When it comes to physical activity, the most important decision is choosing something you enjoy. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you will do it regularly.

A combination of structured activities such as walking, running, or sports and daily activities such as household chores, yard work, or walking the dog, makes it easy to get the recommended daily amount of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity.

Remember, if you have been inactive for a while, start slowly and work up to 30 minutes a day at a pace that is comfortable for you. If you are unable to be active for 30 minutes at one time, you can accumulate activity over the course of the day in 10- to 15-minute sessions.

Also be sure to check with a health care provider, if you have a chronic health problem such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or if you haven't exercised in a long time. Ask your health care provider about what type and amount of physical activity is right for you.

Giving some thought to your style of doing things can also help you choose the right activity. Consider these options:

• Exercising alone - This is a good option if your busy schedule prevents you from planning a regular time to be active every day. However, unless you are self-motivated, you may find yourself putting off physical activity and never doing it.
• Training buddy - You may be more likely to commit to a physical activity routine if you are doing it with someone else, because you don't want to let your training buddy down.
• Team sports and group physical activity programs - Organized activities offer the chance to widen your social circle. However, training sessions and regular matches can also demand a lot of your time.
• Mixing it up - Some people like to combine two or three options. For example, you may choose to exercise alone on two or three days of the week, and train with a buddy or participate in a team sport on a couple of the other days.

Other Tips:

• Be realistic about your current health and level of fitness. If you are a beginner, the physical demands of some activities (like running) may be too much at first. Start with an easier activity like walking and plan to work your way up.
• Choose at least a couple of activities to help keep you interested. You may get bored and lose motivation if you stick to only one form of physical activity.
• Don't pick an activity solely because you think it would be "good" for you; enjoyment is the key to sticking to your plan.
• Listen carefully to your body. Stop exercising and consult your doctor if you experience chest discomfort or pain, dizziness, severe headache, or any other unusual symptoms while you are exercising. If you are feeling fatigued or sick, take time off from your routine to rest. When you feel better you can ease back into your program.
• Set specific short-term and long-term goals and be sure to celebrate every success.
• Keep an activity log to track your progress. This will help keep you aware of your physical activity--what you did, how long you did it and how you felt during your activity.
• Get support. Encourage your family and friends to support you and join you in your activity. Form walking groups with coworkers or friends, play with your children outside, or take a dance class with your brother or sister.

# posted by L. F. Guerra Jr @ 9:06 PM 0 Comments

In 2008, an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer, including over 700,000 new cases in men and nearly the same number of new cases in women. There were also over 650,000 cancer deaths last year, which ranks cancer second only to heart disease as a leading cause of death

Cancer is caused by changes in genes that control the growth and death of cells. The disease develops when cells continue to grow and divide instead of dying off when they get older as they would normally do. As cancer cells multiply, they can damage nearby tissues and can also spread to other parts of the body and develop into new tumors. While improvements in detection, diagnosis, and treatment have increased the survival rate for many types of cancer, we also encourage doing all you can do to prevent the disease as a core strategy of your prescription for optimal health.

With prevention in mind, here are 10 things we can all do to reduce the risk of developing cancer:

1. Avoid tobacco products and second-hand smoke

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States for both men and women. Ironically, it’s also the most preventable type of cancer. Some 87-percent of lung cancer deaths are attributable to exposure to tobacco smoke including roughly 3,000 deaths each year in non-smokers due to second-hand smoke. Of the 45 million Americans who still smoke in 2007, 30-percent of male and 21-percent of female high school students reported using some form of tobacco in the prior month. If you smoke, take the necessary steps to quit for the health of you and your loved ones.

2. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight increases your chance of developing certain types of cancer, including cancer of the esophagus, colon and rectum, and pancreas. Obesity also increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by roughly 50-percent, and endometrial cancer by about three fold. And carrying too much extra body weight is believed to account for up to 30-percent of kidney cancers in both men and women. Make smart food choices, control portion sizes, and fill up on fruits and vegetables to help manage your healthy weight and reduce your risk of cancer.

3. Get moving

The American Cancer Society recommends regular exercise as a way to prevent cancer. Regular exercise burns calories and can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Pick something that gets and keeps you moving like walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, team sports, and even dancing. Consider biking or walking to work, or take a walk during your lunch break. Be sure to gradually work up to 30-45 minutes of exercise a day for five or more days per week.

4. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

Fruits and vegetables are naturally rich in dietary antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and a whole family of carotenoids that may help to protect your healthy genes from oxidative damage. Recent research suggests that eating tomatoes may help to protect against developing prostate cancer, while eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts may help to protect against bladder cancer. Fruits and vegetables are also rich in fiber which can speed the transit of food through the digestive system and may reduce the absorption of cancer-causing chemicals. So eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables may be the best way to ensure broad spectrum protection.

5. Fresh is best

Until about 20 years ago, stomach cancer was the most common cancer worldwide, perhaps due to cultural preferences for eating large amounts of salt-preserved foods such as cured meats and pickled vegetables. This finding underscores the point that when it comes to eating most foods, it’s generally best to eat fresh rather than salted, cured, or pickled. In general, the less processed the food, the healthier it will be for you.

6. Limit alcohol intake

Excess alcohol consumption is associated with increased risks of cancers of the oral cavity, throat, voice box, esophagus, liver, breast, and possibly the colon and rectum. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in women, and aside from carrying too much body weight, alcohol intake is the only other established risk factor for this disease. It’s recommended that men who drink alcohol should limit their intake to no more than 2 drinks per day, while women should limit their intake to no more than 1 drink daily.

7. Practice sun safety and check for changes in your skin

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is damaging to your skin. The genetic damage it can cause to skin cells can lead to skin cancer, a disease that is increasingly common, especially among young people. Be aware that the sun’s peak time is between 10 am and 3 pm and that sunlight exposure can be intensified by up to 50-percent when reflected from sand, water, snow, ice, and concrete. When outdoors, cover up exposed areas and wear sun screen with an SPF of 15 or more. Know your skin and be aware of the location, size, and shape of moles and skin spots, and report any changes promptly to your physician.

8. Reduce your exposure to potential carcinogens

There are many substances in the environment with the potential to put you at higher risk for developing cancer. On the job, minimize your exposure to fumes, dust, solvents, and chemicals. Try to reduce your everyday exposure to potentially-toxic environmental chemicals in the home and…

• Dust and vacuum regularly to rid your home of toxins attracted to dust


• Open windows and use fresh air to freshen and minimize indoor pollution


• Filter your drinking water to remove pollutants


• Switch to green cleaning products that are safe but still powerful

9. Know your family history and get screened

Some 5-10-percent of cancers are due to a genetic predisposition to cancer. Family history is a risk factor for common types of cancer including breast, ovarian, colon, and prostate cancer. If you have a family history of cancer your physician may recommend genetic testing to see if you have the type of gene that can increase your chance of developing cancer. For individuals with an average risk of cancer, the following cancer screening guidelines are recommended:

• Breast cancer: Women should begin yearly mammograms at age 40 and conduct regular breast self exams starting in the 20’s.


• Colon and rectal cancer: Men and women should have one or more screening tests including a colonoscopy starting at age 50.


• Cervical cancer: All women should begin cervical cancer screening no later than 21 years of age.


• Prostate cancer: Men should have the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination annually beginning at age 50.

10. Choose your dietary supplements wisely

Whether it’s vitamin D, folic acid, calcium, the antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and the carotenoids, fiber, or emerging phytochemicals, nutrition surveys have made it clear that your diet is unlikely to be providing all the essential nutrients and other dietary factors you need to be at your healthiest. And dietary supplement studies have yielded compelling evidence that supplements can help to reduce the chance of developing cancer in undernourished individuals.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington published a study in Nutrition and Cancer that evaluated the association between dietary and supplemental zinc and prostate cancer in 35,242 men participating in the VITAL cohort, a study specifically designed to evaluate the impact of dietary supplements on cancer risk. In this study, long-term supplemental zinc intake was in fact associated with reduced risk of clinically relevant advanced disease.



And as reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, National Cancer Institute researchers found that among postmenopausal women, the greater their total calcium intake from dietary supplements and food up to about 1,300 mg per day, the lower was their risk of developing cancer. For men and women, a diet rich in calcium from supplements and food was associated with a lower risk of developing cancers of the digestive system such as colon cancer. These findings are consistent with randomized clinical trials which have shown that calcium supplementation reduces the recurrence of colon polyps, which are precursors to colon cancer

Clearly, dietary supplements play a key role in making up the nutrient shortfalls in your diet, and they provide a means of achieving optimal nutrient levels needed to achieve and maintain the best of health.

# posted by L. F. Guerra Jr @ 6:31 PM 0 Comments

Indoor Activities:

• Undertake that spring-cleaning project. Think about the muscles you'll use when you clean windows or move furniture to clean your carpets. Just remember to put on some fast-tempo music to keep you moving from room to room!
• It's time to clean up the garage and put away those holiday decorations that are still sitting in a corner. While you're at it, how about cleaning out your closet? Now that you've dropped a size or two, you probably have a bundle of clothes to give to charity.

Outside Activities:

• Now that the weather is warming up, go for a nice long walk every day or go for a jog and enjoy the changes in scenery that springtime brings. Don't forget to take "Buster" along with you and make those steps count!
• Perhaps you learned a new workout routine in a class or an exercise video when it was too cold to venture outside. Try doing the routine in the tranquility of your yard or outside with a friend. Working out –outdoors--allows you to focus on the scenery and not the image of yourself in the gym mirror or television reflection.
• While you're in your yard, you might notice the need for some springtime yard work. Making these activities feel like exercise is as simple as holding in your abs to keep your back straight and alternating which foot you hold forward while raking or digging. Pruning bushes and trees is excellent exercise for your forearms, and planting trees and flowers will provide you with full-=body exercise as well as a beautiful yard to show for your effort!

Community Activities:

• If you'd like to be active and make a difference at the same time, seek out a volunteer opportunity that will get you moving! Clear litter from a beach or park. Help clear trails at a nearby nature preserve. Working as a volunteer will not only give you the opportunity to directly help others, but will allow you to reap the physical benefits of some hard work.
• If you want to help your community but can't help out through work, consider helping by working out. Springtime offers a host of opportunities to begin training for charity events such as walks, mini-marathons or triathlons. Training for an event will keep you active with a goal in mind while you collect donations for a charitable cause.

Even though some of these activities don't sound like exercise, your body will feel the work while your mind enjoys the benefits. Remember to listen to your body and slow down if you're tired. Balance less strenuous activities you can maintain with difficult ones that you can do intermittently. Keep a bottle of water at hand and your pedometer at your side.

# posted by L. F. Guerra Jr @ 3:53 PM 0 Comments

March is National Nutrition Month®, the month established by the American Dietetic Association to bring special attention to helping Americans make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical-activity habits. This year’s theme is simple: eat right. But what does eating right really mean? To most of us, it means eating more fruits and vegetables; whole-grain breads and cereals; leaner cuts of meat; and cutting back on high-sugar, high fat foods that provide empty calories.

But the truth of the matter is that eating right means much more. It also means eating mindfully—relying a little more on our intuition and eating with increased awareness. Not just awareness of the foods on our plate, but awareness of the entire eating experience. Eating with increased awareness is especially important for anyone trying to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Choosing to eat mindfully means you're giving your full attention to both food and eating. It means you don't eat and watch TV or sit at the computer at the same time. It means you don't eat while you're driving, while you're working, or while you're talking on the telephone. People who eat and multitask tend to eat too fast, take in excess calories, miss the subtle signs of fullness, and don't enjoy their food as much. Mindful eating makes it possible for you to fully experience your food so you can actually eat less but feel more satisfied.

Although eating mindfully with increased awareness may be different for every person, try embracing the following strategies:

• Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're comfortable. Pay attention to your body's hunger and satiety signals. Eat at the first signs of hunger and stop when you feel perfectly comfortable (satisfied, not stuffed). For most of us that means eating every couple of hours.


• Don't wait until you're starving to eat. One of the keys to mindful eating is to avoid being overhungry. When you're overhungry, it increases the likelihood that you'll overeat.


• Select foods satisfying for your body and your mind. There really is no such thing as "good" foods and "bad" foods. Even "good" foods can be unhealthy if you eat more than your body needs. More importantly, satisfaction from eating comes not just from feeling full, but from enjoying the taste of the foods you eat without feeling guilty. In the end, feeling guilty leads to overeating, not eating less. So give yourself permission to eat the foods you love. Eat them in moderation and when you're truly hungry. Stop eating them when you're perfectly comfortable and remember to let go of the guilt.


• Savor the flavor, appearance, and aroma. Take the time to notice the colors, textures, and smells of the food you're eating. Increase your awareness by putting your fork down between each bite and being conscious of all the different sensations you're experiencing.


• Slow down, don't chew too fast. Mindless eating often involves fast eating, so put on the brakes and take your time. To help slow things down, try eating with chopsticks or your nondominant hand. Chew your food 30?50 times before swallowing, and try to make your meal last at least 20 minutes.


• Just eat. Don't do anything else. Don't eat while watching TV, sitting at the computer or in your car, driving, or while working. Set the kitchen table and sit down to your plate of food and be aware of each taste, chew, and swallow. If your mind begins to wander, just acknowledge it and return your awareness to eating.

Remember, eating right is not just about mindlessly gobbling up carrots and celery. It's about giving eating and your body the attention they both deserve. So celebrate National Nutrition Month by practicing mindful eating strategies. You'll begin to savor your food, find eating more pleasurable, and get greater satisfaction from eating smaller quantities of food that, in turn, can help you achieve your weight-management goals.

# posted by L. F. Guerra Jr @ 4:18 PM 0 Comments