In Chapter 10 we talk about fitness. Approximately 30% of the population does not do any physical activity. This sets them up for long term health risks and cardiovascular diseases. There are 4 types of fitness. Cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, muscle strength and flexibility. Unfortunately you can’t have everything. For example, having cardiovascular fitness will increase the volume of blood able to be pumped in the heart causing it to be more efficient and hold more blood. Muscle strength training causes hypertrophy of the heart which causes thickening of the walls. This allows for less volume and harder contractions. You can only train for one of these categories at a time or you are contradicting yourself. Physical activity can combat mental health issues like depression, it can keep the risks of cardiovascular disease low and can keep you in shape. If you don’t have the motivation to get fit, get a work out partner. They can make you accountable for every day you are supposed to work out and they can motivate you. Be SMART – Be specific, measure your goals, be action oriented, realistic, and time oriented. You have to be intentional and know exactly what you want. Personally I would say to anyone develop your core strength first before you start jumping into a workout. It is simple, you need your core stabilization to reduce risk of injury. These are deep abdominal muscles and back muscles that keep you in line and safe. Then be sure not to jump into heavy weights. Be gradual and start off easy to adjust your body to what you are trying to do. No you going into the gym and doing crunches and situps is not going to get you a six pack. You already have a six pack. Six packs are made in kitchen with proper nutrition and weight loss. If you cannot see your six pack, you are more than likely covering it in fat. Be smart, buy clothing that is not loose but not tight. Buy shoes that give you the proper arch support and don’t take unnecessary dietary supplements like protein, when you eat a 4 oz piece of chicken for dinner.
In Chapter 11 it talks about different health problems. Specifically stated cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2 and cancer are all things that could be decreased in risk if every individual was physically active and not sedentary or obese. 1 in 3 adults die from cardiovascular diseases. There are so many cardiovascular problems that people can run into. One that I think is particularly preventable is hypertension. A good diet and physical exercises regularly would basically demolish this issue. Instead of prescribing medications, we should be getting people in shape and getting them a diet to follow. Atherosclerosis is very common and is also a dietary issue. We feed people junk, and the government subsidizes processed food which makes no sense. People intake processed food which contains VLDLs (very low dense lipoproteins). These break down into LDLs and cholesterol and basically clog up the arteries. HDL (high density lipoproteins) do the opposite and eat up the plaque and prevent it from forming in arteries. It is such a simple fix, yet we make what kills us cheap, and what keeps us alive expensive. Everything is interconnected. We eat too much food because we do not monitor our calories, then our extra carbohydrates and proteins turn into triglycerides. This leads to fat build up which leads to problems like hypertension. This in turn can make atherosclerosis even worse. Keeping a healthy body and a healthy diet is key to longevity. Obviously what can not be changed is your past environment, race, gender and genes. The book talks about C-reactive proteins that occur from inflammation. Theoretically if bread causes inflammation, then that would cause C-reactive proteins to release and further increase risks of CVD. Cancer is another huge problem. Risk factors for it are alcohol, tobacco use, and obesity. Again, there are heredity things that can’t be changed. In women, highest rate of cancer is breast cancer, and for men it is prostate cancer. Another interesting thing is that researchers believe that type 2 diabetes is most common when the environment, genetics and lifestyle are determined. Therefore if your family has it, you will be more likely to have it. If you live in a house with processed food or you let yourself eat whatever and don’t do any exercise, it is also a risk factor.
In Chapter 12 we talk about the immune system. We fight off antigens (bad stuff) with antibodies. The antibodies are able to understand shape and size of antigens and do whatever has to be done to eliminate them. We have T and B cells. T cells activate B cells. There are helper, suppressor, attacker and memory T cells. You can imagine what each of those does just by the name of the T cell. When attacked by the same virus/antigens, the body remembers what it did to kill it and the immune system will eliminate it. Some people suffer from autoimmune disease. Basically this is the body attacking parts of itself because it believes it is foreign. For example type 1 diabetes, the antibodies attack insulin cells. The signs of inflammation are hot, red, swollen and painful. This means the body is uptaking and trying to destroy and fix the problem at large. The body will also uptake its body temperature because it can kill certain organisms at that temperature and it release more white blood cells. A vaccine is simply the dead organism/disease put into the body so that antibodies can understand how to handle it. This makes it easier to overcome this illness in the future. Unfortunately for flu vaccines, it is questionable. These are simply so called ‘clinically educated guesses’ on what the strands will be for this season. Therefore, you may get a flu shot, and it not protect you at all because that strand is not what you got vaccinated for. This is why I never got flu shots because I’ve never had the flu and don’t believe that it is necessary. Now I have no choice because I have clinical rotations with patients. Viruses like measles are less worried about because majority of us now receive vaccinations as kids. All in all, if you don’t want to get sick, or at least want to minimize your risk, be smart. Wash your hands with soap and water frequently. Don’t touch anything on your face. Don’t be binge drinking, taking drugs, not sleeping or eating unhealthy. If you take good care of your body and are aware, illness risks are greatly decreased. When taking antibiotics, ALWAYS finish your dosage. If you don’t finish it just because you feel better, you are at high risk to allow the bacteria to become resistant, and be even harder to treat. There are many sexually transmitted infections that everyone is at risk for. Some are even asymptomatic in individuals. The best way to stay safe is simple, abstane, or have your partner get a check.
This week I obviously worked on my stretching. My back has felt very good. Last week I did a lot of standing at work and it gave me back aches. This is simply because I don’t have a heel lift in and it causes asymmetry in my pelvis. This week, I am also paying more attention to form. I am beginning to work on deadlifting form, which is also a way to pick things up properly. When lifting items, they should be close to your body. Items should be picked up with knees bent, back straight, pushing through your heels and contraction your glutes. This ensures you put the least amount of strain on your back. I have photos of examples on how to properly pick items up with one and two legs. Flexibility is important, but without correct form, injury can easily occur.
Health and Wellness 