Just what the good doctor ordered.
EXERCISE, WHAT IT DOES: Exercise can provide several benefits to your overall health. Exercise does the following:
- Lowers the blood glucose by using it for energy
- Helps with weight loss
- Lowers bad cholesterol and triglyceride fats and raises good cholesterol
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces stress levels
- Reduces the need for drugs and insulin shots
The following is from the works of Wayne Westcott, PhD, South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. I'm offering it to my reader only because, having some experience in the gym activities, I'd say it makes excellent sense. Hope it helps you in your daily/weekly/monthly/annual regime.
BETTER STRETCHING MISCONCEPTION: Stretch before you warm up.
REALITY: Muscle injuries occur when you stretch cold, tight muscles. A very gentle stretch is okay before an average workout, but reserve a full stretch for after a warmup of at least five minutes, when muscles have loosened up.
MISCONCEPTION: Hold a stretch to the point of feeling slight pain.
REALITY: Pain signals that you are risking injury. You can also strain a muscle if you bounce while you stretch.
BEST: Stretch only until you feel a slight pull. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, relax, and repeat tow or three times.
STRENGTH TRAINING MISCONCEPTION: You must use free weights to build muscle.
REALITY: Weight machines work just as well as barbells and dumbbells ... muscles can't tell the difference. In fact, 10 of the 30 teams in the National Football League train predominantly on weight machines. Machines are also safer.
MISCONCEPTION: You have to train every other day to get stronger.
REALITY: While lifting weights every other day is, even twice a week has benefits.
EXAMPLE: In a study of 1,132 adults, those who lifted weights only twice a week had 88% of muscle gain and 87% of the fat loss of those who trained every other day.
MISCONCEPTION: The more weight you lift, the better.
REALITY: It is not the amount of weight you lift, but how you lift. The slower and more controlled your movement, the better. One slow, controlled set of eight to twelve reps (repetitions) is as good as two or three sets done in poor form. (The writer adds that poor form can even be harmful.)
The biggest mistake people make is in taking a too-heavy weight and jerking it upward. This form can lead to injury.
It is time to increase the weight when you can do 12 repetitions of an exercise in perfect form, without fatigue. Don't add more than 5% in weight from one session to the next.
AEROBIC EXERCISES MISCONCEPTION: The only way to lose weight is with aerobic exercise.
REALITY: Aerobic exercise burns more calories than strength training ... while you're doing it. But the more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism will be throughout the day.
BEST: Combine aerobic exercise and strength training to burn the most calories.
MISCONCEPTION: The only way to improve cardiovascular fitness is to work out for longer periods.
REALITY: It is actually better ... and more convenient .... To increase the intensity of your workout rather than the amount of time you exercise.
EXAMPLE: If you exercise for 30 minutes on an indoor bike at level 2, go to level 3 for the same amount of time. Or if you walk on a treadmill at 3 mph. Speed up to 4 mph and increase the incline for part of the workout.
COOLING DOWN MISCONCEPTION: It's okay to skip a cooldown after aerobic exercise.
REALITY: This is very dangerous. If you stop exercising suddenly, blood pools in your legs and doesn't get back to the heart as quickly as it should. That can leave you feeling light-headed and can cause an irregular heartbeat ... or possibly a heart attack.
IMPORTANT: After exercising, walk slowly for about five minutes until your breathing returns to normal.
Menu
ME EXERCISE? ... NEVER
- My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60 ... Well, she's 97 now and we don't know where she is and she's still walking.
- The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
- I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to show up.
- I would have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
- I don't exercise at all. If G-d meant for me to touch my toes, he would have put them further up on my body.
- Don't get me wrong, I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
- I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
- The only advantage of exercising every day, that I can see, is that you die healthier.
- If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
- I don't jog. It makes the ice jump right out of my glass.
Menu
YOU KNOW YOU JOINED A CHEAP NEW HMO WHEN... 10. Your annual breast exam is conducted at Hooters.
9. Directions to your doctor's office include, "Take a left when you enter the trailer park."
8. The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.
7. The only proctologist in the plan is "Gus" from Roto-Rooter.
6. The only item listed under Preventive Care coverage is "An apple a day."
5. Your "primary care physician" is wearing the pants you gave to the Salvation Army last month.
4. "The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges" is not a typo.
3. The only expense covered 100% is embalming.
2. With your last HMO, your Prozac didn't come in different colors with little "M's on them.
And the Number 1 Sign You've Joined a Cheap HMO ...
1. You're the only one sitting in the waiting room each time you go.
Menu
A SPECIAL NOTE TO MY INFORMANIACS Have you heard about the powers of the tomato, today's hot health food? Once thought to be poisonous, today this fruit/vegetable is believed to help prevent and even reverse disease. Experts urge you to eat tomatoes (is there an e or not?) in any form: fresh, raw, canned, cooked, processed in soups, sauces, paste, juices, or ketchup. Tomatoes may help prevent certain cancers, and may cut prostate cancer risk by up to 45%. They may help shield lungs from bad air and cigarette smoke, and may make one less prone to clogged arteries and heart disease, helping to detoxify bad LDL cholesterol and hindering plaque build up. They may also protect the eyes by deterring macular degeneration, reduce sun-induced skin damage by 40%, and are also anti-aging nourishment for the brain (I can use some of that). For the best benefit, eat at least five servings a week in all different varieties. Now get yourself over to the nearest farmstand and buy some tomatoes.
A WORD ABOUT TOMATOES ... Among the greatest contributions to world civilization made by the early inhabitants of the Americas are plant foods such as the potato and squash. The tomato, whose name comes ultimately from the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs and other groups in Mexico and Central America, was another important contribution. When the Spanish conquered this area, they brought the tomato back to Spain and, borrowing the Nahuatl word tomatl for it, named it tomate, a form shared in French, Portuguese, and early Modern English. Tomate, first recorded in 1604, gave way to tomato, a form created in English either because it was assumed to be Spanish or under the influence of the word potato. As is well known, people at first resisted eating this New World food because its membership in the nightshade family made it seem potentially poisonous, but it is now is an important element of many world cuisines.
All right,, we're talking food: Diets that are full of bulky fiber foods help to make you full before you fill up. In other words, you stop eating sooner because you feel full sooner. People who eat high-fiber diets tend to be leaner. They also have less trouble than others with constipation, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and diverticulosis.
Fruit-, grain-, and vegetable-rich vegetarian diets are also high in phytochemicals, such as beta-carotene, vitamins E and C, and selenium, which promote and protect good health.
Menu
THE MISNOMERED MEDICINE CABINET Whoever named the medicine cabinet must have had excellent health because the medicine cabinet is a terrible place to keep any kind of medication for three reasons:
- Safety: This cabinet is all too accessible to children; even if none live with you but some pass through now and then, keep small stomachs safe from the dangers of all medications, from aspirin to iodine, by storing them on high or locked shelves.
- Spoilage: Heat and humidity from the shower and bath can quickly dissipate the potency of drugs and dietary supplements. Head for drier, cooler ground.
- Accessibility: Many medications are meant to be taken with food. Unless you eat breakfast in the bathroom, that would put their closest use in the kitchen.
Now that you have the shelves cleared out, here's how to fill them up. If your cabinet has adjustable shelving, make the the top shelf the tallest to fit tall items. That leaves smaller things for lower shelves, where you can easily spot them. For example:
- Top shelf (tallest items): Hair spray, gel, shaving cream, aftershave, antiperspirant, mouthwash
- Middle shelf (shortest items): Toothpaste and toothbrushes, dental floss, razor and refill blades
- Bottom (medium height items): Facial cleansers and lotions, makeup remover and pads, contact lens supplies, nasal spray
Menu
MAKING LIFE IN FRONT OF THE MONITOR MORE REWARDING Adjust your chair. When you slouch forward, problems occur with your back, neck, shoulders, and legs. Make sure you have enough padding not only for comfort, but for support. If you move a lot, get a chair that swivels. Padded armrests will help if you do a lot of typing.
Adjust the height of your chair so your feet rest flat on the floor and your thighs have enough room under the desk or table. You don't want to hunch forward, lifting your shoulders. You may want to get a footrest as well. Just lifting your feet a bit can make work more pleasant.
If your keyboard is too high, you lift your shoulders in a constant shrug during the day. This causes muscle aches in you neck and shoulders. If you drop your wrists in an attempt to rest your arms and shoulders, you can stretch tendons and ligaments, and press on nerves in the hands. Position your keyboard directly in front of you, and as close as possible. The most natural and comfortable position is right on your lap.This may not be practical, however, but getting it right down low really helps.
Your mother told you stand up straight, and now I'm telling you to sit up straight. Like a lazy dog who leans over on one haunch, you may tend to slouch. (No, I'm not saying you're a lazy dog!) Keep your elbows near your body and your forearms parallel with the floor. Your muscles will thank you by not complaining.
Use a light touch on your keyboard. No need to bang away at the keys and scare the mouse. Stay relaxed throughout your entire upper body. And hold your mouse like you would a baby kitten. Stay loose. And stay in shape.
Your monitor should be a comfortable height. You'll find that a poorly positioned monitor causes more fatigue than anything. Ever go home after a day at work thinking, "What did I do to make me so tired?" Invest in ergonomically designed furniture. You'll thank yourself.
Glare off your monitor's screen can be reduced by angling it 90 degrees to the source of light, or getting an anti glare filter. These filters make viewing a lot easier if stray photons are the problem.
What's the ideal height for your monitor? The top edge should be at eye level when you sit up straight, so your eyes have to look just a little bit downward when viewing the middle of the screen.
You should be able to see the screen without tilting your head or using your back muscles. Additionally, make sure the monitor is about an arm's length from your eyes. You may want to change the brightness or contrast of your screen if you have problems seeing it. Or check with your optometrist and have your vision analyzed. You may find some lightweight reading glasses are just the ticket.
So what if you type a lot of stuff from printed notes? Try to keep the material as close to the monitor as possible. There are nifty devices made to hang your notes to the left or right, so you can focus easily without cranking your head constantly.
Don't forget to move your butt every 20 to 30 minutes. Stretching exercises and frequent short breaks as opposed to long, infrequent breaks. I don't know your exact situation, but if you spend much time working with a computer, you'll appreciate "doing it right."
Menu
TOILET SEATS AND GERMS THE CLAIM ... Toilet seats can spread disease.
THE FACTS ... Many people dread using a public toilet. But researchers say that of all the areas in a bathroom, the toilet seat is probably the least germ-infested. Like any surface, it can harbor microbes, including the viruses that cause colds and staphylococcus. Having an open cut or sore increases the chance of infection.
Any disease transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, like crabs, for example, could theoretically be spread on a toilet seat. But experts say catching any venereal disease that way is highly unlikely. And you are more likely to encounter common bacteria like E-coli and cold viruses on a faucet than on a toilet seat.
Failing to wash you hands after touching a flush handle, faucet, or doorknob poses a far greater health threat than sitting on a toilet, experts say.
Women’s bathrooms have twice as man germs as men’s, a 1997 study found, as a result of heavier traffic and diaper stations. A study earlier this year found that office workstations, because they are rarely disinfected, contain an average of 400 times as many germs as toilet seats.
THE BOTTOM LINE ... Toilet seats are NOT a major source of disease.
Taken from The New York Times, May 25, 2004 and written by Anahad O’Connor.
Menu
SUFFERING A STROKE ... KNOW THE SYMPTOMS Many people cannot name a single stroke symptom. Many victims don’t seek emergency care because they don’t take their symptoms seriously.
Warning:Some people who suffer a stroke experience brain damage that makes it impossible for them to recognize symptoms. It is critical for family members, friends, or co-workers to recognize the first signs of stroke.
- Sudden numbness, weakness, and/or paralysis:
This can occur in the face, an arm, or a leg. This usually affect one side of the body.- Difficulty talking or understanding words (confusion).
- Sudden changes in vision:
This might occur as blurring or double vision:- Dizziness or a loss of balance.
- Severe headache:
This can occur without warning, possibly accompanied by vomiting.Menu
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK ALONE Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. and you're driving home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated.
Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home; unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself. Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack; this article seemed to be in order.
Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough. The cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. And a cough must be repeated about every 2 seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.
From Health Cares, Rochester General Hospital via Chapter 240s newsletter "And The Beat Goes On" ... (reprint from The Mended Hearts, Inc. publication, Heart Response) and sent to me by Gayle in Tennessee, our 16th state (thank you, Gayle).
And the following is from ... Real Age ... Surprising Signs of Heart Trouble Heart attacks do not always manifest as sudden, violent convulsions. In fact, signs of heart distress can range from subtle to severe. People who suffer a heart attack may notice mild pain and discomfort or acute pain. They may experience only one symptom or several symptoms. Symptoms can be intermittent or continuous.
Becoming familiar will all the possible warning signs of cardiovascular distress will help you feel confident that you can recognize when to seek immediate medical care.Heart Attack Warning Signs
If you experience one or more of the following symptoms, call 911 immediately.
- Chest discomfort, particularly in the center of the chest. It may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Discomfort can last for more than a few minutes, or come and go.
- Unusual pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as the jaw, neck, back, one or both arms, and/or the stomach.
- Shortness of breath, which can precede or be accompanied by chest discomfort.
- Other symptoms may include a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
Women, take note. You are more likely than men to experience these acute symptoms instead of or in addition to chest pain: shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Women also are more likely than men to experience prodromal, or early, warning signs of heart distress, such as fatigue and sleep disturbances.
Is It a Stroke?
New treatments that can immediately limit the physical damage done by a stroke are available, so it is crucial to call 911 right away if you suddenly experience any of the following:Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially if the feeling is limited to one side of the body Confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding Obscured vision in one or both eyes Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Severe headache with no known cause If you or someone you're with experiences any symptoms of heart distress, do not delay in calling 911. Fast responses help minimize disability and save lives.
A REFUAH SHELEMAH And most important, all joking aside, we know life can be so tenuous and unpredictable ... For all those reading this, whatever your problems are, ailments or disabilities, may G-d grant you a speedy and complete cure, in Hebrew, a refuah shelemah, ... those are the traditional parting words a Jewish visitor says as he takes leave of a sick person.
But the latter, no matter how devout he may think himself, in a realistic appraisal of his situation, does not fail to follow the advice of the ancient sage, Jesus ben Sirach, (200 B.C.E.) ... "If you fall ill, cry to the L-rd, but also call for the physician, for remember ... a sensible man does not and should not neglect the remedies which the earth offers" ... Shalom.
Personally my health is fine.
I mean I used to be schizophrenic, but we're all right now.If you don't get it ...
... I'll explain it to you.
One more thing; someone sent me email asking, "Why so many Jewish doctors?"
Question accepted; a page The Healers with thoughts on this subject.Did you know that music is such an integral part of Tennessee's heritage that there are not one, but five official state songs: My Homeland, Tennessee, When It's Iris Time in Tennessee, My Tennessee, Tennessee Waltz, and Rocky Top.
If you must go back to ... Health Page 1 ... this is the way to go.
Or we'll return to our ... Navigator... and we're on our way.