The journey of taking care of ourselves - not just on a physical level, but on all levels of our being - can be a challenging one. Of course there are the obvious factors of our lives and environment that can get in the way of making better choices for our health & well-being - one of them often being the issue of not having "enough time." Though a challenge, I have seen some of the busiest people incorporate exercise time into their hectic schedule by making it an appointment just like anything else. But of course, it first has to be a priority and that comes from recognizing the value of our health.

Among all of the benefits of being fit and healthy, is also how critical it comes to the recovery process when we get sick or injured. Not being a stranger to injuries, I have been amazed at how quickly and readily the body heals when it's healthy. When our health is a priority, not only do we feel better, more energetic, inspired and alive, we also recover much quicker from physical setbacks, allowing us to get back on our feet in no time.

A month ago, Gigi (one of our extraordinary staff members) fell off her horse and broke her collar bone. Though she had to have surgery to repair it, the speed of her recovery has been amazing. In 3 weeks she was already "back in action" teaching classes and training clients. Even her doctor was blown away! For those of us who know Gigi, we know she is already inspiring in how she lives her life, but her example of fast healing is a testimony of good health & living overall! Way to go, Gigi!

And to all of us... Remember, our health is wealth!

Lisa Brisse & State of the Heart Fitness
For more thoughts from Lisa, check out her blog at www.stateoftheheartfitness.com/blog

Diabetics don't have to give up pizza. And they can have their cake and eat it too. They can dine on everything from Tortilla Pizza to Blackberry Cheesecake, which features the natural sweet alternative stevia instead of sugar, thanks to "Eat Well With Diabetes/Comer Bien Con Diabetes" (Summerland Publishing, $24.95).

The new cookbook was prepared by the staff at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute. It's written in both English and Spanish and features nearly 40 recipes that are low in calories and the thing that can raise blood sugar - carbohydrates. The recipes, which are accompanied by color photos, are ideal for diabetics because they have no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving, said Jenifer Gaffaney, who co-edited the book with Dr. Alison Okada Wollitzer and Mary Conneely.

Miss Gaffaney, a dietitian, is the Institute's Director of Diabetes Education and Outreach. Dr. Wollitzer is the Institute's Director of Research Administration and Operations. Miss Gaffaney says the emphasis on low-carb dishes makes the cookbook stand out from other books for diabetics, which are actually high in carbohydrates. Dr. Wollitzer said the biggest challenge with the cookbook has been to watch out for hidden carbohydrates. "A lot of recipes have bread crumbs and flour. So I would use almond meal instead of flour." The recipes came from Institute staffers and clients and were taste-tested at the Institute's kitchen and modified for dietary requirements. "If the original recipe called for sugar, we would decrease the amount by half or substitute it with stevia," Miss Gaffaney said. "As we decreased carbohydrates and fat, we added in flavor by adding in spices." Added Dr. Wollitzer, "We focused on recipes that were easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive, with easy-to-find ingredients." All recipes come with a listing of the amounts of carbs, proteins, total fat and fiber and have been featured in classes, taught in Spanish and English by the institute, including those offered at various locations through the Santa Barbara Diabetes Initiative.

The cookbook includes items for breakfast, salads, soups, entrees and desserts. It has many vegetarian dishes but some entrees feature fish, chicken and turkey. There is no beef anywhere in the cookbook, so in addition to being ideal for diabetics, the cookbook is also good for people on low-cholesterol or gluten-free diets. This book is currently available at Amazon.com. (Dr. Alison Okada Wollitzer & Jenifer Gaffaney pictured above left).

Article by Dave Mason, Santa Barbara News-Press, July 26, 2011
To read the entire article, click here.

Special personal note from State of the Heart Fitness owner, Lisa Brisse, to Jenifer Gaffaney:  Jen is my dear friend of 20 years and we were roommates in college at Pepperdine University from 1990-1993.  Ever since that time we have done many great trips to various parts of the world (the most recent was to Guatemala in June) and have seen each other evolve through our respective careers and life!  I just want to say how proud I am of you, Jen!  Congratulations on the book and all you have done and continue to do in the field of health & nutrition!  You rock!

State of the Heart Fitness & The Akasha Center provide their first 2 week Residential Program at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel! 

After many years of desiring to create a "healthy destination" residential-type program at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, State of the Heart Fitness is excited to share that the time has finally come!  Founder, Lisa Brisse, has always envisioned a program similar to that of the Pritikin Longevity Center (where she worked 7 years as an exercise physiologist), where participants would stay for a week or two, to focus on getting all aspects of their health in balance.  To make this program well rounded, however, the integration of a group of medical doctors with a similar vision was imperative. 

For the last 4 years, State of the Heart Fitness has been developing a partnership with The Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine here in Santa Monica, and we are pleased to announce that our now collective vision is starting to take shape and in July, we had our first 2 week participant! 

Alison Duncan came in on July 8th and stayed through the 23rd while participating in Akasha's Cleanse program.  The purpose of a cleanse of this type is to give the body a "rest" from having to process foods that can cause allergies, inflammation and have toxic effects on the body. The foods are generally processed, including poultry or beef that is not organic, and pesticide laden produce.     

While getting all of her medical and nutritional needs taken care of by the Akasha Center, State of the Heart Fitness provided the exercise component of her program. Upon arrival, we did an initial 90 minute fitness assessment addressing all aspects of her fitness - cardio-respiratory, strength, flexibility & body composition - and then she had her 60 minute exercise sessions with Rob, Monday through Friday.  (Alison doing some TRX training on the beach during her stay with us at Loews -image left ). In those sessions, she was shown a combination of cardio, resistance training, stretching, breathing & relaxation techniques, and also learned the exercise basics that allowed for us to create a realistic, safe and effective routine that she can easily implement at home.  On here last day, Rob did a wrap up session to discuss her plan on making this routine a part of her everyday life.  He scheduled a follow-up phone call in a couple of weeks to check in with how she is doing.

Alison, absolutely loved her time and made the most out of living on the beach in Santa Monica for the two weeks she was here. According to her, "I worked with Rob five days/week for those two weeks and he made an 'up-hill' experience do-able and fun even on days I felt super challenged or unmotivated. I had taken an 8 year break from exercise, so these two weeks gave me the confidence in my ability and in my motivation to continue to exercise on my own.  The whole experience has renewed my exercise habit!  Thanks, State of the Heart Fitness!"  

If you or anyone else you know needs to get your health on the right track, come join us at the Loews on the beach while participating in a re-energizing cleanse with the Akasha Center. It could add years to your life and life to your years!

To read more about the Akasha Center's program with State of the Heart Fitness & the Loews, please click here.

Summer's Still Here & You Can Still Take Advantage
of our Summer Only Beach Program!

Special 4-week Extended Program
BASIC TRAINING ON THE BEACH!

August 16th - September 8th
Tuesday & Thursday mornings
6:30am - 7:30am
Cost: $175 OR $25/class
NOT SURE?
COME TRY A CLASS FOR FREE!
Email or Call to SIGN UP at 310.899.4046!

Come Howl at the Moon with Us on our next
FULL MOON HIKE

Los Liones Trail
Saturday, August 13th
Time: 7:45pm - 9:30pm
Suggested Donation: $10
Meets: 1st parking lot on right of Los Liones road

Bring a flashlight & a friend!
Email or Call to SIGN UP at 310.899.4046!

Join us on the Beach for a Summer
SUNSET STRETCH

Wednesday, August 17th
Time: 6:45pm-7:30pm
Meets: At the grass square on the
beach side of the Loews
Suggested Donation: $10
Email or Call to SIGN UP at 310.899.4046!

Relax & Unwind with a
WALKING BEACH MEDITATION

Wednesday, August 31st
Time: 6:45pm-7:30pm
Meets: At the grass square on the
beach side of the Loews
Suggested Donation: $10
Email or Call to SIGN UP at 310.899.4046!

Call 310.899.4046 or E-mail
to sign up for any of our activities!

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State of the Heart Fitness, P.O. Box 7013 Santa Monica, CA 90406
T: (310) 842-5657     info@stateoftheheartfitness.com      www.stateoftheheartfitness.com

copyright © 2011  - State of the Heart Fitness