The Healthy Blogger

Beetroot juice shown to increase stamina

Yes, another one of those blog pieces about nutritious food.  A new report states that beetroot juice can increase your stamina.  Of course, this was based on a small study, but it is encouraging and means that more research will be put into it.

Though I would not be one to downplay any health benefits from natural food sources, it does make me wonder how these studies come about to begin with.  We have been hearing about so many different food links to Alzheimer’s and I remain sceptical about many of those – especially because the links are tenuous and require excessive amounts that would be nearly impossible to achieve.  However, this beetroot juice might have some real science behind it.

Beetroot juice contains nitrogen, which is believed to have benefits inside the body.  How it does this is still unknown, but it is postulated that it may be converted to nitric oxide, which decreases the body’s need for oxygen, therefore, it can do more work with less effort or stress on the body.  As a result, the stamina is increased.  Previously, it was shown that beetroot juice can lower blood pressure.  If this nitric oxide theory is correct, it may account for the lower blood pressure as well.

So, for those beet lovers, this is good news.  My father was the only one in the family who liked beets.  We all used to make fun of him.  Of course, not having eaten any beets since ages ago, I cannot even remember what it takes like or why I didn’t like it.  I suppose I could give it another try.  It wouldn’t hurt and it just might help get me through this lethargic period that is brought on by heat and humidity.

Exercise and antioxidants

An interesting health article today discussed vitamins and exercise.  Though experts are always urging us to eat a well-balanced diet in order to receive all our daily nutrients without the use of supplements, it is not an easy task.  I know people who eat healthy, but I really don’t know anyone who eats everything that is recommended in order to get all their vitamins and minerals.  Most of us are set in our ways as far as diet is concerned, with very little variation in our meals.  When the diet consists of the same thing day after day, it is likely that many nutrients are missing and many others are in excess.

I had never heard of people taking vitamins, especially C and E, after exercising in order to reduce what’s called “oxidative stress”.  This oxidative stress is created by harmful chemicals, called “free radicals”, which are released when we exercise.  Free radicals are believed to cause cancer and heart disease, amongst other things.  Vitamins C and E are antioxidants, which block these free radicals and protect the body from its damage.  Interesting, logical concepts, though I had never heard about doing this.

But scientists have now found that antioxidants after exercising may not be good.  Apparently, these free radicals can reduce the risk of diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity.  Most diabetes caused by obesity is related to insulin insentivity.  That is, the body cannot respond to insulin, so the blood sugars remain elevated.  Muscles, when they respond to insulin, take glucose up and use that as energy.  When they don’t respond, the muscles have to use other sources of energy.  Antioxidants block these good effects of free radicals.

As always in health, there is a delicate balance that needs to be preserved.  Vitamins are good, but they should not be taken in excess.  The study highlights some negative effects of vitamins, but it only talked about vitamins taken after exercising.  There was no comment about its effects if taken at other times.  Will it help protect against free radicals in cancer and heart disease or harmful in diabetes?  Also, it did not discuss threshold levels that can help or harm.

Alcohol and the beer belly

Recently, it was announced that many food outlets will start displaying calorie counters on their menus. Now, it appears that the government would like to make drinkers aware of the calorie count in alcoholic drinks. Whether or not they will start demanding that the labelling includes the calorie count is not known.

The campaign aims to focus not just on the health risks but on the weight risks. Though much has been said about alcohol being “empty calories”, it appears that most people are either not aware of what this means or they choose to ignore it. Simply, it means that alcohol is loaded with calories without any other nutritive value. There is a reason that people refer to that paunch as “the beer belly”. The Know Your Limits campaign performed a survey which revealed that many people were unaware of the calorie contents of their alcoholic drinks. For example, a pint of beer is equal in calories to a doughnut, or a glass of wine is equal to a slice of cake.

Focusing on the health risks has not deterred people from drinking, so will focusing on calories and weight do it? It seems unlikely, since obese people are not deterred from eating all those fatty foods. Of course, campaigners argue that drinkers also eat unhealthy foods and this new awareness may change some of their eating habits. If it does, perhaps they can come up with some new ideas on how to curb the eating habits of those who are obese and consume enormous amounts of fat and cholesterol.

Get exercising!

A new study shows that it is never too late to start exercising for your health. The research shows that men who increased their activity starting at the age of 50 lived longer than their sedentary counterparts. The effects on lifespan are similar to someone who gave up smoking during the same period. It did qualify though that weight, smoking and alcohol, all of which contribute to lifespan, had to be accounted for, and that diet will also play an important role. Nevertheless, it does point out that using the excuse “It’s too late for me” is no longer good enough. It’s not too late, so get your butt off the couch!

The burden of obesity

I like to keep emphasising healthy dieting (not dieting to lose weight, necessarily, but just eating right) and exercise in order to maintain a healthy weight. I am guilty of not always following this lecture, but when you have been good, you can allow yourself an occasional treat. Though I will also admit that I can overindulge. I have been fortunate in my life that I have never been overweight. When I did come close, I was busy exercising.

Unfortunately, many people out there are not as lucky. In fact, if statistics are to be believed, most people out there are not. The rise in obesity and its complications has led to commensurate rises in health care costs. It has put a significant burden on medical care, both in financial and physical terms. Excessive time, money and effort are being put into programs to prevent and treat obesity and its many medical consequences, such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, arthritis, etc.

As a result, there are many others who are complaining about the money being spent on obesity. Take for example, Amanda Platell’s view that obesity is not a disease but the result of slovenly behaviour, which includes overeating and under-exercising. She acknowledges that a few have medical conditions that can cause obesity, but she is ranting against the others who are abusing the NHS by doing nothing to help themselves. While she does have a point, there are others who argue that they pay their taxes, so they deserve the help when they need it.

My argument is that they should have cried out for help when they were not too far gone. The best medicine is always prevention, but when you’ve gotten beyond that point, something else needs to be done. Unfortunately, most people only decide that they need help when they can no longer take two steps without panting. Or, when their joints start acting up. Even when they’ve already developed high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol levels, they still do not listen to the advice of doctors to diet and exercise. Many people would rather have a quick fix-it. “Just give me a pill, doc.” They don’t even understand that these pills can interact and cause so many side effects. If any negative consequences result, they go after the doctor. Many would say that if it were not for these people, doctors would be out of business. I say, if not for these people, doctors may be able to concentrate on other issues.

Personal responsibility is an issue that has been stressed ever since the banks crashed and we went into recession. This personal responsibility should not just be in the financial sector, but should extend into all facets of life, including your own personal health. When will we learn to adopt that responsibility and stop blaming others for our own failings?

Sex as a part of your exercise regime

A new report has come out with new claims about the benefits of sex. For years, it has been reported that regular sex helps with your mental well-being. It seems a no-brainer in many ways, doesn’t it? Then there was the report that regular sex helps boost your immune system so that you are not vulnerable to many common illnesses, such as the cold. That’s understandable, as many people fall prone to these ailments when they are under stress. Since sex relieves stress, it should help.

However, the report now claims that the immune system response can also help prevent other illnesses like cancer. Seems a bit far-fetched and some sex experts are skeptical about that. Nevertheless, they approve of the message that sex is good for you. Also, sex is promoted as a cardiovascular exercise, which in turn helps your heart. Yet, the report states that you can burn 300 calories from an hour of vigorous sex. Now, how many people you know can sustain that? With or without Viagra?

OK, I won’t undermine any of the claims nor will I dispute that sex is good for you. But I won’t condone the sexual license some may feel this report gives them. The benefits from sex depends on a healthy relationship with your sexual partner. So, if you have that, then go do it.

Can exercise compete against the TV/computer?

When you go to the doctors, have you ever noticed that you always get the same advice, just expressed in different ways each time? Essentially, the advice is to exercise, eat right, don’t smoke, don’t drink too much, etc. People hear it all the time and they get so tired of it. So much so, that I know some completely tune it out. Once they tune it out, it doesn’t matter if you quote them all the research studies proving this and that benefit.

Exercise has been touted as one of the best ways to combat all kinds of diseases. The latest study shows that it reduces your risk of some forms of colon cancer. Well, to me, that only makes sense. It simply follows from the fact that if you exercised regularly, you are probably not one of those couch potatoes, sitting in front of the TV, munching on chips, nachos, beer, sodas, pizzas, etc. One of the biggest risk factors for colon cancer is fatty foods. Many diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers, arise from sedentary lifestyles.

Though I advocate an active lifestyle, I’m afraid the message is no longer received with much enthusiasm. People may be concerned about their health, but scare tactics by associating inactivity with disease does not seem to motivate people any more.  Telling them they need to exercise, especially in reference to their weight or cholesterol levels, can be degrading and demotivating.  What they need to hear is that exercise is fun and socially rewarding.

It’s hard to do that when the TV culture is trying its best to get more viewers. Computers and electronic games are also claiming a lot of attention. If we can make the sedentary activities less entertaining, more people might go out and take a walk. I suppose the Wii Fit can be credited with an attempt to get more people active in a fun way, but it costs a lot. What most people need is a form of exercise that is free or cheap, easy to do, and fun. We need to emphasise FUN!

To change people’s attitudes about exercise, doctors, public health workers and the government need to work together to come up with a program to promote exercise and provide a means for it. It would be one way to combat diseases that affect the overall economic health.