Be Careful of That Belly Fat

Funny picture, huh? It may be comical when guys, or even girls, joke about their beer bellies, but the reality is, it's no laughing matter. Those big, hard bellies people joke about are a sure indication of some serious health issues at hand.

Roll Back The Clock

Yesterday I met with the lead Personal Trainer at the gym where I attend. We talked about Personal Trainers finding their "niche" of clientele. I explained that as a personal trainer, I am interested in working with "older" adults, let's say 35 or 40 and up. (I know that 35-40 is not old, but you get what I mean); those adults who simply want to loose a few pounds, strengthen the heart, increase flexibility, and just feel a little better about themselves. My "niche" is not those that are looking to become Mr. Universe or train for the Olympics. The Lead Trainer said to get as much information as I possibly can about training my "niche."

In doing some research, time and time again, I came across articles that discussed the role exercise can have on the aging process. One such study was published in 2001, and further supported what many cardiologists have long since believed, that even moderate amounts of aerobic exercise can literally "roll back the clock." One of the things this study concluded was that with as little as 6 months of moderate aerobic exercise, middle aged individuals can reverse the effects of decades of aging on cardiovascular fitness.

In addition to cardiovascular exercise, many studies indicate that weight training is extremely beneficial to older adults. We are not talking about necessarily heavy lifting, but lighter weights. Scientists say the answer is yes, weight training is needed. In a study of women aged 50 to 70, the women who strength trained gained 1% more bone density in the hip and spine while the group that did not lift weights lost 2.5 % bone density. Those who trained had strength increases from about 35 to 76% above the control group. Balance improved 14% and general physical activity increased by about 27%. The same is true for men. Its a fact that after age 30 [many claim as early as 25] Muscle begins to atrophy, a process which accelerates after 40. It is claimed that between ages 40 and 60 an average man loses 35% of Muscle and add this to the 15% between age 25 and 40. You should work all of your major muscle groups at least twice a week, starting out with a weight you can lift 12-15 reps, then when you can easily do 15 reps, increase the weight a few pounds.

Exercise may not actually be a fountain of youth, but it is as close as it gets. It is never too late to start. Get outside and walk! Or get to a gym and begin your program today.

Eat Less, Exercise More-The Only Way

Diet fads come and go! Easy solutions abound! Take a pill, loose the pounds! Work out for four minutes and loose weight! There's no way around it: the only true way to loose weight is to eat less and exercise more! More calories have to be burned than are consumed! That and only that will ensure weight loss and less body fat.

A new study has again shown this proven method. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests the type of weight-loss diet doesn't matter as much as sticking to it. Whether you're comparing a low-fat, high-protein, low-carb, high-protein, or other diet, eating less and doing more is what looses the weight, not the type diet you're on.

Second Hand Smoke: More Damage Done

It has been know that smokers put themselves at risk for many ailments including heart disease and cancer, but a new study conducted at the University of Cambridge, Peninsula Medical School and the University of Michigan showed that second hand smoke can be just as harmful as those who smoke when it comes to dementia. Second hand smoke exposure also causes heart disease, cancer, premature death, asthma, and impaired lung function. This new study, by Dr. David Llewellyn of the University of Cambridge and colleagues, is the first major one to conclude that second-hand smoke exposure could lead to irreversible dementia and other neurological problems. 5,000 non-smoking adults over the age of 50 were the subjects in the study.

What is significant about this study? It's one thing if someone wants to kill himself by smoking, but the effects of the smoke coming off the end of the cigarette can harm any innocent bystander in the second hand smoke.

There is nothing good that comes from smoking, and there is nothing good that comes from being exposed to second hand smoke. I have to say I am glad there are laws that keep second hand smoke away from me.

Smoking Ban Decreases Heart Attacks

Here's a bit of encouragement for those of you hopefully making one of your New Year's resolutions kicking the smoking habit: a smoking ban caused heart attacks to drop by more than 40 percent in Pueblo, Colorado and the decrease lasted three years. A smoking ban in work and public places was passed in 2003 in Pueblo, and a study found there were 399 hospital admissions for heart attacks in the 18 months before the ban and 237 heart attack hospitalizations in the next year and a half -- a decline of 41 percent! "We know that exposure to second-hand smoke has immediate harmful effects on people's cardiovascular systems, and that prolonged exposure to it can cause heart disease in nonsmoking adults," said Janet Collins, director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "This study adds to existing evidence that smoke-free policies can dramatically reduce illness and death from heart disease."

NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM SMOKING! NOTHING! If you haven't already done so, make stopping a resolution for 2009. Make 2009 your time to quit.

Be Careful of the Hidden Salt

I have to thank the Mommanator for this one. Americans consume more salt than they should be! This is especially important for those suffering from Hypertension, or High Blood Pressure. A patient with high blood pressure should limit sodium intake to less than 1500 mg. Your doctor may have set limits far below 1500 mg for you personally, making it even more important for you to know where to look for unexpected salt.
Salt is hidden in many different foods, some that you might find surprising. Here are a few of the surprising supermarket staples that you should watch out for. You can read the full report at http://www.consumerreportshealth.org/.

Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists. Four strands have 200 mg. Strangely, four strands of Twizzlers Strawberry Licorice only have 115 mg.
Prego Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce. An American Heart Association logo on the label means that saturated fat and cholesterol are restricted, but not that sodium is super-low. This sauce has 430 mg per half-cup.
Aunt Jemima Original Pancake and Waffle Mix. Prepared as directed, each pancake has roughly 200 mg of sodium.
Heart Healthy V8 vegetable juice. Just one cup has 480 mg.
Some fast-food fare that might appear to be healthy also has surprisingly high levels of sodium. McDonald's Premium Caesar Salad with grilled chicken, for example, has 890 mg, without dressing. Compare that to 350 mg in a large order of fries

I suggest you click on this link and take the sodium quiz. You'll find it interesting.

If You Do, Don't...If You Don't, Don't Start

What can I say? NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM SMOKING! There are NO safe cigarettes! There are NO safe methods of smoking! It only brings sickness! ("Oh but my Dad smoked for years and he lived to be 85." Russian Roulette doesn't kill everyone either)!

New Year's resolutions will soon be made. Some will be kept, some not. If you smoke, make 2009 the year you stop! Whatever it takes! Doctors, patches, gum, hypnosis! Just GIVE IT UP!

Healthy Holiday Eating

The Thanksgiving meal is done! How many calories did you eat? If you were like me, it was probably alot! The holiday eating has just begun. I have at least 3 events at work and in my private life that will involve eating and drinking...and lots of it! That's in addition to the regular meals and the fast food eating that always happens during the shopping season. I know I for one don't want to look like the people in the picture! But I also want to enjoy my food and drink that accompanies this time of year! So here are a few healthy holiday eating tips, not my own, that will help keep some of that weight off during the holiday season:

1. Focus on weight maintenance vs. weight loss during the holidays. The holidays is NOT the time to decide to diet! You are only setting yourself up for failure. Don't plan on dieting until after the New Year.

2. Be physically active every day. There's only 1 way to really maintain or lose weight: burn more calories than you take in! Physical activity will not only help you burn the calories you are inputting, but it can also help relieve stress. Walk, go to the gym, bicycle...whatever it takes to move!

3. Eat a light snack before going to holiday parties. Get that belly a little full before you even get where you are going. You'll eat less!

4. Make a plan. Know where you're going, who you'll be with, and what the menu will be. Before you even get to the party, plan to eat and drink less.

5. Reduce the fat in holiday recipes. For the cooks, think of healthier choices when preparing the foods for your party or gathering. Try some of the following lower-fat recipe substitutions: 2 egg whites instead of 1 whole egg; low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream instead of sour cream; skim or 1% milk instead of whole milk; frozen yogurt instead of ice cream; chilled evaporated skim milk or other low fat whipped products such as Nutriwhip instead of whipped cream; low fat cheese instead of cheese with a higher fat content.

6. Choose your beverages wisely. Alcohol is high in calories. Liquors, sweet wines and sweet mixed drinks contain 150-450 calories per glass. Drink water or diet sodas, or if you do choose alcohol, select light wines and beers or drink no more than 1-2 drinks.

7. Maintain perspective: Overeating one day won't add a bunch of pounds on you. Even eating more throughout the holiday season does not add that many pounds. "The good news is that most people are not gaining five or six pounds during the holidays, but the bad news is that weight gained over the winter holidays isn't lost during the rest of the year," says Jack A. Yanovski, MD, head of Growth and Obesity at the National Institutes of Health.

Although food can be a big part of the season, it doesn’t have to be the focus. Holidays are a time to reunite with good friends and family, to share laughter and cheer, to celebrate and to give thanks. Focus on those things, not food!

We All Get Older

In just a little over a month, I will turn a half century old! Yes, I admit it! As hard as I've tried to deny it, I will be the BIG 50! Don't laugh! Many of my friends are already there! I used to say that I would not age gracefully, but rather would fight it every step of the way. However, as it approaches, I have taken on a new stance: I will accept it and try to age with dignity, remaining as healthy as possible. I have already reconciled in my mind that I am not 19 or 20 or even 25 anymore and no matter how hard I work out, I will never look 19, 20, or 25 again. But I can try to look and feel my best despite the aging process.


As we age, nature takes its course and slows us down. From the time we're born, our bodies begin wasting away. That process is however, accelerated later in life, particularly after age 50. This change in our bodies happens not only in individual cells, but within entire organs. The result is a change in our bodily function and appearance. One area hit by the aging process is our muscles and amount of fat. The amount of muscle tissue (muscle mass) and muscle strength tend to decrease. This process is called sarcopenia, which literally means loss of flesh. Loss of muscle mass begins around age 30 and continues throughout life, and by age 75, the percentage of muscle mass is typically half of what it was during young adulthood. Also, by age 75, the percentage of body fat typically doubles compared with what it was during young adulthood. So what to do? Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can strengthen muscles and partially overcome or significantly delay loss of muscle mass and strength.


The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) now has fitness guidelines specific to weight training for people over 50. The advice: perform such exercises 2 to 3 times a week to condition all of the major muscle groups -- arms, legs, shoulders, and trunk. The goal is to lift a weight that's heavy enough to achieve 10 to 15 repetitions per session before the muscles become fatigued. In addition, like everyone, those over the age of 50 also need regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming, or running, to strengthen their heart and lungs and tone their bodies. But those over 50 should never dismiss weight training as only something for younger people.


So turn off the television, get off your sofa, get moving, and add a little weight training to your regiment.

Five Ways To Stay Healthy

This one's for you, R.C. What's it mean to live healthy? How can I keep healthy? Well, here's five things according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that you and I can do to live a healthy life.

FIRST: Eat Healthy. Pick and choose healthy foods. If you're like me, I admit it, I DO NOT eat enough fruits! I don't know what it is about fruit, maybe the texture, but I do not eat enough. I try to have a piece of fruit every afternoon while at work, but that sometimes is my entire fruit intake. I have had people at work say to me, "You are so good about what you eat," when they see me eat my ONE piece of fruit, and I admittedly state that I do not eat enough fruit and I need to eat more.

SECOND: Get Active. Get moving 30 minutes or more a day. You don't have to join a gym or take an aerobic class, but you do have to move! Walk! What a cheap exercise. Park the car further away from the door when you go to the store and WALK! Take 15 minutes at lunch and WALK! Take another 15 minutes before or after work, and WALK! Get off your duff to get the fat off your duff!

THIRD: Get Screened. Take the time for that annual physical exam and follow up with the necessary screenings. As uncomfortable as some tests may seem, it will definitely be alot more comfortable than a serious illness if things aren't taken care of soon enough. I'm sure we have all talked to, or know someone, that did not have that colonoscopy done and then when there were concerns, it was quite scary!

FOURTH: Quit smoking! "My father smoked for years, and nothing ever happened to him. He lived to be 80!" I hear it all the time! Let's face it: NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM SMOKING! Smoking is the leading cause of heart disease! Smoking causes cancer and all kinds of other ailments. Just because you've been lucky so far, why play with fire? Sure! If you play Russian Roulette, you might not get a bullet in your head, but why take the risk when you don't have to?

FIFTH: Watch your weight! No pills or easy exercise is going to take off the pounds! The way to loose weight: burn more calories than you take in! Only way around it. Either eat less or move more, hopefully a combination of both.

Living healthy is not something I try to do to live longer. I know my quality of life is enhanced by staying healthy. I have more energy when I exercise and I feel a whole lot better. Believe me, I'm not the perfect example of good health, but I am trying!

What Is Healthy?

So what's it mean to be healthy? What does it mean to "take care of oneself"? Hopefully I can share with my readers what that all means. Believe me, I'm not a health fanatic. I do not intend to try to alter anyone's entire lifestyle. I do hope to assist anyone reading with perhaps changing their lives to live a little healthier. Or maybe it's just a little motivation that's needed.

I always joke that "I work out to eat." There is some honest truth in that statement. I go to the gym, I run, I watch what I eat most times so that when I do go out to dinner, or attend a party, I can eat what I want. I love food! I love wine! I love beer, and a good, solid beer, not some watered-down stuff. I also on occasion like my harder stuff, although that is few and far between. I take care of myself, and I watch my intake so I can let loose now and again.

I also work out because it makes me feel better. There have been periods in my life when I have been very sedentary. I feel sluggish and pretty down during those times. So I work out to keep up the energy level I enjoy. Being the vain person I am, I also need to feel good about what I see in the mirror. I cannot look at myself after getting out of the shower and seeing a blob in front of me.

Those are some of the reasons, besides the health reasons, I hope to enlighten and motivate the readers of this blog. I hope all who read this will join me in my journey to better health.