January 1, 2017
Do You Need
If You Have A Stomach
Strength Training May
What Your Mammogram
Antioxidant
Virus
Prevent Side Effect of
Reveals About Your Heart
Supplements?
To get over a stomach virus
quickly, combine repletion
with palliation. Repletion
means restoring crucial
nutrients that your body
loses in gastrointestinal
distress. One option would
be egg drop soup from any
Chinese restaurant—it
combines water-based
chicken stock with whole egg
and contains salt, which a
depleted body needs. In
addition, take Larix, the
trade name for the inner bark
of the Western larch—this
sweet-tasting white powder,
very soluble in water, calms
mucous membranes.
Palliation means making the
stomach and large intestine
feel better. For the stomach,
sip a tea made with gentian
and slippery elm bark. The
herbs are available at
TeaHaven.com. Use a
mixture of two-thirds
gentian and one-third
slippery elm with a teaspoon
of the combination in each
cup. Steep for eight minutes.
For the intestine, try Thorne
Research’s Pepti-Guard,
which includes
deglycyrrhizinated licorice
root and berberine in a base
that is mainly bismuth
citrate—it effectively calms
the large intestine. Bottom
Line
Breast Cancer Surgery
Digital mammograms may
identify early signs of heart
disease. They account for more
than 95% of all mammograms and
also pick up levels of calcium
deposits in the arteries inside the
breast. These are generally benign
—in the breast. But calcium
deposits (calcification) in the
arteries that supply the heart are a
well-established marker for
coronary artery disease—the most
common form of heart disease. A
chest CT scan accurately measures
calcium deposits in the coronary
arteries, but it also exposes the
patient to additional radiation. If
you have calcium deposits in your
breast arteries, you probably have
them in your heart arteries, too.
Radiologists at Mount Sinai in
New York City studied 292 women
who were not known to have heart
disease who had digital
mammograms and chest CT scans
in the same year. Breast calcium
identified women at high risk as
accurately as standard cardiology
scores. So the next time you get a
mammogram, ask your doctor if
any calcification was visible. If the
answer is yes it doesn’t mean you
have heart disease. But it could be
a wake-up call to work harder to
reduce known risk factors such as
high blood pressure and high blood
sugar. If you have little or no
calcification, it may help you avoid
an unnecessary prescription for a
statin.
WOW! This is a
fascinating article
that’s too long for the
newsletter but here’s
the link: https://
www.acefitness.org/
prosourcearticle/5688/freeradicals-antioxidants-andexercise-a-new/
“Conventional wisdom
has held that
antioxidant
supplementation may
benefit exercise
performance and
enhance recovery by
countering the increase
in free radicals
associated with
exercise. However,
findings strongly
suggest that antioxidant
supplementation
hampers favorable
exercise training
adaptations and
interferes with the
recovery process…
research suggests that
active individuals
performing regular
exercise training can
maintain an
appropriate
physiological
antioxidant status by
eating a balanced and
varied diet.”
[email protected]
Weightlifting appeared to
help prevent swelling in
the arms and chest, a
common side effect of
breast cancer treatment.
A recent study included 27
breast cancer survivors
who did supervised
moderate-intensity
strength workouts twice a
week. Each woman's
regimen was matched to
her ability. The women
were checked every two
weeks. Three had
reductions in swelling and
the rest did not develop
any swelling. Many of the
women also said they
were better able to
perform everyday tasks,
such as opening jars or
lifting heavy objects. "At
one time, women were
told they shouldn't do
upper-body activities
after surgery and
treatment because
doctors thought it could
actually cause swelling to
become worse," said
study author Lynn
Panton. "But we're finding
that strength training can
really help women recover
from treatment and help
prevent and reduce this
swelling.”
205.222.8464
January 1, 2017
Savings, Longevity and the Year in Fitness
Two numbers are, to me, particularly emblematic of what science had to tell us about fitness this year. The first is 42%
and represents the extent by which people’s risk for premature death rises if they are out of shape, according to a study
published in July. That number almost equals the risk of early death associated with heavy smoking. The second figure is
$2,500, the amount of money that each of us most likely could save annually on medical costs related to heart disease if we
walked for 30 minutes most days, according to a wonderfully pragmatic study released in September. In other words,
exercise science this year taught us that being inactive could potentially cost us years from our lives and many thousands of
dollars from our wallets. There were other lessons in this year’s exercise research. Some of the most compelling involved
advances in our understanding of how exercise may change our bodies invisibly but pervasively.
A February study involved mice with a high risk of developing melanoma. If those animals ran moderately on wheels,
their immune systems changed in ways that enabled them to combat the cancer. They produced more of a type of immune
cell known to fight malignancies than did sedentary animals and were much less likely to develop invasive disease.
Exercise, in other research this year, also was shown to prompt muscles to release substances that wind up changing the
structure and function of the brain. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health isolated a protein created abundantly in
muscles during exercise. They then applied the protein to neurons in Petri dishes and found that the cells started producing
other substances that can help generate additional neurons. Working the body’s muscles, in effect, changed brain cells in
ways that increase neuron numbers.
Fat cells likewise were transformed by exercise. Researchers from the University of Florida injected a hormone
produced during and after exercise into normal human fat cells. These cells consisted of white fat, which is metabolically
lazy, burning few calories. But after exposure to the exercise-related hormone, some of the fat cells began to display
molecular markers indicating that they were becoming brown. Brown fat is metabolically active; it burns calories. So
exercise may contribute to metabolic health by producing a hormone that can brown human fat. Similarly, exercise turns
out to potentially alter the composition of gut microbes in ways that could aid in weight control over the life span,
according to another interesting animal study. Young rats predisposed to obesity were allowed to eat all they wanted while
also either running or remaining mostly still throughout their adolescence. Others of the rats followed a low-calorie diet
but didn’t exercise. By adulthood, the inactive, all-you-can-eat animals were rotund. But the runners and those on a diet
were relatively thin. Only the runners, however, had developed populations of gut microbes that are associated with
lifelong leanness. They appeared better poised than the other rats to subvert their genetic predisposition to become heavy.
Not all of the news about exercise this year was reassuring, of course. A worrisome study published in August reported
that young people who had sustained at least one concussion were much more likely than those who had never had a head
injury to underperform in school and, as adults, experience lingering mental and physical problems. Another cautionary
study found that stopping exercise, even for just 10 days, changed how much blood flowed to volunteers’ brains. Longtime
masters runners underwent brain scans and then abruptly stopped working out for a week and a half. A subsequent scan
showed that they were now pumping less blood to their brains, and in particular, to portions of the brain involved in
memory and learning. The slightly discomfiting message is that if we wish to
realize all of the benefits of exercise, we probably have to continue exercising
throughout our lives. On the other hand, the benefits of being active do seem to
be nearly incalculable, as other 2016 studies underscored. The various studies
showed that exercise of almost any amount may substantially lower risks for
depression, muscle wasting, at least 13 types of cancer and colds. Even fidgeting
is beneficial, a study from July showed, lessening the otherwise detrimental
effects of long bouts of sitting on blood flow to the legs.
But as the new year approaches, I’ll return to the research concerning the
decidedly calculable advantages of being active, including the 42% increased
risk of dying too young if you are unfit and the $2,500 in annual savings
potentially enjoyed by those who get out and walk. I have plans for those years
and those dollars. I hope you will join me in walking, fidgeting and otherwise
moving and working out in 2017. Gretchen Reynolds, NYT
[email protected]
205.222.8464
January 1, 2017
F I TN EWS
Now THIS Is How You Start the New Year!
These two articles are the inimitable words of Thomas Plummer, fitness guru. If you’re making a fitness resolution, print
this out and read it every day!
Swearing you will get into shape is one of the dumbest New Year’s Resolutions ever. Getting into shape isn’t something you,
“do” and when you scream to the world that this is the year you will change your life you will fail…. unless you understand that
getting into shape isn’t something that is done, but how you live. Health is a journey, not a destination.
Resolution people fail because they believe that working out cancels out all the bad in their lives that led to getting out of
shape. You cannot out train a destructive lifestyle and there is no known workout that can overcome too little sleep, too many
beers, too much crap food and a lifestyle dedicated to a butt firmly planted to a couch 10 hours a day juggling electronic devices as
your sole source of exercise. Joining a gym, dropping by a few times a week, walking slowly on a treadmill, but changing nothing
else in your life, is why most gyms should only be gyms during the first month of the year and then turn into bars for the next 11
months. You join with good intentions, but those intentions fade quickly if nothing else changes and you retreat to the destructive
life you never really left.
If you want change, then change everything, because there is no change that matters in life without total commitment. If you
are in, then get naked, stand on the cliff and dive for the very deep water. Fitness isn’t wading in the shallow end, it is a lifestyle
progression that day-by-day leads to a life of quality, fulfillment, energy and passion and can only be achieved by leaping off the
cliff with no Plan B. If you want to get in shape this year, commit your soul, because you are worth it. No one on this planet can get
you in shape unless you are all in and ready to seek a healthier, and happier, lifestyle that goes along with true fitness. Get naked
and jump off the cliff people, or don’t even bother to pretend that this is your year for fit. All in, or stay home, is the only way
anything worth doing is ever done and finished. And it would be easier with a good coach holding your hand.
And this is applicable to women AND men--we all know someone who needs to hear this message!
Right at this moment, there is a woman sitting at home vowing to herself that 2017 will be her year physically. This will be the
year she changes her body, accepts her limitations and makes feeling good and moving often a part of her daily life. Here is what
every woman should know before she commits to fitness: Strong women are beautiful women. You will never become the best you
can be by chaining yourself to a treadmill and walking for hours. You might lose weight, but even those losses will stop soon. The
structure you see and admire in other women is muscle. Most of the diseases of aging are self-inflicted. In other words, you can
control your own physical future through knowing your body, working with a knowledgeable coach and educating yourself.
Never chase your former self. We were all somebody back in the day and chasing that unrealistic idea of trying to recapture
your glory days isn’t going to work. Yes, you might have been the prom queen or national class soccer player, but today you should
just focus on being the best you can be today and stop chasing the woman you can never be again. The lies you believe will harm
your future. Many women fade after 50 becoming lesser versions of themselves because they have always believed one inherent
lie: if you lift weights you will get big. That is like saying don’t take up golf because you are afraid of making all that money on the
women’s tour. If you only could go to they gym one day a week, then lift weights with a good coach. If you only can go twice a
week, then lift weights with a good coach. Beyond that, you have to adapt your goals to your lifestyle, but you should still embrace
what strength training can do for the next 40 years of your life and be afraid of the biggest lie ever told.
Your support group will often let you down. When you take control of your life and your body, and those around you are still
trapped by yesterday, your friends will often work against your success. Someone doing nothing hates to be reminded daily that
her friend is working seriously on a better life and is taking control of how she feels and how she looks. As you change, make sure
you are hanging with friends chasing the same goals and dreams. And your significant other may be your biggest road block. The
workouts you do today will determine the quality of life you have in the future. You can’t wait until you are in the wheelchair to
change your life. Then it is too late.
The single biggest lie in fitness is dieting. Diets do not work and never will. Adapting healthy eating, based upon you as an
individual and with the guidance of someone with some practical experience, to your body is the only way to keep your weight
under control. Nothing changes until you do. Being the best you can be is there for anyone chasing that dream, but no one but you
can set you on that path. And did I mention find a good coach?
[email protected]
205.222.8464
January 1, 2017
You Should Exercise to Lose Weight, Right?
So what if you had extra helpings at Thanksgiving and Christmas? So what if you shared a large bucket of popcorn at the
movies? You can always work it off, right? “People totally overestimate how many calories they’ll burn when they exercise,”
says Susan Roberts, director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston.
“We asked people, ‘What do you need to do to lose weight?’ About three-quarters of them said, ‘My trouble is that I stopped
going to the gym’ or ‘I’ve been lazy. I need to go to the gym.’ They were beating themselves up because they weren’t doing
enough exercise.” In fact, most studies find that people lose more weight when they’re told to cut calories rather than exercise
more, though a mix of diet plus exercise is best in many studies.
“Exercise for weight loss is often unhelpful,” says Roberts. “Several years ago, a study looked at the individual response to
an exercise program. It was discouraging because they found a huge variability.” Some people lost a lot of weight, but some
gained weight.
UK researchers had 35 overweight or obese men and women exercise on a stationary bike, treadmill, or stepping or rowing
machine long and hard enough to burn 500 calories per session, five times a week.
After 12 weeks, the average weight loss was 8 pounds, but some people lost 32 pounds, while others gained 4 pounds. Those
who lost the least weight also reported more hunger and ate more on a given day near the end
of the study than did those who lost the most weight.
“For some people it was clearly working, but for others it was counter-productive,” says
Roberts.
It’s not just individual differences. Other factors, like temperature, might also matter. In a
recent study, researchers assigned 16 overweight people to walk for 45 minutes on a treadmill
when the room temperature was either 46º or 68º Fahrenheit. They ate more calories (1,300) at
an all-you-can-eat buffet after walking in the cold temperature than after walking in the
typical indoor temperature (1,170 calories).
“You need to keep doing exercise for your health, for preventing disabilities and problems in
old age,” says Roberts. “But for most people, exercise is not the solution for losing weight.”
What about trying to speed up your metabolism?
“This boosting of metabolism is pretty overblown,” says Susan Roberts. “Magazines and
supplements love to talk about ways to boost your metabolism. But you can eat a brownie
with 700 calories in about 10 seconds, and there is nothing that you can remotely do to change
your metabolism by anywhere near that much, except to give up your job and spend all your
day in the gym.”
Companies that sell supposed metabolism-boosting foods or supplements need virtually no
evidence to make their claims.
Take green tea. Some small studies report that it leads to a bump in metabolic rate, but longterm studies find that it makes little or no difference in weight.
The largest study: With funding from Coca-Cola, researchers randomly assigned 572 people to a weight-loss program with
or without three daily cans of diet cola, each fortified with green tea extract (83 mg of EGCG) and caffeine (100 mg). After three
months, the diet-cola drinkers had lost no more weight than the others.
Does anything help you burn more calories per minute?
“Exercise is going to help a bit because muscle is more metabolically active than fat,” says Roberts. “So if you have five
more pounds of muscle and five pounds less fat, it will make a bit of difference, but not a huge difference.
“Weight control is dominated by how many calories you eat. That’s the honest truth.”
The bottom line: Exercise when you can, but don’t count on it alone to lose—or keep off—extra pounds. And don’t expect to
lose much weight from “metabolism boosters.” Nutrition Action
.
@wetrainsmarter.com
susan
205.222.8464
January 1, 2017
Can You Regain Muscle Mass After Age 60?
Let’s start with the good news about aging muscles. You can rebuild them, even if you are middle-aged or older.
“Our lab and others have shown repeatedly” that older muscles will grow and strengthen, says Marcas Bamman, the
director of the UAB Center for Exercise Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In his studies, men and
women in their 60s and 70s who began supervised weight training developed muscles that were as large and strong as those
of your average 40-year-old.
But the process of bulking up works differently in older people than in the young, he said.
Skeletal muscles are composed of various types of fibers and “two things happen” to those fibers after we reach middle
age, Dr. Bamman says. Some die, especially if we have not been exercising our muscles much. Sedentary adults can lose 30
to 40 percent of the total number of fibers in their muscles by the time they are 80, Dr. Bamman says.
Others of the fibers remain alive but shrink and atrophy as we age.
We increase the size of our atrophied muscle fibers with exercise but, for a variety of physiological reasons, do not add
to the number of fibers, Dr. Bamman says.
But in practical terms, who cares? Older muscles will become larger and stronger if you work them, Dr. Bamman says.
The key, he continues, is regular and progressive weight training. If you don’t belong to a gym, consider joining one, and
then plan on tiring yourself. In order to initiate the biochemical processes that lead to larger, stronger fibers, Dr. Bamman
says, you should push your muscles until they are exhausted.
In his studies, volunteers used weights calibrated so that the lifters could barely complete a set of eight to 12 repetitions
before their arms or legs grew leaden and they had to rest. They repeated each set two or three times and visited the gym
three times per week. NYTimes
3 Non-Physical Benefits To Running
If your goals for the new year include losing weight or improving your health, you might be thinking about running as
an option. But it can be hard to stay motivated when an icy wind hits your face and your nose starts running as fast as your
feet. A few weeks into the new year and you might be tempted to quit. But there’s a trick to staying on course and reaching
your goals. As my wife Gail always says, “People lose their way, when they lose their why.”
When fitness isn’t enough motivation to overcome the discomfort, you just need to expand your why so you can stay
motivated in the face of discomfort and difficulty. It’s like putting more fuel in your tank.
3 Reasons to Keep Running
In addition to improved fitness, I’ve enjoyed three non-physical benefits to running. This is not an exhaustive list, but
these three are highly compelling to me. They just might help you swing your feet out of bed and lace up your running shoes
too.
1. Running provides me with “think time.” I don’t know about you, but I can be so busy I rarely have enough time to
think. Yet, I know instinctively that I really can’t accomplish anything significant without serious reflection, dreaming, and
planning. Running affords me this opportunity. While running I’ve dreamt up new projects, figured out solutions to major
problems, not to mention outlines for new blog posts.
2. Running provides an opportunity for personal growth. Often, I listen to audio books, podcasts, or courses when
running. It’s one of the best ways I know to fit more “reading” into a cramped schedule. The great thing is that I find myself
looking forward to running, because I am eager to get back to what I am reading. For example, I just finished The Road to
Sparta by Dean Karnazes. I’ve been known to push my mileage just to have more time to listen and learn!
3. Running provides the chance to recharge. It sounds counterintuitive, especially to non-runners, but running
actually gives you more energy that it consumes. Some people think, “I can’t run or walk. I just don’t have the energy.”
What they don’t realize is that if they would just hit the pavement for thirty minutes in the morning, they would be more
energetic for the rest of the day. Running clears your mind and improves circulation. I never feel better than right after a
good run. I have often told Gail, “Whatever you do, please make sure I keep running. Nothing I do pays more dividends than
this.” Who knew that there were so many non-physical benefits? Michael Hyatt
[email protected]
205.222.8464
January 1, 2017
‘Daily Mile’ Craze in Britain Hopes to Tackle National Obesity Crisis
Torriano primary school in north London doesn’t have lush green grounds or an outdoor running track or a leafy
campus quad. But on most days, its students do something that is being replicated in schools across the country: They put
down their pencils, step into the great outdoors and run a mile. For one ruddy-faced 9-year-old who was breathing heavily
after his run, the experience “makes me feel like I’m proud of myself ” and means that “during lessons, I can concentrate a
bit more.” On a recent day that looked like autumn but felt like winter, he joined his classmates in lapping the perimeter of
his Victorian school 12 times before heading back inside to get on with his day. Every day, tens of thousands of school
children across Britain — in addition to regular physical-education classes — run, jog or walk a mile under a voluntary
scheme dubbed the “daily mile.” They don’t change clothes. They don’t compete. They don’t know when their teacher will
give the green light to rush outside. But at some point during the day, come (non-torrential) rain or shine, children complete
a mile. This running craze adopted by schools up and down the country comes amid an obesity crisis in Britain. The British
government estimates that nearly a third of children ages 2 to 15 are overweight or obese. According to a 2015 report from
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Greece, England and the United States rank the highest for
child obesity based on measured data.
In an effort to fight obesity, some schools in Britain are taking part in the 'Daily Mile,' a way to get students moving and
active during the day. Obesity is, of course, an exceedingly complex, multifaceted issue that involves a number of factors
including physical activity and nutrition. Diets have changed over the years — Britain plans to ratchet up its battle against
sugar with a tax on sugary drinks — and so too have lifestyles, with countless hours spent on computers, tablets and
phones. To be sure, sports programs here are highly developed — Britain came in second in the medals tables at the Rio
Olympics. But changing levels of physical activity at a population level is “incredibly difficult,” said Franco Sassi, a health
policy expert at Imperial College London. A recent study comparing the physical activity of children in 38 countries placed
Scottish kids among the least active in the world, despite acknowledging the region’s various policies for promoting it.
Over 1,000 schools across the country have adopted the “daily mile” scheme, including a small village school in
Scotland that invites the local community to join in. A number of schools around the world have also jumped on board, too,
including about 100 in the Netherlands and 500 in Belgium. Scotland’s government has gone a step further, saying it wants
the region to become the world’s first “daily-mile nation” with “rollout to nurseries, schools, colleges, universities and
workplaces across the country.” The scheme is the brainchild of Elaine Wyllie, the former principal of St. Ninian’s, a
primary school in Stirling, Scotland. Four years ago, a volunteer told her that her students were unfit. Taken aback, she
asked a class of mostly 11-year-olds to run around a field and was surprised to see what a struggle it was. But after a month
of daily running, most of the students could finish the route, which was roughly a mile and took about 15 minutes.
Educators do not have infinite time, and schools cannot be expected to do everything — some argue that parents should be
the ones to get children moving more. Plus, 15 minutes a day is an hour and 15 minutes a week that is not being spent on
studying math, English or history. But Wyllie found that interest in running the mile swept quickly across her school and
then to others, as well. “It’s not PE, it’s not sport, it’s not competitive. There is no kit, no cool or uncool clothes, no bodyimage issues, no equipment, no staff training. The children just go out, and they are expected to run if they can, or walk.”
The idea is manifestly simple and inexpensive, which is perhaps part of the reason it has spread so rapidly. But Wyllie
insists the real key to its success is that children enjoy it because it is a social activity in the fresh air. Parents and teachers
also have reported a raft of benefits — increased fitness, improved concentration, reduced weight, enhanced well-being —
and researchers are currently testing to see if there is evidence that links the reported benefits to the daily mile. Obesity
levels at St. Ninian’s are below national norms, and there are anecdotal reports of the children becoming more attentive in
class. While they are still analyzing data, researchers caution that 15 minutes of exercise alone is unlikely to deliver all of
the health benefits being discussed. The World Health Organization recommends that children get at least 60 minutes of
moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. But perhaps the data could confirm anecdotal reports that students who do the
daily mile are “more willing to run for a bus or run around to their friend’s house than asking for a lift, and so in effect are
doing more than 15 minutes.” While some teachers may see the daily mile as “yet another thing to do” in an already timestretched day, he said that once children are exposed to it, they become the its biggest champions.“They love it,” he said as
he watched a group of students lap the school — some walking, some running hard, some punching the air as they sped by.
“They are always asking: ‘When can I go? When can I go?’ ” Washington Post
[email protected]
205.222.8464
January 1, 2017
Could White Wine Boost Your Melanoma Risk?
A new study raises the possibility that people who enjoy a glass of white wine every day may face a slightly elevated risk of
melanoma. Total alcohol intake was associated with a 14% higher risk of melanoma per drink per day. Each drink per day of
white wine was associated with a 13% higher risk of melanoma. "Per drink" risk was based on 12.8 grams of alcohol -- the
median amount of alcohol in a beer, a glass of wine or a shot of spirits. Beer, red wine and liquor did not significantly affect
melanoma risk. The study does not prove that white wine causes this deadly skin cancer. It merely shows an association, though
one worth exploring. "We are just adding one more cancer site that is related to alcohol consumption," said study author
Eunyoung Cho, associate professor of dermatology and epidemiology at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School, in
Providence, R.I. Curiously, the alcohol-and-melanoma link was stronger for parts of the body receiving less sun exposure.
Exposure to the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays is a major risk factor for the disease. Compared with non-drinkers, people who
consumed 20 grams or more of alcohol a day were 73% more likely to be diagnosed with melanomas of the torso. Cho said this
finding may add to evidence that melanoma could have different causes depending on where on the body it surfaces. Also,
women's risk per drink per day was higher than men's. Men have larger bodies and may be better able to metabolize alcohol.
Melanoma accounts for about 1% of skin cancers but a large majority of skin cancer deaths. Rates of melanoma have been
rising for the last 30 years, with more than 76,000 cases diagnosed this year and more than 10,000 people expected to die. Alcohol
consumption has been linked to a number of cancers in humans, including cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, liver, breast
and colon, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. The relationship between alcohol intake and melanoma has been less
clear. Cho and her colleagues used data from three large studies involving more than 210,000 people who completed surveys that
included questions about their alcoholic beverage intake. Why white wine posed a heightened risk of melanoma is unclear. It may
be due to higher levels of a toxin linked to DNA damage. People's alcohol intake was measured over an extended period of time -in this case, more than 18 years, on average -- as researchers looked to see who might develop melanoma. But the study also had
certain limitations. Non-white study participants were excluded because there were too few to draw statistically valid
conclusions, so, the findings can't be generalized for other racial and ethnic groups. There's not sufficient evidence for a group
like the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer to label alcohol as a likely carcinogen for
melanoma, rather, this study "opens up the research gates" for future analysis.
Standing or 'Easy' Walks May Help Type 2 Diabetics Control Blood Sugar
For people with type 2 diabetes, better blood sugar control may be as easy as getting up off the couch and standing every so
often, or taking a leisurely walk, a new study shows. Dutch researchers noted that "moderate to vigorous" exercise is often
recommended for people with diabetes -- but most patients don't comply with that advice. This small new study suggests that
even sitting a bit less might be of real benefit. One diabetes expert in the United States agreed with that advice. "For years, I
would suggest an exercise regimen to my patients that I knew was doomed to failure," said Dr. Robert Courgi, an endocrinologist
at Northwell Health's Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y. However, "by tweaking the message a bit, the odds of success
increase significantly," he said. "Ultimately, any activity helps lower glucose [blood sugar]. The message of 'sitting less' will have
a higher success rate than exercise regimens of the past.” Current physical activity guidelines call for a minimum of 150 minutes
of moderate to vigorous exercise a week to help prevent type 2 diabetes. But the study authors pointed out that nine out of 10
people fail to meet this guideline. The new study was led by Bernard Duvivier of the department of human biology and
movement science at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands. His team wanted to see if a program to reduce
sitting time -- by encouraging patients to simply stand and do light-intensity walking -- could offer an alternative to a standard
exercise regimen. The study included 19 adults, average age 63, with type 2 diabetes who did three programs, each lasting four
days. In the first program, the participants sat for 14 hours a day and did only one hour a day of walking and one hour a day of
standing. In the second program (the "sit less" program), the participants did a total of two hours a day of walking and three
hours a day of standing by breaking up their sitting time every 30 minutes. In the third program (exercise), the participants
replaced an hour a day of sitting time with indoor cycling. The sit less and exercise programs were designed to burn similar
amounts of energy. Significant improvements in blood sugar control occurred when the patients did the sit less program or the
exercise program, but the improvements were generally stronger during the sit less phase, according to the study. Courgi said the
new trial has helped him "rethink the way I treat diabetes with exercise."
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January 1, 2017
Exercise May Be Real Medicine for Parkinson's Disease
Although physical activity may seem impossible for some Parkinson's patients, the new research review reaffirms what
many specialists already believe: that exercise can have a long-term impact, improving gait and reducing risk of falls. "I
pretty much never see a Parkinson's disease patient without recommending exercise," said Dr. Michael Okun, medical
director of the Parkinson's Foundation. Parkinson's disease causes the brain to produce less dopamine, which leads to a
loss of movement control. Physical symptoms include shaking, slowness and stiffness, but vary widely between individuals.
The review measured the combined outcomes of more than 100 studies conducted over the past 30 years on the effect of
exercise in Parkinson's patients. It showed that physical activity has clear benefits, specifically for strength, mobility,
flexibility and balance. "When I started my career, we always said exercise is like a drug for Parkinson's disease. Now we say
it and kind of mean it," Okun said. The Parkinson's Foundation states that medication and exercise combined should be
considered part of treatment. About 1 million Americans live with Parkinson's, which can develop over many years,
according to the foundation. Between 50,000 and 60,000 cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. Martine Lauze is
first author of the new review, published recently in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease. She's a kinesiologist, or body
movement expert, and researcher at the University of Quebec at Montreal. "A lot of people are afraid to exercise -- they
don't know exactly what to do," said Lauze, who works with Parkinson's patients privately. The best thing caregivers can do
is to help loved ones access exercise -- driving them to the pool or gym, for example. Lauze said the key to working with
Parkinson's patients is to take a progressive approach. This can be as simple as walking around the house until they're
ready to walk outside. She added that it's important to find the right activity for the individual, though that activity may not
be perfect forever. Okun also said working with a personal trainer is useful for people late in their diagnosis. "We never
think it's too late. You can do all sorts of things even if you lose the ability to walk.” The specialists agreed that patients
should strive for relatively vigorous activity. The idea is to break a sweat without overdoing it. Lauze explained that "when
we talk about moderate intensity, that's what we're talking about. It's good to be warm.” She added that different people are
capable of different levels of intensity, but the important thing is to keep moving. Though there's no evidence that exercise
prevents disease progression, other benefits are clear. "One of the theories is that exercise releases 'Miracle-Gro' for the
brain, the same thing that gets released by caffeine," Okun said, likening the popular plant food to compounds that
contribute to brain cell growth. The study's bottom line? Regular physical activity at any stage can benefit Parkinson's
patients.
Juarez Boxing is changing the lives of Parkinson’s patients. They are local affiliates of Rock Steady Boxing, which
“enables people with Parkinson's disease to fight their disease by providing non-contact boxing-style fitness programs. For
more information, contact Martin Juarez at 205.370.8992
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January 1, 2017
Optimism May Propel Women to a Longer Life
Women who generally believe that good things will happen may live longer. That's the suggestion of a new study that seems to
affirm the power of positive thinking. "This study shows that optimism is associated with reduced risk of death from stroke,
respiratory disease, infection and cancer," said Eric Kim, co-lead author of the investigation. "Optimistic people tend to act in
healthier ways. Studies show that optimistic people exercise more, eat healthier diets and have higher quality sleep," said Kim, a
research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. Research has found that higher optimism is linked with
lower inflammation, healthier lipid levels (fats in the blood), and higher antioxidants. "Optimistic people also use healthier coping
styles. A summary of over 50 studies showed that when confronted with life challenges, optimists use healthier coping methods like
acceptance of circumstances that cannot be changed, planning for further challenges, creating contingency plans, and seeking
support from others when needed.” Scientists reviewed records on 70,000 women who participated in a long-running health study
that surveyed them every two years between 2004 and 2012. The study authors examined optimism levels and other factors that
might affect the results, such as race, high blood pressure, diet and physical activity. Overall, the risk of dying from any disease
analyzed in this study was almost 30% less among the most optimistic women compared to the least optimistic women. For the
most optimistic women, the risk of dying from cancer was 16% lower; the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke or respiratory
disease was almost 40% lower; and the risk of dying from infection was 52% lower. Levels of optimism were determined from
responses to statements such as "In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.” While the study uncovered an association between
optimism and life span, it did not prove cause and effect. Dr. Sarah Samaan, a cardiologist at the Heart Hospital at Baylor in Plano,
Texas, said healthy behaviors may help fuel optimism. "It's easier to feel optimistic when you feel healthy and energetic.” By
choosing a healthy lifestyle, you may open yourself up to greater gratitude and create more energy for deeper relationships and
professional satisfaction.” She added that for people with depression and anxiety, medication may help to improve mental outlook
and thus overall health. The simple act of writing down best possible outcomes for careers, friendships and other areas of life
could generate optimism and healthier futures. Kim described a two-week exercise where people were asked to write acts of
kindness they performed that day. Another activity involved writing down things they were grateful for every day. Both these
exercises were shown to increase optimism. The study was published online Dec. 7 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Why Sponges Are the Riskiest Item in Your Kitchen
Sponges are usually the dirtiest thing in the kitchen and difficult to keep clean,” says microbiologist Manan Sharma of the
United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. That was true in the NSF International
survey of U.S. homes, where 77% of the sponges and dish cloths contained coliform bacteria, 86% had yeast and mold, and 18% had
Staph bacteria. (Coliform bacteria may indicate fecal contamination.) NSF International is a non-profit agency that sets safety
standards for water filters and other equipment. Why are sponges so dirty? “They come into contact with food residues that can
build up in them and that provide nutrients for bacteria and other microorganisms to grow,” explains Sharma. What’s more,
sponges are often wet and left in damp areas in or near the sink, which are ideal conditions for germs to multiply. “They also have
many nooks and crannies, which can be great places for germs to multiply,” notes NSF microbiologist Rob Donofrio, who adds that
“sponges are typically not properly— or regularly—sanitized before their next use.” That’s why the FDA’s Food Code prohibits
restaurants from using sponges to make the final wipe of surfaces that come into contact with food. “A safe kitchen is a dry kitchen
where there are no wet sponges and no wet towels for bacteria to grow overnight,” says O. Peter Snyder, whose Hospitality Institute
of Technology and Management in St. Paul, Minnesota, provides training for the food and restaurant industries in sound foodsafety practices. “Just rinsing and squeezing out a sponge under running water is not going to do a whole lot. But microwaving your
wet sponge for one minute gets rid of a significant portion of the bacteria.” After Sharma and his colleagues at the USDA soaked
sponges for two days in a slurry of ground beef and soy broth, microwaving at full power for one minute was the most effective way
of killing the bacteria in the sponges. Running them through the dishwasher killed almost as many bugs. Soaking them in 10%
bleach (about twice as concentrated as household bleach) for three minutes or in lemon juice or water for one minute wasn’t much
better than doing nothing. A recent study by the Good Housekeeping Institute found that soaking sponges for five minutes in bleach
was the most effective way of cleaning sponges. However, what the Institute did— mixing three-quarters of a cup of bleach in a
gallon of water—may be more than what most people are willing to do. Its study found that cleaning sponges in a microwave oven
or in the dishwasher with dry heating was nearly as effective as the bleach. Don’t try to microwave sponges that have metal in
them, and make sure the sponge is wet so it won’t catch fire.” Your best bet might be to keep a supply of clean dish cloths handy.
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January 1, 2017
Indian Stew with Chicken
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup coconut milk
2-3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
Fresh parsley, for garnish
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper and
place into the pan. Brown on each side for 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 6-8 minutes until soft. Add a
tablespoon of the tomato puree, along with the garam masala, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir to combine, cooking for an
additional 3-4 minutes.
Add the chicken, chicken broth, and remaining tomato puree to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2
hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken to a plate and cut or pull into shredded pieces. Return to the pot
and add the sweet potatoes. Continue to simmer for another 35-45 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the potatoes are tender,
stirring occasionally. During the last five minutes, stir in the coconut milk. Serve warm.
4 servings
paleogrubs.com
Does Your Favorite Restaurant Limit Antibiotic Use in the Meat and Poultry It Serves?
Most of the antibiotics sold in the United States aren’t used to treat sick people. More than half—some estimates go as high
as 80%—are routinely given to chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cattle to make them grow faster and to prevent disease. That exposes
more bacteria to more antibiotics, meaning that more bugs will become resistant to those drugs. At least 440,000 Americans are
sickened each year after eating or handling food that’s tainted with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least 2,000 die from their infections. After years of prodding by health advocates,
some large meat and poultry producers and restaurant chains are doing—or promising to do—something about that. A
consortium of five public-interest groups has graded the top 25 fast food and fast casual restaurant chains in the US on whether
they are phasing out routine use of antibiotics in some or all of the meat and poultry they serve. The groups conducted a
similar survey in 2015. Panera and Chipotle led all others with a grade of A. These two restaurants limit the routine use of
antibiotics across all the meat and poultry they serve. Following them with B grades were Subway and Chick-fil-A. Subway is
the only restaurant chain to adopt a new no-antibiotics policy that applies to all types of meat it serves and jumped from an “F”
grade last year. Chick-fil-A says it has converted more than 23% of its chicken supply to chicken raised entirely without
antibiotics. But the company does not do the same for the pork it sells.
In the middle are McDonald’s with a C+, Wendy’s C, Taco Bell C-, Pizza Hut D+, and Papa John’s D.
Not good
Down at the bottom of the list with grades of F: IHOP, Olive Garden, Applebee’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and 11 other
chains.These “F” restaurants either have policies that allow for the continued, routine use of antibiotics in the production of the
meat and poultry they serve or they do not publicly disclose their policies on antibiotic use in their meat and poultry.
(Nowadays, companies that do have such policies usually publicize them.)The five public interest groups who organized the
survey and issued the “Chain Reaction II” report are Friends of the Earth, Consumers Union, Natural Resources Defense
Council, Center for Food Safety, and FACT (Food Animals Concerns Trust). Nutrition Action
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