November 2014 Newsletter

Wise Words from Sifu Rick!

Disagreement can be good, for it often leads to other avenues of insight beyond the two ideas disagreed upon!
-Ed Parker

AASD ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Next Belt Test for those eligible Friday December 12th at 6:30pm
• Next Adult Belt Test for those eligible Saturday December 13th 11:00am
• Next MOM’s Pink Belt Class Friday 11/21/14 at 6:15PM, please rsvp your spot
• Next Kenpo Revival Signature class for all Current and Former Brown and Black Belt Students, Saturday 11/22/14 at 11:00am

Black Belt Pride

November 2014 Student of the Month

Ethan Rong

Ethan joined AASD back in September of 2010. As a 2nd Degree Brown Belt, Ethan has come such a long way. Starting out as a Little Dragon, Ethan would consistently work harder and harder to perfect his kicks, punches, and blocks. Now as a Junior Dragon, Ethan is often feared by his classmates when it comes to sparring, for the fear of his dynamic kicks.

Sifu Rick would like to also salute Ethan’s parents, Alan & Susan for all their support of Ethan and our Black Belt school.

Thanksgiving Calories

November in the United States means celebrating Thanksgiving. The average family consumes a menu of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, a variety of other side dishes, rolls or bread and, of course, pumpkin pie.

Alexandra Sifferlin, writer and producer for TIME Healthland, did the math and the typical Thanksgiving meal weighs in at about 4,500 calories, which is more than twice the recommended amount of daily calories for adult men and women. To put it into perspective, one Thanksgiving dinner is approximately equal to seven Burger King Whoppers®.
At least we now know why we want to lay down and take a nap after we eat dinner? The question is this: do we have to eat 4,500 calories in one meal, or can we take the things we like and eat them in moderation?

We also have to ask ourselves if we should prepare for this holiday by being serious about our daily workout regardless of what the workout is. Could we actually take the time on Thanksgiving Day to get our workout in? At the very least, these things may help offset the calorie count.
We also have to remember this is the holiday season. During this time, with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the December holidays rolling in, we tend to celebrate with high caloric foods, sweets, and possibly some alcohol.

If you add to that the peer pressure presented by family, friends, and coworkers, and the prevalence of food-based marketing efforts, we may feel we are doomed.
But are we really? We can leverage our will-power, our determination to not lose sight of our healthy eating habits, and our focus on our regular fitness regimen. We can make a plan to eat in moderation with an end goal of maintaining our current weight.

It all comes down to attitude. Is the meal worth it? Maybe, but probably not. It is all about you and your long-term goals for health and fitness. With a little bit of planning, you can still enjoy the fun and fellowship of the holidays and feel good.

Choosing The Right Food

How can you stay fit (or at least try to) during this family-feast holiday season? Below are five suggestions to help you eat healthy.

1. Become fish friendly. If you have the opportunity to choose fish, take it.
2. Choose dark meat. It has slightly higher calories but contains more vitamins and minerals.
3. Easy on the gravy. If you can’t manage to skip it, reduce the quantity of your servings.
4. Go without the butter.
5. Be picky about your side dishes. Eat steamed vegetables whenever possible.

These are just a few suggestions. For the most part, common sense and basic eating habits are all that are needed. One of the very best methods is to simply push the plate away after the first (or second) helping. Remember, the key is not to avoid the holiday meals—but to enjoy them in moderation.

Happy Thanksgiving!!