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Fit Tips
- Research has shown that married couples who work out together exercise
more
frequently than married couples who work out separately. They also are
more likely to stick with their exercise programs.
- Diets of fewer than 1,000 calories a day can cause numerous side effects,
including potentially fatal heart arrhythmia's, muscle and organ
deterioration, depression, personality changes, fainting, dizziness,
gallstones, and hair loss.
- The average American consumes the equivalent of six sticks of butter in fat
each week. This represents a level of fat and cholesterol consumption that
far exceeds recommended standards.
- Women who exercise regularly have milder menstrual cramps, less intense
premenstrual syndrome, shorter periods, and fewer headaches than their
sedentary counterparts.
- Fat intake is the most powerful nutrition-related determinant of developing
heart disease. In one study, subjects who obtained 40% of their calories
from fat had a two times greater risk of developing coronary artery disease
(CAD) than those who obtained 20% of their calories from fat.
- Stair climbing, because of its greater vertical component, burns more
calories per mile than either walking or running. A 180-pound man burns
about 100 calories walking a mile, 140 calories running a mile, and 160
calories climbing it.
- Research has shown that obese patients who lost 5% to 10% of their body fat
and who kept it off for three years, reduced their risk of hypertension,
Type II diabetes, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal tract diseases, and
sleeping disorders.
- According to leading dermatologists, tanning beds give off four times more
harmful rays than the sun, and, as a result, skin cancer develops much
faster in people who use them regularly.
- Avoid coffee (even decaffeinated brands) if you have an ulcer. The acids
in coffee, not the caffeine, cause pain in ulcer patients.
- Less than 40% of high school students in the US perform at least 20 minutes
of vigorous exercise three or more times per week. However, 35% watch
television for three hours or more on a daily basis.
- A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found
nonsmokers are more susceptible to heart damage from secondhand smoke
than
smokers because their bodies haven't built up defenses against the
carcinogens found in smoke. It is estimated that 47,000 Americans die
annually from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke.
- Exercising outdoors in hot weather can lead to foot blisters. To prevent
blisters, rub petroleum jelly on the bottom of your feet and between your
toes before working out.
- If left untreated, high blood pressure can double your risk of a heart
attack and triple your risk of a stroke. Because the condition produces no
symptoms, you should have your blood pressure checked at least every two
years.
- If you have a general question concerning proper nutrition, the Consumer
Nutrition Hotline staffed by members of the American Dietetic Association's
National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics can provide the answer. Call
1-800-366-1655.
- Studies show children of active parents are more likely to exercise as
adults than children with inactive parents.
- Use caution when exercising outdoors in hot, humid weather, especially if
you're taking over-the-counter drugs such as decongestants and pain
relievers. These drugs can cause increased fluid loss, which can lead to
dehydration.
- If you eat a slice of raisin bread instead of a croissant, you save 94
calories and 10 grams of fat. If you drink an 8-oz. glass of skim milk
instead of whole milk, you save 59 calories and 8 grams of fat.
- Be wary of the "finger-stick" cholesterol tests commonly used in mass
screenings (e.g., at shopping malls). They tend not to be very accurate.
Tests using blood drawn from your arm are more accurate.
- People who burn at least 1,000 calories a week through exercise cut their
colon-cancer risk in half. That's equivalent to exercising at a moderate
intensity four to five times per week.
- Cigarette smoking appears to raise the pain threshold, making smokers less
likely to feel early warning signs of heart disease.
- Getting enough fluids can become especially difficult in the heat of
summer. Don't wait until you're thirsty, because thirst is not a reliable
indicator of hydration status. Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and
after exercise.
- For optimum nutrition, eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a
day. A serving equals: 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables; 1/2 cup of other
vegetables; 3/4 cup of vegetable juice; 1 medium apple, banana, or orange;
1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit; or 3/4 cup fruit juice.
- Children in the U.S. are not immune to heart disease. The American Heart
Association's Task Force on Children and Youth reports that more than
one-half million children have some form of heart disease.
- Nineteen percent of American men have at least two out of four of the major
risk factors for heart disease (smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and
physical inactivity).
- Every day, approximately 3,000 American children begin smoking cigarettes,
placing themselves at increased risk for cancer or coronary heart disease.
More than 2.2 million youngsters between the ages of 12 and 17 smoke.
- Ninety percent of teenage girls think they're too heavy and would like to
weigh less. But less than 15% of teenage girls exceed the standard weight
for their height and body type.
- Eating a diet low in vitamin A may increase a woman's risk of breast
cancer. Carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin
A. Don't consume more than the RDA for the vitamin, however, since large
doses of vitamin A can be toxic.
- Approximately 80% of all individuals have legs of different lengths. If
you're a runner or cyclist, a difference as small as one-tenth of an inch
can cause pain in the longer leg or in the hip or foot on the longer side.
See an orthopedist or sports-medicine specialist who may recommend custom
orthotics or a shoe lift.
- Women, especially those who are perimenopausal, should limit their
consumption of dark-colored sodas. Most contain phosphoric acid, which can
inhibit the body's ability to absorb calcium.
- A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables protects against colon cancer,
but according to a study conducted at Harvard Medical School, the effect
may be lost among those who have two or more alcoholic drinks a day.
earlier tips
- If you are trying to lose weight, limit your intake of alcohol. Alcohol
contains almost twice as many calories per gram (7) as carbohydrates and
protein (4). It also stimulates the brain's appetite center and increases
the flow of gastric juices, making you feel hungrier than you really are,
which can lead to overeating.
- Just how many meals a day constitutes an ideal diet is not clear. Many
experts believe that eating three meals a day is the best diet plan.
Recent studies, however, suggest it may be better to eat five or six small
nutritious meals spread out over the course of a day.
- If you get your calcium in small doses, you'll absorb twice as much.
Therefore, it is advisable to take four small doses of calcium supplements
throughout the day, rather than one big dose in the morning--even if it's
time-released.
- A growing body of evidence suggests that having a "pot belly" may be even
more important than total body weight or fatness when it comes to
increasing your risk for elevated cholesterol, diabetes, high blood
pressure, and coronary heart disease.
- To make your walking workout more strenuous, include some hills in your
route. If your walk up a 4% grade, you'll burn approximately 35% more
calories than when walking on level terrain at the same pace.
- Coffee latte, the increasingly popular goumet coffee drink, can have 250
calories and up to 13 grams of fat per 12-ounce serving if made with whole
milk. Topping it with whipped cream or grated chocolate adds even more fat
and calories.
- Asthmatics don't have to give up physical activity. Approximately 15
minutes before exercising, they should use their inhalants if their doctors
approve. In addition, to reduce their chances of experiencing
exercise-induced asthma, they should work out in warm, humid air. Such air
causes less air-passage obstruction than dry air.
- American children weigh up to 6-1/2 pounds more than they did 15 years ago.
Their calorie intake is the same and fat consumption is down, so the extra
weight is most likely linked to decreased physical activity.
- Eating beans can suppress your appetite for hours, making it easier for you
to lose weight. Beans are digested slowly, causing a gradual increase in
blood sugar, which staves off hunger.
- According to a long-term study of John Hopkins School of Medicine alumni,
young men in their twenties who are 20 pounds or more overweight nearly
double their chances of developing osteoarthritis of the hip and knee later
in life.
- For every 10 pounds of your body weight that you support on your stair
climber handrails, you burn approximately seven percent fewer calories.
The typical health club participant supports about 30 pounds on the
handrails resulting in 20% reduction in calories burned during their stair
climbing workouts.
- Low-intensity exercise will burn more fat and lead to greater weight loss
only when you exercise longer. Total caloric expenditure, rather than
exercise intensity, is the most important determinant of weight and fat
loss from exercise.
- Pregnant women who use a sauna or hot tub during their first trimester may
increase the chances that their babies could be born with a neural tube
defect such as spina bifida or anencephaly. Soaking in water hotter than
102 degrees for more than 10 minutes can raise a pregnant woman's internal
body temperature too high for safety.
- Exercising on a stationary cycle for 30 minutes can give you as much
exercise as riding a bicycle outdoors for an hour or more. You get more of
a workout on a stationary cycle because you don't coast, catch tail winds,
or make long descents.
- Don't delay giving up on cigarettes for fear of weight gain and its adverse
effects. If has been estimated you have to be about 85 pounds overweight
to place the same strain on your heart as a pack-a-day smoking habit.
Questions? ask Universal Europe Support
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