Fitness Opinions

Fitness Classic Diet Concepts Nutrition Dilemmas
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EXERCISE AND LOW FAT DIET

Most exercisers and dieters believe that the less fat they consume the better. On the other hand, it's also possible to take the low-fat diet too far. Exercising women who acquire less than 30 percent of their calories from fat are more likely to sustain injuries than those who eat more fat. Researchers at the University of Buffalo followed 87 adult female runners, who averaged about 30 miles per week, for one year, noting both diet and injuries. Fifty-five percent of participants developed an injury sometime during the year. On average, those who became injured ate about 63 grams of fat per day, while those who avoided injury ate about 80 grams per day. While this not a huge difference - 27 percent versus 30 percent of total fat calories - researchers believe it had an impact on the runners' injury rates.
Exercisers who consume less fat and fewer total calories may not be able to sufficiently recover from intensive workouts. Also, their diets may be lacking important nutrients that help repair the microscopic muscle damage caused by any strenuous exercise, putting them at greater risk for injury during their next workout.

ADONIS COMPLEX

Psychiatrists Katharine Philips and Harrison Pope, and psychologist Roberto Olivardia - all American university professors - interviewed more than 1000 men over 15 years and published their findings in the book Adonis Complex.
The authors say that many men desperately want to look like Adonis because they constantly see the "ideal", steroid-boosted bodies, and because their muscles are all they have over women today. The numbers suggest that nearly half of American men don't like their overall appearance and many have become literally obsessed with their bodies. College students examined by the above team wanted, on average, 28 lbs. more muscles than they actually had.

According to one study, 38% of men want bigger pectoral muscles,
while only 33% of women want bigger breasts.

exercise improves sex life

According to a 10-year Massachusetts Male Aging Study, sedentary men have the highest risk for impotency, while men who work out have the lowest. The Harvard School of Public Health confirmed the above conclusions and also found correlation between waist size and sexual functionality: the bigger the first, the lesser the second.
Women can also improve their libido via exercise. Dr. Cindy Meston, a professor at the University of Texas, showed to a group of young women a sexually stimulating film and then examined them. Vaginal response of exercising ladies occurred to be much stronger than of those who did not work out.

ANTIOXIDANTS DILEMMA

     If you are an exerciser or dieter taking antioxidant supplements such as vitamin E and beta-carotene to prevent major heart problems you could be wasting both time and money. That's the conclusion of researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation following a review of 15 studies involving nearly 220,000 people. According to their findings, vitamin E did not reduce the risk of death resulting from heart problems while beta-carotene was associated with 0.3 percent increased risk of cardiovascular death.
    For many, these conclusions close the book on the potential benefits of antioxidant supplements. Others argue that while it may be too late for those who already have signs of cardiovascular disease to benefit from taking supplements, there may still be a protective effect for those who are not yet at risk.
    Finally, many experts believe that the real benefit of antioxidants is derived from consuming vitamin rich foods, not pills.

Statistics suggest that an average couch potato spends every year
at least $330 more in medical bills than an exercising person does.

Educated health and fitness opinions

Help reduce your stress on the drive home by taking the scenic route when you can. Roadside vegetation and natural scenery may help dispel driver stress, fatigue, and frustration, according to recent research. In a study, people who viewed a driving video that depicted a scenic route showed a higher tolerance for frustration afterward, compared to the people who had viewed driving videos that lacked scenic surroundings.

The Glycemic Index is recognized by the World Health Organization, and it measures the quality of carbohydrates and their impact on your blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down slowly in your body encourage stable blood sugar levels, which are good, so they rate well or "low" on the Glycemic Index. On the other hand, carbs that break down too quickly and cause your insulin levels to spike and your body to store fat are given higher glycemic values.

You might associate stretching with waking up, but research suggests it can help you sleep, too. Women who began a stretching exercise program as part of a study were able to fall asleep more easily and were less likely to need sleep aids compared to before they began the study. Whatever exercise you choose, be sure to avoid intense exercise within three hours of bedtime, which can disrupt sleep habits.

Eating an orange a day may be one of the secrets to living younger longer. According to study results, a mere one extra serving of citrus fruits each day may reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, and stomach by as much as 50 percent. Researchers credit the antioxidant properties of vitamin C-rich citrus fruits for the possible cancer-fighting benefits.

Help keep your mind young by spending a portion of your leisure time engaged in intellectual pursuits. Intellectual activities, such as attending cultural events, taking evening classes, or playing cards, help keep the middle-aged mind sharp. Compared to people who preferred activities such as gardening or household tasks, the people in a study who regularly engaged in cognitively complex leisure time pursuits stayed sharper as they aged. Of course, do not neglect exercise!

Being physically active now could help you live a more independent life in your twilight years. In a study of older women, the ones who were consistently the most active during the 14-year study were the least likely to have difficulty performing daily activities down the road. Inject physical activity into your day with these simple strategies: take stairs instead of using elevators, go for walks at lunchtime, and do some house or yard work each day, etc.

Staying positive may help protect your heart from needless aging. In a study of men, those who had a tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anxiety, pessimism, and hostility, had a higher risk of heart disease compared to their peers who possessed more positive emotional outlooks. Catch yourself when your mood turns dark and try focusing on positive thoughts.

Could committing to your vitamin regimen help ward off Alzheimer's disease? Studies say maybe so. In a study that observed vitamin E and C supplement use in people over the age of 65, the supplement takers had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to people who did not take the supplements regularly. Low-dose multivitamins did not produce the same effect.

Take a stress-free approach to exercise for maximum health benefits. Physical activity that takes place in the context of work may not have a dramatic impact on health. In a study, physical activity that was part of a job did not benefit certain health markers as much as exercise done in leisure time. Experts speculate that the stress-reduction benefits of leisure time exercise may be the reason for the difference.

Rather than getting extra large food portions for a few extra pennies, focus on super-sizing your time instead. One of the reasons why the French have had a history of lower obesity rates compared to Americans may be the time they typically spend eating a meal. Not only do the French eat smaller portions, but they also spend more time enjoying their meals compared to Americans. Eating slowly may help trigger feelings of fullness before you overeat.

Have you got a problem to solve? Try sleeping on it. Our brains appear to continue working on problems even after we have gone to sleep. In a study, one group of people was allowed to sleep for eight hours before tackling a problem that had been described to them. Upon returning to the problem, the sleepers were almost three times as likely as the non-sleepers to find a solution to the problem.

If you've added stomach crunches to your exercise routine, don't hold your breath. Holding your breath when you perform stomach crunches may cause your blood pressure to spike higher than it normally would during resistance training. In a study, people who voluntarily held their breath during abdominal exercises had higher peak blood pressure elevations compared to when they breathed during the exercises.

RESEARCHER'S CORNER

A new study from researchers at Center of Integrative Medicine of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia looked at the effects of a single session of yoga on blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which tend to spike when the pressure is on. Study participants, which included 16 healthy men and women were labeled yoga naive, meaning they had little or no yoga experience. Cortisol levels were measured before and after a 50-minute rest period on one day, then again before and after a 50-minute hatha yoga session next day. Participants practiced yoga for the next five days, then had their blood cortisol levels measure again before and after their seventh and final yoga class. Even from the very first class, yoga did better job of reducing cortisol levels than simply sitting quietly at rest.

New research suggests that high-fat and high sugar foods can be every bit as addictive as cigarettes or certain drugs. When scientists at the University of Wisconsin fed lab rats a diet high in fat, sugar and salt, the rats displayed symptoms of withdrawal when fed a more healthy diet. According to lead researcher Dr. Matthew Will "The research suggests that a high fat diet alters brain biochemistry with effects similar to those of powerful opiates such as morphine." He believes that breaking the habit of a steady diet of junk food can be every bit as difficult as breaking a drug habit.

A study, conducted by researchers at the University of Hawaii, focused on 321 girls ages nine to 14. The girls recorded everything they ate drank and how much they exercised. Researchers also checked their height, weight and body fat. When girls of similar age, height, maturity, calorie intake and exercise were compared, those who consumed more calcium weighed less. Some scientists have theorized that calcium helps the body break down fat, but not everyone agrees. A more popular theory is that individuals who consume adequate amounts of calcium have healthier diets overall. In other words, if a teenager is drinking milk or eating yogurt, she is probably less likely to consume soft drinks and sweets, both of which can contribute to excess weight.

Fitness Classic Diet Concepts Nutrition Dilemmas
Exercise Ideas Strength Training Healthy Mind Archive