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Written by Kelly Turner and Adiana Castro
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For years, we Americans have been bombarded with the same message: we are fat. But in true American fashion, we can’t settle for that. We have to be the fattest. The news is constantly telling us how fat we are, the dangers of our high fat diets and how our fatness is leading to heart disease and premature death, all while showing clips and images of faceless, obese citizens innocently Your browser may not support display of this image. walking the streets.
But is this what fat really looks like? BMI (body mass index) is an equation health professionals use to classify people into weight categories. To determine your own weight category, you must divide you weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters, or if you didn’t pay attention in math class you can Google BMI calculator and punch in your info.
A BMI less than 25 is considered normal weight, 25-29 is overweight, and 30 and over is considered obese.
The problem with BMI is, it’s a height weight ratio: it doesn’t take the quality of your body mass into account. For example: a 5’6” male bodybuilder that weighs 220 pounds has the same BMI of a 5’6” sedentary man that weighs 220 pounds.
The first man is obviously in great shape, but is still classified as obese and in the same group as the sedentary man.
I’m sure bodybuilders take offense to that. And you don’t want to see them angry.
Did You Know?
4 out of the top 10 leading causes of deaths are diet-related and include heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes mellitus.
Body fat percentage, the percentage of your body that is fat mass (as opposed to lean body mass which is made up muscles, bones and organs) is a better indicator of body composition. There are 2 types of body fat: subcutaneous fat which rests right under the skin, and visceral fat which surrounds the internal organs.
So what’s my point?
No matter what your weight, you can still be unfit and over-fat. The sedentary lifestyle Americans lead does not only affect the overweight and obese, but also the thin. A person that appears to be lean and thin can actually have a higher body fat percentage than someone that is classified as overweight.
This leads us to the buzz word “skinny-fat.” Skinny-fat defines someone that is thin, or of normal body weight, but due to lack of proper diet and exercise has excess visceral fat that puts them in danger.
There has been much debate over whether it is possible to be fat and fit. Studies show us that it is absolutely possible to be classified as overweight but still be fit and healthy.
Fitness is classified by your VO2 Max- or how well your muscles utilize the oxygen you breathe. The more cardiovascularly fit you are, the more efficiently your body uses oxygen.
MYTH: Carbohydrates are bad for you and should be avoided.
TRUTH: Carbohydrates are great. Consider these fast facts:
• Immediate source of energy for the body
• Should account for most of your calories
for the day (45-65%)
• Provides brain with adequate glucose
Let’s say you and Lance Armstrong take a little bike ride up the steepest hill you can find. You and Mr. Armstrong have relatively the same size lungs so you breathe in the same volume of air. However, Lance is (probably) more cardiovascularly fit than you, so his muscles are trained to use more of the oxygen he breathes in. Thus, his heart rate stays low and his breathing relatively normal. While he climbs the hill with ease, you are (probably) huffing and puffing trying to get more oxygen into your system. Your heart rate is probably through the roof, while your heart tries to distribute as much oxygen as possible to your exercising muscles.
The more efficiently your body runs, the longer it lasts. Must be nice to be Lance, huh?
Being of a normal weight has no bearing on how much fat is in your body and how fit you are. The reverse is also true. While people see the overweight and assume they are unhealthy, people see the thin and assume they must be the opposite.
We are living in The Biggest Loser age, where the number on the scale is the be-all, end-all of fitness. Nothing seems to matter but weight. Thin celebrities flick their boney wrists and scoff, “me? Workout? No, I was just blessed with good genes,” like its something to be proud of.
Good for you.
This nation has a huge problem: aesthetics have taken priority over health. Sure that diminutive celeb can fit into size zero jeans. Congrats. But what about her heart? Lungs? Her bone density? Her risk of cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes?
Did You Know?
The US does not have one federal agency that has sole mandate to establish, implement, and evaluate national nutrition policy. The problem being that nutrition policy cuts across several federal agencies such as agriculture, exports, imports, commerce, foreign relations, public health, and national defense.
It doesn’t matter because she is THIN!
Individuals who do not exercise have less lean muscle mass- plain and simple, no matter what their weight. A loss in muscle mass has been shown to increase one’s risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. Conversely, the more physically active you are, the less your chance for said ailments, plus you are less likely to develop emotional problems like depression or anxiety. Say goodbye to emotional eating.
According to Powell and Blair, sedentary living is responsible for 1/3 of deaths due to coronary heart disease, colon cancer, and diabetes.
Usually when one thinks of overweight individuals, heart attack risk comes to mind. However, in a study of 900 women with heart problems, those who were overweight, but fit, were less likely to have blocked arteries, suffer a heart attack, stroke or other heart complications compared to those who were of normal weight but unfit. Similarly, unfit men with low waistlines (<87 cm) had a greater risk of all-cause mortality than did fit men with larger waistlines (>99cm.).
It is important to note that not all fat is bad for you. Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are absorbed into the fat in your body. Fat is a great energy source, and a too-low body fat percentage is very dangerous. You want to stay in the healthy body fat range for you (10% -20% for men, 20%-30% for women) and consume heart healthy fats, like those found in olive oil, nuts and avocados.
A big ol’ line needs to be drawn with indelible ink separating weight and health. Everyone needs to exercise, no matter what your size or weight. The United States Agricultural Department recommends 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week. No one is exempt. So lock up your scale and preconceived notions of those genetically blessed bean-poles, lace up your sneaks and get moving.
Bottom Line: Fitness matters! Think physical activity not exercise. The best way to change your lifestyle is to make it fit into you’re daily routine.
5 Quick Fitness Tips to Add to your Daily Routine:
1. Take a 5 minute break and walk every hour throughout the day.
2. Park the car in a space far from your intended destination.
3. Bring the groceries in one bag at a time.
4. If you are using public transportation, get off one stop early.
5. Keep your cell phone in another room.
5 Quick Nutrition Tips to Add to your Daily Routine
1. Add veggies to your sandwich.
2. Add fruit as a snack.
3. Try roasting/baking your meats.
4. Add low-fat dairy products to your fridge.
5. Try whole grain popcorn.
REFERENCES
1. Wessel TR, Arant CB, Olson MB, Johnson BD, Reis SE, Sharaf BL, Shaw LJ, Handberg E, Sopko G, Kelsey SF, Pepine CJ, Merz NB. Relationship of physical fitness vs body mass index with coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events in women. JAMA. 2004 Sep 8;292(10):1179-87.
2. Cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men1,2,3 Mar.,1999
Chong Do Lee, Steven N Blair and Andrew S Jackson; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
3. Smolin LA, Grosvenor, MB. Nutrition: Science and Application; John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008
4. Powell KF, Blair SN The public health burdens of sedentary living habits: theoretical but realistic estimates Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1994 Jul;26(7):851-6.
5. Blair SN, LaMonte MJ, Nichaman MZ The evolution of physical activity recommendations: how much is enough? American Journal of Nutrition Vol. 79, No. 5, 913S-920S, May 2004
6. Barlow CE, LaMonte MJ, Fitzgerald SJ , Kampert JB, Perrin JL, Blair SN Cardiorespiratory fitness is an independent predictor of hypertension incidence among initially normaotensive healthy women American Journal of Epidemiology 2006 Han 15:163(2): 142-50
7. Finley CE, LaMonte MJ, Waslien CI, Barlow CE, Blair SN, Nichaman MZ Cardiorespiratory fitness, macronutrient intake, and the metabolic syndrome: the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2006 May; 106(5):673-9
8. Timothy S. Church, MD, MPH, PhD; Michael J. LaMonte, PhD; Carolyn E. Barlow, MS; Steven N. Blair, PED Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Body Mass Index as Predictors of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among Men With Diabetes Archives of Internal Medicine 2005;165:2114-2120.
9. Dunn AL, Trivedi MH, Kampert JB, Clark CG, Chambliss HO. Exercise treatment for depression: efficacy and dose response American Journal of Preventative Medicine
The organic movement has become quite the rage recently. It is featured in the pages of magazines, broadcasted on television and suggested by many to offer the healthiest type of food out there. Yet even with all the hype, I still find myself in the dark as to what organic really means. And as a tight-budgeted college student, I can’t help but wonder, “Is buying organic really worth it?” I mean, it’s usually a little bit more expensive than its counterpart, and 30 cents here and there really do add up. Well, with the assumption that these things may have also crossed your minds, here is some information about the organic movement and whether you should be buying into it.
First, let’s start with the basics. The term “organic” refers to the way in which agricultural products are grown and processed. You can find organic fruit, vegetables, dairy products, meat and grains on the market. They differ from conventionally grown items because they are not treated with pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics. Farmers instead rely on composted vegetable matter and manure, crop rotation and other chemical-free methods to fertilize the soil.
Contrary to what many might assume, organic products provide no more health benefits than their traditional counterparts. Studies indicate that they both contain the same amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Another important aspect to consider is the cost of purchasing organic products. They are more expensive because of stricter government regulations, lower crop yields and costly farming practices. Since they are not sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, organic fertilizing is much more labor intensive.
In regards to these two factors, you might be thinking, “Well duh, it looks organic products really don’t deserve all that hype.” However, it is also important to also consider the environmental benefits of organically produced products. The absence of chemicals in organic foods benefits the environment by conserving water and soil and reducing pollution. In fact, they were designed for this exact reason. Another positive aspect of the organic movement is that it helps protect farmers, and society in general, from carcinogens (cancer-causing agents that can be found in pesticides, synthetic fertilizers etc.) This too has a substantial impact on the environment.
Now that you know more information behind the organic movement, hopefully you won’t be in an organic tizzy next time you’re at the grocery store. And perhaps more importantly, you’ll be able to decide whether or not those extra 30 cents or so is really worth it.
A friend was talking to me at lunch today and he brought up the subject of money. He was wondering where the money goes.
It’s a question I think we all entertain. Where does it go? Is there a big hole in the universe that just sucks it in when we’re not looking?
It seems that whether we make a lot or a little, and whether we spend a lot or try to conserve, it doesn’t really change anything. Things are still tight and there never seems to be any more.
I know I’ve felt that many times. I bet you have, too.
He was saying that they paid their car off awhile back and now that they don’t have the car payment, there should be that much extra money. So where is it?
He doesn’t know and I never knew either. When we used to live (and I use that term loosely) off cash flow, I never knew where the money went. Only that there never seemed to be enough. It didn’t seem to matter how much we made or what our bills were, it never seemed to be quite enough.
It reminds me of a couple of guys I met while working at Domino’s Pizza back in my younger days. One was an architect, the other was an engineer.
Both took night jobs delivering pizza for extra money because their income from their regular job “wasn’t quite enough.” One made about $50,000, the other…around $90k.
Is it just me or has soda gone hillbilly? C’mon, even if you don’t drink soda it’s hard not to notice how they’ve returned to their roots. Cane sugar. Hatfield and McCoy logos. Really? Is an old look on a new product going to make it sell? Well, Denny’s tried it and more white poeple than ever showed up for a sock hop.
All this over a rotten Grand Slam and Little Cow Polk.
When everyone gave up on Denny’s, they stormed off to the gas station to boycott Coke and Pepsi’s return to logos that make their drinks look they cost 25 cents.
Like Coors, this shit trickles down from the mountains, too.
They’ve even gone so far as to change the look of their vending machines!
This one was recently converted from an outhouse. 25 cents will get you a Coke. 50 cents will get you a pack of Camels.
It’s hard not to buy into the soda makers mad marketing schemes. After all, remember when Coke was all about cocaine and Pepsi was all about alcohol?
The Perfect Mixer….with Captain and Coke!
So now I wonder what product will go back to its roots next. Will Maxi-Pads revert to Mini-Pads? Will Jolt Cola make a comeback? Will Budweiser…oh yeah, never mind.
Man’s thoughts: “I’ll get her drunk, then rape her in the woods.” Woman’s thoughts: “Budweiser? How ghetto. Just like this branch for a fishing pole.”
I got to the gym all of once, and it was way too cold for hiking (never minding that it wasn’t my turn anyway). My work schedule was insane this week – just no time for working out. I ate reasonably, but still managed to pick up a pound. I think a bit of that might due to “dinner on the grounds” at church, a rare event where I ate more than normal for a Sunday. But the real issue was not getting to the gym.
So…to remedy work getting in the way of gym time, I’ve rearranged my schedule. Now, I’m going to go to the gym first thing in the morning. The idea here is to get the workout done before work gets in the way. There’s another potential benefit – that of “fasted cardio”, the idea being that cardio workouts are most effective at fat burning on an empty stomach. How will that work for me? I’ll tell you in about a week.
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The longer we live, the more we ought to come to appreciate hypocrisy. Not as a flaw, mind you, but as an inherently human trait in all of us, void of any failing. We change our minds, our tastes, and our beliefs as we come to deeper understandings about the changing reality and our place in it. Opinions and actions can transform in an instant after being exposed to a perspective we’d not thought of before. Change of heart can happen at any time to anyone—even those with the most stubborn egos—and that’s perhaps more beautiful and interesting than it is deceptive.
There are few things I say definitely about myself, avoiding the pointed fingers of those who will view my personal adjustments through a condemning lens. From the very innocent changes, such as outgrowing a favorite band in high school, to more shocking shifts like (heaven forbid) voting for a political party I’ve previously pledged not to. Yet there are those things, those preferences that have become rooted in my daily routines. Like bands I loved indisputably in high school, these practices may indeed one day disappear completely, but for most of my adult life they are the closest I have come to truly identifying myself: I am vegan. I practice yoga.
As far back as I can remember, eating animals was a disagreeable concept for me and I went through all the phases a budding vegetarian goes through. It wasn’t until I planted myself in a natural food café as a line cook that I learned to fend for myself in a world of McNuggets and Big Macs. My diet and my world altered in a profound way and I never looked back. Yoga too had a way of creeping in after what seemed like years of being present, however undefined. Both practices became a path, though not a purpose. Like my vegan preference that sent me to work in a café so I could cook learn to for myself, I made the trek to an upstate NY ashram to become a “teacher” of yoga for no other student’s benefit than my own.
At the ashram, we were served a strict vegetarian diet void of heavy spices or sweetness. While many students had a difficult time adjusting to the food, I found it to be full of flavor and satisfying. It varied only slightly from my regular dining at home. I was reminded of all this while reading this bemusing article by Julia Moskin in the NY Times last week. Ms. Moskin peers into the only-in-America yoga ‘practice’ of “Yoga for Foodies,” where students follow yoga class with gourmet meals in the studio, slurping up soup on the sweaty mats they just downward-dogged all over.
Moskin also tackles the interesting subject of “meat-eating yogis.” Like much of India, most of the founding fathers of yoga promoted a meat-free diet rich in fruits and vegetables to augment the austerity of the physical practice of asanas (yoga postures). Ahimsa is the yogic practice of committing not to harm another. Yet the definition of that commitment (especially for many modern Americans) does not necessarily translate to vegetarianism, let alone veganism.
As someone who followed a vegan diet before beginning a regular yoga practice, it was a step I gave little thought to until those days in the ashram where I heard the moaning of my fellow classmates craving pizza and burgers. At the time, I recall feeling as though my famished classmates “weren’t getting it.” That clearly their inability to adopt a vegetarian diet to further their yoga practice meant they had no real practice at all. It’s easy now to admit my naivete, but back then I was convinced there was only one answer. And what has become clear to me nearly a decade later is that being convinced of anything—especially of what yoga “means”—is not yoga. Not really. Yoga is you. It’s me. How we perceive and react to our world is our own versions of the practice because we can’t practice it as or for anyone but ourselves.
The rigidity and dogma of yoga or any spiritual practice is there for us to use as a way to unravel our own understanding of who we are, and who we are while doing those things. The moment we become attached to it, is the moment it stops having any meaning. I came away from the ashram realizing the whole wide world is an ashram. The practice is always about what I choose. I recall listening to a story told by the devotional singer, Krishna Das, that in Buddha-like effect said the bank robber must rob banks just as the doctor must heal. Neither is right or wrong, they simply are. Taking sides on the meat-eating vs. veg-eating yogis is a choice, just as choosing a diet is to all people who eat.
There’s a yogic mantra “Lokha Samasta Sukinoh Bhavantu,” which roughly translates to “may beings every where be happy and free.” Obviously, we must first understand what it means to be happy and free for ourselves before we can make any sense of what that means to any other being. For some, that sense of happiness may include eating meat. And while that’s not a reality I can personally relate to, I do understand that hypocrisy is little more than a process of understanding and assimilating more of the world than we previously identified with.
The yoga “industry” is a booming $20+billion dollar a year business. There are many practices in the current state of yoga that Swamis of yesteryear could probably never have fathomed, including eating meat. But something tells me that more than anything, they would be delighted to see that so many people are taking steps toward personal transformation in a world that needs yogis, perhaps more than ever before.
Leading by example is valuable, especially to those willing to follow. What’s right and wrong with the food industry and the practice of eating animal products is everyone’s responsibility, yogis or otherwise. Yogis have a long history with dairy, enjoying it as a food and using it as a devotional offering. I remember refusing to participate in a puja (worship) ceremony at the ashram because we’d have to pour milk over a statue. I saw the store bought milk jugs sitting next to the beloved deities that represented purity and austerity. Having seen what goes on in large-scale dairy farms, I knew this “offering” was anything but what it was to represent. Now, I wonder, if maybe that isn’t the point after all. By gesturing with something so far from what it used to mean, we cultivate deeper meaning within ourselves.
Someday, surely, everything will all make sense. Or maybe it won’t. Either way, we must do what it is we are called to do.
Just today there was an article published in the New York Times about vitamin D. It made mention that vitamin D deficiency has been linked to many diseases. These include fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, cancer and heart disease. It also said that we should “be careful” and not run out and start taking vitamin D just yet. It also stated that doctors are recommending that people do not take more than 2,000 international units (IUs) per day as set forth in a new study. They suggest that it may be dangerous. First of all, these “doctors” obviously know nothing about vitamin D because 2,00o IUs is a relatively small and very safe dose. Toxicity of vitamin D does not occur until a patient takes 100,000 IUs per day for 6 or more months at a time. As a matter of fact, a child will make 20,000 IUs from the sun if he is outside for just 15-20 minutes.
So what exactly is vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is obtained mainly from direct sunlight exposure, but also from dietary sources as well such as fortified milk and fatty fish. Although vitamin D is classified as a vitamin it is actually a hormone. Active vitamin D functions as a hormone because it sends a message to the intestines to increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. The most commonly known function of vitamin D is to maintain blood levels of calcium and phosphorous by promoting its absorption. It also helps promote bone mineralization which allows bones to become and stay strong and healthy. Adequate levels of vitamin D is a potent weapon against osteoporosis. These are the basics though. Some of the new research on vitamin D is very interesting and shows that this hormone does more than just produce strong bones. Another wonderful quality to vitamin D is it’s anti-inflammatory property. It appears to act on chemicals called cytokines, which are pro-inflammatory. It suppresses these compounds and therefore has use in conditions such as arthritis, chronic muscle pain, heart disease, vascular disease and stroke to name just a few.
Listed below are just a small sampling of the studies behind vitamin D.
A recent study from the University of California, Los Angeles found that vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women increased the production of an antimicrobial protein called cathelicidin. They concluded that despite the fact that the precise mechanism of vitamin D functioning within the placenta is undetermined, “data suggests that it may play a key role in placental innate immunity.
Source: N. Liu, A.T. Kaplan, J. Low, L. Nguyen, G.Y. Liu, O. Equils, M. Hewison. Vitamin D induces innate antibacterial responses in human trophoblasts via an intracrine pathway. Biology of Reproduction. Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.108.073577.
A long-term study (median follow-up period of 7.7 years) found that low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (Vitamin D) were significantly correlated with variables of inflammation (C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 levels), oxidative burden (serum phospholipid and glutathione levels), and cell adhesion (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and intracellular adhesion molecule 1) levels. Collectively supporting the model that low vitamin D levels are independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Source: Dobnig H, Pilz S, Scharnagl H, et al. Independent Association of Low Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and 1, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Levels With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality. Arch Intern Med. 2008;1 68(12):1340-1349.
In yet another study extolling the virtues of vitamin D, it has been noted that not only were low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction but also with controlling factors known to be associated with coronary artery disease.
Source: Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Hollis B, Rimm E. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and risk of Myocardial Infarction in Men. Arch Intern Med. 2008; 168(11):1174-1180.
Keep Supplementing! Living in a sunny climate is no guarantee of vitamin D status. Recently, a group of researhcers from the Arizona Cancer Center found that nearly 80% of Arizonians had suboptimal vitamin D levels (<30 ng/ml).
Source: Jacobs E, et al. Vitamin D insufficiency in Southern Arizona. AM J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar 87 (3):608-13.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a condition associated with reduced blood flow in the legs can be caused from arterial narrowing or fatty plaque accumulation. Data analyzed from nearly 5,000 study participants found the greatest prevalence of PAD in participants with the lowest levels of vitamin D.
Source: Melamed ML, Munter P, Michos ED, Uribarri J, Weber C, Sharma J, Raggi P. Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and the Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease. Results from NHANES 2001 to 2004. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008 Apr 16. Published online ahead of print.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School suggest that pre-menopausal women with the highest intakes of both calcium and Vitamin D, from dietary and supplemental sources, may lower their risk of developing breast cancer by nearly 40%.
Source: Lin J, Manson JE, Lee IM, Cook NR, Buring JE, Zhang SM. “Intakes of Calcium and Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Risk in Women”. Archives of internal Medicine. Volume 167, Number 10, Pages 1050-1059.
There are long term benefits for men who take a vitamin D-calcium combination supplement. An Australian study reported that a combination of vitamin D3 and calcium saw increases in bone mineral density in senior men, and the effects were still evident 18 months after the cessation of supplementation.
Source: R.M. Daly, N. Petrass, S. Bass, C.A Nowson. The skeletal benefits of calcium and vitamin D3-fortified milk are sustained in older men after withdraw of supplementation: an 18-month follow-up study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. March 2008, Volume 87, Number 3, Pages 771-777.
Vitmamin D has been shown to have immune modulating effects in multiple sclerosis. A review article in the Journal of Neuroimmunology concluded that vitamin D not only effected clinical outcomes of multiple sclerosis, but also enhanced regulatory T cell function.
Source: Smolders, J et al., Vitamin D as an immune modulator in multiple sclerosis, a review. J. Neuroimmunol. (2007), doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2007.11.014
A study conducted by the Department of Rheumatology at Musgrave park Hospital in Belfast demonstrated the majority of fibromyalgia patients referred to a rheumatology clinic have insufficient levels of vitamin D, and there is a clear relationship between low vitamin D levels and high levels of anxiety and depression.
Source: ArmstrongD, Meenagh G, Bickle I, Lee A, Curran S, Finch M. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with anxiety and depression in fibromyalgia. Clinical Rheumatology (2007) 26:55 1-554
The 4 year study of nearly 1,200 healthy postmenopausal women (>55 yr) was a population-based, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. When analyzed by intention to treat, cancer incidence was lower in the calcium & D women than in the placebo control subjects. However, in multiple logistic regression models, both treatment and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were signifcant, independent predictors of cancer risk.
Source: Lappe, J Et Al. Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation Reduces Cancer Risk: Results of a Randomized Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:1 586-91.
Vitamin D deficiency continues to be a problem for children and adults. In utero and during childhood, vitamin D deficiency can cause growth retardation and skeletal deformities and may increase the risk of hip fracture later in life. Vitamin D deficiency in adults can precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia and osteoporosis, cause osteomalacia and muscle weakness, and increase the risk of fracture. It is now known that most tissues and cells in the body have a vitamin D receptor, and the role that vitamin D can play in decreasing the risk of many chronic illnesses such as common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious disease, and cardiovascular disease is of great interest.
Source: Holick, M. Vitamin D Deficiency. N Engl J Med 2007;357:266-81.
A study of 1,179 healthy postmenopausal women found a combination of calcium and vitamin D significantly reduced the risk of all cancer types. Supplemental calcium alone was not a significant preventative, and serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels were determined to be a potent factor to predict cancer risk.
Source: Lappe J, Travers-GustafsonD, Davies KM, Recker R, and Heaney R. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No.6, 1586-1591, June 2007.
In Summary
Vitamin D has been shown to be very deficient, even in populations of people who live in a warm, sunny climate. I routinely recommend 5,000 to 10,000 IUs to my patients with no reservation. I test all of my patients’ blood levels to be sure we are not creating a toxicity and have yet to see a level too high. The benefits are obvious as is the safety. Vitamin D is safe to take and has immense health benefit.
I’ve been on a very recent kick to try and get healthier. I’ve always been a bigger guy (as in muscle, not fat) but I found that I had let myself go a bit and turned into a bigger guy (as in fat, not muscle). I came to this realization in a very unmanly sort of way unfortunately. To be dreadfully honest it was a rather girly move in my mind.
I was hopping out of my shower and happened to glance at myself in the mirror. I turned to the side and stuck out my gut and thought ‘Geez, you’ve really let yourself go you fatass.’
This dude is everything I DON’T want to become….
It was in this moment that my motivation struck me like a lightning bolt. Is this the guy I’m proud of being? The answer was an emphatic no.
Now in the following 3 weeks since my amazing discovery I’ve used this motivation in every way possible. 5 days of cardio a week with 4 days of weight lifting injected in there. Sit-ups and push-ups every night before bed. Yogurt, fruit and protein smoothies on the regular. It seems like I’m finally starting to notice results both physically and mentally. I feel better and I look better.
Considering the title of my blog post I think it’s really kind of sad that my ‘Art of Motivation’ had to be me noticing something negative about myself. I need to figure out a way to convince my brain to be motivated without that negative push whether it be for my health, my career… whatever really. What I’m hoping for is that my current motivation and its effects can propel me to be motivated in other avenues of my life.
This brings me around to the second half of my blog title… the art of keeping that motivation going. I know that for now the visual results are making me feel good and that is keeping my gung-ho attitude in full swing. What about when I reach my desired weight/toning? Will I just fall back off and say hello to that tubby fellow I saw in the mirror sometime ago? I certainly hope not.
What I’m hoping for is that along with this motivation comes a full circle change in attitude. Healthier lifestyles lead to healthier decisions don’t they? If you’re reading this what do you think? I mean what can a person do to best ensure that their motivation is not lost?
I think in the long run, for me at least, the art of keeping my motivation will have to be setting goals. Once I achieve one goal I can set another and push myself in a new direction. One thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to become the complacent lazy bastard I was a mere 3 weeks ago… keep your fingers crossed for me ok?
