When I was a wee lad my parents used to get the Reader’s Digest delivered to the house. Or maybe I just dreamed that and I only read it at the dentist’s office. Either way my favorite feature was always “Laughter is the best medicine” section where people would send in jokes. Why is this in a blog about health and wellness?

It’s because I truly believe that your mental state has a great deal to do with your health. You create your reality, to quote a phrase, and part of that is through doing and seeing things you enjoy. This is one of the reasons that I recommend and enjoy watching comedies instead of horror flicks. How do you feel at the end of a horror flick? Maybe adrenaline rushing through your veins and you enjoy being scared, but it doesn’t make you happy really. That rush of adrenaline is what you are after there, but the brutality does carry forward with you in your thoughts. That’s why often people have nightmares after seeing such movies. That’s not good. The nastiness has invaded your mental state and that is not good.

The Pythons today

Being upbeat and positive impacts your health in the opposite way. Seeing a movie that makes you laugh doesn’t bring you nightmares. I am pleased to hear that Monty Python is getting back together to make another movie. I’ve always been a fan of their silliness. But it is a smart silliness. They aren’t making fart jokes (much) but more poking fun at institutions and mores.

Bringing laughter into lives is one reason that I do improv comedy as well. Performing and having folks laugh at what you do brings such a feeling of goodness. Laughter is contagious and that is something I hope you all catch. Now go off and watch a youtube video of a baby laughing and join in. You won’t be able to stop yourself from smiling, so you might as well give in and laugh along. It’s good for you!

There is no questioning the need to add resistance training to your workout regimen, but what at home exercises can you do without investing a lot of money in equipment? You might be surprised at what you can do with a few simple things you have around your house.

To start with we need to define “resistance training.” Resistance training is anything that you do which challenges your muscles in some sort of lifting capacity. Resistance training can be done with weights, like dumb bells, kettle balls or barbells and plates, but it can also be done with body weight. Body weight resistance training is the least expensive way to go and can include such exercises at sit-ups and push ups. Since those are pretty self explanatory we won’t go into them here. The first piece of  training we will talk about is using a chair to add variety to your workout.

Chair Exercises

A plain kitchen chair, with arms, is practically a piece of workout equipment. If you stand in front of it, like you are about to sit down, you can hold the arms and do a tricep dip. Use you legs to support as much or as little of your body weight as feels comfortable and then use your triceps (the back of your upper arm) to slowly lower yourself. Once your butt is almost touching the seat of the chair, stop and reverse direction until your arms are straight. Do three sets of 6 to 10 reps, giving yourself two minutes in between sets. As your triceps get stronger you can begin to engage your leg muscles less and less. Working your triceps will help tighten your upper arm and reduce that “bingo wings” effect.

Anytime you work a muscle (or muscles) you also want to work the opposite muscle. So in this case the opposite muscle from the tricep is the bicep. To work the bicep without buying any weights you can simply use a can of soup for resistance. (Okay, you could use a can of vegetables if you want.) Doing a bicep curl is as easy as holding that can in your hand with your arm fully extended and then bring the can up to your shoulder bending at the elbow, of course. Again, doing three sets of 6 to ten reps, resting two minutes between sets. If a can doesn’t provide enough resistance you can use a quart, half gallon or gallon of water. A gallon of liquid equals about eight pounds.

The next chair exercise is the squat. This is very similar in appearance to the tricep dip we did earlier, except you aren’t using your arms to take any of the weight. You can, however use them on the arms of the chair to help balance yourself. A squat is exactly as you think it would be bending your legs and mimic the movement of sitting down. Do not actually rest your buttocks on the seat of the chair, but hover over it for a moment and then straighten up again. To add weight to this exercise you can hold soup cans in each hand, or even jugs of water if your legs can handle that. Squats work both the front and backs of your upper legs (Quadriceps and hamstrings.)

To work your lower legs (calves) you can stand behind the chair and lightly hold onto the back with your hands. Raise yourself up like you are standing on your toes and then lower yourself again. As with the squats you may find you need to add some weight to this exercise. Again, you can hold cans or jugs of water to add that resistance.

Finally for your legs, you can walk up and down stairs. (if you live in a rancher I don’t have an alternative for you. You may have to visit a local mall to walk stairs there.) Walking up and down stairs is a great workout and actually incorporates some cardio vascular training as well. As with any change in physical activity check with your doctor to make sure you are physically up to the task.

No more excuses now. These at home exercises are easy and can be done in a few minutes. They don’t need to be done all at the same time, so they can be squeezed in whenever you have a bit of time.

Magnesium-L-Threonate and Brain function, which I originally wrote two years ago has been a very popular post garnering many comments and questions, so I felt justified in giving this update for those interested.

Two years ago it was undergoing testing in humans to help with brain function and it was felt that taking magnesium supplements alone would not give the added benefits that the L-Threonate would render. L-Threonate is added to aid in bioavailability, which means the magnesium actually gets into your bloodstream and is usable by your body. In 2010, when I wrote my earlier article,  you could only get the powder and not get the supplement in capsule form. That has changed and there are now a number of places to get the supplement.

One that has come up from a number of readers is Sabre Sciences. They have what they call iMagT.  Cerebral Health also sells a version of Magnesium L threonate. A third source is Swenson Vitamins. I am not vouching for these manufacturers, just passing on the information. I am looking into another company right now called Life Extensions, which seems to be pretty legit. More on that as I learn about them. And here’s a link from Amazon.. Neuro-Mag™ Magnesium L-Threonate, 90 vegetarian capsules

But for people who want to stay sharp (as I mentioned in the original article)  there is also the definite “use it or lose it” school of thought. I am totally in this group as well. My mom is 83 now and still very sharp. She does daily crosswords, word search and is a voracious reader. She recently bought  a netbook and is now surfing the web and learning more all the time. Her long and short term memory seems to be as sharp as ever to me. Way to go Mom!

One cool thing about the internet is that you never know what you are going to stumble across. It might be something as mind numbing as Awkward Family Photos (don’t go there if you don’t want to laugh and get distracted) but it can also provide something as cool as Lumosity, which is a brain training website I’ve become somewhat addicted to. Addicted in a good way. The games there (some are free and some cost a couple bucks) are fun and are specific to exercising your brain.

I read an interesting article in the latest AARP Bulletin that said that walking is the “only exercise you will ever need.” Well, it’s free and somewhat easy (depending on your physical state) but I wouldn’t say it is the only exercise you will ever need.

However, it is a fairly easy way to start to exercise. For people who are intimidated by gyms or classes (or even buying a treadmill) walking provides a low level of cardiovascular training. If you follow government guidelines, they recommend getting 30 minutes of exercise several times a week. Walking can do that for you.

But, you do need resistance training as well. Resistance training (lifting weights) will build up your bones, making them stronger, plus obviously will increase your strength. Many complaints from “older folks” have to do with not being able to do the things they used to… This comes from a combination of weight gain, loss of general flexibility and loss of strength.

By alternating moderate strength training, walking and stretching, you can address some of those issues. By moderate strength training, I mean getting a pair of dumb bells of a low weight – maybe only six, ten or twelve pounds and working out with them three times a week. Doing simple exercises can make a huge difference in how you feel.

Get on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday weight training schedule and throw in Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday “dates” with your walking shoes. Walking can be a social event as well since there are many walking clubs around the country. Checkout Meetup.com to find some folks to join, or start your own clique.

The important thing is to start doing something, and to be consistent with it.

Gavin Gear

The following post is written by guest blogger Gavin Gear. Gavin is the inventor and creator of ManukaGuard Nutralize, a product to treat heartburn. He created the product after developing serious health issues as a result of his acid reflux disease, stage 4, pre-cancerous. Nutralize healed the damaged esophagus and resolved the acid reflux. He is currently symptom free. Mr. Gear was a science teacher in New Zealand prior to moving to the US in 1975.

HEARTBURN SYMPTOMS

These are a few of the common symptoms of frequent heartburn:

• heartburn feels like a burning or pain in the chest just below or behind the breast bone.
• heartburn can cause coughing or wheezing or a sore throat.
• heartburn feels like Chest Pain that can get worse when you’re lying down. ( not to be confused with the pain caused by a heart attack – if pain persists, consult a medical professional )

HEARTBURN TRIGGERS

Heartburn is a burning or pain in the chest general caused by one of many triggers:

• Drinking tea, soda, coffee, and other carbonated or caffeinated beverages can cause heartburn
• Going to bed or laying down too soon after eating can cause heartburn
• Drinking alcohol is a well recognized cause of heartburn
• Smoking cigarettes can cause heartburn
• Eating fatty or spicy foods or over eating can cause heartburn
• Eating certain fruits and vegetables like citrus, tomatoes, and onions
• Eating chocolate or mints can cause heartburn
• Stress. Heartburn can occur when you are upset.
• Overweight
• Pregnancy can cause heartburn

Can heartburn be cured? Healthy choices like a good diet and regular exercise and weight loss can help you avoid the symptoms of heartburn.

Options

How to Treat Heartburn

Most of the over the counter heartburn remedies come with “Use limits”, “Dose limits” and “Harmful Side Effect Warnings”; are effective as long as you keep taking the product. When you stop taking the product, the symptoms usually return, often with a rebound effect.

Natural Heartburn Remedy made with Medical Grade Manuka Honey

ManukaGuard Nutralize is an all natural product, made with all natural ingredients, 91% of which are organic grown and comes with no “Use limits”, “Dose limits”, or “Harmful Side Effect Warnings”, works quickly, in just seconds to relieve heartburn symptoms. Nutralize does not need to be taken as a preventative; take only when you have symptoms.

Click image to visit ManukaGuard.com

Nutralize treats heartburn

Nutralize treats tough heartburn

Nutralize is a natural remedy for heartburn

Note: The All Health Network is not endorsing this product, nor getting any financial reward for posting this information. We merely present alternatives for conventional therapy in an effort to inform our blog readers of possibilities. The link to the ManukaGuard website is not an affiliate link. We welcome any questions or comments on all our blog posts and attempt to always disseminate useful information and get to the truth on health and fitness.

ManukaGuard.com

I read an interesting article in the NY Times today and it was titled “The Fat Trap.” Here’s the link, if you want to read it, but it’s a long article, and I can paraphrase it pretty quickly.

The Fat Trap (abbreviated version)

Some people went to a fat loss center and had a controlled diet and lost on average thirty pounds. Most of them then gained it back. It may be genetic or people who have lost weight are just predisposed to gain weight. Too bad for them.

Okay, to be honest, there was more to it than that, but what I found interesting was that the author stated that fast twitch muscle fiber seemed to change to slow twitch and that caused metabolism to be slower, and thus weight loss would likely be temporary.  Seriously? Muscle changed types when weight was lost. That seems unbelievable to me. But they made it seem inevitable.

The point I wanted to contest was that if you don’t have resistance training as part of your fitness/weight loss regimen you are going to lose a lot of muscle with that fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat, that’s why body builders have to eat so much, they need to feed that muscle mass they have going…

That’s what you need too. The Fat Trap article talked about the exercise portion of the program and it was cardio vascular training. They mostly mentioned running. Don’t get me wrong, I love running, but any cardio training is designed to strengthen your cardio vascular system, not bnuild muscle. Look at distance runners. They are skinny and have very little fat, but they also have very little muscle. (There are exceptions, but go ahead blast me in the comment section anyway…)

So why didn’t the article say to add weight training and that will help you to keep the weight off? Instead it just seems to add to the “poor little me” mentality that some fat people have.

And don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a diatribe against people who are heavy. If you are happy with the way you are, more power (and fat) to you. Seriously. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t want to oogle you on a nude beach or anything, but there are plenty of people who are into that. If so, y’all are a match potentially made in heaven. But don’t tell me that you can’t lose weight. Most heavy people can, they choose not to lose weight by their dietary habits and their lack of movement. There are exceptions, but this article is adding excuses. Now in addition to, I’m big boned, It’s hormonal, It runs in the genes, etc, etc, you can add, “I have slow twitch muscle fibers, it’s not my fault.” Ack!

Resistance training helps build your cardio vascular system. It helps build muscle, which most people tend to lose over the age of 40. It adds to bone density which will help you avoid those broken hips that older folks tend to get. It also helps to burn calories and keep you from getting fat. This is an honest in-your-face reality.

You can avoid the fat trap and the vicious gain-lose-gain-lose merry go round. Get serious about weight training for yourself, your health and for your loved ones. They want you around for a long healthy happy life.

So, have you made your New Year’s Resolution(s) yet? Maybe one of them is starting to exercise more, returning to exercising regularly or beginning an exercise routine. Welcome to the crowd!

January and February are the biggest months in the fitness industry and more people sign up for gym memberships in those months than any other time of year. Of course, April is pretty big as well, since people are suddenly faced with the thought of the beach or swimming pool. (Some even fear the possibility of shorts or sleeveless shirts)

But here is the good news. You can have your greatest weight loss moments after months or years of relative inactivity. Your body is shocked at what you suddenly are expecting and it protests the only way it knows how – by giving you sore muscles, aching joints and oodles of calorie-burning fat-losing weeks. Think about all those body transformation contests with their before and after pictures. People who have been couch potatoes, cultivating that pot belly look have the best results! But you don’t have to be heavy to have good results. If you’ve been inactive your best fat burning, muscle building time is now.

There is a reason those contests are mostly 12 week affairs. People can make a three month commitment easier than a lifetime one and once you start seeing results you gain incentive. Don’t let your lack of effort stop you from becoming the person you want to be. And don’t let age stop you either.

Older folks can get into shape, too. As a matter of fact it may be more important for those over 40 to jump into the resistance training ring than for anyone younger. Unfortunately we start losing muscle when we don’t use it, and that starts to happen more and more as we age. Doing resistance training (weight training) helps build (and rebuild) muscles, and also contributes to better bone density. If you are older think about exercises that are less impacting on your joints, but definitely get into the game.

So, make that resolution and start exercising.

odds are this isn't from Jersey..

Farmer’s markets used to be seasonal, but there has been a significant jump in the number of year ’round markets operating because people are starting to become more aware of the “eat local” mentality. Across the US there are 38% more markets operating in the off season (winter markets) than there were just last year. The most significant increase was in New York state, California and Pennsylvania, although it is not at all restricted to those states.

1,225 markets are now operating year round according to the National Farmer’s Market Directory.

Is this your stomach? click to cure

There seems to be a lot of information coming to light recently about acid reflux remedies. I don’t know whether it’s because of the changing diet that the holidays bring, or not, but it seems like just as you are getting over all the abnormal food you ingested at Thanksgiving here we are approaching Christmas (Solstice, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Etc) and there’s another plate of food that doesn’t match the normal diet.

An article in USA Today suggests cutting back on carbs and taking melatonin. The recommended dosage of melatonin is 3 to 6 mg per day.

I always like hearing stories that add to benefits of supplements I am already taking and melatonin is one I’ve been on for years. I take 3 mg every night prior to bed. Most people have heard of melatonin as a sleeping aid, and that was what made me first check it out. It doesn’t help you get to sleep, but it does help you to stay asleep. For a while there I was waking up several times a night for no apparent reason, and occasionally laying there staring off into space unable to get back to sleep. This is now very rare for me. A note to anyone considering taking it, it isn’t an overnight cure, but takes a few weeks to start working. At least that’s my experience and that is fairly common from what I’ve read.

Secondly, melatonin also helps with skin elasticity. Yes, it can help you to stay younger looking. All this is backed by research and is not just pie in the sky guessing and hopeful self medication.

But now add in the potential help with acid reflux disease and this inexpensive daily supplement is really a smash hit.

Other things suggested in that article were modifying diet, taking antacids for occasional relief and taking daily meds such as ranitidine or famotidine.

Along the “natural” suggestions are adding exercise to your daily routine, taking a couple teaspoons of apple cider vinegar daily, detoxing, drinking plenty of water and taking garlic supplements or adding fresh garlic to your meals and salads.

I wrote a few weeks ago about aspertame and that the name was being changed to Aminosweet, but in either case you should be aware of the impact of  this drug (artificial sweetener.)

Eat sweet and natural

Aspertame is found in a variety of diet products. Whether it’s that sugar free gum or a diet soda, chances are good that it contains aspertame. People who are trying to lose weight (which includes many of us) often think that we are aiding the process by eliminating calories through products branded with the “diet” label. But truth be told many of those items just make you more hungry and more thirsty which just means you are adding more aspertame to your system.

We have known that aspertame is a known carcinogen for over thirty years. The FDA had banned the use of this chemical until 1980 when Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr, was appointed head of the FDA under Ronald Reagan, and it was approved. (The recommendation to appoint Hayes came from Donald Rumsfeld who was the head of Searle Pharmaceutical at the time.) Prior to being approved aspertame was banned for decades because testing had shown that it caused cancer.  Why the change in policy?

Well, about that time there was a ‘war on obesity” and a fitness craze which had many people clamoring for low calorie items.. Thus manufacturers of these artificial sweeteners wanted them declared safe, and began flooding the market with products containing aspertame. (Sucrolose and sorbitol were approved a decade or two later, adding two more “safe” chemicals to the American diet.)

Adding all that chemistry to our diets has added or exacerbated disease. There is some evidence linking Gulf War Syndrome to this pile. Soldiers drank lots of soda during the war trying to combat the high desert temperatures, and thus “overdosed” on aspertame. Do you think this may have impacted their mental and physical health??

Studies have linked increasing cases of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, acid reflux, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowl syndrome and more to this influx of artificial sweeteners, or “poison” as it should be called. Some have started calling this “Artificial Sweetener Disease” or ASD for short.

The best path to take with this, is to avoid these manufactured chemicals that are being added to your foods. If you want low calorie sweeteners go with Stevia or Xylitol, which are both naturally occurring low calorie additives.

Why add more chemicals to your body to treat this so called disease? It’s a reaction to the chemicals that caused many symptoms in the first place. Eliminate the artificial rather than add a prescription.

Even if you think this is a case of the “little boy who cried wolf” don’t you think that eliminating artificial crap from your diet is a good idea? Treat your body like a temple and feed it natural whole foods and naturally sweet items like fruit.