How Exercise Reverses Aging

The best anti-aging solution isn’t for sale, in fact it’s free. It can also help you lose weight, think better, sleep sounder and give you a stronger heart. Solid scientific research proves this one thing can help you live longer, stronger and happier. It’s called exercise.

The key to a successful fitness plan is persistence, so if just squeezing back in your pants and looking better isn’t quite enough motivation for you, here are some powerful reasons to lace up those sneakers and break a sweat.

Turning Back the Clock on Aging

Back in 1966, a group of 5 young men took part in a study on the effects of bed rest and training. These men, all aged 20, were confined to bed rest for three weeks. Less than a month of physical inactivity caused these healthy subjects to suffer elevated resting heart rates, soaring blood pressures, lost muscle mass and more body fat.  Then they took part in 8 weeks of regular exercise. In just two months, they were healthier than they were at the beginning. Good news, but not as exciting as what these men taught us 30 years later.

As a follow up to the study these men were contacted and all five agreed to take part in a new research project.  Three decades later these men were overweight and their cardiac functions were less than optimal – still they were in much better shape compared to when they had just finished 3 weeks of inactivity at age twenty. Scientists were curious to know what would happen if these men started a physical fitness program now. How close could they come to their original health levels back of 1966?

The men, now in their 50’s were given a 6 month exercise program which gradually took them from sedentary and fat to active and fit. At the end of the exercise phase they were measured and the results were amazing. By gradually going from walking to jogging and biking over six months they managed to restore their cardiovascular systems to the levels they had at age 20 before they started the original study. In other words, 6 months of sensible exercise erased 30 years of aging.

A good fitness program will include a healthier diet, aerobic and muscle toning exercises, but aerobic exercise alone can make significant contributions to your well being, no matter what your age. Aerobic exercise improves the heart and circulation and can counter the effects of aging. The typical older adult’s heart has a higher resting rate and muscles of the organ are stiffer. They typically have higher blood pressure, lower maximum pumping capacity and blood vessel stiffness too. Exercise can reverse or slow these conditions.

With just 15 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 to 5 times a week you’ll experience lower blood viscosity which lets your blood flow more freely. You’ll enjoy better digestion. Your metabolic rate will increase while your body fat decreases along with your blood sugar and insulin levels. As your body enjoys more endurance and sounder sleep you’ll also decrease your chances of depression.

Neurological research shows that the same levels of exercise will greatly reduce your chances of brain diseases like many forms of dementia. You’ll not only live longer, you will enjoy your life more when you put an exercise plan in place. Even just 30 minutes of brisk walking every week can bring you a new lease on life.

If you’re out of shape and you’re ready to start your new, healthy lifestyle be sure to check with your doctor. Take it easy at first and gradually work your way up to higher impact exercises.

This article was written by Brian McGovern, who is a senior health and senior care advocate. Brian believes that the key to a happy and long life is starting a healthier lifestyle right now. Brian writes about senior health and safety at ElderKind.com.

Snack Smart: Homemade Veggie Chips

You’ve seen veggie chips on store shelves, but if you check the label you’ll usually find potato as the first ingredient in the list. Skip the cleverly marketed potato chips and try this recipe that tastes MUCH better than those stale crisps:

Ingredients: 
1 large, ripe eggplant
2 eggs
2 cups cheese

Method:
Cut ends from eggplant and shred in a food processor. Mix shredded eggplant with egg and cheese. Lump mixture onto a pre-greased cookie shape and smooth out to make 6 8″ circles. Bake at 450 degrees F in a pre-heated oven for 12 minutes. Loosen and flip the circles. Bake on other side for a further five minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven and cut rounds into triangles with a pizza cutter. Let cool on a rack for 6-8 hours. Once dried, sprinkle with popcorn seasoning, Old Bay, garlic salt or any other seasoning of your choice. Eat immediately or store for up to one week in an airtight Ziploc bag.

Weekend Challenge

Get out and get it done!  

10 pushups
10 situps
10 tri cep dips
30 sec plank
10 spider pushups pictured on right
10 butterfly crunches
 Repeat 3 or 5 times

Nutrition Weekend Challenge:


1) Try to incorporate at least one fruit or veggie with every meal
2) Make a conscious effort to choose a wide variety of fruits and veggies
3) Take at least two fruits or veggies or a combination of the two to work
with you every day for one week

Remember a serving of fruits and/or veggies is 1/2 cup which is about the
size of tennis ball.  You can do that, no problem!
Also remember that fruits and veggies are a great source of water and
nutrients that we need to improve our bodies systems especially our aerobic
and anaerobic systems which affect our exercise performance!  You don't even
know what you are missing!

Foam Roller

From active.com:
No time for a massage? Relieve your muscles at home with a foam roller. This simple tool can become one of your best friends. In this video, Coach Jenny shows you how to loosen up your IT band and stay strong on the run

Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons pesto

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 large (1 pound) sweet potato

1 red bell pepper, diced

Directions  

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken (in one layer), salt, and water to just cover (about 3 cups). Bring to a low boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until mostly cooked through but still pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit in the cooking water for 5 minutes. Measure out and reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Meanwhile, microwave the sweet potato on high power for 6 to 7 minutes, or until firm-tender. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, vinegar, and reserved cooking water.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken, sweet potato, and bell pepper with the pesto dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit for a couple of minutes to absorb the dressing.

About This Recipe

This five-ingredient recipe is easily doubled to serve more people, but when you poach the chicken, switch the saucepan to a large skillet to accommodate the larger amount of chicken in a single layer. Ingredient #6: Although this is a "Just 5 Ingredients" recipe, if you went for one more ingredient, it could be either sliced scallions added to the salad or a bed of watercress to serve the salad on.

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/chicken-and-sweet-potato-salad-with-pesto-vinaigrette-142366/#ixzz1GrmMMoCk

Weekend Challenge

This weekend workout your core with these moves:

Side Plank-1 minute right side

Push up Plank - 1 minute

10 push ups

Side Plank - 1 minute left side

Abdominal Hold - Fitness Magazine 1 minute

REPEAT for a total of 3 cycles

Finish the challenge with a 15 minute run.

Before and After: Joy Carroll

Joy Carroll loses 20 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks 

For the AJC

                                                        Former weight: 
175 pounds

Family photoJoy Carroll weighed 175 pounds when this photo was taken in February 2010.

Family photo32-year-old Joy Carroll reached her weight loss goal in January 2011, just less than a year after her journey began. In this March 2011 photo she weighs 155 pounds.

Current weight: 
155 pounds

Height: 5 feet 10 inches

How long she’s kept it off: Carroll started her journey in March 2010 and reached her goal in January.

Personal life: Carroll is an inside sales representative for an electrical parts distributor. Since June, she’s worked as a boot camp instructor with Operation Boot Camp. She lives with her fiancé and a brindle boxer, Cloey, in Braselton.

Turning point: “As an adult, I tried diet after diet, but wasn’t able to incorporate exercise because of the negative voices in my head about going to the gym and the other people around — what were they going to think of me, or what if anything would they say?” Carroll said. In February 2010, she went to Mexico, and when she came back, she was shocked to see her vacation photos. “The person that was in the picture didn’t look like me. ... I couldn’t believe that I had let myself go for so long.” In March, she started a 30-day program with the North Georgia franchise of Operation Boot Camp (www.operation
bootcamp.com).

Diet plan: She follows the Bill Phillips Body-for-Life program. At every meal, she eats a protein and complex carbohydrate such as a fruit or vegetable. She eats four to six meals per day, which eliminates between-meal hunger.

Exercise routine: She exercises five to six days per week for 45 minutes. She works out a different muscle group each day to create muscle confusion.

Biggest challenge: “The biggest challenge was not buying too many clothes in the body transition,” she said. “I have embraced the Goodwill store and the clearance racks.”

How life has changed: “Now I wake up every morning with positive energy and willingness to start a new day. I have lost so many inches ... my insomnia is gone. It feels so great to love myself and love life again.”

After four months of boot camp, in June 2010 she was pleased with how boot camp changed her life, so she became a boot camp instructor. “With the journey of fitness, I have regained my self-worth and self-confidence.”

Shrimp Salad with Black Beans and Avocado

• 3/4 pound shrimp (any size)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked or canned black beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, or more as needed
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste
• 
  

Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil and salt it. Add the shrimp, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 4 minutes, or until they are pink and firm. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and run under cold water to chill.

Peel the shrimp and cut them into bite-size pieces if they’re large. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with the black beans, olive oil, orange juice, tomato, avocado, onion, garlic, chili powder, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning; if the mixture is dry, add a little more olive oil or orange juice or some of the shrimp-cooking water. Stir in most of the cilantro, then garnish with the rest and serve.

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/shrimp-salad-with-black-beans-and-avocado-143371/#ixzz1FvindTNv

Stir-Fry Basics

Stir fries are a quick and easy weeknight dinner: They make a well-balanced meal with a bit of protein, tons of veggies and healthy carbs from rice. We’ll run you through the basic steps to get you started, then share a few ideas to liven things. Stir-Fry Basics
A basic stir-fry is made from a protein and tons of veggies. The slicing and dicing takes a little time; you can do it either the night before or in the morning before work to save some time in the evening. In a pinch, look for pre-sliced veggies in your grocery store’s produce section.


Once the ingredients are prepped, here are your basic steps:

1. Heat oil: Heat up your wok with a touch of oil. Use a flavorless oil with a high smoke point, like canola or grapeseed. This is what makes or breaks the calories of your stir-fry.  Remember, every tablespoon of any oil contains 120 calories—so use it sparingly!
2. Add protein: Raw foods like beef, pork, fish, shrimp, tofu and chicken should be cooked first. Don’t forget to brown all sides of the food to create flavor.
3. Add veggies: Add veggies and cook them until just tender — overcooking will destroy important vitamins, not to mention flavor. Whatever mixture you choose, cut veggies in so they’ll all finish cooking at the same time. For instance, carrots take longer to cook than snow peas, so they should be cut smaller.
4. Add  flavor: A touch of soy sauce or spices to finish it off.
5. Serve over carbs: Cook up some healthy carbs like brown rice or rice noodles to serve alongside.

The Protein
If you’re used to using chicken, shake it up by using beef or pork. Or try shrimp — it’s ridiculously low in calories! If you’re looking for a Meatless Monday dish, try a using extra-firm tofu.  It contains the same amount of protein as chicken or beef, but without the cholesterol.
The Veggies
Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, snap peas, bell peppers, water chestnuts, baby corn or peas…the possibilities are endless! Use as many or as few veggies as you want. If you’re cooking for kids, you may want to choose only a few veggies (younger kids especially like simpler dishes). Remember, the more colors you have, the more vitamins and minerals you’re taking in.
Flavor
Some simple flavor enhancers include garlic, ginger, chili sauce, chicken stock, rice vinegar, dry sherry, scallions and hoisin sauce. Dana’s stir-fry secret is to use a tablespoon of natural peanut butter and let it melt in with soy sauce – delicious!
The Carb
Choose brown rice for some extra whole grain goodness—remember to read the cooking instructions as it takes a bit longer to cook up than white rice. For a change of pace, try serving over whole grain pasta or rice noodles. Keep portions to no more than 1 cup per person of whichever cooked carb you choose.

Recipes to Try:

• Spicy Beef Stir Fry
• Stir-Fried Chicken and Vegetables
• Thai Shrimp Stir Fry with Tomatoes and Basic
• Asparagus and Chicken Stir-Fry
• Emerald Stir Fry With Beef

Original source:  FoodNetwork.com

The Meatballs!

This weeks recipe comes from a camper in our Columbia, SC camp. 

1 lb ground chicken
2-3 turkey Italian sausages ( sweet or spicy)
1/2 the container of Athenos Hummus- I like roasted red pepper flavor
1 cup finely chopped kale or spinach or combo
2 carrots finely grated (use small grates on a cheese grater)
chopped basil to taste
season to taste with Italian seasoning

combine everything very well.
roll into balls- I use a melon baller to make a consistent size- and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment or spray well with PAM.
bake @ 375 for about 25 min

These freeze very well so go ahead and make a bunch- Add to  tomato sauce while frozen.

Where Do the Most Active People Live?

Where Do the Most Active People Live?

CDC Study Reveals Which Americans Have the Most Physically Active Leisure Time

By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Feb. 16, 2011 -- People in the South and the Appalachian region are the least likely of all Americans to be physically active in their leisure time, the CDC says in a new report.

The CDC analyzed all counties in the country and found that in many regions, more than 29% of adults reported getting no physical activityor exercise at all, other than what they might get on the job.

States where residents are least likely to be physically active in leisure time are Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. In those states, physical inactivity rates are 29.2% or greater for more than 70% of counties.

States where residents are most likely to be active in their free time are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

The CDC says that a 2008 survey found that 25.4% of adults in the U.S. failed to spend any free time being physically active, which includes walking, gardening, golfing, or running.

Physical Activity and Diabetes

The CDC has maps for all U.S. counties showing estimated levels of diabetes and obesity. Taken together, the maps show the highest levels of diagnosed diabetes and obesity also are found in the South and parts of Appalachia. And the regions with the lowest levels of diabetes and obesity are in the West and Northeast.

“Physical activity is crucial to managing diabetes and reducing serious complications of the disease,” the CDC’s Ann Albright, PhD, RD, says in a news release. Albright, director of the CDC’s division of diabetes translation, says even activities of moderate intensity “such as dancing or brisk walking for just 150 minutes a week can significantly improve the health of people with diabetes or at high risk for the disease.”

The CDC’s Janet E. Fulton, PhD, says chronic diseases such as diabetes and problems such as obesity can be battled if communities make it safe and easy to exercise.

“Sidewalks, street lights, and access to parks or recreation areas can encourage people to get and move more,” says Fulton, of the CDC’s division of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity.

Report on Nation’s Health

In a separate report, the CDC says the percentage of adults 45 and older who usecholesterol-lowering drugs called statins increased from 2% in 1988-1994 to 25% in 2005-2008.

Half of men between 65 and 74 had taken a statin drug in 2005-2008, compared with over a third of women in the same age range.

Other key findings of the CDC’s 34th annual health report, “Health, United States, 2010: In Brief”:

• Among adults 18-64, the percentage who reported not receiving or delaying needed medical care in the past 12 months due to cost increased from 11% in 1997 to 15% in 2009.
• The percentage not receiving needed prescription drugs due to cost rose from 6% to 11% in 1997-2009.
• The percentage not getting needed dental care due to cost increased from 11% in 1997 to 17% in 2009.
• The prevalence of poor diabetes control among people diagnosed with the disease has declined by 45% since 1988-1994 for adults aged 45-64, and by 72% for people 65 and over.
• About 30% of adults age 18 and over reported recent pain, aching, or swelling around the joint between 2002 and 2009.
• Reported colorectal tests and procedures between 2000 and 2008 increased for adults aged 50-75 among all racial and ethnic groups.
• The percentage of adults taking prescription antidepressant medications rose almost fivefold between 1988 and 2008.

The report also says that 25% of deaths occurred at home in 2007, more than in previous years. The shift occurred both for people who were under age 65 at the time of death as well as those who were older. The CDC says 36% of deaths in 2007 occurred in hospitals and 22% in nursing homes.