How obesity damages immune strength

One very important way that excess adipose (fat) tissue imperils health is revealed in a study published in the journal Cell. Researchers from Harvard Medical School have figured out that obesity lets cancer cells get the fuel they need to thrive and their rapacious appetite deprives tumor-killing cells of fuel they must have to battle cancer successfully. The cancer cells also rewire their metabolism to respond to a high-fat diet and that makes tumors grow faster.

These findings are in line with research that shows older women who are overweight have increased levels of estrogen and insulin — both of which increase breast cancer risk. And another study found that obese men are 52 percent more likely to die from cancer than normal weight men, and obese women’s risk is 62 percent greater than normal weight women.

Your best cancer-fighting options include achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, reducing your stress response, getting regular physical activity, and eliminating ultra-processed foods and red meats from your diet. Your tumor-fighting immune cells will thank you!

How stair climbing reveals your level of heart health

Researchers evaluated how much time it took 165 folks who had symptoms of coronary artery disease, such as chest pain or shortness of breath during exertion, to ascend 60 steps at a good clip — but not running. Turns out if you can do that in less than a minute you have pretty good heart health

(it could be better). If you can do it in less than 40 to 45 seconds you have a low mortality rate — just 1 percent or less per year, or 10 percent in 10 years. But, if it takes you 90 seconds or more, you should actively work with your doctor to protect your heart. (When Dr. Mike captained the U.S. squash team for the 1984 Pan American Games, he trained, in part, by climbing up and down 16 stories during lunch breaks.)

To incorporate stair climbing into a workout, folks without heart disease can adopt an intermittently-intense stair exercise routine. Search “stairs” to check out “exercise snacking” at Doctoroz.com. One option: climbing 60 steps three times a day, waiting one to four hours between “snacks” for optimal benefits. Folks with diagnosed (or suspected) heart disease should always talk to their doc first! Ask about using cardio rehab or physical therapy to safely get into it.