American Fitness Professionals & Associates

 “If Noah had been truly wise, he would have
swatted those two flies”
-Helen Castle

Table of Contents:

Meniscus Injury: Treatment Post Surgery
Body for Life: A very nicely presented book
Fiber in the diet: How much do we need for good health?
Abdominals
Tryptophan and Tyrosine: Clarification to News Flash Dec. 99
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Five Steps to Fitness
Track your health
Smokers Prone to Panic Attacks

A Meniscus injury typically results for some type of compression and/or rotation to the knee. Many times even post operatively there will be pain and discomfort when squatting.

Depending on whether the Meniscus was partially torn [typically a bucket handle tear] that can be repaired with minimal surgery, or complete removal of the Meniscus will determine the clients range of motion in the knee and what activities they can perform.

Completing single leg extensions slowly with foot in Dorsi flexion will strengthen the quadriceps around the knee joint. Because it is not load bearing in the same respect as the squat or lunge it may be an appropriate choice providing there is no pain.

Limited range of motion leg presses, with a gradual increase in range of motion [again, providing there is no accompanying pain with the increased rom]. I find the 45-degree leg press to afford good strength building properties to the quadriceps and hamstring group.

Stability ball squats [rest the ball against a wall-with back on ball] and feet positioned in front of center of gravity. Instead of the normal squat position. Gradually lower body to determine level of comfort and tolerance of client.

Leg curls [both single leg and dual leg]. It is important to strengthen the hamstrings to avoid imbalances and prevent injury to the knee and lower back. Maintain feet/foot in Dorsi flexion throughout rom.

Protein:

The idea that we need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight has very little scientific basis. It will place greater demands on the kidneys and liver as well as the autoimmune system. Also, the greater the protein intake-the greater the calcium loss from the body. This happens even in more than adequate intakes of calcium.

Carbohydrates:

The notion that we require just one gram of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight is absurd at best. Even if this ratio was based on total bodyweight- not lean body weight it would grossly “under-fuel” the body. The brain alone burns 100 grams of CHO are in a 24-hour time frame.

The human body is designed to burn CHO’s for fuel with free fatty acids and to use protein first in repair and then as a small contribution for energy in the absence of CHO’s.

Is there any such thing as the “right” amount of fiber (daily)?

Between 25-35 grams of fiber daily is the minimum for RDI’s

Is this there any such thing as not enough or too much fiber?

Definitely not enough. The average American diet only contains between 7-10 grams of fiber/day. This is part of the reason for one of the highest incidences of colon cancer, and IBS in the western world. [Which, by the way was virtually non-existent 50
years ago]

The Mediterrian diet and Asian diet consists of between 50-75 grams of fiber [both soluble and insoluble] daily.
Too much fiber can cause a loss of vital nutrients [minerals such as zinc].
How much is too much?
Diarrhea is usually a good sign that you have to much fiber in the diet.

1. Rectus Abdominus
2. External Obliques
3. Internal Obliques
4. Transverse Abdominus

Train your abs every second or third day. Avoid weighted bar twists. First they do not take off “love handles”, and second they are potentially dangerous to the vertebral column.

The notion that the abs are being worked from different angles on different days would lead you to believe there are more muscles there than meet the eye. If you want to perform the exercises differently from one day to the next that is great. This avoids boredom and will stimulate the 4 mentioned above.

In 1987 the second largest amino acid manufacturer in Japan shipped a contaminated batch of tryptophan. It seems at that time workers had neglected to clean out the cleaning solutions from the stainless steel vats in which “free- form” amino acids are produced.

This process, which by the way has been practiced in Germany, Japan and the United States for more than 30 years involves the introduction of either sugar beets or black strap molasses into stainless steel vats. Then a micro-organism is added that produces as it “waste material”-free form amino acids.

Due to the contamination the cleaning solution was added to the next batch of amino acids made. [It just so happens that Tryptophan was the amino acid that was being made].

Eventually this bad batch was sold as the individual amino acid Tryptophan.

Nineteen people in the US came down with a severe neurological condition that resulted in their death. At the time the FDA blamed the amino acid Tryptophan for their deaths, and did not retract the blame they placed after it was proven that it was not Tryptophan that was the culprit.

It is interesting to note that this amino acid is available by prescription in both the US and Canada- and there has not been one reported case of the same neurological condition appearing again in those individuals who used it.
Of further interest is the fact that Tryptophan is available in Europe [Germany, UK, etc. OTC] with never one reported case of side effects noted. As far as the other amino acid you mentioned-Tyrosine. It was never pulled from the shelves as a direct result of the FDA or any other governmental regulation or it’s implication for any side effects.

WHO SHOULD ONE CONSULT WHEN BEGINNING A PERSONAL FITNESS PROGRAM?

Search out a certified personal trainer that has experience, preferably someone who has a degree in the field as well.

WHAT TYPE OF MOTIVATIONAL TOOLS CAN BE USED?

A reward system, before and after photographs, recognition of achievement- local newspaper receiving award, etc.

WHAT TYPE OF PROGRAM SHOULD A THIN PERSON WANTING TO ADD MUSCLE BEGIN?

It is very important that the individual does not over train and fuels the body with the proper fuel. Complex carbohydrates [lower glycemic index. i.e., sweet potato’s, brown rice, vegetables, and some good quality fats-olive, flax, pumpkin seed, canola oils,].

Combine this with basic functional movements-pressing movements shoulder press-”to the front”, chest press, chin-ups or pulldowns, deadlifts, and squats or leg presses. 3 sets of 8-10 reps for each major exercise, with a minimum of 2 days rest between workouts-not more than two workouts per week for each muscle group.

WHAT TYPE OF PROGRAM SHOULD AN OVERWEIGHT PERSON
WANTING TO SLIM DOWM BEGIN?

The first is performing “push-aways” from the table. It only takes 1minute to consume a 1,000-calorie piece of cheesecake, yet it can take 3-8 hours to burn it off. In addition, performing cardiovascular exercise for 20-30 minutes every day-vary the exercise each day -5-6 days weekly, and include resistance training 2-3 days weekly for 20-30 minutes.

Here is a fitness program to help you learn how to
get and stay fit by assessing your current status, developing a
personalized plan and overcoming your personal barriers.
http://www.myhealthnotes.com/jump.asp?id=1.

Track your health

Monitoring your health signs on a regular basis gives you a real
understanding of your own health. Click here to learn how to track your blood pressure, glucose level, weight and cholesterol levels.
http://myhealthnotes.com/jump.asp?id=2.

Smokers Prone to Panic Attacks

If you’re smoking to relax, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Actually, smoking increases the chances (by four times) that you will have a panic attack. Symptoms of a panic attack include shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, trembling, chest pain and fear of dying http://myhealthnotes.com/jump.asp?id=3