Health
BETTER HEALTH
Importance of Strength Training
Your body loses about one percent of your muscle mass every year after the age of
40. As you lose muscle, you lose the ability to stand tall and you may start to hunch
over. More importantly, you lose your sense of stability. Lack of stability is a major
health concern as you age, because one in three adults over the age of 65 experiences a serious fall each year. If you’re a woman and you experience a fall, your
health situation can deteriorate more quickly: 20 percent of women who fracture
a hip become permanently disabled, and another 20 percent die within a year of
suffering a broken hip.
Maintaining a sense of stability doesn’t just protect you from future falls. You also gain
benefits right now such as improved mobility, fewer injuries and greater endurance.
Here are some ways to strengthen your muscles to keep you steady on your feet:
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Stand on one leg. Once you are able to hold that pose for 30 seconds on each
side, stand on a less stable surface, such as a piece of foam or a soft mat.
Walk heel to toe. Take 20 steps forward, heel to toe. Then walk backward, with
toe to heel, in a straight line.
Do squats. With your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees and hips, slowly
lowering yourself as if sitting in a chair. Keep your arms straight in front, back
straight and knees above your shoelaces. Stop when your thighs are parallel to
the floor (or as close as possible), then stand. Try to do this for three sets of 10,
with a one-minute break after each set.
One more suggestion: Get a good
night’s rest. A study by the California
Pacific Medical Center shows that a
lack of sleep is directly related to falls.
Researchers tracked nearly 3,000
older women and found that those
who typically slept less than seven
hours each night were 40 percent
more likely to fall than those who
slept longer.
Source: Prevention.com and National
Academy of Sports Medicine
Spring 2017
Volume 33 | Number 1
Did You Know
Restaurant menus are covered with
bacteria and germs. They are touched
by dozens of people each day, but are
seldom cleaned. A study in the Journal of Environmental Health found salmonella and E. coli on sample menus
and also found that salmonella and
E. coli survived longer on laminated
menus (up to 24 hours) as compared
to paper menus. Furthermore, a study
in the Journal of Medical Virology
reported that cold and flu viruses can
survive for 18 hours on hard surfaces
such as menus.
The best way to avoid germs and
bacteria is to never let the menu touch
your plate or your silverware, and always wash your hands after you order.
Healthful Shopping Tip
If you choose between food items that
have a label with “No trans fat,” “Zero
trans fat,” or “Not a significant source
of trans fat,” choose the one that says
“No trans fat”—it’s the most accurate.
With the latter two labels, the product
can still contain half a gram of trans fat
per serving.
Source: US Food and Drug Administration
Challenge Yourself
in the New Year
Now is the time of year to consider
participating in a 5K (3.1 miles) walking/running event. Having a future
date on your calendar—and the
money out of your bank account to
pay for the registration—may provide
the accountability to exercise on a
more regular basis. Training for the
event typically involves walking and/
or running several times each week,
and that cardio workout helps build
your strength, stamina, endurance
and agility, as well as improve your
overall health.
In addition to the health benefits of
training, an added bonus occurs on
the actual day of the event: being inspired by the many people of all types
and ages challenging themselves to
complete the event improving their
well-being in the process!
Whether you plan to walk or run a 5K
(or do a little of both), give yourself
8-10 weeks to train. If you are interested in training for the 5K course,
consider searching online for a 5K
training schedule to help you prepare.
Another option is to follow a program
on your smart phone. Three popular
apps are:
Easy 5K with Jeff
Galloway ($3.99)
A seven-week program
incorporating Jeff Galloway’s Run-Walk-Run training method.
Eventually you build up to, for example, running for four minutes, walking
for one minute, repeating that pattern
until you cross the finish line.
C25K (Free Version)
An eight-week program for
first-time runners. This app
allows you to listen to your
own music while you train.
Couch to 5K ($2.99)
A nine-week program for
first-time runners (building up to 20-30 minutes of
running three days a week prior to the
event). Audio cues guide you through
each workout.
It is Not Good to Be Alone
God in his infinite wisdom knew from the beginning that it’s not good for us to be
alone. Studies in human behavior greatly support that wisdom; having friends and
interacting with others is good for our health. Numerous studies show that being
alone has an effect on a variety of health aspects:
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Researchers at Brigham Young University reported that having only a few
friends can be as dangerous for you as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Conversely, people who have a large group of friends may live 22 percent longer than
those with only a few friends.
An Ohio State University study found that loneliness can weaken the immune
system. Those in the study with numerous social ties were four times less likely
to catch a cold virus than those with few social relationships. Furthermore,
the stress associated with feelings of loneliness can generate inflammation
throughout the body, leading to a range of health risks.
A Harvard study found that middle-aged adults who live alone have a 24 percent increased risk of dying of heart disease.
Other smaller studies have found that having friends lowers stress because you
have more social support and regular contact with people to whom you can
share your concerns.
Thank God that through His grace and love He restored our relationship with Him,
allowing us to build relationships with others. When you take time to nurture your
relationships with family, friends and coworkers through interaction, play and forgiveness, you are exercising your relational well-being.
Here are just a few ways to develop and build your relationships:
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Be involved with your church. Attend a bible study, join the choir, help serve at
a sausage or chicken dinner.
Volunteer for work days at your church or in your community. Helping others
allows you to focus on them and their needs. Plus, you’ll likely work alongside
kindred spirits and have opportunities to build friendships with them.
Make an effort to get to know your coworkers and neighbors. Start conversations with topics you already have in common. Be purposeful to go out of your
way to ask how they’re doing.
Call friends who live far away to stay connected. Research shows that distance
doesn’t lessen friendship strength or benefits.
Source: Health.com
Handwashing and Sanitizers
Improve School Attendance
Consistent handwashing throughout the day and the use of
gel hand sanitizers can improve student attendance in the
classroom. Absenteeism due to colds, flu and other illness is
a problem for most schools and universities, resulting in more
than 164 million lost school days per school year.
One study touting the effects of handwashing involved 305
Detroit grade school children who washed their hands four
times a day. Teachers in six classrooms had children wash
their hands on arrival to school, before lunch, after recess
and before leaving for the day. By comparing sick days for
students in a 37 day period to eight other classrooms that did
not schedule hand washings, the results were the students
who washed regularly had 24 percent fewer sick days due to
respiratory illness. These students also had 51 percent fewer
days lost because of stomach discomfort.
Another study involved 400 college students from the University of Colorado, Boulder. In this study, researchers recognized
the challenges of consistent handwashing because of the lack
of sinks in classrooms. As an alternative, gel hand sanitizer
dispensers were installed in classrooms and in the dining hall.
The result of the eight-week study found that the 200 students
who consistently used the hand sanitizer (in addition to regular
handwashing in the bathroom) missed 43 percent fewer school
days than the 200 students in the control group.
Teachers and parents need to encourage children to wash
their hands on a regular basis, especially before eating, after
being outdoors, playing with pets, after using the bathroom
and after blowing their noses. Even though hands may appear to be clean, they may carry germs or microorganisms
that can cause illnesses. Don’t assume that children know
how to wash their hands properly. Watch them wash and help
them form good handwashing habits.
Finally, children learn by example. As a teacher or a parent, let
your children observe your good handwashing techniques to
learn how to do it properly.
Source: Minnesota Department of Health & FDA.gov
Reasons to Avoid Energy Drinks
Energy drinks have become a staple item in stores and gas
stations often conveniently located next to the register. You
may be tempted to try one, especially during a day when
your energy is lacking, but before you buy, consider these
reasons not to consume:
Added Caffeine
Many of the energy drinks are loaded with excessive caffeine. Too much caffeine in your system may cause muscle
tremors, irritability, a rapid or abnormal heart beat and
it can raise your blood pressure. The FDA recommends
that a 12-ounce serving of soda contains no more than 71
milligrams of caffeine. Energy drinks, however, are not as
regulated. For example, a 2-ounce container of Five-hour
Energy contains 200 milligrams of caffeine. For comparison
sake, a 12-ounce can of Mt. Dew contains 54 mg and a Diet
Coke contains 46 mg of caffeine.
Added Sugar
Many energy drinks can contain more sugar than you should
have in a day. For example, Rockstar contains 78 grams of
sugar—that’s nearly 20 teaspoons of sugar. An 8.4-ounce Red
Bull contains 27 grams of sugar (seven teaspoons of sugar).
Due to the added sugar, your body will react with a blood
sugar spike that can eventually leave you feeling sluggish.
The extra sugar also can cause your body to store more fat.
Teeth Damage
Scientists immersed samples of human teeth enamel in nine
different kinds of energy drinks for 15 minutes at a time
for five days. They found signs of serious enamel damage
due to the acid content. Acids such as carbonic, citric and
phosphoric found in energy drinks may also raise the risk
of stomach damage and ulcers, cause bone breakdown,
osteoporosis and bone fractures, and can upset the acidalkaline balance in your body.
Added Weight
The calories in energy drinks (168 calories in a 12-ounce
Red Bull can) are mostly due to the sugar content and can
lead to weight gain if consumed regularly. Energy drinks
that have artificial sweeteners also can contribute to weight
gain: because you’re missing the effects of sugar and the
calories, the hunger mechanism in your body that normally
would “turn off” from increased calories keeps running, and
you may end up eating/drinking more.
You can increase your energy without expensive and potentially dangerous energy drinks. Eat a banana, apple, nuts or
some Greek yogurt instead. In general, eating well–balanced
meals that include fruits, vegetables and protein, drinking
plenty of water and exercising regularly are all great ways to
help you to feel energized throughout the day.
Sources: Mayoclinic.org and Health.usnews.com
BETTER HEALTH
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Editor’s Pulse by Steve Gruenwald
Modifying Moderation
Moderation is a tricky word and how it is defined may impact your health. I’m not referring to the definition found in
Merriam-Webster, but the definition you have created in your
mind. For example, suppose you tell your friends that you are
moderately wealthy. They may either die laughing or agree
with you. Granted, you may be waaaay off in your assessment
of your wealth, but if their moderation definition aligns with
yours, you get the nod.
If you compare yourself to the 62 percent of Americans who
have less than $1,000 in their savings account or to the 46 percent who say they do not have enough available funds to cover
a $400 emergency expense, then according to some financial
experts you could say you are moderately wealthy. In any
type of a comparison, however, you have to ask yourself; who
is establishing the line where moderation ends and surplus
begins? Even if you did comply with the amount experts have
determined as a financially secure level of savings, in your mind
you may still feel that you either don’t have enough or that you
have more than enough and don’t need to save any more. The
point is, everyone’s definition of moderation is different and
varies greatly.
Moderation gets even more problematic when discussing
food consumption. I’ll admit that in prior years I promoted
moderation when it came to eating certain foods high in
calories and saturated fat. These days, I’m not as comfortable
riding the moderation bandwagon. “Everything in moderation” can be a reassuring phrase when eating an occasional
dish of ice cream or a bacon cheeseburger, but not if we’ve
already stretched the boundaries of what moderation or even
occasional means. Eating in moderation implies having it
“now and then,” but even that phrase is vague and subjective.
If we’re not careful, our definition of moderation or “now and
then” can mean having something every-other day.
You don’t have to completely ban the “everything in moderation” phrase, just analyze and then modify your definition.
Recognizing that some foods aren’t as good for your health,
you may need to recalibrate the measurement of occurrence.
For example, instead of tracking how many days separate the
last time you had ice cream or a bacon cheeseburger, consider thinking in terms of how many weeks, or better yet, how
many months.
Unfortunately, no moderation scale exists, so you will need
to establish the parameters. The goal in all of this is to eat
healthier food items with greater frequency than the lessthan-healthy foods. That may seem moderately simple, but
then again, it’s all in the definition.
Published by Concordia Plan Services of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Articles are available in text format for use in
your newsletter. Please inquire. Visit our website at ConcordiaPlans.org.
Please contact Steve Gruenwald, editor, with your comments.
Phone: 314.885.6718 or toll-free: 888.927.7526
@Steve4Health
Email: [email protected]