Sensei Talks

ALERT: Lean Cuisine Recall

Three Lean Cuisine frozen entrees are being recalled because they might contain small pieces of blue plastic. The meals affected are:

Production dates for these products are from 8/18/08 – 10/27/08.

If you have purchased any of these meals or would like additional information, you can contact the Nestle Customer Service Center hot line at 1-800-227-6188.

Sensei subscribers who have one of these meals in their menus can simply use the ‘Replace Meal’ feature to find another option, or substitute any other healthy frozen meal (Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Kashi, etc) of similar calories.

- The Sensei Team

Labels: Breaking News, Health, Sensei

Watt a Great Idea!

I was online with my 84 yr. young father, describing a dance club designed to help save the environment. My father asked “How does that work?” I emailed back that the club was designed with “one of the worlds first energy-generating dance floors,” that lights up with electricity powered by the dancers movements. My father said “what on earth are you talking about?” So I sent him the ‘technical stuff.’ “It’s a dance floor that harvests the energy generated by jumps and gyrations and transforms it into electricity through ‘The Piezoelectric Effect’.”

He thought for a minute and wrote “Watt a shock.” I said “It’s insulated, but how did you know?” He said “know what?” I said “Watt, not what.” He said “exactly.” I said “exactly what?” He said “Who’s on first” I told him to watch the skit on YouTube. My mother told him she remembered tours the electric company offered when I was growing up, and how much my brother and I fought over the little pin they gave out with their logo, a little ‘boy’ named Redi Kilowatt, whose body was drawn in ‘electric’ zig-zag lines! I couldn’t believe she remembered that, and then she said “the old power company is now a movie theatre, and that’s why we have power shortages…”

Next I asked my 4 year old nephew where he would go if he wanted to dance and help save the world at the same time. He said “a Superhero Party, unless there’s girls there.”

If they hadn’t already named it Club Watt, Superhero Party would be a really great name! It would honor the spirit and purpose of a group of “Dutch ecological inventors, engineers, and investors” who met “in 2006 to brainstorm on the eco-club idea. They named their company ‘The Sustainable Dance Club’.” What they developed is simply brilliant. “Our idea is that there’s enough energy in this world, you just have to use it the right way.”

Rotterdam, the Netherlands has three reasons to be at the epicenter for eco-innovation. It has a “booming club scene where young residents have a strong vested interest in controlling global warning.” Geographically, “located at sea level, Rotterdam will be one of the first cities to go under if global ice melted and sea levels rose,” and historically “the Netherlands has reclaimed substantial tracts of territory from the sea, and has gained a reputation for environmental innovation.”

The Sustainable Dance Club realized that the huge things, like “reducing the greenhouse gases, and closing of coal-fired plants” require massive interventions on an international scale. They took their cue from “sustainability experts who emphasize that much of the gain should come from doing the things everyone does now, but in ways that are a bit more efficient and green.”

“Club Watt is part consciousness-raising, part green-energy experiment-and in large part simple entertainment.” The design team took the concept of “performance space” and spent “more than a year” renovating an old space. “Green innovations at the venue will reduce energy use by 50 percent and water use by 30 percent compared with the previous building.” In addition to the “rain-water fed toilets and low-waste bars, everything is recycled”. ‘Green innovations’ are visible, on display throughout the club, but probably showcased best in the dance floor itself. “The better the music, the more people dance, the more electricity comes out of the floor. That electricity is used to power the light show in and around the club.”

How much electricity can dancing people produce? “The energy produced by an average person dancing is about 20 watts worth, so two people could light a bulb.” Multiply that by Club Watts capacity of “almost 1,400 people”, and the Club’s owners “hope the sustainable dance floor will ultimately produce 10 percent of the club’s electricity. As a first-generation model, it is fairly inefficient, but Aryan Teieleman, one of the clubs owners hopes it will attract attention” and provide inspiration for sustainable, renewable energy ideas. People from 4 to 84 understand the need, and want to help save the planet any way they can…except for dancing if there’s girls there.

- Nancy

Labels: Health, Healthy Planet, Nancy

Bikram Yoga

Bikram yoga, more commonly called “hot yoga”, continues to gain popularity around the country. Originally developed in 1974 by Bikram Choudhury, a yoga master from India, Bikram yoga is a series of 26 unique poses combined with special breathing exercises performed during a 90 minute class. The main difference between this and other forms of yoga is that this style takes place in a yoga studio with a special heated room.

Bikram yoga provides all the benefits of traditional yoga like increased flexibility, decreased stress and weight loss support, plus the advantage of the heat. The heat warms your muscles, increasing your range of motion and helping to prevent injury. It also promotes greater circulation and causes you to sweat, which has great a “detoxifying” effect.

If you are interested in giving this type of yoga a try, here are a few important guidelines to get you started:

Make sure the yoga studio you choose is certified to teach Bikram yoga.
You will be sweating A LOT, so it’s very important to drink adequate amounts of water before, during and after class. Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol which promote dehydration.
I suggest bringing your own yoga mat and towels to class.
As a general rule you should not have anything to eat for 2 hours prior to class. If you are going to a morning class, make sure you eat something 2 hours before class so you’re not working on a completely empty stomach.
If you are pregnant or new to yoga, I would not suggest this type of yoga.

Keep in mind that you should talk with your physician and research the practice before starting any new form of exercise. Bikram yoga can be a great addition to your workout routine! To learn more or to find a studio near you check out these online resources:

Bikram Hot Yoga Class Finder

everythingyoga.com

- Lauren

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Labels: Exercise, Lauren

Follow the Leader

For a nation founded upon independent thinking and ideas, I’m always amazed at how that can be thrown out the window when it comes to the latest diet and fitness crazes. The U.S. isn’t the only country where this occurs.

Recently I read about the Japanese Banana Diet, which is making bananas all but impossible to find in grocery stores in Japan. The diet was created by a young pharmacist to help her husband lose weight. As far as fads go, this one isn’t terribly restrictive, but also doesn’t give any recommendations for healthy foods beyond eating only bananas and water before lunch.

We have a long history of fad diets focused on eating only one food or one color of food which promise to be the key that unlocks amazing and rapid weight loss.While this is sure to limit calories, it’s also severely limiting important nutrients.

Diet, like life, is all about balance…calories in vs. calories out. No tricks or fads will give you good results in the long run. Check out this article on
‘Worst Conceived’ plans for weight loss to see the extremes some people will go to…like wiring their mouths shut. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. The only things you lose fast will be time, money and often muscle mass. So where is the disconnect for otherwise intelligent people when it comes to weight loss?

As much as those selling books, potions & pills want you to believe; there is no quick fix. Eating healthy and cutting back on calories (along with increased exercise) may not get you the results as quickly as you want…but it will get you there eventually.

So keep eating bananas, but just make sure they are part of your healthy ‘balanced’ diet.

- Renee

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Labels: Fad-Diet, Renee

We Need More Watermelon!

I have two kids. My son is 3 and my daughter just turned 1. They could eat a whole watermelon in one sitting if I let them. I usually give them each a nice size serving and let them go to town. Within a few minutes I inevitably hear my son yell out, “We need more watermelon!” Occasionally, my daughter will yell “BAAAAA”, which I assume means she agrees with him. I don’t mind giving them more because watermelon is one of the healthiest foods they could eat.

Watermelon is about 92% water so it’s great at helping people stay hydrated, especially here in South Florida. You can eat it plain, in a fruit salad or mix it into a smoothie. It’s also very high in Lycopene, which is a carotenoid responsible for the red color in some fruits and vegetables. Lycopene has been found to have powerful antioxidant properties and has also been associated with decreased risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and macular degeneration.

If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, watermelon is great because there are only about 45 calories in a 1 cup serving. The water content and fiber help you feel full and it also has no fat. Watermelon.org suggests you “spoil” your appetite with a slice of watermelon before your meal if you are trying to lose weight.

Watermelon is also full of other important nutrients. It’s very high in Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant associated with boosting immunity, fighting inflammation, decreasing cancer risk and improving dental health. It is also high in Vitamin A which is associated with eye health and boosting immunity. Vitamin B6 is also found in watermelon. B6 is associated with energy and with producing chemicals in the body that help cope with panic and stress.

Watermelon is healthy, delicious and not just a summer time treat. Try eating it all year! If fresh watermelon isn’t available near you all year long, try some frozen watermelon cubes. They are great right out of the freezer. You could also attend a watermelon festival. Check out www.watermelon.org/watermelon_festivals.asp for one near you.

Hopefully you will be hearing, “We need more watermelon” from someone in your house soon.

- Jennifer

Labels: fruits and vegetables, healthy eating, Jennifer