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/
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
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/
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/
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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/
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/
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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/
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/
Monday, April 26, 2010
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/
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/
Saturday, April 24, 2010
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/
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/
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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/
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/
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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/
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/
Monday, April 19, 2010
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/
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/
Friday, April 16, 2010
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/
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/
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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/
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/
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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/
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/
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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/
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/
Monday, April 12, 2010
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/
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/
Friday, April 9, 2010
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/
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/
Thursday, April 8, 2010
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/
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/
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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/
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/
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Is Your Diet House Clean?
Hi,
What do I mean by is your diet house clean?
Most people that want to lose weight or go on a diet are trying to do so while living in a house that makes it almost impossible to do so.
Okay, you know that going on a diet means eating less food. But, more importantly, it means making smarter nutritional choices. That means your diet has to be clean.
Eating clean means eating things that are good for your body and providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function at a high level.
So eating a snack of potato chips is not clean. Eating any chips would not be considered eating clean. There are no nutrients in a potato chip that your body needs.
And if you think eating veggie chips are okay, well they aren't. There really aren't any kind of nutrients left in a veggie chip that your body can recognize as something it needs.
Eating an apple or some carrots for a snack is good. Both have nutrients that your body can use.
So here is the problem. If your house has lots of ghost foods (no nutrients) or junk foods you are going to eat them.
If you live alone and have ghost foods, it is almost 100% sure that you will be eating them at some time. Every bite you take defeats the whole purpose of trying to lose weight in the first place.
If you live with your family, at least you will have help eating the ghost foods. But there is another problem.
If you are the only one going on a diet or trying to lose weight, then everyone else will want the ghost foods in the house.
So what are your options? Really, there is only one. That is too throw out every ghost food and drink that you have in the house.
If you live alone, you can do it. If the food is not in the house, then you can't eat it. And if you get a craving for a ghost food or drink, then you have to go out of the house and to the store to get it. Usually, you will not want to do that. And if you do go to the store, you will usually have changed your mind before you get there.
If you live with others, it will be much more difficult to clean the house. And it will be much easier to give in to temptation when you see everyone else eating chips and drinking soda.
What can you do? Instead of trying to do everything all at once, try to gradually reduce the amount of ghost foods that you buy. If you don't bring them home, then no one can eat them.
Do this over a period of a few months and you and your family will be eating healthier. And everyone should notice the difference in their health and energy levels. And you will be losing weight.
So keep your diet house clean.
Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com
What do I mean by is your diet house clean?
Most people that want to lose weight or go on a diet are trying to do so while living in a house that makes it almost impossible to do so.
Okay, you know that going on a diet means eating less food. But, more importantly, it means making smarter nutritional choices. That means your diet has to be clean.
Eating clean means eating things that are good for your body and providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function at a high level.
So eating a snack of potato chips is not clean. Eating any chips would not be considered eating clean. There are no nutrients in a potato chip that your body needs.
And if you think eating veggie chips are okay, well they aren't. There really aren't any kind of nutrients left in a veggie chip that your body can recognize as something it needs.
Eating an apple or some carrots for a snack is good. Both have nutrients that your body can use.
So here is the problem. If your house has lots of ghost foods (no nutrients) or junk foods you are going to eat them.
If you live alone and have ghost foods, it is almost 100% sure that you will be eating them at some time. Every bite you take defeats the whole purpose of trying to lose weight in the first place.
If you live with your family, at least you will have help eating the ghost foods. But there is another problem.
If you are the only one going on a diet or trying to lose weight, then everyone else will want the ghost foods in the house.
So what are your options? Really, there is only one. That is too throw out every ghost food and drink that you have in the house.
If you live alone, you can do it. If the food is not in the house, then you can't eat it. And if you get a craving for a ghost food or drink, then you have to go out of the house and to the store to get it. Usually, you will not want to do that. And if you do go to the store, you will usually have changed your mind before you get there.
If you live with others, it will be much more difficult to clean the house. And it will be much easier to give in to temptation when you see everyone else eating chips and drinking soda.
What can you do? Instead of trying to do everything all at once, try to gradually reduce the amount of ghost foods that you buy. If you don't bring them home, then no one can eat them.
Do this over a period of a few months and you and your family will be eating healthier. And everyone should notice the difference in their health and energy levels. And you will be losing weight.
So keep your diet house clean.
Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com
Monday, April 5, 2010
Fat Blood?
Hi,
I saw an advertisement over the weekend where they talked about fat blood or the amount of fat circulating in your blood. The image was one of fat globules floating in your bloodstream.
While it was dramatic, it wasn't accurate.
Fat does not circulate in your blood stream. Fatty acids do. If fat was circulating you would probably die within a few minutes. That is because fat globules are too big to fit in all but the biggest arteries and capillaries.
So they would plug up your blood flow pretty quick and no circulation = no life.
So this brings us to the point of fatty acids. And we need fatty acids circulating in our bloodstream. We need them for regulating blood pressure, blood clotting, blood lipid levels, immune and inflammatory responses, energy because of the large amount of ATP they can have.
So sounds like a good thing. Problem is, too much of a good thing can be a problem.
Eating too much saturated fat is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. It will also cause a build up of cholesterol in the arteries. This makes it harder for the body to pump the blood throughout your body and can eventually lead to a heart attack or heart disease.
This buildup also causes you to gain weight and is one of the contributors to obesity. There is some evidence that a large intake of some fats can lead to cancer.
So what is the take away here. You do need some fats in your diet. You do need fatty acids circulating for your overall health.
You have to pay attention to the types of fats you eat (more on this later) and not eat so much fat in the first place.
Stay tuned for more information on how to reduce your fat blood.
Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/
I saw an advertisement over the weekend where they talked about fat blood or the amount of fat circulating in your blood. The image was one of fat globules floating in your bloodstream.
While it was dramatic, it wasn't accurate.
Fat does not circulate in your blood stream. Fatty acids do. If fat was circulating you would probably die within a few minutes. That is because fat globules are too big to fit in all but the biggest arteries and capillaries.
So they would plug up your blood flow pretty quick and no circulation = no life.
So this brings us to the point of fatty acids. And we need fatty acids circulating in our bloodstream. We need them for regulating blood pressure, blood clotting, blood lipid levels, immune and inflammatory responses, energy because of the large amount of ATP they can have.
So sounds like a good thing. Problem is, too much of a good thing can be a problem.
Eating too much saturated fat is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. It will also cause a build up of cholesterol in the arteries. This makes it harder for the body to pump the blood throughout your body and can eventually lead to a heart attack or heart disease.
This buildup also causes you to gain weight and is one of the contributors to obesity. There is some evidence that a large intake of some fats can lead to cancer.
So what is the take away here. You do need some fats in your diet. You do need fatty acids circulating for your overall health.
You have to pay attention to the types of fats you eat (more on this later) and not eat so much fat in the first place.
Stay tuned for more information on how to reduce your fat blood.
Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Do You Eat too Fast?
Can eating too fast cause you to gain more weight? The answer is yes.
There have been several studies on this dating from the early 1900's. A guy named Horace Fletcher said you should chew every bite of food for at least 32 times. He even said you should chew liquids. Don't know how you can do that, but that is what he said.
But, there is some truth to what he said. It seems the brain needs some time to register the fact that it is eating and that it is getting full. If you gulp down your food, the brain doesn't have time to register that it is getting full. Therefore you eat more.
What happens is this: You start eating and your stomach starts filling up. This causes the body to release certain hormones which signals the brain to let it know that you are getting enough food. The brain then signals your appetite control center in the hypothalmus to slow down because you are getting full.
This whole process can take up to 20 to 30 minutes. So if you are eating fast, none of the slowing down signals reach your hypothalmus because there isn't enough time.
As it turns out if these signals don't reach your brain and your hypothalmus you end up eating more. Several studies have supported this.
And a double whammy is that eating faster also causes a greater release of insulin, putting you on the path to insulin resistance. This also helps increase your body fat levels.
So as the song goes: Slow down, you eat too fast. You have to make the meal last.
Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/
There have been several studies on this dating from the early 1900's. A guy named Horace Fletcher said you should chew every bite of food for at least 32 times. He even said you should chew liquids. Don't know how you can do that, but that is what he said.
But, there is some truth to what he said. It seems the brain needs some time to register the fact that it is eating and that it is getting full. If you gulp down your food, the brain doesn't have time to register that it is getting full. Therefore you eat more.
What happens is this: You start eating and your stomach starts filling up. This causes the body to release certain hormones which signals the brain to let it know that you are getting enough food. The brain then signals your appetite control center in the hypothalmus to slow down because you are getting full.
This whole process can take up to 20 to 30 minutes. So if you are eating fast, none of the slowing down signals reach your hypothalmus because there isn't enough time.
As it turns out if these signals don't reach your brain and your hypothalmus you end up eating more. Several studies have supported this.
And a double whammy is that eating faster also causes a greater release of insulin, putting you on the path to insulin resistance. This also helps increase your body fat levels.
So as the song goes: Slow down, you eat too fast. You have to make the meal last.
Thanks,
Mike Val
http://www.valshealthsite.com/
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