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Thursday, January 28th, 2010
Results are happening! We are getting lots of great stories of people dropping inches, looking and feeling amazing. Check out our latest news story!
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Sugar Sallow
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Sugar! Is it really as bad as they say? If you are anything like me, a piece of chocolate cake (think Meryl Streep’s beautiful creation in It’s Complicated) sounds pretty much amazing on pretty much any occasion. However, if you do a little research on sugar and its effects on the body, you will quickly find that the majority of leading doctors and nutritionists, especially in the 
natural health world, find that sugar is one of the leading causes of a large majority of our most common health concerns: diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and hyperactivity.
So what are we supposed to do? Should we give up all sugar? Should we give up desserts? Should we drink diet soda instead of regular soda? What should we do?
I propose a very simple, yet in my opinion, very useful approach: BALANCE your approach to eliminating sugar from your diet. Consider doing the following as a great first step.
1) One of the easiest ways to manage the amount of sugar you intake is to lookout for the ubiquitous culprit, High Fructose Corn Syrup. This cheap and very sweet additive is in a large majority of the food and beverages that many of us are accustomed to consuming. Check the label. If you see this ingredient, check to see if there are other options without the corn syrup. A lot of stores carry various healthy options to our favorite products. You will be doing yourself a huge favor to avoid it.
2) Secondly, enjoy your sweets on special occasions. After cutting sugar out of your diet for a few days, you will quickly see that a lot of the foods we eat are so extremely sweet that you almost stop wanting them. Jitters aren’t very fun! However, if you can make eating sweets a special treat, instead of every meal, that chocolate cake will be something you can savor and not feel guilty about.
3) Avoid Soda! Definitely avoid regular soda, and in my opinion, avoid any type of Soda (including diet soda.) Whether you come from the school of thought to avoid diet soda because it hinders our bodies ability to identify calories (causing us to over indulge in calories), or you think that “diet” soda is clearly a bunch of unnatural chemicals (because honestly, how can anything we consume be 0 calories? ). It is so much safer and easier to drink some carbonated soda water with some fresh juice or a squeeze of orange or lemon. Or, if you want the convenience of can, check out Le Croix (see picture below). This delicious and low calorie beverage is all natural and a great substitute for any soda-holic. It comes in a wide range of flavors as well.
Basically, do your body and your long-term health a favor by eliminating the unnecessary sugar that you are consuming on a daily basis. That way, your sugary treat will be well worth your wait. Go ahead, DEFINE your balance!
Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
DEFINE: 2009
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Exactly one year ago, DEFINE went from an abstract idea to an actual work in progress! It started with the encouragement of a Rice University professor, Al Napier, who taught a course at Rice’s Jones School called, New Enterprise. The premise of the class was “exploring the life of an entrepreneur”. We read cases, met with local businesses, and took part in lengthy classroom discussions to talk about the process of starting a “New Enterprise” from beginning to, well, hopefully a fully functional enterprise!
With the support of my family and friends, we managed to accomplish these next steps even though there were times when it was complicated and stressful!
My year in 2009 went something like this:
- 1. Research and develop a business plan
- 2. Research and develop a marketing plan
- 3. Look for retail spaces that were in an appropriate size and location
- 4. Negotiate with several different landlords for the best fit
- 5. Graduate from Business School and take a Habitat for Humanity Trip to Fiji to help a Fijian family. (see pic to the left)
- 6. Come back to the US ready to hire an attorney and get the lease signed!
- 7. Design the layout and the look of the space
- 8. Hire an architect to help finalize the design
- 9. Start demo and construction on the space
- 10. Obtain City Permits (not a smooth process)
- 11. Get website, logo (thanks Kelley!) and photographs (thanks Brett!) ready for marketing!
12. Start shopping for retail. Dallas Market Center was a scary place for a novice!- 13. Search for instructors
- 14. Train Instructors
- 15. Get the word out so people would come!
Since then, we have been teaching, helping clients, cleaning, and teaching some more, to make DEFINE a great place for everyone to enjoy. A lot has happened in the past year. We have learned a lot, changed a lot, and I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a lot more to come. From all of us at DEFINE, we are looking forward to helping our existing clients and future clients achieve even greater health and wellness in 2010!
Have a safe and happy new year! We will see you and be here for you in 2010!
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Cinnamon and Spice up your Holidays
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
1 cinnamon stick
Directions
Take the cinnamon stick and break it into a few pieces. Place the cinnamon stick in a tea cup and add boiling water. You want to cover and steep for 10 minutes. The cinnamon will keep it’s strength, so add boiling water to the cinnamon sticks throughout the day to continue enjoying your tea all day. For a slightly unhealthy version, add a few red hot candies and enjoy a little sweetness to your tea.
Cinnamon also offers a lot of health benefits. According to healthdiaries.com, cinnamon offers the following 10 health benefits.
- Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.
- Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.
- In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.
- In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.
- It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.
- In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief inarthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.
- When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
- One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
- Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.
- It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium
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DEFINE: spine
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Our goal at DEFINE is to help each individual achieve optimal health. We believe optimal health is achieving balance of strength and length on both a physical and mental level. Each Tuesday we will be focusing on the physical elements of balance. We will be giving you an exercise tip for various parts of the body. So, we thought it would be appropriate to have the first tip focus on “The Spine”
The spinal system is one of the most important systems in our body. It has a large impact on the way the rest of our body functions. Therefore, it is extremely important to strengthen all the muscles around the spine in order to keep your body healthy. Strengthening the abdominal and trunk muscles, and the core of your body, is one of the first steps towards improving the health of your spine. You can think of the “health” of your spine by thinking of your posture. Poor posture is common for many people. Lifestyles that spend a lot of time seated and in front of computers typically place a tremendous strain on the lower back and discs. By training your abdominal muscles to encourage a proper upright posture, back pain can be reduced to a significant degree.
Some of the most transforming exercises for the abdominals, and consequently some of the best exercises to improve the health of your spine, are abdominal exercises that stabilize the spine. For example, “the plank”.
The plank can be done on your forearms or with straight arms. Start by lying on your stomach, with your feet hips distance apart. If you are doing the plank on your forearms, try to keep your forearms completely parallel (like train tracks). Now flex your feet so your toes are braced against the floor and your heels are pointing toward the ceiling. Lift your torso and legs off the floor so you’re supporting your weight with only your forearms and toes. Try to keep your tailbone slightly tucked to prevent your back from arching. If you notice that you are starting to feel any pain in the lower back or you are getting tired, you can place your knees on the floor for support. Try to hold for 60 seconds and remember to keep drawing your belly button in.
The plank will help you build strength in your abdominal wall as well as your back muscles. This strengthening of the abdominals and back while stabilizing the spine is a great first step towards creating a longer and healthy spine.
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
DEFINE: h2o
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Aside from air, water is the most important substance in our body. Water is the “vehicle” for the nutrients we consume. Is your water driving smoothly? Start by asking yourself a few questions:
- What is the climate like where I live?
- How active am I?
- What is my diet like?
The answers to these three questions will determine the amount of water you need to consume and the types of foods you will want to consume to make sure your water is driving your nutrients effectively.
The first two questions are relatively obvious: If you live in a climate that tends to be hot, you will want to consume more water especially during those hotter months. The heat causes you to perspire, which depletes you of your water supply. Be sure you fill it back up! Additionally, if you are an extremely active individual, you will want to consume more water than a non-active person because of the loss of water from your activities. Plus, breaking down the muscles and increasing your metabolism causes your body to lose fluids faster.
Although climate and diet are relatively straight-forward to the idea of hydration, we often don’t think about the “food” we consume when we think about the amount of water we need in a day. We are told to drink eight glasses of water a day, but food can give us as much as 20 percent of our necessary fluid intake, and even more if you are eating hydrating foods. Check out the following recipe from Cooking Light for a hydrating recipe of shrimp tacos.
Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
- SALSA:
- 1/2 pound tomatillos
- Cooking spray
- 2/3 cup chopped green onions (about 4 green onions)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- TACOS:
- 1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrot
Preparation
1. Preheat grill.
2. To prepare salsa, remove husks and stems from tomatillos. Place tomatillos on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 10 minutes or until slightly blackened on each side, turning occasionally. Cool completely; coarsely chop. Place tomatillos, onions, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 7 times or until coarsely chopped.
3. To prepare tacos, thread shrimp evenly on 6 (10-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes or until shrimp are done, turning once. Remove shrimp from skewers, and place in a medium bowl. Add hot pepper sauce, chili powder, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss to coat.
4. Heat the tortillas on the grill 1 minute on each side. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup cabbage and 2 tablespoons carrot. Divide shrimp mixture evenly among the tortillas; top each with 2 tablespoons salsa.
Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized | No Comments »
DEFINE: body&mind
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
DEFINE your balance! Look and Feel your absolute best!
Posted in Uncategorized, exercise | No Comments »
Vote for DEFINE!
Friday, November 13th, 2009
We’ve been nominated for “Best Workout” on CitySearch Houston!
With our transforming, challenging, and highly sustainable classes, we believe DEFINE offers something very special to Houston.
Click on the picture below, and “vote for best of citysearch” as soon as you can. Voting ends November 19th!
Simply click on the picture of the “DEFINEball” below, and it will take you to the CitySearch website where you can click “vote for best of citysearch”.
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