"Kaizen Total Wellness® stands out amongst competitors due to two main factors ... Health Protocol and Training Equipment. At Kaizen, we take a progressive approach to treating clients. We believe in small steps towards long-lasting results. Further, we utilize a holistic protocol encompassing Physical Therapy, Nutrititional Therapy, Exercise Therapy, professional Medical services and Massage Therapy. Our equipment is state-of-the-art and one of a kind in our neck of the woods. We combine Vibrational Training on the Powerplate with Isometric Instrumentation via the bioDensity to give a unique modality of physical training unlike anything else around.
We are effective due to a few attributes - Compliance, Consistency and Compassion. Our treatment sessions run for 30 minutes and we have many working individual come on lunch breaks or after work. Most clients find the 30 minute session more than enough time to accomplish their personal and health goals. A certified exercise specialist is always with the client through the session, correcting and modifying based on the needs and wants of the client and therapist. Even though each session is varied and personalized for the client, they know we strive to meet their treatment and wellness agendas every time. Clients are trained with specific goals in mind per session. Finally, we just plain care about the health and well-being of our clients. The ultimate goal is client satisfaction, and happiness with the program on their continued journey towards wellness."

Jason Balducci has his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine. After completing specialized training with bioDensity and Power Plate equipment, Jason became certified in utilizing isometric and high vibration technology unique to our physician-supervised wellness center gym. His background includes being the Coordinator for a non-profit multifunctional health center in Virginia, 'Sheltering Arms', working with doctors and physical therapists on rehabilitation and fitness improvement for underpriviledged populations. Jason is acquiring his Masters Degree at the East-West College of Natural Medicine.  

USDAFood Pyramid

ScienceDaily (July 8, 2011) — Bariatric surgery patients can undertake a rigorous exercise program after the procedure, in order to continue to lose weight and avoid regaining weight, according to a UT Southwestern Medical Center study.
"Until now, we didn't know until now whether morbidly obese bariatric surgery patients could physically meet this goal," said Dr. Abhimanyu Garg, chief of nutrition and metabolic diseases and senior author of the study appearing online and in a future issue of Obesity. "Our study shows that most bariatric surgery patients can perform large amounts of exercise and improve their physical fitness levels. By the end of the 12 weeks, more than half the study participants were able to burn an additional 2,000 calories a week through exercise and 82 percent surpassed the 1,500-calorie mark."
Usually reserved for people more than 100 pounds overweight, bariatric surgeries have become more widely accepted over the past decade as a safe and effective method for long-term weight loss. About 15 million people nationwide are morbidly obese and roughly 220,000 underwent bariatric surgery in 2009 alone, according to the American Society for Metabolic Surgery.
For this study, researchers recruited 33 adults. Twenty-one participants were randomly assigned to the exercise program and 12 to the control group. Exercise group members worked out at least five days a week, gradually increasing the number of calories burned from 500 the first week to at least 2,000 calories the final week. All participants received dietary counseling and were told to keep their daily caloric intake between 1,200 and 1,500 calories.
"We found that participants in the exercise group increased their daily step count from about 4,500 to nearly 10,000 so we know that they weren't reducing their physical activity levels at other times of the day," Dr. Garg said. "We also found that while all participants lost an average of 10 pounds, those in the exercise group became more aerobically fit."
Dr. Garg said he now wants to complete a larger and longer-term clinical trial to investigate the benefits of exercise as a tool to prevent weight regain.
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study were Dr. Meena Shah, lead author and clinical associate professor of clinical nutrition; Dr. Peter Snell, adjunct associate professor of internal medicine; Dr. Sneha Rao, former postdoctoral researcher with the Center for Human Nutrition; Beverley Adams-Huet, assistant professor of clinical sciences; Claudia Quittner, ambulatory registered nurse in the Center for Human Nutrition; and Dr. Edward Livingston, professor of surgery.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Southwestern Medical Foundation.

 R. Bruce, Comedian, Singer - Songwriter

There is nothing like a little humor now and then, a nice break to refresh and renew our commitment to a healthy lifestyle....so please click on the link below for your laugh of the day! 

Beet roots and greens are loaded with healthy nutrients.  To prepare greens, steam and flavor them as you would any greens such as turnip or collard greens.  For the beet root, I recommend grating them raw onto salads, or, wrapping in foil and roasting in a 400' oven for about an hour, until a knife slides in easily.  There are many ways to enjoy beets hot or cold. The beet root is a good source of manganese, folic acid, potassium, phosporous, magnesium, iron and Vitamin B6.  Betacyanin is what gives beet roots their rich purple-crimson color and studies show this has cancer-fighting qualtities.  Raw or cooked, beet roots are a great source of fiber.

Have you noticed that restaurant food is often more salty or fat-laden than anything you eat at home?  When you cook, even simple meals or microwaved steamed vegetables, you have the perfect opportunity to control what you and your family are ingesting, so use that to your advantage.  Cook with a good quality non-stick pan to cut down on cooking oil which has 199 calories and 14 grams of fat in just one tablespoon. (Olive oil has less, and using a spray like PAM is even better.)    Ditch the salt and experiment with herbs and seasonings, or a quick and simple variety of 'Mrs. Dash'.  Did you know you can substitute applesauce for cooking oil in recipes you bake? There are many healthy substitutions to try which will surprise you because neither you nor your family will miss the old ingredients.  Small changes in cooking methods and recipes add up to big health improvements!

While it is true that everyone needs some salt to function, Americans consume much more salt than they need for the body's balance of fluids. 80% of our total intake comes from salt added to processed foods by manufacturers and salt that restaurant food preparers add.  Generally, you should not have more than about a teaspoon of table salt, or 2300 milligrams of sodium a day.   If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or have been told by your doctor to watch your sodium intake, you should have 1500 mg or less. The 'sodium' on a food label is listed in 'mg' and refers to the amount per serving so always check the serving size.  Marketing slogans want us to believe that the 'sea salt'  used in their product is a safe and healthy way to get a good flavor.   Not true.  The sodium content is only slightly reduced.  One tsp table salt: 6 grams = 2400 mg sodium.   One tsp sea salt: 5 grams = 2000 mg sodium.  One tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt: 2.8 grams = 1120 mg sodium.  Sodium balance is critical for optimal health of your heart, kidneys, ateries and brain.

Nutritional benefits of almonds and walnuts are more commonly known, but other nuts can provide a healthy variety for recipe ingredients or snacks as long as you are getting raw or roasted, not salted or sweetened.   Pistachios are rich in lutein, beta-carotene and vitamin E and can have cardiovascular benefits including lowering 'bad' LDL cholesterol.  Antioxidants found in pistachios (and many other foods) have been scientifically proven to help with a variety of health concerns including cancer prevention, improved immune function, healthier skin or reduced risk of heart disease.    Brazil nuts are an abundant food source of the antioxidant selenium.   A recent study showed that eating just one Brazil nut each day for 8 weeks significantly increased plasma selenium status as well as an increase in the enzyme glutathione peroxidase-1 which protects the body from oxidative damage. 

The Kaizen approach to eating means no "dieting". Diets simply do not work to develop a healthy, sustainable body weight.  Diets are, by definition, temporary vs. long-term changes in eating behaviors, the only method which helps you gradually achieve your desired weight and keep it.  However, we all know that nothing is more popular in our culture than the latest fad diet. Many are dangerously restrictive or imbalanced and you should check with a dietitian or doctor before starting an extreme diet.  One of the most popular diets we have found which is not extreme, and is relatively healthy and effective for those looking for a short-term plan, is the South Beach diet.  The best part of that plan is it encourages removing refined sugar from your diet.  This should be a goal and permanent intention for anyone.   If you stick with their recommendations, you could also benefit from eating less saturated fats -- which you should avoid to help raise your 'good' cholesterol and lower your 'bad' cholesterol.   One problem with South Beach is that the first-phase menus are so restrictive they can lead to rapid weight loss, followed by relief-binge eating and rapid weight gain.  Often called yo-yo dieting, this process is very unhealthy and hard on your critical body systems.  Also this initial weight loss can be mostly water or even muscle mass.   It is much better to eat more of a variety of foods in smaller portions and thus avoid nutritional deficiencies.  Call the Kaizen Wellness Center (941-556-7788) if you would like a one-time complementary pass to attend the Kaizen Healthy Lifestyle Class, next Monday, 6 -7 p.m. at Dr. Mishner's office in Lakewood Ranch.   One of the topics will be the South Beach Diet. 

During an extended period of time focused on weight loss, there will be weeks when there are more pounds lost than expected, sometimes less than expected and sometimes there are 'plateaus' where the scale just seems stuck for a while.

In Monday's Kaizen Healthy Lifestyle class we discussed how to deal with plateaus so they aren't too discouraging nor lengthy.  Again, keeping a food log is one of the best tools anyone has used which helps us not only be more mindful during the day but can provide important clues when weight loss plateaus and we aren't sure why. Class members shared that looking at the food log helped them break a plateau period by making them more conscious of portion sizes, how much water they were drinking, how frequently they were eating out at restaurants, and how much fiber they ate each day.

In addition to a high-fiber diet reducing your risk of diabetes, digestive disorders, hemorrhoids, certain cancers and heart disease, getting plenty of fiber assists with weight loss and weight maintenance.  The USFDA recommends including 20-30 grams of fiber each day.  Eating fiber adds no calories yet helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied.  When class members paid attention to getting enough fiber they found they were eating more desirable foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and feeling satisfied. They decreased overeating and junk food snacking.

Monday's Kaizen Healthy Lifestyle class involved everyone in reviewing common food choices and identifying at least one nutritionally superior alternate.  The alternate had to be similar and tasty...no sense pretending you would just as soon eat cottage cheese as vanilla ice cream.  Many pairs were discussed - one item to Choose, one item to Lose.  For example, when looking at sugar content, their is no contest between orange Crystal Lite (choose) and carton orange juice (lose).  Significantly lower in sugar and calories are Emerald's Cocoa Roasted Almonds vs. peanut M & Ms.   Lose a lot of saturated fat by choosing olive oil over butter. Lose a ton of sodium by choosing low-sodium chicken broth over bouillion cubes.  Add fiber and a healthier carb by choosing rolled oats instead of bread crumbs in your recipes calling for filler.   You may have seen the book series 'Eat This - Not That', which is the same concept.  The problem with those books is they are NOT presenting a truly healthy choice with each 'Eat This' recommendation. They are simply saying one of the pair is better than the other... but it is often the lesser of two evils.  The Kaizen Healthy Lifestlye class is much more discerning.  Handouts from the 'Choose It-Lose It' class will be free to visitors at the upcoming Love Your Life Health Expo March 26 at Kaizen Total Wellness center in Lakewood Ranch.

Kaizen Total Wellness nutritionist Annette Shuchert was a featured speaker at the open house Thursday evening at Che Bella.

Annette showed how spending just a little more time reading the nutrition information on food labels can help us make important distinctions and much healthier choices.  For example, the healthiest looking skin is the most hydrated skin.  So in addition to drinking at least eight bottles of water each day, spaced throughout the day, we should pay attention to counter-hydration ingredients like sodium.  Even diet coke and yogurt have sodium we don't think about! 

Monday's Healthy Lifestyle class offered new information about what to eat, and not eat, to lower risk of heart disease or stroke, reviewing my 'Ask the Dietitian' article in February's Living Out East Magazine. http://www.livingouteast.com/digital/LOEOB_February_2011. We reviewed food labels on packages... so tricky! 

     Annette Schuchert  http://www.kaizentotalwellness.com/about-us   also led a lively discussion where the participants learned about the four questions to stop and ask yourself when you reach for food, especially an unplanned snack.  1. Am I hungry?  2. Is this what I feel like eating? 3. Is this what I feel like eating now? 4. Is there something else I could eat instead?   (from The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size by Julia Cameron, bestselling author of  The Artist's Way.

 This really helps us be more mindful, more conscious of what we 

An almond-enriched diet improves LDL-Cholesterol and Insulin Sensitivity which are major risk factors for heart disease and type-2 diabetes.

Also olive oil and leafy vegetables have been shown to decrease heart disease in women by 40% according to a recent study that lasted 8 years.