Blog - Superior Self

A Personal Definition of Beauty

6/18/2018

The pressure for our youth to match a male or female fashion model isn’t reality and it isn’t truth. Yet the internet and immediate gratification of “likes” if we perpetuate the myth is constant.

So how can we fix this? It is an N=1 experiment, I say. The cure is individual, and even sometimes we cannot even identify the disease of living up to someone else’s standards.

I modeled for years, from age 4-35. After years of eating lots of apples and popcorn, and running, even in the South African summers, I hung up my modeling hat. I got pregnant with my first child and wanted to stop thinking about being “camera ready.”

And so I made an effort to shift the focus on healthy babies and healthy mama. When I did that, it felt uncomfortable at first. I followed a craving, for the first time in years. I ate meat (chicken) after 19 years of being vegetarian and pescatarian.

Fast forward to now, age 52+. I’m larger than I was then, my boobs and butt are larger, I have lots more energy, and I practice inner work through Bikram yoga and meditation. I have some wrinkles, aches and pains, but I’m so much more comfortable with myself. Perhaps it is age. Perhaps it is life’s experiences. I’m writing books, teaching workshops on wellness, and wellness coaching. And in the evenings, I serve food and drinks at a restaurant.

To be human, to be connected, to use our senses with wild abandon, these are what beauty means to me. As I struggle with some middle aged issues like hypothyroidism and the accompanying symptoms like middle aged spread, I am reminded of the opposite things going on in my life, like overall good health, two fabulous kids who still like me (teenagers), and a husband who has been my anchor for 29 years.

Yeah, beauty is something I think we all grow into. It’s all good.

Thanks for allowing me to share my journey.

Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series

Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Heavy Lifting

6/11/2018

Lifting heavy can be a little scary if one hasn't done it before. The only way to build bone density after age 40 is to lift weights or sprint from time to time. Fast walking or alternating speeds up a hill will give us the intense workout with weight bearing exercises our body needs.Your own body becomes the weight. If you have been lifting light weight or lifting body weight regularly through yoga and Pilates, you can add heavier lifting 1-2 times a week. This means warming up with light weights and then lifting to your max heaviness for 3 reps. It should feel like you cannot do a fourth one. Try for three sets total moving up a little in the heaviness of the weights. Definitely get a spotter for safety.

I suggest folks do this about 2-3 times a week if they already are exercisers. If this is a new adventure and this is the only sort of workout one is doing, begin with 2-3 times a week and move up to every other day. I encourage alternating chest, shoulders, and triceps on one day and then biceps, upper, mid, and lower back the next. Inner and outer hips can be alternated as well. Alternate buttocks and abdominals as well.

It takes about a day or two to recover from each body part heavy session. Feeling sore the next day is normal. It means the muscles are releasing the lactic acids slowly and repairing the tiny muscle tears that actually what builds the muscles.

I hope this helps your wellness journey.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Life and Wellness Coach
-Personal Trainer and Workshop Facilitator
Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Exercise at Red Lights

6/4/2018

How we want to live, feeling vibrant and vital does count on our physical, emotional, and mental well being. Part of that work comes from incorporating fitness into our everyday lives.

My clients ask me the question all the time so I have to be creative in my approach. Besides walking, hiking, and taking the stairs when one can, I like passive muscle contraction when in the car. At a red light, I encourage my clients to tighten their buttocks for as long as they can and as hard as they can. At the next red light, tighten the lower abdomen as tight and long as one can. Alternating the exercises as one goes through their commute is a great way to be mindful of our body parts and the work they do for us.

The buttocks support our legs and back, helping us lift, jump, reach, and more. The abdomen supports the internal organs and spine. Healthy spine, healthy life!

I hope this helps you.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Life and Wellness Coach

Foot Exercises

5/28/2018

Our foot health is important to our entire body and health because we use feet every day and in every way. From morning until night, whether we are at leisure, work, or exercising, we engage our feet. As we get older the fat pads on the bottom of our feet get thinner no matter what our size. This makes it really important to wear proper shoes and socks, as well as add padding or insoles to the cushioning part of shoes.

For healthy feet we can do simple stretches. I encourage my clients to hold a bar or banister and pop up on their tippy toes like a ballerina. Stay there as long as one can and then release. Splay the toes out as wide as one can when doing this exercise so we have a solid base. I suggest 3 sets of 10 to start. This stretch works the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot.

When seated, I stretch my feet by laying down and putting my feet in the air. I point and flex slowly, about 10 times and hold the point and flex as long as I can. This works the arch and top of the foot.

Ankle rotations clockwise and counterclockwise help with the flexibility and stretch the Achilles’ tendon at the heel area.

I hope this helps your journey toward yourself.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFT

Taking Chances

5/21/2018

I met my husband TORINO as his server (called a waitress in the 80’s) in a restaurant in LA almost 30 years ago (1989). He was the friend of the chef and visiting LA from SF, where he lived. He was visiting Chef Ike and I had to close up the restaurant. Evening 1, the meal was complimentary from the chef. Evening 2 the meal was complimentary from the chef. The 3rd evening the chef finally introduced us. I was definitely watching this young man, but was too shy to say anything because he was so beautiful.

When my good friend Chef Ike introduced us, Torino said, “I don’t want to know you as an average human being would want to know you.” Well that was either an honest first line or a line from a movie I hadn’t seen (LA living had shown me some “one liners” in the late 1980s.). So I decided to test him. I invited Torino dancing the next night at a reggae club after work, late, around 11:30pm. I told him I had to be kind and dance with everybody who worked there because I was new in LA and they were my new family. He was fine with that.

Well, when we finally danced our first dance together, it was love for me. It felt easy and right. He stayed with me 24/7 for two weeks and then he left for Tokyo on a modeling contract. We wrote letters the old fashioned way for 6 months. Then he called once or twice on a land line. Torino wired money into my bank account and sent me a post card saying, “Take a jump over the fence. I’ll be waiting on the other side for you.” I took the chance, bought a plane ticket with the money he sent to me, leaped over the Pacific Ocean and danced into his arms on April Fool’s Day!

We have been together since meeting in 1989 and have been married since 1993. We have traveled the world together modeling in 44 countries as a couple. I gave up modeling in 2000, when I was pregnant with my first boy, Golden. Then 3 years later came a girl, Sage.

My circle of life would’ve been so different if I hadn’t taken a chance after knowing someone only 2 weeks and then moved across the world to be with them a short 6 months later. I credit our purposeful intention of getting to know each other to handwritten letters and lack of electronics allowing us to truly think before we wrote something down. It is a wonderful and tried and true way to communicate from the heart and really engage another human being.

I hope this helps you in your relationships with others.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series

Unexpected Mentors

5/14/2018

Sometimes mentors fall into your lap unexpectedly. There's a famous saying that when the student is ready the master appears. That's exactly what happened to me.

About 3 years ago my dear friend's son, only 15 years old, jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. 22 days later, my brother died unexpectedly. Then 3 months after that, my father passed away. Two months later, my daughter had a close friend, age 10, pass away from brain cancer. Just 18 months ago my favorite uncle passed away under circumspect conditions. I coped through bereavement group and my writing, always writing. It is my refuge, my safe space.

About a year ago my bereavement group counselor mentioned a solo performance about grief from a playwright coming to San Francisco. She encouraged all of us to check it out. Ann Randolph was the performer and writer. So I went by myself on a Sunday afternoon. None of my kids or husband wanted to go to a play about grief.

What ensued was a hilarious roller coaster ride of emotions during the performance! It wasn't a sad experience at all. It was multi faceted and brilliant, not unlike life. At the end of the play, Ann had us all write for 5 minutes our entire life in sentences as if someone was going to say YAY and BOO after each sentence. Our life was a series of YAYS and BOOS. She was sparking something in me. I knew if she ever had writing classes in the Bay Area I would just have to go.

As luck would have it, last spring her fancy resort classes far away were canceled because the bridge to the area where she was going to be in residence was broken. Usually her intensive 5-8 day workshops are too expensive for me. Usually she is very far away from San Francisco. She is here! She is in my budget! So I signed up and am in her 8 week write your life workshop

During the past 2 years I took 3 other writing workshops with her. They were 2 day weekend workshops.

What I thought was going to be a fiction workshop for my daughter, who requested I learn how to write preteen angst mixed with cooking, turned into something else altogether.

Ann Randolph, my mentor, has a way of changing my life, to pull out of me something I never wrote about or shared before. She freed my stories of being a victim of sexual abuse, which I suffered from age 7-12. She allowed me to write about it, talk about it, and read what I wrote aloud in a fiction and non fiction manner with truth and authenticity in a room full of people. The experience was juxtaposed with the sharing of the outpouring of never ending love from my large Jewish family, especially my mother.

The roller coaster ride continues. I am immensely grateful that my writing mentor showed up in my life randomly, a casual mention by my bereavement counselor. She has become a light in my life.

Thank you for allowing my to share my story. Do you want to share your story with me?
Blessings,
KJ Landis
Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Exercise and Addiction Recovery

5/7/2018

How Exercise Could Be the Key to Accelerating Your Addiction Recovery

Those currently going through addiction recovery know that it isn’t a cakewalk. Quitting isn’t easy, and when addiction has controlled your life, it can seem almost impossible to pick up the pieces and get back on the right track. It’s for this reason that so many turn to addiction treatments to help point them in the right direction, but even then, recovery can feel like it’s moving at a crawl.

If you’re ready to give your recovery a boost, then maybe it’s time to get on your feet and run. You’re probably already well aware of the benefits of daily exercise, but what you might not know is the kind of impact that exercise can have on your addiction recovery. Here is a breakdown of how a little sweat can help accelerate your journey to recovery.

The Science Behind Sweating Out Addiction

While everyone’s road to recovery is unique, there are a lot of similar beats that recovering addicts face when giving up drugs and alcohol. Many in recovery share symptoms of withdrawal, which typically include intense cravings, restlessness, and higher levels of stress and anxiety. These symptoms are often big hurdles, and each one poses a risk for relapsing into old, self-destructive habits. By committing to your physical fitness, you can alleviate many symptoms of withdrawal. Exercise affects more than just your physical health and is known to reduce stress, anxiety, and even depression.

Exercise can even be a formidable substitute to the high you can crave when abstaining from drugs and alcohol. When you put your body to work for an extended period of time, your muscles will feel weak, your legs sore. As you approach physical exhaustion, your mind will actually release a stream of endorphins through your body, giving you what many refer to as a runner’s high. This incredible feeling you get when pushing your body to the limit is a healthy replacement for the kind of high you receive from dangerous, addictive substances and can also encourage you to keep working on your physical fitness.

What Exercises are the Best for Recovery?

Now that you know a little bit about how exercise can facilitate your addiction recovery, you’re probably wondering which exercises produce the best results. The answer is not always the same for everyone, and it depends a lot on your current health and physical ability. If you’re just starting out, then perhaps light aerobic activities such as walking or jogging may be ideal for you. If you already have an athletic background, you might step up your game or include intense strength training.

The best exercise is the kind that motivates and challenges you. If you like being outdoors, try running or cycling. If you’re competitive you can join an amateur sports league. When you find a form of exercise that you want to come back to, you know you’ve found a way to supplement your recovery.

How to Get into a Healthy Routine

Once you find the exercise that’s right for you, you’ll need to find a way to make it a regular part of your life. The best way to do this is by creating a fitness routine for yourself. It’s already a good idea to have an organized schedule for you daily activities. By setting aside to exercise three to four days out of a week, you can start creating a healthy routine for yourself.

After following your routine for several weeks, you won’t think twice about devoting an hour of your day to exercise. Soon it will become a habit for you, one that is healthy for your body and mind. A few months later, you’ll start noticing positive results, and you’ll realize that with the changes in your body, you too have changed from the person you once were. This is how exercise has the power to change your life and accelerate you down the road to addiction recovery.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Written by Constance Ray

Mantras for Stress

4/30/2018

Mantras aren’t just for meditation, yoga, or sports performance goals. A word or phrase that speaks to your inner strength or life goals are useful during stressful times and while at work.

I’m a life and wellness coach, so my clients need an anchor, a support from within. Usually I go to a spiritual gift shop with my clients after a few times together. I have them choose a rock with encouraging words on them that speaks their truth. It could be one goal or many goals behind the rock, but they only choose one rock during our outing.

The word on the rock is their mantra for stressful times, challenging times, or when they begin to think, “I can’t...”

Here are some examples of rock mantras we have used in the past:
-strong
-believe
-yes
-courage
-confident
-strength
-beauty
-sage
-grace
-I can
-worthy
-valued
-love
-generous
-warrior
-powerful

When my clients repeat the mantra over and over during the day, it becomes their “rock” literally and figuratively! It is their go-to word or phrase that really helps in life’s unpredictable conditions. Some of my clients keep the rock at a bedside table, on the kitchen table, at their desk, in their purse or backpack, or even in their pocket.

It works if you work it!

I hope this helps your confidence and relieves stress.
Blessings,
KJ Landis

The Nut Allergy Dilemma

4/23/2018

Food allergies can be serious stuff. Usually we discover we are allergic to a food after we have ingested it. That can be uncomfortable at best and fatal at worst. We can get rashes, an upset stomach, diarrhea, or have breathing problems.

Today we will learn about nut allergies, one of the most severe allergies in the world. Let’s begin at the beginning.

In the early 20th century a scientist named Charles Richet showed that it was very difficult to create an anaphylactic response to foods that were eaten. Our stomach acids neutralize most allergic substances in the foods during digestion. In ancient Egyptian times, anaphylactic responses were recorded in artwork on the walls of Egyptian tombs. The reactions were depicted as a response to bee stings, not food.

In case you were not familiar with the word anaphylactic, it means a whole body response to a substance where the throat closes up, breathing becomes labored, and the person becomes panicky. There can be an accompanied rash as well.

Charles Richet and his contemporary Richard Otto showed it was possible to produce an allergic reaction to any protein by injecting it rather than eating it. Injecting foods by needle is not natural to humans so our body reacts strongly in order to reject it and protect the body. This is the body’s normal immune response.

In the early 1900s, peanut oil was added to vaccine serums in order to extend their shelf life and make them more effective long term. One’s reactions to the injected virus or disease were very mild when the peanut oil was added into the injection serum. The pharmaceutical manufacturers found the peanut an excellent and inexpensive tool for priming the immune system to fight off the virus or disease used in the injection. Unfortunately, there is a risk of sensitivity in the body to peanuts and other nuts. Usually the sensitivity is from the protein in the nuts.

Early on, only about 10% of the population would react to the injected serums. Some had no reactions to the injected protein and oils but would have reactions after eating the nuts a few days after the vaccinations were given. They would have fevers, rashes, diarrhea, joint pain, and breathing difficulties. The symptoms were almost identical to the allergic reactions from bee stings. Occasionally they were fatal.

The pharmaceutical industry makes a lot of profit from vaccines and this was the reason peanut oil was never taken out of the equation.
When people have repeated vaccinations, the subsequent eating of peanuts and some tree nuts proved to be stimuli for an allergic reaction.

The development of the Epipen in the 1980s proved to be a gold mine for the pharmaceutical industry as well because it is the only known antidote to an anaphylactic attack. An Epipen has the hormone epinephrine in it, which is a chemical that narrows blood vessels and opens the airway into the lungs.

In the past 30 years there has been an increase in allergies across the board. This is due to the increase in vaccine scheduling in children.
Most people who have a peanut allergy also have an allergy to at least one tree nut. Let’s look at the macronutrients in peanuts and tree nuts to see the similarities and differences.

Peanuts are actually considered a ground nut, in the same family as peas, beans, and legumes. When I see the word peanut, I cross out the word nut in my mind to remind myself that it is in the pea family. However, the peanut pod or shell is ready to be picked when the outside is dried and brown, like the shells of tree nuts. Peanuts have about 66% fat, 17% carbohydrates, and 17% protein. Because there are more varieties of tree nuts, there are more differences in the macronutrients of different tree nuts. Tree nuts are from 69%-90% fat, with the composition of the protein and carbohydrates making up the rest of the percentages. There is generally more fat in tree nuts than in ground nuts, and we can taste that. For example, when we eat a macadamia nut it tastes more fatty and creamier than an almond or a peanut.

As stated earlier, if someone is allergic to peanuts, findings show they are usually allergic to at least one tree nut. If someone is allergic to one tree nut and not peanuts, findings show there is a higher chance of being allergic to other types of tree nuts. This is due to the similarity in their protein structures. Proteins have the same 20 amino acids building them up, but they are arranged differently to make different proteins.

To test for peanut allergies, an allergy clinic will draw blood or perform a skin prick or skin scratch test. For tree nuts that test low or negative but have never been eaten before, an allergist may consider oral food challenges under the clinic’s supervision. That is helpful for determining whether those particular nuts trigger allergic reactions.
When assessing food labels on products, consumers must learn to read the entire label, front and back. Some refined vegetable oils will have peanut oil in the mix, but not say so in the ingredient label. We must look carefully to see if there is a sentence on the label that states the product was made in a plant with soy, nuts, wheat, egg, etc. This may be important for cross contamination as well. Some nut particles may be floating in the air in a manufacturing food plant and land on other areas. If a person is severely allergic to nuts, this label reading is key.

Some public and private schools have a no-nut policy, but in my experience I haven’t met anyone who has had an allergic reaction from other people eating nuts in the same room. One study showed that only bars and restaurants that had nuts and nut shells all over the floors and let the guests shell their nuts and throw the remains on the floor had particles of nuts floating in the air that could be ingested by someone who is allergic.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, peanuts and other food allergies have increased 21% in the past 10 years. This can be quite challenging for families. Folks with food allergies have to be quite vigilant around social events involving food.

But, there is hope. Recent clinical trials in the US and Australia have been experimenting with different types of oral reintroduction therapies.
Stanford Medical School in northern California has been using oral immunotherapy for about a decade. It is a way to desensitize patients slowly and safely, but it takes trust, commitment, and patience on the subject’s part. It can be scary to eat tiny amounts of the food one is allergic to. That is exactly what patients are doing under supervision. In the clinical trials the dosage begins with patients eating about ¼ of a peanut and slowly working up through time to 16 peanuts a day. The maintenance is about 1 peanut a day. The desensitizing process allows folks to eat out in restaurants and in others’ homes without anxiety that they will have a reaction. It opens up their lives to adventures in eating again. Currently Stanford Medical School is testing a vaccine approach for peanut allergies in adults and is actively seeking participants in their clinical trials.

In Melbourne, Australia, the research includes reintroducing peanuts into the diet by adding peanut powder with probiotic powder into other foods. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has seen 2/3 of children treated with this approach successfully desensitized. Even four years after the treatment ended, the children have had no adverse effects when eating peanuts. Rather than avoid the food one is allergic to, this program is designed to reprogram the immune system’s response to it, and eventually one develops a tolerance to it.

The takeaways for this nut allergy phenomenon video are:

If you think you or a loved one has a nut allergy, get tested by an allergy clinic with blood work, scratch testing, and discuss elimination or reintroduction protocols.
Read food labels in their entirety. Remember-knowledge is power.
There is hope and help out there for folks who have peanut and tree nut allergies.

I hope this helps your journey to wellness.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis

Overtraining?

4/16/2018

As a personal trainer, exercise instructor, and fitness enthusiast myself, I have seen the gamut of over training.

When folks workout for endurance, they need to refuel properly. Sometimes the fuel takes place during the endurance training, as in a marathon training session. When my clients slowly add a longer and longer jogging session once a week to build up those miles, I suggest adding small bites of dates, peanut butter, coconut shreds, and banana bites during the run if it is longer than 2 hours. Our body holds enough of the stored glycogen in the liver and muscles for about and hour or so of exercise. After that, the body pulls on its fat reserves. The glucose in the body is stored as glycogen for easy energy action. If it is gone, we may hit a wall. It may be an emotional or physical wall. The body needs some fuel so we may continue our endurance training. The fruits and fats from the above mentioned snacks will help with the added fuel needed to finish the endurance training and recover.

When we exercise to the point of exhaustion and we do not have a goal such as a tournament or race in mind, we may be trying to compensate for other behaviors and choices we made that do not serve us. If we ate or indulged in alcohol too much, we may work out extra hard to make up for it. This is a cycle that doesn’t work long term. The mental exhaustion and feelings of guilt do not serve anybody. The fatigue may eventually cause adrenal fatigue which keeps us from having our hormones released in a balanced and systematic flow.

The joints and muscles need recovery and rest too. Perhaps if there is a commitment to fitness, one may partake in a beginner Pilates or gentle yoga class as an alternative to pushing the pedal to the metal every day. Another option is a quiet walk in nature instead of an intense hike. We need to honor the body’s recovery and rest phases.

After all, the growth in muscles happen when resting after the bodybuilding days, not if we are weightlifting daily. Rotating the activities we do allow us to enjoy the fitness life we have chosen for ourselves. We may prevent injury from overuse as well.

I hope this helps you on your wellness journey.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Life and Wellness Coach
-Workshop Facilitator
-Personal Trainer and Exercise Instructor

A Productive Day

4/9/2018

Recently I was asked for tips to make one’s life more easy and productive. As I reflected in my driver’s seat of my car, I looked around me. The first regular thing I noticed was a post-it note with the list of tasks for the day, and one weekly task near the bottom of the familiar yellow sheet.

I find that my “go to” is to make a list every morning. This is old fashioned and yet so useful. I hand write the list on a small piece of paper and carry it in my wallet. I put it on my dash in the car until I leave the car and then back into the wallet it goes. This repetitive action occurs throughout my day.

The list is my to-do list for the day and for the week. When I stay focused on the list, I can happily complete tasks and check them off. It provides a feeling of success with every check mark. If I find I am wasting time on social media, I consciously stop myself and pull the list out of the wallet. I talk to myself. “Stay focused, KJ.” It works!

With daily practice, my efficiency and anxiety improve. I’m more at ease with myself. You can try this today. It’s free and really helpful.
I hope this helps your life.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Life and Wellness Coach

Hot Yoga Tips for Beginners

4/2/2018

I am a five year practitioner of the Bikram Hot Yoga style. I have had less and less pain in my joints and back over the years. When I began I was healing from burns on half of my body. The hot yoga assisted in skin cell turnover, softening of the scar tissues, and the emotional issues surrounding a traumatic event.

The room is so hot and we do the yoga for 90 minutes at a time. I believe this assists in leaving the rest of the world outside of the room. The teachers always mentioned that the hot yoga is a moving meditation and I am in agreement. After trying to hold poses for 60 seconds and then the same ones afterwards for 30 seconds, it is so physically difficult that I “leave” my body in order to execute the poses. To me, that is a type of meditation.

The leaders in Bikram Hot Yoga suggest we practice for 3 times a week minimum for maximum benefits. As I healed from my burns, I wanted to go more. Why? My sleep was deeper and even if I did not get 8 hours, it was a “delicious” sleep. That’s the word I use: delicious! Even now, after 5 years, it still is the hardest workout I ever do. It is never easy, and this is coming from a 16 time marathoner! I’m 52 years old and know this is my go-to exercise for life, plus walking in nature as I age. The heat creates a cardio workout as we perform the stretching and contracting poses. The muscles respond with lengthening and strengthening as a result of my practice. I’m more muscular than ever.

We must be silent in class, adding another layer of self discipline to my life.

The downside to this practice is the price. Each drop in class is about $22, and one year unlimited is about $1200. The other gym membership I have is $79 a year for life. I wish there was a way to reduce the costs, but I believe it is probably expensive because of the heating bill!

The smell is another turn off for about a month. At first I smelled feet, sweat, and funk. It does dissipate after a month of regular practice. I just got used to it!

I hope this helps you, dear readers!
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Life and Wellness Coach
-Personal Trainer and Workshop Facilitator

Weight Loss after Age 60

3/26/2018

There can be weight loss after 60. I am a personal trainer, life and wellness coach, and author who teaches wellness workshops. Most of my clientele and workshop participants are over 60. I find that after 60, people have time to really dig into health for themselves. They have more “me” time.

Weight loss after 60 means focusing on water intake and building muscle. Metabolism is enhanced if we build muscle. I encourage my clients to start with their own body weight and utilize the “plank” as a great full body toner. Then we move into light weights for each body part, alternating chest, triceps and shoulders on one day and upper to lower back and biceps the next day. I take 2 days for weights and one day rest. Stretching and abdominal work is very important to do every day but the total workout with weights need not be long, about 30 minutes to an hour. Results can be seen within a few weeks.

Hiking uphill or stair climbing is great for leg muscles and keeping the joints lubricated. Nature is important to be in because it utilizes all of our senses as we exercise the legs and lungs. After age 60, the muscle building will help us lose weight and keep the calcium in our bones too.

Water intake is important because as we lose weight the fat leaves our body through sweat and urine. So the more water we take in, the more water and fat we release.

The metabolism naturally decreases as we age and weight bearing exercises counter that declination. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a trainer at the gym. Most will help you learn even if you don’t book hour long personal training sessions. Some gyms have a free personal training session when you sign up with them.

I hope this helps your health and wellness journey..
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Workshop Facilitator and Coach
-Nutrition Educator

Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Exercises for Sedentary Work Hours

3/19/2018

This week I have a guest post from Concept Seating. They make chairs for the sedentary worker who needs to feel good all day long. This week they have provided information about sitting exercises. You can do these at work, on a train, bus, or plane! Remember to get up and walk around the room from time to time too! Link here to view the info and the graphics.
Blessings,
KJ Landis

Cure the Afternoon Slump!

3/5/2018

Sometimes we suffer from an afternoon slump. If we are at school or work, our lunchtime may be over and we are not clocking out yet. The mind may wander, we may feel tired and not be able to focus. Is it time for a candy bar? Is it time for a cookie and a Frappuccino?

Don’t reach for the sweets and sugary coffee! That will ruin your hormone response for long term energy. Even if everyone else at the office is on a muffin and coffee run, there are better options.

I suggest snacks with healthy fats. Eat raw nuts and seeds, or raw chocolate without sugar. My favorite brand is Lulu’s raw chocolate. They are truly fuel. Having hard raw cheeses like aged Parmesan provide healthy fats as fuel as well. Drink lemon water or sparkling water and add your own fruit for infusions. If you love your caffeine, have a coffee or tea if you must, but not a sugary filled Frappuccino or chai latte from a box store!

I hope this helps your afternoon slump!
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Personal Trainer, Life and Wellness Coach
-Nutrition Educator & Workshop Facilitator
Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Surprising Motivational Health Tips

2/26/2018

Let’s get healthier with motivational tips. I am a personal trainer, a life and wellness coach, a nutrition educator, and a four-time author on multiple modalities of wellness.

My clients certainly respond to positive affirmations and giving oneself a big pat on the back with every baby step that they accomplish. That is not to say that they do not have to do the hard work, but encouraging oneself as well as getting encouragement and support from others is paramount. Sometimes in order to be motivated to get healthy and stay healthy we must distance ourselves from those folks who are either trying to sabotage our life changing effort, or say goodbye to them forever. One’s real friends will show their true colors at a challenging time. The folks who are not honestly there for you will reveal themselves as well.

Sometimes others are just jealous of the newfound commitment and body changing images. Sometimes it is difficult for them to look into the mirror at their own habits which may not serve their own health or higher purposes in life. Seeing others move forward with their health and life goal make them feel uncomfortable. This may be unconventional health advice, but I do suggest that one takes a long look at their close friends and family members at this time and make some important life decisions for future relationships. That is my number one motivational tip for a healthy long-lasting relationship with oneself, because that is the most important relationship we have anyway.

I hope this helps you figure out what you can do to make sure your life represents your inner authentic self.
Blessings,
KJ Landis

Quick Weight Loss for the Event

2/20/2018

Sometimes we see the calendar and realize that the wedding or Bat Mitzvah is only a few days away. We have been so busy at work and stressed out with family challenges. We slacked in our workout and relaxation routines. We need help now! We have to fit in the special outfit we chose! Don’t worry. Help is here. There is no substitute for long term self love including eating nutrient dense and delicious foods. Let me say that now. There is no substitute for exercise and meditation. That stated, here are my tips for fast and temporary weight loss.

Remember that quick weight loss is usually water weight and only good for fitting into a special outfit for a day or night. After you drink lots of water, the weight will return. Water is good for us so do not dehydrate long term.

I suggest a hot bath with a box of Epsom salts and baking soda. Make the water as hot as you can stand and bathe about 20-40 minutes. Do this 3-5 times a day for a couple of days. The magnesium salts make us lose water weight. Eat only the highest fiber foods, like celery and artichokes without the ranch or dip. Suck on lemons to reduce your appetite. Wear the tightest girdle you can stand while not in the hot bath.

These tips will allow you to lose inches if not weight. Remember to honor yourself with longer health goals. That’s the key to longevity and vitality as we age.

I hope this helps your emergencies!.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Life and Wellness Coach
-Personal Trainer & Workshop Facilitator
Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Weight Loss Foods

2/19/2018

For most people a weight loss goal is really a fat loss goal. We want to lose the fat in order to reveal the muscles underneath. I’m a fat loss winner myself, with a fifty pound fat loss six years ago. I’m a nutritionist and personal trainer whose philosophy is a multimodality approach, using meditation, positive affirmations, and movement as well as food for weight loss.

The foods I encourage my clients to eat for weight loss are high fiber and high water foods: dark leafy greens, celery, cabbage, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables. Eat them raw when possible. The water and fiber within allow for one to feel full for a long time. These veggies always are lower in calories than starchy veggies or proteins because of the fiber and water.

The fiber allows for elimination of waste and fat. Fat is released through urine and sweat through the lymph system.

So, basically, eat your non starchy veggies, drink water, and move that body!

I hope this helps your health journey.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series

Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Vitamin C, a Female Focus

2/12/2018

A Female Focus on Vitamin C, Ages 31-50

As we all seem to be suffering from the flu and cold season, I decided to research the Dietary Reference Intakes tables to see if women in their middle ages need a lot of vitamin C to be healthy, as well as reduce risk factors for chronic diseases by consuming foods with vitamin C. I chose this age group because women are having children later in life than our generations in the past, and they are in the work force simultaneously. Many of us take vitamin C supplements that have sugar in them, and we know sugar has been recently studied at length in relation to obesity and chronic diseases, most notably lectured on by Dr. Robert Lustig. I think it is best to absorb our vitamins from food sources rather than from candy!
According to the Recommended Daily Allowance chart, women who are aged 31-50 and pregnant should have 85 mg of vitamin C a day according to the RDA. We can have more, without a problem. Women who aren't pregnant in the same age range are recommended to have 75 mg a day. This is not much of a difference and that surprised me. They are comparatively similar. I thought pregnant women were supposed to have a lot more of everything to fuel the fetus and themselves. I know that there is an immunity that happens when pregnant, and the body knows better how to protect itself and naturally use the vitamin C. The body is a miraculous and efficient machine. In my opinion, we humans are the ones who mess with its perfection!
The upper limits for both pregnant and non pregnant women in the adult range is 2000 mg a day for the vitamin C intake. That's about 10 cups of chopped sweet red peppers! An average sized red pepper has 95 mg of vitamin C. So even one pepper gives us enough of the RDA for pregnant and non pregnant women in the age ranges 31-50. I was surprised at the lower levels of recommendations. I must keep reminding myself that the government is not recommending levels for optimum health, just for adequate amounts to avoid risks and nutrient deficiencies.

Vitamin C is water soluble, which means it dissolves in water. Our bodies are mostly water so if we do intake a lot of vitamin C through food or supplements we can eliminate the excess that our body does not use through our urine. Dr. Linus Pauling studied vitamin C for decades and concluded that we can take up to 10,000 mg a day if I’ll with the cold or flu. It is an immune builder as well. Vitamin C aids in almost all of our bodies’ reparations.
My personal intake of vitamin C foods are much higher than the RDA because I eat a lot of raw veggies and salads daily. For my age, 52, the recommended RDA for vitamin C is also 75 mg daily. When I'm sick with a cold or flu I eat a lot more lemons and tea with lemons, for the extra vitamin C. According to the National Institute of Health, cooking the fruits and vegetables lessens the value of vitamin C in plant matter because through the cooking the vitamin C is water soluble and destroyed by heat. (https://www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/#en6)
Thank you for asking me to dig deeper. I learned a lot from the NIH and their studies and will use this website and links to prestigious studies again. I invite you to communicate with me about your personal intake of foods or supplements with vitamin C in them. Do you take more when ill?

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Must Haves for the Pantry

2/5/2018

Women are still the main source of home health and cooking care. The natural remedies in the home usually come from the kitchen pantry and not from the prescription pharmacy. I think these are must haves in the pantry. Ladies, take notes! And gentlemen, please learn from the ladies in the family. This information will help the whole family have an arsenal of good things in the pantry for your family’s better health.

My number one go-to in the kitchen is coconut oil. I use it for cooking, for my skin, for oiling the furniture, and for my hair. If someone in the family doesn’t like the smell, the (optional) refined version is odor free. Raw, virgin, organic coconut oil is so inexpensive and lasts a long time. The medium chain fatty acids allow the fuel from the fat to be used immediately by the body. And it keeps my wrinkles at bay. I use coconut oil to swish in my mouth three times a week as a teeth whitener. Just fifteen minutes of swishing and then spitting out will see whiter teeth in about a month. Make certain to spit out the oil, as it is carrying all of the plaque and food particles you have just removed by swishing.

In in the pantry we keep ginger and garlic too. Ginger is an antibacterial and an antiviral. It soothes a sore throat and helps with digestion. If feeling nauseated the ginger boiled up as a tea with lemon and honey will help keep nausea at bay. Lucky for us the ginger oil can naturally help with sugar cravings. Garlic is a natural antibiotic. When suffering from a wound, cut, or infection, I eat raw garlic sliced thin with gluten free bread, raw butter, and pink Himalayan sea salt. I also love to cook garlic cloves slowly in the oven with olive oil as a healthy spread or dip for vegetables. If you have concerns about being stinky from your pores after consuming garlic, try mint leaves, gum, or parsley and cilantro in a dish alongside the garlic dish. This lessons the odor. One may also supplement with odor free garlic capsules but fresh is best for the most absorption.

Olive oil is another must-have in my pantry. I use it mostly at room temperature because the molecules of olive oil change to a not-so-healthy oil when heated at high temperatures. Try cooking at no higher than 400 degrees Fahrenheit if you cook with it. Olive oil is good for us because it is a monounsaturated oleic fatty acid that the body knows how to utilize as an anti-inflammatory. Olive oils have been studied in heart disease research for many years, with favorable results in reducing cholesterol and blood clotting.

I hope this helps you on your health journey.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Personal Trainer, Life &Wellness Coach