Is Your Health Being Manipulated?

Hi,

Your health is being manipulated with numbers. 

Check out this post I just did - and it is a little bit of a rant - so you are forewarned.

http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/is-health-a-number/

Thanks,

Mike Val

Which is the Better Exercise Session - the Answer

Hi,

Okay you can read about my take on the better exercise session at this link:

http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/exercise-time-6/

Please feel free to leave feedback.

Thanks,
Mike Val

Which is the Better Exercise Session? Part 2

Hi,

Last post I showed you two different exercise sessions and asked you to rate them.

If you didn't get to see that post, here it is again:
http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/exercise-time-5/

To find out my take on it, check out this post:
http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/exercise-time-6/

Thanks,

Mike Val

Which is the Better Exercise Session?

Hi,

Check out this post and tell me which is the better exercise session.  Then stay tuned for my take on the answer.

http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/exercise-time-5/

Thanks,
Mike Val

Take Your Cardio to a New Level in Less Time

Hi,

As I mentioned before you can go to my new blog at:
http://www.valshealthsite.com/fitnesstips to get the full story.

The last session we talked about taking your cardio to a new level in less time.  You can do this with interval training.  However, there is another way to really increase your cardio benefits in way less time. 

This type of training is pretty intense and you have to build up to it.  But, once you get it down, then your cardio benefits will be greatly enhanced. 

Here is the direct link.
http://www.valsheathsite.com/fitnesstips/exercise-time-4

Check it out. 

Thanks,

Mike Val

Shorten Your Cardio Time and Burn More Fat

Hi,

Last time we talked about long drawn out cardio and how it is not very efficient. 

You can shorten your cardio time and burn more fat by making some simple changes.

This includes upping the intensity levels.  As you do this you will need to decrease the amount of time you do your cardio. 

For more depth on this check out the new blog I started using Word Press. 
http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/exercise-time-2
http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/exercise-time-3

Thanks,

Mike Val

Do Long Cardio Sessions Work?

Hi,

Do long cardio sessions work?  Well, if your goal is to burn body fat the answer is yes.  But, they are not very efficient.

You have probably heard of the saying, to burn fat you have to get in the fat burning zone and that takes 20-30 minutes. 

So for 20-30 minutes you aren't even burning any fat.  Now you have to "start" your fat burning part of the cardio.  No efficient.

The other problem is that there is no carry over effect.  That means that you will stop burning fat immediately when you stop your session.  Not efficient.

I discuss the reasons why in more detail at: http://femfigueres.com/cardio-for-fitness.html

Check it out.
Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/category/uncategorized/

Muscle Loss Caused by Dieting

Hi,

Something that a lot of people don't like to talk about is the muscle loss caused by dieting. 

That is because they are so concerned about losing weight that they don't think of their overall appearance.

Do you want to look like a smaller version of your body as it is now? 

Or would you like to keep your muscles and lose just body fat?

There is a way to do it so that you don't have hardly any muscle loss caused by your diet. 

Check out my new post at:
http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/diet-and-muscle-loss/

Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Important update

Hi everyone,

I will be moving this blog to the Word Press platform.  I feel there is more versatility with WP than with Blogger. 

I will still keep the Blogger, but it will be more as a feeder to different posts and articles rather than the full blown blog. 

The new blog can be found at: http://www.valshealthblog.com/fitnesstips/

You can still find the main site at: http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Thanks,

Mike Val

Natural Destroyers of Sugar 3

Hi,

This post will finish up the natural destroyers of sugar we started a couple of posts ago.


The first destroyer of sugar today is Banaba Leaf Extract. I found out about this from my wife, who is Philippina. Turns out the banaba leaf is very popular in the Philippines and other south Asian countries.

It is usually processed into a tea. The banaba leaf contains corosolic acid which helps move sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells by mimicing insulin.

Numerous studies have confirmed these beneficial aspects.

Another natural destroyer of sugar you have probably heard of since it has been used in India and China for over 2000 years. It is called fenugreek.

The fenugreek seed helps stimulate insulin release which helps insulin do its job of putting the blood glucose into your cells for energy. 

It not only improves your blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, but also improves your cholesterol and triglycerides levels.

The last blood sugar destroyer is called bitter melon.  As with the others it helps insulin by reducing the blood sugar levels and getting them into the cells for energy use. 

All of these natural destroyers of sugar will help you stave of diabetes.  And that is a good thing.  Just remember, that these are supplements. 

Supplements are designed to help you attack a problem and help keep you healthy.  They are not designed to overcome continuous bad eating habits and lack of any kind of exercise at all. 

So if you don't exercise, eat like a horse, drink like a fish and smoke like a chimney - then no amount of supplements will overcome those behaviors. 

But, if you are really trying to improve your health and blood sugar levels are a concern, then try some of these supplements for a little help.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Your Health and the News

Hi,

There has been some talk lately - and these kinds of stories make the rounds every couple of years - that if you are overweight you actually reduce your risks of some heart issues.

Problem is that these stories only take one tiny statistic out of a thousand studies and make big "news" about it. 

Here is an example.  This study looked at cardio and metabolic health in three categories.  Normal weight, overweight and obese individuals. 

They found that 23.5 percent of normal weight adults did not have healthy measures of the assessed values.  These values were blood pressure, insulin resistance, HDL, CRP, triglycerides and fasting glucose levels. 

That means 1/4 of the normal weight population have health issues. 

In the obese group almost 70% of them had health issues. 

In the overweight group only 50% had this increased risk of health issues. 

My take on this is that as you gain weight your levels of risk go up from approximately 25% to 50% to 70%.

However, the news take on the same stats was that 30% of obese people have no health problems.  Here is a quote from one blog; "These studies once again prove that just because you are obese doesn't mean you are unhealthy."

Of course the study did not show that.  It did not measure all health issues for one thing. 

The news did not take into account the whole story.  The one showing the increase risk of these health issues as one gains weight. 

Of course that won't sell newspapers or earn a shot on the TV news.  But, 30% of obese people are healthy will earn a shot on the news. 

Are there some overweight people that are healthy?  Yes. 

Are there some obese people who are healthy?  The overwhelming majority of studies on all aspects of health say no. 

Are there some people that are normal weight who are not healthy?  Yes. 

So it is not just weight.  There are many other things you can do to yourself to harm or improve your health.

Could an overweight person who doesn't drink or smoke, who exercises consistently and eats pretty healthy be in better over all health than a normal weight person who doesn't exercise, doesn't eat healthy and smokes and drinks?  Yes, indeed. 

So when you see health "news" or "statistics" take them with a grain of salt.  Do they even make sense?  In most cases if you really look at the report you will see the flaws. 

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/
Stefan N, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1609-1616.

Natural Destroyers of Sugar 2

Hi,

Last post we looked at the first destroyer of sugar called Gymnema Sylvestre and saw how it can help lower your blood sugar levels. 

The next destroyer we will look at is called Chromium.  Chromium is a mineral that most Americans don't get enough of.  It does several good things for the body. 

It aids in digestion and helps turn fats, carbs and proteins into energy.  It does this by helping to move the blood sugars into the cells for energy.

And it helps insulin do its job.  So supplementing with Chromium will help insulin get your cirulating blood sugars into the cells for energy.  Again you have the same problem of too much sugar circulating. 

Either you have to increase the amount of energy you need every day to burn up this energy or you have to decrease the amont of sugars coming in.  Of course doing both together is the ideal. 

The next destroyer of sugar, is one that - paradoxically - is used along with sugar in a lot of cooking. 

You can smell this one at almost every airport.  That is the good old flavor of Cinnamon.  Cinnamon buns smell great, but you can't eat one or two of those things and expect the little bit of cinnamon to counter attack all of that sugar at once. 

But, all hope is not lost.  It was found that blood sugar levels actually dropped after eating apple pie in subjects in this particular test. 

It took a while for the researchers to figure out that it was the cinnamon in the apple pie that caused the drop in blood sugar levels. 

It was found that a compound - called methylhydroxy chalcone polymer or MHCP for short - actually helps insulin process glucose.  It helped to the magnitude of 20 times over just insulin alone. 

I eat a lot of oatmeal - most mornings.  I actually hate the taste of oatmeal by itself.  But, it is a good low glycemic carbohydrate source of food. 

I put some raisons, banana and cinnamon and nutmeg on the oatmeal and that tastes great.  I also drink a protein drink to balance out the meal. 

More natural destroyers of sugars in the next post. 

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

The Destroyer of Sugar

Hi, 

So just what is this Destroyer of Sugar?

It is a herbal supplement that has been around forever.  It is called gurmar and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine.  Ayurvedic medicine is the holistic system of healing developed in India and became known in the West via the teachings of Deepak Chopra.

Gurmar is known more by the name of Gymnema Sylvestre or GS as I am going to call it.  Basically it is one of several known herbs that help regulate your insulin levels and keep your blood sugar levels in healthy ranges. 

The premise of GS is that chewing the leaves decreases your taste of sweetness.  So you don't crave it as much.  Several studies have shown that over a period of time (tests have been done over 18 months) your blood sugar levels will drop significantly. 

If you keep your blood sugar levels under control, then you won't have to worry about developing diabetes.  Since diabetes is the fastest growing disease in the US, this is something you should probably want to be taking.  Especially if you want to control that sweet tooth. 

When you do eat sugars the circulating blood sugar levels increase.  However, there are mechanisms that move these circulating blood sugars into the cells for energy. 

They work fine when there isn't too much sugar.  When there is too much sugar, the cells don't need any more.  So the circulating blood sugars don't have anywhere to go. 

But, they do go somewhere.  They get pushed into the cells and not used for energy.  That means they turn into fat.  Now that is a rather simplistic description and it is way more complicated than that. 

But, I am not an organic chemist and, bottom line is that you all you really have to know is the above. 

GS is not the only supplement that can help you with maintaining and even lowering your blood sugar levels. 

We'll get into more destroyers of sugar in the next post.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Looking for Those 6 Pack Abs?

Hi,

Everyone wants six pack abs, or so it seems if you listen to all the ads on tv and radio.  Sure 6 pack abs look great on anyone, but they aren't easy to get. 

In reality, everyone has 6 pack abs.  It is just the way the abdominal muscles are sectioned.  Problem is, in most people, these muscles are covered with a layer of adipose tissue. 

So no matter how many ab exercises you do, or how strong your abdominals are, you will never see them if you have too much body fat. 

So the ideal goal is to work on building up your abdominal muscles while you are losing body fat. 

Today I am not going to worry about losing body fat.  That would make this post 7000 pages long.  So let's concentrate on getting stronger abs. 

The best way to get stronger muscles - not just abs - is to combine an explosive movement with an endurance type of exercise. 

For example with the shoulders you could do a snatch and press for your explosive movement.  Then do a lateral raise hold for your endurance exercise. 

For the abdominals it becomes a little tricker depending on if you are doing this at home with no equipment vs. being at a gym with tons of equipment. 

If you are at a gym, then you can use a medicine ball.  Hold the ball overhead with both arms, contract your abs and slam the ball into the ground.  Do this for as mnay reps as you can. 

Then immediately lie down (on your back) and raise your upper body off of the ground and hold it for as long as you can. 

Repeat these two exercises at least twice - three times is better.  Don't rest more than 20 seconds after the second exercise. 

If you are at home with no equipment then try this.  Lie down on the ground on your back.  Bring your left knee to your chest while you try to sit up slightly and touch your right hand to your left toe.  Do the opposite side and repeat until you can't do any more. 

Then immediately, while still lying down, raise both feet off the ground about 6 inches, push the lower back into the ground and hold for as long as you can.  Rest 20 seconds and do both exercises again. 

There are probably hundreds of combinations you can do and I might do a video and post it on this blog to give you some more ideas.  But, start with these and pretty soon you will find those 6 pack abs.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Men: Are Your Estrogen Levels Out of Control?

Hi there,

Okay, most men might think that their estrogen levels are not out of control.  They might not even believe they have to worry about estrogen levels. 

Well, men, you do have to worry about it.  And women also.  Once estrogen levels go out of control, so does menopause. 

Out of control estrogen levels affect everyone.  Estrogen is being force fed to all of us.  Food companies have been force feeding cattle and chicken hormones (mostly estrogen to plump them up) for years now. 

This practice has been banned in most countries, but the FDA in the US seems to think it is okay. 

They think it is okay for men to have breasts as large as women.  They think it is okay to totally throw our natural hormone levels out of whack. 

This leads to more prostate problems for men.  It leads to worse menopausal symptoms for women.  It leads to more wrinkles, more sleepless nights, a lack of sex desire, more memory loss and so on for both. 

Nice to know your hard earned tax dollars are going to a government organization run by corporate sponsors.  Okay that was my rant, now what can you do to counteract your estrogen levels being out of control. 

Well, you can stop aging.  Aging is also one of the reasons estrogen increases in men.  It used to be this didn't happen until latter years.  But, today you can go on any college campus and look at the breasts forming on the soft bodys of the college aged men. 

It will only get worse. 

The other contributor to estrogen levels rising is because of environmental toxins.  You can read more about this in a previous post on toxification. 

So outside of moving off the planet is there anything else you can do?  Sure is. 

First you can eat more of your veggies.  Especially the cruciferous vegetables.  This include broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, turnip, brussel sprouts, rutabaga, kale and mustard. 

You can also stop eating the meat and poultry you find in your local grocery stores.  You can search online for organic or grass fed meats.  Try to find someplace local. 

You can go to your local farmers market and ask where to find grass fed beef.  There is almost always a farm or two where you can pick up healthy meat, poultry and organic eggs. 

Make sure you wash all your fruits and vegetables before you cook them or eat them.  If you can shop for natural or organic foods then do so.  Eat more veggies raw.  That way none of the many nutrients are not lost. 

You can also add a supplement called DIM or di-indole methane.  This is one of the nutrients found in the cruciferous vegetables mentioned above.  Problem is because of the environmental toxins it has been estimated that you would need to eat approximately 2.5 pounds of veggies a day. 

I know that isn't going to happen.  So a supplement of 50-100mg a day will help greatly. 

Try these things and your estrogen levels will no longer be out of control. 

More later.  Thanks,

Mike Val
The Organic Health Food Cookbook
THE JOY OF EATING NATURAL FOODS the Complete Organic Cookbook
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

What is Your Ideal Weight?

Hi,

Just what is your ideal weight? 

Depends on who you ask.  

There are all kinds of charts available that show that you should weigh so much based upon your height and age.

There are others based upon your BMI or body mass index.  This was designed to take into account the proportions of muscle to fat in your body. 

And most of these involved all kinds of fancy calculations, that no one is really going to do. 

However, I found a pretty simple one the other day and thought I would pass it on to you.

First you take your height over 5 feet in inches and multiply that by 5.  If you are under 5 feet tall then this formula doesn't work for you. 

Then you add that number to 110 pounds if you are a woman and 120 pounds if you are a man. 

So an example for a woman who is 5'3" tall would be:  She is 3" over 5 feet tall, so take 3 x 5 = 15.  Add that to 110 pounds and you get 125 pounds. 

For a man who is 6 feet tall:  That is 12" over 5' tall so 12 x 5 = 60.  Add 60 + 120 and you get 180 lbs.

This is pretty simple to figure out, but it does have a few problems.  One of them is the same problem that the charts have.  A person that is more muscular is going to weigh more.  An athlete who is 6 feet tall and weighs 215 would be considered overweight and even obese based on the charts and this formula. 

But, let's just take the average person.  I think the above formula is a little too heavy for the women and maybe just a little light for the men. 

So can you use the formula in helping you maintain an ideal weight?  Sure.

Using the example above, a 5'3" female who weighs 125.  If you feel good and healthy and look good to yourself at this weight then your goal is to maintain it for your lifetime. 

Weigh yourself once a week at most.  Your weight will flucuate on a daily basis no matter what you eat or do.  So don't bother weighing yourself daily. 

If your weight starts going up then you can do a few things to get it back to normal.  Eat more nutrient dense foods.  Cut out more junk food.  Take an extra walk every day.  Do an extra workout at the gym. 

You don't have to do all of those things, but try a couple for a week.  Then weigh your self again. 

The trick is to not gain a lot of weight in that week in the first place.  If, for example, after Thanksgiving week, you gained 1 or 2 pounds, then spend the next week getting it off. 

If you go for 3-4 weeks without weighing yourself and have gained 6 or 7 pounds, then it is going to take longer and be harder to lose that weight. 

It is much easier to maintain your status quo then it is to "go on a diet" or increase your calorie burning workouts. 

So the bottom line is to use this, or any other formula you want, to figure out your ideal weight.  Then use a weekly weighing to maintain that weight.  Any changes in weight should be small ones and easily manipulated to keep you at your ideal weight. 

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/ 

The Vitamin D Plot to Kill Sunshine Part 2

Hi,

Last post we talked about the Plot to Kill sunshine and replace it with Vitamin D.   The hysteria against the sun created by the pharmaceutical and medical industries along with sunscreen and sunblock manufacturers has erupted full force. 

Now hardly anyone goes to the beach without slathering on pounds of chemicals to "protect" themselves from the sun. 

So how does this affect the pharmaceutical industry.  Well, back in the 1930's the pharmacy industry was able to isolate one secosteroid.  They called it Vitamin D, or the sunshine vitamin.  Never mind the fact that there are hundreds of these secosteroids. 

And a couple of posts ago we talked about the synergistic benefits of fruits and vegetables.  Same thing applies here. 

But, there is no money to be made in sunshine.  There is money to be made with Vitamin D.  Actually, the first uses for this isolated Vitamin D was as a rat poison. 

This synthetic D has the ability to fake out the body (human and rat) and make the body think it is a real vitamin.  But, it isn't.  And it was used as a very effective poison against rats. 

Guess what, this also affects you.  Even though it is a little bit, continuous use of Vitamin D will throw your hormonal balance out of whack. 

This induces calcification (another "ation" - see previous posts) and can lead to heart failure, kidney damage and excess fatigue. 

As usual big Pharmacy has gotten it wrong.  Yes, we get secosteroids (of which Vitamin D is one) from the sun.  But, the interaction of all the hundreds of secosteroids is what is beneficial to the body.  And only in limited exposures. 

Isolating one secosteroid and calling it the miracle drug is a stretch at best and a rat poison at worst.  This accumultion of D in your body's fat cells allows it to wreck its havoc on your body over a long period of time. 

Bottom line, get a daily dose of sunshine as often as you can.  Don't overdo it.  And if you live in a place where it snows 6 months of the year, make sure you get out on every sunny day.

You can also take cod liver oil (non fortified).  Eat non-farmed salmon, sardines, beef or chicken liver and eggs.

That way we can stop the Vitamin D plot to kill sunshine.

Enjoy the sun.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

The Vitamin D Plot to Kill Sunshine

Hi,

Last post we looked at the pharmaceutical marketing ploy to replace fruits and vegetables in your diet.  Today we look at the Vitamin D plot to kill sunshine. 

This is really a great look at how the pharmaceutical industry really works.  It is a two part strategy.  One is the killing of sunshine.  The other, which we will talk about in the next post is the elevation of Vitamin D to a miracle "drug".

There is a lot of good about sunshine.  As the sun's rays hit your body it causes an interaction.  This interaction produces a body of hormones called secosteroids.  For a pretty current list you can check out
reference.md.  Just put secosteroids in the search box on the site and you will find a lot of long chemical names.

Anyhow, secosteroids are good for your body.  You know how you feel much better on a sunny day than a cloudy day.  Well it is not all psychological.  It has to do with these secosteroids and the fact that they make your body feel better.

Is it any wonder that many retirees live in Florida, southern California, Nevada, and Arizona and other "sunshine" states. 

All of these hundreds of secosteroids act in unison to produce these good effects on your body.  They help to control bone density, blood sugar levels and whole body inflammation.  These hormones also help ward off cancers, obesity and type II diabetes. 

It has been found that they also activate and interact with over 900 of your genes.  That is how they help control the above stated effects. 

So if sunshine is so good for you, how can it be killed? 

Well, as with many things in life, too much of a good thing can harm you.  You know what sun burn is right?

Sun burn destroys your skin cells.  And continuous exposure to it will dry out your skin and cause wrinkles before your time.  There is also some evidence that it can cause skin cancer if taken too far. 

Many doctors now proclaim that you must stay away from the sun.  The whole pharmaceutical industry says the same thing. 

If you must go out into the sun make sure your have sun block 99,999,999,999 on. 

All of it is hysteria.

The sun heats you up.  If you are sitting in the sun for more than 20 minutes at a time, you will start getting too hot.  This is when you body is telling you it is time to go inside. 

You will no longer be getting the good benefits of these secosteroids.  In fact they actually stop reacting with your skin in a good way.  Then the destruction starts. 

Now please note, the 20 minutes is just a frame of reference.  If you are at the equator and are lily white, then you will start to burn much faster.

If you have a good tan or have darker skin then you can probably get the benefits for more than 20 minutes.

The goal is to be prudent about your exposure to sun.

Okay, next post we go into the second phase of the Vitamin D plot to kill sunshine.

Thanks,

Mike Val

http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Natural Antioxidants vs. Pharmaceuticals

Hi,

You probably know that natural antioxidants are good for you, but are they better than pharmaceuticals?

If you ask the naturalists, they will tell you that natural antioxidants are best. 

If you ask the pharmaceutical and medical professions they will say pharmaceuticals are best. 

So who is right?

It would seem that natural fruits and vegetables would be better for you.  That natural is always better than synthetic or man made concoctions. 

But, then you run into the argument about the amount of nutrients in fruits and vegetables today.  Some say the soil is so polluted that an apple grown today does not have nearly the same nutrients as an apple that was grown just 20 years ago.

Add in the pesticides, coloring dyes and who knows what else that is added to fruits and vegetables and maybe you aren't getting all the nutrients and antioxidants that you think you are getting. 

For the most part, the pharmaceutical industry (at least in the US) has very strict standards of operation for cleanliness and standardization.  So you can be assured that what ever the label says, you are getting. 

However there is something that the pharmacy industry can't get around.  They can analyze an apple - for example - and break down its constituent nutrients and antioxidants. 

However, they can't seem to put it all into a pill.  You see, an apple is designed to have all these nutrients and antioxidants together.  Because they don't all work separately.

They work together.  They work synergistically.   That means all those nutrients in the apple work together to make a better whole.   Their value is more than just the sum of all the individual nutrients. 

The pharmacy industy can't top that.   But, that doesn't stop them from bringing products to market and promoting the heck out of them.  After all they are after the bottom line. 

And if they can convince you that their brand of Vitamin C is better than an apple, then they make money.  They do this to the tune of multi-billions of dollars a year.  Guess they are pretty good at convincing.

My take is to stick with the apple.  It has so much more than just Vitamin C.  And it costs less. 

Just make sure to wash the apples and any other natural antioxidants you eat really well.  If you can afford to, just go organic.  Then you don't have to worry about the pesticides, and other additives. 

Next post we will talk about another natural substance that the pharmaceutical industry is trying to take over.  This one will blow your mind. 

Stay tuned.

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Women Need Muscles Too - Part 3

Hi, 

Here is part three of women need muscles too.  If you missed the first two posts, just check out the archived posts on this blog.

9. Feel good.


More exercise causes more muscle and tighter muscle which makes you feel good and look good. More

exercise also causes the release of endorphins which make you feel great.

10. Raises your spirits.

You feel good everytime you look in the mirror.

You feel good everytime some one comments on how fit and great you look.

Add these to all the extra feel good endorphins you are getting, the extra energy you have and your whole

essence or spirit is high all the time.

11. Live longer.

Fit, active and lean people live longer. Obesity is associated with over 38 life threatening diseases.

Being fit helps keep all those diseases away. 

12. Lower insurance rates.

Fit, non-obese people are usually healthier. They pay lower life, health and auto insurance premiums. 

13. Lower medical costs.

Fit, muscular people go to the hospital and doctor's office less. This keeps their insurance costs down, their medical costs down and their medical prescription costs down.

Just an aside here.  My dad lived to 82 years old.  But, he smoked and drank a lot throughout his life.  Even though he had a strong constitution, his last 15 years were filled with heart surgery, by-pass surgery and tons of medications.  This put a great financial burden on our family. 

And he still wasted away.  Don't let this happen to you. 

14. Job promotion.

Even though it is discrimination, fit, lean and healthy looking people get promoted more often. (This goes

for men too.)

They are seen as leaders and team players.

The final part will be tomorrow.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Women Need Muscles Too - Part 2

Hi,

Welcome to part 2 of women need muscles too.  If you missed the first post just check out the previous posts sections to read part 1.

3. Prevents falls.


A more muscular body helps with your balance.  The constant stimulation of the muscles of a fit person helps the body react better and more quickly to potential falls.

The strength of your leg and hip muscles alone can help prevent a fall if you slip. 

It also helps keep your bodies proprioceptors (balance mechanisms) at their peak efficiency.



4. Stronger bones.

There is nothing in the world that helps keep your bones strong than exercising and making your muscles

stronger.

Weight bearing exercises and weight training are the best for this.  You can start exercising today.

Make sure you supplement with enough calcium, magnesium and Vit D also.

Continue doing these things the rest of your life and you won't have to worry about hip replacement surgery or ending up in a nursing home in your later years.

5. Increased mitochondrial levels.

The mitochondria are the power houses of your cells.  The more you exercise the more energetic your

mitochondria are.

Instead of decreasing in number with age for non-exercisers, your mitochondria stay at the same

levels throughout life.

That means you have more energy throughout life.

6. More muscle = more fat burned.

Muscle helps in the fat burning process. The more muscular you are the more energy you burn – even

while you are sitting down. You get this energy from carbohydrates and fat.

Most exercise will burn off the carbs, but you need to get into the fat stores.

This is done with your raised metabolism, which comes about from exercise and bigger, stronger muscles.

The food you eat will be used to feed your muscles and not stored as fat.

Now this raised metabolism is not a lot.  But, here is the great part about it.  Your raised metabolism stays with you 24/7/365. 

That means a stonger muscled you burns more fat every second of every day for the rest of your life.  That is a lot of calories.  It will help keep you slim throughout life. 

7. Increased metabolism.

This is like a good "Catch 22". You exercise and this burns fat and raises your metabolism. You also gain

muscle tissue. Muscle demands more energy which also helps raise your metabolism.

More muscle means a higher metabolism which means more fat burned.

8. More energy.

You get more energy from exercise, from a raised metabolism and from more active mitochondria. 

Bottom line is you can't go wrong by exercising  and developing those muscles.

Stay tuned for part three tomorrow.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Women Need Muscles Too - Part 1

Hi,

Yesterday's post showed how women will get more out of trying to build strength by lifting heavier weights than they would by trying to tone their muscles with lighter weights. 

But, do women really need muscles?   Yes, they do. 

Now every woman has muscles.  The goal is to have functional muscle.  That means muscle with enough strength to help you maintain a healthy body.  This means stronger muscle. 

I wrote an article several years ago with the above title.  It was pretty long, so I am going to break it down in the next few posts and add a few things. 

So here goes:

"But, I don't want to look like Arnold!"


How many of you women have said this, or heard other women say something similar?

How about the men? Has your wife or girl friend ever said this?

Well women of the world, don't worry.  It isn't going to happen.

In fact, every man in the gym that has ever heard this statement, just has to laugh.

Why?

Because all these men that are working out are struggling to look like Arnold and they can't.

Even though they have plenty of testosterone (muscle building is one of the things testosterone does).

So if all these men can't look like Arnold, then women, you have nothing to worry about.

To look like Arnold you would need to have or to do at least these five things:

1. You need to be a man.

2. You need to be a genetic superfreak.

3. You need to take steroids.

4. You have to eat like a horse.

5. You have to work out for hours.

For most women, none of these things are possible or even desirable.

But, you still need muscles.

Why?

Well, lets list the reasons and then go over them in a little detail. Today you will get the first 2.  Then you will get the rest over the next few days. 
1. Look good

Women just look better when they are muscular. (So do men.)  Yes, there are extremes that some women

go to, but we are not talking extremes here. Just well conditioned and tight muscles.

It also helps your posture and shapeliness.

2. Move better
 
Whether walking, jogging, sitting, standing or doing back flips, a more muscular and tight body reacts better.

It is more coordinated because your muscles are used to activity and action. A more coordinated and toned

body moves and looks more graceful.

Stay tuned for more tips.

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Strength vs Toning Exercises

Hi,

There is a common misconception in the weight room.  It affects men and women alike. 

Do you know what is best - strength or toning exercises?  Well of course it depends on what you are trying to do.

If it is to build muscle and strength then you would think that lifting heavy weights would be best. 

If it is to just tone the muscles and lose a little body fat, then you would think that lifting lighter weights for more repetitions would be best.

There is a problem though.  Neither of the above statements are entirely true. 

Yes lifting heavy weights will make your stronger.  And it will build your muscles up to a point.  However, if you do not combine this with an increase in calories, you will be limiting your muscle building and strength building efforts. 

So what about toning?

Turns out that lifting heavier weights for less reps is much better than lifting lighter weights for more reps. 

A study done on women showed that lifting up to 85% of their 1 rep max was much better than lifting just 45% of their 1 rep max. 

The higher weight group burned more energy and raised their metabolism higher for a longer period of time.  So not only did they gain strength but they lost more body fat in the process. 

So the next time someone brings up the strength vs toning issue again, head on over to the heavy weights and build those toned muscles the right way.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Sit and Burn Calories?

Hi,

Can you really just sit and burn calories?

You have probably seen the ads:  Just sit and watch tv all day and watch the weight and fat melt off your body.  Is it all BS?

Well, pretty much. 

Yet, sitting does burn calories.  Even sleeping burns calories.  Your body at rest is burning calories.  If it isn't burning calories that means you are dead. 

Okay, so let's assume - for the sake of argument - that you are not dead and don't want to be.  Can you really just sit and burn calories and actually lose weight?

The answer is no.  Unless...

And no this is not where I tell you about the latest and greatest miracle pill that will allow you to sit and lose weight. 

So let's look at this a little deeper. 

Sitting will burn about 80 calories an hour.  Now this will vary a little bit.  A very small person might not even burn that much.  A very muscular person will probably burn more (because more muscle = a higher metabolic rate).  Still, we can use 80 calories per hour as an average. 

So if you did nothing but sit all day long, you would burn just over 1900 calories.

Since a pound has 3500 calories you could easily burn off a pound of fat in two days (1900 x 2 days = 3800 calories). 

Now the problem is that you can't eat anything.  So if you can go without eating anything and only drinking water (regular water, not the sugary kinds) then yes you can burn some of that fat off of you. 

But, this isn't the healthiest way to do so.  And you are going to be very tired and lethargic. 

And, the odds are you are not going to be able to do that for very many days. 

If you add something simple like a moderate walk, you can burn around 350 calories per hour. 

So let's say you keep your calorie intake the same, but add a simple 30 minute walk 5 days a week.  You would burn an extra 1750 calories in 1 week.  In two weeks you will have lost 1 pound (1750 x 2 days = 3500 calories). 

It is easy to do and as an added bonus, you will feel great.  Another added bonus, is that your muscles will get stronger and a little bigger.  Which means, when you are sitting you will be burning more calories.

Here is the bottom line.  You don't have to kill yourself with exercise.  A simple walk will get you started on the path to losing weight and burning calories. 

It doesn't matter if you can't do 30 minutes to start with.  Start with 15 minutes.  Start with 10 steps if you have to.  The point is just start and build up from there. 

Forget the sit and burn calories mantra.  It is no way to live a life. 

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/ 

Can You Keep Your Mind Young?

Hi,

Yesterday we talked about keeping your brain young.  Yes, it is the same old, same old phrase you have heard your whole life.  Exercise and eat right.  Boring maybe, but true.

But, what about the mind?  Can you keep your mind young also?

Well, if you believe some of the outrageous claims being thrown around with mind and computer games, the answer is yes. 

You can stay young mentally, be quick witted, stave off Alzheimer's disease and never forget where you left your keys ever again. 

Problem is there isn't too much science behind all of these claims. 

That hasn't stopped the manufacturers of these games and programs from selling them however.  In 2008 the market reached over $225 million.  And it is growing rapidly. 

The idea, I think, is to get the games out there and hope the science validates them later.  Marketing wins again. 

Now some of these studies do show some improvement.  Problem is these improvements are in very specific areas.  So, if the game is trying to increase your recognition patterns, you will improve in your recognition patterns. 

Problem is that is only one tiny segment of what your mind is capable of.  And this improvement in recognition pattens does not help you one smidgen in any other area. 

So do the games help?  Yes, in their tiny focused area.  But that is not enough. 

Probably, and this is just my opinion, it is most important to focus on keeping up or improving upon your ability to communicate and on your math skills. 

Now you might not agree with me about the math skills, but we do use math everyday.  Do you check your bank statements, do you check the change you get from the store, do you count how many rolls of toilet paper you have before you need to buy more.  Get the picture. 

Anyhow, so you can do crossword puzzles or the relatively new sudoku puzzles.

Or do what I do.  Whenever I am driving, I check license plates.  They usually have numbers and letters.  One day I will add all the numbers up on every license plate I see.   Sometimes I will multiply the numbers. 
Sometimes after getting up into the high hundreds or even 1000's I will start subtracting or dividing. 

My Dad used to do this when he rode to work on the bus in his younger days.  He was the bookkeeper and this was way before there were computers. 

The other thing I do is try to make up sentences with the letters on the license plate.  Sometimes I just come up with limericks, sometimes I fit the letters into a whole sentence. 

For example.  TYM.  That could be "The Yes Man".  Everyone hated the yes man.  

These two simple exercises don't cost anything and hit both the communication and math parts of your mind. 

Try them and see if the help keep your mind young.

Thanks,

Mike Val

http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Can You Keep Your Brain Young?

Hi,

One of the things I am big on is keeping a balance in life.  Not only do we want a younger body, but we want to keep our brain young also. 

The other part is the spirit, or what I call the essence.  These three together make up the body, mind and spirit that almost everyone has heard of. 

These three, working together, make each and every one of us a powerful person. 

Today, let's look at the power of the brain.  This can actually be broken down into two distinct categories that most people miss.

The brain is not the mind and the mind is not the brain. 

There is a mix up here and hopefully I can clarify some of it. 

The brain is the control center of your body.  It has nutrient needs, chemical needs and hormonal needs. 

All of your actions go through the brain.  This includes movement, seeing, breathing, eating, thinking and so on and so on. 

In order to function properly, you have to take care of the brain, just like you do your body.  Exercising helps your body.  It helps your heart and circulatory system.  It pumps more blood through your body more quickly.

Which means it also pumps more blood through your brain.  This in turn gives your brain more nourishment and allows it to function properly. 

The food we eat can help the brain or hinder it. 

Food is needed by the brain to improve the brains chemistry and to support the building of transmitters and enzymes.  This allows us to have communication and feelings among other things.

These transmitters, called neurotransmitters, jump the gap between synapses.  Without getting too technical, if this doesn't happen you don't function.  You would just lie in bed all day not moving or feeling anything. 

Not a good way to be.  Now if you have read any of the past posts in this blog you have seen how good nutrition helps your body function.  Well if you go back and insert the word brain for body, the same pretty much holds true. 

So if you want to keep your brain young and healthy, then exercise and eat right.  Boy, where have we heard that before?:-)

Next post we will talk about keeping the mind young.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Reaching Your Goals Easily

Hi again,

Yesterday we talked about the Japanese concept of reaching your goals easily. 

Taking tiny steps in the direction of your goals guarantees success.  Yes, this takes longer than what all the gurus say. 

You know, the gurus that promise you weight loss while watching tv, building muscles while watching tv, becoming a millionaire while watching tv.  And so on and so on. 

But, each tiny step builds upon itself and progress is made every day.  This is how Japan, a tiny nation that has to import almost all of its natural products was able to grow into a world wide power. 

This is how Vasily Alexeev was able to set over 80 world records in weight lifting. 

This is how I was able to set a personal record in the leg press just last week. 

So the first thing is you have to have the mindset that your goal is going to take a while.  And that you will reach it by taking the tiny steps you need to take everyday to reach your goal. 

However, something strange happens along the way. 

Somewhere along the way, you make a leap.  I learned about this when I was teaching fitness classes at the junior college level. 

Let's use pushups as an example.  Most women have a hard time with pushups.  So I start them out slow.  If they can't do a full pushup, then I have them do 1/2 pushups.  If they can't do that I just have them go up into the pushup position and hold it while the rest of the class does the regular pushups. 

If they can only hold themselves up for 10 seconds, then they do that.  Next time they do it longer.  And we will do pushups several times over the 40 minute class. 

Eventually, everyone will be able to do at least one pushup.  This happens about half way through the semester.  But, here is the kicker.  Even the weakest will one day, right out of the blue, come in and do 4 to 6 pushups. 

They are actually shocked.  They had been struggling for weeks to do just one and then all of a sudden they can do 4 to 6.  So what happened?

I have no physiological answer for that.  I believe it is the synergistic effect of doing a little bit consistently that allows for leaps forward. 

Yes, this way still takes longer, even with the leaps.  But, it is also consistent and it is easy to do.  As long as you do the little things, the big things happen. 

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

A Simple Method of Reaching Your Goals

Hi,

Last post we talked about getting past the struggle.  The struggle that happens everyday in your life in every area.  Life is not always easy. 

I also promised you an easy way to do this and reach your goals.  So what is this easy way? 

Kaizen!

What the heck is that?  Let me explain.

Did you ever wonder how a tiny nation became a super power? 

Did you ever wonder how a Russian weight lifter set more records than any man in history? 

Diid you ever wonder how a 60+ year old guy set a personal record after back surgery? 

They all used the concept of Kaizen. 

Kaizen is simply a Japanese word that means incremental progress. 

So how does it work? 

Let's use the example of dieting.  You decide to lose some weight.  So you reduce your calories pretty drastically.  And of course your body rebels.  And you stay hungry, you lose energy, your feel tired all the time.

This makes it almost impossible to stay on the diet.  You can't push through the hard part (see yesterday's post). 

So what do you do instead?  Instead of reducing your calories too drastically, you reduce them only a little bit.  So little, that your body doesn't even notice it. 

Maybe this little amount is 100 calories a day.  Maybe it is only 10 calories a meal.  Maybe it is eating one less french fry for lunch.  It doesn't matter. 

You reduce your eating a tiny amount.  You do that on day one.  You don't even notice it.  That is what you want.  To not notice it. 

The next day you can eat just a little less again.  If you don't notice it - i.e. feel hungry, then reduce what you eat again on the third day. 

Continue doing this until you do notice the reduction in calories.  Then hold that level until that becomes natural and normal for you. 

Then start over with another tiny reduction in calories.  So little that you don't even notice it and so on as above. 

Now you might be thinking that it will take forever to lose any weight that way.  Maybe not forever, but it will take a pretty long time. 

There are other things you can do to help the process and you can check out my book: Stop Dieting, Start Losing Weight and Keep it Off Permanently.

But, there is a beauty to this Kaizen process and how it works with your body.  These incremental steps build upon each other.  Yes, they take a while, but there is something else happening and all of a sudden you get an acceleration or leap forward. 

With weight loss that means instead of losing 1 pound a month, you might lose 4 pounds in a month.  Even without reducing your calories at any faster pace. 

More on this in the next post.

Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

The Hard Part of Dieting, Exercising and Life

Hi everyone,

Wow, that was a long title.  So just what is the hard part of dieting, exercising and life?

It is continuing while going through the struggle.  Huh, I can just hear some of you saying.

Okay, let's look at dieting.  It is easy to get started on a diet.  You finally decide you need to lose some weight and you reduce the number of calories.  For purposes of this article let's assume that dieting is an okay method to lose weight - even though it is the worst thing you can do.

The first few days are pretty easy, but as your diet continues the weight loss slows down.  And life gets in the way.  Your friends at work invite you to eat at the local fast food joint.  Maybe you give in - just this once.

You get home from a hard day at work and maybe a cookie or piece of candy won't really hurt your appetite for dinner.  You really want just a small snack after dinner and it isn't that many calories. 

This is the struggle part.  This is where most people give up.  This is the hard part of dieting. 

Get through this and you will be amazed at the rewards you get.  A leaner body and continued fat and weight loss. 

Last week I talked about a new personal record on the leg press machine.  This after having back surgery about 10 years ago.  I could have given up on ever setting a personal record.  I had a great excuse. 

But, I didn't.  I took some teasing when I went back to the gym.  I was only lifting weights that the average 8 year old girl could lift. 

Did I stop?  No.  I kept going.  Now there are some exercises that I will never do again.  Like regular barbell squats.  But, that is okay.  You just change directions.  You don't stop at the hard part.  You push through it.  And you are rewarded with personal records.

Every day life has a way of interfering with your goals in every area of life.  The thing is you do have a way of finding a solution.  When you get to the hard part, don't stop.  Just push through a little more until you get past the hard part. 

Even if the hard part takes a long time.  Giving up and eating that extra piece of cake is not the answer. Giving up and not going for personal records is not the answer.  Giving up on your goals is not the answer. 

The answer is to get past the hard part.  That is when you get your rewards.  That is when you get that thinner body.  That is when you build more strength and muscle.  That is when you reach your goals. 

Now there is a way to get through the hard parts of dieting, exercising and life in general and we'll talk about that in the next post. 

Until then never give up.

Thanks,

Mike
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Personal Records

Hi,

Had a good day at the gym on Thursday.  Set a new personal record on the leg press machine.  1125 pounds. 

That is a lot of weight.  Especially for someone who only weighs +/- 180.  In all fairness I kept the safety bars locked so I was only pressing the last part of the leg press.  But, still I had never done that much weight before, so I was happy.

Two points I would like to make here. 

First is that you can make progress and gain strength even by doing partial reps.  And they are a lot safer. 

While it is important to do full range of motion exercises, it is not the only way to go.  When the weight starts getting too heavy to do full reps, then do some partial reps.

This does two things.  It extends the time of the set, which is important.  (More on this part in a future post).

And it lets you handle heavier weight in a safe postion.  Handling heavier weights lets you build strength.  It gets your body used to the heavy weight.

As you go heavier you get stronger.  And the lighter weight you were using for full range movements will seem pretty easy.  You will be able to increase the weight you were using and still do the full range movements. 

So you will be stronger. 

The second point is that going for personal records or personal bests is a great way to stay motivated. 

Now you don't have to go for personal bests every time you workout.  Your body won't be able to sustain that for long. 

I have not been able to do squats (with weights) since my back surgery about 10 years ago.  So I am very careful when I do any exercises. 

I had sort of given up on personal records since the surgery.  Of course I still exercised and have kept in fantastic shape as I have aged.  But, it has been a long time since I was able to press anywhere near that weight. 

So it felt great - made me feel 20 years younger.  And you should use this as motivation for your own personal records. 

Now, I am 61 years old (all the pictures on my website are at my current age - http://www.valshealthsite.com/about.html )and still setting personal records.  So don't give me any excuses for being too old to set your own records and push yourself a little in the gym. 

Good luck,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Low Cholesterol and Heart Attacks

Hi,

Today we are going to talk about another health lie.  This has to do with low cholesterol and heart attacks. 

The pharmaceutical industry would like you to believe that low cholesterol prevents heart attacks.  And they, of course, have developed a a series of drugs to lower your cholesterol.  

These are the Statins.  And they do a great job of lowering your cholesterol.  They will lower it on average about 30% (varies from 10 to 50%). 

But, there are some problems.  And I am not just talking about the side effects, like muscle pain, fatigue, and muscle aches.  These are mild side effects, but there haven't been any long term studies to see if other problems develop. 

And I am not just talking about the fact that all of your cholesterol levels go down. 

Your body has two kinds of cholesterol.  The bad kind (LDL) and the good kind (HDL).

It turns out that heart health has more to do with higher HDL levels.  So you have a drug that lowers cholesterol and actually puts you more at risk than you would be if you didn't take the drug.

At this point in time there is no none way - pharmaceutically speaking - to lower LDL and to raise HDL. 

But, the pharmaceutical company spent millions of dollars on developing this drug.  They had to come up with something.  And that is where the lie of lowering cholesterol helps reduce the risk of heart attacks, especially first time heart attacks. 

There is no reputable research that shows this to be true.  In reality, the cholesterol levels of those with first time heart attacks were low, high and normal. 

And here is the kicker.  Taking statins was no better than doing a few simple things (without drugs) at preventing heart attacks from occuring.  These few simple things don't cost anything either. 

So what were these things.  First was maintain your healthy weight.  Second was exercise. 

Pretty simple, huh. 

If you are overweight, then change your eating habits to lose weight (see my ebook -Stop Dieting, Start Losing Weight and Keep it Off Permanently) and take a few extra supplements.

These supplements will help raise your HDL (the good kind) as will exercise. 

So take some Niacin, some CoQ10 and try to eat more grass fed or free range beef because it has more Omega 3's in it and none of the hormones that regular beef does.  And exercise. 

Do these few things and you won't have to worry about the wrong kind of low cholesterol or heart attacks.

Thanks,

Mike Val

http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Cravings and Your Diet

Hi there,

Do you have the munchies?  Those nightly cravings that play havoc with your diet. 

You are trying to lose a little weight and you seem to do okay through the daytime hours, but then you go home and relax. 

You also relax your discipline and that is when the cravings come out. 

Part of this is just because of where you are.  You probably have cravings throughout the day, but you can't act upon them. 

If you are in a meeting, you can't very well get up and leave to get a candy bar.  If you are stuck in freeway traffic, you can't just get out of your car and go searching for some chips. 

So you put that craving out of your mind.  But, once you are at home, the cravings come to the forefront and you don't have the excuse of a meeting or being in traffic to stop you from caving in to the craving. 

So there goes your diet out the window. 

Unless, you try some of these tricks.  First, go do something else.  It doesn't matter.  The thing about cravings is that they are almost always temporary.   They don't last long and even the cravings get distracted easily. 

So when an urge pops up, go do something else.  Go for a walk, talk a shower, call someone on the phone, do some cleaning.  Your urge will go away. 

Start your day with a healthy breakfast or at least some type of protein.  If you are not used to eating breakfast or don't like to, don't force yourself to.  Try adding a protein drink to start the day though. 

You can even buy protein powders at Walmart.  Just mix one up every morning - or the night before - with water or milk and you have something your body can live on for the next few hours.

I usually make up a 1 liter drink and sip it throughout the day.  It usually lasts about 1 1/2 days.  You can do the same. 

Eat most of your carbs throughout the daytime hours.  And make most of your carbs low glycemic.  Use whole wheat products if you are going to eat sandwiches.  Hold the mayo. 

In the evening eat a higher protein dish with some vegetables. 

If you still have a craving then try some cacao or cocoa - over 85% is best.  I also have some nuts and/or dried fruit - just a small handful for a late night snack.

There is a time for high glycemic carbs though and that is after your workout.  Eat some fruit and have a protein drink.  That will quickly supply your body with the nutrients it needs right after your workout. 

Those tips should help your diet and keep the cravings at bay.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

So What is the Real Truth About Drinking Water?

Hi,

You have probably heard that drinking water is good for you.  Almost everyone seems to recommend that you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. 

It is healthy for you and it will help you lose weight. 

So let's look at these statements.

First, is it healthy to drink 8 glasses of water a day?  For some people the answer is yes.  But, it is hard to imagine that my wife who is 5'1" tall and weighs right around 100 pounds needs as much water per day as I do (6' and around 180 pounds). 

Add in the fact that I am much more active than she is.  She works in an office and sits for 8 hours a day.  I also sit a lot, but I exercise every morning and go to the gym 5 times a week.  Plus, I do some kind of movement or exercise throughout the day. 

So it would stand to reason that I need more water than she does.  Most health gurus just blindly say that everyone needs 8 glasses of water a day.  That is BS.

And no one seems to know where this 8 glasses idea originally came from.  Did someone just pull that number out of thin air?  I don't know. 

And what if you drink tea, or coffee or juices?  How about if you eat grapes or oranges?  Does that juice count or does it have to be water only? 

Here is the bottom line.  Drink when you are thirsty.  If you are exercising then drink more.  If it is hot outside, then drink more. 

If you feel you have no energy, then drink more. It is possible that you are dehydrated.  Being dehydrated will cause you to feel like you have no energy. 

Okay, what about water helping you lose weight.  Now you might think that drinking water doesn't have any affect on your body weight. 

Surprisingly enough though, drinking water does raise your body's metabolism.  Drinking cold water raises it even more. 

A study on water induced thermogenesis showed that drinking 500ml (about 2 glasses of water) did raise the metabolic rate by up to 30%.  This effect started at about 10 minutes after drinking and peaked at 30 minutes after drinking. 

The good news, especially for men, is that most of this increased metabolism was fueled by lipids (of body fat).   In women, it was mostly fueled by carbohydrates. 

In either case anytime you can raise your metabolism and burn some calories it is a good thing. 

However, this does not mean you should try to drink 2 glasses every 1/2 hour.  Too much of a good thing can easily become a bad thing.   Yes, too much water can harm you. 

So what can you do?  If you aren't drinking very much water now, then start drinking more.  Start by drinking 1/2 a glass every couple of hours.  See how that feels. 

If you are already drinking several glasses a day, then keep at it. 

Drinking water is good for you and will help your raise your metabolism.  Just don't overdo it.

Thanks,

Mike Val

http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Are You Depleting Yourself?

Hi again,

This last "ation" is not an "ation" at all, but rather an "etion", but I figured it was close enough.  So are you depleting yourself with depletion?

I know the previous posts to this blog were a little heavy.  I hope that I was able to break the terms down enough for you so that you understand the importance that the "ations" play in your health. 

Depletion however is pretty easy to understand. 

If you think of your body as a sports car, then I can explain depletion pretty easy.

If you give your sports car, premium gas then it runs pretty good.  If you give it a high grade of oil, good tires, and keep everything in tip top shape then this car will serve you well for years.

If however, you try to run it on a low grade gas, only change your oil every 30,000 miles and don't put air in the tires, then your car isn't going to go too fast or too far.

If you give your body the nutrients that it needs, the vitamins and minerals that it needs then it will function well into old age.  If you give it the movement that it needs then it will serve you well.

If however, you feed it ghost (or junk) foods, don't give it the nutrients it needs and don't move then welcome to the nursing home - if you live that long.

So here is the thing.  Not only do you have to take care of your car and your body, you also have to move it.

What good is it to have a shiny sports car, if it sits in the garage all day, week, month and year?  You can have the best gas and oil, and polish it every day.  But, it will still deteriorate.  It is designed to be driven, not to be sittin'.

The same goes for your body.  You have been given an amazing instrument.  Even if you get the proper nutrients, it is not enough.  Your body is designed for movin' not sittin'.

So get out there and move.  Move every day.  If you really want to make sure you are running on all cylinders then do some harder movements.  Do weight lifting, do stretching, do some cardio exercises, play games, try to keep up with your kids or grandkids.

Then you won't ever have to worry about depeleting yourself and sittin' all day in the garage (nursing home) as your approach old age. 

Thanks,

Mike Val

For more information on how long to exercise just check out my website:
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Methylation: the Good and the Bad

Hi,

Our next "ation" is methylation.  It is both good and bad. 

It is good in the sense that our body needs this process to function.   It helps the body detoxify any toxins you have in your body.  It repairs damaged DNA and helps create new cells.  And it also produces anti-aging hormones.  These are all good things. 

Methylation is actually a process that occurs in all of your cells.  It involves CH3 (a methy group) going through a cycle in and around each cell.  Rather than explain this very complicated cycle, just know that this cycle is vital.  And also it is too complicated for me:-).

Okay, so where are the problems?  The problems occur when the your body doesn't have the raw materials for the methyl groups to work.  Couple this with the lack of certain catalysts - B12, zinc and folic acid - and the methylation process comes to a screeching halt. 

This is where the problems occur.  Things like: heart and artery disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancers, diabetes, depression, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), myalgic encephalitis, parkinson's disease and low thyroid functions. 

These problems, and notice the similarity to the other "ations", come about because a lack of the CH3 causes an amino acid in your blood called homocysteine to accumulate and damage your blood vessels.  This in turn is what causes the damage to your cells and leads to premature aging and death. 

Most people think that it is cholesterol accumulating in your bloodstream that causes the damage.  This is true as far as it goes.  The thing is the cholesterol won't accumulate in your bloodstream if everything is okay. 

But, the damage that homosysteine does to the blood vessels is what makes it possible for the cholesterol to plug up your arteries. 

Okay, so what next? 

First you can increase the amount of B12 and other B vitamins, folic acid (B9) and zinc in your diet.  However, don't overdo it.  Look for the recommended intakes.  Too much zinc, for example, is not good for you at all. 

You should also supplement with TMG and SAM-e if necessary.  You will have to take a blood test to find out if supplementation is necessary. 

You will want to keep your homocysteine levels at 6.3umol (micromol) per liter of blood or less.

If it is anywhere near 15umol then you have up to a quadruple chance of coronary artery disease.  Not good. 

TMG or trimethylglycine methylates homocysteine in the blood and helps drop the levels.  You can get some of your TMG naturally by eating nuts and seeds.  It is also in grains and meats, but is usually destroyed my cooking. 

SAM-e is a methly donor and plays a role in cell maintenance and nerve function.  It also needs Vitamin B12 and folic acid to function properly. 

So eat your nuts and seeds, get enough of your B vitamins and zinc and you will keep the methylation process in high gear. 

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Is Your Body Rusting Out?

Hi,

Continuing our series about the "ations" affecting your body, the next one is pretty familiar.  It is oxidation.

Almost everyone has heard of oxidation.  Or at least anit-oxidants.  Anti-oxidants are taken to prevent or decrease the amount of oxidation happening in your body. 

So just what is oxidation?  It is a natural and necessary process that occurs all the time in our body.  It is when an electron is removed from an atom or molecule.  It is the same process that happens when your car is rusting out, only this time it is happening in your body.

Sometimes this removal can damage the molecule and this can actually damage the DNA of your cells.  Not a good thing. 

Yet, oxidation is necessary as I mentioned before.  You need it to produce energy, like when glucose is turned into energy.  There are many processes in the body that use the oxidation process.

So here is how this process works.  You saw where oxidation is the removal of an electron from a molecule.  Well, these molecules get a little upset about this, so they go out looking to get that electron back.  And they don't care where they get it from. 

These upset molecules are called free radicals.  Normally the body can handle these free radicals by deactivating them. 

But, sometimes there are too many and the body gets overwhelmed.  When that happens the free radicals run rampant in their search for the missing electron.  They attack the brain and other organs to get their missing electron.  This causes a lot of damage throughout the body

As with all the other "ations" oxidation is involved in all major degenerative diseases. These include heart disease, clogged arteries, Alzheimer’s disease, all cancers,and diabetes.

A double whammy happens when you have low grade inflammation running throughout your body.  This inflammation increases free radicals. 

So one of the ways to keep the oxidation process at bad is to reduce the inflammation in your body.  You can see the previous post on inflammation for how to do this. 

In addition you can eat more of your fruits and vegetables especially organic ones.  Don't smoke or stop smoking.  Get an air purifier and a water purifier.

Reduce stress in your life, or start meditating to handle the stress better.  Don't get sun burned. 

Start taking some antioxidents along with your daily multi vitamin and mineral supplements.  This is especially true as you get older and if you exercise (remember from above when glucose is turned into energy)  to the extremes - like a professional athlete. 

Extreme exercise causes an abundance of free radicals and you might need some supplemental health.  

Green tea (not the kind with tons of sugar in it) has lots of anti-oxidants.  Extra supplements with coenzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine can help also. 

Doing the above few things can help you keep your body from rusting out.

Thanks,

Mike Val

http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Toxification is Poisoning Your Body

Hi,

Toxification is the next "ation" we will be talking about.  A toxic substance (toxin) is simply a poison.  Toxification is the process of turning a substance into a more harmful one or into a toxin.

An example would be turning a nitrite into a carcenogenic nitrosamine. 

The real problem is that almost everything can be a toxin if taken in the incorrect amount.

What does that mean?  Simply that something that is vital to your life, like oxygen or water, can become a toxin if you have too much in your body.  Too much oxygen in your blood can cause death.  Too much water in your body can lead to edema and also to death. 

Fortunately, it is very rare for those things to happen.  But, as you will see, there are many other things to worry about. 

Like the air we breathe.  The air goes through the lungs which acts as a filter.  If you have ever seen a picture of a diseased lung - usually from cigarette smoke - it is apparent that the lungs have done their job, but just got overwhelmed.  They are usually shriveled and black.

Other contaminents in the air include:  carbon monoxide, industrial solvents, sulfur dioxide, propane, butane, carbon disulfide, asbestos and the list goes on and on. 

The water isn't much better.  We get our water from surface runoff or ground water.  Each has its own set of problems. 

Surface runoff can be contaminated with pesticides and fertilizers, storm drain runoff, acid rain, leaking sewage and industrial wastes.  Ground water can be contamined with all of the above plus: leaking septic systems, old leaking gasoline storage tanks and discarded household cleaners. 

And let's not forget food contamination.  You are eating things like: pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, growth hormones, fertilizers, antibiotics, chlorine, molds, fungi, parasites and heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, iron, aluminum. 

Wow, is it any wonder that you don't feel great every day.  Now eating, breathing and drinking are things you have to do.  And there are some things you can do to make these things more helpful. 

What, did you think I was just going to leave you in this depressed state?

Okay, here are some guidelines to eliminating a lot of these toxins. 

Use air filters when indoors.  Change the filters frequently.  A room negative ionizer for your work space or cubicle could help.  Don't jog along high traffic areas. 

Drink only natural spring water.  Use water filters on your tap water, including your shower.

Eat organic as much as possible.

Exercise.   Exercise helps the lymph and circulatory system cleanse the body.

Get a body detox at least once a year. 

See that wasn't so bad was it?

We still have a couple of "ations" to go, so stay tuned.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Do You Like Wrinkles? Then You Will Love Glycation.

Hi,

We are continuing our "ation" kick this post.  If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out the last couple of posts. 

This post is about your wrinkles and the "ation" that affects them.  It is called glycation.

Glycation is a combination of sugars and protein molecules mixing.  This is not a good thing.  This tangled weave of material is very inflexible and tough.  Sort of like old leather. 

It is the primary cause of wrinkles.  But, it is not just the external wrinkles that you should be worried about.  The internal wrinkles are what causes your health problems.

When your internal organs start to wrinkle it becomes very damaging to the organs.  It causes them to become less flexible.  Now you probably don't think about your organs as being flexible, but they are and they need to stay that way. 

These aren't just little organs, but include the kidneys, the heart, your eyes, the pancreas and oh yes a fairly important one called your brain. 

To top it off the glycation process also releases compounds that produce free radicals which also damage organs including your skin.  These products are called AGEs or Aged Glycation End products.

So, I think you got the picture that this glycation process is not good for you. 

It will not only hasten your death, but make you look like hell as you are dieing. 

So what can you do to try to eliminate this process.  Well, since it is a combination of sugars mixing with protein molecules, then it makes sense to reduce the amount of sugars you eat. 

This includes a lot of starchy foods also.  Foods like fried potatoes, white rice, white pastas and white bread.  White processed foods have been pulverized so much that they aren't really food any more. 

Limit the amounts of food you eat that are cooked at high temperatures.  Anything cooked above 250 degrees causes glycation.  That means limit the amount of barbecuing you do this summer. 

You can also supplement with carnosine and benfotiamine.  I will get a link for you on where to get these supplements soon.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Are all these "ations" affecting your lifespan?

Hi again,

Yesterday I mentioned we would be discussing some things that affect aging.  Many of the diseases of "old age" are not due to old age at all.  They are due to the "ations" in your life.

What the heck are "ations" you might be wondering about now. 

They are: inflammation, glycation, toxification, oxidation, methylation and depletion.  Ok, there is one "etion" in there, but close enough. 

So what are these things and how do they affect your life.  Let's go over them in some detail. 

First of all not all inflammation is bad for us.  If you have a cold, the flu, a cut or break a leg your body's normal reaction is to help fix the problem.  This is your immune system in action. 

Inflammation is your body running hot.  If you have ever had a fever, then you have an idea of what inflammation is like.  It affects your whole body and you pretty much feel miserable. 

That is the high end of inflammation.   Most people are running a lower level of inflammation.  This is called chronic inflammation.  You might not even notice it, but it is still affecting your whole  body.  Some medical professionals consider chronic inflammation the foundation of all degenerative diseases and aging in general.

These degenerative diseases include heart disease, obesity, dementia, cancer, depression and diabetes just to mention a few.  Inflammation slowly destroys your organs and leads to rapid aging. 

Anti-inflammatory medications aren't much better.  Taking aspirin and some steroids actually interfere with your body's immune system.  And that doesn't even take into consideration of all the side effects of being on these medicines. 

So what causes this "ation" to rear it's ugly head.  Simple things like a poor diet - you know the kind that has tons of sugar and processed foods.  Lack of exercise - no surprise there.  Stress is another big factor.

There are also hidden viruses, exposure to molds and exposure to toxins like mercury. 

So what can you do to fight these things.  First clean up your diet.  Start exercising.  Get a toxic screen from your doctor.  Check to see if you have any food allergies. 

My younger sister's health was deteriorating rapidly until she found out she had celiac disease.  She was allergic to gluten which is used in flour and therefore almost everything we eat. 

So now she eats a pretty boring diet, but she is back to her normal self now. 

Also, learn to relax a little.  This doesn't mean have a cocktail every day.  Just find some quiet time.  If you know how to meditate then do so for about 3-4 minutes a couple of times a day. 

We will keep on this "ation" kick for the next few posts.

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

Age is the biggest risk factor for...

Hi,

As you age you are expected to get older.  You are also supposed to be at risk for several diseases.  Things like Alzheimer's disease.  Things like loss of sight and/or hearing.  Things like heart disease, cancer, strokes and diabetes.

These are just normal things that happen when you get older. 

I say BS.

It is easy to blame these things on aging because it seems that only older people get these diseases and problems. 

Trouble is it isn't true on two counts. 

If it was just the process of aging, then everyone would have all of those problems and diseases.  But, they don't.  I am sure you know of several people who have lived long and healthy lives. 

Several cultures around the world live into their hundreds and continue a healthy and productive life. 

Even in the US, there are sub cultures that live into very advanced ages while still healthy and productive. 

And it wasn't so long ago that some of the above mentioned diseases weren't even that prevalent no matter what the age in this country.

On the other hand, we are seeing more and more younger people in their 30s and 40s that have heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.  Heck we even have juvenile diabetes today. 

So what is the difference if it isn't aging? 

Well, it is a lot of things including our lifestyle and the choices we make about our diet and fitness routines. 

These choices affect 5 primary areas and I will go into detail about them in the next few blog posts.

Stay tuned

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/

When is a Health Food Not a Health Food?

Hi,

Do you eat health foods?  Are they really healthy for you?

If it is grown by nature, like an apple, then it is a health food.  However, in today's era of pesticides it is always best to eat organic fruits and vegetables.  Or at least rinse them off really well.

What about processed foods and things that are added to the health foods you eat?  Have you ever read the labels of some of the health bars or breakfast bars?

They have so many chemicals in them to help preserve their freshness or add flavor, that they really can't be called food, let alone health food. 

Most of you have probably heard of HFCS or high fructose corn syrup and realize that it is not good for you in any way, shape or form. 

But, what about agave nectar?  Agave syrup (from the nectar) is now being touted as the greatest natural sweetner and food additive around.

But, it it?  The short answer is no.

The nectar is cooked and as such is fractionalized and processed.  The end result is that it only has a fraction of the original nutrients of the plant. 

Since agave costs more to manufacture then other syrups, some unscrupulous manufacturers water down the agave with our favorite corn syrup (HFCS).

And as with any sugar it also raises your blood sugar levels.   This is especially true when these syrups are concentrated in health bars, cereals and other processed foods. 

So stick with, or start eating more, foods that are grown.  Stay away from foods, or start reducing them, that are man made.  Do this and you will truly have a health food diet. 

Thanks,

Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/