Balance

as we age it is critical that we pay attention to our balance. just like many other body related issues our ability to balance begins decreasing in our 20's. there are many issues affecting our ability to balance but most of us could also use more time spent on balance during our workouts.
    so how good is your balance? here are 2 simple tests to let you know. if possible do them with a friend so one of you can watch the time (a stopwatch is handy but a clock with a second hand will do) and be there as support-if needed.

1. with bare feet and your eyes open stand with one foot directly in front of the other foot. fold your arms across your chest placing your hands on your shoulders. practice this position a few times and then with timing ready close your eyes. keep timing until your eyes open or you move out of position. do twice on each side. if you are unable to do this for 30 seconds you need to work on your balance and posture control.
2. if you can do the above for 60 seconds try this second test that is more challenging. again bare feet. place your hands on your hips and raise up one foot and lightly place it just below the knee on the inside of the straight leg. raise up onto the ball of your foot, eyes open. again practice a few times before timing and take the best time out of several tries on each leg. timing stops when any movement happens. these numbers will give  you a guide to where you stand. for men-excellent 50 or more seconds, average 31-40 and poor 20 or less. for women 30 or more is excellent, average is 16-24 and poor is less than 10.

next week i will give some examples of simple exercises you can do to improve balance.

   

Summer Calorie Burners

summer is officially here and now we can enjoy all those outdoor activities we have been waiting for. remember to keep hydrated and use sunscreen-often. if you've ever wondered about how many calories you're burning doing various summer activities here's a list of some of the more popular ones.
    these numbers can vary widely per person so they are best used for comparisons. they are based on the averages of a 155 pound person doing the activity for an hour-if you weight less than your calorie expenditure will be lower and vice versa. just try to get in at least a 1/2 hour of activity a day for better health and fitness.

• canoeing-256
• 10 mph biking-292
• golfing (walking with clubs)-314
• hiking-438
• running, 5 mph-606
• swimming laps, moderate speed-423
• singles tennis-584
• badminton-334
• walking, 3.5 mph-314
• hatha yoga-292
• gardening (weeding)-344

    and after all that activity you might need to do some:

• cooking-186
• reading-84! oh well.

Color & Portion Control

portion control may be one of the simpler ways to cut down on calories. by now most people understand the relationship between plate size and portion size-the larger the plate the larger the portion. it is estimated that since the early 1900's plates have grown 23% larger.
     this is a part of what's called the delboeuf illusion. in 1865 delboeuf, a belgian scientist, studied the relationships between plate sizes and portions but also how color-the color of plates with the color of the food served upon them may cause us to subconsciously eat more. and it turns out that this too is true. scientists at cornell have revisited this optical illusion and these are some of the findings:

• reduce the color contrast between your plate and what it is on-table, tablecloth, etc. and you may cut back your serving size by 10%
• by changing the contrast between the plate and the food on it we can help our subconscious to cue us into eating more or less. if you want to eat more  healthy greens then serve them on a green plate. but if you want to eat a smaller amount of spaghetti with tomato sauce then serve it on a white plate

    if these small changes can help in the goal of maintaining a healthy weight then why not give them a try. they are famous for their chocolate in belgium. i wonder what color plates it is served on?

On the Menu

lately many more large businesses are paying attention to their customers food preferences. in 2013 it is estimated that IKEA sold over 150 million of their swedish meatballs worldwide. new on their menu  are veggie balls and chicken balls. the new veggie balls are made with chickpeas, green peas and pea protein, kale, corn and peppers. per serving they have 100 fewer calories, half the fat, less protein but more fiber, carbs and sugar than the traditional beef/pork version.
    of course IKEA is primarily a home furnishings company and food is not their primary business but other companies such as chipotle mexican grill, taco bell and so are changing their ingredients to address customer's concerns about food, ingredients and nutrition.
    and its not just about being vegetarian or vegan. actually only 3.2% of adults in the US (7.3 million people) even consider themselves vegetarians. about 1 million out of that number consider themselves vegan. it is more about awareness and having better choices-better for us, animals and the planet.
    i have been a vegetarian. i worked for a swedish company and i shop at IKEA. i really wanted to try the new veggie balls but last weekend so many people were lined up waiting for lunch that i just didn't have the time to wait. i am curious though how many would be ordering the vegetarian version.

    fyi-considered an unbiased source of nutritional information you might like to check out
hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

Bone Health & the Amazing Prune

i recently had a bone density test of my hip and spine. knowing that i exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet i was stunned and very concerned when the results indicated bone loss in my right hip. blood work also reported that my calcium and especially my vit. d levels were low.
     so what does this have to do with prunes? to begin with most "prune" research goes by the title "dried plum" research but i will just stick with prune. each prune has about 24 calories and natural sugars but their high fiber content offsets a quick rise in blood sugar. it is because of this high fiber content  that they are often recommended for their laxative effect but they also contain other important nutrients as well as potassium and boron.*
     research began in 2001 and a major study done in 2011 was reported in the british journal of nutrition. this study (and there have been others) found that for post menopausal women (not on hormone therapy)  who ate 10-12 prunes a day had improvements in the bone density in their spine and forearms. for any of you men who might stop reading-think again. you too are at risk for osteoporosis. one in four men over 50 will break a bone because of this and men are more likely to experience bone loss than prostrate cancer. getting back to the study it also showed that prunes may even help in reversing bone loss. of course its very complicated and more research needs to be done.
     to have healthy bones we all need to do weight bearing and muscle strengthening exercises regularly besides getting enough calcium, magnesium and especially vit. d. if you are not sure about your levels  please think about getting them checked. and meanwhile it wouldn't hurt to eat a few prunes.

*women who may have estrogen concerns should check with their doctor before increasing their exposure to boron.

Knees

     the first knee replacement was done in 1968.  currently in the US more than 600,000 are done a year and by 2030 that number is expected to be around 3 million! the knee is not our most complex joint-that is the shoulder-but it is the largest and is in almost constant use. at ground level, the force on our knees is 1 1/2 times our body weight-with each step. going up and down stairs 2-3 times and when you bend over to pick something up, 4-5 times  our body weight. knowing these numbers it should be clear how important it is to keep to a healthy body weight.
     our knees need to be flexible but also need to have strength and stability that comes from our muscles, tendons and ligaments. although keeping excess weight off is the primary way to prevent problems (i am not including injuries from sports, etc.) there are some other things we can do to help our knees stay healthy. one is to warm up before doing any exercise. we also need to strengthen our leg and especially our glute  muscles. two relatively simple exercises to start with* would be standing and/or prone hip extensions. don't want to do exercises like that-then at least try to walk as much as possible and keep to a healthy weight. i know that i don't want to be included in the statistics listed above. do you?

*if you already have knee issues speak first with your doctor about appropriate exercises.

Time Line

     it happens to almost everyone-over time we tend to gain weight and that is not good. this is just a partial list but these 4 items are considered to be the most common causes of that sly weight gain that happens as we age. if any apply to you please think about where you can make improvements....

1. eating high calories foods such as potatoes (of course a baked potato is better than chips but it also depends on what is added on top), white rice, anything made with white flour. sweets and desserts too often. processed meats and too much red meat in general. when eating red meat remember portion control and if possible buy grass fed.
2. drinking your calories. soda-not good. either you are getting high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners*. there is a difference in the body's response to carbs in liquids compared to in solid food even with the same number of calories. the carbs in liquid form will add to more weight gain. so this leads to...alcohol. moderation is the key. many people tend to eat more as they drink more.
3. too little or too much sleep. this is primarily due to how our hormones activate during sleep. most research indicates that 7-8 hours a night is best for most people. you should be in a completely dark room.
4. too much screen time means too much sitting and often the snacking that goes with it.
5. not moving enough, i.e. walking. and we need to do more as we age not less in part because our metabolisms go down.

     an extra 100 calories a day without burning them off adds up to a weight gain of 10 pounds per year. if that starts in ones 40's or even 50's just think what that means if like predicted, many of us  reach 100.

*in last week's post are details about what is actually in coke besides what is used for sweetness.