StrongWomen Newsletter
Issue 96, September 2006
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.
By Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
The Strong Women’s Journal
Strong Women, Strong Hearts
Strong Women, Strong Backs
Founder of www.StrongWomen.com
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
- Strong Women, Strong Backs released this week!
- StrongWomen Summits
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StrongWomen Workshops
- Reader Questions and Answers
- Can resistance training help combat muscle wasting from breast cancer?
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Is there anything more I can do to help increase my bone density?
- From the Mailbox - Success Stories
- Recipe – No-fuss Squash Soup
STRONG WOMEN, STRONG BACKS RELEASED THIS WEEK!
When I was twelve, I had a gymnastics accident and broke my back. I crushed three vertebrae in the middle of my spine, in the thoracic region. I was lucky in that I was young and fit. After wearing a brace for three months I was able to resume my usual active life. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties and having babies and working full-time that I started to have back problems. My doctor when I was twelve had told me that I would most likely experience back problems when I grew older. He was right. Through specific exercises and making sure that my living and work environment fits my frame, I have been able to stay mostly pain free.
It was for this reason that I felt compelled to write “Strong Women, Strong Backs.” I knew I was not alone. After the common cold, back problems are the most frequent cause of missed workdays. Sixty to 90 percent of all adults suffer back pain at some point in their lives. Indeed, back pain, lower back pain in particular, ranks fifth among the most frequent reasons for hospitalizations. The good news: Most back pain is not caused by serious injuries. It’s usually the result of short-term stress on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine, coming from daily activities like bending, lifting, and sitting too long. The even better news, simple lifestyle measures can do much to ameliorate back pain – and even prevent it altogether.
“Strong Women, Strong Backs” offers a complete program that reveals: the major causes of back pain in women; how stress and other emotional factors play key role; a straight forward exercise program to improve flexibility, strength and aerobic fitness – designed especially for women; what you need to know to create a back friendly home and office; and explanations of what medical options are available – and how to know when they might be necessary.
I encourage you to read “Strong Women, Strong Backs” if you or someone you know has a back problem, or you want to make sure you never get one!
Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.
Reference: “Strong Women, Strong Backs” can be purchased at any bookstore or at: http://btobsearch.barnesandnoble.com/BookSearch/is bnInquiry.asp? z=y&btob=Y&EAN=9780399153754&itm=1
2006 STRONGWOMEN SUMMITS
Join Dr. Miriam Nelson for the fifth annual StrongWomen Summits. These intimate one-day events will provide the inspiration you need to live a stronger, healthier life though exercise and fitness. Learn first hand the secrets for living your best life from three LLuminari experts - LLuminari is recognized as America's leading organization on women's health and well-being.
- September 30, 2006 - Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
- October 21, 2006 - Healthworks, Boston, Massachusetts
- November 11, 2006 - Seton Hall University, Northern New Jersey
Ticket prices are: $29 per ticket, $22 per ticket when you register for 2 or more and only $15 per ticket for Seniors & Students Register online at www.StrongW omen.com or call 1-800-947-1103.
Don't forget to forward the StrongWomen Summit information to friends and family in the area!
UPCOMING STRONGWOMEN WORKSHOPS
Several upcoming StrongWomen Program workshops are scheduled for the next few months. In order to be eligible for StrongWomen training, you must be actively strength training right now, and you must have a firm commitment to starting a program in your community. This training is to teach you how to “lead” a StrongWomen Program, and should not be attended simply for informational/personal purposes.
Date: September 14, 2006
Where: Colorado Springs, Colorado
To register or for questions, contact contact Sheila Schlesinger-Barry at sheilabarry@elpasoco.com
Date: September 21, 2006
Where: St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, PA
To register or for questions, contact Nancy Wiker,
nwiker@psu.edu, (717) 394-6851
Deadline for registration: September 12, 2006
November 2, 2006
Where: Loveland, Colorado
For more information or to register, contact:
Edie McSherry at EMcSherry@larimer.org
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Be sure to check out the other questions posed to Miriam Nelson, PhD and Rebecca Seguin, MS, CSCS at: www.StrongWomen.com/faqs/index.htm
Q: I was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. I feel I have some muscle wasting and am wondering if there is anything I can do to help prevent this. Would resistance training be a safe and effective method to use? I appreciate your thoughts.
A: You can certainly combat much of the muscle loss with a progressive resistance training program and adequate diet. With your doctor's clearance, I would recommend you follow either the at home or gym- based program in the revised edition of Strong Women Stay Young, although any progressive resistance training would be very helpful.
Q: I am 63 years old, have excellent nutrition, a strong racewalking aerobics program, and am especially strong in the weights area. I easily do far more that is required in all areas. I have been on bone density medication for 10 years, yet my density continues to go down. I recently went to a specialist who told me that it really wasn't very bad since my high level of fitness and strength was far more important than a bunch of numbers that come up on a computer screen. Do you have any further suggestions for me?
A: It seems that there is some real validity to what your doctor is telling you. Yes, the numbers matter to a certain extent, but you are so strong and fit that you are doing all you can to stimulate your bones and muscles, and also to protect yourself were you to ever fall. You should stay abreast of information on www.nof.org and certainly keep doing what you're doing activity and nutrition wise, and also with your positive attitude!
FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN
I have been doing the exercises in your Strong Women, Strong Bones book for three months now and I feel great! I have never liked exercise before, but now I am enjoying it. I am feeling stronger and full of energy. Thank you!
-Anne
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
No-fuss Squash Soup |
This is a delicious, hearty soup that will take advantage of the vegetables from the farmer’s market and help to keep you warm on a cool fall day. Feel free to experiment with different varieties of squash and spices. Serve as a meal with a green salad and crusty whole wheat bread -- or serve a smaller portion as the first course when entertaining.
Yields: 6 servings
For other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to http://strongwomen.com/recipes/
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Ingredients:
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
4 teaspoons butter
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon mace (optional)
1/2 cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
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Boil squash, carrots, and parsnips until tender; set aside. In a large pot, sauté onion with two teaspoons of butter until translucent. Add squash, carrots, and parsnips along with all spices and remaining butter; mix well over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then, add broth and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let mixture cool enough to add in batches to blender. Puree all of the soup and replace back into large soup pot. Add half and half and stir well; cover and simmer over very low heat for at least ten minutes prior to serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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| Nutritional information (per serving) |
Nutritional information (per serving) 185 calories, 4 g protein, 9 g fiber 7g fat (5g saturated), 35g carbohydrate
Portions: 2 Vegetables, 1 Extra |
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