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Tampa Bay Kids Net I

by September 4, 2011

By: Meka Taulbee
ACE certified Personal Trainer
SAILFIT Inc
Now that the kids are back in school it may seem that everything is finally slowing down a bit. No more “Can I go here?” Can you take me there? Can I play…?” “Great” you might say. Well, this may not be so great for your children’s metabolism Now that they are sitting for hours a day in the classroom as opposed to running around doing various activities their metabolism starts to slow down. Over the summer they seemed to have an endless source of energy and a bottomless pit for a stomach. Now that they are back in school they still have that bottomless pit, but the energy levels seem to run low. PE class can only do so much and many times has no desire to strive for more.

Fitness & nutrition are just as important no matter what age you are so what better way to teach that to your kids than to make it a family affair. With the obesity rate, especially the children’s obesity rate among Americans growing so rapidly you can’t afford not to. Lori Bastian, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Duke University states “Obesity is a family problem because children follow the lead of their parents. A healthy lifestyle for one is a healthy lifestyle for all” In the beginning it may seem difficult to add more to your daily schedule. By starting small and gradually adding on it won’t seem overwhelming and soon exercise will become more of a habit than a chore. Here are some guidelines you can follow to start you on the right track. These are just basics put in a way that your kids may be able to relate to. We all know that if it’s not something they can identify with it will be harder to get them involved and most likely go in one ear and out the other.

SLEEP
Sleep recharges your body. Think of the batteries in your headphones. When they get old they start to play everything really slow and it sounds muffled and distorted. This is what happens to your body when you don’t get sleep. Your muscles aren’t as strong and fast. You don’t think as clear and you may even feel like you are in slow motion. Getting seven or eight hours of sleep at night can help you think quicker and help your body respond faster. This is helpful for any activity and even for doing schoolwork.

STRETCH!
Stretching will help prevent injuries. Your muscles are like rubber bands. If you keep stretching and playing with a rubber band, little by little it becomes easier to stretch further. If you just tried to stretch the rubber band really fast and really far it would snap. Well, your muscles will do the same thing. With consistent stretching habits, little by little your muscles will be able to stretch further and you will become stronger and more flexible.

EXERCISE!
Regular exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym all of the time. Regular exercise includes things like playing hockey or basketball, swimming, biking and going for walks or hikes. This is something that you can do with your whole family, friends or
alone. Try to incorporate some of these activities into your day a few times a week. Whatever you decide to do, pick something you enjoy and most importantly. HAVE FUN!

HYDRATE!
Water is one of the best things you can give your body. You need to keep your body hydrated to keep it functioning properly. Remember I said your muscles are like rubber bands? What happens to an old, dried out rubber band when you try to stretch it? It snaps, right? Well, that’s the same thing that will happen to your muscles if you let yourself get dehydrated. Try to keep drinking fluids all day long, working towards eight glasses of water a day. A general rule of thumb is, if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated, so keep a regular flow of liquids going into your body. Parents remember soda and many juices are not a good way to get in those eight glasses a day. They have sugar and caffeine in them, which are diuretics and will lead to just the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Dehydration. The sugars will cause a surge in blood sugar levels followed by a crash, which will be a big crash in energy and mood.

EAT SMART!
Developing good eating habits are sometimes hard, but very important. You should try to get in five fruits and vegetables a day. These will help make you stronger and think clearer. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. By eating a balanced breakfast you will spark the metabolism into high gear. Cravings for sweets and late night snacks will diminish. Send your kids to school with healthy snacks such as fruit or yogurt. Peanuts and raisons are a great alternative to chips. Eating smaller snacks more frequently during the day will keep blood sugar at even levels, which will allow your children to think more clearly and pay attention easier. It will also keep their appetites in check. If they don’t eat enough or eat poorly during the day, by the time they get to dinner they will be so hungry that their eyes will be bigger than their stomachs and they will be more likely to overeat. Make sure they have eaten a healthy meal before they reach for something sweet. A healthy meal is one that includes foods from the major food groups such as fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains. Most times after a healthy meal they won’t want or crave something sweet. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have cookies or Ice Cream, just in moderation. A good thing to remember is if it’s not in the house they won’t eat it. When you do your grocery shopping try to make a conscious decision to bring home less “junk food” and more “healthy food”. If they are truly hungry they will eat what is there.

Most of these guidelines aren’t very time consuming. Hopefully you’ll be able to incorporate some or all of them into your daily routine. If you already have, congratulations, you are well on your way to a fit and healthy lifestyle. Most importantly remember to have fun. You’re more likely to stick to it and instill a healthy lifestyle in your children if you are enjoying yourselves. I am always available, if you have any questions or comments so feel free to email me at meka@sailfit.com or visit www.sailfit.com. Also, if you think your child’s school might be interested in having me come in just let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

Exclusive Interview with Tania Elias Calles (Guinness World Record Holder for longest distance sailed unassisted in a dinghy.)

by May 16, 2010

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Exclusive Interview with Tania Elias Calles

Guinness World Record Holder for longest distance sailed unassisted in a dinghy.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Tania for many years. Always a friendly face in the boat park and positive personality to be around. Tania is most widely known as the Mexican Olympic Laser Radial sailor and has been ranked number one in the world. While I have always known that she is a phenomenal sailor it was just recently that I had the ability to really get to know more of her true personality and she has truly become one of the athletes I admire most. 

On her most recent endeavor she set out to break the Guinness World record for longest distance sailed unassisted in a dinghy. I followed her journey and was so excited to see her break the record. She sailed 300 nautical miles unassisted in her Laser. As I read her blog I realized that I know that most people have no idea what type of mental and physical preparation it takes to do this. Tania was gracious enough to do an interview with me so I could share with you her journey and all of the hard work it took to pull this achievement off. 

1-What made you decide to try to break a Guinness Book of World Record and what is the official title/record?

Since long ago I’ve watched the long distance races of some big boats, saw pictures on magazines, Internet, etc and every time I saw the huge waves they get to surf and ride and how they are surrounded 360 deg by only a moving water horizon, every time it caught my curiosity about how fun would it be to surf those huge waves on a laser and do a long distance sail with those conditions.  It’s something you can’t really try unless you go out there. There is no such place similar to the open ocean.

The first idea was to just do a shorter distance, hard cause there is lots of current, but the initial plan was to cross from Cuba to Mexico. The idea didn’t work as logistics, customs, and all the bureaucratic paperwork seemed like a nightmare.

So looking at the map, why not doing it in my country crossing from Baja to the west coast, distance seemed long… but doable. Then I looked into the Guinness information and saw that this distance would break the one already established (220nm) so why not try. 🙂 Only one goal in mind and lots of mental attitude, just a fighter can do this.

Attempting a new GWR, would also attract a lot of media in Mexico, just the exact thing I needed to call the attention of many big companies who can donate or sponsor my Olympic Campaign through London 2012.

So that’s the name of my project, all in one: The Challenge 2012.

2- How long have you been sailing and how did you start?

I started sailing at age 7, at a lake near Mexico City called Valle de Bravo. (150 km drive more or less 2 hrs). It all started when my sister met a little Danish friend at school whose parents became very good friends of mine. They loved sailing of course, as all Scandinavian people do, so told my mom and dad they should go to the lake and check it out. So that’s how it all started, my parents started to windsurf and my sister and I went to Optimist lessons during the weekends.

They never thought this sport would become my life, they just introduced sailing to me as a weekend activity and I guess they never imagined what was about to happen.

But on a high level I can say I started to sail at age 19, just a year before I went to Sydney 2000 in the Europe Class.

Economical support from the Sport Institutes and Federations is quite hard to achieve in my country, you first have to get the results, once you have a certain level then they start supporting. The structure of the Federation also is something that has a lot of room of opportunity. We don’t have national coaches or anything like that so sailing at high level requires a lot nuts and a lot of traveling to be able to sail with other good athletes and hire a coach which becomes really expensive as there is not a very big fleet of boats (have to say that its beginning to finally grow) who want to share the costs for a coach. Or a coach who wants to live in Mexico, that … even harder to find.

For this reason I believe my journey as an athlete has been much harder than many other sailors I compete with, and reason it has taken me such a long time to achieve what I have and what I will in the next few years.

3-Who has been the most influential in your sailing career?

Well, I think there is not only one, my family of course, they’ve been so supportive, it’s incredible. On the good and the bad situations they’ve been always there. None of them into sports, but the three have been incredible through the whole journey.

4-What did you do mentally to prepare for sailing 300nm unassisted?

Doing a lot of visualization and meditation. Lots of yoga as well. But basically I guess it was a matter of believing I would do it no matter what happened. I knew I had to be prepared for whatever got in the way and keep fighting no matter what; even If I had to paddle to the coast I could do it. 

5-What did you do physically to prepare for sailing 300nm unassisted?

The normal training I do for my fitness was perfect though I did increased the resistance part on cardio. As I needed a really good base to be able to hold on for such a long time. Also lots of work for back and abs, same position for 3 days was a tough thing so needed a strong core and a strong lower and upper back for sure.

6- What nutrition did you take?

This was a big issue; I had so many people trying to get ideas and theories. It became a bit of everything, a mix of many ideas into one. The main thing was to have something easy to eat, that if wet I could still eat it too, so bars were the way to go, Cliff bars and Power Bars, Fruit that was easy to store, apples, oranges. Dry fruit. Some candy for the sugar in case in needed it.

The second main thing was that I needed something that kept the balance on the intake so some shakes (meal replacements) were in my bag of goodies too.

7-What made you decide to take the drinks and nutrition you did?

It was a mix of talking to several people, nutritionists, sports fitness coaches, experienced athletes. Michael Blackburn was one of my contacts for some ideas, he definitely gave me a good feedback about his journey few years ago for nutrition and also for clothing.

But also training and testing some of the products prior to the event was crucial.

8-Did you stretch or do any sort of physical or mental activity during your sail?

It actually all went really quick! But yes, I for sure did some stretching, hamstrings, quads, lower back, squatted some times to get the knees moving more, sailed standing up a bit too.

Many people have asked me about my thoughts during the journey, they as many others still believe I had much time to kill, but the real thing is that on a laser I didn’t had much time to think, I was working the boat the whole time, very focused on my compass as no GPS was longer working, trying to get the boat going fast without spending too much energy. I knew water was low and that I still had a long way to go. It felt so good being present the whole time, it was a fantastic experience, I enjoyed it very much, saw many things I just had imagined before, big flying fish, dolphins, shark, lots of plankton at night (whale season, luckily didn’t hit one), huge waves, no wind, big breeze, a bit of all.

9-What was your scariest moment?

I didn’t had a scary moment, but for sure the first night was my welcome to the big blue ocean I was really tired after 15 hrs straight sailing with no sleep, big waves, big breeze, I was almost falling asleep, stopped for a bit to shake my head and recover somehow, went to the mast for one more jacket as it was pretty cold by then when I lost control with the big waves and capsized. Got super angry cause now I was completely wet, cold and I didn’t wanted to risk hypothermia, which would be the end of the attempt. The bag where I had my dry cloth got soaked, as the zipper was open when I was trying to get the stuff out! Luckily I thought that could happen and I had a security bag inside this one, sealed, with some dry gear in it that saved my life. Changed as quick as I could to have at least my chest dry with some new wetsuit vest and a new dry lycra. Fantastic.  But I still had to keep going as now I had to keep myself warm by moving. So my chances of trying to sleep got back to zero. Though it was impossible mission for me to do that as the waves in this part of the ocean are crazy wild, they come from all directions as 2 different mass of water meet at that same place, The Sea of Cortez and The Pacific Ocean… nice timing of mine to be crossing those at that time of the night, crazy fun.

The second biggest challenge on that same night was when I definitely couldn’t keep going, that might’ve been at 4 am, maybe 2 hrs after I capsized. I was falling asleep, my eyes would close and my head would fall down! The wind was still strong somewhere between 18 knots and big crazy waves. So the next plan was how to sleep on those conditions. Solution was to get the sea anchor out and tie it to the back of the boat (that was the only way to keep the boat stable (trained that a couple of times), not from the bow as it wouldn’t keep the laser head to wind). The problem here was that the waves would crash on top of the boat and the cockpit would fill with water anyway, so whatever, I didn’t really care at that stage, I had to stop and try to sleep at least 20 mins.

Indeed when I woke up the sun was about to come out, the sky was orange, it was a fantastic feeling knowing the sun would keep me warm during the day. I was really cold by then and the next “good” news was that my Gps had been floating in the cockpit while I was asleep… so… it died!

So now a new challenge to the Challenge… physically demanding trip, mentally draining, and now stress added to the equation as now I didn’t had a clue of where I was!! I knew my target was somewhere between 105 and 110, but that was it, and with such a distance those 5 degrees can mean such a different point on land. 

So kept following that angle until I met the Maria’s Islands which are maybe 60 nm from Bahia de Banderas and I knew I could now head on 90-95 deg and I could be if not in Bahia de Banderas a bit north, a place where I’ve sailed lots before and knew the coast line very well  so good news ☺.

10- In your blog you mentioned hallucinating; do you think this was due to mostly lack of sleep, nutritional deficiency or both?

Yes definitely the lack of sleep was one factor; I also was not carrying a watch so never knew the time or how much I was sleeping for, but the guys who were in the security boat told me I had less than 3 hr sleep in total! That means I was awake, full concentration and mentally and physically going hard for 62 hrs.

I was dehydrated and cold, 2 factors that don’t get along pretty well and can risk hypothermia easier, cramping and lack of focus.

11-Looking back would you have prepared physically any differently? Nutritionally any differently?

Nutrition wise for sure I would change a lot of stuff, in this attempt In the end I couldn’t eat one more bar, they got me heart burn really bad and was tired of them after eating those for 2 days straight. I would carry more fruit and some cans with the meal replacement powder easier to prepare or mix with water.

Only mistake I did was to mix 2 of my camelbags with electrolytes which had a tiny bit of protein, this went bad after maybe 20 hrs, so at least 4 of my 12 liters of water were thrown out of the boat…. That also contributed to getting so dehydrated so quick, I was not drinking enough thinking the journey would take longer as after that first night, the 2 next days during daytime I had really light winds which made things so hard mentally.

12-Overall what did you learn most from this experience?

Persistence was key but what I’m most happy for is that I never doubted on me. The trust I had on myself was fantastic, that for sure is one of the best achievements of this experience. It was like being so confident that I could surpass any obstacle that could get in the way. I knew the risk involved, and I knew I had to take care of myself in order to finish the journey safely. The other thing that I’m really happy for is that I enjoyed every second of it all, even during the hardest times and even being so fatigued it was exactly what I wanted to go through, I wanted to push my limits far beyond I could imagine and what I discovered is that yes, it’s tough to get to them but there is still so much to keep pushing and discovering about myself. It’s amazing how the mind works. That last night where I got very fatigued, so dehydrated that I can’t quite remember it all, I had a moment of almost quitting. I was sailing in circles cause I was falling asleep, I’m pretty sure I did some zombie sailing at the end, eyes closed and only instincts working there. I remember waking up from one of those small naps, feeling completely wet, tired and very cold, I couldn’t feel my feet and my hands were numb (almost with hypothermia by then) and when I woke up I thought I was sleeping, that I was living a dream, a dream that felt very real, and what I felt wasn’t really happening, but the sure thing was that I felt so miserable, so cold, wet, felt the water hitting the boat and me and the wind blowing hard and I didn’t wanted to be there at all. I remember closing my eyes hard like trying to get up from that bad dream. The story is that at some point in the middle of that last night I got close to one of the support boats and started telling them I didn’t wanted to keep sailing. Saying hey please I need to get off I don’t want to do this anymore!!!!  I tried to get the centerboard out, but with the security line I had for it went right down making a big noise which I guess woke me up from that state of mind. I then realized where I was. I held my head with both hands, elbows on my knees and stayed there for maybe a minute talking to myself and this was the best lesson of it all: “You can do it, keep fighting, there are no limits!”, next thing I was sailing again working the boat as good as I could until I saw the coast guard boat, that meant only one thing!!! I was on the right track!! And only 10 nm from my goal ☺!!!! I’ve never felt that good ever before!

13- What’s next for you? What goals are you out to conquer?

 Well this experience just brought some crazier ideas to my head in order to find those limits and what is beyond them, but that can wait some time.

First is to keep training hard for London 2012, that’s my main focus and goal for the short term. Of course there is a lot to achieve in the mean time during the events of each year which include some important regional Games which will give me some economical support from my Sport Institute.

Also there are small challenges which involve helping the younger talented Mexican sailors, which I believe we have plenty, thing is I don’t want them to climb the same mountain that I had to, I would like to make their path a bit easier with what I’ve learned through all this journey as a top international sailor from Mexico.

I hope this will inspire sailors and non-sailors alike to dream and dream big. I have always said that most of us never push our bodies hard enough to really see what we can accomplish. It’s more than we think…so push yourself a little and see what happens. You might just be surprised!

Please support Tania in her quest for the gold. You can follow her at www.taniaeliascalles.com or www.eldesafio2012.org . You will be supporting a sailing dream and a beautiful person.

SAILFIT creates fitness and nutrition programs using mind-body techniques to enhance sport performance. Each program is created specifically to the individual. Contact Meka at meka@sailfit.com  for more information or go directly to our website www.sailfit.com.

Cold Water

by March 16, 2010

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Cold Water

About 10 years ago I was asked how I felt about the effects of drinking cold water vs. warm water. At that time we were at a very hot regatta and you probably could have sold ice water for a pretty penny. I gave a rather non-committal answer and said I didn’t think it was a big deal to drink the cold water as long as the sailors were drinking something and staying hydrated. Later that day I saw another  sailor who was so completely dehydrated that he was sick. The next day I watched him bring out a big cooler of ice water on his support boat. I have thought about this question and scene many times and every time I wish I could go back and change my answer to the first sailor  and then better help that other sailor. 

Our core body temperature can range anywhere between 97-100 degrees Fahrenheit. We are like a big walking furnace. When you introduce cold water to the fire it starts to extinguish it. When the fire starts to die everything moves slower and cannot function properly and efficiently. Consider this analogy. If you are inside your warm house with the fireplace going and you step outside, do you move very quickly and efficiently…no you shiver which is the body’s way of trying to create heat. If your body has to compensate for these reactions, due to the consumption of cold water, then how can your body put out its full effort for you to physically and mentally sail at an optimal level.

When you are cold the body tends to constrict and contract. This is one of the reasons I am always trying to get people to make sure they stretch before going sailing(to counteract the tightening of the muscles). This is the same effect consuming a cold beverage is going to  have on  the body internally. As much as I am trying push water on everyone, most times by the time they drink it they are already thirsty and therefore already dehydrated. If you are dehydrated and you drink cold water you are letting everything contract internally. Severe dehydration, as with the sailor that I mentioned earlier, causes symptoms such as dry heaving and abdominal cramping.  The last thing you want in this situation is for your stomach and abdominal region to contract any more. This will only make the symptoms worsen. Something else to consider when you are sailing or doing any physical activity is that you need to be able to flush out the lactic acid buildup and any toxins in your system. If your body is in a constricted state rather than a relaxed state it will be more difficult for you to do this and can hinder your performance.  It is said that cold water leaves the body quicker. While it  may leave the body quicker than warm or room temperature water it is not being absorbed by your body and getting the chance to hydrate you. This is really defeating the goal of trying to keep you hydrated and using hydration to help prevent injury. I can attest to this from personal experience. During a long, hot training run where I brought water with me I was drawn to a water fountain that had ice cold water. Mine was already warm so I stopped and while it felt good at the moment I started to not feel so good shortly after.  I continued to sip on my warm water and started to recover. Later in the run I was met by some supporters who brought me new water to carry that had ice in it. Again it seemed so refreshing, but I started to have abdominal cramps and became very slow. After a few runs where I noticed this trend I knew it was the cold water. On some days the cramping lasted for hours after the run. It is so hard to concentrate on anything and to keep a pace that this is really the last thing you want to happen when you are going to be on the water and competing for a few hours.

In addition to hindering hydration, consumption of cold foods and beverages weakens your digestion.  While I have high hopes that all of you are eating clean and healthy foods on the water I know that race organizers are still handing out lunches that are far below par. These heavy foods that are often high in sugar and chemicals that preserve shelf life are already hard for the body to digest.  Consuming some cold water on top of that poses a real challenge for the body. We are eating food on the water to help us maintain power and replace lost energy.  In turn this will keep our blood sugar levels stay at an even keel further leading to the ability to make better tactical decisions and more efficient physical movements.  You can see how this creates chain effect and that if your body has to focus the majority of its energy to digestion the chain gets broken. A healthy digestive system leads to a strong immune system. If you suppress digestion it can lead to illness and fatigue. Again this is the last thing you want to deal with while trying to be competitive on the water.

I am not saying that you need to drink hot water, but room temperature water is going to serve you much better than cold water. I know it is a change for many and it was for me too. However, after you become accustomed to it you will notice a big difference in how you feel on and off the race course. 

I am happy to go into more detail or answer any questions about the topic, but this should at least give you something to think about! 

SAILFIT creates fitness and nutrition programs using mind-body techniques to enhance sport performance. Each program is created specifically to the individual. Contact Meka at meka@sailfit.com  for more information or go directly to our website www.sailfit.com.

Notes:

Barlow, J. S. (1999). Acupuncture in the Treatment of Children. Seattle: Eastland Press, Inc and Chinese Medicine Publications.

Reid, D. (1994). The Complete Book of Chinese Health & Healing. Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Sweet Deception

by December 16, 2009

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Sweet Deception

By the time you read this the holidays will be past and most will feel that they have overindulged on the foods of the season! I get a lot of people asking how to tone up and get rid of some of those problem areas. Yes exercise is one of the key ingredients, but another is what you put in your mouth.  I can go on (and on and on..) about eating a healthy diet, but I thought this may be a little more interesting and hit home for quite a few people. 

My own family, including my 4 and 2 year old, does not eat sugar.  No cookies, candy bars and natural sugars are eaten in moderation.  Still when I came across this list there were some things that surprised me. While we have always been very conscious about what we eat, the decision to eliminate sugar has made a huge difference in our health. You’d be surprised how many things have sugar in them. Look at your milk carton, yogurt, juices that claim to be “all natural”, crackers, bread and even salsa.  Many times the label will not say “sugar”, but another code name. Anything that lists fructose, corn syrup, cane juice, sucrose and even if it is organic evaporated cane juice it is still sugar.  Most things that are fat free have an extremely high percentage of sugar in them.  You really need to read your labels.  I could go on about the different types of sugar and the different substitutes and how each is broken down in the body, but I think that is an article for another day!  Take a look at this and see how many items resonate with you.

146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health
Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.

  1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
    2.  Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
    3.  Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
    4.  Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
    5.  Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
    6.  Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you lose.
    7.  Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins.
    8.  Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
    9.    Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.
    10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
    11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
    12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
    13. Sugar may make eyes more vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration.
    14. Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and nor epinephrine.
    15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.                                
    16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.
    17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
    18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.
    19. Sugar can cause premature aging.
    20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
    21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.
    22. Sugar contributes to obesity
    23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
    24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
    25. Sugar can cause arthritis.
    26. Sugar can cause asthma.
    27. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).
    28. Sugar can cause gallstones.
    29. Sugar can cause heart disease.
    30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
    31. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
    32. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
    33. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
    34. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
    35. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
    36. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
    37. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
    38. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E (alpha-Tocopherol) in the blood.
    39. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
    40. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
    41. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
    42. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein)
    43. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
    44. Sugar causes food allergies.
    45. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
    46. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
    47. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
    48. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
    49. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
    50. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
    51. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
    52. Sugar can cause cataracts.
    53. Sugar can cause emphysema.
    54. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
    55. Sugar can promote an elevation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL).
    56. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.
    57. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
    58. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.
    59. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.
    60. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.
    61. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
    62. Sugar can damage the pancreas.
    63. Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
    64. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.
    65. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
    66. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
    67. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.
    68. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.
    69. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
    70. Sugar can adversely affect school children’s grades and cause learning disorders.
    71. Sugar can cause depression.
    72. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
    73. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
    74. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.
    75. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.
    76. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low-sugar diets. 
    77. A diet high in refined sugar reduces learning capacity.
    78. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.
    79.  Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
    80. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.
    81. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become under active and others become overactive.
    82. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
    83. Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.
    84. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.
    85. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold-increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
    86. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.
    87. Sugar slows food’s travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.
    88. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
    89.  Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.
    90.  Sugar combines with and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.
    91.  Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
    92. Sugar is an addictive substance.
    93. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
    94. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.
    95. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
    96. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.                       
    97. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
    98. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
    99. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
    100. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.
    101. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.
    102. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.
    103. Sugar increases the risk of polio.
    104. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
    105. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
    106. In Intensive Care Units, limiting sugar saves lives.
    107. Sugar may induce cell death.
    108. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.
    109. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.
    110.  Sugar can lead to prostrate cancer.
    111. Sugar dehydrates newborns.
    112.  Sugar can cause low birth weight babies.
    113. Greater consumption of refined sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia
    114. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the blood stream. 
    115. Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer. 
    116. Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine. 
    117. Sugar may cause laryngeal cancer.
    118. Sugar induces salt and water retention.
    119. Sugar may contribute to mild memory loss.
    120.            The more sodas a 10 year old child consumes, the less milk.
    121.            Sugar can increase the total amount of food consumed.
    122.            Exposing a newborn to sugar results in a heightened preference for sucrose relative to water at 6 months and 2 years of age.
    123.            Sugar causes constipation.
    124.            Sugar causes varicose veins.
    125.            Sugar can cause brain decay in prediabetic and diabetic women.
    126.            Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
    127.            Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.
    128.            Sugar ingestion by pregnant women increases neural tube defects in embryos.
    129.            Sugar can be a factor in asthma.
    130.            The higher the sugar consumption the more chances of getting irritable bowel syndrome.
    131.            Sugar can affect the brain’s ability to deal with rewards and consequences.
    132.            Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.
    133.            Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.
    134.            Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.
    135.            Sugar can cause liver tumors.
    136.   Sugar can increase inflammatory markers in the blood stream of overweight people. 
  2. Sugar can lower Vitamin E levels in the blood stream. 
  3. Sugar can increase your appetite for all food. 
  4. Sugar plays a role in the etiology and the continuation of acne. 
  5. Too much sugar can kill your sex life.
  6. Sugar saps school performance in children.
  7. Sugar can cause fatigue, moodiness, nervousness and depression.
  8. Sugar is common choice of obese individuals.
    144.   A linear decrease in the intake of many essential nutrients is associated with increasing total sugar intake.
  9. High fructose consumption has been linked to liver disease.
  10. Sugar adds to the risk of bladder cancer.

Dr. Nancy Appleton has retired from her nutrition counseling practice in Los Angeles but continues to write, lecture and broadcast on health subjects. Otherwise, she lives quietly in San Diego.

You can find out more information about Dr. Nancy Appleton at www.nancyappleton.com . I hope this proves to be at least a little bit thought provoking and will maybe even be the catalyst for a few changes in your diet. 

SAILFIT has a variety of programs and information to fit everyone’s needs. Each program is created specifically to the individual. Contact Meka at meka@sailfit.com or go directly to our website for more information. www.sailfit.com . I am happy to answer any questions and help in any way I can. 

Cardio For Sailing

by June 16, 2009

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

 

SAILFIT Inc

 

Cardio for Sailing

Cardio fitness for sailing seems to be a wide open topic and there are so many views and ways to go about it. In this article I present an easy to follow approach to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness for sailing.

There are numerous trainers out there who can tell you to do X, Y and Z and the sad part is that they are telling every client to do the same X, Y and Z no matter what the sport. Even though sailors have long known that sailing is a very athletic sport, it is taking the rest of the training community a while to catch on. The same with any sport you want someone who understands your sport. You wouldn’t want a hockey coach out on the water with you would you? From my experience training sailors, the energy demand to make the boat go at the top speed is higher than most sailors and trainers think it is. Take for example when you are hiking upwind you need to hike full out, keep the bow down, be kinetic and still have the presence of mind to tactically stay in the game. That is a huge load for the body to handle. 

First we need to understand really what we are asking the body to do to be able to handle this load. That way we can make sure the exercises we are doing are working with our bodies and working towards our goal. You have no idea how often I see people who feel that they are “working out really hard”, but not seeing results. They are getting results, but just not the ones they were looking for. You and your body have to work together. What you are in essence trying to do is increase your cardiorespiratory endurance level. You goal is to increase the capacity of the lungs to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the blood. This in turn increases the circulatory systems abilities to transport the blood to metabolically active tissues for prolonged periods of time. If done efficiently then you don’t feel any undue fatigue. This last part is extremely important in sailing. Once fatigue sets in it is difficult to hike out completely, keep the bow down and be tactically sharp. Each aspect depends upon the other to function optimally. If you do not feel the fatigue just think how much more easily the other pieces will fall into place. 

So where do you begin and how can you increase your cardiorespiratory endurance level? First you should try to establish a solid base of cardio. Depending on your workout style this would be one hour of cardio at a moderate level. You can test by heart rate, the talk test, and just being in tune with your body. Using a heart rate monitor can be a very good way to gage and measure your workouts. If you use a monitor I would suggest shooting for an hour at 60-70% of your max heart rate. If you use the talk test you should be able to complete a sentence, but not carry on a conversation. If you can listen to your body I think it will be the most useful tool to use while you are sailing. If you are 30 minutes into your workout and you feel like you are going to puke you need to slow down. If you haven’t broken a sweat you need to pick up the pace. You’ll start o get a better feel for where your body is at and how much longer you can go before fatigue sets in.

Once you get a solid base level you can start working at increasing that base level. Interval training is a great way to do this especially for sailors. Training in intervals is similar to what your body will experience during any given race. You can do this with any type of cardio you prefer to do. This workout could be considered a staircase workout as well, but I feel these are the types of intervals that would really help in this particular case. If you use a machine like a treadmill, elliptical, spinner or rower you can do intervals in a few different ways. You can start at your base level for 5 minutes and then go up to another level for 3 minutes and then back down to your base for 5. So say your base level is a 7 you would raise it up to an 8 or 8.5 for three minutes and then back down to 7. Another option is to keep raising your level through your workout. If you start at a 7 for five minutes then every two minutes after your first five raise it up a small increment. So here you would be at 7 and after 5 minutes you would raise it up to 7.2, after seven minutes you would raise it up to 7.4, after 9 minutes it would be 7.6. Keep doing this all the way through your workout. When you raise the speed it isn’t by a huge amount and you gradually work into a much faster pace.

If you like to train using a heart rate monitor you can do the same thing. You can also use the heart rate monitor on the machines as well as to go running, biking or swimming. In this case you would start for 5 minutes at 65% of your max heart rate. Then you can go up to 85% for three minutes and then back down to 65%. Again another option is to start at 65% of your max hear rate and then five minutes later go up to 70% for five minutes, then 75% for five minutes, then 80% and all the way up to 95%. If at some point you raise the interval and you really feel winded or sick then go back down to the previous one and just stay there, if that is starting to feel the same way then lower back down another interval. In both of these types of workouts you raise your heart rate and once you reach your desired max your can start to come back down in the same manner until you get back to your base. This is also similar of a pyramid workout, but again I feel it is appropriate for sailing.

Another way to interval train is by using plyometrics. Plyometrics are movements in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence teaching the muscles to produce maximum force faster. An example exercise would be a tuck jump. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and jump up as high as you can bringing your knees up to your chest. Try to land softly and immediately repeat. Picture yourself on a trampoline and you are springing back up into the air. Do as many as you can in a row. These explosive movements get your heart rate up and can be extremely effective. You can incorporate these into any part of your workout by either doing a few different sets of plyometric exercises or adding them into your workout intermittently. You could be strength training and stop and do a set of a plyometric exercise then go back to your sets and reps in your strength program. You can do your cardio at your base level and then stop and do a set of these exercises then resume your cardio workout. When I say stop I don’t mean stop, rest and leisurely resume. I mean no rest in between each movement. 

The last example I am going to give is doing interval training while you are sailing. No not while you are racing, but while you are training. How you go about this depends on the type of breeze you have. If you have breeze then set your watch for a 20 minute countdown. Go upwind for one minute at a max hike. Full out as hard as you can go. Then rest a minute and then back on full out hiking for one minute. This will give you 10 intervals and will provide an excellent way to increase your cardio endurance as long as when you are on you are really giving it your all out. If you go on a day that is light air your can do a set of repetitive tacking and jibing. If you practice you will get a rhythm and propel the boat forward through kinetics. Once you get the hang of it try to get at least 8 tacks or jibes in a row and keep it going as long as you can.

There are many different ways to increase your cardiorespiratory endurance level. First you want to a quality trainer who understands the sport of sailing and can help you implement a program that can help you reach your desired goal. Secondly you need to be realistic about where you are at physically and not try to overdo it. That will only lead to injury and frustration. As you start working you will see that your base level is getting higher and higher and each level get a little easier. Don’t be afraid to push yourself.  Keep trying new levels and changing up your workouts. 

SAILFIT has a variety of programs to fit everyone’s needs. Each program is created specifically to the individual. Contact Meka at meka@sailfit.com or go directly to our website for more information. www.sailfit.com 

Exercise Your Wallet

by February 16, 2009

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Exercise Your Wallet

Exercise your wallet! Bet you didn’t expect to read about that type of exercise. Well the topic is a bit off my norm, but I hope you’ll enjoy it just the same. It has  been coming to my attention that a lot of the youth sailors I expect to see at different regatta’s nationwide are not registered. Honestly since Kurt has been coaching and we have not been traveling as much I haven’t looked at the registration fees. So I started looking….wow prices have jumped. While I have my own opinions on the registration fees that are being charged, I’ll save that for another time and place. What concerns me is that there are some very talented sailors who are not out sailing because the fees are not affordable. 

Yes the economy is what it is and sailing is a hobby rather than a necessity(ok ok maybe it is a necessity but you get the idea). I can understand for the adults, but believe it or not there are some youth sailors who are paying their own way and some parents who may have lost their jobs due to the economy. Instead of seeing decreasing numbers at regatta’s or declining membership in the Laser class I would rather turn this into a positive.

Imagine this. Say a regatta is coming to your area and you are not going to sail it or you have an extra practice boat. Now say there is a youth who can’t afford to charter a boat. Do you see where I am going with this…. Now imagine how good you would feel if you made it possible for that talented young sailor to get on the water and sail the regatta. Here’s another scenario.. You are going to a regatta and there is a youth who has a boat but the registration fee is just out of their price range. How good would you feel if you were able to help out. Many don’t realize it but these exact scenarios play out all the time.

Here’s what I propose! Summer is coming and there are a ton of regattas and a ton of youth off of school just itching to get out on the water. If you aren’t going to sail or have an extra boat think about letting a youth sailor borrow it. Maybe in trade they can bring you coffee every morning or maybe just having them help you load and unload the boat is enough. Think about sponsoring a youth at a regatta and paying their registration fee or even just paying half. 

If your a youth sailor and someone is kind enough to do this for you remember to pay it forward somewhere down the road. THE fun is definitely in giving more than the receiving. Do what you can for that person to let them know you appreciate it and then go out there and rip it up on the race course!

Sounds simple enough doesn’t it. I understand it has it’s logistics but this is where I come in. If you are a sailor willing to give a little let me know. Tell me what event or what you think you can do. If you are a sailor that could use a little help then let me know. I’ll match everyone up and exchange contact info and help make it all go as smoothly as possible. If you are on either end and would feel more comfortable remaining anonymous that is fine to. Just tell me and I’ll be the middle man and not let on who is who.

I’ve always enjoyed being around laser sailors young and not as young. I like how everyone is willing to lend a hand and eager to learn more. Yes, some of you are competitive at a high level, but others who have the talent and skill may never get there because of silly reasons. In the end the sport should be enjoyable and a way to learn. What better way to achieve this than to lend a helping hand.

As always, if you want to hear about a certain topic or have any questions about this topic feel free to contact me. You can always find me at www.sailfit.com or email directly to meka@sailfit.com. I look forward to hearing from you

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