3 Simple Steps to Avoid Drowning in Liquid Calories
By Dr. Leslie Van Romer and Dr. Narinder Duggal
For all the counting, measuring, weighing, fussing and fretting most
Americans do to watch calories, we often allow liquid calories to sneak in.
Almost one-quarter of the calories Americans consume come from beverages.
Shockingly, sodas and other sweet drinks are the single-largest calorie
contributors to the American diet and to America's ballooning waistline.
By simply making better beverage choices, you can boost health and shed
layers! Here are simple steps to reduce empty liquid calories -- starting as
soon as your next smart sip.
1. Ask yourself: 'What am I drinking now?'
For seven consecutive days, write down every drink you consume, how many
ounces (approximately) and the calorie count. Look at the label or go online
if you have to. At the end of the week, calculate your grand total of liquid
calories. Eye-opening, isn't it?
For example, a Starbucks grande (16 oz.), nonfat, cafe latte has 160
calories. If you order that with whole milk, it adds up to 270 calories. One
latte a day tallies to 1,120 calories a week. Yikes! That's almost a whole
extra day of calories you're getting in one week (eight days of calories in
just seven days) -- just from that one drink! (To read the complete article,
please see the August/September 2008 issue of Dance San Diego.)
Advanced Healing with BioLaser Therapy
By Jane Blount
Dancers put their blood and sweat into their careers in an effort to refine
the physical intelligence of their bodies in service of the dance. And at
times, we're driven to push our bodies beyond their capabilities, sometimes
acquiring injuries that can compromise our livelihood. I shed many tears
when the pain in my body asked me to look for another way to be engaged in
this dance world I love.
In January 2007, I was at a turning point in my career, moving away from my
identity as a professional dancer and dance educator, in part because of
osteoarthritis in my right hip. The pain and associated tension in the joint
and surrounding musculature made it difficult to maintain the high level of
physical conditioning dance and performance require. At its worst, my
adductors would go into spasm, a gasp-inducing instant 9 on the 0-10 pain
scale. I would have to breathe patiently, enter into a meditative state of
mindfulness, call upon my studies of the Alexander Technique and invite the
intelligence in my body to gently guide the spasming muscles in my leg into
release. While the spasms always eventually did subside, the threat of it
coming on was never far from my awareness. (To read the complete article,
please see the August/September 2008 issue of Dance San Diego.)
Dancers' Health Corner: Pointing you in the right direction
By Katherine Ewalt
Note: The Dancers' Health Corner is a regular column for DSD written by
Katherine Ewalt from Performing Arts and Athletic Restorative Training
Specialists (PAARTS) in San Diego. The column presents information and/or
advice about dance-related injury and injury prevention. The information is
provided as a resource and should not be used to self diagnose or treat.
Dancers who experience ongoing pain should seek the advice of a physician or
clinician to avoid aggravating current symptoms or potentially causing other
more-serious injury. Due to legal limitations, no individual diagnosis or
treatment plans will be provided through this forum. If you have questions,
e-mail them to info@PAARTSsandiego.com.
Q. I am a professional modern dancer and have had trouble with my hip for
several years. It feels like it is shifted to the outside and like it pops
out of place. I have been treated for this injury numerous times but it has
never completely gone away, and I feel like I am no longer able to address
this problem in my technique classes. This issue is affecting my dancing,
and I think possibly causing other problems. What can this be? -- Jillian
Chu
A. The hip joints are of significant importance in the aesthetics of dance
as they connect the lower extremities to the torso, allowing the dancer to
communicate intent, motion and purpose without actually moving. Due to the
nature of dance activity and the use of the turn-out position, as seen in
all forms of dance, it is common for dancers to develop muscular imbalances,
including tightness and/or weakness in the anterior (front), lateral
(outer), and posterior (back) thigh and hip muscles. (To read the complete
article, please see the August/September 2008 issue of Dance San Diego.)
Fold & Hold: A 90-second guide to relieve muscle aches and pains
By Dr. Dale L. Anderson
He was a strong, energetic, active young man. But now, suddenly, he was
suffering from agonizing pain! So much right lower back pain that he stood
bent forward and stooped to the right. He was unable to stand or walk erect.
His friends said he looked like a "little old man." Also, he was sleeping
poorly at night. He awoke often in search of a comfortable position.
Usually, by bringing the right knee to his chest, the pain improved and he
could doze off again.
He endured the discomfort for several months. Heat, ice, liniment,
shoe-inserts, pain-medication and healthcare practitioner adjustments
brought only temporary relief. After sleepless nights and painful days, his
energy was down at work and so was his productivity. Life was a pain!
And then, suddenly, the pain was gone! The young man announced this
"miracle" to his friends. He celebrated, saying, "One night, I curled up,
slept like a baby through the night and my pain was gone when I woke up!"
Sound familiar? (To read the complete article, please see the
August/September 2008 issue of Dance San Diego.)
|