Anti-aging tips: The 40 year old way to exercise

I recently started playing flag football in an adult sports league and have quickly learned that my body does not recover as easily as it used to. While I do exercise regularly, these specific type of "quick" movements did quite the number on my body in the days following the first game. 

The problem that most people my age experience is the loss of muscle mass, a problem that gradually increases each year. What does this exactly mean? Basically, that your body is unable to burn as many calories during activity and rest. This also has a direct effect on how the body will shift from muscle to fat. 

Now, even though I consider myself to be in really good shape, why would someone like me get so sore after a 60 minute pick-up game (Other than the fact I tried to put on my best Jerry Rice impersonation)?

The way that I and most people exercise is that way that we have been taught for years (Cardio for 20-45 minutes, upper body day, lower body day, etc, etc.). This type of exercise uses "short fiber muscles" (more on this in a moment) and while this is definitely important, it is also essential that we do get in some peak fitness exercises. I was first introduced to this form of exercise by Dr. Joseph Mercola who runs the website mercola.com

Peak fitness exercises is one of the only exercises that can increase human growth hormone(HGH), which is vital for our overall health and our longevity. After age 40, HGH levels will decrease if the proper steps are not taken. The physiology behind this involves our muscle fibers (slow, fast and super fast) and to increase the HGH levels in our bodies, we must use the super fast fibers. 

This is where peak fitness exercises come in. To utilize the super fast muscles, "burst" exercises are performed. This involves short segments (30 seconds) at a very high intensity rate (recumbent bike or treadmill is best) followed by a period of rest (90 seconds ). Now the number of times or repetitions will depend on your fitness level. If you are not used to working out, it is probably best to start out with 3 or 4 repetitions of this cycle and gradually work your way up to 8 total repetitions. 

So, just to break it down for you: 3 minutes of a warm-up, followed by a 30 second burst of high intensity pedaling, followed by 90 seconds of recovery. Do this 3-8 more times, again, depending on your fitness levels. Finish off with a cool down period of 2 minutes.  If you are able to do this 8 times, then this workout should take about 20 minutes.

Besides the enormous benefit of increasing your HGH levels as stated above, the other major effect of this type of exercise is it's fat burning capabilities. If you have had trouble burning off that mid portion of your belly or the flab on your sides, you owe it to yourself to at least explore and research this increasingly popular form of exercise.

In closing, while I would never deter you from doing your regular exercise, this might be a nice little spice to add to your routine. Additionally, Dr. Mercola advises to do this type of exercise only 1-2 times per week to prevent "burn out". 

It is also very important to add strength training to your routine because,remember, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn which will eventually cut down fat stores.

Since I have added this to my weekly workouts, I have noticed more endurance with my swimming and jogging workouts, more overall strength and less soreness after trying to re-live my football playing days :)

Children, diets and medication

I had a patient come to me recently for advice on her 8 year old daughter, who had been diagnosed with acid reflux and put on a strong regimen of prescription medications by her pediatrician. Additionally, her teacher suggested that she may have a hyperactivity problem and be "attention deficit".

Today, parents are being hoodwinked into the mainstream thinking that their kids could benefit from medications. In fact, a recent study done by Medco Health Solutions revealed that 1 in 4 insured children in the U.S. are taking prescription medication for a chronic health problem! For kids 10-19, the figure goes up even higher to 30%.

Some other staggering facts:

-girls aged 10-19 taking medications for type 2 diabetes has increased 200% since 2001

-medications for acid reflux and heartburn has jumped 147% since 2001 for adolescents.

-asthma and allergy medications have tripled in usage for kids 6-18

But if those numbers do not concern you too much, more than likely these will: In the year 2007 alone, half a million children and teenagers were given at least one prescription for an antipsychotic drug! This includes approximately 20,000 kids under the age of 6! These drugs are being handed out for symptoms of depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorder. These same drugs are given to adults for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Some common side effects with these types of medications include drowsiness, fatigue, increased appetite, upper respiratory tract infection, vomiting, coughing, fever, tremors, dizziness and urinary incontinence.

And you wonder why you have gone through 15 different babysitters in the past year!

On a more serious note, major side effects from these medications include permanent muscle tics, hormone disruption, high blood sugar leading to diabetes and sometimes even death.

As a parent or guardian, it's important to realize that the leading diseases today are diet related, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and yes, even cancer. To take a prescription medication for a lifestyle related condition can turn disastrous--it is not going to help your child in the long run and probably going to lead to harmful side effects.

So other than being a healthy role model for your child, what else can you possibly do? Here are a few starting tips:

-Start with breastfeeding (if applicable, of course) and avoid baby formulas as much as possible, especially soy formulas.

-Take a close look at your child's diet: Avoiding sugar and pasteurized dairy are great starts

-Get your child active. Get them outside at least 30 minutes per day for some form of exercise

-Toss out the electronics! That's right, I said it! Okay, let's be realistic..how about limiting computer, TV and video game use to only  1-2 hours per week. It CAN be done.  30 % of US children are considered overweight!

-Research vaccinations: Very sensitive topic but please do your due diligence on this.

-Avoid antibiotics and over-the-counter medications: Usually riddled with chemicals and toxins, your child's immune system needs to develop properly and treating a fever with this junk just suppresses the normal functioning immunity. The only time it may be needed is if a fever reaches 104 degrees or higher.

Don't follow this disturbing trend if your child's doctor is recommending a medication. Do the proper research and arm yourself with the proper questions before you take part in this. If your child is already on a medication, then you owe it to yourself and your child to take the proper steps in guiding them to live a natural lifestyle and not become dependent on any medication.

How diet and exercise influences your arthritis pain

Now that I am in my "early" forties, I am starting to experience the aches and pains that I have often heard from my patients over the years. While mine are minimal, for others the chronic inflammation of arthritic pain can be overwhelming and downright restricting.

I am definitely not big on prescription medications, unless absolutely necessary. So what other alternatives are there? 

Diet is probably the first thing that you need to look at followed closely by your exercise routine.

Hopefully by following these guidelines, you can begin your path in seeing significant changes in your pain and stiffness in as little as six weeks:

Eat spices and herbs: these are powerful antioxidants which help with reducing inflammation.  

Ginger is an extremely potent and powerful spice that has huge anti-inflammatory properties, as well as a strong antioxidant and immune system booster.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, garlic, turmeric, rosemary and basil are some other very important ingredients that can have a profound effect on the joint pain that comes with arthritis.  

Omega-3 fats: Getting enough of these good fats in such things as flax seed, fish or krill oils. Omega 3's stimulate the production of leukotrienes, which are compounds that inhibit inflammation.

Apple cider vinegar: has been shown to ease the effects of joint and muscle pain.

Chlorophyll: drinking green barley or wheat grass every day can assist in removing excess heavy metals from the joints.

Avoid the following: caffeinated beverages especially sodas, pasteurized dairy (milk, yogurt, cheeses, etc.),processed foods, refined sugars,alcohol,tobacco products.

There should be a fine balance in your diet--no extreme diets such as high protein, no carb, no fat. Remember, some saturated fats such as olive oils, coconut oil and animal fats (hormone, antibiotic free and grass fed, of course) are necessary for optimal health.

As far as supplementation, we have all heard glucosamine and magnesium can have beneficial results. Depending on the type of supplement, that may or may not be true. My belief with supplements is don't go overboard. Start with krill oil or good quality fish oil, use cod liver oil or coconut oil, take an enzyme supplement and also look for an oral chelation supplement to remove any harmful toxins in the joints such as aluminum or mercury.

As far as exercise is concerned, it's pretty simple. Don't stop!! I know that the pain with arthritis can be very painful at times, however, refraining from even gentle exercise can begin to have a profound effect on the way you feel. Things like Yoga, Tai Chi, are good beginning type forms of exercises. Brisk walking, swimming, aqua aerobics, stretching are also recommended. 

My recommendation is to journal your exercise routine from the very beginning and jot things down such as what you did, how did you feel during and afterward, the duration, how many sets/reps, and try to narrow down to what provokes,aggravates and alleviates the symptoms.

A final note is the importance of hydration. Whether you workout or not, this is crucial for cellular function.  Senior citizens are hospitalized today more for dehydration than any other condition and dehydration symptoms appear usually too late. Making sure that you are drinking at least a liter a day of good quality water is essential for joint and bone integrity.

Does it matter what time of day we exercise? Absolutely!

If you have been regularly exercising but still experience sluggishness, fatigue or those unwanted pounds are not coming off, you may want to consider when your workout time is. Recent research has shown that those who exercise first thing in the morning and before breakfast have had the most success with weight loss and overall good health. 

Why does this matter? Both exercise and fasting together will force the breakdown of fat and glycogen, which is essential for energy. The sympathetic nervous system plays a large role here because this system controls your body's fat burning processes and is activated by lack of food and exercising(this is what you want).

On the other hand, exercising after a meal will actually slow down the sympathetic nervous system and have the exact opposite effect on fat burning. 

Of course, I know there are some people who simply cannot exercise on an empty stomach, maybe due to blood sugar concerns. So what is the answer for them? If you absolutely need something before your workout, I would recommend a small protein shake with healthy fruits and a quality whey protein powder.

This can aid in increasing your metabolism and additionally help with muscle building. If you have an under active thyroid, this can really help boost your thyroid levels. 

Another big factor here in fasting (not eating before your workout) is the huge role it plays in fighting insulin resistance. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetic, you know that the regulation of your insulin levels are crucial. For that matter, even if you are not diabetic, proper function of insulin levels is extremely important for overall health.

In conclusion, what we eat or don't eat before a workout can have a direct effect on our workout performance. This is why I recommend not eating anything, if possible, to optimize fat burning processes. For me, working out first thing in the morning is the logical answer for maximum health. 
Working out first thing in the morning also let's us "get it out of the way" for the day. This way, there are no excuses that can pop up during the day to prevent us from hitting the gym later in the day. Also, drinking pure water throughout your workout is key and not "Vitamin water" or any other sugary energy drinks that can have very negative effects on the body no matter when you workout.

Chronic Headaches? Take a closer look at your diet

If your one of the approximately 45 million Americans who get regular headaches, one of the most common culprits identified by health practitioners is our nutritional lifestyles. Whether it's a migraine or tension type headache, at least a third of all headache sufferers have one or more food triggers.

Let's first discuss the foods that you typically want to avoid if you are overcome by chronic headaches:

-Caffeine: OMG..What will you do without your Starbucks!? The debate on whether or not caffeine is beneficial or a trigger for headaches still goes on. Some experts claim that caffeine is usually the number one trigger for headaches, while others contend that consuming little or no caffeine can actually provoke a headache. If you are a regular coffee drinker, blood vessels of the brain become sort of sensitized to caffeine's effects. Completely eliminating or even cutting back could cause a "rebound" headache in some patients. However, people with chronic headaches should ultimately eliminate caffeine from their regular diet. But instead of quitting abruptly, it is always wise to taper off. For example, if you consume 2-3 cups per day, take it down to 1-2 for about a week and then substitute decaf for one of your daily servings. After that, you may want to dilute your regular coffee with decaf until you feel you are capable of quitting entirely.

-Food additives: I talked in my previous blog about some ingredients you should look out for even if you don't suffer from headaches. One of the bigger ones is monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is found in a surprising number of foods and even in some vaccinations! Also, look out for nitrates or nitrites which are generally found in processed meats (hot dogs, lunch meats, etc.). 

Look for artificial colorings that will read "Blue #1" "Red #3" or "Red #40", just to name a few--these are just to make the food or drink appear "appetizing". They have no nutritional benefit and lead not only to headaches but many other chronic conditions as well.  Look at the obvious junk foods that are riddled with these but also look at condiments, dressings and sauces.

Artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, which is found in NutraSweet or Splenda, chewing gum, candies, some coffees and much more, is carcinogenic and has a profound effect on the immune system and brain receptors.

Other additives to pay close attention to is high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, sodium sulphite, sulphur dioxide and potassium bromate.

-High fats foods: While I do recommend some saturated fats such as clean animal meats, high fat foods to avoid are found in ALL fast foods, partially hydrogenated oils and ALL processed foods, just to name a few.

-Fermented or aged foods: The fermentation process produces tyramine, which can cause vascular spasms. Of course, some main foods to avoid are cheeses and red wines (My Italian blood won't allow me to get headaches just for this reason alone!)

Now that we know what are some possible offenders, let's now look at some foods that can actually help.

-Omega-3 fatty acids: These are the helpful fats that are found in fish, olive oils and flaxseeds. Why are these so beneficial? Because they produce chemicals in the body that actually inhibit inflammation.

-Magnesium: Ideally, getting this from your diet is best. Foods such as almonds and green leafy vegetables are the most popular. But if you are unable to get this in your regular diet, taking a supplement is highly recommended.

-Water: Cannot be emphasized enough. This is highly underestimated by most people but staying hydrated is a key to ward off headaches and other chronic illnesses.Please refer to my website for my topic on "Water and Chronic illness(http://www.barattawellness.com/webdocs/waterandchronicillness.htm) to find out why staying consistently hydrated can pay huge dividends for your health.

Finally, if you are experiencing regular headaches, it is a good idea to keep a food and lifestyle diary. Write down everything you consume and specific patterns that precede your headaches, such as exercise, sleep, stress levels, etc. After a few weeks, you may be surprised by some likely connections.

Read Ingredients, not fancy labels

I always get a kick out of the false advertising that food companies are so clever at. When people pick up a product, they may read things that say: "No trans fats", "heart healthy", "high in fiber", "fortified with Vitamin D" and other savvy marketing gems.  We see that, look at the nutritional charts on the sides and assume that this product must be somewhat healthy for us.
But when we look closely at the ingredients, we notice in small print that it is loaded with garbage such as High fructose corn syrup(hfcs), hydrogenated oils, aspartame, soy lecithin and an array of other dangerous toxins.    

As a society, we have been hammered with the importance of calories, fat intake, sodium levels and all of the items typically found on a nutrition label. Yes, I know, these are all important but a lot can be solved just by reading the ingredients labels.
Let's use an example of bread. The unsuspecting consumer will pick up a loaf of wholesome whole wheat bread and the package reads " high in fiber","multigrain", and "no trans fat". Sounds healthy, right? But if you carefully glance at the ingredients, you find high fructose corn syrup (which is in many breads). So answer the question, "Is this a healthy option?" 

Food companies know the buzz words that we are looking for. Most of have the sense to realize that white bread is bad for us, that high calories, lots of sodium and trans fats are dangerous.
But what is the point in trying to avoid all this when there is an added ingredient( hfcs) that is a culprit in everything from obesity to acid reflux to chronic fatigue syndrome.
The answer to optimal health here is not to watch every calorie or ounce of fat but to avoid key ingredients in foods.
We haven't even begun to talk about GMO's, which are found in approximately 60 percent of supermarket foods. Basically, GMO's are made by "forcing genes from one species, such as bacteria, viruses, animals or humans, into the dna of a food crop or animal to introduce a new trait".
 

So what ingredients do we need to be aware of? Here is a partial list: 

-Hfcs 

-anything with soy in it

-aspartame or neotame

-hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated anything

-corn syrup

-sucrose

-sucralose

-expressed oils

-sugars

-pasteurized products

-Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

-sodium nitrate and benzoate

-potassium bromate

-food dyes

-bha and bht

-trans fats

-propyl gallte

-olestra

-sodium chloride

-protein isolate

-condensed milk

-malt syrup

-vegetable fat

-maltose

-xanthan gum

-isoflavones

-textured vegetable protein

-equal or nutrasweet

-modified food starch

-hydrolyzed vegetable oils

Reading ingredients is far more important than deceiving nutritional values, which can lead many of us down the wrong road to poor health.