Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

  • I teach yoga, Nia, and stretch online!

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Fiber Intake

Posted by terrepruitt on July 21, 2009

Do you know how much fiber is ideal?  Do you know how much fiber the average American eats?

First of all let me tell you a little “un-detailed” story.  I visited a friend on the outskirts of San Jose one day and she had a snack sitting on her counter.  She asked me to try it and she said if I liked it I could have it because she didn’t really like them and they “didn’t agree” with her partner.  Well, I liked them, and so she let me have them.  When I got home, I had to laugh.   I was looking at the Nutrition information on the package and one serving works out to be almost  as much fiber as the average American gets per day. So it dawned on me that maybe it “didn’t agree” with her partner because of that.

Ideally we should be eating about 35 to 50 grams of fiber a day.  The average American eats less than 1/3 of that—yes, about 10 grams a day.

Now, as a refresher, fiber is the plant material that is not digested by humans.  Our digestive enzymes just can’t cut it.  It can be found in whole grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans.

So, I’ll leave you with this suggestion, try to add a little bit more fiber in your daily intake.  Do not add a lot of fiber all at once.  But do try a little bit a day.  What could you add to your diet today that would add fiber to it?

Posted in Food | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

WHOLE Grain Products

Posted by terrepruitt on July 18, 2009

You hear it, you know it, we need to be eating WHOLE grain. Ok, so, what does that mean? That means that “wheat flour”, “enriched wheat flour”, “multi-grain”, “100% wheat”, and anything other than WHOLE is not whole grain.

The whole grain is the bran; the outside of the grain where the fiber is, the endosperm; which is the starchy middle part of the grain, and the germ; the little “seed” part in the middle where the vitamins, minerals and some fat are.

I think it is easy to think of a whole “grain” of corn than wheat because most of us have seen a whole kernel of corn, but not all of us have seen wheat. So think of a kernel of corn (ya have to think of one because my attempts of taking pictures of them did not result in something “postable”), you have the outside which is the bright yellow, then the inside which is kind of whitish and liquid starchy, then you have that little bright yellow “seed”. That is the whole grain. So corn—including popcorn is a whole grain.

Items made with “wheat flour” are not. Even though it is wheat it not a whole grain, is has to say “whole” grain wheat flour or “whole” wheat flour. Multi-grain CAN be whole grain, but it would have to say whole grain. Otherwise it could be a bunch of grains that aren’t whole so you are not getting the benefits of the entire grain.

My bread, has whole grain flour (and bulgur wheat, which the MyPyramid.gov shows as a whole grain, but wiki says traditionally it is “de-branned”) as you can see:

 

 

 

 

My cereal has whole grain.

 

 

 

 

My crackers do not have whole grain, it just says wheat flour, which means they are made from some form of wheat as opposed to corn or rice . . . but it does not say “whole” so it is not whole wheat.

 

I think that products can be misleading, so if you are interested in getting whole grain read the list of ingredients not just the package that might say, “100% Wheat” or “10 Grain”. The ingredients has to list the flour used as whole grain.

Posted in Food | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Lyrics Gone Wrong

Posted by terrepruitt on July 16, 2009

Are you bold enough?  Are you secure enough?  Do you have it in you?  Can you admit to what you THOUGHT the lyrics were?

Well, here are a few I can share—whether they were from me or not, I won’t tell—hey, maybe I won’t tell.  Let’s make this post twofold.

1–share with me some lyrics you had wrong (or that a friend of yours had wrong or that someone you know of had wrong.) 

2–guess what songs these are:

A–In the Garden of Eden

B–Our Love Is Japanese

C–Painted Glove (oh, c’mon, that one is way easy)

Its too hot here in San Jose, California. I know this will work out, right?   Care to play?

Posted in Entertainment, Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments »

Serving Size Reminder

Posted by terrepruitt on July 14, 2009

As you might agree our portion sizes contribute to the obesity epidemic in America.
In restaurants a meal is usually more than one serving of each item.  I know that we recently went to Morton’s in downtown San Jose and my steak worked out to be probably about a serving and three quarters.

If we started eating the proper serving sizes I am convinced our obesity rates would go down.

In case you are familiar or you want a reminder:

                      1 gram = about a paper clip or a dime
4 g is a tsp (4 paper clips or 4 dimes)

One serving of:       Is about:
Meat  a deck of playing cards
Cheese  the equivalent of four dices
Salad greens  the size of a softball
Baked potato  the size of a computer mouse
Fruit  the size of a tennis ball
Bread  the size of an audio cassette
(but do people know what THAT is?)

Also remember to check the serving size on the package.  If you fill a bowl with cereal, just because that is one “bowl” doesn’t mean that is one “serving”.  The bowl could hold more than one serving.  Do you have a favorite food that you tend to eat more of than the serving size?  C’mon you can tell me, what is it?

From Cal Dining

Posted in Food | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Katas

Posted by terrepruitt on July 11, 2009

According to Wiki a Kata “is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs.”

Even though we do not do it solo or in pairs, Nia™ has adopted that word to describe the movements we do to a song.  Nia classes are similar to other group exercises in that the teacher leads the group through moves.

Nia uses music and Katas strung together to form a routine.

The average seems to be between seven and ten katas to a routine.  Since one of the goals in Nia is to find health through movement, we move in all different ways to the music.  Sometimes the katas can be similar and sometimes they can be completely different.  One might have you swirling in place or moving around the room.  We often use the face of a clock as a pattern for our feet.  We will, as an example, step to 12:00, then 6:00 and then maybe out to 1:00, 2:00, or 3:00.  We might cross our right over to the left and step at 11:00 and/or our left over our right and step to 1:00.  All the while moving our arms, of course.

The most recent kata I learned is full of kicks, chops, blocks, shimmys, and rumbles.  It has front kicks, back kicks and side kicks.  It has downward chops and upward chops.  It has upward blocks, downward blocks, and outward blocks.  It is somewhat energizing because you can really put some “oomph” into your blocks—really contracting the muscles, then when you do the shimmy it is a nice relaxing release.

Nia is a full body workout.  The katas that are put together to form a routine  that gets the whole body moving.  Would you like to come see how its done?

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Yard Roses

Posted by terrepruitt on July 9, 2009

 

It is funny to me because when we first moved to San Jose, this rose bush had JUST orange roses.  Bright orange.  Now some come in pink.  The ones that do come in orange turn pink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of our rose bushes are multi-colored now.   Funny how it worked out that way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still think they are awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish you would smell them.

Posted in Flowers | Tagged: , , , , | 8 Comments »

We Interrupt Your Quest For Health

Posted by terrepruitt on July 7, 2009

This past weekend we went to a park in Fremont, not too far from San Jose.  I was thinking we would be in shade, but we were not so much.  I was terrible and got sunburned and worse, I “let” Hubby get sunburned too.

Now we all know the bad stuff about sunburns.  You got the whole risk of skin cancer increase going on.  This, of course is serious because the sun damages the skin’s cells and when they try to rebuild if something doesn’t work out right that is when cancer occurs.  Since most of us are immune to cancer  (Ya know, “That won’t happen to me.”), maybe we can use some other incentive.

What about the other things that happen that might interrupt our quest for health? In comparison to cancer these things are really nothing but inconveniences, but sometimes that is what it takes for us to take action.

I am talking about being uncomfortable.  I was looking outside and I wanted to go, but I knew it was too hot.  Even if I didn’t go out in the direct sun, I knew just the heat of the day would be too much.  So any normal activity you might do outside could be restricted.

What about sleep?  One of the best things we can do for our body and one of the things that is absolutely essential to health, but ya can’t do it well when you are sunburned.  The first night I think I woke up four or five times.

And exercise.  How uncomfortable is that?  Think about bending a sunburned limb into a yoga pose just gives me chills.  I wore a big shirt to teach the day after (the sunburn occurred) because I was thinking a shirt with tighter arms would be too much but every time I lifted my arms I was in pain because my shirt rubbed on my sunburned arms.

And shower just plain hurts.  Even if you opt for cold water sometimes just the water hitting the sunburn is enough to hurt!

So, I guess, I wrote this blog to myself, because I need to remember the inconveniences so that I remember the sunscreen not matter what.

The latest information is stating that products that block the UVA and UVB rays on the best.  Products containing titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide.  They don’t soak into the skin, they sit on top and scatter the rays.  Also, I am seeing that it doesn’t matter what number SPF you buy, you should apply it often.

So, think not only about avoiding the BIG thing, think short term, think in the now, think about wanting to remain healthy by continuing your normal outdoor activities, sleeping soundly, being able to exercise, and, oh yeah, for the sake of the rest of us—shower!  If you do get sunburned, what do you do to ease it?

Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Nia Belt System

Posted by terrepruitt on July 4, 2009

I feel I need to clarify something.  I keep seeing these great articles on the internet about Nia.  They are so great I get excited and I want to share them, until I get to the part where it says something like, “Nia students work through levels akin to martial arts and the different belts”.  This is where my enthusiasm for the article dies.  To me this makes it sound like a participant of Nia™ has to earn a belt in order to participate.

Nia is a workout.  A person can go to a Nia class every day and workout and never have to think about belt levels.  Belt levels never come into play during a workout.  Nia as a workout is so beneficial you may never want to progress to anything beyond that.  Think of it like yoga, you can go to a yoga class every day and never have to participate in the meditation or yoga life-style of a yogi or yogini.

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My Nia White Belt and my manual

IF someone is interested in learning more about Nia, aside from what the book and the DVDs, the classes, and the workshops have to offer, one can participate in an “Intensive”.  THIS is where the belts come into play.  Each intensive is about 40 hours of intenseness.  There is lectures and movement and workouts.  There are five belts.  Anyone can participate in the intensive, but they must be taken in order White, Blue, Brown, Black.  And they require a year in between each belt.

Each of the four belts mentioned has principles.  There are 13 principles for each belt, each belt also has a focus.

I am sure you noticed that I mentioned five belts but only named four, that is because one of the five belts is Green Belt.  Green Belt is newly added and it is for teachers.  So while any one can take an White, Blue, Brown, or Black belt intensive only teachers can take the green.  That is because Green is focused on assisting teachers.  It is just another aspect of the continuing education that Nia offers and recommends.

So, again I will say, anyone can participate in Nia as a workout and that is great and that is fine.  You will gain many, many benefits from it.  No one has to think about belts and the levels.  Only if you are interested in making Nia a practice and learning more about it do you need to even think about the belts.  Just come and enjoy the way your body feels during and after a Nia workout.  Then if you arrive at wanting more you will do so . . . in your own time . . . in your own way.

 

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Sound – In Nia: Sounding

Posted by terrepruitt on July 2, 2009

So, I could just fill my blog with Nia, but I want to post other stuff too because I am interested in other workouts and exercises and I like to share other stuff.  Today is supposed to be my “fun” post or “whatever” post, not necessary related to health, wellness, or Nia™.  I thought that I would find some inspiration before the day was out, but . . . nothing.

So . . . here I am, back at Nia and the wonders of it.  I left an article from Nia Education in the studio where I teach (in Willow Glen) and it is about sounding.  This evening (when does “evening” start?  Anyway . . .) when I was explaining to my class in Los Gatos that Nia uses a focus it dawned on me that I didn’t have a focus for class.  Then it came to me in a flash “Sounding”.  Nia calls it sounding, I’ve heard some classes call it vocalization.  Whatever  . . .

We had a few songs that were great for sounding and that are normally done with us making noise, but tonight I added noise (sounding) into all of the songs.

I am going to be honest, when I am TAKING a Nia class I am not a big “sounder”, I am getting better, but I don’t always do it.  So I know how intimidating it can be.  And it frustrates me (that I don’t do it) because I know—-I have FELT the benefits.  When I first started doing Nia I didn’t make any sound.  Then I was in a class and I realized that I was the only one NOT making sound so I joined in—-HOLY MOLY!  What a difference that makes.  It is amazing and I can’t really describe it.  But because I have felt the benefits, I am getting better at doing it in other’s classes, and I do it when I am leading my class.

Tonight I was so loud I couldn’t hear if others were doing it.  I had to tone it down to make sure they were doing it.  The women who showed up first, the ones I had explained it to were participating, but the others weren’t.  But that is ok, they will come around in their own time, in natural time.  After class I felt awesome.  Sounding is amazing.  It is like a release and an energizer all at once.

Have you ever been frustrated and just shouted, yelled, or screamed, you know how you feel after that?  That sense of release, that feeling of “aaaaah, now I feel better.”  Well, just think of an entire workout like that?  It is exhilarating.

A Nia Education article says, “every cell in your body is a sound resonator that responds to sounds coming from the outside and the inside of your body, and that all of the systems in your body – your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states of consciousness – respond to sound?”**   Yeah, I knew that . . . .

If you are interested in the article, let me know.  It is very short and I can send it to you.  I have posted the tips for helping you begin sounding on my site, in case you are interested.  So, can you do it?  Are you ready to make some noise?

 

**Nia Education ©2006 Nia Technique, Inc.

Posted in Nia, Sounding | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Don’t Think – Move

Posted by terrepruitt on June 30, 2009

Where is it written that you have to walk into a workout class or a dance class and know every step?  Can you point me to that grand writing?  No.  It doesn’t exist.  Nowhere is it written that you walk in and know the steps or even that you know them after the first workout or the first class.  But we still think that we should “get it” right away.  Almost immediately we pull out labels like awkward and uncoordinated.  Not often do we stop to give ourselves a break.  Did we not have to learn how to walk, why is it that we think we must know how to move or dance?

I bring this up because I keep having this brought up to me.  People say they feel like a klutz or that they have two left feet.  Well, this could all be true as a feeling of what they feel, but how are they ever going to get over it?

With Nia (one of) the point(s) is to move how you need to move that day, in that class, in that moment.  NOT to move exactly like the teacher or like the other students, or to be perfect or workout like it is a performance.  It is to move how your body needs to move.  It is to stop judging HOW you are moving and just MOVE.  Yes, there are steps, there is a routine, most of the time you are doing guided movements, but you aren’t expected to know them and do them perfect.  And even if you do know them, sometimes you might need to adjust them.

I understand that there is a desire to do it right, but with Nia™ we really take that saying “If you stumble make it part of your dance” to heart.  No one is perfect, we are not expecting the routine to be done perfect.  We are expecting respecting, respecting your body and your heart.  You move, you mess up, you forgive yourself, you keep moving.  It is not because you are awkward or uncoordinated no labels, take the next step.  Come to class, learn, practice.  Once you get the moves down then the fun really begins because then you can play with the move making it big or small fast or slow do it with ease or make it dynamic.

But you have to start at the beginning.

Honest?  Want me to be honest here?  After I get the gist of the routine down, I stop watching the training DVD.  I refer back to it when I get stuck or want to refresh my memory or “tighten it up”.  But I don’t practice to it.  I don’t move like Debbie or Carlos*.  I can’t concentrate on my music and the movements when I try.  I have to turn them off and tune them out and concentrate on me and my workout.  I have to listen to the music and sense when I am supposed to cue.  I can’t learn what my body needs and get the work out I need if I am trying to do it exactly like them.  I am not them.  I am me.  I have to pay attention to what I can do especially since what I can do in my living room is entirely different then what I can do when I teach.  I have to make certain I practice the different levels so I have a chance to show them in class.  When I workout to the DVD, I don’t practice level one, I am trying to keep up with Debbie.

So what I am saying is give yourself a break.  We cannot all move the same.  So we need to practice quieting our inner dialog that tells us we have to do it like whomever, and just do it like our body needs.  It probably won’t be perfect because we are not perfect.  We are there to move and improve and enjoy.  So are you ready to give yourself a break and just move?

My schedule of classes in San Jose and Los Gatos.

*Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, the people that have brought us Nia.

Posted in Exercise and Working Out, Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

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