Strongwomen.com - Your Virtual Trainer with Dr. Miriam Nelson

I hope you find this newsletter helpful, and that you share it with your friends. Feel free to forward, post or reprint it - but please credit Strongwomen.com for the information and don’t change the content.

A couple of weeks ago we launched The Strong Bones Program on www.strongwomen.com. The program is a personalized, six-month program developed to build strength, fitness, and maintain flexibility before or after the onset of osteoporosis. We developed this subscription-based program as a way to individualize our research-based programs developed at Tufts University, with the goal of helping as many people as possible improve their health and overall quality of life. The Strong Bones Program is tailored to meet the needs of those seeking to prevent osteoporosis or reverse mild to moderate osteoporosis. Your Strong Bones Program will provide:

More power to you,
Miriam E. Nelson

PS: You can order your advance copy at Amazon.com.

I am currently on a national book tour to promote Strong Women Eat Well. Also, please check your PBS television schedule to see if my show "Strong Women Live Well" is airing in your area. I will be on the Oprah Winfrey Show on August 20 - check your local listings for the time.

As a reminder, here are the dates and cities that I will be visiting:
St. Louis (Aug 1), Chicago (Aug 2), Cleveland (Aug 3-4), Minneapolis (Aug 5-6), Dallas (Aug 7), Los Angeles (Aug 8), San Diego (Aug 9), San Francisco (Aug 10-11), Seattle (Aug 12-13), Portland, OR (Aug 14), Detroit (Aug 15), Boston (PBS Television WGBH at 3:30 Aug 18).

Be sure to check out the other questions posed to Miriam Nelson, PhD and Rebecca Layne, MS, CSCS on our web site at FAQs.

Q: I read your book and followed your weight-training program for 2 years. The first year my bone density increased. However, the second year, things remained the same. What else can I do besides taking Fosamax, hormones, calcium and weight training?

A: Depending on which program you are currently using, you may want to use the program from my newer book Strong Women, Strong Bones, which includes detailed strategies for preventing and treating osteoporosis, or consider the online Strong Bones program. Also, in your note you mention calcium but not vitamin D, the latter of which is essential for calcium absorption. It is difficult to get enough vitamin D from diet alone so you may want to consider a supplement such as Citracal, which contains both calcium and vitamin D.

I also want to note that the gain in bone density in the first year is great, and so is staying the same thereafter. Maintaining the same bone density from year to year means that you have not lost any bone, which is also very important.

Q: I have a friend who has been taking some fat burning pills, and he has lost a lot of weight by taking them. If such pills are available and are safe, I think that I would like to try them because I am having a difficult time losing weight. What is your take on fat burning pills?

A: My personal and professional opinion about fat burning pills is that they should be avoided, for a number of reasons - the first one being safety. There are ingredients in these pills that can have adverse health effects, and this has been the case for a number of individuals in the past. In particular, ephedrine and mahuang (a naturally occurring ephedrine) can cause increased heart rate, blood pressure and cause people to be “jumpy” and “on edge”. The first of these two side effects can be particularly dangerous during exercise and also for individuals with heart disease, especially if it is undiagnosed. Although ephedrine is also found in other over the counter medications such as decongestants, these drugs are highly regulated and contain a safe, specified amount of that ingredient. The fat burning pills are not under the same guidelines and regulations, so even if they claim to contain a safe amount of ephedrine, you cannot be certain of the exact amount that you are getting.

Another concern with fat burning pills is the lack of research surrounding them and the lack of prescription required to obtain them. Because of the lack of research, not only do we not know if they are safe, but there is also no solid evidence that they will even work. Furthermore, because you are not obtaining them through your doctor and they are unregulated, the ingredients in these pills may interact with and adversely affect any other medications you are taking. If you experience any negative side effects, your doctor has little information to guide you, because these drugs have not been sufficiently investigated.

If you really want to lose weight, there are healthy, safe options available, namely exercise and a reduced-calorie, nutritious diet. They may not be as simple as taking a pill, but the benefits will be much farther reaching - you will look and feel better, sleep better, and reduce your risk for numerous chronic diseases.

Here are excerpts from a few of the inspiring letters we've received recently. If you enjoy reading them, check out the collection of reader mail on our web site at Success Stories.

"I have been doing your strength training program from ‘Strong Women Stay Slim’ for just 2 weeks every other day. I have already progressed a lot. Within 2 to 3 days I felt more self confident, and from the first session I felt more ‘alive.’ I now already feel flirty and even more full of desire for my husband (I am a young looking 56), and I think I already look slightly trimmer. I definitely have more energy -- gardening and walking more efficiently and am more outgoing. And my face when it looks back at me in the mirror is actually brighter and prettier!! After my last session I had a really super feeling. Although I was ready for a rest, I sat back completely relaxed while experiencing an electric charge or current from head to toes, outside and in. It felt so good and lasted a while.

My aims are firm arms after decades of hiding my flabby upper arms, and to lift and tighten my ankles, calves, thighs and buttocks before my holiday…thank you for writing such an important book."

"I have been following the exercises in Strong Women Stay Young for 3 months and have made remarkable progress in so far as the osteoarthritis pain in my hip has improved to such a point that I cancelled an operation for a Total Hip Replacement."

"Since January 9, 2001 I have done the strength training 2-3x/week. I am a Parish nurse who leads 2 groups. One group is at my church where I have a volunteer Health Committee with four R.N.s. The other is a volunteer effort in my hometown. I first read about your work in Reader’s Digest in September 1998 and used it on our church’s Health News Board. Then my daughter, who is a certified exercise trainer, gave me your book for Chr.htmas in 1999. She was very concerned about my health. Then my hospital started a 12-week strength-training program in the spring and fall. I attended a few classes to learn how to lead a group and after I retired from full time nursing, started the above-mentioned groups.

I am ashamed to admit how out of shape and heavy I’ve become. I’d given up trying to control my weight but was nervous about the possible prognosis. It’s been years since I’ve tried any exercise program. As a primary nurse in an acute rehab facility who could teach well but not follow my own advice, I could see that I needed to change.

Your book gave me the motivation and encouragement I needed to start these groups and teach others to follow. I’ve promoted your book in our church newsletter several times and advised friends who had no time to join our groups to buy your book and start on their own. I’ve taught some folks how to do these exercises outside of the groups too.

Thanks for your work and time. Thanks for developing a program that is so easy to follow."

Soyful Succotash
Serves 4

This is a luxurious recipe. Of course, you can make it with frozen corn, but fresh off the cob is best by far. The recipe is one of many that come from Strong Women Eat Well (written with Judy Knipe). I hope you enjoy it!

(For more deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to Recipes.)

Ingredients

3 ears corn

2 cups frozen shelled edamame

1 cup half-and-half

Pinch salt

2 tsp unsalted butter

2 T grated Parmesan or Jack cheese (optional)

Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cobs with a sharp paring knife; you should have about 2 cups of kernels. Put the kernels into a heavy medium size saucepan with the edamame, half-and-half, and salt and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, at medium boil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the cream is reduced by at least half. Fold in the butter and cheese, if using. Taste for seasoning and serve at once.

Note: If you are watching your calorie or fat intake, you can use whole milk instead of half-and-half.

Nutritional information per serving:

310 calories
7 g fiber
18 g total fat
(7.4 g saturated fat)

24 g carbohydrate
19.5 g protein
180 mg calcium
669 mg potassium

Portions:

2 Vegetable, 1 Protein, 2 Extra