Different perspective on working out...

11-28-2013: Part of my passion is motivating people to be more physically active, to work out more. Love this article I came across on FB that really focuses on why we are PA Evangelists. You can read the whole article here, but here are the 10 points this author wants to impress on your daugther:

1. Strength = self-sufficiency
2. Fitness opens doors
3. The bike is the new golf course
4. Exercise is a lifestyle, not an event
5. Health begets health
6. Endorphins help you cope
7. Working out signals hard-working
8. Feeling beautiful = looking beautiful
9. Nature rules
10. Little eyes are always watching

Read the article to see more on each point. Excellent thoughts as we approach 2014!!!

Exercise and stress

11-14-13: It's well-known that exercise helps us deal with stress. Here's another study that shows the more fit you are, the better your body is able to handle the stress response.

Exercise & Epilepsy risk connected

11-14-13: An interesting study looking at levels of exercise as a kid and risk of epilepsy later on in life. Lower levels of exercise associated with increased risk of epilepsy, supporting findings in animal studies. Read the details here.

Exercise benefits those with Alzheimer's

11-14-13: Another study on how exercise helps with balance and brain function in Alzheimer patients. Check it out here.

Exercise reduces inflammation in diabetic adults

11-14-13: Another study showing how exercise reduces inflammation in diabetics, and this helps to slow down the progression of the disease. Read more about the study here.

Aerobic exercise helps the brain stay sharp!

11-14-13: Just came across this new study. Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth (University of Texas at Dallas) published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that doing a physical exercise regimen helps healthy aging adults improve their memory, brain health and physical fitness. Why is this important? Adults 50 and older, say that “staying mentally sharp” outranks social security and physical health as the top priority and concern in the United States. To read more, click on the article here.

1/3 of CA students can't pass all 6 areas of Fitnessgram!

10-23-13: This report just came out in the local newspaper this AM. While there have been improvements, 1/3 of 5th, 7th, and 9th graders did NOT pass all 6 areas of the Fitnessgram in CA. Different school district administrators are doing what they can, so kudos to them. You can read the full story here:

http://www.sbsun.com/social-affairs/20131023/california-students-fall-short-on-physical-fitness-test

What do you think can and should be done to improve this? The future of our state and country depends on us figuring out how to change this trend. Research shows that fitness is linked to academics in a positive way. The more fit you are, the better your grades are!

Everybody Walk documentary just released!

10-17-13: Just finished watching Kaiser Permanente's documentary on walking...excellently done! Recommending it to EVERYBODY to watch!!! Check it out here:

The Walking Revolution


There's also an interesting West Wing PSA on walking that you can check out here.

Hope this helps motivate everyone to be more physically active!!! It'll do our country good.

Aerobic fitness boosts learning in 9 & 10 y/o kids

9-13-13: More evidence why we need to keep PE in our schools!!!

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/aerobic-fitness-boosts-learning-memory-in-9-10-year-old-children/learning/

Exercise no better than drugs for depression???

9-13-13: This study just out on exercise and depression came to this conclusion:

"When compared to psychological or pharmacological therapies, exercise appears to be no more effective, though this conclusion is based on a few small trials."

You can read more about this study on the link above. A few things come to mind:

1. What is the ROI of exercise compared to drugs?
2. What are the side effects and risks of exercise compared to drugs?
3. What are the other benefits that one gets from exercise that you don't get with drugs?

Bottomline: still seems like exercise is the "drug" of choice when you consider the BIG picture!

Couch potato time bomb ticking with kids in the UK!

8-22-13: Came across this article in one of my networks...the US isn't the only country struggling with kids and inactivity! Check out this article and what they are doing about it. Sounds like a similar program to our Let's Move.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23778946?goback=%2Egde_4598141_member_267808768#%21

Not surprising the US has company, unfortunately! Good advice about getting parents involved and finding a sport or activity that engages the kids, that they enjoy. We do that with a variety of things here in SoCal. Started a homeschool mtn bike club and now we have kids from 6 to 16 riding with us 2-3x/wk. Great to see them start of having to walk up every little hill to becoming a confident mtn biker and helping other newbies.

My daughter was on a local club swim team from 6 to 13 years old and that was a great form of exercise as well. She enjoyed going to meets and getting all kinds of colored ribbons.

I like using the "enemy"--technology--to get kids moving. Programs like Zamzee is a great site for doing this, backed by research. Also, active gaming or exergaming is a great way to get the video generation moving at the same time. Companies like Motion Fitness are leading the way in this arena. Finally, there are many apps out there that are designed to get kids and adults moving. Mobile Adventure Walk is one such app where a parent can create a "treasure hunt" for the kids to do while going on a walk, similar to geocaching but you have to answer clues based on your surroundings to get points. It's a free app available on the iPhone.

Definitely need to meet this head on before we really start to suffer the consequences of this trend!!!

Yoga and weight loss

8-12-13: Came across this study on how yoga is an effective tool against the obesity epidemic. Check it out here! http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/yoga-may-solve-the-global-obesity-problem-says-new-study/yoga/

Activity trackers: are they accurate?

8-5-13: Saw this post on FB and thought it very interesting. Remember, this is just one person so don't take it as a "study", but the conclusion is still a good one. Check it out!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/accurate-fitness-trackers-150220254.html

Speaking of activity trackers, I just got my MisFit Shine today so am finally testing it out. Stay tuned for updates! Here's what it looks like on my arm. Very futuristic and minimalistic! For more info, check it out at:

http://www.misfitwearables.com/

Exercise & Alzheimer's

7-31-13: Another study just out showing the benefits of exercise and reducing the risk of Alzeimer's disease! That is something I do NOT want to get, for it is devastating. Another great reason to exercise daily!!! Check out this report here.

Another "exercise doesn't help weight loss" baloney article!!!

7-12-13: Just saw this posted on my sister's Facebook page and just had to comment on it:

"Exercise doesn't stop obesity; US report finds it's all about dieting"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-11/excercise-doesn27t-stop-obesity-new-report-finds/4813126

Don't you just love these correlation studies??? It gives the wrong message, I believe. When you look at actual studies done on weight loss programs, the MOST effective way to lose weight is via eating healthy AND exercise! Almost every study I've seen done on weight loss shows that if they even lose weight with diet only, they end up losing more lean mass (muscle and water!)--exactly the WRONG weight to lose! And yes, it's hard to lose weight with just exercise alone, so the MOST effective way is to do BOTH. That's why I don't like these kind of news report because they give people an excuse NOT to exercise...they get the impression that "exercise is a waste" when it comes to losing weight. 

Think those people on Biggest Loser would lose the weight they do if they just dieted and didn't exercise? I don't think so!!! While I'm not a big fan of the show, it does point out one key thing about exercise: you have to be doing it at the right INTENSITY in order to lose weight. Sure, "physical activity rates" have gone up, but that basically means that more people are reaching the MINIMUM recommended amount of PA (150 mins/week of moderate intensity). That is NOT enough to lose weight, even though it's a good start.

If you want to see what it takes for SUCCESSFUL LOSERS, check out this on-going study of over 10,000+ successful losers and see what eating and exercise strategies they did to lose the weight and keep it off. When it comes to PA, they are doing a MINIMUM of 60 mins., daily, at moderate to high intensity!!! That's way more than the 30 mins 5xw/k amount that is recommended by the federal gov. 

http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal/sum03/registry.html

Bottomline: If you want to lose excess FAT, build/tone muscle and bone, and get fit and healthy, you have to do BOTH--eat healthy, do cardio a minimum of 50 mins, 5x/wk at moderate intensity (at least!), and strength training at least 2x/wk. (There are other factors that impact obesity--sleep deprivation, toxins, too much stress, and other factors that increase chronic inflammation and impact epigenetics, but this is the core foundation of weight loss.)

Why your "brain bucket" may not be safe enough...

7-4-13: If you're in the market to buy a new bicycle helmet, consider getting an MIPS-system helmet that not only protects again linear blows, but reduced brain rotation that leads to concussions. One helmet out now with this system is the Scott Taal ($75) and Lin ($120). To read more about how helmet safety has lagged way behind, read this article: http://www.bicycling.com/senseless/

Study: A little exercise can change your DNA for good!

7-3-13: Just rec'd this article and since I just did a health talk on how we can change our genes with lifestyle, it caught my eye! Check this article out...it's gives a very good explanation about how exercise can change gene expression (called "epigenetics"). This is a new and exciting field, and I believe we will be hearing more about "lifestyle epigenetics" and "lifestyle epigentic therapy".

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/how-just-a-little-exercise-changes-your-dna-and-why-that-is-a-very-good-thing/benefits-exercise/

For a cool interactive website that shows just how changing the epigenetics changes the DNA structure and turns on and off a cell, go to this URL:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/control/

A PA legend passes..R.I.P. Dr. Toni...

4-24-13: It is with great shock and disbelief that I read the following e-mail. She was a giant, both literally and figuratively, in the PA movement. I mainly saw her at the various conferences that we would attend, such as APHA and others, and every time she saw me, she would greet me with an enthusiastic "Hey Ernie!" and give me a big hug. She was one of the first PA Evangelists I have met, and her tireless effort in getting people more physically active has always been an inspiration to me. Her passing will be sorely missed, and we'll continue to fight the good fight in her honor and memory.

R.I.P. Toni, and I look forward to doing some active exercise with you in the earth made new!

There's a write up in the LA Times on this.

Ernie

April 24, 2013Dear Ernie,

As many of you may know already, our colleague Dr. Antronette Yancey died yesterday morning, April 23, after a valiant and spirited fight with cancer. Within CCPHA, Dr. Yancey was a friend, mentor and co-conspirator. Within our field of healthy and active living, Dr. Yancey was a brilliant and accessible giant, one who championed big ideas that could be realized through achievable steps. She had the sharpest of academic minds, and she freely shared her scientific findings with all who could use them. Her commitment to eliminating health disparities within low income communities and communities of color within California and the United States was unparalleled. And she was so much fun to be around.

Earlier this year, CCPHA awarded Dr. Yancey our 2012 David Kessler Award for Contribution to the Public’s Health. This award is given to a researcher or medical professional whose visionary work has had an extraordinary impact on public health, particularly in relation to obesity and/or diabetes – pushing the public health community to take action in new, more meaningful ways.

Like many of you, we will re-double our efforts to make her vision of healthy, thriving communities a reality.  We send our collective love and healing thoughts to Dr. Yancey’s family, friends, colleagues at UCLA and partners around the country.

To learn more about Dr. Yancey, visit her website here.

Warmly,

Dr. Harold Goldstein and the Staff of CCPHA

Myths about exercise

Saw this posted on someone's FB page. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who actually believe this pseudo-logic about exercise and staying healthy.

Here's my take on each of these points....do you agree or disagree?

1. Postman - Exercise DOES have a protective effect against other risk factors, but it doesn't make you immortal if you still do the negative behaviors. Many studies show that exercise has a definite protective effect.

2. That's because that's the way a whale was CREATED to be and function! We don't live in an ocean and dive down to great depths, so we're designed differently.

3. Sin is the author of death, not exercise. A sedentary, obese rabbit lives a lot shorter life.

4. We aren't designed like turtles so if we did the same, we would fall apart.

Bottomline: We humans were DESIGNED and CREATED to be active! If you don't use it, you lose it. Plain and simple. Don't believe the junk that's on the Internet and don't compare ourselves to animals because we aren't like them!

Foods that fight inflammation

3-21-13: I tell my patients that I keep seeing articles and studies on inflammation...and here's another one I just read today! Researchers talk about the inflammation process, and what foods can help to reduce inflammation in the body. You can read about the study here: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/the-foods-that-can-help-fight-inflammation-an-update-from-uab/information/

Eating healthy less expensive!

3-21-13: Found this interesting study that studied low-income families using a food bank for part of their food supply and taught them how to cook and eat on a healthy, Mediterranean diet. The follow-up results showed that they reduced their weekly food bill and reliance on the food bank!

Read more about this study here: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/plant-based-mediterranean-diet-has-financial-benefits-says-new-study/nutrition-mediterranean-diet/

As a side benefit (though not studied), they lost weight as well! Now that's a win-win situation. ;-)

Sugar takes another hit from AHA

3-21-13: Liquid death...before you drink that next sugary drink, check out this latest report by the American Heart Assoc.:

"180,000 deaths worldwide may be associated with sugary drinks"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/aha-1dw031413.php

And here's the AHA's recommendation on how much added sugar one should consume: 9 teaspoons (150 kcals) for men; 6 (100 kcals) for women. 

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp

Loma Linda Community Hike April 7

Come join a hike organized by the Loma Linda Parks & Historical Society! Great way to learn more about the trails above Hulda Crooks park.

Where: Hulda Crooks Park
When: April 7, 8:00 AM
Who: Anyone who loves to hike!
Cost: Free!

Hope to see you there!

Newest exercise class: Harlem Shake!

3-13-13: One of the most renowned PA Evangelists, Dr. Toni Yancey (UCLA), posted this video clip and I loved it! Was thinking of something similar. If you don't know about the Harlem Shake craze, search for it on Youtube and you'll be amazed. Fortunately, this is a more kosher version...kudos to Dr. Toni for getting this posted!

PA Recommendations: How are we doing?

3-7-13: The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, in partnership with the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, is happy to announce the release of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth [PDF - 2.2 MB].

The recommendations came out in 2008, and this is the first report showing how we are doing. You can check it out and more at the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans website.

Just how much of a couch potato are Americans?

2-14-13: In prepping for a presentation, was just getting some of the latest data for just how sedentary Americans are. Here are some stats:

26% of Americans get NO physical activity or exercise! (Source: America's Health Rankings 2012)
53% do not meet the minimum federal recommendations for cardiovascular activity
76%  do not meet the minimum fed recommendations for strength training
79.6% do not meet BOTH recommendations! (Source: CDC 2010 Fast Stats)

Thx to technology (which I love), and our lifestyle, hypokinetic disease is literally killing us. Are you a part of these percentages? I hope not! If you are, then do something about it! Contact me if you need help getting started.

Our lousy ROI in healthcare & the 6F's solution!

2-13-13: I love infographics, they make things just stand right out. Here's an interesting one on how obesity is killing our country and how we have such a lousy ROI.

Weight of the Nation 2013 infographic

Why do we have such a lousy ROI? Because 75% of our $2.5 TRILLION dollar healthcare cost is due to lifestyle-related diseases...and yet, our current medical model is based on PILLS AND SURGERY. You can't screw a screw effectively with a hammer...and yet, that's what we're trying to do!

The solution? We need a healthcare/medical system that focuses on the 6 F's*:

1. Fingers
2. Feet
3. Fork
4. Fight-or-Flight
5. Fumigation
6. Fatigue

Can you figure out what those 6 F's stand for? Fingers represents smoking--we have to keep helping people become non-smokers. Feet represent physical activity--not just formal exercise, but being more physically active throughout the day (every American needs to get at least 10,000 steps a day!!!). Fork represents what we eat, eating healthier, etc. Fight-or-Flight represents stress management (connected with 70% of the admits to a PCP). And the last one, Fumigation, represents toxins, pesticides, GMO, artificial stuff in our food supply, etc. This is an area I'm just learning more about. Finally, Fatigue represents sleep, or lack of sleep. We think that as we get older, we need less of it, but given our harried and busy lifestyle for most as we age, we still need the restorative, regenerative sleep to compensate for that. Not getting this leads to chronic inflammation (controlled inflammation) and interference with appetite control in the brain. This is why we see studies connecting lack of sleep with weight gain.

If we can empower Americans to focus on these 6F's and do the best they can, THEN we will be impacting and making a difference on that 75% bill...and we can start lowering that $2.5T debt.

Fortunately, in my work as as preventive care specialist at Beaver Medical Group, I get to focus on these 5 F's every day. Not only that, all of our health education programs and services are FREE to the public as well as our patients!!! So if you live in the Inland Empire, there's no excuse about getting FREE help in any of these 6 F's. ;-)

While this blog is devoted to the "Feet", all the 6 F's are important for PA Evangelists. So what are YOU doing about the 6F's in your life???

ps. If you want to learn more about how to do something about these 6 F's as as career, then check out doctorate of preventive care program at Loma Linda University, one of the only doctorates of it's kind in the world to focus on the 6F's!

*Credit to Dr. David Katz for the first 3 F's. Heard him present this at a conf. a while back.

Families important for active kids

2-4-13: Two studies support the common-sense notion that how a family goes, so does the kids. I've long preached that if we want to get kids more active, it helps to have active parents and siblings. Well now here are two studies that support this idea.

(Note: both links below are to reviews of the articles, not the actual journal articles themselves.)

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2013, 10:15 doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-15 Published: 3 February 2013

“Societal Values and Policies May Curtail Preschool Children’s Physical Activity in Child Care Centers,” will be published in the February 2012 Pediatrics and published online Jan. 4.

Bottomline: What mom and dad think and do has a huge impact on whether their kids are active or not! So if we want kids to be more active, we need to get the parents on board. ;-)

Excess sugar's molecular mechanism link to cancer found

2-1-13: Here's another nail in the coffin for excess sugar! This study shows a key molecular mechanism on how excess sugar can trigger cancer cells. Check out this article.

Fitnographic on dangers of sitting

1-16-13: Just saw this excellent fitnographic on the dangers of sitting by IDEA!

Sitting is our gen's smoking!

1-16-13: Love this title and blog! Read about how sitting is our generation's smoking and what one person is doing to combat this: HBR Blog Network

Exergames help overweight kids

1-11-13: Finally some nice press on exergaming, reported by Discovery News and listed in the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation News Digest for Pediatric Obesity. A study on how exergames can help battle childhood obesity, a report on a study by lead author Todd Miller at GWU School of Public Health. Read about it here. This was recently published in the Games for Health Journal.

Activity Trackers at CES

1-10-13: The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is going on right now in Las Vegas. I have my pass to attend, but due to a last-minute change in plans, I wasn't able to go this week. (No worries, it was a nice change of plans--was in Florida last week for the grand opening of the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Health and Wellness Center!).

Well came across this article that talked about two new activity trackers that are encroaching on FitBit and BodyMedia's space. You can read about them in the links below.

Wthing Smart Activity Tracker - can also measure heart rate, though in the way a Mio does
Basis Band - can measure heart rate continuously

On a related note, I just rec'd my Jawbone Up, a bracelet activity tracker that I was supposed to get at TEDMed '11, but due to technical difficulties which caused a recall, I didn't get it till a couple of days ago. And man, is it nice! Love the design and form of it, and I'm less likely to lose or misplace it like my FitBit...which ironically, also just came out with their own bracelet activity tracker! Haven't tried that out, but heard it was very similar to the other FitBits (2 other models now). You can read more about the Fitbit Flex  here.

These are just some of the health gadgets that have come out at CES this week. If you'd like to see more, check out this "slideshow of health devices at CES". There are more activity trackers there, as well as some other unusual devices that you probably didn't know you needed!

Here are some that you can also read about:

 BodyMedia Core2...waterproof and reads heart rate right from your tricep!

The Fitlinxx Pebble isn't being sold to consumers directly, but being marketed to employers as part of an employee wellness program. Hmm, wonder if we can get it for our LIFE program?

Now if someone will just make some kind of device to track our EATING as easily as these gadgets track our activity...come on, I know the technology already exists!!! I hope someone is working on it right now.