Spiritual/Emotional | /fit

Aug

Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Children/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Quick Tips, Seniors/fit, Spiritual/Emotional, Sports, Supplements, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | Add Comment

Bike Ride

I’m not sure how good an idea this is… giving people the option to simply take a pill instead of controlling their diet and exercising will surely have unintended consequences. At any rate, if they can’t get a drug company to help develop it, I’m sure the fast food industry will be glad to step in and help! Seriously, the problem with a “pill” solution is that while it may help with weight loss, it does nothing for the other huge problem- lack of exercise. Exercise is the magic pill that everyone is looking for- and it has many benefits beyond weight loss. Exercise has been shown to change your body’s chemistry and hormones in a positive way. While there are still questions about how far reaching the benefits of exercise are, I suspect there are things that we will still be learning 20 years from now. So, the magic pill is already here- get out and exercise. Work in your yard or go to the park. Head to the gym. Ride your bike. Sit down and think of ways to add just 30 minutes of exercise to each day and you will look and feel better almost immediately.

…

WASHINGTON – Researchers searching for a cure for obesity said on Thursday they have developed a drug that not only makes mice lose weight, but reverses diabetes and lowers their cholesterol, too.

The drug, which they have dubbed fatostatin, stops the body from making fat, instead releasing the energy from food. They hope it may lead to a pill that would fight obesity, diabetes and cholesterol, all at once.

Writing in the journal Chemistry and Biology, Salih Wakil of Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, Motonari Uesugi of Kyoto University in Japan and colleagues said the drug interferes with a suite of genes turned on by overeating.

Jul

Starting a Training Program- Motivation is Key

The pastor at my church was told by his doctor that he needed to lose weight and start exercising due to some not so good test results. So finally, I have gotten him into the gym and after a week of relatively light training, he is getting the initial soreness worked out. I will ask him if it is OK to post his initial picture along with updates as we move along. One of the things he has in his favor is that his wife is an aerobics instructor who is very health/diet conscious. So it will be interesting to see how this progresses. Stay tuned.

One of the biggest factors (probably THE biggest) in making a real change is motivation. So with his wife, me and the other guy who works out with us all encouraging him, I think he has a good chance of making a real lifestyle change. The other motivating influence is other people who might not want to see you succeed. It amazes me how negative so many people are when they find out a friend or family member is trying to lose weight and get in shape. That is just the “misery loves company” attitude coming out.Â But you can channel that “negativity” and use it for motivation. One thing that really motivates me is people thinking I can’t do something. So if you are in the same situation, feed off of those who want you to succeed- and those who don’t. Then use your success to encourage someone else.

Jun

Fish Oil and Vitamin D to be Studied for Benifits

The government is sponsoring a new study to determine the effectiveness of 2 very popular supplements- Fish Oil (the best source of Omega 3’s) and vitamin D. Both supplements have evidence that they may help protect against cancer, heart disease and a host of other diseases. But most of the evidence is anecdotal so this study seeks to put some hard numbers to the claims. At any rate, we do know that many people are deficient in vitamin D (and most other nutrients) and really should take a supplement, but the best way is to let your body make its own by getting about 15 minutes of direct sun on at least 30% of your body several time a week. Vitamin D is made by your skin in large quantities when exposed to sun light.

Grilled Salmon

The same is true of fish oil- eating oily fish like tuna and salmon a couple of time a week may be better than taking a capsule.

…

The new study, which will start later this year, will enroll 20,000 people with no history of heart attacks, stroke or a major cancer â€” women 65 or older and men 60 or older. They will be randomly assigned to take vitamin D, fish oil, both nutrients or dummy pills for five years.

The daily dose of vitamin D will be about 2,000 international units of D-3, also known as cholecalciferol, the most active form. For fish oil, the daily dose will be about one gram â€” five to 10 times what the average American gets.

Participants’ health will be monitored through questionnaires, medical records and in some cases, periodic in-person exams.

“We’re hoping to see a result during the trial, that we won’t have to wait five years” to find out if supplements help, Manson said.

Researchers also plan to study whether these nutrients help prevent memory loss, depression, diabetes, osteoporosis and other problems, Buring said.

The $20 million study will be sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and other federal agencies. Pharmavite LLC of Northridge, Calif., is providing the vitamin D pills, and Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is providing the omega-3 fish oil capsules.

May

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep- Essential for Training

We all know how good we feel when we get a good night’s rest and we all know how tired and crappy we feel when we don’t sleep well or get enough rest. But it actually goes further than that since getting enough quality sleep is essential for your body to heal and grow- especially for athletes. I can attest to this since my chronic back problems often wake me during the night to roll over and change positions. For a lot of other people, it is just anxiety and stress that keeps them from sleeping well. The irony is that when you do sleep well, you are usually a lot less anxious and stressed. So here is a good article from Prevention that can probably help most of us sleep better and be more productive during the day. While not all of the suggestions apply to everyone, you will find some good advice that will help you sleep better, feel better, train harder and grow faster!

Unplug an hour before bed. That includes the television, computer, cell phone, and any other glowing tech tools. Research shows that the brain misreads artificial light as daylight, so it doesn’t release melatonin, a sleep-regulating chemical, which is normally triggered by darkness.

Take a warm shower or bath. Your body temperature goes down when you get out, which makes you feel sleepy. That’s because it mimics what occurs deep inside the body at night, when internal temperature drops to its lowest level.

Meditate or pray for 10 minutes. Several studies show that it can help reduce anxiety, release negative thinking, and improve sleep. Sit quietly in a comfortable position and repeat a phrase you find relaxing, such as Keep letting go.

Limit liquids after 6 p.m. The reason she wakes up so often to use the bathroom is simply because she drinks too much fluid during the second half of the day. After 6 p.m., have just one to two glasses of water…

Set a bedtime and stick to it. Going to bed at different times throws the internal body clock out of whack. It’s better if she hit the sack at the same time every night and set the alarm for the same time every morning â€” even on weekends, suggests Naiman. This will help get her body on a regular pattern, which makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Try a small dose of melatonin. The brain makes this chemical naturally, but it’s often in short supply in people with insomnia. Studies have shown that taking a melatonin supplement helps improve sleep, but you need only a small amount: 0.5 mg, 15 minutes before bed.

Apr

Beating Diabetes

Walking

The good news is that it can be done by the vast majority of people. The bad news is that most will not do it since it requires a pretty big lifestyle change for most of them. But, the prescription is not that hard- exercise for 30 min/day and cut back on calories. Diabetes has a direct correlation with obesity and other diseases like high cholesterol and blood pressure. Exercise and diet are known to

While a lot of people will say that they don’t have enough time to exercise, that is just an excuse. Everyone can find 30 min/day to do something as simple as walking. Higher intensity exercise adds to the benefits, so 30 minutes at the gym doing weight training will have profound benefits for the vast majority of people. It really is as simple as the old Nike logo- Just Do It.

…

Nearly 57 million Americans are considered prediabetic. Another 18 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, while the diabetes association estimates almost 6 million more Americans have diabetes and don’t know it. About 90 to 95 percent of diabetics have Type 2, the kind linked to obesity.

The future is potentially even gloomier, with one study estimating that one of every three children born in the U.S. in 2000 will eventually develop diabetes.

But the news isn’t all bad. Thirty minutes of daily exercise and a 5 to 10 percent loss in body weight can lower the odds of diabetes by nearly 60 percent and is more effective than medicine in delaying its onset, according to a diabetes prevention study.

Mar

Irresponsible Eating

Giant Burger-4800 calories

That describes just about all of the eating in America… or at least a large part of it, but this is absurd. Encouraging people to be unhealthy and irresponsible seems to be a corporate model these days. The problem is that there are always consequences and the health care system in the US will be crushed by these choices. While we are all inundated by food commercials on TV and billboards trying to get us to eat more, ultimately, the choice is yours. They can tempt you, but you are the one who does the eating!

At any rate, I was encouraged byÂ the checkout lady at the grocery store last night. She mentioned to me that she had lost 70lbs and was walking an average of 2 miles a day and felt great. No kidding? Of course she feels great. And for a 48 year old woman, she looks great too.

Working in a grocery store has got to be tough since there is constant food being pushed in front of you and you get to see all sorts of things that are tempting. But she said that it is just a matter of saying no to the donuts and yes to the fruit and vegetables. Skip the giant burger or whatever other insane food item you are being tempted with. Even if you divide it into 4 parts, it is still 1200 calories each. Crazy. From MSNBC-

…

The West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league baseball team, will be offering up major league cholesterol, carbohydrates and calories in an enormous hamburger being added to the menu this year at the Fifth Third Ballpark.

The 4-pound, $20 burger features five beef patties, five slices of cheese, nearly a cup of chili and liberal doses of salsa and corn chips, all on an 8-inch sesame-seed bun. Thatâ€™s a lot of dough!

Jan

Site Back Up

If you use Internet Explorer as your web browser, you probably got an almost blank page for the past couple of days although Firefox users had no problems. At any rate, the problem is fixed and updates are coming. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Dec

Exercise- The Fountain of Youth

Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Seniors/fit, Spiritual/Emotional, Sports, Travel/fit | Add Comment

Many recent studies have shown that the key to healthy living into your senior years is more dependent on exercise and diet (IE, lifestyle) than on anything else. So it is no surprise that a new study released last month by The Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine shows that exercise keeps seniors younger and allows them to compete in sports well into their 80’s. This is good news for those of us who are over 50 and are concerned about quality of life as we age. While a lot of people simply want to stay young by taking a pill or shot (see my previous post), the evidence suggests that diet and exercise are really the magic formula. No big surprise, but it does mean that we are going to have to get people moving. Not an easy task considering how sedentary our culture has become. Add to that the general attitude that retirement and senior years are for resting, and the problem becomes even bigger.

From Dr. Mirkin:

Athletes who compete into their eighties suffer few medical problems, but those who lapse into inactivity regress toward the general population norms for fitness, weight control and health problems, according to a study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine (November 2008).

People who compete into later life in sports such as running or cycling can maintain their competitive edge into their eighties. Each muscle is made up of millions of muscle fibers. With aging, particularly after age 50, you lose muscle fibers so you become weaker. You cannot slow the loss of muscle fibers, but you can compensate for the loss of fibers by increasing the size of each remaining muscle fiber with regular vigorous exercise. If the results of this study can be extended to all regular exercisers, you can also expect to live longer and suffer fewer health problems than your non-exercising peers.

Dec

Trying to Stay Young

Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Seniors/fit, Spiritual/Emotional, Sports, Supplements, Travel/fit | Add Comment

Me at 50

There is a good article over at MSNBC about the obsession (and cost) that some people have with staying young looking. From cosmetic surgery to hormone replacement drugs, Americans, and I suspect many others around the world are seeking quick and easy fountain of youth treatments. But the simple fact of the matter is that none of this is quick and easy- or without danger of long term side effects. The best and most effective way to stay healthy as you age is a good diet and lots of exercise. Apart from these 2 critical aspects, the rest is just band-aids on a mortal wound. I suspect that all the drugs and treatments have as much a placebo/motivational effect as a real effect.

LAS VEGAS – It’s one of those photos that make you do a double-take. Dr. Jeffry Life stands in jeans, his shirt off. His face is that of a distinguished-looking grandpa; his head is balding, and what hair there is is white. But his 69-year-old body looks like it belongs to a muscle-bound 30-year-old.

The photo regularly runs in ads for the Cenegenics Medical Institute, a Las Vegas-based clinic that specializes in “age management,” a growing field in a society obsessed with staying young. Life, who swears that’s his real last name, also keeps a framed copy of the photo on his office wall at Cenegenics.

We are all going to get old and die- that is the simple fact of life. The real goal should be a quality of life that keeps us able to do the things we love and enjoy for as long as possible. So there might be some benefits to the treatments that they are using to “slow” the aging process. But let’s face it, few people have an extra 1000.00/mo to spend on these drugs. Plus, did you notice that the programs that work all include strict diet and exercise? A good diet and exercise will make anyone feel younger, more energetic and clear minded.

Detwiler, 47, has been Life’s patient for more than three years. In that time, he has adopted the regimen that his doctor also follows â€” drastically changing his exercise and eating habits and injecting himself each day with human growth hormone. He also receives weekly testosterone injections.

He does it because it makes him feel better, more energetic, clear-minded.

He does it because he wants to live a long, healthy life.

While I am sure there are a few people that do need hormone replacement tharapy, I really do think that the vast majority of people would find that a good diet and exercise plan is just as effective for general wellness as the programs that include all the drugs and supplements. If this were real science and not a money making scheme, there would be studies that use double blind testing to seperate the effects of diet and exercise from the drugs. That said, there is nothing like spending a lot of money on something to convince you of it’s value. That’s just human nature, unfortuately.

Nov

Commitment, Goals and Progress

Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Children/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Quick Tips, Seniors/fit, Spiritual/Emotional, Sports, Youth/fit | Add Comment

One of the primary rules in life is simply that the results and outcome of your life will be a reflection of the things you are committed to. This is true for family, job, friends and spiritual matters. This is especially true for your health. If you are committed to eating right and exercise, you will be healthier than people who are not. Now I know that there are those freaks of nature that do everything wrong and still live until they are 90. And I know that there are those who do everything right and die of cancer or a heart attack when they are 30. But, for the 99% of the rest of us, what we commit to makes all the difference to our health, quality of life and longevity. So, making commitments in areas of diet and exercise is not a minor thing. It is critical to every area of life. I have found that the self-discipline I developed through weight training and bodybuilding has carried over into most other parts of my life as well. Since most advances in life are the result of commitment and not “luck”, we really should stop and examine the things we are committed to and ask if those things are worth the time and effort we put into them. I suspect, that there are a lot of people who could use a realigning of their commitments and a lot more self discipline.

From MPF-

I’m leaving a lot out, of course, but one primary theme worth highlighting here is that cycling gives Dave’s life structure.Â Maybe he’ll ride the Tour de France someday, but the movie isn’t so shallow as to make us think that’s what’s important. Dave has learned a degree of commitment and discipline from riding, a certain willingness to set goals and follow through, and at the end of the movie, we’re pretty sure he’s going to make it.

I became interested in fitness outside of a sports context:Â I felt small and weak and wanted to be big and strong.Â But, similar to Dave, lifting weights came to have a bigger meaning for me.Â Schlepping down to the basement at 5:30 in the morning every day, I took away some lessons about commitment, about making small, incremental progress towards a clear goal, and I would say that those lessons have stuck with me at least as much as the ones I was getting in class.

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