By Pam Walatka

Pam Walatka/special to the town crier: The columnist’s daughter, Sarah Walatka, demonstrates wordless-breathing meditation. Relax and focus your attention on the movement of your breathing.

Mind-body-spirit is a term used to express the notion that a person’s mind, body and spirit are all mixed together in the same place; the health of one of these aspects affects the health of the others. According to this theory, if you do a purely physical workout without also working to focus and calm your mind, your chances of achieving extraordinary health are diminished. If you work on your physical and mental health, but neglect to incorporate an awareness of spirit, the vital principle or animating force within living beings, you will be missing something that you need.

This column will attempt to answer your questions about mind-body-spirit, with emphasis on achieving fitness though daily practice.

Q: Do you know if Relacor is really beneficial in helping to melt belly fat? And does stress really contribute to creating belly fat?

- Barbara Kouns, Palo Alto

A: Relacor is simply a mild tranquilizer with no special connection to belly fat. A fat-melting pill has yet to be invented, but the Relacor ads are based on trut There is a chemical in the body called cortisol, and research has shown it to be associated with stress, belly fat and aging. We do produce more cortisol as we age (rats!); stress increases our cortisol production and storage and increased cortisol does coincide with the accumulation of belly fat.

But cortisol research uses stress-reduction techniques such as meditation and deep breathing, not pill popping. I have nothing against popping the occasional tranquilizer, God knows, but I couldn’t get through the daily grind without meditation and deep breathing.

The current trend in stress reduction is based on the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, who wrote the recommended books “Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (Rough Cut)” and “Wherever You Go, There You Are.” The Stanford Hospital Clinic and El Camino Hospital offer classes on Kabat-Zinn’s mindfulness-based stress reduction.

In a nutshell, to practice mindful meditation, quietly focus your attention on your breathing.

Prayer is similar to mindful meditation, with similar results - the difference is the attention to breathing.

Stretching, walking and any vigorous exercise will help you reduce stress. Mind, body and spirit occur in the same place - bringing body and spirit into consciousness works better than a pill for relieving stress.

Q: How can I eat french fries, never work out and lose weight?

- Anonymous student, UCLA

A: Portion control! When you order fries, not more than once a week, get the smallest size and share it with one or two friends. Never snack on anything other than fruits or vegetables. If you hate working out, walk a few miles every day.

Q: Women today, especially in this area, appear younger than their age. We tend to want to stay young and fit eternally. How do we strive to stay young and active yet accept the process of aging without grieving over our youth?

- Anonymous, Los Altos Hills

A: Growing old gracefully requires a courageous balance between acceptance and fighting it all the way. There are new limitations we have to accept, but it helps to exercise and stretch the body and constantly challenge the mind. In golf, the limiting factors are flexibility, grip strength and endurance. If you practice stretching and long-distance walking every day, starting today, you can maintain a good deal of your flexibility and endurance. Daily practice is the key. For grip strength, contract and flare your hands at least 20 times per session, several times a day. And realize that a short but accurate drive gives you a better lie than a long ball to the wrong fairway. Growing old sucks, but there are a few advantages.

Q: Do you participate in mind-body-spirit fitness of some sort? How often? What are the benefits that you experience?

- Maryann Alloo, Los Altos

A: I don’t have a lot of self-discipline, but I try to spend an hour or two a day in vigorous exercise. I take a Pilates class at Foothill, walk the dog up and down hills, breathe deeply whenever I remember, meditate, pray, garden, golf (walking of course) and lift weights. The benefits I experience include excellent health, tons of energy and not-infrequent happiness. I lived and worked in the original mind-body-spirit retreat, Esalen Institute in Big Sur, for five years. It saved my life.

Q: How do you deal with knee problems? What would you advise for strengthening and general rehabilitation?

- Anonymous student,

Humboldt State

A: First, talk to your doctor or physical therapist about your specific problem and what you should and shouldn’t do. Then be aware of the most subtle signals from your knee; never “gut it out” - if something hurts your knee even a little, stop doing it. Never let your brain override your knee’s need to quit.

Gradually strengthen your knee with safe exercise such as stationary bicycling. Try using a neoprene knee support (the kind that looks like a section of a wetsuit). Wear well-cushioned, low-heeled, comfortable shoes.

Your knees are among your most valuable assets. Be good to them.

This column is not intended to be medical advice. Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. Pam Walatka’s column will run monthly in the health section. Please e-mail questions to pamwalatka@yahoo.com or send questions to Pam c/o Town Crier, 138 Main St., Los Altos, CA 94022. Please include your name and city of residence.