HEALTH & FITNESS                                     By Carol Sarasohn

July 2007

More Muscle

Remember Body mass index or BMI? It wasn’t too long ago, BMI was thought to be a reliable way to measure obesity. The calculations were done by dividing your weight by the square of your height. According to the data in a new study, just because you’re weight is normal doesn’t mean you’re not fat. The research involved scanning nearly 800 people with MRI machines to see where the participants stored fat. The results showed that 45% of women and 60% of men had excessive levels of internal fat.
Internal fat envelops vital internal organs, ultimately leading to diabetes and heart disease. Dr. Steven Blair an obesity expert at the University of Southern California puts it this way: “Normal weight persons who are sedentary and not fit are at much higher risk for mortality than obese persons who are active and fit.” This is proof that maintaining your weight through a lower calorie intake rather than exercise does not keep you healthy. A normal weight alone isn’t enough. The whole concept of being fat needs to be redefined.
The human body is an efficient machine. When you exercise your internal fat is burned first.
When those stores have been sufficiently depleted, the fat on your butt, thighs, and elsewhere are used. It’s really fat to muscle ratio that matters. In order to build muscle you have to exercise. Fat is how we store the fuel that powers our muscles. Using our muscles burns fat. The more muscle you have, the more efficiently you burn fat. Muscle doesn’t only look good, it’s good for you. And muscle cells are active even at rest. So you’re burning fat even while you sleep.
Dr. Bob Ross at Queens University in Canada has good news. “A healthy diet and physical exercise have an aggressive effect on visceral fat.” When it comes to being fit there are no short cuts. If you want to be healthy than exercise has to be an important component of your lifestyle. During the months of July and August, join us at the DHS Spa Hotel fitness room for an hour of fun and fitness absolutely free. You’ve got nothing to lose but some visceral fat.


(Carol Sarasohn is a writer and fitness trainer. Call 329-1511 for schedule of classes.)

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June 2007

 

May 2007

 

 

April 2007

 

Research over the last decade has shown that exercise doesn't have to be vigorous to be beneficial. Just a brisk walk can help prevent cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes. More recently a broader set of disorders have been added. Cognitive decline, sexual dysfunction, breast cancer and depression are all helped by walking. "Walking may be as close to a magic bullet as you'll find in modern medicine," explains Dr. Joann Manson, professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She adds, "If there was a pill that could lower the risk of chronic disease like walking does, people would be clamoring for it."

And the list goes on. Walking enhances blood circulation, helps regulate blood pressure and improves blood cholesterol. It aids the way our bodies handle glucose, which can ward off diabetes. It also alters hormone levels, which have been known to contribute to breast and prostate cancer. Inflammation and clotting are reduced as well. Both are known to be related to stroke. It has a good effect on the brain's neurotransmitters, which are involved with mood and creativity. There is even a boost in bone density from walking. However, for more bone strengthening benefits, resistance exercises using weights and bands need to be included.
In a study published in November, sedentary 70 to 90 year olds who were evaluated as at risk for disability were given a physical activity program with the goal to walk for thirty minutes five days a week. After six months they were able to get out of a chair easier. Their balance was better and they could walk faster. Sometimes it can mean the difference between being dependent and self-sufficient. Here's the bonus. If you walk between 20 and 30 minutes 5 days a week you're burning around 150 calories. That may not seem like much but it's the equivalent of between 10 and 20 pounds of body weight each year. Vary your walk to keep it interesting. Spring is here! Lace up those shoes and enjoy a walk in our beautiful valley.

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March 2007

 

 

February 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 2007

 

A New Year!

It's a brand new year, but the same old you. Are you going to be one of the 86% of Americans who don't exercise? We can all think of reasons, valid reasons, why we can't exercise. Sometimes people just put themselves last. By the time they fulfill work and home obligations there is too little time left for exercise. For most of us it's just plain difficult to change old bad habits into new good ones. That's why exercise needs to be scheduled into our lives like all the other important aspects of our busy days.
On a daily basis we are bombarded with contradictory images of thin models and fat food. It's confusing. That's why we've got to read labels. Just because a company sells food doesn't mean it's not a business. Businesses exist to make money. If it's more economical to use trans fats they will use them. When sugar cane got expensive chemists found a way to process corn thus creating high fructose corn syrup. It's in just about everything that's sweet. One of the primary ways that our brains know when we are full is blood sugar, but our brains don't recognize high fructose corn syrup as sugar. I think it's one of the main causes of the obesity epidemic.
Food doesn't have to be the enemy because the more muscle you have the more calories you burn. And you're never too old to start. There was a study conducted in nursing homes with people between 70 and 90 years old. They did resistance training with light weights and increased their strength by one third in a mere 6 weeks. Exercise might feel difficult at first. If you do it gradually, it will definitely get easier. Stop thinking about exercise and just do it. So many illnesses are attributed to a sedentary lifestyle. On top of all the wonderful physical benefits, there is a sense of accomplishment as you see and feel yourself getting stronger and more fit. That's why I'm offering your first class free when you mention my column. Call me at (760) 329-1511 for more information. I'd be happy to speak with you.

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December 2006

 

Go With the Grain

Eating whole grain foods is important nutritionally for a few very good reasons. Whole grains have more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals than white rice, white bread, and products made with white flour because many nutrients are stripped away when the grains are milled. Eating whole grain food doesn’t mean just switching from white bread to 100% whole wheat bread. There are many tasty and nutritious grains that have fed populations for thousands of years. But most people just choose the same three; wheat, rice and oats.
Most of us have heard of buckwheat and bulgur wheat and some have even had wild rice (all whole grains). But how about millet, the oldest of grains? There’s also triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye. It has more proteins than either of the parent grains and a high amount of lysine, an essential amino acid that comes from the rye. Spelt is another grain related to wheat. It’s recently become available in some health food stores. Amaranth and quinoa have been cultivated in South America for thousands of years.
Technically, quinoa (keen-wa) is a seed but because it is consumed as a grain, its nutritional composition is compared to other grain foods. The tiny seeds are pale yellow. At first glance it looks like cous cous. Upon closer inspection they are more like popcorn kernels. As it cooks, each seed pops open and a sprout spirals away from the hull. Quinoa cooks quickly and it’s delicious on its own, but served with a saucy stew is even better because it absorbs the sauce. It’s also nice as a pilaf or a hot breakfast cereal. Quinoa can be cooked directly in soups and leftover quinoa can be sprinkled on a salad or mixed with vegetables. It’s higher in lysine than any other grain and it’s rich in methionine, another essential amino acid. It contains more iron per serving than rice, corn, wheat and oats. And the protein quality of quinoa is comparable to cow’s milk.
Add a new grain to your diet for the new year. Remember, variety is the spice of life.

 

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November 2006

Breakfast Anyone?

 Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? That's been the conventional wisdom in the health and fitness community for decades. Survey's show that about one-third of people in the US and Europe skip breakfast. If you like to eat first thing in the morning, it's an easy time to eat healthfully. Whole grain cereal with fruit and a little lowfat milk will do the trick. Studies show that high fiber breakfasts leave people less hungry for longer stretches of the day. The American Heart Association recommends 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day for adults.
Usually when people are put on a weight loss eating plan they are told that they must eat breakfast. New studies are showing that breakfast may not be so important after all. A twelve-week trial in which 52 obese women received a reduced calorie diet did not find any significant difference in weight loss between the group who skipped breakfast and the group who ate three meals a day.
In another study using 16,000 adults twenty-years or older they concluded that those who didn't eat breakfast got fewer micronutrients, including folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and fiber. The reason may be that people who skip breakfast make up the calories they missed later in the day with less healthy foods. Try having breakfast for lunch if eating early in the day turns you off.
Susan Bowerman, a registered dietitian and assistant director at UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, explains her view. "The body would want to refuel after many hours of fasting. In the morning glucose levels are generally low. The brain's primary source of fuel is glucose. It seems logical that fueling up in the morning would make sense." If you're going to eat breakfast avoid white sugar and white flour. They cause insulin spikes. Whole grains release their energy slowly and keep the body satisfied longer.
In my opinion what you eat and how much you eat are more important than when you eat. I guess the next rule to be questioned will be the rule of not eating after 8 pm. Some rules are just made to be broken.

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October 2006

Why Exercise?

Many people look at exercise as a way of losing weight and improving the appearance of their body. Those things are important but there are so many other benefits as well. If you’re looking for a miracle, it’s exercise. It’s been proven to lower high blood pressure and help control blood sugar. Even arthritis pain decreases with exercise. The Arthritis Foundation suggests 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week.
37 million people in the U.S. are over 65 years old. Currently, 21 million people have osteoarthritis and that number is projected to jump to 30 million in the next few years. Only 30% of how we age is determined by genes. The other 70% is lifestyle choices. Physical activity is not an option, it’s a necessity if you want to decrease functional decline. Getting out of a car is made effortless by exercise. Carrying your groceries is a snap when your muscles are strong. Climbing stairs without getting winded not only demonstrates muscle strength but also cardiovascular fitness. When you exercise you burn fat. The first fat burned is visceral fat. It’s the fat in your midsection that insinuates itself into the organs such as the liver. Visceral fat is more dangerous then subcutaneous fat found on thighs and buttocks. With all the information about the importance of exercise the latest study claims that only 14% of Americans exercise regularly. Yet the biggest reason that people go into assisted living residences is lack of lower body strength. They can’t get out of a chair or out of bed. But studies have shown that 1/3rd of strength can be gained in a mere 6 weeks of light weights and resistance bands.
There are four components to a healthy body: eating healthfully, building strength and endurance, and increasing and maintaining flexibility. It’s not easy to make new choices. But the benefits are significant. There are 168 hours in a week. Just three or four hours a week will make a world of difference to your health and wellbeing. That’s why I’m offering the first class free for the month of November to anyone who would like to give exercise a try. A healthier you is within your grasp.
 

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September 2006

Clearing The Air

 

This month I was going to add more fitness tips to the ten I started in last month's column. But an issue more pressing has come to my attention. So-called air fresheners have been found to pose a health risk. They emit dangerous chemicals into the air in gas form. The compounds are released over a long period of time. The result of the exposure to these fumes is lung damage.

Several recent studies, including a study released in May by the California Air Resources Board warned that many compounds found in air fresheners and household cleaning products can reach harmful concentrations in the home. Slow-dissolving solid blocks of paradichlorobenzene are called "para" in the cleaning trade. The other chemical tested was 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB).

In the latest study, researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences tested 1,018 people for exposure and lung function. They noted high levels of 1,4-DCB in the blood of 846 of those tested which suggested chronic exposure.
Those exposed to the "para" fumes tested even more poorly.

As exposure to these chemicals increased, lung function declined. Even among participants who never smoked, lung impairment was significant. While reduction in lung function can be temporary when it is the result of short exposure to these harmful chemicals, air fresheners that plug in to an outlet or sit on a table cause prolonged exposure. Permanent lung damage makes the body more susceptible to heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Some cleaning companies are discontinuing the use of a wide range of harmful cleaners and replacing them with gentler eco-friendly products. It's difficult to change our perception of these products when the industry spends millions of dollars on television commercials trying to convince us that our houses smell bad. What ever happened to potpourri (dried flowers) in a bowl?
 

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August B 2006

A Little Change Makes a Big Difference

 

A surprising 86% of people in this country admitted that they don't exercise at all. And of course it's no secret that our population has an obesity problem. But with a few small changes at a time you can make a world of difference to your health. You don't have to undertake an entire new lifestyle, at least not right away. Try one or two of these health tips and see what happens. Add a few more when you're ready. You'll be the one to reap the benefits.
Tip # 1 - Buy a pedometer and walk. The goal is 10,000 steps a day, increasing gradually. A study from Duke University Medical Center found that walking 11 miles a week prevents visceral fat gain, which is linked to diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.
Tip # 2 - Avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil. They have only been in use since the 1980's. In that short time they have contributed the most of any other foods to our worsening health.
Tip # 3 - Eat blueberries and oatmeal. Just ¼ cup of blueberries and 1/3 cup of oatmeal lowers cholesterol and oatmeal is a whole grain and high in much needed fiber.
Tip # 4 - Limit white sugar and flour. Replace their low nutritional value with whole grain products.
Tip # 5 - Swap three or four meals with meat for meatless meals each week. Meat uses a lot of calcium to digest.
Tip # 6 - Eliminate soda completely. It's got the equivalent of ten spoons of sugar worth of corn syrup and also uses the stores of calcium in your bones.
Tip # 7 - Increase water consumption to 8 glasses - more in the summer and when you exercise.
Tip # 8 - Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to register fullness.
Tip # 9 - Keep fried foods to a minimum. Frying increases carcinogens, calories and bad fat.
Tip # 10 - Add lots of tomatoes to your diet. They contain lycopene, which is an antioxidant. Canned tomatoes are even better.
More tips to come next time.
 

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July B 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Skin Deep

May A 2006 ~

Recently two law firms filed suit against manufacturers of five sunscreen brands.  The suits charge that ads and labeling promise that their products fully protect against the harmful rays of the sun.  These claims are misleading and exaggerate the ability of sunscreen to protect against skin damage.

            Ultra violet (UV) light is a component of sunlight.  It comes in three forms: UVA, UVB and UVC.  UVC is absorbed in the atmosphere before it ever reaches Earth.  UVB exposure is responsible for suntanning, sunburning and premature skin aging.  It’s also linked to the two most common forms of skin cancer; basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.  UVA are rays that penetrate more deeply.  Skin damage is only a small part of the effects.  UVA has been linked to the more life threatening malignant melanoma as well as other types of skin cancer.  UVA rays are present even in the shade. 

            Laboratory tests of the sun protection factor (SPF) used more sunscreen than people usually apply.  About one tablespoon is applied to the face and another ¼ cup to the rest of the body.  The general population uses much less.  Furthermore a high SPF doesn’t mean the product protects against UVA exposure.  The concern is that a High SPF sunscreen with no UVA protection may give sunbathers a false sense of protection

            The best sunscreens provide protection against both UVB and UVA.  Chemicals like, zinc oxide, avabenzone (Parsol 1789) and titanium oxide protect against UVA rays to some degree.  Dr. Sheldon Pinnell, professor of dermatology at Duke University Medical Center likes zinc oxide because it protects against the broadest spectrum of UVB and UVA rays, but he adds that no sunscreen protects against the entire UVA spectrum.

            Some products degrade rapidly after exposure to the sun.  Even sunscreen with the proper protection should be applied liberally and often, especially after perspiring and swimming.  Dr. Pinnell recommends wearing clothing as the best protection.  Any kind of shirt is probably better than any sunscreen.

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Experience is the Best Teacher

By Carol Sarasohn

 

            Fitness training certification is meant to provide the expertise necessary to teach the proper way to exercise.  There are an estimated 50 to 100 programs certifying 40,000 to 80,000 personal trainers.  Some certifications are highly regarded and challenging to obtain.  Other certifications are a lot easier to get.  The International Fitness Assn. has been around for about 10 years and offers online certification for aerobic instructors and personal trainers, sports nutritionists and senior fitness instructors.

            The IFA test includes 100 true or false and multiple-choice questions.  It costs $124.  You can download the curriculum from the website and keep it on the screen while you take the test.  To become a master fitness instructor, master sports nutritionist and master senior fitness instructor essay questions are also required.  Other certifying organizations offer a weekend seminar.  Some gyms only approve certification from certain organizations. 

Bally Total Fitness limits their certification acceptance to the American Council on Exercise and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  Some clubs, but not many, require an apprenticeship for a period of time before allowing the trainer to train individual clients.  But most only make sure a trainer is certified for insurance purposes.

Most people who hire a personal trainer are not training for an upcoming sports event.  Their goals usually include getting healthier, looking better or losing weight.  Some have underlying health problems such as heart disease or undiagnosed diabetes.  Still others may have back or knee problems.  So the potential for harm is more serious than aching muscles.

            Many of the questions on the IFA test concentrate more on body chemistry than function.  Teaching the right way to do an exercise is the best way to prevent injury.  For instance, making sure that the client’s knee is in line with the ankle when doing squats and lunges is one of the things for which the trainer is responsible.  But the larger responsibility is creating an atmosphere that motivates them to continue on their new healthier path. 

 

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