Bodies By M.E.

Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.
Vince Lombardi

There is a great misconception about the health value of olive oil versus that of canola oil. In his September column in Reader’s Digest, Dr. Ornish reported that olive oil is not as healthy as everyone thinks it is.

Olive oil like all oils is 100% fat and 125 calories per tablespoon. If you are consuming large amounts of olive oil you are also consuming a lot of extra calories. Olive oil will lower LDL cholesterol when it is substituted for a food that is higher in saturated fat, such as butter. The misconception is, we assume olive oil is responsible for the now lowered LDL, in reality it is a result of having made a better food choice.

Studies comparing the effects of canola oil versus olive oil show that canola oil consumption results in lower LDL cholesterol levels. Olive oil is a healthier choice than many any other fats (14% saturated fat), but not as healthy as canola or fish oil.

A study by Dr. Robert Vogel in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that olive oil significantly reduces blood flow to different parts of the body, whereas salmon and canola oil do not. This measure of blood flow, called flow-mediated vasodilatation, is standard well accepted test by the American Heart Association. In this study blood flow was reduced by 31% after an olive oil meal but was not reduced by a meal of similar amounts of canola oil or salmon probably do to protective omega-3 fatty acids in canola oil and salmon.

Remember this: your body is your slave; it works for you.
Jack LaLanne

Starting in our late 30’s and early 40’s most people lose about a quarter pound of muscle each year, by the time they’re 80 a third of their muscle mass has been lost. This loss of muscle as we age is called sarcopenia. What we don’t know is how much is hard-wiring and how much is poor nutrition and physical inactivity.

Increasing muscle mass, power, strength, and endurance are critical factors for improving musculoskeletal health and movement capabilities. What we do know from much recent research is loss of muscle strength leads a loss of independence, frailty, falls, and admissions into nursing homes.

My advice: Make the time or you will make the time for illness. So will your loved ones!

Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.
Vince Lombardi

Physical activity plays a big role in preventing osteoporosis. The most beneficial type of activity must include a progressive overload, variation of exercise and specificity of load are all important areas of consideration when designing an exercise program.

Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease characterized by a loss of mineral density resulting in a susceptibility to bone fractures a health problems. An exercise program emphasizing resistance training and weight bearing aerobic activities seems to provide the stimulus for bone formation.

Exercise programs should be full body in nature, including exercises such as squats and lunges which place a direct force on the axial skeleton, specifically the pelvic region. Aerobic activity such as brisk walking especially done on a long term basis does prevent age related bone loss. High intensity exercise provides a greater stimulus in increasing bone density.

My advice: exercise sessions should include a weight bearing exercise component such as brisk walking, possibly with a lightly weighted vest to add a little more intensity. Resistance exercises should be incorporated into your exercise program 2-3 times /week.

Your total time commitment is about 30-60 minutes/day in order to preserve bone health during our adult years. This seems to me like time well spent, unless you look forward to spending your golden years wobbling around with a walker.

If your dog is fat, you’re not getting enough exercise. ~Author Unknown

Exercise may reduce, or reverse bone loss caused by hormone and radiation therapies used to treat localized prostate cancer, according to a study presented last fall at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Conference. Men with localized prostate cancer often under go months of hormone and radiation treatment.

Men undergoing hormone treatment lose 4% to 13% of their bone density annually; healthy men lose only 0.5% – 1% annually, beginning at middle age. Men who are receiving hormone therapy may experience greater bone loss than post-menopausal women.

The results of this study showed that men who walked 5 times a week at a moderate pace actually maintained or gained bone density, while men who did not participate in a walking program lost 2% of their bone density in 8-9 weeks.

Exercise is a great tool to minimize the harmful effects of cancer therapies, increase quality of life, and it has no harmful side effects.

Exercise plays an important role in diminishing the risk of developing breast cancer directly by reducing the levels of estrogen and the tissues responsiveness to this hormone and indirectly by promoting weight loss.

An expert panel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization estimated a 20 to 40 percent decrease in the risk of developing cancer among physically active women regardless of menopausal status, type of exercise or intensity.

The Journal of the American Medical Association, reported walking at an average pace reduced the risk of death by breast cancer by 26 to 40 percent. Even women who walked one hour per week had a better survival rate than sedentary women. Those who exercised more intensely had no additional reduction in mortality from breast cancer.

Take Home Message: Smarter exercise can be life saving, start now!