Your monthly Rx for eating, thinking,
and living strong
Snooze Or Sweat
Should you stay in bed or go to the gym?
Snooze
Or Sweat
Stay IF: You're sleep deprived. Getting
less than six hours most nights over the past three weeks can affect insulin
levels and metabolism, making a workout "counterproductive," says
Cleveland Clinic expert Dr. Charles Bae.
Stay IF: You work out often. Daily is
great, but if you manage five days a week, you're still good, says James 0.
Hill, Ph.D., executive director of the Anshutz Health and Wellness Center in
Colorado.
Go IF: You're tossing. The gym is more
energizing than restless sleep, says Dr. Frank Lipman.
Go IF: You can turn in early. Skimping on
sleep an hour or two once in a while isn't that damaging if you can make up for
it later.
Fitness Files … Call to Arms
The shortcut to chiseled arms? Work out
triceps every other day, add 40 minutes of cardio five days a week, eat right,
and you'll be ultra-toned in four to six weeks, says Sports Club/LA trainer
Kira Stokes.
Fitness
Files … Call to Arms
Dips
Sit on a chair 1 to 2 feet off the floor,
hands hip-width apart, fingers facing forward, shoulder blades pressed down for
a long neck. Scoot off and dip-placing weight on hands and keeping spine close
to chair so you can almost scratch your back on it. Go low enough to make
biceps and forearms perpendicular. Hold for two seconds. Push back up. Do three
sets of 15 reps.
Extensions
Lie on floor, arms straight up to the
ceiling, with 5-pound weights in each hand (knuckles pointing out). Now bend
your elbows, keeping them aligned with your shoulders so the weights come down
on either side of your head. Hold for two seconds. Extend arms back to starting
stance. Do three sets of 15 reps.
Kickbacks
With 5-pound weights in hands, hinge
forward at hips, flatten back, and stick out butt and chest, upper arms and
elbows locked to side of body, elbows bent so bicep and forearm are
perpendicular. Knuckles facing out, straighten and extend arms back. Hold for
two seconds. Return to starting position. Do three sets of 15 reps.
Chill factor
Lunchbox Swell Bottle (9 ounces), $25
(swellbottle.com)
Lunchbox
Swell Bottle (9 ounces), $25 (swellbottle.com)
Sip on this: Not your dad's water
bottle-this one's stylish and slender and keeps your drink icy-cold for 24
hours. Hot colors such as flamingo and blackboard perk you up during marathon
hot yoga sessions.
So cool: A double-layer BPA-free
stainless-steel insulation system works like a thermos.
Love: Ten percent of proceeds go to
WaterAid charities in Africa and India.
Metal Getaway
Ramekins Culinary School and Inn Living
Well Retreat, Sonoma, California (ramekins.com)
Metal
Getaway
The escape: A three-night wine-country
retreat that raises a glass (or two) to your health.
The agenda: Tour a sustainable farm; study
wine making; perfect yoga moves and enjoy gorgeous views; then visit the spa
for reflexology.
Bonus: The wisteria-graced courtyard with a
wood-burning pizza oven, bar, and fireplace. (September 16-19; $2,400 to $2,700
per person with lodging, $2,200 without)
Head Notes
New guidelines in the journal Neurology
state that those with fewer than four migraines a month may suppress them with
supplements instead of drugs. Dr. William Young, neurology professor at Thomas
Jefferson University, shares his top picks.
Head
Notes
Most effective: Butterbur (shown), a plant
in the daisy family that may decrease frequency and severity, says a four-week
study.
PMS relief: Magnesium oxide may work for
those with low-blood-level magnesium or migraines associated with periods.
Or try: Coenzyme Q10, which cut frequency
in 47.6 percent of subjects, according to a small fine-month study.
