Archive for December, 2010

Middle Age Nutritional Needs

December 30th, 2010

After a break of two weeks, I, again, went with the daughter to the gym. No it was not an elderly exercise of futility. I started and ended it with cardio exercises with weights to the biceps, stomach and legs in between. As usual, hunger pervaded my senses right after. And, as usual I had a slice of chocolate moist cake and a palm-full of peanuts to take care of it. Yes, what I had hardly qualifies for fitness nutrition for a guy like me. But people at my age deserve little pleasures in life every now and then. Otherwise, I try to partake of the dieting needs of the middle aged and the elderly.

Nutritional needs and aging:

As we grow older our physical and physiological compositions change. Compounding this middle age changes are the changes in our lifestyles, social, economic and medical conditions. All these affect our dietary needs to allow us to function at our peak. Suddenly we are at risk of nutrient deficiency or inappropriate nutrients. We are at the mercy of the types of food that we eat.

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An example of the changing nutritional needs of the middle-aged are the following:

o    Fibers and anti-oxidants from fruits and vegetables like artichokes, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, beans, oats, oranges, raspberries, green peas, etc. these are rich in bromelain, which alleviates joint pains;

o    Protein-rich food to make up for the loss of this important macronutrient due to aging and vitamin B12 to reinforce the body’s diminishing ability to absorb this vitamin. Sardines, albacore tuna and flounder as well as walnut and avocado are good sources of these food types. They improve brain function and reduce inflammation;

o    Calcium and vitamin D for bone health and vitamin B6 for energy metabolism and heart health. These are available in banana, yogurt, chicken, spinach, fortified cereal, milk, beans and fish such as yellowfin tuna and snapper;

o    Limit salt intake to keep away from high blood pressure and vitamin A. Advancing years do not diminish the body’s reserves of vitamin A and aging makes our body incapable of disposing extra quantities effectively. The retinyl esters from vitamin A is a potential toxin if it gets into the low-density lipoprotein;

o    Age does not diminish our nutritional needs but our lean body mass (muscles) do. Between the age of 30 and 80, lean body mass goes down by 15% for people who are sedentary. Since we need 10% fewer calories per 10 years age increase, we need to decrease our calorie intake as well. Failure to do so will lead to an increase in total body fat. I keep my total fat in check through Strip that Fat. You, too, can.

Of course the above will by no means be effective without keeping yourself fit through regular exercise.

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Coping with Changes due to Aging

December 20th, 2010

Today, while playing tennis, I wished I was younger. We all do, occasionally, for various reasons.

But we all age and be affected by the physical changes due to aging. It cannot be slowed down, stopped or reversed. But we can learn to cope with it to live healthy and happy lives.

My hair is almost gone and whatever is left is graying; my hands wrinkled. But there are more serious age-related changes within us that we should worry about other than thinning hair and wrinkles on our hands. Some of these are:

1.   Our cardiovascular system:

Aging affects the efficiency our heart, our blood vessels lose elasticity and hardened by fatty deposits from the food we ate. These make our heart work harder leading to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

To lessen it s impact do daily physical activity, i.e., walking, swimming, etc., and go on a diet heavy on fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help promote a healthy heart.

2.   Our skeletal structure (bones, muscles and joints):

Aging shrinks our bone size and density. We may even become shorter. This weakens them, making them more susceptible to fractures. Our muscles lose strength and flexibility affecting our coordination and balance.

Our bones and muscles can remain strong with treated on a diet heavy on calcium and vitamin D and regular strength training to build bone density. Strength training o reduces the risk of osteoporosis and protects the joints from injury, improves flexibility and balance.

3.   Our digestive system:

Constipation becomes more common as we age. Not only is difficult bowel movement such an unpleasant experience, if it becomes chronic, the risk of colon cancer his high.

This can be avoided by drinking plenty of water and other fluids, lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and, again, physical activity. Don’t ignore the urge to remove your waste.

4.   Bladder and urinary tract problems:

Menopause for women and enlarge prostate for men can cause the loss of bladder control (urinary inconsistencies). Obesity, frequent constipation and chronic cough may also contribute to urinary problems.

Lose weight if you are obese. An excellent and natural way to lower obesity and lose weight is through Strip that Fat. Pelvic exercises, too, can be effective in avoided bladder and urinary tract problems.

5.   Sexuality:

More often than not, sexuality is a major topic when men gather. More often than not, too, it’s all bluster because sexuality is one of our physical attributes affected by aging. Vaginal dryness for women and impotence for men are all too common to make Pfizer’s factories hum with Viagra production. There are countless theories why this happen, aside from the onset of age. A visit to your doctor and an honest-to-goodness discussion with your partner can make this less traumatic.

Bottom line:

Aging is an inescapable fact of life. But it is not an excuse to prevent us from having an enjoyable and healthy experience living. Lifestyle change is al that is needed. And it is never to late to do that.

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Middle Age and Belly Fat

December 14th, 2010


As Featured On EzineArticles

I always find it whimsical each time I work out with my daughter. On any given day there are more women than men, all are in their 30s and above and all suffer from middle age spread. A few women are still physically attractive but most need abdominal fat loss treatment. The men, all in their early 30s, have lesser belly fat than the women. Still their body mass index needs immediate adjustments.

Why do we gain weight as we age?

I used to think that people approaching middle age gain weight because they just don’t care how they look. The people I work out with belie my perception. They still want to look and feel good. Problem is, age is a difficult adversary. It is good at undermining our best intentions.

People going to the gyms each day belie my perception. The people I see in the gym prove otherwise. But age is a difficult adversary. It is adept at undermining our best intentions.

Age decreases our physical abilities, leading to a decrease in our metabolic rates (energy consumption at a given time) which, surely leads to weight gain.

The changes that come with aging affect our physical composition and cardio-pulmonary function, reducing our ability to work and exercise making us gain weight. Other factors such as genetics, muscle mass, gender, calorie consumption and lifestyle compound the issues caused by aging.

Women are more affected than men. Their hormonal changes as they approach menopausal age induce abdominal weight gain. Though hormonal changes, alone, don’t necessarily lead to abdominal weight gain, lifestyle changes and genetics do.

What happens at 30?

At 30, we are in the middle age realm. At age 30 every aspect of our body begins to deteriorate, reaching a plateau between ages 60 to 70. To start with, our cardiovascular system will decline by one half of one percent each year, then our muscle mass decreases by 40 to 50%, our nerve impulses slow down and our maximum breathing capacity decreases. People with chronic lung diseases like emphysema deteriorates even faster.

Our eyesight, hearing and endocrine systems shall decline as well, affecting our overall physical functions. The water content in our ligaments and tendons shall decrease affecting our flexibility, limiting our physical abilities as well.

The upside of aging:

Not everything is blue as we reach middle age.

First, studies show that healthy individuals can still increase their muscular strength and endurance to a proportionate degree. This was proven in a study group of men and women between ages 62 and 84 who made a 57% increase after a brief training period.

Second, a decrease in physical attributes is not accompanied by a decrease in appetite.

Third, Ms. Cara and her Strip that Fat can assist you in achieving the First while avoiding gaining weight due to the Second.

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Health Benefits of Potatoes

December 8th, 2010


As Featured On EzineArticles

What? There are health benefits in potatoes? Yes, in fact, a potato can be taken as one of Nature’s drug stores. Consider the following health benefits of this ugly duckling of a tuber:

-    It has vitamin C and B-complex and minerals, i.e., potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc which are good for the skin; protection against scurvy, relieve  rheumatic pains and minimize internal and external body inflammations;

-    The fibers in potatoes help lower cholesterol and improves the function of the insulin in the body, which aids in lowering blood pressure;

-    It contains carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, etc) which are beneficial for the heart and other internal organs;

-    Its magnesium content resists the accumulation or deposition of calcium in the kidneys, thus minimizing the occurrence of kidney stones;

-    The ease of digestion and its fiber contents can help people suffering from diarrhea.

So how did it got to be dreaded by people on weight loss plans? I guess it was more a case of bad publicity mounted against it by companies selling weight loss programs and weight loss diets. With so many diet plans and programs hitting the market in the face of a global obesity problem, potatoes became the favorite whipping boy in the fray. What is forgotten is that potatoes did not cause obesity. Obesity is caused by the poor eating habits of people around the world.

Potatoes are complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, in general, are our fuel to survive. They give us energy to do all the things we do in any given day. Without them, we die.

As a complex carbohydrate, they take long to break down and digest. This natural property of potatoes make it one of the best weight loss products there is because they make us feel full a lot longer, resulting to our reduced craving for food. Provided it is eaten they way it should be eaten..

How do we eat potatoes the healthy way? First, eat them never as French fries. Besides being fried in unhealthy oil, it may also contain the cancer-causing substance, acrylamide. If you must fry them, use the healthy oils from mono-unsaturated fat.

Baked potatoes? Well, yes, provided they are not served with the usual high-calorie, high-fat toppings, i.e., butter, sour cram, cheese, gravy and bacon bits, they normally are served with. If you must have potato salad, dress it with non-fat yogurt, and oven-roasted potato will come well with thyme and pepper. Or you can make potato pancakes.

The best approach will be to consult the potato chapter of a dieting recipe book. You will definitely find a lot of good ways to savor it and, at the same time, get the full health benefits of your potatoes.

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Calories and Weight Loss

December 6th, 2010


As Featured On EzineArticles

Signs of the changing times:

As an engineer, I know that a calorie is a measure of energy. As an aging person in the midst of a global obesity problem, I find it confusing why people who are wrestling with unwanted fat are declaring war on calories. So I did a little deduction and thought would share it with others who are shopping for ways (and drugs) of removing those extra fat from their bellies.

We all need energy (calories) to live. On the average, we need between 2,000 to 3.000 calories a day. Of course this energy requirement varies from person to person and the activities they are involved in on a daily basis. If the food they eat converts to this amount of energy requirement, then they neither gain nor lose weight.

But that is the ideal world:

How much calories are there in your food?

I don’t count my calories because I don’t have weight problems. But those who have, yet are not keen on keeping a daily calorie counter, think about these:

- Adding ketchup to your fries is 100 calories. So is guzzling a glass of skim milk and munching on a piece of toast;

- An Oreo cookie contains 50 calories, one large egg has 83 and a medium size apple has 90, banana, 80 and grapes, 100;

- Spinach, squash and green beans have 20 each and broccoli 12. But keep away from the 220 calories of sweet potato when mixed with butter and sugar.

Your calories and health and inseparable so it is best to stick on your refrigerator door a calorie counting guide.

Calorie/weight relationship:

Considering that obesity has become a world-wide phenomenon speaks well that we are not living in an ideal world. That we are burning less and less of the calories we take. If you think 100 calories is not such a big deal and still put ketchup on your fries, that’s your problem. But consider what it takes to burn them off.

To burn off 100 calories you have to run for 10 mins, walk for 20 mins, lift weights for 20 mins, and do yoga for 20 mins. All that huff and puff for a stinking dab of ketchup on French fries! No, it was not calories that gained you excess fat. It was you. You need weight loss tips? Here’s one – shave off 100 calories from your daily intake.

Your food calorie count:

To help you remove 100 calories per day from your diet, consult a calorie counting chart listing down all the foods you like, high and low calorie, in a journal. Starting slow and easy, constantly remove the high-calorie foods from your diet, replacing them with low-calorie foods you can live with.

How’s that for weight loss tip #2?


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Win the Fight Against Belly Fat

December 2nd, 2010


As Featured On EzineArticles

My friend Roy:

Roy is in his mid-50s. He is about 5’10″. But his height has not mitigated the ugly bulge around his waist. Otherwise, he could have looked good. I commented on this when we had coffee but he brushed me aside saying, “It’s ok. It’s alright for me.”

Well, there are countless Roys out there and they probably have the same excuse for their inability to lose belly fat. Of course, it is never ok, physically, to be overweight. The plethora of obesity-related diseases is mounting, their costs increasing. Not to mention that they will definitely look and feel better if they can find a on a way on how to lose belly fat.

Actually they can. Provided they can win over their excuses for not doing so. And here are some of these excuses, so common I can recite them from memory:

o   I love sweets:

Even diabetics do. But if you have to, avoid the high fructose super-sweeteners such as corn syrup. Settle for dark chocolate with nuts or dried fruit. You will get the same sweet sensation plus the added benefit of filling proteins and fiber;

o   I have no time to exercise:

If you need to, and you must, you can always find the time to take a quick walk whenever you can. I take breaks after an hour in front of the computer. This “quick walk” can lower you blood pressure and cholesterol, cut your risk from type 2 diabetes. There are countless exercises to lose belly fat. Choose that which interests you;

o   I find exercising boring:

I thought jogging is boring. It still is. But doing it on a treadmill, where you can set your speed, your grade, distance and time, makes it more interesting than hitting the road alone. Still not interested? Then do something that interests you and make it as your exercise. To get over it, keep in mind that you would look and feel much better if without that ugly fat around your waist.

o   I might fail:

Who was it who said, “If you think you can, you can.” Starting off with a negative note is the surest way to fail. Besides you have already failed. You failed to make yourself look and feel better and you failed to live a healthy lifestyle. Would you rather fail on the good side or bad side?

o   It’s too late for that:

It’s never too late for anything. I bet if you are to be diagnosed with a type 2 diabetes, you would do anything to minimize its effect on you. Why not do them while you still don’t have it? The ways to lose belly fat are not dependent on age.

To the Roys of the world:

It is never ok to have excess fat around the waist. It looks ugly, it looks ungainly and it doesn’t project the real you. There are several exercises and diet programs to lose belly fat. The only thing that’s keeping you from using them is you.

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