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Can Fitness Together West Boise/Meridian get any better? All of us here think we can! Because we continue to strive for the best quality training and outstanding service, many of you have been wonderful in participating in our recent client survey. Your comments will not be overlooked and we have already started to address your suggestions. Thanks to all that participated. Your time is greatly appreciated. Of course, you do not have to wait for a client survey to come your way. Please feel free to talk with your trainer about any ideas you may have to make your training experience even better.

What's new at Fitness Together? We would like to welcome a new addition to our training staff. Nate Spangler will be added to your training schedule early this month. Nate has a great deal of personal training experience and he is very committed to a lifestyle of health and fitness. You will find that his health science career, as well as his training credentials and interests will make your training staff even stronger. If you see a new face in the studio, it's probably Nate, so don't be shy and introduce yourself to him.

It's been cold, you've been busy since the New Year began and now it's time for a break. With the Spring Break season upon us, it's time to let our hair down and enjoy ourselves. Here are a few tips for keeping safe this spring break season

Plan a successful trip.
If you are going on a trip, be prepared. Are vaccinations required? Are there special food, destination/environmental, or other issues you need to consider ahead of time? If you are taking medications, do you have enough for the trip? Know what's happening at your travel destination and be aware!

Watch your step.
Be sure to use appropriate safety gear such as seat belts, life vests, or knee pads. Remember that unintentional injuries kill more Americans in their first four decades of life than any other cause of death. In fact, injuries—both unintentional and those caused by acts of violence—are among the top ten killers for Americans of all ages.

Avoid excessive exposure to the sun.
After a long cold winter, it's tempting to stay in the hot sun all day. Protection from sun exposure is important all year round. UV rays can cause skin damage during any season or temperature and UV exposure appears to be the most important environmental factor in the development of skin cancer and a primary factor in the development of lip cancer. Although getting some sun exposure can yield a few positive benefits, excessive and unprotected exposure to the sun can result in premature aging and changes in skin texture. Always wear a broad-spectrum (protection against both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays) sunscreen and lipscreen with at least SPF 15.

Sustain your body with fuel – eat healthily.
Having fun takes energy and fuel. There's no secret to healthy eating. Be sure to eat a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products. Also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and legumes. Drink lots of water and go easy on the salt, sugar, alcohol, and saturated fat.

For more information, contact www.cdc.gov.

Learning to Adjust to Natural Changes

As our brains age, we're less likely to think as quickly as we used to or remember things as well. But the knowledge we gain from life experience can sometimes compensate for other changes in our brains as we age. Older professionals, for example, are often better at their jobs than younger ones. Research is now revealing how the brain changes and adapts as we age. These insights are shedding light on real-life challenges, like how to remember things and how to avoid scams.

Dr. Denise C. Park, director of the Roybal Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Illinois, explains that knowledge and experience are protected as you age. "When you're performing a complex task," she says, "your memory may be less efficient, but your knowledge about how to do it may be better." In most real-world experiences, older people already have previous knowledge that they can use to interpret new situations and decide how to respond.

Researchers can design tests that expose problems in the aging mind by creating tasks in which older adults can't use their world knowledge. These tests reflect some real life situations. For instance, when an older adult gets an upsetting new medical diagnosis or a crafty scam artist pressures them for a quick answer, they may have trouble processing information quickly and making a sound decision.

Park says that one key to dealing with situations like these is not to make rash decisions. Ask for further information and more time to consider. Discuss a new medical diagnosis or unfamiliar sales offers with friends or relatives to get more perspective.

Perhaps the most common change people face as they age is trouble remembering things. Park says it's important to acknowledge that your memory is fallible. "For medicines, driving directions or other things with specific details, don't rely on your memory," she says. "That's good advice for everybody, but especially for older adults." If you need to remember something important, write it down on a pad you carry around with you or use an electronic device like a personal digital assistant (PDA) that lets you store notes and reminders.

You can also structure your routines to help you remember things. Try to take a medicine with a snack or a particular meal, for example, and always keep your keys and your wallet in the same place. "Because older adults tend to lead very structured lives, this technique works very well for them," Park says.

Park also advises using your imagination. "If you imagine completing a future action," she says, "you're much more likely to perform it." For example, imagine taking your medicine in as much detail as you can, paying attention to where, when and how.

Practicing for future events can also help prepare your mind for the real thing. Rehearse your response to a salesperson with a relative or visit somewhere new in advance to make sure you know how to get there.

Some evidence suggests that activities requiring mental effort such as playing board games, reading and playing a musical instrument can help stave off mental decline. Other studies suggest that physical activity might help.

Researchers supported by NIH's National Institute on Aging continue to explore new ways to keep the brain healthy as we age. In the meantime, try to keep in good shape both mentally and physically, and use the tips in this article to help your aging mind keep working as well as it can.

Many people are able to follow their healthy routine during the day, but when the late night hours roll around, they're rummaging through the kitchen with the munchies wondering where the Cheetos are. This midnight snacking is a common occurrence and can become a bad habit if you are not careful. If you're concerned that this could become a problem, here are some ways to beat the late-night munchies into submission.

1. Fill your stomach during the day. Start out with a healthy breakfast. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. Eat regularly through the day and have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand. Choose whole grains more often (breads, pastas, brown rice). Go for fresh fruit instead of fruit juice. Spacing 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day reduces that urge to snack while watching Leno.

2. Drink a huge glass of water or a mug of tea. Many times we think we're hungry when our bodies are really just thirsty—so when you have the munchies at night, drink a giant glass of water or a large mug of tea and wait 10-15 minutes. Then see if you're still hungry or if you can do without a snack.

Be strong at the grocery store. If you don't buy junk food in the first place, you can't eat it. It is easier to hold off from buying it in the store during the day surrounded by other people than it is to have self-control at night when you are sitting in front of the TV in your pajamas just an arms reach away. It is better to fight the urges when you have:

1. More energy at the grocery store on the weekend than after a long day of work, errands and kid's homework.

2. Keep your hands and your mind busy. A lot of late-night snacking occurs in front of the TV where your mind isn't continually occupied. Work on a crossword during commercials, take up knitting or write out birthday cards to keep your mind busy.

3. WILLPOWER! You need to keep telling yourself that you can stop or that you don't need a snack. Keep your fitness and weight loss goals in mind. Remember the last time you fit into that smaller pair of jeans or the feeling you got when you ran the mile faster than you ever had before.

4. If you must…Eat a snack that's low-fat. Remember that many low-fat snacks are loaded full of salt, so watch carefully what you're snacking on.

Easy snack ideas:

q Low fat or fat free yogurt

q Rice cakes

q Fresh fruits

q Sliced veggies or baby carrots

q Dried fruit and nut trailmix (small handful)

q Air-popped popcorn with garlic powder, other spices

q Low-sugar cereal

Vitamins, Minerals and Beyond

The world of dietary supplements is getting more and more complicated. People aren't just taking vitamins and minerals anymore. Now, things like glucosamine, saw palmetto, black cohosh and ginkgo biloba are crowding onto shelves beside old standbys like vitamin C, calcium and iron. How do you sort through it all?

Dietary supplements include a broad range of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances meant to improve upon your diet. They can come as pills, capsules, powders and liquids. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates dietary supplements, treats them more like foods than like drugs. Dr. Paul M. Coates, director of NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), says, "Dietary supplements are generally regarded as safe based on a long history of human use, unless proven otherwise. By contrast, drugs are not assumed to be safe until extensive testing has been done to prove their safety."

Supplements can play an important role in your health. Some doctors advise patients to take a multivitamin-mineral supplement to make sure they're getting enough of all the nutrients they need. While this may provide some insurance, Carol Haggans, a consultant with ODS, cautions, "People shouldn't feel they can make up for an unhealthy diet by taking a multivitamin-mineral supplement." A combination of all the vitamins and minerals together in foods provide the greatest health benefit, she says. "In general, if you eat a healthy diet, you shouldn't need to supplement it with extra nutrients."

However, some people might need more of certain nutrients. Doctors often advise women of child-bearing age to take folic acid, for example. Many people don't get enough calcium. According to some surveys, 44% of boys and 58% of girls age 6-11 don't get enough-and the numbers get even higher as people age. It's probably best to eat 2-3 servings per day of calcium rich foods like dairy products. But if you have trouble eating dairy products because they upset your stomach and you don't get enough calcium in other foods, a supplement might help.

Since some supplements may help you, it's easy to go a step farther and think that taking more would be even better. This can cost a lot and may not provide the benefit you expect. It can also be risky.

"Almost all of the nutrients have tolerable upper intake levels-the amount it's recommended you stay under each day," Haggans says. Amounts above these levels can be toxic. Too much vitamin A, for instance, can cause birth defects, liver problems, weak bones and nervous system disorders. Too much calcium can cause kidney problems and block your ability to use other minerals in your diet. On the other hand, NIH has several studies under way to look at whether high doses of certain supplements can prevent disease.

Dietary supplements beyond traditional vitamins and minerals have also become popular. In one study, about 19%, or 1 out of every 5 people surveyed, used natural products such as echinacea, ginseng, glucosamine and ginkgo biloba. But since they're regulated more like foods than drugs, in a lot of cases we don't know how or even if these supplements work as their supporters claim.

"Be prepared to ask questions," Dr. Coates advises. "These products are available on drug store shelves, supermarket shelves and vitamin store shelves in packaging that makes them look like drugs, but they aren't regulated like drugs. Consumers have to realize that the drug rules don't apply." Haggans adds, "People assume if it's on the shelf it must be safe and we must know a lot about it, but that's not necessarily the case."

If you're considering taking a supplement, consult with your health care provider. Some supplements can interfere with other medications, so have a list ready of all the medications and supplements you're taking or considering.

If you decide that a particular dietary supplement is right for you, make sure you're buying a reliable brand. There are independent laboratories that test supplement products for quality and purity. "There are companies whose products are made to very high standards," Dr. Coates says, "but that's not always the case."

The first two people to email the correct answer(s) to the following quiz will receive choice of an FT T-shirt, water bottle, or workout towel.

1. Carbohydrates are the major fuel source for exercise up to 60% of aerobic capacity? (True or False)

2. What is the primary fuel source for exercise above 70% of aerobic capacity?

3. What muscle is the primary mover when doing the Lying French Press exercise?

Email answers to westboise@fitnesstogether.com
Answers and winners for this month's quiz will be posted in next month's newsletter.