Blog Posts by Brett Blumenthal - Sheer Balance

Between the cold weather, the economy, the ever-looming possibility of getting laid off and general every day stress, you could say that times are rough and for sure, we all have a bit o' stress mounting. Releasing that stress is very important to mental health and psychological stability, but how you release it, can be just as important.

I have to say, I have several ways of releasing stress...some more healthy than others, but I thought I would share and talk about my favorites:

1. Drinks. Yep, I admit, I love my adult beverages. I do try to keep it to a healthy limit, but the reality is, that after a stressful day, I really enjoy a glass of wine or a drink to sort of 'numb the pain.' Wine makes me sleepy, so if I have several hours of awake time ahead of me, I tend to opt for vodka, Soda and a splash of cranberry. My reasoning: The soda is hydrating, the cranberry is detoxifying and vodka...well, a little toxifying.
2. Karaoke. Singing my favorite tunes with a bunch

This morning I grudgingly crawled out of bed to go down to our building's gym for my morning workout ritual. Once inside, I passed a woman who I see working out once a week or so, and she called out to me, "You go to the gym too much!" Not really knowing what to say to that, I smiled and said, "No, not at all." I'm not really sure WHAT the right response would have been. Maybe just a polite smile? Maybe a little laugh? Maybe a cruel and judgmental, "No, actually YOU don't go to the gym ENOUGH!" The reality is, it is all about perspective, isn't it?

If you go to the gym for a 1/2 hour, 1 - 2 times a week, it might seem like too much if someone else goes for 1/2 an hour to 1 hour, 5 or 6 times a week. On the other hand, if you are regimented, it may seem like a person who goes once or twice a week isn't enough. Personally, I tend to get in 3 days or so of cardio and 2 to 3 days of strength training. That said, I'd hardly consider this 'too much.'

There IS such a thing,

Everyone has spurts of wanting to be healthy. But often, our reasons for it can be focused on the short-term and centered around looking good. The truth is there are a lot of great long-term reasons to want to be healthy...all of which have nothing to do with how we look. Here are some of my personal favorite reasons for being healthy and why I believe staying that way will pay off:

1. To Feel Young and Energetic. When we are young, it is easier to 'get over' little sleep, too much bad food and a few skipped days of exercise. As we get older, it gets harder for our bodies to bounce back. Having a lifestyle that is full of activity and a healthy diet keeps you moving, feeling energetic and feeling young, at every age.
2. To Ward Off Disease and Health Problems. When we abuse or don't take care of our bodies, it can manifest in disease and health problems as we get older. Taking good care of yourself can help you to ward off diseases such as diabetes and heart problems,

Every time a new 'diet' comes out, I'm always amazed at how the media touts the newest of the new as being easier than the last fad diet. When I hear about some of these 'diets' on the Morning Shows I watch while I workout, I often end up having a very passionate and somewhat angry reaction. Why? Because they often mislead the consumer into thinking there is some 'trick' to being healthy. I'm going to let you in on a secret: There is no trick. Nope. Sorry to burst your bubble, but if there is a 'trick' then it probably is a sham.

So this week, the fad diet of choice is the Sleep Diet. yay...we can now lead consumers to believe that they can sleep away their weight problems! It doesn't get much easier than that! Or does it?

Look, sleep is extremely important to your health and well-being for a variety of reasons. It strengthens and supports the immune system, it boosts cognitive function, it helps ensure strong memory function, and it keeps hormones in check and enables

Every Friday we have 'Pod Breakfast' in our office. Basically, this means that one person brings in breakfast for everyone else in the 'Pod.' More often than not, Friday Pod breakfast consists of doughnuts, muffins, scones and bagels. Once in awhile, you'll see some yogurt and fruit brought in. But this tends to be the rarity. Health food just doesn't seem to appeal to the masses.

Most Fridays I avoid the plethora of carbohydrates and fat because I'm off site. Once in awhile, however, I'll have to go into the office and when confronted with the decision 'to have or not to have,' I will occasionally indulge in a 1/4 or 1/2 of a muffin or a doughnut.

Indulging is healthy once in awhile. You don't have to make excuses for it. Allowing yourself to enjoy dessert or a treat once a week or so, keeps you from feeling deprived or as if you are sacrificing things you love, to be healthy. It is only when we indulge all the time that it becomes a problem. Some of us even make

I finally got to go on my vacation. And believe you me, it did my body and mind lots of good...in many ways. Besides the fact that I was dislodged from my computer for a prolonged amount of time, relaxed, caught up on sleep and sipped tropical drinks poolside, I indulged myself with two massages. When I say 'indulged', I really mean 'medicated'. I have been so tense for so long, that these massages were much more therapy than pampering.

I love deep tissue massage. Call me a sucker for pain, but deep tissue massage really works out the kinks that result from stress and tension. Although the first massage was meant for my whole body, my therapist focused on my upper back and neck for about 2/3rds of the time, intuitively honing in on all of the knots that have built up for the better part of a year. When I left the session, I felt completely relaxed and as if I was floating on a cloud.

The next day, however, that euphoria transformed into a bit of pain. The areas where the

Valentine's Day tends to conjure up images of big red heart boxes stuffed with Russell Stovers chocolates. Dare I say, "Yuck!"? Not only is the heart shaped box somewhat lacking in creativity, but it is also filled with low quality chocolate that leaves you feeling over-sugared and underwhelmed.

Let's face it, Valentine's Day is bitter-sweet. If you are in a relationship, it is an over commercialized, over priced holiday, that compels individuals to purchase hokey gifts and merchandise for the pure sake of saying 'I love you.' If you are single, you either find ways to celebrate it with friends and family or avoid it all together, hating the fact that there is a holiday to remind you that you are indeed...single. But it doesn't really have to be that way, does it?

Valentine's Day, in its truest sense, is a celebration of love. And although we tend to focus on love shared with a special someone, love can be shown towards yourself, your pet, your family, your friends and

You probably have heard various theories on how to burn fat. Some may be true, some may not. The reality is that there is definite science behind how you burn and metabolize calories, and for that matter, fat. Here is some basic information and rules of thumb to ensure that you maximize your fat-burning during exercise:

1. Exercise Type: To effectively burn fat, you need to incorporate both aerobic exercise and strength training into your workouts. Strength training increases your muscle mass, which in turn increases your metabolism (meaning you will burn more calories in an average day). Aerobic exercise does not have the ability to permanently raise your metabolism the way weight training does, however, it is most effective in burning calories and fat.
2. The 'Fat Burning Zone': This refers to a target heart rate (THR) zone where your heart rate is essentially in the most effective zone to burn fat. This zone allows you to work at a level that is intense enough to