Health and Fitness

Page 1

The tried and true workout favorites that dominate gym class schedules like spinning, Yoga, Zumba orPilates, have been keeping our bodies and minds in top form. But even these great fitness programscan grow stale, affecting motivation. Plus, choosing between the benefits of cardio-focused sweat ses-sions such as Spinning and Zumba or more chill Yoga or Pilates can be daunting. Now, you no longerhave to decide between an energy surge or a Zen fix – you can have both…and then some.

Fuse the benefits of strength, cardio and mental well-being into one comprehensive workout with a fit-ness class. Whether these fitness blends are trickling over from around the world or the West coast intoNew York, they’re steadily gaining popularity and making fitness multi-tasking a snap. So, why notshake up your fitness routine with some cool twists on some old favorites?

A New Spin on SpinTime is precious, and this workout is said to incorporate three key goals – cardio,muscle building and destressing – into one class. Although Yoga and Spinningmay seem odd at first, this curious hybrid is slowly building a buzz.

Whether it’s called Cycle-Yoga, Yoga Spin or Spin Yoga, the premise behind the workout is that the twoworkouts incorporate the best of both worlds, delivering the benefits of spin, a high energy, calorieblasting, cardio-based bike class, and the ancient practice of Yoga, which stretches and strengthensmuscles and improves balance while you unwind. Spin is said to fill the void in Yoga, and vice versa.

Linking both mind and body, participants are guided through a 60-90 minute class that, depending oninstructor and location, begins off the bike with a series of yoga postures performed on mats withfootwear (quite unlike traditional Yoga). Preparatory poses gradually progress to more active yoga movesthat get you warmed up for the bike and strengthen and stretch the upper body, an area that tends toget short changed in pedaling-based spin. After an intense ride lessens in intensity, the class culmi-nates off the bike with some more Yoga, this time sans footwear.

Verbal cues and changes in workout intensity that focuses on different parts of the body are said to stallworkout boredom and keep injury at bay. Reap the benefits of both cycling and Yoga and keep youreyes peeled for a class near you.

Zumba-rifficZumba is a dynamic, cardio-rich dance fitness class that fuses Latin,international and trendy moves combined with pop and traditionalmusic of varying tempo. This cardio-based workout can torch upto 1,000 calories in one session, but most participants have to do aseparate weight training workout in order to tone major muscle groups.

fitness

72 winter 2010 woodbury

by marissa candela

More Zumba HybridsFor those with access to an indoorpool in winter months, Aqua Zumbais an all ages, all-levels, “pool party”workout. Fun, challenging, water-based exercises integrate the Zumba formula and philosophy intotraditional aqua fitness disciplines.There is less stress on the joints and bones, so it is ideal for thosewho are deconditioned, arthritic, or recovering from injury. Specialaqua fitness shoes provide cushioning and support.

Did you know? Seniors can alsoenjoy the party with a lighter, less intense version of Zumba calledZumba Gold.

Get your kids active and away from the TV with Zumbatomic, especially designed for ages 4-12.

familiar fitness with a twistcreative fusions breathe new l i fe into workout s taples

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74 winter 2010 woodbury

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But no longer. Slowly building momentum since 2008, Zumba Toning,which focuses more on muscle training, is taking the class to the next levelby working in a toning element to build strength and burn more calories.Said to be a more comprehensive workout, Zumba Toning features themissing element to a traditional Zumba class by adding lightweight, sand-filled toning sticks that are similar to fun, noise making maracas.Muscle building exercises are incorporated into fun dance routines.

This class preserves the party atmosphere of original Zumba, but is enhanced with a strength training element that leads to more definition and calorie burning. A well-versed instructor will teach you to blend bodysculpting techniques and specific Zumba moves to help build coordinationand endurance. Even more enticing, no previous dance or Zumba class experience is necessary!

Yoga What?If you’re torn between the unique benefits of Yoga and Pilates, a curious hybrid called Yogalates, invented by Aussie Louise Solomon,claims to give you the best of both techniques.Low impact and simple, it combines the flexibility,

strength and ambiance of Yoga along with the strength, stability and coredevelopment of Pilates, an important element that can be neglected in traditional Yoga classes. By combining the two disciplines, the chance ofinjury is said to be lessened as core stability is increased, as some Yogaenthusiasts lack the foundation to move through the various postures. It isparticularly good for bad back pain and postnatal (not pregnant) womenbecause it builds strength through the torso.

All that is needed is a floor mat to protect the spine, another smaller towel to place under the head, and aThera-Band to replicate the resistance of the Pilates exer-cise machines which can be purchased from a sportinggoods store or physiotherapist.

Be a Yogalates pioneer! For now, Yogalates classes are predominantly offered in Europe and Asia, but home-based workout products can be purchased online at yogalates.com.au.

PiloxingIf you only have a precious thirty minutesand are undecided as to do cardio orweights, why not give Piloxing a try? This fresh, California-based trend blendsthe power and agility of boxing and

the sculpting and flexibility of Pilates intertwined with fun dance moves. Said to be a challenging core-centric interval workout, Piloxing has been gaining a fierce celebrity following since it touts fat burning, muscle sculpting benefits.

In addition to Pilates and boxing movements, the exercise incorporates the use of weighted gloves which add to the workout by toning the armsand maximizing cardiovascular health. The brainchild of Swedish dancerand trainer Viveca Jensen, Piloxing’s principle is to enhance femininepower while aiming to achieve a sleek, sexy form. For Piloxing fitness gear, please visit www.piloxing.com.

Although some of the names of these fitness fusions may soundhokey, their principles do make sense. Any workout that allows you to simultaneously enjoy a surge of energy, muscle building benefits and a Zen fix are worth exploration. So if you’ve been feeling ho-hum about your exercise routines, keep your eyes peeled for these new spins on fitness at your local gym, or better yet put in a request for a class. These workout multi-taskers may just breathe new life into your tried and true fitness favorites. |

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Page 3

fitness

A ballerina’s body, with its long, lean muscles, is most envi-able. There’s no question, the strong, yet feminine physique of a dancer issomething almost every woman would like to attain. And according to thelatest trend in fitness – The Bar Method – you don’t have to train for yearsor invest in a tutu to pull off this lovely look.

The Bar Method is based on the technique of German dancer Lotte Berk.After a back injury, she had the idea of combining ballet bar routines withrehabilitative therapy to form a unique exercise system known today as theLotte Berk Method. Lydia Bach brought it to the U.S. and further refinedthe method to make it a single, all encompassing exercise for womenwith the end goal of developing a dancer’s body.

Years later, journalist Burr Leonard entered the picture. She quickly fell inlove with the technique, left her profession and spent a year studying andeventually teaching The Lotte Berk Method. Soon after, she noticed thatsome of her clients’ knees, backs and shoulders were not responding wellto the exercises.

To solve this issue, she sought the help of a physical therapist. Under hisguidance, she gradually reworked and updated the sculpting exercises andthe system as a whole, so that they would target students’ muscles withoutjoint impact. Once mastered, Burr left Lotte Berk which soon disbanded(2005) and introduced her own program named The Bar Method in 2001.Today, there are 25 studio locations open around the country.

72 winter 2009 woodbury

by marissa candela

Transform Your BodySo what is the bar method exactly? In a recent, very full class at The BarMethod studio in Port Washington, the first of its kind on Long Island andone of 25 franchises in the United States to-date, I found out. As luckwould have it, founder Burr Leonard was teaching just for that day, so theenergy was high. The studio was basic; comfortable with carpeted floors,mirrors and ballet bars that flank the class. Socks are worn, along with longpants to allow freedom of movement. After settling in, we began with a seriesof simple leg raises to warm the muscles. The music was comfortablyaudible and its tempo matched our pace. We then worked the upper bodywith free weights, push-ups and stretches using the bar, but all movementswere very concentrated, controlled isolations to ignite a deep muscle burn.This was soothed by ample stretches right after each exercise. Soon into theclass I broke out into a sweat, as did my classmates – this was no easy workout.

Next came challenging exercises for the lower body, most of them per-formed in various standing positions while grasping the bar. As the classprogressed, Burr encouraged the class to dig deeper and push themselvesto maximize effect, manually adjusting students’ positions along the way.After she caught my cheating posture and corrected my hip positioningduring a leg exercise, I immediately felt a more intense pull in my quads.

The workout continued with floor exercises for the abdominals and gluteson comfortable mats and concluded with a relaxing series of back and legstretches with bands to maximize effect. At the class’s culmination mymuscles were shaking, a common effect for newbies.

former Lotte Berk guru goes for gold with The Bar Method

Page 4

woodbury winter 2009 73

In speaking with Burr following the class she said, “The Bar Method is quite differentfrom working out at a traditional gym, where basically ‘pump and hold’ until themuscle fatigues is the norm. Instead, it offers isometric reps within a structuredroutine that enables you to go deeper. It recharges the muscles and stabilizes thejoints, making them firm and balanced.”

And because it was designed from rehabilitative exercises, clients with knee injuriesand even hip replacements can also try this non-impact, challenging workout. Accord-ing to Burr, those with wrist injuries can modify the exercises to avoid further injury.

Followers of the program also claim self awareness is heightened, remarking thatas you go through the moves you feel your body more deeply. Personally, I can at-test that the next day soreness of unfamiliar muscles affirmed that the workoutdoes go deep, at least on a physical level.

Mollie Mulholland and Michelle Avena Rowe, co-owners of the Long Island fran-chise, are believers and banking on this workout as a fitness movement; not atrend people will bore of. “Although the sequence of the class is the same, varia-tions allow it to remain fresh and interesting. Plus, you can always drive yourselffurther in class,” said Mulholland.

Risa Waltos from Manhasset, who has been taking Bar Method classes three tofour times per week for the past five months, agrees. “It has toned, lengthenedand defined my muscles. After just two weeks, I began to see a difference. Youbegin to push yourself when you get the moves down, which only takes about threeor so classes. I loved that as I went along my ‘inner ballerina’ began to emerge.”

And although cardio enthusiasts may be concerned, students who measuredcalorie burn during class shed between 250-800 calories in a one hour session(also keep in mind that rigorous cardio can also spark your appetite, killing theresults of a workout faster than you can get into first position). This high calorieburn can result in significant weight loss.

So if you’re wondering if The Bar Method is for you, why not take a trial class?While there, it’s hard not to notice the strong, lithe physiques of its avid followers,which may very well inspire you to discover your own inner ballerina! |For information visit www.barmethod.com or call the Port Washington location at 516.767.7560. FounderBurr Leonard will be back in the area this coming February. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch a class with her!

Page 5

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earch

con

duct

ed b

yN

ASA

has

rev

ealed

that

plant

s can

rem

ove

seve

ral to

xic

chem

ical

s fr

omth

e ai

r in

bui

ldin

g inte

riors

; in

fact,

plan

ts a

re s

o ef

fect

ive

at m

opping

up

airb

orne

con

tam

inan

ts tha

t N

ASA

plan

s to

includ

e th

em a

s pa

rt o

f bio

-lo

gica

l lif

e supp

ort

syst

ems

aboa

rdfutu

re o

rbiting

spac

e st

ations

.Ano

ther

opt

ion

for

cleaning

indo

orai

r is

an

ele

ctri

c pu

rify

ing un

it.

Dep

endi

ng

on y

our

needs

, ai

r

Feng

Shui Your

Off

ice Sp

ace

Cle

anse

Your

Off

ice Air

STEP

1:

STEP

2:

STEP

3:

Arom

ath

erapy

M

akes

Scents

Page 7

purif

iers

com

e in

var

ious

shape

s and

size

s, and

per

form

dif

ferent

fun

c-tio

ns. The

re a

re a

ir pur

ifier

s ge

ared

tow

ard

ridd

ing

spac

es o

f al

lerg

ens,

smok

e and

chem

ical

impu

ritie

s; st

er-

ilizing

airb

orne

bacte

ria; a

nd n

eutr

al-

izin

g oz

one,

a h

ighl

y ir

ritating

gas

.Oth

ers pu

rifi

ers ta

rget

the

VO

Cs

(vol

atile

org

anic

com

poun

ds)

emit-

ted

by s

ome

offic

e equipm

ent;

even

at l

ow l

evel

s, the

se t

oxic

che

mic

als

can

caus

e he

adache

s, d

izzine

ss and

sore

thr

oats

. Pu

rifi

ers

can

mak

e a

noti

ceab

le d

iffe

renc

e in

the

sm

ell

and

over

all

ener

gy o

f indo

or a

ir—

turn

ing m

ind-

num

bing

stu

ffin

ess

into

produ

ctiv

ity-b

oost

ing

freshn

ess.

Erg

onom

ics

is h

ow w

e as

hum

ans

inte

ract

with

mac

hin

es—

prop

erer

gono

mic

s ar

e es

sent

ial t

o a he

alth

yw

orkp

lace

. Think

abo

ut h

ow y

our

body

rel

ates

to

the m

echa

nics

in

your

off

ice;

are

you

suf

fering

any

phys

ical

con

sequ

ence

s?Ta

ke th

e tim

e to

exam

ine

your

sur

-roun

ding

s, espe

cial

ly th

e hu

b of

you

rof

fice

—yo

ur c

ompu

ter.

You

r ke

y-bo

ard must

be the

right

hei

ght

for

your

bod

y to

avo

id str

ain

and m

aybe

cor

rect

ed w

ith

adju

stm

ents

in

your

cha

ir, d

esk

or k

eybo

ard tr

ay. If

your

wris

t is

bend

ing un

com

fort

ably

to a

ccom

mod

ate

your

com

pute

rm

ouse

, loo

k into

wris

t or

palm

rests

to m

aint

ain

a st

raight

, ne

utra

l w

rist

postur

e. E

ven

bett

er,

if yo

ur w

rist

sst

art to

ach

e, in

vest

in v

oice

rec

ogni

-ti

on s

oftw

are to

tak

e a

brea

k fr

omtyping

witho

ut l

osin

g pr

oduc

tivity

.(I

f you

alre

ady

suffe

r fr

om r

epet

itive

stra

in p

robl

ems,

tur

n to

Mal

ady

Mak

eove

r on pa

ge 1

4.)

Your

wor

k ar

ea sho

uld

not

be t

oobr

ight

ly l

it,

as thi

s can

create

gla

reand

eye pr

oblem

s fr

om str

aining

to

see

your

com

pute

r sc

reen

. M

onit

orgl

are

filte

rs c

an re

med

y th

is pr

oblem

;EM

F sc

reen

s ar

e al

so a

vaila

ble to

prot

ect

offi

ce w

orke

rs f

rom

the

potenti

al h

azards

of m

onit

ors’

electr

omagne

tic ra

diat

ion di

scha

rge.

Do

you

feel

cha

ined

to

your

des

kbe

caus

e you’

re a

lway

s on

the

pho

ne?

Light

wei

ght

wir

eles

s he

adsets

for

phon

es c

an b

e qu

ite u

sefu

l and

som

eev

en c

ome

with

built

-in

cont

rols

.H

eads

ets

give

use

rs the

fre

edom

to

mov

e ar

ound

and

can

sim

plif

ymulti-

task

ing;

the

y al

so d

ecre

ase th

ehe

ad and

nec

k st

rain

, and

repe

titiv

ew

rist

mov

emen

ts,

from

the

use

of

trad

ition

al re

ceiv

ers.

Mak

e su

re y

our

chai

r pr

ovid

espr

oper

supp

ort a

nd re

duce

s the

incl

i-na

tion

tow

ard

awkw

ard po

stur

es.

Your

cha

ir sho

uld

have

bac

krest

adju

stm

ent

opti

ons

for

vari

ous

sit-

ting

pos

itions

, he

ight

and

arm

rest

adju

stab

ility

and

no

less

tha

n four

legs

to

avoid

tipp

ing.

Cha

irs th

aten

cour

age po

or p

ostu

re p

lace

und

uest

ress

and

str

ain

on the

mus

cles

and

skel

etal

system

and

may

even

rest

rict

oxyg

en f

rom

prope

rly c

ircu

latin

g to

your

bra

in and

ext

rem

ities

, caus

ing

fatig

ue and

fogg

ines

s.E

rgon

omic

s im

pact

produ

ctiv

ity,

so if

you

are

lack

ing

in one

or m

ore

of the

se a

reas

, re

quest th

e pr

oper

adju

stm

ents

or

equipm

ent.

Aft

er a

ll,if

you’

re m

iser

able

, si

ck and

tire

d at

wor

k, the

all-

impo

rtan

t bo

ttom

line

will

suf

fer—

no r

easona

ble

empl

oyer

wan

ts th

at.

For pe

ople

who

spe

nd the

maj

ority

of th

eir t

ime

indo

ors,

balanc

ed li

ghtin

gis

vit

al f

or a

hea

lthy

wor

k atm

os-

pher

e. Ful

l-spe

ctrum

light

ing

is the

next

best th

ing to

natur

al sun

light

,bu

t flu

ores

cent

light

ing

is sti

ll th

eno

rm in m

ost

wor

kpla

ces—

whe

re it

contr

ibut

es t

o num

erou

s of

fice

health

con

cern

s.Fl

icke

ring

from

flu

ores

cent

light

bulb

s and

compu

ter

scre

ens

can tr

ig-

ger m

igra

ine he

adac

hes

and

eye

fatig

ue;

fluor

escent

light

ing

can

also

leak

rad

iati

on,

caus

ing dr

owsine

ssand

irrita

bilit

y.Fu

ll-sp

ectrum

light

ing

is m

ore

balanc

ed, he

lpin

g to

red

uce

eye-

stra

in,

coun

tera

ct d

row

sine

ss and

less

en p

rodu

ctio

n o

f th

e st

ress

horm

one

cort

isol

. Fu

ll-spe

ctru

mlig

htin

g ev

en stimul

ates

the

form

a-ti

on o

f vitam

in D

within

the

skin

and

is us

ed t

o tr

eat

seas

onal

affe

ctiv

edi

sord

er (

SAD

), bo

ostin

g im

mun

itydu

ring

cold

mon

ths.

Fina

lly—

Off

ice

Ahh

hhh

…Lu

sh g

reen

plant

s, p

erso

nal dé

cor,

full

-spe

ctru

m l

ight

ing,

soo

thin

gsc

ents

, com

fy e

rgon

omic

s and

othe

rof

fice up

grad

es c

an a

ll co

ntrib

ute to

a happ

ier, he

alth

ier

wor

kpla

ce—

but

equa

lly impo

rtan

t ar

e th

e intang

ible

upgr

ades

, su

ch a

s fil

ling

your

off

ice

with po

siti

ve ene

rgy,

a c

an-d

o atti

-tude

and

a g

ood

sens

e of

hum

or.

In the

end

, cre

atin

g a ph

ysic

al and

men

tal

offi

ce o

asis

will

tak

e tim

e,ef

fort

and

som

e expe

nse—

but th

ink

of h

ow m

uch m

ore he

alth

y and pr

o-du

ctiv

e yo

u’ll

be i

f yo

u fo

llow

even

someo

f the

se id

eas! W

hen

your

9-t

o-5

offi

ce e

xist

ence

is

orga

nized

and

happ

y, y

ou’ll

eas

ily le

ave

it al

l beh

ind

wh

en y

ou’r

e n

ot a

t w

ork—

and

inst

ead de

vote

you

r tim

e and

ener

gyto

fam

ily, f

riend

s, ho

bbie

s and

culti

-va

ting

the

thing

s yo

u lo

ve.

Aren’t

thes

e th

e th

ings

you

’re w

orking

for

in th

e fir

st p

lace

? !

30EN

ERG

Y TI

MES

| Ju

ne 2

007

Ease

You

r Ach

ing E

yes

If yo

ur e

yes s

uffe

r fro

m a

ll th

ose

hour

s sta

ring

at a

scre

en, t

ry th

isre

fresh

ing

min

i-bre

ak: R

ub y

our

palm

s tog

ethe

r unt

il th

ey’re

nic

ean

d w

arm

, the

n pl

ace

them

ove

ryo

ur c

lose

d ey

es fo

r 30

seco

nds.

Repe

at a

s nee

ded

durin

g th

e da

y.

ETip

Be E

rgonomically

Corre

ct

STEP

4:

Brighte

nyour W

ork

day

STEP

5:

Page 8

16 I ENERGY TIMES • July/August 2010

nter summer, exit protec-tive clothing. As we shedour sweaters and ventureout into the sun, weexpose our skin and eyes

to summer’s deceptively harsh ele-ments—and our bodies to injury as weengage in sports, swimming and otheroutdoor activities. Thankfully, you canprepare for summer’s inevitable sun-burns, scrapes, insect bites and musclepulls by building an all-natural firstaid kit.

Pine ProtectionYour summer kit should include sun-screen, but remember that it’s not acure-all—even the best sunscreen onlyblocks some of the sun’s damagingrays. Nutritional supplements cansupport skin from the inside out tocomplement sunblock. “To preventsunburn, it is important to have opti-mal levels of calcium, magnesiumand vitamin D, as well as essentialfatty acids and antioxidants,” saysSharon Stills, ND of NaturopathicSolutions in Plainview, New York.One example of a protective antioxi-

dant is the French pine bark extractPycnogenol. The sun’s harmful raysunleash damaging molecules calledfree radicals; they also promoteinflammation that results in sunburn.Pycnogenol quenches free radicalsand modulates the body’s inflamma-tory response.In studies Pycnogenol has demon-

strated a capacity for increasing theskin’s sunburn resistance and reduc-ing skin redness after exposure toultraviolet light. In one investigation,Pycnogenol showed an ability to pro-tect mice against a form of skin cancer

known as squamous cell carcinoma(Toxicology and Industrial Health 5-6/09). Pycnogenol has also been foundto accelerate skin healing and reducescar formation, making it helpful forinjuries sustained during rough-and-tumble summer activities.If you do get a sunburn, Laurie

Steelsmith ND, LAc of SteelsmithNatural Health Center in Honolulusuggests using black tea to ease dis-comfort. “Make a few good strongcups of tea. Soak a towel in the tea andapply to the burned skin, or take abath in tea to help alleviate sting,”advises Steelsmith, author of NaturalChoices for Women’s Health (ThreeRivers). “After you no longer have‘heat’ emanating from your skin, applyaloe vera to help to heal and preventscarring.” You should also keep aloevera on hand near the barbecue, whereit can take the sting out of burns.

Internal SunglassesA hat and shades are mandatory sum-mertime protection. But few sun-glasses are able to block all of thesun’s damaging rays. Lutein , anantioxidant nutrient found in foodssuch as dark leafy vegetables, can helpby acting as “internal sunglasses.”Lutein (along with its chemical part-

ner zeaxanthin) has been found tosettle in the eye’s retina and act as afilter that absorbs damaging blue lightfrequencies from the sun. Lutein alsoneutralizes free radicals generated bythe sun’s deep-penetrating UVA rays.These actions are especially impor-

tant as the years go by because sun-induced free radical damage in theretina is linked to age-related maculardegeneration, a condition thataccounts for most cases of blindnessin Americans age 65 and older.Supplementation has been found to

m a k e o v e rMALADY

Natural First AidBe prepared for summertime’s bumps, bites and burns with these remedies.

E

Page 9

increase lutein concentrations withinthe retina (Current Eye Research 4/10).In a similar manner, lutein helps

protect skin from the sun’s dam-ag ing rays . Resea r che r s havefound that supplemental luteinmig ra te s to the sk in , where i tdiminishes the effects of UV radia-tion, helps to counteract the sun’s“photoaging” effects, such as finelines and wrinkles, and increasesthe skin’s hydration and elasticity.MSM , an organic form of sulfurbest known for its pain-relievinge f f e c t s , a l so he lps keep sk insmooth and supple.

Easing the OuchFor cuts and scrapes, stock your sum-mer first-aid kit with tea tree oil,taken from a plant (Melaleuca alterni-folia) native to the east coast ofAustralia. This broad-spectrum anti-septic can be applied externally tocombat bacterial, viral and fungal

infections. Keep a small bottle handyin your sports bag or beach tote andyou’ll be well prepared for quick treat-ment of minor injuries as well as theathlete’s foot fungus that can lurk inpublic pools and locker rooms.Calendula ointment, taken from

the pot marigold (Calendula offici-nal is) , works to gently c leansewounds; it also helps to preventinfection and minimize scarring.CoQ10 (now avai lable in theform ubiquinol) is best known asan energy supplement but hasbeen found to speed wound healingas wel l (Archives of PharmacalResearch 6/09).Feeling bugged? If you are a magnet

for mosquitoes, you might be lackingin B vitamins . These pests arebelieved to go after people who areB-deficient, so be sure take your Bsdaily to keep bugs at bay. If you do getbit, either calamine lotion or witchhazel solution can ease the itching,

while supplemental quercetin canhelp fight an allergic reaction.For summer sports injuries such as

sprains and strains, reach for brome-lain . A compound derived frompineapple, bromelain is an effectiveanti-inflammatory enzyme thatdecreases pain and swelling. “As asupplement, take 750 milligramsthree times a day on an empty stom-ach,” Stills recommends. “Or, you canjuice the inner core of a pineapple.” AEpsom salt bath with lavenderessential oil, along with measureddoses of homeopathic arnica, willhelp melt away muscle strains andtension. In addition, magnesium andwhite willow bark have well-docu-mented muscle soothing properties.Don’t let the perils of the great out-

doors limit your fun in the sun thissummer. Get back to basics with nat-ural first aid options, and you’ll easilymanage common summertime healthissues.—Patrick Dougherty

July/August 2010 • ENERGY TIMES I 17