Obesity

Moderate obesity shortens lives by three years and the seriously obese will die 10 years before they should, according to a definitive study by Oxford University researchers. The study, published today online by the Lancet medical journal, is an analysis of data relating to nearly one million people worldwide. It is the largest ever investigation of how obesity affects mortality. The analysis looked at the BMI (body mass index) of nearly a million people who had been weighed and measured in 57 separate studies, mostly in Europe and North America. On the BMI scale, calculated by dividing an individual’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters, more than 25 is considered overweight and more than 30 obese. People in the study – funded by the Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK – were followed for up to 20 years, during which time 100,000 died. The best BMI to have, the researchers found, is about 24 – the group with the lowest mortality rate.People who were moderately obese, with a BMI of 30 to 35, which is now common, died three years earlier than they would have done at a normal weight. Severe obesity, with a BMI between 40 and 50, cut the lifespan by 10 years. That is as life-shortening as smoking – but severe obesity is still rare, affecting about 2% of the population.

Eve Wojtowicz, Enrollment Specialist

Center Yourself

It’s the worst nightmare for many people: You’re about to give a speech before hundreds of people. Inside, you’re a mess. You’re shaking, sweating, and afraid you won’t remember what you’re supposed to talk about. As you walk onstage, your inner voice tells you that you’re not ready, and you never will be.

Have you ever been in a situation like this? Have you been so stressed and nervous that you don’t want to go through with the speech, the interview, or presentation? Have you ever wished you could find a way of managing and overcoming this ‘performance stress’?  Well, there is an effective process that can help: It’s called centering, and anyone can learn it. The technique basically helps you change stress into concentration, and it can take as long as you want it to – from 10 seconds to 10 minutes.

What is Centering?

If you stop and think for a moment about how stress affects you, you’ll notice that you usually have a strong physical reaction when you’re stressed. You may lift your shoulders, take short breaths (which means you use the upper parts of your lungs instead of the lower, deeper parts), your heart rate increases, and you may feel as if you’re ‘floating.’  Centering, on the other hand, is designed to bring you back down to earth. It helps you focus on the here and now, and doesn’t allow outside concerns to intrude on your inner strength and calm. Centering helps you remain stable and grounded – something you would no doubt appreciate when you’re about to go onstage to present.

How to Center Yourself

To help you center, you first have to learn how to focus on your breathing. Deep, abdominal breathing is best for relaxing you. If you’re not familiar with deep breathing, try this: Sit down, take a deep breath in, and focus on letting the air fill up your stomach (or diaphragm). Don’t move your chest – just breathe in, and let the air go down deeply into the center of your body. Exhale slowly and deliberately through your mouth. Be clear about what you want to achieve, and focus on thinking positively about your outcome. For example, the affirmations you have in your head could be “The job is mine,” or “I give great presentations.” It could even be one word, such as “success,” or “confidence.”

There are three basic steps to centering.

1. Be aware of your breathing. Spend a few seconds completely focusing on your breathing. Use the technique described above: Breathe deeply into your abdomen, and exhale slowly. Do this until your entire focus is on your breathing – and nothing else.
2. Find your center. Locate your physical center of gravity. This is usually a little below your waist. Become familiar with where your center is, and remember what it feels like. This part of your body grounds and stabilizes you. When you begin to feel stressed – like you’re going to ‘float away’ – the feeling of your center will remind you that you have balance and control. Once you’ve found your center, breathe in and out deeply at least five times. Focus on your center. Feel the sensation of being stabilized and on the ground.
3. Release your negative energy. Imagine all the negative energy in your body is collecting in one place. Find an image that works for you. This could be a ball of energy that you’re going to throw away. Or the negativity could be held in a balloon that’s going to carry your negativity far away. Visualize this energy starting from your center, and moving up toward your eyes. As you inhale, say “Let.” As you exhale, say “Go.” If your energy is a ball, identify a spot across the room, and imagine yourself throwing the ball to hit that spot. If your energy is a balloon, imagine it floating away above your head. Let go of everything that is stressing you. Imagine your center filled with calm.

Using the centering method confidently takes some practice. It’s a good idea to start learning how to use it long before you actually have to do something stressful, like giving a speech, or interviewing for a job. Try the technique during situations that are stressful on a smaller scale – perhaps something you experience at work each day. Once you’ve mastered the method, you can use it any time you feel stressed and out of control. It will also help you trust your ability to let your instincts take over in whatever you’re about to do.

Debbie Spiegel, Enrollment Director

 

Martial Arts Training

Martial arts is an excellent means to achieve physical fitness and spiritual health. Martial arts has a deep meaning and philosophy. It is a centuries-old way of training a fighter — how not to fight, which is a paradox in the art and science of combat. These days, it is now one of the most popular means to attain physical health and to control stress and anxiety. But just like everything else in life, martial arts can be used either for good or for bad. For the serious practitioner, determining the proper and safe ways of training is as important as gaining the true, philosophical aims of the martial arts.

Debbie Spiegel, Enrollment Director

Peer Pressure

“‎Look at your 5 closest friends. Those five friends are who you are. If you don’t like who you are, then you know what you have to do…”  I have talked about this earlier, about the significance of surrounding yourself with positive people.  We are a reflection of who we associate ourselves with.  If you associate yourself with unhealthy individuals who live a life of bad choices and behavior, then these individuals will eventually wear down on you.  I know that if I go out to dinner with friends who order unhealthy food it becomes a challenge to resist the temptations of wanting to try a bite.  On the contrary when I surround myself with healthy people who enjoy working out and eating healthy, I find myself making better choices.  At my age I never thought that peer pressure would ever be an issue; however, I don’t think it matters what age we are, it’s hard to not be influenced with those around us.  That’s why classes at the Asian Arts Center can be so powerful, because the instructors ensure the students are focused on the class, not on outside distractions.  It is very hard to find an instructor in any type of fitness program that is able to have an entire class’s attention; however, every single instructor here has been trained to do so.  Taking classes at the Asian Arts Center will change your and your families lives.

Eve Wotowicz, Enrollment Specialist

Combating Childhood Obesity

The statistics regarding childhood obesity in the United States are staggering.  According to the CDC:

• Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Obese adolescents are more likely to have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.
• Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

A healthy diet and plenty of exercise are the best ways to prevent this problem.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and plenty of water are important, as well as limiting sugars, carbonated beverages, and foods high in fat and cholesterol.

However, eating right is only half the battle.  The other half is limiting screen time and providing your child with the opportunity to get plenty of exercise.   Due to budgetary restrictions, many schools have been forced to severely cut their athletic programs, or do away with them all together.  With the stark reality being that the majority of children get little to no physical activity during the course of the school day, it becomes even more important for parents to take the initiative and look for options outside of the school.

The CDC recommends that children receive roughly one hour of physical activity every day.  The Asian Arts Center offers Martial Arts classes for children Monday through Saturday at both of our locations.  Each class is approximately 50 minutes long and provides your child the opportunity to run, jump, kick, punch, and so much more.  The pace of the classes is always changing, allowing the heart rate to raise and lower to give a complete workout.  The key to our programs is that the children have FUN while they are exercising.  This fun and excitement keeps them wanting to come back ~ and keeps you from having to worry about their waste line!

 

Angel Perkins, Enrollment Specialist

Be impressive

It’s less than two weeks until our next Promotion Ceremony.  It’s great to see the students really push themselves in their training so they can get to the next level.  When preparing for a test, students should really pay mind to the standards of their requirements.  Such standards like kicking above the belt and having the correct stances are important at test time.  Not only do the students look impressive when the standards are met correctly, but they are also gaining effective techniques for self defense.  When you strive to be impressive, then you look impressive.  When you look impressive, you feel great about yourself!

Kellen Brown, Lead Instructor of the Kettering School

Health

It is very important to always remember that you can eat healthy, but the key to having a healthy lifestyle is working out.  You can eat healthy all day but if you do not stay physically active, then there will be minimal results.  The majority of people do not have any idea about what is feasible with following a healthy diet, and we really are speaking about the range of effects. It could be you realize you need to change your diet or get started exercising more. We oftentimes stay as we are or opt not to focus on it while we may realize we need to slim down. The portion of people overweight in America and Canada is staggering based on the numbers. The type of conditions these weight problems can lead to are diabetes and high cholesterol and blood pressure counts. When a third of the country’s population is obese, you have a severe issue on your hands and you should ensure it doesn’t become an epidemic.  With scary things such as diabetes resulting in poor health decisions, it is vitally important to take care of your body with healthy decisions with food choices and exercising.  I am so thrilled to be a part of Asian Arts Center, because every instructor has dedicated their lives to ensuring the students are being shaped into their best physical strength.

Eve Wojtowicz, Enrollment Specialist

Parasites

I have being doing a lot of research on parasites.  You hardly hear anything about them, but they are all around, including in and on our foods. Can they cause high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, colon problems, other health problems and even some types of cancers? Yes, they can and I’ll explain why. But first, let me give you some background. Congress recently passed a series of laws that has and will seriously damage many years of valuable health and environmental laws. There has been a serious easing of the Clean Water Act, The Safe Drinking Water Act and the Meat and Poultry Products Inspection Act. The Federal Meat Inspection Act was last rewritten in 1967 and lacks any real enforcement not to mention funding for enough meat inspectors. One result of this has been a higher incidence of parasitic infection among the American public. This year, the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that food borne pathogens cause 325,000 hospitalizations and 76 million illnesses resulting in 9,000 deaths annually. This is an increase of over 20 million illnesses and 4,000 deaths from two years ago. Congress has done nothing to correct the problem. There are over a dozen agencies trying to interpret some 35 different laws that are over 100 years old. Here is a typical problem. Cheese pizza is regulated by the FDA, while pepperoni pizza is regulated by the USDA. Shell eggs are regulated by the FDA, but most processed egg products are regulated by the USDA. And the worse problem, meat slaughtering and packing plants which fall under USDA daily inspections, ( at least that is what the USDA says they do, daily inspections), it can be years for plants to be inspected that fall under FDA supervision. In 1994, the Northwest experienced a serious food contamination problem with hamburger meat that was loaded with the bacteria E-Coli. One study in 1995 was a parasitic nightmare. One West Coast town, despite free worming treatments provided by a Department of Health Clinic and improved sanitation in most of the homes, ( washing hands frequently ), still had many parasitic infections. Whipworm in preschool children increased seventy five percent. The study found the ameba, Entamoeba histolytica. In another study at five primary schools on the East Coast, sixty five percent of infected children had roundworms with thirty nine percent having more than one parasite living in them.  An additional problem is that parasites have learned to mutate and become immune to some water treatment methods. E-Coli has been reported to have mutated to where that the amount of chlorine that is allowed by Federal EPA Regulations has no effect on it. The same mutation has occurred with Giardia. That is why one hears on the news at times that communities have to boil their water. Stronger dosages of chlorine exceeding EPA Regulations have to be used to kill these critters. But only, after thousands, sometimes millions of people have been infected. It is becoming painfully obvious that becoming sick is almost inevitable if you aren’t taking proper care of your body.  One way to prevent illness is to stay in the best physical shape that you can.  With parasites being found in foods and something as simple as touching a door handle, it is so important to ensure you are doing everything you can do to prevent yourself and your loved ones from being sick, and the key to this is being healthy.

Eve Wojtowicz, Enrollment Specialist

Sanitary Training

As an instructor, not only am I responsible for teaching ways to maintain a healthier lifestyle, but I am also responsible for helping to keep things healthy within our facility.  Everyday before classes, our cleaning specialist, myself, and several other staff members complete tasks to keep the school clean and sanitary.  With the flu season in full swing, it is even more important to disinfect the floors, drinking fountains and doorhandles.  I’m not exactly a germaphobe, but it is calming to know that the school we all train in is clean and professional.  It’s also calming while cleaning if I take a “Zen” approach to it!

Kellen Brown, Lead Instructor of the Kettering School

Weather Changes

I am not sure how everyone else is, but I can’t stand the weather changes. I had on a t-shirt Saturday, and now my winter jacket is on! The weather is so strange and I find myself losing motivation because one moment it is so warm and the next it’s freezing. My daughter stood by the door crying to go out and play and it always becomes difficult to keep her inside or find activities for her to do that keep her not only active but happy as well. This is why I am such a huge supporter of classes at the Asian Arts Center!  Kids receive a full body workout in 50 minutes. With the weather being 50 one day and 23 the next, it’s difficult to find fun activities to do outdoors so classes at the Asian Arts Center are perfect for adults and children.

Eve Wojtowicz, Enrollment Specialist