This year’s fad that claims to tone your body without exercising is “toning shoes”.  (In my teens they were called earth shoes.)  Their claim is burning more calories and toning leg muscles while walking. 

So the American Council on Exercise studied these shoes by measuring muscle electrical activity through EMGs (electromyography).  They found that the shoes caused no significant increase in muscle activation.  Also, compared with running shoes, there were no significant differences in the rate of perceived exertion, oxygen consumption, or calories burned.

There are few, if any, shortcuts to lead a healthy lifestyle.  Eat right and exercise, eat right and exercise, eat right and exercise…

A lot of money is spent and many calories are consumed by drinking sports drinks and flavored waters.  From a hydration standpoint, when is plain tap water enough to satisfy our body’s needs?

According to Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D., tap water is sufficient for light physical activity lasting 30-60 minutes.  Light activity includes yard work, walking, light runs, tennis, swimming, and skiing.  If tap water is boring, watch the calories associated with enhanced or flavored waters.

 (Did You Know?  Gatorade was invented in 1965 by the medical team for the University of Florida Gators.  It took off in 1991 when Michael Jordan encouraged us to “Be Like Mike” in commercials.)  

More than 60 minutes of activity depletes energy, electrolytes, and fluid reserves.  Sports drinks replenish these after long runs, bike rides, basketball, soccer, or other strenuous workouts.  Interestingly, a glass of chocolate milk has the right balance of protein and carbohydrates to consume after strength training.  Use low-fat milk with Nesquik powder which has fewer calories.

Two recent studies emphasize an hour of exercise each day, five days a week.  The first, from The Journal of the American Medical Association, studied over 34,000 women average age of 54 over 13 years.  Women gained an average of 6 pounds.  The only group that did not gain the weight was the normal weight group that averaged an hour of exercise five days a week.

The second study from the University of Pittsburgh was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.  They followed nearly 200 overweight women ages 21-45 through a two year weight-loss program.  They were calorie restricted and put through varies exercise routines.  The women who lost weight (at least 10% of their starting weight) and kept it off exercised an average of 68 minutes a day, five days a week.

The conclusions we can take from these studies are that if you have some extra weight that a combination of calorie reduction and exercising at least an hour a day, five days a week will help reduce weight.  If you are currently near your ideal weight that to maintain that you also need to exercise an hour a day, five days a week.

Like most of you, I am looking forward to grilling burgers, steak, or hot dogs this 4^th of July weekend.  Traditional eats anchor get-togethers, picnics, and festivals.  However, for at least one cookout, try grilling fish.

Unsaturated fats in fish, called omega-3 fatty acids, appear to reduce your risk of heart disease.  They work by reducing the inflammation in blood vessels.  According to the Mayo Clinic, omega-3 fatty acids may also help improve learning abilities in children, decrease triglycerides, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, enhance immune function, and improve arthritis symptoms.  

(Did You Know?   This is the time of year to purchase wild salmon from your local fish monger or grocery store.) 

It is recommended to eat at least two servings of fish weekly.  Albacore tuna, salmon, herring and halibut have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.  Besides grilling, there are many seafood recipes at seafoodhealth.com.

Recently, one of my patients, with the monitoring of another physician, went through a weight loss program consisting of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) injections and a 600 daily caloric intake. Is this a legitimate diet and will it become the “in” way to lose weight?

Over 50 years ago a British born physician, Dr. Albert Simeons claimed that HCG injections and a 500 calorie per day diet would mobilize stored fat, suppress appetite, and redistribute fat from the waist, hips, and thighs.

There have been numerous studies that have shown that HCG is ineffectual in producing weight loss.  In 2009, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians issued a position paper stating that the majority of medical reports are critical of the Simeons method.  In fact, the 500 calorie per day diet is likely to result in loss of protein from vital organs.

Safe and lifetime weight loss comes from focusing on the basics.  This results from making a commitment to improve your lifestyle.  Changing to healthier foods and adding physical activity are the primary and most proven ways to achieve your goals.  Remember it takes time but in the end will pay off.

The summer months herald barbecuing and picnics which bring food in more contact with the elements and possible exposure to harmful bacteria.  Extra precautions, when taken, minimize foodborne illnesses.  A recent article in Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter explains.

Prevention starts the moment you leave the grocery store.  Perishable foods should be refrigerated within two hours.  Poultry and ground beef that won’t be used within a day or two should be frozen.  Other meat can usually be refrigerated up to five days. Similarly, leftovers should go in the refrigerator within two hours.

Undercooked meat can be especially vulnerable to bacteria.  E. coli is associated with ground beef and salmonella with poultry although other bacteria can be found with both.  To ensure safe eating cook both to a minimum of an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

When selecting seafood, it should smell mild and fresh, not ammonia-like.  The flesh should be firm and spring back.  Avoid fish with discoloration or a drying appearance.  Likewise avoid fish with frost or torn packaging.  Throw away any cracked shellfish.  Again, keep refrigerated only two days be fore use, otherwise freeze.  Cook most seafood to 145 degrees.

Fruits and vegetables should be washed prior to eating.  Bag these separately at the store from meat, poultry and seafood.

A recent article in Fitness Magazine brought my attention to twenty foods that are worth eating more regularly.  The benefits range from antioxidants to anticancer. 

Blueberries have tremendous amounts of antioxidants and while strawberries do too, they also have vitamin C.

Red wine not only has antioxidants but also resveratrol which may help against cancer and heart disease.  Beer has antioxidants too.  Liquor, wine or beer when taken as one drink a day has shown to lower blood pressure.

Almonds and peanuts have healthy oils that decreases total and LDL cholesterol which, in turn, reduces heart-disease risk.

Tomatoes also have the antioxidants common to this letter’s foods but also has lycopene which may help against cancer and heart disease.  Mushrooms have antioxidants and vitamin D.

Flaxseeds are packed with omega-3 fats and fiber.  Sunflower seeds have fiber, vitamin E, and thiamine.

Both broccoli and cauliflower are full of vitamin C.

Salmon is the source for omega-3 fats with trout providing similar benefits.  Halibut also has the fats but limit it to a weekly serving of 3 ounces since it is high in mercury.

Safflower oil and olive oils are high in monounsaturated fats-the good kind.

Edamame (a favorite of my kids) has both fiber and protein (my favorite combination).  Black beans have both which help in heart disease.  Black beans also have antioxidants.

Brown rice has more nutrients, minerals, and fiber than its white counterpart.  Barley also is a complex carb but with 8 times the amount of fiber as brown rice.  It is filling too.

A diet rich in these foods helps your body in many ways, some that we don’t understand completely.  Alcohol should always be taken in moderation.  Certainly there are other examples of “superfoods” which can help not only your health but also your appearance.

Two recent articles describe ways to optimize your heart health.

 The American Heart Association has identified seven keys to an ideal heart and includes:

            -Never smoked or quit more than one year ago.

            -Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 25.

            -Moderate exercise of at least 150 minutes per week or 75 minutes if vigorous.

            -Four to five of the components of a “healthy diet”.

            -Total cholesterol less than 200.

            -Blood pressure below 120/80.

            -Fasting blood sugar less than 100.

With chocolate Easter eggs still present in many homes, it’s only appropriate to mention that chocolate could reduce heart risks.  German researchers found that those who ate about one square of chocolate per day had a 39% lower risk of heart attack or stroke.  Experts think that the flavonols in the chocolate (also present in vegetables and red wine) dilate the blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.  Of course, too much of anything isn’t good for you either!

Recently a friend shared with me his experience with prostate cancer.  You have to understand that he is in his mid-fifties and is quite an athlete, not the stereotypical older man.  This didn’t stop his PSA levels from creeping up this past year.  Once diagnosed there are three treatment options: Surgery to remove the prostate, external beam radiation, or implanting radioactive pellets in the prostate.

(Did You Know?  Here are six steps to reduce the risk of prostate cancer published recently in Men’s Health magazine.

       1.      Drink more coffee.  It is unknown why and it doesn’t matter if it has caffeine in it.  2.     Give your prostate gland a workout.  A 2004 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association of over 29,000 men found that those who had 21 or more orgasms a month were 30% less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who had 4-7 per month. 3.         Eat more tomato products since they contain lycopenes which reduce the risk of prostate cancer.  4.         Exercise reduces the fatal forms of prostate cancer by 41 percent.  5.         Eat more fish since omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer by 25 percent.  6.         Reduce trans-fatty acid intake which may double the chances of developing prostate cancer.)

My friend chose the surgical treatment of robotic radical prostatectomy.  Despite the unglamorous explanation of his post-operative course, he is doing well and resumes his exercising next week.  Even with a diagnosis of “cure” and as all cancer survivors can attest to, he’ll have follow-up appointments the rest of his life.  Prevention and early detection are the keys to beating not only prostate cancer but also many others.

Prevention.com recently listed eleven myths about food, health and exercising.

1.         Are vegetables preserved in bleach?  No, but many are cleaned with it to kill bacteria.

2.         Does working out on an empty stomach burn more calories?  Yes, but not by much.

3.         Does drinking water help to lose weight?  Only if replaces calories.

4.         Does eating too much sugar cause diabetes?  Not directly but becoming overweight can contribute.

5.         Can spicy foods boost metabolism?  Nope, only weight, age, gender, genetics, activities determine metabolism.

6.         Is white flour bleached with dangerous chemicals?  The amount of a controversial chemical is miniscule in the bleaching process.

7.         Is it safe to follow the “5 second” rule for food falling on the floor?  The touching of food to any surface with bacteria allows transfer regardless of the time involved.

8.         Is soy safe for women to eat?  Foods that naturally have soy in them are safe.  The problem is soy additives and supplements since the amount of soy ingested is variable.

9.         Will eating after 9 p.m. cause weight gain?  It is not the time of eating, even though your metabolism slows while sleeping, but rather the amount of calories ingested over the day.

10.     Is soda bad for your kidneys?  Yes, drinking 16 or more ounces doubles your chances for kidney disease.

11.     Does double dipping a chip spread germs?  Absolutely, thousands of saliva germs are transferred back to the dip and some may be picked up by someone else on their chip.