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January 2007 Vol. 12 No. 1

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
Sir Winston Churchill


Table of Contents:

AFPA Fitness Conferences for Spring 2007
The Health-Harming Confusion About Saturated Fats
Too Much Exercise is Just as Bad as Not Enough
10 Steps to Being Happier and Healthier
More Evidence Ginkgo Biloba Works Just as Well as Dementia Drugs
Do Not Drink Airplane Water
After-Dinner Snacks Can Aid in Weight Loss
Eating Artifical Sweeteners Triggers Appetite
Red Grapefruit Lowers LDL Cholesterol
Another Reason to Eat Your Vegetables: Lowering the Risk of Diabetes

AFPA Fitness Conferences for Spring 2007April 27-29 Beach Jam XIII Fitness, Trainer, Sports & Mind Body Conference, Ocean City,MD http://www.afpafitness.com/BeachJamLocationInfo2007.htm

May 10-12 Myrtle Beach Fitness, Trainer, Sports & Mind Body Conference,Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach,SC
http://www.afpafitness.com/MyrtleBeachLocationInfo2007.htm

The Health-Harming Confusion About Saturated FatsDiabetesWhile studies have shown that consuming saturated fat can slightly increase insulin levels, which can be a risk factor for type-2 diabetes, the studies did not reflect real-world diets, and did not reflect the fatty acid profiles consumed in normal diets.

In addition, recommendations to avoid saturated fats generally result in people consuming more trans fats, which are definitely dangerous. Trans fats have a detrimental effect on the incidence and treatment of type-2 diabetes, while saturated fats have been shown to have no effect when appropriate comparisons are made. Trans fats interfere with insulin receptors, while saturated fats do not.

Type-2 diabetes did not exist 100 years ago, when the human diet was very rich in saturated fats; it appeared when trans fats came into the diet. As people eat more and more foods containing trans fats, it has become an epidemic.
Green Clippings December 2, 2006
http://www.greenclippings.co.za/gc_main/article.php?story=20061202160334259

Too Much Exercise is Just as Bad as Not EnoughAfter a number of years in which almost no deaths were caused by heart attacks during marathons, at least six runners have died in 2006. Some physicians, including Dr. Arthur Siegel, author of numerous studies of Boston Marathon racers, believe that the extended races put the heart at risk.

A new study by Dr. Siegel and colleagues examined 60 Boston Marathon entrants. The runners showed normal cardiac function before the marathon. But 20 minutes after finishing, 60 percent of the group had elevated levels of troponin (a protein that shows up in the blood when the heart is traumatized), and 40 percent had levels high enough to indicate the destruction of heart muscle cells. Many also showed noticeable changes in heart rhythms.

Another study, from Germany, showed that as many as one-third of middle-aged male marathoners may have higher than expected calcium plaque deposits in their arteries, putting them at a greater risk for heart attack. Just over 20 percent of a control group of non-runners had comparable calcium plaque buildup.

Circulation November 28, 2006; 114(22): 2325-2333
New York Times December 7, 2006
The (Lakeland, FL) Ledger December 7, 2006

10 Steps to Being Happier and HealthierResearchers at the National Institute on Aging have determined that well-being is strongly influenced by individual characteristics. Their 10-year study showed people with a happy disposition in 1973 were still happy in 1983, even if their job, location, or marital status had changed.

If you want to create positive emotions, but don’t know where to begin, the links below will bring happiness into your life. Here’s a sampling:

    1. Stop trying to be perfect. Don’t expect perfection from yourself or from anybody. You don’t need to impress people around you and you don’t have to get everything done perfectly.
    2. Be happy and satisfied with what you have. Stop comparing with others at every stage, this will infact add to your misery. Be happy and content with your life. Remove the feelings of jealousy and enemity.
    3. Schedule some time for yourself. Give yourself one hour each day when you can truly relax and enjoy yourself. Do some exercise, work on a hobby, go for a walk, or read a book. Pamper youself with some massages or beauty therapies. Meditate or pray to God. This will renew your energy and concentration.
    4. If you are too stressed at work, take a break and refresh your energy. Go for a holiday with your family and friends. Explore new places. Taking breaks helps your body recover the lost energy. You may take short or long breaks, depending on your work and stress levels. When you get back to work after a break, your concentration and focus improves a great deal and you are more motivated.
    5. Don’t be alone all the time. Go out with your friends and talk to them on the phone regularly. Watch a movie, go shopping or do things that you always loved but did not get the time because of your busy schedules. Call your friends home and watch a funny movie together.
    6. If you are a working parent, take a break from work and spend time with your kids. Or play with your pets. Visit your relatives and throw a party for them. Dance and sing with them.
    7. Be grateful to people around you. Be thankful for even small favours and blessings.
    8. Help Others. It has been observed that helping others gives you immense satisfaction and happiness. Make someone’s life more beautiful by contributing in your own small way.
    9. Re-assess your priorties. Spend time with your family and pray to God. Stay in the present. Do not waste time regretting your past or worrying about the future.
    10. Laugh out loud atleast once in a day and keep smiling. Focus on things that keep you happy instead of those that keep you down. Forget your worries and pains, everybody in this world, has some problems. But it all depends on the way you deal with it.

Alternative Therapies and Health News November 27, 2006
Psychology Today

More Evidence Ginkgo Biloba Works Just as Well as Dementia DrugsAn Italian study has determined that ginkgo biloba works just as well as Aricept (donepezil) in treating mild or moderate Alzheimer’s-related dementia.

For the study, 76 mild-to-moderate dementia patients received either a placebo, ginkgo or Aricept for six months, followed by a four-week course of a placebo to exclude those reactions.

During the study period, more ginkgo patients dropped out of the test, but not for the same reasons as the four Aricept dropouts, who left due to adverse drug reactions. Based on test scores to determine the severity of dementia afterward, scientists agreed both ginkgo biloba and Aricept work just as effectively to slow down the damage.
European Journal of Neurology September 2006; 13(9): 981-985

Do Not Drink Airplane WaterAccording the the Environmental Protection Agency tap water on more than 17 percent of flights recently tested contained disease-causing bacteria, including E.coli. Bring your own bottled water.

After-Dinner Snacks Can Aid in Weight LossRecent research has found that a lower calorie, higher fiber snack about 90 minutes after dinner [such as an apple or pear] can reduce the cravings for higher calorie late night snacks that lead to weight gain in many over-weight individuals].

Eating Artifical Sweeteners Triggers Appetite

Researchers have found that eating artifical sweeteners encourages your body to increase its calorie intake. A better alternative to either artifical sweeteners or sugar is Stevia, a natural zero-calorie alternative that is sold as an herbal supplement.

Trulie Ankerberg-Nobis, RD, clinical research coordinator and staff dietitian, Physicans Committee for Responsible Medicine,
Washington, DC.

Red Grapefruit Lowers LDL CholesterolRecent research has found that even in individuals who do not responde to statin drugs have a favorable cholesterol lowering response to eating red grapefruit. Eating one red grapefruit daily for four weeks demonstrated a 20 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol.

Gorinstein S, Caspi, et. al.Red Grapefruit Positively Influences Serum Triglyceride Level in Patients Suffering from Coronary Atherosclerosis: Studies in Vitro and in Humans. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Mar 8;54(5):1887-1892.

Another Reason to Eat Your Vegetables: Lowering the Risk of DiabetesResearchers continue to substantiate the need to eat vegetables daily. The risk of developing diabetes is 38 percent lower in those individuals who eat vegetables daily. High blood levels of carotenoids; powerful anti-oxidants found in yellow-orange vegetables [carrots, sweet potatoes and squash, as well as dark green leafy vegetables are sited as the best sources.
Am J Epidemiol 2006;163:929-937

Dr. Jolie Bookspan, Director, Neck and Back Pain Sports Medicine and AFPA certified, has been hired by Healthline.com to write an innovative exercise blog called The Fitness Fixer. The Fitness Fixer blog changes exercises to make them healthy.
New articles are posted several times a week: http://www.healthline.com/blogs/exercise_fitness
Selected segments are reproduced from Dr. Mercola’s excellent website:
http://www.mercola.com/index.htmPhysicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
http://www.pcrm.org