Feeling ill, lightheaded, dizzy, nauseous, or have a headache? Don't run to the doctor's office just yet....

With temperatures in Severna Park continuously on the rise dehydration is becoming more and more of a concern. Dehydration is a result of the body overheating from either lack of water, extreme heat, heavy physical exertion, or a combination of them all. It is important that on these hot summer days that you protect yourself against becoming dehydrated or you might just end up in the doctor's office after all.

First, know the symptoms and what to look for in yourself and others. While dehydration has different affects on different people here are some of the signs: weakness, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, headaches, low blood pressure, fever, and excessive sweating. Should you notice any of these symptoms, you should immediately stop performing all strenuous physical activity and drink some water or other sports beverage. Also, head indoors and seek cooler temperatures as soon as possible.

Secondly, knowing how to prevent dehydration is important. The most important thing is to drink some type of fluid continuously throughout the day. Ideally, you should drink a cup of something every hour or less depending on the activity and temperature. Next, avoid being outside on extremely hot days. On such days its best to stay indoors, or head to Club One Fitness to workout while staying cool! Lastly, avoid consuming alcohol which dehydrates you and leaves your feeling fatigued.

Dehydration is easily preventable and fixable but be advised if your condition worsens, seek medical attention. Otherwise, have a great summer and stay cool!

Milk Your Diet: Milk might not be your current beverage of choice but maybe it should be. Milk is high in protein which not only helps build muscle but gives you the full satisfied feeling in between meals. I recommend skim milk or 1% in order to avoid taking in to many calories. Milk is one of the best sources of calcium which we all know is important in building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis as we get older. Milk is also loaded with tons of other vitamins. So next time you hear "Got Milk" you can answer YES!

Everyone knows that losing weight and being healthy relies on two basic factors, exercise and the foods you consume. It is easy to focus on exercising at Club One Fitness in Severna Park/Millersivlle, but it's what you eat before and after you walk through those doors that may be hindering your progress. That is why we would like to give you a few helpful hints on what to look for when shopping for groceries.

When grocery shopping around 80% of the food you buy should come from what is on the outside perimeter of the store (although the Safeway where I shop near our health club in Severna Park has some yummy healthy stuff in the middle) This means you spend less time going up and down the aisles and more time shopping for the essentials. All the major foods you should be eating, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat are located on the perimeter of the store. By sticking to this plan you avoid the temptation of buying all the junk and filler foods that are found in the aisles.  This plan should also help you reduce the amount of time you spend shopping for food each week.

Grocery shopping can be confusing at times with companies throwing out unfamiliar words or phrases that lead you to believe that they are healthy choices. To make things simpler you should look for key "buzzwords" on products. For instance, when buying bread, cereal, or crackers try and find ones that says "100% Whole Wheat." This means that it is higher in fiber and essential nutrients. Do not be misled by products that advertise things such as "multigrain" or "whole grain." Chances are that they are mostly composed of bleached flour that has little nutritional value. Another buzzword to look for is "zero trans fat." Trans-fat, in simple terms, is the worst type of fat there is. Many products may appear to be healthy choices but when in doubt check the nutritional facts and ingredients.

While what you eat is highly important, what you drink is even more so. The number one thing you should drink if you're trying to lose weight or just maintain is water! However, because water isn't the most exciting beverage there are now several sugar free low cal additives you can use to change that. These travel size packets make it easy to stay hydrated while on the go. Sports drinks are often high in sugar and unnecessary calories. You really should only be consuming sports drinks if you are working out hard for 2 hours or more. But if you must have a sports drink, have a low calorie version. You probably won't drink milk while exercising, but it is still a great source of calcium and vitamins. Choose skim milk over 2% to reduce the amount of calories you are consuming. Soda, is almost always on the "don't list." Considered to be full of "empty calories," (no nutritional value) soda should be consumed sparingly.

Now that you are armed with the tools to be a smart shopper it is only a matter of time before you attain your fitness goals. So have fun and don't be afraid to try new foods!

I've been meaning to blog about the 2008 Severna Park Parade.  Club One pathetically bailed this year as a participant after a great showing in 2007.  But we will be back next year.

The Severna Park parade was again fantastic. Veterans of World War II led the Severna Park's 4th of July parade this year.  People stood up and cheered as there drove by.  Cool stuff that makes you proud to be an American.  Other good participants were St. John the Evangelist, Magothy River Association, Sunrise of Severna Park which had a huge presentation, the Kick Connection, Pedal Pushers, Our Shepherd Lutheran Church bike brigade, Olde Severna Park Improvement Association, Chartridge, Linstead,  Jing Ying Institute (which had a really cool even if bit bizarre demonstration), Friends of Kinder Farm Park, St. Andrew's Swim club and the always fun to watch Mason Dixon Square Dancers actually square dancing.

On troubling note to me was the Sons of the Confederacy.  Do we really need to celebrate their efforts?  Wasn't this basically a war about slavery?   I hate to interrupt this otherwise feel good blog that ignores social issues but this is worth speaking up about.   No one really seems to mind their presence and by looking at them, they look like nice enough people.  Maybe they just don't understand how some people would interpret the homage paid to that small 5 year window of tragedy in our nation's history.   But the sight of small kids handing out Confederate flags just depresses me to no end.

Okay, sorry to end on a downer.  I'll come back with something more upbeat later today.

Okay, so maybe you haven't done the best job sticking with your new year's resolution to lose 20 pounds by the summer so you can wear that bikini.  Now, bikini season is here, so what's a girl (or guy) to do?  There are so many fad diets out there that make unrealistic, yet enticing, promises, should you give them a try?  The answer is an emphatic no and here is why.  In addition to setting you up for failure with their unrealistic promises, some of these diets cause dehydration, nutritional imbalances, kidney failure, and osteoporosis.  Not to mention that some of them will have you confined to your house for two days unable to leave your bathroom!

So, what should you do as that bikini hangs on your doorknob as a constant reminder?  Get back on track with your workouts and eat a well-balanced diet containing lots of fruits, vegetables and lean meats.  At Club One Fitness, we just added a Power Hour class three times a week that will help you tone and lose calories all at the same time and you will be ready for that bikini before you know it/
 
Following are some fad diets, if you find yourself on one, change your diet to a more well-balanced diet immediately and hit the treadmill!  Those results are undeniable!

Lemonade diet

You have to stay away from solid food. You cannot consume plain water. You have to take water mixed with lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. You need to drink six to twelve glasses of this lemonade mixture daily. If you are overweight, you should use less maple syrup. If you are underweight, use more quantities of maple syrup. If you feel hungry, have another glass of lemonade.

3-day diet

The reasoning behind the 3-Day Diet plan is that if you eat a specific mix of foods you will create a chemical reaction in your digestive system, boosting your metabolism and causing the body to burn fat at a faster rate than usual. Dieters are to be on the diet program for only 3 days and must take a 2-day break before repeating it again. The reason behind this weight loss plan may sound interesting, but has no scientific basis whatsoever.

Cabbage Soup diet

You have to consume only cabbage soup for seven days. It does not furnish the essential nutrients for a well-balanced diet. Cabbage does not reduce weight by itself. Concentrating on only one food and excluding the others is probably the reason for weight. You'll eventually develop a distaste of the soup and eat less and less of it. Less food means fewer calories, and fewer calories lead to weight loss.

Atkins diet

You eat only high protein and high fat foods thereby consuming fewer calories. Carbohydrates are severely restricted like bread, potatoes, rice, chocolate, cereals and sugar. The carbohydrates are added back little by little into the diet. As the diet is nutritionally inadequate, supplements of vitamins and minerals are required. It is not known what effect the Atkins plan has on health in the long-term.

Raw Food diet

It is a vegan diet. Meat, chicken, eggs, dairy and animal products are to be completely avoided. Foods permitted on the diet are uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains, believed to contain more nutrients and digestion-aiding enzymes than cooked foods.

The Negative Calorie diet

It involves eating foods that burn more calories to digest than you will consume. It is controversial because the theory is not scientifically sound. No foods actually have 'negative calories'.

3-hour diet

It is based on the premise that it doesn't matter what you eat but when you eat it. If more than three hours pass between meals, the body turns on its natural 'starvation protection mechanism', causing the body to consume muscle, and adversely affects one's resting metabolism. The 3-Hour diet recommends eating smaller and more frequent meals to lower the levels of the belly fat producing hormone, Cortisol, and decrease levels of insulin and cholesterol.

The Grapefruit Diet

You eat a grapefruit at every meal, along with a small amount of protein (eggs, meat or chicken), black coffee, and salad. It is claimed that the massive weight loss is due to the fat-burning enzyme that the grapefruit contains, but the truth is that rapid weight loss will occur due to the low calorie intake.

The Grape Diet

You should only eat grapes and drink water. You can eat the grapes whole or for variety, slice them up into small pieces. Water can be drunk at all times but not within an hour after eating the grapes as this will only dilute the strength of the natural chemicals in the grapes. The grapes must be washed thoroughly to get rid of any pesticides that might be on the skin.

The Hollywood Diet

Its duration is two days. You have to consume a special juice.You are prohibited from drinking or smoking. It claims to reduce weight by 10 pounds in 48 hours. The juice is a mixtiure of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential oils.

For a quick tour of Club One Fitness:

On Friday, I went to the Earleigh Heights Fire Company carnival.  The summer carnival allows the firefighters and community to connect with te under happier circumstances than when they usually meet. And it's part of a money-raising package that funds the $300,000 to $400,000 annual budget. The county contributes about $50,000 a year, according to fire company Treasurer Ken Walker. The company still runs weekly bingo games -- long the staple of fire station fundraising nationwide -- and hosts bull roasts, shrimp roasts and pit beef highway stands. The company rents its building for parties and its yard to Christmas tree sellers. It also sends an annual mailing to the community for direct donations.

"We own everything in here but the ambulance," Weitzell said. "We buy our own equipment. It's always up to date. We don't let it deteriorate."

The carnival, though, is the fundraiser that touches the widest range of people.

Within minutes of opening Monday night, the kiddie rides were under way, with cars, helicopters, dragons and bears ferrying the littlest carnival-goers in circles. The Ferris Wheel, Zipper and Street Fighter were under way with older kids, although most of the teens arrived closer to sunset.

Although a concessionaire runs the rides and game booths, the fire company operates everything under a red-and-white tent -- mostly gaming booths and food -- stuff like a $3.75 clam platter, a $4 sausage with peppers and onions and a $6 crab cake meal. The company lets the concession company prepare funnel cakes and those Oreo delicacies -- because they're no fun to make and too good to miss, said Michael Sohn, president of the fire company.

For Sohn, vice president Charlie Disney, Demasky and dozens of others, the fire company is a home away from home. Many have full-time jobs but spend up to 40 hours a week at the station. For Sohn, firefighting is a family affair -- his wife, Pat, and daughter, Nicole, 20, help with the auxiliary, and his son, Bryan, 26, fights fires for another station.

They all enjoy the carnival, which runs from seven to 10 days and engages all the official volunteers and other friends of the station.

Weitzell remembers the early days of the carnival -- it's been part of the Earleigh Heights tradition for 28 years. "Back then, all the tents were two-by-fours with a piece of plastic over them. We had a dunking booth, but the rides were nothing like now."

Fortunately, these types of carnivals -- and the volunteer companies they support -- show no sign of drifting toward extinction.

Looking for a fun diversion for summer and a great place to take your kids? "Camp Hawyah" is playing at the Talent Machine Company at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. July 17, 18, and 19 and at 2 p.m. July 20 in the Francis Scott Key auditorium at St. John's College, 60 College Ave., Annapolis, Maryland.

"Camp Hawyah" is the story of a group of young actors enjoying a summer at a performing arts camp. The show is about a boy named Harvey, a young camper on a quest to find who he is and his place in the world.

"Camp Hawyah" is written by Steve Love and Jake Thornhill. The executive director is Lea Capps. Original choreography by Bobbi Smith, with additional choreography by Amy Sonntag and Steve Love. Tickets are only $10. Call 410-956-0512 or go online to www.talentmachine.com.

I'm going to try to see it this weekend. If I do, I'll give you a full review.

Wow! One of the Severna Park Fitness and Health Blog's regular readers (my mom and a few others) sent me a butt question. Now that is near and dear to my heart. Here is the question:

When I met my husband, I was guaranteed one complement: "Honey, you have a great butt." These days, I hear it only when I'm wearing clothes that DON'T show off my butt. My question if obvious: what can I do? I'm coming to Club One at least twice a week but I'm mostly just doing cardio.

Answer: The good news: there is a cure. The bad news: they are hard. The best exercises for a good butt are squats and lunges. I think lunges are best for your butt and squats are best for your legs. (There is no science that I have seen directly supporting this theory but that has been my experience.)

When you do your lunges, put your legs shoulder width apart, soft knees (meaning just shy of locked but not locked;) step first with the left leg, remaining in the bent knee position; hold. Then switch either in place or walking across the floor. For your squat, place your feet shoulder width apart and bending down in a squat, making sure your knees do not go over your toes. Do these slowly, going down and then slowly coming back up. For a tighter butt, I would do 12-15 repetitions of three sets at least twice a week.

This is going to get your husband back in the complement mode. In your tight pants...

A number of recent studies connect life expectancy and teeth flossing. Nobody knows why this correlation exist. But, apparently, it does.

Most likely, the connection is a logical association: people who floss tend to be more health conscious and risk adverse than people who do not floss. If you are proactive enough to floss, you are probably getting a yearly physical, eating well, and doing other things to enjoy a long and quality life.

But, hey, just in case, why not pick up flossing your teeth? It can't hurt!