Wednesday Wellness: Just like Jessica

When you think of beautiful women in Hollywood, one girl that absolutely must come to mind is Jessica Biel. The spunky brunette has been gorgeous since her days on 7th Heaven, and has only gotten more so as time has gone on. That beauty however, has not come without a LOT of work, discipline, and dedication both to her diet, and to her intensive work out routine.

Jessica Biel’s Workout:

- Stretch: One of her favorite warm-ups is the walking lunge. How-to: With feet together, lunge first with right leg. Bring left foot alongside right. Lunge with left. Do 8-10 per leg.

- Cardio: Cardio is arguably the most important part of any workout.. After a ½-mile jog, she hits the track for two 200-meter, 150-meter and 100-meter sprints.

- Core: Jessica does hanging leg-raises to tone and flatten her tummy. How-to: Hanging from a high bar or rings, pull knees up slightly above waist. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.

- Plyometrics: For the record: I’ve done these, they flipping suck but they’re awesome as well. How-to: Jump from the bottom step of a flight of at least 20 stairs to the third. Keep going, skipping a stair each jump.

- Weight Training: Ms. Biel does a lot of light-weight work, with high repetitions. This allows for a toning rather than a building of muscle and combined with speed is also a decent cardio workout.

- For the waist: She does the Russian Twist. Sit down and lean back slightly. Hold a 5-lb. medicine ball and twist from side to side, 15 twists per side, three reps.

- For shoulders/biceps: Stand with knees slightly bent. Hold 10-lb. weights in each hand. Curl to chest. Rotate hands, palms face outward. Press overhead together. Do 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Jessica Biel’s Diet:

- “Clean foods”— those that aren’t processed—are on the menu Jason Walsh, Jessica’s trainer created. “She eats complex carbs at the beginning of the day,” he says, “and tapers off by the end.”

- Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal with handful of berries.

- Snack: 1 slice whole wheat toast, 1-1 ½ tbsp. of almond butter and sliced bananas on top.

- Lunch: Salad with 5-6 oz of chicken, vinaigrette dressing.

- Snack: A banana, apple or strawberries.

- Dinner: 6oz. of fish, plate full of veggies, 1/2 cup of low-glycemic basmati rice. Sweets A couple of pieces of dark chocolate.

The above information is from an interview Mr. Walsh did with People. However it is also important to note that Ms. Biel also lives an active lifestyle; she jogs, plays volleyball, all kinds of things that burn calories but are not directly a planned “work-out”. It should also be noted that on five different sites discussing this topic, five completely different routines and diets were good; I chose to use the above because out of the five websites I read it seemed the most realistic and healthy.

Also check out a video of Ms. Biel discussing the Blade 3 Workout (She looked ridiculously awesome in that movie): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tISVO9CcEBQ

Source for workout/diet information: http://www.fitsugar.com/117770

Tuesday Talking Points: Henry Gibson

A few weeks ago, on September 14th, one of the great comedy character actors of our time passed away of cancer at his home in Malibu. Henry Gibson was a regular and stand-out on the show Laugh-In, which I experienced in re-runs on Nick at Night growing up. His most famous role was as the leader of the Illinois Nazis in John Landis' 1980 film, The Blues Brothers.

Henry Gibson's real name was James Bateman. He chose the stage name Henry Gibson as a play on the name of the famed playwright Henrik Ibsen, of whom he was an admirer. Here are three examples of his poetry:

How I Saved A Baby Rhino from Slippin' In The Quicksand,
Whilst In Search Of My Fountain Pen,
Last Summer Along The Amazon River

With great difficulty.

Patacake

Patacake, patacake, baker's man
Bake me a friend.

Dogs Are Better Than Ants

Dogs are better than ants
Because you don't have to bend so far to pet them
In addition, they are sturdy old muzzlers
Who fetch us our slippers, papers, and twig chunks
Twig chunks
But most of all, they stay out of jelly jars and
Never go squish if you happen to step on them.

Here are some good YouTubes of Mr. Gibson:

Henry Gibson (the one in purple) on an insane episode of "Wonder Woman"

A clip from Blues Brothers

and some bits from Laugh-In.

Rest in peace sir.

Tuesday Talking Points: Snakes of the Plane

Today I have four stories for you.

1. Bees? Forget Bees.
The Christian Science Monitor reported that Florida officials are increasingly afraid of a new hybrid-breed of pythons emerging. Apparently with the illegal introduction of exotic breeds of pythons the likelihood of a hybrid has gone up significantly; this is scary for locals because when animals from different regions mate there is a propensity for recessive genes, most notably aggression, to become suddenly and poignantly excessive; think Africanized Bees. While this is still a few steps shy of Scientist Dane Cook’s fear of killer horses, man-eating snakes are definitely a step up from bees on the ladder-of-things-that-scare-the-crap-out-of-me.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0915/p02s01-usgn.html

2. What is Terrorism?
This is exactly the question that Hugo Chaves and Muammar Gaddafi are asking. The two have gone public with a desire to redefine terrorism, but are mute on what they think it should be. Let me guess: “We want ‘terrorism’ to be defined as the bombing of innocent civilians by anyone except us, and any action taken by America.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58S0GZ20090929?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

3. I’m going to take my ball and go home!
So said Iran when the European Union called them out on the newly discovered Nuclear Power plant. Iran has been indignant about the situation saying that they will not let in inspectors and will simply ignore the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the “Zionist pigs and American dogs” keep up their persistence. My question: Can we please execute the part of the treaty that says “We will destroy the plants you do not let us inspect”?

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSLT56449320090929?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

4. Sydney, I’m sorry that sucks.
Earlier this week Sydney, Australia was buried in an incredibly huge dust storm. No snippy comments here, that seriously sucks. For the full story and satellite pictures of the storm as it occurred, check the link below.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/sydney-dust-storm-from-space/

In Defense of Science Fiction and “Surrogates”

When some people think of science fiction, they think of aliens in rubber suits, clumsily constructed robots and unbelievable plots. When I think of science fiction, I think of contextually safe morality plays. Here's what I mean by that.

If we make a movie about Native Americans (and of course many have been made), we are stuck in the current vocabulary of cultural knowledge when telling the story. For example, films made fifty years ago could collectively describe Native Americans as “Indians”, could portray them as unapologetically savage, could even show them committing atrocities against Europeans. Films from the last twenty or so years, however, can do none of those. Native Americans are referred to by the names of their separate tribes (sometimes in their original language), are always shown in complimentary ways, and are always the victims of the European colonial invaders. This has been a positive move overall for our culture, but there have been some trade-offs. What was in history an incredibly diverse group of people has been transformed into bumper-sticker sized cultural icons like dreamcatchers hanging from rear-view mirrors or turquoise jewelery. Were (and are) most Native American tribes peaceful? Undoubtedly. Were there some that were violent and aggressive, certainly, but we're not going to see those stories in film. Recently, scholars have been debating whether the ancient Anasazi tribe were practicing cannibals. The physical evidence is persuasive. The reaction was immediate and severe that the research was racist and was trying to portray Native Americans as ignorant savages. In an “unsafe” politically loaded discussion, objective reality or even a discussion of objectivity have no place. (Here's a good article about the controversy.)

That is the purpose of science fiction. When Ray Bradbury wanted to tell stories about Native Americans, he simply changed them to Martians, and we are left with the amazing group of short stories called The Martian Chronicles. In this way, science fiction can tell stories that are removed from their context, rendered “safe” by that conceptual distance.

In “Surrogates” we find this type of classic science fiction. The story is ostensibly about robotic avatars and their use in a future world, but like all good science fiction, the story is really about us. It is a story about human excess, and how our desire for physical perfection could backfire. It is a story about how humans, and especially Americans, tend to deal with their problems by running away. It is a story about online gaming, online dating, and online living. The “Surrogates” stand in for our public selves, the “self” that we show to other people on our terms. Our public selves walk around for us so that the real emotions we might experience can stay safe and ugly at home. This was the theme of one of the important sociology books of the twentieth century, Erving Goffman's 1959 book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. I have no idea whether any of the people behind “Surrogates” are familiar with Goffman's work, but it might serve as a starting place for those seeking more information on the issues raised in the movie.

The film will disappoint those looking for mindless action, and while the “twist” won't go down in movie history, it is compelling. You know what's going to happen, what should happen, and you're satisfied when it does. The film makes an argument for the beauty that only comes from imperfection, for the satisfaction that only comes when things are little off. People that are ugly become attractive, and the perfect-looking surrogates become ugly by the end of the film. Most of all, it asks us to examine which parts of ourselves we show to the rest of the world, and which parts of us have been at home hiding beneath the covers the whole time.

Monday Movies: Movies to Watch For

After the strike in Hollywood (not the writers, this time it was the actors) there has been kind of a lull in good movies; a lull which has been defined by really…NOT good movies. Thankfully, there are a few soon to release that look like they will be worth seeing.

1. Surrogates – Bruce Willis stars in a not-so-far-fetched science fiction in which humans now live through robotic “Surrogates” which have allowed for mankind to live out any fantasy without any danger, until someone dies when their surrogate gets killed.

Check out the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwTJ7mCcFoY

2. Law Abiding Citizen (10/16/2009) – Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx star in this action-packed movie about a man who watches his family get murdered, and then watches as the justice system lets the murderer go free. Done with watching, Clyde (Gerard Butler) embarks on a jihad to kill every single person related to the injustice that befell his family.

Check out the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA10RDU9quU

3. The Box (11/06/2009) – This moral question of a thriller stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsters as a couple who are at the end of their financial rope when a box mysteriously appears at their doorstep. They are told that if they push the button within the box two things will happen; 1) They will receive a payment of one million dollars and 2) Someone, somewhere in the world whom they do not know will die.

Check out the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVK-hVGqCpo

4. The Fourth Kind (11/06/2009) – Since 1972 there has been a system for rating encounters with extra terrestrials; the First Kind is sighting, the Second is evidence, the Third is contact, the Fourth is Abduction. Milla Jovovich stars in this thriller reminiscent of “The Blair Witch Project”, not in style but in spirit of making the audience believe it to be true. The story is of a psychiatrist (Jovovich) who is interviewing patients who all claim to have been abducted by aliens.

Check out the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbQXxNWNxyY

5. The Blind Side (11/20/2009) – Sandra Bullock stars in this film depicting the true story of an upper-class suburban mother (Bullock) who takes in a young man who is homeless. I am going to go ahead and declare this as a must-see for anyone who likes a feel-good movie.

Check out the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khtBvQdxta4

Thursday Theology: Discipline of Prayer

“Prayer catapults us onto the frontier of the spiritual life. Of all the Spiritual Disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father. Meditation introduces us to the inner life, fasting is an accompanying means, study transforms our minds, but it is the Discipline of prayer that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit.” – Richard J. Foster

Nearly all Christians pray, in fact nearly all people pray. The things that most never ask are: Why and How do we pray? Herein I shall, with the help of Mr. Foster, give answer to these questions that should absolutely be asked by every follower of Christ.

Why do we pray?

There are many reasons to pray. The greatest reason of all is that it is the most direct way in which man connects to his Creator. Prayer is the method through which man can go before God and ask “What do you want of me?” This search for God’s will is directly related to the second major reason for prayer: Intercession. Prayers of intercession are most commonly prayers for healing or protection but can take any form of aiding another person.

How do we pray?

Before getting into the specifics, first let me say: Do NOT be ashamed to ask this question! The Apostles asked it! Like all things in life, prayer is learned. Feel free to question the way you have been taught so far, experiment, even fail at it! There are literally infinite ways to pray, and ones that work for me, may not work for you! However, there are some things that you can do to enhance your prayer life.

1) LISTEN – Without exception every single one of the great Contemplative Christians has written at length about the importance of listening to God. Think of prayer as you would a radio tuner; while reading this dozens of radio, cellular, and various other forms of waves bounced around you, but you did not notice them because you were not tuned in; prayer is setting your tuner to God. Just like the radio however, if you talk all the time, the music can get drowned out, so be still, be calm, be quiet and listen.

2) SIMPLIFY – Remember that the Bible tells us to approach our King as children would their father. Your prayers should be open, honest, and trustful to God (trust me, He already knows the crap you want to hide). Also, pray with the complete expectancy that your prayer will be granted; think of a child asking their parent for a sandwich; the child feels no need to stash the food in case there would be none tomorrow, they have full expectancy that a sandwich will be given whenever it is asked, nor do they need to ask in a complex way, “Hey dad, I need some food,” suffices. A child is open with how they speak, honest about what they need, and trusting that it will be provided. Pray as such.

Remember the point of prayer is to talk with God. Ask Him to heal or protect someone, ask for His guidance, listen to Him speak, even change His mind! Just talk to Him.

Some things to be aware of:
1) Do not wait until you feel you are perfect and know everything about prayer to embrace it! Those great Contemplative thinkers I talked about earlier? Most of them wrote books on how amazing it was to continually be discovering new aspects of their prayer lives, so did the Apostles! Do not worry if you are good enough to pray about something, or for someone, the very act of earnest prayer is proof of enough faith!

2) Prayer = Warfare. Never forget that the Enemy prowls the Earth like a raging lion. Pray for yourself and others that the Enemy will not succeed in his efforts. Pray for people who are angry or depressed or busy; just a quick prayer asking Christ to fill them with peace and love is more powerful than you can imagine.

Now the intelligent person is forced to ask: What if this whole “prayer” thing coming true is all just coincidence? I’ll grant that it could be, but, as Archbishop William Temple notes, the coincidences occur much more frequently when I pray.

Remember that all of these concepts and some of the text come directly from Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. I encourage you to employ these ideas over the next week (and the rest of your life) and if you do I would love to hear about your experiences! Next Thursday I’ll be talking about fasting, something that has greatly fallen out of practice within the vast majority of Christian lives

Wednesday Wellness: Walk it Out!

Feeling stressed? Have a lot on your mind? Want to lose some weight? Well, go on a long walk! A favorite pass-time of mine, long walks allow you a time to center your thoughts, to see areas of your home town you have not yet seen, and to burn some calories without killing yourself. In fact an hour of walking can burn as much as 300 calories in an hour even at a slow speed (2mph), upwards of 1000 at 5mph! Now you might say, “Well, that’s not a huge amount of calories,” but hey, that’s between 300 and 1000 calories that you would have just sat on otherwise, so remember that every little bit helps!

So take your dog for a walk, listen to music, go see some side-streets you haven’t checked out yet, and have fun! It’ll relax you, and give you a decent work out.

For a chart of how many calories you'll burn based on speed x weight check out: http://walking.about.com/cs/howtoloseweight/a/howcalburn.htm