Protein? Yes, Protein

You absolutely need to pay attention to your daily protein intake. Why? Because you are losing muscle mass at an alarming rate, even while you are reading this article, unless you are doing something about it. You should aim for about 50 grams of protein per day, as a rough guideline. In addition to the protein, make sure you are doing some resistance training (that ugly word, EXERCISE) several times each week. If not, one day you may pick up your prescription bottle and not have the strength to open it. Read your food product labels and become familiar with the protein per serving, as well as the sugars and cholesterols. Did you know that two of the least expensive protein sources are peanut butter (1.8 cents per gram) and chicken (also 1.8 cents per gram)? I often start my day with peanut butter on whole wheat bread with some Smart Balance. That is a good breakfast and quick to prepare. Not much protein though, so I try to be aware of other protein meals and snacks during the day as well. As an alternative, if we have some leftover cooked chicken (43 grams of protein per cup), I might just eat a piece of that along with some fruit juice. On those days, I don't need to worry much about additional protein. Men generally require more protein than women, but lifestyle does need to be considered. For the average adult male, about 56 grams per day. Women, about 46 grams per day.

In recent years it has become common for those striving to lose weight to substitute protein drinks for meals, and if you are sensible about it, that's just fine. But don't substitute all your meals for the day, or several days of actual, chewable food for a tasty chocolate or strawberry protein shake. You may lose weight, but you may not like the other possible consequences. You can overload your system with protein and suffer the consequences of insufficient fiber and nutrients required to keep your digestive system functioning smoothly. If weight loss is your goal, be prepared to lose weight slowly and safely. That way, the weight you take off is more likely to STAY off. and please don't be fooled by all the infomercials telling you that you can just take some very expensive pill and lose all the weight you want without exercise. There is no substitute for proper diet and adequate exercise...period.

The Diary

This is dedicated to every woman (or man) who ever attempted to get
into a regular workout routine. A must read!

Dear Diary...
For my fiftieth birthday this year, my husband (the dear)purchased a
week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I
am still in great shape since playing on my high school softball team,
I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I
called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer I'll
call Bruce, who identified himself as a 26 year old aerobics instructor
and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My husband seemed
pleased with my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged me to
keep a diary to chart my progress.

Monday:
Started my day at 6:00 am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was
well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Bruce waiting
for me. He is something of a Greek God - with blond hair, dancing eyes
and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Bruce gave me a tour and showed
me the machines. He took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill.
He was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to him in his Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring. Bruce was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!

Tuesday:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.
Bruce made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air -
then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the
treadmill, but I made the full mile. Bruce's rewarding smile made it
all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.

Wednesday:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on the toothbrush on the
counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a
hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Bruce was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Bruce put me on the stair monster. Why would anyone invent
a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Bruce
told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other STUFF too.

Thursday:
Bruce was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his
thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help
being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes. Bruce
took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and
hid in the men's room. He sent Lars to find me, then, as punishment,
put me on the rowing machine - which I sank.

Friday:
I hate that JERK Bruce more than any human being has ever hated any
other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic
little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move
without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Bruce wanted me to
work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want
dents in the floor, don't hand me the &*@*#$ barbells or anything that
weighs more than a sandwich. (Which I am sure you learned in the
sadist school you attended and graduated magna cum laude from.) The
treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher.
Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

Saturday:
Bruce left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly
voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me
want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the
strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven
straight hours of the *$@#&& Weather Channel.

Sunday:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and
thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my
husband (the MORON) will choose a gift for me that is fun - like a root
canal or a hysterectomy.

Low fat? High protein? Whats the deal?

There is a surprising shift in the health care community concerning just how we should go about achieving, and maintaining, our healthiest natural weight. We've been told for decades that in order to lose weight, we had to cut way back on the fat in our diet, right? And to gain weight, load up on the complex carbs and protein, right? Well, maybe that just doesn't work for most people.
You see, our body must have sufficient fat in order to metabolize vitamins and minerals from our food intake. It must have fat in order to function. So what happens when we cut way back on our fat intake? the body say "Uh oh, hard times are coming! we're not getting enough fat. I better start storing up as much as I can, just in case." So we reduce our fat intake and GAIN weight. Now, I'm not advocating that anyone should eat a bunch of fat. Moderation is always a safe rule to follow. And we certainly don't want any trans fats in our diet at all. But don't sabotage your weight loss efforts by cutting too much fat from your diet. Monitor your results closely in two or three week intervals. If you've cut back on fat, modified the rest of your diet, and are exercising regularly, at least three times a week of vigorous exercise, and you are GAINING instead of LOSING, maybe you need a bit more fat. (This could be in one of several forms, including things like fatty fish, rich with Omega3 oils) At the same time, make sure you are taking in more protein than usual. I sometimes drink a protein shake in the morning, or eat a bit of leftover chicken or fish instead of a more typical breakfast. My normal routine though is to eat some peanut butter on whole wheat bread using Smart Balance spread in lieu of butter (absolutely NEVER eat margarine! See my article on trans fats - visit http://thenew50.blogspot.com/ and look in the 2007 archive for DIABETES TYPE II.)

In summary, a lot of what we've been told turns out to be bad advice when it comes to weight loss. Keep yourself informed, and don't count on your doctor to know any more than you do when it comes to weight loss. Do your own research before you discuss it with your doctor. Get his opinion first, then see how it fits with what you have learned. Might make for a really worthwhile discussion.

Weight Loss Project

Weight loss - DAY 1
First thing this morning I drank a 16 ounce glass of cold water. No food, no coffee, just water. I then waited at least 45 minutes before my next intake. That was a delicious drink called Green Goodness that is produced by Bolthouse Farms. I am not promoting any particular products on this blog, but I will tell you what I like and why... (To read the entire article, please go to http://thenew50.blogspot.com All weight loss articles from this project will be posted there as they are submitted. Thanks!)
Weight loss - with Juice!
I have been asked several times now about safe but lasting weight loss. This seems to be a very common thread that runs through many of the e-mails I receive. The problem for so many of us is that we have become an "instant" society. We want results, and we want them NOW!!! But weight loss generally can only be accomplished in much the same way that weight gain happens - gradually, over time. If you want to risk your long-term health using risky and often totally unproven over the counter weight loss miracle pills, this blog will not be of interest to you. I am interested in staying healthy, and helping others to do the same, not putting our health at risk. But if you are interested in really losing weight at a steady rate, and keeping it off, I will devote articles over the next three to four weeks on proven methods of doing just that. Since I have recently added a few pounds myself, I have decided to make some serious changes including losing a minimum of 25 pounds. I will keep you posted on what I am doing to accomplish this and provide updates at least once each week on how I'm doing. I hope it will inspire others to do the same. Here's a hint on just how I intend to start: juice. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juices. So if you have a juicer, get it out from under all the pots and pans and clean it up and let's get started. My first weight loss article will be published on 1/4/08 and I hope you will join us.If you are willing to provide just a first name and your weight loss goal in pounds in the comment area, we'll try to all keep each other motivated and on target to reach our goals. So, until tomorrow...
Posted by Jack at 4:08 PM 0 comments
Labels: goals, Health, juice, weight loss, wellness.
Thursday, January 3, 2008

Water! The Weight Loss Secret

For many years now doctors in Japan have been prescribing this water routine for their patients for all sorts of health conditions. But people who need to lose weight are often told that water retention is part of their problem, so INCREASING their water intake seems counter-intuitive. In fact, the diet pill manufacturers have made a fortune from selling diuretics loaded with caffeine stimulants. But before you spend a dime on these, let me explain. The body tends to automatically store things it needs when it senses that it might not be getting a resupply on a regular basis. This applies to fat and water too! For this article, lets just stick to water. We'll talk about fat retention another time.

In many cases people who have a water retention problem are those who do not drink enough water. Many of us are dehydrated and don't even know it. If you are fatigued all the time, if you have high blood pressure, poor circulation, frequent headaches, if you tend to overeat, if you can't seem to lose weight --- you may be dehydrated. Think about this. If you are not getting enough water, you may be compelled to overeat because your body is trying to get more fluids by any means. And since you are not giving it the fluids it needs to function properly, it hoards what little water you give it. Sure, you give it a bit of water when you drink coffee or soft drinks, but not enough. And those things may contain caffeine, chemical sweeteners, preservatives, and flavorings that are not of much benefit.In addition to hoarding water, dehydration makes it difficult for the kidneys to function properly, so you are not able to properly metabolize fats. The result? Your liver can't support the kidneys and soon your body is storing not only water but fat as well. So what have we been told to do? Low fat diets, right? With what you've read so far, can you figure out the inevitable result of a low fat diet? Since fat is essential for proper body function, if you are not getting enough dietary fat, your body will begin to store fat as a protection. So now we have dehydrated people with storage locations of extra interstitial fat. One common location for this fat storage is around the liver. Not good. Again, we'll talk about fat later.

Back to the water. Next weekend, why not begin to give your body the water it needs to stay healthy? Wait for the weekend because for the first few days you will be making frequent trips to the restroom. But within a few days of this increased water intake, your body will begin to regulate it and those trips will become less frequent. Oh, you might also want to taper off the water drinking toward evening so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night. With that said, here is what is now recommended by a growing number of healthcare professionals. First thing in the morning drink a large (10 oz) glass of cold water. Do not drink or eat anything after that for 45 minutes or so. This will "kick-start" your metabolism and rehydrate your body after a night of rest. Water allows your body to flush out waste and toxins, and is essential for proper function down to the cell level. The next step is to increase the total daily intake of water to about two quarts (2-3 liters) every day. This is best done by spreading it out over the entire day. And please do not use bottled water! The bottles are a terrible burden on our ecology and the recent reports indicate that they are leaching harmful substances into the water we drink from them as well.I use a stainless coffee travel mug, a large one. I will admit that I do sometimes substitute plain water with green tea. But no other fluid counts. Not juice, soft drinks, or coffee.Once your body becomes accustomed to getting all the water it needs, it will stop hoarding it. Your skin tone will improve. Many people report that they get a "lift" from their morning glass of water. It wakes up the whole system. Given enough water to work with, the kidneys begin to function more efficiently, and the liver can do its job of secreting bile to assist in metabolizing the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K and helps the body assimilate calcium. With enough water, the liver can also more efficiently work as the body's detoxifier, and it can produce the GTF necessary (along with insulin from the pancreas) to properly regulate blood sugar levels. Water is essential for the circulation of blood. If you are dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker leading to reduced circulation and a whole cascade of related problems, including high blood pressure.

The body is a very complex organism, wonderfully made with the ability to keep itself healthy if we give it the basics, like water. You don't have to like drinking water, but you must admit it is a lot less distasteful than a lot of medicines, and a lot less expensive!! So, drink up!

A SIMPLE, BUT EFFECTIVE EXERCISE

Want to tighten up your stomach without doing crunches? Good! Crunches aren't the best way. In fact, they can cause other problems. Everything I've read consistently says that spot reduction is not possible, and all the fitness gurus seem to agree that unless you remove the layer of fat covering your absdomen, even if you have a six-pack you won't be able to see it. So let's talk about a long term approach that will get results. If you are interested in being a baby boomer body builder (too many B's for me!), then this will not interest you. But if you are willing to do incremental things on a regular basis that will give long-term, lasting results, follow me.

Whether male or female, this exercise can be beneficial. A strong abdomen can help prevent back injuries. It is not a replacement for any other regular exercise you may get, but the nice thing is that you can do this WHILE you are doing something else that is part of your daily routine. Like applying makeup or shaving, or brushing your teeth. It's called the Stomach Vaccuum. Here's how it goes.

First, stand erect, straight back, in a comfortable stance. Now inhale deeply. As you slowly begin to exhale, pull your stomach in tight, as though trying to touch your belly button to your backbone. Now completely exhale, slowly. When your lungs are empty, continue to hold the vaccuum for another few seconds, then relax. In time, you should work up to at least ten repetitions of this exercise, and hold your final vaccuum position for at least ten seconds before releasing each time. You may find that doing this makes you a little light headed at first, and you should probably only do a few reps to begin with. But in time, you can do several sets each day. Remain erect as you squeeze the abdominal muscles. Don't curve your back or hunch your shoulders. Oh, and keep in mind that it is probably a good idea to do this before a meal, not after.

Do this every day for at least six weeks before you decide if this is worthwhile. It is not strenuous, but you will soon see that exercise doesn't always need to be a sweaty struggle.

STAYING WELL

In my experience and from everything I've read or learned by discussing it with friends, family and folks in the medical profession, staying well is far better and far less expensive than trying to GET well after you've become seriously ill. So give this some thought. For most of us, our contact with the medical folks is limited to those occasions when we have been injured or become ill, right? And unfortunately, most of us don't give a lot of thought to our general well-being at any other time. We get something to drink when we are thirsty. We get something to eat when we are hungry. We go to bed when we are sleepy. Individual variations on that theme are limitless, but for those who have access to food and drink and a place to sleep, that's about it.

For those of you who are NOT baby boomers, don't think this blog doesn't apply to you. In order to STAY well even after 50, you really need to consider the things you should be doing when you are 30 or 40 as well, because much of what you will face in your 50's, 60's and 70's and beyond can be set in motion decades earlier. This can bring either good or bad results. But let's say you are already approaching retirement. Your level of wellness today might be a direct result of what you did or failed to do many years ago.

In order to stay well you need a number of factors to come into play, and frankly, you just cannot control all of them. Genetics for example. You inherited genes that dictate certain things about you and you cannot do much about that. However, you do not need to surrender to that or use it as an excuse. If your whole family tends to be short and a littly heavy, there is a good chance that you too will be short, and unless you make a steady effort to combat it, a little heavy. But let's take this a little further. If your family had bad eating habits that were passed on to you from a very early age, you can do something about that. In fact, if you want to enjoy a high degree of wellness throughout your life, you BETTER do something about it. I once worked for a fellow who was quite large in every dimension. We'll call him Ron. He was about 6'5" and he was rather rotund. He said he was just "big boned", and during the period I knew him well, I seldom saw him without something handy to eat. Potato chips, Twinkies, candy, pretzels, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, you name it. He didn't actually stop to eat lunch. He just called that hour or so his lunch hour, and kept right on eating. I moved on to a different job and lost touch with him for about three years. One day in a shopping mall I heard a voice behind me saying "Jack, is that you?" I turned and looked at this fellow and had no idea who he could be. He introduced himself and though I remembered the name, I could not connect this fellow with that name in my mind.
Seeing my confusion he said "You probably don't recognize me. I've lost a little weight." He had actually lost nearly 200 pounds! We found a place to sit and visit for a few minutes and he told me his story. Briefly, a cardiologist told him that he would die before he made it to 50, just like his father and grandfather and one of his brothers. He asked, "Isn't there anything I can do?" The cardiologist told him that he would have to totally rethink his lifestyle, but he didn't seem to have much confidence that Ron would really do it. But after relating this news to his wife, Ron decided that he would do whatever was necessary to turn his life and his health around, and he enlisted his wife and three children in the plan. Growing up, he was accustomed to having ice cream for dessert just about every night. The family would open a half gallon carton and divide it amongst the three or four of them and eat it all. On special occasions, like Sunday supper, they would add some pie or cake to that. If it was a pie, they divided it, so that most often each one would get one fourth of a pie. They were all large people and had all been raised to empty their plate at every meal. "Waste not, want not." So Ron had these eating habits ingrained in him almost from birth.

In order to lose all that weight, Ron did two things at first. he took time every day, rain or shine, to go for a walk. Just ten or fifteen minutes at first, but eventually he worked up to about 45 minutes. At the same time, he just stopped eating dessert of any kind. Those two things resulted in such a dramatic weight loss that he really got enthused and started reducing portions of meat and substituting more vegetables, something he really didn't like to eat. But his successes gave him determination to go on.

When I saw this new Ron, he was still a big man. 6'5" and big boned, but not fat. He looked healthy and happy, and seemed to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and he certainly had improved his chances of survival well beyond 50. The point is that he took control of himself and his habits and made changes, not excuses. He has already outlived his father. You can do the same. If smoking is your personal struggle, you can do something about it. Something dramatic. We'll talk more about that another time. For now, let's just consider four things that you should keep in mind when you think about your own well-being. In order for the human body to function properly and heal itself from all the things that attack it from day to day, you must provide it with these four things: adequate nutrition, adequate hydration, adequate motion, and adequate rest. Eat properly, drink enough fluids, get some exercise on a regular basis, and get enough rest. If you will just do those four things, you will improve your current level of wellness and set yourself up for many more years of good health.