Friday, December 6, 2013

Working with Your Company




To companies we have worked with and to companies we will work with, we want to thank you for hiring us to serve and educate your customers and the public. We also want to remind you of our standards in educating your customers.

Win-Win-Win Situation
When you hire us to educate your customers, we will review your company’s products and we will recommend only those products we honestly believe (according to our expert knowledge) to be beneficial to consumers.  So far, we’ve always been able to find products (from every company we’ve worked with) that we can recommend to the public.  (As for your products that we cannot recommend, we will simply not mention them.)

Recommending only the products we deem healthy based on science is a win-win-win situation benefiting your company, consumers, and us.  It is better for your company if your potential customers listen to us (in buying some of your products regularly) than if your customers don’t listen to us at all (because they see us as sales people or advertisers recommending all the products from your company).

If we don’t adhere to this standard, we will lose credibility with consumers and the public.  If that happens, we would become useless as health, fitness, and science educators and thereby useless to your company.  In that case, everybody loses. 


Educators in Health, Fitness, Science, Academics, and Other Areas
We focus on truly benefiting the public.  As a result of this focus, we are gradually reaching more and more people.  We have an average reach of 200 people per day mostly online and in-person through workshops.  Also, we have over 3000 followers on various social media platforms.  Our reach is gradually growing.

To re-emphasize, we are educators (in health, fitness, and other areas), but we are not sales people.  We at the SpirFit Academy need to keep our scientific integrity, in order to maintain imprimatur from science professors and academia.  No amount of money is worth jeopardizing this. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve and educate your prospective consumers and current customers.


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Lowering LDL Cholesterol




If you need to lower your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) or lower your overall cholesterol, a lot of what you need to do overlaps with what you need to do in managing weight, staying healthy and fit, or managing diabetes. To lower LDL cholesterol, the following four points are the simplest and most important:




1. Eat at least two MORE servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day than you already do now.   (This is good for weight control anyway as I’ve written in http://spirfit.blogspot.com/2010/06/you-will-not-gain-bad-weight-from.html  )  Also, fruits and vegetables have good fiber content and plant stenols which lower your absorption of LDL cholesterol.  Personally, I prefer fruits because they are more convenient and quick to just wash and eat.  In addition, fruits keeps your craving for bad sweets under control in the long term.  However, some people find it convenient to do salad vegetables by just preparing a big tupperware bowl of salad and keeping it in the refrigerator.  That's fine too.  Do whatever it takes for you to increase your intake of fruits and/or vegetables by two more servings per day.  Also, to give you an idea of one serving, a medium size apple is a serving.  A banana is a serving.  The size of a small or medium sized fist is a serving.

2. Eat more fish and take a fish oil pill at the meals you are not having fish.

3. Drink a glass of water (hot or cold) at the beginning of every meal.

4. Exercise one more day per week than you already do right now.


Here are additional important information in keeping your LDL cholesterol low:

• Avoid bakery products like cakes, brownies, cookies, and muffins.  They usually have high saturated fat and sugar content.  [Personally, I eat such products once every four months or less.]

• Keep planning your meals with the same concept as people managing or preventing diabetes.  Info about this can be found at - http://spirfit.blogspot.com/2013/04/diabetes-and-pre-diabetes.html

• Eat more nuts, such as walnuts, peanuts, and almonds.  Snack on them throughout the day.  Mix them into your vegetables and salads.


• On food labels, the following are bad:  saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium

• Foods with food labels, the following (bad) ingredients should not be more than 5% DV:
                               Saturated Fat
                               Cholesterol

• There should be 0% Trans Fat (as most food companies eliminated trans fats from their ingredients already)



For additional information on LDL cholesterol, visit the following reliable websites:

• Cholesterol numbers to aim for:  LDL, HDL, and total

• Estimating and planning your fat intake -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat-grams/HQ00671

• LDL cholesterol calculator at -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ldl-cholesterol/CL00034

• High blood cholesterol information from Medline, or NIH (National Institute of Health)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000403.htm

• Muscular and aerobic fitness helps protect against effects of LDL cholesterol
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/761039

• What is LDL?





Disclaimer: Talk to your doctor or RD before taking advice from this website or blog.  In using information from this blog, you release the author and owner of this blog and website from any liability.

More health and fitness information and lessons are available at - http://spirfit.org/Academy/#fitness

Friday, October 18, 2013

Neti Pot for Colds and Seasonal Allergies

Before I offer you the objective information (links below) such as those from medical sources, I will tell you my personal experience with the effective use of the neti pot.  When I had a bacterial infection in my sinuses and head (a few years ago) causing heavy nasal congestion, sore throat, headache, and fever, I used the neti pot to clear my nasal passages (in addition to gargling with warm salt water to clear my throat.)  It made a huge difference in not only clearing my sinuses, but it relieved the headache, and that feeling of pressure in my head was also relieved.  (It works better if you use the neti pot in addition to the conventional remedies.)


Dr. James Li, M.D., Ph.D. (of the Mayo Clinic) explains how the Neti Pot is effective for colds and seasonal allergies at-
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neti-pot/AN01755

Dr. James Li, M.D., Ph.D. (of the Mayo Clinic) explains how to prepare the solution for the Neti Pot at -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neti-pot-solution/AN01879

Instructions on how to use the Neti Pot are located at -
http://spirfit.blogspot.com/2010/05/hay-fever-and-neti-pot.html



For more information on health and fitness, feel free to visit our website at:
spirfit.org/Academy/index.htm#fitness

Friday, May 17, 2013

Cardio Then Stretch (Workout A)





Here is a simple two step workout for people "with no time" and for people who need to start somewhere.


Step 1:  Do your cardio such as on an elliptical trainer, for 30 minutes (or whatever amount of time you have).






















Step 2:  Do the following 3 stretches for both sides (legs).

Do this quad stretch next to a wall in case you need to hold on:






Note:  For those of you who claim to not have time, you could even do this one in 15 minutes  (10 minutes cardio + 5 minutes stretch.)

Disclaimer:  Check with your doctor before doing any exercises.  The producer or owner of this blog is not liable for any potential problems.





Thursday, April 25, 2013

Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes

The most important lesson is creating your plate. This is a good approach to eating not only for diabetes patients, but for anyone who wants to slim down:

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/create-your-plate/


More on what you can or should eat if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes:

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/


Other Reliable Resources on Diabetes

Prevent type 2 diabetes by getting and staying active.
www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/
By eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts, you can learn to thrive withdiabetes.
www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/
Diabetes nutrition — Make restaurant meals a healthy part of your diabetes meal plan.
www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-nutrition/DA00131
Mar 29, 2013 ... CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation translates diabetes research into daily practice to understand the impact of the disease, influence health ...
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/
Eating right and staying physically fit are key to living well with diabetes.
www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/
We are now in the era of the modern man. Modern men have a strong grasp of their disease and related conditions, they actively engage their health care...
www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/mens-health/
What I Need to Know About Eating and Diabetes. DHHS . NIH . National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Find out how the food you eat ...
www.nutrition.gov/nutrition-and-health-issues/diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the ...
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetes.html
So how much exercise do I have to do? And how long do I have to exercise? It's not as hard as you think. Get advice from the American DiabetesAssociation.
www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/fitness-management/
Nov 7, 2012 ... National Public Health Initiative on Diabetes and Women's Health ...Natural Experiments for Translation in Diabetes (NEXT-D) Study · Project ...
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/problems.htm


More Reliable Resources (from Universities and Medical Schools)


  1. UCSF Diabetes Center

    www.diabetes.ucsf.edu/
    Comprehensive diabetes facility involved in the research, education, treatment and care of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Includes islet transplantation. University of ...
    You visited this page on 4/25/13.
  2. Diabetes Information | Diabetes Resource | Joslin Diabetes Center

    www.joslin.harvard.edu/diabetes-information.html
    Diabetes information - information on diabetesdiabetes care & treatment, children & adult diabetesdiabetes diat & nutritution, and diabetes research ...
  3. Potential diabetes breakthrough | Harvard Gazette

    news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/.../potential-diabetes-breakthrough/
    7 hours ago – Researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have discovered a hormone that holds promise for a dramatically more effective treatment of ...
    You visited this page on 4/25/13.
  4. Joslin Diabetes Center: Diabetes Research, Care, Education ...

    www.joslin.harvard.edu/
    Joslin Diabetes Center is the world's preeminent diabetes research, clinical care and education organization.
  5. OHSU Healthcare: Diabetes - Oregon Health & Science University

    www.ohsu.edu › OHSU Home › Healthcare › Healthcare Services
    Welcome to the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center at Oregon Health & Science University. We are the only academic medical center west of the Rocky ...
    You visited this page on 4/25/13.
  6. Recommended Sites - Diabetes - Guides at University of North ...

    guides.lib.unc.edu › Guides › NC Health Info
    Guides. Diabetes. Recommended Sites. ... Last Updated: Mar 7, 2013 URL: http://guides.lib.unc.edu/nchealthinfo-diabetes Print Guide Email Alerts ShareThis ...
    You visited this page on 4/25/13.
  7. Diabetes - Life Lines

    urbanext.illinois.edu/diabetes/
    According to the American Diabetes Association, the overall incidence of celiac disease worldwide is estimated to be 1 person in 250, but as high as 1 in 20 for ...
    You visited this page on 4/25/13.
  8. USF Diabetes Center - USF Health - Tampa, FL

    diabetes.health.usf.edu/
    Join the Contact Registry. Join the USF Diabetes Center Contact Registry to learn more about diabetes research opportunities, events, education and services!
    You visited this page on 4/25/13.
  9. The Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC)

    www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/diabetes/drtc/
    The Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC) is a NIH-sponsoredDiabetes Center that facilitates the discovery, application, and translation of ...
    You visited this page on 4/25/13.