BodynSoil » health

Testing my Genes: Is it Luck or Fitness?

Bodynsoil — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:08:24 +0000

Regular readers know I have been told how "lucky I was" for my "thin" genes. Many of my fitness friends actually tell me they hear the same, "you are so lucky to be naturally thin" from their friends and family as well. Of course, my readers also know that I incorporate exercise into life on a daily basis, along with good nutrition. I didn't think it was luck at all, I felt I looked fit and healthy because I WAS fit and healthy. Was it luck, that I put myself in my gym, getting my butt handed to me, at 5:30 in the morning each day? This was a curiosity of mine, so what's a girl to do? I asked myself: was this the luck gene; or hard work and dedication to taking care of my health? I decided to run a little test to see which it was, or so I told myself, I think my Seasonal Affective Disorder might have played a hand as well, I am not sure which came first actually.

I decided to do a test: for one month I would limit my fitness and enjoy a few of those uber tempting deserts to see how "lucky" I actually was.

(Or, the fact that I was completely intimidated by the thought of starting P90X2, but that is another story) Granted I started this process around the holiday season, I knew, to a certain degree, that I would be enjoying certain foods that I don't eat in my every day life.

I consumed holiday meals with wanton abandon, seconds, no problem, pie for breakfast, sure, why not!

This year however, instead of one day of decadence, I brought home a childhood favorite: peanut butter rice krispie treats, with chocolate in the middle. I know how they are made and that I can't resist them, they are like crack to me. This was the start of, what I thought would be, a month of "test" eating -- I was eating things I normally avoid as poor food choices.. Okay, I wasn't eating processed foods or anything like that, I hadn't gone completely over the edge, but I was eating more take out, white potato, breads and then there was the nuts mixed with chocolate after dinner each night. I have never been one to drink, we still have the same 6 pack of beer in the fridge from 2010 and a full wine rack with bottles covered in dust, this makes me an anomaly within my family unit. (in fact, my niece once commented about the dusty bottles, I wasn't sure if she was shocked regarding the dust or that the bottles hadn't been consumed as of yet!) I didn't add alcohol to the mix, I just want to clarify that fact. So what was the result of my little experiment: I gained 15 pounds - I felt -- tired, listless, my back & joints ached, I felt older than my age! Not only that, I noticed that my seasonal depression became worse than in years past. Of course that might have been due to me not being able to fit into anything I owned, I didn't have any interest in leaving the house to spend time with friends. The whole process ended with me getting a horrid cold, something that almost never happens to me, I hadn't been sick in years!!!

My annual exam happened to coincide with the completion of this event, I asked for a blood test, which I normally get through with flying colors. This time it came back with cholesterol levels that warranted a stern note from my doctor, who was unaware of my little experiment.

The experience told me a lot actually, that I hadn't been so lucky to have been gifted the "thin" gene and I too had the potential to become obese and suffer the ill effects of this type of lifestyle. As my readers know, my life goal was to break the chain -- my parents had handicapped themselves from lifestyle diseases: obesity and heart disease. Unfortunately, my father had been ill with a heart condition since before I was born, he died at 57 from lung cancer and complications from his heart condition. My maternal side suffers from obesity and type 2 diabetes, I say my maternal side as the remaining members of my family are obese: they are either diabetic, prediabetic or quickly racing towards that end.. At first I didn't have the motivation to return to my previously fit lifestyle, I looked at the 15 pounds and didn't think it was too terrible, I looked and felt okay. Then it occurred to me that this is how is must begin for so many people - adapting to become my new normal wasn't an option. I feared that this adaptation would lead to the next 10 lbs adaptation, then the next and so on, until I too was a statistic. As soon as my cold ended I was back to my normal healthy lifestyle, that was two weeks ago. I started my "return to fitness" using the 3 day shakeology cleanse and flushed 6 pounds of water retention out; that 6 pound drop in weight felt excellent. Now I track my eating so I can see where I am during the day, this allows me to adjust my nutrition during to hit my daily goals. At this time I am not at my pre-experiment weight - things are moving in the right direction, I can wear my pants comfortably again. I did start P90X2, it is difficult, it was designed that way and certainly is effective in its design. I want to clarify that P90X2 isn't for people who aren't already preconditioned, there are many excellent programs for beginners. (feel free to ask for suggestions) I have already completed 9 rounds of P90X, 2 rounds of Turbo Fire, one round of Insanity and countless other fitness routines before attempting this workout series. I am back to being myself again, I not only found myself hiding from my friends and family during this process, I also didn't feel worthy of my online family as well and promptly hid myself. In the end I feel this was an excellent experience to help me understand and appreciate the process others are going through - this will be useful as I work toward my personal trainer certification and helpful to those I hope to guide to find their inner "fit and healthy" self..

Lobbists say “An Apple a Day” is a job Killer

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:10:26 +0000

We are all trying to improve the lifestyles of our next generation by teaching good nutrition and staying physically fit. Yet for some, the biggest concern isn't the growing girth of our youth but wanting to keep growing the girth of their bottom line. According to an article by Donald Cohen "Junk Food Companies Contradict Themselves on Marketing to Kids," written for the Huffington Post, there is good news. That news is that the Federal Trade Commission, along with three other federal agencies (FDA, CDC and USDA), released a set of proposed guidelines for marketing food to children. What the FTC wants to do is to reduce sugars, fats and salts and increase fruits, whole grains and vegetables in the diets of American youth. Now for the bad news, there are villains in this story, don't all stories need a villain? Large corporations see this "eating of wholesome foods" idea as a means of reducing their profit margins. Enter the villains! This according to Mr. Cohen: "A coalition of major manufacturers of processed foods (including Froot Loops, Lucky Charms and SpaghettiOs) have hired some heavy hitting lobbyist to go to bat for them." They don't want you or your family to live a healthy lifestyle, they aren't interested in how healthy you are, but they are willing to pay millions to be sure you are purchasing their products. Why do these big corporations care about marketing to children? That is a great question and one that is answered by Mr. Cohen as he states the follow:

A number of marketing studies have confirmed the obvious: Advertising to kids increases purchasing and consumption. According to an analysis by the FTC, 44 food and beverage companies spent $2 billion in 2006 alone marketing to children. There's a huge amount at stake for the junk food and media industries. James McNeal, a former marketing professor at Texas A&M University, estimates that children influence more than $100 billion food and beverage purchases each year.

What they are saying here is that for a mere 2 billion dollar investment they are getting a 100 billion dollar return, who wouldn't want a 5000% return on their investment. That is good business and these huge corporations are willing to pay dearly to keep that money train rolling. Not only are they paying huge advertising dollars, they are also willing to pay big bucks to lobbyist as well. They are banking on everyone having the wool pulled low over their eyes, it is time to wake up, yank off your toque and take notice. Why do they think they can continue these shenanigans? Perhaps they haven't read anything David Kessler's, or, perhaps they hope you haven't read his book yet. Who is Kessler you ask? David Kessler, Harvard-trained doctor, lawyer, medical school dean and former commissioner of the FDA, wrote The End of Overeating, a very informative book that details how large corporations spend millions studying what your food triggers are to keep you coming back to their product.

The following is from David Kessler's site:

THE END OF OVEREATING explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it's so easy to overindulge. Dr. Kessler met with top scientists, physicians, and food industry insiders. THE END OF OVEREATING uncovers the shocking facts about how we lost control over our eating habits—and how we can get it back. Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed our nation—from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises.

In the end these huge companies are trying to say that their advertising campaigns do not influence purchases made by children. They are trying to say that they are investing 2 billion dollars a year in advertising and it has no impact on anyone anyhow anywhere. What are your thoughts? Do you think? There will always be new children to market to as last years batch of children mature to stand in line for medications and health care. The question is, how much do the industries pay to keep our nation unfit so that they can benefit financially and/or are they also investing in rising cost of healthcare?

Top Health Apps for Android or IPhones

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:15:47 +0000

Which Apps do you use and why? I would love to know your favorite apps

including how they are benefiting your fitness regime and training.

Top Health Apps for Android or IPhones (aGuest Post by: Jesse Langley)

More employers and colleges are paying attention to the health of their employees and students. There are plenty of reasons why: for employers, having happy and healthy employees means fewer days of work missed and more productive workdays. For colleges and universities, healthy students pay attention in class and perform better on assignments and tests. But whether or not your employer or school offers a wellness program, staying healthy should be one of your most important goals. And, as with everything else these days, there’s an app for every aspect of keeping your body in top shape. The following are apps available for either Android phones or iPhones.

ITriage

Built to help you ask the right questions when you feel ill, iTriage (by Healthagen.com)has a symptoms database that helps you look up symptoms, find medical facilities in your area, and even allows you to fill out pre-registration forms for selected emergency rooms. You can also save the contact information of your health care providers. The app is free for both iPhones and Android phones.

Spark Recipes

SparkPeople is a free, web-based weight loss plan. Instead of concentrating solely on weight loss, SparkPeople helps users focus on healthy eating and fitness habits, and encourages users to build online communities for support and to share ideas. Their Spark Recipes app is designed to help people learn to cook healthy, affordable meals at home. Along with a list of recipes categorized by dietary needs and type of cuisine, Spark Recipes gives nutritional information for each recipe. This app is free, and available for both iPhones and Android phones.

Endomondo Sports Tracker

This popular app is serves as a virtual personal trainer for people who are serious about exercising. In addition to integrating Facebook into workouts so that friends and family can send cheer you on in real time, it uses your phone’s GPS to track the distance and speed of your running, walking, or biking workouts. Endomondo is available for both Androids and iPhones—it’s free, but there’s a Pro version for the Android priced at $3.99.

Calorie Counter by Fat Secret

For folks who are on the go and don’t have time to cook at home—college students or busy parents with jobs—getting takeout is an easy way to handle dinner. But even if you’re a stay at home parent or a student enrolled at an online university, keeping track of your daily calorie intake is an important part of weight loss. Fat Secret's Calorie Counter has thousands of fast food and restaurant entries, a barcode scanner to read nutrition labels, and a food journal to keep track of what you eat every day. This free app is available for both Androids and iPhones.

Lightning Bug Sleep Clock

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important parts of staying healthy, but most people don’t get the amount of sleep they need each night. Lightning Bug helps users relax with soothing sounds and white noise. It also features a customizable digital alarm clock, as well as plugins with new music to lull you into slumber.

Making the time to take care of yourself is vital, even if that means carving out time to pay attention to your health. With these and other apps, getting onto the road to wellness can be simple and fun.

Guest Post by: Jesse Langley is a freelance writer and fitness enthusiast. He lives near Chicago with his family and home gym. He also writes at Dose of My Own.

Fitness Inspirational Story: Will Nevin

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:19:20 +0000

I love an inspirational story don't you!! Doing what I do I have seen and read many wonderful things that people can accomplish when they set their minds to it. This morning I happened to catch a story that was posted by a very sweet lady from Twitter @FitinmyHeart or Monique Holmes, she is such an inspiration to us all. The article discusses the health transformation of Will Nevin and how at age 24 he found himself morbidly obese and feeling like he was in crisis. He spent a few months feeling sorry for himself but then something changed him and he decided to do something about it. Overcoming food addiction, breaking eating habits are very difficult, walking into a gym as an obese person are all huge hurdles to overcome. Will Nevin proved he could do it an in a mere 11 months dropped 175 pounds to regain his health, amazing story that I think you might enjoy reading. Here is the story for you to read: Fearing scary diagnosis, man drops 175 pounds by Megan Choi

Aging gracefully today for a better tomorrow

Bodynsoil — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:07:10 +0000

Recently a few people I know have broken barriers, not the kind they were looking forward too however, they broke past age 50 barrier. Breaking into the golden years is a scary time and also something to celebrate. The golden years are for exploring all the finer things in life except now you can do it at a discount with your AARP card, there are advantages and disadvantages to everything we do in life. If you believe or think that your physical age dictates how you should look or feel then you might be fighting a losing battle. To better explain what I mean when I say this let me share with a recent conversation I had with someone who just recently started their menopause journey, it went something like this:

Sue: (name changed to protect the innocent) I am feeling really bloated lately and I don’t know what might be causing it. I just feel so tired and drained all the time, I've lost all my youthful energy. Me: Have you cut back on your sodium intake and have you been drinking enough water during this recent heat wave? Sue: Yes I drink about two glasses of water a day and a couple cans of soda. I told my doctor that I don’t eat or use any salt when cooking so she didn’t think that was an issue. My doctor thought that now that I am in menopause I might start getting bloated; I guess this is all part of aging. Me: Did you know that the recipe for soda is lots of salt plus enough sugar and flavoring to cover up the brine. I have also noticed that each day for lunch you eat processed meat sandwiches on white bread along with a baggie full of pretzels, chips and crackers and are eating peanut butter cracker snack packs for breakfast with your soda, did you discuss that with your doctor. Sue: No, I did not and I really didn’t think about that as being a large source of sodium but I don’t cook with it at home or use salt on my meals so I thought I wasn’t eating much salt. Me: Sodium can be hidden in many processed foods as it is used to enhance flavor and as a preservative. Most people aren’t aware of exactly how much they ingest daily until they really start investigating or track their nutrition for a week or so to get a better feel for what they truly are eating.

Unfortunately this is a very common situation with many people who are suffering from the symptoms of poor nutrition. Without thinking about it they are eating foods that are a direct cause of their poor health; due to habits or lifestyle they don’t see that their diet could be the cause of their health problems and instead attribute it to their age. On the other side of the spectrum I was introduced a couple in their 70’s of ours during a recent boating trip. We had a wonderful conversation about all the long distance bike riding they were planning and some trails we might explore when we take our summer vacation. I was very clear that this couple had spent their lifetime taking care of themselves and keeping in good physical shape. As the water settled down it became smooth and glassy, soon the water skiing began. After everyone had their turn this older gentleman decided it was time for him to give it a go and donned a slalom ski. I was amazed to see someone with snow white hair pop out of the water with ease, he jumped the wake and started cutting enough to send a huge roaster tail up and out with his single ski barely touching the water. Aging is a route we all travel, our journey down this path determines how well we will handle the process. If you believe that aging means you need to sit back in your rocking chair watching life pass you by then that is exactly what you will get. I choose to take the alternate route, staying healthy and fit so that I can amaze the next generation and perhaps inspire them to remain fit and to believe that age is just a number and not a condition. What about you, where are you in your life journey and what steps are you taking to ensure your golden years are full of joy and exploration? Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that life is all downhill after a certain age and live your life to it's fullest potential.

Weekly Snippets & Points to Ponder

Bodynsoil — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:28:39 +0000

Body:

Are you ready for "The Food Revolution"? by Mother Earth News. This is a great article regarding how people are becoming more aware of what they are eating and where it comes from. Becoming mindful of what we are eating and steering away from cheap calories and awakening our thoughts to the pleasure of eating good wholesome foods.
Societal Stress ~ The New Norm That's Killing You Via: FitTalkNews Thought provoking article details the societal stresses we live under and how that might impact our health and weight struggles. Not only is the subject discussed but with excellent detail given to explain the impact stresses might play in your health and fitness.
Spreading Fat Stigma Around the Globe Via: The New York Times Body weight is in the forefront of the news and magazines these days as an effort to raise awareness and to curb the obesity trend. While this is an honest attempt to help "end the trend" the ugly side of the story is that cruelty which targets the obese is on the rise. There has always been an undercurrent of jokes and bullying humor directed towards heavier weighted individuals, this does nothing to help but instead makes it worse. Now is a time when we should see obesity as the disease it is and work together to help one another to over come this hurdle. Read this article to see how opinions and viewpoints concerning body image have changed around the globe.

Power Foods to Revive your Skin for Spring Via: StyleList

Bodynsoil — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:01:57 +0000

It is officially spring, in most areas anyhow, here in the cooler area of the country we are still living indoors breathing the same stale air locked in from months past. We, of course, follow a nice clean diet and drink our morning shake, detailed below, which helps keep us feeling and looking younger. I did enjoy reading this post on the site Stylelist.com regarding which power foods to eat to revive your skin for spring, who doesn't want to have vibrate glowing skin, that is what I strive for. One thing that I did enjoy reading was the pointers on what not to eat for nice looking skin and why.. here is a snippet from the article, but I suggest you read the piece in it's entirety. "You really are what you eat, and your skin reflects this. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can make your skin glow, help clear up acne and fight aging and sun damage. Likewise, meals laden with trans-fats, white flour, sugar and chemicals can leave your complexion looking dry, dull and lackluster. Try throwing a few dark greens into a smoothie (you won't even taste them, promise). Opt for a piece of salmon instead of a burger next time you go out. And ditch the fat-filled desserts and replace with a bowl of seasonal berries. Not only will you look better, you will feel better too!... ...Just like there are certain foods to include in your diet, there are plenty of ones to avoid if you want a healthy looking complexion. Among Irwin's worst foods for your skin are white sugar, white flour, anything with trans-fats, processed foods, sugary drinks, deep-fried foods, baked goods, pizza and simple carbs. All of these can contribute to inflammation. They also contain insulin and lepton, which are major accelerators of the aging process."

Walnuts Contain Most Healthy Antioxidants (Via: EarthTimes)

Bodynsoil — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:44:25 +0000

Walnuts have always been a favorite snack in our household, so much so that my adult son will ask for a large bag as a gift for any gift giving holiday. I have never minded indulging him in his love of the walnut but always had a secret stash of walnuts hidden for my own use. When he was a boy we couldn't our walnut supply stocked; there is nothing worse than a baking and finding yourself nutless. I was happy to read that of all the nuts, it is the walnut that is the best choice for snacking, due to it being ranked having the highest concentration of anti-oxidants. In an article written by Tamara Croes for Earth Times titled "Walnuts Contain Most Healthy Antioxidants," they discuss recent findings by the University of Scranton. The following is a snippet from the article: "J. Vinson, Ph.D. of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, who carried out the study, says that they compared walnuts with pistachios, almonds, macadamias, cashews, pecans, peanuts, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts, and walnuts contain twice as much antioxidants as any of the other nuts. When compared to vitamin E, a well-known antioxidant, the antioxidants in walnuts were 2 to 15 times more effective. Another advantage to walnuts is that they are usually eaten raw, whereas most other nuts are eaten roasted. The heat from the roasting affects the effectiveness of the anti-oxidants."

Having a Happy Heart is Important

Bodynsoil — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:02:00 +0000

Every morning I am up a little bit early to be sure that I have enough time to workout. The reason I get up early is that I know, historically, that life will interfere in some way during my afternoon and my workout gets pushed aside. Often I am not overly enthusiastic about going upstairs to workout but then I think of the benefits; how good I feel after, how healthy my body looks and how much healthier I actually am. If you have been reading this blog for awhile you are most likely aware of my family history and that my father suffered from heart disease from his early twenties, he didn't do much to reverse his condition or mend his heart during his life, he died at 57. My mother spent her lifetime functionally obese until her late 50's then became, for the most part, incapacitated by obesity and diabetes. My whole life I have worked to not fall prey to their legacy and to inspire others to do the same, it is working for me and I hope it works for those that follow what I am doing. I read an article in Men's Health, one of my favorites reads, regarding the 5 new rules to a healthy heart and I wanted to share with all of you.

Rule One: Know your Risk: The Framington Heart Model estimates your risk based on and algorithm of your numbers like: blood pressure, cholesterol, age and other figures.

"New rule: Via: Men's Heath: Broaden the equation. Current research suggests that the Framingham Heart Model has some limitations: It doesn't consider family history, lifestyle, and body mass index. And according to a recent study published in BMC Medicine, roughly a third of heart trouble occurs in people labeled as low risk by common prediction models."

Rule Two: Train With Intervals (and weights): Running, jump training and interval training is an excellent way to training your heart to be stronger but there is a new rule in town.

"New rule: Via: Men's Health: Throw your weights around too. You can snare additional heart benefits by incorporating resistance training into your routine, says Earnest. According to a 2010 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, weightlifting may improve blood flow throughout your extremities, which eases your heart's workload. The study also found that your post-workout blood-pressure dip tends to last longer after weightlifting than after cardio exercise. "

Rule Three: Cut Cholesterol with Fiber: Sources of soluble fiber help reduce your cholesterol using betaglucans, which interfere with the absorption of LDL and helping to keep those numbers down.

"New rule: Via Men's Health: Add tomatoes. Okay, maybe not to your oatmeal. But pour yourself a daily glass of tomato juice; it's rich in lycopene, a nutrient that may cut your body's production of LDL cholesterol. People who drank about a glass and a half of tomato juice and ate 2 tablespoons of ketchup (natural no sugar variety please) every day for 3 weeks reduced their LDL levels by an average of 8.5 percent, according to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition. Make sure you opt for low-salt varieties of ketchup and tomato juice, since sodium can raise blood pressure. "

Rule Four: Watch your Stress: Stress releases cortisol into your blood stream and that cortisol was found to be 1/3 higher in a study group of men who recently had heart attacks. Feeling stress is not joke, take steps to dissipate stress before it gets to you.. How, exercise, yoga, meditation.. yes meditation, tell you work mates you are in deep thought on your project, only you need to know you are imagining yourself doing something really relaxing, like lying on a beach of some tropical resort.

"New rule: Via: Men's Health: Banish the blues as well. Stress can kill, but so can depression. After studying twins with genetic predispositions for depression and heart disease, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis concluded that depression—past or present—raises a man's risk of heart disease more than genetic or environmental factors do. "The higher risk may come from the inflammation that certain mental health problems can cause,"

Rule Five: See your doctor and get tested: to see what your risk is for inflammatory heart disease and to see if you need to be put on a drug to reduce your risk. High Cholesterol raises your risk of heart disease by 30%, if you have been working on lowering your numbers naturally and yet that number isn't coming down then a medication might be needed. Testing is important, knowing your numbers is important and taking care of your heart early to prevent future damage is important.

"New rule: Via: Mens' Health Also consider a CT scan. The problem with the CRP test: Cholesterol may not be the only cause of inflammation, or even its main cause. Arthritis or a sinus infection, for example, can also inflame your insides, Dr. Blaha says. A 2010 study he coauthored shows that if you have borderline LDL and an elevated CRP, you should consider, well, another final call: a CT scan. This test can take the guesswork out of diagnosing atherosclerosis by allowing your doctor to see firsthand whether arterial buildup is a problem. To read the entire article by Men's Health "5 New Rules for a Healthy Heart"

People who live by Factory Farms are prone to Sickness, here’s why:

Bodynsoil — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Photo Via: Grist.org by Steve Wing

An EcoInteractive post this morning brought another factory farm issue to my attention. The fact that flies and cockroaches spread disease to the communities living around these large factory farms. This article has a lot more information concerning MRSA that I was not aware of like: MRSA kills more people annually in the U.S. than that of AIDS and that of course the fact that the H1N1, or Swine Flu, didn't actually originate anywhere foreign but right here on U.S. soils, in the state of N.C. reports Wired.com. The irony in the fact that the factory farms that raised pork petitioned to have swine flu renamed to H1N1, so as to not give pork a bad name, isn't missed. In this article titled: "Flies and Cockroaches carry drug resistant bacteria from Factory Farms" you can read all about the issue along with links verifying their information. There is a pop up, a practice which I hate BTW, when you first load the page but once you close that window you are free to read uninterrupted. Here is a blurb from the article: "And we know that a kind of antibiotic-resistant staph infection called MRSA now kills more people than AIDS -- and infects people who never set foot in a hospital, which is the site where MRSA is thought to have originated. We also know, due to the stellar work of Iowa State University researcher Tara Smith, that pigs in confined animal feedlot operations, and the workers who tend them, routinely carry MRSA strains. We also know that, by the FDA's own reckoning, meat on grocery store shelves is routinely infected by pathogens resistant to multiple antibiotics (again, McKenna's work brought the FDA's perhaps intentionally obscure report to light). And now we know of yet another means by which antibiotic-resistant nasties can make their way from meat factories into the broader community: through the cockroaches and flies drawn to the titanic amounts of manure produced on factory farms"