Posts Tagged exercise

… lead researchers, their research determined that a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise was needed each week just to maintain current weight. This amounts to just 20 minutes of …

Have you ever stopped to wonder who taught a monkey what to eat? I realize that you are here to learn about the benefits of potassium, bare with me a moment, I promise I will give you the answer. for now,, back to the monkey question, it will all make sense in a second…

I am willing to bet that you’ve never given it much thought because, admittedly, the question is quite ridiculous. Monkeys just seem to know what to eat. Through this mysterious force we call “instinct”, most animals exit the womb and just know exactly what to put in their mouths.

Although humans are more than animals, we do have instincts, like our monkey ancestors.

In recent years scientists have been trying to understand what man consumed when we didn’t have government agencies to tell us what to eat. During this time, approximately 50,000 to 100,000 years ago, Paleolithic man was comprised of hunters and gatherers who consumed a diet motivated by instinct. Then approximately 10,000 years ago began the Neolithic Revolution.

The Grand Mistake

During this new age of human development; we adopted more of an agriculture and animal husbandry practice. I imagine this is about the time when those nasty little creatures called “food scientists” came into existence. A “food scientist” is someone who thinks they can make food better, tastier, and more nutritious than nature.

Although the study of the Paleolithic lifestyle is quite complex, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what kinds of foods our ancestors consumed. It’s no surprise to see that most experts in the area of Paleolithic eating suspect that these people consumed primarily fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and some wild game. If you’re reading this list and feel that this is common sense, that “knowing” that you are experiencing is the remnant of your Paleolithic instinct.

Our abandonment of the Paleolithic way has resulted in a number of harmful and even life-threatening nutrient deficiencies…

Potassium Deficiency and the Benefits of Potassium

One nutrient that many scientists believe was much more abundant in our diet during Paleolithic times was potassium.

The Stone Age humans likely consume approximately 15 grams of potassium on a daily basis. Compare that to the recommended daily allowance of 4.7 grams per day. A ridiculously low level, I may add, that most of us never achieve.

In addition to a deficiency of potassium, the average American consumes a large excess of sodium. The sodium to potassium ratio is important for proper function of the body; when this ratio gets imbalanced the body suffers. Our Stone Age ancestors only consumed less than a gram of sodium (0.6 g) and it is estimated that the average American now consumes approximately 3.5 g of sodium and an embarrassing 2.8 g of potassium.

Why Should We Be Concerned With Our Sodium/Potassium Balance?

The balance of sodium and potassium is crucial for the function many cellular systems; some signs of potassium deficiency include:

1. Fatigue
2. Heart arrhythmias
3. Heart failure
4. Muscle weakness
5. Constipation
6. Delayed emptying of the stomach

Isn’t Potassium Dangerous?

Contrary to popular belief, potassium is a safe nutrient when taken properly. In healthy adults without heart or kidney problems, daily potassium intake should not exceed 8 grams.

If you suffer with kidney and/or heart disease, or you are on certain medications for blood pressure, potassium toxicity can occur at lower dose. For this latter group, ask your doctor before taking potassium supplements.

When supplementing with potassium, you must take into account how much potassium you are taking in through diet. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, legumes are all good sources of potassium. It is possible to get sufficient potassium levels from your diet, however, it requires discipline and a hefty appetite for fruits and vegetables.

For the rest of us, supplementation may be required in order to achieve healthy potassium levels.

Who’s At Risk of Potassium Deficiency?

Before we get into the benefits of potassium, let’s talk about the risks of potassium deficiency.

It is important to realize that certain lifestyle habits, medications, and conditions can lead to an increased risk of potassium deficiency, these include:

1. The use of diuretics
2. Diarrhea or vomiting
3. Chronic dieting
4. Chronic kidney failure
5. Magnesium deficiency
6. Strenuous exercise

Keep these variables in mind when considering supplementation. See our Daily Potassium Requirements for Optimal Health for more information on supplementing with potassium.

What Are the Benefits of Potassium?

Potassium is essential for regulating fluid balance, acidity within the body, blood pressure, and muscle function. There are numerous outward benefits of supplementing with potassium, including:

1. Lowering blood pressure – An analysis of 33 published studies have demonstrated potassium supplementation to be of benefit in people who suffer with hypertension. The effective dose used in the research was 2,400 mg daily. (JAMA 1997;277:1624–32
2. Protection from Cardiac Arrhythmias – Studies show that people with low potassium levels are at a heightened risk of arrhythmia. Supplementation with 1,000 mg of potassium was shown to decrease the risk of arrhythmias in people who were prescribed a potassium-depleting blood pressure medication called hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). (Int J Cardiol 1989;25:93–8)
3. Prolonged life and Improved Quality of life – One study demonstrated that men who consumed high levels of potassium had a longer life. More importantly, those with higher potassium intake enjoyed an improved quality of life. See the article: Potassium for a Longer and Healthier Life – Benefits of Potassium for Seniors
4. Improved energy – Electrolytes, such as potassium, can allow the body to manufacture needed energy. Potassium deficiency can cause physical and mental exhaustion.
5. End to muscle cramps and charlie horses – Potassium deficiency can promote muscle cramps, as can calcium or magnesium deficiency.

Guest: Dr. Jade Teta
The Metabolic Effect Diet
Insulin resistance
Diabetes
Sugar to fiber ratio
Exercise

What You Will Learn in This Section:

1. The Missing “Activity Secret” for a Raging Metabolism
2. A Special Tool That You Can Use to Keep Your Metabolsim Stoked All Day

Call me an optimist but I am going to assume that if you are considering yourself a seasoned practitioner of the wellness lifestyle, you already workout 4-5 times a week. In this section I am not going to waste time preaching to the choir about the benefits of activity and exercise. Instead, I am going to spend our brief time together teaching you an advanced technique that is designed to supercharge your metabolism all day long. If my assumption is correct then you exercise for 30-60 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week. During this 30-60 minute period, your metabolism elevates as the energy manufacturing engines get firing. What happens after your workout is complete? Well, depending on the intensity of the workout, the metabolism can be elevated for a few minutes or a few hours before it returns to normal. What if we could increase your metabolism all day long instead of just for two to three hours during and after your workout?

So let’s get into this amazing technique, it’s simplicity is going to blow you away! All you have to do to take advantage of this powerful technique is get up and do 2-3 minutes of oxygenating activity every 30-60 minutes or so. By getting up out of your chair and doing thirty jumping jacks, a few minutes of jogging in place, some push ups or chair squats you will boost your metabolism, activate fat burning enzymes, burn up sugar and keep those energy producing engines of your cells firing away. Here is the magical piece of the principle,your metabolism doesn’t immediately return to normal once the activity stops. It takes about 30 minutes for your metabolic engines to get the signal to back to baseline. At that point you kick them back up by doing 2-3 more minutes of activity. More magic happens, metabolism is the key to feeling energetic. By activating your metabolic pathways regularly throughout the day you will energize and oxygenate all of your tissues. The bottom line…you feel much better! You may also sleep better.

Now let me tell you about my greatest obstacle in putting this technique to use. When I first started practicing this technique I would find myself getting caught up in my work and forgetting to do my 3 minutes of movement. I was still much more active, but I was not utilizing this principle to its potential. So, I did some research and found a tool that is so simple and so ingenious that I wished that I had thought of it first. This product got me up and moving every 35 minutes on the dot! The product is called The Invisible Clock II. This tiny pager-sized timer can be set to have a repeatable countdown that either vibrates or beeps to alert you that it is time to move. I set the repeat timer and every 35 minutes it beeps or vibrates to remind me to spark my metabolism with 2-3 minutes of activity. I have felt more energetic and creative throughout the day, probably due to the increased circulation to the brain.

Fibrinogen is a protein that is produced by the body and plays a very important role in the process of clotting. When there is damage to a tissue, for instance if you cut your finger, the fibrinogen acts to form the scaffolding on which the clot can form.

As you can see, this is a very important process and fibrinogen is an important player in keeping you from bleeding to death during injury.

So far so good, so why are we talking about fibrinogen?

Fibrinogen – The Jekyll and Hyde of the body

Fibrinogen apparently has a dark side as well. As with most compounds produced by the body, when they get out of balance they become potentially harmful and fibrinogen is no different. Because fibrinogen acts as a precursor to clots, you can imagine that if fibrinogen levels rise it can lead to abnormal clots such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack and stroke. In addition, having a chronically elevated fibrinogen has been linked with plaque formation in the arteries and thus becomes a major risk factor in the development of heart disease. Fibrinogen can also impede normal blood blow by thickening the blood, thus making it difficult for oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to vital organs and muscles. This poor blood flow can cause fatigue, muscle pain and even memory loss.

You can see how an elevation in fibrinogen can lead to chronic health problems that ultimately decrease the quality of our lives. So what can be done about elevated fibrinogen?

How to Normalize Fibrinogen

First, have your doctor test your blood to determine if your fibrinogen levels are too high. Research suggests that fibrinogen levels should remain between 200 and 300 mg/dl, even though the blood test may list a much higher range as “normal”.

Now that we know that your fibrinogen levels are elevated, we recommend the following lifestyle and supplement change

1. Control blood sugar. Diabetics are at a much higher risk of heart attack and stroke. This increased risk occurs for many reasons, however, higher fibrinogens are likely one reason. Controlling blood sugar can have a significant impact on fibrinogen levels.
2. Exercise. Regular exercise can help to promote better blood flow while decreasing the amount of fibrinogen that is circulating through the system.
3. Adding olive oil to your diet has been shown to lower fibrinogen levels in people who have elevated levels.
4. Supplement with omega-3 fatty acids, specifically fish oil. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil have been shown to decrease the risk of heart attack. In addition, fish oil decreases triglycerides, stickiness of blood cells and…you guessed it, fibrinogen levels! For best results we recommend that you take enough fish oil to provide 1000 mg of EPA and DHA. A good recommendation would be WholeMega by New Chapter 2 capsules twice daily.
5. Normalize homocysteine. Homocysteine is a byproduct of protein metabolism that has been linked to heart disease. Your doctor can order a simple blood test to assess homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine prevents the body from breaking down fibrinogen and thus can lead to an increase in blood fibrinogen. If they are high then you will want to take supplements containing certain vitamins and nutrients such as B12, folic acid, B6 and trimethylglycine (TMG). One such product that combines all of these nutrients is called Homocysteine Factors by Pure Encapsulations.
6. Vitamin C can help to keep fibrinogen levels in check. It appears that you must take at least 2,000 mg of vitamin C daily in order to lower fibrinogen levels significantly. If you have high fibrinogen levels, you may want to take 1,000 mg of Pureway vitamin C from Your Prescription for Health, twice daily.

A. Tony Reid

Tony Reid provides health and fitness coaching to individuals and groups of all ages and all fitness levels. He is a Certified Health Coach, a Certified Personal Trainer, a member of American Association of Drugless Practitioners, Lifestyle Fitness Coach and Professional Motivational Speaker. Tony has been inspiring people to take charge of their lives for over 15 years with his unique style of motivational speaking, fitness training and life coaching. Tony established the Tony Reid Fitness Management Company in 1997 and believes that the key to helping people change their lives is combining fitness training, nutritional counseling, time management and motivation. Countless individuals that have completed his programs have reached their health and fitness goals. He has created a supportive environment that will enable you to achieve your fitness goals within his wellness studio.

Tony enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition SUNY Certified Program to expand his services to include a holistic healthy and fit lifestyle.  This training as a health coach includes all the major dietary theories and use of the practical lifestyle coaching methods to guide you in discovering which approach works best for you.

He recognizes that often times you have the answers within you and all that is required is proper motivation. That is when he relies on skills acquired as a professional motivational speaker to inspire you for change.

He can proudly say that over the years he has helped thousands of people realize their fitness, career and lifestyle dreams through one-on-one coaching, small group and corporate programs. He loves what he does and enjoys a sense of accomplishment knowing that he has designed and offers comprehensive programs that work!

Tony is available for lecture, seminars and workshops on an array of health and fitness related topics. You can now find him on the radio on Wednesdays at 1:00 on WOLB AM answering your health and fitness questions.

Specialty: Group and Individual Exercise Programs, Home Gym Design, Health & Wellness Presentation & Workshops, Individual and Small Group Health Coaching,  Grocery Store Tours, Motivational Speaking.

Contact him at 410-466-1933

I’d like to help liberate you from the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.

I know that your doctor has probably told you that all they can do is prescribe nasty anti-inflammatories and wait until the day that the pain is so severe that you can’t take it any more…then they’ll sell you on surgery.

If you’re like me, you can’t imagine a future full of pain, stiffness, and surgeries that limits your ability to enjoy life. If you already have a lot of pain, I’ll bet it is difficult to enjoy everyday things like parties, family events, and cookouts because your attention is always divided between what is going on and the achy, throbbing pain of arthritis.

If you have relied on Tylenol and anti-inflammatories like Advil, Motrin, Aleve, ibuprofen, and aspirin to get by, well I have a message for you…

You can do better! You can feel better! You can decrease your pain, inflammation, and possibly even slow down the degeneration of your joints and you can do it all without medications!

The Four-Step Approach to Treating Arthritis

There are four steps to managing arthritis through a natural approach, they are:

Step 1: Decrease inflammation
Step 2: Lubricate the joint
Step 3: Provide the building blocks
Step 4: Stimulate repair

Let’s take each step and dive deeper…

Step 1: Decrease Inflammation

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is, STOP DIGGING! Most people see inflammation as a nuisance; however, it is much more than that.  Inflammation actually promotes the erosion of the cartilage within the joint, which can worsen the arthritis over time.

Anti-inflammatory drugs can decrease the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, However, they also can increase the production of an enzyme called lipooxygenase, which can irritate and damage the joint further.

Nature has provided many natural compounds with anti-inflammatory activity that can rival the prescription drugs without causing the same risk of side effects. Spices such as turmeric, ginger, rosemary and herbs such as holy basil, skullcap, and green tea can all act as potent anti-inflammatories.

To help control inflammation, I recommend a formula called Zyflamend by New Chapter. This formula provides a blend of herbal and spice extracts that work through multiple mechanisms to result in a balanced anti-inflammatory benefit. This formula has proven itself to be one of the most powerful herbal anti-inflammatory formulas on the market. The recommended dose is 2 capsules twice daily.

Aside from providing relief from much of the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, the mechanisms by which this formula works may help to protect the joint from erosion.

Step 2: Lubricate the Joint

Now that we have the inflammation under control, the next step is to lubricate the joint to decrease the friction.

Within your joint, the cartilage is constantly being broken down and rebuilt. Arthritis happens when the joint gets broken down faster than the cells can rebuild the damaged area.

The lubricating material called hyaluronic acid has the same purpose of oil in your car. It keeps the pistons sliding across each other by decreasing the friction that would occur without the oil. When a car has an oil leak, the damage can be devastating. Likewise, if your joints don’t remain well oiled, you can develop stiffness, inflammation, and ultimately arthritis.

Besides the lubricating effect of hyaluronic acid, it also helps to carry nutrients to the cartilage. Because cartilage does not have a blood supply, it relies on the diffusion of nutrients from the lubricating fluid in the joint.

Over the last decade, nutrition scientists have been able to develop a hyaluronic acid supplement that is easily absorbed in the digestive tract. This has allowed for effective supplementation of this vital material.
The second step in building an effective natural arthritis program is to lubricate the joint by taking hyaluronic acid in supplement form.

The recommended dose is 100 mg once per day.

In addition, it is important to remain well hydrated. When you become even mildly dehydrated, your joints can dry up, which can lead to friction and joint degeneration.

Step 3: Provide the Building Blocks

Now that we have tackled inflammation and lubrication, we now need to provide the joint with the material it needs to repair damage and protect the cartilage itself. This is achieved by providing two compounds called: glucosamine and chondroitin. These two compounds have been used successfully for years to protect and repair the joint while improving the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.

Glucosamine and chondroitin literally act like wood and nails to the cartilage. The body absorbs these compounds and transports them throughout the body with preference being given to the joints. Once the glucosamine and chondroitin arrive in the joints, the cartilage repair cells get to work rebuilding and rejuvenating the cartilage.

The recommended dose is 1500 mg of glucosamine along with 1200 mg of chondroitin per day. If you are overweight, you may want to increase the dose to 2000 mg of glucosamine sulfate along with 1600 mg of chondroitin sulfate.

Step 4: Stimulate the Repair

Now that you have decreased inflammation, lubricated the joint, and provided the building blocks, you need to tell the body that you need stronger joints. You achieve this by moving and exercising.

Most people with arthritis is afraid to exercise because the are afraid that they will worsen the arthritis. Unfortunately, by remaining immobile and sedentary you are literally stimulating the arthritis to get worse.

Exercise does three things:

1.    It brings lubrication to the joint. Have you ever notice that the arthritis pain is worse upon waking and gets a little better as the day goes on? This probably occurs because the movement promotes lubrication.
2.    Exercise, especially resistance training, stimulates the cartilage building cells to get to work. Research has shown that lifting weight causes these cells to activate and strengthen the cartilage.
3.    Exercise protects the joint by building a muscle girdle. The bones of a joint are surrounded by muscle, and muscle helps to stabilize the joint. By keeping the joint stabile you protect it from extra movement that can result in unwanted friction. As a muscle weakens, the joint begins to move in strange ways that can damage the cartilage and worsen the arthritis.

As you can see, arthritis can be improved significantly when you put the right steps into action. First control inflammation, next lubricate the joint, then provide the building blocks, and finally stimulate repair.

What Next?

To make it easy for you to get the most effective products for your arthritis program, we have put together all of the products that we use with our clients and patients here in our clinic. We call it the “Get Out of Pain Kit”. It includes:

1 Bottle of Zyflamend 120 Softgels (1 month supply)
1 Bottle of Hyaluronic Acid 60 Capsules (1 month supply)
1 Bottle of Glucosamine/Chondroitin (1 month supply)

If you order this kit, you get all three products for $67, which will save you $35.89 compared to the retail price.

Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become fragile and more likely to break. It is important to understand that bones are not lifeless structures, but instead are complex living tissue.

Just like our skin, bones are constantly broken down and built back up with new, healthy, pliable bone. Two cells involved in bone maintenance are osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The osteoblasts are the “bone builders.” In contrast, the osteoclasts are the cells responsible for the breakdown of old, brittle bone. The ratio of these two types of bone cells must be in balance to maintain strong and healthy bones.

Due to the Standard American Lifestyle your bones break down faster than new bones can be formed. In women, bone deterioration accelerates after menopause due to the fact that the ovaries stop producing estrogen, a hormone that protects against bone loss.

Your blood is a tightly controlled system that requires biochemical finesse in order to make an optimal environment for your cells and organs to function. Blood pH is of critical importance, if your blood gets even slightly acidic then the critical enzymes would not function and death would occur. In order to maintain proper pH the body utilizes minerals to act as a buffering system. So how does your blood get acidic? The answer is food and stress. When you eat lots of animal protein, refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, white rice and sugar these things add acid to your body.

When you eat vegetables and low-sugar fruits you neutralize some of that acid. The problem is you need 5 times as much alkaline food to neutralize 1 part of acid food. Stress also will cause excessive acid to form in the body. So what does this have to do with your bones?

The bones are your body’s mineral bank account. If you aren’t giving it plenty of those green leafy vegetables then your body will have to choose, between death or osteoporosis. In this case, your body becomes like Robin Hood, it steals from the mineral rich bones and gives to the mineral poor blood and organs.

To maintain bone health we should make sure that the bones have all of the necessary mineral building blocks. These building blocks feed the osteoblasts so as to keep new and healthy bone developing over your life. A readily absorbed bone mineral formula such as Osteo Plus will accomplish this. I would also suggest an additional 2,000-4,000 iu of vitamin D during the Spring and Summer and 4,000-6,000 iu during the winter months.

On top of this, adding a green drink full of concentrated green vegetables and superfoods will help keep your body alkaline by providing phytochemicals and organic minerals that neutralize acid.

To treat osteoporosis the standard procedure has been to take drugs such as Fosamax to inhibit bone deterioration and to increase intake of calcium. In the short term this approach may provide benefit to bone strength and fracture risk. There is concern, however,  of the long term ramifications of such an approach. This approach may result in poor quality bone and thus could lead to increased risk of fractures years later. To avoid this, our goal is to increase bone formation and normalize bone deterioration.

We suggest that calcium, magnesium, boron, proteins, and other trace minerals be taken to help increase bone formation. The average diet consists of 600 mg of calcium so most people should only supplement with another 600-800 mg of calcium daily. There are many different types of calcium available, however not all of them are efficient forms. Calcium carbonate, found in Oscal, Tums, and their popular little brother Viactive, is considered the worst form of calcium. This form does not absorb due to its buffering effect in the stomach. Calcium carbonate needs an acidic environment of the stomach in order to dissolve.

Some good forms of calcium are calcium citrate, calcium citrate-malate, calcium MCHA, and calcium lactate. We suggest that magnesium be taken in a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium. Daily, 2,000-5,000 units of Vitamin D can be taken.

An intake of 3-6 mg of boron a day is recommended.

Vitamin K stimulates new bone growth. Vitamin K1 can be obtained by eating vegetables, however, this form has not been effective at improving bone density.  Vitamin K2, produced through fermentation of K1, increases bone growth and normalizes bone deterioration.

Trace minerals can be found in many good bone-mineral formulas.

All these suggested supplements are primarily the elemental building blocks of bone formation. The body needs a stimulus for the bone formation. This stimulus is in the form of weight bearing and resistance exercise. Walking is just not enough because it does not put enough stress on the bones, the best exercise is weight lifting. In order to promote bone growth you will need to stress the bones that are in need of growth. In other words, you can’t rely on a bicep curl to make the hip bone stronger. Placing weight on the shoulders and doing squats may be a better option.

If you suffer from osteoporosis, you may need to do this under the supervision of a physical therapist. You may also want to purchase a weighted vest to wear while walking. This may help add more stress to the bones to stimulate their growth. If you suffer from osteoporosis, you may want to purchase walking poles, which are ski poles that have been built for walking. This helps to stabilize your gait and increase the number of calories you burn. Be sure to check with your doctor.

If you have weak bones, such as with osteopenia or osteoporosis, here are the suggestions for building healthy bones:

1. Progena’s OsteoPlus – This is a comprehensive bone mineral formula that provides you with the calcium, magnesium, boron and other trace minerals in their best absorbed and utilized forms. 4 tablets daily taken in two divided doses.

2. Vitamin D - Vitamin D helps the body absorb and utilize the minerals. We suggest 1 capsule daily in addition to the vitamin D in your multi and bone mineral formula. We shoot for 2,000 – 5,000 IU on a daily basis, especially during the winter months.

4. Vitamin K – 15 – 45 mg daily. Vitamin K supplements is especially important in those that do not eat a lot of green leafy vegetables. If you have mildly unhealthy bones you may want to use Super K by Life Extension Foundation. If you have moderate to severely compromised bone health, you may want to try Ultra K2 (1 cap three times daily).

What to do to prevent bone loss:

1. OsteoPlus – 2 tabs in A.M. 2 tab in P.M.
2. Vitamin D 2,000 IU – 1 Softgel in the A.M.
3. Doctor’s for Nutrition Greens First – 1 scoop once or twice daily

Standard Program for Mildly unhealthy bones  (Osteopenia/Mild Osteoporosis):

1. OsteoPlus – 2 tabs in A.M. 2 tab in P.M.
2. Vitamin D and K with Iodine – 1 capsule in the A.M.
3. Doctor’s for Nutrition Greens First – 1 scoop once or twice daily

Aggressive program for moderate to severely unhealthy bones:

1. Bone Guard Forte by Perque – 3 tabs in A.M. 2 tabs in P.M.
2. Vitamin D 5,000 iu – 1 capsule in the A.M
3. Complementary Prescriotions Ultra K2 – 1 capsule three times daily
4. Doctor’s for Nutrition Greens First – 1 scoop once or twice daily