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Go Organic

By Mary Mcinerney

Susan Freeman has been eating organically for about 30 years. She shops for organic dish soap, uses dye-free paper towels and buys organic toothpaste and hair products. A technical writer living in Alameda, she makes her own grocery bags so she doesn’t have to carry her organic groceries home in plastic bags.

Why? “It’s just as well not to have as many chemicals in our food,” she says.

Maria Young Alders started eating organically in 1997 when her children were little. “Not only is eating organic better for us … because of the pesticides and stuff, but it’s better for the world,” she says.

Still, Young Alders, a martial arts instructor in Alameda, finds herself making compromises. When her daughter insists on having chicken from a fast-food place, Young Alders sometimes relents.

“I’m not always real strident,” she says. Eating organically is getting easier, Freeman and others say, with more stores providing organic foods. And while there are no statistics on how many people are eating organically, the Organic Trade Association reports that it has seen a 20 percent a year growth rate since 1990. At the same time, more land is going into organic production.

“It’s definitely easier,” says Young Alders. “Back when I started, it was so limited. I’m just thrilled I can find organic packaged chocolate milk.”

Still, it can be difficult on a family budget to eat organically. Organic produce costs 15 percent to 57 percent more than non-organic produce. (An example: organic artichokes were $1.49 each recently. At Trader Joe’s, non-organic artichokes were $1.99 for six artichokes.)

“I close my eyes and pay the bill,” says Young Alders. “It’s OK if more of our disposable income goes to food. It’s worth it.”

While advocates say organic food is safer and more nutritious, there is not a lot of scientific evidence that it is better for us.

“There really is not good science behind the claim that organic food is healthier for you,” says John Swartzberg, M.D., a clinical professor of medicine and director of the Joint Medical Program of the University of California’s Berkeley and San Francisco campuses. He is chairman of the editorial board of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, an online newsletter focusing on nutrition, fitness and health.

“The biggest public health issue is [that] people eat the wrong kinds of foods,” Swartzberg says. “People should eat whole grains and whole foods.”

In terms of public health, Swartzberg is reluctant to advocate going organic. Because organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive, he fears that people will eat less of them because they can’t always afford them. The health risks posed by pesticides and herbicides are also unknown, he says.

For Holly Gillette, an interpreter for deaf students at Berkeley High School who lives in Alameda, that’s enough reason to try to eat organically.

“It’s just making an effort to be a little healthier,” she says. “I just think my body doesn’t need those things.”

Get With the Plan: Dumping Post-Holiday Weight

 

By Dawn Adams

Cheese straws, homemade cookies and desserts, gravy and stuffing—these holiday offerings can pack on the pounds.Waistbands tighten, buttons start to pop and zippers resist zipping. After all this seasonal grazing, it’s no wonder losing weight and getting fit top New Year’s resolutions lists.

Diet books—on Atkins, South Beach, Sugar Busters and Zone systems—top the best-seller lists, and weight-management programs, from Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem, are equally prolific. And the sheer number of such diet aids makes it difficult to know which approach to take.

Katrina Haupt-Katsch, a clinical dietitian at Alameda Hospital, cautions against quick fixes. “Anything that sounds too good to be true is,” she says. “Some of what fad diets advocate is good; some is not good and not backed by science.”

What’s a dieter to do? Haupt-Katsch advises her clients to think in terms of a “health plan.” A health plan makes a commitment to build health habits into your daily life. Diets by definition end, she says, but exercise and portion control can help people lose weight and keep it off without feeling deprived.

“Watch out for diets that eliminate foods—this could impact your health,” she says. “The magic pill is to build exercise into your day, and think about eating things that balance out your diet, even if you’re going to a party. Stick with something you can do that works with your schedule.”

Denying yourself treats doesn’t work in the long term, she says. Instead, identify your triggers and favorite indulgences (hers are oatmeal cookies and almonds), and don’t keep a lot of those items in your pantry. If you want an ice cream with your kids, walk to get it. Such simple behavior modifications can add up to big differences. And be sure to eat every four to five hours, with the emphasis on real food, rather than processed or prepared convenience items.

“Fuel when you need it, with no more than one-third of your calories at the end of the day,” she says. Portion control and healthful eating, combined with exercise, are the keystones of most diet plans, including the Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig programs. Weight Watchers (which also counts Kaiser Permanente among its partners) offers a point-based system for both food and activities, and local support groups that meet weekly.

“We give a place to refocus from week to week on that weight-loss goal, whether short or long term,” says Julie Strauss, a local Weight Watchers leader. “Our members share basic concepts—how to say, ‘No, thank you,’ and learn to like it.”

The Jenny Craig program offers one-on-one support as well as custom menus. Mindy Layon, an area marketing director, emphasizes that Jenny Craig is about three cornerstones—food, body and mind—and developing a healthy relationship with food and a more active lifestyle.

“We work with clients on developing healthier habits, and our food program is designed to fit with a person’s life, including eating out, traveling and entertaining,” Layon says. “We provide structure with flexibility built in.”

With sound advice and new eating and exercise habits, dieters have the odds on their side, and they’ll be back to pre-holiday shape sooner rather than later.

Workout Wonders - Do What You Want

By Erin Rech

Choices abound for anyone interested in actually accomplishing that New Year’s resolution to lose weight in 2006. But going to the gym sounds so monotonous—until you find something you enjoy.

So while the weather may be cool, it’s the season for turning up the heat through personal training, specialized cardio classes and relaxation techniques. Here’s how to get your burn.

At Bladium Gym, one approach is to mesh personal training with Activtrax, a Web site designed to enhance clients’ gym experience by providing customized workout routines. Users are first tested by staff trainers to assess their fitness levels, and then the data is input into Activtrax. Depending upon personal goals, the site provides a tailored regimen, which includes every detail of the workout: what weight to use, how to use the machines, how many reps to perform and even how long to rest in between sets. This online resource is a great way to inspire gym members to take their workouts to a new, and more productive level. David Walsh, fitness director at Bladium, says the program is a great combination of staff coaching and online expertise.

If the thought of one-on-one interaction intimidates you, Mariner Square Health Club holds intense boot camp classes to whip its members into shape. Beginners endure five classes a week for a month of cardio workouts and strength training. For advanced boot campers, the club offers an advanced training class to push beyond beginning routines and provide a challenge to the class. The intensity of the classes drives the popularity, and they typically push beyond the usual realm of daily visits to the gym. The club also offers specialized classes in karate, cardio turbo kickboxing (whew!) and Latin dance—all of which spice up a dull workout. Or, if you need a bit of friendly competition, play dodgeball, whiffleball or spar in the boxing ring at Bladium. Clearly, it’s all about whatever motivates you to get up off the couch and do something.

For a more calm and relaxing approach to fitness, yoga and Pilates continue to attract many followers. Many kinds of these classes are offered at most local gyms, so everyone can find something that suits his needs. The Harbor Bay Club has seen a move toward mind and body fitness classes like meditation and Tai Chi. As Eastern culture continues to influence the West, workout trends embrace the influence of healing and fitness in unison. Plus, as life gets busier and more chaotic, inner reflection and tension release through toning can only do a body good.

Regardless of which gym you join, class you take or sport you enjoy, the main idea is to decide what truly motivates you to get out and be active. It’s important to make good choices for your health and well-being. Day to day, you may not see direct results, but the lifetime benefit outweighs any temptations of reality TV and fast food that lure you into laziness.