Younger People Using Cholesterol and BP Drugs
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit | Add Comment
Some doctors are very happy about new stats that show lots more people in the 20-40 age group taking cholesterol and blood pressure drugs but others are alarmed because it probably is a result of the obesity epidemic and the very unhealthy lifestyles that most Americans live. Kind of like a band-aid on skin cancer… Lets face it, if you need these drugs when you are in your 20’s and 30’s, your life expectancy is not going to be very good- although probably better than if you don’t take them and don’t change your lifestyle. There are obviously those who need these drugs due to genetic inherited problems, but the huge rise in this age group suggests something else is going on.
…
The new data, from prescription benefit manager Medco Health Solutions Inc., indicate use of cholesterol-lowering drugs among people aged 20 to 44, while still low, jumped 68 percent over a six-year period.
The rate rose from 2.5 percent in 2001 to just over 4 percent in 2006 among Medco customers. That means roughly 4.2 million Americans in that age group are now taking cholesterol medicines.
Meanwhile, use of blood pressure medicines increased 21 percent, from about 7 percent of 20- to 44-year-olds in 2001 to over 8 percent in 2006. That translates into about 8.5 million Americans in that age group taking drugs to lower their blood pressure.
“It was a surprise to us,” said Dr. Robert Epstein, chief medical officer at Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Medco. “Maybe the fact that we’re seeing more young people with high cholesterol and blood pressure is indicative of the epidemic of obesity and overweight that we’re seeing in this country.”
…He and Epstein both said patients with problems should first work with their doctors on lifestyle changes — more exercise, a better diet and weight loss. But Weintraub said many people need medication to achieve and maintain the ever-lower levels of blood pressure and cholesterol that experts now recommend.
However, Dr. John LaRosa, president of SUNY Downstate Medical Center, said, “particularly for young people, lifestyle change is worth a try.”
Once patients start taking these medicines, they usually stay with them and there are some side effects, LaRosa said.
“It’s amazing what (losing) five or 10 pounds will do” to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, he said.
You can read the rest over at MSNBC.
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Children/fit, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment
A lot of what we see in magazines and online is presented as ground-breaking and new, but the truth is that the basics really haven’t changed all that much in years. So when You read a title like the one above, just remember that a lot of what I do is keep reminding you of what has been said for years. No doubt, we are learning new things about diet, nutrition, fitness and health all the time, but there are some basics that are well, basic. So here are some of them from MSNBC health and fitness. The one really important thing to take away from this is the importance of weight training for older adults and seniors. In some ways, it is even more important for them to hit the weights than for the young/middle age person.
…
In August, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association updated their physical activity guidelines, encouraging Americans to strength-train at least twice a week and work out all of the major muscle groups on top of regular cardio activity.
They now recommend that adults perform eight to 12 reps of eight to 10 exercises on the chest, back, shoulders, upper legs, lower legs and arms, via either free weights, machines or weight-bearing activities. Adults 65 and older should strength-train two to three times a week, doing more reps with lighter weights, taking into account their fitness levels beforehand.
These organizations are catching on to what many trainers and body builders have known for years — that no matter what your age, regular strength training builds up more than just muscles; it builds a healthier body.
“More people are starting to realize that strength training doesn’t have to be getting out, lifting a ton of weight and being really sore,” says Amanda Carlson, a registered dietitian and director of performance nutrition and research at Athletes’ Performance, an intensive training facility based in Arizona. “People are training to live better.”
…
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment
MSN fitness has the workout/diet that British actor Jason Statham uses to stay super lean and strong. Some of this is doable by the average guy or girl, but some of these exercises need a lot of special set-up that you aren’t going to be able to get your local gym owner to sign on for. So check it out and incorporate what you can. The big thing to remember is that there are a few basic, very important principles behind what he does-
1) He keeps his workouts varied so that his body does not adapt.
2) He uses short, high intensity workouts which keep you from getting bored and maximizes the load on your muscles.
3) His diet is squeaky clean. 2000 calories a day with no processed sugar.
This is a great way to lose weight and get ripped up, but it also works for the average person who just wants to lose weight and get in better shape. Like I said, take what you can use and incorporate it into your training/diet routine and you will see a big improvement if you stick to the important principles.
…
Now Statham brushes aside the ugly photos on the coffee table in his living room and gives me a dose of his current reality: He lifts up his shirt. He’s shredded — rumble-strip abs, cords in his chest, veins in his arms.
“That’s 17 pounds in 6 weeks, mate,” he says, and then plops down on his sofa again. “And that’s working out 6 days a week for, at most, about 35 minutes a day. I’ve never, ever gotten results like this before.”
That’s a bold statement from a man who used to be on the British Olympic diving team and lists mixed martial arts (that’s UFC-style fighting) as a hobby. In fact, he sounds like an infomercial. So what’s the secret?
Prepare to sweat. And hurt. And, well, eat. But only enough to stoke your fire, not smother it.
DASH diet to control BP and Diabetes
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Seniors/fit, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment
Dr. Mirkin has his DASH diet posted over at his site, and it is worth trying if you have high blood pressure or are borderline diabetic. A diet like this is really excellent for pretty much everyone and people who do not have BP or diabetes problems can add some extra meat to the diet if they want/need.
There is nothing really ground-breaking about this diet, it is just a really good balanced diet with science to back it up. Of course, the key is to actually stick with it and also add exercise to your daily routine for the best results. Exercise alone can have a huge impact on blood pressure and cholesterol, so go do something!
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, General Fitness, Health, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Supplements | Add Comment
There are no sure bets in life, but it is always smart to be smart. So for us guys, that means being aware of the possibility of prostate cancer and what we can do to minimize the risk. As usual, diet and exercise play a significant role in the fight against cancer. So here is a short list of foods/supplements that can help. Of course if you eat all of these things, your chance of getting cancer will now be negative:) A lot of these are a natural part of our diets, but some of them you need to specifically look for- like pomegranate juice. That’s just not one of the things I keep in the fridge but it does have a lot of health benefits.
…
Cruciferous Vegetables
Eating three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts per week may reduce the risk of prostate cancer by almost half.
Pomegranate Juice
Research shows that pomegranate juice slows the growth of prostate cancer in mice.
Turmeric
Studies show that turmeric may prevent prostate cancer and slow its progress, especially when eaten with cauliflower.
Flaxseeds
Studies in mice indicate that flaxseeds may prevent and slow the spread of prostate cancer.
Green Tea
In several studies, green tea has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are one of the best natural sources of selenium, a mineral that is strongly preventative against prostate cancer. Experts say that taking an extra 200mcg of selenium per day will reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 50 percent. Just a handful of Brazil nuts per day will meet this requirement.
Garlic
Garlic has been shown in several studies to cut the risk of prostate cancer by as much as 53 percent. Garlic also contains a good amount of selenium.
Scallions
One study showed that eating just 1/10 an ounce of scallions per day cut men’s risk of prostate cancer by as much as 70 percent.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which has been shown in several studies to have a protective effect against prostate cancer. Though one recent study has created some doubt about the protective effect lycopene has against prostate cancer, the National Prostate Cancer Foundation says the earlier studies are still valid and continues to recommend that men eat plenty of foods containing lycopene. They explain the results of the studies here.
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment
A friend sent me this link to a story about a 37 year old guy who decided he would run a marathon after having open heart surgery. He is going to be writing a series of articles about it over at FOXnews.com so you might want to bookmark the page.
…
I was lucky to be alive, that’s what my doctor said. The Starnes family gene pool and my proclivity to fried chicken had almost sent me to an early grave. I was 37-years-old, weighed almost 300 pounds, and I had just survived open heart surgery. My doctor suggested I needed to radically reevaluate my life. And he was absolutely right.
I love food —- never met an all-you-can-eat buffet that I didn’t like. I grew up in the South, where my mother managed to fry the entire food pyramid. I like my tea sweet, my chicken fried and my biscuits buttered. It’s just the way things are done in Dixie. But years of good-eating had put me in a precarious situation. My doctor told me I had been given a second chance at life. It was my job to make sure I didn’t screw it up.
About 24 hours after surgery, a physical therapist walked into my hospital room. He told me it was time to get out of bed. I told him he was nuts. After much cajoling (and a few choice words on my part), I managed to take what would become my very first step on the journey. It was all I could muster before collapsing back into the bed. I was convinced that my life was officially over. But my therapist smiled and reassured me that I had just overcome the most difficult obstacle on my road to recovery —- I had taken the first step.
I’m not sure why, but for the first time in two weeks, I smiled. “You know,” he said, “Before long, you’ll be running a marathon.” For some reason, I absolutely, positively believed every word he said.
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment
Here is an interesting (and sometimes humorous) message board thread over at MSN health and fitness about what is needed to get the highly coveted six pack.
I will cut through the crap and gym tales and give you the basics.
1) If you have fat covering you abdominal area, you may have a great six pack that is in hibernation. So just realize that you can do ab exercises until the fat cows come home and they will not show if they are covered by fat. Lose the fat. In general you need to be between 10-15% body fat for your abs to look good. That leads us to step 2…
2) The thicker (bigger) you ab muscles are, the more they will show through whatever fat you do have. So training them for thickness really is necessary. Just like all other body parts, heavier training will definitely thicken them more than doing unweighted sit-ups. I use a weight (or you can use a medicine ball) over my head on a Roman Chair. Just be careful that you don’t strain your back doing these. Start out with no weight and go up in small increments.
3) By the time your abs are showing really good, you will be pretty lean everywhere, so when your abs are showing, your love handles will be gone too. This adds to the overall effect because your waist will be smaller.
4) Finally, you cannot spot reduce fat off your abs. People who claim they have are really just seeing the benefit of having thicker abs under the fat. In other words, as your abs get thicker they will show more- assuming you are not really fat. The best way to get the six pack you want is to combine heavy resistance training with a diet that helps you lose the fat. More on that tomorrow.
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, General Fitness, Seniors/fit, Supplements | Add Comment
Bodybuilders have known for years that creatine helps with strength and size although you lose both when you stop taking it. CLA is generally thought to help increase lean muscle mass. But it is a little surprising that it seems to have such a positive effect on senior adults as well. Note that all the participants benefited from the exercise program but the people getting the supplements did actually gain more. Science Daily has the details-
…
McMaster researcher Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky shows that taking a combination of creatine monohydrate (CrM) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in addition to resistance exercise training provides even greater benefits.
The study to be published on Oct. 3 in PLoS One, involved 19 men and 20 women who were 65 years or older and took part in a six-month program of regular resistance exercise training.
In the randomized double blind trial, some of the participants were given a daily supplement of creatine (a naturally produced compound that supplies energy to muscles) and linoleic acid (a naturally occurring fatty acid), while others were given a placebo. All participants took part in the same exercise program.
The exercise training resulted in improvements of functional ability and strength in all participants, but those taking the CrM and CLA showed even greater gains in muscle endurance, an increase in fat-free mass and a decrease in the percentage of body fat.
Stretching Doesn’t Help Muscle Soreness
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Children/fit, General Fitness, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment
MSN has an article on a study that confirms what I have always found to be true- Stretching before or after working out does not alleviate muscle soreness. That’s not to say that stretching is useless- it’s not. Stretching is a good way to warm up before working out to avoid pulled muscles and possible joint pain, but it does nothing to help with the typical muscle soreness from training.
…
THURSDAY, Oct. 18 (HealthDay News) — Millions of gym buffs do it regularly, but stretching before or after exercise will not prevent muscle soreness, a new study contends.
Australian researchers reviewed findings from 10 studies, each involving from 10 to 30 people.
Nine of the studies in this review were conducted in laboratory settings, and the time spent stretching by participants varied from 40 seconds to 10 minutes. Based on a 100-point scale to assess soreness, the review authors concluded that stretching before or after exercise offered little benefit, reducing soreness by less than one point on the 100-point scale.
“The data were remarkably consistent,” lead researcher Robert Herbert, of the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Sydney in Australia, said in a prepared statement. “The available evidence suggests that stretching before or after exercise does not prevent muscle soreness in young healthy adults.”
However, he and his colleagues said more research is needed to determine whether stretching benefits people with reduced flexibility.
The study was published in The Cochrane Library Newsletter.
…
Resting and Recovery Heart Rate
Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment
Dr. Mirkin has some good info on his blog about the significance of resting and recovery heart rate. Basically, if your resting heart rate is higher than 70, you should get checked out by a doctor for a number of possible causes. This is significant because high resting heart rates increase your chance for a heart attack.
He also describes how to check your recovery heart rate after exercising and explains its significance.
…
Your “Recovery Heart Rate” is likely to be even more important. Recovery Heart Rate is a measure of fitness and a slow recovery from exercise means that you are out of shape. This test can cause irregular heart beats in people with damaged hearts, so check with your physician before you try it.
To measure recovery heart rate, you exercise on a treadmill (or any other activity) until you are breathing hard, record your heart rate, and hold that pace for at least a minute. Then stop, and measure your pulse rate exactly one minute after stopping. If your heart does not slow down at least thirty beats in the first minute, you are in poor shape and at increased risk for a heart attack. If your heart rate slows down more than fifty beats in the first minute, you are in excellent shape.
