Hi everyone,
Shabooboo222 asked about food suggestions for early AM workouts, and I’m sure others may wonder the same thing. First of all…I want to say kudos to all who have the determination to get up that early in the morning to do the fit plan! I am very impressed.
Hi Ultimate Fit Plan-ers,
A few of you (splumberg and marbutterfly) have asked how you are supposed to add weights to the moves in the Ultimate Fit Plan. My answer is: Don’t add weights to any of the moves except for the runner’s lunge. Just continue to increase the amount of weight you are lifting for that exercise and you will be good to go.
Hi everyone,
I’m so glad to hear that so many of you and your friends are working hard doing the Ultimate Fit Plan. That is great! To answer the question about recovery: Your ultimate goal is to get back into your fat-frying running pace as quickly as you can after you fully recover. The key to recovery is that as you become fitter you will recover quicker.
I wanted to update everyone about the situation and tell you the whole story. It’s a bit of a long story. 9 months ago I started dating a wonderful man, Vagelis. Instantly we had an amazing connection, soul mates if you believe in that sort of thing. Our relationship was a bit strained as he lived in Athens Greece and me in Connecticut, but we were able to make due by talking on a free internet phone for more than 8 hours a day. Our lives became completely intertwined despite the distance. You may have known that in October I traveled to Greece to be with him for a month. During that time he asked me to marry him and everything seemed so perfect, that kind of ‘pinch me I must be dreaming’ kind of perfect. We had both been single for many years and were not sure if we would ever find true love. We both said that our month together was the happiest month of either of our lives. I then returned to the states with plans for him to join me in the US soon. But our plans changed suddenly. After returning home for only a few weeks on December 13th I was notified that Vagelis was in a serious motorcycle accident. Vagelis sustained a serious injury during the accident, breaking the 5th vertebrae in his neck causing him to be paralyzed from the shoulders down. Immediately I rushed to his side in Greece to help him in the hospital during this difficult time. Unfortunately, after surgery to repair the broken bone in his neck, he contracted pneumonia. We believed he was beginning to recover from both the neck injury and the pneumonia, but very tragically his pneumonia turned to sepsis then finally septic shock. His body was unable to fight the infection and he went into a condition called multi organ failure. After one week in the ICU his heart finally stopped. Vagelis passed away at 9:55pm January 18th 2008. My heart is utterly broken. I have lost not only my love but my best friend. I am remaining in Greece for another week to help his brothers begin to sort through Vagelis’ things. It is times like these that you realize life is so fragile and so precious. We must truly enjoy the moments we have here on Earth for they may be our last. I hate to be the armchair philosopher, but please heed my words: live your life full of love and happiness, do not waste your time with anger and hate, follow your dreams, and take the time to be kind to the strangers around you for they may return the favor someday, and never ever take anything or anyone for granted. I wish you all a lifetime of beautiful memories.
Jenny
As Dr. Murad always says, “Before there was medicine, there was food.”
This recipe is not only healthy, but its easy and delicious…two of our very favorite things. Featuring foods from Dr. Murad’s Food Pyramid, this no-cook recipe is sure to impress.
The garbanzo beans deliver an excellent source of cholesterol-free protein, while the lemon juice provides antioxidants. Garlic is a known immune-booster, perfect for fending off infections. Olive oil and tahini, which is made from ground sesame seeds, supply healthy fats to help maintain cellular water.
Dr. Murad’s Hummus
2 cups of cooked or canned garbanzo beans
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 c tahini
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup water
fresh parsley chopped (garnish)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Add additional water if necessary. Garnish wtih chopped parsley. Makes four 1/2 cup servings. Serve with colorful raw vegetables, such as sliced red pepper, carrot sticks, broccoli florets, whole wheat crackers or whole wheat pita bread.
Enjoy!
“I’m not sure if my skin spots are from age or from the sun. How should I treat them?”
Monica Z.:
Both age spots and sun spots, called hyperpigmentation, are the result of your body’s natural inflammation response–so the treatment is the same. Murad’s Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel is formulated with hydroquinone for fast, gentle fading of unwanted spots and blotches. Just remember: sun exposure can further darken the pigment or encourage spots to stick around even longer–so always use sunscreen.
