Killer 15-minute Workout You Can Do Anywhere

The workout: There are five total moves. Move through them using a 20-10-20-10-20 rep sequence as many times as you can within 15 minutes. Move as quickly as you can throughout, and take breaks only if you need them. To keep it exciting, you can try changing up the reps (20-18-15-12-9, for example), change the order of the exercises, or add in weights or a medicine ball.

The moves:
1. Thruster Jumps (20)
Start in a wide squat position and jump straight up, clapping your hands together at the top. Land softly and spring back up immediately.


2. Plank Jumps (10)
Start in plank position, shoulders over wrists, body in a straight line to your heels. Hop the feet in, with your knees towards your chest, and then back out.

3. Drop Squat with V-Arms (20)
Start standing up with your knees slightly bent, feet together, hands in fists. Jump your feet out to the side, landing in a wide squat, arms straight up forming a V.  Really punch your arms in the air straight up with your back upright to work your back muscles.

4. Push-Ups (10)
Move your chest towards the floor with your body in a straight line and push back up with force as you exhale. If it's too hard, drop down to your knees. (Need help? Use this tutorial on how to do the perfect CrossFit push-up before you get started.)

5. Frog Jumps (20)
Start with your feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent. Hinge at your hips bringing your chest forward towards the thighs, arms behind you (similar to a skiing position!). Jump straight up into the air reaching your arms overhead. Land softly and repeat.

Doubtful you can get a good workout this way? This 15-minute routine that hits multiple muscle groups and everything you need—strength, agility, and plyometrics to get your heart-rate up. You may barely get through the reps by the end (and seriously feel it the next day)! Memorize the moves and simple structure now, and you'll never miss a workout due to back-to-back meetings, travel plans, or budget woes again. 

~Lisa Elaine Held

Antibiotics in Animals Tied to Risk of Human Infection

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Chickens on a Pocomoke City, Md., farm. Antibiotics meant to protect farm animals have been a concern to consumer advocates. 

A federal analysis of 30 antibiotics used in animal feed found that the majority of them were likely to be contributing to the growing problem of bacterial infections that are resistant to treatment in people, according to documents released Monday by a health advocacy group.


The analysis, conducted by the Food and Drug Administration and covering the years 2001 to 2010, was detailed in internal records that the nonprofit group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and subsequent litigation.

In the documents, some of which were reviewed by The New York Times, scientists from the F.D.A. studied 30 penicillin and tetracycline additives in animal feed. They found that 18 of them posed a high risk of exposing humans to antibiotic-resistant bacteria through food. Resistant bacteria make it difficult and sometimes impossible to treat infections with ordinary antibiotics. The scientists did not have enough data to judge the other 12 drugs.

At least two million Americans fall sick every year and about 23,000 die from antibiotic-resistant infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Representatives of the food industry largely blame hospitals and treatments given to people for the rise of deadly superbugs. But many scientists believe that indiscriminate use of antibiotics in animal feed is a major contributor.

Farmers and ranchers feed small amounts of the drugs to animals over their lifetimes to keep them healthy in crowded conditions, causing bacteria to develop a resistance passed on to people through the environment and eating meat from the animals.

In a statement, the F.D.A. said the drugs under review had been “older, approved penicillin and tetracycline products,” and that the agency had issued letters to their producers asking for additional safety data. It said those efforts had been part of a broader assessment of antibiotics, also called antimicrobials, given to animals raised for food, and that it has since made major policy changes to address them.

The F.D.A. has tried repeatedly to rein in the use of the drugs in animals. It adopted regulations in 1973 that required companies to submit studies showing that a drug’s use in animal feed did not promote resistance in people.

In 1977, the agency proposed withdrawing approvals for animal feed additives containing penicillin and most tetracyclines, but it never followed through, said Avinash Kar, a lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council. The group sued the agency in 2012 to try to force it to carry out the 1977 proposal.
“This is an agency that has repeatedly found, since the 1970s, that these drugs pose a risk to human health, but it has not done anything meaningful with those conclusions,” Mr. Kar said. But the agency has taken some steps in recent years. In 2012, it restricted the use of cephalosporins in animals. They are drugs that are also prescribed to treat pneumonia and strep throat in people.

Last year, the F.D.A. moved to phase out the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in cows, pigs and chickens, though it continued to allow them for the treatment of illness, a policy decision that consumer health advocates said weakened the new rule.

“In December 2013, the F.D.A. began formal implementation of a strategy to phase out the use of all medically important antimicrobials,” the agency said. “The F.D.A. is confident that its current strategy to protect the effectiveness of medically important antimicrobials, including penicillins and tetracyclines, is the most efficient and effective way to change the use of these products in animal agriculture.”

Mr. Kar said that only one of the 30 drugs studied ever met the government’s safety criteria. And it only satisfied the 1973 regulations that required companies to submit studies showing that a drug’s use in animal feed did not lead to drug resistance in bacteria that can affect human health.

In 2003, the agency issued guidelines that divided drugs into three categories according to how risky they were for human health. Under the guidelines, a high-risk drug should be used for no longer than 21 days at a time, and only for individual animals, not entire herds or flocks. 

High-risk drugs are often allowed to be used much more broadly, said Carmen Cordova, a microbiologist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. The 2003 guidelines apply only to drugs that were approved after 2003, and the consumer group said none of the 30 drugs fell into that category. Mr. Kar said the F.D.A. analysis was still relevant.

~New York Times, By SABRINA TAVERNISEJAN. 27, 2014

The Health Hazards of Sitting

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/health/sitting/Sitting.pdf

We know sitting too much is bad, and most of us intuitively feel a little guilty after a long TV binge. But what exactly goes wrong in our bodies when we park ourselves for nearly eight hours per day, the average for a U.S. adult? Many things, say four experts, who detailed a chain of problems from head to toe.

Forget Your New Years Resolution

It’s mid-January and the pressure is on to think of (or stick to) a New Years resolution. In the fitness industry alone, advertisers, gyms and retailers are primed to sell you the newest exercise equipment, gym memberships, latest diet programs and workout wear.  By early March, fitness center crowds thin to their pre-New Year levels as people give up on their resolutions. Optimistic motives quickly end in frustration.

Resolutions may fail because:

• We set great expectations that are too high to achieve
• Fear: We doubt our abilities to reach our goals
• We cannot handle a drastic change
• We continue to focus on the future, i.e., “when I get there, I’ll be happy” – and we can never seem to get there

For a few years, I was too intimidated to consider a resolution, but I somehow wanted to “move forward” to improve myself.  I began to shift my way of thinking by just simply granting myself “loving kindness.” I wasn’t sure what that general “resolution” would bring – little did I know that it would be the start of my journey to wellness. That mantra actually was, and is, an:

Intention \in-ˈten(t)-shən\ noun
the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose

1:  a determination to act in a certain way :  resolve2:  import, significance3a :  what one intends to do or bring about
b :  the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered
4:  a process or manner of healing of incised wounds

…or in the words of the Oxford English Dictionary, an aim or plan.

All yoga practitioners set an intention for what they will get out of their practice just prior to starting class.  The intention is:

• Always in the present tense – you are constantly focusing on how you feel and experience NOW.
• Very general – not specific like a goal or objective.

As simple as this sounds, setting a generic aim or plan for yourself now will spread to other aspects of your life. Change is gradual, starting with one or two simple concepts. You don’t have to practice yoga to set an intention.  Once you understand how intentions work, you’ll find yourself less intimidated about your plan, especially since an intention begins once you set it – there is no future goal to attain.

How Do I Begin?

Schedule some private time (5 to 10 minutes) for yourself in a quiet place. Get in a comfortable seated or supine position. Play quiet ambient music, or keep your space quiet. Close your eyes, and become aware of your body. Tense and hold your arms and fists, then relax. Repeat this tension and release exercise with the lower half of your body. Feel your body releasing any long-held tensions, and begin to breathe deeply, uniformly and comfortably, from your abdomen to your upper lungs. Notice how your body and mind feel: are your thoughts still wandering to other things? Acknowledge them, and set them aside. Now focus your mind on setting an intention.

Think of a general wish or act you wish for yourself NOW.  Need ideas for an intention?

RATHER THAN wishing you could lose weight fast (or be a certain clothing size by a certain date),
FOCUS ON how you are treating your body in a healthy way

RATHER THAN resolving to have your home clutter free,
FOCUS ON what you are doing do make your home a peaceful sanctuary

RATHER THAN finding your ideal job,
FOCUS ON using the skills you have for that dream job – those skills will get you noticed

If you are still unsure what your intention may be, don’t despair. Think of a bad habit, pattern, or thoughts you want to be freed from, and focus on one as your intention. Or, simply practice gratitude for something positive in your life.

What if I am Not Sure I Can Stick to This Intention?

If you are having doubts or fears about your intention, consider this to be the “monkey mind’s way” of preventing you from practicing your intention. Fear is just that – fear. It is the internal judge that tells us we aren’t worthy of what we want to achieve. Acknowledge that the monkey mind exists, but resolve to keep your intention. Fear is a great tool to protect us from life-threatening situations, but it can also work to our detriment if we allow it to stop us from creating positive change for ourselves.

It’s Been a Week and I Haven’t Seen Any Changes – Now What?

The problem with Western Society (and especially with Americans) is that we expect instant results. Be patient. Remember, most people can’t make drastic changes successfully; people tend to thrive with gradual lifestyle adjustments. In the course of a year, you’ll begin to notice how the baby steps (and some leaps) add up.

Remember to give yourself time daily to focus on your intention. The power of intention is strong if you remain committed to it. As you change, so may your plan — and that’s okay. Life is in constant flux. If you are mindful of your present actions and how you treat yourself in every moment, you’ll begin to see the reward.

~Thanks to Shirley McCormack

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