Medifast Diet Help & News Updates: January 2008

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Medifast - Is Pomegranate Juice Good for a Diet?

Not only that, but good for health.

It seems that it's not a matter of if a man will get prostate cancer, but when. With rates of prostate cancer rising, if a male lives long enough the chances keep going up that prostate cancer will share his life. Another study about the benefits of fruits and vegetables demonstrates how important diet is in preserving health and longevity. This particular study focuses on Pomegranate, which is known to be high in anti-oxidants and supports good health and the prevention of disease. This from Randy Fagin, MD --

Get medifast for weight loss, health, a healthy diet, and a diet plan. Medifast is a product that helps you lose weight. There are benefits to using Medifast in your diet, and can be used for weight loss. Phase 1 - 5 & 1 Program for Weight Loss 5 Medifast Meals per Day Over 50 meals to choose from - shakes, bars, drinks, oatmeals, chili, soups, pudding and more. 1 "Lean and Green" Meal per Day Lean Meat: 7 ounces of chicken, turkey of fish, or 5 ounces of lean beef, pork or lamb. Grill, bake or poach meats using non-stick spray. Salt, pepper, herbs and spices may be added if desired. You may also use 1 - 2 teaspoons of condiments such as ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce. Salad or Vegetables: Either 2 cups of salad greens (any kind) and up to ½ cups raw vegetables, or up to 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables. You may also use 1 - 2 tablespoons of Media low-fat or non-fat dressing.Phase 2 - BeSlim™ Philosophy of Lifelong Weight Control Once you have reached your healthy weight, your Health Advisor will help transition you to the BeSlim™ philosophy of lifelong weight control. The BeSlim™ philosophy is a part of the Take Shape for Life program that incorporates key behaviors mastered by those who lost significant amounts of weight and kept their weight off for years. These key behaviors include: Breakfast (eating Breakfast every day) - High quality fuel, such as our delicious Medifast oatmeal, cappuccino, or chai latte, is essential to start your day the right way. Exercise - Continued exercise increases metabolism, provides strength, flexibility, and mental clarity. Support - Your Health Advisor is here to help you reach and maintain your goals, providing the coaching, tools, education, and caring support you will need along the way. Low-fat meals 5-6 times a day - Eating frequently, controlling portion and total calories, especially those from fat, are critical for success. Individual Plan - Create an individual plan to help you achieve an optimal healthy lifestyle and build the skills and strategies you need to cope with modern life. Monitor your weight - Weigh yourself on a regular basis to maintain optimal weight. Catch it before it becomes a challenge! Join the BeSlim™ Club today and set your life in motion! Introducing the New BeSlim Club & Rewards Program! Optimal Health is its own reward, but how about earning a bonus or two along the way? You’re on a journey to Optimal Health. You’ve made a commitment to lose weight and keep it off! You’ve earned the right to celebrate your success! The new Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is your ticket there. The BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is Take Shape For Life's progressive savings program, offering clients and Health Coaches an easy way to obtain their Medifast Meals at a savings, with exciting rewards you can earn along the way! The longer you are member of the BeSlim™ Club, the more significant your savings are and the more rewards points you’ll earn. When you join the Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program, you: Enjoy your favorite Medifast Meals all month long, with orders conveniently shipped right to your door Save on your meal purchases and enjoy increased savings the longer you’re on the program Earn points towards exclusive rewards that promote healthy living Receive coupons for special savings. Enrich your life as you achieve Optimal Health Available to all, the BeSlim™ Club is a great way for individuals learning and practicing the BeSlim™ philosophy. Every time you order, you earn points towards healthful rewards. Here’s how: There’s no minimum purchase required. Redeem your reward points* for exclusive Take Shape For Life merchandise, including: Apparel, Exercise Equipment, Spa Trips, And more! Join the BeSlim Club today! Simplify Your Life -- — Receive automatic monthly shipments of your favorite Medifast Meals; Save Your Money — Enjoy savings that increase the longer you are a club member; Earn Just Rewards— Select from an array of rewards that promote healthy living and a healthy lifestyle

"We all know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for us. Historically, these foods have always been known to have health benefits because of their low fat content, and their richness in fiber and vitamins - and these things are still true. However, continuing research is being done about the effect of foods with high anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and the additional health benefit this may afford.

Pomegranate juice, which is very high in phytochemicals, with strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has shown some interesting potential in the fight against prostate cancer.

A small initial study following 48 men published in Clinical Cancer Research reported that drinking 6-8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day showed a significant reduction in a measure called PSA doubling time. PSA doubling time, or PSADT, is exactly what it sounds like; it is the time it takes for a PSA to double (from 5 to 10 for instance). The results showed an increase in PSADT, for men included in the study group, from an average of 15 months to 54 months." More...

Comments: While pomegranate is known to contain high levels of antioxidants which prevent sickness and disease, HWI doesn't recommend relying on just one source of healthy foods, but a variety. Although a regular serving or two of pomegranate will certainly be beneficial, focus on other foods that are good as well - kale, spinach, grapes, berries, and so on. A variety is not only healthy, but will keep you from feeling like your diet is 'stale'.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Is Medifast a Diet Plan of the Stars?

Although Medifast is a way to assist your weight loss and diet efforts, you won't find Hollywood promoting it so much. But there are several other crazy diet plans that are used by Hollywood 'stars'.

Nicole Byers from NW magazine gives us the skinny on some of the crazier fad diets of the stars.

“I think Jennifer Love Hewitt really kick started this a couple of weeks ago with pictures of her rounded body at the beach appearing in magazines,” says Ms Byers. “Since then, a lot of celebs have actually gotten up and supported her, like Anne Hathaway and Rosaria Dawson, they are saying , she is right, they don't have to be a size zero to be beautiful.”

But some celebrities just can’t kick their prohibitive eating habits.

“Posh as we know, she has put her hand up and said, no she doesn't eat much, hasn't had a chocolate biscuit in ten years, would never eat choc cake, and apparently at the moment is only living on strawberries, soy beans and lettuce which sounds very dull to me!”

Ms Byers adds that just cutting out food is out of vogue in Hollywood, while bizarre foods are in.

“The baby food diet, which is having a resurgence I find incredible. Even sensible people — even Jennifer Aniston — when they are trying to get skinny for an event, you are swapping two meals a day for baby food, which clearly is not made for adult nutrition.”

“Liz Hurley has also said eating with children's cutlery helps her to stay thin, because obviously she can't get enough on her spoon,” Ms Byers says. “That is a bit embarrassing when you are out at a restaurant to have to get out your children's cutlery, but this is the kind of extremes they go to.”

Ms Byers says some diets are just downright dangerous.

“I mean, Geri Halliwell just had a baby and looked absolutely amazing, and apparently her diet is so restrictive she needs vitamin injections just to have enough energy for the show, so I think that is telling you perhaps you are not eating enough.”

FASHIONABLE FAD DIETS

The Five Factor diet: This is dieting by numbers, as created by Harley Pasternak. Under this plan, you have five meals a day made from five basic ingredients and you are allowed one cheat day per week. Meals should not take more than, you guessed it, five minutes to prepare. The diet book also features five weekly workouts which consist of five different exercises that last for five minutes each.

Celeb convert: Jessica Simpson

The liquid diets: These are the ten-day programs that help stars slim down fast as they only consume shakes or supplement-style beverages. Typically, these diets also include drinking lots of water and eating organic fruit and vegetables to give the body a holiday from trying to break down the food most people eat. These dieters usually lose weight quickly, but often they struggle to keep their weight off when they return to eating normal food.

Celeb convert: Beyonce.

The Zone: This is diet based around the idea the each meal should have 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. While you can follow the diet using normal food, there are supplements, diet bars and shakes you can buy that are approved under this plan. Just keep in mind that they can be costly. According to the diet's creator, this allows the body's hormones to balance out and also to release a insulin that contributes to weight loss. You can drink one alcoholic beverage a day under this plan, but you need to exercise three to five times a week for at least 30 minutes.

Celeb convert: Jennifer Aniston.

The South Beach diet: Developed by an American cardiologist, this diet is all about getting back to basics with whole grain breads, lean meats and cutting out saturated fats generally found in take away food. A key part of the diet is to avoid foods that have a high glycemic index, that is carbs with higher glucose levels. These are foods the body struggles to break down.

Celeb convert: Bill Clinton.

The Whole food diet: This diet requires that you eat low fat unprocessed, that is organic foods. This macrobiotic diet focuses on lean protein and cutting out rich carbs. This is also a diet high in fibre.

Celeb convert: Madonna.

Three-hour diet: This diet is aimed at increasing your metabolism by eating every three hours. Each day slimmers on this program eat three main meals, two snacks plus a treat. Exercise is highly recommended with this plan and should include 10,000 steps each day plus eight minutes of strength exercises a week. The plan's creators say you can lose around four and a half kilograms.

Celeb convert: Jessica Biel.

However, experts agree that fad diets are ultimately drastic diets, and drastic diets just don't work, they have disastrous effects both from a physiological and an emotional point of view. Read more...

Medifast - A Gift for Heart Health?

No, actually it's broccoli! But Medifast offers a healthy diet consisting of foods that taste great. Learn more about Medifast...

This From Science Daily ---

While there are obviously many other gifts that come to mind before a gift for a healthy heart, it stands to reason a little more emphasis on health may add years to our life and hence life to our years with a loved one. So after that special card, or for you big spenders that special ring, why not engage in an activity that will benefit both of you - go exercise together. Those who share in healthy activities together have a much better chance of a healthier and longer relationship. And if you're really willing to go out on a limb, share some Broccoli (?). Here's more --

Then consider the food some people love to hate, and hand over a gift bag of broccoli along with that heart-shaped box of chocolates. Researchers in Connecticut are reporting impressive new evidence that eating broccoli may protect against heart disease.

Researchers have known for years that broccoli is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber that may protect against cancer, Dipak K. Das and colleagues note. Other studies also suggest that broccoli may benefit the heart, although scientists do not know how it works.

Das and colleagues now report evidence on that topic from animal studies. They gave broccoli extract to lab rats for one month and measured its effects on the rats' heart muscle. Compared to a control group that ate a regular diet, the broccoli-fed animals had improved heart function and less heart muscle damage when deprived of oxygen. Broccoli's heart-healthy effects are likely due to its high concentrations of certain substances that seem to boost levels of a heart-protective protein called thioredoxin, the researchers note. Read on...

Comments: Chances are you need more fruits and vegetables in your diet to prevent sickness and disease. The average American does not get anywhere close to the recommended 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This number has gone up in recent years, probably because of the increase in the number of sources of free radicals - more chemicals used to grow foods, put in foods, put in products that we use on our skin, in our hair, and products that we use in our home and place of work. All those things that get into our system that weren't meant to be there are potential sources of free radicals in our system that have to be dealt with by your immune system and specific cells. So add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. If you won't, can't, or don't, then try a fruit and vegetable extract made from the juice of a variety of fruits and vegetables, plus these nutrients are put into a capsule for easy consumption.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Medifast - Have you had enough of regular dieting?

It turns out that if you're overweight, you may not realize that you've 'had enough'. Surely, most dieters have had enough dieting, but what we're referring to here is the amount of food you're consuming. You may not realize that your stomach is full and your brain is not giving you the proper signals. For many years we've been told to slow down, we're eating too fast, and we need to give the body time to respond to the foods we've eaten to let us know we're full. How many times have you eaten too fast only to realize that you've now eaten too much? This happens too often. Satiation, or feeling 'full', has long been thought to take about 20 minutes. That means if you're consuming your meal in less time, you may not even know that you've had enough. Try slowing down when you eat. Another suggestion is just eating less food, but more often. Many diet plans or weight loss plans suggest eating 6 small meals per day rather than the typical 3 that we've been used to. Serious body builders have adhered to this eating regimen for decades in order to keep a steady flow of nutrition to their tissues, and to keep up with their raised metabolism. It works both ways - you can eat small meals more often to help raise your metabolism, too. Here's more on how Overweight People May Not Know They've Had Enough --

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found new clues to why some people overeat and gain weight while others don't. Examining how the human brain responds to "satiety" messages delivered when the stomach is in various stages of fullness, the scientists have identified brain circuits that motivate the desire to overeat. Treatments that target these circuits may prove useful in controlling chronic overeating, according to the authors.

"By simulating feelings of fullness with an expandable balloon we saw the activation of different areas of the brain in normal weight and overweight people," said lead author Gene-Jack Wang of Brookhaven Lab's Center for Translational Neuroimaging. The overweight subjects had less activation in parts of the brain that signal satiety in normal weight subjects. The overweight subjects were also less likely than normal weight subjects to report satiety when their stomachs were moderately full. "These findings provide new evidence for why some people will continue to eat despite having eaten a moderate-size meal," said Wang.

Wang and colleagues studied the brain metabolism of 18 individuals with body mass indices (BMI) ranging from 20 (low/normal weight) to 29 (extremely overweight/borderline obese). Each study participant swallowed a balloon, which was then filled with water, emptied, and refilled again at volumes that varied between 50 and 70 percent. During this process, the researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the subjects' brains. Subjects were also asked throughout the study to describe their feelings of fullness. The higher their BMI, the lower their likelihood of saying they felt "full" when the balloon was inflated 70 percent. Read more...

Be sure approach your weight loss plan with small meals more often that are higher in protein and vegetables in order to regain a healthy body and weight.

HWI

A Diet Not for Weight Loss but Metabolic Syndrome

From Science Daily --

Otherwise-healthy adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day -- the equivalent of two burger patties -- increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors including elevated waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol and high fasting glucose levels. The presence of three or more of the factors increases a person's risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

But it's not just meat that adds inches to the waist, increases blood pressure and lowers HDL -- "it's fried foods as well," said Lyn M. Steffen, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., co-author of the study and an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota.

Dairy products, by contrast, appeared to offer some protection against metabolic syndrome.

Steffen said that, "Fried foods are typically synonymous with commonly eaten fast foods, so I think it is safe to say that these findings support a link between fast-food consumption and an increase in metabolic risk factors." Read on...

Comments: More and more we're hearing how beneficial a diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources (non-meat) are to our health and longevity. Even the environment benefits from a reduced consumption of beef. Think of all the land that is used for cattle, and the water it takes to support those cattle. The numbers put a strain on the land and its preservation. Once a "burger" is created that is made from vegetable sources or tofu for example - one that might closely mimic the taste of the typical burger, then we might be on the road to solving a lot more health problems. However, raw fruits and vegetables should be the staple for any healthy diet.

HWI

Medifast or Money for Weight Loss?

From thisislondon.co ---

Fat people could be paid to lose weight under Government plans to tackle obesity.

Ministers said the Health Service and employers could give vouchers to the overweight to spend on healthy food in supermarkets. Fat people could be offered vouchers or cash to lose their extra pounds under plans being examined by the Government

They also suggested that those who manage to lose weight could be given cash prizes. Britain is in the grip of an obesity epidemic. A quarter of all adults and one in five children are obese.

Experts say that by 2050 at least 60 per cent of the population will be obese. But the Government strategy risks provoking accusations of a nanny state culture because it also urges schools to appoint "lunchbox police" to check that pupils' food is healthy.

Other ideas in the 40-page report are for compulsory cookery lessons for pupils and at least five hours of school sport a week - up from the present average of two hours. There will be a healthy food labelling scheme and ministers want councils to use planning laws to limit the number of fast food outlets near schools and parks.

But one of the most controversial parts of the report is a plan to give the overweight financial incentives to maintain a healthy lifestyle. read on...

Comments: Incentives to get people motivated to start taking charge of their health is a good idea, and one that would work even better if more people took the time to write down what their true rewards would be with better health and fitness. Either way, this is a good program to help reverse a growing statistic.

HWI

Cranberry Juice Helps Reduces UTIs Plus Raise Antioxidant Levels

From StaffNurse.com ---

Drinking cranberry juice can reduce the risk of developing urinary tract infections (UTIs), researchers reported yesterday. People who are prone to recurrent UTIs may benefit most, say Ruth Jepson of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Stirling, UK, and colleagues.

They explain that cranberries, and particularly cranberry juice, have been used for decades as a means of preventing or treating UTIs, but the evidence is still unclear. So they examined ten studies of cranberry products including 1,049 participants.

Analysis showed that cranberry juice and capsules may prevent recurrent infections in women, but there was no evidence of benefit in elderly men, elderly women, or people using catheters.

Ms Jepson said: "It’s worth noting that many people in the trials stopped drinking the juice, suggesting that it may not suit everyone’s taste, or it may be too burdensome and costly to drink the two recommended glasses a day.

"We now need to discover how much a person needs to drink, and how long it needs to be used before the juice starts to have an effect."

The review is published in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library. Ms Jepson and colleagues believe that molecules in cranberry juice may make it harder for bacteria such as E. coli to stick to surfaces, making it more difficult for an infection to build up.

In an earlier analysis, Ms Jepson found that cranberry products reduced the risk of UTIs by 35 per cent, compared with placebo. Read more...

Comments: With the addition of cranberry juice to your diet, you will help raise the antioxidant levels in your system plus help reduce such things as urinary tract infections. The bladder benefits from cranberry apparently because bacteria have a harder time of surviving. With any diet, more fruits and vegetables and grapes and berries will help reduce sickness and infections, plus will support good health. If you're not getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, follow the banner on the right. And look for Vineyard as well - made with 9 different grapes and berries.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Juice Drinks Help Boost Immune System

Your family can find effective ways to fight the flu. That's just as well, considering each year, 200,000 Americans are hospitalized and 36,000 die as a result of influenza infections. Nevertheless, a recent survey showed many people wait until they experience symptoms to adopt such healthful lifestyle changes as eating fruits and vegetables and getting a flu shot. And, almost half surveyed never get a flu shot.

Maintaining overall health during cold and flu season is very important. But even more important is taking action each day to support your health, as health isn't just a seasonal concern. Making smart choices including consuming nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. And if beverages other than water are consumed, then choosing juices that aren NOT from concentrate - like orange juice, pomengranate juice, or grape juice - all which help support the body's immune system and help in overall disease prevention.

If you start experiencing flu-like symptoms, then be sure to consume more nutrient-rich foods and sources of antioxidant-building foods like grapes, berries, spinach, broccoli. Even an 8-ounce glass of orange juice is loaded with disease-fighting nutrients and antioxidants. As part of a healthy diet, consuming just one glass of grape, orange, or pomegranate juice a day can help boost the immune system. Of course, a balanced diet means having plenty of whole foods like fruits and vegetables, not just the juice.

Here are just a few other nutrients that you will get from the juice of the fruits mentioned:

• Folate. Folate is needed by the body to produce new cells to help supply the immune system with a healthy stock of disease-fighting cells and replenish red blood cells to help prevent anemia. For women of childbearing years, adequate folate may also reduce the risk of having a child with certain brain or spine birth defects.

• Vitamin B6. Through its involvement in protein metabolism and cellular growth, vitamin B6 is important to the immune system. The immune system relies on vitamin B6 to properly function. Vitamin B6 helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs that make white blood cells, which help fight infections in the body.

• Flavonoids. Flavonoids may contribute to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that take place in the body and may help in the fight against cancer, heart disease and other serious health problems.

• Potassium. Potassium is important for the body's cardiovascular health. Diets containing foods that are a good source of potassium and that are low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. In addition, potassium also plays an important role in the response of nerves to stimulation and in the contraction of muscles.

• Magnesium. Magnesium may help support healthy blood pressure and contribute to bone health. In addition, it helps your body generate energy and is required for the action of more than 300 enzyme systems in the body.

NOTE: One thing to point out here is that although these are all important nutrients for the health of the body, they are only a few of the hundreds of nutrients that are in the whole food. A piece of fruit or vegetable contains (literally) hundreds of nutrients, all of which must presumably be needed to support our health in concert with one another. So if you need more nutrients in your diet because you're not consuming enough fruits and vegetables each day, then try adding a fruit and vegetable extract that is made from the juice of 7 different fruits and 8 different vegetables, plus when it's put into a capsule it makes it quick and easy to consume. Follow the link on the right.

Medifast - A good weight loss plan after 50?

It's not easy to drop the weight if you've passed 50, and certainly not easy to change your diet and lifestyle if you've been set in your ways for decades. But just a few simple changes can mean the difference between better health and longevity or sickness and earlier death. The biggest enemy of health most often comes from a lack of exercise, or being too sedentary. Even a 20 minute walk each day can make a big difference. Sure there are more responsibilities that we face during these midlife years. But not taking care of our health sure doesn't make it any easier. This from Newsday.com --

Extra weight creeps up on us as we get older - that's a reality that we've all probably experienced or heard about from those around us.

The reasons for this midlife battle of the bulge are many. There's less time to exercise with combined pressures of jobs, children and sometimes aging parents. Our metabolisms slow down, making it harder to work off weight. For women, menopause contributes to difficulty in keeping weight down.

Today's cover story by Meredith Daniels - who last wrote for us about the challenge of finding fashionable clothes after age 50 - is about a determined band in our midst, people who decided they needed to and wanted to lose weight. read on...

Note: If you want to make a few simple changes to improve your health and your weight, start with these easy suggestions: 1) take a walk each day for about 20 minutes; 2) add more fruits and vegetables to your diet - at least 1 of each; and 3) cut out the sugar, especially the sugar-filled beverages - they slow you down and pack on the pounds.

HWI

Grapefruit Juice Diet - Permanent or Temporary?

The Grapefruit Juice Diet - is it something that has seen it's day or can it still offer some benefit for dieters? Told like it is, the Grapefruit Juice Diet may be beneficial for a few, whereas for some others it may be awful. It has its advantages and disadvantages, but really you have to know going in if it's for you and for how long it's going to be "for" you.

Above all the Grapefruit Juice Diet plan offers the hope of losing 10 pounds in 12 days, not the typical or safe weight loss results that the FTC would like see advertised from any plan. It proclaims to allow or suggest 3 meals a day and even a bedtime snack.

With each meal is added a grapefruit - who would've known? You have the option of eating half a grapefruit or making grapefruit juice and drinking an 8-ounce glass of it. Skimmed milk is recommended for the bedtime "snack", maybe to help you sleep?

However, the Grapefruit Juice Diet plan cuts out a couple of important food groups. This diet plan is strict and may not be the answer you're looking for long-term. You've got to make sure that you still get plenty of wholesome nutrients - from a variety of fruits and vegetables is smart. And, of course, you have to get lots of exercise and rest.

Although grapefruit has many nutritional benefits and will help raise antioxidant levels in the body, it may not be the sole provider of weight loss and fitness that a good weight loss plan should offer. A well rounded, manageable, and healthy diet plan that you can adhere to permanently is going to be best for long-term health and fitness. Although many people find benefit from doing a 3-5 day 'juice' diet that helps cleanse the system, it isn't recommended to do such juice diets for the long term. Plus there are many other ways to go about losing weight that are healthier and safer.

HWI

Medifast Fitness Facility will be Impressive

This new fitness center should be a model of what major cities across the country build. This from Santa Maria Times ---

Officials gathered Jan. 16 to hold a long-awaited groundbreaking at the site fo a new fitness center (Santa Maria Valley, CA).

The $16.9 million fitness center, at 51,000 square feet, will be built in what today is an empty spot amid a grove of trees. That site is a few yards from the current facility, which sits at the corner of California Boulevard and Washington Avenue.

The current fitness center, built 40 years ago, is less than half that size, at 22,955 square feet.

“We're just not able to fully serve the Vandenberg community, especially the active-duty members who do have an Air Force requirement for fitness standards,” said Pamela Coffey, executive director of the Vandenberg Fitness Center. While fitness has been encouraged in the past for Airmen, it wasn't necessarily made a top priority.

“Prior to our current fitness program, the Air Force simply required active-duty members to take a cycle ergometry test once a year to assess their fitness level,” Maj. Steve Carmical, 30th Mission Support Squadron commander, wrote in a commentary last spring. “For those who were around prior to the cycle test, we remember the 1.5 mile run we took once a year. It was not uncommon for Airmen to “gut out” the test once a year without any kind of regular fitness regimen.

“The big difference between now and then isn't the testing mechanism, but the concept of a fitness ‘program' rather just a fitness ‘test.' As the Air Force has taken on increased deployments, the mantra has become “fit to fight.” Once a month, Airmen gather for “warrior fit runs” at Vandenberg.

Carmical noted that fitness standards aren't simply about passing the test. “It's about improving their health, stamina, state of mind and maybe even saving their life,” he wrote. Some units take over the fitness center during the weekday for regular weekly workouts.

Often, the center can't handle the demand - the facility serves 700 people a day, Coffey said. Along with Airmen, civil servants and military dependents can use the facility.

“This facility is just not meeting the needs and demand that we have with the shift the Air Force has taken on fitness and healthy lifestyles,” she said. “We strive to provide quality equipment and programs, but the size of the facility is really a drawback here.”

With the increased emphasis on health and fitness in the past few years, Coffey estimates the use of the facility has more than doubled in the past decade.

With the increase in users and the rise in fitness requirements and healthy habits, Vandenberg's facility has struggled to meet the need. In one room, two rows of treadmills are packed tightly in front of mirrors with little room between machines.

“Meeting some of our equipment requirements is very challenging because we just don't have the space,” she said. Current fitness center users and staff got to have a say in what the new facility would include.

Among those features will be two NCAA-regulation basketball courts with seating for 400, 8,000 square feet to house cardio and weight training equipment, men's and women's locker rooms along with those for distinguished visitors, a juice bar, massage rooms, public restrooms, a stretching area and ample equipment storage.

Wow!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Health Spending Exceeded Record $2 Trillion in 2006

From The New York Times --

WASHINGTON — National health spending soared above $2 trillion for the first time in 2006 and has nearly doubled in the last decade, amounting to an average of $7,000 a person, the government reported on Monday. With the advent of a prescription drug benefit in 2006, Medicare spending grew at its fastest pace since 1981, the report said. Private health insurance spending grew at the slowest rate since 1997, and spending on Medicaid, which covers low-income people, declined for the first time since creation of the program in 1965. Over all, the report said, health spending increased 6.7 percent in 2006, slightly faster than in 2005, and now accounts for 16 percent of the total output of good and services, a slightly larger share than in 2005. Introducing the Medicare drug benefit for older Americans and people with disabilities caused changes that rippled through the entire health care sector. Health spending by businesses grew 5.7 percent in 2006, to $496.8 billion, the slowest rate of increase since 1997.

Aaron C. Catlin, an economist at the Health and Human Services Department, said the “deceleration in employer payments for private health insurance” resulted, in part, from the fact that Medicare now subsidized drug costs for many retirees. Employers lobbied for such subsidies when Congress created the benefit. Retail spending on prescription drugs shot up 8.5 percent in 2006, to $216.7 billion, in part because more prescriptions were filled by Medicare beneficiaries, especially those lacking drug coverage in the past. The increase was much greater than the 5.8 percent increase in 2005, but well below the average increase of 13.4 percent a year from 1995 to 2004. Other factors that drove up drug spending included the use of existing drugs for new purposes and the increased use of high-cost biotechnology products, the report said. National health spending first exceeded $1 trillion in 1995. Since then, even when adjusted for inflation, health spending has grown at a rapid clip, increasing 64 percent in 11 years. The data, published in the journal Health Affairs, showed that spending on hospitals, doctors and nursing homes grew more slowly in 2006 than in 2005. But administrative costs increased more than twice as fast. read on...

Comments: It wasn't that long ago that health care costs were around the 1 Trillion mark - in 1995. To double in 10 years means that, yes in fact, health care costs are ballooning out of control. This should be more of a reflection of the poor health that Americans are experiencing, and while that is true, it is not all that is going on. The advancement of equipment, drugs, and procedures that keep a patient alive longer has to be the brunt of the rise in costs. The unfortunate thing about our health care is that it is not health care at all, but sick care. If we can start with the upcoming generation and start teaching life's lessons at an early age, and instill the habits of healthy living in the early years, then we have a chance of reducing costs in the decades to come, on a per capita basis. In other words, assuming the population continues to grow at the current rate, costs will continue to rise, but can be reduced as a percentage of the total. Start with your own weight loss and diet plan and live healthy. Teach those in your family the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the survival of the generations to come.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

The #3 Diet Vice TV Should be Off During Family Meals

If you've been reading the last few blogs, you will see that the theme has been family, and the importance of a close family to the bringing up of a secure, healthy, happy, productive individual. One of the 3 biggest diet vices that have contributed to the overweight and obesity problem in this country and around the world is the television. A diet vice is broadly defined as anything that gets in the way of living at a healthy weight. Specifically, a diet vice can be a food or drink that is consumed on a regular basis that contributes the most calories to a diet and keeps the "dieter" from living at a healthy weight. The three biggest diet vices are soft drinks, fast food, and television - all based on statistics. The amount of soft drinks and fast food consumed per capita supports the conclusion that they are the 2 top diet vices. And, according to statistics, television is the third diet vice that contributes to the number of overweight and obese individuals. In this day, we can add anything that the TV can be used for - all computer games, specifically, not just television shows. The recommendation that The Health & Wellness Institute gives to those who seek to lose weight, is that no TV may be watched (or used for games; hey, even 40 year olds use PlayStation!) until at least 30 minutes of exercise is done. OR, exercise may be done while watching TV - like a treadmill or piece of cardio that may be in front of the TV, or an exercise video. This puts healthy actions ahead of those that are sedentary, or let's face it, unhealthy considering the quality of so much of the programming these days (I'm not referring to the History Channel here!). Here's some information given about the importance of turning the TV off during family meals. Without reading the article, you can ascertain that the TV will distract family members from the time that should be used for productive communication, the foundation for healthy relationship among all individuals. And the lessons learned during family meals far exceed any entertainment or history lesson that can be learned from TV. This article comes from Science Daily --

ScienceDaily — September and October mark the start of television’s new fall season as the premieres of new shows and old favorites hit the airwaves. But, University of Minnesota researchers found that watching television while eating family meals may have a negative impact on children’s diets.

School of Public Health Project EAT researchers found that children in families who watched TV while eating meals together had a lower-quality diet than the children of families who ate together, but turned the TV off. Boys watching TV while eating family meals consumed fewer vegetables and grains, and more soft drinks, than those who did not watch TV; girls watching TV ate significantly fewer dark vegetables and more fried food.

Dianne Neumark Sztainer, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Project EAT study, suggests more than one reason for why this occurred. “The television may be influencing the types of foods that adolescents choose to eat because of the advertisements they see. Alternatively, meal situations and foods served within homes where the television is on during meals may be different. Further research is needed to explore our findings,” she said. read on...

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

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The #3 Diet Vice TV Should be Off During Family Meals

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