) is significantly lower in water drinkers than non-water drinkers (1),
substituting water for energy-containing beverages decreases self-reported EI (2)
increasing self-reported daily water consumption by 1 litre or more in overweight women is associated with increased weight loss (3), and
water consumption with a meal reduces ratings of hunger and increases ratings of satiety (4,5).

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that pre-meal water consumption would lead to greater weight loss in older overweight and obese individuals consuming a hypocaloric diet. The secondary objective was to determine if water intake before a meal to reduce meal EI is sustained after a 12-week period of increased water consumption in older overweight and obese adults.

Both groups (with and without water prior to eating) experienced significant weight loss but a greater decline in weight (44% greater) was found for the water group.
The decline in total fat mass was greater for the water group.
Mean daily EI, energy and ED (energy density) from food, and beverage ED declined similarly in both groups.
Total dietary ED from food and beverage declined more in the water group as compared to the non-water group.
The water group participants demonstrated greater increases in water and total fluid consumption than the non-water group participants.
There were no differences between groups for all other outcome measures.
No gender differences were found for measures in the groups.

A little note from the universe

Posted on March 12, 2010 by violetquartz

Check out a neat little addition to my website; daily notes on my meditation page… for daily inspiration.

Special offer

Posted on March 9, 2010 by violetquartz

To introduce some of the new techniques I learn while away at my course I am offering a special promotion. The first 4 people to email me who are in the Sqamish area will get a complementary functional muscular and motor pattern imbalance assessment this Saturday.

To find out what that it click here.

violetquartzwellness@gmail.com

Check this out…

Posted on March 1, 2010 by violetquartz

Recently I took a course called Power to Parent, which was life changing. It was about more than just parenting, it was about attachment and relationships in general. I would recommend it to anyone working with people, for those looking to deepen their marriages, and continue to grow their relationships with their children.

Power To Parent

Part I: The Vital Connection

(A video course & discussion group facilitated by Laila Presotto)

This eight-session video course has been developed by internationally renowned Developmental Psychologist Dr. Gordon Neufeld, a best selling and award winning author. His revolutionary yet scientific approach turns parenting right-side up, restoring natural intuition to parenting and putting parents back in the driver’s seat.

In order for parenting to work, children – including teenagers – must be in right relationship to their parents. Nothing is more crucial or pivotal in parenting than this seldom-recognized or addressed factor. Dr. Neufeld explains the concept of right relationship, providing practical suggestions for parenting children of all ages with attachment in mind.

Some of the many topics addressed include:

dealing with resistance and oppositionality

addressing the roots of aggression

how to keep from losing a child to competing attachments

addressing separation problems and anxieties

raising children who are capable of deep and fulfilling relationships

dealing with children who seek to dominate instead of depend on their parents

disciplining that is attachment-safe and developmentally friendly

Firmly rooted in developmental psychology, this approach is not technique or behavior based, but rather seeks to make sense of children from the inside out to provide insight for those who wish to understand and connect with children of all ages.

For course schedule and more information, please contact:

Laila Presotto at HYPERLINK “mailto:lailapresotto@yahoo.ca” lailapresotto@yahoo.ca or call 604 849 0034.

Laila Presotto, M.A. Psych, RCC

Psychotherapist

Certified Neufeld Course Facilitator

On perspective

Posted on February 23, 2010 by violetquartz

I recieve these wonderful daily emails nad today I wanted to share it with you:

A few words on perspective:

In all of time and space, there is no challenge, pothole, mountain, chasm, hurdle, or foe larger than you. Not even close. Although if all you use to size them up are your physical senses… good luck!

Tallyho,
The Universe

To receive emails from the universe sign up here.

Heart Health

Posted on February 10, 2010 by violetquartz

We are what we eat, thus what we put in our bodies inevitable become part of its structure, and like I said before structure determine function.

Did you know that fat is absorbed into the body differently than proteins and carbohydrates (CHO)? When CHO and proteins are broken down and absorbed in the small intestine they are carried through the heptatic circulatory system to the liver to filter out unnecessary by-products. Fat however due to its water phobic nature is absorbed into your lymphatic system (mirrors your circulatory system, used in immunity, lymph: the clear part of blood). The lymphatic system drains into the circulatory system at the superior vena cava. If you perused the anatomy of the heart you would know that the superior vena cava is where de-oxygenated blood from the upper body enters the heart to be pumped to the lungs. The implications of that are: THE FIRST PLACE FAT GOES IN THE BODY IS YOU HEART!!!!! And since our cells take what they need to repair, and build form circulating CHO, proteins, and fats, it means your heart is getting first pick of unhealthy fats. Terrifying.

It also explains why eating processed food, which are high in fat (the bad and terrible kind) impacts immunity. Your lymph is a drainage system for your immune system and unwanted thing circulation in your blood. if it is saturated with fat, it increase the work of your lymph nodes, deceases their effectiveness at fighting off disease.

Next time you reach for that chip, chicken wing, or cookie… think about what it would look like in your heart… you may reconsider.

Sometimes laughter is all you need….

Posted on February 8, 2010 by violetquartz

WARNING: the following link is crass, but funny none the less. View at your own risk.

Awkward workouts

Stretching: new research

Posted on February 6, 2010 by violetquartz

A new study (Batista LH, Vilar AC, Ferreira JJA, Rebelatto JR & Salvini TF) has be published on the effect of stretching and it impact on fitness, specifically in application to older adults. Here is a brief overview of the important factors:

Deficits in muscle strength and range of motion are common in older adults but not to exclusive to, due to a decrease in overall flexibility. Reduced flexibility is generally caused by shortening and increased rigidity of muscles. These viscoelastic changes in muscle fibers have deleterious functional consequences, such as aberrant gait patterns, and hampered ability to rise from a seated position, leading to a greater incidence of falls and loss of independence.

Stretching is an exercise performed in clinical settings and physical fitness facilities used to increase range of motion. Research has shown that stretching can cause morphologic change in muscle fibers and connective tissue, ultimately leading to an increase in overall muscle strength.

Previous studies have shown that similar results can occur after a stretching intervention implemented every day for 6 weeks straight. This study showed that flexibility training twice a week for 4 weeks is as efficient as a 6 week training protocol

According to this group of researchers, it is conceivable that stretched muscles are stronger because both passive and active forces add to strength production. Previous research concluded that the increase in stored energy and ranges of motion after stretching is important because it can increase the elastic recoil capacity of a muscle. However, this notion is not completely agreed upon in the fitness industry.

Regardless, stretching is a vital component of fitness, equally so as cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength, which not only has benefits in its own right but improves all component of fitness.

Cardiovascular disease & Risk Factors

Posted on February 5, 2010 by violetquartz

Are you at risk for heart disease or stroke?

Preventative medicine is the key to a long and healthy life. Find out what your risk factors are to see what you can do today to stay healthy and active throughout your life.

Take the heart and stroke risk assessment quiz here.

A few general tips, what can you do to stay healthy?

Get your minimum physical activity requirements; 60 min of moderate exercise every day, or 10,000 steps.
Eat a diet low in saturated fat and sodium to maintain healthy blood vessels.
Get enough sleep; to regenerate your body.
Reduce your stress levels; increased cortisol levels as a harmful effect on your cardiovascular system.

Catch the olympic spirit!

Posted on February 4, 2010 by violetquartz

To day is day 98 of the olympic torch rely and it’s coming to Squamish! Come participate in the festivities at Brennan Park.

To see the route click here.

Update on Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 9:11PM by Registered Commenter

violetquartzwellness

WOW! Was that ever cool. I attended the Lions Bay torch celebration, and it was amazing. Catch a glimpse….