BBC Health news reports that the cold sore virus may be linked to an increase in Alzheimer’s risk. So, be careful who you’re smoochin’ on.
Alzheimer’s Risk Linked with Cold Sore’s
November 2, 2007
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Christian Fat Loss Plan: Pray More, Eat More!
September 2, 2007How would you feel if I told you that you could eat anything you want, and still lose weight … so long as you prayed? I’m not joking. I’ve now heard everything …
In August 2002, the couple was married and they soon made a decision that would forever change their lives.
Before getting married, a friend introduced Maggie to The Weigh Down Workshop, a faith-based weight loss program, which teaches people to conquer their addiction to food, as well as other substances and vices, by turning to God.Maggie says she was never consistent or committed enough to stick with the program. But shortly after their wedding, the couple started packing on the pounds and while Andy tried another diet, Maggie gave Weigh Down another try.
“At the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003, I called Weigh Down and started taking the classes,” says Maggie. “My whole life, I had always wanted somebody to [lose weight] with me. But I knew if I wanted it bad enough, I would have to do it alone.”
She began to lose weight.
“I ate whatever I craved, but only when I was truly hungry and then I ate a lot more slowly, so I could tell when to stop,” Maggie says.
In February 2003, after seeing his wife’s results, Andy stopped counting calories, gave up the low-fat foods and reduced his portion sizes. Fifteen months later, he had lost 257 pounds.
“Once I started this program, it changed my outlook on my entire life. I realized that being happy is a choice. I can either be filled with hate and despair or I can be happy,” says Andy, who realized he no longer needed the anti-depressants.
Don’t get me wrong, the placebo effect is AMAZING, and I’m all for it. So, if this works for them, great! In fact, I don’t care if you worship a teddy bear, so long as it causes you to do what you actually have to do:
“I ate whatever I craved, but only when I was truly hungry and then I ate a lot more slowly, so I could tell when to stop,” Maggie says.
That line is crucial. “I ONLY ate when i was TRULY hungry … so I could tell when to STOP …”
In other words … she was dieting. She just didn’t know it. It wasn’t a massive, kill you kind of diet. But, it was a diet. The prayer enabled her to focus on something else, beyond herself, and beyond her own out-of-control appetite. It’s about behavioral modification.
The mind is a powerful tool. And it is the NUMBER 1 key to your success in any endeavor in life. Fat loss, and physique transformation are no different. So … get to praying, or meditating, or anything else that suits your cultural comfort levels. Because, honestly, it does work.
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Exercise Makes You Smarter
August 23, 2007It was long believed that after your youth was gone, your brain stopped going through neurogenesis, that is, stopped “getting smarter.”
From NYT:
Conventional wisdom had long held that animal (and human) brains weren’t malleable: after a brief window early in life, the brain could no longer grow or renew itself …
Gage’s mice proved otherwise. Before being euthanized, the animals had been injected with a chemical compound that incorporates itself into actively dividing cells. During autopsy, those cells could be identified by using a dye. Gage and his team presumed they wouldn’t find such cells in the mice’s brain tissue, but to their astonishment, they did. Up until the point of death, the mice were creating fresh neurons. Their brains were regenerating themselves.
All of the mice showed this vivid proof of what’s known as “neurogenesis,” or the creation of new neurons. But the brains of the athletic mice in particular showed many more. These mice, the ones that scampered on running wheels, were producing two to three times as many new neurons as the mice that didn’t exercise.
2 or 3 times! There’s more:
This spring, neuroscientists at Columbia University in New York City published a study in which a group of men and women, ranging in age from 21 to 45, began working out for one hour four times a week. After 12 weeks, the test subjects, predictably, became more fit. Their VO2 max, the standard measure of how much oxygen a person takes in while exercising, rose significantly.
But something else happened as a result of all those workouts: blood flowed at a much higher volume to a part of the brain responsible for neurogenesis. Functional M.R.I.’s showed that a portion of each person’s hippocampus received almost twice the blood volume as it did before. Scientists suspect that the blood pumping into that part of the brain was helping to produce fresh neurons. …
Those with the biggest increases in VO2 max had the best scores of all.
AKA, the wimpy training you get from those “Globo Gym” trainers isn’t really gonna do you as much good as a solid, and truly tough routine.
Train Hard, Get Smart!
The researchers also found that higher levels of aerobic fitness corresponded to better standardized test scores among a set of Illinois public school students.
PE class is absolutely essential to a thriving student body … but it has to be a class dedicated to actual exercise, not the ridiculous junk that most PE classes are in practice.
Gage, by the way, exercises just about every day, as do most colleagues in his field. Scott Small at Columbia, for instance , likes nothing better than a strenuous game of tennis. “As a neurologist,” he explains, “I constantly get asked at cocktail parties what someone can do to protect their mental functioning. I tell them, ‘Put down that glass and go for a run.’ ”
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True Grit: The Secret to Success in Your Fitness and Athletic Goals
August 21, 2007An Article in Olympic Coach Magazine suggests that grit, or the ability to work hard and consistently over the long haul, is equally (and in some cases more) important than talent for individuals seeking to become successful in their field of interest.
Grit is perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining both effort and interest over years and years—despite failure, adversity, and even just stalls in progress. The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his advantage is stamina. Whereas disappointment or boredom signals to others that it is time to change trajectory and cut losses, the gritty individual stays the course.
This seems obvious to anyone who takes seriously the children’s story about the Tortoise and the Hare. We all know that the Tortoise won. And we know why. He didn’t work hard for just one moment and then get lazy. He consistently worked within the bounds of his capacity, never gave up, and always stayed focussed on his goal. The far more naturally talented Hare didn’t have grit, and he lost.
As a trainer, I can tell you that talent doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t use it. Some of my most successful athletes started at the bottom of the talent pool. But, they have a work drive that is staggering.
Check out this “grit” test, and see where you are and where you could improve.
UPDATE: Turns out the aforementioned “grit” test doesn’t actually give you a result, but simply sends in your info for the study … still interesting though.
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Rhabdomyolysis: What Might Have Happened to Jesse Marunde
August 11, 2007Jesse Marunde’s passing was a shock. And it always is when a young vibrant Elite level Athlete suddenly dies while doing what we all know is good for us: Exercising.
So, what happened to him? We don’t know yet. But, here’s an article from the CrossFit Journal about a condition called “Rhabdomyolysis.” It is …
a breakdown of muscle cell contents that results in the release of muscle fiber contents into the bloodstream.
This is bad. And the elevated levels of potassium in the system of the victim can stop ones heart (and worse). Clearly taking anyone beyond their own capacities is a recipe for trouble.
For those of us who are not professional athletes, it’s easy to listen to our minds telling us to slow down or stop. Our pain threshold is acting like a safety valve.
But, for an elite athlete, listening to the pain telling you to stop is akin to conceding victory. So, though it is remarkably rare, this may be the reason we tend to see it in athletes.
Always work hard, but only within the bounds of your current capacity. Hard is a relative word.
The author used the word “mindful” and I will repeat it. Be Mindful of yourself. That is the first step towards success an any endeavor. Fitness is no exception.
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Alwyn Cosgrove: Quote of the Day
August 10, 2007“Fat loss is not under the control of the magic fat loss fairies. It’s based on simple changes in behavior.”–Alwyn Cosgrove
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Blogging Hiatus, and Getting Back To It
June 2, 2007Well, I’ve just spend an unexpected week or so away from the blogosphere. Life got hectic, as it often can, and I ended up neglecting my daily posting duties to focus instead on my clients, the end of the term at school, and my fiance who just lost her uncle. It happens, but it brought to mind a certain reality for me. I had been posting “workouts of the day” and had made a commitment to doing that as a way of giving people some incentive to hit the gym and provide some framework for those who can’t afford a fitness coach.
But, rigidly sticking to a daily posting schedule is just not something I can do, as I am not a professional blogger and am loaded with a number of commitments (though I must admit to being addicted to the act of blogging). That said, I don’t want to leave people hanging who felt like the workouts a day were helpful. Instead I will periodically post a whole routine that one can follow for an extended period of time to achieve a certain goal.
And of course, I will blog on all the other topics I have always blogged on. Thank you for reading, and I hope it helps.
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Depressed Teens at Risk from Anti-Depressants: A Better Solution
May 3, 2007Parents of Teens who have tendencies toward depression should think twice before putting their children on antidepressants. It may make things worse.
Warnings on antidepressant drugs should be expanded to say the risks of suicidal thoughts and behavior extend to adults ages 18 to 24, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.
I come from a family where depression runs rampant. I have suffered from it myself. And when it hits it is amazingly severe. But, I can say from experience that the main factors that have helped me and those I know who have gotten a handle on their depression boil down to diet and exercise.
There are certainly cases where their is little hope but to medicate someone who is suffering intensely. But, (though I am certainly not a doctor and can’t proscribe the correct course of action for someone to take) I strongly believe that MOST (though, not all) people can take back a large portion of control in their lives by simply making these few changes:
Daily exercise: At least 4 days a week, engage in STRENUOUS exercise. That would include interval training, weightlifting, cardio kickboxing, etc. It has to be very tough, that’s the key. Of course, always take at least one day off a week.
Balanced and Consistent Diet: We all go through periods where our diets are balanced, but it’s the consistency that makes the difference. Include LOTS of fruits, veggies, and protein. Keep carbs relatively low, especially any carbs that are white (white bread, sugar, etc). High glycemic carbs are HORRIBLE for your depression levels. Sugar is the devil.
As for supplementation, I suggest at least 6 grams of fish oil a day, 3 grams of vitamin C, 200 IU of Vitamin E, and 50mg of B every day. The Fish Oil is particularly important for those suffering from depression.
Never forget much of the research on the topic has shown that Depression is largely a hormonal problem. Exercise and Diet have enormous effects on the bodies hormone levels (for the better), and to neglect these natural forms of “self medication” is down right idiocy.
It seems so simple (maybe too simple), but it is amazing how effective a consistent diet and exercise routine can be at curbing the worst excesses of depression. I know that it has worked for me and those who have followed my advice. It isn’t a cure, but it is a remarkable difference.
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Omega-3’s Fight Alzheimer’s
April 27, 2007
A new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, provides further evidence that a diet high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids helps to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.
In Alzheimer’s disease, lesions known as “plaques” and “tangles” form in the brain, due to the abnormal clumping of two proteins called beta-amyloid and tau. The mouse study found that a diet rich in the fatty acid DHA might interfere with this process.
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Qigong, and the Art of Slowing Down
April 15, 2007Qigong is an ancient Eastern practice similar to Yoga. And, it can be a good complement to an exercise training routine.
From the NYTimes:
“The realm of working out has shifted from people just wanting to build bulk and lean, toned muscles to them understanding that the inner health of the body is just as important as the outer health,” said Bernard Shannon, a medical qigong therapist who works one on one with clients and sits on the board of the National Qigong Association, a trade group.
Fitness and well being can only be achieved when a person takes as good a care of their mind as they do of their body.
Qigong (pronounched CHEE-kong) is a term that includes a whole range of practice, from simple “healing” (questionable) techniques to Tai-Chi (fantastic). It is less commercialised, so far, than Yoga, and doesn’t include the excessive back extensions and other moves that I find to be unacceptable in Yoga practice (for safety reasons, and long term lower back health).
What I would NOT want anyone to do is to think that Qigong, Tai-Chi, or Yoga (not even Power Yoga) are a substitute for the Gym. They aren’t. They are totally different. Both important, but different. You wouldn’t think you could turn in a paper about Shakespeare to your Math Instructor, would you? It wouldn’t work. You’d fail out of school.
Remember that life is about balance. So, do some kind of Mindfulness practice, whether it’s Yoga, Tai-Chi, some other kind of Qigong, or simply Meditation or learning to breath properly. And make sure you’re getting to the Gym. Balance the two and you will be rewarded. Focus on only one, and you will chase your tail.
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