Summer is definitely here... a time when everyone seems to come alive! Growing up in Minnesota, I used to wait for the warm summer days to arrive. Not that I didn't enjoy the beautiful days of the other seasons, but for me, summertime was it and living on a lake was the best. Many folks would come to their lake cabins as the lake was always teeming with activity. My summer days were often spent swimming, lying in the sun, canoeing, fishing, playing with cousins and friends and riding horses.

Across the lake was a resort and in the evenings I would look across the placid mirror-like water, seeing and smelling the campfires while hearing the echo of people having fun. Patient fishermen would sit quietly in their boats awaiting their next bite while a water skier would zigzag in the far distance. As dusk would settle in, peace and tranquility followed as the crickets and frogs would sing their evening songs. Under the moonlight, I'd sit on our deck until midnight appreciating the enlivening sights, sounds and smells of summer - life at its fullest!

If you have a favorite summer memory, please let us know so we can share them in August's newsletter. In the meantime, enjoy your summer!

Lisa Brisse & the State of the Heart Fitness Staff

A Greek philosopher by the name of Herophiles said it best over 2000 years ago:

"When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless and reason is powerless."

In essence, the quality of our health determines the quality of our life experience. It determines our ability to enjoy our lives and those we love. Without our health we have nothing, yet sadly, we as a nation are one of the unhealthiest in the world.

How many of you remember the Presidential Physical Fitness tests you had to do in elementary school? The tests included the 50-yard dash, a 600-yard run, pull-ups, sit-ups, and a sit n' reach test. The President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports was a program initiated by President Eisenhower in 1956. The mission back then, as it continues today, is to make health and fitness for all Americans a national priority. Recently, in their effort to bring more awareness to everyone's health and fitness and to strive for a healthier America, they are calling us to a challenge... to be active 5 days/week for 6 out of 8 weeks and to log our activity on their website so that we can see how we're doing, state by state. Though California appears to be a healthy state, it actually is ranked a dismal 48th! It's time to step it up... folks!

Similar to the tests we did as kids, the President's Council has created the Adult Fitness Test which measures health-related fitness. These components include aerobic fitness, strength & endurance, flexibility, and body composition. These tests allow you to see where you stand in your overall fitness level compared to others of the same age and gender.

If interested in doing these tests on your own, you can go to www.adultfitnesstest.org for information on how to do so. For those of you who are local, in honor of the nation's challenge, State of the Heart Fitness is offering $50 off our fitness assessments (regular value: $195) in which we administer these same tests including a comprehensive evaluation, exercise prescription and program design based on your specific health issues and fitness goals. This offer is good through the month of July.

Though it's easy to let so much else get in the way of our most valued possession, let's all make the time to invest in our health. The challenge has been set...the question is: are you up to the challenge?

With the 4th of July comes lots of fun, food and barbecues. It is the time to enjoy the heat of the summer... and that includes the fresh fruits and vegetables not always available during the winter months. If you'd like to try something other than the average salad, try this:

beet, orange & apple salad

Serves 4 servings - Calories: 193.15/serving
1.5 pounds beets
2 cups shredded beet greens
1 large orange
2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
0.5 teaspoon white sugar
0.25 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted

Directions:
1. Wash the dry beet roots and greens. Shred greens to measure 2 cups and set aside.
2. Place beets in sauce pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool.
3. Trim and peel off skins; cut into 8 wedges.
4. Peel and section orange. In a bowl, combine orange sections, beets and apples.
5. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and garlic. Pour over beet mixture and toss well.
6. Arrange ½ cup beet greens on 4 salad plates. Top with beet mixture, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

Enjoy your salad and be safe this 4th of July!

Are you taking more medications than you'd like?

Do you know you need to exercise and eat healthier, but need some help following through?

Healthy Hearts is a comprehensive exercise and nutrition program designed by State of the Heart Fitness and Healthy by Design medical nutrition therapists with the intention to provide education, accountability, and hands-on experience to help you establish healthy, lasting lifestyle changes not just today, but everyday for the rest of your life.

If you have hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, or need to lose weight the "healthy" way, we offer 3 different program packages to meet your individual needs.

All packages include:
 90 minute fitness assessment & consultation
 Exercise prescription & program design
 Personal Training sessions individualized for your
    health needs & goals
 90 minute nutritional consultation
 Follow-up nutrition sessions to provide the education
   & guidance for your specific health issues
 24/7 e-mail support

remember, a healthy heart goes a long way...
put your heart in our hands!
call 310-899-4046 today

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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

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