On April 15th at the Cathedral in New York City, world-renown author Artemis Simopoulos, MD, lectured on the Mediterranean diet in memory of Dr. Demetrios Flessas. Dr. Simopoulos is the President of The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington, DC, and one of the first researchers to discover the virtues of ω-3 fatty acids through her studies of the diets of the Mediterranean peoples. Through the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, she and others conducted studies on the different Mediterranean diets, as well as Indian, Chinese, Western and other diets. She found that the diet of Greece, with its high amounts of ω-3 fatty acids, or “good fats” — as well as its excellent balance between the ω-3s and ω-6s — is the best of these diets. She is the author of several books, such as The Omega Diet: The Lifesaving Nutritional Program Based on the Diet of the Island of Crete, A Balanced Omega-6/ Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio, Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease), and Metabolic Control of Eating, Energy Expenditure and the Bioenergetics of Obesity and over 280 scientific papers. Having received her MD degree at the age of 23 from Boston University School of Medicine she was the youngest person to graduate from medical school in Massachusetts.
Dr. Simopoulos began with a slide of Hippocrates, who many centuries ago wrote about the importance of exercise combined with diet, genetics and a good home environment. She then talked about genotype, the environment and development producing phenotype, and presented the results of several studies on diet in easy-to-understand yet detailed graphs and charts. She focused on the importance of ω-3 fatty acids such as linolenic acid and the ratio of ω-6 fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, to ω-3 fatty acids. She stressed that, in Paleolithic times, people ate much more vegetables than today. In the diet then and in many vegetarian or eastern diets today, the ratio of ω-6:ω-3 fatty acids is close to 1:1. . Food production as we know it began about 10,000 years ago. Linoleic acid is plentiful in many vegetable oils, such as poppy seed, safflower, sunflower, and corn oils. The very healthy ω-3 fatty acids α-linolenic acid is found in vegetables common in Greek diet such as purslane, known as glystrida or antrahla in Greek [verify]. This is the eighth most commonly eaten wild plant in the world. Its ω-3 fatty acid content is much higher than spinach, red leaf lettuce and buttercrunch lettuce. Western diets are not as rich in this fatty acid as they used to be or as Mediterranean diets such as the Greek diet are today. Even when meat was incorporated into the diet, it did not include the chemicals and processing that we see today.
Genetics is not destiny through diet and exercise, we can get healthier. In fact, later in the lecture, she said that exercise induces different cellular pathways in the body than the aging process. She showed how, through the years, the consumption of Western diets high in fast food, red meat and processed foods that are often high in saturated fats and calories has increased through the years in the US and worldwide, and has been associated with diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and several cancers. The preferred diets by nutritionists are diets low in healthy fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, like those olive oil, and high in ω-6/ ω-3 fatty acids.
She went on to show several charts showing the ratio of ω-6: ω-3 fatty acids in various diets such as the Greek and Western diets. The Greek diet prior to 1960, which was closer to the authentic Greek diet, showed a higher percentage of ω-3 to ω-6 fatty acids as was the diet of Crete prior to 1960. Legumes such as lentils, “wild” vegetables know as “horta” in Greek, and fruits played and still play a huge role in keeping away heart disease and cancer. In recent years, fast food and snacks such as ham and cheese sandwiches have predominated in the Greek diet. As a matter of fact, Dr. Simopoulos stressed how much healthier and less full of saturated fats Greek cheeses such as feta and myzithra are compared to cheeses such as American and cheddar cheese. The Greek cheeses contain arachidonic (polyunsaturated ω-6 fatty acid), eicasopentaenoic (ω-3 fatty acid), docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic (ω -3 fatty acids), whereas US cheeses do not. The Indian diet in rural areas has an ω-6: ω-3 fatty acid ratio close to 5:1. However, in urban areas, perhaps because of the predominance of fast food and frying with ω-6–containing oils, the level of ω-6 fatty acid is much higher to that of ω-3 fatty acid. Another chart showed how people who ate diets high in polyunsaturated fats and fatty acids, such as those of Greenland Eskimos who ate a lot of fish fat, suffered from fewer incidences of cardiovascular deaths than those who ate other diets such as those in Europe and the United States. Moderate amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, were also found to prevent disease.
Livestock and poultry fed on grass instead of corn produce healthier milk, eggs, and meat because they contain ω -3’s. Feeding on these products, less common in Western diets, was associated with lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases and cancers. These products include pasta made from them.
In another study, Greek snails were found to have higher levels of ω-3 fatty acids than French snails.
Dr. Simopoulos advised that, in New York City, one can find purslane and other horta at the Union Square Farmer’s Market. She concluded with seven dietary guidelines of her book The Omega Diet published by Harper Collins:
The seven dietary guidelines of The Omega Diet
On the 5 to 8 of October 2010, Dr. Simopoulos will be in Ancient Olympia, Greece for the conference of the World Council on Genetics, Nutrition and Fitness for Health called “Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition and Healthy People”. For more information, visit http://ww.cgnh.net/wcgnfh/hahnhp
Friday, April 16, 2010
Childhood Obesity Soaring in Rural America -- Businessweek by Serena Gordon
(copied) FRIDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- In the past 35 years, the percentage of overweight or obese children in one Louisiana town has more than tripled, new research shows.
In the early 70s, fewer than one in six children (14.2 percent) in the town of Bogalusa was overweight or obese. By 2008-2009, almost half of the town's children and teens (48.4 percent) fell into those categories, according to a study in the April issue of Pediatrics.
The startling findings come on the heels of a more encouraging study, published in January in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), that found overweight and obesity rates across the United States appeared to finally be leveling off.
"These findings show that we still have a long way to go as a nation to get where we need to be with childhood obesity," said study author Stephanie Broyles, an assistant professor and epidemiologist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
"Our national goal was 5 percent for childhood obesity by 2010, and we're nowhere near that. This needs to remain a high priority," she said.
The JAMA study found that 16.9 percent of American children are obese.
In the current study, Broyles and her colleagues used data from the Bogalusa Heart Study, a long-term community-based study to assess the natural history and development of heart disease from childhood through adulthood. Bogalusa is a semi-rural town, according to the study.
At the start of the study in 1973, Bogalusa was a community of about 20,000 people, with 65 percent white and 35 percent black residents. In 2008-2009, the researchers found that the population had shrunk to about 13,000 people and was 57 percent white and 41 percent black.
Between the two study periods, the rates of overweight and obesity tripled in Bogalusa. The researchers didn't find any significant differences in the rates of overweight and obesity between the races. Data on family incomes and education levels weren't available.
Broyles pointed out that this study wasn't meant to single out Bogalusa, but to highlight a growing disparity between town and country. "Rural children may be more at risk for overweight and obesity," she said.
"In places like Bogalusa, you almost have a food desert. Access to whole wheat bread choices, fresh fruits and vegetables are typically more limited," she explained.
And, she said, she doesn't think Bogalusa is the only place experiencing unusually high levels of overweight and obesity in children.
Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, agreed that it's likely there are other areas of the country also experiencing substantially higher rates of childhood overweight and obesity. "What I'm hoping is that this study doesn't indicate that we have a growing dichotomy where a huge chunk of the country is getting better, but poorer, rural communities may be getting worse."
Although access to food and physical activity opportunities may be more limited in rural areas, Rao said parents shouldn't just resign themselves to having heavy kids. "There are a lot of things that families can do to reverse this problem. You're definitely more vulnerable because of your environment, but even in Bogalusa, not everyone is becoming overweight," he said.
Rao and Broyles recommended strategies such as limiting TV and computer time, encouraging physical activity and eating together as a family. They also recommended making healthier food choices whenever possible.
Broyles said that the communities and schools need to be involved, too. Schools need to offer healthy food choices and encourage physical activity. Communities can add sidewalks and parks and create safe places for kids to move around, she said.
"There many pieces to the puzzle," Broyles said. "It's not all on the shoulders of the parents. Schools have a role to play; the community has a role to play; and decision-makers and politicians have a role to play. Everyone needs to recognize that this is a really important problem."
More information
For more on overweight and obesity in children, including prevention advice, visit Nemours Foundation's KidsHealth.
SOURCES: Stephanie Broyles, Ph.D., assistant professor and epidemiologist, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La.; Goutham Rao, M.D., clinical director, Weight Management and Wellness Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; April 2010 Pediatrics
In the early 70s, fewer than one in six children (14.2 percent) in the town of Bogalusa was overweight or obese. By 2008-2009, almost half of the town's children and teens (48.4 percent) fell into those categories, according to a study in the April issue of Pediatrics.
The startling findings come on the heels of a more encouraging study, published in January in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), that found overweight and obesity rates across the United States appeared to finally be leveling off.
"These findings show that we still have a long way to go as a nation to get where we need to be with childhood obesity," said study author Stephanie Broyles, an assistant professor and epidemiologist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
"Our national goal was 5 percent for childhood obesity by 2010, and we're nowhere near that. This needs to remain a high priority," she said.
The JAMA study found that 16.9 percent of American children are obese.
In the current study, Broyles and her colleagues used data from the Bogalusa Heart Study, a long-term community-based study to assess the natural history and development of heart disease from childhood through adulthood. Bogalusa is a semi-rural town, according to the study.
At the start of the study in 1973, Bogalusa was a community of about 20,000 people, with 65 percent white and 35 percent black residents. In 2008-2009, the researchers found that the population had shrunk to about 13,000 people and was 57 percent white and 41 percent black.
Between the two study periods, the rates of overweight and obesity tripled in Bogalusa. The researchers didn't find any significant differences in the rates of overweight and obesity between the races. Data on family incomes and education levels weren't available.
Broyles pointed out that this study wasn't meant to single out Bogalusa, but to highlight a growing disparity between town and country. "Rural children may be more at risk for overweight and obesity," she said.
"In places like Bogalusa, you almost have a food desert. Access to whole wheat bread choices, fresh fruits and vegetables are typically more limited," she explained.
And, she said, she doesn't think Bogalusa is the only place experiencing unusually high levels of overweight and obesity in children.
Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, agreed that it's likely there are other areas of the country also experiencing substantially higher rates of childhood overweight and obesity. "What I'm hoping is that this study doesn't indicate that we have a growing dichotomy where a huge chunk of the country is getting better, but poorer, rural communities may be getting worse."
Although access to food and physical activity opportunities may be more limited in rural areas, Rao said parents shouldn't just resign themselves to having heavy kids. "There are a lot of things that families can do to reverse this problem. You're definitely more vulnerable because of your environment, but even in Bogalusa, not everyone is becoming overweight," he said.
Rao and Broyles recommended strategies such as limiting TV and computer time, encouraging physical activity and eating together as a family. They also recommended making healthier food choices whenever possible.
Broyles said that the communities and schools need to be involved, too. Schools need to offer healthy food choices and encourage physical activity. Communities can add sidewalks and parks and create safe places for kids to move around, she said.
"There many pieces to the puzzle," Broyles said. "It's not all on the shoulders of the parents. Schools have a role to play; the community has a role to play; and decision-makers and politicians have a role to play. Everyone needs to recognize that this is a really important problem."
More information
For more on overweight and obesity in children, including prevention advice, visit Nemours Foundation's KidsHealth.
SOURCES: Stephanie Broyles, Ph.D., assistant professor and epidemiologist, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La.; Goutham Rao, M.D., clinical director, Weight Management and Wellness Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; April 2010 Pediatrics
New Study on Women and Fat
A new study by neuroscientist Mark Allen and colleagues at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah shows that regular weight women who looked at fat images and probably pictured themselves as fat have a spike in brain activity in the same area that anorexic women have when they picture themselves overweight. This may be due to anxiety stemming from society pressure and media images to be thin. Men do not have a similar spike in brain images, except for male body builders, who had similar activity as bulimic women. The spike of activity was in the brain region known as the medial prefrontal cortex, thought to be involved in self-reflection and evaluation of self-worth.
New studies would need to include overweight people. They may see a spike when seeing thin images or asked to picture themselves thin.
To read more, see http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/allwomenworryaboutgettingfatstudysuggests
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
New studies would need to include overweight people. They may see a spike when seeing thin images or asked to picture themselves thin.
To read more, see http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/allwomenworryaboutgettingfatstudysuggests
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Hamstrings with Swiss Ball
Lie down on a mat. Place your arms where comfortable. Bend your knees. Put your right ankle on top of a Swiss ball. Keep your other foot on the floor. Using your right ankle, bring the Swiss ball toward and away from you. Repeat for five sets of the repetitions. Repeat for the other leg. To make the exercise harder, lift your legs from the mat throughout each set.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories .
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories .
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Report (AHRQ) on Health Disparities
(Copied from email) AHRQ's annual quality and disparities reports, which are mandated by Congress, were first published in 2003. The reports show trends by measuring health care quality for the nation using a group of credible core measures. The data are based on more than 200 health care measures categorized in four areas of quality: effectiveness, patient safety, timeliness, and patient-centeredness.
The 2009 reports include a new section on lifestyle modifications, because preventing or reducing obesity is a crucial goal for many Americans and an important task for health care providers.
The reports found:
One-third of obese adults have never received advice from their doctor about exercise.
Obese adults who are black, Hispanic, poor or have less than a high school education are less likely to receive diet advice from their doctor.
Most overweight children and one-third of obese adults report that they have not been told by their doctor that they are overweight.
Most American children have never received counseling from their health care provider about exercise, and almost half have never received counseling about healthy eating.
The reports indicate that the lack of health insurance slows improvement in health care quality and reduction of disparities. For many services, not having insurance is the single strongest predictor of poor quality care, exceeding the effects of race, ethnicity, income or education.
Americans with no insurance are much less likely than those with private insurance to obtain recommended care, especially preventive services and management for diabetes. While differences between blacks and whites in the rates of lack of insurance have narrowed in the past decade, disparities related to ethnicity, income and education remain large.
The quality and disparities reports are available online at http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qrdr09.htm, by calling 1-800-358-9295, or by sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.
For more information, please contact AHRQ Public Affairs: (301) 427-1855 or (301) 427-1244.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
The 2009 reports include a new section on lifestyle modifications, because preventing or reducing obesity is a crucial goal for many Americans and an important task for health care providers.
The reports found:
One-third of obese adults have never received advice from their doctor about exercise.
Obese adults who are black, Hispanic, poor or have less than a high school education are less likely to receive diet advice from their doctor.
Most overweight children and one-third of obese adults report that they have not been told by their doctor that they are overweight.
Most American children have never received counseling from their health care provider about exercise, and almost half have never received counseling about healthy eating.
The reports indicate that the lack of health insurance slows improvement in health care quality and reduction of disparities. For many services, not having insurance is the single strongest predictor of poor quality care, exceeding the effects of race, ethnicity, income or education.
Americans with no insurance are much less likely than those with private insurance to obtain recommended care, especially preventive services and management for diabetes. While differences between blacks and whites in the rates of lack of insurance have narrowed in the past decade, disparities related to ethnicity, income and education remain large.
The quality and disparities reports are available online at http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qrdr09.htm, by calling 1-800-358-9295, or by sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.
For more information, please contact AHRQ Public Affairs: (301) 427-1855 or (301) 427-1244.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
LKB1/AMPK Tumor Suppressor Pathway Controls Cell Growth and Metabolism
Also speaking yesterday at the biology-chemistry meeting at the New York Academy of Science was Dr. Reuben Shaw of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He showed his work which points to one tumor suppressor pathway's link to metabolism. This is very interesting work: metabolic genetic types or disease or even food may be linked to cancer. This would add to disease prevention and treatment. You can look up in a textbook or online what a tumor suppressor pathway is. There are several of them. As you probably know, tumor growth is a result of non-regulation of cell growth. Usually, apoptotic molecular cell reactions guide a cell to its programmed cell death. these reactions are triggered by chain of events down to DNA. Transcriptions factors and cofactors bind to DNA and regulate if a gene will be transcribed (copied) or not. Genes express amino acids which in turn make proteins which in turn, as enzymes or regular proteins, drive reactions. For instance, transcription factors determine whether the protein 53(p53) gene, which encodes the p53 protein, will be transcribed and how often. This is a tumor-suppressor protein, as other ones are. It regulates cell growth and apoptosis and conserves genetic stability by preventing genome mutation, which may lead to cancer.
Serine/threonine kinase 11(LKB1) is a protein kinase. It modifies other proteins by adding phosphate groups to them, rendering them active or inactive, largely because their three-dimensional structures is changed, allowing them to fit or not on cellular substrates. In the familial cancer Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PDS) and 30 percent of cases of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), this gene is mutated. Loss of its function in genetically-engineered mice leads to tumor formation or metabolic disease. Metformin, a generic drug widely used to treat diabetes, lowers blood glucose through the LKB1-AMPK pathway in the liver. Dr. Shaw is investigating the pathway to further understand the molecular basis behind these reactions. 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is involved in regulating glucose, cholesterol and lipid metabolism in specialized metabolic tissues, such as the liver, muscle and adipose tissue.
Dr. Shaw has found the protein kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) to be involved. AMPK phosphorylates the substrate of mTOR, allowing for mTOR to be inhibited and apoptosis to happen, thus preventing cancer. These steps are also involved in the transcriptional control of glucose metabolism.
Look up Dr. Shaw on www.pubmed.gov!
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Serine/threonine kinase 11(LKB1) is a protein kinase. It modifies other proteins by adding phosphate groups to them, rendering them active or inactive, largely because their three-dimensional structures is changed, allowing them to fit or not on cellular substrates. In the familial cancer Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PDS) and 30 percent of cases of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), this gene is mutated. Loss of its function in genetically-engineered mice leads to tumor formation or metabolic disease. Metformin, a generic drug widely used to treat diabetes, lowers blood glucose through the LKB1-AMPK pathway in the liver. Dr. Shaw is investigating the pathway to further understand the molecular basis behind these reactions. 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is involved in regulating glucose, cholesterol and lipid metabolism in specialized metabolic tissues, such as the liver, muscle and adipose tissue.
Dr. Shaw has found the protein kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) to be involved. AMPK phosphorylates the substrate of mTOR, allowing for mTOR to be inhibited and apoptosis to happen, thus preventing cancer. These steps are also involved in the transcriptional control of glucose metabolism.
Look up Dr. Shaw on www.pubmed.gov!
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Monday, April 12, 2010
L-Carnitine, Insulin Resistance and Metabolism
I went to a wonderful event at the New York Academy of Sciences about metabolism and cancer. The molecular pathways shown were complex for this blog. I will highlilght briefly what Deborah Muoio, professor of metabolism and exercise physiology at Duke Unviersity had to say. She spoke about pathways in the amino acid L-Carnitine, which is used ot shuttle fat molecules into the mitochondria to be metabolized. I believed I had a blog spot about it here. There is an
article on it on the Web site www.louizapatsis.com. She said that there is no conclusive evident in human beings or animals that L-Carnitine burns fat. However, when I used it for a few months, it made me sweat and helped in losing weight when I wanted to be a size 2 or 6. I would barely used over-the-counter nutritional substances. I As I have written, they are not needed for the average person., are not regulated usually, and are not good in the long term, usually. She is finding evidence that L-Carnitine increases the amounts of acetyl-CoA, which in turn increases glucose oxidation. This is the opposite to glucose intolerance found in adult-onset diabetes, which is a big problem in this country. L-Carnitine decreases with age and in obesity.
She hopes that future research will find mechanisms through which exercise enhances mitochondrial function. lipid tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and DNA studies to examine the impact of diet and/or exercise on metabolic regulation and mitochondrial function in muscle. You can find articles by her on www.pubmed.gov.
Here is one abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19553674.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
article on it on the Web site www.louizapatsis.com. She said that there is no conclusive evident in human beings or animals that L-Carnitine burns fat. However, when I used it for a few months, it made me sweat and helped in losing weight when I wanted to be a size 2 or 6. I would barely used over-the-counter nutritional substances. I As I have written, they are not needed for the average person., are not regulated usually, and are not good in the long term, usually. She is finding evidence that L-Carnitine increases the amounts of acetyl-CoA, which in turn increases glucose oxidation. This is the opposite to glucose intolerance found in adult-onset diabetes, which is a big problem in this country. L-Carnitine decreases with age and in obesity.
She hopes that future research will find mechanisms through which exercise enhances mitochondrial function. lipid tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and DNA studies to examine the impact of diet and/or exercise on metabolic regulation and mitochondrial function in muscle. You can find articles by her on www.pubmed.gov.
Here is one abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19553674.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Obliques on the Mat
Here is a variation on obliques. Lie on your left side. Crunch sideways up while at the same time bringing your bent legs u. On leg rests on top of the other. Keep your hands behind your head, elbows "open". Face forward. Imagine your right elbows trying to touch your right ankle. Repeat for four sets of ten repetitions. Repeat while lying on your right side for your left oblique.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Crab
Walk sideways like a crab while keeping your back as straight as possible and as low to the floor as possible like your hips. This is a moving abdominal plank position. Does it seem simple? Try it. Go across the room several times. The take a warm bubble bath to relax your sore muscles! This move is sometimes used in boot camp classes.
Do you want a tougher workout? Speed it up!
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Do you want a tougher workout? Speed it up!
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wealth of Online Health Information
Much health information can be found online. We take this free massive amount of information for granted. If we have a quick question that does not involve illness or risk, we can look online. For health and science in formation, we must make sure that the Web sites have authority control. this means that they have been written by and-or peer reviewed by physicians, scientists, nurses, physical therapists and others who know what they are talking about. (Different Strokes: Whatcha talking about, Willis?) Now, some sites with no authority control, like Wikipedia, have been shown to be overall reliable. This must be "look good" patrol, but that's another blog post. Other Web sites, such as WebMD, Livestrong, Yahoo Health, etc., cannot be relied upon alone. Often they are written by writers who are not educated or experienced science writers who have referenced articles. Use your common sense to see if the source of the data is reliable.
Some good health Web sites are: www.pubmed.gov, www.cdc.gov, www.who.int, www.aarp.org and www.mayoclinic.org. As with physicians, get a second opinion.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Some good health Web sites are: www.pubmed.gov, www.cdc.gov, www.who.int, www.aarp.org and www.mayoclinic.org. As with physicians, get a second opinion.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Get a Partner
Many people have partners for jogging or swimming. Partners are good for motivation, accountability and to keep from getting bored. I personally do not get bored exercising. I am in the zone, I get creative, I think of kicking butt (my own or others', or I can read or watch television on cardiovascular equipment. But there is nothing wrong with having a patner. Just make sure to breath well and deeply if you are talking.
You can of course shoot some hoops, do calisthenics, run an obstacle course, dance, and more. Use your imagination.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
You can of course shoot some hoops, do calisthenics, run an obstacle course, dance, and more. Use your imagination.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Lunge and Lift
Here's an advanced variation of the lunge:
Lunge with your right leg forward and, after you stand in the starting position, bring up your right leg, still bent 90 degrees, over the floor, thigh parallel to the floor. Your back is straight. You can also hold this for three seconds. Now repeat after you lunge with your left leg forward. For a harder exercise, jump up after you thigh is parallel to the floor. Do one set of ten repetitions until you can do more.
For standard lunges, search this blog.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Lunge with your right leg forward and, after you stand in the starting position, bring up your right leg, still bent 90 degrees, over the floor, thigh parallel to the floor. Your back is straight. You can also hold this for three seconds. Now repeat after you lunge with your left leg forward. For a harder exercise, jump up after you thigh is parallel to the floor. Do one set of ten repetitions until you can do more.
For standard lunges, search this blog.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Chocolate on Oprah Magazine
I have written a blog post weeks ago on the antioxidant benefits of dark chocolate. I love reading O, the Oprah Magazine. She had a small article in about the benefits of dark chocolate. The writer wrote that years ago studies came out on dark chocolate's benefits against heart disease and cancer. Do a www.pubmed.gov search for abstracts or www.pubmedcentral.gov search for full text articles. Now a new study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology claims that dark chocolate protects from sun damage due to sun exposure. Cacao is the important ingredient, according to Joe Vinson, Ph.D., one of the study's writers and a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton. It is best to eat a little thorughout the day, like dark chocolate tasting squares that many companies have. Dark chocolate may avoid one or two facials and save money too! I like it!
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Waist to Hip Ratio
First, calculate your waist to hip ratio. Measure your waist at its smallest circumference. Measure your hips-buttocks at the largest circumference. Use the same measurement, centimeters or inches, for both. Divide the waist measure by the hip measure. The ratio 0.80 and below is healthy for women.
According to the AAFP, a small waist to hip ratio is an even better predictor of health than BMI. Women naturally have more fat than men or female primates. Abdominal fat for both me and women is more dangerous than hip fat. A 2008 study showed that lower body fat may even be healthy.
William D. Lassek of the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh and Stephen J. C. Galli of department of Anthropology, University of California at Santa Barbara conducted a study in 2008 about the waist to hip ratio. They concluded that women with a waist to hip ratio of about .70 are not only more attractive to men, they may be a bit smarter than women with a smaller waist to hip ratio. The study, which included more than 16,000 women aged 18 to 90 years between 1988 and 1994, is inconclusive. However, scientists pointed out again that excess waist fat is more dangerous than fat on legs and hips. Waist fat tends to contain omega-six fatty acids such as linoleic acid that may lead to inflammation. Leg and hip fat tends to be composed of omega three fatty acids, which are healthier. Omega six fatty acids have been linked to depression. A 1991 University of Pittsburgh study showed that a larger waist compared to the hips in middle-aged women was associated with cardiovascular risk such as smoking, low exercise levels, weight gain during adulthood, and higher caloric intake, and with anxiety and anger.
Some information for this blog post was obtained from http://www.e-healthcaresolutions.com/AAFP/dell-afp-0210-inter.php?url=http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0601/p2046a.html and http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/papers/whrlassekgaulin2008.pdf.
Here is a chart form http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/waist-to-hip-ratio-chart.php.
Male Female Health Risk Based Solely on WHR
0.95 or below 0.80 or below Low Risk
0.96 to 1.0 0.81 to 0.85 Moderate Risk
1.0+ 0.85+ High Risk
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
According to the AAFP, a small waist to hip ratio is an even better predictor of health than BMI. Women naturally have more fat than men or female primates. Abdominal fat for both me and women is more dangerous than hip fat. A 2008 study showed that lower body fat may even be healthy.
William D. Lassek of the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh and Stephen J. C. Galli of department of Anthropology, University of California at Santa Barbara conducted a study in 2008 about the waist to hip ratio. They concluded that women with a waist to hip ratio of about .70 are not only more attractive to men, they may be a bit smarter than women with a smaller waist to hip ratio. The study, which included more than 16,000 women aged 18 to 90 years between 1988 and 1994, is inconclusive. However, scientists pointed out again that excess waist fat is more dangerous than fat on legs and hips. Waist fat tends to contain omega-six fatty acids such as linoleic acid that may lead to inflammation. Leg and hip fat tends to be composed of omega three fatty acids, which are healthier. Omega six fatty acids have been linked to depression. A 1991 University of Pittsburgh study showed that a larger waist compared to the hips in middle-aged women was associated with cardiovascular risk such as smoking, low exercise levels, weight gain during adulthood, and higher caloric intake, and with anxiety and anger.
Some information for this blog post was obtained from http://www.e-healthcaresolutions.com/AAFP/dell-afp-0210-inter.php?url=http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0601/p2046a.html and http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/papers/whrlassekgaulin2008.pdf.
Here is a chart form http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/waist-to-hip-ratio-chart.php.
Male Female Health Risk Based Solely on WHR
0.95 or below 0.80 or below Low Risk
0.96 to 1.0 0.81 to 0.85 Moderate Risk
1.0+ 0.85+ High Risk
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Film Food Inc.
I watched the film Food Inc. yesterday on DVD. It was very good. I thought it would be more compelling. However, the slaughter of the chickens and cows with feces were bad enough. I really felt bad for the animals. I have not been able to be a vegetarian. I also think one can have some processed foods and fats in balance and while thinking healthy and exercising. I believe that there is a dilemma with keeping food cheap and making a profit and having all farms be organic.
There must be more competition in companies that produce food. Farmers should be able to speak up without spending enormous amounts on legal help Mosanto should not control seeds, as is claimed in the film. I loved the commitment to integrity and accountability of the organic farmer.
I am not sure about genetically engineered food being bad for you necessarily. Some may be good. I think genetic medicine in the future can be beneficial. I would need to know about each molecule.
I cannot believe that farmers often go to debt opening $500,000 hen houses to make $18,000.00 a year. According to the film, this is how large corporations control them. I also cannot believe a lady who lost her so due to Escherchia coli cannot say what diet changes she has made because she is afraid of being sued by a large corporation.
A major point was how less healthy food like McDonald's hamburgers can be cheaper than vegetables at the market. One cannot feel full on one or two fruits and vegetables for hours as they can with a McDonald's meal, let's say. A Hispanic family needed to choose between buying healthy groceries and spending money on the Dad's needed prescribed drugs each month.
There is a glimmer of hope in that we can use the power of the purse as consumers, as many did with tobacco, to send a message to governments and corporations.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
There must be more competition in companies that produce food. Farmers should be able to speak up without spending enormous amounts on legal help Mosanto should not control seeds, as is claimed in the film. I loved the commitment to integrity and accountability of the organic farmer.
I am not sure about genetically engineered food being bad for you necessarily. Some may be good. I think genetic medicine in the future can be beneficial. I would need to know about each molecule.
I cannot believe that farmers often go to debt opening $500,000 hen houses to make $18,000.00 a year. According to the film, this is how large corporations control them. I also cannot believe a lady who lost her so due to Escherchia coli cannot say what diet changes she has made because she is afraid of being sued by a large corporation.
A major point was how less healthy food like McDonald's hamburgers can be cheaper than vegetables at the market. One cannot feel full on one or two fruits and vegetables for hours as they can with a McDonald's meal, let's say. A Hispanic family needed to choose between buying healthy groceries and spending money on the Dad's needed prescribed drugs each month.
There is a glimmer of hope in that we can use the power of the purse as consumers, as many did with tobacco, to send a message to governments and corporations.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
New York Times Article of 3.14.2010 The Obesity-Hunger Paradox
There is a wonderful article in the Metropolitan section of the New York Times linking obesity to not having enough food to eat. The Bronx is the poorest county of New York State. Many there are obese and report not having enough money to buy food to eat. According to one poll, 37 percent of Bronx residents polled reported not having enough money to buy food in the past 12 months. Many residents rely on food stamps. Triada Stamps of the Food Bank of New York City said that the following factors are interconnected: obesity, diabetes, poor access to grocery stores, poverty rates, unemployment and hunger measures.
The author Sam Dolnick writes that a predominance of fast food neighborhood restaurants and a lack of education are two leading factors for this obesity. Mr. Dolnick quotes Mr. Berg, the author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?: "When you're just trying to get your calorie intake, you're going to get what fills your belly".
I recommend reading the article and doing more research on this. The New York Times is carried in all or most libraries. Tour your neighborhood grocery and restaurant stores to see what food bargains you can find that are healthy. Do your own cooking several days a week.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
The author Sam Dolnick writes that a predominance of fast food neighborhood restaurants and a lack of education are two leading factors for this obesity. Mr. Dolnick quotes Mr. Berg, the author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?: "When you're just trying to get your calorie intake, you're going to get what fills your belly".
I recommend reading the article and doing more research on this. The New York Times is carried in all or most libraries. Tour your neighborhood grocery and restaurant stores to see what food bargains you can find that are healthy. Do your own cooking several days a week.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Metro New York Article on Smoking
I read a great article today in Metro New York, and perhaps in other Metros, summarizing the effects of smoking. I smoke a little. Two things popped out the most for me -- skin effects and fertility effects.
Here is a summary:
Lungs: Paralyzes ciliary hairs that clean out the lungs. About 70 percent of tar sticks to the lungs ad kills healthy cells. It's the same tar used in road paving.
Heart: Your heart beats a extra 36,000 beats per day. Arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat can result.
Blood: Carbon monoxide takes the place of oxygen in blood, which is therefore less oxygenated. Less oxygen is available to cells. If you exercise, this is especially not good.
Blood Pressure: Increases blood vessel constriction and raised blood pressure 10 percent to 15 percent, increasing the risk for heart attack or stroke.
Brain: The brain endorses endorphins, making you feel good when you smoke.
Teeth: They get stained from nicotine and tar.
Nose and tongue: The senses of smell and taste fade.
Skin: Because of decreased oxygen levels, premature aging may occur.
Fertility: Women -- Heavy smokers show a 43 percent decline in fertility.
Men -- Male smokers may have a lower sperm count, altered sperm shape and erectile problems.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Here is a summary:
Lungs: Paralyzes ciliary hairs that clean out the lungs. About 70 percent of tar sticks to the lungs ad kills healthy cells. It's the same tar used in road paving.
Heart: Your heart beats a extra 36,000 beats per day. Arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat can result.
Blood: Carbon monoxide takes the place of oxygen in blood, which is therefore less oxygenated. Less oxygen is available to cells. If you exercise, this is especially not good.
Blood Pressure: Increases blood vessel constriction and raised blood pressure 10 percent to 15 percent, increasing the risk for heart attack or stroke.
Brain: The brain endorses endorphins, making you feel good when you smoke.
Teeth: They get stained from nicotine and tar.
Nose and tongue: The senses of smell and taste fade.
Skin: Because of decreased oxygen levels, premature aging may occur.
Fertility: Women -- Heavy smokers show a 43 percent decline in fertility.
Men -- Male smokers may have a lower sperm count, altered sperm shape and erectile problems.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Should People Take Nutrition Supplements?
This is one of my comments from a discussion on LinkedIn Group Fitness and Wellness Professionals. I can add to it but won't for now.
Insiders like pharmacists or doctors can cite more studies, probably on either side. I won't spend a lot more time on this. The supplement biz is a biz just like pharma is. There are "good and bad" people everywhere. Some pharma companies have really smart people turning out drugs that save lives. And some drugs have may side effects that can harm or kill. And some people that don't need to take them take them, when more can learn about the mind-body connection, meditating, etc. Some people try to get away with things like working around regulation. [Again, if pharma people do it, supplement ones can too.] You can see two sides in almost anything. For the most part, I'd bet that unless one is sick, pregnant, old, going through extreme training or competition, etc., a daily good diet will take care of what they need. Many vitamins and minerals are water-soluble, which means you get rid of them in the bathroom, and high amounts of the fat-soluble ones are not good.
A good resource is www.pubmed.gov. Here are two articles. There are more that can be found on "both sides" I am sure. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15229713
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15035689 ("not enough studies")
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19584605
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19960886 (supplements alter chemistry; deaths found)
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Insiders like pharmacists or doctors can cite more studies, probably on either side. I won't spend a lot more time on this. The supplement biz is a biz just like pharma is. There are "good and bad" people everywhere. Some pharma companies have really smart people turning out drugs that save lives. And some drugs have may side effects that can harm or kill. And some people that don't need to take them take them, when more can learn about the mind-body connection, meditating, etc. Some people try to get away with things like working around regulation. [Again, if pharma people do it, supplement ones can too.] You can see two sides in almost anything. For the most part, I'd bet that unless one is sick, pregnant, old, going through extreme training or competition, etc., a daily good diet will take care of what they need. Many vitamins and minerals are water-soluble, which means you get rid of them in the bathroom, and high amounts of the fat-soluble ones are not good.
A good resource is www.pubmed.gov. Here are two articles. There are more that can be found on "both sides" I am sure. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15229713
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15035689 ("not enough studies")
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19584605
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19960886 (supplements alter chemistry; deaths found)
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Cover of New York Magazine: Woman of the Hourglass
I was going to ask the dentist for 20% off and he gave me 40% without my asking! In his office I saw the cover of New York on voluptuous being back. The beautiful voluptuous redhead bombshell Christina Hendricks is on the cover with the story: Woman of the Hourglass. It is my commitment that not only will there be less obese in this country and that people will learn that exercise is fun, but that there will be a shift in fashion and media away from the often prevalent fat phobia and idea you must be thin or have all your muscles showing to be fit. Although beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, I do prefer the balance of thin, curves and muscles, and that, if you ask most doctors, is most healthy. I think different images can be used, but it would not hurt some health magazines editors and designers to show an athletically fit woman who actually has some fat (over 20%) and is not either a rail, nor has all muscles showing due to very low body fat. Most dangerous fat is around the waist, but some think that healthy breasts and hips mean fat. (See other sections on recent scientific studies.)
I cannot vouch for Ms. Hendrick’s fitness. I have my ideas as a trained eye, but did not take her body fat percent or BMI. But I can say some of what the writer wrote I could have written myself, and it is quite funny. Here are some quotes by Amy Larocca.
Unfortunately, some images from the same magazine, like on page 40, 105 and 115, show emaciated figures, like in some refugee camps. Call the UN!
“But lately there have also been baby steps take toward the (unfortunately) radical idea that looking good need not involve so much rejection of the naturally occurring female shape.” I add: what estrogen does naturally.
“But too often the size discussion becomes almost grotesque, as if the only alternative to being as lean as a skinless Perdue chicken breast is to veer wildly (and unhealthily) in the opposite direction (Gabourey Sidibe, Beth Ditto). One can’t help wonder if the fashion world’s obsession with those two women, both of whom deserve prominent coverage for their talent first and foremost, isn’t in some sense overcompensation, an attempt to atone for the terribly thin models who still hold sway everywhere. Either way, it becomes a game of extremism.” (Bravo) “It is perhaps ironic that Hendricks actually started out as a model—catalogues, mostly, but there was one season on the London runway that ended when her agent said, “Darling, did your boobs grow?” (One imagines that future seasons might see the question posed in the opposite direction.)” LOL
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
I cannot vouch for Ms. Hendrick’s fitness. I have my ideas as a trained eye, but did not take her body fat percent or BMI. But I can say some of what the writer wrote I could have written myself, and it is quite funny. Here are some quotes by Amy Larocca.
Unfortunately, some images from the same magazine, like on page 40, 105 and 115, show emaciated figures, like in some refugee camps. Call the UN!
“But lately there have also been baby steps take toward the (unfortunately) radical idea that looking good need not involve so much rejection of the naturally occurring female shape.” I add: what estrogen does naturally.
“But too often the size discussion becomes almost grotesque, as if the only alternative to being as lean as a skinless Perdue chicken breast is to veer wildly (and unhealthily) in the opposite direction (Gabourey Sidibe, Beth Ditto). One can’t help wonder if the fashion world’s obsession with those two women, both of whom deserve prominent coverage for their talent first and foremost, isn’t in some sense overcompensation, an attempt to atone for the terribly thin models who still hold sway everywhere. Either way, it becomes a game of extremism.” (Bravo) “It is perhaps ironic that Hendricks actually started out as a model—catalogues, mostly, but there was one season on the London runway that ended when her agent said, “Darling, did your boobs grow?” (One imagines that future seasons might see the question posed in the opposite direction.)” LOL
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Bar and Bosu Ball for Pectoralis Muscles
Grab a bar that gives you a good workout and is doable for four sets of the repetitions. Do five if you are a man. This is a difficult exercise. Assume a push up position. Place the bar on the center of the Bosu Ball. Do your push ups. You will be using up lots of balance and strength just to stay on the Bosu Ball. If you are a beginner, you may only be able to do one or a few repetitions. That is fine. Go at your own pace.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
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