holy cats, I have some VERY important information for all of you. But first, let me tell you that I recently had landscaping done in my backyard. It looks fabulous of course! Jon Wallenburg from Solid Rock Landscaping performed the work of art and I have given many tours already. Jon has gotten two referrals already! How bout that?!!

Ok, so let's get back to my "VERY" important information. The reason I brought up my yard is because my neighbor has this problem with nasty little varmints. We think they are moles.......ugh! Do you know what those dang moles like to eat???? GRUBS! And where do you think those grubs come from????? Japanese BEETLES! You heard me right. Here is the skinny:

Japanese Beetles emerge from the ground in June and July, eat up the plants in your landscape, lay eggs in your lawn, and then the larva hatch into grubs that will appear as next years Japanese Beetles.

The grubs feed on the roots of your turf grasses and can ruin a lawn. Apparently, Japanese Beetle grubs are tasty if you happen to be a mole or skunk so these two varmints tear up your lawn to get to the grubs. They will do a lot of damage foraging for grubs. So in order to keep the skunks and moles from destroying your lawn, you have to rid your lawn of Japanese Beetle
grubs.

Are you getting the picture???.........moles next store......hunting grubs! Ugh! Well, my plan of action is as follows.........get rid of the grubs!! Ah yes, I layed down some real powerful grub killer! And, hopefully NO Japanese BEETLES!

Sheesh, my life can be so complicated :)

Hi bogger buds! It's me! I'm sure you're all missing me! Ha! I thought I would check in with everyone since it is only 2 days until my birthday. That gives you a small, yet, very significant window of opportunity to send me birthday wishes!!!!!

My dad was here last weekend for an early celebration. Actually, we were celebrating one of my friends, who won her pro card at the Natural Mr. and Mrs. Iowa. She had been out of the bodybuilding scene for about 8 or 9 years, had 2 beautiful babies, but continued to work out with my dad all those years. Yes, she is like my dad's "other" daughter and he was so very proud of her accomplishment! Hats off to Wendy Rees for her comeback! yeah!

I cannot sign off without giving you all an update on my yard. Of course it is looking like the back nine of the Pinehurst! It is plush and green. Tiger Woods asked to practice chipping the other day, but I had to decline since I could not handle any divots in my lawn!!! This year I am using the Earl May six step summer program. It is full of nutrients and PROTEIN for healthy blades of grass!!

SATURDAY, MAY 16TH, DR. J DAY!!

It's hard to believe that summer is not so far away as it is still cold and wet and today it decided to drop a couple inches of the frosty white stuff.

I didn't forget about spring. Do you remember? We had a couple days of spring back in December, one in January, and two more in March! No, I am getting ready for summer.

Remember when we were kids? Summertime meant NO school. We'd get up, hurry to get dressed, and then run outside barefoot. Kids would be outside playing all day.....at the park, in the driveways, and my favorite........at the pool. I went to the pool nearly every day to swim. Hard to believe now, as I am one to sit on the pools edge and watch the kids slapping the water, doing cannon balls, and laughing, laughing, laughing. Ah, the life of a kid! Those were the days. None of my freinds had computers. TV's were black and white (hee hee), and video games amounted to pac man! Yea, that was fun, but not as fun as riding my dirtbike in the puddles, jumping off ramps made of dirt, playing hide and seek, smear the queer, and tackle football. Once I left home in the morning, I would not be back for hours. Of course, I checked in with my dad frequently, but I was PLAYING......and playing hard!

And now that I'm older, summer means I'm gonna uncover my grill, get a summer reading list together, and this summer.......I've decided to take on some new training clients. How about it kids??? Want to come play? Ask your moms....better yet, let's make play time for moms and kids. I'm talking about taking on 3-4 moms and their kids for one hour a day. It's a time to learn body basics and strength training (my personal favorite!)I have some great stuff planned. If you are interested, please email me at IronLadyDoc@aol.com.

See you soon! First class times begin after Memorial Day! And get this, classes are outside.........in the SUMMERTIME!

The hot topic today is not the economy, although many would argue with me on that opinion, but instead it is childhood obesity. New statistics say childhood obesity is the most alarming public health issue facing the world today. Instead of worrying that our kids may pay for the economic deficit, think about the fact that they may be contributing to the economic burdan. Healthcare costs are going up and if we do not start concentrating on disease prevention, all of us will be in a world of hurt.

Did you know that the prevalence of pediatric obesity has greatly increased over the past several decades, affecting both males and females among all racial and ethnic groups, and bringing with it comorbidities that were only observed in adults in the past? Most likely not! And to make matters worse, obesity in the pediatric population tracks into adulthood. Obese children have a 70% chance of becoming obese adults, and this risk increases to 80% if one or both parents are also obese.

What are parents to do? First off, lifestyle modifications! I don't want to be a pessimist, but compliance is often poor and results may be minimal. Thus, many adolescents are turning to bariatric surgery as a treatment for obesity and its complications. Can you imagine taking your 9-yr old child in for bariatric surgery because of his/her obesity??

Let's start over. We can make a change. Everyone can do this. Prevention of obesity in children should be the first line of treatment. This begins with modification of dietary and exercise habits. Decreasing portion sizes, decreasing high calorie food and drinks, and decreasing snacks are the most common dietary recommendations for obese children.

If you feel like these recommendations are difficult......you're right on! My suggestion is to get help.......get a nutritionist, get a trainer, join a support group! There is help for everyone. Let's start changing these statistics. Let's make Americans strong again. Let's live to see this economic burdan turn into an economic success!

Back to the whole grain issue. I have had a few more questions of late, so I will expand on this topic. First, whole grain, unprocessed carbohydrates, offer the following benefits:

--They’re high in fiber, helping us maintain a healthy GI tract
--They’re slow to digest, helping us control blood sugar
--They’re loaded with vitamins and minerals, improving our nutrient density
--They’re satisfying, helping us control appetite

As a result of these benefits, whole grain, unprocessed carbohydrate sources tend to be handled better, versus the more heavily processed starchy carbohydrate sources such as breads, pastas, rices, crackers, and cereals.

Second, just because a food package says “whole grain,” that doesn’t mean the product is a whole grain food. When I recommend whole, unprocessed carbohydrate sources, I’m recommending unprocessed foods that, in their entirety, are comprised of whole grains.....not foods that are highly processed (like breads, cereals, crackers, snacks, etc). And, not foods that have a light sprinkling of processed grains - included for marketing purposes, not for health purposes.

Examples of whole grain, unprocessed carbohydrates are the following:

--Plain full flake or steel cut oats
--Plain amaranth
--Plain quinoa
--Plain millet
--Plain wheat berries
--Plain barley
--Plain wild rice

If you’re not sure where to pick up your whole grains, grocery stores and supermarkets with bulk food sections usually have a decent selection.

Get cooking!

I love what I do.......I love helping people. What a great feeling it is when someone tells me how much I have helped them attain their goals. Below is an email that I want to share with all of you. It made me smile ear to ear!! Let me just say, "it's the little things in life that make it fulfilling!"

Hi,

I just wanted to send you a quick note telling you of my progress. It has been two months since I began weight training after a long hiatus. (over a decade)

I have followed your suggested diet and eating schedule and I have seen incredible gains in muscle growth and body fat reduction.

I have taken some precaution not to eliminate too much fat from my diet but I am focusing on "good" fats and concentrating on when I eat.

I know your time is valuable and I just want to thank you for the suggestions and direction I needed so badly. You took time out of your schedule to help a complete stranger and I really appreciate it.

As I continue to get better at building the body I desire, I will have more requests regarding diet and training and I will gladly pay for this direction.

Thanks again,

JWB

It's February 1st...........Super Bowl Sunday. To many it's the biggest party day of the year. Why the hype? Well, for starters, the Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game and all its ancillary festivities constitute Super Bowl Sunday. Over the years it has become the most-watched U.S. television broadcast of the year.

In addition, many popular singers and musicians have performed during the Super Bowl's pre-game and halftime ceremonies.

Lastly, Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, following Thanksgiving....Not something you want your doctor to hear!

And the history of the game......The Super Bowl was first played on January 15, 1967 as part of an agreement between the NFL and its younger rival, the American Football League (AFL) in which each league's championship team would play each other in an "AFL-NFL World Championship Game". After the leagues merged in 1970, the Super Bowl became the NFL's championship game, played between the champions of the league's two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Since the NFL season extends into the New Year, the Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year it was held. For example, Super Bowl XLII, played in February 2008, was actually part of the 2007 season.

Super Bowl XLIII will be played between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Steelers are a 6.5 point favorite.

There is something much deeper behind the "Steel Curtain Defense" and the offensive stance of Kurt Warner.

A born-again Christian, Warner is relentless in his desire to spread the word. Where many other players mention their beliefs in passing, Warner makes a point of raising his at regular intervals. He has said before, that any story about him which does not have God at its center is fundamentally missing the point.

And on the other side......Troy Polamalu. He is a big reason the Steelers will be playing in the Super Bowl today. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and there is no question that his desire to succeed drives him constantly.

What makes Polamalu such a dangerous player, is that he is armed with a purpose that not all players have.

It started back when Polamalu was a kid growing up in California. He went to go visit his uncle up in Oregon and ended up really like it there so he asked his mother if he could stay. She knew it was the best decision for her son because she wanted him away from any gang violence he might experience at home.

Polamalu's heritage is Somoan, and it was through his uncle that he really got in touch with those values. His mentality is to be a gentleman everywhere, except on the field. He is extremely disciplined, and never gives less than 100% of himself, even in practice. He is deeply rooted in his Christianity and that drives him to constantly strive to play at such a high level.

So, there you have it....the force behind these two great men.....God! I love it! Enjoy the game friends! Don't eat too much! Doctor J's orders!

Good day my friends. Today's post: Bodyfat 101

The #1 New Year's Resolution is weight loss. When individuals commit to a weight loss program, they most commonly concentrate on subtracting pounds from their total, overall weight. Although this is a worthwhile goal, the newest research is showing that this approach may be shortsighted. As one of the newest and most alarming studies demonstrated, abdominal fat may be a stronger predictor of premature death than overall weight. At a time of year when everyone’s mind is on weight loss, I thought it would be particularly appropriate to discuss the findings of this new study and explain an effective approach to reduce the visceral fat that accumulates around abdominal organs.

Many of the past studies investigating the association between weight and risk of death have relied upon the body-mass index of the subjects. The BMI uses a person’s height and weight to calculate a score. Individuals who have a BMI of between 25 and 29.9 points are considered overweight; anyone with a higher score is considered obese. According to current treatment guidelines, physicians usually only measure patients’ waists if their patients’ BMI indicates they are overweight.

In the past, most studies on weight gain and risk of death depended upon the BMI, but few studies examined whether the distribution of body fat contributes to the prediction of death. Now, however, an emerging body of evidence is finding that it’s not how many pounds a person gains but rather where the weight settles.

The newest study to reach this conclusion was one of the largest of its kind. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results indicated that participants with large waists had an increased risk of death—even if they were considered to be normal weight based upon their BMI. Normal-weight males whose waists measured about 40 inches or more had double the risk of dying compared to those who had waists 34 inches or less. Females whose BMI was normal but who had waists 35 inches or more had a 79 percent increased chance of dying compared to female subjects whose waists were 28 inches or less.

Another finding of the study was that for every five-centimeter (about two inches) increase in waist size in subjects with any BMI score, death risk rose by 17 percent for males and 13 percent for females. Comparing waist-to-hip ratios resulted in similar findings.

Earlier in 2008, another study was published in the journal Circulation that reached a similar conclusion. The study authors concluded, “Measures of abdominal adiposity were strongly and positively associated with all-cause, CVD [cardiovascular disease], and cancer mortality independently of body mass index. Elevated waist circumference was associated with significantly increased CVD mortality even among normal-weight women.”

Here is a reminder of why this type of fat is so dangerous to cardiovascular and overall health. Abdominal fat is actually comprised of: 1) subcutaneous fat, which accumulates under the skin and is relatively benign and 2) dense visceral fat, found deep in the abdomen, surrounding the intra-abdominal organs. Elevated levels of visceral fat causes metabolic syndrome and visceral fat cells release inflammatory cytokines such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin (IL)-6, which contribute to chronic systemic inflammation. Visceral fat also can trigger increases in blood pressure due to the production of angiotensin, a chemical messenger that can cause the constriction of blood vessels. Even modest increases in visceral fat result in measurable endothelial dysfunction. Aging, excessive calorie intake and sedentary lifestyle all contribute to weight gain and visceral fat accumulation.

This may seem complicated, but I am recommending that you see your primary care physician and discuss your risks. Stay up to date with your health care. Start the year off right.......nutrition and exercise!!! Train hard and eat smart!!!