We’ve been told this for years, and we still don’t get it: to live long and well, we must exercise. There’s just no substitute. Dieting and maintaining a healthy weight are great, but they’re not enough. Exercise does things for the mind and body that diet cannot do, that nothing else can. Let me share just a few ways you’ll benefit from regular exercise. See if you can get excited enough about just one to get you going.
1. Exercise can reduce your risk of cancer or improve your prognosis if you do develop it. As the people I know age, I learn of new cancer diagnoses almost every week. The risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, pancreatic cancer, and several blood forming cancers are all affected by exercise, either directly or indirectly through weight management. Strive to do the highest level of aerobic exercise that you can manage safely and will continue with, since some cancer risks are reduced only with moderate to vigorous exercise.
2. Exercise creates new brain cells. As baby boomers age, more people are becoming interested in maintaining their cognitive abilities. Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates new brain cell growth and the connections between them. It also increases the supply of BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth of nerve cells and synapses that enhance memory and learning. Last year I lost my father after watching both these capacities diminish in him for the past few years. It was a painful experience for both of us and something I’d like to see us all avoid.
3. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity. As we age or put on weight (or both, as many people do), our bodies become less insulin sensitive, increasing our risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In this case, both aerobic exercise and strength training will garner these benefits provided you exercise at least every other day.
Exercise is a simple and inexpensive approach to minimizing your risk of cancer, memory loss, and diabetes – three major health issues threatening the quality of life for millions of Americans. Join me next time for even more reasons to get off that couch and away from the computer.
Source: Nutrition Action December 2009
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Dietary Changes That Save You Money
Last time we looked at the high cost of being overweight or obese. Today I’d like to brighten the news and give you some very doable changes you can make to keep more money in your bank account. Let’s begin with the biggest money saver – lowering blood pressure.
In July 2009 the American Journal of Health Prevention reported that experts estimated that a 400 mg. reduction in daily sodium intake would affect some 1.5 million people with uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), saving each of them on average over $1500 per year. While I wrote in September that it can be difficult to meet the daily sodium intake limits set by the American Heart Association, a 400 mg decrease in sodium is a very realistic goal. Several soup manufacturers offer a low sodium version of their soups, many of which would save you 400 mg of sodium or more in just one serving. Switching to salt free cottage cheese saves 420 mg per serving while using less sodium teriyaki sauce means 290 mg less sodium per serving compared to the original. Look for reduced sodium versions of all kinds of foods in your supermarket and at lowsaltfoods.com.
If overweight or obesity is your concern, you may be pleased to know that the Journal reported that a 100 calorie reduction in food intake per day would save some 71 million people an estimated $815 a year. Like sodium, there are many ways to accomplish a 100 calorie reduction. If you eat chocolate covered Oreos, eliminating just one gets you 115 fewer calories that day. Or you could substitute it for a regular Oreo and save half the calories. Switching from regular beer to light beer will save you 40 calories per serving, while eliminating one beer altogether saves 140 calories on average. One glass of wine is about 120 calories and that shot of rum in your rum and Coke is about 65. Of course, you could start drinking diet Coke and save 150 calories per can!
Finally researchers looked at what lowering high cholesterol would save each of the almost 4 million people affected and found it was over $500 per year. To accomplish these savings, this population would need to reduce their saturated fat intake 5 g per day. Saturated fat is found in animal products such as butter, milk, and meat. An 8 ounce glass of whole milk has about 8 g of saturated fat, 2% has 5 g, 1% has 2 g and non-fat or skim milk has less than .5 g. Choosing chicken (without the skin) or fish over sausage or bacon will result in similar reductions. While 1 tablespoon of butter has 7 g of saturated fat, margarines have trans fat, another dietary hornet's nest we won’t get into here. Strive to cut your intake of both in half and your unhealthy fat intake will decrease accordingly.
In July 2009 the American Journal of Health Prevention reported that experts estimated that a 400 mg. reduction in daily sodium intake would affect some 1.5 million people with uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), saving each of them on average over $1500 per year. While I wrote in September that it can be difficult to meet the daily sodium intake limits set by the American Heart Association, a 400 mg decrease in sodium is a very realistic goal. Several soup manufacturers offer a low sodium version of their soups, many of which would save you 400 mg of sodium or more in just one serving. Switching to salt free cottage cheese saves 420 mg per serving while using less sodium teriyaki sauce means 290 mg less sodium per serving compared to the original. Look for reduced sodium versions of all kinds of foods in your supermarket and at lowsaltfoods.com.
If overweight or obesity is your concern, you may be pleased to know that the Journal reported that a 100 calorie reduction in food intake per day would save some 71 million people an estimated $815 a year. Like sodium, there are many ways to accomplish a 100 calorie reduction. If you eat chocolate covered Oreos, eliminating just one gets you 115 fewer calories that day. Or you could substitute it for a regular Oreo and save half the calories. Switching from regular beer to light beer will save you 40 calories per serving, while eliminating one beer altogether saves 140 calories on average. One glass of wine is about 120 calories and that shot of rum in your rum and Coke is about 65. Of course, you could start drinking diet Coke and save 150 calories per can!
Finally researchers looked at what lowering high cholesterol would save each of the almost 4 million people affected and found it was over $500 per year. To accomplish these savings, this population would need to reduce their saturated fat intake 5 g per day. Saturated fat is found in animal products such as butter, milk, and meat. An 8 ounce glass of whole milk has about 8 g of saturated fat, 2% has 5 g, 1% has 2 g and non-fat or skim milk has less than .5 g. Choosing chicken (without the skin) or fish over sausage or bacon will result in similar reductions. While 1 tablespoon of butter has 7 g of saturated fat, margarines have trans fat, another dietary hornet's nest we won’t get into here. Strive to cut your intake of both in half and your unhealthy fat intake will decrease accordingly.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The High Cost of Weighing Too Much
We all know that illness is expensive considering doctor bills, tests, treatments, and medications. Have you ever thought about the additional costs of time lost from work, travel to and from the doctor, and hiring someone to do what you were physically unable to, even if it’s just make dinner? Recently George Washington University researchers assessed all these factors and calculated something close: the cost of being overweight or obese.
Someone who is overweight has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 but less than 30. For someone 5’ 5” tall, this would mean a weight between 150 and 179 pounds, regardless of gender. An overweight man or woman 5’ 9” tall would weigh between 169 and 202. The cost of being overweight varies between women and men: for women, it’s $524 annually while for men it’s $432. (The cost difference between women and men is due to the findings that overweight and obese women earn less than those at a healthy weight, while men are not disadvantaged this way.)
Obesity begins where overweight ends, so having a BMI over 30 makes someone obese. The annual cost of carrying this much additional weight is alarming: $4879 for women and $2646 for men. What’s equally concerning is that two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese and almost 18% of teenagers are obese. Can you imagine what the cost of this weight will be to these teens over their lifetimes if they don’t take the weight off?
While there are so many reasons to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight besides cost, money is a big motivator for lots of us. I know of several people who are delaying medical treatment due to its cost, so next time I’ll look at some ways we can actually save money by making healthy lifestyle changes.
Source: USA Today 9/22/10
Someone who is overweight has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 but less than 30. For someone 5’ 5” tall, this would mean a weight between 150 and 179 pounds, regardless of gender. An overweight man or woman 5’ 9” tall would weigh between 169 and 202. The cost of being overweight varies between women and men: for women, it’s $524 annually while for men it’s $432. (The cost difference between women and men is due to the findings that overweight and obese women earn less than those at a healthy weight, while men are not disadvantaged this way.)
Obesity begins where overweight ends, so having a BMI over 30 makes someone obese. The annual cost of carrying this much additional weight is alarming: $4879 for women and $2646 for men. What’s equally concerning is that two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese and almost 18% of teenagers are obese. Can you imagine what the cost of this weight will be to these teens over their lifetimes if they don’t take the weight off?
While there are so many reasons to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight besides cost, money is a big motivator for lots of us. I know of several people who are delaying medical treatment due to its cost, so next time I’ll look at some ways we can actually save money by making healthy lifestyle changes.
Source: USA Today 9/22/10
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