Posts filed under 'healthyrockford.com'
July 22nd, 2009
I’m old school.
 I started exercising way back when fitness experts recommended plenty of stretching before and after a workout to maintain flexibility and help muscles recover. I religiously stretched my calf muscles, hamstrings and quadriceps before every running workout or race, convinced that I wouldn’t get 10 steps without pulling something if I forgot.
Sometimes, I pulled something anyway.
Interestingly enough, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons — in a news release offering exercise tips to Baby Boomers this week — still recommends it, saying, “A little extra stretching before and after exercise, for example, goes a long way.”
This is interesting because much of the recent information on preparation for and recovery from exercise advises against stretching (in some cases, saying it can actually decrease athletic performance by as much as 10 percent) in favor of a light warmup that mimics the intended exercise or athletic movement — for instance, a light jog to get ready for a running race or rotating the trunk to prepare for swinging a golf club.
I’ve recently been trying the light warmup without stretching before heading out for a run and, whaddya know, I didn’t pull anything. Of course, neither did I notice any appreciable difference in the quality of the run.
So, call me old school. I’ll probably stick with stretching, for the most part. I just may not be as religious about it.
June 22nd, 2009
To paraphrase from the ads for EAS Myoplex, I know when I’m not done yet in my workouts.
I’m not done — no matter how soon I’m supposed to be at work, or home from it – if I haven’t done at least 20 minutes of some kind of weight training. Aging, and I’m getting up there, is associated with the loss of muscle mass and strength which, in even later years, can mean loss of mobility, balance and independence.
Studies have shown that even the very old and frail can benefit from resistance training — that can be training with free weights, resistance bands or machines. The idea doesn’t have to be a big increase in muscle mass because even light weights can be effective.
The idea is improvement in muscle strength and, assuming your doctor clears you for such exercise, that can be a very good idea.
An easy way for an older person — yes, women receive great benefits too — to get started is to choose a light weight that you can easily lift 12 times for whichever exercise you choose, say something simple like a dumbbell curl. After performing the 12 repetitions, rest for a minute or so and then try the next weight up (if your first lift was with a 5-pounder, the next weight up is usually an 8-pounder).
Try to do the same exercise with that weight 8 times. Whether you succeed on the second set of lifts or not, that’s it for the first try.
Take a day off and then come back and try the same lifting routine again. In a few weeks, when both sets become easy to achieve, challenge yourself with the next higher weight (first set with the eight, second set with the next weight up which in most gyms is probably going to be a 10-pounder).
Use the same gradual increase for any exercise you want to try and you can keep your strength for a long, long time.
June 1st, 2009
Several studies have shown that patients with gum disease, known as periodontitis, are also candidates for heart disease.
That has cardiologists and dentists ready to copy parts of each other’s role in health care. For instance,  a cardiologist may examine a patient’s mouth for signs of significant tooth loss, oral inflammation or receding gums and a periodontist might begin asking questions about heart health and family history of heart disease.
The connection between the two is that both are inflammatory diseases, and experts believe managing one disease may reduce the risk for the other.
A paper on the relationship between gum disease and heart disease was recently published in the online versions of the American Journal of Cardiology and the Journal of Periodontology http://www.joponline.org/toc/jop/0/0 . Dr. Kenneth Kornman, editor of the Journal of Periodontology and a co-author of the report, called inflammation a major risk factor for heart disease and said periodontal disease may increase the inflammation level throughout the body.
“Therefore, you will now see cardiologists and periodontists joing forces to help our patients,” he said.
Source: American Academy of Periodontology and PRNewswire-USNewswire                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Â
June 1st, 2009
The problem with heart problems is that the first sign of trouble is often death. So, before you give yourself a clean bill of heart health, make sure you aren’t operating under misinformation about your chances for a heart attack.
The cardiovascular medicine faculty at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health recently offered up a list of the most common myths they hear from patients.
MYTH: “Nobody in my family has heart disease, so I’m not going to get it.”
Dr. James Stein, director of the Preventive Cardiology Program at the UW Hospital and Clinics in Madison, said only 47 percent of people with heart disease have a family history of the disease. That means the other 53 percent develop it in the absence of an obvious genetic component.
“Risk factors like unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle predict heart disease. The presence of any risk factors increases your risk of developing heart disease,” Stein said, “but not having a family history does not protect you.”
MYTH: “I don’t have high blood pressure. My bottom number has always been normal.”
When you’re young, the bottom number of a blood pressure reading is a marker of heart disease and stroke risk. After age 35 or 40, though, the top number of the reading is the one that should have your attention.
“As you age, your arteries get stiffer, and as a result, the top number goes up and the bottom number goes down,” Stein said. “Actually, a low bottom number is very dangerous.”
MYTH: “My angiography showed that I have an artery with 50 percent blockage. We just have to take care of that one spot, right?”
No. Atherosclerosis — maybe better known as hardening of the arteries — isn’t confined to one spot.
“Chances are, if you have blockage that is easy to see, you almost assuredly have blockages elsewhere that are harder to see, said Dr. Jon Keevil, a preventive cardiologist at UW Hospital and Clinics. “Unfortunately, even those can be risky for heart attacks.”
MYTH: “I’m thin and I’m in shape. I don’t have to worry about bad cholesterol.”
Wrong again. Dr. Mary Zasadil, a preventive cardiologist with UW Hospital and Clinics, said obese patients may be more likely to have cholesterol issues but, like heart disease, cholesterol is largely genetic. If your parents or relatives struggled with cholesterol you and your doctor need to play close attention to yours.
MYTH: “I stopped taking my cholesterol medication because my cholesterol improved. I didn’t think I needed it any more.”
Cholesterol medicines, including statins, aren’t like antibiotics, which can be stopped once the infection is resolved and you’ve completed your course. The protective benefits of cholesterol medicines disappear when a patient stops taking them and what went down can quickly shoot back up again.
Source: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
May 29th, 2009
I used to joke that if I wanted to kill off Americans, I could do it without firing a single shot or detonating a single car bomb.
I’d just open one fast-food restaurant after another and let them eat themselves to death.
That’s probably oversimplification, but word this week about a study by the Medical University of South Carolina can only be considered bad news for those in the business of keeping people healthy — that is, in the business of keeping them healthy before they need a doctor, anyway.
Maybe somebody beat me to the fast-food idea because the study found the percentage of people ages 40 through 74 with a body mass index of more than 30 (that’s obese in body mass index language) increased from 28 percent to 36 percent between 1994 and 2006. That was aided by a 10 percent decrease in those who are getting some type of physical activity at least three times a week.
I’m not saying it’s all the fault of fast-food restaurants, but I am concerned that, despite all the publicity given to the benefits of healthy lifestyles, Americans still appear to be too unconcerned about their health to take even the smallest steps to take care of themselves.
To borrow a line from the local CHIPÂ program, they’re literally killing themselves with a knife and fork.
If somebody did invade the country with the intent to do harm, we might be too fat to resist.
January 20th, 2009
Last month, when we were preparing to make a HealthyRockford.com year-end video for 2008, I looked online for the top quotations ever made on the subject of health for help in writing the introduction.
I was just rifling my desk for something else and found the printout I made of the quotes. Upon reading them again, I thought “Gee, some of these are actually pretty good advice.” Here’s a sample of their wisdom:
“As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself,” — Adelle Davis.
“What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn’t much better than tedious disease,” — George Dennison Prentice.
 ”Health is not valued till sickness comes,” — Dr. Thomas Fuller.
“Health is not simply the absence of sickness,” — Hannah Green.
“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life,” — William Londen.
Even some that were meant to be funny are worth thinking about.
“There’s lots of people who spend so much time watching their health, they haven’t got the time to enjoy it,” — Josh Billings.
“It’s no longer a question of staying healthy. It’s a question of finding a sickness you like,” –Jackie Mason.
And, of course, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”Â
January 19th, 2009
One of the more enthusiastic people I’ve met since starting to work on HealthyRockford.com is Willow Junya, the owner of Thai Cuisine restaurant on E. Riverside Boulevard.
In Willow’s culture, everything that goes into the body is medicine — food as much as anything — and he is an avid student and practitioner of healthy eating.
So it was interesting when he included in a newsletter he writes for his customers and other acquaintances, his thoughts Â
about foods to help boost the immune system.Â
Here are his recommendations:Â
 Yogurt — Packs a healthy dose of good bacteria that can protect the body against harmful bacteria and infections.
 Turmeric — Found in every yellow curry, and its golden color comes from curcumin, a polyphenol with strong cold and flu-fighting properties.
Garlic — Much of its immune-boosting properties come from its sulfur-containing compounds, which also give the bulb its aroma, particularly one called allicin. The compounds are effective against bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. They also enhance the immune system and have anti-tumor and antioxidant features which help guard cells from everyday wear and tear.
Oregano — Its antioxidant activity is due to a high content of phenolic acids and flavonoids, color compounds that are also anti-inflammatory. It can protect against the common cold, influenza, fevers and indigestion. One of the little-known facts about Willow is that he loves to cook Italian and has developed several healthy recipes along that line.
Red bell peppers – They have twice the vitamin C of most vitamin C-containing fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is know to maintain the skin, which is the body’s first line of defense against microbes and viruses. It may also help to increase white blood cel count and antibody production.
Green tea — Has undergone minimal oxidation during drying and processing and some studies highlight a compound called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Ginger — Often recommended as a tea or bath for those with a cold or flu because it is helpful in increasing sweat production, which may help get rid of germs and sweat out toxins.
Oyster — Often thought of as one of nature’s most potent aphrodisiacs, probably because of their high zinc content which is necessary for testosterone production. In any event, zinc is good for protecting the body against colds and flu.Â
Broccoli — A source of vitamins, A, C and E. It is also high in glucosinolates, which stiumulate the body’s immune system. It also has a high concentration of sulforaphanes, which are potent anticancer agents.
 Willow advocates incorporating these foods into your diet as well as regular exercise to help boost your immune system, stay healthy and boost energy levels.
January 8th, 2009
As people survey the scene of a disaster, it seems someone always says, “Well, at least we have our health.”
Of course, they’re right.
And with the ongoing disaster known as the current U.S. economy threatening to hang on for a long while, it’s more important than ever to make sure the health you have is good health.
As an example, one of my personal training clients who operates several manufacturing plants in northern Illinois, says that because of the financial collapses on Wall Street the plans of every one of his employees aged 62 to 64 to retire in the next one to four years have been destroyed.
 If they’re lucky enough that my client can keep them in jobs for that long — and he’s not so sure of that — they will have to work an extra three to five years, until they are 68 or 69, and hope things get substantially better in that time just to get close to where they were before last year.
That’s another 600 to 1,000 times that they have to be healthy enough to answer the bell. My guess is that the same is probably true for every other worker, regardless of age.
If, like me, you can’t remember the last time you saw your primary care physician, I suggest you make an appointment. If you don’t exercise regularly, start. If you smoke, try to quit.
You know the rest — eat right by giving up the refined carbs and sugars and going for more whole grains and fruits and vegetables, including the green, leafy kind; get plenty of sleep; learn ways to deal with stress and so on.
The main thing is to find a plan that fits you and stick to it, even if it takes several tries before you succeed.
Nobody knows how bad the economy is going to get, but you’ll always have your health.
January 5th, 2009
When I read the story on HealthyRockford.com today about an exercise room designed for holding meetings, I was reminded of the reaction of Will Smith’s character in the movie “Independence Day” as he looks inside an alien space ship he has just downed in a dogfight.
It goes something like “I gotta get me one of these.”
The story, at http://www.healthyrockford.com/homepage/x1277304555/Board-meeting-too-boring-Take-a-hike-instead talks about a Buffalo, N.Y.-area health club that has opened a room in which the meeting participants can get a workout on treadmills or elliptical trainers during their discussion instead of munching donuts, falling asleep or whatever.
It seems like Rockford, which traditionally does a lot of its meeting in the early morning, would be a perfect place for this. The participants could get in a morning workout, get their business accomplished and be ready to hit the office invigorated for the day.
Of course, there would be a couple of things to work out about the workout. The meeting participants would most likely want a place to wash off the workout and they would probably still need to eat breakfast so a place that could provide the workout might also have to offer those too.
I can think of only two or three places in town that might be able to pull this off without a huge new investment but fitness trends change all the time and we can always dream.
December 3rd, 2008
It looks like we’re back into last winter’s pattern of snow every couple of days, which means we’re going to be getting extra lifting workouts with the old snow shovel.
The usual advice when shoveling is to not lift big, heavy loads of snow at one time and to make sure when you are lifting that you bend at the knees and not from your lower back. Still, it’s pretty hard to avoid stiffness in the lower back after the first round of shoveling, so here are a couple of exercises to help loosen things up again:
The first is a long-time favorite of mine and I remember, when I first read about it way back when, that a doctor quoted in the article said something to the effect that if everyone did this exercise for one minute a day, he would lose half of his lower back pain patients.
Start the exercise by lying face up with the right leg straight while holding the left toward your chest with one hand on top of the knee and the other under the hamstring. Pull the left leg gently until you feel a slight stretch in the hamstring. Then place your left hand on the floor at shoulder height and, keeping both shoulders on the floor as much as possible, use your right hand to gently pull the left knee to the right. Look back at your left hand while you do this. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, release and return to starting position. Repeat with the left leg straight and switch direction to pull the right leg to the left while you look back at your right hand.
The second exercise is simply called a “pretzel” and I like it because you are using one set of your own muscles to stretch another set. It’s mostly a stretch for the iliotibial band on the side of the upper leg, but I always include it when my back is feeling a bit sore.
Again, start by lying on your back. Place one foot flat on the floor and cross the ankle of the other leg over the knee. Pull both legs gently toward your chest by lifting the foot off the floor.
Try not to overdo the shoveling and think spring.
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