Health

If you’ve been working out for more than a month, you probably know that leg workouts can be brutal. Throw in some knee pain, mix it up with a more than strict workout partner, blend in some ego, and you have the recipe for a really miserable workout! In this article, I’m going to share some wisdom about how you might approach knee pain.

Knee pain can be the result of many things. In my experience, by far the most common problems are related to a combination of (1) mechanical dysfunction coupled with (2) structural compromise. What this means is that the way someone is moving (mechanics) added to problems with the tissues (structures, i.e. cartilage, muscles, ligaments, etc.) results in pain.

Paul Chek developed the “Poopie Line-up” and the “Poopie Policeman” to teach clients, and children, how to recognize symptoms of dehydration, poor digestion, and toxicity. The “Poopie Policeman” represents a healthy bowel movement. For a bowel movement to qualify as a “Poopie Policeman”, it must:

• Be well shaped and consistent in contour
• Pass easily
• Be light brown in color
• Smell natural, almost earthy- not foul
• Float, yet doesn't require multiple attempts to flush.

Familiarity with the following “Bowel Bandits” will help diagnose an irregular or dysfunctional digestive/elimination system.

Don't you just hate it when life’s daily routine gets in the way of you finding time to exercise?

For some of us, work and family take priority over our health. Not to say that’s a bad thing, but if you aren't fit and healthy, do you not think your family and work life will suffer in return? It is possible to find time to exercise and still not neglect the other importance aspects of your life. Plus, you don't need anything more than 15 minutes maximum in your day.

It’s been shown in studies that short high intense bursts of exercise for a few minutes per day actually has the same health benefits of at least one hour of “moderate paced” exercise. The trick is get the heart-rate up for a short period of time, and then bring it back down to lesser rate for short period of time, and repeat this for several minutes.

Here are few things you could try after a brief warm-up:

What does it take to be an Olympic champion? In fact, what does it take to be the most winning Olympic athlete in history? For Michael Phelps, it takes long, grueling workouts and an obscene amount of calories.

The big-footed kid from Baltimore captivated America and the world as he quickly swam to the top of the marquee in Beijing 2008. His record amount of eight gold medals in a single Games gave him the title of most Olympic gold medals – fourteen in all – as well as most medals won during one Olympics.

Okay, picture this…you’ve been giving it some thought as of late, it’s time for change. You’ve eaten a big bowl of inspiration and washed it down a large glass of determination, you’ve thought meticulously about how you’re gonna train and what you’re gonna eat for the next 12-16 weeks..

You’re ready!

But did you know that as much as we’re all aware that sleep is important to us, we take it as a given because it’s what comes naturally, but unfortunately it doesn’t come naturally to all of us.

There are 5 phases of a typical sleep cycle, but I want to focus a little on the one that potentially effects all of us as athletes and our gains. Phase #5 and the deep part of sleep.

Exercising during pregnancy has obvious benefits for the mom, such as keeping weight gain under control, maintaining fitness level, and relieving stress, but until recently, little has been known about the positive effects on the unborn baby.

Research presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Physiological Society implied that exercise has cardiovascular benefits not only for the mom, but for the developing fetus as well. Dr. Linda E. May and colleagues from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences hypothesized that fetuses whose mothers exercised would have better autonomic nervous system function than fetuses not exposed to exercise.

Have you ever put yourself in a good mood for no apparent reason at all? Experts from various disciplines now believe that certain foods we eat play a hand in our happiness. Avoid the diet doldrums with these healthy, happy foods:

1. Oily fish – Medical research teams believe that sardines, salmon, and other oily ocean foods can bring you up when you’re feeling down

As many of you probably know, Apple released the highly anticipated iPhone 3G on July 11th. Being a gadget fanatic myself, I was one of those excited customers dying to get my hands on one. Though I wait for my new 3G to come in, I still get to enjoy all the wonderful perks that came with the new iPhone 2.0 software update released upon the 3G’s arrival. With this update came many new features and applications.

The new iPhone software not only offers better email management, maps and customization, the new applications are taking the whole mobile phone experience to an entirely new level.

You see, iPhone offers a new “applications section” where you can pick and choose easy to use programs. From the long list of “apps”, as they call it, you can choose from a large variety of programs that help you get the latest sports scores, find the nearest gas station, or even calculate a tip when dining out.

With our growing obesity epidemic, cities are doing their part to try to promote awareness, public health initiatives, and active lifestyles. Here are three ways Los Angeles is officially becoming healthier:

1. The state has ordered a ban on all trans fats, which clog arteries and lead to heart disease. LA will follow trailblazer New York in the crackdown on fat. The city has forced restaurateurs to rethink menus and ingredients, but hopefully the ultimate benefits will be seen in greater numbers of healthy citizens.

2. The controversial fast food ban: Recently, the LA City Council approved a ban that limits fast-food restaurants in specific low-income areas of LA. While no existing chains will be impacted, no new fast-food joints can move into the area. Critics are claiming unconstitutionality, but proponents of the movement purport that by limiting the fast food presence, the city can attract healthier, more nutritious choices into low-income areas, where struggles with health and diet are more prevalent.

Natural fruit and vegetables have been proven time and time again to be good for our overall health. One vegetable in particular is one we may not think twice about when we go for a carrot or tomato instead.

It’s called Beetroot.

Besides the fact that it is low in calories and has an abundance of minerals vital for our overall health, it is also a fabulous source of tryptophan which is the pre-cursor to your feel good and calming hormones. The main benefits we might find more attractive to us as athletes is that the more tryptophan our bodies can produce more productive sleep, which in turn will help overall muscle growth and recovery. Sleep is an often forgotten facet in our lives and something some people take for granted. If we are having regular sessions of deeper sleep, we are giving the body a better opportunity to grow muscle.

I know so many people who are in great physical shape, but can’t seem to help indulging their sweet tooth – a lot. Sure, they are fit now. But what will happen as their bodies and lifestyles change with age?

You’ve all had that experience. You eat a nice meal and then go to bed thinking all is just fine…until you wake up in the middle of the night with the sweats and a stomachache. The most likely culprit for that sickly feeling is food poisoning, a fairly common occurrence in the United States. According to the CDC, there are approximately 76 million cases of foodborne illness each year, with 325,000 resulting in hospitalization and 5,000 resulting in death.

Despite the fairly high prevalence, most people probably aren’t all that concerned about foodborne illnesses. In fact, there are a number of safeguards in place to minimize risk to consumers, not to mention the food safety guidelines we should all be following when handling food items at home. Let’s take a closer look at food safety in general and address some practical tips you can use to keep yourself safe and healthy.

You’ve heard about the dangers of farm-raised tilapia, but what about shrimp? The seafood staple is a hit in the U.S., but will it prove harmful to your health?

In 2005, the USDA imposed regulations that require manufacturers to put labels on their products indicating whether the shrimp were farm-raised or wild-caught. However, due to a loophole that doesn’t require “processed” seafood to be labeled, about half of the shrimp we eat is not labeled! Even more worrisome, 90% of shrimp sellers, including restaurants, are not required to label.

I want you to do a little experiment. Get an ice pack, and get a watch with a timer. Put the ice pack on your thigh, and start the timer. After 1 minute has elapsed, remove the ice pack.

Now take a look at your skin. What color is your skin where the ice pack was laying? For most, the skin will look white / blanched.

Now put the ice pack on your other thigh and leave it there for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes have elapsed, remove the ice pack.

What color is your skin now? Most people will find that their skin will be red. And if your skin turns red after only 5 minutes, you’ll probably find that it turns really red after 20 minutes.

When your skin begins to cool, the initial reaction is constriction (shrinking of the diameter) of blood vessels. This happens after a short period of time (1-2 minutes for most people). The result of constriction of the blood vessels is that “whiteness” or blanching.

When someone begins an exercise program, there comes a point where people begin to realize they may need to go on some kind of diet. Since most people have no idea how many calories to take in or what foods are the best choices, people often turn to brand name diets.

You see, people don’t want to think. They want simple answers. This is why the weight loss industry is raking in billions of dollars. People are attracted to the magic pill or the “3-step plan”, but quick fixes are not the answer.

If every major diet on the market is based on 1200-1500 calories, then maybe we should take notice. Nearly every major weight loss company has nutritionists and dieticians on staff dedicated to designing diet plans that work. Interestingly enough, no matter the combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, they all have similar caloric restrictions.