Having goals may be one of the most important motivational tools for consistent exercise and, if you’re into goal-setting or you’ve ever slept…er…sat through a ‘motivational’ meeting at work, you …

Read Full Post

What’s the most important piece of fitness equipment for your workouts? If you’re like most people, you might say something like shoes or socks but I say: Headphones. Sure, shoes cushion my feet and provide protection against cuts, blisters and pain, but my headphones do oh-so-much more. They transport music from my MP3 player directly to my ears, allowing me to alternately shake my booty (e.g., Scissor Sister’s “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing”) or harness all the hate in my soul as my feet pound against the asphalt (e.g., Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”).

…

Read Full Post

Late last week, Clinuvel attended the first ever Vitiligo World Congress (VWC) in Milan, Italy, to learn more about current issues in treating vitiligo. The VWC is an ambitious project, designed to address both physicians’ and patients’ requests for new therapies and to enhance understanding of the disease. The medical conference is the first of its kind, with one of the three days being entirely devoted to patients.
Several major issues struck our attendees and may have ramifications for our ongoing work in the field of vitiligo.
Firstly, there is now consensus …

Fall is officially here so, if you’re not ready for it, I’m afraid it’s too late. Actually, there isn’t much we need to do to get ready - You don’t have to dress up or fix your hair because it’s not like Fall is going to take you out on a date (although its brisk winds may send a few chills down your spine). However, this is a great time of year to take advantage of the weather and think about the coming months. Is there something you could be doing now to enjoy the season and prepare for the next one? Some ideas:

Get Outside: Fall weather is some of the best for walking and running. Cooler temperatures prevent your body from overheating and you may find yourself able to run faster and longer than you can in hot, humid weather. This is also a great excuse to update your fall wardrobe to make sure you stay warm, dry and comfortable. Don’t forget, raking leaves can be great exercise if you work at it. A 150-lb person can burn up to 150 calories in 30 minutes, or you can come to my house and burn more than 600 calories in 2 hours. I have a lot of trees.

Get Ready for Ski Season: While I’ve banned anyone from saying the ’s-word’ so early in the fall season, I’ve been told the white stuff will eventually fall and, if you like to ski on it, now is the time to get ready for it. Weekend warriors often hurt themselves by hitting the slopes without preparing the body, so spend some time building strength and endurance with a focus on the legs and core. This Ski Workout will give you some ideas.

Prepare for Indoor Workouts: The weather is nice now, but I live in Chicago and I know what happens right around the first of November… and it isn’t pretty. This is a great time to start thinking about how you’ll workout when the weather turns bad. Setting up a home gym, finding new workouts to try or getting new exercise videos are just a few things you can start doing right now. Some of my favorite new videos:

• Paul Katami’s A.S.A.P. Hollywood Bootcamp 4 x 4- The title of this video may make you think of some slick Hollywood trainer taking you through a crazy workout, but it’s actually a great circuit workout perfect for intermediate/advanced exercisers. It’s set up in 5 blocks where you do 1 minute each of cardio, lower body, upper body and core, repeating each block twice. The instructor is very down-to-earth and even my husband (who thinks workout videos are “for chicks”) likes this one. Very tough workout.
• Ilaria’s Atletica Workout - This is a truly innovative workout led by an incredibly muscular woman who could easily kick my butt - and does in this workout. The moves are challenging and unique, including kettlebell-like moves (she uses a dumbbell) like squats with a swing and power moves, like a squatting clean and press with one arm. If you’re tired of the same old thing, you might like this one.

That should get you started but, if you have other ways you prepare for fall and winter, leave a comment and tell us about it. Is there something special you do this time of year that you look forward to? What do your fall workouts look like?

This exercise is a favorite of my clients because it’s a supported version of the more challenging Oblique Knee Drops (which most of my clients hate). This exercise offers a blend of movements - The legs are supported on a ball, which gives the exerciser more control over the movement, while the added weight of the medicine ball challenges that control just enough to turn on the core and, as a bonus, give the back a little stretch.

…

Read Full Post

If you’ve ever had the thought - “I’m too old for this,” you’ve either watched Lethal Weapon too many times or you’ve fallen victim to the cliche of old dogs being unable to learn new tricks. I’m not saying it’s easy for us old dogs to learn something new, especially when it comes to exercise. If you haven’t used your body in a certain way, it may feel impossible to do it after years of inactivity, but I’m constantly amazed by the people I meet who prove otherwise.

…

Read Full Post

Hauntingly beautiful and deeply spiritual, this Cd was inspired by the Dalai Lama’s message to cultivate and deepen one’s own…

Question
If I have celiac disease, do I need to be concerned about sunscreens, shampoos and cosmetics that contain gluten?
Answer
from Michael Picco, M.D.
No. Gluten-containing skin care products and cosmetics aren’t a problem unless you accidentally swallow them. For this reason, avoid using such products on your lips or around your mouth. Also, avoid using gluten-containing dental products, such as certain mouthwashes and toothpastes. If you’re uncertain about whether a product contains gluten, check the ingredient list on the product label or call the manufacturer.
Some people develop a form of celiac disease …

A reader emailed me recently wondering, essentially, why healthy living was so easy when he woke up in the morning, and so hard as the day went on. As he said, “I wake up full of good intentions and I even plan things out for how I’ll do it - I pack my gym bag, I make my lunch and I eat a healthy breakfast. I do fine until the afternoon hits and that’s when I seem to fall apart. What’s wrong with me?”

…

Read Full Post

The possibility of gluten intolerance being connected to vitiligo has been brought up many times, on this site and in medical journals, and the theory makes a lot of sense to me because of the similarities I see with other issues known to be connected to vitiligo.
We already know that that many people with vitiligo have a Folic Acid and/or B12 deficiency, and I’ve read some cases where patients have received B12 injections repigmented.
I dug a little deeper into what causes B12 deficiency and found that those with the disorder …