Did you know?

A new study out of Denmark confirms what we in the health and fitness community have long known: namely, that consuming a high protein supplement immediately after resistance training can help boost the amount of muscle mass we retain as we age.

As you are probably aware, one of the traditional outcomes associated with the aging process is a loss of overall muscle mass. This can lead to a wide variety of health issues including problems with posture, strength, energy, and overall vitality.

After decades of shying away from weight training, it’s now increasingly accepted by the medical community that resistance training can help offset some of the loss of muscle associated with aging. Better late than never.

Bodybuilders have long known that consuming high quality protein immediately after training can lead to increases in muscle mass. Now, word out of Denmark is that this time-tested practice also can help older trainers maintain and in many cases gain muscle.

Researchers from the Sports Medicine Research Unit at Bispebjerg University Hospital found that elderly men who drank a protein supplement immediately after resistance training gained significantly more muscle mass than those who waited 2 hours to consume their protein.

While the study was confined to men between the ages of 70 and 80, the findings could have broader significance and, as lead researcher Brigitte Esmarck remarked many people "could benefit tremendously from integrating a well-timed protein intake with their training programs and thereby gain muscle and strength." Source: Journal of Physiology 2..1;535

Q. So Which Protein Is Best For Me?

A. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, by now you are well aware of the lean muscle-building benefits of protein. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle development, and whey-based protein powders in particular are virtually a "must have" element of any serious bodybuilding or fitness nutrition program.

Because of its outstanding bioavailability and it extremely rapid absorption, a basic whey protein powder is still one of the best and most effective physique-enhancing supplements on the market.

But with so many quality proteins available – and so much money being spent on overstated advertisements, deciding which basic protein powder makes the most sense for you in terms of both ingredients and cost can often be a frustrating chore.

To help you make an intelligent decision, give me a call at I.H.S.

Creatine Improves Bike Sprinting by 6 percent

Simply supplementing with creatine won’t have you pressing Lance Armstrong for the yellow jersey in this year’s Tour De France. But it may allow you to blow away the competition in your local YMCA cycling club. According to a new study reported in May’s Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, people who loaded with creatine (20 grams a day for five days) improved total work during maximal bike sprints by six percent. "Peak power was significantly increased in all types of cycling exercise after creatine loading, "says study lead author Dr. David Preen.

IMMOBOLIZED!
Creatine Prevents Muscle Wasting

If you play sport long enough, chances are you’re going to get hurt. At some point you will break a bone, sprain an ankle, or blow out a ligament that requires surgery. When the doctor puts your leg in a cast or your shoulder in a splint, you can expect some muscle wasting. Unfortunately, the muscles not only get smaller, they also lose some of their ability to use fuels. One very important chemical is called Glut 4. It works with insulin to help get blood sugar into the muscle cells. Glut 4 levels in muscle decrease a lot when you hurt your knee, ankle, or shoulder. Dr. Eignde and co-workers – in a study published in Diabetes (50: 18-23, 2001) – found that feeding people creatine monohydrates supplements prevented Glut 4 loss in the quad muscles when the knee was immobilized. Creatine supplemented subjects also built up Glut 4 levels faster than a control group during rehabilitation. This study suggests that you should take creatine supplements if you are going to have surgery that will require immobilization during recovery. This is yet another use for a very powerful, safe and effective supplement.

Tea is for…..TEETH

Drinking tea may help prevent dental cavities and gum disease, according to researchers from the University of Illinois. Studies showed that several doses of black tea every day reduced plaque build-up and helped to control bacteria. The tea should have no sugar, milk or other additives – which, handily, means no kilojoules either. But black teas stains your teeth, so keep brushing!

Single People Stay Mentally Sharper

Married couples are normally thought to be in better health than single people. However, a new study shows that single people stay mentally sharper at the end of their lives than those who are married, according the US researchers. The study found the presence of a spouse may burden one partner and emotional support from a network of family and friends also appeared to slow down mental decline.

Mercury Toxicity – Dentists Being Sued

In the US a number of groups are suing the American and Californian dental associations, claiming that the associations have misled people about the safety of mercury am amalgam fillings.

According to the lawyer for the consumer groups, "The worst thing that they (dentists) are doing is hiding the presence of mercury in fillings. They call it (the filling) ‘silver amalgam’ – and try to keep dentists from saying the ‘mercury’ word and consumers from hearing that word. These fillings are 50% mercury."

Some experts have warned that the fillings can poison the body with leaking vapours, possibly lined to Alzheimer’s disease and other nerve problems, especially in children and unborn babies. The lawyer explained that mercury is the most toxic no-radioactive element on the Earth.

As to be expected, the dental associations have insisted that mercury is safe when mixed with other metals and implanted in teeth.

MERCURY POISONING – HOW TO DETOXIFY

Mercury has no nutritional functions in the body, only toxic effects.

This heavy metal accumulates in the brain, kidneys, lungs and fatty tissues, where it causes acute and chronic inflammation. Possible symptoms of mercury toxicity include memory loss, poor concentration, irritability, depression, insomnia, gingivitis, bone loss, asthma and problems with the lymph system. Toxicity symptoms may resemble multiple sclerosis.

A single 0.4cm amalgam filling can release 15 micrograms of mercury vapour daily.

According to the US Public Health Service, the acute intake of mercury is equivalent to 0.4 mcg per day. Average daily intake is believed to exceed safe levels. However, it has been demonstrated that the removal of mercury amalgam fillings can result in significant improvements in overall health.

The process of detoxification can include the following:

Avoidance of some seafood, and fish and chicken fed fish meal. The least contaminated fish are likely to be cod, halibut, mackerel, sardines and herrings.

Avoid sugar and chewing gum because resulting organic acids increase the release of mercury.

Drink non-fluoridated water to help flush the body.

Take ascorbic acid and selenium when having dental amalgams removed to help chelate the liberated mercury.

Silymarin from milk thistle increases the synthesis of the enzyme, glutathione, which detoxifies mercury.

Alpha-lipoic acid also increases glutathione levels.

Vitamins B1 and B6 promote detoxifying compounds in the liver.

Garlic extracts may help remove mercury from the body.

Chelated calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium and manganese may protect against mercury poisoning. Vitamin E works with seleni8um to neutralise mercury toxicity.

Chlorella and spirulina may help detoxify mercury.

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients 2001. May; 214: 64-71

ACIDITY AND ALKALINITY

Processed foods are highly acid-forming and produce a low-energy acidic state in your body. The problem is, this state is only meant to occur after death. It’s no wonder that when we induce this bodily state prematurely we get sick.

So can we really put all the blame on microbes outside our body for making us ill? They find our bodies in a nicely acidic state and think, "Mmm, this is a nice bunch of decomposing cells to break down!" It may sound repulsive but they are just doing their job, which is to break down unwanted waste. In this case, we are seen as that unwanted waste!

Bad health isn’t something you get if you’re unlucky. You have more control over your body than you may think. All you have to do is put the right things into it (and not put the wrong things to it). Unfortunately, the normal western diet is packed with acid-forming food such as pasteurised milk, meat, fish, poultry, cooked foods, tea, coffee, soft drinks, food additives, packaged fruit juices and alcohol. These foods generally lower the immunity levels and produce ill health and degenerative diseases.

Acid-forming food is the staple of most people’s diets, when it should only make up about 25% of what is consumed. That doesn’t mean you should eat the food listed above 25% of the time. Healthier, easier-to-digest acid-forming foods include white asparagus, artichokes, and (unsprouted) legumes, pulses, seeds and nuts.

Health is the natural state of our body. It runs at its smoothest when it’s healthy. A way we can give our bodies the chance to achieve this is to feed it more alkali-forming food foods. Most raw fruits and vegetables are alkali-forming. An interesting fact is that, once sprouted, seeds and legumes turn from acid-forming food foods to very cleansing alkaline foods. They cleanse the body of toxic wastes, prevent toxic build-up, and alkalinise the blood.

YOU’RE NEVER OUT COLD

The patient’s drugged cold after surgery. "Poor guy, he doesn’t stand a change," says one doctor. "I give him about another four months." "What a jerk, though," a second doctor sneers. "I can’t imagine big crowds attending his funeral." The doctors are just letting off steam, and harmlessly – because the unconscious patient can’t hear them.

Or can he?

In Peace, Love & Healing, Bernie S Siegel MD warns that even comatose people have ears. In one study 16 comatose patients were spoken to and touched. Fourteen comatose patients didn’t get that pleasure. All 16 pampered patients came out of the coma alive. Only three of the neglected patients did. It seems even anaesthesia won’t make you deaf to the world.

In one study, patients were given positive suggestions in the operating room. The result? They felt more comfortable after surgery. And they go out of the hospital sooner.

So, Siegel recommends, prep your surgeon or anaesthetist to boost your morale as surgery is ending. Example: "Ms. Smith, your operation was successful. You won’t have any pain afterward. Nor will you feel sick." If your surgeon pooh-poohs this idea, insist on your rights.

Record your own personal pep talk (with soothing classical music in the background). Bring a tape recorder, and demand that the doctor play the tape as your surgery is ending.

MUSIC CAN HURT – OR HEAL – YOU

When your teenage son dares to blow cigarette smoke in your direction, your order, "Out of the house!" You know his smoke will dirty your lungs, too. It’s not fair for him to endanger your health. But when he blast rock music out of the sterile, you sigh, "Ah, what the heck! After all, it’s only for a few hours." Little do you know, your son’s music just might make you as sick as his smoke would, according to Charles Berlitz’s World of Strange Phenomena. Psychiatrist John Diamond – former president of the International Academy of Preventive Medicine – said he played more than 20,000 recordings, and found that certain rock tempos throw the heart out of synchronisation. The rock songs beat: "Dit-da-da, dit-dit-da." But the hear beats, "Da-dit," and our blood pounds, "Da-dit-dit, da-dit-dit." So, Diamond suspects, we hear this rock beat, and then we subconsciously say, "Something has gone wrong with my heart. We then send a stress signal out – and this tension can weaken our immune system. But wait – you needn’t throw out your disco and punk rock, nor your Elvis hits. Diamond says this harmful beat isn’t in any of these songs, nor is it in certain other rock songs. Classical and easy-listening tunes are heart-friendly, too. Some music might even make you healthier. Atsulo Rees, MD – at the Rees Family Clinic in Pacific Palisades, California – prescribes specific tapes of classical Indian music to patients. "This music harmonises with your body’s healthy patterns," she claims. She says the tunes work like tuning forks: when you listen to them, your body starts vibrating in that same healthy rhythm.

HOW TO BURN FAT FASTER

You’ve seen that "fat-burning zone" chart on the Lifecycle or treadmill, right? You know, the one that would have you plod along at around 65 percent of your maximum hear rate – for "maximum" fat burning effect. Well, according to new research, if you really want to get in the "fat-burning zone," you need to forget about that silly chart and pick up the pace.

In a study presented at this year’s American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, researchers from East Tennessee State University found that fat burning is significantly greater when exercise intensity is high. The researchers compared high-intensity interval training performed at 95 percent of maximum heart rate to the usual "slow-go" style of cardio so often prescribed for fat burning. "The interval training group showed an acute 5.4 percent increase in resting metabolic rate 24 hours post exercise," says study author Dr. J. King, Ph.D. In other words, high intensity intermittent exercise causes calories and fat to be burned for a full day following the workout – an effect not found with slow-go cardio.

ARE YOUR FRIENDS MAKING YOU FAT?

Having trouble losing fat? You may want to pass the next time your buddies invite you to lunch. According to researchers from Vanderbilt University, meals eaten with other people were significantly larger than meals eaten alone. Percentage of calories from fat were also greater in social context meals compared to meals eaten alone, report the researchers in April’s edition of the scientific journal Appetite. What’s more, meals eaten in positive and negative moods were significantly larger than meals eaten in a neutral mood. "Moods and social context functioned additively to increase the risk of over-eating," lead study author Dr. K.A. Patel says. "Teaching people to cope more effectively with social situations and moods may increase the effectiveness of weight-loss and maintenance programs."

Brain Food

By now, you probably know the importance of healthy foods for supporting your body’s ability to build muscle and burn fat. But what about food for building brain cells? In other words, how important is proper nutrition for strengthening mental function? Turns out, very important, according to new research.

In the April 21001 edition of the scientific journal Appetite, Dr J Bryan and colleagues from Flinders University of South Australia report that people who stuck to a nutritious eating regimen for 12 weeks showed significant improvements in mental functioning, such as working memory and information processing. Moreover, according to the researchers, by following a relatively low-fat, protein – and carbohydrate balanced eating regimen for three short months, you may also be able to temper emotional eating and feelings of depression. "A sense of control over weight and eating behaviour increased among those who kept to a nutritious eating philosophy," says Dr. Bryan.

Now that’s what I call food for thought – Literally!

EXERCISE AS GOOD AS MEDICATION IN TREATING DEPRESSION

Researchers from a recent study have found that exercise may be just as effective in treating patients with depression as anti-depressant medication, without the side effects or high costs.

In the study by Duke University Medical Centre, researchers evaluated the effects of exercise and anti-depressant medication as a treatment for major depression on 156 patients over the age of 50. The patients were assigned into one of three groups: exercise, medication, or both exercise and medication. Patients in the exercise group participated in a fitness program three days a week. At the end of the study, researchers found that all three groups showed improvements in depression. In fact, 60 percent of the patients no longer met the criteria for major depression.

Researchers believe that exercise may be one possibility for depression sufferers to treat their condition without the potential side effects, such as anxiety, increased heart rate, sleeping difficulties and high cost of medications. While they are unsure of why exercise improves depression, researchers presume that completing an exercise program gives depression patients a sense of accomplishment and mastery, thereby improving their overall mood (The Chronicle, July 21,2000).

SHOULD I TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN?

Of course it's possible - and usually preferable - to get your nutrients from a balanced diet. But surveys consistently show that large groups of people - notable those over 60, pre menopausal women, vegans, pregnant women, heavy drinkers, and anyone on any sort of diet, fall short in a variety of key vitamins and minerals. Preparing and storing foods is a big culprit, rapidly affecting food's nutritional value. For example:

- Salad made with vinegar loses more than half its vitamin C in just 2 hours.
- Cucumber lose 22 percent of their vitamin C, simply by being sliced.
- Refrigerating rockmelon slices for 24 hours depletes 35 percent of their vitamin C.
- Cooking leafy vegetables like spinach in water, even briefly, depletes up to 80 percent of their vitamin C.
- Toasting wholegrain bread for 60 seconds depletes 17 percent of its vitamin B1.
- Merely washing raw rice depletes well over half of its vitamin B1 and B5.

The most devastating loss of nutrients, however, occurs in industrial food processing.
Joseph Beasley, The Betrayal of Health, The Impact of Nutrition on Illness (Times Books; 45-47)

EAT YOUR PORRIDGE

Not only is a hearty bowl of porridge a warming way to start a winter's day, regularly eating oats helps lower cholesterol, tonifies the nervous system and nourishes the body. For a greater cholesterol lowering effect, add some unsweetened stewed apple and lecithin. Don't forget to buy organic and cook traditionally (not in the microwave)

MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES AND HIP FRACTURE

Women who have menstrual irregularities are at increased risk for hip fracture later in life (but it's never too late to turn things around). Women who report always having had irregular menstrual cycles or bleeding duration, have a 36 - 40 percent increased risk of hip fracture compared with women who have regular cycles. The good news is that, regardless of age, your body will respond to exercise, better dietary habits, and the right natural treatment regime. Ref: American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001; 153:251-255. Source: www.bettykamen.com

Bone Strengthening Activities

Climbing the stairs and mountains. High-impact and step aerobics. Jogging. Impact sports such as tennis, squash, badminton, soccer, rugby, hockey, netball and volleyball.

About two hours each week needs to be spent on these activities to strengthen bones. Moderate to low-impact activity, e.g. swimming and cycling, has little effect on bone health, while television watching has a negative effect. However, once osteoporosis has set in it is more dangerous to engage in high-impact exercise.
Source: British Medical Journal 2001; 322: 140-143

The Nervous System

Each of our bodies has a unique way of functioning, determined by genetics and controlled by the autonomic nervous system. This can be likened to you body's automatic pilot. It keeps you alive through breathing, heart rate, and digestion, without you being aware of it. The autonomic nervous system has two divisions: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system expends energy and is associated with action , arousal and stress. It prepares us for physical action by increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension - the thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands are sympathetic, affected. The parasympathetic nervous system conserves body energy, slows heart rate, and increases intestinal, liver and pancreas activity. People tend to be dominant in either sympathetic function or parasympathetic function. Sympathetic dominance makes the body more acid, while parasympathetic dominance tends towards alkalinity.

DID YOU KNOW…?

BRAIN - Men lose brain tissue almost three times faster than women, according to a 1999 study conducted at the University of Philadelphia. This tissue loss may cause a deterioration of mood, abstract reasoning ability and memory. Vitamins C and E can neutralise the free radicals that damage brain cells.
PROSTATE - A January 2000 study from the Fred Hutchinson Centre in Seattle shows that you can reduce your chance of developing prostate cancer by 45 percent by eating three servings of cruciferous vegetables a day.
HEART HEALTH - Of men who died of heart attacks, 48 percent showed no previous symptoms of heart disease, the Heart Foundation says. Foods like salmon and soy may reduce your risk.
BONE DENSITY - Men constitute 20 percent of all osteoporosis cases in Australia. Calcium supplements may reduce your risk.
MUSCLES - Regular consumption of coffee and dairy products may increase muscle soreness after your workout.
CHECKUPS - Men are less likely than women to see their doctor. In 1996, just 2 million men visited a doctor for an annual checkup, compared with 3.5 million women.
SEXUAL FUNCTION - Australian doctors have written more than 1 million prescriptions for Viagra since it was introduced in April 1998. Gingko biloba may be a good natural alternative.

Scary Statisitics

1 in 2: The number of pharmacists who admit they made an error dispensing drugs in the previous two months.
1: Percentage of Australians over 45 who know they should have their blood sugar checked for diabetes every 2 years.
30: Percentage of men who say they've had a condom break during sex - and didn't tell their partner.
80: Percentage of cervical cancer deaths in which the woman hadn't had the test in five years.
1 in 3: Percentage of 16 year-old boys who say they've smoked a cigar in the last month.

Sniffles Don't Mean Antibiotics Time

A course of antibiotics will do nothing to help combat children's winter sniffles and sneezes caused by viruses - in fact it could end up doing more harm than good.

That's the message from the organisers of a national campaign, Wise Use of Antibiotics Campaign. Campaign spokesperson Dr Eileen Sables says, "If we continue to take these drugs for viruses we are adding further to the rising incidence of antibiotic- resistance bugs."

The campaign follows in the wake of a 55 percent increase in the number of cases of antibiotic- resistant superbug, MRSA. Meanwhile there is a mainstream turn back to traditional remedies and common sense approaches like rest, vitamin C rich fruit/vegetables and good fluid intake. Echinacea is a popular remedy/preventative, but if you are taking it to treat a cold or flu, remember that it is most effective when used at the very first sign of cold and flu symptoms. Talk to your herbalist about acute dosing in this situation, use 5ml daily as a preventative during the 'cold and flu season'.

DOES EXERCISE MAKE YOU HUNGRY?

Lumberjacks are legendary big eaters. They cut down trees and chop wood all day, so they naturally work up a big appetite. Do you develop a lumberjack appetite if you jog a couple of miles or do a few bench presses? Appetite is a complex process that's influenced by hormones, weight gain or loss, outside temperature, stress and depression. For example, if you go on a cruise and pork out for several days, your body tries to normalise its weight by depressing appetite. Likewise, when you go on a diet, your appetite increases to force you to stay at your target weight. Exercise depresses appetite for a short time after the workout. However, over 24 hours it doesn't make any difference one way or the other. If you run marathons, then you will need to eat more food to maintain your weight. However, most people don't exercise enough to justify a large increase in appetite. So, don't use your exercise program as an excuse to eat more. (Nutricise, Jan. 10, 2000)

Glutamine Helps Cut Fat

Students of bodybuilding and sport are familiar with the amino acid glutamine. Many studies have linked depleted glutamine levels with over-training and depressed immune system function. Glutamine also inhibits fatty acid oxidation and may help people lose weight. Dr. Emmanuel Opara and colleagues at Duke University Medical Centre found that giving L-glutamine to genetically obese rats that were fed high-fat diets helped the animals cut fat. The supplement also helped decrease insulin and blood sugar levels. Obesity and high insulin levels are linked to the high rates of heart attack and cancer in the U.S. This interesting study shows that a common athletic food supplement may help people lose weight. The study has not yet been done in humans. (J. Nutri. 126: 273-279, 1996).

Arthritis and Dental Amalgam

Dr Hal Huggins, a leading authority on biological dentistry, has found arthritic symptoms are often associated with mercury dental amalgams. He notes that once the amalgams are removed, the symptoms usually disappear.
Huggins recalls treating a patient, a professional pianist, with arthritis in her hands so pronounced she could no longer perform. She had also suffered from other medical problems for years, including tachycardia, candidasis, stuttering, and mononucleosis. Huggins found she had tow mercury fillings and a bridge with a metal base. Both the bridge and the mercury amalgams were removed. The patient quickly regained her former energy, and the swelling and pain in her fingers subsided. She was able to play the piano in concert again within two months.

Burn Fat:
Don't Eat Before Exercise

At rest, the body uses mainly fats as fuels. While some tissues, such as the brain and nervous system, use mainly carbohydrates for energy, most of the other tissues use fats when you're at rest. The body will use more fat as fuel if you exercise before you eat a meal. The question is, will it help you lose weight in the long run? Long term, the essential factor determining if you gain or lose body fat is the calorie balance - calories in versus calories out. If you want to lose body fat, you must take in fewer calories in your diet than you use to fuel metabolism or exercise. (Healthcentral, Dec, 27, 2000)

Creatine May Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Most people know high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and lack of exercise increase the risk of heart attack. Add high blood levels of homocysteine to this list. homocysteine is an amino acid that is thought to promote fatty tissue build-up in diseased heart arteries. Several studies have shown that supplementing the diet with folic acid will lower homocysteine levels. Creatine monohydrate supplements also help reduce the levels of this destructive chemical. In men, creatine supplementation blocks a chemical that helps make creatine inside the body. The body releases homocysteine when it makes creatine. Taking supplements decreases the rate the body releases homocysteine, which may reduce the risk of heart attack. (Med. Hypotheses 56: 5-7, 2001)

HOW GOOD IS EXERCISE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Exercise and cut your calorie intake if you want to lose weight. You can lose weight through diet alone, but you won't keep it off. Regular physical activity is the key to long-term weight loss. Exercise burns calories, increases your metabolism during recovery and helps maintain muscle mass. The harder and longer you exercise, the more calories you burn. During a typical aerobic workout (jogging or cycling), you will burn about seven to fifteen calories per minute (depending on your body size and intensity of exercise). Run or bike faster and you burn more calories. Exercise also increases your metabolic rate. You continue to burn calories at a faster rate after the exercise is over. If you train intensely, you'll also increase your use of fats during recovery. Finally, exercise increases, or at least helps, maintain your muscle mass. Muscle is a calorie burner. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. Exercise is important, but it must be combined with a healthy diet. (Georgia Tech Sports Med. News. 9 (4): 3, 2000)

TRAINING WITH A TRAINER SPEEDS RESULTS

Your exercise regimen may yield better results in a faster period of time when your workout is supervised by a fitness trainer, says a study reported by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). A research team led by Scott A. Mazzetti of Ball State university studied two groups of ten 18 - 35 year old men, evenly divided as to strength, skills, and experience with resistance training. For 12 weeks, half the men trained one on one with an ACSM-certified Health/Fitness Instructor (HFI), while half worked out unsupervised, choosing their own routine.

Compared to the independent exercisers, the men who trained with an instructor had a 30 - 45 percent greater increase in strength of major muscle groups and made gains and improvements approximately 30 percent faster. The researchers speculated that the difference is due to the presence of the trainer to motivate, facilitate, cheer on, and provide interpersonal interactions - along with plain ol' competitiveness, which, say social psychologists, is nearly always present whenever males are present.

OBESITY MAY SLOW COGNITIVE FUNCTION, INCREASE PAIN, RESEARCHERS SUGGEST

Doctors have long know that obesity increases the risk of heart disease and late-onset diabetes. But new research suggest that carrying around a lot of excess weight may have a damaging effect on most facets of health, including memory. A recently published university study reveals that overweight and obese people reported slower cognitive abilities, increased pain and decreased mobility at rates two to three times that of those with a healthy body weight.

Regular Physical Activity Helps Enhance Mind As Well As Body

We all know that regular exercise is good for us physically. What we don't always take into account is that aside from the well-documented physical effects, working out has a mental component as well. Exercise is being used for mood enhancement and as an alternative to medication for treatment of depression as it increases the levels of endorphins in the brain, reduces cortisol levels, and provides a sense of accomplishment

HARDENING OF ARTERIES RAMPANT:
ALL AGES SHOWING SIGNS OF CONDITION

A leading heart journal published a shocking article looking inside the coronary arteries of more than 200 hearts from healthy donors for heart transplantation. The findings? You'd better sit down. Of those 13-19 years of age, 17% had hardening of their coronary arteries. Of 20-29 37%; 30-39 60%; 40-49 71%; 50 years and older 85%. This is an epidemic!

It means that if your are 50 or older, you have only a 15 percent chance of NOT already having arteriosclerosis of tyour coronary arteries - the yellow fatty material that builds up and hardens in your arteries.

OTHER WAYS TO GET OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS IN THE DIET

If you're not a fish eater, don't despair. There are other sources of omega-3s; they're just not as concentrated as those in fish. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EHA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the two healthful types of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Linolenic acid, found in nuts and seeds (particularly walnuts, soybean, flaxseed and butternuts) can, to a limited extent, be converted by the body into EPA and DHA and provide beneficial effects similar to fish oil. Canola, soybean, flaxseed and walnut oils and wheat germ also offer linolenic acid.

Mind / Body Health

Imagine the world without pleasure. Life would appear colourless and humourless. Human beings evolved to seek enjoyment to enhance survival. Yet, at nearly every turn pleasure has gotten a bad name. People are almost phobic about having fun. In "Healthy Pleasure" David S. Sobel, M.D. reminds us that worrying too much about anything - including calories, salt, cancer, and cholesterol - can rob our life of vitality, and that living optimistically, with pleasure, zest, and commitment enriches if not lengthens life.

KEEPING FIT

The traditional bodyweight exercises are effective for improving muscle strength and endurance, although not as productive as progressive resistance exercise performed with free-weights or weigh-stack machines. In "Making Bodyweight Exercises More Challenging" Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. suggests using slower movement speeds to reduce the role of momentum and force the muscles to work a lot harder. He presents details for using this technique with the five most common bodyweight exercises - knee-bends (squats), trunk curls, push-ups, bar-dips and chin-ups.

Alzheimer's Detected Without Symptoms

Scientists in England have used magnetic resonance imaging and a unique mapping technique to study subtle changes in the brains of Alzheimer's patients months before any outward behavioural symptoms appear. Using individuals who carried a genetic mutation making them strongly predisposed to the disease, researchers were able to diagnose with 100 percent accuracy the disease in these patients before they had any symptoms. There appears to be a pre-symptomatic phase lasting three years or more that includes increased rates of tissue loss. This research raises the hope that we might one day be able to intervene with therapy at a very early stage.

HOUSE PANEL HEARS EMOTIONAL DEBATE ON STEM CELL RESEARCH

The adoption of the children from excess embryos (left over after their genetic parents conceived using in vitro fertilisation puts yet another human face on the heated debate surrounding Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, which many scientists say could lead to cures for countless diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and diabetes. Advocates for the research have long argued that such research, which must destroy embryos to extract stem cells, would use only embryos that would otherwise be discarded at fertility clinics. Adopted embryos challenge that assumption. In the eyes of those who are opposed to embryonic stem cell research, the freezers of fertility clinics are "frozen orphanages".

MIND OVER MATTER

Is there really a relationship between attitude and outcome? In "Healthy Attitude: Survival 101" Barry Bittman, M.D. quotes numerous research findings that despite numerous technological advances of our era, outcome and survival are more than casually related to one's attitude. Pessimists are poor candidates for surviving challenging illnesses. What's your attitude?

Understanding Homeopathy

It is certainly understandable that parents want to do something to allay their infants' pain when teething. In "Homeopathic Pediatrics - Safer, Saner Medicines for Our Children" Dana Ullman outlines what homeopathy offers as an effective alternative to pain-killers, sedatives and local anaesthetics. He also addresses homeopathic options for dealing with fever, colds, skin rashes, infants' coplic and children's digestive problems.

INTEGRATIVE DENTISTRY

Throughout her life span a woman has a sequence of health issues that can adversely impact her dental health. In "Special Oral Health Care Needs of Women" Flora Parsa Stay, D.D.S. outlines the special cautions for women who are dieting, women on birth control pills, pregnant women, and women treating for breast cancer and the potential correlating dental problems that might develop. For those in middle years and during menopause there are still other issues. This important information can prepare you for taking precautions.

TEECCINO - DESTRESS WITH CAFFEINE FREE HERBAL COFFEE

Coffee drinkers may be surprised to learn that herbal coffee actually has nutritional benefits which help nourish and keep the body healthy. Coffee, on the other hand, only supplies the drug, caffeine, which stimulates your adrenal glands but does not provide energy - actually it could deplete the body's energy reserves. Teeccino is the first herbal coffee on the market - a blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts that are roasted, ground and brewed just like coffee. Dark, rich, and full-bodied, Teecino brings you all the satisfaction of a robust brew with no caffeine reaction. Teeccino tastes mildly sweet from dates and figs, with only 15 calories.

PAIN DEFENSE - BREAKTHROUGH IN JOINT & MUSCLE PAIN

Defend yourself against repeat pain and suffering. This optimum pain relief system is one that works fro the inside-out to promote immediate, as well as long term relief. The PAIN DEFENSE, advanced pain technology system represents a breakthrough in pain relief. The Pain Defense Co. offers two scientifically designed internal and exteran formulas that provide optimum support, prevention and treatment for joint and muscle pain, working from the inside-out.

What is a work-out?

A workout is 25% perspiration and 75 percent determination. Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self discipline. Doing it is easy once you get started.
A workout makes you better today than you were yesterday. It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind and toughens the spirit. When you work out regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows.
A workout is a persona triumph over laziness and procrastination. It is the badge of a winner - the mark of an organised, goal-orientated person who ahs taken charge of his or her destiny.
A workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence. It is a way of preparing for life's challenges and proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.
A workout is a key that helps unlock the door to opportunity abnd success. Hidden within each of us is an extraordinary force. Physical and mental fitness are the triggers that can release it.

A workout is a form of rebirth. When you finish a good workout, you don't simply feel better. YOUR FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF.

DID YOU KNOW

That by including fish in your diet two to three times a week, straight away you reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 50 percent? Another good reason th visit our friends at SamTass Seafoods - 201-203 Richmond Rd, Richmond Ph:8234 0075 Open 7 days a week.

Is Disease Caused by Toxins?
An interview with Greg Ellis PhD

Along with the explosion in the number of chemicals introduced since World War II, there have been dramatic increases in incidence of auto-immune disease, allergy and common infections. This is not a coincidence, according to Greg Ellis.
"There are some 100,000 chemicals in common use, of which 25% are thought to be toxic, and nothing is known about synergistic effects. Newer chemicals are more potent and less biodegradable, he said, and most can cause genetic damage. Body fat has been tested to have a residue of 200 chemicals. Metals that can cause toxicities, including cadmium, beryllium, antimony, mercury and lead, are difficult to avoid. They are everywhere", said Ellis.
"These chemicals can weaken the immune system with effects that are subtle, chronic or long term. Autoimmune diseases alone are now estimated to affect 50 million people. Once in the chemicals act as toxins to block receptor-ligand binding sites, bind to proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, alter expression of critical gene products, cause changes in calcium homeostasis: and selectively kill cells."
Just a little bit of these toxins can cause problems and eventually affect organs, altering their structure and function. "The effect on the body is not all or nothing, but often partial blocking of enzymes that leads to subclinical toxicity and diminished function including central nervous system disorders and peripheral neuropathy," said Ellis. Lead, he noted, blocks hemoglobin synthesis.
"A toxic overload can cause cancer, but it can also manifest itself as minor ailments, such as a runny nose, or constipation." Ellis suggested that the increasing evidence of endometriosis is being triggered by environmental dioxin that accumulates in tissue. One cause of hypertension, he said is cigarette smoke, the biggest source of cadmium. For the most part, though, said Ellis, cause and effect are unclear, making it difficult to assign responsibility to a particular toxic agent.
Ellis maintained that metals and chemicals weaken the immune system and cause increased vulnerability to bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. He told of a three year old boy who had been treated with antibiotics practically his whole life, which he said is an increasingly common phenomenon.
People's livers and kidneys are being overwhelmed in attempting to detoxify these chemicals, said Ellis. While the liver is the main organ of detoxification, Ellis explained that the kidneys, skin and even the gastrointestinal tract may be recruited to assist. A skin eruption, for example, may signal that the skin is trying to eliminate a toxic substance. Five percent of eczema, he noted, is a reaction to nickel.
And when the body does try to treat itself, "we often mistake normal elimination processes for disease," said Ellis. Secretions are the body's attempt to detoxify itself, he explained. These can indicated levels of the body's response and include tearing, salivation, intestinal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and pinpoint pupils. "By blocking symptoms, you are shoving toxins back into the body, Ellis said.
The first step in treating many disease is to eliminate toxins by stimulating the organs of elimination especially the liver and kidneys.
"First we clean the liver, which acts as a filter," said Ellis. "Then be sure we have the right raw materials to rebuild liver. Food is the first building block. We are not what we eat, but what our body will do with what we eat."
Clearing of all vital pathways is essential to improve metabolism and nutrient assimilation, he said. Eliminative organs, he said, include not only the liver and kidneys, but also the intestines as well as the blood, immune and lymphatic systems. In treating high cholesterol, Ellis said it is not enough just to manipulate the blood level. "We need to clean out and then strengthen the liver, using B vitamins and herbs and homeopathics."
Nutritional supplements are used in three ways. First, they can be used as a substitute for what the body is not doing. For example, hydrochloric acid can be given if it is not being produced in sufficient quantities. Supplements can also be used as a stimulant, to boost the adrenal gland, for example. However, this must be done in conjunction with the third function, which is support. Support is needed in the form of raw materials (food and supplements) to form new cells. Supplements may be vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids or concentrated foods, such as freeze-dried liver, kidney, heart or lungs.
"Drugs do a good job of treating disease, but drugs do not cause health," said Ellis. Surgeons, he added, can only remove problems. If you treat diseases only, you severely limit what you can do for a patient.

Exercise Improves Cardiac Function

Because of its beneficial effects on cardiac performance, exercise is commonly prescribed for both healthy individuals and persons with cardiovascular disease. But what exactly causes the heart to improve its performance? Noting that daily exercise strengthens the heart and significantly reduces coronary artery disease and permanent damage to the heart due to sudden obstruction of blood flow, two researchers from the University of Texas conducted a study to determine whether these benefits were due to exercise-related improved pumping abilities and/or improved blood flow to the heart.
The study, published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (Vol. 33 No 4, p556) was performed on exercise-trained and cage-rested dogs. Fourteen dogs were subjected to either 12 weeks of dynamic exercise training or cage rest, then anesthetized and assessed. "No study up to this point had examined lateral blood flow to answer this question," says researcher Patricia A. Gwirtz. "We proposed to find out whether, during coronary artery occlusion, blood flow to adjacent tissue reduces the size of the infarct, thereby reducing myocardial dysfunction."
Analysis of the animals' hearts found a significant improvement in heart muscle contraction function in the exercise trained animals. Data suggest that cardiac function was improved during ischemia (i.e. low oxygen availability due to blocked blood flow because of increased blood flow to heart tissue bordering the site of the infarction.
Exercise training is already known to increase aerobic function and oxygen utilization in skeletal muscle by altering its metabolic characteristics, according to this study, it also benefits the heart muscle. The next time your members ask about the specifics regarding why exercise strengthens the heart, tell them that exercise aids the body in diverting blood flow by sending more blood to tissues surrounding the heart during a potential heart attack situation.

Exercise and Fat Storage

I'd like you to imagine that there's a switch on your forehead. When you flip that switch, it does three things:
1. It elevates several of you body's hormones that tell your body to burn more fat.
2. It decreases hormones that tell your body to store fat.
3. It gives your metabolism (basal metabolic rate) a boost.

Would you be flipping that switch pretty frequently? You bet you would! In fact, most of us would probably wear it out fast.

Now, what if it required a little effort on your part to flip it? Are you game? Would you be willing to exercise regularly to get that switch flipped - because that's exactly what exercise will do for you. Every time you exercise, the switch gets flipped.

For example, insulin is a hot topic right now because it's a "fat storage" hormone. Exercise decreases an elevated insulin level and allows fat to be removed from storage and burned as fuel!

Your basal metabolic rate is boosted a little every time you exercise. The more you flip the switch, the more it's elevated. And thje more it's elevated, the more fat and calories you'll burn - even after exercise!

Here's the bottom line folks; When you're sedentary, your body loves to hold onto fat. It likes to "store" as much as it can.

Conversely, when you exercise, your body screams for fat to be dumped. It does everything it can to get rid of fat. The more you exercise, the more it screams. So make it scream!

The Latest on Licorice

A new study has looked at Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Root (DGL) in the treatment of 32 patients with duodenal ulcers, and found that it promoted healing of the ulcers and normalisation of the gastric mucosa (cells lining the stomach). Other studies have found that DGL and another licorice root derivative, carbenoxolone sodium, were effective in treating reflux oesophagitis, as well as stomach and duodenal ulcers, in humans and animals.
Caution: Do not use licorice if you have high blood pressure.

THE FINGER CONNECTION

After reviewing nearly 2,000 mind-body exercises, Dr Khalsa identified a few that he feels are the most powerful and easy to learn. These exercises, which balance the endocrine system and boost immunity, include slow, deep breathing techniques, the use of regenerating, vibrational sound currents (special spoken or changed syllables or phrases), and finger movements. Many of Dr Khalsa's exercises have been found to increase oxygen flow to the brain (as measured by PET scan devices, while improving the uptake of glucose, reducing the production of cortisol, and increasing dopamine levels.
The finger connection exercise is intriguing. It turns out that the fingers are strongly represented in the brain's map of the body. In other words, neuroscientists have shown that the brain is a miniature map of all the body's organs and parts. Touching the finger to the thumb on at a time, stretching the fingers, crossing them, or even playing the piano, for example, can actually stimulate the brain and increase mental energy.

Eat Fat, Stay Fit
Low fat diets can suppress an athlete's immune system

For the average person a low fat diet is beneficial for the prevention of numerous diseases. Most experts say no more than 30 percent of total calories should come from fat.
Bodybuilders and other athletes need more calories than the average person, but should those extra calories come strictly from protein and carbohydrates? A recent study that was published in the July "00 issue of Medicine and Science in
Sports and Exercise (32:S389-S395) recommends additional dietary fat for athletes to enhance immunity. According to the study, "Intense exercise and low fat intakes may suppress immune function." The researchers went on to claim that "athletes tend to train at a very high levels with inadequate rest, avoid excess fat and therefore have a high risk of infections."
How much do they recommend? "Increasing dietary fat intake to 32 percent of energy appears to reverse negative effects of a diet too low in fat. Increasing dietary fat intake of athletes to 42 percent of total calories and maintaining energy intake equal to expenditure does not have adverse effects on immune competency or blood lipid levels but improves endurance exercise performance at 60 percent and 80 percent of maximal oxygen consumption in cyclists, soldiers and runners."
Obviously, you shouldn't increase your dietary fat by eating more fried foods, rich desserts and snack foods. Instead, choose nuts, nut butters, avocados, salmon, trout, sardines, canola oil, olive oil and flaxseed oil. Also consider supplements such as fish oil capsules and essential fatty acids.

Cell Energy and Aging

Fatigue can be a sign of more serious illness. In fact, there's evidence to suggest that a decrease in cellular energy trigger the aging process, Alzheimer's and other disease.
Nearly 50 years ago, Dr Denham Hartmon of Omaha, USA, proposed that destructive molecules called fre4e radicals damaged cells and were the most basic cause of aging. His theory had now been taken a step further, with new research confirming that these free radicals are, in fact, the result of faulty energy production in the cells' mitochondria. In other words, the process of destroying - or oxidising - food to create energy releases large numbers of free radicals. Most are 'extinguished' by antioxidants, but some escape and damage the genes that control energy production in the first place. This damage makes energy production progressively more difficult, which ends up increasing the production of free radicals: A vicious cycle.
Researchers such as Dr Douglas Wallace of the Emory University College of Medicine in Atlanta, USA, are now beginning to focus their attention on this idea of deficient energy production, and how it can, in turn, bring about diseases such as Alzheimer's. They have found, for instance, that patients with Alzheimer's are significantly more likely to suffer from mutations in the genes controlling energy production. Studies testing the use of antioxidant vitamins to treat such cellular energy problems -firstly by neutralising free radicals, and then by slowing the age-related damage- are presently underway.

Could it be Allergies?

According to Dr Doris Rapp, author of Is This Your Child's World? (Bantam) your child's behavioural problems may be linked to allergies if any of the following apply:

* Does the child have bags under his eyes, skin problems such as dry or flaky skin, or bright red cheeks:

* Is the child often in a particular place when a behavioural change occurs? Is it accompanied by asthma or a head or stomach-ache?

* If attacks occur mainly at school, check his handwriting for unusual largeness or scribbling when in a certain room: This could indicate toxic chemicals in that area.

* Does the child's pulse rise in certain places, inside or out.

* Check whether the child coughs or wheezes when emotionally upset. This may indicate an allergy affecting the lungs.

A guide to dietary changes and supplements for children who might suffer from conditions prompted by allergens.

FOODS
· Increase omega-3 fatty acids (most commonly found in cold-water fish) and decrease omega-6 fatty acids (found in plants).
· Try to use olive oil rather than other vegetable oils.
· Using a process of elimination, check whether the child reacts to the most common allergens: dairy products, nuts, and shellfish
· Be alert to the possibility of an allergy to food dyes.
· Offer plenty of fruits and vegetables.

SUPPLEMENTS

· Vitamin C 200mg twice daily; half for children under 10 years.
· Vitamin B complex, especially B6, 200mg once daily; half for children under 10.
· Vitamin E 200 IU twice daily; half for children under 10.
· Selenium 200mcg twice daily; half for younger children.
· Vitamin A 2,500 IU daily.

Stress is a huge factor in immune-system health. In fact, there is a whole field of study dedicated to unraveling the complex interaction between stress and poor immune function called psychoneuroimmunology (PNI, for short).

Secrets of St John's Wort

More than an antidepressant, St John's wort is a valuable herb for infections, including the common cold and flu. Hypericin, an active component, has also shown action against some retroviruses, including HIV. Several recent studies have discovered other components of St John's wort that are active against a variety of animal and human viruses. While the clinical significance of this remains uncertain, many practitioners are using the herb to treat viral infections. However, recent reports in the Lancet indicate that it is not advisable to combine St John's wort with protease inhibitors or immunosuppressant drugs, such as cyclosporin. The herb may cause the body to metabolise these drugs too quickly, lowering blood concentrations of these drugs to insufficient levels.

Greater Physical Activity Lowers Mortality Rate

Although you may have suspected it awhile, it has now been proven that physical activity can reduce mortality rates. In a study involving women from the Nurses' Health Study, authors examine the association between recreational physical activity and mortality, and found that exercise can reduce death risk.
The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health (April 2001), involved 80,348 women between the ages of 34 and 59 (at the beginning of the study). Using an initial questionnaire (in 1980), with follow-ups every two years, the study asked women about their levels of physical activity, including walking, heavy gardening, sports, bicycling and heavy housework. Results showed that levels of physical activity were inversely associated with mortality risk.
Results also showed that the dose-response to exercise and mortality risk showed the greatest jump from the least active to the moderately active. In other words, between the levels of exercise (i.e., less than one hour per week, 1 to 1.9 hours, 2 to 3.9 hours, etc.) the greatest jump in improvement for mortality rates was made from the least active women (less than 1 hour per week) to the next level (1 to 1.9 hours). This is good news for your members who don't like to or can't exercise frequently.
The authors conclude that, "Our findings are in agreement with the well-known observation that people who are more physically active are at reduced morality risk relative to those who are less active."

Healthy Lifestyle Paves the Way to a Long Life

The long-sought formula for a longer life may have been found According to a study in the July 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and not smoking may add up to 10 additional years of life to an individual's life span.
The study used data from a 12 year study of health and lifestyle habits among more than 34,000 Seventh-Day Adventists ages 30 and older. Adventists have high rates of vegetarianism, 40 percent exercise vigorously for at least 15 minutes three times a week and fewer than 1 percent smoke. The study compared Adventists' mortality rates at various ages with mortality rates of the general California white population. Male Adventists were found to have a gain of more than seven years over other men, and female Adventists had nearly 4.5 additional years of life than other women. The expected ages of death among 30 year old Adventists was 81 for men and 84 for women. Among vegetarian Adventists, who make up 30 percent of the Adventist population, the life expectancy for men was 83 and nearly 86 for women. The researchers say, "These results strongly suggest that behavioral choices influence the expected age at death by several years, even as much as a decade."
The researchers add that previous research has clearly outlined the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, but their research is the first to quantify the number of years a person can expect to gain from healthy habits.
For an abstract of the study, go to:
archinte.ama-assn.org/issues/v161n13/abs/ioi00635.html

Fit Men Less Likely to Die from All Causes

There is more good news for your members about the benefits of exercise. Findings from a new study indicate that being in good physical shape appears to reduce middle-aged men's risk of dying, not only from cardiovascular disease, but from cancer and other causes as well (Archive of Internal Medicine, Mar. 26, 2001). Finnish researchers found that poor cardiorespiratory fitness increases the risk of premature death as much as well-known risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.
Findings were based on the study of almost 1,300 men who did not have cardiovascular disease, lung disease or cancer. The men, whose average age was 52, were followed for more than 10 years. At the start of the study, the men performed an exercise test on a stationary bicycle, and had their maximum oxygen uptake measured. Men who could exercise longer and who had greater oxygen uptake were more likely to be alive at the end of the study. Physically unfit men, who had the lowest oxygen uptake, were almost three times more likely to die from any cause, even after the researchers accounted for factors such as age, smoking and alcohol use. The risk of death was similar in men who could only complete a short exercise test.
While the effects of exercise on cardiovascular health are well known, the link between good physical fitness and a reduced risk off death from other causes is not well understood, the report indicates. Based on this study, the benefits of staying in shape appear to be wide-ranging. Men with high oxygen uptake and long exerr5cise tests were less likely to die, not only from cardiovascular disease but from all causes, including cancer.
"Poor cardiorespiratory fitness is an important and independent risk factor for premature death, and can be considered to be as important as smoking, hypertension, obesity and diabetes," the authors concluded.

Resistance Training Results in Fat Burning Up to Two Hours Post-Workout

Weight training should definitely be a part of your female members' exercise regime, it they are trying to lose weight. A new study, published in Exercise & Science in Sports & Medicine (33:932 - 938, 2001), found that resistance training resulted in fat burning for up to two hours after the exercise session.

The study included 10 women, ages 24 - 34, who regularly lifted weights but weren't "super fitness enthusiasts," says Carol A. Binzen, lead author of the study. The women were initially assessed for cardiovascular fitness and maximal strength, then, on separate days, underwent a resistance exercise session and a control session where they simply sat without exercising, with two non-exercise days in between. Energy expenditures were measured for 20 minutes before each session, during each 45-minute session and for two hours after each session. During the resistance exercise session, participants performed nine exercises (chest press, shoulder press, leg squat, leg extension, leg press, seated row, lat pull-down, biceps curl and triceps extension_ for three sets of 10 repetitions at 70 percent of their maximal strength, plus abdominal crunches.

On average, the women burned 155 calories during weight training, compared to 50 calories during the control session. By comparing measurements of blood lactate, VO2 max and respiratory exchange ratio, the researchers concluded that, after resistance exercise, 70 percent more fat was burned during the last 30 minutes of the two-hour recovery period than after the control session.

Binzen points out that, in addition to decreasing body fat and increasing lean body mass, metabolism and bone mineral density, "an acute bout of a typical resistance exercise session also facilitates a small increase in fat oxidation in moderately trained young women."" The researchers suggest that the results may be more pronounced in previously sedentary women who begin a strength-training program. Binzen concludes, "To get the maximum benefit, women need a combination of cardiovascular workouts and resistance training."

Water Safety
POINTING THE FINGER AT ALUMINIUM

Nearly half a million Australians now suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and that number is expected to triple by the year 2050. A recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology provides, at last, a clear link between aluminium concentrations in drinking water and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's. The French study found that people who lived in areas with aluminium concentrations greater than 0.1mg/litre had an increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer's.

Twins Show The Way

A new study from the American Institute for Cancer Research reports that up to three-quarters of cancers can be prevented with dietary and lifestyle measures. Researchers analysed data from more than 44,000 pairs of twins and found that factors such as eating a wholefoods diet, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding tobacco far outweighed any genetic risk component.

AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR DIET WAS BAD……

Having survived the Gulf War, the people of Kuwait are doing their level best to kill themselves off anyway, according to a report in the British medical journal Lancet. Kuwaiti citizens eat a disproportionate share of the 50,000 tons of red meat consumed annually in that country. Meat is served at every meal. A typical breakfast might be fried kidney and liver, topped with clotted cream.…) The obesity rate is the highest in the world. And as if that's not enough, few people exercise and nearly everyone smokes, including over 60 percent of children aged between 10 and 16.

Natural "Biocides" May Be Best

We fear man-made pesticides in our food, yet plants contain 10,000 times more natural pesticides - or biocides - than synthetic pesticides residues. In fact, according to researcher James Duke, the "10,000 more" figure is probably wrong. "With oregano, and perhaps most spices and herbs, we may ingest closer to 100,000 times more.
Yet natural biocides don't harm us, probably because we've adapted to them. So - why not use natural pesticides rather than synthetic ones? "Naturals are, on the average, probably more readily biodegradable. And if the naturals are as good as the synthetic pesticides, perhaps we should remove them from the food chain and put them in the pesticide cans. There could possibly be environmental and energetic as well as health benefits from using food derived natural pesticides rather than synthetic pesticides. Leave the synthetics in the minds of man, not the mouths of babies."
J.A. Duke, "Biting the Biocide Bullet", in poisonous Plants (Iowa University Press; 474-8).

What A Personal Fitness Trainer Can Do For You

Working with a personal fitness trainer is one of the fastest, easiest, and most successful ways to improve your health and fitness. In fact, personal training has proved so effective that it has spread beyond the realm of the rich and famous. Today, personal trainers are used by people all over the world, at all fitness, economic and age levels, to help them make lifestyle changes that they cannot achieve by themselves.
How do you know if hiring a personal trainer is the right choice for you? To help determine this, consider the following things a personal fitness trainer can help you to do.
1. Improve your overall fitness: Surveys show the primary reason people hire personal trainers is to get professional assistance to improve strength, flexibility, endurance, posture, balance, coordination, and cardiovascular health. A trainer will monitor your progress as well as fine-tune your program as you go along, helping you to work your way off plateaus.
2. Reach or maintain a healthy weight: Body-fat reduction, weight reduction or management, body shaping and toning can all be achieved with the aid of a qualified trainer who can provide you with the encouragement you need as you are being helped to set realistic goals and safe strategies to achieve them.
3. Learn to stick to it: Sticking with well-intentioned plans is one of the biggest challenges exercisers face. Qualified personal trainers can provide motivation for developing a lifestyle that places a high priority on health and activity.
4. Focus on your unique health concerns: Surveys show that 50 percent of personal trainers' clients have special medical needs, such as arthritis, diabetes, or obesity. A personal trainer can help you with these or other issues, including low back pain, rehabilitation from injury and pre/post-natal training. Your trainer can work with your physical therapist or other health care providers to plan a safe, efficient program that will speed your recovery or enable you to reach your health goals.
5. Find the right way to work out: You will learn the correct way to use equipment, in addition to learning the form and technique for cardiovascular work and free-weight training.
6. Stop wasting time: Get maximum results in minimum time with a program designed specifically for you.
Workouts that use your strengths and improve your weaknesses are efficient and effective.

GLUTAMINE
Why Take It?

Benefits
Imagine a nutrient that can improve human fat metabolism, increase the human brain's ability to function, strengthen your immune system and improve muscle mass all at the same time! Glutamine does all that, and some.
Recent studies show glutamine makes a unique contribution to protein synthesis (muscle growth), growth hormone elevation and in preventing the break down of muscle tissue. For anyone trying to build muscle this is great news!

Summary of Recent Findings on Glutamine
· Clinical studies have demonstrated that L-Glutamine is at least four times more effective in improving nitrogen balance than BCAAs (branched chai8n amino acids) in post-operative patients.
· Glutamine encourages protein synthesis and growth hormone release and, as a result, leads to enhanced rates of muscle growth and intensive workouts.
· Glutamine enables the body to maintain constant blood sugar levels and correct blood pH. It helps prevent hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), since it is easily converted to glucose when blood sugar is low.
· In people on calorie-restricted diets it is possible to spare muscle tissue by providing abundant Glutamine through diet and supplementation. The Glutamine, rather than muscle tissue, will be broken down to provide glucose for energy. NOTE: L-glutamine, like all amino acids (protein provides 4 cal/g of energy, so don't forget to take this into account in calorie-controlled diets.
· Research has demonstrated improvements in memory retention, cognitive ability, and problem solving when glutamine was supplemented in the diet.
· Glutamine has anti-depressive properties.
· Due to its dependence on sodium transport, glutamine influences the volume of water in the cells, and the osmotic pressure (osmo-regulation) in various tissues.
· Glutamine helps eliminate leaky gut syndrome, which is one of the major causes of food allergies, and is often associated with high protein diets. The gastro-intestinal tract cannot function without glutamine present in the diet.
· Glutamine works inside the liver to produce the super powerful antioxidant Glutathione, which is one of the main "free radical fighters" within the body.
· Glutamine improves the immune systems ability to manufacture white blood cells that in turn fight infection. Supplementing with nutrients such as Glutamine can assist the body In resisting infection from pathogenic (un-friendly) bacteria.
· Glutamine can be used for energy in the brain, especially when blood glucose is low, giving the user a feeling of more energy, less fatigue and better mood.
· It has recently been discovered that Glutamine is an important source of fuel for the heart muscle.
· People who use NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) such as Ibuprofen may have a special need for supplemental Glutamine.

Steer Clear of Alzheimer's - Stay Active

Staying active, both mentally and physically may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, researcher's report. In a new study, the odds of developing Alzheimer's were nearly quadrupled in people who were less active during their leisure time between the ages of 20 and 60, compared with their peers. This seemed to be true, regardless of the type of activity, although spending time in intellectual pursuits appeared to be the most beneficial.
Several studies have investigated the connection between work, education and the risk of Alzheimer's disease and it appears that people who are better educated and more accomplished on the job are less likely to develop the disease. But there has been little research into the effect of leisure activities on the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
People with Alzheimer's disease were less likely to participate in passive intellectual and physical activities between the ages of 20 and 60. Even after the investigators took into account factors that could have influenced the risk of Alzheimer's, including age, sex, education, and socioeconomic status, people who participated in fewer activities than the average were 3.85 times more likely to develop the memory-robbing illness.
The differences between healthy participants and those with Alzheimer's disease were greatest in terms of intellectual activities.

PHYSICAL FITNESS AND BODY FAT BOTH IMPACT HEART DISEASE RISK

A recent study finds that both a persons' physical fitness and their level of body fat are important in assessing coronary heart disease (CHD). This means that even thin people need to exercise, and people who are overweight but fit still need to think about lowering or maintaining their weight.
The study, intended to examine the relationships between fitness, fatness and CHD risk, involved 212 black adults and 411 white adults, all of whom were sedentary for six months prior to the study. Participants performed an exercise test on a stationary cycle and had their maximum oxygen uptake measured, which reflects how much physical activity a person can perform.
Participants' body fat percentages were also measured. Participants with more body fat had a higher risk of heart disease when compared to the thinnest people in the study, with an 83 percent higher risk for those with high levels of body fat, and a 70 percent higher risk in those with moderate levels of body fat. But physical fitness was also significant in assessing CHD risk. When compared to the fittest people in the study, those with moderate levels of aerobic fitness were 39 percent more likely to develop heart disease, and those with low levels of fitness were 62 percent more likely to develop heart disease. "The results indicate that both fatness and aerobic fitness are important determinants of risk for future coronary heart disease," says Peter T. Katzmarzyk, lead author of the study.
The researchers advise people to focus on maintaining recommended activity levels and a healthy weight to achieve good heart health.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 33: 585-590, 2001.

It's Not Too Late to Hit the Weights
Strength decline with age: cause and prevention

You don't have to be a scientist to realise that people get weaker as they age. In fact, only about 5 percent of people living in nursing homes suffer from mental incapacity. The majority wind up there because they're too frail to care for themselves. Most studies show that strength generally peaks at around age 30, then slowly declines. At age 50 the drop in strength becomes precipitous, it's all downhill from there. Any existing diseases, such as arthritis or cardiovascular disease are worsened by a lack of muscle strength and fitness in older people.
Several studies looked at the precise cause of age associated weakness. In the latest one physiologists studied 164 men and women, who were divided into groups based on their ages - specifically, 20s to 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s to 80s.* They were tested for muscle strength on leg extensions.
The results showed that muscle loss with age is based on a gradual loss of muscle size. It's the classic use-it-or-lose-it proposition. The study also confirmed findings that most of the muscle loss with age occurs in the type-2, or fast-twitch, muscle fibres, which happen to be the muscle fibres most responsive to growth with resistance exercise, such as weight training. They are, in effect, the muscle fibres that make you strong, and as they atrophy, your strength drops.
While the study showed that the decline in strength with age occurs as a result of muscle loss in both sexes, men also lose strength through a loss of muscle recruitment ability. That suggests men have an additional neuromuscular-based loss with age that for some reason doesn't occur in the same manner in women. It plays a major role in the loss of speed and power seen in most professional athletes as they age, although the precise cause of that loss remains a mystery.
An important point to consider with such studies is this: The results apply mainly to those who don't exercise. Other studies have shown that people who continue to exercise as they age have far less obvious muscle loss than their sedentary counterparts. Even people who begin weight training at an advanced age can get stronger. That means there's no time limit on when people can begin exercising, although time is certainly limited for those who don't.
*Akima,H., et al. (2001). Muscle function in 164 men and women aged 20 - 84 years. Medicine Science Sports Exercise. 33:220-26.

Chew On This

The following facts about dental health may surprise you.
· Time to spend brushing. The average American, spends only fifty-one seconds brushing. The time you should spend? About three minutes.
· That other dirty thing in your mouth. Tongue cleaning reduces bad breath and helps prevent plaque. You can brush your tongue while brushing your teeth or try a tongue scraper, available in most health food stores.
· Great gums. It's not just dental health that you preserve when you take care of your gums. Recent research suggests connections between gum disease and pre-term births, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Adults with gum disease may be 2.7 times as likely to suffer a heart attack as those with healthy gums. Researchers think the reason is that an anaerobic bacterium that lives in those deep pockets influences blood to clot.
· Treating the whole body. A holistic dentist may focus on any acute dental problems first, but he or she may also refer you to a naturopathic physician to give your overall health an overhaul using exercise, better nutrition, adequate sleep, and stress management to maintain your immune system.

When docs talk, will they prescribe a walk?

A recent study found that walking reduces symptoms of depression faster than many drugs. In the study reported in The British journal of Sports Medicine, 12 people suffering moderate or severe depression were encouraged to exercise by walking on treadmills for 30 minutes per day. The participants saw symptoms of depression drop by about a third after only 10 days of exercise. Five of the patients saw their scores fall by 50%. Drugs that treat depression often take an average of two to four weeks just to have an effect, and then can produce severe side effects. Walking may offer an important alternative to drug therapies.

A WALK A WEEK OFFERS HEART HEALTH PEAK

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has published a study that examined women's heart disease risk and walking. The findings were very surprising: It doesn't take even as much as a brisk walk to reduce the risk of heart disease - an hour's amble will be enough, the study showed. Women who walked as little as one hour a week, even at a gentle pace, had about half the risk of coronary heart disease faced by women who got no physical activity. The findings came from 39,372 health professionals, age 45 and older, who kept track of their health status in a project called the Women's Health Study. This is not a call for laziness, though. The review of data showed the lowest heart disease riks was associated with the most vigorous activities.

NO PAIN, plenty to GAIN

Sustained moderate exercise best for weight loss

An encouraging new study published in Nature shows that the best way to boost metabolic rates is through moderate exercise coupled with fewer periods of inactivity throughout the day. Results suggest that moderately-paced, sustained activities promote weight loss more effectively than brief, high-intensity sessions at the gym. Walking, bicycling, even climbing stairs at home or the office can help weight loss if performed consistently, the study concludes. The activities can be as simple as parking and walking from the far end of the parking lot when you shop, or taking a walk around the block after dinner. In the study, in which researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands measured the activity levels of 14 women and 16 men for two weeks, it was found that the time that elapsed between low and moderate intensity activities is ultimately what determined how many calories were burned. Fewer periods of inactivity meant more weight loss, even if the activity was easy.

Getting Healthy with Fats

The key to vibrant health and successful weight loss is balanced nutrition. Here's a list of the best dietary sourc3s for each of these healthy fats. But remember: When they are processed or refined, the nutritional benefits of these oils are dramatically compromised.
Omega-3s: Eat fatty fish (choose from salmon, mackerel, sardines, or butter fish) three or four times a week. Or supplement with 1 - 3 g of fish oil or flaxseed oil daily. Other omega-3 sources are wheat germ oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, purslane, and hemp seed oil.
Omega-6s: Enjoy 1 - 2 g of borage oil or 3 - 6 g of evening primrose oil daily. Other omega-6 sources include black currant seed oil, pine nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds and conjugated linoleic acid capsules.
Omega-9s: Eat 1 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily. Other tasty omega-9 sources include sesame oil, avocado, peanuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts.
Anne Louise Gittleman, N.D., M.S., C.N.S.

Keeping Healthy Helps Prevent Breast Cancer

Postmenopausal women who remain active throughout their lives have a lower risk of breast cancer. Scientists at the Alberta Cancer Board in Canada found that women with the highest levels of activity were 30 percent less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than were couch potatoes (women who had the lowest activity levels).

The Canadians compared data from 1.200 breast cancer patients with women who did not have breast cancer. Researchers found no association between physical activity and risk of breast cancer among younger, pre-menopausal women.

They are not sure why activity prevents breast cancer. Reduced body fat or enhanced immunity may explain the connection. The lesson is that we need to remain active throughout life. It doesn't mean you have to race in the Tour de France, like Lance Armstrong. However, finding excuses to walk instead of ride, to do gardening instead of watching TV, are going to benefit you. Although this study did not show any particular benefit in younger women, good health habits are best established early (Am J Epidemiol 2001;154:336-347).

Another Way to Water Your Skin

Aromatic hydrosols are by-products of the distillation process that creates essential oils. These fragrant waters can be especially effective for those with very sensitive skin. They're saturated with moisturizing and skin-friendly acids and retain the herb's anti-inflammatory properties, yet are free of some of the potentially irritating compounds that are carried over into the essential oils. These waters make excellent, alcohol-free toners; they moisturize and soothe rather than dehydrate. You can generally find rose water or orange blossom water at your local health-food store or even some ethnic groceries, as they are used in cooking. You may even stumble across a more unusual hydrosol such as lavender or chamomile water. Please note; these are not the same as essential oils added to water. Hydrosols have a low pH, are hydrating and anti-inflammatory, and can be used freely. Essential oils need to be highly diluted.

Whey Protein in Cancer Prevention

"Whey protein diets result in increased glutathione (GSH) concentration in a number of tissues, and that some of the beneficial effects of whey protein intake are abrogated by inhibition of GSH synthesis. Whey protein is particularly rich in substrates for GSH synthesis. We suggest that whey protein may be exerting its effects on carcinogenesis by enhancing GSH concentration."
G. Bounous, G. Baptist, and P. Gold - The Montreal General Hospital and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (C