Continue reading »]]> Your health is different if you are a man or woman

Men’s health and you

There are specific health considerations for men. Men have different hormones, physiology, and lifestyles. Due to these factors, there are several key points men need to consider as they move through the aging process. Here is a list of topics to discuss with your doctor, personal trainer, dietitian, or wellness professional. If you feel like you are not working at 100% there is room for improvement. It is important to be able to put your pride aside and realize that if you improve your health, you can live a life with more quality.

To start improving men’s health, think about:

Cancer- lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer are the most common types, you can learn how to reduce your risk and even prevent these by reading a brief handout from the Centers for Disease Control

Low testosterone- This is the most important sex hormone men have. If this gets low, sleep, strength, sex drive, and motivation can all suffer. Learn more by reading about the hormone at hormone.org

Heart Disease- Men are more susceptible to heart disease. This can be prevented by being active, eating well, and raising awareness. Learn more about heart healthy eating at: eatright.org

Nutritional choices- As men age, they may not be as active as they once were. Food choices need to also be changed with activity levels. Eat less at ball games, on the golf course, know the caloric content of what you eat. For healthy ideas on male specific lifestyle nutrition, visit: eatright.org/menshealth

Stress or mood disorders- Men are affected by depression differently than women. Signs of depression last for weeks and include losing interest in hobbies, feeling tired, losing temper easily, changing daily routines, and difficulty sleeping. These can be serious and can affect your work, family and health. Learn more through the National Institute of Mental Health

Ultimately, men need address health concerns before they become serious or affect quality of life, put pride aside and get smarter. An additional supplement to this article is one from The Mayo Clinic, Men’s Health: Preventing the top 7 threats.

Women’s health and you

Women have special health needs to work with the dynamic changes that occur through life. Ladies have a unique physiology and a set of hormones designed to keep a balance in the lifecycle. Many of the same health issues effecting men’s health effect women’s health. Some health issues affect women differently or are unique to women, like pregnancy or osteoarthritis. Many ladies can prevent disease and ensure a higher quality of life by increasing knowledge about how their health and wellness is different than men’s health.

To start improving women’s health, think about:

Cancer- Gynecologic cancer is increasing worldwide. Signs and symptoms are different for everyone. To prevent this and stay educated women should get regular exams. More information can be reviewed from the Centers for Disease Control

Alcohol- Women have increased risk for certain diseases like lung cancer, HPV, stroke and certain cancers. Drinking can increase these risks. Learn more about women and alcohol from the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Body Image- This can affect a woman’s health and well- being for their entire life. This is a health issue affecting more women than men and can be managed by learning more about it’s effects on wellness. Read more at: womenshealth.gov

Nutritional Choices- Women have certain nutrition needs to fuel their body during different phases of the lifecycle. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains why women need more calcium, iron, folic acid and other nutrients at different points of the life cycle

Environment- The environment plays a role in women’s health and scientists are looking to see how it affects menopause, endometriosis, and some cancers. This handout from womenshealth.gov has some great information.

At the end of the day, women need to address specific health concerns to prevent disease and to improve quality of life. The best thing to do is learn more. This Mayo Clinic article can help do that, Women’s Health: Preventing the top 7 threats

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Food allergies can affect you and the ones around you

May 13- 19 2012 is food allergy awareness week. So here’s a way to be more aware.

According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), there are over 15 million people affected by food allergies in the United States. An estimated six million American children have food allergies and the CDC reports that 16 to 18 percent of these children have had allergic reactions to accidental ingestion of school food. Many people can even die from food related allergies.

Whether food allergies affect you, your loved ones or your co-workers, knowledge will makes you healthier smarter and safer. There are several ways you can preventively manage food allergies at home, school or the workplace. These tips and tricks help you effectively manage your health through food allergy awareness.

At Home:

- Milk, fish, nuts, seafood, and wheat are common allergy foods. Keep these ingredients separated in different containers. WebMD, a credible health website, says that the best way to avoid allergy symptoms is to avoid the ingredients altogether.

- Label items for family members and friends that visit if you know it has allergens in it that might affect them. Awareness can save their lives. You can get labels and stickers made inexpensively online.

- Keep an epinephrine pen (epi pen) at your house or in the kitchen. These are easy to get from your doctor and will save a life if someone goes into anaphylactic shock

At School

- Tell teachers, nurses, and students about food allergies. Awareness will save lives in schools according to the FAAN

- Provide emergency medical contact information and label all medications going to school

- Teach kids to manage food allergies by knowing trigger ingredients according to Kidswithallergies.org. Empower children to make their own food decisions and explain that if they are “picked on” or bullied that they need to stand strong and tell a teacher.

At Work

- If you bake treats for coworkers, make sure you tell people what ingredients are in your treat. If you have an allergy, make something that works for you. An article from the Boulder Camera provided this helpful idea.

- Read and raise awareness about food allergies among co-workers. About 1% of Americans have a nut allergy that can cause anaphylactic shock to occur (can be fatal) only 1% has celiac’s disease which is an intolerance for gluten (not an allergy) and about 10-20% of Americans can have an allergy to gluten.

- Find Recipes to bring to work that people will enjoy and that will accommodate the needs of co-workers with or without allergies. There are numerous blogs with great recipes for all kinds of eaters.

The bottom line is that millions people are affected by food allergies everyday in America. People have been hospitalized and even die from ingesting foods at home, school, or work without awareness that foods have ingredients that trigger allergic reactions. Share this article with a friend, family member or co-worker and you may save a life.

Continue reading »]]> What is the Best Diet Plan?

Here Are Ways Evidence Based Practices Can Help Decide

By Gary Gianetti MS, CPT

Health Promotion Professional

A personal training client asked me, “what is the best diet plan?”

So I did what anyone else would do, despite my Health Promotion advisor’s “advising” in grad school and discounting that my parent’s wallet might be unhappy I didn’t use my Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Nutrition.

Instead, I went to Google and typed “what is the best diet plan” I got 28,200,000 hits in .32 seconds.

It suited my busy American lifestyle and the result was immediate. We have gotten accustomed to being spoon-fed information by the internet and we expect the same result when it comes to getting healthier and fitter. Nowadays, you can quickly find information about almost anything health science related on the internet. The challenge is differentiating real science from fiction. In an article I recently read about “what makes clinical research valid,” Dr. Emanuel describes what scientists use to evaluate research.¹ Good evaluation processes can be used by anyone, especially when researching diet or exercise advice from “professionals”, ‘in the field’, or online.

This is a partial list of topicsDr. Emanual says to consider when evaluating science information¹:

●Value: Enhancements of health or knowledge must be derived from the research,

●Scientific Validity: The research must be methodologically rigorous; fair subject

●Selection: scientific objectives, not vulnerability or privilege, and the potential for and distribution of risks and benefits

●Favorable Risk-Benefit Ratio: the potential benefits to individuals and knowledge gained for society must outweigh the risks; independent review- unaffiliated individuals must review the research.

So how do you know if the science evidence is credible? I Google searched “what is evidence based healthcare,” 71 million hits came up. Wikipedia, a verified online encyclopedia, was the first post and brought up Evidence-Based Medicine² and/or Evidence-Based Practice³. These terms aredescribed as health decisions based on a narrow set of credible quantitative science research data.^2,3 Data are the science “evidence” to be used in conjunction with qualitative information to determine if a health practice, diet, exercise program, or doctor is right for you. Or most importantly, is it credible and safe?

In summary, the best way to determine if a diet or exercise plan is good for your individual body is to assess the science behind it and ask a few questions: Is the science current? Does the science seem credible? What do the numbers show? How did you find this information? Do you have special health considerations? Is this just a “trend” in the media? Was this evidence based?

If you ask yourself these questions and review every piece of health information with a critical eye asking questions along the way, you will be a better consumer for the one product that matters most: Your Health …For Your Life™

Finally, if you were wondering what the best eating plan is for your summer health needs, a panel of 22 health experts determined the “Dash” and “TLC” diets are the best overall.⁴

Reference:

1. Special CommunicationJAMA. 2000;283(20):2701-2711. doi: 10.1001/jama.283.20.2701What Makes Clinical Research Ethical? Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD; David Wendler, PhD; Christine Grady, PhD

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence-based_medicine Accessed 4/5/12

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence-based_practice Accessed 4/5/12

4. http://health.usnews.com/best-diet Accessed 4/5/12

Continue reading »]]> Taking Your Workout On The Road

Travelling is a poor excuse to miss your workout

By Gary Gianetti MS, CPT

Health Promotion Professional at Boulder Country Club

Really, travelling is a poor excuse for you to miss an entire workout. Focus on achieving fitness …For Your Life™, and fitting in activity when you can, even if only for 30 minutes. The best way to stay fit is to make it a year round lifestyle choice that you practice with regularity, even if you are travelling. This time of year many people go on spring break, plan that summer vacation, or travel for work. No matter what, you can stay active with these health tips to take “on the road”.

Strength Workout To Go

Bring strength equipment with you. It doesn’t have to be fancy, expensive, or complicated. There are items that pack well and will give you a great workout while you are on the road. The alternative is using that nice gym that you walked past a few times by the lobby of your hotel. Items to pack include a few different color (resistance) fitness bands, sneakers, a jump rope, and a water bottle. Here’s how you get a strength workout on the road:

The Workout:

Start with 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions

Body Weight Squats- Bicep Curls- Shoulder Presses-Crunches- Tricep Kickback- Walking Lunge- Pushups- Jump Rope

Variations:

Add more resistance to make the workout more challenging OR use a suitcase or bands for curls, presses, and kickbacks. Hold a suitcase over your head for resistance on a squat or press – put more or less weight in case

Jump Rope between all strength exercises for 1 minute- you will get 7 minutes of cardio on each set

Do different types of crunches between each strength set and jump rope efforts- you will get a killer core workout

Cardio Workout To Go

Sometimes cardiovascular exercise is a challenge when you have a busy work schedule or kids demanding your attention on vacation. Time is also a hot commodity on vacation because it needs to be blended with relaxation. So the best way to get your cardio in is in the morning before everyone is up, or in the evening after your busy day has slowed down. This timing is great so you can shower and then refuel with a healthy meal after your hard work. It’s also a great way to see the town.

The Workout:

30 minutes of cardio at a moderate to vigorous intensity – you should feel your breathing increase and light sweat build

Variations:

Run the stairs at your hotel (Ignore any funny looks- You’re Awesome!)

Do intervals with a jump rope in between crunches and strength exercises

Take a walking or jogging tour of the place you are visiting (research shows exploring new roads is good for your brain) ¹

Repetition is key- keep moving. if you feel like you got a workout in 15 minutes- finish the 30 minutes

Use exercise equipment in the hotel gym

Take a fun new class you have been meaning to try (some resorts and corporate hotels have some group exercise classes)

Most importantly, you need to plan to build these abbreviated workouts into your busy travel schedule. As my dad always told me, “There are 24 hours in the day for everyone. Sometimes you just need to get up a little earlier.” Fitness and health are lifelong choices you make. They aren’t just a fad workout. You need to maintain your activity levels consistently whether you are at home or away. The American College of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise 5 days per week.² If your health goal is weight loss, sports performance, or improved fitness; the consensus is that you will need to spend even more time being active. ²

The bottom line: You Need To Exercise …For Your Life™, not just for today or tomorrow. Your health is your future.

For more information including pictures, exercise tips, explanation of exercises, or to try a workout before you go:

Contact Gary @ GaryG@HealthyAltitudes.com  or visit this page: http://healthyaltitudes.com/home/fitness/

References:

1. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_keep_your_brain_young_even_as_you_grow_old/

2. http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/acsm-in-the-news/2011/08/01/acsm-aha-support-federal-physical-activity-guidelines

Continue reading »]]> According to Dr. Gibala and research from the Gatorade Sports Institute Protein is a great addition to a recovery meal after strength or endurance workouts. These were the findings from his research, as well as the American Dietetic Association, American College of Sports Medicine, and the Dieticians of Canada.

After a hard workout, athletes should consume a recovery beverage or snack that contains a small amount of high-quality protein with adequate CHO in order to repair/stimulate muscle proteins and also replenish muscle glycogen stores after exercise. Foods such as milk, yogurt, a small sandwich, an energy bar with at least 10 grams of protein or a canned sports nutrition shake are all appropriate choices.

Although speculative, the muscle proteins stimulated by protein ingestion after endurance
exercise are likely related to aerobic energy production (e.g., mitochondrial enzymes),
whereas those stimulated after weightlifting exercise are likely related to non-oxidative
energy production and force generation (e.g., contractile proteins).

The “optimal” recovery beverage composition for strength/resistance and endurance
athletes remains to be determined. However, any strategy that provides ample CHO and
protein will likely be of benefit to both.

While the addition of protein to a recovery drink is clearly beneficial, it is premature to
recommend that protein should be consumed with CHO during exercise.

You can see more about this research by clicking on the link below:

The Role of Protein in Promoting Recovery
from Exercise
Martin J. Gibala, Ph.D

References:

1
American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada
(2000). Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and athletic performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc.
32:2130-2145.
2
Tipton KD, Wolfe RR. (2004). Protein and amino acids for athletes. J Sports Sci. 22:65-79.
3
Rasmussen RB, Phillips SM. (2003). Contractile and nutritional regulation of human muscle
growth. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 31:127-131.
4
Tipton KD, Ferrando AA, Phillips SM, Doyle D Jr, Wolfe RR. (1999). Postexercise net protein
synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab
276:E628-E634.
5
Burke LM et al. (2004). Carbohydrates and fat for training and recovery. J Sports Sci 22:15-30.
6
Levenhagen DK et al. (2002) Postexercise protein intake enhances whole-body and leg protein
accretion in humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 34:828-837.
7
Ivy JL et al. (2003). Effect of a carbohydrate-protein supplement on endurance performance
during exercise of varying intensity. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab. 13:382-395.
8
Saunders MJ et al. (2004). Effects of a carbohydrate-protein beverage on cycling endurance and
muscle damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 36:1233-1238

Continue reading »]]>
The weekend was packed with adventure as I went Winter Camping …For My Life™.

My wife, Jen and I went out on Saturday afternoon as part of a last minute “date night”. This wasn’t exactly the traditional date night of dinner and a movie, it was more of an adventure night of cold and wind.

We headed up to the little town of Eldora Colorado and put on Snowshoes, large backpacks and  warm clothes. We treked up 5 miles in about 2 hours to a campsite at the end of the 4th of July Road and winter camped …For Our Lives™. It was a slight uphill the whole way and at 10,000 feet above sea level Jen and I both realized that trying to find warm air was as challenging as finding our breath. We were happy to make it to camp before night fell.

The night fell upon us around 5:35 PM. We used an Eastern Mountain Sports tent, which wasn’t easy to put together, and our MSR stove and snowshoes, which were awesome! The down sleeping bags, sleeping pads from REI and positive love from within were also an added bonus to the adventure. With all the right gear and some humor, we really enjoyed braving the wind through the night.

The wind only woke us up a few times. It had to be gusting at about 40 MPH. Despite the wind- we had our food hung, the stove, packs, boots, and snow pants safely tucked away in our vestibule and we were snuggled in our sleeping bags. Time to sleep. It was an amazing quiet morning as we awoke to birds chirping and the slow sunrise over the trail we came up on. The views of Mt. Arapahoe were great from our campsite at the Buckingham Campground.

In the morning we had  5 miles back down to the “man van”, taking our time and

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After some quick research and a little coffee I headed out yesterday on a ski tour in the Indian Peaks wilderness of Colorado. Thanks to a website – Pmags @ http://www.pmags.com/colorado-ski-tours-mags-favorites I was able to get some good ideas and some good information. Thanks for sharing Pmags. The weather was great and the access is easy from the Peaceful Valley Trail head. The best part about backcountry skiing and snowshoeing is that it is free once you make the initial investment for equipment. These are views you get while everyone else is sleeping in on a Sunday. Aside from the views it’s a great way to stay active …For Your Life™

One of the most interesting piece of the hike was this picture below- I can;t seem to figure out what it is from- there were some rabbit tracks near it and some other tracks that looked like a four legged creature. Maybe a Cat or a Coyote or a Fox… If you know the answer please comment on this post-

Know Your Animal Tracks …For Your Life™

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I found this really great information on an active cyclist article online. I think it can be beneficial to those of you who made ride your bike inside through the winter.

In Health and Riding …For Your Life™ – Gary G

The following are the potential benefits that can be achieved through proper training indoors in cycling classes. You simply have to train these elements of your cycling fitness the same way you would train them outdoors or on your trainer: intelligently, with the right gear (resistance) and realistic cadences. In general, cadence ranges of 55-85 would indicate a hill, and 75-110 rpm would indicate a flat road. (Note that the cadence suggestions and durations below are approximate ranges for the general population—there are always exceptions based on ability).

• Aerobic endurance: Best enhanced with sessions longer than one hour
• Tempo workouts: Moderate 90-100 rpm in Zone 3 — the zen of indoor cycling!
• Muscular endurance: Climbs focusing on repeatedly contracting against a resistance gradually maintaining the climb for longer and longer periods, 65-85 rpm.
• Force development: Higher resistance climbs of 55-65 rpm (50 rpm advisable only for cyclists who have already established excellent strength)
• Lactate threshold improvement: Probably one of the best ways to utilize your indoor cycling classes is to train your lactate threshold through longer Zone 4 intervals. Sparingly, that is.
• Anaerobic endurance: High intensity interval training of 1-3 minutes.
• Aerobic capacity/VO2 max: ”Sufferfest” anaerobic Zone 5 intervals of 3-8 minutes
• Anaerobic Capacity: Very high intensity Zone 5 intervals of about 15-60 seconds.
• Neuromuscular/Leg Speed: While the neuromuscular adaptations are limited due to the fact that most bikes have a heavy flywheel pulling the pedals around, you can still train your leg speed if you make sure to stay ahead of the flywheel and to have sufficient resistance. Cap your leg speed drills indoors on a bike with a flywheel at 110 rpm, perhaps up to 120 rpm for skilled cyclists. Work on spin-ups and accelerations against a resistance.
• Explosive Power (Sprinting): Be very careful with these. Most instructors and students do not know a true sprint. Duration is less than 30 seconds and resistance is high. Do not do these except in the spring as you approach your cycling season.
• Technique: Classes are a fantastic place to work on pedal stroke drills, keeping the knees in, and upper body relaxation while riding.
• Mind-Body Focus: Visualize your favorite rides outside. Establish your mental strength and tenacity indoors, so you can transfer it to your rides outdoors. Indoors is a wonderful venue to work on your mind-body focus, and is facilitated with the right (usually instrumental) music that can transform you to another place.
• Recovery Rides: An indoor cycling class is a great place to spin your legs easily the day after a hard workout. Keep the intensity low

This information was taken from Active Cyclist

Another great resource for ideas to keep your training entertaining through a winter workout can be found here:

8 Options for the Indoor Trainer

 By Jennifer Sage • 

Indoor Cycling Association

Continue reading »]]> This Recipe was amazing. Kale is great for you and high in Iron. It’s simple and healthy and it can serve as a great alternative to other snacks when you are watching TV. My lovely wife surprised me with these ans baked beet chips. This is an excellent way to

Eat Well …For Your Life™      Thanks for making these Jen.  

INGREDIENTS:“These are a low calorie nutritious snack. Like potato chips, you cannot stop at just eating one. They are great for parties and a good conversation topic.”

DIRECTIONS: