Antioxidants: don't judge a food by it's colour

Antioxidants, we hear about them all the time and we know we should eat a diet rich in them to help prevent premature aging, cancer and other disease, but where do we find them in their highest concentrations? Especially in today’s economic climate, many of us are trying to get the most for our money.  The good news is that many common fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are very good sources of antioxidants.  For the best value and nutrition, shop at your local farm shop.  You can get the freshest product, often of very high quality.  It is true that some richly coloured foods contain high concentrations of antioxidants, but this is not always the case.  Cauliflower, for example, is a great source, and couldn’t be less rich in colour.  Beans are outstanding in their antioxidant value (as well as their economic value!).  Here is a list of some more of these superfoods along with their antioxidant occurrence:

• Steamed artichoke hearts (7,904)
• Baked russet potatoes (4,649)
• Raw spinach (1,056)
• Baked sweet potatoes (1,199)
• Eggplant (1,039)

The following foods vary (some drastically), raw vs. cooked:

• Raw asparagus (2,021), steamed asparagus (1,480)
• Raw red cabbage (788), cooked red cabbage (2,350)
• Raw yellow onions (823), cooked yellow onions (1,281)
• Raw broccoli (700), cooked broccoli (982)
• Raw tomatoes (552), cooked tomatoes (415)

Acai Berries also boast high antioxidant content.  Other berries are also great, especially blueberries (wild are highest) and blackberries.

How do antioxidants work to protect our cells from damage by free radicals? They neutralize them by donating one of their own electrons. Free radicals are basically atoms or molecules that have lost an electron.  Molecules or atoms with an unpaired electron are very reactive; they bounce around the body and steal electrons from other atoms causing a chain reaction that can damage cells and DNA.  This process can also drain our bodies of energy, a commodity which most of us cannot afford to spare.

A good rule of thumb is to eat a well rounded diet rich in fruits, vegetables and beans, in an array of colours.  This will help to ensure that we get the nutrients and antioxidants that we need.

Source
http://factoidz.com

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How To Design Your Own Fail-Safe Exercise Program

Source
www.dumblittleman.com

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a personal trainer at your beck and call every day of the week? Okay, maybe not nice as such, but certainly useful. You’d no longer have any excuse for delaying regular exercise and dusty workout gear would be a thing of the past. In fact, you’d be a fitness fanatic in no time!

But you don’t have your very own in-pocket trainer for every day of the week, so there’s no danger of having to follow through on those shape-up promises you’ve made yourself, is there now?

Unless, that is, you really and truly want to!

You see, it’s not impossibly hard for you to design your own fail-safe exercise program. It might not be as personalised as working with a personal trainer, and it won’t be able to teach you the thousands of interesting progressions and variations that a top-dollar session will, but it sure as heck beats sitting on your bum or relying on boring cardio machines day-in and day-out.

The first thing to know is that any good functional exercise program includes a mixture of just 7 key movements. They are:

1. Squat
2. Lunge
3. Bend
4. Twist
5. Push
6. Pull
7. Gait (walk/run)

By functional, I mean a workout that replicates the type of activity your body was designed for. Hint: this does not include sitting on a weight machine with most of your muscles snoozing happily and your core doing jack-all. If you think about it, every movement you can think of in day-to-day life, whether it’s as a parent, a labourer, a farmer, an athlete, or even a hunter, can be defined by the above 7 movements.

A good program simply puts them together in a way that is appropriate for your strength, fitness, flexibility, coordination, and stability capabilities. Of course this can become a very complex process but it’s also one that we can easily simplify and get you working on right away. The most important thing for you to understand is the ‘base’ level of each movement.

Step One: Know The Basic 7 Movements

Squat - Great for your bum, legs (front and back), abs*

Resistance: body weight is fine to start with, but you can also hold dumbbells by your sides or at shoulder level.
A sitting-down movement performed with feet approximately shoulder-width apart, your back straight (on a 45 degree forward tilt) your torso elevated, and your gaze straight ahead. Heels should stay on the floor (it’s okay for your toes to turn out), and you should ideally sit-down until your butt reaches knee-level. Using your heels to push, return to fully upright. You’ve now performed one ‘rep’. A ‘set’ is a designated number of ‘reps’.

Lunge – Great for your bum (even more than squats!), legs, calves, abs*

Resistance: as above
A step-and-drop movement. Start with feet together and take a large step forward. Lift your back heel, and keep your back straight as you lower your weight toward the floor. Stop just before your back knee hits the floor. Keep your torso up, and your eye gaze forward. In order to protect your knees, maintain your weight through the heel of your forward foot rather than your toe. Push yourself back to the start position, and repeat on the other leg. This is one rep.

Bend – Great for your back (lower and upper), shoulders, bum, hamstrings, abs*

Resistance: as above, or you can hold a barbell or an exercise ball in front of you
A forward bending movement. Start with tall posture and your feet around hip width apart. Bend your knees about 15 degrees, and then stick your bum out. Keeping your back straight, bend your torso forward until it reaches around 45 degrees. If you hold weights in front of you, they should stay very close to your thighs. Once your weights or fists reach knee level, drop your bum down an extra 2-3 inches (a mini squat). Stand back up in one smooth movement, driving your hips forward and your shoulders back.

Twist – Great for your core and lower back, especially your oblique (side tummy) muscles

Resistance: an exercise ball or gym cables are ideal, as is an exercise band, which is basically a piece of rubber tubing about 3 feet long.
Remember that old dance ‘the twist’? The twist pattern as part of your workout is kind of similar. It’s all about getting movement through your spine. This in turn helps to activate your belly muscles and is great for toning your entire midriff. Loosely clasp your hands in front of you at chest height, or hold a weighted object at chest height. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your navel drawn in, start to twist your torso. Your elbows should move side to side as you do this, but the movement is driven from the core. You can pivot on each foot as you move. Progress the movement by holding the weight further away from your body.

Push – Great for your chest (forget the implants ladies!), bingo wings, and shoulders

Resistance – Any weighted object such as a dumbbell in each hand. Cables can also be used. Be wary of putting weight on your back during a push-up unless you are certain you have perfect posture and core strength.
Now I know you’re already up on what a push-up is, but did you know that most people perform their push-ups incorrectly? Not only can this ruin your posture, but it doesn’t do your muscle tone any favours. It’s important that you maintain a straight spine with your head held level. The back of your head, your mid-back, and your tailbone should all be at one height. Keep your belly muscles drawn in to get a bonus core workout. Only go as far down as you can whilst maintaining this form. You can also perform push movements on your back, lying on either an exercise ball or a bench. Either way, squeeze your bum and keep your abs tight. Hold weights at shoulder level and push up in a triangle shape. Bring them down the same way they went up. Do this with a controlled tempo, and breathe out as you push.

Pull – Great for your mid-upper back, the rear of your shoulders, and your biceps

Resistance – Cables, dumbbells, weighted objects from around the house, exercise band
If you’re in the gym you can use cables, a ‘lat pull down’ (which looks like a machine but is really a cable system), or a ‘seated row’ (again, a cable system, not a machine). These make things pretty simple as all you have to do is sit, maintain good posture, and pull an amount that allows you to keep that posture. Out of the gym your best choice is an exercise band. Fasten it in the middle to something at about stomach to chest level. This leaves both ends free for you to grip. If it’s at chest height you can remain fully upright (easier version). Keep your shoulders relaxed and your posture tall. Leading with your elbows, pull the band towards your body. Continue until your elbows slide past your sides and your shoulder-blades squeeze together. If you’ve fastened the band lower, simply squat down and hold that position whilst performing the above-described pull. This is definitely the harder version but it’s a better workout!

Gait – Great for a full-body workout, for cardio work, and for improved co-ordination and posture

Resistance – not necessary, can contribute to poor posture and back/neck tension
As funny as it sounds, many people have no idea how to walk (let alone run) properly. While there is much to be said about technique that can’t possibly enter this article, there’s one really great tip that you can put to use right away. Simply imagine a column running straight down the centre of your body. From the top of the head to the soles of your feet. When you walk or run, visualize either side of your body twisting evenly around that column. Keep your belly lightly drawn in, your shoulders relaxed, and your head high. Sounds too simple to do anything, doesn’t it? Just give it a go – I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

*Abs – By learning to activate your deep core muscles you can work your abdominals with every exercise you do. Simply practice (on your back is best) drawing your navel toward your spine while keeping your upper body relaxed. You should feel a light tension between your navel and your groin – this is your deep core muscle (transverse abdominus) activating. Practice holding for 10 seconds and releasing for 10 seconds, eventually working up to a full 2-minute hold. You should be able to breathe through this. Once you are adept on the floor, practice the same movement when performing each of the above exercises.

Step Two: Put It Together
Sometimes when I watch people workout in the gym it’s quite clear that they have no plan - no direction. They move in an apparently random fashion from one exercise to the next, and often seem to end up doing more social training than anything. And sure, of course it’s better to hit the gym and do something rather than nothing, but if you’re going to allocate your precious time to exercise wouldn’t you rather know the most efficient way to progress and get results?

A good personal trainer will consider many variables when designing your weekly program. While we can’t take them all into account here, there are a few important factors you most definitely can consider:

• Movement difficulty
• Your own strengths and weaknesses
• Sequencing of weights/cardio
• Most programs will place big muscle movements before small, but this is not as relevant here as we’re not including isolated exercises like bicep curls.

The basic rule of programming is to choose the most difficult exercise first. In most cases this is the one that requires greater balance and co-ordination, and/or demands that you move in more than one direction simultaneously. For example, a twist causes you to move forwards (with your arms), side to side, and in rotation. These are the three directions of movement – most exercises demand only one or two. A squat, of course, or a bend, is straight up and down. Difficulty of performance may also relate to the equipment you use – performing a chest press on an exercise ball is harder than on a bench, and this may elevate its status.

Of course your own strengths and weaknesses must also play a part. If you’re a hockey or tennis guru then a twisting movement may be relatively simple, whereas a basic squat or pull really makes you think. When choosing the sequence for your program you must place your own strengths/weaknesses over basic assumptions about the exercise difficulty.

The final point to be aware of is the importance of doing your weights before your cardio. This is crucial because weight training has a longer-lasting metabolic effect than cardio, and so you want to get the most out of your weights before exhausting yourself on the treadmill. In fact, I’d be quite happy if you gave it all you could in the weight room and left it at that most of the time.

When it comes to choosing the right cardio, my recommendation is interval training – alternating periods of very high intensity (speed/resistance) with slightly longer periods of recovery. This method is time-efficient, churns through an incredible amount of energy, and has a lasting effect on your overall fitness level – a great way to boost your metabolism.

Step Three: Make It Work For You
It’s all very well to have the basis of a great program at your fingertips, but what do you do with it? How do you make it work for you?

First, you need to determine how much time you can put aside for exercise each week. Be prepared to make some sacrifices, but also be realistic. If 10 minutes a day is seriously all you can start with, then that’s okay; it’s better than nothing. An ideal starting approach to exercise is 30 minutes, at least 3 times each week. Split the 30 minutes into two if that helps. Personally I believe we should do some form of activity each day, even if it’s just some stretches. Your body wasn’t designed to sit.

Second, you need to decide how much of each of the movements we’ve spoken about is right for you. To give you an idea, that maximum you’d get out of this program would be to perform 3 groups of each exercise (sets), with each group containing between 8 and 15 repetitions. To keep it interesting, and also to maximize energy and fat loss, perform one group of each exercise back-to-back with no rest, take a 2 minute break, and then repeat two times.
If time is a factor, simply start with just one group of each. You can always build up later, or you may even find time later that day to do another group of each.

Your cardio can be performed at a later time or on a different day if you really need to hurry things along. Remember – weight training and functional everyday movement is the priority for now.

Knowing what type of exercise or how much to do can certainly be overwhelming. And it’s no wonder that many people put off even trying to learn about it. But I know you won’t be one of them, will you? What are you waiting for? Print this page out and get to sweating!

By Kat Eden

 

Technorati Tags: Online Health & Fitness,Exercise Tips,Exercise for Beginners,7 Basic Exercise Movements,Squats,Lunges,Online Exercise Plan,Vivo,Foolproof Exercise Plan

Is There A Bodybuilding Training Routine To Get Big and Strong at the Same Time?

Gaining muscle size and gaining strength are two different adaptations.  Gaining muscle size requires the muscle fibre to increase its diameter through the accumulation of protein and other energy substrates such as glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and even some fats (intramuscular fats).  This is called muscle hypertrophy and in order to train for it one must use repetition ranges of around 6-15 reps, generally speaking, and keep the rest periods to a minimum in between sets (between 60-90 seconds).  When training in this manner, some strength gain is experienced but not nearly as much as if one trained just for strength.

Gaining maximal muscle strength however is a totally different type of adaptation.  Basically the brain has to become better at activating as many muscle fibres as possible in order to move a weight from point A to point B.  This is called a neural adaptation because it happens at the nervous system level.  The more muscle size one has, the more strength potential an athlete possesses.   In order to train for maximal strength, one has to train with nearly maximal weights; mostly hovering in the 2-6 repetition range, and also, one has to rest 3-4 minutes in between sets of the same exercise.  In this case, muscle hypertrophy will be minimal but strength gains will be maximized.

It would seem that one cannot achieve maximum muscle size and maximal strength gains at the same time, but if one uses clever periodisation training techniques, you can have the best of both worlds.  As a matter of fact, top experts like Charles Poliquin propose that it is imperative for the bodybuilder to include maximal strength training in the bodybuilding program as after enough muscle size is achieved, one needs to train that new size for strength as well in order to ensure continued growth.

Source
By Hugo Rivera, About.com Guide to Bodybuilding since 2005

Technorati Tags: Muscle Building,Strength Training,Bodybuilding,How can I train to be stronger,Weight Lifting,Weight Training

What’s in a Shake?

Source
www.mensfitnessmagazine.co.uk

Ever wondered what's really in those expensive muscle-building shakes you've been sinking after sessions at the gym.

This handy little guide from Men’s Fitness Magazine should tell you all you need about Whey & Casein.

Whey
The most popular protein shake type, whey, is derived from milk. It's digested and absorbed relatively quickly, making it useful for post-exercise recovery. It also has a higher concentration of essential amino acids than whole milk, which may help minimise muscle protein breakdown immediately after exercise.

Casein
Casein, which makes up 80 per cent of the protein content of milk, is made up of larger protein molecules, which are digested more slowly than whey, providing a slow, steady release of amino acids into the bloodstream. This slow release is what many experts argue makes it the best protein to use before going to sleep at night or for breakfast.

Which should you use after a workout?
Many people forget that they can mix their whey with casein (milk). After a workout, a cup of milk [250ml] with a 25g scoop of protein powder equates to a big chunk of fast-acting whey right when you need it, with the added benefit of 16g of long-acting casein.

Click here for 70 Protein Shake Recipes

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Breast 'regrowth' trial planned

Source
http://news.bbc.co.uk

Researchers in Australia plan to test a medical "scaffold" designed to stimulate natural breast tissue to regrow following surgery.

Doctors from the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery in Melbourne, will test the technique next year in a trial involving six patients.

The team say that the permanent fat found in breasts can be grown inside this contoured scaffold.

They claim to have successfully tested the device in pigs.

The results of that experiment were presented at a plastic surgery conference in Sydney.

The researchers recently announced on the institute's website that they had received funding from the Australian government to carry out the human trial.

If this is successful, they hope to develop it into a breast reconstruction technique that avoids using silicone.

Breast scaffold

The teams says that when the "empty chamber" is implanted, fat tissue will naturally fill it to form a new breast.

This chamber will also contain a gel made using the patients' muscle cells to "induce fat tissue production".

Professor Anthony Hollander, an expert in tissue engineering from the University of Bristol in the UK, said the attractions of this approach were its simplicity and the fact that the tissue growth occurred inside the body.

"At the time of implanting the cells the surgeon redirects the vasculature of the body which keeps a good blood supply to the implant. That is in itself nothing new, but combining it with a cell implant is an interesting step," he said.

He said that the technological advance was the use of a biomaterial cage used to trap the cells in the right place.

In future, the team plan to make this cage biodegradable so it does not have to be removed.

"If it's tried and it works that will be a really nice approach," Professor Hollander said.

But he cautioned that there was "still some way to go".

"This procedure is first likely to be used on cancer patients," he said.

"[The team will] have to be able to demonstrate a technique that guarantees that all the cancerous cells are removed and none are grown up in the process, so there is still some way to go."

Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: "We know that having a mastectomy can be a very difficult experience for many women and so research to try to improve breast reconstruction after surgery is important.

"[But] it's at such an early stage, it is not yet clear whether it will work in people. Even if this surgery proves to be effective, it will be a number of years before it can be used in the clinic."

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Celtic and Rangers Could Destroy English Premier League

Source
http://gnews.com

The English Premier League is seriously considering admitting  Glasgow’s two premier football clubs, Rangers and Celtic into the ranks of the Premiership as part of a domestic football reshuffle.

American journalist Jimmy Breslin said: “Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing columns for newspapers.” Never has the sentiment been truer as I read the BBC’s announcement about Celtic and Rangers joining the EPL.

It’s a ridiculous idea which has been touted for a long time, but could be pushed through if Bolton chairman Phil Gartside is given free reign to reform the Premiership as he sees fit.

Under the scheme the EPL would be “expanded” into a two-tier league encompassing between 36 and 40 teams, of which Celtic and Rangers would be included. The top tier would consist of 18 clubs, with relegation and promotion awarded in a similar way the football league works now.

Cutting through the bull, “expansion” is a misguiding term as Mr Gartside in effect wants to reduce the top tier of football from its current 20 teams to 18. Celtic and Rangers could be placed in the lower tier, but others are pushing for them to be put in the top tier, meaning a further two English teams will have to relinquish their top 18 spots for the Scottish pair.

The “second tier” of the Premier League would then become the new Championship league, and all leagues below would be demoted one spot in the rankings of English football.

If such a plan were implemented today looking at the current table, that would mean waving goodbye to Hull City, West Ham, Wolves and Portsmouth, and welcoming Celtic and Rangers to the new Premier top tier. Would this make English football considerably better? I think not.

For a start, reducing the top tier from 20 teams to 18 means fewer games overall will be played in the Premier League. Fewer of the smaller clubs outside of the money-rich elite will be able to count on big ticket sales on match days when the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal turn up to their grounds.

Not only will Celtic and Rangers be denying other English sides their place in the Premier League, they will also be denying themselves crucial Champions League spots. All this will do is weaken the Champions League as teams like Hearts are given the opportunity to be Scottish champions.

Does anyone really believe that in an integrated league that current SPL champions Rangers will be able challenge for a top four spot in a reformed EPL? Celtic and Rangers will be mid-table contenders at best – lost in mediocrity. At least in their own league they can retain dominance as champions.

This doesn’t even take into account the social problems of integrating Scottish football fans into the English game. The rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is bitter enough as it is, without bringing the added dimension of national pride to games when the Scottish teams play the English sides.

Games will regularly dissolve into madness: it will not be a case of Liverpool vs. Celtic, it will be England vs. Scotland. Has Mr Gartside considered the additional policing requirements that will be needed in London alone, when ten times a season thousands of Glaswegians descend on the capital to watch their teams?

Former Birmingham City chairman David Gold told Radio 5 Live that the EPL needed: “new thinking, new proposals, new ideas,” in order to “save itself from itself.” These are the same new ideas that argued the Premier League would be well served if a 39th fixture was added to allow Premiership teams to play international sides in Asia and America.

The Premier League is one of the best and most competitive leagues in the world. The recent history of English dominance in the Champions League is testament to the superiority of the English sides in general when compared to European counterparts. Diluting the EPL by introducing Rangers and Celtic is a bad idea, and Mr Gartside is seriously misguided if he believes this will improve our beloved game.

Football news posted by Tim Daffodil

 

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Anti-Cancer Superfoods

Did you know that what you eat could determine whether or not you get cancer? Your diet could protect you from being one of the unlucky one in three people who are affected by cancer at some point in their lives.

Brussels Sprouts

The humble brussels sprout has been found to protect against cancer of the colon, stomach and bladder.
According to research published in various medical journals, such as the International Journal of Cancer, eating brussels sprouts several times a week can protect you. Brussels sprouts have reduced cancer cells in animals by up to 52 percent in the colon and up to 67 percent in the liver. They also shrunk the size of the tumours by up to 91 percent.

How Can Brussels Sprouts Kill Cancer?

Sprouts contain something called an indole, or aromatic heterocyclic organic compound. These stimulate the liver to break down hormones in the body and speed up elimination of waste products. This means that as well as making your bowel work more efficiently, hormone-dependent cancers do not have time to develop.

If you want to try brussels sprouts as a protective measure, it’s important not to boil or microwave them, as this kills off most of the vitamins and protective value.

Steam them or stir fry them for the best results.

Regular Intake Of Fruit, Vegetables, Poultry And Fish Could Prevent Cancer!

Research in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that plenty of fruit, vegetables, poultry and fish appeared to have a protective effect against cancer. 1,009 colon cancer patients were studied. Five years later they were reviewed and it was found that 324 patients had a recurrence of cancer and all of them died except for one. An additional 28 patients died without documented cancer recurrence. The study identified two major dietary patterns, one consisting of high intakes of meat, fat, desserts and refined foods and the other consisting of high intakes of fruit, vegetables, poultry and fish.
Those that ate more fruit and vegetables had higher survival rates and those on fatty Western diets had higher death rates and more recurrences of disease.

Source
www.empowher.com

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Study finds no link between marijuana use and lung cancer

People who smoke marijuana--even heavy, long-term marijuana users--do not appear to be at increased risk of developing lung cancer, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.

Marijuana smoking also did not appear to increase the risk of head and neck cancers, such as cancer of the tongue, mouth, throat, or oesophagus, the study found.

The findings were a surprise to the researchers. "We expected that we would find that a history of heavy marijuana use--more than 500-1,000 uses--would increase the risk of cancer from several years to decades after exposure to marijuana," said the senior researcher, Donald Tashkin, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles.

The study looked at 611 people in Los Angeles County who developed lung cancer, 601 who developed cancer of the head or neck regions, and 1,040 people without cancer who were matched on age, gender and neighbourhood. The researchers used the University of Southern California Tumour Registry, which is notified as soon as a patient in Los Angeles County receives a diagnosis of cancer.

They limited the study to people under age 60. "If you were born prior to 1940, you were unlikely to be exposed to marijuana use during your teens and 20s--the time of peak marijuana use," Dr. Tashkin said. People who were exposed to marijuana use in their youth are just now getting to the age when cancer typically starts to develop, he added.

Subjects were asked about lifetime use of marijuana, tobacco and alcohol, as well as other drugs, their diet, occupation, family history of cancer and socioeconomic status. The subjects' reported use of marijuana was similar to that found in other surveys, Dr. Tashkin noted.

The heaviest smokers in the study had smoked more than 22,000 marijuana cigarettes, or joints, while moderately heavy smokers had smoked between 11,000 to 22,000 joints. Even these smokers did not have an increased risk of developing cancer. People who smoked more marijuana were not at any increased risk compared with those who smoked less marijuana or none at all.

The study found that 80% of lung cancer patients and 70% of patients with head and neck cancer had smoked tobacco, while only about half of patients with both types of cancer smoked marijuana.

There was a clear association between smoking tobacco and cancer. The study found a 20-fold increased risk of lung cancer in people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day. The more tobacco a person smoked, the greater the risk of developing both lung cancer and head and neck cancers, findings that were consistent with many previous studies.

The new findings are surprising for several reasons, Dr. Tashkin said. Previous studies have shown that marijuana tar contains about 50% higher concentrations of chemicals linked to lung cancer, compared with tobacco tar, he noted. Smoking a marijuana cigarette deposits four times more tar in the lungs than smoking an equivalent amount of tobacco. "Marijuana is packed more loosely than tobacco, so there's less filtration through the rod of the cigarette, so more particles will be inhaled," Dr. Tashkin said. "And marijuana smokers typically smoke differently than tobacco smokers--they hold their breath about four times longer, allowing more time for extra fine particles to deposit in the lung."

One possible explanation for the new findings, he said, is that THC, a chemical in marijuana smoke, may encourage aging cells to die earlier and therefore be less likely to undergo cancerous transformation.

The next step, Dr. Tashkin says, is to study the DNA samples of the subjects, to see whether there are some heavy marijuana users who may be at increased risk of developing cancer if they have a genetic susceptibility for cancer.

From American Thoracic Society
Source
www.scienceblog.com

Technorati Tags: Causes of Lung Cancer,Cancer,Marijuana,Pot,Weed,Joint,Smoking,Does Smoking Weed Give You Cancer,Does Smoking a Joint Cause Lung Cancer,Lung Cancer,Drug Information

Worldwide Survey Reveals Fitness Trends for 2010

Source
www.examiner.com 

For the past 4 years, the editors of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)’s Health & Fitness Journal have developed and widely disseminated an electronic survey to determine trends in the health and fitness industry. These results do not attempt to evaluate equipment, gear, tools, apparatus, or other paraphernalia that may suddenly appear at clubs or during late-night infomercials.

The survey has been designed to confirm or to introduce trends (not fads) that have been sustained by having a proven impact on the industry.

1. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals: a trend that continues with education and certification programs that are fully accredited by national third-party accrediting organizations for health/fitness and clinical professionals.
2. Strength Training: for both men and women whose main focus is on using weight training to simply increase or maintain strength as they age.
3. Children and Obesity: addressing the ever-growing problem of childhood obesity and a potential new market for commercial and community-based organizations. For the first time since these predictions were made, the next generation of young people may not live as long as their parents or grandparents.
4. Personal Training: personal training continues to be recognized as a profession not just for young people starting out, but as a long-term (if not lifelong) occupation. Survey respondents believe that personal trainers are here to stay and will continue to be an important part of the professional staff of health and fitness centers.
5. Core Training: emphasises strength and conditioning of the stabilising muscles of the abdomen and back. Core training continues to use stability balls, BOSU balls, wobble boards, and foam rollers, among many other pieces of equipment.
6. Special Fitness Programs for Older Adults: a trend that emphasises and caters to the older adult. As the baby boom generation ages into retirement and because they may have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts, fitness clubs will capitalise on this growing market.
7. Functional Fitness: using strength training to improve balance, co-ordination, strength, and endurance to improve one’s ability to do activities of daily living. Exercise programs reflect actual activities someone might do during the day.
8. Sport-Specific Training: incorporates sport-specific training especially for young athletes. For example, a high school athlete might join a commercial or community-based fitness organization to help develop skills during the off-season and to increase strength and endurance. This is an interesting trend for the health/fitness industry to watch over the next few years. The combination of possibly attracting a new market to commercial clubs as well as offering a different kind of service could lead to increased revenues.
9. Pilates: a form of exercise that targets the core of the body (i.e. the abdomen, back, and hips) while using the entire body during a training session. Pilates can be done on special Pilates equipment, which may prove to be a secondary source of income for commercial and community-based organisations.
10. Group Personal Training: this trend expands the personal trainer’s role from strictly one-on-one training to small group training. The personal trainer works with two or more people (but in a small group) and offers discounts for the group. In these tough economic times when personal income seems to be decreasing, personal trainers need to be creative in the way they package personal training sessions. Training two or three people simultaneously seems to make great economic sense for both the trainer and the client. As the economy improves, it will be interesting to see if this trend continues.

This article was compiled from and is an abstract of the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. The author also thanks the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal editorial team.

 

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Hula Hoops: From Child's Play to Real Exercise

By Catherine Sharick, Time.com

To get in shape for her October wedding, Dawn-Samantha Cahill, 25, a production coordinator in New York City, tried every exercise routine she could think of. But the upended positions that yoga required made her feel self-conscious. Running on a treadmill was a bore. And lifting weights was just too difficult. Frustrated, Cahill started overeating instead of exercising, and her weight, on a petite, 5-ft. 2-in. frame, ballooned to 212 lb.

Cahill was nearly ready to give up, until one day last spring, she discovered a video on YouTube about hula-hooping. "The woman in the video was so sexy, and the moves she was making with a hula hoop were so cool," Cahill says. "Normally, watching a gorgeous woman like this would make me feel bad. Instead, I wanted to imitate her."

The woman with the rock-hard body and come-hither hula hoop was Christabel Zamor, author of Hooping: A Revolutionary Fitness Program and founder and CEO of San Francisco based HoopGirl Inc., which offers instructional hooping videos and classes. Inspired by Zamor, Cahill started waking up at 3:15 each morning to clear the furniture from the middle of her living room and hoop to tunes by Beyoncé and Lady Gaga for 45 min. before work. In five months, she lost 46 lb., dropping from a size 20 to a comfortable size 12. "I finally found an exercise that I could do every day because I felt like I wasn't exercising at all," says Cahill, who eventually ventured out of her living room and into scheduled hooping classes in New York City. "I was just having fun."

It might have ended up as just another passing fitness fad, but hula-hooping appears to have caught on and stuck. Zamor's HoopGirl began selling weighted, adult-size hoops in 2001, and other companies, including Los Angeles-based Hoopnotica, were founded soon after. Since then, the activity has gained thousands of followers worldwide. Hoopnotica's sales have more than quintupled over the past three years, according to co-founder Keaton Koechli, while HoopGirl's teacher-training program has grown from 24 instructors to more than 350 in 13 countries. Classes in the U.S. are typically offered in private studios, though Crunch gym members in Los Angeles can now take Hula Hoop Pilates. Enthusiasts also form their own organized hooping clubs like the Bay Area Hoopers, whose founder edits the online magazine Hooping.org — or coordinate frequent impromptu "meetups" in public parks and recreation centers. A recent group-hoop took place during the Race for the Cure in New York City, in which members hooped while walking three miles to raise money for breast-cancer research.

The initial appeal of hooping is that it's fun, but its lasting value is that it works. An hour of intense hooping can burn as many calories as an hour-long run on a treadmill. Exercisers can get a full-body workout with moves like HoopGirl's "pulse," which stimulates the entire core; the "limbo," which targets the back and thighs; and the "Wild West," which helps tone biceps and triceps. "Anything that gets people off the couch and burning calories is a good thing," says Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. "Hooping can be a good way to mix up your routine and keep it from being boring."

You don't have to be rhythmically gifted to succeed either. Zamor says she was an overweight graduate student who spent most of her time tied to a computer at a desk before rediscovering the hula hoop at a music-and-arts festival in Los Angeles. "When I got my hoop, I was not a natural," says Zamor, who can now twirl a hoop on virtually every body part, "but I kept practicing and realized that it was something that can be self-taught, even for people who have never hooped in their lives." What's more, says Zamor, hooping cut her stress levels, helped her drop three pant sizes and introduced her to hundreds of people she would never have otherwise met. "I found that I touched a nerve in my community — hundreds of people reached out to me for instruction," she says.

As for Cahill, she'll be packing the collapsible travel hoop she received as a wedding gift to take with her on her honeymoon. And she has lost so much weight that she had to buy an entirely new gown just three months before her wedding day. "It's the best problem a bride could run into," says Cahill, "and I owe it all to hooping."

Source
www.time.com

 

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Want to become a Personal Fitness Trainer? 6 Steps to help you get there.

Do you have a passion for fitness and training? Are you deemed very active by your friends? If so maybe a career in Fitness training is for you. If you have thought about it but not known

how you could achieve this then the following steps may help you on your quest.

1. Do you have the right qualities – Personal training is not just about the training aspect as you would require a lot of differing skills to be successful. Some of the skills you should have include being: a good motivator; well organized; patient and must love working with many different types of people. It is recommended that you have a healthy body to be successful.

2. Certifications – There are many certification courses available, however are all the same? The answer is obviously no and researching by calling your local gym will help you decide which course is right for you. There are many online or distant learning courses that you will find in completing this research. Completing your certificate whether online or in a class environment will give you a good indication of your suitability for fitness training.

3. Specialization – With any competitive market how well you can develop your skills to meet a niche will determine your success. The certificate courses offer specialization in a discipline which you can add to your impressive fitness training resume or CV.

4. Gain work experience at your local fitness centre – A quick scan of your local paper, local online via the web or your telephone book will give you the closest fitness training centres. Call some of them and inquire as to the availability of jobs and the application procedure. If there are no jobs then enquire about gaining work experience. That way if an opening comes up then you are ready immediately to start and the local training centre knows your good qualities.

5. Continue your Fitness Education once a job is secured – Even when you have secured a job but with all certifications or industry bodies an amount of continual training is required. This will keep you up to date with the latest techniques and equipment usage to maximise your customers experience and results.

6. Improve your value to your clients – A successful trainer will win the hearts and minds of their students. Improving on your soft skills when dealing with people will aid you when you are motivating people to step outside of their comfort zone. If they trust and like you then they will follow your instructions no matter how much pain they are in. Keep working on the relationship building with your students and they will stay with you for the long haul. Therefore you can then look to build your business and not just replace existing clientele. Also continue your fitness education and you will be showing your students the latest techniques to help them meet their goals.

Successfully working on the above six steps will aid you on the path to becoming a professional fitness trainer and providing your customers with the latest techniques to help them achieve their goals which in turn will help you achieve yours.

Source
www.newsfitness.com

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Fish Oil Helps Diabetic Women Trim Body Fat And Lower Cholesterol

Omega-3 fish oil has been touted as a “super hero” in the prevention of cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, blood clots and clogging of arteries. Now a small study from France suggests that omega-3’s may help women with type 2 diabetes reduce their body fat as well as fend off heart-threatening conditions.

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered “essential fats” because our bodies cannot manufacture them. Instead they must be provided in our diet by cold-water fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon and sardines or in vegetarian foods such as soybeans, walnuts, flax seed oil and tofu.

Women with type 2 diabetes have trouble managing blood sugar levels because their bodies respond poorly to insulin, the hormone that controls the transport and use of the blood sugar glucose. Studies have shown that excess fat around the midsection (the “apple” versus “pear” shape) contributes to insulin problems, general inflammation and an increased risk for both diabetes and heart disease.

Researchers at the INSERM, the French counterpart to the US National Institutes of Health, tested 27 women with Type 2 diabetes to see if giving them diets high in omega-3 fish oil might reduce abdominal fat, insulin insensitivity, and cholesterol or triglycerides in the blood. Diabetic women in a control group received a placebo oil in their diet instead of the omega-3 fish oil.

After three months, the women who had consumed the fish oil (1.8g per day) showed a greater reduction in their belly fat, inflammation factors, blood cholesterol and triglycerides than the women in the control group. The researchers found no change in insulin control of blood sugar in either group, however.

The study involved only a small number of women and large daily doses of omega-3 fish oil, but the results on body fat and blood cholesterol are encouraging. Larger clinical studies are needed to confirm similar benefits in diabetic women and men and to clarify any protective effects of omega-3’s on insulin insensitivity.

Important notes: Fish oil supplements can temporarily worsen blood sugar control in some diabetics and tend to thin the blood. Diabetics or any individual on blood thinners (i.e. aspirin, wafarin) should consult with their physician before taking fish oil or omega-3 supplements.

Source
www.empowher.com

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Poor nutrition stunts growth of 200 million children: U.N.

Source
Yahoo News - Reuters

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Nearly 200 million children in developing countries suffer from stunted growth and health problems due to poor nutrition in their early years, the U.N. children's foundation UNICEF said on Wednesday.

However, the percentage of children with retarded growth in Asia fell to 30 percent last year from 44 percent in 1990, and in Africa to 34 percent from 38 percent over the same period, UNICEF said in a report.

Despite a decline in the rate of the problem, 195 million children in developing countries under 5 years old have stunted growth due to poor nutrition during the critical period between their conception and second birthdays, UNICEF said.

Undernourished children often have poor physical health and slower mental development. When the problem is widespread, as in India and Afghanistan, it undermines those countries' ability to improve their economies and eradicate poverty.

"Under nutrition steals a child's strength and makes illnesses that the body might otherwise fight off far more dangerous," UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said in a statement.

"More than one third of children who die from pneumonia, diarrhoea and other illnesses could have survived had they not been undernourished," she said.

More than 90 percent of the developing world's children facing stunted growth live in Africa and Asia, the report said. A third of them -- roughly 60.8 million -- are in India.

UNICEF said that countries with the highest prevalence of stunted growth among children under the age of five include Afghanistan (59 percent), Yemen (58 percent), Guatemala and East Timor (both 54 percent), Democratic Republic of the Congo (46 percent) and North Korea (45 percent).

India, the world's second most-populous country, continues to have a high rate of children under 5 years old suffering from retarded growth, though it fell from around 52 percent in 1992-1993 to 43 percent in 2005-2006, UNICEF said.

Veneman told reporters on a conference call that roughly 8.8 million children are dying every year from largely preventable causes and poor nutrition is a contributing factor in more than a third of those deaths.

She added that the issue of access to proper nutrition for impoverished children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers was related to the larger issue of poor food security in a world where some 1 billion people are hungry or malnourished.

The 1,000 days from conception until a child's second birthday are the most important for growth and development, the report said. Insufficient nutrition during this period can permanently harm the body's ability to ward off and overcome diseases and damage a child's social and mental development.

Stunted growth, UNICEF said, can rarely be corrected. However, Veneman said it can be prevented and programs to improve access to iodized salt and vitamin A supplements in Africa and Asia have improved the situation in some countries -- and led to a reduction in infant and child mortality.

Ten Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk

Many people in modern society have the same problem - very sedentary lifestyles.  A lot of this stems from the fact that we have sedentary, glued-to-the-computer jobs which take a lot of time.

So here's a few tips - ways you can exercise and stretch at your desk.  (Some are embarrassing if you work in a busy office, sorry!)

The Pump and Run

Pump both arms over your head for 30 seconds like you're "raising the roof". Then, quickly tap your feet on the floor, as if running through tires, for 30 seconds. Repeat this process for four to six minutes.

Disco Fever

Stand up and hold onto the desk with one hand. While holding on, twist your waist and other to one direction and straighten out coming back, like you're doing John Travolta's dance from Saturday Night Fever. One difference - keep your stare on the hand in motion, not at your date/camera/wall clock. Do this about ten times, and then switch to the other hand. 5 sets should do it.

Hammy Pulling

Sit back in a chair, making sure that your lower back is supported as to prevent back pain. Put both your hands under your right knee. Slowly, lift your left leg up, keeping your keen bent toward the chest. Do this 5 times and then repeat, switching legs.

The Paul Bunyan

Stand up. Bring your hands together near your right shoulder, as if you were about to chop wood. Slowly "swing the axe" by straightening your elbows and moving your hands toward your left thigh. Then come up to your left shoulder, and swing the axe toward your right thigh. That's one rep. Do it ten times.

We're Not Worthy!

Sit down, if you're not already. Stick out your legs so that they're straight, at a 45 degree angle to the floor. Raise both your arms above your head, hands together, extending out so that you're as flat as can be. Bending only your back and crunching at your abs, bring your arms as forward as you can and slowly back up to the extended position. 3 sets of 15 should be good.

The George Costanza

Get under your desk -- really. Get onto your knees and hold onto the desk with both hands. Place your neck between your arms and while straightening out your back, shoulders, and waist. Then, slowly, squeeze your body downwards. Continue the motion by straightening out your body and bending backwards.

30 Second Rump Squeeze

Tighten your butt. Really. Squeeze your "cheeks" together as tightly as you can, and hold for ten seconds. Release. Repeat 10 times. Do this five times a day. The tighter you squeeze, the better results you'll get.

Chest Stretch

Interlace your fingers behind your back, palms facing in. Raise and straighten your arms, squeezing your shoulder blades together and "opening up" your chest. Fold for five to ten seconds. Repeat five to ten times

Seated Crunches

Put your feet flat on the floor, and sit up straight. Put your hands and arms, folded,, in your lap. Breathe in deep through your nose, "crunching" your upper and lower abs, pushing your lower back against the chair. Hold for a 3 count and relax, breathing out through your mouth. Do 100 -- or until your boss looks at you funny.

Source
http://fitness.wikia.com

7 Ways to Sneak in a Holiday Workout

With the holidays and new year around the corner, Americans have travel on their mind. Many people find that during holiday travel, their workout regimen seems to get thrown out of whack.
Fortunately, with a little proactive planning, you can maintain your fitness level, no matter where you are. According to IDEA, a membership organization for health and fitness professionals, the key is to be creative and remember that even short workouts are better than no workouts at all.
Here are a few tips from IDEA on how to keep in shape while you travel:

Do a "Condensed-but-intense-workout"

Customize your own 30-minute workout combining three lower body workouts (squats or lunges) and three upper body exercises (modified push-ups or chair dips).
Warm up with exercises like marching or jogging in place, then do 10-20 repetitions of a lower body exercise and 10-15 repetitions of an upper body exercise. Follow this with a minute of jumping jacks or jogging in place. Repeat this routine two or even three times and then try a variation of abdominal crunches, low back lifts and stretches.

Rehearse Your Routine

Practice makes perfect, so in order to be familiar and comfortable with your routine, do it as often as possible.

Get Active in Airports

If flight delays leave you with extra time at the airport, take advantage of it. Store your luggage in an airport locker and take a hike through the terminal.

Bring Tubes, Bands and More

Don't leave out fitness equipment when you’re packing for a trip. Bring fitness videos, comfortable walking shoes, a bathing suit or other gear that you can fit in your bag. Inspirational memos from a trainer or a motivational CD could help you get moving.

Get a Jump Rope

Jumping rope is a great way to get in a few minutes of intense cardio workout and it can be done just about anywhere. If you don’t have a jump rope, try climbing flights of stairs instead.

Plan to Relax

Don't overdo it. Staying fit is important, but don’t lose sight of the real reason for the holidays spending time with those who are important to you. If you want to do both, involve the whole family in a yoga or tai chi exercise to unwind.

Ease Back Into your Routine

Depending on how much you worked out during your travel, you may need to gradually ease back into your old routine. You may want to consider using lighter weights or decrease the intensity or the duration of your workouts until you can return to pre-trip conditions.

 

Source
www.active.com

Why Do You Exercise?

If you are finding it difficult to stay focused on your exercise plan, there may be a few problems. First, you may not be doing the exercise that is best suited to your natural inclinations and second, you may be exercising for the wrong reasons. When it comes to getting healthy and sticking to an exercise plan, it is all too easy to fail. You need to set yourself up for success and the rest will easily fall into place.

Sit down for a minute and write down the reasons why you want to exercise.

Take your time and really think about each one. Now, once you’re done with that, next to each one, write an excuse why you don’t have to exercise. For example, let’s say that your first entry was “So that I look better.” Your refutation may look like this, “People should accept me for the way that I am.”

Go through each entry on your list and find an out for every reason you have given.

It shouldn’t be too hard, since most of us can usually come up with pretty decent reasons for avoiding things. When you’re done, take a hard look at your list and figure out what is really important to you.

Now, start an entirely new list. Find reasons to start exercising that you cannot refute.

Keep going until you find at least one good reason to exercise that you do not have an excuse to get out of. Don’t worry, it may take a while, especially if you are used to avoiding exercise. This isn’t about shame, it’s about finding the motivation inside of yourself to get the job done.

Once you have at least one reason, it’s time to do some goal setting.

Once again, we’re going to go through the same process. Write down your goals, and then come up with excuses for not achieving them. Start a new list of goals until you find the ones that are irrefutable. Take the time to really think each one through.

At this point, you should have at least one solid reason to exercise and one solid goal that you want to achieve. Now, it’s time to figure out how to get to that point. If you are already exercising, but aren’t quite happy with the plan you’ve picked, now is the best time to make that change and find one that is better suited for you.

List all of the exercises you know that you can do, whether it’s aerobics, strength training, walking or jogging.

Go through the procedure of finding excuses again, and narrow down the list until you come up with at least one type of exercise that you feel you can stick with. This will be your means of reaching your goal.

Now, you’ve got to put it all into action. If you stick to your plan, and remember that you have no excuses for backing out of it, you will start to see results. Hang in there, success is possible!