This is my Mom Theresa Helen Brozstowski Hoffay…and here are a few messages that were passed on to me along with my brothers and sister. They swirl around in my head and heart. I hope to pass a few “choice” ones on to my children.

Think you’re a cardio saint, innocent of any and all offenses? Read on to see if you’re guilty as charged!

1. Leaning on the Machine
While gripping the handles or console of a cardio machine can aid in balance, leaning too much of your weight into the handles of the machine will decrease your workout intensity and burn far fewer calories. I see this all the time in Spinning class (people leaning weight into their arms while standing instead of keeping their weight in their legs), and see it at the gym with people leaning onto the treadmill handles or console. If you’re moving so fast or feel so tired that you cannot keep the pace without taking weight off of your legs by placing it into your arms, you are far better off decreasing your speed or workout intensity than by keeping the speed and leaning. Try to use the handles only temporarily, such as when you first hop on the treadmill and find your footing, or if you have to pause the machine.

2. Skimping on Resistance
Many people fear the resistance on stationary bikes because they fear it will make them “bulk up.” ( This is so not true.)  Similarly, I see a lot of people using treadmills and elliptical machines with little to no incline. When it comes to getting a better, more challenging workout (that also burns more calories) resistance—or incline—is essential. This is especially true on the tredmill.  Which propels you forward automatically and makes both walking and running easier. By bumping up the incline, you’ll counteract that propelling motion of the belt and get a better workout.

3. Stretching before Your Workout
Stretching is NOT the same thing as a warm up, although many people confuse the two. And stopping to stretch after you warm up completely negates the fact that you just warmed up. By the time you’re done stretching, you’re right back where you started! Your muscles are warm and your joints most lubricated at the end of your cardio session. There’s no need to stretch twice, so you might as well save your stretching time for the end when you’ll get the most benefit.

4. Carrying Weights While You Walk
It’s generally safe if you’re holding weights less than 3 pounds, but at that weight, there might not be a huge challenge or benefit for you. Hold much more and your injury risk skyrockets. Experts do agree that ankle weights are a no-no.  When it comes to cardio, I’d much rather see a person work on increasing speed, incline or resistance to increase the cardio challenge of a workout than simply add weights to a workout.

5. Only Doing Cardio
Cardio exercise has tons of amazing benefits for your health and weight loss. So if you’re doing any cardio at all, kudos to you! But if cardio is the only form of exercise in which you partake, you are really missing out. You may even be at risk for what many people fear: becoming “skinny fat.” Many people think of cardio as the key to fat-burning, and it is important. But strength training is, too. More muscle helps boost your metabolism so you burn more calories all day—and during every cardio session. Further, on a weight-loss program, you will lose muscle mass as you lose weight (not a good thing), but regular strength training will help you minimize that muscle loss. Pick up the weights and watch the scale go down.

6. Not Drinking Water
When you’re doing cardio right, you’re going to sweat. And when you sweat, you need to replace those fluids. Waiting until the end of your workout to drink up can be a risky practice. You’re much better off keeping a water bottle with you during your workout and sipping every few minutes. Definitely don’t wait until you’re already thirsty to start drinking.

7. Doing the Same Cardio Workout
Most of us have a go-to workout that we love to do as often as possible. Whether it’s walking, Zumba, running or the elliptical, we tend to have a mainstay cardio workout. It is important to enjoy your workouts (you’re more likely to stick with them that way), but you’ll get far better results by mixing up your routine as often as possible. At the very least, add 1-2 days of  cross-training to your existing cardio program (if you tend to do the same thing all the time).  Mixing it up prevents overtraining and its related injuries and keeps your body guessing so that you don’t plateau.

8. Zoning Out
I know it’s the only way a lot of us can get through the monotony of the gym, but zoning out (think reading, watching or listening to media) during cardio can really hurt your results. When we’re not focusing on the task at hand, two things happen; first, we start to slack off because bouncing around too much makes it harder to read or we’re simply forgetting what we’re really at the gym to do (work hard). Second, because we’re not paying attention, our form tends to go by the wayside. Your posture slouches, your arms and legs aren’t moving through the idea range of motion, and you’re not striking with your feet or engaging your core properly. It’s fine to entertain yourself with TV, an audio book, or music during cardio. Just make sure to check back in every couple minutes to pay attention to your intensity and your form.

9. Lifting Weights Really Fast
We’re all strapped for time and many of us are lucky if we get to the gym a few times a week. We all want to make the most of our workout time. However, lifting weights really quickly (as in lifting the actual weight up and down at rapid speed) in order to try to ink out a little extra “cardio” benefit is a super bad idea. Slow, controlled form is essential for weight training. Speeding up your exercises is majorly risky. If you really want to try to turn your strength training routine into something more aerobic, don’t go faster. Instead, use full-body (compound) moves that work your upper and lower body simultaneously and/or get rid of the resting periods between sets in favor of circuit training. Both are safe ways to train that can amp up the cardio component of your toning program. Never sacrifice form or safety for speed.

10. Confusing “Activity” with Cardio
This is probably the most common mistake. We know how important it is to be active, and so we try to count every activity we do as “exercise” or cardio. That can be a big mistake for several reasons. While any activity is better than no activity, only those activities that meet the requirements for cardio activity really give us the health and fitness benefits we exercise in order to reap. Plus, tracking calories burned from every little thing you do is only misleading. You’re only really burning “extra” calories when you’re working pretty darn hard—not when you’re simply walking leisurely through the mall or doing some light cleaning.

Social Entrepreneurship, Conscious Capitalism, Philanthropy, Social Responsibility. Today everyone is getting involved in giving back.  Here are my favorite reasons why:

1. You Do Good – You Feel Good

Martin Luther King Jr. said it best “Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.”

2. Builds Experience

Are you in finance, but wished you had gotten involved in marketing instead? Try something new and build your skills by offering your time to a non-profit organization. Most could use help in all areas. Ask to get involved and add some new experience and skills to your resume.

3. Shape your Personal Brand

As we develop ourselves and our values we can get involved with organizations that support the same efforts we do. Put your thoughts and words to action and let it be a part of who you are.

4. You are not the only one

Philanthropy has caught on like wild-fire and it is no surprise why. Lifting up another person’s life is an incredible feeling, a feeling that nobody is immune too. Social entrepreneurship and conscious capitalism are the new buzz words and we’re seeing them everywhere. You’ll be joining a list of other do-gooder’s like Lebron James, Angelina Jolie, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.

5. It’s a Blast

Meet new people, try new things, no we’re not talking about moving to a new city – it’s giving back. Getting involved in philanthropy opens many new doors; most to a new network of contacts and friends and exciting new opportunities.

6. Good comes in many different forms

In a day and age of Groupon and Living Social, we can give back by shopping too. We’re talking about Recoup.com a “first cause shopping channel where millions of people support causes they care about by connecting with businesses that want to do good.” You get to buy a pair of shoes for a discount and a non-profit organization that you choose gets a donation. That’s a win-win.

Looking to get involved, but not sure where to start. Try looking for opportunities at work. Businesses are always trying to get  involved in the community. You can also find opportunities online via websites like www.handsonnetwork.com.

In excess, coffee, and more particularly, caffeine, can cause problems. But the fretting about two or three cups a day, or even more, is fading as study results suggestive of health benefits from coffee keep on coming in. Coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of depression among women, a lower risk of lethal prostate cancer among men, and a lower risk of stroke among men and women. Earlier research also shows possible (it’s not a done deal) protective effects against everything from Parkinson’s disease to diabetes to some types of cancer.

Coffee contains literally a thousand different substances, and some of the lesser lights are thought to be responsible for healthful effects in other parts of the body. Some studies show caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee as having the same effect, which suggests that something else in coffee is involved.

It gets complicated, though. Caffeine and some of these other substances in coffee seem to have their good and bad sides, and coffee’s overall effect may depend on how much they cancel each other out.

Caffeine: Good for the brain, bad for other parts?

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug in the world, and some of its behavioral effects (such as arousal) may resemble those produced by cocaine, amphetamines, and other stimulants. Coffee consumption accounts for about 75% of the adult intake of caffeine in the United States, although that might be changing among younger adults with the growing popularity of energy drinks.

The caffeine content of coffee varies greatly, depending on the beans, how they’re roasted, and other factors, but the average for an 8-ounce cup is about 100 milligrams (mg). Tea has about half as much caffeine as coffee. Decaffeinated coffee has some caffeine, but the 2 to 4 mg in an 8-ounce cup is a smidgen compared with the caffeinated version. The lethal dose of caffeine is about 10 grams, which is equivalent to the amount of caffeine in 100 cups of coffee.

Caffeine gets absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and then distributed throughout the body, including the brain. The amount circulating in the blood peaks 30 to 45 minutes after it’s ingested and only small amounts are around eight to 10 hours later. In between, the amount circulating declines as caffeine gets metabolized in the liver.

Caffeine probably has multiple targets in the brain, but the main one seems to be adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a brain chemical that dampens brain activity. By hogging adenosine’s receptors, caffeine sets off a chain of events that affects the activity of dopamine, another important brain chemical, and the areas of the brain involved in arousal, pleasure, and thinking. A part of the brain affected by Parkinson’s disease, called the striatum, has many adenosine receptors; by docking on them, caffeine seems to have some protective effects.

Outside the brain, caffeine can be a performance enhancer, boosting the strength of muscle contraction and offsetting some of the physiological and psychological effects of physical exertion. But, especially in the short term, it also has negative effects, which include raising blood pressure, making arteries stiffer, and increasing levels of homocysteine, insulin, and possibly cholesterol.

February is National Heart Month.  Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S.  Every 25 seconds, an American experiences a coronary event, and someone dies from heart disease about every 50 seconds; that adds up to 600,000 deaths per year.  There are many different types of heart disease, I’m just going to highlight a few to create awareness.

Heart and blood vessel disease — cardiovascular disease — includes numerous problems, many of which are related to a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood clot forms, it can stop the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack or stroke.

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked by a blood clot. If this clot cuts off the blood flow completely, the part of the heart muscle supplied by that artery begins to die. Most people survive their first heart attack and return to their normal lives to enjoy many more years of productive activity. But having a heart attack does mean you have to make some changes. The doctor will advise you of medications and  lifestyle changes according to how badly the heart was damaged and what degree of heart disease caused the heart attack.

An ischemic stroke (the most common type) happens when a blood vessel that feeds the brain gets blocked, usually from a blood clot. When the blood supply to a part of the brain is shut off, brain cells will die. The result will be the inability to carry out some of the previous functions as before like walking or talking. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel within the brain bursts. The most likely cause is uncontrolled hypertension.

Some effects of stroke are permanent if too many brain cells die after a stroke due to lack of blood and oxygen to the brain. These cells are never replaced. The good news is that some brain cells don’t die — they’re only temporarily out of order. Injured cells can repair themselves. Over time, as the repair takes place, some body functioning improves. Also, other brain cells may take control of those areas that were injured. In this way, strength may improve, speech may get better and memory may improve. This recovery process is what rehabilitation is all about.

Other Types of Cardiovascular Disease

Heart failure: This doesn’t mean that the heart stops beating. Heart failure, sometimes called congestive heart failure, means the heart isn’t pumping blood as well as it should. The heart keeps working, but the body’s need for blood and oxygen isn’t being met. Heart failure can get worse if it’s not treated. If your loved one has heart failure, it’s very important to follow the doctor’s orders. 

Arrhythmia: This is an abnormal rhythm of the heart. There are various types of arrhythmias. The heart can beat too slow, too fast or irregularly. Bradycardia is when the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute. Tachycardia is when the heart rate is more than 100 beats per minute. An arrhythmia can affect how well the heart works. The heart may not be able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. 

Heart valve problems: When heart valves don’t open enough to allow the blood to flow through as it should, it’s called stenosis. When the heart valves don’t close properly and allow blood to leak through, it’s called regurgitation. When the valve leaflets bulge or prolapse back into the upper chamber, it’s a condition called mitral valve prolapse. When this happens, they may not close properly. This allows blood to flow backward through them.

Sharon and I board the train to NYC in the wee hours of the morning, then are shuttled to the Javits Center and the Piers. The venues are large and we have so much ground to cover. There is a plan of attack, but it quickly becomes derailed. This season’s goal is Jewelry…Jewelry…Jewelry, and it has to be handcrafted and local. Sneak peaks consist of jewelry made from pre-1900′s teaspoons, hand and mouth blown artisan glass, and pendants and bracelets from hammered coins crafted in Woodstock NY.

The icing on the cake was a new tea line called “Teatulia”, which sustains women in a village in Bangladesh. Speaking of sustainable products, stop in and  pick up a People Towel and the new Vapur Fliptop Bottle. Sharon and I wish we had had one of the People Towels in our bag when using the bathroom in Grand Central Terminal (yuck).

And the kids of New Paltz will be talking about Bananna Grams and Pears to Pairs, a new game for the whole family. Watch the video.

Days are long, feet are sore and our bags are loaded down with catalogs from new companies. Back to Grand Central for the highlight of  each day. No it’s not the long ride home, it is the Black and White Cookie from Zaro’s Bakery. We inhale them on the train, while recapping the day and plotting the attack for the next day.

                   YUM…..YUM….YUM                                     I think I want a cookie!

A Tea Dilemma: Loose leaf or Tea Bags?

Reproduced from the teatulia blog

Pantone, the global authority on color recently revealed Tangerine Tango, a reddish orange hue as the color of the year for 2012.This year is an especially exciting year for color as consumers are looking to experiment with new looks while creating powerful statements. They continue to introduce more colors in to their life and homes. The staff at Dedricks will be choosing some new colors for our walls, new merchandise and displays. Now we are pretty sure what color we will be painting with, but we thought we’d open it up for a discussion.

Tango Tangerine 

Maybe you have plans to add an accent color into your kitchen decor, new throw pillows on your sofa, changing your bedroom lamps or whatever the color introduction is we want to know. Post your comment at the bottom. Who knows your color choice may be the new fabulous color you see on Dedrick’s Gifts walls.

                                                              Sodalite Blue                                                          

                                                               Bell Fleuer

Here is a small hint…none of the colors in the above pictures will be gracing our walls. Go ahead we dare you to help us choose a wall color or just give your thoughts on what colors you think will be hot for 2012.

                                                             Solar Power