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Archive for the ‘Health and Wellness’ Category

Find a Winter Farmer’s Market in the Chicago Suburbs–The Elgin Winter Market

Posted in Nutrition, tagged , , , , on October 30, 2011| 2 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Farmers-Market

Farmers Markets are typically outdoors. Image via Wikipedia

Did you know that you can get local produce and food stuffs year round at the Elgin Winter Market- A huge, heated indoor Winter Market in the hub of the Chicago suburbs! The heated Historic Warehouse is Handicapped Accessible and parking is free!

The Elgin Winter Market Objective’s is to sustain local producers and their laborers year round. The Winter Market aims to decrease the number of food miles from farm to table as well as to educate consumers about buying, storing and using produce during the winter. Vendors include the farmers market, antiques, collectibles, crafts, bakery, cheeses, spices, artwork, and more.

Market Days Saturdays:

Nov. 5,12,19, 26

Dec. 3,10,17,24,31

Jan. 7,14,21,28

Feb. 4,11,18,25

March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31

Hours: 9AM-2PM

Admission: Free

Location:
ELGIN, IL MARKET
166 Symphony Way, Elgin, IL 60120
For more info go to the Local Harvest website here.

 

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Get the Skinny on a Healthy Body–Hint, it’s Not Barbie’s Body!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , on October 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

From the "Healthy is the New Skinny.com" Website

“Healthy is the new skinny!”  according to  Kate Halchishick in O magazine. In the article, plus size model and beauty Kate Halchishick allows herself to be photographed nude and then artists show what they would have to do to surgically alter her body to fit Barbie doll proportions. See full article here.

What a wonderful message for young women and even older women everywhere. I personally believe in a fitness focus over a fatness focus. By focusing on staying fit and healthy, your body will naturally become healthy and reduce fat content. But not in an extreme manner–in a realistic manner. Our bodies are all different. We start with our genetic code and then do what we can via our environment. For some people, like me, I can work out all day long and I will never become tall. Many people resort to plastic surgery to “correct” the body that their parents gave them through genetics. But this sets a disturbing trend for younger people. Bravo to Kate Halchishick for showing how absurd the body proportions of a standard Barbie Doll are to try to emulate. Check out the full article and pics on the Healthy is the New Skinny website here.

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Do Vitamins Cause Early Death? Research Does Not Support This Latest Sensational Media Assertion

Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, tagged , , on October 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

This study about woman who take supplements dying younger a good example of why it’s important to be research literate. This study does not show a casual link to taking supplements and early death. All it shows is a correlative link between woman who take supplements and die earlier. That’s like saying ice cream causes summer because more people eat ice cream in summer.

In this study, being trumpeted all over the web today, WebMB reports that “In a new study, multivitamins, folic acid, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6 supplements all increased an older woman’s risk of dying from any cause. The greatest risk was seen with iron supplements. Calcium supplements, however, seemed to reduce a woman’s risk of dying. The study, which appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine, was an observational trial, not a cause-and-effect trial. So it can’t say how, or even if, these supplements actually increase a woman’s chance of dying.”

The results were gathered by woman filling out surveys. No actual medical examinations were done. And self reporting is known to be fairly inaccurate. Do you recall what you ate last Wednesday for lunch? If someone asked you to fill out a survey about your eating habits, would you be able to be 100% accurate? So why would an older woman answering a survey about taking vitamins.  Many commenters have asked if the study considered whether woman taking supplements already had health issues. Science Daily does  a better job of reporting the story. Their headline reads “Certain Dietary Supplements Associated With Increased Risk of Death in Older Women, Study Suggests” while WebMD’s headlines reads “Can Supplements Increase a Woman’s Risk of Dying?”

In reviewing the actual study, it appears that what the researchers did was simply compare the woman who took vitamins and woman who did not and determined who died earlier.  No other data was taken into consideration. Like overall health of the woman. The study did not take into account any other factors that may have caused earlier death. Like genetic predisposition to disease. Link to the actual study results here. At the same time, if fat ssoluable vitamins are taken in high doses, there can be adverse health effects. But this study didn’t mention that.

Citation: J. Mursu, K. Robien, L. J. Harnack, K. Park, D. R. Jacobs. Dietary Supplements and Mortality Rate in Older Women: The Iowa Women’s Health Study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011; 171 (18): 1625 DOI:

Look at How Different Media Spin These Correlative Research Results:
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Chicago, Meet Heather Sulic, Lincoln Park Wellness Club Team Leader and Passionate Wellness Educator

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Nutrition, tagged , , on October 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

As part of my ongoing effort to let people know about the Wellness Club team at Whole Foods Market in Lincoln Park, I spoke with Heather Sulic, Wellness Club Team Leader and massage aficionado! I’ve been working with Heather closely these past few months and I must say, she really knows not only how to implement a good nutrition program, but also how to run a fun and active Wellness Club! Meet Heather and read more about her take on the Wellness Club and what is offered there.

Heather Sulic, Wellness Club Team Leader

1. Why did Whole Foods decide to open the Wellness Club at the Lincoln Park store?

We are piloting a Wellness Club in 5 stores throughout the U.S.  Lincoln Park was chosen because it’s a cutting edge store with a great space and loyal customer base.

2. Aside from nutrition classes, what other programs does the WC offer?

Our program offers everything you need for optimal wellness. In addition to nutrition, we educate members on lifestyle change and the psychology of eating habits.  Chef Katie will also teach you how to cook great-tasting healthy dishes. We also offer services to get you active and help you to slow down, whichever you need!  Each day we offer multiple fitness and yoga classes.  We also have massage on site–great for stress relief and pain management.  All of the classes are included in the membership and massage is offered at a discount for members, only $65 for one hour! And, members receive a 10% discount on about 4000 items throughout the store.
3. Can I take classes and get massages at the WC if I am not a WC member?

Yes, most of our services are available a la carte. Yoga classes are$15 a class for non-members, for example, and  massages for non-Wellness Club members are $80/hour.

5. Does the Wellness Club have a changing room?

Students can change their clothing to fitness gear in the men’s and women’s restrooms. For massages, clients can change in the massage room when the massage therapist steps out of the room before and after the massage.

6. I sweat a lot when I exercise. Does the Wellness Club have showers?

We don’t have showers or a locker room.  Our fitness classes are designed for increasing functional fitness-moving through a complete range of motion, building strength, working on core and stability.  We don’t offer cardio classes.  We do have a wide variety of fitness clubs in our local network though.  These businesses are offering discounts and free services for our members who’d like to get some sweating in too!

7. Where do I put my shoes, winter coat and stuff during yoga class at the WC?

Yes, we have cubbies for your shoes and a coat rack.

8. Do you have childcare at the Wellness Club? Some moms like to take fitness classes and get massages but have a toddler/baby etc.

We don’t have childcare services.  However, we will be featuring many classes that you can participate in with your child.  Cooking with Kids classes and Kids Movement classes will be starting soon.  And Kids Science Labs and Fantasy Kingdom, two kid friendly businesses nearby, would love to see your kids while you make use of our Wellness Club services.

9.  Is the WC program vegan?

The Wellness Club program is Plant Strong meaning we advocate eating predominantly whole or minimally processed plant foods.  However, we do have some meat and seafood items that are included in the discount program.

10. How do I get the 10% discount card? Is it free?

Membership includes unlimited classes (yes, yoga too!), discounts on massage onsite and discounts from local businesses in addition to the discount at Whole Foods Market.  For a limited time only memberships are available for a $1 start-up fee and only $49/month!

11. What could I expect from you as a coach to help me incorporate healthier eating into my current diet? How about fitness?

I’m really focused on finding out where you’re at now and what your goals are.  My job is to give you manageable steps to help you move from point A to point B with lots of stops along the way to celebrate successes.  When it comes to fitness, I’m passionate about explaining the “why” behind what you’re doing.  If you’re going to put the effort in, it makes sense to be getting the most bang for your buck.  Too often people spend a lot of time and energy at the gym and end up injured or discouraged because they don’t know how to work out properly. I want to help with that!

Who is Heather Sulic, Wellness Club Team Leader?

Heather has a degree in Secondary Education and has been teaching in various capacities throughout the 12 years that she has worked with Whole Foods Market.  She spent many years in Store Leadership and as a Human Resources Coordinator.  Heather is a Certified Personal Trainer and also holds a certification in Plant Based Nutrition from eCornell University.  Whether it’s one-on-one or in a classroom setting, Heather’s coaching focuses on thorough education and her goal is to help individuals excel in their healthy lifestyles.

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Chicago Yoga Enthusists, Check Out the Wellness Club in Lincoln Park: Unlimited Classes Only $49/a Month Til November

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Nutrition, Stress Management, Yoga, tagged , , , , on October 5, 2011| 1 Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Where can you get unlimited yoga and fitness classes Chicago for $49 a month and $1 down? (Discount applies until November, 2011. Then the initial processing fee goes up.)

The Lincoln Park Wellness Club at the Whole Foods Market in Lincoln Park!

Whole Foods Market Wellness Club Yoga Room Equipment Awaits You In Lincoln Park

And how many yoga studios in Chicago also offer:

• Free cooking  and nutrition classes?

• A 10% discount on over 4000 items in the grocery store?

Last time I checked, none. And yes, I am a Wellness Club member. And happy to say I have already gotten discounts on my groceries, had several discounted massages and I am a  yoga  fan!

Stop by the Wellness Club at the Lincoln park Whole Foods Market at

1550 N. Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60642

on the Mezzanine (Balcony) over the in store restaurants. You may just run into me there!

For more info, click here to go to the Wellness Club webpage.

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Pedestrians Are Taking Over State Street in Chicago–No Cars Allowed!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Yoga, tagged , , , on September 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

State Street circa 1907

State Street circa 1907-pre mass-produced cars! Image via Wikipedia

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

OK, so it’s just for a few hours for one day. But it sounds like fitness fun for all you urban hikers!  Check out “Open Streets on State Street.”

When: Saturday, October 1, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where:   State Street from Lake to Van Buren

On Saturday, October 1, State Street will be transformed into the ultimate urban playground—allowing pedestrians only to play, walk, bike and enjoy healthy recreation in a car-free environment. Open Streets on State Street is presented by Chicago Loop Alliance and Active Transportation Alliance. It will include activities such as a modular skate park, free yoga classes and breakdancing demonstrations. Plus, several Loop businesses are teaming up to offer special discounts for one day only at area restaurants, retail destinations and cultural institutions.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit OpenStreetsOnStateStreet.org or connect on Facebook or Twitter @OpenStreetsChi.

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Meet, Not Meat, Liz Cascio, Holistic Health Counselor, and Wellness Club Educator

Posted in Health and Wellness on September 27, 2011| 3 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Liz Cascio, Wellness Club Holistic Health Counselor

As part of my experience opening our new WWM Wellness Club massage center, I’ve been getting to know the Wellness Club Team Members. This past Sunday I was able to spend a few hours with Liz Cascio and really see her smart and friendly self in action. I want to give my readers a chance to get to know Liz as well. She’s up in the Wellness Club many days, but before you meet her, I thought I’d ask her more about the Wellness Club, the Lifestyle Change Program and how she helps people learn to eat well and live a more well-balanced life!

1.  What did you do as a wellness tour guide and guest lecturer for CHEW (Complete Health Education and Wellness) Chicago?

I lead people on a 3-mile walking tour of Lincoln Park, educating people about different businesses in the community that support wellness, including Whole Foods Market!

2. What is a Holistic Health Counselor? What do you do?

The word holistic simply means emphasizing the whole instead of isolating or compartmentalizing particular aspects of a subject.  Holistic Health specifically means comprehensive, total health and well-being, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  In my practice, I help my clients to understand that their diet, lifestyle, relationships, physical activity, and career all play a vital role in their overall health.  I try to support my clients in each of these aspects of their lives in order to help them achieve the balance that is necessary for optimum health.

4. What could I expect from you as a coach to help me incorporate healthier eating into my current diet? How about fitness?

In my practice, I help my clients to create a mind-set of success in order to affect permanent, positive change in their lives.  I work with my clients to help them set realistic, specific long and short-term goals.  These goals can be a simple as eating a healthy breakfast every morning or as challenging as running a marathon.  Then we work to make gentle, sustainable, but effective changes in their daily lives in order to achieve those goals.  The key is to make changes that you can stick to and then build on those changes.  Healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be about punishing or depriving yourself.  It should be about making your life happier, healthier, and more fun!

5. Eating healthy can be boring. How do you make it fun?
A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be boring.  A lot of people think that eating a healthier diet means you won’t ever get to enjoy food again, that you have to force yourself to eat foods that you don’t like eating, and that you have to be hungry all the time.  This is just not true.  In fact a very restrictive diet, can actually HURT you more than it can help.  I love trying new things and playing in the kitchen, so for me, the most exciting thing about the changing my diet was learning about new foods I’d never heard of before and how to cook them.  For instance, did you know there are more than 20 varieties of grains each with their own unique flavor and texture.  For people who aren’t so keen on change, we will give you the opportunity to “Stump the Chef.”  We challenge you to come up with a favorite food for our Chef Katie to make a healthier version of!  She’ll give you the recipe and show you how to make it, so that you don’t have to give up your favorite foods!

6. What is the Wellness Club diet plan based on?
The Wellness Club is not really a diet as much as it is a Lifestyle Change Program.  The program was created by Drs. Matthew Lederman and Alona Pulde and Registered Dietician Jeff Novick.  These medical professionals have all had very successful practices treating their patients with diet and lifestyle.  They have also worked closely with pioneers in the field of plant-based nutrition such as T. Colin Campbell, author of the China Study, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (former President Clinton’s doctor), and Dr. John McDougall.

7. What does a plant-based diet mean?
A plant-based diet is a change in overall dietary pattern.  The first thing we encourage people to do, regardless of what type of diet they are on, is to ADD more plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and starchy vegetables.  (How many diets tell you to eat more food?!)  Then, we teach our members how to make these foods the main focus of the meal instead of merely a small side dish, and to use foods that are more prominent in the Standard American Diet (processed foods, animal products) as more of a flavoring agent, a condiment, or a side dish, if at all.

8. Do I have to give up meat and dairy? Is this a vegan thing?
The Wellness Club is not a conventional “diet” in that we do not have lists of good and bad foods and we do not tell people what they can and cannot eat.  Our goal is to educate people about the potential health risks associated with particular foods, such as refined, highly processed foods and certain animal products. They can then make an informed decision about whether they wish to continue eating these foods and in what quantity.  People become “vegan” (choose to abstain from all animal products) for many reasons (political, ethical, spiritual, as well as health).  Our motto at the Wellness Club is “Honest to Goodness Wellness,” and that is our one and only focus. It is possible to eat a 100% vegan diet that is far from healthy.  It is also possible to eat diet that incorporates animal foods that will support optimum health.  We choose to describe the way of eating that we teach in the Wellness Club as plant-based because the most important thing is that majority of the diet is based on whole, unrefined plant foods.

9. Do you have any fun events planned for this fall?
We have a really exciting dinner and a movie series.  Each week, we will be pairing our delicious, Wellness Club-approved supper club with a film on a relevant subject. This Tuesday (9/27), we will be screening Forks Over Knives.

What’s Liz’s Background?
Liz is a Holistic Health Counselor certified through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  Liz has a growing private practice and is currently enrolled in the Institute’s Professional Training Program.  Liz’s approach emphasizes gentle but effective lifestyle change through goal coaching and self-awareness training.  In addition, Liz has been educating the Lincoln Park community about health and wellness through her work as a wellness tour guide and guest lecturer for CHEW (Complete Health Education and Wellness) Chicago.  Liz is also a performance artist and theatre instructor who has taught and directed students from three years of age to adult.  Liz specializes in hands-on, interactive education which encourages independent thought, creative self-expression, and body awareness.

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Runner’s World Sheds Some Light on the Confusing Reporting of Massage Research

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Research, Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , on September 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

The world of massage research is in many ways, still in its infancy.  As such there is a lot of conflicting studies that can easily lead people to draw incorrect conclusions. mainstream press often takes the most sensational points from a study and broadcast those points to the world as if it were the Gospel. How do concerned citizens, loyal readers and fellow massage aficionados cope with the deluge of conflicting and confusing information about massage research?  one magazine that does a pretty good job of reporting on massage reasearch is Runner’s World.  In his article, Massage Q+A: Does it Work?, author Sam Murphy writes about a number of studies and explains how research results can be misleading when they don’t compare apples and oranges. or in this case, when research doe snot compare the effects of multiple massage session with the effects of a  single 8-minute session. Runners and research consumers,  take a few minutes to read Sam Murphy’s article. It may clear up questions you have about using massage to improve your athletic performance and or aid recovery from muscle injury.

 

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Uncovering the Truth About Fat Reduction

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , , on September 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Body Fat meter

Body fat meter. Image via Wikipedia

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

I am a big believer in being clear about our goals so that we don’t waste a lot of time pursing a fitness or nutritious goal that isn’t realistic or attainable. To me, saying “I need to lose weight” is inaccurate. What most people really mean is that they want to reduce their total body fat. If we wanted to simply lose weight, it wold mean we would lose muscle, fat and bone mass across the board. And that is NOT healthy.

I cam across a good article on fat loss and weight training myths. Check out this article for some great ideas on spot reduction, lower abdominal myths and the myth that high repetitions burn more fat from exrx.net, Fat Loss & Weight Training Myths

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Where’s the Wellness Club in Lincoln Park?

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Stress Management, tagged , , , , on September 11, 2011| 4 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

I’ve been shopping and providing massage at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods market for the past few years since they built the new store on Kingsbury. I know the store well, every stairwell, every nook and cranny, every mouth-watering department. But for new clients and visitors to the newly established Wellness Club, finding our table massage location can be a daunting task. Since massage is geared towards relaxation and stress relief more than orienteering, I want to make it easier for people to find us!

Your Final Destination; The Lincoln Park Wellness Club in Whole Foods Market at 1550 N. Kingsbury!

Directions to the Wellness Club inside Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market
Our actual street address is 1550 N. Kingsbury. From September to likely our first snow in Chicago, North avenue is under construction from Ashland to Kingsbury. I don’t recommend you access the store from North Avenue heading east from Ashland for that reason. And, as construction season is still upon us, Halsted is also under construction and access to Halsted between Division and Chicago avenue is blocked off.  The best way to access the Wellness Club AND avoid traffic congestion, is to enter Evergreen from Halsted just North of Division, turn right on Kingsbury and then enter the Whole Foods parking garage rear entrance a few blocks north of the Evergreen/Kingsbury intersection. For a pdf file showing driving directions of the map, click on Driving Directions to Wellness Club

A great table massage is just around the corner, inside the Wellness Club!

The Wellness Club is located on the Mezzanine (aka balcony over in store restaurants and deli) of the Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market.  You can access the Mezzanine in the store in one of two ways:

1. If you park in the garage on level 2 or 3, simply walk to the rear of the parking lot (facing the River) and take the stairs or elevator to the Mezzanine (M on the Elevator). Exit the stairwell and walk along the Mezzanine (aka balcony) towards Kingsbury until you reach the Wellness Club.

2. If you park in the garage and take the escalator or elevator to the main floor or if you walk to the store, you need to walk up the stairs in front of Express Checkout and the Working Well Massage Chair Massage Station to reach the Mezzanine.

You can see the Wellness Club in the distance in this photo taken from the bar aisle in front of Express Checkout!

These stairs lead to the level known as the Mezzanine (aka the balcony). The Mezzanine is only accessible from the stairs shown below or the rear entrance of the store. If you take the elevator or escalator in the front of the store tot he second floor you won’t find us. Don’t fret, though, just return to the main floor and then take the stairs to the Mezzanine in the South end of the store. Your massage will be worth the walk!

If these directions are unclear, hopefully the photos will help you orient yourself in the store and find us in the Wellness Club! If all else fails, call just directly at 312-202-6444 and we will direct you to us!

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