Go for strong bones (Best Exercises)

Exercise plays an important role in building bone in childhood and adolescence, maintaining bone before 50, and slowing down bone loss after 50. But exercises are not equal.

The best exercises are those with impact (running, sprinting, jumping) or resistance (squats, pushups, rock climbing).

Current research indicates that non-weight bearing exercise like cycling and swimming and light impact exercise like slow walking are not enough.

Yoga and Pilates
There are not many yoga or Pilates bone density studies. However, knowing that resistance exercise is effective, we can logically assume that some aspects of yoga and Pilates are beneficial.

Standing yoga poses, like the warrior and transitional lunges, can build leg and hip bones. One-legged poses, like tree, improve balance. Poses like reverse plank and upward and downward dog should strengthen wrist and forearm bones.

All yoga and Pilates exercises that require lifting of the legs or upper torso in the supine or prone (face up and face down) positions may build bone density in the lumbar spine.

Pilates machines that use the resistance of springs are similar to gym machines using cables.

Tai Chi
This gentle exercise improves balance and leg strength. Studies found that people who did tai chi reduced their rate of falling by 50 percent. When they do fall, their rate of fractures is much less. Do tai chi once or twice a week for at least 15 minutes.

Jumping
Skipping rope, jumping jacks and vertical jumps are effective bone-builders. Skip rope for at least 15 minutes 3-5 times a week. You only need two minutes a day for jumping jacks and vertical jumps. Do several 15-30 second jumps and rest in between.

Racquet sports
A Finnish study found that squash players and weight lifters had the highest bone mineral densities. Squash, tennis and badminton are stop-and-go sports with rapid multidirectional changes—all beneficial to bone strengthening.

Gardening
Growing flowers can help build bone but only if you actually shovel, rake and weed. Telling your gardener what to do doesn’t count. A University of Arkansas study found that women older than 50 who went to the gym or who gardened had lower rates of osteoporosis.

Rowing
In an Oregon University study, postmenopausal women who rowed competitively for one year experienced a 6-percent greater increase in spine density than women who did not row but who were physically active.

Aerobic dance
Women who did a 45-minute step aerobics class three times a week for six months experienced a 3-percent increase in bone density in their spines, legs and heels.

Researchers at Texas A&M University say step aerobics adds the extra challenge of changes in direction and speed that stimulate the bones even better than skipping rope and jogging that only offer impact.

A British study found that high-impact aerobics (aerobics with hops, skips, and jumps) improved the hipbone density of postmenopausal women and men over 50.

Walking
A Johns Hopkins Hospital study found that light-intensity walking does not strengthen bones. Brisk walking delivers a higher impact than slow walking.

Brisk walking (as if you are late for an appointment) for 30 minutes four days a week can help reduce bone loss before and after menopause. A study found that women who regularly walked 7.5 miles a week lost bone at a slower rate (four to seven years longer) than women who did not walk.

For people at risk of falling, lifting weights is a better and safer alternative than walking.

Cycling
Off-road bikers have above average bone density while street cyclists have slightly below average bone density, according to a study published in the journal Bone. The jarring, bouncing and vibration on rough roads is a stimulation that builds bone.

If street cycling or spinning is your only exercise, add weight training or impact exercise to your regimen. A 2003 study found that male cyclists (aged 40-60) who had been cycling 12.2 hours a week for 20 years had bones that were 10 percent less dense than active non-cycling men their age. Of the 27 cyclists, 17 had moderate bone loss or osteopenia while four had severe bone loss or osteoporosis.

Profuse sweating from intense cycling may contribute to bone loss. Evidence suggests an hour of intense endurance training can result in a loss of 200 mg of calcium. A 1996 study attributed bone thinning among college basketball players to prolific sweating.

Swimming
Many studies found that swimmers had lower bone densities than athletes in weight-bearing sports and lower or similar bone densities as non-athletes. The results apply to males and females—prepuberty age, adolescents and adults. Swimming is not reputed to increase bone mineral density.

But most studies used dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a two-dimensional measure highly influenced by body size.

Male water polo players and weightlifters assessed using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) had similar bone densities.

Rat studies found that swimming improved bone elasticity and structural strength—properties that could only be seen with quantitative ultrasound (QUS).
Perhaps when more human studies use QUS, swimming will shake off its bad reputation. In the meantime, swimmers should cross-train with weights or impact exercise.

Sources: National Osteoporosis Foundation, American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, Harvard School of Public Health

www.tinajuanfitness.info.
By Tina Juan

Understanding and diagnosing diabetes

The different Effects of Diabetes In an era of SARS, Ebola, bird flu, and HIV/AIDS, many people are worried about epidemics. It’s a reasonable concern, but it often overlooks a major epidemic that is already gripping our nation: diabetes. Unlike epidemics that begin with biologic agents in other parts of the world, diabetes is already with us — right now. Like other epidemics, though, single measures can prevent the disease from spreading — but only if we understand diabetes and heed the call to action.

The Epidemic

Today, more than 245 million people worldwide are living with diabetes. Many more have impaired fasting glucose, which is better known as pre-diabetes. It is a silent killer with a devastating human social and economic impact. Unfortunately, about 50 percent of people afflicted with the disease do not even know about it. It is estimated that every 10 seconds, two persons develop diabetes due to lack of ample knowledge.

Tomorrow, Nov. 14, has been declared by the United Nations as World Diabetes Day to highlight the severe risks that the disease pose to “families, countries, and the entire world.” The UN further noted that “the growing pandemic is set to overwhelm healthcare resources in every country, and in many, it is disabling or killing people of working age.” Statistics show one person dies of diabetes somewhere in the world every 10 seconds! These are worrisome figures, but the explosive increase in the disease is more worrisome still. The prevalence of diabetes increased by about 40 percent during the 1990s and rose by another eight percent in the year 2000, with the greatest increase occurring in children and adolescents. Every projection indicates that it will continue to grow further in the future.

Does it matter?

It sure does matter. People with diabetes are about twice as likely to develop heart disease as those without diabetes. In addition, diabetes is a cause of kidney failure, loss of vision, peripheral artery disease, leg amputation, and cognitive impairment. And if that’s not bad enough, remember that men with diabetes are much more likely to develop erectile dysfunction than healthy men, and the problem starts 10 to 15 years earlier in diabetics. Diabetics also have a higher risk for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

All in all, diabetes shortens life expectancy by about 13 years; no wonder it’s one of the leading causes of death in many countries. And diabetes is expensive. In the United States for instance, it drains the economy of over $120 billion a year and consumes about one in four Medicare dollars.

What is diabetes?

To understand diabetes, you should first understand how your body handles glucose, the sugar that fuels your metabolism. After you eat, your digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars that are small enough to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Glucose is far and away the most important of these sugars, and it’s an indispensable source of energy for your body’s cells. But to provide that energy, it must travel from your blood into your cells.

Insulin is the hormone that unlocks the door to your cells. When your blood glucose levels rise after a meal, the beta cells of the pancreas spring into action, pouring insulin into your blood. If you produce enough insulin and your cells respond normally, your blood sugar level drops as glucose enters the cells, where it is burned for energy or stored in your liver as glycogen for future use. Insulin also helps your body turn amino acids into proteins and fatty acids into body fat. The net effect is to allow your body to turn food into energy and to store excess energy to keep your engine running if fuel becomes scarce.

A mild elevation of blood sugar doesn’t produce any symptoms, which is why diabetes often goes undiagnosed for four to six years, if not longer. But even mild diabetes is dangerous, since it damages blood vessels and other vital organs. When sugar levels get higher, they produce symptoms that may include fatigue and blurred vision. Excess sugar spills into the urine, taking water with it. This produces excessive urination and dehydration, which lead to increased thirst. Excess hunger is another symptom, and weight loss may develop despite a hearty appetite. This happens because while the blood has too much sugar, the cells don’t get enough. Diabetes is starvation in the midst of plenty. Over time, some people develop symptoms of diabetes-related heart disease, kidney disease, eye disease, or blood vessel disease. And since prompt and aggressive treatment can head off many complications of the disease, every healthy person should also be tested regularly starting at age 45.

The Three Types Of Diabetes

The name diabetes encompasses three different disorders that are all marked by abnormally high blood sugar levels. All forms of diabetes develop when the pancreas is unable to supply enough insulin to meet the body’s demands. In some cases, the problem is a low supply; in others, the tissues don’t respond to insulin as they should; and in still others, it’s both.

• Type 1 diabetes was formerly known as juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes. It usually begins abruptly before age 20, often with a critical rise in blood sugar levels. The disease is caused by a combination of genetic abnormalities and environmental triggers that cause the body’s immune system to attack the pancreas, destroying its ability to produce insulin. Since insulin is required for glucose to enter the cells, blood sugar levels rise sharply. Type 1 diabetes is the most severe form of the disease, but it accounts for only about five percent of cases. Lifelong insulin therapy is mandatory.

• Type 2 diabetes was once called adult-onset or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. In most cases, the main problem is insulin resistance. The pancreas produces reasonable amounts of the hormone, but the body’s tissues don’t respond properly, so blood sugar levels are abnormally high. Oral medications can help many patients compensate for insulin resistance. But over time, the ability of the overtaxed pancreas to secrete insulin may run down, requiring insulin therapy. More than 90 percent of diabetics have type 2 disease. Genes play a role in risk, but lifestyle factors are the major contributors to the disease, with obesity leading the list. Type 2 diabetes depends less on who your parents are than on how you live. And that means you can protect yourself from this major chronic illness with a series of simple lifestyle choices.

• Gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy, increases the risk of complications for mother and child. Blood sugar levels return to normal after delivery, but many women develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Diagnosis

Diabetes experts have proposed a simple standard for the diagnosis of the disease: a fasting blood sugar (FBS) of 126 mg/dL or higher, providing the result is confirmed on a second test. To be accurate, the blood should be obtained after eight hours without any caloric consumption. Fasting blood sugars between 100 and 125 indicate impaired glucose tolerance, a milder condition that may lead to diabetes; levels below 100 are officially normal. Still an important 2005 study of 74,309 healthy young men found that glucose levels between 87 and 99 indicate an increased risk for diabetes. It’s a warning for all of us.

Although an FBS of 126 is the new standard for diagnosing diabetes, two other criteria are available. Any blood sugar level above 200 suggests the diagnosis, even if it’s obtained after eating. To be officially diagnosed as diabetic, however, people with random sugars of 200 or higher should also have symptoms of the disease, such as increased thirst and urination or unexplained weight loss. A third way to evaluate diabetes is to see what percent of the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin molecules in a person’s red blood cells has glucose attached to them. A single glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) level reflects a person’s average blood sugar during the preceding 30 days. Normally, it’s about 5.0, meaning that five percent of the hemoglobin molecules has glucose attached to them. A level above 7.0 almost always indicates diabetes.

When should you be tested for diabetes? The ADA recommends a test every three years for people 45 or older. Individuals with risk factors such as being obese or overweight, having a diabetic parent or sibling, or having high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels should begin testing earlier and should have repeat tests as often as once a year. Needless to say, people who have had borderline or high blood sugar readings in the past should also be tested regularly.

Diagnosing diabetes early is important because prompt and aggressive treatment can help ward off the often deadly complications of the disease. It sounds too good to be true, but it can be done!

http://www.philstar.com/

Toys on the chopping block

Maan D'Asis Pamaran

Christmas is almost here, and it is again time to hit the malls in full force, in order to find the best gifts for our little ones.

The first destination on the shopping map? Toy stores, of course! To be sure, the latest and coolest playthings are the best bets to make your children’s eyes glow with holiday cheer. But before making a beeline for the toy store for this year’s stocking stuffers, read on about lead content in toys.

Since last August, the Department of Health (DOH) has been issuing public warnings about popular toys made in China that have been found to contain lead. These products have been recalled, but there are some toys which have already been purchased and are already being played with by a lot of children.

This can lead to dire consequences, says Director Agnette Peralta, of the DOH Bureau of Health Devices and Technology. Lead, which was found in paints used as coating in the toys, is a metal that is toxic at very low exposure levels. The paint in the toy may chip off and be ingested by children, who are more sensitive to the effects of lead than adults. She adds, "The adverse health effects of lead range from subtle deficits such as learning and behavioral problems to mental retardation and, in rare cases, death." Unfortunately, a consumer cannot determine just by looking at the toy if it contains excessive lead or not. Laboratory testing should be conducted to determine the lead content of toys.

The effects of lead depend on how much of it a child swallows. At lower levels of exposure, lead can affect a child’s mental and physical growth. A child who swallows large amounts of lead may develop blood anemia, kidney damage, colic, muscle weakness and brain damage.

The symptoms of lead poisoning, according to pediatrician Dr. Vilma Arkoncel of the Makati Medical Center, include vomiting, fever, lethargy, abdominal pain and diarrhea. "It is hard for parents to diagnose it on their own. They really have to bring the child to a doctor. One important sign is fever that does not subside for 3 days."

Better safe than sorry

The DOH has a list of the items that have been recalled by toy manufacturer Mattel. For the full and updated listing, along with photos of the products, check out the Mattel website on www.mattel.com.

If you have purchased a toy that has been recalled, Director Peralta advises the following:

- Put the toy in a plastic bag or box and keep it out of reach of children;

- Check if some parts of the toy are worn out or if paint has been chipped off; your child may have ingested parts of the toy or its paint. Consult a doctor and have your child checked;

- Do not throw the toy in the trash bag;

- Return the toy to the store where it was purchased for proper disposal.

More to look out for

Director Peralta and Dr. Arkoncel say that parents should consider the following when buying or allowing children to use toys:

1. Check labels on the packaging and observe precautions.

2. Ensure that the child will play with a toy suited for his age under adult supervision.

3. Dispose of plastic packaging properly. Small kids can suffocate on them.

4. Be cautious in buying toys with coatings of paint.

5. Children under 3 years old tend to put everything in their mouths, or even in their ears. In buying their toys, avoid the following:

a. toys intended for older children, which may have small parts that pose a choking hazard;

b. toys that have sharp edges and points;

c. toys constructed with thin plastic that might easily break into small pieces or leave jagged edges.

6. Parents should check the toys of their children periodically for breakage and potential hazards. Damaged toys should be repaired or disposed of properly.

7. Buy from reputable dealers.

"Avoid buying cheap toys from the bangketa, if you can, as these may not have passed safety standards," says Arkoncel. Director Peralta adds that we should be wary of any toy, not just ones made in China.

"We should be cautious with all the toys sold in the market not only those that were manufactured in China but also those from other countries. The BHDT has collected several samples of toys sold in the market for testing and we are still awaiting the results of these laboratory tests."

She adds that the toys given as part of the promotional activities of fast food chains are also being tested to determine their compliance with toy safety standards.

8. Bust the dust. A lot of stuffed animals are dust and allergen collectors, says Arkoncel. "Anything that has feathers or fur can be a trigger for asthma or dermatitis." If it is not washable, nix it.

9. Say no to cheap batteries. Cheap batteries may leak, says Arkoncel. Get good brands, and always check their condition. If batteries are not in use, remove them. And if a battery has been drained, dispose of it properly.

http://www3.mb.com.ph/MOMS20071109105669.html

Why We Should Eat Apples??

Apples are one of the most popular and important fruits that grow on trees. Apple trees are a member of the rose family. There are hundreds of different apple varieties with colors of the fruit ranging from various shades of red to green and yellow. The flavor of apples ... varies from tart to sweet. Apples are about 85 percent water and contain vitamins A and C, potassium, pectin, and fiber.

BENEFITS

APPLES REALLY ARE GOOD FOR YOU!
Eating fresh apples is always good for you, but to get the full nutritional benefits associated with eating apples you should eat at least one fresh apple every day.

WHOLE-BODY HEALTH BENEFITS
Lower blood cholesterol, improved bowel function, reduced risk of stroke, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma.CANCER PREVENTION
Over the past four years, apple consumption has been linked with reduced cancer risk in several studies.

HEALTHY LUNGS
Two recent British studies indicated that eating apples can improve lung health.

HEART DISEASE & STROKE PREVENTION
A Finnish study published in 1996 showed that people who eat a diet rich in flavonoids have a lower incidence of heart disease. Other studies indicate that flavonoids may help prevent strokes.

WEIGHT LOSS
Apples are a delicious source of dietary fiber, and dietary fiber helps aid digestion and promotes weight loss. A medium apple contains about five grams of fiber, more than most cereals. Also, apples contain almost zero fat and cholesterol, so they are a delicious snack and dessert food that’s good for you.

UC-DAVIS: APPLES ARE HEART-HEALTHY
Researchers at the University of California-Davis recently reported that apples and apple juice may help protect arteries from harmful plaque build-up. In the first study conducted in humans, adults who added two apples, or 12 ounces of 100% apple juice, to their daily diet demonstrated a significant slowing of the cholesterol oxidation process that leads to plaque build-up - thereby giving the body more time to rid itself of cholesterol before it can cause harm.

for more information visit at
http://www.agroplod.com.mk/apples_other_health_benefits.htm

Varieties

Red Delicious predominates production, constituting about 40 percent of the packed crop in 2001. This is down from 69 percent of the crop in 1990. Golden Delicious is second in order, with 15 percent, then Fuji (14%), Gala and Granny Smith (12% each), with the remaining seven percent made up in order of Braeburn, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Cameo, and other lesser varieties. Fuji is expected overtake Golden Delicious production in the year 2004; and Gala production is rapidly increasing, perhaps in line to become number two or three in production sometime during the next decade.