Kimberly Garrison

Here's the latest Philly Fitness and Health Podcast. This week Kimberly Garrison talks to Stepp Stewart, a Broadway dancer and singer, about the athleticism of being a musical theater star. Stepp discusses his early weight issues as well as his current projects, including a dance competition for kids and a revue called Red Hot Broadway. Also Kimberly answers the question of the week and provides her Tip of the Week. Be fit, be strong and be your best with Philly Fitness and Health.

DURING LATE December and into the beginning of the year, nearly everyone begins to reflect on what they haven't done in the previous 12 months.

"I didn't lose those 20 pounds."

"I only made it to the gym twice this year."

"I never even used that treadmill."

Sound familiar? If so, ditch the negativity and vow to slam-dunk those resolutions this year.

You can do it. You can build the body and the life you always wanted. Just plant the seeds of success in your mind, germinate your desires and watch your dreams blossom into success.

No more excuses. Follow the 12 wellness resolution strategies below and live your best life.

1. Revolt against mediocrity.
Most people fail to realize health and fitness goals for the same reason they fail in other areas in their lives: mediocrity.

Don't settle for mediocrity. Take charge of your life with firm resolve. Set lofty yet attainable health and fitness goals and then raise the bar progressively as you master each task. For example, if you've been walking for 30 minutes, do 45 minutes, or start walking faster or jogging.

2. Hip, hip, hooray!
Celebrate your wins and forget about regrets. Take pleasure in all the victories, big and small.

Progress in fitness and health is like a dance: Take two steps forward and one step back. Give yourself a star and a round of applause for each goal you reach. Don't get derailed if you don't lose 2 pounds every week or if you miss a workout. Just get back on the horse.
Progress happens incrementally, and progress is the reward to those committed to the process. Make progress the goal, not perfection.

3. Embraceable you.
This year, get to know somebody truly extraordinary. YOU! Get clear on who, what and where you are, determine your values and live your dreams.

Daily News fitness guru Kimberly Garrison is issuing the "Flab to Fab Fitness Challenge," a 12-week wellness program designed to provide five lucky Daily News readers with the tools to live a healthy and fit life.

If you want to participate, send in two full-length photos of yourself (front and back) and a 150-word essay on why you should be chosen to work with a certified personal trainer and other experts.

Your progress will be tracked weekly in the paper and on our Web site.

E-mail kimberly@1on1ultimatefitness.com or mail it to:

Flab to Fab Fitness Challenge,
Philadelphia Daily News,
Box 7788,
Philadelphia, PA 19101.

Entries must be received by Jan. 20.

Cardio& flexibility exercises, weight training, good nutrition will do the trick.

THE NEW year is officially in bloom. Have you taken the first steps to renew your commitment to get it right in 2006? Did you begin your exercise routine last week and make a positive change in your eating habits? Did did you make that doctor's appointment you've been putting off?

We all know the health benefits of regular exercise, yet low physical activity is a global health problem. There are approximately 2 million deaths every year due to physical inactivity, according to the World Health Organization. And a sedentary lifestyle is one of the 10 leading causes of death, disease and disability worldwide.

Are you living and exercising at your optimal level?
If health is the goal, then most people fail to reach their fitness potential. Women tend to do cardiovascular exercise and men tend to embrace weight training. But both are essential ingredients to a well-rounded fitness routine, along with two other major components - flexibility and proper nutrition.

Physician and entrepreneur didn't let sickle cell disease keep her from reaching goals.

NEITHER RACE, gender nor debilitating illness have stopped Marjorie Dejoie from achieving her goals. The 35-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., native, who's of Haitian ancestry, does not ask permission - she just does the damn thing. Pink collars, glass ceiling and good old boys' clubs have not deferred her dreams.

Dejoie is the founder and CEO of Bonne Sante (which means good health in French), a health and wellness center at 201 S. Camac St. that offers holistic health, exercise, meditation, nutrition, yoga and personal fitness services.
In a word, Dejoie is unstoppable. She landed in Philadelphia in 1992 to study pediatric medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, later switching to surgical sports medicine. While dealing with the rigors of medical school, Dejoie was diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

Undaunted and with staunch determination, amid tears, a life-threatening condition and debilitating pain, Dejoie triumphantly realized her dream of becoming both a physician and an entrepreneur. I recently sat down to talk with the dynamic Dr. Dejoie.

Q: Marjorie, tell me, what was your inspiration for opening Bonne Sante?

A: I have an illness, sickle cell. Initially, I was pursuing surgical sports medicine, but that path was incompatible with my disease. I needed to take control of my disease and my career path. I also wanted to help other people take control of their health.

I'm versed and skilled in all of the modalities - holistic and traditional medicine. There's a synergy between both and combining them is a win-win. Restorative health is my business and Bonne Sante was born from that.

Q: Who or what inspired you to pursue your dreams of medicine, fitness and entrepreneurship?

A: Well, I give a lot of credit to my parents and my Caribbean upbringing. My parents taught me that I can do anything. Despite my gender, ethnicity and illness. My parents told me that.

Even now, people are surprised when they find out I have sickle cell. I was trained to work hard and to try to give 150 percent. I also had an uncle who practiced medicine in Paris, and that, too, inspired me.

Q: Was there any defining moment or an a-ha! moment, if you will?

A: Realizing my illness. Residency was the two toughest years. There were three intense rotations. My brain could handle it but my body could not. My a-ha! moment came from an intense battle for my life with my disease. I realized I could not work according to someone else's schedule. My illness dictates my lifestyle. When the acute pain and high-powered meds are necessary, I have to have a flexible schedule that will still allow me the ability to dictate the business, too.

Q: So sometimes you're in constant pain? How do you manage?

Here's the latest Philly Fitness and Health Podcast. This week Kimberly Garrison talks to Dr. Marjorie Dejoie, who has fought the effects of a chronic disease to pursue her dreams, including establishing the wellness clinic Bonne Sante. Dr. Dejoie talks about fitness, nutrition, the latest research on sickle-cell disease and how, ironically, it has spurred her to achieve even more. Also Kimberly answers the question of the week and provides her Tip of the Week. Be fit, be strong and be your best with Philly Fitness and Health.

Plays role in preventing birth defects,may lower cholesterol.

WHO NEEDS folic acid?

Most likely you do.

The March of Dimes and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (Hispanic babies are at higher risk for birth defects) recently sponsored national Folic Acid Awareness Week to raise the profile of this essential nutrient.

Folic acid is important for women, especially during their childbearing years and during pregnancy. You may be surprised to know that some studies also have found folic acid to be beneficial to people with high cholesterol.

Briefly, folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin that plays a vital role in our diet, helping the body to form red blood cells and aiding in the formation of new cells.

In the early weeks of pregnancy - typically before a woman even knows she's pregnant - folic acid has been shown to significantly decrease major brain and spinal birth defects, called neural tube defects (NTDs), which typically occur early in a pregnancy.

Each year in the United States, up to 3,000 infants are born with spina bifida or anencephaly, neural tube defects caused by the incomplete closing of the spine and skull. An estimated 1,500 pregnancies are stillborn or terminated because of these defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Therefore, it would be wise for all women of childbearing age to take folic acid daily, especially if they are considering having a baby. And even if a baby's not in your immediate future, every day your body fights off free radicals and builds new cells inside and out.

And there is some evidence - including a 1999 Dutch study that found folic acid helped reduce high cholesterol - that folic acid may be helpful for cardiovascular problems, though research is continuing.

Are you sure you're getting your share of this helpful vitamin? Even with the most nutritious diet, you may be falling short. Check with your doctor to see if you're a candidate for folic-acid supplements (400 micrograms daily for general health and up to 4,000 mcg for women at risk of having children with NTDs).

A daily multivitamin is a good source of folic acid, as is a diet that includes green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans and fortified cereals. Surprisingly, 3.5 ounces of chicken livers provides a whopping 770 mcg of folate; a half-cup of cooked spinach provides 131 mcg; and an orange provides about 47 mcg.