At some point in our lives or even several points many of us will strive to become healthier and fitter. Your personal motivation may vary, it can be for aesthetic reasons, desired longevity, quality of life, athletic performance or all the above. Regardless of the why the how is pretty much the same. To truly succeed you must address several factors; let’s call them pillars, your exercise routine, your nutrition (diet) and your sleep. If one is lagging the results will too. You won’t achieve your best results if you workout hard, but eat poorly or if you eat well, but barely exercise. Likewise, if your exercise and diet are on point, but you forego sleep then you will ultimately undermine your results.
Cold therapy also known as cryotherapy is quite the rage currently for its reported array of health benefits. Its use dates back centuries and has been embraced in various contexts, from sports recovery and pain management to medical treatments. By applying cold to specific areas of the body, cold therapy induces a series of physiological responses that can lead to reduced inflammation, pain relief, and enhanced recovery. Today cold therapy comes in various forms and continues to capture the attention of modern health enthusiasts.
Undoubtedly by now you have heard or read about red light therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation. It is a therapeutic technique that uses low-intensity red light wavelengths to promote healing and improve various aspects of health. It has gained popularity in recent years due to its potential benefits and non-invasive nature. Red light therapy works by exposing the body to specific wavelengths of red or near-infrared light, typically in the range of 600 to 1000 nanometers. These wavelengths penetrate the skin and are absorbed by the cells, triggering a variety of physiological responses at the cellular level.
Unless you have been living off the grid you have probably heard of a diabetes medication that appears to cause significant weight loss. Maybe you read that some of your favorite celebrities have been using these to get super thin. I know shocker right? Possibly you’ve seen the commercials for a blood sugar medicine for diabetics that also helps you lose weight. Then of course there are the news reports that said medications are in limited supply for those that actually need them because people are using them for off label weight loss.
Losing weight can be a difficult endeavor, but nowhere near as difficult as keeping the weight off. Once we begin to eat what we consider to be a normal amount the weight just seems to go back on. If you have experienced this for yourself you would be correct and also not at fault. You see our bodies survival programing takes over and it takes diligent effort to overcome.
We all know that exercising burns calories which in turn reduce fat stores. You may also know that muscle burns more calories than fat, though not as outlandishly as some claim. Some of the claims were as much as 50 calories per pound of muscle per day which would mean adding 10 pounds of muscle would burn an additional 500 calories daily. Sadly this is not accurate. A more correct amount would be 7 calories per day per pound of muscle added. Fat in comparison burns about 2 calories, so, though the amount of difference is small, losing fat and gaining muscle is still a net positive. Now new studies have shown that more aerobically fit muscles are more efficient fat burners. T
Recent studies have linked prolonged sitting with similar health risks as obesity and smoking. In fact the analysis of 13 different studies found that 8 hours a day of sitting with no physical activity raised the risks of developing breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. Other adjunct conditions are high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels. In short sitting too often or too long significantly increases your chance of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer.
For the past 8 months we have all been living in a strange dystopian sci-fi movie, a movie that for now has no ending, no resolution and no fully predicable outcome. Many of our norms are turned upside down, once we tried to be social and because it’s good for us it was recommended, now not so much. Once upon a time you were alarmed when someone walked in wearing a mask, now we’re alarmed if they don’t. Extending a hand was once a sign of respect, now it’s a sign of disrespect. Who would imagine that being a daredevil could include going to the market, trying indoor dinning or going to a movie theater? What about those stocked shelves that are starting to turn bare once again. Have you tried to buy shower cleaner, Windex or Lysol lately, pretty hard to come by. TP and paper towels are starting to disappear again too as the virus ticks up, funny the things we deem important.
If you are an occasional dieter or a perennial dieter, whether you want to lose a few pounds or maybe a lot more than a few you have probably heard about low carb diets. You have also probably heard that very low carb diets are the fastest way to lose weight. While this is true - are they right for you and if so which one is best? You have many low carb diets to choose from such as the rock star Atkins, the Keto Diet, new kid on the block Paleo Diet, the South Beach Diet and the barely low carb Zone Diet.
For most people with a desire to lose weight or maintain weight loss metabolism seems in come into question. Most will say there metabolism is too slow. All of us will notice with age that we can’t eat the same way we did when we were younger and get away with it. For some reason now the calories leave their mark in added body fat when they wouldn’t have even just a few years ago. Many with a history of excess weight point to a lifetime of slow metabolism as the root cause. Can one truly have a slow metabolism?
One of the most common reasons both men and women seek out medical care from an Urologist (Specializes in urinary track medicine) is pelvic pain and urinary disorders. These disorders can solely be pain and discomfort related or also exhibit flow and immediacy symptoms. Symptoms can be severe and have life changing consequences.
Why wait until the New Year to embark on a healthier life style? It makes way more sense to start as soon as you can clear some time and make a commitment. Every day you wait is a day lost on your transformational journey. Thinking about it unfortunately doesn’t get it done, getting started does. So, why not jumpstart it now? Don’t think of it as a bitter pill you have to take, but rather a progressively pleasing re-energizing of your body, mind and spirit. A positive outlook goes a long way. If you started now think about how far ahead of the game your progress will be by the time the New Year comes.
Whereas, many of us are proactive about our fitness, trying to eat better and being mindful when we gain a few extra pounds, we don’t generally think about the health of our brain. A bit of decline seems to be accepted as normal, “oh, I don’t remember names as well,” but as a whole we don’t make an effort to do something about it. The old adage (use it or lose it) does apply, but even staying intellectually challenged isn’t enough. Consider that the incidence of Alzheimer’s is expected to triple over the next fifty years. As people live longer the chances of dementia also increases.
Whether you exercise to be healthier, fitter, or to be more competitive there are a few numbers to know that can tell you how you are progressing. Even if you lead an active lifestyle and believe yourself to be quite healthy it’s still possible to miss or ignore signs of a growing deficiency. Knowing what’s what is the first step in making corrective moves. Below are a few self-tests that have been developed to gage your fitness, heart health and overall wellbeing. These tests are not meant to replace regular medical examinations. Use them to quantify your current health and fitness status.
Having extra or too much information about something is rarely a problem particularly when compared to the opposite, not enough information. This is true in most facets of our lives in business, in our relationships and in managing our health. Being unaware or simply ignoring early signs of a health condition won’t make it go away. In fact catching it early and addressing it can usually prevent even reverse major concerns. Without your health, frankly without quality of life what do you really have? Being of unsound health will quickly pervade every part of your life and threaten everything that makes you, you.
Who doesn’t enjoy a great glass of wine? It’s fun to share with a friend; it takes the edge off a long day and can be quite enjoyable. Just think of those deep notes of black cherry and plum, fruity yet not too big with hints of vanilla and oak...you get the picture. Well, as if we needed another reason to have a glass of wine, here’s one. A new study cited in the journal “Scientific Reports” shows that small amounts of alcohol can lower inflammation and aid the brain in clearing away toxic waste products including Beta-amyloid (a protein fragment associated to Alzheimer’s).
