Workout and Diet Advice for Women over 45

As a change of pace I thought I would share and comment on some interesting items I read this week.

First a really positive topic – the value of dried apples.  If you are like most people, dried fruit in general is not part of your daily intake of fruit  –  we have been warned over the years about the high sugar content of dried fruit and of course fresh is always better.  Then there comes an interesting study on dried apples…….. who thinks of these things and more important did studies of dried peaches and apricots not “bear fruit” (so to speak)?   One has to wonder about all the studies on the other dried fruits that didn’t give these unexpected and positive results.

The recent post discussed the difference between Dynamic and Static Stretching.  Dynamic stretching does  a great job of improving dynamic flexibility for your workout.

I said I would follow up with a  set of Dynamic Stretching exercises that you can use before your workouts.  I also mentioned that the Dynamic stretch is much like our “warm-ups” from high school gym class; so if you recall those days, and haven’t suppressed the memories (with good reason), you should recognize some of the movements.    And don’t neglect your Static Stretching after the workout – forgetting to stretch very easy to do; just ask me!!

I love the Health and Fitness Industry because things are always changing and (mostly) improving.  Guidelines that we took as gospel in the early days of fitness and weight-training were blown away a few years later with a new theory, only to be refuted itself with new research a few years after that; and so the cycle goes.  

• The best way to do sit-ups (straight back and legs) became the surefire way to hurt one’s back, and we found out about better “core” exercises;
• The perfect way to stretch (bouncing) turned into a guaranteed way to pull a muscle, and we learned about safe stretching.

Doesn’t it seem that every year we are asked to believe that “researchers” have uncovered THE superfood? And this year really does seem to be the year of the Chia seed.

The Chia seed, as an excellent source of nutrition may well retain its reputation beyond that of many of its predecessors – is anyone still sprinkling oat bran on their cereal?

In the previous blog post on Chia, I summarized the main characteristics of Chia seeds and also detailed the nutritional components of the seed.    This time we look at claims associated with these characteristics.

We are led to believe these two options are mutually exclusive – that good/organic/sustainably produced food cannot be inexpensive as well! 

However, reform advocates say it’s possible to make delicious, nutritious, safe food available to all people of all income levels.  I read that sentence twice  –  slowly, to make sure I had read it correctly!

And the article says “it is a false choice forced on consumers by government policies that favor big agriculture.  So are we really talking agribusiness vs. the sustainable food movement?  Or is organic farming really cost effective on a large scale?  Perhaps the suggested approach is outside-the-box thinking.

We all know Green Tea is healthy, has antioxidants, helps melt body fat, and keeps teeth healthy.  Well if you didn’t know you do now.  Plus the amount of caffeine in Green Tea is much lower than in coffee – up to 2/3 lower.

In terms of antioxidants, Catechins are what make green tea special. They make up the bulk of the green tea antioxidants, and therefore the tea’s healing potential.

Continuing the review of the exercises I found in the BackPacker Magazine.   In the previous  blog post I commented on 6 of the 11 or so exercises.  So, starting in the left top corner and going clockwise we ended at the bottom of the page (Treating Muscle Cramps).  Moving on clockwise:

7.      Banishing Blisters.  Always good to read about the current thinking  – to pop or not to pop blisters?  I am sure this question has come up for most of you, even if it hasn’t exactly kept you up at night.  Seems it was settled in a much earlier BackPacker article.  And Yes you should pop blisters as long as:

In the first part of this three part article, I introduced the concept that too much of a good thing like exercise is not always a good thing.  In part 2, I outlined the signs of the addiction associated with the “runner’s high” – much like a high associated with a drug.  In case you are still asking “so what?”; still wondering what the problem is with being addicted to something as wholesome as exercise, then read on.  Working out hard will let you see results quickly, but continually overloading the body will eventually lead to negative consequences.  Whilst working out hard is good for bones, going at high levels of intensity all the time puts enormous stress on bones, joints and muscles.  

Following on from last week’s post – I don’t want to give the idea that I see lots of exercise as a negative.  I am all for lots of exercise, just as I am all for healthy eating.  However, becoming obsessed with what you do and do not eat, or becoming obsessed with exercising are still obsessions, still addictions.

  “…it can become a compulsion, an obsessive need to work out multiple times a day, hours at a time at the  utmost intensity your body allows”, says Susan Moore, the program coordinator at the Renfrew Center, a treatment facility  for eating disorders in Philadelphia.

A slightly unusual blog post today – Allergies and new theories around them.  People in developing countries don’t have all the allergies and autoimmune diseases that we have.  So what is different?  One view that seems to be gaining support is that have created such a ‘clean’ environment around us and in our bodies, that we have gotten rid of even  the beneficial parasites? 

 I just read and report on where the scientific community is going  –  you can make up your own minds!

But check out a couple of websites……

Celiac Disease and Hook Worm Trials in Australia