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Tag: exercise
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 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 , , , , , , ,
March 17, 2016

The 4 Causes of Skinny Fat

Edited by me.  Original post By: Charles R Poliquin December 4, 2015 skinny fat me sm
Skinny usually is associated with underweight, while fat is associated with overweight.  The medical term for this is “MONW,” or metabolically obese normal weight.  It means you are under lean but over fat — not enough muscle and too much fat (especially belly fat). 

Skinny fat refers to someone with unappreciable levels of muscle mass, associated to a high percentage of body fat. 

Here are four reasons why people achieve the skinny fat look

1   Doing too much cardio

Research is fairly clear on this. If strength and muscle hypertrophy is your goal, aerobic work will interfere with that goal. Aerobic exercise will cannibalize muscle mass.

2  Eating far too less

Of course, the natural thing to do when attempting to shed body fat is to restrict caloric intake. Skinny fat people take this axiom way too far. If you want to hold onto your muscle mass while restricting your calories, upping your protein intake is key.

To understand the mechanisms, read these research papers

3  Being afraid of consuming fats

Skinny fat people share dietary fat phobia as one of their pitfalls. For example, they are the ones that post on Facebook comments such as “Won’t eating nuts make you fat?”

However the research points to quite the opposite, see below references 8 to 34.

It makes me laugh when I see dietitians recommend “low fat snacks” such as pretzels over nuts like pistachios to obese, while the research shows them to be completely wrong:

If anything, regular nut consumption helps achieve optimal body composition.

4 Abstaining for strength training

Strength training has more benefits for body composition positive changes than the general population thinks.  

General Health – increase good cholesterol, & decrease bad cholesterol, reduces risk of diabetes, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, lower high blood pressure, lowers risk of breast cancer, decreases risk of osteoporosis, reduces symptoms of PMS, reduces stress & anxiety, decreases colds & illness.  

Strength – increased muscle strength power, endurance & size.   This is help you with everyday tasks like lifting, carrying, walking etc.

Flexibility –  working your muscles through their full range of motion, weight training can improve your body’s overall flexibility. 

Body Composition – Weight training will boost your metabolism.  You will burn more calories at rest.  Reduce your body fat.  Your overall body weight may not change, but you will gain muscle and lose fat.   Your measurements will decrease. 

Muscle Tone – firmer & better defined muscles. 

State of Mind – Weight training allows you to sleep better.  Clinical studies have shown regular exercise to be one of the 3 best tools for effective stress management.  

Simply put, if you want to achieve a physique that spells respect, avoid the four given pitfalls.

This is what the research has to say, here are some key references:

1. Jones TW, Howatson G, Russell M, French DN, Performance and neuromuscular adaptations following differing ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training, J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Mar 21.

2. Nader GA, Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1965-70.

3. Hawley JA Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: are they incompatible? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Jun;34(3):355-61. doi: 10.1139/H09-023

4. Phillips SM, Zemel MB., Effect of protein, dairy components and energy balance in optimizing body composition, Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2011;69:97-108; discussion 108-13. doi: 10.1159/000329288

5. Labayen I, Díez N, González A, Parra D, Martínez JA, Effects of protein vs. carbohydrate-rich diets on fuel utilisation in obese women during weight loss, Forum Nutr. 2003;56:168-70.

6. Phillips SM, Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage, Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54

7. Kreider RB, Rasmussen C, Kerksick CM, Wilborn C, Taylor L, Campbell B, Magrans-Courtney T, Fogt D, Ferreira M, Li R, Galbreath M, Iosia M, Cooke M, Serra M, Gutierrez J, Byrd M, Kresta JY, Simbo S, Oliver J, Greenwood M, A carbohydrate-restricted diet during resistance training promotes more favorable changes in body composition and markers of health in obese women with and without insulin resistance, Phys Sportsmed. 2011 May;39(2):27-40. doi: 10.3810/psm.2011.05.1893.

8. Tan SY, Dhillon J, Mattes RD, A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul;100 Suppl 1:412S-22S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071456. Epub 2014 Jun 11.

9. Mattes RD, Dreher ML, Nuts and healthy body weight maintenance mechanisms, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2010;19(1):137-41.

10. Rachel C. Brown, Siew Ling Tey, Andrew R. Gray, Alexandra Chisholm, Claire Smith Elizabeth Fleming and Winsome Parnell, Association of Nut Consumption with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the 2008/2009 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey, Nutrients 2015, 7(9), 7523-7542; doi:10.3390/nu7095351

11. Noakes M1, Keogh JB, Foster PR, Clifton PM, Effect of an energy-restricted, high-protein, low-fat diet relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on weight loss, body composition, nutritional status, and markers of cardiovascular health in obese women., Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jun;81(6):1298-306.

12. Luscombe-Marsh ND, Noakes M, Wittert GA, Keogh JB, Foster P, Clifton PM, Carbohydrate-restricted diets high in either monounsaturated fat or protein are equally effective at promoting fat loss and improving blood lipids., Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):762-72.

13. Yancy WS Jr, Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC, A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: a randomized, controlled trial, Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):769-77

14. Hu T, Mills KT, Yao L, Demanelis K, Eloustaz M, Yancy WS Jr, Kelly TN, He J, Bazzano LA, Effects of low-carbohydrate diets versus low-fat diets on metabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials, Am J Epidemiol. 2012 Oct 1;176 Suppl 7:S44-54. doi: 10.1093/aje/kws264

15. Chaparro CM, Dewey KG., Use of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) to improve the nutrient adequacy of general food distribution rations for vulnerable sub-groups in emergency settings, Matern Child Nutr. 2010 Jan;6 Suppl 1:1-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2009.00224.x.

16. Chandrasekharan N, Changing concepts in lipid nutrition in health and disease, Med J Malaysia. 1999 Sep;54(3):408-27; quiz 428.

17. Chong YH, Ng TK, Effects of palm oil on cardiovascular risk, Med J Malaysia. 1991 Mar;46(1):41-50

18. Bannenberg G, Serhan CN, Specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators in the inflammatory response: An update, Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010 Dec;1801(12):1260-73. doi: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2010.08.002. Epub 2010 Aug 10.

19. van Het Hof KH, West CE, Weststrate JA, Hautvast JG, Dietary factors that affect the bioavailability of carotenoids, J Nutr. 2000 Mar;130(3):503-6.

20. Lucci P, Borrero M, Ruiz A, Pacetti D, Frega NG, Diez O, Ojeda M, Gagliardi R, Parra L, Angel M, Palm oil and cardiovascular disease: a randomized trial of the effects of hybrid palm oil supplementation on human plasma lipid patterns, Food Funct. 2015 Oct 21. [Epub ahead of print]

21. Berrougui H, Ikhlef S, Khalil A, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Polyphenols Promote Cholesterol Efflux and Improve HDL Functionality, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:208062. doi: 10.1155/2015/208062. Epub 2015 Oct 1

22. Virruso C, Accardi G, Colonna-Romano G, Candore G, Vasto S, Caruso C., Nutraceutical properties of extra-virgin olive oil: a natural remedy for age-related disease? Rejuvenation Res. 2014 Apr;17(2):217-20. doi: 10.1089/rej.2013.1532.

23. Berge K, Musa-Veloso K, Harwood M, Hoem N, Burri L, Krill oil supplementation lowers serum triglycerides without increasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with borderline high or high triglyceride levels, Nutr Res. 2014

24. Jacobson TA, Glickstein SB, Rowe JD, Soni PN, Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other lipids: a review, J Clin Lipidol. 2012 Jan-Feb;6(1):5-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2011.10.018. Epub 2011 Nov 3

25. Wei MY, Jacobson TA, Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid versus docosahexaenoic acid on serum lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2011 Dec;13(6):474-83. doi: 10.1007/s11883-011-0210-3.

26. Marik PE, Varon J., Omega-3 dietary supplements and the risk of cardiovascular events: a systematic review, Clin Cardiol. 2009 Jul;32(7):365-72. doi: 10.1002/clc.20604

27. Carol E. O’Neil, Theresa A. Nicklas and Victor L. Fulgoni, Tree Nut Consumption Is Associated with Better Nutrient Adequacy and Diet Quality in Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2010, Nutrients 2015, 7(1), 595-607; doi:10.3390/nu701059

28. Article: Almonds May Help Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes And Heart Disease, Monday 20 December 2010, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

29. Natoli S, McCoy P, A review of the evidence: nuts and body weight, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(4):588-97.

30. Rajaram S, Sabaté J., Nuts, body weight and insulin resistance, Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96 Suppl 2:S79-86.

31. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Fat intake and energy-balance effects, Physiol Behav. 2004 Dec 30;83(4):579-85

32. Mattes RD, The energetics of nut consumption, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:337-9.

33. Mattes RD, Kris-Etherton PM, Foster GD. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults, J Nutr. 2008 Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S.

34. Li Z, Song R, Nguyen C, Zerlin A, Karp H, Naowamondhol K, Thames G, Gao K, Li L, Tseng CH, Henning SM, Heber D, Pistachio nuts reduce triglycerides and body weight by comparison to refined carbohydrate snack in obese subjects on a 12-week weight loss program. J Am Coll Nutr. 2010 Jun;29(3):198-203

35. Fatouros IG, Chatzinikolaou A, Tournis S, Nikolaidis MG, Jamurtas AZ, Douroudos II, Papassotiriou I, Thomakos PM, Taxildaris K, Mastorakos G, Mitrakou A, Intensity of resistance exercise determines adipokine and resting energy expenditure responses in overweight elderly individuals, Diabetes Care. 2009 Dec;32(12):2161-7. doi: 10.2337/dc08-1994. Epub 2009 Sep 3.

36. Ballor DL, Katch VL, Becque MD, Marks CR, Resistance weight training during caloric restriction enhances lean body weight maintenance, Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Jan;47(1):19-25.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/skinny-fat_b_1799797.html

 

 

Lea Wagner No Comments , ,
September 15, 2015

How does the supplement Creatine work?

Creatine supplements are used by athletes, bodybuilders, wrestlers, sprinters & other who just want to gain muscle mass.  The body produces some of the creatine it uses, other sources come from protein rich foods such as meat or fish.  

Creatine has the ability to increase muscle stores of PCr (phosphocreaine), potentially increasing the muscles ability to resynthesize the ATP from ADP to meet increased energy demands.  Did you just say “What the?”  

Confused???? If so watch this great video I recently found on Youtube How does Creatine work?

Extensive research has shown that oral creatine supplementation at a rate of 5 – 20 grams per day appears to be very safe & largely devoid of adverse side effects, while still being effective in improving the physiological response to resistance exercise, increasing the maximal force production of muscles.

A supplementation of creatine is not recommended for people with kidney or liver disease or diabetes.  Others who should avoid taking it are children under 18 and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.  

 

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , ,
December 8, 2014

Dedication, consistency & focus – My star couple

My job is both rewarding and frustrating. I hear all the excuses under the sun. People want the results, but unfortunately lack the determination to achieve their outcome. People have got to understand that they didn’t all of a sudden become overweight or unfit, it is a slow and graduate process that seems to creep up on them. And therefore the fix is not going to be a quick one. The quick fixes will not last, studies have shown over and over again dieters, the majority of the time will put the weight back on, and then some.  It is a lifestyle change my darlings!! that will lead to a long lasting healthy life.   

Andrew Sept & Nov comparison 2014 front

Andrew has lost 10cm from his waist, 18.3cm from his belly button & 9cm from his hips.

Anyway, I digress.  I am very proud to share with you 2 people that have shown absolute dedication, consistency and focus in their fitness and weight loss goals.  There have been many times of struggle & anguish, but they have stuck to their resolve and the results are remarkable.  

EMMA & ANDREW    These results were achieved in 87 Days.   Look up “awesome” in the dictionary, and there should be a photo of these two fabulous people.  They lost over 13kg each.  Congratulations x

 

Back comparison Sept to Dec 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma has lost 10cm from her waist, 16.8cm from her belly button, and 7.5cm from her hips.

comparison sept to dec 14

Emma has gone from a size 14 to a size 8

 

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , ,
October 22, 2014

The 7 Best Strength Exercises You’re Probably Not Doing

I saw this recent article in the HUFFINGTON POST on the 18th October 2014. ” The 7 Best Strength Exercises You’re Probably Not Doing”.  I thought mmmm, what could these be.   I am very happy to report, that we do all of these exercises in my gym and have done for many many years.  

Here is the article written by Eric Bach:

Every exercise in your strength program has a purpose — to help you build muscle, burn fat and improve your fitness. While there’s a time and a place for nearly any exercise under the right circumstance, some movements are simply more effective than others. And it should be no surprise that the ones that build a foundation for skills that you’ll use in real life will be the most beneficial for improving your fitness and quality of life.

So how does a lifter ensure they’re making all the right moves? If you’ve plateaued or just aren’t seeing the results you’re banking on, it’s time to get back to basics with these seven moves. From increased strength, better core stability, greater athleticism and improved overall health, these key exercises need to find their way into your routine.
1. Goblet Squat – Squats are an exercise many people struggle to perform safely and effectively. Luckily, the goblet squat is a great progression from a bodyweight squat before squatting with a bar. Because the load is held in front, the core works double-time to keep you tall, while your legs work to control your movement down and stand back up.

2. Pallof Press –  The Pallof press is one of those movements that looks confusing, but is actually incredibly simple and beneficial.  While you may not be hoisting heavy weight, the real challenge lies in resisting movement — in this case, rotation. That makes this an “anti-rotation” movement, forcing you to engage through your entire core: obliques, abs, lower back, glutes and more. 

3. Dumbbell Row – Developing a strong back is key to balancing things out, improving posture and avoiding injury. The dumbbell row can help achieve all that, in addition to building strong arms and a strong core. The main muscles being used are the lats, traps and rhomboids, which reinforce good posture by pulling your shoulders back and aiding the core in stabilizing your spine

4. Push Up –   The push up might appear basic, but it’s one of the best exercises you can do. The functional movement is great for training the upper-body pushing muscles — the anterior deltoids, triceps and chest. It also requires you to engage your core and allows full range of motion in your shoulder blades, unlike the bench press.

 5.   Split Squat – Traditional squats are great, but it’s important to incorporate single-leg movements to develop athleticism and minimize training imbalances. The split squat, a stationary lunge, does just that. The split stance requires you to balance with a narrow base of support, firing up stabilizing muscles of the hip and trunk while training your quads, glutes and hamstrings to perform the movement. In addition to building lower-body strength, the single-leg nature of the exercise helps improve balance and increase flexibility and stability in the hips.

6.  Lateral Squat – The lateral squat combines two movements: a lateral lunge and a squat. It requires you to move side-to-side, providing a great stretch on the groin and inner thighs while training the hips, thighs and trunk to work together. Life isn’t strictly moving forwards and backwards. It’s best that your training isn’t either.

7.  Hip Extensions (Glute Bridges/Hip Thrusts) – One of the most important muscle groups for any trainee — athlete, weekend warrior or newbie — is the glutes. Yet they are often neglected and underutilized from sitting for long periods each day. According to Campbell, “When we attempt movements from running to squatting without optimal hip movement we risk injury to our hips, knees and ankles. Getting glutes that not only switch on when they should but are strong is crucial, and that’s where this simple yet powerfully effective movement comes in.”

 With all these exercises, pay close attention to form and execution. Continue to add weight to each lift once you can complete two more reps than prescribed with your training weight. Keep it up and after a few workouts you’ll start to notice rapid gains in strength and overall fitness. Within a few weeks you’ll have these exercises mastered and be on your way to having a body that better serves you!

CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE FULL ARTICLE 

 

Lea Wagner No Comments , ,
September 24, 2014

Here’s Proof That Exercise Changes Everything

Our Australian Government has the following physical activity recommendations for Adults between the ages of 18 – 64 years of age.  

  • Be active on most, preferably all, days every week.
  • Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes (2 ½ to 5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week.
  • Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week.

 You can download their “Make your Move – Sit Less – Be active for life!” brochure from their website: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#apaadult

Not convinced of the benefits of regular exercise?  

Adding in a couple of strengthening sessions a week with your brisk walk or jog, and you can expect to build muscle, protect your heart, avoid obesity and even live longer.

Regular exercisers have a 40 percent lower risk of developing dementia, and a 60 percent lower risk of any type of cognitive impairment, according to a 2012 study. In young adults, regular exercise can increase bone mineral density by as much as 2 to 8 percent a year, according to the New York Times, helping to prevent dangerous falls and fractures later in life.

Some of the big differences between sedentary and active people are obviously beneficial, like a longer lifespan or a less-taxed heart. Others are a little less clear, like a higher maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2max, which reflects a regular exerciser’s increased capacity for aerobic exercise, or a more efficient sweating response, which helps regular exercisers cool their bodies quickly. Check out these and other differences exercise makes. Then go ahead and lace up those sneaks.

Here is the proof that exercise changes everything

Here is the proof that exercise changes everything

some of this information was taken from  The Huffington Post article written by Sarah Klein
Posted: 22/05/2014

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 , , , , , , , ,