Interview with Bob McMillan of The Come Alive Project

By pranapt on April 1, 2012 / Blog, Paleo, Physical Therapy, Uncategorized, Video / Leave a comment

Tags: active, Bob Mc Millan, Mov Nat, Northern Virginia, Senior Fitness, The Come Alive Project

I was “introduced” to Bob McMillan through his guest post on the MovNat website awhile back. I was so excited as I read his story, and watched his video, that I sent him an email to thank him for sharing. I also commended him on not only staying active in his early 70′s; but, also encouraging other seniors to get outdoors and play. What I didn’t know was that Bob lives right here in Northern Virginia! He was kind enough to do an email interview with me, and I look forward to meeting him in person very soon!

Bob McMillan is the founder of The Come Alive Project. Bob has been an evangelist for senior fitness since the early 1990s. Bob believes that with the Baby Boomers coming of age, the time is now for a real advocate for senior fitness to establish the kind of programs offered by The Come Alive Project. The Come Alive Project is a no-nonsense site for seniors over 60 who want to look better, feel better, and come alive for the rest of their lives.

Interview with Bob McMillan of

The Come Alive Project

1) Tell us your personal story. How did you become interested in helping seniors “Come Alive”?

About 10 years ago I proposed a senior fitness concept to Patrick Avon of the Sergeant’s Program, one of the nation’s first “boot camp” style fitness programs. I had been an exercise nut all my life and as I got older, I felt “seniors” were not being served well by the fitness community. Patrick Avon and I worked together for a year; but, the program was eventually cancelled. Then I formed Act 2 Fitness for people over 55. It never really took off. I returned to my previous life for a few years and then retired. I decided to take my fitness knowledge back to the marketplace and create a new program for seniors, The Come Alive Project.

2) How did you initially hear about MovNat?

I read an article in Men’s Health Magazine several years ago. Then I went to the website and saw the video, The Workout That Time Forgot. I said to myself, “I have to do this.” Later I saw that the first U.S. workshops would be held in West Virginia, only about a six hour drive for me, so I signed up.

3) What did your friends and family think when you told them you were going to the 5 Day training?

My wife thought I was crazy and that I was too old to play a young person’s game. Also, I was retired and we were living on a fixed income, so the cost was a consideration.

4) What were your concerns/reservations going into the 5 Day course?

Believe it or not, my concern was not that I was too old (age 69 at the time) to do the program; but, that my age might hold back some of the other participants. Erwan LeCorre stressed how the program was scaled to handle all shapes, sizes, and ages. He assured me that I would not hold anyone back. He was right.

5) What was your experience? Were those concerns valid?

The concerns were probably valid in my mind at the time. But Erwan was true to his word that I would be able to handle it. Actually, I was able to do nearly everything that the others did, just more carefully. Erwan made safety one of his major concerns and watched over me carefully when it came time to leap from boulder to boulder at the river. Sleeping in the tent and eating paleo added significantly to the experience. It was work; but, it was FUN!

We had a great team and if I, or anyone else ever showed signs of slowing, the rest encouraged us onward.

6) How was the teaching scaled for each participant?

Actually, there was very little scaling required. Most the moves lent themselves well to anyone. I was able to lift the same trees and rocks as the others. I couldn’t throw the rocks as far, nor could I jump as high or run as fast as the younger folks; but, that didn’t affect the quality of the movements. As I mentioned above, Erwan made sure everything I did was safe.

7) How has MovNat changed your training/approach to life/health?

Good question. I have learned to stay away from exercise machines in the gym (yes, I do go to the gym most days). I am fortunate to have a park nearby that has a PAR course (exercise stations outdoors), as well as lots of woods and fields. I shot the video that was on the MovNat website there. I emphasize natural mobility, flexibility, and strength as a combination far more than the average person at my gym. I sometimes get odd looks from people who wonder what I am doing/are amazed at what I am doing. But the MovNat training taught me that movements that may look difficult can be quite simple with bodyweight transfer, bodyweight shifting, and the proper use of gravity and momentum. This is what I want to get across to seniors.

8) How do you explain Paleo and MovNat to people? (What’s your “elevator speech”)

Most seniors don’t have any knowledge of Paleo or natural movement concepts; although, when I mentioned Paleo at a recent workshop, a couple of active and vibrant 80 year olds were at least familiar with the term. I stress natural mobility and flexibility as the goal.

9) Have you been successful in getting other seniors interested in the benefits of dietary changes and outdoor play? What is the biggest obstacle in convincing seniors to break out of their comfort zone?

Dare I say this? Most seniors are stubborn and set in their ways. It’s not that they have closed minds, it’s simply that most think of exercise as either a “painful” experience or a social hour at a group exercise class.

10)What would you say to a senior who tells you that they want to work out on a stationary bike or machines because they are “safe”?

First let me suggest that even if they are just riding an exercise bike, they are at least doing something they will benefit from. The benefit depends on how often, how long, and how intense the workout is.
They need to do something for overall strength, flexibility and mobility other than just the cardio and leg strength they get from riding.

As for machines, the gym I go to is filled with them and I rarely use any of them. This gym has a large population of active seniors and most stick with dumbells and exercise bands. In my opinion, the two best exercise machines ever created are the human body and the floor. Of course if you’re outside, nature provides its own gym and humans were built primarily to function in the outdoors. I can show a senior how to develop more strength and natural movement by using their own body and the floor than by using any machine ever built.

11)Tell us about The Come Alive Project. What is the mission, what are your goals, how can we help you spread the word to other seniors?

I created The Come Alive Project to inspire, motivate, educate, and instruct active seniors over 60 to build and maintain a high personal energy level through natural movement (exercise), eating properly, and through a Come Alive Attitude. That’s a long sentence but it’s filled with meaning.

Personally, at age 72, I would like to become a strong, national voice in spreading the doctrine of senior fitness, as demonstrated by my “being what I talk about”. You and your readers can help me spread the word by directing people to my website at www.thecomealiveproject.com and encourage them to subscribe to the free publication, Energy Bites™. In addition, I’ll be releasing an Energy Bites™ CD in April or May, and am developing a useful and Useable Exercise Manual and DVD for seniors, to be released in July and August.

Read Bob’s guest post on the MovNat website, and watch his video demonstration of his moves!

http://movnat.com/movnat-moves-for-seniors/

Bob can be contacted at bob@thecomealiveproject.com

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

By pran6588 on March 27, 2012 / Articles, Blog, Paleo / Leave a comment

Tags: Chicken Caesar Salad, Dr.Cate, food, grilling, olive oil, Paleo

The temperatures have been warm in the Washington, D.C. area leading to an early start to the grilling season. Last night I took advantage of the weather by grilling chicken and making homemade Caesar salad dressing! I also felt inspired after reading an article by Dr. Cate on how bad bottled salad dressing is for you (even if it says organic or all natural).

The reason that bottled dressings may not be the best is that they may not be made from healthy oils. Why wouldn’t they use 100% olive oil? Mainly to keep the cost down - instead of using 100% extra virgin olive oil, manufacturers add soybean or sunflower oil. Since I already go out of my way to avoid vegetable oils, making Caesar dressing from scratch and using 100% extra virgin olive oil makes it healthier and tastier! I recommend Kasandrinos EVOO http://bit.ly/HgD5a8

Here are some images and the recipe that I used to make this delicious and easy salad!

Start off with raw chicken breast, season with salt and pepper.

Chop up two or more heads of Romaine Hearts.

Prepare the Caesar salad dressing.

3 cloves garlic
4 anchovy fillets (optional)
1 teaspoon Real Salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup E.V. olive oil

Take garlic press and mash the garlic into a bowl. Add the salt and mash into a fine paste. This also can been done a cutting board with the side of your chef’s knife.
Add egg yolks, Dijon, anchovies, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Whisk everything together.
Slowly add the olive oil while whisking, until dressing becomes thick. You can also do this in a food processor; but, be careful not to over mix the dressing as this can cause it to break (everything separates).
Last, always taste your final product, make sure it is seasoned properly. Nothing ruins good food more than when it is improperly seasoned.

Now that you have made your dressing, it is time to grill the chicken. If you care about what your chicken is going to look like at the end you should always start with the presentation side down. The presentation side is the smooth nice looking side opposed to the other side that was cut off the the rib cage and bone area of the chicken.

Start with a good hot grill, make sure to brush or spray some olive oil onto your chicken to help prevent sticking. Place the chicken on the grill and then leave it alone!!! Don’t move it for at least two minutes but when you do move it rotate it 1/4 of a turn. This is how you get those nice grill marks on your chicken. Wait another two minutes and then flip your chicken over. Cook the same way until the chicken is done.

If you did it right your chicken should look like this.

Now that your chicken is done, mix your fresh Caesar salad dressing and romaine together in a large bowl. Portion onto plates or large bowls. Take a chef’s knife and cut your grilled chicken into strips and place on top of you Caesar salad. That’s it! Enjoy!

Dave Wendel is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked as a Chef and Food Buyer for over twenty years. After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as an adult (due to an autoimmune illness), he has worked his way back to health through cooking according to an ancestral health template. Since going “Paleo,” Dave has been able to better manage his blood glucose and decrease his insulin usage.

Review of Assess and Correct: Breaking Barriers to Unlock Performance

By pranapt on March 19, 2012 / Articles, Blog, Physical Therapy, Reviews / Leave a comment

Tags: Assess and Correct, athlete, Bill Hartman, coaching, corrective exercise, Eric Cressey, fitness, injury prevention, injury screening, Mike Robertson, physical therapy, sports injuries, training

Review of Assess and Correct

Assess and Correct: Breaking Barriers to Unlock Performance is a resource put out by Bill Hartman, PT, CSCS, USAW, Mike Robertson, MS, CSCS, USAW, and Eric Cressey, MA, CSCS in 2009. As they say on the DVD cover, “this is the first product to empower athletes and fitness enthusiasts with not only a series of self-assessments to identify muscular imbalances; but, also exercise progressions to correct those inefficiencies.”

The resource includes:

27 dynamic self-assessments
A Comprehensive Static Assessment Guide
78 corrective exercises for improving mobility and stability (based on the results of your self-assessment)
A written collection of warm ups specific to certain athletic populations
A complete guide to self-soft tissue work, and a rationale for it

Assess and Correct gives you 2 DVD’s. The first guides you through the 27 assessments, while the second demonstrates the 78 corrective exercises showing progressions from beginner to advanced. Both DVD’s have helpful visual and vocal coaching cues to bring your attention to what you should focus on in each assessment and corresponding correction.

Also included in the package are 4 e-books. The first is a 137 page manual that details all of the assessments and corrective exercises, the second is a 21 page resource of warm ups broken down by type of sport/activity, third is a guide to self-soft tissue work using foam rollers and other tools, and the fourth is a collection of stretches.

This resource would make a great addition to the learning library of any strength and conditioning specialist, personal trainer, coach, athlete, or active individual. I think it would be especially useful for coaches working with high school athletes, to heighten awareness of postural and developmental issues that can be addressed before they become injuries that lead to lost playing time. The $127.00 price of this resource will be recouped within the first several months that you use it with your clients.

For the seasoned ATC or PT, the first DVD is a review of the type of upper and lower quarter screen we use with patients already; yet, I found myself taking notes while I watched the second DVD, as I saw how to break down the exercises on a scale from beginner to advanced. It gave me some ideas of how to break a few exercises down for my patients with extremely tight muscles and/or balance issues.

All in all, this is a solid resource from three of the biggest names in the corrective exercise scene. I would recommend it to anyone looking to increase their knowledge of how to screen and correct issues that lead to nagging injuries if not properly addressed through training.

I am now an Affiliate for this resource. You can buy it through my website – see the sidebar and click on the Assess and correct icon.

Plantar Fasciitis: What is it, what causes it, what can I do about it?

By pranapt on March 19, 2012 / Blog, Physical Therapy, Video / 2 Comments

Tags: foot pain, heel pain, ice, injuries, massage, physical therapy, plantar fasciitis, running, stretch

Do you have pain in the bottom of your foot or heel? Does is hurt when you put your foot on the floor first thing in the morning? You may have plantar fasciitis. Watch this short video for more information, and please call for an appointment if you need help treating this condition.

2012 Paleo Community Survey

By pranapt on March 16, 2012 / Blog, Paleo / 2 Comments

Tags: health, Paleo, Paleo Magazine, survey, US Wellness meats, wellness

2012 Paleo Community Survey

If you have been utilizing a Paleo lifestyle as part of your health and wellness plan, please take a moment to go to

http://naturallyengineered.com/blog/paleo-community-survey-2012/

and answer a quick survey about your lifestyle. Here is the description of the survey from the Naturally Engineered Website:

The purpose of this survey is to collect information about paleo diet community members, including demographic information, medical conditions, dietary preferences, and physical activity.

Why participate?
The resulting data will be invaluable in terms of understanding the nature of the paleo movement. It will be provided to other bloggers and researchers with the goal of providing a clearer picture of how the paleo diet has affected the lives of its adherents.

You can review the results of last year’s survey to see previously collected data and get a sample of the types of questions to expect for this year. The new results will be released in a similar manner, for free, to the general public after the survey is concluded.

Also, survey participants get access to exclusive discount coupon codes to be used at sponsor online stores, as well as the ability to enter into a prize package drawing to win $50 gift certificates, and more!

And finally, the survey is very concise and easy to complete. It should take no more than a few minutes of your time.

Foam Roller for Lower Extremities

By pranapt on March 12, 2012 / Back Pain, Physical Therapy, Video / Leave a comment

Tags: Achilles tendon, foam roller, hamstring, IT Band Syndrome, legs, massage, piriformis syndrome, plantar fasciitis, recovery, running, shin splints, video

In this video Ann demonstrates a series of exercises using a foam roller. These can be done before or after your workout to massage and release tight muscles and fascia. Perform 10 slow repetitions of each exercise. You can adjust the intensity of each exercise by putting more or less weight through the area on the foam roller.

This video is for informational use only, and is not intended to diagnose or treat an injury. Please discuss any new exercise with your healthcare provider prior to beginning.

What does PranaPT talk about the most?

By pranapt on March 9, 2012 / Blog, Paleo, Physical Therapy / Leave a comment

Tags: blog, Prana PT, words

Review of Eat Like a Dinosaur by The Paleo Parents

By pranapt on March 5, 2012 / Blog, Paleo, Reviews / 2 Comments

Tags: cookbooks, dinosaur, family, Paleo, The Paleo Parents

I received my advance copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur the other day and I am so excited to review it! This book is a labor of love from Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry, AKA The Paleo Parents. Stacy and Matt’s story is truly inspiring. They are the parents of 3 boys (6, 3, and 1) who turned their family’s life around through making good decisions around food.

At the time that Stacy discovered the principles of a paleo lifestyle, she had just given birth to their 3^rd son. Desiring to give up dairy and get her health under control, she began reading about paleo. She soon converted Matt, and then they realized that their children could benefit from this way of eating too.

Stacy and Matt have lost a combined total of over 200 pounds in less than 15 months, and transformed the health of their children as well. They accomplished all of this by eating real, whole foods and by getting their kids excited about the food choices they have.

This book has over 100 recipes for families, from those with food allergies to those who simply struggle with getting their kids excited about asparagus. Eat Like a Dinosaur explains the idea of an ancestral-based approach to eating. The recipes and projects engage the whole family to spend time together having fun with food. The book gives step by step instructions, pointing out where children can help with the food preparation process.

For families with food allergies, the book visually highlights the top 8 allergens so that kids can self-identify recipes that work for them. All recipes are dairy, wheat, peanut and soy free. Those containing fish, shellfish, tree nuts, and eggs are easily identified. This easy system helps kids to get excited about the choices they do have, rather than focusing attention on what they cannot have.

The book also contains a chapter for parents, where Stacy and Matt share tips and tricks on how to approach diet changes with your kids, as well as provide information on tools and ingredients for your kitchen. Chapter 2 is a story about eating like a dinosaur, told by Cole, their 6 year old son. Chapters include everything from main dishes to special treats and cover packing lunches as well.

This book is a wonderful addition to any family’s bookshelf. My children are older than Stacy and Matt’s (10 and 13 years old); but, they love looking through the book and have already picked out dishes they want to try. Our 13 year old loves to help cook, and we are transitioning her to cooking dinner one night a week on her own. Tonight she is going to make Lemon Dill Salmon – I can’t wait!

Review of the Edge

By pran6588 on February 8, 2012 / Blog, Physical Therapy, Reviews / 1 Comment

Tags: Erson Religioso, instrument assisted manual therapy, manual therapy, The Edge

I “met” Erson through Twitter a while back. We quickly bonded over manual therapy, rock climbing, and kids. We share a similar eclectic approach to treatment, and a love for learning and teaching. When I realized that Erson was the man behind The Edge, I felt like I had met a rock star. When he asked me to review The Edge, I was happy to oblige.

I have to say that my preferred method of instrument assisted manual therapy these days is dry needling; but, I do hands on manual therapy with each patient before and after dry needling. I also use manual trigger point therapy along with other techniques with patients who decline dry needling. One of the reasons I became interested in dry needling was that I have very hypermobile joints in my fingers, and have suffered with joint pain after years of doing manual therapy. The needles allow me to reach deep taut bands without causing strain on my hands.

Now that I have The Edge, I can utilize another effective tool to save my hands. The Edge has the advantage of different sized convex surfaces which allow the therapist to begin treatment on a more superficial level and progress deeper as the tissue allows. The smaller areas can be used for more focused work around bony prominences or taut bands. With experience, the therapist can begin to feel the tissue through the movement of the tool, as the tissue is assessed and treated simultaneously.

The Edge is slim enough to fit in my bag and easily cleaned between patients. The design makes it easy to hold and maneuver. It is made to last a long time, and it is much more reasonably priced than many other instruments on the market.

An added benefit I have noticed is that while dry needling is usually not appropriate to use with school aged children, The Edge offers a non-invasive, effective treatment for sports injuries sustained by 10-14 year olds. My kids beg me to work on them with The Edge after sports practice and games to relieve sore, tight muscles.

Erson has many videos demonstrating techniques to use with The Edge. You can read his blog and find out more about The Edge at http://www.themanualtherapist.com/

The Whole 30, Days 14-28

By pran6588 on January 28, 2012 / Blog, Paleo, Whole9 / 2 Comments

Tags: monkey bars, NorCal Margaritas, Paleo, rock climbing, Whole 30

First, I have to apologize that my posting has been so sporadic for the past 2 weeks! I got a bit busy with this: http://bit.ly/y8eOVh

And this: http://bit.ly/zNQ07f

Followed by this: http://bit.ly/xIgP5V

Well, and then this: http://bit.ly/w0O1Jq

Then I was mentioned here: http://bit.ly/yzi5NO

And by the end of this past week I was like this: Click Here!

So, after chilling out yesterday and getting a good night’s sleep, I’m ready to carry on with the regularly scheduled programming!

I took lots of pictures of meals that I will share with you; but, many are repeats of the past meals so they are not that exciting. What is exciting is that The Whole 30 no longer feels like this strange science experiment I’m doing; it just feels like part of my life. I would venture to guess that making these changes feel like part of your life is part of the goal of doing The Whole 30 (Dallas and Melissa are so smart, and so sneaky). They snuck right into my brain and convinced it that it doesn’t NEED anything! It just WANTS everything.

I would have told you that by age 41 I knew the difference between needs and wants (and in most areas I do); but, when it comes to food and drink, I think we are all a bit confused. We are confused because we take something that is a true biological need (food and drink) and layer all sorts of wants over top of it (Paleo chocolate cake, NorCal Margaritas, Organic creamer, a bit of sugar in the coffee, a glass of wine (or three) with dinner, lots of good cheese on the big healthy salad). And we feel really justified in our reasoning behind consuming these items (I had a stressful day and I need a glass of wine to relax, I just need a little gluten free grain free chocolate raw vegan snack after dinner, I need creamer and sugar in my 4 cups of coffee a day – hey at least it’s Organic). For the most part, there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these items. The problem comes from our brains being conditioned to think that we NEED these things.

The biggest benefit I have seen from my own Whole 30 is that because I stuck to it without cheats, I de-programmed my brain so that it now knows the difference between needs and wants with respect to food and drink. Will I go back to eating some quality dairy? Maybe…but I will know that I just like the taste of cream in my one morning cup of coffee. Will I have a piece of homemade Paleo chocolate cake here and there? Maybe…but not every day. Will I have a glass of wine or margarita once in a while? Yup…but not every night. Why, you might ask? Because I feel so darn good right now! Seriously. I want to feel this good all the time. I want to keep waking up early ready to conquer my day. I want to get up on Saturday morning and write instead of feeling terrible from eating and drinking Paleo-fied treats from the night before. I want to keep working out hard and making gains in athletic ability. Why? Because I like being the only mom who can climb to the top of the rope at the rock climbing gym. I like being the only mom I know who rock climbs! I like being able to go back and forth twice on the monkey bars on the playground. I’m doing a 25 mile bike race this summer with my 13 year old (and I want to be able to keep up with her!) I like being happy, and for me happiness comes from feeling great and performing well in all areas of my life.

People ask me, “Was it (Whole 30) hard?” I repeat words similar to those that Melissa uses to answer that question: “Beating cancer is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Surviving a divorce is hard. Losing a child is hard. Watching a loved one go off to war is hard. Recovering from a traumatic injury is hard. Drinking my coffee black Is. Not. Hard.”

Thanks to all of the folks who did Whole 30 right alongside me and posted about it on the Facebook page, thanks to Dallas and Melissa who provided one on one support and in the process became friends, thanks to my husband and kids who put up with Mom’s crazy eating habits for 30 days. It’s amazing how changing your habits for 30 days can change your life.