American Fitness Professionals & Associates

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
Ronald Reagan

Table of Contents:

• Food and Arthritis
• Calcium and Strong Bones
• Who says it’s Hard to stick to a Diet? A Vegan Diet Might Be Easier? Than You Think, According to a New Study
• Breaking a Sweat Strengthens Bones

Food and Arthritis

Millions of people suffer from painful and swollen joints associated with arthritis. In the past, many doctors told arthritis patients that dietary changes would not help them. However, this conclusion was based on older research with diets that included dairy products, oil, poultry, or meat.1,2 New research shows that foods may be a more frequent contributor to arthritis than is commonly recognized. It is clear that, at least for some people, a healthier menu is the answer.
Different Types of Arthritis
Arthritis is actually a group of different diseases. Osteoarthritis is a gradual loss of cartilage and overgrowth of bone in the joints, especially the knees, hips, spine, and fingertips. Over 20 million Americans, mostly over age 45, suffer from osteoarthritis, which seems to be the result of accumulated wear and tear. Although it can cause painful episodes, it is characterized by only transient stiffness and does not cause major interference with the use of the hands.
Rheumatoid arthritis, which affects over 2 million people, is a more aggressive form of the disease. It causes painful, inflamed joints, which sometimes become damaged.
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of medicine’s mysteries. There were no medical reports of the disease until the early 1800s. Some have suspected that a virus or bacterium may play a role, perhaps by setting off an autoimmune reaction. Genetics may also be a factor, in that it may influence susceptibility to the disease.

Avoid Major Arthritis Triggers
1. Dairy products*
2. Corn
3. Meats**
4. Wheat, oats, rye
5. Eggs
6. Citrus fruits
7. Potatoes
8. Tomatoes
9. Nuts
10.Coffee
All dairy products should be avoided: skim or whole cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
All meats should be avoided: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, etc.
Full article and references at: http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/arthritis.html

Calcium and Strong Bones

The bone-thinning condition called osteoporosis can lead to small and not-so-small fractures. Although many people think of calcium in the diet as good protection for their bones, this is not at all the whole story. In fact, in a 12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women, those who drank milk three times a day actually broke more bones than women who rarely drank milk.1 Similarly, a 1994 study of elderly men and women in Sydney, Australia, showed that higher dairy product consumption was associated with increased fracture risk. Those with the highest dairy product consumption had approximately double the risk of hip fracture compared to those with the lowest consumption.2

To protect your bones you do need calcium in your diet, but you also need to keep calcium in your bones.
How to Get Calcium into Your Bones

1. Get calcium from greens, beans, or fortified foods.

The most healthful calcium sources are green leafy vegetables and legumes, or “greens and beans” for short. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and other greens are loaded with highly absorbable calcium and a host of other healthful nutrients. The exception is spinach, which contains a large amount of calcium but tends to hold onto it very tenaciously, so that you will absorb less of it.
Beans are humble foods, and you might not know that they are loaded with calcium. There is more than 100 milligrams of calcium in a plate of baked beans. If you prefer chickpeas, tofu, or other bean or bean products, you will find plenty of calcium there, as well. These foods also contain magnesium, which your body uses along with calcium to build bones.
If you are looking for a very concentrated calcium source, calcium-fortified orange or apple juices contain 300 milligrams or more of calcium per cup in a highly absorbable form. Many people prefer calcium supplements, which are now widely available.
Dairy products do contain calcium, but it is accompanied by animal proteins, lactose sugar, animal growth factors, occasional drugs and contaminants, and a substantial amount of fat and cholesterol in all but the defatted versions.

2. Exercise, so calcium has somewhere to go.

Exercise is important for many reasons, including keeping bones strong. Active people tend to keep calcium in their bones, while sedentary people lose calcium.
3. Get vitamin D from the sun or supplements if you need them.
Vitamin D controls your body’s use of calcium. About 15 minutes of sunlight on your skin each day normally produces all the vitamin D you need. If you get little or no sun exposure, you can get vitamin D from any multiple vitamin. The Recommended Dietary Allowance is 200 IU (5 micrograms) per day. Vitamin D is often added to milk, but the amount added is not always well controlled.
How to Keep It There
It’s not enough to get calcium into your bones. What is really critical is keeping it there. Here’s how:

1. Reduce calcium losses by avoiding excess salt.

Calcium in bones tends to dissolve into the bloodstream, then pass through the kidneys into the urine. Sodium (salt) in the foods you eat can greatly increase calcium loss through the kidneys.3 If you reduce your sodium intake to one to two grams per day, you will hold onto calcium better. To do that, avoid salty snack foods and canned goods with added sodium, and keep salt use low on the stove and at the table.

2. Get your protein from plants, not animal products.

Animal protein-in fish, poultry, red meat, eggs, and dairy products-tends to leach calcium from the bones and encourages its passage into the urine. Plant protein-in beans, grains, and vegetables-does not appear to have this effect.4

3. Don’t smoke.

Smokers lose calcium, too. A study of identical twins showed that, if one twin had been a long-term smoker and the other had not, the smoker had more than a 40 percent higher risk of a fracture.5
American recommendations for calcium intake are high, partly because the meat, salt, tobacco, and physical inactivity of American life leads to overly rapid and unnatural loss of calcium through the kidneys. By controlling these basic factors, you can have an enormous influence on whether calcium stays in your bones or drains out of your body.
Full article and references found at: http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/strong_bones.html

Who says it’s Hard to stick to a Diet? A Vegan Diet Might Be Easier? Than You Think, According to a New Study

Study in Diabetic Patients Shows Cravings for Fatty Foods Recede and Transition to Healthful Diet Surprisingly Quick
Adopting a vegan diet is not just healthy; it’s surprisingly easy, according to a new study of people with diabetes who made the switch as part of a research study in February’s Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The diet helped them lose weight, lower their blood sugar, and reduce their need for medication.
Many doctors are aware that a low-fat vegetarian diet can reverse heart disease and provide other benefits. However, some may mistakenly think that most patients will not make the transition. Now, at least five studies published in scientific journals show that patients can and do adapt to a “strict” vegan diet that dramatically improves their health.
Researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), the George Washington University, and the University of Toronto found that the vegan group reported a small but significant reduction in craving for fatty foods at 22 weeks, compared with the group consuming an omnivorous diet. This finding contradicts the notion that individuals adopting vegan diets have continued cravings for excluded foods. In fact, the desire for fatty foods such as meat appeared to diminish.
“A vegan diet is very healthy, but most people imagine that it’s hard to stick to. We found exactly the opposite. It is less constraining than a conventional diabetes diet,” says lead author Neal Barnard, M.D., a George Washington University researcher and president of PCRM. “I would encourage anyone with diabetes to talk to their physician about trying a vegan approach.”
In the 74-week study, 99 people with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to follow either a low-fat, vegan diet or a diet based on American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendations. The vegan diet dramatically cut consumption of cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat, and increased fiber intake, compared with the diet based on ADA guidelines. However, the vegan group felt less constrained than those in the ADA group.
Participants rated the taste of the foods, how easy or hard the food was to purchase and prepare, and how satisfied they were with the diet.
At 22 weeks, the food acceptability was similar for both groups, but the vegan group was slightly more satisfied with its diet, compared with the ADA group. The vegan group reported slightly more initial effort in preparing foods. However, those in the ADA group reported more discomfort with restrictions imposed by their diet, compared with the vegan group. Overall, the study showed that both diets have a reasonable level of acceptability, although the vegan diet elicits much more pronounced long-term nutritional changes.
The vegan diet consisted of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. Participants in this group avoided animal products and fatty foods and favored low-glycemic index foods, such as sweet potatoes, beans, and green vegetables. There were no restrictions on calories, carbohydrates, or portion sizes. ADA guidelines provided recommendations on the intake of calories, carbohydrate, and saturated fat based on each participant’s body weight, lipid profile, and current food and eating habits.
For a copy of the paper in JADA or an interview with Dr. Barnard, please contact Jeanne S. McVey at 202-527-7316 or jeannem@pcrm.org

Breaking a Sweat Strengthens Bones

Physical activity, exercise, and sport all provide a variety of benefits to our heart, lungs, and other vital organs. In fact, exercise is just as important for a healthy skeletal system, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.
Exercise, specifically weight-bearing activities such as running, gymnastics, basketball, and dancing, help build overall bone health, said Ronald Zernicke, Ph.D., director of the University of Michigan Bone & Joint Injury Prevention & Rehabilitation Center.
Zernicke’s scholarly review, to be published in the July/August issue of Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, synthesized information from the past 50 years on the role of exercise on skeletal tissue and overall bone health.
During an individual’s childhood and teenage years, new bone is added to the skeleton faster than old bone is removed. Bone formation and bone mass density (BMD) also continues at a faster pace than it is removed until people are about 30. Bone mass density increases are possible across all age groups; however, the most beneficial time to improve BMD with exercise is before and during puberty.
Past research has shown, for example, female gymnasts will have greater total BMC and higher bone strain rates while in training and during pre-pubertal to post-pubertal stages of life.
Other activities, such as ballet and competitive jump rope, also will produce higher total BMC and increase bone strength in this population. Non-weight bearing sports and activities such as cycling and swimming are healthy activities and have excellent cardiovascular benefits but are not as effective as weight bearing activities in adding bone.
Bone is dynamic tissue. Physically demanding, continuous exercise regimes are not necessarily the best activities to build and enhance bone health. Zernicke says “rest” periods within exercise plans can help stimulate bone growth as much, if not more, than activities executed without rest. For example, bones can respond to strength building from jumping sessions three shorter times a day better than a longer continuous jumping session- think jumping rope three minutes a day three times a day vs. jumping rope for 10 solid minutes.
The bottom line: Exercise may help increase bone density and protect against bone mass decline when performed properly.
Selected segments are reproduced from:
Dr. Mercola’s excellent website:  http://www.mercola.com/index.htm
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org
Newsmax Magazine http://www.newsmax.com

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