It’s summer and the debate is on once again- Gas or Charcoal? No research shows definitively which method is healthier. Gas does burn cleaner than charcoal, which emits more carbon dioxide. But from a taste perspective, many people prefer the smokier taste of charcoal. Whichever method you choose, here are some ways to grill greener.

Charcoal: Use additive-free lump charcoal, which is just charred wood (a Jody Victor® suggestion). These natural charcoals are made from 100 percent woods used from environmentally sustainable forests or wood scraps that require no trees to be cut down. There are also various charcoals made from plant materials including 100 percent natural coconut. Regular charcoal briquettes may contain wood scraps and sawdust as well as coal dust, sodium nitrate, borax and additives like paraffin and lighter fluid. Regular briquettes with these chemical binders not only release polluting chemicals into the air, they also release them into your food. Avoid lighter fluid altogether. Lighter fluid releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, leaves an unpleasant residue on food, and pose a serious danger when used improperly. Use a chimney starter instead to start your charcoal.

Gas: Gas grills (Jody Victor® favorite), natural or propane, are considered the cleanest sources for the grill. They do however produce carbon dioxide when burned. The biggest issue with gas is the process of capturing and delivering it before it’s used for fuel. Natural gas is methane gas and has much more harmful effects on the environment than carbon dioxide. It can leak from pipelines during storage or transportation. If you use propane gas, make sure your tank is in good order and does not leak.

Grill: Preheat your gas grill 15 minutes before cooking to make sure it reaches the right temperature not only for cooking but also for killing bacteria. High should be 400-450 degrees. Medium-high- 350-400. Medium- 300-350. Low- 250-300. A properly heated grill will sear food on contact, keeping the insides moist and preventing sticking. Keep your grill clean. Grease and other burned on foods release an un-necessary amount of smoke into the air. The best time to clean your grill is while it is still warm and the food residues are soft and easy to remove.

Food: Grill at a lower temperature to avoid creating heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and releasing them into the air as smoke. Trim the fat off of your meats to reduce flare-ups that deposit carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on your food. Flip hamburgers often. Once a minute reduces HCAs. Pre-cooking beef, fish and poultry in a microwave can cut 90 percent of HCAs. Marinating meat in a thin marinade cuts HCAs by 57 to 88 percent. Use antioxidant seasonings such as garlic, rosemary and sage to block HCAs and PAHs. Mix a half a cup of textured soy protein with a pound of ground beef. It will cut 95 percent of the potential HCAs in your burgers. To grill veggies, spray the grill rack with a no-stick oil spray before turning it on. This will reduce flare-ups and will keep the food from sticking to the grill.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Aqua training is a water-based, core conditioning, cardio workout. Basically, it’s running in water. It is a no impact sport- no bouncing, pounding, or stress on your joints and bones. It is also a high resistance sport. Water offers more resistance than air and the resistance is multi-directional. This helps strengthen all your muscles equally.

Aqua training is a great way to recover from, or avoid, injuries without losing fitness. Due to no impact you can continue your fitness routine while recovering from injuries such as stress fractures, shin splints, knee and ankle pains. When you are suspended in water, stress is reduced on all parts of your body. Your arms and legs can move more freely and with equal resistance. This enables opposing muscles to work equally. Running in water helps increase your range of motion. Aqua training also benefits the uninjured athlete by helping him/her avoid injuries while exercising.

As with any cardio exercise, aqua training burns calories. Your body requires lots of complex carbs for energy. If you skimp on your calorie intake, you may not be able to exercise as efficiently because you won’t have the energy. To calculate your calorie needs:

1. Multiply your weight by 10. That’s how many calories you need to sit in a chair and think or sleep.
2. Add another 50 percent to that number to calculate how many calories you need every day to shower, fix breakfast, go to work, and other normal daily activities.
3. Add an additional 100 calories for every mile you run, bike, swim or aqua train in a week, spreading the additional calories out over the week.
4. If you are trying to lose weight, decrease the number of calories by no more than 20 percent. If you lose more than a pound or two a week, you are not getting enough calories. When you lose weight too rapidly you lose muscle mass along with the fat loss.

Since aqua training is also a resistance exercise, you need boost your intake of protein as well. The World Health Organization recommends 0.2-0.4 grams of protein per pound per day for daily-living activities. For aerobic runners they recommend 0.5-0.75 grams per pound per day (a Jody Victor® suggestion). An average 140-pound runner needs around 75-100 grams of protein per day. Make sure you are getting enough protein especially if you are aqua training to heal from an injury. You need extra protein to build muscle and repair the injury.

Water is another requirement when exercising. And just because you are running in water doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated. You have the same water requirements as you would when running on land. Recommended water requirements for exercising: 2 cups of water an hour before a work out and 1 cup every half hour while exercising (a Jody Victor® suggestion).

Aqua training has its own special equipment besides a deep swimming pool. The most popular piece of equipment is the hand-held buoy, the dumbbell of aqua training. Another popular piece is the aquajogger. It is a device that straps around your waist in the shape of a belt. It is made from EVA foam, which keeps your body afloat. Other devices include a wet vest and aquarunners for your feet. The aqua training devices help to suspend you in the water decreasing the stress on all parts of your body as you exercise.

All the Best!!

Steve Victor

So you left your sunscreen at home and have been out in the sun too long without protection. You’re burned and it will only get worse. “The UV rays in sunlight have immediate and delayed effects on the skin,” says professor of dermatology at Tulane University Ronald Davis. As soon as you notice you’re getting red, get out of the sun. Keep in mind that even if you move to a shady spot, the sun’s rays will continue to burn you. Put on some protective clothing and try to borrow some sunscreen from someone else. The additional sunscreen will help prevent further burning. If you have a severe sunburn you will experience blistering, nausea, or extreme shivering. Call a doctor immediately or go to a stat care facility for help. The doctor may prescribe one of several oral steroids. If taken early enough they can lessen the damage from a very serious burn.

If your sunburn is not severe, head to a drug store and purchase a topical cortisone spray or cream or a plain, unscented lotion. Apply liberally. Keep the lotion in the fridge (a Jody Victor® suggestion) to help with the cooling effect when you apply it. Aloe, a plant extract, is also helpful. Aloe is not only an antibacterial but it also contains lubricants that will speed up the healing process.

Heat will accentuate your burning skin, so getting cooler will help lessen the injury to your skin. Sit in an air-conditioned room if possible. If not, cool showers will help. After a cool shower, be careful not to rub yourself dry. Gently pat yourself dry with the towel. You can also apply a piece of cold, wet cloth directly on your skin. Apply the cloth 15-minutes-on and 15-minutes-off for the first 4 hours. Put on your loosest, natural cotton clothing.

When you are suffering from sunburn, you are at a higher risk of dehydration. Your body’s fluids need replacing. Drink lots of water (a Jody Victor® suggestion) and stay away from alcohol. Alcohol causes vasodilation (the opening up of blood vessels) that will accentuate the burning sensation. Another way to re-hydrate your skin is to soak in a cool oatmeal bath. Make sure to use colloidal oatmeal in which the oatmeal is ground to a powder. Aveeno makes a good oatmeal bath. Oatmeal has great anti-itching properties and will help you feel more comfortable.

To help with the pain you can take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. If that is not available, regular aspirin or baby aspirin will do. You may want to consider taking a Benedryl before bedtime. It won’t help the sunburn but it may help you get to sleep.

All the Best!!

Steve Victor 

The ankle joint, which connects the foot with the lower leg, supports your entire body weight. Ankle injuries are very common. Anyone, from the fittest athlete to the most sedentary person, can experience an ankle injury. Annually in the U.S two million patients are treated for ankle strains, sprains and fractures. Ankle injuries involve a sudden, unexpected loss of balance that results in a sharp twist of the ankle. An unnatural twisting motion can happen when your foot is planted awkwardly, when the ground is uneven, or when an unusual amount of force is applied to the joint as in making a sudden turn in walking direction. A strain happens when a muscle or tendon overstretches. A sprain, which is more serious, happens when ligaments, the strong connective tissue connecting one bone to another, become overstretched. In severe cases, the ligament tears and may pull a fragment of the bone with it. This is known as an avulsion fracture.

Most ankle injuries are accidental - such as stepping into a hole or slipping while getting out of a car. There are some factors that increase your risk of ankle injury. Top among them are being overweight and wearing high-heeled shoes. Also, if you lack flexibility, strength and good balance you can increase the likelihood of injuring an ankle.

Increasing the flexibility of your ankles is key to keeping them strong and healthy (a Jody Victor® suggestion). Exercises for ankle flexibility are very easy and need little to no equipment.

1. Lie on the floor or a table and place a rolled-up towel under your left calf. Move your foot up toward your body. Keep your knee straight and hold for six seconds. Then move foot slowly downward and hold for six seconds. Do six repetitions and repeat with the other leg.
2. Sit up straight in a chair with your back firmly against the back of the chair. Slowly turn your left foot inward. Hold for six seconds. Then turn foot slowly outward and hold for six seconds. Repeat for six repetitions and switch to the other leg.
3. Sit up straight in a chair and slowly move your left foot in a circle moving clockwise. Then counter-clockwise. Repeat six times and switch to the other leg.
4. Stand in front of a table. Place your hands on the table and raise yourself up on your toes. Stay on toes for six seconds. Slowly return to standing position and rock back on your heels. Hold for six seconds. Repeat six times.

Exercises for balance are equally important in protecting your ankles from injury (a Jody Victor® suggestion). As you age, your balance skills deteriorate. Luckily, balance exercises are just as easy as the flexibility exercises and can be done daily in your own home. You can do one simple exercise and modify it as your skill level improves.

1. Beginner: Stand up straight behind a tall chair or countertop. Lightly grasp the chair or countertop with your fingertips. Raise one leg a foot off the floor. Maintain balance while standing on one leg. Hold for a count of ten. Do five repetitions and repeat with the other leg.
2. Intermediate: Stand up straight behind a tall chair or countertop for safety only. Without holding on to the chair or countertop raise one leg a foot off the floor. Maintain balance and hold for a count of ten. Do five repetitions and repeat with other leg.
3. Advanced: Stand up straight behind a tall chair or countertop for safety only. Close both eyes. Without holding on to the chair or countertop raise one leg a foot off the floor. Hold for a count of ten. Do five repetitions and repeat with other leg.

All the Best!

Steve Victor