 | ||||||
Keep Exercising To Stay Young & Fit
New medical studies are showing that working out consistently may, in addition to improving your health, help prevent or stop white blood cells from aging. In addition to warding off heart disease and cancer, recent research shows that exercise slows down the body’s aging clock by working inside the white blood cell in the body. Recently published in the journal, Circulation. "Until recently, the primary role of white blood cells was thought to be fighting off infections, according to Dr. Annabelle Volgman, a cardiologist and director of the Heart Center for Women at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Newer research has shown white blood cells are able to do much more, including continuously seeking out abnormal cell growths, such as those that cause cancer, and clearing them away. Researchers studied endurance athletes and discovered they had longer telomeres in their white blood cells than healthy nonsmoking adults who did not exercise.
Telomeres are the DNA at the tips of chromosomes that protect the cell. They can best be described can be thought of as the protection, for the DNA and their purpose is to prevent the ends of the DNA from separating. Over the life span, cells continue to divide. Each time a cell divides the telomere is shortened. When the telomere gets too short, the cell stops dividing. When this happens, people age-gradually losing muscle strength, skin elasticity, vision, hearing, mental abilities, and other medical issues.
Recently, researchers measured the length of white blood cell telomeres in two groups of professional runners. One group's average age was 20 and they ran more than 45 miles a week. The other group of athletes were middle-aged, (averaging age 51) who had done endurance exercise since youth and ran an average of 50 miles a week. When these groups were compared with age-matched healthy nonsmokers who didn't exercise, they found their telomeres were much longer. They also had increased activity of the enzyme telomerase, which maintains the telomere. Researchers say this is direct evidence of an anti-aging effect of exercise.
The athletes also had slower resting heart rates (a sign of cardiovascular fitness) along with lower blood pressure, lower body mass index and lower cholesterol levels than the non-exercising group. With heart disease, aging white blood cells may be one factor in the accumulation of plaques that lead to cardiovascular disease. With cancer, aging white blood cells become less efficient at dealing with abnormal growths (cancer cells). If exercise helps white blood cells by preventing the shortening of the telomere, it may explain why it also protects against developing heart disease and cancer.
Although there is no definitive research to support the notion that a person has to be an exceptionally conditioned athlete in order to reap the benefits listed above, previous research has shown that even moderate activity benefits the telomeres. The best advice? Exercise as much as you can for your age and fitness level. Any amount of exercise helps you live a longer, healthier life.
Diabetic Relief with Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is one rich in olive oil, grains, cereal, fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and fish, but low in meat, dairy products and alcohol. Olive oil is used as the cooking medium of choice in this diet as well. So how does this diet compare to what The American Diabetes Association recommends? Below are the basic guidelines to follow and what you'll notice is that the Mediterranean is strikingly similar. Portion sizes, no matter how healthy the food, can make all the difference. And remember, being overweight or obese is a top risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association's Basic Food Principles:
·Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety. Eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or green
Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety. Eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or green beans with meals.
·Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with your stir fry or whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce.
Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with your stir fry or whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce. ·Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your meals.
Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your meals. ·Include fish in your meals 2-3 times a week.
Include fish in your meals 2-3 times a week. ·Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and
Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
·Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese. ·Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet
Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
·Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you're trying to lose weight, watch your
Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you're trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
·Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream.
Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream. · Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.
Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes. But how do we know that the Mediterranean diet really helps?
A study conducted in Spain suggests that a Mediterranean diet might decrease your risk for diabetes. Over 13,000 people with no history of diabetes were recruited between 1999 and 2007 to participate in the study that tracked their dietary habits and overall health. Participants first filled out a food frequency questionnaire detailing the specifics of their diet with respect to over 100 different food items. Also captured was data regarding the use of fats, oils, cooking methods and dietary supplements.
At intervals of two years the participants were sent follow up questionnaires and new cases of diabetes were catalogued and confirmed using medical reports. The result of the study showed that strict adherence to the diet meant a significantly lower risk of diabetes. In fact a high level of adherence led to an 83% reduction of risk for diabetes. Amazingly the participants who were most diligent about adherence were also those with the highest prevalence of risk factors for developing diabetes. Risk factors included older age and a family history of diabetes.
So stock up on olive oil, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and decrease your risk for diabetes.
