Obesity and Running

Obesity and Running

Exercise 'not key to obesity fight' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32417699

From BBC on 23 March 2015 ---> Exercise 'not key to obesity fight' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32417699

Exercise or eating healthily (Eating healthy food) is more important in reducing the risk of heart disease?

The following is an extract from an interview with a heart surgeon Tan Yong Seng in

http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/life/story/saved-sars-20121001#2

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"Exercise can drop the risk of heart disease by 14 per cent, but eating healthily can drop the risk of heart disease by 30 per cent," he adds.

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8 simple steps to a healthier, stronger you (by Harvard Medical School )

8 simple steps to a healthier, stronger you(Harvard Medical School)

When you hear the term “strength training,” perhaps you envision a bodybuilder with bulging biceps and rippling abdominal muscles.

However, strength and power training can benefit people of all ages and athletic abilities — whether you are 40 or 85, well toned or unable to rise from a wheelchair without assistance.

And while strength training can leave your body looking leaner and fitter, it need not make you look muscle-bound.

For more info, please visit

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/8-simple-steps-to-a-healthier-stronger-you

Rejuvenation Breathing Exercise 返老还童呼吸法 (Singapore)

Rejuvenation Breathing Exercise 返老还童呼吸法 (Singapore)
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Please visit http://www.rejuvenate.com.sg/

At present the site is in Chinese language only

Healthy diet produces Healthy Body

You are what you eat.

What you eat becomes part of you.

Part of the healthy food you eat forms part of your body.

Part of the unhealthy food you eat also forms part of your body.

Healthy food produces healthy body.

Unhealthy food produces unhealthy body.

No amount of physical exercises can produce healthy body if you eat unhealthy food most of the times.

Your moving around at home or work place can be considered as a form of light exercise.

To be healthy, eating healthy food most of the times is much more important than doing exercise!

The confession by 60-year-old unhealthy man with unhealthy diet

Note: Based my personal experience, to be healthy, eating healthy food most of the time is much more important than doing exercise. Your moving around at home or work place can be considered as a form of light exercise. No junk food. Avoid most of the processed food.

The following is the confession (via email to a friend of mine) by 60-year-old unhealthy man with unhealthy diet:

Many things suggest that my health is deteriorating.

Fading memory, poor listening capacity, floaters in the eye, struggling to read and listen and diabetes, etc. I am unable to control urine at times.

Fading memory is the most frustrating of all in my life.

Despite having regular exercises, I am still having health problems.

I suspect it is due to my diet, I love food, enjoy eating so much that it is to a extent of being unable to resist the food temptation.

Good foods are unhealthy, generally.

I have to take drastic actions to change my diet to healthy one before it is too late!

My optimal blood pressure and pulse rate check on 2011-03-02, using Blood Pressue Monitor (OSIM I BPM Model OS-5000)

On 2011-03-02, Wednesday, at 0940 hour, about 15 minutes after coming from a walk and some light physical activities, my blood pressure and heart beats using Blood Pressure Monitor (OSIM I BPM Model OS-5000): Systolic = 116 Diastolic= 66 Pulse/min (heart betas/min) = 66 (I wish it could have been lower!) My blood pressure was optimal and pulse rate was good. Calorie Restriction lifestyle with healthy plant-based diet is the main reason for the above good results although I hardly do any physical exercise! I check my blood pressure and pulse rate almost daily after waking up in the morning. If you have any comments and advice, please let me know. Thank you. HL123

Personal methods to avoid pneumonia (by www.ehealthmd.com)

Info source: http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/pneumonia/PNM_prevention.html


Prevent pneumonia by taking measures to avoid the organisms that cause respiratory infections, including colds and flu. Always wash hands before eating and after going outside.

Ordinary soap is okay. Expensive antibacterial soaps add little protection, particularly against viruses.

(1) Eat a daily diet that includes foods rich in antioxidants, such as fresh, dark-colored fruits and vegetables and other nutrients.

(2) Increase lung capacity through brisk walking and other aerobic exercises. Breathing exercises, which train us to take slow, deep, relaxed breaths and exhale through pursed lips, may also be helpful.

(3) Do not smoke.

To avoid aspiration pneumonia:

(a) Open a window when you use cleaning products, especially when you are in a small room.

(b) Do not spray or use chemicals outside when it's windy. If you must work in the wind, make sure the chemicals are blowing away from you instead of toward you. Wear a mask over your mouth and nose, and wear clothing that protects your skin.

Read and follow all safety directions on the labels of any chemical you use.

Video "The Raw Food Diet" and Exercise by William Harris, M.D.

Please visit http://vsh.voip-info.org/Harris6.html

Note: William Harris, M.D., is a founding and current director of the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii and and is the author of book 'The Scientific Basis of Vegetarianism'.

His website is aat http://www.vegsource.com/harris/

Weighty Issues (From The Sunday Times dated 25 July 2010)

Source: A report in The Sunday Times dated 25 July 2010

Obesity poses some rather weighty problems.

It contributes to many health problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

While it is important to stay healthy, there is more to the issue than just weight.
Dr Peter Eng, who specialises in endocrinology and thyroid- and obesity-related diseases at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said weight per se may not be an accurate reflection of body fat.

Better measurements of body fat include the body mass index and waist circumference.
'Cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes have a greater association with measurements of body fat than with weight,' he said.

Being overweight is also not always due to a lack of exercise or overeating, he pointed out.

'Research has shown that there is a significant genetic component when it comes to obesity. It is estimated that a person's genes may account for between 40 and 80 per cent of the cause of obesity,' he said.

Dr Eng stressed the need to look beyond quick fixes such as diets and opt for regular exercise, a balanced diet and a positive outlook towards life.

'I think any pageant which stresses the need for all of these, should not be written off.'

Eating right, keeping fit (by Sandra Davie)

The following is a report by Sandra Davie, Senior Writer in Saturday Special Report of the Straits times dated 6 March 2010, Saturday.
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IT IS a big global effort involving an army of medical experts, but the search to pinpoint why and when cancer might strike boils down to researchers like Associate Professor Koh Woon Puay taking thousands of tiny, meticulous steps every day.

The painstaking journey to greater knowledge for Prof Koh of the National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine is measured sample by sample, test by test.

She carefully retrieves straws of blood from special -80 deg C freezers and places them in a container that keeps them cold while being moved to a lab.

The 2,000 blood samples, which include 650 from colorectal cancer patients, will be used for yet another study that Prof Koh and her team of researchers from the NUS and several American universities are undertaking to find the link between certain food that Chinese Singaporeans eat and the incidence of cancer.

The Singapore Chinese Health Study draws on the information on the diet and lifestyle of 60,000 males and females who were first interviewed between 1993 and 1998. Around 30,000 had also donated small amounts of blood and urine for the research, which was established with funds from the National Institutes of Health in the United States.

For the latest sub-study, participants' blood samples will be analysed to check for 25 different kinds of fatty acids, including the omega-3 kind from fish, omega-6, which is found in corn oil, and saturated fats contained in meat.

Prof Koh, 41, hopes the study will be able to bolster other research findings that have linked eating fish to lower rates of colorectal cancer. It could also show if eating red meat increases the risk of contracting the cancer.

She says much has been gleaned from the study which started in the mid-1990s to look at how diet, genes and other environmental factors in Chinese people here contribute to cancer. The study has since been extended to cover other diseases such as diabetes, but cancer remains the main focus.

'So far we have made several findings which are useful to Singaporeans and people around the world on the protective roles of certain types of food common in the Asian diet,' she adds. 'We found for example that eating tofu could protect you from breast cancer. The amount needed is not high. Just a serving a day is enough to achieve a protective effect after 10 years.'

Yet another study found that eating fish may reduce the risk of breast cancer.
'This is probably due to the protective effect of omega-3 fatty acids, which are high in fish,' explains Prof Koh.

'Eating orange fruits such as papayas and oranges may reduce the risk of lung cancer and green tea may help reduce the risk of breast cancer in some women.'

Prof Koh stresses that such studies are useful in the light of the growing incidence of cancer. In the 2002 to 2006 period, there were 43,000 reported cases in Singapore, with 237 males out of 100,000 hit by the disease while 248 women out of every 100,000 were struck.

Those rates are far above those of the late 1960s: 135 per 100,000 males and 103 per 100,000 females. Chinese are 1.5 to two times more likely to be hit by cancer than Indians or Malays.
Prof Koh makes the case that lifestyle factors account for the rising number of cases among Chinese as well as across the board. 'It can't be genetic, because our genes don't evolve so quickly,' she says.

'All the research evidence points to the fact that although genes play a part, they account for a very small percentage - less than 10 per cent.'

Environmental or lifestyle factors are more important, she says. Some of these causes are well established - such as smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, radiation and viruses. 'It is clear that the rising incidence of common cancers... is driven by various potentially controllable external factors. This is surely the most comforting fact to come out of cancer research, for it means that most cancers are potentially preventable,' she stresses.

To back up her case, she pulls out the latest 500-page report on cancer prevention released three years ago by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund. A team of international researchers concluded that a third of cancers could be avoided by adopting a healthy lifestyle - mainly eating right and being physically active. This proportion does not include smoking, which by itself accounts for another one-third of cancers.

Overall, one causal factor stood out, she says. 'The evidence scientists around the world have gathered is pretty convincing - carrying excess body fat increases risk for several cancers including that of the colon, the oesophagus and the uterus as well as post-menopausal breast cancer.'

Little wonder then that the report leads off with a recommendation to stay as lean as possible.

She highlights another key recommendation that food-loving Singaporeans should take note of - to eat healthily. That means a diet that consists of mostly plant-based foods.

'Research has shown that fruits and non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and contain micronutrients that can protect one against many types of cancer,' she explains.

Prof Koh practises what she preaches. She plays squash to keep fit, drinks green tea and tries to eat fish at least once a day. She has these final words of advice:

'Cancer does not develop suddenly. It's a long process that happens over many years. That means it's never too late to start making healthy lifestyle changes.

'So, if you are a smoker, stop the habit. If you're inactive, start exercising.

'If you're overweight, diet and exercise to bring your weight down.

'And if your diet is low in vegetables, fruits and grains, start adding them to your meals.'

How to prevent heart disease (Sunday Times 2020-02-27)

Source: Saturday Special Report of Straits Time Times dated 27th February 2010

· STOP SMOKING
SMOKERS - whether of cigarettes, pipes or cigars - are more than twice at risk of a heart attack than non-smokers.

Studies have found that even one to two cigarettes a day greatly increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions.

Non-smokers who are exposed to constant smoke also have an increased risk.
If you quit smoking, the health benefits start almost immediately, and within a few years, your risk of stroke and coronary artery disease becomes similar to non-smokers'.

· LOWER YOUR TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, LDL (BAD) CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS
EXCESSIVE lipids (fatty substances including cholesterol and triglycerides), especially in the form of LDL cholesterol, cause the build-up of fatty deposits within your arteries, reducing or blocking the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart.

There is a sharp increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease when total cholesterol levels are 240 mg/dl and above. Aim for a total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dl.

LDL cholesterol should be less than 70 mg/dl for patients at very high risk of cardiovascular disease. For all others, LDL cholesterol should be less than 130 mg/dl.

Triglyceride is a form of fat. People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including high LDL (bad) cholesterol and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Triglyceride levels should be kept below 150 mg/dl.

It is recommended that you have your cholesterol level checked as early as age 20 or earlier if you have a family history of high cholesterol.

The cholesterol profile includes an evaluation of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels.

· RAISE YOUR HDL (GOOD CHOLESTEROL)
HDL cholesterol takes the LDL (bad) cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it can be passed out of the body. High levels of HDL seem to protect against cardiovascular disease.

Aim for HDL levels greater than 40 mg/dl; the higher the HDL level, the better. An HDL of 60 mg/dl and above is considered protective against heart disease.

· LOWER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
BLOOD pressure measures the pressure or force inside your arteries with each heartbeat.
High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and kidneys, increasing the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. Aim for a reading of 120/80 mmHg or lower (high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher).

Control blood pressure through diet, exercise, weight management and, if needed, medication.

· PREVENT DIABETES. IF NOT, CONTROL IT
DIABETES occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin or use the insulin it has. This results in elevated blood sugar levels. Those with diabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease because diabetes increases other risk factors, such as high cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides; lower HDL; and high blood pressure.

Keeping diabetes under control is essential in reducing your risk.

· MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT
THE more you weigh, the harder your heart has to work to give your body nutrients.
Research shows that being overweight contributes to the onset of cardiovascular disease.
Excess weight also raises blood cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure, lowers HDL cholesterol and increases the risk of diabetes.

· EAT HEALTHY FOOD
VEGETABLES and fruit are high in vitamins, minerals and fibre - and low in calories.
Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables may help you control your weight and your blood pressure.

Unrefined whole-grain food contains fibre that can help lower your blood cholesterol and help you feel full, which may help you manage your weight.

Eat fish at least twice a week. Recent research shows that eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (for example, salmon, trout and herring) may help lower your risk of death from coronary artery disease.

Choose lean meat and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.

· EXERCISE
THE heart is like any other muscle - it needs a workout to stay strong and healthy. Exercising helps improve how well the heart pumps blood through your body. Aim for moderate exercise 30 minutes a day, on most days.

Exercise should be aerobic, involving the large muscle groups. Aerobic activities include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jumping rope and jogging. However, consult your doctor before starting any exercise programme.

What is Physical activity and what are its benefits?

Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.

Physical inactivity, (a lack of physical activity) is an independent risk factor for chronic diseases, and overall is estimated to cause 1.9 million deaths globally.

Regular physical activity – such as walking, cycling, or dancing – has significant benefits for health.

For instance, it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, help control weight, and promote psychological well-being.

Everyone should engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. More activity may be required for weight control.

Info Source: http://www.who.int/topics/physical_activity/en/

Heart rate link to heart attacks (by Mind Your Body of the Straits Time dated 14 Jan 2010)

A rapid heartbeat could increase your chances of suffering a fatal heart attack and this is more so for women, according to a new study. So regular workouts could be beneficial for them.

Researchers from Norway, who were involved in a study on more than 50,000 healthy adults over 20 years, found that with each increase of 10 beats per minute in resting heart rate, a woman's risk of dying from a heart attack climbed by 18 per cent up to the age of 70 years. For men, the risk rose by 10 per cent.

A healthy heart beats about 60 to 70 times a minute, with some normal variation on either side.

If the rate exceeds 80 for an extended period, doctors start to worry - that is, if they notice, because an elevated pulse may go undetected in otherwise healthy people, said one of the researchers, Javaid Nauman of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes are well-known risk factors for heart disease but, so far, heart rate has been overlooked, experts said.

'It's important to draw attention to heart rate as a cause of heart attack," Dr Malcolm Arnold, a University of Western Ontario cardiologist, told Reuters Health. He was not involved in the new study but said its large number of participants made it stand out.

According to Mr Nauman and his colleagues, their study, published in the Journal Of Epidemiology And Community Health, is the first to examine the combined effect of pulse and exercise on fatal heart attacks. For the analysis, they selected only people who did not have known heart disease.

At the outset of the study, the participants filled out questionnaires about their lifestyle and general health and scientists measured their heart rates and a few other physiological parameters.

When the study ended, more than 10,000 of the participants had died, some 40 per cent due to heart disease. Overall, men who had a resting heart rate above 100 beats per minute were 73 per cent more likely to die from a heart attack than men whose heart rate lay within the healthy range.

For women whose resting heart rate was above 100 beats per minute, the risk of a fatal heart attack increased by 42 per cent, and in those younger than 70 years, it more than doubled.

People who exercised, however, had a considerably lower resting heart rate than those who were more sedentary.

In women, those who reported higher levels of physical activity had a lower risk of dying from heart disease, irrespective of their resting heart rate. Among the most active, even a heart rate above 87 beats per minute did not lead to a significant increase in heart attacks.

'The most promising thing that we find is that you can keep a check on your resting heart rate by engaging in physical activity," Mr Nauman, an exercise physiologist, told Reuters Health, noting that this would reduce the risk of a heart attack.

He said the lower heart rate in active people was likely due to exercise's balancing effects on the autonomic nervous system, which can crank our heart rate up and down.

Prevent Slipped Disc by keeping your weight down, eating a proper diet, and exercising

Experts at The University of Michigan Health System indicate, "Herniated disks can often be prevented by keeping your weight down, eating a proper diet, and exercising to keep your muscles firm."

Info Source: In the article " Foods & Vitamins to Heal Herniated Disc " by Marie Greene in
http://www.ehow.com/way_5201717_foods-vitamins-heal-herniated-disc.html

My 2009-10-06 (Tuesday) Walking Exercise (Slow Walk) Record

Date: 2009-10-06 (Tuesday)

Type of Exercise: Slow walk

Distance: about 4.2 km

Time: From 9.27 am to 10.12 am

Total length of time: 45 minutes.

My Speed: 1.5555 m/s (Note: Brisk walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second)

Attire: Shorts and T-shirt and Checker brand track shoe

Venue: Well-built Walking Track near my home.

Remark: Moderately perspired. Brisk walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second

My last exercise was on 2009-10-05 (Monday)

My 2009-10-05 (Monday) Walking Exercise (Slow Walk) Record

Date: 2009-10-05 (Monday)

Type of Exercise: Slow walk

Distance: about 2.8 km

Time: From 8.20 am to 8.50 am

Total length of time: 30 minutes.

My Speed: 1.5555 metres/second (Note: Brisk walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second)

Attire: Shorts and T-shirt and Checker brand track shoe

Venue: Well-built Walking Track near my home.

Remark: Moderately perspired.

Brisk walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second

My last exercise was on 2009-10-04 (Sunday)

My 2009-10-04 (Sunday) Walking Exercise (Slow Walk) Record

Date: 2009-10-04 (Sunday)

Type of Exercise: Slow walk

Distance: about 3.6 km

Time: From 8.21 am to 9.02 am

Total length of time: 41 minutes.

My Speed: 1.4634 metres/second (Note: Brisk walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second)

Attire: Shorts and T-shirt and Checker brand track shoe

Venue: Well-built Walking Track near my home.

Remark: Moderately perspired.

Brisk walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second

My last exercise was on 2009-10-02 (Friday)

My 2009-10-02 (Friday) Walking Exercise (Slow Walk) Record

Date: 2009-10-02 (Friday)

Type of Exercise: Slow walk

Distance: about 3.0 km

Time: From 7.30 pm to 8.00 pm

Total length of time: 30 minutes.

My Speed: 1.66667 metres/second
(Note: Brisk walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second)

Attire: Shorts and T-shirt and Checker brand track shoe

Venue: Well-built Walking Track near my home.

Remark: Moderately perspired.

Brsik walk is 4 mph or 1.78816 meters per second

My last exercise was on 2009-09-30 (Wednesday)