

Benefits of Being More Active
Strengthens muscles that help you breathe
You become a better fat burner; you actually make more of the enzymes that burn fat in your body
You’ll have more energy
Helps you regulate your appetite better
Improves insulin sensitivity which helps you to burn calories easier rather than store them as fat
Increases self-esteem so you feel confident about the decisions you are making
Helps relieve tension and anxiety so you are better able to manage your food decisions
Decreases the risk of colon cancer and possibly other cancers
May help retard aging
May increase brain power
Weight bearing and resistance exercise will:
Help increase bone strength and prevent osteoporosis
Help you develop overall muscle strength
Increase basal metabolic rate so you burn more calories even while sleeping
Helps keep you from falling
Specific Benefits to Your Heart:
Increases stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped out each time your heart beats)
This allows heart rate to decrease and resting pulse to decrease (so the heart works less at rest!)
The amount of work performed before you get chest pain will increase
Helps protect against rapid heart rate
Affects other risk factors for heart disease by:
Decreasing blood pressure
Decreasing the circulating blood fats (triglycerides)
Decreasing weight around the middle
Increasing HDL, the good cholesterol
Helping with smoking cessation
Helping to control blood sugar
Relieving stress
Altering a sedentary lifestyle
By Nancy Kennedy, MS, RD, Cardiac Rehab Educator, Shelby Township, MI

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Art, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, 2 art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography studio where her love is creating fun recipes.
Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest in nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.