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Paying Attention and Being Focused in Tai Chi Play

In Tai Chi, focus is a key element that enhances the practice and deepens the benefits. The primary focus in Tai Chi revolves around three aspects:

1. Body Awareness: Tai Chi emphasizes a heightened sense of body awareness. Practitioners focus on the alignment, posture, and movements of their body. By paying attention to the subtle sensations, practitioners can refine their movements and develop a better understanding of their body’s capabilities and limitations.

2. Breath Control: Breath control is an essential aspect of Tai Chi. Practitioners focus on the quality and rhythm of their breath, coordinating it with their movements. Deep, slow, and relaxed breathing helps to induce a state of calmness and relaxation, allowing for better flow of energy throughout the body.

3. Mindfulness: Mindfulness is at the core of Tai Chi practice. Practitioners strive to maintain a focused and present state of mind. This involves observing thoughts and sensations without judgment and bringing attention back to the present moment whenever the mind wanders. By cultivating mindfulness, practitioners can enhance their overall awareness and concentration during Tai Chi practice.

By combining these aspects of focus, Tai Chi practitioners aim to achieve a state of harmony between the body, breath, and mind. This integrated focus helps in reducing stress, improving balance and coordination, promoting relaxation, and enhancing overall well-being. 

Attentional focus (APA dictionary definition of attentional-focus
https://dictionary.apa.org/attentional-focus) in Tai Chi plays a crucial role in achieving a mindful and meditative state during practice. The primary focus in Tai Chi is on cultivating a deep sense of body awareness and developing a calm and focused mind. Practitioners are encouraged to concentrate on their breath, the sensations of their body, and the movements they perform.

There are two main types of attentional focus in Tai Chi:

1. Internal focus: This involves directing attention inward, focusing on the physical sensations, energy flow, and alignment within the body. By paying close attention to the movements and sensations, practitioners aim to enhance their body awareness and develop a deeper connection with their own body.

2. External focus: In this approach, attention is directed externally to the environment or the surrounding space. Practitioners may focus on their surroundings, such as the flow of energy around them or the connection to the natural world. This external focus can help practitioners expand their awareness beyond their own body and foster a sense of harmony and connection with the environment.

Both internal and external attentional focus are integrated to create a balanced practice in Tai Chi. The goal is to achieve a state of relaxed concentration, where the mind remains calm and focused while the body moves gracefully. This mindful state helps practitioners experience the numerous physical, mental, and spiritual benefits associated with Tai Chi.

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“Focusing on obtaining good sleep — 7 to 9 hours at night with a regular wake time along with waking refreshed and being alert throughout the day — may be an important behavior that helps people stick with their physical activity and dietary modification goals,” Christopher E. Kline, PhD, associate professor in the department of health and human development at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a press release.”

Read article at https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20230314/sleep-quality-may-affect-adherence-to-exercise-diet-goals-in-those-trying-to-lose-weight

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#27 – David Sinclair, Ph.D.: Slowing aging – sirtuins, NAD, and the epigenetics of aging | Listen Notes

A unifying theory of aging [1:20:30
— Read on www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-peter-attia/27-david-sinclair-phd-OTxec6Al4J5/

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Brace yourself for these results: Novel experiment isolates genes that cause some people to gain muscle while others don’t – Brighter World

Brace yourself for these results: Novel experiment isolates genes that cause some people to gain muscle while others don’t – Brighter World
— Read on brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/brace-yourself-for-these-results-novel-experiment-isolates-genes-that-cause-some-people-to-gain-muscle-while-others-dont/

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ACSM Exercise Recommendation for Hypertension

www.acsm.org/read-research/resource-library/resource_detail

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Phytates: Friend or Foe?

The Whole Grains Council
Phytates (the term for phytic acid when bound to a mineral) are bioactive compounds that are found naturally in nearly all plant foods. Phytates are sometimes referred to as “anti-nutrients” because they can bind some minerals and make them less available to your body. That said, the quantity of nutrients that your body can absorb from food varies widely depending on what other foods you’re pairing it with, how it’s cooked, and what your overall diet is like.
Additionally, regularly eating a diet high in phytates may limit this “anti-nutrient” effect. In a 2015 study in the Journal of Nutrition, scientists in Iowa assigned 28 non-anemic young women to either a high phytate (lots of whole grains, beans, nuts, and tofu) or low phytate (refined grains, eggs, and cheese, avoiding high phytate foods) diet for eight weeks, then tested their iron levels. After consuming a high phytate diet for 8 weeks, there was a 41% increase in serum iron response, indicating that the women were better able to absorb iron. This suggests that “habitual consumption of [a high phytate] diet can reduce the negative effect of phytate on non-heme iron absorption among young women with sub-optimal iron stores.”
Avoiding phytates would mean not just avoiding foods like whole grains or beans but subsisting on a diet of mostly synthetic foods or animal foods, not exactly a recipe for good health and wellbeing. Since phytates are found naturally in plants, it’s not surprising to learn that they may also have some antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Nonetheless, phytate fears linger throughout various pockets of the internet, prompting some to opt for sprouted grains. Sprouting (by soaking) may be able to reduce the phytic acid level in many grains, although the percentage varies by grain type and time of sprouting. Sprouting grains also appears to improve the bioavailability of certain nutrients, but the science is too young to make generalizations, and we still have more to learn. Most evidence alleging that soaked or sprouted grains are “easier to digest” is largely anecdotal.
From a culinary perspective, there are perks that come with giving certain grains an overnight soak. Acclaimed cookbook author Maria Speck writes that “Slow-cooking whole grains such as rye and wheat berries benefit from soaking, for two reasons. As a rule of thumb, soaking decreases their cooking time and makes, in my opinion, for plumper, more appealing and tender kernels.”

Phytates are just one tool in a grain’s arsenal to give it energy to blossom into a healthy plant, working in concert with (rather than in competition with) a full spectrum of other nutrients and phytochemicals. In humans too, the benefits appear to far outweigh any potential nutrient shortfalls. You don’t have to have a molecular chemistry background to piece together a healthy diet. Treat yourself to the rich flavors of whole grains and other wholesome foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans, and the health benefits will just be an added bonus.

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The Science Behind Making Habits Stick — Joshua Steinfeldt

Focusing on what you want gets you started. Focusing on what you get keeps you going.

This simple idea may be the most useful thing I have ever learned about changing behavior.
— Read on joshuasteinfeldt.com/blog/2018/2/28/the-science-behind-making-habits-stick

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www.linkedin.com/pulse/ode-olive-oil-david-l-katz-md-mph-facpm-facp-faclm

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‘‘Tis the season of weight gain! After Thanksgiving is a great time to start your planning for your New Year’s Resolution by adopting your goal weight before you put on any more weight over the Holidays.

The best way to help you to develop your goal is to use this comprehensive, body-weight-planning tool at The National Institute of Health (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/body-weight-planner).  If you  have any question or help in using it give me call at 561-376-8901 or send me an email to me at fran@getfitbewell.com.