503-705-4762

Author: fluidportland

Shoes for Happy Feet

As a former dancer and current cute shoe enthusiast (let me just pop into Nordstroms and see what’s on sale…) I am admittedly not the poster child for healthy footwear.   As a child I begged my mom for the latest cool boots instead of my dorky sadle oxfords even though getting them on my feet meant me lying on the bed and her using a pair of pliers and some serious muscle.

I am lucky to be genetically gifted with healthy, albeit wide, feet.  I cannot say the same for several of my clients.  If you suffer from hammer toes, bunions, plantar faciatis (or more often fasciosis according to Dr McClanahan, more on that later) or a host of other foot ailments, one solution may be changing your footwear.

 

Dr Ray McClanahan of Northwest Foot and Ankle here in Portland recommends shoes that are flat, wide across the toes, and flexible.  He has a healthy shoe list on his website with millions of shoe options.

I admit I could go the rest of my life without seeing another adult in crocs, however the Noat  mary janes are super cute.

 

Ok now back to the faciosis.  Dr Ray claims that most people are misdiagnosed and that the tissue in your foot in not inflamed, it is suffering from lack of blood flow, or necrosis.  In other words dead tissue (I know, gross).  This may be the result of our toes being abducted and extended for long periods of time.  Take a look at the toe spring in the front of a typical running shoe – not a recipe for happy feet.

I usually spend the majority of my day barefoot.  I realize not all of us have this luxury.  If you are suffering from unhappy feet experiment with one of these shoe styles and see if this brings you some pain relief.

I have several clients on a foot heath program that involves exercises, stretches, heat and ice.  Contact me if you would like more information.

Drop Dead Diva Asks – Weight Loss, Is It Just About Willpower?

The tide may be changing in how we view weight loss and willpower.  Is it just about putting down the donuts and hitting the gym?  In a recent N.Y. Times article Tara Parker Pope looks at a new Lifetime series about an overweight, overworked attorney.

“In “Drop Dead Diva,” on Lifetime, a heavenly mix-up leaves Deb, a vapid but good-hearted size zero model, trapped in the overweight body of Jane, an intelligent, hard-working lawyer played by Brooke Elliott. (Think “Heaven Can Wait” meets “Ally McBeal” and “Legally Blonde.”)……

While Deb spent her days working out and obsessing about the size of her knees, Jane discovers that long hours at the office drain her of the desire and energy to exercise.”

Sound familiar?  While “reality” weight loss programs focus on screaming trainers and crying contestants, for most of us life is not nearly that dramatic.   The average Joe or Jane may just be hoping to squeeze in 30 minutes at the gym and fix a healthy dinner for the family, not drop 100 lbs on national television.

New research shows that metabolic differences may play a large role in why it is more difficult for some of us to lose weight and keep it off.  A chemical and hormonal imbalance in the brain may increase cravings making foods high in fat and sugar more difficult to resist.

“I have grave concerns about how many of these television shows stigmatize overweight people by making them a spectacle,” said Kelly D. Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. “They suggest that if you only try hard enough you can be thin. A far better message is that it’s hard to lose weight and that it’s not just willpower and personal responsibility, but that both biology and the environment are players.”

The show’s creator, Josh Berman, said he wanted the series to make a statement about diet, weight and beauty.  He based Jane’s character on his grandmother Deb, a short plump woman “who carried herself like a supermodel”.

What I love about this show is the more realistic view of the struggles that many of us face (and it features the always funny Margaret Cho).  If losing weight were as easy as eating a salad there would be no Carl’s Jr Double Burger (weighing in at a whopping 1520 calories, basically your entire daily allotment).  I am all for personal responsibility and the road to a healthier lifestyle must begin with our individual decision to make a permanent lifestyle change.  However I appreciate the honest look at dieting that Drop Dead Diva Depicts.  As Mr Berman says “I feel there are enough shows that make people feel bad about themselves. If you want to lose weight, fine. Just don’t hate yourself if you’re larger than average.”

Well put.

Have you struggled with weight loss?  If so let me know what obstacles you have faced and what has worked for you in the past.

How to get Michelle Obama Arms

I have had several requests for “Michelle Obama Arms” this summer (Linda I’m looking at you!).  What is her secret to sculpted and toned – but not overly muscular – arms?

Women’s Health has the scoop—an exclusive interview with the First Lady, and confidential fitness advice from her longtime personal trainer, Cornell McClellan.

“My whole thing is moderation,” Obama tells us. “I have to exercise and eat in a balanced way. If I start ignoring both, I will put on weight.”

Obama is seriously dedicated.  She has averaged three workout sessions a week for the past 12 years, usually at 5:30 a.m.  “She’s truly committed herself to the importance of health and fitness,” says McClellan. “That’s the real secret of her success.”

Here is her Strength Program. Try going through these for one minute each, three sets of each exercise.

Dumbbell Lunge: Stand with feet together holding dumbbells at your side.  Step right foot back until your knee almost touches the floor.  Step feet back together.  Switch sides.

Chest Press: Lying on the floor or an exercise ball, hold dumbbells out to the side arms in an “L” shape.  Press arms up to lightly touch weights together over your chest, then back to the starting position.

Hip Raise (bridge): Start lying on your back, knees bent.  Slowly press into your heels to lift your hips off the ground.  Inhale here, then exhale to come back down.

Bent Over Rows: Stand with feet together holding weights by your side.  Hinge forward at your hips keeping back flat.  Pull your elbows towards the ceiling and draw shoulder blades towards each other.  Slowly lower back to your starting position. 

Side Plank: From hands and knees, come into a plank position either with legs straight or knees on the ground.  Keep your right hand on the ground and spin to your left reaching left arm to the ceiling.  Keep your tummy pulled in and back flat as you hold this position.

Arms Superset – Go through all three of these exercises for 15 to 20 reps three times without stopping to rest.  Tricep Press down, Underhand grip Tricep Press down, One minute hammer (bicep) curl alternating arms. (You need a weight machine for these tricep moves, or you can substitute Dips and Tricep  Overhead Extension with dumbbells).  Tricep Press down: Attach a straight bar to the high pulley of a cable system.  Bring arms by your side with elbows bent.  Slowly straighten and bend your arms.  Try these with an overhand grip and underhand grip.  Hammer Curl: Stand with dumbbells by your side.  Slowly bring right arm up towards the front of your shoulder then back down.  Switch sides.

Mountain Climber (Michelle does 50 reps per leg).  Start in push up position, legs and back straight.  Bring your right knee towards your chest, ball of your foot on the ground.  Quickly switch legs, bringing left leg forward and right leg back.