Women Catching Up to Men in Heart Disease

New research has found that while middle-aged men still have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, women are unfortunately catching up.

Men still have more heart attacks than women, but that gap is narrowing. The study found that while men’s rate of heart attacks declined, women’s rate  increased. Furthermore, among middle-aged American women (ages 45-54), stroke prevalence was double that of men of the same age group.

On a positive note, another related study found that women’s rate of survival from heart attacks and strokes have improved.  For women younger than 55, the study found the risk of dying has dropped by 53 percent. The researchers theorize that this due to an increase in the awareness of physicians in screening middle-aged female patients for heart disease and/or the greater awareness among women of their potential cardiovascular risk.

On the other hand, the researchers believe that the narrowing of male-female heart disease rates is due to better control of cardiovascular disease risk factors (high LDL and low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and diabetes) in men than in women. The researchers also point to the fact that women now make up a significant portion of the workforce, their stress levels have increased and their time for exercising  has decreased, resulting in greater rates of obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, while female hormones have thought to protect women from cardiovascular disease prior to menopause, the rising rate of female obesity (higher in middle-aged women than men) may negate that benefit

So now that men no longer corner the market on heart disease, it’s even more important to note that women’s warning signs for heart attack and stroke can be different from those of men. All the more important for women and their physicians to be aware that cardiovascular disease is an equal opportunity destroyer. Furthermore, doctors need to remind their female patients of the importance of prevention:  exercising, controlling weight, avoiding smoking and limiting dietary saturated fat and refined carbohydrates.

Be Well,

Carolyn

Upcoming Family Nutrition Workshop

Are you fueling your family’s busy, active lifestyle with optimal nutrition? Is poor nutrition affecting your teen’s weight, grades, athletic performance and/or moods? Do you know what  nutrients your child needs more of? Proper nutrition is critical not only for physical and cognitive development during adolescence, it can also affect everything from your child’s grades to his or her complexion.

I will be conducting a Family  Nutrition Workshop on Sat, Nov 14th from 2-3:30 pm at SCRA (Stanford Campus Recreation Association). This workshop will cover a variety of nutrition topics related to families, including: eating for energy; smart snacking; nutrition for optimal test taking; acne prevention through diet, and “food and mood”.

The charge is $20 for members, $25 for guests and $30 for families of up to 3 persons. Though not required, reservations can be made by calling (650) 814-7990. For more information, please visit my website at bewellcoaching.com.

Be Well, 

Carolyn

Can You Stretch Your Way to a Healthier Heart?

For those of you who run or cycle for hours but never bother to stretch for 5 minutes, this one’s especially for you…

You knew stretching and yoga was good for your flexibility, but might it also help your heart  function? No, yoga is not aerobic no matter how much the Power Yoga fans would like to believe it to be, but a new study from Japan suggests that trunk or flexibility is correlated with flexibility of the arteries. Moreover, improving flexibility of the body may improve heart function as a result.

The Japanese researchers found that arterial stiffness among adults over 40 was associated with trunk flexibility (or lack thereof) but was independent of muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness (measured by performance on a stationary bike). The researchers also cited  another recent study that found that middle age and older adults who began a regular program of stretching exercises significantly improved the flexibility of their carotid artery, a major artery found in the neck.

Hopefully these new findings will encourage those of you who routinely skip stretching to start. I already know of one die-hard ultramarathoner who, after 25 years of not stretching, has suddenly become a convert. (Remember to hold the stretch –  don’t bounce, Roger!). Now for those of you who would prefer to skip the cardio in favor of the stretching, sorry to disappoint you, but we need both (as well as strength and agility training) for optimal fitness.

Be Well,

Carolyn

Is Technology Isolating Instead of Connecting Us?

Unbelievable but true, a fourth high school student from my community has committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. That’s four teenage suicides (plus one thwarted attempt) since May. 

I live in one of the most intellectual, technology-oriented communities in the world, but sometimes I think people here lack basic communication skills. Adults and adolescents are constantly texting, emailing, “Facebooking” and twittering, but are they really talking to one another? More importantly, are they really listening to one another? Furthermore, are parents too busy checking their I-Phones and blackberries or yakking on their cellphones to really find out what’s going on in their kids’ lives?

I went to the same high school as these teens and, although it was more than 25 years ago, I don’t think kids are under any more pressure to succeed today than we were then. The difference is that teenagers today mostly communicate electronically verses face-to-face. We didn’t have cellphones or even personal computers. We may have only had 10 friends as opposed to 100 Facebook “friends”, but they were 10 real friends we could really count on.

In addressing parents at a special PTA-sponsored forum last week, Philippe Rey, executive director of Adolescent Counseling Service expressed his concerns, ”Technology has been isolating our kids. Kids today spend a lot of time being hooked up to technology and unfortunately parents do that too. What we hear from them is they feel isolated. “

There are resources out there for teens who are struggling with stress, anxiety and depression and for parents there are  warning signs that a teen may be contemplating suicide. Most experts agree that the best thing parents can do is talk frankly with their teens and confront the issue of suicide head-on.

For those in the Bay Area, here are some additional local resources. Keep talking (face-to-face) and, most of all, keep listening.

Be Well,

Carolyn

The Dangers of Running Myopically- II

In my previous post I discussed the dangers of running compulsively and exercise addiction in general. The first step in conquering any addictive behavior is, of course, recognizing and admitting that it is indeed a compulsion.

Recognizing, Then Breaking a Running Addiction

In order to break a running-dependency, you need to re-examine your relationship to health and fitness. Ask yourself, “Why am I running?”. If you’re exercising for your health, then why are you always so exhausted?  If you’re training for competitive goals, remind yourself that rest is essential to peak performance. Above all, as much as you may love it, running is only one part of a balanced life.

 Finding a Balance

1.  Listen to your body, respectfully responding when it says “I’m too tired and achy to run today”.

2.  Schedule rest days into your program. That way, you’re in control of when you run as well as when you don’t and you can plan for it.

3. Try other forms of exercise (preferably low-impact) to balance your running:  cycling to strengthen  your quads, yoga to improve your flexibility, swimming or weight training to increase your upper body power, deep water exercise to improve core strength and overall fitness.

4. Don’t let your running performance determine your self-worth.

5. Don’t rely on running to maintain your emotional well-being. Consider seeking professional psychological assistance if necessary.

6. Run with others who share your passion, but also have full lives outside of running.

Those of us who love to run know how much it enriches our lives, but it’s important to keep it in perspective and respect it. Our bodies are meant for activities besides just putting one foot in front of the other. Maintain a healthy respect for your ability to run and, above all, don’t abuse the privilege.

Run Long and Be Well,

Carolyn

The Dangers of Running Myopically- Part I

You’ve seen them running down the road – perhaps you’re even one of them – pounding the pavement mile after mile, sometimes twice a day.  Their upper bodies are shrunken while their hamstrings and calves are solid as rock, and probably just as flexible. I call these people who think running is all they need to be fit and healthy  ”myopic runners”. They’d never think, for example, of taking a yoga class  – what good would that do when they wouldn’t get their heart rate up or barely break a sweat. Few get in the pool unless they’re badly injured or they’re cooling off after a summer run. It’s also rare to find them in a spinning class or Pilates studio.

For those who love to and can run, running is a wonderful part of a well-rounded fitness program. But, while running is an excellent cardiovascular and muscular endurance exercise, it doesn’t promote muscular strength, flexibility, or agility, other key components of fitness. Plus, most runners’ bodies cannot tolerate excessive mileage without some physiological cost.  

Furthermore, when running becomes a compulsion, a healthy habit can become a harmful obsession. Inadequate rest between high mileage and/or high intensity workouts can lead to muscle breakdown and injury. This is why cross-training is so essential to long-term running success. By  balancing the body’s strength and flexibility of opposing muscle groups, performing a variety of activities helps keep injuries at bay.

When Dedication Becomes A Dependency

In some cases, over-dedicated runners develop a psychological dependency on running as a means of controlling the rest of their life. Certain personality types may also be at a higher risk, including highly driven Type As, perfectionists, and those who lack communication and coping skills. If you find yourself feeling guilty, depressed and irritable after skipping even one workout or if you feel compelled to run even when you’re ill or tired, you may want to examine your commitment to running. Running can help get you through tough, stressful life events, but if it becomes your only means of coping emotionally, you run the risk of making it a higher priority than relationships and/or work.

In my next post I’ll discuss how to recognize a running addiction and ways to bring balance back into your fitness program if your running has started running your life.

Be Well,

Carolyn

 

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Be Smart and Eat Your Vegetables

If you need yet another reason to eat your vegetables, research suggests they might make you smarter, particularly as you age. A new study has found that a higher daily consumption of vegetables and fruit is associated not only with higher antioxidant levels, but also higher cognitive scores in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Furthermore, another previous study  found that older adults who consumed the most vegetables had the lowest incidence of Alzheimers, while fruit did not have the same positive association.

So what’s so great about vegetables?  Well, they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients that help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, prevent cancer, heart disease and yes, even dementia. Vegetables have the highest nutrient density of all foods. In other words, they have the most nutrients for the fewest calories. Most vegetables are also low on the Glycemic Index so they’re helpful in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Vegetables are the one “all you can eat” food category for optimal nutrition as well as weight loss.  

OK, so now you know vegetables are good for brain and your body, but how do you get more  into your diet? Vegetables can be delicious as well as nutritious, you just have to know how to prepare them. For ideas, here are links to my previous blogs on How to Love Your Veggies, Part I  and Part II.

Be Well,

Carolyn

Wellness Coaching: Key Role in Preventative Healthcare

With doctors increasingly  squeezed for patient time and education, wellness coaching is evolving to provide a valuable liaison in preventative healthcare.

So what exactly defines a “wellness coach“? A wellness coach encourages and motivates individuals to make positive lifestyle behavior changes to improve their well-being. These changes might include exercising regularly, adopting healthier eating habits, sleeping more, and reducing stress. These changes may be life-promoting and, in some cases, even life-saving.

But wellness isn’t just the absence of disease, illness or injury. Wellness is a dynamic state where an individual’s body and mind are operating at an optimal level. Certain parameters help us gauge our wellness, including: maintaining a healthy weight, being physically fit sleeping restfully and having plenty of energy. 

As every aspect of wellness affects another, wellness coaching offers a whole-person approach. Typically a wellness coach has a multi-disciplinary background that may include nutrition, exercise physiology, physical therapy and stress management. A wellness coach applies this expertise in developing comprehensive, customized programs that best fit the needs and goals of their clients, ideally resulting in fewer doctors visits, greater productivity at work and a better overall sense of well-being.

Be Well, 

Carolyn

Your Appendix is Not Superfluous

Have you had your appendix out?  Doctors always assured those of us who have that the appendix was a superfluous organ, unnecessary for proper digestion and health. Research, however, suggests that  the real and important purpose of the appendix is to act as a storage place for beneficial bacteria. There’s also evidence that the appendix doesn’t just store but may also create and cultivate the good bacteria that protects the gut. 

Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that line our small intestines. It is estimated that 75-80% of your immune system is in your gut and beneficial bacteria are an important part of your immune defense, even more critical as we head into flu season. Beneficial bacteria are also critical for absorbing certain undigested starches, fibers and sugars called prebiotics and converting them into energy and nutrients. They also help the body produce Vitamin K and some of the B vitamins and they promote absorption of vitamins and minerals from the foods we eat.

Not to worry if you’ve had your appendix out, but if you have – you may need to pay more attention to your intake of probiotics, whether from cultured foods or supplements.  Beware of all the foods currently on the market that tout themselves as containing “probiotics”.  Once again here is the food manufacturers picking up on a trend and adding something that is not naturally occurring in their processed foods. Not all probiotics are created equally of course and manufacturers are not required to use accepted nomenclature for the bacteria in the product and may overstate the probiotic benefits of their product.

Probiotics must be alive, capable of colonizing the human gut and consumed in sufficient quantity on a daily basis to exert their beneficial effects. Some of the beneficial bacterias to look for include:  L. bulganicus or S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, L. Casei., B. lactis.

Be Well,

Carolyn

 

 

Multi-tasking: Is it Actually Counter-Productive?

First a confession…as I draft this post, I have the TV on in the background. There…I’m a confessed multi-tasker. I think that’s one of the reasons I love going to the movies. It is one of the few times I really focus on one medium at a time. If I put a dvd on at home, I always feel a bit guilty just watching a movie when instead I could be catching up with correspondence, paying bills, or sorting files. Despite the fact that multi-tasking makes me feel more productive, recent research suggests the opposite. A study out of Stanford  found that all of this multitasking is actually counterproductive.

Apparently people who tune into multiple sources of electronic information at once do not pay attention, recall information or switch from one job to another as well as those who tackle one task at a time. Instead, the researchers found multi-tasking to be very distracting to the subjects, even though they were used to it. In fact the subjects of this study were students whose multi-media tasking was normal behavior for them. I wonder if part of the recent prevalence of ADHD among adolescents stems from the fact that young people today have so many things dividing their attention.

I’ve also suspected that women are more adept than men at multitasking. I thought it might have something to do with women’s historical role of caring for multiple offspring while tending the home front. I was a bit surprised then by a study looking at gender differences in multi-tasking that found that female subjects were only slightly more accurate than males when performing multiple tasks, but there was no difference between the two groups in productivity. 

Now that I know that all of my multi-tasking isn’t really getting me anywhere, I’m going to try and be better about focusing on and completing one task at a time. That and keep going to the movies!

Be Well,

Carolyn