Marathon training – Doing it safely

Running a marathon safely involves adequate training. You don’t do it without preparing your body. Some people feel that if they were previously in great shape, and perhaps have run marathons in the past, that all they need to do is ‘brush up’. This is not the case, however.

With nearly 480,000 people known to have completed a marathon in 2001, the word definitely is getting out about the benefits of exercise. But perhaps with this growth in interest in marathons, some are missing the message that they must commit the proper amount of time and distance to such a project.

Researchers published the results looking at amateur athletes and the effect that training has on their bodies. The research was published in the May, 2006 issue of the European Heart Journal. They found that people who run less than 40 miles a week during their training often show signs of heart dysfunction after the race, and some of these abnormalities can last up to a month afterwards. This inadequate training leads to temporary heart muscle weakness and an increased pressure in the lung arteries, a conditioned called, “cardiac fatigue”. Those who ran over 45 miles a week didn’t show these signs of damage after the marathon.

If you wish to train for a marathon, do it right. There are a lot of free resources available, so do your homework and enjoy the experience.

To read more on the researchers' results, click here.

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What’s new in Diabetes?

Diabetes is the inability to metabolize sugar properly, which is called glucose — so it builds up in the blood. Type II has increased greatly. In just the last 10 years, the number of Americans diagnosed with Type II Diabetes has more than doubled, to 14.7 million, and the government estimates that over 5 million others have it and don’t know it.

It is estimated that 10% of all patients on a medical floor of a hospital has diabetes and 50% of patients on a vascular surgery service have diabetes. Complications of diabetes include kidney failure, blindness, loss of fingers, toes and feet, stroke and heart disease.

The newest medication, that may be on the market by 2009 is from Novo Nordisk, called liraglutide, which, in studies, have been administered by injection.

Presented at the latest American Diabetes Association scientific meeting in Washington, researchers from Novo Nordisk reported on their latest study of liraglutide. Results showed that Liraglutide lowers blood sugars and HgbA1C and that patients injected with the highest dose lost an average of 6.6 pounds over the 14 week study, compared with a loss of just 2.6 pounds in the placebo group. Risk of hypoglycemia was reduced, and an unexpected surprise was blood pressure was also reduced.

Test your knowledge of diabetes;
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Is your Weight to Blame for Heartburn?

Researchers recently published their results of an investigation of over 10,000 women who are currently part of the Nurses Health Study to determine if there is a link between weight and heartburn.

Their findings were the first to actually link weight gain to increased symptoms of heartburn, and they found that the weight gain did not only pertain to women who were overweight, but also pertained to women who had gained some weight beyond their own usual weight. Also, researchers found that losing as little as 10 pounds could result in a decrease of heartburn symptoms!

Persistent heartburn is the result of stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. It creates a burning pain in the chest or a bitter taste in the throat or mouth.

Treatment for frequent heartburn includes antacids, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, diet changes and eating smaller meals. Serious but uncommon complications include a narrowing of the esophagus and changes to the lining which can be precancerous.

If you suffer from heartburn, be sure to see your doctor and talk about what your options are. All prescription medication should be considered for short-term, only, however. Not only will probiotics help, but when you eat, what you eat and even how much you eat at each sitting all can all make the difference.

For an article on how to find a quality probiotic, click here: http://www.megfit.com/uploads/Probiotics%20questions%20handout-functional.pdf

For the abstract in the NEJM, click here: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/354/22/2340

Click here to calculate your BMI: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/index.htm

For a quick check to see if you are at risk for heartburn, or if what you experience may be something more, click here; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3296264/

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Red meat and colon cancer link

Among the functional nutrition community, there is no doubt that a diet high in red meats can cause cancer. This was something I learned while getting my degree in nutrition, also. Recently there has been more research to explain why.

Researchers from the Medical Research Council Dunn Nutrition Unit in Cambridge, England studied cells from volunteers eating different diets. They discovered that red meat raises levels of compounds in the large bowel that alter DNA and increase the likelihood of cancer. Earlier research from the same team had earlier shown a strong correlation between eating read meat and the risk of colon cancer.

In their latest study, published in the journal Cancer Research, the scientists studied cells from the lining of the colon from people who consumed red meat, vegetarian, high red meat or high fiber diets for 15 days.

The chance of developing colorectal cancer was a third higher in people who regularly ate more than two portions of red or processed meat a day compared to someone who ate less than one portion a week.

A diet rich in fat, animal protein and refined carbohydrates and lack of exercise are risk factors for the illness. Most cases are in people over 60 years old and about 5 percent of them are inherited.

Colon cancer kills about 500,000 people per year, yet about 70% of these cancers can be prevented through diet and proper screening.

Take steps today to eliminate your risk!

To test your knowledge, click here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3296487/

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