You can indeed teach an old dog new tricks
What does Chelsea Handler have in common with Ryan Gosling? They both know that resistance/ strength training is key to staying in shape — and staying with your exercise routine. Chandler says she made a mental shift and now she pumps to feel stronger in mind and body, and it’s very motivating.
A new study out of Finland found that doing resistance training builds confidence along with muscle, and that makes exercise more enjoyable, so you end up sticking with it for the long run. Although these researchers were looking at folks over age 65, the lesson applies to all ages.
If you’re sedentary, it’s hard to reconnect with your body. That’s why, unfortunately, around 80 percent of the 66 million Americans with gym memberships never or rarely go. If that’s you, you’re missing out on a key way to make exercise a regular and fun part of your life. Your body likes to go out and have a good time!
Start by doing strength building at home with hand weights or stretchy bands. And when you’re doing stretching/strengthbuilding exercises, you’ll discover how much your body loves you back when you show it some love — and love is precisely what strength building is to your organs, muscles, bones and brain.
So if you’re having trouble getting into “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” try building up your resolve (and muscles) with two to three 20-minute strength-building sessions weekly. Once you feel the love (along with the burn) you won’t want to give it up!
Parental concerns about teen tattoos
In the 2011 movie “The Hangover PART II,” Stu Price (Ed Helms) wakes up in Bangkok to find he has a Mike-Tyson-style facial tattoo. Will it permanently ruin his future? That’s the question a lot of parents also face when their kids ask for permission to get a tattoo — even if it’s nothing more than a flower on an ankle.
A recent national poll conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan found that 78 percent of parents of high school students would not approve of their teenager getting a tattoo, although an American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report says they’re commonplace these days. The parents cited health, social acceptance and career obstacles as their concerns.
As far as health worries, parents are concerned about infection and transmission of diseases like hepatitis and HIV. Socially and professionally, they think people might stereotype their child as undesirable. And 68 percent say they think their kids will simply come to regret it. Since 32 percent of the parents in the study had tattoos, a lot of them know what they’re talking about.
If your kid asks about getting a tattoo, here’s another health concern that you can mention: Some tattoo inks contain phthalates (hormone disruptors) and industrial grade, carcinogenic metals and hydrocarbons that are, according to the Food and Drug Administration, best suited for printers or automobile paint. These chemicals enter the body’s lymphatic system, which helps clean the blood and keep the immune system healthy, damaging vulnerable lymph nodes.
You need to keep them — and your kids — clean and happy.
New guidelines for Type 2 diabetes Question:
Is it true that there are new treatment guidelines for Type 2 diabetes? My wife was recently diagnosed, and I want to know what they are. — Lester G., Columbus, Ohio
Answer: Yes, there are new guidelines, or a realignment of guidelines, and there are a few things you and your wife need to talk to her endocrinologist about.
The big shift is that doctors are being told to approach their Type 2 diabetes care plan by starting with an evaluation of each diagnosed patient’s heart health, because cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke) is the No. 1 cause of death for people with diabetes. While metformin remains the recommended first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes, there are two types of therapies that are emerging as the go-to drugs for managing long-term heart health and blood glucose levels: sodium-glucose cotransport-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.
One caution: The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about SGLT2 inhibitors, because from March 2013 to May 2018, they found five women and seven men were hospitalized (one died) with what’s known as necrotizing fasciitis of the genitals (flesheating bacteria) because of taking the meds. (1.7 million people received prescriptions for SGLT2 inhibitors in 2017). Going forward, a warning label will be placed on the medication. So ask the doctor about the risks and benefits for your wife.
As for the emphasis on cardiovascular health, that’s terrific. But it doesn’t depend on medicines alone! She should make sure to get 10,000 steps daily, lose 10 percent of her body weight if she is overweight, avoid all added sugars and syrups, sat and trans fats and highly processed foods. You can reverse Type 2 diabetes with a healthful lifestyle, then neither of you will have to worry about the potential side effects of Type 2 diabetes medications.
Q: My husband and I weigh about the same, are both 45 and about the same height and weight (5 feet, 8 inches, and
150 pounds). Should we eat the same kinds and amounts of foods? — Shirley D., St. Joseph, Missouri
A: Height and weight are not the only criteria that determine how much and what foods you should eat. Your nutritional needs are also influenced by your activity level, age and your gender.
Are you active? While a 45-year-old sedentary woman who is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds may burn 1,934 calories a day or less, an active woman with the same stats can consume 2,445 calories and maintain her weight. (An active man with the same stats — 2,752 calories.) So you want to tailor what you eat to your activity level and your desired weight.
Are you in perimenopause or menopause?
That often ushers in weight gain. So you want to change what and when you eat. Smart steps: Wait 13 or more hours between dinner and breakfast; eat a lean-protein, fresh fruit and 100-percent-wholegrain breakfast; and never have dinner (light and lean) later than 8 p.m.
Are you happy? A study published in Nutritional Neuroscience found that women’s brains require an especially nutrientrich diet to achieve maximum happiness and mental health. Seems as men and women evolved, their brains developed anatomical and functional differences that influence susceptibility to mental disease. The bottom line is, “women need a larger spectrum of nutrients to support mood, compared to men,” and many are not getting them. That, the researchers suggest, may explain why women are more prone to depression and anxiety than men are.
So it’s important that women (and men too!) avoid highly processed foods, added sugars and additives that can alter gut bacteria and the nutritional balance in the body. They need to make sure they get iron-rich food (premenopause especially), like chicken, turkey, fish, kale, spinach, beans and lentils; folaterich citrus fruits, leafy greens, beans and peas; calcium-rich, nonfat dairy, sardines, tofu and dark leafy greens; and vitamin D from fatty fish like salmon and all varieties of mushrooms.