• Jan4

    Top-rated Treadmills and Ellipticals: Consumer Reports 2012

    Posted in: Aging and Costs of Aging, Obesity and Weight Loss, Uncategorized, Wellness and Health

    Consumer Reports’ ratings for top exercise equipment just came out, and the LA Times helpfully summarized the findings. I’ve subscribed to CR for years, and like the analysis: they are careful, test thoroughly on quality not price, and rate objectively. (photo courtesy of ellipticaltrainerexercise.com),

    In my opinion, the best machine is the one you’ll use. You can burn more calories on a treadmill if you take a full stride, and use your arms! Don’t hold on to the handrails.

    Expect to pay $900 up to $3k+ for something that will last.

    Top non-folding treadmill: The Precor 9.31. Number is the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer at $3,800 and third is the True PS300. Number 4, and less than half the price of the Precor, is the Sole S77.

    Top folding treadmill: the LifeSpan TR4000i.
    Top folding treadmills (budget): NordicTrak C900 and the ProForm Power 995.

    On ellipiticals, use your arms! Try interval training: fast for a minute, slow for a minute. High intensity workouts burn calories faster and more efficiently. And with a lower impact exercise comes lower risk of injury and the ability to prevent injury.

    Top elliptical trainer (also $900 to $3k): Octane Fitness Q37ci (though at 1/3 the price, the Smooth CE 3.6 is #3)

    Happy cross training!

     
    Leave a Comment

  • Dec25

    Paging Dr La Puma is On Vacation

    Posted in: Uncategorized

    Dear readers: I am spending time with family and on vacation and will not post a new Paging Dr La Puma blogt until after January 3, 2011.  I will have internet access and be available as needed.

    May your holidays and New Year be warm, super fun and scrumptious—and nutritious, of course.

    JL

     
    1 Comment

  • Nov9

    Writing a Best-Seller: Resources!

    Posted in: Uncategorized, Wellness and Health

    In Las Vegas last week, I gave a talk last week to 75 physicians on writing, publishing and marketing–specifically, how to write a New York Times Best-Seller (see previous post for strategies).

    I also love being with out-of-the-box people, who think beyond their training or degree, and are keenly interested in something else too.  That was the MedicalFusion conference.

    I prepared for the talk by researching the topic (there are real empiric data), and examining my own experiences.

    It turns out that as fast as publishing is changing, some of the old truths still hold.

    If you are swinging for the fences, you are best served by getting an agent, using a New York publisher, letting them amplify your message, and learning excellent media skills.  And there’s no substitute for practice.

    What put my last book (ChefMD) over the top was the NPR interview, confounding the conventional wisdom that only TV works to sell books.

    I prepared for the interview, like I prepare for all interviews: by reviewing my handwritten 4 x 6 or 8.5 x 11 cards.  I love high technology, but I have not transferred these to my phone, because the hands-on approach seems to work.

    Here are 8 recommended hands-on resources about writing a best-seller: Seth Godin, of course, and Tim Ferris of Four Hour Work Week, twice; Dan Poynter’s self-publishing guide with suppliers; authorhive.com for book marketing; and for self-publishing: lulu.com, createspace.com and authorsolutions.com.  See what you like!

     
    Leave a Comment

  • Oct25

    Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables

    Posted in: Aging and Costs of Aging, Child Obesity, Obesity and Weight Loss, Recipes, Uncategorized, Wellness and Health

    Avoiding and treating child obesity is not the only reason to get kids to eat vegetables.

    It’s helping them start on a lifetime of flavorful eating.  Flavor is the missing ingredients in many good-for-you foods because too many adults lack the simple cooking, shopping and choosing skills to make vegetables taste good.

    That problem goes away if you buy local, by the way. The freshest vegetables usually need the least cooking.

    The usual place kids find flavor is junk and fast foods. And that warps their palates, and quite possibly, sets up an addiction cycle…if their brains work like adults’.

    Thursday I’m doing 4 easy kids recipes for the Foodbank: Sweet Crunchy Jicama Sticks, Parmesan Kale Chips, Warm Stuffed Dates and BBQ Tofu.  Total kitchen time: 30 minutes!

    The secret here is not disguising the veggies, or adding extra sugar/coatings/junk, but making them appealing on their own. Surprisingly, this isn’t popular as two other approaches:

    • Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious is about hiding the carrots in the meatloaf, and the zucchini in the bread.  That  makes the parent feel better, and does get vegetable into the kid. But a vegetable is not a pill, or a medicine.
    • Weelicious is about fun: great photos and spunk. Sugar and coatings are on zucchini and carrots. It’s easy peasy for the stressed parent of a baby or toddler who wants more health. Vegetable is usually a seasoning, instead of the main event.

    Is there a better way? We’ll find out, at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara and its reception and benefit this Thursday 10.28.10

     
    2 Comments

  • Oct13

    What to Ask Your Doctor About Nutrition

    Posted in: Common Conditions, Environmental Health, Uncategorized, Wellness and Health

    I was interviewed last week by Oxygen Magazine about the New York Times coverage of nutrition in medical school (or rather, the declining hours given in U.S. medical schools to the subject: full scientific article here.)
    The questions were very good, and so I thought I’d offer my answers to you too.

    1. How important is food in preventing disease?

    Food is the most powerful clinical intervention against chronic disease doctors have.  We should be able to write recipes on prescription slips, just like prescription medication.  And every doctor should know how.

    2. Should people ask their doctor how they feel about nutrition? If so, what kind of question(s) should they ask?

    a. What should I eat for my (specific condition)? {By specific, I mean fill-in-the-blank: high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, arthritis, depression, optimal health}
    b. Where can I learn about what to eat for my (specific condition)?
    c. Where can I find easy, healthy recipes for my general health by someone you trust?

    and more generally

    d. Do you think nutrition and what I eat are important for my (specific condition)?

    If you get a “No” or “I doubt it” to question d, ask “Why”? There might be a good reason. But if there isn’t, consider looking for a doctor who says “Yes, I do.”

     
    2 Comments
« PREV.POSTS
NEXT POSTS »