IT’S NOT HUMOROUS TO BREAK A HUMERUS

Exercising helps alleviate depression by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain but recently I have been experiencing the effects of withdrawal symptoms from the lack of exercise in other words: depression! It goes back to about 3 weeks ago when a slip and fall on an extended arm (trying to save my laptop) caused me to dislocate my right shoulder. It wasn’t just any ordinary dislocation, but my humerus head (the top of upper arm bone) hit the shoulder capsule causing a little dime sized chip to separate out. On top of that the shoulder capsule itself got ruptured (also known as the glenoid labrum tear), the treatment of which requires arthoscopic surgery at an outpatient clinic (not a big deal). To make a long story short the shoulder is pretty messed up and even after fixing it will require 3-4 months of rehab to be fully functional and so any upper body exercising is out of the question. So I decide to take up my old favorite exercise, running. But my better half decides to consult an astrologer and the pundit was so good that he exactly predicted the three injuries I had in the past 8 months and further said that the stars are not in my favor until the end of Feb 2010. So what does the wife do? She puts a total ban on any exercising for the next 4 months, even running! So the only exercise I am getting these days is doing bicep curls with the TV remote. In the mean time my depression is on the rise because I can’t do my favorite activities like swimming, weightlifting and exercising in general. Plus the constant pain in my shoulder doesn’t let me sleep at night. These days the only comfort I find is in junk food, candy (thanks to Halloween!) and a shot or two of tequila (hey, it at least helps me sleep!). I’ll still keep up my reading of health and fitness and keep posting my thoughts every now and then. Until then you folks keep away from wet surfaces and in case you do end up in a slippery situation, remember that nothing (except a child you are carrying in your arms) is worth breaking a body part.

CHOLESTEROL: IS IT REALLY THE ENEMY?

This is the follow up of my last article and an attempt at elucidating the role of cholesterol in the human body and why it’s not the axis of evil as it’s made out to be.

Cholesterol belongs to a class of substance called steroids. It’s wax like and is essential for the proper functioning of cells in the human body. In recent decades it has been maligned as the most nefarious substance to be found in the human body, mainly by the vegetable oil industry (post WW II) and lately by the pharmaceutical industry that make cholesterol lowering statin drugs. While the real truth is that Cholesterol is not only beneficial to the human body but also essential for many of the proper body functions. Most of the cholesterol found in the body is synthesized in the liver, more than anything you will ever get from any diet. Some of the vital functions of cholesterol are:

Cholesterol is a vital component of all the cell membranes. Without cholesterol in the cell membranes our cells wouldn’t have the 3-dimensional structure they now have. They would be as flat as a pancake. This role of cholesterol has profound implications for brain and nerve cell functionality and longevity in spite of how simple it sounds. Nerve cells and brain cells are the ones that use the most cholesterol since they don’t multiply like other cells and need to maintain their rigidity and longevity. So what happens when cholesterol levels go down, with say the use of a statin drug? The result is the onset of nerve cell and brain cell death due to which poor brain function, depression, memory loss, suicidal tendencies increase and get worse as the dosage of statin is increased. In fact there is a very good book about this titled: Lipitor- thief of memory by Dr. Duane Graveline. There are other very good studies done at Johns Hopkins on the benefits of Ketogenic diet (KD) on the human brain [1]. A Ketogenic diet is very high in fat (mostly saturated fats from butter, cheese, Bacon and other red meats) with minimal carbohydrates and enough protein to sustain growth. In this study the authors have shown how KD can help children with epilepsy. When other conventional medications for the treatment of epilepsy fail a child is put on KD for a period of two years and in most cases the child is fully cured. The study further went on to show that KD can provide symptomatic and disease-modifying activity in a broad range of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and may also be protective in traumatic brain injury and stroke. Stanford children’s hospital has some information about KD and treatment for epilepsy in children here:

http://www.lpch.org/clinicalSpecialtiesServices/ClinicalSpecialties/Neurology/neurology.html

There are other studies [2] that show that a deficiency of cholesterol hinders with the oxytocin receptor, ligand activity and G-protein coupling of the serotonin-1A receptor in the brain leading to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). They have shown that individuals treated with dietary supplementation of cholesterol display fewer autistic behaviors, infections, and symptoms of irritability and hyperactivity, with improvements in physical growth, sleep and social interactions. Other behaviors shown to improve with cholesterol supplementation include aggressive behaviors, self-injury and temper outbursts.

An interesting article on the CNN health website talks about the risks of low cholesterol and its connection to depression and violent behavior. It lists some studies that have shown a link between low cholesterol levels and the risk for depression and violent behavior. Just like reference [2] it shows that low cholesterol levels might lead to low serotonin activity in the brain which in turn leads to violent and aggressive behavior. By the way exercise has shown to increase serotonin activity in the brain (another reason to start exercising). The CNN article can be found here:

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/men/06/30/low.cholesterol.wmd/index.html

The effect on low cholesterol on muscle cells has been studied by researchers at the Texas A&M University [3]. Various mechanisms of statin toxicity have been identified in the case of muscle cells. These factors reduce muscle mass, energy, vitality and lead to general lack of fitness. In this study they compared two groups of people on a strict exercise regimen but one of them was given statin drugs while the other was given a placebo. They found that the group that took cholesterol lowering statin drugs had a lower muscle strength gain. Muscle fatigue and pain is a well documented side effect of statin drugs. Some of the side effects of statins can be found at mayoclinic.com website here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/statin-side-effects/MY00205

The famous Merck and Schering-Plough cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin, is being investigated for fraud across the country for increasing the risk of certain forms of cancer by 64%. The drug is very good at lowering LDL cholesterol but in doing so it substantially increases the risk of some forms of cancer. There are numerous ongoing studies investigating the link between low LDL levels and the risk of developing cancer.

The other role of cholesterol in the body is the formation of bile salts in the liver which help digest food. Without this the food you consume wouldn’t be properly digested and assimilated in the body and you would wither away in starvation no matter how much you ate. Cholesterol also assists in the conversion of vitamin D from sunlight and in the assimilation of vitamin A and E.

Cholesterol also being the master steroid assists in the formation of sex hormones, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone without which our normal sexual development wouldn’t be possible.

It is sad that cholesterol has been touted as the single most devious villain in the fight against CHD by the vegetable oil industry and the pharmaceutical industry for obvious reasons (isn’t billions of dollars reason enough?). A further testimony to the pharmaceutical industry’s vested interest in selling statins to the general population is the latest recommendation to put children as young at 8 on statins:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1035152/Why-doctors-believe-children-young-statins.html

Talk about expanding the market base. Time to buy some Pfizer and Merck shares, I say!

While I am not suggesting that we go all out in our intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, I do believe that anything (natural) taken in moderation won’t harm your body. If you do have high cholesterol it may be a symptom of some other underlying factor such as stress and treating it with statins so that your numbers look good on paper would do nothing to alleviate the real cause. So treat the cause and not the symptom. I believe the best way to combat CHD is by living healthy, eating healthy and staying happy. After following this lifestyle if your cholesterol numbers are still high then so be it. Trust your body in that it knows what’s right for you and messing with the natural pathways of your body with synthetic drugs might prove counter-effective in the long run. So the next time your doctor suggests cholesterol lowering medication, stop and ask: is it really necessary and can I do something about it with a change in my lifestyle?

REFERENCES:
1) Maciej Gasior, Michael A. Rogawski, and Adam L. Hartman, Neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of the ketogenic diet, Behav Pharmacol. 2006 September; 17(5-6): 431–439.
2) Aneja A., Tierney E., Autism: The Role of Cholesterol in Treatment. International Review of Psychiatry, 2008 Apr 20(2):165-70)
3) Texas A&M University (2008, January 10). Surprise -- Cholesterol May Actually Pose Benefits. ScienceDaily.

A FURTHER TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SATURATED FAT

Today the world's oldest person Gertrude Baines died at the age of 115. Guess what were her favorite foods? Crispy bacon, fried chicken and ice cream. Also the oldest human to ever live, Jeanne Louise Calment who lived in Arles, France, died at the age of 122. She consumed 2 pounds of chocolate every week. Her doctor convinced her to give up sweets at 119 and she died 3 yrs later. She attributed her longevity to her sense of humor and her attitude of not taking anything seriously. I have a feeling she would have lived even longer had the doctor not persuaded her give up chocolate. She perhaps got withdrawal symptoms and ended up in depression which in turn caused her to die 3 yrs later. I don't understand her doctor's thinking. I mean why fix something that has worked for 119 yrs? Duh!

So don't worry be happy and like my good friend says 'happy people live longer'. OK, time to go and have my butter omelet!

ARE SATURATED FATS AND CHOLESTEROL REALLY THAT BAD?

What I am going to talk about in this article will change the way you look at saturated fat and cholesterol and I’ll outright say it, that these two dietary components are not only necessary, but should be a part of a healthy diet! Now before you all take out your pitch forks and shovels and start flaming me, take some time and read on.

First a little history lesson. In 1950’s a researcher named Ancel Keys proposed the lipid hypothesis (LH), which states that there is a direct relationship between saturated fat and cholesterol in diet to the incidence of coronary heart disease. His articles received such widespread popularity that subsequent research and findings to the contrary were drowned out by the popular press. The vegetable oil industry that benefited the most from this study started funding further research to corroborate the lipid hypothesis. In fact the LH has been cited so many times that the medical community forgot that it was merely a hypothesis and not a fact. The fact is that the so called incontrovertible evidence cited in support of this hypothesis is very sparse and non-scientific. Instead consider these facts that refute the lipid hypothesis:

1) Only half the people that die of a heart attack have an elevated serum cholesterol level. Meaning the other half get a heart attack from some other cause other than high cholesterol (perhaps like the dads in Hindi films that get a cardiac arrest when their daughters marry someone other than their chosen groom or vice versa)

2) During the last 5 decades coronary heart disease (CHD) rose as the #1 killer in the US. Currently it stands at 40% of the total deaths. It would then be expected, if the lipid hypothesis were true, that the consumption of saturated fat must have gone up proportionately in the American diet. The truth is the exact opposite. Butter consumption decreased from 18lbs/person/year to 4lbs/person/year during the same period. During the same period the percentage of dietary vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils increased about 400% while the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased about 60%.

3) The famous Farmingham study that is often cited as the proof for LH is also inconclusive. In this study, done in the town of Farmingham, MA, 6,000 people were divided into two groups and tested at 5-year intervals. One group ate a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol and the other group ate a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. After 40 years the director of this study had to admit: "In Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol. . . we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active." The study did show that the people with higher than average weight and with elevated cholesterol levels were at slightly greater risk for CHD but there was an inverse correlation between serum cholesterol level and weight gain and the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in one’s diet.

4) Now this one is really interesting! In a multi-year research (done by the U.S. Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial or MRFIT), studying the eating habits and mortality rates of over 12,000 men it was found that the men with so called “good” eating habits (reduced saturated fat, cholesterol and smoking) showed a marginal reduction in deaths from CHD but their overall mortality from other causes such as cancer, brain hemorrhage suicide and violent death, was higher. Recent research (published in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine) has found a correlation between higher omega-6 to omega-3 blood ratio and the occurrence of depression as well as the presence of inflammation causing compounds in the blood. In light of recent research findings and the MRFIT study, it’s not surprising to know that vegetable oils are rich in omega 6 fatty acids but poor in omega 3 fatty acids. On the other hand butter from grain fed cows has omega-3 and so does the fat found in eggs yolks. Olive oil is 18% saturated fat and is also a rich source of omega-3 and of course fish body oils are rich in this essential (for brain) fatty acid. The real cause for CHD is now thought to be the inflammation promoting compounds in the blood and not total cholesterol levels, but this is a topic for discussion that I intend to take up some other time.

5) We all know that mother’s milk is essential for growth and brain development in children. But how many of us know that mother’s milk has the highest proportion of cholesterol than any other food. Also 50% of the calories in mothers milk come from fat, much of it saturated fat. A recent study [1] has shown that in growing children a diet lower in saturated fat might interfere with normal growth and development.

6) A comparison of mortality rates due to CHD in northern and southern India has shown that the mortality rate is 20/100,000 in northern India compared to 135/100,000 in southern India. The study concluded that the mortality rate from heart attacks in north India is 7 times lower than that in south India even though the people in north India consume 17 times more saturated fat from animal sources and clarified butter (ghee) than the people in south India.

7) Several studies done in Europe have shown that people in Switzerland, France and Italy who survive on one of the most fattiest and cholesterol rich diets consisting of organ and liver meats, cheese and butter and who have the highest total serum cholesterol levels (over 300 in some areas), also have one of the longest average lifespans. The incidence of CHD is negligible in these same areas compared to that in the U.S.

8) The Japanese who have the longest average lifespan are known for their love of seafood and shell fish. Some fish like cod and salmon are moderately high in cholesterol but most shellfish like shrimp, lobster and crab have very high cholesterol content.

Now it doesn’t sound like saturated fat and cholesterol are the twin villains of modern diet, does it? So what are the main culprits in the CHD epidemic that is sweeping the developed world? The real villains behind this are thought to be refined and processed flours, hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans-fats and simple sugars in the modern diet. The other big villain, the Mogambo (if you don’t know who that is you need to watch more Hindi films) of heart disease is stress, but that’s a separate topic in and of itself.

Now I am not suggesting you go and eat all the butter you can with a 6-egg omelet every morning and hope to be free of any risk for CHD. You first have to make a lifestyle change to include healthy whole grains, fruits and nuts in your diet, exercise moderately (or intensely) 3 times a week and try to address the stress in your life. If you can incorporate these healthy changes then you will benefit from moderate amounts of organic butter, whole eggs and even the meat in your diet. Remember, saturated fat is not the enemy but refined and processed foods and inactivity is. Lord Krishna said about inactivity in the Gita “Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one’s physical body without work.” So work your body hard and in return let it work for you for a long time.

References:

1) 10. Lifshitz F, Moses N. Growth failure: a complication of dietary treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Am J Dis Child. 1989; 143: 537–542.

INSULIN: THE MASTER KEY TO A LONG HEALTHY LIFE

The mention of insulin reminds one of blood sugar and diabetes. Although insulin has a first order effect on blood sugar, it has a second order effect on several other metabolic functions. We all know that centenarians (people living to be 100 and beyond) come from many regions of the world and they have varied lifestyles. Some are even tobacco users and smokers but there are 3 consistent things that are common among all of them and that is they all have low insulin, low blood sugar and low triglyceride levels. Among all three factors insulin is the common denominator. So keeping low insulin levels in the blood is the key to a long life span. Let’s go a little deeper to understand why this is the case.

Whenever we eat something our blood glucose level rises. Glucose if left free in the blood is a dangerous thing. It can stick to proteins and destroy their ability to regenerate our cells (that’s why diabetics don’t heal a wound) and in severe cases lead to kidney damage and blindness. So the glucose has to be converted into energy or stored. The way glucose is converted to energy is by first converting to glycogen and then getting stored and used up in the muscles during physical activity. The excess glucose gets stored in the cells as fat.

To counteract the presence of glucose in the blood the pancreas release insulin and as soon as insulin acts on glucose in starts storing it, preferentially as glycogen and later as fat. This is why having more muscle helps raise the metabolic rate as it leaves less glucose for fat conversion. The liver also releases fat into the blood stream as triglycerides for energy conversion but triglycerides just like glucose are also dangerous if left unchecked in the blood (high levels of triglycerides have been linked to coronary heart disease). So the other role of insulin is to signal the liver to stop the release of triglycerides into the blood stream after a meal.

Eating a high GI meal causes a sudden spike in the glucose levels and the pancreas over compensate by releasing a large quantity of insulin into the blood stream. We all remember learning to ride a bike as children or learning to drive a car as youngsters. Think of blood glucose as the road and your pancreas as the driver and insulin as the steering wheel. As a novice driver you remember that every time you hit a sharp right turn you overcompensated by turning the steering wheel too far to the right and then had to quickly turn left to stay on the road and vice versa. But you had no trouble driving on a straight or slightly curved road. As you got better at driving you of course navigated the sharp turns as well, but in the case of our pancreas/insulin system the driver (pancreas) never gets better at controlling the steering wheel (insulin) as it hits the sharp turns (sudden glucose spikes). As a result of this overcompensation there is insulin left behind in the blood after all the glucose has been stored and put away. Insulin like any other chemical is also toxic if it starts acting on cells (rather than on glucose). As a result of this the cells down-regulate their insulin receptor activity once they detect free insulin in the blood stream, making them insulin resistant. So the next time around the pancreas have to release even more insulin to get the same effect. Over time the pancreas give up and stop producing insulin and the person becomes diabetic. Also not all cells are equally resistive (or sensitive) to the action of insulin. The liver is the easiest to become resistant followed by muscle cells and then followed by fat cells. So you can see the fat cells are the least insulin resistant meaning they are most receptive to the storage mechanism of Insulin. Ideally one would want the opposite to be true, i.e., the fat cells to be the most insulin resistive and the muscle and liver cells be the most insulin sensitive.

Ok, so we know that high insulin levels cause preferential fat gain and if that’s not reason enough to give up your high GI foods how about the fact that high insulin level is one of the prime reasons for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and some forms of breast and colon cancer? Ok so you think I am trying to scare you. Well let’s see how insulin is responsible for all of the above so called chronic diseases of aging.

We all know by now that insulin’s role is in storing excess nutrients into the cells. So insulin is also responsible for storing magnesium, but if your cells become resistant to insulin you can’t store magnesium and lose it through urination. The role of intra-cellular magnesium is to relax the cells and lack thereof causes the cells to constrict. This also happens in your blood vessels as they become magnesium deficient. So what results is high blood pressure.

Another problem that occurs with insulin resistance is osteoporosis. Insulin is like the master key that controls all the other anabolic hormones like growth hormone, testosterone and progesterone. In insulin resistance the production of these hormones is hampered. Bones and muscles are both built by the command of these hormones so with the lack of them, bone building is reduced and the amount of Calcium excreted in urine is increased.

Lastly, insulin has been shown to favor cellular proliferation. What does this mean? It means insulin can help cancerous cells to grow and multiply. In two pretty conclusive studies [1, 2] a strong correlation has been shown between insulin levels and the incidence of breast and colon cancer.

But wait it’s not all that bad. The good thing is insulin levels are very sensitive to exercise and diet. So these are the two variables that are in your control which in turn can help you control your insulin levels and the sooner you take action the farther in life you will get (literally). A low carbohydrate, no sugar diet is the best way to keep your insulin levels low. Also eating small meals throughout the day is a good way to keep steady blood glucose levels and this gives your pancreas time to react and release optimum levels of insulin into your blood to counteract the glucose. It’s easier for the pancreas to make small adjustments to the insulin levels to counteract small fluctuations of blood glucose (from a low GI diet), rather than over compensate large amounts of glucose (from a high GI diet) with even larger amounts of insulin. The other thing one can do is to increase the insulin sensitivity of the muscle cells. Remember earlier I talked about how the muscle and liver cells become insulin resistant where as the fat cells are the last ones to become insulin resistant. This shifts the insulin storage mechanism to favor fat storage instead of glycogen storage. By exercising the muscle cells one can increase the insulin sensitivity of the muscle cells so they become more receptive to the storage mechanism of insulin. This can be accomplished by regular aerobics exercise. Resistance training has an additional benefit as it not only increases the insulin sensitivity but also increases the volume of muscle cells so it can store even more glycogen leaving less glucose behind for fat conversion.

Controlling your blood glucose levels is one of the most powerful anti-aging strategies you can implement in your lifestyle. A high GI diet and sporadically eating big meals cause a sudden surge in your blood glucose levels and as a result your pancreas produce large quantities of insulin to counteract it and this is the single most powerful factor responsible for accelerated aging.

References:

Annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology, New Orleans, May 23.

National Cancer Institute 2002 September 4;94(17):1293-300

GUIDE TO HEALTHY INDIAN CUISINE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

The sound of healthy food conjures up images of boiled vegetables, fruits, bland salads and soups. That’s the prime reason why people cringe at the thought of going on a healthy diet. While such a diet is certainly healthy there is no need for it to be either bland or boiled, especially for us Indians. There are plenty of delicious and spicy Indian foods that appeal to the palate and are as healthy. While you will find plenty of articles on low GI eating, in this article I will focus primarily on Indian cuisine. It will help you lose weight and above all be good for your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

The table here shows (click to see) a list of the most common ingredients used in Indian cooking along with its GI value. Meat, fat and protein don't have any carbohydrates in them so they don't elicit an insulin response, hence they have a GI of zero. Follow these simple guidelines when choosing items from this table to prepare your meal.

I) If possible stay in the green and yellow range at all times.

II) Occasional red item is allowed when combined with an item in the green area. For example the GI value of white rice is 69 while the GI of lentils is in the low 30’s. So mixing them in bissibelle bhat lowers the combined GI of the dish to 58. It should be obvious that the combined GI is proportional to the weighted ratio of the mixture, i.e., the more daal you mix with rice the lower the GI value will be and vice versa.

III) Protein and fiber hinder the assimilation of carbs thereby lowering the GI value. Protein and fiber also give you a sense of fullness, keeping you satiated longer. Nuts are rich in both along with heart healthy MUFAs so use nuts in your cooking, or as a side item to your main dish. For example top morning oatmeal with grated almonds or walnuts and put cooked peanuts in Upma to lower the GI value. Except for peanut and cashew all other nuts like brazil nut, macadamia, almond, walnut, pecan etc have zero or near zero GI, so eating them in moderation will not contribute to weight gain.

IV) In breakfast you can eat pretty much from any group. Keep your food choices in the green and yellow range for lunch. For dinner eat something from the green group only.

V) When making a dish with multiple components if possible change the ratio of components in favor of the low GI component and if possible substitute for a healthier alternative component. For example when making dosa try a higher percentage of urad flour compared to rice flour. Also instead of regular dosa, eat rava dosa where the rice is substituted for rava. Instead of making upma with rava try making it with coarse cracked wheat which is higher in fiber and lower in GI. Also use vegetables and nuts in your cooking whenever possible as they lower the combined GI of the dish. Please note that I am not a cook and haven’t cooked a single item mentioned in this article so if a culinary suggestion seems ludicrous, please discard it with a smile (no frowning allowed).

VI) Use moderate amounts of healthy fat when cooking and whenever possible pan fry instead of deep frying (obviously pan fried Bhature won’t taste as good as deep fried ones).

Stick to these simple rules and limit your portions to about 400-500 calories per meal and eat 5 meals every day. Remember nothing is prohibited in the diet, but, limit portions of high GI items you love. Eat carbohydrates in the morning and as the day goes along keep cutting carbohydrates in favor of healthy fats and proteins. Remember to drink plenty of water as it keeps you hydrated and facilitates easy flow of nutrients in and out of your cells. So, until next time eat healthy and stay healthy.

LEARNING FROM SPORTS INJURIES

Injuries are a part of any sport. Some can be completely debilitating while others can set you back a few months or years. And when I am talking injuries I don’t mean the ones that happen when an opponent bites away part of your ear. These are the ones that happen due to carelessness or improper technique or because you pushed your body beyond its mechanical abilities.

One of these injuries happened to me three weeks ago while squatting with 315 lbs on my back. And then again, 10 days later doing CrossFit. And then yet again the very next day doing CrossFit (duh!). Each time with greater severity and excruciating pain. Finally the doctor diagnosed a torn muscle in my lower back and asked me to lay off any kind of exercise for the next 3-4 weeks. So what caused this injury? And what did I learn from it? The cause is easy: being too tired I compromised my form resulting in the injury. Now on to the learning part.

First thing I learnt is to listen to my body. I had 5 hrs of sleep the night before and I was supposed to do 10 sets of 3 repetitions with 315 lb squats. My body was telling me to skip the workout but my mind was so motivated that I decided to do it anyways. On the 9th set my lower back just gave up in the bottom position with a sharp pain. I cursed myself and decided to give it a week’s rest thinking it was ordinary muscle stress (which it probably was at that point). So I said to myself that I should have listened to my body and stayed home. Motivation, I thought, was overrated and one should always listen to one’s body.

Secondly, I learnt that patience is a virtue. After 10 days of rest I decided that since the pain was almost gone the muscle must have rehabilitated and must be ready for more pounding, but boy was I wrong! I started CrossFit and the first workout involved kettlebell (KB) swings from the ground up to overhead position. I was supposed to do 150 repetitions with 35 lbs (sounds light but try doing it for that many reps) with a 5 sit-up break every one minute. I did quite well until the 133rd rep when I felt the familiar sharp pain in the lower back with even greater intensity. Again I cursed and kicked myself (I wish was flexible enough to kick myself) and walked out. Took some ibuprofen and applied ice packs the rest of the afternoon and was feeling quite alright in the evening. Again I dismissed it as muscle stress from repetitive motion of the KB swings. After all I was a big man with a big ego and how could a small KB hurt me. Squatting with 315 lbs was another thing but this little KB? Aw c’mon my ego was way too big to acknowledge any injury from a puny KB. So the very next day I did another CrossFit workout and within the first 3 reps of deadlifting my lower back gave in and this time the pain was excruciating enough to make me scream like a little girl (good thing I was at home and not at the gym) and limp along to the doctor’s office.

This brings me to the most important lesson I learnt from all this pain and agony: train with your body and not with your ego. Before this incident I really thought that I was indestructible. As long as I kept training harder and harder and followed it with good nutrition my body would get stronger and stronger and there would be no chance for injury but somewhere along the line I lost touch with my body and started training with my ego. The heavier I lifted the bigger my ego got until one day my body gave in.

So the moral in all of this? Listen to your body, have patience and above all don’t let your ego get bigger than your mind and body. Injury can be a very humbling experience, so while I am rehabilitating my lower back staying out of the gym, I think I am getting wise and fat!

FINALLY STARTED CROSSFIT!

I started CrossFit today. Finally gathered the courage to do it. Did 133 Kettlebell swings (was supposed to do 150) with 35 lbs and 5 situps every one minute between the KB swings. On the 133rd swing felt a sharp pinch in my lower back and dropped the weight and stopped immediately. Had lower back strain from squatting 315 lbs about 10 days ago and I think this is a re-lapse of that. Have to be more careful in the future. I almost collapsed at the end of todays workout which only lasted 9 minutes but boy was is intense! I am ready for tomorrow but I hope my back doesn't keep me from doing XFit. Wish me luck!

WANT A FLAT BELLY?

Well who doesn’t? Except for my grandma who thinks that a big belly is a sign of health and prosperity. So is there a specific diet that can help one lose belly fat while sitting on the couch? The answer is NO! But there are certain foods that will expedite the loss around the waistline when coupled with a consistent fitness routine.

The most important thing to remember in losing belly fat is to first throw the spot-reduction theory out the window. A lot of people believe that doing a few hundred crunches every day will give them a flat belly. Nothing could be farther from truth. When we exercise to burn fat, the fat comes from the total body fat pool and where we burn fat first depends mostly on our genes. If we have the apple shaped body then the last place we will lose fat from is our mid-section. If we are pear shaped then the last place we will lose fat from will be our hips, buns and thighs. See the way it works is the areas that are the easiest to gain fat are the areas most difficult to lose fat from, not fair huh! So if your belly is the first area to gain fat then it will be the last area to lose fat from. So even when you are doing crunches you are losing fat from your arms, legs and shoulders before you lose any from your belly. And since abdominals are only a small portion of your total body musculature your chances of burning abdominal fat are much more with a compound body movement that works a combination of large muscle groups. So you burn more abdominal fat by doing squats or rowing or swimming as these exercises are taxing a larger percentage of muscles in your body.

Having put the spot-reduction myth to rest, the most important thing for getting a flat belly is being in a caloric deficit state meaning the amount of calories burned should exceed the amount of calories consumed. So having a restricted well balanced diet along with a fitness routine is crucial to getting a flat belly. This is true of any weight-loss program, right? Yes! So in order to lose belly fat you have to lose overall body fat. 2-3 days of moderate weight-training (15-20 min sessions each) will help you build muscle and keep your metabolism high and another 2-3 days of (30-45 min sessions each) will burn additional fat. And if you can do both in a single day like some weight training in the morning and then some brisk walking in the evening that would be great. I don’t encourage mixing them into a single workout as the duration would get long and you run the risk of burning out. Crunches are optional and you may not have to do a single crunch in order to get a flat belly, but if you must do them, 2 sets of 40-50 crunches once or twice a week is good enough. Also as a side note sit-ups don’t work your abs as much as they work your hip flexors (the muscle that attaches your hips to your upper thigh), so pass on them and do crunches instead which directly work your abs.

Now coming to the second half of the flat belly program, the diet: what foods to eat and what to avoid in order to maximize your bang for the buck. Here is a list of foods to avoid in order to minimize belly fat storage:

1) Trans-fats: Trans-fats have been shown to promote belly fat deposition. In a study done at Wake Forest University School of Medicine it was found that trans-fat fed monkeys deposited 30% more belly fat compared to monkeys that were fed mono-unsaturated fats (MUFA). Trans-fat is found in cookies, biscuits, some margarines and other foods prepared from partially hydrogenated oils.

2) Refined Flours: Refined bleached flours favor belly fat deposition compared to whole grains. They also have a higher GI compared to whole grains plus they lack the fiber. So for example when we eat a slice of white bread, it quickly converts to blood glucose. This tells our body that plenty of energy is available so it should stop burning fat and start storing it. The converse is true when we eat a low GI food, in that the blood glucose rises slowly and so the body keeps burning fat. So stay away from all those naan breads and any kind of white bread. Naan is even worse than white rice. So all the people that are avoiding rice at the Indian restaurants in order to lose weight are doing themselves more harm by eating naan instead of rice.

3) High-Fructose Corn Syrup: A high GI calorie bomb. This is the biggest culprit in all the modern soft drinks and a big contributor to overall fat gain due to its high GI and zero nutritional value.

Now that we know what foods to avoid, let’s check out the list of foods one can eat to assist in the loss of belly fat.

1) MUFA: Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids found in many nuts and olive oil has been shown to prevent belly fat deposition. Walnuts, macadamias, almonds, peanuts, avocados and olive oil are all rich in MUFAs. Nuts also are high in fiber and protein, both of which are essential for good health. MUFAs further help increase the good cholesterol in our bodies so they provide a double whammy in the fight against belly fat and heart disease. Make sure 30% of your daily caloric intake comes from MUFAs. So an average healthy person consuming 2000 calories must get about 600 calories from fat which translates to about 66 grams of fat. Remember fat is not your enemy, and if you give your body a supply of healthy fats then it is more likely to use it as fuel and less likely to store it as fat reserves.

2) Whole grains: Unprocessed grains are rich in fiber, an essential nutrient that is crucial to good health. Fiber binds to fat and cholesterol and moves it quickly through our colon giving it less time for absorption. Also fiber binds to certain carcinogens and prevents certain forms of colon cancers. Fiber also lets us stay full longer. All types of beans, legumes (daals), whole wheat, brown rice, fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber so have 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

3) Green tea: Tea drinkers are 20 percent trimmer, according to a 2003 study in the journal Obesity Research. Black tea is okay, too, but a compound called EGCG in green tea gives you the best fat-burning results.

4) Tamarind: A spice often used in Indian cuisine, contains a chemical called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) that slows down fat production. So cook with tamarind. Most south Indian recipes have tamarind in them. HCA inhibits the build up of fats and helps regulate body fat metabolism and blocks fatty acid synthesis from blood glucose. In other words it prevents the conversion of excess blood glucose into fat. It also controls appetite including cravings for sweets. So drink rasam with lunch and dinner everyday.

5) Cinnamon: This spice mimics the body's insulin, which stimulates fat cells and allows excess sugar to move out of the blood and not convert into fat. Try topping your morning oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon, or drink cinnamon tea.

6) Dark semi-sweet chocolate (60% or more cocoa): A chemical substance, known as flavanol contained in cocoa is a potent antioxidant that prevents aging and stops the blood cells from oxidizing and blood platelets from sticking to each other to prevent clot formation. It also reduces blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Additionally it stimulates endorphin production which gives a feeling of pleasure and it also contains serotonin which functions as an anti-depressant. It also contains small amounts of caffeine that acts as a stimulant. Sounds like a drug, eh? But before you run to the supermarket and start eating a pound of dark chocolate every day, I must add that chocolate is also high in fat so moderation is the key. Chocolate is a comfort food that reduces stress and reduces hunger cravings. So eating an ounce or so as mid-meal snack should give all the benefits and curb appetite.

7) Whey Protein: Whey is the highest absorbable form of protein, better than eggs, chicken or any other form. Plus it doesn’t have the additional fat that comes with meat, dairy and poultry. Protein curbs hunger and protein takes energy to digest. It takes about 20% more energy to digest protein than it takes to digest fat or carbohydrate. So while your body is digesting protein its burning energy. Protein is also essential to stop age related muscle atrophy that leads to a decline in metabolic rate. One should target a daily intake of 0.25 grams of protein/lb of body weight weather it is whey or eggs or some other form. If you are on a muscle building program or play a lot of physical sports you should double your intake of protein.

A typical meal should combine about 40% of the caloric intake from low GI carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from healthy fats. And remember to eat three meals with two mid-meal snacks and eat at regular times, even if not hungry. That way you are less likely to binge. And also don’t forget to reward your self with an occasional treat of your favorite ice cream and pizza or what ever is it that you crave. Total abstinence never works and that’s why 97% of the diets fail. Play some sports or exercise regularly as well. Remember, there is no magic pill for weight-loss and there is no substitute for consistent hard work.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE: AGE 30 AND BEYOND

How many times have we wanted to get back to the same shape we had in our teenage years? If you are one of them then read on. As we age past 30 our metabolism gradually slows down and it is considered normal to gain a pound or so every year past the age of 30. But do we have to accept this decline in metabolism or can we do something to reverse it? To tackle this problem we have to understand why our metabolism declines with age in the first place.

A note about belly fat and its correlation to the risk of coronary heart disease:
Fat mostly accumulates in the mid-section because it is body’s natural defense for protecting the vital organs from shock. Another reason is genetics. Look at some of your overweight near-relatives. Are they apple shaped? Meaning, accumulating more fat in the mid-section but otherwise slim below the hips. Or are they pear shaped? Meaning, accumulating more fat on their hips and below. Chances are you will be prone to gain fat in those same areas. Research has shown that apple shaped people are more prone to coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes than are pear shaped people. In a study involving 27,098 people in 52 countries (by Yusuf S et al) it was found that for every 2 inches gained in the waistline you increase your risk for CHD by 17%. In fact it has been found that the risk for CHD correlates better with waist size compared to the traditional risk metric, the body mass index (BMI). The BMI is based on height-to-weight ratio without consideration for age or athletic level. This makes is very inaccurate for kids and athletes. Even in the general population people with an otherwise healthy BMI range but with a pot belly have been found to be at a greater risk for CHD. So if you are slim everywhere else but have a bulging waistline, you are at risk.

So coming back to what causes this increase in body fat with age. Well, there are four main factors for this:

i) Declining metabolism with age: It has been found that as the body ages a person steadily loses muscle mass. This is one of the primary reasons for declining metabolic rate. We know how muscles help prevent the blood glucose from converting into fat by converting it into glycogen stores and thus keeping the metabolic rate high.

ii) Declining physical activity level: as we age and grow in our careers our lives become increasingly sedentary. The amount of physical activity is nowhere near the levels it was when we were children or even teenagers. Back then we ran a lot, walked a lot and in general played a lot of physical sports. On the other hand our intake of calories hasn’t dropped in proportion to our physical activity. So it’s anybody’s guess as to where the extra calories are going.

iii) Eating habits: When we were young we only ate when we were hungry and usually at regular times. As we get busy in the rat race we forget to eat when we are supposed to and when we do get really hungry we eat what ever is easily accessible and convenient, typically fast-food.

iv) Stress: It’s obvious that we live in stressful times, and as we age and grow in responsibilities, so does the stress in our lives. During times of stress our body releases the hormone cortisol, which is a fight-or-flight hormone secreted in the pituitary gland, just like adrenaline. It’s our body’s primal response to life threatening situations that our primate ancestors faced in the jungle that made them either fight the threat or flee from it. In today’s world even though we don’t face the same life threatening dangers our endocrine systems are wired to release cortisol during stressful situations like traffic jams, arguments with bosses and looming deadlines. Cortisol acts on the muscles and liver to convert glycogen into blood glucose so that the energy is immediately available in case we want to fight or flee the threat, and since we don’t run away from our bosses or punch them in the face during an argument (maybe some of us do) we just end up converting that excess blood glucose into fat and storing it. Stress does a lot of other harm to our bodies like raising the cholesterol levels but that’s a discussion for another time.

So in order to keep burning the excess calories and keep our weight in check we need to counteract each of the four reasons listed above. There is no reason to accept this decline in metabolic rate with age and there is nothing magical about keeping the same metabolic rate we once had as children. Here is what we can do:

i) Resistance train: The only way to permanently increase ones metabolic rate is to put on some muscle. It’s the only way our bodies will keep burning the excess calories through out the day. And we all know the only way to build muscle is to resistance train. Doing some form of body weight resistance training or weight training 2-3 times a week should do the trick and bring back our metabolic rate on track.

ii) Cardio: Another 2-3 times a week of brisk walking, running or swimming will ensure you get enough physical activity to burn those extra pounds around the waistline. Get out of your sedentary life style. Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator (unless you work in the empire state building) and if something’s within walking distance, walk instead of taking the car. It may not sound much but if done consistently over a period of time it’s enough to counteract the 1-2 lb weight gain per year.

iii) Eat smart: Make sure you eat 5-6 high quality meals during the course of the day. And remember breakfast is the most important meal of the day so have at it with a good sized portion of low GI carb (like whole wheat toast or a serving or fruit or oatmeal) and a good sized protein portion like boiled or scrambled eggs. Those that are concerned about the cholesterol content of eggs need not worry as there is no evidence that eggs raise total cholesterol levels. In fact it has been shown that eggs have the heart healthy omega 3s. Eat a moderate carb and protein lunch like a bowl of brown rice or whole wheat bread along with lentil soup and some vegetables and eat a low carb dinner with a protein shake. In between the three meals eat a mid meal snack like a handful of almonds or walnuts or a protein shake or an almond butter toast or a banana or an apple. And don’t forget to get 30% of your caloric intake from heart healthy (mono unsaturated) fats; the ones found in almonds, walnuts, olive and canola oil, to name a few.

iv) Fight stress: Proven stress reduction tactics include:
a) Exercise: exercise has been shown to reduce ones stress levels. In fact intense exercise increases the serotonin levels in the brain that have a calming effect, plus there is nothing more elating than finishing at 20-30 mile bike ride or finishing an intense weightlifting workout.

b) Meditation: deep breathing techniques and meditation have been shown to reduce blood pressure, slow the heart beat and reduce stress in general. So people thinking that yoga and meditation don’t do anything for weight loss, think again! Meditation also has a positive effect on cholesterol levels.

c) Sleep: make sure you get at least 7-8 hrs of quality sleep every night. It has been shown that any less than 6 hrs of sleep a day drops the metabolism and contributes to weight gain.

d) Laugh: Laughter is the best medicine! It is a great stress buster and additionally the rapid contractions in the mid section due to laughing works our core muscles. So rent a comedy movie and laugh away, or simply laugh for no reason (in private of course). For some, laughing even kills hunger pangs.

e) Keep a positive attitude: If nothing, keeping a positive attitude helps feel good and gives a general sense of well being. Think, what’s the worst that can happen in any given situation? Think of the great family you have and think of all the good friends around you. Happiness can be found everywhere if we have the desire to look for it. So, don’t worry be happy!

Try incorporating an element of each of these techniques in your daily life and your body will reward you with a lighter and energetic you, not to mention a longer life. Until next time…

Reference:
1) Yusuf S et al. Obesity and the risk of myocardial infarction in 27,000 participants from 52 countries: a case-control study. Lancet 2005; 366: 1640-49.