Beginner's Fitness Programs

Archive for June, 2011

By now, everyone knows the benefit of consuming omega-3, which is good for the heart. It has an anti-inflammatory effect, and may reduce triglycerides, lower blood pressure, and reduce blood clotting.

Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in cold water fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, and tuna. Among plants, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and walnuts are known to have large quantities of omega-3.

The benefit of omega-3 is not limited to your heart, but recent studies indicate the following benefits, too:

• Omega-3 lowers the risk of age-related eye disease and in women significantly reduces the risk of macular degeneration
• Omega-3 is effective in treating patients with major depression
• Omega-3 may mitigate bone loss
• Omega-3 reduces inflammation among people with rheumatoid arthritis
• Omega-3 may improve male infertility
• Omega-3 may curb precancerous growths in those prone to bowel cancer
• Omega-3 protects the liver from damage caused by obesity
• Omega-3 reduces the risk of advanced prostate cancer
• Omega-3 may reduce the risk of colon cancer

For healthy adults, it is recommended to take 300-500 mg per day of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and 800-1100 mg of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). EPA and DHA are more abundant in fish, and ALA is the main component in plant oils such as flax seed. This is equivalent to about two servings of fish a week. (Taking more than 3 grams of fish oil a day may increase the risk of bleeding.)

Unfortunately, there is bad news for fish lovers. Fish is, in general, much healthier than meat, but due to human pollution, many fish are now contaminated by heavy metals such as mercury, PCBs, dioxins, DDT, and other pesticides. Contaminations are so bad that the Japanese government issued a warning that pregnant women should not eat more than a couple of servings per week (and Japanese love fish). Further, due to overfishing, wild fish are significantly declining worldwide, and people are buying more and more farm-raised fish in which scientists are finding a large quantity of antibiotics along with heavy metals.

Average Mercury Concentration in Various Fish and Shellfish

Fish/Shellfish	(parts per million)
Swordfish	0.97
Albacore tuna	0.35
American lobster	0.31
Chunk light tuna	0.12
Cod	0.11
Pollock	0.06
Catfish	0.05
Salmon	0.01

If you love eating fish, try wild salmon which is more expensive, but worth the price!

(As a side note, there is one more concern about eating fish: how it is cooked. It is well known that people in the mid-southern US love fish, but they also have a higher rate of heart problems. This is because they tend to fry the fish in oil. It may be tasty, but definitely bad for your body. Try broiling or steaming.)

You also need to be similarly concerned when buying fish oil supplements. Many cheaper fish oils may contain higher levels of contaminants. You may want to buy fish oil with quality seals marked with ‘NSF’ or “NNFA” (both are certifications from non-profit public health and safety companies) which are sanctioned by the Federal Trade Commission.

To avoid the fish problems, you can rely on flax-seed oil which is rich in the omega-3 ALA. Our body can convert ALA into other types like EPA and DHA. This is definitely the solution if you are a vegan who may have physical problems due to lack of omega-3 fatty acids. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect solution either. To get enough EPA and DHA in the body, you need to take 6 times more ALA Omega-3 than when you take it along with sufficient EPA and DHA. Also the conversion process may hinder other types of chemical processes going on in our body .

So what should we do? Eat a modest amount of fish (wild salmon recommended), and/or take certified fish oil, and take enough ALS from flaxseed oil and other plants. Oh, and make sure that flaxseed oil is cold-pressed, and not machine-processed (because heat destroys the Omega-3s)! If you get them, don’t forget to refrigerate them.

Sources:
Fish Oil versus Flax Seed Oil:€”Which Is Better? Supplement Quality.com (2007 March)
Fish oil boosts responses to breast cancer drug tamoxifen, researchers find: Fox Chase Cancer Center (2011, April)
Dietary {omega}-3 Fatty Acid and Fish Intake and Incident Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Women. Arch Ophthalmol, 2011
The Efficacy of Omega-3 Supplementation for Major Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2010
Capacity of Omega-3 Fatty Acids or Eicosapentaenoic Acid to Counteract Weightlessness-Induced Bone Loss by Inhibiting NF-ÎşB Activation: From Cells to Bed Rest to Astronauts. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2009
Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation fully restores fertility and spermatogenesis in male delta-6 desaturase-null mice. The Journal of Lipid Research, 2010
Obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis are alleviated by -3 fatty acids: a role for resolvins and protectins. Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal 2009
mega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Risk Of Advanced Prostate Cancer.: American Association for Cancer Research (2009, March 25). O
Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce risk of colon cancer: American Association for Cancer Research (2009, December 8).
Dietary {omega}-3 Fatty Acid and Fish Intake in the Primary Prevention of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Arch Ophthalmol., 2008;126

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In one of my previous blogs, I presented evidence that high-intensity interval training is much better than a longer moderate workout, since you get the same cardiovascular benefit in a much shorter time. A recent study published in the American Journal of Human Biology presented much more solid results.

Researchers at the University of the West of Scotland recruited schoolchildren and assigned them to either moderate- or high-intensity exercise groups. The first group did 20 minutes of moderate running and the latter group did 20 meter sprints over 30 seconds. With 3 workout sessions per week over 7 weeks, the former group ran a total of 420 minutes and burned 4410 kilocalories, but the latter group spent only 63 minutes and burned 907 kilocalories. Even though the latter group spent only 15% of the time as the former group, cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure and fat level in the blood decreased just as much.

This is great news for most of us who do not have much time for working out. It means that you can literally go to a gym at lunch time, complete your cardio-workout, and be back at the office in an hour (including time for a shower). There is no more excuse for not working out! If you are interested, go back and read the previous blog for more details about how you can incorporate this interval training into your daily workout.

Note that I don’t recommend intensive interval training if you have not been exercising much previously, especially if your aim is to lose weight. Although it is well known that your body keeps burning body fat long after the intensive workout has finished contrasted with a moderate cardio workout which stops burning body fat much quicker, it is much safer to do a moderate but longer cardio workout which burns body fat steadily throughout the workout.

After reaching or close to reaching your ideal weight, you may want to change to intensive interval training. By then your body, including your muscles, bones, joints, and heart, will be ready to assume the intensive workout.

Another note: If you are a long-time runner, and want to increase your speed, you really want to include interval training. One study done at the University of Copenhagen showed that by adding intensive speed training (and reducing 25% of workout time), some runners reduced 2 minutes of their overall time for a 10-kilometer run after only 9 weeks of training. This is quite impressive! Anyway, work smart and you will get the results you want!

Source:
The effects of time and intensity of exercise on novel and established markers of CVD in adolescent youth. American Journal of Human Biology, 2011 Reduced volume and increased training intensity elevate muscle Na /K pump {alpha}2-subunit expression as well as short- and long-term work capacity in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, Oct 1, 2009

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You currently hear a lot about the health benefits of blueberries, and you can find many blueberry supplements at health food stores. Sure, it is a fruit and we know most fruit has large amounts of antioxidants, but what makes the blueberry so special?

This special recognition, actually, should be given to all in the berry family, including blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and elderberries, since they are known to have strong antioxidant capacity, mainly as a result of high levels of anthocyanins — chemicals that give plants their vibrant colors — and other phenolic compounds. The darker the color of the berry, the more anthocyanins are present. These compounds appear to inhibit chemicals that stimulate tissue inflammation and weaken the immune system. They can also destroy free-radicals which are known to cause aging, heart disease, and cancer.

Many laboratory and field studies back up these health-benefit claims. For example, Researchers at the University of East Anglia showed that people who regularly eat blueberries develop hypertension 10% less than those who don’t. A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded study with laboratory mice indicates that blueberry consumption prevents hardening of the arteries.

Further recent studies done at University of Michigan indicate that blueberries may help losing body fat by hindering the process of synthesis and storage of fat in the body. If that is not enough, the University of Cincinnati reported the first evidence from human research that blueberries improve memory, at least among older people.

Blueberries are not the only berries to provide health benefits, however. Other berries also have similar, if not more potent, health benefits.

According to a University of Illinois study, black raspberries seem to be highly effective in preventing cancers, especially, colorectal tumors in two mouse models of the disease. Strawberries, especially wild strawberries, also show anti-cancer properties.

Now, I assume that you are convinced that berries are good for the body, but you might still be wondering how much do we need? Laboratory experiments often give huge amounts of chemicals to rats to see whether there are any effects on them, which often ends up to be an unrealistic amount of food we need to eat in a day. According to an Ohio State study, about 2 ounces (about a handful) of berries a day will do the job. It is not much, especially if you eat them throughout the day. However, it could be quite expensive to consume fresh blackberries every day, especially if they are out of season.

One suggestion to cut daily cost is to mix all types of berries, and also add other colorful fruits, especially darker-colored grapes. You can also try dried berries. Since they are dried, to get the same amount of these healthy compounds, you can eat much less.

Now the bad news: Commercially available berries, especially strawberries, are highly contaminated by pesticides. In fact, strawberries are often ranked among the worst 5 pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables. Therefore, you really want to get organically-grown berries. At least, you really need to wash them to remove surface contamination. I recommend a vegetable wash solution. Put the berries in a sealable container with the solution and water, and shake the container gently but strongly enough to foam, then rinse with water. This process removes most of the surface contaminants (although you cannot remove pesticides under the fruit skin).

If you decide to take blueberry supplements, you should pay attention, too. Choose a product labeled “organic”. You don’t want concentrated pesticides with your supplements!

Enjoy the berries.

Soruces;
Bioactive compounds in berries can reduce high blood pressure: University of East Anglia (January, 2011)
Blueberries may inhibit development of fat cells: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology meeting (2011, April 10).
Blueberries May Help Reduce Belly Fat, Diabetes Risk: University of Michigan (April, 2009).
Dietary Blueberries Attenuate Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice by Upregulating Antioxidant Enzyme Expression. Journal of Nutrition, 2010; 140
Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010
Black Raspberries Inhibit Intestinal Tumorigenesis in Apc1638− and Muc2− Mouse Models of Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Prev Res, 1940-6207
Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Antioxidants of Midwestern Black Raspberries Grown for Direct Markets Are Influenced by Production Site. HortScience, 2008 43
Strawberries may slow precancerous growth in the esophagus: Ohio State University Medical Center (April, 2011)
Red Alert: Wild Strawberries May Reduce Cancer Risk: American Society for Horticultural Science (December, 2007)

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All women know that wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes can be a painful experience, but it is fact of life in the world of fashion. There are many women who refuse to wear high heels and still are fashionable, but the majority of us still wear them. So rather than preaching, let us try to minimize the problems caused by wearing heels.

To do so, first we need to know exactly what are the problems and what are their causes.

The most common problem most women suffer is pain on the bottom of the feet. This is because you are supporting your entire body weight at the toes and ball of foot. Research done on latin and ballroom dancers indicates that they exert significant pressure on the area. There are four major problems associated with this. The first is plantar fasciitis, a painful condition of foot muscles. The second is loss of the fatty tissues at the bottom of the foot, resulting in sensitivity and pain. The third is bunions, a deformation of bones. The fourth, calcification of toe joints, a condition of abnormal bone growth between joints, that causes pain in the joints and restricted movement of toes.

More than 60% of women experience heel and ankle pain. According to research done at Hebrew Senior Life Institute and Aging Research, when you walk with high heels and your heel hits the ground, you put much more impact on your heel and ankle. This may cause deformation of the ankles.

Wearing high heels shortens muscle fibers of calf muscles. Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University found out that although the size of calf muscles are same between high-heel wearers and flat-shoes wearer, individual muscle fibers are 13% shorter among high-heel wearers compared to those of flat-shoes wearers. As a consequence, women who wear high heels often experience pain.

High heels may cause joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis. An Iowa State University study found that wearing high heels increases compression pressure on the medial side (inside) of the knee, and may induce osteoarthritis. They also pointed out similar risks on various other joints, such as hips and ankles.

Understanding these risks, let’s consider some remedies which minimize, if not prevent, these problems:

First of all, walk around with comfortable flat shoes whenever possible. You may want to consider more “flat” platform shoes as an alternative to high heels all the time, which will give you height without compromising your natural posture so much. Walk around barefoot at home and walk outside with comfortable walking shoes or sandals.

Second, stretch! Stretch your calf muscles regularly. It is best to stretch in the morning just after getting up, in the middle of the day, (taking off your heels!), and at night before going to bed. For sample exercises to stretch the bottom of your feet, see Plantar Fasciitis? Stretch!. You may also want to get a foot massager.

Third, develop muscle. If you have stronger muscles around the joints (especially knee joints), you can protect them better, even though the muscles themselves do not cover the joints. Do thigh-developing workouts such as squats and lunges. Develop calf muscle. One way to do this is standing on bare feet, and raise heels up and down. You also want to develop your foot muscles. One way to do this is to open your toes as wide as you can, then close them toward the heel as tightly as you can. Another way is to sit on a chair with a towel under one foot and try to pull and gather the towel toward you using only your toes (with the heel fixed in one spot).

Fourth, find well-made and comfortable heels which fit your feet, rather than fitting your feet to the shoes. In the fashion world this may seem easier said than done, but you really want to think about it. You may consider checking out a store that sells dance shoes. Since dancers are athletes who wear high heels on the dance floor, most shoes are well-cushioned and designed to fit comfortably. Some shoe companies will measure your feet and custom-make shoes for you. The prices are not cheap, but compared to designer shoes, they are a bargain. Note that even with these shoes, many dancers will experience the same problems. Their shoes are not magic, but much better than “normal” high heels.

You may want to put bunion-preventive tape on your feet when you go to bed, even if you don’t have problems now, since you may eventually. There are many products claiming that they will cure bunions, but don’t believe them. The only way to really “cure” them is with surgery (and even that operation is not always 100% successful and may cause other problems). Most products may minimize the pain, but cannot cure bunions. Still, some products may delay or prevent them. If you are genetically predisposed for bunions (check with your mother or grandmother), you may want to consult a doctor.

Unfortunately, you cannot prevent loss of the fat on the balls of the feet. You lose the fat tissues at the bottom of the feet as you age. Still you can delay and alleviate pain by using padded shoes like some professional dance shoes. Or try different foot pads offered by podiatrists and found in many drug stores.

In any case, if you have any prolonged discomfort, see a specialist. S/he may tell you to stop wearing high heels, but it’s better than walking around with a cane.

Sources:
On muscle, tendon and high heels. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2010; 213
High heels may lead to joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis, study finds: Iowa State University (2010, August)
Foot Pain: Is Current or Past Shoewear a Factor? Arthritis Care & Research, 2009
Strictly high heels: Researchers look at impact of high-heeled Latin dancing: Inderscience (2010, September)

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