http://www.newsday.com/news/health/the-daily-apple-1.4760551/fdny-calendar-hero-and-fitness-writer-brian-dessart-tells-all-1.5788394
OK, my secret is out. I really didn’t try and hide it, I just kept talking about it to a minimum.
Recently, I was selected to appear as Mr. August in the FDNY’s 2014
Calendar of Heroes, which was released to the public on July 22. No
doubt, this is slightly awkward to write about, but kind of cool in its
own weird sense.
I’ve repeatedly been asked one question since the calendar’s release: “What type of training does it take to prepare?”
Basically, it takes dedication, jelled with a dose of discipline. Since
18 years old -- I’m 34 now -- I’ve always been a gym rat and followed a
strict workout regimen. But as with anything else, doing something
over-and-over can -- and will -- lead to staleness.
So, since February 2012, I have paired up with my younger quasi-bro,
Seany Bohan, who shares a similar heart for strength and conditioning.
Simply, we were both able to motivate each other and break through
stagnancy and plateaus by constantly switching our workout programs,
either by the type of training method (blitz/pyramid/split-routine)
or tinkering with our sets and repetitions every couple of months. And
it worked. We would train four to five days each week, leaving two to
three random days for recovery.
As for cardio, I’ve always been a bit of a freak in this area, so it
was never an issue. We preceded every workout with a cardio session --
some brief, some more lengthy, but I never made cardio my focus.
Ironic as it sounds, an average one-mile run burns a little over 100
calories. Sorry for the letdown. More importantly, being in good cardio
condition -- besides the cardiac benefits -- helps to raise your resting
metabolic rate, which is the ability to burn calories while the body’s
at rest.
Nutrition was probably the difficult thing to stick with. Working in a
firehouse, food is readily available. And this guy loves to eat. Constantly. Our meal portions are hearty and generous, and not always
the lowest in calories. But I still chose to clear my plate, no matter
what was put in front of me.
When it comes to food, I have very little self-control at work, no
matter how hard I try. But my most intense focus were meals during my
time off -- keeping my overall fat content under control and my
saturated fats close to zero. I’m a big nutritional label reader. That’s
what happens growing up in a household with a mother who was always
into cooking heart-healthy meals. Thanks, Mom.
Supplements? Nope, not one. And no performance-enhancing drugs either.
Several years ago, the ingestion of a relatively safe legal dietary
supplement -- in its pure form -- put my body into metabolic shock and
landed me in the emergency room. My potassium, which helps controls
heart function, was dangerously low. The following months of doctors’
visits and testing were awful. Never again.
I recently reached out to my calendar colleagues to get a look inside
their training techniques. A handful of their responses were
interesting. Mr. May, Al Coombs, implemented kickboxing and various
leg-lift exercises to help achieve core body definition, while Mr.
January, Recordo Demetrius, a staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps,
enjoyed utilizing outdoor strength training by flipping truck tires,
pounding sledgehammers and rolling logs. Mr. April, Ralph Ciccarelli,
and Mr. March, Robert Morgan, are both personal trainers. Ciccarelli
trained in a circuit format to keep his heart rate constantly elevated,
while Morgan drank distilled water to help flush excess sodium from his
body. Lastly, Mr. September, Noel Reyes, trained on replicated obstacle
courses, in preparation for his appearances on "American Ninja Warrior."
But most importantly, no matter how hard we trained or what we looked
like, the calendar proceeds benefit the FDNY Foundation, which is the
“official not-for-profit [arm] of the FDNY established to promote fire
safety in New York City and the professional development, training and
education of members of the FDNY,” according to the foundation’s website. The 2013 calendar raised almost $200,000.
Check out the FDNY Foundation and see what they stand for. They’re a phenomenal organization, doing great things for the FDNY, its members and families.
Cheers.
The 2014 FDNY Calendar of Heroes:
Cover: Firefighter Jose Cordero, Engine 257, Brooklyn
January: Firefighter Recordo Demetrius, Engine 304, Queens
February: Firefighter Shane Clarke, Engine 9, Manhattan
March: Firefighter Robert Morgan, Engine 325, Queens
April: Firefighter Ralph Ciccarelli, Ladder 135, Queens
May: Firefighter Al Coombs, Engine 224, Brooklyn
June: Lt. Brian Garguilo, Ladder 76, Staten Island
July: Firefighter Anthony Picozzi, Ladder 84, Staten Island
August: Firefighter Brian Dessart, Ladder 121, Queens
September: Firefighter Noel Reyes, Ladder 128, Queens
October: Firefighter Rob Derrig, Ladder 133, Queens
November: Firefighter Anthony Holz, Engine 5, Manhattan
December: FF Joe Guarneri, Ladder 79, Staten Island
Monday, July 29, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
LI beach provides surfing opportunity to quadriplegic athletes
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/the-daily-apple-1.4760551/li-beach-provides-surfing-opportunity-to-quadriplegic-athletes-1.5718457
Ten athletes who have suffered spinal cord injuries will enjoy a day of surfing Friday, thanks to a national nonprofit agency dedicated to rehabilitating such injuries.
Empower SCI, founded in 2010, directs an annual two-week residential rehabilitation program, which this year began on July 14 at Stony Brook University.
During the span of the program, 10 athletes participate in adaptive surfing, kayaking, cycling and dance, aquatic and rhythm therapy, a quad rugby demo game with Jarrett Dreyer and the New York Warriors, yoga and other sports chair demos. In addition, the athletes receive therapy with physical therapists, occupational therapists and a rehabilitation counselor.
This week, through the use of surfboards and in connection with the Testaverde Fund for Spinal Cord Injury, program participants will have the opportunity to leave their wheelchairs on the shore and catch some waves at LI’s Long Beach.
According to Anthony Testaverde, president of the Testaverde Fund, the surfing event was organized under the motivation of his son Joe, a LI teen and surfing enthusiast, who was left paralyzed in his hands and legs after a swimming pool diving accident on July 4, 2000.
Jennifer McCallson, 33, an Empower peer mentor and quadriplegic, was paralyzed after a gymnastics accident shattered her first and fifth vertebrae at age 20. She said the surfing event will be a thrill for the program participants and that being set loose in the ocean is a special experience.
“The thought of being in the mighty ocean, independent of my wheelchair, feeling my freed body get splashed by the waves, getting saltwater up my nose and stinging my eyes, forms a lump in my throat and brings tears to my eyes,” McCallson said, speaking about the experience.
President and co-founder of Empower SCI, Carrie Callahan, said another benefit of surfing is just breaking the conception that it is impossible.
“It is addictive to help others accomplish things they never dreamed they could accomplish,” she said. “Surfing is just one [of those things] that once you break your neck, you think, ‘I could never do that again.’ And then comes Empower SCI to prove you wrong.”
Callahan said an entirely volunteer staff, which sacrifices their vacation days in order to make the program run successfully, supports the Empower SCI curriculum.
“If you are a part of it, you understand that the pay might not be in cash, but it’s lasting and can be life changing,” Callahan said. “Empower SCI is about the power of thought, the power of motivation and the power that one person -- and a group of people -- can bring to each other. And it’s not just the participants that win in this program -- our volunteers leave the program reinvigorated, with a new passion in life.”
And what was Callahan‘s spark to starting this special program? Simple: To provide a life-altering experience, one athlete at a time.
“When someone is trying to cope with a drastic injury like an injury to the spinal cord, they aren't focused on how to live their life well,” Callahan continued, “They are focused on survival. And this is the time that we, as a society, provide them with their most intensive rehabilitation. Empower SCI is the return to recreation, return to happiness, return to life.”
The adaptive surfing event will be held Friday, July 19 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Lido West Beach, off Lido Blvd., one block west of Marvel Dairy Whip. For more information click here.
Ten athletes who have suffered spinal cord injuries will enjoy a day of surfing Friday, thanks to a national nonprofit agency dedicated to rehabilitating such injuries.
Empower SCI, founded in 2010, directs an annual two-week residential rehabilitation program, which this year began on July 14 at Stony Brook University.
During the span of the program, 10 athletes participate in adaptive surfing, kayaking, cycling and dance, aquatic and rhythm therapy, a quad rugby demo game with Jarrett Dreyer and the New York Warriors, yoga and other sports chair demos. In addition, the athletes receive therapy with physical therapists, occupational therapists and a rehabilitation counselor.
This week, through the use of surfboards and in connection with the Testaverde Fund for Spinal Cord Injury, program participants will have the opportunity to leave their wheelchairs on the shore and catch some waves at LI’s Long Beach.
According to Anthony Testaverde, president of the Testaverde Fund, the surfing event was organized under the motivation of his son Joe, a LI teen and surfing enthusiast, who was left paralyzed in his hands and legs after a swimming pool diving accident on July 4, 2000.
Jennifer McCallson, 33, an Empower peer mentor and quadriplegic, was paralyzed after a gymnastics accident shattered her first and fifth vertebrae at age 20. She said the surfing event will be a thrill for the program participants and that being set loose in the ocean is a special experience.
“The thought of being in the mighty ocean, independent of my wheelchair, feeling my freed body get splashed by the waves, getting saltwater up my nose and stinging my eyes, forms a lump in my throat and brings tears to my eyes,” McCallson said, speaking about the experience.
President and co-founder of Empower SCI, Carrie Callahan, said another benefit of surfing is just breaking the conception that it is impossible.
“It is addictive to help others accomplish things they never dreamed they could accomplish,” she said. “Surfing is just one [of those things] that once you break your neck, you think, ‘I could never do that again.’ And then comes Empower SCI to prove you wrong.”
Callahan said an entirely volunteer staff, which sacrifices their vacation days in order to make the program run successfully, supports the Empower SCI curriculum.
“If you are a part of it, you understand that the pay might not be in cash, but it’s lasting and can be life changing,” Callahan said. “Empower SCI is about the power of thought, the power of motivation and the power that one person -- and a group of people -- can bring to each other. And it’s not just the participants that win in this program -- our volunteers leave the program reinvigorated, with a new passion in life.”
And what was Callahan‘s spark to starting this special program? Simple: To provide a life-altering experience, one athlete at a time.
“When someone is trying to cope with a drastic injury like an injury to the spinal cord, they aren't focused on how to live their life well,” Callahan continued, “They are focused on survival. And this is the time that we, as a society, provide them with their most intensive rehabilitation. Empower SCI is the return to recreation, return to happiness, return to life.”
The adaptive surfing event will be held Friday, July 19 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Lido West Beach, off Lido Blvd., one block west of Marvel Dairy Whip. For more information click here.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Summer nutrition: Getting that 'beach body'
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/the-daily-apple-1.4760551/summer-nutrition-getting-that-beach-body-1.5660382
With summer finally upon us, many fitness fanatics are packing the health clubs in a last-ditch effort to sculpt their figures -- the infamous beach-body mantra. Many of these people are targeting weight loss in a specific area of the body and practice what’s called spot reduction -- the false belief that training a certain area of the body will result in weight loss in that area.
The truth is that weight loss is an overall depletion of body fat and cannot be achieved in just one specific area. In other words, an excessive sit-up program might give you stellar six-pack abs, but they could still be hidden beneath an undesirable layer of fat, invisible until appropriate weight loss is achieved. The same holds true with a perceived spot reduction in the waistline and gluteus.
To achieve your beach-body goals, a good exercise program should be coupled with a good diet.
“Healthy eating means getting a variety of foods in moderation and not overindulging in what should be special, occasional treats,” said Dr. Rachel Johnson, American Heart Association (AHA) national spokesman and Professor of Nutrition at The University of Vermont. “Many people eat unconsciously and this often leads to weight gain.”
We also reached out to Biochemist and Certified Nutritionist Dr. Yu-Shiaw Chen, of Long Island Nutrition and author of Healthy Eating Wholesome Living, for some simple tips to summer nutrition.
Go for rainbow color nutrition. “It’s easy to tell nutrition by the color of fruits and vegetables,” Chen said. “Research has found a correlation between the chemicals in colorful foods and decreased risks of certain diseases. Examples of rainbow color nutrition are red peppers, orange color carrots, yellow squash, green broccoli and white cauliflower.”
Get plenty of antioxidants in fresh produce. “Antioxidants are health-promoting compounds in plants that help fight against free radical damage,” she explained. “The more antioxidants you ingest, the better protection you gain toward your immune system. Examples of antioxidants include lycopene in tomatoes and anthocyanin in blueberries.”
Take advantage of summer seasonal fruits. “Summer brings us terrific fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, peaches, pineapples, nectarines, cherries, mangoes, papayas, grapes and bananas,” Chen stated. “Fruits are best consumed in their own season when they are fully ripen and nutrients are at their peak.”
Watch out for high calorie food, such as deep fried food. “High calorie food takes a lot of energy to digest,” she said. “It is a good idea to reduce their consumption or avoid [them altogether].”
With the beach season now upon us, an adequate and healthy diet, combined with a quality structured exercise program, will help mold those looking to sculpt their bodies for a Long Island summer.
With summer finally upon us, many fitness fanatics are packing the health clubs in a last-ditch effort to sculpt their figures -- the infamous beach-body mantra. Many of these people are targeting weight loss in a specific area of the body and practice what’s called spot reduction -- the false belief that training a certain area of the body will result in weight loss in that area.
The truth is that weight loss is an overall depletion of body fat and cannot be achieved in just one specific area. In other words, an excessive sit-up program might give you stellar six-pack abs, but they could still be hidden beneath an undesirable layer of fat, invisible until appropriate weight loss is achieved. The same holds true with a perceived spot reduction in the waistline and gluteus.
To achieve your beach-body goals, a good exercise program should be coupled with a good diet.
“Healthy eating means getting a variety of foods in moderation and not overindulging in what should be special, occasional treats,” said Dr. Rachel Johnson, American Heart Association (AHA) national spokesman and Professor of Nutrition at The University of Vermont. “Many people eat unconsciously and this often leads to weight gain.”
We also reached out to Biochemist and Certified Nutritionist Dr. Yu-Shiaw Chen, of Long Island Nutrition and author of Healthy Eating Wholesome Living, for some simple tips to summer nutrition.
Go for rainbow color nutrition. “It’s easy to tell nutrition by the color of fruits and vegetables,” Chen said. “Research has found a correlation between the chemicals in colorful foods and decreased risks of certain diseases. Examples of rainbow color nutrition are red peppers, orange color carrots, yellow squash, green broccoli and white cauliflower.”
Get plenty of antioxidants in fresh produce. “Antioxidants are health-promoting compounds in plants that help fight against free radical damage,” she explained. “The more antioxidants you ingest, the better protection you gain toward your immune system. Examples of antioxidants include lycopene in tomatoes and anthocyanin in blueberries.”
Take advantage of summer seasonal fruits. “Summer brings us terrific fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, peaches, pineapples, nectarines, cherries, mangoes, papayas, grapes and bananas,” Chen stated. “Fruits are best consumed in their own season when they are fully ripen and nutrients are at their peak.”
Watch out for high calorie food, such as deep fried food. “High calorie food takes a lot of energy to digest,” she said. “It is a good idea to reduce their consumption or avoid [them altogether].”
With the beach season now upon us, an adequate and healthy diet, combined with a quality structured exercise program, will help mold those looking to sculpt their bodies for a Long Island summer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)