That's Fit

Does your bedroom romance sometimes feel more like a workout than a make-out? Ya know ladies, men rely on us for feedback, and when we don't provide that we can set ourselves ... and our guys ... up for some less than fantastic lovin'. Fortunately, the well-respected WebMD invited two acclaimed sex educators, Tristan Taormino and Lou Paget, to share the most common sex mistakes men make with women. Drum roll please ...

1. This worked with the last girl so ... Just like you guys, no two women have the same physical, or physiological, make up. What made your last lover over the moon crazy for you may not make the next all that crazy. Taormino explains, "You develop a repertoire as you mature sexually, but you should never assume that what worked for the last person is going to work for this person." The same is true for sexual predilections as for relationships. Some women become attached after the first sexual encounter while others are perfectly happy with no-strings-attached sex. Pay attention to the subtle cues your partner is sending.
   
2. You got all the goods ... While our egos -- both men's and women's -- want to believe that we are all our partner needs, the reality is some times some battery operated assistance is needed. Some women can climax within seconds of penetration while others need the RPMs only one thing can provide. Rather than taking that as a slant to your manhood, allow yourself to pleasure your partner in what ever way pleases her. Taormino urges men to consider the vibrator as an assistant rather than as a replacement. Taormino explains, "While you're doing one thing, or two things, the vibrator can be doing something else."
3. You know how she feels ... Trust me on this guys ... sex does not feel the same for women as it does for men. Paget claims that there is a a "huge disconnect" between men and women in the ways that sex feels good. She says, "When a man has intercourse with a woman, and his penis goes into her body, that sensation is so off the charts for most men, they cannot imagine that it isn't feeling the same way for her." The reality is that the vagina is less sensitive than the outer parts of the body for most women. And, because some men are larger than the space they occupy inside a woman, the woman may need to re-acclimate herself with each sexual encounter. Paget goes on to say that if a man's penis is too long, deep thrusting can feel like a kick in the stomach ... over and over again. Again, follow your partner's cues, and let her guide you and follow her lead.
   

Life is too short not to be fully "turned on." The Daily Turn On! energizes all aspects of "you." Every Monday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will provide you with ideas and tips to awaken your mind, your body and your life as you journey through each day of the week! Check in each Monday to get your tip for Turning On every day of your life.

There is no doubt our economy is experiencing some form of a recession. While I am certainly not an economist, just about everyone I know is experiencing some form of a financial squeeze. With 62,000 Americans losing their job in June alone, and the cost of price ever increasing, chances are you may be feeling a little stressed out too. Stress management is one of the most important aspects of living a healthy and fit life. There are many things we can't control -- the economy, war, politics and all the domino effects they have on our lives. But there are things we can control such as our responses to external stimuli and how much we sleep. When life gets stressful, making sure to catch plenty of ZZZs becomes increasingly important.

Benefits of Sleep

1. Sleeping at least eight solid hours can reduce blood pressure and the elevated levels of stress hormones caused by external factors. Stress increases the body's natural rate of aging and degeneration of organs, cells and other body parts. Sleep helps to reverse these effects and encourages a state of relaxation.
2. Our bodies shift into repair mode while we sleep generating extra protein molecules that mend the body at a cellular level. Stress, pollutants, infection, sun exposure and other forms of cellular damage is repaired during our REM sleep.
   
3. Our cardiovascular system takes a "beating" when life gets stressful. Sleep helps to reduce the levels of stress and inflammation in the body. Inflammation in the cardio system can lead to heart disease. Sleep allows the cardiovascular system time to heal itself while also keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels lower.
4. Sleep also assists in regulating the hormones that affect and control our appetite. When we do not get enough sleep, our normal hormone balances are interrupted and our appetite increases. Our bodies begin to crave high-calorie foods in order to maintain sufficient energy. Sleeping well is one of the first steps towards eating well.
   

When life gets stressful, remember to take extra care of your mind, your body, and your spirit. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to simply close our eyes!

Dear Laura:

I suffer from anxiety. It prevents me from relaxing, and I am in a constant state of worry. I recently read that "magic mushrooms" have been found to help cure people with my condition. I hate taking prescription drugs. What's the deal? It sounds like an an interesting alternative.

Signed,


Wound Up in Tulsa, Ok


Dear "Wound Up,"

Wow! Talk about a great question. A year and a half ago, you may recall reading about a short-term study performed in a controlled environment where test subjects with various emotional conditions such as anxiety and depression ingested mushrooms containing psilocybin. After two months, their conditions improved dramatically. More recently, researchers at John Hopkins followed up on the psychotropic mushroom study participants and found the beneficial effects long lasting.

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, "Psoriasis [pronounced sore-EYE-ah-sis] is a noncontagious, lifelong skin disease. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. The most common form, plaque [plak] psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called scale." There are several forms of treatment for psoriasis, but making some important lifestyle changes my provide some significant relief.

1. Pile on the produce. An Italian study suggests that people who eat a diet rich in antioxidants founds in foods such as carrots, tomatoes, fresh fruits, and green vegetables were less likely to acquire psoriasis, or have flare-ups than those whose diets were lacking in these antioxidant-rich foods. As a matter of fact, participants of the study who ate three or more servings of carrots a week reduced their risk of psoriasis by as much as 40%. Participants who ate seven or more servings of tomatoes a week reduced their risk by an astounding 60 percent; and those who had two servings a day of fresh fruits reduced their risk by 50 percent. Prevention recommends eating between five and nine servings of fruits and veggies each day.
   
2. Cut the vices. It should come as no surprise that a fitness blog would suggest snuffing out the smoking and drinking habit, but did you know these popular vices also contribute to psoriasis? Research shows a higher occurrence of psoriasis in alcoholics, and smokers are twice as likely develop psoriasis than non-smokers.
   
3. Enough is enough. Take control of your food intake. Kelly Coates, the patient education manager for the National Psoriasis Foundation, says, "There seems to be a connection between psoriasis and obesity." Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for reducing the risks of psoriasis, as well as the frequency of flare ups for folks who have the disease.
   

While changing one's lifestyle is never simple, sometimes it is essential to live your fullest and most fit life. If you have psoriasis, I would love to hear how you cope and what has helped you get relief.

Dear Laura,

I aspire to live a balanced healthy life. I am a successful 29 year old woman who has a wonderful career. I workout, I eat right, I have wonderful friends and am basically satisfied with my life.Yet, I want to get married, but I am afraid of being with the same person romantically for the rest of my life! I feel that it is not natural to just "be" with the same person "forever." As a matter of fact, I was reading that monogamy is not natural. This is a big issue for me. I want to live a really great life. What do you think?

Signed,

Kathy G, Plano, Texas


Dear Kathy,

What an interesting question. As you know I preach living a "balanced, happy, and healthy life." And since I have a science background, I love contemplating the research associated with this subject. Is it natural for humans to be monogamous? I can honestly say, I don't know. How can we explain all of the infidelity occurring in our society? What exactly is going on with that?

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!

Wow ... this is a pretty intense headline ... Lack of vitamin D linked to deaths. In my book, 52 Ways To A Healthy You, I dedicate my first chapter to the powerful health benefits of this essential vitamin. So, when this headline showed up on CNN, I took notice.

Recent studies link low vitamin D levels with deaths from heart disease and other causes, giving even more evidence that the "sunshine" vitamin is indeed essential to good health. Research shows that patients with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood were more than two times more likely to die in the next eight years and most specifically more likely to die from heart-related illness. How much should you take? During months with less sunshine, optimal levels of 1,000 to 3,000 IU's has been recommended to reap optimal health benefits as opposed to the minimum requirement of 400 IUs.

One of vitamin D's most important functions is the regulation of calcium absorption and metabolism. Without sufficient vitamin D, even if there exists sufficient dietary calcium, it cannot be properly absorbed and metabolized. Beyond calcium metabolism, vitamin D is also recognized as critical to a number of other body systems. A deficiency may be associated with chronic diseases such as common cancers (ovarian, breast, prostate, colon, kidney, and pancreas); autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis; as well as cardiovascular heart disease, depression, and decreased muscles strength.

Life is too short not to be fully "turned on." The Daily Turn On! energizes all aspects of "you." Every Monday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will provide you with ideas and tips to awaken your mind, your body and your life as you journey through each day of the week! Check in each Monday to get your tip for Turning On every day of your life.

While we all know our brain is a muscle, we rarely think about the fact that it needs to be exercised just like every other muscle in our body if we want it to perform at its optimal level and maintain youthful health. Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, a clinical professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine and the co-founder of SharpBrains explains, "Exercising our brains systematically is as important as exercising our bodies," states Goldberg. He goes on to explain that the more we use our brain the more it continues to grow and expand it in functionality.

Leading scientists, such as Dr. Joe Dispenza -- author of Evolve Your Brain -- emphasizes the importance of learning something new each and every day. Just like our gym workouts, we want to continuously exercise the brain in new ways. From large tasks such as taking on the challenge of learning a new language or instrument to simple tasks like learning a word of the day, working out riddles, crossword puzzles or even video games, our brains require new stimuli in order to continue evolving.

Keep your brain and body in tip top shape by incorporating new and challenging exercises into your physical and mental workouts. If you typically run, take up yoga. If your usual routine involves a spin class switch over to an intense kick-boxing class. Optimize your workouts so they do double duty. Squeeze your muscles from head to toe!

Life Fitness is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Need motivation and guidance to facilitate positive changes in your life? Ask Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis!

Dear Laura,

Working out is a major part of my life. After I leave my job around 5pm, I go to the gym every night and typically spend three hours working out. My girlfriends at work think that I am obsessed with exercising, even calling me an "exercise addict." I don't think I am! I just care about feeling healthy and looking my best. What do you think?

Dear Ms. Fitness,

Being Fit versus being obsessed with fitness can go hand in hand. Yet, in order to identify if you really are a addicted to exercise, you can begin by asking yourself a series of questions. Here are 10 Ways to tell if you are indeed an Exercise Addict:

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!

Having fair-skinned, Scotch-Irish heritage, I am a far cry from a sun goddess, but I will admit there is just something about summer that makes all people just a little more beautiful. Maximize the season's gift of beauty with these essential summer beauty tips.

1. Derma-Indulgence. Even if you live in a highly humid area, the summer heat can still whop a doozie on your skin. Be especially indulgent with your skin in the summer months. The summer sun produces more pollution which causes free radicals -- unstable molecules -- to wreak havoc on our skin. This additional stress on the body can cause inflammation in otherwise healthy cells triggering enzymes to break down collagen and elastin. Indulge your skin with a healthy dose of antioxidants. These warriors swoop in and repair, as well as prevent, damage caused by free radicals. Idebenone, a derivative of coenzyme Q10, is a fantastic preventive, and also works well to repair damage by decreasing collagen-degrading enzymes in the body. I also like to keep my skin fresh with this delicious hydrosol by Flower Road Natural Therapies. I spritz my face and decolletage throughout the day.
2. Summer Necking. Summer is the season to be very nourishing on the neck. This area of the body has especially delicate skin. The neck actually has thinner skin than the face and therefore it will lose elasticity faster and easier. Be extravagant with sunblock. I prefer to use organic protectors that are free of chemicals. Our skin is the largest organ in the body and is the gateway for access to our internal organs. Whatever we rub into the skin is absorbed by the body. Alba Botanica makes a really nice line of organic sunscreen products. Follow up with a rich emollient in the evening before bed. This Egyptian elixir combined with a rich and nutrient cream will leave your neck perfectly prepared for "necking" year round!
3. Tootsie Treats. There is no body part -- at least on a woman -- that takes a beating more than the feet. Flip flops, sand, hot cement, sexy sandals and just about all other summer shoes provide quite a beating on our poor peds. Treat your feet with extra loving kindness in the summer months. Seek out a massage therapist that specializes in reflexology. By receiving reflexology treatments regularly throughout the summer you will release stress in your feet while simultaneously releasing stress in other important areas of the body. Follow this up with a soothing pedicure to keep your feet soft and well moisturized.
   

Summer is a time to indulge in the beauty of the season. Enjoy the warmth and take extra special care of all your beautiful part!

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!

You work hard. You are committed to your diet. You rarely eat junk food ... or do you? If you are snacking on any of these five "health" foods, you may be doing more harm than good.

Five Unhealthy Health Foods

1. Energy Bars. Promoted as a quick and easy pick-me-ups, energy bars are really little more than glorified candy bars. Sure they contain protein and fiber, but they are very high in calories, simple carbohydrates and sugar. Grab an apple instead and add a tablespoon of peanut or almond butter for protein.
   
   
2. Granola. Known as one of the classics amongst health foodies, granola is actually quite high in fat, sugar and calories. Portion sizes on labels tend to be tiny and real-life snacks tend to be not so tiny. Go for dehydrated vegetable chips with hummus instead.
   
   
3. Smoothies. With smoothie bars popping up in gyms all over the place, it is an easy misconception that these meals in a cup are actually good for you. In reality, most chain smoothie stores make their smoothies packed full of added sugars. A small Orange Dream Machine from Jamba Juice has 340 calories and 69 grams of sugars. Mix up a fruit salad and add some nuts for protein instead.
   
   
4. Sushi Rolls. Yeppers ... these little yummy things can be much higher in calories than one might think. While sushi rolls do come in a wide variety, the ones with fried bits in mayonnaise are not good choices. Go for the raw sushi or sashimi instead.
   
   
5. Yogurt. Fruit on the bottom yogurt is the equivalent to a couple of tablespoons of jam, which translates into a whole lot of sugar. Rather than eating the fruit yogurts, choose the organic plain yogurt and add fresh fruit.
   
   

Got any more suggestions on some not-so-healthy health foods? We would love to hear them!

Being Life Fit is about your total health, including the health of all of your relationships. Life Fit is a journey, not a destination. It is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Check in each Tuesday to Life Fit with Laura Lewis, author of "52 Ways To A Healthy You," as we explore our total life fitness. Then, weigh in with your own thoughts over at Laura's "Life Fit Chat" each Wednesday and Thursday for further discussion on the week's topic. Or check out "Ask Laura" every Friday for answers! For more information visit Laura at www.LauraLewis.com.

I was enjoying a yummy treat of coconut milk ice cream the other day with a friend -- not kidding myself that it was actually healthy -- and commented on the fact that coconut oil is so very good for us. She was aghast, and said she had heard that coconut oil was one of the worst oils one could possibly consume. Not so, I had to disagree. So for those of you who may share my friend's disdain of coconut oil, this one's for you ...

The Benefits Of Coconut Oil
Did you know coconut oil is good for hair care, skin care, stress relief, heart diseases, cholesterol levels, weight loss, kidney problems, digestion, metabolism, high blood pressure, immunity, dental care, diabetes, bone strength, HIV and cancer? And that's not all. The wonderful benefits of coconut oil are due to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, which contain healing properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and much more.

Our bodies convert the lauric acid found in coconut oil into monolaurin -- known as a powerful healing agent for viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. Monolaurin helps fight off dangerous bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Because of its healing properties, it has long been the oil of choice for athletes and body builders because it actually contains fewer calories than other oils; and what's more, its fat content is easily converted into energy as opposed to accumulating as fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil also boosts energy and endurance, and serves as a natural overall performance enhancer for athletes.

Life is too short not to be fully "turned on." The Daily Turn On! energizes all aspects of "you." Every Monday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will provide you with ideas and tips to awaken your mind, your body and your life as you journey through each day of the week! Check in each Monday to get your tip for Turning On every day of your life.

Speaking stereotypically, women tend to be more in tune with their bodies than men. Women also have a tendency to go to the doctor when they notice something amiss with their health while men tend to ignore the problem. Here are five health issues men should never ignore.

1. Chest Pain. Okay, I can hear you already ... DUH! ... but according to CNN Health Expert Dr. Joseph Scherger, a clinical professor of family medicine at the University of California, San Diego, men do have a tendency to ignore this alarming heart attack symptom. Chest pain is the number one symptom of heart attack. Learn more on this video.
2. Big Belly. The worst place for a man to carry additional fat is around the belly. According to Dr. Harry Fisch, a professor of clinical urology at Columbia, "A big belly is a sign a man has low testosterone levels. And the lower the testosterone, the greater the risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease."
3. Impotence. Impotence is one health issue mean really do not like to talk about with anyone ... not even their doctors. Dr. Harry Fisch states, "The penis is the dipstick of the body's health." Impotence may be caused by psychological reasons, but it could also be a symptom of several life-threatening conditions. It stands to reason that if the arteries that move blood to the penis are not properly supplying enough blood for it "to do its job," then the arteries that supply blood to the heart and brain might not be working so well either. Coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol may all be linked to erectile dysfunction.
4. Frequent Urination. Urinating more frequently than normal without a significant increase in fluids can be a sign of prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate gland. If a man is getting up two or three times a night to relieve himself, he should go to the doctor for a prostate exam.
   
5. Popping Prescribed Pills. Dr. Joel Heidelbaugh, a family medicine specialist at the University of Michigan Medical School, warns, "Men sometimes don't realize they're addicted to prescription drugs." As a matter of fact, many times their spouses, colleagues and friends don't even notice. Vicodin and Oxycontin are two of the more common, and highly addictive, painkillers. Sadly, I have an ex-boyfriend who was wonderful except for the fact he was addicted to pain killers, taking handfuls per day and I never saw him take one! Nicest guy. He ended up going into rehab and to this day fights the daily battle of avoiding the temptation. Now he has a girlfriend with "great addiction radar"! My current guy pops supplements and that's it!
   

Guys ... pay attention. If you recognize any of these four symptoms, pick up the phone and call the doctor. Women, if the man in your life is living in denial ... love him enough to intervene!