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Rye resident Patti Whalen is successful in many ways: She’s raised two kids, works at a job she loves, is active in the community, and has a happy marriage. But until recently, she’d forgotten one thing: Fitness. “I had not done any exercise since the birth of my daughter, who is now 19,” Patti says.

Patti had made some attempts to deal with the 30 pounds she’d put on over 20 years. “I tried Jenny Craig and lost weight but gained it all back,” she says. She went on Weight Watchers, joined the Y and started walking. “Nothing worked,” she says. Weight became more of a struggle when Patti was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer 10 years ago: She retained a lot of fluid due to the chemo.

Then in late 2009, Patti’s cousin, Dr. Howard Sichel, made a comment. “He told me, ‘Movement heals,’” she says, “and that rang the bell.” The statement made sense for Patti: It was motivating without being punitive, and it was about the process, not a pie-in-the-sky end result. Howard told her about APOGEE and suggested she start private Pilates sessions with Dorothy Polanowska.

In January, Patti walked into her first class. “I told myself, ‘I don’t know where I’ve been for 20 years, but now it’s time to take care of me,’” she recalls. She began Intro to Mat classes with Dorothy, then added Intro to Tower with Lisa Klasner and Beginner Mat with Deborah Slade. When Patti balked at trying a cardio class, Dorothy walked her to the Cardio Circuit class and rode on the bike next to her. Patti tried her first Pilates group class during the Open House in March. “It was helpful because I broke out of my safety zone and did a group class on the Tower and the Reformer. I had only done those privately. I now know that I am capable,” she says. “It was a whole new level for me!” Now Patti is taking three or four Pilates classes a week and fitting in at least one cardio session.

Pilates makes Patti feel “taller, stronger, thinner and more toned,” she says. “I’m more grounded on my feet; I feel more symmetrical.” In March, Patti slipped on some ice but didn’t fall—with her strong core, she was able to regain her balance quickly. “When I walk outside I feel lighter, I don’t have that exhausting feeling,” she says. Emotionally, she’s healthier, too. “I feel more relaxed,” she says. “Maybe it’s because I’m doing something for myself.”

By early May, Patti had lost 11 pounds—“without dieting!” she says. “I’m just making better choices.” Upon joining APOGEE, Patti met with APOGEE nutritionist Jennifer Vagios, who gave her a handout detailing high-energy snacks such as nuts and yogurt. Patti has also learned a lot from the APOGEE Café: she now drinks lemon water and green tea at home. “I take my cues from APOGEE,” she says. “It’s such a peaceful place, it even smells good. It’s like a spa!”

Patti feels as if she’s reclaimed her body and her life. She’s introduced her daughter to Pilates and they’re both “addicted,” she says. She hopes to be a model for others who have gotten in a rut. “I felt sad,” she says. “I hope I can inspire someone who felt sad like I did.” Her own inspirational phrase might just work: “No matter what you do, keep moving!”

by Woodson Merrell, M.D.
APOGEE’s Integrative Health Advisor

A new study shows that cancer cells migrate and thrive in the presence of stress hormones. Studies such as this reinforce what I tell my patients: Actively working to transform your reaction to stress is the single most important step you can make to take back your vital energy and improve your health.

Notice that I wrote “transform your reaction” and not “cut stress from your life.” It’s often hard to change the fabric of our lives. But you can turn down your reactions to life’s events and turn on a calmer way of being. Once you are calm, you can become aware and better choose how to respond to situations, further transforming your reaction to stress. Your health will benefit in many ways.

Our body has two nervous systems: fight or flight and calming. The hormones produced by your sympathetic nervous system during a stressful or fight or flight response are cortisol and adrenaline. Your body releases these when you react to something you perceive as stressful—whether it’s a traffic jam, a sick child, or a deadline at work.

Ideally, after the excitement, our fight or flight system turns off and the calming parasympathetic part of the nervous system takes over. But researchers are finding that today many people have high levels of cortisol all day; they’re constantly perceiving their environment as stressful. The result is chronic health problems, including high blood pressure, poor digestion, heart disease and general fatigue.

You can turn on your calming system and decrease the amount of stress hormones in your blood in one easy step: Focus on your breath. Just perform this simple in-and-out breath break anywhere and anytime: in a parking lot or on a train or bus, in your office, at home.  Studies of this technique show that it results in slower pulse, lower blood pressure, relaxed intestinal muscles and lower cortisol, adrenaline and blood carbon dioxide levels.

Breath Break

• Sit up straight, close your eyes.
 Breathe in through your nose to the count of four, focusing on the sensation of the air moving through your nostrils.
• Breathe out for a count of four, feeling the air as it leaves your nose. 
Pause for a beat at the end of your exhale before you breathe in again.
• Continue for two minutes.

If an idea starts spinning through your brain during this breath break, just say to yourself, “breathing,” and gently bring your focus back to your breath. The idea is not to engage in thoughts—just to focus on your breath.

Ideally, you should take a breath break every two hours throughout the day. It’s an especially helpful exercise to do upon waking in the morning—just sit at the edge of your bed first thing in the morning, for 15 minutes if possible. Or, if you wake in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, focus on your breath, gently moving aside intruding thoughts of your daytime life.

You can move this stress-reduction break toward traditional meditation by introducing a word such as “calm,” “peace,” “om”—or any other sound or word that works for you. As long as you focus on the word and not the thoughts that come unwittingly to mind, you are helping to turn on the calming systems in your body.

There are many types of meditation, including mindfulness meditation, during which you focus on thinking kind thoughts about objects or people in your life. There are also many resources where you can learn meditation techniques, including books, CD’s and downloads. But the simple breath-break skill that I’ve described here is a good place to start.

You will find, as millions have before you, that breath breaks and meditation are useful skills that can transform your response to stress and improve your health throughout your life.

Massage moves you towards wellness: That’s the message from APOGEE massage therapist Lauren Brandstadter, who sees clients leave her massage table closer to their health and fitness goals. Whether you want to move beyond soft tissue pain from an injury or reduce the effects of stress at work—massage will help.

Studies show that massage creates physical changes: it can lower blood pressure and boost immune cell function.  That’s why massage is often used in therapeutic settings. But it’s also useful when you’re not ill, just trying to achieve a higher level of wellness. “Massage optimizes everything you’re doing,” says Lauren.

When she first meets a client, Lauren does a visual and physical evaluation. “I look at how bright someone’s eyes and skin are, how positive their attitude is, what their gait is like, and what they look like structurally,” she says. “And I’ll ask about diet, medications, injuries, aches and pains and trauma.” She’ll also talk about stress and emotional health. “Nothing happens on a physical level that doesn’t have an emotional or spiritual root,” she says. “For example, physical injuries are aggravated by the stress someone is under.”

Then the Westchester native begins to palpate, adding information to what the client tells her. “As I work it’s like peeling an onion, each layer comes away to reveal the root of what they’re dealing with,” says Lauren, who has been a massage therapist for 20 years.

Problems at work or in relationships, struggles with diet and exercise—all can manifest physically in the body. “Massage brings everything right up to the surface—whether it’s emotional or physical—so it can be dealt with and you can move on,” says Lauren. She uses the common cold as an example: “If someone comes in with a cold, the massage will kick up the virus and maybe the next day they’ll feel worse, but the day after that, they will be 100 percent better—the duration is cut in half. I speeded up that process.”

This is why top executives and athletes have regular massages: They know that massage keeps them moving forward. Says Lauren,  “I help people evolve and get closer to what they want.”

• Until May 31, buy one massage and get a second for half-price.
• Learn more about APOGEE’s massage services.
• Related articles: How to Give a Foot Massage

by Jennifer Vagios, R.D.
APOGEE’s Dietitian

It’s rare that I can recommend one food that can be so many things: a tasty side dish, a high-fiber breakfast, a gluten-free option for those with celiac disease, a high-protein addition to salads, a balanced amino-acid staple for vegetarians and vegans. And this versatile food cooks in 15 to 20 minutes. Superfood? I think so!

Quinoa (keen-wah) is native to South America. Each little grain has a tail that unfurls when it’s cooked so it’s fluffy; the grains are also slightly crunchy. Like rice or other grains, quinoa has a mild flavor. The pale beige or translucent variety is the most common; the red and black varieties have a slightly nuttier flavor. Use quinoa as you would rice or couscous: as a side dish or base for a salad or in burritos or casseroles, in soups and stews, or added to muffins, as you would oatmeal.  You can also grind quinoa into flour and use it in baked goods. I love it as a breakfast grain, with chopped almonds, fruit and cinnamon. You may have seen quinoa in the APOGEE Café in salads, or even muffins.

The most nutritious grain: As versatile as it is, the real benefits of quinoa come from its nutritional profile. It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein—the best amino acid profile of any grain, nearly as complete as an egg. A quarter cup of red quinoa has 6 grams of protein, 170 calories and 5 grams of fiber, making it a good source of fiber.

But there’s more: Quinoa is also a good source of potassium, which helps control blood pressure; magnesium, which helps to relax blood vessels, possibly reducing the frequency of migraines as well as protecting cardiovascular health; and Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin, a vitamin necessary for proper energy production within cells, also shown to possibly reduce the frequency of attacks in migraine sufferer; the amino acid lysine, essential for tissue growth and repair.

Quick to cook: You can buy quinoa in a bag or in bulk. Store it in an airtight container, as you would any grain. Before you cook it, rinse to remove a dusty residue known as saponin—just run cold water over the seeds in a fine mesh strainer. (The saponin is natural coating that actually protects the grain and helps it fend off pests). Look for quinoa from such brands as Bob’s Red Mill, Eden, Indian Harvest and 365 (the Whole Foods house brand). Ancient Harvest markets quinoa flakes as a breakfast cereal.

To prepare, add one part of the grain to two parts liquid in a sauce pan.  Allow the mixture to come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. You can also dry-roast the seeds before cooking for an even nuttier, toasty taste. Add your favorite dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, and ginger will all complement the grain.

Let me know how you like quinoa—or, if you’re already a fan, how you use it. You can post a comment on my Facebook page or share your comments with APOGEE’s growing online community.