" />
Tag: better health
December 4, 2021

Exercise is now prescribed for cancer patients

💢CANCER & EXERCISE💢, an essential combination. Really you say? Yes, I say, because COSA says so. (Clinical Oncology Society of Australia). – I AM SOOOOOO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS!!💯

I received my treatment at Icon Cancer Care in Northlakes. The staff there are incredible. They turn a day of sitting in a chair, having a chemotherapy drug infused into your body all day, into an almost enjoyable experience.


☹️Nearly everyone is affected by cancer one way or another. You either have it or someone you know has been diagnosed with it. Please, if is you, or someone you love, share this information with them, and encourage them to keep active. 🏃


👉Myself, I have been living with Leukaemia for over 9 years now. And I have a beautiful client that is bravely dealing with the effects of her breast cancer every day. 👩‍🦰


🏋️‍♀️I never stopped exercising through my 6 months of chemo. I would train as hard as I could the morning of treatment & the day after. By the 2nd & 3rd day after I felt quite rat shit, so very little exercise, if any. But then back into it after that. And the cycle continued. When I say “as hard as I could”, that was no way near what I could do pre-chemo. I was nauseous a lot, and very short of breath, but I did what I could.


🧑‍🔬COSA’s Position Statement on Cancer Care is that:

🟣All people with cancer should AVOID INACTIVITY and return to normal daily activities as soon as possible following diagnosis (i.e. be as physically active as current abilities and conditions allow)

🟣 All people with cancer should progress towards and, once achieved, maintain participation in:

🟣at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g. walking, jogging, cycling, swimming) each week; and

🟣two to three resistance exercise (i.e. lifting weights) sessions each week involving moderate to vigorous-intensity exercises targeting the major muscle groups

🟣Exercise recommendations should be tailored to the individual’s abilities noting that specific exercise programming adaptations may be required for people with cancer based on disease and treatment-related adverse effects, anticipated disease trajectory, and their health status.

Exercise Helps to Treat Cancers


An extensive review of research shows that exercise:


• reduces the side effects of chemotherapy treatments including nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and increases bone strength and muscle mass (Curr Treat Options Oncol, 2008;9:135-46)
• increases the percentage of people who are able to complete full-dose chemotherapy regimens (J Clin Oncol, 2007;25:4396-404)
• can increase tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy (Cancer Prev Res (Phila), 2013;6:925-37)
• reduces heart damage from chemotherapy (Circulation, 2011;124:642-50)
• markedly reduces arm swelling from extensive breast cancer surgery (N Engl J Med, 2009;361:664-73)
• is associated with a 50 percent increased survival rate in patients treated for breast cancer (JAMA, 2005;393:2479-86) and colon cancer (J Clin Oncol, 2006;24:3535-41)
• is associated with a 70 percent risk reduction of high-grade, advanced or fatal prostate cancers (Arch Intern Med, 2005;165:1005-10)

A regular exercise program reduced carcinogenic inflammation, strengthened the immune system, and improved mental processing by increasing apoptosis and by lowering cancer-inducing insulin-like growth factor 1, DNA damage, and gene mutations (Br J Cancer, 2011;105:S52-73). Exercise reduced cancer patients’ anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and exercise specifically can reduce the massive upper arm swelling and fluid retention common in women treated for breast cancer (Med Sci Sports Exerc, Nov 2019). Exercise also helped to prevent cancer patients’ inactivity that increases the risk for heart failure (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2010;42:1409-1426).

Rules for Exercise for Cancer Patients
Cancer patients should check with their doctors prior to starting a new exercise program. If possible, most people with cancer should try to exercise at least three times per week, at a moderate intensity such as brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes, and if possible, they should also try to lift weights twice a week. I can recommend no specific exercise program for cancer patients because the amount of exercise a cancer patient can do is limited by the level of fitness, the extent of disease, treatment regimen, and other variables. In general, all exercisers – healthy or not – should follow these rules:

• Stop exercising when your muscles start to hurt, burn or feel tight. If you keep on exercising, your muscle fibers can start to tear and run out of their stored sugar supply. Your body always talks to you and tells you when this is happening. Failure to listen to your body is the most common cause of exercise injuries.

• Take the day off when your muscles feel tight or hurt after you have warmed up for five minutes or more. It is normal for muscles to feel sore when you first get up in the morning, but they should feel better after you have exercised for five to 10 minutes. Soreness after warming up means that your muscle fibers are damaged and are at increased risk for tearing if you exercise that day. Sometimes you can get away with exercising at reduced intensity on days when your muscles feel sore, but often it is best to just stop for the day.

• Stop exercising immediately if you feel increasing soreness in one spot, which can mean that a muscle is about to tear or go into a spasm. You can prevent many injuries just by stopping exercising when you feel pain in one spot and do not have pain in the same spot on the other side of your body.

#cancer #cancercouncil #canceraustralia #cancertreatment #cancersuck #leukemiawarrior #leukaemeia #leukaemiafoundationau

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , ,
November 25, 2021

All Exercise is Good, and Vigorous Exercise is Better

 December 4, 2020 – article taken from Dr Mirkin’s website

A new study suggests that the more intensely you exercise, the less likely you are to suffer a heart attack. Researchers followed 403,681 U.S. adults for an average 10 years and found that those who spent a greater proportion of their exercise time exercising intensely had a significantly lower risk of death from heart attacks than those who exercised for the same amount of time but at lower intensity (JAMA Intern Med, Nov 23, 2020). Those who exercised more vigorously also had a lower risk of death from cancer and lower all-cause mortality during the study period.

Other studies show that people who exercise intensely are significantly less likely to die prematurely than casual exercisers (JAMA Intern Med, 2015;175(6):970-977), because vigorous exercise is more effective in:
• preventing weight gain (Prev Med, 2014;60:131-133),
• preventing heart disease (Am J Cardiol, 2006;97(1):141-147),
• preventing diabetes (Int J Epidemiol, 2012;41(4):1132-1140), and
• promoting fitness and the ability to process oxygen (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2002;34(1):152-157).
The HUNT study from Norway found that the more fit people are, the less likely they were to develop a first heart attack (JAMA, April 19, 2019). The SUN study from Spain found lower heart attack rates in those who exercised intensely compared to those who exercised less vigorously (Am J of Cardio, Dec 1, 2018;122(11):1871–1878).

Any Level of Exercise is Healthful
A regular exercise program of any intensity is associated with reduced death rate (Int J Epidemiol, 2011;40(5):1382-1400), because a regular exercise program is associated with reduced rates of:
• cancer (JAMA Intern Med, 2016;176(6):816-825),
• diabetes (Endocrine, 2016;52(2):226-230), and
• heart disease (Br J Sports Med, 2019;53(22):1405-1411).
Spending long periods of time sitting or lying in bed increases risk for heart disease (Prevent Med, May 02, 2019).

Benefits of Intense Exercise
Intensity makes all muscles stronger, including your heart muscle. All people lose heart muscle as they age, which increases risk for frailty and heart failure. Strengthening your heart muscle helps you to live a more vigorous lifestyle and to protect you from heart failure. Intense exercise stabilizes plaques in arteries and widens heart arteries to help protect you from a heart attack. One study showed that men with the highest levels of VO2max (a test of oxygen use that is a measure of fitness) were least likely to have high blood pressure, high HBA1C (a test for diabetes), high fasting blood sugar levels, obesity, an abnormal treadmill exercise test, and a high 10-year risk for heart attacks (American J of Cardiology, March 2012;109(6):839-843).

Starting a New Exercise Program
I think everyone should have a regular exercise program, and it is never too late to start. First check with your doctor. If you are not a regular exerciser, you should spend your first few months exercising in your chosen activity at a very casual pace. Stop when you feel tired, your muscles feel heavy, or you feel any discomfort, even if you have only exercised for a few minutes. When you can exercise every day for about 30 minutes at a casual pace, you are ready to try exercising at a more intense level. See my article on How to Start an Exercise Program.

Increasing the Intensity of Your Current Exercise Program
All exercise training is done by stressing and recovering. To increase the intensity of your exercise program, start by taking a harder workout on one day and expect to feel sore the next morning. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. Go slow and easy for as many days as it takes for your muscles to feel fresh again. You should not take your next hard workout until the muscle soreness is gone. You may need to take from one to five or more easy recovery days before you do your next intense workout.
• When you are training properly, your muscles may feel sore every morning. If they don’t feel better after a 10 minute warm-up, take the day off.
• If you feel pain in one spot that does not go away after you slow down, stop that workout immediately for that day. Otherwise you are likely to be headed for an injury.

Your Intense Workout Days
Always warm up your muscles before you exercise more intensely. Start out by going very slowly for the first 10 or more minutes of your workout. To make a muscle stronger, you have to exercise intensely enough to feel a burning or tightness in your muscles. For non-competitive athletes, you should slow down immediately when you feel this discomfort. Most people will start out by picking up the pace for only about 10 seconds. If you are a runner, cyclist or skater, pick up the pace for a few strides or pedal strokes. Then go slow and easy, and when your muscles feel fresh again, pick up the pace and then slow down. Repeat these alternating bursts of intense exercise (called “intervals”) until your muscles just start to feel heavy and tired, then slow down. When your muscles continue to feel heavy and tired after you slow down, you are through for that day. In the beginning, you may be able to do only a few intervals in a workout. However, with practice you will improve until you can do lots of intervals, perhaps 15-20 or more. Then you can extend the time that you stay in each hard interval, gradually going from a few seconds up to about 30 seconds. If you are not a competitive athlete, there is no reason to stay in an intense interval longer than 30 seconds. Most healthy exercisers will be able to work up eventually to 10-20 repeats of 20-30 second intervals. For non-competitive athletes, there is no need to do more than that.

Your Recovery Days
Expect your muscles to feel tired and sore when you get up the morning after an interval workout. You can try to exercise that day, but you should do so at a slow pace and stop when your muscles start to feel heavy and fatigued. If your muscles don’t feel better after a five-minute warmup, or if you feel pain in any area that does not go away when you slow down, you should stop your workout for that day. Do not take your next intense workout until your muscles feel fresh after you warm up for 5-10 minutes. Most people who exercise for fitness will follow each hard day with one or two recovery days. Competitive athletes are likely to take such intense workouts on their hard days that they may require up to five recovery days before their next hard day. See Recovery: the Key to Improvement in Your Sport

CAUTION: Intense exercise can cause a heart attack in a person who has blocked arteries or heart damage. Check with your doctor before you start a new exercise program or increase the intensity of your existing program.

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , ,
November 20, 2021

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Who doesn’t need more snack ideas, right? – especially low carb ones that are diabetes-friendly and good for blood sugar levels. I found this recipe on the Diabetes Meal Plans Australia website.

They keep stored in the fridge for months – though you’ll definitely be eating them much faster than that.

Best of all they are low in carbs, blood sugar friendly, and incredibly satisfying!

One ball is equal to one serve.

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

These are high protein, low in carbs, blood sugar friendly and incredibly satisfying!

 
  • 3/4 cup Natural peanut butter (or almond / cashew paste)
  • 1/2 cup Vanilla protein powder (I used Protein Supplies Australia WPI)  – or protein powder of your choice
  • 1 teaps Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup Slivered almonds

  1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix together to combine.

  2. Next, get your hands into the bowl and roll the balls into 1/2 inch (1.5cm) bite sized balls – makes about 15 balls.

  3. Place them into a container as you go and store them in the fridge. These will keep for months like this.

NOTE:   one ball is one serve

Nutrition: 

167 calories each ball.  5g Carbohydrate.  10g Protein.  12g Fat.  

These protein balls get their sweetness from the protein powder and the vanilla extract.

When purchasing a protein powder, always check the labels for clean ingredients. Try to choose one that is stevia-based. According to research, stevia is one of the best sugar substitutes for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, whereas some of the others have artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which aren’t ideal.

I sell the local Protein Supplies Australia here in my studio.  

Natural peanut butter is the kind that has no sugar or preservatives added, Sanitarium has a good brand available from Coles and Woolworths. Aldi sells a natural peanut butter in their Organic range. Basically, ‘natural’ peanut butter is just ground peanuts, which is how peanut butter should be – not with added salt, added sugar, and preservatives!

Be careful when selecting vanilla extract. Many have fructose or sugar added, which is not a great choice for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Choose a ‘natural’ or ‘pure’ vanilla extract and always check the labels.

Snack
peanut butter, protein, wpi
Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , ,
November 5, 2021

Could you be chronically stressed? Is your high cortisol ruining your ability to lose fat as your nervous system is spending too long in a sympathetic state?

Are your high cortisol levels sabotaging your fat loss efforts?

😲The Sympathetic autonomic nervous system or state is our “Fight or Flight” or “Stressed Out” state.
💣It of one of the two autonomic nervous systems which control specific body processes, such as circulation of blood, digestion, breathing, urination, heartbeat, etc.


🧠If in this state for an extended period of time, you could experience:

❌ poor digestion/indigestion

❌constipation

❌diarrhea

❌anxiety

❌ shallow breathing

❌increased heart rate

❌poor quality sleep

❌restlessness

❌ night sweats

❌ decreased libido

❌fatigue

❌nervousness

❌ increased agitation/irritability

❌increased muscle tension

❌increased inflammation and

❌increased susceptibility to infections (i.e., frequent illness).


♨️This will all then derail your fitness goals of weight loss and muscle gain, if not controlled. So we need to manage our stress hormone “Cortisol”.


✅Studies have shown that there is an inverse relationship between Cortisol and Testosterone. Yes, ladies, we need testosterone too. If due to chronic stress, our Cortisol is consistently elevated then our average testosterone levels will then decline. 💯👉This in turn would see you struggling to build muscle and lose fat. 👎 😲

Cortisol draws glucose into the blood, and it just sits there. This triggers the pancreas to release insulin. Usually, this insulin would cause our muscles to draw up the glucose, but in our modern world of non-physical stressors, our muscles don’t need the glucose.

This excessive exposure to unneeded insulin makes chronically stressed people increasingly insulin resistant, and the more insulin resistant someone is, the harder it is for them to burn fat (1,2). Finally, cortisol inhibits the process that creates essential neurotransmitters such as serotonin (3,4). Serotonin is the “feel good” molecule most commonly associated with that feeling of euphoria you get after a good workout. The challenge is that with consistently elevated cortisol levels, the body loses its ability to regulate this and other neurotransmitters properly.

This is why people suffering from depression often show both low serotonin and high cortisol (3,4). This is a dangerous place to be when they need to lose fat because when someone feels stressed out and unhappy, a common solution they look to is to eat.

It doesn’t end there. Serotonin not only helps us feel happy, but it’s also a necessary precursor to melatonin, an important signaling molecule in the sleep cycle. When your body loses its ability to regulate serotonin, it also impacts its ability to make melatonin, and then not only is your stressed-out client unhappy, they can’t sleep either.

THERE IS HOPE – our goal is to get you out of a chronically stressed sympathetic state where cortisol is high all the time and into more of a stress rhythm where cortisol is limited to the mornings and around training sessions. The rest of the time you should be in a parasympathetic state to give your body the opportunity to build and recover.

✅ You need to engage in more parasympathetic (resting) activities. Try yoga, pilates, a massage, meditation, walk in nature. Try Dr Joe Dispenza, Mooji, or John Vincent on YouTube, they have excellent guided meditations.

✅ Aim to get 8 hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. Start a wind-down routine, turn off sources of blue light (phones, tablets, computers) or put on a filter.

✅ Eat a good anti-inflammatory diet. Some foods that may help to keep cortisol levels stable include dark chocolate, bananas and pears, black or green tea, probiotics in food such as yogurt, and probiotics in foods containing soluble fiber. Don’t forget to stay hydrated.

✅ Exercise -Being physically active is beneficial to health and can improve a person’s mood. The appropriate amount of exercise depends on various factors, including a person’s physical fitness, and these factors play a part in how much cortisol the body will release during exercise. Not intense exercise.

✅ Supplements – Both fish oil and an Asian herbal supplement called ashwagandha have shown the ability to reduce cortisol levels, so taking these supplements alongside a healthful diet could be beneficial.

  1. Geer EB, Islam J, Buettner C. Mechanisms of glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance: focus on adipose tissue function and lipid metabolism. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2014;43(1):75-doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2013.10.005
  2. Kersten S. Mechanisms of nutritional and hormonal regulation of lipogenesis. EMBO Rep. 2001Apr;2(4):282-6. doi: 10.1093/embo-reports/kve071. PMID: 11306547; PMCID: PMC1083868.
  3. Tafet GE, Toister-Achituv M, Shinitzky M. Enhancement of serotonin uptake by cortisol: a possible link between stress and depression. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2001 Mar;1(1):96-104. doi:10.3758/cabn.1.1.96. PMID: 12467107.
  4. Tafet GE, Idoyaga-Vargas VP, Abulafia DP, Calandria JM, Roffman SS, Chiovetta A, Shinitzky M.Correlation between cortisol level and serotonin uptake in patients with chronic stress and depression.Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2001 Dec;1(4):388-93. doi: 10.3758/cabn.1.4.388. PMID:
    12467090.

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , , , ,
April 3, 2018

Why Alcohol is such a diet destoyer

Alcohol not only contains a lot of calories but it changes the way your whole body processes food.

By Yasmin Noone
It doesn’t matter what alcohol you drink, whether it’s a light vodka and tonic with a squeeze of lime or a hearty glass of red wine, alcohol is the sworn enemy of weight loss regimes.

“Most weight loss programs shun the demon drink but what makes it so damaging to our waistlines?”

– asks Dr Xand van Tulleken in episode five of The Diet Testers, airing on SBS on Thursday 29 March at 8.35pm.

drunk kermit

Apparently, the real issue with alcohol is that it alters the way our body processes food.

In a bid to understand what the real issue with alcohol is, Dr Xand joins Dr Vinood Patel, biochemist at University of Westminster, to investigate the underlying mechanisms that determine weight gain from alcohol consumption.

Apparently, the real issue with alcohol is that it alters the way our body processes food.

“Alcohol is absorbed by the stomach and goes to the liver,” says Dr Patel on The Diet Testers.

“The liver is central to metabolism: carbohydrates, protein and fat metabolism all occurs in the liver. But we don’t have a mechanism for storing alcohol. It’s like a toxin [in our bodies] and it has to be cleared. So then the metabolism of fat and sugars has to wait until we can clear all the alcohol [from our liver] first.”

“Alcohol is absorbed by the stomach and goes to the liver.”

To demonstrate how alcohol actively gets in the way of our body burning calories, Dr Patel conducts a flaming experiment. He burns cubes of paraffin to represent the body’s metabolism processes. Then he looks at how it behaves when tasked with metabolising (or in this case, burning) sugar and fat.

“Because fat is so slow to break down, when sugar is added to [the mix to represent carbohydrates], it jumps the metabolism queue and burns first, ahead of the fat,” Dr Xand says.

“The sugar [in this experiment] burns much more quickly, which is what happens in your body. If you eat a donut you will burn the sugar before you burn the fat.”

drunk adults

New evidence from France shows that your chronic drinking habits might be putting you at risk of dementia.

Think before you drink alcohol to excess. New evidence from France shows that your chronic drinking habits might be putting you at risk of dementia.
Next, Dr Patel adds alcohol to the mix in the form of an expensive brandy.

“If we add the alcohol to this, the alcohol burns first of all,” Dr Patel says. “So whenever we have a drink with a meal, the alcohol will be metabolised first. Whereas the fat and sugar has to wait until we clear the alcohol from our system.”

While alcohol is being metabolised, sugar and fat is sitting in your body not being used or stored appropriately, so it’s swirling around in your blood stream. The interrupted metabolisation of sugar and fats – caused by alcohol consumption – can result in weight gain.

“So whenever we have a drink with a meal, the alcohol will be metabolised first. Whereas the fat and sugar has to wait until we clear the alcohol from our system.”

On top of that, Dr Patel adds, “because alcohol is highly calorific, ultimately you are storing more and more calories as fats in the body”.

Alcohol contains no nutrients and is typically high in calories. Drinking alcohol can also interfere with your blood sugar levels and excessive alcohol consumption can influence insulin levels.

Although alcoholic consumption impacts on your metabolism, the evidence on the exact effect of alcohol on weight gain (note: not weight loss or dieting attempts) is mixed. The impact depends on how much alcohol is drunk, the regularity of consumption, genetics, lifestyle and your overall state of health. 

Would you buy a wearable device to give yourself painful electrical shocks if it stopped you from overeating?
One piece of evaluative research says that moderate intake of alcohol with food may not lead to weight gain in the short-term, if an individual does not drink excessive amounts and enjoys a healthy lifestyle.

However, the study concludes that alcohol consumption “has probably contributed to the excess energy intake associated with weight gain in some individuals over the past years”.

“…Moderation in drinking is still an important recommendation, together with a healthy lifestyle not conducive to weight gain.”

According to NHMRC guidelines on drinking alcohol, the lifetime risk of harm from drinking alcohol increases with the amount consumed. It’s recommended that ‘healthy’ men and women drink no more than two standard drinks on any day to reduce the risk of disease or alcohol-related injury.

Episodes will be available to watch after broadcast on SBS On Demand. 

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , , , , ,
September 11, 2014

Lifestyle Intervention Beats Diet for Weight Loss: 6 Simple Changes to Make Today

yoyo-dietChanges in lifestyle, not diet types, are the true ways to prevent weight gain and the associated ills of diabetes and circulatory disease.

 Here are six simple lifestyle changes you can make to get you on the road to permanent weight loss.

1. Practice portion control.
As an advocate for portion control, watching how much you eat is one of the best ways to lose weight. I have been counseling clients for years, and I have seen in my private practice that when clients watch the sizes of their portions (aka eat less), they shave hundreds of calories daily, and lose weight effortlessly. While it may seem obvious that larger portions have more calories than smaller portions, most people don’t recognize just how many more calories a large portion contains.

Another advantage to practicing portion control is that you do not have to cut out entire food groups to get thin and you get to indulge in your favorite treat every now and then. No dieting and no deprivation.

2. Think positive.

Instead of dwelling on the foods you cannot eat, try instead to focus on what you can have. I tell my clients that there is no restaurant that is completely off limits. You can always find something healthy to eat. For example, when going to an Italian restaurant, instead of dwelling on the fact that you shouldn’t eat fettuccine alfredo, called a “heart attack on a plate” by the Center of Science for the Public Interest, think instead of what you can eat: whole wheat pasta with veggies and fresh tomato sauce or fresh grilled fish with sautéed spinach.

3. Keep food records.
There is no better way to get a handle on what and how much you eat than by keeping food records. And, for the good news you do not have to keep records forever. People who keep records are generally more aware of the mistakes they make and are then able to make corrections. Food records help you see your patterns, both positive and negative ones. For example, are you nibbling in front of the TV without realizing it, are you famished when you get home from work so you eat whatever is on the counter. By identifying your bad habits, you can easily find substitutes for new habits.

4. Eat structured meals and snacks.
Speaking of nibbling and mindless munching, one advantage to eating structured meals and snacks is that you tend to get famished less often. And when we are famished, we tend to just grab whatever food is in sight. And, we also often end up grabbing junk food. Planning in advance is also important. Keep healthy foods at arms reach and bring along a fruit and yogurt if you know that it will be hard to buy something healthy midafternoon.

5. Move more.
All exercise helps. The key is to do what you enjoy and follow an exercise program you can stick with. You do not have to spend thousands of dollars on a fancy gym. Lifestyle activities also add up. For example, take the stairs and walk around the block at lunch. I also advise taking advantage of different exercises you enjoy during the different seasons: swimming outdoors in the summer, taking a walk on the beach, and skiing in winter. The key is to follow an exercise program that you can stick with for the long haul.

6. Cut yourself some slack.
I am a big advocate of focusing on progress, not perfection. It is important to take stock of the changes you’ve made so far and look at the big picture. For example, if you need to lose 50 pounds, and already lost 10 pounds, recognize your accomplishment, instead of complaining that you have 40 more pounds to lose. One way to recognize your progress is to try on some old clothes. Seeing that they are too loose can help you actually see your accomplishment.

This article was written by  

Nationally-recognized nutritionist; International Speaker; Adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU; Author, ‘The Portion Teller Plan’

 

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , ,
August 25, 2014

Spiced Apple Protein Shake

This spicy protein shake tastes like the batter from a sticky date pudding. I know it doesn’t contain any dates, but it is the combination of the prunes, peanut butter, spices and apple just works. The shake contains about 10 grams of fibre and will help keep you feeling full for longer.
With around 390 calories, it is a bit higher than what I would normally recommend for a protein snack, but is great as a quick breakfast or lunch.
Buy a heap of apples and prepare them, then store them in a sealed bag in the freezer, so they are ready to go whenever the urge takes hold. I also keep my ginger in the freezer. I lasts for months and is easy to grate when frozen.
 

Spiced Apple Protein Shake

Serves 1
Your fat loss fuel! Fibre keeps bellies feeling full yet looking flat – and this 5 minute shake provides almost half of your daily fibre needs.


Write a review

Save Recipe
Print

Ingredients
  1. 1 small green apple, washed, cored & chopped into chunks. Leave skin on (frozen if prepared)
  2. 1/4 cup dried, pitted prunes
  3. 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter
  4. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  5. 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (i keep mine in the freezer)
  6. 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (don’t leave this out!)
  7. 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Vanilla Pea Protein)
  8. 3/4 cup chilled water
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until well blended.
Notes
  1. These numbers will vary depending upon Protein Powder used.
  2. 390 calories
  3. 28 grams protein
  4. 9 grams fat
  5. 50 grams carbohydrates
  6. 60 grams fibre
Adapted from from Clean Eating Magazine
Adapted from from Clean Eating Magazine
FABULOUS PHYSIQUES https://www.fabulousphysiques.com.au/

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , , ,
August 7, 2014

Why muscles make good medicine

If you still see exercise as an optional extra, not a health essential, science is finding more reasons to change your mind – including new research that suggests strong muscles are good medicine.

One of the most compelling findings of recent years is that muscles are actually a huge secretory organ and when we exercise them they release hormone-like chemicals that have a major influence on every system of the body, says Rob Newton, Foundation Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at Western Australia’s Edith Cowan University.

“Doing aerobic exercise and ignoring strength exercises is like remembering to change the oil in the car but ignoring the transmission fluid.”

The effects of these chemicals – called myokines – include reducing the low level inflammation in the body thought to contribute to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s – and possibly working as tumour suppressants.
“Some studies have found that extracting blood from exercising humans and adding it to cancer cells in test tubes slows the rate of cell reproduction,” he says. “In a study of mice, the growth of breast cancer cells was halted in mice that exercised, while the cancer continued developing in mice that were inactive.”
This may be one reason why exercise appears to help reduce the risk of some cancers and improve survival in people with cancer.
“Some types of exercise, including strength training, also produce a surge of the hormone testosterone which helps sharpen thinking and memory,” he adds.
Then there’s the effect of exercise on mitochondria, the little energy ‘factories’ in our cells – when you exercise your body makes more mitochondria – and the more you have the more you can do.
“But when you’re inactive, the numbers of mitochondria decline so it gets harder to do things,” Newton explains. “If you become ill when you already have fewer mitochondria it’s harder to recover.”
Examples like these show why an exercise habit is like a pill that boosts energy, strength and improves resistance to disease, he says – and if we want to reduce the risk of inactivity-driven diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, we need a regular dose all the way from childhood to old age.
Childhood and adolescence – fighting inactivity.
It’s not just grownups who’ve been forced into inactivity by 21st century lifestyles. When did you last see a toddler walking in a shopping centre? It’s more common to see toddlers and even older children sitting in strollers or shopping trolleys and it’s easy to see why – wheeling little kids around is more convenient than walking at their pace. Yet if you check Australia’s latest Physical Activity Guidelines, spending long periods in car seats and strollers isn’t on the to-do list – ‘all children (birth to 5 years) should not be sedentary, restrained, or kept inactive, for more than one hour at a time, with the exception of sleeping’ is the advice.
“Once I would have said that it’s in the teens when children leave school that physical activity declines, but kids are becoming less active at younger ages,” says Newton. “Screen time is up but there are also other factors including concerns about litigation or safety that lead to limits on what children are allowed to do – like banning monkey bars or even lunchtime sport in some schools.”
And although we hear a lot about kids needing calcium for strong bones, only physical activity will build bone, he adds.
Ironically, among the tips for bone and muscle building moves for 5 to 12 year olds from the Physical Activity Guidelines is … climbing or swinging on monkey bars and climbing frames. Other suggestions are games like tug o’ war (tugging is great for muscle) and hopscotch (jumping is good for bone), along with dance, gymnastics and martial arts.
Prime time for bone growth is childhood, adolescence and young adulthood – getting as much bone in the ‘bank’ between now and 30 is a hedge against the gradual bone loss that starts after 40.
20 to 50 – Exercise boosts performance.
Because these are peak years for building careers and families, time is often short – but being physically active helps mind and body work better, improving productivity, Newton says.
“If you say, ‘I’ve got kids – there’s no time to exercise’, it’s worth remembering that you won’t be much good for your kids if you have a heart attack.”
While aerobic exercise to prevent heart disease is important, we also need two to three sessions of strength training a week, he says.
“Doing aerobic exercise like walking, running or cycling and ignoring strength exercises is like remembering to change the oil in the car regularly but ignoring the transmission fluid.”
50 -65 Disease-proofing for better health
An exercise habit now will help stave off chronic diseases that can blight older age.
“If you’re planning to travel in retirement but get to 65 with problems like overweight, arthritis and muscle loss it won’t be so much fun,” says Newton, stressing that conserving muscle and bone with strength training helps head off frailty further down the track.
Walking is terrific for helping prevent cardiovascular disease but does nothing for building muscle or bone.
“Regular strength training also provides muscles with a built-in repair kit. It causes satellite cells attached to the outside of muscle cells to proliferate and donate nuclei to muscle tissue, allowing new cells to grow and repair – so even though you’re older, muscles are still strong and tuned for repair and growth.
“Exercising muscle also helps control blood glucose levels – if you have low muscle mass you can’t control blood sugar levels so well and this increases diabetes risk.”
60 plus – getting with the strength
You’d think that the generation most likely to pick up weights are 20 or 30-somethings doing CrossFit, but strength training now has considerable traction with the over-60s, says Newton. Many have joined Living Longer, Living Stronger – a program of strength training classes available in some states to reduce age-related decline and improve health.
“It doesn’t have to be strength training at the gym – it can be gardening if there’s lifting and digging involved. The number one reason people go into dependent care is frailty – this is the age group with the most to lose if muscle strength dwindles, but a lot to gain if they can slow muscle loss down.”

Written by Paula Goodyer is a Walkley award winning health writer – Published in the Sydney Morning Herald 7 April 2014

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , , , , ,