Low-Fat Approach to Health for Americans

February 14, 2010 by  
Filed under Diets

Why is the epidemic of heart disease particularly strong in the U.S.A.? If you are the average American, your diet is probably unbalanced and is very likely to lead you towards obesity, regardless of whether you know it or not. Drs. Louis Katz and J. Stamler, prominent researchers in this field, called it \”a pernicious combination of over-nutrition and under-nutrition -excessive in calories, carbohydrates, lipids and salt; and frequently substandard in certain critically important amino acids, minerals and vitamins.\” This makes sense, since the study of nutrition, which is relatively new to the medical field, has focused almost entirely on not having enough nutrition until recent years. People have been encouraged to \”eat the right foods\” and to provide plenty of meat, eggs, milk, and cheese for their children. In most areas of the world, the problem of getting enough food to eat for nourishment and survival is still existent, but this is not the problem in America. Our problem is actually more like the opposite: eating too much, especially the foods that are bad for us. Our diet is high fats, calories, refined sugars and starches, while low in essential nutrients, minerals and other vital supplements. The relationship between the amount of fat in your diet and the amount of cholesterol produced in your body is still not very clear. Research disagree on some points, but all one aspect of the problem, though, we all concur: the cholesterol found in the blood is produced mainly in the liver from fats in the diet. It is also believed that cholesterol is produced in the arterial walls themselves, but the main source and the one that we can to a definitely monitor is fat in our food.

What is the situation in other countries of the world? We have research that supports the big difference in the health of Americans and people in various other countries lies in their diet. For example, in Norway, during the war years of 1940-1945, the consumption of butter, milk, cheese and eggs (which are all high in fats) had to be decreased substantially. Did the reduction of fat content in the country\’s diet prevent heart attack deaths? The Norwegian Ministry of Health, which kept accurate records, answered that question with an emphatic \”yes.\” With the reduction in fat consumption, the death rate from also coronary attacks was reduced. The Norwegians reported that deaths related to heart disease dropped by 31% each year among the urban population. In addition, there was a 22% decrease in heart disease-related deaths among the rural population. France, which also to ration high-fat content foods during the war years, had similar results. Mr. Marcel Moine, from the French Ministry of Health, reported to me that from 1941 to 1945, when the French population was on a low-fat diet, the death rate from heart disease was reduced to an average of 20.6 for each 100,000 persons. In the postwar years, when the diet returned to normal fat consumption, the death rate rose to 25.5 per 100,000, which was the death rate prior to the war. Italy is another example, in which they studied two neighboring provinces. In one neighborhood the daily diet included pork products (which are usually high in fat), the rate of heart disease ended up being much higher than in the neighboring town where the population followed the comparatively low-fat diet of the country as a whole. Related studies have been conducted in all across the world-countries such as Finland, Denmark, South Africa, China, and Japan. Statistically, the results all reveal the same conclusion: high-fat diet means a high rate of heart deaths. Famous celebrities, as Mark Twain and Marilyn Monroe have shown, sometimes have a way of giving us a false image, by misunderstanding cause and effect relationships where the health of whole populations is concerned. For example, you could claim, on the basis of statistics, that since the use of soap was also sharply reduced in some countries during the war, with a corresponding drop in death rate from heart disease, the soap (which is a fat) was the underlying cause of the disease. In a more scientific perspective, however, the evidence weighs heavily on the side of fat consumption as the primary factor in causing atherosclerosis.

Is the epidemic confined to older people? What has happened to our way of life to make men between 30 and 45 the preferred victims of the \”silent killer\” that strikes without warning? And why are more and more young women, long believed to be virtually immune to this disease until after menopause, now falling prey to it?We do not know the entire answer to this enigma, or even whether there is a single answer. But research that has been carried on by my colleagues throughout the world, and by myself during the past 10 years, has provided some valuable clues.Only recently, we discovered to our amazement that over 90 per cent of our adult population has, to a greater or less degree, a degenerative disease of the arteries that doctors call atherosclerosis. That, as you know, is the term meaning the thickening and narrowing of certain vital blood vessels. It is the way in which the stage is set for heart attacks and strokes.Medical people once thought that it was a result of aging, but the disease is now being found in infants and children. As children, however, we have the power of absorbing the fatty deposits that attach themselves to the artery walls. As we grow older, we seem to lose this power of absorption. That is when the real trouble begins. At what age does this happen? Much earlier than we might expect.

For example, my associates and I studied the arteries of 600 patients who had died from various diseases. Approximately 100 of them had met sudden death from accidents or acute illness. To our amazement we found that atherosclerosis, a disease of the arteries, was present in many of the young people before they had reached their thirtieth birthday. By the time they were near the mid-century mark, the fatty deposits and embedded crystals of cholesterol were already in the artery walls. Such thickening and narrowing of the blood vessels obstructed the nourishment and blood flow to the tissues in the heart, brain, or kidney. Similar evidence from autopsies also came from Korea, where Army doctors autopsied 300 American soldiers who had died while serving there. It was the first time such a study had been made of a cross section of the country\’s youth; their average age was only 22. A report of the autopsies revealed shocking information: 77% of the young U.S. servicemen already had atherosclerosis! Furthermore, this data was weighed against the mere 11 incidence of the same disease among Koreans and Orientals who had lived and fought in the same environment under the same conditions.

Does heredity have anything to do with the problem? At this point you are probably wondering: why do some people have more cholesterol in their blood than others? At present we do not know the whole answer to that question. We do, however, know some of the predisposing factors. One of them is heredity. Some families are affected by what physicians call hereditary familial hyper-(excessive) cholesteremia. In such a family the tendency to high levels of cholesterol in the blood is passed on for several generations. Among members of such families we usually find a large number of individuals who suffer heart attack and strokes. If no heart attacks or strokes have occurred in your own family line, you have at least one protective factor in your favor from the beginning. The second factor is one that is pretty much up to you. It concerns what you eat and how much you eat. Unfortunately, it is too late for us to choose our parents.But it is not too late to choose our diet. By learning how to avoid food excessive in fat and cholesterol content, we can help minimize the effect of heredity.

Women have better natural protection against atherosclerosis. If you are female, you are less likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke until well after you pass 50 years of age. After that, your protective female hormones give out, and you become at the same risk to the disease as men. Can men take female hormones to protect themselves? They can, but if they do, they will develop a high voice, full enlarged breasts, and other feminine characteristics. As you can imagine, this approach is neither practical nor desired. Can anything else help? Yes, there is something that everybody can do without much trouble, and still get the benefits of improving their overall general health. In fact, it\’s also very simple: choose foods and eat meals that will keep your blood fats down to normal levels.

Can you reverse damage done to your arteries by excessive fat? Only recently have medical research teams produced dependable evidence supporting that excessive fat in our diets increases the risk of heart disease. If you are past the age of thirty, you have probably already started wonder whether the harm done to your arteries is permanent, or if it is reversible. Right now, as our current level of research, we doctors cannot answer the question with certainty. However, we can convey the hopeful fact that experiments have shown that the condition is reversible in animals. We have data that verifies cholesterol in the arteries is absorbed in adolescents, as proposed by Dr. Russell Holman and others. However, this metabolic gift disappears as we age. There are many qualified experts in this field who hypothesize that since atherosclerosis is reversible in animals, the same can be true for humans as well. However, we should be careful when drawing conclusions from animal testing, as their metabolism is quite different from ours.

Another question that patients often ask is: \”Can you tell if I am already affected by this degenerative artery disease?\” Unfortunately, there is not a test yet that can predict accurately whether you are vulnerable to such heart diseases. However, there is a test that does produce accurate results related to heart disease. If your doctor can detect a minimal amount of cholesterol in your blood, your risk of heart and blood vessel disease, such as heart attack or stroke, is quite low. However, if there is a substantial amount, you face a greater chance of developing such disease. If you are past 30, you should have your doctor check these levels of cholesterol routinely, as part of your check-up. All too often, middle-aged men are so involved in their fast-paced life that they dangerously neglect the importance of their own health.

What is the solution for us? The many studies that have been made do not prove conclusively that heart disease is caused solely by diet. But they do heavily underscore much of the information that I have gathered from my own quarter of a century of practice and laboratory research.Taken together, the evidence points strongly to this fact: If everyone in the United States would reduce his fat intake by 25 per cent, we would cut the number of heart deaths in half within another 20 years. Moreover, the low-fat diet will add immeasurably to your general health and well-being. \”But,\” you ask, \”how can I go about reducing the fat in my diet? Where do I begin?\” In the following pages you will find a safe guide; it includes low-fat menus and directions for using simple and inexpensive nutritional supplements that I employ in my own practice to help my patients forestall heart attack, and to treat those who have already had one or more. If you follow these directions carefully, you will not only add years to your life, but life to your years.

Carl Juneau teaches men how to get six pack abs using a special combination of carefully sequenced abs exercises. Visit his website to find out little-known abs exercises that will tone and define your abs.

The Best Ab Workout For You

January 4, 2010 by  
Filed under Exercise

Finding an Six Pack Abs Workout that really works can be a difficult task. Things to consider are time, ability, eating habits, exercise type, and the degree to which you are motivated. Once you\’ve come to a conclusion on these factors, you are ready to start exercising.

In this article I will discuss different types of exercise for the abs. I will also discuss the aspects you must consider when deciding on an exercise technique. Other variables that relate to maximizing the benefits of an abdominal workout technique, such as eating habits, will also be considered.

Aerobic Exercises: This type of exercise will work to burn away the fat in your midsection, while strengthening your lungs and heart. This relates to abdominal training because the more calories you sweat off with this type of regimen, the thinner and more defined your abs will appear. While running, try flexing your abs to target the benefits. Although this type of exercise will benefit the whole body, some of the most noticeable benefits will occur in your belly area.

Anaerobic Exercises: Weightlifting and strengthening exercises work to increase muscle mass and definition. This type of regimen can target specific groups of muscles like the abs. Additionally, building more muscle benefits your overall metabolic rate, and can help you to naturally burn more calories per day. The more calories you burn, the less unwanted weight you will gain.

Combination of Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises: For the most benefit, it is wise to choose both methods of exercise. Alternating between the two can help your muscles heal properly and provide you with the most benefit. In essence, using both techniques is like fighting a two-front war on belly fat.

Sit Ups: A classic approach that can build up the muscles of you midsection. Done by laying flat on your back, knees bent, and lifting your upper torso off the ground. This technique is easy to do and provides immediate results if done consistently. Make the exercise more difficult by elevating your legs.

Leg Lifting: Either with your back flat on the ground or propped back against a wall, this workout is done by lifting your knees towards the chest. Attaching weights to the ankles for more of a challenge. This technique targets the hard to work lower abs.

Twisting: Propped against a wall with your feet dangling, lift your bent knees towards your chest. Then, with your legs lifted, rotate your lower body while holding your upper body in place. This technique targets the muscles on the sides, or love-handle area.

Eating Habits: Eating a diet low in sugars and carbohydrates will help you thin out your abdominal area. Combine this with exercise and see real results. It is important not to starve yourself because your muscles need the nourishment with which to build mass.

Motivation: Be sure to avoid the common mistake of trying to do too much at once. Be realistic about what you want to accomplish. Integrating a workout into your daily schedule is key as such a systematic approach can help you avoid losses in motivation. Start your Six Pack Abs Workout today!

As you can see, there is much to think about when deciding on the best Lower Abs Workout for you. There are many variables that can affect your Lower Ab Workout, and the visible results of the exercise. Hopefully the above information can assist you in determining your needs and realistic goals regarding your fitness.

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Here Is A Good Abs Workout

December 24, 2009 by  
Filed under Exercise

Ask any person what their most troublesome body area is and ninety five percent of people will say their abdominal area. This is because when we stop exercising or concentrating on this particular area, our core abdominal muscles become very weak. This is why it is so necessary to do some sort of Lower Abs Workout to help increase the strength of the core muscles.

To a lot people the concept of working this part of their body is quite scary because they think it is always going to be very tough. While it can be challenging, there are many forms of exercise out there that can tone the abs without making you feel exhausted.

It is very important to make sure that the form of exercise you choose to do is properly suited to what your requirements are. This means you will have to speak to a professional and find out what you should be doing depending on your level of fitness. The manner in which you do the exercises not only has an impact on your abs, but also on your lower back, so be careful.

Making sure you have a good workout means you have to temper the level of exercise you do. Make certain you support your head and neck by holding it in your hands, then you can also ensure you are in the right position to start off with the crunches and lifts that are going to be the first part of your exercise.

As you lie on the floor make sure that your legs are as far apart as your hips and have your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. You should also make very certain your feet are planted firmly on the ground. Then you are going to do the crunch by literally crunching your abs together and making your head come off the floor. Find a spot to concentrate on just past the knees so that your chin is always up; you don\’t want it to touch your chest. Do this carefully.

One of the keys to success with these exercises is to really make sure you are going to approach them slowly, don\’t try to do everything at once. The fact that you have your knees bent at the ninety degree angle means you are going to make the exercise more difficult because you will be making the bottom abs do quite a bit of work as well.

If you want to make sure you target the obliques then you could do a similar crunch to the one described above, but you should add a twist to it. This means you would want to try and touch your left knee with your right elbow and of course also the other way round.

You could also use machines for some exercises if you wanted to. Again, this would be dependant on where you train and the type of results you are hoping to achieve. You should check with a trainer to find out if this is necessary. Start an intense Six Pack Abs Workout today.

You should make an Ab Workout a part of your everyday routine so that soon you will find you have the stomach of a super model. A good Lower Abs Workout is a great way to get in shape and it is also going to give you major benefits as you get older because it will take strain off your back.

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